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  • Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III sample gallery updated

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    Our testing of the Canon G7 X III continues, which means we’ve brought along on plenty of day trips and adventures to get a feel for its performance in a number of situations. Take a look at some of the resulting images while we finish up our testing.

    See our updated Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III sample gallery

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • 10 of the Most Useful Photoshop CC Shortcuts

    The post 10 of the Most Useful Photoshop CC Shortcuts appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

    photoshop-cc-shortcuts-list

    Learning photography well requires a lot of study and practice. Figuring out what the dials and buttons on your camera do takes time and focus. Choosing what to photograph and how you want it to look is challenging for many photographers.

    Once you’ve taken some photos, another challenge to face is how to get them looking their best. This is where you need to learn a whole new set of computer skills. The more particular you are about the way your photos end up, the better post processor you need to become.

    photoshop-cc-shortcuts-list

    Adobe makes two of the most popular photography post-processing programs. Lightroom and Photoshop have been industry standards for many years. As the software develops, it becomes more and more complex. There are many built-in tools to make the user experience more fun. But to make use of them you will need to study and practice.

    Photoshop CC Shortcuts

    Making the most of your keyboard is about the best way to ensure not only greater speed, but more enjoyment when using Photoshop. The software has many cool shortcut keys that speed up your workflow. They also help you maintain unbroken concentration when you are working on a photograph.

    With so many shortcuts, it’s not practical to sit down and learn them all at once. Looking at them in the software does little to inspire. This is why I’ve come up with a list of ten Photoshop CC shortcuts that I think you will find helpful.

    From time to time, I make a point of learning a few more. I’ll search for five to ten shortcuts and make a list. I place this next to my computer monitor and refer to it when Photoshopping.

    If you’re not used to using keyboard shortcuts with Photoshop, they might seem a bit fiddly at first. Like learning to touch type, the more you practice, the easier it becomes, and the less you have to think about where you are putting your fingers. Learning to use shortcut keys in Photoshop is a similar experience, but you can easily break it down and learn a few at a time.

    1. Clone Stamp Tweaks

    The clone stamp is one of the most used tools in Photoshop. It’s powerful and flexible to do everything from removing small blemishes to recreating whole portions of a composition. Here’s a couple of keyboard shortcuts that make it even more useful.

    Use Alt+Shift+arrows (Opt+Shift+arrows on Mac) to offset the selection area.

    Alt+Shift+<> (Opt+Shift+<> on Mac) rotates the selection

    Using [] scales the source.

    These shortcuts only work when you have a North American keyboard selected in your operating system.

    photoshop-cc-shortcuts-list

    2. Last-Used Filter

    When you’re processing batches of images, you’ll often want to repeatedly use the same filter. To apply the previously used filter, use Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac). Reapply the last filter used, but display dialog box to alter settings use Ctrl–Alt–F (Cmd+Opt+F on Mac)

    photoshop-cc-shortcuts-list

    3. Lock Transparent Pixels

    In Photoshop, using the / key locks transparent pixels. This is helpful when painting or compositing. Working on a layer with transparent pixels, you will avoid affecting them using the keyboard shortcut.

    10 of the Most Useful Photoshop CC Shortcuts

    4. Color Fills

    Use Shift+Alt+Backspace (Shift+Opt+Backspace on Mac). This fills opaque pixels on a layer with the foreground color. Shift+Ctrl+Backspace (Shift+Cmd+Backspace on Mac) fills with the background color.

    photoshop-cc-shortcuts-list

    5. Marquee Tool Tweak

    Drawing a marquee by default happens from the edge. To draw a marquee selection from center Alt+drag (Opt+drag on Mac)selection.

    10 of the Most Useful Photoshop CC Shortcuts

    6. Selection Help

    To bring back a selection you deselected, use Ctrl+Shift+D (Cmd+Shift+D on Mac). This will restore the last active selection. It is super helpful if you deselect and then notice something else you need to alter.

    photoshop-cc-shortcuts-list

    7. Layer Mask Speed

    Ctrl+\ (Cmd+\ on Mac) switches between Layer and Layer Mask Ctrl+2 (Cmd+2 on Mac) to switch back. This is a pure workflow time saver. It allows you to keep your mouse active on the image rather than dragging it back and forth to the layers panel.

