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Posts Tagged ‘Thirds’

Sharp reveals 8K Micro Four Thirds camera prototype at CES 2019

10 Jan

Sharp made a surprising announcement during CES 2019 this week: it’s developing an 8K Micro Four Thirds camera, currently referred to as the ‘8K Video Camera.’ YouTuber Kinotika published a short hands-on video (above) with the prototype camera, but details are slim at this time. Sharp reportedly told CES attendees that it will reveal the model’s official specs in Q2, possibly at NAB 2019.

According to Kinotika citing Sharp employees at CES, the 8K Video Camera will support 8K video recording at 30fps in H.265 codec. The model, at least at this point in the development process, is also expected to offer a single UHS-II SD card slot, sensor stabilization, and a large 5-inch flip-out display.

Sharp reportedly stated that it is working on a 60fps recording option for a lower resolution, possibly 1080p. Other features present on the prototype include a full-size HDMI port, audio-in, USB-C, a microphone input, and a headphone jack. Assuming nothing changes by the time an official announcement takes place, the ‘8K Video Camera’ will have a sub-$ 5,000 price.

Unfortunately, the prototype wasn’t functional and additional details aren’t available.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Insta360 Titan is an 11K 360-degree camera with 8 Micro Four thirds sensors

09 Jan

Insta360 has most user types of 360-degree cameras covered, offering cameras from the consumer-level One X all the way up to pro-level 8K models. However, it seems there is demand for even more powerful cameras with higher resolutions.

With the new 11K Titan camera Insta360 is catering to VR cinema professionals with the highest demands. The camera features eight lenses with Micro Four Thirds sensors, which is the largest sensor size on any stand-alone VR camera.

The camera supports 10-bit color and in video mode can shoot 11K or 10K 3D at 30 fps, 8K at 60 fps or 5.3K at 120 fps. In still mode it can capture 11K 360-degree images in 3D and monoscopic.

To cope with the amounts of image data that is captured, each lens/sensor combo requires a high-speed SD card. Gyroscopic metadata for Insta360’s FlowState stabilization and low-resolution proxy files, which can be used for quicker editing with Insta360’s Adobe Premiere Pro plug-in, are stored on an additional card.

In addition to the company’s very efficient FlowState stabilization, the Titan also supports Insta360’s Farsight radio technology which allows for remote control of the camera and was first introduced with the Pro 2 model. The CrystalView conversion tool can be used to play back and watch the camera’s 11K video output.

This much technology does not come cheap, of course, and priced at $ 14,999, the Titan is squarely aimed at the VR professionals camp. If you think the camera could be a profitable investment for your business, you can reserve one now with a $ 150 deposit. Shipment is expected for April. If you’d like to get an idea of the image quality the camera is capable of, head to the Insta360 Youtube channel for resolution, low-light and stabilization comparisons.

This Is Titan: Insta360 Opens Reservations on 11K, Eight-Lens VR Cinema Camera

Insta360 today opened reservations for the Insta360 Titan, an eight-lens cinematic VR camera that captures 360 photos and video at up to 11K resolution.

The Titan uses eight Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensors, the largest sensors available in any standalone VR camera. These sensors maximize image quality, dynamic range, low-light performance and color depth, raising the bar for realism in high-end professional VR capture.

Insta360 will show the new camera at the CES show in Las Vegas this week. The Titan is set to ship in April, following a pilot program with select filmmaker partners.

Creators can reserve their Titan here today to secure a priority shipment in the first batch.

Introducing Insta360 Titan: https://youtu.be/9VhxtmV7mZQ

Turn it up to 11.

The Titan is the first standalone 360 camera ready to record in 11K. Key shooting modes include 11K at 30 FPS, 10K 3D at 30 FPS, as well as 11K 360 photos in 3D and monoscopic formats.

Additional shooting modes include 8K at 60 FPS and 5.3K at 120 FPS.

A sensor so good you’ll want eight.

360 cameras use an array of sensors to cover every direction of the action. Most use small sensors on par with those found in smartphones or action cameras — useful for installing in a smaller camera body but not for maximizing image quality.

The Titan bucks this trend, sporting eight optimized Micro Four Thirds sensors that combine the benefits of a large sensor area with a relatively compact design. These high-performance sensors are the key to achieving a cinematic image quality that’s been unattainable to VR creators until now.

Natural light and color.

