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Posts Tagged ‘Collection’

Nik celebrates its 25th anniversary with new presets in Nik Collection 3 by DxO

19 Nov

Nik Software, now part of the DxO family, has existed for an impressive 25 years. To celebrate this major milestone, DxO has announced Nik Collection 3 by DxO version 3.3, which adds a fitting 25 new presets for Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro.

The update adds Classic Portraiture, Light and Bright, Wildlife Photography and Street Photography preset collections. Classic Portraiture is the largest of the bunch, adding 10 presets for Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro. New presets include High Key Bright (seen below), Hint of Color, Hollywood Glamour, and Warm and Soft.

The Nik Collection by DxO version 3.3 update adds 25 new presets, including 10 specifically for portraiture. You can see High Key Bright here, with the effect applied to the right portion of the image. Image credit: Andrey Zvyagintsev. As seen on the Nik Collection by DxO website.

The Light and Bright collection includes five presets for Color Efex Pro. Wildlife Photography also includes five new presets for Color Efex Pro, such as Cool Evening, which is seen below. Unlike Light and Bright and Wildlife Photography, the five new Street Photography presets are all available in Silver Efex Pro.

Cool Evening, before (left) and after (right) comparison. Image credit: Casey Allen. As seen on Nik Collection by DxO’s website. The Cool Evening preset is available as part of the new Wildlife Photography collection in Nik Collection by DxO version 3.3.

The Nik Collection by DxO includes eight plugins. In addition to the expanded Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro plugins, the plugin suite also includes Analog Efex Pro, Dfine, HDR Efex Pro, Viveza, Sharpener Pro and Perspective Flex. You can see an overview of the collection below. If you’d like to read about the new features introduced when Nik Collection 3 launched in June, you can refer to our original coverage.

For any users who purchased the Nik Collection 3 after June of this year, the new version is available as a free upgrade. The Nik Collection by DxO is compatible with Windows and macOS (including the latest macOS release, Big Sur) and can be used with Adobe Lightroom Classic, Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. Customers ineligible for the free upgrade can upgrade for $ 79. New users can purchase the Nik Collection by DxO for $ 149. To purchase the software or download the available free trial.

Overview of Nik’s first 25 years. Image credit: Nik by DxO. Click to enlarge.

Looking back at Nik’s 25 years, the company was founded as Nik Multimedia in 1995. Five years later, Nik Color Efex Pro, Nik Sharpener Pro and Dfine were released. The company’s iconic U Point technology was first released in 2005. The next year, Nik Multimedia became Nik Software. In 2007, Nik’s Viveza plugin gained Control Points and Silver Efex Pro and HDR Efex Pro were released. In 2012, Google purchased Nik Software and rebranded the plugin collection. In 2017, DxO purchased the Google Nik Collection and Nik Software’s proprietary U Point technology. As we know, earlier this year, Nik Collection 3 by DxO was launched with a new geometric correction plugin, Perspective Flex.

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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Nik Collection 3 by DxO announced: Includes new Perspective Efex, faster workflow & more

03 Jun

DxO has announced the Nik Collection 3, the latest version its popular plugin suite that brings multiple new features and an entirely new plugin, Perspective Efex.

The new Perspective Efex fixes geometric distortion in your images via automatic corrections or manually placed reference lines. Perspective Efex can correct distortions such as keystone distortion in architecture images and is able to address lens distortions such as barrel, pincushion and fisheye distortion.

The new Perspective Efex plugin allows users to fix distortion in their images and adjust perspective. This example shows before (left) and after (right) when using Perspective Efex to fix distortion. Distortion correction can be applied automatically by the software or manually by the user through the use of placed reference lines. Image credit: DxO

In addition to being used to fix issues with distortion, Perspective Efex also includes a Miniature Effect tool, which allows you to control shallow depth-of-field effects. This allows you to replicate the effect of using a tilt-shift lens just with only software.

Nik Collection 3 includes a revised Nik Selective Tool. This tool allows the user to quickly access the suite of plugins within Nik Collection 3 from inside Adobe Photoshop. The redesigned Selective Tool lets you select favorite filter presets or revisit a prior edit, which DxO promises will result in a faster and more efficient workflow.

