MasHD Blog

Rumors speculate that Canon is set to announce the 7D Mark III DSLR camera in March of 2018 (next year) . The camera , a successor to the somewhat aged 7D MK II is set to challenge the Nikon D500 in the Sports , action and wildlife segments by featuring high frame rates , good dynamic range and most importantly , 4K video recording with Dual pixel AF . Canonrumors  (see link below for more info) mentions the addition of Canon's C-LOG into the 7D mk3 , although the addition of such features will surely benefit users , Canon is known to deliberately leave out some features as it can cannibalize sales of the higher tier model (example - Leaving out 4K and a second card slot on the 6D mk2) , but in the case of the 7D - the flagship model in its APS-C lineup . The addition of 4K is probably going to happen as its direct rival - the D500 also features it (But we don't expect to see C Log) . The 7D MK3 is also said to feature illuminated buttons , this is a plus point as the 7D ...

Well , well , it looks like another one is ready to bite the dust !,this time it is a 94 year old lighting company called - Bowens   - yes that Bowens , the world famous photography lighting accessory maker from the U.K . With humble beginnings in 1923 , Bowens opened shop as a Camera service company and later as an international camera equipment manufacturer (starting with flash bulbs) . The company quickly gained reputation among the photographic elite for providing dependable and powerful flash and compact flash systems for studio and on site applications (Their portable power generator solutions probably got the ball rolling for them)  .  Although their flash solutions were still superior to most of the competition and was still the first choice for many , the company was apparently acquired by an European firm called AURELIUS in 2016 , and this year , the parent company is apparently planning a new strategy without Bowens in it . Will this be the "last g...

In a time where automation is king in mass production , certain fields where  art ,skill and creativity are found will probably be one of the least expected places where you would want a job replacing system .But apparently a company called Styleshoots has unveiled a giant photo booth which can take photos of a subject - without the shooter . The photobooth - which works with a series of cameras including a Canon 1Dx Mk2 embedded in the arms can be configured by the user to photograph a series of images which can be optimized to any form factor - basically crop and adjust  the photo to different form factors as uploading photos to different social media sites and websites require different sizes .The system also shoots video , which can be used while the photo shoot happens . -This may be beneficial for time saving product photography agencies or shops , but it will be a wake up call for video editors , photographers and  aspiring models as automation - even at a sl...

Credits - koshirokun/ deviantart Nikon - a company with a history of a hundred years  is probably one of the most house-hold names in the photography business , the company , which started out as a optics manufacturer has now expanded to making lenses , other optics for weapons ,binoculars and precision equipment for medical , semiconductor and engineering fields as well ,therefore the sudden press release from Nikon stating a "Recognition of Extraordinary Loss" might bring a sudden shock and even a mini heart attack to some , but should you actually worry about this ? lets take a look . Notice of Recognition of Extraordinary Loss Quote - As announced in “Notice of Restructuring” released on November 8, 2016, Nikon Group is currently under a fundamental company-wide restructuring to improve its corporate value as shifting from a strategy pursuing revenue growth to one pursuing profit enhancement. In accordance with this restructuring, the Group recorded extrao...

Exactly 10 years ago , Steve Jobs said the following " Today we are going to re-invent the phone " - This quote -even after a decade of Apple vs Android smartphone wars still holds true as the product family over every iteration as somehow managed to change the mobile world . So how did we get here ? lets take a quick look . In this day and age , most of us take smartphones for granted , but a decade back the mobile marketplace and society in general was quite "different"- Business people carried overly complicated PDA's, Nokia was still around ,iPods were still a thing and we had a few less wars .Back then , owning a "cellphone " meant that you had either a candybar/flip phone or a expensive smartphone with Symbian OS or Blackberry with email support and internet speeds which were measured in Kilobytes per second . Apple at the time was mostly focused on its Mac lineup and things moved smoothly , rumors about Apple's first "phone" ...

via Wikipedia - Thistle33   In a age where click and tap to upload , the concept of inserting reels of film to a camera and then spending time developing it in a dark room (or dropping it off at the pharmacy to get them developed) should be a extinct practice now , but apparently demand for film is on the rise and Kodak - a company that basically pioneered "film" is now set to revisit one of its greatest hits - Ektachrome 100 and relaunch it this year . As time goes , film for different ISO levels will be made -including film for video cameras of a bygone Eastman era .But apparently , Kodak is also set to launch its very first Super -8 film camera with digital audio recording very soon  as interest in Film has reached a all time high even in a age where the terms "Selfie" and "apps" rule the headlines . fstoppers

DJI has reportedly acquired a majority stake of Hasselblad -a veteran camera manufacturer from Sweden . The new partnership , which will bring Hasselblad camera tech to DJI's Drone and Gyro cameras will surely help the company dominate the almost uncontested drone space for time to come .DJI however has not released full details of the acquisition yet , but Luminous Landscape reports that the company has taken most of the medium  format camera company as they already had some shares in them previously  . The fate of Hasselblad as a company is not known ,but due to the brand value , DJI will probably keep them steaming forward with some Micro 4/3 systems in the future ( along with the X1D which is already going on sale) . Sources - LuminousLandscape , techcrunch

