RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Year’

CIPA’s 2019 numbers detail worst year of the decade for the camera industry

04 Feb

Camera & Imaging Products Association, more commonly referred to as CIPA, has released its December report, which not only provides the details for the final month of the year, but also gives us a complete picture of the camera industry in 2019.

For anyone paying attention, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the news isn’t great. In fact, it’s downright terrible if we’re only looking at the numbers and not contextualizing the industry as a whole as it continues the transition from DSLR to mirrorless cameras. But, even then, it’s not a pretty sight.

According to CIPA’s data, digital still camera sales decreased by approximately 14 percent year-over-year. DSLR unit sales dropped almost 34 percent, while their value dropped roughly 28 percent. Meanwhile, mirrorless unit sales dropped by 10 percent, but the value of mirrorless camera sales increased by almost 6 percent, suggesting more advanced mirrorless cameras are increasing in popularity. Fixed-lens cameras saw a unit sale decline of 23 percent, while value dropped 12 percent.

As a whole, these numbers define what’s easily been the most dramatic year-over-year decline in the past decade; and most camera company’s don’t seem too confident the market will improve much next year if we’re to consider their financial projections as any indication.

However, as noted by CIPA’s mirrorless numbers, it does appear as though mid-to-high-end mirrorless cameras are providing more revenue year-over-year, and with both Canon and Nikon expected to ship more advanced mirrorless models in the coming year, that number will likely only go up, even as DSLR and fixed-lens sales continue to decline.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on CIPA’s 2019 numbers detail worst year of the decade for the camera industry

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Photo Gallery: Winners of the 2019 Travel Photographer of the Year Awards

25 Jan

Winners of 2019’s Travel Photographer of the Year Awards

During an awards evening at the Fujifilm House of Photography in Covent Garden, London, the winners and runners up were announced for Travel Photography of the Year’s (TPOTY) 2019 competition. Over 20,000 images were submitted from 144 countries. Amateur photographer Katy Gomez Catalina is the first-ever Spanish overall winner and the second-ever female overall winner in the 17-year history of the awards.

TPOTY co-founder Chris Coe said: “Judging these awards, whilst arduous with so many excellent images to choose from, is always a joy and it is both exhilarating and stimulating to see the wealth of creativity evident from around the world. This year’s winning entries are outstanding in all categories, elegant and sometimes thought-provoking and gritty. The portfolio from the overall winner Katy Gomez Catalina is beautiful, sensitive and diverse. Only the second-ever female overall winner of Travel Photographer of the Year, Katy is an amateur photographer and a very, very worthy winner.”

The TPOTY awards were judged by an international panel of photography experts including Panamanian double Pulitzer Prize-winner Essdras M Suarez and Lawrence Jackson, a former official White House photographer under the Obama Administration. Winning images can be viewed at Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross, London from April 7th to May 12th. The exhibition will also appear at the South Transept of Chester Cathedral, in June, and at the Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah from September 17th – 20th.

It was incredibly difficult to select 15 images to display on this slideshow. All of the portfolios and individual winning images are nothing short of breathtaking, in this author’s opinion. I highly encourage you to visit TPOTY’s Winner’s Gallery and view them all.

Overall winner, Travel Photographer of the Year 2019: Katy Gomez Catalina, Spain

Credit: Katy Gomez/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Lake Mutanda, Uganda

Winner’s biography: Born in Ubeda, Spain Katy is an amateur photographer with a doctorate in veterinary medicine. Her job is related to official control in public health, with focus on the interaction between human and animal health. A passionate travel photographer, Katy has visited more than 60 countries, and her images have been exhibited throughout Spain and also in France, UK, Germany, India, Iran and Colombia.

“I look at the world, not only to testify what I see, but mainly, to express a personal perspective, a point of view, an interpretation and not just a representation. My subjects are very varied being travel photography a common link in all my work. The camera has become an inseparable companion, I cannot see the world if it is not through the eyes of a camera, with these images I compose my travel story as a writer with his diary. I do not take pictures for others, but for me, for the pure pleasure of photographing. But, if I can also evoke an emotion in those who view them, my satisfaction is multiplied.”

About this photo: In 1991 the Batwa pygmies were expelled from their ancestral forest territories and now live under the yoke of misery, lost in an environment they do not understand and find it difficult to adapt to.

Gear and specs: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 24- 105mm lens, f5.6, 1/160s, ISO 200

Winner, Young Travel Photographer of the Year 2019 aged 15-18: Ankit Kumar – India, age 16

Credit: Ankit Kumar/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Danum Valley in Borneo, Malaysia

Winner’s biography: Ankit Kumar began his journey in photography when he got his DSLR in 2015. Over the last four years, he has had the opportunity to travel to interesting locations in Africa and Europe, where he has taken wildlife and landscape pictures. Winning the Young Travel Photographer of the Year award in 2016 was a turning point in his passion for photography. It ignited in him a thirst for recording wildlife and the changing environment, with an eye towards conservation especially of hunted species and their disappearing world.

Since then, Ankit has won the Asian Geographic Youth Photographer of the Year 2017, was twice Highly Honoured by Nature’s Best Photography Asia in 2017, and Highly Honoured by Nature’s Best Photography in 2018. He is inspired by photographers such as Paul Nicken, Brain Skerry, Beverly Joubert and Keith Ladzinski, who care about the protection of animals and habitats. He also puts his photographic skills to use by supporting charities through an initiative that he, along with his sister have founded, called www.wayto.help.

About this photo: The clouds wrap around the trees in Danum Valley, Borneo.

Gear and specs: Sony A9, 100-400mm lens, f/8, 1/640s, ISO 2000

Winner, Art of Travel portfolio: Paul Sansome, UK

Credit: Paul Sansome/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Reykjavik, Iceland

Winner’s biography: Paul Sansome is a professional fine art and travel photographer based in the south of England and in Vietnam. His artistic photography is produced to the highest standards and his work, which is released in strictly limited editions, is intended to provide that special focal point. Paul is also an experienced photography tutor and has been leading photography holidays for over 15 years. Destinations have included Italy, Morocco, Kerala and Rajasthan in India, Iceland, Vietnam and Myanmar.

