Digital cameras with higher and higher ISO ranges are appearing on the market these days. Some have ISO numbers that seem out of this world. These are best suited for specific conditions and types of photography. Should you go for the absolute highest ISO camera or are there other aspects to consider? In this article I will share my experiences Continue Reading
Photodoto
Posts Tagged ‘Highest’
What is the Highest ISO Camera? High ISO Explained and Cameras Compared
22
Jul
Photographer captures the highest resolution snowflake photos in the world
12
Nov
 |
| Image credit: ‘Ice Queen’ by Nathan Myhrvold |
For many in the northern hemisphere, winter’s cold grip is just around the corner. With the cold comes snow, a beautiful photographic subject. Few photographers capture snow quite like photographer Nathan Myhrvold. His microscopic images of snowflakes showcase extraordinary detail and natural beauty.
Of his snowflake subjects, Myhrvold says, ‘Snowflakes are a great example of hidden beauty. Water, an incredibly familiar thing to all of us, is quite unfamiliar when you see it in this different view. The intricate beauty of snowflakes derives from their crystal structure, which is a direct reflection of the microscopic aspects of the water molecule.’
Myhrvold faced numerous challenges when photographing snowflakes. They are small, fragile objects only a few millimeters across. Further, snowflakes of course melt, but they also sublimate. Both processes break down the structure of snowflakes and reduce their sharp edges and details. Time and temperature both acted against Myhrvold, so he had to come up with solutions.
 |
| ‘No Two Alike’ by Nathan Myhrvold |
Over about 18 months, Myhrvold designed and built a custom snowflake camera. His camera, which he states is the highest-resolution snowflake camera in the world, uses a 100MP medium format Phase One image sensor adapted to a microscope objective. Myhrvold designed an optical path to fill the image area of the large medium format sensor, allowing him to capture large, sharp images.
To slow down the natural melting and vaporization process of snowflakes, the microscope has a cooling stage, allowing Myhrvold to capture enough images to create a focus stacked final photograph. Further, the camera is paired with high-speed LED lights to reduce the heat output of the lights and allow Myhrvold to quickly capture his images. The camera has a minimum shutter speed of 500ms.
Building the equipment is only one part of the challenge, you must also have beautiful snowflakes to work with. Myhrvold shot on location in Fairbanks, Alaska and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. He says that some of the best snowflakes found were between -15° and -20° F (-26 to -29° C). In the images in this article, we see the following types of snow crystals: sector plates, stellar dendrites and fernlike stellar dendrites.
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| ‘Yellowknife Flurry’ by Nathan Myhrvold |
To view more of Nathan Myhrvold’s work, which comprises a wide range of subjects from landscapes to food and much more, click here. He also has galleries in Las Vegas, New Orleans, Seattle and San Diego.
Image credit: All photos captured by Nathan Myhrvold and used with permission
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Leica’s 40 Megapixel M10-R is its highest resolution rangefinder yet
18
Jul
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Leica has introduced the M10-R, the highest resolution member of its M10-series yet. The M10-R’s 40 Megapixel sensor is largely the same as the one in the M10 Monochrom, with the main difference being (naturally) that it has a Bayer color filter. Leica claims that the new sensor offers a wider dynamic range in Raw mode and less noise than previous M10 bodies.
Like the Monochrom and the M10-P, the ‘R’ has the quietest shutter of any M-series camera (film bodies included).
The M10-R features a 3″ fixed touchscreen with 1.04 million dots, which can be used for live view and reviewing images. It has a single SD card slot (UHS-I only) and Wi-Fi, but not Bluetooth. As with its siblings, the M10-R does not have a USB or HDMI port. As always with Leica cameras, it’s made in Germany and build quality is exceptional.
The M10-R will go on sale later this month, in your choice of black or silver, for $ 8295.
Go hands-on with the M10-R
Press release
LEICA CAMERA ELEVATES IMAGE QUALITY WITH NEW M10-R
A new 40-megapixel color sensor brings broader capabilities into the creative landscape
July 16, 2020 – Leica Camera introduces a new high-resolution version of the company’s legendary rangefinder camera, expanding vivid creative possibilities from the most human moments in street photography to the most epic landscapes. With its unique 40 megapixel color sensor, the new Leica M10-R delivers enhanced rendition of details to fully explore the optical excellence of the legendary Leica M lenses. This new flagship expands the M10 family, which includes the M10, M10-P, M10-D and M10 Monochrom, and achieves maximum image output without compromising the tenets of M photography.
The M10-R’s newly developed 40 megapixel sensor represents a considerable increase from the 24 megapixels of the M10, and yet the M10-R offers significantly reduced image noise as well as a wider dynamic range. The sensitivity range of this new sensor, from ISO 100 to 50000, ensures it can be used in any situation a photographer may need. That base ISO of 100 helps allow bright light photos where the aperture can be kept wide-open for better background blur and bokeh, while on the other side of the spectrum the maximum exposure time has been increased to 16 minutes for more creative freedom with long exposures in the darkest light. Complementing the Leica M10-R’s imaging prowess and handling is its super quiet mechanical shutter, inherited from the M10-P. Its whisper-quiet operation helps the user be stealthy, when capturing that decisive moment requires the utmost discretion, and its minimal vibrations reduce the risk of camera shake to help yield sharper pictures.
