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Video: Photographer debunks popular food photography ‘hacks’

14 Aug

Commercial food photographer Scott Choucino has published a new video debunking some of the food photography ‘hacks’ popularized in YouTube videos. Choucino comments on a variety of supposed industry techniques, including things like using lipstick to make fruit look ripe and spraying hairspray on fruit.

‘We don’t color in fruit if it’s the wrong color, we just buy more fruit,’ Choucino explains in the video while shrugging. The photographer shares some techniques that are used by food photography professionals, as well, including using glycerin and water — not hairspray — to make fruit look wet. Choucino likewise touches on the topic of making meat look cooked, getting gooey cheese pizza shots, myths about foamy coffee and more.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Popular YouTube channel creates camera lens from scratch using sand and rocks

05 Mar

Popular YouTube channel ‘How to Make Everything’ has published a new video showing the creation of a camera lens from scratch. The project didn’t start with pre-made components, as many DIY projects do, but rather with the purely raw materials, including sand and rocks for the eventual lens glass and copper housing.

The new project follows one involving the creation of a pinhole camera from scratch that the channel published in September 2018. This time around, the channel’s Andy George spends nearly half an hour walking viewers through the lens creation process, including many failed attempts.

Producing clear glass presented one of the project’s most time-consuming challenges, though casting the copper lens housing introduced its own difficulties. After weeks of work, however, the end result was a decently clear, though sadly ill-fated, camera lens with zoom functionality.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Replica Surfaces are rigid, lightweight photo backdrops that imitate popular surfaces

13 Dec

A pair of crowdfunding campaigns are raising funds for Replica Surfaces, a series of photography backdrops that imitate various surfaces, including wood, concrete and marble. Unlike the real materials, Replica Surfaces backdrops are lightweight at 907g (2lbs), highly portable with a 3mm (0.12in) thickness, and can be assembled upright using small plastic stands.

Replica Surfaces are described as “hyper-realistic” backdrops featuring glare-free, stain-proof surfaces made with three-layer construction. Each backdrop measures 58cm x 58cm (23in x 23in) and is designed to slot into small 3D-printed plastic stands in an L-configuration. The end result is a flat surface and upright backdrop for product photography.

The product’s crowdfunding campaigns are offering six initial designs: white marble, ship-lap, concrete, rose marble, weathered wood, and cement. Replica Surfaces was funded on Kickstarter and Indiegogo; interested buyers can pre-order the boards and stands in various bundles from CrowdOx starting at $ 20.

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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Lensrentals breaks down the numbers behind the most popular cameras and lenses of the year

04 Dec

Image provided by Lensrentals

As it does every year, Lensrentals has released the numbers behind the most popular gear it saw rented out through 2018. In a blog post on its website, Lensrentals details nearly every category and subcategory imaginable, showing what cameras, lenses, and formats reign supreme in the world of online rentals.

In Lensrental’s own words, ‘This barometer of equipment rental patterns is useful for the industry to gauge trends in adoption of new technology, camera and lens formats and change in brand share of the market.’

Starting with cameras, Canon still leads, with Sony and Nikon trailing, respectively. Year-over-year though, Canon is down from 44.90% in 2017 to 41.57% in 2018, while Sony and Nikon both increased from 24.67% to 26.31% and 15.06% to 15.28%, respectively. Although the data for this analysis was gathered before the general availability of both Canon and Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless offerings, Lensrentals says early data suggests Canon’s EOS R system is roughly twice as popular as Nikon’s Z6 and Z7 cameras.

The top ILC camera brands, based on percentage of total rentals, according to Lensrentals.

The Canon 5D Mark IV and 5D Mark III take the top two spots, respectively, with the Sony a7s II, Sony a7 III, and Panasonic GH5 rounding out the top five. The Sony a7 III is the only new camera (released in 2018) to make it into the top five.

While on the topic of CaNikon, Lensrentals data shows Canon’s overall camera usage has decreased slightly, going from 44.90% to 41.57% year-over-year, as Nikon’s increased from 15.06% to 15.28% year over year. Lensrentals notes this is possibly due to the release of the D850 late in 2017, which gave Nikon momentum going into the new year. Other camera brands saw growth as well in 2018, filling the void left behind by Canon.

