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Posts Tagged ‘Smartphone’

LG V30 to feature glass lens and F1.6 aperture, fastest ever on a smartphone

11 Aug

LG’s upcoming flagship phone, the V30, will be launched at IFA in Berlin on the 31st of August and we’ll be present to report from the event. However, LG has a fun habit of trickling out some device details before launch, and today it has done just that with some news about the V30’s camera specifications.

LG tells us that the new device, “will include the world’s largest aperture and clearest lens ever to be featured in a smartphone.” In real terms, this means that the V30 will, presumably only on the main camera of its dual-cam setup, come with an F1.6 aperture which would be the fastest we have seen on a smartphone camera so far.

In addition, the lens is made form glass instead of the usual plastic materials which, according to LG, delivers improved light transmission over its predecessor and competitors. Together, those two technical details should make the V30 a great candidate for low-light photography with a smartphone.

In its press release, LG also says the wide angle camera in the dual-cam setup will have 30% lower edge distortion compared to the V20. However, it was also announced that the rear camera module will be 30% smaller than before, which could mean a reduction in sensor size and therefore reduce at least some of the fast aperture’s low-light advantage.

We’ll have to wait until the end of the month for the full specifications, but it seems the V30 could be a very interesting option for mobile photographers.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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6 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Travel and Landscape Photography

11 Aug

Ansel Adams, the godfather of landscape photography once said, “A great photograph is knowing where to stand.” Sadly, I stood in all the wrong places when I began. I watched in envy as seemingly everyone else was taking pictures of an epic sunrise, an arching Milky Way, or an ethereal cityscape blanketed in fog.

6 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Landscape Photography

Landscape photography apps are essential tools that help you be in the right place at the right time, like this rooftop in Busan, South Korea. © Pete DeMarco

Eventually, I learned that compelling landscape images are created long before the shutter snaps. Like anything in life, having a plan or vision about what you would like to create will massively increase your chances of reaching your target. The same goes for photography.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely respect chance, or what some may call serendipity. But capturing spontaneous events takes a fair amount of planning. Even the man who coined the term “The Decisive Moment”, the great street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, would plan his frame and then wait for life to happen within his photographic stage.

When Preparation Meets Opportunity

Landscape photography is like going to the casino. You can’t control what cards you get, but by learning the game you can increase your odds of winning.

In photography terms, Smartphone apps are essential tools in the image creation process, right up there with your camera, lens, and tripod. You can literally make the stars align with them.

6 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Landscape Photography

Knowing where to stand (and when) makes all the difference in landscape photography. © Pete DeMarco

Here are six Smartphone apps I use to plan out my landscape photo shoots. Use them well, and it won’t be long before you get comments on your photos like this, “You always seem to be in the right place at the right time.”

#1 – PhotoPills

PhotoPills is the best photography app on the market. Period. It’s the photographer’s Swiss Army knife. It does so many things. I use it to plan my astrophotography shoots. I can easily figure out the phase of the moon, the location of The Milky Way, where it will rise, how high, at what angle, and at what intensity. The best part is the 3D augmented reality for finding The Milky Way in the sky.

6 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Landscape Photography

PhotoPills is an excellent app for astrophotography. I used it to plan this shoot in Penang, Malaysia.© Pete DeMarco

And that’s just the beginning. Whether you are doing timelapse photography, location planning, tracking the sun or the moon, or calculating your hyperfocal distance, this app has it all. The $ 9.99 price tag is well worth it considering all you get in return (available for iOS and Android).

#2 – The Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE)

TPE used to be my go-to app before PhotoPills made it obsolete. The best thing is its simplicity. I mainly use it to track the sun and the moon. But since PhotoPills does that and so much more, I rarely use it now. I still included TPE on the list though because you can use it for free through their “web app”. Just go to their home page and click on TPE for Desktop.

