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Lightroom Super Resolution Explained (The Essential Guide)

20 Oct

The post Lightroom Super Resolution Explained (The Essential Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Lightroom super resolution explained

One of the most exciting new Lightroom features is Super Resolution, which offers the type of image processing that previously existed only in science-fiction movies and TV shows.

Put simply, Super Resolution quadruples the resolution of your photos and turns low-megapixel images into high-resolution works of art. You can also use Super Resolution to crop in – way in – without losing details or turning your images into a blurry mess. It’s available for Lightroom and Lightroom Classic and it’s a tool that could quickly become central to your photo-editing workflow.

In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know about Super Resolution, including how it works and how to use it to enlarge your images.

So if you’re looking to improve image resolution in Lightroom, or you’re simply hoping to understand this interesting new post-processing feature, then read on!

magnolia seed pod
Nikon D500 | 50mm f/1.8G | f/2.4 | 1/320s | ISO 280

What is Super Resolution in Lightroom, and how does it work?

In the words of scientist and author Arthur C. Clarke, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” – and that definitely feels like the case with Super Resolution. In reality, Super Resolution is a matter of advanced image processing and years of technological development as opposed to wands and spells, but the end result does feel a bit otherworldly.

Super Resolution works by effectively doubling the horizontal and vertical pixels in an image while filling in the extra space with data based on algorithms and machine learning. A photo with 6000 by 4000 pixels is 24 megapixels (because 6000 x 4000=24,000,000 pixels). But when processed with Super Resolution, that same image essentially becomes 12000 by 8000, or 96,000,000 pixels.

Yes, you read that right: Super Resolution transforms a 24-megapixel image into a whopping 96-megapixel image.

Super Resolution works best on RAW files because there is much more data to work with, but you can also use it on JPEGs and other files such as TIFFs. It’s built on a technology Adobe introduced in Photoshop called Enhance Details, but Super Resolution goes a step further by giving you many more pixels to work with, whereas Enhance Details was a way of sharpening image details without actually quadrupling the resolution.

cat on a fence post
Nikon D500 | 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II | 200mm | f/2.8 | 1/1000s | ISO 100

How to use Super Resolution: step by step

One key benefit of Super Resolution is that it’s very easy to use. It’s not buried in menus or complicated toolbars, and there aren’t many parameters you can configure, so it’s difficult to mess up. And because edits are nondestructive there is zero downside to trying it, though beware that quadrupling the resolution of an image also means you’ll need a lot of storage space. For that reason, I like to use it on a case-by-case basis rather than on an entire batch of photos, but if you have access to a vast amount of disk space then you might choose differently.

Step 1: Pick an image for enhancement

To use Super Resolution, start by selecting an image in the Develop module. While you can use the technology on any picture, I like to choose photos that were taken with old cameras such as my 10-megapixel Nikon D200, or on photos where extreme cropping was required, and as a result, some detail was lost.

For this example, I’m going to use a JPEG photo of a sunflower I shot with my D200 several years ago. It’s good in terms of composition and color, but the central part of the sunflower is somewhat blocky and pixelated if you look closely. Not to worry, though: Super Resolution is here to save the day!

sunflower
Nikon D200 | 50mm f/1.8G | f/2.4 | 1/80s | ISO 100
This isn’t a bad image, but it starts to fall apart when viewed up close.
Lightroom Super Resolution sunflower close crop
A close-up view of the sunflower reveals a muddled mess in the middle.

Step 2: Open the Super Resolution interface

After picking an image in the Develop module, hit Photos>Enhance in the top menu bar:

selecting the Enhance option

Alternatively, you can right-click (or Option-click on a Mac) on the image and select Enhance from the pop-up menu. You can also use the Ctrl+Alt+I keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Option+I on a Mac) if you prefer to keep your fingers on the keyboard.

The Super Resolution interface is fairly straightforward:

View an upscale preview
The preview window on the left shows a close-up view of what the Enhanced image will look like.

If you are using a RAW file, the Raw Details option will be checked, but this obviously does not work on JPEG files. (The note about Bayer and X-Trans files applies to Fuji RAW files, which often have strange, worm-like artifacts, especially in photos of nature like grass or trees.)

