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A Photographer’s Guide to Buying a Drone – Getting it Right the First Time

05 Mar

The post A Photographer’s Guide to Buying a Drone – Getting it Right the First Time appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

In this photographer’s guide to buying a drone, I’ll share with you some invaluable tips for buying a drone for the first time.

Seven years ago, my employer wanted a photo of a local lighthouse from an elevated viewpoint. It sounds ridiculous now, but very early on a winter’s morning, I was loaded into a cherry picker with two cameras and hoisted 15 meters in the air to take photos. I’m a little bit scared of heights, so I really had to concentrate on getting the images and not looking down!

With the introduction in the last few years of many relatively low-cost good quality drones (also known as UAVs – unmanned aerial vehicles), that whole scenario seems laughable.

So why should you think about buying a drone if you haven’t already?

Here are some of the key considerations.

Image: By chance, I saw this boat sailing past when I was taking aerial images of fishing boats in Y...

By chance, I saw this boat sailing past when I was taking aerial images of fishing boats in Yamba. Taken with the DJI Mavic.

A photographer’s guide to buying a drone

Why buy a drone?

The main reason for buying a drone is the unique viewpoints that it will bring to your photography that you couldn’t achieve easily otherwise.

Sure, you can take elevated images from buildings, planes, helicopters – or even a cherry picker. However, those options are unlikely to be suitable or cost-efficient, depending on what you’d like to photograph. Having a drone in your kit opens up new possibilities and viewpoints like never before.

How else would you be able to take images from viewpoints like this? Boats at the seaside taken with the DJI Mavic Pro 2.

What kind of photographers would benefit from having a drone?

The short answer is – all kinds of photographers. I’ve seen or heard of aerial images from UAVs used in many industries.

Travel

Aerial images have been a stable of Instagram travel accounts for years now. Many Instagrammers take a compact drone with them on their travels to add to the range of shots they can take at a destination. They can use the images for both posting on social media or as deliverables for clients.

These images are often featured by large national and regional travel accounts to showcase destinations.

A Photographer's Guide to Buying a Drone

Real estate photographers

Drones are widely used amongst real estate photographers and seem to be essential kits these days.

Aerial images are common on many listings here in Australia to show the boundaries and layout of a property and its location to nearby landmarks and amenities.

Fine art

This is a small but very well paid niche. Some photographers make thousands of dollars for breathtaking fine art aerial images taken with UAVs.

Stock photographers

There’s been an increasing number of aerial images and videos sold on stock photography sites recently. Using a drone is one way to add to the range of images you have for sale in your portfolio.

A Photographer's Guide to Buying a Drone

A stock photography library I shoot for had a call out for images to illustrate bad parking. This is an image I sold them for the campaign.

Wedding and portrait photography

Aerial images are becoming increasingly popular for weddings, engagement shoots, and portrait sessions.

Images for your family archive

When I’m out and about taking photos for stock or travel, my family often accompanies me. I love taking aerial images of them; it certainly makes for a different type of shot in the family photo archive.

Tips before buying a drone

If you’re thinking about buying a drone, it pays to do your research first. Take a look at photos taken by drones on Instagram using hashtags such as #dronephotography, #dronestagram, and #droneoftheday.

Which make and model of UAV took these images? Looking at the photos will give you a good indication of the quality you can expect from each model.

Join some drone-related Facebook groups. Have a read through the discussions and ask questions. People will often be happy to share how they took a photo, what equipment they used, and what post-processing they did on the image.

My daughter taking her board out for a surf in northern New South Wales, Australia.

Try before you buy

Do you know a friend who has a drone? Ask if you can go along with them next time they fly it and learn the basics. You could also see if a local drone Facebook Group has meetups where you can learn the ropes. Maybe you’ll love it, but maybe you’ll hate it. Handy to know before you shell out for such a high cost.

Buy cheap, buy twice

I’ve heard many people buy a cheap toy drone to see if they’ll like it. The truth is, many of those cheaper drones are a complete nightmare to fly, and people are put off when it crashes. Typically, the more expensive a UAV, the easier it is to fly.

I’d recommend the “try before you buy” approach over this.

Which drone should I buy?

Ultimately, this is down to two different factors: the first is your budget, the second is what you want to do with your aerial images.

