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This Epic Bundle Offers a World-Class Photography Education for Less Than $100 (96% Off!)

16 Oct

The post This Epic Bundle Offers a World-Class Photography Education for Less Than $ 100 (96% Off!) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

5daydeal epic photography bundle (96% off)

What’s the fastest way to improve your photography?

There’s a quick method to enhance your photos and level up your skills, and it’s pretty simple, too: learn from the masters. In other words, discover the secrets, tricks, and techniques already developed by the best of the best, and apply them all in your own shooting.

So how do you access these photography masters? How do you learn their secrets? That’s where online courses come in handy. These days, you can find dozens of well-taught, helpful courses, created by truly outstanding photographers from all around the world. They illustrate the most efficient composition guidelines, effective post-processing techniques, and so much more. 

Unfortunately, online courses can be expensive. This stops plenty of photographers, especially beginners, from ever discovering the information that could instantly take their photos to the next level.

Which is why the 5DayDeal is one of those once-in-a-blue-moon, can’t-miss-out offers that you should absolutely check out, especially if you’re serious about improving your work.

What is the 5DayDeal?

The 5DayDeal is a limited-time bundle, which includes literally dozens of courses from world-class photographers, along with plenty of additional photography-enhancing items (including Photoshop actions, books, and packages/software).

Normally, the 5DayDeal resources would cost over $ 2200 USD.

But for five days only, you can grab them for $ 89 USD, at a whopping 96% off.

Landscape Photography Secrets by Tim Shields

You can click here to take a closer look at the bundle. Highlights include:

  • Landscape Photography Secrets (value: $ 297), a six-class set covering essential landscape topics such as settings, composition, and post-processing, taught by acclaimed landscape photographer Tim Shields
  • Luminar AI Magic (value: $ 99), a comprehensive class that covers the ins and outs of Skylum’s popular editing software – and how to use it for jaw-dropping results
  • Simple & Intermediate Object Removal in Photoshop (value: $ 60), which will turn you into an object-removal wizard, capable of ridding your images of telephone poles, distracting people, and even unwanted cars
  • Painterly Portraits Photography Course (value: $ 227), which offers the secrets to professional-quality portraits, both in the field and in the editing room
  • Nature Love Presets (value: $ 69), a set of 18 Lightroom presets designed to offer quick and efficient yet high-quality edits

And that’s just a small sample of the 5DayDeal items. Photographers, this bundle genuinely is the best way to level up your work; get it, take the time to go through each item, and by the time you’re done, your work will be unrecognizable.

Plus, 10% of the profits go to charity, so it’s really a win all around.

You can check out the 5DayDeal bundle and see all the courses, packages, and more on the 5DayDeal website.

When does the 5DayDeal end?

The 5DayDeal really does last for just five days, and you will never see the exact same deal ever again (the 5DayDeal creators refer to this as a “once-in-eternity sale”).

Specifically, the deal will disappear on October 19th, 2021 (next Tuesday!) at 12 PM PST. So don’t wait; get the bundle while you still can!

Check it out here.

The post This Epic Bundle Offers a World-Class Photography Education for Less Than $ 100 (96% Off!) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Xiaomi’s new 11T Pro offers 120W charging, 108MP camera module and more

15 Sep

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has announced the 11T and 11T Pro, the first two devices in a new lineup from the company that sits just below its Mi 11 and Mi 11 Pro devices in both price and features.

Xiaomi 11T Pro

The new Xiaomi 11T Pro is powered by a Snapdragon 888 5G chipset, compared to the 888+ used in the Mi 11 Pro. The front features 6.67” flat 120Hz AMOLED display (1080 x 2400 pixels) that’s capable of 1,000 nits peak brightness and can display HDR10+ content. The device runs on MIUI 12.5, which is based on Android 11.

On the rear of the camera is a triple camera array, headlined by a 1/1.52″ 108MP sensor (0.7µm, 9–1 pixel binning) that’s likely Samsung’s ISOCELL HM2, based on the specifications. In front of that sensor is a 26mm (equiv) F1.8 lens. The other two cameras onboard are an 8MP ultrawide module with a 120-degree field of view and a 5MP telephoto/macro lens with a 50mm (equiv.) focal length. None of the cameras have optical image stabilization, unfortunately, which the more expensive Mi 11 lineup features.

