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Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI: What you need to know

06 Jun

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI: What you need to know

The sixth and latest in Sony’s popular RX100-series, the RX100 VI is (unsurprisingly) the most powerful yet. Still pocketable, but now offering a longer zoom than any of its predecessors and an updated AF system, the RX100 VI promises to be a highly versatile camera. We’ve been poring over the specs for a while – click through this article for a closer look.

New 24-200mm (equiv) F2.8-4.5 lens

Perhaps the most obvious addition to the RX100 VI compared to its predecessors is a substantially longer zoom lens, with a claimed 4EV of optical image stabilization. Whereas the RX100 V’s zoom topped out at a modest 70mm, the RX100 VI’s lens reaches all the way to 200mm (equivalent).

In one sense, this should make the RX100 VI a more versatile camera than its predecessors, but that additional zoom range doesn’t come for free. The RX100 VI’s maximum aperture is F2.8-4.5, which is significantly slower than the F1.8-2.8 of its predecessor, and it does not include the useful built-in ND found in earlier models.

New 24-200mm (equiv) F2.8-4.5 lens

As you can see from our equivalent aperture graph, the RX100 VI’s lens offers an equivalent (in DoF terms) maximum aperture of around F8 at 24mm, and it only gets darker from there. Whether this matters depends on several factors, not least ambient light. It’s worth noting though that subject/background separation will be more challenging with the RX100 VI compared to previous-generation RX100-series cameras. That being said, it should be noted that beyond 50mm (equivalent) the RX100 VI’s lens is significantly brighter than both the Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 and the older ZS100. The maximum F12 equivalent aperture on the long end should mean less diffraction-induced softening than the F16 equivalent offered by the Panasonics.

The lens itself is comprised of 15 elements in 12 groups, featuring two ED (extra-low dispersion) aspherical glass elements and eight aspherical lens elements including four AA (advanced aspherical) lenses. Sony claims that this results in ‘outstanding sharpness from corner-to-corner at all focal lengths’ and we’ll be sure to test this for ourselves as soon as possible.

Upgraded tracking and better buffer

The RX100 VI incorporates an upgraded BIONZ X™ image processor and Front-end LSI. This has resulted in several improvements, including to autofocus speed (Sony claims an AF response time of 0.03 seconds) and superior Eye AF tracking, to the tune (again, claimed) of a 2x performance increase compared to the RX100 V.

The maximum stills capture rate of 24fps is unchanged compared to the RX100 V, but the new camera can shoot for up to 233 images, compared to around 150 in the earlier model.

Full-width oversampled 4K video

As we’ve come to expect from Sony’s RX-series as a whole, the RX100 VI offers impressive video specifications, in addition to its stills capture features. The new camera can capture 4K video at up to 30p, at a maximum bitrate of 100 Mbps. 4K video is oversampled from 5K, and the entire sensor area is utilized, resulting in very clean, detailed footage. High definition 1080p footage is also possible, at up to 120fps. High frame rate modes are available, with up to 960 fps capture.

New in the RX100 VI is an HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) gamma curve option within Picture Profiles, which in Sony’s words offers ‘an instant HDR workflow solution’. HLG gamma fits the entire dynamic range of the sensor into your video. While footage will look flat on a standard display like the rear LCD, plug the camera into an HDR display and enable its HLG mode and you’ll see your high dynamic range footage, from preserved highlights to detailed shadows, with the more lifelike contrast modern TVs offer. The use of HLG and zebras in stills also allows you perfectly expose your Raws, as we covered in our a7R III review.

Sadly, the RX100 VI omits a microphone socket, meaning that external recording will be necessary for any kind of serious filmmaking.

Touch-sensitive, tilting LCD

Oh happy day! The RX100 VI is the first RX100-series model to offer a touch-sensitive LCD. This enables touch to focus and touch shutter – both nice features that we’ve been enjoying for several years on competitive cameras. It’s particularly important for the RX100 series, which has always had limited controls and particularly cumbersome methods for selecting your AF point.

Touch-sensitive, tilting LCD

The tilt angle of the screen has also been expanded, to up to 90 degrees downwards and 180 degrees upwards. You know – for selfies.

Updated Menus

Not only have menus been updated to the far more organized structure we’ve come to expect on a7/a9 cameras, a My Menu has been added. You can populate it with your most accessed menu items, in your preferred order. This, combined with the customizable Fn menu accessible on-screen during shooting, should make it easy to quickly access your most used settings. This is particularly important on a camera with so few controls.

Redesigned ‘one push’ EVF

The RX100 VI’s XGA OLED pop-up EVF is similar to previous models in the series, but once popped-up, the finder optics no longer need to be manually extended for use. This might sound like a minor upgrade, but missing a shot because you forgot to pop out the finder window is an annoyance that will be familiar to many RX100 IV/V owners.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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SLC-1L-03: Need Light With More Edge? Aim It Away From Your Subject.

04 May

The two photos above have the same light source, same light location and same white background. The only difference in the second photo is that the light has been aimed differently. Pointing your light away from your subject—and using the edge of the beam—is a quick way to sculpt much more interesting light on a head shot or portrait.

But how far away do you need to aim it? Further than you'd think. And finding the nice edge to your light is definitely a game of inches.

Here's how to do it.Read more »
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What is a Flash Bracket and Why Do You Need One?

18 Apr

A flash bracket is a device that attaches to your camera and allows you to keep your flash at a greater distance than your built-in or shoe-mounted flash. The result is lighting that is more attractive and consistent. But it comes at the expense of adding quite of a bit of extra bulk to your camera.

In this day and age of MagMod and other portable lighting modifiers, are flash brackets still relevant for photography? Perhaps. Let’s dig into when and why you might need a flash bracket (or not).

Camera flash bracket

Parts of a flash bracket

Flash brackets typically consist of a metal frame that attaches to the tripod screw on the base of your camera. The top portion of the flash bracket will also have a cold shoe mount for attaching an external lighting source such as a speedlight flash.

Camera flash bracket

As a result of your flash no longer being connected to your camera’s hot shoe mount, you’ll have to add an extra accessory to complete your flash bracket setup. You’ll need a flash trigger, which can take the form of a dedicated TTL cord, sync cable, or a wireless radio transmitter.

Once you put it all together, you’ll have a beast of a camera rig.

Why use a flash bracket?

The reasons for needing a flash bracket depend entirely on what kind of photography you do, and the gear that you have. Generally speaking, flash brackets are useful for the following reasons.

Predictable, consistent lighting

Flash brackets allow you to have predictable, consistent lighting. This is especially key for event photographers who may need to roam between rooms with differing ambient lighting conditions. A flash bracket can help you achieve consistent lighting no matter the ambient light.

Among the most common applications for a flash bracket is at a red carpet event. If you look a the photographers working the event, almost all will have a flash bracket of some sort. That’s because they have no control over the ambient lighting at the event and must quickly take horizontal and vertical images of a fast-moving subject.

