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Archive for January, 2019

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captures image of Earth from 71 million miles away

18 Jan

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which achieved a record orbit at asteroid Bennu earlier this month, has returned an image that, at first glance, is unremarkable. The photo, below, features two bright dots — the larger one on the right is Bennu, and the smaller one on the left is Earth and the moon as seen from a distance of 114 million kilometers / 71 million miles.

The image was captured by OSIRIS-REx’s black and white NavCam1 camera on December 19, 2018, according to the Bennu mission website. The asteroid’s brightness is due to the image’s five second exposure time, which was long enough to make both the Earth and moon visible.

Photo provided by NASA

The OSIRIS-REx probe has been tasked with exploring Bennu, a large asteroid located around 70 million miles from Earth. On December 31, OSIRIS-REx became the first spacecraft to successfully orbit an object as small as Bennu, where it will remain before briefly touching down in 2020 to acquire a small sample.

The spacecraft has returned a number of images to its team on Earth, including close-up shots of the asteroid’s rocky surface. The latest image joins the iconic Pale Blue Dot photo as a rare example of space photography that puts Earth’s tiny place in the universe into perspective. Future images from OSIRIS-REx will be shared in the mission’s Gallery.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Tamron confirms compatibility with Nikon Z6 for six of its Di, Di II lenses

18 Jan

Lens maker Tamron has confirmed new firmware issued at the end of last year to make certain lenses compatible with Nikon’s Z7 camera will also work for owners of the Z6. The firmware applies to six lenses from the Di and Di ll ranges, and allows the following lenses to be used with the cameras via the Nikon FTZ adapter:

  • SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A041) for Nikon
  • SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A032) for Nikon
  • 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD (Model B028) for Nikon
  • SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A025) for Nikon
  • SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 (Model A022) for Nikon
  • 17-35mm F/2.8-4 Di OSD (Model A037) for Nikon

(Links to firmware below)

Tamron initially faced issues with compatibility when the company’s lenses were used on the new Nikon mirrorless cameras, and issued new firmware for certain lens models at the end of last year to make them work with the Z7. This latest announcement appears to come after tests have confirmed that the same firmware also works when the lenses are mounted on the Z6.

Users need the Tamron TAP-in to update lens firmware – or a visit to a Tamron service centre. The TAP-in console costs around $ 60.

For more information see the Tamron support pages.

{pressrelease}

Notice about compatibility for Nikon Z6 with Tamron lenses for Nikon mount

Dear users and potential purchasers of Tamron interchangeable lenses.

Thank you for using Tamron products and for your continuous support.

We would like to announce that we have clarified compatibility for general operations (*1) of the following Tamron Di & Di II lenses with the latest version of lens firmware (*2) when used with the Nikon Z6 and Nikon mount adapter FTZ.

*1 Defined to work on existing DSLR cameras
*2 Firmware for Nikon Z7 (announced on November 16th and 22nd, 2018)

1. Compatible models for general operations

  • SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A041) for Nikon
  • SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A032) for Nikon
  • 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD (Model B028) for Nikon
  • SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A025) for Nikon
  • SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 (Model A022) for Nikon
  • 17-35mm F/2.8-4 Di OSD (Model A037) for Nikon

The lens firmware can be updated with the separately sold TAP-in Console.

If you do not have a TAP-in Console, please contact your nearest Tamron distributors.
For a list of Tamron distributors, click here.

2. Lens Update Service Information
https://www.tamron.jp/en/support/release_note.html

3. How to Update
https://www.tamron.jp/en/support/update.html

4. For other models, once we confirm the compatibility with Nikon Z7 and FTZ adapter, we will announce the models sequentially at our support website.

We are sorry to keep you waiting, and also ask for your understanding of the situation.

{/Pressrelease}

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Hands-on with the Sony a6400

17 Jan

Hands-on with the Sony a6400

The Sony a6400 is a refresh of the company’s midrange APS-C mirrorless camera. Sony has taken the design of the a6300, retooled the LCD so it can now flip up 180° (for vlogging and selfies) and say it’s made the body a bit more durable.

If that doesn’t sound exciting, it’s because we haven’t told you about the a6400’s most notable feature: its state-of-the-art autofocus system. But more on that – and a lot more – in the slides that follow.

