Olympus has released a little more detail about its upcoming 150-400mm F4.5 with built-in 1.25x teleconverter. The lens’ development was first announced in January 2019, and Olympus says it will arrive on the market in winter of 2020. A couple of images of the final lens have also been shared.
Additionally, two more M.Zuiko Pro lenses have been added to the roadmap: an ED 8-25mm F4 Pro and an ‘unspecified’ macro lens which appears around the 100mm equiv., focal length on the chart.
OM-D E-M1X owners can also look forward to a firmware update in winter 2020 adding bird detection to the camera’s Intelligent Subject Tracking Autofocus.
Press release:
OLYMPUS UNVEILS UPDATED M.ZUIKO® DIGITAL LENS ROADMAP
Provides Updates on the Development of the M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400 F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO Lens and Announces the Development of Firmware to Support Bird Subject Detection Autofocus for the OM-D® E-M1X
Center Valley, PA, July 2, 2020 – Olympus is pleased to announce an updated M.Zuiko Digital lens roadmap, outlining plans to expand the M.Zuiko lens lineup and including an update of anticipated availability of the previously announced M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO super telephoto zoom lens with built-in 1.25x teleconverter.
The upcoming M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens, for which development was announced in January 2019, continues with an estimated scheduled release of winter 2020. This is the first Olympus® interchangeable lens with a built-in 1.25x teleconverter, extending the maximum focal length to 1000mm1 (35mm equivalent). Final images of the lens are now available.
Two new lenses, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm F4.0 PRO lens, as well as an unspecified macro lens, will join the M.Zuiko lineup as part of Olympus’ commitment to broaden the field of photographic expression. Olympus will continue enhancing its lens lineup to maximize the unrivaled system portability made possible by the compact, lightweight, high image quality of the Micro Four Thirds® System.
Furthermore, to make super telephoto shooting more convenient and to fulfill the growing needs of birding and wildlife photographers, development is underway to newly add Bird Detection capability to Olympus’ Intelligent Subject Detection Autofocus on the OM-D E-M1X camera. This new feature will be available for the E-M1X via a firmware update that is scheduled for release in Winter 2020.
1 When using the built-in teleconverter. Widest aperture setting is F5.6.
The post 7 Shots to Incorporate for Better Drone Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.
Flying drones has become an extremely popular pastime in recent years. It can be both incredibly exciting (and also a little nerve-wracking) to see your drone take to the skies for the first time. As your flying skills grow and improve, it’s time to think of the range and variety of aerial images you shoot. Whether you’re coming to drones from a model aircraft background, a photography background, or with no previous experience, here are seven types of aerial shots you can incorporate in your repertoire for better drone photography.
A portrait orientation horizon shot of Main Beach at Yamba, New South Wales
Seven shots for better drone photography
So why seven different shots? The truth is, there’s no magic number of image taking techniques in any photographic situation, but I have highlighted seven different shots that I use on a regular basis that you can try out the next time you’re out flying.
One thing is for certain: buying a drone (like buying a camera) is not a sure-fire way to produce stunning images. It takes hard work and experimentation to get it right.
1. The horizon shot
This is one of the most common images beginner drone photographers take, where the drone is high above the ground and points straight ahead for a spectacular horizon shot. As with all photography, lighting is important for these shots – I’ve seen many horizon shots taken at the wrong time of the day, which does not flatter the landscape.
It’s also good to keep in mind the rule of thirds (and other compositional rules) for your shots – try to remember them when you position your drone camera angle.
I often see images with both the sky and land taking up half of the frame each. However, all rules are meant to be broken – I didn’t stick rigidly to the rule of thirds when I took this image of a remote beach in New South Wales.
Horizon shot of the stunning coastline in northern New South Wales.
When you’re taking your horizon shots, also make sure you take them in both portrait and landscape orientation for maximum versatility. You can even consider doing a large panorama of the horizon made up of multiple images while your drone is at that height.
2. The long overhead shot
Another common photo many beginners take is the long overhead shot. Ascending up to the maximum allowable height limit, pan your camera down towards the ground and take an overhead shot straight down towards the ground. Objects such as cars and boats appear tiny and you will barely be able to make out people in the image.
Long overhead shot at low tide on Brisbane’s Bayside.
Although these first two shots are an important part of your repertoire, there are many other possibilities for better drone photography, so remember to take a range of images when you’re flying.