Camera flash bracket on a Canon camera

No need for an assistant

It holds your flash slightly off camera without the need to physically hold your flash off-camera or use an assistant. Again, this is most useful for event or wedding photographers who may not have an extra set of hands.

Helps you shoot in a vertical orientation

If you shoot a vertical image with direct flash attached to your camera’s hot shoe mount, you might notice that your photo subject has a sideways shadow. You’ll have a similar challenge even when trying to use your flash’s built-in bounce card or a lighting modifier such as the MagMod MagBounce.

Most speedlights don’t rotate 90 degrees, with the exception of select Sony flashes with the Quick Shift Bounce feature. In order to keep your flash position consistent when shooting horizontal and vertical photos, you need a pivoting flash bracket to help you swivel the flash to always keep it above the camera.

Shooting a vertical photo with the flash mounted to your camera’s hot shoe means your flash is at a sideways angle.

Resulting image when shooting vertically without a flash bracket. Note the heavy shadow to the subject’s side.

Shooting a vertical photo with a flash bracket keeps the flash on top of your lens, allowing for more consistent lighting.

Resulting image when using a flash bracket. The side shadow is almost totally eliminated.

What about bounce flash?

Bouncing your flash off the ceiling or using the built-in bounce card is a great way to achieve nice lighting. But depending on the type of photography you do, you can’t always guarantee there will be a good surface to bounce your flash. When you need consistent lighting in unpredictable photography environments, a flash bracket could help you out.

Shooting a vertical image with a bounce card results in awkward angles when shooting without a flash bracket.

Resulting image when shooting without a flash bracket.

Shooting a vertical image with a bounce card and a flash bracket results in an image with more balanced lighting.

Resulting photo when shooting with a flash bracket.

Recommended flash brackets

Flash brackets can range from very simple and inexpensive, to more complex and thus more costly. A straight flash bracket such as this one by Vello will be pretty cheap, costing $ 20 or less. It’s much harder to find a rotating or swiveling flash bracket that will do so smoothly and without adding too much bulk. After much research, I ended up purchasing the model below, used mainly for my red carpet photography shoots.

Custom Brackets RF-PRO Rapid Fire Flash Bracket

This flash bracket (Custom Brackets RF-PRO Rapid Fire Flash Bracket) stands out for several reasons. First, it is somewhat thin and compact, especially when folded down. This makes it easy to store and carry with me on location. The layout of the flash bracket is also such that it keeps my speedlight relatively close to my camera body and lens, making for an overall low-profile rig.

Many other flash brackets such as this option from LimoStudio end up being extremely bulky as they elevate the flash way above the camera. This might be helpful if you need to move your flash around a lot, but it makes for a much bigger footprint.

Constructed of sturdy aluminum, the Custom Brackets unit is very solid, yet relatively lightweight considering the load that it is meant to carry. And finally, it is one of few flash brackets out there that easily and quickly rotates the flash.

Camera flash bracket

So do you need a flash bracket?

If you have the luxury of setting up lighting and controlling your photography environment, you probably don’t need a flash bracket. However, if you do a lot of on-location photography and don’t always have control over your lighting factors, a flash bracket could help you out, and be a handy addition to your bag.

Do you use a flash bracket for photography? If so, tell us what brand you use and in what photography scenarios below in the comments areas.

The post What is a Flash Bracket and Why Do You Need One? appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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3 Things You Need to Know to Get Started with Infrared Photography

05 Mar

An Introduction to Infrared Photography

Infrared light is not visible to human eyes. The light your eyes see is that within what is referred to as the “visible spectrum” and infrared (IR) lies beyond this band. Thus Infrared (IR) Photography requires special equipment beyond your standard camera, to tap into this “unseen” world.

Over the years, IR photography has not only become more accessible but is also less complicated with more inexpensive options. If you have been exposed to infrared images, you immediately notice how the look stands out. While some find it rather eerie, others are intrigued by the way the ordinary transforms.

An Introduction to Infrared Photography

In this article, we’ll look at a few things you need to know to get started with infrared photography.

1) What gear do you need to shoot IR?

Filters

If you are just starting to explore this haunting genre of photography, a filter is an easy addition to your gear list. It is least expensive and a good way to gauge how much further you want to delve into and invest in infrared photography.

Infrared filters allow infrared light to hit your camera’s sensor, while at the same time prevent visible light from doing so.

3 Things You Need to Know to Get Started with Infrared Photography

Most manufacturers offer infrared filters and they can range from screw-on to slide-in filter systems. The Hoya R72 is a popular screw-on infrared filter. Interestingly this filter allows just a little bit of visible light through as well, which makes it a nice introductory filter to the world of infrared.

If you already have or prefer to use slide-in systems, note that the infrared filter should be closest to the camera body, to avoid any unwanted visible light hitting your camera sensor.

Different brand filters render color differently as they may address specific ranges of the infrared spectrum. The plus side is that you can experiment with different filters until you find the one that suits your vision.

3 Things You Need to Know to Get Started with Infrared Photography

Converted Camera

If you are committed to doing infrared, a more permanent option is having a dedicated infrared camera body. When a DSLR camera is converted, the infrared blocking filter (that resides in front of your DSLR sensor) is removed. It is a more expensive option, but the benefits include using your camera similar to how you usually do, with normal exposure values.

Note: once a camera has been converted, its sole use is infrared photography – you cannot take “regular” images with it any longer.

3 Things You Need to Know to Get Started with Infrared Photography

Film

With film photography on the rise again, infrared film is readily available and relatively cheap. Developing this film though may nullify that cost-benefit, as you will have to find a lab that has the ability to process infrared.

3 Things You Need to Know to Get Started with Infrared Photography

2) Camera Settings

RAW and JPEG

Shoot both RAW and JPEG files in the beginning. As with any images taken with a DSLR, RAW gives you the most scope when processing. If you are just starting out with infrared photography though, you may be horrified when you look at the back of your camera and see a flat pinkish red image staring back at you.

The JPEG option allows you to see a little more differentiation and determine how to adjust your settings. Believe it or not, with time you will be able to look at those dull pinkish RAW files and be able to tell if they are good or not.

3 Things You Need to Know to Get Started with Infrared Photography

Exposure

If you are using infrared filters, you will need longer exposures when you block out the visible light. So on a bright sunny day, you can work with exposure times between 30-120 seconds, at f/8. Thus a tripod is a must!

If your camera is infrared converted, your settings will vary depending on the amount of light as with normal exposures. Using the sunny day example, your settings could be 1/125th or faster at f/8.

White Balance

A topic all of its own, white balance is important in infrared photography. Refer to your camera’s manual on setting custom white balance, as this is your friend when it comes to infrared.

3 Things You Need to Know to Get Started with Infrared Photography

3) Post-processing Infrared

Auto Tone

As previously mentioned, when you shoot RAW images your output is a dull pinkish red image as shown below.

