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Archive for October, 2018

Meyer Optik Görlitz’s parent company is insolvent, backers won’t get lenses or money returned

18 Oct

In August Net SE, the company behind Meyer Optik Görlitz, Emil Busch, C.P. Goerz, Ihagee, Oprema Jena, and A. Schacht products, was removed from the German stock exchange and subsequently filed for insolvency.

Now, the fears of Kickstarter backers of the Meyer Optik Görlitz products who have not received their lenses yet have turned into a reality: The reward will not arrive and you won’t get your money back either. Net SE is completely dead. This was first reported by German photo publication Photoscala after an official notice was published, asking to direct claims to a law firm.

Insolvency proceedings have been opened which means all hopes for backers to receive rewards or their money back have evaporated. Net SE’s lack of assets means nothing can be expected from the company and Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms reject all responsibility in such cases.

This isn’t the first crowdfunding project ending up in a mess but given we are dealing with several campaigns here the number of affected photographers is likely higher than usual. It’s a reminder that backing a crowdfunding project isn’t the same thing as pre-ordering and there’s always some risk of losing your money.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How to Use Shutter Speed and Aperture Together When Using Manual Mode

18 Oct

When you’re just starting out as a photographer, one of the biggest challenges can be using the correct shutter speed and aperture values. Shooting a correctly exposed photo in manual mode is an amazing feeling. But unless you know the relationship between shutter speed and aperture it may not happen very often.

In this article I’ll talk about how to use the shutter speed and aperture values efficiently to get properly exposed photos.

Note: To get full control of your camera’s shutter speed and aperture values you need to put it in Manual Mode.

What happens when you adjust the aperture value

When you increase the aperture value the aperture opening inside the lens gets smaller, reducing the amount of light that can enter the camera. Similarly, when you decrease the aperture value the opening gets bigger, allowing more more light to enter the camera.

Here’s an example to help you understand how changing the aperture value affects the shutter speed.

Let’s say you’re using a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens with a default aperture value of f/8. At a shutter speed of 1/200th of a second your camera will give you the correct exposure.

EXIF: f/8, 1/200th sec, ISO 100

Now you want a shallower depth of field (more blur effect), so you reduce the aperture value to f/2.8. Because you’ve reduced the aperture value by three stops, the aperture opening is now letting three stops more of light into the camera. The result? An overexposed image.

If you reduce the aperture value, you must increase the shutter speed by the same number of f-stops to compensate. Similarly, if you increase the aperture value, you must slow down the shutter speed by the same number of f-stops.

In this example, you’ve reduced the aperture value by three stops. So to get the correct exposure at f/2.8 you must increase the shutter speed by three stops to 1/1600th of a second.

EXIF: f/2.8, 1/1600th sec, ISO 100

Another example might be if you’re shooting a landscape. This time you want a deep depth of field, so you choose an aperture value of f/16. You’ve increased the aperture value by two stops (from f/8 to f/16), so you’re letting two stops less of light inside the camera. At a shutter speed of 1/200th sec this give you an underexposed photo.

Underexposed image at f/16, 1/200th sec, ISO 100

To get the correct exposure, you need to slow down the shutter speed by two stops to 1/50th of a second. With the aperture value two stops higher (f/16) and the shutter speed two stops lower (1/50th sec) your photo will be perfectly exposed just as it was at f/8 and 1/200th sec.

What happens when you adjust the shutter speed

When you increase the shutter speed the camera shutter opens and closes more quickly, reducing the amount of light that enters the camera. Similarly, when you reduce the shutter speed more light enters the camera.

Starting with the same base camera setting as before (f/8 at 1/200th sec), let’s see how changing the shutter speed affects the aperture value.

Let’s say you’re a wildlife photography, and you want to take photos of a flying bird. To avoid any blurring you’d need to increase to 1/800 sec. You’ve increased the shutter speed by two stops, and so you have two stops less of light entering the camera sensor. At f/8 this would give you an underexposed image.

Because you’ve increase the shutter speed by two stops to 1/800th sec, you must also reduce the aperture value by two stops to f/4 to get the same correct exposure you had at the f/8 and 1/200th of a second you started with.

Or perhaps you intentionally want to capture a panning shot, and s reduce the shutter speed to 1/50 sec to get the effect you want. Reducing the shutter speed by four stops (from 1/800 sec to 1/50 sec) means you’re letting in four stops more of light into the camera. And at f/8, that would give you an overexposed image.

To get the correct exposure you’d need to increase the aperture value by four stops to f/32.

By remembering these examples when you’re shooting in manual mode, you should end up with far more photos that are correctly exposed.