India's department of telecommunications has officially banned  857 websites in a attempt to curb pornography , the move , done in the name of decency will prevent users from accessing common pornographic sites ,along with some affiliated adult dating sites . The move however has also targeted some non pornographic sites such as 9gag.tv collegehumor.com ,Barstoolsports and even popURL Many people point out that the content they display are already available on websites like youtube  so adding them to the same list is not a viery thought-out move to begin with. Even when such a ban takes place , people with some know-how's will still use proxies and VPN's to access websites so it wouldn't stop everyone eventhough the internet service provider ban is still in affect .The new decision on banning such websites has already brought about a heated debate with many opponents voicing concerns about how the move  violates personal liberties and rights and brings about a gradual...

GTA V has been delayed once again (to the 14th of April). the game was originally set to arrive on the 24th of March ,(and January 27th before that) but according to Rockstar games ,the game still needs a bit more polishing before launch . And as a token of apology to the "PC Master race " , Rockstar games "will grant anyone who has pre-ordered the game an additional $200,000 in-game cash for use in GTA Online." According to Rockstar , the game " features a host of PC-specific enhancements including greater levels of detail, deep configuration options and ultra-high-definition support – as well as the powerful new Rockstar Editor for recording, staging and editing original custom videos." , the game will also feature a advanced online multiplayer element in GTA Online called Heists . " Heists will bring a brand new 4-player cooperative gameplay experience to GTA Online, giving players the chance to team up to pull off a string of intense, mul...

Sony Xperia smartphones are probably one of the best bang for buck smartphones on the market now , the company , which launched some hit singles like the Xperia Z2 , Z3 and Z3 compact last year has shown some market growth and profits ,but with Sony's interest in profits is said to make the Xperia brand the next smartphone dinosaur . The Sony Xperia brand of smartphones( known previously as as Sony Ericsson) - which started out with the beautiful Windows mobile powered Xperia X1 exploded into the market with the arrival of Android . the first android powered Xperia devices - which include the fabled Xperia X10 , X8 and the X10 mini were plagued with mostly software problems as Sony literally took a back seat in terms of dishing out updates , due to factors such as this and blunders like avoiding front facing cameras until the end of the Xperia Arc caused many customers to turn to rival products , Sony also had a issue of launching two flagships every year , this ,combined with So...

The Toyota Hilux has a almost indestructible reputation thanks to shows like Topgear and rogue Militia's who mount rocket launchers and machineguns on them , but whatever its purpose , the Hilux name has lasted almost 7 generations and the next gen version is said to be unveiled next year . The current 7th gen Hilux has reportedly been boosted by Toyota and this new 7+ version is reportedly called Hilux "Invincible X". The new truck is said to have a 3 liter 4 cylinder D-4D as its only engine option in the Invincible range , the powerplant makes  169 Bhp - which is adequate as the double cab truck has a listed 2.5 tonne towing capacity . The truck also has many chrome accessories in the style options list including Chrome door handles , chrome air intake rims , front guard , aluminum scuff plates , also included are  4 choices of 17" alloy wheels . The Invincible model is said to come with 3 leather interior options which include Black , Tan and Red along with ...

City cars are quite popular as fuel and budget conscious buyers around the world, Suzuki - a company that practically floated on the success of its small cars are now faced with a recall as their new Suzuki Celerio - a affordable hatchback are said to be plagued with hidden brake faults . The Suzuki Celerio - also known as the Maruti Suzuki Celerio in India and Sri Lanka has also reached to markets in Europe and Oceania, The car , which retails for about $12500 has now been suspended in the UK  ,Ireland , Australia and NewZealand following a failure involving a 80mph deceleration test conducted by What Car magazine using two Celerios , and according to the test , The brake pedal became stuck in the fully depressed position and had no effect on the Suzuki's speed. No braking effort could be exerted by forcing the pedal up and reapplying it." , and therefore if such a situation does occur , the only way to stop the car will be to downshift the gears and yank the handbrake - wh...

After more than a half a century of driving in the extremes , the once mighty Defenders are now reaching the end of the line after a 68 year production history . The Land Rover Defender -a powerful , sturdy off road vehicle born out of the remnants of World war 2 lived on as a one of the last proper old school Chassis based 4x4 in the 21st century .The standard defender came in Wagon and short wheel base models (Defender 110 and 90) and it also came in truck versions as well , although the vehicle was considered a go anywhere vehicle , it was banned from entering the U.S after 1998 due to stringent safety factors to which the Defender was not designed for (no airbags and no pedestrian safety). To address this , and the poor fuel economy the 2100cc 4 cylinder engine had , LR is officially closing the tap on the classic Defender for good . As a final good bye , Landrover will produce 3 editions of its last 2015 Defender lineup , the LR Defender Heritage - a old school designed D...