The Titan supports shooting in 10 bit color, allowing for billions of color combinations and extreme color accuracy, while its high dynamic range lets creators capture natural lighting and low-light scenes to achieve an unparalleled realism in VR.

Make your move with FlowState Stabilization.

The Titan uses Insta360’s signature onboard FlowState Stabilization technology, allowing for gimbal-like 9-axis stabilization with no accessories or added effort from the user. Onboard stabilization lets creators achieve the stunning dynamic shots necessary to tell a compelling story in VR.

Not in the shot. But still in the action.

The Titan comes standard with Insta360’s Farsight live monitoring system, consisting of a transmitter and a receiver that can be easily attached to a phone or tablet.

Using Farsight, VR filmmakers can easily preview and control their shoots remotely. VR directors used to have to yell “action” and then jump behind a tree to avoid ruining the shot. Farsight saves them the sweat.

Deliver what you shoot.

Ultra-high-res VR content presents a distribution challenge. Most playback systems aren’t ready to decode immersive video at higher than 4K, let alone 11K.

CrystalView, Insta360’s proprietary playback tech, lets creators deliver what they really shot. It renders in real time exactly the part of a video a viewer is watching – with no computing power wasted on displaying what’s behind their head — so that even mainstream smartphones can play back full-quality Titan content.

Reservations open now.

Starting today, VR filmmakers can reserve their Insta360 Titan and be among the first owners when the camera ships this April.

The Titan is priced at $ 14,999 USD, and the reservation is confirmed with a fully refundable deposit.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Full Frame VS Crop Sensor VS Micro Four Thirds: Camera Sensors Explained

05 Dec

The post Full Frame VS Crop Sensor VS Micro Four Thirds: Camera Sensors Explained appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kunal Malhotra.

1 - Full Frame VS Crop Sensor VS Micro Four Thirds: Camera Sensors Explained

‘DSLR Camera, Full-Frame, Crop Sensor’- Just 3 terms which are prevalent in virtually every discussion involving photography. The two terms in use to classify sensor sizes of a DSLR camera are ‘Full-Frame’ and ‘Crop-Sensor.’ A Full-Frame camera contains a sensor size equivalent to a 35mm film format whereas a Crop-Sensor camera has a sensor size smaller than a full-frame sensor or a 35mm film format.

Micro-Four-Thirds (4/3) is a relatively new format (and term). First introduced around 2008, this sensor is slightly smaller and compact in nature. However, owing to a variety of factors, this format is now considered almost equal to, if not better than, the Crop Sensor format.

Apart from the physical size difference, there are several other points of difference between a full-frame sensor, a crop-sensor, and a micro-four-thirds sensor. Let’s take a look at a comparison between them under the following characteristics, to get an accurate understanding of their differences.

Crop Factor

As mentioned above, a full-frame camera has a 35mm sensor based on the old film-format concept. Whereas, a crop-sensor (also called APS-C) has a crop factor of 1.5x (Nikon) or 1.6x (Canon). Micro-Four-Thirds are even smaller sensors having a crop factor of 2x.

This crop factor also directly affects our field of view. Simply put, an APS-C sensor would show us a cropped (tighter) view of the same frame as compared to a full-frame sensor, and a Micro-Four-Thirds sensor would show an even tighter (more cropped) output of the same frame.

2 - Full Frame VS Crop Sensor VS Micro Four Thirds: Camera Sensors Explained

LEFT: Photo clicked using a Full-Frame camera. CENTER: Photo clicked using a Crop-Sensor camera. RIGHT: Photo clicked using a Micro-Four-Thirds camera.

Focal Length

The focal length obtained by different sensors is also directly associated with crop-factor. The focal length measurement of any given lens is based on the standard 35mm film format. Whenever we use any crop-sensor camera, its sensor crops out the edges of the frame, which effectively increases the focal length. However, this is not the case with any full-frame sensor, as there is no cropping involved with a full-frame field of view.

For example, in the Nikon eco-system, a crop-sensor camera such as the D5600 has a ‘multiplier factor’ of 1.5x. Thus, if I mount a 35mm f/1.8 lens on my Nikon D5600, it would multiply the focal length by 1.5x, thus effectively giving me a focal length output of around 52.5mm. If you mount the same lens on a full-frame Nikon body such as the D850, it gives an output of 35mm.

Similarly, if you mount a 35mm lens on a Micro-Four-Thirds sensor, which has a crop factor of 2x, it effectively doubles the focal length obtained to around 70mm.

