Nikon’s 58mm F0.95 ‘Noct’ lens could be the most impressive optic yet for Nikon’s Z-series mirrorless cameras. Find out what Chris and Jordan think of this flagship prime lens for Z-mount, and why it may become their new unit of measure.
Also, subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
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Nikon’s Z50 is the company’s first Z-mount camera that comes with an APS-C sensor. Though we weren’t allowed to shoot Raw files with our pre-production test model, take a look through our sample gallery of out-of-camera-JPEGs to get an idea of what Nikon’s newest mirrorless camera (and newest mirrorless camera lenses) can do.
The post The Absolute Beginners Guide to Camera Settings appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.
When you bought your fancy camera with all its buttons and dials, you began a journey that few can endure.
Most people who buy a DSLR, never figure out how to use it. But the fact that you’re reading an article like this means that you’re determined to learn.
One of the most difficult phases of photography you’ll pass through is figuring out how your camera works. But once you understand even a little bit, the world of photography opens its doors to you.
If you’re new to photography, then this Absolute Beginners Guide to Camera Settings is for you.
The Olympus Tough TG-6 comes with auto mode, more than a dozen scene modes, as well as aperture mode (one of the most used settings by photographers). This photo was taken by a child using a DSLR in auto mode.
Buying paint and canvas does not guarantee that you will produce a nice painting, nor does buying a camera guarantee a good photo.
Your camera is a complicated piece of technology designed to capture the moment you see with your eye and make a picture. However, the main ingredient it uses is not ink or paint but light.
A poor photograph may be due to a lack of creativity. But many creative photos are ruined due to a wrong combination of camera settings used to make a picture. The most important camera settings are about what the camera does as it makes a picture out of light.
Sure, cameras differ in their capability and quality, but it’s not really the camera that is ultimately responsible for how the photo turns out. You must have control over the camera to make it do what you want it to.
Every time you snap a picture, you need to make some decisions that are affected by camera settings:
These decisions, and many more, are represented by “camera settings.” You select certain settings so that the camera knows what to do when it takes a picture.
There are many settings and I want to walk you through some of the most important.
The best way to learn something is by taking small steps. Learn one step, and don’t move on until you understand it. Bookmark this and other articles so that you can come back to them as you grow in your understanding.
This was my attempt to capture my son’s first steps with an advanced camera that I didn’t know how to use.
Let’s begin in Auto mode. Look for the dial on the top of your camera. You’ll either see the word auto or perhaps just a green box or icon.
What does Auto mode do? It means that your camera will make all the decisions for you and choose all the settings. All you have to do is take the picture!
When you put your camera in Auto mode, you’re basically saying, “I don’t know how to work this thing!” There is no shame in not understanding how your camera works. If you are determined, you will learn over time.
It is possible to take nice photos in Auto mode. Part of the reason that auto mode can work so well is that it frees your mind from the technical aspects of photography that you don’t understand yet. Auto mode allows you to focus on the creative elements and use of light that you’re more likely drawn to.
Go ahead and put your camera in Auto mode. Get out into the world and take lots of pictures. As you sort through your photos, make a list of the problems you run into. It’s easier to learn photography and grow when you’ve got specific problems that you can ask questions about.
You’re going to run into lots of problems in Auto mode, but how come? Shouldn’t your camera be smart enough to take a great picture on its own?
First, your camera has no idea what it’s looking at. So, it doesn’t know what you’re taking a picture of and it doesn’t know what you want the picture to look like.
All it’s trying to do is take a picture with the right exposure. Exposure refers to how bright or dark your photo is and it’s all the camera really cares about in auto mode.
You may see an inspiring scene in front of you, but the camera doesn’t. All it’s trying to do is expose your photo properly, and even that doesn’t work well many times.
Common problems in Auto mode include motion blur.
Overexposed highlights are another major problem in Auto mode.
Over time, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what you wish you could make your camera do. You’ll say, “I wish I could tell my camera to…”
The good news is, there is actually a way to tell your camera what you’re taking a picture of and how you wish it would look.
