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Archive for October, 2019

Samsung’s Galaxy S10 #SpaceSelfie satellite left hanging from tree on Michigan farm

31 Oct

Samsung’s campaign to promote its new Galaxy S10 5G smartphone came down to Earth with a crash this week when the high-altitude weather balloon central to the #SpaceSelfie promotion dropped out of the sky and was left dangling from a tree in Michigan.

The company had set up a microsite that allowed fans to post their selfies to a Galaxy S10 5G floating at the edge of the atmosphere. A picture of the phone displaying the selfie, overlaid on a real-time view of the Earth, would then be sent back to the sender for them to post on social media using the #SpaceSelfie hashtag. According to Samsung however, ‘weather conditions’ forced the balloon supporting the camera to drop back to Earth a little earlier than intended, where it ended up caught in a tree on a farm in Gratiot County, Michigan.

The Gratiot Country Herald reports that Nancy Welke heard a crash at around 8:45am, just as she and her husband were about to go outside to check on their horses. Upon going out to investigate they discovered the remains of the solar-powered apparatus in their field, with a parachute tangled in the branches of a tree. The balloon, which when inflated was half the size of a basketball court, was found a little further away caught in overhead power lines.

The Space Selfie campaign was launched on October 23 and was designed to demonstrate that the Galaxy S10 5G is so ruggedness it can be sent into space (almost). The balloon was sent to 65,000 feet above the Earth and actress and model Cara Delevingne was the first to ping a picture and have her face on the screen of the phone in ‘space’.

Of her 44 million Instagram followers 5m watched Delevingne’s teaser video of a spaceman delivering her phone, and at the time of writing 267,698 people had liked the resultant picture. The campaign was supposed to run to the end of this month, but on the loss of the critical device to make it all happen the Samsung/Spaceselfie microsite is now down too.

The #SpaceSelfie still managed to attract well over 6000 images on Instagram, though not all the pictures that appear under the hashtag are strictly related. According to Marketing Dive, the agency that ran the campaign for Samsung, the system used a combination of human and automated moderation to ensure no inappropriate images got through, though inevitably there are some random shots of a cup of coffee in the mix.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lens Hoods: What Are They Really For, and Do You Need Them?

31 Oct

The post Lens Hoods: What Are They Really For, and Do You Need Them? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

lens-hoods-what-are-they-for

Most camera lenses come with something called a Lens Hood, which looks like a short circular tube that attaches to the front. These diminutive devices seem a little strange, but they can serve several very useful purposes. While some people might be tempted to toss them on the shelf and never give them a second thought, knowing what lens hoods are and how to use them can have a significant impact on your photography.

Lens Hoods: What Are They Really For, and Do You Need Them?

Why use Lens Hoods?

Imagine this: it’s a bright, sunny day and you are outside for a stroll. The sun is beating down hard and you’re having a bit of trouble seeing clearly, so you hold your hand up to your forehead in an effort to block the light. Congratulations, you’ve just made your very own lens hood for your face! I know this is a bit of an oversimplification, but the lens hood on a camera is about the same as using your hand or a ball cap to block a bit of light when it’s bright out.

Image: It’s kind of like putting a ball cap on your camera, but a lot more effective.

It’s kind of like putting a ball cap on your camera, but a lot more effective.

Why would this be beneficial for photography? Since you need light to make photographs, wouldn’t blocking the sunlight be counterproductive? It might seem so, but in reality, you aren’t making the scene any darker just as putting a cap on your head doesn’t make the sun any less potent.

Indeed, the primary reason to embrace your lens hood as an essential photographic companion is that it makes your pictures look better. Its purpose is to prevent your photos from developing a washed-out appearance that tends to happen under certain lighting conditions. They also offer other benefits mostly related to the protection of your camera gear.

Image: The lack of a lens hood gave this picture a washed-out appearance.

The lack of a lens hood gave this picture a washed-out appearance.

These types of pictures happen because harsh, intense light enters the camera lens and gets scattered across a portion of the image as a result. Lens hoods can mitigate much of this problem by acting as a shade over the front glass element.

Image: Attaching a lens hood gave the shot much more contrast and vibrance. Shadows can be brought u...