3 - Full Frame VS Crop Sensor VS Micro Four Thirds: Camera Sensors Explained

LEFT: Photo clicked at 35mm on a Full-Frame camera. CENTER: Photo clicked at 35mm on a Crop-Sensor camera. RIGHT: Photo clicked at 35mm on a Micro-Four-Thirds camera.

Depth of Field

Similar to focal length, the aperture or f-stop measurement of a lens is based on the full-frame 35mm format. Similar to focal length, a ‘multiplier effect’ gets applied to the f-stop when using crop-sensors. As we know, the f-stop or aperture is the singular most important factor that affects the Depth of Field.

Thus, a Micro-Four-Thirds camera gives us less (shallow) Depth of Field at similar focal lengths when compared with a full-frame camera. For example, an image shot at f/1.8 on a Micro-Four-Thirds camera would give an output similar to an image shot at f/3.6 on a full-frame camera, and f/2.7 on a crop sensor camera. This is assuming that the effective focal length, and other shooting conditions, are the same.

Low Light Performance

Generally, full-frame cameras provide not only better low light & high ISO performance, but a better dynamic range. These factors combined eventually produces a much better image output than any crop-sensor camera can achieve.

Full-frame cameras are capable of capturing the most light and will almost always out-perform an APS-C or Micro-Four-Thirds camera body under low-light conditions. Micro-Four-Thirds sensors don’t perform well under low-light conditions where the ISO needs to be cranked up to say, above 2000.

For these reasons, despite full-frame camera kits being expensive, bulky and heavy to carry around, they are still industry-standard and the preferred cameras for virtually all professional photography work.

Conclusion

Thus, while full-frame DSLR’s remaining the industry standard even today, we cannot ignore the undeniable advantages of the Micro-Four-Thirds cameras. Micro-Four-Third cameras, such as the Olympus EP-5 & the Panasonic GH5, are affordable and easy to carry around. Thus, enabling a much larger group of people (who are hobbyists and enthusiasts but not professionals) to have access to DSLR-like shooting conditions at a fraction of the price.

Ultimately, factors such as your budget, use and other criteria define whether you choose either Full-Frame, Crop-Sensor, or Micro-Four-Thirds cameras.

Read more info on sensors here.

The post Full Frame VS Crop Sensor VS Micro Four Thirds: Camera Sensors Explained appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kunal Malhotra.


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Center Field – 9 Acceptable Ways For Breaking Rule of Thirds in Photography

22 Nov

When starting, most photographers tend to shoot all subjects center-frame. As they learn more about photography and composition, they learn that centering a subject is not appealing and that they must follow the ‘Rule of Thirds’ to have a good composition. What if I suggest breaking Rule of Thirds?

The Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is taking a frame and dividing it into three equal sections both horizontally and vertically, creating a rectangular ‘tic-tac-toe’ box. Framing a subject so that it falls on one of the four intersecting points of that box can sometimes make an image more appealing to a viewer engaging with it.

2 - Breaking Rule of Thirds in Photography

Implementing the Rule of Thirds.

While you may not perfectly frame your subject to fall within one of those four points, if your subject falls on one of the four internal lines within the box, in most cases, it still gives a better appeal than a centered image.

When It’s a Good Idea to Center Your Subject

1. Centering as a Compositional Tool

Placing your subject dead-center can work to your benefit if the subject still tends to comply with the Rule of Thirds guideline. Such as, when more than one point of focus falls on more than one line within that ‘Rule of Thirds’ box as shown in the image below.

The sets of pillars fall on one of the two vertical lines in the frame according to the Rule of Thirds even though the entire image is centered.

2. Place Focus on Your Main Subject

Sometimes when there is a busy foreground or background, placing your subject dead-center helps to draw the viewer’s attention to it. While the image below shows much texture, centering the stool brings focus to it.

4- Breaking Rule of Thirds in Photography

Bring better focus to a subject by centering.

3. Emphasize Symmetry

You may sometimes run into a subject that has a symmetrical value to it. The item could include columns at a building’s entrance, a person’s face or something with repetitional characteristics. Centering the subject, in this case, allows the viewer to relax because the order in the image makes sense.

5- Breaking Rule of Thirds in Photography

This nonsymmetrical image is not as appealing as the image below.

In the next image, there is a sense of order due to the equal number of pillars to the right and left of the fountain, producing symmetry.

6 - Breaking Rule of Thirds in Photography

This image represents symmetry.