Paul started out as a landscape photographer but says “One of the compelling facets of photography is the diverse range of genres that we are able to give our attention to. I have always enjoyed the challenge of wildlife photography, particularly attempting to photograph birds in flight. More recently, much of my photography has been travel based and here the challenge is to portray the emotion of the subject or to tell a story. One common thread through these genres is that the timing of the shot is critical – a fleeting moment of light in the landscape, a moment of animal behaviour or the flash of emotion on a person’s face.”

About this photo: The mesmerizing modern architecture of the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland. This building provides endless photography opportunities both from inside and outside.

Gear and specs: Canon EOS 6D MkII, 15mm F2.8 fisheye lens, f10, 1/60s, ISO 800

Highly Commended, Art of Travel: Ted Lau, Hong Kong

Credit: Ted Lau/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Pyongyang, North Korea

About this photo: Since the Mass Games resumed in 2018, all the school kids get involved. After months of training, most all of them are near- professional gymnasts.

Gear and specs: Nikon D850, 70-200mm lens, f8, 1/320s, ISO 2000

Special Mention, Art of Travel: Trâ?n Tuâ?n Vi??t, Vietnam

Credit: Trâ?n Tuâ?n Vi??t/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Ung Hoa, Hanoi, Vietnam

About this photo: A female worker collects bundles of incense in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Gear and specs: Canon 1Dx, 24-70mm lens, f/2.8, 1/1250s, ISO 200

Winner, Endangered Planet portfolio: Alain Schroeder, Belgium

Credit: Alain Schroeder/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Sibolangit, SOCP Quarantine Centre – Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

Winner’s biography: Alain Schroeder is a Belgian photojournalist. In 1989 he founded Reporters, a well-known photo agency in Belgium. He has illustrated over thirty books dedicated to China, Iran, the Renaissance, Ancient Rome, the Gardens of Europe, Thailand, Tuscany, Crete, Vietnam, Budapest, Venice, the Abbeys of Europe, Natural Sites of Europe, etc. Belgian book titles include Le Carnaval de Binche vu par 30 Photographes, and Processions de Foi, Les Marches de l’Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse.

Publications include National Geographic, Geo, and Paris Match. He has won many international awards including a Nikon Japan award for the Who Will Save the Rohingya series, Travel Photographer of the Year 2017 and a World Press Photo 1st Prize Sport Stories, and participated in numerous exhibitions worldwide.

About this photo: Fahzren the orangutan is undergoing a routine medical check. Fahzren is 30 years old and comes from a zoo in Malaysia where he has lived since he was a baby. His medical condition is fine but he does not have the skills to survive in the wild.

Gear and specs: Fujifilm X-Pro2, 14mm lens, f3.2, 1/140s, ISO 1600

Winner, People & Cultures portfolio: Trevor Cole, Ireland

Credit: Trevor Cole/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Mundari, Terekeka county, South Sudan

Winner’s biography: Trevor Cole was born in the city of Derry, Ireland, but has lived most of his life outside the bounds of Ireland; in England, Singapore, Togo, Italy, Ethiopia, and Brazil. He returned to Ireland (Donegal) in 2012.

“My photography, together with travel, have become two of my life’s passions. My photography focuses predominantly on culture and landscapes; images which reflect a spatial and temporal journey through life and which try to convey a need to live in a more sustainable world. I seek the moment and the light in whatever context I find myself and endeavour to use my photographic acumen to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Capturing inimitable moments today to reflect upon tomorrow. My own ‘take’ as a geographer photographer!”

About this photo: Mundari Camaraderie. The bond between the tribesmen and their animals is reflected in the tribal bond itself. The smoke, fires and dust create a scene which is almost biblical. The symbiotic bond between man and the cattle is a scene to behold.

Gear and specs: Nikon D850, 70-200mm lens, f3.5, 1/125s, ISO 3200

Winner, Best Single Image in a People & Cultures portfolio: Debdatta Chakraborty, India

Credit: Debdatta Chakraborty/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Kolkata, India

About this photo: On the day of Chhath festival in India, Hindus, mainly the women, perform Dondi, a kind of penance to appease the divinity and thereby praying for a happier future.

Gear and specs: Nikon D750, 24-120mm lens, f5.6, 1/500s, ISO 800

Winner, Thrills & Adventures portfolio: Brian Clopp, USA

Credit: Brian Clopp/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Dugway Proving Ground – Utah, USA

Winner’s biography: Brian Clopp spent his birthday week in 2019 living amongst the Onaqui wild horses in harsh desert conditions, capturing these stunning images. On recent travels, his hard drive containing a year’s worth of photography was stolen when thieves hacked his rental car, but becoming a TPOTY finalist encouraged him to continue his art.

His portraiture photography subjects include President Jimmy Carter, Ted Turner, Jessie Jackson, James Earl Jones, and more. His work has often been featured as CNN’s Travel Photo of the Day. He is a ‘purist’ photographer who doesn’t edit his shots, striving to capture every setting perfectly.

Brian co-produced the Golden Globe nominated film ‘First They Killed My Father’ directed by Angelina Jolie. He recently completed his directorial debut on a short film about Penelope Stout, the first surviving settler of New Jersey, and the Lenape natives who save her life during a time of war. An Eagle Scout, Brian’s project instilled a collection drive in his small farm town of Cranbury NJ that continues to this day, collecting tens of thousands of winter clothes, hygiene items, and art supplies for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. Now, Brian is co-launching The Giving Herb, a wellness CBD company that gives half to charity.

About this photo: To get this shot, I lived amongst the wild Onaqui herd for a week, camping out in a dusty desert environment. Here wild stallions battle dramatically for hierarchy, sending young foals scattering from the melee.

Gear and specs: Nikon D850, 600mm lens, f8, 1/3200s, ISO 640

Winner, Best Single Image in a Thrills & Adventures portfolio: Quanhou Lu, China

Credit: Quanhou Lu/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Xingjiang, China

About this photo: Transferring animals between pastures can take them on an adventurous route.

