Abstract: You can alter your camera's white balance and gel your flash to "correct" nearly any ambient light color shift. But should you?Read more »
Strobist
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Adobe Research, the company’s research and development division, has released a look at a new technology that tweaks selfies to improve how they look. The technology, which is presented in a new Adobe video, is designed to improve mobile portrait photography by enabling users to adjust the photo’s perspective, depth of field, and more.
Adobe describes its new technology as ‘the potential future of selfie photography,’ demonstrating how it can be used to replicate a more flattering focal distance, adjust the position of the subject’s head within the image, adjust the depth of field using automatic portrait masking and apply styles found in other portraits, such as images found in a Google Image search.
This technology is powered by Adobe Sensei, an artificial intelligence and deep-learning framework the company introduced at Adobe MAX 2016 last November. The selfie technology isn’t available to consumers at this time, but instead serves to highlight Adobe’s latest developments and to introduce photographers to the kind of tools they may have access to in the future.
[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]
When the architect of this remarkable remodel was hired to create a new home for his clients, a derelict building on the site caught his eye and turned out to be the focal point of a marvelous design project.
Estudio Castillo Oli (images by Angel Baltanas) balances old and new in this hybrid project, inserting a contemporary dwelling into a stone-and-brick shell on the site.
Part of the existing structural remnants were retrofit with modern windows and a roof to create interior spaces for the home while the rest were left up as a kind of fence for a semi-private exterior courtyard.
New ceramic tiles and timber framing matches the existing context while steel and glass add a modern touch. A glass wall between inside and outside spaces reduces the sense of separation between them.
Inside, new walls are pulled back from window openings to reveal the old structure. Glass and trim likewise give space to old openings, preserving what was there. The net result is a gorgeous, rich and complex mixture of aged elements and new, creating something with a sense of time but also fit for modern living.
[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]
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It’s always great to meet up with friends, and as photographers, it’s great to meet with fellow photographers. A lot of people’s photography style is to go it alone, which can be good for many things. But, even if you like to photograph alone there are times when meeting other photographers, and bouncing ideas off them will help you. Those meetings are often in the form of photo walks, where most people photograph by themselves. A progression of this type of photography meet up is the potluck photography party.
As you probably know potluck parties are about food. This is such a great idea that we photographers should also use it too. So what does a photography potluck party look like? It’s all about collaborating as a team, and trying everyone’s stuff!
It’s great to collaborate with others and work on photos together. Here two cell phones are used as light sources.
The idea of a potluck party is you bring different food dishes to a party, so how can this be applied to photography? Well if you substitute food dishes for photographic equipment then you have the basis of how this idea works. The equipment each participant can bring with them is as follows.
The gear used in a potluck photography party.
The above parameters form part of a creative exercise, one where the equipment you have is deliberately constrained. In order to realize more complex photography ideas, collaboration and sharing of equipment will be necessary. If the group size is around five, hope at least one person brings a tripod, but not everyone.
If you like to take portraits then equipment for off-camera flash would be great, and working in a team allows the stronger photographers to help those learning this type of photography. The equipment could be as simple as an umbrella that could be used as a prop with a model, or an interesting way of framing a photo. The last variable is where you really should look to push that creative potential, another good piece of additional equipment is the Smartphone!
This photo shows how the flashlight from Smartphones can be used to light the face in a portrait.
No, we’re not talking about blind dates here, but equipment. Will you organize your event so that nobody knows what the others will bring? This is the purest form of a potluck photography party, but sometimes you need to engineer what everyone brings a little. Think of those potluck parties where everyone brought cheesecake, that would be awesome but didn’t you want a salad as well?
Letting other people know what you’ll bring can give you a much more balanced set of equipment, and with that comes more creative photos. So the type of potluck photography party you decide to have is important. There are three main types to choose from, they are:
In this photo, the phone is used to create a second image, with the Smartphone being used creatively.
The best way to share your potluck photography party is through social media, with Facebook the best placed to deliver on this. Creating an event on Facebook is a straightforward task. To grow the potluck photography community, and share the results of your party, joining this Facebook group is encouraged. In addition to the resource of this article, you’d be welcome to use this document to explain the concept to other people.
Why not create some country, or city-specific, potluck photography party groups, and host your events through these groups? Instagram is also a great platform to promote your event. Create a new account just for the potluck party photos.
