360Photography

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  • ‘Camera Master’ Gian Luigi Carminati has been repairing cameras for almost 60 years

    A new short video introduces Gian Luigi Carminati, a 76-year-old technician from Milan, Italy, who has been repairing analog cameras for nearly 60 years. While the documentary is only a touch over two minutes long, it introduces viewers to Carminati’s analog camera collection and his thoughts on photography.

    Carminati, who considers himself a technician rather than a photographer, dabbles in photography himself, describing a particular fondness for old cameras and black-and-white images. The technician has been able to continue running his repair business despite the rise of digital cameras, stating in the video,’When the digital came, it felt like my job was over.’ The documentary was directed by David Drills.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • 2016 DPReview Readers’ Best Shots: Places

    2016 DPReview Readers’ Best Shots: Places

    Photo by Fred Gunnerson

    Every Spring people come from all over to view and photograph the orchards in bloom. It only lasts a few weeks so you have to be ready when the rain stops. The bottom half of the photo is Oregon and the top half is Washington. That’s Mt. Adams in the background.

    Hood River, Oregon, USA

    Picking your favorite image is never an easy task. Nevertheless, our readers were up to the challenge when we asked them to submit their best shots of 2016. We received a huge number of submissions, and it was no small job picking favorites. We didn’t need the reminder, but it underscored just how talented our readership is. Photos were divided into three categories and we settled on a small selection to feature in each.

    The category featured here is ‘Places’. We tried to include a variety of our favorite landscapes and cityscapes to feature. A huge thanks to everyone that participated and gave us a chance to see your work! You can find all of the submitted images here, here and here.

    2016 DPReview Readers’ Best Shots: Places

    Photo by Michele Palazzo

    New York City’s iconic Flatiron building emerges from the blizzard like the bow of a giant ship plowing through the wind and the snow. Taken during the historic coastal storm “Jonas” on January 23rd, 2016. Shot January 23rd, 2016 in New York City with a Ricoh GR.

    New York City, NY, USA

    2016 DPReview Readers’ Best Shots: Places

    Photo by Hans Kruse

    Morning sun at the Quiraing on Isle of Skye shot during a photo workshop I was leading on Isle of Skye, Scotland in September 2016.

    Isle of Skye, Scotland

    2016 DPReview Readers’ Best Shots: Places

    Photo by George Fowler

    This picture was taken a few weeks ago in Shiobara, an area about two and a half hours north of Tokyo in the countryside. The fall colors were at their peak and the footbridge across the small river was absent of any people.

    Shiobara, Japan

    2016 DPReview Readers’ Best Shots: Places

    Photo by Mike Sandman

    Designed by the architect Frank Gehry, inspired perhaps by an Escher woodcut. Magnetically attractive to the eye, but the roof leaks.

    Stata Center, MIT, Cambridge, Mass. USA 

    2016 DPReview Readers’ Best Shots: Places

    Photo by Derek Dammann

    An early spring dawn breaks at the Dark Hedges in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

    County Antrim, Northern Ireland

    2016 DPReview Readers’ Best Shots: Places

    Photo by Morten Smedsrud

    Sunrise over the Troll Wall from Store Trolltind, the highest peak in the Trolltindene mountain ridge, Romsdal Norway.

    Romsdal, Norway

    2016 DPReview Readers’ Best Shots: Places

    Photo by Peter Alessandria

    Photo of Harvest Full Moon (Oct 2016) rising behind the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. This shot was planned weeks in advance to align the trajectory of the moon with Lady Liberty.

    Statue of Liberty, New York, NY, USA

    2016 DPReview Readers’ Best Shots: Places

    Photo by Maurice J Byatt

    Crater Lake National Park, OR, USA

    2016 DPReview Reader’s Best Shots: Places

    Photo by Damjan Sirca

    Taken on 28/10/16 in Yosemite valley – a bad weather forecast is not always bad news.

    Yosemite Valley, CA, USA

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • iPhone 7 Plus owners report overheating and black screen camera issues

    Some iPhone 7 Plus owners are reporting camera issues including streaks of color on images, a completely black screen instead of an image preview, and a warning that the iPhone needs to cool down before the camera can be used (despite no signs of overheating). Some affected owners state Apple replaced their iPhone or, in some cases, just the camera module.

    Reports of these issues can be found on social media sites and Reddit, where they date back several weeks. The issues appear to be hardware related, as they’ve persisted despite recent iOS updates. Affected users should take their iPhone to an Apple Store for servicing or replacement. It doesn’t appear any official workarounds have been provided.

    Via: TechTimes

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • GearEye is an RFID-based gear management system

    A new Kickstarter campaign is looking to fund further development and production of the GearEye gear management system. GearEye uses inexpensive, battery-free adhesive RFID tags, which are attached to all your equipment. This enables photographers to make sure that they’ve got everything that they need in their gear bag when going to a shoot and that they don’t leave anything behind when returning home.

