360Photography

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  • Modular PITTA camera transforms into drone, action, and security cameras

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    PITTA, a modular ball-shaped 13MP camera that transforms into a drone, is currently blasting its way through a campaign on Kickstarter. The small, sphere-shaped modular camera launched on the crowdfunding platform with a $ 50K goal, but as of this writing it has already raised well over a quarter million dollars.

    Eyedea, the company behind PITTA, describes its product as a multi-purpose device:

    It’s not just aerial, not just handheld, not just wearable or mountable, it’s all of these. It’s a complete system packed into a single device.

    Here’s a quick intro video from the company’s Kickstarter:

    In its most basic form, PITTA looks like a simple black sphere, which is the 200g/7oz camera body. The sphere-shaped body features a 13MP sensor, support for 4K/30fps recording, and “software image stabilization.” Additionally, the body contains various sensors including GPS/GLONASS, gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer, magnetometer, object detection and visual tracking hardware, and optical flow positioning sensors.

    Joining that is an Action Cam Module, Charging Cradle, and Drone Module. When docked in the Charging Cradle, PITTA can be used as a stationary security camera or livestreaming camera.

    When used with the Action Module, PITTA can be attached to a tripod or other mount and used as an action camera that supports burst shot, 60fps slow-motion recording, livestreaming, and time lapse, as well as direct sharing to the major social media platforms.

    The Drone Module, meanwhile, transforms the camera sphere into a drone via a snap and twist-to-lock design. The resulting camera drone is controlled using a smartphone and companion app, which itself offers several operation modes. PITTA as a drone supports taking panoramas, hovering in place, orbiting around the operator, auto-following the operator, as well as a “Come Back Home” function, terrain awareness, auto-landing, and GPS. The slow-motion and time lapse functions aren’t available in drone mode.

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    PITTA is being offered to Kickstarter backers who pledge $ 290 for a Kickstarter Exclusive Basic Kit or $ 320 for a Kickstarter Exclusive Full Package, though other pledge packages are also available. Shipments to backers are expected to start in May 2018, though as with any crowdfunding campaign, plans could change, so proceed with caution.

    To learn more or pledge for your own, head over to Kickstarter by clicking here.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • NYPD investigating Terry Richardson over sexual assault accusations

    Photo by Christopher Macsurak (cc-by-2.0)

    Fashion industry photographer Terry Richardson is reportedly the subject of an ongoing NYPD investigation following multiple accusations of sexual assault. According to the NY Daily News, two former models and a Model Alliance representative confirmed that they have been approached by law enforcement as part of the investigation.

    According to the report, NYPD Special Victims division detectives have spoken with former models Caron Bernstein and Lindsay Jones about their alleged encounters with Richardson. Both have previously accused Richardson of sexual assault, similar accusations to which have been made by some other women who have worked with Richardson over the years.

    Richardson has long denied the accusations against him, and yet he has continued to face increased scrutiny following an editorial published by The Times in October 2017. The article claimed, among other things, that the photographer has a “reputation as the Harvey Weinstein of fashion.” Days later, a leaked email revealed that Condé Nast had ordered its publications to blacklist Richardson.

    A representative of Richardson’s had issued a statement to HuffPost back in October about the Condé Nast email and the accusations in general, saying:

    Terry is disappointed to hear about this email especially because he has previously addressed these old stories. He is an artist who has been known for his sexually explicit work so many of his professional interactions with subjects were sexual and explicit in nature but all of the subjects of his work participated consensually.

    In a more recent statement to the NY Daily News, Bernstein shot down Richardson’s claims of innocence, saying, “I didn’t know this man from Adam. I would never walk in somewhere and agree to a sex act with a stranger. I’ve never done that in my entire life. Never in a million years.”

    Neither the NYPD nor Richardson have commented on the NY Daily News report at this time.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Video: Using the $5,700 Canon 200mm F2 on the Sony a7R III

    Photographer and YouTuber Manny Ortiz recently put together what he calls “the sexiest camera and lens combo” he has ever held: combining the DPReview Product of the Year Sony a7R III with Canon’s beastly 200mm F2L IS USM. He wanted to see if this $ 5,700 lens could live up to its potential on Sony’s latest mirrorless flagship, so he took it with him to a family photo shoot and brought along the vlogging camera to give us all a behind the scenes look.

