Canon DSLRs like the EOS SL3 (EOS 250D in many countries) or T7 (EOS 2000D) are great entry points into the world of interchangeable lens cameras. If you’ve just acquired one of these or another APS-C Canon DSLR, here are some suggestions for your next lens purchase.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Next month, Canon will release a firmware update that fixes an autofocus problem reported by RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM telephoto lens owners. The company says it’s confirmed this lens may produce a ‘slightly front-focused’ image when the photo is captured at close range with the focus distance set to around the 200mm end of the scale.
Canon will release the firmware with a bug fix for this problem in January 2020, the company revealed on its US website. The new firmware will be intended for RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM lenses running firmware version 1.0.5 or earlier, something that can be checked within the camera’s menu.
The Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM telephoto lens is available from B&H Photo and other retailers for $ 2,699.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
It’s been a great year for new product launches but not all of Chris and Jordan’s gear dreams came true. As such, they have some grievances to air and you’re going to hear about it!
Agree or disagree with their New Year’s resolutions? Let us know in the comments below. And subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Crying is a highly evolved human trait. Tears can be an indicator of fear or stress. They can simply be a mechanism to flush out the eyes. Or they can convey joy and pain, heartache and elation. Distilled to their very core, tears are the truth. Tears are a most sincere way of reaching out for human connection, and so I would ask the reader to hold this concept tightly as they bear witness to Jordan and his experience. I would ask of the reader a willingness to reach out to Jordan and internalize that sincerity through the medium of the photograph.
Before we start this journey for connection I feel it necessary to reveal that these photos were not taken once per month as this slide show suggests. The human spirit does not follow a schedule and these powerful moments were captured as they birthed themselves upon the stage, if you will, that is DPReview TV. They will be shown in an order that does not harness itself to chronological accuracy, but rather is akin to a musical composition intended to stir the soul in its entirety. Let us begin.
* In case you’re not familiar with DPReview TV, here’s the backstory: In many of their weekly video episodes, our hosts Chris and Jordan feature a photo of Jordan curled up in the fetal position. It’s a bit of a running gag, Jordan’s soul isn’t really tortured by demons (or so we’ve been told). If you have’t discovered DPReview TV yet, you can find episodes here.
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The photo before you was taken in Wayne, Alberta. All around us the harsh, weather-worn canyons stood silent sentinel to Jordan’s struggle. The roadway symbolizes not only a means of transition but also a vector of impending danger. The bridge a final gateway to salvation from that state of being. Yet Jordan has collapsed short of his goals and instead must simply cry out as the valley bears witness. It is the Panasonic S1 which allows that moment to be appreciated by all.
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This is a local city green space in Calgary named Shepherd’s Park. The brutal metal grating causes Jordan discomfort as he hesitantly lies down upon it. Our hero clings tightly to his Panasonic GH5, monopod, and headphones, the tools of his expression. They are also like a prison to him, a concept further sustained by the rigid framing of the metal gantry. He is trapped, but perhaps he has also chosen his prison. Is the Canon EOS 90D not also a prison to his struggle?
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Ah Seattle! Your charming hills, and quiet neighborhoods set the stage for this next humanistic landscape. The monochromatic nature of this image serves a dual purpose. It simplifies the intent capturing the banality of the environment. It also requests the viewer to bring their own experiences to the artwork. Have you not found yourself clinging to sanity in a car port? Have you not also smelled the stench that lingers in such places? Jordan is experiencing this very thing, here on the pavement, and in doing so brings about a deep connection with you the viewer. You are both crying in a driveway now. The Nikon Z50 sees you both.
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Not all tears represent sadness, or misery. They can be uplifting and joyful too. Their power lies in the expression of both the heights, and abysses, of human emotion. Jordan is a self proclaimed cinephile with a passion for movie-making, and a deep appreciation for the craft. The mural sang to him a moment of pure elation, straight from the celluloid. He was overcome and found himself compelled to dance, drowning in a symphony of joy. I was humbled to have captured it with the Nikon Z7. It did not falter.
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A quiet stillness falls over an autumnal lake. Jordan falls over a picnic table. An Olympus EM5-3 clicks once. A singular truth is revealed. It occurs only in this unique image. Jordan lies now left to right. Left to right. Profundity.
