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Godox SL60W Review – A Light for Those that Don’t Like Flash

07 Jul

The post Godox SL60W Review – A Light for Those that Don’t Like Flash appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sean McCormack.

The SL60W is a monobloc-style LED continuous light from Godox. Godox is probably more well known for its excellent flash systems, which incorporates everything from small Speedlites to 600W battery flashes. We’ll see if they can also match this excellence in continuous light with the Godox SL60W.

About the light

While taking the look of a monobloc, the Godox SL60W is actually smaller than a typical studio flash head. It still weighs in at a hefty 1.6kg. First impressions of this light in the box were that it was a little smaller than I expected and that although it looked plastic, it looked well made.

Removing the light hood revealed the LED itself and the aluminum heatsink. It gave the light an immediate hi-tech look – instantly increasing the perceived build of the lamp. The heatsink, combined with the internal fan, keeps the LED chip cool.

As the LED lamp is a combined controller chip and LED, it means the light has a high CRI, translating to accurate and consistent color in use. Rated at 5600k ±300, this is daylight balanced, which matches your midday light and any flashes you may have.

In the box are a long IEC cable, a Bowens mount reflector and remote control. The remote needs AAA batteries (not included). The remote can be set to 16 channels with 4 groups, the same as the light. This allows for a large number of lights to be controlled remotely. While the remote does appear to allow temperature changes, this light is white light only. You can dim the light from 100-10%. A single pushes give 1% changes while holding down the + or – buttons speeds this up. You can also turn the LED off from the remote, while the light remains powered up.

As well as the remote, you can dim the light from the dial on the back, and power on and off.

The included reflector has a pop-out hole that allows an umbrella shaft to run through, for better on-axis light modification.

Specifications

The Godox SL60W has the following specifications:

AC Power Supply: AC 100~240V 50/60Hz
Channels: 16
Groups: 6 Groups (A-F)
Power: 60W
Color Temperature: 5600k ± 200K
100% Illuminance (LUX): 4100 (1M)
100% Luminous Flux: 4500
Color Rendering Index: >93
TLCI (Qa): >95
R9: >80
Light Brightness Range: 10%-100%
Operation Temperature: 10-50ºC
Safe Temperature: <70ºC
Dimension: 23X24X14cm (without lamp cover)
Net Weight: 1.61kg approx

The key things to note are that the light can be used worldwide and has high color accuracy.

Why continuous light?

Despite having years of experience with flash, I get that it takes time to learn. You’re effectively guessing what the light will look like, every time. With continuous light, there is no guessing. You turn it on and modify it as you see fit. Every change you make is there before your eyes. You can immediately see if it’s bright enough, and whether or not moving the light will improve the shot.

The first and foremost thought about using the SL60W is that what you see is quite literally what you get. No guessing or external metering required. Your in-camera meter will give an accurate reading and those on mirrorless with preview simulation on will see the shot in-camera before shooting (same for Live View users with Exposure Simulation on).

You’re reading this article at a photography site, but it’s worth mentioning that this light is perfect for basic lighting applications for video such as YouTube channels. Yes, it has a fan, but the light position behind camera mixed with directional mics should minimize this during recording.

Changing the look

You may be considering this light for food or product photography, so here’s how you can change the look of the light to get a variety of photo options. There are a few ways of getting modifiers onto the light. The most basic is the umbrella slot in the stand mount, coupled with the standard reflector. You can use either bounce or shoot-through umbrellas for this.

Further options open up with the Bowens mount. Any modifier than can fit a studio light with a Bowens S-type mount will work. As most studio lights have modeling bulbs that heat up inside the modifier, it should work no bother with the SL60W.

Hard light

With just the included reflector you get a crisp hard light. Placing the edge of the light roughly 2-feet from the side of the plate gives you an in-camera reading of 1/400sec ISO200 at f/2.4. (My Fuji has a default ISO of 200).

By bringing in a white foamcore card from the opposite side, it fills in the shadows. While the hard shadows from the reflector are still visible, the bounced light softened the overall look.

Soft light

By placing a shoothru umbrella on the light, you’ll get a softer light, but at the expense of lower power. This is because you tend to lose about two-stops of light when using any kind of diffuser modifier.

I’m using a Westcott double fold with the black back removed. The umbrella edge is also about 6-inches closer to the plate than the reflector, giving you a reading of 1/160 ISO200 at f/2.4. Not quite a full two-stop drop, but close. Notice how much softer the shadows are, even without a bounce card.

Adding your card again makes a difference. You could increase the shutter speed to compensate, but this sample hasn’t changed to show the increased light in the scene

Lighting product

With photographing products, it’s similar. Here’s the hard light scene on some colorful products. The high CRI means that you know you have good color accuracy here.

First, the reflector.

Using the white reflector card:

And the umbrella:

Finally, here’s how the umbrella looks with the foamcore card.

If you’re shooting for e-commerce, or even like this situation where you need to create product shots for reviews or tutorials, the SL60W makes it remarkably easy.

Here are a few random shots in this vein.

I’ve started making camera wrist straps and bracelets, so this light makes it easy to capture shots of my work.

Portraits

Again, the “what you see is what you get” factor is great. Using Fuji’s iOS app, I could pose myself easily for this self-portrait. Here I’ve used a Neewer 26″ Octagonal Softbox. This is now my go-to YouTube video setup.

