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Highlight reel: top video trends from NAB 2016

26 Apr

NAB 2016

Last week Las Vegas once again hosted the annual National Association of Broadcasters Show. Although many of the products and technologies seen at NAB won’t be of direct interest our audience (think satellite trucks and news studios), the explosion of high quality, affordable tools aimed at filmmakers and videographers make it a good place to watch industry trends and new product categories. Perhaps more importantly, NAB can provide insight into what technologies we might expect to filter down to prosumer and consumer products in a few years time.

Take a look at a few trends and products from NAB 2016 that caught our eye and got us excited.

Virtual Reality (VR)

VR was everywhere at NAB, with multiple sessions focused on VR technology, storytelling and distribution that were packed to standing room only. A top destination was the VR Showcase sponsored by Kaleidoscope VR, a VR studio, and Jaunt, a maker of VR cinema cameras. With dozens of stations featuring headsets from Samsung, Oculus and HTC, visitors could experience cinematic VR experiences in person.

These weren’t just your standard ‘park-a-camera-in-an-iconic-spot-and-look-around’ videos, but actual films created with a VR audience in mind. Imagine watching a film about the 7/7 London Tube bombings, except you’re sitting on the train while the story plays out. It creates an immersive, visceral experience that simply wouldn’t work with conventional filmmaking.

We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that VR can provide to photographers and filmmakers, so we’re planning a follow-up report to tell you more about VR and our experiences at NAB.

Nokia OZO: Impressive VR for a price

The Nokia OZO includes eight cameras and eight microphones to create immersive VR footage. You can pick one up for a cool $ 60,000.

If you still equate the name Nokia with mobile phones, it’s time to change your thinking. The company has made a big push into VR, making a big splash at NAB with its $ 60,000 OZO 360-degree spherical VR camera. The OZO features 8 cameras, each with 195-degree field of view and global shutter, as well as the ability to capture stereo video for 3D effect. To add additional realism, the OZO also features 8 microphones in order to provide 360 sound, something that’s important for creating immersive VR experiences.

Although the quality of the footage from the OZO still isn’t up to the resolution and dynamic range standards we’re accustomed to seeing in digital still cameras, the VR experiences created by the OZO were impressive and compelling. The directional sound had a huge impact on the realism of footage shot with the camera, and it captured some of the best VR footage we’ve seen. Count us in for a test unit!

GoPro Omni

Not to be left out the the VR extravaganza, GoPro showed off its new Omni camera, a cube-shaped cage that holds six GoPro Hero 4 cameras. Although rigs holding multiple GoPro cameras aren’t new in the VR world, GoPro has embedded useful features to improve the experience of a multi-GoPro setup. Primarily, all cameras in the rig are synchronized and act as a single camera. 

This may not seem like a big deal, but if you’ve ever tried to set up, sync, and use multiple cameras at one time you’ll appreciate the convenience. Making a mistake on just one camera ruins your entire shoot. The Omni solves this problem and syncs everything, right down to the rolling shutter, between all the cameras at once. 

GoPro is selling the Omni for $ 1,499 (rig only) or $ 4,999 for the full kit.

4K? No thanks, I think I’ll take 8K instead.

Although many consumers are still learning about 4K video technology, the broadcast industry is already beginning to think about 8K video, with companies such as NHK, Canon, Panasonic, Ikegami and Planar showing off 8K cameras and displays.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way right up front: 8K IS AMAZING! (Yes, we meant to scream that.)

OK, let’s put 8K this into some context. None of these companies really expect 8K technology to come to your living room any time soon, though that’s likely to occur in some form by the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which seems to be a common target in the industry.

The real interest in 8K technology right now is for content acquisition, and it’s the same reason producers of HD content like to shoot in 4K: additional post-processing options and better quality footage when downsized. Display manufacturers are also excited about 8K for applications where size really does matter, such as cinema screens, displays at amusement parks, and giant stadium screens.

Trust us, though. Once you’ve seen 8K displays you’ll never look at a 4K screen the same again…

8K Displays

It’s almost impossible to see the pixels on Canon’s prototype 8K reference display – even with a magnifying glass.

Speaking of 8K displays, one of the most impressive examples was Canon’s prototype 8K reference display. To fully appreciate just how sharp this display is, consider that each frame of 8K video is just over 35MP of resolution – the rough equivalent of a full resolution Nikon D810 image. Pack that into a relatively small screen and for all practical purposes it looks like a backlit fine art print.

Quite simply, this redefines what a video screen is. Once you remove any noticeable pixelation, it’s essentially indistinguishable from a nicely backlit, printed image. We could easily imagine these being used for museum exhibits, but we suspect content creators will come up with interesting ways to use them that we haven’t even envisioned yet.

