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Archive for January, 2017

SLT strikes back: Sony a99 II real-world sample gallery

09 Jan

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A-mount has returned with the a99 II, this time armed with the 42MP BSI CMOS sensor from the a7r II, as well as some tricks of its own. We hit the streets to see how the added tech makes this SLT behave.

See our Sony a99 II
sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Rugged Fujifilm XP120 arrives just in time for winter

09 Jan

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It’s snowy season here in the Northern Hemisphere, so Fujifilm’s release of its XP120 is well-timed. The XP120 has a 16.4MP BSI-CMOS sensor and a 28-140mm lens, and is waterproof to 20m/65ft, shockproof to 1.8m/5.7ft and freezeproof to -10C/+14F. 

Other features include a 3″ LCD, unique ‘Cinemagraph’ feature, which ‘produces still photos with moving elements’, 1080/60p video (with a wind filter) and Wi-Fi.

The XP120 will come in four colors – blue, sky blue, green and yellow – and will be available in February for $ 229.

FUJIFILM INTRODUCES NEW RUGGED FINEPIX XP120 FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURES; FLAGSHIP X SERIES CAMERAS ARRIVE IN NEW PREMIUM COLORS

Valhalla, N.Y., January 5, 2017 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced the new FinePix XP120, with a 16.4MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor and a large 3.0 inch LCD monitor in a compact body. The new FinePix XP120 is waterproof to 65 feet \ 20 meters, shockproof to 5.7 feet \ 1.75 meters, freeze proof to 14°F \ -10°C and dust proof. The XP120 is equipped with a FUJINON lens that provides unique color reproduction technology and advanced sharpness to deliver outstanding image quality, making it an ideal choice for a wide variety of shooting situations in rugged environments.

Also announced are the new FUJIFILM X-Pro2 Body with XF23mmF2 R WR Lens and Lens Hood Kit, Graphite Edition, and the new FUJIFILM X-T2 Body, Graphite Silver Edition.

FinePix XP120 Delivers Four-Way Rugged Protection
The XP120 is waterproof to 65 feet \ 20 meters, shockproof to 5.7 feet \ 1.75 meters, freeze proof to 14°F \ -10°C and dust proof and is designed for ease of use in outdoor activities. The XP120 features an improved grip design for firm one-handed holding and a double-locking mechanism for the battery compartment. There is no need to worry about water, sand or short drops, making it the perfect first camera for children when on a fun adventure.

High Performance Sensor and Lens for Sharp Images

The XP120 is equipped with a 16.4MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor and FUJINON 5x optical zoom lens that includes a 28mm wide-angle setting for sweeping landscape and scenic shots. The optical zoom range can be doubled to 10x with Intelligent Digital Zoom technology, while the camera’s optical image stabilization function ensures that any effects from camera shake are minimized.

Compact and lightweight design with a large 3.0-inch 920K-dot LCD monitor

The new compact XP120 has a large 3.0 inch 920K-dot high definition LCD monitor with anti-reflective coating in its lightweight body making it perfect for outdoor activities. The monitor inhibits light reflection so you are able to comfortably check composition and pictures taken under bright daylight or underwater. The operation buttons on the new XP120 were created in pursuit of optimal size and position, enabling smooth operation even while wearing gloves or holding with one hand. And, the battery compartment is designed with a double-locking mechanism that requires two-stage operation to lock and unlock the lid.

Extensive Shooting Functions with an All New Cinemagraph for Artistic Expression

The XP120 offers an all-new Cinemagraph mode that produces still images with moving elements. Cinemagraph is a novel photographic approach that creates an image somewhere between a still and video, which makes a stark contrast against the rest of the still image so that it appears as if time has been frozen. Additional features that aid versatile artistic expressions include Burst Mode of up to 10 fps, smooth full HD video recording of 60 fps, and time-lapse recording which is useful for fixed-point observation of scenes such as sunsets and flowers opening.