If you tell your camera what you’re taking a picture of, you’ll increase the odds of getting a better photo.
The way to tell your camera what you’re taking a picture of is to use the scene mode option on your camera. Scene mode covers the most popular photography situations such as landscape, portrait, close-up, sports, etc.
When you select the appropriate scene, you’re telling your camera what you’re photographing. Your camera will choose a combination of settings that are best suited to that situation. It’s going to choose roughly the same settings that an experienced photographer would use.
You can use Sports mode when photographing quick moving kids, or when you’re photographing any action. There will still be imperfections in your photos, but you’re more likely to freeze the action.
Freeze quick-moving subjects with Sports mode.
Portrait mode will help your camera achieve an out-of-focus background. That background blur is referred to as bokeh.
Landscape mode will favor a greater depth of field in your photo. This will keep more of the foreground, midground, and background in focus. It tends to make colors more vibrant too.
Your camera will have all sorts of scene modes to explore. Consider the situation you’re in and see if your camera has a scene mode to help you out.
But still, your photos might not turn out great. Why? Because ultimately your camera is most obsessed with making your photo bright enough. And you might be pointing it at a scene that is really hard for the camera to capture properly.
When you put your camera on Auto mode, it has to balance three main settings in order to make a picture out of light.
The three settings are ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Each of these three settings contributes to the overall brightness or exposure of your photo. But aperture and shutter speed have creative effects as well.
Aperture contributes toward brightening or darkening your photo, but will also help make your background out of focus, or keep it in focus.
Shutter speed contributes toward brightening or darkening your photo, but will also help freeze the action or make your photo blurry.
ISO contributes toward brightening or darkening your photo but doesn’t really have its own creative effect.
I’ll show you how to begin taking control of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings so that you can get a predictably good photo. I mean a photo that is bright enough without being too bright, a photo where the action is captured as you wish and the background is in or out of focus as you desire.
A little more like the photo on the right than the photo on the left!
The good news is, you can take some control of your camera without the burden of having to take full control. You can take control over one of the three main settings that are part of the exposure triangle. But how do you choose which one?
You can make this decision by asking yourself what’s more important; freezing the action, or blurring the background?
If you’re taking pictures of birds, sports, or other quick-moving subjects, you’re likely most concerned with freezing the action. If you’re taking a portrait, you’re most likely concerned with an out-of-focus background or, bokeh.
In order to achieve an out-of-focus background, we’ll begin with a setting called aperture.
If you’re most concerned with whether or not your background is in focus, choose Aperture mode (also known as Aperture Priority).
When you put your camera on Aperture mode, you’re telling your camera that you want to control the aperture but you want the camera to control the shutter speed and ISO.
You use aperture to control whether or not your background is in focus, but what exactly is aperture?
To understand aperture, think about your kitchen sink. Picture turning the tap on full-blast. The water will come rushing out of the tap. But you could also turn the tap on gently so that there is a slow trickle of water.
That’s what aperture is, except with light.
Open your aperture up and get a strong flow of light coming through your lens. Close the aperture, and you’ll only have a trickle of light.
Open up your aperture and your background will be more out of focus (great for portraits). Close your aperture a bit and your background will be more in focus (great for landscapes).
The aperture is measured in numbers such as 1.8 or 3.5 or 5.6 or 8 or 11, etc. The smaller the number, the more open the aperture. The larger the number, the more closed.
This was an aperture of f/4. The background is out of focus. The more you bring your subject away from the background, the more out of focus the background will look.
The aperture was set to f/11 for this photo so that the background is more in-focus.
The smaller the number and the more open the aperture, the more light that comes in and the more out of focus the background.
The larger the number and the more closed the background, the less light that comes in, and the more in-focus the background.
When you’re in Aperture mode, you use the scroller on your camera to open and close the aperture.
Choose Aperture mode when you’re most concerned about whether or not your background is in focus.
If you close your aperture a bit, then you’ll have a greater depth of focus in your photo. This photograph was made at f/5.6, but I would even recommend f/11 for landscape photos. Closing your aperture will help to keep both the foreground and background in focus.
