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Leica Q2 Monochrom initial review

10 Nov

Introduction

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Product shots: Dan Bracaglia

The Leica Q2 Monochrom is Leica’s latest dedicated black-and-white camera, joining the M Monochrom and the M10 Monochrom manual-focus rangefinders. The Q2 Monochrom has a 47MP sensor that only produces black and white images, a fixed 28mm F1.7 ASPH lens with 17cm (6.7 in) macro mode and a claim of better dynamic range and noise performance compared to the color Q2. The Q2 Monochrom certainly won’t be for everyone, but for dedicated black-and-white shooters there is a lot to love about this camera.

Jump to:

What’s new | Body and handling | First impressions | Sample gallery

Out-of-camera JPEG.
ISO 6400 | 1/30 sec | F9
Photo by Jeanette D Moses

Key Specifications

  • 47.3 MP CMOS Monochrome Sensor
  • 3.68MP OLED electronic viewfinder with 0.76x magnification
  • 3″ touchscreen with 1.04 million dots
  • 60s – 1/2000s (mechanical); 1s – 1/40,000s (electronic)
  • 28 mm F1.7 ASPH lens with 11 elements, 3 aspherical
  • Splash and dust resistant body up to IP52
  • ISO range of 100 – 100000
  • Up to 4K/30p, 1080/120p video capture
  • Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities with Leica Fotos app
  • Additional toning settings (sepia, blue, selenium)

What’s new and how it compares

The one significant difference between the Q2 and Q2 Monochrom cameras is, as you’d expect, the ‘specially designed’ 47MP sensor that comes without a color filter array (CFA). On color digital cameras, the CFA filters incoming light so that each photosite captures information on either red, green or blue light, and the camera’s processor interpolates that data to produce a full-color image.

On the Q2 Monochrom, there’s no CFA, so each photosite captures a single ‘true’ tone, with no loss of resolution through interpolation. And, because CFAs absorb some incoming light, the lack of one means the ISO sensitivity of the Q2 Monochrom gets a boost when compared to the color Leica Q2.

From an aesthetics standpoint the Q2 Monochrom has a more discreet design when compared to its color counterpart and a slightly simplified menu interface.

Out-of-camera JPEG.
ISO 800 | 1/500 sec | F2.8
Photo by Jeanette D Moses

Compared to the M10 Monochrom, the Q2 Monochrom is a much simpler and easier camera to operate, thanks primarily to its electronic viewfinder and reliable autofocus. The downside is that you’re stuck with the 28mm lens on the Q2 Monochrom (though there are some crop modes we’ll discuss a bit later). The price points of these two black-and-white cameras are… well, high. The M10 Monochrom costs $ 8295 USD for only the body, whereas the Q2 Monochrom comes in at $ 5995 USD.

Compared to…

Leica Q2 Monochrom Leica M10 Monochrom Fujifilm X100V
MSRP (body) $ 5995 $ 8295 $ 1399
Sensor 47MP full-frame monochromatic 41MP full-frame monochromatic

26MP APS-C
full color
Type Fixed-lens Rangefinder interchangeable lens Fixed-lens
ISO range (native) 100-100000 160-100000 100-25600
Viewfinder type 3.69M-dot OLED electronic Rangefinder optical 3.69M-dot OLED electronic / optical
LCD 3” fixed 3″ fixed 3″ tilting
Touch-screen Yes Yes Yes
Included flash No No Built-in
Weather-sealing Yes, IP52 rated No No
Max. burst 20fps (elec. shutter) 4.5 fps 20 fps (elec. shutter)
Max. shutter, mech | electronic 1/2000 | 1/40000 1/4000 | N/A 1/4000 | 1/32000
Video 4K/30p, 1080/120p N/A 4K/30p, 1080/120p
Battery life (CIPA) 350 shots ~210 shots (based on color M10) 420 shots
Dimensions 130 x 80 x 92 mm 139 x 39 x 80 mm 128 x 75 x 53 mm
Weight 734 g 660 g 478 g

But if price is a blocker, the Fujifilm X100V is a camera that is conceptually similar, but much more affordable. The X100V shoots in color, but thanks to Fujifilm’s film simulation modes you can set it to see the world in monochrome (albeit not at the same resolution possible with a dedicated mono sensor). The X100V has a fixed 35mm (equivalent) F2 lens instead of the 28mm lens F1.7 lens and a smaller APS-C sensor, but it also only costs $ 1399 (MSRP).

It’s also worth mentioning the $ 899 (MSRP) Ricoh GR III, which also offers an APS-C sensor, but it has a 28mm-equivalent lens that matches the field of view of the Leica. It’s a great pocket camera, but be aware that it doesn’t include a viewfinder (an optical finder is available but there’s no provision for an EVF) and battery life is on the short side.

Body and handling

The command dial on the right has a center button that can be customized with a variety of functions.

The Leica Q2 Monochrom has a discreet subtle black and neutral gray body to match the monochromatic images that it captures and is wrapped in a classic grained leatherette. Leica has removed the iconic ‘red dot’ Leica badge and the engraved script on the top of the camera. Inscriptions on the lens and the shutter speed dial are all gray and white-on-black, and the camera’s name is engraved around the hot shoe.

The ergonomics and button layout are identical to the Leica Q2. On the top of the camera you’ll find the power switch and shutter button, a shutter speed dial for selecting full stop shutter speeds and a command dial for selecting third-stop shutter speeds. On the back of the camera you’ll find a four-way controller, a 3″ fixed touchscreen, and the Play, Menu and Function buttons.