But first, pricing. The a6400 will have an MSRP of $ 900/€1050 body only, $ 1000/€1150 with the 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ lens and $ 1300/€1450 with an 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 lens.

Design

If you’ve used a Sony a6xxx series camera then you’ll feel right at home with the a6400, since nearly everything is in the same place. While they have the same height and width, the a6400 is deeper than the a6300 due to the parts required to tilt the LCD all the way up. Something that serious vloggers may not like is that the LCD will be completely blocked by an external mic (or recorder). Even without those, the screen is slightly blocked by the top plate and EVF eye cup.

The a6400 has a magnesium alloy body and is sealed against dust and moisture. Sony says that the build has been ‘upgraded,’ but doesn’t say exactly how.

LCD and EVF

Look familiar? The a6400 has the usual rear thumb wheel / directional controller, a few buttons, and a button whose function can toggle between AF/MF and AE-Lock at the flip of a lever. The camera has eight customizable buttons and dials and the ‘My Menu’ can store up to 30 of your favorite settings.

The 3″, 921k-dot LCD on the camera still has a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is great for video, but results in black bars on either side of the image when shooting stills. Unlike the a63000, the screen is touch-enabled which allows you to tap-to-focus, shoot and track a subject. You can also use the screen as a touchpad to adjust the position of the focus point with your eye to the finder. The display can tilt down to nearly 90° and all the way up to 180°.

The a6400 uses the familiar 2.36M-dot / 0.7x magnification (equiv.) OLED EVF as the a6300 and a6500.

In-N-Out

There are a total of three I/O ports on the a6400: micro-HDMI, USB 2.0 and mic-in. There’s also a ‘Multi Interface Shoe’, which is a hot shoe with electronic contacts for using an external mic, flash or XLR adapter. There’s no way to connect headphones to monitor audio, though.

For those looking to transfer their photos onto a smartphone, you can use Sony’s brand new ‘Imaging Edge’ app. The app, which replaces PlayMemories Mobile, offers a new UI, 4K video transfer and remote control. In theory it should support auto image transfer (at 2MP), but Sony currently lists the a9 as the only camera compatible with that feature.

In addition to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the a6400 also offers NFC, for quick pairing with compatible Android devices. Again, not much has changed over the a6300.

Memory card / Battery

In case you were wondering where Sony put the memory card slot, it’s on the bottom, next to the battery (as usual). The a6400 supports SD cards (with UHS-I support) as well as yes-they-still-make-it Memory Stick Duo media.

We were a bit disappointed to see that the a6400 hasn’t received a battery upgrade, instead relying on the old NP-FW50 for power. The official CIPA ratings for battery life are 410 shots with the LCD and 360 shots with the EVF, which are still respectable (you’ll often get more than the rated number of shots). The battery can be charged over USB or with an external charger (not included).

Sensor

Sony confirms the 24.2 effective Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor on the a6400 is the same as the one in the a6300. And that’s not a bad thing, as we found the image quality on that camera to be near the top of its class.

The a6400 incorporates the latest version of Sony’s Bionz X processor, which allows for a wider ISO range. The native range is 100-32000, which can expand up to 102,800. Sony says that skin tones and ‘plant colors’ have been improved over previous models.

The a6400 has a fully electronic shutter option, allowing for silent shooting. The burst rate drops from 11 to 8 fps when using it, though that’s still more than enough for most photography. Speaking of shutters, Sony rates the shutter life at 200,000 cycles: double that of the a6300.

Something that we really hoping for was sensor-shift image stabilization, like on Sony’s a6500 and current full-frame models. Unfortunately, you won’t find IBIS on the a6400, so you’ll need to spend the additional money ($ 200 at the time of writing) if that feature is important to you.

Autofocus

We could write a thesis paper about the autofocus system on the a6400, but we’ll keep it brief to preserve your sanity.

First, the basics: the a6400 has a hybrid AF system, combining 425 phase-detect points with a traditional 165-point contrast-detect system. Those phase-detect points cover 84% of the image area. So far, so familiar.

Now, the fun part. The a6400’s AF system is based largely on the sports-oriented a9: at least after it receives a pair of firmware updates this Spring and Summer. Besides a speed boost compared to the a6300, the camera can take advantage of Sony’s Real-time Eye AF and Real-time Tracking features.