Conclusions

The Godox SL60W is a keenly-priced continuous light with accurate color, good remote control, and more than adequate output for most of your indoor lighting applications. As well as photo applications, you’ll find it’s also usable for video – something more and more photographers are involved in.

If you need more light, the Godox SL200W is a higher-powered option.

I can’t speak to the long term reliability of the product yet, but I do own quite a few Godox products – some for quite a few years – and they still function perfectly.

The post Godox SL60W Review – A Light for Those that Don’t Like Flash appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Sean McCormack.

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Canon EOS 6D Mark II Review: Full-Frame King?

02 Jul

Moving from the APS-C to the full-frame world can be a very intimidating thing to do. After all, you’re going to spend a significant amount of money; money you have most likely been saving up for quite some time. There are so many options out there, and we know you want to pick a camera that will give the most Continue Reading

The post Canon EOS 6D Mark II Review: Full-Frame King? appeared first on Photodoto.

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Review of the Nikon D500 for Wildlife and Bird Photography

01 Jul

The post Review of the Nikon D500 for Wildlife and Bird Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Shreyas Yadav.

Roller with Nikon D500 and Nikon 200-500 f/5.6

Fast action is at the heart of Wildlife photography. Wildlife action is fast and unpredictable. Most of the wildlife, including predators, are active during early dawn and late dusk. During the edge of the day, light conditions are low. Having a range of focal lengths is essential to photograph distant wildlife shots. The weather conditions are harsh in the wild. Moreover, wildlife photographers try to find a camera which is capable of capturing stunning images in every possible situation in the wild.

Nikon crafted a flagship DX-format DSLR camera – the Nikon D500, with excellent high ISO performance, a faster frame rate, and a fast and accurate focus – even in low light.

What it is?

Nikon D500 with the Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 lens mounted on Gitzo Tripod

The Nikon D500 camera body weighs around 870g (30 oz) including battery and XD card. It is a crop sensor (DX format) DSLR with a 20.9 MP CMOS sensor. The ISO range is from ISO 100 to ISO 51200. This ISO range is useful in getting better image quality even in low light. In addition to high ISO performance, frame rate and autofocus performance of the Nikon D500 is excellent. Frames per second for Nikon D500 is whooping 10 FPS. The autofocus is fast and accurate in low light as well. Nikon D500 is fully capable of focussing up to f/8 with center focusing points. These key features make the Nikon D500 excellent for Wildlife and Bird photography.

This article is a field-review of Nikon D500 from the perspective of Wildlife Photographer. This review will help you in understanding how the Nikon D500 performs in the field.

Note: All the wildlife and bird images are photographed in the natural forest with uncontrolled light conditions and within their natural habitat.

Images are captured with the Nikon D500 and the Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 lens with a bean bag. Images are captured either from a safari jeep or from a safari boat.

Specifications

Sensor and processor – DX format (23.5 mm x 15.7 mm) CMOS sensor with EXPEED 5 processor
ISO – ISO 100 to ISO 51200 (ISO Expandable from range ISO 50 to ISO 1640000)
AF Modes – Single Servo (AF-S), Continuous Servo (AF-C), Manual and Full-time Servo in Live View
AF Area Modes – Single Point AF, Group Area AD, 3D Tracking, Dynamic-area AF with 25, 72 and 153 points, Auto Area AF
Power – EN-EL 15 Lithium Ion Battery with MH-25a charger
Storage cards – SD, SDHC, SDXC, and XQD cards. One slot for SD card and another slot for XQD card
Dimensions and weight – Approximate weight of the body including Battery and card is 870 g (30 oz) and dimensions are (Width x Height X Depth) 5.8 in (147 mm) x 4.6 in (115 mm) x 3.2 in (81 mm)
Frame rate (FPS: Frames per second) – 10 FPS in Continuous High Mode and for Continuous Low mode FPS Selectable from 2 to 9 FPS
Shutter release modes – Single, Continuous Low (2-9 FPS) and Continuous High (10 FPS), Mirror Up, Self Timer and Quiet release
Shutter speed range – Slowest shutter speed is 30 s, and Fastest shutter speed is 1/8000 s
Metering modes – Spot metering, Center-weighted metering, and Matrix metering
Exposure mode – Manual (M), Aperture Priority (A), Shutter Priority (S) and Programmed Auto (P)
White Balance – Auto, Cloudy, Direct Sunlight, Flash, Fluorescent, Color Temperature (2500 k to 10000 k)
Flash – No Built-in Flash and External Flash is required
Image format – JPEG (Basic, Normal, Fine), NEF / RAW (12-bit or 14-bit with an option of Lose less compressed, Compressed and Uncompressed)
Lens compatibility – Full compatibility with Nikon AF lenses with G, E, D type and DX-format lenses. Partial compatibility with PC lenses, AI-P, and Non-CPU lenses

Controls and ergonomics

AF-ON is useful in back button autofocussing. The focus area selection button is next to the AF-ON button. The Nikon D500 has a touch screen, and it can tilt up to a certain angle.

Buttons for selection of White Balance, Exposure Mode, Metering and Image Quality.

Shutter release mode dial.

Buttons for Exposure compensation, ISO selection, and movie recording.

Focus mode selection button.

Controls

Controls on the camera feel perfect for wildlife photography.

