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These are the 20 most important cameras of the decade (and one phone)

09 Dec

These are the 20 most important cameras of the 2010s

As we near the end of the second decade of the 21st Century, we wanted to take a look back, and reflect on everything that has happened in the last ten years. While the first decade of the century saw enormous leaps and technological advancements, it was in the 2010s that consumer digital imaging really matured.

We’ve gone through all of the cameras released from 2010 to 2019, and selected twenty which we consider especially significant, plus one phone because, well, this was the decade when that really became a thing.

In this article we’re proceding chronologically, starting with 2010, and we’ve selected at least one camera per year of the decade for special consideration. You can vote on which of those twenty you think should be considered the most important, and as always, leave a comment with other suggestions if you disagree with us.

2010 – Samsung NX10

If we asked you ‘which company made the first APS-C format mirrorless camera?’ the chances are you would be tempted to answer ‘Sony’. But you’d be wrong. While the Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 were indeed the noble scions of an undoubtedly very significant (and still successful) line of cameras, Sony didn’t (quite) get there first.

The first year of the 2010s saw a deceptively major announcement from an unexpected quarter. We’d seen mirrorless cameras before 2010, but the Samsung NX10 was the first to offer an APS-C sensor – considered by many enthusiasts the smallest ‘serious’ sensor format, offering a 50% greater imaging area than the then-standard Four Thirds.

We said: ‘That Samsung has managed to offer so much camera in such a small, well-designed body is impressive – especially with the excellent 30mm F2 lens – but the fact that it’s such a likable camera, considering Samsung’s relative inexperience in the sector deserves still greater respect. The NX10 comfortably competes both with the enthusiast DSLRs and the Micro Four Thirds cameras that conceptually sit on either side of it.’

May 2010

The Samsung NX10’s specs might not seem particularly impressive now, but back in 2010, a 15MP APS-C sensor, 921k-dot electronic finder and AMOLED rear screen were very competitive – especially in such an affordable ‘little Korean camera’ – to quote our original coverage.

The NX system didn’t last as long as it deserved to, but Samsung should be given credit not only for being the first to market with a practical APS-C mirrorless line, but for getting so much right at the very beginning.

2010 – Fujifilm Finepix X100

Our second pick from 2010 is another hugely influential APS-C camera, from (at the time) another relatively minor manufacturer. The Finepix X100 represented a completely new direction for Fujifilm, which in 2010 was known as a fairly small-scale camera maker, with a flair for unconventional sensor technologies. Back then the company didn’t have its own lens mount (Fujifilm’s DSLRs were created in collaboration with Nikon) but with the X100, Fujifilm created a product that nevertheless found itself in the camera bags and around the necks of thousands of professional and enthusiast photographers.

We said: ‘Despite all of its manifest flaws, the X100 is a camera that’s become a firm favorite in the DPReview offices. Its drop-dead gorgeous looks and excellent build make it a camera that begs you to pick it up and take it out with you, and the image quality it returns at the end of the day is nothing short of superb. And this ultimately is the key to its attraction – it just takes wonderful pictures, time after time.’

March 2011

Offering mouth-watering retro styling, a proven bayer-pattern 12MP sensor (basically the same one found in the Nikon D300/S and several other DSLRs) and a unique ‘hybrid’ electronic / optical viewfinder, the X100 was like nothing else on the market. Gloriously buggy when it was first released, major firmware updates rounded off most of the X100’s rough edges pretty quickly.

Perhaps more than any other product, the X100 helped create a market for large-sensor, fixed-lens compact cameras. Subsequent models in the X100-series would lose the ‘Finepix’ moniker, but gain ‘X-Trans’ – another of Fujifilm’s non-standard filter arrays. Old habits die hard.

2010 – iPhone 4/S

We did say this article was the twenty most important cameras of the decade, and one phone. Well, here’s the phone.

The iPhone 4 was not the first iPhone (obviously) and very far from even being the first smartphone with a camera, but it was the first that we considered really usable as an alternative to a ‘proper’ camera.

When I got mine in late 2010 (shortly after moving to the US, in fact) I remember being genuinely excited by the creative possibilities of the iPhone 4’s camera, and simultaneously rather worried about what it might mean for the camera industry. The iPhone 4S, which followed in 2011, improved the iPhone’s camera even further.

We said: (about the iPhone 4S) ‘For better or for worse, photography has been democratized and commoditized, and there just isn’t any going back – and while yes, we can thank smartphones in general for that, the iPhone 4S was one of the more influential players in changing the way that we view smartphone cameras and smartphone photography.’

August 2017 (Throwback Thursday)

It turns out that the excitement was justified – and so was the nagging worry. Launched in the same year as Instagram, the iPhone 4 didn’t destroy the compact camera market on its own, but it certainly accelerated the decline. For arguably the first time, you didn’t need a dedicated camera to be a dedicated photographer.

And here we are.

2011 – Nikon J/V1

Nikon launched the J1 and V1 in unusual secrecy, without any pre-disclosure. These were the cameras meant to reinvigorate Nikon’s product lineup for the 2010s, to address the needs of a new generation of photographers perhaps coming from a smartphone, or at risk of being tempted away from Nikon by new mirrorless upstarts like Panasonic, Olympus, Sony and Samsung.

The 1 system lasted for four years, and eight years after its inception, Nikon’s first mirrorless system is sometimes dismissed as a failure, if it’s remembered at all. It’s true that unlike Micro Four Thirds and Sony’s E-mount, Nikon’s first mirrorless line was (like Samsung’s) ultimately a dead end. And it’s probably no coincidence that compared to those other manufacturers, Nikon opted for the smallest sensor of all: 1-inch, which hadn’t been used in an ILC system before and (aside from the also doomed Samsung NX Mini of 2014 – which we all know how that turned out) hasn’t been since.

We said: ‘Right now by far the biggest advantage that [the 1 J1 and V1] have over the competition is their adaptive hybrid AF systems. If you want to shoot moving subjects in good light with a small (ish) camera then the J1 and V1 really are the only game in town […]. If this sort of photography is not a priority for you, then given the strength of the competition it is very hard to recommend that you go out and buy either of these cameras’.

January 2012

To Nikon’s credit, the company didn’t give up on the 1 System before giving it a fair crack of the whip, and 1-series cameras did perform well in some global markets. I’ll still challenge anyone who says the V3 (2014) wasn’t a fun camera to use, but it certainly wasn’t for everyone, and like the V1 and V2, it was too expensive to be taken seriously by photographers who could afford it.

People tend to forget how innovative those cameras were, though. Offering on-sensor phase detection AF (unique in ILCs at that time) and ultra-fast shooting, the J1 and (especially) V1 were genuinely advanced products that showcased some of the key differentiating technologies that we take for granted in today’s mirrorless cameras, including dual-gain sensors. It would be seven years before Nikon launched another lens lineup featuring much of the same tech, in the form of the Z-mount.

2012: Canon EOS 6D

Aaah the EOS 6D. The DSLR that would never die. Officially a current model for so long that it almost became a joke (~5 years is a long time for an ostensibly entry-level offering) the Canon EOS 6D was a major success for Canon. It’s included in this list because of its significance as a ‘gateway’ model: The 6D introduced full-frame to a generation of Canon DSLR photographers who had been putting off ‘upgrading’ from APS-C due to cost.

We said: ‘The EOS 6D doesn’t offer the depth of features that its best competitors can, but it combines very good image quality, impressive high-ISO performance and class-leading low-light autofocus ability (with the central AF point) as well as impressive built-in Wi-Fi and GPS features.

February 2013

Basically a cheaper, stripped-down alternative to the then-current EOS 5D Mark III, the 6D was Canon’s smallest, lightest and least expensive full-frame camera up to that point: A no-frills workhorse with so-so autofocus that was never going to excite camera snobs, it could be relied upon take great-looking pictures in most situations, and it sold like crazy.

The fact that Canon didn’t feel the need to officially replace the 6D for five years speaks for itself. The EOS 6D (along with the troubled Nikon D600 – released a week earlier) did not create the market for full-frame, but it certainly helped democratize it.

2012: Olympus OM-D E-M5

Panasonic might have (just) beaten Olympus to the punch when it came to launching the first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, but it was Olympus which arguably made the first really good one. The OM-D E-M5 was Olympus’s eighth Micro Four Thirds camera, and as we said at the time of its launch ‘without question the most accomplished’. Styled after the company’s classic film-era OM-series SLRs, the E-M5 was – just like that series of cameras – small and lightweight, but very powerful.

And so much fun to use.

We said: ‘The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is certainly the most capable Micro Four Thirds camera we’ve reviewed and arguably the most likable mirrorless model yet. It falls down a little bit on its continuous focusing but we have absolutely no complaints about the image quality. It’s small, attractive, and a pleasure to use, and its pictures are equally enjoyable.’

April 2012

Yes, Four Thirds is a small sensor format, and was considered so even in 2012. And that does come with some disadvantages. But the E-M5 was such an endearing little camera – and such a complete package – that a lot of photographers were happy to overlook issues like higher noise levels and limited depth of field control. Thanks to its small size and weather sealing, the E-M5 was a lovely option for travel and everyday photography, but it wasn’t all about size: The first OM-D model packed some powerful features, too.

These included 5-axis in-body stabilization, a 1.44m-dot electronic viewfinder, and good (for 2012) 1080 60p video mode. Where the E-M5 mostly fell down was where a lot of mirrorless cameras did, at that point in time: continuous autofocus. But it really wasn’t meant to be a sports and action camera. It was meant to be a small, lightweight option for photographers who wanted to shoot with something a little different. In that respect the OM-D E-M5 honored Olympus’s OM-series legacy perfectly, and pointed the way for things to come.

2012: Sony Cyber-shot RX100

You knew it was only a matter of time before Sony showed up on this list. The Cyber-shot RX100 was the first of what has turned out to be a very successful line for Sony, and introduced the basic ingredients which have made the RX100-series so popular ever since: a large 1-inch sensor with very high speed shooting capability, a high-quality zoom lens and excellent video features all wrapped up in a genuinely pocketable form-factor.

We said: ‘[Images from the RX100] are consistently so good that you’ll rarely find yourself too disappointed on the occasions you didn’t have your big camera with you. And its class-leading video capabilities mean it’s worth keeping with you, even when you did. In addition, it’s as happy shooting sweep panoramas and automated HDR images as it is capturing Raw images with plenty of exposure control, which means you arrive home with a more varied selection of images and videos than you might with one of its competitors.

August 2012

Subsequent RX100 models added valuable improvements and useful extra features like a built-in EVF (the RX100 VI and V are still our favorites, thanks to the EVF and fast, relatively short lens) but Sony got a lot right in the original RX100. Overnight, this was the compact camera to beat, and in the years after its introduction, models like Canon’s PowerShot G5 X and G7 X-series (and Nikon’s unrealized DL-series) sprung up in direct competition.

2013: Samsung Galaxy NX

The Galaxy NX was intended to answer the question ‘what would happen if you combined the best things about a smartphone with the best things about a dedicated camera?’ As such, it was an important product from a company that by 2013 knew how to manufacture both things, very well indeed.

It was also a flop.

Sadly, while perhaps an appealing idea in theory, the $ 1,600 Galaxy NX didn’t end up setting the world on fire. It was capable of taking great photographs though, thanks to its APS-C format 20MP sensor. But in the end, the melding of a Galaxy S4 smartphone’s app-centric interface with the large sensor and ergonomics of a conventional camera ended up not being particularly fun to shoot with for someone used to either sort of platform. And did we mention it cost $ 1,600?

We said: ‘For day-to-day photography, the Galaxy NX doesn’t improve on the camera experience or the smartphone experience. Ultimately, it’s less than the sum of its parts. But it’s also a more logical and successful product than the devices that came before it in this line, so it’s possible that after a few more refinements, the Galaxy series could produce the first connected camera/phone hybrid that’s actually worth owning.’

November 2013

So why is it included on this list? Well, for one thing it was without doubt important, in the sense that nobody had ever attempted anything quite like it. We’d seen ‘smart’ cameras before, but none with an interchangeable lens-mount.

In retrospect it’s easy to look at the Galaxy NX as a failure. An example of how not to meet related but different consumer needs in a single product (what Apple’s Tim Cook memorably described as a ‘toaster fridge’), but this is a misuse of hindsight. The Galaxy may simply have been ahead of its time. It was, definitely, overpriced. But the basic idea was sound – Samsung’s conceptually-similar but less ambitious Galaxy-series zoom compact cameras actually did pretty well.

Will any manufacturer ever again attempt such a literal blending of smartphone and camera? It’s an interesting question. With Samsung out of the picture, the only brand with significant expertise in both the camera and smartphone arena these days is Sony. Could we ever see a Sony Alpha Xperia? We wouldn’t bet against it.