    10 of the Most Useful Photoshop CC Shortcuts

    8. Brush Tool Cursor

    With the Brush Tool selected hitting the Caps Lock shows only the cross-hair cursor. This allows you to position your cursor more precisely. It’s also a good shortcut to know how to undo. If you’ve inadvertently turned caps lock on while using the Brush Tool, you may wonder why you can only see a crosshair. Hit the caps lock again, and your normal cursor will reappear.

    photoshop-cc-shortcuts-list

    9. Revert to Last Saved

    F12 reverts the file to the last saved instance of it. This is a quick and easy way to review changes you are making to an image.

    10 of the Most Useful Photoshop CC Shortcuts

    10. Screen Space Savers

    F keys to show/Hide panels. Memorizing these keyboard shortcuts will give you so much more screen space to use. If you are confined to a single monitor, making use of these shortcuts can change the way you use Photoshop.

    F5 – Show/Hide Brushes panel

    F6 – Show/Hide Color panel

    F7 – Show/Hide Layers panel

    F8 – Show/Hide Info panel

    Alt–F9 – Show/Hide Actions panel

    10 of the Most Useful Photoshop CC Shortcuts

    Conclusion

    I suggest you use this list as a starting point. Not all these shortcuts will be helpful for everyone. Think about the actions you use repetitively when using Photoshop and search to discover if there are keyboard shortcuts to make your life simpler.

    Making a note and keeping it near your computer will help you commit these shortcuts to memory. Once you have them, do some more research and make another list of shortcuts you’d like to learn. Making a concerted effort and being consistent with using these shortcuts, you will learn them quickly.

    There are over 500 keyboard shortcuts for Photoshop. Master these, and then you can also customize your own.

    If you’ve got a few favorite shortcuts you think others may not be aware of, please share them in the comments below.

     

    The post 10 of the Most Useful Photoshop CC Shortcuts appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.


    Digital Photography School

  • Sandmarc launches hybrid polarized ND filters for DSLR and mirrorless cameras

    Back in August photographic filter maker Sandmarc launched a line of hybrid polarized ND filters for smartphone cameras. Now the same type of filter has been released for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.

    Like the smartphone equivalent, the Hybrid Pro filter series combines the filter attributes of neutral density (ND) and polarizers into one single filter. Like a ND filter they help improve dynamic range of a shot in bright light, can help add motion blur to moving objects by allowing for slower shutter speeds, and offer more control over exposure and shutter speeds for film makers. Like a polarizer, they also help reduce reflections, protect highlights and boost color.

    Sandmarc’s Hybrid Pro filters are made from multi-coated and anti-reflective glass for accurate color transmission. The company says the aluminum frame material makes the filters both durable and lightweight.

    A set of filters includes ND16/PL, ND32/PL and ND64/PL variants to cover shooting in a range of light conditions. The filters are available in 58, 67, 77 and 82mm diameters and can be pre-ordered on the Sandmarc website now. Pricing starts at $ 169.99 for the 58mm version.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Photographer finds fully-functional Fujifilm lens 4 months after losing it in the desert

    Modern camera lenses are durable, but a little anecdote from Steve Boykin, writing for 35mmc, shows just how far weather-sealing has come in the past few years.

    Four months ago, in June of this year, Boykin managed to lose his Fujifilm XF 23mm F2 R WR lens while on a hike in the wilderness. This week, he managed to stumble across the lens while out on another trek and after a bit of cleaning up, he says the lens is in seemingly perfect condition, even after withstanding the summer heat, countless thunderstorms and freezing temperatures.

    The location where Boykin found the lens

    Boykin says he was walking along a path he’s walked ’30 or 40 times over the last few months’ when he looked down and noticed the lens ‘sitting on the ground a few inches from my foot.’ Naturally, Boykin assumed the lens wouldn’t work, due to the harsh conditions it incurred, but after getting home and removing the front B+W filter and rear lens cap, Boykin mounted the lens to his Fujifilm X-Pro1 and ‘it came to life like nothing had happened.’

    Despite there being some ‘slight discoloration’ on one side of the lens barrel (likely the side that was laying in the dirt) Boykin says the autofocus works ‘like nothing ever happened’ and both the aperture and focus rings rotate smoothly. Boykin credits much of the survival to the fact the front filter and rear lens cap were still attached, but even then it’s an impressive feat for the lens to survive a third of a year in the desert with essentially zero protection.