As with all of Leica’s rangefinder cameras, the construction of the M10-R involves a large amount of hand assembly utilizing the best quality materials by highly trained specialists, carried out at the company’s production plant in Wetzlar, Germany. This ensures that the large number of components – such as the complex rangefinder mechanism – not only perform with the utmost precision but are also particularly robust and long-lasting. A Leica M is synonymous with reliability and durability, making it a valuable long-term investment.
The Leica M10-R reaches its full potential when paired with its native Leica M lenses. The camera has the capacity to fully utilize the outstanding imaging performance of this legendary, longstanding lens range. The M10-R truly sings when paired with the newest generation of Leica’s technical marvels of optics, such as the APO-Summicron-M 50 f/2 ASPH., capturing photographs of a truly exceptional quality. Concurrently, the M10-R’s newfound heights of image quality and resolution also emphasizes the distinct characteristics of older M lenses, many of which are still cherished by vintage photography enthusiasts to this day.
The Leica M10-R will be available end of July at Leica Stores, Boutiques and Dealers for $ 8,295.00 in black chrome and silver chrome finishes.
Leica M10-R specifications
| Price | |
|---|---|
| MSRP | $ 8295 |
| Body type | |
| Body type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Body material | Magnesium alloy |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 7864 x 5200 |
| Image ratio w:h | 3:2 |
| Effective pixels | 41 megapixels |
| Sensor size | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Processor | Maestro II |
| Color filter array | Primary color filter |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, 100-50000 |
| Custom white balance | Yes |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| File format |
|
| Optics & Focus | |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Lens mount | Leica M |
| Focal length multiplier | 1× |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Fully articulated |
| Screen size | 3″ |
| Screen dots | 1,036,800 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Screen type | TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Optical (rangefinder) |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.73× |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 960 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 sec |
| Exposure modes |
|
| Built-in flash | No |
| External flash | Yes (via hot shoe) |
| Flash X sync speed | 1/180 sec |
| Self-timer | Yes |
| Videography features | |
| Microphone | None |
| Speaker | None |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | SD/SDHC/SDXC card |
| Connectivity | |
| Microphone port | No |
| Headphone port | No |
| Wireless | Built-In |
| Wireless notes | 802.11b/g/n |
| Remote control | Yes (cable release) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | Yes |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | BC-SCL5 lithium-ion battery & charger |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 660 g (1.46 lb / 23.28 oz) |
| Dimensions | 139 x 39 x 80 mm (5.47 x 1.54 x 3.15″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| GPS | Optional |
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Sony a9 ‘real-time tracking’ update makes it the highest scoring camera in its class
03
Jul
 |
We were already impressed with the Sony a9 when we reviewed it, giving it a score that put it on par with its two very capable rivals, the Nikon D5 and the Canon EOS-1DX II. In April this year, nearly two years after the camera’s launch, Sony introduced a significant firmware update that largely revamped the autofocus system of the camera, adding a new ‘real-time tracking’ AF mode that works seamlessly with face and eye detection. Sony also updated face and eye detection algorithms by using machine learning to understand human subjects and features more accurately.
90%
Overall score
Read our review
We’ve spent some time shooting with the updated a9 in a variety of situations, and have previously written and in-depth look into what the new AF system brings. After further testing, we’ve re-scored the a9 with the boosted autofocus in mind, and it brings the score up to 90% (from 89%). This makes the a9 the highest-scoring camera in its class, out-ranking the Nikon D5 and Canon EOS-1D X II.
The increased score reflects the precision of the updated a9’s subject tracking system, as well as its ease-of-use that makes it valuable for nearly all types of photography. Click ‘Read our review’ above to jump to our full review (originally published in 2017), and read on for a description of the new real-time tracking mode, with some examples and videos of the system in use.
Real-time tracking in use
‘Real-time tracking’ refers to the ability of the a9 (and a6400) to understand the subject you initiated focus on, and track it in three dimensions, much like 3D Tracking on Nikon DSLRs, and the respective subject tracking modes on various mirrorless cameras. What sets the a9’s system apart are both its performance (we found it to reliable enough to be useful for portrait, event, candid, sports and even landscape photography), and its ease-of-use.
To pick a target, you can simply reframe your composition to place your AF point over your subject, half-press the shutter, and real-time tracking will collect color, brightness, pattern, distance, face and eye information about your subject so it can use it to keep track of your subject.
It’s robust enough that it will even, again reliably, switch in and out of Eye AF as necessary if a face or eye is detected on the subject you are tracking, as you can see in the video above.* Collectively, this means you can concentrate on the composition and the moment. There is no longer a need to focus (pun intended) on keeping your AF point over your subject, which for years has constrained composition and made it difficult to maintain focus on erratic subjects.
