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Posts Tagged ‘Some’

Some of the oldest American photographs were found in a workshop in New York

16 Oct

You never know where or when significant historical artifacts will turn up. Some very early photographic portraits were recently found in an unheated shed on Long Island in New York. The found photographs may be some of the very first portraits captured in the United States.

In 1839, the daguerreotype process was introduced by its namesake, Louis Daguerre, in France. It was the first publicly available and commercially viable photographic process. Although eventually replaced by more affordable, easier processes, many daguerreotypes were made in the 1840s and 1850s. In the US, the race was on to turn Daguerre’s process into a money-making venture.

‘Henry Fitz Jr. (1808-1863). The ‘Profile View’ taken with the Wolcott mirror camera, January-February 1840. Housed in a heavy brass frame identified in pencil on verso “Henry Fitz Jr. of New York and Baltimore. 1808-1863.’ Image and caption credit: Hindman Auctions

Henry Fitz Jr., Alexander Wolcott and John Johnson pulled it off. Fitz Jr. patented the first American camera and opened the first photographic portrait studio in the country. Fitz Jr. was a telescope maker in New York City. His understanding of optics gave him a significant advantage over would-be competitors.

The trio began collaborating on their photographic venture in late 1839. In early 1840, Fitz was the subject of some of the earliest successful photographic portraits ever taken. In June of 1840, Fitz opened a portrait studio in Baltimore, Maryland, cornering the market, at least for a time.

‘The ‘Eyes Closed’ Portrait of Henry Fitz Jr. (NMAH Cat No. 4114A). Probably taken in JanuaryFebruary, 1840 with the Wolcott mirror camera.’ Image and caption credit: Hindman Auctions

Some of the earliest photos taken by Fitz, Wolcott and Johnson were housed in that shed on Long Island. The photos will be going up for sale by Hindman Auctions. The auction house says, ‘The cache of daguerreotypes offered here – along with the existing Fitz group at the National Museum of American History – is the largest group of images produced by a single photographer from the pioneering era of photography in America (1839-1842). In this regard it is unique. While single images from this period exist, most are anonymous, undated and orphans floating in the historical ether. By contrast, the Fitz archive can be quite tightly dated to have been produced between about January 1840 and the fall of 1842. It was during these 36 months that photography in America sprang to existence and emerged as a commercial enterprise.’

‘Julia Wells Fitz (1814-1892), wife of Henry Fitz. Ninth plate daguerreotype, housed in red leather side opening case, with heavy brass mat. With delicate tinting of cheeks and lips; dress with fugitive blue tinting. Not removed from case. The identification of this image is based on the similarity between the sitter and the oil painting of Julia Wells Fitz included in this archive.’ Image and caption credit: Hindman Auctions

The collection holds immense historical and cultural significance. While Fitz, Wolcott and Johnson were not the creators of the daguerreotype process, of course, they were at the forefront of its adoption and growth. It’s also one of the more complete collections of photographs from that time frame.

You can read the full details about the auction listing by visiting Hindman. A digital catalog about the listing is available for viewing here. In-person bidding will begin on November 15 by appointment only.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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New Sony a1 firmware update (version 1.10) addresses EVF and IBIS issues some users were experiencing

29 Jun

Sony has released a firmware update for its a1 camera that addresses, amongst other things, in-body image stabilization (IBIS) and electronic viewfinder (EVF) blackout issues some users have been experiencing.

Before getting to the new details of the version 1.10 firmware update for the Sony a1, let’s look at what led to the EVF and IBIS issue being discovered.

Last month, photographer and DPReview forum member Jamieson Dean (f1point4andbethere) shared in a post on our Sony E-mount forum that he was having issues with the IBIS in his then-new Sony a1. In the video demonstration (embedded below) he shared in the post, Dean shows how his Sony a1 unit would delay the activation of the IBIS mechanism with both Sony and third-party lenses.

In replies to Dean’s original forum post, other photographers chimed in and said they too had been experiencing IBIS issues with their respective a1 units, while others also noted there was an issue with the EVF of their a1 units blacking out at times. Eventually, Dean was able to get in contact with Sony to replace his a1, but the new unit had the same IBIS problem. In fact, as visible in the below comparison video, the problem was even more pronounced in the replacement a1.

‘I don’t believe my usage of the camera is outlandish,’ said Dean in a follow-up post. ‘I have had this issue with both my original A1 as well as the replacement that Sony gave me […] It occurs with all non-stabilized lenses, and happens roughly 50% of the time for me during normal use.’

