360Photography

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  • Nikon D780 gallery updated with fresh samples, Raw conversions

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    We’ve been busy as heck putting the Nikon D780 to the test, both in our lab and in the field. And the camera’s proving to be a great all-arounder, regardless of our subject matter or lighting conditions. What you’ll find here is an updated gallery with many additional samples as well as a wide selection of Raw conversions.

    See our Nikon D780 sample gallery

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Tamron reveals it has three new, unannounced mirrorless lenses planned for 2020

    The relevant section (the teal section, middle-right) of the above graphic has been altered to include the translated text.

    Buried within Tamron’s full-year financial report was a little detail that hints at Tamron revealing three new, unannounced lenses for mirrorless cameras in 2020.

    The new information can be seen in the above graphic within the presentation that shows Tamron has five models planned for 2020, two of which have already been announced: the 20mm F2.8 lens for Sony E-mount cameras (Adorama, B&H) and a compact 70–180mm F2.8 lens for Sony E-mount cameras that’s currently in development.

    It’s unknown what the three new lenses will be, but Sony Alpha Rumors is reporting all three will be E-mount lenses.

    Other details in the report include a statement claiming Tamron expects ‘the sales of own-brand [mirrorless lens] models is expected to increase the sales compare to the previous year’ and confirmation its 17–28mm F2.8 lens should no longer be backordered by the end of February.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Slideshow: International Garden Photographer of the Year’s winner and finalists

    International Garden Photographer of the Year’s winner and finalists

    On February 7th, the winners and finalists for Competition 13 of the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) awards were announced at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Over 20,000 entries were received from amateur and professional photographers all over the world. The winner of £7,500 and the title of Overall Winner is Albert Ceolan of South Tyrol, Italy. “Over the last few years, IGPOTY has been a source of inspiration for me as well as a great pleasure for the eyes and the soul. The thought that one of my images will be shown as overall winner in these mythical gardens fills me with enthusiasm and pride,” said Ceolan when his was given the news.

    “Albert has documented a scene which is simultaneously shocking as it is well composed. The photo cleverly shows both the destruction and the remaining trees symbolising hope. IGPOTY introduced the new category ‘Plants & Planet’ for this very reason to stimulate discussion and arouse awareness of changing global weather and our current climate emergency. By running this category – IGPOTY entrants helped to plant 78 new trees via WeForest in the Brazil project, which focuses on reconnecting remaining patches of the Atlantic forest through forest corridors so that wildlife can continue to reproduce and thrive,” said Tyrone McGlinchey, the competitions Head Judge.

    This year, IGPOTY introduced a new photo project, ‘Square Crop,’ along with a new main category ‘Plants & Planet.’ Image above is ‘Autumn Fragility’ by Jane Simmonds.

    IGPOTY was established in 2007 and is now one of the world’s most renowned photography competitions. Winning entries are exhibited around the United Kingdom, Europe, and the world. As always, it was difficult to choose only 15 photos to display on DPReview. All winners, finalists, and commended entries across the 9 categories and 4 photo projects of this competition can be viewed here.

    IGPOTY Overall Winner: ‘The Vaia Storm’ by Albert Ceolan (Italy)

    About this photo: This photograph documents the natural destruction of pine forest by storm ‘Vaia’ in late October 2018. Wind speeds peaked at over 120mph, which led to the felling of over 14 million trees and claimed 17 human lives. In the background stands the magnificent Mount Catinaccio, bearing witness to the storm at just under 3,000 metres high.

    Location: The Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy

    IGPOTY 1st Place, Abstract Views: ‘Fish Pond Fantasy’ by Maggie Lambert (United Kingdom)

    About this photo: Scarborough Art Gallery was reflected in the garden’s fish pond, which created an intriguing mix of hard and fluid surfaces and various textures, overlaid by the shapes of pondweed and fishes.

    Location: Scarborough Art Gallery, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

    IGPOTY 3rd Place, Abstract Views: ‘Tragopogon porrifolius’ by Viktor Sykora (Czech Republic)

    About this photo: I used a scanning electron microscope to produce this detailed abstract view of a Tragopogon porrifolius seed. To gain the abstract element I used advanced filters and applied false colours.