Video capabilities include 8K30p recording as well as 4K60p and 1080p recording at up to 960 fps. HDR10+ recording is possible and a gyro-based electronic image stabilization (EIS) should keep footage at least somewhat stable at 4K resolution and below (no EIS on 8K recording). The ‘punch hole’ selfie camera on the front of the device uses a 16MP 1/3.06″ sensor with 1.0µm pixels. In addition to 16MP stills, it also offers 1080p recording at 30fps.

In addition to 5G connectivity, the device features Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6), Bluetooth 5.2, GPS and NFC support. A single USB-C port on the bottom of the device supports 120W charging, which can power the device’s 5000mAh Li-Po battery to 72% in 10 minutes and 100% in 17 minutes, according to Oppo. A side-mounted fingerprint sensor can be used to unlock the device in addition to the usual passcode locks.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is expected to ship later this month in black, blue and white colorways and start at €650 (~$ 770) for the 128GB/8GB RAM model while the 256GB/12GB RAM model retails for €750 (885).

Xiaomi 11T

The Xiaomi 11T is practically identical to the more powerful 11T Pro, with the only noticeable specification difference being the chipset inside. Instead of the Snapdragon 888 5G used in the 11T Pro, the 11T uses a custom Dimensity 1200-Ultra chipset. This less powerful chipset means you won’t be getting 8K video capabilities with the 11T, as it tops out with 4K60p recording. All other camera-related specifications remain the same.

The only other difference we noted is that the fast charging on the 11T is limited to 67W instead of 120W, which means you’ll be able to get to 100% battery in 36 minutes instead of the 17 minutes on the 11T Pro. It’s worth noting though that fast charging will wear down the battery’s life span faster, so the slower charging speeds might actually be more beneficial in the end.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is available in black, blue and white colorways and starts at €650 (~$ 770) for the 128GB/8GB RAM model while the 256GB/12GB RAM model retails for €750 (885). The 11T will start at €500 (~$ 590) for the 128GB/8GB RAM model. Both models are expected to ship to much of Europe by the end of the month and are avialable to purchase through authorized Ziaomi retailers, including AliExpress, Amazon, Goboo and Mi.com.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DJI’s new Pocket 2 three-axis-stabilized mini camera offers larger sensor, wider lens and more

21 Oct

DJI has announced the release of its new DJI Pocket 2, a second-generation three-axis mini camera.

The updated camera drops the Osmo nomenclature its predecessor bore and improves its performance across the board. Despite keeping its compact size, weighing just 117g (4.2oz), the Pocket 2 has a larger sensor and wider lens than the Osmo Pocket, which DJI claims has dramatically improve image quality for both photos and video.

The new 1/1.7” sensor (Osmo Pocket had a 1/2.3” sensor) works in tandem with a new 20mm (equivalent) F1.8 lens to capture 16MP photos in standard mode and up to 64MP images in high-resolution mode. The Pocket 2 can record 4K video at up to 60fps at a 100Mbps bitrate. DJI has added HDR recording and the device now offers up to 8x zoom using the 64MP high-resolution mode or 4x lossless zoom when shooting at 16MP or in 1080p.

DJI has also improved the focus system, which should make it easily to track moving subjects faster and more accurately than with the Osmo Mobile. The Hybrid 2.0 AF feature uses a combination of contrast and phase detection to deliver these performance improvements.

DJI Matrix Stereo also improves upon one of the weakest points of the Osmo Mobile—audio. The new audio system uses an array of four microphones to capture what DJI calls an ‘immersive audio experience.’ DJI has added a number of audio features, including Directional Audio, SoundTrack and Audio Zoom. Below is a description of the new features straight from DJI:

’Directional Audio enhances sound recording from those microphones to pick up as much detail as possible, with SoundTrack adjusting the audio based on where the camera is facing, while Audio Zoom narrows the sound field when zooming the camera in. To further filter out unwanted background sounds, an optional wind noise reduction helps keep the audio clean in outdoor settings.’

