360Photography

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  • Venus Optics to launch ‘world’s widest F2.8 rectilinear lens’

    Chinese optical manufacturer Anhui ChangGeng Optical Technology Company Limited, or Venus Optics, is preparing to introduce a 12mm lens that it claims will be the world’s widest F2.8 lens with fully corrected distortion. Going under the Laowa brand name the lens will be called Laowa 12mm F2.8 Zero-D and will be officially announced on July 30th via a Kickstarter campaign.

    Venus Optics says that the lens has almost no distortion, hence the ‘Zero-D’ in the name, and has loaned a test unit to a blogger Nicky Bay who has a preview with images on his website. The lens will be manual focus only, will feature an aperture range of F2.8 to F22 and is due to have a seven-bladed iris with clicking stops. The company is also said to be launching a Magic Shift adapter, according to Bay, that allows +/-10mm of shift while converting the lens to a 17mm focal length. The converter will be for Sony E-mount users only.

    Specification published on the Laowa Facebook page.

    Of course, this isn’t the world’s first rectilinear 12mm with a fast aperture, as F2 and F1.4 12mm lenses exist for the Micro Four Thirds system, and there are Zeiss F2.8 and F2 Samyang 12mm lenses for APS-C sensors, but this lens is designed for full-frame cameras.

    The lens, which will be made in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony A, Sony E and Pentax K mounts, is expected to retail at $ 949, but supporters of the Kickstarter campaign will be able to get one from $ 649. The Magic Shift will cost $ 300 and a square filter adapter will be $ 50.

    For more information on Venus Optics see the company website. 

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Leica introduces silver version of the APO-SUMMICRON-M 50mm F2 ASPH

    German camera manufacturer Leica has announced that it is to introduce a version of its premium f/2 standard lens for the M system finished in anodised silver. Until now the lens, which was first announced in 2012, has only been available in a black finish. Leica claims this manual focus 50mm is the best quality lens it produces for the M system, which perhaps goes some way to explaining its $ 7795/£5600 price tag.

    The new silver version of the lens however will cost a little extra, at $ 7995/£5900.

    The lens is classed in the company’s ‘fast and compact’ series, and uses eight elements in five groups including three APO elements and two that have what the company describes as a ‘high refractive index’. The lens weighs 10.58oz/300g and measures 1.85in/47mm in length and 2.09in/53mm in diameter.

    The new silver APO-SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 ASPH will be available at the end of the month. For more information visit the Leica website.

    Press release

    LEICA APO-SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2 ASPH.

    Sharpest ever standard lens now available in silver anodised finish

    Leica Camera has today announced that the APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH. is now available in a silver anodised version. Thanks to its meticulous optical design, high quality materials, and sophisticated manufacturing and finishing process, this high-performance lens is considered to be the reference lens among standard focal lengths.

    With its combination of exceptional sharpness and imaging performance that captures and resolves even the finest details, the APO-Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 ASPH. is characterised by extremely high contrast rendition from corner to corner of the image – at maximum aperture and throughout the aperture range. The use of a floating element in its design ensures that this is also maintained at close shooting distances.

    Eight lens elements are employed to achieve this outstanding optical performance. Three of the lenses are made from glass types with anomalous partial dispersion or apochromatic correction, and two have a high refractive index. The specially-formulated glass employed is based on original developments from the former Leitz glass laboratory, and the use of this particular glass requires extensive effort and many years of experience. Thanks to continuous advancements in optical technology, processes have since been refined and perfected to achieve the best possible image quality.

    As with all other Leica lenses, the Leica APO-Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 ASPH. was designed and developed by Leica specialists in Wetzlar and represents the perfect combination of optical and technical expertise. Exceptionally reliable with enduring value, and with the ‘Made in Germany’ quality guarantee, the lens is manufactured from the finest materials and is meticulously assembled by hand. This combination of cutting-edge technology and precise manufacturing procedures ensures consistent excellence at all times.

