360Photography

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  • ‘I instinctively felt I had an extraordinary image’: Ansel Adams on capturing Moonrise over Hernandez

    In newly released footage, legendary landscape photographer Ansel Adams recounts capturing one of his most popular images: Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. 

    Adams’ son Michael recently explained in an interview with Marc Silber of Advancing Your Photography how the events unfolded the day the photo was taken. Riding along with his father, he remembers how Ansel caught sight of the moon rising over the landscape and pulled the car over to take the photo. In the clip above, you’ll hear Michael and Ansel Adams himself explain how the image was created, thanks to some quick thinking when a light meter couldn’t be found. The resulting image is, of course, a classic.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • 20×24 Studio will stop producing Polaroid 20 x 24 film next year

    20 x 24 camera designed and built by Tracy Storer, Operator of Polaroid 20×24 Studio West

    The Polaroid 20 x 24 is facing extinction as the last company producing the large-format instant film, 20×24 Studio, has announced plans to stop production at the end of 2017. 

    The studio and its owner John Reuter originally purchased an original Polaroid 20 x 24 camera from Polaroid after it declared bankruptcy in 2008, as well as hundreds of cases of existing film for it. The company sought to keep the format alive by producing its own iteration of the cameras and film, but a lack of demand and other issues have forced it to abandon that dream.

    In a statement posted on 20×24 Studio’s website, Mr. Reuter said:

    “Our hope now is that we can work on some great projects with many of our legacy clients as well as new artists who have yet to experience the ultimate in instant analog image making. Our original business plan was for five years with the inventory purchased and for a variety of reasons we have not worked through the material. Instant film will not last forever and despite storing the film stock in cold storage and mixing the chemical reagent only as needed the studio projects that they can maintain the quality for two more years.”

    Elaborating on this to the New York Times, Mr. Reuter said it would take a massive ‘multimillions’ investment to continue producing the film, something that isn’t feasible for the company given the relative lack of demand. As it stands, the camera itself costs $ 1750 to rent per day and each film exposure costs $ 125. Mr. Reuter anticipates the existing stock being used up by the time 20×24 Studio closes its doors next year.

    Take a look below at the 20×24 camera in action as Douglas Doubler photographs ballet dancer Rachelle di Stasio. 

    Via: New York Times

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • MIT Museum exhibition ‘Images of Discovery’ highlights science photography

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    MIT Museum has opened a photography exhibition called ‘Images of Discovery: Communicating Science through Photography,’ running through January 2017. The exhibition showcases photographs from Berenice Abbott, Felice Frankel and Harold ‘Doc’ Edgerton, all three of whom ‘explored a range of scientific questions’ through their photography while working at the university.

    All three aforementioned photographers spent time working at MIT; Frankel is a research scientist and science photographer in the MIT Center for Materials Science and Engineering; Edgerton was an MIT Professor of Electrical Engineering and is known, among other things, for his Milk Drop photograph; and Abbot worked for MIT in the late 1950s, contributing images for a physics curriculum.

    Speaking about the exhibition, MIT Museum Director John Durant said:

    “Wherever you look in science, you see the historical importance of finding new ways of visualizing things, leading to greater understanding of the world. From Galileo’s use of his own hand-built telescope to explain the movements of the earth and other planets, to the latest imaging technologies in everything from nanotechnology to neuroscience, the making of images remains central to our ability to make new discoveries.”

    The exhibition includes half a dozen ‘Image Making Stations’ that give visitors the opportunity to better understand and make their own similar science photographs. Image Making Stations including ‘Water Drop,’ ‘Capture Movement,’ ‘A Bouncing Ball,’ ‘Water Waves in a Ripple Tank,’ ‘Photographing Ferrofluid,’ and ‘Zoom Scanner.’

    The MIT Museum is located at 265 Massachusetts Ave, Building N51, Cambridge, MA 02139.

