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Posts Tagged ‘pack’

Emulate Kodak Aerochrome in Lightroom with RNI’s new preset pack

29 Jun

Really Nice Images (RNI) has released RNI Aerochrome, a new preset for Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw that emulates the look of Kodak Aerochrome, a discontinued specialty film that was sensitive to both infrared and visible light.

Emulating the look of Kodak Aerochrome with digital images is no easy feat, but RNI says it’s preset was meticulously ‘handcrafted by some of the most pedantic digital imaging and film photography experts out there.’ In total, there are 18 variations of the RNI Aerochrome filter in the pack, alongside the RNI Toolkit, which offers add-on settings to further tweak the image.

Below is a collection of sample photos edited with the preset:

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The RNI Aerochrome preset pack costs $ 96 and works with Lightroom CC, Lightroom Mobile and Adobe Camera Raw. RNI says it’s not currently possible to port the preset to Capture One, but suggests it could be possible down the road should Phase One add the appropriate functionality.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The ‘KD-K1’ keyboard manages to pack in multiple USB ports, an HDMI output and an SD card reader

25 Feb

Minimizing desk clutter is a seemingly impossible task to achieve on the regular, but you might find yourself one step closer with the help of the Kolude KD-K1, an all-in-one keyboard that manages to pack in not only a full-size keyboard, but also a number of ports, including an SD and microSD card slot.

The KD-K1 reached its funding goal on Kickstarter in just 12 hours and has amassed roughly $ 117k in funding from 895 backers as of publishing this article — over ten times its initial goal. The keyboard effectively combines a USB-C hub with a keyboard to create a simplified solution to all forms of input and output for your computer.

Specifically, the KD-K1 features three USB-A 3.0 ports, one USB-A 2.0 port, two USB-C ports (including one Power Delivery port for charging your connected computer/tablet), an SD card slot, a microSD card slot and an HDMI port (4K/30Hz). In addition to the HDMI slot, the USB-C port can output video as well, up to two 4K/30Hz displays.

The keyboard itself is constructed of 100-percent aluminum and uses chiclet-style keys atop scissor-switches. In addition to coming in both black and white variations, both models feature a white LED backlight to make typing and navigating easier in low-light environments.

Kolude says the keyboard was specifically designed with Apple devices in mind, the KD-K1 does have Windows and Android support as well. Kolude says the keyboard supports the following languages at this time, with more anticipated in the future: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Taiwanese/Hong Kong Cangjie, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese and Korean languages.

The first units are expected to start shipping in June 2020 for the ‘early bird’ backers. A $ 119 pledge will secure your spot in line for a Kolude KD-K1 when the keyboard will inevitably be funded in nine days when the Kickstarter campaign ends.

Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Review: Lensbaby OMNI Color Expansion Pack for the OMNI Filter System

23 Dec

The post Review: Lensbaby OMNI Color Expansion Pack for the OMNI Filter System appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anabel DFlux.

lensbaby-omni-expansion-pack

What’s the best way to stand out from the crowd and exhibit some eye-catching colors? By applying some colored gels to a Lensbaby Omni effects system, of course!

Home to some of the most unique lenses in the world (fondly called “art” lenses), Lensbaby pride themselves on developing equipment that gives you a slew of unusual in-camera effects. Their newest mind-boggling contraption, the Lensbaby OMNI Filter System, now has an expansion pack for the color enthusiast in us all.

Review: Lensbaby OMNI Color Expansion Pack for the OMNI Filter System

What is the Lensbaby Omni Filter System?

If you’re an out-of-the-box photographer who hasn’t heard of the OMNI yet, you’re missing out.

In simple terms, the Omni Creative Filter System is a metal ring that holds various effect wands in front of the glass to produce an effect. And it works by using the power of magnets. These effect wands come in the form of crystals, panels, and other doohickeys that opens a world of possibilities when used.

The awesome thing about this product is that you can sort-of ‘make a Lensbaby’ out of any existing lens that you own.

