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Posts Tagged ‘claims’

New FTC rule will penalize companies making false ‘Made in USA’ claims on their products

12 Jul

On July 1st, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a new rule that will penalize companies making false or misleading claims about where their products are manufactured. As a result, marketing departments slapping the ‘Made in USA’ label on their products, and advertising them as so, will need to prove that they are ‘all or virtually all’ made in the United States.

This change could affect certain brands in the photography world, including drone manufacturer Autel, who proudly claims certain drones of theirs are ‘Made in the USA, with foreign and domestic parts and labor’ – many of those components being manufactured in Shenzen, China, the same region where DJI, who has received criticism and even been blacklisted for its ties to the Chinese government, produces its popular UAVs.

Even if this new ruling prevents Autel from saying its products are ‘Made in the USA’ on any level, their CEO Randall Warnas told us ‘this has not been something that [Autel has] needed for [its] success, and will be fine however the ruling turns out.’

Autel’s Evo II Dual drone, which it claims is ‘Made in the USA, with foreign and domestic parts and labor.’

There’s an important distinction to be made when labeling a product ‘assembled in America’ as opposed to ‘made in America,’ as this thorough article written by Jeremiah Karpowicz of Commercial UAV Expo explains. Historically, the FTC has struggled to uphold its standards, without being able to dole out consequences. But this latest ruling could change that.

In light of the ruling, we contacted both Autel and DJI for comment. DJI chose not to comment on the matter, but Warnas said:

‘The FTC is doing the right thing by making “Made in USA” mean something, and more clarity on how this can be accomplished is appreciated. Globalization over the past few decades has been accelerated with the Internet and cell phones that keep information at our fingertips at all times. As the world shrinks, we will surely encounter more blurring of these lines that the FTC is trying to address.’

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) initially took effect in 1994. Congress had given the FTC authority to penalize fraudulent ‘Made in the USA’ claims but it would take effect after the Commission issued an official rule. That last part never came to fruition as it turned out to be a bipartisan issue – some in Congress thought those making these fraudulent claims shouldn’t be fined.

‘The final rule provides substantial benefits to the public by protecting businesses from losing sales to dishonest competitors and protecting purchasers seeking to purchase American-made goods,’ said Commissioner Chopra.

The FTC released a notice of proposed rulemaking on June 20th and received over 700 comments—most of them in favor of of the FTC enforcing their ‘Made in the USA’ standards. Commissioners Rohit Chopra and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, joined by Chair Lina Khan, issued a statement outlining the implications of this new rule. Small businesses, who otherwise may not be able to afford legal recourse from imitators who manufacture products outside the U.S., but claim that they’re ‘Made in the USA,’ will have an advantage now that the Commission can seek civil penalties up to $ 43,280 per violation.

‘The final rule provides substantial benefits to the public by protecting businesses from losing sales to dishonest competitors and protecting purchasers seeking to purchase American-made goods,’ said Commissioner Chopra. ‘More broadly, this long-overdue rule is an important reminder that the Commission must do more to use the authorities explicitly authorized by Congress to protect market participants from fraud and abuse.’

In order to legally display a ‘Made in the USA’ label on a product, businesses must adhere to the following three components:

  1. Final assembly or processing of the product occurs in the United States,
  2. All significant processing that goes into the product occurs in the United States and
  3. All or virtually all ingredients or components of the product are made and sourced in the United States.

It’s unclear whether these new guidelines would prevent Autel from continuing to claim its products are ‘Made in the USA.’ Autel didn’t confirm whether or not this will change any of its plans going forward, but it will undoubtedly make Autel and others think more critically about applying the ‘Made in USA’ label going forward when global parts are used to manufacture the hardware, considering there’s now a financial penalty hanging over their heads.

The Made in the USA Labeling Rule, which will be published in the Federal Register, can be viewed here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon R5 / R6 overheat claims tested: Stills shooting, setup quickly cut into promised capture times [UPDATED]

07 Aug
Testing conducted in Seattle by our Technical Editor Richard Butler. Real-world production experiences by Jordan Drake: the director and editor of many of our ‘DPRTV’ videos.

