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Try the Full-Frame Nikon Z 5 for 30 Days With the Yellow Program

09 Oct

The post Try the Full-Frame Nikon Z 5 for 30 Days With the Yellow Program appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

If you’re thinking about purchasing the Nikon Z 5 but you’re just not sure whether it’s the right fit, then you’re in luck:

Nikon has reintroduced its Yellow Program, which allows US-based consumers to order the Z5 and, if not satisfied before a month is out, return the camera for their money back.

As Nikon explains:

“We’re so sure you’ll be thrilled with the performance you’ll get with your new full frame mirrorless Z 5 camera that we’ll let you try one at home for 30 days. If you aren’t totally impressed with the Z 5 (we’d be surprised), send it back to us for a full refund.”

The return offer even includes a prepaid shipping label, so there truly is no cost to you; if you’re not completely satisfied by your purchase, you’ll have lost nothing at all.

If you do decide to take advantage of the Nikon Yellow Program, note that your Z 5 will be inspected if returned (it must be sent back in “like-new condition”). Also note that all Nikon Yellow customers will need to pay in advance, rather than after the thirty-day trial period is over.

So what options does the Yellow Program offer?

You can choose from three kits:

The Nikon Z 5 body only (for $ 1399.95 USD)
The Nikon Z 5 with a 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens (for $ 2,199.95 USD)
The Nikon Z 5 with a 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens (for $ 1699.95 USD)

You can also grab the FTZ adapter for a few extra dollars; this will allow you to mount Nikon F-mount lenses onto the Z 5. The adapter is invaluable if you have a collection of lenses for your Nikon DSLR and, fortunately, Nikon includes a special provision in the Yellow Program to account for FTZ adapters: If you purchase an adapter along with a Yellow Program Z 5, you can return the adapter as well as the camera at the end of the trial period for a full refund.

Nice, right?

All in all, the Z 5 is a powerful, entry-level, full-frame option from Nikon, one that’s perfect for hobbyists and semi-professionals of all types, from landscape shooters to travel photographers to portrait snappers and more.

So why not give it a try?

You can read more about the Nikon Yellow Program here, but don’t dawdle; the offer ends on November 30th.

The post Try the Full-Frame Nikon Z 5 for 30 Days With the Yellow Program appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Researchers develop lithium-sulphur battery that can power a phone for five days

17 Jan

Image courtesy of Monash University

Researchers led by Monash University in Australia have developed what they say is the ‘most efficient’ version of a lithium-sulfur battery; one capable of powering a smartphone for five full days of continuous use. The team has filed a patent for the manufacturing process they developed and they report interest from ‘some of the world’s largest manufacturers.’

Prototype lithium-sulfur power cells were manufactured in Germany, according to an announcement from the university published last week. The technology holds promise for revolutionizing everything from consumer gadgets like cameras and phones to larger systems involving vehicles and solar power. The newly developed lithium-sulfur battery offers more than four times the performance of the market’s current most efficient batteries.

With this level of battery performance, photographers and filmmakers could spend weeks in remote locations with only power banks as their power source, eliminating the need to tote around and use solar chargers, which are dependent on direct sunlight and often take several hours or more to recharge a battery.

In addition to improved performance, the Li-S battery technology is also said to have less of an environmental impact than the lithium-ion battery products currently in use. The new battery prototype utilizes the same materials used to manufacture ordinary lithium-ion batteries; as well, the process is said to have lower manufacturing costs.

According to the university, additional testing of the technology with solar grids and cars will take place in Australia early this year. Major lithium battery manufacturers in Europe and China are interested in upscaling the production of these lithium-sulphur batteries.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Fun winter photo projects for the long, dark days of winter

22 Dec

With the nights and mornings pretty close together for the next few months, and the sun taking some time out to recoup, many photographers head indoors to escape the dark and the rain. Plenty of us are tempted to hang up our cameras until the Spring, with a brief interlude should a decent amount of snow make an appearance.

Don’t be one of those photographers.

Just because bright light and blue skies are a rarer occurrence in the winter months doesn’t mean we have to stop taking pictures. There’s still plenty you can do, provided you’re prepared to use some imagination. Here are a few ideas to keep you shooting until the better weather returns.

Still life

I used a gold sheet of card from a craft store to send a little warmth back into the subject from the left hand side. The diffused flash was positioned on the right, and contrasting the white light from the flash with the gold light from the reflector emphasizes the warm effect

A good mastery of still life photography should help improve your photography across the board, and the winter months are a very good time to get some practice in. Working with a few objects on the table top with just a single light and a reflector is an ideal way to teach yourself more about lighting, exposure and composition.

If you are new to this area I suggest starting with just an orange and a table lamp, moving the lamp around the orange to see how the direction of the light changes the way the orange looks. Once you’ve done that and looked carefully at the way highlights and shadows control the sense of three dimensions in the image you can move on to everyday objects laying around the house.

Keep things simple by using just one or two objects in your scene, and try lighting with just one source and a couple of reflectors to moderate the shadows.

Here I used a single LED panel at the top of the frame, and a couple of mirror tiles to the left and right of the handle to throw some light back in the opposite direction. A wide aperture created a shallow depth-of-field to draw the eye diagonally up the handle to the point of focus.

The blueberry doesn’t need to be sharp for us to know it is a blueberry, and it is used as a counterweight to the main area of interest

Knives, forks and spoons offer interesting shapes and compositional challenges, and natural objects saved from the autumn, like nuts or dried leaves, give you the chance to bring nature into your work. The supermarket is also filled with interesting fruit and vegetables, and home stores and hardware stores stock nice cups, glasses and industrial looking bolts, screws, springs and fascinating sheets of metal/plastic/wood that will make interesting backgrounds.

