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East River helicopter tragedy prompts FAA to halt some doors-off flights

20 Mar

Doors-off flight experiences promoted by FlyNYON. Last Sunday’s tragic flight was booked through the company, and operated by Liberty Helicopters.

A photo tour helicopter crash in New York’s East River that claimed the lives of five passengers has prompted closer scrutiny of doors-off flights. For now, the Federal Aviation Administration has ordered a stop to such flights involving restraints that can’t be released quickly in the event of an emergency.

FAA Statement 1/3: #Helicopter operators, #pilots & consumers should be aware of the hazard from supplemental restraint devices during an emergency evacuation during “doors off” flights. The FAA will order operators & pilots to take immediate action to control/mitigate this risk.

— The FAA (@FAANews) March 16, 2018

Doors-off helicopter tours are popular among sightseers and aerial photographers, and typically involve sturdy restraints so that passengers can safely lean toward the open sides of the aircraft for better views. Unfortunately, as was the case in last Sunday’s crash, these harnesses can also prevent passengers from escaping a helicopter in the event of an emergency water landing.

Not all doors-off flights operate with the same kinds of harnesses. Some use restraints that allow less freedom of movement, but can be removed more quickly in an emergency. Travel Resource Editor Michael Bonocore wrote recently about his experience in such a doors-off flight.

Less restrictive – and harder to remove – harnesses allow passengers to capture popular ‘shoe selfie’ shots as they can move with more freedom. Last Sunday’s flight employed these kinds of harnesses, as demonstrated for the Associated Press in the video below.

The FAA states that in addition to ordering operators to mitigate the risks of these kinds of harnesses, it will also review its own regulations to identify any potential misapplications.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Understand Your Camera’s Exposure Compensation Feature

20 Mar

In this article, learn about the Exposure Compensation feature on your camera to get the best exposures.

Whether you’re shooting sports, animals, portraits, toys, snowflakes, rocks, fish, weddings, or pretty much anything else you almost always have one goal in mind. You want your pictures to be properly exposed. Of course, you can fix an image in Photoshop if it’s too light or too dark, and shooting RAW definitely helps with that. But over the years I’ve found that the best solution is to just get your exposure right in camera.

This means finding the right combination of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to get your image to look the way you want. But there’s another option you have at your disposal as well – your camera’s Exposure Compensation feature. Understanding what this does and how it works can help you get your pictures looking pixel-perfect in camera without having to adjust anything afterward.

How to Understand Your Camera's Exposure Compensation Feature - photo of a goose

What is Exposure Compensation?

Buried deep in the computational brain of your camera is something called a light meter whose job it is to measure the amount of light entering the lens. This lets your camera adjust some of the exposure settings automatically or gives you enough information for you to make adjustments yourself.

The problem with metering and the camera choosing the exposure

Depending on how you have your metering mode set up it might look at all the light coming in through lens, just the part in the center, or sometimes only the light where you have your focus point set.

As your camera takes measurements of the incoming light and adjusts exposure settings it tries as hard as it can to get a picture that is properly exposed. It might make the aperture larger or smaller, adjust the shutter speed, change the ISO or use a combination of all three of those techniques just to make sure the photo comes out right.

The trouble is, your camera doesn’t always have a good sense of how you want your picture to look.

How to Understand Your Camera's Exposure Compensation Feature - photo of a young man

My camera tried to make this image much darker because of all the light behind this young man, so I used exposure compensation to make the background slightly overexposed which meant my subject was properly exposed.

Enter the solution

Sometimes you might want your picture to be slightly over (lighter) or underexposed (darker), and this is where the exposure compensation feature really starts to shine. If you notice that your images aren’t coming out quite as light or as dark as you want them, you can either change the aperture, shutter, or ISO yourself.

Or just tell your camera “Hey, brighten things up a bit will you?” and with a quick twist of the Exposure Compensation dial, voilà, your problems are solved.

Most people find Exposure Compensation to be particularly useful when shooting in a semi-manual mode such as Aperture or Shutter Priority, but you can use it in other modes as well like program auto or even full manual.

In order to dispel some of the mystery surrounding the exposure compensation feature, let’s take a look at what your camera is actually doing to the settings when you use it in any of those modes.

General Notes for Using Exposure Compensation

NOTE: Please make note that when you dial in any Exposure Compensation it does not get reset to zero automatically for your next shot. You need to change it yourself manually once you’re done using it.

PROBLEM: One of the biggest problems beginners have is not realizing their Exposure Compensation is active. If you have erratic exposures, or all your images are either too dark or too light – check to see if the Exposure Compensation dial has been moved and correct it to zero if necessary.

How to Understand Your Camera's Exposure Compensation Feature

“How does exposure compensation work? Please, tell us more!”

Aperture Priority Mode

Most photographers I know shoot primarily in Aperture Priority mode because of the way aperture affects depth of field and other critical elements of the composition. I use this mode almost exclusively, usually combined with auto-ISO to make sure my shutter speed never gets too slow, and it works like a charm.

I like adjusting my aperture and letting my camera take care of everything else because nine times out of ten it’s just easier for the way I prefer to shoot. If I notice my pictures are too bright or too dark I just adjust the Exposure Compensation to take care of it.

When shooting in Aperture Priority, adjusting the Exposure Compensation doesn’t ever change your aperture–doing so would defeat the whole purpose of using this mode! Instead, it changes the shutter speed by either speeding it up or slowing it down in order to make your picture brighter or darker.

How it works

In the image below, shot in Aperture Priority, you can see that the subject is way too dark while the background is properly exposed. This is partially a result of my camera’s metering mode but also because the scene itself contains a high degree of dynamic range and is therefore tricky to get just right.

Aperture Priority, 200mm, 1/750th, f/4.0, ISO 100, no Exposure Compensation.

To fix the problem I could have changed my camera’s metering mode but instead, I chose to dial in an exposure compensation value of +2EV. The result left the background totally blown out while giving me a properly-exposed subject.

Aperture Priority, 200mm, 1/180th, f/4.0, ISO 100, +2EV Exposure Compensation.

The key takeaway is that while the focal length, aperture, and ISO values did not change the shutter speed most certainly did. My camera dropped it all the way down to 1/180 second which let in much more light and therefore resulted in a two-stop overexposure from the original.

When using exposure compensation in Aperture Priority your camera will adjust the shutter speed to be faster or slower, which can make a big difference if you are shooting a moving subject. You might want a fast shutter speed but if you’re dialing in a few stops of exposure compensation you might end up with one that is too slow to capture the image you are going for.

It’s not a problem per se, but it is something to note and it could dramatically affect your images if you aren’t aware of what is happening. If you need a faster shutter speed you can increase the ISO a bit also.

Shutter Priority

In a similar vein, using Exposure Compensation when shooting in Shutter Priority will not change your shutter speed but will instead alter the aperture in order to make your image lighter or darker.

When I shot the image below of a duck on a frozen pond I wanted a fast shutter speed in case my avian friend started moving quickly. So I used Shutter Priority with a speed of 1/250th of a second.

Shutter Priority, 200mm, 1/250th, f/8.0, ISO 100, no Exposure Compensation.

You can probably tell that something isn’t right with the photo. The duck is too dark! I had to lighten the composition quickly before it flew away, so I dialed in a value of +1.5EV on my Exposure Compensation.

Shutter Priority, 200mm, 1/250, f/4.8, ISO 100, +1.5EV Exposure Compensation.

This image is a bit different from the static wood carving in the aperture priority example because you can clearly see the effect that exposure compensation has had on the composition. My camera kept the shutter speed unchanged but used a much wider aperture which gave me an image with far less depth of field. Notice how both the foreground and the background are much blurrier – a direct result of shooting with a wider aperture.

