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Posts Tagged ‘Official’

Interview: Joe Biden’s official photographer Adam Schultz – “Every day I get to do this is a special day”

23 Oct
Adam Schultz, oficial photographer for the Biden For President campaign. Photo: Drew Heskett

Adam Schultz is a busy man. Official photographer for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, he’s traveling all over the US with the candidate, taking and sharing pictures of the campaign trail. We caught up with Adam recently to talk about what it means to shoot for a presidential campaign, how 2020 differs from previous election cycles, and why he can’t wait until it’s possible to take pictures of people without masks on.

All pictures courtesy of Adam Schultz unless otherwise noted. The following interview has been edited for clarity and flow.

How do you end up as a campaign photographer?

Well in 2016 I worked on the Hillary campaign with Barbara Kinney, who was one of the White House photographers in the 90s, and before that I worked at the Clinton Foundation for eight or nine years. I’ve always been interested in politics and photography. It’s a really interesting niche, being able to use photographs to show what these people do on a day to day basis.

An early January shot of presidential candidate Joe Biden with supporters at Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa.

The Biden campaign trialled a bunch of photographers in the early days, but I remember on one of the longer flights back to Delaware, I was showing VP Biden the pictures on my computer, and he was going through them, and he turned to me and asked if he could put some of the pictures on his phone. And that’s when I thought ‘OK, good, he gets it, he likes this stuff!’ From that point on I’ve just stuck close and tried to build trust with him.

What is it about politics and politicians which interests you as a photographer?

I’ve always thought of myself as being a politically-conscious person, I try to keep my ear to the ground, and keep an eye on the issues that affect people. For me personally, I grew up in a household where my parents both had strong opinions, and they always talked about issues, and how important it was to vote, so it’s always been a part of my life.

Being able to combine photography and politics, well that’s a neat job!

A typical ‘pre-COVID’ campaign-trail scene in St Louis, taken in early February, before lockdown measures were put in place.

What does your role as campaign photographer involve?

A lot of it is generating marketing materials, effectively. In this campaign, because of the pandemic, we’ve concentrated a lot more on pictures that show the candidate with people. Whether that’s working on rope-lines or talking to supporters, and making sure that we get the shot of him walking out with the flag of a state behind him, to visually illustrate the fact that he’s at a certain location.

So every day I wake up, look at the schedule, and determine ‘OK, from this event we need a picture of X, Y and Z and from this meeting, we need a picture of him greeting such and such a person’.

If you go to our Flickr account, we’ve done a pretty good job of sharing photos from pretty much every public event that we do. One of the things I wanted to do a lot of in this campaign was to let people see what is actually happening. And Flickr is a great public forum where people can see the photos.

How has the pandemic affected your work on this campaign compared to 2016?

There were a couple of months when we were figuring out our COVID testing, and there were a lot of unknowns around what was safe, and what we could do. Questions like ‘Can we fly?’ And first and foremost, the campaign – and vice-president Biden – has said ‘safety first’. Wear a mask, get tested, all that stuff. There were a handful of times when I saw vice-president Biden before we started rigorous testing, but now, every day before I see him I get tested. So that’s definitely an extra layer, operationally, which has to be built into the schedule.

We always make sure we know exactly how many people can be in a space, what the safe distance is, and of course masks

But this is go-time – we do things every day. We’ve gotten around a lot, and the pictures show it. We’re out at events, being socially distanced, and we’re always following local guidelines, whether that’s state, county or city, whatever. We always make sure we know exactly how many people can be in a space, what the safe distance is, and of course masks. We follow mask mandates religiously. In my opinion, that indicates true leadership. We have to set a good example.

Presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks to his running mate, Kamala Harris, via video call, in August 2020.

Have all of those restrictions affected how you work as a photographer? Are there pictures this time around that you just haven’t been able to get?

One of the things that we used to love to do before the pandemic was rope-line moments. Often VP Biden would spend more time on the line talking to people after an event than the actual event ran for. You have to think about who those people are, who take time out of their day to come to the events and hang out on the line afterwards to talk to him, and tell him about their issues. Unfortunately, this time around, it’s been tough to talk to people like that and shake their hands.