6 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Landscape Photography

You can’t control the light in landscape photography, but you can learn how to make the most out of what you’re given. © Pete DeMarco

It also has 3D topographical maps and can help with astrophotography shoots. Still though, PhotoPills offers far more at a lower price. Watch my short video tutorial on how I use this app to find where the sun will rise and set. (Price: $ 11.99 for iOS and Android; browser version FREE)

#3 – Sun Surveyor

6 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Landscape Photography

Sun Surveyor is another helpful Smartphone app to plan the rise and fall of the sun. © Pete DeMarco

Another app similar to TPE is Sun Surveyor. It’s mainly just for tracking the sun, the moon, and how the light will fall. If English is not your first language, the app has been translated into a number of different languages like Korean, Chinese, Turkish, Czech and many others. With limited features though, I’d probably just use the free desktop version of TPE or buy PhotoPills instead. (Price: $ 9.99, iOS and Android)

#4 – Tide Charts Near Me

6 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Landscape Photography

The land bridge in this photo is only visible at low tide. Apps like Tide Charts Near Me are helpful when photographing seascapes like this one. © Pete DeMarco

If you’re into seascape photography, knowing the level of the tide is essential. Some shots you can only get at low tide or high tide. Tide Charts Near Me is a super simple app with a great graphic interface for showing the height of the tide on any given day or time. There’s also a moon phase calendar included as well. (Price: Free for iOS & Android)

#5 – Maps.me

The most important thing of all is being able to make it to and from your shoot location. Google Maps and Apple Maps are decent. But the problem is that you need to use data to access those maps, which can be costly if you’re traveling internationally.

Also, if you’re in an area with no cell phone service then your map app won’t work. Yes, you can use Google maps offline but you have to download each individual location first.

6 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Landscape Photography

Finding your way around a big city or new country can be daunting. Offline map apps like Maps.me not only save you roaming data fees, they get you where you need to be. © Pete DeMarco

Maps.me is a fantastic offline map app solution. It’s simple to use and does much more than just help you find your way. Once you install the app, all you do is download the country map for your destination.

Then you can locate the nearest ATM, restaurant, wifi connection, and more with ease, without using any data. It works with GPS, not wifi, so you can find your way anywhere in the world. However, if your device isn’t GPS enabled, like say an iPad or another tablet with only a wifi connection, then it won’t work. Check out the video for more details. (Price: Free for iOS and Android).

#6 – Wundergroud

6 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Landscape Photography

Clouds can add drama to your landscape images. Weather apps that show the hourly forecast like Wunderground can give you a planning edge. © Pete DeMarco

Last but not least, knowing the weather forecast obviously makes a huge difference in photography. Almost any app will do for this. I prefer Wunderground because it gives a detailed weather forecast by the hour, not just the day (Price: Free for iOS and Android).

Beginner’s Guide To Landscape Photography

If you found this article helpful and would like to learn more, check out Pete’s course A Beginner’s Guide to Compelling Landscape Photography. 

The post 6 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Travel and Landscape Photography by Pete DeMarco appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Studio portraits taken with the Godox A1 smartphone flash trigger

08 Aug
Photo: Godox

When Godox first teased its off-camera flash and 2.4GHz flash trigger for smartphones, the Godox A1, on Facebook a few weeks ago, people got very excited. Unfortunately, we weren’t really able to see what this trigger could do since the only images Godox released of the flash trigger in action were some silly behind the scenes toy photos.

Today, they fixed that.

In a new blog post about the release event for the upcoming flash and trigger, Godox didn’t just rehash the same details about the A1 that we already knew, they also showed off some professionally-shot studio portraits captured with an iPhone 7 Plus, the Godox A1 and a Godox 600II monolight. You can see a photo of the setup above.

All of the photos were shot wide open at f/1.8 (no other option really…) with the ISO set to 25 and the shutter speed at either 1/30 or 1/20 sec. Have a look for yourself:

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The post is mostly about the big reveal itself, which will happen at an event on August 12th at 1:30pm Shenzhen time (1:30am Eastern). But the sample portraits give you a good idea of the kind of photography a product like the A1 opens up to smartphone photographers.