One of the nice things about still life is that you can take your time and there is usually no rush, so you can look really carefully, try things out and try again when it doesn’t work the first time.

Tips:

Work slowly and really look at the effect of the light on your subject
Use silver, gold, white and black cards to bounce/block light
When used as a reflector, mirrors throw back so much light they can save you having to buy a second flash

Macro

Planning ahead for your winter shooting can involve collecting interesting items from the garden during the Fall. If you didn’t manage to do that don’t worry as your local florist will almost certainly thought of it. Here a little light either side is used to demonstrate the three-dimensional qualities of the seed head and the stem, and to lift it from the black-cloth background. I used a pair of hotshoe flash units fired through mini-softboxes attached to an adapter ring

An extension of still life, macro photography will test your ability to see details and to look more closely than usual. Successful macro photography is all about finding hidden textures, patterns and features of everyday objects as well as capturing tiny plants and animals that might otherwise escape our attention.

Macro does require at least some specialist equipment, whether that’s a reversal ring, a coupling ring to mount one lens backwards on another or an actual dedicated macro lens. Using a lens designed for macro will make your life a lot easier and will deliver the best quality without too much effort, but high-quality macro lenses can be costly.

Extension tubes are very affordable, and can be added to a standard lens to help you get a little, or a lot, closer, and a micro adjustment platform for your tripod head can help when it comes to getting accurate focus in the closeup range without having to move the tripod.

Lights don’t need to be expensive. This was lit with a small pocket flashlight positioned to make these pasta shells glow in the dark. A sheet of white paper under the lens was enough to throw a touch of light back to reveal some of the details of side of the shells closest to the camera

Cable and remote release devices will help to avoid camera shake with dramatic magnifications and tethering software will allow a bigger preview to ensure anything is perfect before you trip the shutter. How about using the long winter months to teach yourself focus stacking so you can control exactly what is and isn’t sharp in your images?

Tips:

Having a dedicated macro lens will make your life easier
Use a tripod or support, don’t think you can do this handheld
Be aware that depth-of-field is tiny in macro work, so add lots of light if you need small apertures

Window portraits

Late afternoon light on a winter’s day softly passing through a bay window was all that was needed for this portrait. I kept the sitter well back from the window to produce nice soft contrast but still retaining enough to show the shape of her head and features. Using the white balance in Daylight mode shows the coolness of the light and lets us know this is a winter image

It doesn’t matter what time of year it is actually – daylight gliding through a north-facing window will always provide some of the best kind of lighting for natural-looking portraiture. On rainy and overcast days the light levels might be lower but that light will also be softer and more flattering.

Position your subject close to the window if you want more contrast and further away for less, and try turning them 3/4 against the light to get a more dramatic effect. Using a black card on the unlit side of the face can help to deepen shadows if there’s more light than you want bouncing around the room. A net curtain or sheet of thin paper across the window can diffuse the daylight on a sunny day or when you only have south-facing windows to play with.

Positioning the subjects directly in front of a sunny window gives them this stark and very direct frontal lighting. I stood with my back to the window and pulled the shutters across to create the stripes on the groom’s jacket. The light on his face is reflected from the white top-side of the shutters.

As he is close to the window the light drops off quite quickly, leaving his friends visible but much darker. This helps to express who is the most important player in the scene, and who are the secondary elements.

Extra diffusion will also cut down the light making it easier to achieve a wide aperture if you want shallow depth-of-field.

Try experimenting with white balance too, so you can create a warm or cool effect whatever the conditions outside.

Tips:

Try the sitter at different distances from the window to vary contrast
Move your sitter between each end of the window to alter how the light wraps around their face
Use net curtains, bubble wrap or paper to diffuse the light even more

Home studio

Using quite a small soft light creates strong direction but avoids razor-sharp edges to the shadows. The small light also allows a rapid fall off, so the subject’s head is lit more brightly than her body, and positioning the light just slightly behind illuminates the front of her face while leaving the side closest to the camera dark – drawing attention to her closed eyes. A small direct light from behind her lifts her shoulders from the background and helps to create a sense of depth in the picture.

Opera singer Golda Schultz for the BBC Proms Magazine

When there’s not too much natural light coming through the windows, or we need more for smaller apertures and lower ISO settings, it’s a good time to think about alternative light sources. Domestic lights can be very useful for lighting in a home studio but they don’t always deliver enough power, so sometimes we need to look at flash.

There have never been so many flash units available for photographers so we have plenty of choice. Big studio monoblock type studio flash offer the advantage of power and a modeling bulb so we can see what we are doing, but they can feel expensive for the enthusiast. A useful alternative is to use one of the host of hotshoe flash units that are available – either from the manufacturer of your camera or from one of the many independent brands that have sprung up over the last ten or so years.

This is the set-up for the shot above. You can see that I believe in keeping things simple. The lights are Rotolight Annova Pro on the left and the Neo2 on the right. I used a Veydra Mini Prime 35mm T2.2 cinema lens – for a softer feel – on the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

Modern hotshoe flash units are remarkably powerful, flexible and easy to use, and with auto and TTL modes they can be set to do all the work for you. In manual mode they offer more straight forward options and with wireless control becoming the norm you don’t have to leave the camera position to make your changes – or to check the results of any adjustments you’ve made.

What makes hotshoe style flash units so useful now is the mass of accessories and modifiers that can transform their light to be indistinguishable from that of a professional studio flash. I use adapter clamps so that my flash units can fit inside the softboxes, dishes and snoots that I use with my main studio units, and enjoy the convenience, the shorter set-up time and that they fix in smaller spaces.