Originally published Aug 3, updated Aug 6: conclusions and analysis revised based on additional experience with the camera

If you have any interest in cameras, you may have witnessed the heated discussions lately around the new Canon EOS R5 and R6’s tendency to overheat when capturing video internally. The Internet tends to amplify the most extreme version of any story or phenomenon, which might have lead to you getting the impression that the cameras are unusable.

Jordan’s EOS R5 experience

We shot for 10 hours at a variety of locations, which I thought would give the camera ample opportunity to cool down. I planned to shoot the episode in the 4K HQ mode, with occasional 4K/120P and 8K shots peppered throughout. Quickly I realized that setting up a shot and menu-diving would reduce the amount of record time I had for HQ, so I found myself spending far less time previewing the shot before rolling, adding a layer of stress.

Eventually, I realized couldn’t record all the talking points in 4K HQ, and settled on using 4K HQ for wide shots and standard, line-skipped 4K for closeups. This made shooting sustainable, though I found myself avoiding trying to capture any spontaneous establishing shots or cutaways, lest I drop the dreaded overheating clock a bit lower. While our host Chris took it in his stride, I can only imagine how frustrating it would be for the talent to not know if the camera will last until the end of a take.

I also found myself heavily rationing the 4K/120P as it really chews up your remaining shooting minutes. I spent two minutes capturing the seagull footage in the episode: beforehand I the camera said it would shoot 15 minutes of 4K HQ, when I returned I had only five minutes remaining!

If the quality difference between 4K HQ and standard 4K capture were not so dramatic, this would bother me less. However, once you start viewing and editing the gorgeous 4K HQ footage, it makes it that much harder to go back to inferior line skipped 4K, and that’s a type of disappointment I don’t want to be dealing with on a shoot.

After extensive testing of both cameras, our conclusions with regards internal recording are:

  • From a cold start, the Canon EOS R5 and R6 perform in line with the company’s video performance claims.
  • Non-video use cuts into available shooting time, adding significant uncertainty for video shooters

We tested a pair of R5s and an R6 in a variety of warm conditions and found they consistently performed in line with the limitations that Canon acknowledged at the point of launch. However, the practical implications are that the cameras are prone to overheating if you shoot for extended periods and if you have crew or talent waiting to re-start shooting, they may take too long to recover.

It should be noted that Canon did not design either the EOS R5 or R6 to be professional video tools, nor does it primarily market them as such. But based on our testing and real-world usage we would caution against using them as a substitute.

So why is YouTube saying the sky is falling?

Our testing suggests that the cameras perform in exactly the way that Canon said they would. However, there is an important caveat that Canon’s figures don’t address: although the cameras can repeatedly deliver the amount of video promised, they may not always do so in real-world usage.

Even set to the mode designed to limit pre-recording temperature build-up, the clock is essentially running from the moment you turn the camera on. Video recording is the most processor-intensive (and hence most heat generating) thing you can do, but any use of the camera will start to warm it up, and start chipping away at your recording times. Consequently, any time spent setting up a shot, setting white balance, setting focus or waiting for your talent to get ready (or shooting still images) will all cut into your available recording time, and you won’t reliably get the full amount Canon advises.

Not only does this make R5 a poor fit for many professional video shoots, it also means that you can’t depend on the cameras when shooting video alongside stills at, say, a wedding, which is a situation that the EOS R5 clearly is intended for.

Even when left in direct sunshine, the cameras continued to record for the duration Canon promised. However, this is only true when you’re not using the camera for anything else.

The one piece of good news is that the camera’s estimates appear to be on the conservative side: every time the camera said it would deliver X minutes of footage, it delivered what it’d promised. You can also record 4K footage for much longer if you can use an external recorder but again, this probably isn’t going to suit photographers or video crews looking for a self-contained, do-everything device.

Click here if you want to see our test methods and results.

EOS R5 suggestions:

  • Expect to shoot line-skipped 30p for the bulk of your footage
  • Only use 8K or oversampled HQ 4K for occasional B-Roll
  • 4K/120 and 8K will cut into your shooting time quickest of all
  • Be aware of your setup time and cumulative usage (including stills shooting)

EOS R6 suggestions:

  • Don’t expect to be able to shoot for extended periods
  • Be aware of the need for extensive cooling periods between bursts of shooting

Analysis: Why hadn’t Canon thought about this?