    Pricing and availability

    The Leica APO-Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 ASPH. (silver anodised) is scheduled to be available at the end of July 2016 at a suggested retail price of £5,900 including VAT.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Adobe ACR 9.6.1 update supports Fujifilm X-T2

    Adobe has updated its Camera Raw application to make it compatible with Raw files created by Fujifilm’s new X-T2 camera. The latest version, 9.6.1, also fixes some reported bugs that prevented the opening of uncompressed DNG files that had been converted from Fuji X-E2 RAF format files, and an issue that meant panoramas couldn’t be created from two HDR DNG images.

    This version of Camera Raw, and the fixes that it brings, are available now to users of Photoshop CC and the Creative Cloud application.

    For more information and to download the update see the Adobe Lightroom Journal blog.

    Manufacturer information:

    Camera Raw 9.6.1 now available

    Camera Raw 9.6.1 is now available through the update mechanism in Photoshop CC and the Creative Cloud application. Our focus with this release was to fix reported customer issues.

    Thank you for all your feedback and passion for Camera Raw.

    Bugs Fixed in Camera Raw 9.6.1

    • Uncompressed DNGs files converted from Fuji X-E2 RAF source images were are unable to be read
    • Errors that preventing customers from creating a panorama from two HDR DNG source images.

    New Camera Support in Camera Raw 9.6.1

    • Fujifilm XT-2

    Installation Instructions

    Please select Help>Updates to install the update. See Keeping Photoshop & Camera Raw up-to-date.

    Please note – If you have trouble updating to the latest ACR update via the Creative Cloud application, please refer to the following plugin installation:

    http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/camera-raw-plug-in-installer.html

    DNG Converter Links: Win | Mac

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Branco Ottico creates world’s biggest contact print at 24 square meters

    Do you lie awake at night wondering how big the world’s largest contact print is? Wonder no more. It turns out Branco Ottico, an Italian photography group, created the largest contact print in the world during Phototrace Florence in September 2015. The project involved a 24 square meter (about 258 square feet) photo negative stitched onto an equally large sheet of canvas, and enlisted the help of strangers who placed their hands on the print for the nearly 13-minute exposure.

    Their efforts resulted in a successful – and massive – cyanotype print. According to the group’s website, the print now holds a Guinness World Record. The whole process has been documented in the newly published video below. Additional photos of the project are available on the group’s Instagram.

    Via: PetaPixel

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Flickr ownership changes hands as Verizon acquires Yahoo

    Telecomm giant Verizon will acquire Yahoo and its web properties, including Flickr and photo blogging site Tumblr, for $ 4.83 billion. It seemed possible that Yahoo might sell its photo-sharing sites separately, as the company announced in March that it was accepting bids for its web properties. Today’s announcement confirms that both Flickr and Tumblr will remain a part of Yahoo as it changes hands to Verizon.

    Verizon owns AOL and Huffington Post, a point that Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer spins as a positive for her company’s outlook. In a statement published on Yahoo today, Mayer emphasized that joining forces with AOL could help strengthen Yahoo’s mobile offerings.

    Regulators must approve the sale before it can be finalized, which is expected to be early next year.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Nikon D500 versus D750: Which one is right for you?

    Nikon D500 versus D750: Which one is right for you?

    The Nikon D500 and D750 scored 91% and 90% respectively when we reviewed them. They both received gold awards. They’re about the same size, pretty much the same weight and currently, they both cost about the same amount of money, too. So if you’re a Nikon shooter looking to upgrade your camera, which one is right for you?

    Join us, as we take a look at the main differences between the D500 and D750.

    Sensor size

    The largest difference – no pun intended – between the Nikon D750 and the D500 is in terms of sensor size. There’s a small disparity in resolution (the D750 offers 24MP whereas the D500 lags a little, at 21MP) but more significant is the fact that the D750’s sensor is full-frame. The D500, by contrast, is built around a smaller, DX format (APS-C) sensor, which introduces a 1.5X crop factor, meaning that a 50mm lens on the D500 offers a field of view equivalent to a 75mm lens on the D750.

    Leaving aside the effect of the crop factor, typically, we’d expect full-frame sensors to offer better image quality in poor light, at high ISO sensitivity settings, and broader dynamic range, compared to APS-C and smaller sensors. The D500’s sensor is very good, but physics is physics, and at any given ISO sensitivity, the D750′ noise performance is about one stop better than the D500.