Gear and specs: Canon EOS-1DX Mk IIO, 24-70mm lens, f4, 1/320s, ISO 100

Winner, Dusk to Dawn: Sumit Dua, USA/UK

Credit: Sumit Dua/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Havana, Cuba

Winner’s biography: Sumit Dua is an amateur photographer based in Los Angeles, CA. By profession he is a doctor, and started photography during medical school. Initially his photography was done on a primitive digital camera borrowed from his uncle. “Photography helps me observe the world and find moments that I would otherwise miss. My passion for photography started with an impromptu trip through many regions of India and it still remains my favorite destination to photograph with its vibrant colors and old textures. My other hobby includes magic.”

About this photo: Walking around the streets of Havana after sunset I came across this ordinary scene where two neighbours were chatting. The. Lighting and colours reminded me of the ‘old master’ paintings.

Gear and specs: Canon EOS 5D Mk III, 70-200mm lens, f2.8, 1/100s, ISO 3200

Commended, Dusk to Dawn: Lance McMillan, Canada

Credit: Lance McMillan/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Blue Pond, Biei – Hokkaido, Japan

About this photo: The larch and silver birch trees within the pond were once living, but are no more – the pond itself was artificially formed years ago as a result of the creation of a dam to protect from the effects of the nearby volcano at Mt. Tokachi. The site is illuminated at night, and the quietness on this chilly evening allowed me time to take in, and photograph, the beauty of the pond.

Gear and specs: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 35mm lens, 2.8, 2.5 sec, ISO 800

Winner, Oceans, Seas, Rivers, Lakes: Ignacio Palacios, Australia/Spain

Credit: Ignacio Palacios/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Parque Nacional dos Lenc?o?is Maranhenses, Brazil

Winner’s biography: When it comes to photography and travel, few can rival Ignacio Palacios’ experience, skill, and passion. A third-generation photographer, Ignacio has been honoured with over 100 prestigious photography prizes and awards from around the world and has travelled to over 90 countries in his 22 years career. Born in Spain, Ignacio now calls Sydney Australia home – through his unmistakable Spanish spirit continues to influence his work and define his signature style.

Combining his love of travel and photography has proved a powerful combination, and today Ignacio leads photography tours to incredible destinations around the world. As an AIPP double Master of Photography, Ignacio shares his insight, experience, and technique with his clients to help them find their own success and joy on their photographic journey. Ignacio’s distinct, award-winning style can be defined by his mastery of composition, colour, and light. With his minimalistic style and unique ability to connect with his audience through storytelling. Through his images, Ignacio invites his audience to experience the subject not as how he captured, but how he experienced it, evoking an emotional connection between the viewer, subject and artist. Photography and travel will always be Ignacio’s passion, and he is dedicated to helping others ignite their passion too.

About this photo: A lonely tree survives the elements among the sand dunes. This image was shot from a light plane with the doors off.

Gear and specs: D850, Nikon 70-200mm, f8, 1/1250, 400

People’s Choice award and Winner, Street Life: Robin Young, Malaysia

Credit: Robin Young/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Old Havana, Cuba

Winner’s biography: Robin Yong is a multi-award-winning travel and commercial photographer, trained by the famous American photographer Jim Zuckerman, the world famous Venetian Masks Florine Houee and Danielle Massart, and legendary Hollywood photographer Greg Gorman. He enjoys traveling to exotic destinations to befriend and photograph the locals. He is best known for his work on the Omo Valley tribes in Ethiopia, the Venetian Masked models in Venice, the Bokator boxers of Cambodia and the Maikos of Kyoto. He calls these works his Travel Portraits, his Art of Travel Medicine. For most of his works, he does not use flash, reflectors or artificial lighting, depending solely on natural lighting alone. The photos are often dramatic, colourful and extremely beautiful. For Robin, every photo must look like a movie poster.

Over the past few years, Robin has quickly become one of the most popular and influential photographers at the Venice Carnevale and within the past few months, Flowers of Ethiopia alone has gathered numerous awards, finalist status and honourable mentions in many International photography competitions, including Alfred Fried Awards, Antu Sente Cup, Australia’s Top Emerging Photographers, International Photography Awards, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA), Istanbul Photo Awards, Moscow International Foto Awards, One Eyeland Awards. The Prix de la Photographie Paris, Sienna International Photo Awards, Tokyo International Foto Awards, Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) Awards, Xposure Awards etc. In just slightly more than two years, Robin’s travel photos have gathered more than 700 awards worldwide.

About this photo: A street scene in Old Havana, Cuba…the contrast of the young and the old, the rebellious and the wise…

Gear and specs: Canon 5DM3, 50mm lens, f/3.2, 1/80s, ISO 100

Winner, TAPSA: Kiran Ridley, UK

Credit: Kiran Ridley/www.tpoty.com

Photo location: Admiralty, Hong Kong

Winner’s biography: Kiran Ridley is an award-winning photographer based in Paris and working throughout Europe and Asia. Most of his work concentrates on news, social political topics and the human experience. Fascinated by people and naturally curious by the human condition, Kiran, is passionate in documenting ongoing situations throughout the world, capturing the human dynamic, seizing the unique moments that humans create, whether in our hopes and dreams, fears or our anger.

After picking up a camera for the first time at the age of 16, he was enthralled at the ability to capture and bear witness to history in the making and to tell the stories of the people within it. There started a journey of learning and discovery, embracing cultures and environments wherever he is, allowing him to blend in and become accepted, capturing distinct and intimate moments of those around him.

Now, his work is published throughout the world including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Times and The Financial Times, The LA Times, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Le Figaro, Le Point, Die Welt, El Pais, Forbes, Observer and Guardian newspapers, Time, Spiegel, Economist Magazine, GQ and Conde Nast amongst many others.

About this photo: A pro-democracy protestor throws a molotov cocktail towards police, setting fire to other protestors during anti-government demonstrations.

Gear and specs: Canon EOS1DX Mark II, 24-70mm lens, f7.1, 1/640s, ISO 1600

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Photo Gallery: Winners of the 2019 Travel Photographer of the Year Awards

Posted in Uncategorized

 

1 Year with the Fujifilm X-T3 – Was It Worth Buying?

23 Jan

The post 1 Year with the Fujifilm X-T3 – Was It Worth Buying? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

1-year-with-the-fujifil-x-t3

It’s been just over 1 year since the Fujifilm X-T3 debuted. This popular APS-C mirrorless camera replaced the beloved X-T2, but it also added lots of video features, leading many to declare the X-T3 the best hybrid mirrorless cameras of 2019. After shooting for 1 year with the Fujifilm X-T3, I’ll share my thoughts on the camera in this article.

