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Posts Tagged ‘service’

Curated film subscription service launched by Analogue Wonderland

22 Sep

Online film retailer Analogue Wonderland has started a new curated film subscription service for those who enjoy trying different emulsions. The Analogue Wonderbox service promises to deliver six different 35mm films every two months so subscribers can expand their experience of unusual as well as regular emulsion types and brands.

Covering both color and black and white rolls, the service will offer negative and positive films, and users can expect extra goodies in the packages including offers on processing, merchandise and other free gifts. The idea of the service is to introduce film photographers to different emulsions but particularly to give those new to film, and those coming back to it, a taste of what is available.

The company says each week subscribers will be sent information on one of the films, with an explanation of what to expect from it as well as hints on getting the most from it. All subscribers will get the same films each time so they can discuss their results and post examples of their work. Each month the company will hold a competition for pictures shot on one of the films in the subscription pack.

Analogue Wonderland says that although some films will be cheaper than others the total value of each pack will add up to, or exceed, the cost of the service, and that the goodies, learning and community will make it even better value. There are over 100 films to get through, with a wide range of looks to be explored.

The subscription costs £50 (approx. $ 65) every two months, with shipping included for those in the UK. Shipping to Europe and the USA costs £12 (approx. $ 15). For more information see the Analogue Wonderland website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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ON1 announces 360° cross-device sync service for editing and managing images remotely

29 Apr

Software developer ON1 has released details of a new service it claims will allow photographers to synchronize the editing and organizing of images across computers and mobile devices no matter where they are stored. The ON1 360° application will connect up to five computers and five mobile devices so that images stored on any one of them, or on attached external hard drives and NAS systems, can be accessed and edited from any of them – with changes synced across them all.

The software relies on a cloud storage service and a newly developed compressed RAW file format. Photographers select which files, folders or albums they would like to have access to and compressed versions are sent to the cloud. Connected devices, including smartphones, can then access those compressed files so they can be edited locally and the changes saved to all synchronized versions of that picture. A new free mobile app will be available for Android and iOS devices that will have the same RAW processing engine as its ON1 Photo RAW 2020 application so adjustments can match those made in the full desktop version of the software.

ON1 says the compressed RAW files that will pass between the devices will be 75% smaller than the original files, but we are told they will retain the same tonal and color range as the originals. Users also have the choice to store their full-sized originals in the cloud so they can be shared between devices as well.

ON1 claims its new program will offer ten times the amount of storage as competitors, but its application will cost 20% less. The high compression of the new RAW file format all also mean that more pictures will be able to be stored in the same space.

The company says it will retain its perpetual license options alongside subscription services with monthly or annual payment plans. The ON1 Photo RAW 2020.1 desktop application costs a one-off $ 49.99 at the moment, while the ON1 360° starts at $ 59.99 per year with 200GB of storage, or $ 109.99 per year with 1TB if you already own Photo RAW. If you want to buy Photo RAW and the 360° service together it will cost $ 89.99 for 200GB and $ 179.99 1TB per year. The monthly prices will be $ 5.99 and $ 9.99 for those who own Photo RAW, and $ 7.99 and $ 15.99 for those who don’t. Pre-ordering the 360° plan will also get you a training course and a pack of extra pre-sets.

For more information on ON1 360° go to the ON1 website.

Press release:

ON1, creators of ON1 Photo RAW, announces ON1 360° will be available in late June.

ON1 360° is a new end-to-end photography workflow solution for capturing, editing, and accessing photos seamlessly between multiple computers and mobile devices. ON1 360° connects ON1 Photo RAW 2020 on macOS and Windows computers with the new free ON1 Photo Mobile on iOS and Android devices. ON1 360° is the complete photography ecosystem that photographers have been waiting for; giving them more choice and more control. Multiple options for syncing files, control in file storage methods, and new capabilities for managing and editing across devices no matter where files are stored are available in ON1 360°.

At the core of ON1 360° is ON1’s new cloud storage service and sync technology, which allows photographers to sync photos, metadata, and edits, as well as albums, cataloged folders, and more between all their computers and devices, external hard drives, or even network drives. Unlike other cloud service offerings, ON1 360° will allow customers to choose which files or folders to sync, where the files live, as well as their preferred storage format.