Note that, after the process is finished, the original image file remains untouched, and a new DNG file is created of the upscaled photo. The Create Stack option shows both images in Lightroom as a single Stack, but if you want to keep the original and the Super Resolution version separate, you can leave this un-checked.

My favorite part about using the Super Resolution process is clicking on the image preview on the left side of the window. When clicking, you see the original image; when you release the mouse button, Lightroom shows the Enhanced version. You can click and drag to view this process at various portions of the image, and you can click the magnifying glass in the corner to see the whole image instead of a close-up preview. This click-and-release process reveals the astonishing power of Super Resolution, and gives you an idea of how impressive this process really is.

Lightroom Super Resolution Enhance dialog box
Click and hold to see a comparison to the original image; click and drag to move view different portions of the image.

Step 3: Add detail to the photo!

Finally, when you are ready to create the Super Resolution image, click Enhance.

It will take a few seconds to perform the process, and Lightroom does give you an “Estimated Time” within the Enhance dialog box. The resulting image is just what it sounds like: a high-resolution version of the original, all thanks to the magic of modern computing. Any edits you made to the original are transferred to the enhanced version, and your edits remain non-destructive so you can adjust color settings, cropping, and other parameters without worry.

Lightroom Super Resolution sunflower close improved
A close-up view of the sunflower, enhanced with Super Resolution. The center is much more clean and crisp thanks to the Super Resolution improvements.

How well does Super Resolution perform?

Any time you’re dealing with transformative technologies such as Super Resolution, it’s important to manage expectations. It’s great but not perfect, and while there are times when it makes sense to use it, there are other times when it’s best to hold off. I find that Super Resolution performs best with nature subjects: flowers, animals, landscapes, horizons, and the like. You will also get the best results if you work with RAW files and not JPEGs.

To offer another illustration of how useful Super Resolution is and how well it performs, here is a shot I took of a prairie dog with my 10-megapixel Nikon D200. This is from the unedited RAW file, straight out of the camera:

Lightroom Super Resolution prairie dog
Nikon D200 | 50mm f/1.8G | f/2.8 | 1/500s | ISO 100
This photo needs to be cropped, but that means a loss of detail. Or, rather, that any details not captured originally will be much more visible when the cropped image is enlarged.

The original file is 3872 x 2592 pixels, so when I crop in to show just the prairie dog, the resulting image is a paltry 1900 x 1272, or 2.4 megapixels. That might be fine for Instagram, but it would look pretty bad as a 4K computer desktop background or printed and hung on a wall.

Lightroom Super Resolution prairie dog
Cropping the image down to just the prairie dog results in a low-resolution image with plenty of pixellated artifacts in the finer details, especially on the fur and hair on its face.

The Enhance dialog shows just how much this image will be improved by Adobe’s special algorithms:

Lightroom Super Resolution Enhance dialog box
Without the Super Resolution enhancements, the fur is a pixelated mess of brown and yellow.

The dialog box shows a preview of the Enhanced image:

Lightroom Super Resolution Enhance dialog box
The preview window shows the dramatic improvement that Super Resolution will have on this image. Individual hairs are now visible, and the image has a much cleaner, crisper look to it.

The resulting image is now double the resolution on both the horizontal and vertical axes, with final pixel dimensions of 3800 x 2544. Super Resolution has transformed this into a 9.6-megapixel masterpiece, ideal for printing and framing or showing on a giant 4K monitor:

prairie dog
A web-sized version of the Enhanced prairie dog image. It might not look like much when viewed on a small screen, but the finished file is dramatically improved in sharpness and clarity.

That said, there are some situations where Super Resolution doesn’t work as well as you might want, and it’s important to remember that, at the end of the day, this is math and not magic. Adobe’s algorithms do an amazing job of essentially creating pixels out of thin air where none existed before, but there are times when it’s best to leave well enough alone and stick with the original.

The image below is a portrait I shot with my 10-megapixel Nikon D200. While it certainly includes enough detail for printing and framing, Super Resolution might help squeeze even more out of this shot, which would certainly be good for keeping clients happy.

woman with child
Nikon D200 | 50mm f/1.8G | f/2.8 | 1/350s | ISO 200

Super Resolution would help this photo in a lot of ways, especially by bringing out some of the texture and details in the fabric. However, one way it would not help and could actually hurt is right where I would want it most: the eyes.