Speaking of workflow improvements, Nik Collection 3 introduces a non-destructive workflow option when working with Adobe Lightroom Classic. After you have made edits to your raw image in Lightroom Classic, you can export images as TIFF files from LR Classic into Nik Collection 3 and adjust plugin edits indefinitely while maintaining a completely reversible editing process.

In total, Nik Collection 3 by DxO includes eight plugins: Color Efex Pro, Viveza, Silver Efex Pro, Dfine 2, Sharpener Pro, Analog Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro and Perspective Efex. Between all the plugins, you can perform tasks such as preset application, localized editing, black and white conversions, noise reduction, sharpening, film emulation, HDR creation and perspective adjustments. The local editing tools in Nik Collection by DxO are particularly popular with users due to Nik’s famous U-Point editing technology, which was a primary reason for DxO purchasing Nik from Google in late 2017.

This screenshot shows Color Efex Pro in Nik Collection 3 by DxO. This popular plugin allows users to add and adjust various filters to their images. You can adjust the individual application of filters and their strengths through the Nik Collection’s U-Point technology. Image credit: DxO

Nik Collection 3 by DxO is sold as a lifetime license. For a limited time, users can purchase Nik Collection 3 for $ 100 USD. Existing Nik Collection by DxO owners can purchase Nik Collection 3 at a reduced price. A free trial is also available, which you can download here. Nik Collection is compatible with DxO PhotoLab, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom Classic.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nik Collection 2.5 update adds new color film emulations and Affinity Photo support

27 Feb

DxO has released an update for its Nik Collection 2.5 standalone app and plugin, bringing with it new film stock emulations and updated support.

Nik Collection 2.5, which DxO is teasing as the ‘Legendary Color Films Revival,’ brings along five new film stock emulations: Agfa Precisa 100, Fuji FP100C, Fuji Instax, Fuji Provia 400X and Lomo RedScale 100. In addition to the new film stocks, the update also adds support for the latest version of Serif’s Affinity Photo editing program, which we covered earlier today.

The 2.5 update works with Adobe Photoshop CC, Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, DxO PhotoLab 2 Essential Edition, Affinity Photo 1.8 and as a standlone app. It’s available for free to all current owners and is available to purchase for $ 149. The collection includes Analog Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Dfine, HDR Efex Pro, Viveza, Silver Efex Pro, Sharpener Pro and DxO PhotoLab.


Author’s note: The unaffiliated coupon code ‘GET-15-NOW’ should get you 15-percent off the collection, based on a pop-up that was shown to me on the DxO website while looking at the details of this update.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DxO launches Nik Collection 2 with Raw processing and 40 new presets

07 Jun

DxO has released the latest version of its presets application and has added the ability to work with Raw files. The company says it discovered most of its users shoot in Raw and want to be able to work with these files in its programs, so DxO has included PhotoLab 2.3 Essential edition in the package. The software features a direct button that converts and sends processed Raw files directly to Nik Collection 2.

The Nik Collection interface sitting over the PhotoLab 2.3 window, using the Super Punch preset from the new En Vogue effects in Color Efex Pro

Previously, Nik Collection was available only as a plug-in for Adobe products, but with this new update, users will also be able to remain completely in the DxO environment without having to use Lightroom or Photoshop.

There are 40 new presets in the Nik Collection 2, which have been labelled ‘En Vogue’ to reflect their modern and fashionable looks. The styles are spread across the Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro and Analog Efex Pro modules, and bring the total number of presets to 196. The included PhotoLab 2.3 application adds Raw support for a range of new cameras, including the Canon EOS RP and Olympus OM-D E-M1 X, and has 500 new lens modules. In total there are 47,500 camera/lens combinations to work with.

The Nik Collection 2 is available now with special prices of $ 99.99 for new users and $ 59.99 for those upgrading until the end of June. From then new users will pay $ 149.99, and those upgrading will pay $ 79.99. For more information see the DxO website.