    Location: Prague, Czech Republic

    IGPOTY 1st Place, Beautiful Gardens: ‘Summer Reverie’ by Jacky Parker (United Kingdom)

    About this photo: Echinacea ‘Salsa Red’ were the brilliant red stars of this beautiful summer palette of colours taken at the gardens of the New Forest Lavender Farm. I captured a double exposure to soften the grasses and create an evocative botanical daydream.

    Location: New Forest Lavender Farm, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom

    IGPOTY Commended, Beautiful Gardens: ‘Notes of Tea Garden’ by Ming Li (China)

    About this photo: Fujian Province is home to many tea plantations, this one looked even more amazing with its colours and patterns from a bird’s-eye view, which I achieved using my drone.

    Location: Fujian Province, China

    IGPOTY 1st Place, Breathing Spaces: ‘Larch Basin Dawn’ by Thorsten Scheuermann (United States)

    About this photo: The light of dawn on the horizon was enough to make the burnt autumn colour of the Larix (larch) trees in the North Cascades Mountains glow.

    Location: North Cascades National Park, Washington, United States

    IGPOTY Finalist, Breathing Spaces: ‘Mountain Arrows’ by Mauro Battistelli (Italy)

    About this photo: In this vast desert landscape the sharp shards of the mountains contrasted wonderfully with the yellow and green hues of the foliage below.

    Location: Salta Province, Argentina

    IGPOTY 1st Place, Greening the City: ‘Burst’ by Brandon Yoshizawa (United States)

    About this photo: The sunset gave its parting burst over Seattle illuminating the highways and making the intertwined trees and foliage glow across the city.

    Location: Seattle, Washington, United States

    IGPOTY 2nd Place, Plants & Planet: ‘Grass Tree’ by Anne Neiwand (Australia)

    About this photo: This amazing individual specimen of Xanthorrhoea (grass tree) is endemic to the harsh conditions in South Australia. I chose to create a panoramic image to incorporate more of the landscape and emphasise the connection between every plant and our planet.

    Location: Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, South Australia, Australia

    IGPOTY 2nd Place, The Beauty of Plants: ‘Summertime’ by Danièle Dugré (Germany)

    About this photo: I captured this photograph last summer at BUGA (Federal German Garden Show) in Heilbronn.
    There was almost 40 hectares of wasteland between the old course of the River Neckar and the canal which have been redesigned using every type of gardening skill.

    I was very impressed by these beautiful backlit flowerbeds, interplanted with tactile grasses, that poured out the scent of summer.

    Location: Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    IGPOTY 1st Place, Trees, Woods & Forests: ‘Swamp Elder’ by Thorsten Scheuermann (United States)

    About this photo: A stately Taxodium distichum (swamp cypress) tree stood at home on a calm, autumn afternoon in the wetlands surrounded by a ring of their characteristic roots or as I like to call them – knees above water.

    Location: Louisiana, United States

    IGPOTY 1st Place, Wildflower Landscapes: ‘The Beauty of Spring’ by Zhigang Li (China)

    About this photo: The Napahai Nature Reserve, which at an altitude of around 3,300 metres above sea level, is a winter resting spot for tens of thousands of migratory birds as well as a summer pasture for herdsmen.

    It was Spring when I captured this pastoral scene full of colourful wildflowers, shapes and textures.

    Location: Mountains in Diqing, Yunnan, China

    IGPOTY 1st Place, Wildflower Landscapes: ‘Heaven’s Route’ by Mauro Battistelli (Italy)

    About this photo: I captured a long exposure on this picturesque coastline, with wild Echium anchored on the clifftop in the foreground, and the sea beyond was foaming around the unique rock formations.

    Location: Playa de la Arnía, Cantabria, Spain

    IGPOTY 2nd Place, Wildlife in the Garden: ‘The Meeting’ by Henrik Spranz (Croatia)

    About this photo: I captured a chance morning meeting between these two Aporia crataegi (black veined white butterflies) as they perched on a flower head of Dianthus carthusianorum subsp. sanguineus.