    In terms of dynamic range, the D750 offers around 0.8EV more dynamic range at base ISO than the D500, which might not seem like a lot, but it’s enough to make a difference in some shooting scenarios (like the scene above, which was exposed in Raw mode for highlights, with shadows and mid-tones brightened in post). On the flip side, the D500 provides an electronic first curtain shutter option, which allows landscape photographers to ensure vibration-free images – something that can be a challenge with the D750. 

    Verdict: Both cameras offer excellent image quality, but if you need the extra dynamic range, the D750 is the best choice.

    Crop factor

    We’ve already mentioned the crop factor inherent to shooting with the DX-format D500, but there are other consequences of the smaller sensor. For one thing, it’s slightly harder to achieve shallow depth of field with APS-C sensors compared to full frame (you would need a 16mm F1.2 lens to achieve the same DoF as Rishi’s 24mm F1.8 FF shot above).

    This is because an F1.4 lens on APS-C is equivalent in DoF terms to an F2.1 lens on full-frame (and so on – F2.8 becomes equivalent to F4.2, F4 becomes equivalent to F6…). This might not matter much in everyday shooting, but if you’re a fan of very shallow depth of field portraiture, the effect is both easier and cheaper to achieve on full-frame, if you consider the typical price (and size) difference between F1.4 primes and F1.8 equivalents. 

    This is the reason why lens manufacturer Sigma introduced its 18-35mm and 50-100mm F1.8 zoom lenses – they’re intended to provide a fast maximum aperture for APS-C users equivalent to the unofficial professional standard F2.8 on full-frame. 

    There is a plus side to shooting on a DX-format camera though – the 1.5X increase in effective focal length is very handy for telephoto shooting. 

    Verdict: If you need shallow DoF, go for the D750, if you want extra reach, the D500 is a better choice.

    Lens choice (part 2)

    Still on the topic of lenses, another thing to consider when weighing the D500 against the D750 is the fact that lenses designed specifically for the smaller APS-C format of the D500 won’t work very well on full-frame. Nikon’s DX and FX lens ranges are technically cross-compatible with all FX and DX format Nikon DSLRs, but most DX lenses vignette heavily on full-frame, greatly reducing the usable image area.

    Also bear in mind that Nikon has a considerably better developed range of FX lenses than DX, and we strongly suspect that this won’t change any time soon. As such, given that FX lenses can be used without any technical limitations on DX, if you’re inclined towards the D500, you might still be better off investing in FX lenses – especially if you think you might move up to full-frame in future. The downside is that you might start off with some weird equivalent focal lengths (i.e., a 24-70mm will behave like a 36-105mm).

    Verdict: We’re calling this one a draw.

    Speed

    When it comes to speed, the D500 is a clear winner. In many respects a scaled-down D5, the D500 is significantly faster than the D750 and much better equipped to cope with the demands of action photography. A maximum frame rate of 10fps and seemingly infinite buffer (200 Raws) leaves the D750 in the dust.

    It’s not just about frame rate though. The D500 (pictured above) can also accept faster XQD memory cards, capable of data transfer rates up to 8 Gbit/s.

     A USB 3.0 interface and 1/8000sec maximum shutter speed (compared to USB 2.0 and 1/4000 respectively) cement the D500’s action-shooting credentials.

    Verdict: D500 wins, by a mile.

    Autofocus

    It’s a similar story with autofocus. While the D750’s 51-point AF system is extremely capable, and more than a match for pretty much any competitor in the sub-pro full-frame market segment (including the D810), the D500’s AF system is in a different league.

    The D500’s AF system features 153 AF points, of which 99 are cross-type. Of this total of 153, 55 points can be manually selected, and the center point is sensitive down to -4EV. The D500’s smaller sensor actually benefits its AF system, because it means that frame coverage is much broader than the D750 (and any other Nikon full-frame DSLR).

    Combine an AF array that covers almost the entire imaging area with a huge degree of AF customization and 3D AF tracking (the D500’s 180,000-pixel RGB metering sensor significantly boosts the performance of an already market-leading system) and you get an autofocus powerhouse.