If you want your background to be blurred, then open your aperture as much as you can. That might be f/3.5 or f/5.6 on the lens that you’re using. If you have a 50mm lens then you can open all the way to f/1.8.
The other way to help your background to go blurry is to step closer toward your subject.
The closer you get to them, the more the background goes out of focus.
Remember, ISO doesn’t exactly have a creative effect.
So what is ISO and when do you use it?
ISO is a magical setting that helps your camera to see in the dark.
So you would set your ISO according to the lighting conditions that you’re in.
You have two main options when it comes to ISO:
I recommend playing in Aperture mode with your ISO set to auto. That way, you can experiment with aperture and let the camera figure out ISO and shutter speed for you. In a moment, we’ll look at shutter mode. In that case, I recommend leaving your ISO on auto as well. Take control of ISO when you feel comfortable with the other settings.
The higher you raise your ISO to help capture the light, the more noise or graininess will be introduced in your photo – especially in low light. The noise or grain is intensified all the more if you brighten your photos in post-processing (with a program such as Lightroom).
I don’t always mind a little noise or graininess in my photos. Noise and graininess are normally considered an imperfection in our photos. To me, it reflects the graininess or imperfection of everyday life and the moment by moment struggle that we have as photographers when we take pictures.
My photos are filled with imperfections, as am I in real life. If everything in my photo looks good except for the grain, then I am happy. I have an old iPhone that I keep around just for its nostalgic graininess.
The grain or digital noise is easily seen in this high ISO photo. Generally, the newer the camera and the larger the sensor, the less of a problem you’ll have with noise.
If your main concern is freezing the action, then you should choose Shutter mode (also known as Shutter Priority).
If the aperture is how much flow of water is coming out of the tap, then shutter speed is how long the water comes out for.
Aperture controls how much flow of light comes into the camera, while shutter speed controls how long that flow comes in for.
The quicker the shutter speed, the less light that comes in.
The slower the shutter speed, the more light that comes in.
It’s generally the case that in bright light you should have a quicker shutter speed, and in dim light, you need a slower shutter speed. The danger with a slower shutter speed is that your photo may become blurry.
Consider shutter speed being how long it takes for your camera to take a picture. A quick shutter speed means that the photo is taken so quickly that the action is frozen in the photo. But a slower shutter speed means that the camera takes longer to take the photo and any movement in the scene becomes smeared across the photo.
Two circumstances lead to a blurry photo. The first is that you have moved the camera while taking the picture – often referred to as camera shake. Maybe your hand shakes, or the camera vibrates as you take the photo.
You must hold the camera still and consider using a tripod when your photos turn out like this.
Another possibility is that your camera is perfectly still but your subject is moving. If the person you’re photographing is moving, they may be smeared across the photo.
But even if you put your camera on a tripod, a moving subject may cause motion blur.
You’ll notice that shutter speed is measured in fractions of a second. You’ll see numbers such as 1/125th or 1/2000th. Basically, the smaller the fraction, the more likely you are to freeze the action.
So 1/2000th will likely freeze the action, but 1/60th likely will not.
Shutter speed of 1/40th of a second. The camera was held still so that the background was sharp, but the motion is blurred.
A shutter speed of 1/500th of a second froze the motion of her hair as she turned.
A shutter speed of 1/2500th froze him as he bounced in the air.
These silky waterfalls were captured using a slow shutter speed. ISO 100, 1-second shutter speed
The panning technique uses a combination of slow shutter speed and following the movement of your subject with the camera. The shutter speed was 1/20th of a second.
You now have enough knowledge to control the amount of background blur in your photo and to freeze or blur the action. You can also use ISO to help your camera see better in the dark.
Now it’s up to you to practice one little bit at a time until you’re comfortable and ready to move on.
Here are some more advanced concepts that may help you down the road.
Many people find it harder to master the introductory stage of camera settings than the advanced stages. Advanced techniques are easy to learn once you know the basics. Don’t be discouraged, and feel free to leave questions in the comment section below.