You don’t have to collaborate, some photos don’t need it. In this photo, simple composition and moment of capture were used.
The collaborative nature of this type of event means you’ll be sharing equipment with others. You’re not likely to share your camera body, but other equipment can be shared. If you have a camera body that’s compatible with other people’s lenses, why not see if you can try them out? This way you can increase the pool of lenses available for your shot.
Tripods, Smartphones, and off-camera strobes can be used by almost everyone, regardless of the camera. Take care with speedlights, these are specific to the camera brand they’re designed for and may damage other cameras. Using other people’s expensive equipment does carry some risk, so asking people to sign an agreement to replace damaged items is an option to consider.
Some photographers carry so much gear, it looks like they’re checking in for a flight! Potluck photography parties aim to reduce how much each person carries, but by pooling gear, you still get to experiment.
The idea with the party is that each person has a chance to create their own concept for a photo. In turn, you allow each photographer time to use the available equipment to make their concept happen.
You will need to split larger groups into several smaller groups of around five to seven people. The most sensible way to divide is by camera brand, this will make it easier for people to share lenses. If you have a large group finish the day with something social, where everyone can mix together.
This is the group for a potluck photography party.
The types of photos that can come out of these events can be conceptual or spontaneous. As with all meetups like this, it’s great to share the results with everyone after you have had an event. This will give you feedback on what you did and will give other people fresh ideas about how they could do something new.
If you go out and try a potluck photography party be sure to come back here and post your work, or a link to your Facebook event page. Those posting to Instagram can use #potluckphotographyparty and #PPP to share on that platform. So now all you have to do is go out and party!
In this photo, no extra gear was needed, but collaborating with one of the other photographers who would model for the shot.
In this photo, a Jinbei 600 flash unit, a pixelstick for the light painting, and a tripod for long exposure were used fro the items that were brought for the party.
The most important thing about parties is to keep it fun and spontaneous!
The post How to Create a Potluck Photography Party by Simon Bond appeared first on Digital Photography School.
The tones and organic nature of analog film are things many of us have began to long for in our digital age. Don’t worry, though, this will not be an article about the merits or disadvantages of digital photography or whether film is better or worse than digital. The purpose of this tutorial is to deliver what might be called the best of both photographic worlds. And if not the best, a very liveable compromise between the charm of analog film and the convenience of digital imaging – how to simulate the look of analog film using Lightroom.
Photography, like most everything else, is invariably on a forward march of advancement. Always looking for the next best thing; better cars, better computers, and for us photographers…newer digital cameras. Intriguingly enough, often times we end up missing the “old school” feel of the very things we sought to replace with successive newer versions.
Imparting our digital photos with the great look of film is not only but possible, but simpler than it has ever been before. Furthermore, we can conduct all this retrograde post-processing alchemy in Adobe Lightroom. Yes, I promise it’s easy.
Now is a good time to pause and make a small disclosure. There are many other variables that exist which determine the final look of a print made from analog film. These variables range from the type and temperature of the chemistry used to develop the film, to the way it was printed and scanned. Even the age of the film when it was shot can change the look of the final results. So remember that while exact accuracy might not be possible the fun of the process itself certainly is!
The first step in the process is to find the film you want to replicate. There are a number of ways to go about this. If you happen to be one of those glorious hybrids who shoot both digital and film then you likely have some examples readily available. But the easiest way I’ve found to discover a multitude of images made with analog film is to have a look at Flickr.
There are quite a few groups there that specialize in “film only”, so each image posted is shot on analog film and then scanned into the computer. Some of these groups, such as Film Database require participants to post their images with the film type indicated. Once you find an image with a grain and tone you like, it’s very simple to learn which film was used to create that image. The more images you can find that were shot with that film, the better you can understand the general feel of it.
Once you’ve found the film-look that you’d like to replicate, it’s time to move into Lightroom and let the fun begin. First, we’ll look at the three key things to pay attention to when it comes to simulating the characteristics of film color tone, contrast, and grain. Then, we’ll walk through creating the look of film with a sample image, so you can see just how easy the process really is!
Color tone is a broad term that, for our purpose, describes the overall color temperature of a film and the saturation of those colors. Analog films come in virtually every color tone under the rainbow (pun intended). Some films are very warm toned with rich, vibrant colors. While others are more subdued, with cooler tones and less color saturation. Even black and white films have certain color tone variations.
