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The Best Black Friday Deals for Photographers in 2020

26 Nov

The post The Best Black Friday Deals for Photographers in 2020 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

If you’re looking for the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for photographers, then you’ve come to the right place.

We’ve put together a huge crop of discounts, from incredible savings on cameras, lenses, photography courses, photo editing software, and more.

black friday deals for photographers in 2020

We’ve even included a few coupon codes, so our readers can have access to the best exclusive deals on the internet.

Here’s the bottom line:

If you want to level up your photography, then you need to take advantage of these deals while they’re still available.

So without further ado, let’s look at the current best Black Friday deals!

You can click below to go directly to the product category you’re interested in:

Special Deals and Courses
Cameras
Lenses
Software

Photzy’s Snap Cards (at 86% off!)

Have you ever been out taking photos and wished you could have your training materials open in front of you? Or, better yet, for a photography expert to be standing next to you, giving you advice as you choose your settings and press the shutter button?

Thanks to Photzy’s Snap Cards, it’s possible.

black friday deals for photographers in 2020 Photzy Snap Cards

Because the Snap Cards are designed by experts to do exactly that:

Tell you what you need to know about photography – when you need to know it. Not when you’re sitting in your room reading about photography, but when you’re actually out in the field taking pictures.

The Snap Cards consist of 44 printable cheat sheets, including all the key information about:

working with your camera
creating perfect exposures
arranging perfect compositions
photographing people
working with flash
and much more!

They’re easy to read, they offer quick solutions in the field, and they’re wildly effective. But don’t take our word for it; here’s what Snap Card customers have said about this one-of-a-kind product:

“I printed the set and laminated them straight away, took the applicable sets on specific shooting sessions, as designed. They helped remind me of details I had forgotten over the years.” – John M.
“Easy way to access good information during the learning process. I really enjoy the cards and the other emails I have received since buying the cards! ” – Ryan S.
“These are excellent, well-paced tips. Good for both beginners and advanced photographers. These cards reinforce known facts and add a lot more.” – Dilip R.

Normally, the Snap Cards cost $ 220 USD.

But for a limited time, you can grab the Photzy Snap Cards at an insanely low price:

Just $ 29 (or less than $ 1 per card).

Oh, and here’s another little tidbit:

Simply enter the code “BF20” during checkout, and you’ll get another 20% knocked off the price.

So make sure you grab the Snap Cards at this ultra-discounted price while you still can. Because the deal certainly won’t last!

Click here to get the Snap Cards at over 89% off, right now.

Contrastly’s Decoding Lightroom Video Course (Just $ 49)

If you’re looking to create stunning photography, then editing your images is essential. After all, editing is how you take a decent photo and turn it into a masterpiece.

Unfortunately, learning to edit can be overwhelming. Many photographers give up before getting anywhere at all. And they never manage to make their photos shine.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way forward:

Contrastly’s Decoding Lightroom Video Course.

It’s an instant-access online course, one that gives you everything you need to start editing your photos in Lightroom Classic (one of the most powerful photo editors on the planet!).

Decoding Lightroom video course from Contrastly

Simply sit back and watch as professional landscape photographer Adam Welch takes you through the ins-and-outs of Lightroom, explaining everything you need to know – from making colors stand out to making details pop to exporting your photos for printing. There are over five hours of videos, plus several helpful bonuses including Lightroom presets (for one-click edits that will instantly improve your photos).

Normally, you pay $ 129 for this course.

But for the next few days only, you can get it at over 50% off, for just $ 49.

To grab Decoding Lightroom before the deal disappears, just click here.

So get the course. Try it out. Once you’ve mastered editing in Lightroom, your photos will never look the same again.

Also note that Contrastly’s other products, including The Lightroom Mastery eBook and The Cameras in the Wild eBook, are also over 50% off during the Black Friday period, so I highly recommend you check them out.

Capture Landscapes’ Into the Light Landscape Photography Course (Over 24% Off!)

Do you wish you could take stunning landscape photos, day in, day out?

That’s what Capture Landscapes’ Into the Light landscape photography course will show you how to do.

Into the Light offers 9+ hours of instantly-downloadable video content, instructing you on camera settings, composition, gear, and more.

It even includes several post-processing videos, so you can learn how expert landscape photographers edit their images (and so you can start editing your photos like an expert, too!).

Plus, you get a whole bunch of bonuses, including vlogs, membership to a private Facebook group, and RAW landscape files to practice on.

The course is taught by the incredible William Patino, one of the best landscape photographers in the world – so don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a master.

While Into the Light generally goes for $ 169, it’s currently available for $ 127, at over 24% off.

You can purchase it here.

Also note that Capture Landscapes is currently offering a host of other Black Friday discounts, so make sure you check out their other courses and eBooks!

All Visual Wilderness Learn to Shoot Courses (50% Off)

Visual Wilderness offers nature photography tutorials by some of the best photographers around, which will show you how to:

use slow shutter speeds for breathtaking results
create jaw-dropping colors, consistently
nail focus (so your images are tack-sharp)
use your camera’s aperture setting to take your photos to the next level

And much, much more! There is literally days of nature photography video content just waiting to be watched, designed for beginners and advanced photographers alike. So why not take this opportunity to improve your photos?

For the next few days, dPS readers can get any of the Visual Wilderness Learn to Shoot video tutorials for 50% off. At checkout, simply enter the code “dps50” to claim your discount, and gain access to some of the most valuable nature photography instruction available today.

To see the Visual Wilderness Learn to Shoot courses, and to claim your 50%-off discount, click here.

SLR Lounge Premium Membership (28% Off)

If you’re interested in portrait photography, creative photography, engagement photography, or artificial lighting of any kind, then you need to take a look at SLR Lounge’s video courses.

Peek at the course catalog, and you’re bound to see something you’d love to watch. For instance, there are workshops on posing, headshot photography, flash photography, and much more.

black friday deals for photographers in 2020 SLR Lounge

Each course offers hours upon hours of high-quality, practical advice – which will jumpstart your photography and get you shooting on a whole new level, fast.

Now, you can purchase the courses individually; each one goes for around $ 100.

Or you can grab a Premium membership, which gives you access to all SLR Lounge courses. Normally, you pay $ 348 for a 12-month membership – but, as part of the SLR Lounge Black Friday sale, you can currently purchase a 12-month membership for $ 248.

Alternatively, you can buy a 6-month membership for just $ 178 or a lifetime membership for $ 598 (note that these two memberships aren’t available at other times of the year).

So click here to start your SLR Lounge photography education!

Cameras and Camera Bundles

Black Friday always comes with stellar camera deals, and this year is no exception.