Now, over a month later, it seems Sony has addressed EVF and IBIS issues, even if it hasn’t specifically addressed the latter in its firmware update changelog:

  • Improves overall AF performance and stability
  • Improves operability when using the Remote Camera Tool app Note: Make sure you have updated the Remote Camera Tool app to the most recent version
  • Improves eye sensor detection performance with strong light sources, such as sunlight [this is believed to be the issue behind the EVF blackout problem]
  • Improves operational stability when using the Imaging Edge Mobile apps
  • Improves operational stability when using the SEL100400GM, SEL200600G, or SEL600F40GM lens
  • Improves the overall stability of the camera

As visible in a new video from Dean, the 1.10 firmware update fixes the lag previously seen in both of Dean’s a1 camera units. Dean says ‘the ibis is flawless now’ and notes ‘it’s working at least on par with [his] a7 III now’ in new forum posts made today.

Regardless of whether or not you were experiencing any of these issues, firmware version 1.10 for the Sony a1 appears to be substantial from a reliability and usability standpoint, so be sure to download it using the link below.

Download firmware version 1.10 for Sony a1

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lightroom CC update for iOS, iPadOS permanently deletes photos and presets for some users

20 Aug

After updating to Lightroom version 5.4 on iOS and iPadOS, numerous users found that photos and editing presets that had not yet been synced to the cloud were missing. Worse yet, Adobe has confirmed that affected users and Adobe itself will be unable to retrieve the missing data.

After reports of lost photos spread around the web on places such as our own forums, Reddit and Adobe’s own forums, Adobe representative Rikk Flohr published a response on the afternoon of August 18. It reads:

‘We are aware that some customers who updated to Lightroom 5.4.0 on iPhone and iPad may be missing photos and presets that were not synced to the Lightroom cloud.

A new version of Lightroom mobile (5.4.1) for iOS and iPad OS has now been released that prevents this issue from affecting additional customers.

Installing version 5.4.1 will not restore missing photos or presets for customers affected by the problem introduced in 5.4.0.

We know that some customers have photos and presets that are not recoverable. We sincerely apologize to any customers who have been affected by this issue.

If you are affected by this issue, please refer to the information in this forum thread.’

Adobe has not issued any additional comments about the incident, nor has it disclosed an estimate of how many users were affected by the issue ahead of the release of Lightroom 5.4.1. When we contacted Adobe this morning, a representative said they have no further statements at this time.

In a thread originally started by Lightroom user Mohamad Alif Eqnur on Adobe’s forums, numerous users chimed in with their own experiences of lost photos, including multiple users who shared that they had lost purchased presets.

Affected customers are understandably very upset, especially given that Adobe’s fix only acts to prevent the issue from happening to additional customers, rather than offering users a solution to restore missing photos and presets.

When issues like this occur, and if it can happen to a giant in the industry like Adobe it can happen to any company, it stands as a reminder that it’s critical to have multiple backups of your images. Further, it’s a good idea to save edits of your photos as sidecar files, so even if a catalog becomes corrupted, you will retain your edit data. These sidecar files can even be read by Adobe Bridge.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Product Advisory: Sony says some of its SD cards are corrupting video files, offers free replacements

16 Jun

Sony has issued a product advisory for select SD cards in three of its SD card lineups, stating video captured with these cards could become corrupted without warning.

The product advisory, posted last Friday, says cards in Sony’s SF-M series, Tough SF-M series and Tough SD-G series are affected by an issue wherein ‘data on [the affected cards] may be damaged or data may not be recorded correction when shooting video on a camera in the video speed class mode.’ No further information is provided on what exactly is causing the problem, but Sony says it’s offering replacement cards through March 31, 2022 for SD cards currently under warranty.

Sony provides the below illustrations to help you deduce whether or not your card is affected by the issue, but you can tell at a quick glance by looking for a little star on the back of left-hand corner of the card — if you have a star, your card isn’t affected.

Sony: ‘To check whether your [SF-M] card is affected, look for a star mark and an alphanumeric on the lower corner on the back of the card. If your card has NO star mark and has an alphanumeric beginning with TV, your card is affected by this issue. (If your card has an alphanumeric beginning with TR, your card is not affected by this issue.)
Sony: ‘To check whether your card is affected, look for a star mark on the lower left corner on the back of the card. If your card has NO star mark, your card is affected by this issue.’

Sony: ‘[Affected SF-M Tough] cards can be identified by the presence of V60, R:277MB/s, and W:150MB/s on the card frontside. To check whether your card is affected, look for a star mark on the lower left corner on the back of the card. If your card has NO star mark, your card is affected by this issue.’