As a photographer, that’s tricky. Events are socially distanced, and group photos always have to have six feet of distance between people. If you look at the photos we’re capturing now compared to this time last year, there’s a huge difference. Last year it was have been pictures of the candidate speaking, working the rope line, group photos, all the traditional kinds of pictures you’d see from a political campaign, but this is a wild time.

I’ll spend a fair amount of time trying to get shots showing what the event looks like from VP Biden’s perspective.

What does that mean for you technically?

One of the things I’ve always tried to do is move around a lot. As much as possible. When we go into a space I’ll move around and get the typical shots, then I’ll spend a fair amount of time trying to get shots showing what the event looks like from VP Biden’s perspective. And that’s where a lens like the 100-400mm is great, you can get those really tight shots. One thing that I’m doing in this role is documenting what the candidate sees, and what he’s thinking about.

If we’re in a smaller room, the trick is to take a picture of two people standing on opposite sides of that room, I’ll reach for the 16-35mm. But I’ll also back up on the 85mm, and for larger events the 100-400mm is great. It’s a really versatile lens. Being able to move around, both physically and in terms of focal length is really important.

Are you looking forward to the day when you can take pictures of people without masks?

We always follow local guidelines, and if the guidelines say ‘wear a mask everywhere, no matter what’ then VP Biden does that. It’s a tough thing to shoot around, because it makes it tough to capture really good moments sometimes. You’ll hear people say ‘I’m smiling with my eyes’ and you can see that, but it’s not the same.

Once we make it through this, God willing, it’ll open up a whole different realm of opportunities for photography. Being able to do normal events again, and shake hands with people again, it’ll be great.

An ABC interview with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in August, conducted according to social distancing guidelines.

What gear do you shoot with right now?

I have three Sony a9 II bodies, about twelve batteries, and four lenses, including the three I mentioned earlier. The Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM, the FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS, which is mostly a backup, then the FE 85mm F1.4 GM, which is a great lens, and the FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS. For me, it’s tricky because I never know exactly what kind of an event, or situation I’m going to walk into. So having those three bodies and those three main lenses gives me a really wide range of possibilities.

What’s the most fun thing about your job right now?

Right now [October 15th] we’re about two and a half weeks out, and it’s just the excitement. We’ve gone through ups and downs, and good days and bad days. This is a very exciting time. Every day I wake up, and I put all of the experience of the last year and a half to use. I follow his schedule, I do it, get the pictures, then edit. I’ll review the day when I’m going through my selects and I’ll think ‘Oh wow that was a really cool day!’

Every day I get to do this is a special day, and it’s important to remember that

A perfect day is one where we do an unscheduled stop. We used to do a lot of them, and it’s trickier now, but there have been a bunch of times where we’re on a two or three-day trip, and we’ll stop by a restaurant, or go to a little hole-in-the-wall place and order a sandwich or an ice-cream or something. Those kinds of things are great. They put the candidate in front of people who wouldn’t necessarily have seen him otherwise and they add a local flavor to the coverage of the campaign. Having those images peppered in among planned events, that really makes it fun.

Do you have any tips for staying healthy and sane, when you’re traveling so much?

Eat right! And never forget to take a step back and look at where you are. Paul Morse [White House photographer during the George W. Bush administration] told me that. To be in this kind of role, and to be given this kind of opportunity is such a cool thing. Some people might see it as a grind, and it is, but I don’t see it like that. Every day I get to do this is a special day, and it’s important to remember that. It’s not about me. I’m doing my job to make sure that the candidate is painted in a good light. There are rough days, but it’s a very special thing.

You can find more of Adam’s work on Instagram, and the official Biden For President Flickr page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Nikon D6: Here are the official specifications and image samples

12 Feb

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At long last, Nikon has released details of its newest flagship DSLR, the D6. As a camera that will find its way into the hands of sports and action photographers around the globe, it needs to live up to the speed, durability and quality of its predecessors – and though it doesn’t appear to break significant new ground, we expect the D6 will continue to serve the needs of demanding photographers very well indeed.

At the heart of the D6 is a 20.8MP sensor, offering the same resolution as the D5, but it’s now coupled with a new Expeed 6 processor and offers up to 14fps burst shooting with ‘E-type’ lenses (those with electromagnetically controlled diaphragms). Switch into live view, and the D6 will shoot silently at up to 10.5fps at full resolution – users can also opt for 30fps for 8MP files and 60fps for 2MP files if needed. The native ISO range covers values of 100 to 102,400, with an expansion up to 3.2 million.

