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Canon USA revives CarePAK Plus, free accidental damage repair on EOS R, most DSLRs

23 Oct

Canon USA has reintroduced its CarePAK Plus service as a promotional incentive for most of its recent DSLR cameras, as well as for the new EOS R full frame mirrorless body. The service plan offers 13-months’ worth of free accidental damage cover, as well as two Canon Maintenance Services during that period.

The offer covers 10 of the company’s DSLR and the EOS R, and will also be accessible for those buying one of 13 lenses from the L professional series. Customers have a month to register their products for the service, and Canon boasts that it handles everything from calls and emails, to the actual servicing, so you’ll never have to deal with a third party. Below is a complete list of the participating products:

EOS R	EOS 6D Mark II	EF 24-70mm F2.8 II USM
EOS 1D X Mark II	EOS 80D	EF 70-200mm F2.8 IS II USM
EOS 5D Mark IV	EOS 77D	EF 70-200mm F2.8 IS III USM
EOS 5D Mark III	RF 28-70mm F2 L USM	EF 50mm F1.2 L USM
EOS 5Ds	RF 50mm F1.2 L USM	EF 85mm F1.2 L USM
EOS 5Ds R	EF 16-35mm F2.8 L II USM	EF 85mm F1.2 L II USM
EOS 6D	EF 16-35mm F2.8 L III USM	EF 100mm F2.8 L Macro IS USM
EOS 7D Mark II	EF 17-40mm F4 L USM	EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 L IS II USM
EOS 6D Mark II

The offer applies to products purchased from authorized dealers from now until 5th Jan 2019. See the Canon website for more information.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners

23 Oct

Effective post-processing can be challenging to learn.

If you take photos in RAW format, you need to post process your photos to get them looking good.

Here are seven steps I take in Lightroom and Photoshop with most of the photos I take.

Typically, the photos I take are documentary-style, and I don’t change them with much post-processing. I have developed a workflow to enhance and tweak my photos with the aim of rendering a result similar to how I saw the picture in reality.

Technicalities and alternative variations are kept to a minimum in this article to avoid causing confusion and discouragement. This article is written for beginners starting on their post-processing journey.

7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners

The original unaltered RAW file.

Intention When Post-Processing RAW files

Post-processing software has become very complex and powerful. It is possible to manipulate photos, so they become entirely different from the original. There are dozens of tools and multitudes of ways of achieving the same or similar results.

My intention most for most photographs I post process is to make them look as natural as possible. I believe this is an excellent place to start, even when you want to go on and create more surreal looking images.

Tone range in a photo is one of my primary concerns. Your eyes can usually see a broader range of tone than your camera can record. How to post-process a RAW file to appear as close as possible to what you saw, in reality, is what I want to share with you.

Seven Post Processing Steps

Step 1: Process The RAW File
Step 2: Open in Photoshop (PS) and Create Two Layer Copies
Step 3: Balance the tone range
Step 4: Remove Distractions
Step 5: Dodge and Burn to Refine
Step 6: Crop (if you need to)
Step 7: Save a TIFF and a JPG

Step 1: Process The RAW File

The RAW file with no adjustments.

Choose the photo you want to work with and open it in the ‘Develop Module’ in Lightroom. Take a look at the shadow areas, mid tones, and highlights. Choose what you consider to be an essential part of your photo and pay attention to that when making your adjustments.

For this article, I am using a landscape photo of the view I see from my home. Within it, there are no real extremes or any outstanding main subject. The photo has a pleasing range of tone and color, and I want to see detail in each area – the sky, mountains, and the rice. As an unprocessed RAW file, it looks flat and dull.

Make use of the sliders in the ‘Basic’ panel on the right to begin making adjustments. For my image, I move the ‘Blacks’ slider to the left, darkening the black areas and take the ‘Contrast’ slider to the right up increase the contrast a little. Then move the ‘Shadows’ slider to the right a fraction to bring back detail in the dark areas that I may have lost while moving the previous two sliders. Lastly, I push the ‘Clarity’ slider to the right a bit.

It’s good practice to avoid moving any slider to its extremity because the image quality deteriorates. It’s better to use a combination of the various sliders to achieve the look you want and keep the quality.

The ‘Color Temp’ slider has also been moved towards the blue as the photo is a little too yellow.

I’ve made a Preset in Lightroom with these adjustments, using it on most of my photos, and then tweaking the sliders if need be.

The RAW file with adjustments.

Step 2: Open in Photoshop and Create Two Layer Copies

About 90% of the photos I post-process go through this step. I have an Action set up in Photoshop that is applied first-up on any photo I process. Make two layer copies and set the Blend Mode of the top layer photo to ‘Screen’ and the middle layer blend mode to ‘Soft Light’.

Creating two additional layers of your photos allows you to add extra punch to them. This extra punch happens by manipulating the top ‘Screen’ layer.

Opening Photoshop with two new layers created of the photo and Blend Modes changed.

