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Posts Tagged ‘Than’

Thieves steal more than $50,000 in equipment from camera store in less than a minute

24 Dec

This past week, Hunt’s Photo and Video, a small camera store located in Manchester, New Hampshire, had thousands of dollars worth of camera gear stolen from its stands and cases overnight.

Detailed in a video produced by NBC10 Boston, CCTV footage shows four thieves breaking through the front of the store with the help of an axe. Once the entrance is cleared, the thieves run inside with four containers and smash the display cases to access the gear. The thieves subsequently fill each container with thousands of dollars in camera equipment and slide them across the floor as they make their way towards the exit.

In less than a minute, the smash and grab netted the thieves more than $ 50,000 in equipment, according to Mike Mitchell, VP of Hunt’s Photo and Video. The high quality CCTV footage captured a partial identification on one of the thieves when their mask was lifted, but hasn’t led to any definitive identifications as of the publication of this video.

Four months prior to this break-in, Hunt’s experienced a nearly identical break-in wherein the thieves made off with another $ 50,000 in gear. Local authorities are working alongside Hunt’s Photo and Video to identify and capture the suspects and believe the two break-ins are related to each other.

DPReview has contacted Hunt’s for more information on what was stolen and what the serial numbers are. This article will be updated accordingly if Hunt’s responds with the information.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review – Better than the Mavic Pro?

09 Dec

The post Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review – Better than the Mavic Pro? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

1 - Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review - Better than the Mavic Pro?

Slowly but surely I’ve begun to set my sights higher when it comes to my photography. Literally. I got my first real taste of aerial photography/videography a few months ago when I used the DJI Mavic Pro drone for the first time. A whole new world opened up with a brilliant “aha” moment when I realized that a bird’s eye perspective can lend itself to an incredible expansion of creative ideas.

So when the good folks at DJI asked me to have a go at their Mavic Air drone…it was difficult to say no.

Being primarily a landscape and wilderness photographer, the super-small size of the Mavic Air made it immediately appealing, as did the fact that the imaging performance was rumored to be on par with that of its larger cousin, the Mavic Pro and Mavic 2 Pro.

Sit back, relax, and let’s have a look at the incredibly capable, incredibly small Mavic Air drone from DJI.

Out of the box

Opening up the package for the DJI Mavic Air Drone proved to be an exercise true to the drone’s namesake. The Air is surprisingly small and most of all, lightweight. I was honestly taken aback at just how minute of a profile the aircraft presented; easily fitting in the palm of my hand.

2 - Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review - Better than the Mavic Pro?

In fact, the AIR isn’t much larger than the provided radio controller.

3 - Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review - Better than the Mavic Pro?

Visually, the drone is beautiful. My test model came in “Alpine White” color but red and black flavors are also available.

4 - Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review - Better than the Mavic Pro?

The Mavic Air is simply a great looking drone in this color scheme. Of course, form should always follow function.

Here’s a list of the key aircraft specifications for the Mavic Air:

  • Folded Dimensions(L×W×H): 6.6″x 3.3″x1.9″(168×83×49mm)
  • UnfoldedmDimensions(L×W×H): 6.6″x 7.2″x 2.5″(168×184×64mm)
  • Flight Vision Senors: Downward, Forward, Backward
  • Controllable Gimbal Range: Tilt: -90° to 0° (default setting),-90° to +17° (extended)

Build quality

Even though the Mavic AIR is admittedly small, the build quality is extremely sturdy. The drone does not feel flimsy at all. Throughout my tests and a couple of crashes (sorry DJI), this little drone sustained little more than a few scrapes and scratches.

5 - Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review - Better than the Mavic Pro?

6 - Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review - Better than the Mavic Pro?

In terms of build quality, the Mavic Air feels less substantial than it’s big brother, the Mavic Pro (and 2 Pro). The overall quality is apparent. I would not worry about the Mavic Air being capable of surviving extended (and turbulent) fly time.

Flight performance and handling

If you’re like me, anything that has a “Sport Mode” function makes you extremely excited. More on that fun little feature in just minute, but first let’s discuss how the Mavic Air handles…well…in the air.

The DJI Mavic Air Drone has a maximum horizontal flight speed of 17.9mph (28.8kph) which is just a tad slower than the DJI’s new Mavic 2 Pro, which clocks a blistering 44.7mph (72kph) and is even more sluggish than the 31mph (50kph) speed of the DJI Spark. These numbers, however, are slightly deceptive as the relatively sloth-like horizontal speeds of the Air are all in “P-Mode”, which could be considered the mode best for general flight.

Where the Mavic Air really earns it’s wings (haha drone humor) is when it’s Sport Mode is engaged. This kicks the Mavic Air’s top horizontal speed up to a hearty 42.5mph (68.4kph). Here’s a quick video of the Mavic Air in Sport Mode. To be honest, the acceleration when in Sport Mode would make the Millennium Falcon a little bit jealous.

I absolutely love the Sport Mode of the Air because it allowed me to use P-Mode for the majority of my flying time to conserve battery life. At the same time, I knew that I could really stomp the gas to fly into or out of trouble extremely quickly.

Overall, the handling of the Air was responsive and accurate during radio control although not as snappy as the Mavic Pro.

Speaking of radio control, I want to take a moment to give the remote control of the Mavic Air a little bit of love. Not only does the controller feel great both with and without my mobile device mounted but it also features removal joysticks. This makes the controller even more packable.

A small feature but one that speaks volumes to the amount of thought DJI put into making the Mavic Air truly user-friendly.

7 - Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review - Better than the Mavic Pro?

8 - Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review - Better than the Mavic Pro?

The ascent speed of 9.84fts (3ms) was actually more comfortable and controllable for my personal tastes when compared to the meteoric 16.4fts (5ms) of the Mavic Pro.

Here are a few more important performance specifications for the Mavic Air:

  • Maximum Descent Speed: 6.56 ft/s / 2 m/s
  • Maximum Wind Resistance: 23.61 mph / 38 km/h
  • Flight Ceiling: 16,404′ / 5000 m
  • Maximum Flight Time: 21 Minutes
  • Maximum Hover Time: 20 Minutes

Camera performance

The proof is in the pudding as they say and the Mavic Air produced some beautiful video and stills with its 12MP camera. Some useful specs of the Mavic Air camera are as follows (provided by DJI):

  • Sensor: 1/2.3” CMOS
  • Lens FOV: 85°
  • 35 mm Format Equivalent: 24 mm
  • Aperture: f/2.8
  • Shooting Range: 0.5m to infinity
  • ISO Range Video: 100 – 3200 (auto),100 – 3200 (manual)
  • Photo ISO Range: 100 – 1600 (auto),100 – 3200 (manual)
  • Shutter Speed Electronic Shutter: 8 – 1/8000s
  • Still Image Size: 4:3(4056×3040),16:9:(4056×2280)
  • Burst shooting: 3/5/7 frames
  • Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 3/5 bracketed frames at 0.7EV Bias

 

  • Video Resolution 4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160 24/25/30p
  • 2.7K: 2720×1530 24/25/30/48/50/60p
  • FHD: 1920×1080 24/25/30/48/50/60/120p
  • HD: 1280×720 24/25/30/48/50/60/120p
  • Max Video Bitrate 100Mbps
  • Supported File System FAT32
  • Photo Format JPEG/DNG (RAW)
  • Video Format MP4/MOV (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC)

9 - Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review - Better than the Mavic Pro?

