RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Bokeh’

Lensbaby releases the ‘Velvet 28,’ a wide-angle prime with ‘dreamy’ bokeh

23 Apr

Lensbaby has made available its latest lens, the Velvet 28. As the name suggests, it’s a 28mm F2.5 lens is a wide-angle lens available for a slew of full-frame and APS-C camera systems.

Like other focal lengths in its ‘Velvet’ lineup, the 28mm lens adds a ‘velvety glow’ to images when shot wide open. As the lens is stopped down, the effect becomes less pronounced. The lens is constructed of eight elements in seven groups, features a 12-blade aperture diaphragm, uses a 67mm front filter thread and also can also capture 1:2 ratio macro photos, with a minimum focusing distance of 14cm (5.5”).

Below is a sample gallery of images, provided by Lensbaby:

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_1740231162″,”galleryId”:”1740231162″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

The lens is offered in Canon EF, Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F, Nikon Z and Sony E mounts. While the dimensions and weight does differ slightly from mount to mount, it weighs roughly 600g (1.35lbs) and measures in at approximately 72mm (2.85”) by 89mm (3.5”). The Lensbaby Velvet 28mm F2.5 is currently available to purchase for $ 550 on Lensbaby’s online store, as well as Adorama and B&H.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Lensbaby releases the ‘Velvet 28,’ a wide-angle prime with ‘dreamy’ bokeh

Posted in Uncategorized

 

DPReview TV: Fun with bokeh

09 Apr

Photographers throw the word ‘bokeh’ around a lot, but what exactly is it? Our resident mad scientist, Don Komarechka, takes us on a ride through a bokeh-rific world of creative possibilities.

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

  • Introduction
  • What is bokeh?
  • Bokeh shapes
  • Trioplan 100 bokeh
  • 100mm triplet projector lens bokeh
  • Take apart a lens and put it together backward
  • Using bokeh in composition
  • Using bokeh in video
  • Conclusion
  • Wait… just one more thing!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on DPReview TV: Fun with bokeh

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Huawei’s Mate 30 Pro offers quad-camera array, 4K60 video, cinematic bokeh and more

20 Sep

Today, Huawei unveiled the Mate 30 Pro at a launch event in Munich, Germany. The device is Huawei’s latest flagship and much like Apple’s presentation last week, there was a strong emphasis on the imaging capabilities of the device.

Mate 30 Pro

At the heart of the Mate 30 Pro smartphones is the Kirin 990 processor, a chipset that will come in 4G and 5G versions for various markets. This marks the first time we’ve seen the Kirin 990 in a device and carries on the trend of Huawei putting its latest, most advanced chipset in its Mate series smartphones.

The screen on the Mate 30 Pro is a 6.53-inch curved OLED ‘Horizon’ display with a resolution of 2,400 x 1,176 pixels. The ‘Horizon’ nickname refers to the wrap-around screen, which covers the edges of the device and serves as a means of changing settings via virtual buttons on the sides of the device.

On the imaging front, the Mate 30 Pro feature a Leica-branded camera unit on the rear of the devices that features four cameras: a 40-megapixel super-wide-angle camera with an F1.8 aperture and a 1/1.7-inch sensor (17mm 35mm equivalent), a wide-angle image-stabilized 40-megapixel wide-angle camera with an F1.6 aperture and 1/1.7-inch sensor (27mm 35mm equivalent), an image-stabilized 8-megapixel 3x telephoto camera with an F2.4 aperture (80mm 35mm equivalent) as well as a time-of-flight (ToF) camera for improved depth-sensing.

Considering the image processing capabilities of the Kirin 990 chipset, it shouldn’t come as a surprise the Mate 30 Pro will feature impressive photo and video capabilities. In addition to 4K video at 60 frames per second, the phones can also capture slo-mo 1080p video at up to 960 fps and 720p video at up to 7,680 fps. Huawei also showed off a 4K HDR+ time-lapse function with up to 12-hours of recording as well as a real-time ‘cinematic bokeh’ mode for video.