Real-time Tracking claims to use ‘Speed X AI’, with the AI portion really being an umbrella for a host of predictive and recognition algorithms, as well as machine learning trained face and eye detection. This allows for fast subject recognition and tracking. Users can specify the subject on which to focus by placing it under the AF point, then initiate AF and have the camera track the subject no matter where it moves to in the frame. If the subject is a face, the camera will automatically perform face and eye detection on that subject. But even if your subject looks away, the camera continues to track it by automatically reverting to the more generic ‘Real-time tracking’ mode, ready for the decisive moment you want. If your subject looks back at the camera, it will automatically switch to Eye AF. And this tracking works well for nearly any subject: a human, a dog, a soccer ball. Its performance and usability means it may be the only AF mode you ever need. After an update this summer, the a6400’s Eye AF will be expanded to work for pets and wildlife.

Real-time Tracking uses all kinds of data – color, depth, pattern recognition – to recognize and track subjects at up to 11 fps, and we’ve been impressed by what we’ve seen of it so far. This video from Sony does a great job at demonstrating the two new real-time AF features.

Video

The video features, mostly shared with the a6300, are pretty good for a $ 900 camera. It captures oversampled 4K UHD footage (30, 25 or 24p) at bit rates of up to 100Mbps using the XAVC S codec. If it’s slow motion video you’re after, a 1080/120p option is available. As on existing models the 30p 4K capture is taken from a cropped region of the sensor.

One concern we have about video quality is with regards to rolling shutter. The a6300 had a lot of it, particularly at 24p and, since the a6400 appears to use the same sensor, we’re not optimistic.

Video users do get many of the benefits of the new AF system though, with fast speeds, Touch Tracking and adjustable sensitivity, rather than the unreliable ‘Lock-On AF’ system in older models. Capture tools include focus peaking, zebra patterns, time code, clean HDMI output, proxy movie recording, and more. The a6400 is Sony’s first APS-C camera to offer an 8-bit version of the HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) picture profile, which sits alongside S-Log2/3.

Finally, the a6400 has an interval shooting mode (about time) which can be edited into a time-lapse movie on the camera or via Sony’s Imaging Edge desktop application.

Wrap-up

On the surface it might appear that not much has changed since the a6300, with the addition of a flip-up touchscreen and an HLG option for high dynamic range video not seeming to signal a major update. But then there’s the stills and video autofocus.

To say that the autofocus system got an overhaul would be an understatement. We’ll be spending plenty of time photographing bikes, running children and who knows what else in the next few days, but our early impressions of the Real-time Eye AF and Tracking features are extremely positive.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sigma updates lens compatibility notice for Canon EOS R after further testing

17 Jan

Sigma has made a number of amendments to its lens compatibility notice for Sigma lenses when used on Canon’s EOS R mirrorless camera.

After further testing, Sigma has concluded both autofocus and optical image stabilization (for applicable lenses) work ‘without any issues’ on the following lenses when used with Canon EOS R mirrorless cameras via the EF-EOS R mount adapter or Control Ring EF-EOS R mount adapter:

DG Lens
– SIGMA 12-24mm F4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 24-35mm F2 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art
– SIGMA 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM | Art
– SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports
– SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports
– SIGMA 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary
– SIGMA 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports
– SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary
– SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports
– SIGMA APO 200-500mm F2.8/400-1000mm5.6 EX DG
– SIGMA APO 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM
– SIGMA 8mm F3.5 EX DG CIRCULAR FISHEYE
– SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 15mm F2.8 EX DG DIAGONAL FISHEYE
– SIGMA 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 24mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 500mm F4 DG OS HSM | Sports
– SIGMA 70mm F2.8 DG MACRO | Art
– SIGMA MACRO 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ?
– SIGMA APO MACRO 150mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ?
– SIGMA APO MACRO 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ?

