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ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020 Review
The post ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020 Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Glenn Harper.

It’s not unusual for photo-editing software to be multifunctional. Any combination of browser, raw processor and pixel editor is normal. ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020 offers a slightly different blend of digital asset management (DAM) and pixel editing. In this article, we’ll see what this combo can do for you.

View Mode in ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020

What is DAM Software?

Many programs that help you organize photos are, rightly or wrongly, described as DAM software. An example of this is the now-discontinued “Picasa.”

With that popular program, you could browse photos, edit them, add metadata, assign keywords, create albums, mark photos as favorites, and so on. It was comprehensive. But was it DAM?

A defining feature of real DAM software is its ability to create a database of your photos. Lightroom does that, as does ACDSee Photo Studio Home.

These products aren’t just an extension of your OS. They record things, like the location of your photos and all the metadata attached to them. And they create thumbnails so you can fly through your collection at high speed whether you’re connected to it or not. This is what separates DAM software from fancy browsers.

First three modes for browsing and DAM

In ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020, the first three modes are for browsing and DAM. The modes are as follows:
- Manage Mode is where you can browse folders, filter out photos, create stuff like slideshows and contact sheets, and send images to various photo platforms. You can switch between photo editors from here, too, in case you have other software with different functionality. Manage Mode is the hub of the software. You can even add geographical data to photos from here using the Map tool and reverse geocoding.
- Photos Mode is great if you want to see everything on your drive within a short space of time. Let’s say you need to root out photos without any keywords or identifying data—this is the place to do it. This mode lets you see all content at once, whether it’s in folders or subfolders, so there’s no hiding place when you’re trying to find specific pictures.
- View Mode gives you a nice big preview of your photos one-by-one, and it’s quick. This is a good place for assessing the content of your photos and grading them. (In another article, I suggest a workflow for this software). You can scrutinize the technical quality of TIFFs and JPEGs* in this mode, too. A nice feature of View Mode is the set of experimental tools it gives you, which you can apply to the picture without committing to the edit.
*Note that View Mode is not a good place for assessing critical sharpness in raw files, as the software displays the embedded JPEG to maintain speed. This JPEG looks especially poor at 100%, but it’s fine for assessing content and composition.

Photos Mode. This mode shows all images, whether in folders or subfolders.

Importing and Cataloging

When it comes to importing files into ACDSee software, you don’t need to do it at all.

The software accesses the folder system of your OS, so it’s enough just to copy and paste the files onto your hard drive. They are added to the ACDSee database automatically when you browse them later. That being said, you can import files via the software if you want and adjust filenames or add metadata while you’re doing it.

If you need to catalog lots of pictures without browsing them all first, you can do that too in Manage or Photos modes. This is especially useful when you first start using the software, though you must wait a while for the process to complete.

Getting organized

It’s all very well cataloging your photos, but there’s still a way to go before they’re genuinely searchable.

In Manage and View Modes of Photo Studio Home 2020, you can open the Properties panel to the right-hand side. It’s here that you add keywords, captions, ratings, color labels, and categories to your photos.

I advise working on keywords in the ACDSee Metadata tab, then copying and pasting them into the IPTC field if you want them to be readable elsewhere. Alas, there’s no button to make this task quicker.

You can use any or all of these features to make your photos searchable, grade them, and track them in your workflow. In a recent sponsored article, I suggested using ratings to grade the quality of your photos and color labels to mark your workflow progress. This is a common use of these tools.

Keywords

Keywords make your photos searchable using a variety of criteria. For instance, you can add different photographic techniques to keywords as well as describing the subject of the photo. How thorough you should be in keywording depends on your needs, but you can import keyword lists to avoid having to create them yourself. That’s a new feature in 2020, and it saves loads of time.

This was a raw file developed in ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020. The conversion is fine for non-problematic images that you want to quickly get online or share without changing your camera settings.

To Tag or not to Tag

To the top left of the properties panel is a check box for “tagging” images. This is a good way to highlight your keepers and reject the rest (or vice versa).

It’d be nice if ACDSee added the ability to proactively reject photos with a dedicated reject flag. As things stand, an untagged file could be one that you’ve simply missed.

Image Baskets

A favorite ACDSee feature of mine is the image basket. This is like a virtual folder, where you can gather image files from various places without physically moving or copying them. It’s very handy for working on quick projects without cluttering up your drive with duplicate files. You can use image baskets for purposes of viewing, editing and sharing.

Face Detection and Recognition

ACDSee software is good at detecting faces, at least when they’re not obscured, and it’s impressively good at recognizing them thereafter.

Often, you only have to name a person once for the software to learn facial features. There are obvious limitations. It won’t necessarily recognize faces across several decades, for instance. But this feature is decidedly useful for cataloging pictures of friends and family.