Almost as a tease, Canon tethered a magnifying glass to the display so you could look at the pixels up close. While it’s possible to see them you have to look really hard – certainly much closer than you ever would in real world conditions – and even then you have to convince yourself that you’re really seeing them.

8K Prints

Prints in Canon’s 8K print gallery were stunning and looked as good as what we would expect from even the best still cameras.

This is why still photographers should care about 8K video.

Each frame of 8K video is a 35MP image, meaning that as long as you use settings to avoid motion blur it’s possible to make some spectacular prints.

Canon illustrated this potential with an 8K print gallery, exhibiting prints made from individual frames of 8K video. The results were spectacular, with vivid colors and sharp edges. Really, if they had told us the photos were shot by a Canon 5DS or a Nikon D810 we would have believed them. If this is the future, bring it on.

Atomos Shogun Flame and Ninja Flame

The new Atomos Shogun Flame (top) and the original Shogun (bottom). The new Flame includes an HDR screen and AtomHDR technology, which allows videographers to see a live approximation of what graded footage will look like when shooting in Log.

Atomos has become a favorite of video shooters thanks to its excellent off-camera displays and recorders. At NAB the company showcased its newest line of ‘Flame’ products, which add significant new features to its Shogun and Ninja recorders.

The biggest improvement most users will notice are the displays: the screens are now 10-bit HDR displays that are up to four times brighter than previous models, meaning they can even be used outdoors without a hood.

Atomos also introduced a technology called AtomHDR to help videographers who shoot in Log format. Log video typically looks very flat until it’s color graded; AtomHDR allows you to record in Log while displaying accurate contrast and colors on-screen, giving a good approximation of what graded footage will look like. We use the original Shogun here in our studio and we were really impressed the AtomHDR technology. In the photo above you can see a comparison of the new Shogun Flame using AtomHDR (top) and the old Shogun without AtomHDR, but to be honest the photo doesn’t fully capture how much better the Shogun Flame looks.

The Shogun Flame lists for $ 1,695, and the Ninja Flame (which lacks some features such as SDI and XLR inputs) lists for $ 1,295.

Blackmagic Video Assist 4K

Videographers also flocked to the Blackmagicdesign booth to try out the Blackmagic Video Assist 4K, an updated version of its Video Assist monitor and recorder. The Video Assist 4K is built around a 7-inch display and includes HDMI and SDI plugs, dual SD card slots for continuous UHD recording, LANC connection for remote control, and XLR microphone inputs. Footage can be recorded in 10-bit 4:2:2 video in either ProRes or DNxHD for easy downstream editing. The Video Assist 4K looks to be a great option for people who need off-camera recording, especially those shooting events that may require long, continuous recording.

The Video Assist 4K lists for $ 895.

Sennheiser Microphones

The Sennheiser MKE 440.

Cameras tend to get a lot of attention, but videographers know that sound can be just as important as a good picture when capturing video.

Last year Sennheiser introduced the ClipMic digital and MKE 2 digital, lavalier microphones that plug directly into the Lighting port of an iOS device to record high quality sound, turning iPhones into great off-camera recorders. This year, the company followed up with additional Lightning-compatible microphones: The HandMic digital, a handheld microphone designed for mobile journalism, and the MK 4 digital, a studio microphone. We’ve actually been using one of the MKE 2 digital mics with an iPhone to record a lot of interviews over the past year and it works great, so we’re really excited to see Sennheiser expanding this line of products.

Sennheiser also introduced the MKE 440 stereo microphone for DSLRs (see photo). Designed to mount on a camera’s hot shoe, the MKE 400 provides high quality stereo recording as opposed to the mono recording provided by most DSLR microphones, and should prove useful when recording an immersive soundscape with an on-camera mic is important.

Lytro Cinema Camera

The Lytro Cinema camera promises to change the way films are made, though at the moment it’s about the length of a VW minibus.

Lytro was the clear winner of the ‘Well, that was bigger than we expected…’ award at NAB. 

The company, which recently announced its exit from the consumer photography business, literally pulled the cover off its new prototype Cinema camera to a standing room only crowd. Featuring a 755MP imaging sensor that appears to be about a foot wide, the Cinema camera has the potential to change the way some films are shot. 

Lytro’s Jon Karafin gave a live demo illustrating the camera’s unique ability to alter creative choices in post-processing, such as plane of focus, depth of field and depth-based keying. And because all of the computational work is done by thousands of CPUs in Google’s cloud, he was able to run the entire demo off a laptop computer.

The prototype camera is huge (about the same length as a VW minibus, to our eye), but company representatives told us that smaller versions will follow. We think this technology has a lot of potential and look forward to seeing how it evolves. You can read our analysis of the Lytro announcement here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Facebook’s open source Surround 360 captures 3D-360 video at up to 8K

13 Apr

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Facebook has introduced the Surround 360, which captures 3D, 360 degree video using a total of 17 cameras and can output resolutions of up to 8K per eye. Unusually, Facebook will be making both the camera and processing software open source to give developers the opportunity to improve both.

