While the likes of Canon, Fujifilm, Panasonic and others have released firmware updates or dedicated apps to turn cameras into webcams, not every camera owner is lucky enough to have their camera’s manufacturer release such utilities. Thankfully, there are third-party developers stepping up to the plate to help bring webcam functionality to many more cameras.
One of the latest attempts is from Cascable, a development team known for making wireless remote, tethering and transferring solutions for iOS and macOS devices. The team’s newest creation is Cascable Pro Webcam, a new macOS app that will turn compatible Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Sony cameras into a webcam for popular video conferencing and streaming programs.
Over 100 cameras are supported by Cascable Pro Webcam, with some even offering wireless connectivity if the camera has built-in WiFi. Cascable has a full list of compatible cameras on its website. Note that in order for the camera to be supported, it must have a checkmark under the ‘Control & Automation’ column on the linked page.
The highlighted (red) column is what determines whether or not your camera is compatible with Cascade Pro Webcam.
As for the video conferencing and streaming apps it supports, the Cascade team says it’s specifically tested it with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Teams, OBS Studio, Quicktime Player, Skype (8.59 or later), Twitch Studio and Zoom (5.0.5 or later).
Cascable Webcam Pro is available to download for free to try out. The free trial doesn’t limit how many times you can use it, but not all features will be available and streams will show an overlay when they last more than five minutes. Cascable Pro Webcam will retail for $ 40, but until July 24, it’s just $ 30 as part of a ‘launch sale.’ You can download the free trial and purchase a license on the Cascable website. You need to be running macOS 10.14.4 or higher.
How far would you go to profess to the world your love for photography? Would you live inside a house that looks like a camera or name your children after popular camera brands? If you’re 49-year-old Indian photographer Ravi Hongal, the answer to both of those questions is ‘yes.’
Detailed in this short video from Caters Clips, Hongal spent over £75,000 (roughly $ 95,000) turning his family’s home into a photography tribute. The house features a window lens, a film strip balcony railing, an oversized SD card and even a speedlight that doubles as a security lamp. Although not shown in the video, Hongal has also adorned the inside of the house with camera-inspired rooms.
As if the house wasn’t enough, Hongal and his wife also named their three sons Canon, Nikon and Epson. If that’s not dedication, we’re not sure what is.
For Linux users, Adobe doesn’t offer any of their Creative Cloud software, including Adobe Photoshop. Linux users have long had GIMP, which is a capable photo editing alternative to Photoshop. Although similar in functionality to Photoshop, GIMP’s default appearance is quite a bit different. With a new patch for GIMP 2.10, called PhotoGIMP, users can achieve a much more similar user interface to Photoshop.
PhotoGIMP’s major contributors are Diolinux and yevklim, and the PhotoGIMP Patch has been designed for people with experience with Photoshop. As pointed out by John Aldred at DIY Photography, more users have been turning to Linux for their operating system needs. The result is that there are photographers used to Photoshop who are now needing to learn the ropes with GIMP instead. When you boot up the standard version of GIMP, you immediately see that the layout of tools is very different from Photoshop. Not only this, but the keyboard shortcuts users have committed to memory often work differently in GIMP. This is where PhotoGIMP comes in. By making GIMP look and act more like Photoshop, it should dramatically reduce the learning curve.
As you can see in this screenshot, PhotoGIMP looks quite similar to Adobe Photoshop in terms of organization, tool location and the overall user interface. Image credit: PhotoGIMP on Github
The primary features of the PhotoGIMP patch for GIMP are as follows:
Similar tool organization and layout to Adobe Photoshop
Hundreds of new fonts that mimic those available in Photoshop
New Python-based filters, such as ‘heal selection’
Default settings maximize the space on the canvas
New splash screen
Following Adobe documentation, in-app shortcuts are set similarly
New icon and name using a custom .desktop file
YouTube channel Novaspirit Tech recently published a video overview of PhotoGIMP, including a quick comparison showing the differences in user interface between the standard version of GIMP and PhotoGIMP.
While PhotoGIMP does not include all the same tools and features of Photoshop, it appears to look the part. For installation instructions, refer to the PhotoGIMP github page.