In practice, the system excels. While many professional sports photographers that know their sport, and can anticipate the action, have successfully used Single Point or Zone AF for years, real-time tracking can help both the amateur and the pro achieve potentially better results. First, it frees up the photographer to compose freely, as composition is no longer constrained by having to keep an AF point over the subject. But perhaps more importantly, not having to keep a fixed AF point or zone over a fast moving subject is a boon when it comes to fast, erratic subjects shot using long telephoto lenses, where framing is increasingly difficult. The sequences below were shot with the 600mm F4 GM lens at a soccer match (click on any thumbnail to launch the gallery):
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Unpredictable motion combined with a 600mm focal length makes it difficult to keep a fixed AF area over your subject. Here, real-time tracking tracked our players even as others passed in front of them, switching in and out of Eye AF, and reverting to generic subject tracking, as necessary so as to not lose the original subject. Photos by Barney Britton
And below, despite erratic motion, changing directions, and nearby similarly-dressed players, the camera tracks the original player in both instances. In the first sequence we targeted the player in red (Everton); in the second, the player in silver (Ivan). Only one or two shots in the sequence are slightly misfocused.
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Away from sports and burst photography, we found the performance of Sony’s ‘real-time tracking’ to be beneficial for even more stationary subjects, as it frees you up to try different poses and framings quickly, as we’ve done below.
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Most of the 20 shots above were captured in under 19 seconds, without ever letting off the AF-ON button. The camera never lost our model, and the seamless transitioning between Eye AF and general subject tracking allowed the AF system to remain on our subject throughout the series. By not having to think about focus, you can work faster, and come home with a greater variety of images to choose from.
*This video demonstrates ‘real-time tracking’ on the a6400, but the principle is the same on the a9.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
What’s The Highest ISO You Can Use? How To Find Out For Yourself
03
Mar
The post What’s The Highest ISO You Can Use? How To Find Out For Yourself appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Peter West Carey.
Do you know the limits of your camera’s ISO?
By limit, I mean the point at which, egads!, it’s just too much noise. If not, or if you’ve never bothered to figure out your camera’s limits, I have an easy experiment for you to try.
Each camera model is different and camera manufacturers are improving ISO performance with every new release. This is why it’s important not to assume that Mark IV version is mostly the same as the Mark III.
What is ISO?
ISO stands for the International Organization for Standardization. Do big, long governmental-style names make you fall asleep? I’ll make this quick.
The ISO group sets standards so 100 speed Kodak film is the same as ISO 100 Fuji or Agfa or any other manufacture. It’s good to have standards otherwise you wouldn’t know how to set your shutter speed and aperture.
Carry that concept over to digital and ISO is a measure of the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor. The lower the number, the less sensitive, therefore, you need more light to make an exposure. A higher ISO allows for less light in the same situation, which can result in a faster shutter speed or more optimal aperture setting.
Why should you care?
Increasing your ISO setting has one big drawback: the increased sensitivity can create unwanted artifacts called “noise.”
In the days of film, higher ISO meant added grain in an image, something some of us enjoy in our photos. Noise, on the other hand, is disliked by all. It discolors images, mostly in the dark and black areas. It muddles things.
Let me show you the difference with two shots, the first was taken at ISO 12,800 and the second at ISO 80.
Can you see the green and purple discoloration? That’s noise.
Use the lowest ISO you can
Knowing that a higher ISO can create this ugly noise, it’s a good idea to almost always take photos at the lowest ISO that still gives you a crisp image. For instance, landscape photographers in the days of film loved ISO 50 film and some still return to their film gear for the amazing smoothness that film lends to its images.
There are many DSLRs that can utilize ISO 50, such as the older Canon EOS 5D.
Machermo and the Moon – Nepal’s Himalayas – Canon 5D ISO 50
Unless you can’t
But what about dark situations? For instance, what about when you have a dimly lit auditorium or stage? Parents with kids in indoor sports or drama classes and school plays or holiday programs know this situation well. Here’s an example:
ISO 5000
In situations like this it is good to know what your camera’s maximum useable ISO is. It’s also a great idea to know how much noise you will encounter if you go above that self-imposed maximum, because sometimes the emotions and memories are more important than worrying about noise-free images.
Or perhaps you need a high shutter speed given the current lighting conditions and a flash would ruin the scene.
ISO 5000
A simple experiment
The experiment to find out the highest ISO you should use, without gaining too much noise beyond your tastes, is quite easy.
You will need:
- Camera
- Table or tripod
- A variety of objects, with dark and black colors, maybe some shadows too
- Ample lighting (but not overly bright)
- Set up your camera either on a table or tripod. You’re going to want it steady because some of the photos you take might have a slow shutter speed. Blurring will ruin the results.
- On the other end of the table set up your objects. I suggest objects without much gloss and as solid a field of black as you can find. Black fur on your kids’ stuffed animals might hide some noise and so will flecks of fabric in a shirt of the like.
- Make sure there is enough light in your scene.
- Set your camera to Program mode unless you have a favorite.
- Also turn off any in camera noise reduction options.
- Set your ISO to 100 or L if it goes lower than 100.
- Focus on your black objects and take a photo.