The controls on the Q2 Monochrom are pared back and basic, but in a refreshing way.

The Function button is customizable, and can be quickly reassigned to another function with a ‘long press.’ During my time with the Q2 Monochrom I kept this button set to swap between the EVF and the LCD screen (the eye sensor to auto-switch was pretty sensitive, even with the sensitivity set to ‘low’). Above the LCD you will find the camera’s diopter, which can be pressed in to prevent accidental adjustments, and a rear button that sits directly below the shutter speed dial.

By default this button is set to activate digital crops within the camera, but can be customized to be an exposure or focus lock as well. The in-camera crops can be made at 35mm, 50mm and 75mm, but retains the full image when shooting in Raw. A rangefinder-style frame appears within the EVF to show you what will be included in the cropped frame (but those crops can’t fill the EVF). The Q2 Monochrom features the same subtle indent on the right hand side as the color Q2, which ends up being a very comfortable place to rest your thumb while shooting.

On the bottom of the camera you will find a single SD card slot and the battery door. The Q2 Monochrom uses the BP-SCL4 battery found in the Leica SL and is CIPA rated to 350 shots per charge. In use, you can expect far more shots than that, though lots of playback and Wi-Fi use are big battery drains. In our experience (which includes switching the camera off between shots), we found the battery would easily last a couple of days of moderate shooting.

The Leica Q2 Monochrom’s fixed 28mm F1.7 lens has 11 elements including three aspherical ones, which is a pretty complex optical formula. The lens can be clicked into macro mode to shoot closeup photos as close as 17cm (6.7in). The updated 3.68M dot OLED is incredibly bright and gives you an accurate live view of the black-and-white images without having to remove the camera from your eye. However, there’s not much in the way of an eyecup on the Q2 Monochrome, so glasses-wearers might struggle a bit with it.

Overall the camera feels very good when it’s slung over your shoulder, wrapped around your wrist or up to your eye making pictures.

First impressions

The Q2 Monochrom is lightweight, easy to use, and since the lens is fixed to the camera there’s no fretting about what camera gear you’re bringing when you leave the house. It has a quiet shutter and the understated body design makes it great for shooting in public without having to have a conversation about your Leica.

In a different era, I would love to see what this camera could do at a low-light rock show

Overall, the Q2 Monochrom has an excellent design, an easy to navigate menu system and dependable autofocus. As soon as I popped a memory card into the Q2 Monochrom I couldn’t wait to start shooting.

But why limit yourself to black and white images?

Of course, a camera like the Fujifilm X100V set to the Acros film simulation will give you a similar shooting experience for a fraction of the price (so long as you like the 35mm equivalent focal length), and with that camera you still have the option to process your Raw files in color. So why wouldn’t you stick with that? Why get a monochromatic camera at all?

Out-of-camera JPEG in 75mm crop mode.
ISO 200 | 1/250 sec | F1.7
Photo by Jeanette D Moses

Well, the Q2 Monochrom offers full-frame image quality, and a significant increase in pixel-level resolution, thanks to how the sensor and processing work. From a purely creative perspective, I’ve found that eliminating color as an option altogether has a positive impact on me creatively, too. Put simply, this is a camera that allows photographers to focus on the basics: how light, shadow, and action interact to create an image.

Simple handling

The three customizable buttons on the Q2 Monochrom are a smart design choice and offer a lot of flexibility depending on a photographer’s needs. The fact that the Q2 Monochrom has weather and dust-sealing is also a selling-point. Fall weather in New York City is known to be unpredictable, and it was reassuring to know that the Q2 could stand up to a little bit of moisture when the skies inevitably opened up. The autofocus makes it faster and easier to use than the manual-focus M10 Monochrom and creates a shooting experience that is more approachable for all levels of photographers.

Image quality impressions

Out-of-camera JPEG.
ISO 640 | 1/125 sec | F4
Photo by Jeanette D Moses

I loved the subtle tonality shifts in the images that I shot with the Leica Q2 Monochrom. The camera’s noise characteristics at high ISO paired with that fast lens make this a great choice for shooting late at night. I used Auto ISO, meaning the camera picks the ISO value and I picked the aperture and shutter speed settings.

Even letting the camera select the ISO for me, it rarely veered into the highest ISO range, but images shot at ISO 12500 don’t exhibit that much noise or grain. In a different era, when it was safe to gather inside poorly lit and ventilated spaces, I would have loved to see what this camera could do in a low-light setting of a rock show.

The flexibility of the Raw files is outstanding

The level of detail found in every file is impressive, and although these images are all straight out of camera, the flexibility of the Raw files once you’ve dropped them into Adobe Lightroom is outstanding. The in-camera crop ended up being handy while shooting with the Q2 Monochrom, though I also appreciated that I had the option to uncrop the Raw images once imported them into Lightroom.

The Q2 Monochrom’s Raw images are super flexible.
ISO 1000 | F8 | 1/50 sec | -2 EV to preserve highlights
Photo by Carey Rose

Pairing the Q2 Monochrom with the Leica SF 60 flash makes it a nice choice for capturing high-contrast black-and-white images. Although using a camera with a 28mm lens for shooting portraits might seem counterintuitive, the in-camera crops actually worked quite well. If you use the flash with Leica’s remote control flash unit you can easily create beautiful black-and-white portraits with the Q2 Monochrom with a very small kit.