Here is why:

Exposure selection mode – This button helps to select the exposure modes – Manual (M), Aperture Priority(A), Shutter Priority(S) and Programmed Auto (P)
Frame rate setting – This dial helps to set the Frame rate as Single ( S), Continuous Low ( CL), Continuous High ( CH ), Timer and Mirror lockup
ISO and exposure compensation setting – the ISO button allows you to change the ISO quickly
Focus point selection dial – The Focus point selection dial helps select focus point
Focus mode and Focus area mode selection – This button, along with Primary and secondary dials ( Dials used to change the shutter speed and Aperture), is used to select focus modes as Single, Continuous and Auto. The same button is used to choose focus areas such as Single, 3D, Dynamic with 25,72 and 153 focal points, Group area and Auto-area
Metering selection button – You can select Spot, Center of Matrix metering from this button quickly. In Wildlife photography switching between Matrix and Spot metering is often required depending on the light conditions
AF- ON button – This is one of the most useful buttons on the Nikon D500 for wildlife photography. If the bird is standing on a tree branch or takes quick flight, the AF-ON button helps to capture the image with accurate focus.

Build quality and weather sealing

The Nikon D500 is mostly made up of magnesium alloy, carbon fiber, and plastic
The weight and size of the Nikon D500 are suitable for all day shooting and even hand-holding. The size of the D500 is perfect while you travel in the wilderness and it is perfectly sized while hiking and traveling in the safari vehicle.
Body toughness of the Nikon D500 is decent but not great as that of Nikon D5. I find the durability of earlier versions, such as Nikon D200, D300 or D700 was better than D500. However, the build quality of Nikon D500 feels slightly better than the Nikon D7100 or the Nikon D7200 but up to the standard of flagship DX body.
Protection against dust and water splash is decent enough
I have used Nikon D500 in moderately dusty environments and medium drizzle. The camera performs fine. In fact, I clean the camera after a photoshoot in the rain or heavy dust and I recommend you do so too. This type of weather sealing may be sufficient for mild dust and water splashes, but it doesn’t look good enough in extreme weather.

Ergonomics and handling

Ergonomically, the Nikon D500 feels just right. Important command dials for wildlife and bird photography are located on the camera body itself. This helps you to change the settings quickly.
Hand-holding, the Nikon D500, feels better. One caveat is the video recording button is located a bit oddly. Despite using it multiple times, I still get confused in locating the video recording button. Apart from the video recording button, you will find the buttons and dials are at the right place with the correct size.

Camera performance from the perspective of Nature and Wildlife photographer

Autofocus performance

Osprey in flight. Focus performance of the Nikon D500 for Birds in flight is excellent. Exif : 1/800s , f/8 and ISO 450

Bird action happens fast and can be erratic. Wildlife movement is also fast as it occurs at dawn or dusk. The ability of the camera to focus fast and accurate is a must. With the Multi-Cam 20K Autofocus Sensor module, Nikon D500’s autofocus capabilities are excellent. The Nikon D500 focuses accurately (provided you choose the appropriate focus mode and focus area mode).

I use back button autofocus for focusing. There is a dedicated button for back button autofocus, which is AF-ON.

Hare in the clutter. The Nikon D500 precisely acquires focus on the main object even through the forest clutter.

The Nikon D500 focusses extremely well in following conditions:

Daylight
Cloudy and rainy weather
Low light
Distant objects
In the forest clutter and forest canopy
Dusty and snowy weather
Birds in flight and animals in action

In terms of autofocus performance, the Nikon D500 is an absolute winner.

Deer crossing the safari track. The camera’s focus performance for distant objects is excellent. This deer was crossing the Safari road. The distance between the deer and our vehicle was around 100 meters

Image quality – Colors, details and dynamic range

Colors of the peacock. Color rendition and image quality of the Nikon D500 is great. Exif: 1/100s, f/5.6 and ISO 720

Colors, tonal range, and dynamic range of the Nikon D500 images is excellent. Metering of the Nikon D500 is fantastic. It evaluates and produces correct image exposure.

Stare of an eagle. The Nikon D500 captures the details perfectly. Exif: 1/400s, f/5.6 an ISO 500

For most of my wildlife images, I use Matrix metering. For some tricky light situations, such as harsh lights or shadows, and if the animal is dark or bright, I switch to Spot metering mode. Matrix metering will give you excellent light exposure.

Jungle fowl calling. Feather details are excellent. Exif: 1/250s, f/5.6 and ISO 450

The elephant in its kingdom. Colors and details of the elephant are accurate. Exif: 1/1000s, f/5.6 and ISO 2200

The dynamic range of the Nikon D500 is improved as compared to earlier versions of the DX format Nikon cameras. If the light is sufficient, I set the exposure compensation to +0.3 or +0.7. Exposure compensation shifts the histogram towards the right. It helps in bringing out the details and enhancing the colors in an image.

Nikon D500 review for wildlife and bird photography 7

The Dynamic Range of the Nikon D500 is wide. The camera was able to capture the eyes and feathers in the shadow. Equally, the Nikon D500 captured the highlighted crest on the head perfectly.

High ISO and low light performance

Image quality and ISO performance in low light are much improved in the Nikon D500. The camera ISO has a range from ISO 100 to ISO 51200. In controlled light conditions or lab test, the Nikon D500 Images may look less noisy. However, when you are shooting with the Nikon D500 in the real jungle and natural light conditions, you have to be realistic when you select your ISO.