Lightroom Super Resolution Enhance dialog box
A close-up view of the infant’s eyes shows that there might be some room for improvement.

The Super Resolution algorithm does a good job of clearing up the reflection of the sky in the child’s eye, but it has the opposite effect on the eyelashes. The Enhanced version looks blurrier and less sharp compared to the original:

Lightroom Super Resolution Enhance dialog box
The iris is improved, but the eyelashes are more blurry. Also, some of the subtle texture in the baby’s skin has disappeared.

Lightroom Super Resolution works wonders, but Adobe can’t perform miracles and it won’t automatically improve every single image. Even so, I am thoroughly impressed by what the technology can do and I highly recommend trying it to see the results for yourself.

Downsides to using Super Resolution

As with most things in life, Super Resolution comes with some tradeoffs. So before you rush out and convert your entire image library, there are some caveats and drawbacks you may want to consider.

For one, Super Resolution files are huge. Massive. Enormous. So big, in fact, that you could quickly run out of disk space if you use Super Resolution too much. For example, a 10-megapixel RAW file from my Nikon D200 clocks in at about 9 megabytes of space. Naturally, one might expect that a Super Resolution version would be four times as large, but that’s not the case at all. In fact, a Super Resolution file is over 144 megabytes—sixteen times larger than the original file! You’re going to need a lot of disk space if you use Super Resolution frequently, especially if you apply it to higher-megapixel files from modern cameras.

Lightroom Super Resolution file size
Super Resolution files are absolutely massive. Be prepared to buy lots of additional storage space if you use this feature a lot.

Another drawback to Super Resolution is the time it takes to render, especially when working with a batch of files. Lightroom will need anywhere from 10-20 seconds per image to perform the enhancement algorithm, and that time can really add up. It might not seem like much, but three images will add one minute to your workflow. Ten images could easily add five minutes, depending on the size of the originals are and how fast your computer is. This added time is not necessarily a deal-breaker, but it is something to keep in mind.

Finally, Super Resolution cannot fix an out-of-focus image. Yes, it will make an already-sharp image look even better, but it cannot create sharpness where there was none to begin with. If you are expecting Super Resolution to save the day when you don’t nail the focus, you will be sorely disappointed.

black eyed susan flower
Nikon D500 | 50mm f/1.8G | f/2.8 | 1/350s | ISO 100
Super Resolution, as King Theoden of Rohan might say, has no power here. This out-of-focus photo is destined for the digital dustbin.

When should you use Super Resolution?

Despite the drawbacks, there are two key areas where Super Resolution absolutely shines and I can strongly recommend using it: for extreme cropping and low-megapixel originals.

If you like to crop your images, either to focus attention on one key area or simply because your lens wasn’t zoomed in close enough, Super Resolution can work wonders. It can bring out detail in key portions of your photos and transform images from rejects to portfolio shots.

squirrel on a trunck
Nikon D750 | 50mm f/1.8G | f/1.8 | 1/500s | ISO 100
I couldn’t get any closer to this squirrel for a better photo, so I had to do some really intense cropping – which resulted in a pixelated furry friend.
squirrel eating food
The cropped version is a muddy mess, especially in the tail. Even with a 24-megapixel RAW file, this much cropping generally is not a good idea.
Squirrel eating food
Super Resolution saved the day! There’s a huge improvement in the tail and in the fur between the squirrel’s eyes. Take note, though: this Super Resolution file is nearly 300 megabytes.

Super Resolution is also a fun way to bring new life to old low-resolution images, provided they are sharp and not out of focus. I enjoy going back to my early digital photos that I shot with 3-megapixel pocket cameras and applying Super Resolution to see if I can extract details or create crisper images for printing. You might be surprised at how well this works for your old digital pictures, too.

Lightroom Super Resolution explained: final words

Super Resolution is one of the most exciting new Lightroom features in a long time. Adobe has created a practical, easy-to-use tool that works on almost all common image types and has the ability to dramatically improve your images.

I find the tool especially useful in some specific circumstances, like cropping and bringing older images to life, but if you have enough spare disk space, you might find yourself using it much more. While not perfect, it goes a long way toward solving a longstanding issue with digital photos and makes me excited to see where this technology will take us in the future!

