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Posts Tagged ‘Test’

Mäklare för Cryptocurrency Test Erfarenheter

10 Sep

Att välja Mäklare för Cryptocurrency Test de bästa kryptosystem som finns på marknaden är en mycket viktig aspekt av handeln. Om du inte är medveten om detta kan det sluta med att du förlorar mycket pengar i det långa loppet. Om du vill göra mest vinst på kortast möjliga tid måste du göra din hemläxa väl. Här är några av de grunder som du bör känna till innan du väljer de bästa mynten att handla på marknaden med.

Mäklare för Cryptocurrency Test

En av de första sakerna du måste titta efter i de bästa valutorna som finns på marknaden är deras inflationsgrad. För att förstå detta måste du först förstå vad inflation är. Inflation är helt enkelt en ökning av priserna utan att varor och tjänster minskar. Till exempel är en enårig dollar värd mycket mer om några månader, eller hur? Så om du väljer att investera i de bästa råvarorna för det här århundradet vore det klokt att hålla utkik efter de valutor som enligt prognoserna kommer att uppleva den högsta inflationen under de kommande tio åren.

Ett annat grundläggande övervägande när det gäller att investera i de bästa valutorna är deras historik när det gäller handel och gruvdrift. Man kan inte bara välja vilket gammalt system som helst att investera i idag. Det finns hundratusentals valutor som handlas på marknaden och endast ett fåtal utvalda är lönsamma. Därför är det nödvändigt att du forskar väl om de olika systemen som finns tillgängliga för att veta vilket av de tillgängliga kryptosystemen som är det bästa att investera i.

Ett av de enklaste sätten att avgöra vilken av de bästa valutorna att investera i är genom att titta på den underliggande tillgångens egenskaper. Detta kallas tillgångens egenskaper och de är kända som Ripples. Låt oss ta en titt på två exempel på de bästa valutorna att investera i under det kommande decenniet. Den första typen av tillgång är aktier. Ett index som följer värdet av olika typer av företag kallas aktier. Så om vi tittar på de tio främsta valutorna som kommer att styra aktiemarknadens värde i framtiden är det troligt att dollarn kommer att fortsätta sin uppgång eftersom värdet på aktier i USA och Europa förväntas stiga.

Den andra typen av tillgångar är guld. Det finns en stor sannolikhet för att guldpriset kommer att stiga under det kommande decenniet. Om du håller på med handel och inte har teknisk kunskap om vilken av de bästa valutorna du ska investera i bör du prova de bästa kryptovalutorna som sannolikt kommer att öka i värde under detta årtionde. Bland de möjliga valutorna att investera i Mäklare för Cryptocurrency Test finns euron, den japanska yenen, den australiska dollarn, schweiziska francen, den kanadensiska dollarn och det brittiska pundet. Var och en av dessa valutor har sina egna för- och nackdelar och du bör noggrant studera dem innan du investerar i dem.

Även om det är lätt att bli lockad av de dåliga nyheterna om att investera i kryptovalutor finns det ingen dålig investering när det gäller mynt. Anledningen till detta är att de flesta investerare som är nya i den här branschen slutar med att förlora sina pengar eftersom de inte har rätt kunskap om vilka av de bästa valutorna de ska investera i. Så när du letar efter de bästa valutorna att investera i är det viktigt att du blir bekant med alla dessa. Detta beror på att endast genom att bli en registrerad användare av en onlinehandelsplats kan du få tillgång till alla de bästa kryptovalutorna som finns tillgängliga i världen idag.

Det finns många fördelar som är förknippade med att investera i de bästa kryptokurvorna, bland annat det faktum att de handlas på den globala marknaden. Därför är det lätt att handla med de bästa valutorna och du kan också förvänta dig god avkastning. Att investera i de bästa valutorna kräver dock att du lär dig hur systemet fungerar, grunderna i ekonomi och företagsledning. Om du till exempel är en investerare som är ny på att investera på altcoin-marknaden, är det bättre om du får hjälp av professionella personer som experter och handlare.

Det finns många fördelar som du kan njuta av när du investerar i de bästa valutorna i världen. En av dessa är att när du väljer de bästa kryptosurferna kan du vara säker på att värdet på din investering alltid kommer att vara stabilt. Eftersom värdet på varje mynt varierar beroende på utbud och efterfrågan är det viktigt att du investerar i de bästa valutorna och sedan handlar med dem enligt dina behov. När värdet på en valuta fluktuerar kan du alltså enkelt sälja dina tillgångar och investera i de nya.

Det bästa sättet att investera i de bästa kryptosurfarna är att se till att du är välinformerad om de olika faktorer som påverkar värdet på ett visst mynt och du har också en expert som kan lära dig hur du väljer de bästa valutorna att investera i. När du vill göra vinster från handeln med den bästa kryptosurf bör du alltså se till att du utbildar dig om marknadens ekonomi och affärsmodeller. Här är nästa intressanta blogginlägg: Vilka Bitcoin-program.

The post Mäklare för Cryptocurrency Test Erfarenheter first appeared on Hur man använder kryptovalutor på rätt sätt.


