Category: Uncategorized

Google Pixel 2 gallery updated

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The Google Pixel 2 represents truly impressive computational photography output. And while we’re currently hashing out a full review from a photographer’s perspective – to be published in the near future – we wanted to share this enormous update to our original Pixel 2 gallery.

Note: All images in this gallery have been shot using the stock camera app with auto HDR+, except where noted.

See our updated Google Pixel 2
sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 24, 2018

Fujifilm introduces budget-friendly and rugged FinePix XP130

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Fujifilm has introduced the FinePix XP130, its latest inexpensive rugged camera. The XP130 is largely the same as the XP120 that came before it, with the addition of Bluetooth, Eye AF and an electronic level being the major changes.

The XP130 has a 16MP BSI-CMOS sensor, 28-140mm equiv. F3.9-4.9 stabilized lens, 3″ LCD and 1080/60p video capture. Bluetooth makes pairing camera and smartphone easier and also allows for instant photo transfer. The XP130 has 96MB of built-in memory plus an SD card slot and a battery that will last for around 240 shots.

You’ll have five colors of XP130 to choose from: black, blue, green, yellow and white. It will ship in March for $ 229.95.

Press Release

FUJIFILM INTRODUCES NEW RUGGED FINEPIX XP130, THE PERFECT COMPANION FOR ANY ADVENTURE

Featuring the latest Bluetooth® technology, four rugged protection features and versatile shooting functions in a compact, lightweight body

Valhalla, N.Y., January 24, 2018 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation has announced the FinePix XP130, the newest addition to the rugged XP series. The XP130 is the first in the line to feature the latest Bluetooth® technology for easy to use, instant image transfer, and is also equipped with new shooting functions such as an Electronic Level and Eye Detection to provide even greater versatility. Equipped with a FUJINON lens and four rugged protection features in a lightweight body, the new XP130 is durable and delivers high quality images, making it the perfect companion for any kind of adventure.

Four-Way Rugged Protection for Worry-Free Use

The XP130 is waterproof up to 65 feet / 20 meters, shockproof up to 5.7 feet / 1.75 meters, freeze proof to 14°F / -10°C and dustproof, and features a protective, double-locking mechanism for the battery compartment. With a grip design for firm one-handed grip, the new XP130 is designed for ease of use and is tough enough for shooting in all situations.

Bluetooth® Pairing and Wireless LAN Connectivity for Photo Transfer and Instax Printing

Now featuring the latest Bluetooth® technology, the XP130 can instantly transfer images to a smartphone or tablet, while syncing time and location information from the camera to the images. Utilizing the free “FUJIFILM Camera Remote” app, users can take advantage of this new feature to quickly and easily share photos and videos with family or friends. Images can even be transferred from the XP130 directly to an Instax SHARE™ Printer.

Premium Image Quality Achieved with High-Performance Sensor and Lens

The new XP130 is equipped with a 16.4 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor and FUJINON 5x optical zoom lens that includes a 28mm wide-angle setting and provides unique color reproduction technology and advanced sharpness to deliver outstanding image quality. With Intelligent Digital Zoom technology, the optical zoom range can be doubled to 10x, and, utilizing optical image stabilization, the XP130 minimizes the effects of camera shake even in low light conditions.

Compact and lightweight with a Large LCD monitor and Ease of Use Design

Compact and lightweight, the new XP130 features a large 3.0-inch 920K-dot high definition LCD monitor with anti-reflective, enabling users to comfortably check composition and pictures taken in bright daylight or underwater. The operation buttons on the XP130 are of optimal size and positioned to enable smooth operation and ease of use even while wearing gloves or holding the camera with one hand.

Versatile Shooting Functions for Enhanced Photography

The XP130 features a new Electronic Level feature that is particularly useful when capturing horizontal subjects such as beautiful landscapes, scenery or architecture. There is also a new Eye Detection feature that is designed to focus on the eyes of the subject, enabling the user to capture portraits with ease. Additional features include Cinemagraph mode that produces still images with moving elements, the Time-Lapse Video function that automatically converts images to video format utilizing the interval timer, the Burst Mode that captures up to 10 fps and smooth HD video recording of 60 fps.

