The post Program Mode: Everything You Need to Know (Ultimate Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.
What is Program mode on your camera, and when should you use it?
Program mode is one of those “odd one out” camera settings – one that most folks never try because they simply don’t understand how it can help their photography.
Yet once you get the hang of it, Program mode is actually pretty darn useful. That’s why, in this article, I aim to share everything you need to know about this mode, including:
What it actually is
How it works
How to use it for great results
So if you’re ready to become a Program mode master, then let’s get started.
What is Program mode?
The camera mode dial operates on something of a continuum. On one end, you have Manual mode, which gives you complete control over the three elements of exposure: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. On the other end, you have Auto mode, which gives you almost no control over exposure.
As you can see in the diagram above, other modes exist in the middle of the spectrum. These modes – Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Program mode – give you some degree of control, but your camera does significant work, as well. For instance, Aperture Priority lets you control the aperture and ISO while the camera determines the proper shutter speed for a good exposure.
So what about Program mode? What does it do?
Program mode exists somewhere between Aperture/Shutter Priority and Auto mode, and it works like this:
You set the ISO, while your camera sets the aperture and shutter speed.
(Remember: The ISO refers to the sensitivity of your camera sensor, the aperture refers to the lens diaphragm size, and the shutter speed refers to the length of time the shutter captures light.)
Program mode also gives you control over other camera features, such as exposure compensation, but I’ll discuss that in a later section. For now, just remember that Program mode gives you ISO control, but leaves the aperture and shutter speed up to your camera.
(In fact, Program mode is sometimes referred to as “ISO Priority.”)
When is Program mode useful?
While Program mode isn’t nearly as popular as Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority, it can make a big difference to your photography – you just have to know when to use it.
In essence, Program mode works best when you care about the ISO, but you don’t care about the shutter speed and the aperture. This is either because you know that your camera will automatically give sufficient shutter speed and aperture values or because these settings won’t affect the final result in a meaningful way.
So if you’re shooting outdoors and you want to produce minimal noise in your photos, you might select Program mode, dial in a low ISO, and then let your camera do the rest.
I shot this using Program mode, which let me tweak my exposure settings on the fly.
Or if you’re photographing under powerful artificial lights, you might tell your camera to keep the ISO low, then trust it to nail the remaining exposure variables.
Bottom line:
If all you want to do is adjust the ISO, you’re set. Put your camera in Program mode, change the ISO, and focus on composing and framing your shots rather than thinking about the aperture, shutter speed, and overall exposure.
But that’s not Program mode’s only use. You see, Program mode is also a great transition mode. If you’re aiming to improve your photography skills but you’re still stuck on Auto mode, you might try leveling up to Program mode; you can then use it as a stepping stone to Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and beyond.
Program mode: beyond the basics
At this point, you should be comfortable with the Program mode basics: You set the ISO, and your camera does the rest.
But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find more useful features to unlock. Many of these can help you get the shot you want, instead of the shot your camera thinks you want. In this way, Program mode is like the late-night infomercial version of Auto; it handles all the nitty-gritty complicated stuff for you, but ends with a, “Wait, there’s more!”
First, Program mode allows you to use exposure compensation to correct any exposure mistakes. By adjusting the exposure compensation in one direction, you can force your camera to take brighter images, and by adjusting it in the other direction, you’ll get the reverse.
Say you take a photo of snow and it turns out too dark. With a little exposure compensation, you can bring back the snow’s natural brightness (note that you can’t do that in Auto mode).
And you can adjust plenty of other camera settings while in Program mode, including white balance, metering mode (full/center/spot), point of focus, and whether your camera should use its flash.
(Contrast this with Auto mode, and you should start to see the usefulness of the humble little “P” marker on your camera’s mode dial.)
Of course, Program mode isn’t always the way to go. Sometimes, you’ll want to independently adjust your shutter speed or your aperture, in which case one of the Priority options, or even Manual mode, is the right choice.
But when ISO is all that matters, give Program mode a try.
Shooting in Program mode gave me a good overall exposure, but I didn’t like how the microphone was so dark.
I switched to spot metering, retook the shot, and got what I wanted. Program allows for this flexibility, whereas Auto does not!
Program mode: final words
Program mode is a handy little option, even if it’s often eclipsed by Manual, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority.
So the next time you don’t want to give up all control over your camera but also don’t want to do everything yourself, consider Program mode. You might ask yourself, “Do I need to adjust the aperture? And do I need to adjust the shutter speed?”
If the answer is “No,” then Program mode is probably your best option!
Now over to you:
Do you use Program mode? Do you plan to start using it? Why or why not? What do you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Program Mode: Everything You Need to Know (Ultimate Guide) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.