Wrapping up

It might initially seem like it would be limiting to use a digital camera that only shoots black-and-white images, but in the end I found it to be quite freeing. I really enjoyed that the Q2 Monochrom’s excellent EVF only allows you to see the world in monochrome, which I found helpful for paying attention to patterns, textures and light quality within a scene, especially in comparison to something like an M10 Monochrom with its optical (and therefore, full-color) viewfinder.

Do you need color photos? Even in black and white, it’s clear that this is a photograph of a humanoid hot dog.
ISO 250 | F4 | 1/125 sec
Photo by Jeanette D Moses

Is the Q2 Monochrom for everybody? Of course not. Leica has never been known for the affordability of its cameras and, arguably, their exclusivity is part of their appeal.

The Q2 Monochrom is certainly a niche camera, but for a shooter who prefers to see the world in black-and-white it ends up being surprisingly versatile and usable. While we’ve still got to do our full testing with a production model, I found that shooting with it is simply a joyful experience, and ultimately, that’s what photography should be about.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Custom Lightroom Presets for Autumn

10 Nov


Jake Garn Photography

 
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Sony announces it’s getting into the drone game with its new ‘Airpeak’ brand

10 Nov

Watch out, DJI. Sony Corporation announced today it is getting into the drone market under the brand name ‘Airpeak.’

I a short press release, accompanied by the above teaser video, Sony says the Airpeak brand will ‘reflect its aspiration to contribute to the further evolvement and the creation of the unprecedented value through its imaging and sensing technology.’

While Sony does hint at industrial purposes for its drones, the company specifically says the Airpeak brand ‘will support the creativity of video creators to the fullest extent possible.’

An illustration from a patent application Sony was granted back in January 2020.

Sony says the project will launch in spring of 2021. In the meantime, it will share information along the way and work on partnerships to test their products and get feedback from drone users. You can keep up with the latest updates on Sony’s new Airpeak website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Solarcan Colours promises easy tinted solargrams—from a soda can

10 Nov

The maker of the Solarcan has launched a new series of solargram cameras loaded with ready-tinted photo paper that will create colored images straight out of the tin. Solarcan Colours come in a choice of three versions to offer warm, cool or duotoned traces of the sun’s passage across the sky.

Solarcan cameras are literally a drink can with a pin hole drilled into the side and a sheet of 7x5in photographic paper loaded and sealed inside. The idea is to strap the camera somewhere outside so it is facing south and then to leave it there as long as you like while it records a trace of the sun everyday while it is in place. Once you can’t wait any more you take the camera indoors, open it with a tin opener and retrieve the paper. The paper will show the image without processing, so you photograph it or scan it and then invert the image to get a positive impression of what you’ve recorded.

The longer you leave the can strapped to a tree or a pole the more sun traces you get, and the company recommends leaving it is place for six months from one solstice to the other. You can just leave it for a day though.

The Solarcan Colours kit includes (left to right) Eldorado, Atlantis and Nebula versions of the camera. These are the colors you’ll see once the recorded negative is inverted in software, or via a smartphone app

The original Solarcan uses straightforward black and white paper, but Solarcan Colours uses tinted papers that deliver a color to the images without post-processing. Many Solarcan fans add colors to their digitized negatives in software, but the new Solarcan Colours have the shades built-in. The colors are:

  • Atlantis: Produces a cool blue finish
  • Eldorado: A warm, golden appearance with solarised halos
  • Nebula: A striking, duotone picture of the Sun and landscape

Inventor Sam Cornwell won’t let on what’s in the paper to give it the tints, but he does tell DP Review that the Solarcan Colour is half-way on his Solarcan roadmap – and that he has something ‘big’ planned for 2022.

Solarcan Colours is being launched via a Kickstarter campaign, as was the original Solarcan, and the company aims to deliver the first consignment in January 2021. Prices start from £39 (approx. $ 51) for a kit with all three colored cans, while the original black and white Solarcan is also for sale for £15 (approx. $ 20). For more information see the Solarcan website or the Solarcan Colours Kickstarter page.

Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DaVinci Resolve 17 announced, includes over 300 new features and improvements

10 Nov

Blackmagic Design has announced DaVinci Resolve 17, the latest major release of its flagship video and audio editing software. DaVinci Resolve is ‘the world’s only solution that combines editing, color correction, visual effects, motion graphics and audio post-production all in one software tool.’

DaVinci Resolve 17’s primary new features include HDR grading tools, redesigned primary color controls, an AI-based magic mask, a next-generation Fairlight audio engine and much more. Blackmagic states that in total there are over 100 new features and 200 improvements to existing features.

The new HDR grading feature is accessible within the software’s color page. Users can create new color wheels with ‘custom roll-off for specific tonal ranges,’ resulting in additional creative control when making fine adjustments. The new wheels include control over exposure and saturation within each zone and are color space aware, allowing for uniform results.

Additional improvements to colorwork include mesh-based warping tools. You can adjust hue and saturation or chroma and luma. Adjustments are performed by dragging control points and Blackmagic Design promises ‘clean, natural-looking adjustments.’ Primary color controls have also been redesigned in the software. With respect to color space, DaVinci wide gamut and DaVinci intermediate are new timeline color space and gamma settings which deliver a universal working color space. Blackmagic states that ‘it’s larger than what cameras can capture’ and that ‘customers will never lose image data, no matter where it comes from.’