FinePix XP120 Key Features:

  • 16.4MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor and FUJINON 5x optical zoom lens with 28mm wide-angle setting
  • Four-way protection
    • Waterproof up to 65 feet/20 meters, shockproof to 5.7 feet/1.75 meters, freeze proof to 14°F/ -10°C and dust proof
  • Compact lightweight design with 3.0 inch 920K dot high definition LCD monitor with anti-reflective coating
  • Scene Recognition Mode quickly determines the scene before optimizing focus, exposure and shutter speed for best possible results
    • Underwater and underwater macro functions available
  • Remote Shooting function: Allows for wireless connection from the XP120 to a smartphone or tablet for remote camera operations such as releasing the shutter or zooming in and out
  • Interval Timer Shooting: Automatically shoot any number of images in set intervals
    • Interval can be set to either 5 or 10 minutes, or 15, 30 or 60 seconds
  • Burst Mode up to 10 fps, and Advanced Burst Mode capable of shooting at up to 60 fps
  • Time Lapse Video: Automatically converts images taken with interval timer to video
    • Frame rates of 10fps, 30fps or 60 fps can be selected along with three different types of movie size, including full HD. Allows for capturing transitions in nature from a stationary point, such as sunsets or opening flowers
  • Wireless LAN connectivity, Smartphone Transfer and the FUJIFILM Camera Remote app
    • Transfer photos and videos from the XP120 to your smartphone or tablet, or directly to the Instax Share SP-2 Printer for quick, high-quality prints
  • Cinemagraph mode: produces still images with moving elements
  • Motion Panorama 360° function for superb panoramic shots, and the Advanced Filter function to create advanced artistic effects with ease
    • Select from 11 filters when taking pictures or 7 filters during video recording
  • Records smooth Full HD video at 1080/60p with a dedicated movie button
  • Wind Filter Setting: reduces wind noise which is often a problem with outdoor movie recording 

Availability and Pricing

The FinePix XP120 will be released in late February 2017 in the U.S. and Canada for USD $ 229.95 and CAD $ 239.99.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Throwback Thursday: the Samsung i70, a portable media player

09 Jan

CES 2007 was much like the CES’ of its day: plenty of compact cameras were announced, Wi-Fi photo frames were all the rage and memory cards grew faster with higher capacities (Class 6 cards of 16GB were on the way!) Digital technologies also continued to converge, as evidenced by a camera Samsung announced that year: the i70. 

The i70 was Samsung’s latest attempt to combine a camera and a portable media player – it could play MP3s and videos, and included a text viewer. The camera featured a sliding design which, when expanded, revealed its 3x zoom lens coupled to a 7MP sensor.

The ‘i’ in i7 no doubt took some inspiration from the MP3 player of the day, the iPod. And it just so happened that days after the i70 launched, another ‘i’ made its debut: the first iPhone. In a matter of years, the iPhone would be the most popular camera in the world. Samsung may have had its head in the right place with a camera that could do more than take pictures, but Apple was a step ahead of them. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom features dual-cam with 2.3x zoom

09 Jan

Last year’s Asus Zenfone Zoom was one of very few smartphones to feature a conventional style 3x zoom lens. The downside to that was a slightly thicker than usual device and at F4.8 a very slow aperture at the tele end, for smartphone standards. 

On the new Zenfone 3 Zoom, just announced at CES in Las Vegas, Asus has changed strategies and opted for an iPhone 7 Plus style dual-cam. The Zenfone 3 Zoom offers the usual ‘bokeh-effect,’ and similar to the Apple device comes with a ‘tele’ lens that offers a 59mm equivalent focal length next to a 25mm wide angle. Both modules come with a 12MP image resolution. On the wide angle image data is captured on a 1/2.55″ Sony IMX362 sensor with 1.4 µm pixel size, F1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization. The longer lens has an F2.8 aperture but sensor specifications have not been revealed yet. It’s fair to assume the chip will be smaller than the one in the wide angle module, though. 

The camera also comes with phase detection and laser assistance in the AF system, a dual-LED flash and 4K video recording. Other specifications include a 5.5″ inch 1080p display with Gorilla Glass 5, a Snapdragon 625 chipset and a huge 5,000 mAh battery. At 7.83mm the Zenfone 3 Zoom is considerably thinner than its predecessor and could be the first real Android alternative to the iPhone 7 Plus. It will become available in February at which point Asus will hopefully also reveal complete camera specifications.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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SanDisk announces 256GB microSDXC card and ‘world’s fastest, highest capacity’ USB flash drive

09 Jan

SanDisk has unveiled its new 256GB Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card. Meeting A1 performance standards, it’s designed to expand smartphone storage for photos and videos as well as provide space to store and run apps. It’s said to achieve transfer speeds ranging up to 95MB/s. At this capacity, the card is able to store up to 24 hours of 1080p Full HD video.