- Now change the ISO to 200 and take another photo.
- Continue moving up your ISO by one stop (a doubling of the number) while snapping an image each time.
- Stop when you reach the highest limits of your camera. This may be ISO 3200 or maybe ISO 512,000.
Examine the results
Transfer your images into a computer so you can pixel-peep the results. As your camera was in Program mode, the overall exposure of your images should be close to the same. If you’re using photo editing software like Lightroom, I suggest turning off any automatic noise reduction widgets.
Now zoom in on your images.
ISO 12,800
As the ISO gets higher you will notice more and more noise creep into the dark areas. As mentioned, it’s discoloration that is often purple and green in color. It doesn’t look right and it is not the grain that was characteristic of high ISO films.
At some point, and the choice is yours, the noise gets to be too much. Each camera model is a little different and in the 18 years I’ve been using digital cameras, the quality consistently gets better and better. This is why this experiment is one of the first things you should do with a new camera.
Examples
Let me give you a few examples of what looks like too much noise. These are just my opinion, but I hope the examples can help you get a better idea of where your camera has its limits.
ISO 12,800
ISO 12,800
ISO 12,800
ISO 40,000
Conclusion
Knowing the ISO limits of your camera is important in any type of photography. There are times that might warrant a higher ISO, such as shooting in very low light. How much noise is too much for your situation and camera is a level best tested before the situation arrises.
One additional note: This experiment does not take into account the wonderful ability of most modern photo editing software to greatly reduce the negative aspects of noise. That’s a whole other article!
The post What’s The Highest ISO You Can Use? How To Find Out For Yourself appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Peter West Carey.
Panasonic interview – ‘We are targeting the very highest level of durability in the industry’
03
Jan
 |
| Yosuke Yamane, President of Panasonic’s Imaging Network Business Division. |
With the official launch of Panasonic’s new full-frame S1 and S1R getting close, we’re looking back to Photokina 2018, where we sat down with Yosuke Yamane, President of Panasonic’s Imaging Network Business Division. In our interview, Mr. Yamane discusses his hopes for the future, why Panasonic decided to go full-frame, and the challenges facing his industry.
Why did Panasonic make the decision to move into full-frame?
Five years ago, full-frame mirrorless cameras entered the market, and the trend [since then] has been moving towards full-frame mirrorless cameras. But at that time, we were not ready. Both in terms of technology, and also service and support, and so on. But now the time has come when our technology is ready to go.
As you know, since we joined the camera business, we have introduced several worlds first technologies. [Full-frame] is a new challenge for us as an innovator. We believe that we can provide value in the full-frame camera market.
You’ve said that the ’S’ stands for specialized – what are these cameras specialized for?
They’re specialized for professionals. That is a core target for us but we’re also targeting high-end amateurs and enthusiasts.
“Operability without compromise”
What is your strategy for attracting professionals?
Everything without compromise. Image quality, build quality, operability and performance. It takes all of our effort. As for image quality, we’re using newly developed 47 and 24MP full-frame sensors, and also a new processing engine, plus a high-quality lens lineup. And 4K 60p video. Fast, and very accurate autofocus, which is a combination of high-speed contrast detection autofocus and DFD technology. And this also includes deep learning Ai. Plus dual image stabilization and a high-precision, high-speed shutter.
Also a very high resolution viewfinder – the highest-precision finder in the industry. Dual card slots, SD and XQD, which is essential for professionals, and a 3-axis tilting LCD. Operability without compromise.
Our designers ran a lot of simulations and made a lot of prototypes of the grip, for example, to fit the needs of professional photographers. Also optimal button layout, for intuitive controls.
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| Four mockups of the S1/R’s grip, which went through several rounds of refinement based on feedback from professional photographers. |
Is there a technical reason for the unusually large body size of the S1 and S1R?
DSLRs incorporate mirror boxes, but we have double card slots, an in-body stabilization system and high-quality movie features. So the body obviously gets bigger because of those features. We didn’t want to compromise on features for the sake of body size. Maybe some customers think that mirrorless cameras should be small, but we think that as a professional tool, this body size is appropriate.
The advice from professionals is that they place more importance on performance, not size
We have made this camera with our Lumix ambassadors. We got a lot of feedback from them and most of the professionals don’t feel that [these cameras are] ‘big’. They feel that they are a very appropriate size.
The advice from professionals is that they place more importance on performance, not size. For example the shutter. Most competitive cameras are guaranteed to 200,000 actuations. Our camera will be tested for more. That’s the kind of thing that we prioritize, for professional use.
Is it your intention that the S1 and S1R will be the most durable cameras on the market, when they’re released?
Yes. We are targeting the very highest level of durability in the industry. [The S1/R] are 100% sealed against dust and water, and operate in very low temperatures – even exceeding the limits of the GH5. The GH5 actually went to the South Pole in minus 40 degrees C, and worked perfectly. Such kinds of ‘no compromise’ features are all incorporated [in the S1/R].
