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Posts Tagged ‘Camera’

How I built a large-format (8×10) video camera

07 Feb

Large format, for me, has always been the dream. Not for its ridiculously high resolutions—the 12 megapixels of my Sony a7S are more than plenty for me—but for its unique depth rendering. There is an enchanting quality to the depth of field produced by a huge chunk of vintage 8×10 glass that is near impossible to replicate on a smaller format, mostly thanks to the ridiculous equivalent aperture that would be required.

My longing for large format without the expense and and hassle of chemicals led me to build a pretty unique camera rig with very promising results.

The camera works by projecting an image from a large format lens (an Industar-37) onto a large matte white screen. The projected image is then captured with an off-axis camera (a Sony a7S) and wide-angle lens (an Irix 15mm F2.4). The 15mm is shifted upwards (using a Kipon shift adapter), which allows it to record a centered image of the screen with none of the perspective distortions that would come from simply pointing the camera up, and still be well out of the way of the light path.

I am not really sure if it should be called a ‘large format camera’ or a ‘large format adapter’—is format determined by the size of the imaging plane, or that of the sensor? Usually those are one and the same but not with a rig like this—but either way it records real large format images and just from my first results, I think they look fantastic.

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Beyond just digitizing large format photography, the rig opens up the really exciting possibility of large format video. It is absolutely incredible to see the large format image come to life, and it is something the world hasn’t really seen before. Dynamic range and resolution are only limited by the camera you put inside, and I am just using a consumer camera. I can’t wait to see how the rig performs with cinema gear.

The main downside of of the the design is sensitivity. The process of re-imaging loses about 6 stops of light, so an ISO 100 shot outside the camera becomes an ISO 6400 one in the rig. Thankfully, many modern cameras have excess sensitivity for bright environments so the camera works great in well-lit scenes, although it definitely struggles without proper lighting like the indoor scenes in the video above.

Large format ‘reimaging’ rigs have been made before (quite successfully by Gonzalo Ezcurra), but with one key difference: they project onto ground glass and record the image from behind, instead of reflecting the image off a diffuse surface. This method works, but ground glass is never a truly perfect diffusing filter, so there will always be a hotspot at the center of the image and some grain pattern introduced as well. The hotspot can be reduced—really, just enlarged so it looks more like a vignette and less like a spotlight—by moving the camera further back with a longer lens, but then the already huge setup just gets longer and less practical.

My version has the advantage of a folded optical path: since the image is bounced off a screen instead of going through a ground glass, the rig is about half the size of these other experimental reprojection cameras. It is still rather unwieldy, but this size difference is enough to allow shoulder mounting and really improve usability to the point being a genuinely useful tool instead of just a novelty.

I am currently working on an updated v2 version with a host of improvements, but I have really just skimmed the surface of the new possibilities with a camera like this.

Zev Hoover is an 18 year old photographer/videographer based in Natick, MA. His work has been widely featured, ranging from the Boston Globe to a BBC mini-documentary, and he has received awards including the Flickr 20-under-20 Award and 500px ‘innovation’ contest winner. You can find more of his work on his website: zev.tv

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Camera makers continue to ignore photojournalist pleas for encryption

07 Feb
Photo by Markus Spiske

In late 2016, more than 150 professionals sent a letter to camera makers requesting that they add encryption to their camera products. This encryption, as it does with other devices like smartphones, would help protect content on the camera and its media cards. “Without encryption capabilities,” the letter explained, “photographs and footage that we take can be examined and searched by the police, military, and border agents in countries where we operate and travel, and the consequences can be dire.”

More than a year has passed since the letter was circulated, and major camera manufacturers have largely failed to introduce encryption-based security on their camera products. Tech website ZDNet recently quizzed major camera manufacturers about potential plans to introduce encryption, and the response was underwhelming.

Fuji failed to respond to the site’s request for info, while Sony declined to discuss any product roadmaps related to camera encryption. Canon declined to talk about “future products and/or innovation.” Both Olympus and Nikon gave more extensive answers, though neither indicate any real progress on the topic.