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Handelsplattform Bitcoin Test Erfarenheter

08 Jul

Att välja Handelsplattform Bitcoin Test de bästa kryptosystem som finns på marknaden är en mycket viktig aspekt av handeln. Om du inte är medveten om detta kan det sluta med att du förlorar mycket pengar i det långa loppet. Om du vill göra mest vinst på kortast möjliga tid måste du göra din hemläxa väl. Här är några av de grunder som du bör känna till innan du väljer de bästa mynten att handla på marknaden med.

Handelsplattform Bitcoin Test

En av de första sakerna du måste titta efter i de bästa valutorna som finns på marknaden är deras inflationsgrad. För att förstå detta måste du först förstå vad inflation är. Inflation är helt enkelt en ökning av priserna utan att varor och tjänster minskar. Till exempel är en enårig dollar värd mycket mer om några månader, eller hur? Så om du väljer att investera i de bästa råvarorna för det här århundradet vore det klokt att hålla utkik efter de valutor som enligt prognoserna kommer att uppleva den högsta inflationen under de kommande tio åren.

Ett annat grundläggande övervägande när det gäller att investera i de bästa valutorna är deras historik när det gäller handel och gruvdrift. Man kan inte bara välja vilket gammalt system som helst att investera i idag. Det finns hundratusentals valutor som handlas på marknaden och endast ett fåtal utvalda är lönsamma. Därför är det nödvändigt att du forskar väl om de olika systemen som finns tillgängliga för att veta vilket av de tillgängliga kryptosystemen som är det bästa att investera i.

Ett av de enklaste sätten att avgöra vilken av de bästa valutorna att investera i är genom att titta på den underliggande tillgångens egenskaper. Detta kallas tillgångens egenskaper och de är kända som Ripples. Låt oss ta en titt på två exempel på de bästa valutorna att investera i under det kommande decenniet. Den första typen av tillgång är aktier. Ett index som följer värdet av olika typer av företag kallas aktier. Så om vi tittar på de tio främsta valutorna som kommer att styra aktiemarknadens värde i framtiden är det troligt att dollarn kommer att fortsätta sin uppgång eftersom värdet på aktier i USA och Europa förväntas stiga.

Den andra typen av tillgångar är guld. Det finns en stor sannolikhet för att guldpriset kommer att stiga under det kommande decenniet. Om du håller på med handel och inte har teknisk kunskap om vilken av de bästa valutorna du ska investera i bör du prova de bästa kryptovalutorna som sannolikt kommer att öka i värde under detta årtionde. Bland de möjliga valutorna att investera i Handelsplattform Bitcoin Test finns euron, den japanska yenen, den australiska dollarn, schweiziska francen, den kanadensiska dollarn och det brittiska pundet. Var och en av dessa valutor har sina egna för- och nackdelar och du bör noggrant studera dem innan du investerar i dem.

Även om det är lätt att bli lockad av de dåliga nyheterna om att investera i kryptovalutor finns det ingen dålig investering när det gäller mynt. Anledningen till detta är att de flesta investerare som är nya i den här branschen slutar med att förlora sina pengar eftersom de inte har rätt kunskap om vilka av de bästa valutorna de ska investera i. Så när du letar efter de bästa valutorna att investera i är det viktigt att du blir bekant med alla dessa. Detta beror på att endast genom att bli en registrerad användare av en onlinehandelsplats kan du få tillgång till alla de bästa kryptovalutorna som finns tillgängliga i världen idag.

Det finns många fördelar som är förknippade med att investera i de bästa kryptokurvorna, bland annat det faktum att de handlas på den globala marknaden. Därför är det lätt att handla med de bästa valutorna och du kan också förvänta dig god avkastning. Att investera i de bästa valutorna kräver dock att du lär dig hur systemet fungerar, grunderna i ekonomi och företagsledning. Om du till exempel är en investerare som är ny på att investera på altcoin-marknaden, är det bättre om du får hjälp av professionella personer som experter och handlare.

Det finns många fördelar som du kan njuta av när du investerar i de bästa valutorna i världen. En av dessa är att när du väljer de bästa kryptosurferna kan du vara säker på att värdet på din investering alltid kommer att vara stabilt. Eftersom värdet på varje mynt varierar beroende på utbud och efterfrågan är det viktigt att du investerar i de bästa valutorna och sedan handlar med dem enligt dina behov. När värdet på en valuta fluktuerar kan du alltså enkelt sälja dina tillgångar och investera i de nya.

Det bästa sättet att investera i de bästa kryptosurfarna är att se till att du är välinformerad om de olika faktorer som påverkar värdet på ett visst mynt och du har också en expert som kan lära dig hur du väljer de bästa valutorna att investera i. När du vill göra vinster från handeln med den bästa kryptosurf bör du alltså se till att du utbildar dig om marknadens ekonomi och affärsmodeller. Här är nästa intressanta blogginlägg: Bitcoin plånbok Köp.

The post Handelsplattform Bitcoin Test Erfarenheter first appeared on Hur man använder kryptovalutor på rätt sätt.


