Monday, July 18, 2011

World Photography Day '11 competition



Avantech Ltd. is celebrating World Photography Day!! Be a part of our competition and take a chance at being one of our 15 finalists and exhibition - the winner will win a 1000 Euro voucher!

Click on the poster above for more info.

Please read our terms & conditions before entering:

1. The subject for the World Photography Day Competition is open.
2. Entrants can submit up to one photo electronically, on info@avantech.com.mt, up until midnight 31st July. Please include name & surname, contact number and address.
3. The competition is open to Maltese Islands residents only. Employees of Avantech Ltd., as well as their immediate families are not eligible to enter.
4. Entries will be judged by a panel of judges. The judges will select a shortlist of fifteen photographs (the 'Finalists') They will consider a range of factors including composition, technical ability, originality, and the commercial appeal of the photographs.
5. The finalists have to present a high res copy of their image at the Avantech premises by Tuesday the 2nd of August at 4pm. Any finalists who fail to present their work will be disqualified.
6. The general public will be invited to vote for the Finalist they like the best at the Avantech premises, when the finalists are being exhibited from the 8th till the 19th of August. The public will be asked to fill in a form and answer a skill question; one of the voters will be drawn to win a 200 Euro voucher for Canon photo-video products from Avantech Ltd. The public will count for 20% of the final votes.
7. The competition winner will receive a prize of 1,000 Euro voucher worth for Canon photo-video products from Avantech Ltd.
8. Prizes are as stated and cannot be sold or transferred.
9. In the event of a technical problem or evidence of impropriety with regard to the public’s vote, the judges shall have the final decision.
10. All entries must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The entrants must be the sole owner of copyright in all photographs entered. Further, entrants must not have breached any laws when taking their photographs.
11. Prior to submission, entrants must not have offered any of their entries for sale, been paid for any publication of any of their entries or won or been a runner up in any other photographic competition with any of their entries.
12. Entrants will retain copyright in the photographs that they submit to Avantech Ltd. By entering the competition all entrants grant to Avantech Ltd. the right to publish and exhibit their photographs on Facebook, the Avantech website, CanonMalta.com blog, CanonMalta.com webpage, and any other medium seen fit to promote the competition and event
13. By entering, entrants will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by these rules and Avantech Ltd. reserves the right to exclude any entry from the competition at any time and in its absolute discretion if Avantech has reason to believe that an entrant has breached these rules.
14. Avantech Ltd. reserves the right to cancel this competition or alter any of the rules at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of its control.

GOOD LUCK!!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

EF 50mm f/1.8 II - the 'nifty fifty'

The 50mm f/1.8 lens has earned the nickname the 'nifty fifty' because of it's low price and sharp optical quality.

The 50mm f/1.8 is the least expensive lens at this focal range. And dear readers, this lens is a marvel. I’ll keep it very simple - why the 50mm f/1.8 is a must:

1. At a little over a 100 Euros, it is very cheap and easy on the pocket for everyone including hobbyists.
2. Do not let the cheap price fool you. The 50mm is fantastically sharp, owing it's amazing optical quality to it's simple design.
3. Very light and compact, it is super-easy to carry around.
4. With an f/1.8 maximum aperture, this is a fast lens. This means that it has a bigger aperture that will allow you to shoot at high shutter speeds even in low light.
5. Last but not least, the 50mm f/1.8 offers a great learning curve. Faced with the limitation of a fixed focal length, you will find yourself being more creative and more involved in the photographic process. In a nutshell, prime lenses offer great exercise for your composition techniques.

Conclusion: If you do not own the 'nifty fifty' as yet, I truly recommend you get one! It won't cost you that much and I guarantee you will love it!

The 50mm f/1.8 can be purchased from Avantech in St. Julians Road, San Gwann, for 109.99 Euros inc VAT.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Canon wins 4 honours at the 2011 TIPA Awards!

TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) Awards are recognised as the most coveted imaging accolades in the world. Winning one award is an achievement, so Canon’s haul of 4 awards across a wide range of imaging products demonstrates the company’s continued excellence.






Being recognised by the TIPA Awards is a great achievement, but to be honoured with 4 awards is recognition of the Canon brands excellence and dominance across different areas of imaging product.

The TIPA panel comprises editors from 29 leading global photography titles which ensures the independence and prestige of winning a TIPA award. Canon won awards in DSLR, compact camera, lens and printer categories.

• Best DSLR Entry Level: Canon EOS 600D

• Best Superzoom Camera: Canon PowerShot SX230 HS

• Best Professional Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

• Best Multifunctional Photo Printer: Canon PIXMA MG8150