Attaching a lens hood gave the shot much more contrast and vibrance. Shadows can be brought up in post-production, but if a picture is too washed-out, it can be much more difficult to fix.

When I first got into digital photography many years ago, I didn’t understand the point of lens hoods. I kept them on a shelf at home because they mostly just got in the way and made my camera take up a lot more space in my bag than it needed to.

Or so I thought.

The nice thing about lens hoods is that they are a low-tech solution to what can often be a fairly major problem. Once you start to see the benefits of having a hood on your lens, you won’t see them as a useless waste of space, but essential components of your camera kit.

Image: I always use my lens hoods for portraits. I never know when I will be shooting a backlit scen...

I always use my lens hoods for portraits. I never know when I will be shooting a backlit scene, and if it happens, it’s good to have the hood to shade the lens.

One thing I have realized over the years is that you need to be prepared to meet the demands of whatever situation you are photographing. Few things are more frustrating than realizing you messed up a picture because of something you could have easily solved with a little pre-planning.

Lens hoods can indeed be a little awkward. However, it’s better to have one on your lens than realize afterward that many shots appear hazy and poorly-lit because you didn’t shade your lens properly.

Image: Lens hoods are particularly useful when shooting into the sun.

Lens hoods are particularly useful when shooting into the sun.

Additional benefits

Aside from protecting your pictures from harsh light, lens hoods can physically protect your camera gear too. This is one of the reasons I leave mine on at all times since I often bump and bang my camera. Having a hood protruding from your lens means it will absorb the brunt of most impacts.

If it does get broken, it’s far cheaper to replace than your lens.

Image: After years of use, my lens hoods are full of scratches and scuffs. I’d rather have the...

After years of use, my lens hoods are full of scratches and scuffs. I’d rather have these easily-replaceable plastic parts bear the brunt of any impacts instead of my actual camera lenses!

I try to be careful with my camera gear and I don’t intentionally abuse it, and I think the same is true of most photographers. But despite my best efforts, accidents certainly can happen. In the normal course of a photoshoot, my camera gets picked up, set down, bounced around, tossed into a bag, put in the trunk of my car, used, and maybe even abused just a little.

A protruding plastic ring isn’t going to save my camera if it gets run over by a dump truck, but it has helped avoid countless bumps and bruises over the years. Is it inconvenient to have the hood always sticking out of my lens? A little, but it’s a lot less inconvenient than having to buy new gear!

Image: I had to follow this cat for a little while and practically lay flat on the ground, to get th...

I had to follow this cat for a little while and practically lay flat on the ground, to get this shot. Having a hood on my zoom lens was a little extra peace of mind knowing that it wasn’t going to get scratched or dinged in the process.

If you do feel like your lens hood is a little too much to deal with, most of them have a simple solution. Reverse the hood and screw it on your lens backward. This might cover some of the knobs and switches on your lens, but it will keep the hood handy while simultaneously storing it in a convenient and easy-to-access location.

Image: You can attach most lens hoods backward for easy storage. This helps protect the barrel of yo...

You can attach most lens hoods backward for easy storage. This helps protect the barrel of your lens but can leave some controls covered up.

Drawbacks

There are a couple things to note about lens hoods that could be a factor in helping you decide whether to use them. The first and most important issue involves vignetting. Some lenses, particularly wide-angle lenses, can result in photos with darker corners with the lens hood attached. This isn’t a huge issue and can often be fixed on your computer, especially if you shoot in RAW, but it is something to keep in mind.

Additionally, there’s no getting around the fact that the added length of a lens with a hood attached can be inconvenient. This is especially noticeable on telephoto lenses and it can be annoying if you’re not used to it.

My solution has been to treat the hood as a normal part of any lens in my kit. If it means I need to find a larger camera bag or be a little uncomfortable shooting in tight spaces, so be it. For me, the tradeoff is worth it, but your opinion might be different. Regardless, it is something to keep in mind.

Image: Hoods on telephoto lenses can stick out quite far, but I have just come to accept this as a n...

