Your iPad is one of many convenient small devices that is always on you and thanks to the integrated cameras is a great tool to take photos and videos on the move. Unfortunately, iPads are notorious for producing blurry images, which can also be caused by other factors. If you own an iPad and have always asked yourself how to Continue Reading
Photodoto
Posts Tagged ‘QUALITY.’
iPad Camera Quality Bad: Solutions for Blurry iPad Photos
20
Sep
Tamron Unveils the 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 for Sony, With Enhanced Image Quality and AF
06
Aug
The post Tamron Unveils the 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 for Sony, With Enhanced Image Quality and AF appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Three years ago, Tamron announced the 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD for Sony, a powerful lens that made its way into the bags of many photographers – and now the company is back for more. This week, Tamron revealed the 28-75mm f/2.8’s successor: the 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2, which packs several significant upgrades, along with all the features that made the first 28-75mm f/2.8 such a hit.
And the original 28-75mm f/2.8 certainly was well-received. According to many a reviewer, the lens combined a compact build, a wide maximum aperture, speedy autofocus, and stellar image quality, not to mention a focal length range that performed well in pretty much every scenario, from portraits and landscapes to events and more. And then, of course, was the price; at well under $ 1000, the 28-75mm positioned itself as the affordable alternative to Sony’s 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens and even undercut Sigma’s low(ish)-cost 24-70mm f/2.8 Art lens for Sony.
So what does the upcoming 28-75mm f/2.8 offer over its predecessor?
Mainly optical and autofocus upgrades. According to Tamron, you can expect “significantly improved optical and autofocus performance” – specifically, the 28-75mm will likely offer enhanced sharpness thanks to an optical redesign, and Tamron promises “higher autofocus speed with greater precision,” perfect for photographers who tackle sports and other action subjects.
The lens will also feature an increased maximum magnification (from 1:2.94 to 1:2.7), helpful for the occasional detail shot. And Tamron hints at “a new design in the pursuit of enhanced operability and ergonomic texture,” though the company also makes clear that the 28-75mm f/2.8 will offer “the well-received compact size of its predecessor.” In other words: better ergonomics, but in the same small package.
While we don’t yet know the price of the new 28-75mm, expect it to match or only slightly exceed that of the original lens – a bargain, giving the lens’s undoubtedly outstanding optical performance, speed, and low-light capabilities.
Tamron also emphasizes the lens’s integration “with [a] new ‘Tamron Lens Utility’ software” for “personal customization [that] gives flexible shooting options to match the shooting situation.” For instance, the Lens Utility software will let you adjust the aperture via the focus ring, focus at predetermined positions, and more.
If you’re after a budget f/2.8 lens for Sony, one that spans from wide-angle to standard telephoto and punches far above its weight in optics and autofocus, then keep an eye out for the 28-75mm f/2.8 G2. Tamron suggests a 2021 release date, so you shouldn’t have long to wait!
Now over to you:
What do you think of the new 28-75mm f/2.8 for Sony? Have you used the original? Are there any upgrades you would like to see that are missing from the updated version? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Tamron Unveils the 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 for Sony, With Enhanced Image Quality and AF appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
College Photography Instructor Bans Kit Lenses, Cites “Subpar” Quality
10
Jul
The post College Photography Instructor Bans Kit Lenses, Cites “Subpar” Quality appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
How do you feel about kit lenses? Are they capable of good photos? Or are they an utter waste of time, the type of lens that should be discarded at the earliest opportunity?
According to one college photography instructor, who banned the use of kit lenses in her editorial photography course, kit lenses aren’t just poor quality; they simply shouldn’t be used – at least not by photography students. As the instructor explains in her syllabus, “You are talented enough by this point to not compromise your image quality by using these subpar lenses…You should do everything within your power to never use these lenses again.”