“Our focus is on giving photographers control. Control of where they store their photos, what they want to sync and how they want to edit. There isn’t another solution out there providing this flexibility or functionality. We are still going to offer customers perpetual license options where they keep the software, even if they choose not to continue with this service. Of course, the subscription plan will be a good option as well and is ultra-competitive when it comes to price and features. The ON1 360° subscription plan includes 10x the storage at 20% less cost compared to other plans. Plus, the optional ON1 compressed-raw file format requires significantly less storage to have access to all your photos from all devices,” says Dan Harlacher, VP of Product.

With ON1 360°, customers can choose between syncing their original raw files or syncing their photos using ON1’s compressed-raw file format, which is 75% smaller than the original RAW file while maintaining the same tonal and color range. They are perfect for remote editing, sharing, and even printing common sizes, without noticeable loss in quality, saving the customer additional storage costs.

“Some people like using external drives, and some people like storing photos in the cloud. And some like both. The great part about ON1 360° is that you get to choose where photos get stored while still having access to them on all of your devices so you can share from anywhere,” add Matt Kloskowski, ON1 Educator and Guru.

“These all-new technologies that are the foundation of ON1 360° have been under development for some time and we are very excited to deliver them in June. This complete photography solution allows our customers to incorporate ON1 in every stage of their photography. With the technical foundation in place, we will start integrating new AI tools and features into all our products. There has never been a more exciting time at ON1.,” President and CEO, Craig Keudell adds.

Key Features
One Workflow — A complete end-to-end workflow between desktop and mobile with just one desktop application in ON1 Photo RAW 2020. No bouncing between organizers, raw processors, and layered pixel-editors. ON1 Photo RAW 2020 is a modern photo organizer, raw processor, layered editor, and effects app, all-in-one well thought out and affordable application.

Value — ON1 360° plan options start out at 10x the storage amount for 20% less cost compared to competitive plans available today.

Complete Control of Photos — Photographers can organize how they choose, where they store photos, and how they back up their photos. Whether photos are on local drives, upload some or all of them to the ON1 360° cloud storage, it’s their choice. All metadata and edits will back up automatically with ON1 360°.

High Quality with Less Space — ON1’s unique compressed-raw file format will also allow photographers to store more photos in the same amount of space without noticeable loss in image quality when processing. The new file format will also let photographers view, edit, and share their photos without having to store the original photo in the cloud.

ON1 Photo Mobile — The new free ON1 Photo Mobile will be a single app for capturing, editing, and syncing photos back to desktop computers, where each photo will also be re-editable. More than a basic raw processor, ON1 Photo Mobile uses the same RAW processing engine developed for ON1 Photo RAW. Adjustments will include Exposure, Contrast, Shadows, Mid-tones, Highlights, Whites, Blacks, White Balance, Noise, and Sharpening. Built-in filters will start with, black and white, adding film grain, darkening the edges with a vignette, and enhancing local contrast. ON1 Photo Mobile will be available for both iOS and Android devices and is free for anyone.

Capture and Create Anywhere — The new free ON1 Photo Mobile’s camera mode works like your device’s camera app but with many more advanced features. Capture raw photos on your smartphone with all the tonal range and details you expect from an interchangeable lens camera. The pro-level manual controls include the ability to adjust exposure, shutter speed, depth, and white balance.

Photos Stay in Sync — Automatically or selectively sync photos and edits from ON1 Photo RAW 2020 on desktop or laptop computers back to the free ON1 Photo Mobile using ON1 360°, providing a complete, photo editing and organizing system. ON1 360° will allow photographers to wirelessly send photos between desktop and mobile devices. Photos can be viewed, edited or downloaded directly to ON1 Photo RAW 2020 on both desktop or laptop computers with the non-destructive editing settings intact. You can also push edits from ON1 Photo RAW 2020 on desktop or laptop computers and automatically or selectively sync them back to ON1 Photo Mobile.

Privacy — Privacy is most important, and with ON1 360°, all photos will be kept private. ON1 will never analyze any photos using ON1 360° to build ways to market to photographers.

Availability and Pricing
ON1 360° subscription plans will be rolled out gradually starting today and continuing to the full release in late June 2020 when the ON1 360° service officially begins and all purchasing options become available. Today, owners of Photo RAW 2020 can take advantage of special introductory pricing on a 1-year prepaid subscription for ON1 360° (service only edition) with reduced pricing and pre-order bonuses including a new ON1 Pro pack with 360 custom presets ($ 100 value) delivered today, and a new ON1 360° Training Course delivered in June when the ON1 360° service begins. New customers can purchase a perpetual license for ON1 Photo RAW 2020 at a reduced price and the ON1 360° Service Add-on or the ON1 360° Software & Service subscription which includes everything. For a limited time, ON1 is cutting the price of ON1 Photo RAW 2020 by 50% during the lead up to ON1 360° availability in late June.