The post The Absolute Beginners Guide to Camera Settings appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.
The Z50 is Nikon’s first Z-mount mirrorless camera with an APS-C sensor, and it launches alongside a pair of DX zoom lenses. Chris and Jordan had a chance to use a pre-production model and share their experience in this hands-on preview.
For more detail, see our hands-on photos of the Z50 and new kit lenses.
Also, subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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The Nikon Z50 is a 20MP mirrorless camera: the first time the company has put an (unstabilized) APS-C sensor behind its new, larger ‘Z’ lens mount. The company says the camera is designed to attract a generation of users who don’t consider themselves to be photographers.
Alongside the camera, Nikon has announced two lenses designed for this sensor size: a 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 collapsible standard zoom and a 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 telephoto zoom – both with built-in image stabilization (which Nikon calls Vibration Reduction).
Correction: The original version of this article stated the 4K video would be cropped. We are told this won’t be the case on production cameras.
The Z50 will be available for sale from November, with an MSRP of $ 860, body-only. Adding the 16-50mm zoom takes the price to $ 1000 and a two-lens kit with both DX zooms takes the list price to $ 1350.
The Z50 is compatible with the FTZ mount adapter, allowing it to use F-mount DSLR lenses. The adapter is not included in any of the kits announced so far.
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The Z50 is Nikon’s first APS-C mirrorless camera. We take a look at what it offers and how it squares up to its rivals. Read more |
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We take a look at the new camera and how it operates. Read more |
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Reviews editor Carey Rose spent a couple of hours shooting with a near-final Nikon Z50. Read more |
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We’ve shot a series of images using a pre-production Nikon Z50 with a variety of lenses.
View gallery |
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This gallery of photos was captured using a pre-production Nikon Z50 while filming this week’s episode of DPReview TV.
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Technology analyst firm TechInsights has started its teardown of Apple’s latest flagship smartphone, the iPhone 11 Pro Max which features a triple-camera setup, including an ultra-wide angle and 2x tele lens.
The analysis of the camera components is still in progress (check back to the TechInsights website for updates) but the team has already been able to compile a cost estimate for all component groups used in the device. At $ 73.50 the camera and imaging components add the biggest chunk to the overall bill, highlighting how important the camera is these days on smartphones.
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| Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (512GB) cost analysis (source: TechInsights) |
Only the applications processor ($ 64), display (66.50) and non-electronic components, such as the housing ($ 61) come close. The overall bill is $ 490.50 which, at a $ 1449 retail price for the torn down 512GB model, should leave a sizeable profit margin for Apple, even after adding overhead expenses into the calculation.
Incidentally the cost of the iPhone 11 Pro Max camera components is only $ 0.50 more than what UBS found for the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. For the full iPhone 11 Pro Max teardown head over to the TechInsights website.
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Sigma has announced the pricing and availability of its L-mount full-frame mirrorless camera, the Sigma fp.
The compact 24MP video/stills camera can shoot 4K video at up to 30p, 1080 footage at up to 120p and can shoot 14-bit DNG stills, all using electronic shutter.
The Sigma fp will cost $ 1,899 for the body-only and $ 2,199 as a kit with the Sigma 45mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary lens. Sigma says the camera will start shipping on October 25th.
This price matches the pricing previously leaked on Sigma Global’s website, which was hidden within the source code of the Sigma fp product page. To understand more about the Sigma fp, read our hands-on explainer and take an inside look at the Aizu factory where the fp is assembled.
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Lomography has released its new Berlin Kino B&W Formula 2019 35mm ISO 400 film product. The new model follows the company’s previously released Berlin Kino Film, which it described as being inspired by the New German Cinema movement. The new film, Lomography says, offers photographers ‘an upgrade in their freedom of creative choice, no matter if they shoot with 35mm or 120 format.’