The result is AF coverage that is 1.6x denser than that of the D5, and each point uses a ‘triple-sensor arrangement’

Perhaps the biggest change for end users, though, is an all-new autofocus system. Though the total number of points has gone down from 153 to 105, now all of those points are selectable and cross-type, and each uses a ‘triple-sensor arrangement,’ which we’ll be asking for more details about. The result is AF coverage that is ‘1.6x denser than that of the D5.’ Fifteen of the central points are F8 compatible, and the center point can focus down to -4.5EV. All other points are good down to -4EV. Nikon is also promising that the detection area for single points and groups is expanded, so focus can still be achieved even if the subject moves slightly outside the zone in use.

In terms of video, the D6 continues to offer 4K/30p recording, but now comes with focus peaking and an option for MP4 recording.

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The D6 makes do without any Compact Flash option, with Nikon offering a single version of the camera with dual XQD / CFExpress card slots. There have been some other tweaks as well, including a maximum shutter length of 30 minutes, the option to shoot different quality or sizes of JPEGs to different cards (basically a JPEG + JPEG shooting option), and Wi-Fi with Bluetooth as well as GPS capability are now built-in. The D6 has gigabit ethernet like the D5, but Nikon is promising 15% faster transfer speeds. Weight has gone up just slightly, from 1405g to 1440g including battery and memory cards.

Expect to see quite a few of these at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games! The Nikon D6 will be available April of 2020 with a suggested retail price of $ 6499.95 USD. Let us know what you think of Nikon’s newest DSLR in the comments.

Press release:

DECISIVE POWER. FASTER WORKFLOW. ABSOLUTE RELIABILITY: THE NEW NIKON D6 GIVES PROFESSIONALS THE EDGE WHEN IT MATTERS MOST

The New Nikon D6 Offers the Most Powerful AF System in Nikon’s History, and Continues the Brand Legacy of Professional Cameras That Deliver Connectivity, Dependability and Streamlined Workflow

MELVILLE, NY (February 11, 2020) –?Today, Nikon Inc. has unveiled the D6, a new professional-grade DSLR built for those in need of extreme reliability and ultimate performance. The D6 addresses the needs of professionals and press agencies and is faster and more powerful than ever before. Offering the most powerful AF system in Nikon’s history, this flagship DSLR camera delivers crucial improvements to modern workflow while also accelerating file transfer capabilities. Promising unparalleled low-light performance, powerful agility, advanced 4K UHD multimedia capabilities and a mechanical shutter frame rate boosted to a staggering 14fps, the D6 will redefine the way pros work.

“The D6 is purpose-built and inspired by the valuable feedback of professional users,” said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President of Nikon Inc. “The world relies on photojournalists and professionals to document every corner of the globe through impactful images; Nikon cameras are trusted to stand up to any job and help photographers capture the shot, time and time again.”

The Most Powerful AF in Nikon’s History: The D6 leaves nothing to chance. To maximize hit rate, it is equipped with a newly developed, densely packed 105-point AF system in which all the focus points utilize cross-type sensors and all points are selectable. Through the new focus point layout and the use of a triple-sensor arrangement for each focus point, the D6 achieves AF coverage that is approximately 1.6x denser than that of the D5. The D6 also sports an expanded focus detection range which increases the detection area for single point AF and dynamic area AF, making it easier to achieve focus on a subject even when slightly outside the focus point.

Improving upon Nikon’s popular Group AF mode, this function has evolved with support for 17 custom arrangements from which users can choose according to the scene or subject movement. The D6 also demonstrates superior low-light AF performance. The center focus point works down to -4.5 EV1 and the others to -4 EV, making autofocus possible even in dark situations or with low-contrast subjects.

Unparalleled Performance: The new EXPEED 6 engine’s superior image-processing capabilities combined with the vast amount of information provided by the new dedicated AF engine drives high-level performance in any situation. To help capture the decisive moment consistently, the D6 boasts a 14fps2 mechanical shutter with full AF and AE. The D6 can also shoot completely silent for sensitive situations, capturing full resolution at 10.5 fps. For faster frame rates, the Nikon D6 is able to take 2-megapixel images at approx. 60 fps and 8-megapixel images at 30 fps in Live View mode.