FinePix XP130 Key Features:

16.4MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor and FUJINON 5x optical zoom lens with 28mm wide-angle setting
- Intelligent Digital Zoom function extends zoom range up to 10x
Four-way protection:
- Waterproof up to 65 feet/20 meters, shockproof to 5.7 feet/1.75 meters, freeze proof to 14°F/ -10°C and dust proof
Compact lightweight design with 3.0 inch 920K dot high definition LCD monitor with anti-reflective coating
Bluetooth® Pairing and Wireless LAN connectivity, Smartphone Transfer and the FUJIFILM Camera Remote app
- Transfer photos and videos from the XP130 to your smartphone or tablet, or directly to the Instax SHARE SP-2 or SP-3 Printer for quick, high-quality prints
Scene Recognition Mode quickly determines the scene before optimizing focus, exposure and shutter speed for best possible results
- Underwater and underwater macro functions available
Electronic Level Feature: Can be used to capture a horizontal subjects
- Eye Detection feature helps to capture portraits easily by automatically focusing on subject’s eyes
Remote Shooting function: Allows for wireless connection from the XP130 to a smartphone or tablet for remote camera operations such as releasing the shutter or zooming in and out
Interval Timer Shooting: Automatically shoots any number of images in set intervals
- Interval can be set to either 5 or 10 minutes, or 15, 30 or 60 seconds
Burst Mode up to 10 fps, and Advanced Burst Mode capable of shooting at up to 60 fps
TimeLapse Video: Automatically converts images taken with interval timer to video
- Frame rates of 10fps, 30fps or 60 fps can be selected along with three different types of movie size, including full HD. Allows for capturing transitions in nature from a stationary point, such as sunsets or opening flowers
Cinemagraph mode: Produces still images with moving elements
Motion Panorama 360° function for superb panoramic shots, and the Advanced Filter function to create advanced artistic effects with ease
- Select from 11 filters when taking pictures or 7 filters during video recording
Records smooth Full HD video at 1080/60p with a dedicated movie button
Wind Filter Setting: reduces wind noise which is often a problem with outdoor movie recording

Availability and Pricing

The FinePix XP130 will be released in March 2018 in the U.S. and Canada for USD$ 229.95 and CAD $ 239.99.

Fujifilm FinePix XP130 specifications

Price
MSRP	$ 229
Body type
Body type	Ultracompact
Body material	Metal, composite
Sensor
Max resolution	4608 x 3456
Image ratio w:h	1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels	16 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors	17 megapixels
Sensor size	1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
Sensor type	BSI-CMOS
Color space	sRGB
Color filter array	Primary color filter
Image
ISO	Auto, 100-3200 (6400 available at lower resolutions)
Boosted ISO (maximum)	6400
White balance presets	7
Custom white balance	No
Image stabilization	Sensor-shift
Uncompressed format	No
JPEG quality levels	Fine, normal
File format	JPEG (Exif v2.3)
Optics & Focus
Focal length (equiv.)	28–140 mm
Optical zoom	5×
Maximum aperture	F3.9–4.9
Autofocus	Contrast Detect (sensor) Multi-area Center Tracking Single Continuous Face Detection Live View
Autofocus assist lamp	Yes
Digital zoom	Yes (2x)
Manual focus	Yes
Normal focus range	60 cm (23.62″)
Macro focus range	9 cm (3.54″)
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD	Fixed
Screen size	3″
Screen dots	920,000
Touch screen	No
Screen type	TFT LCD
Live view	Yes
Viewfinder type	None
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed	4 sec
Maximum shutter speed	1/2000 sec
Exposure modes	Program AE
Scene modes	Portrait Landscape Sport Night Night (Tripod) Sunset Snow Beach Under water Under water (Macro) Party Flower Text
Built-in flash	Yes
Flash range	4.40 m (at Auto ISO)
External flash	No
Flash modes	Auto, Forced Flash, Suppressed Flash, Slow Synchro
Drive modes	Single Continuous Self-timer Interval
Continuous drive	10.0 fps
Self-timer	Yes (2 or 10 secs, group shot)
Metering modes	Multi Center-weighted Spot
Exposure compensation	±2 (at 1/3 EV steps)
WB Bracketing	No
Videography features
Format	H.264
Modes	1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1280 x 720 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
Microphone	Mono
Speaker	Mono
Storage
Storage types	Internal + SD/SDHC/SDXC card
Storage included	96MB
Connectivity
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
USB charging	Yes
HDMI	Yes (micro-HDMI)
Microphone port	No
Headphone port	No
Wireless	Built-In
Wireless notes	802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.0
Remote control	Yes (via smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed	Yes
Durability	Waterproof, Shockproof
Battery	Battery Pack
Battery description	NP-45S lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA)	240
Weight (inc. batteries)	207 g (0.46 lb / 7.30 oz)
Dimensions	110 x 71 x 28 mm (4.33 x 2.8 x 1.1″)
Other features
Orientation sensor	Yes
Timelapse recording	Yes
GPS	None