While there are too many excellent camera discounts to list, here are a few that we think you’ll really love:

Canon EOS M50 With 15-45mm Lens (15% Off on Amazon)

The Canon EOS M50 is one of Canon’s most eye-catching mirrorless cameras, offering great handling, beautiful images, and 4K video – all in a tiny package. It’s perfect for photographers aiming to upgrade from their point-and-shoot models, as well as anyone looking for an affordable entry into mirrorless.

Thanks to the articulating screen and the recording capabilities, the Canon EOS M50 is also an excellent choice for vloggers, especially those that aim to shoot a mix of videos and photos.

Plus, in addition to a handful of EF-M lenses, Canon sells an adapter that lets you use the entire suite of EF lenses.

Not bad for an inexpensive mirrorless camera, right?

So if you want a nice little camera that packs quite the punch, give the EOS M50 a try. It’s currently selling at 15% off with a 15-45mm kit lens, which puts the price at just $ 549 on Amazon.

Canon EOS RP With 24-105mm Lens (29% Off on Amazon)

The Canon EOS RP is Canon’s cheapest full-frame mirrorless camera, but don’t let that fool you; it can go toe-to-toe with models that cost far more, thanks to its powerful image sensor (26 MP), fully-articulating screen, and 4K video capabilities.

For those who are thinking of going full-frame but aren’t sure where to start, the EOS RP is a perfect choice. Or if you’re a Canon user but haven’t made the jump to mirrorless, this EOS RP package has got you covered.

After all, you get the powerful EOS RP, plus the ultra-useful 24-105mm lens, which is perfect for all kinds of shooting (from street photography to landscape photography to walkaround photography and more).

So grab the Canon EOS RP plus the 24-105mm f/4-7.1 while it’s still on sale, because you can get it for an ultra-low $ 999 on Amazon!

Sony a6000 With 16-50mm and 55-210mm Lenses (15% Off on Amazon)

Are you thinking about getting your first mirrorless camera?

If so, then I highly recommend you consider this Sony a6000 package, which gives you everything you need to get started in mirrorless photography.

It offers a compact body, an electronic viewfinder, and excellent image quality, plus you get two highly-useful lenses. The 16-50mm is perfect for sweeping landscape and wider portrait photography, while the 55-210mm is the better option for tighter portraits, action photography, and the occasional street shot.

Usually, the Sony a6000 bundle goes for $ 999, but you can currently grab it for just $ 848 on Amazon.

Sony a7 III (15% Off on Amazon)

The a7 III is one of Sony’s most popular professional cameras, combining outstanding low-light capabilities, in-body image stabilization, class-leading autofocus, a 24 MP sensor, and 4K recording capabilities into one ultra-powerful package.

If you’re looking for a standout full-frame mirrorless camera that can do just about anything, the Sony a7 III is a great choice.

And it’s currently available for 15% off on Amazon, at just $ 1698 (versus the usual $ 1998).

Sony a7R IV (14% Off on Amazon)

The Sony a7R IV is a resolution monster, packing 61 megapixels into its gorgeously crafted full-frame sensor. It also includes a stunning electronic viewfinder, excellent autofocus, and a line of brilliant lenses that you won’t want to miss.

If you’re a landscape photographer or a commercial photographer in need of mind-blowing levels of detail, then the Sony a7R IV is the perfect pick, especially at its current discounted price:

$ 2998, versus its normal $ 3499 price tag.

Nikon Z50 Plus a 16-50mm Lens (10% Off on Amazon)

The Nikon Z50 is a user-friendly, high-performing APS-C mirrorless model from Nikon, perfect for photography beginners, casual photographers, and Nikon DSLR users looking to upgrade.

While the Nikon Z50 doesn’t include any true standout features, you get a very respectable 20 MP sensor, 4K video, a tilting touchscreen, and decently-fast shooting speeds.

And there’s also the 16-50mm lens, which offers a nice range of wide-to-standard focal lengths, so you can smoothly shoot landscapes, portraits, street photos, and much more.

Grab the Nikon Z50 plus the 16-50mm kit lens for just $ 896 on Amazon, down from its usual $ 996 price.

Fujifilm X-T30 With 15-45mm Lens (10% Off on Amazon)

The Fujifilm X-T30 is one of the best APS-C cameras to debut in recent years, and that’s saying something; Fujifilm managed to combine a beautiful design, a great shooting experience, excellent autofocus, and blazing-fast shooting speeds for a do-it-all camera that you won’t be able to put down.

If you’ve never tried a Fujifilm camera before, you’re going to be in for a treat. Honestly, it doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner, an enthusiast, or a professional – as long as you’re a fan of the retro design, then you’re going to love this model.

The Fujifilm X-T30 normally sells for $ 899 – but you can currently purchase it, with the excellent 15-45mm kit lens, for just $ 799 on Amazon.

Lenses

These are some of the best Black Friday lens deals that you’ll come across:

For Canon

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM (7% off for $ 1249 on Amazon)
Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens (10% off for $ 179 on Amazon)
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM (34% off for $ 429 on Amazon)
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM (25% off for $ 599 on Amazon)
Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 for Canon (15% off for $ 339 on Amazon)

For Sony

Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM (5% off for $ 2398 on Amazon)
Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 (20% off for $ 198 on Amazon)
Sony 35mm f/1.8 (11% off for $ 423 on Amazon)
Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 (9% off for $ 1998 on Amazon)
Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 for Sony (9% off for $ 799 on Amazon)

For Nikon

Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E VR (19% off for $ 1896 on Amazon)
Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED (23% off for $ 1347 on Amazon)
Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S (15% off for $ 1097 on Amazon)
Nikon AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G VR (11% off for $ 847 on Amazon)
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART for Nikon (27% off for $ 656 on Amazon)

For Fujifilm

Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 (25% off for $ 899 on Amazon)
Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 (29% off for $ 499 on Amazon)
Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8 (19% off for $ 1299 on Amazon)

For Panasonic

Panasonic Lumix 45-150mm f/4-5.6 (41% off for $ 148 on Amazon)
Panasonic Lumix 35-100mm f/2.8 (18% off for $ 898 on Amazon)

Software

Every year, the Black Friday software deals just seem to get better and better. Check out the incredibly low prices on these powerful editing programs:

ACDSee

ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 is an all-in-one post-processing program, offering cataloging, basic editing, and advanced editing in a single package. You get all the power you expect from a serious Lightroom competitor, plus the streamlined workflow that comes from using a single image editor with dozens of capabilities.

If you’re looking to enhance your images with post-processing and you’re tired of the hassle of going between Lightroom, Photoshop, and various plugins, then ACDSee is a fantastic choice – one that’s currently available for a fantastic low price.