Below is a list of the top ten cameras rented out by Lensrental users:

1. Canon 5D Mark IV
2. Canon 5D Mark III
3. Sony Alpha a7S II
4. Sony Alpha a7 III
5. Panasonic GH5
6. Sony Alpha a7R III
7. Nikon D750
8. Canon 6D Mark II
9. Nikon D850
10. Canon 6D

On the lens front, not much has changed at the top. Canon, Sony, Sigma, and Nikon take the top four spots, with 37.17%, 14.58%, 12.96%, and 9.62% of rentals, respectively. After that, the numbers drop dramatically, as seen in the below chart.

The top lens brands, based on percentage of total rentals, according to Lensrentals. Other includes: Metabones, Olympus, Rokinon, Voigtlander, Leica, Tokina, Fujinon, Pentax, Veydra, Lensbaby, Venus Optics, Hasselblad, Angenieux, Wooden Camera, SLR Magic and Schneider.

Canon’s second-generation 24-70mm F2.8 and 70-200mm F2.8 have proven to be the most popular lenses yet again. However, Sony has found its way into the top three with its own 24-70mm F2.8 and Sony lens rentals have increased approximately 60%, growth mostly driven from new lens releases. Lensrentals says the following lenses ‘drove the most growth’ for Sony:

Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 OSS
Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS

Panasonic also saw growth, driven exclusively by three lenses as well:

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 X Power OIS II
Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 X Power OIS II
Panasonic/Leica 8-18mm f/2.8-4 ASPH

Both Sigma and Tamron saw a slow, but steady increase in popularity, as both have been rolling out new and improved lenses across their respective lineups. Below is a list of the top ten lenses, according to Lensrentals:

1. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II
2. Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
3. Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM
4. Canon 35mm f/1.4L II
5. Canon 50mm f/1.2L
6. Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS
7. Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L
8. Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro
9. Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III
10. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II

Overall, there isn’t too much change across the board, aside from a few notable exceptions mentioned above. Again though, this data was pulled before Canon and Nikon’s respective full-frame mirrorless cameras became available to the general public. With the cameras now available leading into the next year, there could be dramatic changes, both in the DSLR and mirrorless market as manufacturers battle it out for the top spot.

To see a more detailed analysis of the gear rented out and numbers behind the scenes, head over to Lensrentals’ blog post.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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4 Less Popular Types of Lighting Every Photographer Should Know

20 Aug

How can you, as a photographer, best use lighting to your advantage? Working with different kinds of light can be a challenge for even the most seasoned photographers. This often leads to a common suggestion: “Point your shadow at the subject.” Yet certain underutilized less popular types of lighting can actually enhance your photographs.

macro photography bokeh flower dahlia - Types of Lighting

In this article, you’ll get tips for working with four different types of natural lighting, including shade, overcast light, and strong backlighting. Hopefully, you’ll come away with the know-how and inspiration to start using more creative lighting in your own photographs.

macro photography bokeh flower tulip - Types of Lighting

1. Shade plus front light

By “shade plus front light” I’m referring to the lighting situation when the sun is behind you (and coming over your shoulder), but the subject is shaded. That is, the sun would normally front light the subject, but it is blocked by an object.

macro photography bokeh flower trout lily - Types of Lighting

I shaded this trout lily with my body, resulting in a shaded subject and a well-lit background.

Many photographers like to ignore shaded subjects. However, I love this lighting situation for a few reasons.

The first is that it is easier to expose for a shaded subject. You don’t have to deal with intense highlights and shadows. Instead, you can rest easy knowing that the range of lights and darks in your image will be rendered properly by your camera’s sensor.

Another shaded but front lit situation. Notice the brighter background here.

The second is that this lighting scenario offers up wonderful backgrounds. This is an especially powerful technique when shooting during the “golden hours”, the time just after sunrise and just before sunset.

If you can position the subject so that the sun falls behind it, you can take images with rich, warm background colors. The key is to expose for the main subject (i.e., meter off it), and let the background remain bright. Use a wide aperture to ensure that the background is thrown out of focus.

macro photography bokeh flower cosmos - Types of Lighting

Shading this cosmos flower allowed me to produce a more subtle looking subject with a beautiful background.

Shaded subjects can make for great photographs if you know how to use them!