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Sony users are reporting issue using 128GB SanDisk Extreme SD cards with a7 III

18 Oct

According to multiple users on the Sony Alpha subreddit, Sony’s a7 III camera is having issues with a particular SanDisk SD card.

Reddit user “shadyashell” originally made a post regarding an issue they were having with their Sony a7 III camera and SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SDXC UHS-I Card (Class 3) memory card. In the text of the post, they wrote:

“Everytime I insert the card into slot 1 [I get] the error message ‘Unable to read memory card. Reinsert memory card. Slot 1’ appears. I’ve reset the camera multiple times, formatted the card both on slot 2 and my laptop. Any advice on solving this issue?”

Not long after posting, other Reddit users chimed in and echoed that they too had experienced an issue. Reddit user ‘iamtridluu3’ said “I’m having the same issue. All six cards. Identical 128gb Extreme Pro. I could use it in slot 2 fine. Just slot 1 of both my a7 III and all six cards. Something is wrong with these cards.”

Reddit user ‘dany74m’ claims to have contacted Sony and been told that “[Sony] officially recognize[s] the problem” and “the camera or the card are not defective [it’s] just an incompatibility with the SD extreme V.30 128GB.” Reddit user ‘dany74m’ added “[Sony] said they are aware and they are working to fix the issue with a firmware update in few weeks.”

DPReview contacted Sony regarding the issue. A spokesperson for the company kept it short and vague, saying “our team is currently investigating the claims.” We will update this article if any new information becomes available.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How To Get The Most Out Of A Model Shoot

18 Oct

As a fashion photographer, I can say that the model is the key to good people photography. Aside from an elaborate concept, a professional team, an interesting location, fine light setting, good equipment and finally your editing skills, it’s the model’s looks and attitude that define the quality of your shooting results. So it might be important to keep her Continue Reading

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Don’t wait for Holga – this battery-free Instax printer is already on the market

18 Oct

Toy manufacturer Tomy has announced the KiiPix, a battery-free smartphone printer that’s remarkably similar to the one Holga has been promoting through its Kickstarter campaign. The biggest difference between the two is that you can get the KiiPix today, rather than having to wait for a Kickstarter.

The KiiPix is designed very much like the Holga version, other than the pull-up bellows, and uses the same principles for copying the screen of your smartphone onto Fujifilm Instax Mini instant film.

To make a print, users are encouraged to turn up the brightness of their screen and place the smartphone face down on a frame supported by a fold-out stand. The shutter is tripped using a nearly identical side-lever mechanism as the Holga Printer, and a winding crank draws the film from the cassette through the exit slot to trigger development.

The only thing the KiipIx needs to print photos is a steady supply of Instax film. It collapses down to 135x55x175mm/5.3×2.1×6.88in to stow away easily in a bag for carrying around. The printer has been available since August, and retails for$ 40/£39. It comes in a range of colors depending on your region. For more information see the Tomy website.

PRINT PICTURES ANYTIME, ANYWHERE WITH KIIPIX

KiiPix from TOMY is the new and innovative smartphone printer that instantly prints your favourite photos straight from your smartphone to create lasting memories.

Unlike many instant cameras or photo-printing devices, KiiPix does not require batteries, an app or Wi-Fi to use; simply open up the device, place your smartphone on top, press the button and rotate the dial to print out your photo. KiiPix’s compact design means it’s easily portable so you are ready to print photos anytime, anywhere. It comes in three colours: cherry blossom, sky blue and jet black and at an affordable price point of £39.99 is guaranteed to appeal to the masses.

As the revival of retro inspired products becomes more prominent in both the fashion and technology industries, Kiipix is tipped to be the must-have lifestyle product for millennials, students and young women in 2018. From fashion, to gaming systems, to food, consumer trends show that nostalgic brands are resonating with millennials as they embrace old favourites.

There has been a huge surge in the popularity of instant photography in the last number of years as consumers turn to analogue camera equipment and discover the joy of print photography in this digital age. KiiPix combines both the new and the old, as users can capture and modify photos on their smartphones before instantly printing, retro style.

Kiipix will be supported with a strong digital and social media campaign, as well as being present at experiential consumer events; influencer marketing will also be central to the product launch.

KiiPix – SRP: £39.99
The innovative KiiPix device is light and compact, and collapses into a peggable closed box making it easily portable measuring at 135 mm x 55 mm x 175 mm. KiiPix comes in three colours, cherry blossom, sky blue and jet black. Available in August 2018. Suitable for 10 years plus.