As you can imagine, there is a lot of room for growth with this system. This is where the brand new Color Expansion Kit comes into play.

What does the Color Expansion Pack add to the mix?

lensbaby-omni-color-expansion-pack

The main original OMNI kit only includes three Effect Wands, a long arm to hold the Effect Wand, a short arm to hold the Effect Wand, two magnetic mounts (each mount holds up to two Effect Wands), and a small carrying case to tie it all together. While this is absolutely awesome, and the effect wands are great, they have the downside of, well… not having color. They are all clear wands.

So how does one fill the gap if they have a bit of an inclination towards color and rainbows?

Boom – the Color Expansion Kit.

Color quickly seeps into your work via two multicolored crystals, a rainbow diffraction film, and a variety of luminescent and textured films and gels (that are held up conveniently by the Effect Wands).

The gels and films come in a variety of colors, and depending upon your positioning of them can be very vibrant and intense or just provide a subtle light leak.

Practical, real-life use

Review: Lensbaby OMNI Color Expansion Pack for the OMNI Filter System

Much like the main OMNI system, this expansion pack is self-explanatory and quite easy to use.

There is a large-ringed, donut-shaped disc that holds the magnetic arms that, in turn, hold the effects wands. This disc, depending on your lens filter thread, can either be screwed on directly or use a step-down/step-up ring to attach to your lenses’ glass element.

The filters and microgels are just thin strips that slide into the same effects holder as the diffraction film. This holder is solid and sturdy and ensures that your films don’t slide around. The wind picking up could not cause these to budge!

Shallow depths of field tend to work very nicely with this particular expansion pack, and the filters turn into a part of the bokeh and spread across the frame rather than showcase their rectangular shape.

The wider the focal length you use, the more room you have to play with each of the new components. For example, the crystals work better with 35mm frames than, say, 85mm, as the effect becomes more prominent.

This filter set works best in bright, good lighting as opposed to low light as the filters do darken the frame quite a bit.

Review: Lensbaby OMNI Color Expansion Pack for the OMNI Filter System

Pros

  • A myriad of possible effects.
  • Great color range.
  • Easy to use and simple to learn.
  • Comes with a carrying case.

Cons

  • The individual pieces are small and easy to lose? I’m grasping at straws here for a con. This expansion pack is marvelous.

Final thoughts

Review: Lensbaby OMNI Color Expansion Pack for the OMNI Filter System

The Lensbaby OMNI gets your creative juices flowing, pushes you to try new things, and adds a brand new spark of life to your images. Offer your subjects something different! The addition of color only expands your horizons further.

Can you achieve the same with a do-it-yourself method? Probably. But there is so much room for error or frustration there, versus a system that is already tried and true! I love playing with this system, and I have no doubt whoever nabs it next will too.

They also have a Crystal Expansion Pack, and you can read a review about them here, along with the main filter system.

Have you used any of the Lensbaby OMNI filter systems? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

The post Review: Lensbaby OMNI Color Expansion Pack for the OMNI Filter System appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anabel DFlux.


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Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha 5G will pack a 108MP camera and wrap-around ‘Surround Screen’

25 Sep

Xiaomi has officially introduced its Mi Mix Alpha, a 5G concept phone featuring a ‘true’ bezel-free experience. The phone has a massive 180.6% screen-to-body ratio, meaning the display wraps around the edges of the phone and covers the majority of the device’s rear panel. Similarly impressive is the device’s 108MP camera with its 12032 x 9024 pixel resolution.

Xiaomi teased the Mi Mix Alpha’s existence in early August at its Future Image Technology Communications Conference in Beijing. At the time, the company said it would be the first company to pack Samsung’s 108MP ISOCELL sensor into a smartphone, though it didn’t provide any other details at the time.