She's back ..the NSX is back !! .Say hello to the new Acura NSX , although it is no longer under the Honda badge , the long-awaited supercar is finally here .The new NSX - which is said to have 18 months worth of visual and technical changes over the previously leaked pictures of the NSX. The car , which packs a hybrid powertrain still has a 45 degree V6 at its heart and it is twin turbocharged. The car has a 9 speed Dual clutch system which . The car , although it looks quite modern is still a bit spartan in the interior (you do get leather interiors and a LCD screen though) due to Acura's commitment to keep the driver focused on the car and the road , and with the 550Bhp hybrid powertrain , focus on the road will surely be required as the car produces instantaneous torque (battery power ftw) for instant launch control . Although the new NSX is well beyond the original "Poor man's Ferrari killer" price range (kind of like the GTR) , the car will still please our ...

Inspired from aircraft designs , the new Ford GT is said to bring back old memories from the past  and modern names that terrify any Ford fan . The new GT- which has some GT40 essence , is all new from the ground up and it is the first time Ford decided to use their "ECOBOOST" series of engines in one . The Turbocharged 3500 cc  V6 ,which is said to deliver a good -600 Bhp which is impressive on its own , although it doesn't sound like a  thoroughbred V8, V6 engines are slowly becoming the new standard as emissions and politics tighten the noose around performance vehicles . Apart from the V6 , the new car has a 7 speed dual clutch system with paddle shifters , the car also comes with 20" wheels with adjustable ride height and scissor doors which helps the car get into the cool  Forza Motorsport 6 "cover car" title .  Written by Rakitha for MasHD Source - MotorAuthority

Lexus has unveiled their new BMW M series  killing  Rival .The new car is also the successor to the IS-F  - The car  -Lexus GS-F continues the traditional sports sedan "F" marque with the new model as well , the car has the traditional vacuum cleaner like grille  , angled led's and a traditional lexus style rear . The GSF comes with a Naturally aspirated V8 with either a 8 speed automatic gearbox or a manual ,the car also features Lexus' TVD  torque vectoring system ,speaking of torque , the car has 389lb-ft at 7800 RPM which will come into play when you really have a need for speed . Some specs of the car are still not out , but from what we can tell , the GS-F will surely be a good bang for your buck if you don't fancy a German sports sedan. Written by Rakitha for MasHD Source - Slashgear

LG's G3 was probably one of the best smartphones of 2014 . The phone packed decent specs , a beautiful ui and a large battery which in this case burnt a large hole through a mattress while the phone was charging . The device , used by a Reddit OP's sister apparently burst into flames causing its owner to run down in terror , members of the household managed to put out the fire with a extinguisher (which is the proper way to deal with Lithium based fires fyi) and still the heat managed to melt through the mattress which then had to be thrown out of the window .The phone - as shown in these pictures shows a charcoal-ed battery and a G3 which has gone kaput from the rear panel .The family has started to circulate news of the issue through social media in order to get help from LG or other parties that can help them with the matter . According to OP's Reddit post , the phone's battery wasn't replaced with a 3rd party unit and the phone wasn't covered by a pillow a...

One of Suzuki's best selling supermini's just received a upgrade , the new Suzuki Alto brings a major change in design which now has a 1980's printer type grille and a boxy design with improved fuel economy of 37 km/l  and low emissions thanks to a weight reduction of 60kg which brings the overall weight of the car to 610 kg . The new car will come with a CVT with a electro-hydraulic clutch and gear shifting mode or Automatic transmission . Pricing of the car is still unannounced Written by Rakitha for MasHD Source - SlashGear

When you hear the word Maybach - you immediately think of Rolls Royce phantom eating super luxury road yachts that appeal mostly to rappers , but now Maybach's parent company Mercedes has decided to combine Maybach into the S-Class  giving rise to the Mercedes Maybach S500/S600 which is basically Mercedes' ultra luxury S-Class for wealthy  billionaires in Asian markets. The Merc Maybach has two versions - one is a "low end" S-500  model with a v8-Bi-Turbo which has 450 Bhp with 750 nm of Torque and a somewhat nice $166,668 price tag  . The top of the range flagship S600 however has a V12 which delivers 530Bhp  830nm of torque and a 0-60 mph figure of 5 seconds - which is impressive for a car this heavy , pricing of the s600 model lists it at $233,571 which is still a huge bargain compared to the Maybach 57/62 models which cost well over $400,000 . The Mercedes Maybach models are said to go  on sale in February of next year . Written by Rakitha for Mas...

When Tata went about making the Tata Nano - the worlds cheapest car  , many amenities were sacrificed in order to reach the target production price, good looks , a powerful engine and a comfortable ride and (cough cough..passenger safety) were skipped and  it therefore  didn't reach the target  sales figures the company expected .Although the car is still seen peppering along the streets of India and Sri Lanka as cheap taxi cabs or family runabouts, the car has now been given some street cred thanks to JA Motorsports who has basically made the humble hatchback into something that looks like it came out of a cereal box . Say hello to the JA Motorsports - Tata Super Nano  . Armed with a 230 Bhp engine that hits a top speed of 190 Kmph (116 mph) is leagues away from the from the stock versions 38 Bhp  635cc engine that hits a total  105 Kmph (65mph) . The car is also given AP racing brakes , new blackened exhausts and new rims with MRF ZLO tires and...