2. Shade plus backlight

To continue with the “shade” theme, let’s discuss another underutilized type of light: shade and backlight.

By this, I am referring to a situation with a shaded subject where the sun is positioned behind that subject so that you are pointed toward the sun. In this situation, you cannot do the shading yourself. Instead, you have to rely on environmental features to block the light.

macro photography bokeh flower - Types of Lighting

This flower was shaded by some nearby grasses. I was able to get these background highlights by including the edge of the sun in the frame.

What does this type of lighting offer you? Similar to a shaded and front lit subject, a shaded but backlit subject is easier to expose.

If you’re struggling to photograph a brightly colored flower, for instance, it might be beneficial to find a similar specimen in a shaded area. This will help prevent you from blowing out the highlights on the flower’s petals.

macro photography bokeh flower aster - Types of Lighting

Another compelling reason to use this particular type of lighting is that it can create beautiful bokeh. I’m not really talking about bokeh in the sense of that smooth, creamy look that we photographers love (for that, go back to shade plus front light).

Rather, I’m referring to those beautiful geometric shapes that occasionally appear in the background of photographs.

macro photography bokeh flower tulip - Types of Lighting

Notice the slight highlights in the background, created by the shade-sun combination.

How do you do this?

In a backlit environment, the light is often filtered through the surrounding greenery. These are often leaves, but also grasses, shrubs, branches, tree trunks, etc. The rays of the sun are broken up into small points of light, which are then rendered in that geometric fashion when incorporated into your images.

This is a beautiful effect that can add an extra punch to your photographs.

3. Overcast lighting

This type of lighting is more commonly used than the two mentioned above, but overcast light (i.e., light on cloudy days) deserves a mention.

macro photography bokeh flower aster - Types of Lighting

I photographed these flowers on a cloudy afternoon.

You might think that the camera should stay inside on overcast days. After all, the subjects aren’t very well lit, and everything seems a bit gloomy and bland.

Actually, overcast days are fantastic for photography. Especially if you go out toward the middle of the day when the sun is high in the sky (and blocked by clouds), you’ll find wonderfully diffused lighting.

The clouds act as a giant softbox, subtly lighting the entire landscape. This results in colors that are deeply saturated. Macro photographers such as myself love overcast lighting because our flower photographs become much more colorful.

macro photography bokeh flower tulip - Types of Lighting

Another advantage to shooting on overcast days is similar to that of shaded lighting in that the subjects are easier to expose well. There is no bright sunlight to create harsh shadows and unpleasant highlights.

Therefore, overcast days can be a great choice for photographing brightly colored subjects.

4. Direct backlighting

Direct backlighting refers to situations where the sun is directly behind the subject (and therefore directly in front of the photographer).

The sun is just out of the frame here, above the tulip.

This type of lighting is difficult to work with. Photographers often come away with unwanted flare and a drastically underexposed subject. However, using backlighting is simpler than you might think. Just remember a few key guidelines.

The first thing to note is that I don’t like to use direct backlighting unless the sun is low in the sky. Otherwise, instead of achieving a charming, warm look, you’ll find yourself with a harsh, contrasty image. Sunrise and sunset are your windows, so you’ll need to work quickly and efficiently.

Second, don’t put the sun in the image itself. This will result in a nearly impossible lighting situation. Instead, block the sun with your subject. Move around a bit. Get down low. If you do decide to include the sun in the image, put it at the very edge of the frame (as I did in one of the photos above).

macro photography bokeh flower bleeding heart - Types of Lighting

Backlighting (the sun was in the background on the right-hand side) produced some really interesting bokeh in this bleeding heart photograph.

Third, make sure that your subject stands out against the background. I often try to compose with the subject against the sky.

Fourth, expose for your main subject. Don’t worry about the bright background. Then, once you’ve settled on an accurate exposure for the subject itself, feel free to raise or lower the exposure. Lower it for a slightly darker, more dramatic look (and if you lower it a significant amount, you’ll end up shooting a silhouette). Raise it for a slightly brighter, in-your-face type image.

While there are certainly variations in backlighting conditions, these four guidelines will get you well on your way to shooting some creative backlit images.

Conclusion

While it can be difficult to think outside the box and take risks when it comes to lighting, the rewards can be great.