3 Things You Need to Know to Get Started with Infrared Photography

Infrared RAW image straight out of the camera.

There are several methods to start your infrared file processing, including applying a DNG profile conversion tool. One of the more common ways is to import it into Photoshop and apply Auto Tone.

Note: You can also do both of these processes if you wish.

Auto Tone applied to an infrared image.

Channel Swap

Next, to get those blue skies you need to Channel Swap your colors. While channel swapping is an essential part of infrared photography processing, there are mixed views on which channels to swap to what values. The following are some of the values that are used. Experiment until you find which one works for you:

Changing the Red and Blue Channels only:

Red Channel: Red=0, Green=0, Blue=100
Blue Channel: Red=100, Green=0, Blue=0

Changing all the channels:

Red Channel: Red=0, Green=0, Blue=100
Blue Channel: Red=100, Green=0, Blue=0
Green Channel: Red=0, Green=100, Blue=0

or another option:

Red Channel: Red=0, Green=0, Blue=100
Blue Channel: Red=100, Green=100, Blue=-100
Green Channel: Red=0, Green=0, Blue=100

After Channel Swapping has been applied.

Final Processing

Final touches include adjusting your hue/saturation and your curves and levels adjustment in Photoshop. It all comes down to your personal taste. Then there is the whole other topic of black and white infrared photography. Read more on that here: How to Enhance your Black and White images with Infrared Photography.

3 Things You Need to Know to Get Started with Infrared Photography

Conclusion

Infrared photography is a small but growing niche of photography, that has evolved with time. It offers creative choices and opens a whole new dimension to explore. You can start off simple with filters and then graduate to converting your camera to be a full-time infrared camera in time.

If you have tried infrared photography please share your tips and images in the comments below. If you haven’t, please let me know if you have any other questions.

The post 3 Things You Need to Know to Get Started with Infrared Photography by Nisha Ramroop appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Canon EOS M50: What you need to know

28 Feb

Canon ESO M50: What you need to know

The Canon EOS M50 is the brand’s beefier entry-level mirrorless camera, slated above the comparatively compact EOS M100. Both sport APS-C sensors and single control dials, but the M50 provides a 2.36M-dot EVF, hotshoe and more substantial grip (similar to the EOS M5). An articulating touchscreen adorns the back and Canon’s stellar Dual Pixel autofocus is available when shooting stills and video (in most settings… more on that later).

We’ve had time to develop some first impressions of the camera. What follows is a distillation of the keys takeaways – everything you need to know about the Canon EOS M50.

Same 24MP APS-C sensor, new Digic 8 processor

It uses the same 24MP sensor as many of its siblings including fellow M-mount cameras like the M5, M6 and M100 as well as SLRs like the EOS 80D. But it makes use of the new Digic 8 processor, giving it a few advantages over other Canon interchangeable lens cameras.

A faster burst speed is one of them: with autofocus the M50 can shoot at 7.4 fps (10 fps with focus locked). That’s a big jump from the M100’s 4 fps burst with autofocus, and even faster than the 80D’s 7 fps burst rate with AF. The one caveat is that the buffer is limited to about one second.

Another major advantage the new Digic 8 chip provides is the ability to shoot Ultra High Definition Video, making it the first Canon mirrorless camera to do so. But…

It shoots 4K but…

…don’t throw the confetti just yet, because the implementation of 4K leaves much to be desired, due to several limitations.

The most notable limitation is that you can’t use Canon’s excellent Dual Pixel autofocus when shooting 4K, which is a real shame. We love Dual Pixel AF for its ability to stick to a subject without hunting, even if the subject moves. With the M50, there’s still an option to use autofocus in 4K, but it’s Contrast Detect, so will need to ‘hunt’ and is more prone to some wobbles.

The other big limitation is a 1.6x crop when shooting UHD video – that’s on top of the sensor’s 1.6x APS-C crop. Thus, a 22mm F2 becomes the equivalent field of view to a 56mm lens. Hardly ideal.

But it’s not all caveats and bad news on the video front: the EOS M50 can shoot 1080/60p and 720/120p high frame rate capture with Dual Pixel AF. And there’s no pesky additional crop (unless you use digital stabilization).

New CR3 Raw format with a better compression setting

The M50 is the first Canon camera to offer the latest CR3 Raw format, another product of the new Digic 8 processor. Why introduce it in an entry-level camera? Because it includes a new and improved compression option that might appeal to users wishing to dip their toes in shooting Raw, but don’t want the large file sizes that come with it.

With the old CR2 Raw files, if you want to save memory card/hard-drive space, there is an option for downsized ‘small’ and ‘medium’ Raw files that are lower resolution than an ordinary CR2 file. With CR3 there is a new compression option called C Raw: a compressed, full-resolution Raw file that can be as small as half the size of a full CR3 file. And, if Canon has been sensible about it, it should offer effectively the same quality.

Increased Dual Pixel AF point coverage, Eye detect mode

There’s a couple of improvements in the autofocus department of the M50: there are now 99 selectable points to choose from, up from 49 on previous M cameras. Point coverage is still 80% x 80% when using most M-series lenses, users just now have more point precision.

That said, with some lenses – specifically the 18-150mm, 28mm macro and 55-200mm – that coverage jumps to 88% x 100% with 143 points selectable. Canon representatives gave us no concrete reason for why some, but not all, lenses offer expanded coverage. However, we’re hopeful any newly-introduced M-glass will offer the updated spread.

The M50 also introduces a new ‘Eye Detection’ AF option. We’re huge fans of Sony’s Eye AF feature, with its impressive ability to track the eye of a moving subject. Sadly, Canon’s implementation seems less useful as it only works in AF-S – better hope your subject remains still.

Better wireless connectivity

This is not the first Canon ILC to offer Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC, but it is the first to feature a ‘send to smartphone after each shot’ function. We had a little bit of time to play around with this new feature during a demonstration of the camera and found it to work well, once paired. And like other entry-level Canon ILCs, the M50 has a dedicated Wi-Fi button (visible above).

Articulating touchscreen, high-res OLD EVF

A 1.04M-dot touchscreen can be fully articulated for selfies/vlogging and flipped inward against the body to protect it from damage – the back of has a lovely faux leather texture.

There aren’t a whole lot of control points on the camera but the touchscreen somewhat makes up for it: you can use it to change quite a few settings, access the Q menu and move your AF point, all with a tap of the finger. Plus, Canon’s touch implementation is excellent on the whole: the screen is responsive and common gesture controls like swiping between images are recognized.

The 2.36M dot OLED EVF is lovely to look through and on par with the best you can get at this price point.

Mediocre battery life

Battery life isn’t stellar: at 235 shots per charge (CIPA rated), you’d be wise to carry a spare battery (though if you switch it into ‘Eco mode,’ battery life jumps to 370 shots). As always, you’ll often get more shots than the number given in the rating but it does give a good impression of longevity, and 235 shots isn’t great.