Still no word on how much the Godox A1 will cost or when you’ll be able to order one for yourself, but we’ll get that info to you just as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, take a look at the sample gallery above, and let us know what you think of the A1 and these smartphone studio portraits.

All photos courtesy of Godox.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: First hands-on with the modular RED Hydrogen One holographic smartphone

06 Aug

The $ 1,200 RED Hydrogen One smartphone with its holographic display and modular design wowed the world when it was announced last month. And that wow-factor only increased when people stumbled across RED’s patents for this intense little camera phone. Unfortunately, the initial render, press release, and those patents was all we had to go off of … until now.

Well-known YouTuber Marques Brownlee was given an exclusive first-look at RED’s prototypes of the Hydrogen One, and he’s sharing that first look with the world in the video above.

The RED Hydrogen One prototype next to an iPhone 7 Plus and an OnePlus 5. As you can see, it’s anything but small.

Brownlee got to look at three prototypes: a non-functional ‘fit-and-finish’ prototype that looks exactly as RED intends the final version to look (above), a prototype of the holographic display that he was not allowed to show on camera, and a prototype of the phone with a ‘Triplet’ lens mount module attached.

The first prototype was really all about the looks, and Brownlee had an interesting take on that. “It looks kind of like a Moto Z had a baby with a tractor,” he says. “It’s this part rugged, part modern look.” A look Brownlee actually quite liked.

The second prototype he wasn’t allowed to share on camera, but it’s the third prototype we’re most interested in, anyway. This is where things get really interesting for photo and video enthusiasts curious about how capable and modular this phone will really be. The third prototype features an attachment that adds a ‘sensor and lens mount’ to the smartphone.

Adding a sensor and lens mount to the phone makes it much thicker, but also has the potential to supercharge the Hydrogen One’s camera capabilities.

According to Brownlee, RED believes, “this can and will be the future of small form-factor cinema [cameras].” In fact, the company says the smartphone’s image quality “should only be surpassed by RED’s bigger cameras,” beating out mirrorless cameras and DSLRs if RED has their way with this phone.

At $ 1,200 for the phone by itself, and who knows how much for all of the modules and attachments required to get the RED Hydrogen One up to that caliber of image quality, it’s likely you’ll spend about the same amount of money on a cinema-capable Hydrogen One as you would on a cinema-capable DSLR setup… if not more. But if the quality is on par or better, why not get a really intense modular smartphone in the bargain?

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how this phone evolves from prototype to full-fledged product. Speaking of which: RED expects to have their next prototype—a fit-and-finish version with the holographic display built in—ready in the next 30-45 days. They’re not dragging their feet.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony financial report tops estimates thanks to smartphone sensors and earthquake recovery

02 Aug

The fortunes of Sony’s camera division have taken a turn for the better with a rise in first quarter sales and operating income for the period to June 30th. The company states in its latest financial report that higher value still and video cameras have helped it to achieve 27.3% year-over-year growth; however, that figure is inflated in part because the business was suffering the crippling effects of the Kumamoto earthquake this time last year.

Insurance payments from the earthquake have also artificially boosted operating income in both the camera and sensor businesses, with a 15.7 billion yen increase to 23.2 billion (an increase of 209%) in the camera sector and more than 41% growth in income for the sensor business compared to last year, thanks to booming smartphone sensor sales.

In fact, according to Bloomberg, as many as half of the world’s phones currently house Sony sensors. When you multiply that by as many as three sensors per phone—dual cam on the back, one on the front—you begin to understand that 41% growth figure.

Forecasts for the fiscal year ending March 2018 have been revised upwards for the imaging business, with sales expected to hit 650 billion against this year’s 579 billion. Sales of semiconductors are also expected to grow from this year’s 773 billion to 860 billion yen.

For more information see the Sony financial report on the company website.

Extracts from report:

Imaging Products & Solutions (IP&S)

Sales increased 27.3% year-on-year (a 26% increase on a constant currency basis) to 155.6 billion yen. This significant increase in sales was mainly due to the absence of the impact from the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year as well as an increase in unit sales and an improvement in product mix reflecting a shift to high value-added models, both in Still and Video Cameras.