2013: Sony a7/R

Sony may have just been pipped to the post by Samsung when it came to APS-C mirrorless, but it was first with full-frame. As commenters on DPReview like to point out (both at the time and still today) the original a7 and a7R had their fair share of issues, and it also took quite a while before Sony caught up in terms of lenses. But they were first-generation products, and no new system has ever been launched in a finished state.

Quirky they may have been, but the original a7-series cameras were technically innovative and competitive full-frame options released at a time when the industry desperately needed shaking up.

We said (about the a7R): ‘When it comes down to it, the Sony a7R’s image quality, created by a combination of its high-resolution sensor and premium quality optics, make it an impressive image-maker. That fact trumps most quibbles we have about operation, JPEG processing, and even pre-processing in Raws. Its autofocus system nails focus most of the time and is fast enough for all but action photography.’

February 2014

DSLRs were the only game in town in 2013, and the a7 and a7R caught Canon and Nikon napping. It would be a full five years before either of the traditional ‘big two’ came out with their own full-frame offerings and Sony spent the intervening time releasing seven more full-frame ILCs and in the process securing a major share of the full-frame market. With the a7S / II and later a7-series models the company also made major inroads with amateur and enthusiast / independent filmmakers too – a market that Canon is sometimes credited with inventing when it released the video-capable EOS 5D Mark II.

So yes – despite their flaws, the a7 and a7R really were important. Compact full-frame was a big deal back in 2013, and they were the first in a line of cameras from a manufacturer which would go on to turn the enthusiast full-frame market on its head.

2014: Leica T (Typ 701)

The Leica T was – literally – mold-breaking. Unlike pretty well all cameras, which are assembled from molded shell sections joined by screws, the Leica T was formed from a single block of milled aluminum, with the sensor and internal electronics slotted inside. There’s a tendency among camera reviewers to describe high-end products as feeling like they’re ‘milled from a solid lump of metal’, and I’m probably guilty of doing that myself a few times, but in the case of the Leica T it was true, for once.

More importantly, the T introduced a novel way of interfacing with the camera via its oversized touchscreen and app-like operating system. Although not literally app-driven, like the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy NX, the T’s tiled interface and scrolling features menus would look familiar to a smartphone user even now. In 2014 this approach was still quite a novelty in the world of ‘serious’ photography, and at a time when ‘novelty’ was not a word we would have naturally associated with Leica.

We said: ‘It’s rare these days to encounter a product that offers a genuinely new way of doing things. The Leica T most certainly does, and I want to be very clear that in my opinion, Leica deserves praise for being bold. Making the Leica T’s control logic so reliant on a touchscreen was a brave move from the German manufacturer, and although its experiment in combining conventional camera ergonomics with a smartphone-like screen experience doesn’t entirely succeed, it’s certainly an intriguing first attempt.’

April 2014

The Leica T is not on our list of most important cameras of the decade because it was a really good camera. It was not. It was slow, finicky, and when it was first released, certain aspects of the T’s UX (especially those relating to autofocus) were basically broken. But the T marked the beginning of a new phase in Leica’s evolution as a camera maker. For one thing it wasn’t just another re-badged Panasonic Lumix clone. More significantly though, it represented a very bold break from conventional camera ergonomics – ‘the kind of camera that Apple might make’ as we said in our original first-impressions review.

The T also debuted Leica’s first fully-electronic, designed-for-mirrorless lens mount. It would be year after the launch of the T before the full-frame SL really showed the potential of the L-mount (and still another five before Panasonic and Sigma would be asked to join the party) but it all started with the T.

2014: Nikon D750

Five years after its launch, we’re still recommending the Nikon D750 to our readers and our friends. And to our friends who are readers (you’re all our friends). Not just because it’s a reliably good deal every winter when the sales come around, but because it’s still really good. The D750 is just a straightforward, well-designed camera. The kind that, as camera reviewers (and sunny optimists who don’t need to worry about things like margins, R&D cost and product differentiation), we wish manufacturers would make all the time.

Just put all the features most photographers really need, in a relatively small and affordable package. It can’t be that hard, right?

Well actually it can be that hard (see point about margins and R&D, and product differentiation) which is why it happens pretty rarely. Historical examples include the Canon EOS 10D, the Nikon D700, and more recently the Sony a7III. And, of course, the Nikon D750.

We said: ‘It’s not often that we review a camera that does nearly everything right. The Nikon D750 is one of those cameras, due in large part to its top-notch sensor and autofocus system. It also wins points for its responsive (but buffer-limited) continuous shooting mode and video quality. While it has a few flaws, they’re minor and won’t affect the majority of photographers.’

December 2014

With an autofocus system genuinely capable of keeping on top of sports and action, and a really solid 24MP full-frame sensor, the D750 can do pretty much everything you ask of it – assuming we’re only talking about stills photography. It’s possible that while the Nikon D850 may end up being regarded as the pinnacle of DSLR technology for enthusiast photographers, the D750 will forever be remembered as among the best DSLRs across the board, thanks to its uncommonly good balance of features, usability and price.

2014: Samsung NX1

Speaking of features and usability, 2014 saw the launch of another major camera that, like the D750, still doesn’t seem out of date. The APS-C Samsung NX1 sent a bolt of electricity through the market when it was released five years ago, offering features and performance previously unheard-of in the mirrorless market segment (with a confidently high MSRP to match).

The NX1’s specification sheet reads like a wish-list from a particularly needy professional photographer (or a sunny optimist of the kind described on the previous page). What other mirrorless camera at the time could come close to full-resolution shooting at 15fps with autofocus? That kind of capability is still impressive now. Likewise 4K video recording (using the new and more efficient H.265 wrapper), serious weather-sealing and a lovely electronic viewfinder. And the world’s first APS-C format BSI-CMOS sensor.

We said: ‘We could probably justify giving the NX1 an award simply based on technological advancements and raising the bar for both image quality and video performance in its class. But those achievements are wrapped inside a well designed camera with a great user experience. We also have to credit to Samsung for really innovating on this product. In the process they got a few things wrong, but they got a lot of things right, and that’s the type of product we like to see because it pushes boundaries and drives innovation across the entire market.’

April 2015

The NX1 had it all, and was released alongside two highly impressive fast-aperture zoom lenses, which made the most out of its excellent 28MP sensor. Note that it wasn’t until this year, with Canon’s EOS M6 Mark II and EOS 90D, that the NX1 was out-resolved by another APS-C format camera.

If a manufacturer came to us today with a new camera that matched the performance and ergonomics of the NX1, we would still be impressed. There were rumors after its launch that Samsung was poised to release a full-frame system, but sadly the company exited the camera industry before we could find out if this was true. With the NX1, Samsung certainly left on a high note.

2015: Leica Q (Typ 116)

Often criticized – and sometimes fairly – for being a boutique brand that has forgotten how to cater to genuine photographers, the Q was a camera that (temporarily) shut the Leica haters up. Aimed at camera users, not just camera collectors, the Q offered a competitive 24MP full-frame sensor and extremely high-quality 28mm F1.7 lens, with ergonomics that while definitely informed by the company’s legacy, weren’t weighted down by it.

We said: ‘The Leica Q is the most affordable full-frame Leica camera to date. Its 24MP sensor is good though not class-leading, and the fixed 28mm F1.7 Summilux lens is superb. The camera is built beautifully and responds rapidly. With the exception of a few software issues and some troublesome noise banding in pushed Raw files, the Leica Q is an excellent camera that you’ll want to bring along for documenting the world around you.’

March 2016

The Q’s MSRP of $ 4,250 unquestionably made it a premium product, but bear in mind that its only serious competition – the Sony Cyber-shot RX1R II – cost $ 3,300. And was a Cyber-shot. Considering that the Q offered a (slightly) faster and optically stabilized lens, at a desirable wider focal length AND HAD A RED DOT ON THE FRONT it’s hard to argue that it was egregiously overpriced.

The Q ended up being so successful that it wasn’t refreshed for four years.

2016: Pentax K-1

Pentax is one of those brands that its fans just love – passionately and loyally. Now owned by Ricoh, Pentax has had a rocky few years but it’s still hanging in there, thanks in no small part to a small army of repeat customers that can’t imagine ever buying from another brand.

The K-1 is a really solid camera – literally. Peppered with buttons, dials and switches, it’s an SLR in the classic mold, and one of the toughest models on the market. Specifically meant to appeal to outdoor photographers, the K-1 and its successor the K-1 II is one of the very few cameras we’d feel confident about taking out into truly awful weather. Backlit controls and neat features like ‘Astrotracer’ make it attractive to nocturnal photographers, too.

We said: ‘The Pentax K-1 is a 36MP fully weather sealed, image stabilized full-frame DSLR that offers an enormous amount of features at a bargain price. Although the autofocus system fails to catch up with some of its peers the image quality that the K-1 offers is some of the best on the market and users will enjoy the ability to utilize the K-1’s clever sensor shift technology.’

July 2016

It’s pretty rare to hear phrases like ‘this is a camera for MX owners’ uttered in a product briefing, but it’s great to see a company taking such good care of its legacy (and of its most loyal customers).

The K-1 was the first full-frame Pentax DSLR, but it isn’t in this list because it had a significant impact on the wider photography market (although in some respects it was very competitive, especially for landscape shooters). It’s included here because it’s one of those rare products that deserves to be celebrated: a love letter, in effect, from a manufacturer to its customers. The K-1 was packed with all the special features that Pentax users had come to appreciate in the company’s APS-C DSLRs, and being full-frame it was fully compatible with their collection of lenses going back decades – something that Pentax shooters had been waiting for, for a long time.

2016: Fujifilm GFX 50S

Fujifilm entered the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera market a little late, with a dedicated APS-C platform. Unlike Sony’s E-mount, Fujifilm could never have squeezed a full-frame sensor into the XF mount, and opted in the end to skip full-frame entirely. Instead, the company calculated it had a better chance of differentiating in the medium-format segment, which (with the honorable exception of Pentax) had until 2016 been dominated by a small number of companies making small numbers of really, really expensive cameras aimed mostly at studio professionals.

The Fujifilm GFX 50S changed all that. Offering 50MP from a 43.8 × 32.9mm sensor (close enough to traditional 120 film formats that it is usually referred to as ‘medium format’) it offered 4X the imaging area of Fujifilm’s APS-C ILCs and 1.7X the area of full-frame. Given an even technological playing field, this should have given the 50S an immediate advantage in image quality over its smaller-sensored competition.

We said: ‘The Fujifilm GFX 50S represents the company’s entrance into the medium format digital market. It takes the ethos of APS-C X-series cameras and combines it with a larger sensor. Control points are plentiful, image quality is exceptional and autofocus is precise, just don’t expect it to focus on moving subjects. The only thing truly holding back the GFX 50S from reaching its potential is a limited lens selection (at launch) with slow maximum apertures. Still, it is capable of the best image quality we’ve tested to date and is all around a lovely camera to shoot with.’

April 2017

This ended up not quite being true (the Nikon D850 at ISO 64, for example, is at least a match for the GFX 50S in Raw mode) but it was certainly competitive against other medium-format cameras, and at a lower cost and with much more user-friendly ergonomics. The semi-modular design of the 50S made it pleasantly versatile in and out of the studio, and Fujifilm’s range of GF lenses have proven to be excellent.

The GFX 50S didn’t bring medium-format into the mainstream overnight, or all on its own, but it certainly opened the format up to a generation of photographers who would never even have considered it before.

2017: Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5

Panasonic will always be remembered by camera nerds as the company that invented the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, way back in 2009 (it’s just outside the scope of this article, but let’s hear it for all those Lumix DMC-G1 fans out there!). As APS-C and then full-frame mirrorless ILCs became mainstream in the later part of the 2010s, Panasonic needed to differentiate, and to do that the company looked to video.

Panasonic had been making video-oriented ILCs for some time, starting with the GH1, but the GH5 was quite a leap.

We said: ‘If you’re serious about video, it’s hard to go wrong [with the GH5]. This camera can probably deliver the goods unless you have very specialized needs, and if you’re just learning, it’s a camera you can grow with. But what if you’re already a GH4 user? Think of it like this: the GH5 isn’t just a camera that does everything your current camera can do, plus a bunch of other things. This is a camera that does everything your current camera can do, but better (often by a wide margin)… plus a bunch of other things.’

April 2017

The GH5 was a videophile’s dream. It could capture 4K/60p footage with no crop, 10-bit 4:2:2 internal recording, optional V-LogL support, a waveform monitor, adjustable luminance levels and much more. An optional adapter added XLR jacks and numerous audio controls. Equally as usable for stills shooting as for video, the GH5 offered a 20MP Four Thirds sensor, 5-axis in-body stabilization and the option of 9fps continuous shooting.

With the GH5, Panasonic was aggressively courting indie filmmakers, and production companies looking for small, lightweight and versatile ‘B’ and ‘C’ cameras. The Lumix S1H – the first consumer stills / video camera to be certified by Netflix for video production – is a direct descendant of the GH5.