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 24, 2018

Photoshop CC update adds AI-powered subject selection tool and more

The AI-powered Select Subject feature that Adobe demoed back in November has finally arrived in Photoshop CC! The feature was officially released just minutes ago in Photoshop CC version 19.1, which also includes the addition of a Decontamination slider to the Select and Mask workspace and some significant compatibility updates for Windows users.

The major update is, obviously, the arrival of Select Subject to Photoshop CC. When it was first demoed in November, the Photoshop team touted the tool—which is powered by Adobe Sensei AI technology—as a way to “select prominent subjects in an image with one click.” That’s what they hope to deliver today.

A single click of the Select Subject button in the Quick Select tool should easily isolate your subject in images like the one below:

Of course, more difficult scenarios where the subject isn’t so obviously delineated against the background will give Select Subject more trouble—the original demo video, embedded below, showed that—but it promises to “let you get started with your selections faster than ever before.”

In addition to Select Subject, Adobe also added a Decontamination slider to the Select and Mask workspace that allows you to select the amount of color decontamination applied to an image:

For Windows users, version 19.1 brings much-requested support for Windows High Density Monitors—allowing you to switch between displays of varying resolutions and sizes seamlessly. Jerry Harris, principal scientist on the Photoshop team and himself a Windows user, explains what this means in the Adobe blog post:

With this release, Photoshop on Windows 10 Creator’s Edition now offers a full range of choices for UI scale factors from 100% through 400%, in 25% increments. This means that the Photoshop user interface will look crisp, beautiful, and the right size no matter the density of your monitor. Photoshop will now automatically adjust itself based on your Windows settings, making it simple to set up.

[…]

In addition, we worked very closely with Microsoft to provide per-monitor scaling across monitors with different scale factors. This means that a high resolution (HiDPI) laptop now works seamlessly alongside a lower resolution desktop monitor (or vice versa). One monitor can have a scale factor of 175% and another a scale factor of 400%.

And finally, Windows users also get advanced support for the Windows dial, which can now adjust brush settings while you paint. Before this, you could only adjust settings between brush strokes, but you can now adjust brush size, opacity, and other settings as you draw:

As of publication, this update should be live and ready to download if you’re already a Creative Cloud subscriber. If you want to learn more about any of the features above, or dive into bug fixes and other minutia, head over to the Adobe blog. Otherwise, just update your copy through the Creative Cloud app and you’re ready to go.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 24, 2018
Nikon claimed the #1 spot in the full-frame camera market for December 2017

Nikon says the jump to #1 was due to ‘exceptional demand’ for the D850.

Nikon made a major sales announcement today, revealing that the company achieved the #1 spot in the full-frame camera market for December 2017. More specifically, the company “attained the #1 position for both market share and revenue for December 2017, in the full-frame digital camera with interchangeable lens (DCIL) category in the U.S.” That DCIL term is what we refer to as just ILC here at DPReview, and yes, that includes full-frame mirrorless.

The numbers come from the US retail tracking group The NPD Group Inc., and the result is due largely to what Nikon calls “exceptional demand” for the Nikon D850 DSLR, which launched in August of last year and went on to be one of the most highly demanded cameras of the 2017 holiday season.

Admittedly, the result only covers a single month’s worth of sales, but Nikon is quick to point out that it is the most important sales month of the year.

“December is a significant month for sales because of the large volume of units sold during the holidays,” reads the press release. “Industry-wide, DCIL full-frame unit sales for the month of December 2017 were almost equal to unit sales from January through March of 2017.”