    Verdit: D500 wins.

    Video

    On paper, the D500 roundly beats the D750 in terms of video specification, thanks to the addition of 4K video – a feature that Nikon only offers on two DSLRs (the other being the flagship D5). But as good as the D500’s 4K output is, using this mode does come with one big limitation.

    In 4K video mode, the D500’s crop factor increases from 1.5X to 2.25X. This is pretty limiting when shooting anything that requires a wide field of view, purely from the standpoint of finding a wide enough lens. Even Nikon’s super-wide 10-24mm DX format zoom becomes an pretty standard 23-55mm equiv. (with a maximum aperture equivalent to F8-10 in depth of field terms). In HD video mode, there’s not much to separate the two cameras. The D500 and D750 offer an extremely similar specification and deliver similar-looking video footage. The addition of a touchscreen on the D500 makes AF point positioning easier, but that’s about it (and bear in mind that AF in video mode is pretty poor on both cameras, so you might find that you don’t make use of this function much anyway), 

    Verdict: If you need 4K, go for the D500 – just make sure you have a wide enough lens.

    Flash

    Nikon is pitching the D500 as a ‘professional’ DSLR, despite its sub full-frame sensor. As such, like the flagship D5, it lacks a built-in flash. This cuts down on weight, and also means a theoretically increased resistance to dust and water incursion. The downside is – well, there’s no built-in flash.

    We actually really like the small built-in flashes on cameras like the D750 and D810, not because they’re particularly useful as flashes, but because they can be used to wirelessly trigger groups of Speedlites off-camera. That’s conventional optical triggering, but unlike the D500, the D750 is not compatible with Nikon’s WR-A10 wireless controller ($ 200), which allows off-camera flashes to be radio triggered (important when line-of-sight won’t cut it).

    Verdict: D750’s built-in flash offers greater versatility (unless you need radio control), at the expense of reduced environmental sealing.

    Ergonomics

    Ergonomics and handling are pretty subjective. One person’s ideal control system might be maddeningly complex to someone else. Some people really like touchscreens, some people can’t see the point of them. Some members of the DPReview editorial team (who shall remain anonymous) actually like Olympus menu systems.

    The point being – ergonomically, which of these two cameras is better depends on your personal preferences. Their basic control layout is extremely similar, but they do feel somewhat different in the hand. Despite its smaller sensor, the D500 is actually the larger, heavier (by more than 100g) of the two cameras. The D750 is surprisingly svelte for a full-frame camera, but the D500 feels like it could be used to bang in a few nails.

    The D500 provides many more options for customization than the D750, available via a dedicated custom settings GUI. This makes it more versatile for a professional moving between different shooting scenarios.

    It also offers a couple of other pretty major features that the D750 doesn’t: a touchscreen, and backlit controls. We’ve found the D500’s touchscreen invaluable for things like AF point positioning in live view (especially from awkward low angles) and backlit controls are a huge benefit if you do a lot of shooting at night. 

    Verdict: D500 offers more. A touchscreen, more customization and backlit buttons.

    Nikon D500 versus D750: Which one is right for you?

    So if you’ve got a couple of thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket, which camera should you buy? 

    The Nikon D750 (above) is one of our favorite DSLRs – ever. Its combination of refined handling, a highly capable autofocus system, a surprisingly small and light body and excellent image quality make it fantastic camera for everyday use. The D750 is one of those cameras that we consistently recommend to friends and family, and for most Nikon photographers, there are very few reasons to spend more on the D810.

    But then along came the D500. It’s an APS-C format camera, but not only is it more ‘pro’ than any previous DX format DSLR from Nikon, but it outperforms most of the company’s full-frame DSLRs, too. The D500 is designed for heavy professional use, with an emphasis on speed and reliability. As we’d expect from a camera that shares so much with the flagship D5, the D500 is a real workhorse, and in many respects (shooting speed, autofocus, video spec, to name just the obvious things) it outmatches the D750, sometimes very significantly.