    He adapted the Canon lens to the Sony body using the Sigma MC-11 mount converter, and despite the fact that he was using three different brands at once, the Sony and Canon played well together. In particular, Manny was impressed that Sony’s Eye-AF worked as well as it did with the Canon 200mm, keeping focus locked even on the edges of the frame.

    Summing up his final thoughts on this camera and lens combo, he says:

    The performance of the Canon 200mm on the Sony a7RIII is really impressive […] It actually blows me away how far [Sony] have come in terms of improving autofocus performance with adapted lenses.

    I did notice that in low light, autofocus, especially Eye-AF, isn’t as consistent […] but in good light I didn’t miss any focus.

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    Beyond the low-light limitations Manny mentions, it’s also worth noting that you don’t exactly get “all of those” AF modes Sony offers. You still don’t have access to Zone or any of the Lock-on AF modes of the Sony a7R III with Canon glass. Also, max burst rate is just 3 fps. Still, for portrait photographers like Manny, face recognition and Eye-AF are the big ones, and the a7R III seemed to perform very well in those modes in Manny’s test shoot.

    To see more of Manny’s photos or tag along on his next photo shoot, head over to his website, give him a follow on Instagram, or subscribe to his channel on YouTube.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Re.photos: This website lets anyone create and share then-and-now photos

    If you’re both a photography fan and history buff, then you might want to check out a platform called re.photos. The website/social network, which launched a couple of months ago, allows anyone to share interactive then-and-now images—so-called “rephotography”—that compare a modern version of a location or subject with an older image of the same spot.

    Re.photos is the brainchild of retired computer science professor Oliver Vornberger, and it’s extremely easy to use. Users simply upload both a before and an after photo, then place markers on a few points on the images so that the system knows how to align them.

    Speaking to PetaPixel in November, Vornberger said that a student of his is working on improving the platform’s algorithm so that manually placing markers isn’t necessary. Eventually, the whole system should be as easy as uploading a before and after picture, and letting the website do the rest of the work.

    In addition to automatically aligning images—taking the hard work out of creating these comparisons manually—re.photos serves as an exploration platform for finding rephotography from other users. Rephotography created by users can be searched using descriptions, username, titles, tags such as date or location, and category such as interior, nature, and people.

    To check out the platform for yourself, or upload a few before and afters of your own, click here.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Google Camera mod brings Pixel 2 portrait mode to older devices

    Portrait Mode on the Google Pixel 2

    Google’s Pixel 2 comes with one of the best-rated smartphone cameras in the world, and is one of very few single-lens devices to offer a background-blurring, fake bokeh portrait mode. Unlike dual-lens setups, the camera uses machine learning and neural networking to generate a foreground-background segmentation on both front and rear cameras. On the rear, the Pixel 2 also uses depth data from the image sensor’s dual-pixel technology for this task.

    Thanks to Charles Chow, developer of the Camera NX Google camera mod, the feature is now also available to users of the original Google Pixel as well as the Nexus 5X and 6P smartphones. Portrait mode was included in version 7.3 of the Camera NX app but, due to a lack of dual-pixel technology on older Google Android smartphones, uses the exclusively software-based approach of the Pixel 2’s front camera.

    The developer says the functionality has so far only been tested on the Nexus 5X, although it should work on Nexus 6P and first generation Pixel phones as well. If you want to try Camera NX and the new Portrait Mode you can find all technical details and download links in Charles’ article on Chromloop.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Rock n Roll unveils handcrafted leather ‘Hendrix’ camera straps

    Rock n Roll straps has launched The Hendrix Straps, a product line containing three handcrafted leather camera straps composed of between 52 and 64 individual leather pieces. The company bills its camera straps as ideal for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, explaining that the leather is supple enough to wrap around a wrist in addition to draping around one’s neck.

    The Hendrix camera strap features leather components that have been cut, threaded, and then stitched by hand, a process that takes more than two hours, according to Rock n Roll. Each strap is 24mm / 0.9in wide with two length options—100cm / 39in and 125cm / 49in—and three color options—Black, Red Dot Special Edition, and Cigar Brown.