Press release:

New Nik Collection 2 by DxO Offers Unmatched Creative Possibilities and RAW File Compatibility

DxO, one of the most innovative companies in the photography and image editing industry, has announced the release of the Nik Collection 2 by DxO, a major upgrade to the famous plugin suite for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, and Elements. After bringing the Nik Collection back to the market with the software’s first stable version with customer support in June 2018, DxO is expanding the plugin suite with over 40 new creative presets and high-resolution monitor support for Windows. In addition, the Nik Collection 2 now comes with DxO PhotoLab 2.3 ESSENTIAL Edition, DxO’s recently released advanced RAW photo editing software.

Choose from more than 40 new “En Vogue” styles to create unique images with a single click.

The Nik Collection 2, which has gained a significant following for its high-quality, creative filters, has added 42 new “En Vogue” presets to its original set of 156: 10 new recipes for Color Efex Pro, 10 new black and white presets to Silver Efex Pro, 12 new HDR presets to HDR Efex Pro, and 10 new tool combinations to Analog Efex Pro.

The latest filters in the Nik Collection 2 will take your photos’ emotional impact to the next level. For example, “Blue Monday,” which is available in Color Efex Pro, combines the fresh look of subtle Varitone coloring, the visual interest of cross processing, and the softness of slightly desaturated effect. “More Silver,” which is available in Silver Efex Pro, pairs the crispness of silver toning with a fine grain, resulting in black and white photographs that feature a level of balanced contrast typically achieved through darkroom techniques. Photographers who would like to add a bit of nostalgia to their images can turn to “Burned Edges,” in Analog Efex Pro to reproduce the burned-edge, vignetting, toning, and framing effects typical of old-fashioned analog cameras.

The “En Vogue” series was created in collaboration with Dan Hughes, a highly respected lecturer of photography at Rochester Institute of Technology and a former instructor with Nik Software. “I was honored to be a part of the expansion of the Nik Collection by DxO,” he said. “The plugin suite has helped promote the art of photography, and the addition of new effects has significantly increased its potential by offering all photographers new creative opportunities.”

Improved high resolution display with Windows

To better meet users’ needs, the Nik Collection 2 now supports high-resolution monitors (HiDPI) with Windows. The graphic elements of the Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, and Analog Efex Pro plugin interface have been improved to ensure flawless readability when viewed through high-resolution monitors—just like with the macOS version.

All the potential of RAW files within an optimized workflow

DxO’s recent surveys of Nik Collection customers revealed that nearly all users work in RAW. To help them harness the full power of this file format, the Nik Collection 2 by DxO now comes with DxO PhotoLab 2.3 ESSENTIAL Edition, DxO’s advanced and multiple award-winning photo editing software. The software has been adapted to offer users direct access to the plugins from their workspace via a dedicated button and drop-down menu. After the image is edited in DxO PhotoLab 2, it can be quickly converted and sent to one of the Nik Collection plugins, where the photo can be further altered and enhanced with creative effects.

“By offering our advanced photo editing solution along with the Nik Collection 2, we are giving users access to DxO’s powerful and high-quality RAW treatment technology as well as its unparalleled optical corrections, which were developed over fifteen years of measurements and analyses conducted in its laboratory,” said Jean-Marc Alexia, VP Product Strategy and Marketing with DxO. “DxO also offers high-quality de-noising capabilities, smart exposure optimization with DxO Smart Lighting, and U Point local adjustment technology, which is now available for use with RAW images.”

DxO PhotoLab 2.3: support for new cameras

On top of providing access to Nik plugins directly from the software’s workspace, DxO PhotoLab 2 continues to support new equipment. In addition to adding support for Leica M 10-D and M 10-P, Nikon D3500, Panasonic Lumix DC-S1, DC-S1R, LX100 II, Sony A6400, and DSC-RX100 VA, DxO PhotoLab 2.3 can now process files from Canon EOS RP and Olympus OM-D E-M1 X. It has also added more than 500 new optical modules to its library, bringing its total number of camera/lens combinations to 47,500.

To read the full list of all devices supported by DxO PhotoLab 2.3, visit: https://www.dxo.com/en/dxo-photolab/supported-cameras/

Price and availability

The Nik Collection 2 is now available for download on the DxO website (https://shop.dxo.com/en/photo-software/dxo-nikcollection) for $ 99.99 instead of $ 149, and $ 59.99 instead of $ 79 for the upgrade until June 30, 2019.

