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Video: Sony Tough SD cards torture tested with blender, washer, freezer and more

08 Aug

Photographer Steve Huff has published a new video in which he subjects Sony’s Tough SD cards to a variety of durability tests involving everything from a washing machine to a blender. According to Sony, it engineered this SD card model ‘for toughness,’ stating on its website that the Tough cards are ‘dust, dirt, water, mud, and grime-proof.’

The Sony Tough SD card has an IP68 dustproof and waterproof rating, as well as a rib-less and switchless design, which Sony says eliminates ‘risks of breakage.’ Ultimately, the company claims its Tough cards at shock- and crush-proof.

Of course, this doesn’t mean the cards are indestructible, as demonstrated by Huff. The SD cards were no match for the blender, which immediately rendered them into small bits of plastic and metal. The Sony Tough cards were able to withstand the other tests, however, including cycles through a washer and dryer, being frozen in water, submerged in a pool and left out in sunlight.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung launches triple-camera Galaxy Note 10 series

08 Aug

With its latest Galaxy Note generation, Samsung gives potential buyers the option to choose from two sizes. The flagship Galaxy Note 10+ comes with a massive 6.8″ display for those who want maximum screen size in a smartphone. At 6.3″ the display of the standard Note 10 falls much more in line with the Galaxy S10 series, which is traditionally smaller than the Notes.

Both displays are of the AMOLED variant and support HDR10+ with Dynamic Tone Mapping. However, the Plus model comes with a 1440p+ resolution while the smaller model offers a 1080p+ resolution.

Both phones come with the same triple-camera setup but the 10+ adds a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor which can be used to create 3D models with a scanning app and should also benefit the simulated bokeh effect.

The 12MP main camera comes with a 1/2.55″ sensor and a 27mm equivalent lens with variable aperture (F1.5-2.4). Dual-pixel AF and optical image stabilization are on board as well. The 12MP tele uses a smaller 1/3.6″ sensor and offers a stabilized 52mm equivalent lens with F2.1 aperture which is slightly faster than on the tele-equipped S10 models. The ultra-wide angle offers a higher 16MP pixel count and a 12mm equivalent focal length.

The 10MP front camera is hidden under a ‘punch hole’ and features a 26mm equivalent lens with F2.2 aperture. Front and rear cameras can record 4K video, and a new ‘Live Focus Video’ mode allows for shallow depth-of-field effects in real-time. Other special effects, like simulated out-of-focus highlights or black-and-white backgrounds, can also be added in real-time to video. Software features include a new and more advanced video editor and a special version of Adobe Premiere Rush which is available as a free download.

Like previous Galaxy Notes the 10th generation comes with Samsung’s S-Pen stylus which now features both an accelerometer and a gyroscope, allowing it to be used as a motion controller. The phone can be controlled at a distance using the gestures app and Samsung says it will make an SDK available to third-party app developers as well.

Depending on region the Note 10 will be powered by either Samsung’s new Exynos 9825 chipset or the Snapdragon 855 and users can choose from 256 or 512GB storage options. The Plus model also comes with a microSD card slot.

In terms of audio output you get stereo speakers and a pair of USB-C headphones but no conventional audio jack. Battery sizes differ between models, with the Plus version offering a 4,300mAh unit versus the standard model’s 3,500mAh variant.

Both models will be available as 5G versions for those lucky enough to live in an area with 5G coverage. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ will be available from August 23. Pricing starts at $ 949 for the Note 10 with 256GB. The Plus version will be $ 1,099 for the 256GB model and $ 1,199 for the 512GB variant.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Blackmagic Design will livestream tomorrow’s camera, post-production event

08 Aug

Blackmagic Design has sent out an email announcing that tomorrow, August 8, at 12PM PDT, it will be holding a livestream related to its post production and camera products.

Blackmagic Design CEO and co-founder Grant Petty will be leading the livestream, which will be available to watch on Blackmagic Design’s website, YouTube channel and Facebook page. Below is a list of when the event will go live in various cities around the globe.