There are a lot of photographers taking landscapes, sports, and nature, and we’re gathering feedback from all of them. The cameras need to work in all kinds of conditions from very warm to very cold. So we focus on all of the requests from consumers with the intention of making [these cameras] without any compromise.
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| Panasonic claims that the S1 and S1R will offer the highest standard of durability in the industry, while offering professional-oriented feature sets and a very DSLR-like handling experience. |
Do you think that over time, your L mount lineup will grow to include entry-level products, or do you see it purely as a high-end system?
The first generation will be specialized for professionals but in the future, of course we’re also aiming to attract entry-level users. In that eventually, we’ll study the question of performance versus size. But our image to professional users is very important. That’s why we’re attacking this segment [initially].
We decided that it was better to collaborate, than to create our own standalone mount
What is the strategic value of the L mount alliance, to Panasonic?
We’ve had a good relationship with Leica for a long time – 17 years. Four years ago we renewed our contract. That contract included a technical collaboration, with our digital technology and their optical technology. There will be a convergence. In that contract we discussed a lot of things relating to the shared mount.
Sigma produces very reliable high quality lenses, [and we knew that] in order to get into the new business, we needed a lineup of lenses. So we decided to collaborate with Sigma to make a big impact. I have a good relationship with Mr Yamaki, CEO of Sigma, I trust him and I respect his aggressiveness towards the market. This collaboration provides a lot of value for us, entering into a new market and becoming competitive in full-frame.
Considering value for customers, we decided that it was better to collaborate, than to create our own standalone mount. This way we can provide lots of choices for lenses, and Sigma already has a large fanbase. Obviously Leica with its 100 year history also has a good base of users.
The Leica L mount lineup includes APS-C products as well as full-frame. Is Panasonic interested in APS-C?
No. We have our own Micro Four Thirds system and we think that [because of the greater difference in size between full-frame and M43] this is the best balance. We have no plans to develop APS-C products.
In M43, we prioritize compactness. But in full-frame we set higher targets, to meet professional specifications
Is designing lenses for full-frame easier or more difficult than designing for Micro Four Thirds?
It’s more difficult. In the case of M43, we prioritize compactness. But in full-frame we set higher targets, to meet professional specifications. This camera [the S1R] incorporates a 47MP sensor, but to be futureproof, lenses should be capable of resolving more resolution than that. So we set very high specification targets for our full-frame lenses. We will develop our lenses without compromise. Other important factors are build-quality, and bokeh. These are both very important when it comes to creating photographs.
Do you think Panasonic’s L-mount lineup could evolve in future to include products like the GH5S, which are optimized for video?
One of our assets is our experience of professional video, over more than 40 years. This is one of the areas where we contribute to the market, so in the future it’s possible that [our L-mount lineup] will expand to include such products. But even the S1 has very good video capabilities. We cannot disclose the exact specification beyond saying that it will be capable of 4K/60p video but you can expect more. Even the S1 will be used, we believe, by professional videographers.
 |
| The 24MP and 47MP sensors inside the S1 and S1R will be capable of high-quality 4K video capture as well as stills shooting. |
The sensors inside the S1 and S1R are described as ‘newly developed’. Are they fabricated by Panasonic?
We cannot disclose that. I would love to tell you but I can’t – you’ll just have to imagine! Obviously we have sensor-manufacturing experience, but I can’t disclose anything. Even if we outsourced [sensor fabrication] the design would still be to our specifications. Picture quality is not only determined by the sensor. There’s also lens design, and processing technology.
Can you explain how Panasonic and Leica work together in terms of lens design?
Mainly, optical technologies and manufacturing technologies come from Leica. We provide our digital technology and interface technology to them. For the full-frame lenses, we designed them by ourselves, but the DNA of Leica is incorporated – of course.
Is there any Panasonic DNA in Leica products?
I don’t know if they would admit that, but we do provide it! All of the Leica-branded lenses for our Micro Four Thirds system are checked according to Leica’s standards, and we have learned a lot through that process.
What are the biggest challenges facing Panasonic?
As you know, in the camera industry we don’t have a large market share compared to the likes of Canon and Nikon. They have much more history compared to ours – we’ve only been in the industry for 17 years. Our brand recognition is also not so high. However, a paradigm change has finally arrived. Canon and Nikon are creating new mirrorless systems, and we’re entering a new world thanks to the L mount alliance. This is a new start for the camera industry.
Our slogan is ‘changing photography’. We want to create a new photo culture for the digital generation. In the full-frame world, I think that customers will appreciate our contribution. Rather than competing with Canon and Nikon we’re focused on conveying that message to the customer.
We want to create a new photo culture for the digital generation
When it comes to product planning, we have to anticipate how customers behavior will change in the future. These models [the S1 and S1R] are focused on professionals. We have to anticipate how professional photography and videography will change, and we’re constantly looking at those trends, and anticipating how professional behavior will change. And as professionals change, customers at the entry and mid-levels will change, too. We have to watch this very carefully, and we always plan our products in line with changing customer trends.
What do you think are the biggest opportunities for Panasonic?