Step 3: Balance the Screen Layer

Adjust the ‘Opacity’ of the layer until the darkest area you want to retain detail in is looking good. In my photo, it is the forest on the mountain that’s in shadow. I adjusted my screen layer to 40%.

Manipulate the opacity of the top Screen layer.

You can turn off the top to layers to see the changes you have made. The bottom layer is still as you imported it.

Now select the ‘Eraser’ tool and give it an Opacity setting of around 30%. Begin to gently erase the areas of your photo you want to darken. The sky is the area I worked on the most because I wanted to bring out more detail in the clouds.

Use the Eraser tool to darken some areas that are too bright.

Having the Opacity set at 30% allows you to be more precise in the way you manipulate your photo. I use a pen and tablet which is pressure sensitive and gives me more control than a mouse.

Turn off the lower two layers and temporarily make the Screen layer 100% opacity to see what you are doing more easily.

Turn off the other layers and temporarily bring the ‘Screen’ layer opacity back to 100%. Doing so makes it easier to see the changes you are making. Turn the layers back on and set the ‘Screen’ layer to the opacity level you chose.

Once you are happy, flatten the image.

Step 4: Remove Distractions

Use the Patch tool and clone tool to remove distractions.

Use the clone tool or the ‘Patch’ tool to remove distractions from your photo. There’s not too much distracting in my photo, but even taking out the few bright elements enhances the photo. I have used the ‘Patch’ tool to fill in the small section of road that was visible, the electricity poles, a person and a water tower in the distance.

Cleaned image with distractions removed using the ‘Patch’ tool.

Step 5: Dodge and Burn to Refine

Zoom your photo to fill your monitor and take a good look at it. Are there still areas which are too dark or too bright? If so, use the ‘Dodge’ and ‘Burn’ tools to fix them. You also may need to use the ‘Burn’ tool on areas you used the ‘Patch’ tool to help them blend in better.

In my photo, I have set the ‘Burn’ tool to an Exposure value of 11% and chosen to work on the ‘Mid-tone’ Range. I have darkened the clouds more and also some of the rice. The clouds now look more natural. The rice in the foreground is a little darker and helps draw your eye into the photo. I have used the ‘Dodge’ tool also on 11% Exposure, to lighten the palm tree.

‘Dodge’ and ‘Burn’ to refine the tone range.

Step 6: Crop If You Need To

Take a look at your photo and consider whether cropping it somehow would make it a stronger image. Try it and see if you are not sure. Make a copy to crop and compare with your original. Alternatively, crop it and then use Ctrl+z (cmd+z on Mac) to see the comparison.

Step 7: Save a TIFF File and a JPG File

Saving two files gives you one of full quality and one you can use on the internet. I have a lot of different Photoshop ‘Actions’ set up to resize and save my photos depending on their usage.

The photo with post-processing complete.

Not Every Image is Created Equal

Apply these steps with a good dose of flexibility and creativity. Experiment with them to discover alternative ways you can make your photos look.

Based on these, I have alternative steps I apply to some photos to achieve a certain look. As you work your way through these steps, remember the scene you photographed to keep your photos looking as natural as possible.

If you have any other helpful tips, please put them in the comments below.

The post 7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Photokina 2018: Fujifilm interview – ‘we’ll never go full-frame’

23 Oct

Toshihisa Iida, General Manager of Fujifilm’s Optical Device and Electronic Imaging Products Division pictured at the Photokina trade show in Cologne, Germany last month.

At this year’s Photokina show in Cologne, Germany we spoke to senior executives from several major camera and lens manufacturers. Among them was Toshihisa Iida of Fujifilm, who told us about the future of his company’s medium-format lineup, the challenges of 100MP and why Fujifilm will never make a full-frame camera.

Photokina is proving to be an important show for Fujifilm!

Yes. Photokina 2010 was the X100 development announcement, 2012 was the first-generation mirrorless – 2014 I’ve forgotten! [in fact it was the announcement of the X100T and X30] and 2016 was of course the GFX 50S.

Now that all of the legacy DSLR makers except Ricoh have full-frame mirrorless systems, will Fujifilm ever enter the full-frame market?

No, never. Because we don’t have that legacy – luckily or unluckily. We don’t see any point in Fujifilm entering that market, particularly since we have good APS-C and medium format systems. If we entered full-frame [our systems] would just start cannibalizing each other. We’re happy to stay with two completely independent systems.

Fujifilm’s new GFX 50R is a rangefinder-style medium format camera which uses the same 50MP sensor as its direct predecessor the GFX 50S.

Do you see many of your users upgrading from X to GFX?

Not quite yet. Because they’re totally different systems. We started creating our legacy based on the X100. Usability, colors [etc.] and I hope that in near future more X Series customers will step up to GFX.

Can you describe the thinking behind the creation of the 50R?

Shortly after we introduced the 50S we started receiving requests from customers, who remembered the old medium format film cameras. Immediately after we released the 50S they were asking ‘when is a rangefinder style 50S coming?.

Is this a camera you expect to be used more like a field camera? Like the old rangefinders?