    Location: Pazin, Istria, Croatia

    IGPOTY Highly Commended, Wildlife in the Garden: ‘A Spider’s Path’ by Carlo Cinthi (Italy)

    About this photo: For such a tiny spider in the garden, every raindrop became a giant obstacle as it continued its journey along this blade of grass.

    Location: Milan, Italy

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Instagram allegedly raked in $20 billion in ad revenue last year

    YouTube, the most popular video platform on the Internet, didn’t manage to make as much revenue in 2019 as image-based social network Instagram, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Sources claim that Instagram made $ 20 billion in ad revenue last year compared to YouTube’s $ 15.1 billion in ad revenue during the same time period.

    The $ 20 billion figure, assuming it is accurate, is almost unfathomable compared to the $ 715 million Facebook paid for Instagram when it acquired it in 2012. Facebook does not officially disclose Instagram’s ad revenue separately from its other products; the company hasn’t commented on the report. As of 2018, Facebook said that it had more than 1 billion users on Instagram.

    At $ 20 billion, Instagram would have represented more than a quarter of Facebook’s 2019 revenue, according to Bloomberg. Facebook has made a number of changes to Instagram since acquiring the service, the most recent being its decision to hide public ‘likes’ on the platform. Sources claimed late last year that Facebook decided to hide ‘likes’ so that users will post more often, boosting ad revenue as a result.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Gary Fong warns of counterfeit Lightsphere flash diffusers

    Photographer Gary Fong, the creator of the Gary Fong Lightsphere, has published a video that warns about counterfeit Lightsphere products being sold on Amazon. Fong showcases the authentic product alongside the counterfeit product, highlighting differences that will help consumers spot the fake, as well as issues with the counterfeit product’s design.

    The Lightsphere is a collapsible flash diffuser that is made from clear material sporting horizontal rings. The counterfeit version sold on Amazon, Fong points out in his video, is made from flimsy material that doesn’t hold its shape. As well, the counterfeit product is made from material dyed white rather than left clear, which impacts the diffuser’s performance.

    As the video explains, the differences between the real diffusers and counterfeit diffusers are nearly indistinguishable.

    In addition, the dome doesn’t stay fixed in the counterfeit product and instead easily falls out. The entire product, including the package, shows multiple signs of being fake, including poor print quality on the diffuser’s strap, a shiny rather than a matte box, a product insert that has poor print quality and poor image quality on the package’s label.

    Fong shows images to prove that not only did Amazon sell this product, but in fact presented it as its ‘choice’ to buyers and shipped it directly from its own warehouse. In order to avoid a fake product, consumers can purchase the Lightsphere directly through Gary Fong’s website, though it should be noted that not all Lightspheres sold by Amazon are fake.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Vision Research launches its latest high-speed camera, the Phantom VEO 1310

    Vision Research has released its latest high-speed camera, the Phantom VEO 1310. The new camera, which is part of Vision Research’s robust ‘VEO’ lineup, can capture 720p video at up to 14,350 frames per second (fps).

    The new camera isn’t the highest-resolution phantom on the market, but it still offers plenty in the framerate department. Below is a list of the framerates and resolutions the Phantom VEO 1310 can record at:

    • 1280 x 960 at 10,860 fps
    • 1280 x 720 at 14,350 fps
    • 960 x 960 at 13,333 fps
    • 640 x 480 at 30,030 fps
    • 320 x 120 at 423,350 fps

    The camera features a native ISO of 25,000 D in Mono and 6,400 D in Color mode. It offers 18 µm pixel size, 12-bit color depth and has a minimum global shutter framerate of 50 fps.

    The Phantom VEO 1310 comes in two models: Light (L) and Full (S). Both models offer SDI and HDMI video out, 12V battery input and include the option to add on a 10Gb ethernet adapter for remote operation. The difference between the two models is that the ’S’ version of the VEO 1310 offers six extra I/O ports (F-sync, TC in/out, trigger, strobe and a ready port), includes a CFast 2.0 port and offers on-camera controls, whereas the ‘L’ version lacks all of the above.

    On both models, the lens mount is user-changeable with options for C-mount, Canon EF-mount and PL-mount lenses, with full electronic control support. The camera is made in the United States and comes with a handle, cheese plate, battery mounts (with the ’S’ model) and a case with custom foam cutouts.