3. The short overhead shot
Many drone photographers, especially beginners, think the higher up the better. This is not necessarily the case, as stunning, unique perspectives can be had from quite low altitudes.
Having your drone at even just 5-10 meters above the ground provides an opportunity to take an image with lots of interesting detail from a completely different perspective than you would usually see.
The image below is a close up of boats on Brisbane’s Bayside. I had just finished taking the long overhead shot and decided to bring the drone down to capture a close-up of boats from a much lower height. With a short overhead shot, you can capture a lot more detail of objects in the scene.
Short overhead shot of boats on Brisbane’s Bayside.
People in the landscape
People in the landscape can often make captivating images. By placing one or more people in your scene, it adds interest and variety to your landscape images. With the added impact of having the unique aerial view from a drone, this is one way for you to create stunning drone images.
In the first image below, I watched as my daughter took her surfboard out into the sea off Iluka in New South Wales. Her presence adds interest to what would otherwise just be a shot of the beach.
Figure in the landscapes add an extra dimension to landscape photos.
In this next image taken in neighbouring Yamba, I took an overhead shot of the historic Ocean Baths. The image shows someone enjoying a morning swim, and a surfer heading across the beach.
Figures in the landscape at Yamba’s Ocean Pool.
Leading lines
Leading lines are a common compositional technique. It’s where a line or lines lead your eye through the various elements of the photograph. I took this image of Urangan Pier in Hervey Bay, Australia an hour after sunrise. The lines of the pier lead your eye through the image to the mainland in the distance. The rule of thirds is also in play here.
There are lots of leading lines that you can use in your compositions for better drone photography – both natural and human-made. Look for them next time and make them work for you.
Leading lines in action – Urangan Pier at Hervey Bay in Queensland.
Textures
Sometimes when you fly your drone over repetitive landscapes, you may feel like there’s nothing worth photographing, but that isn’t always the case. Keep your eyes open for scenes that show textures in the landscape, such as the pine forest in the image below.
When I flew my DJI Mavic Pro over this area in rural Queensland, I was amazed by the textures of the pine needles on the trees below me, punctuated by the brown soil and the tree trunks.
Look for areas with repeating patterns of trees, sand, crops, anything!
Textures of a Queensland pine forest.
Abstract shot
One of the fantastic things about flying a drone is that it opens up new ways of seeing our beautiful world. I am constantly amazed by how landscapes look from an aerial perspective. With this in mind, look for better drone photography opportunities via abstract shots where there is a mix of colors, lines, and shapes on the ground below.
I took the image below at the beach in New South Wales. I love the yellow, whites and greens of the sand and sea.
Beautiful abstract colors, shapes and textures of the beach in New South Wales.
Conclusion
Better drone photography is a combination of many things. Not only do you need to build your skills and confidence by improving your flying, but you also need to add variety to the types of images you take with your drone.
In this article I’ve featured some of the different types of shots I like to take when I’m flying my drone. Horizon shots are a staple among many drone photographers, as are long overhead shots. If you haven’t already, look for opportunities to take short overhead shots, textures, abstract images, and use leading lines. If it’s safe to do so, also look to incorporate people in your landscape images to add more interest and variety.
What other types of shots do you like to take for better drone photography? Tell us in the comments below. And if you haven’t bought a drone yet, be sure to check out my photographer’s guide to buying a drone.
The post 7 Shots to Incorporate for Better Drone Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.
When thinking about storage technology in 2020, one rarely thinks about tape media. However, magnetic tape media is critical to archiving data. As data demands continually increase, Fujifilm is working on a new technology that will be a massive breakthrough in linear tape-based storage, offering up to 400TB of storage in a single drive.
As PetaPixel notes, tape-based storage technology is primarily Linear Tape-Open (LTO). Currently, LTO is in its eighth generation, LTO-8, and has a maximum capacity of 12TB, far below the maximum capacity Fujifilm is developing. LTO-9, slated to arrive later this year, maxes out at ‘only’ 24TB. A 12TB (native) Fujifilm Ultrium LTO-8 drive is shown in the leading image of this article.
The driving force behind this potential leap in magnetic tape storage capacity to 400TB is due to a new coating on the tape. LTO-8, and upcoming LTO-9 drives, feature tape coated with Barium Ferrite (BaFe). Down the line, Fujifilm is intending to use Strontium Ferrite (SrFe) instead, due to its superior magnetic qualities. In a 2018 document on LTO, Fujifilm states ‘…the majority of the magnetic properties of SrFe are superior to those of BaFe, which will enable us to reach a higher level of performance whilst further reducing the size of the particles.’ With respect to reducing the size of particles, this is no easy feat. Fujifilm continues, ‘…it is extremely important to carry out a very precise control of the nucleation of the particles.’