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking this means Canon didn’t put enough thought into thermal management for these cameras. Our testing suggests this isn’t the case, but that the cameras’ specs are rather over-ambitious.

Jordan’s EOS R6 experience

I had done some testing prior to my shoot, and was comfortable that overheating wouldn’t be a problem if I stuck to 4K/24p. Unfortunately, my experience on a warm day was quite different to that room-temperature test. There’s no line-skipped 4K mode on the R6, so if the camera overheats, you’re back to 1080P, which will be a jarring transition for viewers watching on larger screens.

While I was able to record much longer with the R6 before encountering the overheat warning, once it appears the camera takes far longer to cool down again than the R5. Our regular drives in an air conditioned car allowed Chris and Levi’s R5 to function throughout the day, but at one point I was left sitting in the car, babysitting a hot R6 while they went out to shoot. During a one hour lunch, the R5 had returned back to normal, but the R6 had a twenty minute warning still on.

This was hugely disappointing as, rolling shutter aside, the R6 video quality is excellent, and I’d be perfectly happy using it over the R5. However, the longer cool down times would probably lead me to use the R5, dropping to line-skipped 4K from time to time.

While I enjoyed most aspects of using these two cameras, I have no intention of using either of them as a primary video camera. They would be great for grabbing occasional, very high quality video clips, but I’d never want to rely on them for paid work.

With the exception of specialist video models, most cameras that shoot 4K are prone to overheating, regardless of the brand. Some companies let you extend the recording time by ignoring overheat warnings (and risk ‘low-temperature burns’ if you handhold the camera), while others simply stop when they get too hot. This should make it clear that shooting 4K for an extended period is difficult. For instance, Sony says the a7 III will shoot around 29 minutes of 4K video with the temperature warnings set to ‘Std,’ while the Fujifilm X-T4 promises 30 minutes of 4K/30 and 20 minutes of 4K/60.

The cumulative heat is constantly counting against you

8K is four times as much data as natively-sampled 4K and seventeen times more than the 1080 footage that older cameras used to capture so effortlessly. Perfect 2:1 oversampled 4K (downsampled 8K) requires this same amount of data, which is still 1.7x more data than is used to create 4K oversampled video from a 24MP sensor. Data means processing, which means heat.

What’s interesting is that the exterior of the cameras don’t get especially hot when shooting for extended periods. We’re only speculating, but this could indicate that Canon has tried to isolate the camera’s internals from external temperature fluctuations, with the down-side that they can’t then dissipate internally produced heat.

This would be consistent with us getting the full recording period out of the camera, even when tested well above the 23°C (73°F) conditions specified by Canon. And with the fact that leaving the camera’s doors closed and battery in place didn’t change the recovery time. However, while this appears to be workable for the line-skipping 4K mode, the added workload of the higher quality settings seems to present a problem. Dealing with 1.7x more data than the a7 III and X-T4 is a step too far: the R5 will match them for promised recording duration but only from cold. This leaves it much more sensitive to any other use beyond video recording.

The EOS R6 is a slightly different matter. It can shoot 40 minutes of 4K taken from 5.1K capture, which is a pretty good performance and may be enough that you won’t often hit its temperature limits. However even after a 30 minute cooling period, it has only recovered enough to deliver around half of its maximum record time, whereas the EOS R5 recovered nearly its full capability. The more extensive use of metal in the construction of the R5 seems to help it manage heat better than the R6 can.

And, as both Jordan’s and Richard’s experiences show: if you don’t have time to let the cameras cool, that cumulative heat is constantly counting against you.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon EOS R5 and R6 overheating claims tested: cameras work as promised – but that’s not enough

04 Aug
Testing conducted in Seattle by our Technical Editor Richard Butler. Real-world production experiences by Jordan Drake: the director and editor of many of our ‘DPRTV’ videos.

If you have any interest in cameras, you may have witnessed the heated discussions lately around the new Canon EOS R5 and R6’s tendency to overheat when capturing video internally. The Internet tends to amplify the most extreme version of any story or phenomenon, which might have lead to you getting the impression that the cameras are unusable.