    Via: wbur

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Leica expands ‘a la carte’ program to allow customers to customize the M Monochrom

    The Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) shown in cement leather and silver chrome

    Leica has announced that its M Monochrom (Typ 246) will now become part of the company’s ‘a la carte’ program, where photographers can choose a range of custom options to personalize their camera. The M Monochrom has only been available in a discrete black chrome finish until now, with black leather and no traditional Leica red dot in case it attracted unwanted attention. Now that the camera is in the a la carte program a polished silver chrome version will be available as well as black laquer, and the leather finish can be chosen from 10 different colours including shades of red, blue, green and brown.

    The service also allows users to decide if they want the image field selector lever that previews the effects of different focal lengths (it costs more to have it removed), to choose between Gorilla and sapphire glass on the LCD, and a choice of color for the strap to match or complement the color of the body. Users can also request no engraving on the camera’s top plate, or indeed request their own lettering or signature for the top plate and/or the camera’s rear.

    The customization can add over £1000 to the cost of the body on top of a charge of £840 for the service. Leica has created a simulator so that users can choose their options online, and Leica stores will also offer the service. For more information visit the Leica Camera website.

    Press release:

    Made to measure: Leica M Monochrom à la carte

    Leica à la carte programme extended with the addition of the Leica M Monochrom, with silver chrome finish available for the first time

    Leica Camera has today announced that its successful Leica M à la carte camera personalisation programme has been expanded with the addition of the Leica M Monochrom, bringing the entire portfolio of bespoke options to this special digital rangefinder model.

    The Leica M Monochrom, which incorporates a unique black and white sensor, can now be ordered with a multitude of tailored features, including a choice of classic black chrome or black paint body. Furthermore, for the first time and exclusively via the à la carte programme, customers can also select the camera body in a stunning silver chrome finish.

    Among the custom options are a top plate with – or without – the iconic Leica ‘red dot’ logo on the front, and an extensive collection of leather trims, from classic black to subtle shades to rich, eye-catching colours such as khaki, red or deep blue.

    For the ultimate personal touch, the Leica M Monochrom à la carte can be delivered with fine engraving on the top surface and rear of the top plate. Meticulously hand-crafted in Germany, each camera can be transformed into a personal ‘object of desire’ – a unique and unmistakeable example of precision and quality – with the application of its owner’s signature, custom text or special markings.

    An array of high quality camera carrying straps completes the Leica M à la carte portfolio, in colours and materials to match those chosen for the camera’s leather trim.

    Allowing the simulation of all possible variations, and selection of the final combination chosen by the customer, an online configurator is available now on the Leica website at uk.leica-camera.com. Orders for the personalised Leica M Monochrom à la carte camera can be placed via official Leica Stores and Boutiques, where customers are able to view a variety of samples, illustrating the full range of options offered by the programme.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Lights on! White theme extended to forums, now default for new visitors

    You may have already noticed that following a few weeks of tweaking and bug squashing we’ve extended the new ‘light’ theme to the forums and deployed a new unified header that is shared between both dark and light versions of the site. The beta pop-up has been banished from the site and a new permanent ‘Reading Mode’ switch placed at the top right corner of the site.

    Use the ‘Reading mode’ switch (top right of every page) to switch between black and white themes. Your choice is remembered.

    White is the new black

    As of the today the ‘light’ reading mode will be the default. If you want to switch to black and forget this ever happened, go ahead – your choice will be remembered.

    DPR has had the same basic ‘look’ since it launched in 1998, and there’s no doubt that the white-on-black design has always been an instantly recognizable part of our identity – our brand. And we know – because you’ve told us through polls and comments – that many of our regular visitors and forum pros are very happy with the current design and have no appetite for change, hence the decision to offer this as an option, forever.

    If you want to switch to black and forget this ever happened, go ahead – your choice will be remembered.