10 - Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review - Better than the Mavic Pro?

Here’s a quick video short made using the Mavic Air. Shot in 1080P at 30fps:

Another extremely convenient feature that bears mentioning about the Mavic Air is the inclusion of an 8GB internal “last ditch” memory storage. This bit of built-in memory is an incredibly practical way to ensure that you aren’t completely immobilized by either a forgotten or full memory card. During one of my flights, I managed to fill up my micro SD card, and the 8GB of internal storage really saved the day. Especially if it had been crucial that I finished shooting the scene at the time.

Final thoughts on the DJI Mavic Air

How to best characterize the Mavic Air?

I will admit that before I received the Air I was under the impression that it was going to be a step down from the Mavic Pro I had tested previously.

This is simply not the case.

In fact, I can confidently say that I prefer the Mavic Air to the Mavic Pro based on my testing.

The Mavic Air is extremely compact while still packing in the imaging power of it’s larger cousins. It looks great and can hold its own while in flight.

And that Sport Mode….sheesh.

If you’re looking for an extremely portable yet powerful drone for your aerial photography and videography needs that won’t break the bank, I strongly suggest you have a look at the DJI Mavic Air Drone. It seems great things truly can come in small packages.

Have you used the DJI Mavic Air Drone? If so, share with us your thoughts in the comments below.

The post Gear: DJI Mavic Air Drone Review – Better than the Mavic Pro? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.


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Canon 400mm F2.8L IS III and 600mm F4L IS III are lighter than predecessors

05 Sep

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Amid its full-frame mirrorless announcements, Canon has also made room for some L-series lens updates. Canon has focused on reducing weight and so its EF 400mm F2.8L IS III USM and EF 600mm F4L IS III USM both lay claim to the title of “world’s lightest” in their respective focal lengths. The 400mm F2.8 has shed 1kg / 2.2lb and the 600mm F4 is 0.86kg / 1.9lb lighter. Both lenses feature advanced coatings, improved image stabilization and circular nine-blade apertures.

The Canon EF 400mm F2.8L IS III USM will sell for $ 12,000 and the Canon EF 600mm F4L IS III USM is priced at $ 13,000. Both lenses will ship in December 2018.

Press release

Canon Redesigns Premium L-Series Super-Telephoto Lenses With Its New EF 400MM F/2.8L IS III USM AND EF 600MM F/4L IS III USM Lenses

New Compact and Lightweight EF Super-Telephoto Lenses Are Well Suited for a Variety of Photographers’ Needs

MELVILLE, N.Y., September 5, 2018 – Most professional photographers need to carry multiple lenses in their camera bags. Helping to lighten their load, Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, introduces two new super-telephoto lenses, the EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM and EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM. Both lenses possess a dramatic weight reduction and high-image quality, making it ideal for shooters to easily transport and capture images during action-driven scenarios, such as sports and wildlife. Both lenses now hold the title of world’s lightest in their respective focal length*. The weight of the EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM and EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lenses has been reduced by 2.2 lbs. (more than 25 percent) and 1.9 lbs. (more than 20 percent) respectively.

“When developing updates to some of Canon’s most popular legacy lenses, one common question that is asked by photographers was ‘can they be lighter,’” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “The significant reduction of weight in these two lenses addresses this customer need and delivers thoughtfully designed, high-quality optics .”

The new lenses are must-haves for advanced and professional photographers shooting wildlife, aviation, sports and news with Canon’s new EOS R full-frame mirrorless camera (with use of one of the three new Canon mount adapters), as well the EOS 1D and 5D series of DSLR Cameras. Both lenses feature two of Canon’s most advanced propriety lens technologies – Air Sphere Coating (ASC) and Super Spectra Coating (SSC), helping to reduce flaring and ghosting, and suppressing the reflection of light, leading to vivid images. These updated lenses inherit the excellent overall build-quality and ruggedness photographers have come to expect and admire from the Canon EF L series of lenses. In addition, the minimum focusing distance has been improved for both lenses, from 2.7m to 2.5m (8.8ft to 8.2ft) for the EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM and 4.5m to 4.2m (14.8ft to 13.8ft) for the EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM.

Additional noteworthy features of the lenses include:

  • Upgraded Optical Image Stabilization from three-and-a-half stops to five shutter speed stops1 of correction over the previous f/2.8 lens
  • Improved, flexible focus control with a customizable electronic-focus ring
  • Two fluorite lenses and one super UD lens, helping to provide high image quality
  • Circular nine-blade aperture
  • 17 lens elements in 13 groups
  • Heat-shielding paint helps prevent lens temperature from rising during excessive exposure to sun
  • Fluorine coating on front and rear optical elements, helps to reduce smears and fingerprints
  • Inner focusing system with Ring Ultrasonic Motor

Availability and Pricing

The Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM is scheduled to begin shipping in December 2018 with an estimated retail price of $ 11,999. The Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM is scheduled to begin shipping in December 2018 for an estimated retail price of $ 12,999^. For additional information regarding the lenses predecessors please visit, visit usa.canon.com.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Leica Noctilux-M 75mm F1.25 ASPH: more fun than a Nissan Versa

24 Jul

Leica: the crazy diamond of the photography world. In an industry increasingly dominated by dull moments, it’s always nice to see a company consistently doing something brightly, colorfully different. Even when – or maybe especially when – that company appears so gleefully unconcerned with what their peers (it doesn’t quite make sense to say competitors) are up to in the meantime.

Noctilux-M F1.25 75mm ASPH key specifications

  • Leica M mount
  • Manual focus
  • Maximum magnification ratio: 1:8.8
  • Minimum focus: 0.85m
  • Optical construction: nine elements in six groups (two aspherical)
  • 67mm filter thread
  • Built-in extending hood
  • Length / Diameter: 91mm x 74mm (3.6 x 2.9in)
  • Weight: 1.05 kg (2.33 lb)

Only Leica could have made the Noctilux-M F1.25 75mm ASPH – a manual focus prime lens that weighs more than a kilo and costs as much as a new car (no, really). Inevitably, a lot of the responses to our coverage of this lens so far (and indeed of pretty much all Leica hardware) focus on the price, but at this point, this mode of criticism misses the point. Yes, Leica stuff is expensive. It always has been. Sure, there are cheaper alternatives, and there always have been – see also: organic avocados, brand-name printer ink, fancy chocolate (you know the stuff by the self checkouts, in the fancy gold paper that mum likes, with the sea salt) and cars that aren’t the Nissan Versa.