The ESSENTIAL and ELITE editions from DxO PhotoLab 2.3 are now available for download on the DxO website (https://shop.dxo.com/en/photo-software/dxo-photolab) for $ 129 and $ 199, respectively. DxO PhotoLab 2 users can download this upgrade for free.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: A curated collection of street photography from 1838 to 2019

22 May

YouTuber Guy Jones, who specializes in sharing historical images, footage, and audio, has uploaded a new video highlighting street photography from 1838 to 2019. The video provides viewers with a curated look at street photography from past generations, including images of New York City, London, Paris, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco, and other destinations.

According to a note on the video, all of the images have been remastered and color adjusted. A full list of audio accompanying the images can be found in the video’s description. Viewers interested in seeing other similar content can find a huge catalog of historical images through the Library of Congress website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon launches its Sumire Prime collection with seven PL-mount cinema lenses

04 Apr

Canon has announced the Sumire Prime collection, a set of seven Canon cinema lenses that use the PL-mount — a first for Canon, who has previously only ever offered its cinema primes in its own EF-mount.

The Sumire Prime lens collection includes the 14mm T3.1 FP X, 20mm T1.5 FP X, 24mm T1.5 FP X, 35mm T1.5 FP X, 50mm T1.3 FP X, 85mm T1.3 FP X and 135mm T2.2 FP X. All of the lenses in the collection feature an 11-bladed iris, are color balanced across the lineup and have the same minimized focus breathing as Canon’s EF-mount cinema prime lenses.

Sumire — pronounced ‘soo-mee-ray’ — is a word of Japanese origin that is most often associated with ‘a floral gentleness and beauty,’ a characteristic Canon sees in its new lens collection.

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Beyond a whole host of third-party full-frame and Super 35mm PL-mount cameras, the Sumire Prime lenses will work with Canon’s entire lineup of Cinema EOS full-frame and Super 35mm 4K cameras as well. In the event an EF-mount is needed, Canon is offering the option to swap the PL-mount for an EF-mount at its Canon Factory Service and Repair center, a process that can be reversed if needed.

The Canon CN-E24mm T1.5 FP X, CN-E35mm T1.5 FP X, CN-E50mm T1.3 FP X and CN-E85mm T1.3 FP X lenses are scheduled to be available in Summer 2019; the Canon CN-E14mm T3.1 FP X lens in Fall 2019; and the Canon CN-E20mm T1.5 FP X and CN-E135mm T2.2 FP X lenses in Winter 2019/Spring 2020.

Press release:

CINEMATIC IMAGING REIMAGINED: INTRODUCING SUMIRE PRIME LENSES FROM CANON

The Company’s First Set of PL-Mount Cinema Prime Lenses Merge the Art and Science of Cinematography

MELVILLE, N.Y., April 3, 2019 – Covering the core range of focal lengths that cinema professionals desire, Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is excited to announce the company’s first set of seven cinema prime PL-Mount lenses, aptly named Sumire Prime. Pronounced“Soo-mee-ray,” the word is of Japanese origin and is associated with a floral gentleness and beauty. Sumire Prime Lenses offer a unique artistically pleasing look with gentle and beautiful skin tones and smooth bokeh, designed for use with large-sensor cinema cameras, including 35mm full-frame cameras such as the EOS C700FF Cinema Camera.

In addition to bright T-stops and Canon’s renowned warm-color imagery, a unique optical design introduces a nuanced look as the lens aperture approaches its maximum setting – subtly modifying the textural renderings of the human face closeup. It also smooths the transition to the fall-off portions of the scene resulting in a pleasing bokeh. This combination adds emotional expressiveness and provides creative flexibility to create a memorable scene.

“Sumire in Japan is the name of a flower, and like the petals of a flower, our lenses are most beautiful when fully opened. This is the inspiration behind the Sumire look,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “The feedback from cinematographers is crucial and their voices have beenheard loud and clear – they asked Canon to introduce a set of PL-mount cinema prime lenses. We went a step further and our new Sumire Prime Lenses produce the beautifully cinematic and unique images professionals desire. We can’t wait to see how the lenses will contribute to the art of filmmaking.”