2017: Sony a9

For years, journalists and DPReview readers have been asking ‘when will we see a full-frame mirrorless camera designed for sports and action professionals?’ In 2017, that question was answered. Sony – in characteristically Sony fashion – stuffed everything it could into the a9, with the aim of creating a camera which would convince even the most demanding photographers that they didn’t necessarily need a DSLR.

Ask a lot of professional DSLR users (and professional DSLR manufacturers) about the major advantages of their cameras and they’ll typically list off build quality, battery life and – especially – the viewfinder experience. Sony designed the a9 with the intention not only of addressing all three of these points, but also of exceeding some of the other capabilities of contemporary DSLRs.

We said: ‘The Sony a9 is more than just a refinement of the company’s a7-series of full-frame mirrorless cameras; it’s an evolution. With meaningful ergonomic and user interface improvements, the a9 is a polished and highly capable camera. It may not be a go-to camera for landscape and studio photographers, but its compact dimensions, silent operation, abundant speed and blackout-free shooting make it not only a step forward for mirrorless, but a compelling proposition for professionals who can’t afford to miss a moment.’

June 2017

The a9’s stacked super fast-readout stacked CMOS sensor is stabilized, and offers 20fps burst shooting with no viewfinder blackout, courtesy of its electronic shutter. Even if you don’t need this kind of speed, silent shooting with almost no compromises (think a photojournalist shooting in a hushed courtroom or a sports shooter covering golf) has the potential to be a (possibly literal) game-changer.

Meanwhile, the a9’s magnesium-alloy body is weather-sealed, and battery life runs to thousands of shots per charge in normal use. Its 693-point on-sensor phase-detection autofocus system started out excellent and was improved even further with a major firmware update this year. The a9 can also shooting oversampled UHD 4K video.

When it was released, the a9 was arguably the most capable camera on the market for shooting sports and action, and with new firmware it’s only gotten better since then. That Sony managed within half a decade to create a product that rivaled established professional DSLRs is astonishing.

Want to know what a future professional mirrorless camera from Canon or Nikon might look like? The chances are it’ll look a lot like the Sony a9.

2017: Nikon D850

I mentioned earlier that the D850 may end up ultimately being regarded as the pinnacle of DSLR technology for enthusiast photographers, and I stand by that statement. It seems extremely unlikely that we’ll ever see a more advanced DSLR developed for enthusiasts. The D850 was a significant upgrade over the D810 (which was little more than a warmed-over iteration of the D800/e) and remains without a doubt one the most technically impressive DSLRs ever made, shy of the likes of the sports and action-oriented D5 and Canon’s EOS-1D X Mark II.

What made it so important? Like the D750, the D850 was exquisitely well-designed for its intended audience: enthusiasts and semi-professionals. But it was tough enough and fast enough for professional use, too. And for a DSLR, its 4K video features aren’t too shabby either.

We said: ‘If you’re careful with your technique and have the requisite lenses, the D850 will reward you with incredible detail in landscapes and portraits. If you need to shoot moving subjects, you have a highly capable AF system and 7fps at your disposal, with the option to boost that to 9fps if you so require. The D850 puts out great color and overall image quality regardless of where the ISO value lands. You really can shoot just about anything with it.’

July 2017

The D850 has the feel of a camera designed on the assumption that it will be on the market for a long time. It checks just about all the boxes an enthusiast photographer could ever want checked: high resolution (46MP), excellent autofocus (153-points, linked to a 180,000-pixel metering system), fast continuous shooting (up to 9fps with autofocus) and seriously solid build-quality. It also had (and still has) one of the best optical viewfinders ever put into an SLR.

Arguably, in hindsight, Nikon’s marketing department actually did itself a disservice by making the D850 as good as it was. Its formidable reputation and constant position on top of ‘Best DSLR’ lists probably made it inevitable that when the company’s new mirrorless Z6 and Z7 were released in 2018 they would suffer by comparison.

2018: Nikon Z6/7

Speaking of which, a year after the D850, Nikon released two extremely important cameras: The Z6 and Z7. Nikon’s F-mount soldiered on for 60 years (and is still supported) but it became obvious a long time ago that it had reached the limit of its technical potential. Specifically, the F mount was too narrow to easily accommodate lenses faster than F1.4 with autofocus, and physically couldn’t support lenses faster than F1.2. Nikon deserves credit for maintaining lens compatibility as well as it did across six decades of technological development, but nothing lasts forever.

The move to mirrorless allowed Nikon to start with a blank sheet of paper, and it’s interesting to note that the company’s engineers opted not only for a wider mount (by 17%), but for the widest of all full-frame mirrorless mounts, allowing for the creation of lenses as fast as F0.95.

We said (about the Z7): ‘Class-leading dynamic range, AF performance (including tracking) and robust build quality are the three core factors we’ve come to love about Nikon DSLRs. While the Z7 is built well, its dynamic range and AF usability and performance come up a little short. Still, it represents a huge leap forward for Nikon cameras, especially in terms of video capability, image stabilization and the new Z mount. And for a first generation product, we’re hugely impressed.’

November 2018

The Z6 and Z7 are essentially twin models separated by sensor resolution. The 24MP Z6 might be compared to the D750, while the 46MP Z7 is more naturally (and problematically) compared against the D850. Both offer plenty that their DSLR cousins do not: 100% on-sensor phase-detection autofocus, full-time live view via an exceptionally detailed electronic finder and – of course – properly integrated, highly detailed 4K video capture, without a crop.

Looking back at the Z6 and Z7 over a distance of slightly more than a year, it’s a shame that when they were launched, so many people focused on their relative shortcomings (no equivalent to the 3D AF tracking mode in Nikon’s DSLRs being one of the most often-voiced, and entirely fair complaints). For most purposes though – and for most photographers – they’ve proven to be excellent and highly capable cameras, as well as being arguably the nicest of the current crop of full-frame models to actually use.

With the Z6 and Z7, Nikon took a big step into the future, and we can’t wait to see what’s coming in the next decade.

2018: Canon EOS R

Within days of Nikon’s Z6 and Z7 launch, Canon officially joined the full-frame mirrorless party too with the EOS R. Like the Z-series for Nikon, the R system is hugely important for Canon, representing a major leap forward in technology, and one for which the company had been carefully preparing for some time.

Let’s recap some of the EOS R’s notable features: Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus? That was introduced in the EOS 70D, back in 2013. Capacitive touch-sensitive controls? The EOS 5D Mark III’s rear control dial was touch-sensitive, even earlier, in 2012. High-quality video in a full-frame stills camera? Arguably a trend started with the EOS 5D Mark II. Fully-articulating rear LCD? I can’t remember the first Canon DSLR to have one of those, but I know my PowerShot G1 from 2000 does.

Say what you like about Canon – you can’t argue its engineering team aren’t far-sighted.

We said: ‘With a 30MP sensor, fantastic color reproduction and on-sensor autofocus, the EOS R can produce some beautiful photographs with pinpoint-accurate focus. But it’s Canon’s first mirrorless full-frame camera, and in many ways, it shows. The ergonomics feel unfinished, and for the same or less money, you can find better video, more dynamic range and faster burst speeds elsewhere. But we have to admit that Canon’s new RF lenses are simply spectacular, and at this time, the EOS R is the only way to get to use them.’

November 2018

We knew Canon would get around to full-frame mirrorless at some point, but we will admit to being a little underwhelmed by its first RF mount camera. The EOS R just felt slightly unfinished, which is unusual for Canon. A major firmware update this year has made a welcome difference to the shooting experience, but the subsequent EOS RP – despite its uncompetitive sensor – is a more convincing (and affordable) offering.

The EOS R is not on this list because it is an outstanding camera in its class, or because we really like it (it isn’t, and in many ways we don’t) but because it is important. Much like the original EOS 650 back in 1987, the R (alongside a bevy of beautiful new L-series RF lenses) points towards something more exciting on the way – a little further down the road.

2019: Fujifilm GFX100

Fujifilm’s third camera in this list is arguably its most impressive – ever. The GFX 100 was first announced as being under development in 2018, but hit the shelves in 2019 year with a bang. Or maybe that should be a ‘thud’. Essentially the same size and weight as a professional full-frame DSLR, the GFX 100 is a substantial piece of kit, but given all the technology that Fujifilm packed inside, it’s amazing that it’s not bigger.

The headline feature of the GFX 100 is its 100MP medium-format BSI-CMOS sensor. This offers double the pixel count, and a substantial increase in overall image quality compared to the sensors used in the GFX 50S and 50R. But its resolution is honestly one of the least impressive things about the GFX 100. How about the fact that it’s sensor is stabilized? Or that alongside extremely high-quality stills, it can also shoot superb 4K video? Or that despite its complexity, ergonomically the GFX 100 still behaves essentially like an overgrown X-series ILC?

We said: ‘From the point of view of image quality alone, the GFX 100 is the best camera we’ve ever reviewed […]. The new BSI sensor and higher pixel count of the GFX 100 puts clear water between it and even the best smaller sensor cameras, and if you need the kind of detail that the GFX 100 offers, there’s no more affordable way to get it. On top of this, its in-body stabilization, autofocus performance and well-designed user interface make it significantly more flexible (and usable) than other medium format competitors.’

August 2017

As I wrote back when the Fujifilm GFX 100 was released, after reading through the GFX 100’s spec sheet, “you get the sense that beyond a certain point Fujifilm’s engineers were simply showing off”. And it really does seem that way.

But while Fujifilm was definitely throwing down the technological gauntlet with the GFX 100, it’s far from being a ‘stunt’ product. What makes it so impressive is that the GFX 100 is a wonderfully usable camera.

Have your say: Vote now

So that’s it – ten years, and twenty cameras. Well, 20 cameras and one phone, but you get the idea. A lot has happened between 2010 and today, and this list could easily have been much longer. Cameras like Canon’s EOS 70D, and Sony’s NEX-series, plus the best-selling a6000, not to mention oddities like the DxO One could all, justifiably, have been included for their contributions to the technological gene-pool.

Looking back through our archives, in retrospect we were late to realise the significance of some developments, but it’s reassuring to note that many of the cameras we’ve been most enthusiastic about over the last decade made it into this list.

Of course what you just read is purely our collective opinion, and to that extent subjective. But hopefully this article explains why we think these 21 products are especially significant, and we’d love you to vote on them in our poll, linked below.

As always though, if you think we’ve missed something, please let us know in the comments. In the meantime I hope you’ll join all of us here at DPReview in looking forward keenly to what the next decade has in store.

.

Have your say

$ (document).ready(function() { Poll({“pollId”:”8933501460″,”openForVoting”:true,”mainElementId”:”poll0″,”slot”:null,”isSingleChoicePoll”:false,”minNumberOfChoices”:1,”maxNumberOfChoices”:5}); })

Most important cameras of the 2010s

Apple iPhone 4

Canon EOS R

Canon EOS 6D

Fujifilm GFX 50S

Fujifilm GFX 100

Fujifilm FinePix X100

Leica Q (Typ 116)

Leica T

Nikon D850

Nikon D750

Nikon Z6/7

Nikon 1 J/V1

Olympus OM-D E-M5

Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5

Pentax K-1

Samsung Galaxy NX

Samsung NX1

Samsung NX10

Sony a7/R

Sony a9

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100

Voting is easy – you pick your favorite products by dragging and dropping. You can pick up to five products, and rank them in order of priority.

Poll Rules:

This poll is meant to be a bit of fun. It’s not sponsored, promoted or paid for in any way and DPReview doesn’t care how you vote. Our readers’ polls are run on the basis of trust. As such, we ask that you only vote once, from a single account.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Important Things to Consider When Photographing Winter Scenes

08 Dec

The post Important Things to Consider When Photographing Winter Scenes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

Winter is a great season for photography and a magical time of year to be outdoors. Photographing winter scenes can be an exciting opportunity to capture some unique and wonderful images, particularly when a familiar scene is covered in a blanket of snow and takes on an entirely different perspective. Here are some considerations on how to photograph winter scenes:

1. Make the most of winter’s longer dusks and dawns

In spite of the colder temperatures, one of the joys of winter is that the sun tends to linger longer at dusk and dawn. It also remains lower in the sky throughout the day, providing great light.

If you can brave the elements and venture outside to capture these magical moments during the winter, you are more likely to have a productive shoot and be rewarded for your efforts. One advantage of photographing at dusk and dawn in the winter is that sunrise is much later than in the summer, and sunset is earlier.

Winter landscape, Oxfordshire

2. Find contrast

When photographing winter scenes such as snow, there are usually displays of strong contrast between subjects and colors that can make for striking images. For example, the whiteness of snow stands out really well against the darkness of a tree silhouette and combines beautifully with a colorful sun.

Alternatively, warm winter skies work really well with the cooler tones of snow. Look to find and photograph these types of contrast in your images, and the results will be more visually stunning.

Oxfordshire, England

3. Shoot bright and colorful scenes

Make the most of the winter light and shoot brightly-lit scenes. The bright white snow adds a certain beauty to a winter scene and can make a dull subject more interesting. A great time to shoot colorful winter scenes is when the sun is shining.