Yes. All controls must be reachable with one hand, that was our concept for usability. We wanted the camera to be more suited to street, reportage and portrait photography.

The forthcoming 100MP camera is more SLR style, with a detachable viewfinder, more similar to the 50S, but with an integrated battery grip for greater battery capacity. The sensor and the image stabilization system need more power.

The upcoming 100MP GFX will feature an integrated battery grip and in-body stabilization. Fujifilm also promises a superior electronic viewfinder experience and beefed-up video capabilities.

Was a 100MP camera always in the works?

Yes, it’s why we designed our GF lenses to support 100MP, when that resolution [eventually] became available. We’ve talked about that openly.

You’ve mentioned the need for more battery capacity, what other changes did you face when designing a 100MP camera?

The biggest challenge was image stabilization. The sensor is so sensitive that even the smallest vibration is picked up [in the image]. So we knew we needed in-body stabilization. And you can imagine that it’s quite challenging to stabilize such a big sensor.

Is the system adapted from the IBIS system in the X-H1?

We drew on our experience from the X-H1, yes but it’s more challenging with the larger sensor size.

Will the viewfinder experience of the 100MP camera be better to the current GFX 50S and 50R?

It should be a lot better, yes, because the readout speed of the new sensor is a lot quicker. The sensor and the processor itself are both upgraded. The processor is much more powerful.

The recently-announced Fujifilm X-T3 is a powerful 26MP APS-C camera, which packs impressive still and video-oriented features.

Fujifilm was a little slow to introduce video features, but the current generation are very strong video cameras. What’s your video strategy for future cameras?

The forthcoming 100MP camera will be the first 4K/30p GFX camera, which is the first step. It will be interesting to see what kind of quality we can get from the new sensor. With the X Series we have a plan, for example to extend recording time, and make the menus more usable for still and video shooting. We have more to do, more speed, 4K/60p [etc.] We would really like to attract videographers to the GFX cameras as well.

Do you think that you might create Fujinon cine lenses for GFX in the future?

Let’s wait and see. The first step is 100MP, and then we’ll see how it goes. Of course, developing such lenses is probably technically possible, it’s just a matter of prioritization.

Filmmakers are creative people, always looking for something more

How do you plan to market the 100MP medium format to videographers? Videographers don’t typically think about medium format.

Just today [after the 100MP announcement at the Photokina press conference] I started receiving a lot of questions from videographers. Larger formats are becoming a trend for videography. Filmmakers are creative people, always looking for something more.

100MP and 4K/30p represent a huge amount of data – is SD media still appropriate?

I think that SD media and HDMI output are enough for now.

Tamron’s FE-mount 28-70mm F2.8 was the first third-party attempt at a native Sony FE mount lens. Could Fujifilm open up its XF and GF mounts to other lens developers?

Do you welcome third-party lens manufacturers that want to create lenses for XF and GF?

They’re not open standards as yet, but of course our customers want choice. We’re always considering what would benefit our customers, and more lenses are generally beneficial for customers.

Should we expect to see more smaller, compact lenses for GF mount, like the forthcoming 50mm pancake?

Yes, in the future we’d like to expand our lineup of compact lenses for GF. We need small lenses for the smaller camera, to get the right balance. We’re always thinking about the whole system.

Maybe we need to start from scratch when it comes to future cameras aimed at smartphone upgraders

The competitive marketplace is getting quite crowded. Which competitive products do you take most seriously?

We’re always watching the major brands, to see what they’re doing, but at the same time smartphones. The quality and functionality – we have to watch that segment very carefully, especially considering our entry-level mirrorless cameras.

How will you address the challenge from smartphones?

The first thing is to do more research into what smartphone customers want from cameras. Usability, shooting options and so on. Maybe we need to start from scratch when it comes to future cameras aimed at smartphone [upgraders].

Our biggest potential challenge is from smartphones, not competitor cameras.

Do you see opportunities for more Instax incorporation into your traditional camera lineups?

Yes, Instax are already becoming digital cameras. Maybe we should think about interchangeable lens Instax. One of the biggest features for mirrorless cameras are interchangeable lenses, so Instax is one of our opportunities.

The Pentax Q range (a Q7 is pictured here) was an intriguing but relatively short-lived attempt at an ultra-compact mirrorless interchangeable lens system. As most manufacturers move toward larger cameras and (especially) lenses, the days of such pocketable alternatives might be over.

Do you think that there could be a future for small format interchangeable lens cameras like the Pentax Q, now?

With that product, the sensor size was too small. The image quality was not strong enough to really compete against smartphones. We need a decent sensor size and high quality lens. So again the question is how to balance size, weight and quality.

Camera bodies can be small regardless of sensor size. The big difference is the lens. The size of the lens [is directly related to] sensor format.

In the past we’ve spoken about software corrections for some lenses. Do you see a future where your high-quality lenses could be made smaller using software?

We always prioritize optical quality first, minimizing software correction. That’s our policy at the moment, and I don’t think it will change. That’s why the APS-C format is important to us. We make the lenses as small as possible, without [a lot of] software correction.