The new set of seven Canon Sumire Prime Cinema Lenses include the following:

  • CN-E14mm T3.1 FP X
  • CN-E20mm T1.5 FP X
  • CN-E24mm T1.5 FP X
  • CN-E35mm T1.5 FP X
  • CN-E50mm T1.3 FP X
  • CN-E85mm T1.3 FP X
  • CN-E135mm T2.2 FP X

All Sumire Prime lenses feature an 11-bladed iris and bright T-stops that allow users to capture images that feature a more natural circular-like bokeh from both maximum to minimum aperture. The use of an odd number of iris blades also helps to diffuse light rays and produce what is generally considered a more sought after, artistically pleasing and cinematic look with warmer colors. The lenses also achieve uniform color balance throughout the lineup, helping to reduce the need for post grading, even when a production is frequently changing lenses.

The highly durable Sumire Prime lenses feature the same outstanding operability and reduced focus breathing as Canon’s well-established EF-Mount Cinema Prime Lenses. Manual operation provides users with the resistance they desire to make precise changes in focus. A 300-degree focus rotation angle and gear position is consistent across the entire Sumire Prime series of lenses – eliminating the need to adjust gear positions when changing lenses.

“The new Sumire Prime lenses are the perfect blend of science and art,” says cinematographer Matt Porwoll, who shot the first U.S. footage with the lenses. “The bokeh comes alive in ways that weren’t occurring with other lenses I’ve used. Lens flares have a dynamic feel to them, rather than behaving in a formulaic manner. I wish I had these on my last project!”

The Sumire Prime Lenses are compatible with the complete lineup of Canon Cinema EOS full-frame and Super 35mm 4K cameras, including the EOS C700 FF, EOS C300 Mark II and EOS C200. In addition to Canon cameras, the new lenses are also compatible with the latest full-frame and Super 35mm PL-mount cameras from leading manufacturers. Additionally, the mount on the Sumire Prime Lenses is interchangeable and can be converted from PL-Mount to EF-Mount at a Canon Factory Service & Repair center. A Canon representative will be able to perform the service or even revert back to original PL-mount upon request at an additional cost*.

Availability

The Canon CN-E24mm T1.5 FP X, CN-E35mm T1.5 FP X, CN-E50mm T1.3 FP X and CN-E85mm T1.3 FP X lenses are scheduled to be available in Summer 2019. The Canon CN-E14mm T3.1 FP X lens is scheduled to be available in Fall 2019. The Canon CN-E20mm T1.5 FP X and CN-E135mm T2.2 FP X lenses are scheduled to be available in Winter 2019/Spring 2020.

For more information, please visit: usa.canon.com/cinemalenses.

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Manfrotto adds four new carry-on trolley bags to its Pro Light Reloader collection

11 Mar

Manfrotto has introduced four new carry-on trolleys to its Pro Light Reloader collection: the Pro Light Reloader Air-55, Air-50, Pro Light Reloader Switch-55 and Pro Light Reloader Spin-55. The Air-55 and Air-50 are fairly straightforward trolley cases, but both the Switch and Spin have a little more to offer, albeit with a higher price tag.

Pro Light Reloader Air-55

The Pro Light Reloader Air-55 can fit up to two pro-style DSLR, five lenses and a 17″ laptop. It features various zippered pockets on the front and side of the bags, as well as a handful of internal pockets for storing accessories. Gear organization is done with the help of large supportive dividers and 19 additional shock-absorbing dividers that can be maneuvered around to fit your needs.

The side of the bag has a dedicated strap system for holding tripods and there’s an integrated TSA combination zipper lock. Manfrotto notes the ripstop nylon fabric is water-repellent, but the bag also comes with a rain protector.

The Pro Light Reloader Air-55 is currently available at B&H for $ 379.99.