The A1 performance standard means this microSD card can handle random read input-output access per second, also called IOPS, of 1,500, as well as a write IOPS of 500. As such, SanDisk says this card is suitable for handling in-app permissions, graphics and audio, and save profiles on a smartphone. The A1 spec is particularly useful in in light of Android Marshmallow 6’s option for storing and launching apps from the microSD card.

SanDisk also announced a 256GB USB 3.1 solid state flash drive. Claimed to be the world’s fastest, highest capacity drive, it offers read speeds up to 420MB/s and write speeds up to 380MB/s. SanDisk claims that’s fast enough to transfer an entire full-length 4K movie to the drive in 15 seconds.

The new Ultra microSDXC Premium Edition card will be available globally later this month for $ 199. The 256GB SanDisk Extreme Pro USB 3.1 drive arrives at the same time, and will sell for $ 179 through Best Buy and Amazon.

Press release:

SANDISK® UNVEILS WORLD’S FIRST MICROSD CARD DESIGNED TO DELIVER A NEW DIMENSION OF MOBILE APPLICATION PERFORMANCE
JAN 4, 2017

THE 256GB SANDISK ULTRA® MICROSD CARD WITH THE LATEST A1 SD SPECIFICATION OFFERS MOBILE USERS EVEN MORE STORAGE EXPANSION OPTIONS

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4, 2017 – Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC), a global storage technology and solutions leader, today unveiled the world’s first microSDTM card that meets the Application Performance Class 1 (A1) requirements from the latest SD Association’s SD 5.1 specifications. By meeting the A1 performance standard, the 256GB SanDisk Ultra® microSDXCTM UHS-I card, Premium Edition, delivers capacity, speed and enhanced capability to deliver a better smartphone experience1.

Since the popular memory card format launched more than a decade ago, microSD cards have been instrumental in driving new segments in digital imaging like action cameras, drones, dashboard cameras and surveillance systems, and have significantly impacted the evolution of the smartphone. Today, approximately 75 percent of smartphone models on the market contain microSD slots, according to data from Strategy Analytics2. The 256GB* SanDisk Ultra microSD card offers the capacity and performance consumers need to capture all of life’s moments without having to worry about what to delete. The card can hold up to 24 hours of Full HD video3 and with premium transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s**. With A1 performance, the card can launch and run apps at blazing speeds.

“The microSD card has been an integral part of the digital revolution by providing more options for high performance, high capacity storage for smartphones,” said Dinesh Bahal, vice president of product management, Client Solutions Business Unit, Western Digital. “SanDisk® cards are at the center of more than two billion consumer devices, and now with this A1 card, we’re proud to play a significant role in continuing to advance the trusted format.”

Long used by billions to expand capacity for photos, videos, music and many other digital files, the, microSD card now must evolve to support application-intensive environments, paving the way for a new dimension of memory card performance. With the introduction of the Android Marshmallow 6 operating system, users can expand storage capacity on smartphones by selecting the microSD card as preferred or adoptable storage, which means apps can now be loaded and launched directly from the A1 microSD card.

The A1 spec allows the new card to manage random read input-output access per second (IOPS) of 1,500 and write IOPS of 500, so it can quickly open apps and process accompanying tasks, such as audio, graphics, saved profiles and in-app permissions. With this in mind, the new SanDisk Ultra microSD card with A1 is designed to provide consumers a faster, more powerful app experience using cards.

“SD technology is trusted by consumers around the world for its reliable, backwards compatible and

highly interoperable storage, making it the world’s leading memory format with billions of SD memory cards and devices in the market,” said Brian Kumagai, SDA president. “The A1 specification will help consumers identify the appropriate card to ensure an optimal experience when running and launching apps on their smartphone. We are pleased that SanDisk will release an A1 card, and continues to contribute to breakthrough technologies enabled by the microSD format.”

The new SanDisk Ultra microSD card with A1 is compatible with the SanDisk® Memory Zone app for Android™, giving users an easy way to manage and back up content on their device. The app is available for free through the Google Play™ Store4. The card will be available worldwide in January 2017 with a U.S. MSRP of $ 199.99.

The complete line of SanDisk® microSD cards can be purchased at more than 300,000 retailers worldwide.