What are the challenges of designing fast focusing large-aperture lenses?

A brighter lens means that each element is heavier. So we need to build in more powerful focus actuators, but there’s limited space. So it’s always a tradeoff of lens brightness, focus speed, and how heavy the lens is.

Designed for the more compact GFX 50R, Fujifilm’s forthcoming 50mm F3.5 offers a near-pancake form factor, much smaller than most of the company’s medium-format GF lens lineup.

Now that you’re thinking ahead to high resolution video capture in the GFX series, what impact does this have on lens design?

It’s challenging – how to minimize the weight of focusing units. It’s a task for the lens design team. Maybe they’ll use more aspherical elements, for example. There are technologies which we can use, but it’s a challenge.

Is there potential for Fujifilm to create dedicated video cameras?

Potentially, yes. We don’t have any concrete plans, but we need to understand the requirements of videographers, and how their requests when it comes to usability and menus are different from stills photographers. Especially for stills, operation is more dial-driven, but for video it’s totally different.

Editor’s note: Barnaby Britton

As Mr. Iida mentioned, for the past several years Photokina has been an important show for Fujifilm, serving as an opportunity to showcase its major releases in front of a global audience. Photokina 2018 was no different, with the announcement of two major new cameras – a rangefinder-style GFX 50R and the development of a forthcoming 100MP medium-format model, coming next year.

Both announcements probably serve as tacit answers to the question of whether or not Fujifilm will ever create a full-frame camera, but “no, never” is about as conclusive a response as we’d ever expect to get. A more typical response (of the kind that we get repeatedly whenever we talk to senior executives) is more along the lines of ‘we need to study the market, and we’re not ruling anything out’. The fact that Mr. Iida was so definitive is unusual, but reassuring. Fujifilm has an excellent opportunity to differentiate with medium-format in a way that it couldn’t expect to do with full-frame, especially now that Canon, Nikon and Panasonic have joined the fray.

Fujifilm’s cameras might be getting bigger, but Mr Iida recognizes a need for smaller lenses

The forthcoming 100MP GFX won’t be cheap by full-frame standards, but with features like built-in IBIS and 4K/30p video, it promises to set new technical benchmarks for large-sensor imaging when it is released next year.

Fujifilm’s cameras might be getting bigger, but Mr. Iida recognizes a need for smaller lenses, especially with the somewhat more compact rangefinder-style GFX 50R. A range of compact F3.5-ish primes for GFX would help make the system somewhat more portable, as well as potentially more attractive to first-time medium-format buyers.

We expect to see more – and more powerful – ‘hybrid’ cameras from Fujifilm

Still imaging is only part of the story, of course. In recent generations Fujifilm has made impressive efforts to improve its products’ video capabilities, to the point where the X-H1 and more recent X-T3 are among our favorite cameras for 4K videography. Assuming that it reads out all pixels for 4K video, the forthcoming 100MP medium-format model could actually prove very disruptive for professional filmmaking, thanks to the wide dynamic range of medium format sensors compared to full-frame and super 35 formats.

Could Fujifilm use its long experience of making broadcast and cine lenses to create a dedicated video camera? Mr. Iida isn’t ruling it out, and it’s an intriguing thought. In the short term though, we expect to see more – and more powerful – ‘hybrid’ cameras from Fujifilm, and that’s still an exciting prospect.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Lexar’s new USB 3.0 flash drive uses your fingerprint to keep your photos safe

23 Oct

Lexar has announced a new flash drive that features a fingerprint reader to protect its content from unauthorised access. The JumpDrive Fingerprint F35 can record up to ten fingerprints to allow it to be shared between users, and it comes with the fingerprint software already loaded.

Lexar claims recognising a user’s fingerprint takes less than a second, and the drives have read speeds of up to 150MB/s. While normal memory is compatible with Mac, PC and Linux, the fingerprint software is Windows-only.

The JumpDrive Fingerprint F35 will be available in capacities of 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB and will cost €29.99/$ 32.99 (32GB), €44.99/$ 49.99 (64GB), €79.99/89.99 (128GB). The 256GB version will arrive later this year, and will cost €149.99/169.99. Each of the drives comes with a three-year limited warranty.

For more information see the Lexar website.

Press release:

Lexar Announces New JumpDrive® Fingerprint F35 with an Added Touch of Security

New USB 3.0 Flash Drive Securely Protects Files Using 256-bit AES Encryption

Key messages:

Up to 10 fingerprint IDs allowed
Ultra-fast recognition – less than 1 second
Easy set-up, no software driver needed
Securely protects files using an advanced security solution with 256-bit AES encryption

Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, today announced the new Lexar® JumpDrive® Fingerprint F35 USB 3.0 Flash Drive.

One of the most secure USB 3.0 flash drives available, Lexar JumpDrive F35 uses an ultra-fast fingerprint authentication that allows you to protect your data against unauthorized users – in under one second so that you will have no discernible impact on workflow. The F35 can save up to 10 fingerprint IDs, making sure only you and your closest collaborators have access to your files. It also boasts an easy set-up with no software driver required*, so you can quickly start transferring your files with speeds up to 150MB/s**. And for added peace of mind, it also features an advanced 256-bit AES security solution to protect your valuable files.

