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Posts Tagged ‘Testing’

Sigma updates lens compatibility notice for Canon EOS R after further testing

17 Jan

Sigma has made a number of amendments to its lens compatibility notice for Sigma lenses when used on Canon’s EOS R mirrorless camera.

After further testing, Sigma has concluded both autofocus and optical image stabilization (for applicable lenses) work ‘without any issues’ on the following lenses when used with Canon EOS R mirrorless cameras via the EF-EOS R mount adapter or Control Ring EF-EOS R mount adapter:

DG Lens
– SIGMA 12-24mm F4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 24-35mm F2 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art
– SIGMA 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM | Art
– SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports
– SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports
– SIGMA 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary
– SIGMA 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports
– SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary
– SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports
– SIGMA APO 200-500mm F2.8/400-1000mm5.6 EX DG
– SIGMA APO 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM
– SIGMA 8mm F3.5 EX DG CIRCULAR FISHEYE
– SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 15mm F2.8 EX DG DIAGONAL FISHEYE
– SIGMA 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 24mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art
– SIGMA 500mm F4 DG OS HSM | Sports
– SIGMA 70mm F2.8 DG MACRO | Art
– SIGMA MACRO 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ?
– SIGMA APO MACRO 150mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ?
– SIGMA APO MACRO 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM ?

DC Lens
– SIGMA 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM ?
– SIGMA 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM ?
– SIGMA 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM ?
– SIGMA 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary ?
– SIGMA 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art ?
– SIGMA 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary ?
– SIGMA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM ?
– SIGMA 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary ?
– SIGMA 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art ?
– SIGMA 4.5mm F2.8 EX DC CIRCULAR FISHEYE HSM ?
– SIGMA 10mm F2.8 EX DC FISHEYE HSM ?
– SIGMA 30mm F1.4 DC HSM | Art ?

*Camera’s “Scene Intelligent Auto mode” cannot be used.

Sigma notes when Digital Lens Optimizer, located within the EOS R settings menu, is switched to ‘OFF’ but peripheral illumination correction, chromatic aberration correction and distortion correction are turned on, those corrections will be made for each lens, specific to their optical characteristics. ‘This is applicable to DG and DC lenses from Contemporary, Art and Sports line listed below which were released after March, 2018, or those of which firmware has been updated to Ver.2.0 or later,’ says Sigma in the press release.

Sigma also clarifies that any DC lenses where the image circle is made to match APS-C sensors is used, the EOS R won’t automatically switch to its built-in 1.6x crop shooting mode, meaning it will have to be set manually. A future firmware update, expected to be ‘announced at a later date,’ will make this switch automatic and add support for the EOS R’s Scene Intelligent Auto mode.

Testing also confirmed three lenses had the potential to show ‘some phenomena’ that required special handling. The Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM, 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM and 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM all experienced a problem wherein on particular occasions the camera battery needed to be taken out and put back in place if the lens was removed while the optical stabilization is running.

Likewise, the 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM and 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM experienced an issue where autofocus would stop working from infinity to closer focus distance while shooting video.

Upcoming firmware updates to address these issues for these three lenses are expected ‘at a later date.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Instagram leak claims post re-sharing feature is in testing

22 Sep

A new report from The Verge claims Instagram is currently testing a feature that allows users to re-share posts to their own account feeds. Such a feature, assuming it were to launch publicly, would allow Instagram users to share other users’ content, each re-shared post reportedly showing the original poster, as well as each user that subsequently shared it.

The Verge cites screenshots of the alleged test and “an interview with a source,” in its report, however Instagram told the publication that it is not developing or testing a re-sharing feature.

A re-sharing tool, if one launches, may be limited to businesses

Nonetheless, the report claims that Instagram is calling the feature “seamless sharing” internally, developing it as a way for users to present photos and videos from other users in their own feeds. This would be similar to the Stories sharing feature Instagram launched earlier this year. Each post can reportedly be shared at least two times, the reports states.

The feature pictured within the leaked screenshots is described as “extremely rough,” indicating that development is still in its early stages. As with any test, it’s possible no such feature will be launched publicly to users. The report also points out that a re-sharing tool, if one launches, may be limited to businesses as a way for users to share merchandise posts with their followers.

Via: The Verge

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Kodak begins shipping Ektachrome film to select photographers for testing

16 Aug
Kodak via Instagram

During CES 2017, Kodak announced plans to resurrect its Ektachrome film, which was discontinued in 2012. Though the first batch of film isn’t available to purchase yet, Kodak released sample images shot on the new Ektachrome in June, and now it has started shipping test film to select photographers.