Interestingly, it’s not just the D850 that propelled Nikon into the #1 spot. According to the Japanese camera giant, the top two cameras in the full-frame ILC segment during December were the Nikon D850 at #1 and the Nikon D750 at #2.

This announcement comes hot on the heels of the 2018 BCN camera rankings that had Canon users so excited, and less than a year after Sony announced that it had claimed the #2 spot in the full-frame ILC market from Nikon for the period from January to February of 2017.

Correction: An earlier version of this article said that the D750 probably wasn’t the #2 best-selling full-frame ILC overall, since Nikon specifically used the term ‘DSLR’ in that section of the press release. However, Nikon has since confirmed that the D850 and the D750 were the #1 and #2 best-selling full-frame ILCs for December 2017.

Press Release

Nikon Inc. Achieves #1 Spot in full-frame Camera Market During Important 2017 Holiday Selling Season

Market Bolstered by Exceptional Demand for the Award-Winning full-frame (FX-format) D850 DSLR

Melville, NY (January 23, 2018) – Imaging leader Nikon attained the #1 position for both market share and revenue for December 2017, in the full-frame digital camera with interchangeable lens (DCIL) category in the U.S.¹ The overwhelming success of the powerful new Nikon D850 DSLR as well as the acclaimed D750 DSLR helped contribute to the brand’s strong growth within the full-frame camera segment for December 2017. According to The NPD Group, Nikon achieved double-digit unit and dollar sales growth within the full-frame camera segment in December 2017 vs. December 2016.²

This market category comprises all full-frame digital cameras with interchangeable lenses (DCIL), including DSLR and mirrorless cameras. December is a significant month for sales because of the large volume of units sold during the holidays; industry-wide, DCIL full-frame unit sales for the month of December 2017 were almost equal to unit sales from January through March of 2017, according to The NPD Group.³

“Nikon has returned to an emphasis on high-end products for advanced and professional users. These users appreciate Nikon’s full-frame offerings because of their amazing image quality, reliability, low-light capability and high-speed performance,” said Bo Kajiwara, President and CEO, Nikon Inc. “Nikon is an innovative, diversified company with a clear, long-term strategy to thrive into 2018 and beyond.”

Since the beginning of 2017, the camera industry has seen strong growth in the full-frame segment, with consumers gravitating toward Nikon’s innovative offerings for advanced and professional photographers. The month of December alone saw an overall increase of 69% in units and 59% in dollars compared to the same period in 2016.² Nikon specifically experienced an 81% increase in units, and 88% growth in dollars for this segment.²

For the month of December, the top two selling DSLR cameras in this segment were the Nikon D750 and the Nikon D850.⁴There has been exceptional demand for the extremely versatile, highly acclaimed D850, which is the ultimate combination of speed and resolution. This 45.7-megapixel full-frame DSLR is a tool for serious photographers with robust construction, unparalleled imaged quality and proven reliability. Both the D850 and the D750 have won a myriad of industry and consumer accolades, and both are perfectly complemented by the vast NIKKOR lens system, which offers the best in optical excellence.

“Premium segments are leading the imaging market, as consumer demand for features like full-frame are on the rise,” said Ben Arnold, executive director, industry analyst for The NPD Group.

Kajiwara also added, “We want to sincerely thank our customers and our fans for making this achievement possible.”

1- The NPD Group Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Detachable Lens Camera, full-frame, Based on unit and dollar sales, Dec 2017
2- The NPD Group Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Detachable Lens Camera, full-frame, Based on unit and dollar sales, Dec 2017 vs. Dec 2016
3- The NPD Group Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Detachable Lens Camera, full-frame, Based on unit sales, Dec 2017 vs. Jan- March 2017
4-The NPD Group Inc., U.S. Retail Tracking Service, Detachable Lens Camera, full-frame, Based on unit sales, Dec 2017

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 24, 2018
Ultra-rare Konica Rokuoh-Sha Type 89 ‘Machine Gun’ camera pops up on eBay

Photos: eBay

For you collectors out there, a very rare piece of photographic equipment just popped up on eBay. Officially dubbed the Rokuoh-Sha Type 89 “Machine Gun” Military Training Camera, this camera was made by Konishoruko (which later became Konica) for training Japanese airplane gunners during World War II.

