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  • Video: Soulumination and the gift of photography

    Soulumination is a non-profit organization that provides life-affirming legacy photography to families facing serious medical conditions, completely free of charge. In addition to the services donated by photographers, community volunteers make handcrafted photo albums and other gifts for the families. This video was made by Soulumination photographer Carrie Yuan of Yi Li Photography in order to share the work of Soulumination.

    Soulumination volunteers make hand-crafted photo albums and other gifts to give to the families (photo: Wenmei Hill)

    Volunteer photographers for Soulumination are invited in as families face serious illness, difficult treatment, joyous recovery and sorrowful loss. The photographer is there to capture those raw moments at times that are often private and filled with emotion. They are doing the most fundamental job of a photographer – ensuring that the family has something they can look back on, hold in their hands, share with others, fill in gaps in memories – in what can be the most difficult of circumstances.

    As a volunteer photographer for Soulumination, I am often asked, “How can you do it?” After years of being invited to witness these important, beautiful, and often painful moments, I can’t think of a better answer than photographer Randell Walton’s: “How can I not?”

    Soulumination founder Lynette Huffman Johnson and one of the Soul kids show off their Wonder Woman skills (photo: Wenmei Hill)

    Although Soulumination is Seattle-based, there are several organizations throughout the world (such as Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, Shoots for a Cure, and Flashes of Hope) that offer similar services. There are also a multitude of other ways individuals and organizations use photography for charitable causes. What are some groups you know of or participate in?

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Buying guides updated with Panasonic DC-ZS200 (TZ200)

    Now that we’ve completed our review of Panasonic’s Lumix DC-ZS200 (TZ200), we’ve updated its entry in our Best Cameras for Travel, Best Pocketable Enthusiast Cameras and Best Enthusiast Long Zoom Cameras buying guides. We liked the how Panasonic stuffed a 15X zoom into the ZS200’s compact body as well as its feature set, though the sharpness of its lens was a disappointment.

    Head to our buying guide hub for help finding the right camera by both price and use case.

    Read our Best Cameras for Travel Buying Guide

    Read our Best Pocketable Enthusiast Cameras Buying Guide

    Read our Best Enthusiast Long Zoom Cameras Buying Guide

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Nisi shares more details on its full-frame cine lenses and launches Mist filter range

    In a bid to clear up online speculation, surprise entrant to the full-frame cinema lens market Nisi has answered some questions about its relationship with brands marketing lenses very similar to its own recently-announced F3 series.

    NiSi F3 Cinema Lenses

    The company says that it owns the designs of its own lenses as it ‘took ownership’ of them from the ‘now dead’ Bokkeh Bokkelux project. Nisi also claims that it has made changes to the original optical and mechanical designs of the series to make the lenses more reliable, the assembly more accurate, and to reduce their overall weight. Nisi goes on to explain that it is a partner of cinema equipment company Kinefinity, and that it manufactures the brand’s Mavo Prime range of full-frame lenses.

    The release doesn’t say it directly, but this is clearly a move that aims to end claims that Nisi is just copying existing lenses and marketing them under a different name.

    Further details of the lenses have also been released, including that the five officially announced will be joined by 18mm and 135mm focal lengths in the second half of 2018. We should also expect a ‘new and innovative design for an optical accessory’ in the near future.

    As the lenses will cover 46.5mm sensors, the F3 series will be compatible with ARRI Alexia LF, Red Monstro VV, Panavision DXL2, SONY Venice and Canon C700FF cameras (as well as ‘future’ models). Service centers are being established in Europe, USA and South Asia.

    Allure Mist Filters

    Nisi has also introduced a new series of filters to its cinema range. The Allure Mist filters will come in white and black versions and are designed to soften contrast in movie footage. The white version pulls back highlights and reduces the appearance of skin blemishes, while the black version diminishes the effect of flare and creates a misty atmosphere.

    They will be available in 4×5.65in and 6.6×6.6in sizes and can be pre-ordered now

    A comparison of the effects of the Allure Mist filters, with the Black Mist on the left and the White Mist on the right. Click to enlarge the view

    And here’s a demo of the filters in ‘action’:

    For more information visit the Nisi website.