If your card is one of the affected units, Sony requests you call their support line (239–768–7669) or connect with a representative through its online chat support. Sony specifically requests you not contact the retailer you purchased your card from. Dan Carr of Shuttermuse says he’s been through the process and was required to provide the following information when you speak with a representative:

  • SD card model number
  • SD card serial number
  • Date of purchase
  • Place of purchase
  • Shipping and contact information

You can read the full advisory on Sony’s support page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lensrentals discovers cracked sensor mounts inside some of its Sony a7-series rental fleet

12 Jun
Photo credits: All photos and illustrations (except for this one), kindly provided by Lensrentals.

As promised, Lensrentals is back with part two of its flange-to-sensor measurement test, this time testing photo-centric cameras instead of cine cameras.

As Roger and his team meticulously pored over the measurements of every compatible camera they had on hand (the testing rig only had mount options for Canon, Sony and MFT cameras), they discovered a concerning percentage of Sony a7-series cameras had suffered from an unexpected and consistent failure of a key component.

Although Roger starts off his blog post with his Canon measurements, we’re going to begin with Sony, as that’s where the surprising and concerning discovery lies. In total, the Lensrentals team tested 487 various Sony full-frame and APS-C mirrorless bodies. To those concerned the in-body image stabilization (IBIS) would affect the flange-to-sensor distance, Roger has the following to say:

‘First let me mention that we asked and answered the obvious question “does the IBIS system change the flange-to-sensor distance.” We took some cameras, measured them, put a lens on, focused it on various things to run the IBIS, and measured again, about a dozen times each. Each camera had identical measurements every time.’

An overview of the flange-to-sensor distance measurements of all Sony cameras Lensrentals tested. Note the scale on all of these charts: this chart is -0.1mm to +0.1mm.

With that debate wrapped up, Roger presents the overall findings for Sony mirrorless cameras (seen above) before further dividing up the Sony camera bodies, grouping the Sony a9 and Sony APS-C cameras together and grouping all of the a7-series camera bodies together. Roger grouped the data this way because the a9 and APS-C models ‘look[ed] marvelous,’ with minimal variation, while the a7-series showed rather dramatic variations, particularly with their outliers.

This is the a7-series chart, showing the a7R III (blue), a7R IV (red) and a7 III (yellow). Note the unusual number of outliers on the very extremes of the chart.

After testing each unit, Roger pulled 28 outliers for further inspection (5.75% of the Sony cameras tested). While a few of them needed to have the lens mount screws tightened or entirely replaced to correct their flange-to-sensor distance, there were a number of units that stood out as ‘large outliers.’ Upon closer inspection, Roger and his team discovered a number of these units had a more unexpected and more serious issue: there was a fracture between the sensor mount and stabilization system.

The arrow points to a fractured sensor-to-IBIS mount inside a Sony a7-series camera.

As you can see in Lensrentals’ a7R III teardown, Sony mounts the sensors to a plastic plate that attaches to the IBIS system via three screws. In two of the ‘large outlier’ units the plastic plate the sensor is mounted to had fractured; two others had screws that had wiggled their way out; one had what appeared to be a ‘metal fatigue type fracture’ in the mount; and one had a ‘displaced fracture of the sensor frame’ that was serious enough to pop off the retaining clip.

The arrow points to the tab where the retainer clip is supposed to be secured to.

While these are all serious issues that raise concerns, Roger says he was amazed to realize ‘the cameras really didn’t show much disfunction.’ He elaborates:

‘If you had just shown me the pictures above I would have expected error messages, horrible images, something dramatic. These were renting regularly, customers were happy with them, our 64-point tech inspection was passed before and after each rental.’

Even after hours of stress testing by Lensrentals’ most experienced techs, the only complaints they had with these broken units were the same minor complaints a few renters had pointed out in the past, including ‘Seems images might be a little soft on one side,’ or ‘maybe the stabilization isn’t quite as good as it should be.’

Roger says it appears as though a single broken mount (remember, there are three screws holding the sensor to the IBIS unit) doesn’t appear to have much affect on overall operation, but suggests if two of the mounts were to break it would be likely to cause noticeable issues.

Roger says the crack in this image displaced the mount by about 0.5mm, but despite this dramatic displacement, the center of the sensor shifted much less than that.

Wonky mounts and fractured components sound scary, but in total, less than 2% of Lensrentals’ Sony camera stock was found to have lens mount issues and only 1.6% suffered from the sensor mount problem. That’s not an insignificant number of cameras given how large the rental fleet is, but considering these are rental cameras and it took hours of intense inspection of the outlier samples to notice even the smallest impact on image quality, it’s hard to say how serious the issue really is in practical terms.

Wonky mounts and fractured components sound scary, but in total, less than 2% of Lensrentals’ Sony camera stock was found to have lens mount issues and only 1.6% suffered from the sensor mount problem

Still, though, any kind of failure like this is concerning and both Roger and DPReview have contacted Sony to inform them of Lensrentals’ finding and request comment on the matter.