The post Capture One vs Lightroom: Which Editing Program Is Best? (2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dawn Gilfillan.
Not sure whether to use Capture One or Lightroom for your image editing? Both programs have plenty of fans, but which option is best for you?
This article aims to give you a clear, unbiased assessment of the pros and cons of Capture One vs Lightroom. By the time you’re done, you’ll know all about these two programs – and you’ll know which one is right for your needs.
Let’s get started.
Capture One overview
Thanks to its advanced tools, Capture One is often the choice of professional photographers and retouchers. It’s a high-end program that offers powerful tethered shooting, in-depth image editing, and a robust image-organization system that’ll satisfy even the most demanding of photographers.
Pros
A vast range of image-editing tools and features
Tethered shooting option that performs well
Designed for professional workflows
Superior RAW image processing
Cons
The user interface can be confusing – it’s not always easy to find the tools you need
Not beginner-friendly
Expensive
Image organization/library feature is clunky and difficult to use
No simple one-click presets or filters
Lightroom overview
Lightroom offers image organization and library features, as well as RAW, TIFF, and JPEG image processing. Thanks to Lightroom’s smooth integration with Adobe Photoshop, many photographers use both programs for image editing. Lightroom is easy to use and includes a range of one-click presets to speed up your workflow.
Pros
Easy for beginners to use
Simple and effective image library/organization
Good range of one-click presets available online
Good for beginners and advanced photographers
Affordable
Cons
No image adjustment layers
Subscription-only model
Tethered shooting performs poorly
Image editing tools not as advanced as Capture One
Capture One vs Lightroom: in-depth comparison
Now that you’re broadly familiar with these two programs, let’s take a closer look at how they stack up, starting with:
Editing tools
While both Capture One and Lightroom offer a near-identical range of basic image editing tools, there are some key differences worth considering.
First, Capture One offers adjustment layers, while Lightroom does not.
Adjustment layers in Capture One.
Lightroom is designed to be used alongside Adobe Photoshop, an advanced layer-based editor. So if you want to use adjustment layers, you do have the option to send your Lightroom-adjusted files across to Photoshop, though this can be inconvenient compared to Capture One’s more comprehensive, one-stop-shop approach.
Both programs offer lens corrections and profiles, as well as the usual cropping and rotating features, etc. As a quick aside, the Crop tool in Lightroom is simpler to use than the one in Capture One – and it’s also far easier to find!
Crop tool in Lightroom.
Capture One and Lightroom can process RAW files, but Capture One does have the edge here, especially considering the amount of fine-tuning you can do with the shadows and highlights. Capture One offers high dynamic range editing of your RAW files, which lets you make significant adjustments to the highlights, shadows, blacks, and whites:
High Dynamic Range tool in Capture One.
While Lightroom offers RAW exposure adjustments of its own, the options are clunkier and less sophisticated compared to Capture One.
What’s one area where Capture One really beats Lightroom hands down? Color adjustments. The Capture One Color Editor doesn’t just offer Basic and Advanced options, but also a tool to fine-tune skin tones, plus an outstanding interface that serious color editors will love.
Color Editor in Capture One.
Capture One also offers the Color Balance tool with Master, 3-Way, Shadow, and Highlight options. If color grading is your thing, Capture One blows Lightroom out of the water; its sophisticated tools are capable of performing even the most demanding of color edits.
Color Balance tool in Capture One.
Lightroom does offer color adjustments, of course, but nothing comparable to Capture One:
HSL panel in Lightroom.
Tethered shooting is also where Capture One excels. I have used it extensively, and it’s fast and efficient. Although Lightroom does offer tethering, it’s not reliable, and it’s slow and glitchy at times. It just doesn’t cut the mustard for a pro photographer, especially one who has clients waiting to see the RAW shots during an in-progress session.
Ease of use
As far as I’m considered, Lightroom is much easier to use; the interface is simple, and you can view all the tools and features on one screen.
Capture One, on the other hand, uses a series of tabs, cursor tools, menus, and sub-menus, and it’s easy to get lost or spend ages hunting for something you need.
The Lightroom Library system is also clear and simple, while Capture One makes this unnecessarily complicated.
The Lightroom Library.
Using presets in Lightroom is easy. Download your presets, import them into Lightroom, and they’ll appear on the lefthand side of the Develop module. Hover your mouse over a preset to see how it will affect your image, click to select a favorite, and you’re done. Just look at the simplicity of Lightroom’s Preset panel:
Capture One doesn’t do presets – sort of. It does have preset equivalents, but they’re called Styles, and you’ll have to go into the Adjustments tab and follow the sub-menu to find and apply them:
Also, Styles packs are expensive, whereas there are plenty of free Lightroom presets on the market.