The Surround 360 itself features 17 synchronized cameras: 14 horizontal, a fisheye on top and two more on the bottom. Each camera has a global shutter (which eliminates rolling shutter) and has been designed for long periods of operation without overheating. Raw Bayer data is captured, which is later processed in the stitching software. All 17 cameras are bolted onto an aluminum chassis so everything stays in place.

Facebook says it has used Point Grey industrial cameras in the Surround 360, which hints at the use of Sony 2nd generation Pregius CMOS sensors with global shutters. The lenses used are 7mm F2.4 lenses designed for up to 1″-type sensors, which could even mean the use of the latest Sony IMX253 or IMX255 chips. If that’s the case, then these lenses are roughly equivalent to 19mm.

With incredible amounts of data coming from all of those cameras Facebook uses a Linux-based PC with a RAID 5 SSD array that shares the writing out across eight drives simultaneously. The company has made controlling the camera rig easy, via a web-based interface that allows users to adjust shutter speed, exposure, frame rate and gain.

The stitching software uses the concept of optical flow to resolve disparities between what pairs of cameras can see. The company says this method is ‘mathematically trickier’ than traditional systems, but yields better results. The end results are 3D/360 videos which can be output at 4K, 6K or 8K per eye. Videos can be viewed on Oculus Rift and Gear VR headsets using Facebook’s Dynamic Streaming codec. Videos can also be output and shared on Facebook and other websites.

A big part of the Surround 360’s story is that Facebook is opening up both the camera blueprints and processing software to developers, stating that ‘we know there are ideas we haven’t explored’ and ‘we know from experience that a broader community can move things forward faster than we can.’ The company says that the design and code will be on GitHub this summer.

More technical information can be found on Facebook’s developer site, while consumer-friendly info about the camera can be found here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Change of focus: 755 MP Lytro Cinema camera enables 300 fps light field video

12 Apr

Lytro is bringing its Light Field technology to the world of cinema and visual effects, shortly after its CEO announced in a blog post Lytro’s intention of abandoning the consumer stills camera space. Lytro Cinema turns every frame of live action into a 3D model, capturing intensity, color, and angular information of light rays. Coupling light field with a 755 MP sensor capable of capturing images at 300 fps, Lytro Cinema promises extensive post-production freedom, including adjustment of focus, depth-of-field, shutter speed and frame rate, as well as the elimination of green screens.

Although Lytro experienced some difficulty in adoption of light field technology in stills, the technology had, and continues to have, immense potential for imaging. Saving creative decisions for post-processing allows for more creative freedom, and allows a photographer or DP to focus on other elements during capture. Nowhere will this be more appreciated than in cinema, where the realities of production mean that any technology aimed at saving certain creative decisions, like focus, for post-capture are welcome.

Focus and aperture sliders in post-production. In video. No joke. I wish my Raw converter had this (Lytro’s Raw converter already does). Photo credit: Lytro

And that’s exactly what Lytro Cinema aims to do. By capturing directional information about light rays and essentially sampling multiple perspectives behind the aperture, Lytro Cinema allows for adjustment of focus placement, depth-of-field (via aperture adjustment), perspective, and more in post-processing. And since a depth map is rendered for every frame of video, Lytro claims Cinema will make it easier to combine CGI with live footage, no longer requiring green screens to extract elements or subjects from a scene. You’ll be able to just extract a subject based on its depth, which Lytro shows in a convincing example below:

Since light field cameras effectively sample multiple perspectives from behind the lens, you can even simulate camera movement as if it were moved on-set. The degree of motion is of course limited, but the technique can be very effective, as demonstrated in this haunting music video shot entirely on the stills-focused Lytro Illum. As Lead Engineer for Light Field Video Brendan Bevensee explains: “You have a virtual camera that can be controlled in post-production.” That means there’s also nothing stopping one from simulating short dolly motion or perspective shifts in post, with nothing but a static camera at the time of capture. “You can shift the camera to the left… [or] to the right, as if you had made that exact decision on set. It can even move your camera in and out” says Head of Light Field Video, Jon Karafin.

Imagine small, smooth, meditative camera movements that don’t even require a complicated motion rig to set up.

Furthermore, by precisely recording X, Y, Z, pitch, roll, and yaw, Lytro Cinema even offers automated camera tracking, which makes it easier to composite and mat CGI elements. And just as the Illum paired with Lytro Desktop software allowed one to select various objects and depths to throw them in and out of focus for selective depth-of-field and background blur, one can do the same in video with the Cinema, choosing, for example, to marry live footage from minimum focus to, say, 10m with different footage, or CGI, for everything beyond those distances. In other words, control over not just single planes, but ranges of planes.