Here’s the full quote, as posted to Reddit by a frustrated student:
The 18-55mm kit lenses that come with entry-level, crop-sensor DSLRs are NOT good quality. You are required to have the insurance for this class, and since most assignments require a trip to the cage for lighting gear, I am also blocking the use of these lenses. You are talented enough by this point to not compromise your image quality by using these subpar lenses. Student work from this class has been licensed commercially as stock photography, but if you shoot with an 18-55mm lens, you are putting your work at a serious disadvantage, quality-wise. You are not required to BUY a different lens, but you are required to use something other than this lens. You should do everything within your power to never use these lenses again.
The student went on to explain that the class is designed for second-year photography undergraduates, and that the “cage” – where students can borrow lenses to complete assignments – “is only accessible two hours a day, two days a week.”
In other words, while students who don’t own acceptable equipment (i.e., non-kit lenses) can technically continue the course without purchasing additional lenses, they’ll need to show greater dedication than their peers, put in extra hours on campus, and compete with other students for access to school-owned equipment.
While this lack of course accessibility is bound to frustrate plenty of current and would-be students, it’s the instructor’s sweeping criticism of kit lenses that has photographers up in arms.
As the Reddit community was quick to point out, plenty of beautiful photos, including work published in top-notch newspapers and magazines, have been taken with kit lenses or similar. And furthermore, there are high-quality kit lenses available, many of which are perfectly adequate for pro-level photos. Sure, some kit lenses do offer soft image quality, but you can often correct the problem by stopping down to f/8 or so.
And as the original poster explained, even “older full-frame kit lenses are more than adequate for all but the most demanding of applications,” and the class assignments involve “shooting with big strobes – mostly [at] f/8+ and ISO 100.”
For me, kit lenses are one-hundred percent adequate for a whole host of situations. Their image quality is often decent, and with the right technique, you can come away with some very nice results. Plus, kit lens focal lengths tend to be very useful. At 18mm, you can capture scene-setting wide-angle images; at 25-35mm, you can do some impactful street and photojournalistic photography; and at 45-55mm, you can do intimate portraits, headshots, and more.
That’s not to say that kit lenses are superior to their much more expensive prime counterparts. Kit lenses aren’t as sharp, as fast focusing, or as effective in low light as, say, a high-quality 50mm f/1.4 lens. But the point isn’t that kit lenses are the best, it’s that they’re good enough – and that both students and professionals can use kit lenses to great effect.
Now over to you:
What do you think about kit lenses in photography? Do you like them? Dislike them? Do you think they should be banned from photography classes? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
(Via PetaPixel)
The post College Photography Instructor Bans Kit Lenses, Cites “Subpar” Quality appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Sony a7C review: Compact size, big sensor image quality
28
Oct
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87%
Overall score
Jump to conclusion
The Sony a7C is the company’s latest and smallest full-frame interchangeable lens camera. It fits a 24MP full-frame sensor and image stabilization into a body more closely resembling the APS-C sensor a6600.
A lot of work has clearly gone into making this one of the smallest full frame cameras available, whereas a lot of the features and capabilities are familiar. A new retractable kit zoom is being launched along with the a7C to help maintain those size savings.
 |
| Out of camera JPEG. ISO 500 | 1/40 sec | F9 | Sony FE 35mm F1.8 Photo by Carey Rose |
Key specifications
- 24MP BSI CMOS full-frame sensor
- Bionz X processor (same as in the a7 III)
- ‘Real-time tracking’ AF system with human head, face, eye, and animal recognition
- Oversampled 4K video at up to 30p, including 8-bit S-Log and HLG
- Continuous bursts at up to 10 fps
- Fully articulating 921K dot touchscreen
- 2.36M dot EVF with 0.59x mag.
- Mic and headphone sockets
- Large ‘Z-type’ battery, rated to 740 shots per charge
The Sony a7C is available at a price of around $ 1799 ($ 2399 CAD) or with the new collapsible 28-60mm F4-5.6 kit zoom for around $ 2099 ($ 2699 CAD).
Review contents
From the camera’s controls to the image and video quality it’s capable of, find out what exactly what you want to know about the a7C right here.