Hoods on telephoto lenses can stick out quite far, but I have just come to accept this as a normal part of my kit. I don’t see it as an inconvenience in the same way that I don’t treat a seat belt in my car as an inconvenience.

Conclusion

Despite a few downsides, lens hoods can be an important part of your camera collection. I recommend using one at all times, even if you’re not entirely sure you will need it. I have found myself in more than a few frustrating situations where I know I would have gotten the shot if only I had a lens hood. As such, I rarely take them off my lenses now.

What about you? Do you use lens hoods, or have you learned to live without them? What other advantages or disadvantages do they have that I might have missed? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Lens Hoods: What Are They Really For, and Do You Need Them? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.


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DPReview TV: Tamron SP 35mm F1.4 hands-on

31 Oct

Tamron claims that its SP 35mm F1.4 Di USD lens is the finest it has ever produced. This week, Chris and Jordan put it to the test to see how it performs.

Also, subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

  • Too many 35s!
  • Introduction
  • Samples
  • Build and manual focus
  • Sharpness
  • Longitudinal CA (chromatic aberration)
  • Sunstars
  • Close focus distance
  • Bokeh
  • Conclusion

Sample gallery from this episode

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Canon 1D X Mark III Will Debut With 20 FPS and Enhanced Autofocus

31 Oct

The post The Canon 1D X Mark III Will Debut With 20 FPS and Enhanced Autofocus appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

 

Canon-1D-X-Mark-III-debutJust last week, Canon announced the long-awaited 1D X Mark III, a flagship DSLR tailored to action and wildlife photographers. The new camera comes as a successor to the Canon 1D X Mark II, which set the tone for sports photographers everywhere.

But what can you expect from the Canon 1D X Mark III? Is it a camera worth purchasing?

First, the Canon 1D X Mark III is a professional action photographer’s camera. So while it will undoubtedly offer the latest and greatest technology, this will come at a price that most enthusiast photographers will be unwilling to pay. The Canon 1D X Mark II debuted at an MSRP of $ 5999, so you can expect something similar (if not more) for the Canon 1D X Mark III.

That said, for those who can afford it, the Canon 1D X Mark III is looking to be one of the best action cameras money can buy. Let’s check out its specifications:

Specifications

According to the Canon press release, the 1D X Mark III will offer incredible autofocus capabilities. This includes “exceptional precision, reliability, high-performance…and subject tracking.” For any photographer who shoots moving subjects, the Canon 1D X Mark III’s tracking is bound to be better than any previous Canon DSLR.

And these capabilities extend into Live View, where the 1D X Mark III’s Dual Pixel autofocus features 525 AF areas for lightning-fast focusing and accuracy.

Of course, no action camera is complete without a high continuous shooting rate. Here, the Canon 1D X Mark III won’t disappoint; using the optical viewfinder, you can expect up to 16 frames per second of continuous shooting. In Live View, you can shoot up to an incredible 20 frames per second.

Also, the 1D X Mark III promises “more than five times the RAW burst depth of its predecessor,” thanks to a new DIGIC processor and dual CFexpress card slots. Considering the deep buffer of the 1D X Mark II, you can expect extraordinary capabilities that will please any action photographer.

Unfortunately, Canon has not yet announced the sensor details on the Canon 1D X Mark III. We don’t know its resolution (though rumors indicate it may be around 28 megapixels). However, Canon has announced the addition of the HEIF file format, which should allow for better colors and enhanced dynamic range over JPEGs.

Finally, the Canon 1D X Mark III is designed for high-speed transfers and flexibility in the field. The camera features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE, as well as a built-in Ethernet connection and an optional wireless file transmitter. This is a nice set of features for pros who need to quickly transfer photos.

There is currently no set release date for the Canon 1D X Mark III. However, you can expect it sometime before mid-2020, and possibly as early as February (if it mirrors the path of the Canon 1D X Mark II, which debuted in February of 2016).

That should give you plenty of time to decide if the camera is right for you.

What do you think about the Canon 1D X Mark III? Does it meet your expectations? Will you be purchasing it? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post The Canon 1D X Mark III Will Debut With 20 FPS and Enhanced Autofocus appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Do You Need A Flash For Travel Photography?