Yosemite, USA

Seek out colorful vistas that may include an animal, a tree, people, a house, a building, or even a snowman. Capture their warm colors in the glowing light. You may find you will need to overexpose a touch if your pictures are coming out slightly dark to make your images slightly lighter.

Iceland

4. Bring plenty of batteries

Batteries tend to lose power and run out faster in colder weather, especially when photographing winter scenes.

Be sure to fully charge them before you set off to maximize your shooting time and keep spares in a warm place, such as an inner pocket.

5. Keep warm

One of the most important challenges with photographing winter scenes is keeping warm. It is amazing how quickly your body temperature can fall when standing still photographing in the cold.

Wear layers to keep the heat in (thermal and wool base layers work really well). Wrap up warm with gloves and a hat and consider hand (heat) warmers. These are great for heating your hands after they have exposed them to the elements, especially if you have to remove your gloves to navigate the camera buttons when taking photos.

There are winter gloves designed specifically for photographers. The thumb and forefinger flip back so you can keep your hands warm while photographing. Consider investing in a pair if you will be in snow and cold a lot.

Also, bring snacks and water to stay energized and hydrated.

6. How to photograph snow:

Snow brightens the landscape and makes everything outdoors look amazing. However, photographing snow does come with its challenges. Here are some useful tips worth considering when photographing snow:

Setting White Balance to “Cloudy White Balance” or setting your Kelvins to the warmer spectrum will help to make up for the bluish-tinge snow gets. This is particularly evident on overcast or cloudy days when you may get a blue cast to the snow in your images.

Iceland

Overexpose when shooting snow so that the snow is white rather than “grey”.

Snow can trick your camera meter into underexposing when using your camera’s automatic metering system.

In order to achieve the correct exposure, you will need to compensate for this by adding positive exposure compensation (overexposure) of 1 to 2 stops. The raised exposure value (EV) will help the snow to appear whiter rather than a dull grey. Then your images will be more accurate and a better representation of the snow-covered scene that you see as a result of this.

This applies whether you are capturing falling snow or after it has settled on the ground.

Also, consider using a polarizer filter – this can cut glare and reflections off the snow when it is sunny. It can also help you to see through streams of water better because it cuts through the reflections on top of the water.

Yellowstone, USA

Conclusion

Winter can be a brilliant season for photography, whether you are capturing photos close to home or at more distant exotic locations. Don’t be deterred by the challenges faced when photographing winter scenes. Get out there and have some fun with your camera this winter, and use these tips to capture some great photos you can be proud of.

Share your winter images with us below and any further tips you may have.

The post Important Things to Consider When Photographing Winter Scenes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

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Treat yourself 2019: 10 gifts for the most important photographer in your life: you

17 Nov

Treat Yourself 2019

You’ve worked hard and been good all year, it’s time to treat yourself.

Photographers are notorious for being difficult to please when it comes to gift receiving. We often have both brand-specific and/or expensive taste. So this holiday season, instead of leaving your holiday wishes up to the gift gods/friends and family, why not indulge yourself in the gear you actually want?

We’ve spent all of 2019 shooting, testing and obsessing over the latest cameras, lenses and accessories. And what follows are the items we, as the staff of DPR, most desire. For photographers, by photographers, we present Treat Yourself 2019. Happy shopping!

Peak Design Travel Tripod

Peak Design Travel Tripod | $ 350 (aluminum), $ 600 (carbon fiber) | PeakDesign.com

By far one of the hottest accessories to come out this year was the Peak Design Travel Tripod. Available in aluminum and carbon fiber, it’s quickly become our favorite tripod for on-the-go work thanks to its compact size (it breaks down smaller than the competition), high-degree of stability and well-designed, low-profile ballhead.

We obviously prefer the carbon fiber version, which is lighter and more stable than the aluminum one. But we’d still take PD’s aluminum model over just about any other travel tripod in the game. So treat yourself to the gift of stability, wherever you may go.

View our Peak Design Travel Tripod
hands-on slideshow

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII

Sony RX100 VII | $ 1300 | Sony.com

Sony got just about everything right in the RX100 VII, the ultimate do-it-all compact camera. The RX100 series has long impressed, but it wasn’t until this iteration that they really nailed down the autofocus implementation as well as the AF performance. Sony also made a series of much-needed usability improvements.

These upgrades help to better unlock the camera’s full potential, allowing users to make the most of a long, sharp, versatile zoom lens, super-fast burst shooting and class-leading stills and video quality. So treat yourself to the Swiss Army Knife of cameras.

Read our Sony RX100 VII Review conclusion

Sony TOUGH SD cards

Sony Tough Cards | $ 60 (32GB), $ 110 (64GB), $ 210 (128GB) | Sony.com

One thing we lost when the industry mostly abandoned CF cards in favor of SD cards is the structural integrity of the media. Like many photographers, I have an ever-growing pile of busted SD cards at my desk, some with missing ribs, some with cracks along their seams and others that have just disintegrated completely. Fortunately Sony has solved the issue of the fragile SD with their SF-G series TOUGH cards.

These cards are molded from one piece of composite material with no seams and no ribs around the contact points. They’re drop, crush and bend-proof far beyond that of a traditional SD card. And an IP68 dust and water-proof rating means they’re not going to let you down, even in the worst conditions. Plus they offer super-fast transfer speeds up to 299Mb/s and write speeds up to 200MB/s. Simply put, these are the most reliable cards we’ve come across. And there’s no better treat than peace of mind.

Gnarbox 2.0 SSD

Gnarbox 2.0 SSD | $ 500 (256GB), $ 600 (512GB), $ 900 (1TB) | Gnarbox.com

Speaking of peace of mind, having reliable memory cards is only part of the battle. The journey from photos being shot, to being backed up properly is one with occasional bumps in the roads – bumps that can cause devastation.

The Gnarbox 2.0 SSD looks to smooth out some of these bumps by offering a rugged go-anywhere SSD solution meant for backing up files as soon as they’re shot, with the added ability to tag and sort images via mobile device. The Gnarbox has a built-in SD slot, USB-C connectivity and a Micro-HDMI port. It’s also weather, dust and impact-resistant. Batteries are swappable and it can even be used to charge another device. But perhaps most importantly, transfer speeds are super-fast (up to 350MB/s), plus integration with Photo Mechanic and Lightroom makes it an even more versatile tool for those on-the-go. It’ll even play nice with iPad Pro devices when connected via USB-C.

Olympus XA 35mm film rangefinder

Olympus XA | $ 65-120 (used)

We’ve long preached the values of shooting film as a photographic companion to your digital work, or vice versa. Both mediums offer benefits that will improve your photography. Seeing as this is a digital camera site, we figured most people around here don’t have analog on their mind. But let’s change that.

If you’ve never shot film, or haven’t in a while, the Olympus XA is an enjoyable and affordable entry into the 35mm medium. Released in the late 70’s, this pocketable aperture-priority rangefinder (one of the world’s smallest) offers a fixed 35mm F2.8 lens hidden behind a sliding cover. The lens is sharp, the shutter is very quiet and the camera itself is full of wacky charm, from the tiny rangefinder tab, to the big red square shutter release, to the four-bladed aperture. In short, the XA is both fun and capable, without taking itself too seriously. Just like you.

Read more about the Olympus XA and other film cameras we recommend

Leica Q2

Leica Q2 | $ 5000 | us.Leica-Camera.com

Speaking of rangefinders, what ‘Treat yourself’ list would be complete without a Leica product? Among the DPReview staff, the rangefinder-style Leica Q2 was easily one of the most lusted-after cameras of the year. And why shouldn’t it be? The combination of a seriously-sharp 28mm F1.7 lens in front of a high-res 47MP full-frame sensor in a beautifully-designed body with excellent ergonomics makes the Q2 the ‘créme de la créme’ of modern fixed-lens cameras. Plus Leica redesigned the Q2 from the inside out to add extensive weather-sealing. They also updated the EVF and improved battery life.

And if the price tag seems a bit steep, perhaps you can justify picking the Q2 up for that special someone (that’s you) knowing there will never be another lens to drool over for the camera. Owning one is an end in itself to one’s gear lust. Probably. Maybe. Whatever… treat yourself!

Read our Leica Q2 Review conclusion

DJI Mavic Mini

DJI Mavic Mini | $ 399 (drone), $ 499 (Fly More Combo) | store.DJI.com

If the idea of using a drone as a creative tool hasn’t hovered noisily to the top of your mind yet, now is the perfect time to consider aerial photography/videography. Most people think of drones as big, loud nuisances, zipping around like angry bees. But the just-announced DJI Mavic Mini is compact (palm-sized), lightweight and reasonably quiet. It’s also super easy to fly. And despite its comparably lower price tag, it offers many of the same features found in its pricier DJI siblings like an accident avoidance camera, return-home functionality and a 3-axis camera gimbal.

The camera aboard the Mini is relatively modest with a 12MP 1/2.3-inch sensor capable of JPEG-capture only and up to 2.7K/30p or 1080/60p video. But for first time fliers, it’ll easily give you just about the same image/video quality of a smartphone, with the advantage of a bird’s eye view. So go on and treat yourself to a fresh new perspective, courtesy of this tiny/fun drone.

Read our DJI Mavic Mini Review

RucPac Professional Tech Gloves

RucPac Tech Gloves | $ 40 | RucPac.com

Cold hands are a reality for many photographers, especially those passionate about landscape, wildlife and sports. Sacrificing dexterity for warmth is simply not an option when ‘the shot’ can come and go in an instant. We’ve used finger-less gloves in the past, but found they don’t keep our hands all that warm. And ordinary gloves don’t provide enough finger movement. If only there were a warm form-fitting glove with good dexterity. Oh wait, there is! RuPac’s Tech gloves.

This pair of hotties comes in two sizes with sticky rubberized grips along the palm and fingers. They’re made of a weather-resistant polyester material that’s thick enough to provide a good deal of warmth on a cold day, but not so thick that they’ll limit hand movement or tactile response. They’re not going to save your paws from an Arctic chill, but for reasonable cold, they’ll get the job done. Plus they offer touchscreen compatible material at the tips of the index fingers and thumbs. So treat yourself to some happy hands this winter.

CAM-IN camera strap

Cam-IN camera strap | $ 25-35 (depending on style) | Cam-In.dk or Amazon.com

Let’s be honest – the strap that came in the box with your camera works just fine. But if you’re looking to treat yourself to something a little more stylish yet highly-functional, look no further than Danish brand CAM-IN’s leather and rope camera straps.

These straps looks great, are made from high-quality materials and feature excellent craftsmanship. They’re also fairly affordable. Simply put, they’ll provide you camera support long into the future, while looking snazzy all along the way. What more could you ask for? Treat yourself.

‘Parks Project’ National Parks/National Geographic apparel

Parks Projects T-shirts, hoodies and hats | $ 35-70 | ParksProject.us

Photographers are not usually known as a well-dressed bunch, but all more reason to freshen up your look with some new threads. And why not support a worthy cause while doing so? Parks Project is a clothing brand that’s partnered with more than 50 non-profits to help restore and protect National Parks in the United States through donations and volunteer work. You can read more about their contributions here. As photographers, many of us have a special relationship with the outdoors: all the more reason to protect it.

Most of Parks Projects’ clothing features hip/retro designs related to specific National Parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone and Zion. They also recently launched a super cool National Geographic collaboration. If there’s a clothing line more appropriate for photo nerds, without being cheesy, we haven’t seen it. TREAT YOURSELF.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Why Branding Your Photography is Important

30 Oct

The post Why Branding Your Photography is Important appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anabel DFlux.

Being a photographer is awesome. You get to play with amazing equipment, capturing smiles and beauty. But if you want to do this for a living, your title of “photographer” gets hyphenated to become “Photographer-Business Owner.” No matter which way you spin it, if you want to be a photographer who doesn’t work under someone else, you become a small businessperson. Businesses are made up of a variety of moving components, such as a business license, insurance, equipment, marketing, and… branding. It’s likely one of the most overlooked and forgotten-about aspects of a successful business. In this tutorial, you’ll learn why branding your photography is important to a successful photography business.

Business sense in photography

branding-your-photography

As much as I wish that photographers only had to worry about the picture-taking process, the reality is they need to develop a strong business sense to be successful. When it comes to the general running, management, and marketing of your business, it needs to be run a lot of the same ways you would run a clothing store, plumbing company, or any business.

You can think of your branding as your business’s DNA. It expresses your personality and who you are, and perfectly infuses it into your business. This helps attract the right customers and ward off the wrong ones.

As with any business, you will need to go with the flow and adapt to the tide of how society is expecting your small business to function. In the modern age of internet prevalence, society is looking towards businesses that have their aesthetics on-point.

Pleasing and striking imagery is reigning supreme when it concerns advertising your business and attracting new customers. You need to be recognizable to stand out from the sea of competition. This is where having a good brand is super important.

