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Weekly Photography Challenge – Lamps

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Lamps appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

This week’s photography challenge topic is LAMPS!

Ant Rozetsky

Lamps can be beautifully designed, and they can add lovely ambient light to your photos.

Whatever form they take, we’d love you to go out and capture their many looks and feels in this week’s challenge!

They can be color, or black and white. They can be a small part of a wider composition or you can focus in on their fine details. They can add light to a portrait, or a still life scene, or an interior architectural scene, or they can be street lamps in a landscape – the decision is yours!

So, check out these inspiring pics, have fun, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Michelle Houghton

Roberto Lopez

Suhyeon Choi

Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.

Tips for Shooting LAMPS

3 Tips for Photographing Mixed Lighting in Interiors

Stealing Light – Using Street Lights for Portraits

4 Tips to Help People Photographers Shoot Interior Spaces

3 Easy Tips for Photographing Details in a Scene

Shooting Details to Tell a Visual Story

Architecture: Photographing Exterior Details

Tips for Getting Started with Still Life Photography

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSlamps to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Lamps appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Digital Photography School

December 7, 2019
7 Tools for Photographing Children That Will Get You Great Shots Everytime!

The post 7 Tools for Photographing Children That Will Get You Great Shots Everytime! appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

When it comes to photographing children at portrait sessions, most often it’s not the gear that gets them to enjoy the session or has them laughing. In this article, we are going to share the best tools for photographing children that are not gear related and useful for every portrait session with children.

1. The squeaky chicken (rr any noisy toy)

When it comes to tools for photographing children, there is nothing more fun than a toy that makes noise. A weird, interesting, noisy, and curious squeaking chicken is all of those things and more. They come in various sizes and offer lots of ideas for getting the attention of smaller children and laughs from older children.

This is the chicken that I have. When squeezed, it makes a sound that is able to capture anyone’s attention. As you can see it gets used quite a bit.

Use the toy as a way to get the child’s attention toward the camera. A great tip is to bang your head with it and pretend that it hurt in a fun and interesting way. Children love unexpected reactions, and you’ll definitely get big smiles using the chicken.

You can also play hide and seek with the chicken popping it from behind you in a different direction each time. The child won’t know where it’ll pop up from next! A huge hit!

These laughs are brought to you by the chicken hitting me on the head. Camera is on a tripod to avoid shaking.

When the children are a bit older, you can plop the chicken, or any other noisy toy, on your camera and ask “Hey, where did my chicken go? Have you seen it?” This can get a great reaction out of the child and also keep their attention as a fun way to look at the camera long enough to shoot off a few frames.

2. Bribes

This one is a staple for all children at portrait sessions, but first, make sure you consult with the parents before the session to know if bribery is okay.

Ask your clients if you should bring candy or if they can bring a favorite treat for the child when its time for the session. Only use in emergencies since children can lose interest if they have to continuously work for it.

A small lollipop or chewable candy works wonders when you need them to smile. You can bribe them with a taste or piece. Make sure to work quickly, though, because they’ll want that bribe instantly!

Here we used two different games with the parents. The swing game while they walked and the tickling game. Smiles all around!

3. Play games

Games are probably not going to get you many of those photos where the children are looking at the camera, however, they will bring about some smiles and great photos of the family interacting. Luckily, you don’t need much for this other than some interesting games for all ages!

One that works great with children is to pick them up, especially for the younger age group. Have mommy and daddy tickle them too.

Another one is to ask the family to look at each other and make some silly faces! Children love to make silly faces. You can ask them to do one with silly faces and then one where they smile big at the camera!

Chase is a great game, just make sure you focus fast and can capture the motion! Children are pretty quick and mommy and daddy will also get a kick out of chasing their little one around while getting big laughs!

Peek-A-Boo is a great game to play with smaller children under the age of 3! They know it so well from playing with their parents that when you do, it will seem familiar. They might even want to play along! Play peek-a-boo from behind your camera or use a toy to hide and pop out. Both work really well to grab the attention of the child.

A game that gets the biggest laughs is also when you get close and tickle them and then back away quickly. Only, the next time you go in to tickle you don’t actually tickle. It’s good to say “I’m gonna get you” as you play this game so they anticipate the game!

This trick works best when you have an assistant so that you don’t miss any shots. If you have to do this yourself, try and put your camera on a tripod with a wireless shutter release so you get the smiles even if you’re not at your camera. That works wonders! If the parents don’t want contact, have one of them play the game with their child and it can also work to get lots of laughs!

Also, children are great at making up games. So when they start to play, have everyone play along and then ask them to smile or look your way! Sometimes you’ll get the child looking at you and other times you will get great interaction among the family members. Both make great additions to the final gallery of images!

Children are great at playing games, let them have fun and they’ll look at the camera soon enough.

4. Children’s playlist

When it comes to tools for photographing children, consider music. Children love music. So it would be a good idea to have a playlist on your phone of all the classic favorites like Wheels on the Bus, The Ants Go Marching In, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and others.

Also, ask your clients what the child likes to listen to as far as music goes and create a specific playlist for that session.

A good plus would be to have a small external speaker so you can have it on location. That way, you don’t really have to move or hold onto your phone for the songs to hear the songs. External speakers also sound a lot louder than just your phone, which can grab the attention of the child.

5. Mommy and Daddy

One of the best tools for photographing children is Mom and Dad! Using mom and dad as a way to get the attention of the child can help because the children can recognize their voice and identify them quickly, even when they are very young!

Have the parent stand behind you or at least very close to the camera. That way, when the child looks at them, it’ll seem like they were looking at the camera.