31 Oct

Packing for a trip is arguably the worst part about travel. As photographers, not only do we have to choose which of our vast wardrobe of clothes to take with us, but we also have to decide which pieces of our ever-expanding portfolio of camera equipment to take with us. From picking which lenses and camera bag to remembering your Continue Reading

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Hands-on with the DJI Mavic Mini

31 Oct

The DJI Mavic Mini

The Mavic Mini’s headline feature is its minuscule size, making it DJI’s smallest and lightest folding-drone. However, it still manages to deliver many of the features found inside of DJI’s larger Mavic models. It’s also designed to be extremely accessible for all levels of users. On the next few slides we’ll take a look at some of its features to see how it stacks up.

Small enough to avoid regulation?

When folded up the drone fits inside the palm of your hand and is about the length of a standard smartphone, making it the uber-portable option for drone pilots. It even looks small compared to DJI’s other compact models.

What’s arguably more notable than the Mavic Mini’s size is its weight. It’s no accident that the Mavic Mini weighs in at 249g – just under the 250g limit where additional regulations for heavier drones kick in in many countries. Does this represent a new cat and mouse game between drone manufacturers and regulatory agencies? Time will tell.

Camera and gimbal

The Mavic Mini has a camera with a 1/2.3-inch sensor that can capture up to 2.7K/30p or 1080/60p. This leaves a bit of performance on the table compared to the larger Mavic models, but even 2.7K will be plenty of resolution for many people. The camera also captures 12MP photographs. Unfortunately for photographers, it doesn’t capture Raw images.

A three-axis motorized gimbal supports the camera during flight to ensure that footage is stable. A three-axis gimbal inside such a small drone is an impressive feature; DJI’s previous compact model, the Spark, relied on a 2-axis gimbal. Although the video and photo specs aren’t quite as impressive as what you can get with a full-sized Mavic, that extra level of stability in flight will make a difference when it comes to capturing cinematic footage.

Sensors and safety

The Mavic Mini includes a number of features to help keep you safe while flying. First there’s Geofencing technology, which helps keep drone pilots away from restricted areas. The Mavic Mini also has a feature known as AeroScope remote identification, which provides authorized users – think airport traffic controllers and police departments – with location, altitude, speed, and direction of every DJI drone within a radio range as well as the location of the drone pilot and the serial number of the drone. The drone also has built-in altitude limits and an automatic return-home function if the drone’s battery becomes critically low during flight.

The Mavic Mini also features downward visual sensors that can detect the ground for hovering, stable flights and safe landings.

Battery and flight time:

The Mavic Mini has a flight time of up to 30 minutes, an impressive feat for such a small drone. In fact, it significantly outperforms other small DJI models like the Mavic Air and the Spark. DJI says this is a result of the drone’s lightweight design combined with high-grade motors.

Controller

The Mavic Mini has a dedicated controller that you can slide your smartphone into. A Wi-Fi signal gives pilots a live HD feed and a stable flying experience.

However, anyone who has flown a drone knows that it’s not just the physical controller that matters, but also the software used to control the drone. With that in mind, we’ll next take a look at DJI’s new app: DJI Fly.

The new DJI Fly app

The Mavic Mini uses DJI’s new app, DJI Fly, for remote control. DJI Fly promises to make the process of flying a drone and capturing images simpler and more accessible to pilots, particularly beginners. During our hands-on time with the Mavic Mini the Fly app was still a pre-production version, so we weren’t able to demo all of the forthcoming features.

The new app will feature tutorials to help new pilots pick up tips and tricks for flying as well as pre-set editing templates for footage. The app allows users to fly in Position mode for the most basic operation, Sport mode (designed for folks with a little more experience with drones) or CineSmooth mode, which extends braking time for footage with a more cinematic look. There will also be a number of the DJI-standard pre-programmed QuickShot modes like Rocket, Circle, Drone, and Helix.

Useful and kitschy accessories

The Mavic Mini comes with a number of optional accessories that range from practical to a little kitschy. On the practical side there’s a 360° propeller guard, a charging base that doubles as a display case, a propeller holder that locks the Drone’s propellers into place during travel, a mini travel bag, and a two way charging hub that allows you to charge up to three Mavic Mini batteries or your phone.