The M50 uses the same LP-E12 as the M100: a second one will cost you about $ 50 (on brand). Fortunately if you do pick up a second, the M50 ships with an external charger, so you can top it off while you’re out shooting. There is no in-body charging.

Ports, hotshoe and pop-up flash

In terms of wired connectivity, the M50 offers a 3.5mm microphone socket: a real rarity in entry-level products. There’s also a Micro-HDMI and Micro-USB port, though again, the latter does not support charging.

We like the M100’s pop-up flash because you can use your finger to direct it to bounce off the ceiling – with the M50, you can only fire the flash directly at your subject. However, unlike the M100, the M50 offers a hotshoe for use with an accessory flash.

More buttons than the M100, plus Canon’s Guide Modes and a new silent mode

We already mentioned that the M50 doesn’t have a lot of buttons, but it does have more control points than the smaller, more affordable M100, despite also being fairly point-and-shoot in nature. These additional controls/buttons include: an AE lock button, AF frame selector button, mode dial and custom function button.

And like the Canon SL2 and T7i, the M50 offers Canon’s helpful Guide Modes. These were omitted on the M100 and we’re glad to see them make their way into an entry-level Canon mirrorless product.

The M50 also gains a new silent scene mode, which sounds useful for a variety of scenarios like photographing sleeping babies or a documenting a school play. You won’t be able to control exposure settings when using it – such is the case for all ‘scene modes’ – but it’s a nice beginner-friendly feature.

What do you think?

There you have it, the EOS M50: the first Canon mirrorless camera with 4K and the new auto send-to-smartphone feature. It’s also the first Canon camera to use the new Digic 8 processor which brings about the updated CR3 Raw format. And to top things off, it has expanded Dual Pixel AF coverage (with some lenses). That’s a lot of ‘new’ to pack into an entry-level product.

So what do you think? Is the EOS M50 a sign that Canon is taking mirrorless seriously, or are you upset about the 4K limitations? And for those impressed, would you still buy the M50 despite the limited lens family (7 M-series lenses as of writing), especially when compared to that of Fujifilm X-mount or the Micro Four Thirds system? Let us know all of your thoughts, good bad and weird, in the comments below.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Pentax K-1 Mark II: What you need to know

22 Feb

Pentax K-1 Mark II: What you need to know

The Pentax K-1 was one of the most-anticipated cameras in recent memory. After many starts-and-stops, this full-frame DSLR finally arrived in 2016, much to the delight of Pentax photographers. It offered superb image quality from its 36MP CMOS sensor, 5-axis in-body image stabilization with several tricks up its sleeve, a unique (to say the least) articulating LCD and a body built like a tank.

The K-1 Mark II carries all of that over, but improves upon the K-1’s image quality thanks to a new ‘accelerator unit’ while adding the ability to use the Pixel Shift high-res mode without a tripod. Ricoh also mentions that the Mark II’s AF tracking algorithms have been improved.

Image Quality Enhancements

The K-1 II’s main addition is an ‘accelerator unit,’ which is a pre-processor that sits between the 36MP CMOS sensor and the PRIME IV image processor. Ricoh says that this pre-processor increases the signal-to-noise ratio, thus reducing noise, which implies it’s a a noise reduction process. Ricoh told us that the accelerator unit, which was found on other Pentax models like the K-70, was not ready for the K-1 when it launched.

Thus, the company has increased the top ISO to 819,200 – a big jump from 209,400 on the original model. We’d be shocked if anything near that ISO is usable, seeing how the K-1 looked at 209,400 (hint: poor, like all cameras in its class), but we’ll find out soon enough.

Ricoh says that ‘deep blues’ and ‘lively greens’ are more ‘true to life,’ as well.

The unit does put the hurt on battery life, though, reducing it to 670 shots per charge from 760 shots on the original K-1.

Pentax K-1 II: Shifting Pixels

Pixel Shift is a clever feature first seen on the K-3 II that uses the in-body image stabilization system to create a high resolution image by combining four images that are offset by a single pixel. This process cancels out the Bayer color array used on nearly all digital cameras, which both eliminates color aliasing and artifacts and removes the need to demosaic, thus improving resolution.

Pixel Shift is best-suited for shooting still objects on a tripod. On the K-1 II Ricoh is trying something that sounds a bit crazy, by using the natural shake of your hands to collect the four images needed to combine into a single high-res image. Ricoh calls this called Dynamic Pixel Shift Resolution mode, and we can’t wait to see how well it works.

What hasn’t changed

As mentioned earlier, the K-1 II retains the 36MP full-frame CMOS sensor from its predecessor, along with its PRIME IV image processor, 33-point AF system and 5-axis in-body image stabilization. In addition to its Pixel Shift and shake reduction duties, the IBIS system also allows for automatic horizon correction and AA-filter simulation.

The unique ‘Cross-Tilt’ LCD makes an appearance on the Mark II, complete with LEDs that can shed light on nearby controls. You can compose your photos through a large pentaprism viewfinder with a magnification of 0.70x and 100% coverage (naturally).

The built-in GPS on the K-1 II not only allows for geolocation but is also used for the camera’s Astrotracer feature, which lets you capture celestial bodies without star trails.

We could keep listing the K-1 II’s features, but since they’re identical to those on the original, check out our review of that camera for all the details.

Good News for K-1 owners

Nobody wants to be left out in the cold when their camera gets replaced. Ricoh hasn’t forgotten this, and will be giving current K-1 owners the opportunity to upgrade to the K-1 Mark II for a limited time.

Between May 21st and September 30th (in North America), K-1 owners can ship their cameras to a Ricoh service center, where the logic board will be replaced with the one found in the Mark II. Pricing for the upgrade is set at $ 550 in the US and $ 690 CAD in Canada.

Pricing and Availability

The K-1 Mark II will begin shipping this April. It will be sold body-only for $ 1999 or with the HD Pentax-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 ED DC WR lens for $ 2399.

If you’re a current K-1 owner, are you thinking about upgrading to the Mark II? Let us know in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Fujifilm X-H1: What you need to know

17 Feb

Introduction

The Fujifilm X-H1 arrived in the last few hours of February 14th, at least out here on the West Coast in the US, making it a Valentine’s gift that came in just under the wire for the Fujifilm faithful. It’s deserving of a big red bow with a range-topping APS-C 24MP X-Trans sensor, sitting above the X-T2. It builds on many of the X-T2’s features by adding in-body image stabilization, a touchscreen and enhanced video options. Here’s a detailed look at everything that’s new and improved.

Image Quality

Given the camera’s pedigree and the initial results we’ve seen, the X-H1 looks highly capable of great image quality. The sensor, shared with the X-T2, has already shown itself to have performance comparable with the best of its APS-C peers, both in terms of dynamic range and noise performance at high ISO settings.