    To read the full story, which includes a pair of photos captured with the lost lens, head on over to 35mmc (and check out their other coverage on all things film photography related).

    Image credits: Photos by Steve Boykin, used with kind permission from 35mmc

    Update (October 16, 2019): Updated the first sentence of the article as to better explain the current state of lens weather-sealing.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Google ends free ‘original quality’ image backups for the Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL

    The newly unveiled Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL smartphones will not include three years of free ‘original quality’ Google Photos storage, the company has confirmed. Details about the change were quietly listed on the Google Store’s Pixel 4 product page following the company’s press event on Tuesday, revealing an elimination of the perk Google has offered since the launch of its original Pixel model.

    All Android mobile devices come with free Google Photos storage for images and videos captured with the handset, but there’s a catch: the content is compressed from its original quality down to ‘high quality.’

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    The Pixel smartphone line has remained notable among its peers by offering atypically excellent camera quality, particularly in low-light environments. Before the Pixel 4, Google relied on computational photography, not extra lenses, to give its phones an edge. This time around, however, Google has taken steps to remain competitive with Apple by packing more than one camera into its newly unveiled Pixel 4 devices.

    Many consumers, particularly photographers who prefer Android over iOS, have anticipated the launch of this phone specifically for its mobile camera capabilities. That makes Google’s decision to end its free ‘original quality’ photo storage particularly baffling. Buyers must either sign up for a paid storage plan or settle for compressed backups.

    As recently noted by XDA, the Google Store’s Pixel 4 page reads, ‘Never worry about storing, finding, or sharing your memories thanks to unlimited storage in high quality on Google Photos.’ That feature comes with a small disclaimer that states:

    Google Photos offers free unlimited online storage for all photos and videos uploaded in high quality. Photos and videos uploaded in high quality may be compressed or resized. Requires Google Account. Data rates may apply.

    Google offers multiple cloud storage plans under its Google One subscription, which starts at $ 1.99/month for 100GB of storage if you pay annually. The Pixel 4 smartphone is available to preorder from the Google Storage now for $ 799.

    Update (October 16, 2019): Corrected pricing of the entry-level Google One subscription plan.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • UK photo retailer Jessops is reportedly looking for administrators to help salvage the company

    Jessops’ current online storefront

    British photo retailer Jessops is looking for administrators to ‘help salvage the struggling High Street brand,’ according to BBC News.

    Serial entrepreneur Peter Jones purchased Jessops from administrators back in 2013 in a joint venture with restructuring company Hilco Capital, after the photo retailer racked up £81M ($ 104M) in debt and closed more than 187 stores. At the time, Jones said in the below interview with BBC News that Jessops would reopen ’30-40′ of its stores with the intention of charging the same price in stores as it did online.

    After not initially reaching Jones’ £80M revenue goal during his first year of ownership (2015), Jessops ended up showing revenue of £80.3M and £95M in 2016 and 2017, respectively. However, recent trade conditions have negatively impacted revenue and as a result the company is reportedly looking for a company voluntary agreement (CVA) with landlords and lenders of the chain’s 46 stores, leased under Jessop’s retail property firm, JR Prop Limited. As explained by BBC News, CVA ‘is an insolvency process that allows a business to reach an agreement with its creditors to pay off all or part of its debts [over an agreed period of time] and is often used as an opportunity to renegotiate rents.’

    Sky News has reported store closures and rent cuts are expected, but sources close to Jessops say Jones is still optimistic about the presence of its brick-and-mortar locations, according to BBC News.

    Sources close to Jones have also told Sky News that ‘Mr Jones had decided that placing JR Prop into insolvency proceedings would provide the most effective means of streamlining Jessops’ operations to ensure their survival.’

    Jessops was established by Frank Jessops in Leicester, United Kingdom in 1935. Currently, Jessops’ headquarters are located in Marlow, United Kingdom.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Ricoh shares 360º photos, videos from space captured in partnership with JAXA

    Editor’s note: The below video is best viewed in Chrome or Firefox browsers, as they support 360-degree video:

    Ricoh has published photos and video captured with a specialized version of its Ricoh Theta 360-degree spherical camera developed in partnership with with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

    ‘The camera was installed to monitor the operation of the biaxial gimbal of the SOLISS (Small Optical Link for International Space Station),’ says Ricoh in its press release. ‘It was carried aboard the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV8) “KOUNOTORI-8”, the cargo transporter to the International Space Station (ISS), which was launched on September 25 , 2019.’