Try using some of the lighting scenarios discussed above: shade and front light or backlight, overcast light, or even direct backlighting.

Your images will become far more diverse and a lot more impressive!

macro photography bokeh flower aster - Types of Lighting

The post 4 Less Popular Types of Lighting Every Photographer Should Know appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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MindShift Gear releases 18L version of its popular BackLight daypack

17 Apr

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After releasing a set of weather-resistant Exposure messenger bags earlier this month, MindShift Gear is back with a new product: the BackLight 18L backpack for photographers. This new model expands MindShift’s existing BackLight rear panel access backpack lineup, offering the same convenient access in a smaller overall size.

The 18L offers the same features as the larger 26L and 36L backpacks. The bag’s exterior is made with 420D velocity nylon and high-density nylon, 320G UltraStretch mesh, 350G air mesh, YKK RC-Fuse zippers, 3-ply bonded nylon thread, and a water-repellant coating. The interior includes a 210D nylon lining, high-density closed-cell foam, hexa-mesh pockets, PE board reinforcement, and the same 3-ply thread.

One of the BackLight lineup’s biggest features is the ability to remove/replace items without taking the daypack off. Instead, the wearer, after securing the waist belt, rotates the bag to the front and uses the rear panel to access the gear inside. The bag accommodates various gear configurations, such as a pair of gripped DSLRs with attached lenses and an additional 1 – 3 zoom lenses, or a pair of gripped mirrorless cameras with attached lenses and and 3 – 5 additional lenses.

Additionally, the BackLight 18L supports up to 13-inch laptops and a 10-inch tablet, plus there are front compartments with a total 5L capacity for personal items.

Additional features include a front/side mounting system for a tripod/monopod, a pair of large water bottle pockets, lash points, daisy chain, ice axe loops, interior mesh pockets, lumbar support and an air channel. Plus, the bag is compatible with MindShift’s existing Tripod Suspension Kit, Switch Case, Filter Nest, and Filter Hive.

The BackLight 18L is available from MindShift now in Woodland Green and Charcoal colors for $ 200 USD. To learn more, head over to the MindShift Gear website.

Press Release

MindShift Gear’s BackLight 18L Outdoor Photography Daypack Offers Added Comfort and Quick Rear-Panel Access

SANTA ROSA, CALIF – MindShift Gear announces the release of an 18-liter version of its popular BackLight series, the BackLight^® 18L rear-panel backpack. This smaller version offers a lightweight daypack that enables photographers to access gear without taking off the backpack. They can change lenses or just snap a quick photo simply by rotating the bag to the front while the waist belt is still secured. Rear-panel access also adds security when traveling since camera gear is protected from behind.

This back-panel access allows photographers to work out of the bag without getting the harness dirty, wet, muddy, or icy. It features dedicated compartments that fit up to a 13” laptop and a full-size tablet. As a daypack, its front pockets total 5 liters in personal gear carry for a day’s outing, such as extra layers, a light jacket, food, and more. It is available in two colors, Charcoal and Woodland Green, and meets most international and U.S. airline carry-on requirements.

This new backpack holds a variety of camera kits:

Two gripped DSLRs with lenses attached and one to three standard zoom lenses
Two gripped Mirrorless bodies with lenses attached and three to five lenses
Fits up to a 13” laptop and a 10” tablet
Fits personal gear in the 5L front compartments
Maximum lens size: 300mm f/2.8 or 150–600mm f/5–6.3 attached to a body

“The BackLight 18L was designed with comfort in mind,” said Doug Murdoch, MindShift’s CEO and Lead Designer. “The air channel on the rear panel was designed for maximum comfort. It features a large padded waistbelt to support heavy gear and a contoured backpanel for extra lumbar support.”