Nikon, for its part, gave a canned response that it is listening to photographers and “will continue to evaluate product features to best suit the needs of our users.” Olympus’ response wasn’t much better, with a company spokesperson saying that the maker will “continue to review the request to implement encryption technology in our photographic and video products, and will develop a plan for implementation where applicable in consideration to the Olympus product roadmap and the market requirements.”

While photographers and filmmakers aren’t entirely without encrypted options, those options (mainly smartphones) are far less capable than the professional gear they’d otherwise use. Apple and Samsung have both focused heavily on encryption-based security for their mobile products, and Android users in general have the ability to toggle on encryption in the OS’s settings. Is it time for camera makers to catch up?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Arri introduces Alexa LF ‘large-format’ 4K camera and LPL mount

03 Feb

Cinema camera manufacturer Arri has launched a completely new, ‘large format’ 4K system comprising a camera with a new lens mount and 16 new lenses to go with it. The Alexa LF camera uses a sensor fractionally larger than what stills shooters would consider ‘full frame’ and can record in resolutions up to 4.5K and at frame rates of 150 fps.

Arri introduced the new system today at London’s BSC Expo, and claims the new system is smaller and lighter than current full frame models. The camera’s sensor measures 36.70 x 25.54mm and uses 4448 x 3096 pixels – all of which users will be able to utilize in open gate mode. When used in 16:9 mode a 31.68 x 17.82 mm area is exposed with a full 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. This is a 36.3mm diagonal, so is fully compatible with lenses such as Zeiss’s Compact Prime and Cinema Zoom series of lenses.

A 2.39:1 ratio mode uses 4448 x 1865 pixels and a 39.8mm diagonal.

In all of these modes the camera can shoot at up to 90fps in Arriraw, but it can manage 150fps when used in 2.39:1. Arri says the sensor has an exposure latitude of ‘14+ stops’. Newsshooter is reporting that the sensor is essentially two of its existing, 8-year-old ALEV-III sensors stitched together.

Large PL mount

A new lens mount has been introduced with the system that uses a wider throat and a shallower flange so that lenses can be made with large maximum apertures that would not be possible with the narrow throat of the PL mount. It should also allow lenses to be slightly smaller and lighter. The LPL (‘Large PL’) mount is 62mm in diameter and has a depth of 44mm, so existing PL lenses can also be mounted via an adapter. Arri says it is making the LPL available under licence to other camera manufacturers and third party lens makers.

Its own collection of Arri Signature Prime lens system will comprise 16 lenses of between 12mm and 280mm. All will have a maximum aperture of T1.8 and will be compatible with the new LDS-2 lens data protocol, which Arri says it will also license. The mount will be able to read data from LDS-1 and /i lenses.

According to the Cinema 5d website pricing will start at €76,608.37 plus tax, adding ‘if you think it’s expensive, it’s probably not aimed at you…’

For more information and more show reel samples see Arri’s Alexa LF microsite.

Press release

ARRI launches large-format camera system

The ALEXA LF camera, ARRI Signature Prime lenses and LPL lens mount together comprise an entirely new system, offering an immersive, emotionally engaging look.

At the 2018 BSC Expo in London, ARRI has unveiled a complete large-format system that meets and exceeds modern production requirements, delivering unprecedented creative freedom while also being backwards compatible with existing lenses, accessories and workflows.

Featuring a large-format sensor slightly bigger than full frame, ALEXA LF records native 4K with ARRI’s best overall image quality. Filmmakers can explore a large-format aesthetic while retaining the ALEXA sensor’s natural colorimetry, pleasing skin tones and proven suitability for HDR and WCG workflows. Different sensor modes cover any deliverable requirement and versatile recording formats-including efficient ProRes and uncompressed, unencrypted ARRIRAW up to 150 fps-provide total flexibility.