Tips:

Keep the flash/light source away from the camera for a more three-dimensional effect
Bounce light from a white wall/ceiling to create a larger/softer light
Use an adapter that allows you to use soft-boxes and accessories with your flash head for a wider range of lighting looks

Summing up

I’d find it easier to hold my breath all winter than to keep my lens cap on between the end of November and the middle of February. In fact, shooting in the winter months is exactly as exciting as shooting when the sun shines all day, we just have to think differently and to create shooting situations rather than relying on nature to do it all for us. Indoors we can still enjoy the wonders of natural light but just through a window, and when there’s black clouds we can use normal domestic lights or a pop of flash to do the same thing.

All that’s required for winter shooting indoors is a little imagination and sometimes a tripod to support those longer shutter speeds. So take a look around your home to see what/who you can aim your camera at, and perhaps take a trip to a florist/hardware store or secondhand shop to see what treasures you can find. The cold weather and shorter days are no excuse – keep on shooting and keep those creative juices flowing until Spring.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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News: The Nikon Yellow Program Lets You Try the Nikon Z 50 for 30 Days

21 Dec

The post News: The Nikon Yellow Program Lets You Try the Nikon Z 50 for 30 Days appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Nikon has started a program called Yellow, which allows potential customers to try the Nikon Z 50.

You can get 30 days of use out of the Z 50. And at the end of the trial period, if you don’t like the camera, you can send it back.

According to Nikon’s website:

We’re so confident that you’ll fall in love with the photos and videos you’ll get with your new mirrorless Z 50 camera, especially when compared to the ones you get with your smartphone, we’ll let you try one at home for 30 days. If you don’t fall in love, send it back to us for a full refund, including shipping.

A neat aspect of the program is that Nikon allows you to choose your kit so that you can trial the Z 50 with a 16-50mm VR lens (for $ 999.95 USD), with the 16-50mm lens and a 50-250mm VR lens (for $ 1199.95 USD), or you can just get the Z 50 (for $ 859.95).

The camera arrives with a charger, a battery, and a memory card, so you’ll have everything you need to start taking photos.

Now, you will have to be careful when trialing the Z 50, because you’re responsible if the camera comes back to Nikon in anything less than like-new condition. Note that Nikon makes you pay upfront, either in full or in installments through PayPal, so you’ll need to be prepared to hand over money in advance.

Really, there’s a lot to like about this program with very little to lose; assuming you take care of your camera equipment, you should have no problem trialing the Z50 without risk.

Of course, the Z50 isn’t a camera for everyone. But it does offer a lot of power in a little, fairly inexpensive camera body: a 20.9-megapixel APS-C sensor, 11 frames-per-second continuous shooting, 4K video, and much more. If you’re a user of full-frame cameras, you’ll probably want to go for one of Nikon’s other mirrorless options (or a Canon, or a Sony, or a Panasonic).

But if you’re a hobbyist looking to upgrade from a smartphone, a compact camera, or a consumer DSLR, then the Z 50 is definitely worth a look!

Will you take advantage of this and try out the Nikon Z50?

The post News: The Nikon Yellow Program Lets You Try the Nikon Z 50 for 30 Days appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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12 Days of Belvedere: A look back at puppyhood through sample photos

15 Dec

12 days of Belvedere

ISO 1400 | 1/250 sec | F1.8 | Nikon Z6 + Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S

Belvedere officially joined the DPReview team last fall as a fourth-month-old pup and quickly became one of our favorite subjects to photograph. By the turn of 2019, he was a common sight in many-a sample gallery. Twelve months later and we have a complete and glorious timeline of his transformation from tiny puppy, to slightly larger puppy!

As Belvedere’s human and Photo Editor at DPReview, I tasked myself with going back through each month of 2019 to select the top pup photo to share with you, my dear reader, along with the gallery it’s from. We feel this is a nice way to not only look back at all the lovely gear we’ve tested, but also to fill the Internet with additional dog photos, because dogs are good and we love dogs.

We intend this slideshow to be enjoyed Advent calendar-style, meaning after today you are allowed to view one additional photo up until the 25th, when all can be enjoyed in consecutive order. Think of it as our holiday gift to you. We’re counting on you to not peek ahead!

And for those curious, Belvedere, a rescue pup, is a mix of Chihuahua, Miniature Pinscher and Miniature Short-haired Dachshund. He likes dehydrated squirrel carcasses, licking bald heads, sitting in laps for hours, turning squeaky toys inside-out and whenever anyone puts on a pair of socks. He weighs 18.4lbs and is a very good boy.

*All images by Dan Bracaglia except where noted

January 2019 – Belvedere at 7 months

ISO 2800 | 1/125 sec | F2.8 | Nikon Z6 + Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S

We started off the year busy, publishing 11 sets of sample images in January 2019, including galleries for heavy hitting products like the Sony a6400, Sigma 28mm F1.4 Art and the Olympus E-M1X. But our top Belvedere pick in January comes from our Nikon Z 50mm F.8 S gallery. This one was a tough choice between two tempting pup picks, both from the same gallery. We opted for Belvedere enjoying a cheese stick, but Belvedere on the couch was a close second (we used it as the lead for the story).

January was also the month we tested the versatile, yet chunky Canon RF 28-70mm F2L as well as the beastly Nikon 500mm F5.6. We also got our hands on a Canon APS-C mirrorless favorite in the Canon EF-M 32mm F1.4 STM.