The D6 leverages a 20.8-megapixel FX-Format CMOS sensor, creating images that pop with stunning detail and true colors and exhibit incredible dynamic range. The ISO ranges from 100 to 102,400, which helps to preserve sharpness and subtle details in even the most challenging light. Additionally, ISO is expandable up to 3.2 million, giving photographers the ability to truly conquer the dark.

Concentration on Workflow: Building on Nikon’s history of serving professionals, the D6 is the most customizable Nikon DSLR yet, designed to speed up the workflow of any user during and after capture.

  • Recall shooting functions create combinations of settings that can be assigned to a specific button to get the perfect shot in a pinch
  • The D6 excels in connectivity and supports the same 1000BASE-T Ethernet standard as the D5, with an approximate 15% increase in transmission speed. The camera also supports a number of options for wireless networking, offering built-in 2.4- and 5-GHz*3 Wi-Fi®4 or traditional wireless transfer using the WT-6 Wireless Transmitter (optional)
  • Includes 14 customizable buttons, assignable to any of 46 unique function choices and a new intuitive menu system
  • Priority Image Transfer gives the ability to move an important image to the front of the queue when speed is of paramount priority, which can easily be done by swiping the touch LCD during playback
  • Security Lock compatibility supports connection of anti-theft cables to provide maximum security for remote applications or when the camera is unattended
  • Built in GPS5 gives accurate time, date and location information for just about anywhere on the planet
  • Dual CFexpress6 slots offer blazing fast read/write times and have the ability to overflow, copy or separate file types
  • JPEG functions allow for the simultaneous recording of two JPEG images with different image size and quality settings, which is convenient for separating images that will be transmitted from those that will be edited
  • Creativity options for multimedia creators including a new interval timer mode to retain the best resolution and enable in-camera time-lapse movie file recording providing professionals the ability to create exceptionally sharp 16:9 4K Ultra HD video

Absolute Reliability: Nikon’s flagship cameras remain trusted in the industry and have been proven on the sidelines, in the studio and even in outer space. With a magnesium alloy camera body and extensively weather-sealed design, the D6 is as tough as the professionals who use it, ready to take on the harshest shooting conditions. The camera offers long-lasting battery life, delivering the safety net and energy-saving performance that pros need on daylong outings. The D6 also employs a USB-Type C connector for faster direct-to-PC file transfer rates than previously possible with the D5.

Endless Lens Choices: By pairing the D6 with Nikon’s extremely diverse selection of F-Mount NIKKOR telephoto lenses, professionals have the most advanced imaging solution in Nikon’s history. No matter the job, the client or the location, there’s a NIKKOR lens, from the ultra-wide to the super-telephoto. The D6 is also compatible with Nikon’s line of creative Speedlights, offering extra creative freedom to enhance natural light and add artistry and drama to any scene.

Pricing and Availability

The new Nikon D6 will be available in April 2020 for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $ 6,499.95* for the body only configuration. For more information on the latest Nikon products, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

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1. At ISO 100, 20°C/68°F.
2. With continuous-servo AF (AF-C), manual (M) or shutter-priority auto exposure (S), a shutter speed of 1/250 s or faster, and other settings at default values are trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Nikon Corporation and its Affiliates is under license.
3. Available in station mode; not available in some countries or regions.
4. Wi-Fi® and the Wi-Fi® logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
5. GPS function is not available in some countries or regions.
6. CFexpress is a trademark of the CompactFlash Association in the United States and other countries.
*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.
Specifications, equipment and release dates are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.
All Nikon products include Nikon Inc. limited warranty. Images are for illustrative purposes only. All Nikon trademarks are trademarks of Nikon Corporation. Nikon Authorized Dealers set their own selling prices, which may vary. Nikon is not responsible for typographical errors.
All other trade names mentioned in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro with dual-tele and 108MP primary camera is official

06 Nov

Last week Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi teased the penta-camera setup in its Mi Note 10 flagship device. Now the smartphone has been officially released and more detailed specifications have become available.

As previously teased, the new device comes with five cameras on its back. The centerpiece is a large 1/1.33″ Quad-Bayer Samsung ISOCELL BRIGHT HMX sensor with 108MP nominal resolution that produces 27MP output files. It’s accompanied by not one but two tele-cameras for optimal performance along the zoom range. There are 2x 12MP tele and a 5x variant with 5MP sensor.