    But we also know that a large number of our visitors found the old design visually off-putting and hard to read, and a switch to a more conventional ‘black on white’ design has been the single most requested change seen via our feedback system for at least ten years. So we decided to see if we could, in relatively short order, knock together a quick alternative with the emphasis on readability for those that struggle with white text on a black background. What you see today is the outcome of that experiment. Not a lot has changed – we flipped the colors and made the body font a little larger, but this is a new coat of paint, not a foundation-up rebuild.

    White theme forum index White theme post view

    We asked, you answered…

    For those of you that managed to get this far down the page before scrolling straight to the comment section, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the thousands of visitors who took the time to give us feedback on the new theme during the beta. I personally read every single feedback email, all the comments on the original news story announcing the beta, and as many forum posts as I could find. 

    The feedback (after filtering out all the complaints about the pop-up asking for feedback and those that took the time to tell us they had no opinion) pretty much all fell into one of four buckets: those that loved the new design (most common words: ‘thanks!!’ and ‘finally!!’), those that prefer the old design (most common phrase ‘don’t fix what ain’t broke’), those that didn’t like either and had their own suggestions for background colors, and a few who hadn’t read the story or the pop up and were under the impression that we were going to replace the old design with the new one, which made them angry. Like, really angry.

    I’m not complaining – we were really appreciative of ALL the feedback, and it informed many of the decisions we made and will make in future design changes. 

    ..and the results are in

    Overall the feedback was split 63:37 in favor of the lighter theme, though in the last two weeks the gap widened to about 70:30 as we finessed the design and annoyed more people into giving us feedback (thanks Mr Pop-up!).

    The most common themes we saw in favor of the darker theme were

    • The original color scheme sets DPR apart from most sites on the internet and is a fundamental part of our identity.
    • The new theme is too bright and is hard to read (quite a few people claimed it ‘burns my eyes’)
    • Photos look better on black and photo apps such as Lightroom have a similar theme.

    We agree that generally color images look better on a dark background, so we didn’t re-skin galleries, challenges, slideshows or the expanded image view in forums.

    Just to reiterate…we may be defaulting to the white theme… but the dark theme is not going away. Ever.

    It’s probably worth mentioning too, that in the month or so that we ran the beta we saw a significant difference between those using the white and black versions of the site, with those opting for the lighter theme spending almost twice as long and reading almost twice as many pages as those who stayed with the black theme. This is not conclusive proof (for reasons too longwinded to go into here), but it did confirm our long-held belief that the old theme was actually putting people off reading our content.

    I hope you give the new ‘Reading mode’ a try – especially the forums, which we just launched. Please share your opinion of how we might make it better below.

    Desktop users wondering where the switch for the ‘classic’ (yellow on gray) forum skin went – it’s at the bottom of every forum page (below the index of threads). Again, this setting is remembered between sessions (as long as you retain our cookies).

    Just to reiterate, we may – for now – be defaulting to the white theme (because based on the feedback and the data it’s the right choice), but the dark theme is not going away. Ever*.

    That’s all, folks.

    *OK, it’s been pointed out to me that saying the black theme won’t ‘ever’ go away is quite a commitment, and maybe I should say ‘until no one is using it, or until the dying Sun consumes our planet, whichever comes sooner’.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Sigma announces pricing and availability for sd Quattro and EF-630 flash

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    Sigma Corp. has announced pricing and availability for its sd Quattro mirrorless camera, a bundle including the camera and a 30mm F1.4 Art lens, as well as the EF-630 external flash.

    The sd Quattro is a mirrorless camera with an APS-C-size Foveon sensor (which Sigma claims is ‘equivalent’ to 39MP), hybrid autofocus system, 2.36M-dot electronic viewfinder and ‘Super-Fine Detail’ mode that combines seven exposures into one for high dynamic range. The sd Quattro will priced at $ 799 body-only when it ships in July.

    The sd Quattro will also come bundled with Sigma’s 30mm F1.4 DC HSM Art lens for $ 999.

