Category: Uncategorized

Video: How one photographer turned his backyard shed into a camera and darkroom

Photographer and DIY camera extraordinaire Brendan Barry has used his time in lockdown to create a camera and darkroom out of a shed in his yard.

Throughout the above 22-minute video, Barry summarizes the build process, showing what was required to turn his compact shed into an all-in-one photo room and the process required to capture the image and make the resulting prints. As you might expect from such an ambitious project, it took a good bit of time to get everything sorted out and even more time to dial in the capture and printing process.

A close-up screenshot from the video showing off the massive 1016mm (40″) F5.4 aerial reconnaissance lens used in the build.

‘In [the video] I talk through the build and operation of the shed camera, bring together a number of the processes I experiment with and shares some of the materials and approaches I use in my practice,’ says Barry in an email to DPReview. Barry specifically notes he used ‘RA4 colour reversal, B&W paper negs contacted to positives and shooting with direct positive paper, both with normal chemistry and with caffenol’ to capture and make prints of the images captured with the ridiculous rig.

While this is technically possible to do at home, it will require plenty of power tools, spare wood you might have sitting around, a generous amount of gaff tape and an insanely large lens (a 1016mm [40”] F5.4 aerial reconnaissance lens in Barry’s case).

We’ve featured Barry’s previous projects before, including his 101 Park Avenue skyscraper camera, his shipping container camera and his guide to turning any room in your home into a camera. This shed project might not be his most grandiose project to date, but it certainly required a healthy dose of elbow grease and equal amounts of patience.

You can find more of Barry’s work on his website and keep up with his latest endeavors on his Instagram profile.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

April 29, 2020
Canon’s new software will turn select EOS, PowerShot cameras into webcams for Windows 10 PCs

As more and more people desire higher-quality video communication over internet while working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for webcams has increased dramatically, triggering incredibly high prices, sometimes three to four times over MSRP. And that’s if you can find one at all.

To help bridge a growing gap, Canon has announced the release of the EOS Webcam Utility Beta, a program for that will, with a single USB cable, turn compatible Canon EOS interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs) and PowerShot cameras into dedicated webcams on PCs running the 64-bit version of Windows 10.

‘In unprecedented times, it’s imperative for Canon to provide our customers with useful, simple and accessible solutions to assist them in whatever imaging needs they have,’ says Tatsuro ‘Tony’ Kano, executive vice president of the Canon U.S.A., Inc. Imaging Technologies & Communications Group in the press release. ‘Our goal is that the EOS Webcam Utility Beta software can help reduce some of the remote workday stress for employees who are tasked with video conferencing and virtual meetings.’

A list of the EOS and PowerShot cameras currently supported.

Downloading the EOS Webcam Utility Beta must be done from the downloads page of your supported camera’s product page on Canon’s website. Thankfully, Canon has created a library on its dedicated EOS Webcam Utility Beta page linking out to the appropriate page for each supported camera. Once to the camera’s download page, simply click the download button to start downloading the installation file.

Being it’s a beta program, Canon is asking for feedback pertaining to the application, which can be left on Canon’s dedicated forum.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

April 29, 2020
OmniVision launches the OV64B, a 64MP smartphone sensor with 0.7 micron pixels

Mobile sensor manufacturer OmniVision has announced the OV64B, a 1/2” sensor it claims is the ‘world’s first 0.7-micron 64-megapixel image sensor’ that’s destined for ultra-thin flagship smartphones.

The 1/2” sensor is built on OmniVision’s PureCel Plus-S stacked die technology and a four-cell color filter array (CFA) with on-chip hardware for re-mosaic. In addition to 64MP (9248 x 6944 pixel) stills, the sensor can also output 16MP images with what OmniVision claims is 4x the sensitivity thanks to near-pixel binning that yields images with a sensitivity equivalent to sensors with 1.4-micron pixels. Omnivision also notes 2X digital crop zoom modes are also supported at 16MP.