Nikon D500 review for wildlife and bird photography 6

Peacock at ISO 1600

I use a maximum ISO up to 6400 in most cases, and for some rare wildlife moments, I go up to ISO 12800. In the forest, especially during the early morning or late evening, an ISO of up to 6400 helps. With ISO 6400, I can get a sharp image with excellent dynamic range. The colors are also good. These images are perfectly usable for big prints and web-sized images.

Nikon D500 review for wildlife and bird photography 5

Bond of Nature. Family portrait at ISO 4000

Whereas, if you go ridiculously high on ISO such as ISO 51200, you will still get an image, but you will have to apply Noise reduction in post-processing. Also, the image loses the fine details. If you are going to print the image, select the reasonable high ISO at the available light conditions.

Bottom line

The Nikon D500 has improved high ISO and low light performance. Up to maximum ISO 6400, images are great. The sharpness and colors are fantastic and noise levels are low and manageable in post-processing.

Nikon D500 review for wildlife and bird photography 4

Sambar deer at ISO 6400. It was almost dark in the forest. Luminance noise is visible in the image.

Nikon D500 review for wildlife and bird photography 3

Mongoose at ISO 6400. It was almost dark in the forest.

White balance

Nikon D500 review for wildlife and bird photography 2

Fish eagle on the perch. Auto White balance for the Nikon D500 produces color temperatures and tint accurately.

The auto white balance of the Nikon D500 is accurate. The camera produces white balance without any shift in color or tint. All the color temperatures look right.

Other than Auto White balance, there are different white balances available such as Daylight and Shade. All produce good results.

For wildlife and bird photography, I recommend you choose Auto White Balance. It will help to reproduce the correct white balance for your images. If you want to add creative effects, you can always tune the raw image in post-processing.

Bonus: My D500 camera settings for wildlife and bird photography

Image Quality: RAW
NEF (RAW) Recording: NEF RAW Compression: Loose-less compressed and Bit Depth: 14-Bit Depth
Color space: Adobe RGB
Picture Control: Standard (SD)
ISO: Auto ISO with Maximum ISO as 6400 (It will depend on the lighting conditions, but I find 6400 is the right balance for image quality and low noise)
Autofocus mode: AF-C (Continuous)
Autofocus Area mode: Dynamic (25 points) or Group area focus
Exposure mode: Manual (Shutter speed and Aperture will be set based on the available light in the environment). You can also use Aperture priority as an Exposure Mode.
White Balance: Auto
Metering: Matrix
For autofocus, use Back button autofocus: AF-ON
Shutter release mode: Continuous High CH (10 FPS) or Continuous Low CL (6 FPS)

Conclusion and recommendations

Pros

10 FPS (Frames Per Second)
Fast and accurate focus even in low light
Good High ISO Performance
Superb image quality and dynamic range
Excellent ergonomics
Perfect location of camera buttons and dials
Autofocus with central autofocus points up to Aperture of f/8

Cons

No Built-in flash and GPS
Location of the video recording button
Above average Build quality and weather sealing (Not the best in class)

In summary

The DX sensor, superior autofocus performance, high ISO performance, best in class frames per second (10 FPS), and travel-friendly size makes the Nikon D500 perfect for wildlife and bird photography.

You will love using Nikon D500 in the wild.

What do you think about the Nikon D500 camera? Please do let us know in the comments below!

The post Review of the Nikon D500 for Wildlife and Bird Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Shreyas Yadav.

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Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R review in progress

27 Jun

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The Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R is the company’s high-end, high-resolution full-frame mirrorless camera. It uses a 47MP sensor and is built around the ‘L’ lens mount developed by Leica and now adopted by both Panasonic and Sigma.

The S1R shares a body with the 24 Megapixel S1, whose size and level of dedicated controls sets it apart from its other full-frame mirrorless rivals. The S1R boasts a very high resolution (5.7M-dot) viewfinder, top plate LCD panel, twin card slots and pro-level build-quality that promises to be weather resistant.

The S1R has a multi-shot high resolution mode, which delivers 187MP Raw files. In addition, it can shoot UHD 4K video at up to 60p. However, this video has a slight crop and is achieved by pixel-binning. Until the video-centric S1H sister model arrives, the less expensive S1 is the stronger video camera.

Panasonic Lumix S1R Key Specifications

47MP full-frame CMOS sensor
Depth from Defocus contrast-detect AF system
5-axis in-body ‘Dual IS’ system
Fully weather-sealed
187MP ‘High Res’ mode
6 fps bursts with continuous AF
5.76M-dot EVF
Dual-hinged 2.1M-dot touchscreen LCD
UHD 4K/60p video capture with 1.09x crop and pixel-binning
One XQD and one SD card slot
360 shots/charge using LCD
USB charging, including from laptop/tablet chargers and portable power banks

The S1R has a list price of $ 3699. Alongside the camera, Panasonic announced 50mm F1.4, 24-105mm F4 and 70-200mm F4 lenses for the L system. They are priced at $ 2299, $ 1299 and $ 1699, respectively. There’s also the option to use existing Leica’s SL lenses, its APS-C ‘TL’ series and a range of Sigma’s ‘Art’ lenses that it has announced for the L mount.

A battery grip (DMW-BGS1) is available for around $ 350.

What’s new and how it compares

The S1R has a range of features, including a multi-shot high resolution mode, an HLG-compatible HDR mode and a 6K Photo system to grab stills from video footage.

The S1R has a comparatively large body, which provides plenty of room for direct control points.