“The F35 combines reliable and secure data storage with biometric technology to prevent unauthorized access to your files – adding an extra layer of security for your drive by using fingerprint authentication. It is ideal for business professionals and photographers who require high-privacy protection to meet their needs,” said Joel Boquiren, Director of Global Marketing.

The Lexar JumpDrive Fingerprint F35 USB 3.0 Flash Drive is compatible with PC and Mac®* systems and comes with a three-year limited warranty***. It will be available in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities with read speeds of 150MB/s**. The new Lexar JumpDrive F35 is available now at MSRP of €29.99 (32GB), €44.99 (64GB), €79.99 (128GB), and the 256GB version will be €149.99, arriving in Q4 of this year. For more information visit www.lexar.com

Lexar will be exhibiting new product demonstrations at this year’s PhotoPlus Expo held at Javits Convention Center in New York City, New York, from October 25th – 27th.

*Fingerprint registration software only compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10. Software required to create/edit accounts and adjust partition size. Regular flash drive use compatible with Windows, Linux and macOS.
**Up to 150MB/s read transfer, write speeds lower. Speeds based on internal testing. Actual performance may vary.
***http://www.lexar.com/support/warranties/

About Lexar
For more than 20 years, Lexar has been a trusted leading global brand of memory solutions. Our award-winning lineup includes memory cards, USB flash drives, card readers, and solid-state drives. With so many options, it’s easy to find the right Lexar solution to fit your needs. All Lexar product designs undergo extensive testing in the Lexar Quality Labs with more than 1,100 digital devices, to ensure performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability. Lexar products are available worldwide at major retail and e-tail stores. For more information or support, visit www.lexar.com.

About Longsys
Longsys – a leader in consumer NAND flash applications, is committed to supporting Lexar in its quest to reach new achievements in high-performance, quality, and reliability while maintaining its position as a leading global brand in memory cards, USB flash drives, readers, and storage drives for retail and OEM customers.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Tiffen launches line of filter kits for DJI Mavic, Inspire drones

23 Oct

Tiffen Filters has announced a new collection of drone-specific filter kits for DJI’s latest offerings.

The filters kits are available for the the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom, DJI Mavic 2 Pro, DJI Mavic Air, and DJI Inspire 2 drones, adding to the filters Tiffen already offers for the Phantom series. Tiffen says the filters have “a multilayer and hydrophobic coating” that’s waterproof, resistant to scratches, and “guarantee[s]” ultra-low reflection rates.

“Drone operators will have the opportunity to capture in flight content like never before,” says Tiffen in its press release. “When used in conjunction with the award winning filter technology engineered by Tiffen, the high quality performance of the DJI 4K camera system is taken to the next level, broadening the horizons for content creation.”

The pricing of the filter kits is a bit confusing, so below is a collection of charts detailing the kits available for each drone:

Mavic Air
3 Filter Kit — $ 49.95	6 Filter Kit — $ 99.95
ND4	ND4 — ND4/PL
ND8	ND8 — ND8/PL
ND16	ND16 — ND16/PL

Mavic 2 Zoom
3 Filter Kit — $ 79.95	6 Filter Kit — $ 149.95
ND4	ND4 — ND4/PL
ND8	ND8 — ND8/PL
ND16	ND16 — ND16/PL

Mavic Pro
3 Filter Kit — $ 99.95	6 Filter Kit — $ 179.95
ND4	ND4 — ND4/PL
ND8	ND8 — ND8/PL
ND16	ND16 — ND16/PL

Inspire 2
3 Filter Kit — $ 99.95	6 Filter Kit — $ 199.95
ND4	ND4 — ND4/PL
ND8	ND8 — ND8/PL
ND16	ND16 — ND16/PL

The filters are listed on Tiffen’s website as “coming soon.” Each filter kit will come with a ten-year warranty, meaning these will likely outlast the life of your drone. To find out more, head on over to Tiffen’s Aerial Collection page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Fujifilm X-T3’s video lives up to impressive specifications

23 Oct

The Fujifilm X-T3’s 4K video more than lives up to its impressive specification, making it one of the most capable video cameras we’ve ever tested.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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DJI challenges drone plane collision test, accuses researchers of ‘sowing fear’

23 Oct

DJI has challenged a recently published video that demonstrates a small drone smashing into an airplane wing. The test collision was conducted in a simulated environment by researchers with the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) to assess the potential damage such an in-air crash may cause. DJI has accused the test of being “unbalanced, agenda-driven research.”

In a letter sent to UDRI’s group leader for impact physics Kevin Poorman, DJI alleges UDRI’s “Risk in the Sky?” video (below) and related materials present a “collision scenario between a drone and an airplane wing that is simply inconceivable in real life.”