Beyond just light field benefits, Lytro is also addressing another common headache: the selection of shutter angle (or shutter speed). Often, this is a decision made at the time of capture, dictating the level of blur or stuttering (a la action scenes in ‘Saving Private Ryan’ or ‘Gladiator’) in your footage. At high frame rates of capture, though, high shutter angles are required, removing some of the flexibility of how much motion blur you can or can’t have (e.g. 300 fps cannot be shot with shutter speeds longer than 1/300s, which inevitably freezes action). By decoupling the shutter angle of capture from the shutter angle required for artistic effect, a DP can creatively use motion blur, or lack thereof, to suit the story. The technology, which undoubtedly uses some form of interpolation and averaging in conjunction with the temporal oversampling, also means that you can extract stills with a desired level of motion blur. 

Lytro claims that by capturing at 300 fps, they can computationally allow for any of a number of shutter angles in post-production, allowing a cinematographer to decouple shutter angle required for capture from that required for artistic intent. Photo credit: Lytro

With every development over at Lytro, we’ve been excited by the implications for both stills and video. The implications for the latter, in particular, have always been compelling. Along with the announcement of the Lytro Immerge 360º virtual reality light field rig, we’re extremely excited to see light field video becoming a reality, and look forward to what creatives can produce with what is poised to be an unimaginably powerful filmmaking platform. Filmmakers can sign up for a demonstration and a personalized production package on Lytro’s site. For now, Lytro Cinema will be available on a subscription basis, understandable given the complexities involved (the immense data capture rates require servers on-set).

Head over to the Lytro Cinema page for more in-depth information. Lytro will be demo-ing “Life”, a short film shot using Lytro Cinema at NAB 2016.

Lytro Brings Revolutionary Light Field Technology to Film and TV Production with Lytro Cinema

  • World’s First Light Field Solution for Cinema Allows Breakthrough Creative Capabilities and Unparalleled Flexibility on Set and in Post-Production
  • First Short Produced with Academy Award Winners Robert Stromberg, DGA and David Stump, ASC in Association with The Virtual Reality Company (VRC) Will Premiere at NAB on April 19

Lytro unlocks a new level of creative freedom and flexibility for filmmakers with the introduction of Lytro Cinema, the world’s first Light Field solution for film and television. The breakthrough capture system enables the complete virtualization of the live action camera — transforming creative camera controls from fixed on set decisions to computational post-production processes — and allows for historically impossible shots.

“We are in the early innings of a generational shift from a legacy 2D video world to a 3D volumetric Light Field world,” said Jason Rosenthal, CEO of Lytro. “Lytro Cinema represents an important step in that evolution. We are excited to help usher in a new era of cinema technology that allows for a broader creative palette than has ever existed before.”

Designed for cutting edge visual effects (VFX), Lytro Cinema represents a complete paradigm shift in the integration of live action footage and computer generated (CG) visual effects. The rich dataset captured by the system produces a Light Field master that can be rendered in any format in post-production and enables a whole range of creative possibilities that have never before existed.

“Lytro Cinema defies traditional physics of on-set capture allowing filmmakers to capture shots that have been impossible up until now,” said Jon Karafin, Head of Light Field Video at Lytro. “Because of the rich data set and depth information, we’re able to virtualize creative camera controls, meaning that decisions that have traditionally been made on set, like focus position and depth of field, can now be made computationally. We’re on the cutting edge of what’s possible in film production.”

With Lytro Cinema, every frame of a live action scene becomes a 3D model: every pixel has color and directional and depth properties bringing the control and creative flexibility of computer generated VFX to real world capture. The system opens up new creative avenues for the integration of live action footage and visual effects with capabilities like Light Field Camera Tracking and Lytro Depth Screen — the ability to accurately key green screens for every object and space in the scene without the need for a green screen.

“Lytro has always been a company thinking about what the future of imaging will be,” said Ted Schilowitz, Futurist at FOX Studios. “There are a lot of companies that have been applying new technologies and finding better ways to create cinematic content, and they are all looking for better ways and better tools to achieve live action highly immersive content. Lytro is focusing on getting a much bigger, better and more sophisticated cinematography-level dataset that can then flow through the VFX pipeline and modernize that world.”

Lytro Cinema represents a step function increase in terms of raw data capture and optical performance:

  • The highest resolution video sensor ever designed, 755 RAW megapixels at up to 300 FPS
  • Up to 16 stops of dynamic range and wide color gamut
  • Integrated high resolution active scanning

By capturing the entire high resolution Light Field, Lytro Cinema is the first system able to produce a Light Field Master. The richest dataset in the history of the medium, the Light Field Master enables creators to render content in multiple formats — including IMAX®, RealD® and traditional cinema and broadcast at variable frame rates and shutter angles.