Accompanying the ALEXA LF camera are 16 large-format ARRI Signature Prime lenses, ranging from 12 mm to 280 mm and fitted with the new ARRI LPL mount. While the Signature Primes exemplify state-of-the-art optical precision, they render organic, emotional images, gently softening and texturizing the large format. A fast T-stop of T1.8 facilitates shallow depth of field and the smooth focus fall-off gives subjects heightened presence in the frame.

In the lead-up to the release of its new large-format system, ARRI asked a number of cinematographers to shoot with the camera and lenses in real-world situations. Among them was Dan Laustsen ASC, DFF, who is Oscar-nominated this year for his work on THE SHAPE OF WATER. After shooting with the system, Laustsen commented, “We were trying to tell a story about wideness and freedom; the ALEXA LF worked really well. The depth of field is so small, creating its own world. It’s fantastic.” Of the Signature Primes, he noted: “The lenses are lightweight and are not too sharp, but with a certain softness and very specific. With the 25 mm lens, you feel like you are there in the scene with the actors.”

The new LPL lens mount has a wider diameter and shorter flange focal depth, allowing the ARRI Signature Primes and all future large-format lenses to be small and lightweight, with a fast T-stop and pleasing bokeh-a combination of features that would not be possible with the PL lens mount. The LPL mount will also be available for other ARRI cameras and is being licensed to third-party lens and camera manufacturers.

Another cinematographer to shoot with the system prior to its release was Wang Yu, who used it to explore the atmospheric studio and creative inspirations of the celebrated Chinese artist and furniture-maker, Shao Fan. “The results got me really excited,” he says. “The camera and lens captured every tonal nuance with unmatched detail, gradation and color. I love how the out-of-focus areas are rendered, contributing to a rich and vivid overall look.”

Although the camera, lens mount and lenses are new, full compatibility with existing PL mount lenses and ALEXA accessories is a cornerstone of the system’s design. A PL-to-LPL adapter offers backwards compatibility with all PL mount lenses, whether Super 35 or full frame. The adapter attaches securely to the LPL lens mount without tools, allowing crews to rapidly switch between PL and LPL lenses on set, and offering cinematographers an unlimited lens choice.

Tom Fährmann BVK, who also got a sneak preview, chose to shoot a diverse palette of faces and skin tones against a white background, under varying portrait lighting conditions. He reports: “To me, the system embodies typical ARRI quality, but there is a new level of emotion to the images-a smoothness to the way the camera and lenses work together.”

ALEXA LF offers the same tried-and-true, versatile workflows as other ALEXA cameras. Existing ARRI Look Files can be used, and the entire range of ARRI workflow software tools will support ALEXA large-format images. Lens metadata can be recorded from LDS-1, LDS-2 or /i capable lenses.

Shooting wide open with ARRI Signature Prime lenses for shallow focus and gorgeous bokeh, French cinematographer Matias Boucard worked purely with natural light and available sources when he tried out the new system in Thailand. “The ALEXA LF camera and Signature Prime lenses are an elegant combination,” he says. “I love the lenses; they strike a wonderful balance between modernity and character.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Biospheres with a spherical camera: the Theta V at Amazon HQ

01 Feb

Introduction

Note – click and drag the 360 images in this article to explore. Enter full-screen by using the button on the bottom right of each image.

It’s not every day that you get to take 360-degree spherical images inside of a collection of enormous spheres. But it wasn’t just any day; it was the start of opening day for the Amazon Spheres, and our former writer and current Amazon Visual Storyteller Jordan Stead invited me along for the ride.

And so, I armed myself with Ricoh’s Theta V, Jordan armed himself with a Canon 5D Mark IV, and we set off into the warm, humid expanse to capture all the images we could. We were allowed in just one hour before the Spheres were to be overrun with events staff, tours and employees looking for an artisanal caffeinated beverage to sip while being gently misted in the face by the building’s environmental control system.*

Full disclosure: DPReview is a wholly-owned but editorially-independent subsidiary of Amazon. We weren’t asked to visit the Spheres, or to write this article, we just thought it would be fun.

Inside the Spheres

This space is primarily geared towards large presentations, and is where the grand opening festivities chiefly took place.