What’s new and how it compares
 |
The a7C fits almost all the capabilities of the a7 III into a body that has more in common with the a6000 series. This means a smaller viewfinder but few other compromises. Read more |
Body and handling
 |
The a7C has three dials, all controlled using your thumb. It still handles pretty well, though, with a solid body and a small but pretty comfortable grip. Read more |
Initial impressions
 |
The a7C’s main strengths are its size and convenience. This could make it a powerful travel or family camera. But there’s a price to be paid, and this isn’t necessarily a budget option. Read more |
Image quality
 |
The a7C produces both Raw and JPEG images that are a match for any of its peers. Dynamic range is excellent but you need to shoot large, uncompressed Raw files to get the full benefit. Read more |
Autofocus and video
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The a7C’s main improvement over the a7 III is an autofocus system that integrates all its subject recognition capabilities so you don’t need to mess around changing modes to get the most out of it. Video is good but its operation can be a little awkward. Read more |
Conclusion
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The a7C’s combination of size, image quality, AF performance and battery life make it a superb travel camera, but some awkward aspects of operation, including its small viewfinder, hold it back as a photographer’s choice. Read more |
Sample gallery
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We’ve been shooting the a7C with both its kit zoom and the sensibly compact FE 35mm F1.8, to see what the camera offers. See the gallery |
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
DPReview TV: The quality of light, and how different types of lights affect your photos
19
Oct
Having light is critical for photography, but what about the quality of light? Our resident mad scientist, Don Komarechka, explains how different light sources can impact your photos.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Sony a7C initial review: Compact size, big sensor image quality
15
Sep
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The Sony a7C is the company’s latest and smallest full-frame interchangeable lens camera. It fits a 24MP full-frame sensor and image stabilization into a body more closely resembling the APS-C sensor a6600.
A lot of work has clearly gone into making this one of the smallest full frame cameras available, whereas a lot of the features and capabilities are familiar. A new retractable kit zoom is being launched along with the a7C to help maintain those size savings.
|
| Out of camera JPEG. ISO 500 | 1/40 sec | F9 | Sony FE 35mm F1.8 Photo by Carey Rose |
Key specifications
- 24MP BSI CMOS full-frame sensor
- Bionz X processor (same as in the a7 III)
- ‘Real-time tracking’ AF system with human head, face, eye, and animal recognition
- Oversampled 4K video at up to 30p, including 8-bit S-Log and HLG
- Continuous bursts at up to 10 fps
- Fully articulating 1.44M dot touchscreen
- 921k dot EVF with 0.59x mag.
- Mic and headphone sockets
- Large ‘Z-type’ battery, rated to 740 shots per charge
The Sony a7C will be available from October 2020 at a price of around $ 1799 USD ($ 2399 CAD) or with the new collapsible 28-60mm F4-5.6 kit zoom for around $ 2099 USD ($ 2699 CAD).
Review contents
From the camera’s controls to the image and video quality it’s capable of, find out what exactly what you want to know about the a7C right here.
What’s new and how it compares
|
The a7C fits almost all the capabilities of the a7 III into a body that has more in common with the a6000 series. This means a smaller viewfinder but few other compromises. Read more |
Body and handling
|
The a7C has three dials, all controlled using your thumb. It still handles pretty well, though, with a solid body and a small but pretty comfortable grip. Read more |
Initial impressions
|
The a7C’s main strengths are its size and convenience. This could make it a powerful travel or family camera. But there’s a price to be paid, and this isn’t necessarily a budget option. Read more |
Sample gallery
|
We’ve been shooting the a7C with both its kit zoom and the sensibly compact FE 35mm F1.8, to see what the camera offers. See the gallery |
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
DPReview TV: How much do scratches, dust and fingerprints affect lens image quality?