    The 100cm Hendrix strap (any color) is €120.00 (~$ 145 USD) excl. VAT, while the 125cm strap is €130.00 (~$ 156 USD) excl. VAT.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Why you should own a 135mm F2 lens

    Image quality, weight and value for money. We have come to accept that most lenses are strong in only one or two of these three factors, that I personally focus on when researching lenses to buy. Sometimes though, we stumble upon a great lens design which is strong in all three. One of the prime examples of such a design is the “nifty fifty”—the 50mm F1.8 lens construction that many lens manufacturers provide. Another example is the 100mm (or sometimes 90mm) F2.8 macro lens. If you buy a nifty fifty or a 100mm macro lens you simply cannot go wrong—you will get a great and handy lens for your money, with great image quality.

    Today I want to talk about another such lens design: The 135mm F2 lens. I use the word design, because although the available 135mm F2 lenses aren’t the exact same optical formula, they share many important traits. Perhaps you have seen the photos of masterful Russian portrait photographers such as Elena Shumilova or Anka Zhuravleva. They create a beautiful, mesmerizing dreamscape in their photos, and their secret weapon, besides an impeccable sense for aesthetics, is the 135mm F2 lens.

    The moment I tried the Samyang 135mm F2 for the first time after purchasing it, I immediately felt that it was a very special lens. I took a few shots with the lens on my way home after buying it. I was blown away when I loaded the photos into my computer. I had of course heard that this lens is supposed to be very sharp, but I had never before had such a full blown “wow” experience when reviewing the sharpness of a lens.

    The flawless image quality is only half the story though. Another thing that makes people go “wow” over the 135mm F2 lens design is the bokeh, which can be so creamy that distant backgrounds almost render as gradients. The 135mm F2 lens design is truly special, and in this article (and the video I made), I want to try to convince you as well.

    Subject Separation

    There are only a handful of foolproof strategies for making a great photograph. One of them is simplicity: A clear, simple subject that constitutes a shape, standing out and contrasting against a calm and simple background.

    When you shoot a 135mm F2 lens at F2, your subject will stand out in this beautiful way, often without much work needed from you as the photographer. Just place your subject against a distant background, and half of the job is done. Even if the background is very close to your subject, somehow the optical construction in the 135mm lens will still manage to separate the background beautifully.

    The Creamiest Bokeh

    To achieve creamy bokeh, a lens should have a wide maximum aperture and a long focal length. One very popular lens for bokeh fiends is the Canon 85mm F1.2—it can produce extremely creamy out of focus backgrounds. But I would argue that a 135mm F2 lens produces even greater bokeh, thanks to the long focal length that compresses the background far more than the 85mm lens.

    You would be hard pressed to find any other lens on a full frame camera that produces creamier bokeh. There are, of course, outliers—such as the legendary unicorn lens Canon EF 200mm F2—but that one isn’t a great alternative unless you are cool with spending $ 5,700 and carrying around something about as wieldy as a fire hydrant.

    Unreal Sharpness

    When I was on my way home after purchasing my first 135mm lens (the Samyang/Rokinon one) I took a few quick snapshots just to try out the lens. The first shot I ever took with this lens was of my neighbor’s cat, as it was sneaking around in a bush. When I got home and loaded the photo into Lightroom I was blown away by two things.

    First of all, the background separation and the bokeh: I had photographed lots of animals in bushes before, but never before had I seen the bush melt away in the way it did with the 135mm lens.

    Second of all, the incredible sharpness of the photo: I have owned many lenses, most of which I bought because they were supposed to have world-class sharpness, but the Samyang 135mm still stands out to me.

    Never before (nor after) have I seen a lens with this level of sharpness wide open. Perhaps this impression of unreal sharpness is strengthened by the contrast to the extremely creamy bokeh you typically get in the same photo.

    Close Focus Ability

    Most of the available 135mm F2 lenses have a very short minimum focusing distance in relation to the focal length, creating a magnification ratio of around 0.2 – 0.25. This is great news if you like to photograph small things up close. These lenses go about as close as you could get without a dedicated macro lens.

    Low Weight

    Lenses with extreme sharpness and bokeh tend to be heavy. For example, the legendary Canon 85mm F1.2L weighs in at 1025g, and the Sigma 85mm F1.4 Art isn’t too light either at 1130g.

    Sure, not all 135mm lenses are lightweight—Sigma’s new 135mm F1.8 is rather heavy at 1130g—but if you look at the Samyang 135mm F2, which is pretty much flawless optically, it weighs only 830g. And if you want autofocus, I would recommend the Canon 135mm f2.0L, which is incredibly light for its performance at just 750g.