Images and videos of the new Ektachrome film have surfaced on Kodak’s Instagram page, where it points toward its beta film test team. One video by @benjhaisch shows a brick of packaged film boxes being removed from its shipping box; another (embedded below) by beta tester @michaelturek shows the same package with eight boxes of new film.

Thank you @michaelturek

A post shared by Kodak Professional (@kodakprofessional) on

Glimpses of the product are similarly present on the Kodak Professional Facebook page, where the company shared a shot of one of the Ektachrome film boxes unwrapped, as well as an unboxing video. In June, Popular Science editor Stan Horaczek was given a look inside the Kodak factory where Ektachrome is produced.

Kodak originally planned to release its new Ektachrome film for purchase by the end of 2017, but the timeline has since been updated to the end of 2018.

Via: Koso Foto

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: Testing all the Nikon F to Sony E-mount AF adapters on the market

08 May

Photographer Matt Granger has taken to YouTube to share a useful little gear video for those people who want to use Nikon F glass on their Sony E mount camera. In the video, he tests out all of the current Nikon F to Sony E-mount autofocus adapter on the market.

The video compares three adapters in all—the models available from Commlite, Vello, and Fotodiox Pro—which cost $ 400, $ 400, and $ 350, respectively. To test the gear, Granger tries them out on four lenses in turn: the Nikon 85mm F/1.4G, Nikon 200mm F/2G ED VR II, Nikon 24-70mm F/2.8G ED and the always-trusty 70-200mm F/2.8 ED VR II.

Although unconfirmed, Granger also shares a little tidbit of information from an unnamed source who told him that all of these adapters are effectively made with the same internals, as there’s only one company that’s managed to reverse-engineer Nikon’s tricky lens coding system.

Interestingly enough, this claim seems to be substantiated by the fact that all three adapters are absolutely identical, down to the cutouts, caps, desiccant and screw locations. The only difference is the location of markings on the devices and the fact that the Fotodiox adapter features gold metal mounting plates and gold release buttons, whereas the other two feature silver mounting plates and black release buttons.

We’ll leave it to Granger to break down every detail of the three adapters in the video up top, but we can summarize his experiences by saying that each adapter seemed to have strengths and weaknesses depending on which lens it was being used with.

In the end, Granger says it’s ultimately up to you to decide which one best fits your needs based on price and the location of each company’s respective support services. He also notes that, while each of the adapters do work in environments where your subject isn’t moving much, don’t expect to shoot a football game with one of them—the speed just isn’t there. Still, the adapters left Granger impressed.

Check out the full test up top, and then head over to Matt’s YouTube Channel for more videos like this.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Instagram currently testing slow-motion video and mute features

01 May
Credit: Luke van Zyl

Instagram may be getting a few new features in the near future. As originally reported by The Verge, Twitter user Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) managed to dig up a few interface changes that suggest new functionality is on the way.

Wong, a computer science major at UMass Dartmouth, came across the unreleased features by digging through the code in the Android version of the Instagram app. The two most significant features to be revealed are a new mute function, and the ability to shoot slow-motion video directly inside Instagram, shown below in screenshots from Wong’s Twitter.

The mute function would presumably work in the same way Twitter’s own mute button: effectively removing all content from a profile without the need to unfollow them. No need to unfollow that annoying friend who you want to keep up with, but whose photos you’re patently sick of.

Great way to save friendships and your sanity at the same time.

The slow-mo mode appears to be available only within the Stories section of Instagram, but it’s definitely possible we’ll see it as an integrated option within the standard video capture section as well. It’s unknown whether or not this would work with all devices or only on mobile devices that natively support slow-mo video capture.

In a statement to The Verge, an Instagram spokesperson said the company didn’t “have anything to share on this right now.” Not a confirmation, sure, but not a flat denial either—something Instagram has done when rumored features get out of hand.

These new features might never see the light of day, but it’s not unlike Instagram to randomly test new features with random users before making them public.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Instagram now lets you follow hashtags, is testing ‘recommended’ posts

13 Dec

Instagram will now let you follow hashtags in addition to individuals. The change, announced through the Instagram blog, comes about a month after initial reports surfaced that Instagram was ‘testing’ the feature with small groups of users.

As Instagram explains in its blog post, this is all about ‘enhancing’ discovery:

Every day, millions of people share photos and videos and tag them with relevant hashtags. #onthetable, #slime and #floralnails are just a few examples of hashtags that represent the many interests and passions of our community. To make these posts even more discoverable, we’re introducing hashtags you can follow.

Hashtags can be followed by clicking the big blue ‘Follow’ button on the hashtag’s landing page. Once you’ve followed a tag, top photos and stories from that tag will begin appearing in your newsfeed and stories queue up top.