ACDSee software asks for confirmation that this is Marcel Proust. It’s seen one picture of him at this point, so that’s pretty good going.

Edit Mode

Two-thirds of ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020 is DAM software, aimed at getting your photos organized and being able to find them with ease. If that was all you got for your money, it’d already be good value. But there’s also an Edit Mode where you can work on rendered files (e.g. JPEGs, TIFFs) and get them looking good.

What about raw files?

You can open most types of raw files in Photo Studio Home 2020, but there’s no develop module like there is in ACDSee Ultimate, for instance, so you don’t get to choose the processing parameters.

If you want to benefit fully from shooting raw, you should link this ACDSee software to a raw editor and switch between programs. That, theoretically, would be a higher-quality workflow than having to address technical issues after conversion. And you still have the DAM side of the software for cataloging and grading your raw files.

This is why you can’t judge the technical quality of raw files in ACDSee View Mode (where they’re best viewed at low magnifications). The inset shows the same file at 100% in Edit Mode.

Edit Mode features

A bit like Photoshop Elements vs Photoshop CC, there are things missing in ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020 that aren’t missing in ACDSee Ultimate. For instance, there’s no 16-bit color support, no layers, no perspective tool, no dehaze, no dodge and burn, and no Color EQ. But these absent features are all forgivable since there’s a ton of stuff you do get.

Using the watermark feature in Edit Mode to place a logo (quickly created elsewhere) into the corner.

Color and Tone

For basic work on color and tone, there are the usual levels and curves tools.

In fact, these tools are nicely implemented by ACDSee, with a built-in histogram and an exposure warning that tells you when you’re losing detail with your edits. You also get a basic version of the proprietary Light EQ tool, which lets you adjust shadows, mid-tones, and highlights separately.

Given that many people only use the basic version of this tool anyway, this is a valuable inclusion.

The levels tool in Edit Mode. The exposure warning draws attention to blown highlights and blocked shadows.

Cloning and Healing

I should mention once more that the clone tool does not work for me in ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020 (nor its predecessor). I just get a black screen. That seems trivial when set against everything that does work, but it’s still a tad irritating. I can use the heal tool a lot of the time instead, though its pixel-blending function is a bit different.

Creative Tools

ACDSee could be forgiven for providing the bare minimum of Editing tools, but they go beyond that. You get a cross-section of some of their most creative features. Under the “Add” filter menu, for instance, you’ll find Special Effects. And there are many of them for you to try.

I like the “Orton” effect, which smooths details for a dream-like appearance.

The Purple Haze special effect at 50% opacity. Try experimenting with blending modes to see what else you can achieve with these effects.

You can modify all edits with blending modes, opacity, gradients and the Edit Brush. This means you can adjust localized areas of your photo a bit like you can in Adobe Lightroom and other programs. What you can’t do is work on multiple edits at the same time, but this is still useful versatility.

A radial gradient placed over a black and white LUT, causing color to fade out towards the edges. You can make this kind of localized edit using gradients or the Edit Brush. (Not all LUTs are color, despite ACDSee’s nomenclature.)

The Tilt-Shift filter appears under the “Add” menu.

The temptation with this is always to dig out high-angle views and create that miniaturized effect where buildings, people, and vehicles look like toys.

However, you can try this filter out on other subjects, altering their depth of field and bokeh. It works quite well on close-ups of flowers, for example.

An atypical use of the tilt-shift tool, creating a very soft “bokeh” outside the center of this flower.

You’ll find the Convert to Black & White filter under the “Color” menu.

This lets you fine-tune your black-and-white conversions by adjusting brightness and contrast in all the colors that make up your picture. Also present here is the equivalent of Photoshop’s Channel Mixer, where you adjust the red, green, and blue (RGB) sliders to achieve your conversion, making sure the total value is at or under 100%.

Simple use of the Convert to Black and White filter. I’ve lowered brightness in greens and increased it in yellows and oranges to create pleasing contrast in this picture.

Color LUTs are found under the “Color” menu, too. These have become popular in recent years, allowing users to mimic the world of movie production by applying color grades to their pictures. The effect is often radical.

ACDSee comes with some color LUTs built in, but you can download more from various sources on the Internet.

The ACDSee “Film” color LUT adds a classic orange and teal look to pictures as well as increasing contrast. This color grading is often seen in movies or TV series.

Summing it up

Genuine DAM software, the kind that catalogs your photos, often costs well over $ 100. Or it’s part of a subscription plan that locks you in annually. ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020 is appealing not only for its affordability but because it’s a great photo manager, period. On top of that, it’s a raw opener and pixel polisher with plenty of scope for creativity.

“Orton” special effect, faded towards the top using a gradient.