Now over to you:

What do you think about Lightroom Super Resolution? Will you use it? Are you impressed? Share your thoughts (and Enhanced images!) in the comments below.

The post Lightroom Super Resolution Explained (The Essential Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.


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Nikon teases upcoming super telephoto lenses, 50mm prime with an updated lens road map

21 Nov
Click to enlarge. The new ‘Micro 50mm’ prime is center-left in the bottom row and the two super-telephoto lenses are top-right in the back row.

Nikon has released an updated version of its visual lens roadmap for Z-mount camera systems, revealing silhouettes of three upcoming lenses, including two super-telephoto lenses and one macro prime lens.

While there are eleven total silhouettes, only three of them are new: the ‘Micro 50mm,’ the 400mm S-Line and the 600mm S-line. As you would expect, the silhouettes for the two super-telephoto lenses tower above the rest. Meanwhile, the ‘Micro 50mm’ lens falls halfway between the already-released 24–50mm F4–6.3 and 35mm F1.8 S-Line prime.

Below is another roadmap from Nikon that shows the focal length coverage of current and future lenses:

Click to enlarge.

There’s still no concrete information on expected release dates for thee lenses, so the waiting game continues. But at least we now have visual representations of all the lenses currently on Nikon’s Z-mount lens roadmap and Nikon does say all of the lenses on display ‘will be available by the end of 2022.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Cosina Japan reveals its ultra-fast Voigtlander Super Nokton 29mm F0.8 lens for MFT systems

19 Nov

Cosina Japan has announced the Super Nokton 29mm F0.8 Aspherical lens for Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera systems, making it the fastest functional and commercially-available lens on the market.

The entirely manual lens, which offers an equivalent focal length of a 58mm lens on a full-frame camera, is constructed of 11 elements in 7 groups, including a ground aspherical element. The lens features an aperture range of F0.8 to F16, a twelve-blade aperture diaphragm, an all-metal helicoid unit for driving the manual focus and has a dedicated de-click switch for making the aperture adjustment silent for when shooting video.

Below are a number of sample images provided by Cosina:

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The Voigtlander Super Nokton 28mm F0.8 Aspherical lens will retail for roughly $ 2,100 when it becomes available to pre-order in December.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Pixelmator Photo update adds AI-powered image upscaling tool, ML Super Resolution

22 Sep

Pixelmator, makers of the photo editing application Pixelmator Photo, has released Pixelmator Photo version 1.4. The new update includes ML Super Resolution, a new tool designed to enlarge low-resolution photos with a single tap. ML Super Resolution utilizes machine learning (hence the ‘ML’ in the name) and the processing power available in Apple iPad devices to enlarge photos, illustrations, paintings and designs while preserving and enhancing details, edges and textures.

ML Super Resolution was designed for the newly released iPad Air and was presented during Apple’s ‘Time Flies’ event last week. The app is powered by the new A14 Bionic chip and Pixelmator states that it is the first AI-powered image enlargement tool available on a mobile device.

To enlarge images, ML Super Resolution ‘creates a layered representation of the image that is over 100 channels deep, detecting features such as edges, patterns, textures, gradients, and colors.’ After this, the channels are upscaled individually and combined back into a single image. Pixelmator states that the process ‘requires up to 62 thousand times more processing power than traditional approaches,’ something that Pixelmator states is only possible on iPad thanks to recent advancements in iPad performance and the dedicated processor in the Apple Neural Engine.

Tomas Andrijauskas, lead developer of Pixelmator Photo, says, ‘The processing power of iPad has advanced in leaps and bounds over the last few years. With these advances, it is now possible to open up workflows that simply were not available in the past. One such workflow is using machine learning techniques to enlarge photos while retaining sharpness and enhancing intricate details.’

Pixelmator Photo 1.4 includes ML Super Resolution, a new AI-powered image upscaling feature. Image credit: Pixelmator

Of being able to show Pixelmator’s work during an Apple event, Andrijauskas continues, ‘Our team consists of 20 people and is based in a tiny Baltic country. So it is an incredible honor to be recognized by a company as respected and influential as Apple. It also shows that if you work hard to create powerful, beautiful, and easy-to-use products, your work will be recognized, no matter your location or size.’