Why I Chose Fujifilm

Throughout my 10-year career as a professional photographer, I have always reached for a full-frame camera. During the DSLR days, I bounced between the Nikon D700 and Canon 5D Mark III.

When it came time to go mirrorless, I went with the Sony a7R III. As a concert and event photographer, I am often prohibited from using flash and always need the option to shoot at high ISOs. I also value quick, accurate autofocus. In both of those regards, the Sony a7 series made the most sense when I went mirrorless in 2018.

So how did Fujifilm get into the picture? My husband and I jumped into videography together at around the same time. He was attracted to Fujifilm for its film simulations and ergonomics that are similar to film cameras.

When the Fujifilm X-H1 came out, he jumped on it because of its superior video features, including IBIS (in-body stabilization).

As we started shooting videos together, we found it difficult to quickly and accurately match the colors of his Fujifilm to my Sony camera. Since he already had a large Fujifilm lens collection, it made sense for me to simply pick up a camera body so that we could share lenses. So the X-T3 ended up in my hands primarily as a video camera.

1 Year with the Fujifilm X-T3 - Was It Worth Buying?

Ergonomics

If you have never shot with a film camera or Fujifilm camera before, they can take some getting used to. Prior to the X-T3, I had never shot with a camera that wasn’t a full-frame DSLR. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to using the top dials to set my shutter speed and ISO. It took even longer to get accustomed to the aperture ring on the lens.

After a year with the X-T3, I am much more comfortable with its dials and settings, but I dislike the fact that I need two hands to shoot with this camera. On virtually any other DSLR or mirrorless camera, you can adjust all settings using just one hand, making it faster to shoot on the fly.

Fujifilm X-T3 one year later

X-T3 as a video camera

I intended to use the Fujifilm X-T3 primarily as a video camera. Fortunately, those features worked out perfectly, and one year later, the X-T3 is still my favorite for shooting videos.

This camera can shoot 4K video at up to 60 fps in 10-bit 4:2:0 color, and you can select a bitrate of up to 400Mbps for frame rates of 30p and below. That’s a lot of jargon, but it essentially means that the X-T3 is capable of outputting high-quality video footage.

In my experience, the video is razor-sharp, and thanks to Fujifilm film simulations, the colors look stunning straight out of the camera.

The X-T3 offers F-log recording to produce a flat video that can be color graded in post-production. However, film simulations are so good that you don’t need to color grade these videos. Saving time in editing was the main reason that drew me to Fujifilm, and I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint.

Previous Fujifilm cameras omitted essential videography features such as a headphone jack of monitoring audio. Not so with the X-T3. This camera has both a mic jack and headphone jack built into the camera, allowing you to capture high-quality audio. The only thing that this camera is sorely missing is IBIS or in-body image stabilization for capturing steady video. Thankfully, image stabilization is present in many Fujifilm X lenses, but you still need to pop the X-T3 on a gimbal to get ultra-smooth footage.

Image: Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 lens. Focal length 18mm (in 35mm: 27mm), 1/250...

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 lens. Focal length 18mm (in 35mm: 27mm), 1/250 sec, f/6.4, ISO 320, Aperture Priority

X-T3 as a photo camera

Even though I intended to use the X-T3 for video, I inevitably used it for photography. Thanks to the relatively compact size of the camera, and the accompanying Fujifilm X-Series lenses, the Fuji X-T3 is a solid travel camera.

Also, similar to videos, photo colors look stunning straight-out-of-camera when using film simulations, and you arguably needn’t shoot in RAW to save room on your memory cards.

Autofocus (AF) is vastly improved on the X-T3. The camera offers phase-detect AF with 425 selectable AF points spanning over the entire frame. Continuous autofocus does a great job of locking onto and tracking subjects, and there is also face and eye autofocus that works well.

In continuous shooting mode, the X-T3 can shoot at up to 11 frames per second (fps) using the mechanical shutter, or 30 fps with the electronic shutter. This is a crazy fast speed that rivals top sports photography cameras.

Fujifilm X-T3 one year later

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 lens. Focal length 18mm (in 35mm: 28mm), 1/180 sec, f/3.6, ISO 800, Aperture Priority

Wish List

I base most of my wish list features on my experiences shooting with full-frame cameras, such as the Sony a7r III, which I think pulls off these features better.

First, is autofocus.

Even though the X-T3 has much-improved autofocus, it isn’t as fast and accurate as Sony’s. Eye autofocus, in particular, is much more effective on Sony.

Second is low light performance.

On my Sony, I’m comfortable shooting at ISO 6400-8000, whereas I won’t push the X-T3 past ISO 4000. To a degree, this isn’t a fair comparison. Full-frame cameras will always shoot a cleaner image at higher ISOs, but there’s always room for improvement.

Finally, the battery life on the Fujifilm X-T3 quite frankly sucks.

I generally need 3 batteries for a full day of shooting on the X-T3, whereas a single battery will get me through 1+ days of shooting with the Sony a7r III.

I understand that increased battery life often results in a larger battery and, therefore, a larger camera, but it would still be a welcome addition. In the meantime, you can increase the battery life by using the Fujifilm battery grip, or you can charge the camera via its included USB-C port.

In Conclusion

All-in-all, you can’t go wrong with the Fujifilm X-T3. It produces incredibly sharp photos and videos with incredible colors straight out of the camera.

The camera and its accompanying lenses are compact and quite durable, especially when considering their price points, which are relatively lower when compared to other camera brands.

There are cameras out there that have better features such as autofocus, but the Fujifilm X-T3 will suit the needs of most photographers out there.

Have you used the Fujifilm X-T3? Have you spent more than 1 year with the Fujifilm X-T3? What are your thoughts? Please share them with us in the comments.