Supported file formats
Capture One supports the following file formats:
RAW
DNG
JPEG
TIFF
PNG
PSD (read-only)
HEIF/HEIC
DNG files are supported in Capture One Pro, but not in brand versions (e.g., Capture One for Fujifilm, Capture One for Sony, etc.)
Lightroom supports these file formats:
RAW
Digital Negative format (DNG)
HEIF/HEIC
TIFF
JPEG
Photoshop format (PSD)
Large Document format (PSB)
CMYK files
AVI
MP4
MOV
AVCHD
If you want to use PSD or PSB formats, then Lightroom will be your best choice. It’s also best for those who want to import the supported video files listed here. As noted with Capture One, DNG files from all cameras are only supported in the Pro version, whereas all DNG files are supported in Lightroom, regardless of which camera they came from.
Is there a mobile version?
Lightroom offers a totally free app for your device, downloadable from both iOS and Android app stores. You will need an Adobe subscription to access several advanced features, but once you’ve purchased Lightroom, this will take care of itself. Also, note that images and edits from your Lightroom app will sync across your Lightroom CC programs – so you can edit on your phone, then see the changes on your desktop (and vice versa).
Unfortunately, Capture One doesn’t currently offer any kind of mobile app. If you want to edit images taken on your smartphone, you’ll need to transfer them to your computer (and if you want to edit images on your phone, you’re out of luck, though you can always grab the free Lightroom app).
Pricing
As with all Adobe apps, Lightroom is only available as a monthly subscription. You can purchase Lightroom CC on its own – with 1 TB of cloud storage – for $ 9.99 USD per month, or you can grab Lightroom as part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud Photography Plan, which includes access to Lightroom CC, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop CC and starts at $ 9.99 USD per month, though you can pay extra for additional cloud storage.
Unfortunately, Capture One is quite expensive, and the pricing structure can be confusing, too. You can buy the program outright or rent it via a monthly subscription, and you can buy plans for specific camera brands, such as Sony, Fujifilm, or Nikon (these camera-specific plans are cheaper, but can only be used on images from certain cameras).
Capture One Pro is $ 299 USD for a new perpetual license, and subscription plans start at $ 19 USD per month. An annual prepaid subscription for Capture One for Fujifilm, Nikon, or Sony is $ 149 USD (which comes to around $ 12.50 USD per month).
Capture One vs Lightroom: final thoughts
Ultimately, the software you choose will be a reflection of your preferences, your skill level, and your budget.
Therefore, if you are a professional photographer who requires an integrated workflow from tethered shooting through to finished images, then Capture One is the best choice. It’s also the program to choose if you like advanced editing and color grading on adjustment layers.
Lightroom, on the other hand, is great for beginners, intermediate, and pro photographers who don’t need the huge array of features and tools available in Capture One. Lightroom is also less expensive, plus it’s more pleasant to use.
I’ve used both programs extensively, and each has its own strong and weak points. If you’re still on the fence, I’d recommend you take the time to determine the features that are important to you in an image editor. That way, you can make an informed decision regarding the best program for your editing needs.
Now over to you:
Which program do you like better, Lightroom or Capture One? Which do you plan to purchase? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Capture One vs Lightroom: Which Editing Program Is Best? (2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dawn Gilfillan.
The post Does Your Photo-Editing Program Really Matter? [Video] appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
If you’ve ever spent time agonizing over different post-processing programs, trying to determine the perfect software to edit your photos, then this is the video for you.
Expert photographer Mark Denney edits a single image using three different editing programs – Photoshop, Capture One, and Lightroom.
Then he shows you the three results, side by side, for comparison.
Are there differences between the final edits? And which program (if any) does the best job?
Watch and find out. And then, when you’re finished, leave a comment below this article telling us what you thought about the different editors!
The post Does Your Photo-Editing Program Really Matter? [Video] appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The post In Praise of Program Mode: Why Program Mode is Great for Beginners appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.
Here’s a myth: Being able to shoot in Manual mode is the mark of a professional photographer.
I frequently see articles and beginner photography workshops with titles like Get Off of Automatic Mode. If these instructors don’t promote Manual mode shooting, they will at least tell you that “real” photographers favor Aperture Priority mode. Working with Program mode? They will roll their eyes and joke that maybe you thought the “P” on the mode dial meant “Professional.”
The image of the Blue Angels (left) was taken with one of the first DSLRs Canon produced, the D30. I made the shot many years ago with the only mode I used at the time: Program mode. The Cooper’s Hawk shot (right) was made just a few weeks ago, also with Program mode.