It’s also fun to play games while the parent is close to you and have them bonk your head or act like daddy farted. That one works best when the children are around 4 years old and usually gets a laugh out of them.

Getting the parents involved in the fun makes the child feel more comfortable around you, who is new to them or maybe not so familiar. Have the parents toss the child up into the air or just raise them up high and smile.

They can also go exploring, dig in the sand, and walk hand-in-hand with the parents if they’re willing to participate! It will get a lot more laughs and more authentic expressions from the child.

This tool works great, especially when the child isn’t cooperating, or it’s difficult to get their attention. The parents know their child best and can help get those smiles, and they’ll be glad to help!

6. Using the Uh-Oh method

When a child is small, typically around 3 years and under, the sound of “uh-oh” can get their attention much more than a solid “no”.

Using “uh-oh” can be a great way to get a child’s attention and stop them from doing something that is not allowing them to look at the camera or follow instructions. Of course, they’re young, and sometimes won’t follow instructions at all, so using “uh-oh” can divert them much better.

7. Props

Props work for various reasons as they can help with the session set up and overall look. However, when it comes to children, props help keep children engaged and, most often, in one spot.

Speak with your clients and see what props will work best for the age of their child(ren). For little ones perhaps cars, blocks, and plush toys work. For a bit older children, perhaps a kite, picnic set up, or game works best.

Look for items that add to the session rather than take attention away from your clients. Choose toys or props that are neutral in color or go with the color scheme.

In conclusion

While your gear is important during portrait sessions, especially with children, adding in games, toys, and noisemakers to your set of skills and gear can really change the way they experience the session. Your clients will thank you for providing a fun experience for everyone, all while capturing great images of their children!

Do you have any other tools for photographing children that are not gear related? Share with us in the comments!

The post 7 Tools for Photographing Children That Will Get You Great Shots Everytime! appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

Digital Photography School

December 6, 2019
How to Achieve Awesome Black and White Photos with Digital Filters

The post How to Achieve Awesome Black and White Photos with Digital Filters appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

When we think about black and white photographs, we generally associate them with an absence of color.

This is certainly not the case.

Like all photographs, black and white images are made from light, and light consists of innumerable wavelengths that produce the colors we see with our eyes. With black and white photography, we might not see the saturation of colors the same way, but the luminance values of these colors remain the same whether we view them in color or black and white.

This is why it’s so important to shoot digital black and white photos in RAW mode so that we can later manipulate these intact luminance values to control the contrasts within our digitally-converted black and white photos.

All of this is based on the use of physical “color” lens filters, which filter out different wavelengths of light to produce varying contrast effects in black and white photography.

A red filter produces dark, dramatic skies in landscape photos while orange filters can radically reduce the appearance of freckles and other skin blemishes in your portraits.

Of course, this means carrying a set of filters with you constantly and also compensating for the slight reduction in light with adjustments to your exposures.

But what if I told you that your DSLR or MDC (mirrorless digital camera) most likely has all of the color filters you will need for outstanding black and white work right at your fingertips?

I know, I was initially just as surprised as you are. Read on.

Black and white digital filters

Real black and white color filters work to filter out other wavelengths of light that don’t fall into the color spectrum of the filter. This means red filters allow red wavelengths to pass, blue allows blue, etc.

The cool thing is, many major camera manufacturers have seen fit to include digital amalgamations of these color filters. They could very well be slightly buried in your camera’s settings, but Canon, Nikon, Olympus, and Panasonic all offer models which sport built-in black and white color filters.

As always, your camera user manual is your best friend. However, you may often find these filter options (if you have them) in the monochrome settings of your digital camera. In our example, I’ll be using a Canon 5D MKIII.

I’m about to say something not usually encountered when it comes to digital photography these days – when using these digital black and white filters, it can be best to shoot JPEG…not RAW.

Sure, you’re going to lose some post-processing leverage, but seeing that you can see the effects of your filter choices and you likely intend to end up with a black and white photo anyway, there’s not much reason to save the color information with a RAW file.

The wonderful thing about digital black and white filters is that you can enjoy real-time feedback of the filter effects.

Which filter to use?

We’ve touched on a few of the circumstances where color black and white filters are best suited. In most cases, your digital camera will have a set of digital color filters from which to choose: red, yellow, orange, green and blue. These options, however, will vary. For instance, my 5D MKIII has no blue filter option.

Have a look at some examples and each of these below. I’ve used the same scene to show the varying effects of each filter. I’ve also listed a few quick scenarios that may help you choose a particular filter setting.

Here’s the original color photo for reference:

Color image with no in-camera black and white filters applied.

Red Filter

This filter is a great way to pump in instant drama to most black and white landscape photos.

Notice the immediate darkening of the blue sky with the red filter

The red filter drastically reduces the transmission of blue wavelengths, thus darkening blue skies and making clouds pop. Some scenes can take on an almost infrared appearance.

Orange Filter

Taking it down a notch from the heavily-apparent effects of the red filter, the orange filter produce similar, yet subdued, contrasts to its red cousin.

Orange color filters are great “general purpose filters” for adding in contrast to your black and white photos. They darken blue skies and help to bring out the appearance of clouds.

For portraits, they work great for reducing skin blemishes like moles and freckles.

Orange filters are also great for reducing atmospheric haze and fog.

Yellow Filter

A yellow color filter produces effects even less “in your face” than the orange filter. A yellow filter is a good option for bringing out the contrasts of foliage and can also be a good choice for a general black and white photography filter when the orange filter is a bit too harsh.