4. Draw the Viewer’s Eye Inward

One of the most common goals for a photographer is to draw a viewer’s attention into the image instead of out of it. Straight roadways, paths, or sidewalks are great examples that keep your viewer’s attention within the frame – by drawing the eye inward.

The hall and chandeliers are centered taking the eye inward into the photo.

5. Create a Sense of Size and Space

Centering a subject can often showcase its size, especially when surrounded by people, buildings or other objects that serve as a comparison. Such as in the image below.

8 - Breaking Rule of Thirds in Photography

Centering a subject can sometimes emphasize the size of a subject.

Centering a subject can also give a sense of space. A good example is when there is water or cityscape in the foreground of an image and a clear sky in an upper part of the image. See an example below.

9 - Breaking Rule of Thirds in Photography

Centering the Eiffel Tower in this image works to show a sense of space.

6. Square Image Format

A great way to justify centering an image is when you use the square image format. A square has all equal sides in length, so placing a subject dead-center works well. I also like it because, in most cases, it’s an equal distance from the subject to all edges of the sides.

Centering the Eiffel Tower in this image works to show a sense of space.

7. Shooting With Shallow Depth of Field

When you open up your aperture and shoot with shallow depth of field around your subject, it creates a more three-dimensional feel, adding depth to your image. In this case, centering your subject works because it washes out distraction around your subject, as in the image below.

11 - Breaking Rule of Thirds in Photography

Shooting with a shallow depth of field.

8. Overcoming Location Difficulties

Sometimes the location of a fixed subject makes it difficult to capture a stunning shot. During these times try to get creative, as I did in the image of the clock at Grand Central Terminal in New York City below. I could’ve taken that shot from any number of directions or angles. However, for a better shot, I centered it at an angle that included the American flag in the background.

12 - Breaking Rule of Thirds in Photography

Center a subject to overcome location difficulties.

9. Simplicity

You know the saying, ‘less is more?’ While placing a subject off-center adds tension to an image, placing a subject dead center can give a calm and orderly feeling. In addition, placing your subject in a central position is like opening a book to its story. You are making it the most important element in the image. A natural environment, a natural face – it’s an open book. What is your subject’s story that you are introducing to your viewers?

13 - Breaking Rule of Thirds in Photography

Simplicity

Tying It Altogether…

Some ‘rules’ are meant to be broken. The Rule of Thirds is not the only way to guarantee a good composition. As long as you understand why you’re breaking the rules and foregoing guidelines with a specific intention, your images can be as compelling subject-centered as with your subject off-center.

The post Center Field – 9 Acceptable Ways For Breaking Rule of Thirds in Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Sigma unveils 56mm F1.4 DC DN lens for Sony E and Micro Four Thirds

26 Sep

Sigma has announced the 56mm F1.4 DC DN lens for Micro Four Thirds and Sony E mounts. The compact 56mm lens becomes the sixth DN lens for mirrorless cameras and will make a handy portrait lens on both systems.

On Micro Four Thirds, the lens will behave as being equivalent to a 112mm F2.8 lens on full frame. On Sony E mount, it will act as an 84mm F2.1 equivalent. In both instances it should lend itself to offering a good degree of control over depth-of-field and, if previous Sigma pricing for the DN range is anything to go by, should be a sensibly-priced option.

The lens will be part of Sigma’s ‘C’ (for Contemporary) range of lenses which aim to strike a balance between quality and price.

The Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN is likely to be a keenly-priced portrait lens for both Micro Four Thirds and Sony E mount.

Press Release:

Sigma Unveils Five New Global Vision Lenses

Sigma’s 28mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary, 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports, and 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports will make their public debut at Photokina 2018

Cologne, Germany – September 25, 2018 – Sigma today announced five new Sigma Global Vision lenses shown for the first time at the 2018 Photokina expo in Cologne, Germany from September 26th-29th in Hall 4.2 on Stands B020, B028I and C029. From wide-angle to hyper-telephoto, the new Sigma Global Vision introductions arrive as some of the most anticipated lenses in the industry, further facilitating artistic expression for photographers.

Sigma 28mm F1.4 DG HSM Art
The new Sigma wide-angle model stands out with its thoroughly corrected magnification chromatic aberration and sagittal coma flare, as well as completely minimized distortion thanks to its optical design. It features water- and oil-repellent coating on the front lens element and its overall dust- and splash-proof structure ensures excellent performance even in the most challenging shooting conditions. The high-speed AF, thanks to the HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) with an updated algorithm, captures the perfect moment instantly. Available in Sigma, Nikon, Canon and Sony E camera mounts, this lens is a great contender for street photography, as well as shooting landscapes and night skies.