Sure, as you grow as a photographer, you will ultimately want to understand which camera shooting mode might be the best for each situation. But knowing how to drive a manual transmission vehicle will not instantly make you a racecar driver, and knowing how to shoot in Manual mode is not a shortcut to being a great photographer.
My first car was a 1964 Volkswagen Beetle, and it looked just like this model. Learning to drive a manual transmission as a new driver was a bit like immediately trying to use Manual mode as a new photographer – challenging!
I will date myself here, but when I learned to drive, a 1964 manual transmission Volkswagen Beetle was my first car. Learning to operate the gas, brake, clutch, and gearshift was an “interesting” introduction to driving.
My first camera was an East German Hanimex Practika Nova 1B. That was in the early ’70s. It had no mode dial, no autofocus, and since ISO was controlled by whatever film you used, the only exposure controls were a manual aperture ring on the lens and a shutter speed dial on the top of the camera. Even the exposure meter was not a TTL (through-the-lens) type, but a crude averaging meter that was just above the lens mount.
My first SLR camera, used back in the early ’70s, was a Hanimex Praktica Nova 1B. It offered no autofocus, no TTL metering, a dial to set the shutter speed, and a ring on the lens to set the aperture. The film determined the ISO (then ASA).
With both the car and the camera, I had to handle all the controls myself. Did the VW make me a better driver? Did the Praktika make me a better photographer? No, and both caused far more frustration as a beginner than if I had started in a car with an automatic transmission and I had started photography with a fully automatic DSLR.
So that’s my point here:
Why you make a photo – choosing to communicate your vision with an image and then using the camera as a machine to capture it – is far more important than how you shoot a photo or what mode you use. If some help from modern automation makes it easier to get there, especially as a beginner, go for it.
Why get whiplash learning to feather the clutch (or as I once did, roll back into the car behind you when at a stop sign at the top of a San Francisco hill) when, as a new driver, you could have an automatic transmission?
I did a lot of portraits of friends, family, senior photos, and even weddings with some of my DSLRs. I would often use Program mode and a little fill light from the pop-up flash. This typically worked just fine, especially for a new photographer.
Program mode – yes, the “P” setting on your mode dial – is what I would term the “semi-automatic” mode on your camera. Unlike the green, fully-automatic mode where you simply “point-and-shoot” and the camera makes all the decisions, Program mode frees you to override the settings if you so choose.
Let’s use an example to explain how Program mode might work in a given situation.
Program mode: The “semi-automatic” setting
Back in the 35mm film days, you would often choose the film you used based on the shooting conditions you planned to work in.
ISO (or before that, ASA or DIN) was a function of the film. ASA speeds of common film types might be 25, 64, 125, 200, 400, and maybe up to 800. You could go a little higher with special processing. The rub was that, whatever film type you chose, you worked with the same ASA for the entire roll (be it 12, 24, or 36 exposures).
With film, you had to stick with the same ISO (ASA) for the entire roll.
Working with Program mode can be a little like shooting film – in that the first thing you will do is pick your ISO setting.
This could be ISO 100 for good outdoor light, maybe ISO 200 or 400 for lower lighting conditions, ISO 800 or higher for dim conditions (or perhaps for when you will be shooting action and need to be able to use short exposure times).
Some have called Program mode “ISO Priority,” because once you choose the ISO, it will be the setting that will stay set, even as the shutter speed and aperture change. (Of course, the big difference from film is that you can change the ISO from shot to shot if you so choose).
So you start by setting your ISO.
Then, unless you have a special reason not to, I suggest you use the averaging metering modes: Evaluative on Canon, Matrix on Nikon. These will consider the entire image and calculate the exposure.
If your camera is set to Program mode, you will now see that it has selected both aperture and shutter speed settings. Depending on the available light, these will usually be toward the middle of the settings range – perhaps something like 1/125th of a second, f/5.6, and ISO 100. You may want to change these, and we’ll get into that in a minute, but if not, you’re good to go. Nail focus and take the shot.
You can shoot all day like this, the camera pretty much working as a point-and-shoot machine. As a beginner, rather than puzzle over what your settings should be for each shot, you can concentrate on more important things – chiefly composition – and let the camera figure out the exposure. Take away the clutch and the gearshift and driving is so much easier, right?
Creative control
The one thing you relinquish when you allow the camera to make exposure setting decisions is creative control. We may go a long way with artificial intelligence, but soulless computers or robots, while able to nail exposure, get perfect focus every time, and maybe even edit the shot afterward, will never be able to make true art.
