Having seen, touched, tested and reviewed the predecessor EOS M50 to the new EOS M50 Mark II, this new mirrorless EOS M50 Mark II is built on a strong foundation. The EOS M50 and EOS M6 are two mirrorless cameras from the EOS M family that I like, compact, easy to use, versatile and good cameras, that led to their next generation in EOS M6 Mark II and EOS M50 Mark II that we are seeing in the market today.

“The EOS M50 Mark II’s compact size belies its superior image capture and video recording capabilities. Its ease of use makes it a great choice for users who relish a simple shooting experience but expects great results,” said Edwin Teoh, Head of Marketing, Singapore Operations, Canon Singapore. 

What are the features on this new Canon EOS M50 Mark II mirrorless camera?

Capture Beautiful Portraits and Vivid Action Shots 

Always had trouble capturing sharp images of your active toddler who is constantly on the move or find it hard to zoom in on your child’s face as he runs across the pitch during soccer practice? The EOS M50 Mark II features an enhanced Eye Detection AF, which is able to detect and focus on a subject’s eye even when the person is far away. This will ensure the eye will always stay in focus, making it possible to use Eye Detection AF for full body shots in addition to the common upper body portrait shot. Users can capture subjects quickly and accurately when they are approaching from a distance, making it great for candid shots as well. 

Eye detection AF is also available with Servo AF when shooting still images and Movie Servo AF when shooting video, so you will always be able to capture your subject’s natural expressions even when they are in motion. 

The EOS M50 Mark II has a continuous shooting speed of up to 7.4fps with servo AF so users can capture multiple shots of moving subjects such as children or pets. Its built-in high-resolution electronic viewfinder (EVF) makes for easy viewing even when shooting in the bright outdoors. 

The AF frame display in EVF or LCD screen of the EOS M50 Mark II, which shows which part of the picture the camera is focusing on, has also been improved. It is now faster and tracks the subject more smoothly, so users will always know which part of the picture will be in focus without experiencing any on-screen lag. Display speed on the AF frame display in the viewfinder or LCD screen has also been improved on the EOS M50 Mark II, allowing for a better visualisation of the tracking. 

An EOS first, the EOS M50 Mark II makes full use of its touch-sensitive display with the new Tap AF feature where users can instantly switch focus from one person to another by just tapping on the screen, which is especially useful in group shots. This is in addition to the Touch & Drag AF, where users can move the AF frame by dragging their finger on the screen while shooting through the EVF. 

Enhanced Movie Shooting Experience 

Fast and stable AF is essential when it comes to shooting videos of moving subjects. On the EOS M50 Mark II, Eye Detection AF works with Movie Servo AF shooting. By simply keeping the subject within the frame while shooting, it will track the subject smoothly. Users can thus focus on the composition of the video while leaving the tracking of the subject to the camera.

With an improved contrast AF algorithm, users can also expect enhanced AF stability during 4K movies shooting with EF-M lenses. This will enable smooth movie recording, with reduced wobbling. EOS M50 Mark II supports movie digital zoom (approx. 3-10x) at the central part of the screen during shooting, which can be combined with optical zoom on a zoom lens to achieve magnified shooting with up-close shots.

With existing cameras, movies shot vertically are displayed smaller in a horizontal position when users play back the movie on a smart device. On the EOS M50 Mark II, an “add rotate info” option enables automatic vertical playback on smart devices, PCs and compatible social media, which enables a better viewing experience. Vloggers are now able to live-stream directly to YouTube (1) from EOS M50 Mark II by connecting to Wi-Fi without using a streaming unit. The EOS M50 Mark II also supports the Canon’s new image.canon cloud platform and registered users of the platform can upload, store, download and transfer images smoothly between various devices. 

Equipped with a Vari-angle LCD monitor and features such as touch screen recording, movie self-timer and an external microphone jack, the EOS M50 Mark II make it intuitive and easy for vloggers to record videos and do live streaming. 

Exceptional Lighting Control with Speedlite EL-1 

Canon photographers alert! There is a new professional speedlite, it’s Canon new flagship speedlite EL-1, it’s their first flash model to bear the iconic red line that we know and associate with from our Canon’s L series lenses collection. This is a symbol of high quality, performance and durability. This new speedlite features a new xenon tube that provides highly stable arc discharge and ensures durability.

This new flagship Speedlite EL-1 is going to be on professional photographers radar, a new and powerful flash, portable and ease of use.