During its latest event today, Xiaomi introduced the camera that packs that sensor, its new Mix Mix Alpha with Surround Screen. This phone features aerospace titanium, a single power button on the top, pressure-sensitive sides, and a fingerprint sensor hidden underneath the display.

The Mi Mix Alpha is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ chipset alongside 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. Joining the 108MP sensor is a secondary rear 12MP telephoto camera with dual PD focus and 2x optical zoom. The phone doesn’t feature a traditional front ‘selfie’ camera due also having a display on the back of the handset — the rear camera is, technically speaking, a front camera as well.

Xiaomi describes the Mi Mix Alpha as a ‘5G concept smartphone.’ According to Engadget, the company plans to produce a small number of units for sale in China at 19,999 yuan (approx. $ 2800 / €2,550) starting in December, but the company’s broader plans for the model, including international availability, are unclear at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Mastin Labs’ Kodak Everyday Original Styles Pack launches for Capture One

05 Apr

Mastin Labs, the company behind a number of film emulation style packs and the Filmborn smartphone app, has launched its Kodak Everyday Original Styles Pack on Capture One. Until now, Mastin Labs’ film emulation was only available for Adobe programs; this is the first time Mastin Labs has made its emulation presets available for Capture One, the photo editing software from Phase One.

The Kodak Everyday Original Styles Pack supports Capture One 11 and later. Customers get access to three styles in this pack: Kodak Ektar 100, Gold 200, and Tri-X 400. A number of tone profiles and custom white balance options join the styles, as well as 35mm and medium format grain settings. The company claims its style pack can recreate the ‘micro-contrast’ appearance of real film.

Kirk Mastin, photographer and founder of Mastin Labs, introduced the new Capture One pack in an announcement video that provides customers with a quick look at the emulations. Capture One customers can purchase the Kodak Everyday Original from Mastin Labs now for $ 99.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Review: Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L, a solid but pricey pack

13 Sep

Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L
$ 149.95 | PeakDesign.com

Peak Design’s Everyday Sling 10L.

It seems almost impossible to talk about camera carrying options without mentioning Peak Design. I use the brand’s Everyday Backpack to carry all my gear when shooting events like multi-day music festivals. But when carrying everything isn’t necessary, the Peak Design 10L Sling has become one of my favorite bags.

It combines the sensibilities of traditional camera shoulder bag with the stylish and sleek design elements that Peak Design has become known for. The 10L comes in at $ 149.95 and is available in three color options including Ash, Charcoal and Black (we reviewed Black). There’s also a $ 99.95 5L option which I’ll come back to later.

Specifications

  • Interior volume: 10L
  • Exterior dimensions: 16 x 9 x 5.5in / 40 x 23 x 14cm
  • Tablet/laptop sleeve size: 12.5 x 8.65 x 0.75in / 32 x 22 x 2cm
  • Weight: 1.5lbs / 680g

Compared to other bags

It’s worth noting that the price tag – as with other Peak Design products – is on the high side. Ruggard, for instance, sells a similarly-sized bag for about $ 55. In fact, before I got the sling, I was using an older model of this Ruggard bag and it served me extremely well for several years with few issues. That being said, comparatively, Peak Design’s bag offers a much more rugged construction and MUCH more weather resistance. It also looks a lot nicer in my opinion.

Compared to the similarly-priced MindShift Exposure bags, Peak Design’s sling looks distinctly less like a camera pack and more just like a cool bag. Options like ThinkTank’s Retrospective series feel a bit flimsier and less protective than the Peak Design Sling, while their style-focused Signature series cost quite a bit more for the same size. And both of those options weigh nearly twice as much as the Peak Design.

Design and construction

A look inside the Pea Design Sling.

Like every Peak Design product, this bag feels very sturdy. The weatherproof 400D nylon canvas exterior is protective and easy to clean. The two outer zippers have weather sealing and all the exterior hardware is made of anodized aluminum offering strength while maintaining a light weight. The interior ‘poly-spun mixed twill’ material is soft to the touch. And the high density EVA foam Flex-Fold dividers we’ve come to know and love continue to feel protective and secure, while offering versatility.