    Details on pricing and availability are unknown at this time. We have contacted Vision Research and will update this article with more information if and when we receive it.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Leica releases major 2.0 firmware update for its Q2 compact camera

    Leica has released a firmware update for its Q2 that adds and improves a number of features for the prime lens compact camera. Firmware version 2.0 for the Leica Q2 addresses nearly every facet of the camera, from shooting modes to mobile transfer speeds.

    First up are the autofocus (AF) improvements. Leica has added selectable AF field sizes (small, medium and large) that can be changed by a long tap when Touch AF is activated. Leica has also made it so Touch AF + Release works across all AF modes and has also made it so if a face isn’t detected in Face Detection AF Mode, the AF-Mode will temporarily switch to Field AF instead of Multi-field until a face is detected. Tracking AF has been improved across the board as well.

    Speeds across the entire workflow have been improved, too. DNG and DNG+JPEG write speeds are twice as fast and transferring images to mobile devices via the Leica FOTOS app is now up to 50-percent faster.

    Leica has also added a new top-level menu screen for a more complete overview of settings, made it so auto-ISO is changed to ‘prioritize correct exposure’ and added a menu option so you can choose between 60 fps or 120 fps refresh rates for the electronic viewfinder. In Leica’s own words, ‘For fast moving subjects, set 120 fps for a more fluid display of movement (lower resolution), or choose 60 fps for full resolution.’

    You can read more details and download firmware version 2.0 for the Leica Q on Leica’s download page.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Video: BTS look at how Nissan turned its 2020 GT-R NISMO into the ultimate camera car

    How do you film a high-speed performance car capable of reaching speeds up to 300kph (186mph)? You simply take another one and modify it to be used as a high-speed camera car itself.

    In a press release, Nissan has shared how it captured promotional footage for its 2020 Nissan GT-R NISMO using another GT-R that had been modified to be a purpose-built camera car. To get the job done, Nissan enlisted the help of Mauro Calo, ‘a professional precision driver and automotive video expert known for his work on big-budget blockbuster movies and automotive TV shows.’

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    After plenty of planning and prototyping, Nissan and Calo got to work ‘bespoke tubular structure that was welded to the chassis and able to hold the weight of the professional carbon-fiber gimbal camera mounting system.’ In addition to the camera rig, the car was covered with a matte black wrap and gained a new name of sorts—Godzilla Tracking Rig (GT-R).

    ‘Thanks to its low center of gravity, adjustable sports suspension and four-seater configuration, the GT-R is the perfect base car to accommodate a camera rig of this type,’ says Nissan in its press release.

    Using a four-person team (with not much room to spare inside the coupe), Calo drove while a gimbal operator, focus puller and director captured the required footage for the promotional material. The above behind-the-scenes video is promotional in its own regards, but it still shows the incredible camera rig Calo and the Nissan team were able to develop.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Across the American west: Fujifilm GF 50mm F3.5 sample gallery

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    Fujifilm’s GF 50mm F3.5 pancake prime isn’t exactly tiny, but it is impressively small given the large medium-format sensors it’s designed to work with. We paired it with a GFX 50R and took it out on the open road and to coastal California to see how it handles as a walk-around travel companion.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Samsung files trademark for its ‘Nonacell’ technology destined for its 108MP sensor

    Back in December, a rumor went around that Samsung’s Galaxy S11+ smartphone will use a new 108-megapixel sensor with ‘Nonacell’ technology. Not much is known about the sensor still, but it seems the rumor holds a little more clout now that Samsung has officially trademarked the ‘Nonacell’ nomenclature.

    As first discovered by Dutch technology site LetsGoDigital, Samsung has filed a trademark in the United Kingdom for the ‘Nonacell’ name. As addressed in our initial coverage, ‘nona’ is Latin for ‘nine.’ As such, it’s expected that Samsung’s ‘Nonacell’ technology will use a three-by-three color filter array to merge nine pixels into a single, larger one. If combined with the much-anticipated 108MP ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor, the ‘Nonacell’ technology would yield a 12MP still.

    Plenty of details remain about the rumored S11+ smartphone from Samsung, but we shouldn’t have to wait much longer with the series expected to launch sometime this month.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)