    The D500 also offers 4K video, of course, but unless you really need it, we wouldn’t recommend deciding between these cameras purely on the basis of this feature. The aggressive 2.25X crop in 4K mode is pretty limiting, apart from anything else. 

    Final verdict

    At the end of the day, if it were our money, we’d probably recommend the D500 over the D750. For a photographer interested in capturing sports or fast-moving action it’s a no-brainer. The sheer speed and focus of the camera, combined with the telephoto-boosting 1.5X crop factor make it a superb tool for this kind of photography. And of course, if you can live with some awkward effective focal lengths, the D500 is fully compatible with all of Nikon’s current lenses. 

    If you’re not a keen sports photographer, you don’t need 4K video, and you don’t mind not having quite the latest and greatest AF system – go for the D750. You won’t be disappointed.

    • Read our full Nikon D500 review
    • Read our full Nikon D750 review

    Want to compare more cameras? Click here

    Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Voyager 4 Drone comes with 16x optical zoom and 4G connectivity

    Most camera drones come equipped with wide-angle lenses. For most use cases this makes sense from an image framing point of view but it also helps keep camera shake at bay. That said, thanks to improved gimbal and stabilization technologies we are now seeing the first consumer drone cameras with optical zoom appear on the market. The recently released Zenmuse Z3, DJI’s first zoom camera, offers a 7x zoom. The new Walkera Voyager 4 drone is now more than doubling the DJI’s zoom range by offering a 16x optical zoom lens that tops out at 1500mm. 

    The camera records 1080p Full HD video, can rotate 360 degrees and is stabilized by a gimbal. Drone and camera can be controlled from up to a mile away via a mobile app using the drone’s built-in Wi-Fi network. In addition the Voyager 4 offers a new 4G connectivity feature which means it can, as long as a mobile network is available, be controlled across much larger distances. 

    Both new features, the 16x zoom and 4G connectivity, won’t help to alleviate the privacy concerns related to drone use, but we will have to wait and see how the new technologies will be used. The Voyager 4 also comes as a 4K version with wide-angle lens. At this time pricing information has not been released. A product video is available on the Walkera website.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Canon EF-M 28mm F3.5 Macro real-world samples

    ‘Get closer’ is photo advice that the Canon EF-M 28mm F3.5 takes to heart. It can achieve focus as close as 9.4cm/3.7in, and brings a couple of built-in LEDs to the party to brighten things up. It’s not perfect, but it’s priced attractively and if you’re a Canon EOS M shooter then we think this little lens is a great way to experiment with macro photography. Read more of our impressions on using it and take a look at a full gallery of samples.

    Canon EF-M 28mm F3.5 Macro IS STM real-world samples

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Real world test: The Panono is a 108MP spherical camera

    ‘Uh, what is that thing?’

    ‘What is that thing?’ That’s the question I was asked pretty much every time I took the Panono out shooting. There is a lot of curiosity surrounding 360/VR content and my week spent fielding questions from curious onlookers as I dipped my toes into a new, more immersive photographic world is proof of that. In fact, only once did someone walk up to me and say “Hey I know what that is, its a 360 VR camera!” And it was a 12 year old child.

    Damn know-it-all kids making us all look bad…

    Yes, it can be tossed in the air to take a picture. 

    So uh, what exactly is it? The Panono is the highest resolution 360-degree still camera currently on the market. A grapefruit-sized ball constructed of tough plastic, the Panono contains 36 separate cameras. Each camera uses a 1/4″ sensor (a bit smaller than the sensor likely found in your smartphone) and when the files are combined, the result is a 108MP 360-degree image that allows one to pan and zoom around the scene. 

    Panono started off as a thesis project, but was later successfully funded via crowd-sourcing campaigns (DPreview field-tested an early version in 2013). Designed in Germany and constructed in Poland, everything about the camera is surprisingly frustration-free and the controls are intuitive. I say ‘surprisingly’ only because Panono is such a new company and good UI often takes time to get right. But once paired with a smart device, taking shots, processing  and sharing them is all a breeze. 

    For optimal viewing, open the 360 in full screen mode. This image was shot using the HDR-setting, which combines a properly-exposed image with one exposed for highlights. 