Canon will send its high-resolution CE-SAT-IB satellite camera into space as part of Rocket Lab’s next payload launch, enabling it to showcase its Earth-imaging capabilities. The private aerospace company, which is based out of California, aims to provide ‘frequent and reliable’ launches, something it will demonstrate by holding its upcoming ‘Pics or It Didn’t Happen’ launch only three weeks after its ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ mission.
The launch will be coordinated by Spaceflight Inc., the company said in a press release last week. Canon’s CE-SAT-1B is a microsatellite at only 67kg (148lbs), not to be confused with the CE-SAT-IIB satellite, which is scheduled to launch via Rocket Lab later on this year.
The optical imaging system inside the CE-SAT-1B (pictured) is based on Canon’s EOS 5D Mark III design. Image via Canon
The launch will take place on Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from its Launch Complex 1 located on New Zealand’s North Island on July 4 local time. This mission will be called ‘Pics or It Didn’t Happen,’ the fourth Rocket Lab launch in the past year. The team had intended to launch the payloads earlier this year but were delayed by the pandemic.
In a statement, Canon Electronics Satellite Systems Lab group executive Dr. Nobutada Sako told Spaceflight:
This launch is very critical for Canon Electronics as we are launching a satellite where we have remarkably increased the ratio of in-house development of components compared to the previous launch. Partnering with Spaceflight on this mission has been very helpful and we look forward to a successful launch of our satellites.
Canon launched its CE-SAT-I microsatellite in 2017 from India, successfully putting its tiny satellite into orbit. The camera company detailed this effort on its global website, explaining that it already has many of the technologies necessary to build and deploy these small machines.
The CE-SAT-IB microsatellite is the first mass-produced version of the CE-SAT-1 from Canon Electronics. The satellite features solar cells and batteries for power, as well as an optical imaging system that is based on the Cassegrain 40cm telescope with a 3720mm focal length. The satellite’s detector is based on the Canon EOS 5D Mk.3 camera. With this tech, the CE-SAT-IB is able to capture Earth imagery with a resolution of 1m (3.2ft) from an orbit distance of 600km (373mi), according to NASA.
In its own announcement, Rocket Lab said last week that its launch will include a total of seven microsatellites with Canon’s CE-SAT-IB as the primary payload. Assuming everything goes according to plan, Rocket Lab plans to conduct additional launches every month for the rest of the year and into 2021. In addition to launching another Canon satellite in the coming months, Rocket Lab also anticipates its first launch for the U.S. Space Force for Q3 2020.
Shiftcam is a maker of smartphone imaging accessories best known for its 6-in-1 lens slider cases and ‘Pro’ line of accessory lenses which were all launched via successful crowdfunding campaigns.
Now the company has returned to Kickstarter with a new project: the ShiftCam ProGrip. The ProGrip is a smartphone grip designed to emulate the ergonomics of a larger camera, like a DSLR or mirrorless model. Shiftcam says it wanted to create a product that combines the accessibility and convenience of mobile phones with the familiarity and control of a traditional camera.
Landscape orientation
In addition to a quite substantial hand grip the ProGrip features a Bluetooth shutter button and a pivot construction that allows for quick rotation of the phone from landscape to portrait orientation or vice versa. This means you can shoot photos or video in any orientation without altering your hand position on the grip.
Portrait orientation
Other camera-like features include a cold shoe mount that allows you to attach lighting accessories or external microphones, and a 1/4″ tripod mount. The ProGrip also comes with a built-in battery and can charge your device wirelessly using the Qi standard. ShiftCam says the battery’s 5200 mAh capacity roughly doubles your phone’s battery life.
ProGrip with accessories
Unlike previous ShiftCam cases the ProGrip is not meant to be used with a specific smartphone model but designed to work with a long list of devices including most recent Apple, Samsung, Google, LG, Huawei and Xiaomi high-end models. ShiftCam also says that ‘based on market intelligence from our case manufacturer’ the new grip will be compatible with the yet to be launched Apple iPhone 12 series.
The ProGrip doubles as a hands-free dock with charging capability when not used for image or video capture. Thanks to the pivot design it can adjusted for content consumption or video calls.
The ProGrip doubles as a charging stand.