    Press Releases:

    Five Fundamental Facts about the NiSI F3 Range of Full-Frame Prime Cine Lenses (and other news)

    Since the announcement of the NiSi F3 range of full-frame lenses, NiSi’s headquarters have been inundated with questions and queries. In order to address some of these, we have compiled a list of answers around five key subjects. Read on for more, and to discover news in our announcement of the new NiSi Allure Mist Black/White Filters

    1. Where does the name F3 come from?

    The ‘F’ in F3 stands for ‘Full-Frame’. The lenses are all designed for full frame cameras and are extremely versatile, coming complete with PL, Canon EF and Sony E-Mounts. Mounts for other systems will need to be purchased separately, although NiSi will provide shims to ensure consistent filmmaking.

    The number ‘3’ simply means ‘third generation’ and also refers to the range’s three key design characteristics, i.e. high resolution, low dispersion and retro flare.

    2. What exactly is the relationship between the NiSi F3 range and Bokkelux?

    Let’s be clear; the F3 prime lenses belong solely to NiSi since the company took ownership from Bokkelux. Since this time, NiSi are pleased to report that numerous improvements have been made and, being based on the original Bokkelux design, NiSi’s optical and mechanical design engineering experts have re-optimised some key elements to deliver the excellent new range.

    These include:

    • Improved accuracy with assembly and improved supply chain for the optical elements
    • Improved physical attributes, i.e. the weight and calibre of the lenses have been improved with reliability and user assurance being of primary importance
    • Along with these significant improvements, NiSi has developed a new and innovative design for an optical accessory for F3 range. Once this is completed, we will release information, but you can be assured that it will meet the unique needs for many filmmakers.

    3. OK, so what about the relationship between the NiSi F3, Kinefinity and Mavo Prime?

    That’s simple, really. Kinefinity is partner of NiSi. Our specialist engineers have modified the industrial design for the Mavo Prime while retaining the same performance and quality. The new F3 range and Mavo Primes are manufactured exclusively by NiSi.

    4. Will the NiSi F3 Primes come with both imperial and metric markings?

    Absolutely. Markings will be in feet and metres.

    5. What are the details for the F3 sales warranty policy and can we expect additions to the focal lengths this year?

    NiSi is currently in the process of setting up special service centres, specifically for sales warranties. Bases will be in Europe, North America and in South Asia. We will make further announcements about the details of the certified sales warranty suppliers after the third quarter. You can expect to see 18mm and 135mm primes coming to light in the second half of this year.

    F3 Lens Range Highlights – (a recap):

    • Covers Full-Frame Format
    • PL Mount/Canon EF Mount/Sony E-Mount
    • T2.0-T22 Click-less Aperture Range
    • Ultra Low Dispersion
    • High Resolution
    • Retro Cinema Style Housing
    • 12-Blade Iris
    • Same physical attributes across the lens range
    • Geared Focus and Iris Control Rings
    • Pure Performance in Film

    Launching in 25mm T2.1, 35mm T2.0, 50mm T2.0, 75mm T2.0 and 100mm CF T2.0 formats, the new range of premium lenses from NiSi debuted during NAB 2018, which took place between the 7th -12th April in Las Vegas.

    Compatibility

    The new F3 prime lenses cover full-frame format which is compatible with ARRI Alexia LF, Red Monstro VV, Panavision DXL2, SONY Venice and Canon C700FF, along with ‘future-proofing’ for other cameras that we will see arriving in the future. They cover 46.5mm format sensors, allowing filmmakers full creative control, opening up a wide range of cinematic possibilities.

    Pure Performance in Film

    The new F3 lenses offer filmmakers advanced resolution and perfect dispersion control, image contrast and flare; all optimised by their stylish, retro housing.

    The entire F3 series of lenses share the same physical attributes, allowing for the simple and time-efficient fitting of lens accessories, along with the native ‘Sensed presence’ technology, which provides users with the ability to shoot with a beautiful bokeh. The native apochromatic optical design results in excellent ratio/axial dispersion performance, giving a pure and natural colour, with almost no purple/green fringing within focus and in bokeh.

    NEW: NiSi Announces Allure Mist Black/White Filters

    Allure Mist White – Highlights:

    * Reduces highlights and lowers contrast* Softens wrinkles and blemishes

    Allure Mist Black – Highlights:

    * Reduces overall flare and contrast* Produces mist effect

    To coincide with the exciting launch of F3 full-frame prime cine lenses, NiSi has also released Allure Mist White/Black and anamorphic filters; adding to their already burgeoning range of cinema filters.