What about ISO

You might have noticed that a third exposure parameter has thus far remained unchanged, that of the ISO. While it’s standard for most cameras to alter the aperture and shutter speed when using Exposure Compensation, ISO is usually the last parameter to get changed unless you are using Auto ISO.

In that case, your camera will most definitely change the ISO if it needs to, especially if shooting in Aperture Priority and your minimum shutter speed (as set up in your settings) has been reached.

I had to use a fast shutter speed on this image and didn’t care too much about aperture, so I shot in Shutter Priority and used Exposure Compensation to get the image to look how I wanted. I did not use Auto-ISO because I wanted a nice clean picture, so my camera adjusted only the aperture when I dialed in the Exposure Compensation.

Manual Mode

NOTE: This only applies to Nikon shooters! If you use Canon, Fuji or another brand Exposure Compensation does not have any effect in Manual Mode.

Exposure Compensation in Manual Mode works a bit differently because nothing changes at all when you dial in a value. Instead, it’s your camera’s light meter itself that changes so you can adjust the aperture, shutter, and ISO values manually in order to get your picture to look how you want.

It’s an interesting twist on things that might seem a little strange at first if you are used to having things automatically change when you adjust exposure compensation, but once you start using this method you may not ever want to go back.

It essentially gives you the best of all worlds by letting you adjust exposure settings to get the value you are looking for, you can then choose precisely the parameters you want to change.

In Manual Mode, adjusting Exposure Compensation only changes how your light meter displays exposure. Notice how the vertical line indicating the point of proper exposure has shifted to the left when dialing in an Exposure Compensation value of +2EV.

The magic of mirrorless

I know the subject of mirrorless cameras versus DSLRs can be a bit of a thorny one for some photographers, but I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention it here in an article about exposure compensation.

While the same logic applies regarding Aperture and Shutter Priority modes, the big difference is how you can actually see your exposure settings change in real-time as you look at your camera.

This rear screen of this mirrorless Fuji X100F shows me that the photo will be properly exposed.

This is one of the main strengths of shooting mirrorless, though it should be noted that DSLRs can also this in Live View–albeit usually with some tradeoffs such as slower autofocus that usually happens when utilizing Live View.

I can see the result of a -1EV Exposure Compensation on the digital readouts (i.e. light meter, histogram, etc.) but most notably the image itself has decreased in brightness as well. This helps me get a very good idea of what effect this Exposure Compensation will have on the final image.

Conclusion

I used to be somewhat scared of using Exposure Compensation because I didn’t really understand what was happening when I changed its value. With a much better idea of what my camera is changing, and why, I am now much more comfortable using it on a daily basis to get my shots to look how I want.

In fact, I often won’t even change my metering modes anymore and instead just rely on Exposure Compensation because I know what it’s doing to my photos and I’m not scared of using it. If you have never used it much either, you might want to go ahead and give a try. You just might like it.

The post How to Understand Your Camera’s Exposure Compensation Feature by Simon Ringsmuth appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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3 Teas for Diabetes To Lower Your Blood Sugar, Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

20 Mar

Tea for Obat Herbal? Yes, different teas offer a variety of health-promoting benefits, especially for people dealing with type 2 diabetes. These benefits include helping with weight loss, lowering high blood pressure, and protecting your body’s cells against the damage that high blood sugar levels can cause. Let’s take a closer look at some specifics:

1. Hibiscus tea. One of the common parts of type 2 diabetes is having high blood pressure or hypertension and high blood lipids (that is, fats including cholesterol and trigylcerides, as part of the whole picture of hyperlipidemia), in addition to problems with blood sugar regulation.

Hibiscus is an herb (plant) that several research studies have shown can lower high blood pressure and get high blood lipid levels down as well, including in type 2 diabetes. Other than rare allergic reactions, hibiscus is well-tolerated and seems to have no side-effects.

To get health benefits, you may need to drink multiple cups of well-steeped hibiscus tea each day, but isn’t that better than having to take a high dose of a drug to lower blood pressure? Most people on antihypertensive drugs report side effects that bring down their quality of life.

Doctors are not sure of all of the mechanisms by which hibiscus can help, but it probably includes the effects of substances called anthocyanins in the plant. These compounds can block the oxidation of “bad” LDL cholesterol, which is the damaging factor in developing heart and blood vessel disease.

2. Green tea. Green tea has been touted as a supposed miracle substance on its own. Using antioxidant effects, green tea may even protect the retina of the eye against the damage that high blood sugars can cause. But it does not stop there. Flavonols in green tea probably also help protect against the damage from LDL cholesterol on blood vessels.

Certain flavonols may also reduce insulin resistance, which is a core reason why type 2 diabetics cannot use glucose in their bloodstream effectively as fuel for their cells. Green tea may help somewhat with the high blood sugar, but perhaps not as much as other natural substances.

Many supplement makers claim that green tea extracts will be enough to cause major weight loss, but the research is much less clearcut. Still, the evidence shows that green tea can produce a small weight loss effect in people who are already overweight. The amount of weight loss, unfortunately, does not appear to be clinically meaningful. Still, the other health benefits of green tea make it a worthy addition to your daily regimen.

3. Fenugreek. If you want to get a bit more out there in your herbal tea choices, fenugreek’s claim to fame is an ability to lower high blood sugar levels better than some other natural supplements or herbs. Some studies suggest that this herb may help you reduce your HbA1C, which is the longer term measure of how well your blood sugar has been controlled for a period of about 3 months at a time.

The post 3 Teas for Diabetes To Lower Your Blood Sugar, Cholesterol and Blood Pressure appeared first on Photonovice.

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Sigma interview: ‘This is just the beginning’

19 Mar

Kazuto Yamaki, CEO of Sigma, pictured at the 2018 CP+ show in Yokohama, Japan.

Recently we visited the 2018 CP+ show in Yokohama, Japan and as usual, we booked interviews with senior executives from several major manufacturers, including Sigma. Among the topics covered were Sigma’s determination to make more native Sony E-Mount lenses for mirrorless cameras, and the story behind why wide-angles are such a Sigma specialty.

The following interview has been edited slightly for clarity and flow.

The new Sony E-mount full-frame lenses – did you basically just build-in the MC-11 adapter, or is it more complicated than that?

The MC-11 adapter can be thought of as kind of a translator. Let’s say the camera speaks English, and the lens speaks Japanese. The MC-11 recognizes which lens is attached, and allows the camera and lens to talk to one another. That’s a complicated task. And even with the best translator, conversation isn’t as smooth as it would be between native speakers. It takes time to fine-tune the communication.

What we did was to optimize the communication, for Sony. It’s faster, smoother, and we were able to utilize Sony [communication] protocols in the lenses.

Will you release a USB dock for the new Sony-mount lenses?

We don’t have a USB dock available for these lenses right now, but we’re considering this as an option for the future.

Sigma’s MC-11 adapter can be used to convert Canon, Nikon and Sigma-mount lenses to work on Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras.

The new 14-24mm F2.8 joins the 14mm F1.8 at the wide end of Sigma’s lineup – how do these two lenses compare, optically?

In terms of performance, the two lenses are equivalent. When it comes to zoom lenses, a standard zoom lens [like a 24-70mm] is quite challenging to design. We have to make compromises. However, the performance of wide and telephoto zoom lenses is very good, and [can be] equivalent to prime lenses. But of course we can’t implement such fast maximum apertures [in zooms]. Implementing a maximum aperture of F1.8 in the 14mm was very difficult.

We want to create lenses that don’t exist in the industry today

We’ve spoken in the past about your ambition to create more wide-angle zoom lenses – it seems like they’re a Sigma speciality.

