Tamron Announces New VIP Club

Tamron USA Announces the Launch in 2018 of New VIP Club

 For Owners of Multiple Registered Tamron Lenses

 

December 26, 2017, Commack, New York-Tamron USA announced the development of a new VIP Club for registered owners of multiple Tamron lenses. To be launched in 2018, the VIP Club will include select users who have registered their Tamron lenses through the company’s online warranty registration system since May 2011 through January 15, 2018 (certain exclusions apply, see website for rules and details). There are three VIP Club levels: Silver for those having registered four purchased lenses; Gold for those having registered five purchased lenses; and Platinum for those having registered six or more purchased lenses. Club membership will be evaluated each year to include new members who qualify and to increase the level of existing members if applicable. The VIP Club will be in effect February 15, 2018 and 2018 members will be notified by email. Complete rules and details of the program are available at www.tamron-usa.com/vipclub.
 
2018 Silver Level Benefits (Four Registered Lenses)
Tamron owners who have purchased and registered four lenses during the time-frame of May 2011 and January 15, 2018 are eligible for these 2018 membership perks: Welcome gift; $50 bonus rebate each year of Silver status towards any Tamron lens; 50% off one Tamron event ticket each year of Silver status; 10% discount on non-warranty repairs; invitation to participate in the Tamron VIP Member contest; and three issues of the new Tamron magazine mailed to the member’s home.
 
2018 Gold Level Benefits (Five Registered Lenses)
Tamron owners who have purchased and registered five lenses during the time-frame are eligible for these 2018 membership perks: Welcome gift; T-shirt; $75 bonus rebate each year of Gold status towards any Tamron lens; 50% off two Tamron event tickets each year of Gold status; free pass to one event per year of Gold status; 15% discount on non-warranty repairs; invitation to participate in Tamron’s VIP Member contest; and three issues of the new Tamron magazine mailed to the member’s home.
 
2018 Platinum Level Benefits (Six or More Registered Lenses)
Tamron owners who have purchased and registered six or more lenses during the time-frame are eligible for these 2018 membership perks: Welcome gift; T-shirt; Tamron apparel; $100 bonus rebate each year of Platinum status towards any Tamron lens; 50% off three Tamron event tickets each year of Platinum status; two free passes to any Tamron event per year if available (excludes Summit); 20% discount on non-warranty repairs; lifetime limited warranty on any new Tamron lens purchased and registered within two years of Club induction at Platinum level; free shipping on any lens sent in for repair; exclusive Tamron Photo Tips Hotline; free 2-week lens loaners, if available; invitation to a 4-day workshop (The Workshop Summit, details below) if qualified; invitation to participate in the Tamron VIP Member contest; invitation for chance to be profiled on the Tamron website; and three issues of the new Tamron magazine mailed to the member’s home.
 
The Workshop Summit
Members of the Tamron VIP Club Platinum level whose latest lens purchase and lens registration was within the past two years as of January 15, 2018, will be invited to a 4-day/3-night Workshop Summit scheduled for Fall 2018. The Workshop Summit is limited to 25 participants, first-come/first-serve. Invitations will be sent to qualifying Platinum Level members in Spring 2018 by priority mail. The Workshop Summit includes three nights hotel, meals, transportation to/from hotel/airport in destination city, workshop transportation, workshop and loaner lenses. Airfare, home airport transportation, and other incidentals are not included. The Workshop Summit will be offered each year, and Platinum level members may participate in one Workshop Summit during the life of the program.
 
Tamron VIP Program Rules and Details
Complete rules and details are at www.tamron-usa.com/vipclub.

Oren Helbok at Pennsylvania’s Strasburg Rail Road with the Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8

Oren Helbok has been fascinated with trains since he was a kid growing up in the Bronx, when he’d head down to the local tracks with his dad, a skilled amateur photographer, and have picnic suppers. “My first photo was of a steam train, taken when I was 6 years old,” he says. “I was completely swept away by the engines.” 

Today, Oren’s fascination continues, and he now regularly heads out between 60 to 70 days a year to photograph the steam trains near his home in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. “The Strasburg Rail Road, which is the oldest continuously running short-line railroad in the country, is only about two hours south of me, and there are a number of other railroads that also operate steam,” he says. 