What is Branding?

So, what is branding? I’ve heard so many people have different definitions for this one simple little word.

In business, a brand is a name, term, design, symbol and/or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. As such, branding is a practice in which a company creates these features that identify their brand. Branding is what sets you apart from the other photographers in your area, in the nation, maybe even the world!

Branding doesn’t even hold exclusive to just your name, logo, and slogan. Branding is prevalent in all facets of the business experience, from customer acquisition, customer correspondence, and advertising. Even just creating a custom business header for all paper documents that your client receives (such as the contract and invoice) is a form of branding for your business.

Patrik Michalicka

Why is branding your photography important?

I’d argue that branding is extremely critical for businesses, despite being something that not all business owners concern themselves with. The legalities of running a business are very important to get squared right away, but branding should come pretty close after that. Without branding, your business won’t have a distinct voice, and that can cost you a lot in the end.

Branding your photography is important for these reasons:

Branding helps you gain recognition

Think of a brand as the face of your business. What do people recognize first when they see someone? Their face! Your brand – the combination of your business name, logo, and other identifying features – will ensure people recognize you, and your business stands out from the rest of the photography business tide. People tend to differentiate businesses by their logo first and foremost, and an appealing logo is a great way to garner attention.

Deliquesce Flux Photography Facebook Page

Increases your value

Did you know that branding can increase the value of your business? Branding can give a business more leverage in the industry and significantly improve client acquisition. The more clients you are able to acquire, the more valuable your photography becomes. As branding aids in recognition, which in turn leads to an establishment in the industry, your photography service becomes a more appealing investment for a client.

Can help you charge more for your services

I don’t think anyone has ever complained about making a little more money. Have you? Branding can help you when setting your prices. Having a beautifully tailored and professional brand can help vouch for your prices because you give a very professional impression. The amount you invest in your business can also justify the pricing set by you, and branding is a big part of that investment.

Creates trust

If customers see that you’ve invested the time, effort, and finances in making your business well branded and beautiful, they’re more likely to be convinced by the confidence you have in your own work. This generates deeper trust.

People are more likely to do business with a company that has aesthetically pleasing and well-polished branding. This gives an immediate impression of professionalism versus a lack of branding, which screams “amateur.”

Can create customer loyalty

Branding also helps with customer loyalty. Customer loyalty is the likelihood that the customer will keep coming back to you, referring you, and vouching for you versus going to someone else.

Think of your own habits. How often do you go to either Coffee Bean, Starbucks, Joe’s Coffee, or some other coffee shop with a strong brand rather than going to a different coffee shop? This has to do with more than just the taste of the coffee and convenient proximity. It’s familiarity, and the familiarity is established with unique and recognizable branding the speaks very loudly.

Supports advertising efforts

Deliquesce Flux Photography Voucher

A big part of the business equation is advertising. If clients can’t find you or don’t know about you, how can they book you? Marketing is extremely important, especially in the social media age. Marketing is the act of spreading awareness about your business, whether it be through digital advertising, partnering with local businesses, or launching billboards!

Branding goes hand in hand with advertising, as your advertisements will portray your brand. Adding your business logo to all of your advertising material is fundamental, and that’s a part of branding!

Your brand can help you stay focused

Most of us have a crux of comparing ourselves to others within the industry. I know I’m guilty of looking at other photographers and wanting to do work similarly. Whether you’re a sunshine and rainbows photographer who is loving the moody, gothic look of another photography business and vice versa, sometimes we shift our work to match that of someone we like. However, this can sometimes be a bit bad from a business perspective. Having a brand helps you stay focused on the business you’ve created, and not stray to a business that really isn’t yours.

Final thoughts

Balázs Kétyi

Now that we’ve established that branding your photography is important, what now?

Review the brand you have and see what may need some improvement. Or, start thinking about creating your brand from scratch. A good place to start is your business name, logo, and slogan. Work with a professional designer to help you realize your vision for your brand. They will work with you to implement your logo across all of you print and digital collateral. This is their area of expertise, so utilize that.

It’s not a great idea to do your branding yourself, but if you have to do so, pick a font you love and then a color scheme. Be sure your font translates well across different mediums and reads well in both large and small formats as well as in print and on-screen. Don’t use too many fonts in your design either – this can look messy.

Your design should also translate in both color and black and white too because there will be times when your logo may be printed or used in black and white.

Then continue on to your website, marketing materials, price sheets, contracts, invoices, even email signature, and watermark!

It may seem overwhelming at first, but once you get going, you’ll find that branding your photography becomes quite easy!

Do you have any other tips for branding your photography that you’d like to share with us? Do so in the comments!

The post Why Branding Your Photography is Important appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anabel DFlux.

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These are the most important Google Pixel 4 camera updates

19 Oct

Google yesterday announced the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, updates to the popular line of Pixel smartphones.

We had the opportunity recently to sit down with Marc Levoy, Distinguished Engineer and Computational Photography Lead at Google, and Isaac Reynolds, Product Manager for Camera on Pixel, to dive deep into the imaging improvements brought to the lineup by the Pixel 4.

Table of contents:

More zoom
Dual exposure controls / Live HDR+
Improved Night Sight
DSLR-like bokeh
Portrait mode improvements
Further improvements
Conclusion

Note that we do not yet have access to a production-quality Pixel 4. As such, many of the sample images in this article were provided by Google.

More zoom

The Pixel 4 features a main camera module with a 27mm equivalent F1.7 lens, employing a 12MP 1/2.55″ type CMOS sensor. New is a second ‘zoomed-in’ camera module with a 48mm equivalent, F2.4 lens paired with a slightly smaller 16MP sensor. Both modules are optically stabilized. Google tells us the net result is 1x-3x zoom that is on par with a true 1x-3x optical zoom, and pleasing results all the way out to 4x-6x magnification factors. No doubt the extra resolution of the zoomed-in unit helps with those higher zoom ratios.

Have a look at what the combination of two lenses and super-res zoom gets you with these 1x to 8x full-resolution samples from Google.

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Marc emphasized that pinching and zooming to pre-compose your zoomed-in shot is far better than cropping after the fact. I’m speculating here, but I imagine much of this has to do with the ability of super-resolution techniques to generate imagery of higher resolution than any one frame. A 1x super-res zoom image (which you get by shooting 1x Night Sight) still only generates a 12MP image; cropping and upscaling from there is unlikely to get you as good results as feeding crops to the super-res pipeline for it to align and assemble on a higher resolution grid before it outputs a 12MP final image.

We’re told that Google is not using the ‘field-of-view fusion’ technique Huawei uses on its latest phones where, for example, a 3x photo gets its central region from the 5x unit and its peripheries from upscaling (using super-resolution) the 1x capture. But given Google’s choice of lenses, its decision makes sense: from our own testing with the Pixel 3, super-res zoom is more than capable of handling zoom factors between 1x and 1.8x, the latter being the magnification factor of Google’s zoomed-in lens.

Dual exposure controls with ‘Live HDR+’

The results of HDR+, the burst mode multi-frame averaging and tonemapping behind every photograph on Pixel devices, are compelling, retaining details in brights and darks in, usually, a pleasing, believable manner. But it’s computationally intensive to show the end result in the ‘viewfinder’ in real-time as you’re composing. This year, Google has opted to use machine learning to approximate HDR+ results in real-time, leading to a much better viewfinder experience.¹ Google calls this ‘Live HDR+’. It’s essentially a WYSIWYG implementation that should give photographers more confidence in the end result, and possibly feel less of a need to adjust the overall exposure manually.

“If we have an intrinsically HDR camera, we should have HDR controls for it” – Marc Levoy

On the other hand, if you do have an approximate live view of the HDR+ result, wouldn’t it be nice if you could adjust it in real-time? That’s exactly what the new ‘dual exposure controls’ allow for. Tap on the screen to bring up two separate exposure sliders. The brightness slider, indicated by a white circle with a sun icon, adjusts the overall exposure, and therefore brightness, of the image. The shadows slider essentially adjusts the tonemap, so you can adjust shadow and midtone visibility and detail to suit your taste.


Default HDR+ result	Brightness slider (top left) lowered to darken overall exposure

Shadows slider (top center) lowered to create silhouettes	Final result

Dual exposure controls are a clever way to operate an ‘HDR’ camera, as it allows the user to adjust both the overall exposure and the final tonemap in one or two swift steps. Sometimes HDR and tonemapping algorithms can go a bit far (as in this iPhone XS example here), and in such situations photographers will appreciate having some control placed back in their hands.

And while you might think this may be easy to do after-the-fact, we’ve often found it quite difficult to use the simple editing tools on smartphones to push down the shadows we want darkened after tonemapping has already brightened them. There’s a simple reason for that: the ‘shadows’ or ‘blacks’ sliders in photo editing tools may or may not target the same range of tones the tonemapping algorithms did when initially processing the photo.

Improved Night Sight

Google’s Night Sight is widely regarded as an industry benchmark. We consistently talk about its use not just for low light photography, but for all types of photography because of its use of a super-resolution pipeline to yield higher resolution results with less aliasing and moire artifacts. Night Sight is what allowed the Pixel 3 to catch up to 1″-type and four-thirds image quality, both in terms of detail and noise performance in low light, as you can see here (all cameras shot with equivalent focal plane exposure). So how could Google improve on that?

Well, let’s start with the observation that some reviewers of the new iPhone 11 remarked that its night mode had surpassed the Pixel 3’s. While that’s not entirely true, as I covered in my in-depth look at the respective night modes, we have found that at very low light levels the Pixel 3 does fall behind. And it mostly has to do with the limits: handheld exposures per-frame in our shooting with the Pixel 3 were limited to ~1/3s to minimize blur caused by handshake. Meanwhile, the tripod-based mode only allowed shutter speeds up to 1s. Handheld and tripod-based shots were limited to 15 and 6 total frames, respectively, to avoid user fatigue. That meant the longest exposures you could ever take were limited to 5-6s.

Pixel 4 extends the per-frame exposure, when no motion is detected, to at least 16 seconds and up to 15 frames. That’s a total of 4 minutes of exposure. Which is what allows the Pixel 4 to capture the Milky Way:

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Remarkable is the lack of user input: just set the phone up against a rock to stabilize it, and press one button. That’s it. It’s important to note you couldn’t get this result with one long exposure, either with the Pixel phone or a dedicated camera, because it would result in star trails. So how does the Pixel 4 get around this limitation?

The same technique that enables high quality imagery from a small sensor: burst photography. First, the camera picks a shutter speed short enough to ensure no star trails. Next, it takes many frames at this shutter speed and aligns them. Since alignment is tile-based, it can handle the moving stars due to the rotation of the sky just as the standard HDR+ algorithm handles motion in scenes. Normally, such alignment is very tricky for photographers shooting night skies with non-celestial, static objects in the frame, since aligning the stars would cause misalignment in the foreground static objects, and vice versa.

Improved Night Sight will not only benefit starry skyscapes, but all types of photography requiring long exposures

But Google’s robust tile-based merge can handle displacement of objects from frame to frame of up to ~8% in the frame². Think of it as tile-based alignment where each frame is broken up into roughly 12,000 tiles, with each tile individually aligned to the base frame. That’s why the Pixel 4 has no trouble treating stars in the sky differently from static foreground objects.

Another issue with such long total exposures is hot pixels. These pixels can become ‘stuck’ at high luminance values as exposure times increase. The new Night Sight uses clever algorithms to emulate hot pixel suppression, to ensure you don’t have bright pixels scattered throughout your dark sky shot.

DSLR-like bokeh

This is potentially a big deal, and perhaps underplayed, but the Google Pixel 4 will render bokeh, particularly out-of-focus highlights, closer to what we’d expect from traditional cameras and optics. Until now, while Pixel phones did render proper disc-shaped blur for out of focus areas as real lenses do (as opposed to a simple Gaussian blur), blurred backgrounds simply didn’t have the impact they tend to have with traditional cameras, where out-of-focus highlights pop out of the image in gorgeous, bright, disc-shaped circles as they do in these comparative iPhone 11 examples here and also here.

The new bokeh rendition on the Pixel 4 takes things a step closer to traditional optics, while avoiding the ‘cheap’ technique some of its competitors use where bright circular discs are simply ‘stamped’ in to the image (compare the inconsistently ‘stamped’ bokeh balls in this Samsung S10+ image here next to the un-stamped, more accurate Pixel 3 image here). Have a look below at the improvements over the Pixel 3; internal comparisons graciously provided to me via Google.

Pixel 4

Daytime bokeh

Pixel 3

Daytime bokeh

Pixel 4

Nighttime bokeh

Pixel 3

Nighttime bokeh

The impactful, bright, disc-shaped bokeh of out-of-focus highlights are due to the processing of the blur at a Raw level, where linearity ensures that Google’s algorithms know just how bright those out-of-focus highlights are relative to their surroundings.

