Boxing Week at Beau... in January, YES!

Would you love to take advantage of boxing week sale prices, but are miffed that Beau Photo is closed and you have to shop elsewhere? Not to worry... we have you covered!

During the first week of 2012 when we open for business again, from Tuesday, January 3rd to Friday, January 6th, we will have lots of specials for you to take advantage of!

Lexar

For example, if you thought our Lexar pricing was good before Christmas, come and check out our 16GB Lexar pricing in January! Both 16GB 400x CF and 16GB 133x Class 10 SDHC cards will be on special. After Boxing Week rebates, the prices will be...

Lexar Pro 16GB SDHC 133x (Class 10) - $29.99

Lexar Pro 16GB 400x CompactFlash - $59.99

Nikon

Save on the awesome Nikon D3s, the low-light king of the DSLR world and possibly the very best available light sports camera you can buy. During our Boxing Week special, the Nikon D3s is only $4,550!

Canon

When it comes to Canon, save on EOS Rebel T3i bodies and kits. After our Boxing Week sale pricing and rebates, the T3i body is only $670 and the T3i kit with EF-S 18-55mm IS zoom is only $750! Didn't get a chance to pick up a 5D Mark II at the $1,999 price? Fear not... the sale price continues!

Panasonic

Save on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2, only $939 during Beau Photo's Boxing Week special! After the recent early December firmware update, the GH2 has gotten even better than it already was, offering a higher bit-rate in Full HD video for footage that is cleaner and smoother than ever before, even in very low light levels.

And that's not all! Drop by our store during the first week of January (starting the 3rd) and check out all our sale pricing. See you in the New Year!

Season's Greetings!

Oh no! Not Christmas e-cards again.

GREETINGS!

The entire staff wishes you the very best this holiday season and once again, this year we have put together some special e-cards to help you get into the festive spirit.

The members of SUPERCLAMP have a Christmas medley just for you.

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/i6PpvohgxcDaDv75

For more old-fashioned Christmas cheer...

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/a3hxn4JiEgUbrRN2

Photoshop CS5 Upgrades - In Tomorrow!

Just a quick update... our backordered shipment of CS5 upgrades is due to arrive here tomorrow finally. You still have a chance to get these upgrades at the 20% off sale price before Christmas! Further details here...

http://beauphoto.blogspot.com/2011/11/change-in-adobes-upgrade-policy.html

Great Sale on "Drop It Modern" Backdrops

WOW!  40% off in stock drop it MODERN backdrops this week only!
drop it MODERN backdrops are the funkiest, coolest and finest quality backdrops that we sell. Their great designs and colours will make your model stand out and separate you from the weekend warrior photographer.  "What makes... (the DIM)... backdrop different than others. This question is simply answered: you can feel the difference. With one touch you will realize the Drop it MODERN difference. (Their) backdrops are created for the discerning photographer by professional photographers. (They) have hand picked the most luxurious materials for all of (their) backdrops and we know that with just one touch you'll be sold. Drop it MODERN backdrops are the perfect marriage of sophisticated fabrics, textures, and durability. This is not your typical muslin backdrop".

CALL KEN, come on in, or place your order via email  for the last days of this incredible deal.
Supply is limited to DIM in stock here at Beau Photo (till Friday) and at the DIM Warehouse (till Thursday AM) only.  * Please note the new specialty line including Spangled is only 10% off *
Have a look at all their products on line at http://www.dropitmodern.com/wp/index.php/backdrops

On the Seventh day of Christmas..... You Are The Best _____ Ever!

Are you a Santa looking for a special gift for a new photographer.  Here is an easy-to-use camera that will help them create their next masterpiece. The Canon EOS Rebel T3i is the next in a long line of phenomenal compact DSLRs, the EOS Rebel T3i continues the Rebel tradition of easy operation, compact design and no-compromise performance. Featuring Canon's newest DIGIC 4 Image Processor and an 18.0 Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor - plus cutting-edge technologies like Full HD video recording, Live View shooting, Wireless flash photography and even a Vari-angle 3.0-inch LCD monitor - the EOS Rebel T3i offers the best of EOS photography in a compact package. Now priced for that perfect Christmas present

Canon Rebel T3i big Christmas Special:
Canon Rebel T3i Body only $759.00

Canon Rebel T3i Kit with 18-55mm IS Zoom $839.00

Limited quantities, Plus take an additional $50.00 off at the counter as an instant rebate from Canon till the end of the month!