Throw in Fujifilm’s excellent film simulation modes (plus a bonus new one!), and you’ve got a mighty tempting camera for stills shooters. However, the camera’s unique X-Trans color filter pattern is worth taking into account – your results will vary greatly depending on your Raw conversion software.

Further enticing stills photographers is the X-H1’s healthy 14 fps burst rate with electronic shutter and 8 fps with mechanical shutter (which can be boosted to 11 with an optional grip). Buffer depth looks reasonably good too, allowing for 40 JPEG shots or 23 uncompressed Raws (27 compressed). Fujifilm also promises autofocus improvement, with better performance in low light and at smaller apertures. All excellent news.

Image Stabilization

Despite Fujifilm previously suggesting that it couldn’t be done, the X-H1 offers in-body stabilization rated up to 5 stops. Unusually, Fujifilm says the system works better with non-IS lenses because they project a larger image circle and tend to be neither too long nor too wide, both of which are harder to stabilize. With such a lens, up to 5.5 stops of stabilization can be achieved.

Viewfinder and rear LCD

Comparing to the X-T2, the X-H1 gets a higher resolution viewfinder: a 3.69 million dot OLED panel with 0.75x magnification to the X-T2’s 2.36 million dots and 0.77x magnification. Like the X-T2, the X-H1 provides a 3″ 1.04 million dot rear LCD that tilts upwards and downwards, but of course, adds touch sensitivity where the X-T2 has none.

The X-H1, like the X-T2, also comes with a ‘Boost’ mode that increases the viewfinder refresh rate from 60Hz to 100Hz for a smoother look.

Touchscreen

The X-H1’s touchscreen is all-around nice to have, allowing you to place a focus point with a tap, tap and acquire focus, or acquire focus and shoot all with one touch. It’s also usable as a touchpad with the camera to your eye. That said, we have a word of caution – in our initial use of the touchscreen both setting focus points and touchpad operation, the screen has felt noticeably laggy.

The LCD also provides touch control of the camera’s Q.Menu, and in playback mode offers quick access to 100% image viewing, along with gesture-controlled swiping and scrolling. As in the X-E3, a swipe across the shooting screen acts as a Fn button shortcut.

Video specs

The latest generation of flagship mirrorless cameras take video very seriously, and Fujifilm has definitely gotten the memo. The X-H1 offers DCI 4K in 23.98p and 24p, as well as UHD 4K in 23.98/24/25/29.97p. Where the X-T2 requires an external recorder to use flat Log capture, the X-H1 allows for internal F-Log recording. The camera offers bitrates of up to 200 Mbps and 24-bit audio (vs 16-bit on the X-T2).

Plenty of other goodies are on offer for videographers, like a new Eterna/Cinema film simulation mode, slow motion 1080p capture, and the ability to record full HD internally while outputting 4K over HDMI. Autofocus in movie mode is still a bit of a question mark, but rest assured we’ll be putting it to the test in short order.

Video interface and usability

In a further nod to the X-H1’s cinematic leanings, Fujifilm’s included specific shutter speed options in video mode that directly correspond to 90, 180 and 360 degree shutter angles on more dedicated video cameras. In other words, instead of being stuck with shutter speeds of 1/25 sec, 1/50 sec or 1/100 sec for shooting 24p video, you can choose 1/24 sec, 1/48 sec, 1/96 sec, and so on.

Touchscreen benefits aren’t limited to stills applications either – Fujifilm put a lot of thought into adding touch control for video shooters. Movie Silent Control disables the aperture ring, shutter speed dial and ISO dial, shifting those settings to touch control. This makes it easy to leave settings dialed in for stills, and then jump quickly to video shooting with separate settings. It’s a great feature to have if you’re, say, shooting stills and video at the same time at a wedding reception, but our initial impression is that the interface itself feels a bit fiddly.

It’s worth noting that the newly announced X-mount versions of Fujifilm’s MK cinema lenses will work beautifully on the X-H1, as you can see your aperture as T-stops rather than F-stops.

Unfortunately, despite all the strides Fujfilm’s made for video users, there’s a notable lack of exposure aids of any kind – you don’t even get zebra warnings, much less waveforms.

Who’s it for?

It’s not totally clear-cut who this camera is for. High-end stills shooters who want an X-T2 with stabilization may feel that their ship has finally arrived. But with so much emphasis on video features, is this a camera that’s better suited for photographers who need to shoot video along with their stills?

Fujifilm tells us it’s a camera for both parties. Like the Sony a6500, it acts as a step-up model even if you aren’t planning on shooting video (a step-up model that happens to be VERY capable in the video department). So if you’re a stills shooter who buys one, do us a favor and give the movie mode a try – it looks pretty darn good so far.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9: What you need to know

16 Feb

Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9: What you need to know

Nominally at least, the new Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9 is the successor to the GX8. But while it has a lot in common with the earlier model, the new camera comes with some serious updates, and a couple of caveats. In some ways in fact, the GX9 can be thought of as a step-up model from the GX85, rather than as a direct successor to the more expensive GX8.

We’ve had access to a pre-production GX9 for a few days, and we’ve been digging into its feature set. Here’s what you need to know.

No low-pass filter

The GX9 incorporates the same 20MP Micro Four Thirds sensor as its predecessor, but omits the low-pass filter found on previous models. JPEG shooters might not see much of a difference, but this should allow you to eke out a little more detail in low-ISO Raw files.

Redesigned shutter – no more ‘shutter shock’

The GX8 was a very likable camera, but at certain shutter speeds, we encountered issues with so-called ‘shutter shock’ when the vibration caused by the shutter movement blurred fine detail. We reported this issue to Panasonic at the time, and apparently they took it seriously. The GX9 features a redesigned shutter, which should result in a 90% reduction in shutter shock, compared to its predecessor. That’s according to Panasonic – obviously we’ll be testing it for ourselves as soon as possible.

As well as the mechanical shutter, you also have the option of engaging the silent, fully-electronic shutter from 1 – 1/16,000 sec. If you’re taking pictures in a very quiet environment, this is the way to go, but distortion might become an issue when shooting fast moving subjects.

Tilting EVF (but not the same viewfinder)

One of our favorite features of the GX7 and GX8 were their tilting viewfinders, and we’re pleased to see that this design has been carried over into the GX9.

The bad news is that it’s not the same finder. The GX9’s EVF is a field-sequential type, featuring 2.7 million dot (equivalent) resolution and an equivalent magnification of 0.7X, compared to the 1.04 million-dot, 0.77X magnification OLED of the GX8. The GX9’s viewfinder image is very nice, but it’s a little smaller, and (being field-sequential) it is also prone to ‘rainbow effect’, if you’re one of the people who are bothered by that.