DaVinci Resolve 17 includes numerous improvements to color work, such as HDR Color Wheels, Custom Curves and more. Image credit: Blackmagic Design. Click to enlarge.

The Fairlight Audio Core in DaVinci Resolve 17 has undergone major changes. Blackmagic says it is ‘the world’s fastest and highest quality solution for audio post-production.’ Fairlight Audio Core is a low latency, next-gen audio engine that intelligently manages CPU cores and threads in your computer. With the new Fairlight Audio Core, you can work with up to 2,000 tracks at a time with fully supported real-time effects, EQ and dynamics processing. DaVinci Resolve 17 promises ‘sample-accurate editing tools’, ADR, Foley and Fairlight FX (like reverb, de-esser, hum remover and more). You can mix and master stereo audio, 5.1, 7.1 and 3D audio formats. For improved performance, you can also utilize an optional Fairlight Audio Accelerator Card. Further, with the software’s multiple user collaboration feature, multiple sound editors can work on the entire project at the same time.

A new transient analysis tool has been added. This tool automatically detects individual words, beats or sound effects. Transient markers are displayed in the waveform as vertical lines and can be navigated by users via the arrow keys. Blackmagic states that these markers make it easier to identify specific parts of a sound when editing audio. You can also now see larger audio waveforms while trimming.

Image credit: Blackmagic Design. Click to enlarge.

The DaVinci Neural Engine allows for automatic mask creation for an entire person or for specific features such as a face or arms. Further, ‘customers get matte finesse tools, the ability to add and remove strokes and automatic tracking.’ When editing in 16:9 HD or Ultra HD, you can now quickly create square or vertical versions for publishing to platforms such as Instagram. The Neural Engine helps here as well by automatically identifying faces and repositioning them inside the new frame, thus saving time.

Additional time-saving features include the new multi-column view for viewing effects, transitions and titles. The new workspace includes description icons, plus you can cover the cursor over an item to see a live preview in the viewer. The edit page includes ‘dozens’ of time-saving new features as well. These include the ability to manage independent proxy media, more easily synchronize multicam clips, create a sync map, generate render files for any portion of the timeline, make source side adjustments and much more.

Doubling back to multi-user collaboration, this feature is now included in the free version of DaVinci Resolve 17. This means that multiple free users can collaborate on the same project, across multiple devices, simultaneously. Of course, the free version doesn’t include all new features, but it includes a lot. A quick note that it appears that a much-requested feature, ProRes RAW support, doesn’t appear to be coming in DaVinci Resolve 17.

Image credit: Blackmagic Design. Click to enlarge.

Of DaVinci Resolve 17, Blackmagic Design CEO, Grant Petty, said, ‘This is a massive update and it has amazing new technology and features for colorists, audio engineers, editors and visual effects artists. While the new color science, HDR grading and improvements and Fairlight usability are the most noticeable features, what I am most proud of are the thousands of small improvements that customers will notice every day!’

There are many features and improvements in DaVinci Resolve 17 that are beyond the scope of this article, so let’s quickly summarize the primary features of DaVinci Resolve 17:

  • Next generation HDR color correction with customizable wheels and tonal zones.
  • Mesh and grid based color warper delivers an entirely new way to transform color.
  • Magic mask automatic object isolation powered by the DaVinci Neural Engine.
  • Improved color management with tone mapping and color space aware tools.
  • Massive DaVinci wide gamut color space for higher quality image processing.
  • High speed audio editing with new keyboard and mouse context-sensitive tools.
  • Fairlight Audio Core engine with auto load balancing and support for 2,000 tracks.
  • Revolutionary FlexBus architecture for audio routing without limitations.
  • Automatic transient detection for beats, words, and sound effects.
  • Support for massive audio projects with thousands of tracks on a single system.
  • Metadata based card view in media pool on cut page.
  • Precision audio trimming on the cut page timeline and graphical trimmer.
  • Smart reframe powered by the DaVinci Neural Engine on cut and edit pages.
  • Live effect, title, and transition previews on cut and edit pages.
  • Import and edit projects from ATEM Mini Pro ISO.
  • Proxy media workflows up to 1/16th resolution in H.264, H.265, ProRes or DNxHR.
  • Timeline based clip syncing to create multicam and compound clips.
  • Alpha support for keying and compositing on cut and edit pages.
  • Render in place command for effects heavy clips on cut and edit timelines.
  • Make source side adjustments before editing clips into the timeline.
  • Portable timeline and bin files for easy sharing.
  • Native interlace processing and realtime 3:2 pulldown removal.
  • Node tree bookmarks, customizable Fusion toolbar, and vertical node layouts.
  • Support for growing files in media pool.
  • Support for frame based metadata for BRAW, ARRI, RED, Sony and EXR.
  • Workflow integration API and third party encoder API.
Image credit: Blackmagic Design

DaVinci Resolve 17 is available now as a public beta. You can download the software by clicking here. DaVinci Resolve is available as a free download. For all the new features, including the DaVinci Neural Engine, stereoscopic 3D tools, additional Resove FX filters, Fairlight FX audio plugins, HDR grading and more, you must purchase DaVinci Resolve Studio. When the public release of DaVinci Resolve 17 Studio is available, it will cost $ 299 USD.