Full technical specifications are available here: https://bit.ly/2DdAiVE. Pricing and availability will be announced later.

Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art
The 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art is Sigma’s first lens developed originally to live up to the sought-after angle of view and performance standard for a benchmark cine lens. This lens effectively arranges three FLD (“F” Low Dispersion) glass elements and three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements to correct axial chromatic aberration and magnification chromatic aberration. Designed for exceptional sharpness at maximum aperture, this lens excels at available light photography. With less than 1% distortion and near non-existent sagittal coma flare, this lens demonstrates consistent optical results featuring both 8K-compatible resolution and a beautiful bokeh. It is available for Sigma, Nikon, Canon and Sony E mount camera systems.

Full technical specifications are available here: https://bit.ly/2QHliC5. Pricing and availability will be announced later.

Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary
This lens completes the Sigma large aperture series of portable wide-angle, standard, and telephoto prime lenses in Micro Four Thirds and Sony E mounts. Featuring compact design, light weight and outstanding image quality offered in Sigma’s Contemporary line, this lens stuns with a beautiful bokeh effect and the amount of brightness expected from F1.4 lenses even in the mid-telephoto range for cropped sensor cameras. In addition, this lens is characterized by smooth and quiet autofocus ideal for video shooting. Compatible with the Sony E mount Fast Hybrid AF, it also achieves precise AF tracking. By using the face recognition or eye AF functions of the camera, focus will continuously be on the face or the eye even if the subject moves during the shoot.

Full technical specifications are available here: https://bit.ly/2PLuSTh. Pricing and availability will be announced later.

Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports
One of the most anticipated lenses from the Sigma Global Vision line, the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports is the new flagship large-aperture telephoto zoom lens that meets the most stringent needs of professional photographers. Robust yet lightweight, the lens’ magnesium body ensures high mobility and its dust- and splash-proof structure together with the water- and oil-repellent coating on the front element ensure safe use even in the most challenging shooting conditions. It also incorporates Intelligent OS with an acceleration sensor and the latest algorithm capable of panning in all directions. The lens’ optical design, incorporating 10 exclusive low-dispersion glass elements, allows for extremely high resolution, from the center to the corners. By optimizing spherical aberration, a smooth and natural bokeh effect is achieved when using the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports for portrait photography. The versatility of this lens is demonstrated in various customization options via an AF Function button either through the camera body or Sigma USB Dock. The newest F2.8 large-aperture zoom lens from Sigma comes in Sigma, Canon and Nikon mounts.

Full technical specifications are available here: https://bit.ly/2DlyWbE. Pricing and availability will be announced later.

Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports
The Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports is the world’s first 10x optical zoom telephoto lens with a tele end of 600mm. Incorporating 25 elements in 19 groups, excellent and consistent image quality can be achieved throughout the entire zoom range. This lens’ intelligent OS featuring the latest algorithm delivers an image stabilization effect of 4 stops. Its optical design ensures maximum correction of magnification chromatic aberration encountered in hyper-telephoto shooting. This offers both high resolution and consistent edge-to-edge performance throughout the entire zoom range. In addition, when shooting at the focal length of 200mm, the Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports can also be used for telephoto macro photography, with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.3, thanks to its high rendering performance. Its multi-material build, which incorporates magnesium among other components, ensures durability and enhances portability, allowing for comfortable handling of the 10x zoom lens. The zooming mechanism has been engineered to make both smooth rotation and straight zoom possible. Versatile and robust, the new Sigma hyper-telephoto zoom lens is available in Sigma, Canon and Nikon mounts starting in late October 2018 for $ 1999 USD.

Full technical specifications are available here: https://bit.ly/2xmASv1.

Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN specifications

Principal specifications
Lens type Prime lens
Max Format size APS-C / DX
Focal length 56 mm
Image stabilization No
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds, Sony E
Aperture
Maximum aperture F1.4
Minimum aperture F16
Aperture ring No
Number of diaphragm blades 9
Optics
Elements 10
Groups 6
Special elements / coatings SLD element
Focus
Minimum focus 0.50 m (19.69″)
Maximum magnification 0.14×
Autofocus Yes
Motor type Stepper motor
Full time manual No
Focus method Internal
Distance scale No
DoF scale No
Physical
Weight 280 g (0.62 lb)
Diameter 67 mm (2.62″)
Length 60 mm (2.34″)
Sealing Yes
Filter thread 55 mm
Hood supplied Yes
Tripod collar No
Other
Notes Weight and dimensions for Sony mount

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CamRanger Mini is half the size, two thirds of the price and has over twice the range

13 Sep

Ahead of the launch of the CamRanger II the company has announced a mini version of its wireless remote control system that it says has a longer range than the original in a body half the size. The CamRanger Mini does much the same things as the original model did, but now has a reach of 400 feet and will cost 2/3rd of the price.

Designed to work with Canon and Nikon DSLR systems the device acts as a go-between to connect a camera with a tablet or phone. It allows users to preview what the camera is seeing and to take control of basic, and in some cases more advanced, settings before triggering the shutter.

As was announced, the company has produced a new app to run the CamRanger II, and it appears to have made it available to use first with the CamRanger Mini. The Mini is said to be slightly faster than the original model, and now the app offers equal support for iOS and Android products, as well as 200% live view magnification and a level, pinch zoom functions and a more automated focus stacking process.

There is no mention of Fujifilm and Sony support, as there will be with the CamRanger II, but there’s a good chance the firmware will be updated at some stage to allow this.

The CamRanger Mini is available now for £229.99/$ 200. For more information see the CamRanger website.

Press release

Smaller price, Smaller size…

Introducing the NEW CamRanger MINI

New CamRanger MINI enables remote live view and firing of a Canon or Nikon DSLR camera from up to 120m (400ft) away, via a tablet or smartphone, with the ability to modify exposures and settings completely wirelessly.

The CamRanger MINI hardware and free app work together to create their own Wi-Fi network, even in remote locations, without relying on another network or router. This offers the ability to change the camera’s shutter, aperture, ISO and white balance, along with many other settings. The powerful app even has the ability to run more advanced functions such as focus-stacking, time-lapse and HDR photography.

This new device is ideal for any application where remote view and capture are useful or even essential, such as nature and macro photography, wildlife and birdwatching plus commercial applications where having a camera in a high, tight or remote location is necessary. Controlling a Nikon or Canon DSLR camera with a smartphone or tablet has just become easier.

The built-in Lithium-ion battery lasts about 3-4 hours and is charged through the micro-USB port. Wi- Fi range is over 120m (400ft), though the range depends greatly on the exact location and scenario. The CamRanger MINI works with most Nikon and Canon DSLRs and the included case can be used for carrying, storage and attaching to the camera or tripod.
The CamRanger Mini app is available for iOS and Android and is free download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Both the Android and iOS apps have been completely revamped from the original CamRanger app.

  • Wirelessly stream live view from the camera to your tablet or phone
  • Wirelessly capture images or trigger from the camera
  • Thumbnails automatically appear on the top of the screen after taking a picture
  • Images are always saved to the camera card and can optionally be saved to your device
  • Pinch zoom or double tap to view the image at up to 200%
  • Double tap to increase magnification, Single tap to focus on an area or fine tune
  • Can be configured to take a series of pictures automatically varying Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO
  • Can be configured as an intervalometer to take time lapse sequences
  • View and change camera settings remotely
  • Use a variety of overlays: grid lines, file name, EXIF data, histogram

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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hähnel introduces Modus 600RT flash for Micro Four Thirds

15 May

Battery and accessory brand hähnel has extended its range of radio-triggered Modus 600RT flash units with a model for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The unit can be used directly in the hotshoe as a standalone flash, or will work within a group of flashes as a TTL commander or a slave using radio or optical communication.

The company already makes this model speedlight for Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony systems, and is adding Olympus and Panasonic cameras with this new model.

Although the Modus 600RT shares its basic design with the Godox TT685 flash, and much of its specification with the Godox V860II, hähnel claims its flash has significant advantages that account for the difference in price. A spokesperson told DPReview that the build quality of the 600RT is improved, and that hähnel is especially proud of its firmware updates and customer service—both before and after purchase.

The Modus flashes also feature Digital Channel Matching that locks the transmitter and receiver together once they are connected, to reduce the possibility of interference. Another major difference, according to hähnel, is the quality of the supplied lithium-ion block battery, which is injected with silicone to insulate the circuits and to provide improved shock absorption. The company says these hähnel Extreme li-ion batteries have a longer life and retain their charge for longer than competitors’ equivalents.