The test collision involved a 952g / 2.1lbs DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter being launched at the wing of a Mooney M20 aircraft. In a blog post about the research, UDRI researchers said the test was intended to “mimic a midair collision of a drone and a commercial transport aircraft at 238 miles per hour…”

DJI has taken issue with that claim, saying the test assumes the Mooney M20 would be flying at its max 200mph / 321kph speed, and that the drone would “apparently” be exceeding its max 33.5mph / 53.9kph speed. “At the altitudes where that plane would conceivably encounter a Phantom drone,” DJI claims, “it would fly less than half as fast – generating less than one-fourth of the collision energy.”

DJI also states:

Your video was created contrary to established U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) crash test parameters, which assume a bird striking an airplane at its sea-level cruising speed —which is typically 161 mph to 184mph for Mooney M20. Your video deliberately created a more damaging scenario, and was widely cited as evidence for what could happen to a large commercial jet —even though the Mooney M20 is a small plane with four seats.

The Chinese drone company has likewise taken issue with the test as a whole, accusing it of having not been “created as part of a legitimate scientific query, with little description of your testing methodology and no disclosure of data generated during the test.” The company accuses the researchers of having a “bias toward sowing fear,” claiming they would have otherwise also shared a video of a simulated bird-plane strike that caused “more apparent damage.”

DJI’s letter demands UDRI “remove the alarmist video,” withdraw the research, and “issue a corrective statement” that proclaims the test to be “invalid.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Create a Theme to Step Up Your Travel Photography

23 Oct

One of the things that always drew me to travel photography is the endless variety. Every place on earth is unique. The people, the landscape, the culture, the wildlife, the architecture. Even with neighboring cities, no two places are the same.

create a travel photography theme 01

So, why is it that we tend to photograph them all the same way? When I look back through my archives from all over the world, most of my images have a similar look. If I didn’t remember the location of a photo, I likely couldn’t guess where I took it.

As photographers, we develop our own unique approach to our craft. It’s not a bad thing – it helps to develop our own style. Although, sometimes it’s worth taking a different approach for a specific location or trip. Choosing a travel photography theme for a trip can help focus and guide your photography, as well as give you a unique collection of images.

surfers create a travel photography theme

Coming Up With Your Photography Theme

I’m not talking about changing your style or learning a whole new genre, necessarily. Just taking some time to think about how you could create a theme for your next photography trip. Here are a few things to consider that could help to give your collection of images a unique photography theme.

Genre

You likely already have an idea of what genre of photography you’ll be using. This will largely come down to what you like to photograph. It will also depend partly on the location you’re going to and the gear you have available.

However, you may be tempted to photograph everything. It’s easy to fall for this temptation, I know. You’re in a new, exciting place and may never go there again. You don’t want to miss a thing. Go crazy, if you must, but try to think of a specific genre that suits the location and spend most of your time on that.

noah create a travel photography theme

You don’t want to pick a genre that won’t give you many options. Trying to photograph the milky way in New York isn’t going to happen. Neither is photographing architecture in Yosemite. Come up with something that will give you a lot of material to work with and that you will actually enjoy.

Travel photography conjures images of epic landscapes or cityscapes. You really are only limited by your imagination. Try making the local people your theme with portraiture. Spend your days practicing street photography if you’re visiting an urban location. Maybe even try your hand at wildlife photography if there’s any around.

Subject

So, you’ve picked a genre. What are you going to point your camera at? It’s time to spend some time thinking about the subject of your theme. Again, it may be an easy decision. What’s unique about the location you’re visiting? What’s it known for?

On my recent road trip up the coast of Queensland, Australia, I followed a coastal theme. If there’s one thing Australia is known for, it’s incredible beaches. It was an obvious choice.

jetty create a travel photography theme

You don’t need to go with the obvious, though. Something less obvious can actually make a more engaging collection of photos. If you’re visiting a big, concrete jungle, you could create a contrasting theme by photographing the flowers you find. Think outside the box and get more out of the location.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with photographing the cliche. There are some incredible collections of photos that follow an obvious subject – lakes of Canada, waterfalls of Iceland, Humans of New York.

Style

The style of your photography is one of the most powerful elements in creating a photography theme. The way you choose to photograph the subject you’ve chosen can vary a lot. You may have already developed your own style. You don’t need to throw that out the window.

sand create a travel photography theme

If your photographic style suits the genre and subject that you’ve chosen, feel free to stick with it. You’ve likely worked hard to develop it. You could adapt it for this trip by turning up the volume or trying something slightly different.

If your theme uses long-exposures, you could try creating super-long exposures. If you’re doing astrophotography, maybe give star-trail photography a go. Creating an aerial theme? How about shooting panoramas with your drone?

A big factor in creating a style is focal length. A 50mm lens will create a very different image to a telephoto. As will a wide-angle or fish-eye lens. You might have a dozen lenses to choose from, or you might have one. Either way, try choosing one lens for your theme. You could even take it a step further and stick to just one focal length.

create a travel photography theme

A photography trip could be a good opportunity to try something new. Have you been wanting to get a drone and have some fun with aerial photography? Maybe it’s an opportunity to try your hand at macro photography? Travel is expensive, so buying new gear for a trip usually isn’t possible. Renting is a great option, as is borrowing gear off other local photographers.