On the Sixth day of Christmas....... I CANT BELIEVE IT!

The ZOOM H4n is a perfect gift for the DSLR Videographer. Described by some (more famous bloggers than myself) as the industry standard, they have enough features to satisfy even the most demanding filmmakers.  Features like adjustable stereo-mics that allow you to set the recording pattern to either a 90º or 120º angle, adjustable recording rates up to a high resolution uncompressed 96KHz/24-bit, dual XLR/phono inputs, and a digitally controlled high quality preamp for incredible sound. The H4n boasts a very low noise floor for very clean low-level audio recording. For more info go to: www.samsontech.com/zoom/products/handheld-audio-recorders/h4n/

At a great price of $349.95
As well there is the H1 for the Santa who is keeping to the budget  for only $109.95

Review: LowePro Classified Sling 180 AW

LowePro Classified Sling 180 AW

A LowePro bag? Isn't this a digital blog entry from Mike? That camera bag isn't a digital item! Well okay, that may be your reaction, however I do end up using non-digital products too of course, and once in a while I come across something I quite like and feel inclined to share some feedback about. In this case, I feel that these Classified Sling bags are so unassuming looking and stealthy, that they might actually fly under the radar of people who would otherwise find them well designed and efficient, were they actually to give them a try. So here is my take...

I recently ordered myself a Classified Sling 180 bag, more or less sight unseen, based on looking at the larger 220 version we have in stock here at Beau and based on a few brief Internet reviews I read. Honestly, some of the Internet reviews were actually not all that favourable and complained about several aspects of this camera bag. All I will say to some of those is “... what a bunch of whiners!” Sure, the bag is not perfect (nothing ever is) but all in all, it may just be the nicest camera bag I have bought so far... and I have many, many bags. Even though my continual and never-ending quest for the “perfect” camera bag means I already own way too many, I still thought it was worth trying this one out. I'm glad I did!

IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT WORKSHOP & PARTNER STORE LAUNCH

We are thrilled to announce that last night we officially became the first Canadian Impossible Project Partner store and we celebrated the occasion with a workshop by photographer, Kathy Kinakin. It was a great introduction to the exciting new films being produced by the Impossible Project, and a chance to learn some tips and tricks for achieving the creative results these films are ideal for. The second half of the evening featured workshop attendees as photographers and artists. There were 4 cameras loaded with Silver Shade and Color Shade film shooting out photographs, and a table of water filled trays with lots of Impossible emulsion lifts floating happily along. We were happy to see that most attendees left the workshop with some great images. 

On the Fifth day of Christmas ..... just what I wanted

PocketWizard Mini and Flex ......WOW! What a great accessory for the Canon or Nikon shooter! It's the most versatile PocketWizard radio ever.  Lock your flash into the FlexTT5 built-in hot shoe, turn it on and you are ready to shoot. The FlexTT5 takes the existing benefits of Canon or Nikon wireless systems beyond the boundaries of infrared technology. When paired with the Mini TT1 Transmitter or another FlexTT5 Transceiver, a whole new world of wireless flash freedom opens up. The FlexTT5 is also the perfect Transceiver for your manual triggering needs and works with all MultiMAX channels and many of the MultiMAX advanced functions.

PocketWizard Mini TT1 $205.95  
PocketWizard Flex TT5 Nikon $234.95                PocketWizard Flex TT5 Canon $254.95

On the Fourth Day of Christmas ....... LOVE IT!