Two concepts to understand as a beginning photographer are how aperture and shutter speed controls not only the exposure, but also the depth of field and the freezing/blurring of motion. If you have not fully grasped those creative concepts, I encourage you to spend time learning the relationship between aperture and depth of field, as well as the relationship between shutter speed and motion capture.
Working with Program mode will almost always get you a correct exposure, but you will also need to understand when you want to override the suggested settings to get the creative look you seek.
Some examples
Let’s break down how you might work in Program mode for different interpretations of the same subject.
It’s an overcast day, so you set the ISO to 800.
Your camera is in Program mode and it suggests an exposure.
You decide you want a deeper depth of field, so you set the aperture to f/22. (Aperture can typically be changed with one dial and the shutter speed with another. Note that when you change one setting, the other setting automatically changes to maintain proper exposure.)
Your settings are now ISO 800, 1/20s, and f/22. (Note that you’ll need to be on a tripod with a 1/20s shutter speed.)
You focus, then take the shot.
You take a look and decide it might be better to isolate the foreground leaves with a shallow depth of field. Still in Program mode, you roll one of your dials to put the aperture at f/4. Your camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to 1/640th of a second to maintain proper exposure. You take another shot.
Easy, huh? The ISO stayed locked in at 800, and as you adjusted the aperture, the shutter speed adjusted itself.
Suppose now you want to see the effect of shutter speed on a moving object. Still in Program mode, you leave the ISO at 800. To freeze the droplets of a fountain, you roll the dial to get a 1/1600th of a second shutter speed. You take the shot.
Note how the top shot, taken at 1/50s, has more blurred water drops and how the tree is sharper at f/22. The bottom image, taken at 1/1600s, better freezes the water – but at f/4, the depth of field is smaller.
Now, what if you want to get a little motion blur on those drops? Roll the dial to set a slower shutter speed of 1/50th of a second. The aperture automatically adjusts.
Exposure compensation is also possible should you need to make your images a little lighter or darker.
I mentioned earlier that you could lock in your ISO when working with Program mode. Depending on your camera, you might also let the ISO automatically adjust as light conditions change. Try Auto ISO in combination with Program mode and see how it works for you.
Then make the leap
Program mode can help you get good exposures. And if you pay attention to the settings it chooses, you’ll begin to understand the relationship between aperture, depth of field, shutter speed, and motion capture. Program mode can also give you a good jumping-off point to work with a mode such as Aperture Priority.
Say that after making a shot in Program mode, you see the camera chose f/11 as the aperture, and you like the amount of depth of field that resulted. You can then switch over to Aperture Priority mode (Av on Canon, A on Nikon), dial in an f/11 aperture, and start shooting. The camera will stay locked at f/11 while adjusting the shutter speed for various lighting conditions.
The same goes for shutter speed. If your Program mode shot shows a nice amount of motion blur at 1/5th of a second and you want to make subsequent images with that amount of blur, switch to Shutter Priority mode (Tv on Canon, S on Nikon), dial in 1/5th of a second, and shoot away.
The camera will stay locked on the shutter speed you chose and alter the aperture as needed.
In the left photo, the focus is on the tree trunk at the right edge. At f/22, there’s a good amount of depth of field. In Program mode, roll the dial to take the f-stop to f/4 for less depth of field. The camera automatically compensates, putting the shutter speed at 1/160s. The exposure stays identical.
Back to the safe spot
If you play around enough with settings, you may eventually mess things up to where you reach a bad exposure or become totally confused about why things are not working for you. That’s when Program mode comes to the rescue.
These were some of the first images I made when I got my Canon 10D years ago. Program mode was all I knew, but it got the job done. Don’t think you have to immediately learn to shoot in Manual mode to make nice shots.
Put the camera in Program mode, put the ISO back to a setting appropriate for your lighting situation (ISO 200 might be a good starting point), and it’ll be like hitting the reset button: you’ll be back to letting the camera choose exposure settings.
If you find Auto ISO works well, try that, too. The idea is to have a setup you can always turn to if you get confused (one that you can rely on to make good exposures consistently if needed).
It’s easy to explore the relationship between aperture and depth of field while in Program mode. This series starts at f/4 on the left, before a roll of the dial took the aperture to f/8 (middle), and then to f/22 on the right. The camera did all the exposure calculations. As simple as one, two, three!
Regardless of what mode I choose to shoot in, even Manual, I always put the dial back to Program mode before turning off the camera and putting it back in my bag. Then, if that once-in-a-lifetime shot presents itself and I must grab the camera, quickly power up, and shoot, I can be assured I will get a reasonably well-exposed shot.
I hope you will not take this article to mean you shouldn’t learn to shoot in Aperture Priority mode or Manual mode, because it’s true that a great number of professionals use these settings. But if you are new to photography and are confronted with more information than you can immediately absorb, working in Program mode might just be the helping hand you need.