18
Jun
We all know that damage to your lens is bad, but just how bad is bad? Chris and Jordan investigate the image quality impact of dust, water, fingerprints and cringe-inducing scratches on your lens. As you might imagine, the results range from ‘barely noticeable’ to, well, much worse than that.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
- Introduction
- Fingerprints
- Mist and water droplets
- Dust
- Light scratches
- Deep scratches
- What we learned
Sample images from this episode
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Top Ten Tools for Quality Commercial Beverage Photography
24
Feb
The post Top Ten Tools for Quality Commercial Beverage Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.
Beverage photography is a challenging and exciting niche in photography, often shot by photographers that specialize in food photography. The reflective nature of glassware makes it difficult to shoot. Moreover, photographing cocktails to look cold and icy, means having a few tricks up your sleeve.
Having the right tools in your toolbox can go a long way in helping you get the look that you want. Items like a cocktail shaker, stir stick, and brushes are some basic items that you need. Read on for suggestions on the items that commercial food shooters have in their beverage photography arsenal.
The top ten tools for commercial beverage photography
1. Razor blades
Commercial beverage photography involves shooting a lot of liquor bottles. This means you have to take off the back label. When you light bottles, you light them from behind. The back label will cast a big black shadow that will ruin the image. To remove the labels you need a good razor blade.
Gently scrape the label off using the razor blade in a downward motion to remove it. If this doesn’t work, you’ll need to soak the label by lying the bottle in a pan of warm water, shallow enough to not get the front label wet. The label should come off a lot more easily after five or ten minutes of soaking.
Keep a couple of razor blades in your kit and keep them clean.
2. Goof off
Goof Off is a solvent that is able to dissolve tough adhesives quickly.
Once you have removed your label, most likely there will be some glue left behind on the bottle. You need to get every last trace of it off and make sure the bottle is as pristine as possible. Any marks will show on the image and can be a nightmare to retouch.
The heavy-duty remover in the spray bottle should do the trick. Good Off is safe for a variety of surfaces and is an important item in your beverage photography kit.
3. Glassware
The single most important item you can have in your beverage photography toolkit is good quality glassware. If you’re going to be doing a lot of beverage photography, this is a worthy area to invest in.
The quality of glassware easily becomes apparent when it’s shot, particularly with stemmed glassware. If you gently rotate the glass, you’ll find that the cheap stuff will not sit perfectly even. This will show in the way the liquid sits in the glass.
Remember that in beverage photography, your cocktail or drink is the “hero,” the focus of your shot, so it has to look heroic.
Get a variety of good glasses for different types of drinks. As long as you don’t break them, they will last you many, many years.
4. Fake ice cubes and shards
Another essential item for commercial beverage photography is fake ice cubes and shards. Real ice looks more organic and works well for editorial photography. However, in high-level commercial photography, where consistency is often required, fake ice is necessary.
As with glassware, any old plastic ice cubes won’t do. Fake ice used in high-end commercial photography needs to be high quality and is very expensive.
The most popular supplier of high-quality, fake ice cubes and shards in the U.S. is Trengrove Studios in New York. But regardless of where you live, fake ice can also be bought online by various suppliers.
Be sure to get acrylic or plexiglass fake ice and stay away from plastic. Cheap fake ice can be useful as filler ice, perhaps blurred out in the background or in another glass that isn’t the main subject.
Fake ice and ice shards can cost $ 60 to $ 300 apiece, so start with one or two cubes and slowly add to your collection over time.
5. Ice powder and crystals
Ice powder and crystals are most commonly used on the outside of beer bottles and glasses to give a cool and frosty look.
They are used less for cocktails but are great to make slushy drinks like margaritas. Real ice slush is a nightmare to work with because it melts so fast, but crystal ice and powder allows you to shoot all day.
6. Glycerine
Glycerine is an inexpensive item that you can find in most drug stores in the beauty section. It is used extensively in food and beverage photography. Mixed with water, you can spray it on produce items to create a misted look with evaporating.
Similarly, in beverage photography, it’s used to add condensation to a glass that stays put.
7. Atomizers
Buy a few atomizer bottles in different sizes. This will be for your glycerine and water mixtures.