Lytro Cinema comprises a camera, server array for storage and processing, which can also be done in the cloud, and software to edit Light Field data. The entire system integrates into existing production and post-production workflows, working in tandem with popular industry standard tools. Watch a video about Lytro Cinema at www.lytro.com/cinema#video.

“Life” the first short produced with Lytro Cinema in association with The Virtual Reality Company (VRC) will premiere at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference on Tuesday, April 19 at 4 p.m. PT at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Room S222. “Life” was directed by Academy Award winner Robert Stromberg, Chief Creative Officer at VRC and shot by David Stump, Chief Imaging Scientist at VRC.

Learn more about Lytro Cinema activities during the 2016 NAB Show and get a behind-the-scenes look on the set of “Life” at www.lytro.com/nab2016.

Lytro Cinema will be available for production in Q3 2016 to exclusive partners on a subscription basis. For more information on Lytro Cinema, visit www.lytro.com/cinema.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Look Sharp: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85/GX80 video preview

05 Apr

The Panasonic GX85/GX80 is an impressive mid-range ILC, borrowing many of the features from the company’s enthusiast-level GX8 and bringing the size and price down to earth. We’ve put together a short video so you can see the GX85 in action with your own eyes.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lights… Camera… Stinging nettles? Our Sony a6300 video shooting experience

01 Apr

Read our Video Shooting Experience

The Sony a6300 has some of the most comprehensive video specs of a mass-market camera, so it seemed like a perfect excuse to embark on a video project. DPReview writer Richard Butler is a self-professed beginner when it comes to video, so he set out to see what he could do with the little Sony as he tested the camera’s video features. Find out about the his exploration of videography in our updated Sony a6300 first impressions, or just watch the mini-documentary above he shot, produced and directed.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Cyber-shooting: Sony Cyber-shot RX10 III video overview

30 Mar

Sony’s new superzoom may look a lot like its predecessor, but an updated 24-600mm lens makes the Cyber-shot RX10 III a much more versatile camera – in theory. We’ve been able to spend a bit of time getting to know the camera’s new features and putting its long zoom range to work. Take a look at what’s new to the RX10 series in our video overview.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III puts emphasis on lens reach and video capabilities

29 Mar

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Sony has unveiled the Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III, surpassing the zoom range of its predecessor with a 24-600mm equiv. F2.4-4 lens. The camera uses the same 1″-type stacked CMOS sensor which produces 20MP stills as well as 4K/UHD video, and does not replace the RX10 II, which continues in Sony’s lineup.

The RX10 III’s sizable lens makes room for aperture, focus and zoom rings, as well as a focus hold button. The camera offers an XGA OLED EVF with 2.36 million dots, as well as a tilting LCD. The body is dust and moisture resistant. Sony claims that its SteadyShot stabilization system offers up to 4.5 stops of benefit.  

The Cyber-shot RX10 III’s lens features eight ED glass elements, including two ED aspherical and one Super ED glass elements. A SteadyShot stabilization system provides up to 4.5 stops of benefit, according to Sony.

An updated shutter provides a fast read-out ‘anti-distortion’ electronic shutter up to 1/32,000sec as well as a silent shooting mode. Wi-Fi and NFC have also come along for the ride.

Movie capabilities

Like the RX10 II, the RX10 III features a solid video specification; offering 4K video from 1.7X oversampled, full pixel readout (without binning). The camera alsio offers the video-centric Picture Profile modes that give fine-grained control over the camera’s tonal and color responses, and include the very flat S-Log2 and S-Log3 gamma curves. Like the RX10 II, the III includes both a mic input socket for using an external mic and a headphone jack for monitoring that recorded audio. 

It also offers the high frame rate ‘HFR’ videos modes that capture footage at up to 960 fps (albeit at reduced resolutions) and then play it back as 1080p/24.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III will sell for around $ 1500, a $ 200 premium over the existing RX10 II.

Press Release:

Sony’s New Cyber-shot RX10 III Camera Brings Extended Zoom Capability to Acclaimed RX Line

New RX10 III Model Boasts Versatile 24-600mm1 ZEISS Vario-Sonnar F2.4-F4 Lens, 20.1 MP2 1.0-type Stacked CMOS sensor, Internal 4K Video Recording, Super Slow Motion Capabilities and more

SAN FRANCISCO, Mar. 29, 2016 – Sony – a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer – has today announced an exciting new addition to its acclaimed Cyber-shot RX lineup, the high-zoom RX10 III camera.

Featuring a newly-developed 25x super-telephoto zoom lens with an extensive focal range of 24-600mm1, the new RX10 III camera is able to produce high-quality content at a variety of focal lengths and camera settings that would require three or more large, heavy and expensive lenses for an interchangeable lens camera user. It’s an outstanding choice for a shooting anything from landscapes to distant wildlife and everything in between.