Fujifilm X-T3 one year later

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 lens. Focal length 18mm (in 35mm: 28mm), 1/90 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2000, Aperture Priority

Fujifilm X-T3 one year later

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 lens. Focal length 32.9mm (in 35mm: 49mm), 1/60 sec, f/3.6, ISO 2000, Aperture Priority

Fujifilm X-T3 one year later

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 lens. Focal length 35mm (in 35mm: 53mm), 1/90 sec, f/3.2, ISO 2000, Aperture Priority

Fujifilm X-T3 one year later

Sony A7R III with Sony FE 55mm F1.8 lens. Focal length 55mm (in 35mm: 55mm), 1/60 sec, f/9, ISO 1600, Aperture Priority

 

You may also like:

  • Fujifilm Fujinon XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens Review
  • Best Fujifilm X-Series Kit for Urban Portraits
  • The Fujifilm X-Pro 3: Marvellous or Mistake?
  • Fujifilm GFX100 Camera Review
  • The Best Fujifilm X-Series Kits for Travel Photography
  • Fujifilm X-T3 versus Fujifilm X-H1: The Best Mirrorless Camera for You?
  • Gear Review: Fujifilm 50-140mm vs 55-200mm

 

The post 1 Year with the Fujifilm X-T3 – Was It Worth Buying? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on 1 Year with the Fujifilm X-T3 – Was It Worth Buying?

Posted in Photography

 

DJI restocks its Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 drone, nearly a year after discontinuing it

14 Jan

The Phantom boasts an iconic, instantly recognizable design that marked DJI’s foray into the consumer drone business back at the start of 2013. Since then, the product line has been upgraded 4 times. The DJI Phantom 4 series became especially popular with the commercial drone operator sector when the Pro line was introduced in November 2016. The camera has a 1″ 20MP CMOS sensor plus 4K/60p video, along with 5 directional obstacle sensing and 4 directional obstacle avoidance – amongst other upgrades.

The Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 was introduced in May 2018. There isn’t much difference from the previous model in the Phantom 4 series except for the addition of an OcuSync transmission system and low-noise propellers. When all versions of the Phantom 4 series were sold out, some for over half a year at the time, the company made an unfortunate announcement. ‘Due to a shortage of parts from a supplier, DJI is unable to manufacture more Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 drones until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause and recommend our customers explore DJI’s Mavic series drones as an alternative solution to serve their needs,’ read an official statement from DJI last April.

In a statement to DPReview regarding the re-launch, Patrick Santucci of DJI said:

‘DJI is excited to announce that the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 will again be available for purchase on January 6, 2020. This popular and versatile drone had been temporarily out of stock because of a shortage of parts from a supplier. DJI sets high standards for the extremely advanced components in our products, which require advanced lead time and technical precision to manufacture. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers, and we thank them for their patience as we ensure the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 will continue to meet their high expectations.’

Much of DJI’s efforts over the past 18+ months have been focused on the Mavic series – from the Mavic 2 line to the sub-250-gram Mini. A Mavic 3 is rumored to be released in the coming months. This is why it came as a shock that DJI announced the return of its Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 drone earlier this week. Some enthusiasts have taken to the drone forums to predict a forthcoming Phantom 5 successor, despite rumors being all but dismissed at the same time the V2.0 was initially discontinued.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on DJI restocks its Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 drone, nearly a year after discontinuing it

Posted in Uncategorized

 

How to Plan Your Year in Photography so You Can be More Productive

08 Jan

The post How to Plan Your Year in Photography so You Can be More Productive appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.

plan-your-year-in-photography

It’s always good to have a plan. Having a structure to what you do in life leads to success, and this is also the case in photography. In this article, you’ll learn how to focus your attention on the things that will progress your photography. Read on and discover how best to plan your year in photography. It’s a simple process, and you’ll find when you have a plan those unexpected moments that make a great photo occur for you more often as well.

Plan-your-year-in-photography

Knowing seasonal flowers bloom can help a lot.

Look back to plan your year in photography

The very first thing you need to be doing ahead of planning your year in photography is to take a look at the past. This will help you in several ways, and these you’ll learn about now.

  • Avoid mistakes – Reviewing your work to see the things you did wrong means you can plan better for the future.
  • Return visit – It’s always good to plan a return visit, perhaps somewhere would look much better in the snow?
  • Improvements – Related to eliminating mistakes, but slightly different. In this case, when you learn a new photographic skill, this can be brought into your work.
  • Knowledge – Looking through all your work from the previous year will give you a lot of knowledge that you can then use in the planning phase for the upcoming year.
Plan-your-year-in-photography

It’s always worth a return visit, and the sun sets in a different position in the sky later in the year.

When is the best season?

One of the most important aspects of planning your year ahead is thinking about photographs that are seasonal. That doesn’t just relate to the changes in the season either. There can be other factors that can either make or break a photo when it’s taken at a specific time.

When you plan your year in photography, you’ll need to consider the following factors. Then make a plan to be at the correct location at the right time to take advantage of your planning.

  • Seasons – Spring and Autumn are perhaps the most popular seasons to photograph in, with fall leaves, and flower blossoms popular among photographers. Even in the tropics, the change from dry to wet season can have a dramatic impact on the type of photo you can take. Make sure you know when the monsoon season is!
  • The sun – Where the sun sets and rises changes throughout the year. This change is most dramatic the further away from the equator you are. Plan your photo so the sun is in exactly the right place within your frame. You can use a program like suncalc to do this. One of the most dramatic examples of this is when the sun shines down the blocks in New York during Manhattanhenge.
  • Milky way – As with the sun, the position of the milky way changes through the year. In the northern hemisphere, it begins the year as a pre-dawn photo and ends the year as an early evening photo. More than this, though, you need to think about the moon. The optimum time to photograph the milky way is during the new moon. So, you need to plan month-to-month to photograph the milky way.
Image: Knowing when festivals will be is important.

Knowing when festivals will be is important.

Which trip will you take?

Unless you’re very lucky, you’ll only be able to plan a few big trips away per year. You may not even be able to do that, but hopefully, you still have time to visit somewhere amazing that’s more local. The big question, however, is where to go, and when?

Where should you go?

The location you choose will very much depend on the type of photographer you are. Other factors, like the needs of your family, if this trip is a family vacation, also need to be thought of.

