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Slideshow: These are the winners and finalists of the ‘Hasselblad X You’ photo contest

20 Dec

Hasselblad X You grand prize winners and finalists

Over the past 3 months, Hasselblad X You, a competition put on by the camera company along with partners Peak Design and PolarPro, has been showcasing the best of what photographers have captured with Hasselblad’s X System cameras. 12 winners have been selected each week. The final grand prize winner is Chicago-based photographer Clarissa Bonet for her striking urban capture.

“For me, this image stands out because of the mixture of subjects and genre – fashion vs street – all while maintaining a clear focus on the model. So much to take in and yet there is still a strong focus when viewing this image. Very nicely done,” said 2018 Hasselblad Master Jorge de la Torriente. Creative content duo, and Hasselblad content partners, Daniel Rueda and Anna Devís remarked, “As architects, we really appreciated the effort of the photographer in building – no pun intended – a connection between fashion and architecture with her photography.”

Part of Grand Prize Winner Clarissa Bonet’s award includes a trip to Hasselblad’s headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Bonet will travel to Hasselblad’s headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, where she’ll tour the factory to see how their cameras are assembled. She’ll also get a tour of the Hasselblad Foundation and the Gothenburg Museum of Art. Prizes awarded will include a 907X Special Edition camera, travel bag, and accessories from the competition’s partners.

Hasselblad’s 970X Special Edition camera.

All captions for the following slideshow photos are the photographers own words. You can view all Hasselblad X You weekly winner features, in their entirety, here.

Grand Prize Winner: Clarissa Bonet – Chicago, Illinois, USA

About this photo: In Bonet’s own words: ‘This image is part of a fashion editorial I shot for Chicago Magazine that celebrates both the Bauhaus movement and architect Mies van der Rohe. The assignment was shot on location at multiple Mies buildings throughout the Chicagoland area. When thinking through the assignment, I knew the images must reference the Bauhaus style – minimalist, graphic, with bold lines and shapes.

After scouting the location at multiple times of the day, I knew exactly when a slim beam of light would open on the west side of the building, creating a bold, graphic band of light for our model to stand in. This specific image was made in Federal Plaza, which has three Mies buildings next to each other. To capture all three buildings in the same frame, I used the 45mm lens and stood in the middle of the street during a red light. An assistant watched for cars so I could focus on nailing the shot.’

Gear and specs: Hasselblad X1D-50C, Focal Length: 45mm (XCD 3,5/45); F9,5; Shutter Speed: 1/350 sec.

Weekly Winner: Julius Hirtzberger – Vienna, Austria

About this photo: This image was captured at the first morning light on 2 January 2019 on the glacier of Margherita Peak (5109m above sea level), right before reaching the top of the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda. This scenery, with this very intense light and the breathtaking landscape, was reward enough for endless hours of tedious hiking through mud and rough terrain during the 8 days before and the 1am wake-up call on the peak-day (at -15 degrees Celsius).

These moments were so intense – I had tears in my eyes while taking this photograph, which made it a bit difficult to compose and nail the focus. As with all of my images in general, this image is by no means overdone in post. The intense morning light actually brightened the ice, giving these magenta and red tones!

Gear and specs: Hasselblad X1D-50C, Focal Length: 45mm (XCD 3,5/45); F3,5; Shutter Speed: 1/20 sec.

Weekly Winner: Brian Love – Los Angeles, California, USA

About this photo: For this series we really wanted to have a minimal, mono theme where Vivica would really stand out but also be in harmony with the colors selected. For light, I wanted a daylight look with a little more pop, so I created more of a shaded daylight with strobes and v-flats. It was also important to have a team who shared in the same vision, so the color of lipstick that the makeup artist used and the clothing we chose all came together perfectly in the end. Just enough texture and color harmony to keep it simple yet stunning.

Gear and specs: Hasselblad X1D-50C, Focal Length: 90mm (XCD 3,2/90); F4,5; Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec.

Weekly Winner: Björn Ceder – Jönköping, Sweden

About this photo: Two years ago, I spent my summer vacation in Canada where I flew to the Great Bear Rainforest from Port Hardy with a sea airplane. I wanted to explore the temperate rainforest and found this amazing floating lodge where you made daily bear excursions with guides. One early morning rowing through the river delta in this unique Canadian environment, we found this bald eagle guarding his territory. It was a truly majestic nature experience that the X1D helped me capture.