When he was a boy, the trains were all about the hardware. “Now that I’m older, I’ve realized the thing that’s most important about the trains is the people who are doing the work,” he says. “So while I still enjoy capturing pictures of the trains themselves, I also want there to be some connection to either the landscape, the places they’re traveling through, or the people working on the trains.”

Oren recently spent a full day at the Strasburg site with the Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 VC wide-angle lens. “This lens was recommended to me by a fellow photographer who said if I was looking for a stellar wide-angle lens, this was the one to try,” he says. “And it’s the best there is. What I was looking for was a super-wide-angle lens that I could use in a locomotive cab. I wanted to capture these guys at work, and I needed something that could get as much of that small space from inside as possible. The F/2.8 maximum aperture helps me out when the lighting isn’t great, and the Vibration Compensation (VC) feature is indispensable to counteract the movement on the train. Steam locomotives don’t ride like Cadillacs—they tend to bounce around, so the VC is infinitely helpful.”

Although he’s not trying to fool anyone into thinking his images are from another era, he does try to lend them a historical feel by eliminating modern distractions. “If I’m out in the middle of the landscape, for example, I’ll go out of my way to avoid a billboard or taking a shot right from the side of the highway, unless there’s some kind of story I can tell about how that train comes through that particular landscape,” he says.

As for how he photographs the people in his train photos, Oren tries to stay unobtrusive and captures many of his images from the back or the side, where his subjects’ faces aren’t in full view. “That’s not to dehumanize the work that’s being done, but to depersonalize it,” he says. “What I mean is, a photo isn’t necessarily about one particular person—that person stands for all of the people throughout the history of steam railroading who’ve done this job. I try to make my photos somewhat timeless that way.”

He did that with one crew member standing with his back to Oren. “That guy had been at work just 30 minutes, but it was August and one of the hottest, muggiest days I’d ever experienced down by the trains,” he says. “It was brutal. He’d already sweated right through his shirt. I wanted to show that aspect of the job without the distraction of his face or expression. I let the sweat speak for itself.” 

© Oren Helbok

24mm, F/2.8, 1/200th sec., ISO 1600

Oren enjoys showing the workers in their element, including when they’re hosing down and detailing the cars (a.k.a. the “spit-and-polish” job) and shoveling the coal. “The tight spaces I show here is exactly why I needed this 15-30 lens,” he says. “I wanted to capture as much of what’s going on as possible in a very small piece of real estate. I needed the big, wide view that the 15-30 offers.”

© Oren Helbok

25mm, F/9, 1/200th sec., ISO 640

© Oren Helbok

19mm, F/8, 1/200th sec., ISO 640

Every month, a locomotive undergoes what’s called a boiler wash, which is when the crew cleans out any accumulated gunk. “When you put water into a boiler and heat it up, if there’s any crud in that water, it can separate out and end up coating the surfaces,” Oren explains. “That gunk blocks various orifices you don’t want blocked and makes everything less efficient, so once a month they have to open up all of those plugs and wash the boiler out.”

The man seen here had just finished up that job. “I shot this in the engine house, so there was a significant amount of light coming from behind him from the building’s large windows on the left-hand side,” Oren says. “There were also some fluorescent fixtures running across the ceiling, but by this time of day, with the other track empty and no engine sitting there, the light was able to come in unimpeded. That helped give me just the right illumination I needed for this image.”

© Oren Helbok

30mm, F/2.8, 1/320th sec., ISO 2500

Sometimes Oren is even lucky enough to get some steam in the shot. “The photo of one of the crew working on top of the train was taken in perfect conditions for that kind of thing,” he explains. “With steam in particular, cold weather is best, as well as humidity. It was a seriously hot day, so I didn’t have that cold, but the air was so humid it couldn’t absorb anything else. That meant the steam, instead of vanishing, simply hung in the air.”

© Oren Helbok

30mm, F/7.1, 1/1000th sec., ISO 250

Of course, he also had to grab a shot of the person at the top of the train crew hierarchy. “The engineer is the one who’s in charge,” he says. “He’s got his hand on the throttle and is the one who gets to drive the engine.” This was another chance for Oren to hold his camera outside the car as the engineer peered out of his own window, offering a more intimate environmental portrait. “At this railroad, they’re trying to provide a very particular experience for their customers, without modern items getting in the way,” Oren notes. “That’s why this engineer looks like he could’ve stepped out of another time period. All of the guys who work here dress the part and look authentic. Maybe once in a while you’ll see a crew member with keys attached to a caribiner, but that’s about as anachronistic as it’ll get.” 