Pro Light Reloader Air-50

The Pro Light Reloader Air-50 is identical in design to its Air-55 contemporary, but slightly smaller with fewer zippered pockets and internal dividers. It can hold up to two pro-style DSLRs, four lenses and a 15″ laptop.

It too features various zippered pockets inside and out for organizing accessories and comes with two supportive dividers and 12 additional shock-absorbing dividers for making the most of the internal storage space. Manfrotto also includes the integrated TSA lock and accompanying rain protector with the Air-50.

The Pro Light Reloader Air-55 is currently available at B&H for $ 329.99.

Pro Light Reloader Switch-55

The Pro Light Reloader Switch-55 is similar to the Air-55, but has a little trick up its sleeve. In addition to working as a rolling carry-on case, it can also be turned into a backpack by taking a set of integrated shoulder straps out of its front pocket.

Like the Air-55, the Switch-55 can fit up to two pro-style DSLR, five lenses and a 17″ laptop. There are multiple internal and external zippered pockets as well as a side strap for attaching a tripod.

The Switch 55 comes with large supportive dividers and 14 additional shock-absorbing dividers for securing and structuring gear inside the bag. Manfrotto has included the TSA compliant three-digit lock and an accompanying rain cover.

The Pro Light Reloader Switch-55 is currently available at B&H for $ 389.99.

Pro Light Reloader Spin-55

Last up is the Pro Light Reloader Spin-55. As the name suggests, the Spin-55 features four wheels — instead of the two on the other Pro Light Reloader cases — that give it the ability to spin freely on the ground, whether you’re running through the airport or on-location at a shot.

The bag features a polycarbonate shell and a nylon insert that can be removed if needed. It features a front access compartment on the outside of the bag as well as multiple internal zippered pockets for additional accessories.

The Pro Light Reloader Spin-55 can hold two pro-style DSLRs, five lenses and a 15″ laptop. It features side and top handles as well as an attachment point for a tripod. An integrated TSA-approved lock is included as is a rain protector for those times when the weather gets a little rough.

The Pro Light Reloader Spin-55 is currently available at B&H for $ 399.99.

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Review: Filterbooth Preset Collection for Lightroom and Photoshop

26 Feb

The post Review: Filterbooth Preset Collection for Lightroom and Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Stacey Hill.

When it comes to post-processing, I have to admit, I like to use presets as part of my workflow. So when I came across this collection of filters from Filterbooth, I was keen to test them out and see if they were a pack I would benefit from using in my day-to-day editing.

The Filterbooth Preset Collections

Filterbooth has 12 collections in total, and each collection holds between 11-15 individual presets. The preset packs are available for both Lightroom and Photoshop ACR. For the purpose of this review, I have used the Filterbooth Professional Package which consists of:

Amber – rich warm autumn tones with a vintage touch
Azure – shades of seaside blue
Clean/Standard – clean standard finish
Emerald Forest – give landscapes and foliage and other greens some pop
Faces – adding impact to portraits
Night Owl – inspired by starry skies and deep nights
Food – for food
Golden Hour – warm and inviting tones to enhance sunrise/sunsets
Moody Vibes – what it says on the tin
Monochrome – black and white filters for all subjects
Urban Vibes – street scapes, city scenes, architecture
Interior – for inside of buildings

Mostly, the names are relatively descriptive concerning the intended use.  The names of the individual presets are similar, in that they mostly describe what the effect they can do.  If you would like to see examples of the effects, there are some Before/After slider examples on the website, which is always helpful to get an idea of the outcomes.

The whole collection has some common styles; Clean, Classic, Lucent, Vintage, and Warm are some examples that pop up in several collections.  The style and result of the preset seem to be reasonably consistent for these as well, so if there is one style you particularly like, it may be repeated across different collections for some variations.

System Requirements – Filterbooth requires Lightroom™ CC, Classic CC, 6, 5, or 4 and for ACR requires Photoshop™ CC or CS6 to work properly.

Pricing

There is a free sample of 5 Presets to try out (which is a lucky dip of sorts as the website doesn’t tell you which ones they are).  However, this is a nice touch, as a lot of the expensive professional preset makers don’t always offer a free sample.

Next, there is a Starter Kit (US$ 45) which includes 5 samples from each of the 12 collections (again, it doesn’t tell you the specific ones).