See our Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S gallery

February 2019 – Belvedere at 8 months

ISO 12800 | 1/125 sec | F5.6 | Fujifilm GFX 50R + GF 45mm F2.8
Photo: Carey Rose

February was a busy months for new gear. We got our hands on pre-production models of the Panasonic S1R and Panasonic S1 (in Barcelona). We also took a pre-production Fujifilm X-T30 for a spin (in Seattle), and freelance contributor Damien Demolder put together a pre-production gallery with the Ricoh GR III (from London).

Additionally we published final production galleries from the Canon EOS RP, the Fujifilm XF 16mm F2.8 and the oh-so-sharp Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM. And yet somehow with all the launches and all the galleries shot, we didn’t publish a single Belvedere photo in February. Shame on us. Fortunately DPR’s Carey Rose captured the above image of our dear pup from a, well, not-terribly flattering angle for a Fujifilm GFX 50R gallery published March 1st. It was technically taken in February so we’ll count it.

See our GFX 50R sample gallery

March 2019 – Belvedere at 9 months

ISO 100 | 1/200 sec | F2.8 | Leica Q2

Things quieted down a little in March. We got our hands on final production versions of both the Panasonic S1 and Panasonic S1R and filled out those galleries with plenty of samples. We also got our hands on Sigma’s outstanding bang-for-the-buck 70-200mm F2.8 Sport as well as their latest long zoom in the 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 Sport.

Belvedere popped up in several of those galleries, but our favorite photos of him came from the Leica Q2, shot during a sunny afternoon walk. The weather was just starting to warm up in March and Belvedere’s fur was just beginning to go through a rapid and often comical shed and regrowth phase.

See our Leica Q2 sample gallery

April 2019 – Belvedere at 10 months

ISO 64 | 1/320 sec | F2.8 | Nikon Z7 + Z 24-70mm F2.8 @ 70mm

April was also a somewhat quiet month. We got a final production version of the Fujifilm X-T30 in for testing as well as a final version of the Ricoh GR III. We also shot with Pentax’s new 11-18mm F2.8 ultra-wide zoom and the slightly-less wide Nikon Z 14-30mm F4 S. But it was a different Nikon Z lens behind our favorite April Belvedere shot: the outstandingly sharp Z 24-70mm F2.8. Belvedere’s not even the only handsome pup in said gallery!

Also important: At 10 months Belvedere wasn’t quite fully grown. He no longer fits under the tight space he’s peeking out from in the image above, though he does try from time to time.

See our Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S sample gallery

May 2019 – Belvedere at 11 months

ISO 125 | 1/200 sec | F4.4 | Ricoh WG-60

We shot with a wide array of products in May ranging from the image quality king, Fujifilm GFX 100 (pre-production), to the beginner-friendly Canon SL3, to the Panasonic FZ1000 II premium compact. We also called in and tested a number of rugged cameras for our Best Waterproof Camera Guide, including the Olympus TG-6.

But our favorite Belvedere photo comes from the comparably underpowered Ricoh WG-60, a rugged compact. Which just goes to show, it’s not the quality of the camera that makes the photo, it’s the cuteness of the dog. Here he is soaking up the sunlight from Seattle’s oh-so-long May days.

See our waterproof camera buying guide

June 2019 – Belvedere on his birthday

ISO 200 | 1/40 sec | F2.4 | Samsung Galaxy S10+
Photo: Jeff Keller

Belvedere officially turned one year old in June (June 10th if you want to send a gift, he likes bones) and we had ample opportunity to photograph the birthday boy. June was a month in which we shot with a ton of high-end full-frame lenses including the Panasonic S 24-105mm F4, the Panasonic S Pro 50mm F1.4, the Sony FE 600mm F4 GM and the Rokinon SP 35mm F1.2. We also added a nice selection of images to our Fujifilm GFX 100 gallery (still not final firmware, womp).

But it was the Samsung Galaxy S10+ in the hands of DPR’s Jeff Keller that captured our favorite shot of the young man. A shot that shows him starting to come of age: He’s still got the doofy ‘I’m a puppy’ face, but his coat and body are filling out like a real dog. Nice work, Belvedere.

See our Samsung Galaxy S10+ sample gallery

July 2019 – Belvedere at 13 months

ISO 100 | 1/500 sec | F1.2 | Canon EOS R + RF 85mm F1.2L

July was a busy month for sample gallery shooting. With the Seattle rain finally dissipating for the season, we took full advantage of the long sunny days. The Sony a7R IV launched and we got ample shooting time with it in New York City. DPR’s Carey Rose also got his hands on several freshly-launched Sigma lenses in Japan, including the Sigma 45mm F2.8 Contemporary, the Sigma 14-24 F2.8 Art and Sigma 35mm F1.2 Art. We also spent time with Tamron’s wide, sharp 17-28mm F2.8 and took Sony’s excellent do-everything pocket camera, the RX100 VII for a spin.

Other notable galleries include the Canon EOS M100 (in Mexico), the Panasonic Leica 10-25mm F1.7, the Sony 35mm F1.8, the Fujfilm GF 50mm F3.5 and the Rokinon AF 85mm F1.4. Gosh that’s a lot of galleries. But our hands-down favorite Belvedere photo was shot with one of our favorite portrait lenses of the year, the Canon RF 85mm F1.2L. Just look at that happy boy! He knows the bokeh is creamy.

See our Canon RF 85mm F1.2L
sample gallery

August 2019 – Belvedere at 14 months

ISO 125 | 1/30 sec | F2.8 | Canon G5 X mark II

August saw major launches from two brands, Canon with its enthusiast APS-C siblings in the Canon EOS 90D and Canon EOS M6 Mark II and Sony with its APS-C siblings in the Sony a6100 and the Sony a6600. We also finally got our hands on a final production Fujifilm GFX 100 as well as a final production Panasonic G95.