If you want to sell your images for stock, weddings, or fine art, go with the drone with the best image quality. However, if you want to travel with your drone, take family photos or only post to social media, perhaps you’d value a compact, lighter offering.

Pros and cons of some popular drone models

Below are some of the pros and cons of popular drones.

The Mavic Pro

The Mavic Pro is one of the best-selling drones of all time. It’s capable of taking photos in both horizontal and landscape orientations, which I found very handy when I owned it. The 12-megapixel camera has a fixed f/2.2 aperture, which compared to newer offerings, is a bit limiting. The good news is, you should be able to pick up one for a good price secondhand.

DJI Mavic Pro

Mavic Pro 2

I sold my Mavic Pro when they released the Mavic Pro 2. It has a significantly better 20-megapixel camera with a 1-inch sensor, which suited me better for taking larger images for stock libraries.

It also has an f/2.8-11 variable aperture, which gives you the potential to be more creative with your aerial images.

The one potential downside is that when facing the horizon, the gimbal doesn’t rotate the camera so you can capture vertical images like you can with the Mavic.

Read a full review of the Mavic Pro 2 here.

The Mavic 2 drone.

Mavic 2 Zoom

The Mavic 2 Zoom came out at the same time as the Mavic Pro. Its main advantage over the Pro 2 is the ability to zoom the camera. Combined with movement, you can use this to achieve the dolly zoom effect. The downside is that its camera is only 12-megapixel, and the aperture is f2.8-3.8.

Read a review of the Mavic 2 Zoom here.

DJI Mavic 2 Zoom

Mavic Mini

The Mavic Mini is a very small and light drone with impressive specifications. The Mavic Mini is the cheapest I’ve covered and would be ideal for many people wanting to take aerial images as they travel. It has a 12-megapixel camera. Unlike the others listed, it is only capable of taking images in JPG format for stills.

DJI Mavic Mini

Also, read a review of the DJI Spark here, and the Mavic Air here.

What else do I need to consider?

Is your device up to scratch? To fly a DJI drone, you’ll need the DJI GO app on your smartphone or on a tablet.

Is your device good enough to support the latest app? You’ll need to look into this before you get started.

Make sure your phone or tablet is powerful enough to run the drone app.

How will you edit your image?

If you’re a dPS regular reader, no doubt you’ll know all about the various ways you can post-process your images. I use Adobe Lightroom and occasionally Adobe Photoshop to edit my JPG and DNG drone images.

Insurance

UAVs are an expensive investment. Make sure that your camera insurance or home contents insurance adequately covers your new kit.

DJI have their own insurance product – DJI care. Whichever option you go for, make sure you understand the limits of the policies, so you don’t get caught out.

Flying legally

This is very important. You don’t want to find yourself on the wrong side of the law, especially if you take your drone overseas.

It’s good to learn all the rules when you’re considering buying one or while you’re waiting for it to arrive.

Rules differ from country to country, region to region, so always make sure you know the correct laws to fly at your destination.

For example, in Australia, you’ll need permission to fly a drone in a National Park in the state of New South Wales, but over the border in Queensland, you do not.

Early morning view of South Stradbroke Island, Queensland. DJI Mavic.

Flying safely

Investing time learning the rules and regulations is just one part of things. You also need to learn to fly safely.

A major part of this is learning to identify hazards, whether they be trees, powerlines, buildings, weather, or as I found out once, a swooping bird in my local park.

It’s always a good idea to have a pre-flight and post-flight-check routine in place.

Conclusion

Buying a drone is a fantastic way of adding new viewpoints to your photography. The latest offerings from companies such as DJI have given photographers the ability to capture scenes that were not possible a few years ago without chartering a plane or helicopter.

However, there are many things to consider before you dive in. Consider what you want to use the images for, which model to buy, and how to edit your images. You also need to learn how to fly safely and legally.

I hope this photographer’s guide to buying a drone has been helpful if you are currently looking at adding a drone to your photography kit.

What other considerations do you think are important when considering buying a drone? Tell us below.

The post A Photographer’s Guide to Buying a Drone – Getting it Right the First Time appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

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ON1 announces upcoming Android, iOS mobile app set to ship ‘in the first half of 2020’

29 Feb

ON1 has announced it’s currently working on ON1 Photo Mobile 2020, a mobile app for Android and iOS that will be able to both capture and edit Raw images. The app will also sync with ON1 Photo RAW for desktop computers, with the ability to view, edit and sync images across devices.