SANDISK® LAUNCHES ITS FASTEST, HIGH-CAPACITY USB FLASH DRIVE EVER
JAN 4, 2017

NEW SANDISK EXTREME PRO® USB 3.1 SOLID STATE FLASH DRIVE NOW FEATURES SSD PERFORMANCE IN A PORTABLE, ALUMINUM METAL FORM FACTOR

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4, 2017 – Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC), a global storage technology and solutions leader, today announced its fastest, high-capacity USB flash drive to date with the launch of its high-performance 256GB* SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.1 Solid State Flash Drive. The new drive delivers the speed, capacity, and reliability of an SSD in the convenient form factor of a small USB flash drive, and is ideal for creative professionals, tech enthusiasts, or anyone who creates and shares massive files.

A game-changer in the USB storage category, the drive is capable of read speeds up to 420MB/s and write speeds up to 380MB/s1. With its unprecedented speeds, you can transfer full-length 4K movie to the drive in less than 15 seconds2. With its USB 3.1 interface, people can rapidly access and move files on the go, without having to worry about a cable. The new drive also features a sophisticated design with a durable aluminum metal casing and a retractable connector for ultimate style and reliability.

“The combination of SSD performance and a compact USB form factor offers the ultimate performance and convenience for moving files easily and quickly,” said Sven Rathjen, vice president of marketing, Client Solutions Business Unit, Western Digital. “With its increased capacity and blazing speeds, the SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.1 Solid State Flash Drive is our sleekest, most powerful SanDisk USB device yet.”

The SanDisk Extreme PRO Solid State Flash Drive is available up to 256GB, giving consumers plenty of room to manage large files. For added file protection, it includes the SanDisk SecureAccess® software, which offers 128-bit file encryption and password protection3. The drive also comes with a limited lifetime warranty4.

Pricing and Availability
The new 256GB SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.1 Solid State Flash Drive will be available in late January 2017 at Amazon.com and Best Buy at an MSRP of $ 179.99.

SanDisk storage solutions can be purchased at more than 300,000 retailers worldwide.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Out Of Limits: 15 Retro-Futuristic Soviet Town Welcome Signs

08 Jan

[ By Steve in Design & Graphics & Branding. ]

soviet-town-signs-1a

In Soviet Russia, town welcome you… with retro-futuristic city limits signs that promised more than the blustery, blustering Cold War-era USSR could deliver.

soviet-town-signs-1b

The welcome is, er, radiant in Pripyat, the now-abandoned city established in 1970 to house support staff and workers at the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Pripyat’s population grew to almost 50,000 by 1986, plummeting to zero when the town was evacuated the day after the plant’s No.4 reactor exploded. Flickr user jesper karstensen snapped our lead image of Pripyat’s forward-looking sign on August 12th of 2013. Flickr user Stanislav (LieErr) captured a view of the sign from a disturbingly different angle five days later on August 17th.

Brave Nuked World

soviet-town-signs-1h

soviet-town-signs-1c

soviet-town-signs-1d

The city of Chernobyl is often confused with Pripyat though the former’s history dates back to the year 1193. Situated just 9 miles from the nuclear power plant whose name it shares, the city was home to about 14,000 people before its evacuation in 1986 – only 704 live there today. The city’s sign was erected in the Soviet era and originally featured a prominent hammer-and-sickle logo as seen in the guide book image at top. Sometime after the fall of the USSR, the logo was covered by a roundel displaying the symbol of the MHC – the Ukrainian Ministry of Emergency Situations.

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soviet-town-signs-1f

soviet-town-signs-1g

Photographs taken after 2010-11 show a modified radioactivity symbol fitted in place of the MHC roundel, as seen in Flickr user Steve Messerer‘s images above. Several years later, perhaps due to the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, the radioactivity logo was removed revealing the original embossed soviet logo. The more things change, the more they stay the same, eh comrades?

Welcome to Exclusion Zone

soviet-town-signs-2a

The so-called Chernobyl Disaster spewed radioactive fallout over a wide swath of central Europe and led to the establishment of an Exclusion Zone that spread across the Ukraine’s northern border into neighboring Belarus. Flickr user Ilya Kuzniatsou (belarusian) snapped the above photo of a city sign welcoming visitors to an evacuated town. Call it passive-aggression, post-Soviet style.

You Are My Density

soviet-town-signs-3a

soviet-town-signs-3b

“Asbest is my town and destiny”, proclaims the ominously prophetic welcome sign for the mining town of Asbest, founded in 1885. If you haven’t guessed yet, they extract asbestos there from a mine half the size of Manhattan and 1,000 feet deep – how about that, Todd Hoffman? Asbest‘s population has dropped from over 84,000 in 1989 to about 69,000 in 2010… we’re not sure why *cough*.