Previously, applying the blur to 8-bit tonemapped images resulted in less pronounced out-of-focus highlights, since HDR tonemapping usually compresses the difference in luminosity between these bright highlights and other tones in the scene. That meant that out-of-focus ‘bokeh balls’ weren’t as bright or separated from the rest of the scene as they would be with traditional cameras. But Google’s new approach of applying the blur at the Raw stage allows it to more realistically approximate what happens optically with conventional optics.

One thing I wonder about: if the blur is applied at the Raw stage, will we get Raw portrait mode images in a software update down-the-line?

Portrait mode improvements

Portrait mode has been improved in other ways apart from simply better bokeh, as outlined above. But before we begin I want to clarify something up front: the term ‘fake bokeh’ as our readers and many reviewers like to call blur modes on recent phones is not accurate. The best computational imaging devices, from smartphones to Lytro cameras (remember them?), can actually simulate blur true to what you’d expect from traditional optical devices. Just look at the gradual blur in this Pixel 2 shot here. The Pixel phones (and iPhones as well as other phones) generate actual depth maps, gradually blurring objects from near to far. This isn’t a simple case of ‘if area detected as background, add blurriness’.

The Google Pixel 3 generated a depth map from its split photodiodes with a ~1mm stereo disparity, and augmented it using machine learning. Google trained a neural network using depth maps generated by its dual pixel array (stereo disparity only) as input, and ‘ground truth’ results generated by a ‘franken-rig’ that used 5 Pixel cameras to create more accurate depth maps than simple split pixels, or even two cameras, could. That allowed Google’s Portrait mode to understand depth cues from things like defocus cues (out-of-focus objects are probably further away than in-focus ones) and semantic cues (smaller objects are probably further away than larger ones).

Deriving stereo disparity from two perpendicular baselines affords the Pixel 4 much more accurate depth maps

The Pixel 4’s additional zoomed-in lens now gives Google more stereo data to work with, and Google has been clever in its arrangement: if you’re holding the phone upright, the two lenses give you horizontal (left-right) stereo disparity, while the split pixels on the main camera sensor give you vertical (up-down) stereo disparity. Having stereo data along two perpendicular axes avoids artifacts related to the ‘aperture problem’, where detail along the axis of stereo disparity essentially has no measured disparity.

Try this: look at a horizontal object in front of you and blink to switch between your left and right eye. The object doesn’t look very different as you switch eyes, does it? Now hold out your index finger, pointing up, in front of you, and do the same experiment. You’ll see your finger moving dramatically left and right as you switch eyes.

Deriving stereo disparity from two perpendicular baselines affords the Pixel 4 much more accurate depth maps, with the dual cameras providing disparity information that the split pixels might miss, and vice versa. In the example below, provided by Google, the Pixel 4 result is far more believable than the Pixel 3 result, which has parts of the upper and lower green stem, and the horizontally-oriented green leaf near bottom right, accidentally blurred despite falling within the plane of focus.

Pixel 4

(dual baseline)

Pixel 3

(single baseline)

The combination of two baselines, one short (split pixels) and one significantly longer (the two lenses) also has other benefits. The longer stereo baselines of dual camera setups can run into the problem of occlusion: since the two perspectives are considerably different, one lens may see a background object that to the other lens is hidden behind a foreground object. The shorter 1mm disparity of the dual pixel sensor means its less prone to errors due to occlusion.

On the other hand, the short disparity of the split pixels means that further away objects that are not quite at infinity appear the same to ‘left-looking’ and ‘right-looking’ (or up/down) photodiodes. The longer baseline of the dual cameras means that stereo disparity can be calculated for these further away objects, which allows the Pixel 4’s portrait mode to better deal with distant subjects, or groups of people shot from further back, as you can see below.


Pixel 4	Pixel 3

There’s yet another benefit of the two separate methods for calculating stereo disparity: macro photography. If you’ve shot portrait mode on telephoto units of other smartphones, you’ve probably run into error messages like ‘Move farther away’. That’s because these telephoto lenses tend to have a minimum focus distance of ~20cm. Meanwhile, the minimum focus distance of the main camera on the Pixel 4 is only 10cm. That means that for close-up photography, the Pixel 4 can simply use its split pixels and learning-based approach to blur backgrounds.³

One thing we’ll be curious to test is if the additional burden of taking two images with the dual camera setup will lead to any latency. The iPhone 11, for example, has considerable shutter lag in portrait mode.

Google continues to keep a range of planes in perfect focus, which can sometimes lead to odd results where multiple people in a scene remain focused despite being at different depths. However, this approach avoids prematurely blurring parts of people that shouldn’t be blurred, a common problem with iPhones.

Oddly, portrait mode is unavailable with the zoomed-in lens, instead opting to use the same 1.5x crop from the main camera that the Pixel 3 used. This means images will have less detail compared to some competitors, especially since the super-res zoom pipeline is still not used in portrait mode. It also means you don’t get the versatility of both wide-angle and telephoto portrait shots. And if there’s one thing you probably know about me, it’s that I love my wide angle portraits!

Pixel 4’s portrait mode continues to use a 1.5x crop from the main camera. This means that, like the Pixel 3, it will have considerably less detail than portrait modes from competitors like the iPhone 11 Pro that use the full-resolution image from wide or tele modules. Click to view at 100%

Further improvements

There are a few more updates to note.

Learning-based AWB

The learning-based white balance that debuted in Night Sight is now the default auto white balance (AWB) algorithm in all camera modes on the Pixel 4. What is learning-based white balance? Google trained its traditional AWB algorithm to discriminate between poorly, and properly, white balanced images. The company did this by hand-correcting images captured using the traditional AWB algorithm, and then using these corrected images to train the algorithm to suggest appropriate color shifts to achieve a more neutral output.

Google tells us that the latest iteration of the algorithm is improved in a number of ways. A larger training data set has been used to yield better results in low light and adversarial lighting conditions. The new AWB algorithm is better at recognizing specific, common illuminants and adjusting for them, and also yields better results under artificial lights of one dominant color. We’ve been impressed with white balance results in Night Sight on the Pixel 3, and are glad to see it ported over to all camera modes. See below how Google’s learning-based AWB (top left) preserves both blue and red/orange tones in the sky compared to its traditional AWB (top right), and how much better it is at separating complex sunset colors (bottom left) compared to the iPhone XS (bottom right).


Learning-based AWB (Pixel 3 Night Sight)	Traditional AWB (Pixel 3)

Learning-based AWB (Pixel 3 Night Sight)	iPhone XS HDR result

New face detector

A new face detection algorithm based solely on machine learning is now used to detect, focus, and expose for faces in the scene. The new face detector is more robust at identifying faces in challenging lighting conditions. This should help the Pixel 4 better focus on and expose for, for example, strongly backlit faces. The Pixel 3 would often prioritize exposure for highlights and underexpose faces in backlit conditions.

Though tonemapping would brighten the face properly in post-processing, the shorter exposure would mean more noise in shadows and midtones, which after noise reduction could lead to smeared, blurry results. In the example below the Pixel 3 used an exposure time of 1/300s while the iPhone 11 yielded more detailed results due to its use of an exposure more appropriate for the subject (1/60s).


Pixel 3	iPhone 11 Pro

Along with the new face detector, the Pixel 4 will (finally) indicate the face it’s focusing on in the ‘viewfinder’ as you compose. In the past, Pixel phones would simply show a circle in the center of the screen every time it refocused, which was a very confusing experience that left users wondering whether the camera was in fact focusing on a face in the scene, or simply on the center. Indicating the face its focusing on should allow Pixel 4 users to worry less, and feel less of a need to tap on a face in the scene if the camera’s already indicating it’s focusing on it.


On previous Pixel phones, a circle focus indicator would pop up in the center when the camera refocused, leading to confusion. Is the camera focusing on the face, or the outstretched hand?	On the Huawei P20, the camera indicates when it’s tracking a face. The Pixel 4 will have a similar visual indicator.

Semantic segmentation

This isn’t new, but in his keynote Marc mentioned ‘semantic segmentation’ which, like the iPhone, allows image processing to treat different portions of the scene differently. It’s been around for years in fact, allowing Pixel phones to brighten faces (‘synthetic fill flash’), or to better separate foregrounds and backgrounds in Portrait mode shots. I’d personally point out that Google takes a more conservative approach in its implementation: faces aren’t brightened or treated differently as much as they tend to be with the iPhone 11. The end result is a matter of personal taste.

Conclusion

The questions on the minds of many of our readers will undoubtedly be: (1) what is the best smartphone for photography I can buy, and (2) when should I consider using such a device as opposed to my dedicated camera?

We have much testing to do and many side-by-sides to come. But from our tests thus far and our recent iPhone 11 vs. Pixel 3 Night Sight article, one thing is clear: in most situations the Pixel cameras are capable of a level of image quality unsurpassed by any other smartphone when you compare images at the pixel (no pun intended) level.

But other devices are catching up, or exceeding Pixel phone capabilities. Huawei’s field-of-view fusion offers compelling image quality across multiple zoom ratios thanks to its fusion of image data from multiple lenses. iPhones offer a wide-angle portrait mode far more suited for the types of photography casual users engage in, with better image quality to boot than Pixel’s (cropped) Portrait mode.

The Pixel 4 takes an already great camera and refines it to achieve results closer to, and in some cases surpassing, traditional cameras and optics

Overall though, Google Pixel phones deliver some of the best image quality we’ve seen from a mobile device. No other phone can compete with its Raw results, since Raws are a result of a burst of images stacked using Google’s robust align-and-merge algorithm. Night Sight is now improved to allow for superior results with static scenes demanding long exposures. And Portrait mode is vastly improved thanks to dual baselines and machine learning, with fewer depth map errors and better ability to ‘cut around’ complex objects like pet fur or loose hair strands. And pleasing out-of-focus highlights thanks to ‘DSLR-like bokeh’. AWB is improved, and a new learning-based face detector should improve focus and exposure of faces under challenging lighting.

It’s not going to replace your dedicated camera in all situations, but in many it might. The Pixel 4 takes an already great camera in the Pixel 3, and refines it further to achieve results closer to, and in some cases surpassing, traditional cameras and optics. Stay tuned for more thorough tests once we get a unit in our hands.

Finally, have a watch of Marc Levoy's Keynote presentation yesterday below. And if you haven’t already, watch his lectures on digital photography or visit his course website from the digital photography class he taught while at Stanford. There’s a wealth of information on digital imaging in those talks, and Marc has a knack for distilling complex topics into elegantly simple terms.

Footnotes:

¹ The Pixel 3’s dim display combined with the dark shadows of a non-HDR preview often made the experience of shooting high contrast scenes outdoors lackluster, sometimes even making it difficult to compose. Live HDR+ should dramatically improve the experience, though the display remains relatively dim compared to the iPhone 11 Pro.

² The original paper on HDR+ by Hasinoff and Levoy claims HDR+ can handle displacements of up to 169 pixels within a single raw color channel image. For a 12MP 4:3 Bayer sensor, that’s 169 pixels of a 2000 pixel wide (3MP) image, which amounts to ~8.5%. Furthermore, tile-based alignment is performed using as small as 16×16 pixel blocks of that single raw channel image. That amounts to ~12,000 effective tiles that can be individually aligned.

³ The iPhone 11’s wide angle portrait mode also allows you to get closer to subjects, since its ultra-wide and wide cameras can focus on nearer subjects than its telephoto lens.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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6 Important Considerations Before You Change Camera Brands

17 Aug

The post 6 Important Considerations Before You Change Camera Brands appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

Important-Considerations-Before-You-Change-Camera-Brands

I have finally started to change camera brands. I’ve been shooting Canon since my first ever SLR I got back when I was 16. I wanted to stay with Canon, but their current bodies do nothing for me. Also, the lens prices of the new R-mount system are insane. After spending a lot of time researching, as well as some hands-on time with the cameras I was considering (Sony, Panasonic & Fuji), I ended up moving towards Fuji.

I’ve purchased a Fuji XT3 with the kit lens and a 35mm f2. It has been a decision that I made on several factors, and so far I am really enjoying the images I am getting out of the Fuji. I haven’t sold off my Canon gear yet (nor will I likely do so in the immediate future) but I can definitely see me moving a lot of my kit in Fuji’s direction.

However, the move has thrown up a few surprises, which I wanted to share with you in this article. So without further ado, here are six things to consider before you change camera brands.

1. Know why

The question you must ask yourself is, what are you trying to achieve by moving camera brand? Changing brands is a long, sometimes painful experience that can be as frustrating as it is fun. It is also certainly going to be expensive. However, if you are considering a full-blown brand swap, there has never been a better time. The big two (Nikon & Canon) have changed mounts. This means, even staying with your current brand, you will eventually be changing your whole kit. So for many people, if you are going to move, the time is now.

Why did I move towards Fuji? Three reasons; the weight, the size, and the video functions.