All the people in the boat were using extreme telelenses to get really close to the animals but I wasn’t interested in photographing the animals this way. It’s in the context of the nature and the weather that makes the shot special. I ended up photographing bears, dolphins, eagles and other animals on this trip. When adjusting the focus of the X1D in this quiet surrounding, the minimal noise the camera makes is really rewarding, almost like cracking the code on a safe. You really experience the quality of the camera in the moment and it’s special when you end up with a shot like this.

Gear and specs: Hasselblad X1D-50C, Focal Length: 90mm (XCD 3,2/90); F3,2; Shutter Speed: 1/180 sec.

Weekly Winner: Jean Michel Voge – Millancay, France

About this photo: Crossing through Iceland before arriving to Greenland, I found myself in front of this very inspiring landscape. After taking two horizontal photos with the XCD 120 to capture the exact gradient of the sky, the snow and the rest of the vegetation, I had the idea to take 6 or 7 vertical photos (handheld) trying to capture the same horizon with each view. The raw files allowed me to combine these photos very easily.

To my pleasant surprise, the well-designed XCD optics gave results that kept the perspective uniform throughout the different shots. I also discovered throughout the past month on this trip that the XCD 120 is perfect for finding lines and framing in a wide landscape with the feeling of being neither too close nor too far – perfect!

Gear and specs: Hasselblad X1D-50C, Focal Length: 120mm (XCD 3,5/120); F6,3

Weekly Winner: Jacob Degee – Warsaw, Poland

About this photo: The first challenge with this photo was being able to take my Hasselblad underwater. There is no branded housing on the market, so I custom-built one for my use. It took me 6 months and many underwater trials to have a X1D housing fully operational. The second challenge was to find an interesting wildlife subject. A few years ago, people discovered a congregation of whale sharks in the north of Isla Mujeres in Mexico. Once a year, some of the biggest fish in the world are drawn to this area for food.

The final challenge was to approach the animal and position myself properly. I was freediving and photographing whale sharks when I was lucky enough to spot a manta ray circling around. This manta was so happy with the huge amount of food that she was even swimming upside down continuing her feast. I needed to get closer to minimise the amount of water between the subject and the lens and to be angle my shot from the right side in order to catch the sun beams. I wanted to present the manta as if it was flying in the sky, framing the photo in such a way that the surface is at the bottom and the crystal-clear water seems like the sky.

Gear and specs: Hasselblad X1D-50C, Focal Length: 21mm (XCD 4/21); F4; Shutter Speed: 1/2000 sec.

Weekly Winner: Saeed Nassouri – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

About this photo: I live in a city located on the outskirts of the desert and the sand dune formations have a special poetry about them that registers well with many people. The details in this series of photographs can be captured really well using medium format. The main reason I created these images was to show detailed impressions in the sand dunes. Little insect footprints in such a vast space fascinate me.

When I walk through the dunes, which is usually in hot and humid conditions where the temperature can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius, I come across little details such as the footprints of small insects and desert wildlife. I positioned my camera directly above a small portion of the ripples and captured 3 different footprints going in different paths in one shot. Although I seldom see any of these creatures, their impressions lift my spirits, knowing that there is such diverse life in the empty desert and their footprints are renewed every day just like the prints I leave behind.

Gear and specs: Hasselblad X1D-50C, Focal Length: 45mm (XCD 45); F19; Shutter Speed: 1/180 sec.

Weekly Winner: Matthew Ng – Hong Kong

About this photo: I was walking around Hong Kong, and I decided to explore the Polytechnic University campus. It brought back memories of when I attended university back in Canada. The exact building that this staircase is in is the Jockey Club Innovation Tower. When I took this image, I had the idea in my mind that it would look great in black and white.

The colour temperature of the interior lighting was daylight so nothing special. When I post processed the image, I converted it into black and white but it didn’t feel right, so I converted it back into colour and still had this picture in a monochromatic style. I started moving the sliders until I found a cool blue tone that I liked. I do a lot of my editing without presets and just edit freely depending on how the photo speaks to me.