These Flex-Fold dividers are similar to those included in other Peak Design packs. The bag ships with 2 dividers which open up like origami, allowing for multilevel storage.

In use

When it comes to usability Peak Design has made their reputation around listening to the needs of those photographers buying and using their gear. This bag exemplifies the company’s approach. It can fit many varieties of camera and lens combinations comfortably and ultimately that’s what you’re buying here: a sling that you can mold and adapt to whatever system makes sense for you.

It can fit many varieties of camera and lens combinations comfortably… and can mold and adapt to whatever system makes sense for you

For me, I usually carry a full-frame DSLR body with 2-3 lenses. I can pack the Everyday Sling 10L with a Nikon D750, 28-70mm zoom, 35mm F2 prime and 50mm F1.4 prime and still have some room left over for additional pieces. The Peak Design website shows the bag with a full-frame body and 70-200mm zoom, but in my experience a lens that large on a body doesn’t fit very well.

The bag also includes two anchor points for Peak Design’s Capture Clip system, though that system makes a lot more sense attached to the shoulder strap of a backpack than it does on the side of a sling.

Here’s a look at one of my setups (Clockwise from top left): 20mm prime lens, Nikon D750 w/ 28-70 2.8 attached, Nikkormat FTN with 24mm Prime, memory card case, Moleskine notebook.

Accessory-space-wise, you’ve got an interior zipper pocket on the inside of the “lid” that can fit cards, hard drives, filters or spare batteries. While this pocket is spacious, it’s still limited mainly by the fact that you need to be able to zip close the lid, so you can’t really pack it with a ton of stuff.

…getting the zipper around the corners of the lid flap can be a little tough/awkward

Speaking of the zipper, one of my few complaints with this bag is that getting the zipper around the corners of the lid flap can be a little tough/awkward. This might be due to the way I’m wearing the pack at my side – it also might loosen up and be easier to close over time.

For more accessory space, there is a front zipper pocket (see below). According to Peak Design’s website this pocket “holds jackets, snacks, and other everyday carry.” I think jackets is a bit of a stretch but I’m sure if you had the right jacket and the elbow grease you could get it in there, but you’d suddenly have a much bulkier bag. Still, this pocket is really useful to separate your non-camera oriented things such as wallets, passports, pens, chapstick, snacks, etc.

One of my favorite parts of this bag is that it can fit very snugly on my back. I’m fairly skinny but tightening the strap allows me to wear it flush against my body regardless of how much weight I have in it. That being said I can also loosen the strap quite a bit and wear it more like a messenger bag at my side.

A ‘quick adjuster handle’ (see below) allows you to make the transition between these two modes – it works really well but does feel a bit flimsy. It doesn’t really “hard” lock the strap and though I haven’t had any issues with it yet, if there was something that was going to break on this bag, I’d expect it to be this piece. For more permanent strap adjustments you simply adjust the strap tail where it meets the bag.

The ‘quick adjuster handle’ makes it very easy to change the length of the strap, but we worry about its longevity.

There are also two adjustable straps on the front of the bag that can be loosened too to cradle a tripod/other items or cinched to compress the outer accessory pocket. I wouldn’t recommend using the straps to carry a tripod though as it really limits the comfort of the bag.

What’s the bottom line

The rugged exterior of this bag is durable and weather resistant.

This bag does have two things missing that I’d love to see in future iterations. First, a quick releasing option for the lid. Most Peak Design bags offer a MagLatch for easy and fast access to your gear, a nice alternative to constant unzipping and re-zipping. Secondly, I’d love to see some kind of metal carabiner attachment options on the sides of the bag (near the Capture Clip anchor points). The main reason for this is that there isn’t really a good place on this bag to carry any sort of water bottle and something as simple as a carabiner-ready loop would make solving that problem very easy.