In addition to the new ML Super Resolution tool, Pixelmator Photo version 1.4 includes a new split-screen view of original and edited images and support for the Apple Pencil’s double-tap gesture.

Pixelmator Photo 1.4 also includes a new before/after comparison tool. Image credit: Pixelmator

If you’d like to learn more about Pixelmator Photo and its RAW editing tools, check out the overview video below and head to the Pixelmator Photo website.

Pixelmator Photo 1.4 is available now from the App Store as a free update for existing users or for $ 7.99 USD for new customers. Pixelmator Photo requires iOS 11 or later and a compatible iPad device. A list of compatible devices can be found on the App Store product page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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NVIDIA’s new GeForce RTX Super GPUs join forces with Intel’s 10th generation H-series CPUs in RTX Studio laptop line

03 Apr

NVIDIA has announced the arrival of ten ‘Studio’ laptops announced that use Intel’s newly-released 10th generation H-series mobile processors. The NVIDIA RTX Studio-branded laptops include the company’s newest GeForce RTX Super GPUs. The RTX Studio notebooks come from Acer, Gigabyte, MSI and Razer, with new RTX Studio laptops from HP to be announced in the coming weeks.

All the announced RTX Studio laptops include NVIDIA’s flagship RTX 2080 Super Max-Q GPU and Intel’s 10th generation H-series mobile processors. Each Studio laptop is designed and catered to creatives, and thus include features important to creative enthusiasts and professionals. For example, the Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel and ConceptD 7 Ezel Pro laptops have built-in Wacom pen support and include color-accurate touchscreen displays. The MSI Creator and Razer Blade 15 Studio display 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color space, which is important for videographers. It is worth noting that some RTX Studio notebooks include 100 percent coverage of the Adobe RGB color space as well.

In total, 10 new RTX Studio systems were announced today. They each focus on different features, but all cater to creative applications. The Acer ConceptD Ezel 7 and ConceptD Ezel 7 Pro feature Acer’s Ezel design allowing flexibility in usage and have Wacom pen support. The Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED and 17 HDR machines include 4K OLED displays and display 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color space. MSI’s Creator 15 and Creator 17 notebooks have 4K IPS displays and can display 100 percent of the Adobe RGB color space. The Razer Blade 15 models have a striking aluminum unibody design and 4K OLED displays.

Click to enlarge. Image credit: NVIDIA

In our coverage of Intel’s new H-series mobile processors, (LINK) we discussed the advantages of maximum CPU speed for photography applications. For video editors, GPU plays a more significant role, which is where NVIDIA’s new RTX Super GPUs come in. More than 45 applications support NVIDIA’s RTX acceleration to improve performance, including Adobe After Effects, Lightroom, Photoshop and Premiere Pro. Popular video-centric software such as Cinema 4D, Davinci Resolve, Redcine-X Pro and Vegas Pro also support RTX acceleration.

More than 45 applications include RTX acceleration to improve performance. Click to enlarge. Image credit: NVIDIA

Alongside today’s announcement, NVIDIA published video editing performance gains users can expect with the new GeForce RTX Super GPUs when compared to Apple’s latest 16-inch MacBook Pro. Click to enlarge the chart.

Click to enlarge. Image credit: NVIDIA

With RTX Studio laptops being designed specifically for creative professionals, they will be bundled with three months of Adobe Creative Cloud for a limited time. This offer is valid for both new and existing Adobe customers.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: Ferrari sports cars, Formula 1 cars captured on-track with a Super 8 cameras from the 1960s

12 Mar

Nick Shirrell, a motorsport filmmaker known for using old school film cameras to capture auto races, recently received an invitation from Ferrari to travel to Italy and film a race using 50-year-old Super 8 cameras with 8mm film. The result is a 10-minute video featuring a retro production style and classic voiceover narration that recently went viral on the /r/Formula1 subreddit.

DPReview spoke with Shirrell to ask about his experience with Ferrari and the gear he used to capture the race, as well as the events that led up to this moment. The project wouldn’t have been possible without support from Reddit, according to Shirrell, who explained that his first Super 8 race video went viral on the /r/cars subreddit, resulting in articles from publications like Jalopnik and, eventually, a private message from Ferrari.