    Extreme value for the money

    While there are certainly pricey 135mm F2 lenses out there (such as the aforementioned Sigma 135mm F1.8 Art, or the Carl Zeiss 135mm) there are a couple that give you extreme value for the money. When you buy a lens with fantastic sharpness and image quality at all apertures, you typically expect it to cost $ 1,200 on up. But like a glitch in the matrix, an anomaly that shouldn’t exist, you can get the Samyang/Rokinon 135mm for as little as $ 430 brand new. The only downside with that lens is that it is manual focus, which might not be suitable for photographing sports or children. Otherwise this lens is absolutely incredible.

    If you want autofocus and great value for money, buy the Canon 135mm, as it has almost the image quality of the Samyang, and you can get it for under $ 1,000 new. The Canon is about as sharp as the Samyang, but it has some very slight chromatic aberration. I would recommend buying it used if you want to save some money, with the added benefit that you can re-sell it at the same price as you bought it for, effectively giving you the opportunity to “rent it” for free.

    Which One to Buy?

    If you want the best value possible for your money, and can survive without autofocus, buy the Samyang. If you must have autofocus, and care about weight, buy the Canon. If you want the best possible image quality, and you must have autofocus, and you don’t care if it is a bit heavy (maybe you need it for studio use), buy the Sigma. Include the Carl Zeiss in your research though, it might be an interesting lens for you, even if it is a bit pricey for what you get. If you are a Nikon user, of course have a look at the Nikon AF Nikkor 135mm f/2D DC and compare it to the other lenses mentioned in this article.

    Whatever lens you pick in the end, you will make a great purchase. All of them are extremely sharp and produce mouth-watering bokeh, and all of them are reasonably priced for what you get. I have only owned my 135mm for less then a year, but already it is one of my top three most used and most fun lenses.

    Micael Widell is a photography enthusiast based in Stockholm, Sweden. He loves photography, and runs a YouTube channel with tutorials, lens reviews and photography inspiration. You can also find him as @mwroll on Instagram and 500px.

    This article was originally published on Micael’s blog, and is being republished in full with express permission.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Take a look inside Hasselblad’s camera factory in Sweden

    Take a look inside Hasselblad’s camera factory in Sweden

    Hasselblad’s factory is located in Gothenburg – Sweden’s second largest city. The company has operated in Gothenburg since 1841, but it only became a camera manufacturer in 1941. Today’s HQ, down the river from the city centre, is where the company makes both the H-series cameras and the newer X1D mirrorless model.

    During a recent visit I was shown around the factory and was lucky enough to get permission to photograph the production line in detail. They knew I was coming so any secret stuff was tucked away safely out of sight, but it was just as interesting speaking to the staff and finding out about the components of the cameras, what they do and seeing how they are made.

    There were three things that really struck me about the factory. The first is that it is a lot smaller than other similar plants I’ve visited in the past. I was escorted almost all the time I was there, but there was no reception desk where I had to sign in, and I didn’t even have to wear a visitor’s badge – I guess because everyone knows everyone else and strangers stand out. The company employs 180 people worldwide, with only 40 people at the factory – and 30 of them working in production.

    The second thing that caught my interest is the number of components that have been designed to be used in both H6D and X1D, thus making manufacturing more efficient. The third is the hand-made nature of the products. I’m used to factories powered by robots and automation, but this was a world of hand-tools and humans.

    Click through this article for a tour.

    The factory floor

    This is the main area of the assembly line where the H6D and X1D are produced. I had expected to see the processes in a linear fashion from start to finish, but actually it seems different components are assembled as they are needed and each worker performs a range of tasks. This photo doesn’t show the whole factory, as there is an R&D area that I couldn’t go into, but this is where the current shipping products are put together. Hasselblad designs all the components itself but has most of them made by external suppliers, mostly from Sweden.

    In this picture an X1D’s audio system is being tested in the foreground, and to the left a H6D body is being put together. In the distance, shutter units are being made.

    Making the shutters

    The shutter units start with a moulded ring of plastic onto which the components are attached. The company makes two sizes of shutter unit, both of which can be used in HC and XCD lenses for the H cameras and the X1D. The smaller, a 20mm shutter, uses one piezo-electric motor to open and close the iris, while the 28mm version has two.

    A detailed shot of shutter unit, mid-assembly.

