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Archive for October, 2020

Zeiss’ 37MP Lightroom-capable, full-frame ZX1 camera is here — and it costs $6K

30 Oct

Zeiss has announced the release of its long-awaited ZX1 mirrorless camera in the United States and Germany.

First announced back in September 2018, the Zeiss ZX1 full-frame Android-powered camera is designed, in Zeiss’ own words, to help users ‘Shoot. Edit. Share.’ all on one device thanks to the integration of hardware and software.

At the core of the ZX1 is a 37.4-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor developed by Zeiss. In front of the sensor is a non-interchangeable Zeiss Distagon 35mm F2 T* lens with a focus and aperture ring (both of which appear to be electronically controlled). In addition to stills, the camera is capable of recording 4k (3,840 x 2,160 px) video at 30 frames per second (fps) and 1080p video at 60 fps in the H.264 codec. All images and video are stored on a 512GB internal SSD and can be transferred off the device using the USB-C port or the wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5.0 GHz and Bluetooth 4.2 LE).

Other specifications include a shutter speed range of 1/2000th to 30s, an ISO range of 80 to 51,200 (1/3 EV increments), Hybrid AF that uses both contrast and phase detection, and a 0.7” OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) with a 1920 x 1080px resolution. The camera uses a 3,190mAh 22.9Wh Li-ion battery, but Zeiss doesn’t mention how many shots the battery is rated for (likely because how much editing is done on-camera will greatly affect the battery life).

What makes the Zeiss ZX1 different than, say, the Leica Q2, is its massive 4.3” multitouch display on the rear that not only allows you to navigate the menu system, but also serves as a means of editing images directly on the camera with the Adobe Lightroom Mobile application. Zeiss said it’s worked alongside Adobe to ensure full compatibility and all buyers will receive a year’s worth of Adobe’s 1TB Photography Plan.

Despite clearly running on some version of Android, Zeiss no longer mentions the word ‘Android’ on any of its marketing material, so there’s no way of knowing what version it runs and what kind of support we can expect going forward.

The Zeiss ZX1 is available starting today for $ 6,000 at select dealers in the United States and Germany, including Adorama and B&H. You can read our initial hands-on with the ZX1 from CP+ 2019.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: Winners of the 2020 Int’l Photography Awards

30 Oct

Winners of the 2020 Int’l Photography Awards

This year’s International Photography Awards (IPA) received over 13,000 submissions from 120 countries. Judges selected winners and finalists for 13 categories and they were announced on Tuesday, October 27th.

‘In these unprecedented times, this year’s entries reflect some of the biggest challenges facing our generation–not the least of which is dealing with a virus which, for the first time, is an event that has affected every person on earth in some way. We see photography at its best–whether covering the COVID pandemic, or the world’s uprising against injustice–the images captured are breathtaking. I can easily say these are the best images I have seen in the last decades,’ says Hossein Farmani, IPA’s founder and president.

This slideshow contains images from Professional Category winners who received the Lucie Trophy and a $ 10,000 cash prize. The Non-Professional/Student Finalists for “DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR,” who were awarded a Lucie Trophy and $ 5,000 cash prize, can be found here. The final winners of the Pro and Non-Pro titles will be announced in an online event later this year and will be recognized at the Lucie Trophy at the 2021 Lucie Awards event.

Analog/Film Photographer Of the Year: ‘New Seas’ by Paulius Makauskas (Lithuania)

Artist Statement: Timothy Morton thinks of climate change as a ‘hyperobject’ – an incomprehensibly large object stretched in the space-time. Recognizable only in parts, but never all at once.

Microplastics are barely noticeable particles, but at the same time omnipresent in the ocean. I imagined them as synthetic plankton of all conceivable colors, invisibly wandering from one place to another. I have spent a great deal of time by the sea, so it was easier for me to see that the white ridges of waves creates boundless white-gray paper in space and time. I only needed to fill it with light to reveal the invisible.