Touch-sensitive rear LCD – tilting only

As well as a tilting EVF, the GX9 also features a tilting, 1.24 million-dot rear LCD. The 3″ screen is touch-sensitive, allowing for (among other thing) easy AF point placement. By contrast, the GX8’s rear LCD was fully-articulating. Some people prefer tilting screens, some people don’t, which will determine whether or not you see this as an up or downgrade.

Continuous shooting and autofocus

Continuous shooting is possible at up to 9 fps with focus locked (and no live view), or 6fps with live view and/or in continuous AF mode. While the GX9’s sensor is not set up for on-sensor phase detection, Panasonic’s Depth from Defocus autofocus technology does a pretty good job of focus acquisition and tracking. DFD uses the individual (de)focus blur characteristics of modern Panasonic Micro Four Thirds lenses to quickly drive the lens’s focus groups in the right direction, largely avoiding the distracting hunting behavior of conventional contrast-detection AF systems. Face and eye-detection AF modes both work well.

In use, the GX9 isn’t in the same league as its action-focused stablemate the G9, but autofocus is fast and accurate in most shooting situations.

4K video

As well as stills, the GX9 can also capture UHD 4K video, at up to 30p. The maximum bitrate of 100Mbps (4K/30) isn’t competitive against Panasonic’s more pro-oriented GH5 and GH5S, but the GX9 should be more than capable of satisfying the needs of occasional videographers.

Video is initiated via the distinctive red button at the center of the main on/off switch, just behind the shutter release in this image. Note also the integrated exposure mode / compensation dials on the upper right of the GX9’s body.

I/O ports door

We don’t normally get too excited by the door that covers I/O ports but we’ll make an exception for the GX9…

I/O ports door

…because the GX9’s ports door is a little bit special. Rather than flapping around, getting in the way of your USB or HDMI cables whenever they’re plugged into the camera, the door hides itself away inside the body of the camera. Neat.

4K Auto Marking and Sequence Composition

Two new 4K features have been added in the GX9: Auto Marking, which automatically marks faces or motion in your video (full disclosure – try as we might, we cannot get this feature to work in our pre-production camera), and 4K Photo Sequence Composition (shown above).

Sequence Composition allows you to shoot a moving sequence in 4K, and then quickly create a composite JPEG in-camera by dragging and dropping the moving element/s from neighboring frames.

5-axis image stabilization

The GX9 features in-body stabilization, which combines with the optical stabilization systems in many Panasonic M43 lenses to offer 5-axis stabilization for a total benefit of around 4EV.

While not up there with the G9 and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II’s 6EV+ stabilization systems, 4EV is still very useful, and should mean for example that with a 25mm lens (50mm) equivalent, sharp images can be taken right down to 1/8sec.

New ‘Dynamic’ monochrome mode

A new ‘L Monochrome: Dynamic’ mode has been added to the GX9’s suite of Creative Control effects, along with a random (i.e. non-repeating) monochrome grain effect. Normally we’re pretty indifferent towards modes like this on enthusiast-grade cameras, but the results when shooting in Monochrome D mode + grain actually look really good. Not quite Kodak Tri-X good, but close.

Built-in flash

Also new compared to the GX8 is a small built-in flash. This pop-up flash is available for close-range portraits and fill light, but with a guide number of 4.2 (ISO 100) it won’t replace an external flash for anything more than that.

The GX9 is compatible with Panasonic’s wireless flash control system, when paired with DMW-FL200L / FL360L / FL580L flashguns.

Optional grip and eyecup

The GX9 features a fairly skinny (but perfectly comfortable) handgrip, but if you want a bit more of a handful, an optional grip is available for the pretty reasonable price of $ 59.

Optional grip and eyecup

A wider eyecup is also available as an optional extra, for more comfortable shooting when wearing glasses.

Wi-Fi- and LE Bluetooth

As we’d expect from a modern Panasonic camera, the GX9 features built-in Wi-Fi for image transfer to and remote control from a mobile device, but low-energy Bluetooth (BLE) is a new addition.

BLE allows the camera to maintain a constant connection, allowing for easy wireless remote triggering and avoiding the need to go through lengthy and sometimes frustrating connection steps every time you want to use a wireless feature.

Body, sealing and battery life

The GX9 is about 25g heavier than the GX85, and about 40g lighter than the GX8. It’s slightly smaller than the GX8, too, and lacks the older models’ weather-sealing. Weather-sealing is one of those rather nebulous ‘features’ that means different things to different manufacturers, but if you enjoy shooting in all winds and weathers, take note – you have been warned.

In terms of battery life, the GX9 uses the same DMW-BLG10 battery as the GX85, and as such its CIPA-rated battery life has dropped compared to the GX8, to around 250 images per full charge. It’s not all bad news though – this increases to around 900 shots in Eco Mode, and as always, it’s likely that a stills-focused photographer will be able to get quite a bit more endurance than the CIPA figures suggest. We’d still invest in a spare battery, just in case.

What do you think?

The GX9 is dividing our commenters – some of you like the focus on feature enhancement, and don’t mind the loss of an articulating screen, weather-sealing, and the rest while others are unhappy that Panasonic hasn’t doubled-down on some of the GX8’s unique features.

Some of you, like us, are probably just confused by Panasonic’s ever-changing naming scheme for its entry-level and midrange ILCs. Which camp do you fall into? Let us know in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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3 Bad Habits You Need to Break to Improve Your Photography

31 Jan

Teaching our photography workshops over the years, my wife and I have come to recognize there are three things many people do habitually which do not help the advancement of their photography experience. Here are three bad habits for you to break in order to improve your photography.

Man who works making gold leaf in Mandalay, Myanmar - 3 Bad Habits to Break to Improve Your Photography

1. Don’t always stand when you take photos

Most beginner photographers do this. They stand at their full height to take a photo. It’s very natural to stand upright and take photos, but it is incredibly limiting. Sure, you see the world from a standing position most of the time, but it’s not always, (or even often,) the most interesting point of view from which to photograph something.

Climbing up on a chair or lying down on the ground will often give you a far more interesting perspective. Getting low or getting up high will afford you a different view of your subject which may be far more interesting because it is not how your subject is typically seen.

Parents and young daughter working in a field in Myanmar - 3 Bad Habits to Break to Improve Your Photography

Squat down to make eye contact with your smaller subjects.

Look around you for opportunities

I am always looking around for opportunities to get above my subject to make photographs. But you don’t have to go to extremes. Just squatting down or even bending your waist slightly and you will see your subject differently than when you’re standing upright – as will the viewers of your images (that is the key to standing out from the pack).

Snacks on a blue table in Myanmar. - 3 Bad Habits to Break to Improve Your Photography

Getting up higher, above your subject can create a more interesting photo.

Think about it each time you go to make a new photo. Consider getting lower or higher up than your subject. If you can, make a series of photos at each position and compare them all later on your computer. If you do this, pretty soon it will become a new habit.

men sitting having breakfast in a market in Myanmar - 3 Bad Habits to Break to Improve Your Photography

A lower perspective and using the man’s arm in the foreground created this interesting portrait.