Not much information is given on the teaser page, but from what information is available, it seems the app is part mobile camera app, part editing tool, with many features taken from ON1 Photo RAW. ON1 says the capture component of ON1 Photo Mobile 2020 will offer ‘pro-level controls you are familiar with on your interchangeable-lens camera’ and ‘is packed full of advanced features.’

As for editing on-the-go, ON1 says the app will offer ‘ the same power as […] in ON1 Photo RAW.’ Specifically, ON1 mentions the ability to enhance shadows, remove distractions, lighten/darken areas ‘and more.’ Put in more parallel terms, it sounds like ON1 Photo Mobile 2020 will offer highlight/shadow controls as well as a healing brush-style tool. Presets and local adjustments will also be available within the app.

The app will also sync with ON1 Photo RAW on your computer to ‘push edits […] back to ON1 Photo Mobile using ON1 Sync,’ a process that provides ‘a complete, open, photo editing and organizing system,’ according to ON1

ON1 says ‘ON1 Photo Mobile 2020 will be available in the first half of 2020’ for Android and iOS devices. No pricing information has been given at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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DPReview TV: Fujifilm X-T4 first impressions

26 Feb

The Fujifilm X-T4 makes some big promises, but can it deliver? Chris and Jordan put it to the test and tell us if this is the Fujifilm camera we’ve all been waiting for.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

Introduction
Sample photos
X-T3 and X-T4 controls compared
In-body image stabilization (IBIS) performance
Battery life
Software improvements
Sensor
Autofocus
Video performance
Conclusion

Sample gallery from this episode

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Moving to Manual Mode: Which Setting Should You Adjust First?

23 Feb

The post Moving to Manual Mode: Which Setting Should You Adjust First? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Moving to manual mode is often considered too difficult by many beginner photographers. In reality, learning manual mode is not so hard to do. Sure, it’s not for everyone. Many photographers are content to let their camera sort out the exposure settings.

One of the most common questions I get asked by people I am teaching to use manual mode is “which setting should I adjust first?” Unfortunately, there is no set answer to this question. It depends on what you are photographing.

Moving to manual mode

Shifting your mindset is the most important aspect of moving to manual mode. Are you comfortable using any of the auto or semi-auto exposure modes on your camera? Then you need to make some changes to the way you think.

First, it rarely matters if it takes you a little longer to set your camera. Very few memorable photos are taken as snaps on the spur of the moment. Slow down.

Understand the basics of how you can set the exposure manually, then practice. Once you commit to moving to manual mode, you will find it’s not difficult to manage.

There are only three settings you need to work with to manually control your exposure – shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. These regulate the exposure.

The exposure meter, also known as the light meter, guides your decision making. With many cameras, you can also use the rear monitor to gauge your exposure. With mirrorless cameras, you can typically see the effect of adjustments you make to exposure in the viewfinder.

Woman Photographer at the Shopping Mall, moving to manual mode

Balancing these three settings will result in a well-exposed subject. Each setting can also affect your photos in different ways. These are important to understand to be in control of how you want your photos to look.

When you are first moving to manual mode, you may not know where to start in setting your exposure. There are many variations on how to set your camera.

Each photographer may use a different method. I base my choices on what I am photographing.

Here are the answers I give my workshop participants about which setting to change first.

When to adjust your shutter speed first

Photographing a moving subject means you need to consider your shutter speed first. If your shutter speed is too slow, your moving subject may appear blurred.

At times you will want this effect. Often you will want your subject to be sharp, without any motion blur or camera shake fuzziness.

Young woman standing in a busy market. Shot using a slow shutter speed to get the movement of the people blurred. Moving to manual mode

Shutter speed was 1/2 a second. My model stood very still © Kevin Landwer-Johan

You need to consider how fast your subject is moving to know an appropriate shutter speed to use. The faster the movement, the faster the shutter speed you’ll need to use to freeze the action.

Making use of motion blur in your photos also requires you to think about how fast your subject is moving. If you set your shutter speed too slow, you’ll see too much blur, and your subject may not be recognizable.

Alternatively, if your shutter speed is a bit too fast, your subject may only blur a little. This often looks like a mistake has been made.