Lastly, there is the Professional Kit (US$ 115) which gives you every preset.

Keep an eye out on their website for special offers too, because, at the time of writing this, some discounts were on offer.

Testing out the presets

Presets use all the settings within Lightroom to do their job.  Depending on their design, they may edit key things like exposure, white balance and so on.  Some do, some don’t. Any image you are using should already have had your basic edit applied to correct for White Balance, Exposure, Lens Correction, Horizon Angle, Crop, etc.  Therefore the preset affects the other editing tools.

As a result, some presets can be ‘stacked’ on top of each other to build up layers of effect.  This works if the presets alter different settings from the previous one, and only those elements are selected to be active in the preset.  I found it isn’t generally obvious until you try them out.  The image at the head of this article did have several presets applied for a stacked effect, and then some manual edits to finish it off.

In general, most of presets don’t adjust the exposure when you apply them – however, some do, and it varies by the amount.  So keep that in mind when you are applying them to your image.

Testing Technique

The example image I used for this review was edited in Lightroom from a RAW file so that the finished image was suitable for having presets applied.

After the preset was applied, I did NO FURTHER EDITS – all you see is the result of applying the preset.  Once the I exported and saved the file, I removed the current preset from the Lightroom image.  Therefore each time a new preset was applied, it was against a clean copy of the Base Image to maintain consistency.

I chose to use the flatlay food image because of it’s color range and texture. It also provided a good comparison on a close-up shot.

The second image I chose to use is a landscape with a bright blue sky, snow, grass, and rocks.  This offered a larger scale scene with a typical contrast range of a landscape on a bright sunny day — typical of many landscape images.

I have noted the Collection Name, and the Preset Name in the captions and examples are in Alphabetical order of Collection Type.

BASE IMAGE FOR TESTING

 

Amber -Classic

 

Azure- Blues

Azure- Blues

 

Emerald Forest – Rich

 

Faces – Clean

 

Food – Classy

 

Golden Hour – Soft

 

Interior – Dim

 

Monochrome – Ageless

 

Moody Vibes – Blog

 

Night Owl – Crimson

 

Standard – Moody

 

Urban Vibe – Chilly

 

 

Next we have a Landscape shot of the New Zealand high country, taken from the rocks at Castle Hill. It has a nice blue sky, highlights in the snow, quite a lot of mid tones and it lacks a little contrast making it interesting to see how the presets work with it.

BASE IMAGE FOR TESTING

 

Amber- Warm

 

Azure – Mystery

 

Emerald Forest – Air

 

Faces – Warm

 

 

Food – Pop

 

Golden Hour – Pink

 

Interior – December

 

Monochrome – Ageless

 

Moody Vibes – Blog

 

Night Owl – Colour

 

Standard – Moody

 

Urban Vibes – Film

 

Conclusion

As you can see, there is a lot of variation in effect here.  While crafted for specific uses, the collections can also be used outside of that as well.

In general, I found there was enough variety to make these useful, and enough similarity to feel comfortable in getting consistent outcomes by using Presets of the same name.  While the full collection gives you everything, it may be outside the budget for some. In that case, the Freebie pack, or Starter Collection may be a better option.

The presets themselves, felt crafted for a modern, slick styling similar to what you might see in high-end magazines, or portrait and wedding studios.  So if that is your thing, these are probably worth checking out.

For landscape, food or other photographers, I would recommend trying the free sample pack (what have you got to lose?) and then decide if you want to invest further.

As I mentioned, I use a lot of presets in my work and have many from a range of creators.  This offering from Filterbooth is probably the most modern and professional set I have used. While the preset styles don’t suit the styling I have used for my photographic brand, I did enjoy the Moody and Vintage options, as well as the ones with a bit of desaturation and matte finish.

If you are a general purpose photographer, and considering presets, the Filterbooth Preset Collection is a great, professionally produced, collection with a wide range of options to suit many styles.  So give the free sample pack a try and take it from there.

Review 4 and a half /5 stars  (the extra half for having a Free Sample Pack)

The post Review: Filterbooth Preset Collection for Lightroom and Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Stacey Hill.