Different bottles will offer a different amount of water droplets, so it’s good to have a variety on hand to choose from, depending on what kind of drink you’re shooting.
You can often buy these at the drug store as well. For example, you can buy empty atomizers meant for travel use. You can also choose from a wide variety on Amazon.
8. Cotton gloves
You can purchase cotton gloves at the drug store and they should be worn whenever you are handling any glassware that will appear in the shot. The smallest fingerprint will show up and it will be impossible to retouch well in Photoshop.
Clean the glass with a good glass cleaner and then handle it with gloves
9. Tweezers
Tweezers are an indispensable item in beverage photography. You can use them for moving very small pieces of garnish like herbs or small ice shards.
When you shoot beverage photography, every small detail is very important, so having tweezers on hand can help you make small adjustments. If you can find some with a long handle, that would be extra helpful.
10. Canned air
Canned air or air duster is an item that can be found in hardware stores and may seem like a strange item to have in your beverage photography toolkit. It’s used to blow any dust off your surfaces and set.
Remember, with commercial beverage photography, a pristine, polished image is super important so you don’t want any dust or blemishes on your subject or set. Of course, you can retouch these out to a certain extent, by why spend the time if you don’t need to. Canned air will help you with that.
Conclusion
Commercial beverage photography can be a very challenging genre to shoot. However, having the right tools on hand can make your job much easier and go a long way in helping you get that hero shot.
These are my top ten suggestions for your toolkit, but there are other items that can be useful. Chime in in the comments below if you have any suggestions.
The post Top Ten Tools for Quality Commercial Beverage Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.
Video: How much does an anti-aliasing filter affect image quality?
16
Feb
Some digital cameras currently on the market don’t have a traditional optical low pass filter (OLPF), or anti-aliasing feature, in front of the sensor. Manufacturers claim this makes images sharper though it comes with an increase in moiré patterns. Does this significantly affect image quality? New Zealand-based wedding photographer Richard Wong wanted to find out. In the video, above, he displays side-by-side comparisons of images taken with similar full-frame mirrorless cameras. One has an anti-aliasing filter while the other leaves it out.
By zooming in on images taken with a Panasonic S1, which leaves the anti-aliasing filter out, and a Panasonic S1H, which contains an OLPF, Wong illustrates some subtle differences. Both cameras boast a 24MP sensor and photos were captured with the same lens, a Lumix S 24-105mm f/4, with an aperture setting of f/8. While it might be easy enough to correct minor flaws in the post-production process for photos, it gets a bit more complicated with video.
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| Even when zooming in 200%, it’s difficult to tell the difference between the images taken with the two different cameras. |
“If there are two cameras out there that are pretty much identical, and the only difference is that one camera doesn’t have the anti-aliasing filter and one has it, if you want to maximize the image sharpness and don’t worry too much about moiré patterns, then definitely go for the camera that doesn’t have the anti-aliasing filter because that will give you the best image sharpness,” explains Wong.
“On the other hand, as you can see from the comparison photo, even when I zoom in and look at the photo side-by-side at 100% zoom level, I can’t really tell the difference,” Wong continues. “I have to zoom in to 200% or 400% before I can actually see the difference between the two photos.”
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| By zooming in 400% to 800%, differences become more defined. You can see discoloration or false colors on the balcony with the S1 while the S1H is slightly more blurry in the details. |
One final note: Wong recommends you watch this comparison video from a full screen instead of a smartphone to see the subtle differences. What do you think? Would it be worth upgrading to a camera like the S1H, which contains an anti-aliasing filter, if you were using it for video as well?
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Do Photos Lose Quality When Airdropped?
22
Jan
There are plenty of features present in iOS, or Apple devices in general that make the experience “magical,” and AirDrop is one of them. First introduced with iOS7, the file-sharing technology has made life so much simpler with regards to sharing files. As a photographer, AirDrop is invaluable! Not having to rely on cables, dongles, or even an Internet connection Continue Reading
The post Do Photos Lose Quality When Airdropped? appeared first on Photodoto.
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