In the past, one of our employees who had been with the company since the very beginning was a mountain climber. He was very passionate about wide-angle lenses. That’s one of the reasons Sigma has always specialized in wide-angle lenses. And it’s also quite interesting to challenge ourselves. We still maintain this mentality – we want to create lenses that don’t exist in the industry today.

If you have a choice between designing a lens that will be large, heavy, but optically amazing, or designing one that might be optically less impressive but smaller and lighter, how do you make that decision?

I personally want to develop excellent lenses, at the cost of size and weight. My personal ambition is for Sigma to be a company that is supported by professionals. But that doesn’t mean that we’d always choose to make lenses like this.

Sigma’s new 70mm F2.8 macro prime lens is small, compact and lightweight, thanks to its front-focus mechanism and lack of an image stabilization system.

For example we just released a 70mm F2.8 macro lens. We had the option of including image stabilization, but it would have become much bulkier – probably equivalent in size to our 105mm macro. Because with a macro lens, the focusing group has to move a big distance. If we had added stabilization we would have had to use an inner focusing system, which would have made the lens long, and bulky.

Is that the same reason there’s no stabilization system in the new 105mm, too?

Partly, yes. Also we didn’t want to compromise performance in terms of vignetting, longitudinal aberrations or coma. That’s why the lens is already quite big. If we had been willing to compromise in any one of these areas, the lens could have been more compact. You don’t see lenses of this kind very often, so we wanted to give it as long a life [in the market] as possible.

Sigma’s 105mm F1.4 is a beast of a lens, thanks to Sigma’s ‘no compromise’ approach to optical performance. Mr. Yamaki is hoping that this fast telephoto prime will become a benchmark lens for astrophotography, among other applications.

There’s another reason for our approach to that lens, too. One of the chief designers is very keen on astrophotography, and he wanted to make a lens that was perfect for this kind of photography. Among this community, the Zeiss 135mm F2 is regarded as a benchmark, but it’s relatively slow. Our target was to make a lens with equivalent performance but at F1.4. That’s very difficult.

If you had designed the recently-announced E-mount primes from the ground up for Sony’s full-frame cameras, would they be smaller?

The wide-angle lenses would be, yes. We just announced E-mount versions of the 14mm, 20mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and 135mm. Probably, the 14mm, 20mm and 24mm lenses could have been smaller [if they were designed for Sony full-frame from the beginning]. But any lens longer than 35mm, they’d be about the same size. Our 35mm F1.4, for example, is about the same size as the Sony 35mm F1.4. But for wider lenses, because of the short flange-back distance of the E-mount, we could make them smaller.

This is one of the reasons we decided on our approach with these lenses. Because the size difference would have been minimal with most of the focal lengths, we focused on making the performance better and smoother, using our existing optical designs.

Some time ago we were skeptical about lens corrections, but the algorithms have been improved so much

So wide-angle lenses benefit most from being designed for short flange-back distances?

Yes. For example the Sony 12-24mm zoom. Sony achieved very good performance with a small size. They rely on distortion correction in the camera body, but it’s an amazing performance. I don’t think we could achieve that kind of performance in a lens of that size for DSLRs.

We already have two Sony-native lenses for Sony – our 16mm and 30mm F1.4 lenses for APS-C. And we already take advantage of distortion correction in those lenses. It’s beneficial for customers. Some time ago we were skeptical about lens corrections, but today the algorithms have been improved so much.

Sony recently released a range of native Sony E-mount prime lenses, which we’re told will give better performance than lenses attached using the MC-11 adapter.

Do you think Sigma has an opportunity to create more lenses for Sony’s APS-C cameras?

We’re going to release another APS-C lens for Sony E-mount this year, probably around Photokina. We need to see what the response from customers is like. If it’s good, we’ll continue development.

We are working on lenses designed from scratch for Sony E-Mount. This is just the beginning

Are you committing to fully supporting Sony full-frame cameras in the future, alongside Canon and Nikon?

Yes. We are also working on [full-frame] lenses designed just for Sony E-Mount, from scratch. These lenses will take advantage of [aspects of] the Sony system. This is just the beginning.

But the [Sony E-mount versions of the Art-series primes] we’ve just released also offer some advantages for customers. For example if you own a Canon EF mount version of any of them, we can convert your lens to a Sony E-mount version, for a charge. And if that user decides to go back to Canon EF in the future, we can even re-convert the lens back again.

Customer support is just as important as the products themselves

In order to do that practically, you’ll need good, fast service facilities. Is improving this kind of service a priority for you?

Recently, in our internal sales meetings, the first thing we’ve been discussing is not actually sales, it’s customer support. Our lenses are intended for high-end users and professionals, and customer support is [therefore] just as important as the products themselves.

Will you create some kind of version of a pro support system outside of Japan?

We’ve been discussing this with our global subsidiaries, and we’re preparing to roll something out. We’ve made great improvements already in terms of customer support, and it’s very important [that we continue to do so].

Which lenses have most impressed you recently from other manufacturers?

The Sony 12-24mm, and the 16-35mm F2.8 GM. They’re very good lenses for mirrorless cameras. The Canon 35mm F1.4 II is also a great lens. Our 35mm F1.4mm is very good but the Canon 35mm is also great. I think these days Canon does a great job. They put so much effort into developing good optics. Every time they amaze us.

I’m also very interested in the new Tamron 28-75mm F2.8. It’s very compact and lightweight. Of course we haven’t yet seen how it performs, but if the performance is good it should be a great lens, and will be a benchmark for us.

Tamron’s new 28-75mm F2.8 zoom for Sony E-mount is a lens that Mr Yamaki hopes could become a benchmark for his own company, as Sigma works on filling out its lens options for full-frame Sony cameras.

Is there a lens that does not exist right now, which you think should exist?

We successfully developed F1.8 zoom lenses for APS-C. This kind of lens did not exist before. Similarly our F2 zoom for full-frame. That kind of lens did not exist before, either. I can’t give you specific details but we would like to explore that path [further].

Some of our products are planned from a business perspective. But every year we have one or two special projects, where we don’t care too much about sales, but we aim to create unique products. That’s a big motivation for our engineers, and also for me personally. Old manufacturers, like Carl Zeiss, invented many great lenses in the past – and they continue to do so. We would like to do that for the 21st Century.

Our mission is unchanged – we want to provide unique lenses that other manufacturers don’t have. We’ll continue on that path.

A lot of our readers are looking forward to a Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 Art…

I know! And it will come – not too far in the future.

Editor’s note:

We always look forward to speaking to Mr. Yamaki, who stands out as one of the best-liked figures in the entire photography industry in Japan. While many manufacturers seem to prefer to speak about their products as if they existed in a vacuum, Mr. Yamaki is unfailingly candid and open, even when talking about his competitors.

Partly I suspect this reflects the nature of his company – Sigma is primarily a third-party lens manufacturer and as such, of course, it relies on the success of companies like Canon, Nikon and Sony in order to stay in business. Keeping a close eye on the lenses that these manufacturers make is only sensible if Sigma wants to create alternatives that can compete in price and quality.

For the head of a major manufacturer to openly praise specific products made by his main competitors is almost unheard of

But partly, too, it’s the nature of the man. For the head of a major manufacturer to openly praise specific products made by his main competitors is almost unheard of, but over the years we’ve come to expect (and appreciate) such candor from Mr. Yamaki. It’s one of the reasons I always look forward to interviewing him, and why our interviews with him often contain some of the most useful and interesting insights of all the conversations that we have with executives at shows like CP+.