In terms of video, the OV64B is capable of recording 8K video at up to 30 frames per second (fps) 4K video at up to 60 fps and 4K video with electronic image stabilization (EIS) at up to 30 fps. It can achieve slow-mo capture at up to 240 fps at 1080p and 480 fps at 720p as well, with other output options including 64MP still capture at up to 15 fps and 16MP still capture at up to 30 fps with four-cell pixel binning.

The last notable feature is the sensor’s 2×2 microlens phase detection autofocus (ML-PDAF) that OmniVision claims improves autofocus accuracy, particularly in low-light situations.

No specific information is given in regards to what smartphone manufacturers may use this sensor in their devices, but OmniVision says the first smaple units should ship out to prospective clients in May 2020. It’s also no coincidence that the OV64B has specifications that align almost perfectly with the capabilities of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 chipset, which is being used in flagship Android devices around the world.

You can find out more information on the OV64B on OmniVision’s website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

April 28, 2020

Full-frame mirrorless compared: Z6 vs. S1 vs. EOS R vs. a7 III

The end of 2018 saw Canon and Nikon introduce their first full-frame mirrorless cameras, with Panasonic on the verge of joining the party. This brought an end to Sony’s five-year term as sole purveyor of this type of camera and set out each company’s post-DSLR ambitions.

In July of 2019, we looked at three of those cameras and concluded the a7 III was the strongest all-rounder: the model that was pretty good at everything. However, despite the five-year head start, it was a far from universal or emphatic victory.

Now that the lens lineups have been better fleshed-out and firmware updates have provided some additional polish, we thought it was time to take another look at the circa $ 2000 full-frame mirrorless cameras, their lens options and how they now stack up.

More than just a body

Perhaps more than at any time in the industry’s history, we’re seeing the big camera makers adopt new lens mounts for some of their leading products.

This is likely to present the lowest-barrier opportunity for most users to consider a change of system since most DSLR lenses can be adapted to some degree onto any of the new systems. DSLR users should think seriously about whether the benefits of persisting with thier current camera brand is worth a short-term retention of potentially better lens compatibility, or if this would be outweighed by taking this opportunity to switch horses.

This could be the best moment for most users to consider a change of system

The temptation, of course, is to stick with what you know, and put the emphasis on the money already sunk into your lens collection. But it’s worth looking hard at whether your favorite brand’s new system is really the one best suited to your needs.

All of this makes a decision between different camera bodies more significant than in the past. In this roundup we’ll look at which of the cameras (with most current firmware) stand out for a series of common types of photography:

Family and moments
Lifestyle and people
Weddings and events
Portraits
Landscape
Sports and action
Travel photography
Video – Controlled shooting
Video – Run & gun

In a soon-to-follow article, we’ll look at where each of the lens systems has got to and where it’s going.

Specifications compared

Perhaps the most striking detail here is how few boxes can be marked in red or green. Aside from a few outliers (in-body stabilization and viewfinder resolution for example), there’s just not a lot to choose between them in terms of pure specification.

There’s not a lot to choose between them in terms of Raw performance, either. The Canon has higher nominal resolution and a smidge less processing flexibility, as a consequence of lower dynamic range. The other three cameras are almost certainly built around the same sensor, though, so the differences between them are even slighter.

This is where actually using the cameras comes in, as the reality is that they’re all significantly different in terms of ergonomics, user interface design, and AF performance. It’s these factors that end up making the cameras a good fit for different types of shooting.