The next two filters are less useful for most shooters but still bear mentioning. Well, not less useful, but perhaps not found as commonly in black and white photography as the other color filters I’ve mentioned.

Green Filter

Of course, this filter allows the transmission of green light. This makes it a good choice for flower and foliage photography as it helps to add contrast between the often green-colored stems and leaves of the plants. All while providing separation from the different-colored flowers and blossoms.

Green filters can also brighten blue skies but not as much as the last filter we’re about to discuss.

Final thoughts on in-camera digital filters…

Digital photography has made many things easier and more accessible for photographers. Even more fortunate, many of the same tried-and-true technical and optical principles still apply to our digital cameras. Built-in digital black and white color filters are just one of the many benefits of our brave new digital age.

Many popular camera manufacturers have included digital black and white color filters with their digital camera offerings, so check your particular model.

Black and white color filters allow you to add instant strength and contrast to your black and white photos.

Depending on your particular scene or subject, you can produce amazingly powerful black and whites before you ever download them from your camera. Color black and white filters have long been a standby of serious photographers, and it’s great to see them still holding their own, albeit in a more modern, digital incarnation.

So go out and try these black and white digital filters, and share your photos with us in the comments section!

The post How to Achieve Awesome Black and White Photos with Digital Filters appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

Digital Photography School

December 6, 2019
Gear of the Year 2019 – Carey’s choice: Sigma 45mm F2.8

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Sigma’s 45mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary lens is, in many ways, not a great lens for pixel-peepers. It exhibits some fringing, it isn’t particularly sharp, and it has a pretty pedestrian maximum aperture. But I really enjoy it anyway, and it’s served as a reminder that any given lens doesn’t have to be perfect to be fun.

I first got to shoot around with the 45mm F2.8 Contemporary on a trip to Japan for the release of Sigma’s fp, their staggering 35mm F1.2 Art, and the newly designed 14-24mm F2.8 Art. No surprise, the little 45 mil was easily overshadowed by its headline-grabbing brethren. But during my time on that trip, it was glued to the a7R III I was using while traveling from one locale to another. The biggest reason for that is that the lens itself is so small.

Sigma fp | ISO 160 | 1/100 sec | F4

Small gear is unobtrusive and far less intimidating for subjects, and this definitely has an impact on the way I take pictures: namely, I take more pictures of people when I’m working with less intimidating gear. I also just tend to take pictures more often, as I’ll always have a smaller camera and lens combo slung over my shoulder, whereas larger gear is more likely to be tucked away in a bag when I’m not actively using it.

We’ve touched a bit on the Sigma 45mm’s image quality at the outset out of this article, but I’d like to backpedal a bit. The biggest ‘issue’ with it is uncorrected spherical aberration, essentially trading-off some sharpness for more attractive bokeh: a deliberate decision on Sigma’s part. And I have to admit that there’s something about its rendering that I find appealing. I also appreciate its very close minimum focus distance, which helps you get shallower depth-of-field than you might expect with an F2.8 aperture, though images get a bit hazy if you’re focusing very close with the aperture wide-open.

Sony a7R III | ISO 100 | 1/320 sec | F2.8
Taken with a pre-production lens

And then there’s the build quality. The 45mm Contemporary is not weather-sealed, which is a big disappointment; especially considering how well it pairs with Sigma’s fp, which is very well-sealed throughout. But the lens still has a premium feel, with its all-metal build. The focus ring is so perfectly damped that I fiddle with it all the time even though I’m exclusively an autofocus kinda guy, and the aperture ring has just the right amount of clickiness to it. Autofocus is very fast, and works well with the DFD technology in Panasonic’s S1-series of cameras.

There is room in the market for less ‘serious’ tools that are still excellent in actual use

I think my main grumble concerns the price. It’s currently still hovering around its launch price of $ 559 USD, which is unequivocally a lot of coin for a slow, non-weather-sealed prime lens that has, perhaps, a bit more optical ‘character’ than people may expect nowadays.

Sigma fp | ISO 100 | 1/125 | F8

On the other hand, I’m pleased that Sigma is making it. It’s a company with a portfolio chock-full of glass that was created with size and weight considerations taking a back seat to optical excellence. There is room in the market for smaller, lighter, less ‘serious’ photographic tools that are nonetheless engaging in actual use. That’s the type of tool the Sigma 45mm F2.8 is, and I hope it’s not the last lens of its type we see from Sigma.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

December 6, 2019

Interview: Aki Murata of Olympus – ‘Full-frame isn’t for everybody’

We attended the Photo Plus Expo show in October in New York, where we spoke to Aki Murata, Olympus America’s VP of sales and marketing. Among the topics of discussion were the new E-M5 III and his company’s strategy to attract professional photographers.

The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity and flow.

How is your professional strategy evolving now that the E-M1X exists?

The E-M1X has completely changed our position in the professional market. We see a lot of changes. The E-M1X is designed for wildlife, birding and sports. After we announced the 150-400mm we had a lot of enquiries and questions from those people, and we’ve had a lot of requests for pre-orders even though we haven’t yet revealed pricing information.

The reason is the size and weight, and also the other characteristics of our system. Very strong stabilization, and now the ability to capture very fast-moving subjects.

How many E-M1X buyers were already invested in your system, versus completely new users?

That’s hard to say. At the very beginning it was mostly Olympus users, but recently we had a ‘trade in, trade up’ promotion, and it’s about half and half, people trading from our own system versus new users coming in from other [brands]. A lot of people from the wildlife and sports fields are coming into our system.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1X is one of the toughest cameras on the market. Aimed at professional and enthusiast wildlife and sports photographers, the E-M1X features a 121-point autofocus system and high-speed continuous shooting.