Technical Info: 4×5, Fuji Provia 100, 40 – 50 min exposure, 210mm

Architecture Photographer Of the Year: ‘From the Stage’ by Jesús M. Chamizo (Spain)

Artist Statement: El teatro puede convertir el escenario en un templo, y el espacio de actuación, en algo sagrado. En el sur de Asia, los artistas tocan con reverencia el suelo del escenario antes de pisarlo, una antigua tradición donde se entrelazan lo espiritual y lo cultural.

Este es mi especial homenaje al Templo del Teatro y lo que representa, una noble labor cultural que ayuda a la humanidad a crecer. Contemplado desde el escenario, observamos ese majestuoso espacio vacío, que adquiere un doble significado. De asombro, pero también de esperanza, con este mensaje: ”La representación, sin duda…continuará.

Translated (Machine): The theater can turn the stage into a temple and the performance space into something sacred. In South Asia, artists reverently touch the floor of the stage before stepping on it, an ancient tradition where the spiritual and the cultural intertwine.

This is my special tribute to the Temple of the Theater and what it represents, a noble cultural work that helps humanity to grow. Contemplated from the stage, we observe that majestic empty space, which acquires a double meaning. Of astonishment, but also of hope, with this message: ”The performance, without a doubt… will continue.

Technical Info: Nikon, varias ópticas

Book Photographer Of the Year: ‘ANTARCTICA: The Waking Giant’ by Sebastian Copeland (Germany)

Artist Statement: This book documents over a decade’s worth of trips on and around Antarctica. While the coast stirs up visions of a lost world, it is the interior that hints to another planet. I spent 84 days crossing its lifeless plateau with no help but skis and kites.

Temperatures never warmed above -35C, a challenge on everything, particularly the equipment. My research gave me a deeper perspective on the variations taking place at the hands of climate change. The images I bring back tell the story of a changing environment which spells the oncoming re-drawing of the world’s map, and all that it implicates.

Deeper Perspective Photographer Of the Year: ‘Exodus’ by Nicolo Filippo Rosso (Columbia)

Artist Statement: This project chronicles the epic journey of the Venezuelan migrants, driven by desperation and hunger, at the stake of forces beyond their control. Two years ago, I decided to document their story and self-funded the project Exodus.

Spending weeks, and months at a time, in some of the border areas, I traveled alongside migrants who call themselves ‘the walkers.’ They were taking a long journey from the eastern Colombian border, through the Andes, up to the capital city, Bogotá. This series of photographs is the result of the time spent with them.

Editorial / Press Photographer Of the Year: ‘Pro Democracy Demonstrations, Hong Kong: The Revolution of Our Time’ by Kiran Ridley (France)

Artist Statement: On June 9th 2019, an estimated one million people took to the streets of Hong Kong to march in protest to the government’s proposed Extradition Bill, allowing citizens to be extradited to mainland China for prosecution.

Since that day, Hong Kong has been plunged into a political crisis, with waves of demonstrations and violent clashes between Police and protestors with an alarming rise in the number of police brutality and misconduct allegations, as protests morphed into a wider call for democratic rights and freedom in the semi-autonomous city.

Technical Info: Canon EOS 1Dx Mark ii, Canon 24-70mm f2.8L

Event Photographer of the Year: ‘Elements’ by Katja Ogrin (United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Exploring the elements of live music performance such as water, fire, smoke and other pyro effects that enhance the visual impact for the viewing audience.

Fine Art Photographer of the Year: ‘Looking out from Within, 2020’ by Julia Fullerton-Batten (United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Looking Out from Within, 2020 Covid-19 came. Life changed. Probably irrevocably. I felt numb. Couldn’t stand around helpless. I decided to document the new daily existence of millions. I advertised my idea on social media and through my local paper in West London. The response was enormous. Imprisoned in their home, they gaze forlornly out of their window onto a different desolate world outside.

Technical Info: f5.6, 1/30th sec.

Nature Photographer Of the Year: ‘Black Mountain’ by Ari Rex (Australia)

Artist Statement: On January 2019 Canberra had one of the most spectacular lightning storms ever. It passed the city from West to East over the black mountains and continued towards Brindabella mountains.