Among the nuggets of information contained in this interview were Sigma’s commitment to develop native Sony E-mount lenses for full-frame cameras in the future, and some interesting information about what kinds of lenses benefit most from being designed for short flange-back mirrorless systems. It’s clear too that Sigma is very focused on improving its post-purchase support, and is actively working to extend its professional service network beyond Japan in the near future. Hopefully this should give more professionals the confidence they need to buy and use Sigma lenses without fear of losing their gear for long periods of time if it ever needs servicing.

Sigma is very focused on improving its post-purchase support, and is actively working to extend its professional service network

I was interested to learn about the background behind Sigma’s new 105mm F1.4 telephoto prime, too. Opportunities for astrophotography are pretty few and far between in a Seattle spring, but after hearing the story behind its inception, I’m keen to see how it performs. And I’m sure I’m not alone in waiting anxiously for a 70-200mm F2.8 in the Art series. Mr. Yamaki specifically mentioned that Sigma is now able to make very high-quality wide and tele zooms, which gives me hope that this lens – whenever it makes it appearance on the market – will be worth the wait.

Previous interviews with Kazuto Yamaki of Sigma:

CP+ 2017: ‘some customers require exceptional lens performance’

CP+ 2015: ‘small office, big factory’

Making ‘Art’: We go inside Sigma’s lens factory (2015)

CP+ 2014: ‘we have survived because we make unique products’

CES 2012: ‘More high-end cameras will be mirrorless in the future’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

19 Mar

Packing for any trip abroad can be a chore. Then add in the task of making sure you have all of the photography bits and pieces you need, and it’s enough to send your head spinning. Thankfully there is a cure for this craziness: The Travel Photography Packing List.

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

The Packing List is my go-to resource for ensuring I have all the gear I need in order to bring back the best photos. No one wants to deal with dead batteries or a lack of memory cards while they are exploring the world at large. That’s why I use the list below to sooth my packing-frazzled mind and to get on with creating amazing photos.

Camera

I know it seems obvious but the camera is the first thing on my packing list. Why? Because I take time to check it and give it a good cleaning, inside and out, before packing it away. I often carry a spare camera these days, which doesn’t get a lot of action until it is desperately needed.

Packing time is a good opportunity to make sure all cameras are in working order. You might also want to adjust the clock (set it to the time zone you’ll be traveling to) on your camera(s) so you can hit the ground running.

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips - camera in a tripod

Lenses

Lens choice is a dilemma for most of us. Bring them all and suffer the back strain of having to lug them around, or bring just a few and worry about missing the shot? As individual as this choice can be, I suggest thinking about what you will shoot the most if you want to limit the number of lenses you take along. Also, ask other photographers who have traveled where you are going or your tour operator for suggestions.

On my own tours, where our focus is on people, nature, and wildlife photography, I suggest a 24-105mm lens for walking around and city photos. These lenses are great for a variety of situations from close to medium distance.

Then for the landscape shots, a wide-angle or wide zoom, like a 16-35mm lens or 10-22mm on a crop sensor camera, can work wonders.

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips - guy taking a photo on a safari

All-in-one lenses

My go-to lens for travel is the venerable Canon 28-300mm L-series Lens. It covers a huge range and with some panorama stitching, I can get mildly wide-angle shots without switching lenses. It’s a heavy lens indeed, but I’ve grown used to it. I will then bring a 10-22mm wide-angle for the monumental landscape shots I love to capture.

Optionally, a long lens may be needed in certain situations, but they can be cumbersome. For instance, I would not have gone to Panama and Costa Rica, lands rich in birds and wildlife, without a Sigma 150-600mm Sport lens. Yet, that same lens will not follow me to the Himalayas, where weight is certainly a factor and the chance for birds is lessened.

A Flash or Speedlight

For all my travels in the past decade, I have rarely found myself wanting to have a strobe along for the ride, especially due to the added weight involved. Yet I still tend to bring just one flash and I have been happy every time I did.

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips - people shooting the Taj Mahal

What I have found valuable when bringing a strobe is to make sure it is one that I can use off-camera. A flash that can be remotely triggered either with a tether or a smaller unit on the camera (either the built-in flash or a unit that attaches to the hotshoe). This has allowed me the greatest flexibility to add well-directed light to my travel photos.

Tripod

A good travel tripod is a thing of beauty. These units, built for packability and lightweight, have been following me on more and more trips abroad.

My main issue with packing a full-size tripod, even if it is carbon fiber, is the need to take larger luggage. The legs of a super sturdy tripod are often longer, even when broken down, than the luggage I wish to take.

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips - canyon in Utah

It’s a balancing act and it matters what you intend to shoot. If you have space, bring the monster tripod, especially if you are accustomed to hauling it around with you near home. If you have limited space, but still want stability in your landscape or astrophotography shots, consider something along the lines of the MeFOTO Globetrotter. It packs small, can double as a monopod and has a fully functional ball head.

Power Strip

Power strips are great for travel and there are a variety of options. I prefer a brand where the cord is easy to store and the strip comes with two USB ports. The two outlets in the power strip are meant for a variety of international plugs so it’s easy to share when you find the outlet at the airport overloaded. I’ve done this more than once and was able to get a charge when I couldn’t have without a power strip.

Girl in flowers taking a photo - Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

WARNING: See the next section about converters because it’s important to make sure the power strip is set up for universal power. I once had a strip with USB ports go, “Pop!” and puff smoke arose when I didn’t realize it was only set for US power and I was using it in India. Know before you go!

Chargers, Adapters, and Converters

Almost any charger from a major manufacturer these days will work on what’s known as “Universal Power”. They have an input range that straddles 110V-240V and 50Mhz-60Mhz. This fits almost any AC power around the world. If your charger is not set up for Universal Power (check the charger itself for those phrases above printed somewhere on its label), then you need a converter.

A converter will change the power coming out of the wall in your hotel to the power your charger needs. This stops things from literally catching fire.

Photographer and sunset - Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

Different than a converter is an adapter. All it does is makes the plug on your charger fit the wall socket in your hotel. There is a handy guide on the Internet that lists the types of plugs in use around the world, by country, so you can see if your plug will fit.

If not, I’d suggest picking up either a small adapter specific to your host country or a universal adapter that will serve you for almost any country around the world for decades to come.

Memory cards

How many memory cards should you bring? Oh boy, that’s the big question. I’m sure if we ran a poll we’d have a huge range of answers. To help in planning, I take a per diem method and figure out what my average has been on previous trips, per day. I then multiply that by the number of days I’ll be gone to get a total number of photos I estimate that I’ll take over the duration of the trip.

Next, take the total (let’s say 4000 photos) and multiply it by the average size of a photo from your camera. Mine is about 24MB, so for 4000 images, I’d need 96,000MB or roughly 96GB. I then throw in an extra card, just in case. In this example, I will bring four 36GB cards and call it good. Especially if I am going to a country where I know it will be easy to buy more.

If you shoot a lot of videos, you should do the same calculations for video and add the two together.

Snowy mountains - Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

Lens Cleaning Kit

You can’t get a clear shot with a dirty lens and a proper cleaning is vital. We cover the basics of a simple and portable kit in our article, How Should I Clean My DSLR’s Lens?, and I’d also include a sensor brush if you are comfortable with in-field sensor cleaning.

Filters

Most of us own and carry a circular polarizing filter and they certainly have earned a solid reputation. So throw one in your bag if you are familiar with them.

girl taking a photo of a lake - Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips

Next, include a graduated neutral density (GND) filter unless you are proficient at bracketing your shots and merging them artfully in your computer later. A GND helps in situations where there is a large difference between the lighting in a scene. They will slightly darken a sky so it won’t blow out when compared to a darker foreground.

Lastly, I’d suggest a quality neutral density filter, maybe a three or 6-stop.