    Available in sizes 4×5.65”, 6.6×6.6”, the new filters will further assist filmmakers to capture their intended artistic expression with every shoot.

    Preorders for individual filters available from May 7th 2018

    Special kit launch

    Along with individual lenses, NiSi has announced that all lenses will be available as a specially designed F3 kit, which will include a complete set of lenses, from 25-100mm, along with a NiSi 4×5.65 Allure Mist white 1/4 filter, a NiSi 4×5.65 Allure Mist Black 1/4 filter and a NiSi 4×5.65 Polarizer, all packaged in a tough NiSi hardshell case.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • This is why Google’s impressive object removal tool was never released

    At its 2018 I/O developer conference Google presented a number of improvements to its Photos app, but there was no talk about an exciting feature that was demoed the previous year: an object removal tool that automatically removes obstructions like fences, window panes from your photos.

    The feature caused quite a buzz when it was demoed in early 2017, and people have been waiting on it ever since… so why has it disappeared? The answer is simpler than you might think. According to an interview with the Google Photos team on XDA, object removal was simply de-prioritized in the development queue, giving way to other AI-powered features in Google Lens.

    In the interview, Google team members said that the technology exists and could be deployed, but that Google prioritizes products based on what is most important for people, and other machine learning applications were prioritized over object removal. This means the technology might eventually be implemented into Google Photos or another Google app if the company changes its mind (and development queue), but we probably should not hold our breath.

    When it was first demoed, object removal looked impressive and exceedingly useful. As you can see in the video above, the feature was shown as 100 percent automatic, without the need for any manual editing. Sure, professional photographers might want a bit more control over their cloning, but the vast majority of Google Photos users probably don’t know what the Clone Stamp tool or Content Aware Fill even is.

    If you’ve been waiting for object removal to finally make an appearance on your smartphone, knowing the source code is still stored on some hard drive at Google HQ might not be much of a consolation… but least we know the reason why it has never been released.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • This 12K NYC flyover video was captured with three 8K RED Weapon Monstro VV cameras

    LA-based director and cinematographer Phil Holland of PHFX recently joined forces with Gotham Film Works to create something out-of-this-world. Using the first Shotover K1 Hammerhead Aerial Camera Array, Holland shot a flyover of New York City using not one, not two, but three 8K RED Weapon Monstro VistaVision cameras.

    The result, once processed, is a 100MP motion picture made up of images “with a sensor size of approximately 645 medium format film.” Put another way, the 12K by 8K footage above is 48.5 times the resolution of 1080p.

    Holland explains how the rig was used and the footage captured in a short behind the scenes blog post, where he also shared some BTS images that he is kindly allowing us to repost for you here:

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    Holland’s BTS post covers camera and lens selection, before moving on to explain what it takes to rig something like this up.

    “On a technical level there’s a lot that needs to happen in terms of proper spacing, finding the zero parallax point, lens selection, determining your overlap, rigging, payload balancing, etc.” writes Holland. “Every RED Weapon 8K VV Monstro has a JETPACK SDI Module attached to sync genlock, provide power, control the camera, etc. This is actually one of the first times I’ve ever seen this bad boy used to maximum intent. WIthout this module something like this would be very difficult to pull off.”

    All of this allowed Holland to control the rig from a single “brain” and create “a quality stitch with pixel and frame accuracy.”

    Check out the final video up top to see the stunning results for yourself, and then head over to Holland’s blog for even more details about how this beautiful creation was captured.

    All photographs ©Phil Holland/PHFX and used with permission.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Fujifilm EU accidentally leaks full specs of upcoming X-T100 camera

    The leaked X-T100 is basically an X-A5 with an EVF, 3-way tilting touchscreen, and a deeper buffer.

    Fujifilm EU accidentally leaked a complete specs page for an upcoming camera: the Fuji X-T100. The page was discovered by Nokishita and saved for posterity before it was removed, and though none of the sample images or photos of the camera survived, we basically got a rundown of what looks to be a Fuji X-A5 with a few extra features.

    Nokishita is a reliable source of leaks, typically publishing accurate specs and even product images a few days to a week before a product is announced.