The Speedlite EL-1 offers great flexibility in terms of firing control, with 14-stops of manual power selection to as low as 1/8192 flash output. When combined with high ISO settings on the camera, photographers can achieve images that retain the natural colours and exposure of the environment while providing subtle lighting on the human subject. Users can control up to 15 units of Speedlites wirelessly using radio transmission, which provides greater creative control to their lighting requirements. 

Powered by a new lithium-ion battery with a new charging circuit design, the Speedlite EL-1 achieves high-speed charging performance that keeps firing in scenes with movement. In addition, the charging speed does not change even when the battery level is low. The flash can continuously fire for 160 times or more2, thanks to its active cooling system and a durable xenon tube. With the new battery LP-EL, battery life has been enhanced to allow Speedlite EL-1 to fire up to 335 times at 1/1 power. This is approximately 3.4x more than the Speedlite 600EX II-RT.

The Speedlite EL-1 is also equipped with two colour LED modelling lamps, which is very useful for photographers to envision the colour and direction of light prior to shooting. Being Canon’s new flagship flash, the Speedlite EL-1 can handle the elements with its weather sealing design, with dust and water resistance similar to the EOS-1DX Mark III camera. The Speedlite EL-1 also sports an improved UI and a new joystick, which makes accessing the menus and changing of settings a breeze. 

Pricing and Availability 

Both the EOS M50 Mark II and Speedlite EL-1 will be available in late November from Canon authorized dealers and pricing will be advised at a later date. 

Notes:

(1) The live streaming service of this product supports scheduled live streaming on YouTube only. To use the live streaming service, registration on image.canon is needed in advance together with the latest firmware. In accordance with YouTube’s “Restrictions on live streaming”, users must have a minimum of 1,000 channel subscribers in order to live stream from a mobile device.  

(2) The number of continuous flashes until the temperature warning level 1 (the interval at which firing is possible is forced to eight seconds) at 1/1 power (manual firing)  

* Information and pictures courtesy of Canon Singapore and GLOO PR *

The post Canon announced EOS M50 Mark II appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

My knowledge and understanding of the Canon EOS M series cameras went back to their first Canon EOS M mirrorless camera in year 2012 that my parents owned and used until the Canon EOS RP entered into the frame, replacing it in 2019. Along with camera reviews completed for some of the Canon EOS M series cameras such as the EOS M50, EOS M6, EOS M5, EOS M10 and EOS M3. Over my years of owning and using Canon EOS DSLR series cameras and most recently adding the Canon EOS RP into my lineup, my ongoing coverage of Canon cameras and lenses, with various camera reviews completed allowed me to publish an article on the Canon mirrorless journey from EOS M to EOS R.

The Canon EOS M200 would be a fun and easy to use camera for users who might be looking to learn more about photography and seeking an upgrade from just using smartphone yet they do not wish to go into the higher end camera models at this point in time. If you are looking into starting off with a fun and easy to use compact mirrorless camera, do check out the Canon EOS M200.

Let me share with you more information and details on the Canon EOS M200 below:

Canon announced the latest addition to the EOS mirrorless interchangeable lens camera line-up: the EOS M200. A compact and intuitive camera, the EOS M200 is perfect for those looking to up their social media game from smartphone photography, to deliver higher quality images and videos to their followers. The camera is also ideal for users who desire higher quality selfie stills and videos or enthusiasts who wish to embark on their photography journey.

“As the latest addition to the EOS mirrorless interchangeable lens camera line-up, the EOS M200 impresses with quality and style, allowing users to shoot with ease for both stills and videos,” said Edwin Teoh, Head of Marketing, Singapore Operations, Canon Singapore. “This highly portable, lightweight camera is equipped with a Silent Shooting mode for users to photograph a wider variety of scenarios. Together with the Creative Assist function, it allows photography amateurs to operate the camera smoothly and seamlessly.”

Stills and videos that stand out

At the heart of the EOS M200 is a 24.1 megapixel APS-C size CMOS sensor. The Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology, which is proprietary to Canon, has been improved and the number of AF zones available for automatic selection has expanded to a maximum of 143 points, ensuring that users can achieve high-speed AF with fast live view shooting effortlessly for sharp high-quality images.

Being an interchangeable lens camera, users have the flexibility of selecting different EF-M lenses for various purposes, be it for macro, portrait, wide angle or telephoto shots, allowing more creative expression for various content. The camera can also be adapted to use Canon’s existing line-up of EF/EF-S lenses, which further expands the freedom of imagination for users to deliver unique content.

What is a portrait or selfie if the eyes are not in focus? As eyes are the windows to the soul, the Eye Detection AF ensures that the subject’s eyes are always in focus even if the subject is constantly moving – allowing the user to focus more on nailing that perfect shot with more natural expression.