Gear and specs: Hasselblad X1D II 50C, Focal Length: 30mm (XCD 3,5/30); F4; Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec.

Weekly Winner: Rajiv Bhambri – Melbourne Beach, Florida, USA

About this photo: The Quiraing is a massive landslip located in the Isle of Skye in Scotland. There are breathtaking views, with spectacular cliffs, hidden plateaus and pinnacles of rock. I started my hike early so I could watch the sunrise, and I was not disappointed. The sun shone through the clouds to light up this mountain and loch with sheep grazing at the foothills. I used the 135mm lens to better capture this gorgeous mountain scene.

True to the unpredictable Scottish weather, there was intermittent rain, and at some point, the sun disappeared completely. Because of the large dynamic range of the X1D camera, I did not need to spend time with ND graduated filters because of which I was able to take pictures quickly in between the periods of rain and also enjoy my walk.

Gear and specs: Hasselblad X1D-50C, Focal Length: 135mm (XCD 2,8/135); F29; Shutter Speed: 1/25 sec.

Weekly Winner: Martin Kube?ka – Pezinok, Slovakia

About this photo: This image was created while testing my new lighting gear, which allowed me to also put the sensor of the X1D II 50C to the test. My aim was to shoot a simple portrait where the emphasis was put more on colours and the face of the model. As I wanted to make this simple portrait unique, I took inspiration from the show “Stranger Things”, specifically the character Eleven’s usual dark expression.

Gear and specs: Hasselblad X1D II 50C, Focal Length: 45mm (XCD 3,5/45); F4; Shutter Speed: 1/30 sec.

Weekly Winner: Frédéric Bastin – Brussels, Belgium

About this photo: Mostly it’s teamwork with the stylist, makeup artist and the hairdresser. They know that I like to shoot new faces in the fashion industry – the uncommon beauty. I’m at war with the obvious. As soon as I find a new interesting model, I submit a project and we work on it together. Last summer when the model, Heloise, entered the studio, she had this vivid, transparent skin full of freckles.

My makeup artist had the brilliant idea to reveal and accentuate her personality with black vinyl dots – something organic, like a second skin with a high contrast of black and white. I wanted to shoot this portrait with an extremely soft light, a mix of daylight and flash to capture this alternative beauty. That’s how I describe her identity.

Gear and specs: Hasselblad X1D-50C, Focal Length: 90mm (XCD 3,2/90); F6,8; Shutter Speed: 1/180 sec.

Weekly Winner: Ellen McDermott – New York, New York, USA

About this photo: While on an editorial assignment shooting interiors for CTC&G (Connecticut Cottages & Gardens) Magazine, our Editor in Chief DJ Carey introduced us to our lifelong friends at Hound House, CT – Collin Robison and Trent De Berry. I mention this because DJ’s skill at pairing the location with the photographer is significant in how an assignment is realized. Our continued friendship and collaboration with Collin Robison Design led us to this photograph with Nailah, the Ocicat.

Incorporating animals into our interiors can add a warmth and humanness that is more approachable and visually interesting. I’ve always loved photographing animals. There is a moment of stillness when the subject becomes engaged with the camera. There is a connection. It is paramount to have the proper gear to capture these transient moments. The X1D’s excellence in handling low light situations with an elusive subject matter made this image possible with superior results!

Gear and specs: Hasselblad X1D-50C, Focal Length: 45mm (XCD 3,5/45); F8

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: Typologies of New York City: A Crowdsourced Hyperlapse

19 Dec

‘Classics are classic for a reason. We’ve all taken these photos. What happens when everything in the world has been photographed? From multiple angles, multiple times per day? Eventually, we’ll piece those photos and videos together to be able to see the entire history of a location from every possible angle.’ This is how visual artist SamTheCobra describes the inspiration behind his mesmerizing hyperlapse video consisting of some of the most well-known landmarks, along with scenes from daily life, in New York City.

SamTheCobra spent an undisclosed number of hours sifting through both location tags and hashtags on Instagram, manually, to crowdsource thousands of photos that he converted into the video, above, that clocks in at just under one minute. He spent roughly 200 hours combining his findings from Instagram in Adobe After Effects. The hypnotic soundtrack comes courtesy of a remix from Stones Throw Records, made famous by DJ Shadow’s 2012 ‘All Basses Covered’ set.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Have your say: Most important cameras of the 2010s

19 Dec

A couple of weeks ago we published a breakdown of what we consider the 20 most important cameras of the 2010s. We made that list into a readers’ poll, which runs until the end of this month.