This bag really does a great job at filling the needs of everyday shooters and travelers while maintaining style and comfort

This bag really does a great job at fulfilling the needs of everyday shooters and travelers while maintaining style and comfort. I find that when I’m going out with the intentions of shooting, this bag is my first choice. The only time I choose the Everyday Backpack instead is on days that I need to bring a wider range of options to a shoot (such as a full day wedding shoot requiring multiple lenses, flash, etc.).

If you shoot mirrorless the 5L Everyday Sling may be a good option as well though, I wouldn’t recommend it as a primary shooting bag if you’re using any full-frame DSLR or similar sized camera (My Hasselblad fits great in the 10L!)

What we like

  • Comfortable
  • Lightweight
  • Compact
  • Customizable and expandable
  • Stylish

What we don’t:

  • A little pricey
  • Zippers can be tough to close
  • Quick adjuster handle a little flimsy

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Mastin Labs’ new ‘Kodak Everyday’ preset pack includes Ektar 100, Gold 200 & Tri-X 400

12 Jul
Gold 200 preset photographed by Marco Govel

Mastin Labs has released a new collection of presets for Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop that aim to emulate the look of three iconic Kodak film stocks.

Titled ‘Kodak Everyday,’ this new preset pack includes film emulations for Kodak Ektar 100, Kodak Gold 200 and Kodak Tri-X 400 film stocks. In Mastin Labs’ words, this ‘pack has three distinct looks: bright and vivid, gold and lush, or rich black and white tones.’

Tri-X 400 preset photographed by Quinton Cawthon

In addition to the base presets that come in the pack, Mastin Labs also includes toning profiles, custom white balance settings, and grain settings that replicate 35mm and medium format film grain structure. ‘Our color science recreates the micro-contrast of real film for a clean, three-dimensional look,’ says Mastin Labs on its product page.

Ektar 100 preset photographed by Bisual Studio

Mastin Labs says the presets are color-calibrated for Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Fujifilm X-series cameras (except for the X100). If you’re using another brand camera, Mastin Labs suggests using the Canon preset, which will give you similar results with only a ‘slight reduction in accuracy.’

The ‘Kodak Everyday’ preset pack is the fifth set Mastin Labs has put out to date, including its Ilford, Fujicolor, Fujicolor Pushed, Portra and Portra Pushed packs.

Gold 200 preset photographed by Santi Nunez

At $ 99, the ‘Kodak Everyday’ pack is identical in price to DxO FilmPack 5 Elite Edition and a bit steeper than Visual Supply Company preset packs, which run $ 59 a piece.

The Kodak Everyday pack requires Adobe Lightroom 7.3 or Adobe Camera Raw 10.4 or later and work with both MacOS and Windows computers. RAW, NEF and RAF RAW files are all supported.

To find more examples and to purchase the ‘Kodak Everyday’ preset pack, head on over to Mastin Labs’ product page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Not your ordinary camera bag: Rhake waterproof pack with Camera Capsule insert review

26 May

The Rhake Weatherproof Bag + Camera Capsule
$ 365 (bag) + $ 130 (insert) | MissionWorkshop.com

The Rhake pack has a roll top giving it a decent degree of expansion.

The Rhake waterproof backpack by Mission Workshops doesn’t look like an ordinary camera bag – instead it looks a lot more like a high quality bike messenger pack or something you might take on a weekend trip when packing light. And that’s the point. The bag’s 22L main compartment is designed to be multi-functional. Once you slide the Capsule Camera insert ($ 130) into the Rhake you have a camera bag with a utilitarian design, albeit with a very high price tag.

The Capsule Camera insert that slides into the Rhake pack.

Though this pack is not designed specifically with photographers in mind, I was intrigued to find out just how functional it could be.