In June 2020, ON1 will roll out all ON1 360° plans including monthly subscription plans which include ON1 Photo RAW 2020, the ON1 Photo Mobile connectivity, and the 360° syncing service. As always, ON1 will continue offering Photo RAW as a perpetual-license product separate from ON1 360°, for those who prefer to own their software. This allows customers to upgrade to future versions at a time of their choosing, and it allows them to add or cancel any ON1 360° subscription without losing access to ON1 Photo RAW or their photos.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon USA closes its service centers in California, Illinois and New Jersey

24 Mar

Canon has announced it will be closing service facilities in a number of states within the United States due to a growing number of ‘stay at home’ directives from authorities across the nation. This decision from Canon comes just days after Nikon announced it too will be closing its U.S. repair facilities for the foreseeable future due to the restrictions being put in place amidst this global pandemic.

According to the advisory, Canon service facilities in California (Burbank and Costa Mesa), New Jersey (Lyndhurst) and Illinois (Itasca) will be closed ‘until further notice.’ Canon notes any products needing repair can be sent to its Factory Service Center in Newport News, Virginia (which is no longer accepting walk-in service at this time).

Canon also used the advisory to provide an update to consumers regarding how it’s currently handling its COVID-19 response, saying:

‘The spread of COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving situation that is of great concern to everyone. Canon’s commitment is to take proactive and proportional steps in accordance with all recommended procedures and protocols as advised by the CDC, the United States Government, and state, regional and local public health agencies.Again, we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to monitor the ongoing situation and follow the advice and guidance of federal and state authorities. The health and well-being of our customers, clients, and employees remain our top priority during this difficult time. As conditions change, we will take recommended and appropriate steps to restore and continue the excellent service that you have come to expect from Canon USA, Inc.’

An annotated screenshot from Canon showing the ‘request product repair’ button on its service website.

As before, Canon is directing customers to its online system to coordinate repairs and providing updates on its COVID-19 measures on its website.

We have contacted Canon to clarify if any other service centers around the world are currently affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We will update this article if we receive a response and will be updating this article if we receive news any other service centers shut down.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Adobe announces free at-home Creative Cloud service for students and educators impacted by COVID-19 outbreak

15 Mar

Adobe has announced it will be providing students and educators at-home access to Creative Cloud applications free of charge due to the increasing amount of remote learning current taking place amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to qualify for this service, a student must otherwise only have access to Creative Cloud applications on campus or at a school computer lab.

In order to access a temporary license to use Adobe Creative Cloud software at home, an IT admin must request access for students and teachers from Adobe. The access application can be found here. Once access is granted, users will be able to remotely access Creative Cloud apps through May 31, 2020, or until their educational institution reopens if this occurs before the end of May.

Remote education can be challenging, especially for students who are only able to access certain services on campus, so it’s nice to see Adobe working to help those affected. Per PetaPixel, the initial request for help came from RC Concepion, a professor at Syracuse University. He told PetaPixel, ‘We have been running around—like every other university—quickly coming up with an action plan to keep serving our students through COVID-19. Teaching communications, we rely a huge amount on Adobe Software—reporters, cinematographers, photographers, designers. It dawned on me that a lot of student access was here at school and that with any students at universities, there would be many that couldn’t afford using the software.’

Image credit: Adobe

In addition to free at-home access to Adobe Creative Cloud for students and teachers, Adobe announced earlier this week that it would make Adobe Connect, its web conference application, free to all users until July 1, 2020. This decision has been made to facilitate remote business and education, and also allow healthcare and government institutions to coordinate their efforts in real-time. Of the decision, Adobe states, ‘We believe that Adobe Connect has a vital role to play for enterprises looking to continue business operations despite travel restrictions, canceled conferences and delayed projects, all while keeping their people safe.’

As more students, educators and other workers are forced to work remotely, access to technological services becomes even more important. It’s great to see a large company such as Adobe working to make people’s lives easier in what are trying times for many.