    Making the shutters

    So far the XCD lenses have only used the 20mm unit, but I’m told future lenses will use the larger one as well. The upcoming fast 80mm XCD lens will be a candidate for the larger shutter as its maximum aperture will be wider than f/2.

    Measuring tension

    The worker assembling the shutter units tests the tension of the shutter release mechanisms with her thumbs, as over time she has come to know what the right tension feels like. Once she thinks she has it right she tests each switch with a meter to verify her instincts.

    After hand-testing the shutter release tension, the technician checks with a measuring tool.

    Building the iris

    Each blade of the lens iris is riveted by hand. It is then cleaned and attached to the main shutter mechanism.

    Testing shutter accuracy

    Each shutter unit is tested for accuracy and consistency of performance using a collimator and a device that measures the shape and size of the iris opening. Each aperture setting is tested multiple times, as is each shutter speed. If the unit isn’t up to scratch the operator on the testing desk either fixes it or sends it back a stage for investigation.

    This shows a short sequence from a shutter accuracy test, measuring the shutter opening time and iris size. Other long term tests are carried out about once a week, and involve a shutter unit being put in a machine that triggers it for days on end. I was told the shutter life of Hasselblad lenses is quoted as over 1 million actuations.

    H6D handgrips

    The day I was at the plant, handgrips for the H6D were being made. There’s quite a lot of circuitry to fit into a small space.

    50MP back for the A6D aerial camera

    Here is the back of an A6D aerial camera being assembled. The main parts that go into the back are the 50MP sensor unit, the processing board and the control board. I was amazed that the company uses 32GB micro SD cards in these backs, but was told the calibration and firmware files the back uses are very big.

    The ribbon cables and the boards are all connected by hand and fitted into the back during a delicate, pains-taking process.

    Tilt and shift adapter

    Here’s a HTS 1.5 tilt and shift adapter being put together. The adapter provides ‘large format’ movements for six of the company’s H system lenses. It allows up to 18mm of shift in both directions and 10° of tilt, while multiplying the focal length by approx. 1.5x because of its thickness.

    Tilt and shift adapter

    Again, the device is assembled by hand, with each screw being secured in place with thread-locking glue.

    Assembling the auxiliary shutter

    Between the mirror box and the sensor of the H series cameras there’s an auxiliary shutter that has to be sprung with exactly the right tension. Again this shutter unit is assembled by hand from a number of small components and then tested by touch while the tension is adjusted.

    The man working at this station told me he needed the tension to be about 0.9 Newtons, and then tested the one he had just made to find he was only 0.02 N out. He said it took a few months of continuous manufacturing for him to be able to get the tension right by touch.

    Adding the AF module and shutter mechanism

    The aluminum chassis of the H6D is made at a foundry not far from the factory and has remained very much the same since the original H1. The final assembly of the body looks very complicated, as there is a mass of ribbon cable to fit between the boards, as well as the auxiliary shutter, the mirror mechanisms and the AF module. The chassis, the steel mount and the body shell are all made in Sweden.

    The shot on the left shows the AF module of the H6D, which sits behind the main mirror. The last shot shows the chassis loaded with electronics and ready to be fitted into the body and to have the handgrip attached.

    Mechanical tests for the H6D

    In this picture, H6D bodies await mechanical testing and measuring. The length of the body can’t vary by more than 0.02mm in order for the autofocus to work. This machine is used to measure the position of the AF module and the AF mirror, and to match the view of the viewfinder with the sensor via the position of the mirror.

    Each body is then attached to a metal block for the orientation sensor to be calibrated – a process that helps facilitate the company’s True Focus feature. This feature measures the angle the camera moves during a focus-lock-and-recompose routine, so that the added distance between the image plabe and the subject can be compensated for in the focusing.

    Calibrating the H6D

    In a clean room each H6D undergoes its individual calibration procedure. First the sensor and filters are checked for dust and dirt, and cleaned until they are spotless. Then the sensor is checked for dead pixels and the color characteristics, dynamic range and brightness response are measured.

    Calibrating the H6D

    Each camera has its own calibration program which is loaded onto the body and fired up every time the camera starts. The calibration data is saved at the factory should it ever need to be reloaded to the camera.
    It takes about an hour to calibrate each body.