At the other end of the zoom spectrum a 20MP ultra-wide camera with a 16mm equivalent field of view is deployed and there is also a 2MP dedicated macro camera that can get as close to the subject as 15mm. A 32MP front camera with F2 aperture is hidden in a waterdrop cutout in the display.

On the software side of things the Mi Note 10 features a new version of Xiaomi’s Night mode that now stacks frames at Raw level rather then JPG for better results. Xiaomi also says this feature will be made available on the ultra-wide camera via a software update soon.

Other specifications include a 6.47-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution, a Snapdragon 730G chipset, 6 GB RAM and a non-expandable 128GB internal storage. The large 5,260 mAh battery features 30W fast-charging support.

In Europe the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 will set you back 549 Euros (approximately $ 608). There will also be a Pro version with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and an 8-element lens on the primary camera (vs 7 elements on the non-Pro) which will cost €649 (approximately $ 718).

The Mi Note 10 and Note 10 Pro are the international version of the China-only Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro and CC9 Pro Premium Edition which were announced yesterday. The China-market versions don’t come with Google services but everything else should be the same.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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USB4 gets official with maximum 40Gb/s bandwidth, USB Type-C connection

04 Sep

The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has published the specifications for USB4, the next-generation USB architecture first teased back in March 2019.

USB4 will be a ‘major update’ that builds on the existing USB 3.2 and USB 2.0 architectures. It will be based on Intel Corperation’s Thunderbolt protocol specification and will double ’the maximum aggregate bandwidth of USB and enables multiple simultaneous data and display protocols,’ according to the announcement.

The USB-IF says USB4 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0, USB 3.2 and Thunderbolt 3, and will feature a maximum speed of up to 40Gb/s, twice the current 20Gb/s maximum. Since it will be using the same USB Type-C connection, manufacturers won’t need to alter designs to use the new ports. USB Power Delivery will also be a requirement in USB4 devices.

Despite the specification being finalized, it’ll likely take some time to market. Historically, it’s taken roughly a year from the time the specifications have been released to the time we see it in the first devices, but it’s always possible that precedent could be broken.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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OnePlus shares official sample images from OnePlus 7 Pro’s triple camera system

04 May
OnePlus 7 Pro leak from @OnLeaks via PriceBaba

On May 14, Chinese smartphone company OnePlus will officially announce the anticipated OnePlus 7 Pro Android smartphone. Though many details are lacking at this time, the OnePlus 7 Pro previously leaked as featuring a rear three-camera system, something OnePlus confirmed on April 25, 2019. Following that confirmation, OnePlus has shared three official sample images captured with the the triple camera.

OnePlus shared three images captured with the OnePlus 7 Pro via Twitter on April 30. Though the company didn’t provide details on the device, the images seemingly confirm leaks that claim the model will feature both ultra-wide and zoom cameras in addition to the expected 48MP primary camera.

The OnePlus 7 Pro will allegedly feature a Snapdragon 855, 8GB of RAM, USB-C, a single speaker, notch-free display, and complete lack of a headphone jack. Official features will be revealed by OnePlus next month.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sigma releases official pricing for trio of Photokina lenses

03 Nov

Sigma has announced the prices for three of the lenses it announced at the Photokina trade show in September. The 40mm F1.4 DG Art lens for full frame cameras will cost $ 1400 while the 56mm F1.4 DC DN for crop-sensor mirrorless cameras will cost $ 479. The Sony E-mount version of its 105mm F1.4 Art will sell for around $ 1600. All three will be available this month.

The 56mm F1.4 completes a trio of small, comparatively affordable fast primes for Micro Four Thirds and Sony’s E-mount. The 16mm, 30mm and 56mm F1.4s act as a wide, normal and portrait telephoto on APS-C and as a 32, 60 and 112mm equiv on Micro Four Thirds.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sigma Ships Three New Global Vision Lenses

Sigma 105mm F1.4 Art in Sony E-Mount, Sigma 56mm F1.4 Contemporary and Sigma 40mm F1.4 Art are available this November

Ronkonkoma, NY – November 2, 2018 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading still photo and cinema lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, today announced pricing and availability of two brand new lenses announced at Photokina – Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary ($ 479 USD) and Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($ 1399 USD). In addition, Sigma is now shipping the Sony E-mount version of its “Bokeh Master” – Sigma 105 F1.4 DG HSM Art ($ 1599 USD).