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Roger Cicala: why I don’t use an MTF bench to test my own lenses

25 Oct
Roughly clockwise from left: 300mm collimator, laser transmission testing, lens test projector, Trioptics Imagemaster HR optical bench, spectrometry measurement. It might not look like much, but the total cost is similar to really nice house in a small city (or a decent house in big city).

I have a complete testing lab at my disposal: MTF benches, lens test projectors, spectrometers, lasers, an Imatest setup gathering dust in a back room; everything all the cool kids have. A lot of people assume I test the hell out of my own shiny new personal lenses after I buy them. (Yes, I buy my own stuff). I do test them, but not in the lab. I go out and take pictures with them.

It’s not because I’m such a great photographer that my practiced eye can tell more about the lens through photographs than any lab test could. I’m a mediocre photographer. Years ago I tried making a living as a photographer. I sold some prints once, made enough to pay for maybe half a lens, and after another six months without a sale I decided to explore other methods of supporting my extravagant lifestyle.

The lab is faster, gives tons of information, and makes cool graphs. But I still don’t use it to test my personal lenses

It’s not because the lab stuff doesn’t give useful information. The lab gives a LOT of useful information. Most people don’t have time to learn how to interpret it, or learn its value and limitations, but it’s useful information nonetheless. And the lab is fast; I can test a lens about 32 different ways in a couple of hours. My ‘test a lens with photography’ time is a half a day or more. So the lab is faster, gives tons of information, and makes cool graphs. But I still don’t use it to test my personal lenses.

Lab tests give a ton of precise information. Understanding and interpreting it is, I’ll admit, not completely intuitive.

That’s because all lab tests have some major limitations. The biggest one is this: real images are 3-dimensional, they are focused at a variety of distances, and almost always contain foregrounds and backgrounds. Optical tests are two-dimensional slices taken at a fixed focusing distance with no background or foreground. The focusing distance is infinity for an optical bench. It’s a single, close distance for Imatest / DxO / and other computer image analysis methods.

So, the lab tests tell me everything I want to know about the plane of exact best focus at one focusing distance. That’s really useful information, especially if you want to find out if a lens is optically maladjusted, want to know what kind of aberrations it has, or are interested in its maximum resolution. And it gives people numbers – the ammunition of choice in many a Forum War.

Even a three-dimensional standard comparison image, such as the kind that DPReview and other sites use, is basically limited to one focusing distance. That distance is different for different focal lengths but it’s always fairly close up. And, if it’s an indoor target, the depth of those targets is usually only a few feet at most; it’s not going to show you what the out of focus area 30 feet behind the image plane looks like.

What I actually do to test a new lens

Photographs give me far more information than the lab, even if it’s less exact. I don’t recommend brick wall or side-of-building photographs. Those are just 2-dimensional slices like the lab gives, but with more variables and less information. I want photographs of 3-dimensional subjects.

With the right background (I prefer a field or yard of grass) you can quickly compare resolution at a half-dozen focusing distances. Sure, some lenses are about the same at all distances, but many are not. No zoom lens is equally sharp at all focal lengths. My favorite grass field is a hill behind my office that slopes up away from me. I focus on the mower tracks and quickly get images at several focusing distances.

Simple grass slope image taken with a Canon 50mm F1.2 lens at F1.4.

Grass (or pebbles or concrete or all manner of things that make fairly uniform photographs filled with fine detail) are great for figuring out the zone of acceptable sharpness (for you) of a lens.

Repeating this set of images at several apertures lets me see at what aperture maximum center, middle, and edge sharpness occur (those are almost always different). It’s good to know things like there’s maximum center sharpness at F4 and the edges are at maximal sharpness at F6.3 or F8 or that they never get very sharp.

Grass is also great because it gives you a nice sharpness comparison as you leave the area of best focus. I also recommend looking at what you consider the depth of field at each aperture and focusing distance. Depth of field is not an area of maximal sharpness. It is an area of acceptable sharpness; there is greater and lesser sharpness within the depth of field. Your definitions of ‘acceptable sharpness’ in your images may be greater, or less, than the calculated depth of field.

You rarely see dramatic changes in a prime lens’ field curvature at different focusing distances, but you will usually see a dramatic change in a zoom’s field curvature at different focal lengths

More importantly, some lenses fall off of the sharpness cliff as they exit their area of maximal sharpness, others drift so slowly down the gentle sharpness slope that it really does seem as if the entire depth of field is maximally sharp. Also, that sharpness slope often changes at different apertures. Those are all good things to know.

The other thing I do is to take some of my grass images and run them through a Photoshop ‘Find Edges’ filter or equivalent. This will let you visualize the field curvature of your lens and see how it varies at different focal lengths or focusing distances. (Pro tip: you rarely see dramatic change in a prime lens’ field curvature at different focusing distances. You will, however, usually see a dramatic change in a zoom’s field curvature at different focal lengths.) That’s really useful information that few people know about their lenses. The find edges type filters are also a good way to look at depth of field at various apertures or with different lenses.