On the kitschy side there’s a DIY creative kit which comes with Mavic Mini sized stickers so you can customize the look of your drone (we know, just what you’ve all been waiting for), a Snap adapter that lets you attach a toy building brick for adding Legos on top of the drone or a mini LED display to write custom messages (see photo above). You can use the Snap adapter in flight, but it will certainly add weight to the drone, which is one of its most appealing features.

Pricing and availability

The Mavic Mini is available for pre-order starting today and will begin shipping on November 11. It will be available as a standard version, which includes the drone, a remote controller, one battery and extra propellers for $ 399. A Mavic Mini ‘Fly More’ combo will include everything from the standard kit as well as the 360° propeller cage, a two-way charging hub, three batteries, three sets of propellers and a carrying case for $ 499.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Top 8 Affordable Quality Printers for Photographers And Do You Need One?

31 Oct

In this digital age, a large number of photographers submit digital copies of their work to their clients via digital storage devices, email or web based file sharing services. However, there are still some photography niches where clients usually expect physical prints to be delivered to them. For instance, if you’re into wedding, event or portrait photography, you may often Continue Reading

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SLC-2L-10: Left Brain / Right Brain

31 Oct

Photos by Sara Lando and David Hobby except where noted.

Just as most of us are either right- or left-handed, it is said that we all have a dominant side of our brain as well. Left-brained people are supposed to be more analytical and methodical, whereas right-brained people are more artistic and creative.

For most photographers, one of these two areas is probably a relative strength; the other a weakness. But ideally, you need the whole package. Which is something we were exploring earlier this month in Porto, Portugal. Read more »
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Canon EOS M200 review: Your new pocket-friendly companion

31 Oct

Introduction

Silver Award

79%
Overall score

The Canon EOS M200 is a compact, user-friendly interchangeable lens camera. It has a 24MP sensor, great Dual Pixel autofocus, and in terms of image quality, gives you a lot of bang for your buck. It’s the follow-up to Canon’s previous M100, which we really liked.

Canon hasn’t messed with the formula much in the M200, but is that enough to stand out among ever-stiffer competition? I took the EOS M200 on a quick trip to Oklahoma for a family wedding to find out how it measures up as a travel camera for taking pictures of just about anything.

Key specifications:

  • 24MP APS-C sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus
  • Digic 8 image processor
  • Face and eye detect autofocus
  • 4K/24p video capture (1.7x crop)
  • 3″ tilting touchscreen
  • 6.1fps burst shooting (~4fps with AF)
  • CIPA rated to 315 shots per charge, USB charging
  • Wi-FI and Bluetooth
  • MSRP of $ 599 USD with 15-45mm F3.5-6.3 kit lens
The M200 reliably churns out pleasing images right out of the camera.
Canon EF-M 15-45mm F3.5-6.3 @ 15mm | ISO 100 | 1/60 sec | F3.5

What is it?

The EOS M200 doesn’t come with all of the very latest Canon technology, but it still packs a good sensor with reliable autofocus into a camera body that’s just a bit bigger than a pack of cards. And with a good lens in front of that sensor, you’re getting the same image quality as, say, a Canon EOS 80D DSLR, but in a much smaller package.

This is a camera that your subjects won’t take super seriously, but you can take some seriously good pictures with it. It actually surprises people.

Of course, if you take photos on your smartphone, the M200 represents one more device to bring with you. If you’re mostly doing wide-angle shots of landscapes or cityscapes, or even just selfies, your smartphone is probably good enough. Modern smartphones will even let you blur out backgrounds more than you could with the kit lens that comes with the M200.

In this view, you can see all the external controls on the EOS M200: the power switch and mode dial, shutter button and surrounding dial, as well as the back plate and touch-enabled tilting screen.

But the M200 captures more resolution, meaning more detail in your images, and if you opt for one of the system’s bright prime lenses, you’ll likely get better low light performance. Also, at least for this reviewer, it can simply be more fun to take pictures on a real camera than a phone.