The Intuos4 Pen tablet is a fantastic gift.  Just ask someone who owns one... like me.  The features on this baby are the cat's ..... whiskers!  For working professionals and serious creatives alike, Intuos4 represents the finest pen tablet experience ever created by Wacom. And the advantages are many. The Intuos4 speeds production time for photo editing, design and art creation. The latest pen tip sensor technology and 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity allow you to capture subtle nuances of pressure, so you can dynamically adjust exposure, brush size, opacity and more with astounding accuracy. There is no better time to buy them now that we have them on sale!

Wacom Intuos4 small tablet   Reg. $269.00      Sale  $235.00

Wacom Intuos4 medium tablet  Reg. $419.00      Sale  $349.00

Wacom Intuos4 large tablet   Reg. $589.00      Sale  $499.00

Yes, OPEN LATE! Today, Thursday Dec. 15th!

Impossible, but true!  We are open today till 9pm for your shopping convenience!

(Yes Zach, this is indeed Beau Photo, it is late, and we are actually open. Happy shopping!)

Thanks to a good customer of ours, Zach, for being the model in this shot!

On the Third day Of Christmas .... What I really do need

Manfrotto Stands on Sale
Just in time for Christmas! Pick up a few stands to replace those old wobbly ones, so you won’t injure a few of Santa’s elves as they run around your studio (as elves will do). While you are at it pick up that Manfrotto background support kit that you have been promising yourself for years since it’s on sale as well. 

Manfrotto 1052BAC Black Air cushioned stand. Reg. $ 94.95 Sale $86.95

Manfrotto 1004BAC Black Air cushioned stand. Reg. $129.95 Sale $118.95

Manfrotto 314 Background support kit Reg. $314.95 Sale $269.95

Manfrotto 055XPROB w/ 804RC2 head Reg. $259.95 Sale $229.95

Manfrotto 190XPROB with 804RC2 head  Reg. $247.95 Sale $199.95

Year End: SALES • SALES • SALES !

Have we ever got some sweet sale pricing for you! We've got RED • DOT sales, clearance items, instant rebates, mail-in rebates and much more!

First off, here are some photos of our RED • DOT bargain bins. Make us an offer! Click on any photo to see it bigger...

Impossible Recommendations - Part II

 

















For the second installment of our Impossible recommendations we have the Creative Kit & LIFT IT Brush Set. Impossible instant films are perfectly suited for the popular creative technique called emulsion lifts! Emulsion lifts are not only breathtakingly beautiful but they are incredibly educational and rewarding. The technique is astonishingly simple and fascinating to apply with the LIFT IT brush set.The Creative Kit is optimized for emulsion lifts applied on Impossible pictures that have been taken about 10 minutes earlier before starting with the manipulation technique. The Creative Kit provides you with everything you need for beautiful lifts: two trays, a lift clip, a thermometer a fountain pen filler, wood clips and paper sheets to receive the emulsion lifts. The technique will be demonstrated in our Impossible Project Instant Film Workshop this Thursday.
Creative Kit $22.21
LIFT IT Brush Set $31.74

Impossible Recommendations - Part I

To coincide with the Impossible Project Workshop & Partner Store Opening Event we are featuring an Impossible product everyday this week. To start off we have the SX-70 leather case especially designed for the Polaroid SX-70 cameras. This beautiful, old-school leather case is a near-exact replica of the original 1970’s era case made by Polaroid. Hand made from top quality genuine leather, this sheath ensures that your camera stays warm and protected from all outer influences. Equipped with the classic short carrying loop, brass detailing and a debossed Impossible logo. The case is available in black, white, brown and fits all non-Sonar SX-70 camera models - Original, Alpha 1, Alpha 1 Model 2, and Model 3. 