Additional Features and Benefits

Daisy chain, ice axe loops and additional lash points for expanding carry capacity
Includes tripod/monopod mounting system on front or side
Comfortable padded waist belt for all day comfort on the trail with webbing rail for additional MindShift accessories
Flap-keeper neck strap allows unencumbered access to gear
Two large water bottle pockets with cinch cord fit a 32oz Nalgene
Side compression straps with locking SR buckles for additional lash points
Air channel and lumbar support on rear-panel for all-day comfort
Ergonomic zipper pulls are easily gripped with gloves or frozen fingers
Highest quality YKK zippers, 420D Velocity and 420D high-density nylon for long lasting durability and strength
Front stuff pockets for trail essentials, e.g., headlamp, gloves, chargers
Adjustable dividers for large telephoto lenses, traditional photo gear, or personal items
Top zippered pocket for quick access essentials
Interior mesh pockets for storing filters, batteries, cables, etc.
Seam-sealed rain cover included, folds flat for use as a ground cover
Compatible with MindShift’s Tripod Suspension Kit, Filter Nest, Filter Hive and Switch Case

Materials

Exterior: For superior water resistance, all exterior fabric has a durable water-repellant coating, plus the underside of the fabric has a polyurethane coating. Features the highest-quality abrasion-resistant YKK® RC-Fuse zippers, 420D velocity nylon, 420D high-density nylon, 320G UltraStretch mesh, 350G airmesh, nylon webbing, 3-ply bonded nylon thread

Interior: 210D silver-toned nylon lining, hexa-mesh pockets, high-density closed-cell foam, PE board reinforcement, 3-ply bonded nylon thread

Specifications

Exterior Dimensions: 10.6” W x 18.5” H x 7.1” D (27 x 47 x 18 cm)
Interior Camera Compartment: 9.4” W x 16.7” H x 5.5” D (24 x 42.5 x 14 cm)
Laptop Pocket: 8.9” W x 13.8” H x 0.8”D (22.5 x 35 x 2.1 cm)
Tablet Pocket: 8.7” W x 10.2” H x 0.6” D (22 x 26 x 1.5 cm)
Total Volume: 18L
Weight: 3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg)

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sony releases silver version of the popular a6300

05 Jan

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Tacked onto the end of the Sony E-mount 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS lens announcement late last night was a short line that is very easy to miss:

Also announced today, Sony will be releasing a new silver color option for the popular ?6300 camera. The sleek new silver camera body will be available in February 2018 at select retailers.

It’s a minor update to be sure: entirely cosmetic, no difference that we know of in terms of specs or even price. But for those of you considering a Sony a6300—which falls into our Best Cameras Under $ 1,000 buying guide—maybe a new color is the nudge you didn’t know you needed to take the leap.

Read our Sony a6300 Review

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Camera Comparison of 3 Popular Nikon Models: D750 – D7100 – D5100

03 Jan

No matter which stage you are into the world of DSLR photography, often the big question comes. Which camera do you buy to start or progress your photography journey and get those creative juices flowing?

In this article, I will compare three widely popular Nikon cameras (the Nikon D750 24 MP FX body – $ 1499, Nikon D7100 24 MP DX body – $ 724, and the Nikon D5100 16 MP DX body – $ 189) of different capability levels and price points. It will give you practical insight into their image quality by using them in real-world shooting scenarios (landscape/social events/sports) that you may want to cover in your photography.

According to statistics from explorecams.com, these three cameras (as of 11 September 2017) rank in Nikon photo-count: D7100 first, D750 second, D5100 sixth. So indeed these are cameras trusted and used by Nikon shooters the world over.

This article is not a photography theory, camera specs, best settings, lenses, or camera technical reviews. There are excellent web resources for that and I do fully encourage you to check these out, both here on dPS and other sites. This comparison will give you real-life examples to see which camera may suit your needs, expectations, and wallet better.

All scenarios will have the following structure:

A description of the scene
Gear and settings used to ensure comparability
The output photographs
Summary

Landscape Scenario

The Scene

Most probably you will find yourself at some point outside, camera at hand, wanting to capture the beauty that you see around you. In southern Greece, the picturesque village of Planiteros, with its flowing streams and huge sycamore trees, is the perfect setting for our first scenario.

Gear and Settings

Reasonable companions to this type of photography are a wide angle lens, a tripod, and a remote. The Tokina 12-28 f/4 lens, the Sirui T-025X carbon fiber tripod and the Nikon ML-L3 remote were used. Using the Tokina, which is compatible with both full frame or FX (D750) and crop sensor or DX cameras (D7100 / D5100) allowed photographs of very similar focal lengths to be taken for comparison.

Nikon D5100, capable of handling this situation?