In this image from a Fujifilm document about LTO development, you can see a comparison of particle sizes over time. On the left is an LTO-7 tape, using Barium Ferrite coating. In the middle, a tech demo from 2015 shows smaller particles using an improved BaFe coating. Finally, on the right, you can see the difference in particle sizes using Strontium Ferrite. Click on the image for a better view. Image credit: Fujifilm, 2018
In the same document, Fujifilm states that it began research on SrFe in 2012 and has performed research and development solely on their own. In 2015, Fujifilm achieved a 220TB coating on a single tape and as of 2018, believed they could further reduce the volume of particles by 40 percent. The technology is still quite far from retail availability, however, as Fujifilm has aimed to introduce SrFe LTO by 2027. As per Blocks & Files, Fujifilm’s SrFe tape media has achieved 224Gbit per square inch, which results in the 400TB capacity mentioned earlier.
It’s easy for many of us to ignore the importance and proliferation of magnetic tape storage. In a 2018 article by Bloomberg Businessweek, director of technology services for the data management firm Iron Mountain Inc., said magnetic tapes are “part of what’s keeping the world running.’ At that time, Iron Mountain had stored more than 85 million square tapes across 210 warehouses and old mines. The article continues, ‘Although the century-old technology has disappeared from most people’s daily view, magnetic tape lives on as the preferred medium for safely archiving critical cloud data.’ Even as our storage technology becomes more modern from a front-facing perspective, a fundamental foundation of it all remains magnetic tapes.
Availability, performance and the overall lack of traditional usability of LTO cassettes render the technology far outside the purview of most photographers and videographers. However, the technological advancements of Fujifilm, and the only other tape media producer, Sony, are critical for the long-term storage and safety of our data, especially data we want to be backed up to cloud servers around the world. It’s amazing how far a storage technology originating in the 1950s continues to be pushed over time.
An elaborate phishing scam has hit some Instagram users who warn that the content appears, at least initially, to be a legitimate message from the platform. The scam involves sending a private message to Instagram users, warning them that they have infringed upon an image’s copyright and they need to fill out a form to avoid having their account suspended.
Phishing scams are attempts to acquire the victim’s personal information, typically login credentials for online accounts or information that could be used for financial fraud, such as a Social Security number. In the case of this latest Instagram scam, which was first reported by Fstoppers, the scammers seek login information for the victim’s Instagram and email accounts.
It’s unclear how broadly this scam may be deployed, but at least one seemingly legitimate account appears to have been hijacked to send these messages. Andy Day at Fstoppers reports having received a private message on Instagram from The North Face Chile account alleging that a copyright violation had been detected on his account.
The North Face Chile account behind the phishing message.
The phishing scam states that the user must ‘provide feedback’ to the message or else their account will be suspended in 24 hours. The message includes a link to “InstagramHelpNotice.com,’ a website that appears — at first — to be a legitimate Instagram website (at least if the victim is on mobile, which is the primary platform used by Instagrammers).
The first two screens presented on the phishing website ‘InstagramHelpNotice.com’
The phishing website first prompts the user to enter their Instagram username, then their password. This section of the website appears legitimate, but the next part seeking the user’s email address and email password is obviously a scam. In addition to the fact that Instagram would never ask for a user’s personal email credentials, the website also misspells ‘address’ as ‘Adress.’
The second and third screens on the Instagram phishing website.
It’s unclear whether The North Face Chile is, indeed, a legitimate account or whether scammers went to fairly elaborate lengths to create the account and make it appear legitimate. The content that is currently on The North Face Chile Instagram account mirrors the content found on a different account called ‘zeusclubantalya.’
According to WHO.is, the phishing domain was registered on June 9, 2020, indicating that it may have been sending these messages to Instagram users over the past three or so weeks. The registrant information was made private so it isn’t possible to see who owns the domain, but WHO.is suggests — based on similar websites — that this phishing scam may originate from Russia. However, the information presented on The North Face Chile account points back to an alleged club located in Antalya, Turkey.