Currently, you can buy the ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 with ACDSee’s Luxea Video Editor for just $ 109.95 (normally priced at $ 229.98).

So don’t miss out on this excellent Black Friday opportunity from ACDSee; make sure to grab your Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 package before the deal disappears.

Adobe Creative Cloud

We all know Adobe’s products, but did you know that you can currently purchase Lightroom, Photoshop, and all the other Adobe CC apps for 25% off, at just $ 39.99 per month?

The deal includes both versions of Lightroom – CC and Classic – as well as Adobe’s industry-standard video editing apps, graphic design apps, and more.

If you’ve been on the fence about going all-in with an Adobe subscription, then now is the time to do it. Lightroom Classic is amazing, Lightroom CC is beautifully built, and Photoshop is on another level entirely. Plus, the video apps you’ll get as part of the full Creative Cloud subscription are perfect for vloggers, YouTubers, and videographers of all stripes.

So start taking your photos – and videos – to the next level, today. Click here to get your Adobe CC subscription!

ON1 Photo RAW 2021

ON1 Photo RAW 2021 is an easy-to-use, feature-packed alternative to Adobe Lightroom Classic. It combines streamlined image organization with pretty much all of Lightroom Classic’s editing functionality, plus a beautiful interface to boot.

There are die-hard Lightroom fans out there who won’t want to consider ON1 Photo RAW, but the fact is that the software is genuinely great. ON1 Photo RAW 2021 is a pleasure to use, mostly because it just feels right, thanks to ON1’s focus on user experience over advanced editing functions.

ON1 Photo RAW 2021 could easily take the place of Lightroom, and it’s way cheaper, too:

Normally $ 99.99, and now – thanks to Black Friday – just $ 79.99. So click here for the deal!

Oh, and for those who are interested in really taking your ON1 Photo RAW 2021 software to the next level, you can also grab the ON1 Professional Plugin Bundle (including ON1 HDR, ON1 Resize, ON1 Effects, and ON1 Portrait AI) for just $ 59.99.

Affinity Photo

These days, Serif’s Affinity Photo is the most popular Photoshop alternative available. It goes toe-to-toe with Adobe’s advanced photo editor in pretty much every way, packing an incredible amount of power for a surprisingly cheap price ($ 50).

And that cheap price just got even cheaper, thanks to Serif’s Black Friday sale, which makes Affinity Photo available for an ultra-low $ 34.99.

Honestly, I can’t think of any reason you shouldn’t buy Affinity Photo at that price. At the very least, I recommend you grab the free trial to see what you think, because the program truly is exceptional.

You can purchase Affinity Photo, or download the free trial, right here.

The Best Black Friday Deals for Photographers: Conclusion

I encourage you to grab these great discounts while they still exist.

Because while there are plenty of amazing deals, they won’t stick around for long. Pretty soon, Black Friday will be over and prices will go back to normal.

So take advantage of these deals while you still can!

Know of any fantastic Black Friday deals for photographers that we missed? Share them in the comments!

The post The Best Black Friday Deals for Photographers in 2020 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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2020 Black Friday and Cyber Monday camera gear deals

24 Nov

Please note that this article will be updated over the course of the holiday week. We will make every effort to keep it up to date but we cannot guarantee that all of the deals listed below will be available at the time of reading.

Here in the US, we’re looking forward to Thanksgiving. While this year’s Turkey Day will be a little unusual thanks to you-know-what, some things remain the same. Holiday season traditionally means shopping season, and the week of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday deals is here.

We’ve compiled a list of the best offers on cameras, lenses, accessories and software, and we’re going to be updating this article regularly as more deals are listed and others are taken down. If you find a nice deal you think we’ve missed, or you notice one that’s expired, please let us know in the comments below.

Do note that the ‘SAVE’ figures below represent discount from original MSRP and we make no guarantees that the discounts listed will be available across the entire holiday weekend.

We’re focusing on deals from major U.S. online retailers in this article, and if you choose to shop via the Amazon links below, you’ll be supporting DPReview in a small way.

Happy holidays!

Accessories

Loupedeck (November 27-30)

Loupedeck CT Save 10%
$ 500, normally $ 550 (Loupedeck, Amazon)

Loupedeck CT Save 10%
$ 225, normally $ 250 (Loupedeck, Amazon)

Peak Design (November 16-30)

Everyday Line (V2) Save 20%
(Adorama, B&H, Peak Design)

Travel Line Save 20%
(Adorama, B&H, Peak Design)

Straps, Clips and Accessories Save 10%
(Adorama, B&H, Peak Design)

Travel Tripod Save 10%
(Adorama, B&H, Peak Design)

SmallHD

502 Bright Full HD On-Camera Monitor Save $ 100

$ 699, usually $ 799

SmallRig

Entire Store — Save 15%

Canon

You can see a full list of Canon’s deals on its dedicated holiday deals page

Cameras

EOS RP RF24–105mm F4–7.1 IS STM Lens Kit — Save $ 400
$ 999, usually $ 1,399 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EOS R (body only) — Save $ 200
$ 1,599, usually $ 1,799 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EOS M6 Mark II + EF-M 15–45mm f/3.5–6.3 IS STM + EVF Kit — Save $ 200
$ 899, usually $ 1,099 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EOS M6 Mark II + EF-M 18–150mm f/3.5–6.3 IS STM + EVF Kit Black — Save $ 200
$ 1,149, usually $ 1,349 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EOS 90D Video Creator Kit — Save $ 150
$ 1,299, usually $ 1,449 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EOS M50 Video Creator Kit — Save $ 150
$ 599, usually $ 749 (Adorama, B&H, Canon)

Powershot G7 X Mark II — Save $ 130
$ 499, usually $ 629 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

Powershot G7 X Mark III — Save $ 100
$ 649, usually $ 749 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

Lenses

EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM — Save $ 30
$ 119, usually $ 149 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM — Save $ 50
$ 299, usually $ 349 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

EF 40mm f/2.8 STM — Save $ 20
$ 179, usually $ 199 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)

RF 50mm F1.2 L USM – Save $ 100
$ 2,199, usually $ 2,299 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

RF 85mm F1.2 L USM – Save $ 100
$ 2,599, usually $ 2,699 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

RF 24–70mm F2.8L IS USM — Save $ 100
$ 2,199, usually $ 2,299 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

RF 24–240mm F4–6.3 IS USM — Save $ 200
$ 699, usually $ 899 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

RF 70–200mm F2.8 L IS USM — Save $ 100
$ 2,599, usually $ 2,699 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)

