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  • Judge determines FAA drone rules take precedence over local regulations

    A court has ruled that federal drone laws trump local drone regulations in instances where the two are in conflict, setting a new and very important precedent for commercial and recreational drone pilots alike. The ruling was passed down by US District Judge William G. Young during a legal case involving the city of Newton, Massachusetts, and its drone regulations that are even more restrictive than the FAA’s rules.

    According to the Wall Street Journal, the lawsuit was brought by Newton resident Michael Singer, who challenged four Newton provisions including a requirement to get permission before flying a drone over private property. The city had argued that the FAA allows for the local co-regulation of civilian drones, but Judge Young ruled otherwise, in part because the local regulations were sometimes in direct conflict with the FAA’s.

    For instance, whereas the FAA allows small drones to be operated below 400ft, the city of Newton’s provisions banned the operation of drones below that altitude if they were over private property. This left pilots only one legal option: get permission from each property owner over whose property the drone would pass. Otherwise you’d either be violating Newton’s laws or the FAA’s regulations.

    Referring to this particular law, Judge Young stated, “This thwarts not only the FAA’s objectives, but also those of Congress for the FAA to integrate drones into the national airspace.”

    Newton drone provisions that weren’t challenged by the lawsuit have been left in place, and the city has indicated that it may appeal the ruling.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Snapchat ‘sky filters’ use augmented reality to replace the sky with stars, sunsets and more

    File this one under minor smartphone photography news: it seems Snapchat is using its augmented reality powers to expose non-photographers to the magic of dropping a new sky into your photos. The newly released feature—dubbed ‘sky filters’—can take a regular boring old blue sky and replace it with a colorful sunset, starry night scene, and more.

    Sky Filters are already rolling out now to both iOS and Android users, and like their other AR features, this one will rotate daily so you can experience a variety of world-bending effects.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Getty Images bans Photoshopping models to look thinner thanks to French law

    In 2015, France passed a law that will require some commercial images with a digitally retouched model to have a label notifying viewers about the alterations. That requirement will be effective starting October 1st, 2017, and Getty Images is preparing for that day with a policy change of its own.

    Announced in an email that DPReview has acquired from a reader, Getty has updated its Creative Stills Submission Requirements to specify that it will no longer accept images of models whose bodies have been edited to look either thinner or larger.

    The law doesn’t extend to minor digital edits, such as fixing skin blemishes, altering hair color, or altering nose shape; however, edits that change a model’s body shape require a disclosure. In response, Getty Images says that starting October 1st, photographers may not “submit to us any creative content depicting models whose body shapes have been retouched to make them look thinner or larger.”

    Submitting this type of altered image will result in the photographer breaching both submission guidelines and their agreement with the company, Getty warns. The same change applies to iStock submissions, as well.

    Magazines and other entities in France that use these altered photos without proper disclosure face a fine of up to €37,500 (~$ 45,000 USD).

    DPReview has reached out to Getty Images for comment on the policy change, as well as clarification about how broad this change is, and what the company intends to do about the altered images already in its catalog. We will update the post if and when we hear back.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • K-Pan is a 3D-printed panoramic film camera that shoots 6 x 14cm photos

    The 3D-printed camera formerly known as the ‘Cycloptic Mustard Monster’ has launched on Kickstarter under the name K-Pan Panoramic Camera. This medium-format analog camera has the same design showcased earlier this year, and assuming the crowdfunding campaign is successful, it’ll be made available to buyers as a DIY kit. Creator Paul Kohlhausen is also offering 10 limited edition pre-assembled camera units.

    The K-Pan’s components are printed from SLS nylon, and once assembled, the camera measures 22cm x 9cm / 8.6in x 3.5in and weighs 350g / 12oz (without a lens). Users supply their own 4 x 5 lens and 120 film, of which the camera shoots five 6 x 14cm frames per roll. When assembled according to its default design, the K-Pan’s focus is set to infinity; however, users can change that by inserting spacer brackets as desired.

    Kohlhaussen is offering K-Pan in various bundle options with pledges starting at £270 / $ 364 for a standard kit. Shipments to backers are available globally and are anticipated to start in March 2018.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • The Nikon D850 could be the only DSLR you’ll ever need

    Introduction

    Out-of-camera JPEG.
    Nikon 70-200mm F2.8E @ 70mm | ISO 125 | 1/2500 sec | F4

    Perched on a rock jutting out over Class IV+ rapids on the Deschutes River, I become fully aware that were I to slip and fall, the frothy white waves would toss me around like a cork, I’d probably hit my head on a submerged volcanic rock, fall unconscious and die.