The RX10 III high zoom camera is equipped with a 1.0 type stacked 20.1 MP Exmor RS™ CMOS sensor with DRAM chip and advanced signal processing, along with a powerful BIONZ X™ image processor. These components work together to ensure the highest possible image quality throughout the entire zoom range of the 24-600mm lens. Additionally, they are responsible for a variety of standout professional-caliber features including 40x super slow motion video capture at up to 960 fps, an ultra-fast Anti-Distortion Shutter with a maximum speed of 1/32000 second, high resolution 4K movie shooting and more.

“By pairing the convenience of an ultra-telephoto lens with our innovative stacked CMOS image sensor design, we’ve created a whole new image experience unlike anything else in market today,” said Neal Manowitz, Vice President of Digital Imaging at Sony Electronics. “The new RX10 III offers a true ‘all in one’ package that will appeal to a wide range of amateur, hobbyist and professional photographers and videographers.”

New ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-600mm F2.4 – F4 Lens

The impressive 24-600mm ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* lens on the Cyber-shot RX10 III camera features a large maximum aperture of F2.4 – F4.0, helping it achieve outstanding image quality throughout the entire zoom range, all the way up to ultra-telephoto. This differentiates it from many other high-zoom lenses that often struggle with light-gathering at longer focal lengths. The aperture unit itself has nine blades that are designed to create a near perfect circle in the F2.4 – F11 range, enabling shooters to create content with beautiful bokeh, where the subject stands out against a softly defocused background.

In total, the extended zoom lens features eight ED glass elements including one super ED glass element, five ED glass elements and two ED aspherical lenses, which all work together to minimize chromatic aberration and deliver high-contrast, ultra-sharp image quality. It also has ZEISS® T* Coating for minimizing flare and ghosting and delivering accurate, faithful color reproduction.

The new lens has built-in Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization that helps to reduce camera shake and image blur, in particular when shooting at longer focal lengths. When active, the OSS is equivalent to shooting at a shutter speed approximately 4.5 stops3 faster than the current setting of the camera.

Additionally, with a minimum focusing distance of 72 cm (2.36 ft) and 0.49x maximum magnification at a fully extended 600mm, the new lens is capable of producing amazingly detailed tele-macro images.

High Quality Image Detail

The RX10 III features a back-illuminated 20.1 MP 1.0-type stacked CMOS sensor and BIONZ X image processing engine that allow the camera to achieves a wide sensitivity range of ISO 644 – ISO 12800 and produce images with exceptionally low noise, even at higher sensitivity settings.

Additionally, the rear of the sensor has a DRAM chip that allows it to read and process large volumes of data exceptionally fast, enabling the camera to shoot super slow motion video at up to 960 fps. The powerful DRAM chip also allows the RX10 III to shoot continuously at up to 14fps with minimal blackout.

With shutter speeds as fast as 1/32000 second, the electronic shutter on the RX10 III minimizes image distortion at faster shutter speeds. It also offers silent shooting at all settings and speeds, ensuring all content can be captured quietly without disrupting the subject, a powerful feature when combined with the wide-ranging zoom lens.

High Quality 4K Movie Recording

The new RX10III model becomes the latest and most versatile Cyber-shot RX camera to offer the advantages of 4K (QFHD 3840×2160) movie recording thanks to its far-reaching 24-600mm lens, which gives videographers the luxury of shooting high quality 4K video from extreme distances.

In 4K video mode, the RX10 III camera utilizes full pixel readout without pixel binning, capturing approximately 1.7x more information than is required for 4K movie output to enhance image detail and minimize moiré and jaggies. It achieves these high-quality results through use of the XAVC S codec, which records video at a high data rate of up to 100 Mbps during 4K recording and up to 50 Mbps during full HD recording5.

The new camera also has a variety of other professional caliber video features including Picture Profile, S-Log2/S-Gamut, Gamma Display Assist, Time Code and more, as well as input for external microphone and output for headphone monitoring.

Super Slow Motion Video Recording

The new RX10 III also possesses the ability to record super slow-motion video at up to 40x slower than the standard rate, allowing users to capture and replay fleeting moments of action with incredible detail, resolution and clarity.

In “HFR” (high frame rate) setting, it offers the option to choose among 960fps, 480fps and 240 fps frame rates and among 60p, 30p and 24p playback formats6,7 with the option to use the movie record button as a ‘start trigger’ to begin recording once button is pressed or ‘end trigger’ to record footage up until the button is pressed.