If you’re sold on the benefits of shooting and editing raw files, you could pair this software with RawTherapee or DarkTable without spending more cash. Whatever you choose to do, rest assured it’s impossible to waste money on ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020. This software is easy to use but has a depth that far belies its price.

Have you tried this software? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.

The post ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020 Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Glenn Harper.

Digital Photography School
May 21, 2020

Fujifilm X-T4 review

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All product photography by Dan Bracaglia

88%

Overall score

Jump to conclusion

The Fujifilm X-T4 is the company’s latest high-end photo and video APS-C mirrorless camera. It brings in-body stabilization, faster shooting, improved autofocus and a larger battery to the already very capable X-T3.

Fujifilm says that the X-T4 is a sister model to the X-T3, rather than a replacement, which is borne out by the specs and pricing. It’s a 26MP camera capable of 20 fps shooting and 4K capture at up to 60p. In use we found it offers distinct benefits over both the X-T3 and the older X-H1. And, although the autofocus performance isn’t cutting edge, it offers one of the best stills and video options you can buy.

Key specifications

26MP BSI CMOS sensor
In-body image stabilization (up to 6.5EV correction)
20 fps shooting with AF (15 with new mechanical shutter)
4K video (DCI or UHD) at up to 60p
1080 video at up to 240 fps, output as 4-10x slow-motion footage
Fully articulated rear touchscreen
3.68M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder (up to 100 fps refresh rate)
New NP-W235 battery rated to give 500 shots per charge
Dual UHS-II card slots
USB-C type connector allowing USB PD charging
12 Film Simulation modes, including Eterna Bleach Bypass

The X-T4 ia available body-only at a price of $ 1699, which represents a $ 200 premium over the original list price of the X-T3. It’s also available as a kit with the 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 OIS lens for $ 2099 or with the 16-80mm F4 OIS WR for $ 2199.

What’s new and how it compares

Image stabilization, a bigger battery and faster continuous shooting, but also a bigger price tag. How does the X-T4 measure up to its rivals?

There have been a number of tweaks and refinements made to the X-T4’s body. We take a look and compare with the X-T3.

The biggest difference is the addition of stabilization but there are a few more tweaks to the video side of the camera.

The X-T4 splits the difference between the X-T3 and the older X-H1. It might be videographers that most benefit from upgrading.

The X-T4 delivers image quality much like that of X-T3. Which means attractive JPEGs, solid Raw performance but now with stabilization to support slower shutter speeds.

Autofocus is improved, compared to the X-T3 but our tests suggest Fujifilm hasn’t yet bridged the gap to catch up with the best of its rivals. We tried to pin down its strengths and weaknesses.

Stabilized, highly detailed video is one of the X-T4’s standout features. We found a lot to like, both in the footage and the way the camera handles.

The X-T4 might seem expensive for an APS-C camera in the era of (comparatively) low cost full-frame, but few cameras offer its combination of stills and video capabilities.

We’ve been shooting with the X-T4 for a while now, here are some examples of its images.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 21, 2020

Olympus will shutter its camera business in South Korea on June 30

Olympus will end its camera business in South Korea on June 30, according to a new report from The Korea Times. The decision is ‘mostly’ based on low camera sales volume, the report claims. Olympus will continue to sell medical and scientific equipment in the country.

In a statement to the publication, Olympus said that despite focusing on mirrorless cameras and interchangeable lenses, ‘it has become barely possible to sustain the business with profit,’ spurring the business decision.

Though the company will shut down its brand store and online shop for South Korean customers on June 30, it will continue to operate its servicing facility in the country until March 31, 2026, enabling existing customers to get their camera gear repaired.

Olympus says it had to make this decision despite ‘strenuous efforts to increase the profitability and efficiency of its imaging business’ in South Korea. Olympus told The Korea Times that its decision to end camera sales in the country doesn’t have anything to do with a social movement among residents to boycott products from Japanese companies.

The news isn’t terribly surprising as camera sales are indeed down worldwide. Back in November 2019, rumors surfaced that Olympus was planning to entirely exit the camera business, something the company denied, stating instead that it was working on improving the ‘profitability and efficiency’ of both its imaging and scientific equipment businesses.

According to the CIPA figures released last month, camera shipments to Asia in March reached only 39.8% of the volume of shipments reported in March 2019. Overall worldwide shipments only reached 47.8% of the volume compared to the same month in 2019, with mirrorless camera models proving more popular than SLR cameras.

It’s unclear how great of an impact the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had on this drop in sales volume, but it seems unlikely that camera companies can expect a spike in sales at any point in the near future. Given the fact that Olympus’ imaging business was already struggling to survive in South Korea, it makes sense that the company would choose this time to exit the camera business in that market entirely.