If you didn’t vote yet, now’s your chance! And as always, if your choice for most significant camera of the decade didn’t make it into our list, let us know in the comments.

Read our article: Most important cameras of the 2010s

Have your say

$ (document).ready(function() { Poll({“pollId”:”8933501460″,”openForVoting”:true,”mainElementId”:”poll0″,”slot”:null,”isSingleChoicePoll”:false,”minNumberOfChoices”:1,”maxNumberOfChoices”:5}); })

Most important cameras of the 2010s
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Apple iPhone 4

Canon EOS R

Canon EOS 6D

Fujifilm GFX 50S

Fujifilm GFX 100

Fujifilm FinePix X100

Leica Q (Typ 116)

Leica T

Nikon D850

Nikon D750

Nikon Z6/7

Nikon 1 J/V1

Olympus OM-D E-M5

Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5

Pentax K-1

Samsung Galaxy NX

Samsung NX1

Samsung NX10

Sony a7/R

Sony a9

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100

Voting is easy – you pick your favorite products by dragging and dropping. You can pick up to five products, and rank them in order of priority.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DPReview TV: Fujifilm 16-80mm F4 hands-on quick review

19 Dec

The Fujifilm XF 16-80mm F4 R OIS WR is a versatile, everyday lens for X-mount cameras. We show you how it compares for image quality, and Jordan tells us why he thinks its a great lens for shooting video.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

  • Introduction
  • Design and build
  • Sharpness
  • Chromatic aberration
  • Image stabilization
  • Video performance
  • Noel Festival
  • Bokeh
  • Close focus
  • Conclusion

Sample gallery from this episode

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Instagram expands fact-checking program with misinformation warnings on images

19 Dec

In a blog post on Monday, Instagram announced that it is expanding its fact-checking system globally. With this expansion, third-party fact-checkers will review potential information published by Instagram users around the world. In order to reduce the spread of this misinformation, Instagram is using warning labels on flagged images.

Easily acquired photo-editing software like Photoshop has made it possible to fabricate images and use them as ‘proof’ for fake stories. These images can be found across all social media platforms; they may include subtle edits like an airplane added to the image of a skyline or more obvious edits like a shark in a swimming pool.

Rather than removing flagged images, which may raise concerns over censorship, Instagram is using warning labels to alert users who view the images. The initial warning label reads, ‘False information,’ followed by, ‘Reviewed by independent fact-checkers.’ Users have the option of tapping a link that will provide an explanation about why the image was flagged as false or tapping through to view the post.

When viewing the post, users will still see a bright red warning label that reads, ‘See why fact-checkers say this is false.’ Tapping the link takes the user to assessments made by the fact-checkers, as well as their conclusions about the image. Users still have the option of sharing flagged posts.

Accounts that repeatedly post flagged content will be removed from the hashtag and Explore pages in order to reduce their reach on the platform. Users retain the ability to manually report posts as ‘false information’ using the feedback option Instagram introduced earlier this year.

The expansion arrives amid growing concerns over the role Instagram may have in the spreading of disinformation during the 2020 election. The company says it will now automatically label identical content as misinformation if it was first rated as partly false or false on Facebook, a platform heavily criticized over its facilitation of fake news.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Meet Leica’s newest limited-edition camera, the ‘White’ M10-P

19 Dec

German camera manufacturer Leica has announced a new limited edition M10-P camera that will be almost entirely white and silver, aside from the iconic red dot, of course. The ‘White’ edition will feature white leather trim and white paint on the top- and base-plates, as well as white lettering in the shutter speed and ISO dials.

The camera will come in a kit with a silver chrome Summilux-M 50mm F1.4 ASPH lens, and will have a white leather strap and a white case for the lens. Only 350 white kits will be made, and Leica says each will have a serial number unique to the White edition.
The Leica M10-P White kits are available now and retail for £12,750. The US$ price has yet to be revealed.