Technical Info: Canon EOS 5D Mark iii 88mm, x16, 4″, f5.6, ISO 640

People Photographer Of the Year: ‘Odilo Lawiny – Handmade Soccer Balls’ by Brian Hodges (Australia)

Artist Statement: Miles from the main roads in rural Uganda, soccer balls bounce unevenly. Playing fields are arid, lush, weedy, sandy—any flattish space will do. Some feet are bare, others shod in fraying sneakers, boots, or rubber sandals. Yet children kick and chase handmade, lopsided balls with skill and abandon, competing for pride and joy—for the sheer pleasure of playing.

The balls are spun into being with whatever’s at hand: rag or sock, tire or bark, plastic bag or banana leaves. Made entirely of recuperated materials, they give another life to something that would otherwise just be thrown away.

Technical Info: Leica S

Special Photographer Of the Year: ‘The Silent Menace’ by Toby Heikkila (Canada)

Artist Statement: An eerily quiet downtown Calgary during what normally is rush hour. The only inhabitant, a silent menace. Unseen and invisible.

Technical Info: Sony, 7rm2, FE 55mm f1.8

Sports Photographer Of the Year: ‘Bodies of the NFL’ by Howard Schatz (United States)

Artist Statement: The body type informs what position a player plays. The position necessitates the body type All NFL players.

Still in Motion / Video Photographer Of the Year: ‘The Journey to the Land of Dreams’ by Iwona Podlasinska (Poland)

Artist Statement: The video is a series of moving pictures that tell the story of an imaginary journey to the wintry land of dreams. Children shown in the photos travel by horses, trains or on foot to finally reach the land of imagination. The video was created by Zaman Dizini with photos taken by Iwona Podlasi?ska.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Lensbaby Spark 2.0 lens makes you squeeze and tilt it to focus

30 Oct

Lensbaby has announced the Spark 2.0 lens and its design draws inspiration from the original Lensbaby launched in 2004. The new lens allows you to adjust the ‘sweet spot’ of focus by physically bending the lens across a wide range of angles. You can adjust where the spot of focus is across the entire frame.

The Spark 2.0 is a 50mm lens with a maximum f/2.5 aperture. With respect to the angle of tilt, Lensbaby states that it is 46mm. The manual focus lens can focus as close as 15″ (38cm). The lens includes a pair of elements in a single group and its total weight is 6.5 oz. (184g).

Image credit: Lothar Adamczyk

Lensbaby founder Craig Strong recorded a user guide video for the Lensbaby Spark 2.0, which can be seen below.

The original Spark 1.0 lens came out in 2012 and had a fixed f/5.6 aperture. The Spark 2.0, on the other hand, comes with the Sweet 50 lens attached, which has an aperture range of f/2.5-f/22, with its respective sweet spot size increasing as you decrease the aperture.

Image credit: Sharon Covert

Strong notes that you may need to enable shooting without a lens in your camera’s settings to shoot with the Lensbaby Spark 2.0. He recommends shooting in aperture priority mode. While your camera won’t communicate electronically with the lens, the camera will read the amount of light coming through the lens and set the exposure settings accordingly.

To focus the Spark 2.0, you squeeze the lens. If you pull the lens straight back toward the image sensor, the sweet spot of focus will remain in the center of the frame. As you tilt the lens, its area of focus moves toward the edge of the frame.

Image credit: Lee Manston

The Spark 2.0 is the first flexible Lensbaby lens available for mirrorless camera systems. The Spark 2.0 is available for a wide array of lens mounts: Canon EF (DSLR), Canon RF (mirrorless), Fuji X, Micro 4/3, Nikon F (DSLR), Nikon Z (mirrorless), Sony E (mirrorless) and Pentax K (DSLR). The Lensbaby Spark 2.0 ships with the Sweet 50 and costs $ 200 USD. You can view and purchase additional optic swaps here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Hasselblad firmware update adds Distance Meter, improved Interval Timer features to its X1D II 50C, 907X 50C cameras

30 Oct

Hasselblad has released a pair of firmware updates for its X1D II 50C and 907X 50C medium format cameras that adds, amongst other improvements, an on-screen distance scale for measuring focus and improved intervalometer features.