DC Lens
– SIGMA 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM ?
– SIGMA 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM ?
– SIGMA 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM ?
– SIGMA 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary ?
– SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art ?
– SIGMA 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary ?
– SIGMA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM ?
– SIGMA 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary ?
– SIGMA 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art ?
– SIGMA 4.5mm F2.8 EX DC CIRCULAR FISHEYE HSM ?
– SIGMA 10mm F2.8 EX DC FISHEYE HSM ?
– SIGMA 30mm F1.4 DC HSM | Art ?

*Camera’s “Scene Intelligent Auto mode” cannot be used.

Sigma notes when Digital Lens Optimizer, located within the EOS R settings menu, is switched to ‘OFF’ but peripheral illumination correction, chromatic aberration correction and distortion correction are turned on, those corrections will be made for each lens, specific to their optical characteristics. ‘This is applicable to DG and DC lenses from Contemporary, Art and Sports line listed below which were released after March, 2018, or those of which firmware has been updated to Ver.2.0 or later,’ says Sigma in the press release.

Sigma also clarifies that any DC lenses where the image circle is made to match APS-C sensors is used, the EOS R won’t automatically switch to its built-in 1.6x crop shooting mode, meaning it will have to be set manually. A future firmware update, expected to be ‘announced at a later date,’ will make this switch automatic and add support for the EOS R’s Scene Intelligent Auto mode.

Testing also confirmed three lenses had the potential to show ‘some phenomena’ that required special handling. The Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM, 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM and 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM all experienced a problem wherein on particular occasions the camera battery needed to be taken out and put back in place if the lens was removed while the optical stabilization is running.

Likewise, the 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM and 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM experienced an issue where autofocus would stop working from infinity to closer focus distance while shooting video.

Upcoming firmware updates to address these issues for these three lenses are expected ‘at a later date.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony a6400 first impressions video

17 Jan

Our intrepid team is in San Diego, for the launch of the new Sony a6400. In this short overview video, Carey, Chris and Jordan talk through the main specifications of the new camera, and what they might mean for photographers and videographers.

Get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Olympus teases upcoming sports-oriented camera once more

17 Jan

Olympus has released teaser number three for the sports-oriented camera the company is releasing in a week. The previous teasers only gave a quick glimpse of the camera, instead focusing on what it can do: sports.

In this latest episode, the camera is seen out in nature (including the rain). We’ll have a lot more on this intriguing new camera when it launches on the 24th!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Fujifilm announces 100-200mm F5.6 lens for GFX system

17 Jan

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Fujifilm has announced its new GF 100-200mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR tele-zoom lens, for medium format. When attached to a GFX body, the lens covers an equivalent focal length range of 79-158mm (the GF 1.4x teleconverter is supported if you need extra reach). The lens is stabilized, with Fujifilm claiming 5 stops of shake reduction. Optical construction comprises 20 elements in 13 groups, including one aspherical and two super ED elements.

The 100-200 uses a linear motor for ‘silent and high-speed autofocus’ which locks in place when the camera is powered down. The minimum focus distance is 0.6m at wide-angle and 1.6m at telephoto, with a max magnification of 0.2x. The lens is weather-sealed and weighs just over a kilogram (2.3 pounds).

The GF 100-200mm F5.6 will be available in late February for $ 2000.

Press release:

FUJIFILM INTRODUCES NEW TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENS FOR THE GFX MEDIUM FORMAT MIRRORLESS SYSTEM

The FUJINON GF100-200mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR lens is a welcome addition for outdoor photographers

Valhalla, New York, January 17, 2019 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced that it will release the FUJINON GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR lens for the GFX Medium Format mirrorless digital camera system on February 14th, 2019. Designed with outdoor enthusiasts in mind, the camera has a durable, lightweight design paired with Fujifilm’s excellent image quality and five stop image stabilization features.

“Outdoor photographers need to consider a plethora of challenges including lighting, environment and timing – all while battling the natural elements,” said Yuji Igarashi, General Manager, Electronic Imaging Division & Optical Devices Division, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “As the first GF telephoto zoom lens that has a 35mm equivalent focal range of 79-158mm in a compact, weather-resistant design, this lens will meet the needs of outdoor and landscape photographers.”

Ideal to shoot landscape, travel and nature photography, the new telephoto zoom lens is resilient with its ability to operate in extreme temperatures (down to 14 °F) and sealed lens to resist dust and moisture –all without sacrificing image quality.