Using the 75mm F1.25 on the Leica M10

The 75mm Noctilux is not an everyday kind of a lens. Designed for use with the company’s digital rangefinder cameras, for starters there’s the small matter of its focal length. 75mm has always been a bit of a weird fit for Leica’s rangefinders, occupying an awkward position between the long-established standard 50mm and 90mm focal lengths. Mounting a 75mm lens on a Leica rangefinder brings up the 50mm framelines, with 75mm indicated roughly by a dotted rectangle just inside them.

Personally, I’m so used to ignoring the inner dotted lines when shooting with a 50mm that un-ignoring them when I actually want to shoot at 75mm is surprisingly difficult. Then again, I try to get into my apartment using my car keys at least once a week, so maybe you shouldn’t take anything I say too seriously.

All of Leica’s rangefinder cameras since the M4-P of 1980 have included 75mm framelines, indicated by broken lines inside the main (outer) 50mm framelines. As you can see, the massive 75mm F1.25 blocks a large portion of the frame. This view shows the maximum occlusion, which occurs at the minimum focus distance of 0.85m, with the built-in hood extended.

And then there’s the issue of viewfinder blockage. Regardless of the focus or hood position, as you can see from the picture above (taken through the viewfinder of an M10) the 75mm F1.25 obscures a very large portion of the frame, almost as far as the focusing patch. This is one of the reasons why Leica recommends the 75mm F1.25 should be used in live view mode, and preferably with the aid of the optional electronic viewfinders available for recent M-series digital cameras.

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The other reason for using live view is focus accuracy. You can have the best technique in the world, but nailing focus on a short telephoto prime wide open at F1.25, with a rangefinder, isn’t easy. I did try Leica’s 2X screw-in magnifier, but it didn’t help my hit-rate much (and obviously it had no effect on the substantial viewfinder blockage).

Shot in relatively dim conditions, I selected F2 for this portrait because I was having so much difficulty getting accurate focus at F1.25 using live view on a Leica M10. Critical focus is acceptable here, but it’s still a hair away from where I was aiming.

Leica M10 | ISO 800 | 1/250 sec | F2

Focus peaking and magnified live view don’t guarantee accurate focus, but they certainly make it easier. Even with these aids, however, the razor-thin depth of field and the sheer bulk of the lens both work against the rangefinder shooter. When taking photographs hand-held, it’s difficult to support the weight of the lens without shifting the focus ring. I’ve found that this often forces me into a loop of focus checking, recomposing, focus checking again, recomposing again (etc.). Especially when shooting portraits, the potential for slight subject movement adds yet another variable, and leads to yet more focus checking, recomposing, and checking again…

The Leica 75mm F1.25 weighs more than a kilo and its wide diameter mean that the M10 can’t lie flat on its base with the lens attached. For these reasons the lens has its own tripod mount.

Disabling automatic live view magnification helps avoid the need for constant recomposing, but the secret to accurate focus on an M10 with the 75mm F1.25 is bracketing: shoot a lot of photos, and bracket focus as you go. When you get a sharp result, trust me – the extra effort will have been worth it. Things are easier if you set up on a tripod, and the heavyweight 75mm Noctilux actually has its own tripod screw in the base, to avoid putting too much strain on the camera’s lens mount.

Using the 75mm F1.25 on the Leica SL

Despite being a native M-mount lens, the 75mm F1.25 handles very nicely on the SL. Arguably, in fact, it’s more pleasant to use on the larger, chunkier camera. Obviously the combination is heavier but the weight is better distributed, making the whole package feel balanced and notably less front-heavy than it does on the lighter (and grip-less) M10. Crucially, the SL’s large handgrip means that you don’t need to support the Noctilux’s weight entirely from the lens itself, which makes it less likely that you’ll accidentally nudge the focus or aperture rings when composing a shot.

On the Leica SL, things get a bit easier, partly thanks to the substantial grip and DSLR-style handing of the larger camera. This portrait was shot hand-held at F1.25.

Leica SL | ISO 100 | 1/4000 sec | F1.25

The SL’s viewfinder makes for a better framing and focusing experience too, by virtue of the SL’s full-time live view and more DSLR-styled ergonomics. Leica’s M to L adapter is relatively slim, doesn’t add much extra weight and communicates the 6-bit code from the lens to the camera body just as it would on a digital M-mount camera.

Image quality

As far as the results are concerned, hopefully our gallery of sample images speak for themselves. Contrast across the frame is high and sharpness at F1.25 is pretty stunning. Longitudinal chromatic aberration is present if you go looking for it in areas where focus is just falling-off, (around the edges of my subject’s sunglasses in this shot is about as bad as it gets) but it’s generally inoffensive, and the bokeh at wide apertures is (I happen to think) delightful.

Shot wide open on a Leica M10, this portrait demonstrates the 75mm Noctilux’s key selling-points: creamy smooth bokeh, great sharpness and razor-thin depth of field. There’s a hint of longitudinal chromatic aberration in our subject’s hair as it goes out of focus, but it’s far from objectionable.

Photo by Wenmei Hill.

Leica M10 | ISO 100 | 1/350 sec | F1.25

While accurate focus at F1.25 is a challenge, the incredibly thin depth of field opens up creative possibilities foreclosed by the older, slower, but generally more practical 75mm F2 Summicron. You could shoot the Noctilux at F8 but what would be the point? If you’re prepared to pay this much for a lens you’ll probably want to shoot it wide open.

Leica Noctilux-M 75mm F1.25 ASPH real-world samples

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Personally, I don’t gravitate to medium telephoto lenses. I tend to shoot mostly at 35mm, often at 28mm, and sometimes at 50mm. I have a 90mm, which mostly (weirdly) gets used for landscapes and urban details. Using the 75mm F1.25 hasn’t converted me to that focal length by any means, but its rendition is so unique that while I might not have enjoyed some of the experience of shooting with it, I do feel that the results go some way to justifying the awkward handling.

Ultimately, the 75mm Noctilux won’t be made in large numbers and it won’t be owned by many people. It isn’t a magic lens – there are plenty of excellent alternatives available for much less money, albeit of course for other systems. Leicaland is a different country, and one that will remain foreign for most photographers. But hey – it’s a fun place to visit, from time to time. Plus ça change, as the Germans don’t say.

Regardless, it would be unfair to dismiss the Noctilux as a ‘stunt’ lens that exists only to show off the expertise of Leica’s optical and mechanical engineering. It’s more than that – and it’s priced accordingly.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon teases CMOS sensor nearly 40 times larger than a 35mm full-frame sensor

19 Jun

In 2010, Canon revealed that it was developing the world’s largest CMOS sensor, one measuring about 40 times larger than a full-frame CMOS sensor. The company has now added more details about the project to its website, including a discussion of a real-world application.

Whereas a 35mm full-frame sensor measures 36 x 24mm, Canon’s massive chip measures about 200 x 200mm. Canon gives a little detail about some of the challenges presented by such a large sensor and how it overcame them, saying in part:

Increasing the size of CMOS sensors entails overcoming such problems as distortion and transmission delays for the electrical signals converted from light. To resolve these issues, Canon not only made use of a parallel processing circuit, but also exercised ingenuity with the transfer method itself.