    One of the best things about photography (or one of the worst, I suppose, depending on your perspective) is access. Even if you’re not covering the industry, knowing your way around a camera and having a decent portfolio will often afford you opportunities to get up-close and personal with people you’ve never met before, who are doing things you’ve never seen before, in a place you’ve never been before.

    The D850 might just be the most well-rounded camera Nikon’s ever made.

    In this particular instance, the access came courtesy of Nikon USA. They wanted us to use the D850 so much that they flew me down to Bend, Oregon with a collection of other photographers and journalists, and stuck us all in a variety of disparate scenarios to get a feel for the camera.

    From sports to portraits, the D850 seems almost universally capable. Out-of-camera JPEG, cropped slightly to taste.
    Nikon 24-120mm F4 @ 50mm | ISO 2200 | F4 | 1/125 sec

    And, not being one to back down from a challenge (or maybe I’m just terrible at scheduling), I was booked to photograph a friend’s wedding immediately upon returning to Seattle. I was eager to use the camera outside of the realm of a press trip, especially since its specs seem to indicate that the D850 might just be the most well-rounded camera Nikon’s ever made.

    Actually, it might be the most well-rounded stills camera that anyone has ever made.

    This thing is way too fast to be shooting 46 megapixels

    This kayaker didn’t seem particularly worried about the Class IV+ rapids, which I was later told verged on Class V. Out-of-camera JPEG.
    Nikon 70-200mm F2.8E @ 70mm | ISO 64 | 1/800 sec | F2.8

    Perhaps the highest praise I can offer for the D850 is that, in more ways than one, it reminds me of Nikon’s flagship D5 with one of the grips lopped off.

    The camera feels incredibly solid. The AF joystick is fantastic. Shutter lag is nonexistent. Autofocus is instant. As with the D5, I repeatedly got the sense that the camera was waiting for me, not the other way around. It offers a ‘transparent’ experience by just getting out of the way and letting me focus on what’s happening in front of me so I don’t miss a photo.

    In more ways than one, the D850 reminds me of the flagship D5.

    And that’s exactly what I needed as the first kayaker came around the bend. I initiated autofocus and let the camera’s 3D Tracking do its thing as I constantly zoomed and adjusted my composition, with the kayaker moving unpredictably through the scene in front of me and the camera motoring away at seven frames per second.

    Want to know what brand the kayak is? Just zoom in to 100%. Out-of-camera JPEG.
    Nikon 70-200mm F2.8E @ 70mm | ISO 125 | 1/2500 sec | F4

    The fact that the D850 behaves this way, in that it is capable of churning out accurately focused 46MP files of fast-moving subjects, makes it unique. It’s true that Sony’s a99 Mark II shoots 42MP files at a speedier 12fps, but that camera wasn’t our best autofocus performer, and the user interface and SD-only recording media make it a slower camera than the D850 in most other respects.

    So in the D850, you basically have a sports camera that you could turn around and make wall-sized gallery prints with in a heartbeat. If that doesn’t meet your definition of ‘well-rounded,’ I don’t know what will.

    This man seems comfortable with his life choices. Out-of-camera JPEG.
    Nikon 70-200mm F2.8E @ 70mm | ISO 125 | 1/2500 sec | F4

    Good at every ISO

    As I was heading to the airport outside of Bend, I was looking forward to my evening. I had a short flight back to Seattle, and enough time to get from Seatac Airport to a friend’s wedding ceremony on the shores of Puget Sound. Then I checked in, and saw my flight was delayed by 45 minutes.

    Heavy sigh. Heavy stress.

    By the time I hopped out of my cab in West Seattle minutes before the ceremony was set to start, the sun had already dropped low in the sky. I hastily introduced myself to the family members I hadn’t yet met, apologized profusely for my tardiness and gave the happy couple a couple of hugs. Time to start taking pictures.

    Image processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw, exposed for the highlights with shadows lifted. With a Nikon D5, Canon EOS-1D X Mark II or Sony a9, this processing would result in a much noisier image.
    Nikon 24-120mm F4 @ 24mm | ISO 64 | 1/160 sec | F8

    In many ways, peak action and wedding photography place similar demands on both photographer and camera. You’re constantly on the lookout for fleeting moments, and the camera has to be able to respond when you do.

    But dedicated sports cameras often come with compromises, such as lower resolution and lower dynamic range. It’s not uncommon to see wedding shooters with one ‘speed’ body and one ‘resolution’ body. With the D850, I’m not sure that’s going to be necessary anymore.