With the Sony camera data out of the way, it’s on to Canon cameras. Within the data, Roger discovered a few interesting tidbits. First, the flange-to-sensor distance in photo cameras doesn’t vary any more than in Canon’s cine cameras. Second, of the 11 cameras (out of 478 Canon DSLR cameras tested) that Roger pulled for closer inspection due to variations, all of them were either 5D IV or 1DX bodies, i.e., pro bodies.

A chart showing the variation of the Canon DSLR cameras Lensrentals tested, with the outliers highlighted. Again, note the scale of this graph: this chart is -0.1mm to +0.04mm.

Upon further inspection of the most affected camera bodies, Roger discovered each of them had a history of a drop or required ‘significant internal work’ after being rented out at one time or another. He also notes it makes sense these cameras are more susceptible to damage when bumped or dropped due to the tendency for these cameras to be used in harsher conditions and with longer, heavier telephoto lenses, which could more easily bend the mount ‘because force proportional to mass and all.’

Roger concludes his data with a breakdown of variation in 138 Micro Four Thirds cameras: 82 Panasonic units, 36 Olympus units and 20 Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K units.

A breakdown of the various Micro Four Thirds camer models Lensrentals tested.

Overall, the variation between units proved to be relatively minimal, with only five cameras being outliers. Of these five cameras, four had been sent back to the factory to have their sensors replaced and one had a shutter replacement. Roger notes five other Micro Four Thirds cameras also had their sensors replaced and were within the nominal variation range, so don’t assume all cameras with sensor replacements will have abnormal flange-to-sensor distance measurements.

In wrapping up, Roger concludes that while it might’ve been seemed unnecessary to measure the flange-to-sensor distance of still cameras, it proved just as useful as it was with cine cameras. The team found fixable issues in roughly 2% of its still camera fleet thanks to the testing and, in Roger’s own words, ‘To me, that’s a huge thing […] Huge enough that we need to get a second Denz tool for the photo techs since the first one is already monopolized by the video people.’

Read the full article at Lensrentals.com

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lumix Tether for Streaming allows some Lumix users to use their camera as a webcam

09 Jun

Following in the footsteps of Canon, Panasonic has released an additional version of its USB tethering software that allows compatible Lumix cameras to be used for streaming to social media and video conferencing applications. Lumix Tether for Streaming (Beta) works in the same way as the standard version of Lumix Tether, but it includes a button that clears the AF box graphics and the control panel from the Live View pane so can be used for broadcasting.

A third-party broadcasting application, such as OBS, is needed to capture the Live View window as the camera’s feed isn’t detected by the computer. An external microphone built-in or plugged-in to the computer is also needed as the camera’s audio isn’t captured via this beta version of Lumix Tether for Streaming.

With Live View quality set to Fine, the feed to the window has a resolution of 1280 pixels on the longest edge, and the Lumix Tether control panels allow users to access many of the camera’s features to control the way the image looks.

The idea of the software, as we have seen recently from other manufacturers, is to offer a free way of streaming for Lumix users, and to allow them to improve the quality of their streaming video beyond that which is usually offered by built-in webcams. The idea will have been sparked by the rise in the number of people using video streaming for work and keeping on contact with family during the coronavirus pandemic.

Like the original version of Lumix Tether, this new beta streaming application is compatible with Lumix G9, GH5, GH5s and Lumix S cameras, but this time Windows 10 is required – there’s no Mac version. Lumix Tether for Streaming can be downloaded from the Panasonic support pages.

Press release:

Panasonic releases ‘LUMIX Tether for Streaming (Beta)’ software program for PC integrating new LIVE VIEW mode for live streaming purpose

Panasonic has today released a ‘LUMIX Tether for Streaming’ beta software program for Windows, following the conventional ‘LUMIX Tether’ (Version.1.7). The new beta program includes a new display option designed for live-streaming, and makes it easy for the user to self-stream.

Originally, the ‘LUMIX Tether’ software program was designed for tethered shooting and therefore its GUIs, such as the focus area mark or control panels, are displayed with live view images on the PC monitor during USB tethering. However, in response to feedback from customers that these graphic items become a hindrance when the software is used to capture camera view for live streaming, LIVE VIEW mode has been added on ‘LUMIX Tether for Streaming (Beta)’. This update enables the display of camera-view only, making it easy for the separate streaming software read. Users can now choose to show or hide these graphic items during USB tethering according to the usage purpose.

‘LUMIX Tether for Streaming (Beta)’ is provided as a pre-release version that is currently still under development. Please note that this software is not eligible for operation warranty and customer support.