Same image as above (Canon 50mm F1.2) run through a find edges filter – the field curvature is obvious.
Field curvature of Canon 50mm F1.2 as measured on an optical bench. You get about the same information from the grass photo and find edges filter as you would from the $ 250,000 optical bench.

Grass shots also give you a superb way to see if your lens is softer in one area or if the field is tilted. The grass image above is very slightly tilted, an amount that’s about normal for a good prime lens. A more dramatic field curvature might look as though you’d rotated the dark area 15 or 20 degrees in Photoshop.

About half the people who take building or brick wall images and think their lens is ‘decentered’ actually have a lens with a field tilt; the lens is equally sharp on both sides, but not at the same distance as center focus. It’s actually very hard to detect a field tilt by shooting a chart and evaluating a two-dimensional image.

A large field tilt in a prime lens is unusual while a field tilt at some focal lengths of a zoom is pretty common. (I’ve seen 45 degree field tilts in zooms, but 10 degrees or so is routine.) If you return your zoom lens to the store for exchange, the replacement will probably have a different field tilt at another focal length.

People like to talk about a lens’ bokeh like it’s one thing, but bokeh often varies

If the lens is one for which I consider bokeh important, I use the a Bokelizer. Basically, this is a couple of strings of tiny Christmas lights hung in a three-dimensional pattern. I take some images at various focusing distances and evaluate the foreground and background in-focus highlights, as well as the in-focus lights. People like to talk about a lens’ bokeh like it’s one thing, but bokeh often varies in the foreground vs the background, at different focusing distances, and depending on how far off-center the object is for many lenses.

Why do I look at in-focus lights, since they have nothing to do with out-of-focus highlights? Because comparing pinpoint light sources is a superb way to see if the lens is optically maladjusted. ‘Optically maladjusted’ means a lens that has a decentered, tilted or poorly spaced element. On the forums, people often refer to all of these issues as ‘decentering’ but that’s less than correct.

Illustrations of the various types of optical maladjustments. In reality, a given lens usually has several small errors, rather than one single large one.

Each of those optical maladjustments causes different optical problems and often they’re apparent when looking at pinpoint light sources. Looking at pinpoint light sources also gives you an idea of the coma and other aberrations that the lens displays by design.

This image was created from equipment in the repair department that basically just projects pinhole lights. You can easily see the difference between a good lens (upper half) and one that is slightly decentered (bottom half).

Once I’m done with the stuff above, I go out and take the kinds of pictures that I bought the lens for. But the hour or two needed for the checks above gave me a lot of information about how to best use the lens’ strengths and weaknesses before I set off to shoot. It also shows me if the lens is optically maladjusted, and there’s no sense taking a bunch of photographs if I already know I’m going to return the lens.

Will taking pictures tell me if I got a copy that’s every bit as sharp as the copy Reviewer Guy got? Absolutely not. Does it let me spout numbers in ‘my lens is better than your lens’ Forum Wars? Again, no. But it certainly does tell me if the lens meets my expectations and will do the job I want it to do. Lab tests give me all manner of information, but they can’t tell me whether I’m going to like the images from the lens.

It doesn’t matter to me at all if I have the sharpest copy of a lens or not. I just want to know if it’s acceptable for the purposes I want to use it for

To be completely honest, if I think the lens isn’t as sharp as I expect, then I may actually take it to the lab and measure it on the bench. I’ve done that maybe twice in the last ten years out of a few dozen lenses I’ve purchased, and both times it turned out that the lens wasn’t up to spec. So, really, I knew the answer without using the bench.

Photographic testing won’t tell you if your lens is among the sharpest copies of that lens, or if it’s in the top half of the variation range or things like that. If you want to know that, then really you need to pay someone to test the lens on a test bench. Why don’t I do that? Because it doesn’t matter to me at all if I have the sharpest copy or not. I just want to know if it’s acceptable to me for my purposes.


Roger Cicala is the founder of Lensrentals.com. He started by writing about the history of photography a decade ago, but now mostly writes about the testing, construction and repair of lenses and cameras. He follows Josh Billings’ philosophy: “It’s better to know nothing than to know what ain’t so.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon EOS R5 added to studio test scene

27 Jul

The Canon EOS R5 comes with a newly designed 45MP sensor that we were excited to get in front of our studio test. Here, we’ve put it up against some other high-megapixel heavyweights, but feel free to select the comparison camera of your choice and explore.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon EOS R6 added to studio test scene

22 Jul

As we charge ahead with our full review of the Canon EOS R6, we’ve had a chance to see how it performs in front of our studio test scene. See for yourself how its 20MP sensor stacks up, and let us know what you think in the comments.


Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors and detail types you’ll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lensrentals bought a $10K machine to test the flange-to-sensor distance of more than 2,500 cinema cameras

04 Jun

Roger Cicala and his team over at Lensrentals have made the most of their COVID-19 downtime by spending the past few months painstakingly measuring the flange-to-sensor distance of more than 2,500 cameras to see just how much variation there is from cinema camera to cinema camera (even identical models).

In the first of a two-part series on the testing and results, Roger breaks down why flange-to-sensor distance is important, details ‘how accurate is possible,’ explains how the Lensrental team went about testing and shares the first bits of data from the meticulous testing of popular cinema cameras.

