360Photography

Category: Uncategorized

  • Adobe issues fix for Creative Cloud Mac update that could delete files

    Last week, Adobe rolled out a Creative Cloud update with a harmful bug that, for some Mac users, deleted files from the system root directory. Once the bug was discovered with the help of backup platform Backblaze, Creative Cloud version 3.5.0.206 was pulled from release and was replaced Sunday with an update that promises to fix the issue.

    The bug appears to have deleted the first file in the root directory for users who downloaded the update, whatever that file might have been. Backblaze users noticed problems because alphabetically, the service’s .bzvol folder sits at the top of their root directory. When Creative Cloud deleted the folder, Backblaze alerted the user that something was wrong.

    In a blog post on Friday, Adobe acknowledged the issue, saying that ‘the updater may incorrectly remove some files from the system root directory with user writeable permissions.’ Version 3.5.1.209 was released Sunday with a fix for the problem.

    Adobe directs users who experienced problems with the Creative Cloud update to contact customer service. The latest update is available now for Mac and Windows.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Ricoh celebrates 80th anniversary with limited edition silver GR II

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    If the stealth-black GR II isn’t quite showy enough for you, then you may be interested in Ricoh’s new ‘Silver Edition’ camera, which it created to celebrate its 80th anniversary. In addition to its new color, Ricoh has also diamond-engraved the lens’ specs onto its front ring, added a custom on/off ‘termination’ screen and bundled a leather carrying case. Only 3200 of the Silver Edition GR II cameras will be sold worldwide, so get your order in soon. 

    The compact GR II features a 16MP APS-C-size CMOS sensor, 28mm equivalent F2.8 lens, 1080/30p video and Wi-Fi with NFC.

    The GR II Silver Edition is priced at $ 699.

    Ricoh Imaging Unveils GR II Silver Edition Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Ricoh Company, Ltd.

    Special-edition package pairs a silver-colored GR II premium digital compact camera and leather camera case

    DENVER, Colo., February 15, 2016 – Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation today announced the RICOH GR II Silver Edition to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of Ricoh Company, Ltd. This exclusive package consists of a silver-color edition of the GR II premium digital compact camera (launched in July 2015) and an exclusively designed camera case. It will be marketed in a limited quantity of 3,200 units worldwide.

    The GR II is the smallest premium digital compact camera, offering digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) image quality with Wi-Fi and Near Field Communication (NFC) functionality. The GR 18.3mm F2.8 lens is a compact, high-performance GR lens with a focal length of 28mm (in the 35 mm format). It also boasts a large, APS-C-size CMOS image sensor with approximately 16.2 effective megapixels.

    Features of the GR II Silver Edition include:

    • Stylish silver camera body: The camera body has a high-grade, silver-color leather- tone finish, featuring an elegant, grained texture.
    • Distinctive features compared to the standard GR II: The Silver Edition’s shutter release button and the ring cap have been finished in silver identical to that of the camera body. Additionally, the lens descriptions are engraved on the front ring using a diamond- cutting process and the GR logo’s color on the camera’s front panel has been changed to white. Even the product box has been specially designed for this
    • Termination screen: When the camera’s power is turned off, the camera displays an original termination screen, which has a solid, high-grade design expressing the GR II’s product concept.
    • Genuine leather camera case: The package includes a black, genuine-leather camera case exclusively designed for the GR II camera body. It provides features useful for quick- action snapshot photography, including a belt loop on the back, and a top cover that opens fully for easy removal of the camera body.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Ultra-compact: Sony Cyber-shot RX1R II review

    Sony CyberShot RX1R II Review

    The Sony Cyber-shot RX1R II is a full-frame, 42MP compact camera with a fixed 35mm F2 lens. The successor to the 24MP RX1R, the Mark II inherits a lot of technology from Sony’s flagship a7R II mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. 

    Between the continuing evolution of the RX100 and a7-series’, Sony is on a big roll when it comes to small tech. And in this case, ‘small’ doesn’t mean ‘insignificant’. With many of its recent cameras, Sony has achieved the miniaturization of technology and functionality traditionally reserved for bulkier DSLRs and the like.

    With the Cyber-shot RX1R II for example. Sony has somehow managed to cram a high-res electronic viewfinder, a Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm F2 lens and the same full-frame 42MP BSI CMOS sensor and autofocus system from the a7R II into a coat-pocketable body. For many photographers that probably sounds like a dream come true, but as you might expect, there have been a few compromises along the way.

    Key features

    • 42MP BSI CMOS full-frame sensor
    • BIONZ X processor
    • Fixed ZEISS Sonnar T* 35mm F2 lens
    • Hybrid autofocus system
    • Variable low-pass filter
    • Tilting 3″, 1.23 million dot LCD
    • Pop-up 2.36M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder
    • 1080/60p video recording
    • Wi-Fi with NFC

    Though the RX1R II bears more than a passing resemblance to its predecessor, there are a lot of changes. And since the introduction of the RX1 and RX1R back in 2012, Leica introduced the Q, a full frame compact with a fixed 28mm F1.7 lens. Though it sits above the RX1R II in price and offers a wider lens, a lot of photographers will see them as natural competitors – at least in spirit. Take a look at how they compare.

      Sony RX1R   Sony RX1R II  Leica Q
    MSRP $ 2799 $ 3299 $ 4250
    Sensor 24MP CMOS 42MP BSI CMOS 24MP CMOS
    Low-pass filter No Variable No
    ISO range
    (expanded)    		 50-102400 50-102400 100-50000 
    Lens 35mm F2 35mm F2 28mm F1.7
    Min. focus distance 14cm 14cm 17cm
    AF system Contrast det. Hybrid Contrast det.
    AF points 25-pt 399-pt 49-pt
    EVF resolution No EVF 2.36M-dot OLED 3.68M-dot LCOS
    LCD 3″ 1.23M-dot fixed 3″ 1.23M-dot tilting 3″ 1.04M-dot fixed touchscreen
    Burst rate 5 fps 5 fps 10 fps
    Video 1080/60p 1080/60p 1080/60p
    Wi-Fi No Yes, with NFC Yes
    Battery life (CIPA) 220 shots 220 shots N/A
    Dimensions 113 x 65 x 70mm 113 x 65 x 72mm 130 x 80 x 93mm
    Weight 482 g 507 g 640 g

    For some more preliminary impressions of the RX1R II, check out Barney’s Gear of the Year article, and the accompanying video below.

    Now, let’s get to the full spec sheet of the RX1R II. 

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Beauty-centric Panasonic Lumix GF8 is all about the selfies

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    Panasonic has introduced the Lumix DMC-GF8, essentially a GF7 with an emphasis on selfie-friendly features. It continues to offer the GF7’s 16MP Four Thirds sensor, 1080/60p video and built-in Wi-Fi, but wraps it all up in your choice of a pink, silver, brown or orange leather-like finish. Not only does the GF8’s 3″ 1.04M-dot touchscreen tilt upward 180-degrees to take the guesswork out of self-portraits, the camera offers a ‘Soft Skin’ mode that can be combined with Panasonic’s Creative Control filters such as Retro or High Key. 

    Beautification doesn’t stop at image capture though. The Lumix GF8 offers a new ‘Beauty Retouch’ function to clear up skin texture, whiten teeth and add makeup after the fact. Panasonic’s press releases stresses the appeal of these features to women, but don’t feel left out gentlemen, the silver and brown versions of the camera have plenty of ‘unisex’ appeal. The GF8 also comes with 100GB of storage on Google Drive, which adds up to a lot of selfies.

    The DMC-GF8 will not available in the United States, at least at this point in time.

    LUMIX GF8 for the Best-Ever Attractive Selfie Shots 
    Featuring Advanced Beauty Retouch Mode

    Panasonic is introducing a new Digital Single Lens Mirrorless (DSLM) Camera, the LUMIX GF8 that adds even more fun than its predecessor GF7 for users to enjoy more unique photo shooting. The new LUMIX GF8 offers high capability for shooting selfie with a host of options such as newly integrated beauty functions. 

    The 3.0-inch 1040K-dot rear monitor with touch control tilts up by approx.180-degree and the camera goes into Self Shot Mode automatically once the monitor is flipped. In the Self Shot Mode, a variety of functions for selfies are available on the LUMIX GF8. The beauty functions enables users – especially women – to shoot portraits more attractively with its Soft Skin, Defocusing and Slimming effects. After shooting, you can even put on an aesthetic/make-up retouch, in camera, with Beauty Retouch function. 

    The LUMIX GF8 integrates Wi-Fi® connectivity to offer more flexible shooting experience and instant image sharing with easy operation. 

    The basic photographic performance of LUMIX GF8 as a camera is excellent. It enables users high-quality image recording with real-to-life details through excellent resolution, image rendering and color reproduction. Taking full advantage of 16.00-megapixel Digital Live MOS Sensor and Venus Engine, images are produced with highly sharp resolution even shot in low-lit situations and even max. ISO 25,600 high sensitivity can be selected. The Contrast AF System of LUMIX GF8 excels in both speed and accuracy by exchanging digital signal between the camera and the lens at max. 240 fps. A variety of extensive AF functions including Face/Eye Detection AF or Low Light AF assures in-focus shots even in difficult shooting situations. 

    The LUMIX GF8 also features full HD 1920 x 1080, 60p (60 Hz) / 50p (50 Hz) high quality video recording in AVCHD progressive and MP4 with stereo sound. The practical full-time AF and tracking AF is available in video recording, too. The LUMIX GF8 features a unique video recording option called Snap Movie Mode which lets users record video in designated short period of time (2/4/6/8 sec) as they shoot “moving photos”.

    Last but not least, the iA (Intelligent Auto) mode and the Scene Guide make LUMIX GF8 easy to use even for beginners of digital interchangeable lens system camera. Portrait, Child, Scenery modes, which are used often, have respective shortcuts on the dial. Most appropriate parameters for each scene are automatically applied by just setting the dial to the mode to capture those scenes most beautifully. 

    Available in silver, brown, pink and orange, the LUMIX GF8 boasts sleek, stylish profile in traditional camera design. Its high mobility enables to users carry it around and enjoy creative, high quality photography with the unlimited potential of interchangeable lens system camera. 

    1. Enjoy Selfies in a More Flexible Way – Beauty Retouch & Hands-Free Selfie

    The new LUMIX GF8 is a perfect camera for selfie especially for women. A rich variety of beauty functions in LUMIX GF8 enables users to shoot more attractive portraits. In shooting mode, the Soft Skin mode makes skin look smoother while Slimming looks the subject sharpened up in 10 fine steps. Defocusing gives natural defocus around face to make the picture more impressive.

    After shooting, you can even put on virtual make-up on the face in the playback mode with newly added Beauty Retouch function. In Aesthetic Retouch, various effect can be applied to the face including clearing the skin texture, lifting up the face whitening of teeth and so on. In the Make-up Retouch, users can choose the color of foundation, lips, cheeks or eye-shadow

    The 3.0-inch 1040K-dot static type touch control monitor boasts 180-degree tiltable structure. Once the monitor is flipped up, the camera activates Self Shot Mode automatically. In conventional selfie pictures, users have to stretch their arms to hold the camera, which makes the selfie pictures all-too-common. However, the hands-free selfie allows users to use their hands as they like, resulting in free, expressive posing. However, Face Shutter and Buddy Shutter functions are integrated for a trigger of shutter release in LUMIX GF8. They work when the face is once covered with a waving hand or when two faces come closer in a frame. 

    Creative Control filter that are suitable for impressive selfie shots – Retro, Soft Focus, Expressive, High Key and Toy Effect can be combined with the Self Shot mode, too. 

    2. High Performance Digital Single Lens Mirrorless with High Speed Response

    The LUMIX GF8 incorporates 16.00-megapixel, large Digital Live MOS Sensor complying with Micro Four Thirds system standard that achieves both higher resolution and higher sensitivity image recording with less noise. The image processor Venus Engine features its advanced noise reduction systems. It features high level of noise is control thanks to the expanded controllable area of noise. This makes it possible to remove large block of noise which was formally hard to detect and helps produce clear, smooth image especially for the nighttime scenery. The combination of the Digital Live MOS Sensor and the Venus Engine achieves fine detail reproduction, making it possible to capture clear image even in low lit situations and allows max. ISO 25600 while achieving minimum ISO 100 (Extended).

    The LUMIX GF8 features high-speed Light Speed AF, making it possible to capture even the fast-moving subject clearly. The camera and the lens exchange the digital signal at max. 240 fps to minimize the time to focus. The LUMIX GF8 realizes the high speed burst shooting at approx.5.8 fps (AFS) / approx.5 fps (AFC, 1-area AF) in 16.00-megapixel and max. 40 fps using an electronic shutter. Also, AF Tracking enables consecutive shooting to capture moving subject in sharp focus at approx.4 fps*.

    The Low Light AF help users to get in-focus shot even in extremely low-lit situations such as under the moonlight or the starry sky. Sharp focus can be set on the target subject even when you cannot use an AF assist lamp.

    In addition to the conventional Face Recognition AF, the LUMIX GF8 incorporates Face / Eye Detection AF which automatically sets focus right on the eye of human face. With the Pinpoint AF, users can magnify the target area to set focus by 5x by just touching it on the monitor. The One-shot AF enables using AF even in MF mode by just touching the icon on the screen to set rough focus on the subject and you can go back to MF just to adjust precise focus.

    The LUMIX GF8 records stunningly smooth, high-resolution full-HD 1,920 x 1,080 60p (60 Hz) / 50p (50 Hz) videos in AVCHD Progressive or MP4 (MPEG-4 / H.264) format. High quality sound can be recorded with Dolby® Digital. A Wind Cut function is also available to block out most of the noise from background wind. 

    * In 1-area-focusing AF mode.

    – Maximum time to record motion pictures continuously with [AVCHD] is 29 minutes 59 seconds in Europe and some Asian areas.
    – Maximum time to record motion pictures continuously with [MP4] is 29 minutes 59 seconds or up to 4 GB.
    – You can check the recordable time on the monitor. (For [FHD] in [MP4] format, the file size is large and so the recordable time will drop below 29 minutes 59 seconds.)

    3. Easy Wireless Connectivity via Wi-Fi® with Smartphones

    The LUMIX GF8 integrates Wi-Fi® connectivity (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n) to offer more flexible shooting experience and instant image sharing with easy operation. Once connecting the camera and smartphone/tablet installing Panasonic’s dedicated application software Panasonic Image App for iOS / Android, users can shooting / browsing / sharing images remotely. 

    Connecting the camera to the smartphone/tablet is quick and easy with a press of Fn1/Wi-Fi* button or by reading the QR code. Plus, the LUMIX GF8 users are eligible to have free 100GB storage on Google Drive™ to save photo and video data*.

    * The service is available for two years after the activation.

    4. A Host of Advanced Functions Packed in a Sleek Body with Ease of Use

    Although the LUMIX GF8 packs a host of advanced functions, it features sleek, stylish profile with high mobility.  Every part including button and dial is carefully chosen to achieve high quality design and operability. The leather-touch grip is ergonomically designed and easy to hold. Dressed in fashionable colors – silver, brown, pink and orange, the LUMIX GF8 makes perfect match for unisex users to enjoy high quality photo shooting daily.

    The LUMIX GF8 comes with Rec.Setting Reset button on the back. All recording settings can be reset with the button and it is helpful for users who made wrong settings unconsciously. 

    5. Other Features

    iA+ (Intelligent Auto) Mode for Photo and Video

    For beginners, iA (Intelligent Auto) mode supports taking beautiful pictures with a variety of shooting-assist functions including AF Tracking, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Recognition, Intelligent ISO Control and Food Recognition.

    Scene Guide

    The Scene Guide* offers 20 sample pictures shot by professional photographers. Users can choose the one closer to the situation they are going to shoot and optimum parameters for shooting the scene will be automatically set. Furthermore, shooting procedure, technical advice and recommended interchangeable lens for the scene can be shown for users to learn photography. 

    * Video recording using Scene Guide is not possible in some scenes.

    Creative Control

    The LUMIX GF8 integrates a variety of artistic functions that adds fun to digital photography. The popular Creative Control mode features a total of 22 filter options – Expressive / Retro / Old Days / High Key / Low Key / Sepia / Monochrome / Dynamic Monochrome / Rough Monochrome*1 / Silky Monochrome*1 / Impressive Art / High Dynamic / Cross Process / Toy Effect / Toy Pop / Bleach Bypass / Miniature Effect*2 / Soft Focus*1 / Fantasy / Star Filter*1 / One Point Color / Sunshine*1 mode. Effect parameter of each mode is also adjustable. Also, LUMIX GF8 is capable of taking pictures “with” and “without” filter effect simultaneously, so that users can compare them to choose later.

    *1 For photo only.

    *2 Sound will not be recorded with [MINIATURE EFFECT] in Creative Control Mode and approximately 1/10 of the time period is recorded. (If you record for 10 minutes, the resulting motion picture recording will be approximately 1 minute long.) 

    Snap Movie

    Users can record video in designated short period of time (2/4/6/8 sec) as they shoot “moving photos”. In this function, rack focusing or addition of fade effect (color in/out, black in/out, white in/out) are available. Those short video clips are easy to be shared using Panasonic Image App and It is also possible to connect them in any order you like and even to add music instead of recorded sound on the combined file later.

    Time Lapse Shot

    The camera automatically starts recording photos at time lapse sequence once the start time, interval and the number of pictures to shoot are set. 

    Stop Motion Animation

    This function enables producing a stop motion (stop frame) video in camera with the pictures that are sequentially shot while moving the object by degrees. This effect makes the object appears as if it is moving by itself.

    Silent Mode

    This mode switches shutter from mechanical to electronic and turns all sound (AF, operation) off while suppress emission of AF assist lamp and flash with just a single setting for special shooting occasions.

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF8 specifications

    Body type
    Body type Rangefinder-style mirrorless
    Sensor
    Max resolution 4592 x 3448
    Other resolutions 4:3 (3232 x 2424, 2272 x 1704), 3:2 (4592 x 3064, 3232 x 2160, 1824 x 1216), 3:2 (4592 x 2584, 3840 x 2160, 1920 x 1080), 1:1 (3424 x 3224, 2416 x 2416, 1712 x 1712)
    Image ratio w:h 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
    Effective pixels 16 megapixels
    Sensor photo detectors 17 megapixels
    Sensor size Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm)
    Sensor type CMOS
    Processor Venus Engine
    Color space sRGB, Adobe RGB
    Color filter array Primary color filter
    Image
    ISO Auto, 200-25600 (extends to 100-25600)
    Boosted ISO (minimum) 100
    White balance presets 5
    Custom white balance Yes (2 slots)
    Image stabilization No
    Uncompressed format RAW
    JPEG quality levels Fine, standard
    File format
    • JPEG (Exif v2.3)
    • Raw (Panasonic RW2)
    • MPO (3D)
    Optics & Focus
    Autofocus
    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Multi-area
    • Center
    • Selective single-point
    • Tracking
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Touch
    • Face Detection
    • Live View
    Autofocus assist lamp Yes
    Digital zoom Yes (2x-4x)
    Manual focus Yes
    Number of focus points 23
    Lens mount Micro Four Thirds
    Focal length multiplier 2×
    Screen / viewfinder
    Articulated LCD Tilting
    Screen size 3″
    Screen dots 1,040,000
    Touch screen Yes (with touch AF, shutter, playback, menus)
    Screen type TFT LCD
    Live view Yes
    Viewfinder type None
    Photography features
    Minimum shutter speed 60 sec
    Maximum shutter speed 1/500 sec
    Maximum shutter speed (electronic) 1/16000 sec
    Exposure modes
    • Program
    • Aperture priority
    • Shutter priority
    • Manual
    Scene modes
    • Portrait
    • Child
    • Scenery
    • Silky Skin
    • Backlit Softness
    • Relaxing Tone
    • Bright Blue Sky
    • Romantic Sunset Glow
    • Vivid Sunset Glow
    • Glistening Water
    • Clear Nightscape
    • Cool Night Sky
    • Warm Glowing Nightscape
    • Artistic Nightscape
    • Glittering Illuminations
    • Handheld Night Shot
    • Clear Night Portrait
    • Soft Image of a Flower
    • Appetizing Food
    • Cute Dessert
    • Freeze Animal Motion
    • Clear Sports Shot
    • Monochrome
    Built-in flash Yes
    Flash range 5.60 m (at ISO 200)
    External flash No
    Flash modes Auto, auto w/redeye reduction, flash on, flash on w/redeye reduction, slow sync, slow sync w/redeye reduction, flash off
    Flash X sync speed 1/50 sec
    Continuous drive 5.8 fps
    Self-timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, 3-shot/10 sec)
    Metering modes
    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Spot
    Exposure compensation ±5 (at 1/3 EV steps)
    AE Bracketing ±3 (3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps)
    WB Bracketing Yes (3 shots in blue/amber and magenta/green axes)
    Videography features
    Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 50p, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (30p, 25p), 640 x 480 (30p, 25p)
    Format MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
    Videography notes 24p only available with AVCHD
    Microphone Stereo
    Speaker Mono
    Storage
    Storage types SD/SDHC/SDXC card
    Connectivity
    USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
    HDMI Yes (micro-HDMI)
    Microphone port No
    Headphone port No
    Wireless Built-In
    Wireless notes 802.11b/g/n with NFC
    Remote control Yes (via smartphone )
    Physical
    Environmentally sealed No
    Battery Battery Pack
    Battery description Lithium-ion battery & charger
    Battery Life (CIPA) 230
    Weight (inc. batteries) 266 g (0.59 lb / 9.38 oz)
    Dimensions 107 x 65 x 33 mm (4.21 x 2.56 x 1.3″)
    Other features
    Orientation sensor Yes
    GPS None

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Lens Technique: Wide-angle portraiture with the Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM Art

    Photographers tend to shy away from wide-angle lenses when shooting portraits, but DPReview Technical Editor Rishi Sanyal thinks that’s all wrong. In this video, he uses the Sigma 24-35mm F2 Art to illustrate his case for wide-angle portraits, capturing a couple of models with a setting sun in Seattle’s lovely Discovery Park. Step away from your 85mm comfort zone and learn some of Rishi’s tips for environmental portraits.

    Check out all our videos on YouTube

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • A conversation with portrait photographer Brian Smith

    When Brian Smith was just a High School student with a budding interest in making photographs, he learned that photography could earn you some significant perks – and at that age, that meant a pass to leave campus. These days he’s well known for his portraiture, including a portfolio of A-list celebrities. He sat down with DPReview Editor Barney Britton at PIX 2015 to discuss his background, career and his secret to putting all of his portrait subjects at ease in front of the camera.

    Watch more talks, panels and demonstrations

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Sphericam 2 professional fully spherical camera records 4K/60 fps videos

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    The folks at Sphericam are back with a second generation model of their unique angular camera. The Sphericam 2 is, according to the company, the first fully spherical pro-grade 360-degree camera that records 4K footage at 60 fps. The resulting videos can be used in VR applications, as well as on platforms that support 360-degree content like YouTube and Spinnable.

    Unlike other spherical cameras, Sphericam features angular sides comprising a geometric design made from anodized aluminum. These ‘faces’ allow the camera to be placed flat on a surface, and also house things like lenses, mounting points, and buttons. Sphericam 2 has six cameras, each using a sensor with global shutter and synchronized to fire within 50 microseconds of each other.

    Footage is available as 60 fps raw/unstitched and as 30 fps stitched panoramic videos. Capturing in 30 fps allows the video to be stitched in real time; a live streaming function is currently in development. Content, meanwhile, is recorded at up to 1.2 Gbps to an internal microSD card. The camera supports use of up to six MicroSD cards at once by way of a removable module adding up to a total maximum storage capacity of 768GB, or about 85 minute of footage.

    The camera has two power options: a non-removable rechargeable battery for up to 90 minutes of operation, and a USB-C port for continuous operation when plugged in. Finally, Sphericam features a total of 8 mounting points, each a standard threaded 1/4-20 offering, for use with various third-party mounting accessories. 

    Sphericam 2 is available for preorder from Sphericam for $ 2499; shipping is estimated to start 10 to 12 weeks after ordering.

    Via: Sphericam

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Manfrotto introduces six new monopods for XPRO range

    From the top down, Prime, Over and Land monopods from Manfrotto

    Tripod and accessory manufacturer Manfrotto has announced a total of six new monopods that it has added to the XPRO range, including models in carbon fiber as well as aluminum. The models cover three families of monopods: Prime for the heaviest equipment, Over for those who need height but for lighter kit, and Land for traveling.

    The Prime models come in three variants, one of which has four sections and is made of carbon fiber. The other two are aluminum, and one of those features a pop-out three-leg support system that is concealed within the lower leg section. The Prime models can support up to 10kg / 22lbs and offer a maximum height of 168cm / 66.14in.

    The Over series can support up to 7kg / 15.43lbs, and offer heights of up to 176cm / 69.29in, while there is only one Land monopod – a 5-section model which packs down to 41.5cm / 16.3in and weighs only 0.7kg / 1.5lbs. It can hold 6kg / 13.23lbs and can open to 141cm  / 55.51in.

    Each of the models offers dual 1/4in and 3/8in threads and Manfrotto’s new Quick Power Lock leg clamps, as well as D-shaped tubing to help prevent rotation.

    For more information visit the Manfrotto websiite.

    Model Material Leg Sections  Price
     Prime Aluminum 3 £54.95
     Prime with legs Aluminum 3 £99.95
     Prime Carbon Fiber 4 £149.95
     Over Aluminum 4 £69.95
     Over Carbon Fiber 5 £169.95
     Land Aluminum 5 £69.95

    US pricing is not yet available.

    MANFROTTO PRESENTS: NEW XPRO MONOPODS

    Manfrotto, world leader in the photography, imaging equipment and accessories industry, announces a new photo monopods range: the New XPRO MONOPODS. These products bring the premium style and performance of the 055 and 190 series tripods on single-legged camera supports and are superbly designed and crafted for professional and advanced photographers. The new XPRO MONOPODS range consists 6 of new models of the PRIME, OVER and LAND monopods.

    COMPACTNESS, PORTABILITY & PAYLOAD
    With 6 new models available – 4 in aluminium and 2 in Carbon Fibre, the new XPRO MONOPODS come in different sizes and with ¼” or 3/8” mounting threads.

    The PRIME Monopods provide the highest payload in the range and are able to support up to 10kg (22lbs) of weight. Available in 3 models (2 aluminium and 1 carbon fibre), one features a unique retractable mechanism that allows the three feet to fully disappear inside the last tube – only coming out when needed.

    The OVER Monopods have increased the maximum height by 16% more than previous model, widening the shooting angles’ versatility whilst still maintaining remarkable compactness. Available in aluminium and carbon fibre.

    Extending the range further, the LAND Monopod is a 5 section monopod ideal for travelling. It folds down to 41.5 cm (32.6 in) for easy transportation and can be packed into Manfrotto backpacks or messenger bags. Available in aluminium only.

    EASE OF USE & STABILITY
    The New Quick Power Lock provides stability of use to all XPRO MONOPODS and a fast locking grip, which can be released with a single hand movement.

    The D-shaped tubes greatly improve the anti-rotation resistance allowing for a solid locking grip by eliminating jerky movements.

    Remove problems of vibration, speed and portability with the New XPRO MONOPODS: suitable for Sport photography, Bird watching, Travelling and Nature photography.

    Prices from £54.95. For more information, please visit www.manfrotto.co.uk

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Fujifilm X70 Shooting Experience: Taking it to the streets

    Fujifilm X70 Shooting Experience

    The first thing you’ll notice about the Fujifilm X70 is that it looks an awful lot like an X100T. The second thing you’ll notice is how similar some core specifications are to an established cult classic among street photographers, the Ricoh GR II. And despite featuring retro-inspired dials-on-dials design coupled with a 16MP APS-C sensor and 28mm equiv. F2.8 lens, the X70 turns out to be very distinct from both of those cameras in real-world use.

    Basics and Handling

    The X70’s X-Trans APS-C CMOS sensor is lifted from the X100T and offers the same 16.3MP resolution and hybrid AF system. The lens is new though – it’s a fixed 18.5mm (28mm equiv.) F2.8 prime with two aspherical elements tucked behind a 9-bladed aperture diaphragm. Exposure is taken care of courtesy of a leaf shutter, allowing for near-silent operation, and if for some reason you need to be even quieter, the electronic shutter goes all the way to 1/32,000. That’s a good thing for general daytime shooting as well, since the X70 doesn’t get a built-in ND filter like the X100-series.

    Fly by night. SOOC JPEG, Classic Chrome mode. Photo by Carey Rose. F4 | 1/60 | ISO 200

    The buttons and dials on the X70 leave a little to be desired. For the most part they function just fine, but the dials feel a little less-than-premium: kind of a halfway point between the X-A / X-M and X100-series of cameras. The buttons have positive feedback, but are a little too flush with the body. In fact, though you can reassign the movie button to something else, it’s so flush that it’s incredibly difficult to press. I’ve found that it’s easiest to ignore it. Also, because the screen protrudes a bit when folded against the body, it gets in the way of you pressing the left-most button on the four-way controller. The playback buttons might seem oddly placed on the top of the touchscreen, but they actually work well there.

    All-in-all, though, the act of controlling core settings on the X70 is very similar to the experience of using the X100T, which is to say it works both very quickly and very well.

    One-man dance party. SOOC JPEG using Monochrome mode. Photo by Carey Rose. F5.6 | 1/60 | ISO 1000

    The X70’s rubberized front and rear grips are grippy and well-sculpted, and the camera feels comfortable and secure even in one hand. That said, the aperture control ring around the lens and the articulating touchscreen encourage two-handed operation.

    Performance

    But using two hands won’t slow you down with the X70. In fact, not much will. The 0.5-second startup time (high performance mode) of the X70 means that the camera is ready to shoot very quickly. This is about three times faster to start up than the GR II and means that subjectively, the X70 just feels more responsive when shooting out and about.

    Play time. Processed to taste from Raw using the Pro Neg Standard color profile in ACR. Photo by Carey Rose. F2.8 | 1/125 | ISO 200

    Focus times in Single-AF for the X70 are also on the sprightly side (at least for Fujifilm). The hybrid AF system does usually undergo a slight hunt before locking focus, but the live view never freezes up. Of course, street shooters will miss a thorough implementation of snap focus, but Single-AF was usually fast enough that we didn’t miss it anyway.

    So while overall Single-AF speed is good, accuracy tended to vary more than we’d like. The focus would sometimes shift slightly in frames taken in immediate succession, even in daylight. To be fair, I found this mostly when shooting with the contrast-detect-only AF points near the edge of the frame. Your mileage may vary. This focus shifting didn’t affect my images much for web viewing, but I definitely noticed it on even a moderate-sized monitor.

    The combination of close focus and a mild wide angle mean you can get pretty close to your subject, have some background isolation, and still have some context in the scene overall. SOOC JPEG using Classic Chrome mode. Photo by Carey Rose. F5.6 | 1/125 | ISO 1250

    Continuous AF isn’t really a strong point for cameras of this general type and price point. With the X70 in single-point AF-C mode, you’ll get some lag if your subject is too quick, along with a whole lot of hunting. AF-C + Zone, which uses the PDAF area in the center of the frame works better, but the PDAF area is too small for really meaningful subject tracking. AF-C + Wide / Tracking does a reasonably good job of identifying the subject to track, but you’ll often get excessive and incessant hunting behind and in front of the desired subject. This was noticeable even if the subject wasn’t moving.

    I ended up using the X70 in the same way as I use other Fujifilm cameras – in AF-S mode. 

    The First Fujifilm Touchscreen

    What really sets the X70 apart from both the X100T and the GR II is its tilting touchscreen, a first on any Fujifilm X-series camera. Sure, it’s made it really easy for me to take unflattering couch selfies, but it mostly makes for a very discreet shooting experience. Using the X70 with the screen as a waist-level finder, you can touch to acquire focus anywhere in the frame and capture your scene without ever lifting your head. Uninterested passers-by will assume you’re texting or maybe fiddling with dials on your hipster film camera, and if someone does actually pay you some attention, it just looks like you’re going a little heavy on the chimping.

    Just chimping, bro. Processed to taste in Raw using the Monochrome preset in ACR. Photo by Carey Rose. F5.6 | 1/60 | ISO 400

    The tilting screen also helps when it comes to getting the most out of the 28mm field of view that the X70 offers. Unlike a 35mm or a 50mm, a 28mm focal length requires some careful attention to foreground and background elements to keep your images from feeling too flat. Being able to easily frame subjects from ground-level or above my head helped me get a little more accustomed to 28mm, a focal length I normally tend not to gravitate towards.

    Image Quality

    The sensor inside the X70 is quite literally nothing new. Though this 16.3MP X-Trans sensor is getting a little long in the tooth, overall dynamic range and noise performance are still very good, and as we’d expect, very comparable to the closely-related 16MP sensor in the GR II. We prefer the rendering from Fujifilm’s X-Trans sensor in JPEG mode, but Raw files from the more conventional filter array in the GR are easier to handle. 

    Camouflage. Processed to taste from Raw using the Pro Neg Standard preset in ACR. Photo by Carey Rose. F2.8 | 1/60 | ISO 1000

    The lens on the X70 though is an all-new design, but in both the studio and the real world, we found the lens on our particular X70 to be noticeably less sharp than that on the GR II. Of course, this could be an outlier (we are using a very early production model camera) but we’ll keep an eye on it and do a control test with another sample as soon as we can. 

    It’s worth noting that the lens on the X70 doesn’t offer a dedicated macro mode. It doesn’t really need to. The close focus distance of 10 cm (~4 in) allows you to get a little more creative with your compositions as well as get some reasonable subject separation despite the vaguely unimpressive maximum aperture.

    Overall Impressions

    It’s time for a talk. SOOC JPEG, shot in monochrome mode. Photo by Carey Rose. 1/60 | F2.8 | ISO 2500

    Time to be brutally honest. The spec sheet on the Fujifilm X70 isn’t all that exciting. We’ve seen the sensor, processor and autofocus system before. The lens, a new design, only opens to F2.8. It’s appreciably smaller than an X100T, but is more ‘coat pocket’ than ‘jeans pocket.’

    In spite of all of this, the Fujifilm X70 is a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging camera to use. Full disclosure: I feel the same way about the GR II, but using it is a completely different experience. If you have a GR II and like it, there’s really not enough of a reason to dump it for the X70. If you like your X100-series but were looking into a more portable option like the GR II, the X70 is definitely worth a look. Strictly speaking, these two cameras are capable of achieving very similar results. But as the files between them have their own unique signature, so does the handling, and handling is a very personal matter indeed.

    So in the end, is there room for two similarly-specced street-focused APS-C shooters in the marketplace? Time will tell, but with the X70, Fujifilm has created a compact, responsive camera that in terms of both specification and design, is greater than the sum of its parts.

    Additional Content

    Fujifilm X70 Updated Samples Gallery

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    See our updated Fujifilm X70 real-world gallery

    Studio Test Scene Comparison

    See the Fujifilm X70 in our studio test scene comparison tool

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Ricoh partners with 360° content social platform Spinnable

    Ricoh has partnered with Spinnable, a social sharing platform dedicated to 360-degree content. The partnership allows Ricoh Theta S owners to directly upload 360-degree videos recorded with the camera to Spinnable. The Spinnable platform is currently available as an iOS app, and will soon be launched for Android, Samsung Gear, and desktop, as well.

    The Ricoh Theta S is a consumer handheld camera that records 360-degree high-definition video via a 14MP image sensor, wide-angle lenses, and Ricoh’s own ultra-small twin-lens folded-optical system. Currently, Theta users can only upload their creations to YouTube, Google Street View and Ricoh’s website. Spinnable opens up another option to Theta users, who will be able to view and pan around within the video using either their phone’s integrated gyroscope or by swiping a finger.

    In a press statement on Wednesday, Spinnable co-founder and CEO Mark Demarest said, ‘Although Spinnable is hardware agnostic, we’ve chosen the Ricoh Theta S as the first camera to directly integrate with Spinnable because of its compact form factor, image quality and price point.’ Spinnable users can now purchase the Ricoh Theta S directly through the app, as well.

    Press release:

    Ricoh Theta S Offers an Immersive 360° Experience With Spinnable for Social Media Content

    LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10, 2016 — Spinnable, an immersive technology company for 360 Social Sharing, today announced a strategic alliance with Ricoh, creator of the Theta S. Spinnable and the Ricoh Theta S — the first handheld camera to capture truly spherical 360-degree images and high-definition (HD) video — make it easy for anyone to create, consume and share content in full 360 degrees, capturing what is going on all around them, not just what is in front of them.

    Spinnable is working with Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation to bring a massive shift in the way people experience media, while making production accessible to artists, brands, and the mass-market.

    Spinnable users can use the Ricoh Theta S to capture and then directly upload images to the Spinnable app, which is currently available for iOS, and will soon be available for Android devices. Once in the app, the media can be moved with theswipe of a finger, or by panning, using the phone’s gyroscope. The Ricoh Theta S camera can also be purchased through the app.

    “Although Spinnable is hardware agnostic, we’ve chosen the Ricoh Theta S as the firstcamera to directly integrate with Spinnable because of its compact form factor, image quality and price point,” said Mark Demarest, CEO and Co-Founder, Spinnable.

    The Ricoh Theta S captures the entirety of a scene in a high-resolution photo or video, in a sleek, pocket-sized design. It records high-resolution spherical images of nearly 14 mega-pixels and HD video at 30fps, with a maximum recording time of 25 minutes. Its high quality images are enabled by an enlarged image sensor and wide-angle lenses that allow more light through Ricoh’s proprietary ultra-small twin-lens folded-optical system. 

    “Spinnable is creating a new, highly engaging way for consumers, companies and artists alike to share life’s experiences with one another, and our Ricoh Theta S is the ideal camera to capture this content,” said Jim Malcolm, president, Ricoh Imaging Americas. “We are excited to be a part of the new and growing Spinnable community.”

    Spinnable is also enabling musicians, athletes and celebrities to provide fans with a more intimate, immersive look into their lives, from backstage, on the court, and in the studio, to red carpet events, and those beloved everyday selfies. With these relationships, Spinnable will be creating content that can be accessed exclusively through the app. The company will also be launching live-streaming events in 360 degrees directly through the app.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)