    Taking a look at the full X-T100 specs (here), the leak seems legitimate to us here at DPReview. The camera shares most of its specs with the X-A5. The 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor (with a bayer array) is the same, as is the max video resolution (4K/15p max), the touchscreen resolution (3-inch 1.04M dot), and the continuous shooting speed max of 6fps.

    Unlike the X-A5 shown above, the X-T100 touchscreen will reportedly tilt three ways.

    Where the X-T100 distinguishes itself is with a deeper buffer (thanks to “newly equipped powerful memory”), 3-way adjustable touchscreen, and a built-in EVF.

    The EVF will be the big selling point, but the deeper buffer—30 JPEG frames at 6fps or unlimited at 3fps for the X-T100, compared to only 10 frames at 6fps and 50 at 3fps for the X-A5—and adjustable touchscreen are definitely nice additions as well. Finally, while video resolution hasn’t been improved, maximum recording time has. 4K15p and 1080/60p can both be recorded up to “approximately 30 minutes.” For comparison, the X-A5 maxes out at 5 minutes of 4K15p and 14 minutes of 1080/60p.

    Of course, it’s not all good news. The battery life has suffered a bit—dropping to 430 from the X-A5’s 450 while using the same NP-W126S battery pack—and the whole thing weighs almost 100g more than the X-A5. Trade-offs no doubt necessary in order to add that “powerful memory” and the EVF hardware.

    According to Fuji Rumors, the X-T100 is scheduled for official announcement on Thursday May 24th. If that’s indeed the case, you can be sure we’ll bring you detailed announcement coverage next week. In the meantime, you can find the (translated) Nokishita leak here with links to the cached spec sheet and product page.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • This 7.3-gigapixel panorama ‘timelapse’ of London is made from 6,240 D850 pictures

    Photographer Henry Stuart has created a 24-hour panoramic timelapse image of London that combines 6,240 raw photographs to form a picture that contains over 7 billion pixels.

    Captured through a Nikon D850 and AF-S Nikkor 300mm F2.8 lens using a robotic mount by Nikon-owned robotics company Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC), the 155° view presents the city in an incredible amount of detail, with Nikon claiming that you can read signs up to 5 miles away from where the image was captured.

    The full frame
    A fully zoomed-in frame from the center of the picture above

    The Twenty Four Hour London project was taken on by Visualise—a company of virtual reality filmmakers—in partnership with Nikon UK and MRMC. The camera was supported and moved by MRMC’s Ulti-Head robotic camera mount, which allowed Stuart to repeat the exact shooting position—to pixel level, according to the release —for 260 shots per hour over the course of the 24-hour sequence.

    Once processed and stitched together, the resulting image allows viewers to pick the time of day and to zoom into the image to see the details of distant buildings—and even people relaxing inside their apartments!

    The concept was a commission for Lenstore, a UK vision-care company, to promote eye health. To see the full 7 gigapixel ‘timelapse’ for yourself, and explore London in all its glory, head over to the 24 Hour London website.

    Press Release

    World’s first 24-hour Gigapixel time-lapse panorama, captured with the Nikon D850 and MRMC’s robotic Ulti-Head

    24 Hour London is a unique collaboration between Lenstore, Nikon, Visualise and the Nikon-owned robotics company MRMC. Together they have created the biggest ever time-lapse of London’s skyline, taken from the roof of Canary Wharf’s One Canada Square.

    In total, over 6,240 photos were taken across a 155-degree view over 24 hours, and subsequently stitched together to create an incredibly detailed panorama, and the first gigapixel timelapse of London. This level of detail was achieved by combining a Nikon D850 and AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8 lens with MRMC’s robotic Ulti-Head to precisely repeat the same pattern of detailed photos 260 times an hour for 24 hours. The finished product allows you to see London change colours across the hours, from sunrise to sunset, with all the shades the capital has to offer in between.

    Commenting on the collaboration, Jeremy Gilbert, Marketing Director for Nikon Northern Europe said:

    We’re thrilled to be involved with this unique project. The Nikon D850 captured London in incredible detail in challenging conditions. Finding the best combination of camera, lens and precise motion-control was essential for this project and we are proud to have been integral to its success.