Shot List

We’ve released shots lists on DPS before and they can be helpful to keep you on track when every single thing you see is new and photo-worthy. A shot list is by no means a dogmatic requirement, but I have found it helpful to bring back a nice variety of shots.

Otherwise, we all tend to slide back into what we like (landscape, food, astrophotography, etc.) and miss out on all the other subjects that make our trip so memorable.

Notebook

For me, a notebook is invaluable for remembering the little things that go with those photos. Maybe you have a mind like a steel trap, in which case you’re blessed, but for the rest of us, by the time day-three rolls around, we can’t really remember little things that happened on day one.

Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips - sunset

Sure, your photos will help you remember, but they don’t always capture the emotions and conversations you might have had. They are also great for sharing information with strangers, such as writing down the name of a restaurant or attraction you shouldn’t miss.

I fill a couple of pages before my trip with ideas of what I want to see or shoot. It’s then an easy reference later when I’m feeling rudderless and need some direction.

Your List

I hope this gives you a good start the next time you make a packing list for a trip. It’s not meant to be exhaustive so I would love to hear what else you have on your list. Leave a comment below so others can benefit from your experience with travel photography.

The post Tips for Making Your Travel Photography Packing List for International Trips by Peter West Carey appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Sample Gallery: Documenting a bike build with the Fujifilm X-E3

18 Mar

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We recently got a chance to follow local frame builder Max Kullaway as he created one of his AirLandSea bikes. To document the process, we used the Fujifilm X-E3, the 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 R OIS and a selection of the company’s mid-price F2 prime lenses.

Here are favorites of the photos we got, as the project progressed from bare tubes all the way to rideable bicycle. For the full story, check out our video.

This is sponsored content, created with the support of Amazon and Fujifilm. What does this mean?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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3 Lessons I Learned by Doing a Self-Portrait Project

18 Mar

As photographers, we often spend most of our time behind the camera rather than in front of it. I certainly was no exception! However, this past year, I made a conscious effort to put myself in front of my own camera more often including doing a self-portrait project. I was surprised by the ways in which those experiences have shaped the way that I now interact with my clients as a photographer.

Here are three of the lessons that I learned through my self-portrait project, as well as the ways that they’ve helped me become a better photographer.

3 Lessons I Learned by Doing a Self-Portrait Project

1. Being photographed is really awkward!

As I began my self-portrait project, one of the first things I noticed was how absolutely awkward it was to be in front of the camera. I initially started out tethering my camera but decided that I really wanted to emulate the way that my clients feel in front of the camera as much as possible, so I ended up simply using a remote.

The remote method was much more challenging and much stranger! I knew what types of posing would be most flattering in theory, but I discovered that when I was in front of the camera, sometimes the posing instructions that I’d typically use left me with a lot of questions.

When I gently rest my hand on my neck, should my fingers be open or closed? Where exactly should my hand be on my neck so that I don’t look like I’m strangling myself? When I’m looking to the side of the camera, exactly how far to the side should I look?

3 Lessons I Learned by Doing a Self-Portrait Project

Put yourself in the subject’s shoes

As photographers, we’re around cameras and photography equipment regularly – it’s just a part of our lives. It can be easy to forget that this is often not the case for our clients. Often times, clients have portraits done annually (if even that often) and may arrive for a session feeling just about as comfortable as they might at the dentist.

They know they want to end up with images that are both flattering and capture their personalities, but they aren’t quite sure how to make that happen.

Since I’ve been experimenting with self-portraits and experiencing that awkwardness first hand, I’ve started nearly every session with a brief conversation where I essentially say, “Hey, I know that having your photo taken can feel really awkward. I might ask you to stand or move your body in ways that feel strange and unnatural to you, but try to trust me – I’m on your team, and want to deliver photos that you will absolutely love!”

It’s so simple, but even just acknowledging that sometimes portrait sessions might feel a little strange and uncomfortable can go a long way towards making them much less strange and uncomfortable.

3 Lessons I Learned by Doing a Self-Portrait Project

2. Posing and wardrobe are really important

My personal photography style typically tends more towards lifestyle/documentary than styled sessions. As such, I don’t often give a ton of complicated posing directions or wardrobe instructions for my sessions.

To model that, I tried taking self-portraits in a whole variety of clothing options. I captured myself wearing everything from a hoodie sweatshirt to a dressy sweater and scarf. I tried taking portraits with my hair up as well as down, and I experimented with heavy makeup as well as no makeup. Also, I tried posing in the ways that I usually sit or stand, followed by some of my “go-to” gentle posing techniques for women.

I knew that both posing and wardrobe/styling were important, but I’m not sure that I realized just how important they were until I was able to see some side-by-side images of myself in different poses and the same pose with different clothing choices.

3 Lessons I Learned by Doing a Self-Portrait Project

The long sleeves here are important to put more emphasis on my face, as opposed to the arms like the image on the left.

Make specific wardrobe and posing suggestions

I now find myself being a bit more specific when clients ask for clothing suggestions. For example, prior to my self-portrait project, I probably would have told clients, “The most important factor is to wear something you feel comfortable in. As a general rule, most people look great in jewel tones.”

Now, I’d be more likely to say something like, “The most important factor is wearing something that you feel comfortable and confident in! When it comes to portraits, I recommend that you wear a jewel-toned jacket or cardigan with a solid black, grey, or white tank top or t-shirt underneath, which allows us so much versatility in your images.”

3 Lessons I Learned by Doing a Self-Portrait Project

Similarly, I’ve found myself giving more detailed instructions when it comes to posing, often even using my own body to demonstrate exactly what I mean. Most clients were excited to receive more specific instructions to follow – it leaves less open to interpretation, which in turn makes them feel more confident that they’ll love the end result of our session.

3. Positive affirmation is absolutely crucial

Since I wasn’t working with my camera tethered to my laptop, I had absolutely no idea how things were looking as I was shooting, so hearing comments from people as they walked by was huge! When one of my daughters walked by and said,”Oops! I can’t see your head!”, I knew I had to stop and make adjustments right away.

3 Lessons I Learned by Doing a Self-Portrait Project

Any sort of feedback like that was helpful, but when someone positively affirmed how the images were looking, it held a lot more importance than I would have thought!

For example, one afternoon a neighbor friend drove by and hollered something positive out her window as I was working on a self-portrait in the front yard. That simple comment gave me a huge confidence boost, and the next images in the set were significantly better than any of the ones I’d taken previously.

Conclusion

I’m an introvert by nature, and can sometimes have a tendency to go inside my head while I’m working. My brain is sometimes going a mile a minute, and I can forget to communicate what I’m thinking or seeing to those in front of my lens.

Since practicing self-portraits, I have really focused on positively affirming my family, friends, and clients as they’re in front of my lens. Telling them what an amazing job they’re doing with super awkward posing makes a difference. Commenting on how much you love the images so far is huge as well. Commenting on real attributes that make the person in front of your camera feel incredible makes a huge difference.

Give your friends, family, and clients the necessary feedback and positive affirmations that will allow their confidence in front of the camera to grow, and it will be a game changer for your sessions!

Have you ever done a self-portrait project? If so, what did you learn? Please share your experience and self-portraits in the comments section below.

The post 3 Lessons I Learned by Doing a Self-Portrait Project by Meredith Clark appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Canon interview: ‘increased competition allows us to level-up’

18 Mar

Canon executives (L-R) Yoshiyuki Mizoguchi, Group Executive of Imaging Communications Business Group, Go Tokura, Chief Executive Officer of Canon’s Image Communications Products Operation, and Naoya Kaneda, Advisory Director and Group Executive of Canon’s Optical Business Group.