The Modus 600RT has a guide number of 60m/197ft at ISO 100, and can produce 600 full-power bursts per charge with only a 1.5-second delay for recycling.

With a transmitter and receiver built-in, the flashes work as both commanders and slaves in groups of other hähnel Captur-compatible guns as well as in combination with manufacturers’ original and third party units. A Viper TTL radio controller can be used from the hotshoe to control single guns or up to three groups of guns at a range of 100m/330ft, and can operate in full TTL, manual or strobotic modes with DCM. The zoom head offers coverage for 20-200mm lenses and high speed synch mode allows use with shutter speeds as short as 1/8000sec.

The hähnel Modus 600RT for micro four thirds is available now and will cost £270/$ 250/€250 including a Viper transmitter, hähnel Extreme li-ion battery and charger. For more information, read the full press release below or visit the hähnel website.

Press Release

{PressRelease}

hähnel announce launch of MODUS 600RT Speedlight for Micro Four Thirds

Following on from the very successful launch of the MODUS 600RT Speedlight for Canon, Nikon, Sony & Fuji, hähnel have now announced availability of the MODUS for Micro Four Thirds (Panasonic & Olympus).

The staggeringly powerful hähnel Extreme Li-Ion battery provides the power for the MODUS and beats the speed of AA-powered speedlight’s hands down. With a GN of 60, the MODUS will handle over 1000 shots at ½ power and over 600 shots at full power.

Rather than waiting the normal 4-6 seconds which normal Speedlight’s would require at full power, the MODUS 600RT has fast re-cycling in abundance at just 1.5 seconds. The built-in wireless receiver/transmitter offer TTL, manual and multi modes and high-speed sync supports up to 1/8000 of a sec.

The unique wireless connectivity really steps into its own when paired with the Viper TTL Wireless Flash Trigger. Use them together and control up to 3 separate groups of flash guns in either TTL, manual or Multi (Stroboscopic) mode. DCM channel matching and over 100m range makes the Viper TTL the perfect partner for this new speedlight.

With a long-standing reputation for high- quality accessories, it is no surprise that the MODUS has received ‘Best Value Accessory’, ‘Best Accessory’ and ‘Gear of the Year – Best Flashgun’ accolades from Digital Photographer, Digital Camera and N-Photo magazines since launched.

Stock available from Monday 28th May.

MODUS 600RT WIRELESS KIT FOR MICRO FOUR THIRDS RRP £269.99

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Yongnuo YN43 is a Four Thirds smartphone clip-on camera with Canon lens mount

12 May

Yesterday, affordable photography accessory maker Yongnuo unveiled a 60mm F2 macro lens, and they’ve also taken the wraps off a YN43 camera module, a clip-on camera for smartphones in the spirit of Sony’s QX-cameras, the Olympus Air, DxO One, and the Kodak PixPro models.

Unfortunately, at this point there are no specifications available on the site. Looking at the images and model name it’s fair to assume the device will feature a Four Thirds sensor. Curiously the lens mount appears to be of the Canon variant, though. On the product images we can see a Yongnuo 14mm F2.8 wide angle lens for Canon mounted to the module. The choice of lens mount is likely due to the fact that Yongnuo only makes lenses for Canon and Nikon, but no Micro Four Thirds glass.

The camera is pictured with an Apple iPhone and an app is already available in the App Store which suggests it will definitely work with Apple devices, but one would assume it’ll be compatible with at least the most popular Android phones as well.

With its unusual sensor/lens mount combination the YN43 looks like a slightly odd product to put it mildly. It also doesn’t bode well that all the similar products mentioned above have disappeared from the market and the built-in cameras in smartphones have improved drastically, almost nullifying the need for bulky clip-on modules.

That said, Yongnuo is known for its budget pricing and while no price information is available yet for the YN43 we’d expect it to be quite affordable. This could make it worth a closer look to anyone who has a few Canon lenses lying around and likes tinkering with photo equipment.

We’ll let you know as soon as more information and specs become available.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The Yongnuo YN43 is a Micro Four Thirds smartphone clip-on camera with Canon lens mount

11 May

Yesterday, affordable photography accessory maker Yongnuo unveiled a 60mm F2 macro lens, and they’ve also taken the wraps off a YN43 camera module, a clip-on camera for smartphones in the spirit of Sony’s QX-cameras, the Olympus Air, DxO One, and the Kodak PixPro models.