Jordan’s EOS R5 experience

We shot for 10 hours at a variety of locations, which I thought would give the camera ample opportunity to cool down. I planned to shoot the episode in the 4K HQ mode, with occasional 4K/120P and 8K shots peppered throughout. Quickly I realized that setting up a shot and menu-diving would reduce the amount of record time I had for HQ, so I found myself spending far less time previewing the shot before rolling, adding a layer of stress.

Eventually, I realized couldn’t record all the talking points in 4K HQ, and settled on using 4K HQ for wide shots and standard, line-skipped 4K for closeups. This made shooting sustainable, though I found myself avoiding trying to capture any spontaneous establishing shots or cutaways, lest I drop the dreaded overheating clock a bit lower. While our host Chris took it in his stride, I can only imagine how frustrating it would be for the talent to not know if the camera will last until the end of a take.

I also found myself heavily rationing the 4K/120P as it really chews up your remaining shooting minutes. I spent two minutes capturing the seagull footage in the episode: beforehand I the camera said it would shoot 15 minutes of 4K HQ, when I returned I had only five minutes remaining!

If the quality difference between 4K HQ and standard 4K capture were not so dramatic, this would bother me less. However, once you start viewing and editing the gorgeous 4K HQ footage, it makes it that much harder to go back to inferior line skipped 4K, and that’s a type of disappointment I don’t want to be dealing with on a shoot.

After extensive testing of both cameras, our conclusions with regards internal recording are:

  • Both the EOS R5 and R6 appear capable of working as promised
  • Lack of dependability makes them a poor choice for much professional video work

We tested a pair of R5s and an R6 in a variety of warm conditions and found they consistently performed in line with the limitations that Canon acknowledged at the point of launch. However, the practical implications are that the cameras are prone to overheating if you shoot for extended periods and if you have crew or talent waiting to re-start shooting, they may take too long to recover.

It should be noted that Canon did not design either the EOS R5 or R6 to be professional video tools, nor does it primarily market them as such. But based on our testing and real-world usage we would caution against using them as a substitute.

So why is YouTube saying the sky is falling?

Our testing suggests that the cameras perform in exactly the way that Canon said they would. However, there is an important caveat that Canon’s figures don’t address: although the cameras can repeatedly deliver the amount of video promised, they may not always do so in real-world usage.

Even set to the mode designed to limit pre-recording temperature build-up, the clock is essentially running from the moment you turn the camera on. Video recording is the most processor-intensive (and hence most heat generating) thing you can do, but any use of the camera will start to warm it up, and start chipping away at your recording times. Consequently, any time spent setting up a shot, setting white balance, setting focus or waiting for your talent to get ready (or shooting still images) will all cut into your available recording time, and you won’t reliably get the full amount Canon advises.

Not only does this make R5 a poor fit for many professional video shoots, it also means that you can’t depend on the cameras when shooting video alongside stills at, say, a wedding, which is a situation that the EOS R5 clearly is intended for.

Even when left in direct sunshine, the cameras continued to record for the duration Canon promised. However, this is only true when you’re not using the camera for anything else.

The one piece of good news is that the camera’s estimates appear to be on the conservative side: every time the camera said it would deliver X minutes of footage, it delivered what it’d promised. You can also record for much longer if you can use an external recorder but again, this probably isn’t going to suit photographers or video crews looking for a self-contained, do-everything device.

Click here if you want to see our test methods and results.

EOS R5 suggestions:

  • Expect to shoot line-skipped 30p for the bulk of your footage
  • Only use 8K or oversampled HQ 4K for occasional B-Roll
  • 4K/120 and 8K will cut into your shooting time quickest of all
  • Be aware of your setup time and cumulative usage (including stills shooting)

EOS R6 suggestions:

  • Don’t expect to be able to shoot for extended periods
  • Be aware of the need for extensive cooling periods between bursts of shooting

Analysis: Why hadn’t Canon thought about this?

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking this means Canon didn’t put enough thought into thermal management for these cameras. Our testing suggests this isn’t the case, but that the cameras’ specs are rather over-ambitious.

Jordan’s EOS R6 experience

I had done some testing prior to my shoot, and was comfortable that overheating wouldn’t be a problem if I stuck to 4K/24p. Unfortunately, my experience on a warm day was quite different to that room-temperature test. There’s no line-skipped 4K mode on the R6, so if the camera overheats, you’re back to 1080P, which will be a jarring transition for viewers watching on larger screens.