The Olympic Games in 2020 will be a very big opportunity to showcase Panasonic’s technologies. I was born in 1964, which was the year of the last Tokyo Olympics. We will use the 2020 games as an opportunity to enhance our video technologies and photo technologies. After the Olympics, we will create a new generation of 8K video cameras, which are currently in development.
Editors’ note: Barnaby Britton
Panasonic is one of the most interesting companies in the photo industry. Although it enjoys only a modest share of the market compared to ‘giants’ like Canon and Nikon, Panasonic has consistently surprised us with its energy and innovation – particularly in the high-end video/stills space. Arguably, Panasonic is the only company that could have created the powerful GH5, and it’s hard to imagine another company having the confidence to make the even more narrowly-specialized GH5S.
When it comes to high-end video capture in mirrorless cameras, Panasonic has been (along with Sony) a driving force in the industry, and that’s thanks to the company’s long experience in the video realm. While Lumix as a brand is less than 20 years old, Panasonic has been involved in video, in some way or another, for more than twice that long.
The fact that Panasonic’s forthcoming S1 and S1R mirrorless ILCs will both offer powerful 4K video feature sets is not a surprise. What’s interesting is that they’re built around full-frame sensors. I’m inclined to think that moving into full-frame is a good decision for Panasonic, but it’s risky. I agree with Mr. Yamate that moving forward in partnership with Leica and Sigma will add more value to the market for enthusiast and professional photographers than creating yet another new lens mount, while also mitigating the potential risks of going it alone.
Promising the highest level of durability in the industry and plenty of advanced features, the S-system has the potential to seriously challenge the ‘giants’
While there are plenty of full-frame mirrorless systems available in late 2018, there is a conspicuous gap in the market when it comes to full-frame video systems. It is doubtful whether Nikon will try (or even feel the need to try) to create a video-oriented ILC in the near future, and Sony seems to have (probably only temporarily) paused the development of its a7S lineup.
Panasonic, with its decades of experience making video cameras, must be keen to put a product into that gap. If the company’s intention is to lead the way in full frame video, similar to what it did with the GH series for Micro Four Thirds, it has the potential to disrupt the full frame market more than its current industry share might suggest. Joining the L-mount alliance is a great first step.
But that’s the future. For now, Mr. Yamane’s company is dedicated to making the S1 and S1R as attractive as possible to professional photographers.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The medium format Hasselblad X1D is the highest rated camera on DxOMark
26
Oct
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After the Nikon D850 became the highest rated camera on DxOMark with a score of 100, the sensor testing and software company promised to start reviewing medium format cameras again very soon. Today, they fulfilled that promise and unseated the former-champion Nikon D850 all in one fell swoop.
The new DxOMark champion is the mirrorless medium-format Hasselblad X1D-50c, which came “crashing through the 100-point barrier” with an overall sensor score of 102.
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“The X1D-50c excels in all three of our measurement categories, achieving either the top-ranked or a podium position result in each,” explains DxOMark. In fact, the camera received the highest Low-Light ISO score DxO has ever doled out, and it ties for 1st place with the Nikon D850 in the Color Depth category.
You can read the full review and dive into the results on the DxOMark website, but here’s a snippet from the Conclusion for you TL;DR types:
Image quality on the Hasselblad X1D-50c is outstanding, crashing through the 100-point barrier to become the highest-scoring commercially-available sensor we’ve tested. At 102 points overall, it also achieves either the best, or very close to the best results for both color depth and dynamic range. Combine that with its 50Mp resolution and mirrorless design, all packaged at a more realistic price tag, the X1D-50c starts to look like a tantalizing prospect.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Seagate’s 12TB BarraCuda Pro is the fastest, highest capacity desktop drive on the market
06
Oct
 |
As storage needs grow with the rise of VR content and ubiquity of 4K video, it looks like more and more hard drive options are becoming available that boast better reliability and performance at even bigger capacities. Case in point: Seagate has just announced new 12TB versions of its IronWolf, IronWolf Pro, and BarraCuda Pro hard drives, following hot on the heels of Western Digital’s recent 12TB drive launch.
These new Seagate drives come in a 3.5-inch form factor, with the BarraCuda Pro drive designed for desktop use, while both IronWolf drives are designed for Network-attached Storage (NAS) devices.
According to Seagate, the new 7200rpm 12TB BarraCuda Pro is “the fastest, highest-capacity and most reliable hard drive for desktop computing available on the market today.” The inclusion of Intel Optane non-volatile memory offers responsiveness and performance akin to that of an SSD, as well as twice the load and boot speeds compared to standard drives. This tech allows the drive to offer sustained data transfer rates of 250MB/s and burst data speeds up to 6Gb/s.
The IronWolf drives, meanwhile, are designed for creative professionals and others who prefer centralizing data onto a NAS unit. Both of the new 12TB drives support Seagate’s IronWolf Health Management software, which is designed for use with the Asustor NAS, Synology DiskStation NAS, and QNAP NAS units and helps to protect data with ‘prevention, intervention, and recovery’ solutions.