Walking through the entrance to Amazon’s Spheres begins with a blast of humidity followed with a spike in temperature, concluding in several seconds of adjustment to the blindingly bright lights from every direction. It feels like an exercise in teleportation or extraterrestrial abduction (in a good way).

Here, the Theta V makes perfect sense

And the Spheres also lend themselves really well to 360-degree imaging, mainly because of how architecturally distinct they are. I’ve struggled with really understanding the broad appeal of 360 imaging in the past, but here, the Theta V makes perfect sense. Given that it’s such an extraordinary environment, 360 photos and video provide a unique and valuable view of what it’s like to be there.

Despite the Spheres’ immense size, part of what helps in this case is that they’re enclosed; the geometric skeleton gives you a consistent frame of reference and provides visual interest whichever direction you look. I also enjoy how the hard corners and edges of the metal skeleton contrast with the gentler curves of so many leaves and plant stems throughout the space.

The Theta V: What worked

One of the reasons we chose the Theta V for this shoot was its compact size and ease of use. We could mount it on a long monopod to convey a sense that the viewer is ‘floating’ within the surrounding area, and once it was paired to my Android smartphone, remote triggering of the shutter proved reliable.

The Theta V automatically downloaded images to my phone immediately after capture

Through the app, we could also experiment with other exposure modes for a given shot location, including DR Compensation and HDR capture; sometimes these improved things, sometimes they didn’t. But it also helped that we could preview our perspective in real time, to make sure we could be as efficient with our limited time as possible. That the Theta V automatically downloaded images to my phone immediately after capture was icing on the cake.

Lots of power in an impressively small package.

And though functionally and physically the Theta V is very similar to the older Theta S, Ricoh’s shoehorned an all-new processor into the V. Not only does this allow the V to capture good quality spherical 4K video (the S could only do 1080p), but still images are improved as well, despite the fact that the actual sensors and lenses are unchanged.

Robust battery life was a plus, as well. We had the Theta V Wi-Fi connected to my smartphone for most of an hour, captured a couple of dozen stills as well as almost ten minutes of 4K video, and still the app showed full bars for the battery. Not bad.

What needs work

I really like this vantage point, but unfortunately, it required me holding the camera horizontally over the rail, and the Theta V’s auto horizon correction only works in video mode, not stills. Neither our embed code, nor Ricoh’s Theta app for Mac will allow me to adjust it at this time.

For the average user, the Theta V could really benefit from software tweaks more than anything else.

The main reason that we left the Theta connected to my smartphone for most of an hour was because early on, we had difficulty with reconnecting after a disconnect. The app would crash one or two times in a row for no real reason, and then it would work successfully on the third try. Usually. It wasn’t confidence inspiring.

An option for batch conversion would be appreciated

The next issue arose when I downloaded the spherical video files onto my iMac. Ricoh’s Movie Converter App refused to recognize any video files; luckily, the ‘Basic App’ converted the files just fine, albeit one at a time. An option for batch conversion would be appreciated.

Lastly, the Theta falls behind on the video front compared to the likes of the Rylo 360 camera. This isn’t necessarily due solely to image quality (and our informal tests show the Theta produces more pleasing still images), but more due to the impressive software-based stabilization and subject tracking that the Rylo offers. The Theta V does at least offer intelligent horizon correction from its built-in gyros, but shaky footage remains shaky.

What I learned

Quibbles aside, I really enjoyed using the Theta V in the Amazon Spheres. Not only did I come away with some really neat 360 images, but I also learned just how little I know about ‘proper’ 360 video capture.

When I sat down to edit the video, first of all, I was impressed that Adobe Premiere Pro handled the files just fine, and has an option to view the videos in their ‘VR’ form as I’m editing them. But I noticed that, too often, I just didn’t record clips that were long enough. The viewer really needs time to be able to click-and-drag around to explore before you move onto the next clip. Also, I was walking way too fast while recording.

I also find myself wondering, for the first time, what other events and venues would lend themselves well to 360 stills or video capture – maybe all it takes is a little thinking outside the box.

