We think that the Nikon 50mm F1.4G and 85mm F1.4G are great all-around picks for APS-C and full-frame Nikon DSLR portrait shooters, respectively. Read on for more recommendations and all of our top lens picks for these systems.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post Things Photographers Will Do For The Perfect Shot (video) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
With everything happening in the world at the moment, I thought we could all do with a bit of a laugh. So, I found this video that shows some of the crazy things (and poses) that photographers do to get the perfect shot.
So take a look, and let me know if you have done any of these “moves” to get just the right shot. Let’s face it, most of us will have at least done one of them!
Share with us in the comments section, along with the photo you achieved from your position.
The post Things Photographers Will Do For The Perfect Shot (video) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
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Our team at DPReview TV just finished reviewing Sigma’s newest 24-70mm F2.8 lens and they found a lot to like. Check out these sample photos captured while filming their review.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN lives up to Sigma’s ‘Art’ standard, giving first-party lenses for E-mount and L-mount a run for their money. We put it to the test and came out impressed.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Following our recent microphone pre-amp shootout there was a lot of controversy surrounding the results from the Sony a7 III, so our team went to work.
Alex, our audio engineer, repeated his tests on a second Sony a7 III body. Using the same Zaxcom URX100 receiver ($ 900) he repeated his original test and got the same result as the first time. In an effort to rule out the Zaxcom as a potential source of error, he repeated the test with a second URX100 and once again got the same result.
Alex then repeated the test using a Rode VideoMic Pro + ($ 300) and saw similar results. However, when he did the test again using a Rode Wireless Go ($ 200) and Rode VideoMic Go ($ 59) the results were noticeably better. He also notes that in response to DPReview’s video, Gerald Undone performed a similar test and saw good results using the Rode VideoMic NTG ($ 250).
How does this affect the rankings from first video? When used with a microphone that pairs well with the camera, Alex placed the Sony a7 III in the #2 position (in a tie with the Panasonic S1H).
Alex’s advice is that if you’re planning to use a particular piece audio gear with the Sony a7 III it’s a good idea to test it first to make sure it works well with the camera.
Finally, Jordan notes that they have seen some inconsistent results from the Nikon Z6 as well. As a result, they’ll be doing some additional tests on that camera to better understand its performance.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Kitchen appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
Since we are all stuck indoors, this week’s photography challenge topic is the KITCHEN!
That’s right! Get creative and take some shots of your kitchen. You can use flash or ambient light. Do close-ups of your cutlery draw, tea and coffee canisters, or food in your pantry. Take photos of food preparation and cooking. Photograph the results! Do wide-angle shots of the entire scene too. Blur them out, use intentional camera movement, or whatever you like!
Try creating a series that work together too, if you like.
So, check out these pics to give you some ideas, have fun, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.
Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge.
You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.
If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSkitchen to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.
The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Kitchen appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
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A newly-published Apple patent, filed back in September 2019, details a light field panorama camera system seemingly intended for use in future iPhone and iPad devices. The technology would enable the average consumer to capture large light field panoramas of a particular scene by moving their device using gestures. The resulting content could be rendered and viewed on the device or using some type of head-mounted display (HMD), including VR headsets.
According to Patently Apple, which first spied the patent, Apple details technology that would build upon its current AR efforts by enabling its consumer devices to capture complex 3D scenes. To do this, the user would need to move their light field-equipped iPhone or iPad in a gesture, such as moving the device in a swooping infinity symbol, to capture light field images of the environment from multiple angles.
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| A flow-chart provided within the patent filing that shows the process of capturing, processing and viewing the resulting imagery. |
A rendering engine would process the individual images into a 3D panorama with six degrees of freedom (6DOF) made possible using the light field technology. As a result, the viewer would have the ability to look above and behind objects, zoom in on areas of the scene and view different angles of the environment. The patent follows Google’s acquisition of light field camera technology company Lytro in 2018.
Unlike conventional cameras, a light field camera system captures both the intensity of the light from a scene and the direction the light rays are traveling in space. The additional data gathered by light field camera systems enable new types of experiences, including the one detailed by Apple.
The patent indicates that Apple’s system may use the sensors in the iPhone and iPad to capture position, motion and other similar metadata alongside the images, the combination of which would contribute to the final light field panorama. The combination of captured images and metadata could then be used to render different views of the same 3D scene, according to the patent, ultimately giving the user six degrees of freedom for exploring the panorama using an HMD like a VR headset.
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This would differ substantially from a traditional 360-degree panorama, which is captured from a single point, only allowing the viewer to move their head around within the rendered 3D scene. Light field panoramas will appear more realistic, keeping objects in their correct positions as the user moves around within the scene, which could realistically render from different angles as the user has a look around.
It’s no secret that Apple has been heavily focusing on augmented reality technologies; its most recent iPad Pro model underscores this effort with the inclusion of a LIDAR sensor.
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| Just a few of the possible movements you could use to capture the scenery using your Apple mobile device. |
In its announcement of the 2020 iPad Pro last month, Apple said the new LIDAR sensor ‘delivers cutting-edge depth-sensing capabilities, opening up more pro workflows and supporting pro photo and video apps,’ specifically with augmented reality in mind. The sensor works by measuring the distance of objects that are as far as 5m (16ft) away.
Apple went on to explain:
‘New depth frameworks in iPadOS combine depth points measured by the LiDAR Scanner, data from both cameras and motion sensors, and is enhanced by computer vision algorithms on the A12Z Bionic for a more detailed understanding of a scene. The tight integration of these elements enables a whole new class of AR experiences on iPad Pro.’