The front-facing selfie camera is a whopping 32-megapixels and will work with a number of AR photo and video features within the operating system (OS) and third-party applications, including new gesture-control functionality.

Speaking of the operating system, the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro both run on EMUI 10, a Huawei-created OS that takes a great deal of inspiration from Google’s latest mobile operating system Android 10. After being blacklisted by the United States government over security concerns, Huawei announced it was investing $ 1 billion into its operating system and app ecosystem. The Mate 30 Pro (and the Mate 30, which we’ve addressed below) are the first devices to use this new system.

Tucked inside the device is a 4500mAh battery that supports Huawei SuperCharge up to 40W and wireless charging up to 27W.

The Mate 30 Pro will come in six colors: silver, green, purple, black and two vegan leather options— green and orange. The device is IP68 water- and dust-resistant.

Mate 30

Alongside the flagship Mate 30 Pro, Huawei also announced the more budget-friendly Mate 30. The Mate 30 features a slightly larger display but a decreased resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels. It also swaps out the 40-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera for a 16-megapixel sensor and a slower F2.2 aperture, removes the ToF sensor the Mate 30 Pro offers and shrinks the battery to 4,200mAh.

Video from the camera modules is also limited in the Mate 30; 4K video can still be shot at 60 fps, but slo-mo is limited to 960 fps in 720p. Interestingly enough, Huawei has included a 3.5mm headphone jack in the Mate 30 while ditching it for the Mate 30 Pro, so if you want wired audio, you’re better off with the Mate 30.

Pricing and availability

The Huawei Mate 30 will be available with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage starting at €799. The Mate 30 Pro will feature 8GB of storage as well, but boost internal storage to 256GB starting at €1099 for the 4G model and €1199 for the 5G model. Regional availability was not disclosed as of publishing this article.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Huawei’s Mate 30 Pro offers quad-camera array, 4K60 video, cinematic bokeh and more

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Video: This rare projector lens has been deemed the ‘Swirly Bokeh Emperor’

22 Aug

Photographer Mathieu Stern of the Weird Lenses Museum has published another video showcasing an old projector lens used with a 3D-printed adapter to shoot a video featuring beautiful, crazy — and in this case, swirly — bokeh.

As with the projector lens video Stern published earlier this year, the latest project involves an old projector lens designed for cinema projectors. Stern explains on YouTube that he paid €2 for the lens at a flea market, later determining that it is an ‘extremely rare’ Cinestar 75mm F1.9 model.

View this post on Instagram

New video is on YouTube ! Reviewing an insane swirly bokeh lens ( DIY) Check the link in my bio to see my YouTube channel #vintagelens #bokeh #bokehphotography #bokeh_kings #swirlybokeh #bokehphotofan #igersparis #bokehlicious #swirly #portraitmode #green

A post shared by Mathieu Stern (@mathieustern) on

Stern used a 3D-printed adapter to insert the lens into a helicoid ring, enabling him to focus the lens. The ring was then used with an M42 to E-mount adapter for use with a Sony A7III camera. The result, Stern says, ‘Is the most amazing swirly bokeh I [have ever] seen.’

Stern showcases a number of unusual lenses on his website, including one that he made using ice from an iceberg.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Video: This rare projector lens has been deemed the ‘Swirly Bokeh Emperor’

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Kickstarter campaign presents Bokeh, a platform for privately sharing images

09 May

A Kickstarter campaign seeks funding for Bokeh, a new photo sharing platform that enables users to privately share images with friends and family. Bokeh is presented as an alternative to traditional social media services, offering users a focus on privacy and a lack of ‘creepy ads,’ according to Bokeh creator Tim Smith.

Bokeh is an ad-free image sharing service where accounts are set to private by default (the option exists to make them public), accounts are only searchable by username, and followers are hidden from public view. The platform includes features to help keep content private and users safe, such as an automatic prompt to block a user after their follow requests have been declined three times.

The Boken interface resembles Twitter profiles, at least based on the Kickstarter previews. Rather than selling user data and showing advertisements to fund the platform, Bokeh will charge users a fee to use the service. Individual accounts will cost $ 3/month with the option to pay $ 30 per year. Family accounts (up to five users) will be offered for $ 5/month or $ 50 per year.