As with nearly all of DJI’s products, there’s a handful of pre-programmed shooting modes included with the Pocket 2:

  • Pro Mode: Control advanced camera settings such as ISO, shutter speed, EV, and focus mode.
  • ActiveTrack 3.0: Select a subject and let DJI Pocket 2 keep it in the frame automatically.
  • Slow Motion: Capture the fast-moving world in slow motion with a max speed and resolution of 8x at 1080p.
  • Timelapse, Hyperlapse, Motionlapse: Speed up the world around you with the varying effects of three different time-lapse operations. Hyperlapse automatically integrates Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) for added smoothness. Users have the ability to save individual images separately, record in RAW format, and use ActiveTrack 3.0.
  • Panoramas:
    • 180° Pano: Captures four photos for sweeping landscape images.
    • 3×3 Pano: Merges nine images for a wide and detailed view.
  • Livestreaming: Livestream directly to Facebook, YouTube, or RTMP.
  • Story Mode: Preset camera movements, color profiles, and music make it easier to choose a template, record the moment, and share to social media instantly.

Other features include a new Fast Wake option that will instantly turn on the device so you don’t miss any action, a Drop Aware function that will ‘take preventative measures when it senses the gimbal falling’ and a Pause Recording feature that will quickly pause video recordings.

With new hardware comes new accessories, including a charging case, wireless microphone set, waterproof housing, a more compact control wheel, an extension rod, a (more) wide-angle lens attachment, a wireless module and a smartphone support system. All of the above features and more can be controlled with the free DJI Mimo smartphone app, available on both Android and iOS.

The DJI Pocket 2 can be purchased in two configurations: the DJI Pocket 2 with the Mini Control Stick and Tripod mount for $ 349, or the DJI Pocket 2 Creator Combo, which includes the Mini Control Sitck, tripod mount, wide-angle lens attachment, wireless microphone with windscreen, the do-it-all handle and the micro tripod for $ 499. Units can be purchased through DJI’s online store and authorized DJI retailers.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung’s new 980 Pro PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD offers read speeds up to 7,000MB/s

23 Sep

Samsung has unveiled the 980 Pro, its newest high-end NVMe M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 drive, which pushes read and write speeds to ridiculous speeds.

The drive will come in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB capacities at launch and features a PCIe 4.0 interface that, with a compatible motherboard, will offer maximum sequential read and write speeds of up to 7,000MB/s and 5,000MB/s, respectively. Even if you don’t have a PCIe 4.0 motherboard on hand (there aren’t a lot available at this time, as the interface is relatively new), the new 980 Pros can still reach maximum sequential read and write speeds of 3,500MB/s and 3,450MB/s, respectively on an M.2 PCIe 3.0 motherboard.

As tends to be the case with SSDs, the smaller capacity drives will feature slightly slower write speeds (read speeds are the same across capacities). While the 1TB version will top out at sequential write speeds of up to 3,450MB/s via PCIe 3.0, the 500GB and 250GB models will top out at 3,400MB/s and 2,700MB/s, respectively. As noted by The Verge, How-to Geek suggests the slower write speeds may be caused by there being fewer NAND channels in smaller SSDs.

While PCIe 4.0 motherboards aren’t exactly commonplace at this time, it’s nice to see a future-proof SSD that will still improve speeds on the more common PCIe 3.0 interface.

The three capacities will start shipping this month with the 250GB, 500GB and 1TB models retailing for $ 90, $ 150 and $ 230, respectively. There will also be a 2TB version out before the end of the year, but no price has been shared at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon’s New 1 MP SPAD Sensor Offers Potential for Highly-Sensitive Imaging

04 Jul

The post Canon’s New 1 MP SPAD Sensor Offers Potential for Highly-Sensitive Imaging appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

gear news - canon SPAD sensor

Canon has just announced the completion of a 1-megapixel single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) image sensor, making it the first of its kind.

Traditional CMOS sensors work by capturing photons (i.e., particles of light), and converting them to charge (which are ultimately transformed into digital pixels).

That way, when you press the shutter button, your camera’s sensor starts capturing photons, with each photon equivalent to a very small amount of light. These photons are turned into pixels, so that areas of a scene that produce or reflect more light are rendered brightly compared to areas of a scene that produce or reflect less light.

Now, CMOS sensors only offer a certain level of sensitivity. If you shoot at 1/8000s, unless the light is unusually powerful, you’re not going to capture many photons at all, resulting in a completely black image.

(That’s essentially what underexposure is, after all: The failure to capture a sufficient number of photons for a bright image.)

Anyways, that’s how a standard sensor works.

But as explained by Canon, a SPAD sensor works differently:

“When a single light particle…reaches a pixel it is multiplied – as if creating an “avalanche” – that results in a single large electrical pulse.”

In other words: Each photon gives you far more charge to work with, resulting in much greater sensitivity overall.