High Speed Autofocus

The new RX10III camera is equipped with an impressive autofocus system with spatial object detection, allowing the camera to detect and predict motion of a subject before the shutter button is pressed, This helps the camera achieve an incredibly fast and efficient AF response when the shutter is halfway pressed, enabling it to lock on to a subject in as little as 0.09 seconds8. This is a yet another compelling technology, especially when paired with a versatile, highly capable 25x zoom lens with a range up to 600mm.

Ergonomics and Design

Aesthetically, the new RX10 III features a number of upgrades compared to existing RX10 models including triple lens rings for focus, zoom and aperture for direct, precise control. The hand grip shape has also been optimized for the new high-magnification, large-aperture lens to enhance stability when holding the camera at eye level. There is a new focus hold button on the lens barrel as well, allowing the focus to be easily locked on a subject while the shooter reframes the image.

The new model features a high-contrast XGA OLED Tru-Finder™ with approximately 2.35 million dots of resolution, ensuring true-to-life image preview and playback functionality. The camera is also dust and moisture resistant and both Wi-Fi® and NFC™ compatible, with the ability and can access Sony’s growing range of PlayMemories Camera Applications. Learn more at www.sony.net/pmca. A dedicated LCJ-RXJ soft carrying case will also be available for the new camera.

Pricing and Availability

The new Sony Cyber-shot RX10 III extended zoom camera will be available this May for about $ 1,500 US and $ 2,000 CA, respectively. The new cameras and all compatible accessories will be sold at a variety of Sony authorized dealers throughout North America. 

Notes to Editors:

1. 35mm equivalent focal length
2. Approx. effective megapixels
3. CIPA standard, pitch/yaw directions, at 600mm (35mm equivalent,Telephoto)
4. Both ISO 64 and ISO 80 are expandable ISO range
5. A class 10 or higher SDXC/SDHC memory card is required for movie recording in XAVC S format. UHS-I (U3) SDHC/SDXC card is required for 100Mbps recording
6. Sound cannot be recorded when shooting slow motion. An SDXC memory card of Class 10 or higher is required.
7. In NTSC
8. CIPA standard, internal measurement, at 24mm (35mm equivalent, Wide), EV8.2, Program Auto, AF area: Centre, with NTSC mode

Sony Cyber-shot RX10 III specifications

Price
MSRP $ 1499
Body type
Body type SLR-like (bridge)
Body material Magnesium alloy, composite
Sensor
Max resolution 5472 x 3648
Other resolutions 4864 x 3648, 5472 x 3080, 3648 x 3648, 3648 x 2736, 3648 x 2592, 3648 x 2056, 2544 x 2544, 2736 x 1824, 2592 x 1944, 2720 x 1528, 1920 x 1920, 640 x 480
Image ratio w:h 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels 20 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors 21 megapixels
Sensor size 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm)
Sensor size notes Stacked CMOS sensor
Sensor type BSI-CMOS
Processor Bionz X
Color space sRGB, AdobeRGB
Color filter array Primary color filter
Image
ISO Auto, 125 – 12800 (expands to 64-25600)
Boosted ISO (minimum) 64
Boosted ISO (maximum) 25600
White balance presets 9
Custom white balance Yes
Image stabilization Optical
Uncompressed format RAW
JPEG quality levels Extra fine, standard, fine
File format
  • JPEG (DCF 2.0, EXIF 2.3)
  • Raw (Sony ARW 2.3)
Optics & Focus
Focal length (equiv.) 24–600 mm
Optical zoom 25×
Maximum aperture F2.4 – F4.0
Autofocus
  • Contrast Detect (sensor)
  • Multi-area
  • Center
  • Selective single-point
  • Tracking
  • Single
  • Continuous
  • Face Detection
  • Live View
Autofocus assist lamp Yes
Digital zoom Yes (4X)
Manual focus Yes
Normal focus range 3 cm (1.18″)
Macro focus range 3 cm (1.18″)
Number of focus points 25
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD Tilting
Screen size 3″
Screen dots 1,228,800
Touch screen No
Screen type TFT LCD
Live view Yes
Viewfinder type Electronic
Viewfinder coverage 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.7×
Viewfinder resolution 2,359,296
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed 30 sec
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000 sec
Maximum shutter speed (electronic) 1/32000 sec
Exposure modes
  • Auto
  • Program auto
  • Aperture priority
  • Shutter priority
  • Manual
Scene modes
  • Portrait
  • Sports Action
  • Macro
  • Landscape
  • Sunset
  • Night Scene
  • Handheld Twilight
  • Night Portrait
  • Anti Motion Blur
Built-in flash Yes
Flash range 10.80 m (at Auto ISO)
External flash Yes (Multi-interface shoe)
Flash modes Auto, fill-flash, slow sync, rear sync, off
Drive modes
  • Single-shot
  • Continuous
  • Speed priority continuous
  • Self-timer
  • AE/WB/DRO Bracketing (single, continuous)
Continuous drive 14.0 fps
Self-timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous)
Metering modes
  • Multi
  • Center-weighted
  • Spot
Exposure compensation ±3 (at 1/3 EV steps)
WB Bracketing Yes
Videography features
Resolutions 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p) ,1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Format MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Videography notes High speed modes at 240, 480, 960 fps
Microphone Stereo
Speaker Mono
Storage
Storage types SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Connectivity
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
HDMI Yes (micro-HDMI with 4K still and uncompressed HDMI output)
Microphone port Yes
Headphone port Yes
Wireless Built-In
Wireless notes 802.11b/g/n with NFC
Remote control Yes (via smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed Yes
Battery Battery Pack
Battery description NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery and charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 420
Weight (inc. batteries) 1051 g (2.32 lb / 37.07 oz)
Dimensions 133 x 94 x 127 mm (5.24 x 3.7 x 5″)
Other features
Orientation sensor Yes
Timelapse recording No
GPS None