Working in Program mode will free you to concentrate on composition while letting the camera figure out exposure.
Concentrate first on learning good composition. And make sure your images are well-focused, because blurry shots are impossible to fix in editing.
For now, let your camera help you with exposure until you begin to wrap your head around all there is to know. Even if you are a more experienced photographer, you might occasionally find that turning the mode dial and working in Program mode is the right choice for a given situation.
Mode doesn’t matter
Make a nice shot and no one is going to ask what camera mode you used.
People don’t usually ask what kind of paint, brushes, or canvas Leonardo da Vinci used when he painted the Mona Lisa. And when you make a great shot, no one should care what camera mode you used, what your settings were, or even what camera and lens you used.
Conversely, when your shot is poorly composed, doesn’t have an easily identifiable subject, or just doesn’t speak to the viewer, it doesn’t matter how masterful you might be in Manual mode or if you have the best camera money can buy.
Determine why you want to make a particular photo, find your vision, know what it is you want to communicate, and then use the machine that is your camera to produce that image. If working in Program mode gets you to that result, it’s a perfect choice.
Best wishes for great photos!
What do you think about Program mode? Have you ever used it? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The post In Praise of Program Mode: Why Program Mode is Great for Beginners appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.
The post Try the Full-Frame Nikon Z 5 for 30 Days With the Yellow Program appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
If you’re thinking about purchasing the Nikon Z 5 but you’re just not sure whether it’s the right fit, then you’re in luck:
Nikon has reintroduced its Yellow Program, which allows US-based consumers to order the Z5 and, if not satisfied before a month is out, return the camera for their money back.
As Nikon explains:
“We’re so sure you’ll be thrilled with the performance you’ll get with your new full frame mirrorless Z 5 camera that we’ll let you try one at home for 30 days. If you aren’t totally impressed with the Z 5 (we’d be surprised), send it back to us for a full refund.”
The return offer even includes a prepaid shipping label, so there truly is no cost to you; if you’re not completely satisfied by your purchase, you’ll have lost nothing at all.
If you do decide to take advantage of the Nikon Yellow Program, note that your Z 5 will be inspected if returned (it must be sent back in “like-new condition”). Also note that all Nikon Yellow customers will need to pay in advance, rather than after the thirty-day trial period is over.
So what options does the Yellow Program offer?
You can choose from three kits:
The Nikon Z 5 body only (for $ 1399.95 USD)
The Nikon Z 5 with a 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens (for $ 2,199.95 USD)
The Nikon Z 5 with a 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens (for $ 1699.95 USD)
You can also grab the FTZ adapter for a few extra dollars; this will allow you to mount Nikon F-mount lenses onto the Z 5. The adapter is invaluable if you have a collection of lenses for your Nikon DSLR and, fortunately, Nikon includes a special provision in the Yellow Program to account for FTZ adapters: If you purchase an adapter along with a Yellow Program Z 5, you can return the adapter as well as the camera at the end of the trial period for a full refund.
Nice, right?
All in all, the Z 5 is a powerful, entry-level, full-frame option from Nikon, one that’s perfect for hobbyists and semi-professionals of all types, from landscape shooters to travel photographers to portrait snappers and more.
So why not give it a try?
You can read more about the Nikon Yellow Program here, but don’t dawdle; the offer ends on November 30th.
The post Try the Full-Frame Nikon Z 5 for 30 Days With the Yellow Program appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Lightroom, a leading photo editing and organization software program from Adobe, now has its own Ambassador program. The product’s Marketing Manager for Photography, Pei Ketron, announced that she is ‘happy to have finally launched this program that I spent much of 2019 working on.’
Happy to have finally launched this program that I spent much of 2019 working on ? https://t.co/eP8a9sEygk
— Pei Ketron (@pketron) May 15, 2020
‘Now more than ever, you live with a camera in your hand, ready to capture every moment. You want your photographs to reflect what you see, to tell the stories you want to tell, to match the vision you had when you captured the image. But cameras don’t always see what you see, and they don’t come equipped with inspiration or expertise. Only people can offer that,’ reads the introductory paragraph on the Lightroom Ambassador Program’s home page.
Ketron’s hope is that the community grows over time and its members, from beginners to seasoned photographers, continue to inspire each other. 10 ambassadors are currently on board to kick off the initiative: Aundre Larrow, Carmen Chan, Gloria Atanmo, Jennifer Chong, Johnie Gall, Mylo Fowler, Omar Robles, Paola Franqui, Summer Murdock, and Tobi Shinobi.