At this year’s CP+ show in Yokohama, we sat down with senior executives from several major manufacturers, including Canon. Topics covered during our conversation with Go Tokura, Yoshiyuki Mizoguchi and Naoya Kaneda included Canon’s ambitions for high-end mirrorless cameras, and the importance of responding to changing definitions of image capture from the smartphone generation.

Answers from the three interviewees have been combined, and this interview (which was conducted through an interpreter) has been edited for clarity and flow.

How important is it for Canon to add higher-end mirrorless products to your lineup?

At Canon we have what’s called a ‘full lineup strategy’. This means that we want to satisfy all of the demands in the market, so we have mirrorless and also DSLR, which combined makes an EOS hierarchy. We want to fill the gaps to satisfy customer demands across the board.

The new M50 is an entry-level model, because that’s where the high-volume sales are. We want to establish ourselves in this market, and then move forward [from there]. In accordance with the full lineup strategy, we will be tackling [the mid-range and high-end mirrorless market] going forward.

The EOS M50 offers 4K video and Dual Pixel CMOS AF, but not at the same time. Is there a technical reason for this limitation?

With the EOS 5D Mark IV, we do offer 4K video and Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus, so technically it is feasible. But given the position of the M50 in the lineup, we can’t include all of the features available in a product like the 5D IV. Given the position of the product, we wanted to achieve the optimal balance [of features] in a camera in that range. We’ve optimized the M50 as best we can [for its market position], and within those parameters, the combination of 4K video and Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus was not possible.

Canon’s new EOS M50 offers limited 4K video capability, making it the first of Canon’s mirrorless cameras to go beyond HD video capture.

Another manufacturer that we spoke to estimated that Canon would have a full-frame mirrorless camera within a year. Is that realistic?

That would be nice, wouldn’t it?

The Tokyo Olympics in 2020 is coming up – when we look at photographers shooting with Canon at Tokyo in two years time, what will we see?

The Tokyo Olympics is a very important opportunity for us. If we look at the professional camera market, we would like to introduce a professional model at that time. Having said that, we take reliability very seriously. So when we talk about [creating] a model for the Olympics, we’re not just talking about performance. We’re also want to make sure that we can achieve the same level of reliability that we’ve always delivered [in our professional DSLRs].

The Tokyo Olympics is a very important opportunity for us

We also want to raise Canon’s presence overall, with camera products and also events and services. We have been instructed [by our senior leadership] to maximize the opportunity!

Canon’s gear room at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Major sporting events like this have always been a major focus for Canon, and have often served as showcases for new professional cameras and lenses. The next Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo, in 2020 and is sure to be a major event for Canon.

In your opinion, what is the most important quality for an entry-level camera?

We are always looking for speed, ease of use, and maximum resolution. We’re also thinking about how we can deliver better image quality than a smartphone. So it’s about really focusing on speed, ease of use and image quality. Small size and weight comes into [the calculation] as well, and also the GUI.

Looking beyond the entry-level class towards cameras aimed at high-end amateurs like the 5D class, those customers need even better image quality, and they also want to take more control over operation. They want to expand, and express their creativity. Reliability also comes into play.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV offers both 4K video capture and Dual Pixel autofocus – not a combination available lower down in Canon’s ILC lineup (for now).

Do you think that 4K video is a more important feature at the entry-level end of the market, or the enthusiast / professional segment?

We believe that 4K video is important for all market segments, and all users. Given that we have a range of products, we always have to think about how best [to implement 4K] in that class of camera. And you can do more with 4K video in a higher-end camera than in an entry-level model.

Why is that?

The cost required to introduce [features like 4K] into cameras dictates the kind of features that we can introduce [in products of different classes]. 4K is important to offer in all market segments, and in the M50 we’ve achieved 4K at 25 fps, and that’s the best we can do at this time. We can’t introduce all of the features [in an entry-level camera] that we could in a higher-end model. Another point is that consumption of 4K footage in terms of devices to view 4K video – the penetration of those devices in the market, and their adoption, was a little faster than we expected.

In the past, you’ve said that you won’t introduce a high-end mirrorless product until there would be no compromises compared to DSLR technology. Are we getting close?

In the EOS hierarchy we have cameras from entry-level to professional with different features. When it comes to mirrorless cameras, we have entry-level models, and we’ve just about started on the mid-range class. What that tells you is that Canon is confident about mirrorless technology within this range of products.

We still believe there’s work to be done before we can achieve the level of satisfaction that our users are looking for before they could confidently move from DSLR to mirrorless

But if you look at the enthusiast and high-end product class, in terms of both autofocus and viewfinder [experience], we still believe there’s some work to be done before we can achieve the level of satisfaction that our users are looking for before they could confidently move from DSLR to mirrorless. That’s where we are right now. We’re still on the path to development.

So far, the EOS M5 is the nearest thing Canon has made to a high-end mirrorless camera. The M5 is a great product, but a far cry from some of the industry-changing cameras that Canon has been responsible for in the past.

Having said that, it’s not like we don’t have the components required to create a mirrorless model that would be on a par with DSLR models. For example Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus, lenses that can focus quickly, and optical components like the EVF. We have the technology required to create a camera that would be satisfactory. It’s just a matter of combining [those components] together. So you can look forward to our developments in the future.

There’s still a perception among our readers that Canon is a little conservative. Where is Canon innovating right now?

Rather than some of the very novel features that some of our competitors have been introducing, we believe that it’s really important to deliver the basics. Speed, ease of use, and good image quality. Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus is representative of that [philosophy]. It’s not only important for stills photography, but also for video. Only Canon is pursuing this area [of development] right now. We also have Dual Pixel Raw, and we’re looking for new ways of applying [this technology] currently.

Canon’s schematic of its Dual Pixel CMOS AF sensor structure. The top layer illustrates the light-gathering micro-lenses and conventional Bayer-type color filter array. The lower layer shows how each pixel is split into two photo-diodes, left and right, which are colored blue and red respectively. (Note that this does not indicate different color sensitivity.)

With lenses, we introduced the EF 70-300mm [EF70-300mm F4-5.6 IS II USM] zoom lens, and the EF-S 18-135mm [EF-S 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS USM] which both have Nano USM focus motors. This makes three focus actuators: ring type, stepping motor and Nano USM. This gives us more options when it comes to optical design. For a super wide lens like the 10-24mm L [EF11-24mm F4L USM] for example, we offer ring-type USM, which provides higher torque. Our optical technology is a strength that we’re proud of.

Maybe Canon lenses don’t look that different to our competitors, but in terms of performance, we’re able to create lenses that are superior

We also have a range of [special] optical materials, and methods to process these materials. If you just look at specs, maybe Canon lenses don’t look that different to our competitors, but in terms of performance, we’re able to create lenses that are superior. It’s also about post-purchase support. Durability, reliability, and the ability to withstand extreme temperatures. Our users are able to enjoy this level of performance and they appreciate that.

We also have a new product – our new Speedlite 470EX-AI flash, for automatic bounce photography. So we believe that we can provide innovation across the system of cameras, lenses and accessories. Our customer base is also diversifying, particularly generations ‘Y’ and ‘Z’. They’re looking for new things. We were just at CES in Las Vegas, where we showed some new concept models. We got a lot of feedback, and we want to turn [the concepts] into a marketable product pretty soon.

When we look at trends in mirrorless technology, we’re considering the technical advancements that are possible.

Clearly, the transition to mirrorless will be a big challenge, technically. When you look ahead to further mirrorless development, are you envisaging a new lens system?

It’s been more than 30 years since we launched our EF lens mount, and we’ve sold more than 130 million EF lenses during that time, so we can’t simply ignore that many lenses in the market. At the same time, when we look at trends in mirrorless technology, we’re considering the technical advancements that are possible. It’s a difficult question to answer, but maybe let your imagination suggest some possibilities!