    The specialized Ricoh Theta camera was modified so it could withstand the heat and radiation in space. The images and video from the camera were captured from the Exposed Facility of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), nicknamed ‘Kibo,’ and subsequently sent back to ground stations on Earth.

    A flattened version of the above interactive image.

    In addition to the images in this article, Ricoh has also posted the photos and videos on the JAXA Digital Archives and on its Theta Lab website, where the content can be viewed interactively in 360-degrees.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Which has the best lens? Sony RX100 VII vs Canon G5 X II vs Canon G7 X III

    Now that we’re pushing through our full review of Canon’s G7 X Mark III and have published our full reviews of the G5 X Mark II and Sony’s RX100 VII, we wanted to take a look at how all three of their lenses stack up against each other.

    Of course, there are some differences here in terms of zoom length and aperture range, but since these represent the latest pocketable zoom compacts on the market, we were curious as to how those differences impact the outright image quality each camera is capable of. So, let’s take a look.

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    The first thing you’ll notice is that the Sony is much clearer in the central portion of the frame, at each camera’s widest focal length and aperture. Stopping down the Canon$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4831-1065318710”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4831); }); }) cameras to match the wide-open aperture of the Sony improves things somewhat, especially on the G7 X III. As we move out to the corners$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4832–2128444560”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4832); }); }), the Sony shows a clearer advantage$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4833–1286349705”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4833); }); }) over the Canon’s$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4834–1324939535”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4834); }); }).

    As we move into the middle of the zoom range$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4835-900509721”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4835); }); }), all three cameras perform very similarly in the center of the frame, which is to say, quite good. Stopping down the Canon’s to match the Sony’s lens at F4$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4836–1208563060”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4836); }); }) does look to give the PowerShots a bit more contrast. The corners$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4837–2128444560”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4837); }); }) likewise look pretty good here, and again, stopping down the Canon cameras to match the Sony’s maximum aperture gives them a bit of a sharpness boost.

    Next, at the G7 X Mark III’s maximum zoom length of 100mm$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4838-1814621327”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4838); }); }) equivalent, the Sony shows a bit less fringing right off the bat, but all look pretty decent in the center. It’s in the corners$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4839–2128444560”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4839); }); }) where it looks like G5 X II is really starting to fall apart, unfortunately. Once you reach its maximum zoom of 120mm equivalent, the G5 X II starts to look a little hazy$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4840–1392152557”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4840); }); }) next to the Sony across the frame$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4841-1368515039”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4841); }); }).

    So from what we can tell from these copies, the Sony will give you more consistently sharp results regardless of where you find yourself in the zoom range, or across the image frame. But, and this is a big but, you’re giving up an awful lot of aperture (as well as zoom, to be fair) to get that sharpness. If you find yourself wanting to shoot in more dim conditions, the Canons may be a tad bit softer, but their faster lenses will keep your ISO values lower, and therefore noise levels lower. It’s up to you to decide which suits you best.

    But poke around the rest of the scene and the other settings we’ve provided, and let us know what you think in the comments.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • The Google Pixel 4 Will Feature Two Cameras Plus Enhanced Night Sight

    The post The Google Pixel 4 Will Feature Two Cameras Plus Enhanced Night Sight appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

     

    The Google Pixel 4 Will Feature Two Cameras Plus Enhanced Night Sight

    Earlier this week Google announced the long-awaited Pixel 4, which promises to take smartphone photography to a whole new level.

    This comes in the wake of Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro announcement last month, which saw the debut of a triple-camera setup and features such as Night Mode.

    In other words, the Pixel 4 is a competitor in an intense fight to create the best cameras, the best lenses, and the best camera software.

    So what does the Google Pixel 4 offer?

    Let’s take a closer look:

    First, the Google Pixel 4 features a dual-camera setup, offering the usual wide-angle lens alongside a new 2X telephoto option. This isn’t unique (Apple has regularly included “telephoto” lenses going all the way back to the iPhone 7 Plus), but it is a nice addition for those who need a bit more reach. You can use the 2X lens for tighter portraits, and it’s also useful for street photography, where you often need to photograph subjects from a distance.