While Canon’s current SPAD sensor only captures 1 megapixel images, an imaging device that sensitive could offer plenty of benefits in terms of scientific technology. For instance, Canon’s SPAD sensor can expose its pixels in 3.8 nanoseconds, which makes it possible to capture events and features that were previously considered impossible.

Canon argues that “thanks to its ability to capture fine details for the entirety of events and phenomena, this technology holds the potential for use in a wide variety of fields and applications including clear, safe and durable analysis of chemical reactions, natural phenomena including lightning strikes, falling objects, damage upon impacts and other events that can’t be observed with precision by the naked eye.”

There are also applications in terms of 3D imaging, due to a SPAD sensor’s capacity to record precise exposure times.

While it doesn’t sound like SPAD sensors will be reaching consumer sensors any time soon, it’ll be interesting to see how this technology gets utilized!

Now over to you:

What potential applications can you imagine for SPAD sensors? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Canon’s New 1 MP SPAD Sensor Offers Potential for Highly-Sensitive Imaging appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Product Advisory: Sony says some of its SD cards are corrupting video files, offers free replacements

16 Jun

Sony has issued a product advisory for select SD cards in three of its SD card lineups, stating video captured with these cards could become corrupted without warning.

The product advisory, posted last Friday, says cards in Sony’s SF-M series, Tough SF-M series and Tough SD-G series are affected by an issue wherein ‘data on [the affected cards] may be damaged or data may not be recorded correction when shooting video on a camera in the video speed class mode.’ No further information is provided on what exactly is causing the problem, but Sony says it’s offering replacement cards through March 31, 2022 for SD cards currently under warranty.

Sony provides the below illustrations to help you deduce whether or not your card is affected by the issue, but you can tell at a quick glance by looking for a little star on the back of left-hand corner of the card — if you have a star, your card isn’t affected.

Sony: ‘To check whether your [SF-M] card is affected, look for a star mark and an alphanumeric on the lower corner on the back of the card. If your card has NO star mark and has an alphanumeric beginning with TV, your card is affected by this issue. (If your card has an alphanumeric beginning with TR, your card is not affected by this issue.)
Sony: ‘To check whether your card is affected, look for a star mark on the lower left corner on the back of the card. If your card has NO star mark, your card is affected by this issue.’

Sony: ‘[Affected SF-M Tough] cards can be identified by the presence of V60, R:277MB/s, and W:150MB/s on the card frontside. To check whether your card is affected, look for a star mark on the lower left corner on the back of the card. If your card has NO star mark, your card is affected by this issue.’

If your card is one of the affected units, Sony requests you call their support line (239–768–7669) or connect with a representative through its online chat support. Sony specifically requests you not contact the retailer you purchased your card from. Dan Carr of Shuttermuse says he’s been through the process and was required to provide the following information when you speak with a representative:

  • SD card model number
  • SD card serial number
  • Date of purchase
  • Place of purchase
  • Shipping and contact information

You can read the full advisory on Sony’s support page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Adobe’s new video series offers helpful Lightroom CC, Mobile tips in 60 seconds

31 May

Adobe has started up a new video series on its Adobe Photoshop Lightroom YouTube channel called In a Lightroom Minute that condenses helpful Lightroom CC and Lightroom Mobile tips into tutorials that are roughly 60 seconds in length.

Similar to its previous Lightroom Coffee Break and Photoshop Magic Minute series, In a Lightroom Minute covers a variety of small tips and tricks, from How to Save Edits as Presets in Lightroom to How to Leverage Interactive Edits in Lightroom.

Currently, there are ten videos in the series, but it’s likely we’ll see more added in the near future. Below are just three you can start with:

How to Create a Preset in Lightroom

How to Get Contextual Help While Using Lightroom

How to Discover Guided Tutorials in Lightroom

You can view the full playlist and subscribe to the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom channel on YouTube.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Japan offers $2.2B to help domestic companies move production from China, but will it help the imaging industry?

14 Apr
Fujifilm X-Pro2 cameras being moved along the production process inside Fujifilm’s Sendai, Japan factory.

Last week, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Japan is planning to set aside $ 2.2 billion of its $ 993 billion emergency COVID-19 stimulus package to help Japanese companies move production out of China, a move with potential ramifications for numerous Japanese camera and lens manufacturers.