No hints were given as to what will be announced, but if past livestreams are anything to go by, it should be fairly straightforward, with Petty discussing current and upcoming products and updates. Any guesses?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Xiaomi teases future Mi smartphone with 108MP Samsung camera sensor

07 Aug

Xiaomi, the company often called the ‘Apple of China,’ has announced plans to pack a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL camera sensor into an upcoming Mi series smartphone model. The plan was teased by the company during the Xiaomi Future Image Technology Communication Conference in Beijing earlier today.

Xiaomi’s conference largely revolved around the Samsung ISOCELL GW1, a 64MP camera sensor that, based on Xiaomi’s past teases, is expected to launch in a future Redmi smartphone. The GW1 sensor is viewed as the next step up from the 48MP sensor found in a number of existing phone models, including the Redmi Note 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro.

In addition to detailing the 64MP sensor, Xiaomi announced that it will be the first company to use a Samsung 108MP ISOCELL 12032 x 9024 image sensor in a smartphone. The company didn’t reveal which model will pack the camera, but Ice Universe, a credible leaker on Twitter, claims the 108MP sensor will be available in the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 model.

Samsung hasn’t released any information about this 108MP camera sensor at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: These are the winners of the 2018-2019 Nikon Photo Contest

07 Aug

2018-2019 Nikon Photo Contest Winners

Nikon has announced the winners of its 2018-2019 international Nikon Photo Contest. The contest, which started in 1969 ‘as an opportunity for photographers to share their unique visions and enrich photographic culture,’ celebrated its 50th anniversary with its highest number of annual submissions since its inception.

Nikon received 97,369 submissions from approximately 33,000 people across 170 countries and regions around the world. The entries were split up into three categories this year: Open, Next Generation and Short Film, the first two of which are split into single photo and photo story subcategories. Below is a brief description from Nikon for each of the categories:

  • Open: a single photo or photo story representing the theme of ‘Change’
  • Next Generation: a single photo or photo story expressing the idea of ‘Identity’ open to photographers aged 25 or younger
  • Short Film: a video submission that tells the story of ‘Hope.’

One additional submission has received the Participants’ Choice Prize, while another has received the Nikon Photo Contest 50th Anniversary Prize, a new prize implemented this year. These will be included in our gallery of the main category winners.

The winning images were selected by a panel of international judges from different disciplines in the world of art. Nikon says the ‘recipients of the gold, silver, and bronze awards from each category were selected based on a variety of aspects, including their suitability to the category’s theme, the strength of the message, and level of creativity.’ Below is a short video Nikon put together about the judges and their outlook on the images and the contest as a whole:

The Grand Prize winner, which is selected from the Gold Prize winners in each of the categories, will be announced at the awards ceremony on August 23, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan.

The accompanying gallery is a collection of the Gold Prize winners for each category. Additional Silver and Bronze prize winners can be found on the Nikon Photo Contest website.

Open Single Photo Winner

Alma and Alzheimer’s — Open Award Single Photo Gold Prize

Photographer: Jason Parnell-Brookes (United Kingdom)

Story: Donald?90, sits alone in the background consumed in his suffering with Alzheimer’s and unaware of his wife, Alma, 84 having dinner just feet away. He came back from World War II, changed from the kind caring man she had married, suffering with shellshock (PTSD). After a violent 60-year marriage with Alma, Donald was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. In the last few years of his life there was a sudden and rapid change of his demeanor rendering him placid, back to the man she had married.

Open Photo Story Winner

hope — Open Award Photo Story Gold Prize

Photographer: Thaib Chaidar (Indonesia)

Story: I took a photo of this series while on assignment about free cataract surgery for people who are not able in remote areas in West Papua, Manokwari Regency, and one of his patients was a mother named Sorina Ullo, who was lucky because after decades she could finally returned to see clearly, the cataract that had long suffered will heal soon

Next Generation Single Photo Winner

Ayimpoka — Next Generation Award Single Photo Gold Prize

Photographer: Sara De Antonio Feu (Spain)

Story: Ayimpoka lives with her family in a little town in Bolgatanga (Ghana). Albinism has been a cause of discrimination and persecution during years, and murders have been committed against albino children because of the popular association with magic and witchcraft. At Ayimpoka’s house, everyone gives her love and protection and a local NGO provides her weekly care. That day?she was recovering from malaria and she had a lot of sunburns because she was in the sun all day.