In addition to DaVinci Resolve 17, Blackmagic Design has also announced additional products. The DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor, $ 295 USD, is a new keyboard for DaVinci Resolve’s cut page and ‘allows a new and dramatically faster editing solution that’s a combination of integrated hardware and software.’ For a limited time, every customer who purchases DaVinci Resolve Studio from a Blackmagic Design reseller will get the Speed Editor free of charge.

DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor. Image credit: Blackmagic Design.

On the Fairlight side of things, a new Fairlight Desktop Console will be available this December for $ 3,495. This is a complete audio mixing control surface for mixing multiple tracks at once, automating various parameters and plug-in settings and more. Blackmagic has also announced the Fairlight HDMI Monitor Interface. This allows customers to use any HDMI or SDI television or monitor with large Fairlight Studio Consoles. This product will cost $ 259 and you can learn more about it here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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iPhone 12 Pro Max review round-up: a meta review of Apple’s largest iPhone 12 model

10 Nov

The embargo has lifted on iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max reviews ahead of their availability this coming Friday. So, just as we did with the iPhone 12 reviews, we’re rounding up and summarizing a number of reviews from across the web as we were unable to get ahold of review units.

For the most part we’ll be focusing on the iPhone 12 Pro Max in this meta-review collection, but some videos and text reviews cover both the iPhone 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max, so you’ll get a little mix of both.

MKBHD

In this video review, Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, shares his thoughts on the new iPhone 12 Pro Max. As you may remember from his iPhone 12 Pro review, he had expected the iPhone 12 Pro Max would perform even better thanks to the camera improvements inside, but much to his surprise, he noticed hardly any difference in image quality, even between the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

The Verge

To accompany its comprehensive video review, The Verge has also shared its longform text review titled ’The best smartphone camera you can get.’ In it, The Verge Editor-in-Chief, Nilay Patel, focuses almost entirely on the camera capabilities, praising improvements of the larger sensor, saying the iPhone 12 Pro Max ‘took better, more detailed, and less noisy photos than the Pixel 5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.’

Engadget

In addition to its video review embedded above, Engadget also posted a text review of the iPhone 12 Pro Max titled ‘Better, not just bigger.’ In it, Engadget Senior Editor Chris Velazco praises the larger screen, best-in-class performance and the improved camera system. However, similar to Brownlee’s assessment, Velazco says the better cameras in the iPhone 12 Pro Max ‘aren’t exactly game-changers.’

CNET

Similar to Engadget and The Verge, CNET also published both a video review and text review of the new iPhone 12 Pro Max titled ‘Big phone energy.’ Echoing the sentiments of the other reviews, CNET Senior Associate Editor Patrick Holland says ‘when [comparing the 12 Pro Max’s photos] to photos from the regular 12 Pro, the differences don’t jump out at you right away.’ However, he notes ‘that’s less of a strike against the 12 Pro Max, and more of an indication of how good the cameras are on the iPhone 12 Pro.’

Andy To

For a more real-world example, commercial videographer and YouTuber Andy To used the new iPhone 12 Pro Max to capture his trip back home to Oakland in a cinematic fashion using only video recorded with the device. The five-minute video lacks any narration, simply showcasing what’s possible with the camera array. The whole video was shot on HDR video mode without any external lenses. All footage was shot at 4K/60p or 4K/24p and the footage was edited in Final Cut Pro X.

We’ll post more video and text reviews of the new iPhone 12 Pro Max as they go live. If you know of any we’ve missed, link them in the comments below.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Review: The DJI Pocket 2 is a vlogging machine you can take anywhere (even in your pocket)

09 Nov

DJI Pocket 2
$ 349 | DJI.com

The DJI Pocket 2 is a second-generation all-in-one camera with a built-in three-axis stabilizer. A follow up to the Osmo Pocket, the camera remains roughly the same size as the original but features a larger sensor, a wider lens, an improved autofocus system, more microphones, and the ability to shoot higher-quality photos and videos.

The camera remains incredibly easy to use and is a great option for vloggers and content-creators who need to capture stabilized video and don’t want to be weighed down with lots of gear.

Sample Photos | Specifications & Design | Video | Photos | Conclusion

Sample photos

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Key Specifications:

  • 1/1.7” CMOS sensor
  • 20mm (equiv.) F1.8 lens
  • 64MP and 16MP photo modes
  • Video: 4K/60p, 2.7K/60p, 1080/60p
  • 8x zoom (64MP mode), 4x lossless zoom in 1080p or 16MP mode
  • Panorama modes in 3×3 and 180°
  • 4 microphones with directional audio and sound tracking
  • Micro SD slot up to 256 GB
  • 140 min. battery life (1080/24p)
  • Weight: 117 g
  • Dimensions: 124.7×38.1×30 mm
  • HDR Video: 2.7K/30p (arriving in a future firmware update)

Body and design

The exterior design of the Pocket 2 is similar to the original but now includes a Mini Control Stick that slides into the area previously reserved for a smartphone connection. If you’re using the Mini Control Stick, the buttons to control the Pocket increase to five from the original two. Although there are some changes with the button layout, the operation remains familiar to the original.

The Mini Control Stick (just below the screen at left) makes the Pocket 2 easier to operate than the original.

The Pocket’s power button sits on the right side of the camera, and the micro SD card slides into a slot on the left. The bottom left record button records video or shoots stills, and the button next to it allows you to swap between the two modes easily. The Pocket 2 now has the ability to pause recording while shooting video by pressing and holding the record button.