When looking for the chromatic characteristics of a film, be sure to take note whether the overall tone is warmer or cooler in temperature. Then, look to see if there is any color cast to the image such as blue, red, green, etc. If the film you’re replicating is black and white, still pay close attention to any coloring that might be present. Black and white film is always more than just black and white!
This is perhaps the most straightforward aspect of the entire replication process. Contrast is simply the difference between lights and darks within an image. Films carry different contrast latitudes (again, development is key) which you can observe. Are the blacks dark and dense or are they lighter and more faded? Are the highlights bright and contrasted or is the photo flatter and less punchy? Later in Lightroom, the contrast slider will do a lot of the work for you.
Perhaps the most fickle property of analog film is the presence of grain. Grain is brought about by the size and number of the tiny light-sensitive silver crystals found in the film’s emulsion. Higher ISO film has more grain and lower ISO films generally have less grain. Depending on the film these grains can be larger or smaller, rough or fine, and literally everything in between. It’s a good idea to view the image at the largest size available when examining the grain of the film. Pay special attention to the amount, size, and coarseness of the grain when taking your notes. You are taking notes…aren’t you? Of course, you are!
Fujifilm Provia 400X (Image courtesy of Fujifilm)
Now here comes the good part. We will take a digital image and give it the look of a particular analog film. In this case, I’ve chosen a mid-range ISO film, Fujifilm Provia 400X. It’s a moderately saturated film in terms of color, with nice contrast. At ISO 400 the grain is apparent, but not as coarse as some other mid-range ISO films. In most of the images that I viewed from this film, there exists a slight blue color cast present.
So, before I do anything in Lightroom, I make a road map to help me along the way during my processing. It will list the core attributes of the film I’m hoping to replicate. Do this for your film now:
We begin with a photo that has been corrected for exposure but no adjustments for color or contrast. This is the best place to start for replicating analog film.
Image before processing.
I crop the photo slightly and then move back to the Basic Panel.
Going back to the road map list I made earlier, contrast is the first adjustment. I increase the contrast slider to +81 but this still doesn’t give me the depth in the shadows I’m after, so I go further and darken the blacks by -40. While I’m here, I reduce the saturation to better match the moderate qualities of the Provia 400x. Since the image needs to be slightly cooler, I decrease the temperature a very small amount as well.
To add a little more blue to the shadows we will next use one of the great unsung hero of Lightroom, the tone curve. Click on the tone curve panel and be sure it’s set to “channels” view. Since I want to add a blue color cast, I select the blue channel (see below).
Since I want to apply the blue toning mostly in the shadow areas of the image, I raise the leftmost end of the curve upwards slightly. This will introduce a blue hue to the blacks. Be careful not to overdo it here. A little goes an incredibly long way.
Using the Curves Adjustment, in the blue channel – adjust the blacks as shown here to add a cool tint to shadows.
All that’s left now is to focus in on our grain situation. My original digital image was shot at ISO 500 which is close to the ISO 400 of the Provia. Here’s a 1:1 zoom of the original image.
But film grain bears many more nuances. So let’s adjust the grain in the effects panel based on our notes from earlier. We observed that Fujifilm Provia 400x sported grain that was moderate, but rather fine. So I experiment with the Amount, Size, and Roughness sliders until I reach a grain effect that approximates the appearance I’m after. Don’t be afraid to manipulate these sliders into submission! The correct combination only comes from visually comparing the adjustments.
Here is the grain we’ve added compared to the original image. At a 1:1 view the difference because readily apparent.
And now, you’re all done!
Final image.
Don’t hesitate to go back and tweak the exposure or other adjustments to get the look you want. But remember if you change the contrast or color edits your photo might distance itself from the analog film you’ve attempted to simulate.
*Bonus* Try increasing the color noise reduction slider to remove any traces of color noise. Color noise is a trait exclusive to digital imaging and is not found in analog films.
Here’s the finished simulation of Fujifilm Provia 400x film compared to our original digital photo.
Before and after.
While we can’t exactly replicate the look of film due to variances in the development and printing processes, we can achieve very similar looks. In a way, we have more versatility since we can strive to achieve the look of a multitude of films in our digital darkrooms. Show us your own analog film simulations in the comments section below!
Want to get a jump start at creating your very own analog film simulations? Take a look at these presets developed by myself, which replicate the looks of numerous classic analog films. All with just a click of the mouse!