The ProGrip will be available in two colors, Charcoal and Putty, and backers can choose from a range of pledging options on the project’s Kickstarter page. $ 99 secures you a basic grip. The $ 119 version includes some basic accessories, like a strap or pouch. For those who have more money to spend there are also dedicated photo, video, macro and ultra-wide kits that come with accessory lenses, with pricing around the $ 200 mark. The $ 399 Pro kit includes pretty much all available accessories and a total of seven lenses.
Shipping expected for November 2020. More information is available on the ShiftCam website.
Press release:
ShiftCam ProGrip: A Reassuring Battery Grip for Mobile Phone A Smart Charging GRIP for Mobile Content Creators
ShiftCam’s latest release of an innovative ergonomic battery grip will take mobile photography to the next level. Transforming Your Mobile Device into a Professional Camera in Seconds
San Francisco, CA — (June 12, 2020) – ShiftCam, a global mobile photography gear company, has announced the launch of their latest product — ProGrip — that will be a game-changer of mobile photography for both enthusiasts and professionals. The ShiftCam ProGrip Launch will live on Kickstarter on June 16 at 1PM EDT (url: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shiftcam/progrip-areassuring-battery-grip-for-all-mobiles). This is ShiftCam’s 6th crowdfunding campaign and will be the company’s most ambitions launch yet. ProGrip will be available in two colors, Charcoal and Putty. Backers will also have the option to purchase bundle packs which includes accessories such as lenses and strap to complete the ultimate mobile photography and videography experience.
With the launch of the ProGrip, ShiftCam is on the rise to become one of the trend setters of the Mobile Photography Industry. Understanding that as the cameras on our mobile phones become more advanced and intricate with each new model, external lenses will eventually be replaced in the process. To stay ahead of the game, the designers of ShiftCam went back to their photography roots and asked themselves what is missing from the picture.
The designers recognized that one of the major differences experienced when it comes to shooting on their phones is that it just doesn’t provide the security and balance of a traditional DSLR camera, especially while shooting for long periods of time across different locations. That is why during product development, the ShiftCam team focused on creating something that focuses on comfort and functionality to further optimize the mobile photography and videography experience. They wanted to create a product that can close the gap by combining the accessibility and convenience of mobile phones, along with the familiarity and control of a traditional camera. Thus, the creation of the ProGrip, an innovative reassuring ergonomic battery grip for your mobiles.
ProGrip is designed as a camera-like grip that allows users to securely and comfortably carry and shoot on their mobile phones. With a built in Bluetooth shutter button, you even can click and photograph like you would with a traditional camera. ProGrip also doubles as a Qi wireless battery bank which can charge your mobile phones as you shoot so you are ready to take on your next adventure. With a universal fit and a built-in pivot rotation, ProGrip can be seamlessly snapped onto most of the mobile phones and rotated to take the perfect shot. In addition, the designers also incorporated features such as cold shoe mount and 1/4″ tripod screw to the ProGrip, so you can attach your favorite accessories to complete the ultimate mobile photography and videography experience. As a bonus feature, ProGrip can also be used as a charging hands free dock for those Netflix marathons or video calls.
“We started ShiftCam with the idea to provide the tools to help safeguard the ophisticated emotion called life and the memories that make us who we are,” said KL, founder and CEO of ShiftCam. “It is our passion for ShiftCam to be your help with the making of memories. After all, the best part of memories is making them, which is why we strive to create the best possible tool for our customers to do so, with their mobiles on the go.”
Over the last three years, the ShiftCam team has worked diligently to perfect their products. Their previous campaigns include the MultiLens cases for iPhones, as well as the ProLens Series which feature 6 distinct professional grade lenses that can be attached to mobile phones. Also, ShiftCam was notified as an honoree of the 2020 CES Innovation Awards. Prior to that, the company was honored as a recipient of the 2018 Red Dot Design Award winner and CES innovation Awards winner. ShiftCam has also been recognized by well-known media such as Mashable, CNET, Forbes, Tom’s Guide and D Preview etc. With the launch of ProGrip, ShiftCam will establish itself as one of the industry’s top players.