    The GearEye RFID reader comes in two form-factors, either as a stand-alone device, which you leave in your bag, or a phone-cover that doubles as charger. Once your items have been tagged and the reader is in place everything in your bag can be accounted for via a single tap in the GearEye smartphone app. If something is missing the system also helps you locate it within its range.

    Additionally you can organize your equipment into customized lists. This way you can make sure to only bring the equipment you need for a specific type of photo shoot and leave unnecessary items at home, thus minimizing the weight of your bag. For this purpose the app tells you if there is anything in your bag which you won’t need. 

    GearEye has been created with photographers in mind, but of course would work with any other type of equipment or tools as well. The project has already passed its funding goal, so if all goes well the first units should be delivered in July 2017. Until tomorrow you can still secure a GearEye standard pack by pledging $ 129. This gets you a GearEye dongle or phone case and 20 RFID tags. Larger packages are available for those who need to tag more items. More information is available on the GearEye Kickstarter page and in the video below.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Rokinon 20mm F1.8 and Cine DS 20mm T1.9 Full Frame Super Wide Angle lenses now available

    Rokinon has announced the launch of its new Rokinon Digital Photo 20mm F1.8 and Cine DS 20mm T1.9 Full Frame Super Wide Angle lenses. Both lenses are made from high-strength aluminum alloy and feature a super-wide 94.8-degree view, a non-rotating 77mm filter mount, Rokinon’s Ultra Multi-Coating, and a quiet, smooth focusing control.

    These prime lenses, say Rokinon, offer both fast aperture and ‘the full frame perspective of 20mm,’ offering a solution that falls between the maker’s similar 14mm and 24mm models. These 20mm lenses have a 7.9in / 0.20m minimum focusing distance, 13 elements in 12 groups, three extra-low dispersion elements, and a pair of aspherical elements.

    In addition to the ‘common’ features shared between the lenses, the Cine DS lens features geared aperture and controls, a de-clicked aperture control ring, and dual right/left side distance and t-stop scales. 

    The Digital Photo lens is available for Canon, Nikon AE, Sony E, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax K, and Fuji X mounts (MSRP $ 599), while the Cine DS lens ($ 799 on B&H Photo) is available for Canon, Nikon, Sony E, and Micro Four Thirds mounts.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Yi 4K+ action camera and Carbon Fiber Drone announced ahead of CES 2017 debut

    Chinese company YI Technology, maker of the Yi Action Camera, and the YI M1, which we reviewed earlier this year, has announced the YI 4K+, an update to the company’s previous YI 4K model. This is the third action camera in YI Technology’s lineup, and it improves upon the previous model with 4K recording at 60fps rather than 30fps. Yi plans to unveil the camera at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017 next month.

    In addition to the YI 4K+ unveiling, YI Technology also plans to demonstrate its YI Erida smart drone at CES, marking the model’s first demonstration in the U.S.

    The YI Erida is described as a full-carbon ‘smart drone’ with a three-rotor design and support for the Yi 4K action camera. This drone has a top speed up to 75MPH and flight time rated up to 40 minutes per charge.

    Via: BusinessWire

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Rendered images show upcoming LG G6 with dual-cam

    Image: @OnLeaks

    It seems dual-camera technology is quickly establishing itself as standard on high-end smartphones. LG is expected to launch the G6 at or around the Mobile World Congress at the the end of February 2017 and today a series of rendered images confirms that, like its predecessor G5 and the V20, the new model will feature a dual-camera. However, the G6 will not come with the G5’s modular construction, which means users of the device will probably have to make do without the camera grip extension that was available for the G5.

    Given the visual differences between the two camera lenses, it is fair to assume the G6 dual-cam will offer two different focal lengths, like the G5, rather than adopt an image merging approach to improve image quality like some Huawei devices. Display size remains at 5.3″ and there is also a fingerprint reader, headphone-jack and USB Type-C connector. 

    The images also show a more modern and elegant unibody design, which hopefully will make the G6 more of a commercial success than its predecessor. We quite liked the performance of the LG G5 dual-camera in our full review, but overall the device only received lukewarm reviews and could not meet expectations in the marketplace. As usual, this kind of leaked information should be taken with a pinch of salt, but the source tends to be very reliable. We should find out more in about three months time.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Brides Magazine suggests professional photographers use ‘Cannon or Nikon’ cameras

    An article recently published in Brides magazine offered soon-to-be newlyweds some questionable advice on how to find a professional wedding photographer. Though it has since been edited, the original version of ‘Essential Questions You Need to Ask Your Wedding Photographer’ included a paragraph suggesting consumers should only hire a photographer who uses a ‘Cannon [sic] or Nikon’ camera.

    The article aims to provide advice on choosing a professional wedding photographer, however, it previously contained the following paragraph regarding questions the client should ask a prospective photographer:

    What kind of equipment do you use?

    “They should say either Cannon [sic] or Nikon, which are the most readily available professional cameras available,” says Tiffani. “However, there are professional and amateur cameras in both brands. A professional camera should be a ‘full format’ camera. This will ensure that you can print large-scale prints easily.”