Next Generation Photo Story Winner

??(Fanghua – Moments in Our Youthful Days) — Next Generation Award Photo Story Gold Prize

Photographer: ? ?? [Jinghan Tu] (China)

Story: The camera I always have hanging around my neck is like another pair of eyes, and has essentially become a part of my body. Having the camera doesn’t affect how I engage with other people of the same generation. I am a part of the things that take place in each moment I capture. For me, pointing the lens at something is the same as taking screenshots of my own personal life. Every drop of rain, every smile, every quick motion, and every droplet when water is sprayed. The things I capture are nothing more than ordinary, yet they are all an important part of moments in the dazzling youthful lives of people, including myself. I continue to take photos to preserve the memories of those precious days which I have experienced.

Short Film Winner

Exulansis (link to video) — Short Film Award Gold Prize

Artist: Sara Crochet (United States of America)

Story: Exulansis n. the tendency to give up trying to talk about an experience because people are unable to relate to it. I made this film in one day to display a haunting memory and how I choose to see that as an experience I can share to bring light to women and men around me. Bringing us all together with understanding and love.

Participants’ Choice Prize Winner

The phoenix — NPC 50th Anniversary Prize

Artist: Helena Pelletier (Canada)

Story: As a young women, Halifax resident Holly Fox survived a terrible house fire?that took her young husband and left her with extensive scars after she ran into the flames to save their infant baby who made it out without injury thanks to the bravery of his mother. The child has grown now an adult man?and her scars a beautiful reminder of her courage and strength. Out of the ashes she will rise, stronger and more beautiful than before. Marked with evidence of such and wearing it with pride.

Nikon Photo Contest 50th Anniversary Prize Winner

????(Harvesting Season) — Participants’ Choice Prize

Artist: ? ?? Huaming Zhao (China)

Story: Fall is the season of harvesting. The tall green bamboos can be cut into strips for creating various crafts. They are dried, disinfected, then made into chopsticks to become a part of people’s everyday lives and bring joy to them.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Kodak Moments unveils M1 Order Station, scalable photo kiosks with smartphone support

07 Aug

Kodak Moments (a division of Kodak Alaris) has introduced the M1 Order Station, a scalable photo-printing kiosk designed to enable the average consumer to easily print photos from their phone, a USB drive, or an SD card. As demonstrated by Kodak in the video above, the M1 Order Station can be scaled from a small desktop station to a full standing kiosk to meet the needs of different retailers.

Though photo-printing kiosks used to be commonly found in big box and convenience stores, these machines have become scarce amid the rise of digital photography and online printing services. Kodak is aiming to change that with its printing kiosks.

The new M1 Order Station is described as a ‘seamless’ solution featuring the Kodak Moments retail software version 9.0, which presents users with printing options via a 13″ touchscreen. Retailers can pair the station with the Kodak 305 printer countertop enclosure, the 305 print station cabinet, or the 305 printer booster with a print catcher.

In addition to memory cards and USB drives, customers can download the Kodak Moments app to directly print images from a smartphone using WiFi, Bluetooth, or a physical connection cable. The system supports printing 4×6, 5×7, and 6×8 prints, as well as photo cards, collages, and ‘DIY products.’ A brochure fully detailing the M1 Order Station is available here [PDF].

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nikon Z 35mm F1.8 S sample gallery

07 Aug

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One of three lenses announced alongside the Nikon Z7 last August, the Z 35mm F1.8 S is part of a new generation of primes designed from scratch for mirrorless. We’re working on a full review, but in the meantime, take a look at some sample images, taken in London, Seattle, and all over the Pacific coast this year.