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Wait! Hey Jordan, run up the highway and lie down in the middle. Do I have to? Yes! It’ll look great, do it. What about traffic? Do it! – Friendship – GFX100
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This image is a personal favorite of mine. Notice the strong leading line drawing the eyes to our reluctant hero. The organic shapes, the smooth curves, the magenta hues, all speak to a sense of the living body. We witness a childhood. We witness a birthing. Is it a skatepark, or is it a womb? The Fuji GFX 50R reveals the truth, but only you can interpret it.
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Leitz Park. Wetzlar, Germany. One would be forgiven for assuming the common stereotype that Leica is only style, engineering, and precision. On the most superficial level they create cameras as works of art. However, when one digs deeper one finds a company defined by its people. Its people are defined universally by their kindness and their willingness to give. Here they have given him an opportunity to create with the pinnacle of their lens technology. Jordan is a person of deep emotion, and once again he is overcome. His face speaks only truth, his elation is clear, his gratitude is given. The Leica SL2 brings this sincerity to the forefront. It simply whispers ‘Thank You.’
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The smartphone has arrived, a harbinger of change in an industry that never wants to. Its message is a whisper that will grow into a cacophonous roar. Many of us hear only a gentle song on a winter’s breeze. Jordan however is not one of us. His senses are astute and his understanding is omniscient. He hears the roar and it is deafening. The shrill call brings him to his knees, and he must curl up in the fetal position or risk madness. I produced the Pixel 4 from my pocket and so I am the one to blame. This picture is my guilty confession.
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Why is Jordan sitting up? He always lies down in the filth and the muck. He is mine to create with. Never questioning, and always accommodating. And yet we see him spared from the veritable ocean of grime which surrounds his small island of respite. Is the pursuit of pure art less important than his comfort? Should we not all sacrifice for our craft? Does the Sony a7R III not also deserve this tribute? Is pain and suffering not the fertilizer of the sublime? However, he is safe and warm. He cries because I am furious with him, and yet he remains dry. That is why this photo sucks.
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I call this photo ‘Goldilocks’. The one on the left is too proud. The one on the right is too demure. But the one in the middle is just right! Also the astro-turf and garish display of cheap plastics communicate my personal statement about rampant and wasteful consumerism. How it effects workers, environmental factors, and our social consciousness, et cetera, et cetera. Taken with the Fuji XT3.
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Our last photo is a palate cleanser of sorts. It is not a statement about the inherent duality of our existence. Nor is it a dissertation about Jordan’s emotional state. It is not a symphony or a poem. It has no higher purpose as art, nor does it ascend to the realms of the sublime. It simply is our Christmas card picture to all of you for supporting us during 2019! We appreciate the opportunity you give us all to entertain firstly, and educate secondly. Thank you so much to all of our friends and compatriots at DPReview for all your hard work in making our show possible. Here’s to an excellent 2020 and all the promise the New Year will bring. Oh, I almost forgot, this was taken with the Canon 5DmkIV.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post The dPS Top Photography Tips of 2019 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
This week on dPS, we’re featuring some of the top articles in different categories that were published on the site throughout 2019. It’s always a bit tricky to gauge the overall popularity, as some were published earlier in the year and have had more time on the site than the ones posted more recently. But still, it gives you an idea!
To begin with, this one is all about the best all-round top photography tips of the year.
By Adam Welch
Three Mistakes That Kill Image Quality (and How to Avoid Them)
By Kevin Landwer-Johan
15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid
By John McIntire
5 Reasons to Consider Aperture Priority Over Manual Mode
By Adam Welch
Back to Basics: Understanding the “Sunny 16 Rule” in Photography
By John McIntire
5 Portrait Photography Rules You Should Probably Ignore
By Jaymes Dempsey
Street Photographer Attacked on Social Media for Taking Photos in Public
By Jeremy Flint
6 Ways to Easily Improve Your Landscape Photography
By Adam Welch
Four Signs it’s NOT Time to Upgrade Your Camera
By Mat Coker
100 Things to Photograph When You’re Out of Ideas
By Jaymes Dempsey
7 Photography Exercises to Take Your Nature Photos to the Next Level
By Jackie Lamas
How to Turn Your Living Room into a Photo Studio
By Mat Coker
The Absolute Beginners Guide to Camera Settings
By Jaymes Dempsey
7 Tips for Stunning Black and White Photography (Comprehensive Guide)
By Carl Spring
Is Photography Becoming too Easy?