* There are a lot of misters throughout the Spheres to regulate humidity, but in the event that you don’t want to be misted in the face while sipping an artisanal caffeinated beverage, they’re easy to avoid.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera

31 Jan

In this article (I don’t want to call it a review because) I’ll share my thoughts on why I picked up a Fuji X100F as a second camera alongside all my Nikon gear. And why I love this little camera!

My journey into serious digital photography began in the spring of 2012 when I realized my little pocket camera wasn’t cutting it anymore. After consulting with some friends, my wife and I picked up a Nikon D200 and 50mm prime lens and the rest, as they say, is history.

Over the years our collection of gear has grown to include three Nikon bodies, several lenses, and a host of accessories all of which have come in handy with our family/child/high school senior photography hobby we run on the side. However, after much research and soul-searching (or perhaps you might say goal-searching), I recently added a Fuji X100F to my collection of gear and I thought I’d share some of my reasons why in case you might be going through the same thought process we did.

Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera

The Fuji X100F might just be my favorite camera of all time. (Note the camera also comes in retro silver)

Know your needs

Almost any time a club, business, or other organization sets out to improve a particular aspect of its operation the key stakeholders involved perform what’s known as a needs assessment. This is a formal process that aims to help organizations understand gaps or areas of deficiency which can be addressed. They help to guide the improvement so that it is done in a way that matters most. In similar fashion, a needs assessment can make all the difference in the world to photographers as well.

When my wife and I bought that D200 years ago we weren’t exactly sure what our needs were, other than that we wanted better pictures of our newborn son. That camera and lens worked beautifully for a while but soon we started to realize that it had some issues which were hard to overlook.

We learned that the 50mm lens was too restrictive indoors and images that were taken at ISO 800 and above were quite noisy which limited our ability to use this set of gear in challenging lighting conditions. These deficiencies led us to buy a Nikon D7100 and a 35mm lens which enabled us to take pictures at wider angles and in lower-light conditions, and once again our needs were met. For a while.

Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera

The Nikon D200 + 50mm lens worked fine, but before too long its limitations started becoming much more apparent and I wanted something more. And as this photo shows, I also needed to work on my photography skills such as composition and light!

Know when to upgrade

As time went on and we became more invested in the Nikon system, I started to once again see some significant limitations of our camera gear. My wife and I were doing more portrait sessions which necessitated the purchase of an 85mm lens and external flash. But at the same time, we felt as though we didn’t quite have the right gear to take the type of pictures of our kids with which we were really happy.

The 35mm lens was nice, but on a crop-sensor body like the D7100 or D200 it wasn’t wide enough for everyday casual use and I often found myself in low-light situations where the high ISO performance of the D7100 just didn’t cut it. Enter the full-frame Nikon D750.

Bear with me, I’m getting to the Fuji X100F!

As we examined our own particular photographic needs we realized that the D750 ticked all the boxes that we had at the time: great low-light performance, superb image quality for portraits, tougher build quality, a larger image buffer, and the list goes on. The D750 seemed like a good logical choice and over time it has only grown more useful. Even my 35mm lens specifically designed for crop-sensor Nikon DX cameras works fine as long as I shoot at about f/4 and don’t mind a bit of vignetting in the corners.

Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera

The D750 and a 70-200 lens make family portraits like this possible.

More gear, more problems

Ironically, despite getting more gear, the more limited I still felt in terms of taking everyday photos of our kids – which was the whole reason my wife and I got into digital photography in the first place!

My favorite camera/lens combination quickly became the D750 + 35mm and I found myself using that particular setup almost every time I wanted to just go out and shoot candid pictures of my wife and kids. I took that camera and lens whether we were on vacation, in the backyard, or even on a visit to the park.

The problem was that it is so big and heavy I often found myself leaving it at home and using my iPhone instead, which works fine as long as there’s plenty of light. As soon as the sun goes down or you move indoors, the quality difference between a mobile phone and a larger camera quickly becomes apparent.

Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera

The Fuji X100F with 23mm lens is almost exactly the same as a Nikon D750 and 35mm lens, but the sheer size and weight of the Nikon meant I often left it at home. The Fuji gives me almost the same image quality and I can literally take it almost anywhere.

Is yet more Nikon gear the answer?

Professionally, our growing collection of gear brought with it some headaches too. I found myself using the D750 + 70-200mm f/2.8 lens on most of my paid client shoots, but it is really heavy and not at all conducive to close-up shots in small spaces. I had other cameras and lenses but nothing that gave me really good shots with a wider field of view, so for a while, I contemplated getting another D750 and a true full-frame 35mm lens.

However the idea of adding even more gear to my bag, while still not really having a good all-purpose camera I could use with my family, threw me into a bit of a mental slump. I had a clear need that was unmet, but I didn’t want the Nikon gear required to solve the problem.

And then I found the Fuji X100F!

Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera

The D750 and a 35mm lens are great for more intimate shots like this, but the size and even the clack-clack-clack sound of the shutter make it somewhat conspicuous.

Form following function

The more I looked at my needs as a photographer the more I realized I was going about things all wrong. Instead of asking myself, “What needs to I have and how can I meet them?” I was stuck in the mindset that I had to stay with Nikon gear because that’s what I already had. I was putting form (i.e. Nikon) over function (what I wanted my gear to do).

Professionally, I had the midrange and telephoto focal lengths covered but I didn’t have anything on the wider end. Personally, I knew I didn’t have a truly portable go-anywhere camera. I was looking for a way to solve these issues with my mind firmly planted in Nikon’s pastures, all the while not realizing that other camera systems might have a much better answer.

Look outside the box

When I discovered the Fuji X100F I realized that it ticked off every single box on my list. Professionally it allowed me to get the kind of close, wide-angle, intimate pictures I couldn’t get with any of my other gear. It was also small and light enough that I could be discrete at events and even carry it as a second body with my heavy D750 and 70-200mm lens doing the heavy-lifting.

The 23mm lens paired with an APS-C sensor meant I would have almost the exact same field of view as shooting at 35mm on a full-frame camera. The wide f/2.0 lens aperture meant that I could get great shots in low light, and even the price was right since the cost of the X100F was less than another Nikon D750 and full-frame 35mm lens.

Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera

Finally – the answer was the Fuji X100F

Personally, the Fuji X100F became my go-to camera for almost any situation I found myself in with my family: birthday parties, playing in the yard, going to friends’ houses, taking trips to visit family, and even going on vacations. Prior to getting the X100F, my D750 and 35mm lens were what I used in almost all of those situations. Not only was it heavy and cumbersome, I also felt highly conspicuous taking pictures in casual settings. It’s hard to ignore someone who is wielding a giant DSLR and pointing it in your face!

As an added bonus the leaf shutter in the X100F is almost silent which makes picture-taking in quiet situations much less worrisome. Further, if you want to be really quiet you can enable a fully electronic shutter which lets you take pictures in complete silence. No DSLR can do that, even in Live View, and it’s something I have really come to appreciate about the X100F and other mirrorless systems.

Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera

Shot using the X100F’s built-in ACROS black and white simulation mode.

Finally, the wealth of manual buttons and dials on the X100F has been nothing short of a revelation for someone like me who cut his photography teeth long after digital cameras had supplanted most film cameras. Being able to look at my camera and see separate dials for shutter speed, aperture, and ISO means that I no longer have to hunt through menus or assign functions to control dials to get the shots I want.

Add to this the film simulations like Classic Chrome and ACROS, tough-as-a-tank build quality, and the choice to use either an LCD screen or electronic viewfinder and you end up with a camera small enough to take anywhere yet versatile enough to excel in almost any situation.

Finding your solution

I often read articles online about switching from DSLR to mirrorless or vice versa, and there seems to be a persistent debate about which one system better. After my experience with adding a Fuji mirrorless camera to my Nikon DSLR kit, I’ve come to the realization that it’s not about which is better but what gear can meet your needs.