While I was able to record much longer with the R6 before encountering the overheat warning, once it appears the camera takes far longer to cool down again than the R5. Our regular drives in an air conditioned car allowed Chris and Levi’s R5 to function throughout the day, but at one point I was left sitting in the car, babysitting a hot R6 while they went out to shoot. During a one hour lunch, the R5 had returned back to normal, but the R6 had a twenty minute warning still on.

This was hugely disappointing as, rolling shutter aside, the R6 video quality is excellent, and I’d be perfectly happy using it over the R5. However, the longer cool down times would probably lead me to use the R5, dropping to line-skipped 4K from time to time.

While I enjoyed most aspects of using these two cameras, I have no intention of using either of them as a primary video camera. They would be great for grabbing occasional, very high quality video clips, but I’d never want to rely on them for paid work.

With the exception of specialist video models, most cameras that shoot 4K are prone to overheating, regardless of the brand. Some companies let you extend the recording time by ignoring overheat warnings (and risk ‘low-temperature burns’ if you handhold the camera), while others simply stop when they get too hot. This should make it clear that shooting 4K for an extended period is difficult. For instance, Sony says the a7 III will shoot around 29 minutes of 4K video with the temperature warnings set to ‘Std,’ while the Fujifilm X-T4 promises 30 minutes of 4K/30 and 20 minutes of 4K/60.

The cumulative heat is constantly counting against you

8K is four times as much data as natively-sampled 4K and seventeen times more than the 1080 footage that older cameras used to capture so effortlessly. Perfect 2:1 oversampled 4K (downsampled 8K) requires this same amount of data, which is still 1.7x more data than is used to create 4K oversampled video from a 24MP sensor. Data means processing, which means heat.

The fact that the EOS R5 can shoot two hours of 4K/30p footage (in line-skipping mode) when sitting in direct sunshine suggests it’s pretty good at dissipating heat. But it seems trying to do so with 1.7x more data than the a7 III and X-T4 is a step too far: it’ll match them for promised recording duration but only just. This leaves it much more sensitive to any other use when not recording.

The EOS R6 is a slightly different matter. It can shoot 40 minutes of 4K taken from 5.1K capture, which is a pretty good performance and may be enough that you won’t often hit its temperature limits. However even after a 30 minute cooling period, it has only recovered enough to deliver around half of its maximum record time, whereas the EOS R5 recovered nearly its full capability. The metal rear plate of the R5 clearly allows it to manage heat better than the R6 can.

And, as Jordan’s experiences show: if you don’t have time to let the cameras cool, that cumulative heat is constantly counting against you.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Hollywood filmmaker claims Apple won’t let villains use iPhones in movies

28 Feb

Rian Johnson, the filmmaker best known for his work on Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Knives Out, recently discussed his work and some aspects of the filmmaking process with Vanity Fair. During the approximately 20-minute interview, Johnson revealed an interesting tidbit about Apple product placement: the company reportedly doesn’t allow the iPhone to be used on-screen by villains.

As Johnson points out in the video, this fact can function as a spoiler — if you see a character in a movie who may be the villain but they are visibly using an iPhone, then it is safe to assume they are not, in fact, the villain. That’s due to the product placement rules Apple has in place for filmmakers, which allows iPhones to be used, but only if they’re associated with ‘good’ characters.

It’s unclear whether the public awareness of this fact may influence future movies. Some filmmakers may choose to have their characters exclusively use Android phones to avoid ruining the surprise. If that happens, Apple may feel compelled to loosen this restriction in order to return its handset to the big screen. ‘Every single filmmaker who has a bad guy in their movie that’s supposed to be a secret wants to murder me right now,’ Johnson quipped.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Research firm claims Sony had nearly half of the image sensor market share in 2019

18 Feb

Sony held nearly half of the image sensor market share in 2019, according to Japanese research firm Techno Systems Research (TSR). The detail was spied by PulseNews, which points out that Sony’s 49.1% market share greatly eclipsed the second biggest market share, 17.9%, held by Samsung. The South Korean company recently launched its 108MP Nonacell image sensor with its new Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphone.