The post How to Simulate the Look of Analog Film Using Lightroom by Adam Welch appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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If you’re looking for a drone that can fly in nasty weather and see in the dark, then Canon has something for you. The PD6E2000-AW-CJ1 is an industrial drone with a Canon ME20F-SH all-purpose camera designed to help in disaster relief, thanks to its ability to shoot at ISO 4 million and generally see in the dark.
It’s not a Canon-made drone. In late 2016 Canon Marketing Japan made an investment in Prodrone Co., a Japanese drone maker, stating that Canon would install imaging devices on the company’s drones and act as a principal distributor. Canon is aiming for ¥5 billion worth of drone-related imaging sales by 2020.
The PD6E2000-AW-CJ1 (say that five times fast) appears to be based on Prodrone’s all-weather PD6-AW, which supports a 10 kg / 22 lb payload, can fly at up to 65 km/h / 40 mph and can handle wind speeds up to 10 m/s / 22 mph. Take a look at the drone in action below.
Via: Canon Rumors Source: Canon
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A few months ago I wrote a short article about the Canon EOS D30. The D30 was a groundbreaking camera in its day, being the first ‘affordable’ DSLR and the first to feature a large-format CMOS sensor. Yes, its autofocus system was woeful, and the LCD display on the back was about as useful as making a sketch from memory, but back in 2000, everybody wanted one.
I was definitely curious about the D30, but given that in 2000 I was a first-year undergraduate student, such an expensive camera was far beyond my reach. It would be another couple of years before I saved up enough money to buy my first DSLR, and the camera I eventually settled on was the successor to the successor of the EOS D30 – the counterintuitively named Canon EOS 10D1.
The break with Canon’s previous naming convention was appropriate, though. The 10D was a substantially new camera compared to the models that preceded it, and it replaced the D60 with an almost indecent haste (the D60 had been on the market for little more than a year before the 10D came along). Compared to the plastic-bodied D30/D60 it was better built, featured a far superior rear LCD (with a usable magnification feature) offered a more rounded styling, closer in spirit to the EOS-1D series, and was much quicker in operation.
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| The 10D was a thoroughly modern camera in 2003, and remained on the market for some time. Canon took the basic form factor of the D60 and modernized every aspect of that model’s performance and styling. |
The 10D’s DIGIC processor drove a blisteringly fast (ahem…) continuous shooting rate of 3 fps, operation was snappier, including reduced shutter-lag, and the 10D’s 7-point autofocus system was a huge improvement over the 3-point system in the D30 and D60, which seemed prehistoric even back then. Although the 10D’s 6MP CMOS sensor was based on the one previously used in the D60, Canon had refined the manufacturing process in the meantime. Consequently it offered slightly better resolution than its predecessor, superior noise performance and a wider ISO span, topping out at a grainy but usable ISO 3200.
Remarkably, despite all of these improvements, the 10D was also $ 500 cheaper than the D60.
Although it definitely wasn’t in the same ballpark as the EOS-1D in terms of speed or construction, the 10D beat the pants off Canon’s then-current pro sports model in terms of image quality. Significantly, the core specification of the 10D was close enough to the EOS 30 / Elan 7 that film holdouts didn’t have to feel too badly short-changed by the costly jump into digital.
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With the EOS 10D’s accessory grip attached, it was almost possible to believe that I was shooting with an EOS-1D.
Almost… |
So, to recap – the 10D offered a very usable sensitivity range of ISO 100-3200, 3 fps continuous shooting, 7-point AF system, magnesium-alloy body shell and a substantial price reduction. In 2003, it all added up to a hugely desirable camera.2
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Because it was so popular, the 10D was pretty scarce for several months after its introduction. After saving up my wages for an entire summer (a story told in more detail here), I ended up purchasing mine from a ‘big box’ high-street retailer, because it was out of stock everywhere else – something I later came to regret.
I decided to pull the trigger on a 10D for several reasons. In a rare attack of foresight, I determined that this digital thing probably wasn’t a fad, and with ambitions to become a photographer of some kind, it seemed sensible to dive in as soon as possible. And while previous DSLRs had felt like too much of a compromise, the 10D seemed to meet my most important criteria.