According to International Military Antiques and Photo Gear-Heads, these cameras would be mounted in airplanes instead of the real thing as a way to train new gunners. When the trigger is pressed, the camera would begin snapping 18x24mm pictures on 35mm cine film loaded in 2.5m strips. The photos captured whatever the “gun” was aimed at, while an optical stopwatch (placed in the yellow tube up top) was recorded onto the photos using a prism. These images would be examined later to help improve the gunner’s accuracy.

The piece is highly prized by collectors, and there’s a nearly identical model in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, which would make this a Model 2 with (possibly) the same 75mm Hexar lens.

Photos: eBay

The version on eBay looks a bit more beat up than the Smithsonian’s camera, but still in great shape. The seller, Westborn Camera Co, claims the camera “is in overall excellent condition, especially considering it was used during war-time,” and still works as far as they can tell. In the listing, Westborn writes:

This has been tested to my best ability, and everything seems to check out good: The winder holds firm tension and releases when fired. The shutter can be heard -AND- film transport responds properly.

The camera is going for a Buy It Now price of $ 4,500, which seems a tiny bit high based on the limited research we’ve done. Then again, the price varies a great deal. Closed eBay listings from the past few years went for anywhere between $ 795 and $ 4,100, and a similar model auctioned in 2014 went for 1,600 Euro (~$ 2,100 USD by the average 2014 exchange rate).

To find out more about this crazy camera, or if you wanna go ahead and pick up a very rare piece of military and photographic memorabilia, head on over to the eBay auction. And if you have more information about this very interesting bit of kit, drop us a line in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 24, 2018
Red’s Hydrogen One holographic super-phone to ship this summer

Red, best known for its high-end video products, has dripped out some pre-order and release date information about its Hydrogen One super-smartphone, which was announced last July and first demoed IRL in August.

The most notable feature of this phone is its 5.7″ 1440p display, which can display 2D and “better than 3D” holographic images. It can also shoot 3D or 4V (holographic) content using its onboard cameras, and stereo sound is converted to spatial audio when played back. The One uses Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 835x processor, dual SIM card slots, a monster 4500 mAh battery and support for add-on modules like external batteries and a ‘cinema-grade’ camera.

The new info came via Red’s forums, where the company revealed that pre-orders for the Hydrogen One are expected to begin in April, with ship dates sometime this summer. The aluminum model will be priced at $ 1195, while the titanium version will set you back $ 1595.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 24, 2018
DJI unveils the Mavic Air: Mavic Pro specs in a Spark-sized body
DPReview was on hand in New York City as DJI unveiled its newest drone, the Mavic Air, which fuses enthusiast-oriented features and foldable design from the company’s Mavic Pro line of drones with the compact form factor if its Spark model. The Mavic Air also introduces some exciting new technologies that should make drone flying safer, easier, and more creative.

Key features include:
- A 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor
- 3-axis gimbal
- 24mm (equiv.) F2.8 lens
- 12MP still images w/ Raw support
- 4K/30p video with 100 Mbps H.264 codec
- Full HD video up to 120fps
- 32-megapixel spherical panorama mode
- HDR capture mode
- 8GB internal storage in addition to MicroSD card
- Foldable legs with integrated omnidirectional antenna
- Updated flight autonomy system with 3D modeling
- Improved ActiveTrack technology
- New ‘Asteroid’ and ‘Boomerang’ intelligent flight modes
- Obstacle-avoidance sensors in the front, back, and bottom
- Advanced pilot awareness system (APAS)
- Visual positioning system for better control, hovering and indoor flying
- 2.5 mile range with controller
- 42.5 Mph in Sport Mode
- Flight ceiling of 16,404 ft.
- 21-minute flight time
- USB-C port
- Compatible with DJI’s SDK for third party applications
DJI has clearly aimed the Mavic Air at travelers, outdoor photographers, and particularly adventurers who may go off the beaten track. It’s small size is impressive, as DJI’s Michael Perry demonstrated by pulling three of them out of his pockets on stage, and its rich feature set is sure to appeal to people like adventure filmmakers.