Adobe Enables Distance Learning Globally for Schools Impacted by COVID-19

March 12, 2020: The past few weeks have shown us that, even in times of uncertainty, our schools and business communities remain strong and resourceful, all while continuing to find creative ways to maintain learning and business continuity.

With many schools facing physical campus closures and moving to online learning due to COVID-19, we’re announcing that we’re giving greater access to Adobe Creative Cloud desktop apps to facilitate distance learning. We believe that doing so will make it possible to keep coursework, teamwork, and student progress on track through at-home access to Creative Cloud for students and educators.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon announces Image Connect, a new photographer matching service for the U.S.

09 Jan

In addition to its Robotic Camera System CR-S700R and Photo Culling plugin for Adobe Lightroom Classic, Canon has also announced it will be launching a new photographer matching service in the United States.

The service, called Image Connect, will use Canon’s RAISE photo community platform to connect customers with professional photographers. The process will go as follows, according to Canon:

  • Through the platform, customers can provide basic details for the job, such as event type, location, and date
  • Once photographers are matched with the customer through the platform, customers review photographer profiles and invite those they like to bid on the job
  • Photographers create an offer which allows them to set their own price (rather than adhering to standardized pricing) and allows them to communicate their rates and value to customers
  • Once an offer is accepted, the job is booked through the platform
  • Following the event, images are delivered electronically to the customers through a Canon customer portal

The service will be brand agnostic, so even if you’re not a Canon shooter, you’ll still be able to use the service. The service is expected to go live in a limited number of markets starting in Q1 2020. At the time of launch, the service will be limited to residents of the following states: Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.

There’s no word yet on whether Image Connect will be available outside the United States. We have contact Canon for clarification and will update this article accordingly when we hear back.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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500px combines Terms of Service and Contributor Agreement, confusing some users

24 Dec

Photography community 500px recently updated its Terms of Service, adding its Contributor Agreement into the TOS to provide a single destination for both. As tends to be the case any time a social network or other service updates its TOS, some users have picked through the text and come away frightened. A recent analysis of the changes by PetaPixel, however, finds little to be concerned about.

500px released its updated Terms of Service earlier this month; users were alerted to the change when the service prompted them to read and agree to the latest TOS. A number of users posted concerns about various snippets on social media, questioning the terms and, in some cases, demanding the company make changes.

PetaPixel recently dug into the latest Terms of Service and compared it to 500px’s older archived TOS, finding that the language has remained essentially unchanged. Some users may be surprised by the changes because of the inclusion of the Contributor Agreement within the updated TOS. Those added terms only apply to users who choose to sell images through the platform, however.

Users always retain the option of deleting their 500px account. The latest Terms of Service explains that:

Upon termination (by 500px or you), 500px will remove your Visual Content from licensing within 180 days and will inform all distributors that the Visual Content should be removed during that time period, provided however that 500px (and our distributors) may retain digital copies of Visual Content for archival and record-keeping purposes. 500px will continue to make payments due to you after termination in accordance with these Terms.

Via: PetaPixel

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Kodak will shut down its Kodakit on-demand photography service in January

16 Dec

On December 12, Eastman Kodak announced that it is ending Kodakit, its service for connecting photographers with new gigs. In the announcement posted on the Kodakit website, Kodak says that it will wrap up the service’s operations by the end of January 2020. The company will terminate its Photographer Agreement effective after January 31, but it will continue to make outstanding payments as established by the agreement.

A notice about the end of operations appears on the Kodakit website when photographers attempt to sign up for the service. The same notice isn’t live on the Kodakit main page nor does it appear to have been announced on any of the service’s social media pages. The company doesn’t explain why it has decided to end the service, though heavy criticism from photographers may play a role.

The notice warns photographers that they will need to stop using any mention of Kodakit as part of their services after January 2020 and that they must continue to honor any confidentiality agreements. As well, photographers are told to deliver any outstanding work they have through Kodakit.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Which online printing service should I use this holiday season?

26 Nov

Introduction

The holidays are right around the corner, and if you plan to send out cards or make prints as gifts you’re probably in the midst of figuring out where to get your photos printed. There seem to be more options than ever when it comes to online printing services, which makes choosing one a bit overwhelming.

So to figure out what service you should use, we tested out five popular online printing companies and assessed them based on their ease of service, price, turnaround time and most importantly, print consistency/paper quality.