We have contacted Olympus for a comment and will update this article accordingly if we receive a response.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 21, 2020
US students failing AP exams due to iPhone photos not being supported by the testing portal

According to a report from The Verge, high school students across the United States are failing their Advanced Placement (AP) exams due to the College Board’s online testing portal not accepting photos captured in the default HEIC image format.

Back in March, the College Board, the entity that creates the curricula and exams for AP courses, announced exams would be online rather than in-person since schools across the U.S. were being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While this proved beneficial in many ways – most notably the online exam is only 45-minutes while the in-person exams run three hours – it seems the rollout is not without a few hiccups.

AP exams require long-form answers. With in-person testing, these answers are completed and turned in on paper. Online though, the College Board allows students to either type up and submit their responses or write them by hand and submit an image of the handwritten work as a JPG, JPEG or PNG file.

A notification on the AP exam page of the College Board’s website that links to an explainer on how to properly submit images of written responses.

The problem is, iOS devices and a few newer Samsung phones are set to capture the more storage-friendly HEIC files by default, not JPEGs. As a result, students are seeing a perpetual loading screen, which stays up until the 45-minute time limit of the exam is up. Once the time is up, a screen reading ‘We Did Not Receive Your Response’ pops up, confirming nothing was submitted.

A graphic created and shared by the College Board showing students how to change the default image file format on their iOS devices.

The Verge reports enough students at one Los Angeles high school encountered the issue that the school forwarded a message sent to it from the College Board explaining how to troubleshoot the issue to prevent image submissions from being denied. But that message, as well as the below tweet from the College Board explaining how to change the default capture image format on iOS devices, doesn’t help the students who have already taken their exams and were unable to submit their work to no fault of their own and, as a result, are being forced to re-study for a make-up exam.

If you want to submit a photo of a handwritten AP Exam answer from an iPhone or iPad, make sure to change your camera settings so your photos are saved as JPEGs, not HEICs. Go to Settings > Camera > Formats > Select “Most Compatible.”

More details: https://t.co/Hqg0CKbB4A. pic.twitter.com/DZ0lLttDgm

— The College Board (@CollegeBoard) May 12, 2020

In a statement to The Verge, the College Board says ‘less than 1 percent [of students were] unable to submit their responses,’ and notes ‘[It shares] the deep disappointment of students who were unable to submit responses.’

In addition to the explainer on how to change the default file format on iOS devices, the College Board has also opened up a backup email submission process that requires students who encounter the HEIC error to send their responses via a unique email address ‘immediately’ following the exam. This option isn’t retroactively available for the students who were unable to submit their responses the first time and have had to reschedule a makeup exam.

The Verge’s coverage details a number of anecdotes from high school students who have encountered this file format compatibility issue, so head on over for more information.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 21, 2020
SD Express 8.0 announced, promising speeds up 4GB/s and improved performance

The SD Association (SDA) has announced the SD Express 8.0 (SD8.0) specification, promising up to transfer speed of up to 4GB/s (2GB/s per lane up to two lanes). The SD8.0 spec is built on the PCIe 4.0 standard and uses NVM Express (NVMe) technology.

It builds on the previous 7.0 specification that used PCIe 3.0, which powers the rival CFexpress format. The newest format can either deliver up to 2GB/s transfers with the PCIe 4.0 standard over a single lane using the familiar SD card format with two rows of pins (a combination denoted as PCIe G4L1 in the diagram below), or using PCIe 3.0 across two lanes (PCIe G3L2) which will add a third row of connection pins. The 4GB/s transfer speeds will be delivered by PCIe G4L2 cards using PCIe 4.0 transfer across two lanes (and three rows of pins).

SD Express speed comparison chart. Click to enlarge. Image credit: SD Association

The SDA, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, believes the new SD Express standard will create additional variety in the market and allows manufacturers to make the most of the increased speeds of SD Express to produce more storage choices for consumers. Additionally, the SDA states that SD 8.0 ‘may open even more opportunities for extra high-performance solutions using removable memory cards.’ Importantly, as with all SDA advancements, the SD 8.0 specification maintains backward compatibility across previous generations.

SD8.0 is arriving nearly two years after the SD 7.0 (SD7.0) spec was released in July 2018. The SD7.0 specification introduced PCIe 3.1 and NVMe architecture to SD cards. In February 2019, the SDA introduced the microSD Express 7.1 specification.

Camera and card makers haven’t yet made use of the UHS-III format set out in the older SD6.0 specification

Notably, camera and card makers haven’t yet made use of the UHS-III format set out in the older SD6.0 specification. Memory card manufacturer Sandisk has already shown mockups of SD Express (SD7.0) cards, which raises the possibility that the industry will skip the UHS-III specification entirely.