Firmware version 1.4.0 for both the X1D II 50C and 907X 50C adds a new Distance Scale feature that effectively recreates the distance scale that’s traditionally on the lens and overlays it on the liveview display. It can be set to metric or imperial units and will work with any XCD lens updated to the latest firmware.

Hasselblad has also improved the Interval Timer feature, adding the option to capture up to 1,000 frames (previously, the limit was 99 frames or ‘No Limit.’ When shooting between 2 and 25 frames you can select any number; from 25–100 you can select intervals of five; and from 100–1,000 you can select intervals of 50. The ‘No Limit’ option also remains.

Hasselblad has also added the ability to meter the exposure for every shot. Previously, the first image captured served as the baseline by which all subsequent images’ exposure settings were shot at. Now, the cameras will be able to meter for each individual frame, which should help when capturing timelapses in varying lighting conditions.

The firmware updated also improves compataibility with Hasselblad’s Phocus Mobile 2 app, improving live view quality and addressing a bug that prevented the camera from changing its white balance settings when changed inside the app. Other changes include an array of unspecified bug fixes.

You can download firmware version 1.4.0 for the X1D II 50C and 907X 50C on Hasselblad’s website (at the bottom of the page — note you will need to be logged into your Hasselblad account).

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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11 Easy Creative Photography Techniques You Can Try on Any Camera

29 Oct

The post 11 Easy Creative Photography Techniques You Can Try on Any Camera appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

A lot of photography techniques can be complex and require a steep learning curve.

But in today’s article, you’ll learn 11 easy creative photography techniques you can start using today! The techniques described below all require minimal extra equipment and don’t require additional post-processing.

Read on to get the most creativity from your camera with these easy-to-use techniques.

1. Reflection

easy creative photography techniques down low reflection
It’s worth getting down to a low angle for reflections.

This is an easy creative photography technique to learn and is popular among many photographers. The main requirement is finding a reflective surface, though this is not all there is to it. Consider the following, and you’ll be capturing amazing reflection photos in no time:

  • Reflective surface: Look for surfaces that reflect (and there are many). Flat water works well, as does glass, marble, or even a regular mirror.
  • Choose a main subject: A successful photo will match up a reflective surface with an interesting main subject. Consider going out after it’s rained, as a puddle in front of a famous monument may only be there after heavy rain.
  • Find the angle: To get a better reflection, choose the correct angle. This often means getting right up against the reflective surface so the angle of reflection is shallow.
  • Create your own: No reflective surface? No problem. Just create one! Use the surface of a smartphone, a small mirror, or perhaps a bucket that you use to spread water and create a puddle.
  • A filter: The best way to control your reflection is by using a circular polarizing filter.

2. Silhouettes

easy creative photography techniques silhouettes
Strong silhouettes work well against a horizon line.

The next option on this list of easy creative photography techniques is silhouettes.

Silhouettes occur when you photograph against the light. The key is to find an interesting shape, and then make sure the background is brighter than the object itself.

You’ll often need to get down to a low angle and then photograph up toward the sky; that way, you can ensure the silhouetted object stands out against the bright background.

Also, when photographing silhouettes, make sure you expose for the bright background. This will turn the subject into a dark silhouette.

3. Repetition

easy creative photography techniques lines and repetition pattern
Lines and repetition can make for a strong composition.

A great design element to add to your frame is repetition.

This is something you’ll usually need to look for, but it’s sometimes possible to create your own repetition. There are possibilities for this both in nature and in the man-made world. Repetition may take the form of a line of trees, or of many bricks in a wall. The question, then, is how you’ll use this repetition.

Here are a few ways you can work with repetition to improve your photos:

  • Create a texture photo: In this case, the high level of repetition forms a texture.
  • Break the pattern: Here everything else is the same, with one variation. This works well to highlight that variation, which will then be the photo’s main subject.
  • Use background repetition: Backgrounds with repetition work very well for portrait photos or still life images.
  • Two or three: You don’t need to have repetition to infinity; two or three repeating objects, such as wine glasses, can work well.

4. Refraction

easy creative photography techniques glasses
Wine glasses filled with water will produce refraction.