Adobe Lightroom is available on macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and tvOS. Any questions about the Ambassador Program can be addressed to lightroomambassador@adobe.com.
Adobe has announced the latest iteration of its Adobe Creative Resident program, one that has changed substantially in light of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, Adobe says that it will only select two Creative Residents, but that it will also launch a $ 1 million Creative Residency Community Fund intended to support creators during the economic downturn.
Adobe explains that this fund will be open globally and will be used to hire creatives for projects commissioned by Adobe over the next year, as well as personal projects. Creatives who get support from Adobe for personal and commissioned projects will also receive career guidance workshops, Creative Cloud memberships and other unspecified support.
We’ve rounded up resources to support our community of creators during these tough times. ?? See the full list here. https://t.co/zJUqywQeAD
— Adobe (@Adobe) April 30, 2020
Visual creatives interested in the fund will need to apply on Adobe’s website here. Applicants have the choice of applying for a creative project grant, which will range from $ 500 to $ 5,000, or for Adobe project commissions, which will also be valued at $ 500 to $ 5,000. Applicants aren’t required to propose a project when applying for commissioned work.
Adobe plans to run its fund for 12 months from May 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021. Recipients will be notified about their inclusion in the program 30 to 60 days after submitting their application; the grants are issued on a monthly basis.
Adobe says that creatives can apply for the Community Fund even if they already applied for the Creative Residency this year but weren’t selected. The company is accepting applications from a variety of visual creatives, including professionals who work with 3D, graphic design, short-form online videos, photography, digital painting and drawing, motion design and UX/UI/VX/XD design.
Today we are welcoming a new class of Creative Residents and announcing a $ 1 million #CreativeResidency Community Fund to support personal projects and provide career guidance for many more creators. https://t.co/r8YbM7tTTE
— Adobe (@Adobe) April 28, 2020
As far as commissioned work goes, professionals who are selected for projects will receive work based on their portfolio, skills and what Adobe happens to need at the time. This could include artwork for social media or use in applications, or something like creating a video, writing an article or developing a tutorial, according to the company.
Beyond this, Adobe announced that Christina Poku and Maddy Beard are its two Creative Residents for the 2020-2021 year. It’s yet to be seen whether the coronavirus pandemic is over by the start of Adobe’s next residency period and what kind of impact that may have on the company’s future plans for its program.
With many people being off work at the moment it might seem the perfect time to practice our photography – except that in so much of the world we’re not allowed to go out of the house let alone meet up for a portrait shoot. Software company Elixxier claims to have a neat solution in its recently updated set.a.light 3D application that allows us to keep experimenting, perfecting and testing studio set-ups even when we have to stay at home.
Users of the application can create a virtual studio filled with lights, modifiers, backgrounds as well as a host of models to choose from. Photographers can pose their models and add lights to the scene while previewing exactly how each move and position will change the way the picture looks.
The program allows us a 3D view of the set-up we are creating so we can view the relationship between models and lights from the side or even above, and users have a choice of manufacturer-specific studio lights, speedlights and continuous light sources. A range of softboxes, snoots, barndoors and grids are available to alter the way the light looks, and colored gels can be added for atmosphere.
Users are able to shift the position of the lights and alter their intensity while seeing the effect immediately in the camera preview window. There is also a choice of lenses, apertures, shutter speeds and, of course, camera positions that all have an impact on the way the picture looks. You can even select the size of the sensor to match that of your camera so the settings, lens effects and looks can be mirrored in your real-life set-ups with a live sitter.
Not only can you experiment with your lighting set-ups using set.a.light but the complex range of options allows users to have precise control over the model’s poses. Legs bend and props can be placed under feet to get more shape into a pose, and even individual fingers can be carefully arranged. Models can be dressed, or undressed, the way you want them and glasses can be added for an extra challenge – in a range of colors and styles.
Once you are happy with the way the model looks you can actually ‘take’ the picture and the result is rendered out as a normal picture file. You can also save the lighting diagram and 3D plan so you can refer to it at a later date when preparing to shoot a person for real. The program is great to allow us to practice during this lock-down, but in normal times it lets us test and experiment at leisure without the cost of studio and model hire, and it should make us more prepared when we arrive at a real shoot.
The latest version of the program adds a community discussion area where users can share their setups with others and chat about how images could be improved.
The Basic version of the application costs €79 (approx. $ 90) at the moment, while the Studio version is €154 (approx. $ 170), and company offers a free trial of the full version for 15 days. For more information see the Elixxier website.