The move from FD to EF in 1987 was bold but also controversial given the legacy of FD lenses and the lack of compatibility between the two platforms. Do you think that situation will happen again?

That’s a difficult question to answer. There was a lot of discussion and debate about that shift, in 1987, and we’re going through the same thing now. We want to nurture and support our [existing] EF customers and we’re in discussion about that at the moment.

Canon’s recently-announced EF 85mm F1.4L, showing the electronic contacts which are a defining element of the EF lens system, first introduced more than 30 years ago to replace the all-mechanical FD lens platform.

In 1987, the shift was from a mechanical interface to an electronic interface. That [precluded cross-compatibility]. Despite that shift, the change provided significantly more value for our customers, which is why we went ahead. If it turns out that [the introduction of mirrorless] will create a similar situation, this might be a decision that we would take [again]. But we’re not sure yet.

Because we’re already using an electronic interface, the shift will be more gradual [than it was in 1987] so [we would better able to] maintain compatibility.

Looking ahead, what is Canon’s main priority?

We want to improve our product lineup, including lenses. We just released an entry-level model (the EOS M50), and because young people are really getting into photography more actively, the entry-level segment is one that we always need to make sure to tackle.

The entire concept of capturing images has changed over the past couple of years

When it comes to maintaining market share and ensuring growth, what is the most difficult challenge that Canon is facing?

We’ve been producing cameras for a long time, but the entire concept of capturing images has changed over the past couple of years, and we need to engage with this new style of capturing images. The first stage is our new concept cameras. It’s important for us to relax and expand our concepts of image capture.

This is of the several concept cameras that Canon has been showing this year – an ‘intelligent compact camera’ designed to automatically capture images, and intelligently learn about the kinds of pictures you want to take.

Now, maybe the camera can be beside you, or maybe even away from you, and still capture the image that you’re looking for. We need to have the technologies to respond to [these new ways of capturing images] in the way that Canon should.

For a very long time, Canon and Nikon dominated the professional market. There’s a lot more competition these days. Is more competition good for Canon?

More players means more activity in the industry, which is a positive thing. Having said that, of course it’s tough.

Does this pressure generate better ideas? More innovation?

Very much so, and it goes both ways. For all players, to be stimulated by increased competition allows us to level-up across the board.

Is it more important for camera manufacturers to design cameras that behave more like smartphones, or that they communicate the benefits of a dedicated camera to smartphone photographers?

I think we have to do both. We have to continue to evolve the traditional benefits that a camera can provide, and at the same time we have to consider the diversification of image capturing tools, including smartphones, and what they have to offer. Our mission is to pursue both approaches.

Editor’s note:

This interview was the fourth time I’ve spoken to Mr. Tokura in recent years, who has become more senior within Canon since we first met back in 2014. Our conversation at CP+ covered some old ground (the perception among some industry-watchers that Canon is a little conservative, increased competition from the likes of Sony, etc.) but this year I really got the sense from talking to him that Mr. Tokura and his team will have some pretty interesting products to show us in the not too distant future.

We know from previous conversations with both Mr. Tokura and his boss Mr. Maeda that increasing the speed of product development has been a priority at Canon in recent years. Since then, we’ve seen some solid refreshes at the top and middle of Canon’s DSLR lineup (along with some truly excellent new lenses), but a lot of the company’s energy seems to have been directed towards the lower-end, especially within the EOS M lineup. This focus on the entry-level segment of the camera market (‘where the sales are’, as Mr. Tokura said in our interview) makes sense, but I’ve expressed my own disappointment in the past about such a ‘slow and steady’ approach in the face of increasingly fast-moving competition.

Canon has the technology for high-end mirrorless – it just has to put all the pieces together

It’s been a long time coming, but in this interview Mr. Tokura came pretty close to at least hinting that higher-end, perhaps even full-frame mirrorless is imminent – and maybe even within the next 12 months. As he said, Canon has the technology – it just has to put all the pieces together.

Possibly even more exciting is the possibility of a professional model to come by 2020. Back in 2016, Mr. Tokura reminded me that Canon likes to launch flagship models in Olympic years, and the fact that the next Olympiad will be held in Tokyo is likely to present an irresistible opportunity. You heard it here first.

Canon has shaken up the photography market several times in the past, and has the potential to do so again.

Speaking of the future, the Canon executives I spoke to at CP+ were very keen to show me the mockups of a range of concept cameras that were first unveiled at this year’s CES show in Las Vegas, in January. While none are finished, marketable products (yet) it’s clear that Canon is keen to explore products that respond to what Mr. Tokura calls ‘a new style of capturing images’.

Canon is sometimes criticized for taking a conservative approach to product development, and in some cases this is true (although it isn’t always a bad thing). It’s important to remember though that Canon has shaken up the photography market several times in the past, and there’s every chance it could do so again.

Previous interviews with Canon executives:

An interview with the heads of Canon’s L lens factory (2017)

CP+ 2017: ‘We want to be number one in the overall ILC market’

CP+ 2015: ‘Every day I’m saying ‘speed up!’

Photokina 2014: Mirrorless ‘in the very near future’

CP+ 2014: ‘We don’t see the smartphone as an enemy’

CP+ 2013: Interview with Canon’s Masaya Maeda

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Rokinon AF 35mm F2.8 FE sample gallery and impressions

18 Mar

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The Rokinon / Samyang AF 35mm F2.8 FE is an absolutely tiny full-frame lens built for Sony’s E-Mount. Similar in size and specification to Sony’s own Zeiss 35mm F2.8, the Rokinon is listed at an MSRP of $ 349 whereas the Sony is listed at $ 699 at the time of this writing.

So, by virtue of costing half as much as the Sony, does the Rokinon offer merely half the performance? Not exactly. The AF 35mm F2.8 FE may not knock your socks off, but it’s still a solid performer and a great option for budget-oriented E-mount users.

The Rokinon AF 35mm F2.8 FE mounted on a Sony a7R III.

Hold the Rokinon 35mm F2.8 in your hand, and you have to wonder if there’s any glass in it at all. It weighs over an ounce less than the Sony 35mm F2.8, which wasn’t exactly a heavyweight to begin with. It’s also very slightly shorter than its Sony equivalent, though both lenses take 49mm filters and can focus down to 0.35m. Unfortunately, the Rokinon omits the Sony’s claimed weather-sealing, and the lens mount lacks any sort of gasket.

Subjectively, the Rokinon’s plasticky build doesn’t have the premium feel of the Sony (nor would we expect it to at the price), but the construction feels solid. The mount is metal, and the included bayonet mount hood offers a bit of extra protection for the front element. The focus ring is damped enough to prevent accidental turning, but it too suffers an overly plasticky feel.

The Rokinon comes with a compact, bayonet-style hood.

Optical performance is pretty good, even on a 42MP a7R III. It isn’t eye-searingly sharp wide-open, but it’s more than adequate. Bokeh is neither buttery nor overly busy, but out-of-focus highlights take on a cats-eye shape near the edges of the frame, which may or may not be to your taste. Sunstars are possible if you close your aperture far enough, but they’re of average quality.

Autofocus performance is solid. It isn’t as instantaneous as lenses with floating focus elements, but is about on par with Sony’s own 85mm F1.8 and 50mm F1.4 Zeiss – certainly, swift enough for general use.

Though the Rokinon generally exhibits good out-of-focus renderings, there is some green and purple fringing noticeable in the upper-middle of this frame.