Unfortunately, at this point there are no specifications available on the site. Looking at the images and model name it’s fair to assume the device will feature a Micro Four Thirds sensor. Curiously the lens mount appears to be of the Canon variant, though. On the product images we can see a Yongnuo 14mm F2.8 wide angle lens for Canon mounted to the module. The choice of lens mount is likely due to the fact that Yongnuo only makes lenses for Canon and Nikon, but no Micro Four Thirds glass.

The camera is pictured with an Apple iPhone and an app is already available in the App Store which suggests it will definitely work with Apple devices, but one would assume it’ll be compatible with at least the most popular Android phones as well.

With its unusual sensor/lens mount combination the YN43 looks like a slightly odd product to put it mildly. It also doesn’t bode well that all the similar products mentioned above have disappeared from the market and the built-in cameras in smartphones have improved drastically, almost nullifying the need for bulky clip-on modules.

That said, Yongnuo is known for its budget pricing and while no price information is available yet for the YN43 we’d expect it to be quite affordable. This could make it worth a closer look to anyone who has a few Canon lenses lying around and likes tinkering with photo equipment.

We’ll let you know as soon as more information and specs become available.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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A closer look at the Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN for Micro Four Thirds

12 Jan

We’ve got a pair of Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN lenses in the office: one for Micro Four Thirds and the other for Sony E-mount. In this article we have some impressions of the MFT version, as well as some other lenses in this class worth considering.

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The 16mm F1.4 acts as a 32mm equivalent lens on the Micro Four Thirds platform. It’s an interesting focal length to end up with: not quite 28mm equiv., which many people would consider the gateway to wide-angle, but also noticeably wider than the near-normal of 35mm equiv. I didn’t expect it to make any difference but found myself constantly fighting against too much stuff creeping into the edges of the frame in a way that I don’t with a 35mm.

In terms of handling, I felt the 16mm worked best when mounted on the larger Micro Four Thirds camera that feature prominent hand grips: its comparatively long length feeling a little unbalanced on the smaller, rangefinder-style boxes, though it’s light enough that it doesn’t end up feeling too front-heavy. The lens’s only control point is a large by-wire focusing ring. It’s a little under-damped for my tastes, rotating fairly freely but it was effective on the few occasions I ended up having to manual focus (turns out LED Christmas lights and autofocus do not always play nicely with one-another).

Optically, I was pretty impressed with the lens, the F1.4 (F2.8 35mm-equivalent) aperture gave me plenty of control over depth-of-field and sufficient light for low-light work. Sharpness seems good if not necessarily stellar and with what appears to be pretty good cross-frame consistency, until you reach the extreme corners. As you’d expect, the performance gets better if you stop down a couple of notches. The 16mm is pretty resistant to flare, even when given significant provocation, with good levels of contrast maintained even in contre jour images with veiling flare.

Autofocus was snappy to the degree that I didn’t ever really have to think about it. Only the aforementioned Hybrid AF/LED Christmas light mismatch caused me to even give it a second thought. It’s fast and quiet to the degree that you just don’t notice it, and can concentrate on composing your shot instead.

Alternatives

My impression is that the Sigma is sharper, two thirds of a stop faster and comparably priced to the Olympus 17mm F1.8. However, I don’t think it’s quite as easy a win as that makes it sound. The Olympus is significantly smaller and features the lovely snap-back manual focus clutch and linear manual focus system (faux-cus by wire, perhaps?), both of which are definite bonuses. So, while I’d find it hard to choose between the two, I probably wouldn’t rush out to replace a 17mm if I had one, not least because I personally prefer the narrower angle-of-view that the extra 1mm brings.

1mm in the opposite direction is the Panasonic 15mm F1.7. It usually retails for around $ 100 more than the Sigma, despite being rated as half a stop slower. Again it’s smaller than the Sigma, meaning it handles better on a smaller camera body. Similarly, the 15mm offers a neat operational advantage over the DN, at least for Panasonic shooters: the lovely Leica M lens style front aperture ring (worth the extra $ 100 on its own, in my opinion and well worth lobbying Olympus for firmware support for, if you’re on that side of the system). Optical performance is perhaps a step up from the Sigma, leaving the 16mm F1.4 DN DC as an attractive extra option for Micro Four Thirds but not an absolute must-have, from my perspective.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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