In addition to the direct controls, the S1R has a revised menu system and user interface.

The S1R is the least video centric of its S-series peers, but it’s still capable of capturing some nice clips.

The Panasonic S1R renders resolution well in its standard mode, but its eight-shot high-res mode extends this into medium format territory (for appropriate subject)

We’ve been shooting with the S1R in a variety of situations, to show what the Panasonic flagship can do.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Canon RF 35mm F1.8 IS STM Macro Review

27 Jun

86%

Overall score

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The RF 35mm F1.8 IS STM is one of four lenses announced alongside the Canon EOS R, the first camera in the company’s new EOS R mirrorless system.

Something of an odd one out in that quartet, it’s the only non L-series lens released for the RF line to date, although that will soon change with the arrival of the RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM later this year. It’s also around half the price of the next cheapest lens in the system, while its focal length and aperture, combined with the fact that it’s a prime lens, also allow it to be considerably smaller and lighter than every other option so far. All of this should mean it holds particular appeal for EOS RP owners who’d like to start exploring the native lens selection but find their camera bodies – and/or wallets – overwhelmed by the other current native offerings.

A 35mm F1.8 option is a fairly sensible and versatile lens to have at the start of a system, and its broad appeal should pique the interest of street, travel, nature, portraiture and even landscape photographers. The added bonus of image stabilization also makes the absence of sensor-based stabilization from the current bodies less of an issue, while ‘Macro’ in the name indicates a close focusing distance of 17cm / 6.7 in (albeit shy of being truly macro, offering a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:2).

All pictures by Matt Golowczynski unless otherwise noted.

Key Specifications:

Focal length: 35mm
Aperture range: F1.8-22 (In 1/3EV stops)
Filter thread: 52mm
Close focus: 0.17m (0.56ft / 6.7in)
Maximum magnification: 0.5x
Diaphragm blades: 9
Hood: EW-52 (optional)
Length / Diameter: approx. 74.4 x 62.8mm (2.93 x 2.47in)
Weight: approx. 305g (approx. 10.8 oz.)
Optical construction: 11 elements in 9 groups

The lens has a new formula that sees 11 elements arranged in nine groups. This includes a single glass moulded aspherical element within the focusing group in the middle of the formula, which is in place both to combat spherical aberration and also to keep image quality consistent over focusing distances.

With the lens mounted on either the EOS R or EOS RP, you have access to Canon’s full suite of aberration-rectifying options that deal with vignetting, lateral chromatic aberration, distortion and diffraction, in addition to the Digital Lens Optimizer that aims to counter the softening effects from diffraction, among other things.

The optical design of the RF 35mm F1.8 Macro is similar to the older EF 35mm F2, but flipped. Whereas the older optic (designed for DSLRs) has a large front element and a small rear element, the RF 35mm F1.8 (designed for mirrorless) has a small front element and a large rear element.

Canon has pointed out how the RF mount’s width and the short flange back distance gives new freedom to lens designers, and the optical design here – or, more specifically, the way in which this differs from existing designs in similar lenses – appears to back that up. The rearmost element sits very close to the back of the lens itself and is the largest in the array. Canon claims that this is one of the key reasons for the high corner-to-corner sharpness, even when the lens is used wide open. A diagram of the optical construction also shows that the aperture diaphragm is positioned relatively close towards the front of the lens, which is said to be one reason why the lens can offer such a wide aperture without compromising on size.

The diaphragm is made up of nine blades, which bodes well for round bokeh, while the minimum focusing distance of 17cm gives a minimum working distance – i.e. the distance from the front of the lens to the subject – of 7cm.

A hood isn’t provided with the lens as standard, and that may well be explained by the likelihood of the average user needing or wanting to use it with such an optic. Still, for this kind of money it’s a bit disappointing not to have a hood included.

Design and Handling

Not only is this is the lightest and most compact RF lens so far, but the roadmap Canon unveiled towards the start of the year suggests that will remain so for a while. It’s 30g lighter than the existing EF 35mm F2 IS USM and just a fraction wider, but 70g lighter and considerably shorter in length than the Nikon Z 35mm F1.8. Unlike the latter lens, however, this one isn’t weather sealed.

The lens balances very nicely on the EOS R body and is light enough to allow for one-handed operation when required. Two large switches on the barrel provide control over focus mode and image stabilization, and these click between positions positively. They also barely protrude from the casing, which makes it difficult to inadvertently knock them out of place.

The outer barrel’s matte gray finish mirrors that of the EOS R body, as does the silvery rear of the inner lens barrel with the host cameras throat. The mount is metal and build quality overall appears to be perfectly good.

The lens is encircled by a Control Ring towards its front and a focusing ring towards the middle of the barrel. While the pair sit close to each other, their different finish, together with the fact that the Control Ring is clickable, mean you’re unlikely to mistake them in use.

You can customize the action performed by the Control Ring to your liking, or even deactivate it completely if that suits you, and it’s also possible to switch the direction of rotation if the default arrangement bothers you. If enabled, you can opt for it adjust aperture, shutter speed, ISO or exposure compensation, and in each case you can select whether the ring adjusts these at all times or only when you have your finger half-pressed on the shutter release button. The setting you select stays the same between exposure modes, which you probably won’t find to be an issue unless you tend to hop between exposure modes with some frequency.