As a budding theatre and live music photographer, I was hitting the limits of what I could do with film, both technically and practically. Technically speaking, high ISO film exposed in marginal light and processed at your average high-street pharmacy simply doesn’t look very good – especially if you’re talking about high-speed color emulsions. From a practical standpoint, development and printing turnaround times were a problem if I wanted to get images to people quickly. And forget about serious commercial work – by 2003, the magazines and websites I was interested in working for were increasingly insisting on digital file delivery.
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| A typical monochrome conversion of a shot taken in the Assembly Rooms Theatre. The 10D’s highest ISO settings were grainy, but perfectly usable – especially when converted into black and white. |
The first quasi ‘commercial’ work I ever did was head-shots and performance images for Durham University’s student theatre. Student productions rotated every few weeks, and every production wanted some prints to display outside the theatre. I can’t remember the first production that I shot digitally (was it Harold Pinter’s ‘The Caretaker’?)3 but compared to film, it was vastly easier. Ironically, I was a sort of caretaker for the theatre at the time, since I lived in a small flat above the lobby. Being able to shoot a dress-rehearsal in the theatre, then head upstairs to make my edit and print the images – sometimes all in the same evening – was a revelation. I can’t remember how much I charged for my services, but I made enough over a couple of years to buy a couple of new lenses.
And for a while it seemed like it was lenses that were the problem. Initially I had two lenses for my 10D. A 50mm F1.8 (of course), and a 24-70mm F2.8L. Later I added a 70-200mm F2.8L and a 17-40mm F4L (all purchased used). The 10D worked perfectly with all of them, except the 24-70mm. For whatever reason, camera and lens did not get on at all. Chronic back-focusing was apparent even through the 10D’s viewfinder, and this was before the days of AF micro-adjustment. The 24-70mm was simply unusable on my 10D, but it focused perfectly on other DSLRs that I borrowed from friends, or rented in an increasingly desperate attempt to figure out what was going on.
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| A live shot from one of my first proper commissions – a major awards show tour that came through Newcastle in 2005 – not far from where I lived at the time. It looks like I benefited a bit from someone else’s flash, in this shot. Thank you – whoever you were. |
The retailer I bought my 10D from wasn’t particularly interested in helping, so I sent it back to Canon at least four times during the first year I owned it, shooting on film during the long intervals when it was away for service. Every time it came back as ‘up to specification,’ but the back-focusing problem remained. Finally, after a lot of back and forth, I send the 10D in with the troublesome 24-70mm, and was rewarded with a ‘fixed’ camera, complete – funnily enough – with a new serial number. Knowing what I know now, I should have sent the camera and lens back together in the first place.
Even this frustrating experience wasn’t enough to dull my excitement at owning and using the 10D. It really was a fantastic camera at the time, and it helped me gain a footing in the not-at-all-lucrative world of performance photography. My first magazine commissions were shot with the 10D. I learned about the benefits of shooting Raw with the 10D (albeit rather belatedly). The first camera I ever had confiscated at a music venue4 was the 10D. It was my main camera for a couple of very formative years, before being relegated as a second body beside to the truly magnificent EOS-1D Mark II (which I’m hoping to write about at a later date).
The 10D couldn’t do everything (it choked up when shooting several Raw files in a sequence, and in low light its off-center AF points were little more than decorative), but it opened up a completely new world for me.
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| One of my favorite bands of the mid-2000s was ‘Hope of the States’. I probably photographed them more than any other band, for a while. This shot is from another awards show in London in 2005. Despite the off-center composition, most likely I used the central AF point for this image, since the 10D’s off-center points didn’t work very well at all in low light. |
And it’s a world I’m still living in. Without the 10D, there is no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t have become a music photographer, and if I hadn’t become a music photographer, I probably wouldn’t have ended up as a photography journalist. Whether or not that’s a good thing is something I’m happy to leave to the commenters to decide.
Did you own a 10D? Let us know.
Read Phil Askey’s review of the EOS 10D (2003)
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1 A note on Canon’s confusing naming convention. The ‘D30’ because it was a digital camera with 3 million pixels. The D60 because it was basically a D30 with a new 6 million pixel sensor. And the switch to 10D because – I assume – Canon and Nikon’s lawyers had a little chat.
2 In fact, just about the only people who weren’t singing Canon’s praises at the time were recent D60 owners.
3 The Assembly Rooms – it’s still there, and this being student theatre, there’s every chance that they’re currently staging a production of Harold Pinter’s ‘The Caretaker’, too.