Fujifilm

Coming soon…

Nikon

You can view all of Nikon’s deals on its Black Friday camera deals page

Cameras

Z7 (body only) — Save $ 300
$ 2,499, usually $ 2,799 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z7 with 24–70mm F4 S zoom lens kit — Save $ 300
$ 3,099, usually $ 3,399 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z6 (body only) — Save $ 400
$ 1,599, usually $ 1,999 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z6 with 24–70mm F4 S zoom lens kit — Save $ 400
$ 2,199, usually $ 2,599 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z6 filmmakers kit — Save $ 400
$ 3,599, usually $ 3,999 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z5 (body only) — Save $ 200
$ 1,199, usually $ 1,399 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z5 with 24–200mm F4–6.3 VR lens kit — Save $ 200
$ 1,999, usually $ 2,199 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z5 with 24–50mm F4–6.3 lens kit — Save $ 200
$ 1,499, usually $ 1,699 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Z50 Creator’s Kit — Save $ 100
$ 1,049, usually $ 1,149 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

D750 (body only) — Save $ 200
$ 1,499, usually $ 1,699 (Adorama, B&H, Nikon)

D850 (body only) — Save $ 500 (currently back ordered)
$ 2,499, usually $ 2,999 (Adorama, B&H, Nikon)

Lenses

Nikkor Z 50mm F1.8 S — Save $ 100 (currently back ordered)
$ 499, usually $ 599 (Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Nikkor Z 35mm F1.8 S — Save $ 150
$ 699, usually $ 849 (Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S — Save $ 100 (currently back ordered)
$ 699, usually $ 799 (B&H, Nikon)

Nikkor Z 14–30mm F4 S — Save $ 200
$ 1,099, usually $ 1,299 (Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Nikkor Z 24–70mm F2.8 S — Save $ 300
$ 1,999, usually $ 2,299 (Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

AF-S Nikkor 24–70mm F2.8E ED VR — Save $ 500
$ 1,599, usually $ 2,099 (Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

AF-S Nikkor 70–200mm F2.8E FL ED VR — Save $ 450
$ 1,899, usually $ 2,349 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

AF-S Nikkor 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR — Save $ 300
$ 3,299, usually $ 3,599 (Amazon, B&H, Nikon)

Panasonic

Coming soon…

Sigma

18–35mm F1.8 DC HSM | A Save $ 120
$ 679, usually $ 799 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

24–70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | A Save $ 240
$ 1,059, usually $ 1,299 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

24–70mm F2.8 DG DN | A Save $ 240
$ 1,059, usually $ 1,299 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

24–105mm F4 DG OS HSM | A Save $ 100
$ 799, usually $ 899 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

70–200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | S Save $ 160
$ 1,339, usually $ 1,499 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

16mm F1.4 DC DN | C Save $ 50
$ 399, usually $ 449 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

30mm F1.4 DC DN | C Save $ 50
$ 289, usually $ 339 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

35mm F1.4 DG HSM | A Save $ 200
$ 699, usually $ 899 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

45mm F2.8 DG DN | C Save $ 100
$ 449, usually $ 549 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

50mm F1.4 DG HSM | A Save $ 150
$ 799, usually $ 949 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

56mm F1.4 DC DN | C Save $ 50
$ 429, usually $ 479 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

85mm F1.4 DG HSM | A Save $ 150
$ 1049, usually $ 1,199 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

MC-11 Mount Converter Save $ 100
$ 149, usually $ 249 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)

Sony

Cameras

a7 III — Save $ 300
$ 1,698, usually $ 1,998 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

a7 III with 28–70mm lens — Save $ 300
$ 1,898, usually $ 2,198 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

a7 III with 24–105mm lens — Save $ 600
$ 2,880, usually $ 3,480 (Adorama, B&H)

a7R IV (body only) — Save $ 500
$ 2,998, usually $ 3,498 (Adorama, B&H)

a7R IV with 24–70mm F2.8 lens — Save $ 715
$ 5,118, usually $ 5,833 (B&H)

a7R II — Save $ 600
$ 1,198, usually $ 1,798 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

a6000 with 16–50mm Lens — Save $ 150
$ 498, usually $ 648 (B&H)

a6600 (body only) — Save $ 100
$ 1,298, usually $ 1,398 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

ZV-1 — Save $ 100
$ 698, usually $ 798 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Lenses

FE 35mm F1.8 Lens — Save $ 50
$ 698, usually $ 748 (Amazon, B&H)

FE 16–35mm F2.8 GM Lens — Save $ 200
$ 1,998, usually $ 2,198 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

FE 24–70mm F2.8 GM Lens — Save $ 200
$ 1,998, usually $ 2,198 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

FE 24–105mm F4 lens — Save $ 300
$ 1,098, usually $ 1,398 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

FE 70–200mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens — Save $ 200
$ 2,398, usually $ 2,598 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Vario-Tessar T FE 16–35mm F4 Lens — Save $ 250
$ 1,098, usually $ 1,349 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Vario-Tessar T* FE 24–70mm f/4 Lens — Save $ 200
$ 698, usually $ 898 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)

Please note, DPReview is a wholly-owned but editorially independent subsidiary of Amazon. This article was put together entirely and exclusively by DPReview’s editorial staff, without any involvement from our parent company.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Camera Color Guide – Why Cameras Are Black

08 Oct

What color is your camera? Have you ever paid attention to the color of DSLR cameras? Peek in a wedding photographer’s bag, or check out the sea of photographers at a press conference or sporting event and you’ll notice that most (or all of) their cameras are one color — black. Keep looking and you’ll notice that most of their Continue Reading

The post Camera Color Guide – Why Cameras Are Black appeared first on Photodoto.

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GoPro announces new HERO9 Black action cam with 5K30p video, Hypersmooth 3.0 and more

17 Sep

The GoPro HERO9 Black is here, with a tweaked design and improved specifications for getting more out of your action photos and video.

The new device retains an overall design similar to its HERO8 predecessor, but has a few new tricks up its sleeve. First off, the HERO9 Black is slightly wider — 4.7mm to be precise — than its HERO8 Black predecessor, likely due to the new front-facing live-view screen on the front of the action cam.

The HERO9 Black also features a removable wider-angle lens that can be swapped out for the new ‘Max Lens Mod’ that makes the field-of-view even wider for photos and videos (155º). When attached, the Max Lens Mod also offers GoPro’s Max Hypersmooth stabilization (limited to 2.7K60p), Max SuperView and Max Timewarp, which appear to be tweaked versions of the more standard versions, designed specifically with the wider-angle lens in mind.

Moving to the inside of the action cam, the HERO9 Black features a 20MP sensor that can video at 5K30p and 4K60p. GoPro is using its third-generation Hypersmooth 3.0 technology as well as improved versions of its Superphoto and HDR technology. Raw photo capture is still possible, as well as 1080p livestreaming, inclusion of data overlays in footage and plenty of slow-motion modes (1080p at 240 frames per second).

