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Posts Tagged ‘claim’

Apple removes claim that its Pro Display XDR goes ‘far beyond HDR’ in the UK

12 Apr

Following a complaint and subsequent review by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK, Apple has changed the marketing for its $ 5,000 Pro Display XDR. Per 9to5Mac, the ASA asked Apple to remove the term ‘Far beyond HDR’ from its marketing materials for its flagship display, a request which Apple abided, at least in the UK. In the US, the phrase ‘Far beyond HDR’ remains live.

The phrase ‘Far beyond HDR’ has become a sticking point because some customers believe it’s misleading. The Pro Display XDR displays 99% of the P3 wide color gamut, and complaints have alleged that the term ‘Far beyond HDR’ suggests that the display shows 100% of the P3 color gamut.

On Apple’s US store, the term ‘Far beyond HDR’ remains present.

In response to the complaints, Apple has taken two steps. It has removed ‘Far beyond HDR’ from its UK website, as mentioned. Still, Apple has also added a footnote following the sentence, ‘A P3 wide color gamut provides a color palette capable of creating the most vibrant imagery.’ This footnote corresponds to small text at the bottom of the product page, which states, ‘Pro Display XDR supports 99% of the P3 wide color gamut.’ No such footnote currently exists on the product page in the US.

On the other hand, in the UK, the term ‘Far beyond HDR’ has been removed.

The ASA has also taken issue with Apple’s claim that its XDR display has a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. As of now, that claim remains on Apple’s website. 9 to 5 Mac reports that Apple is having independent tests completed, which Apple hopes will corroborate its contrast ratio claim.

As you can see in this screenshot from Apple’s US store, there’s no footnote about color space performance on the Pro Display XDR’s product page.

On the ASA’s website, the complaint against Apple is listed as informally resolved. Since the complaints were in the UK, they have no impact on Apple’s obligations in other markets.

When Apple first announced the Pro Display XDR in 2019, the California-based company made many lofty claims. Some of them can be verified, such as claims about color space and contrast ratio, while others are more difficult to confirm.

In the UK, however, the text in the ‘Show your truest colors’ section now includes a footnote that corresponds to the text, ‘Pro Display XDR supports 99% of the P3 wide color gamut.’ Click to enlarge.

For example, Apple says the Pro Display XDR is the ‘world’s best pro display.’ What does that even mean? It likely means something different to different users. For what it’s worth, reviews for the display have been generally very positive, with many claiming that the display features incredible build quality and fantastic performance.

Apple’s popularity and position mean that the company attracts a lot of attention, not all of it positive. The company is no stranger to complaints, investigations and general government oversight across the many markets it operates. It’s merely part of doing business, big business in Apple’s case. Does Apple’s Pro Display XDR go ‘far beyond HDR?’ Well, I guess that depends on who, or rather, where you ask.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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KUVRD’s new Universal Lens Hoods claim to fit 99% of lenses

12 Sep

Photography accessory manufacturer KUVRD has announced a crowdfunding campaign for its latest product, the Universal Lens Hood. As its name suggests, the new product is a collapsible silicone lens hood that KUVRD says will fit 99% of lenses.

The Universal Lens Hood is the result of more than seven iterations, with the final version being put through ‘rigorous field testing in varying temperatures’ to ensure it’s ready to take on the elements. The product, which comes in two sizes — Small (54mm) and Medium (72mm) — is made of a ‘hyper-elastic silicone polymer,’ not unlike the material used to make the company’s stretchable lens caps released back in 2017.

The Universal Lens Hood can be expanded forward and collapsed backwards to precisely fit your needs without getting in the way and the lint-resistant coating should ensure you’re not left with dirt and fuzzies stuck all over it as tends to happen with silicone products.

An illustration showing what size filter will fit inside the Small and Medium Universal Lens Hoods.

Beyond near-universal lens compatibility, the hoods also serve as a way to hold nearly any size of circular filter on the market by squeezing them between the inner-walls of the hood. This can further save space in your bag by reducing the need for step down rings and ensures you can by a single, large VND, ND, CPL or UV filter for use with even your smallest lenses.