If you’re a landscape photographer, then visiting places with incredible landscapes will make a dream trip. That means countries like Iceland, New Zealand, or Vietnam might be top of your list.

On the other hand, if you enjoy street photography, then going to India, and the back streets of somewhere like Calcutta could be for you.

Think about how you want to add to your portfolio, and then plan your trip accordingly.

Image: Festivals offer unique moments that don’t present themselves at other times.

Festivals offer unique moments that don’t present themselves at other times.

When to go?

Now the next step is planning when to go. Making a trip somewhere is exciting. For some, it’s often once a year, so you’ll want to get this right. What factors will elevate your photography of a particular location above other peoples?

  • Seasons – Already mentioned, but worth mentioning again. A location can be transformed by fall tree colors. Your time in a location could equally be ruined by a constant monsoon deluge, and perhaps even flooding.
  • Festivals – When you choose a place to visit, do an additional search to see if there are any famous festivals. Festivals offer the chance to take photos that only happen during that festival, offering you the chance for more unique photos.
  • Tourists – Can you go at a time that avoids crowds of tourists? Admittedly if you’re photographing a festival, you’ll be surrounded by lots of tourists. However, at other times, it’s best to avoid peak times. It’s cheaper to travel, and you’ll have an easier time taking photos without crowds in them.
Image: This photo needed to be taken when high tide coincided with sunrise. Planning is needed for t...

This photo needed to be taken when high tide coincided with sunrise. Planning is needed for this.

Try something new

Every year it’s worth thinking about learning something new. What new photography technique or post-processing workflow will take your photography to the next level? Do you need to buy a course, or attend a workshop to realize this improvement? Here are just a few ideas you could try, if you haven’t done so already.

  • Light painting – The world of light painting is huge. Get a tripod, and try out some of the night time fun yourself!
  • Infra-red – The easiest way to get started with this is through using an IR filter. If you really love it then convert your camera for specific IR use.
  • Lensball – Lensballs have become much more prevalent in recent years. Have you tried this interesting form of photography yet?
  • Digital blending – The best post-processing technique to take your landscape photography to the next level.
  • Cloning – Get creative and try cloning multiple objects into the same photo.
Plan-your-year-in-photography

Cloning yourself into photographs multiple times can be fun.

Make a monthly calendar

Now you know what you want to achieve in your photography, it’s time to lay it all out in an organized way. That means using a calendar, so you can clearly see where things fit in your plan for the year.

If you plan to have a project such as the 52-week project, then this would be a great time to lay everything down in terms of what you’re photographing from week to week.

The spring and autumn seasons can be short in terms of peak conditions, so also plan for that when you’ll be out photographing in the best locations.

Image: It’s time to plan your year ahead, and make sure you don’t miss those fall photos...

It’s time to plan your year ahead, and make sure you don’t miss those fall photos!

How will you plan your year in photography?

Whether you’re a generally organized person or not, a plan is always a good idea.

How do you go about planning your year in photography? Are there any tips you would share that will help other members of this community?

Perhaps it involves committing to a photography project of some description. Here at digital photography school, we’d love to get your feedback, together with any photos you have taken in the last year or plan to take this year.

The post How to Plan Your Year in Photography so You Can be More Productive appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Bond.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on How to Plan Your Year in Photography so You Can be More Productive

Posted in Photography

 

DPReview Readers’ Choice Awards 2019: Product of the Year

06 Jan

Product of the Year 2019: the results

The final round of voting has closed and a winner has been chosen in our annual Readers’ Choice Awards! Starting in December, DPR readers picked their favorite cameras, zoom lenses and prime lenses released in 2019. The winners of that initial round of voting were then pitted against each other for the title of Product of the Year. Take a look and see which products came out on top.

Product of the Year: third place

The Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS was a late 2019 arrival, making its debut in November. Still, that was enough time to convince a large portion of our audience that it deserves a spot in the top three products of the year. It’s not hard to see why – the lens’ compact size at 70mm is truly astonishing and its image quality is just as impressive.

Product of the Year: runner up

Coming in second is the GFX 100, Fujifilm’s 100MP medium-format body. The combination of its high resolution and in-body image stabilization make it possible to take the studio with you – if you can stomach the $ 10,000 price tag. But what’s the fun in bringing price into a discussion about the best gear of the year? Fujifilm set out to make a truly impressive camera and it seems that its mission has been accomplished.

Product of the Year: overall winner

It may have been its 60MP resolution, or its class-leading 4K video, or maybe its ability to shoot 10 fps with AF. Some combination of those features no doubt contributed to DPR readers choosing the Sony a7R IV as their Product of the Year. Beyond the headline-grabbing specifications, the a7R IV is just a darn good camera and we whole-heartedly agree that it’s worthy of recognition – not only was it the DPR community’s top product of 2019, it was ours too.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on DPReview Readers’ Choice Awards 2019: Product of the Year

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Gear of the Year: what we loved shooting with in 2019

04 Jan

Each year DPR staff pick the gear they most enjoyed shooting with over the past year – and that’s the only criteria. It doesn’t have to be the best or fastest, just enjoyable. Here are all of our 2019 picks in one place.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Gear of the Year: what we loved shooting with in 2019

Posted in Uncategorized

 

2020! Happy New Year from the DPS Team, plus Ultimate Guides

01 Jan

The post 2020! Happy New Year from the DPS Team, plus Ultimate Guides appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

happy-new-year-2020-dps

Wow, 2019 is over already!

From the entire dPS family, we wish you a wonderful new year ahead! We are also very excited to continue to bring you some fabulous tutorials to help you on your photographic journey in 2020!

As a bonus, here is a summary of some amazing dPS Ultimate Guides we published in 2018 that may be helpful for you.

Happy New Year 2019 and the Ultimate Guides of 2018!

Each is available as a free PDF – just click on the ones you want to download below.