© Oren Helbok

30mm, F/11 1/250th sec, ISO 200

Another experiment Oren’s been dabbling in: capturing pictures of the landscape while he’s riding in the train. “I won’t look through the viewfinder in those cases, but rather hang the camera out over the gate and either use Live View or just shoot away and hope for the best, based on what I’d already seen with my own eyes,” he says. “In this one in particular, you not only have the lines of the railroad car itself, but the lines in that field next to the train car. In Lancaster County, there are a lot of Amish farms, and they regularly plow their fields and create those lines. The VC on the 15-30 was critical here to keep everything sharp.”

© Oren Helbok

15mm, F/10, 1/400th sec., ISO 1000

Capturing the whole train itself against the context of the landscape is another way Oren put the 15-30 to the test. “I had set myself the challenge of going out the entire day with that one lens, and using it not only in tight spaces, but also in wide-open areas,” he says. “I wanted to make the most of it in completely different situations. So yes, I show a train here, but it’s a train against that landscape, with that huge sky filled with cumulus clouds. That gives a whole new angle to the story I’m trying to tell.” 

© Oren Helbok

15mm, F/13, 1/400th sec., ISO 400
The railway’s bicentennial is coming up in 2032, and Oren is already in prep mode. “It’s going to be quite the party,” he says. “I’m extremely fortunate that I have so many options in steam railroading within a couple of hours of my home. I’ll have my camera ready!” 

To see more of Oren Helbok’s work, go to his website https://www.wheresteamlives.net/ or Facebook www.facebook.com/oren.helbok/photos.

Just Announced – Tamron 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3

October 26, 2017, Commack, New York— Tamron USA, Inc. , announces the launch of a new ultra-telephoto zoom lens, 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD (Model A035), for full-frame Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras. The Model A035 delivers fast and precise AF performance and consistently powerful VC (Vibration Compensation) 4 stops*1 benefits thanks to the high-speed Dual MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) control system that is found in the latest Tamron lens models. The advanced optical design of Model A035 includes three LD (Low Dispersion) lens elements for aberration reduction and Tamron’s original eBAND Coating for superior anti-reflection performance. At 1.115g (39.3 oz), the new lens is the lightest in its class*2 and features magnesium alloy in key areas of the lens barrel to ensure weight reduction, and improve strength and portability. Model A035 is compatible with Tamron’s 1.4X tele converter and the Tamron TAP-in ConsoleTM that enables lens customizations for focus adjustments, VC mechanism adjustments and more. Additionally, an Arca Swiss compatible tripod mount is available as an optional accessory. The new Tamron 100-400mm will be available in both Canon and Nikon mounts on November 16th at $799.

Product Highlights

1. High-speed Dual MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) control system delivers quick and highly
responsive autofocus performance plus outstanding VC image stabilization

The Dual MPU system includes an MPU dedicated to vibration compensation processing, enhancing the computational capacity of the entire system. An MPU with built-in DSP (Digital Signal Processor) provides high-speed digital signal processing and achieves outstanding autofocus performance and vibration compensation, both indispensable for ultra-telephoto photography.

2. Superb image quality in an ultra-telephoto zoom lens

The Model A035 includes three LD (Low Dispersion) lens elements for optimal optical design and aberration correction. Lighter weight, increased light transmission and crisp images with excellent contrast are achieved by reducing the number of lens elements while ensuring an appropriate balance with aberration correction. The A035 has minimum object distance (MOD) of 1.5 m (59 in) and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.6 for close-up work.

 3. Exclusive eBAND Coating reduces flare and ghosting

The new A035 features Tamron’s eBAND (Extended Bandwidth & Angular-Dependency) Coating, which has an extremely low refractive index and fine multiple-layer coating technology, to achieve outstanding antireflection performance. BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) Coating, with excellent antireflection characteristics, increases light transmission. These coating technologies greatly reduce the ghosting and flare that can occur when subjects are backlit.

 4. Lightest weight, 1,115 g (39.3 oz) lens in the ultra-telephoto zoom lens class*, and only 196.5 mm (7.7 in) long

Magnesium alloy is used in key areas of the lens barrel to improve weight reduction, strength and portability. Total length of 196.5 mm (Nikon mount) means a compact size for an ultra-telephoto zoom lens covering up to 400 mm, and the A035 can therefore be easily carried in a standard camera bag. Combined with excellent vibration compensation functions, the compact size enables successful handheld ultra-telephoto photography.