To learn more about ShiftCam’s ProGrip launch visit: https://progrip.shiftcam.com/
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.
From the dieline, a design/packaging blog I read regularly.
A student designed a package for ilford 120 rollfilm, that can be folded into a pinhole camera for said film. Supercool, although it wasn’t clear whether this was an actual product or just a design concept. Check the link for more images and info on the project.
Following in the footsteps of Canon, Fujifilm has released a Windows-only program for turning your Fujifilm camera system into a webcam.
Fujifilm X Webcam, as it’s being called, makes it possible to turn nine different Fujifilm X Series and GFX System digital cameras into webcams for use with video conferencing software such as Skype and Zoom. We previously shared how you can do this through more convoluted means, but this first-party program should make it easier and guarantee better integration with the supported Fujifilm systems, including the GFX100, GFX 50S, GFX 50R, X-H1, X-Pro2, X-Pro3, X-T2, X-T3 and X-T4.
Much like Canon’s webcam software, Fujifilm’s is Windows-only for now, so macOS users will still have to use third-party means of accomplishing this. You can download Fujifilm X Webcam for free on Fujifilm’s website.
The post 3 Reasons to Introduce Motion Blur Into Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.
Making a still image come to life can be a difficult task, especially if you don’t know the full functionality of your camera. When you’re first learning photography, it quickly becomes second nature to keep everything perfectly in focus, so you don’t instantly know how, why, and when to introduce motion blur to your images. But before you introduce motion blur, first, let’s learn what it is and how to do it.
f/6.3 – ISO 160 – 1/100 sec
What is motion blur?
First and foremost, motion blur is a lot different than a blurry image. If you shake the camera around or your subject starts to move right as you open the shutter, that creates a blurred image, but not necessarily motion blur.
Motion blur is when you purposely create an aspect of movement for your subject, but the rest of the photo is in focus. This is a really important element that makes the difference between motion blur and just a blurred image. Without some part of your photo being sharp, then your foreground and background are going to blend together and the photo won’t work.
Motion blur should also happen to something that the viewer would naturally assume is moving, like a car or a person running. Adding motion blur to something that is typically stationary, like a book or a salt shaker that is on a table, will seem awkward. Even though seeing a salt shaker move at the speed of light is an interesting idea, it won’t really make any sense to the viewer.
Now that we have the basics down, here are 3 reasons why you should introduce motion blur to your photography.
f/8 – ISO 400 – 1/40 sec
1. It tells a story
When done correctly, motion blur enhances the storytelling capability of a photo.
Imagine that you’re shooting at a horse racing track. You’re standing at an angle near the finish line, and when the two runners pass you, you compose your shot with them both in the frame and the finish line in the background.
If you introduce motion blur correctly in
your photo, then you’re going to have an awesome shot of the two runners in
motion, slightly blurred as if they are still running despite being frozen in
time. The finish line may even be in focus, along with the spectators.
This brings the viewer into the shot like they are standing right alongside you to see the race to completion. It tells the story of what you witnessed that day.
If done incorrectly, you’ll just get a blurred photo of two blobs running toward another blob. The elements in the photo will blend together and you’ll barely be able to understand what is happening in the first place.
f/2.8 – ISO 4000 – 1/80 sec
2. It adds action to your photography
Another great reason for adding motion blur to your photos is to convey a sense of “action” or “movement.” This can make your photos seem much more dynamic.
For example, imagine a dirt bike that is roaring around the side of a mountain. Imagine seeing the blurred dirt bike racing along the path while the mountain itself is in perfect focus. It almost makes it look like the dirt bike is rocketing through the frozen image, or that you’re present to witness the moment yourself.
Or, for example, imagine a dancer. If you introduce motion blur, you can show the viewer the movement that is taking place. It could be that he or she is spinning, moving their arms, or even jumping. Having the right amount of motion blur can bring the dancer to life in your photo.
You’ll need to select a slower shutter speed than you would do normally to get this to work properly. The exact settings will depend on the speed that your subject is moving at. For the bike example above, you won’t need a shutter as slow as you would need for someone walking for example.
f/4 – ISO 200 – 1/200 sec
3. It can create a wonderful effect
If you set up your camera when the lighting conditions are dark, and set a slow shutter speed so that you have a longer exposure, you can create streaking lights that not only tell a story but also look fantastic.
