360Photography

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  • Amazing underwater 4K footage from Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

    Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo in Monterey CA is the world’s leading supplier for underwater imaging equipment. But as well as selling underwater photography gear, the staff at Backscatter also put it to good use.

    Staff member Russ Sanoian has been diving with the Canon EOS-1D X Mk II for a little while and you can check out the results of his dives in the video below. We spoke to Russ about what makes a good underwater camera, and why he thinks the EOS-1D X Mark II is a good option for stills and video shooters.

    What do you do at Backscatter?

    Backscatter is the largest underwater Photography store in the world. We dive, shoot and service everything we sell and all employees are underwater videographers and photographers. I am our Product Manager and responsible for sales of underwater equipment. 

    What makes a good underwater camera?

    Large sensors and High ISO are critical for good underwater performance as it’s typically a low light environment. Artificial lights or strobes can help with macro/close up, but for wide-angle photography. To shoot with the EOS-1D X Mark II I’m using a Nauticam 1D X Mk II housing with a Small HD Monitor.

    What has impressed you about the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II underwater?

    I owned and shot with the Sony a7R II before the 1D X Mk II, but the Canon shoots 4K at 60p, which is a big deal. It’s great in low light and ISO at 2500 footage is incredibly clean.

    I’ve also found that Canon cameras are the best for manual white balance underwater, they will nail a custom white balance setting at any depth and have the best blues in the industry even edging out RED cameras. So far I have shot the EOS-1D X Mark II with the Canon EF 100mm F2.8L IS USM Macro IS and the Canon EF 8-15mm F4L Fisheye USM attached.

    Can you share some quick tips for underwater photography?

    Always shoot in manual mode, and lock focus manually. This can be extremely challenging for macro subjects but is the best way to shoot with such a narrow depth of field. The 1D X Mk II has incredible autofocus and I have been testing it but so far it’s just not accurate enough for underwater work.

    Check out more great underwater videos from Backscatter

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Kerlee 35mm F1.2 is ‘World’s fastest’ 35mm for full-frame SLRs

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    Industrial lens manufacturer Shenzhen Dongzheng Optics Technology has announced the Kerlee 35mm F1.2 – which it claims is the fastest 35mm designed for full-frame SLR cameras. The lens is manual focus and features a choice of clicked or silent aperture operation to suit both stills and movie photographers. The company says it will produce units with mounts in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E and Pentax K fittings.

    The lens uses 11 elements in 10 groups and includes two high refractive index lenses and one ED low dispersion element. The company says the closest focusing distance is 0.3m / 1ft, but optical performance is said to be at its best when the subject is 1-5m / 3.2-16.4ft from the camera. The smallest aperture is F22 and a depth of field scale is provided.

    Pricing has yet to be released, but more information can be found on the Dongzheng Optics website.

    Press release:

    The world’s first SLR full frame camera support large aperture lens 35mm f/1.2

    KERLEE 1.2/35 lens, specially developed for all lovers of photography,
    is of high performances featuring large aperture, soft Bokeh effect and rich colors.

    Features:
    1. Minimum focus distance is up to 0.3.
    2. Optional switchable aperture lock, allowing for smooth adjustment in video mode.
    3. The optimal distance is within 1-5 meters with the best image quality
    4. Smooth focusing feel, appropriate damping and superior experiences.
    5. ED lens effectively improve image/color differences.
    6. It’s globally the first 35mm F/1.2 large aperture lens that supports single-lens reflex full-frame cameras. When taking an image, set the aperture to Maximum f1.2 can conspicuously emphasize the subject on the background, producing a nice picture atmosphere.
    7. Excellent rendering effect in dim light, also enhance shutter speed to complete a shot

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Apple Photos gets smarter in iOS 10, macOS ‘Sierra’

    On the first day of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has announced new features for its Photos app on both iOS 10 and macOS ‘Sierra,’ scheduled for release this fall.

    The updated Apple Photos apps will use ‘advanced computer vision technology’ to identify people, objects and scenes in order to allow for intelligent searching and automatic sorting based on content. Most notably, a new Memories feature will use this information to automatically create movies and shareable collections of photos based on data such as people, places and events such as a trip or holiday.

    Additional features leveraging the new technology include a People album, which automatically groups photos based on who is in the shot, a Places album, which plots your photos on an interactive world map, and Intelligent Search, which allows searches based on the content of photos.

    Although Google has provided similar features through its Google Photos service for some time, Apple’s offering includes one feature that may appeal to many users: instead of sending photos to the cloud for analysis, Apple will use on-device intelligence to analyze and categorize photos in order to protect user privacy.

    For more information about the new Photos apps head on over to Apple’s website.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • STG Uploader app allows Sony cameras to upload directly to Google Photos

    A new unofficial app called STG Uploader enables Sony cameras compatible with PlayMemories Camera Apps to upload content directly to Google Photos. Running the application will prompt the user to set up a Wi-Fi access point, after which the user will authorize the app to place an oAuth token on the camera’s SD card, a safer alternative to saving the user’s Google username and password on the camera.