Key features of the FUJINON GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR lens:

Ultra-High Image Quality: The lens is made up of 20 elements in 13 groups including two super Extra Low Dispersion Glass lenses and one aspherical lens to reduce chromatic and field curvature aberrations.

Powerful Image Stabilization: Equipped with an excellent five stop image stabilization (CIPA guidelines), the lens allows photographers to make the most of the GFX’s high image resolution performance even without the use of a tripod.

Silent and High-Speed Autofocus: The linear motor which drives the focus is accurate, quiet and fast. The lens also includes an enhanced mechanism for fixing the linear motor position when turning the power off or using playback mode to avoid any additional vibration.

Robust Durable Design, Appropriate for Tough Shooting Environments: The lens is sealed across 10 areas for dust and weather resistance allowing photographers to shoot with stability in tough environments.

GF1.4X TC WR Compatible: The 1.4x teleconverter (GF1.4X TC WR) extends the telephoto shooting range to 140-280mm (equivalent to 111-221mm in 35mm format) while maintaining superior image quality.

The GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR lens complements the FUJIFILM GFX 50S and FUJIFILM GFX 50R as well as the full lineup of GF lenses for the Fujifilm GFX mirrorless digital camera system. GF lenses are known for top image quality using the finest optical design and production technologies to achieve high-resolution and rich tonal reproduction, making them popular among professional photographers and photo enthusiasts.

The GF100-200mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR lens will be available in late February 2019 in the U.S. and Canada for USD $ 1,999.95 and CAD $ 2,599.99.

Fujifilm GF 100-200mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR specifications

Principal specifications
Lens type Zoom lens
Max Format size Medium Format (44x33mm)
Focal length 100–200 mm
Image stabilization Yes
CIPA Image stabilization rating 5 stop(s)
Lens mount Fujifilm G
Aperture
Maximum aperture F5.6
Minimum aperture F32
Aperture ring Yes
Number of diaphragm blades 9
Optics
Elements 20
Groups 13
Special elements / coatings 1 aspherical + 2 super ED elements
Focus
Minimum focus 0.60 m (23.62″)
Maximum magnification 0.2×
Autofocus Yes
Motor type Linear Motor
Full time manual Yes
Focus method Internal
Distance scale No
DoF scale No
Focus distance limiter Yes
Physical
Weight 1050 g (2.31 lb)
Diameter 90 mm (3.52″)
Length 183 mm (7.2″)
Materials Magnesium alloy
Sealing Yes
Colour Black
Zoom method Rotary (extending)
Power zoom No
Zoom lock No
Filter thread 67 mm
Hood supplied Yes
Tripod collar Yes

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Adobe gives Behance a facelift with improved profile and project pages

17 Jan

To kick off the new year on the right foot, Adobe has announced an update to its Behance social creative platform. The update includes a redesigned profile page, customizable banners and an updated project page.

The updated profile now includes a larger cover image to highlight prominent work, a cleaner layout and an improved sidebar that better features various statistics, links to other social networks and an accompanying bio. When a visitor hovers over the individual projects important information is displayed on top of the thumbnail.

The new banner image takes a design element seen on other social networks including Facebook and Twitter. The process is as simple as selecting an image as the banner and positioning it so it’s framed as it’s intended to be seen. Behance has a full guide on banner images, but the TL;DR is the optimal size is 3200 x 410 pixels — not exactly a common ratio.

The updated project pages now show images fullscreen and provide a Lightbox-style effect that keeps the media front and center. Project and creator information is displayed at the top of the page while sharing, following and the ‘Appreciate’ button are displayed to the right of the image.

Adobe acquired Behance in December 2012 and has since integrated it into its various Creative Cloud applications.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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3 Tips for Photographing Mixed Lighting in Interiors

17 Jan

The post 3 Tips for Photographing Mixed Lighting in Interiors appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

For many photographers, photographing mixed lighting scenarios can be painful. At weddings, for example, several lighting sources provide constantly changing colors such as DJ lighting, candles, fairy lights and up-lighters in the venue. It’s not too dissimilar in your home. Say you have your indoor tungsten and incandescent lights on in your lounge while the bright natural daylight streams through the windows. You get two different light sources with different color temperatures, which is a mixed lighting scenario.

dps-tips-mixed-lighting

Mixed lighting scenarios

This scenario is the reason why, for interiors, the general advice is to turn all artificial lights off and stick to one light source – natural light. I am aware that some photographers use flash for interiors, and in most of those cases, they make sure they are using daylight color temperature for their bulbs to match the ambient light.