View our sample gallery from the Nikon Z 35mm F1.8 S

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon patent application details wireless charging setup for camera systems

07 Aug

Wireless charging has become a standard in flagship smartphones, but like so many other technologies, the camera world seems a bit behind. Canon seems interested in changing that though if a recent patent application is any indication.

United States patent application 10,375,639 B2 details the schematics for a wireless charging setup that uses a combination of a power mat and a compatible device to offer wireless charging capabilities. The patent doesn’t limit the device being charged to cameras, but does explicitly say ‘the electronic apparatus [being charged] can be an imaging apparatus.’

According to the patent application text, the mat would be able to detect when a camera is present via near field communication (NFC) and adapt the power output to match the required power of the camera unit while also monitoring the temperature to prevent overheating.

It’s not clear whether Canon would rely on a pre-existing wireless charging standard, such as the Wireless Power Consortium’s Qi standard, but considering Qi’s ubiquity, it’s likely to be the case. Of course, there’s always the possibility this patent application never sees the light of day, so don’t get too excited.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photographer turns old computer parts into functional large format ‘Frankenstein’ camera

07 Aug

Iranian photographer Alireza Rostami has introduced the world to his ‘Frankenstein’ camera, a functional product handmade from old and broken computer components. According to Rostami, who recently spoke with DPReview, he purchased his first computer in 1999, a moment he said he’ll ‘never forget.’

Rostami explains that as he upgraded the computer over the years, he saved the older hardware, including the motherboard. ‘One day I thought, I can turn my old computer into a device that works again!’ Rostami said. ‘And I thought, well, why not make a camera?’

Rostami crunched the numbers and developed a design for his large format camera, which features a Linhof large format lens and film back, as well as a low-power battery that powers the camera’s computers fans, adding to the overall aesthetic. Rostami says his computer camera is suitable for landscape photography without adjusting the focus but can be readjusted for other uses by utilizing a universal lens ring and changing the lens.

Below is a video walkthrough of the camera, shared with DPReview by Rostami:

‘Unfortunately, I don’t have access to high-end technology,’ Rostami notes on Instagram, explaining that he’d like to make a different model that functions as both a computer and camera. Despite that, Rostami is pleased with the current version, saying, ‘I find the camera very exciting and beautiful, like something out of science fiction. I have a very unique camera now.’

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Part 3 … video This is my Frankenstein camera . I make it with my broken Camputer . #apple #technology #camera #largeformatcamera #Instagram #newyork #usa #windows #google #yahoo #news #microsoft

A post shared by Alireza Rostami (@alirizarostami) on

Selfies captured with the Frankenstein camera are available on Rostami’s Instagram account. The photographer has shared a number of other DIY photography projects, including a camera transformed into a watch and a modified lens that produces dreamy, otherworldly images.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Skydio releases sample footage captured with its upcoming Skydio 2 drone

07 Aug

Last month, California-based drone manufacturer Skydio teased a follow up to their premier R1 model. Slated for release this Fall, the company recently updated email subscribers with more details about what they’re calling the ‘Skydio 2,’ presumably for the time being. The reel, above, demonstrates some of the new drone’s capabilities including the ability to navigate and fly through numerous obstacles, track subjects, and even perform a 360° spin.

Besides being able to fly autonomously and avoid obstacles, the ‘Skydio 2’ will also boast a breakthrough algorithm that can determine ‘where and how to fly to get the most stunning cinematic shots possible.’ Perhaps this ability was referenced in the second frame as the ‘Skydio 2’ gradually pulled away from a single beachgoer to reveal a stunning tropical island.

With the R1, Skydio positioned itself as a drone maker for consumers and enthusiasts. Using Nvidia’s onboard computer, the same technology that powers self-driving cars, the R1 can map it surroundings, avoid obstacles in every direction and track a single subject. Remote pilots can launch and fly effortlessly with this built-in technology.

Now, with the ‘Skydio 2,’ the focus has shifted to quality cinematography. A redesigned camera promises polished, professional-grade video. This, alone, makes it a huge improvement from its predecessor. If they offer it up in a compact, light-weight frame with increased battery life, they’ll have created the consumer-grade drone to beat.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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