4 It was all just one big misunderstanding. Specifically around two people’s definitions of the word ‘permission’.
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UK black and white film manufacturer Harman Technology has announced that its annual large format and custom film ordering scheme is open from now until May 26th. The scheme allows users of cameras that take unusual film formats to order certain Ilford emulsions within a set window so the company can set aside factory time to bulk-produce formats it wouldn’t otherwise be able to make financially viable.
As was the case last year Ilford FP4 Plus, HP5 Plus and Delta 100 emulsions will be available to order in sheet sizes from 2.25 x 3.25in to 20 x 24in. Rolls are also on offer for 127 film and formats 9cm wide, as well as 50 foot rolls of 20in film. Not all emulsions can be ordered in all formats but most of the more popular formats are covered. 120 backing paper can be ordered in 100ft lengths.
Harman says there are minimum order quantities that need to be reached before manufacturing can go ahead, but in the case of the sheet films usually a single order of a box of 25 sheets is enough. Roll films though need between 2 and 15 orders to make them practical to cut.
The company lists retailers across the world with which orders can be placed and the sizes/emulsions on offer. Prices will need to be checked with those retailers. Shipping to distributors will begin in August 2017. For more information see the Ilford Photo website.
Press release
Buoyed by ongoing global resurgence in photographic film use, HARMAN technology Limited is delighted to be offering film photographers the opportunity to place orders for a range of specialist film products and formats for the 12th consecutive year.
To enable this film photography revival, it is vital that a wide range of film formats are available including film for ultra large format and collectable cameras.
By consolidating orders HARMAN technology can supply products that would not normally be viable to manufacture.
“This program enables us to further support film photographers who use and value our conventional products” said Giles Branthwaite, Director of Sales and Marketing at Harman technology. “Through running the ULF program each year, we are able to satisfy the strong demand for specialist film formats. Whilst manufacture is not easy, we have been rewarded by high demand ensuring we will continue to address and care for this market.”
Films available for this year are ILFORD FP4 PLUS, HP5 PLUS, and DELTA 100 PROFESSIONAL. Not all films are available in all formats.
For a full list of the 2017 items and participating dealers visit:
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/ulf
The options available reflect what has been asked for over the past 12 years. HARMAN technology is happy to consider any other size suggestions but do not guarantee to make them available.
For sheet sizes an order for just one single box can be made, but for roll sizes this is not possible due to potentially excessive waste. Please see the minimums and multiples required next to the appropriate roll size.
Note:
Orders must be placed with the listed ULF reseller partners no later than Friday 26th May.
The UK factory will start to ship orders to Distributors during August and end users should check with the local ULF reseller for expected arrival dates.
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Canon has announced its PowerShot SX730 HS, the follow-up to the SX720. The SX730 has a 20.3MP BSI CMOS sensor, stabilized 24-960mm equivalent lens, a 3″ (non-touch) LCD that flips upward 180 degrees, as well as Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth.
The SX730 HS comes in silver and black and will ship in June for $ 399.
Press Release
Latest PowerShot Digital Camera Provides Impressive Image Quality, Zoom Range and Tilting LCD screen in a Compact Size
MELVILLE, N.Y., April 6, 2017 – Ideal for families on vacation or parents at their kids’ sporting event looking for a convenient, easy-to- carry compact digital camera capable of producing high quality photos and videos at long distances, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, introduced today the new PowerShot SX730 HS digital camera. This new digital camera boasts a 20.3 Megapixel* CMOS imaging sensor and a powerful 40x Optical Zoom lens (equivalent to 24-960mm) in a form factor that easily fits in a pocket, making it an outstanding camera for budding photographers to capture gorgeous imagery no matter where they are.
With new features such as a convenient Self-Portrait and Smooth Skin mode, 3.0-inch LCD screen that rotates up 180 degrees and built-in connectivity capabilities like Wi-Fi®1, NFC2 and Bluetooth®3 technology, it’s now easier and more convenient than ever to use Canon digital cameras to share images and videos on the go, making the PowerShot SX730 HS digital camera a great transitional camera for those looking to use something other or move from a smartphone.
“We live in a very connected world and want to give people the power to zoom in from far away to capture amazing scenes from a distance, while also being able to share those images in real time,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “The new Canon PowerShot SX730 HS digital camera will help photographers effortlessly capture memories, even from great distances and conveniently share their fun with friends and family.”