Natural light, even if there is very little of it, can still be perfectly fine for interiors. As long as you can mitigate the amount of available light by using a slow shutter speed with your camera mounted on a tripod because nothing in the picture moves. It is more difficult to achieve when you are photographing portraits because you have subjects – people – who are living, breathing and cannot hold still for an extended length of time.

This is why artificial lighting such as strobes and electronics flashes get used as primary lighting for portraits to provide a light source with a color temperature you can control.

dps-tips-mixed-lighting

However, sometimes, you want to break the rules and photograph for fun or to capture what the eye sees regardless of the types of lighting in the scene. Sometimes, it is appropriate to embrace it all, just like what I have done in the photo above! When you decide to do this, here are my tips for you!

1. Ensure there is even lighting

My easy tip is matching light with light such as this photo on the below-left, where these fairy-light-lit Christmas tree with other string lights are all placed in a very bright space. The same could work with dark as in the photo on the right. A lot of dim lighting to even out the room lighting.

dps-tips-mixed-lighting

If you have a room that has a very dark corner and a very light corner, you will inadvertently overexpose the light section to expose the dark area correctly. Also, vice versa.

Photographers get around this problem by doing a composite where they put two properly exposed photographs of each corner together in Photoshop to create a perfect scene. This method is commonplace in a backlighting scenario where you are facing a very bright window and not using flash.

dps-tips-mixed-lighting

However, if you don’t have or want to use Photoshop, instead of putting your artificial lighting, such as a neon light or a lampshade, in a dark corner, put it in a light corner. Doing so evens out the lighting in a space.

For example, when placing neon in a dark corner, to correctly expose the darkness surrounding it, the neon lights are overexposed. Conversely, underexposing the neon light means losing the details of the dark area such as in the shot above. However, if you have to, ensure there are other lights to illuminate the dark area as well. That way, the neon is not acting as the sole illuminator in the dark area. Balancing the amount of light makes it easier to photograph a space.

2. Shoot deep using a small aperture and slower shutter speed

Use an aperture upwards of f/5.6. My preference is f/8 and if need be f/11. These apertures help you get all the details in focus. However, if you are aiming for background bokeh as shown in the photo below if using standard lenses, you need to use either a wide aperture. Moreover, if you are using macro/micro lenses both wide and small apertures should be applied. Play it safe by shooting with at least an f/5.6 opening. These shots below were taken with a 24-70mm lens at f/2.8.

dps-tips-mixed-lighting

Shooting with a small aperture helps alleviate the problem of overexposing a bright source in a very dark corner especially if it’s the only light source. You can see an example of this in the below-left photo, with the living room corner illuminated by the incandescent bulb lampshade. Just to the right of the image, you can see the daylight seeping through from a different room. It looks so much colder and whiter compared to the warm yellow light in the left corner.

dps-tips-mixed-lighting

3. Ditch the rules and embrace all the fun

The above kitchen photo contains all sorts of lighting: natural daylight from the windows, warm lamp lights on the floating shelves (the darkest part of the entire space), red fairy lights on the foreground left and more warm tungsten on the top-left. This scenario is what one sees in real life so why change it to conform to the rules? Why not embrace it instead and aim to take an excellent realistic photo rather than change reality to fit the other people’s expectations!

I hope you found this little article helpful, albeit it’s not what’s expected and out of the ordinary! As always, comments and options welcome below. After all, we are all entitled to have our own!

The post 3 Tips for Photographing Mixed Lighting in Interiors appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.


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Sony announces new Imaging Edge mobile app, updates desktop software

17 Jan

Sony has announced the ‘Imaging Edge’ mobile application that replaces the PlayMemories Mobile app. It offers remote control capability and geolocation. Users of recent Sony cameras (RX10 IV, RX100 V(A) and VI, a7 III, a7R III and a9) will be able to transfer 4K video in addition to full-resolution images (by selecting media on-camera). a9 owners will also be able to auto-transfer 2MP images.