Following the initial video, Shirrell filmed an IndyCar video at Road America, which likewise was popular on Reddit and with automotive media. He explains:

‘Not long after the IndyCar video went viral, I got DM’d on my Instagram by Ferrari asking if I’d like to talk to them about doing some filming. Little did I know the phone call that would follow would be an invitation to Italy to make the great film released this week! Ferrari was amazing to work with and they made it clear they wanted no hand in the creative process or in the final content, they only wanted to enable me to create something amazing and give me the opportunity to do what I do with these films.’

Shirrell used a variety of gear to capture the race, including three Super8 cameras: a 1966 Canon 814, 1968 Canon 1218 and a 1971 Beaulieu 4008 ZM2 with Kodak Vision3 50D and 200T motion picture film stock. These models were joined by a RadioShack-brand Realistic 14-1029 handheld mini-cassette recorder featuring a Smith-Victor supercardiod condenser shotgun microphone.

Shirrell said his narrator Alan Baxter used a modern microphone to record the voiceover, which was later edited using software. As well, he relied on the natural lighting available at the filming locations. Shirrell explained:

‘For post-processing the voiceover audio, I use EQ and distortion filters within Adobe Premiere Pro to mimic the sound of an older microphone recording onto tape as accurately as I can. For ambient track sounds of V10s, Challenge cars, etc recorded onto mini-cassettes the old fashioned way I didn’t have to add any filtering.’

As for processing the film, he said:

‘I do develop my own 35mm and medium format still photos with C-41, E-6, and black and white chemicals, but for a professional project like for Ferrari I didn’t trust myself to not ruin the film on my first ever attempt at developing 8mm. 8mm is challenging to develop because it’s 50 feet long and very small and fiddly compared to a roll of 35mm or 120 film that is 4-6 feet in length.’

This isn’t the end for Shirrell, who has plans for other projects involving his retro equipment:

‘For what I want to shoot next, I’d love the opportunity to film Formula 1 if the opportunity presents itself, but I also have ideas for shooting drag racing, rally, and other motorsports.’

Shirrell’s work can be found on his YouTube account and on Instagram.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Pixelmator Pro update brings ML Super Resolution feature

18 Dec

Pixelmator today released an update to its Pixelmator Pro Avalon image editing software. The new ML Super Resolution feature increases the resolution of images while maintaining sharpness and levels of detail, making (to a degree) the ‘enhance image’ operation in detective shows a reality.

Compared to a simple nearest neighbor upscaling algorithm the Pixelmator is capable of achieving much better results thanks to machine learning technology. It takes into account the actual content of every image, attempts to recognize edges, patterns, and textures, and recreates detail based on Pixelmator’s dataset, in a similar way to Google’s RAISR technology.

Despite the complex technology Pixelmator says the feature is very fast and takes a few seconds to upscale an image on the latest Mac computers thanks the use of Core ML 3 and multi-GPU support. It’s also entirely on-device, with the trained model integrated in the Pixelmator Pro app package. This means all processing is done locally and no data is sent to any online servers.

Additionally, the tool is capable of removing noise and JPG artifacts including compression artifacts. To do its magic the software requires macOS High Sierra and a Metal-compatible graphics card.

Pixelmator Pro 1.5 Avalon is available from the Mac App Store as a free update for existing users or for $ 39.99 for new customers. There is also an upgrade discount for owners of the original Pixelmator software.

More information and some interactive comparisons with other upscaling methods are available on the Pixelmator website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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ZY Optics announces its Mitakon Creator 85mm F2.8 1-5X ‘Super Macro’ lens

03 Dec

Zhong Yi (ZY) Optics has announced the release of its new Mitakon Creator 85mm F2.8 1-5X Super Macro lens.

The ‘Super Macro’ lens is constructed of 12 elements in 8 groups, has an aperture range of F2.8-F32 and features a minimum focusing distance of 27.2cm (1X) at its 25mm focal length and 10cm (5X) at its 85mm focal length. ZY Optics says the lens was designed ‘to have one of the longest working distance for any super macro lens.’

The lens is entirely manual, features a 58mm front filter thread, uses an eight-blade aperture diaphragm, measures 67mm x 122mm (2.64in x 4.8in) and weighs 750g (1.65lbs). Below are a number of sample images provided by ZY Optics (be forewarned that there are plenty of bugs in the event you don’t like creepy-crawlies):

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The Mitakon Creator 85mm F2.8 1-5X Super Macro lens is available on ZY Optics’ website for $ 499 in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony A, Pentax K, Sony E, M43, Fuji X and EOS-M mounts.