    Out-of-camera JPEG.
    Nikon 24-120mm F4 @ 46mm | ISO 900 | 1/200 sec | F4

    Even without a boost from the battery grip, the burst rate is more than sufficient. As when shooting white water kayaking, I never once found myself waiting for the camera during the ceremony. I knew that images at lower ISO values would have lots of editing latitude, but I was also pleasantly surprised at the quality of higher ISO shots when the sun set behind the clouds.

    You can dramatically change an image’s composition while still maintaining a good amount of resolution.

    The biggest downside for using the D850 for weddings, so far as I can see it, is just that the average client might not need 46MP for every single image. It burdens the photographer in terms of storage space, and honestly burdens the clients if they’re not going to be printing anything bigger than an 11×14. (Even high-quality JPEG files out of the camera weigh in at 20-30MB).

    The camera’s smaller Raw file options might help this somewhat, but we’re still testing to see if there will be any dynamic range or other image quality penalty involved. But on the flip side, there’s no avoiding the freedom you’ll feel when cropping tightly on such a high-res image. You can dramatically change an image’s composition while still maintaining a good amount of amount of resolution, which is pretty powerful.

    In the wild. Out-of-camera JPEG.
    Nikon 24-120mm F4 @ 110mm | ISO 1400 | 1/500 sec | F4

    Should I buy it?

    No camera is perfect.

    I’m not a big video shooter for freelance work, but I love a tilting screen to get some unique angles for stills, and while Nikon’s live view autofocus is accurate, it certainly isn’t fast. Forget about shooting moving subjects if you’re not in a position to have your eye to the finder.

    Commitment.
    Nikon 35mm F1.8G | ISO 400 | 1/160 sec | F4

    Beyond that, Snapbridge (Nikon’s term for a suite of features including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for downloading images) has improved, but still isn’t exactly refined. The initial connection process was quick and easy, but I couldn’t reconnect again until after I had both my phone and the camera ‘forget’ each other, and start all over again.

    For the last year or so, I’ve been wrestling with the issue of whether or not to upgrade. For what I shoot, which is mostly weddings and events, the D850 certainly has a lot to offer. The files are awfully big, but downsizing them will just make for very sharp lower megapixel options.

    Nikon seems to have thrown just about everything they’ve got into the D850, and it sits at a very reasonable price point for all that it is capable of. At first glance, it may not be the most exciting camera for the average consumer; it certainly isn’t flashy, nor is it petite.

    Out-of-camera JPEG.
    Nikon 35mm F1.8G | ISO 3200 | 1/320 sec | F1.8

    But for seasoned photographers shooting a variety of subjects, the D850 is a formidable option.

    For landscape shooters, you have the current low ISO benchmark at ISO 64, meaning the D850 should be able to match some medium format digital cameras in terms of dynamic range. For wedding and event shooters, you have all the speed you need, but with tons more resolution than may be used to – this could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your style. For those that love manual focus lenses, you get Nikon’s biggest-ever viewfinder on a DSLR. And for wildlife enthusiasts, you get the benefits of the latest sensor tech with plenty of resolution for cropping, as well as excellent autofocus tracking and coverage, even with low light levels.

    In all, the D850 offers excellent autofocus performance, incredible resolution, expansive dynamic range and a capable burst speed. Unless you find yourself shooting run-and-gun video on the regular, the D850 is worth a look.

    Sample gallery

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    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • $80,000 vs $3,000: Arri Alexa vs Canon 80D video shootout

    These days, capturing professional-looking video no longer requires Hollywood-sized budgets. But does that mean that there’s no longer much advantage to Hollywood-quality gear? Let’s find out. Gene of the YouTube channel Potato Jet pegged his Canon 80D setup against an Arri Alexa setup that costs upwards of $ 80,000 and filmed several scenes with both cameras rigged up side-by-side.

    Unlike his previous (very popuplar) iPhone 7 vs Arri Alexa video, this one is a bit more of a fair fight—the sensor area used to shoot most formats on the Arri is much closer in size to the 80D sensor than the iPhone, and one of the cameras isn’t a freaking smartphone.

    Of course, the difference between the footage is still immediately obvious—who would have guessed an $ 80K setup would shoot better footage than a $ 3,000 setup?—but the side-by-side comparison is fun and interesting to watch all the same. That’s because Gene doesn’t just point out the differences in the dynamic range and quality of the video from the two cameras, he outlines the pros and cons of using a small light-weight DSLR like the 80D vs a cinematic powerhouse like the Arri Alexa.