Although it might be a stretch (see what I did there) the Universal Lens Hoods can also be used as a placemats of sorts to keep your gear safe and off rough terrain when you need to switch out a lens or replace the batteries.

The Universal Lens Hood has already far surpassed its humble $ 5,000 funding goal with nearly $ 180,000 in pledges as of publishing this article. You can purchase the Small and Medium Universal Lens Hoods in packs of one, two, three and four for $ 30, $ 50, $ 75 and $ 100, respectively. To find out more and to secure your pledge, head on over to the Kickstarter campaign.

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)

 
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NiSi Optics’ new 150mm Explorer Collection ND filters claim to be twice as durable as other filters

06 Jun

NiSi Optics USA has launched its new 150mm Explorer Collection of square neutral density (ND) filters, which it claims are twice as strong as other glass filters on the market thanks to a ‘special glass hardening process.’

The 150mm Explorer Collection is identical to its 100mm predecessor in all but size and work with any of NiSi Optics USA’s S5 and Q system 150mm filter holders. Like the 100mm options, the 150mm Explorer Collection is made from B270 tempered glass and includes the following 2mm-thick filters: 10-stop ND1000, 6-stop ND64, 3-stop ND8, 3-stop ND8 Medium Graduated ND and 2-stop ND4 Reverse Graduated ND.

What sets the Explorer Collection apart from other glass filters on the market is their durability. NiSi Optics USA says it treats the filters via a ‘special glass hardening process’ that doubles the strength of the glass with ‘no visible loss of image quality.’ While that sounds like quite the claim, the above video appears to back up the claims.

Each of the five filters in the 150mm Explorer Collection retails for $ 198 and is currently available to purchase through NiSi Optics USA online shop and authorized retailers.

Press release:

NISI 150MM EXPLORER COLLECTION FILTER RANGE

Hardened Glass Filters Now Available for The 150mm System

NiSi Optics USA have just launched the brand new 150mm Explorer Collection of neutral density filters which are compatible with all of our 150mm filter holder systems including very popular S5 filter holders and Q filter holders.?

The new range of 150mm Explorer Collection filters include the 10 Stop ND1000, 6 Stop ND64, 3 Stop ND8, 3 Stop ND8 Medium Graduated ND and 2 Stop ND4 Reverse Graduated ND. The Explorer Collection range of filters can be used in combination with the 150mm optical glass range of neutral density filters. Each filter in the NiSi 150mm Explorer Collection is priced at USD$ 198.?

When it comes to durability, the NiSi Explorer Collection filters are stronger thanks to the special glass hardening process that makes them up to double the strength of typical glass filter. For photographers shooting in more adventurous situations and harsher landscapes, the Explorer Collection filters may be the better choice when compared to our optical glass filters as they offer increased durability that will provide a great investment over time.

While using the NiSi Explorer Collection filter range, there is no visible loss of image quality when compared to the NiSi range of optical glass filters. The proprietary manufacturing methods used by NiSi ensure there will be no impact on visible image quality when using the tempered glass within the NiSi Explorer Collection series of filters.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Former Facebook employees claim Instagram hid ‘likes’ to increase post frequency

12 Dec

A new report claims on behalf of three former Facebook employees that Instagram is hiding ‘likes’ as an experiment to determine whether doing so will get users to post more content. The theory, according to CNBC, is that users who receive few likes on their content may not post as often out of a sense of embarrassment. By hiding likes, Instagram may remove the psychological barrier preventing many users from frequently posting.

Over the course of its test this year, Instagram repeatedly presented its decision to hide likes as an effort to ‘depressurize’ the platform, reduce cyberbullying, and help users focus on the subjects and people who interest them. By hiding likes, the company has said, Instagram will feel less like a popularity contest.

The anonymous sources speaking to CNBC claim that it was parent company Facebook’s research that spurred the hidden likes test. The social media company allegedly found that removing public like counts resulted in Instagram users posting more often.