Overcoming this problem allowed comparatively fast readout of the sensor’s huge pixels, allowing it to capture video at 60fps in conditions as dark as 0.3 lux, which is about as bright as a night scene illuminated by the moon.

The company says the sensor has already been used by Japan’s Kiso Observatory to capture the first ever video of meteors that otherwise would have been too faint to record. This allowed analysis of the meteor frequency, providing supporting evidence for a theoretical model of meteor behavior.

Canon also suggests the ultrahigh-sensitivity sensor could be used for various other applications requiring video in extreme low-light conditions, such as studying the behavior of nocturnal animals or shooting video of aurora.

Via: Canon

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: Remember that your gear is more advanced than Ansel Adams’

25 Apr

“Every famous photograph was made with a camera less advanced than the one you are using now.” This paraphrased quote is the inspiration behind The Art of Photography’s latest YouTube video titled “Your camera is better than Ansel’s.” In the ten-minute video, Ted Forbes breaks down his thoughts on the idea that, instead of taking an introspective approach to our photography work, we tend to blame the gear and use that as an excuse to our shortcomings as artists.

How often do you hear the phrase “I don’t have the right lens to get the shallow depth of field I want” or “I don’t have this camera body that shoots 15 frames per second.” These laments aren’t uncommon among photographers, but according to Forbes, they miss the point.

Sure, it’s fun to gawk over the latest and greatest gear, but it’s by no means necessary in order to create fantastic artwork—this morning’s Behind the Scenes article by Michael Benanav should more than prove that point. As Forbes elaborates throughout the video, gear is little more than a tool to create the artwork we’ve envisioned in our head—a means to an end.

Forbes summarizes this concept in the video’s description:

The truth is that important work… work that matters… doesn’t have anything to do with the technology we have access to. It has everything to do with what we have to say and communicate visually. Photography is an act of speaking.

It’d be an oversight to say there’s never a time when you need new gear. After all, it’s almost impossible to properly photograph a deer a few hundred yards away without a 400mm lens. But it’s something to think about when considering new equipment. Is that new camera actually necessary to produce the results you desire? Or is the gear you’re lusting over little more than a crutch that will help you avoid addressing your lack of a vision or direction?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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More than a speed light: Shooting with the Rotolight Neo 2

18 Feb

Introduction

One Neo 2, lit by another Neo 2.

Artificial lighting falls into two categories: Continuous and strobe. Continuous lighting is a great option for beginning photographers, because you can see your results before tripping the shutter (also, they’re handy for the whole ‘video’ thing). Unfortunately, the continuous lights of yesteryear were very power hungry and put out a ton of heat to get light levels that even approached a small, battery-powered strobe.

The advent of LED lights changes this somewhat, offering users a more convenient means of entry into the world of continuous lighting. But their power output still pales in comparison to even a low-end hotshoe flash. Plus, even basic studio strobes come with modeling lights to help with setup, and many on-camera flashes now have LED lights for video shooting in dim conditions.

But Rotolight has come from the other direction; instead of a strobe that happens to include a continuous light source, the Neo 2 is a continuous light source that happens to be capable of strobing at a respectable power output.

The Neo 2’s high-speed sync feature allowed me to get some nice fill-light on Allison’s face at a wide aperture while still exposing for the direct-sun highlights in the scene.
Nikon D5 | Nikon 105mm F1.4G @ F2.8 | 1/1000 sec | ISO 100
Photo by Carey Rose

Designed to be versatile for both on-the-go photographers and videographers, the Neo 2 packs a ton of neat features into a truly portable package. Let’s take a closer look.

Key features

  • Continuous light power of 2000 lux at 3 ft
  • Strobe power of F8, ISO 200 at 3 ft (AC power – roughly half this on batteries)
  • Zero recycle time for strobe work
  • Built-in Elinchrom Skyport receiver for remote high-speed sync triggering (up to 1/8000 sec)
  • Battery or AC power
  • 85,000 full-power flashes or 1.5 hours continuous light on battery power
  • Color temperature adjustable from 3150 – 6300K

Of particular interest to me was the ability to control color temperatures without using gels, the wireless triggering with high-speed sync (HSS) capability, and the lack of any sort of recharge time, even on batteries.

I’m primarily a stills photographer, so I brought along a set of Neo 2’s to a few situations where I’d ordinarily be tempted to use a speedlight. In some ways, they’re hugely impressive, but in others, well, there’s a little ways for Rotolight to go.

Getting started with continuous light

The Rotolight Neo 2’s controls – two clickable rotary dials and a power switch.

As a continuous light, the Neo 2 is really straightforward. You hit the power button on the back of the light; one rotary knob controls the brightness, and the other controls the color temperature. Because the color temperature is varied depending on a ratio of brightness between cool and warm LEDs on the panel, a mix of the two – around 4100K – will give you maximum light output.

When I was wrapping up our iPhone X review, I wanted to take a photograph of the phone being splashed with water, but I wanted to be able to fire the fastest bursts I could to catch just the right moment. That’s tough with a traditional strobe, but perfect for continuous lighting.

Sony a9 | Sony 90mm F2.8 Macro | ISO 6400 | 1/1000 sec | F5.6

I took this shot in an office building lounge area, with some ambient light, the Neo 2 directly behind the subject and firing back at the camera at full power, and my cell phone LED giving a bit of kick to the corner of the phone closest to the camera.

I set a Sony a9 to shoot at its maximum rate of 20fps (which uses an electronic shutter, and therefore is incompatible with traditional strobes anyway), and fired away as my coworker nervously emptied the cup of water from an exaggerated height. The end result, though a little noisy because of the shutter speed I wanted, has all the drama I was envisioning.

Here’s another example of using the Neo 2 in continuous mode in the same room, but with a different subject.

Fujifilm X-H1 | ISO 200 | 1/100 sec | F1.4
Photo by Jeff Keller

Part of what makes a continuous light so fun and easy to use is the instant feedback of how the image looks, and with the Neo 2, it’s small enough and powerful enough to be great for product work. This could be particularly valuable for those who aren’t necessarily comfortable with flash photography, but are looking to up their production value for an eBay or Etsy store.

Then I took our Neo 2 set into the studio for some macro shots, and things weren’t so straightforward any more.

Strobe time

This is the time where I advise you to do what you really should do anyway: read the manual. While the Neo 2’s are perfectly intuitive just as constant lights, using them in flash mode is a little tricky at first, particularly if you’re using the optional Elinchrom Skyport radio controller.

But after some reading (and re-reading) of the manual and a healthy dose of trial and error, I was able to consistently control each of the Rotolights independently in terms of flash output, color temperature and modeling light output right from the transmitter.

Fujifilm X-T2 | Fujifilm XF 80mm F2.8 Macro| ISO 200 | 1/250 sec | F5.6

Though the HSS capability of the system is limited to whichever system you choose at purchase, our Nikon transmitter worked perfectly fine on a Fujifilm X-T2 up to that camera’s maximum sync speed.