This is what using a $ 10,000 Denz Flange Depth Controller looks like.

To achieve this testing, Roger invested in a Denz Flange Depth Controller, which costs about $ 10,000 and can measure flange depth to the nearest 0.01mm. Even after receiving the new equipment, he and Aaron spent a month confirming its accuracy before eventually training ‘Poor Ben’ on how to use the machine.

Over the following weeks, Ben ended up measuring and re-measuring the flange-to-sensor distance of more than 2,500 cameras worth roughly $ 10M (yes, million).

The red circles denote Canon Cinema cameras that had more variation than is to be expected for the flange-to-sensor distance.

For this first part of the series, Roger breaks down the spread of Canon Cinema Cameras, Sony Cinema Cameras, non-Canon EF-mount cameras and Blackmagic cameras to show just how much variation the models and individual cameras had. To his surprise, there were a few outliers, but as always, Roger seems to have gotten to the bottom of it and has learned through this testing that the Lensrentals team can and will be able to better screen these less-accurate cameras so everything going out their doors is up to snuff.

You can check out the full breakdown on the Lensrentals blog, linked below. Part two will be out in the near future and will address the flange-to-sensor distance of ‘SLR style’ camera bodies.

Lensrentals: The Great Flange-to-Sensor Distance Article

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Olympus OM-D E-M1 III added to studio test scene comparison

23 May

We’re continuing to test the Olympus OM-D E-M1 III, the latest iteration of the company’s sports-focused camera. It inherits a number of features from its big E-M1X sibling, including a 80MP high-res mode. There’s more work to be done on our full review of the E-M1 III, but in the meantime you can now compare its studio test scene results with those of its peers.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Could your Canon camera transform video calls? We test EOS Webcam Utility

15 May
Looming. Yes, of course a Canon EOS-1D X Mark III will offer better image quality than the junk camera that’s built-in on my laptop. But for your sake, I hope you have a smaller compatible EOS camera laying around.

Canon recently announced the EOS Webcam Utility beta: software that will convert several of its recent cameras into webcams. All you need is a USB cable and a PC running Microsoft Windows 10. Since we’re all stuck inside right now, and our laptops all have horrible built-in webcams (and no, not even a shiny new Apple Macbook Pro includes anything at all decent), we figured we’d take a quick look at the software to see if it’s any good.

I happened to have Canon’s EOS-1D X Mark III handy, although I’ll be the first to admit it’s not the most practical camera for this type of use (my personal M100 isn’t supported, and as expected, didn’t work when I tried it). Still, in the end, I’m pleased to say the 1D worked pretty darn well.

The software installation went smoothly. After you run the installer, you just restart your computer, power on your camera, set your desired exposure, white balance and autofocus settings (you can’t control them from the computer), and then plug it in via USB. I expected to have to open a dedicated Canon app to check compatibility, but you only need to open your videoconferencing app of choice, go to video settings and select ‘EOS Webcam Utility Beta’ from a dropdown list where your existing webcam lives.

You may find, as I did, that the difference in image quality is pretty striking.

I think the fact that the internal webcam makes it look like I’ve shaved much more recently than I actually have is a mark in its favor. I guess I could slather some Vaseline onto the front element of the Canon lens for a similar effect, though then you wouldn’t be able to see my cat-themed mousepad in all its glory. 1D X III photo captured using a 24mm F2.8 lens at F2.8.

My test computer is my well-specced HP Envy 13 ultrabook with an 8th gen Intel i7 and a dedicated graphics processor, and so it’s clear that good core specs don’t mean you automatically get a good webcam. (And yes, I wiped off the lens before giving this a go.) For more flattering results I could definitely raise my laptop a fair bit and make sure that the lighting is better, but I’ll admit that I’m still impressed at the difference a ‘real’ camera makes.

In my testing, I was able to get the EOS-1D X III working with Zoom as well as Skype, though for some reason, I had to uninstall and reinstall Skype (downloaded from the actual Skype site) to get the camera to show up as an option. It still doesn’t work with our work videoconferencing service (Amazon Chime – full disclosure, DPReview is an editorially independent subsidiary of Amazon), and I haven’t been able to test Microsoft Teams yet.

After re-installing Skype on my computer, it worked great; Chime, not so much.

Canon’s software is still in beta, and I fully expect compatibility and reliability to improve in the coming weeks and months. I think the bigger question is, if you are so fortunate to be able to work remotely during the pandemic, how good do you really need your webcam to be?

As I mentioned in an image caption earlier, the level of detail the EOS-1D X III captures relative to my built-in webcam means I’ll need to shave a bit more regularly (this is probably a positive thing overall, I’ll admit). I’m also in the midst of moving house, so my workspace is messy and I don’t want that to be visible, though a different lens would help somewhat. Plus, some software (like Microsoft’s Teams) can blur backgrounds already, and Zoom lets you insert in a virtual background of your choosing.

If it’s important to you or you have a smaller-sensor Canon camera that won’t convincingly blur backgrounds, you can continue use your camera with Zoom’s ‘virtual background’ feature. Depending on your workplace, I recommend you use this feature with either caution or reckless abandon.