According to the report, the $ 2.2 billion would be split into two different funds. Roughly $ 2 billion will go towards assisting Japanese companies move operations back to Japan, while the remaining $ 200M will help companies move production into other countries, in what is likely an effort to help diversify supply chains that aren’t domestic.

Rather than purely speculating on the matters, we decided to contact executives at a few Japanese camera and lens manufacturers to find out what their thoughts are on this facet of the emergency stimulus package.

General Manager of Fujifilm’s Optical Device and Electronic Imaging Products Division, Toshihisa Iida, had the following to say when asked about the SCMP article and its potential impact on Fujifilm’s operations:

‘Manufacturing in China has changed a lot over the years. It faces many challenges such as parts and labor availability, increase in overall cost, [the] US-China trade issue, and most recently, COVID-19. We still depend heavily on China to source electronic and mechanical components, but we started sourcing from alternative vendors from outside China as well.

[Business continuity planning] is always a very important agenda in our business strategy. We learned from disasters such as earthquakes and floods in the past, and keep our eyes open to prepare for any situations to secure the supply chain. COVID-19 is no exception.’

As for its current production operations, Mr. Iida says ‘Fujifilm already owns factories outside China (e.g. Japan and the Philippines)’ and has also subcontracted factories. ‘Production quality in all of the factories [is] being monitored to achieve the same standard,’ he says. ‘We look at all the important elements for production, such as capacity, cost, lead time, and [allocation of] the products to the aforementioned factories in order to deliver the products efficiently.’

Here, finished X-Pro2 bodies manufactured inside its Sendai, Japan factory await final checks before being boxed up for shipping.

Despite the Japanese government’s record stimulus package, Mr. Iida remains unsure of its impact on Fujifilm’s production, saying ‘It’s too early to say whether we will move our production from China, and if we do, how much will be shifted to Japan or elsewhere, but we will continue to monitor the situation and take action if and when necessary.’

All in all, it seems the production shift initiative might not have as much of an impact on the photography industry as some might’ve hoped. Aside from not being heavily publicized, the state of the industry even before the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t great and investing in a contracting market isn’t exactly assuring, even with a convincing stimulus opportunity to make use of.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon says firmware fix for lockup issue is coming in ‘early April,’ offers workaround in the meantime

26 Mar

Canon U.S.A has announced a firmware update is being worked on to address the ‘phenomenon’ wherein its EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR camera will lock up under certain conditions.

Previously, we reported on a number of incidents wherein Canon’s latest flagship DSLR would lock up when pressing down the shutter in certain modes. While the exact cause remains unconfirmed, Canon’s changelog for the forthcoming firmware update suggests the bug is caused when the electronic level is turned on in the viewfinder display. Below is the exact text from Canon:

‘The phenomenon may occur when the camera is being used with the electronic level set to “Show” in the viewfinder display. In rare cases, the camera may not perform as it was designed to when operating the AF-ON button or shutter button.’

Note the magnified section, which appears to show a part of the interface used for the OVF level function. This would suggest Canon’s diagnosis of the level feature causing the lockups is accurate for at least one of the original cases we reported on.

Below is a video provided by DPReview reader Hamilton Pytluk, who showed how the bug was affecting shooting. At the time of our initial coverage, it wasn’t known what was causing this issue, but if you look closely (it’s only visible for a few frames), it does appear as though Pytluk had the level showing in the optical viewfinder, which Canon is suggesting is the problem causing the lockups.

Canon says the firmware update will be available in ‘early April,’ but in the meantime, it’s possible to prevent the locking by hiding the ‘Electronic level’ within the ‘Viewfinder display’ sub-menu, as shown in the below menu screenshots provided by Canon. Canon has provided a guide to disabling the viewfinder on its update page.

We will cover the release when the firmware is published, but you can also keep an eye out on the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III product support page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: Photographer Alan Schaller offers seven tips for black and white street photography

12 Feb

Cooperative of Photography (COOPH) has published a new video featuring London-based photographer Alan Schaller, who introduces viewers to seven tips for shooting black and white street photography. The video packs the seven tips into five quick minutes.

Schaller’s tips are relatively straightforward, including the recommendation that photographers should go out and shoot in black and white on purpose, should focus on what makes black and white photography interesting and that they should change their perspective.

As well, Schaller recommends that budding black and white street photographers learn to adjust to the lightning situation, ‘make good use of’ their environment, shoot images with a ‘good range of contrast’ and, finally’ to ‘edit wisely.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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