Do you have a target in terms of market share?

We don’t have specific numbers, but in terms of birding and wildlife we have targets for the number of users. But we don’t know how big the market is.

When you talk to E-M1X users, do you find that they use that camera for one kind of photography, and another camera or another brand for a different kind of photography?

We are seeing a trend with people coming from full-frame, where they need a small camera for travel, they use Olympus. We call those people ‘switchers’. But after we introduced the E-M1X, we have seen people working in the birding and wildlife field, they’re starting to switch. They don’t even test the gear sometimes, they just switch completely.

As the OM-D lineup evolves, do you think the professional and semi-pro market will become more important to you?

Definitely. If you look at the market today in the US, in 2019, the market is down by 10%. Above $ 500, there’s some increase in the full-frame segment, but in-between, there’s been a decrease of 20-25%. How we see the market right now is there are many entry-level offerings, since last year, but this market isn’t very big anymore. All the manufacturers are trying to achieve volume by discounting.

For people interested in travel, wildlife and sports, we can serve up products that can take photos which aren’t possible with a smartphone. So our professional range is important not only for professionals but also for enthusiasts that want better, sharper images.

We tend to hear that buyers of entry-level cameras don’t buy additional lenses. Is that one reason why you see professionals and enthusiasts as a more valuable demographic?

The short answer is yes, but their interest in purchases is not the only reason. Those people who really want to enjoy photography do need additional accessories. We want to give these people more opportunities – it’s not just about selling more lenses. And there are some products in the pipeline that should fit those customers very well.

Despite its Four Thirds sensor, the E-M1X (L) is a large camera, with a generous handgrip and built-in vertical grip with duplicate controls.

Can you describe your product strategy for enthusiast and professional customers in the medium-term?

For those people who shoot fast-moving subjects, we are going to introduce more super telephoto lenses. This is one area where you will see a big difference between full-frame and Micro Four Thirds. We are going to produce small but very high quality lenses. Not just small, but lightweight. You will immediately see the difference. It’s symbolic of the system.

For landscape photographers we want to produce small professional lenses.

The two big players in the pro sports market are Canon and Nikon, and a big reason for that is they’ve been around for a long time, and picture agencies have a huge investment in those systems. Do you have any ambition in the future to really compete against them in the agency space?

We’re not differentiating like that for the time being. Professionals are important to us for a couple of reasons. A product has to be really good to serve professionals, and we work with professionals to get feedback. That’s a really important cycle when it comes to improving the quality of our products. Also it’s important to work with professionals in order to convey messages to the market.

A product has to be really good to serve professionals, and we work with professionals to get feedback

For people who work for those big agencies, we see them as part of the general pro / enthusiast users. And we’re really interested in improving the quality of our products for those users. As long as we can keep on producing the right products for those people, I don’t think we need to differentiate between the different groups.

The EM1X is such a powerful camera, but it’s a big change from the initial concept of OM-D…

It’s tough, you know. It’s a big camera [by comparison with earlier models]. But when you look at the features, it’s still pretty small. And a lot of photographers we’ve spoken to end up saying ‘oh this is smaller than I thought’. But the size and weight benefit is also in the lenses. I truly believe that the 150-400mm lens will change the world. It is really good, and I can’t wait to show it to you. Handheld shooting at 2000mm equivalent – it’s amazing.

How does a camera like the E-M5 III fit into that overall strategy?

This camera is intended to appeal to people we call ‘wanderers’. We have a couple of very important target groups, especially in the US. One is bird photography, wildlife photography. That kind of field. The other is wanderers – people who want to explore the world. And this is a great camera for exploring the world. Which doesn’t mean you have to go to extreme places, even just around the city. These two different target groups are our main target users.

Unlike the E-M1X, the OM-D E-M5 III is a small, compact camera in the traditional OM-D mold. Containing a lot of technology from the E-M1 II, the E-M5 III is aimed at what Olympus calls ‘wanderers’.

Does the E-M5 III have a role to play in your professional strategy? Do you want people to buy it and step up to an E-M1-series camera, or buy it alongside a professional body?

We don’t really think like that, to be honest. In terms of the number of purchasers of the E-M5 III, we expect step-up customers, or people who are replacing an earlier model will make up the biggest portion. But of course there are professionals who will use this as a second camera.

A lot of our readers have reacted to the price being maybe a little high for a Four Thirds camera. What would you say to those people?

I think one big thing with Micro Four Thirds is that we’re using one single format. So if you buy a new lens in the future, or replace your camera, you don’t need to switch formats. This is a great benefit, The second thing is that there is a very strong mindset in the US that bigger is better. Full-frame is better. But the size of the sensor does not determine the the cost of the product, or the quality of the picture.

Full-frame isn’t for everybody. It’s important for all photographers to think about what matters to them

If someone really needs a bigger sensor because they’re shooting in really dark conditions, or they need to make really big prints, then full-frame is a better choice. But if someone finds value in a smaller package, not just the camera but also lenses, then [our OM-D cameras] will be better.

Because of this recent full-frame trend, there’s always this discussion. In the US, full-frame is 18% of the market, by volume. This time last year people were saying it would be 30%, or 50% but I don’t think it will happen. Full-frame isn’t for everybody. It’s important for all photographers to think about what matters to them. If what’s really important is portability, we’re confident that they’ll pick [the E-M5 III or E-M1 II] as their first option.

You mentioned photographers shooting in very low light or who need really big prints might still opt for full-frame. Do you have an ambition in future to attract those kinds of users to Four Thirds?