It’s impossible to say where this scam ultimately originates from and who is behind it. However, it is clearly an attempt to get email login credentials from unsuspecting Instagram users, likely in an attempt to then get access to the victim’s banking accounts and other, more sensitive accounts. Acquired information would likely be used for identity theft and/or financial fraud.
Instagram users should ignore any copyright violation messages that are delivered from random accounts in DMs and that encourage the user to visit a third-party website to resolve the matter. On Instagram’s help website, it explains how it handles copyright infringement, including the official method copyright holders, must use to contact the company over stolen content.
UPDATE: The North Face has confirmed to DPR that its Instagram account was hijacked by scammers:
The official Instagram account for The North Face Chile (@thenorthfacechile) was hijacked by hackers on Friday, June 26th, and we currently do not have access to the account. We took immediate action to activate security protocol by changing the passwords to all of our social network accounts and have reported the problem to Facebook and Instagram support teams. We are currently waiting on further information and direction from their teams.
Last week, a 72-year-old Californian woman was gored multiple times at Yellowstone National Park when she is alleged to have gotten within ten feet of a bison in order to take a photograph of the wild animal.
In a statement shared by the National Parks Service (NPS), authorities say they’re investigating the June 25 incident that took place not far from the Bridge Bay Campground, which sits near Yellowstone Lake and is one of the largest campgrounds in the park. In the statement, Yellowstone Senior Bison Biologist Chris Geremia explains the seriousness of getting in the personal space of bison and emphasizes the importance of staying at least 25 yards (23 meters) away from the animals:
‘The series of events that led to the goring suggest the bison was threatened by being repeatedly approached to within 10 feet […] Bison are wild animals that respond to threats by displaying aggressive behaviors like pawing the ground, snorting, bobbing their head, bellowing, and raising their tail. If that doesn’t make the threat (in this instance it was a person) move away, a threatened bison may charge. To be safe around bison, stay at least 25 yards away, move away if they approach, and run away or find cover if they charge.’
The unnamed woman received immediate medical care and was flown via helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. No subsequent information has been shared on the woman’s condition at this time. This isn’t the first time visitors have been injured or killed while attempting to take photographs of the animals inside Yellowstone National Park, despite multiple warnings posted throughout the park and on the NPS website.
A photograph of just one of the many signs within the park warning visitors to keep their distance from the wild animals.
The NPS reiterated in the news release the following guidelines for how distant you should keep from the various wildlife within the park:
‘Stay more than 25 yards (23 m) away from all large animals – bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes and at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves. If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity.’
People are understandably excited to get back out to explore nature — this incident occurred just two days after the park re-opened following restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic — but it’s not worth risking lives (or camera gear) for the shot.
Professional full frame lenses are usually large and have fast apertures. In this episode of DPReview TV, Chris and Jordan argue that there’s a need for slow professional lenses – inspired by some of their favorite Micro Four Thirds lenses.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
The post Nikon Photo Contest 2020-2021 Officially Confirmed appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
The 2020/2021 Nikon Photo Contest has been officially confirmed by Nikon.
For both amateur and professional photographers alike, and now in its 38th Edition, the Nikon Photo Contest has been running since 1969. During its life, it has seen over 440,000 photographers enter the competition, and had over 1.71 million photographs submitted.
In 2018-2019 (the 37th edition), the Nikon Photo Contest celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary, with around 33,000 photographers from 170 countries around the world entering over 97,300 works!
Nikon states:
“The environment surrounding the image-making culture is constantly changing with the times, and it always inspires us with new perspectives. We are pleased to provide a place for creators to discover new creations by adapting to the latest methods and styles of expression and deliver important stories through the common language of imaging.”
To keep up with the competition details, head over to the official competition site.
What do you think of Nikon Photo Contest? Have you entered before? Will you be entering this year? Let us know in the comments!
You may also like:
8 Great Reasons to Enter a Photo Contest
How To Evaluate Photo Contests Before Submitting Your Images And Cash
Photo Contests – Is that a contest or Rights Grab?
How to Improve Your Chances of Winning a Photography Contest
Key Tips to Winning a Photography Contest
The post Nikon Photo Contest 2020-2021 Officially Confirmed appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
Tamron’s new 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 is a versatile zoom lens for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. Well-suited for travel photography, it’s compact, lightweight and fast/quiet to focus. Despite its petite design, the lens feels well built and should also hold up against the elements, fingerprints and grime thanks to a moisture-resistant construction and fluorine coated front element.