An alternative memory card format, the CFexpress standard, has been increasing in adoption due to its impressive speeds and performance. CFexpress cards can utilize up to four lanes and currently can deliver 1GB/s speeds per lane. However, the current CFexpress 2.0 standard, announced in February 2019, promised comparable speeds using four PCIe 3.0 lanes to the ones that SD 8.0 will get from two v4.0 lanes

It will be interesting to see when CFExpress standards adopt a PCIe 4.0 interface, as the SDA and CFA continue to be in a memory card arms race. If history has proven anything, it’s that it will take some time before the new standards, and the accompanying performance increases, are commonplace in consumer products. However, the new SD8.0 spec lays impressive groundwork technology for faster cameras and improved workflows for photographers and videographers.

For additional information on SD8.0, the SDA has launched a ‘virtual trade show.’ You can explore it by clicking here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 21, 2020
CineStill’s new developer kits make it easier than ever to creatively control slide film development
CineStill has introduced a new 3-bath processing system for slide film users that allows photographers a choice of three color and contrast profiles for the same type of film. Users can opt for a straight development to bring out the default characteristics of the film, or choose a tungsten balanced look or one with a warm tone and lower contrast. The Cs6 Creative Slide 3-Bath processing system allows photographers to get three quite different looks from the same emulsion by using a different developing solution.

The developers are part of a new 3-bath system that comprises a first developer that determines the color and contrast profile of the end result, followed by a combined the second developer and reversal process, and then a third bath that contains the bleach and the fix. CineStill claims the chemicals are easy to use and that temperature control is not as critical as in normal E6 processes, so successful home processing is much more achievable.

The three choices for the first developer are D6 DaylightChrome, D9 DynamicChrome and T6 TungstenChrome. The DaylightChrome developer is said to produce a neutral result with slightly enhanced color saturation and a usable dynamic range of 6 stops.

DynamicChrome produces a warm tone with enhanced contrast and color saturation but at the same time preserves highlight and shadow detail to offer a useable DR of 9 stops and extended exposure latitude. The TungstenChrome developer shifts the film’s color to correct for the use of warm tungsten lights saving the bother and light-lose of using a color-correction filter over the lens.

Photo by Sandy Phimester on Kodak E100 processed with CineStill Cs6 DynamicChrome

The one-liter kits contain enough chemistry to process 16 rolls or 100ft of film and are priced from $ 39 including all three baths, while the individual developers are available from $ 12.99. The chemicals are available now from the CineStill website, and from retailers in the USA and Europe from the summer.

Press release
Introducing: Cs6 “Creative Slide” 3-Bath process for color-timing E-6 reversal film at home

Chrome unlocked!

Want to shoot slide film? Want it to be quick and easy to process? Want to still have creative control over how your images look? Introducing the CineStill Cs6 “Creative Slide” 3-Bath Process for simple creative control of your E-6 film.

The reversal process is the purest of analog processes and it’s now more creative and accessible than ever! The colors of slide film are unrivaled and now you can color-time and control dynamic range with alternative 1st developers. For the first time ever, you can change the color profile of your slides. With limited slide film options available today, CineStill is tripling the choices available for slide film, and demystifying slide processing with only 3 baths to appreciate a beautiful photograph. Your slides should be superior to color-corrected negative scans, without sacrificing creative control.

For the past several years CineStill has been developing ways to bridge the gap between mail-order photo labs and instant photography. Whether it be a Monobath for B&W film, a simplified 2-Bath process for color negatives, a Temperature Control System for mixing and heating chemicals, or various partnerships to make daylight processing accessible… There’s no longer a need for a darkroom, professional lab or high-tech equipment to create analog photographs. You can now create beautiful color transparencies at home through one simple process.

With the Cs6 “Creative Slide” 3-Bath Process comes 5 new products

1. D6 “DaylightChrome” Neutral-tone 5500K 1st Developer
Renders approximately 6+ stops of usable dynamic-range* with bright whites and moderately enhanced color saturation, just like conventional E-6 processing. Daylight-balanced for conventional slides in daylight or with electronic flash. Single-use 1+1 dilution develops 8-16 rolls or 100ft of slide Film.
Kodak E100 DaylightChrome

2. D9 “DynamicChrome” Warm-tone 1st Developer
Renders approximately 9+ stops of usable dynamic-range*, while maintaining vibrant color-contrast and rich warm tones with preserved highlight and shadow detail (optimized for scanning) for a more cinematic look. Extended exposure latitude increases the usable dynamic-range* of slide film from 6 to 9+ stops! Conventional E-6 processing renders approximately 6 stops of usable dynamic-range*. Perfect for high contrast lighting or backlit subjects in daylight, shade or with electronic flash. Single-use 1+1 dilution develops 8-16 rolls or 100ft of slide Film.