Operating income increased 15.7 billion yen year-on-year to 23.2 billion yen.
This significant increase was mainly due to the impact of the above-mentioned significant increase in sales, partially offset by an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses. Operating income for the current quarter included the above-mentioned 2.6 billion yen in insurance recoveries related to the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes. During the current quarter, there was no material impact from foreign exchange rate fluctuations.

Semiconductors

Sales increased 41.4% year-on-year (a 38% increase on a constant currency basis) to 204.3 billion yen. This increase was primarily due to a significant increase in unit sales of image sensors for mobile products, as well as the absence of the impact of a decrease in image sensor production due to the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year, partially offset by asignificant decrease in sales of camera modules, a business which was downsized.

Operating income of 55.4 billion yen was recorded, compared to an operating loss of 43.5 billion yen recorded in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year. This significant improvement in operating results was primarily due to the impact of the above-mentioned increase in sales, the above-mentioned 27.5 billion yen gain resulting from the sale of the entire equity interest in SEH, and 6.7 billion yen in insurance recoveries related to the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes, as well as the absence of the 20.3 billion yen impairment charge against long-lived assets for camera modules and the net charges of 13.6 billion yen for expenses resulting from the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes recorded in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year. During the current quarter, there was a 2.5 billion yen positive impact from foreign exchange rate fluctuations.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Leica chairman contemplates Leica smartphone

28 Jul
Leica chairman of the supervisory board Andreas Kaufmann, image: Leica

Leica is one of the camera makers with the most tradition and, via its strategic partnership with Huawei, already involved in the development of smartphone camera technology. However, it appears chairman of the supervisory board Andreas Kaufmann can imagine the German manufacturer taking things one step further and making its own camera phone.

In an interview with CNBC Kaufman explained how the company has adapted its strategies and diversified the product range as it dealt with the digital revolution in photography. First film was replaced by digital cameras, then the smartphone was adopted as the modern amateur camera, Kaufmann explained.

The next logical step could be a true Leica smartphone. “I am not sure whether the company can do (this) … (But) one dream would be my personal dream: a true Leica phone,” Kaufmann said. “Every smartphone is wrong for photography at the moment,” he told CNBC, explaining that smartphones were generally used vertically but tilted into landscape orientation for photography.

Kaufmann also said that smartphones don’t have the right set up for street photography or video. “The phone nowadays is not fit really for photography … It’s used as a camera, it’s used as a video camera, but it’s not built that way and I think there’s a long way to go still.”

While most average consumers appear to be quite happy with the imaging setup of current smartphones it’s not a surprise the Leica chairman has a slightly different point of view. What do you think? Could a Leica smartphone a better alternative to Apple and Samsung? Let us know in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Red patent shows plans for insanely modular Hydrogen One smartphone system

12 Jul

Last week, camera company Red unveiled its own upcoming Android smartphone: the VR/AR/3D/’4D’-capable Hydrogen One. But while the company did reveal some details about the model—such as the fact that it will be sold unlocked and that it is modular—a bunch of questions remain unanswered.

Red’s greater plans, though, may be revealed in a patent application it filed, in which the company describes a modular camera system that revolves around a smartphone.

The patent application, filed with the USPTO, describes a ‘Modular Digital Camera and Cellular Phone,’ explaining that the modular camera systems could include both still and motion products. While Motorola has already launched a modular phone system with the Moto Z, the patent indicates that Red’s version of a modular phone will be far more capable.

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As you can see from the diagrams above, rectangular modules can be attached to the phone detailed in the patent, each stacked on the other to form an increasingly robust product. These modules may include high-quality cameras, larger batteries, mechanical controls, a camera grip, EVF, and more.

The illustrations even show the modular phone being transformed, via modules, into a DSLR-like still camera and a cinema-like motion camera.

The cost of assembling something like a DSLR or cinema camera using a phone like the Hydrogen One and these modules is unclear, but given the phone’s starting price of $ 1,195 there’s little doubt a fully assembled modular camera system would be very pricey.