GoPro says the HERO9 Black will have 30% better battery life than the HERO8 Black and is waterproof down to 10m (33ft). The HERO9 Black is also compatible with over 40 of GoPro’s mods and accessories for decking out the camera to fit your photo and video needs.

The GoPro HERO9 Black is available today for $ 450 as a standalone purchase. If you purchase a year’s subscription to GoPro though — a subscription from GoPro that offers total camera replacement, unlimited cloud storage and discounts on gear — you can snag a HERO9 Black for $ 350.

The Max Lens Mod isn’t yet available for purchase, but the GoPro website says it will retail for $ 100 and offers an option to submit your email on the product page for more information when it becomes available.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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7 Awesome Tips for Black and White Still Life Photography

06 Aug

Great black and white photography is stunning. It’s eye catching, emotive, and expressive. Usually, it’s also wonderfully simple. So is still life photography. In this article, I’ll give you seven tips on how to create stunning black and white still life photographs. Before we get into the tips I’d first like to answer a couple of foundational questions: What makes Continue Reading

The post 7 Awesome Tips for Black and White Still Life Photography appeared first on Photodoto.

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Video: Zooming to the heart of Messier 87’s supermassive black hole

14 Jul

In April 2019, the National Science Foundation (NSF) unveiled the resulting image from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project, the world’s first ever photograph of a supermassive black hole. The image, seen above, shows a ‘bright ring formed as light bends in the intense gravity around a black hole…’ Now, over a year later, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has published a video that zooms into the night sky, illustrating very well what an incredible feat the EHT’s first image of a supermassive black hole truly is.

Despite its name, a black hole is not empty space, but is rather a huge amount of matter occupying a relatively very small area. As NASA puts it, ‘…think of a star ten times more massive than the sun squeezed into a sphere approximately the diameter of New York City. The result is a gravitational field so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape.’

Observing a black hole requires observing its effect on the stars and gas near it. The supermassive black hole captured last year is in the center of the Messier 87 (M87) galaxy, which is located about 55 million light years from earth. The M87 black hole is believed to be about 6.5 billion times more massive than the sun.

The EHT that captured it is not a single telescope but a network of radio antennae located around the globe. The EHT is the result of an international collaboration of more than 200 researchers. The team worked to improve the capabilities of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) in order to achieve the feat of photographing the environment of a black hole. The VLBI technique requires linking eight radio dishes to create an interferometer that is essentially earth sized.

The VLBI synchronizes telescopes and utilizes the rotation of earth to observe at a wavelength of 1.3 mm, resulting in an angular resolution of 20 micro-arcseconds. To put this resolution into perspective, it is ‘enough to read a newspaper in New York from a sidewalk café in Paris, France. Telescopes are in locations including Hawaii, Mexico, Chile (shown at the beginning of the above video) and Antarctica. In our coverage of the photo from last year, we shared a video that further discusses how the telescope array functions, which you can view below.

In coordination with the Event Horizon Telescope, astronomers utilized NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory to obtain additional data of Messier 87. The x-ray data, when combined with EHT’s radio image, allow scientists to further research and learn about how energy is emitted from the event horizon. Chandra has a ‘much larger field of view than the EHT, so it can view the full length of the jet of high-energy particles launched by the intense gravitational and magnetic fields around the black hole at M87.

Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Villanova University/J. Neilsen; Radio: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration

You can view a combination of the Chandra x-ray imagery and EHT’s radio image below and can learn much more by clicking here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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GoPro releases GoPro Labs, a beta update that adds experimental features to your HERO8 Black

06 Jun

GoPro has announced the release of GoPro Labs, a new program that allows GoPro HERO8 Black owners to sign up as beta testers to test out experimental features that haven’t yet made their way into final products. In GoPro’s own words, ‘Think of GoPro Labs as an insider look at innovative features our top engineers are playing with.’

The first release of GoPro Labs includes a pair of features that were first developed via internal [hackathons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackathons: ReelSteady GO optimization and QR Codes for camera control.

Earlier this year, GoPro acquired ReelSteady, a team of FPV drone operators and visual effects experts that have developed some of the most advanced stabilization and image correction software out there for GoPro cameras. Nothing has come from the acquisition as of this time, but the ReelSteady GO optimization in the GoPro Labs firmware update will allow GoPro HERO8 Black owners to optimize the in-camera rolling shutter correction to better work with ReelSteady’s post-production software.

Below is an example video from ReelSteady showing their image stabilization technology at work:

The QR Codes for camera control in the GoPro Labs firmware update is exactly what it sounds like. By creating custom QR codes with embedded commands, GoPro HERO8 Black owners can add new functions to their action cam without the need for Wi-Fi connectivity. Below are a few examples of features you can tweak via QR code:

Wake-up timer for remote start capture
Save favorite modes as a visual preset/QR code Motion detection start/stop — only capture video when something is happening
Speed detection start/stop — use GPS to determine your speed and automatically start capture at a defined speed
Camera scripting — e.g. shoot a time-lapse of a construction site but only during daylight hours (and many other detailed camera controls)
Personalize your GoPro with owner information Larger chapters for fewer files when taking long video captures — e.g. 4GB chapters will increase to 12GB.

GoPro has created and shared ten pre-built command QR codes with variables, but if you’re feeling adventurous, you can also create your own using GoPro’s list of action commands and settings commands. Additional support can be found on the GoPro Labs community within the GoPro forums.

To show off what’s capable with the new functionality, GoPro showed how the QR code camera control feature was used by GoPro Technical Fellow (and creator of the QR code feature), David Newman, worked alongside Northrup Grumman Corp. to capture the launch of a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Since the GoPro’s had to be set 72 hours in advance and not touched, he teamed up with his daughter to trigger each camera with a QR code before securing them to the launch pad. As the below video attests to, the results worked perfectly, despite none of the action cams having external power or displays.

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GoPro rocks. Raw video. Raw audio. Straight from the camera. Just some simple cuts. That’s a wrap! #gopro #antares #northropgrumman #iss #rocket #nofilter #okaymaybetherewasaNDfilter

A post shared by John + Sara (@reedpi) on May 20, 2020 at 10:18pm PDT

GoPro says these features could one day be unveiled alongside a new camera, but also notes there’s a chance ‘these features may never make it to a camera release.’

If you happen to have a GoPro HERO8 Black on hand, you can read through the installation instructions and download the GoPro Labs firmware update on GoPro’s website. Below is a great rundown of the new features from YouTuber DC Rainmaker:

If you end up creating anything interesting with the GoPro Labs firmware, let us know in the comments below or contact us via our feedback form!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Black and White are Rarely Black or White

30 May

The post Black and White are Rarely Black or White appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Herb Paynter.