3. T6 “TungstenChrome” Cool-tone 3200K 1st Developer
Renders approximately 6+ stops of usable dynamic-range* with cleaner whites, and moderately enhanced color saturation. Shoot in artificial light without sacrificing 2 stops of exposure to color filtering! Kodak’s published technical data sheet recommends exposing E100 at EI 25 with an 80A Filter in Tungsten (3200 K) light. Now you can expose at box speed in low-light or even push to EI 200 or 400, and color-time your slides in processing. With conventional E-6 processing this would require color filtration and a 2-4 stop exposure compensation. Single-use 1+1 dilution develops 8-16 rolls or 100ft of Ektachrome®.

4. Cr6 “Color&Reversal” 2-in-1 Slide Solution
Combines the reversal step with color development. 6min minimum process time for completion with flexible temperature range of 80-104°f (27-40°C)**. Reusable solution reverses 16+ rolls of developed slide film.

5. Bf6 “Bleaches&Fixer” 3-in-1 Slide Solution
Combines the bleach and conditioner steps with the fixing step. 6min minimum process time for completion with flexible temperature range of 75 -104°f (23-40°C)**. Reusable solution clears 24+ rolls of reversal Film.

* ”Usable dynamic-range” is the amount of full stops of exposure value that renders acceptable detail and color. “Total dynamic-range” however, is the maximum range containing tonal separation rendering any detail, and is often twice the usable-dynamic range. The usable dynamic-range of conventional slide film is between 6-8 stops (total 14-16 stops). Color negative is between 9-13 stops (total 16-21 stops). Digital sensors are mostly between 7-10 stops (total 12-15 stops).

** Maintaining temperature is not essential beyond pouring in a 1st developer. When a temperature control bath is not available, simply preheat the 1st Developer +2ºF warmer, and the other baths will automatically process-to-completion as they cool down. Only the 1st developer is time and temperature critical because it controls contrast and color.

Cs6 “Creative Slide” 3-Bath Kits for Reversal and E-6 Film

CineStill Cs6 3-Bath Kits will be available from $ 39. The 1000ml/Quart Kits can process 16+ Rolls or 100ft of Slide Film and the 3-2-1 Chemical Reuse Kits processes 32+ Rolls of film.
Included In Cs6 3-Bath Kits:
- D9 “DynamicChrome”, D6 “DaylightChrome”, or T6 “TungstenChrome” 1st Developer
- Cr6 “Color&Reversal” 2-in-1 Slide Solution
- Bf6 “Bleaches&Fixer” 3-in-1 Slide Solution
The CineStill Cs6 3-Bath Kits and separate components are available for purchase now at CineStillFilm.com, and throughout the U.S. and E.U. markets later this summer.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
May 20, 2020

‘Like being asked to cook for Gordon Ramsey’ Photographer Jerry Ghionis on shooting portraits of Joe McNally

When Jerry Ghionis got a call asking if he was interested in photographing portrait legend Joe McNally, he jumped at the opportunity. Using just one lens – Nikon’s Z 85mm F1.8 S – Jerry and Joe turned their cameras on one another. Watch the video above to see how they got on.

What’s it like to take pictures of a portrait legend? In an exclusive interview, Jerry explains the background to the shoot and what it was like to work with Joe, as well as offering some insight into his work, and his approach to portrait photography.

Tell us how you got involved with this shoot

When I got the call about taking portraits of Joe McNally, I thought wow – that’s like being asked to cook for Gordon Ramsey!

The brief was just to shoot portraits of one another, have some fun, and see what comes of it. I wasn’t intimidated, I was excited. I want to create flattering and meaningful portraits of people, and I thought, well, here’s a guy who’s done this for everyone, and he deserves something for himself. That was the opportunity I was excited about: creating something for Joe that he’s done for so many people.

For this shot, Jerry posed Joe with the first Nikon camera he ever used, an FTn with F36 Motor Drive.

Photo by Jerry Ghionis, courtesy Nikon USA.

The one shot that was pre-planned was the portrait of Joe with the Hollywood lights and me in the mirror. For that one I thought it would be cool to feature Joe with the first Nikon camera he ever used. He’s a tall guy, and I wanted to style him like a trendy 50s or 60s-era photographer, with a blue background working with his blue eyes, and the contrast against the color of his hair. So I found some old studio lights, a vintage mirror and some other things. I knew what I wanted, but I only had literally about five minutes to set it up and another five to shoot it. That was quite tough. I’m trying to light Joe, who’s a lighting master!

Everything on this shoot, including the video, was shot using the 85mm alone. Was that intimidating?

No, not at all. Once you’ve shot a few weddings and you know how to do it, very few things intimidate you. At least in terms of gear. And anyway, some of the recent weddings I’ve shot, most of the images I took were using that one lens.

The 85mm suits my style of photography because I like longer focal lengths

How long had you been working with the 85mm at that point?