One More Thing

The ability to follow hashtags began as a test back in early November, and Instagram just launched another feature test that seems likely to make it to prime time very soon. The Verge reports that Instagram is testing a ‘Recommended for You’ feature that will add posts to your news feed that it believes you will like.

These might include photos people you follow have liked, or images Instagram’s controversial algorithm believes you would enjoy based on your activity.

Instagram confirmed that the feature was being tested in a statement to the The Verge, who is also reporting that users can hide the Recommended for You section… at least for now.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Instagram is testing a ‘Regram’ button and other major feature updates

30 Nov
Photo by Erik Lucatero

Instagram is testing a bunch of new features, including one very intriguing and long-awaited button that will put several 3rd party apps out of business: the Regram. The new features were published by The Next Web, which was able to obtain screenshots of several feature updates that are still only being tested with small groups of users.

First things first though: Regram. Like Tumblr’s Reblog or Facebook’s Share, regramming would allow Instagram users to share another user’s photo or video with their own followers. Third party apps already allow for a cumbersome version of this, but a built-in button has never existed… until now.

Regram Button Screenshot. Credit: The Next Web

In addition to the Regram, TNW found that Instagram may soon:

  • Allow you to search for and add GIFs to your profile or Instagram Story.
  • Allow iOS users to join a Beta program that will give you early access to upcoming versions of the app.
  • Add an Archive feature for Stories (you can already archive regular posts)
  • Create a “Closest Friends List” that lets you share posts or stories with a smaller more intimate group.
  • Share to WhatsApp
  • Search by Top Hashtag and Top Emoji
  • Follow hashtags, not just other profiles

There is also an “Add Coffee” button that mysteriously popped up in the share page (the same page where you write your caption, select the social media accounts you’d like to share to, and click post). Nobody seems to have any idea what that’s about.

To see screenshots of all these features, head over to The Next Web’s report by clicking here. And let us know what you think of these new features in the comments down below.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Instagram testing feature the lets you follow hashtags

16 Nov

Instagram is making it easier for users to follow subjects they care about by introducing support for following hashtags. In its present form, Instagram only supports following accounts, but a new test some users have spotted extends this ability to individual hashtags, presenting the tagged content in the follower’s feed.

The feature was first brought to light on Twitter, where social media consultant Pippa Akram posted this screenshot:

In its current iteration, Instagram allows users to tag content with hashtags, such as #city or #landscape, and other users can search for content with those tags and see it in the search results. Adding the ability to follow hashtags directly would allow users to revisit their favorite hashtags again and again without having to search for them every time. A pretty useful feature, especially if you regularly visit Instagram for photography inspiration and ideas in your particular genre.

Unfortunately, for now, Instagram has kept quiet about this new feature, but if and when it rolls out to all users, we’ll let you know.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Instagram is testing a four-photo grid, and some users are freaking out

20 Sep

Facebook-owned image sharing behemoth Instagram (heard of ’em?) is testing a new change to its app, and the internet is collectively freaking out about it. According to some users, Instagram is already rolling out a new 4-across profile grid to replace the current 3-across setup that people know and (apparently) love.

Not a huge deal, you might think, but many photographers and casual users alike use that 3-across grid to create interesting mosaics that help their profile stand out. And those people are not reacting well to news of the test:

Of course, by now Instagram is used to these kinds of reactions—it seems like every change they make is met by a deluge of fear, anxiety and threats of abandonment. The algorithmic feed has been a boon for the company, but it set the community into a panic; and even smaller changes like the ability to block comments automatically or by keyword are usually met with at least some skepticism.

But for those photographers who have built their Instagram ‘brand’ in part by making creative use of the 3-across grid on their profile, this change would represent a swift kick to the mosaic.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DxOMark Mobile testing protocol now considers bokeh simulation, low-light, motion and zoom

12 Sep

Camera and lens testing company DxOMark has announced an updated smartphone camera evaluation protocol that evaluates additional elements encompassing some of the newer mobile camera technologies. This new protocol builds upon the previous version, adding an updated low-light test that evaluates performance down to 1 lux, new bokeh and zoom tests, and a motion-based test.

DxOMark detailed the new mobile protocol on Monday, explaining that it is better capable of evaluating phones packing the newest mobile camera capabilities, particularly ones made possible by dual-camera hardware. The company has re-tested some top-tier phone models under the new protocol, finding that in some cases scores increased when looking at features like low-light performance, bokeh, and zoom.

A detailed analysis of the new protocol versus the old protocol sheds some light on what DxOMark is looking for in these new categories, as well as charting the score changes some phones experienced under the new protocol. The company also offers a more in-depth look at the new protocol in a blog post.

Via: Digital Trends

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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