Smith explains in his campaign:

I believe that your data shouldn’t be mined to sell you targeted ads, that your timeline should be chronological and not based on some algorithm, that tech CEOs shouldn’t allow hate groups to flourish on their platforms, and that we need more social networks that are privacy-focused and ethically sustained.

The Kickstarter funds would be earmarked to develop the service. As with any crowdfunding campaign, there are risks involved and a final product may never reach the market.

Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Kickstarter campaign presents Bokeh, a platform for privately sharing images

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Video: This $100 projector lens has beautiful bokeh and is perfect for portraits

02 Apr

Photographer and YouTuber Mathieu Stern is no stranger to finding and adapting unusual lenses, but his latest find might just be the best projector lens he’s ever come across.

The Isco MC 65mm F2 lens, which can be found for around $ 100 on eBay, is an old projector lens that was used for 35m cinema projectors. As with most previous projector lenses Stern has adapted, there was no official way to adapt it to a modern lens mount. So, Stern got creative and used a little bit of rubber from a bike inner tube along with the barrel of an Helios 44 lens to create a worthwhile body for the adapted lens. From there, Stern used a proper adapter to give the lens infinity focus and it was ready to roll.

Surprisingly, the lens produces impressive results in both photos and video, despite its limitation of being permanently stuck at F2 due to the lack of an aperture diaphragm. In the center, it appears to be sharp, but it does get soft quickly towards the edges. Colors render beautifully and the bokeh looks both distinct and pleasing.

Sure, it might not have the best resolution, but it certainly has a distinct look and considering it only costs $ 100, a few spare parts and a little elbow grease, it’s relatively cheap. To see more unusual lenses from Stern’s collection, head over to his Weird Lenses Museum.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Video: This $100 projector lens has beautiful bokeh and is perfect for portraits

Posted in Uncategorized

 

DPTH app applies simulated bokeh effect to any image

04 Mar

Artificial bokeh modes in smartphone camera apps that simulate a shallow depth of field are getting better and better, but there are still a lot of older devices around that don’t offer the feature. Equally, the users of bokeh-mode-equipped phones might have images on their camera roll that were captured in standard mode and could benefit from a simulated depth treatment.

In both cases the new DPTH app should be worth a closer look. Its makers promise the app can add adjustable depth of field and 3D photo effects to any image, whether taken on a single lens device or captured on a triple-cam high-end smartphone. The app uses artificial intelligence to detect foreground and background elements in an image and create a depth map which is then used for creating the effects.

The makers of the app don’t provide much information about how exactly how the process works but the demo video below gives you an idea of what the final results can look like. The app is available for iOS and Android devices and uses a subscription model, either $ 1.49 per month or $ 7.49 per year. A free trial is available. Head over to the DPTH website for app store links.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on DPTH app applies simulated bokeh effect to any image

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Apple has turned ‘bokeh’ into a verb (and taken a stance on how it’s pronounced)

20 Feb

According to Merriam-Webster, bokeh is a noun that means ‘the blurred quality or effect seen in the out-of-focus portion of a photograph taken with a narrow depth of field.’ Apple, however, has different plans.

In a recent video advertisement, Apple has turned the word bokeh into a verb, ‘bokeh’d.’ Not only has Apple turned bokeh into a verb, it’s also taken a stance on how the Japanese term is pronounced, a widely debated topic. Based on the video, Apple’s pronunciation of choice is ‘bok-uh,’ a departure from the Japanese pronunciation which sounds more along the lines of ‘bow-kayh.’

The advert itself is humorous regardless of your pronunciation preference and, for better or worse, Apple’s ‘verbing’ of the word bokeh may very well become a universally accepted.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Apple has turned ‘bokeh’ into a verb (and taken a stance on how it’s pronounced)

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Video: Old projector lens adapter to A7 III body surprisingly makes for beautiful photos, bokeh

24 Jan

In pursuit of something different Mathieu Stern, who runs the Weird Lens Museum website, has adapted an old projector lens to fit on the front of his Sony a7 lll.