    The company also released pricing for its EF-630 external flash. It will initially be available for Sigma cameras, with Nikon and Canon versions to follow. The flash covers a range of 24-200mm (and can go down to 17mm via its built-in wide panel), supports high speed sync and offers an easy-to-use interface via its dot matrix display. The EF-630 will set you back $ 379 when in ships in July.

    Press release:

    Sigma Announces Pricing and Availability for sd Quattro, new sd Quattro bundle and Sigma EF-630 Flash

    Pricing and availability announced for the Sigma sd Quattro camera, a new sd Quattro camera and 30mm 1.4 Art lens bundle, as well as new EF-630 Flash

    Ronkonkoma, New York — June 24, 2016 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading camera, DSLR lens, flash and accessories manufacturer, today announced the pricing and availability of the sd Quattro camera along with a new bundle including the sd Quattro and 30mm 1.4 DC HSM Art lens, as well as pricing for the new Sigma EF-630 external flash. The Sigma sd Quattro features an APS-C sized sensor and a redesigned mirrorless system among other advancements, and will be available in July for the street price of $ 799 USD. The sd Quattro and Sigma 30mm 1.4 DC HSM Art bundle is expected to be available in July for the street price of $ 999 USD. The Sigma EF-630 flash is the latest external flash from Sigma and boasts an overhaul from previous models, including a new docking station that allows users to update the flash via personal computer. The ideal match with the new sd Quattro, the new Sigma EF-630 flash will be available in July for Sigma mount for the street price of $ 379 USD, along with its dedicated USB Docking station for $ 79 USD. Additional mount availability for systems including Nikon and Canon are to be announced at a later date.

    “Our goal with the sd Quattro and 30mm 1.4 Art bundle is to make our new camera available to more photographers interested in the unique aspects of our Foveon Quattro sensor,” stated Mark Amir-Hamzeh, President of Sigma Corporation of America. “The cameras are truly exciting and showcase some great advancements including a new mirrorless design, updated auto-focusing system, a rugged build, and paired with our renowned 30mm 1.4 Art lens make for an extraordinary pair. Additionally, our new EF-630 flash system shows Sigma’s dedication to photography with updated performance from previous models, and makes for an ideal pairing with our new sd Quattro cameras.”

    About the sd Quattro and 30mm 1.4 DC HSM Art
    The sd Quattro utilizes our proprietary Foveon Quattro sensor renowned for its high-resolution capabilities. A magnesium alloy body makes the sd Quattro durable and rugged, while a dust and splash proof design make it ideal for photographers facing harsh conditions. On top of the new design, these cameras boast a list of useful advancements. These include a two-mode Autofocus detection that combines Phase detection for focus speed and Contrast detection for focus accuracy. The focus settings have also been enhanced with such modes as Movement Prediction, Face Detection, Free Movement, Focus Peaking and a variety of others. The new 2.3 megapixel viewfinder displays close to 100% of the field of view, and when placed in “Auto” will toggle between the viewfinder when the user has the camera to their eye and then to the LCD when the user lowers the camera. A new “Super-Fine Detail” mode brings out the full potential of the Quattro sensor by capturing seven different exposures with one shot and merging them for exceptional dynamic range (images can be extracted individually as well). The Sigma 30mm 1.4 DC HSM Art is a staple prime lens in Sigma’s lineup. This compact prime lens is designed for APS-C sensors and touts a bright 1.4 aperture. Part of the Sigma Global Vision lineup, every Sigma 30mm 1.4 Art is individually tested before leaving our single factory in Aizu, Japan and can be updated and fine-tuned with the Sigma USB dock and Sigma Photo Pro software. 

    About the Sigma EF-630 Flash
    Compatible with most well-known digital SLR cameras, the EF-630 flash will be available in Sigma mount in July with additional mounts, including Canon and Nikon, in the future. The FP Flash function of the EF-630 makes flash photography possible at shutter speeds greater than the normal sync speed, which is typically limited at shutter speeds up to 1/250 second for most cameras. The FP Flash function for high shutter speeds is necessary when setting a larger aperture to limit depth of field when shooting in daylight, as high shutter speeds are used to balance the daylight and the flashlight at any shutter speed.  