Some predictable limitations occur with some combinations or setting and exposure mode, such as no exposure compensation control in manual mode, and no adjustment of aperture in shutter priority mode (and vice-versa).

The Control Ring provides excellent feedback, with increments nice and coarse, and the camera responds without any delay. Those looking to use the lens for video might be disheartened to learn there’s no way to alternate be-tween clicked and de-clicked operation, but if you’re happy with it being permanently de-clicked, Canon can do this for you (for a fee).

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 review

26 Jun

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88%

Overall score

Jump to conclusion

The Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 is the company’s mid-level full-frame mirrorless camera, built around the L-mount developed by Leica and now supported by Sigma and Panasonic. It features an image-stabilized 24MP sensor and is capable of shooting at up to 9 frames per second. The S1 can also shoot 4K/60p video from an APS-C region of its sensor or oversampled 4K/30p from its full sensor width. A multi-shot high-res mode lets it create 96MP Raw files and a paid upgrade enables 10-bit V-Log shooting.

The S1, along its sibling the S1R, also features one of the highest-resolution electronic viewfinders on the market: a 5.7M-dot OLED panel that runs at 120Hz and promises very little lag.

Panasonic Lumix S1 Key Specifications

24MP full-frame CMOS sensor
Depth from Defocus contrast-detect AF system
5-axis in-body ‘Dual IS’ system
Fully weather-sealed
Multi-shot 96MP ‘High Res’ mode
6 fps bursts with continuous AF
5.76M-dot electronic viewfinder
Dual-hinged 2.1M-dot touchscreen LCD
UHD 4K/60p video capture (1.5x crop); Oversampled 4K/30p with no crop
10-bit HLG built-in, optional 4:2:2 V-Log
One XQD and one SD card slot
380 shots/charge using LCD
USB charging, including from laptop/tablet chargers and portable power banks

The complete Lumix S system at launch

The S1, with its large, magnesium alloy body, is being pitched at a higher price than the 24MP models from Nikon and Sony, with a list price of $ 2499.

Alongside the S1 and its higher-resolution sibling, the S1R, Panasonic also announced 50mm F1.4, 24-105mm F4 and 70-200mm F4 lenses for the L system. They’re priced at $ 2299, $ 1299 and $ 1699, respectively. Both cameras are also compatible with existing Leica SL lenses as well as APS-C ‘TL’ glass.

A battery grip (DMW-BGS1) is available for around $ 350.

What’s new and how it compares

The S1 inherits (and improves upon) many of the features from Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds cameras, while adding new full-frame sensors, a High Res mode, HLG photos and more.

The S1/S1R have rugged bodies which can hold their own in the elements. The cameras have an incredibly high resolution EVF as well as a dual axis LCD.

The S1 and S1R have redesigned menus, plenty of customizable controls and a cool ‘image stabilization scope’.

Find out what kinds of shooting the Lumix DC-S1 is best suited for.

Gothic streets and cured meats – check out DPR writer Dan Bracaglia’s experience of shooting the S1R at Panasonic’s launch event in Barcelona.

The S1 competes with the likes of the Canon EOS R, Nikon Z6 and Sony a7 III. See how its image quality stacks up.

The S1 uses Panasonic’s familiar Depth from Defocus autofocus system. Can it keep up with the hybrid AF systems of its peers?

The S1 can capture 4K/60p video with a 1.5x crop as well as oversampled 4K/30p footage.

If you want pro-level features like 10-bit capture, V-Log and waveforms, then you’ll want this paid-for upgrade.

How does the Panasonic S1 stack up against the competition, like the Sony a7 III, Nikon Z6 and Canon EOS R?

View hundreds of photos taken with both pre- and final production Panasonic S1s.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Alien Skin Exposure X4 software review

24 Jun

Alien Skin Exposure X4
$ 119 | alienskin.com/exposure

A screenshot of Exposure X4.

When I reviewed Alien Skin Exposure X3, I noted several features that make it unique among other photo editing and organizing applications, such as its extensive library of professional presets, a quad-layout interface option for reviewing multiple similar shots at once, and a novel way of storing nondestructive edits on disk.

The changes in this release address some prior rough edges, add features and refine the experience of processing your photos

Although the new Exposure X4 version 4.5 feels more evolutionary than its version number would suggest, that’s not a criticism. The changes in this release address some prior rough edges, add features that are now expected for this class of software, and in general refine the experience of processing your photos without feeling like the software is getting in the way.

Performance and Fixes

In Exposure X3, I was surprised by laggy performance when editing photos, specifically working with the Raw files from my FujiFilm X-T1 and its 16.3MP X-Trans sensor. Using the brush to paint adjustments was like watching a movie with dialogue out of sync: I’d paint an area, wait for the software to apply the effect, paint another area, wait, and so on. The problem wasn’t as pronounced with Canon or Nikon Raw files, though it did show up to a lesser degree on large Sony Raw files.

The improvement between that experience and Exposure X4 is noticeable: the lag is gone

The improvement between that experience and Exposure X4 is noticeable, even with larger Raw files from today’s cameras, including the 26MP FujiFilm X-T3. I’m using the same computer (a 2016 MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and the Radeon Pro 460 graphics processor with 4GB memory), and, happily, the lag is gone.

There’s still a pause when opening Raw files or switching zoom levels, as Exposure X4 loads the image data, but even that seems improved with this version. I see the once-ubiquitous “Rendering” badge less often now.