All TOMY toys are cleverly designed to develop children’s core skills whilst they play. Manufactured to the highest standards, this collection of reliable toys continues to be a family favourite, building on the heritage and core values, which parents associate with TOMY. For more information on TOMY please visit www.tomy.com, become a fan at Facebook.com/tomy.toy.uk or follow us on @TomyToysUK.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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PhotoDirector 10 released with AI styles, new layer features, and tethered shooting

18 Oct

CyberLink has released PhotoDirector 10, the newest version of its PhotoDirector image editing and design software. The latest installment brings a number of new features, including tethered shooting and an AI Style Engine. CyberLink has also made a number of improvements to layer editing.

PhotoDirector 10 brings users workflow improvements, according to CyberLink, that are designed for “advanced photographers.” The inclusion of tethered shooting enables users to directly connect a camera to their PC, shoot images, and instantly preview them on the computer.

The newest upgrade also brings Soft Proofing for previewing a printer’s tone and color rendering, as well as improvements to layer editing. The latter change includes the ability to add empty layers to projects, use clipping masks, and group layers together.

Other features include the addition of integrated Express Layer Templates, additional template packs that can be purchased through CyberLink Store, AI Style Packs that use deep learning to be “more than just photo filters,” one-clicked keystone correction, advanced layer text editing, adjustment layers, and content-aware editing for moving, removing, and copying image elements.

PhotoDirector 10 is available now from CyberLink’s website for $ 99.99 USD for new customers, or starting at $ 69.99 USD as an upgrade for existing customers.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How Google developed the Pixel 3’s Super Res Zoom technology

18 Oct

In a blog post on its Google AI Blog, Google engineers have laid out how they created the new Super Res Zoom technology inside the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.

Over the past year or so, several smartphone manufacturers have added multiple cameras to their phones with 2x or even 3x optical zoom lenses. Google, however, has taken a different path, deciding instead to stick with a single main camera in its new Pixel 3 models and implementing a new feature it is calling Super Res Zoom.

Unlike conventional digital zoom, Super Res Zoom technology isn’t simply upscaling a crop from a single image. Instead, the technology merges many slightly offset frames to create a higher resolution image. Google claims the end results are roughly on par with 2x optical zoom lenses on other smartphones.

Compared to the standard demosaicing pipeline that needs to interpolate missing colors due to the Bayer color filter array (top), gaps can be filled by shifting multiple images one pixel horizontally or vertically. Some dedicated cameras implement this by physically shifting the sensor in one pixel increments, but the Pixel 3 does it cleverly by essentially finding the correct alignment in software after collecting multiple, randomly shifted samples. Illustration: Google

The Google engineers are using the photographer’s hand motion – and the resulting movement between individual frames of a burst – to their advantage. Google says this natural hand tremor occurs for everyone, even those users with “steady hands”, and has a magnitude of just a few pixels when shooting with a high-resolution sensor.

The pictures in a burst are aligned by choosing a reference frame and then aligning all other frames relative to it to sub-pixel precision in software. When the device is mounted on a tripod or otherwise stabilized natural hand motion is simulated by slightly moving the camera’s OIS module between shots.

As a bonus there’s no more need to demosaic, resulting in even more image detail. With enough frames in a burst any scene element will have fallen on a red, green, and blue pixel on the image sensor. After alignment R, G, and B information is then available for any scene element, removing the need for demosaicing.

For full technical detail of Google’s Super Res Zoom technology head over to the Google Blog. More information on the Pixel 3’s computational imaging features can be found here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photographing a ‘First Look’: The Pros and Cons for Wedding Photographers

18 Oct

The wedding timeline can be different for every couple. That’s why you need to learn to ask important questions, such as whether they’ve considered a ‘First Look’ or would rather keep it traditional. This simple decision can change the entire course of the day in terms of taking portraits.

Let’s dive in and look at the pros and cons of having the couple see each other before the wedding ceremony.

What is a ‘First Look’?

Traditionally, the bride and groom don’t see each other until the bride walks down the aisle. It’s thought to be good luck, and keeps in line with centuries of tradition.

A ‘First Look’ is where a couple decides to see each other either before the wedding ceremony or before the important events  begin. This new concept is growing in popularity, with many couples opting to go for the first look rather than keeping the ceremony traditional.

Sometimes, as is normal with weddings, other factors will determine whether keeping it traditional or doing a first look is best in terms of both the photography and the day’s timeline.

The pros of having a first look

One pro of having a first look is when the wedding day timeline calls for it due to a schedule that might interfere with the bride and groom portraits. For example, if there isn’t enough time to take portraits after the ceremony because the couple would rather attend their cocktail hour, doing a first look earlier in the day will give you enough time to capture the couple. (Click here for other tips on overcoming common wedding day setbacks).