  • The Ultimate Guide to Food Photography
  • The Ultimate Guide to Photographing People for the Shy Photographer
  • The Ultimate Guide to Night Photography
  • The Ultimate Guide to Taking Portraits and Photographing People
  • The Ultimate Guide to Street Photography
  • The dPS Ultimate Guide to Landscape Photography
  • The dPS Ultimate Guide to Getting Started in Lightroom for Beginners
  • The dPS Ultimate Guide to Photography for Beginners
  • The dPS Ultimate Guide to Photography Terms – a Glossary of Common Words and Phrases
  • The Ultimate Guide to Nature and Outdoor Photography
  • The dPS Ultimate Guide to Fine Art Photography

Enjoy, and if you feel these guides are valuable, please share this page with your friends!

The post 2020! Happy New Year from the DPS Team, plus Ultimate Guides appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on 2020! Happy New Year from the DPS Team, plus Ultimate Guides

Posted in Photography

 

The year in photos: Jordan Drake and the art of crying

26 Dec

Preface*

Crying is a highly evolved human trait. Tears can be an indicator of fear or stress. They can simply be a mechanism to flush out the eyes. Or they can convey joy and pain, heartache and elation. Distilled to their very core, tears are the truth. Tears are a most sincere way of reaching out for human connection, and so I would ask the reader to hold this concept tightly as they bear witness to Jordan and his experience. I would ask of the reader a willingness to reach out to Jordan and internalize that sincerity through the medium of the photograph.

Before we start this journey for connection I feel it necessary to reveal that these photos were not taken once per month as this slide show suggests. The human spirit does not follow a schedule and these powerful moments were captured as they birthed themselves upon the stage, if you will, that is DPReview TV. They will be shown in an order that does not harness itself to chronological accuracy, but rather is akin to a musical composition intended to stir the soul in its entirety. Let us begin.

* In case you’re not familiar with DPReview TV, here’s the backstory: In many of their weekly video episodes, our hosts Chris and Jordan feature a photo of Jordan curled up in the fetal position. It’s a bit of a running gag, Jordan’s soul isn’t really tortured by demons (or so we’ve been told). If you have’t discovered DPReview TV yet, you can find episodes here.

January

The photo before you was taken in Wayne, Alberta. All around us the harsh, weather-worn canyons stood silent sentinel to Jordan’s struggle. The roadway symbolizes not only a means of transition but also a vector of impending danger. The bridge a final gateway to salvation from that state of being. Yet Jordan has collapsed short of his goals and instead must simply cry out as the valley bears witness. It is the Panasonic S1 which allows that moment to be appreciated by all.

February

This is a local city green space in Calgary named Shepherd’s Park. The brutal metal grating causes Jordan discomfort as he hesitantly lies down upon it. Our hero clings tightly to his Panasonic GH5, monopod, and headphones, the tools of his expression. They are also like a prison to him, a concept further sustained by the rigid framing of the metal gantry. He is trapped, but perhaps he has also chosen his prison. Is the Canon EOS 90D not also a prison to his struggle?

March

Ah Seattle! Your charming hills, and quiet neighborhoods set the stage for this next humanistic landscape. The monochromatic nature of this image serves a dual purpose. It simplifies the intent capturing the banality of the environment. It also requests the viewer to bring their own experiences to the artwork. Have you not found yourself clinging to sanity in a car port? Have you not also smelled the stench that lingers in such places? Jordan is experiencing this very thing, here on the pavement, and in doing so brings about a deep connection with you the viewer. You are both crying in a driveway now. The Nikon Z50 sees you both.

April

Not all tears represent sadness, or misery. They can be uplifting and joyful too. Their power lies in the expression of both the heights, and abysses, of human emotion. Jordan is a self proclaimed cinephile with a passion for movie-making, and a deep appreciation for the craft. The mural sang to him a moment of pure elation, straight from the celluloid. He was overcome and found himself compelled to dance, drowning in a symphony of joy. I was humbled to have captured it with the Nikon Z7. It did not falter.

May

A quiet stillness falls over an autumnal lake. Jordan falls over a picnic table. An Olympus EM5-3 clicks once. A singular truth is revealed. It occurs only in this unique image. Jordan lies now left to right. Left to right. Profundity.

June

Wait! Hey Jordan, run up the highway and lie down in the middle. Do I have to? Yes! It’ll look great, do it. What about traffic? Do it! – Friendship – GFX100

July

This image is a personal favorite of mine. Notice the strong leading line drawing the eyes to our reluctant hero. The organic shapes, the smooth curves, the magenta hues, all speak to a sense of the living body. We witness a childhood. We witness a birthing. Is it a skatepark, or is it a womb? The Fuji GFX 50R reveals the truth, but only you can interpret it.

August

Leitz Park. Wetzlar, Germany. One would be forgiven for assuming the common stereotype that Leica is only style, engineering, and precision. On the most superficial level they create cameras as works of art. However, when one digs deeper one finds a company defined by its people. Its people are defined universally by their kindness and their willingness to give. Here they have given him an opportunity to create with the pinnacle of their lens technology. Jordan is a person of deep emotion, and once again he is overcome. His face speaks only truth, his elation is clear, his gratitude is given. The Leica SL2 brings this sincerity to the forefront. It simply whispers ‘Thank You.’

September

The smartphone has arrived, a harbinger of change in an industry that never wants to. Its message is a whisper that will grow into a cacophonous roar. Many of us hear only a gentle song on a winter’s breeze. Jordan however is not one of us. His senses are astute and his understanding is omniscient. He hears the roar and it is deafening. The shrill call brings him to his knees, and he must curl up in the fetal position or risk madness. I produced the Pixel 4 from my pocket and so I am the one to blame. This picture is my guilty confession.

October

Why is Jordan sitting up? He always lies down in the filth and the muck. He is mine to create with. Never questioning, and always accommodating. And yet we see him spared from the veritable ocean of grime which surrounds his small island of respite. Is the pursuit of pure art less important than his comfort? Should we not all sacrifice for our craft? Does the Sony a7R III not also deserve this tribute? Is pain and suffering not the fertilizer of the sublime? However, he is safe and warm. He cries because I am furious with him, and yet he remains dry. That is why this photo sucks.

November

I call this photo ‘Goldilocks’. The one on the left is too proud. The one on the right is too demure. But the one in the middle is just right! Also the astro-turf and garish display of cheap plastics communicate my personal statement about rampant and wasteful consumerism. How it effects workers, environmental factors, and our social consciousness, et cetera, et cetera. Taken with the Fuji XT3.