If you’ve slid the Mini Control Stick into position, you will be able to customize the joystick to Zoom or Tilt and switch between Tilt Lock, FPV, and Follow using the button on the top right. Touchscreen controls allow you to access additional shooting modes (slow-mo, timelapse, pano, HDR Video), customize the Mini Control Stick settings, select recording resolution, review files, and access Pro Mode.

Some Pocket 2 accessories: Do-It-All handle (attached to the base of camera), a wireless mic with windscreen, tripod mount and smartphone connectors.

The Pocket 2 has been redesigned so that the wrist strap can attach to the camera instead of just the carrying case. It’s a subtle upgrade but a useful one. The Pocket now has a detachable base that can be swapped out for a base with a tripod mount or an accessory called the Do-It-All handle ($ 99), which turns the Pocket into a live streaming tool and allows you to use it with the DJI Mimo app without attaching your phone to the camera. The Do-It-All handle increases the total size a bit, but the benefits that come with this tool make that extra bulk worth it.

The Pocket still comes with accessories to connect to your smartphone without that Do-It-All handle, but doing so requires that you remove your phone case to make the connection, and the setup feels unbalanced. You’ll also have to control zoom and tilt through the app, which isn’t as intuitive as that new Mini Control Stick. The Do-It-All handle is really the way to go if you want to use your phone as a monitor or use the Pocket for live streaming. You’ll need to use the Mimo app and the Do-It-All handle if you intend to go live with the Pocket.

ISO 100 | 1/120 sec | F1.8

The majority of the time, I used the Pocket as a standalone product. The Pocket’s real genius is its simplicity and small size, and if you’re shooting with a smartphone connected, it makes things a bit more complicated. Having the Do-It-All handle attached to the Pocket and reviewing images and videos through the Mimo app was quite helpful, though.

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Video

When the original Pocket launched last year, it was clearly aimed at vloggers who needed stabilized footage while they walked-and-talked. Still, the original lens was a 25.7mm F2, resulting in shots that featured a whole lot of face and required relatively bright conditions. The new version has a wider 20mm F1.8 lens and a larger sensor, making it a much better option for those who need stabilized footage of themselves.

The Pocket 2 adds two additional mics, bringing the total to four, and features directional audio. With a future update, a new feature called SoundTrack will allow those microphones to follow whatever is making noise in a scene. The SoundTrack feature wasn’t available during our time with the Pocket, so we haven’t evaluated it, but DJI says it will arrive by way of a firmware update.

This Pocket 2 sample reel includes 4K/60p footage shot in New York City.

The audio quality on the original Pocket left something to be desired. The additional mics and new audio features make for recordings that sound better than what you might be able to get with a smartphone. The new Pocket also comes with an optional wireless mic accessory that communicates with the Do-It-All handle for even cleaner audio—a great choice for interviews done on the fly or capturing voices in noisy locations.

The Pocket 2 features hybrid AF, which uses both phase-detect autofocus and contrast-detect autofocus. We found that it did a nice job grabbing onto subjects and moving with them, like the kids dancing at a hardcore show and the band’s lead singer moving around the street. The Pocket 2 can now record 4K video up to 60fps at a 100Mbps bitrate.

The Pocket’s stabilization remains one of its most impressive features.

The Pocket’s stabilization remains one of its most impressive features. The Pocket 2 is much easier to use than larger gimbals but just as reliable. I’d never be able to ride my bike while holding a stabilizer and a traditional camera. With the Pocket, it’s possible, and it delivered footage that was remarkably smooth as I cruised around, although it did struggle as I rolled over some New York City potholes.

The camera is drop-aware, and although I didn’t intentionally drop the Pocket, it does seem sensitive. It will shut itself off if it thinks the gimbal is in danger. I tried and failed to record footage while biking over the Williamsburg bridge with the Pocket zipped into the front pocket of my jacket with the lens sticking out and the gimbal locked, but apparently, that ride was just a bit too bumpy for the Pocket 2 to feel safe and secure.

ISO 100 | 1/60 sec | F1.8

Eventually, the Pocket 2 will also shoot HDR video similar to the Mavic 2 Air drone, but according to DJI, the firmware to enable this feature won’t ship until later in 2020.

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Photos

Still image quality is noticeably improved compared to the original Osmo Pocket, partly due to the larger 1/1.7” sensor and faster F1.8 lens. Regular JPEGs top out at 16MP, but if you’re shooting in high-resolution mode, you can get 64MP files. If you swap the camera into PRO mode, you can capture Raw DNG files that clock in around 127.7 MB each. It’s a big leap in quality from the 12MP files on the original Pocket.

One interesting quirk we discovered is that the Pocket 2 won’t let you record Raw+JPEG images simultaneously—it’s an either/or decision.

The RAW files have a lot of flexibility in editing, although we noticed some chromatic aberration when zoomed in. According to DJI, the Pocket offers 8x zoom and 4x lossless zoom. In our experience, photos look crisp when the camera is at its widest vantage point, but as you zoom in, it becomes harder to nail sharp focus and the loss of quality becomes noticeable.

Boo!
ISO 100 | 1/40 sec | F1.8

The Pocket 2 has the ability to shoot 3×3 panoramas in addition to the 180º panoramas. The 180º panorama shoots four photos and stitches them into one long image, while the 3×3 panorama mode shoots 9 images and then stitches them into a 5×7 image. The process is fast, and stitching is all done within the Mimo app. A tripod comes in handy with 3×3 panoramas to limit camera shake.