In short, yes. Technology will develop. If you look back three or five years ago, or even back to the first Micro Four Thirds cameras, the noise made images unusable sometimes. Development will continue. It will not stop. One day, I don’t know when, technology will catch up and some of the disadvantages we have today will not be disadvantages any longer. And when those disadvantages are gone, what is left are smaller physical size and weight, and the quality of our lenses. And image stabilization. Today there are some people that really need bigger sensors, but this will not always be the case in the future.

When you imagine this future, you’re still talking about a single format – Four Thirds?

Yes, and that won’t change. That format will be evolved, but we don’t need to change it. There are no plans.

Editors’ note: Barnaby Britton

We last spoke to Mr. Murata in October 2018. This was shortly before the official launch of the E-M1X, while the forthcoming camera was being shown to select journalists and photographers but before it was released out into the wild. Since then, the E-M1X has been put into the hands of professional and enthusiast photographers all over the world, and has been joined by the E-M5 III, offering some of the same capabilities but in a smaller, considerably less bulky package.

This interview was conducted a year after our last conversation, in late October 2019. That was before the rumors (and that is all they appear to be) started to swirl about the future of Olympus’s camera division. Those rumors have been addressed (if not outright denied) by Olympus recently, and in our conversation in October, Mr. Murata gave no hint of trouble ahead.

In fact, it seems to be full steam ahead for him and his team, with the E-M1X now out in the world, the E-M5 III joining it, and hints at more to come. And the basic message from Mr. Murata hasn’t changed between October 2019 and now. Olympus has no plans to introduce a new sensor format into its lineup, it’s committed to Micro Four Thirds and the company is confident that ‘technology will develop’ such that the current advantage of full-frame in some situations will eventually vanish.

Mr. Murata is hoping that the forthcoming M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS PRO will be the lens that really gets professionals’ attention

After almost a year on the market, Olympus isn’t saying how many E-M1Xs have been sold, and we wouldn’t expect them to. According to Mr. Murata, many of the first people to pick it up were already invested in the Micro Four Thirds system. This isn’t surprising, given the investment required for someone to completely switch systems. But such people (Olympus calls them ‘switchers’) do exist, and Mr. Murata is hoping that the forthcoming M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS PRO will be the lens that really gets professionals’ attention. I certainly can’t wait to try one on the E-M1X when they become available – hopefully soon.

I hesitated to broach the question of cost with Mr. Murata for fear of appearing rude, but he’s well aware of the general impression from some photographers (and some DPReview readers) that the E-M5 III is rather expensive for a M43 camera, at $ 1,200 body only. That ignores the fact that it incorporates a lot of technology from the E-M1X and E-M1 II of course, and as Mr. Murata says, “the size of the sensor does not determine the cost of the product, or the quality of the picture”.

There’s no arguing with that.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

December 6, 2019

Canon releases minor 1.6.0 firmware update for its EOS R full-frame mirrorless camera
It’s been just over two months since firmware version 1.4.0 for the EOS R was released, but Canon is back at it again with a minor firmware update that adds support for a new lens and addresses a number of small bugs.

Firmware version 1.6.0 doesn’t bring any major autofocus changes as firmware version 1.4.0 did, but it does add support for Canon’s new RF 85mm F1.2L USM DS lens and fixes a number of issues:
- Corrects a phenomenon in which the function or setting value assigned to the control ring may change when the control ring is operated in Eco mode.
- Corrects a phenomenon in which the camera may stop operating properly during “auto-transfer” when using Camera Connect with a Wi-Fi connection.
- Corrects a phenomenon in which high-speed synchronization with the use of an external flash may not operate properly depending on the camera’s setting for C.Fn2 “Set shutter speed range”.
Firmware version 1.6.0 is available to download on Canon USA’s website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
December 6, 2019
The Motorola One Hyper tosses a 64MP main cam, 32MP selfie cam inside a $400 phone

Smartphone manufacturer Motorola has launched a new model that features a 64MP rear camera and a pop-up selfie camera with a 32MP sensor. The Motorola One Hyper comes with 128GB of internal storage, can accept microSD cards of up to 1TB to boost storage and has 4GB of RAM.

The device will run Android 10 and uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 platform with its 2GHz Kryo 460 octa-core CPU, and is powered by a 4000mAh battery that Motorola claims provides up to 38 hours of use. The phone’s screen measures 6.5in, all of which can be used to display images as the selfie camera pops up out of the top of the phone instead of shooting through the main screen as happens in smartphones with ‘teardrop’ or ‘punch hole’ selfie cameras. The 19:9-screen has a resolution of 1080×2340 pixels, which equates to 395 pixels per inch.

The main camera offers users a choice of the 64MP sensor or a secondary 16MP sensor, both of which use a F1.9 aperture. A further 8MP rear-facing camera is fitted with a wide angle lens that has an angle of view of 118° — about 13mm on a full frame camera — and an aperture of F2.2.

The rear camera can shoot RAW files as well as JPEGs, and offers auto modes that shoot when a smile or a wave is detected and will also suggest modes according to what its AI thinks the subject is. Video can be recorded in 4K at 30p and FHD at up to 60p, while slow-motion modes are also available.

The Motorola One Hyper has both a USB-C port and a 3.5mm audio port, features NFC and Bluetooth 5.0, and can take on a full day’s charge in ten minutes using the optional 45W charger. It costs $ 399 in the US and will cost £269.99 in the UK later this month.
For more information see the Motorola website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

December 6, 2019
Profoto A1X studio light and Off-Camera Kit now support Fujifilm cameras

The Profoto A1X, a model the company says is the smallest studio light d on the market, can now be used with Fujifilm cameras. The new support covers the Profoto A1X AirTTL-F model, as well as the Off-Camera Kit featuring a button-free trigger and the Profoto Connect.