For the above image, one Rotolight was behind the subject to the right, with one of the included diffusion panels on the front so that individual LEDs aren’t discernible, and I set the color temperature to the cooler side. There’s an additional Rotolight off camera left providing some fill, and the extra highlights you can see in the reflections off of the iPhone’s lenses are non-dimming ceiling lights.

Overall, it’s a nice system for macro work, but if you require really deep depth of field, your ISO will climb quickly (a later shot with this same setup at F22 required ISO 3200). But at the very least, for macro work, you can place the lights very close to your subject.

Balancing with daylight

One of the main issues with using continuous LED lights as a one-stop shop solution for lighting became apparent anytime you took them outdoors. Without a huge panel and accompanying huge battery, overcoming sunlight or even bright overcast conditions was a non-starter, and you really were just better off with a strobe. The Rotolight Neo 2’s, it turns out, split the difference nicely.

Rotolight Neo 2
Nikon D700 | F4 | 1/125 sec | ISO 200
Ambient Only
Nikon D700 | F4 | 1/40 sec | ISO 200

Although I tend to like each of these images for different reasons, you can clearly see that the single Neo 2 off to camera left changes the feel of the scene entirely. By raising my shutter speed to take the background brightness down, I can ‘shape’ the light effectively with the Rotolight, while still maintaining context. Plus, with high speed sync, I could use the Rotolight to overpower the ambient entirely in this situation, if I wanted to.

Let’s look at how the Neo 2 copes with a much brighter scene involving direct sunlight.

Ambient only
Nikon D5 | F2.8 | 1/1000 sec | ISO 100
Rotolight Neo 2
Nikon D5 | F2.8 | 1/1000 sec | ISO 100

In this situation, I exposed for the brightest highlights in the scene while still maintaining a fairly shallow depth of field. Then I brought in the Neo 2 at maximum power to see if it could keep up – I really like the effect it has here. It’s soft, but the added fill light looks almost like it could be a reflection off of another building.

But for this situation, I needed to place the Neo 2 pretty darn close to my subject. This was necessary because, over the course of using our Neo 2’s, they would completely synchronize with our Nikon’s all the way up to 1/8000 sec – but between 1/1000 and 1/2000 sec, I started to notice a reduction in the light’s intensity.

A mediocre BTS photo, courtesy of my cell phone, shows how close the Neo 2 was to the subject.

As it happens, this 1/1000 sec shutter speed made for a good exposure for the ambient in this scene while still allowing the Neo 2 to operate optimally. But it should be pretty apparent that in bright conditions, you’ll struggle with framing your subjects wider than just head-and-shoulders with the Neo 2, to say nothing of trying to get a second evenly lit person into the scene.

The recycle time

Instant recycle time means 11fps bursts with flash are as easy as it is for Andrew to juggle this soccer ball.
Nikon D5 | Nikon AF-S 14-24mm F2.8 G | ISO 6400 | 1/1000 sec | F2.8
Photo by Carey Rose

For the above casual demo, I wanted to see just how effective and reliable the Neo 2’s were when shooting bursts. With zero recycle time and 85,000 full power flashes per battery charge, sports and action could be a really neat use case for these lights.

I cross-lit Andrew with two Neo 2’s – one upper camera left, one lower camera right. Check out the illumination on the grass in the lower right to see just how consistent the output is, even as the stadium lights caused some flicker at these shutter speeds.

ISO 6400 | 1/800 sec | F2.8
Photo by Carey Rose

It should be noted, though, that the D5 was set to 11fps instead of its maximum of 12fps – with the current setup, the Neo 2’s would occasionally fail to fire during the D5’s highest burst speed. That said, having 11fps at my disposal as Andrew went through a few penalty kicks still gave me lots of options to choose from.

Thoughts and takeaways

The Rotolight Neo 2 is a really clever device, and the more I use them, the more I enjoy them. I can envision myself really taking advantage of their versatility in a previous job of mine; I could use them as indoor interview lights for an on-location video, and then bring them outdoors to get a nice portrait of the subject to go along with the video. Two uses, one solution, and my bag is that much lighter.

Again, a Neo 2 lit by another Neo 2.
Nikon D750 | Micro-Nikkor 55mm F2.8 AI-s | ISO 100 | 1/125 sec | F8

The quality of the light is nice and soft, and the instantaneous recycle time and long battery life (for strobing) are appealing. The consistency of color accuracy, even during burst shooting, impresses further.

There’s also a litany of features that are far beyond the scope of this experience; impressive lighting simulations, like the glow of a fire or flashes of lightning, are built-in. The CRI (color rendering index) is very high, good enough for broadcast television.

And yet, I can’t help but feel that these are a bit of a niche product, that their appeal will be limited. For people that are primarily stills shooters, smaller, cheaper, battery-powered flashes will offer you far more power (you may need to get some light modifiers to approach the softness of the Neo 2’s).

For dedicated video shooters, you may find you need more power if you’re in bright conditions. For beginners just getting into artificial lighting, there are basic LED light panels all over the Internet for less than the cost of a tank of gas.

Despite all of this, I think that the Rotolight Neo 2’s have their place as a high-end, portable and versatile lighting solution, admittedly for a very specific type of customer. And more than anything else, I’m excited to see how Rotolight continues to develop this technology into the future.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Learning Digital Photography May Have More Benefits Than You Think

25 Sep

Many people struggle with the different elements of learning photography. Mastering the technical aspects of your camera, on top of applying all of the creative and technical concepts, can make it a daunting pursuit for many. Now, with digital photography the norm for most photographers, there is also the added element of learning post-processing if you are really going to become successful as a photographic artist.

Learning Digital Photography May Have More Benefits Than You Think

Learning Photography and Aging

As you scratch your head trying to put all the pieces together, you may not have realized that you are exercising many aspects of your brain. Studies have found that digital photography keeps your brain sharp and your mind in good shape.

Learning Digital Photography May Have More Benefits Than You Think

I have watched one of my family members pursue digital photography well into his 90s. I always thought there was something about this activity and the creative process that was keeping him active and on track. But I never put much thought into it until I read this study from the University of Texas on digital photography and aging.

The study shows . . .

During the University of Texas study, six groups of individuals aged 60–90 were studied over a 10 week period. Each group was engrossed in a specific activity for 15 hours a week. The primary activities under observation included digital photography, digital quilting, and a variety of activities like playing cards and socializing. Only the groups doing quilting and photography improved their memory abilities when confronted with these continuous and prolonged mental challenges.

Learning Digital Photography May Have More Benefits Than You Think

The results of the University of Texas study showed that digital photography is the best activity to participate in for aging baby boomers interested in maintaining their cognitive health and development.

Benefits of learning digital photography

What were the benefits? The most significant improvement was found in their use of words and phrases as well as their recognition of conceptual and visual imagery. The reason digital photography came up so high in this cognitive study is that it uses many parts of the brain to be successful.