This is a form of photography that can be practiced with a camera as simple as a smartphone. You’re probably thinking of lensballs, but refraction photography can take many forms, including:

  • A lensball: This is a large glass ball that creates a refracted image of the background inside it.
  • A prism: A prism splits the light and can be used to produce a rainbow. You could either photograph the projected rainbow or photograph through the prism.
  • Water drops: Get out after it’s rained, and you can produce refraction in things such as water drops on a spider’s web.
  • A wine glass: Fill a wine glass with water, and you will see the refraction effect!

5. Contrast

easy creative photography techniques silhouettes
Contrast with silhouettes works really well.

Contrast is a great concept to use in your photography.

The most obvious way to use contrast is by emphasizing dark and light areas of your photo through things such as silhouettes and shadows. But this is not the only way contrast can be used in your photography; anything that has an opposite can be used. You might choose to contrast something old with something new, for example.

6. Framing

easy creative photography techniques cave entrance frame
Natural frames such as cave entrances are good frames.

The world is full of frames, from pictures on the wall to window frames. These frames can be used in photography, which is another easy creative photography technique.

You can achieve a great framed photo with any kind of camera. Good options for this include doorways and windows. You can even become more creative and make your own frame using objects that contextualize the scene behind it.

7. Panning

easy creative photography techniques panning
Bikes are the easiest moving object to try panning with.

Panning is a form of intentional camera movement. The technique involves following the motion of a moving object and using a slower shutter speed to blur the background behind it.

As long as your camera allows you to use a slow shutter speed, this is a technique you can try. Those using a smartphone should download an app that allows you to use a slower shutter speed to take a photo.

8. Point of view

easy creative photography techniques buildings from below
A worm’s-eye view can look amazing. This example also shows how lines and repetition can work in a photo.

Changing your angle can give you dramatically different results, and it doesn’t matter which type of camera you use for this technique.

It’s easy to photograph from a standing position, but try some of these alternative angles:

  • Low angle: With this angle, you’ll get low to the ground. Things look different from down there!
  • Worm’s-eye view: This angle involves looking straight up. It can be even more dramatic when you get right down to the ground.
  • Bird’s-eye view: The easiest way these days to take a bird’s-eye view image is with a drone. However, find a high vantage point from a tall building and you can achieve a similar result.

9. Lines

easy creative photography techniques lines
This photo shows several lines converging in the left third of the frame.

Using powerful lines in your photos will almost always give you a strong composition. The trick, of course, is to utilize those lines correctly using the focal length available to you.

Here are some of the lines that can be used in your photography:

  • Leading lines: A leading line leads the eye to the main subject of your photo. This line might take the form of a road or a river meandering through your frame.
  • Horizon lines: Many photographs have horizon lines in them, which is a strong line running through the middle of your frame. Look to position it at the top or bottom third of your photo (using the rule of thirds).
  • Converging lines: In some photos, many lines converge at one point: the infinity point. This can be compositionally very strong. Look for lines of trees or a tunnel for this type of photo.

10. Shadows

easy creative photography techniques shadows
The shadow in this photo shows an element of repetition, as well.

Photographing shadows requires a strong light source. This can be the sun, but an external flash is another option.

The best time of the day to photograph shadows is therefore when the sun is at a low angle: an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset.

Shadows can be formed and used in different ways. You might photograph a person’s shadow, shadows formed from trees, or the way shadows emphasize the shapes of hills.

11. Minimalism

boat minimalism
This minimalist photo uses a bird’s-eye view taken from a bridge.

Keeping your composition nice and clean is the key to a good photo. This means that one of the best easy creative photography techniques is minimalism.

You can create minimalism even in the most cluttered environment as long as you frame your photo correctly. This style of photography requires that you give your subject some room to breathe. Focus on the main subject and position it in front of an uncluttered background.

Try out these easy creative photography techniques, yourself!

There are so many ways to be creative with photography. Which techniques do you like to use? Are there any simple-to-apply techniques you’ve tried that didn’t make this list? Share your thoughts in the comments!

And if you have any photos that illustrate these techniques, share them in the comments, too!

Then get photographing with these easy creative photography techniques!

The post 11 Easy Creative Photography Techniques You Can Try on Any Camera appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.