Aiming to give a slightly softer flow rendition of the stream, while maintaining ample depth of field, a longer exposure time and a narrower aperture were desirable. For all three cameras, sensible vibration reducing technique was applied for this type of shooting vision. Mounting the camera on a tripod, using a remote to trigger the shutter, and activating mirror lockup (available on D750 and D7100) or exposure delay (on the D5100, as mirror lockup is not available) are solid steps to getting a good quality landscape photo.

Aperture Priority mode (set at f/8), Matrix Metering, Auto WB, single autofocus mode (AF-S), single point focus, autofocusing on the same point using live view and using the base ISO for each camera (100 for the D750 and D7100, and ISO 200 for the D5100), were the settings applied to extract the best possible quality files from each sensor. Raw files were processed in Lightroom (LR) to produce similar JPGs.

The Landscape Photographs

Look at the photographs below and try to guess which camera produced which picture. The answer comes right after the photographs.

LAND Nikon D750 Nikon Camera Comparison of Three Popular Models: D750 - D7100 - D5100

LAND Nikon D5100 Nikon Camera Comparison of Three Popular Models: D750 - D7100 - D5100

LAND Nikon D7100 Nikon Camera Comparison of Three Popular Models: D750 - D7100 - D5100

Answer: 1) D750 (top), 2) D5100 (middle), 3) D7100 (bottom).

Summary Landscape

If you could not find an edge between one photo over another that makes two of us. I would be glad to hang 12×16″ print from any of them on my wall. Proper technique in this scenario is more important than the camera used and it creates a level playing field for all sensors.

Social Events Scenario

The Scene

Gatherings with friends and family are occasions where you want to grab a candid moment or the ambiance shot that will serve as a memento for many years. Good friends Nikos and Athina were kind enough to invite me and my wife over to their place for a glass of wine. This was the perfect occasion to compare the three cameras in a usual social setting.

Gear and Settings

Contrary to the landscape scenario’s contemplative and slower pace of shooting, social gatherings usually lend themselves more to a handheld, run and gun shooting style. So no particular gear other than the Tokina 12-28 f/4 lens was used here. While this is not a usual focal length for shooting indoors with people, when used from a sensible distance and towards the wider end it can serve the comparison between the three cameras.

Nikon D7100

Aperture Priority mode (at f/4), Matrix Metering, Auto WB, single autofocus mode (AF-S), single point focus, focusing through the viewfinder and using Auto ISO with no High ISO Noise Reduction applied, were the settings used to extract the best possible quality files from each camera.

Using Auto ISO has to do with my individual shooting style. In this scenario, it is actually the same as using ISO 1600 for D5100 and D7100 and ISO 3200 for D750. These are, in my experience, the highest ISO levels that each camera can handle (especially for straight out of camera JPGs) before noise becomes too obtrusive.

Both the out of camera JPGs and those made following similar processing of raw files in Lightroom are provided in the next section.

The Social Event Photographs

Let’s start with the camera JPGs. Which camera produced which photo will come right after both sets of pictures (camera JPGs and LR processed JPGs).

And here are the LR processed counterparts in the same order.

Answer: 1) D7100 (top), 2) D750 (middle), 3) D5100 (bottom).

Summary Social Events

Again, as in the landscape scenario, you would be hard-pressed to find a winner here. Less than perfect focusing (front or back focus) or camera shake (due to a slow shutter speed) have a lot more impact than the camera model in such shooting environments (e.g. the domestic indoor lighting here).

Sports Scenario

The Scene

Photographing movements, be it your loved ones playing in the backyard or shooting any sport, can generate highly dynamic, catchy, and memorable photographs. Usually, I play football with my friends once a week. For the sake of this article, I put my football gear aside and grabbed my photo kit to shoot the sports scenario.

Gear and Settings

Depending on the sport and the venue, different lenses can be employed in your gear arsenal. The consensus seems to be that a telephoto zoom is an invaluable piece of kit for sports in general. A Tamron 70-300 f/4-5.6 lens was used for this test, as it is compatible with both FX and DX cameras. A Sirui P-224SR Carbon Fiber Monopod and a Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared Tripod Head were used to create the support platform.

Hand holding a DSLR camera with a lens attached is achievable for periods of time. However, when shooting sports, perhaps for hours, and consistently following the action as it unfolds requires more support. This monopod and head combination is working very well for me.