    The design 

    The Panono only has a single button on the top. Holding it down for a second turns the camera on and off. When it’s switched on, the button can also be used to take images without the need for a smart device. However, for the best user experience, you’ll want to use the app to set up and control the Panono remotely from a phone or tablet. 

    Around the periphery of the Panono’s one and only physical button is a glowing LED. It lights up when the camera is switched on and blinks whenever a photo is taken. If battery or internal space is getting low, part of the LED ring will illuminate red next to the corresponding symbol. While useful in dim conditions, the LED ring is near impossible to see in bright light.

    There is a micro-USB port located at the very bottom of the camera for charging. It doubles as a mounting point for the Panono Adapter (to mount it on a tripod) and the Panono stick (a selfie stick). However when plugged into a computer via Micro-USB, the Panono is not discoverable. 

    The app

    Pairing with a device simply requires turning the Panono on and connecting to it via Wi-Fi. The password to connect is written directly on the side of the unit. Once connected, open up the app. At the bottom of the screen there are five icons. If you’ve properly paired the unit, green lines will appear above the camera icon (which is the shooting screen), indicating you are connected.

    Most of the shooting controls are accessed via the center-most camera icon on the bottom. The app is also used to push images downloaded to your device to the cloud for processing. You can also view your processed 360s. 

    		 Simply tap the green camera button to fire a shot. For more control over the camera’s exposure and color parameters, tap the gear symbol. 

    To take images from within the shooting screen simply tap the green camera button bottom center. By default the camera will beep and blink when a photo is fired (the beep can be turned off). For more controls, tap the gear symbol in the lower right. There you can control a number parameters, like dialing in a white balance or specific exposure. I found the auto exposure and white balance modes largely worked fine for the majority of the places I shot. But it’s nice that those additional manual controls exist.

    There is also a switch to toggle HDR mode on and off. If you’re mainly photographing static subjects, HDR mode is very useful. You can see an example of it on and off below:

    The above image was shot as an HDR file, the one below was not.

    The camera has 16GB of internal storage. Once an image is taken it is stored locally within the camera and a low-resolution un-stitched version of the image will appear within the app’s shooting screen for quick viewing. If you’re please with the preview, simple tap “download from camera,” and the files are transmitted to your device, but only temporarily – more on that in a moment.

    It’s worth noting that if you are shooting a non-HDR image, there is a 10-sec black out time between when a shot has been fired and when an additional shot can be taken. When shooting an HDR image, that time gap is closer to 30 seconds. When the camera is ready to shoot again, the circle around the camera symbol/trigger button will turn from white to green. 

    Once back in the comfort of a proper Wi-Fi connection open the “Task” screen (2nd icon from the right). There you’ll find all your transmitted 360’s. With the tap of a finger you can upload them to the Panono cloud where their servers do all the hard work of stitching and processing – you can simply sit back and make yourself a cocktail. In about 10 minutes, your 360s will appear in your Panono account where you can share them either via a direct link, iframe embed or Facebook/Twitter/Google+. It’s really that easy.

    Go to page 2: Thoughts from the field

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Affinity Photo 1.5 update detailed ahead of autumn release

    Affinity Photo, software maker Serif’s non-destructive photo editing alternative to Photoshop, is set to receive its fifth major update this fall. The company has published a video detailing features arriving in Affinity Photo v1.5 for Mac, saying it expects the same features to be made available in the upcoming Windows version of the software, as well.

    Affinity Photo 1.5 will bring the following features, says Serif:

    • Advanced HDR merge producing full 32-bit linear colour space images
    • An entirely new workspace for tone mapping
    • Focus stacking to bring depth to multiple combined images
    • Batch processing for smoother, faster workflow
    • Macros to record and replay a set of commands
    • An all-new way to edit 360 degree images

    The 1.5 update will be available to existing Affinity Photo customers for free. New customers can get the software with a 20% discount today at $ 39.99/€39.99/£29.99. The price will revert back to its regular $ 49.99/€49.99/£39.99 price starting tomorrow. Windows users can sign up to be alerted when the Windows beta version is available here.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)