The Mavic Air is reminiscent of DJI’s tiny Spark drone, but packs in all the features found on the Mavic Pro.

With a weight of 430 grams, the Mavic Air is heavier than the diminutive Spark (300 grams), yet substantially lighter than the Mavic Pro (734 grams), demonstrating just how much technology DJI has been able to cram into a very small package.

It uses the same 12MP 1/2.3” CMOS sensor found in the Mavic Pro, so it’s fair to expect similar image quality. The camera is mounted on a compact 3-axis gimbal, a welcome improvement over the 2-axis gimbal found on the Spark.

Imaging features

Videographers will be happy to learn that the Mavic Air captures 4K/30p video at bit rates up to 100Mbps using the H.264 codec, though it doesn’t shoot 4K/60p as some rumors had suggested. Additionally, full HD capture is now supported at 120 fps.

In addition to 12MP Raw image capture, DJI has added new features for still photographers as well. In addition to vertical, horizontal, and 180º panoramas, the Mavic Air can create 32MP spherical panoramas by automatically shooting 25 still images and stitching them together in under 8 seconds. There’s also a built-in HDR function which should help to better capture scenes with high dynamic range.

Anyone who flies drones regularly has probably had at least one experience where they arrived on site only to realize that they left their memory card at home. In a nod to forgetful pilots everywhere, the Mavic Air includes 8GB of on-board storage – something that may be particularly helpful for adventurers far from the car.

Controls

Taking a popular gesture from the Spark, the Mavic Air includes gesture controls, allowing users to control the drone’s movements and certain functions (such as taking a photo) using their hands. This can be particularly useful to anyone trying to film themselves, such as a climber on a rock wall. Also, thanks to a rear obstacle avoidance system, the drone will sense if you’re trying to back it into an object.

In our review of the Spark we noted that its gesture controls were often far from reliable, however DJI tells us that the system on the Air has been ’significantly improved’ for more precision and reliability. Based on our hands-on experience with the Air at the launch event we’re inclined to believe this. The air seemed much more responsive to our gestures, and we didn’t notice any hesitation when directing it to move. Gestures will work up to a distance of 19 ft.

Also included is a compact controller that’s visually similar to that of the Mavic Pro, however it’s now possible to detach the sticks to make it as compact as possible for travel. Using the controller the Mavic Air can be controlled at a range of up to 2.5 miles, likely more than enough when operating with visual line of sight.

Obstacle avoidance and intelligent flight modes

A very useful feature on a drone is obstacle avoidance, and the Mavic Air is full of it. It includes seven onboard cameras for sensing and avoidance, including dual forward, downward, and backward cameras. Also included is a feature DJI is calling ‘Flight Autonomy 2.0’, which conducts real-time positioning by building a 3D map of the environment around the aircraft.

Thanks to this 3D mapping, the Mavic Air also includes an ‘advanced pilot awareness system’ (APAS) for advanced obstacle avoidance. Instead of simply stopping when an obstacle is detected, APAS will plan a path to bypass or go around obstacles, allowing the drone to continue on its course.

DJI has also added two new intelligent flight modes, ‘Asteroid Mode’ and ‘Boomerang Mode’. Asteroid mode creates a sort of hybrid clip in which a spherical panorama zooms into a short video clip. Boomerang does more or less what the name suggests, flying up and away from a subject before coming back to create an interesting cinematic effect. Additionally, DJI claims to have improved its ActiveTrack technology, giving it more precise tracking as well as the ability to detect multiple subjects simultaneously.

These animated GIFs illustrate the Mavic Air’s new ‘Asteroid’ (top) and ‘Boomerang’ (bottom) intelligent flight modes. (Courtesy of DJI)

Performance

There are some notable performance improvements as well. With a top speed of 42.5 Mph in Sport mode, the Air is the fastest Mavic to date, and it has an operational ceiling of 16,404 ft. Some drone users may be disappointed with the 21-minute flight time. We suspect it’s a necessary tradeoff in order to achieve the Mavic Air’s compact size, and it’s still 5 minutes more than you’ll get from the Spark.

DJI says the Mavic Air will also be compatible with a wide range of accessories including a car charger, ND filters, and DJI’s flight goggles for a first person view flying experience.