Nikon D750 really excels in this situation.

Usually, sports photography lends its self to shutter priority mode. Select at least a 1/500th of a second. Then take it up from there to freeze action as needed (unless panning is used, where perhaps even 1/60th or slower may be sufficient).

Unfortunately, in the available light conditions of this scenario, not even 1/20th was attainable with any of the three camera-lens combinations, while using reasonable ISOs as discussed before. To somewhat combat this, a minimum of ISO 3200 was used for all cameras. This pushed the limits of acceptable noise, but bought a few more precious tenths of seconds of speed.

With this important point in mind, Aperture Priority mode (varying between f/4 and f/5.6 across the zoom range), Matrix Metering, Auto WB, continuous autofocus mode (AF-C), Dynamic-area AF mode (d9 for comparability), autofocusing through the viewfinder and no High ISO Noise Reduction, were the settings used to extract the best possible quality files from each camera.

Both out of camera JPGs and JPGs following similar processing of raw files in Lightroom are shared in the next section.

Finally, to showcase how high ISO performance has evolved over the years, I will include a bonus JPG with Hi-2 (ISO 51,200) straight out of camera from the D750 (only cropped and lens profiled in Lightroom).

The photographs

First up the camera JPGs, then the LR processed ones. Which is which is shown at the end after both sets:

SPORTS Nikon D7100 CAM Nikon Camera Comparison of Three Popular Models: D750 - D7100 - D5100

SPORTS Nikon D5100 CAM Nikon Camera Comparison of Three Popular Models: D750 - D7100 - D5100

SPORTS Nikon D750 CAM Nikon Camera Comparison of Three Popular Models: D750 - D7100 - D5100

And here are the LR processed counterparts in the same order.

SPORTS Nikon D7100 LR Nikon Camera Comparison of Three Popular Models: D750 - D7100 - D5100

SPORTS Nikon D5100 LR Nikon Camera Comparison of Three Popular Models: D750 - D7100 - D5100

SPORTS Nikon D750 LR Nikon Camera Comparison of Three Popular Models: D750 - D7100 - D5100

Answer: 1) D7100 (top), 2) D5100 (middle), 3) D750 (bottom).

The bonus ISO 51,200 file from the D750.

SPORTS Nikon D750 CAM HI 2 Nikon Camera Comparison of Three Popular Models: D750 - D7100 - D5100

Summary sports

Shooting sports is indeed a completely different animal. Gear that will get perfectly adequate photos in normal situations (e.g. nature and social situations as above) simply will not be enough for sports. It is not an accident that you see big glass and pro bodies used in sporting venues the world over.

Having said that, it is possible with any of the three cameras discussed here to get some usable shots by capturing the peak of the athletes’ movement. My learning is also that increasing ISO even well above 3200 may be sensible for all these cameras. The higher shutter speed benefit offsets the increased noise.

The key differentiator between the three Nikon cameras is not the quality of the keeper photos. It is the vast superiority of the D750’s autofocus system, frame rate and ISO performance that will allow you to create a lot more keepers, long after the other two bodies have given up trying.

Conclusion and proposals

You went through a lot of info here. Now it is time to make some sense of it. I will hopefully help by offering my insights following this Nikon camera comparison and my few years of trying to decipher photography principles and gear choices.

Newest and biggest isn’t always necessary

The latest most expensive camera, with more Megapixels, is neither necessary nor is it a guarantor of getting good photographs. The 4/2011 launched DX D5100 coupled with a suitable (i.e. with built-in focus motor) lens, can create the same quality photographs in many situations as its more capable 2/2013 launched DX D7100 or the 9/2014 launched (and much more expensive) FX D750 siblings.

Solid shooting technique and basic gear (e.g. a tripod) is essential no matter which camera body is used.

In some cases, bigger is better

Higher spec bodies do offer tangible shooting benefits other than image quality. This was apparent in the sports scenario. Be it superior focus performance, internal focus motor, larger viewfinder, commander flash capability, AF fine tune, physical buttons for more functions at hand, prosumer (D7100) or semipro (D750) bodies can help you get your photography to that next level of refinement.