Color

If there’s one thing that can create a consistent theme within a collection of images, it’s color. This can be both in the colors that you capture in-camera and the way you edit them in post-production. A combination of both can really bring a bunch of photos together.

shipwreck create a travel photography theme

It’s not always the case, but you may find there are certain colors that are consistent in the locations you’re photographing. Certain landscapes, for example, will have dominant colors. Green hills, blue water, yellow sand.

There are opportunities to create color themes everywhere, though. You could create a color theme in a city by photographing doors, flowers, dresses, signs, etc, that are all that color.

palm create a travel photography theme

When you import your photos to your computer, the options for editing your photos with a color theme are endless. Try playing around with the white balance and saturation sliders. Experiment with HSL and split-toning. Do something different to what you usually do, and when you find something you like, save it as a preset for your theme.

Creating a color theme doesn’t need to include advanced color grading or anything technical. Your theme might just be bright, vivid colors. It could also be the opposite. Maybe a desaturated look, or even go monotone. Black and white photography can create a very strong theme.

create a travel photography theme

As a colorblind photographer, I’ve avoided advanced color editing in the past and played it safe. Taking risks and learning to create color themes for my travel photography really helped me take my photos from mundane to unique.

Summary

Whether your trip is a family vacation, business travel, or a photography adventure, try thinking about a photography theme. Ask yourself what you could do to come home with a more cohesive collection of images that represent the location well. You might even end up with a few side-by-side on the wall someday.

Do you have any photography theme tips? If so, let us know in the comments below.

The post Create a Theme to Step Up Your Travel Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Fujifilm X-T3 Review

22 Oct

When the Fujifilm X-T2 arrived, it was more than just a modest upgrade to the already impressive X-T1, most notably in terms of autofocus and video. While the new X-T3 hasn’t changed the overall design of the camera it repeats the same trick: representing a significant step forward.

The X-T3 brings with it a brand new sensor, improved autofocus and video performance that makes it competitive with Panasonic’s GH5, taking the X-T series from being a very good stills camera to one of the best stills/video hybrids on the market.

With its classic looks, attractive photos and superb video, it’s the APS-C camera to beat.

Key Specifications

26MP BSI ‘X-Trans CMOS 4’ sensor
425-point hybrid AF system
Improved AF Tracking and Face/Eye Detection AF
20 fps shooting with AF (11 fps with mechanical shutter)
30 fps shooting in 1.25x crop with electronic shutter
‘Sports Finder’ mode gives preview of area around a 1.25x crop
3.69M-dot electronic viewfinder
Three-axis tilting touchscreen
10 bit 4:2:0 H.265 internal video capture (4:2:2 over HDMI)
UHD/DCI 4K/60p from 1.18x crop region
UHD/DCI 4K/30p using full width of sensor
Internal F-Log capture (HLG coming by end of 2018)
Dual UHS-II SD card slots
USB C-type connector can be used for charging battery
Headphone and Mic Sockets

Out of camera JPEG shot using the Provia/Standard profile.
ISO 640 | 1/ 160 sec | F2 | Shot using the Fujifilm XF 90mm F2 R LM WR
Photo by Wenmei Hill

The X-T3 has an MSRP of $ 1499 (down $ 100 from the X-T2) but still costs $ 1899 when sold as a kit with the XF 18-55mm R F2.8-4 OIS lens. It is available in black or black and silver.

What’s new and how it compares

Autofocus, video and the user interface are just a small portion of what’s new on the X-T3 compared to its immediate predecessor.

The X-T3’s design is nearly identical to that of the X-T2, and that’s a good thing. The improvements are significant, though, with the addition of a higher-res EVF and a touchscreen LCD.

The name of the game is customization, with nine buttons to choose from. There are also use-case-based AF controls available. Battery life is above average.

Fujifilm has raised the bar for video on APS-C cameras, one example of why crop formats are not dead yet.

We look at how well the X-T3 performs for a variety of different types of shooting…

Take a closer look at the X-T3’s image quality, using our studio scene.

The X-T3 produces pretty flexible Raw files, even in E-shutter mode…

The X-T3 shows newfound AF capabilities, particularly when it comes to people.

The X-T3’s video quality lives up to its impressive specifications.

The X-T3’s newly enhanced video capabilities, added to familiar photographic prowess makes it one of the best APS-C cameras we’ve tested.

View a variety of sample images from the Fujifilm X-T3.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Why celebrity photographer Manfred Baumann uses ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2019

22 Oct

Celebrity photographer Manfred Baumann has been using a pre-release version of ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2019 for a while, and in this article he shares his impressions of using the software.

As a photographer, there are plenty of software programs out there that all want my attention (and my money). ACDSee is a name that will be familiar to many digital photographers, going right back to the 1990s. Designed originally as an image organization tool for digital photographs, ACDSee has evolved over more than 20 years to become a fully featured digital asset manager and editing platform. These days it’s basically a ‘one-stop shop’ for digital photographers.