To capture a person walking and have them look sharp, you’ll need to use a shutter speed of 1/250th of a second or faster. If you want them to blur a little and still be recognizable, you’ll need to set your shutter speed at around 1/10 of a second or a little slower.

Low light may mean your shutter speed needs to be slow. It’s important not to choose a speed that’s so slow you’ll get blurring from camera shake. This happens when you are hand-holding your camera and move it slightly during the exposure. I’ll address this more in the section about ISO setting.

Once you have adjusted your shutter speed, you will then need to set your aperture and ISO. This is what your exposure meter, monitor, or viewfinder can guide you to do.

Image: I used a shutter speed of 1/1250th of a second to ‘freeze’ the flying water © Kev...

I used a shutter speed of 1/1250th of a second to ‘freeze’ the flying water © Kevin Landwer-Johan

When to adjust your aperture setting first

Aperture, among other things, allows you to control the depth of field in your photographs. This is the amount of your photo that is sufficiently sharp. The wider aperture you choose (lower f/stop number), the less you’ll have in focus in your picture.

Choosing to adjust the aperture first is a decision based on how much of your composition you want in focus.

At times, you might want to render as much of your composition in focus as possible. This is a common choice when photographing landscapes.

Setting your aperture to a higher f/stop number (i.e., f/8-f/22) will give you more depth of field. Understanding hyperfocal distance will help you make better choices about getting a deep depth of field.

Isolating your subject by blurring the background requires you use a lower f/stop number (i.e., f/1.2 to f4). Doing so means more light will enter your lens. You’ll need to adjust your shutter speed and/or ISO to make sure your subject is well exposed.

Manipulating the aperture setting first is something I often do when I have a static subject. This is because the shutter speed I use is not so significant as it is when my subject is moving.

Moving to manual mode to photograph a Thai dancer

I used an aperture of f/2 on an 85mm lens to control the depth of field. © Kevin Landwer-Johan

When to adjust your ISO setting first

I treat my ISO setting as the foundation of my exposure. I only alter it when I need to. Unlike shutter speed and aperture settings, ISO has no creative influence. However, it does have an effect on the technical quality of your images.

Changing your ISO first is a good idea when you have moved from one location to another, and the light is significantly different. If you’re outside photographing in the bright sun and move inside, you will most likely need to adjust your ISO. Likewise, if you’re photographing in a dark place, and then want to take photos somewhere that’s well illuminated, you may need to change your ISO.

When you are having to set a slow shutter speed to get a good exposure, you need to consider changing your ISO setting. This is more vital when you are hand-holding your camera, because of the risk of camera shake. When your shutter speed is slow, and your aperture is wide open, increasing your ISO will allow you to also increase your shutter speed.

My rule of thumb is to keep the ISO setting as low as possible. This will ensure the best technical quality. As camera sensors have improved over the years, quality problems at high ISO settings have diminished. I still find keeping my ISO low is a good way of managing my settings.

I used an ISO setting of 3200 © Kevin Landwer-Johan

Manual mode balancing act

Obtaining a well-exposed subject using manual mode is not very difficult. It’s a matter of balancing your shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings. The key to managing to do this well is practice.

Moving to manual mode may seem like a big step, especially if you’ve been comfortable letting your camera control the exposure. Once you do make the decision to take control of your camera you will need to stick with it.

Switch back to an auto mode only when you need to. Otherwise, you will never learn how to take charge of your manual exposure settings properly.

The post Moving to Manual Mode: Which Setting Should You Adjust First? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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NONS SL42 is the world’s first instant SLR with a M42 mount

21 Feb

A new Kickstarter campaign is seeking funds for NONS SL42, the first instant camera to feature an interchangeable M42 lens mount and support for Instax Mini instant film. The camera can be used with ‘hundreds of classic M42 lenses,’ according to the team behind the project, which explains that pairing an M42 lens with Instax film results in a round image frame.

NONS SL42 is an SLR camera that took more than a year to develop, according to the campaign. In addition to Instax instant film support, the SL42 features an adjustable aperture, manual focus, a hot shoe, shutter speed control and support for multiple exposures. The device is powered by two AA batteries.

The Kickstarter campaign is offering the NONS SL42 instant camera for pledges of at least $ 1,550 HK / $ 200 USD. Backers also have other pledge options, such as the camera bundled with film for around $ 219, bundled with a lens for around $ 232 and bundled with film and a lens for around $ 258. Shipping to backers is expected to start in August 2020, assuming the campaign is successful.

Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Qualcomm shows off the first 8K footage captured with its Snapdragon 865 chipset

05 Feb

One of the defining features of Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 865 chipset, which we covered back in December, is its ability to shoot 8K video. We’re yet to see a device make the most of the 865 Snapdragon, but Qualcomm has shared a teaser video showing the 8K resolution in all its glory.

The device Qualcomm used to capture the video is a prototype smartphone with a Sony Sony IMX586 image sensor inside. It was captured back in November 2019 at various locations around Arizona, including the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and the Petroglyphs near Antelope Canyon. It’s suggested, of course, to view this in a compatible browser and on the highest-resolution screen you can find to make the most of the footage.

Below are a few BTS shots shared with DPReview:

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You can read more about the video capture and Snapdragon 865 5G Mobile Platform on Qualcomm’s blog post.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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MSI Creator 17 is the world’s first laptop with a Mini LED HDR 1000 display

15 Jan

In late December and again during CES 2020, MSI introduced a laptop designed specifically for graphics professionals: the MSI Creator 17 (not the be confused with the company’s Creator 17M model). This is the world’s first laptop to feature a Mini LED display that meets the HDR 1000 standard, making it ideal for photographers, filmmakers and others who work in visual professions.

Though the MSI Creator 17 isn’t yet available and hasn’t been fully detailed at this time, the company did discuss its new display technology in detail during CES. According to MSI, the Creator 17 features a 4K 17in display with 1,000 nits brightness, 240 local dimming zones and Mini LED backlighting.

Mini LED display technology has thus far only been offered in select television models, but it is expected to expand into the smartphone and laptop markets in coming years. The MSI Creator 17’s display offers 100% DCI-P3 coverage, plus MSI says that its display is ‘immune to burn-in problems.’

A simulated graphic from MSI showing the advantages of Mini LED technology.

Among other things, MSI says buyers can expect ‘close-to-real color accuracy’ from the laptop’s 4K display, as well as the power efficiency and thinness that come with the technology. Most of the Creator 17 specifications have not been revealed at this time, but MSI did reveal that its new model will feature a USB-C port for powering up to 8K displays and the fastest UHS-III SD card reader currently available on the market.

Pricing and availability are unknown at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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First look at the Nikon D6

10 Jan

Nikon D6: First look

We don’t know much about Nikon’s forthcoming pro sports flagship camera, but CES 2020 did give us an opportunity to get a first look – albeit at a sample under glass. Click through this slideshow for a closer peek, and a digest of what (little) we know so far.

Nikon D6: First look

It’s no surprise to see that the D6 looks a lot like the D5. In fact, aside from the slightly more D850-inspired sculpting of the pentaprism you’d be hard pressed to tell the two bodies apart. As Nikon’s high-end DSLRs have matured, it’s pretty much inevitable that we’re not going to see major changes to body shape or control layout.

From the front you can see the D6’s deep vertical grip, which houses a high-capacity lithium-ion battery, and the heavy duty rubber covers which protect its remote control and flash sync ports from dust and moisture.

Nikon D6: First look

From the back, the D6 is again almost indistinguishable from the D5. There are in fact no noticeable changes to button layout at all compared to the previous model. While unconfirmed, the LCD looks to be the same or very similar to the D5, too. Assuming we’re right about that, it’ll be a 3.2″ panel. We fully expect the D6 to follow the D5 in offering back-lit controls for low-light shooting, too.

The D5 was among Nikon’s first DSLRs to offer 4K UHD video, and we expect the D6 to build on this feature set, perhaps also offering an enhanced video / live view autofocus experience of the kind we’ve seen in the new D780.

Nikon D6: First look

The D6 features the same unusual eyecup attachment method as the D5, with the cup screwed into a removable panel, which releases via a pair of catches to the lower left and right of the finder. This view shows off the D6’s large upper status LCD, which displays key exposure settings, battery level, etc.

It remains to be seen what kind of autofocus features the D6 will offer, but we still consider the D5 to be a gold standard for DSLRs, so any improvement on its excellent 153-point system will just make a great system even better. What we really want are improvements to live view autofocus, to bring the D6 more in line with what we’ve seen from the Z6 and Z7 (and now the D780). We’ll have to wait a while longer to see whether our wishes are fulfilled.