The lens he used is a Rollei 90mm f/2.4 MC that would have originally been fitted to a 35mm slide projector. Mathieu says he found the lens without its projector in a yard sale, and paid $ 5 for it. In the three minute video above Mathieu shows the lens in action and a number of photos captured in the sun that seem to have well controlled flare and low contrast.

As the lens has no iris the aperture can’t be varied from F2.4, but based on the results he attained, that doesn’t appear to be a problem. Mathieu discovered the lens fit perfectly into a M52 helicoidal tube which then allowed him to vary the apparent length of the lens so he could focus at a normal range of distances.

The helicoidal tube has an M42 screw mount, so all he needed to do then was find an M42 to Sony E mount adapter so the whole kit would fit on his a7 lll. Sure, it’s not the most elegant solution, but it got the job done. Below is a gallery of images captured with the setup and shared with permission from Mathieu.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_1210874026″,”galleryId”:”1210874026″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

To find more of Mathieu’s work, head over to his website and YouTube Channel.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Video: Old projector lens adapter to A7 III body surprisingly makes for beautiful photos, bokeh

Posted in Uncategorized

 

iPhone XS: How does the variable bokeh effect compare to a real lens?

04 Dec

One of the key new features of Apple’s latest iPhones is the ability to adjust the ‘bokeh effect’ on portrait images, after they’ve been taken. But, as well as letting you adjust the intensity of the effect, the function has been enhanced to more accurately represent the bokeh characteristics of a real lens, rather than just trying to blur the background.

Every time you shoot an image using the 56mm-equivalent F2.4 portrait camera on the iPhone XS you have the choice of editing the bokeh effect. This brings up a scale marked in F-numbers. This may sound like Apple just borrowing an interface from the real-world (a process called skeuomorphism), but it goes beyond this: the company says it’s modeled the bokeh characteristics to mimic the behavior of a Zeiss lens.

We thought we’d put this to the test: how convincingly does the iPhone XS resemble a real-world lens? Is the F-number scale anything more than a pastiche? To find out, we shot the XS alongside the Nikkor 58mm F1.4, mounted on a full frame camera.

iPhone XS vs Nikon 58mm at F1.4

iPhone XS image processed as ‘F1.4’ Nikkor 58mm at F1.4

Scaling the Nikon image down to the same width, you can see the bokeh is around the right size:

Then, when you look at the bokeh off-center, you’ll see it develops an elongated ‘cat-eye’ effect.

iPhone XS vs Nikon 58mm at F8

iPhone XS image processed as ‘F8’ Nikkor 58mm at F8

Just as with the real lens, the cat-eye effect diminishes as you ‘stop down.’ And Apple has given its bokeh a smooth, fairly gaussian look, rather than the slightly bright-edged bokeh that Nikon has produced, being constrained by the limitations of things such as glass and physics.

Unlike the ‘real’ camera, the iPhone’s sharpness doesn’t always drop-off smoothly: for instance it’s blurred both shoulders and the subject’s scarf, despite the nearer being in a similar plane to the face.

However, while this doesn’t always looks natural, the phone is intentionally ensuring that the subject’s face remains entirely in focus, which is usually a good thing. And, unlike the $ 1600 Nikkor lens, it doesn’t become a little soft and dreamy when set to ‘F1.4.’

Equally, because the iPhone isn’t actually changing its aperture, you don’t find yourself with less light if you want more depth of field (the iPhone portrait camera’s actual depth of field is F15 equivalent, so there’s plenty that’s in focus in the underlying ‘native’ image), so you don’t have to worry so much about camera shake or subject movement.

The end result isn’t going to convince anyone if they look too closely (the processing has cut-off some of the fine hairs, for instance), but for social media use, it’s hard to deny that the effect is impressive. And we have to assume this technology will only get smarter and more powerful in future generations.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on iPhone XS: How does the variable bokeh effect compare to a real lens?

Posted in Uncategorized

 
« Older Entries