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Like most photographers, I prefer taking pictures to sitting in front of a computer. For that reason, the software I use has to be fast, uncomplicated and self-explanatory. A Raw Converter is like a digital darkroom for me – everything else is optional. I’ve been using ACDSee for years. The latest version, Photo Studio Ultimate 2019, competes directly with the world’s best Raw editors, offering in-depth editing features alongside advanced image cataloging and organizational tools.

New in the 2019 version is face detection and automatic face recognition,

One of my favorite things about Photo Studio Ultimate’s editing power is the option to use layers when working on my Raw files. New in the 2019 version is face detection and automatic face recognition, which allows you to find photos of clients, friends or relatives at the click of a button. I don’t think many people would have difficulty recognizing some of my portrait subjects, but face detection and recognition are useful features when I’m organizing images for my clients.

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Photo Studio Ultimate also brings improvements to black and white editing, which let me individually adjust the contrast and brightness of different channels. I can even use the Edit Brush to paint these adjustments onto specific parts of an image. Monochrome editing is at the heart of a lot of my workflow, and the improved black and white mode features in Ultimate 2019 are really useful.

ACDSee is ideal for photographers who prefer to take photos rather than sit in front of the computer

It is important to continue growing, and as an artist, you always want to make sure that viewers can recognize your signature in your photographs. I like to think that I catch what others might not have seen. My primary focus is using images to say something about the essence of the person I’m photographing, and it’s all about the imagery: quality before quantity. Quality can be recognized by the fact that a good image doesn’t go out of date.

I would say ACDSee is ideal for photographers who prefer to take photos outdoors or in the studio rather than constantly sitting in front of the computer. It is cost effective, fast, and offers more features than most of its competitors. With Photo Studio Ultimate I really don’t need to use additional software in my workflow; I can usually do everything I need to do without leaving the app.

When it comes to image organization and cataloguing I do this exclusively in ACDSee Studio Ultimate now. It’s the quickest and easiest way for me to work.

Learn more about ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2019

Manfred Baumann lives and works in Europe and the USA with his wife, Nelly. Throughout a long and varied career he has photographed celebrities from the worlds of acting, sports, and fashion for some of the top publications in the world.

A passionate advocate for animal rights, images from Baumann’s ‘Mustangs’ project have been exhibited in the Natural History Museum, Vienna.

Archive for October, 2018

Intention When Post-Processing RAW files

Seven Post Processing Steps

Step 1: Process The RAW File

Step 2: Open in Photoshop and Create Two Layer Copies

Step 3: Balance the Screen Layer

Step 4: Remove Distractions

Step 5: Dodge and Burn to Refine

Step 6: Crop If You Need To

Step 7: Save a TIFF File and a JPG File

Not Every Image is Created Equal

Photokina is proving to be an important show for Fujifilm!

Now that all of the legacy DSLR makers except Ricoh have full-frame mirrorless systems, will Fujifilm ever enter the full-frame market?

Do you see many of your users upgrading from X to GFX?

Can you describe the thinking behind the creation of the 50R?

Is this a camera you expect to be used more like a field camera? Like the old rangefinders?

Was a 100MP camera always in the works?

You’ve mentioned the need for more battery capacity, what other changes did you face when designing a 100MP camera?

Is the system adapted from the IBIS system in the X-H1?

Will the viewfinder experience of the 100MP camera be better to the current GFX 50S and 50R?

Fujifilm was a little slow to introduce video features, but the current generation are very strong video cameras. What’s your video strategy for future cameras?

Do you think that you might create Fujinon cine lenses for GFX in the future?

How do you plan to market the 100MP medium format to videographers? Videographers don’t typically think about medium format.

100MP and 4K/30p represent a huge amount of data – is SD media still appropriate?

Do you welcome third-party lens manufacturers that want to create lenses for XF and GF?

Should we expect to see more smaller, compact lenses for GF mount, like the forthcoming 50mm pancake?

The competitive marketplace is getting quite crowded. Which competitive products do you take most seriously?

How will you address the challenge from smartphones?

Do you see opportunities for more Instax incorporation into your traditional camera lineups?

Do you think that there could be a future for small format interchangeable lens cameras like the Pentax Q, now?

In the past we’ve spoken about software corrections for some lenses. Do you see a future where your high-quality lenses could be made smaller using software?

What are the challenges of designing fast focusing large-aperture lenses?

Now that you’re thinking ahead to high resolution video capture in the GFX series, what impact does this have on lens design?

Is there potential for Fujifilm to create dedicated video cameras?

Lexar Announces New JumpDrive® Fingerprint F35 with an Added Touch of Security

Coming Up With Your Photography Theme

Genre

Subject

Style

Color

Summary

Key Specifications

What’s new and how it compares

Body and handling

Operation and controls

First impressions

What’s it like to use

Image quality

Dynamic Range

Autofocus

Video

Conclusion

Sample gallery