Price and availability

The Mavic Air will be available for $ 799. The standard package includes a protective case, propeller guards, and the newly designed remote control. A ‘Fly More’ combo that includes an additional set of propellers, 2 extra batteries, a folding charging hub that charges two batteries, and a shoulder bag will be available for $ 999. It’s available in three impressively descriptive colors: Arctic White, Onyx Black, and Flame Red.

Preorders begin today through DJI.com and other retailers, with shipments and retail availability beginning on January 28.

Editor’s note: This story is developing, refresh for updates.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
January 24, 2018
DJI Mavic Air leaked ahead of announcement, looks like a Spark-Mavic hybrid
Close-up of a banner of the DJI Mavic Air, which DJI is supposedly planning to announce officially in less than 24 hours.

We’re less than 24 hours away from the drone announcement DJI started teasing last week, and it looks like our guesses based on the tagline “adventure unfolds” were spot on: it’s going to be a folding drone. More specifically, a followup to the folding DJI Mavic Pro… but not the followup most of us expected.

According to Drone DJ, who got ahold of a treasure trove of leaked specs and photographs of the upcoming drone, DJI is preparing to announce the DJI Mavic Air: a drone that looks like a hybrid between the DJI Spark and DJI Mavic Pro.

If these leaked photos and specifications are accurate, the Mavic Air will put Mavic-level hardware—a 3-axis gimbal, 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, 4K 60p video capture, obstacle-avoidance sensors on the front, back, and bottom—into a body that looks very much like the diminutive DJI Spark. The upside is that 4K 60p video capture that the Mavic Pro and even Mavic Pro Platium has been missing; the downside is that the smaller body means even less flight time, which is rumored at just 21 minutes. The drone is also purported to have a 32MP panorama mode.

Here’s a look at the real thing:

And here are the full set of leaked specs, as reported by Drone DJ:
- 1/2.3 CMOS sensor and new Image Processor
- 32-megapixel panorama mode
- 4K/60p video capture
- 3-axis gimbal
- Four Foldable Legs
- Obstacle-avoidance sensors in the front, back, and bottom
- Equipped with aVisual Positioning System for better control, hovering and indoor flying
- Gesture control
- 21-minute flight time (9 minutes less than the Mavic Pro Platium)
- It will be available in at least three colors: white, black and red
- Compatible with DJI Goggles
We won’t be able to confirm these specs until the official announcement tomorrow morning (DJI is streaming the event live at 10am Eastern), but leaks this major and this close to the official reveal are rarely faked. Which leaves us feeling a bit… “meh” about the whole thing.

With Autel Robotics releasing its Mavic Pro competitor Autel EVO at CES, and the original Mavic Pro now nearly a year and a half old, we were hoping for a true Mavic Pro replacement. The Mavic Air seems, instead, like a DJI Spark upgrade… or even what the DJI Spark should have been at launch.

That said, we agree with Drone DJ when they say that this is probably not the true successor to the DJI Mavic Pro, but a separate product line—sort of like Apple’s MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro. It just means we have a bit longer to wait before we see a true Mavic Pro replacement.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
January 23, 2018
Speed Test: iMac Pro vs Alienware PC, Mac Pro and MacBook Pro
Photographer and Photoshop expert Colin Smith of PhotoshopCAFE recently embarked on a test many photo and video editors have been asking for: comparing the new iMac Pro against some of its main competition. In Colin’s case, he pit a slightly upgraded version of the iMac Pro against an Alienware gaming PC, a MacBook Pro, and the current Mac Pro.

The iMac Pro Smith was testing is a slightly upgraded version of the base model. His unit sports: a 3.2GHz 8-core Xeon W processor, 64GB of 2666 MHz DDR4 ECC Memory, and an AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 with 16GB of its own HBM2 RAM. If you configure it yourself on the Apple website, you’ll find this setup weighs in at $ 6,400.