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DPReview TV: Canon EOS R6 firmware update 1.1.1 – Did they fix the overheating?

29 Oct

Canon recently announced an EOS R6 firmware update to address overheating issues. Does firmware 1.1.1 improve the camera’s video performance? Quite a bit, it turns out.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

  • Introduction
  • Our previous R6 experience
  • Continuous recording test
  • The 'ice pack' test
  • Intermittent recording test
  • Key takeaways
  • Our real fake promotion!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Insta360 ONE X2 is an image-stabilized 5.7K 360-degree camera that fits in your pocket

29 Oct

Insta360 has announced the ONE X2, a new waterproof 360-degree camera that features stabilized 5.7K recording, a round touchscreen display and built-in editing tools.

The overall shape of the ONE X2 is similar to the Insta360 ONE X, but instead of a black and white OLED display, the ONE X2 features a full-color display that can be used to both compose your shots and navigate through the camera’s settings.

The ONE X2 features four shooting modes: 360, Steady Cam, InstaPano and MultiView. In 360 mode, the camera will capture and stitch together a 5.7K 360-degree video. Steady Cam makes it possible to compose your shot — from the whole 360-degree view — and capture digitally-stabilized video that’s ready to share off the bat. InstaPano is a new mode that captures full panoramas of a scene with a single tap. Lastly, MultiView allows you to capture two angles at once, enabling you to capture both the scene in front of you as well as yourself in two separate videos.

Powering the image stabilization in both the 360 and Steady Cam shooting modes is Insta360’s updated FlowState technology, which is now ‘better than ever’ with improved stabilization performance. Also new is Deep Track, a new algorithm-powered feature that makes it easy to track subjects with a voice command or tap of the screen. Once the video is offloaded into the Insta360 app or Insta360 Studio, the program will automatically adjsut the video to track humans, animals and other moving objects, keeping them in the center of the frame.

Insta360 has also improved the Shot Lab functionality inside its app, making it easier to create videos with a single tap using built-in templates such as Dolly Zoom, Stop Motion and more.

The ONE X2 is IPX8 rated, meaning you can use it without a case down to 10m (33ft) and down to 45m 9148ft) with the optional Dive Case. To help improve the quality of underwater images, Insta360 has included AquaVision, a specialized shooting mode that auto-balances colors to create a more natural-looking scene. For low-light situations, the ONE X2 features PureShot, a mode that will capture and merge multiple images to increase dynamic range and reduce noise.

Insta360 has packed inside a larger (compared to the Insta360 ONE) 1630mAh battery, which is rated for shooting up to 80 minutes.

Being we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic, Insta360 has also added a webcam option for video conferencing apps such as Zoom, Google Hangouts and more. The usual live video streaming features for Facebook, YouTube and other platforms is also available.

The Insta360 ONE X2 is available to order today through Insta360’s online shop and authorized retailers (Adorama, B&H) for $ 430.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Fujifilm releases major 4.00 firmware update for X-T3, bringing dramatic autofocus improvements

29 Oct

As it said it would at the beginning of October, Fujifilm has released a firmware update for its XT3 camera that it claims will dramatically improve autofocus performance.

Firmware version 4.00 for the XT-3 claims to triple the autofocus speed from 0.06 seconds down to 0.02 seconds, bringing it in line with the autofocus speed of the newer X-T4. The algorithm that predicts the location of subjects has also been improved, according tot he changelog.

Overall autofocus tracking performance has been doubled (compared to firmware version 3.30), with faster and more accurate subject acquisition. Both Eye AF and Face Tracking have also been given a performance boost with this firmware, doubling the tracking speed according to Fujifilm.

As noted in its initial announcement, this firmware also allows for autofocus performance down to -7 EV when using the new Fujifilm XF 50mm F1 and adds a focus limited option for pre-determining specific focus ranges.

Although much less exciting, the Fujifilm X-H1 has also received a firmware update (version 2.11) that addresses minor bugs.