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How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop

23 Dec

The post How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Have you downloaded the NIK filter collection but now you don’t know how to use it? It’s great to have all these tools available, but they can be daunting to use for the first time. When there are so many choices available, it’s difficult to choose or even figure out where to start. So, keep reading for a quick introductory guide to the Nik filter interface.

Launch Photoshop

When you launch Photoshop, the Nik Filter Panel launches too. This panel is independent of the Photoshop interface. You can move it around your screen, minimize or close it without affecting Photoshop.

1 - How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop

If you close it and want to open it again without re-launching Photoshop, go to Menu -> File -> Automate -> Nik Collection Selective Tool. If you don’t want the entire panel, but a specific filter you can go to Menu -> Filters -> Nik Collection and choose the one you want from the menu. However, keep in mind that this option is only active if you have already opened an image.

2 - How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop - launch

While I’m using Color Efex Pro to show you around, this tutorial is an introduction to the entire collection. Therefore, I won’t go into much detail about this or any other particular filter. Instead, I discuss only what they share. When you launch the desired filter, a window pops up. This window has a canvas area where you can see the image and one or two adjustment panels on the side.

3 - How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop - Interface

*Note that Dfine, Viveza and Sharpener Pro only have the adjustment panel on the right.

Canvas

Let’s start with the Canvas. Canvas is the area where you can see your image and the adjustments you’re making to it. First of all, you can change the background color so that you can best appreciate the photo. By clicking the button on top that has a lightbulb in it, you can switch to black, white or grey.

4 - How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop - background colour

The default setting displays the canvas and the panels, that way you can see what you’re doing. However, you can hide the panels at any time by clicking the buttons on the top corner(s). You can also press the Tab key on your keyboard for this.

5 - How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop - hide panels

View Modes

Still on the top bar, and regardless of how many panels you have shown, there’s always the display choices. You can have the Single Image Mode that shows your entire image with the adjustments. To see the original image, you can click the Compare button.

6 - How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop - change view

Using the Compare button gives you a side by side comparison or a split image comparison. The two buttons are on top next to the Single View one.

7 - How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop - view modes

Categories

Regarding panels, on the left, you’ll have the available filters when you are in Color Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, Analogue Pro, Silver Efex Pro. In this section, you can see all the possible filters or narrow down the choices by category.

Also, in most of them (except Color Efex Pro), you’ll have a thumbnail preview of them.

8 - How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop - categories

Recipes

Below the categories and filters, you’ll find the Recipes. Presets and Recipes are a combination of filters that allow you to apply multiple filters and adjustments with one click. These are handy if you’re a beginner and want to have options that are more automized. However, you can create your own so that you can apply the same adjustments to multiple images. It’s a very useful tool.

Be careful not to apply it after you’ve already made some adjustments because they get overwritten by the recipe.

9 - How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop - recipes

Note: If you change your mind about the recipe or anything else you’ve done, you’ll find the History button at the bottom where you can retrace your steps and go back.

Adjustments

On the right panel, you’ll have all the adjustments to personalize the filter or effect that you’re working on. This is available in all of the filters, but each one has different choices and possibilities.

10 - How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop - adjustments

 

Finally, when you click OK at the bottom, the changes get applied as a new layer on top of the original image.

11 - How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop - apply

Brush

However, if you only want to apply it to specific areas, click on Brush instead of clicking OK. That way, it gets applied as a layer mask. Then you can ‘paint’ the changes onto the desired parts. When you’re done, click Apply on the bottom of the Nik panel.

12 - How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop - apply brush

Conclusion

I hope you feel a bit more confident to start moving around the settings and finding your way into all the potential these filters offer. Remember, you can always go back a step or two when making changes. Also, don’t be afraid of damaging your original file while you learn because any changes are made on a separate layer. Most of all get creative and enjoy.

Have you used the collection? What are your thoughts?

You may also find these articles helpful:

How to Boost Your Creativity with Lightroom Presets

How to Use Import and Export Presets in Lightroom Classic CC

How to Make Creative Lightroom Develop Presets for Portraits

The post How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


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