    EF-630 features:

    • Intuitive user interface: dot matrix LCD screen for improved menu visibility, D-Pad and dial settings controls, and easy one-click disengage function improve ease of use
    • Slave flash function: for use with multiple flash systems
    • Modeling flash function: check for intense reflections and shadows before capturing the shot
    • AF assist light: accurate auto-focus in low light conditions
    • Auto Power-off: flashgun automatically powers off after a period of non-operation to conserve battery life
    • Manual flash power level control: manually set the flash power level from 1/1 to 1/128

    The new EF-630 Flash can be updated with the latest software from a workstation or laptop using the Sigma Optimization Pro software and Flash USB Dock FD-11 (sold separately).

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Fly-by: Learn how to shoot the Milky Way from an airplane

    Photographing the Milky Way from the ground can be challenging in itself, but photographer Ian Norman has taken the challenge to new heights. In a new video tutorial, he explains how he and his partner Diana Southern photographed the Milky Way from an airplane. 

    Together, the couple make up the team behind Lonely Speck, a blog dedicated to astrophotography. They were on a flight to Budapest when they began to wonder if they could capture the Milky Way from the plane. Sure enough, after some trial and error outlined in the video above, they found it was possible. Ian explains in the tutorial how he layered multiple exposures in post-processing to reduce noise in his final images.

    The results are pretty amazing. We know what we’ll be doing next time we get bored on an overnight flight. 

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Metabones unlocks native Sony focus modes for Canon-mount adapters

    Updated firmware allows Sony users to use all their AF modes when shooting Canon EF-mount lenses with Metabones adapters. It does so by emulating a native Sony lens, much like the recent Sigma MC-11 adapter. This update to the Metabones line of Smart Adapters and Speed Boosters enables the use of modes such as continuous Eye-AF and Direct Manual Focus. Updated firmware also brings smoother aperture control to most of Metabones’ adapters. And though the company doesn’t make any claims as to video focusing, if the adapters do truly emulate native E-mount lenses, we’d expect full phase-detect AF functionality during video.

    The Metabones is only the second E-mount adapter to offer ‘native’ lens functionality with adapted lenses, with the Sigma being the first.* However, in practice the Sigma MC-11 has had many issues, too often reverting to contrast-detect AF off-center, and constantly hunting back and forth in minute increments in AF-C.

    It’s not surprising, then, that Metabones lists a series of caveats and exceptions, most of which reflect the range and diversity of EF lenses that people might use. There are also warnings of increased battery usage and of poor continuous AF performance from lenses that aren’t designed to be driven in the pattern required for fast contrast-detection AF. Finally, Metabones mentions potential problems when shooting stopped down, undoubtedly a result of Sony’s ‘stop-down focusing’ that cripples the AF system if you shoot at smaller apertures by depriving the AF system of light, and literally shutting off phase-detection altogether at apertures smaller than F8.

    Firmware for the latest adapters can be downloaded from the Metabones website. Owners of Mark I, II or III Smart Adapters and original Speed Boosters will need to return their adapters to the factory, where they will be updated free-of-charge. We’ll keep you apprised of actual performance once we’ve had an opportunity to try out the new firmware with a variety of lenses.

    Press Release:

    Metabones® Adds “Native” AF and Smooth Iris to EF Mount Speed Boosters® and Smart Adapters™ by Firmware Upgrade

    Vancouver, Canada, June 23, 2016: Metabones® releases Metabones App 2.3, a major firmware update with the following additional features.