Key Features and Benefits

Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary

This brand new Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens completes the Sigma large-aperture series of portable wide-angle, standard and telephoto prime lenses in Micro Four Thirds and Sony E mounts, including Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary and 30mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary. Featuring compact design, light weight and outstanding image quality offered in Sigma’s Contemporary line, this latest lens stuns with a beautiful bokeh effect and the amount of brightness expected from F1.4 lenses even in the mid-telephoto range for cropped sensor cameras. In addition, this lens is characterized by smooth and quiet autofocus ideal for video shooting. Compatible with the Sony E mount Fast Hybrid AF, it also achieves precise AF tracking. By using the face recognition or eye AF functions of the camera, focus will continuously be on the face or the eye even if the subject moves during the shoot.

Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art

The brand new 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art is Sigma’s first lens developed originally to live up to the sought-after angle of view and performance standard for a benchmark cine lens. This lens effectively arranges three FLD (“F” Low Dispersion) glass elements and three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements to correct axial chromatic aberration and magnification chromatic aberration. Designed for exceptional sharpness at maximum aperture, this lens excels at available light photography. With less than 1% distortion and near non-existent sagittal coma flare, this lens demonstrates consistent optical results featuring both 8K-compatible resolution and a beautiful bokeh. It is available for Sigma, Nikon, Canon and Sony E mount camera systems.

Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art in Sony E-Mount

A proven “Bokeh Master,” the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art is the ninth lens in the Sigma F1.4 line-up designed for full-frame cameras. To combine outstanding wide-aperture, mid-telephoto performance with F1.4 brightness at maximum aperture, this lens incorporates 17 optical elements in 12 groups, including three FLD glass elements, two SLD glass elements and one aspherical lens element. This optical setup minimizes axial chromatic aberration to deliver ultra-high resolution along with ample peripheral light volume, which minimizes vignetting. As a result, the area in focus is extremely sharp, while the out-of-focus area features a beautiful bokeh effect with highly natural colors, making this a desired lens for portrait photography. The optical design also minimizes sagittal coma flare, making it an excellent choice for capturing starry skies.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Leaked Panasonic firmware update is made official

24 May

Panasonic had been planning on a May 30th announcement and release of firmware updates for its GH5, GH5S and G9 models, only to have that plan foiled by a leak of the announcement in Japan today. So while you can’t download the actual firmware updates themselves until next week, here’s a high-level look at what you can expect from the new software.

Autofocus performance is said to be improved on all three models for both stills and video shooting along with an improvement of the quality and performance of sound recording during video. For the G9 and GH5, the image stabilizer has been tweaked, and there have been some refinements of the high-resolution mode for the flagship G9.

Unfortunately, the web pages with all of the nitty gritty details for each camera (see the links in the press release below) aren’t yet live, so we can’t comment on what exactly the ‘New Functions’ and ‘Other Improvements’ will be for each model. That said, we’re certainly looking forward to seeing how effective these AF enhancements will be when they land next week.

Firmware Update Service for DC-GH5, DC-GH5S, DC-G9 To Enhance Performance and Add New Functions

Newark, NJ (May 23, 2018) – Panasonic is pleased to announce new firmware updates for the DC-GH5 (Firmware Version 2.3), DC-GH5S (Firmware Version 1.1) and DC-G9 (Firmware Version 1.1) to further enhance their performance and usability. The firmware will be available on May 30, 2018.

The new firmware includes following upgrades:

LUMIX DC-GH5 Firmware Ver.2.3

  1. Improvement of AF performance
  2. Improvement of Body I.S. (Image Stabilizer) performance
  3. Improvement of sound recording performance
  4. New functions5. Other improvements

LUMIX DC-GH5S Firmware Ver.1.1

  1. Improvement of AF performance
  2. Improvement of sound recording performance
  3. New functions
  4. Other Improvements

LUMIX DC-G9 Firmware Ver.1.1

  1. Improvement of AF performance
  2. Improvement of Body I.S. (Image Stabilizer) performance
  3. Improvement of High Resolution Mode
  4. Improvement of sound recording performance
  5. New functions
  6. Other improvements