Price $40.21cdn

The First Day of Christmas ....... Profoto BatPack for your BatCave or BatStudio

Get the Power where you need it!
The Profoto BatPac is a great way to take your studio lights out of the studio. These batteries are easy to use,  just charge it up and plug your lights in. Especially developed to power advanced flash equipment like Profoto D1 monolights, the BatPac guarantees proper function and eliminates the risk of damage to the flashes. The BatPac works with the Profoto D1, ComPact and Acute2 flash equipment. It can be used for other electrical devices like chargers, wind machines, refrigerator boxes and constant light sources as well. One BatPac can drive up to 4 Profoto D1 (250Ws, 500Ws and 1000Ws), 2 Profoto ComPact (300Ws, 600Ws and 1200Ws) monolights or one Profoto Acute2 (1200Ws or 2400Ws) generator. This unit delivers up to 300 flashes with 1000Ws, 600 flashes with 500Ws, 1200 flashes with 250Ws etc. The BatPac is also protected against overcharge, short circuit, high temperature and low input voltage.

On Sale till Christmas:              Reg. $1646.95            Sale Price $1484.95

Twelve Days Of Christmas

Well these are the last few days before Christmas, Twelve to be exact, and I want to let you know of some great gifts we have on special.  If you are having trouble getting ideas for that Photog of yours watch my blog every day for great ideas and great deals too.  Just remember these deals are for in-store items only and quantities are limited!

Impossible Instant Film Workshop

BEAU PHOTO is excited to launch its PARTNER STORE with the IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT on Thursday DECEMBER 15th. To celebrate the occasion we are hosting a free instant film workshop by photorapher KATHY KINAKIN. The workshop will feature an introduction to Impossible Project’s film products, and a demonstration on emulsion lifting. Participants will be able to try out the products and experiment. As well as the workshop the partner store will be open until 9pm with lots of exclusive products for sale. Workshop goes from 6:30-8:30pm. Space is limited, to register simply write to film@beauphoto.com

Please come and join us!

Change in Adobe's Upgrade Policy

ON SALE! Photoshop CS5 upgrades are 20% off until December 31st

Adobe has recently announced a major change to their upgrade policy. Starting next year with Photoshop CS6, if you want to buy a reduced price upgrade, you will only be able to do so if you already own CS5. Unlike the current CS5 upgrade, which will allow you to upgrade from CS4, CS3 and even CS2, the upcoming CS6 will only allow upgrading from a single version back.

What this means is that if you are not currently on CS5 and wait until CS6 starts shipping, you will miss out and will need to buy a full (and very expensive) copy of CS6! Adobe realizes that there may be quite a few people who have made it a habit to skip one or more upgrade versions and who may not be on CS5 yet, so they are offering a discounted price on CS5 upgrades until the end of the year.

Our normal price is $210, but we have Photoshop CS5 Upgrades ON SALE for $169 until we shut down for Christmas in December.

One benefit to upgrading sooner rather than later, is Photoshop CS5's dramatic improvement in image quality when processing digital camera RAW images. There really is a huge difference in image quality and CS5 will render images with improved detail and less high ISO noise than previous versions of Photoshop. The improvements are so dramatic that it is like getting a whole new and improved camera!

Lastly, as I understand it, this upgrade policy is not just for Photoshop, but includes all upcoming Adobe Creative Suite bundles or individual programs.

Zoom H4n - Now at Beau Photo

They're here! They're here! The Zoom Mics are here!  The ZOOM H4n is perfect recording device for DSLR Video. Described by some (more famous bloggers than myself) as the industry standard, they have enough features to satisfy even the most demanding filmmakers.  Features like adjustable stereo-mics that allow you to set the recording pattern to either a 90º or 120º angle, adjustable recording rates up to a high resolution uncompressed 96KHz/24-bit, dual XLR/phono inputs, and a digitally controlled high quality preamp for incredible sound. The H4n boasts a very low noise floor for very clean low-level audio recording. For more info go to: www.samsontech.com/zoom/products/handheld-audio-recorders/h4n/

Hasselblad Trade-In Promotion

There are lots of Hasselblad upgrade options to be had for year end! Even if you are shooting with a competing digital back system, there are still discounts available too. For a full list of upgrade pricing (in US dollars), please see the following link here: Full Trade-In Pricing Download

If you want to arrange for a trade-in, or for more information, please contact us!