    • Eye-AF (A6300/A7series).
    • Fast contrast detect AF for all E-Mount cameras.
    • DMF (direct manual focus) for E-Mount cameras, where the camera switches to MF as soon as AF completes. This is useful for checking AF accuracy when used with focus peaking.
    • Smooth iris for Sony E-Mount and FZ-Mount cameras and Blackmagic, JVC and Panasonic Micro Four Thirds Mount cameras.

    Metabones® has already added fast EF lens autofocus to its Micro Four Thirds Mount Speed Boosters® and Smart Adapters™ last year. With this speedy advantage now extended to E-Mount, EF-Mount lenses are now capable of focusing quickly across the widest variety of mirrorless cameras with trusted Metabones precision and reliability.

    The smooth iris feature slows down the movement of the electromagnetic aperture diaphragm so that video footage transitions smoothly when the aperture changes, with reduced tick noise from the lens. The latest Canon and Tamron SP lenses have special support for this feature and Metabones® makes use of it if the lens supports it.

    Limitations:

    • E-Mount “native” autofocus features may not work with all lenses.
    • “Native” autofocus may be lesser in performance and/or accuracy compared to the original “Green” mode phase-detect autofocus for A6300, A7 Mark II and A7R Mark II.
    • AF-C and video autofocus may have unsatisfactory AF performance and/or accuracy. This is a limitation inherent in DSLR lenses, which lack the low latency required for making many fine movements in rapid succession during AF-C and video focusing.
    • Excessive hunting may occur if a small aperture is used with AF-C, video or “Liveview Display Setting Effect” turned on.
    • The first few autofocus attempts may result in false positives where the camera gives focus confirmation but the subject is not in focus. This issue goes away on its own after a few trials with most lenses.
    • No support for in-camera correction such as peripheral shading, CA and distortion.
    • Power consumption may increase compared to the original “Green” mode autofocus. We recommend turning off the “Pre-AF” option to conserve battery power. On A7 series cameras and A6300 the option is on page 3 under the “gear” tab.
    • Actuations of the electromagnetic aperture diaphragm and/or the focus motor of the lens result in noises which may be picked up by the camera’s internal microphone during video recording. Use of an appropriately placed external microphone is required for video work.
    • The aperture moves in 1/3 stop steps with most Panasonic cameras and 1/8 stop steps with other cameras, which may be noticeable in video recordings. Programmed exposure mode and shutter priority exposure mode should not be used for video. Lenses supporting “smooth iris” smooth out the transition but do not increase iris resolution.

    The following lenses have been tested for “native” AF. Refer to Metabones’ web site for the most up-to-date list. Lenses equipped with smooth iris support are marked with asterisks. APS-C lenses are not compatible with Speed Booster®.

    • Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L USM Fisheye*
    • Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
    • Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II*
    • Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
    • Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II
    • Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM*
    • Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
    • Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
    • Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM*
    • Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM (non-IS)
    • Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM*
    • Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
    • Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro*
    • Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM (I)
    • Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM*
    • Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM
    • Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS USM
    • Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art 013
    • Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art 013
    • Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM
    • Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD A007
    • Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8 Di VC USD F013*
    • Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD A009*

    Incompatible lenses: (“Green” mode PDAF is still supported on A6300, A7 Mark II and A7R Mark II.)

    • Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
    • Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro
    • Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
    • Contax N lenses modified to EF mount by Conurus Canada
    • Sigma 18-125mm DC OS HSM
    • Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II VC B005
    • Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 (IF) Macro A20

    OSX and Windows versions of the firmware updater are available for download from Metabones’ web site. The same download updates Speed Booster® ULTRA, Smart Adapter™ Mark IV, EF to FZ Mount Smart Adapter and all EF Mount to Micro Four Third mount products. Updates to earlier Smart Adapters™ (I, II and III) and the original Speed Booster® are by factory only and are free of charge except for shipping.

    * A TechArt adapter was technically the first to offer native lens functionality, but it was so highly unreliable that we never considered it a viable option.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Nikon releases new firmware for D5: Improves video and adds flicker reduction

    Nikon has released new firmware for its flagship D5 DSLR. There are four main improvements included in firmware v1.10, which address some of the frustrations that we had with the D5 in our full review.  