Specifications

  • Exterior: 21 x 13 x 5 in / 53 x 33 x 13cm
  • Interior Volume: 22L
  • Capsule Insert: 9.75 x 17.75 x 4.25in / 25 x 45 x 11cm
  • Laptop Compartment: Dedicated 17in Exterior Pocket
  • Weight: 3.1lbs / 1.4kg

Design & construction

The first thing I noticed about the Rhake was the high quality construction – Mission Design guarantees their products for life – which makes me believe that this thing was built to last. The bag is made of weatherproof nylon fabric called HT500 that is apparently exclusive to the company. It gives the pack an understated look and a good degree of water and stain resistance.

The Rhake pack’s laptop compartment can fit up to a 17″ computer. The pack also has a dedicated tablet compartment.

The second thing I noticed about this bag was the amount of organizational pockets. There are technically two zippered compartments that are large enough to fit a laptop (a dedicated exterior pocket, shown above left, and a second one within the 22L main compartment). On the back of the bag, opposite the exterior laptop pocket, there is a mesh water bottle pocket that tucks away when not in use.

There are numerous options for organization within this bag to suit your tastes

The front of the Rhake features a dedicated 10” tablet pocket and two accessory pouches (one at the top of the bag and one at the bottom) for stashing chargers, spare batteries or other items that need to be accessed quickly.

There are two zippered front pockets with plenty of room to organize smaller odds and ends. There are also two accessory pouches, one at the top (accessible via the roll top) – and one at the bottom (accessible via zipper).

There are also two larger zippered front pockets, one of which is filled with three smaller interior zippered mesh pockets. In short, there are numerous options for organization within this bag to suit your tastes.

The straps are well-padded and a horizontal strap offers added stability.

The back of the Rhake is made of perforated foam and there is a luggage handle pass-through for use with roller bags. The straps have a nice amount of padding and feature an additional horizontal buckled strap.

The camera insert can be accessed from the top of the bag. A look inside the Rhake pack once the camera insert has been removed.

The Camera Capsule insert is accessed from the top of the Rhake pack. The inside can be customized to your taste using the padded partitions. There’s also a back pocket in the insert where you can slide in an 11″ laptop or tablet.

A close-up look inside the Camera Capsule insert. I was able to fit two bodies, several lenses and a flash.

In the field

All of my photographer friends who saw the Rhake in action immediately complimented the style of this bag. It looks good, and it can comfortably hold a large amount of gear. I loved the many organizational pockets and those tiny mesh interiors were a great place for all of my miscellaneous items that I end up with at a shoot.

Once it’s packed, the front is snapped together and the top rolled shut, the Rhake pack is a surprisingly compact gear bag with the ability to expand to hold a large amount of equipment.

Its compact silhouette made it a good for riding the subway (even during rush hour) and hauling it around didn’t make me feel like I was in danger of destroying a shoulder.

There’s no way to access most of the gear stored within the Camera Capsule insert unless you completely remove it from the bag

Unfortunately, there is one glaring design flaw with the Rhake: there’s no way to access most of the gear stored within the Camera Capsule insert unless you completely remove it from the bag. For some photographers, this might seem like a minor oversight; after all the Rhake is a multi-functional bag, but I found this design element to be really inconvenient. It was easy enough to access my main camera body through the top zipper, but if I wanted to switch lenses I needed to totally unpack the 22L compartment – which is kind of a pain when working in the cramped quarters of a dark music venue.

When the bag is fully packed it also takes a little bit of elbow grease to remove the Camera Capsule from the main compartment. I imagine that with more use the bag’s structure will become less tight, but on the shoots I took the Rhake to I found myself having to spend a few extra moments safely removing the capsule from the bag. The Camera Capsule essentially fills the 22L compartment, making it difficult to stash anything else in there (a jacket, supplies for an overnight trip, etc.). I’d be curious to see how the Rhake would function with smaller camera inserts like the Topo Camera Cubes.

What’s the bottom line?