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Out Of Limits 15 Retro Futuristic Soviet Town Welcome Signs

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[ By Steve in Design & Graphics & Branding. ]

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Enlaps Tikee time-lapse camera packs two lenses and a solar panel

08 Jan

Tikee by French company Enlaps aims to simplify time-lapse photography by combining a 4.5W solar panel, wireless connectivity and a pair of lenses into a single capture device. The device itself is described as completely self-sufficient, weatherproof and accessible via a Web application.

The idea behind Enlaps is that long duration time-lapse photography can be difficult depending on location due to potential power source and weather issues. Tikee and its more sophisticated counterpart, Tikee Pro, solve this by providing everything necessary for time-lapse photography in a single wireless and weatherproof product.

The small solar panel powers Tikee, assuming it is placed somewhere with sufficient sunlight, while a pair of lenses capture 220-degree panoramic images. A related Web application is available from a computer or mobile device; it automatically stitches the images into a time-lapse, and includes features for ‘advanced users’ like Pan & Zoom and Time Period. Content is stored on a microSD card.

The Enlaps Tikee features Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi, and saves content in JPEG format, while the Tikee Pro includes those features as well as GPS, GSM support, and both JPEG and Raw file format options. Both products were launched on Indiegogo, where the campaign has successfully resolved with €238,687 in funding. The company is demonstrating the devices at CES 2017.

According to TechCrunch, the Tikee will be priced at $ 750 and the Tikee Pro at $ 900 and will be available in April.

Via: TechCrunch

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Steadicam launches Kickstarter campaign for motorized smartphone stabilization rig

08 Jan

Camera stabilization system manufacturer Steadicam is hoping to introduce a new motorized rig for smartphone videographers called the Steadicam Volt. The new device is designed to accept a wide range of smartphones via an adjustable clamp and weights, and uses a battery-powered gyro that offers modes for shooting sport and for movie-making. The company says the rechargeable lithium-ion battery has a life of eight hours, and that the rig can still be used in manual mode when the battery is flat.

The Volt folds for storage, and offers Bluetooth and USB connectivity for updates and for working with the app that lets the device know which phone is in use. The company intends to fund the development of the Volt via a Kickstarter campaign and is seeking $ 100,000 to start production.

The Steadicam Volt has a projected retail price of $ 200, but early pledgers can reserve one for $ 119. If the campaign is successful the company says it will begin shipping in June.
For more information see the Steadicam website and the Steadicam Volt Kickstarter page.

Press Release

STEADICAM VOLT; 3- AXIS MOTORIZED SMARTPHONE CAMERA STABILIZER

Steadicam, a division of The Tiffen Company, will soon be releasing the Steadicam Volt, a 3-axis motorized smartphone camera stabilizer. As the first in its class to offer the user complete control of image framing and composition, the Volt serves as a versatile tool for content creation, easily operated by a wide range of users. With the Steadicam Volt, consumers will have the opportunity to capture outstanding Steadicam quality video right from their smartphone.

Product Benefits:
• Lightweight and folding design enable easy storage and transportation
• Accompanying iOS APP allows for precise balance and tuning
• Haptic control utilizes Simulated Inertia™ Dual operating modes for beginners and experienced users
• Uses long life rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries
• Accommodates phone sizes with or without case from 100 – 200g in weight and 58 to 80mm wide
• Bluetooth enabled
Engineered to provide the utmost precision and control, the Steadicam Volt will enable smartphone users to capture high quality video content with ease.
Additionally, the simulated feeling of inertia on the pan axis will improve the overall handing of the gimbal, giving users the stability they need to film with remarkable precision.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CES video: the Nikon D5600

08 Jan
The Nikon D5600, originally announced for Europe and Asia, is now coming to North America. Backstage at CES, Nikon’s Steve Heiner tells us a bit about the D5600, including the new, deeper hand grip.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon EF-M 18-150 F3.5-6.3 IS STM real-world sample gallery

08 Jan

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The Canon EF-M 18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS STM is a travel zoom for the company’s mirrorless cameras. It’s equivalent to 28.8-240mm when attached to an EF-M mount camera, such as the EOS M5 that we used for this gallery. Click the images above to open the gallery and see how the lens performed at the Disneyland Resort and beyond.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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