One source claims that Facebook’s research showed users were deleting or hiding posts that didn’t receive many likes, among other things. Whereas the lack of publicly visible likes helps users feel less self-conscious when their content doesn’t get much attention, the delivery of like and comment notifications to these same users may provide an incentive for them to post more often.

Instagram is allegedly aware of the fact that hidden ‘likes’ may have a negative impact on influencers by reducing the amount of engagement on their posts, but the sources claim that Facebook isn’t terribly concerned due to the lack of adequate competing services these influencers have available to them. This may not matter for the company in the long run if enough users start posting often enough to noticeably boost ad revenue, potentially making up for any negative effects on influencers.

The question remains over whether the ‘depressurized’ nature of a publicly like-free Instagram will lead to the more habitual use of the platform among some users, potentially paving the way for an uptick in ‘Instagram addiction’ cases. If a sense of peer pressure is causing many users to inherently moderate their use of the platform, removing that psychological barrier may have some unwanted consequences.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Officials say Apple’s claim of ‘studio quality’ portraits on iPhone X, Xs isn’t misleading

05 Dec

Two challenges to Apple’s claim that its iPhone X can shoot studio quality portraits have been turned down by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The complainants took issue with Apple’s advertising line that the phone could deliver ‘Studio-quality portraits […] Without the studio’ and believed consumers would misled, but after an investigation the ASA found that the statement was fair.

The basis of the findings is that there isn’t clear definition of what ‘studio quality’ means, and that there is a wide variety of talent in the studio photography industry that meant that the term didn’t necessarily indicate that a ‘studio quality’ portrait was a good one. Rather, the ASA agreed with Apple that the Portrait Lighting effects, the depth-of-field mimicking software and the inclusion of a standard, instead of a wide, focal length meant that the characteristics of a ‘studio’ portrait could be achieved. The investigation also found that the effects shown in the Apple adverts could indeed be produced with the phone at the time of shooting or post capture.

The ruling might seem a smack in the face to the portrait business and to undermine respect for the profession, but photographers are perhaps becoming victims of our own well-worn stock phrases such as ‘the best camera is the one you have with you’. While there is no clear measure of what ‘studio quality’ means, skill and vison are required to create a good portrait and as we all know ‘it’s the archer not the arrow’ – though Apple forgot to mention that bit.

The fact is that smart phones are genuinely becoming better and better at taking pictures, and their developers are devising features and functions well ahead of those traditional camera makers offer. These features often exist to compensate for the physical limitations of the tiny camera units, but they also put incredible flexibility into the hands of the user. At every turn in history the advances of smaller formats have been opposed by ‘proper’ photographers, but that has done nothing to prevent the inevitable progress of the convenience and popularisation of photography. You would be mad to buy an iPhone X to start your portrait business however, as a decent interchangeable lens camera can be had for less than the same price – with change to use a pay phone.

For more information on the complaint, the investigation and the ruling see the Advertising Standards Authority website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Capitol Hill photographers asked to delete protest images, claim journalists

27 Jul
Photo by Phil Roeder, licensed under Creative Commons

Journalists photographing a protest in the US Capitol building report that they were told by Capitol Police to delete photos and videos of arrests. The events unfolded yesterday in the third floor Senate wing of the building as demonstrators protested the vote that would begin an effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

As police handcuffed and removed protestors from the hallway outside of the Senate chambers, journalists were reportedly told by police to stop taking photos, and were instructed to delete photos and videos they had captured.

Official policy for press in the Senate Gallery states that photography is indeed prohibited in that area. However, the ACLU spoke up to remind press that police may not force anyone to delete a photo or video without a warrant, no matter the circumstances.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Hoya HD3 lens filters claim to be 4x stronger than optical glass

27 Aug

Kenko Tokina USA recently announced the Hoya HD3 series UV and Circular Polarizer lens filters. According to the company, the filters are 4 times stronger than optical glass, and offer a 99.7 percent light transmission rate. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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