Learning Digital Photography May Have More Benefits Than You Think

It affects the creative and technical sides of your brain in both the shooting and post-processing. It also uses memory to make all of the functions work together. These benefits apply to someone who is shooting in full manual or partially automatic programs on their camera and are using advanced Photoshop or similar post-processing programs.

Learning Digital Photography May Have More Benefits Than You Think

How it works

Here’s an example of some of the brain functions that are used when you create an image: When you are out on a photo shoot, and you want to create a compelling image, it takes some time to think about how to creatively compose the scene. Then, you need to choose the aperture and shutter speed settings based on the best creative application for the image, applying your memory of how the camera works.

Some of the high-end cameras these days will give you a decent point and shoot shot, but if you are intentionally going to create something of value, you need to put some technical thought into the image. At the same time, when you are setting up a shot, it helps to think through what you might do for post-processing the image once you get home.

Learning Digital Photography May Have More Benefits Than You Think

Now that you have conquered the technical aspects of operating the camera, you need to bring the image into post-processing. Whether or not you are using Photoshop or Lightroom, you still need to have some technical ability on the computer and knowledge of how the program works. All of these activities together require memory, creativity, and cognitive abilities to perform these tasks correctly. This is all good exercise for your brain.

Learning Digital Photography May Have More Benefits Than You Think

What does all of this mean for you?

The process of creating a digital image is fun, creative and clinically proven to be good for your mind. Just like we need to keep our heart healthy with diet and exercise, we also need to keep our brain active as we age. It’s not just the activity, but learning new and mentally challenging subjects that is the important part of this puzzle.

If you continue to pursue and learn digital photography well into your later years, it will serve as a good way to keep your brain and memory functions sharp.

Does that sound like a good plan for you to continue practicing the craft of digital photography as you age?

Learning Digital Photography May Have More Benefits Than You Think

The post Learning Digital Photography May Have More Benefits Than You Think by Holly Higbee-Jansen appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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DIY: How I built my own super macro rig for less than $250

14 Sep

Last year I bought a macro lens for the summer—just a normal one with 1x magnification—and I immediately found myself in a beautiful and mesmerizing world of minuscule flowers and bugs. I found that in macro photography, you don’t have to travel to beautiful places to take beautiful photos—you can just walk around in your backyard, and discover a whole new world. Also, you don’t have to wake up at 4 AM to catch the golden hour…

This year, however, I decided I wanted to take things to the next level. I wanted a super macro lens with 2x or more in magnification, so that I could take closeup portraits of ants and bees. I started Googling around for the right lenses and soon discovered that there are only a couple of them out there. The best known is the Canon MP-E 65, but it costs north of $ 1,000. There is also a 2x macro lens from Venus Optics, but it’s still $ 400 for the lens alone… and then you need to add some kind of flash setup.

I thought this was way too much money to just try super macro photography, so I decided to look around for cheaper solutions.

That was when I discovered this excellent article on a Swedish site. It describes how you can build your own super macro rig with cheap parts off Amazon or eBay. This build works with any Canon EF compatible camera, meaning most Canon cameras and also mirrorless cameras with adapters. After some browsing, I was able to find all the parts on Amazon and I ordered them.

The rig is based around the Canon 40mm f2.8 STM lens. This lens is excellent for this purpose as it is very cheap, small, light, sharp and has beautiful bokeh (possibly more beautiful than the Canon MP-E 65). For this particular setup, the lens is mounted reversed to get more magnification using a Meike reverse adapter. The adapter, in turn, has a cable that allows you to keep control over aperture despite having the lens reversed.

You will need a 52-58 mm step-up ring to fit the Canon 40mm with the Meike reverse adapter. Then, if you put an extension tube before the Meike adapter, you have a super macro lens! Just add more extension tubes for more magnification.

I have found that 36mm of extension tube is my sweet spot—it gives me 2.3x magnification, meaning that the subject will be 2.3x bigger on the sensor than it is in real life. So a bug that is 10mm tall will cover all 24mm of a full frame sensor.

The rest of the parts are the flash and parts needed to mount it in a way that puts it as close to the subject as possible. You should also try to make some kind of diffuser, as shown in the video.

All essential parts:

  • Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Pancake Lens (around $ 50 used)
  • Meike reverse adapter (around $ 55)
  • Meike MK-300 Flash (around $ 33)
  • Vello CB-600 Straight Flash Bracket (around $ 10)
  • Articulating arm, 7” (around $ 14)
  • Fotga Extension tubes for Canon EF (around $ 40)
  • Vello TTL-Off-Camera Flash Cord for Canon EOS 0.5 m (around $ 20)
  • Goja 52-58MM Step-Up Adapter Ring (around $ 8)

In total (if you buy the Canon lens used): $ 230 USD

See the video up top for detailed instructions, and scroll down to see some sample photos. The parts can be put together in a few minutes, as shown in the video.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_2626695394″,”galleryId”:”2626695394″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”standalone”:false,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”startInCommentsView”:false,”isMobile”:false}) });

Lastly, a small tip for shooting super macro insect shots with this rig: use a slow shutter speed, such as 1/40s. That way you will get a lot of color and light in your photo, making it more interesting and beautiful. Don’t worry about sharpness, the flash is a lot faster than 1/40, and it will make sure to freeze your subject in most situations.


Micael Widell is a photography enthusiast based in Stockholm, Sweden. He loves macro and nature photography, and runs a YouTube channel around these subjects. You can also find him on Instagram and 500px.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony: ‘Our company has a vision which is more important than profit alone’

12 Sep

Recently, DPReview was invited to Japan to visit both the Sony headquarters in Tokyo and Sony’s image sensor factory in Kumamoto. The trip was an opportunity to gain some insight into both the philosophy and the technology that underpins the company.

We spoke to both Sony Semiconductor Solutions, the company making the imaging sensors in your cameras and smartphones, and Sony Digital Imaging (DI), the division of Sony Imaging Products and Solutions (SIPS) that makes everything from interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs) to action-cams and camcorders, and lenses. Sony Corporation itself, the umbrella above all these groups, has its hands in a number of sectors – from consumer electronics to smartphones to professional services and motion pictures. Sony Semiconductor, as we previously reported, is its own company, which has some interesting implications we learned about through the course of our conversations.

Be the guinea pig

“The electronics industry is constantly searching for new ideas and there are still many products for us to make. If the guinea pig spirit means developing innovative ideas and embodying them in new products, then I think this is an admirable spirit.” These are the words of Sony co-founder Masaru Ibuka.

At the Kumamoto sensor factory hangs an image of co-founders Ibuka and Akio Morita arm-wrestling in good spirit.

At the Kumamoto sensor factory hangs an image of a golden guinea pig right below a candid of co-founders Ibuka and Akio Morita arm-wrestling in good spirit. On it these words appear, along with one of the principles set out in the Founding Prospectus: “To establish an ideal factory that stresses a spirit of freedom and open-mindedness, and where engineers with sincere motivation can exercise their technological skills to the highest level.”