For whatever upsides a consumer may get from this system, there would also be some notable downsides: losing access to your phone while it is part of the camera, having to assemble and disassemble the camera system frequently, and having to store/transport many small modules.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Red just launched a $1200 smartphone with a 5.7″ holographic display

10 Jul

Cinema camera maker Red has announced its first foray into the smartphone market with Hydrogen One, an Android device with a 5.7″ display. That screen is the center of attention in the limited information Red has provided, emphasizing its ability to switch from a traditional 2D display to a 3D/VR/AR/holographic display thanks to ‘nanotechnology.’

Red states that the Hydrogen One will integrate with its family of professional video cameras as a monitor and user interface for Scarlet, Weapon and Epic cameras. It will also offer a proprietary algorithm to convert stereo sound into ‘multi-dimensional audio,’ a microSD card slot and USB-C charging.

The Hydrogen One will be able to host modular accessories a la Moto mods, as mentioned in the announcement and evidenced by the contacts pictured in the image above. Red mentions that this will be a means by which the device will be able to capture ‘higher quality motion and still images as well as Hydrogen format holographic images.’ No details are provided about an on-board camera at this time.

The Red Hydrogen One is being offered in Aluminum for $ 1195 and Titanium for $ 1595 as special pre-order prices. Shipping is planned for Q1 of 2018; Final pricing for the device has yet to be determined.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sandmarc launches Kickstarter for smartphone polarizer and ND-filters

08 Jun

Sandmarc, a company that is primarily known for its range of GoPro filters among other action camera accessories, is taking its know-how to the smartphone sector. It has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter in order to fund final development and mass production of a new smartphone polarizer and a range of ND filters.

The filters are attached to the phone via a clip holder as it is often used with add-on lenses. The actual filter ring is then screwed onto the holder. Filters are stackable and according to the makers compatible with iPhone 4 and newer, including the dual-camera iPhone 7 Plus. They also work with Android phones, such as the Samsung S8 and S7 models, the Google Pixel or the LG G6. However, looking at the design there is no obvious reason why the clip would not work with most other phones as well.

Sandmarc calls its polarizer Drama Filter. The kit includes a filter, clip mount and a filter case. The set of ND filters has been christened Scape Filters. Apart from clip and case it includes 2-stop, 3-stop and 4-stop ND-filters. A pledge of $ 25 currently secures you the Drama Filter. For the Scape Filters you’ll have to invest $ 49. Delivery is planned for August 2017. More information including sample shots is available on the Sandmarc Kickstarter page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Kodak EKTRA ‘camera first’ smartphone now available in US

24 May

The Kodak EKTRA, the company’s ‘camera first’ smartphone, is now available to purchase in the United States. The Android smartphone, which was first announced in October 2016, features a 21MP camera and a design reminiscent of point-and-shoot cameras. The handset has been available to purchase in Europe for a handful of months, and now US consumers can buy the model unlocked with support for GSM mobile networks for $ 399.99 USD.

Coinciding with the launch is software update version 2.009.00/_A for the smartphone,  which Kodak says it is zeroing in on requests from its ‘photo-enthusiast’ customers. The update brings improved autofocus performance, better color saturation and white balance, and the addition of raw image support, among other things.

The full software changelog:

  • Enhanced single handed camera functionality; when the camera app is enabled the Android touch buttons are now disabled to avoid an accidental press when using the camera with one hand
  • Added RAW file support in manual mode; shooting in RAW records all the data from the sensor enabling more sophisticated image processing options
  • Improved auto focus making in quicker and more accurate
  • Improved Face Detection performance for better portrait photos
  • Optimisations to the Auto White Balance and colour saturation
  • Improvements to shutter speed performance
  • New option to disable Auto Scene Detection in smart auto mode
  • New shutter effect to provide visual indication of when a picture is taken
  • Enhanced low light performance
  • Optimisations to the noise reduction algorithm from ISO 100-6400
  • Introduces a new ‘How To’ camera tutorial on the new functionality

Via: BusinessWire

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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