The Profoto A1X AirTTL-F studio light connects to a camera’s hot shoe, offering up to 450 full-power flashes, a rapid full-power recycling speed at 1 second, as well as 20 wireless channels and an updated UI from the previous A1 model.

The A1X likewise features a 6.9cm (2.75in) round tilting and rotating head with 76W of flash output via an LED modeling light, as well as auto-zoom functionality with a manual override, support for high-speed sync (HSS), shutter speeds as fast as 1/8000s, and a built-in white-on-black LCD.

The Profoto A1X AirTTL-F studio light for Fujifilm is available from B&H Photo now for $ 1,095; the A1X Off-Camera Kit for Fujifilm is currently listed for preorder at $ 1,195.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

December 6, 2019
This Chrome extension makes Instagram ‘likes’ visible again

Over the past several months, Instagram has steadily removed publicly visible ‘likes’ from content posted on its platform, a decision that has polarized users. As the company explained earlier this year, hiding ‘likes’ removes the competitive feel from the platform, encouraging users to focus on the content, not how many people are engaging with it. A new Web browser extension changes that.

Called ‘The Return of Likes,’ this new Chrome extension enables users to view like and comment counts on images when browsing Instagram using a Web browser. ‘Instagram has stopped displaying the number of likes and comments in some areas,’ developer Socialinsider explains, ‘[and] that makes the life of a Social Media person very complicated so we thought about lending a hand.’

‘The Return of Likes’ extension is available in the Chrome Web Store now; it doesn’t appear to be available for any other Web browsers at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

December 6, 2019
2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers
The post 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

We know how difficult it can be to find the perfect gift for anyone at Christmas, let alone a photographer! So, we have done the research and hard work for you, and put together this gift guide for photographers. It has a range of gifts to suit all budgets and all photographers!

We’ve included some pros and cons of each, along with some info on the products, and where applicable, a link to dPS reviews so you can get further insight.

So, take a look, and happy shopping!
Fujifilm X-T3 Mirrorless Camera

A great camera for street photography and portraits

Cool retro design and great jpegs straight out-of-camera

Fujifilm’s famous film simulations, including the newest Eterna

Wireless and Bluetooth connection

Timelapse recording

Not full-frame, so may not suit printing really large images.

The old-school aperture, ISO and shutter speed dials may be hard to get used to.

This popular mirrorless camera in the Fujifilm X-Series line of cameras is perfect for those photographers who like to shoot great photos straight-out-of-camera, as well as shoot video.

The Fujifilm X-T3 is the newest Fuji camera to date, using a brand new sensor and processor and longer battery life than it’s predecessor, the X-T2. It also has a tilting screen and 20fps continuous shooting.

Fujifilm also added a slew of video features such as 4K60p, a higher bit rate (400mbps), and a headphone port. All in all, the X-T3 is made to entice today’s hybrid photo and video shooters.

For more information on this great camera, read Suzi Pratt’s review here.

WHERE TO BUY

dPS Rating
MIOPS Capsule 360

World’s most versatile and compact motion box ever created!

Single box, multiple functions. Motion Time-lapse Modes, Video, 360° Product Photography, Panorama and more.

Smartphone controllable for easy operation

One touch face tracking for taking self videos

Award-winning design

Gives you a freedom for creating pan and tilt moves easily

Centered load capacity up to 15lb (7kg) in pan mode & up to 4,5lb (2kg) load in tilt mode

Needs multiple products for multi-axis movement at the same time

MIOPS Capsule 360 is a miracle motion box that combines multiple operating modes in a single unit. Your imagination and Capsule 360 together can do anything. There are no limits what you can do with this amazing product.

• Thanks to the unique design of Capsule 360 taking Motion Time-Lapse has never been
so easy.
• You can enjoy 360° Product Photography by using Capsule 360’s special features.
• Capsule360 has the ability to take 360-degree Panorama just in a few minutes
• With One Touch Tracking feature Capsule 360 can track your face or an object with
a single touch on your smartphone
• Capsule 360 offers Cable-Free Automatic Setup and saves you from the cable clutter

You can get high-tech MIOPS products and new features from www.miops.com

WHERE TO BUY
Pixelstick Lightpainting LED Tool

Great for light painting tips and tricks

Programable to create any light pattern you want

Can import BMP files onto an SD card, which can then be slotted into the pixelstick’s operating system

Endless creative opportunities

It’s long length is not ideal for traveling

Only works well at night or in dark areas

The Pixelstick can change the way you do photography if you let it! Perfect for the photographer who wants to experiment with creative ideas. Great for long exposure photography and for light painting.

The Pixelstick can be used to frame a model, and/or create leading lines towards the subject making it a powerful tool for portrait photographers.

The customization available with the Pixelstick makes it a fantastic choice for product photography. One of the main niche genres is car photography, where the ribbon lines or checkered flag designs can be used.

Read this full review by Simon Bond.

WHERE TO BUY

dPS Rating
Lensball

Great for alternative creative photography

Offers a unique creative perspective

Allows the photographer to take refraction photos

Endless creative opportunities

They can be heavy to carry

You need a macro lens to shoot these

Lens ball photography, or also known as crystal ball photography or refraction photography, is a fun and creative way for any photographer to take photos.

Use a lens ball in your landscape photography for a unique perspective on a scene.

See a lens ball in action in this article by Simon Bond.

