April 2010

Michael Zhang

The Making of a Canon 500mm f/4L Lens

Here's an interesting behind-the-scenes video series that shows the creation of a Canon 500mm f/4.0L IS lens. It's a neat look at the guts of glass, and an opportunity to see how exactly the various components of a lens are created and put together.

Michael Zhang

Send Your Best Images into Photo Battle

photobattle.me is a fun little web application that pits two submitted photographs against each other and asks the visitor to vote on which photo they think is better. Of course it's entirely subjective, and photos can be of different types and flavors, but it's an interesting way to see what the general public thinks of your work compared to other photos.

Michael Zhang

Driving Wooden Chairs in Stop-Motion

Here's an amazing stop-motion video created for Nissan, and promoting zero emissions mobility. It's amazing that a sense of speed and danger can be created from photographs of people sitting still in wooden chairs.

Michael Zhang

“The Last 3 Minutes” Showcases New Canon 5D Mark II 24p Capabilities

The Last 3 Minutes is a beautiful short film by cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, the cinematographer of Terminator Salvation. It was shot using the Canon 5D Mark II, and was sponsored by Canon to show off the latest firmware that enables 24p (frames per second) recording, giving it a "movie quality". Filming spanned 17 locations across 4 1/2 days, and a wide assortment of Canon prime L lenses were used.