    X1D mechanical tests

    Once assembled the cameras go through a series of mechanical and systems tests to ensure they are functioning correctly. Operators take a series of pictures with each model and check the audio system, among other things.

    X1D mechanical tests

    The technician looking down a long dark box is checking there’s no light leaking from the side of the rear LCD panel.

    Profiling X1D bodies

    Color response is recorded and adjusted so that the camera will produce ‘Hasselblad Color’. As with the H6D, each X1D body has its own tailor-made calibration which is loaded to the internal memory. That’s why the cameras take a couple of seconds to start up.
    Each camera takes about 700 pictures during the calibration process.

    Profiling X1D bodies

    Here an X1D is being calibrated, and the monitor shows the characteristics that are being checked with. As can be seen, in this example the sensor (which is CMOS, not CCD as marked) isn’t aligned within tolerances, so it will be adjusted.

    Final checks and cleaning

    The last part of the process involves a bright light and a high powered magnifying glass. A lady personally inspects every model that leaves the factory for dirt, dust and marks. She cleans each body very carefully, rubs and polishes, before she is satisfied and it can be boxed.

    Final checks and cleaning

    X1D bodies towards the end of the production and checking process, before being boxed and shipped to customers all over the world.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Sample gallery: Utah with Scott Rinckenberger and the Olympus OM-D E-M10 III

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    We recently spent some time in Moab, Utah with seasoned adventure photographer Scott Rinckenberger. The area’s incredible landscapes and wide array of outdoor activities made for a very photogenic few days – here are some of the still images Scott captured along the way. For the full story behind the photos, check out our video.

    This is sponsored content, created with the support of Amazon and Olympus. What does this mean?

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • 2017 in review: a look back at December

    December brings with it colder weather and early much-too-early sunsets (at least here in Seattle), as well as a chance to look back on the last twelve months. 2017 saw the continued rise of the smartphone coupled with uncertainty in the interchangeable lens and compact camera market. Will there be fewer camera manufacturers a year from now? We’ll find out soon enough.

    As you might imagine, December a quiet month for camera announcements. Information about the next generation of smartphones started to trickle out, including news of the upcoming Snapdragon 845 processor and the Huawei P11, which may feature three cameras. December also marked the arrival of the iMac Pro that, fully loaded, will set you back more than $ 13,000. Speaking of Apple, Final Cut Pro X received a much-needed update, adding HDR, VR and curves support.

    2017 saw the continued rise of the smartphone coupled with uncertainty in the interchangeable lens and compact camera market

    The end of the year brings with it lots of “best of” competitions, and some like National Geographic’s Nature Photographer of the Year, Sony World Photography Awards and the always entertaining Comedy Wildlife awards are worth a look. We joined the competition parade and shared our favorite products of the year, which were drawn from our latest Buying Guides. We also pitted the Nikon D850 against the Sony a7R III and compared the portrait modes of the Google Pixel 2 and Apple iPhone X.

    For those seeking more pretty pictures, we posted galleries for the Olympus 45mm and 17mm F1.2 Pro lenses, the Rokinon AF 50mm F1.4 FE and, naturally, the iPhone X. We also cranked out two reviews, of the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III and G9 X Mark II.

    See all December content

    Leica, Leica, Leica

    In addition to announcing a special red edition of its M (Typ 262) body, the company also reported a 6% increase in revenue compared to the last fiscal year.

    Read more about the red Leica M

    Read more about Leica’s earnings

    And, in drone news…

    December was a busy month for drone regulation. In a not very surprising move, the Federal Aviation Administration banned drone usage near US nuclear facilities. Over in Holland, the country’s drone-catching eagles are being retired due to a lack of demand and training difficulties. A shame, since that would’ve been fun to watch.

    Read more about new FAA regulations

    Read more about drone-catching eagles

    Canon EOS 7D Mark III on the way? (Of course!)

    The rumor mill is buzzing about an update to Canon’s venerable EOS 7D series of APS-C DSLRs. Rumor website CanonWatch says that the third revision is coming before next summer, which even if the rumor itself isn’t based on any solid facts, still seems like a pretty safe bet. We made a wish list of what we’d like to see in the next 7D, as well.

    Read more about Canon 7D Mark III rumors

    Photographing the Northern Lights

    Photographer and DPReview contributor José Francisco Salgado teamed up with our own Dale Baskin to share tips on how to capture this amazing phenomenon.

    Read full article

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)