Another example is if the sun sets early on the wedding day and you’re not sure you’ll have enough light to take the couple’s portraits. This is where a first look can let you choose the best time during the day for the portraits.

Another pro of the first look is that when a couple sees each other before the ceremony it can calm their nerves and help them relax for the portraits. A first look can also act as a seamless transition into the bridal portraits without anyone else being present or having to wait for guests to move to the next event.

The first look will usually give you more time for bridal portraits. After the ceremony, many of the guests will want to congratulate the couple, which can eat up your precious time. They may also want photos taken of them with the couple, cutting further into your bridal portrait time.

A first look can make the transition to the couple’s portraits smoother on a wedding day.

I tell couples that the first look is usually the only time during the entire day they’ll be completely alone. This helps them savor each moment and really lean into each other during the photos. Since the first look typically lasts about ten minutes, it’s easy to transition into portraits of the couple. This works in your favor, as you get to spend more time with the bride and groom capturing real emotions before you seamlessly transition into the couple’s portraits.

A first look can bring out a lot of those nervous emotions and relax the couple before the day unfolds.

The cons of having a first look

One major con of doing a first look is it usually happens in the hottest part of the day or when the sun is at its brightest. First looks are typically done between 11am and 3pm. Photographing in the midday sun has its challenges, and the harsh direct light can sometimes mean changing locations for the bride and groom portraits.

Try to find a covered walkway, or somewhere that keeps the couple out of the sun. Look for large trees with lots of shade, but be aware of spotted light. In direct sunlight it may be easier to find big natural reflectors that bounce light back onto your subject. You can also help fill the shadows with flash or a photo reflector.

Another con to the first look can be the couple needing to get ready much earlier than anticipated just to fit it into the day’s schedule. Be sure to communicate with the couple so everyone knows the best time to photograph the first look and how long it will take.

How to photograph a first look

You can set up the first look in many different ways. A common way is to place the groom in a position where the bride comes come from behind and taps the groom on the shoulder. The groom then turns around and faces the bride. This is where emotions run high, and you can photograph from all angles so they can enjoy the moment.

The best angle is to photograph the groom facing away from the bride as she comes behind him. Then switch to the other side to get the groom’s reaction of seeing his soon-to-be bride in her dress. If you have an assistant photographer, place them at the opposite end of where you are so you can cover it from all angles.

Give the couple time to take in the moment and simply enjoy it.

Another way to do the first look is to have the groom facing the same direction the bride will be walking from. This will give you an instant reaction to them seeing the bride in her dress, so be ready to photograph all of those real emotions.

When you place the groom, take some solid portraits of him to help him relax before the bride walks into the scene. Talk to him, making sure your tone is soft, positive and excited. 

Tell the couple that it’s their time, you don’t exist, and that they should just enjoy the moment. Let them know that kissing, hugging and looking into each other’s eyes is what the first look is all about. 

Once the couple has relaxed and finished with the first look, move right into the portraits by taking them to the location you’ve scouted (if it’s different from the first look location). 

In conclusion

A first look helps you get the most out of your wedding timeline for bride and groom portraits. It also helps the couple relax and feel even more excited about walking down the aisle. Having this beautiful and emotive experience will create more authentic photos, and give you more time to create them.

Ask your next client if they’d like a first look, and refer to these tips when answering their questions. You may be able to help make their special day even more special.

Have you ever photographed a first look? Let us know in the comments.

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

17 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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How to Improve Low-Light Performance by Increasing Your ISO

17 Oct

Low-light Images often have noise issues, particularly in the dark areas.

So you’ve decided to take night time photographs. But the light is so low you’re worried about noise. You want the image sharp and the blacks to be black. And noise reduction reduces sharpness, so it’s going to be a problem. (Noise is always a problem with low-light images.)

In these situations you should always shoot at your camera’s lowest ISO setting and increase the duration of the exposure, right? Well, maybe not. The counterintuitive solution might be to increase the ISO and take multiple images of the same subject.

Single image at ISO 1600 and cropped showing lots of noise.

Increasing ISO Increases Noise

Hang on a minute. If increasing the ISO increases noise, how will reshooting the scene at a higher ISO improve low-light performance? Won’t it just increase the noise?

Conventional approaches to noise reduction reduce the sharpness of the image, making them soft or blurred. And blending multiple images won’t reduce the noise. Or will it?

Cropped image of stacked and blended images at ISO 1600.

Some Low Light Images Need Short Exposures

The other potential problem is that long exposures don’t always work. Some night photography involves taking images of objects that move, and shorter exposures can help control that movement.

Low-light image at ISO 1600 (single image).