There are very few absolutes in this life. Most issues we face fall into more “gray areas” than the purely polar dictionary definitions of actual black and white. We use these terms rather cavalierly when expressing personal opinions even when real-life situations are anything but! This is also true in a number of photography-related issues. Since photography is the topic de jour, I’ll turn the conversation in that direction. I’ll explain to you how black and white are rarely black or white.

Black and White are Rarely Black or White — Total black and white can lose important detail. Occasionally this is appropriate for drama, but in general, even the darkest areas of an image should contain contrasting tones. f/9, 1/250, ISO 200, 70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8.

The hard facts

Black is the total absence of light, as in a cave at midnight with your eyes closed. Nada, nothing, total emptiness. Nothing is quite as disorienting or scary as total blackness. Blackness is un-relational and unforgiving. Even our sense of balance is affected by our inability to orient ourselves to our environment. What we can’t see, we can’t relate to.

Black and White are Rarely Black or White – waves crashing on rocks — Opening up the darkest channel (unfortunately labeled “Black” in most software) can reveal a depth that otherwise gets buried in the D-max of the photographic medium.

White is at the other end of the light measurement scale, defined as a direct unobstructed blast of light from the Sun at noon. Blinding, blazing, searing, scorching light.

True white light would actually blow the rods out of our eyes and leave us (at least temporarily) blinded. Perhaps it is good that we don’t try to function either physically or psychologically in either of these two extremes.

Dark and light vs black and white

In the photographic film and darkroom world, “D-max” and “D-min” determined the total light range of photographic prints and transparencies. Actual black and white light measurements simply cannot (by definition) be replicated in photographic materials.

D-max refers to the maximum light blocking capacity (density) of a particular film or print. D-max is the point of maximum development for either film or prints in a traditional (chemistry-emulsion) darkroom environment.

D-max for an inkjet printer would be the darkest black that can be achieved by a particular ink on a particular paper (yes, some different inks and papers achieve different results).

D-min would be the highest light-reflective measurement possible from a particular paper with no ink.

In either case, neither “actual” black nor total white is possible. In truth, black and white cannot be expressed in the medium of photography, though we still employ the terms.

Black and White are Rarely Black or White - an example of black tones — Actual original image (left) and adjusted image (right). No kidding. RAW files deliver! f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 1600, 35-100mm, f/2.8.

Real-life vision vs digital interpretation

By contrast, we live our everyday lives in the natural world where we can experience this “actual” extreme range of natural light. We occasionally witness these extreme lighting conditions, and this reference to reality keeps our lives in clear focus.

There exists a broad range of contrast in nature’s lighting that keeps our visual cortex amused and intrigued. We experience the extremes of light and dark almost every day, and our eyes adjust to these dynamics quite naturally. But in the subdued visual expression called photography, we are restricted to using a much more muted palette, which presents our minds with a different challenge.

Our brains insist on detail to help us navigate this world, both visually and rationally. We are a relational species, and we rely on the existence of distinct details in our surroundings in order to relate and negotiate our way through those surroundings. The very same issue determines how we relate to things photographic, which brings me to my point – finally.

Detail is all about contrast

Contrast is the determining factor in detail. Without contrasting tones, there can be no detail.

Our eyes get to experience the full dynamic range of light in real life. However, in photos, our perception is very limited by the whole visual D-max/D-min thing. We must learn to use what range we have to mimic the range that we don’t… get it? Pushing the internal tones around within an image will simulate the full range of tones that we normally see (and often take for granted) in real life.

In a practical sense, the detail is created when a visual relationship is established. The greater the contrast between tones, the sharper the detail becomes.

In order to express detail in a dark area, there must be a distinction between black and “almost black.” Without that distinct separation, there can be no detail.

There is a cardinal rule when printing a photo on a printing press… “there are no absolute blacks and only specular (reflections) pure whites in print.” Even pure white must contain a tonal element to maintain dimension and texture – neither black nor white express detail.

Black must be implied more than stated. Even a black hat or garment must contain tones of dark gray to carry the illusion of detail.

black or white — Black is a relative term. Total black loses important detail and dimension. f/4.5, 1/50, ISO 1600, 35-100mm, f/2.8.

Delivering the impression

When a photo lacks internal contrast, it lacks detail. The tension of contrast creates both detail and definition. Of course, even detail is a relative thing. Not all images require the same dynamic appearance. If all pictures contained the same degree of (internal or overall) contrast, the monotony of sameness would probably drive us to boredom.

The point I want to make here is that in order to keep the human mind amused, engaged, and involved, we must learn to use all the tone dynamics at our disposal.

Fortunately, the human mind (and it’s willing accomplice, the visual cortex) provide us with a very forgiving and creative instrument that interprets (and believes) the limited dynamics of printed photos. When this tonal orchestration is successfully accomplished, the result can be breathtaking.

We were designed to be very creative. Start believing that and watch the magic happen.

The post Black and White are Rarely Black or White appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Herb Paynter.

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Black and White Photography Exercises to Help You Improve Your Skills

23 May

The post Black and White Photography Exercises to Help You Improve Your Skills appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

dps-black-and-white-photography-exercises

Black and white photography exercises can help you gain an understanding of how it differs from color photography. Concentrating on black and white images helps develop your photography in many ways.

“Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive.” ~ Eliott Erwitt

Boy calling in a market. — © Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D700, 120mm, 1/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400, Manual Mode, Spot Metering.

Thinking in black and white

Loading a black and white film into your camera forced you to think in black and white. This is different with digital photography because it’s easy to convert a color image to monotones.

There are plenty of tools to help you do this. The Nik Software Silver Effects Pro is a superb Photoshop plug-in for converting color images to black and white.

Purposefully photographing in black and white is different than converting during post production. A photographer must think differently when their intention is to create photos without color. You see in color, so you must learn to disregard the color and think in black and white. Good black and white photography is not about taking the colors out of a photo.

Black and white photography relies on contrast and tone range and how these relate within your compositions. You must learn to look at the tones, not the colors, as you compose your photos.

Light has a huge influence on the tones in a photograph. The camera records reflected light to make photos. The amount and quality of the light used defines how a subject will appear when you take a photo of it. Hard light or soft light will produce very different results. This is the same with color, but it’s more pronounced in black and white photography.

One of the best ways you can learn to do this is by practicing black and white photography exercises.

Portrait of a man in the studio — © Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D800, 35mm f/1.4, 1/100 sec, f/4, ISO 100, Manual Mode, Spot Metering.