December

Our last photo is a palate cleanser of sorts. It is not a statement about the inherent duality of our existence. Nor is it a dissertation about Jordan’s emotional state. It is not a symphony or a poem. It has no higher purpose as art, nor does it ascend to the realms of the sublime. It simply is our Christmas card picture to all of you for supporting us during 2019! We appreciate the opportunity you give us all to entertain firstly, and educate secondly. Thank you so much to all of our friends and compatriots at DPReview for all your hard work in making our show possible. Here’s to an excellent 2020 and all the promise the New Year will bring. Oh, I almost forgot, this was taken with the Canon 5DmkIV.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on The year in photos: Jordan Drake and the art of crying

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Gear of the Year 2019 – Rishi’s choice: Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM

23 Dec
Photo: Dan Bracaglia

I love shooting wide. No, really: I made a whole video about how I even shoot portraits with wide-angle lenses. Wide-angles provide a sense of depth, dramatic perspectives, a glimpse into the subject’s surroundings and even provide an intimacy to portraits by giving the perspective of an observer standing very close to the subject. So you may be surprised by my choice of Gear of the Year: the Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM.

Perhaps it’s just that I needed something different. Spice up my life, venture beyond 35mm, you know, my favorite ‘telephoto’ lens. Or, maybe Sony just made an amazing lens in the 135mm GM. Perhaps it’s a bit of both.

135mm F1.8 allowed me to focus on my backlit subject, and nothing else. Look at that creamy background.

I took the Sony FE 135mm with me on a recent trip with family and friends, enjoying time together at a cabin and celebrating three years of keeping our daughter alive.

135mm really allows you to isolate your subject, and make it about nothing else, even if some of the environment is included. Rather than jumping around the frame from one point of interest to another, the viewer’s eye can just focus on one story which, below, is a simple one of one sibling looking up to another.

The ‘tunnel vision’ a long focal length paired with a fast aperture provides allows you to create simplistic images that tell just one story, like the love shared between these siblings.

That’s not to say that 135mm doesn’t allow you to portray your subject against its surroundings, it’s just that things are a bit different compared to a wide angle composition. Rather than include an expansive view of your subject’s surroundings with an enhanced sense of depth, the longer focal length allows you to compress your subject against only an isolated – and magnified – portion of its environment.

Take the image below: A wide-angle lens would have included the foliage, the sky, the ground, and other potentially distracting elements, all situated at different depths. This creates a more complex image with an enhanced sense of, well, depth. That can certainly be nice, but sometimes I like the simplicity of the subject and the background essentially appearing at just two different focal planes.

The 135mm focal length allowed me to ‘compress’ the scene, bringing the trees in the background closer to my subject(s), and allowing me to frame my subjects against the green foliage. The long focal length allowed me to magnify only a small portion of the background, allowing me to exclude distracting elements like the sky above or the ground below my subjects.

Technically, the FE 135mm GM lens is superb. Optically, the lens is literally the sharpest lens our friend Roger Cicala at LensRentals has ever tested. That’s at least in part due to the XA (extreme aspherical) element designed to minimize spherical aberration.

The Super ED and ED glass used in the elements in the front group replace traditional large and heavy negative elements commonly used to suppress longitudinal spherical aberration. The result is very little, if any, longitudinal chromatic aberration, commonly seen as purple and green fringing in front of, and behind, the focal plane, respectively.

The 135mm focal length allowed me to easily isolate my subject in this otherwise small and busy indoor space. And thanks to the excellent optics, there’s no distracting green fringing in the high contrast ‘Title’ text behind our subject, despite the fast aperture.

Sony’s 10 nanometer mold precision and other recent improvements ensure smooth aspherical surfaces, meaning that onion-ring bokeh is non-existent. An 11-blade aperture ensures circular out-of-focus highlights, and generally smoother bokeh, even when shooting stopped down. Sure, there’s some mechanical vignetting that leads to a ‘cat’s eye’ effect, but that’s to be expected of a lens of this type, and isn’t severe enough to result in swirly bokeh in the family portrait above.

Just as important as optical quality is the focus performance: especially for candid portraiture. And here the FE 135mm GM is industry leading: focus is lightning fast thanks in part to its four XD (‘extreme dynamic’) linear induction motors. These motors are far faster than the previous piezoelectric design of Sony’s ‘Direct Drive SSM’ system, and are capable of moving larger, heavier elements.

Paired with the excellent autofocus system of Sony’s recent cameras such as the a7R Mark IV, focus is fast enough that I could easily nail focus on the eyes of erratically running toddlers, even with the aperture wide open at F1.8:

This boy was running through a wading pool and momentarily smiled at the camera. Real-time tracking (with Eye AF) coupled with the extremely fast autofocus speeds of this lens allowed me to nail this moment effortlessly.

I’ll admit I’d rarely shot with 135mm primes in the past, typically sticking to a trio of primes (24, 35, and 85) for weddings, or 70-200mm F2.8 lenses for engagement and portrait shoots. I’ve found the 135mm F1.8 to be a different beast, requiring me to think and shoot differently, while often finding myself running further and further backward to get enough space in between my camera and my subject.

The results were, to me, very rewarding. The ‘tunnel vision’ effect of stepping back and using a longer focal length to isolate your subject and compress it against a small portion of its surroundings yields a unique look, particularly when paired with a fast enough aperture so that the background is pleasingly blurred and not distracting. Below, you’ll see my daughter surrounded by others in a park, but by herself in the wading pool happily marching to her own beat.

I couldn’t sum her up any better.

Marching to her own beat.

Note the exceedingly low magenta fringing (longitudinal chromatic aberration) around the water droplets splashing about in front of our subject, despite the magnifying glass the high resolution 60MP sensor of the a7R IV holds up to any lens’ optical aberrations.

Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM sample gallery

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_3945628308″,”galleryId”:”3945628308″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

* Of course I kid: my wedding kit always includes an 85mm, and I happily use 200mm for compression when I want to isolate my subject amidst its surroundings.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Gear of the Year 2019 – Rishi’s choice: Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM

Posted in Uncategorized

 
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »