360Photography

Category: Uncategorized

  • DPReview Gear of the Year 2015: Nikon D750

    This is less the story of a DPReview.com editor professing his favorite piece of gear from the year, and more the story of a photographer and system owner holding out several years for the perfect camera. This isn’t about Nikon vs Canon or Sony or mirrorless vs DSLR. It’s about investing in a system, expectations, and the joy of photography.

    Nikon D750 – What I love:

    • 24MP Full-frame sensor offers excellent high ISO performance and great dynamic range
    • 1080/60p video capture
    • Robust build-quality, while remaining fairly light-weight for a Full-frame DSLR
    • Flip out 3.2″ LCD lets me get those high and low angles I so crave for skateboard photography
    • 51-point AF system performs well, even in very dark or low contrast shooting environments

    In the Winter of 2012 I purchased a lightly used Nikon D700 for a trip I was planning in the Spring, to document Egypt’s first-ever freely-held presidential elections. While the camera was technically a current model, it had been on the market, at the time of my purchase, for nearly four years.

    I had also strongly considered the D800 at the time, which had been announced a few weeks prior. But after field testing the camera (I was working at Popular Photography at the time), I decided that is was simply not the body for me. I was upgrading from a Nikon D300, and the D800 felt too much like a studio camera: the Raw files were far larger than I needed, or was used to, the burst not fast enough (the D300 with a grip gave me 8 fps), and the price, way more than I could afford to pay. It’s also worth mentioning that the D600 had not been announced yet. So my options were pretty much limited to a camera that appeared to be near the end of its product life.

    Fast forward two and half years to the late Summer of 2014. I had been using the D700 aggressively for freelance work, and put more than a half million actuations on it. Despite the rubber skin starting to peel a bit, the camera still functioned like new. Still, I couldn’t help but feel like I was ready for an upgrade, the same upgrade I had been yearning for when I initially settled on the D700, due to lack of options.

    ISO 640, 1/1000 sec F5.6 shot with a Nikon 24mm F2.8D lens affixed. The D750 is the only Full-frame camera in Nikon’s line that offers an articulating LCD, which I used to frame this image.

    I’ll never forget the day Nikon first unveiled the D750 to us in a press meeting. It was an incredibly muggy August afternoon in New York City. As I walked down Park Avenue with a co-worker, I felt anxious. Rumors had been circulating for months of a new full frame camera, and I was eager to find out if they were true. Moreover, I was eager to find out if the camera I had long dreamed of, since the day I started shooting with my D700, was going to come to fruition.

    “At the time, both the Nikon D610 and D810 had been announced. But like so many Nikon shooters upgrading from a D700 or D300, neither camera felt right.”

    At the time, both the Nikon D610 and D810 had been announced. But like so many Nikon shooters upgrading from a D700 or D300, neither camera felt right. I already mentioned my misgivings about the D800 (and the same go for the D810), but on the other end of the spectrum, the D610 felt too plasticky and simply not-professional enough for my use. By comparison, both the Nikon D700 and D300 are substantially more ruggedized than the D610 and I was not willing to purchase a new camera that felt less robust than that I was replacing.

    Needless to say, Nikon PR unveiled the D750 that afternoon, and it was everything I could have asked for: a robust weather sealed body, with an updated sensor, full video capture (neither my D300 nor my D700 offered any sort of real video mode), an articulating screen and built-in Wi-Fi. Months later, as the reviews rolled in, the verdict seemed clear: the D750 offered great image quality and excellent AF performance, in a feature-packed body that also happened to be smaller and lighter than both the D300 and D700 (without sacrificing build quality or weather sealing).

     ISO 1250, 1/400 sec, F4. Shot was a Nikon 85mm F1.8D lens affixed.

    It wasn’t until the Spring of 2015 I was able to afford one: a wedding assignment on the East Coast (I had moved from New York to Seattle in the winter of 2014), was ultimately the reason I pulled the trigger on my purchase. The camera arrived a week before my departure, giving me little time to try it out before the big shoot. To further complicate matters, at the time, I was in between finishing a Sony A77 II review and starting a Fujifilm X-T10 review, which is to say, Nikon cameras and the way they function, were not at the forefront of my brain.

    It didn’t matter. Picking the D750 up instantly felt familiar. I had been using Nikon cameras since 2006, including a D100 and D2h at my college newspaper, and I was pleased to see that generation, to generation, to generation, Nikon had largely kept menus, functions and button placements fairly uniform throughout the company’s high-end models.

    “It was truly a moment of pointing, shooting and hoping. But the D750 did not let me down.”

    The wedding proved to be an epic first field test for the D750. The ceremony took place outdoors, in torrential downpours. It was raining so hard during the reciting of the vows, I physically could not see anything through the viewfinder other than the red AF confirmation square lighting up on what I hoped were the bride and grooms faces. It was truly a moment of pointing, shooting and hoping. But the D750 did not let me down. Despite the shooting conditions, I was able to still capture all of the crucial wedding ceremony moments. And thanks to the camera’s image quality, I was able to work with the Raw files, which were substantial washed out due to fogging and moisture, to add back in some contrast and saturation.

      ISO 1250, 1/400 sec, F4. Shot was a Nikon 85mm F1.8D lens affixed.

    Of course, one of the biggest selling points of Nikon DSLRs are the incredible dynamic range they offer, and the D750 is no exception. I shoot a ton of live music and band portraiture and the amount of detail I can recover from the shadows of Raw files is truly impressive. Simply put, the flexibility of Nikon’s Raw files have, at times, been job saving. The D750 also holds its own in very low light shooting as well as some of the very best cameras I’ve tested. The same goes for AF performance; I rely heavily on a camera’s AF system for shooting in dark venues (I try to avoid using a flash as much as possible), and the D750 provides AF acquisition speeds and performance comparable with the best.

    Video capture and Wi-Fi were also two features I had long yearned for in my D700. And while you can find other DSLRs and mirrorless cameras that offer a wider range of video function, and higher-resolution capture, the D750 is still a pleasure to use for multimedia, and the video quality is very good. Wi-Fi connectivity is also painless to use, and quite handy for transmitting images in a pinch. A close friend of mine, who also purchased a D750 around the same time, swears the D750 has revolutionized the way he sends image of breaking news assignments back to his editor. Of course Wi-Fi connectivity in cameras is nothing new, but the D750 was the first full frame Nikon to offer it, and it does so in a reliable fashion.

     ISO 6400, 1/160 sec, F2.8. Shot with a Nikon 24mm F2.8D affixed.

    At the end of the day, the D750 may not be the greatest camera of all time. And there are plenty of cameras that beat it out in specific shooting scenarios, but as a long time Nikon user, looking for the perfect all-arounder to compliment my system, it is the best camera for me.

    Working at a website like DPReview, I constantly think about cameras in terms of the future. Will mirrorless cameras completely surpass DSLRs to become the pros’ tool of choice? Will the D760 do 4K? How about a Nikon full framer with a stabilized sensor, to bring VR to all lenses? The point is, we can dream and dream, and the perfect camera will always be just one rumor away. But at the end of the day, the best camera is the one you have. And I’m happy to call the D750 my own, finally.

     ISO 3200, 1/400 sec, F2.2. Shot with a Nikon 85mm F1.8D affixed.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Lightroom Mobile for Android is now free to use

    In October, Adobe released Lightroom 2.0 for iOS which, unlike previous versions, can be used as a stand-alone app on your Apple mobile device, without a paid subscription to the company’s Creative Cloud services. Apparently customer response to the move has been very positive and Adobe has decided to do the same with the Android version of the app. Read more

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Primer: Why would I buy a mirrorless camera?

    It seems like just yesterday that we were trying to come up with a sensible name for mirrorless cameras but 2016 will mark the eighth anniversary of the first Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera. In that time they’ve gone from being an interesting new development to an credible alternative to APS-C and full-frame DSLRs.

    Mirrorless cameras are interchangeable lens cameras that don’t have the mirror and optical viewfinder that define a DSLR. In most other respects, they’re extremely similar: with only a few exceptions, most mirrorless cameras these days are built around the same sized sensors as DSLRs, increasingly have similar lenses available, and can offer the same image quality.

    Other than the presence of a through-the-lens optical viewfinder, the only other significant difference is that DSLRs have a separate, dedicated autofocus module, whereas mirrorless cameras use their main imaging sensor for focus. Beyond that, there’s not a whole lot of difference between the two: mirrorless and DSLR cameras are available for a variety of needs and budgets and there isn’t a major manufacturer that doesn’t have some mirrorless cameras in its lineup.

    What are the advantages?

    Size

    As mirrorless cameras have matured they’ve also diversified, making it harder to generalise about their strengths and weaknesses. It remains true though that mirrorless cameras are generally smaller than their DSLR peers. Taking the mirror out means that the lens can be mounted closer to the sensor, helping to reduce the size of the system. Furthermore, without the need to be backwards-compatible with film-era systems, the lenses tend to be designed to match the size of the sensor, meaning many of these are smaller, too. Just as in the DSLR world though, more expensive, faster lenses – especially those designed for Sony’s full-frame Alpha a7-series – are still pretty big and bulky.

    Autofocus

    Another advantage is autofocus. Once considered a weakness of mirrorless, hybrid autofocus systems (using a variant of the phase-detection method used in DSLRs to determine how far away a subject is) have essentially closed the gap between DSLR and mirrorless focus performance for all but the most demanding applications. Not all mirrorless models offer hybrid AF though, so it’s worth doing a little research if you need a camera with good continuous autofocus.

    The Sony a6000 is much smaller than a DSLR but offers impressive autofocus tracking performance

    In fact, because all mirrorless cameras assess focus from their imaging sensor rather than a separate module, they are able to be more accurate and consistent, especially when focusing wide-aperture lenses. Combined with awareness of the scene that allows cameras to track and maintain focus on a subject’s eye, it’s increasingly the case that autofocus is one of mirrorless’s strengths.

    Video

    Mirrorless cameras already use their sensors’ continuous output to constantly preview the scene, so it’s not a big leap (or change in behavior) for them to capture this output as movie footage.

    The most obvious advantage of mirrorless cameras is that there isn’t a mirror blocking the sensor. This means that unlike a DSLR, you don’t have to completely change the way that the camera works in order to shoot video: you can continue to use the same means of previewing and shooting when you switch from stills to video. As a result, it’s mirrorless cameras that have led the charge towards offering better and better video and the clever photographic tricks that can stem from it.

    System

    Many mirrorless systems are now mature enough to include a broad range of lenses, such as Fujifilm’s X-mount lineup, pictured here.

    Because all mirrorless systems are less than eight years old, their systems aren’t as fully developed as legacy DSLR systems. The flip-side of this novelty is that most of the lens designs are relatively new and are well optimised for use on the latest high-resolution models. It’s worth checking that the lenses you might want are available for the system you’re considering, but you may find that there are more modern, more interesting or more affordable lenses available for some mirrorless systems than are available for the big DSLR brands.

    What are the disadvantages?

    The disadvantages of mirrorless are decreasing with every new generation of camera and only a few of the remaining drawbacks are directly related to the lack of a mirror. The relative novelty of mirrorless mean that manufacturers are still finding their feet, so there’s less consistency of performance and behaviour across brands: ergonomics and user interface are still the subject of experimentation and not every company has worked out how to design lenses that autofocus quickly.

    Furthermore, the need to constantly power the sensor and screen while shooting, combined with attempts to capitalize on the size benefits of mirrorless mean that battery life is much more limited on most mirrorless cameras – sometimes to a restrictive degree. We’d strongly recommend you read our reviews or roundups to find out about these details before making a purchase.

    Most mirrorless cameras allow SLR lenses to be mounted using adapters. The Sony a7R II is the first that can autofocus other brands’ DSLR lenses successfully.

    Finally, of course, there’s the absence of an optical viewfinder. While electronic viewfinders are constantly improving, aren’t limited by the size of the image format and can more accurately preview the image you’re going to get, most contemporary cameras’ live view feeds still lag behind the action when continuous shooting. On top of that, some people simply prefer the ‘part-of-the-scene’ feeling that an optical finder gives. These factor, as much as the vast number of photographers already invested in DSLR systems, pretty much guarantees that mirrorless cameras won’t totally replace the DSLR in the near future.

    Just as mirrorless cameras have started to compete in areas the DSLRs have traditionally dominated, we’ve also seen DSLR makers beginning to respond to that challenge, with mirrorless-style on-sensor phase detection being added to offer a faster live view experience and better autofocus during video. As such, it’s getting to the point that personal preference for one particular feature or one specific lens might sway your decision more than the presence or absence of a mirror in the camera. Whichever you choose, advances in technology and a broader range of choices can only be a good thing.

    © 2015 www.dpreview.com

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Panasonic to restart development of image sensors to fast-track 8K video

    According to a report from the Nikkei Asian Review, Panasonic has decided to resume image sensor development in order to speed up the drive for 8K video. The company suspended its development program a few years ago, the report says, but now Panasonic is preparing to invest ¥10bn/$ 80.8m to get its R&D back up to speed.

    The renewed effort is said to be aimed at producing sensors for 8K video output for its consumer and broadcast cameras, with production models expected on the market by 2018. 

    Recently, Panasonic has used its 4K video functions for a range of applications in addition to video, such as 4K Photo, where a still is extracted from a 30fps burst, and the Post Focus feature that allows users to change what is in focus after the picture has been taken. Presently, the stills extracted from clips made using these modes are only 8MP, but if that clip were recorded at 8K video (around 7680 x 4320) the stills would be in the region of 33MP, depending on the image proportions chosen. This is very much in line with Panasonic’s previous promise that we will be extracting 33MP still images from its cameras by the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. 

    The report says that the introduction of 8K video in cameras will eliminate the boundary between videos and stills. It will certainly change the way images are created in quite a dramatic way.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Field Test: Kiliii Fish and the Canon EOS Rebel T6i in Alaska

    Field Test: Kiliii Fish and the Canon EOS Rebel T6i in Alaska

    In this field test we follow photographer Kiliii Fish to the Arctic – specifically, the tiny fishing village of Barrow, Alaska. Using the Canon EOS Rebel T6i – Canon’s 24MP entry-level DSLR – Kiliii has come to Barrow to document how the indigenous population is adapting to the changing environment up here in the far North.

    See more Field Test videos

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Canon 35mm F1.4L II: a photojournalist’s perspective

    By Jordan Stead

    I prefer prime lenses to zooms because I can already see the frame before I raise the camera to my eye. After you’ve shot with a lens for a long time you get used to it. After looking through a 35mm lens for so long, I can visualize the field of view instinctively. And 35mm suits the way that I shoot. It’s challenging, and at the same time, a very versatile focal length. 

    The original Canon EF 35mm F1.4L USM, wide open at F1.4. (Photo: Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

    A tendency when I’m using zooms is to shoot at the widest end most of the time. I always try to put myself as close to something as I possibly can, and so I end up zooming out as much as I possibly can. By being fixed at 35mm, it’s not super wide, it’s not tight, but it can be both simply by stepping back or stepping forward. It forces me to think about composition, it makes me work harder, and it makes me think more about layering.

    The author with a typical camera and lens outfit for a two-photographer team shooting professional sports. More specifically, Super Bowl 49. Several camera bodies, several long sports lenses, and at least one 35mm F2 prime.

    Photo: Josh Trujillo, seattlepi.com

    I remember buying my original Canon EF 35mm F1.4L from a strange man in a California parking lot during an internship years ago. I can safely say that shooting with it as extensively as I did enabled me to build my personal vision as a photographer. It’s been a staple in many photographers’ bags since the 1990’s, and it’s by no means a bad lens following the release of the Mark II.

    The original Mark I offers good sharpness, robust build quality, and despite the fact that it isn’t technically weather resistant, I can guarantee you it actually is very weather resistant in normal use. Even bodily fluid resistant. And somewhat drop resistant. The durability of that era of L-series lens is impressive.

    Using a 35mm and want a 50mm or 85mm field of view? Step in and think layering instead of zooming. Shot on the original Canon EF 35mm F1.4L USM at F4.5. (Photo: Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

    There are a couple of downsides to the original EF 35mm F1.4, but only if you’re pixel peeping. Corner sharpness isn’t outstanding: It tends to have kind of a smear to it, which I don’t actually mind too much. I’ve always enjoyed a little natural vignetting, because it tends to draw your eye more to the center of the frame, but there are times when the chromatic aberration can be pretty bad. If you’re shooting something like a lot of backlit trees, or a portrait of somebody with blond hair, backlit, your photograph will contain some wild Christmas colors. 

    Shot on the original Canon EF 35mm F1.4L USM at F4. (Photo: Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

    After years and years of heavy use, my original 35L was repaired three or four different times, due to being abused in just about every possible way. It had been dropped many times, slammed against something while dangling off my shoulder while running, soaked through with snow, rain and probably a fair amount of beer, too. At the end of its life, it would only work when shot wide open at F1.4. I do recall the autofocus switch assembly popping completely out of the lens body at one point with a long trail of electronics dangling out after. I pushed the guts back into the body, gaffer taped it over, and kept on shooting.

    Canon EF 35mm F1.4L II USM

    Price: $ 1,799 USD

    Aperture range: F1.4-F22

    Nine rounded aperture blades

    Two Aspherical Elements, One UD Element

    Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics

    Weather-sealed design

    Once my original 35L turned to dust, I found myself unwilling to spend $ 1,300 to replace it. Canon’s non L-series EF 35mm F2 IS was getting outstanding reviews across the board and it was much smaller and lighter than the F1.4 version. The 35mm F2 doesn’t have a big red ring on it, so it’s a little subtler (and cheaper), and comes with image stabilization. I’ve discovered now, having shot with the 35mm F2 for over a year, that IS on short glass can be truly amazing – especially when panning or shooting in low light and keeping ISO low.

    Can you tell the difference between F1.4 and F2? If you can’t – or don’t care – opt for the cheaper, lighter, IS-equipped Canon EF 35mm F2 IS USM, used here at F2. (Photo: Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com)

    With IS, you can get away with a 0.5 second exposure if you are super, super still. That’s something you’d be hard pressed to be able to get away with on a non-IS lens, including the old 35mm F1.4. Then there’s the price. For so much less than the F1.4, you’re still getting solid build quality, with stabilization, and all you’re really losing in return is a stop of light. But you definitely don’t get that particular, dreamy F1.4 look, unless you’re close enough to a subject to throw their background significantly out of focus.

    Having now shot a lot with the new EF 35mm F1.4L II, the first thing that stood out to me was the size; nearly the same as the Canon 24-70 F2.8 Mark II! Then again, compare it against the Sigma 35mm Art F1.4 and it’s around the same bulk.

    It’s almost not worth talking about the image quality. I figured if the Sigma Art was as good as everyone says it is (and it is), then for $ 1,800, Canon had to have at least matched if not exceeded it. I was confident that the quality was going to be outstanding, and it is. The 35mm F1.4L II is eye-searingly sharp. Colors are amazing, bokeh is beautiful and the lack of CA is unmatched. I’ve never worried about CA a whole lot, but it was apparent when shooting the 35L II in a challenging environment (such as a backlit, daylight scene), it definitely holds its own better than both its predecessor and cheaper F2 sibling.

    Canon EF 35mm F1.4L II USM: if sharp is what you want, sharp is what you’ll get. Taken at F1.6. (Photo: Jordan Stead, Red Box Pictures)

    What I’ve come to really enjoy about the Mark II is the focus accuracy and speed. The Mark I is great, I’ve had tons and tons of good luck with it, but the Mark II is just so fast and so accurate, especially when paired with a body like the EOS-1D X. Considering when you first get a prime and all you want to do is shoot it wide open for a month, you judge it harshly on whether the focus is landing correctly, especially when you know your technique is up to snuff. It was great to go into my edit and see I was having a much better hit rate at F1.4. And it’s not just because of the relatively low 18MP resolution of the EOS-1D X, I’ve had similar results with the EOS 5DS R and 5D Mark III.

    The fear is that I’ll probably buy a Mark II version for myself now. The 35mm F2 is just so convenient, and I really do appreciate the weight, but it can’t quite beat the image quality and autofocus performance of the 35L II. 

    “F1.4 and be there?” Not the best advice (nor how the saying goes), but the Canon EF 35mm F1.4L II USM sure makes shooting wide open more fun – and rewarding. Taken at F1.4. (Photo: Jordan Stead, Red Box Pictures)

    Putting this new lens on my camera has made me enjoy shooting at F1.4 more and, in turn, worry less about CA. Compared to the original 35mm F1.4 there are many advantages across the board. I really have nothing bad to say about the Mark II besides its hefty size, but that’s just the standard at this point for 35mm F1.4s, anyway.

    With the inevitability of more high-megapixel bodies on the way, it is important to consider that you’re not necessarily buying a lens like the Mark II just for right now: you’re buying it for the future. With cameras like the 5DS R, older lenses – even L-series lenses – can mostly still deliver decent results, but the 35mm F1.4L II is a step up in terms of sharpness, color and CA control. If a high-megapixel body is something you’re considering in the future, you’re going to want to pick up this lens.

    Check out our full gallery of samples from the Canon EF 35mm F1.4L II 

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Readers’ Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

    Readers’ Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

    The foggy bridge – Dublin, Ireland. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

    Giuseppe Milo credits his interest in landscape and architectural photography with helping to shape a series of street photos he calls ‘Faceless.’ His fascination with the interaction between humans and the built environment are a common thread through the series, a project he calls ‘endless’ with new additions every week. Take a look at a selection of his photos and learn more about his history with photography. You can see more of his work at his website and Flickr. 

    Would you like to be featured in an upcoming Readers’ Showcase? Let us know! Be sure to include your DPR user name and a link to your online portfolio.

    Readers’ Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

    Advanced selfie – Chicago, United States. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

    Tell us where you’re from and what your history with photography is.

    I’m from the Amalfi coast, Italy, but I’ve been living in Ireland since 2010. It’s in Dublin that I started to take more pictures and study photography. I’ve always loved photography and initially I spent a lot of money on gear; then I realized that buying books and reading articles would have been more helpful so I started doing that. In 2012 I became addicted to street photography which is the genre I like the most.

    Readers’ Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

    Dancing in the water – Valletta, Malta. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

    What do you shoot with now?

    For the past 2 years I’ve been shooting with a Sony a7. When I shoot on the street I generally use a Sony FE 35mm F2.8 lens. 35mm is my favorite focal length. I love this combo because both the camera and the lens are very compact and light and the image quality produced is amazing. I also own a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III which I like as well, but the image quality is not comparable with the a7.

    Readers’ Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

    Another working day – Chicago, United States. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

    How did your ‘Faceless’ series start and how has it evolved?

    A few weeks ago I was looking at my street pictures and I realized I was very passionate about silhouettes and images of people who are not recognizable. This is maybe because I’m not really interested in people in the pictures I take but I’m more interested in the composition, the light, the interaction between man and environment.

    Readers’ Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

    Bryggen – Bergen, Norway. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

    (cont.) I don’t really like to shoot people randomly and look for expressions or characters. I want to communicate a feeling with every picture I take so I always pay attention to composition and light, natural contrast, balance. Faceless is still evolving: it’s actually an endless project, so you can check my website weekly for new pictures.

    Readers’ Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

    Raining – Chicago, United States. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

    How do you think your approach to street photography differs to others’?

    Most street photographers are interested in expressions, funny moments, people interaction. I started photography shooting landscapes, so maybe that’s the reason why I’m more interested in compositional elements. I also try to give my pictures a cinematic look: this is why I’ve chosen to use the 16:9 format for most of my pictures. This is the way I like street photography. I think everyone has to find his personal style and I guess I found mine.

    Readers’ Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

    Stairs – Lisbon, Portugal. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

    What have the challenges been in creating a book for your project? 

    Creating the book was actually a very straightforward process. Both my wife and Lightroom have helped me a lot but the most important thing about the book creation was that I had a clear idea of what I wanted to achieve: I just had to create the layout. 

    Readers’ Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

    The path – Dublin, Ireland. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

    What advice would you give another photographer interested in self-publishing a book?

    Use Lightroom and Blurb. It makes book creation very easy, and you can also choose to sell your book on Amazon. I think there are other options but my experience was very good. I like Lightroom, so it was fun to work on my book with the same software I use for editing my pictures.

    Readers’ Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

    Opera house – Oslo, Norway. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

    What are some of your favorite locations to shoot?

    Everywhere there is a good light and contrast. I don’t mind the location if there is a fantastic light. Otherwise, if light is not very good, I try to pick a location that allows me to create a good composition. I like architectural photography as well, and that’s why some of my street shots are a mix of the two genres. I also like to explore new places. I happen to travel often for various reasons, so I can always change the location of my pictures.

    Readers’ Showcase: Giuseppe Milo

    The photographer – Dublin, Ireland. Photo by Giuseppe Milo

    What’s the best advice you’ve received as a photographer?

    Learn how to see the light. Light makes a big difference in creating a beautiful or an average picture. I’ve also learned to spend money on books and education. When you’ve learned enough, pick the camera you like to shoot with. Photography is about light, composition and balance, not about the gear. The moment I realized this myself, I really started to take better pictures.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Behind the camera: Beauty photographer Lindsay Adler

    Lindsay Adler started her career as a portrait photographer very early. As a teenager, she took her classmates’ senior portraits, and later found that shooting portraits through each summer during college would help offset the costs of the school year. She’s now an author, educator and a leading fashion and studio photographer based in New York. We sat down with her recently to find out more about her early career, success and her evolving views on her own so-called ‘failures.’

    See more videos on our YouTube channel

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Manfrotto launches bright and compact Lykos LED lighting panels

    $ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“targetContainerClass”:”sampleGalleryImageViewerContainer”,”galleryId”:”2759212496″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”startInCommentsView”:false,”isMobile”:false}) });

    Italian accessories manufacturer Manfrotto has announced it is to introduce a new range of LED light panels under the Lykos brand name. The Lykos Daylight and Lykos BiColor panels are small enough to hold in one hand but can also be mounted on a lighting stand, and can be powered by an L-type video-camera battery or via the included AC adapter. Both panels use surface-mounted LEDs which the company claims deliver better power efficiency, more consistent color, flicker-free illumination and an improved working life.

    The Daylight version has a color temperature of 5600K while the BiColor model uses white and warm LEDs. These can be mixed to produce anything from 3000-5600K, to match local lighting conditions or for color effects. The Daylight version can manage 1600lux@1m, while the BiColor is not quite as bright at 1500lux@1m. 

    All controls have separate knobs so that the panels can be left to produce the same temperature or brightness when they are switched off and on again, as the on/off function is not integrated into one of the dials. 

    An optional Bluetooth dongle allows the panels to be controlled individually or in groups via a Smartphone app that has a memory function to recall light levels and temperature. The app is also compatible with Litepanel’s Astra models, so both types can be controlled from one app simultaneously.

    Manfrotto has also introduced a softbox for the Lykos panels, as well as a set of filters for the Daylight model and a gel diffuser. 

    The Lykos Daylight will cost £299.95/$ 449.99 and the BiColor version will be £399.95/$ 514.99. The Bluetooth dongle will be £75.95/$ 99.99

    For more information visit the Manfrotto website.

    Press release: 

    December 2015 – Manfrotto, world leader in the photography, imaging equipment and accessories industry, announces the launch of the LYKOS portable light with new LED technology (Surface Mounted Technology). Available in Daylight and BiColor versions, the LYKOS guarantees the highest illuminance in compact size and is the best solution for the photographer and videographer on the go who needs a lightweight light source.

    LYKOS LED panels, powered by Litepanels, is part of the new, ready to use Manfrotto LED lights.

    POWERFUL LIGHT 

    Portable and compact light, LYKOS is designed to meet the needs of demanding professionals. The powerful light is capable of an output of 1600lux and exists in two versions. LYKOS Daylight is centered at 5600K and LYKOS BiColor has the option to change colour temperature from warm white (3000K) to cold white (5600K). A color LCD display on the back of the unit allows easy monitoring of the functions.

    Thanks to the new generation SMT technology, the LYKOS lights ensure long LED life, energy efficiency, consistent colour reproduction and flicker-free functionality. This light can be operated by L-Type Li-ion batteries or by mains through the AC adaptor included. 

    SMART CONNECTION

    All units are “Bluetooth-ready”. An optional Bluetooth dongle transforms LYKOS in a smart device and permits remote control through a downloadable iPhone App or via the Digital Director App. Controllable functions include the On/Off switch, dimming 0%-100%, colour temperature regulation, grouping of lights and recall of previously stored scene settings with new features to soon be implemented. Manfrotto LYKOS and Litepanels Astra will embed a compatible wireless technology which will mean it will be possible to control both through the same app. 

    KIT AND MORE

    The LYKOS pack includes a Ball head, gel diffuser (filters for the Daylight version) and a mains adaptor.

    Moreover, the Manfrotto LYKOS Softbox is a perfect optional accessory to be used in combination with LYKOS LED panels. It creates a beautifully soft lighting, softening shadows in the images. It can be set up in seconds without any tools and the diffuser film is specifically designed for LED Lighting and reduces the light output by 1.3 f-stops.

    The new portable LYKOS LED panels are a powerful, efficient and smart device ready to use for professional photographer and videographer.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Sony finalizes buyout of Toshiba’s sensor business

    Back in October, Sony announced its intention to buy out Toshiba’s sensor business, and today they’ve sealed the deal. Sony is spending ¥19 billion ($ 154 million) on the acquisition.

    Toshiba says that they will ‘transfer semiconductor fabrication facilities, equipment and related assets of Toshiba’s 300mm wafer production line, mainly located at its Oita Operations facility, to Sony Semiconductor as part of the deal’. The company’s 1,100 workers will be offered positions at Sony after the merger closes by the end of the first quarter 2016.

    This deal potentially affects every camera manufacturer that has used Sony and/or Toshiba APS-C (and smaller) sensors in the past – which is to say virtually all of them. Except for Canon and Samsung, both of which manufacture their own APS-C and larger sensors, every other camera manufacturer, including Nikon, will now pretty much have to rely on Sony.

    That is, assuming Samsung doesn’t become a supplier in its own right. With a question mark hanging over the future of the NX system and long-standing rumors about the company’s investment in full-frame, it is possible that Samsung could step in to provide Nikon, Ricoh and Fujifilm with an alternative to Sony. 

    Press release:

    Sony and Toshiba Sign Definitive Agreements for the Transfer of Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities

    Tokyo, Japan, December 4th, 2015 — Based on the memorandum of understanding entered into between Sony Corporation (“Sony”) and Toshiba Corporation (“Toshiba”) on October 28, 2015, the parties today announced that they have signed definitive agreements to transfer to Sony and to Sony Semiconductor Corporation (“SCK”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony, certain Toshiba-owned semiconductor fabrication facilities, equipment and related assets in its Oita Operations facility, as well as other related equipment and assets owned by Toshiba (the “Transfer”). 

    Under the agreements, Toshiba will transfer semiconductor fabrication facilities, equipment and related assets of Toshiba’s 300mm wafer production line, mainly located at its Oita Operations facility. The purchase price of the Transfer is 19 billion yen. Sony and Toshiba aim to complete the Transfer within the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016, subject to any required regulatory approvals. 

    Following the Transfer, Sony and SCK plan to operate the semiconductor fabrication facilities as fabrication facilities of SCK, primarily for manufacturing CMOS image sensors. 

    The parties expect to offer the employees of Toshiba and its affiliates employed at the fabrication facilities to be transferred, as well as certain employees involved in areas such as CMOS image sensor engineering and design (approximately 1,100 employees in total), employment within the Sony Group, upon the completion of the Transfer.

    Outline of 300mm wafer fabrication facilities, Toshiba Oita Operations

    • Building completion: February, 2004
    • Location: 3500 Oaza Matsuoka, Oita City, Oita Prefecture, Japan
    • Building area: 24,100 m2
    • Total floor space: 48,800 m2
    • Main products: CMOS image sensors, memory controllers

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)