Compatible models: DC-GH5, DC-G9, DC-GH5S, DC-S1, DC-S1R, DC-S1H

LUMIX Tether for Streaming (Beta) Operating Environment

  • OS: Windows 10 (32bit/64bit)
  • CPU: Intel CPU of 1 GHz or higher
  • Display: 1024 x 768 pixels or more
  • RAM: 1GB or more (32bit),2GB or more (64bit)
  • HDD: Free space of 200 MB or more for installation
  • Interface: USB 3.0/3.1

LUMIX Tether for Streaming (Beta) is now available to download from:
https://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/lumix/lumixtether.html

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The OnePlus 8 Pro has a new camera capable of seeing through some materials and objects

15 May

Announced in April, the new OnePlus 8 Pro smartphone is equipped with a multitude of high-end features, including interesting camera specs. But it also includes a unique 5MP Color Filter (infrared) camera. In the camera’s operating system, the mode that uses this particular camera array is referred to as the Photochrom filter within the native camera app, and as numerous users have been discovering this week, the Color Filter camera allows you to see through some objects, including various plastics.

Twitter user Ben Geskin photographed Oculus Quest controllers, for example, realizing that the Photochrome filter allows you to actually see through the dark gray plastic on the device. Other users have photographed television remotes, Apple TV devices and more, resulting in images showing internal circuitry that you cannot see with the naked eye or traditional image sensors.

OnePlus marketing materials divulge very little information about the Color Filter camera. On the OnePlus 8 Pro product listing, there is only a single example image, shown here in an enlarged format. Image credit: OnePlus

In marketing materials for the OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus states that the Photochrome filter allows the user to ‘turn ordinary scenes into surreal landscapes,’ but as OnePlus 8 Pro owners are finding out, it does a lot more than that. The 5MP Color Filter camera is essentially an IR camera, so if an object does not include a material which shields IR, the camera can see through it. In the video below from Unbox Therapy, you can view the effect on a pair of television remotes, Apple TV and a Nintendo Switch Pro controller. You can also see in the video below that the Color Filter camera can partially see through some fabrics.

There is a lot more to the OnePlus 8 Pro camera for photographers than the interesting Color Filter camera. The OnePlus 8 Pro also includes a 48MP Ultra Wide Angle Camera with a 120-degree field of view and 3cm Macro Mode, 8MP Hybrid Zoom camera with 30x digital zoom, and a 48MP Main Camera with optical image stabilization.

Image credit: OnePlus

The wide camera uses a 0.5-inch type Sony IMX586 image sensor with an F2.2 lens. The primary 48MP camera uses a 1/1.4-inch type Sony IMX689 sensor with an F1.78 lens. The primary camera also includes on-sensor omni-directional phase-detect autofocus. Further, the main camera can record ‘dynamic video,’ which is a form of HDR video.

The OnePlus 8 Pro is available now from a starting price of $ 899 USD. For much more information on the OnePlus 8 Pro smartphone, read our coverage of the camera’s announcement.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Viltrox warns some of its X-mount prime lenses can cause damage to X-Pro3 camera bodies

13 May

Lens manufacturer Viltrox has issued a statement warning customers that a number of its X-mount lenses can damage Fujifilm X-Pro3 camera bodies.

The statement, seen below, notes that ‘it would be better not [to] use [the] Viltrox 23mm, 33mm or 85mm X-mount lenses’ with Fujifilm X-Pro3 camera systems, as it can damage the camera ‘due to the structural conflict [wherein] they will scratch a little bit against each other.

This information is backed up by reports on this DPReview forum post from Pete Richardson that notes his Viltrox 85mm lens rubs up against the lens release button on the X-Pro3 camera body, causing ‘the slightest mark on the edge of the collar surrounding the release button.’ The reason this only affects X-Pro3 camera bodies is that the lens release button sticks out ever-so-slightly further than that on the X-Pro2, as illustrated in this screenshot from CameraSize.com by DPReview reader DarnGoodPhotos:

Note how the lens release button on the X-Pro3 sticks out marginally further than on the X-Pro2.

If that is the case, the damage would be mostly cosmetic, but it’s probably best to avoid using the lenses with the camera unless you don’t mind scratching up either item.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sparkling Water Still Life – Put some Fizz in your Photos

01 May

The post Sparkling Water Still Life – Put some Fizz in your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.

sparkling water still life featured image - roses

Often the key to making a good photo is to show the commonplace in a whole new way. Bombarded by so many visual images each day, photo viewers need something that breaks the rules, that looks different to make them pause on your photo. This sparkling water still life technique will challenge your photo skills. It will teach you how to compose and light still life subjects, give you practice with editing tools and techniques, and help you create interesting images. Maybe best of all, you’ll have some fun.