Additionally we shot with the very sharp Nikon Z 35mm F1.8 S, the Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 and the Tamron 35-150mm F2.8-4. Finally Canon’s two latest compacts, the Canon G7 X III and the Canon G5 X II also showed up at our office for sample shooting and testing. Our favorite Belvedere photo from the month was taken on the latter. Note: If Belvedere looks extra fluffy in this image it’s because he had just received a bath after his very first puppy swim.

See our Canon PowerShot G5 X II gallery

September 2019 – Belvedere at 15 months

ISO 64 | 1/2500 sec | F1.8 | Nikon Z7 + Z 85mm F1.8

September was a somewhat quiet month for sample galleries, yet Belvedere managed to sneak his charming face into two of them. These included the all around-excellent Tamron 35mm F1.4 gallery and the also-impressive Nikon 85mm F1.8 S gallery. We also shot with the iPhone 11, Sony 16-55mm F2.8 and Phase One IQ4.

Now I’ll be honest, my dear humble readers, I truly struggled with which Belvedere photos to pick as the winner for this month (OK, I shot them all). My decision ultimately came down to which image had the most likes in our gallery (10). Either way, September was a very good-looking month for our dear staff pup.

See our Nikon Z 85mm F1.8 S
sample gallery

October 2019 – Belvedere at 16 months

ISO 1000 | 1/100 sec | F2.8 | Canon M200 + EF-M 32mm F1.4
Photo: Carey Rose

October saw the launch of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 III, the Fujifilm X-Pro3 and the Nikon Z50 – cameras we were able to shoot galleries for, prior to announcement. We also got our hands on Canon’s impressive RF 24-70mm F2.8L lens and shot our very first test samples on the Nikon Z 58mm S Noct (under very controlled settings). Additionally, we were thoroughly impressed with the real world output of the Google Pixel 4.

But our favorite Belvedere sample of the month came from Carey Rose with the Canon EOS M200. I’m not sure if Carey set out to capture Belvedere working hard on the job, but he sure did. Warming laps takes a lot of practice and dedication!

See our Canon EOS M200 sample gallery

November 2019 – Belvedere at 17 months

ISO 100 | 1/800 sec | F2.8 | Leica SL2 + Sigma 45mm F2.8

We had the chance to shoot with some really nice telephoto glass in November, including with the Fujifilm XF 200mm F2 as well as the jaw-dropping Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L. We also took Sony’s 70-350 F4.5-6.3 for a spin and explored around the city with the super-compact Sigma fp full-framer.

But it was the beastly Leica SL2 behind November’s top Belvedere pic. And if you zoom into 100% you can even seem some dreamy bokeh from the Sigma 45mm F2.8 on my dear dog’s nose.

See our Leica SL2 sample gallery

December 2019 – Belvedere at 18… no wait, 6 months

ISO 1000 | 1/200 sec | F1.4 | Sony a6500 + Sigma 56mm F1.4
Photo: Carey Rose

December has been a busy (and dark month) and it’s not over yet! As such, we’ve only published a handful of galleries so far. These include our Panasonic S Pro 24-70 F2.8 gallery, our Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L gallery and our full-production Nikon Z50 gallery. But sadly, none of those galleries contain images of our fuzzy pal (what fools we are!).

But not to worry! DPR’s Richard Butler reminded me of a classic Belvedere photo shot by our very own Carey Rose with the delightful Sigma 56mm F1.4, this time last December (no, Belvedere isn’t Benjamin Button).

See our Sigma 56mm F1.4 sample gallery

12 days of Belvedere – The wrap

ISO 64 | 1/320 sec | F1.4 | Nikon Z7 + Tamron 35mm F1.4

And that’s a wrap on the year. There you have it, 12 months of Belvedere in 12 days. Thank you kind reader, for following along on this fun and important journey through puppyhood and gear reminiscing. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed each slide, one at a time and didn’t jump ahead. But even if you did, Belvedere forgives you. He’s just that kind of dog.

Until next year. Woof!

See our Tamron 35mm F1.4 sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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dPS 12 Days of Holiday Deals: Save up to 95% on Some Great Photography Training and Tools

11 Dec

The post dPS 12 Days of Holiday Deals: Save up to 95% on Some Great Photography Training and Tools appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

12 Days of Holiday Deals

In 24 hours the first of our 12 Days of Holiday Deals begins!

This is when you’ll score HUGE savings on our most popular products and MASSIVE discounts with some very special dPS partners so that you have the best resources to reach your photography goals for 2020.

It works just as you’d expect. Over 12 days, we’ll announce a brand new deal every 24 hours.

To get notified of each deal just add your email address below.

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fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, “script”, “aweber-wjs-aaln1h62r”));

Each day you’ll receive an email from us with a special offer from us or a partner.

Many of our deals are offering 50% to 95% off the normal price.

We’ll also share the deals on our Facebook page, but the best way (so you don’t miss a thing), is to sign up for the emails above.

On signing up you’ll also get a special free downloadable gift from dPS – our mini-guide and checklist for photographing the holidays.

Our annual 12 day Holiday promotion is the most anticipated event on the dPS calendar. It starts in less than 24 hours and is always lots of fun. We hope you’ll join us.

We can’t wait to unveil the first deal with you…

Again – to get the deals via email just sign up below.

The post dPS 12 Days of Holiday Deals: Save up to 95% on Some Great Photography Training and Tools appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

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Kodak Ektachrome E100 film will be available in 120, 4×5 formats ‘within the next 10 days’

11 Dec

Kodak Alaris has announced that its Ektachrome E100 film stock will be released in 120 and 4×5 sheet film packs ‘within the next ten days.’