Choose one subject for these black and white photography exercises

Find one or two interesting subjects to photograph for these exercises. You may even choose to set up a small still life scene with various objects you have around the house. This will allow you to make comparisons and see differences.

You need to find things you can move around and place in different locations.

Look for things that are not all black or all white. A mixture of tones will produce the most helpful results. If you photograph something(s) with white, black and mid-tones you’re going to be able to see the effects more clearly in your photos.

The main aim of these black and white photography exercises is to help you develop a better understanding of tone. Don’t try to make masterpiece photos that you’ll hang on your living room wall. If you do, that will be a bonus.

black and white photography exercises example one — Soft light, outdoors on a cloudy day using Averaged light metering. Nikon D800, 55mm f/3.5, 1/800 sec, f/8, ISO 400, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

Lighting for black and white photography exercises

The reason you need to photograph something you can move is so you can photograph it in different locations and lighting conditions.

The type of light you photograph your subjects in, directly affects how they will look. Using hard light will produce very different-looking black and white photos than when you use soft light.

Strong light creates high contrast, no matter what tone your subject is. Soft light makes an even exposure much easier. Think about the quality of light and how it affects the look and feel of your photographs as you work.

Hard light

Place your subject in a location with hard light. Outside on a sunny day is ideal because you’ll be able to see where the shadows fall.

If you can’t manage that, using an on-camera flash with no diffuser will produce a hard light. You’ll need to take test images and study them to see where the shadows fall.

Take a series of photos from the first angle you think of. Expose some normally. Use averaged metering and set your exposure so the meter reads zero, or let your camera choose the setting if you use an auto mode.

black and white photography exercises example two — Hard light, outdoors on a sunny day using spot metering from the highlight on the steel jug. Nikon D800, 55mm f/3.5, 1/800 sec, f/11, ISO 400, Manual Mode, Spot Metering.

Next, expose for the highlights.

Take a light meter reading from the brightest part of your composition.

To do this, set your camera’s meter to spot and point the spot at the bright area to take your reading. If you use live view, your camera may display the way your photo will look when you use manual mode. This way, you can adjust the exposure for the highlights based on what you see on your monitor. On many mirrorless cameras, the viewfinder will display the exposure the same as this when you are set to manual mode.

After taking a few photos with these settings, use the same technique to set your exposure so the shadow areas will be exposed well. Take another series of photos.

black and white photography exercises example three — Hard light, outdoors on a sunny day using spot metering from the darkest area on the black jug. Nikon D800, 55mm f/3.5, 1/250 sec, f/11, ISO 400, Manual Mode, Spot Metering.

If you’re finding this exercise valuable and you have time, repeat this process.

Move around your subject and make compositions from different angles. Remember, the first angle you think to take a photo from is the most obvious, but not always the most interesting. Look at the way the light is falling on your subject and how the shadows look. Repeat the process and take photos at the three different exposure settings.

Soft light

If you’re photographing outdoors in the sun, move your subject into a shady area. Find somewhere outside where there’s still plenty of daylight.

If you’re inside and have been using your flash, take this next series of photos without using your flash. You may need a tripod if there’s not much light.

black and white photography exercises example four — Soft light, outdoors on a cloudy day using spot metering from the highlight on the steel jug. Nikon D800, 55mm f/3.5, 1/2500 sec, f/8, ISO 400, Manual Mode, Spot Metering.

Repeat the same series of exposures as you did when you were photographing in hard light. Think about the tones in your composition when you are making your exposure readings and looking at the results.

If you’ve been photographing outdoors, move your subject inside and away from any windows or other strong light and repeat the whole process. This lower contrast situation will produce different results again. The variation will be subtle, but it’s interesting to see.

During this process, make notes about what you are doing and your thought process. You don’t need to record your camera settings as these are included in the EXIF data. Instead, write down what you are observing with the tones, light and shadows. Why did you take photos from these angles? How has the light and tone affected the way you’ve chosen to compose your photos?

Black and White Photography Exercises to Help You Improve Your Skills — Soft light, outdoors on a cloudy day using spot metering from the darkest area on the black jug. Nikon D800, 55mm f/3.5, 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 400, Manual Mode, Spot Metering.

Make the most of shadows

Especially in hard light, shadows have a major impact on black and white photography exercises.

Think about where the light is coming from in relation to where you are with your camera. How does this change the way the composition looks when you move around your subject? How does it change when you move your subject?

This is easier to see when you are working with the sun as your light source. Using flash, you’ll need to refer back to your monitor often to see the variations. Look at the differences in the shadow areas in the different sets of photos. How different do they look when you exposed for the shadows and when you exposed for the highlights?

Woman sewing with an old machine — © Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D800, 35mm f/1.4, 1/200 sec, f/3.2, ISO 160, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

Think creatively

Once you’ve uploaded the photos to your computer. Select one image from each setup and each exposure setting. Simply desaturate all of these photos. This is not an ideal means for converting your photos to black and white, but it will suffice for this exercise.

Now look at these and compare them. Think about the way they look and the differences between the exposure settings. Consider how the various light has had an effect on the tone of your subjects.

Under hard light and soft light, you’ll notice the tone of your subjects looks different. Each set of photos taken at the various exposure settings will produce very different results. This is particularly noticeable with those taken under hard light.

Worker at the street market — © Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D800, 50mm f/1.4, 1/400 sec, f/4, ISO 250, Manual Mode, Pattern Metering.

Choose one photo from each set to make some further post-processing adjustments. Work with the sliders for:

contrast,
shadows,
blacks,
highlights
and whites.

Experiment with these various settings. Play with them. Discover how much impact post-processing has on these black and white photography exercises. What you can do with post-processing monotone images is beyond the scope of this article, so just have some fun with it.

I’d love to see some of your best results and know what you learned by doing this exercise. You can share your photos and thoughts in the comments section below.

The post Black and White Photography Exercises to Help You Improve Your Skills appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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GoPro Hero8 Black review: Have action cameras finally hit a wall?

16 Mar

Have action cameras reached peak performance?

I remember GoPro in the early days. Back then the cameras could only offer sub-SD recording, had no Wi-Fi and more importantly no way to see the picture as they lacked a screen. They were a hard sell, but filled a gap for small disposable digital video cameras.

The launch of the Hero 8 Black brings some improvements over the previous generation, but is it enough? If you already have an action camera does the quality and feature set of the Hero 8 Black make you want to upgrade? And, if you don’t already have a camera like this, has GoPro launched a camera that will convince you to buy into this product category?