It may not be Tamron’s most optically jaw-dropping piece of glass, but it seems more than capable of producing fairly sharp and pleasing results throughout the zoom range. Simply put, it’s a great lens for a casual sunny afternoon stroll.
If you’ve been involved in photography for any time, you know there is a huge debate around full-frame cameras vs other sensor size cameras. Much like the Mac vs PC debate, or the iOS vs Android debate, this debate has shutterbugs riled up everywhere. Today, I am going to answer an important question from the debate, which is, are full-frame Continue Reading
The post Are Full Frame Cameras Better in Low Light? appeared first on Photodoto.
DigiMedia Tech, LLC, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against yet another camera company, this time going after Nikon over its alleged infringement of three different US patents. This lawsuit follows similar infringement cases brought against Olympus, Fujifilm and JK Imaging, all of them also over the alleged infringement of digital camera technology patents.
DigiMedia Tech is a non-practicing entity (NPE) of IPInvestments Group, which received many US patents from Intellectual Ventures LLC in November 2019. Following the patent acquisition, DigiMedia Tech has filed lawsuits against several companies over their alleged infringement of these patents — in the latest one involving Nikon, the company claims infringement of US patents No. 6,914,635, No. 7,715,476 and No. 6,545,706.
The ‘635 patent was first filed in 2001 by Nokia Mobile Phones; it involves a microminiature zoom system designed for digital cameras. The ‘476 patent was first filed in 1999 and then again in 2005; it covers a ‘system, method and article of manufacture’ related to a digital camera’s ability to track a subject’s head. The third and final patent in the lawsuit, ‘706, was filed in 1999 and likewise covers head-tracking camera technology.
The infringement lawsuit specifically names Nikon’s Coolpix A1000 as a model that allegedly infringes the ‘635 patent and the Nikon P900RM ‘and similar products’ as allegedly infringing the ‘706 and ‘476 patents. Among other things, the DigiMedia Tech lawsuit wants Nikon to pay ‘damages in an amount to be determined at trial for Defendants’ infringement, which amount cannot be less than a reasonable royalty.’
It’s unclear how much this could amount to, financially speaking. Likewise, Nikon hasn’t yet commented on the infringement lawsuit.
DigiMedia Tech’s decision to sue Nikon isn’t surprising in light of its recent activity. On May 29, the NPE filed patent infringement lawsuits against Fujifilm and Olympus, alleging that both have used digital camera technologies in select camera models that infringe on its US patents. Following that, DigiMedia Tech filed the Nikon lawsuit referenced above, then a similar complaint against JK Imaging, the company behind Kodak PIXPRO cameras, on June 24 in California Central District Court.
A full list of DigiMedia Tech’s lawsuits, including related documents, can be found through the Unified Patents portal.
A summary of each of the lawsuits DigiMedia Tech, LLC currently has against a number of camera manufacturers.
The NPE practice of exploiting acquired patents has been heavily criticized for years. These companies oftentimes don’t actually practice the invention detailed by the patent and usually don’t sell processes or products related to them. These non-practicing entities instead enforce the patent rights against companies allegedly infringing them, doing so to obtain licensing payments or some other type of revenue, such as royalties or damages, on the acquired patents.
Though not all NPEs exploit acquired patents, there are those that do. Ones that operate aggressively and file large numbers of lawsuits in order to cast a wide net to see what they catch are colloquially referred to as ‘patent trolls.’
In 2011, the Hastings Science and Technology Law Journal published a large PDF document titled ‘Indirect Exploitation of Intellectual Property Rights by Corporations and Investors’ that details NPEs and the ways they may be used. The discussion is extensive and ideal for understanding the reasoning behind these lawsuits, stating in part that patent infringement lawsuits from NPEs may be, among other things, used by:
…a sponsoring entity against a competitor to achieve a corporate goal of the sponsor. A corporation or investor, by serving as the sponsor for an IP privateering engagement, can employ third-party IPRs as competitive tools. The privateer, a specialized form of non-practicing entity (NPE), asserts the IPRs against target companies selected by the sponsor. The sponsor’s benefits do not typically arise directly from the third party’s case against a target, but arise consequentially from the changed competitive environment brought about by the third party’s IPR assertion.
Of course, DigiMedia Tech’s own reasons for filing suits against these camera companies are unclear and it’s impossible to say whether there would be an indirect benefit for a competing company as a result of these allegations. As these cases are only days and weeks old, the outcome of each lawsuit is yet to be seen.
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