	Canon EOS R	Nikon Z6	Panasonic S1	Sony a7 III
MSRP (body)	$ 2299	$ 1999	$ 2499	$ 1999
Pixel count	30MP	24MP	24MP	24MP
Sensor tech	CMOS	BSI-CMOS	CMOS	BSI-CMOS
AF system	Dual Pixel (On-sensor PDAF)	On-sensor PDAF	Depth from Defocus (Contrast Detection-based)	On-sensor PDAF
Image stabilization	Lens only	5-axis	5-axis in-body + lens	5-axis
Maximum frame rate	8 fps (AF-S) 5 fps (AF-C)	12 fps (12-bit Raw)	9 fps (AF-S) 6 fps (AF-C and live view)	10 fps
Flash Sync speed	1/200 sec	1/200 sec	1/320 sec	1/250 sec
High Res mode	No	No	Yes	No
Viewfinder res / mag	3.68M dots / 0.76x	3.68M dots / 0.80x	5.76M dots / 0.78x	2.36M dots / 0.78x
Rear screen	2.1M-dot fully articulated touchscreen	2.1M-dot tilting touchscreen	2.1M-dot two-way tilting touchscreen	921k-dot tilting touchscreen
AF joystick	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Top-plate settings display	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Backlit buttons	No	No	Yes	No
Video capture	UHD 4K 30p (1.83x crop)	UHD 4K 30p (full sensor)	UHD 4K 30p (full sensor) UHD 4K 60p (1.5x crop)	UHD 4K 24p (full sensor) UHD 4K 30p (1.2x Crop)
Log modes	C-Log 8-bit (internal) 10-bit (HDMI)	N-Log 10-bit (HDMI)	HLG 10-bit	S-Log2 / 3 / HLG 8-bit
Paid video upgrade	—	Raw HDMI to Atomos Ninja V	V-Log + tools 10-bit 4:2:2 30p (internal) 10-bit 4:2:2 60p (HDMI)	—
Memory cards	Single SD	Single XQD	1 XQD + 1 SD	Dual SD
Battery life (CIPA) LCD/EVF	370 (LCD)	380 / 310	400 / 380*	710 / 610
USB-charging	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Shutter life rating	200k cycles	200k cycles	400k cycles	200k cycles
Dimensions	136 x 98 x 84 mm	134 x 101 x 68 mm	149 x 110 x 97 mm	127 x 96 x 74 mm
Weight (CIPA)	660 g	675 g	1017 g**	650 g

* With SD card: battery life rated at 380/360 shots with XQD card
** With SD card: 4g more with XQD

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

April 28, 2020

DJI announces the Mavic Air 2 with 4K/60p capture, ActiveTrack 3.0 and more
DJI has announced the Mavic Air 2, the newest compact, folding drone in DJI’s growing lineup. In addition to new hardware, both inside and out, the drone also features new fly modes for simplifying the flight process.

At the heart of the Mavic Air 2 is a 48MP 1/2” Quad Bayer CMOS sensor that’s capable of recording 4K video at up to 60 frames per second (fps) with a 120Mbps data rate. When dropped down to 4K/30p, the Mavic Air 2 can record HDR video while a slow-motion mode can max out at 240 fps when shooting at 1080p. DJI has also included a new Hyperlapse feature that will result in 8K video using one of four flight modes: Free Movement, Circle, CourseLock and WayPoints. This isn’t the true 8K capture the Autel EVO II drone has promised, but it is 8K and we’re still yet to see the EVO II hit the market.

On the stills front, the Mavic Air 2 can capture 12MP stills with a special 48MP supersampling option that uses the drone’s three-axis gimbal to help compensate for movement in-between frames. A new ‘SmartPhoto’ capture mode will also snap 12MP stills using one of three image capture options that DJI says uses ‘advanced scene analysis and deep learning to automatically choose one of [the shooting modes].’

The first of the three shooting modes is HDR, which will snap seven photos at various exposures and merge them together to optimize the dynamic range in an image; the second mode is Hyperlight, which is a low-light mode that will take multiple photos and merge them together to create a single image with less noise than would be possible with a single image; the third and final mode is the ‘Scene Recognition’ mode that will automatically analyze the scene and select from one of five presets (sunsets, blue skies, grass, snow, and trees) to apply to the image to bring out the best of the scenery.

DJI is using new motors and electronic speed controllers (ESCs) in combination with improved battery technology to offer up a maximum flight time of 34 minutes on a single charge. This benchmark is also helped by a more aerodynamic design and lighter weight, with the device weighing just 570g (1.26lbs).