In a tweet shared earlier this morning on the Kodak Professional account, Kodak Alaris confirmed new 5-roll 120 ‘propacks’ and 10-sheet 4×5 boxes will be available to order worldwide within the next ten days. Kodak Alaris Japan also published a press release sharing the news.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. Dec 10, 2019 – Kodak Alaris today announced the launch of EKTACHROME E100 in larger formats. A new 120 format 5-roll propack and a new 10 sheet 4×5 box will be available to order within the next 10 days, worldwide. pic.twitter.com/AXpvkeplRN

— Kodak Professional (@KodakProFilmBiz) December 10, 2019

No pricing information has been given, but we’ll find out soon enough when orders go live.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Photographing on Overcast Days: The Light Simply Doesn’t Get Any Better

17 Nov

The post Photographing on Overcast Days: The Light Simply Doesn’t Get Any Better appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Herb Paynter.

Lighting is everything in photography, but some “poor” conditions may surprise you. Am I alone here? Does anybody else get excited about photographing on overcast days?

I use to think I was a contrast junkie, but I discovered that my passion is for detail, more of an internal contrast issue than one of overall contrast. Internal contrast (the clear distinction between tones inside the extremes of white and black) is what delivers the distinctions we call detail.

Hot highlights and deep shadows

Photographing on Overcast Days: The Light Simply Doesn't Get Any Better

When you consider the dynamic range of most digital camera image sensors, typical bright sunny days can present two challenges right off the bat: hot highlights and deep shadows. When the highlights in the original image are very hot, and the shadows are very deep, extracting detail in the “near shadows” and “near highlights” turns into an editing issue.

This is why photographing on overcast days is the easiest lighting condition to deal with.

photographing-on-overcast-days

The holy grail of photographic exposure range is located well within those bookend extremes. On a typical Florida day, with the Sun blaring on a scene, the trick is to keep the quarter, middle, and three-quarter tones ideally balanced in order to capture critical detail.

With highlights too “hot,” the inevitable shadows cast by the tropical Sun tends to push critical three-quarter tones (shadow detail) into the mud. Shooting in RAW mode allows most images to recover all but the most severe edges of dark and light, though it can take a careful adjustment to do so.

Filtering effect of clouds

Photographing on Overcast Days: The Light Simply Doesn't Get Any Better

When photographing on overcast days, the filtering effect of clouds mellows the Sun’s harsh light, revealing significant quarter tones (highlight detail).

The wonderful byproduct of this softer “diffused” light is softer shadows, which in turn deliver more shadow detail.

It is much easier to boost the highlights and deepen the shadows with a little help from overcast weather. On very sunny days, you might have to use a reflector or fill flash to open up the shadows, but on cloudy days, they’re already open! This natural diffuser renders rich colors and a full range of tones from the deepest shadows to the lightest highlights.

This lighting is the ideal time to press your 18% gray card into action.

Gray card

photographing-on-overcast-days

There is a reason why photographers like to balance their lighting around an 18% gray card. That 18% value just happens to be the same reflective value as average Caucasian skin color. And that value is the sweet spot of all photographic exposure.

Your camera’s image sensor is tuned to record skin tones in the very center of the contrast range. Image sensors do their best work when you point them at this reflective value. Once the camera knows this value, the lighter and darker tones fall quite naturally in line. And when the outdoor lighting falls neatly within the camera sensor’s “cruising range” (with headroom on either side of the scene’s histogram), that my friends, delivers top drawer results.

Photographing on overcast days may well become your favorite lighting.

Middle tone emphasis

Photographing on Overcast Days: The Light Simply Doesn't Get Any Better

Don’t be afraid to put the scene’s tones well within the middle of the histogram.

There is no hard, fast rule that says that every image has to contain extreme highlights or near-black shadows. Real-life simply doesn’t appear that way to your eyes. Not even high-key photography mandates that the lightest tones must be extremely bright. Some of the most moving photos are nearly void of overall contrast.

Don’t fall into the trap of “optimizing” every photo’s range so that it produces bright highlights and deep shadows. Allow nature to dictate the visual mood. Realistically speaking, the only thing in nature that is truly “black” is the inside of a cave at midnight. The only thing pure “white” is a direct view of the Sun at noon.

Auto levels

photographing-on-overcast-days

It’s okay to have highlights that aren’t pegged up against the right side of the histogram. Please think twice before you hit the dreaded Auto button in the Levels dialog of Photoshop. That kind of cookie-cutter photography should be left to those who don’t know any better. Let the scene set the mood and simply convey what you experienced.

Occasionally, dynamic adjustments within software applications tempt us to automatically force nature into conditions that aren’t natural.

White balance

photographing-on-overcast-days

The next time you find yourself in the shadow-free lighting of a clouded sky, go and get your camera. Great color (and fabulous black and white) photography is there for the taking. However, do keep in mind that outdoor shots under cloud cover will appear slightly bluish because those clouds are absorbing the shorter wavelengths.

Set your camera’s white balance to Overcast or Cloudy. This setting will compensate for the bluishness of the scene. If you are using a gray card and have the time to set a situational white balance, you can zero in on the color even more accurately.

Conclusion

Photographing on Overcast Days: The Light Simply Doesn't Get Any Better

Next time you shoot outdoors in overcast weather, search the scene for something interesting and unique, something that will bring a smile to your face. I’ve found that I find whatever I’m looking for in life, and that includes dismal weather. There is a bright spot in just about every situation if you keep your eyes (and your mind) open.