The Shadows control, which was oddly heavy-handed in the previous release, now behaves as you would expect, manipulating just the tones in shadow areas instead of lightening or darkening the entire image.

Unedited (aside from simple Black & White conversation) version at left; shadows adjustment at right.

New Organizing Features

When importing photos from a memory card or camera, Exposure X4 now includes image thumbnails so you can choose which photos to copy – a seemingly essential feature that was missing in previous versions. That fills out the Copy Photos from Card dialog, which also allows you to select multiple cards or directories at the same time, make backups to a separate location during import, and assign metadata to the images.

Preview and select which photos to import.

The new Smart Collections feature displays photos based on criteria you set, such as revealing all photos captured with a 50mm lens rated three stars or higher. As you add photos to your library that match those specifications, they’re automatically added to the smart collection.

The feature does have one limitation I’d like to see fixed. When defining capture time as a criterion, you can enter only specific dates. So, for example, you can define a smart collection that shows all flagged photos captured between May 1 and May 31, but you cannot specify a less-specific range such as “the last 30 days” or “one year ago today.”

The only flaw in smart collections is that date ranges must be defined as specific dates, not general ranges such as “the previous month.”

Exposure X4 populates its library by reading folders on disk, as opposed to some applications that move images to a central library, which means it’s always on the lookout for file changes. (Lightroom, by contrast, requires any file management be done within the app, or else it loses track of where photos are stored.) Exposure X4 is quick about updating folders when new images are added to them.

Exposure X4 populates its library by reading folders on disk, as opposed to some applications that move images to a central library

That’s the basis for a new Monitor feature for tethering purposes. Although Exposure X4 doesn’t include a direct camera tethering option, if you have software running that can shuttle image files directly from the camera to a folder on disk, the response is fast enough that photos appear in the library almost instantly. When you instruct the application to monitor a folder, it adds the ability to assign metadata and rename files as they’re ingested.

Monitoring a folder lets you assign metadata and rename files as they arrive via a tethered connection.

I also discovered, by accident, that Exposure X4 does a good job of keeping edits and metadata together with original files if the images are moved on disk. To recap the program’s method of handling this information: edits and metadata are stored in special sidecar files, nested in folders in the same directory as the photos. When I moved some images to a different folder in the Finder on my Mac, Exposure X4 automatically moved the associated sidecar files to the new location.

New Editing Features

The editing improvements bring Exposure X4 in line with modern photo editors. You can apply color lookup tables (LUTs) to affect how colors are translated and to apply distinct looks. The advantage of a LUT, compared to a preset, is that LUTs don’t affect any other editing controls; once a LUT is applied, you can then build adjustments on top. The application includes nearly a dozen sample LUTs, with the ability to import more.

Get different looks by applying LUTs.

Exposure X4’s Overlays panel now includes light effects to superimpose colors, simulated light leaks, sun rays, and others. Now some of those effects can be freely moved, scaled, and rotated. With controls for zoom, opacity, and blend mode, you can make an effect as dramatic or as subtle as you wish.

This is a before/after view of applying an editable light effect.

There’s also a Transform panel that includes controls for stretching, scaling, and rotating the image.

If you still have years of Adobe muscle memory, you’ll quickly realize that Exposure X4 doesn’t share any keyboard shortcuts: pressing G reduces highlights by –5 instead of switching to the Grid view, for example. But now you can remap every shortcut in the preferences if you want to, or just see which keys perform which actions.

The editing improvements bring Exposure X4 in line with modern photo editor

Speaking of Adobe, Alien Skin added a Lightroom migration tool to Exposure X4, but be aware that Lightroom’s adjustments don’t carry over as editable settings. Instead, there’s an option to save edited photos as new files, which you can use as reference if you need to re-edit the original in Exposure. Still, metadata, color labels, and ratings all transfer. That’s not an ideal situation, but one can safely assume that the bulk of your editing going forward will be on new images, not ones in the library.

Odds and Ends

Review similar shots in quad-layout mode.

Some of my favorite features aren’t new, such as the ability for collaborators to edit the same image by storing it (and its associated sidecar file) on a shared local volume or cloud drive, as long as only one person is editing at a time to prevent conflicts. Also helpful are export presets for generating photos formatted for social networks; Exposure X4 now also includes print presets.

One item on my feature wishlist remains unchanged: Raw+JPEG pairs are still treated as separate images. I’ve softened my stance on this over time, as there are situations when you may specifically want a JPEG adjusted in-camera (such as shooting in a black and white simulation) while keeping the original Raw file. However, I’d still like to see options for handling Raw+JPEG pairs get a bit smarter, such as having an option to import only raw files, or to view them as a single shot with the ability to choose which version you wish to edit.

You can remap every shortcut in the preferences if you still have years of Adobe muscle memory

I also ran into a weird problem that ate up several hours of diagnosis. Sometimes, the Folders panel—and therefore, my library—would not appear when I launched Exposure X4. It turns out to be part of a feature, but one which looks like a bug. When the application is opened as a plug-in from within another program, such as Lightroom Classic, the Folders panel and the Crop tool are disabled, because the expectation is that you’re only editing. Opening Exposure from a third-party launch utility, in my case LaunchBar, makes the application think it’s being opened as a plug-in. This situation isn’t triggered when opening Exposure X4 using the macOS Spotlight shortcut (Command-space).