With the new DIGIC 8 image processor, ISO capabilities have been enhanced on the EOS M200 and a maximum ISO speed of ISO 25600 (expandable to ISO 51200) is achievable for still images. This makes capturing clear images in dark locations possible. The EOS M200 is also capable of shooting 4K videos at a smooth 24p and 25p, with high image clarity and blurred background expression.

Stylish design and useful features

Designed to be slim and lightweight, the EOS M200 body weighs approximately 299g and can easily fit into bags. With two colours to choose from, the black EOS M200 comes in a premium matte finish whereas the white EOS M200 is designed with a textured grip and a sleek silver accent on the top body—that perfect style companion. Crafted not only for ergonomic comfort, it is designed with intuitive three mode dial on the top ensuring quick access so the user would not miss that perfect moment that they want to share with their followers.

The camera also comes with the Creative Assist function, where users can easily adjust the desired look of photos directly in-camera with intuitive words such as “brightness” and “background blur” without having prior knowledge of shutter speed, aperture or white balance. Additionally, a variety of in-camera creative filters allow users to add effects to their photos – such as grainy film, HDR oil painting, watercolour and fish-eye effects.

Equipped with a Silent Shooting mode, users of the EOS M200 can shoot still images in scenarios such as presentations, music recitals and art museums without worrying about the shutter sound. The LCD screen of the camera tilts 180 degrees with a dedicated self-portrait mode. With most social content being consumed on mobile, content with vertical orientation is key. The EOS M200 fulfils that criteria with the ability to record movies that would automatically playback in vertical position on mobile devices. Movies can also be easily recorded with the record button displayed on the LCD.

What’s more, the visual guide, which is particularly useful for those who are new to photography, is built into the EOS M200’s user interface. This includes a shooting mode guide, a menu display with item descriptions, along with hints and tips to understand technical terms. There is also the optionalTripod Grip accessory HG100-TBR that can also double up as a table tripod and for steadier handheld recording, which will come in handy for content creators who take selfie shots or videos.

Smartphone connectivity

In addition to Wi-Fi, the EOS M200 supports Bluetooth connection as a way to connect to smart devices such as smartphones and tablets. Once the initial pairing setting is complete, the EOS M200 and the corresponding smart device will automatically connect via Bluetooth. After pairing and selecting a function within the app, the camera will automatically be connected with the appropriate connection method.

Users can transfer images via Wi-Fi connection from the EOS M200 to a smart device in two ways: the conventional method of transferring only selected images or send images to the smart device simultaneously while shooting. The latter will be especially useful for those who want to manage captured images quickly so they could upload to social media.

Pricing and Availability

The EOS M200 will be available from October 2019 at Canon authorised dealers at the following retail recommended prices:

1. EOS M200 (with EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM & EFM22mm f/2 STM) Black & White – $1,009

2. EOS M200 (with EF-M15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM) Black & White – $809

Product Specifications

* Information and pictures courtesy of Canon Singapore and Ogilvy *

The post Canon announced new EOS M200 appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

There are many exciting festivites and activities taking place at The Whisky Festival and one of them is the Whisky Appreciation Master Class! In the year 2017, I attended a Whisky Appreciation Master Class by Balvenie at Changi Airport Whisky House inside Changi Airport Terminal 2 transit area. I had a great time know more about Balvenie whisky, tasting and appreciating it, check out my article that I published on my Whisky Appreciation Master Class during The Whisky Festival 2017! Although it was my second time visiting The Whisky Festival, I was just as excited, having the opportunity to attend another Whisky Appreciation Master Class at the Whisky House!

Thanks to Changi Social organising it for Changi Social Ambassadors, we attended the Whisky Appreciation Master Class by Jura whisky, hosted by Darroch Ramsay, Global Brand Specialist for Jura Whisky and we were guided on the tasting and appreciation of the new Jura Sherry Cask Collection.

Jura Whisky has a new Jura Sherry Cask Collection and there are four varieties of them, namely:

The Sound

Colour: Antique Gold

Aroma: Hazelnuts, orange and maple syrup

Taste: Caramel fudge

Finish: Black forest fruits and milk chocolate

ABV: 42.5%

The Bay

Colour: Copper Gold

Aroma: Toffe apple

Taste: Raisins, fig and ginger spice

Finish: Soft liquorice

ABV: 44%

The Loch

Colour: Mahogany gold

Aroma: Treacle

Taste: Baked apple, praline and coffee

Finish: Tropical fruit salad and cracked pepper

ABV: 44.5%

The Paps

Colour: Deep mahogany gold

Aroma: Ginger cake and vanilla

Taste: Balsamic, spiced pear and fig syrup

Finish: Roasted Walnut

ABV: 45.6%

Each of the four new Jura Sherry Cask Collection whisky has something special behind it, an inspiration and whisky story. Since we all have different tastes and preferences, that would be a taste that you would like from this Jura Sherry Cask whisky collection.