Transfer & Tagging add-on

A pro workflow ‘Transfer & Tagging add-on’ will be available for the a9, a7R III and a7 III. This allows metadata tags to be added to images, including voice-input for quick captioning.

In addition, a9 users will be able to use the camera’s background FTP capability to quickly transfer full-res photos automatically to the smartphone or a remote server. Users will be able to do so wirelessly via a Wi-Fi access point or via direct tethering to a mobile phone (if the phone supports it), or via wired USB connection to the mobile device. Both the Imaging Edge app and the Transfer & Tagging add-on will be available this spring.

Later this month, version 1.4 of Sony’s desktop applications will be updated. The Remote, View and Edit apps will support time-lapse movie creation along with improved usability.

A bit more info can be found on Sony’s website.

Press Release:

New Imaging Edge Software Enhances Mobile Connectivity and Expands the Creative Capabilities of Sony Cameras

Sony Announces New Imaging Edge Mobile Applications, Plus Several Updates to Existing Desktop Applications

SAN DIEGO — Jan. 15, 2019 — Sony Electronics Inc. today announced the release of new Imaging Edge™ mobile applications plus several updates to the ‘Remote,’ ‘Viewer’ and ‘Edit’ desktop applications that will bring exciting new features to all Sony imaging customers ranging from casual hobbyists to working professionals.

New Imaging Edge Mobile Applications

The newly introduced mobile application named Imaging Edge Mobile is the successor to Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile™ app and will offer instant transfer of images from camera to a connected mobile devices while shooting. Images can be transferred when utilizing the new “Auto background transfer to Smartphone” functionality, allowing users to easily share content direct from their phone to social media platforms. The mobile application also supports 4K movie transfer and remote control functionality.

For professional photographers, Sony will be releasing a new mobile application ‘Transfer & Tagging add-on’ that will support instant delivery workflow by allowing users to transfer content to their mobile devices via the camera’s FTP background transfer functionality, without distraction from their shooting. It also enables voice input for text captioning to help streamline communication and overall workflow between photographers and other team members. There is also an online function that will allow you to sync a Caption Glossary between multiple devices.

Sony’s new Imaging Edge mobile application and ‘Transfer & Tagging add-on’ will be available in March 2019.

Enhancements of ‘Remote’ ‘Viewer’ ‘Edit’ Desktop Applications

The desktop version of Sony’s Imaging Edge application will be updated as well, with workflow support of time-lapse movie creation, making it an ideal match for Sony’s newest interchangeable lens cameras with built-in interval recording. Other new features to maximize usability have been added as well, such as comparison display and collection functions, as well as a new and improved user interface.

The latest Version 1.4 of Desktop Applications ‘Remote’ ‘Viewer’ ‘Edit’ will be available later this month.

For more information on the new application updates, please visit the Imaging Edge website at https://imagingedge.sony.net.

A variety of exclusive stories and exciting new content related to all of Sony’s exciting announcements can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, a site built to educate and inspire all fans and customers of the Sony ? brand. The new content will also be posted directly at the Sony Camera Channel on YouTube.

1. A successor application of PlayMemories Mobile. Existing PlayMemories Mobile users can use this by updating PlayMemories Mobile

2. Compatible with ILCE-9 with software update Ver.5.0 or later. Files are imported in 2MP size when using this function

3. Compatible with ILCE-9 with software update Ver.5.0 or later, ILCE-7RM3, ILCE-7M3, ILCE-6400, DSC-RX10M4, DSC-RX100M6, DSC-RX100M5A. Availability of video transfer and playback varies depending on smartphone in use

4. Add-on mobile application for ‘Imaging Edge Mobile’. Available countries: US/Canada/UK/France/Germany/Hong Kong/China/Australia/Japan. User registration is required to use this application. Compatible with ILCE-9 with software update Ver.5.0 or later, ILCE-7RM3, ILCE-7M3

5. Compatible with ILCE-9 with software update Ver.5.0 or later

6. The voice input of this application uses the service provided by Google. If Google services are not available, you cannot use the voice input. Please use the keyboard input

7. RAW processing adjustments by batch, adding music/texts, outputting 4K movie are also available

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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