For those of you using Adobe Premier, After Effects, and Media Encoder (Version CS5.5), Adobe has a new importer that supports the higher resolution and HDR capabilities of the new EPIC system.  Download the update here.

via 2-pop

The British Journal of Photography has a great review of the new Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G Lens.  It’s the first Nikon 35mm f/1.4 lens to offer autofocus, and is quite respectable, though it has a few shortcomings, like slight axial distortion and some vignetting.

Lexar has released an update to its Dual-card USB 2.0 reader, using USB 3.0 for higher throughput.  In my experience, people that shoot video on their DSLRs are the ones who most benefit from higher throughput on card readers, so if you fall into that camp (and don’t already have the firewire CF reader, and have a USB 3.0 port available) head on over to Lexar and pick up the new USB 3.0 reader.

via Rob Galbraith

Rob Galbraith is pointing out an issue announced on the Lightroom Journal; a bug in the way Lightroom 3.4 and Camera Raw 6.4 handle JPEGs with unusually large blocks of private camera data, that will corrupt the JPEG.  The only camera currently identified as building a JPEG that can trigger the bug is the HP Photosmart R607.

The fine folks over at PetaPixel are reminding us that today marks the 150the anniversary of the first color photograph, taken by Scottish physicist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell and photographer Thomas Sutton — inventor of the SLR camera. Their first color photograph was of a colored ribbon.

Updated May 18, 2011 @ 8:41 AM – Originally I left the word “color” out of the first sentence.  Fixed it.  That’ll teach me not to proofread at least twice.

I hadn’t yet heard of the Cinedeck EXTREME, but it looks to be a fairly cool and useful tool.  There’s a press release over at Broadcast Newsroom which talks about a documentary shot by Evolve IMG Films in which the Cinedeck was used.  The Cinedeck is an external recording device that has a 7″ “high res” preview/focus/playback monitor.  It boasts an internal solid-state hard disk, and accepts HDMI, HD-SDI, and LAN camera inputs.  According to the press release, Evolve IMG used it to record from both their Alexa and a Canon 5D.  It stores recorded video as Uncomressed 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 HD, Apple ProRes, Avid DNxHD, or CineForm DI files.  You can find more information on the Cinedeck Here (all-flash somewhat non-intuitive website… bleh), and the Broadcast Newsroom article here.

I didn’t know Hurlbut had a rental division.  However, in a blog post by Kevin Anderson, Hurlbut’s Rental Manager, talks about some of the Chaos his gear goes through and what their “Movie Maker” HDSLR kit loos like, including a 5D, a 7D, a full set of Leica glass, mattebox, tripod, batteries, EVF… this list is pretty extensive. Oh, and if you’re interested, heres the link to their rentals page.

PetaPixel is pointing us at an interesting article by photographer Lawrence Kim called “Photography and the American Dream”, were he takes a look at the economics of being a pro photographer, and sees it as the worst possible career choice if your goal is primarily to build wealth.  It worth a read.

When I was taking broadcasting classes, my instructors actually disdained the use of the terms “We’ll be right back”, “We’ll be back after this”, or “And, were back”.  They rightly reasoned that since you weren’t actually going anywhere, it was grammatically incorrect to use such terms when pausing for “sponsored messages” (such a nice term for commercials, don’t you think?), and you risk losing the connection you have with your listeners when you tell them you’re leaving.

That being said, I feel such embarrassment for allowing PhotoTimes to languish these last few months, that “And, we’re back!” seems the only fitting phrase to use.  I promise to endeavor to give the PhotoTimes the attention it deserves and keep you abreast of the news and information that such fine photographers and filmmakers as yourselves need to know.