By Kevin Landwer-Johan
How to Make Well Exposed Photos Every Time. Part 1 – Seeing the Light
By Caz Nowaczyk
The 5 Most Overused Photography Techniques
By Mat Coker
3 Things Aperture Mode is Perfect For in Photography
By Adam Welch
An Easy Hack for Shooting into the Sun and Processing the Images
By Simon Bond
How to Photograph Against the Sun for Stunning Images
By Simon Ringsmuth
Lens Hoods: What Are They Really For, and Do You Need Them?
If you enjoyed these top photography tips of 2019, stay tuned for tomorrow, where we share the top gear photography tips of 2019!
The post The dPS Top Photography Tips of 2019 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
Just getting started with your first interchangeable lens camera? Don’t be intimidated – we’re here to help.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post Happy Holidays 2019 from the dPS Team appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
Wow! 2019 is almost over! Where has the year gone?
We’d like to wish you a big Merry Christmas from the dPS Team!
In the land “down under,” Australia, where many of the dPS team is based, it’s Christmas day already. So, we are likely already celebrating and basking (or melting) in the Australian heat.
Wherever you are based, thank you for being a regular reader and fan of dPS. Thanks for helping us to continue to provide quality photography education for you and other photography enthusiasts. It’s what we love to do, and we are glad that it helps you to learn and expand your photography skillset.
However you decide to celebrate this holiday season, we hope you make the most of it and thoroughly enjoy your Christmas and Holiday Season.
Moreover, we look forward to continuing on our photographic journey together in 2020!
Cheers!
And, for a bit of fun, tell us where you will be spending your holiday season in our poll!
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
The post Happy Holidays 2019 from the dPS Team appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
We’ve updated our guide to the best cameras under $ 1500 and despite some serious competition from newer models, Fujifilm’s excellent X-T3 remains our top pick in the price bracket.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Sony is working around the clock to keep up with the demand for its image sensors, Bloomberg reported on Monday, but it’s still not enough. According to the report, Sony is running its image sensor manufacturing business 24/7 straight through the holidays in an effort to keep on top of demand. As well, Sony is building a new facility in Nagasaki to expand its production capacity.
The Nagasaki manufacturing plant won’t go live until April 2021, meaning Sony’s current operations will remain strained for the foreseeable future. Sony Semiconductor head Terushi Shimizu recently said in an interview that the company is having to apologize to customers for its inability to keep up with image sensor demand.
As well, Shimizu said during the interview, the company has seen such huge growth in demand for its image sensors that the new Nagasaki facility may not be adequate enough once it goes online in 2021.
The rise of double- and triple-camera modules on flagship smartphones is driving this demand, the report claims. Whereas smartphone manufacturers previously needed one image sensor per handset, these same companies are now ordering two or more sensors for each unit (of select models), meaning that Sony has seen demand for its sensors increase even as the overall smartphone market’s growth begins to falter.
Falling only behind the PlayStation, Sony’s semiconductor business has become its most profitable business with image sensors accounting for the majority of the revenue. The company is investing in the semiconductor business to expand capacity, also eyeing new generations of image sensors for budding technologies, including ones involving AR and 3D sensing.
Sony remains in competition with Samsung, which has seen demand for its own image sensors likewise increase. In 2018, Korean publication ETnews reported that Samsung Electronics had announced a plan to increase its image sensor production capacity with the goal of overtaking Sony in this market. Whether it will be able to do that remains to be seen.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post 10 Quick Beginner Tips for Fantastic Mobile Phone Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.
Photography is such an important part of our everyday life, and now we have photography at our fingertips with mobile phones. This article will share with you some simple tips so you can achieve awesome, and memorable mobile phone photography.
Photography is an incredible medium to document, share and preserve all those fleeting moments in time that seem to go by so quickly. I have to admit, I am a complete sap when it comes to taking pictures. I take way too many of my family because I really want to preserve each and every moment. Like the time when my husband surprised me and took me to New Zealand for our honeymoon, or the time when my kids hung out with their grandmother taking photos right by our front porch.