Print services:

  • Printique
  • MPix
  • Amazon Photos*
  • Shutterfly
  • Snapfish

We placed an order for three 8×10 and three 4×6 prints on the same day (October 23rd) from Snapfish, Amazon, Shutterfly, MPix, and Printique (formerly known as AdoramaPix). We used the automatic ‘smart crop’ feature on each website when preparing the prints and, when it was possible, requested that the image be printed on Lustre paper. All prints were shipped with the economy shipping option.

After receiving and assessing our prints, the service you should use this holiday season is…

Our choice: Printique or MPix

We recommend ordering your holiday prints from either Printique or MPix. These companies had the most consistent results and were the truest representation of the digital files that we uploaded.

Although all of the print services are fairly easy to use, the winners are pretty clear. Based on our print orders we would gladly recommend ordering from Printique or MPix. These companies had the most consistent color results, the best paper quality and were the most true to the digital files that we had uploaded through the sites. They aren’t the cheapest options on the list, but they are also not the most expensive – at $ 16.72 (Printique) and $ 13.96 (MPix), they both fell in the mid-range level in terms of pricing. MPix did offer a nice 25% discount on our order and it arrived a few days before the order from Printiques. But we preferred Printique’s overall photo/paper quality.


Now let’s take a closer look at each of these print services including the process of ordering, the speed of delivery, the condition prints arrived and the overall quality of our purchase. First up is Printique…


*FULL DISCLOSURE: DPReview.com is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon but is editorially independent of our parent company.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony issues service advisory for its 16-35mm F2.8 GM lens

18 Nov

Sony has issued a service advisory for a select number of 16-35mm F2.8 G Master lenses after it was revealed some units are causing Sony full-frame cameras to stop working when the lens is attached.

According to the advisory, select Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM lenses cause the camera to stop working when attached and prevent the camera’s screen from turning on. The advisory notes lenses between serial numbers 1800502 and 1823192 are those in the danger zone, so to speak.

If your lens’ serial number is within that range, Sony has a tool on the service advisory page (translated) that will let you enter the serial number to see if your specific lens is affected by this recall. In the event it is, Sony says it will inspect and repair it free of charge through March 31, 2023.

The form on Sony’s service advisory page that allows you to input your serial number to confirm whether or not your lens is affected.

We have contacted Sony to clarify what regions this service advisory is limited to as well as additional information about the returns process for affected lenses.


Update (November 18, 2019): Updated the introduction paragraph to clarify what issues the affected lenses cause and updated both the headline and article to note the service advisory isn’t limited to the Japan region.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Dropbox Transfer file-sharing service with up to 100GB limit is now out of beta

05 Nov

Dropbox Transfer, a file-sharing service previously made available to beta testers, is now available to all Dropbox users. The tool enables anyone to share files at capacities up to 100GB with optional password protection and expiration dates. The content is accessed using a privately shared link; the recipient doesn’t need a Dropbox account to download the content.

Dropbox Transfer is similar to WeTransfer, Smash, Hightail and other file-sharing services. The platform enables Dropbox users to rapidly upload content from their account or computer’s hard drive, set an expiration date and password if desired and choose the background and logo for the Dropbox Transfer interface that’ll be presented to the recipient.

According to Dropbox, its file-sharing service gives users more control over the content than they’d have if they shared a folder. For example, the link to the transferred content automatically expires in seven days. As well, the recipients aren’t able to edit the files in the transfers and the sender can monitor the number of views and downloads.

By default, a Dropbox Transfer link will show the recipient a list of the shared files and their sizes, the name of the sender, and the transfer’s expiration date. The transfer size limitation is based on the sender’s Dropbox plan: free users are limited to 100MB, Plus ($ 12 per month) and Business Standard ($ 15 per month) include 2GB transfers, and the following plans support 100GB transfers:

– Professional ($ 19.99 per month)
– Business Advanced ($ 25 per month)
– Enterprise (Pricing varies, contact Dropbox for details)
– Education (Pricing varies, contact Dropbox for details)

Users who want to change the transfer’s background and logo will need a Dropbox Professional subscription. Content can be transferred and accessed using the Dropbox.com/Transfer desktop website and the company’s iOS mobile app. It’s unclear whether Android support is in the pipeline at this time.


Update (November 5, 2019): Updated headline to clarify the 100GB limit is only for select Dropbox plans and clarified the pricing on the various plans offered.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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