    Interestingly, Google has decided to keep the wide-angle camera at 12 megapixels, but has packed in a 16-megapixel sensor for the telephoto camera. While plenty of photographers will be excited by this jump in resolution, it remains to be seen whether such tiny pixels will result in significant noise.

    The dual-camera setup should also improve Google’s Portrait Mode, and Google has promised more natural background blur and very precise edges (e.g., when dealing with hair). Truthfully, I’m skeptical. I’ve yet to see a Portrait mode photo that looks perfect on any smartphone camera. But I’ll wait until I see the results from the Pixel 4 before judging.

    One cool new feature that will debut in the Pixel 4 is Live HDR. When you go to capture an HDR photo, you’ll be able to see a live HDR preview on your smartphone screen; this should give you a sense of what you can expect from the HDR+ effect.

    Finally, if you enjoy doing astrophotography, you’re in luck: The Pixel 4 offers an improved Night Sight mode, in which you can take stunning photos of the night sky. It works by taking a series of long exposures, before blending them together to create a beautiful final photo. Note that you’ll need a tripod or other method of stabilization to get sharp astrophotography shots.

    Overall, the Google Pixel 4 offers some impressive new features, even if none of them feel totally groundbreaking. Up until now, the Pixel lineup has dominated regarding low-light shooting, and the enhanced Night Sight suggests that Google plans to keep running with this success.

    The Google Pixel 4 is currently available for preorder starting at $ 799 USD and will hit the shelves on October 24.

    You can check out this first look video from cnet to get more of an idea of the Google Pixel 4.

    ?

    Are you interested in the Google Pixel 4? Let us know in the comments!

    The post The Google Pixel 4 Will Feature Two Cameras Plus Enhanced Night Sight appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


    Digital Photography School

  • The Zhiyun WEEBILL-S is a compact 3-axis gimbal for mirrorless and DSLR cameras

    Zhiyun, a leading gimbal manufacturer, announced the WEEBILL-S 3-axis gimbal earlier this week. Designed for mainstream mirrorless and DSLR cameras plus lens combos, the new gimbal offers ultra-low latency image transmission in 1080p with a brand new TransMount Image Transmission Module while ViaTouch 2.0 allows your smartphone to function as a professional monitor and multi-functional remote controller.

    The latest iteration of the WEEBILL-S has a 300% upgraded power torque motor along with a 50% increase in responsiveness. It’s compatible with multiple camera/lens combos, including Sony’s A7 III+FE 24-70mm F2.8 or the Canon 5D Mark IV+EF 24-70mm F2.8. A unique ergonomic sling mode lets operators easily switch between high and low angle shots using the TransMount quick setup kit. The 8th version of the Instune algorithm enables the gimbal to automatically recognize the weight and selects the perfect motor strength for the best shooting accuracy.

    The all-new image transmission module enables a maximum of 1080p / 30p streaming, 100-meter image transmission featuring LUT, pseudo coloring, focus peak, and zebra adjustment for professional monitoring and livestream publishing. The TransMount image transmission module allows you to add 3 devices to the stabilizer – a smartphone, tablet, or professional monitor. Interchangeable batteries enable you to run the device for 14 hours straight. You can charge your camera in real-time which comes in handy for day-long shoots. Other features include:

    • ViaTouch 2.0 which creates a seamless connection between smartphone and camera.
    • SmartFollow 2.0. enables you to select a point of interest from the ViaTouch 2.0 interface and the camera will follow its movement with ultra-low latency and a cinematic experience.
    • The all-new motion sensor control system, Sync Motion, gives you the advantage of controlling the stabilizer’s direction with a smartphone and an ultra-high responsive speed gives you an immersive filmmaking experience.
    • WEEBILL-S supports electronic focus and mechanical focus/zoom control with a control wheel on the grip, to realize a fast and accurate focus or zoom when shooting. Using the servo focus/zoom motor, users can control the zoom and focus for a more professional filmmaking experience.

    The WEEBILL-S is available to order starting at $ 439. The Zoom/Focus Pro package retails at $ 519 while $ 679 will get you the Image Transmission Pro package.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)