Press release:

ZY Optics release the Mitakon 85mm f/2.8 1-5X Super Macro Lens with extended working distance

Shenyang China, Nov 25, 2019 – Zhongyi Optics (ZY Optics) have released a new Super Macro Lens for full frame cameras, the Zhongyi Mitakon 85mm f/2.8 1-5x Super Macro Lens and it features a wide magnification range and a very long working distance.

Zhongyi Mitakon 85mm f/2.8 1-5X Super Macro Lens has a wide magnification range (from 1X to 5X) allowing photographers to capture subjects at different sizes. Users no longer need to DIY or use any extension tubes to reach high magnification shooting.

The lens is also designed to have one of the longest working distance for ANY super macro lens. The closest working distance at 5x magnification is 3.93” (10cm) and 10.7” (27.2cm) at 1x magnification. This working distance is so much longer than traditional macro lenses in the market. Photographers can now start shooting macro objects without getting too close and scare them away.

The extended working distance also implies lighting can get to the subjects easier. It is also more friendly to use on video shooting. This new super macro lens also has a near telecentric performance which is a big advantage when it comes to macro image stacking photography or industrial usage.

The new 1x-5x Super Macro lens incorporates a 12 elements in 8 groups structure which delivers impressive resolution from corners to corners. The chromatic aberration is also controlled to the minimum (APO design). Weighing merely 1.65 lbs (750g) and 6.7cm long, it is a perfect companion for both wildlife or indoor lab shooting. It is relatively compact in its class which allows photographers to capture extremely fine subjects or patterns with different sizes.

Greater magnification can also be achieved by stacking extension tubes or bellows. The high magnification is extremely useful for scientific purposes. The lens can only be used in macro distances and cannot focus to infinity. A 58mm filter thread is also available.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Entaniya announces 220-degree PL-mount fisheye for Super 35, full frame cameras

06 Aug

Japanese fisheye specialist Entaniya has introduced a new fisheye lens in a PL mount that’s aimed at large format video camera users, and which can offer a range of effective focal lengths using different sized spacers. The Entaniya Fisheye HAL 220 is designed to cover Super 35mm and full frame sensors and can provide focal lengths between 6.14mm and 8.03mm through 15 increments via the included set of zoom spacers.

The lens has a maximum aperture of T2.9 and uses 17 elements in 12 groups to provide a maximum angle of view of 220°. The depth of the spacer used has an impact on the size of the covering circle of the lens, so when the thinner spacers are used—or no spacer—the lens has a smaller covering circle. This is useful for those who want a circular image, but doesn’t leave out those needing the whole recording area covered.

No pricing or availability details have been released so far. For more information and to see how the lens covers different formats go to the Entaniya website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: Google’s Super Resolution algorithm explained in three minutes

30 May

Space constraints in the thin bodies of modern smartphones mean camera engineers are limited in terms of the size of image sensors they can use in their designs. Manufacturers have therefore been pushing computational imaging methods in order to improve the quality of their devices’ image output.

Google’s Super Resolution algorithm is one such method. It involves shooting a burst of raw photos every time the shutter is pressed and takes advantage of the user’s natural hand-shake, even if it is ever so slight. The pixel-level differences between each of the frames in the burst can be used to merge several images of the burst into an output file with optimized detail at each pixel location.

An illustration that shows how multiple frames are aligned to create the final image.

Google uses the Super Resolution in the Night Sight feature and Super-Res zoom of the Pixel 3 devices and has previously published an in-depth article about it on its blog . Our own Rishi Sanyal has also had a close look at the technology and the features it has been implemented in.

A visual representation of the steps used to create the final image from a burst of Raw input images.

Now Google has published the above video that provides a great overview of the the technology in just over three minutes.

‘This approach, which includes no explicit demosaicing step, serves to both increase image resolution and boost signal to noise ratio,’ write the Google researchers in the paper the video is based on. ‘Our algorithm is robust to challenging scene conditions: local motion, occlusion, or scene changes. It runs at 100 milliseconds per 12-megapixel RAW input burst frame on mass-produced mobile phones.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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