I think the problem that some photographers have, myself included, is that we aren’t good at honestly identifying what problems or needs we have and then working from there to find our answers.

Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera

There’s no bad choice – only the right choice for you

Cameras today are so good it’s almost impossible to not get one that doesn’t have great image quality, autofocus, high ISO performance, dynamic range, and so on. What’s much more difficult is finding a camera, lens, or another piece of gear that solves whatever problem you currently have.

There are a time and place for big DSLR cameras, small mirrorless systems, micro-four-thirds models, even mobile phones and computational photography. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks, and each can meet different needs and work fine for you as long as you take the time to find out what your needs really are.

Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera

High ISO performance of the X100F isn’t quite as good as a full-frame camera, but it’s not too shabby either.

Conclusion

Going forward I see myself using my Nikon gear for more professional shoots and the Fuji camera as a daily driver that will be more for casual shooting, but it’s not an either/or situation. My old crop-sensor D7100 paired with the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is fantastic for getting pictures of my kids playing sports, while the Fuji X00F is ideal for indoor family sessions or times when I just don’t want the heft of a DSLR.

Who knows, my next camera might be something totally different or it might not be a camera at all and instead be some lessons or even just a trip to see and photograph different places.

Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera

Shot using the Fuji X100F’s built-in Classic Chrome film simulation mode.

After hearing my story I’d love to get your input too. What kind of gear do you use, why do you use it, and what steps are you planning to take next to address any issues you might have? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

The post Why a Nikon Shooter Bought a Fuji X100F as a Second Camera by Simon Ringsmuth appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Google’s long-awaited Clips Camera hits stores, will cost you $250

30 Jan

If you’ve been desperately waiting for Google’s artificial intelligence-driven Clips camera to go on sale now is your moment. The company has added the video clip shooting device to its store for US customers at the expected $ 250 price tag, with delivery expected between the end of February and the beginning of March.

The lifelogging camera was first revealed at the Pixel 2 event in October. It’s designed to recognize the best moments and composition, and to shoot automatically when it ‘thinks’ the occasion is right. The aptly named Clips camera shoots short ‘clips’ of video which can be reviewed in a Google Clips app. In the app, clips can be saved or deleted, and still images can be extracted from the clips as well.

The 12MP camera has a shutter button too for human driven activation, but the main idea is that it is placed somewhere it can see what’s going on, and it does all the work for you. The main idea is that using Clips in its automatic ‘intelligent’ mode allows the user to be in the pictures instead of having to be behind the camera.

Below is a sample clip posted to the Google blog, with the video captured by the camera on the left and the still extracted from the video on the right. Stills are extracted using the Google Clips app.

The camera can record at 15fps, and uses a lens with a 130° angle of view. Images are stored in the 16GB internal memory, and the camera can run for three hours on a single charge. Connection is via USB-C, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

As reported before, professional photographers were consulted to help the company understand what makes a good or a bad picture, so the after analyzing what’s happening and where the elements are in the frame, the device’s brain decides whether to record or not. The camera also learns about the people you mix with, and will take more clips of people it sees often, as it will assume they are closer to you. Thankfully, it will also get to know your cat, to save you the bother of photographing it yourself.

For more information, visit the Google webstore.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Google teamed up with pro photographers to train its Clips lifelogging camera

26 Jan

Google debuted its $ 250 ‘Clips’ lifelogging camera to the public during the October 2017 launch event for the Google Pixel 2. Now, with the camera becoming officially available in only a few weeks time, the company has published a blog post that explains how the Clips camera’s underlying algorithms were trained to identify and keep the best shots, and discard the leftovers.

It turns out Google relied on the expertise of a documentary filmmaker, a photojournalist, and a fine arts photographer to train the AI and feed some high-quality photography into its machine learning model. The group collected and analyzed recorded footage from members of the development team to try and answer the question: “What makes a memorable moment?”

“We needed to train models on what bad looked like,” said Josh Lovejoy, Senior Interaction Designer at Google. “By ruling out the stuff the camera wouldn’t need to waste energy processing (because no one would find value in it), the overall baseline quality of captured clips rose significantly.”