Consider carefully your lens purchases. Ensure the best possible compatibility in case you ever decide to move from DX to FX. A few clever purchases can give you great value-for-money FX and DX compatible lenses (hint: Tokina).

However, do rent or try out gear from friends before you commit. I cannot overstate the real-life ease-of-use factor versus any specs’ sheet excellence.

So here are my proposals to you depending on your stage in the photo journey

Just starting out. Don’t feel pressured to get an expensive high-spec body. A sensible approach may very well be to grab a dirt cheap used D5100 and an 18-200mm inexpensive used lens. See if DSLR photography suits you and your lifestyle and take it from there. Give it time and do not splash out immediately on many different lenses. Plus the D5100 can also act as a great video camera thanks to its rotating screen.

The bug has bitten you. It takes an honest discussion with yourself to see if you really need all the bells and whistles of that new body versus an early D5xxx or a D7000 model. If the answer is yes, then my proposal is to hang in there. Skip the D7100 and save the cash to spring for the D750 (new or used), unless the more recent D7xxx series have similar autofocus and ISO performance for a lower price.

You are ready to make money from your photography and turn semi-pro or even full-time pro. Congratulations! By now you have probably outgrown even the D750 for the sake of other pro FX and DX bodies. There’s not much I can offer in terms of advice here, other than a D750 can always be a light backup body, great for both stills and video.

Conclusion

Thank you for the time reading this article and see where your photography passion takes you next!

Do you have and use any of these Nikon cameras? What types of photograph do you shoot? Please share your experience in the comments below.

The post Camera Comparison of 3 Popular Nikon Models: D750 – D7100 – D5100 by Konstantinos Skourtis appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Most Popular Post-Processing Articles of 2017

1. 5 Common Post-Processing Mistakes to Avoid
2. A Step by Step Guide to Processing Portraits in Lightroom
3. Basic Portrait Post-Processing Workflow Tips to Help You Save Time and Stay Organized
4. Don’t Fear Photo Post-Processing – Shooting is Only the First Part of the Image Creation Process
5. How to Match Your Image Processing Using Reference View in Lightroom
6. 4 Tips for Post-Processing Images on the Road
7. Overview of the Intuos Pro Wacom Tablet and the MobileStudio Pro for Post-Processing
8. How to Choose the Right Monitor for Photo Editing
9. Overview of Photo Studio Ultimate 2018 for Windows by ACDSee
10. Image Editing Software Review: PortraitPro 15
11. How to Speed Up Your Photo Editing with the Right Lightroom Workflow
12. How to do Non-Destructive Editing in Photoshop
13. How to Merge and Combine Images in Photoshop
14. How to Remove People from Your Photos Using Photoshop
15. How to Create a Rim Light Effect Using Photoshop
16. The dPS Ultimate Guide to Getting Started in Lightroom for Beginners
17. Tips for How to Think and Use Lightroom More Artistically
18. How to Understand the Lightroom Tone Curve
19. 3 Handy Lightroom Features I Discovered by Accident
20. Review of Macphun’s Aurora HDR 2018
21. How to use Macphun’s Luminar for Beginners
22. Luminar The Ultimate Lightroom Plugin

Whew, that is a lot, but it’s a big category with lots of options now available to you for processing your images.

Can you help us with a quick poll? Since there are so many new photo editing software options – please fill in any that you are using below. It will give us a better idea of what to cover in the upcoming year! Thanks for your assistance and for reading.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

The post Most Popular Post-Processing Articles of 2017 by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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These are the 15 most popular Flickr photos of 2017

09 Dec

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Yesterday, Flickr revealed the Top 25 Photos on Flickr in 2017, simultaneously wowing photography fans and reminding people that Flickr is still an active community of millions of photographers from across the globe. That’s right Instagram… you haven’t stolen everybody yet.

The top 25 includes dreamy childhood portraits by Iwona Podlasinska and Elena Shumilova, a spectacular eruption photo by Albert Dros, a perfectly-timed wildlife photo by Salah Baazizi, and much much more.

Flickr was kind enough to share the top 15 with DPReview, so you can scroll through those in the gallery above. And if you want to see numbers 16-25, or check out Flickr’s Top Genre Galleries, Top Country Galleries, and more, head over to the Flickr Top 25 blog post.

All photos used courtesy of Flickr.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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