Sparkling Water Still Life - 01
Strongly backlit and filled with flash, these tulips were shot submerged in a vase of sparkling water. The image was flipped vertically in post-production. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm f2.8macro lens – 1/20 sec. f/11 ISO 200

Perhaps another plus to this kind of photography (I write this holed up at home during isolation), is it can be done at home on the kitchen counter or wherever you like to work. You can then post your creation online, giving us all the enjoyment of viewing your image.

Shall we get started? Break out the bubbly!

Sparkling Water Still Life - 02
Citrus slices make good subjects for this kind of photography as they look like they belong in sparkling water. Sliced thin, they are translucent, lending themselves to backlighting. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – Left – 1/4 sec. f/22 ISO 800 Right 1/30 sec. f/8 ISO 800
Lighting sparkling water still life - 03
This image was lit from below with an LED flashlight and from behind with a Lumecube Air.

What you’ll need

Sparkling water

You can use various kinds of carbonated waters or sodas (perhaps champagne if you’re feeling decadent). What you’re after are the bubbles. There are no rules here and so use what suits your vision.

For the images here, I found seltzer water well-suited to the purpose. It is crystal-clear, has good carbonation, and with no sugar added doesn’t leave a sticky mess when it comes time for cleanup.

sparkling water still life with colored pencils
The colored pencils were taped together, clamped to the rectangular vase, and lit from below with an LED flashlight.

Glass container

What you use will depend on the image you’re trying to create. I found a rectangular glass vase with flat sides well-suited for the purpose. A small aquarium could work well.

Of course, if the subject and the theme you seek are different, wine or champagne glasses could work too. The only consideration here is to think about how the glass may distort anything placed inside it.

Sparkling water still life - various backgrounds
Essentially the same shot, but substituting different color backgrounds for different looks. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/10 sec. f/11 ISO 800

Subjects

There is no end to the items you might choose to submerge for a sparkling water still life photograph. I found that things that seem consistent with the theme to be good choices. The kinds of things one might find in a watery-bubbly environment.

Fruits and flowers can be good choices. You’ll also see I used shells and other aquatic items. Of course, other items with good color and interest become even more interesting covered with bubbles.

A quick dip into some science behind all of this – items with rougher surfaces, those with more nucleation sites where bubbles can form, can be more interesting. The flowers in my shots demonstrate this concept. Bubbles won’t form as easily on smoother, non-porous surfaces.

Sparkling Water Still Life - Put some Fizz in your Photos
The surfaces of the roses and stem have many “nucleation sites” where the CO2 bubbles in the seltzer water can form. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/30 sec. f/8 ISO 800

Cleanliness

Most often, you will be shooting close-up, very possibly with a macro lens, for this kind of photography. The smallest of items, scratches, and dirt on the glass container, dirt and other material suspended in the water and such, will all show up and perhaps even become places where bubbles might form.

You should scrupulously clean the container you will be using before you get started. Doing so will save you lots of time later trying to remove unwanted specks from your photo digitally.

Sparkling water still life - Difficulties
These shots illustrate some difficulties you might have. The image on the left is straight out of camera. The slow shutter speed of 1/10th second was insufficient to freeze the motion of the bubbles leaving streaks. The starfish was buoyant and floated in the container which wasn’t large enough to allow it to fit fully in frame. The image at right is edited to remove some distractions, but this wasn’t going to be a keeper.
Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/10 sec. f/22 ISO 800

Setup

Using your cleaned container, place the subject(s) you want inside before adding any liquid. Consider whether the subjects will float. Even if they are just slightly buoyant, once they are covered with bubbles, they are apt to get some extra lift. Be ready with some clamps, wire, tape, or other means of keeping them submerged and where you want them.

Compose and frame your shot. Depending on the subject size and how close you need to be, you may find a macro lens is needed. Other alternatives could be extension tubes, close-up filters, or a reversed-lens.

If you don’t need to be as close, you might put your camera further away and zoom into the shot.

NOTE: Do all of this before adding the water to the container. The bubbles will dissipate with time and you don’t want that happening while you’re still setting up.

Sparkling Water Still Life - Put some Fizz in your Photos
Different containers will change the look of your subject, but the curved glass of this glass does distort the image the liquid in the submerged portion of the rose magnifies it making it seem larger than the above-water portion of the flower and the curve of the glass adds other distortions. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/2 sec. f/20 ISO 800

Lighting considerations

Sparkling Water Still Life - Put some Fizz in your Photos
This image shows lighting from below with a LED flashlight and from the front with a Lumecube Air.

This is a great opportunity to experiment with lighting sources and techniques.

Working in a glass container gives you the opportunity to light from almost any direction; top, bottom, front, back, left, right, or a combination of these. Whether you use flash, continuous lights, natural lighting, whatever you can come up with – it’s all up to you.

