CALL FOR ENTRIES: The Canon Photography in the Parks Photo Contest

Canon U.S.A. has done more than pay lip service to Earth Day, evidenced by its new recycling programs and outreach incentives, as well as its third annual Canon Photography in the Parks competition. Established to encourage American photographers of every stripe to take an active creative interest in the nation's parks, this call for entries can be entered at the Canon Digital Learning Center. Prizes include Canon EOS series SLRs, earth-friendly Pixma Pro9500 Photo printers, and a Grand Prize trip for two to any participating national or state park.
The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2008.

To enter, one must be 13 years or older (the minimum age range has been extended), and an amateur photographer. According to Canon, Professionals include those who received more than 51 percent income from photography sales in the last three years, and are not eligible for submission. Registration and uploading can be completed at the Canon Digital Learning Center web site here. There are no entry fees.

Keep in mind for Earth Day: The Canon Forest Program

In association with the American Park Network, Canon U.S.A. has announced The Canon Forest Program, a national campaign starting in May and lasting through August, 2008, to promote green products. During the campaign, a tree will be planted for every ten Canon Generation Green products registered, and volunteer consumers will get the opportunity to help take care of parks and public land. Approved products include PIXMA Professional Inkjet Printers and imageCLASS scanners. To be included in the Generation Green family, products are be designed with Canon's standards of energy-saving, waste-reducing features.

From Canon U.S.A.'s Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group:

"Canon's commitment to the environment and helping to make it more sustainable is an inherent part of our corporate philosophy and product offerings. Through the Canon Forest Program, we want our customers to feel a connection with their Canon Generation Green products, knowing their purchases will contribute to planting trees and revitalization programs, which will help offset our collective carbon footprint."

Among other imaging companies, Sony has led the charge in establishing a national Take Back Recycling program for broken cameras, irritable printers, and useless electronics. All products are accepted, and you can find a list of locations here. Read the original blog article here.

You can keep track of the campaign's progress at the official site, when the program begins in May. Registration of Generation Green Products can also be be processed at the site.

Canon and Nikon release new top-of-the-line DSLRs

Canon has announced their newest addition to the E0S Series. The E0S-1Ds Mark III's number of effective megapixels more than doubles its predecessor, the
E0S-1D, at 21.1 megapixels. The camera also introduces a full frame matching the size of 35mm film. Not to be outdone, Nikon announced shortly afterward its own contender for the cutting edge of medium-format cameras, the 12.1 megapixel D3. This is Nikon's first SLR to have a full frame sensor.

From CNET:

"A full-frame sensor is a feature that some Nikon fans jealously eyed in Canon 35mm models. But adding it poses complications, especially for higher-end enthusiasts who've invested in Nikon lenses that support only the smaller DX size or who are considering new lens purchases. DX lenses will work only in a limited 5.1-megapixel mode on FX cameras, and the two formats can pose <>confusing compatibility and performance issues for consumers."

The price tag of Nikon's new FX system comes to about $5,000, and with the neccessary lens upgrades on top of it, this may be out of reach for even the truest, bluest Nikon enthusaists. Canon's E0S-1Ds is priced at $7,999.

Nikon has also opened a free training center on Flickr, the photo sharing website, designed to help everyday people get more out of their digital cameras. Check it out here.

Making of a Canon Lens

Following up on our post about the making of camera lenses is this excellent video demonstration by Canon. Like the final product, every step of the process seems elegant and refined, even when molten glass and men with large sticks raking through the newly-cooled material are involved...