Press release:

Leica M10–P ‘White’: the new special edition comes in a set with a Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens

Leica Camera is delighted to announce the Leica M10-P ‘White’, a new colour option of the iconic rangefinder camera. Limited to 350 sets only worldwide, the all-white design takes its cue from the extremely popular Leica M8 ‘White Edition’ released in 2009. The top and bottom plates are finished in white paint to match the camera’s white leather trim and the silver control elements feature white engravings, complementing the design concept of the Leica M10-P ‘White’.

The technical specifications of both camera and lens are identical to those of the standard models: particularly discreet and concentrating on the most essential camera functions only, the Leica M10-P embodies the essence of the M-Philosophy. Featuring the quietest shutter release of all M-Cameras ever built, the almost inaudible sound makes it the ideal tool for discreetly capturing authentic photographs in any situation. With its handling concept, the Leica M10-P fulfils everything that discerning photographers expect from a Leica M and reflects the philosophy of all past and present Leica M-Cameras.

The Leica M10-P ‘White’ comes as a set with the silver chrome Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens, which complements the Leica M10-P by delivering consistent exceptional performance at all apertures and distance settings. Whether used for selective sharpness at short distances, high contrast available light photography or for landscapes with enormous depth of focus, the Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens delivers outstanding results in all situations and superbly fulfils its tasks as a true universal lens.

The set is completed with a white leather carrying strap with Leica embossing and a white leather case for the lens. All Leica M10–P ‘White’ cameras have a unique serial number.

The Leica M10-P ‘White’ is available for sale from today.

RRP: £12,750 for the set

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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NPPA sues California over controversial ‘freelancer’ bill that harms photojournalists

19 Dec

The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) has announced its new lawsuit against California’s Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), which forces some independent contractors (freelancers) to become employees of their clients.

The AB5 bill was passed in September but won’t go into effect until next month. Though the law aims to prevent companies from exploiting workers by falsely declaring them as independent contractors, critics say it unfairly restricts people like freelance photojournalists who desire the freedom and copyright benefits associated with being an independent contractor.

In a statement published on Wednesday, the NPPA claims this law ‘discriminates against some visual journalists’ who wish to work as freelancers but are instead forced to become employees ‘whether they desire this working relationship or not.’

The NPPA argues that this legal requirement violates the U.S Constitution because, in part, only certain freelancers are covered by it; others, including graphic artists and marketing photographers, are allowed to retain their independent contractor status.

Photojournalists who also shoot video are forbidden from acting as freelancers under Assembly Bill 5, as well, which the NPPA alleges is ‘a content-based restriction on speech.’ Other issues introduced by AB5 include a limit of 35 assignments or submissions per year per client for still image photojournalists. The organization notes that many other types of freelancers also face similar restrictions, including freelance writers and freelance editors.

The NPPA lays out the negative impact this law will have on freelancers, stating:

NPPA members impacted by the law range from retirees who will be losing extra income to mid-career professionals whose journalism clients are part of their overall business model. All of the impacted members are experienced journalists, trained in ethics and professional standards, who keep their local community informed on matters of public concern. Their voices will be silenced when the impact of AB5 hits their businesses. Some NPPA members report that their income from certain clients is expected to drop by 60-75% next year due to AB5.

In addition to earning concerns, the organization also points out that by forcing photographers to work as employees, these photojournalists will lose the copyrights to the images they capture under their employment, whereas freelancers retain the copyrights unless they choose to surrender them to their clients.

Ultimately, the organization claims that it repeatedly attempted to get the bill modified so that it won’t negatively impact freelance photojournalists, but that California lawmakers have been ‘unsympathetic and unresponsive to our pleas.’ The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles, California; the full legal complaint can be accessed on the NPPA’s website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nikon Z50 review

19 Dec
Silver Award

85%
Overall score
Jump to conclusion

The Nikon Z50 is a 20.9MP mirrorless camera: the first time the company has put an (unstabilized) APS-C sensor behind its new, larger ‘Z’ lens mount. The company says the camera is designed to attract a generation of users who don’t consider themselves to be photographers.

Alongside the camera, Nikon has announced two lenses designed for this sensor size: a 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 collapsible standard zoom and a 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 telephoto zoom – both with built-in image stabilization (which Nikon calls Vibration Reduction).