Key specifications

12MP sensor
4K/60p, 2.7K/120p and 1080/240p video (up to 100 Mbps bit rate)
H.264 and H.265 codecs
HyperSmooth 2.0 video stabilization
LiveBurst captures 1.5 seconds of photos or video before shot
Integrated mounting ‘fingers’ attach directly to GoPro mounts
Optional ‘Mods’ add features like 3.5mm mic jack, HDMI-out, selfie screen and LED light
Waterproof
Wi-Fi + Bluetooth connectivity

The list of features on the Hero 8 Black is extensive, but improvements in image quality year-over-year are hard to come by. After all, 4K/60p with limited noise on a sensor that is incredibly small is difficult to achieve, especially in low light. To paraphrase a well known line from Scotty, ‘you can’t change the laws of physics’. Pixel pitch, size and resolution play directly against each other in the triangle of visual fidelity. Without increasing the pixel size, or finding a way of gathering more photons per pixel, improving signal-to-noise ratio is difficult.

Image quality isn’t everything

Where do you see improvement when moving from the Hero 7 Black to the Hero 8? One feature that’s attracting attention is HyperSmooth 2.0, GoPro’s image stabilization technology, which claims to rival gimbal levels of image stabilization without the need for balancing, mounting or powering an external handle. But can it actually deliver, and is it a big enough improvement over the previous generation to convince people to part with their money and upgrade?

Before I started using this camera I was incredibly skeptical, but having tested this feature over the past few weeks it does deliver a very good result, even managing to smooth out some of the bumps associated with footfalls, which is very difficult to achieve on standard gimbals.

This video compares the four levels of HyperSmooth 2.0 stabilization: off, on, high, and boost modes. As expected, each level provides increased stabilization, however notice that there’s a small crop factor when using ‘on’ and ‘high’ modes, and an even greater crop factor in ‘boost’ mode.

I did notice one slightly odd characteristic when shooting below 4K, however. When mounted in certain situations, for example in or on a vehicle, it will actually pan the image to counter movement. If you’re driving and turning left the embedded software will pan the image to the right, then slowly return to the center once you’ve completed the turn. As a result, the image has an overall floating feel to it instead of providing a rock solid picture.

That said, overall the results are surprisingly effective, even when using the boost mode, although that’s not available at 4K/60p. Be aware that HyperSmooth crops the image about 10% (and somewhat more in the most stabilized boost mode).

I discovered one odd effect when using the HyperSmooth 2.0 boost mode at 1080 resolution: when mounted in certain situations, like a moving car (above) the image will pan to counter movement. This gives the image a floating feel instead of the sense that the camera is locked in place.

With that proviso, though, it rivals and now beats a lot of traditional optical image stabilization done in-lens or in-camera, even compared to models that use sensor shift.

Integrated ‘fingers’ eliminate the need for frames or cases to mount the camera on standard GoPro accessories.

Two steps forward and one step back?

Along with some useful additions, this new camera also changes some features – and not for the better. For example, it’s no longer possible for the user to change the front element of the lens if it becomes cracked or chipped. GoPro’s stance is ‘GoPro does not offer a repair service on our cameras as, due to their size and design, the cost of parts and labor for performing such a specific repair would be more expensive than replacing the camera outright if it’s covered by warranty.’

Instead, it offers the GoPro Plus service, which will replace your camera if something goes wrong (at a maximum of 2 cameras per year). However, this service comes at a cost: $ 4.99 per month or $ 50.04 per year, and includes unlimited cloud storage and 50% off mounts and some accessories. Yes, another service to subscribe to, although for serious users this may pay dividends.

The USB-C port interfaces with GoPro’s range of accessories

Why only incremental improvements?

Technology usually progresses at an evolutionary pace rather than a revolutionary one. The introduction of a brand new product can have the ‘wow’ factor, but usually subsequent versions don’t have the same effect.

A limiting factor here is processing power and its relationship to battery life and available power. Small cameras have small batteries and in turn these can only provide limited power to the processor. As a result, you can’t have all the best features enabled at the same time.

Think you might be able to use your older Hero 7 batteries? Think again. Hero 7 batteries can’t deliver as much peak power as Hero 8 batteries and are not compatible with the new camera.

There’s always a trade off with temperature as well. If you did have all the available features turned on the camera would most likely shut down before the battery was exhausted due to overheating, which could cause damage to the camera or battery. There’s a reason that the older Hero 7 batteries—even though they are physically the same—won’t work on the Hero 8 due to power delivery limitations. The newer Hero 8 batteries can deliver more peak power. What more can be added?

If image quality isn’t making great leaps, and with features like Hypersmooth 2.0, live streaming, 4K capture and slow motion already included, have we hit a wall? What more can possibly be added to future action cameras? Part of the answer for GoPro seems to be add-on hardware, like a vlogging flip-up LCD (Display Mod), or an add-on frame which gives you HDMI out, a 3.5mm in and an extra microphone (Media Mod). These go some way to disguise the limitations of the bare camera and add the possibility of appealing to the ever expanding vlogging market.

HyperSmooth 2.0 is impressive, and even does a good job of smoothing out the bouncing of footsteps, such as this child holding the camera running across a yard. Since it’s getting harder to improve image quality with each generation of action camera, manufacturers will need to get creative with features like this to entice users to upgrade.

What’s the competition?

The competition in the premium action camera space is actually fairly limited. There’s the Sony FDR-X3000, the DJI Osmo Action and the recently introduced Insta360 One R, and really that’s about it at the moment. The recently released Insta360 camera employs an interesting modular setup, but can it compete? After all, GoPro has been doing this for nearly 20 years.

There are lots of cameras available at the mid and lower end of the market, but this isn’t an area that GoPro competes in and it really is a case of getting what you pay for. GoPro’s installed user base and reputation are formidable to any new manufacturer coming to market, and it has proven difficult for established name brands to launch and maintain an action camera market segment, as Nikon found out.

The GoPro Hero 8 Black. A hero among action cameras?

What does it all mean?

Much as we’d like to see revolutions in technology, this isn’t the norm. Incremental improvements mean that year-over-year upgrades are less necessary for a lot of users. The niche factor of the high end action camera market also means that not many manufacturers operate in this space, which in turn limits competition.

The next major developments will probably center around a change in battery technology and an increase in power density that allows for more powerful processing. The gradual shrinking of the process node in the CPU will also bring key improvements and the ability to do more while maintaining lower temperatures or extending battery life.

An action camera is a great addition to a filmmaker’s tool kit, and if you need a new one the Hero 8 Black is a solid choice. However, while there’s a certain FOMO—a fear of missing out—and even peer pressure to have the latest and greatest, it probably doesn’t make financial sense to upgrade every year for only minor improvements.

That looks like it’s not going to change any time soon.