The second-generation Pocket does a slightly better job capturing action, but this probably isn’t the tool you want to shoot sports photos. It does a decent job grabbing and holding focus on musicians and wiggly pets, though.

Thankfully, the ergonomic changes to the buttons on the second-generation Pocket make it nearly impossible to accidentally swap between shooting modes, which was an issue with the original.

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Conclusion:

The Pocket 2 addresses many of the original Osmo Pocket’s shortcomings, which was a great tool to capture stabilized video footage quickly, but which had notable limitations. The larger sensor, faster and wider lens, improved autofocus capabilities, and additional mics make this a more robust tool for content creators, vloggers, and possibly even professional shooters looking to capture supplementary footage for big jobs.

The controls have gotten more intuitive, and it’s no longer easy to swap between shooting modes accidentally. The zooming capabilities and the Mini Control Stick accessory are incredibly useful—the same goes for the interchangeable grips. Although the Do-It-All handle is an accessory that needs to be purchased at an additional cost, we really think it’s worth paying extra. It performs well and makes it easy to use your smartphone to monitor, review, and download footage on the go and use the Pocket as a tool for live streams—something that we only see becoming more common as large in-person events are on hold.

It’s possible to control the Pocket 2 through your smartphone, but it feels unbalanced and requires you to adjust tilt and zoom from your phone’s screen. We much prefer using the Do-It-All handle ($ 99) with the Mini Control Stick.

The ability to shoot 64MP Raw images with the Pocket is a massive leap from the original, but the loss in quality at 8x zoom is noticeable, and at the end of the day, we think the Pocket is best suited as a video tool. The Pocket is nice for capturing candid moments and unique perspectives, but realistically we think people are more likely to use their smartphone to capture those. The Panorama modes do offer something unique. Unlike smartphones, the Pocket doesn’t necessarily have to rely on steady human hands to move in a straight line to create a perfectly stitched together image.

The Pocket remains small and simple to operate and isn’t nearly as intimidating to use as larger gimbals on the market—for us, that’s a win.

What we like:

  • Stabilized 4K video footage
  • Mini Control Stick with zoom capabilities
  • Optional Do-It-All handle
  • Live streaming capability (requires Do-It-All handle)
  • Improved audio quality
  • Improved autofocus
  • Redesigned control buttons
  • Responsive touchscreen controls

What we don’t:

  • Image quality drops when zoomed
  • Still feels unbalanced when a smartphone is attached

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 sample gallery

08 Nov

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The Panasonic 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 is a compact zoom for L-mount cameras. It’s a great kit lens for those who like shooting wide and is well-suited for video work.

View our Panasonic S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Baron Wolman, Rolling Stone’s first staff photographer, dies at 83

08 Nov
Image credit: Wikipedia media, used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Baron Wolman, Rolling Stone’s first staff photographer, passed away at age 83 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. His longtime representative, Dianne Duenzl, confirmed the news to Rolling Stone this past Monday night. ‘Baron’s pictures gave us a rare, comprehensive, and accurate reflection of that time executed by a gifted artist whose visual intelligence is unsurpassed,’ Duenzl stated.

Wolman was born on June 25, 1937, in Columbus, Ohio, and studied philosophy at Chicago’s Northwestern University. He learned to speak German at the Defense Language School in Monterey, California, before touring with the Army military intelligence in West Berlin. This is where he began his career in photography. He sold his first photo essay, documenting life behind the newly-constructed Berlin Wall, to a print publication.

He returned to Monterey shortly after to pursue a career as a photojournalist. In the mid-1960s, he lived in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury district and worked as a freelance photographer. One of his clients, Oakland’s Mills College, invited him to cover their weekend seminar on the pop music industry. Also in attendance: Jann S. Wenner and Ralph Gleason.

Wenner and Gleason were working on plans for a new music publication. They initially asked Wolman if he had $ 10,000 to invest in Rolling Stone. He didn’t. Instead, he offered to work for free if the magazine would cover the costs of film and the development of his photos. In a smart business move, Wolman also requested he retain the rights to all of his images.

Wolman went on to shoot the the premiere issue’s cover, featuring the Grateful Dead. Later on, he captured a rare image of their eccentric lead singer, Jerry Garcia, when he raised his hand and revealed a partially missing middle finger. Artists trusted Wolman and opened up to him in an era before handlers carefully constructed their public personas.

Artists trusted Wolman and opened up to him in an era before handlers carefully constructed their public personas.

He not only captured artists performing live, and their fans in the moment at events such as Woodstock, Wolman was also granted backstage access. His most memorable images contain intimate moments with some of rock’s more interesting personalities including Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, and Frank Zappa.

Wolman left Rolling Stone in 1970 and went on to capture images for advertising companies, the NFL, government agencies, universities, and more. His work appeared in leading print publications including Esquire, Vogue, Playboy, and Newsweek. Besides the Berlin Wall, he also documented Israel in flux. Many of these events are documented in his numerous books.

Baron is survived by his sister, Susan, and his brother, Richard. His longtime motto? ‘Mixing business with pleasure since 1965.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Laowa 9mm F5.6 FF RL sample gallery and impressions

07 Nov

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Venus Optics has made quite a name for itself with its collection of very wide angle lenses, and especially for the Laowa Zero-D series that features optical designs with very little curvilinear distortion. This little 9mm lens isn’t one of the Zero-D range, but it is still remarkable as the widest rectilinear focal length lens available for full frame cameras.
The 9mm F5.6 FF RL lens has an extraordinary angle of view of 135°, so you’ll need to be careful your feet don’t make an unscheduled appearance in the bottom of the frame.