First, you need to make sure that you have a steady tripod. Without it, you won’t get anything other than a completely blurred picture unless you raise your ISO ridiculously high. The problem with doing that is the amount of unwanted noise that you will end up with being in your photo. So if you want the best photo possible, use a tripod.
The long exposure will mean that any vehicles that drive past will create a streaked-light effect, or the stars above will streak across the frame as the Earth rotates.
Attempting this during the day won’t work unless you use a neutral density filter like a Lee little or big stopper. Without a filter, you will just end up with a completely blown out (white) image. Even if you do get it to work, it would not have the same impact as when it is darker.
f/8 – ISO 100 – 5 sec
Getting the hang of motion blur photography isn’t very difficult. But to do it well will require practice. So, experiment a little when you introduce motion blur to your photography and keep these reasons in mind to help push you along in your trials! With experience, you’ll get to learn how and when to best introduce motion blur to your photography.
The post 3 Reasons to Introduce Motion Blur Into Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.
Fuji X-Photographer Kim Farrelly recently published a video explaining how to use a mirrorless or DSLR camera as a webcam with Zoom without using a capture card. The tutorial is only applicable to macOS, enabling photographers who are now working from home to utilize the camera hardware they already own rather than having to purchase a standalone webcam, which are increasingly hard to find.
Though the tutorial may seem a bit intimidating to users who are less tech-savvy, it’s fairly simple. Firstly, users are advised to check whether their camera supports tethering and live view, something that can be done on the Capture One website.
Assuming the camera does support these functions, the user must first download Zoom followed by XCODE from Apple onto their computer using the following command in the Terminal application:
xcode-select –install
After Xcode is installed, use the following command in terminal to open up access to use external cameras with Zoom:
The path in the second line of code must be the same as the path where Zoom is installed on the Mac. By installing Xcode and executing these two lines of code, Farrelly explains that Zoom will be able to use external webcams — or, in this case, a mirrorless or DSLR camera.
The process requires two additional applications called Camera Live and CamTwist, in that order, as well as a USB cable for tethering the camera to the computer. Farrelly explains that Camera Live version 13 works “100%” with his Fuji X-T2, but it’s unclear whether this version is needed for every camera model.
Farrelly walks viewers through this entire process, including some notes and links in the video’s description on the processes that will ‘piggyback’ each application so that the camera can ultimately be used as a webcam for Zoom video calls. Viewers who experimented with the process also dropped some additional tips, such as adding a zoom effect in CamTwist in order to remove the black bars from the video feed.
Photographer and DIY camera extraordinaire Brendan Barry has used his time in lockdown to create a camera and darkroom out of a shed in his yard.
Throughout the above 22-minute video, Barry summarizes the build process, showing what was required to turn his compact shed into an all-in-one photo room and the process required to capture the image and make the resulting prints. As you might expect from such an ambitious project, it took a good bit of time to get everything sorted out and even more time to dial in the capture and printing process.
A close-up screenshot from the video showing off the massive 1016mm (40″) F5.4 aerial reconnaissance lens used in the build.
‘In [the video] I talk through the build and operation of the shed camera, bring together a number of the processes I experiment with and shares some of the materials and approaches I use in my practice,’ says Barry in an email to DPReview. Barry specifically notes he used ‘RA4 colour reversal, B&W paper negs contacted to positives and shooting with direct positive paper, both with normal chemistry and with caffenol’ to capture and make prints of the images captured with the ridiculous rig.
While this is technically possible to do at home, it will require plenty of power tools, spare wood you might have sitting around, a generous amount of gaff tape and an insanely large lens (a 1016mm [40”] F5.4 aerial reconnaissance lens in Barry’s case).
We’ve featured Barry’s previous projects before, including his 101 Park Avenue skyscraper camera, his shipping container camera and his guide to turning any room in your home into a camera. This shed project might not be his most grandiose project to date, but it certainly required a healthy dose of elbow grease and equal amounts of patience.
You can find more of Barry’s work on his website and keep up with his latest endeavors on his Instagram profile.
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