I shoot weddings, and the appeal of lighter gear hanging off me all day is huge. Secondly, as I shoot in a documentary style, the size of the Fuji means the camera is not as intimidating as my 5DMkIV when in close situations. I have noticed in my son already that he is much more himself with the small Fuji camera, as opposed to my DSLR. This is what I see on paid shoots too. When shooting with the Fuji up close on a recent engagement shoot, the couple seemed to relax more. It is hard to put into words, but there is definitely something about the smaller form factor.

Lastly; video. Canon is purposefully, it seems, not putting the video features into its DSLR’s that Sony, Fuji & Panasonic are. I want to shoot more video and am starting to offer it to clients. Fuji beats Canon hands down here and was the deciding factor.

That’s not to say that other things such as Eye AF, a flip-out screen and 100% coverage with AF points are not things I want, they are, but they alone were not enough for me to make the switch.

A king on a chess board with a young player in the bokeh

You will find yourself shooting more to test your new gear out. Here I am testing the bokeh of the 35mm f2, whilst teaching my son to play chess. The smaller size means he acts more natural than when I point my DSLR at him.

2. Be prepared to start again

Unless you are willing to sell off all of your gear to fund your new purchase, you will no doubt (like me) dip your toe in the water first. As a professional, I simply cannot just go all-in on a new system. So it will be a switch over time. The lack of kit is in some ways quite refreshing. It is also making me think about what kit I will need as I begin to build up my new system. However, sometimes I do find myself reaching for my Canon as it has the lens option I want.

A change of system will be expensive and, in the interim at least, you will probably have less gear than you previously had. Remember, it is more than cameras and lenses – you will need to change things like flashes and flash triggers as well.

Little side note here. Pixapro (rebadged UK version of Godox) triggers for Fuji & Canon look identical. The method I’ve used to differentiate them is to color the little quality control sticker red on the Fuji trigger. A quick, simple way to overcome an annoying little problem.

Changing brands and starting again can definitely have a positive impact. As you begin to build a new system, you will think more about what gear you don’t use as well as what you find yourself missing. This means you can save some money in the switching process and lighten the load of your gear bag at the same time.

Important-Considerations-Before-You-Change-Camera-Brands

This was my new kit for 3 weeks. No high-end primes, no myriad of lens options. Just a kit lens. Frustrating, but it did make me think about photography in a way I hadn’t in some time.

3. Retraining the muscle memory

There is nothing worse than the downright dread of coming to grips with a new menu system. Trying to remember which button is the one you mapped for changing autofocus is somewhat frustrating. The remapping of your brain to work with your new camera system is one of those things that is initially fun and exciting.

However, that initial joy soon gives way to frustration. It is surprising how difficult it can be to move systems and retrain your brain to work with the new menu system. It gets easier quite quickly, but you will initially miss shots you would have got, simply because you forgot which button you needed to press.

This has been my workhorse for years. I can operate it in the dark without thinking. I will get there with the Fuji, but it will take time.

4. The cost of switching

It is easy to get carried away in thinking that if you sell off your gear, you will be able to switch systems without a huge outlay. Unfortunately, that isn’t usually the case. Moving camera system will come with a financial cost, and it will probably be more than you think. To move system and a new body and a set of lenses (24-70mm f2.8, 70-200mm f2.8, and a fast prime) you will be looking in the ballpark of £1000-£4000. You can reduce the costs of this by buying secondhand glass. However, with the new mirrorless systems by both Nikon & Canon, the price of secondhand glass is still incredibly high and hard to find.

To give an example, I own the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS I lens. I could look to get around £700 for this secondhand at current value. To move to the new Sony G Master of the same focal length, I would need an extra £1700. To pick up a secondhand copy, I would still need £1000, and that is simply for one lens.

When you look at the numbers like that you have to ask yourself, will a change of system for this function be worth £3000? Is eye autofocus, in-body stabilization, and 100% AF points coverage really worth that much? For you, it may be, but do not think there will not be a cost involved in getting the features you need.

Many of you (like me) will be considering a move to a mirrorless-based system. Even changing to the same brand is now going to come with considerable costs as both Canon & Nikon have new lens mounts. I know that you can adapt existing glass for both these systems, but it will not work as well as the new glass designed specifically for the new mounts.

In both cases, the lenses for these systems are commanding top prices. Over time, these will drop, and there will be a larger secondhand market. But at the moment, switching to a Canon or Nikon mirrorless system, complete with native lenses for the system, is no cheaper than a complete change of brand.

I think the mirrorless camera revolution will see many people taking the plunge with different brands. Switching from a 5D Mk IV to an EOS-R is, in reality, the same kind of investment you will make moving to Sony or Nikon.

Again, most brands now have good quality adapters to use glass from other systems, so it does help you take those baby steps. However, the native glass will always give the best performance. Unless you have a great relationship with your bank manager (and/or partner), you may need to transition slowly to cushion the financial impact.

This was meant to be shot on my Fuji. However, the battery died and I had no spares. Luckily, my trusty Canon (and 4 spare batteries) to the rescue.

5. Will the grass be greener?

There is the honeymoon phase in any relationship. I am currently in it with my Fuji. No matter what the sensible part of your brain says, having new gear makes you get out and use it. The more photos you take, the more your photography improves. So, therefore, changing camera gear will make things better right? Well, maybe. If you changed for a specific reason and your new gear addresses it, then, yes, it may be better.

What is more likely, though, is that after the honeymoon phase, your camera will get used no more than your current kit. Your photography will not improve simply because of your choice to change systems. You will again find things that you don’t like about your new system and things you miss about your old one. This is simply because there is no perfect camera.

6. Could you spend money more wisely to advance your photography?

The biggest reason to pause and think about changing systems is whether you could make a different investment that will improve your photography more than a change of brand. It is well documented that lenses are a wiser investment than a new camera body. I have seen countless photographers move towards a full-frame camera, rather than invest in lenses, which is definitely a mistake. Lenses hold their value, will instantly give you better results and will last you way longer than a new camera body.

If you look at a minimum of £1000 to change camera brands, then think of what else you could invest that money in to improve your photography. Portrait photographers, that could buy you a great off-camera flash system with modifiers that will take your portraits to a new level. You could invest in new lenses for your current camera that helps you shoot better in low light, or give you more reach as a wildlife photographer.

However, look beyond gear. What could £1000 worth of education do for your photography? How about spending £1000 on a trip to locations that you have always wanted to photograph? In many cases, changing your camera system is possibly the least likely thing to advance your photography.

For most of us, we simply got caught in the hype and Facebook chatter about a new camera. We think it will be a magic bullet that makes us take more photos or better photos. But in reality, it won’t. You will have a shiny new toy that you love, until the Mark 2 comes out and you will convince yourself again that you need to upgrade.

There are lots of legitimate reasons to change systems. There is also absolutely nothing wrong with switching to a new camera system simply because you want to. Just beware of the hype that it will make your photos better because it won’t.

A tipi near a pond with a tree growing out of it.

The Fuji will make me money. Will I make more money than if I had kept my Canon? No. My back, however, will thank me for the lighter weight.

I’m not trying to convince you either way (you probably wouldn’t listen if I did). I am just giving you some things to think about if you are looking to move from your current camera system. Happy shopping.

Have you made the switch to a new camera system or considering it? Share with us in the comments section below!

The post 6 Important Considerations Before You Change Camera Brands appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

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How be a Second Shooter at Weddings and Why it’s Important

16 Aug

The post How be a Second Shooter at Weddings and Why it’s Important appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

Getting started in wedding photography takes more than your camera gear. In order to really get an idea of what photographing a wedding is truly like, becoming a second shooter can be the perfect way to get you started.

Second-Shooter-at-Weddings

Why it’s important to be a second shooter?

Getting started in weddings means that you should have a high level of photographic experience not only technically, like how to use your camera, but also what goes into photographing a wedding.

Second shooting allows you to shadow a photographer, photograph the entire wedding, and get real hands-on experience without having all the pressure fall on you to get every photo right.

Image: A second shooter can get creative with angles, perspective, and photograph key guests at wedd...

A second shooter can get creative with angles, perspective, and photograph key guests at weddings.

Being a second photographer can also give you insight into the customer service aspects of weddings like keeping to a timeline, knowing what to expect if something goes wrong, and seeing how each photographer you second for handles the pressure.

As a second shooter, you can also determine if weddings and events are something you’d even like to pursue. You also don’t have the pressure of booking a wedding client and then not knowing what or how to go about photographing it or if you’ll even like it.

How be a Second Shooter at Weddings and Why it's Important

Working alongside an experienced wedding photographer can also let you in on industry tips and tricks that they’ve learned throughout the years. You can also ask questions and observe how they work at a wedding. This will help you when you start photographing events as the primary photographer.

Difference between second photographer and assisting

Although it may seem like there isn’t a difference between assisting and second shooting, there is. Assistants are just that. They assist the main photographer with anything from carrying bags and equipment, to helping with veils, styling, or running to grab something for a photo. An assistant is an extra pair of hands.

How be a Second Shooter at Weddings and Why it's Important

Assistants generally don’t help photograph a wedding. However, depending on the terms that the main photographer has set up for the position, sometimes you may.

A second photographer is someone who helps photograph a wedding in tandem with the main photographer. As a second shooter, you are usually responsible for photographing the in-between moments and get a different, more creative angle on photos.

Reach out to photographers

Second-Shooter-at-Weddings

The first step in getting a second shooting gig is to reach out to photographers that inspire you, are looking for help on wedding days, or people you know who wouldn’t mind having an extra photographer at the wedding.

Your email can be simple and concise like:

Hello,

My name is ____________. Firstly, I love your work and it’s an inspiration to me as a new wedding photographer. I was wondering if you needed a second photographer at events, as I would love to learn the ropes before jumping into wedding photography full time. I have the following gear: __________. You can see my portfolio at www.yourwebsite.com.

Thank you so much for your time!

Your name.

Emailing a busy photographer a short and to-the-point email is best. They may say no, which is okay. You should respond with a thank you email along with the message that if they ever need anyone in the future, you are available. They can then keep your information on file should they need a second photographer in the future.

Second-Shooter-at-Weddings

Also, there are many social media groups where you can look for second shooting jobs in your local area. Many photographers can hire on the spot just by looking at your website and gear.

Make sure to sign a contract

Second shooting with a contract is highly recommended. Not all photographers do this. However, you can draft one up for them just in case they don’t have one ready.

Include the details of the event, how long you’ll be second shooting, what you’re expected to cover, and finally, the delivery of the photos and payment.

Second-Shooter-at-Weddings

Many photographers will want you to use your own equipment and will ask you what you photograph with. If this is the case, make sure to put this in the contract as well.

Just as an important note as well, when you second shoot, the images that you take may not be under your copyright. Most contracts will state that copyright belongs to the main photographer since their photography business is the one who was hired by the couple.

Often, second shooters get the candid photos during a wedding event, like this one above.

This means that you’re a subcontractor. Therefore any images you produce are copyright and property of the main photographer – even if you photograph the event with your equipment. Check your contract for copyright and usage rights, if any exist.

Gear

Some photographers want you to use their memory cards or even their gear. That way, they don’t have to worry about syncing times, converting raw files into the same format, or image delivery delays to the client.

Try and get a different angle than the main photographer so you can add variety, like these two images of the first dance.

Take your gear with you. Doing so gives the main photographer the choice to let you use your gear or their gear, or a mixture of both.

When you email the photographers, make sure you list all the gear that you know how to use at 100 percent. In the event you don’t know how to you use your flash in manual mode, for example, then put down “flash only in TTL mode.” This can help the main photographer know your photography experience and may even help you learn manual mode or another photography tip!

How be a Second Shooter at Weddings and Why it's Important

Be all-in

Being a second shooter means that you are there to help the photographer with photography. While some second shooters take this approach very seriously, I believe that second photographers should also be at the disposal of the main photographer – within reason, of course.

Second-Shooter-at-Weddings

This means that you help fluff up the dress, put on the boutonniere, help with getting flowers to the bridesmaids, and yes, maybe handing the main photographer a lens or battery.

You’re a team, and it’s important to be all-in when you second. The main photographer is helping you gain experience and learn. It’s best that you also help as much as you can.

Image: While the main photographer focuses on the couple, you can use your eye to focus on other key...

While the main photographer focuses on the couple, you can use your eye to focus on other key moments during the wedding!

Each photographer works differently, however. Showing initiative and being accommodating can also help you get more second shooting gigs in the future with the same photographer.

Take what works for you

Second shooting is really helpful because you get lots of experience with different photographers and get to observe all the different ways that each one works a wedding.

How be a Second Shooter at Weddings and Why it's Important

Perhaps you vibe best with one photographer and not so much with another. That is okay. Make sure to thank the photographer for having you along. Then, in the future, only go with photographers you have a good rapport with and like to be around.

Also, you’ll be able to take away tips and tricks that you feel work for you. If one photographer was excellent at customer service, take away what they said or did, and apply it to your business. Another photographer may have created a really interesting image during the reception that you can try at the next wedding event you have.