    Brides has since updated the article without an editor’s note to simply read, “Ideally, your photographer would use a readily available professional camera, Matsuura advises.” 

    Via: PetaPixel

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Throwback Thursday: Apple QuickTake cameras, pioneers of consumer digital photography

    Apple QuickTake 100. Photo by Carl Berkeley

    While Apple Inc. is known for being a pioneer in the world of computers and smartphones, it also produced some of the first consumer digital cameras. The QuickTake 100, built by Kodak and priced at $ 750, had a unique binocular-like design and captured images at a whopping 640 x 480. It wasn’t designed for a day of shooting. In fact, the internal memory filled up after just eight shots. An RS-232C port was used to transfer photos (in QuickTake or PICT format) to your Mac.

    Apple QuickTake 100. Photo by Carl Berkeley

    The QuickTake 100 had a fixed 50mm equivalent F2 lens, an optical viewfinder and an LCD info display on which to adjust settings. As you can see, there was no way to review photos on the camera – you needed a computer for that.

    The successor to the 100 – the QuickTake 150 – came about 15 months later. This model, priced at about $ 700, looked identical to its predecessor, but offered twice the storage and support for more image formats (even PCX, for those who remember it). It included a macro conversion lens and also supported Windows PCs. Not wanting to leave original QT 100 owners out in the cold, Apple released a firmware update that essentially converted it into a QT 150.

    QuickTake 200. Photo by Jared C. Benedict.

    Apple and Kodak parted ways after the QuickTake 150, with 1997’s follow-up, the QuickTake 200, being built by Fujifilm. In fact, Fujifilm sold a nearly identical camera itself – the DS-7. The QuickTake 200 had a more traditional design and had a 48mm equivalent F2.2 lens. 

    QuickTake 200. Photo by Jared C. Benedict.

    By far the most important addition to the QT200 was a 1.8″ LCD display. Finally, there was a way to preview and review your photos without having to get out a serial cable. For those seeking an optical viewfinder, Apple included one which you could clip onto the camera. Other new features on the QuickTake 200 were a mode dial, limited aperture and focus adjustment, and a SmartMedia card slot.

    While they were some of the first consumer digital cameras, the QuickTake cameras didn’t take off as the ‘big names’ got into the business. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the QuickTakes, along with the LaserWriter and ahead-of-its-time Newton PDA were unceremoniously killed off.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Gear of the year: Allison’s choice – Fujifilm Instax mini 90

    Let’s get a few things out of the way first: yes, the Fujifilm Instax mini 90 is a three-year-old camera. No, it is not a digital camera. Yes, it was my favorite camera of the year. Now let’s proceed.

    I bought the Instax mini 90 in March, but I spent almost two years up until then talking myself out of buying one. It was hard to justify the expense to myself. I have access to many nice digital cameras, and I always have a phone on hand, why buy a little plastic film camera that costs about a dollar per exposure? I put it to the back of my mind, but a little pang of jealousy struck every time I saw someone else carrying one. 

    The mini 90 isn’t my first instant camera. I bought a Polaroid at Best Buy during college, which must have been during the very last days that anyone could buy a Polaroid at Best Buy. It was sort of cumbersome and it definitely wasn’t cool-looking, but there was something about it that got everyone excited about when I brought it out. I took plenty of snapshots of friends, but eventually ran out of film and didn’t buy more. Now it sits in a drawer at my parents’ house.

    One of many ridiculous baseball game instant photos taken this year.

    It was spring when I finally realized I should just buy the mini 90. After that, it was with me for pretty much every milestone event of the year. It was there when my sister visited and we went to one of the first baseball games of the season. I brought it to North Carolina where my boyfriend and I caught up with friends and met their babies. It came along to a tennis tournament with my family, when friends visited and to more baseball games than I want to admit to attending.

    I can easily retrace my year in instant photos because they’re arranged on the wall by my desk. For every photo that made the wall, though, there were a lot of terrible photos – overexposed, underexposed, blurry, group selfies with somebody cut right out of the frame. But I guess I like the trial and error part of the process too. You work within the constraints of the system, learn what works and what doesn’t and gradually get better results. Even a bad instant photo is one that I feel like I actually made, and I learned something from the process. And when they come out looking just right, well that feels pretty good.

    This goofy shot is probably my favorite photo of 2016 and I had a horrendous head cold when it was taken.

    Obviously, one of the main joys of instant photography is that you get something you can hold at the end of the process. I don’t print many photos lately, so having it built into the process by the nature of the thing is kind of a treat in itself.

    And I think that’s one of my favorite things about an instant photo – you can physically give the photo to someone else. You don’t get to text someone a copy, or tag them on Facebook, or email it to them later. I mean, you can snap a picture of it with your phone and do all that, but handing someone a photo that doesn’t exist anywhere else is pretty special. I gave away a lot of photos this year, and by that measure, it was a pretty good year indeed.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)