The Rhake’s construction is high quality, the design is aesthetically pleasing and it can hold a good deal of gear without looking bulky, making it great for everyday use. But the bag is pricey and the multi-functionality aspects make certain elements of the design inconvenient for photographers. Ultimately, if you’re looking for a dedicated camera bag, there are other more cost-friendly and functional options out there. However, if you want a pack that can pull double duty as a bike bag or a weekend travel pack, the Rhake might be for you.

What We Like:

  • Utilitarian design
  • Durable construction
  • Slim profile
  • Ample organizational pockets
  • Holds a lot of equipment
  • Multi-functional bag, could be used as a camera bag or for something else

What We Don’t Like:

  • High price tag
  • Inability to access lenses in Camera Capsule without unpacking

Rating:

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: How to pack for a two-month photo expedition

04 May

Dave Morrow—a well-respected outdoor photographer from outside Seattle, Washington—has shared a behind-the-scenes video detailing the gear he’s taken on his latest photo expedition. The 20-minute video provides an insightful overview of the gear he packs with him in his vehicle and in his backpack during his two-month trip through Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and California.

Per his rules to filming the videos for his ‘The Landscape Photography Journals’ series, the video was shot with a GoPro and doesn’t feature any special editing or filming technique. It’s barebones and straight to the point. And that’s not a bad thing…

Morrow does a great job explaining the reason he’s taking the gear and the purpose it serves in his particular use-cases. He doesn’t get too caught up in the specifics of everything.

You might not be as hardcore of an outdoor photographer as Morrow, but it’s a great look at the gear he uses and his reason for using it. Take mental notes along the way and maybe you’ll find something useful for your next trip, whether that’s a hike through your backyard or a two-month backcountry adventure like Morrow’s.

Something else that stuck out was Morrow’s approach to gear. As shown in the video, Morrow has three basic rules for buying gear. If these three rules can’t be followed, he won’t buy the equipment:

  1. Buy everything in cash; no loans, no debt
  2. Don’t accept ‘free gear’ from sponsors or partners. Nothing is free. Devote all time to exploring & photography
  3. Don’t by anything until it has been 100% required on multiple trips. Less gear, more time for travel and photography

Let us know what you think of the tips down in the comments, and then head over to Morrow’s YouTube channel for more videos like this.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Olympus EyeTrek smart glasses pack a tiny 2.4MP camera into an AR wearable

08 Nov

Olympus has launched a wearable, augmented reality system that positions a tiny screen and camera near the wearer’s eye. Called EyeTrek Insight, this open source device resembles Google Glass, but is larger and intended for enterprise applications rather than general consumer use. The wearable features a 2.4MP forward-facing camera and the maker’s own Pupil-Division Optical System.

EyeTrek Insight is designed to attach to the ear pieces of a pair of glasses, whether they’re prescription frames or safety glasses. The unit has an integrated touch bar enabling users to control the device using their finger, as well as an optional microphone attachment for issuing voice commands. Both WiFi and Bluetooth enable EyeTrek to connect with various networks and devices, and while the device has only a 1hr run time per charge, Olympus has an optional adapter for plugging the smart glasses into a USB power source.

The integrated camera is fairly low resolution, capable of capturing content at up to 1992 x 1216, though the device’s tiny OLED display has a 640 x 400 resolution. Olympus describes the display, which is semi-transparent, as measuring half the width of a human pupil. Despite its small size, the maker says its display offers clear images even in outdoor and otherwise bright environments.

While Olympus markets its wearable toward industries where employees could benefit from visual access to data, the unit runs Android and provides development tools for devs and businesses to create their own applications, leaving the door open to a wide range of potential abilities and uses. The EyeTrek Insight is listed on Olympus’s website as a ‘Developers Edition,’ though it is unclear whether the company plans to offer a different edition in the future.

The EyeTrek Insight EI-10 is listed as available to purchase on Olympus’s website for $ 1,500 USD. The optional microphone attachment is $ 90 and the power adapter is $ 110; some other select accessories are also available, such as safety glasses, a larger battery pack, and a battery wall charger.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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