The angle of view is so dramatic that users will have to be careful not to appear in their own pictures when the sun is low in the sky.

In fact, checking what is and isn’t in the frame is more important than ever when using this lens as it seems to want to include the whole world. It isn’t just your feet or the things on the ground near where you’re standing you have to watch out for – your own shadow, or that of your tripod, can cause quite a problem as well when the sun is low in the sky. This restricts the directions in which the lens can be pointed according to the time of day, and turning the other way to avoid your own shadow will almost inevitably include the sun in the frame.

It took me some time to get in the habit of finding the shadow of something else in which to stand so I wouldn’t cast an obvious shadow on the ground and to begin thinking about composition to take this into account. I actually considered buying a tree costume at one point to disguise my human form. You have to find buildings and trees to block the sun from striking the front element, and if you’re recording video, and intending to move around, I recommend doing a practice run to make sure you are in control of the content of the frame is essential.

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The lens is nice and small (62.4 x 66 mm/2.45 x 2.6″) as well as quite lightweight (350g/12.4oz) given its full-metal body. The aperture ring clicks with stops in each full aperture value with no half or third stop positions, and the distance between F5.6 and F8 is about equal to the distance between F8 and F22.

The focusing ring has a throw of about 90° and is marked in feet and meters from 0.12m (0.4ft) to infinity. The depth-of-field scale suggests that a setting of F22 will allow rendering of 0.19m (0.65ft) to infinity in acceptable focus, and that even F8 will deliver 0.33m (1ft) to infinity – so you may feel focusing is somewhat unnecessary.

The underside of the lens features a tab for finger-focusing the lens. The focus ring turns very nicely indeed, so this tab does provide a useful means of focusing quickly. It is hard to rely on peaking though to find focus without the further assistance of a magnified view, as it can seem that the whole world is in focus as the peaking outlines come to life all over the frame. However, with a good magnified view it is possible to see more clearly what is sharp and what only might be sharp.

With the extensive depth of field of the lens, marks on the front element have a significant impact on the image

The front element is extremely bulbous and protrudes some distance from the main part of the barrel. Although protected in part by the petals of the lens hood it is still quite exposed and a magnet for rain, dust and fingers. With the extensive depth of field of the lens, especially when focused relatively closely, marks on the front element have a significant impact on the image, so it’s particularly important to check it regularly. Sharp-eyed viewers will also notice evidence in the gallery that the sensor of the camera I was using wasn’t spotlessly clean – another thing that shows up with an ultra-wide lens.

It isn’t easy to use filters with this lens without the dedicated filter holder from Laowa – and even that isn’t especially easy. It fits over the lens hood and clamps into place. The holder has a striking resemblance to an H&Y filter holder and uses the same magnetic frames and tightening screw. Even though the holder is designed specifically for this lens it needs to be used with caution because if it’s misaligned only slightly, or if the holder isn’t pushed back far enough, the filter will appear in the edge of your pictures.

I used the L-mount version of the lens and found the 47MP resolution of the Panasonic Lumix S1R slightly punishing, though when viewed at less than 100% the majority of the images look sharp enough. Resolution in the center of the frame is very good, but it drops off significantly towards the corners.

The lens generally performs better with a close subject, at F8 or F11 and when used on a tripod. Subject motion towards the edges of the frame is also exaggerated, so a faster shutter speed is needed to arrest movement and to produce clean detail.

And if you think you don’t need to pay attention to the focusing ring, you do. The depth-of-field scale is slightly generous regarding ‘acceptable’ sharpness and I found things looked better when I actually focused on the subject rather than relying on all-encompassing hyperfocal distances.

Vignetting, corner smearing and a color shift at the edges are all issues that you should expect when using this lens. Most of the nasties are right at the edge of the frame so it’s fairly easy to take them into account when shooting. Trimming the edges gets rid of the worst of the problems and vignetting and the color shift can easily be removed in Raw editing software, leaving a very nice result still with an extreme wide angle view.

Exposure is also tricky when using a lens with such a wide view as no camera system is designed to cope with it

Remarkably, it is possible to achieve some differential focus at F5.6 when focused quite close, and there is a definite depth-of-field progression moving up the aperture range. All the shots in this gallery were taken at F8 or F11, but actually the F5.6 position delivers equal resolution and more light, while diffraction reduces resolution at F16 and F22. Vignetting and chromatic errors are most obvious in the wider apertures and gradually lessen, though by no means disappear, when the lens is stopped-down.

Exposure is also tricky when using a lens like this with such a wide view as no camera system is designed to cope with it. Evaluative/matrix/honeycomb/pattern systems will inevitably be confused when used outside by the range of brightnesses and the areas from which they are coming, so spot and selective metering arrangements work best.

Curvilinear distortion is pretty well controlled considering the angle of view of the lens, but it is still a significant characteristic of the lens. When focused on a distant subject, barreling is generally quite mild, but it increases dramatically at closer focus distances, as shown in the clip above.

The lens is available in mounts for Leica M, Sony FE, Nikon Z and Leica L, and it costs £869/$ 799. The Leica M version comes in silver or black and costs £979/$ 899. The optional 100mm magnetic filter holder comes with one set of magnetic filter frame edges and costs £129/$ 149. For more information see the Venus Optics website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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