5. Optional accessory tripod mount is Arca-Swiss compatible

An Arca-Swiss style tripod mount is available as an optional accessory. Designed exclusively for Model A035, it provides quick and secure attachment to a tripod and greater stability. An easy-to-hold grip shape includes an expanded mounting plane, and the use of magnesium helps achieve lighter weight, thereby further facilitating handheld photography.

6. Compatible with tele-converters and TAP-in Console

Model A035 is compatible with tele converters designed exclusively for Tamron lenses to achieve 1.4X and 2X the original focal length*. It’s also compatible with Tamron’s TAP-in Console (Model TAP-01), an optional accessory enabling users to update lens firmware and customize the lens settings, including adjustments of focusing positions for autofocusing and the operation modes for the lens’s Vibration Compensation system.

*Use of the 1.4× tele converter results in light reduction of 1 F stop; use of the 2× tele converter results in the loss of 2 F stops

Available focusing mode when used with 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD (Model A035)

  When using viewfinder When using live view mode
With 1.4x tele converter AF3*4/MF AF4/MF
With 2.0x tele converter MF AF4/MF

3 Autofocus functions normally on any camera that offers F/8 autofocusing (see your camera’s instruction manual for your camera’s ability).

4 Subjects with low contrast and/or luminosity values can sometimes result in out-of-focus images.

7. Moisture-Resistant construction and fluorine coating for enhanced weather protection

The surface of the front element is coated with a protective fluorine compound that has excellent water- and oil-repellant qualities. The front surface is easier to wipe clean and is less vulnerable to the damaging effects of dirt, dust, moisture or oily fingerprints, allowing for much easier maintenance. Also, with active use of the A035 for outdoor photography likely, sealant is used in each of the movable and joining areas of the lens barrel to resist the intrusion of moisture.

 

 8. Electromagnetic diaphragm system now used also for Nikon-mount lenses

An electromagnetic diaphragm system, which has been a standard feature for Canon-mount lenses, is now employed in Nikon-mount lenses*. More precise diaphragm and aperture control is possible because the diaphragm blades are driven and controlled by a built-in motor through electronic pulse signals.

* Available only with cameras compatible with the electromagnetic diaphragm (D5, D4s, D4, D3X, Df, D850,D810, D810A, D800, D800E, D750, D600, D610, D300S, D500, D7500, D7200, D7100, D7000, D5600, D5500, D5300, D5200, D5100, D5000, D3400, D3300, D3200, D3100).  (As of October, 2017; Tamron)

9. External design places importance on functionality and ease of use

While inheriting the design that makes use of many organic curves and the delicately polished form down to fine details that characterize the SP lens series, the new Model A035 comes with a highly sophisticated design that also places a lot of importance on the lens’s functionality and ease of use, featuring an overall form that faithfully encompasses the internal structures within, a slim Luminous Gold brand ring and the switch shape design.

Meeting Baron Wolman

Meeting Baron Wolman by Tom Gramegna
About 20 years ago, I was reading through a copy of “B&W Magazine” and I came upon this compelling photograph that I had seen many times before. I did not know that it was done by Baron Wolman, first chief photographer, and at the time it was taken, actually part owner of Rolling Stone Magazine. 

There was a phone number below, seeking gallery representation. Since this was the definitive photograph of one of my musical heroes,  there was no choice for me, I had to call that number. As someone who grew up so entranced with the music and culture of that time, it was an opportunity to connect someone who experienced this magical moment in history up close. Strangely enough and to my delight, Baron actually answered his own phone. We spoke an hour or two, and  became instant friends on the phone. Baron sent me a copy of his book Classic Rock and other Rollers inscribed “this can be big fun”.

In the twenty or so years of our friendship and professional relationship, that’s the premise upon which all the adventures we’ve embarked on have been planned! And this latest show celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Rolling Stone Magazine is the latest iteration in the mixture of fun and business that we’ve instigated for just about two decades. We’re so looking forward to having fun with all of you and our buddy Baron as we travel back to that period in time that still resonates with so many.