Probably a month or two, before the shoot. And I loved it. The 85mm suits my style of photography because I like longer focal lengths. My usual favorite lens is a 70-200mm, so I was looking for something longer to use with my Z6 and Z7, which might become my new ‘go to’ lens.

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What is it about the 85mm that makes it useful to you?

Whenever you use a lens that’s faster than F2 for portraiture, you’re going to want to shoot a handful of images, sort of rapid fire, to make sure that you get a shot where the focus is exactly where you want it. That’s just the nature of portrait photography on fast lenses. But the 85mm has just become my reliable everyday go-to lens. I’d say the last six months of weddings I’ve shot, I’ve used the 85mm probably about 90% of the time. It’s so light. Focus is perfect at F1.8 and it’s completely sharp. I’ve made an incredible amount of pictures using that lens, I love it.

Had you worked with Joe on a project together before?

No this was the first time we’d shot together. It’s rare on campaigns like this that you’d shoot with somebody else. It was great, it was just two guys, no egos – we just wanted to have some fun and create some cool pictures.

The whole thing was probably one of the biggest honors of my photographic career.

It’s rare on campaigns like this that you’d shoot with somebody else

Did Joe like the pictures you took of him?

He did! He’s referred to the pictures on stage in his presentations. He’s been very generous and kind. And most importantly his wife likes them too!

What lenses would you advise someone should invest in who wants to get into portrait and event photography?

Most of the weddings and portraits I’ve shot lately have been on the 85mm F1.8, and at a minimum, I would recommend an 85mm, two camera bodies, a 24-70mm, and a 70-200mm, and two flashes. One camera’s not enough, and you’ll need cameras from the same system, so that you can switch between them without thinking.

The Z 85mm F1.8 S is a compact short-telephoto prime lens for the Z System. Sharp and almost aberration-free wide open, the Z 85mm is a useful lens for portraiture and available light shooting.

What simple things can someone do to improve their portrait photography?

The biggest problem I see is people shooting too quickly. When you’re photographing a wedding or a portrait, you can’t just show what someone looks like, you need to show who they are. To do that, you need to slow down, connect with them, and know how to flatter them. You can’t do that if your eye is glued to the viewfinder or your head is buried in your camera’s menu system. Shooting too quickly contributes to a lack of confidence.

The other thing is people don’t practice enough. I practice all the time. I’ll often shoot once a week just for myself, trying a new technique or a different lighting setup. I have a mannequin at home, so if I want to produce a particular lighting setup that I haven’t done before, while the hair and makeup person is doing their thing, I’m practicing with the mannequin and by the time my subject is ready I’ve prepared the full lighting setup.

What advice would you give to someone who is trying to get into photography seriously?

Remember that you’re only as good as your last shot. You don’t have to be the best, you just have to be better than you were last week.

This is sponsored content, created with the support of Nikon. What does this mean?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 20, 2020

3 Reasons to Introduce Motion Blur Into Your Photography

The post 3 Reasons to Introduce Motion Blur Into Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.

Making a still image come to life can be a difficult task, especially if you don’t know the full functionality of your camera. When you’re first learning photography, it quickly becomes second nature to keep everything perfectly in focus, so you don’t instantly know how, why, and when to introduce motion blur to your images. But before you introduce motion blur, first, let’s learn what it is and how to do it.

f/6.3 – ISO 160 – 1/100 sec

What is motion blur?

First and foremost, motion blur is a lot different than a blurry image. If you shake the camera around or your subject starts to move right as you open the shutter, that creates a blurred image, but not necessarily motion blur.

Motion blur is when you purposely create an aspect of movement for your subject, but the rest of the photo is in focus. This is a really important element that makes the difference between motion blur and just a blurred image. Without some part of your photo being sharp, then your foreground and background are going to blend together and the photo won’t work.

Motion blur should also happen to something that the viewer would naturally assume is moving, like a car or a person running. Adding motion blur to something that is typically stationary, like a book or a salt shaker that is on a table, will seem awkward. Even though seeing a salt shaker move at the speed of light is an interesting idea, it won’t really make any sense to the viewer.

Now that we have the basics down, here are 3 reasons why you should introduce motion blur to your photography.

f/8 – ISO 400 – 1/40 sec

1. It tells a story

When done correctly, motion blur enhances the storytelling capability of a photo.

Imagine that you’re shooting at a horse racing track. You’re standing at an angle near the finish line, and when the two runners pass you, you compose your shot with them both in the frame and the finish line in the background.

If you introduce motion blur correctly in
your photo, then you’re going to have an awesome shot of the two runners in
motion, slightly blurred as if they are still running despite being frozen in
time. The finish line may even be in focus, along with the spectators.