You can download and find out more information about firmware version 4.00 for the Fujifilm X-T3 and firmware version 2.11 for the Fujifilm X-H1 on Fujifilm’s website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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A photo history quiz tests the impact of color on guessing when images were captured

29 Oct

Does how we place an image in history depend upon its presentation? A new quiz (and experiment) by Matt Daniels and Jan Diehm aims to test this question. The quiz, published on The Pudding, shows users a series of five images captured in the United States during the last century and asks you to estimate the year the photo was taken.

We recommend taking the quiz before reading the rest of this article to preserve the integrity of the data results.

The quiz shows some images in color, and others in black and white. In some cases, the black and white image has been digitally altered from its original color presentation. Daniels and Diehm want to know if users estimate the age of the same image in black and white as being older than that image in color.

The pair were inspired to construct the experiment after reading this tweet from Hannah Beachler, Academy Award Winning production designer. In her tweet, Beachler shared a series of color photos from the Civil Rights movement and posited that showing this important period in American History as digitally altered black and white images leads people to believe it took place longer ago than it did, which may very well impact the general societal conception of the movement, particularly among a younger generation.

Daniels and Diehm write, ‘How we view history is largely defined by the aesthetics we associate with each period. When you were dating the photos, you probably looked for context clues — what people were wearing, if there were any familiar buildings, and if you recognized any faces. You were probably also looking at color…we wanted to test how color does or does not warp our perception of time.’

On the results page, you see the five photos you were shown again, this time with the color original and black and white versions. You then see how your guess compares against the average guesses for both the color and black and white versions. For example, one of the images I was shown in color was captured in 1987. In this case, users shown the same photo in black and white guessed that it is seven years older than it is. This same gap was present in another photo I was shown in color.

You can also view an additional series of images others saw when they took the quiz. In some cases, users guessed that the black and white versions were upwards of 14 years older than the same image in color. In the case of every image, participants guessed that the black and white version was older.

The photo, typically visible to the left in color (top) and black and white (bottom) has been removed. Here we can see that the average guess when presented the black and white version of the image is seven years older than the same image in color. While the difference varies, this pattern is consistent.

Color photography has been around for a long time, since the 19th century in fact, but its mainstream adoption lagged far behind for decades. While The Milwaukee Journal first printed a color image in 1891, many newspapers were very slow to follow suit. Even in 1993, when The New York Times wrote ‘newspapers’ adoption of color nearly complete,’ there were still newspapers in North America printing exclusively in black and white.

Given the results of the quiz, it appears that the presentation of an image does impact how users place the photograph in historical context. Further study, repeated testing and peer review are needed to produce definitive conclusions, but Daniels and Diehm intend to build analysis in the future.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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A visual and auditory journey through the shutter sounds of vintage film cameras

28 Oct

Photographer Ace Noguera has published a video highlighting not only the great style of vintage cameras but also their distinct shutter sounds. It’s a satisfying watch and listen.

Of his video, Noguera told DPReview, ‘The video came from an idea I’ve had for a while, to simply showcase how shutter sounds and technology has changed over the years. I thought it would be cool and entertaining to put it in a visual format and share with others how not only designs have changed over the years, but how we’ve been able to integrate electronics to help automate how we take photos.’

In total, the video below showcases the look and sound of nine cameras, dating back to the 1940s. The cameras come from Noguera’s collection with some additions from his friend, Patch Agan. It’s fascinating to hear how shutter sounds have changed over the years. There’s something particularly satisfying about the Olympus Trip XB3 from 1996.

While the video isn’t overly comprehensive in the cameras it covers, Noguera assures us there are more shutter sounds on the way, telling us, ‘I do plan on making another video that will also include some digital cameras as well as just further show the advancement in the tech and design of cameras. I plan to somewhat pick up where this video left off and showcase the next 20 years of sounds and cameras.’

Noguera hopes to record medium format cameras as well. He continues, ‘I think it would be awesome to be able to record some medium format cameras like the iconic Pentax 67 or even the modern medium format like Hasselblads as well.’ Hopefully, some photographers near Noguera in Atlanta will be able to help him out.

To see more from Noguera, follow him on Instagram and check out his YouTube channel. On his YouTube channel, you will find tutorials, lens reviews and much more.

Do you have a favorite camera shutter sound? Do you miss the physical shutter sound when using an electronic shutter in many modern cameras? Let us know in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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