Going up against the iMac Pro were three contenders at various price points:
1. A ‘trashcan’ Mac Pro circa December 2014, with a 3.7GHz 4-core Xeon E5 processor, 64GB of 1866MHz DDR3 RAM, and dual AMD Profire D300 video cards with 2GB of RAM each. Cost (in 2014): $ 3,250
2. The latest 15-inch MacBook Pro, with a 3.1GHz 4-core i7 processor, 16GB of 2133MHz DDR3 RAM, and a Radeon Pro 560 video card with 6Gb of RAM. Cost: $ 3,400
3. An Alienware Aurora R6 PC, which is running a 4.2GHz 4-core i7 processor, 16GB of 2666MHz DDR4 RAM, and an Nvidia GTX 1070 video card with 8GB of its own DDR5 RAM. Cost: $ 1,600
As you can see, the Apple options are all much more expensive than the PC, but nothing comes close to touching the $ 6,400 iMac Pro. So you would hope, at least, that nothing would come close to touching its performance either. That’s what Colin was thinking too, and he tested each machine using Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop.

Each machine was put through its paces on some very CPU and RAM-intensive tasks in these (already RAM and CPU-intensive) video and photo editing programs, timing each system to see how they ranked. In some categories the iMac Pro really did destroy the competition. When it came to rendering 4K video, the results were eye-opening:

But in other situations, like Ram Preview in After Effects, it actually fell quite short given the sheer amount of power it has to draw from:

Of course, for our purposes, we’re much more interested in how the iMac Pro performed in Photoshop. And that’s where, in 3 out of the 4 tests Colin performed, the PC outperformed all of the Macs. Whether you were opening, upscaling, or saving a massive 815MB Photoshop file, the Alienware PC did best each time.

The only test where the iMac Pro managed to flex its considerable muscle in Photoshop was running the Radial blur filter at Best quality and 100%—a crazy intensive task that the iMac Pro made mince meat of, as you can see from the chart:

You can see all of the test results in the video up top, but the conclusion, at least for us, seems to be clear:

For real-time intensive video editing tasks, the iMac pro can really fly, but for stills shooters it just doesn’t seem to make sense for the money. We spoke to Colin about his test this morning, and asked him if he had anything to add for our readers, and he seemed to agree with us. Here’s what he had to say:

When configuring the base $ 5,000, I wanted to get upgrades that gave me the most bang for my buck. I made the decision to spend $ 1400 (total) to upgrade the base RAM to 64Gb ($ 800) and also the video card from 8Gb to 16Gb ($ 600), as these are the 2 things that will make the biggest difference… especially the video card (PGU)

If you are editing video and have to be on Mac (and budget isn’t an issue) then this is clearly the fastest system around, as you can tell by the encoding and rendering times of the iMac Pro being much faster than the competition. The downside, of course, is getting this level of hardware and not being able to upgrade any of it. I feel that’s a bit disingenuous of Apple, and it will cost them a lot of sales. Having said that, this is one of the best displays I have seen to date.

On the other hand, if you are a photographer and your needs revolve around editing still imagery, I think you are better served to save your money for other things.

That’s some pretty pragmatic advice. To see the full test, check out the video up top. And if you want to see more from Colin, subscribe to PhotoshopCAFE on YouTube, check out his website, or give him a follow on Instagram and Facebook.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
January 23, 2018
Samsung’s new smartphone sensors can shoot 480fps in Full HD

Samsung has just announced a new mobile image sensor that may just reveal what’s in store for the rumored Galaxy S9 smartphone—specifically in the slow-motion capture department.

Announced earlier today, Samsung’s new ISOCELL Fast imager chips feature a 3-stack Fast Readout design that Samsung claims will shoot Full HD 1080p video at a whopping 480fps. That’s not quite as fast as the eye-watering 960fps in Sony’s high-end Xperia models, but the Sony mode can only capture for a fracture of a second—Samsung’s super-slow-motion could potentially offer longer capture times.

According to Samsung’s product page, the ISOCELL fast sensors also come with advanced autofocus technologies—such as Dual-Pixel or Super-PD—built into the chip, allowing for very fast focusing in all light conditions. ISOCELL Fast sensors with the aforementioned technologies are currently available with 12 and 16MP resolutions and sizes ranging from 1/2.8″ to 1/2.56″.

As usual, there is no way of knowing for certain if either of these sensor variants will make it into the Galaxy S9, but it’s safe to assume we’ll see the new 480fps Full HD mode in a Samsung mobile device in the near future.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 22, 2018