Phase One Blog

As we start to hunker down to face the next few months of rain, Peter Eastway's Travelogue on the Great Barrier Reef reminds us of warmer days and tropical travel.  If you have ever been so lucky to travel to this part of the world, his images should bring back a flood of memories and teach you a thing or two about the Phase One Digital system as well. Check it out at http://blog.phaseone.com/

Used Continuos Light

Used Lowel DP Light with Barndoors: This used light is great for video or filming.  Depending on what bulb you put in, they have a range of output from 500 Watts to 1000 Watts.  Some focusing / spot adjustment allowed with this unit. It's a great deal for the price.

$200.00 each (2 available)

 

Looking for battery power? Have we got a deal for you! The Speedotron Explorer 1500 Digital Portable Power Supply, the latest Black Line System innovation. The Explorer provides a cost effective alternative to gas powered generators or high priced European portable systems for those location shoots where electrical power is not available. This used unit comes with one 202VF head, and standard reflector.  $1700.00  SOLD

Beau Photo Halloween Greetings!

Halloween is just around the corner and we've decided to put together another JibJab greeting for your enjoyment! Be safe and have a great Halloween with your family...

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Sugar Studios

Sugar Studios are the first of their kind in Western Canada, boasting two high end photography rental studios:  Studio A, with its 36' infinity wall is wonderful for any style of photography - advertising, editorial, portrait, automobile, table top, etc - while Studio B is coveted for its beautiful available light, even on a rainy day.

Sugar's clean white interiors can also be rented as an event space for corporate or personal parties and are perfect for any type of art of photo exhibit.

Sugar Studios is located 1635 Powell Street in Vancouver, BC.
Contact Sugar Studios at 604-879-1635 or e-mail sugar@sugarstudios.com

Beau Photo also offers FREE DELIVERY & PICK-UP as an exclusive offer only to Sugar Studios.  If you rent your equipment through Beau Photo, we will deliver it to Sugar Studios and pick-up for no extra charge - a $50 savings!  Please give us at least 24 hours notice.  Our rental equipment guide can be viewed here.

Photo Plus: Simon meets EOS-1D X!

Carol and Simon are at the Photo Plus Expo in new York and Simon managed to score some hands-on time with the awesome new Canon EOS-1D X! I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet, to find out what his impressions were, but Carol did send back a photo to make me jealous...

NEW! Canon EOS-1D X Announcement

Just announced, the Canon EOS-1D X will be Canon's new flagship DSLR and it's coming in March of 2012. A merging of the lines is taking place, as the 1D X is seen as the successor to both the 1D Mark IV and the 1Ds Mark III. It boasts an all new full-frame 18MP CMOS sensor with the lowest noise levels yet of any Canon DSLR. It is said that the 1D X will offer a two-stop improvement in high-ISO noise when compared to the 1D Mark IV, as well as better dynamic range and improved overall image quality compared to any previous Canon DSLR. A mind-blowing ISO 204,800 will be its upper limit with ISO 51,200 considered a "normal" non-boosted ISO limit.

It will also be the fastest (by far!) full-frame Canon DSLR ever released, with the ability to shoot continuously at up to 12 fps with full functionality, and even up to 14 fps with the mirror locked up and in JPEG mode. Despite having a much larger mirror than the 1D Mark IV, which has an APS-H sensor and is not full-frame, the 1D X will have an even shorter viewfinder blackout time when shooting.

An all new AF system with 61 points in total with a massive number of cross sensors (21 sensitive to f/5.6, 20 sensitive to f/4.0 and 5 dual-cross sensors working to f/2.8), and all new focus and subject detection/tracking algorithms with much easier and intuitive user configuration options, promise to make this the most accurate focusing 1D camera ever.

Video functionality has been improved as well with no more 4GB limits for recording duration. The 1D X will seamlessly continue recording (up to 30 minutes), splitting footage into multiple 4GB segments without dropping any frames in the process. There are some new less compressed video options that will make it easier to edit raw footage without requiring transcoding, but these come with massive data rates... how does 6 minutes of video filling up a 16GB card sound? Now that's a lot of data! Timecode embedding is also now an option.

Fujifilm X100 & Accessories in stock!