WHERE TO BUY

dPS Rating
Tamron 100-400mm Di VC USD

A great camera for street photography and portraits

Lightest weight, 39.3 oz lens in the ultra-telephoto zoom lens class

On crop-sensor camera, get super telephoto reach to approx. 620mm

High-speed Dual MPU control system delivers quick AF and 4-stops image stabilization

Superb image quality in an ultra-telephoto zoom lens

Moisture -resistant construction and front-element fluorine coating

On full-frame camera may not have the reach for small distant birds

Experience heavyweight performance in a compact lens with the Tamron 100-400mm Di VC USD, the ultra-tele that boasts the lightest weight in its class. Dual MPU system provides precision AF for shooting instantaneous movement with the utmost clarity and 4-stop image stabilization. Both combine to provide vivid images with amazing clarity. Close-focusing, moisture resistant construction and fluorine coating round out this impressive telephoto zoom.

Optional accessories include Tap-in Console, 1.4X and 2X, and Arca-Swiss compatible tripod mount. For Canon and Nikon mount for DSLR cameras and mirrorless cameras with the manufacturer’s adapter. $ 699 after $ 100 Holiday Instant Savings thru 1/5/20.

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Lensbaby OMNI Creative Filter System

Large, for 62-82mm Filter Thread

Produces flare and creative reflections including ethereal light streaks

Easily attaches to any lens in the 62-82mm filter range

Easy to use, ready right out of the box

Great for interesting portraits and band photos

There is also an expansion pack available for more effects

You need to disassemble and reassemble for most camera cases and packing situations

The Lensbaby OMNI Creative Filter System is a fantastic set of wands that attach to the front of your lens. When the light shines through the various-shaped wands, it refracts the light to create light streaks, rainbows and colors onto the lens wherever the wands have been positioned.

The great thing about this set is that it attaches to your lens via a its filter system, and each wand is moveable, and can be swapped around.

There are also extra wand that can be added to this via the expansion pack.

See these in action in this review by Anabel DFlux.

WHERE TO BUY

dPS Rating
Annie Leibovitz: At Work

A book for any budding portrait photographer

Fantastic photographs to be inspired by

Includes details of gear Liebovitz uses

Discusses portrait techniques

An opportunity to be inspired by one of the great portrait photographers

Being a hardcover book, it can be heavy

Annie Leibovitz is one of the classic portrait photographers of our time.

This in-depth book includes many of her famous celebrity photo shoots of just about everyone from the Queen of England to Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rolling Stones.

She also discusses many of the photos themselves and explains what gear she uses to achieve her work.

An inspiring book for photographers of all genres and levels.

Read a review on the book here.

WHERE TO BUY

dPS Rating
Neewer Flash Accessory Kit

with Barndoor, Conical Snoot, Mini Reflector, Sphere Diffuser, Beaty Disc, 8x12inches Softbox, Honeycomb, Color Filters, Universal Mount Adpater

A great set to give your flash photography more diversity

Perfect for portrait photography outside a studio because of its portability.

Allows the photographer to have more control over lighting their subject.

May not get much use if you don’t do much flash photography

This great Universal Strobist set has many accessories so any photographer can experiment with light!

It comes with a universal adapter that you can use with any camera flash that has a max width of 85mm and height of 34-58mm.

The set comes with seven strobist accessories including a softbox, diffuse sphere and mini reflector, honeycomb, conical snoot and barndoors.

The Softbox, Diffuse sphere and Mini Reflector offer a more diffuse light, while the Honeycomb, Conical Snoot and Barndoors make you able to aim the light more directly.

WHERE TO BUY
Lens Cleaning Kit

Something every photographer shouldn’t be without!

Removes dirt, dust and fingerprints from lenses

Ensures clearer pictures

Easily fits into any photographer’s camera bag

A lens cleaning kit is a must for every photographer.

It is impossible to keep lenses and sensors completely clean all of the time. Dust and dirt can easily make their way onto the front of the lens and sometimes onto the sensor when changing lenses (especially when out in the elements).

Includes things like a lens brush for sweeping away dust from a camera or lens; air blower for removing dirt from a camera body, lens, mirror, or DSLR sensor and 50 sheets of lens-cleaning tissue paper—safe for all multicoated lenses (no scratches or residue).

So, a lens cleaning kit like this can be a photographer’s savior when out on a shoot!

WHERE TO BUY
KUVRD Universal Lens Cap

Fits most camera lenses!

Protects your camera lenses

Covers more of your lens than a conventional lens cap

Easy to use and weatherproof

May make it more difficult to immediately see what lens you are using

The KUVRD Original Universal Lens Cap prevents water, mud, and the finest dust and sand from entering your lens.

The cap stretches from 60mm to 120mm and can be used as both a front and rear lens cap, for extra lens protection.

The caps are also shock absorbent, meaning bumps to your lens are less of an issue!

They also compress down to fit in your pocket, or wallet when you are using the lens.

WHERE TO BUY
Sony Alpha A6400 Mirrorless Camera

APS-C sensor with 16-50mm lens

Compact and lightweight

Great for travel photography

The rear flip screen makes it great for street photography

A wide range of E-mount lenses available

The flip screen stands directly in the way of the hot-shoe mount

Offers only 2-axis stabilization if you use a stabilized lens

This Sony Alpha a6400 mirrorless camera, is a great compact system perfect for travel photography and street photography.

It is a 24.2mp APS-C camera with AI assisted autofocus.

It allows for high dynamic range capture, plus interval recording for time-lapse video.

It also has rear LCD screen that can flip up 180-degrees. This is ideal for vloggers or those who want to monitor footage while in front of the camera. However, when in this position, it does cover the hotshoe area, making it difficult to attach a light or microphone.