In any case, the combination of small size and good image quality is really appealing to me. This is a camera that your subjects won’t take super seriously, but you can take some seriously good photographs with it. It actually surprises people.

I really enjoy the M200’s unassuming nature. Out-of-camera JPEG.
Canon EF-M 22mm F2 | ISO 6400 | 1/250 sec | F2

For most of the audience that Canon is targeting with the M200, it should succeed as a fairly budget-friendly and accessible companion for generalist photography, the likes of which you’ll see throughout this review.

What’s new

To be honest…not much.

Compared to the older EOS M100 this camera replaces, there’s one fewer button, there’s a newer USB Type-C connector, and the ‘Auto’ setting on the mode dial is painted white instead of green. Yes, there’s so little to talk about that that is what I just talked about.

On the inside, an updated processor brings most of the meaningful updates. The first of which is Eye Detect autofocus: older Canon EOS cameras had reasonably good face detection, but seeing the camera pick up on your subject’s eye, even while shooting in full-auto, gives me greater piece of mind that the focus will be right where I want it.

This out-of-camera image did a good job retaining the bright highlights behind the buildings, but I wanted to see more detail in the shadows. Editing the Raw file in-camera on the M200 only lets me boost overall brightness, so then those highlights clip – back on the older EOS M100, I could boost only the shadows with what Canon calls the ‘Auto Lighting Optimizer.’

The new processor also brings 4K video (though it’s heavily cropped, so difficult to get wide-angle footage with the kit lens), slightly improved battery life, and a new compressed Raw format. Missing is the older method of processing Raw files in-camera, having been replaced by a much more user-friendly but less powerful Creative Assist function.

At its core, the M200 is a very small, snappy camera that won’t weigh you down

For me, I’m torn between appreciating CRaw (which slims file sizes without compromising quality too much) and being annoyed at the elimination of ‘proper’ in-camera Raw processing. But I’ve got to admit, for the target audience, none of this matters much, and could actually be a benefit. The simpler processing interface, which includes adjustments like brightness, contrast, and color tone is approachable for anyone who’s tuned their own Instagram filters.

At its core, what hasn’t changed is that the M200 is a very small, snappy camera that won’t weigh you down. And that is important, both to myself and the target audience.

What works

The same fun factor that I loved in the M100 is here in the M200. It’s easy to carry with you and takes excellent photographs, whether you’re out having a pizza or taking some pictures of family on the dance floor. The menu system is getting a bit crowded (most cameras suffer from this nowadays), but it’s not too hard to find what you’re looking for.

Bricktown, Oklahoma City. Out-of-camera JPEG.
Canon EF-M 15-45mm F3.5-6.3 @ 18mm | ISO 100 | 1/250 sec | F7.1

The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection options are pretty polished, too. Establish a Bluetooth connection with the M200, and the camera will maintain that connection even while powered off (and this doesn’t noticeably impact battery life). So as long as you’re within range of the camera, you can launch the app and pretty quickly be off and browsing your images from your phone, even with the camera on a shelf across the room.

The 15-45mm F3.5-6.3 kit lens is, in my experience, solid if not extraordinary. It offers a very useful zoom range while being very compact, but you’ll want to pick up one of Canon’s or Sigma’s EF-M mount prime lenses for lower light shooting or more options for photographic creativity. The Canon EF-M 22mm F2 in particular is a gem, being tiny, affordable and optically great; the tradeoff is that it’s a bit slow to focus. But it should really be the first addition to any Canon EOS M user’s kit.

For this image, I set the camera on Manual to control exposure, then pulled the flash back and bounced it off the ceiling to get some more even lighting on my subject’s hand. I then processed the Raw file in-camera to boost brightness and saturation just a bit.
Canon EF-M 22mm F2 | ISO 6400 | 1/125 sec | F2

Though controls are sparse, the excellent touchscreen interface makes up for this somewhat, and is likely to be appreciated by those moving up from smartphones. And the inclusion of a pop-up flash that you can pull back to bounce at the ceiling is a nice touch and opens up some creative possibilities for users to grow into as they become more comfortable with the camera.