    The project was shot by Henry Stuart from Visualise, he had the following to say:

    Shooting gigapixel photos is hard – we have been shooting them for the Olympics, the World Cup, for events and places all around the globe. Each panorama is so large it needs specially built computers to process it. In this case, we had to build a special server system and network all of the workstations in our studio to the content so that we could stitch five of the photos at a time.

    To capture a photo like this you need a really capable camera – we used the Nikon D850. It has this beautiful big sensor and captures a huge range of light and dark (large dynamic range). This is so important when shooting panoramas where one part of the image is bright, such as towards the sun, and another is dark such as over the Thames. We shot everything on the camera’s ‘RAW’ setting, which keeps loads of extra information in the shots that you would usually lose.

    The 24 Hour London ‘Gigalapse’

    • The image is 7.3 Gigapixels (7,300 Megapixels or 7bn pixels), which is over 1000x more powerful than the camera on an iPhone X.
    • The Nikon D850 and Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8 lens combination delivered phenomenal detail – you can even read signs which are up to 5 miles away in the photo!
    • The robotic motion control technology using the MRMC Ulti-Head used to create the pinpoint accuracy of images, leading to every single pixel of every point in the panorama being the exact same position as the photos 24 hours earlier.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Report: Canon to release new 70-200mm F4L and F2.8L lenses next month

    Canon Rumors is reporting some big news if you’re in the market for a new 70-200mm lens. According to the rumor site, it’s a near certainty that Canon will be debuting two new 70-200mm lenses in early June: the Canon EF 70-200mm F4L IS II, and the Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS III.

    Both of the current versions—the Mark I of the F4L and the Mark II of the F2.8L—are certainly due for an upgrade. The 70-200mm F2.8L IS II was released in 2010 and the F4L IS even farther back in 2006. Meanwhile, third-party manufacturers like Tamron and Tokina have released their own 70-200mm F2.8 and F4 lenses more recently, and Sigma confirmed to DPReview that it will release its much-anticipated 70-200mm F2.8 Art lens “not too far in the future.”

    In other words, early June would be a great time for Canon to get the jump on Sigma and fight back against the Tamron 70-200mm G2 that people have been so positive about.

    The good news is, this isn’t just a thin rumor. Canon Rumors says they can “100% confirm” that the 70-200mm F4L IS II is coming, and “95% confirm” that the 70-200mm F2.8L IS III will join it. Of course, as the rumor site points out, lens announcement and release dates can change at the last minute, but we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for both these announcements in the coming month.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Video: Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 FE face and eye-detect autofocus test

    The Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD for Sony FE cameras made a big splash when it was first teased back in February. People were intrigued by its small size and the new Rapid eXtra-silent stepping drive (RXD) AF motor; it even came up in our CP+ interview with Tamron, and we got to see the lens in person at the show.

    The lens isn’t going to be officially available for another week; however, photographer David Oastler was able to get his hands on a copy and, while he wasn’t allowed to take photos with it, he was allowed to put it through it’s autofocus paces to see how that RXD motor holds up.

    What Oastler really wanted to see is how well the Eye and Face-detect autofocus from the Sony FE body would perform through this third-party lens that was, ostensibly, designed from the ground up to work on this full-frame mirrorless system. While the video isn’t the best quality (a bit of glare) you can still see, and Oastler tells you, that the lens performs exceptionally well. In fact, Oastler goes so far as to say he noticed no performance difference between the Tamron and his own Sony-native lenses.

    Tamron promised as much when it released the lens, calling it “quiet, precise, and exceedingly quiet.” But it’s nice to see a real-world test confirm these claims.

    We’ll be trying to get our hands on a Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD as soon as humanly possible for our own in-depth testing. But in the meantime, if you’re interested in picking up this $ 800 USD lens when it ships at the end of next week and you want to see how its AF motor performs IRL, check out Oastler’s video at the top.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Venus Optics Laowa 9mm F2.8 Zero-D sample gallery

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    The Laowa 9mm F2.8 Zero-D is an ultra-wide lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras designed with minimal distortion. Available in Canon M, Fujifilm X and Sony E-mount it provides a 13mm equivalent focal length and a surprisingly fast F2.8 maximum aperture, given its wide angle of view. We took an E-mount version of the lens out for a spin on the a6500 – take a look at the results.

    See our Venus Laowa 9mm F2.8 Zero-D sample gallery

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)