The new firmware programs will be available at LUMIX Customer Support Site on May 30, 2018 at: http://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/download/index.html

The details of each firmware programs will also be available at the following pages:

LUMIX DC-GH5 Firmware Ver.2.3: http://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/lumix/gh5_firmware.html

LUMIX DC-GH5S Firmware Ver.1.1: http://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/lumix/gh5s_firmware.html

LUMIX DC-G9 Firmware Ver.1.1: http://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/lumix/g9_firmware.html

*Specifications are subject to change without notice

To learn more about Panasonic’s line of LUMIX Digital Cameras and other consumer electronic products please visit www.shop.panasonic.com and www.lumixlounge.com. You can also follow Panasonic on Twitter (@mypanasonicNA) and Facebook.

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company

Based in Newark, NJ, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. The company offers a wide range of consumer solutions in the U.S. including LUMIX Digital Cameras, Camcorders, Blu-ray players, Home Audio, Technics, Cordless Phones, Home Appliances, Beauty, Grooming, Wellness and Personal Care products and more. Panasonic was featured in Fortune Magazine’s 2016 ranking of 50 companies that are changing the world and doing well by doing good. Specifically cited were its smart and sustainable technologies, including its contributions to smart cities and the electric vehicle revolution.

Follow Press Updates for Panasonic Consumer Products:

Internet – http://us.panasonic.com/news

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/panasonicusaconsumerpress

Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/panasonicusa_consumer_press

Press Resource Contacts:

Panasonic North America Corp. Consumer Press consumer: press@us.panasonic.com

Blair Riley (Porter Novelli): blair.riley@porternovelli.com

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nikon releases official D850 lens recommendation list

12 Oct

Nikon has published a list of lens recommendations for D850 owners, highlighting a total of eleven lenses that are suitable for use with its newly-launched, high-res, high-speed DSLR. The list covers prime, zoom, and speciality lenses, all of which are Nikon products (duh).

Here they are for your perusing pleasure below, just in case you want to make sure your glass is up to snuff with your fancy new camera:

Prime Lenses

  • 20mm f/1.8G – $ 796.95
  • 28mm f/1.4E – $ 1,996.95
  • 105mm f/1.4E – $ 2,196.95
  • 200mm f/2G – $ 5,696.95
  • 400mm f/2.8E – $ 11,196.95

Zoom Lenses

  • 14-24mm f/2.8G – $ 1,896.95
  • 24-70mm f/2.8E – $ 2,396.95
  • 70-200mm f/2.8E – $ 2,796.95
  • 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G – $ 2,296.95

Specialty Lenses

  • 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E – $ 1,246.95
  • 19mm f/4E PC – $ 3,396.95

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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GoPro Fusion makes official debut, captures 5.2K spherical video

29 Sep

GoPro’s pro-grade spherical camera has been in the works for a while now, but today Fusion gets its official debut today. It’s capable of 5.2K/30p and 3K/60p spherical video capture, in addition to 18MP spherical stills. It touts gimbal-like stabilization without a gimbal, and provides a feature GoPro calls OverCapture to create tradition fixed perspective video from 360-degree footage.

It’s not quite as rugged as its Hero siblings, but Fusion is waterproof to 5m/16ft. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity are included and the camera is compatible with the existing GoPro app. It’s up for pre-order now to US, UK, European and Canadian customers for $ 700.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Shealah Craighead named Trump’s official photographer

28 Jan
 

Hanging out with these guys during an event I had the pleasure of photographing. Thanks Anna Roger’s for capturing the laughter! You’re hired! Shamless promo I know…just couldn’t contain my excitement of getting in a photo with both the former President @georgewbush and possible future President @marcorubiofla #shamlessselfpromotion #president #gwb #pastmeetspresent=future!

A photo posted by Shealah Craighead Photography (@shealahdcphoto) on

News outlets are reporting that Pete Souza’s shoes have officially been filled: Shealah Craighead has been named the official White House photographer under President Trump. Craighead has previously worked with a number of political figures – she was First Lady Laura Bush’s personal photographer and in 2008 followed Governor Sarah Palin on the campaign trail. Other clients include Vice President Joseph Biden and wife Jill Biden, along with Florida Governor Rick Scott.

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You can see more of Craighead’s work on her website and by checking her out on Instagram and Twitter.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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