What needs work

For its intended audience of novice users and social media mavens, I think Canon needs to tweak its full auto mode. This mode generally gets you good exposure and autofocus (and you can always tap the screen to choose your subject if the camera doesn’t get it right), but the M200 just hates using fast prime lenses at their widest apertures. This basically means that the M200 produces grainier photos in low light than it should, and doesn’t give you the shallow depth-of-field effect you might be after.

I like this photo, but I’d like it even more if the camera’s Auto mode chose some different settings.
Out-of-camera JPEG.
Canon EF-M 22mm F2 | ISO 6400 | 1/80 sec | F2.8

In taking the above image of a mostly static subject in low light, the camera should have selected F2 and not F2.8. The ISO value would be lower, so there’d be less grain and better detail on my subject. So if you’re eyeing some faster prime lenses for the M200, be aware you may want to switch into a more advanced exposure mode to take full advantage of them.

Other than that, Canon claims that the EOS M200 is now able to charge over USB, but I still haven’t found a charger that will do so: we suspect it needs a ‘Power Delivery’ compatible charger, but Canon hasn’t confirmed this. The autofocus system is generally capable, but it still lags and hunts a bit more than I’d expect it to in low light.

Out-of-camera JPEG.
Canon EF-M 22mm F2 | ISO 6400 | 1/80 sec | F2.8

Burst shooting speeds are, frankly, not impressive when focusing on a moving subject. Lastly, 4K video is nice-to-have, but the crop is limiting and almost begs for another lens, the Canon EF-M 11-22mm, in order to get a decent wide-ish angle of view – especially if you want to vlog. The crop also means that it’s using a smaller portion of the sensor, which will negatively impact image quality, especially in low light.

Conclusion

The Canon EOS M200 is, overall, a good camera. It’s one that I believe, as with its predecessor, is a bit more than the sum of its parts. For those that are more novice photographers, the M200 is a capable and affordable option that’s fun to use and churns out nice photographs without much fuss. Thanks to slower burst speeds and slightly hunty autofocus, it won’t be the best option for capturing fast-moving or unpredictable subjects like animated children: Sony’s pricier a6100 is a better bet there for some family photography.

It won’t be to the liking of every experienced photographer (Canon’s own EOS M6 Mark II is a better bet for that crowd), but I find the M200 to be a nice escape for when I want solid image quality without a larger camera to weigh me down.

If you’re looking for a small, casual camera that won’t intimidate either you or your friends, one with with good wireless connectivity for easy sharing, and you might even be interested in adding an additional lens or two down the line, the EOS M200 is a good bet.

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Scoring

Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about the changes to our scoring system and what these numbers mean.

Canon EOS M200
Category: Entry Level Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR
Build quality
Ergonomics & handling
Features
Metering & focus accuracy
Image quality (raw)
Image quality (jpeg)
Low light / high ISO performance
Viewfinder / screen rating
Performance
Movie / video mode
Connectivity
Value
PoorExcellent
Conclusion
We think the Canon EOS M200 is one of the most approachable cameras for new photographers on the market today. It doesn't have the fastest burst speeds or the greatest video capture, but it has plenty of resolution, produces great images easily and just about fits in your pocket. Lastly, it's reasonably priced, and any additional lenses you might want for it are reasonably priced as well.

Good for
New photographers, those who want to explore photography beyond their smartphones, travelers looking for good image quality in a very small package.

Not so good for
More experienced photographers needing more hands-on control, those who need to frequently photograph fast-moving or unpredictable subjects.
79%
Overall score

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Adobe teases new Sensei-powered Object Selection Tool for easy masks and more

31 Oct

Adobe has shared a new sneak peek of its new Sensei-powered Object Selection Tool that will soon be available inside Adobe Photoshop CC.

As demonstrated in the video, the new tool uses Adobe Sensei AI to automatically select an object within the frame when a selection is made via the Marquee or Lasso selection modes. It’s also possible to add or remove individual elements within the image using the same Object Selection Tool for more precise edits.

This new feature appears to be a more refined version of the Select Subject Tool Adobe revealed in early 2018. It’s unknown when this new feature will make its way into Adobe Photoshop CC, but it seems as though teaser videos like this are released no more than a month or two before the feature makes it into the public version of the app.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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