I hope this inspires you to look forward to photographing on overcast days. These special days deliver great natural lighting and provide many opportunities to see a different side of life.

Do you photograph on overcast days? What are your thoughts? Share with us in the comments!

The post Photographing on Overcast Days: The Light Simply Doesn’t Get Any Better appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Herb Paynter.

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Before and After: Students Becoming Better Photographers After 31 Days Course

18 Apr

The post Before and After: Students Becoming Better Photographers After 31 Days Course appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Remember when you first started taking photos? Feelings of excitement and hope being replaced by disappointment and confusion when you couldn’t figure out why you and your camera didn’t seem to be seeing the same thing? Or maybe that’s you right now?

We just had to share these ‘before and after’ photos taken by students of our course, 31 Days to Becoming a Better Photographer, just to remind you of where we all start, and what is possible. If you’re a seasoned photographer, please jump in the comments and give these photographers the encouragement they deserve to continue their photography journey.

If you’re a beginner, take some inspiration by what is possible with the right support and guidance. We’re very proud of all of our students and thank the few below who have allowed us to share their progress with you.

Current course intake coming to a close soon

We open the doors to our most popular course just a few times a year so that instructor Jim Hamel can focus on his students and guide them through the course. He is the most attentive mentor we’ve seen, and our students love him. Doors close for the current class midnight (PDT) on the 18th of April so be quick and check out the details here.

Our students’ before and after photos

A big shoutout to our students below for letting us share these photos of their progress, and to all of our students who have taken up this course. We’re very proud of how far you’ve come!

Rebecca Garnett

Rebecca says, “I enjoy taking photos at the beach and was not happy with the way my photos were turning out.” The before photo was taken in 2017 at Pismo Beach when she had taken the camera off auto and used aperture and shutter speed priority.

Rebecca Garnett’s beach photo before taking 31 Days to Becoming a Better Photographer Course

Rebecca Garnett Beach Photo After the 31 Days Photography course

Rebecca Garnett’s beach photo after taking the 31 Days to Becoming a Better Photographer Course.

The after photo was taken in December 2018 at the same place but shot in Manual Mode.

“I never thought I would ever use manual mode as it was too confusing, until Jim’s course. The course was awesome! It helped me get to know more about my camera and improved the way I take photos and editing. The class was enjoyable, and it was great interacting with the other classmates on Facebook. Well worth it!!”

~ Rebecca Garnett

George Conant

George shares, “Before taking this course, I appreciated really good photos from others but found most of mine weren’t that good. This course improved my photography a lot.”

George Conant’s landscape photo before taking Jim’s course

“This photo was taken (I think) in auto mode. Although the clouds look good there is no major point of focus, nor rule of thirds. I had no thought at the time of working on focus. The result is that the distance is not in focus, and the in-focus foreground is not very interesting,” says George.

George’a landscape after taking the 31 Days to Becoming a Better Photographer course.

In addition to the huge improvement in his photo, George’s commentary on his ‘after’ photo clearly demonstrates what he has learned from the course.

“This photo was better than the last for several reasons.

There is a leading line with the road.
The sun is at an angle coming from the left.
There is interesting color contrast, particularly with the red in the bushes to the side of the road.
While the foreground is not in great focus, much of the photo is from a point part way down the road, extending to the mountain.
The composition is more interesting with the bushes forming a bit of a V with the mountain in the distance.”

“Jim is an excellent teacher. He provides both really good videos and documents that include what he discussed in the videos as well as providing homework for each day. He motivated us class members to post our ongoing work in a Facebook group for our class, where he and other class members provided praise as well as constructive criticism. He was very good at answering posted questions. Finally, even though the course I took finished in early 2018, Jim still participates in our group. I don’t know of any other course this good for people like me.”

Lorayne Hudson

“Prior to this course I took few photographs and when I did, the camera was always on Auto. My main issues were with my landscapes never looking like they’re in focus, and not being able to get close to flowers,” says Lorayne.

Check out her before and after photos which illustrate her continued improvement.

Lorayne Hudson's 'before' photo at the river

Lorayne Hudson’s ‘before’ photo was taken in 2010 at Fingle’s Glen, Dartmoor with no post-processing as she didn’t know it was possible.

Lorayne’s ‘after’ photo was taken this year one early morning whilst out for a walk. The sun was just coming up and there was a light mist on the ground.

Lorayne Hudson's photo of a flower before 31 Days course

Lorayne Hudson’s photo of a flower before taking the course

“This is a standard photo of a flower that I have very many of… it’s flat with no light. Taken in Auto, I had no idea about depth of field, but was quite impressed with the blur but didn’t think much further. I now strive for similar effects knowing how it’s done,” explains Lorayne.

Lorayne Hudson's flower photo after taking the 31 Days Course

Now Lorayne’s flower photos look like this, with minor adjustments to the highlights, shadows and clarity in Lightroom.

Lorayne shares what she has learned from the course:

To use my camera with confidence and not be afraid of it or the subject.
The right light can make such a difference to the subject.
Rules are made to be broken.
Don’t just stand, move around, up and down, change your perspective.
Using post-processing tools is not cheating – they are your friend.
Having a good group of like-minded people to share your photographic achievements – and woes with – makes photography more enjoyable.

Bob Truran

An example of Bob Truran’s beach photos before the course

Bob Truran’s beach photos after the course

Bob is pleased with the many compliments he has received for his ‘after’ photo.

“I have seen a marked improvement in my photography and have even received many new followers on Instagram as well as added comments from my friends on Facebook. This course is great for beginners as well as those that may require a brush-up.”