The IronWolf 12TB drive has a sustained data transfer rate of 210MB/s and the IronWolf Pro 12TB has a sustained transfer rate of 250MB/s. Both the IronWolf and IronWolf Pro 12TB HDDs are listed on Newegg for $ 470 and $ 540, respectively. Unfortunately, the ‘world’s fastest’ of the bunch, the BarraCuda Pro 12TB drive, isn’t currently listed, but you can probably expect a price north of $ 600.
Press Release
Seagate Expands Guardian Series Portfolio With 12TB Drives For NAS And Desktop Computing
12TB IronWolf™, IronWolf™ Pro and BarraCuda® Pro deliver highest capacity, reliability and performance available on the market
CUPERTINO, CA – Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX) announced today its IronWolf™, IronWolf™ Pro and BarraCuda® Pro hard drives are now available at capacities up to 12TB. Offering the highest capacity, reliability and performance in the industry among network-attached storage (NAS) and desktop HDDs, Seagate’s 12TB IronWolf and BarraCuda Pro drives further extend the capabilities of the leading Seagate Guardian Series to meet the growing data needs of large enterprise business, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and creative professionals.
Across the globe, we are experiencing a massive increase in the volume of data created, with a recent study by IDC and Seagate finding that data creation will swell to a total of 163 zettabytes (ZB) by 2025, 10x more than today. Seagate’s latest portfolio of 12TB drives are designed for today’s media storage needs – including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 4K resolution and 360-degree videos – and offer scalability for the future with increased space and speed.
“Our storage hungry customers and partners continue to ask for our latest and greatest technology along with increased capacity and performance in our purpose built products,” said Matt Rutledge, senior vice president of Business Marketing at Seagate Technology. “With the 12TB Pro products, Seagate buyers are overcoming capacity constraints in their systems and can access vast amounts of digital data anytime, from anywhere.”
12TB BarraCuda Pro Desktop Drive
Seagate’s 12TB BarraCuda Pro HDD is the fastest, highest-capacity and most reliable hard drive for desktop computing available on the market today. With 12TB of capacity – double the space of its closest competitor – the BarraCuda Pro can meet any number of demanding data management needs from creative editing workflows to gaming to desktop computing. The drive’s high speed means that data-intensive activities like large file transfers and photo-editing are faster when using BarraCuda Pro.
12TB IronWolf and IronWolf Pro for NAS
Offering the highest capacity, reliability, performance and system scalability in the industry, Seagate’s 12TB IronWolf and IronWolf Pro HDDs empower customers to centralize their data onto NAS systems to ensure round-the-clock access for multiple users. At 12TB and in only a 3.5 inch form factor, IronWolf and IronWolf Pro offer more capacity in less space, meeting the needs for file-sharing, remote access and backup for SMBs, enterprises and creative professionals.
“Whether it’s storing your family photos, collaborating on important documents at work, or protecting your home with our video surveillance solutions, Synology NAS enthusiasts will be excited by the addition of Seagate’s 12TB IronWolf drives,” said Alex Wang, CEO of Synology America Corp. “By working together, Seagate and Synology are providing great ways for people to safeguard their digital lives and get the most out of their private cloud.”
The new 12TB drives also support Seagate’s leading IronWolf Health Management (IHM) software. Designed to operate on enabled Synology DiskStation NAS, Asustor NAS, and QNAP NAS, populated with Seagate IronWolf or IronWolf Pro drives, IHM improves the overall system reliability by displaying actionable prevention, intervention or recovery options for the user and will be available within the next quarter with NAS partners.
“We are excited with Seagate’s launch of the industry’s largest capacity NAS drive – the 12TB IronWolf and IronWolf Pro,” said Meiji Chang, general manager of QNAP, adding, “QNAP has collaborated with Seagate for many years on product and technology enhancements, working with them to create the best hard drives for NAS users. We believe that Seagate’s new IronWolf family provides the performance, reliability, and capacity needed to dependably store the vast data generated by virtualization, high-resolution media workflows, the Internet of Things, and other applications driven by modern QNAP NAS solutions.”
The 12TB versions of IronWolf, IronWolf Pro and BarraCuda Pro are now shipping to customers worldwide. For more information on the Seagate Guardian Series, please visit www.seagate.com/internal-hard-drives.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Google Pixel 2 trumps iPhone as ‘best smartphone camera’ with highest DxOMark score ever
05
Oct
|
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It’s been a couple weeks of amazing camera phone tests over at DxOMark. First the iPhone 8 Plus beat all former phones with a score of 94. Then the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 came in and earned the same overall score, beating the iPhone 8 Plus in the Photo category but falling short in Video. And now… now we have a new proper king.
After testing the brand new Google Pixel 2, DxOMark has awarded the flagship phone its highest ever marks for a smartphone camera with an overall score of 98.
As usual, you can read the full review over on DxOMark’s website, where they pit the Pixel 2 against its main rivals in a few head-to-head challenges, but the overall score results can be seen below:
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In the Photo category, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is still the best phone out there, besting the Google Pixel 2’s score of 99 by a single point. But when it comes to video, the Pixel 2 is totally and completely unmatched. Its Video score of 96 makes Samsung’s paltry 84 seem a bit weak, and even Apple’s respectable 89 is nowhere close.