    Video Recording Upgrades:

    1. Movie maximum recording time extended to 29 minute 59 seconds, including for 4K UHD video
    2. Electronic VR for more stable hand-held Full-HD*1/HD video recording added

    Still Photography Upgrades:

    1. Flicker reduction function for still photography added, minimizing exposure variations
    2. 9-point dynamic-area AF added, offering more selective focus on a moving subject 

    Press release:

    Further advance of Nikon D5 digital SLR camera performance through expanded functions

    Tokyo – Nikon Corporation has released new firmware, C: Ver. 1.10, that expands the functions of its flagship Nikon FX-format digital SLR camera, the D5.

    The D5 has been extremely well received on all fronts, winning such globally prestigious photo and imaging awards as the TIPA Awards 2016, and the Camera GP (Grand Prix) 2016 Readers Award (sponsored by Japan’s Camera Journal Press Club), which is selected through voting by users.

    Nikon has released new firmware for the D5, C: Ver. 1.10, that enhances D5 performance even further. The new firmware offers a major upgrade to the camera’s shooting capabilities, delivering four key improvements. First, the maximum recording time of movies, including for 4K UHD movies, is extended, and three functions — Flicker reduction for still images, 9-point dynamic-area AF AF-area mode, and Electronic VR for movies — are added. In addition to these four major changes, some additional updates* have been applied to the new firmware.

    • *Details regarding “additional updates” are provided on the firmware’s free download page (Nikon Download Center).

    Release overview

    The new firmware is available for download from June 23, 2016. It can be downloaded free of charge from the following URL.

    • *The camera’s current firmware version can be checked using the Firmware version option in the setup menu.

    Four major improvements

    1. Maximum movie recording time, including for 4K UHD movies, extended to 29 min. 59 s

    Movies up to 29 minutes 59 seconds in length can now be recorded at all Movie quality and Frame size/frame rate settings. The new firmware increases the maximum recording time of even 4K UHD (3840×2160) movies from 3 minutes to 29 minutes 59 seconds. In addition, movies are recorded to up to eight separate files, each of which has a file size of up to 4 GB. Separate movie files can be combined to create a single movie using ViewNX-Movie Editor.

    • •The maximum recording time for 4K UHD time-lapse movies is 3 minutes.

    2. Flicker reduction for still images added for more stable exposure under lighting that flickers

    When shooting under fluorescent and some other types of artificial lighting, flickering may cause uneven exposure in parts of images and/or variations in exposure and color reproduction characteristics between individual images captured continuously or in quick succession. We have equipped the new firmware with a Flicker reduction function for still images*1 that reduces these effects. When Flicker reduction is enabled, the camera detects peak brightness as light flickers and automatically times shutter release with these peaks in brightness for stable exposure and color reproduction characteristics. This function is effective when continuous shooting is used for indoor sporting events or similar situations captured at fast shutter speeds*2.

    • *1Still images captured during viewfinder photography (not available with mirror up mode).
    • *2The continuous shooting rate may decrease.

    3. 9-point dynamic-area AF AF-area mode added for focusing on a limited portion of a moving subject

    With dynamic-area AF, the camera focuses based on information from surrounding focus points* if the subject briefly leaves the focus point selected by the photographer. The D5 originally supported 25-point, 72-point and 153-point dynamic-area AF. A 9-point dynamic-area AF option has been added with the new firmware. This new option is effective for focusing on a more specific portion of a moving subject.

    • *In dynamic-area AF with 9, 25 or 72 points, the number of focus points actually used may be fewer than 9, 25 or 72, depending on the selected primary focus point.