After listening to each different inspiration and whisky story, followed by tasting and appreciation of the new Jura Sherry Cask Collection, I am thinking to myself that I need to plan a trip to visit whisky distilleries in Scotland and Jura sounds like a very gorgeous destination to visit in Scotland, I can have a great time photographing Scotland landscapes and going for whisky tasting visits too!

If you are a whisky lover, don’t miss out on The Whisky Festival 2018 at DFS SingaporeChangi Airport! More information on The Whisky Festival 2018 at Changi Airport can be found on their website!

If you like to discover and know more about Jura Whisky, check out their website, Facbook pageand Instagram.

I would like to thank Changi Airport Social for the invitation to the whiskey appreciation masterclass!

The post The Whisky Festival 2018 at Changi Airport appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Attending Tech in Asia Singapore 2018 was a great experience for me, listening to great panel sessions across different stages over two days, visiting different companies from various industries, listening to them sharing more about their products, services etc.

I wrote and shared about my experiences, thoughts and views (from a technology writer/enthusiast perspective) on attending Tech in Asia Singapore 2018 in another article post on my personal / technology blog/website. For this article,I am sharing startups/technology companies related to photography, travel and hospitality industries that were at Tech in Asia Singapore 2018.

Photography related industries

Markedshot

An interesting marketing and business growth platform. I visited their booth to have a chat with them and learn more about their services. After a good chat, I am able to visualise their marketing platform via their social gallery and business growth via their business intelligence and data gathering.

This might be a good partnership for photographers/photography companies that handle big events for clients and also for organisations/buinesses that would like to have a more social and marketing outreach for their events/services.

Check them out on their website – https://www.markedshot.com

Travel related industries

Ownrides

If you love to travel overseas for holidays and you love Taiwan, this would definitely get your attention! DIY and customise your own Taiwan travel itinerary with private driver without the need for a travel agent or travel agency.

Being an independent traveler, DIY travel is what I like, I do like the Ownrides platform. With my strong interest in travel photography, I had a chat with them on this topic and they do have drivers inside their network that would suit travel photographers, just remember to drop them a message.

Meanwhile, I am also looking at their expansion plans and see where they would be expanding/moving into!

Check them out on their website – https://ownrides.com

TravelSkope

Travel in the modern social media and technology era is getting more digitised, online and social media friendly. This would be more of an interest to those who are thinking of setting up their travel agency. TravelSkope can help you to build, setup and customise your travel agency website.

Now, I know who to look for if I want to setup my online travel agency one day in the future.

Check them out on their website – https://www.travelskope.com

WAmazing

For Japan travel lovers (like me!), this WAmazing app is going to get your attention too. Plan your Japan travel itinerary through this app and I hope to explore more using this app for my future travels to Japan.

Check them out on their website – https://www.wamazing.jp

Travelog

An online social travel marketplace for buying, selling and sharing, with their base in Malaysia. If you are planning a travel holiday to Malaysia, this might be useful.

Check them out on their website – https://travelog.com

TravellerMates

This would interest independent and/or small group travelers, connecting them via social media and allowing them to bulk buy popular activities to achieve a group discount

Check them out on their website – http://www.travellermates.com/en

Hospitality Industry

Coffee Break

Being a coffee fan/addict, something related to coffee caught my attention. There are many cafes in Singapore (we coffee lovers know it) and they can be a little bit pricey due to the high overhead costs in rental and wages for the cafes.

This Coffee Break app partners specially curated cafes and helps you to discover the city’s best brews and eats. You can purchase their coffee beverages package plans via the app.

Check them out on their website – http://www.hellocoffeebreak.com

LoyalGuest.com

A travel membership program network that builds a travel community, directly connecting travelers with hotels and other travel service providers. It’s not your usual accommodation booking platform, current presence in Southeast Asia and looking to expand worldwide.

Check them out on their website – http://loyalguest.com

Creative industry

A special mention to Ikibook–  A blockchain ecosystem for the creative industries, musicians, artists, photographers, creatives, this would interest them. Keep a lookout!

For my photographers, travelers and those interested in hospitality industries, hope this would be useful to you in some way or another, as a consumer or from a B2B angle.

** I would like to thank Lewis PR for the invitation to Tech in Asia Singapore 2018 conference! **

The post First Visit to Tech in Asia Singapore 2018 appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.