For the first time ever, we finally have decent stock on the awesome X100 camera from Fujifilm. Not only on the camera itself, but also accessories, such as the premium leather case, lens-hood/filter-ring combos and spare batteries as well!

If you want to take a look at an X100, or even take some sample photos, please let me (Mike) know in advance (call or email) and I will make sure I have my own personal camera here at the store for you to look at or try out. The camera is $1199 and our accessory pricing is amongst the best you'll find anywhere.

PPOC-BC Northern Region Wrap Up

This past weekend Mike and I had the pleasure of spending some quality time at the PPOC-BC Northern Region seminar up in Prince George. As always we were once again spoiled by the Northern hospitality and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone again. We're sorry we weren't able to stay on Monday to hear Albert Normandin present his "Adventures in Creativity" program, especially because we heard a great time was had by all!

Congratulations to all the winners and especially to Ute Wilder who won Best Overall Submission.

Time-Lapse: Prince George to Maple Ridge

Here is a time lapse movie that Mike shot from inside the rental minivan, coming back from the seminar in Prince George. A Nikon P7100 was mounted to a passenger side hand-grip with a Gorillapod. The camera was set to time-lapse mode, taking one shot every 30 seconds and the resulting frames are played back at 10 fps in this video. Unfortunately the battery died before we got all the way back. However, still very impressive battery life! The camera was running for over 9 hours straight and took about 1100 frames.

Music is an excerpt from the song "Speedbumps" by Sounds from the Ground. (iTunes Link)

Canon Rebates for October

Not only has Canon dropped the price on the 5D Mark II substantially, but they have also implemented some aggressive instant rebates for the month of October. Many of these rebates are simply a continuation of ones they implemented on September 21st. Note that they are "instant" so you don't have to mail anything in! See the details below...

NEW: Sennheiser Mics and audio accessories at Beau!

Beau Photo has finally received their first shipment of Sennheiser products, mainly the really small, lightweight and high quality MKE-400 hotshoe mounted shotgun microphone. This mic is perfect for use with your video DSLR. We also brought in some accessory kits, consisting of a furry windscreen and XLR adapters. rentals already has an MKE-400 and plans on putting a wireless lav-mic kit into rentals too, once that shipment arrives. We also brought in some wired lav-mics too, if you want to use them with a small recorder and not bother with a more expensive wireless solution.

While we are not stocking all that many SKUs, we can special-order in anything you might want from Sennheiser.

Price Drop on EOS-5D Mark II !

As of today (Sept. 21st), the price of the EOS-5D Mark II has dropped substantially. The effective price after the $300 instant rebate is as follows:

EOS-5D Mark II body - $1999.99

EOS-5D Mark II kit with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS Zoom - $2799.99

As far as we are aware, this pricing will be in effect until December 31st, 2011 too.

PocketWizard Firmware Update

PocketWizard engineers have been busy this summer enhancing and improving their ControlTL products and we’re excited to announce their latest firmware updates. These updates significantly improve the user experience with ControlTL products.

Here is PocketWizard's firmware update page:  PocketWizard Downloads

Please read the release notes as well, detailing the firmware changes, and most definitely the full blown manuals for lots of practical usage tips.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2.0 Lens

We now have this wonderful little wide-angle lens in stock. Not only does it fit the Olympus PEN series of Micro-4/3 cameras, but all the Panasonic Lumix Micro-4/3 cameras as well of course.

It has superb anti-reflection coatings and is one of the best wide angle lenses I have seen for flare resistance. It is also very sharp, even corner to corner when stopped down to at least f/4, and boasts the first manual focus scale with depth of field markings of any Micro-4/3 lens that I am aware of. Sadly, it does not include a lens hood, but it is so well behaved when sunlight is hitting the front element, that only in certain situations will you ever really feel the need for a hood.

Welcome to our blogs!

Welcome to the new Beau Photo store blogs page. Here you will find our staff posting with the latest and greatest news that are of of interest to our customers. Enjoy...

Note: Pardon the messy category list. This was a way of easily predefining categories to help design this page!