The news isn’t surprising. In December, Sony revealed that its semiconductor business was working 24/7 through the holidays in an effort to keep up with the demand for its image sensors. The company is building a new facility in Nagasaki in order to boost production capacity due to this demand; it is expected to go online in April 2021.

Samsung remains the biggest competitor to Sony’s image sensor business. In 2018, the South Korean company announced that it would expand the production capacity of its own image sensor business and that its ultimate goal was to overtake Sony. Based on the TSR data, the company still has a long way to go toward reaching that milestone.

Still, Sony’s image sensor business may have a rocky future. Earlier this month, Sony expressed concerns about the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak in China where the company has four large factories. According to Sony CFO Hiroko Totoki via the Nikkei Asian Review, the impact of the coronavirus on the company’s supply chains could potentially cause enormous disruption to Sony’s image sensor business.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Leak claims Apple will use sensor-shift stabilization tech in some 2020 iPhone 5G models

21 Dec

Taiwanese tech publication Digitimes has published a new report claiming that the 2020 iPhone model featuring 5G network support will feature ‘sensor-shift stabilization technology.’ This alleged new feature will only be available on select iPhone 5G models, according to the report, potentially offering better image quality over models that only feature optical image stabilization.

Optical image stabilization (OIS) works by shifting the lens whereas sensor-shift stabilization works by shifting the sensor. Though OIS is now a common feature on flagship smartphones, sensor-shift stabilization technology has been largely relegated to dedicated digital cameras, something Digitimes claims Apple will change starting next year.

Past leaks allege that Apple plans to release four new iPhones in 2020, including cheaper base tier models and more expensive higher-end models. On the high end of that scale, the 2020 iPhone is expected to feature a new 3D camera system for augmented reality applications.

It’s unclear whether the inclusion of sensor-shift stabilization technology would be limited to these higher-end models and whether the tech will play a role in Apple’s alleged AR ambitions. Digitimes itself has a mixed track record in regards to its consumer gadget leaks, though it has accurately published unreleased iPhone details in the past.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Mirrorless Users Will Switch Back to DSLRs, Ricoh Executive Claims

24 May

The post Mirrorless Users Will Switch Back to DSLRs, Ricoh Executive Claims appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

pentax camera DSLR

The Pentax K-1 Mark II 36MP Weather Resistant DSLR.

Imaging Resource recently released an interview with a group of executives from Ricoh, the company that produces Pentax cameras.

When discussion turned to mirrorless cameras versus DSLRs – and decreasing DSLR sales – things got especially interesting.

Said Hiroki Sugahara, General Manager of the Marketing Communication Department:

Currently, mirrorless is a newcomer, so of course many users are very interested in the new systems, they want to use [them]. But after one or two years, some users who changed their system from DSLR to mirrorless [will] come back to the DSLR again.

When questioned by the interviewer, Sugahara further explained:

The mirrorless camera is very convenient to shoot, because users can [preview the final] image before shooting. But I believe the DSLR has its own appealing point, because users can create their own image from the optical viewfinder. People can see the beautiful image through the optical viewfinder, and then think how they can create their pictures–for example, exposure level setting or white balance or ISO [sensitivity]–and then imagine how they can get [the result they’re seeking].

Sugahara concluded:

So the DSLR market is currently decreasing a little bit, but one year or two years or three years later, it will [begin] getting higher.

Could Sugahara be right? Might DSLRs soon be making a comeback?

Personally, I don’t think so. While some people do follow the latest trends, mirrorless cameras have the specs to back up their popularity: they’re lightweight, they’re compact, and they produce top-notch images. And mirrorless systems will just keep getting more and more appealing, as electronic viewfinders improve and mirrorless lens-lineups expand.

 

Of course, there are reasons to stick with a DSLR. For one, DSLRs tend to be more rugged than mirrorless cameras. And electronic viewfinders can have lag issues. But mirrorless technology is improving, and how many photographers will switch back to DSLRs for a more rugged body?

Not to mention the questionable reasoning employed by Sugahara. Sure, the occasional photographer may not be happy with an electronic viewfinder. But will photographers really prefer the greater challenge provided by a DSLR optical viewfinder, as Sugahara seems to be implying? In my experience, capturing stunning photos is hard enough. Photographers won’t want to make it harder on themselves.