    Full instructions on installing the app are located on the Sony-PMCA-RE Github. Once installed and set up, users are presented with a simple screen that shows how many photos are ready to be uploaded to Google Photos and how many have already been uploaded. An upload status bar is provided, as well as an option for erasing the upload database.

    According to a user at SonyAlpha Rumors, the app uploads photos in full resolution. Images uploaded directly will appear in Google Photos with the name ‘SonyUpload’ followed by the date. Note that formatting the SD card will cause the oAuth token to be erased and the app setup process will have to be repeated.

    Via: SonyAlpha Rumors

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Time-lapse captures fast-changing Singapore skyline over three years

    Time-lapse and tilt-shift specialist Keith Loutit’s latest project has been years in the making. The Lion City II – Majulah is a follow-up to another impressive feature, documenting the rise and fall (but mostly rise) of skyscrapers on Singapore’s skyline over the course of three years.

    Channel NewsAsia reports that the four-minute video is the culmination of 500 hours of shooting from June 2013 to June 2016. The soundtrack was composed for the project by Michael Adler Miltersen in collaboration with Loutit. 

    The Lion City II tells a compelling story about daily life in the shadow of urban growth. And as someone who played way too much Sim City as a kid, I’m pretty sure I could watch this on repeat all morning. Are you inspired to start a time-lapse project of your own? Let us know in the comments.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • 2016 Roundup: Semi-Pro Interchangeable Lens Cameras

    Within this category, which is made up of cameras costing $ 2000 or more (body-only, and based on MSRP in the US), you’ll find some of the fiercest competitors the camera industry has to offer. This includes cameras with 50 or more megapixels geared perfectly for studio shooters, 4K-capable cameras for serious film makers, and all-rounders that can easily split their time between pro-level still shooting and high-end video capture.

    All of the cameras in this price range use full-frame sensors. And while most of them are DSLRs, there are also several mirrorless options as well. Simply put, there is something here to satisfy just about everyone who is willing to pony up the requisite funds. Read through to see what makes this segment so cutthroat, and what innovations are driving this tier forwards at a remarkable pace. 

    The models covered in this roundup are:

    • Canon EOS 5D Mark III
    • Canon EOS 5DS / 5DS R
    • Leica SL
    • Nikon Df
    • Nikon D750
    • Nikon D810
    • Sony Alpha a7R II
    • Sony Alpha a7S
    • Sony Alpha a7S II

    Note: We purposely excluded the Canon EOS 1DX II, Nikon D5 and Pentax 645Z from this roundup as we feel the capabilities of both cameras put them in a class of their own, which we’ll cover in an additional roundup.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • India says no to Google Street View, citing security concerns

    Launched in 2007, Google’s Street View service uses imagery captured by cameras mounted on cars, backpacks, bicycles and snowmobiles. Today, the service covers locations all over the globe.

    Indian officials have told the BBC that the country has rejected Google’s plans to image its towns and cities as part of its expanding Street View service. Citing security concerns around ‘sensitive defense installations,’ officials point out that planning for the 2008 Mumbai attacks was believed to have involved photographic reconnaissance. As such, the country believes, Street View could compromise national security.

    This isn’t the first time that Google’s Street View service has attracted concerns. Several countries have at one time or other raised privacy and security worries. The Czech government has banned the company from taking any new imagery (current Street View images of Prague are frozen at 2014), and in 2010, almost 250,000 Germans requested that Google blur images of their homes.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Road tripping through New South Wales, Australia

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    Photographer Jason Futrill has already spent three months of this year exploring Australia for various tourism marketing campaigns and social media channels. Based in Tasmania, Jason recently completed an eight-day road-trip from Sydney down to Bermagui, along the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales.

    Futrill’s trip took him to Narooma, where he photographed the famous Camel Rock, and to the distinctive Sea Cliff Bridge which connects the coastline between Coledale and Coalcliff, north of Wollongong. The trip culminated back in Sydney, just in time for the annual light festival, ‘Vivid Sydney.’ After looking at his photographs, we’re itching to recreate the trip…

    Read ’11 Photos That Will Inspire You to Road Trip Through New South Wales, Australia’ at Resource Travel

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Bolt-on 21: Fujifilm WCL-X70 sample images

    The Fujifilm WCL-X70 is a wideangle converter that fastens to the front of the 28mm equivalent F2.8 lens of the Fujifilm X70. Its approximately 0.8X focal length multiplier results in a 14mm focal length, or 21mm in 35mm format equivalent. Check out our sample images to see how it performs.

    View our gallery of samples from the Fujifilm WCL-X70

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Explore Mars with 360-degree image shot by NASA Curiosity Rover

    Earlier this year, NASA released a 360-degree image from the perspective of the Curiosity Mars Rover. The scene is made up of a combination of multiple exposures taken with the rover’s 2MP ‘Mastcam’ camera, which we wrote about back in 2012.

    The resulting image is pretty incredible, and if you have access to a Google Cardboard viewer you can experience it in 3D. So if you’ve got a free few minutes this weekend, why not explore the surface of Mars? 

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)