Photoshop to the Rescue

Adobe Photoshop has powerful tools that let you blend multiple images, but most of these blend modes won’t help. However, there is a way to blend images in Photoshop to reduce noise. The key to shooting with a higher ISO to improve low light performance is to shoot multiple images of the same scene using the same settings (i.e. white balance, focus, aperture and shutter speed).

While the technique is fairly straightforward, it does take some discipline.

Stacked and blended image of six images at ISO 3200.

Understanding Noise

The key is understanding what causes noise. In general there are two types of image noise – chromatic and luminance. Chromatic noise is color aberrations where there are none, while luminance noise is variance in light levels where there is none. Both are instances where the sensor has registered some data that isn’t there. (It’s common in sensitive electronic equipment such as digital sensors.)

If you take a single image, the noise is part of that image. But if you take a second image in the same location, chances are the noise won’t be in the same spot (unless you have a bad sensor). The noise actually moves around.

If you think about exposure in simple terms, it’s the amount of light that hits the sensor or film. Changing the aperture from f/4 to f/2.8 doubles the amount light hitting the sensor. Similarly, if you decrease the ISO from ISO 400 to ISO 200 you need twice as much light for the same image.

But taking a properly exposed image and then blending a second properly exposed image doesn’t actually improve your exposure. Is there another way?

Cityscape at ISO 400 (single image).

Noise Moves

The short answer is “Yes”. This technique relies on the fact that the noise moves around on the sensor. You can take one image at ISO 400, or you can take two images at ISO 800. As long as the total length of exposure (assuming the same aperture) is similar, while the noise will have gone up you’ll effectively have the same image. That’s because you’re simply doubling the amount of light on the sensor at ISO 800, and there’s a proportional increase in sensitivity. Similarly, if you take four images at ISO 1600 you should end up with the same exposure.

But what if I use ten images?

Ten images at 1600 blended.

You may be thinking, “So what? At ISO 1600 I now have ten noisier images than my image at ISO 400. How does it improve my camera’s performance and reduce noise?”

The answer is to stack them, and then blend them together using a particular method in Photoshop.

Multiple Images Can Overcome Noise

By importing the images as a stack of layers in Photoshop and blending the stack together, you can improve your image quality. Using my earlier example, if you use ten images at ISO 1600 you effectively have an image comparable to an ISO 400 image.

Single image at ISO 400 with a tight crop.

 

Ten stacked and blended images at ISO 1600.

As I said earlier, while this technique is pretty straightforward it’s not exactly obvious. Following the steps is critical.

You don’t get extra resolution. But you do get less noise, and the image seems sharper.

The Setup

Pick a subject (not the night sky) that’s under low-light conditions and take multiple images of the same perspective at a higher ISO than you’d normally use – 1600, 3200 or even 6400. (Don’t use ISO values in the extended range because they’re not native to your camera’s sensor.)

Manually set your focus so it doesn’t change between shots. You should either shoot the images in RAW format or make sure all the White Balance settings are the same. Using RAW lets you edit the white balance later, but fixing it before you taking the shots will also address the issue. Take one image at a lower ISO value (probably with a long shutter) and many at the high ISO value. This will allow you to compare the results.

The Process

Step 1: Ensure all the images have the same White Balance. (You can correct RAW images together if you shoot in RAW.)

Use a RAW Processor to match the White Balance and Exposure

Step 2: Import the images as layers into Photoshop. (Bridge and Lightroom both can do this).

Step 3: Highlight all the layers in Photoshop.

Step 4: From the Edit menu, choose Auto-Align Layers.

Align the images.

 

Auto-Align works well.

Step 5: Crop the image to eliminate any missing parts of the image.

Sixth step: Highlight all the layers, and then from the Layers menu choose Convert to Smart Object.

Convert the Layers into a Smart Object

Step 7: Click on the Smart object, and from the Layers menu choose Smart Objects -> Stack Mode -> Median.

Use the median stack mode to blend the layers.

Step 8: Look at the result. (It’s pretty dramatic.)

Single Exposure at ISO 1600.

 

Stacked images at ISO 6400.

 

Cropped image at ISO 1600.

 

Cropped image at ISO 6400 (stacked).

What just happened?

Photoshop blended all the (now aligned) layers together, looked at where most of the images showed the same data and decided that data was correct. It then discarded any data that didn’t match. Because chromatic and luminance noise varies from image to image, blending multiple images like this eliminates the pixels showing incorrect color or luminance.

Stacked and Blended Evening Image

As you can see, it significantly reduces noise without losing sharpness or introducing unwanted artifacts. So the next time you’re shooting in low light, why not give this technique a try?

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