Transmitting live video from the drone to a mobile device is done with DJI’s OcuSync 2.0 protocol, which has been updated to support both 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz frequency bands, as well as an auto-switching feature, to offer a maximum range of 10km (6.21 miles) when unobstructed. Also included in the Mavic Air 2 is Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS) 3.0, which is a new obstacle avoidance technology that will recognize when an object is in the drone’s flight path and reroute the drone accordingly. DJI says this new version uses 3D mapping to ‘[aid] in smooth transitions and more fluid movements around objects even in highly complex environments.’

A sample photo captured with the Mavic Air 2, provided by DJI.

AirSense technology has also been included, which uses ADS-B aviation technology to help warn drone pilots of other nearby aircraft by displaying messages on the pilot’s screen, making sounds and vibrating with compatible mobile devices. DJI does note though that due to supply chain shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, only Mavic Air 2 units sold in North America will feature the ADS-B transponder; units sold in other regions will be identical in every other regard. No timeframe is given as to when this discrepancy between units could change.

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The Mavic Air 2 also features a number of AI-powered features, including ActiveTrack 3.0, Point of Interest 3.0 and Spotlight 2.0. Below is a breakdown from DJI explaining each of the three modes:
- ActiveTrack 3.0: Select a subject for Mavic Air 2 to automatically follow. The third iteration of ActiveTrack uses state-of-the-art mapping technology and new flight path algorithms to offer improved subject tracking and obstacle avoidance, along with the ability to quickly re-engage the subject if it temporarily moves behind an object.
- Point of Interest 3.0: Set an automated flight path around a specific subject. The updated iteration improves surface recognition to better dynamically track subjects.
- Spotlight 2.0: Found in professional DJI drones, Spotlight locks a subject in the frame while the user has free operation of the drone’s movement.
The Mavic Air 2 will be made available in China starting today, while other regions should see the first units hitting store shelves in mid-May for $ 799. This ‘standard’ kit will include the Mavic Air 2, one battery, the remote controller and all necessary cables. A new Fly More option, which will include everything in the standard version as well as a shoulder bag, ND filters, a charging hub and three additional batteries, will retail for $ 988. Other optional accessories include propeller guards, protective cases and a tablet holder. You can find out more information about the Mavic Air 2 on DJI’s product page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
April 28, 2020
Kinefinity’s new MAVO Edge cinema camera can shoot 8K ProRes Raw internally at up to 75 fps

Cinema camera manufacturer Kinefinity has announced the MAVO Edge, an 8K cinema camera with the ability to record ProRes RAW internally.

At the heart of the MAVO Edge is a newly-designed 44.7-megapixel 36mm x 24mm full-frame CMOS sensor that can record 8K ProRes RAW at up to 75 frames per second (fps) and features dual native ISO of 800/3200. It can also record 8K Open Gate (8192 x 5460 pixels) at up to 48 fps, 6K up to 100fps (in Super 35 mode) and 5K up to 120 fps (in Super 35 mode). Powering all of this data is a new processing engine, which helps to pull up to 14 stops of dynamic range from the sensor and minimizes rolling shutter to just 12ms when shooting 8K full-frame (9ms in Super 35 mode).

Illustration showing what section of the MAVO Edge’s full-frame sensor is used depending on the capture mode.

All of the data is recorded to KineMAG Nano cards, which are now built on NVMe M.2 SSD. The MAVO EDGE uses two KineMAG Nano slots, which can record at up to 10Gb per second thanks to its PCIe 3.0 protocol. The two card slots can record identical footage for redundancy or record separately for times when you need to shoot original footage and proxy footage. Kinefinity isn’t keeping its KineMAG Nano drives exclusive either; the company will also be selling KineMAG Nano enclosures so you can use any third-party NVMe M.2 SSD with the camera.