Marie Costanza

Marie gets the unofficial dPS prize for best ‘duck transformation’!

Marie Constanza’s ‘before’ photo of a duck

Marie’s photo of a duck after taking 31 Days to Becoming a Better Photographer Course

“When I began the course, I was a novice photographer who used Auto mode for all my images. I occasionally tried Aperture Priority, but I was totally intimidated by Manual. A year later, thanks to this course, I completely use and understand how to use Manual, but more importantly, I understand several techniques for composing an effective image.

Thanks to Jim’s excellent teaching style, and the effective resources that he provides, I now feel like a competent photographer. I have actually won several competitions, was asked to display an image in a local photography gallery and have been asked to show 8 images in an upcoming gallery show. A year ago, I never would have believed that I could do all of this. The pace of Jim’s course, his calm teaching style, the practice assignments, and the regular feedback provided by Jim make this the most effective photography course I have ever taken.”

~ Marie Costanza

Rick Willingham

Meet the once overwhelmed Rick – “How in the heck am I supposed to figure out how to use this thing?” His first ‘selfie’ image was taken in 2012 from his then brand new Canon T3i.

Rick Willingham’s Selfie on his new camera, before taking the course.

Rick’s ‘selfie’ after taking the 31 Days to Becoming a Better Photographer course – ISO 100 or 100 proof?

The latter was shot almost one year after purchasing the 31-days course, with a Canon T3i and a nifty-fifty EF 50mm f/1.8 lens.

Rick’s before shot of the ocean in 2012

Rick Willingham Beach photo after the 31 Days Course

Rick’s ‘after’ beach photo shot shot with a recently purchased refurbished Canon 6D and 24-105 f/4L II lens.

So, what does Rick see as changes or improvements to his photography?

Shooting earlier/later in the day
Using post-processing to get the visual “mood” I want
Getting lower to get the shot
Using lighting to my advantage
Composing shots more carefully than before
Controlling the depth of field to match the composition
Conscientiously selecting the shooting position and focal length to match the desired composition

Shaun Bentley

Shaun Bentley’s river photo before he took the course

Shaun Bentley's 'after' shot of the river

Shaun Bentley went back to the river to take this shot using what he had learned from the course

The first photo was taken back in 2017 as a standard jpg. Shaun returned earlier this year and got a similar shot but this time applied the camera and post techniques he learned from Jim Hamel.

Of the course he says, “Simple yet comprehensive instructional videos combined with sharing and learning groups made the course easy and enjoyable. I now have the knowledge and confidence to take my photography further.”

Kay Koufalakis

Kay says, “Apart from post processing, the biggest improvement I have made is looking at things from a different perspective and planning – when to go to get the best shots, for example. I still have a way to go, but I can see progress and it is getting easier.”

Kay Koufalakis’ waterfall before the course

Whilst she captured the water the way she wanted in this photo, she really wanted sky too and left side of the waterfall is overblown.

“I’ve learned that this is a difficult shot to get in one and now know how to take it bracketed,” says Kay. The following ‘after’ shot of a waterfall demonstrates her understanding of taking a different perspective. “Same waterfall, different perspective. I climbed higher which negated the overblown and shadows problem,” explains Kay.

Kay Koufalakis waterfall photo after the course

Same waterfall, different perspective!

Can you become a better photographer in 31 days?

Well, these students have proven that, yes, you can make some amazing progress in a short time. But the teaching (and learning) doesn’t just stop after 31 days! Access to the class Facebook group is for 3 months and many of our students then transfer to our Graduates group. Here they continue to learn and support each other with challenges and constructive feedback, and the instructor Jim Hamel still pops in to see how they’re all doing.

If you’d like to be in our next graduate group with your own before and after photos to share, sign up today before you miss the cutoff!

The post Before and After: Students Becoming Better Photographers After 31 Days Course appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

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Afidus ATL-200 camera can capture time-lapses for up to 80 days on battery power

11 Apr

A company called Afidus andbased out of Taiwan is demonstrating a relatively small cube-shaped camera called the ATL-200 at NAB 2019. Though it resembles an action camera, the ATL-200 is designed specifically to capture time-lapses; it can capture continuously for up to 30 days while on battery power.

The ATL-200 camera can be powered with four AA batteries or with a 5V micro USB cable charger. When operating off batteries, the camera operates for 45 days at a 1-minute capturing interval or 80 days at a 5-minute capturing interval, assuming it runs for 8 hours per day.

Operators have a number of capture options, including time-lapse intervals from 1 to 30 seconds, 1 to 10 minutes, and 1/4/24 hours, as well as a custom time option for using any interval duration. Continuous intervals can be set to 5, 10, and 15fps when recording at 1080p and 30fps at 720p.

ATL-200 supports multiple capture modes, including motion detection, stop motion, time-lapse, time-lapse and motion hybrid, and step video. The camera’s integrated motion sensor can detect moving objects located up to 25ft / 7.6m away. In addition to the camera’s autofocusing capabilities, operators can manually set the focus and zoom using the ATL-200’s companion mobile app.

Other features include a Sony Exmor Full HD 1080p sensor, IPX 64 weather-resistant construction, and a standard 1/4-20 tripod mount joined by four strap tabs. The camera is shipped with a 16GB SanDisk Ultra microSD card, but users can swap it out with other cards that have capacities up to 128GB. Time-lapses are saved in MP4 format. Below is a video highlighting the stand-out features of the time-lapse camera.

Afidus lists the ATL-200 on its website, but it only appears to be available for sale through TimeLapseCameras.com at this time, as noted by Newsshooter. The camera is priced at $ 389 USD; the next camera batch is expected to start shipping in late April.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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