2. Research and understand your subject

Starting to photograph something new and not knowing anything much about your subject is limiting. If you don’t have some understanding of what you are creating photos of they will be more likely to look like anyone else’s photos of the same subject. Getting to know and understand your subject, even a little, before you take any photos will help improve your photography.

I am often surprised when we begin a day photography workshop here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, how little our customers know about the location. We don’t spend a lot of time teaching about the history or the economy. But some essentials about culture and way of life are so beneficial to help people have some understanding of what they are photographing.

For example, knowing that it’s okay to politely photograph monks, knowing a few phrases in the local language, knowing which direction the traffic moves on the road, etc. These are all simple things that can help you have a richer photography experience if you know about them in advance.

Young novice monks in a morning market in Mandalay, Myanmar - 3 Bad Habits to Break to Improve Your Photography

Monks in a morning market in Myanmar.

Connect with people

Getting to know a person before you photograph them will help you relate to one another and certainly alter the type of images you will make compared to having no communication with them beforehand. Photographing someone you already know is often easier, unless they are adverse to having their picture taken. But when you meet a stranger and want to photograph them it’s often best to connect with them first, even on some level (a smile can work too).

Happy market vendor in Mandaly, Myanmar. - 3 Bad Habits to Break to Improve Your Photography

It does not often take much to encourage a smile.

A smile and saying “Hello”, (preferably in their language) are the best icebreakers most of the time. Often when I am photographing in the streets or markets I will just smile, say hello, and nod at my camera. If the person smiles back I go ahead and make a few pictures. I will then show them the back of my camera so they can see their photos. If I get a favorable response I will turn the camera around and continue to make some more photos.

When I find a person who enjoys the interaction and the experience I will spend more time. This relationship is valuable. Taking the time to relate to and get to know your subject even a little, will help you to make more creative photographs of them because they will be more relaxed and happy that you are showing an interest in them.

A quick internet search on anything you are want to photograph will provide you with more reading than you’re willing to do in a single sitting. You don’t have to go overboard with it, but do spend some time finding the essential information about your chosen subject so you are more informed and more interested in the location and/or person.

blue yellow and green painted boat on the water. 3 Bad Habits to Break to Improve Your Photography

3. Use Manual Mode

Learning to use Manual Mode consistently when you are photographing will help your photography more than anything. Having your camera set to any of the Automatic or semi-automatic modes means your camera is in control of the exposure.

Photography is so much about light. The word “photography” literally means drawing with light. If you have no light you cannot make a photograph. The more you can appreciate and understand light, the better you can learn to control the exposure settings on your camera, and the more you will develop as a photographer.

Worker in a field in Myanmar - 3 Bad Habits to Break to Improve Your Photography

Learn to master your camera

I know there are a lot of hard-core photographers who prefer using auto modes, but it’s really not that difficult to learn to master your camera in Manual Mode and gain the maximum amount of control and creativity with your exposures.

Your camera is incredibly intelligent and capable of making even exposures in many situations. But your camera is not creative. You are!

Kayan long neck woman cooking outdoors in Myanmar - 3 Bad Habits to Break to Improve Your Photography

Taking the time to study a little about how cameras function to capture an image will help you to control your camera more precisely. It doesn’t matter that much which camera you study as they have not essentially changed how they make an exposure since they were first invented.

Practicing in Manual Mode, (and not cutting corners and slipping back into an auto mode,) will help you build your confidence and speed every time you come to make photographs.

Kayan long neck woman in a house in Myanmar - 3 Bad Habits to Break to Improve Your Photography

Conclusion

Stepping out of your comfort zones and breaking some (bad) habits will help you to develop your style and you will come to enjoy your photography experience more and more.

Move around, look for alternative locations to make your photos. Learn about your subject. The more interested you are and the more knowledge you have will enhance your experience and you will therefore also produce more interesting photographs. Take the time and practice in Manual Mode. You may be frustrated at first because it is more difficult, but the results you will achieve will be well worth your effort.

The post 3 Bad Habits You Need to Break to Improve Your Photography by Kevin Landwer-Johan appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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DJI Mavic Air: What you need to know

25 Jan

DJI Mavic Air

This week at an event in New York City DJI introduced its newest drone, the Mavic Air, a foldable model that looks like a mashup between the company’s popular Mavic Pro and diminutive Spark models. There’s a lot to be excited about here, given that it seems to have inherited most of the advanced features from the Mavic Pro while visually resembling the smaller Spark.

Who’s it for? The event’s tagline, ‘Adventure Unfolds’, provides a pretty good hint. DJI is clearly aiming the Mavic Air at travelers, outdoor photographers, and particularly adventurers who plan to go off the beaten track. We expect it to be popular among athletes and adventure filmmakers, though its combination of advanced features in a small package will likely appeal to users of all types.

Size and weight

Above: The folded Mavic Air is actually slightly smaller than the Spark, though it’s still a bit heavier.

The Mavic Air weighs in at a svelte 430 grams (a little less than a pound). That’s a bit heavier than the 300 gram Spark, but substantially lighter than than the larger Mavic Pro (734 grams). Impressive, given that its feature set is much closer to that of the Mavic Pro than the Spark.

Also, when you consider the folding design of the Mavic Air, it’s arguably more portable than the Spark which, while very lightweight, doesn’t benefit from the folding design. Unless cost is a deciding factor, it would be hard not to choose the Mavic Air if portability is your priority.

Camera and gimbal

The Mavic Air uses the same 12MP 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor as the Mavic Pro, so it’s reasonable to expect similar image quality at the sensor level, though some miniaturization was required to fit the camera onto such a small drone.

The Air has a 24mm (equiv.) F2.8 lens, providing a 85º FOV. That’s a bit slower than the Mavic Pro, which has a 28mm F2.2 lens with a 79º FOV. In this respect, the Air’s camera has more in common with the Spark, which has a 25mm F2.6 lens and a 82º FOV.

Despite its very small size, the gimbal is a 3-axis design rather than the 2-axis design found on the Spark. That’s a good thing. In our review of the Spark we called out the 2-axis gimbal as one of that model’s weak points. DJI tells us that it put a lot of effort into the design of the gimbal on the Mavic Air, building in multiple layers of vibration reduction and creating a recessed casing that protects the camera. It also claims that it’s the smallest camera mounted on a 3-axis gimbal on the market.

Still photography

The Mavic Air has a lot for still photographers to like. It has the same 12MP sensor as the Mavic Pro and Spark, however unlike the Spark the Air supports Raw image capture in DNG format. Lack of Raw support was one of our major cons when we reviewed the Spark, and we know that it was a showstopper for a lot of photographers who otherwise liked that model. With the Air, there’s now an option for a tiny drone that does shoot Raw, and we anticipate that it will be a product that motivates many photographers to take the leap into the world of drones.