Little did we know that this would be the last time we would get to spend time with my mom. She lost her battle to cancer later that year and those images are priceless to me!
And even though I am a professional photographer, I find that I use my phone more often than not to capture precious everyday moments. After all, they say that the best camera is the one that you have with you, right?
So here are 10 tips to improve your mobile phone photography to make the best of your images. And just to be completely transparent, all the images shown in this post are through my iPhone (a mix of the 6s, 8 and 10 versions).
This one is really basic, but you will be amazed at how many times I have reached for my phone only to find lots of smudges and dirt from little hands that think they are helping with everything and anything.
So, do yourself a favor and get into the habit of quickly wiping your phone camera lens before taking a shot. It does make a world of difference to the picture quality.
Just like a real camera, your phone camera is also a sophisticated piece of technology. A lot of times, it is too smart for your own good! Typically when you point your phone camera at something, the phone will take an educated guess at what you want to photograph. If it recognizes faces, that’s what it will pick. To manually change focus from one subject to another, simply tap on the phone screen and choose your focus point.
Your phone camera has a flash, and it sucks! Sorry, there simply isn’t a way to sugarcoat this. The flash on your phone camera is not the most flattering for photos, and if you use natural light, also known as daylight or sunlight (take photos during the day), there is no reason to use flash.
Simply tap on the flash button to turn it off and use natural light (sunlight or ambient light) creatively. If you have to use flash, try not to point it directly at the subject. One way to avoid this is to have a second phone flash, a mobile phone light, or even flashlight pointing to the subject from the side. That way, you are avoiding that harsh flashlight from pointing at your subject.
Just as tip #2, you can adjust the exposure (also known as brightness of the photo) manually on your phone camera. This helps control how dark or how bright the photo will turn out when you press the shutter.
To adjust, simply tap on the screen and when you see the sunburst symbol or sunlight symbol, use your finger to swipe up or down to adjust or reduce the exposure accordingly.
This simply means avoid placing your subject in the center of the image all the time. There are many different creative composition rules, but the most famous of them all is ‘Rule of thirds.’
Here, the subject is placed in just one-third of the image, so the eye is drawn to that part of the image to make it aesthetically pleasing.
Another tip for fantastic mobile phone photography is using the Rule of Odds. This means that when you have many subjects, try to have an odd number like 3, 5, 7, etc.
An odd number of subjects or focus elements are also perceived to be more aesthetically pleasing to the eye than an even number of elements in the frame. Do keep in mind that these rules are simply suggested photography concepts…not following them does not make the photo bad!
One of the most aggravating things in a beautiful image is a crooked horizon. It throws the whole image out of whack! So take a moment and straighten any horizon lines in the frame. This can be done by selecting the grid function on your phone and making sure that horizontal lines are in line with the grid lines.
Leading lines are a great way to lead the viewer into the frame and drawing attention to the subject matter. Roads, buildings, or even furniture placed creatively, can act as leading lines to draw the viewer into the image – almost inviting them to stay awhile and rest their eyes.
There is something so pure and clean about photographing in natural light.
Natural light is simply outdoor light. No matter what the time of day, natural light has a very distinct quality. Photograph at different times of day outdoors and see how light affects the image.
The image below of a foggy morning out on Lake Michigan was actually taken from a moving car in burst mode. I really wanted to capture those orange posts against the blue-green water. You can also edit your images using a variety of mobile apps out there.
My personal favorites are SnapSeed and VSCO.
My final tip for fantastic mobile phone photography is to try not to zoom. The digital zoom of the phone camera is not very powerful – no matter what phone companies will have you believe.
When you use the digital zoom, a lot of noise and distortion is introduced in the frame. If possible, try to move your feet to get closer to the subject as opposed to using digital zoom.
There you have it – 10 quick and easy tips to help you improve your mobile phone photography and take it up a notch. Remember, oftentimes the best camera is the one you have at hand. And if you are like me, that phone literally lives with you 24×7, so might as well use it as a tool to not only document your everyday life but also improve your photography skills.
The post 10 Quick Beginner Tips for Fantastic Mobile Phone Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karthika Gupta.
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