As the successor to Canon’s PowerShot SX720 HS digital compact camera, the PowerShot SX730 HS digital camera also features:
Canon’s PowerShot SX730 HS digital camera is scheduled to be available in June 2017 for an estimated retail price of $ 399.99.
| Price | |
|---|---|
| MSRP | $ 399 |
| Body type | |
| Body type | Ultracompact |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 5184 x 3888 |
| Image ratio w:h | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 |
| Effective pixels | 21 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 20 megapixels |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) |
| Sensor type | BSI-CMOS |
| Processor | Digic 6 |
| Color space | sRGB |
| Color filter array | Primary color filter |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, ISO 80-1600 |
| White balance presets | 5 |
| Custom white balance | Yes |
| Image stabilization | Optical |
| Uncompressed format | No |
| JPEG quality levels | Super fine, fine |
| File format |
|
| Optics & Focus | |
| Focal length (equiv.) | 24–960 mm |
| Optical zoom | 40× |
| Maximum aperture | F3.3–6.9 |
| Autofocus |
|
| Autofocus assist lamp | Yes |
| Digital zoom | Yes |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Normal focus range | 2 cm (0.79″) |
| Macro focus range | 1 cm (0.39″) |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Tilting |
| Screen size | 3″ |
| Screen dots | 922,000 |
| Touch screen | No |
| Screen type | TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | None |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 15 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/3200 sec |
| Exposure modes |
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| Scene modes |
|
| Built-in flash | Yes |
| Flash range | 4.00 m (with Auto ISO) |
| External flash | No |
| Flash modes | Auto, on, slow synchro, off |
| Drive modes |
|
| Continuous drive | 5.9 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs, self-timer) |
| Metering modes |
|
| Exposure compensation | ±2 (at 1/3 EV steps) |
| Videography features | |
| Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Modes |
|
| Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | SD/SDHC/SDXC card |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| HDMI | Yes (micro HDMI) |
| Microphone port | No |
| Headphone port | No |
| Wireless | Built-In |
| Wireless notes | 802.11b/g/n + NFC + Bluetooth |
| Remote control | Yes (via smartphone) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | No |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | NB-13L lithium-ion battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 250 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 300 g (0.66 lb / 10.58 oz) |
| Dimensions | 110 x 64 x 40 mm (4.33 x 2.52 x 1.57″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| GPS | None |
Which type of lens is better, a prime lens or a zoom lens? This is one of the most debatable topics in photography. Some of you might choose a zoom lens and others may choose a prime lens, it all depends on what and where you are going to shoot.
It is really important to know what each of the two types of lenses are, and which type should be used during a given situation. This article will help you in this area.
A lens that has a fixed focal length is known as a prime lens. So if you want to change your view of the frame, you will have to go closer to, or farther away from the spot where you are standing. As the focal length is fixed, there is no zoom ring on the lens.
There is a wide range of prime lenses available on the market, ranging from wide-angle prime lenses (such as 14mm and 24mm lenses) to medium and long range telephoto prime lenses (such as 135mm and 400mm lenses).
A Sigma 20mm prime lens.
A lens which has a variable range of focal lengths is known as a zoom. Using such a lens, you do not need to move from your spot, and adjusting the zoom ring allows you to get a wider or narrower angle of view. So by using a zoom lens, you can change the focal length in order to adjust the angle of view.
There is a broad range of zoom lenses available, be it a wide zoom lens (such as the 12-24mm or 16-35mm lenses), the telephoto zoom lens (such as a 70-200mm, 100-400mm, and 150-600mm lenses), or the multi-purpose zoom lens (such as the 18-300mm and 24-105mm lenses).
Tamron 18-200mm zoom lens.
One of the biggest advantages of using a prime lens is that you get to use a wide aperture (small f-number) such as f/1.8 and f/1.4 at a reasonable cost. For example, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens (only $ 125) and the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens ($ 1199 compared to the Nikon version at $ 1599 or the Canon one at $ 1899). Whereas, a zoom lens such as the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L does not allow you to shoot wider than f/2.8, and that will burn a hole in your pocket (close to $ 2000).
A prime lens allows you to use an aperture value as low as f/1.2 or f/1.4, thus providing a really shallow depth of field. Using such wide aperture opening, you can get more of a bokeh effect which means that your subject would be in focus and the background/foreground is blurry. Comparatively a zoom lens may only allow you to go a wide as f/5.6, f/4 or f/2.8, resulting in a wider depth of field as compared to a prime lens.