The Glimpse project has released a new fork of the GNU Image Manipulation Program often referred to as ‘GIMP,’ called Glimpse image editor. This free, open-source image editing software is building upon the legacy of the GNU Image Manipulation Program to make free image editing software more user-friendly and accessible. If you’re unfamiliar with GNU Image Manipulation Program, it is a free alternative to Adobe Photoshop, offering much of the same core functionality.
GNU Image Manipulation has remained an important tool for many users, but over time, it has seen fewer updates and improvements and has lagged behind modern photo editing software. By forking, Glimpse Image Editor can build upon a stable foundation but reinvigorate efforts to improve the usability and functionality of the software.
Screenshot from Glimpse image editor
There are three primary reasons for the Glimpse project forking. First is the name of the GNU Image Manipulation Program, GIMP. The name ‘GIMP’ was chosen nearly two decades ago as a reference to a scene in the cult classic movie, Pulp Fiction. However, many people find the name offensive. At worst, the name is ableist and reduces the reach of the program, especially in educational settings. There have been many user complaints and requests for the GNU Image Manipulation Program to be renamed, but the team in charge of the project has opted against a major change.
Secondly, the dedicated user interface design team for GNU Image Manipulation Program hasn’t met since 2012, resulting in fewer usability improvements and slower development of updates.
Finally, GNU Image Manipulation Program made the decision to remove its built-in mechanism to support third-party plug-ins. To help deal with this, Glimpse will include useful third-party plug-ins pre-bundled.
The Glimpse project is quick to point out that the intention is not to replace GNU Image Manipulation Program, but rather, to provide a rebranded fork which is more appropriate in professional and educational settings. On GitHub, the Glimpse project says the following of Glimpse image editor, ‘The aim of Glimpse Image Editor is to repackage the GNU Image Manipulation Program to make it more appealing to the wider computer-using public, and also to better tailor the program for school and workplace deployments.’
Of course, it is about more than just the name. As of now, Glimpse has been focused on removing the pre-existing ‘GIMP’ branding. Over the longer term, the team aims to revise the graphical user interface and improve overall functionality and usability. Ultimately, in terms of both the name and overall goals for Glimpse, the team hopes to make free image editing software more accessible.
As of now, you can download and install Glimpse on systems running Windows 7 or newer and modern variants of GNU/Linux. Support for macOS is in the works. Glimpse can be downloaded from Snapcraft and from Glimpse directly. If you are interested in learning more about the project and finding out how you can contribute, click here.
The post Nikon Trade-Up Program for the D780 and the Z-Series Mirrorless Cameras in US appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
With competition coming from Canon, Sony, Fujifilm, and more, it seems that Nikon is doing whatever it can to keep buyers walking in the door. This includes a new trade-up program, which offers photographers savings when purchasing the Nikon D780.
The Nikon D780 is Nikon’s recently-released DSLR update to the Nikon D750; it features a 24.5-megapixel full-frame sensor, 7 frames-per-second continuous shooting (12 fps silent shooting), a tilting touchscreen, 4K video at 30p, and more.
While the trade-up program hasn’t yet begun, Nikon claims that you’ll be able to hand in “any working camera” when purchasing the Nikon D780. And that they’ll take $ 300 off the price of the D780, plus the “value of your trade-in.”
How will the trade-in value be calculated?
We can’t say for certain, but a similar deal has been offered on Nikon’s Z50/Z6/Z7 mirrorless lineup, promising trade-in value plus savings on a Nikon mirrorless model. To calculate the trade-in value, you’ll need to enter your camera model and condition. Nikon’s trade-in estimator will spit out a quote, and you’ll be able to claim the offered trade-in value (assuming that you’ve described your camera model and condition accurately).
If you’d like to test out your current camera on the trade-in value calculator, you can enter your camera model here.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the trade-in values are on-par with current used marketplaces (e.g., eBay), so unless you don’t want to spend time selling off your own gear, it may make sense to just purchase the D780 (or the mirrorless bodies) separately and sell your gear elsewhere.
Now, Nikon does promise savings in the form of $ 300 off the D780. But a quick look at the parallel Nikon offer for the Z6 and Z7 shows that this “instant savings” simply makes the price competitive with an Amazon offering. For instance, Nikon supposedly drops $ 600 off the Z7 price of $ 3399.95 USD, taking it down to $ 2799.95 USD; compare this to Amazon’s current offer of $ 2796.95 USD, and your enthusiasm for these “instant savings” will immediately wane.
Regardless, we won’t know for certain until the D780 trade-up program officially debuts on February 3rd. It’s worth a look, especially if you’re looking to sell off your old camera without much hassle. Note that if you’ve already purchased the D780, you should still be able to grab the deal when it drops.
The post Nikon Trade-Up Program for the D780 and the Z-Series Mirrorless Cameras in US appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
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