Key specifications

  • 20.9MP CMOS sensor
  • Twin control dial interface
  • Up to 11 fps shooting with AE/AF, 5 fps with live view
  • 4K video at up to 30p
  • 2.36M-dot OLED viewfinder
  • Rear touchscreen tilts up by 90° or down by 180°
  • Bluetooth-enabled Wi-Fi (via Snapbridge app)
  • Creative Picture Control effects

The Z50 will be available for sale from November, with an MSRP of $ 860, body-only. Adding the 16-50mm zoom takes the price to $ 1000 and a two-lens kit with both DX zooms takes the list price to $ 1350.

The Z50 is compatible with the FTZ mount adapter, allowing it to use F-mount DSLR lenses. The adapter is not included in any of the kits announced so far.

What’s new and how it compares

The Z50 is Nikon’s first APS-C mirrorless camera. We take a look at what it offers and how it squares up to its rivals.

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Body and controls

We take a look at the new camera and how it operates.

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First Impressions / Shooting Experience

Reviews editor Carey Rose spent a couple of hours shooting with a near-final Nikon Z50.

Read more

Image quality

The Z50 is based around an updated version of the 20.2MP sensor we fist saw in the D500. It still looks pretty good against the competition.

Read more

Autofocus

The Z50’s AF system is pretty effective, but is a little fiddly compared with its peers.

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Video

The Z50’s video looks good and it’s one of the easiest cameras to shoot both stills and video with.

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Conclusion

We found a lot to like about the Z50 but it has some very capable rivals in better-established systems.

Read more

Sample Galleries

We’ve been shooting with the Z50 for a while and have plenty of real-world shots to show you how the camera performs.

View gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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This is how the Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX 108MP mobile image sensor works

18 Dec

More recently we have seen a significant increase of resolution in high-end mobile image sensors, with market leaders Sony and Samsung launching sensors with pixel counts that are firmly in medium format camera territory.

However, in the mobile world, the high resolutions aren’t so much about an increase in detail. Instead, they allow for improved digital zooming with only a small loss in detail, and the option to use pixel-binning methods in difficult light conditions in order to improve noise levels.

Samsung has now published a video and blog post detailing the technology and improvements in its ISOCELL Bright HMX 108MP sensor that is deployed in the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro and will likely also be used in the upcoming Galaxy S11 series.

The sensor’s large 1/1.33″ surface combined with 0.8?m-sized pixels allows for the massive pixel count and increased light gathering capability compared to smaller variants. It uses Samsung’s ISOCELL Plus technology which minimizes optical loss and pixel crosstalk by installing a barrier around each pixel.

Previously this barrier was made from metal. In this latest generation of ISOCELL sensors, it is now made from an ‘innovative new material that minimizes optical loss and light reflection’. Samsung says the material also allows the photodiode to absorb more light, allowing for much better performance than you would usually get from such small pixels.

In addition, Samsung has implemented its Smart-ISO technology which lets the sensor pick the best level of signal amplification for a given lighting situation, reducing highlight clipping and noise levels.

Samsung’s Tetracell Technology helps increase performance in low light by merging clusters of four pixels into single pixels, combining the native 0.8?m pixels into larger 1.6?m ones. Even in this mode, the ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor can still deliver 27MP image output which should be more than enough for any mobile application. The complete article is available on the Samsung website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Gear of the Year 2019 – Dan’s choice: DJI Mavic Mini

18 Dec

A lot of awesome gear arrived on the scene in 2019 including plenty of ground-breaking and impressive cameras, lenses and accessories. But of all the releases, there was only one piece of gear I purchased for myself to enjoy outside of work: The DJI Mavic Mini.

Back in 2016 I picked the original DJI Mavic Pro as my gear of the year because I felt it represented a turning point in the drone market. It was the first mid-level unit that seemed to offer everything I wanted: a folding design, good stills/video, a user-friendly interface and a reasonably affordable price. It was a product I threw down my own money for and one that opened my eyes to a new way of creating stills and video.

There was only one piece of gear I purchased for myself this year: The DJI Mavic Mini

But three years on and my Mavic Pro is starting to seem, well, old. While the folding design was unique at launch, the drone itself now feels hefty in comparison to many newer models. This has made me less likely to take it along on trips or adventures, unless I’m certain I’ll be using it. And though the image quality from its 1/2.3″ sensor is still largely good enough for my needs, I find the JPEG profiles unappealing and the Raw files lack malleability. It also doesn’t help that several ‘oh crap’ moments have now led the camera’s lens to become de-centered. Oops.