I will say that Canon’s Dual Pixel AF kept my face in perfect focus throughout my testing, so if you are into real bokeh more than the computational alternatives, using something like a 35mm F1.4 lens doesn’t mean your face will be a blur; just your surroundings. But the biggest barrier is likely to be just making sure you can work around the camera. In my case, that proved difficult.

For my current setup, I would have to move my desk away from the wall quite a bit or get a different mounting mechanism for the 1D X III to be a viable permanent webcam. Admittedly, I could get a compatible compact option like the Canon PowerShot G5 X II and a tiny Gorillapod and still get way better results than my laptop’s built-in camera (or I could even use a Sigma fp, which has a similar webcam feature). But at the end of the day, it’s all extra stuff to have on or around your desk. If your office area is anything like mine, it’s already pretty crowded.

Lastly, during a real-world test, a roughly 50-minute Zoom call drained more than 50% of the battery on the 1D X III I was using. Dedicated webcams that draw their power from your computer won’t have this issue, and other Canon cameras that charge over USB will presumably present less of a problem.

In the end, I have to applaud Canon for making the effort to create this software quickly enough to allow locked-down workers to take advantage of it. It’s free, it’s valuable, and it could really benefit a ton of people out there with minimal effort. It may not be the best solution for everyone, but for at-home workers that still need to keep up professional appearances, this is a fantastic option.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article mentioned that the EOS Webcam Utility beta was incompatible with Skype. Further experimentation showed this not to be true. The article has been updated and we regret the error.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Review: 2 K&F Concept Carbon Tripods Put to the Test

20 Jan

The post Review: 2 K&F Concept Carbon Tripods Put to the Test appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.

kf-concept-carbon-tripods

Recently, I was given 2 new K&F Concept Carbon tripods to test out.

Founded in 2011, K&F Concept is not a new player in the photographic industry, but they have wasted no time forging a name for themselves into a very niche market. Like most things coming out of China, their products are well designed, innovative and offer great value, so I was excited to get my hands on these tripods.

 

The TC2834L Explorer Series carbon tripod

First up is the K&F Concept TC2834L Explorer Series carbon tripod with a CL40 ball head.

At a glance:

  • Material: Carbon Fiber
  • Net Weight: 1440g
  • Max Height: 1500mm
  • Height without Central Axis: 1235mm
  • Min Height: 430mm
  • Max load: 15kg
  • Price: $ 299.99 (at the time of writing)

Review: 2 K&F Concept Carbon Tripods Put to the Test

First thoughts

The tripod comes in a really nice carry bag with all the necessary Allen keys to maintain it. There are also a set of three screw spikes in the accessory bag that I wasn’t expecting.

My first thoughts were correct, and these were to replace the rubber grips on each leg for those times when you need a little more traction. Simply screw off the rubber pads and screw in the spikes. It’s super easy and a very nice addition that you won’t get with many other tripods.

k&f-concept-carbon-tripods

Locking system

K&F Concept has used twist-leg locks to reduce weight and folded size rather than the more traditional lever lock. Aside from the weight and size, the other advantage of the twist legs is their slick design. I have always found that levers tend to snag on the straps of my camera bag when trying to remove the tripod. Whilst, not a huge inconvenience, it generally results in me having a little wrestle with my camera bag.

With the twist-lock, you eliminate this issue.

The primary leg join is a very unique and innovative design that allows the photographer to get the camera as close to the ground as possible. You simply pull the red leaver out and tilt the legs up to one of the other two notches before pushing it back in to securely lock the legs in place.

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Tripod size

The tripod is made up of four carbon fiber sections to keep the weight to a minimum and keep it to a compact height.

One of the most notable aspects of the TC2834L is the lack of center column attached to the tripod. Instead, this comes as a separate section that needs to be screwed onto the tripod when needed. Whilst this achieves its goal of a more compact size tripod, it does mean an extra piece to carry as the column doesn’t attach to the tripod (something that would have been nice to be able to do).

However, I haven’t found this to be a huge problem as the standard height of the tripod is 1235mm, which is more than an adequate hight. Plus, generally having a center column raised on a tripod, is not a great idea as it can mean camera shake through any sort of movement.

I never use this, so actually not having the center column means less weight to carry.

After feeling how light the tripod is, I was a little concerned that it may struggle to support a camera and a 70-200mm lens in anything less than perfect conditions.

Thankfully, I was proved wrong. It proved to be very steady and held up as well as any other travel tripod I have used even in blustery conditions.

The tripod is made up of four carbon fiber sections to keep the weight to a minimum and keep it to a compact height.

One of the most notable aspects of the TC2834L is the lack of center column attached to the tripod. Instead, this comes as a separate section that needs to be screwed onto the tripod when needed. Whilst this achieves its goal of a more compact size tripod, it does mean an extra piece to carry as the column doesn’t attach to the tripod (something that would have been nice to be able to do).

However, I haven’t found this to be a huge problem as the standard height of the tripod is 1235mm, which is more than an adequate hight. Plus, generally having a center column raised on a tripod, is not a great idea as it can mean camera shake through any sort of movement.