The learning process includes basic elements of photography, such as an understanding of focus and depth-of-field, or the rule of thirds, but also some things that are obvious to most humans but less so to an algorithm—for example: don’t cover a lens with your finger and avoid abrupt movements while recording.

Google admits that there is still a ways to go before perfection. It says the AI has been trained to look at “stability, sharpness, and framing,” but without careful calibration, a face at the edge of the frame will be appreciated just as much as one at the center, even if the focus of interest is really somewhere else in the image.

“Success with Clips isn’t just about keeps, deletes, clicks, and edits (though those are important),” Lovejoy says. “It’s about authorship, co-learning, and adaptation over time. We really hope users go out and play with it.” More detail on the development and training process is available on the Google blog.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung promises to ‘reimagine the camera’ on the Galaxy S9

26 Jan

We’ve been expecting the upcoming Samsung flagship smartphone Galaxy S9 to be launched at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (the last week of February) for a while now, but today the Korean manufacturer has made things official by sending out invitations to the launch event.

The event will take place on the 25th of February, the press day before the official start of MWC, and mobile photographers should be particularly excited. That’s because, according to the invite, this phone is all about “The camera. Reimagined.” There have been rumors about variable apertures and super-slow-motion video, and it seems like there’s a good chance at least the larger Galaxy S9+ will come with a dual-camera setup, similar to the Note 8.

As usual, there’s no way of knowing what exactly to expect, but we’ll keep an eye on the rumor mill, and we’ll definitely be in Barcelona to report from the show as well. If you can’t be there, no worries—Samsung is planning to livestream the ‘Samsung Unpacked’ event.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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This video explains the science behind how camera drones fly

26 Jan

The folks at WIRED have put together a great video for the science nerds among us—and I do have a feeling there are a few. The video, which is part of WIRED’s Dot Physics series, explains the physics behind drone flight; in other words: how that new DJI Mavic Air and quadcopters like it are able to hover, move in three dimensions, and rotate all by changing the speed at which various propellers spin.

This explains why your quadcopter doesn’t need any other sort of physical controls, just four propellers—two spinning clockwise, two spinning counterclockwise—that change the rate at which they spin based on signals from your remote control.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Fujifilm recalls nearly 300,000 camera power adapters due to ‘shock hazard’

25 Jan

Fujifilm has launched a massive power adapter recall that might affect a good number of readers. If you purchased a Fujifilm XP90, XP95, XP120, XP125, X-A3 or X-A10 camera from June 2016 onward, the wall plug that shipped with your unit might be at risk of cracking and/or breaking, “exposing live electrical contacts and posing a shock hazard” according to Fujifilm USA and the US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC).

The specific power adapter that is at risk is the AC-5VF, and according to Fujifilm, it was shipped with some XP90 and XP95 cameras sold from June of 2016, XP120 and XP125 cameras sold from January 2017, X-A3 cameras sold from October 2016, and X-A10 cameras sold from February 2017.

According to the CPSC, Fujifilm is recalling about 270,000 of these power adapters in the US, and another 24,000 in Canada.

Photo of the affected wall plug. Image: Fujifilm

As with most recalls of this type, not all cameras were affected. To check if your serial number is affected, grab your XP90, XP95, XP120, XP125, X-A3 or X-A10 camera and find the serial number as shown in the picture below:

To see if your camera shipped with one of the affected wall plugs, here’s where you’ll find your camera’s serial number to plug into Fuji’s Search Tool.

Then take that serial number and plug it into Fujifilm USA’s search tool at this link, or reach out to Fujifilm directly via email at productsafety@fujifilm.com or by toll-free number 1-833-613-1200.

If your camera doesn’t come up in the search tool, you’re safe to keep using the wall plug that came with it. If it does come up, you’ll need to contact Fujifilm via the email or phone number above, at which point they will “arrange to mail you a free replacement wall plug and associated adapter unit.”

To learn more about this recall, or check your serial number against the database, visit the Fujifilm USA recall page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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