Image quality from the Mavic Mini won’t knock your socks off, but it’s more than good enough for social sharing and Web viewing, especially if you take a little time to tweak the JPEGs.
Processed to taste in Adobe Lightroom.
ISO 100 | 1/40 sec | F2.8

Even before the Mavic Mini was launched this Fall, I’d put together a wish list in my mind for my next drone: It would have to be small enough and light enough for me to bring it with me wherever, without a second thought. It would have to offer similar or better image quality to my Mavic Pro (either with better out-of-camera JPEGs or more workable Raw files), it would hopefully be quieter/less intrusive to others, all while offering similar battery life and a just as easy-to-fly interface.

There’s no Raw capture on the Mini, so I pull the JPEG files into Lightroom and tweak them slightly, with good results

The Mavic Mini checks off all the boxes (which is why I purchased one shortly after its launch, sight unseen). It’s nearly a quarter of the weight of the Mavic Pro and about half the size. It uses the same-sized, 1/2.3″ sensor (essentially, a smartphone-sized sensor) but the JPEG output, including color and tone, looks significantly more natural and pleasing (to me at least). There’s no Raw capture on the Mini, but that doesn’t really bother me: I pull the JPEG files into Lightroom and tweak them slightly, with good results.

The Mini also sounds less like an angry swarm of bees compared to my Pro, which will hopefully lead to fewer angry glares out in the Pacific Northwest wilderness from all those passive aggressive Seattlites I encounter. And at $ 400 for the unit, controller and battery, the Mavic Mini is significantly less investment than the current Mavic Pro offerings (The Pro Platinum is $ 1150 at the time of writing). The lower price also leads to less anxiety about potentially losing it (though that’d still majorly suck).

Processed to taste in Adobe Lightroom.
ISO 100 | 1/40 sec |F2.8

I’ve only been flying the Mavic Mini for several weeks now, but after a few adventures – including one in Oregon wine country – I’m hooked. The impossibly small size is hands-down its greatest feature. Getting it into my 16L Lowepro bag without displacing other necessities is no problem at all. Which means this little sky camera can come with me everywhere I go.

The impossibly small size is hands-down its greatest feature – this little sky camera can come with me everywhere I go

It’s also oh-so-easy to operate. DJI further simplified the flying experience for the Mini: It uses the new DJI Fly app, which is a pared-down and more user-friendly version of the standard DJI Go app (used by most of the brand’s other consumer drones). This is a change I welcome given the intended user is likely someone who is a beginner or intermediate drone flyer. Cleaning up the settings and options means there are less things to distract you while flying, but the experience is in no way dumbed-down. And perhaps most importantly, users still have full manual control over the camera’s settings.

Processed to taste in Adobe Lightroom.
ISO 100 | 1/60 sec |F2.8

I did have to give up some features by stepping down from the Mid-level Mavic Pro-series to the more beginner-oriented Mini, above and beyond Raw capture. One such feature is video quality: the max video resolution is 2.7K/30p compared to 4K/30p on my Mavic Pro (not a deal-breaker for my needs as a primarily stills shooter). The maximum flight range is also less than that of the original Mavic, a limitation I’ve yet to encounter, but I’ll report back if I do.

There is, however, one feature I wish the Mini had: Rear and front accident avoidance cameras. My Mavic Pro has a front avoidance camera and who would’ve guessed, all my crashes with it have been while going in reverse. But hopefully their absence will lead me to become a safer, more competent flyer (knocks on wood).

Access to a go-everywhere flying smartphone camera has put a big smile on my face

Ultimately, if you’re a photographer who’s been curious about drone capture and trying to decide when to pull the trigger and on which model, the time is now and the model is the Mavic Mini. At $ 400, it’s cheaper than a lot of other cameras accessories you can purchase. But it’s one that’ll likely change your perspective more than anything else you could put that money toward. Moreover, access to what is essentially a go-everywhere flying smartphone camera has put a big smile on my face, which is why the DJI Mavic Mini is my gear of the year.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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