This brings the viewer into the shot like they are standing right alongside you to see the race to completion. It tells the story of what you witnessed that day.

If done incorrectly, you’ll just get a blurred photo of two blobs running toward another blob. The elements in the photo will blend together and you’ll barely be able to understand what is happening in the first place.

f/2.8 – ISO 4000 – 1/80 sec

2. It adds action to your photography

Another great reason for adding motion blur to your photos is to convey a sense of “action” or “movement.” This can make your photos seem much more dynamic.

For example, imagine a dirt bike that is roaring around the side of a mountain. Imagine seeing the blurred dirt bike racing along the path while the mountain itself is in perfect focus. It almost makes it look like the dirt bike is rocketing through the frozen image, or that you’re present to witness the moment yourself.

Or, for example, imagine a dancer. If you introduce motion blur, you can show the viewer the movement that is taking place. It could be that he or she is spinning, moving their arms, or even jumping. Having the right amount of motion blur can bring the dancer to life in your photo.

You’ll need to select a slower shutter speed than you would do normally to get this to work properly. The exact settings will depend on the speed that your subject is moving at. For the bike example above, you won’t need a shutter as slow as you would need for someone walking for example.

f/4 – ISO 200 – 1/200 sec

3. It can create a wonderful effect

If you set up your camera when the lighting conditions are dark, and set a slow shutter speed so that you have a longer exposure, you can create streaking lights that not only tell a story but also look fantastic.

First, you need to make sure that you have a steady tripod. Without it, you won’t get anything other than a completely blurred picture unless you raise your ISO ridiculously high. The problem with doing that is the amount of unwanted noise that you will end up with being in your photo. So if you want the best photo possible, use a tripod.

The long exposure will mean that any vehicles that drive past will create a streaked-light effect, or the stars above will streak across the frame as the Earth rotates.

Attempting this during the day won’t work unless you use a neutral density filter like a Lee little or big stopper. Without a filter, you will just end up with a completely blown out (white) image. Even if you do get it to work, it would not have the same impact as when it is darker.

f/8 – ISO 100 – 5 sec

Getting the hang of motion blur photography isn’t very difficult. But to do it well will require practice. So, experiment a little when you introduce motion blur to your photography and keep these reasons in mind to help push you along in your trials! With experience, you’ll get to learn how and when to best introduce motion blur to your photography.

The post 3 Reasons to Introduce Motion Blur Into Your Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.

Digital Photography School

May 20, 2020
DPReview TV: What critical items does Chris stash in his camera bag?
We all have our favorite essential gear that lives in our camera bags. Find out what DPReview TV host Chris Niccolls keeps in his when he and Jordan are out on a shoot.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
- Introduction
- Chris' bag
- Chris' main camera
- Sensor cleaning tools
- Filters
- Cards and storage
- Audio tools
- Fashion accessories
- Honorable (carry-on) mention
- See you soon!
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
May 20, 2020
Sony’s new ‘Intelligent Vision Sensor’ is the world’s first to feature on-chip AI processing

Sony has shared the details of its new sensor array that it claims is the world’s first to feature artificial intelligence (AI) directly onboard the chipset.

Before diving into the details, it’s worth noting this sensor has been produced with industrial applications in mind, but as tends to be the case with much of Sony’s other sensor technologies, it’s not difficult to imagine seeing these AI-powered technologies in Sony’s smartphone and possibly even mirrorless camera sensors down the road.

With that out of the way, let’s dive into the details. The IMX500 is a 12.3MP (4056 × 3040 pixels) backside-illuminated 1/2.3” sensor capable of 4K/60p video capture that features a new stacked design that puts the pixel chip atop the logic chip. The stacked design means the data captured from the pixel chip can immediately be parsed via Sony’s AI processing directly on the logic chip.

Processing in the sensor not only removes the need for external hardware, it also means only the relevant data needs to be output, significantly reducing the amount of data that needs to be communicated to the cloud, reducing bandwidth and increasing speed. Sony says the new sensor can capture and process the image within 3.1 milliseconds when using the MobileNet V1 image analysis model.

IMX500 (left), IMX501 (right).

In addition to faster, real-time object-tracking and processing, this setup also allows the system to export either image data and information or information alone. The ability to export the AI-derived information alone adds an additional layer of security that could be added to scenes where privacy is critical.

Illustration from Sony showing how the data output format can be customized to meet various needs.

Again, Sony specifically mentions retail and industrial equipment use-cases for this new sensor technology, so it’s not likely we’ll be seeing this in consumer camera tech anytime soon.

The IMX500 (bare chip model) is expected to start shipping in April 2020 for 10,000 JPY (~$ 94), while the IMX501 (packaged product model) is expected to start shipping in June 2020 for 20,000 JPY (~$ 188).

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 20, 2020