Ahead of doing our own tests with these phones, we’ve been looking closely at the results in the DxOMark tests, and we are very intrigued to say the least. Some of the numbers themselves are rather subjective, and we don’t entirely agree with DxO’s assessment in every category.
For example, in their outdoor bokeh comparison, the new Pixel 2 fares the worst:
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Google Pixel (original) Portrait mode: 5MP sRGB JPEG. The original Pixel simulated lens blur well (note the circular appearance of out-of-focus highlights), but did so at a resolution cost (you only got 5MP files). You also had to move the camera upward while taking the photo – problematic for moving subjects. There are artifacts present if you look closely. |
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Google Pixel 2 Portrait Mode: 12MP sRGB JPEG. The new Pixel 2 fares the worst in this comparison, with multiple aritfacts throughout the image. At least it’s instantaneous (no need to move camera) and a full 12MP now though. Hopefully Portrait mode fares better in other situations. |
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iPhone 8 Plus Portrait Mode: 12MP DCI-P3 HEIF (10-bit). The iPhone 8 Plus uses dual cameras to create the most artifact-free blur. It’s more Gaussian in nature than like a true lens blur (whichthe original Pixel simulated quite well). It’s also worth noting Apple is encoding images in higher bit-depth wider color space using the High Efficiency Image Format. |
Something else overlooked by the DXO assessment: Apple now saves images in a new image format: HEIF, which allows for a wider color gamut (DCI-P3) and higher bit-depth (10-bit). That means the potential for more vivid images with less posterization compared to the conventional 8-bit sRGB JPEGs even the new Pixel phones (and most phones / cameras) continue to use today. In fact, even some of the colors in the iPhone 8 Plus image above are outside of the sRGB color space. Point: Apple.
Another point of contention we have: the sometimes overly tonemapped (flat) images HDR+ renders may or may not suit your taste. The Pixel 2 vs. HTC U11 high contrast scene demonstration shows the Pixel 2 preserving more overall detail in shadows and highlights, but doing so at the cost of global contrast. With the display capabilities of wide gamut, high brightness/contrast OLED displays that are technically capable of HDR display, that may not always be the optimal result. The iPhone X will likely be first device to show how good photos can look when you pair HDR capture with HDR display. We’re a bit disappointed that Google didn’t even mention HDR display, despite the devices’ displays clearly being capable of it.
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Still, DxOMark’s conclusion doesn’t skimp on the superlatives… except that they’re running out of them:
We’re in danger of running out of superlatives when describing the major image quality attributes of the Google Pixel 2. That makes sense for a device that tops our scoring charts —up from the 94 of the Apple iPhone 8 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 8 to a record-setting 98. So for just about any Photo or Video ” href=”https://www.dxomark.com/glossary/use-case/”>use case, it recommends itself as the phone camera with the best image quality.
To read the full review for yourself, head over to the DxOMark website by clicking here.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
VAST photography collective creates ‘highest resolution fine art photographs ever made’
02
Aug
 |
A group of photographers are working together to take gigapixel photography to the next level, and they’re doing it under a collective called VAST. Founded by photographer and software engineer Dan Piech, the VAST collective combines artistic skills with technical skills to produce high-quality, Fine Art gigapixel photographs.
Unlike typical gigapixel photography, these images feature scenes that are difficult to produce in massively high resolutions, such as photos taken around sunrise and sunset.
Talking about the collective and the work they do, founder Piech said, “We’ve developed a number of new techniques for doing some pretty amazing things that allow us to have the best of both worlds: resolution + aesthetics.”
Whereas common panoramas may involve only a few photos stitched together, these gigapixel photos require creators to assemble hundreds of images, the end result being an incredibly detailed, sharp photo for large printed pieces.
Huge amounts of time and work go into creating gigapixel shots, but the process doesn’t necessarily require expensive rigs.
As explained in a blog post by Ben Pitt, this 7 gigapixel photo of San Francisco was taken using “a normal tripod and an inexpensive ultra-zoom camera [the Panasonic FZ200].” That particular gigapixel photo is composed from 1,229 images captured across 16 rows, each with about 75 images. The shooting alone took more than an hour.
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Stitching the images was, in the case of the San Francisco photograph, performed over the course of many hours using the automated and free Windows application ICE, though alternatives are available like GigaPan Stitch and PTgui. Photoshop was tapped for post-processing, used to patch in content from the original images when necessary, among other things. The resulting Photoshop files can be many gigabytes in size.
You can find out more about VAST’s own technique here.
VAST offers prints of these photographs, as well as others spanning categories like Abstract, Cityscapes and B&W. Price depends on the image and size—one example, the ‘Requiem for 2016’ image of New York City shown above, starts at $ 2,745 for a 60 x 21″ print of the 6,410 megapixel image. The full gallery of available prints can be viewed here.
Note: A previous version of this post mistakenly identified Ben Pitt as a VAST photographer. That is not the case.
All photographs courtesy of VAST, and used with permission.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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