The future expansion of these capabilities using light field technology wouldn’t be surprising, particularly in light of ongoing rumors Apple is working on AR/VR gear. With that said, and as with any patent, it is possible we’ll never see this technology make its way into a consumer product. Per usual, Apple has not commented on the patent.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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As many artists around the world have had to do amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, photographer Stephen Lovekin decided to make the most of these more isolated times to document families and their messages to the world as shared through the windows of Lovekin’s Brooklyn neighborhood of Ditmas Park.
Lovekin, who’s a Shutterstock editorial photographer, came up with the idea for the project after looking for ways to help people feel more connected despite being separated from one another.
‘As a photographer I have always loved and been drawn to shooting portraits – a process that allows a connection to be made between photographer, subject, and viewer,’ Lovekin says about the project. ‘So, when this Coronavirus began to rapidly spread and people were ordered into ‘self-isolation’ and ‘social distancing’, I began to feel compelled to document this unprecedented time in our history by starting locally by reaching out to people in my Brooklyn neighborhood of Ditmas Park to see how they were feeling and to see what message, if any, they would like to share with the world, whether they be personal, political, or spiritual.’
View this post on InstagramThe latest installment of my ‘Words At The Window: Self Isolation And The Coronavirus’ project shot in the neighborhood of Ditmas Park, Brooklyn NYC. #shutterstocknow #wordsatthewindow #selfisolation #quarantine #coronavirus #covid19 #washyourhands #wegotthis #alonetogether #socialdistancing #ditmaspark #brooklyn #nyc #blackandwhite #portrait #nikon
As for how the portraits became a series of shots framed within windows, Lovekin says that wasn’t the original plan. ‘When beginning the project I hadn’t completely settled on the idea of photographing everyone behind a window. Some people would come on their porches or stoops, but that just didn’t feel right to me for some reason,’ says Lovekin. ‘As the project began to evolve the idea of the window started to make more sense. The window being something that we look out on the world from. Something that literally frames how people can look in on us and how we look out at the world. Something that we normally do not enter or exit from.’
The project has only been going on for a week, but it’s already gained a following across social media. Lovekin says the ‘plan is to have it be an ongoing project for as long as I can safely make it possible.’
Shutterstock also caught wind of the project and teamed up with Lovekin to offer the ongoing series as a collection available to purchase, with 10% of all sales going to GiveDirectly, Inc., an organization that ‘allows donors to send money directly to the poor with no strings attached,’ according to its website. Charity Navigator, a third-party charity auditor of sorts, rates GiveDirectly, Inc. four out of four stars, the highest rating it gives to organizations that offer accountability and transparency in their operations.
Below are a few images from the series Lovekin shared with us:
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Lovekin offers this parting message to viewers of the project:
‘I hope that in this time of chaos and uncertainty this project will help people feel more connected to the outside world even though we are all literally separated from one another for an unknown amount of time. If we continue to communicate and connect with those around us in a direct, honest, and positive way can get through this together. It will not be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever really is. Stay safe and stay at home! And as my own children’s sign said, “Soon we will be together”.’
You can find the full series on Shutterstock’s website and keep up with the latest portraits on Lovekin’s Instagram profile.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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| Photo: 35mmc.com |
The Olympus AF-10 Super is by all stretches of the imagination, a very basic film point and shoot. Features are limited to a flash (with three settings) and a self-timer… and that’s about it. But limitations can inspire creative workarounds, and creative workarounds can lead to really satisfying photos, something 35mmc.com’s Hamish Gill found to be true. Read about his experience with the Olympus AF-10 Super, below.
Read: Olympus AF-10 Super – Pushing the functional limits of a
cheap point and shoot
About Film Fridays: We recently launched an analog forum and in a continuing effort to promote the fun of the medium, we’ll be sharing film-related content on Fridays, including articles from our friends at 35mmc.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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In an album at my parents’ house there’s a photo of me holding my dad’s camera at an embarrassingly awkward age in my childhood – or maybe I was just way ahead of the big, nerdy glasses trend? I remember the afternoon it was taken. My dad and I went for a walk in the park near our house and he showed me how to use his Nikon FT3.
I was hesitant – pushing the shutter felt like an enormous responsibility – and when I pointed it at a snow-covered tree stump I asked him “Is this a good picture?” Dad responded with something along the lines of “I don’t know, that’s up to you.” Making me rely on my own instincts rather than giving me a quick answer, what a classic dad move.
Eventually I, like many of my fellow elder millennials, decided the time was right to pick up film photography
It would be a long time before I revisited photography as a serious hobby, and eventually as a central component of my full-time job. Slowly I learned the ins and outs of digital photography, but film remained a bit of a mystery – intimidating, uncharted territory I would need to become familiar with if I really wanted to call myself a photographer.
Eventually I, like many of my fellow elder millennials, decided the time was right to pick up film photography. Dad sent me the FT3 and a box of lenses, and while I quickly learned that while the fundamentals were the same, there was indeed plenty to learn about this unfamiliar medium. Here is a list of things I discovered, in no particular order:
The FT3 gave me a full appreciation of all the conveniences that digital photography provides, and how much I had taken them for granted. It’s an entirely different frame of mind shooting a finite number of images and carefully considering your exposure settings. It gave me a feeling of having *made* an image in a way that’s not quite the same with digital.
I know that when I want to get back in the film game it’s going to be ready and waiting
I wish I could say that I shoot with the FT3 more often than I actually do. It’s been sitting on a shelf long enough to accumulate a significant layer of dust and I’m ashamed to admit it’s been playing the part of home decor more than functional camera. But its personal significance remains, and I know that when I want to get back in the film game it’s going to be ready and waiting – like an old friend, or some good advice your dad once gave you.
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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