Conclusion

Exposure X4 is a solid update that shores up some areas that needed attention and builds on a photo editor that already stands apart in interesting ways. And most important, Alien Skin improved the performance in areas that make a difference.

Exposure X4 is available as a single purchase, not a subscription

I can’t wrap up this review without noting that Exposure X4 is available as a single purchase, not a subscription, which I think is still a motivating factor among many photographers. It costs $ 119 for Exposure X4 itself, or is available as a bundle for $ 149 that includes a couple of other Alien Skin utilities. Upgrade pricing for earlier versions of Exposure is also available, and you can try the software for free during a 30-day trial. It runs on Mac OS X Yosemite or newer and Windows 7 64-bit or newer.

What we like:

Improved performance, specifically with Raw files
Review photo thumbnails during import from memory cards
Import from multiple cards simultaneously
Improved shadow and highlight recovery
Smart collections
Monitored folders improve tethering options
LUT support

What we don’t:

Raw+JPEG pairs still treated as separate images
App confusion when opening it from a launcher utility

Who’s it for:

Photographers who want sophisticated editing and organization without a subscription or a central-library structure.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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DPReview TV: Deity Connect microphone review

20 Jun

Jordan reviews the Deity Connect wireless microphone, a digital lavalier mic system that supports two microphones using a single receiver and provides drop-dead simple operation. Find out why this is the mic system he’s wanted for a decade, and why he thinks it’s a compelling choice for so many people who shoot video.

Get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!

Introduction
Design and hard case
Outputs
Receiver size
Top 3 features
Antennas
2.4GHz signal
Distance test
Standby mode
Included microphones
Firmware
Wrap-up

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Canon EOS 6D Mark II Review: Full-Frame King?

14 Jun

The post Canon EOS 6D Mark II Review: Full-Frame King? appeared first on Photodoto.

Photodoto

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Canon EOS Rebel SL3 review

12 Jun

Introduction

79%

Overall score

Jump to conclusion

The Canon EOS Rebel SL3 (also known as the EOS 250D) is the the latest in the company’s lineup of ultra-compact DSLR cameras, and comes with a 24MP APS-C sensor that has accurate and easy-to-use Dual Pixel autofocus.

Not only does the SL3 have one of the best beginner-friendly ‘guide’ modes we’ve seen on a camera (the same as Canon’s very similar, but bigger Rebel T7i), but it’s capable of taking great images under a wide range of circumstances. It’s also fun to use, comfortable to hold, and has insane battery life: provided you use the optical viewfinder.

Key specifications:

24MP APS-C sensor with Dual Pixel on-sensor Autofocus
Optical viewfinder with secondary 9-point autofocus system
4K video recording (with 1.7x crop)
Fully articulating rear touchscreen
Excellent ‘guide’ mode for beginners
Wi-Fi with Bluetooth for image transfer and remote camera control
Impressive 1,070 shot battery life (CIPA rating) using optical viewfinder
Passable 320-shot battery life (CIPA rating) in live view with Dual Pixel AF

Even as the ‘compact’ DSLR model, the Rebel SL3 shares its sensor, processor and much of its feature set with Canon’s existing (and much smaller) EOS M series of mirrorless cameras. So why would you opt for the SL3 over, say, the Canon EOS M50, which will offer almost identical image quality? It comes down to a handful of personal preferences, particularly when it comes to viewfinders. The SL3 has an optical viewfinder, compared to mirrorless cameras’ electronic ones.

Put simply, an electronic viewfinder allows you to easily preview your exposure settings, but some people prefer the more ‘natural’ and immediate view of the world that an optical viewfinder provides. We’ll look at the differences in more depth in just a bit.

Features that matter

Why should you buy the Rebel SL3 over so many other options? Well, let’s take a look.

Turns out the SL3 makes for a pretty great vacation camera – provided you can look past a few caveats.

The Rebel SL3 is a fine photographic companion, if not an absolute standout in today’s marketplace.

Click through to look at some pretty pictures from New Orleans, or get the details on the SL3’s image quality in our studio test scene.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Posts Tagged ‘REVIEW’

About the light

Specifications

Why continuous light?

Changing the look

Hard light

Soft light

Lighting product

Portraits

Conclusions

What it is?

Specifications

Controls and ergonomics

Controls

Build quality and weather sealing

Ergonomics and handling

Camera performance from the perspective of Nature and Wildlife photographer

Autofocus performance

Image quality – Colors, details and dynamic range

High ISO and low light performance

Bottom line

White balance

Bonus: My D500 camera settings for wildlife and bird photography

Conclusion and recommendations

Pros

Cons

In summary

Panasonic Lumix S1R Key Specifications

What’s new and how it compares

Body and handling

Operation and control

Video specifications

Studio scene

Sample gallery

Key Specifications:

Design and Handling

Panasonic Lumix S1 Key Specifications

What’s new and how it compares

Body and handling

Operation and controls

Is it right for you?

Shooting experience

Image quality

Autofocus

Video performance

DMW-SFU2 video upgrade

Conclusion

Sample Galleries

Alien Skin Exposure X4 $ 119 | alienskin.com/exposure

Performance and Fixes

New Organizing Features

New Editing Features

Odds and Ends

Conclusion

Introduction

Key specifications:

Features that matter

Using the Rebel SL3 on vacation

Conclusion

Sample gallery, image quality, lens quality

Alien Skin Exposure X4
$ 119 | alienskin.com/exposure