In addition to Raw capture, the Air can capture vertical, horizontal, and 180º panoramas. It will also create very high resolution 32MP spherical panoramas, which it does by automatically shooting 25 still images and stitching them together in about 8 seconds. A built-in HDR function is available for shooting scenes with high dynamic range.

We know a lot of photographers were hoping for a 1″-type sensor similar to the one found on the Phantom 4 Pro/Advanced models. As much as we love the idea ourselves, it’s probably an unrealistic expectation for a drone of this size, especially considering DJI’s focus on making the Mavic Air as compact as possible.

Video

The Mavic Air has impressive video capabilities, and even outperforms both the Mavic Pro and Spark in this area. It captures UHD 4K/30p with a 100Mbps H.264 codec, similar to the more expensive Phantom 4 Pro/Advanced. Unlike those models, however, it doesn’t provide the option to record in the newer HEVC (H.265) codec that retains more detail at a similar bit rate.

In the event that slow motion video is needed, the Mavic Air also captures 2.7K/60p, as well as 1080/120p.

Controller

The included controller works with a smartphone and operates at a range up to 4km / 2.5mi. It appears visually similar to the Mavic Pro and Spark controllers, but unlike those models DJI designed the Air’s controller to be as compact as possible for transport. It’s even possible to remove the flight control sticks if necessary to fit into a very tight space. This should be a welcome feature to adventurers who may want to stuff the Air into a backpack full of other equipment, such as climbing gear and ropes, without risking damage or taking up any more space than absolutely necessary.

Gesture control

Gesture control is a feature that the Mavic Air inherits from it’s smaller sibling, the Spark, which can be used to control the drone using hand motions. This is particularly useful if you’re trying to film yourself while doing an activity, such as climbing or kayaking, in which your hands are occupied with other tasks. (Or, for that matter, when you just don’t want the controller in your shot.)

In our review of the Spark we noted that gesture control was a very hit or miss experience. DJI tells us that the gesture control system on the Mavic Air has been ‘significantly improved’ and has more precision and reliability. Based on our hands-on experience with the Air at DJI’s launch event, we’re inclined to believe this. It seemed much more responsive to our gestures and didn’t hesitate to respond to our commands. We’ll give it a more rigorous test in our full review, but signs are good. Gesture control should work at distances up to 5.8m / 19ft.

One additional useful feature when using gesture control is the obstacle avoidance system; you won’t have to worry about accidentally backing the drone into something if it mis-reads your gestures.

Obstacle avoidance

Above: Obstacle avoidance sensors on the Mavic Air.

Obstacle avoidance is becoming a more common feature on drones, and the Mavic Air has a very comprehensive system, including dual forward, downward, and backward cameras. While not foolproof, obstacle avoidance makes it much less likely that you’ll accidentally run your drone into a barn. We know it sounds kind of funny, but it does happen and can be an expensive mistake.

This feature is useful for other reasons as well, such as when you (or your aircraft) invoke the ‘return to home’ function. With obstacle avoidance, your drone is more likely to actually make it.

Advanced Pilot Awareness System (APAS)

In addition to obstacle avoidance, the Mavic Air goes a step further with a feature DJI calls ‘Flight Autonomy 2.0’, which conducts real-time positioning by building a 3D map of the environment around the aircraft.

This 3D mapping supports DJI’s ‘Advanced Pilot Awareness System’ (or APAS), which provides more sophisticated obstacle avoidance. Instead of simply stopping in its tracks when an obstacle is detected, APAS will plan a path to bypass or go around obstacles, allowing the drone to continue on its course.

Intelligent flight modes

One of the more useful features on DJI’s drones is its ActiveTrack technology. ActiveTrack follows a moving subject while allowing the pilot to focus on getting the right shot, and often results in more cinematic looking footage. However, it’s not infallible and will often lose a subject.

DJI claims that ActiveTrack on the Mavic Air is much more precise than on previous models, and notes that it now has the ability to detect multiple subjects simultaneously. (We’re not sure what will happen when those subject go in opposite directions, but we’ll make sure to test that when we review the product.) Also, thanks to APAS, the Air will be able to follow subjects more effectively thanks to the drone’s ability to navigate around obstacles.

Intelligent flight modes

Above: ‘Asteroid mode’ begins with a spherical panorama and zooms in.

In addition to improved ActiveTrack technology, DJI has introduced two new intelligent flight modes called ‘Asteroid mode’ and ‘Boomerang mode’.

Asteroid mode creates a sort of hybrid clip in which a spherical panorama zooms in to a short video clip. Boomerang mode does pretty much what its name suggests, flying up and away from a subject before returning, creating an interesting cinematic effect.

Animated GIF showing ‘Boomerang mode’ in action.

Memory and connections

Like most drones, the Mavic Air stores photos and video on a microSD card. However, it also includes 8GB of built-in onboard storage. This is a thoughtful addition, and any drone pilot who has been flying for a while has probably had at least one experience of arriving on location only to discover an empty memory card slot. Having some amount of built-in memory could save the day. This is particularly true given the Air’s target audience of adventurers, many of whom may be a long way from their car when discovering their mistake.

The Mavic Air also adopts the newer USB-C standard for connecting to other devices.

Battery

The Mavic Air’s battery provides 21 minutes of flight time. That’s quite a bit less than the Mavic Pro (27 minutes), but five minutes more than the Spark (16 minutes). However, considering that it’s more similar in weight to the Spark it seems to be a reasonable compromise, and extra batteries are relatively small.

Speaking of extra batteries, if you want to add some to your kit they’ll run you $ 79 each. DJI also sells a battery charging hub for the Air that charges up to four batteries in sequence according to their power levels. At $ 49 it seems like a very useful accessory.

Performance

The Mavic Air has an operational ceiling of 5000m / 16,404 ft. It’s unlikely to be a critical factor for most people, but adventure filmmakers documenting mountaineers will probably take all the altitude they can get. DJI is quick to point out that the Mavic Air is the fastest Mavic to date, with a top speed of 42.5 Mph in Sport mode. Is that important? Possibly. If you’re shooting a bicyclist barreling down a hill at breakneck speed it’s likely helpful, though maybe not so much if you’re filming someone canoeing across a glassy pond.

Colors

The Mavic Air is available in three impressively descriptive colors: Arctic White, Onyx Black, and Flame Red. Take your pick.

We were a bit disappointed to discover that there’s no option for DPReview Blue, but we’ll mention this to the folks at DJI so they’ll remember next time around…

Availability

The Mavic Air costs $ 799 in the standard package, which includes a protective case, propeller guards, and a remote control. A ‘Fly More’ combo that includes an additional set of propellers, two extra batteries, a folding charging hub that charges two batteries, and a shoulder pack will be available for $ 999.

It’s possible to pre-order the Mavic Air immediately, with shipments and retail availability expected beginning on January 28.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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