    Check out the full comparison for yourself up top, and if you want to see more from Gene or consider yourself an amateur filmmaker, definitely subscribe to Potato Jet.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Your Wacom tablet won’t work with macOS High Sierra until ‘late October’

    Photo by Damian Patkowski

    Apple’s newest macOS operating system, macOS High Sierra, launched today. But if you use a Wacom tablet to do your photo editing, you’ll want to hold off on hitting the upgrade button. It seems Wacom tablets won’t work with High Sierra until the end of October.

    The disappointing news was broadcast in a tweet published by the main Wacom Twitter account that read, “We will release a Driver update late October for 10.13 High Sierra. The current driver is not compatible.” If you click on the more info link offered in that tweet, you get this slightly more detailed explanation:

    Apple has announced 10.13 High Sierra will be released September 25th. Wacom is currently working on a new driver update to support the new operating system. The new Wacom driver will be ready by late October at the latest. Due to nature of the changes in High Sierra, the existing Wacom driver for 10.12 will not work. To continue to use your tablet uninterrupted, Wacom suggests not to upgrade to 10.13 until the new driver is released.

    The news is particularly disappointing given that Apple announced High Sierra months ago, and gave developers access to that beta the very same day. And based on the wording of the announcement, the old driver won’t work at all, so upgrading to macOS High Sierra will leave you Wacom-less for at least a couple of weeks—if you rely on a Wacom tablet for your work, you’ll just have to wait.

    Keep an eye on this link to know the instant Wacom releases their overdue macOS High Sierra driver.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Calumet UK and Wex Photographic will officially merge tomorrow

    Two of the biggest photography retailers in the UK are going to officially merge tomorrow. This marks the culmination of a process that was set in motion way back in March when Calumet owner (and former Bowens owner) Aurelius bought Wex Photographic and announced that the Calumet competitor would merge with its former adversary.

    If you visit the Calumet UK website today, you’re greeted by the following message:

    “From 26 September, Calumet Photographic Limited UK will be merging with Wex Photographic, offering an improved experience and wider range of products to photographers across the UK,” reads the statement. “Later this week, this website will be closed and moved to www.wexphotographic.com.”

    The statement goes on to assure Calumet customers that there will be “minimal disruption” to service, and any outstanding pre-orders, back-orders, or vouchers will be honored under the new brand.

    For more information about the merger and how it will (or won’t) affect customers, you can visit this FAQ page on the Wex Photographic website.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Master drone pilot captures video while flying around, inside, and under a moving train

    Absolutely, positively never try this yourself. By all accounts, this flight was highly illegal and DPReview in no way condones this activity.

    If you’re at all plugged into the world of drone news, you’ve probably seen this video floating around the past week. Captured by master First Person View (FPV) drone pilot Paul Nurkkala, it shows his “flight of the year” in which he flies around, inside, onto, and under a moving train… barrel rolls included.

    Nurkkala captured the video using his custom built drone, which is equipped with a GoPro Hero5 Session and piloted from afar using special FPV goggles.

    The video has split the internet into two predictably conflicted camps. The first thinks it’s just the coolest footage to ever come out of a drone, because Nurkkala is clearly such a talented pilot. The second is infuriated that he would do something so obviously illegal, post the results online, and receive so much praise and adulation (and so many views… at last count his 5-day old YouTube video had accrued nearly 850,000 views).

    No judgement if you find yourself both entertained and a little bit annoyed/angry while watching the video.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • iZugar launches 220-degree super fisheye lens for Micro Four Thirds

    Hong Kong-based company iZugar has just launched a pretty quirky, intense little lens.Called the MKX22, it’s a 3.25mm F2.5 super fisheye lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras that offers a whopping 220-degree angle of view.

    This fisheye lens is said to offer “edge-to-edge sharpness” with suitability for 4K video recording, a 0.6m minimum focusing distance, fully circular 10mm design, and extra-slim build for better parallax control, according to iZugar. All of that in addition to that 220-degree angle of view that can more-or-less see behind itself.

    The lens recently appeared for sale on iZugar’s website, where the company explains that the MKX22 can be used with the ZCam E1 – iZugar Custom Edition, Blackmagic Micro Studio 4K, Sony A7R2, Panasonic GX80, and similar cameras. For reference, the company offers a full reference guide showing FOV for these cameras at various resolutions.

    The lens is available from iZugar now for $ 500.

    Lens Specifications:

    • Model: iZugar MKX-22
    • Format: 10mm full circular
    • Mount: Micro Four Thirds mount (MFT)
    • 35mm Equivalent Focal Length: 3.25mm
    • Aperture: f/2.5 (fixed)
    • Minimum Focusing Distance: 0.6m
    • Lens Groups/Elements: 10/11
    • Angle of View (MFT-4k): 220 x 150

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)