“If the guinea pig spirit means developing innovative ideas and embodying them in new products, then I think this is an admirable spirit”

More than 70 years later, the ethos of the co-founders still persists in the mindsets of Sony employees. It’s evident in everything from the philosophy of Sony Semiconductor and its relationship with other manufacturers to Sony’s new flagship: the a9.

Planning innovation: Sony a9

Our testing has shown the Sony a9 to be a formidable camera, not just for stills but also video. At Sony, a new camera like the a9 takes two to three years to develop, we were told. Therefore, the photographic technologies the a9 offers had to be planned for years in advance, not long after Sony introduced the world’s first full-frame mirrorless cameras a mere 3.5 years ago. And as we learned during our visit, most of the advancements in the a9 stem from new sensor technologies.

Two to three years ago, how would it have been possible to predict sensor readout speeds that offer autofocus calculations at 60 fps and a fully electronic shutter that is only a stop behind the speed of mechanical shutters? The answer lies in the constant communication between Sony Semiconductor Solutions and Sony DI. And since Sony’s sensor foundry is one of the best in world, providing sensors for everything from cameras and smartphones to security and medical devices, this in-house knowledge and communication is a key advantage.

It takes 2 to 3 years to develop a camera like the Sony a9. Koji Hisamatsu, Mechanical Engineer of the a9, showed us its magnesium alloy body. It offers improved ergonomics and weather resistance over previous models.

Yasufumi Machitani, project leader on the a9, talked to us about the development of the camera. A number of its features, like blackout-free shooting and fast AF/AE calculation, require sensor readout speeds conventionally thought impossible. A stacked BSI-CMOS sensor with integral memory was necessary for these technologies, and the camera division’s awareness of such coming sensor technology years in advance allowed it to plan the a9.

Daisuke Miyakoshi, in charge of the image sensor portion of the product design division, elaborated on this cross-communication: his team is a bridge between Sony Semiconductor Solutions and SIPS (Sony Imaging Products and Solutions), the latter in charge of both product and system design and Sony DI’s parent company. The system design department sends new imager proposals to the product design teams making cameras, and together the teams evaluate success and pain points of actual sensor designs.

This information is then used to send new specification formulations to the image sensor development department at Sony Semiconductor. The communication between these three groups allows fine tuning of both sensor and camera.

Product strategy

Sony’s product strategy is simple. Imagine a pyramid with three customer types: at the top pros, in the middle high amateurs (‘enthusiasts’), and below that consumers. Products are intended to fall within one or span two of these segments.

Rice fields at dusk. Miyama Sansou, Kurokawa Onsen. Photo: Rishi Sanyal
Sony a7R II | 12-24 F4G @12mm | 1/30s, F4, ISO 5000.

Sony believes there is a growing market of pros and enthusiasts, with shrinking demand at the entry level (it’s hard to argue with that, given the death of the compacts and the rise of the smartphone). This brings a higher demand for better performing products, be it in terms of autofocus, speed, resolution or sensitivity. Therefore, Sony says its product strategy is to pack as much available technology into each product as possible, barring hardware limitations, to meet a certain price point. Machitani-san explicitly told us “there is no intention to limit functions of cameras to certain groups”. In fact, Sony claims it includes many of these functions – where others might remove them in an effort to segment products – just to see what creatives do with them.

It’s a strategy not always taken by other camera manufacturers, but one that makes sense in a post-smartphone era: target customers who want a dramatic step in quality and features from what smartphone imaging offers. It’s not entirely without its issues though. For one, some may find the user interfaces of some Sony cameras overwhelming due to the number of features. Sony is aware of this and constantly iterating – the a9 for example offers an encouraging ergonomic and usability refresh.

Of course, Sony’s own crowded camera lineup can sometimes be at odds with its intended strategy, since Sony is less afraid of cannibalizing itself than other camera companies. Take for instance the short product replacement cycles. Or the almost inevitable focus – since Sony believes in a growing pro and enthusiast market – on full-frame E-mount, which has left the impression among some that Sony is abandoning A-mount1 and APS-C.2 Or the appearance of advanced new technologies in more niche products before they find their way into other product lines. Many of these ‘issues’ stem from the pace of iteration and innovation at which Sony is moving, if not due simply to its relatively newcomer status. But Sony is actively learning, and recent market data suggest its strategy is working.

Vision over profit

You might think that Sony Corporation would like to keep the in-house knowledge of Sony Semiconductor Solutions for its own camera division, but that’s not the case. For one thing, the sales of the semiconductor division to third-parties is a large source of income for the corporation at large, but it goes beyond that.

Although Sony tends to hold its proprietary sensor technology for its own cameras for roughly two years,3 it publicly discloses sensors that are available for sale and their underlying technologies. This allows other manufacturers to integrate Sony sensors into their own products. And this is where it gets interesting: any manufacturer can approach Sony Semiconductor and ask for their own design requirements, often building on Sony’s own sensor advancements that are made public (take full-frame BSI-CMOS or dual-gain for example, two technologies found in the Nikon D850). But if an OEM does so, Sony Semiconductor is not allowed to communicate any intellectual property it gains to Sony’s camera division.

Having this wall (or more accurately, perhaps this two-way mirror) in place makes a lot of sense. After all, OEMs wouldn’t approach Sony about new designs if the sensor division leaked proprietary information to its own camera engineers. So, no folks, Sony’s camera team has not been aware of the Nikon D850’s sensor all along, prepping a response to it years in advance…

There are interesting implications of this wall between Sony Semiconductor and Sony DI: it means that newer, better technologies than those available in Sony’s own cameras may appear in any other manufacturer’s camera, despite using a ‘Sony’ sensor. Indeed, we’ve actually seen multiple examples of this: ISO 64 on the D810 and 16-bit analog-to-digital conversion on the Hasselblad X1D to name just two.

Could this threaten the growth of Sony’s own camera division?

Sony executive round-table. From left to right: Takashi Kondo, Chief Marketing Manager, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Senior General Manager of Marketing, Kenji Tanaka, Global Head of ILCs, and Masanori Kishi, Deputy General Manager of ILC lenses.

When we asked this question, the message from DI executives was clear: “Our focus is to increase the overall market”. Paraphrasing slightly, global head of ILCs Kenji Tanaka said: “Please think about vision. Our company has a vision, which is much more important than profit alone. Of course, if we cut our supply of sensors to other OEMs our camera market share might increase. But this is not our vision. Our vision is to grow the entire imaging market, and Sony alone cannot make every [imaging] product.”

While every manufacturer wants to be number one, no single company can make every product – even within a single sector. It is clear that Sony believes that competition is healthy, and that if Sony sensors help make better products, be it in a Sony device or other OEM device, the consumer wins. And ultimately, that is the purpose of the company.

“Our company has a vision, which is more important than profit alone”

It’s possible that the worst of the camera market collapse is over, but we do wonder whether Sony’s strategy might change if the market continues to shrink. Would the huge current investment in ILCs still pay off? Would sales of class-leading sensors to other OEMs still make sense? The answer from executives was “yes”.