I never use this, so actually not having the center column means less weight to carry.

After feeling how light the tripod is, I was a little concerned that it may struggle to support a camera and a 70-200mm lens in anything less than perfect conditions.

Thankfully, I was proved wrong. It proved to be very steady and held up as well as any other travel tripod I have used even in blustery conditions.

Review: 2 K&F Concept Carbon Tripods Put to the Test

Ball head

Sold separately to the tripod, the KF-LC40 ball head may just be the best ball head I have ever used! Beautifully designed for ease of use, the ball head has a slick feel.

It uses the Arca Swiss locking system, which is great as this has now become the universally preferred locking method. This means all your old accessories and L-brackets will work seamlessly with this ball head.

The cleverly designed locking lever is placed a little behind the nodal point, making it much easier to adjust when a camera is attached. It does make the ball head a little bigger, but it’s not an issue, and it allows extra space for more substantial support in the ball head.

However, it’s important to remember that the ball head is sold separately.

Review: 2 K&F Concept Carbon Tripods Put to the Test

Verdict

This is a fantastic sturdy, lightweight, pro-level compact tripod that is a joy to use and even easier to carry.

With a price of just $ 299.99 (remember, ball head sold separately) and 30 days, no-questions-asked return policy, there isn’t much to not love about this tripod.

Review: 2 K&F Concept Carbon Tripods Put to the Test

Lightweight Travel Tripod

Next up is the TC2634 (Blue) carbon fiber lightweight travel tripod;

At a glance:

  • Material: Carbon Fiber
  • Net Weight: 3.7 pounds
  • Max Height: 1500mm
  • Min Height: 430mm
  • Max load: 15kg
  • Price: $ 182.28

First thoughts

Like its bigger brother, this tripod also comes in a nice bag with all the same accessories. However, no spikes this time.

It’s amazingly lightweight and compact but still incredibly sturdy. This all makes this tripod perfect for a travel photographer.

You could easily carry this tripod around with you all day without any problem. This is a huge benefit for someone like me who leaves the hotel very early in the morning and ends up having to carry their tripod all day.

This tripod also has a great little trick up its sleeve. One of the legs detaches to become a stand-alone monopod. Just unscrew the ball head and attach the newly removed leg, and you are ready to shoot.

Monopods are great for busy cities and festivals, so it’s nice to have one as easily accessible as this is.

Review: 2 K&F Concept Carbon Tripods Put to the Test

Locking system

Like the TC2834L, the TC2634 uses a twist leg lock, which is great for all the reasons mentioned above. But what this tripod does differently is its 180-degree locking system that makes the tripod even smaller when packed away. It is a little fiddly to get the ball head in the correct spot to make sure all the legs lock closed to be as compact as possible, but you get used to the method after a few uses. This makes the folded up tripod just 430 mm in height!

k&f-concept-carbon-tripods

Tripod size

Given the compact size of this tripod, you could be mistaken for thinking it is going to be pretty small and not sturdy. This is certainly not the case. Whilst it is not as sturdy as the larger TC2834L, it held up fantastically well in all conditions except a fairly fast flowing river where there was some noticeable shake.

However, I expected that, as this tripod is not designed for that purpose. You can’t have super compact and lightweight without some sacrifices. To help avoid any shake issues, the center column has a hook that can be weighted down to add extra stability.

With the 180-degree leg locking system, it means you can get your camera as low to the floor as you wish. The camera will be upside down, but that’s nothing a rotate tool won’t fix in post-production.

k&f-concept-carbon-tripods

Ball head

This is a very sturdy and well-designed Arca Swiss 360-degree ball head. It’s a little smaller than I would normally like, but this doesn’t affect performance in any way. Unlike the previous tripod, the ball head is included with this tripod, making this an even more attractive option.

Review: 2 K&F Concept Carbon Tripods Put to the Test

Verdict

This tripod is quite a lot smaller than what I normally work with, so I was a little skeptical beforehand. But it turned out to be great, and I really enjoy using it. So much so that I will be adding it to my own photography kit.

It’s a great option for a city break and offers more than enough support for the DSLR or mirrorless systems.

Review: 2 K&F Concept Carbon Tripods Put to the Test

Overall

I have had my existing tripod for almost 15 years, and I never thought that I would replace it with anything other than just a newer model when it was time.

But having tested these tripods, I must confess that I am now using them instead of my existing tripod.

Note: The author was given these tripods and ball heads free of charge to test and was offered no incentives. This review is an unbiased opinion of his experience in using the products provided.

The post Review: 2 K&F Concept Carbon Tripods Put to the Test appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.


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Gear review: 3 K&F Concept Camera Bags Put To The Test

16 Jan

The post Gear review: 3 K&F Concept Camera Bags Put To The Test appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.

K&F-concept-camera-bags

In this gear review, I have tested out 3 different types of K&F Concept camera bags so you can see their differences and whether they would suit your needs.

Regardless of which camera you have or whether you are a professional or amateur, a good camera bag is one of the essential purchases that you need to make. After all, it is what will carry your expensive equipment around and keep it safe and dry.