    4. Electronic vibration reduction function, effective with hand-held recording, added (for HD and full-HD*1 movie recording)

    The new firmware has been equipped with an Electronic VR function that reduces the effects of camera shake with hand-held recording of movies in the FX- or DX-based movie formats (image areas)*2. The effects of camera shake in three directions — vertical (up and down), horizontal (left and right), and rotational (around the center of the lens) — are reduced. This function is effective when recording movies in places or situations in which use of a tripod is prohibited or inconvenient, or when there simply isn’t time to set one up. In addition, electronic VR can be used in combination with the optical vibration reduction (VR) built into a NIKKOR lens for more effective reduction of the effects of camera shake.

    • *1Not available with 1920 x 1080 crop settings.
    • *2The angle of view will be reduced slightly.
    • The effects of electronic VR are also reflected when photos are captured during movie recording (Live frame grab).
    • When Electronic VR is enabled, the maximum sensitivity allowed is ISO 102400, even if ISO sensitivity is set to Hi 0.3 or higher.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Capture One Phase One 9.2 extends support to Pentax K-1 and Nikon D500

    Phase One has updated its Capture One Pro software. Version 9.2 brings support for two notable new DSLRs: the Pentax K-1 and Nikon D500. The update also adds support for premium compacts in Canon’s PowerShot G series as well as minor workflow enhancements. The update is offered at no cost for Capture One Pro 9 customers. Capture One Pro 7 and 8 customers can get the latest version for $ 99/€99.

    Press release:

    Phase One Releases Capture One Pro 9.2

    Unprecedented Power, Precision and Quality

    COPENHAGEN, June 23, 2016 — Phase One, creator of the world’s finest open-platform high-end camera systems and professional imaging software, today released Capture One Pro 9.2. Known for its outstanding tethered capture capability, high-quality raw conversion, and precision image editing tools, Capture One Pro is already considered by many to be the only image capture application for the serious professional photographer. The release of version 9.2 aims at a better culling workflow from selections and metadata sources to accelerate editing workflow to new levels.

    New camera support includes:

    • Pentax K-1
    • Nikon D500
    • Canon EOS M10
    • Canon G5x
    • Canon G7x MkII
    • Canon G9x

    Powerful new workflow features include:

    — Access assets quickly and precisely: Select from file list, select by variant position and create album from selection form a large group of improvements under targeted selections;

    — New rate and cull workflow using “Select Set”: Select a number of images for viewer preview, then advance through the browser by the same number. Navigating within the selection to rate and cull makes editing and comparing fast and efficient;

    — Capture One 9.2’s new color management module for Tiffs gives users more accurate preview returned from retouching/round trip applications – making Tiff handling in Capture One better than ever before;

    — Phase One XF camera users can turbocharge focus stacking workflow with a multi-image round trip to the Helicon Focus application. Shoot, organize, group, process and stack — all in a few clicks;

    — New Shortcut Engine: More functions can be shortcut than ever before! All cursors can now be shortcut, users can navigate the library collections (even when hidden) and shortcut support for the new 9.2 selection methods all help to make the workflow sing.

    “Pro photographers deserve a strong ally to vanquish workflow issues and give them the most reliable, efficient workflow and performance,” said James Johnson, Software Product manager, “Capture One Pro 9.2 is about workflow, not work!”

    For more details on all the new and improved features in Capture One Pro 9.2, including new cameras and lenses supported, please go to: www.phaseone.com/ninetwo

    Availability and Pricing

    Capture One Pro 9 is available now for the Mac and Windows operating systems online at www.phaseone.com/store and from Phase One authorized partners worldwide. www.phaseone.com/partners.

    New customers can purchase Capture One Pro 9 for 299 USD / 279 EUR. Owners of versions Capture One Pro 7 or 8 may upgrade for 99 USD / 99 EUR.

    Capture One Pro is also available by subscription. Existing subscribers can simply download the new Capture One Pro 9 release, as subscriptions are good for all new and previous versions of Capture One Pro. A single-user subscription is 15 USD / 12 EUR per month for a 12-month plan. Please see all subscription options at www.phaseone.com/store

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)