Access to Sony E-mount range of lenses.

WHERE TO BUY

dPS Rating
Thinktank Vision 15 Camera Bag

A stylish and function camera bag for on the go.

Fits a DSLR mounted on a long lens

Great organization for extras with expandable bottle holder

It can handle a portable office

Can’t easily attach a full-size tripod

Can’t fit a drone inside

ThinkTank’s Vision 15 camera bag is one in a line of stylish camera and computer shoulder bags built for photographers who want a functional bag that looks good walking down the street. It’s designed for someone who wants easy access to their gear and isn’t looking for a backpack.

Inside the spacious main compartment is space enough for a few lenses and speedlights.

While the generous top flap of the bag keeps the elements at bay, a secondary zippered flap will help keep prying hands away.

It has a generously-padded strap and easily fits under the seat of a plane for those photography travel trips.

Read Peter West Carey’s full review here.

WHERE TO BUY

dPS Rating
Capture One Pro 12

Imaging editing software, Single-User 3 Seats

Superior tethering capabilities

Ability to edit using layers

Fantastic color management capabilities

May be a steep learning curve if switching from another image-editing program

Fewer third-party presets and plugins available

Capture One Pro is Phase One’s photo editing software. Designed for professional photographers, it offers top quality color management, file management and editing capabilities (including multi-layer editing).

For the professional photographer who needs superior tethering capabilities, Capture One Pro is the best in its class.

For more information on the true capabilities of this fantastic software, see this article Capture One Pro – Should You Make the Switch by Darina Kopcok.

WHERE TO BUY

dPS Rating
Joby GorillaPod 5K Flexible Mini-Tripod with Ball Head

Grip it. Wrap it. Stand it.
Handy travel-size, flexible tripod

The wrappable legs allow you to secure professional camera equipment to virtually any surface

The ball head allows you to control the angle of your camera

Super strong: Holds devices weighing up to 5 kg (11 lbs)

Rubberized ring and foot grips stabile in difficult terrain

Precision-engineered ball head with Arca-Swiss® compatible quick release plate

May not be suitable where there is nowhere to grip it to

Fewer third-party presets and plugins available

This flexible mini-tripod with ball head is an ideal photographer’s companion.

Perfect for traveler’s who need a tripod but don’t want to use too much space in their camera bag or pack.

The Gorillapod’s flexible legs allow you to wrap it around objects such as a tree branch, so that you can give your camera stability, when taking photos or video.

See a video review of the Joby Gorillapod 5k tripod here.

WHERE TO BUY
Sekonic L-308X-U Flashmate Light Meter

Great for portrait photographers

Allows you to quickly get your exposure light readings correct

Perfect for use with flash photography

It’s great when using multiple light sources

Perfect companion for the studio photographer

Landscape photographers may not find as much need for one

Using a light meter like the Sekonic L-308X-U Flashmate, can save any photographer loads of time in getting the correct exposure. Sure, you can do this with lots of trial and error, and looking at the back of your camera screen each time you take a shot. But light meters really save you loads of time and that is time better spent taking the actual photos.

It is a perfect studio photographer’s companion or can be taken on location when shooting portraits.

See the advantages of using a light meter in this article by John McIntire.

WHERE TO BUY
Olympus TOUGH TG-6 Camera

The rugged, take-everywhere camera that even the kids can use!

A perfect adventure companion for photographers of all ages

Microscope and Underwater Modes

Waterproof, dust-proof, shockproof and freeze-proof.

In-camera focus-stacking

4K video capabilities

A lot of noise at high ISOs

No control over shutterspeed

The Olympus Tough TG-6 camera is built so tough that even the kids can use it! But this camera isn’t just for kids – this camera is built for all adventurous photographer-types. It’s also a perfect size for just throwing in your pack or putting in your pocket.

You can use this camera in the water, with it’s dedicated underwater mode. Alternatively, you can use Microscope mode to capture macro shots of bugs in the grass!

Check out this full review by Mat Coker.

WHERE TO BUY

dPS Rating
NISI Filters

Great for the avid Landscape Photographer!

Great all-in-one system including holder, adapters and filters

Great for doing long exposures when the sun is bright

The graduated ND filters allow you to tone down bright skies

Fits lens sizes from 49mm-82mm

Very little color cast

May be out of some people’s budget

Neutral Density (ND) and Graduated Neutral Density (GND) filters are an ideal companion for the avid landscape photographer who wants to use longer shutter speeds to get those soft, dreamy seascapes and waterfall images.

They are also great when shooting in the harsh daylight so that you can tone down highlights. The GND filters are great for balancing the exposure between your landscape and harshly lit skies, allowing you to tone down the skies.

Want to learn more about these filters? See this article by Christian Hoiberg.

WHERE TO BUY
Sandisk 256GB Extreme SD

A high-speed, high-capacity extreme SD card

Great for writing large RAW files quickly

Large 256GB storage for lots of photos or video

Better write capapbilities for video with the high transfer speed of 150mb per second

Lock feature so that you don’t overwrite your images

May not need such a high-performance card

The SanDisk 256GB Extreme SD card has a high-speed transfer rate of 150 mbs per second, making it ideal for photographers who shoot RAW and in continuous shooting mode. It transfers the files quickly, and the big 256GB size means you can fit loads of photos.

The high-speed transfer rate also makes this card great for those shooting video with their cameras, meaning you don’t get lag when shooting and the camera won’t cut out.

WHERE TO BUY
The post 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Digital Photography School
December 5, 2019