Growing the market

Like every camera manufacturer, Sony wants to grow its market share. But it sees the gain of market share as a secondary effect, almost a byproduct, of growing the market overall. In fact, Sony admitted it doesn’t expect to continue to gain market share simply by getting users to switch systems. Tak Kondo, General Manager at Sony DI, remarked that “the industry is stagnated partly because of a lack of interesting products from camera manufacturers. It’s our obligation to increase the market size.”

We probed Sony about its strategy to move users away from smartphones, arguably the very cause for the declining camera industry. “We want to expand the photo-shooting culture” Tanaka-san told us. “By growing this culture, we hope to stimulate the desire for something [much] better than a smartphone”. Furthermore, Sony chooses to place its focus on mid- to high-end products, which show increased demand. The global decline in the industry is due to a drop in demand for low-end products – both DSLR and mirrorless – thanks to the smartphone.

By making versatile cameras that offer vast benefits over smartphones and more computational photography-oriented devices that widen its user-base, Sony hopes to reverse this trend. That is, grow the market through innovation, a message we’ve heard before.

Why Sony?

Sony believes that it is in a unique position to grow the imaging market. The communication between its image sensor development engineers at Sony Semiconductor and the camera teams at Sony DI give the company a unique advantage: an understanding of important sensor technologies to come two, five, or ten years down the line. The two-way communication between a cutting-edge sensor foundry and camera engineers that need sensor technologies to solve photographic problems is a unique advantage for Sony’s camera division. And Sony’s sensor design and fab group must stay cutting edge simply due to the number of sectors it has its hands in: from smartphones to the medical industry.

Shiraito Falls near Mount Fuji in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture. It’s often said that Mt. Fuji is shy, rarely revealing herself. This day was no exception: the entire region was covered in thick mist and rainfall, and the spray from the waterfalls themselves was intense. Photo: Rishi Sanyal

Sony a7R II | 24-70 F2.8GM @46mm | 0.5s, F11, ISO 100

Mirrorless cameras are still in their infancy. However, Tanaka-san stressed that when you compare the development speed of mechanical products vs. semiconductor technology, the latter is far faster. Since much of the capability of mirrorless cameras is derived from the image sensor itself, its development speed is much faster than DSLR. So while mirrorless camera technology is a relative newcomer to the field, Sony’s insight into semiconductor advances puts its camera division in a unique position to innovate and iterate quickly, bringing greater speed and functionality to consumer products across shorter refresh cycles.

Will Sony’s ‘guinea pig’ approach pay off? The latest U.S. dollar-based statistics from NPD are certainly encouraging: the first 6 months of 2017 showed a 36% growth in mirrorless camera sales compared to an 11% decline in DSLR sales. In the same period, Sony’s sales of full-frame ILCs grew 42% compared to a decline of 5% for all other manufacturers. It also maintained a #2 position in sales of full-frame ILCs (likely helped by the release of a flagship camera), while growing 26% in mirrorless ILC sales year-on-year. Sony is now at the top in mirrorless ILC sales in the U.S.

While these sales figures are all dollar-based, with many Sony products retailing at relatively high prices, they’re significant – especially when you consider the impact the Kumamoto earthquake must have had on the company.

Challenges

Despite these encouraging figures, Sony’s path will not be a smooth one. Canon and Nikon have been making cameras for a long time and are widely viewed as photography companies, as opposed to consumer electronics companies. Part of the reason the a9 is being targeted so aggressively at pros, and why Sony is working so hard on expanding pro support, is to overcome the perception of the company as a manufacturer of TVs, Walkmans and PlayStations.

At the opposite end of the pyramid, smartphone cameras offer something that most, if not all, standalone cameras to-date lack: convenience of image ingestion, curation and sharing. While Sony PlayMemories apps offer some solutions,4 they leave much to be desired. Thankfully, Sony is well aware of the importance of integrating with cloud services and smartphones.

The hillsides near the Kuju Mountain Range in Kumamoto prefecture provide endless vistas. I shot this through a window of a moving bus on the way to Kurokawa Onsen. The volcanic region offers many hot springs and resorts within Kurokawa’s ‘enchanted’ forest. Photo: Rishi Sanyal

Sony a9 | 24-70 F2.8GM @35mm | 1/1000s, F2.8, ISO 1250

And then there’s video. Increasingly, cameras that do both stills and video well are more attractive than those that can’t. Sony is on the right track here, offering cameras that are highly capable at both, but there’s still work to be done. The Sony a9 offers some of the sharpest video around thanks to the fact it oversamples a full-frame sensor, yet it lacks a Log profile or an intuitive autofocus interface in video.5

Meanwhile of course, competitors aren’t standing still. Canon’s Dual Pixel AF in video offers a clear user benefit in combining performance and UI/UX. Four Thirds cameras offer 4K video with compelling (mechanical + digital) stabilization. The Panasonic GH5 offers 6K Photo, pre-capture, and effectively simultaneous video and stills capture in its high-resolution anamorphic mode. RED Cinema cameras – albeit in a very different price bracket – can capture at 120 fps for stills extraction or for 24p video.6

But theoretically, these are all challenges that Sony is well placed to face. Sony’s executives see the relationship between Sony Semiconductor and Sony DI as being key to planning for the future, and they assure us that the founders’ spirit of innovation will continue to bring compelling products to the market.


Footnotes:

1 Tanaka-san assured us that ‘the A-mount customer base is small, but loyal, and we need to serve them.’ While Sony does not intend A-mount users to transition to E-mount, it does see the a9 as a potential body for A-mount lenses, via adaption. To that end Sony assures us the disadvantages associated with adapters – like the lack of proper subject tracking – are addressable, though it won’t officially support or offer a solution for Canon lenses natively.

2 Expressing very frank surprise at the idea that some of our readers feel Sony is less committed to APS-C, Sony DI executives assured us that, on the contrary, they are fully committed to APS-C. They pointed in particular to its potential to increase business by its adoption as a second camera for pros (a6300/6500) or a first-time camera for casual users (a5100/6000).

3 While we weren’t explicitly told this, one might surmise it from the fact that the sensor in the a7R II has not appeared in any other manufacturer’s camera since its launch over 2 years ago.

4 For example, ‘Sync to Smartphone’ ensures all my JPEGs from my a7R II end up on Google Photos via my Google Pixel in full resolution original quality without me moving a finger.

5 We asked Sony about the omission of S-Log2 and PlayMemories on the a9. We suggested it ostensibly appeared like forced product segmentation, uncharacteristic of Sony’s product strategy. While it still appears that may indeed have been the case, we were assured that Sony takes our negative feedback about these omissions seriously.

6 Some RED cinema cameras are capable of assembling 24p footage from 120p capture by frame averaging, which removes the stutter that would otherwise result from the higher shutter speeds you’d likely shoot 120p footage at. It’s quite clever.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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