Therefore, if you are planning to get shallow depth of field (more bokeh effect) then using a prime lens would fulfill your requirements.
Shot at f/1.4 using the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens.
As mentioned above, a prime lens can let you use an aperture value as low as f/1.2-1.8 which lets more light into the camera. While shooting in low light conditions using a prime lens you can use a faster shutter speed as it lets in 3-4 more stops of light (f/1.4 > f/2 > f/2.8 > f/4 > f/5.6 – a 50mm f/1.4 lets in 4-stops more than a standard f/5.6 kit lens) compared to a zoom lens.
So if your zoom lens at f/4 is giving you a shutter speed of 1/20th, using a prime lens at f/1.4 would allow you to use a shutter speed of 1/160th. If you are in a situation where the lighting is low and you do not have a tripod, using a prime lens would have an added benefit as it allows more light into the camera.
There are fewer lens elements inside prime lenses, each placed to perform a specific role. This is the reason why a prime lens produces less optical flaws such as chromatic aberration and lens distortion, thus resulting in better image quality.
The number of lens elements in a zoom lens is more because it has to provide variable focal lengths, resulting in decent sharpness. However, even zoom lenses are getting better day by day in terms of image quality and sharpness to closer match the results captured by prime lenses.
One of the biggest advantages of using a zoom lens is that it allows you to change focal lengths without changing your lens. A zoom lens provides a range of variable focal lengths which can be adjusted using the zoom ring on the lens, the range depends on the lens model. To name a few zoom lenses, you can get 18-55mm, 16-35mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 100-400mm, and 18-300mm lenses. While using a zoom lens you can even go from a wide angle view to a telephoto view without even changing the lens.
So if your shoot requires you to switch between various focal lengths then it is better to use a zoom lens to save time and to avoid missing any important moments. In wedding photography, sports, and while traveling you should be using a zoom lens the most, because if you switch between multiple prime lenses then you might end up missing the moment.
This image shows the range of focal lengths the Tamron 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC lens provides.
A zoom lens such as the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 is basically five prime lenses in one as it covers some of the most commonly used focal lengths such as; 85mm, 100mm, 135mm, 200mm, and 300mm. Imagine how easy and light it would be to carry a single lens in comparison to carrying five in your camera bag. Though the zoom lens would not allow you to use a wide aperture or give amazingly sharp images as a prime lens would, but it would surely help you pack light. Now it is all up to you, either choose the advantage of the portability of a zoom lens – or carry the extra weight if you are not willing to compromise on image quality.
If you are a frequent traveler who likes to pack light and can compromise a bit on the image quality and the ability to shoot a wide aperture, then a zoom lens is an ideal choice for you.
As stated in an example above, the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens is basically five in one (or even more). So now if you do the math, a $ 449 zoom lens can allow you to use any focal length ranging between 70mm and 300mm. Whereas, if you buy five or more prime lenses then you might end up spending over $ 4000.
A zoom lens would be ideal for you if you have just started in photography and want to explore different genres of photography. First invest in a decent zoom lens such as the 18-55mm, 18-300mm, 55-250mm lens or the 70-300mm lens. Then once you are sure about what genre of photography you want to go ahead with then you can buy your next lens accordingly.
There is no doubt that prime lenses are superior when it comes to sharpness and image quality. However, zoom lenses are improving constantly, but still not close enough perhaps. Though some premium zoom lenses such as the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM produce images with brilliant sharpness and less optical aberration.
If you are looking for that beautiful bokeh effect which can only be achieved at wide aperture then you will have to go for a prime lens. It will allow you to choose aperture values such as f/1.2, f/1.4, or f/1.8. Similarly, to shooting in low light conditions a prime lens will give you the added advantage of using a faster shutter speed, thus resulting in sharp pictures.
But if you are a frequent traveler or are not familiar with the location, then using a zoom lens will be a safer option as it is a versatile as well as a portable option. Even at weddings or while covering events you cannot rely on a prime lens as there are limitations of moving around the area, therefore using a zoom lens is a wiser choice.
Please share your thoughts on the prime versus zoom lens discussion below. Which lenses have you opted to use?
The post Primes Versus Zoom Lenses: Which Lens to Use and Why? by Kunal Malhotra appeared first on Digital Photography School.