However, it is also essential that your camera bag is comfortable to wear. There’s nothing worse than carrying all that weight on your back for hours on end and being uncomfortable.

Over time as you buy more camera equipment, your camera bag will need to change. Or you may need different types of bags for different scenarios. But what should you buy first? With so many different types of bags out there, the choice is endless.

K&F-concept-camera-bags

The three K&F Concept camera bags

1. Travel Sling Bag

The first of the three K&F Concept camera bags is the K&F camera sling backpack. This pack is the perfect unassuming, easy-to-carry backpack for those who don’t own a lot of camera equipment.

The sling bag easily and securely holds a DSLR and two lenses in a padded and removable inner bag.

One of the great things about this sling bag is you can remove the inner bag to use the bag as a normal backpack. Or you can remove the bag whilst shooting to have quick and easy access to your lenses. That way, you don’t have to open and close the bag constantly.

The sling bag has enough additional space to hold a 13” laptop and any other little bits you may have, such as memory cards, lenses cleaners, and phone as well as a water bottle holder on the side.

Measuring at just 41 x 27 x 13cm, the bag is small and compact enough to have on your back in those busy situations like events and festivals where a big bag would be cumbersome. It is also made of waterproof and anti-wrinkle nylon with double stitching for added durability and shock/vibration absorbing inner padding. So this lightweight bag (just 0.8kg net weight) will keep your expensive equipment safe whatever you get up to.

Who’s this for?

This bag is ideal for a photographer with only a small amount of kit who wants to travel light, but safe in the knowledge their equipment will be protected and secure.

At the time of writing, this bag is priced at $ 39.99, making it an ideal bag for a first-time buyer who doesn’t want to spend a fortune on a camera bag. But it will also benefit those who may want an additional smaller bag to support their bigger day-to-day bag.

K&F-concept-camera-bags

2. Fashion Outdoor Backpack

The first thing I noticed about this K&F fashion camera backpack is that it doesn’t look like a camera bag. This is great for two reasons; firstly, it looks great and is useful in those situations where you may want to look a little smarter in your appearance – for example, at a wedding. But more importantly, because it doesn’t draw attention to the fact that you have thousands of dollars of camera equipment on your back.

Split into two main areas, the bottom of the bag has 10mm padded dividers with enough space to hold a large DSLR and 3 lenses – easily accessible from the back and side – while the top section of the bag has sufficient room to hold personal items such as a 13” laptop.

The exterior of the backpack has a side-mounted tripod strap and enough storage to hold all your extra bits and pieces.

Another great thing about this pack is the side access that allows you to take out your camera equipment without having to take the bag off.

The exterior is scratch, tear and water-resistant, but you also get a rain/dust cover for more severe weather conditions. The breathable air-mesh back and shoulder straps make this bag incredibly comfortable to carry all day even when you have it fully loaded.

Who’s this for?

This bag is great for the photographer who has a few lenses and sometimes carries a tripod with them. However, it is also for someone who doesn’t want to shout out to the world that they have camera equipment with them. Anyone traveling in some parts of the world could benefit from a bag such as this.

K&F-concept-camera-bags

3. Large DSLR Camera backpack

Number three of the K&F Concept camera bags is the K&F large DSLR backpack, which is the biggest bag in the range.

With sufficient room (25 liters) for two large DSLR bodies, five to six lenses, and flash, it will serve anyone from the serious hobbyist to professionals.

With enough pockets to hold your filters, batteries and memory cards and a back-mounted tripod holder, this pack has enough room for even those with lots of equipment. It can be opened fully from the back but also has easy access at the top of the bag for those times when you need more discreet and quick access to your camera.

The K&F Concept large DSLR backpack comes with a range of shock and vibration separators that, like the other bags, can be arranged perfectly to snuggly and safely fit all your gear. Made from quality splash and tear-resistant nylon with its unique stitching and tension technology, it ensures load-bearing areas won’t rip or become frayed.

One of the most important elements of a bag this size is that it has to be comfortable to wear for long periods. The back and straps of this bag are breathable and padded. When used with the chest and hip straps, it can help reduce the weight on your shoulders. This pack also comes with the rain/dust cover as well.

Who’s this for?

Whilst clearly designed with professionals in mind, this backpack would also make a great bag for any level photographer. It gives you plenty of room for when you expand your equipment.

K&F-concept-camera-bags

Conclusion

I have never been one to promote buying lots of equipment or accessories; however, camera bags are a vital part of my set up. I have a few different sized bags for various scenarios. Because sometimes it’s not feasible to carry a big backpack with me.

These 3 K&F Concept camera bags are a good example of a set that would serve a photographer well throughout their photography journey. The great thing is that you’ll probably end up re-using your bags for years to come.

Note: The author was given these K&F Concept camera bags free of charge to test and was offered no incentives. This review is an unbiased opinion of his experience in using the products provided.

What is your favorite camera bag/pack? Have you tried any of these packs? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section!

The post Gear review: 3 K&F Concept Camera Bags Put To The Test appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.


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