Kinefinity has also included a motorized electronic neutral density (ND) filter, which lets you steplessly dial in the strength between 0.6 and 2.1 ND (2–7 stops of light) in 0.01 stop increments. As for inputs, the camera features two 3G/1.5G SDI ports, Timecode IN/OUT (5-pin), BNC Genlock, 12V RS Output (three-pin), a seven-pin sync port, an R45 Ethernet port, a 12V D-Tap Out a 3.5mm headphone jack a USB-C port and more.

The MAVO Edge uses Kinefinity’s KineMOUNT, which uses adapters to offer compatibility with PL, LPL, Active EF and passive Sony E-mount lenses. Kinfinity has also included an internal three-axis gyroscope for recording the camera’s positioning during filming, but it’s not clear how this information will be used at this time. GPS and Bluetooth 5.0 support is also included.

All of this is housed inside an aluminum alloy frame wrapped in a carbon fiber case . It measures in at 10.5 x 12.1 x 11.9 cm (4.1 x 4.8 x 4.7?) and weighs 1.2kg (2.6lbs). Powering the camera can be done via its two-pin DC input or via batteries via the hybrid battery plate, which can power the camera with either V-mount or Sony BP-U batteries.

The MAVO Edge will retail for $ 11,999 with an expected release in September 2020. The camera is currently available to pre-order through Kinefinity’s website, with a $ 149 deposit. Newsshooter has written up a thorough post diving into the specs and comparing it with similar cinema cameras on the market.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

April 28, 2020
Elon Musk reveals how SpaceX will address light pollution caused by Starlink satellites

Following the successful launch of its Starlink 6 batch of satellites last week, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted out a few details about night sky light pollution caused by these low Earth orbit satellites and the company’s plans to address this issue.

According to the tweet, SpaceX is taking ‘some key steps to reduce satellite brightness,’ something that Musk says should make them ‘much less noticeable during orbit raise.’ This change involves adjusting the solar panel angle, according to the tweet, plus there will be a new addition to the satellites starting with the Starlink 9 launch: sunshades.

It’s unclear how drastically these changes will reduce the brightness of its satellites, but the move underscores SpaceX’s efforts to address concerns about light pollution caused by these small satellites.

Thanks! We are taking some key steps to reduce satellite brightness btw. Should be much less noticeable during orbit raise by changing solar panel angle & all sats get sunshades starting with launch 9.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 22, 2020

The Starlink initiative aims to launch thousands of small low-Earth orbit satellites that will beam Internet service to the ground, providing high-speed broadband access in places where it’s unavailable from terrestrial providers, or where only slow and expensive options are available. Musk said in a tweet following the Starlink 6 launch that the company plans to start a private beta of the Starlink service in around three months.

Renewed attention to the issue of light pollution caused by low-Earth orbit satellites was spurred with the launch of NASA’s Satellite Streak Watcher project in early March. In explaining the reason for the initiative, the space agency said that the increasing number of these satellites launched into orbit makes things more difficult for astronomers on the ground.

Successful deployment of 60 Starlink satellites confirmed pic.twitter.com/h3e6QmKRue

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 22, 2020

The light pollution caused by these satellites is also a problem for astrophotographers, causing long streaks of light to appear in long-exposure images. Unlike avoiding light pollution from the ground, it’s not possible to head to a ‘dark sky reserve’ or other similar places to avoid light pollution originating from space.

SpaceX hasn’t been ignoring this problem; back in December 2019, the company said that it was experimenting with a new anti-reflective coating that would make the satellites less bright, though it may potentially result in satellite performance problems by causing thermal issues. Based on Musk’s most recent tweet, it seems the company is turning to sunshades as its solution.