Definitely use this exercise as an opportunity to play and explore. Digital film is cheap. This shouldn’t be a one-and-done kind of shoot. Make lots of shots, exploring lighting placement, various apertures and shutter speeds, light modifiers, whatever you like.

Sparkling Water Still Life - Put some Fizz in your Photos
Same subject, front-lit on the left, back-lit on the right. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/13 sec. f/22 ISO 800
Sparkling Water Still Life - Put some Fizz in your Photos
Same image, different backgrounds. Experiment with different things! Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/10 sec. f/11 ISO 800

Backgrounds

The addition of bubbles to your subject will cause it to become a “busier” composition. Having a patterned background is apt to distract or overly complicate the image.

I find solid backgrounds, and often plain white or black to work best. (I’ll get into the advantages of those simple white or black backgrounds in a minute.) Again, this will depend on the look you are trying to achieve, but do give consideration to not only your subject but the background.

Sparkling Water Still Life - Put some Fizz in your Photos
Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/13 sec. f/16 ISO 800

Editing and cleanup

I can almost guarantee your image will need some work in editing after the shoot. Simplifying and cleaning up things you don’t want will be necessary.

Adjusting highlights, shadows, white and black levels, and cloning out distractions will all improve your photo. Whatever your editing tools of choice might be, use this exercise as a means of teaching yourself more about what you can do and how to do it.

My tools of choice are Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop.

Having a white or black background can help a lot in that with adjustments, the adjustment brush, the histogram highlight and shadow clipping tools, and the spot healing tool, I can often do whatever I need in Lightroom alone.

For tougher cloning or healing operations, I may escalate the edit into Photoshop.

Images with color backgrounds are apt to be more challenging. Again, use this exercise as a means of learning tools and techniques you might not have previously explored.

Sparkling Water Still Life - Put some Fizz in your Photos
When editing an image in Lightroom with a black or white background, you may purposely want to have the background go totally black or white. Turning on the highlight/shadow clipping tools will show 100% black (0,0,0) areas in a blue highlight, totally white (255,255,255) areas in red. The “J” key is the shortcut to toggle this off and on. You can then use the adjustment brush, automask, and other LR to “paint out” distracting elements.

Flip it

Often while making a sparkling water still life, your subject will be down in the liquid. Don’t overlook the simple ability to flip your image vertically during editing to put it in a more natural viewing position.

Have fun!

Maybe the biggest reason for this table-top photo exercise is it is fun. You will be amazed at how you can make otherwise simple subjects much more visually exciting with the addition of some bubbles and creative lighting when you make sparkling water still life photos.

So, if you have to stay home, why not find ways to creatively use your time to expand your photo skills and make some nice images?

Give it a try, post your creations in the comments section of this article and be well my friends.

The post Sparkling Water Still Life – Put some Fizz in your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.


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8K and then some: what the Canon EOS R5’s video specs mean

23 Apr

Introduction

Canon kickstarted the success of the stills/video hybrid ILC with the introduction of the EOS 5D Mark II in 2008. Since then it appears to have focused most of its video efforts on its Cinema EOS line of professional video cameras.

However, as part of its drip-feed of EOS R5 specs, Canon has spelled out a lot more about its video capabilities. And, from what’s been said, it looks like the biggest leap forward in video for Canon’s main EOS line since that launch 12 years ago.

We already knew that the EOS R5 was going to be able to shoot at 12 fps with its mechanical shutter and 20 in e-shutter mode and that it was going to shoot 8K, but the more detailed video specs are worth digesting…

8K video capture

The most eye-catching spec is one that Canon’s previously announced. The EOS R5 will become the first consumer ILC to offer 8K video capture. That’s a huge deal, in part because of what it tells us about the camera’s processing power.

8K is usually taken to mean a resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels, which is exactly four times the size of UHD 4K (also meaning it’s the theoretical perfect capture resolution if you wish to correctly represent all the spatial frequencies that can be conveyed in a 4K image).

However, Canon has previously tended to prefer the wider 1.90:1 DCI format to the 16:9 of UHD for its high end cameras. Canon also says that it’s both the 8K and DCI 4K modes that use the full width of the sensor, which could imply the use of a 8192 x 4230 region. This would require a 44.7MP sensor, rather than the ~40MP chip needed for 16:9 8K.

Even though 8K displays aren’t exactly widespread, yet, there are plenty of reasons it can still be useful. Whether it’s to provide greater compositional flexibility in the edit, to provide better quality 4K footage, or to future-proof your next project, 8K capability will have its uses.

8K Raw

And, as if 8K video weren’t impressive enough (and just a reminder, that’s at least four times the data demand that causes some cameras to struggle), Canon says the EOS R5 will capture Raw video data.