The best photographs go further than just showing the literal. They capture a spirit, an essence, and something of the person’s real character shines through. Baron’s photographs still have such power and magic so many years after they were taken, because they document a very special and innocent time before  rock and roll became big business. Luckily for all of us, Baron lived in the city at the center  of  the music culture that captivated the world in the late sixties, San Francisco. His neighbors were Janis and Big Brother, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane. He had their trust since he was “one of the tribe”. Baron’s photos of Janis Joplin are so poignant because they give a glimpse into the little girl inside the tortured soul with the great potential  for joy that she unfortunately experienced so little of.

I believe the essence and power of photography lies in its humanity. It’s the humanity of the person or events  depicted and also very much the humanity of the person behind the camera. In my many years of dealing with Baron in the placement of many hundreds of his photographs in homes, collections and museums all over the world, the power of his humanity, endless  creativity and the generosity of his spirit overrides all other thoughts  of the wonderful man who is Baron Wolman. Further evidence of just his latest bout of creativity will be on display at Gallery 270 in the form of his current collaboration with fine artist Sophie Kipner and her unique Blind Line Contouring. Moved by the images Baron created, Sophie’s unique creative process results in one of a kind works on canvas which are paired with the original photographs they were inspired by. 

Please join us to welcome Baron Wolman for his solo exhibition Baron Wolman: Rolling Stone Magazine Fifty Years Down the Line, opening on Thursday November 2nd from 7-9PM in Westwood. We’ll celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rolling Stone Magazine and the photographs of its first chief photographer that were its graphic centerpiece. Refreshments served, all are welcome, admission is free. 

Drivesavers Offering FREE Hurricane Harvey/Irma Data Recoveries

Drivesavers, a company we have worked with for years to retrieve precious ‘unrecoverable’ data, has decided to offer free recoveries to those who lost data as a result of the recent Hurricanes. 

Houston residents are just starting to deal with the Hurricane Harvey aftermath and already we have an even bigger hurricane, Hurricane Irma, on its way to Florida. DriveSavers hopes to help by giving victims an opportunity to regain irreplaceable personal, business and financial data.

Free data recovery service is currently available for victims of Hurricane Harvey who have water damaged devices resulting from the flooding in Texas.

We will also be offering free recovery to victims of Hurricane Irma for their water damaged devices.

Because exposure to water and air cause corrosion on electronic circuitry, we have deadlines for these devices: September 15th for Harvey devices and September 30th for Irma devices. There is a limit of one device per business or household. Customers needing additional recoveries, and those with multi-disk devices such as RAID, NAS and SAN devices, are eligible for a 50 percent discount off the regular service fees.

Here is some information more about Drivesavers Data Recovery:

“At DriveSavers, data loss is only temporary and we prove it every day with the highest data recovery success rate in the industry. For over 30 years, we’ve performed data recovery on every kind of storage device including hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), smartphones, tablets, USB flash drives, camera cards and enterprise-level devices like RAIDs. We handle every kind of data loss situation including mechanical failure, physical, water and fire damage, data corruption, file deletions, head crashes and more. We conduct all our data recoveries inside a Certified ISO Class 5 Cleanroom that is dust-free and static-free. Think of it as an operating room for damaged drives. Our Cleanroom prevents contamination that could result in permanent data loss while we perform surgery on the delicate components of your storage device. That’s why major manufacturers have trusted DriveSavers since 1985 to perform intricate recovery operations without voiding your warranty.”

To read the press release about Hurricane Harvey, click here.

To read the press release about Hurricane Irma, click here. 

Your Point of View: Water Entries

Thank you to everyone who participated in our first Your Point of View Photo Contest. Our gallery opening was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who came out to the opening to see the beautiful final photos.

At this time we’d like announce the next “Your Point of View” theme, “Red, White, and Blue”. We’re looking forward to covering our gallery with the colors of old glory. However, the catch to this show is no flag photos. We’re looking forward to seeing more of your fantastic creativity.

In the below gallery  is all the entries for this contest. Thank you to everyone again!

Bergen County Camera’s Tom Gramegna featured in The Bergen Record

2N4A0246Bergen County Camera and Gallery 270 owner, Tom Gramegna, recently was interviewed by The Bergen Record about matting and framing photos. Check out the article featured on the front cover of the Homes Section and continued on Page 7. Bergen County Camera stocks a wide selection of both frames and mattes in a variety of sizes, colors, and materials. Plus, this holiday season, all table top frames are buy 2 get 20% off, buy 3 get 30% off! If you purchase a print with us, all mattes are also 10% off. Remember “It’s not a photograph until it’s printed.”