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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2 Video Tips for Using the Print Module in Lightroom

13 Mar

Julianne Kost is the premiere Adobe instructor who teaches us about both Lightroom and Photoshop. In these two videos she gives us tips for printing from Lightroom.

In this first one learn some general tips using the Print Module inside Lightroom:

The second video below is a handy tip on how to print multiple images directly to a JPG, using a the Print Module again but this time saving a file, not making a print. This is really good to know if you want to make images to share on social media, your blog or website, etc.

If you want more printing tips check out these dPS articles:

  • Image Size and Resolution Explained for Print and Onscreen
  • Two Useful Lightroom Print Module Custom Layouts
  • How to Create a 2015 Calendar in the Lightroom Print Module (you can figure out how to make one for 2016 too!)
  • Next Steps to Getting Started in the Lightroom Develop Module

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How to Use the Hue Saturation Adjustment in Photoshop – a Video Tutorial

06 Mar

Learning to understand and master the hue/saturation settings in both Lightroom and Photoshop can help you take your editing to the next level. If you want to see how it’s done in Lightroom check out: Understanding the HSL Panel in Lightroom for Beginners.

Hue Saturation Adjustments in Photoshop

If you prefer Photoshop, watch this video from Phlearn on how to use the Hue/Saturation adjustment tools in Phtoshop to change colors both globally, and locally in your image. He also goes over the Colorize function, and painting on your image with a color.

Have you experimented with Hue Saturation in Photoshop? Tell us what you’ve learned, and you’ve applied it to your images. Share the in the comments below as well.

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SD card 5.0 protocol supports up to 8K video recording but risks confusion

03 Mar

The SD Association (SDA) has introduced a Video Speed Class rating, designed to identify cards capable of 8K, 4K, 3D and 360° video capture. The speed class, which guarantees minimum sustained performance, comprises five ratings: V6 (6MB/sec), V10 (10MB/sec), V30 (30MB/sec), V60 (60MB/sec) and V90 (90MB/sec).

Part of the Secure Digital 5.0 standard, the Video Speed Class ratings not only make use of the latest (and future) NAND technologies but are also closely tied to them. As such, a V30 card is only guaranteed to give sustained 30MB/sec performance when paired with a device that can make use of the relevant data transfer methods. In older devices it may give lower performance.

The SD Association’s intention is that device makers will specify the Video Speed Class requirements (and hence compatibility) of their devices so that customers know to buy a card of that rating or higher.

It all looks fairly simple until you realize that a V30 card may only operate at Class 10/U1 speeds if the device can’t make use of its transfer behavior. This explains why the SDA hasn’t just expanded the UHS speed class system, but risks adding further confusion if device makers don’t communicate their devices’ requirements much more prominently.

Another fine mess?

Unhelpfully, the latest speed classes will come in addition to the existing need to consider card type (SDHC or SDXC) and interface standard (UHS-I and UHS-II), and will run in parallel with the two current speed rating systems (Class 1-10 and U1/U3), which have confused consumers up until now. And, no doubt, card makers will complicate matters still further by quoting maximum read and write speeds, which do nothing to tell you whether a card will be fit for purpose (or any faster in real-world use).

To illustrate the current complexity: shooting XAVC S video on the latest Sony cameras requires an SDXC card (which can handle larger individual files), and one that’s rated U3 to capture 4K. So, in this instance, the cards pictured at the top of this story, for all their promises of 240MB/s write speeds, would fail on both counts.

The Video Speed Class rating system doesn’t appear to simplify this system, since an SDHC card still could not record 4K on current Sony cameras, no matter what V rating is printed on it. The new system appears to do a good job of ensuring SD cards are able to make the best use of the next generations of memory technology, but will require widespread cooperation and communication to avoid even more customer confusion.

Products supporting the new Video Speed Class are anticipated to arrive on the market ‘soon.’

Via: SD Association

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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