Nikon D6: First look

On the opposite side of the D6’s top plate is the main drive mode dial, which lets you quickly select from a range of advance options. No word yet on maximum framerate, but we’d expect a jump from the D5’s maximum shooting rate of 12fps. The trio of buttons which top this dial are MODE / BKT / metering pattern, and are unchanged from the D5.

Eagle-eyed readers will also notice the WiFi and Bluetooth symbols printed on the D6’s shoulder.

Nikon D6: First look

A view from the top shows off the D6’s fairly sparse upper controls, which will be very familiar to D5 and D850 shooters. While – again – unconfirmed, the seam in the pentaprism hump just in front of the hotshoe looks a lot like a polycarbonate ‘window’ for those previously-mentioned wireless connections and / or GPS.

And that’s it – for now. We’re hoping for more information on the D6 soon, ahead of its expected release before the Tokyo Olympics this summer. We’ll keep you posted!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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COSYSPEED is crowdfunding to create first ‘Made in Africa’ camera lens pouches

01 Jan

German company COSYSPEED is looking to raise at least $ 11,000 by offering up the option of either plain or ‘African-style’ camera lens pouches to backers via the popular crowdfunding platform, Indiegogo. Burundi, located in central Africa, is the world’s poorest country. COSYSPEED has partnered with Burundikids, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating young women and girls, to produce a series of 3 microfiber-lined lens pouches plus a microfiber cloth.

The lens pouches come in three sizes designed to fit prime, standard zoom, and telephoto zoom lenses. The microfiber cloth is the most affordable option, starting at $ 4, followed by $ 9 for the prime pouch, $ 10 for the standard, and $ 11 for the telephoto zoom lens pouch. The entire bundle, containing all 4 items, can be purchased for $ 28. The measurements for each item are as follows:

S size Lens Pouch: (Ø) 80 mm / 3.2″ x (h) 100 mm / 4″ – Fits prime lenses
M size Lens Pouch: (Ø) 120 mm / 4.7″ x (h) 200 mm / 8″ – Fits standard zoom lenses up to 24-70/2.8
L size Lens Pouch: (Ø) 140 mm / 5.5″ x (h) 280 mm / 11″ – Fits tele zoom lenses up to 70-200/2.8
Microfibre Cleaning Cloth: 150 mm / 6″ x 150 mm 6″ – For lens cleaning

If the campaign is successful, COSYSPEED aims to set up a permanent production facility in Bujumbura, Burundi’s largest city, so they can continue to produce the first ‘Made in Africa’ photo accessories. It will house homeless young mothers, and their children, while providing them food and health care. The women will also have the opportunity to participate in an apprenticeship program that will make them dressmakers.

COSYSPEED will be crowdfunding on Indiegogo through January, 2020. Items are expected ship starting in May.

Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Anker announces the first MFi certified LED flash cube for iPhone 11, 11 Pro devices

31 Dec

Chinese smartphone accessory manufacturer Anker has announced a new iPhone lighting accessory that connects to Apple mobile devices via the Lightning cable.

Last week, we reported, via 9to5Mac, that Apple could soon support Made for iPhone (MFi) lighting accessories. This new device from Anker confirms that report and comes as the first device that will work natively with Apple’s hardware and software.

The iPhone LED Flash, as it’s currently being called, will retail for $ 50 and work exclusively with iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models. According to Anker, the flash unit works with Apple’s stock camera app, as well as third-party camera apps, and is capable of firing off 10,000 shots per charge. When the battery is dead, it can recharge via a Lightning cable (although you can’t use the one that’s built-in, which is inconvenient).

Ignore the ‘December 27, 2019’ release date — it appears it won’t be out for another month.

Anker claims the light, which bears a striking resemblance to the Lume Cube, can help ‘illuminate objects at 2x the range and 4x the brightness’ compared to the LED flash modules onboard the latest iPhone models. It comes with a diffuser (also similar to Lume Cube) and features a standard 1/4”-20 tripod mount.

No definitive date is given for the launch, but 9to5Mac is reporting it will be available sometime in January. In the meantime, you can keep an eye on Anker’s website for more information. We have contacted Anker for a confirmation on the release date and will update the article accordingly if we receive a response.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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