What do you think? Will DSLRs rebound? Or is mirrorless the system of the future?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Mirrorless Users Will Switch Back to DSLRs, Ricoh Executive Claims appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Rode’s Wireless GO microphone system claims to be ‘the world’s smallest’

08 Apr

Rode has introduced the Wireless GO, a wireless microphone system that being deemed as ‘the world’s smallest, most versatile’ system of its kind.

Similar to its Wireless Filmmaking Kit, the Wireless GO is a kit that consists of a transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX). The difference is, the Wireless GO TX module works as a standalone microphone thanks to its internal omnidirectional condenser microphone and integrated clip or as a transmission unit for Rode’s lavalier microphone via the onboard 3.5mm TRS input.

The two modules measure in at approximately 44mm x 45mm x 18.5mm and weigh just 31g / 1oz. Wireless connectivity is powered by Rode’s new Series III Digital 2.4GHz transmission technology that’s rated for a maximum distance of 70m / 230ft in clear line-of-sight situations.

The modules include built-in Li-po batteries that are rated for seven hours of use and can be recharged via USB. Speaking of USB, the units can be updated with firmware using the same USB-C port that’s used to charge them.

The Wireless GO microphone kit comes with two fur windshields, one pouch, one USB-A to USB-C cable and one SC2 cable. B&H has the system available to pre-order for $ 199 with an estimated shipping date of April 17, 2019 at the time of posting this article.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Copytrack report claims 2.5 billion online images were stolen per day in 2018

30 Mar
Illustration showing copyright infringements by continent, used with permission

Image rights enforcement company Copytrack has released its new Global Infringement Report 2019 study detailing the current state of unauthorized image use around the world. According to the company, it performed a statistical analysis of more than 12,000 Copytrack user profiles as part of its new report, which details the number of ‘potential copyright violations’ the company dealt with from December 2017 to December 2018.

Based on its analysis, Copytrack estimates more than 2.5 billion images are stolen every day with potential daily damages estimated at up €532.5 billion / $ 598 billion. Due to the vast number of images used daily, the company found that most photographers and agencies were unaware of many instances of image infringement.

Illustration showing the top 20 most image infringing countries, used with permission

The study found that the majority of copyright infringement cases originated from North America at 33.90%, with Europe coming in second at 31.40% and Asia in third with 29.38%. The company isn’t able to answer why Asia had lower rates of infringement than NA and EU regions but speculated it may be due, in part, to the percentage of regular Internet users in each continent.

Looking at infringement numbers by country, Copytrack found the US had the highest percentage at 22.96%, followed by Panama at 6.76%, China at 6.57% and Germany at 6.32%. The percentage drop quickly from there, coming in at 3.75% for the UK all the way down to 1.25% for Switzerland, 1.16% for the Netherlands and 1.05% for Vietnam.

Below is the report in its entirety:

Of the infringing use, Copytrack found Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution images were the most commonly used. Most unauthorized use involved images with 3:2, 2:3, and 1:1 format ratios, as well as 640 x 400 and 800 x 800 resolutions. Copytrack concludes its report, stating, ‘This problem will most likely continue at a similar rate until major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and the like figure out a way to reliably identify the authors of images posted online.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Instagram clarifies its algorithmic feed doesn’t limit post reach, despite viral claims

24 Jan

Instagram has released a statement clarifying a viral image that claims only 7% of a user’s followers can see content they share on the platform. Images of the clickbait claim have been making their rounds on the platform for months, usually with the header, ‘This is a test.’

A collection of posts with the hashtag #thisisatest that can be found when searching Instagram

According to a series of tweets from the company, Instagram hasn’t made any recent changes to its feed algorithm and doesn’t hide any posts from users.

Instagram addressed the claim in multiple tweets yesterday, stating that its users will see all posts from all accounts they follow, assuming they “keep scrolling” long enough.

Instagram replaced its chronological feed with one sorted by an algorithm in 2016. Since that time, Instagram users see content presented based on a number of factors, including how often they engage with a particular account and how often they check their feed. Some users have been confused by this change, which can make it appear that posts by some accounts are missing from the feed.

In March 2018, the company announced that it would tweak its algorithm based on this feedback so that newer posts were more likely to show up near the top of the feed.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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