With the Starlink 6 satellite launch last week, SpaceX now has 420 of these small satellites in orbit. The company plans to launch a minimum of 12,000 satellites over the coming months, though the figure may exceed 30,000 in the long run. A public beta of the Starlink service will start in the US and Canada in around six months following the private beta, according to Musk’s tweet. It’s still unclear how much the eventual Starlink Internet service will cost.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

April 28, 2020
Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM DS sample gallery

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The ‘Defocus Smoothing’ or DS variant of Canon’s RF 85mm F1.2L uses a special coating to two of the lens’ 13 elements to give out-of-focus highlights a smoother appearance. And like its non-DS counterpart, it’s an outstanding portrait lens. We took advantage of a little time outdoors and some springtime scenery to put together a collection of preliminary samples – take a look.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

April 27, 2020
Nikon, Olympus postpone upcoming financial results, citing COVID-19 challenges

Both Nikon and Olympus have announced the companies will be postponing the announcements of their most recent financial results, both of which were originally scheduled to be announced in mid-May.

In a press release on its website, Nikon explains the rationale for postponing the results of its fiscal year ending at the close of March 2020, which were set to be released on May 12, 2020. Nikon says the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent stay-at-home orders have made it difficult to follow the accounting procedures within the company, which includes auditing the numbers to ensure accurate reporting. As a result, Nikon has pushed back the financial results release date to May 28, 2020.

Olympus, too, has announced it will be postponing its financial results for its fiscal year ending at the close of March 2020. Like Nikon, Olympus says the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the timeliness of the results, saying ‘it is difficult to proceed with the scheduled accounting procedures implemented by the Company and its domestic and overseas affiliates as scheduled.’ Instead of an early May release, Olympus says it will release the latest results on May 29, 2020, just one day after Nikon.

We could theorize other reasons the companies may be pushing back the results, but the truth of the matter is auditing the financials of a multi-national operation is an intensive task; one made very difficult when non-essential employees are being ordered to work from home to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus. That said, it’s unlikely to be good news if Canon’s most recent financial report is anything to go by.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

April 27, 2020
CIPA’s latest numbers show camera production, sales slashed by half in March

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the camera industry particularly hard with a dramatic downturn in both production and sales during March. Traditionally a period when sales of new products announced after the New Year begin to come on-line, this March saw production and shipments from Japanese companies drop to only 48% of levels reached in the same month last year.

Figures released by the Japanese Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) show world-wide shipments were only 47.8% of the volume last March, with the number shipped to Asia (excluding Japan and China) only 39.8% of last those shipped in March 2019. Shipments to ‘Other Areas’ (including the Middle East) are most healthy but still down to 68.2% of last year’s volume, and this region accounts for a very small proportion of sales. Shipments to the USA were at 44.7% and those to Europe were 48.3%, while Japan managed 54.5%.

Production and shipped data for March 2020. Column 2 is for comparison to February 2020 and column 3 shows a comparison to March 2019. Column 4 compares Q1 2020 with Q1 2019

It seems SLR cameras have fared far worse than mirrorless models, which may be partly down to the fact that there are fewer new SLR models around at the moment. Production of SLRs reached only 32.6% of the levels for last March, while mirrorless models reached 56%. China was the only region to receive more SLRs than mirrorless cameras, but that figure was still only half of what the country took last March.

The CIPA figures are reflected in the sales reported by Stackline, which showed online camera sales in the USA were down 64% in March. With many camera shops with closed doors too, sales across the counter are also likely to be very poor. The market research company rated cameras no. 3 in its list of the 100 fastest declining product categories – with only briefcases and luggage doing worse. Unsurprisingly, disposable gloves were the fastest-growing product.

Last week Canon reported a drop in camera revenue of 27% for the first quarter of the year – slightly ahead of that across the total Japanese camera market which recorded a drop in revenue of 31.1% compared to the same period last year. The revenue drop for SLRs shipped from Japan was 40.2% while that for mirrorless models was 25.8% in the months January to March 2020.

Sales of lenses have held up a little better with the total volume produced in March dropping by 46.1% and those shipped falling by 44.8%. Production of full-frame lenses dropped by 34.5%, while those designed for smaller formats fell by 53% by volume. In better news, the value of smaller-format lenses shipped to the USA was up by 1.5% over the value shipped to the region in February – and I’ll take that as a positive.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

April 27, 2020