How be a Second Shooter at Weddings and Why it's Important

Take what works for you, your style, and your business and leave the rest. That’s one great thing about being the second photographer – you can observe all and still have fun photographing a wedding.

Payment

When you are highly experienced in photography and can create quality images every single time, you may get paid anywhere between $ 25-$ 50 or more per hour for second shooting. Some photographers also offer a flat rate for a set of hours.

Second-Shooter-at-Weddings

If you’re just starting out, you might not get paid, but the experience is completely worth it. Getting your feet wet in the wedding photography industry is more important because you’ll find that weddings are a high-pressured, fast-moving, and a once-in-a-lifetime type of photography.

You don’t get do-overs, so second shooting is the best way to get experience without paying the price for unhappy clients.

How be a Second Shooter at Weddings and Why it's Important

That being said, definitely ask the main photographer before signing a contract what the payment will be. Then you can choose whether the pay is acceptable or not. You do have the choice to take on second shooting gigs for free if you wish or ask for a set rate.

Some experienced photographers help other photographers out and so their pay rate is higher. While others do it to flex their skills, practice, or just fill up their calendar in between jobs.

How be a Second Shooter at Weddings and Why it's Important

In conclusion

Becoming a second shooter is a lot easier than you would think. Reach out to photographers that you admire and spend time observing how they work. When you’re ready, you can then start to photograph your own weddings if you don’t already do!

Do you have any other second shooter tips? Share them in the comments below!

The post How be a Second Shooter at Weddings and Why it’s Important appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

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6 Important Compositional Elements to Consider When Shooting Landscapes

25 Jun

The post 6 Important Compositional Elements to Consider When Shooting Landscapes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

There are many pleasures associated with photographing landscapes; from being in the great outdoors, to breathing in the fresh air and taking in the attractive views whilst capturing nature’s beauty all around you.

Taking good landscape photos is more challenging than you may think. People often tell me when they return home from capturing landscapes that they are often disappointed with their results. Part of this may be due to the subject, the weather, the photographer, or most likely the composition. To help you improve your composition, here are 6 fundamental elements worth considering when you next venture out with your camera to shoot landscapes.

1. Diagonal lines

Firstly, it is worth considering the term ‘composition’. Composition refers to “the nature of something’s ingredients or constituents” such as the formation and contents that make-up an image. When it comes to photography, there are many theories and factors that constitute what makes a good composition. One major component worth acknowledging is diagonal lines.

Diagonal lines can be a useful tool to use in your images. Carefully consider how you might use diagonal lines in your images. One proven way is to lead a viewer’s eye through the frame along a diagonal. These can go from left to right or right to left. They can be slightly horizontal or vertical and can be individual or repeated throughout the image. Leading diagonal lines can be a great way to naturally point towards an interesting part of your landscape, such as rows of flowers navigating towards a tree or a building.

2. Geometric shapes

When it comes to shapes and patterns, there are no hard and fast rules as to what works well together. Whilst seeing the landscape as a whole, be conscious of what geometric shapes you want to include in the frame. You may look for shapes that complement each other or that are opposite to one another. Consider their relationship and how they may be used together to bring balance to the image.

3. The rule of thirds

Have you ever produced pictures of landscapes that you were not pleased with and wondered why this could be? Well, one reason could be to do with the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is an essential technique that can be applied to improve the composition and harmony of your landscape images. In essence, it involves dividing your image by thirds using 2 horizontal and 2 vertical lines. The idea is that you then place the important elements of your scene along those lines or at the point where they intersect.

In your landscape shots, try placing the horizon on the lower third and top third of the image and see which makes a more pleasing composition. You can also include an interesting object such as a tree where the lines meet. This gives a natural focal point for the scene.

Rule of Thirds Grid

4. Framing images

How you frame your images of nature can make the difference between a good and a great photograph. When framing your shots, create a visually effective image that communicates with the viewer in the way you envisaged. Overhanging leaves or branches can be used to form a natural frame to shape your picture. This helps to emphasize the subject and mask unwanted elements in the scene.

5. Foreground elements

Foreground elements can add more dynamism to your landscape images. Placing features in the foreground can give a sense of receding distance. For example, a rock, flowers, or snow are individual components that can be used to provide scale. Find an interesting subject to show in the lower part of your frame and see how this changes the composition of your landscape images.

6. Break the rules

Don’t feel you have to stick to the rules of composition outlined above. As with all rules, they don’t always give the best result and you can break them. Sometimes positioning the horizon along the center of the frame can produce a much more eye-catching photo. In addition, you can even place your main subject in the center of your frame. Don’t be afraid to try out different compositions and experiment to see which looks best.

Conclusion

While you can break the rules, it is worth learning the rules of composition effectively before you try to break them. They were introduced to benefit your photos in the first place, so remember to put them to good use. Diagonal lines, the rule of thirds, foreground details, and framing your images can all be used to enhance your landscape photos.

Now it’s over to you to put these tips into practice! Share the images you take and any comments with us below.

The post 6 Important Compositional Elements to Consider When Shooting Landscapes appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

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How to Quote Commercial Photography Jobs: A Few Important Line Items to Consider

19 Feb

The post How to Quote Commercial Photography Jobs: A Few Important Line Items to Consider appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

There are a variety of ways to quote on a commercial photography job. Every photographer has their own approach.

If you’re new to working with clients, or even if you’ve been at it for a little while, putting together a formal estimate can be a daunting process. The bigger the scope, the more variables there are to consider.

Here are some line items to consider.

Quoting Commercial Photography-Darina Kopcok-DPS

Creative fee

When you’re putting together an estimate for a commercial photography job, I recommend charging a Creative Fee for your labor. This creative fee is the time you spend shooting, but it can also include some post-processing.

Some photographers charge a day rate or a half-day rate. I don’t advise charging by the hours, but I determine how many hours you think you may need to execute a job and multiply it by the hourly rate you would like to receive for it. You may want to top that up by up to 25%, as you’ll find most jobs take longer than you think they will.

As a new photographer, I tried a variety of ways of estimating jobs. When I charged a half-day rate, I often found that there was no such thing. By the time I set up, did all the project management to pull the shoot together and hire the help I needed, it was a full day of work and then some.

Think about how much work you have to do behind the scenes and factor that into your creative fee as well.

One thing I don’t recommend is lumping all your expenses together and presenting it to the client. Giving them one big total can lead to sticker shock and confuse your potential client. They won’t know what they’re paying for exactly.

Breaking it down for them is a good business practice and helps the less experienced clients – say, those with a small business – understand all the work that goes into producing a commercial photo shoot.

Equipment

Some photographers like to have their own equipment they bring to photo shoots. This not only means a couple of cameras and Speedlites, but it can also mean monoheads, stands, and a variety of other gear.

You may have everything you need to bring to smaller shoots, but on bigger productions, you may need to rent extra gear, like several lights and lighting modifiers. You should not absorb this cost. It goes into the estimate.

Therefore, you need to get all the pertinent information up front about what the shot entails, so you know what to take. Make sure you get a shot list and ask all the necessary questions up front.

If you do have your own gear, you can include it in your creative fee and mention it as a footnote on the estimate that it’s included. Alternatively, you may decide to separate it.

You should charge at least a nominal fee for the use of your equipment. This way you can put money aside for any replacements and upgrades you need to do over time.

If a client were to go to a rental house and rent the equipment needed to pull off a commercial production, they would pay hundreds of dollars. And that is just for the tools. What about the skill of the person to handle those tools?

Don’t be afraid to charge appropriately for your services.

Studio rental

Photo shoots can take place in a variety of locations, but if you need to shoot in a studio, make sure that you put a cost for the studio rental in your estimate.

Be familiar with at least three studios in your area that can be rented out and what they charge per hour or day. If at the time that you write your estimate you’re not sure which one you’d be shooting in, put the most expensive one as the cost.

Once you get the go-ahead you can see what is available on the date you’ll be shooting and book the available studio.

Editing & post-production

Quoting Commercial Photography-Darina Kopcok-DPS

When working on a commercial level, you may not be the person responsible for editing the photos. If you’re working with an ad agency or sometimes even a magazine, they may have someone in-house to do editing according to specific parameters.

Alternatively, you may be expected to do the basic editing, but someone else may be responsible for further refinement. Be clear on the outset about the expectations around post-production.

The Photoshop required may be complex and require the expertise of a professional retoucher. In this case, you must get a quote from a retoucher and put that as a line item in your estimate.

Quoting Commercial Photography-Darina Kopcok-DPS

Archiving fee

Some photographers charge an archiving fee as part of their post-production process.

There is the time associated with uploading and storing images and the process required to back them up. Since you should be charging for all the time you spend on a project, it makes sense to include it in the scope. You can have it as a line item or include it in your creative fee.

Digital Imaging Technician

Depending on the genre of photography you shoot and the nature of the production, you might want to hire a Digital Imaging Technician. Also known as a DIT, they are responsible for backing up everything as you shoot, and for doing quick color treatments or composites on set.

For example, as a food and still life photographer, I always shoot tethered to my computer so I can see a large, more accurate rendition of my image than I can get on the back of my LCD screen. I also sometimes have to work with overlays if I’m doing product packaging, so I can see how the image fits with any text or artwork. A DIT can help with this process.

Photo assistant

I have used a photo assistant since the day I started shooting professionally.

A good photo assistant is indispensable and worth every penny. A photo assistant can help you carry all your gear, work your lighting and run out on errands. Having one on hand saves you time, which in the end is saving you money.

There are professional photo assistants whose sole work is assisting other photographers. However, there are plenty of photography school grads that start their careers assisting and have a lot to offer in terms of technical knowledge and eagerness to gain experience.

Many of them are not even that expensive, so if you can’t get the extra expense approved, I suggest taking a cut for yourself to have one help you out.

Stylists and makeup artists

Estimating Commercial Photography-Darina Kopcok-DPS

Depending on the niche you’re shooting in, you may need a stylist. This may be a wardrobe or fashion stylist, or a food stylist.

Food stylists are responsible for shopping for the food and ingredients required for any food shoot and preparing it for the set. Food styling requires particular skills and are an essential part of any team producing food photography. It is not the photographer’s job, as it’s a different occupation and should be treated as such.

Food stylists usually charge by the hour or a day rate, as well as for prep, and often have their own assistants.

Similarly, wardrobe stylists are responsible for the clothing and related props on fashion shoots.

Makeup artists are required for fashion shoots as well, and sometimes on commercial portrait shoots.

Image usage

Image usage is the trickiest part of a photography estimate.

There is no right or wrong answer for how much you should be charging for usage.

When you are hired to shoot for a brand, you still own the copyright to those images. The client does not own them. The creative fee is for the labor to execute the commission, the usage fee is a license that allows them to use the image in a defined way for a specific time period.

How much you should charge is dependent on your market, the visibility of the brand, and how they want to use them.

The Getty Pricing Calculator is a free tool that can give you some idea of what to charge for usage.

However, I have found that there is what photographers should charge, and then there is reality. There is no point in charging a client hundreds of dollars per image if the client is small and cannot pay that.

I always recommend separating image usage from the creative fee. However, often you need to educate the client up front about copyright and what usage refers to. This can be tough if you’re dealing with a small business owner who thinks they own the images because they hired you to shoot them.

Give them an agreement that outlines the usage and make sure they are clear on how and where they can use the images.

In Conclusion

If you’ve been struggling with how to price your photographic services, hopefully, you now have a better idea of the types of things you can charge for.

The post How to Quote Commercial Photography Jobs: A Few Important Line Items to Consider appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.

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3 Misunderstood But Important Buttons on Your Camera Explained

15 Jun

Today’s modern DSLR cameras have so many functions, buttons, and menus that it can be confusing and overwhelming to learn how to use properly. In this article, you’ll learn about three commonly misunderstood, but extremely important buttons on your camera. See what they each do, and when to use them.

#1 – The Depth of Field Preview Button

This is one that is not often used but it really handy once you know what it’s for, the depth of field preview button. Let’s have a look.

#2 – The Exposure Compensation Button

Next up is the Exposure Compensation button or dial. I use this one a lot with my Fuji X-T1 and X100F cameras when I’m shooting in Aperture Priority mode, which is most of the time. See where to find on your camera and how to apply it here.

#3 – Auto Exposure Lock (AEL)

Finally, the last button you should learn about is the AEL or Auto Exposure Lock button. It’s very handy when you want to lock your exposure, or your focus, or both and take multiple images of the same scene, with different compositions.

Can you confidently say you are familiar with and comfortable using all these buttons on your camera? If not, make it a habit to learn one new thing about your camera every day. Get to know all the buttons and dials. If you can’t figure it out, consult your camera user manual. Or search for your camera and model number on YouTube to find some good tutorials specific to your setup.

Know your camera inside and out. Then, and only then can you decide if it’s time to upgrade or not. But that’s another topic for another day!

The post 3 Misunderstood But Important Buttons on Your Camera Explained appeared first on Digital Photography School.