Longitudinal chromatic aberration hasn’t been too much of an issue for me, but you can see some green and purple fringing on the high-contrast edges in the upper-middle of the above image. Keep in mind that for our sample gallery, Adobe Camera Raw has a built-in profile for distortion and vignetting corrections. Lateral CA corrections were left off, and the lens seems to control for them fairly well.

It must be said, the Rokinon AF 35mm F2.8 FE is just a fun lens to use. On any a7-series camera, the Rokinon is so small, light and unobtrusive that it basically disappears on the camera body.

Though its F2.8 maximum aperture won’t isolate subjects as well as Rokinon’s or Sony’s F1.4 options, it strikes a great compromise between size, performance, and perhaps most crucially, price. If you’ve been eyeing the Sony Zeiss 35mm F2.8, we think this Rokinon AF 35mm F2.8 FE is also worth a look.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Tips for Doing Nature Photography at Your Local Parks

18 Mar

For myself and many other photographers, probably you included, one of the more difficult parts of the hobby is figuring out where to shoot things like nature photography.

If you have a big trip or a vacation planned, whether it be an exotic location or somewhere not so far away, then that question is answered for you. But for evening shoots after work, spontaneous sessions or weekend outings, a bit of planning is necessary. Enter the wonders of your local parks!

Tips for Doing Nature Photography at Your Local Parks

A park can take many forms and can exist in any location, and almost any country. It is generally defined as a “large public green area, used for recreation”. They come in all sizes, and each features their own unique variety of plants, animals, and landscapes.

Parks can be as small as a local city or county park, a larger state park, all the way up to a massive national park. Their common thread is that they have been well-defined and set aside for public use, and are perfect areas to practice nature photography.

Why shoot at a park?

Parks are unique and useful to us photographers because they can be a testing ground for new equipment, a safe practice area for new techniques, or a fully-realized background for your real work.

Parks are attractive because they are a (usually) safe, well-defined area, a miniature representation of the local environment. They give you a small, diverse biosphere of flora and fauna, all wrapped up in one package.

Tips for Doing Nature Photography at Your Local Parks

Parks are also numerous, and you have a lot to choose from, regardless of size or classification. Even national parks, with the fewest number of all the types, are plentiful. Over 100 countries worldwide have lands designated as national parks, including 59 in the United States alone. This doesn’t even count other sites in the national registry, such as forests, seashores, and historic sites.

The bottom line is you’ll never have a lack of subject matter when visiting one of these areas.

Preparing for the shoot

Preparing for a photo shoot in a park isn’t really any different than most other outdoor environments. You’ll want to pack and check all of your normal gear, including:

Camera body – If you’re hiking to a location, you’ll probably want to keep the number of bodies down to one; otherwise, maybe bring a film or instant camera as well for backup.
Lenses – Again, you don’t want to weigh yourself down too much, but always bring lenses to cover most of the situations you’ll find yourself in. If you’re shooting landscapes, bring a wide-angle prime lens, or at least a zoom that covers focal lengths down to 18 to 24 mm.
Tripod – Some camera bags and backpacks have holders for your tripod. Otherwise, take this into consideration as tripods are often not heavy, but bulky and unwieldy to carry while tromping through the park with your other gear.

Tips for Doing Nature Photography at Your Local Parks - use a tripod

Filters and other accessories – Don’t forget the little things such as UV filters, neutral density filters, remote shutter releases, and microfiber cloths to keep lens glass clean.

Since you’re shooting outside, you also need to be prepared for events and conditions outside your control, such as the weather. Depending on the size of the park, there may be hiking and long walking involved. So, you’ll also need to plan ahead and consider items such as:

Appropriate clothing – Long sleeves and long pants for mosquito-prone environments, hats, extra dry socks for long hikes.
Items to protect against the sun – Sunscreen and sunglasses.
Defensive items to keep yourself safe – A knife, or bear spray, if you’re traveling into areas where bears are known to live.
Location tools – To help identify where you are and where you’re going, such as a GPS receiver, paper maps (absolutely the best idea), and a compass.

Safety

As with any outdoor excursions, you’ll need to plan ahead a little, both physically and mentally, when venturing out into a park, especially a state or national park or forest.

First, just make sure you know what you’re getting into. If you’re going to a large, sprawling national park and have never been to the area before, then it’s pretty tough to physically scout the location before your shoot. The best you can do in that situation is to do as much research as you can online, or talk to friends or co-workers that have been to the area before.

For a smaller park, or one that’s close by, the best idea is to scout the location first. What hazards are present? Native animals? Plants?

Here in Florida, we have a tree (uncommon, but it exists in the wild) called a Manchineel. Everything about it from the leaves to the wood itself is extremely toxic. Even brushing up against it can end badly. These are the kinds of things you want to research well before you explore a park, especially the larger ones that may take you into more remote areas.

photo of a lake - Tips for Doing Nature Photography at Your Local Parks

Wildlife dangers

On the fauna side of possible dangers, you have the local wildlife. Here in Florida, it’s primarily alligators and snakes, although some areas of our state are habitats for small populations of bears and panthers. First aid and snakebite kits are a smart idea for almost any wilderness area around the world. Other areas of the United States and around the world have larger animals that can pose a serious threat to explorers and photographers, such as bears.

Black bears alone exist in approximately 40 of the 50 states in the U.S., and they, along with the other species, need to be respected and avoided. Many photographers and tourists have been making headlines in recent years by getting too close to bears, without thinking of the possible outcomes to themselves or the bear.

While unprovoked attacks aren’t very common, it is very easy to surprise or startle a bear, and it’s always recommended to carry bear spray in the wild when in bear territory.

What to Shoot

The possibilities of subjects in an outdoor park are almost endless. Some of us will go just to shoot a sunrise or sunset, while others want to take home photos of local wildlife.

Landscape photographers can focus on grabbing a shot of that sunset, or other features of the environment, such as lakes, mountains, and rivers. Open, panoramic scenes captured with wide-angle lenses are a favorite, as are forests, trees and the changes in the color of leaves. Flowing water such as waterfalls or fast moving rivers are good candidates for a long exposure photo, and even plains and prairies can be framed into beautiful minimalist compositions.

Tips for Doing Nature Photography at Your Local Parks

There is a never-ending variety of flora and fauna that can be photographed, such as flowers, trees, plants, and animals such as small mammals, reptiles, and an endless variety of birds. Many parks have some species that are concentrated in that area and offer opportunities for us photographers that we can’t get anywhere else.

Here on the west Florida coast, my nearest state park is home to the Florida Scrub Jay, endemic to this area, and concentrated higher in this one park than anywhere else. It’s almost a rite of passage to photograph one. Many parks around the world are home to their own species as well.

Tips for Doing Nature Photography at Your Local Parks - bird

Environmental Awareness

Finally, we need to address an overall importance when discussing capturing images of our beautiful environment; we as photographers need to be nature’s greatest champions.

I would suspect that most of us who love to be outdoors, already have a desire to be careful when enjoying our parks. But as we’ve seen recently in the news, not all of us take that into consideration. The commonly heard phrase, “leave nothing but footprints” may sound cliche, but it really is a best-case scenario of what we should strive for as we enjoy the great outdoors.

Tips for Doing Nature Photography at Your Local Parks - bird photo

The plants and animals that make their home in these areas were likely there long before we visited. It is our responsibility to leave the areas as we found them, without adding or taking away anything from the environment. This will ensure that future generations of photographers and explorers will be able to enjoy those areas too.

What was your best experience visiting and photographing a park for nature photography? Where do you want to go that you haven’t been yet? And what tips would you give others who are ready to visit and document the great outdoors? Please comment and let’s discuss below.

The post Tips for Doing Nature Photography at Your Local Parks by Tim Gilbreath appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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