Internal Raw video capture is scarce enough in the 4K realm, being almost the sole preserve of the EOS-1D X Mark III, with just a handful of cameras having to hand-off much of the heavy lifting to Atomos’ external recorders. But Canon says the EOS R5 will handle 8K 30p in Raw: that’s like shooting thirty 32MP images per second.

Given the 1D X III shoots 5.5K Raw in 12-bit, we’d assume a similar setup here. Canon hasn’t specified the data rates yet. The R5’s 8K is a little more than twice the number of pixels as the 1D X III’s video, so we’d expect its 8K/30p to be anywhere from a bit above the 2600 Mbps that the 1D X III uses to store 5.5K/60p to somewhere in the high 3000 Mbps range, if the compression ratio is closer to that of the 1D X III’s 5.5K/30p data rate.

Unlike the 1D X III, it’ll be able to output its maximum rate while maintaining Dual Pixel AF.

10-bit C-Log

For those of us without cooled server farms and infinite storage, the EOS R5 will be able to shoot C-Log footage. Like the 1D X Mark III, this is output as 10-bit 4:2:2 H.265 footage.

This is likely to be the Canon Log response that incorporates around 12 stops of dynamic range, giving a good degree of flexibility in when post-processing. LUTs for the Canon Log response are already widely available, for both SDR and HDR output, making it easy to incorporate the R5 into an existing workflow.

10-bit HDR PQ

As an alternative option, the camera will output footage encoded using the PQ (perceptual quantizer) curve used in several of the most sophisticated HDR TV standards.

This provides a means of shooting footage directly for use on HDR displays. It’s interesting to see Canon plump for the PQ response, rather than the simpler and SDR-compatible HLG system adopted by Panasonic, Fujifilm and Sony.

4K/120

As if the promise of 8K video weren’t impressive enough, Canon says the EOS R5 will be able to shoot 4K footage from the full width of its sensor at up to 120p. While maintaining full Dual Pixel AF.

In an era when most of the handful of cameras that can shoot 4K/60 have to crop or sub-sample their sensors to do so, the idea of shooting 120p (119.94) is a big step forward.

It’s likely that both this and the 60p footage will be sub-sampled in some manner (if it could read and process that entire sensor region 120 times a second, it could presumably offer 8K/120, too!).

But played back as 24p, it can be used as 1/5th speed slow-mo, or 1/4th speed for 30p playback, which is a useful creative option in 4K workflows.

IBIS
Like the Nikon Z7, the EOS R5 will have in-body image stabilization.

Another key capability is the inclusion of in-body image stabilization. Canon has pretty well-established digital stabilization in many of its cameras but the EOS R5 will be the first instance of a Canon ILC with a moving sensor providing stabilization, too.

No details were given about whether the in-body system shares the stabilization duties when an IS lens is mounted (passing off pitch and yaw correction to the lens), or whether they both work together, simultaneously.

This feature, combined with dual pixel AF and internal capture of even the highest-quality footage make the EOS R5 an effectively self-contained video package, able to turn its hand to a wide range of shooting styles and situations, including run-and-gun operation.

Potential limitations

There are a couple of details that are still unknown. Many current cameras’ maximum recording times are limited by the heat build-up, especially at their highest resolution modes. The EOS R5 promises to juggle tremendous amounts of data, which is likely to generate a lot of heat, so it’s not clear how long it will be able to run continuously, in its more technically impressive modes.

Also, although it’s a two-slot camera, Canon has opted for one of these to be UHS-II. At present, the fastest SD card standards only guarantee 90 MB/s write speeds (no matter what the peak speeds quoted on the card say). At ‘only’ 720 Mbps, it’s unlikely most of the R5’s highest video rates can be dependably written to the SD card slot, potentially making it a single card slot camera from a high-end video perspective.

Unless data can be channelled to an external SSD across USB-C, the capacity of your CFexpress card might another bottleneck that limits the camera’s shooting duration.

Battery life is the other potential limitation for a camera doing so much hard work. The mockups and computer renderings Canon has shown so far suggest there won’t be room for a battery much bigger than in existing models, so that’s another potential limit (though again, one that clever use of the USB socket might alleviate.

Summary

Canon has let its main EOS line fall significantly behind its rivals (the EOS 5D IV’s cropped video was off the pace when it was launched, so looked even more tired by the time it appeared in the EOS R, two years later), whereas the EOS R5 is not so much a case of catching up as establishing a significant lead.

Canon’s latest spec disclosure was solely focused on video but we’d expect it to be as much a camera for stills shooters as it is a video tool. When more details become available, we look forward to learning what all this processing power will mean for AF and stills shooting, too.

We’ve looked into the implication of the R5’s video specs a bit more detail, in this article, but even if you’re not interested in video, this is a camera worth watching.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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