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The most notable aspect of Lomography’s ‘refined’ Berlin Kino formula is its ability to offer ‘huge amounts of photographic details’ in heavily shadowed and bright environments, the company explains. The film has an ISO 400 native sensitivity but can be pushed to 800, 1600, or 3200 without compromising detail levels or tonal range, according to Lomography.
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The 2019 Edition of Lomography’s Berlin Kino B&W film can be preordered for $ 8.90 USD per roll or in a 5-roll bundle for $ 44.50 USD. The company currently estimates that its new film will start shipping next month.
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Following a successful Indiegogo campaign, Canon has publically launched its IVY REC clippable camera made for snapping images and recording videos in risky environments. As its name suggests, this model features a clip for directly attaching the camera to strap, loop, belt or similar item; the same clip also functions as a viewfinder, according to Canon.
The IVY REC Outdoor camera features a 13MP sensor, support for capturing 1:1 and 4:3 JPEG images in resolutions up to 3104 x 3104 and 4160 x 3120, video recording at 720p/30fps through 1080p/60fps in MP4 format, and a fixed 25.4mm F2.2 lens.
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In addition to electronic image stabilization, the camera features a mono microphone, a memory card slot for saving content, a 660mAh rechargeable battery, and micro USB connectivity. IVY REC likewise features Bluetooth 4.2 and WiFi 802.11b/g/n, as well as support for the Canon Mini Cam, which provides access to image and video settings, battery life info, and remaining storage capacity.
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The Canon Mini Cam app offers a live viewfinder mode and remote shutter with timer, plus there’s the ability to wirelessly transfer images from the camera to a mobile device. As indicated by Canon’s marketing, the model is also durable with a shockproof/waterproof design and support for operating temperatures from -10C to 40C (14F to 104F). The camera measures 110.5mm x 45.2mm x 18.5mm (4.4in x 1.8in x 0.7in).
The IVY REC Outdoor Camera will be available from Canon in Avocado (green), Riptide (blue), and Dragon Fruit (pink) colors starting next month for $ 129.99.
Press release:
MELVILLE, NY, October 10, 2019 – Your activity of choice should not limit you on your quest to #RECtheWorld – from jumping on a trampoline, biking down a mountainside, screaming on a roller coaster or feeling the beat at a music festival. Down for just about anything, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is excited to announce the IVY REC Clippable Outdoor Camera. Made to go anywhere while capturing those larger-than-life moments – this new camera is made for adventure.
IVY REC Specs
Great for the outdoors, the clippable and wearable design allows users to wear it on a belt or bag and the clip doubles as a viewfinder – eliminating the potential to crack a screen. Simple to use with one click capture for both photos and videos, the IVY REC pairs with the optional Canon Mini Cam app1. When paired with a compatible mobile device2 such as a smartphone, you can keep informed about important settings including battery life of the IVY REC camera, remaining image capacity for the MicroSD card, video recording resolution (720p or 1080p)3, and image size. You can also use the app as a live viewfinder to capture photos and videos, and even use it as a remote shutter with a timer. For photos and videos, the app lets you wirelessly transfer them to your compatible mobile device to print and share. The go-anywhere camera is also waterproof4, shockproof5 and lightweight.
“We have learned a lot about the IVY customer since we launched our first IVY product over a year ago –their unique shopping habits and what’s important to them when it comes to consumer technology products,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “We’ve worked tirelessly to implement this knowledge into the next generation of IVY products, the IVY REC, offering the younger generation consumer the opportunity to go where the moment takes them and capture them in an instant.”
The Canon IVY REC comes in three colors: Riptide (Blue), Avocado (Green) and Dragon Fruit (Pink) and is scheduled to be available in October 2019 at an estimated retail price of $ 129.99*. For more information, please visit usa.canon.com.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $ 36 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2018† and was named one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2019. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA.
†Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.
1 Use of the optional Canon Mini Cam app requires compatible device to be connected to the Canon IVY REC via Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi®. The Canon Mini Cam app is available for free on the App Store and at Google Play. Data charges may apply with the download of the free Canon Mini Cam app. Compatible with mobile devices running iOS 11 or later, and Android devices running Android 5.1 or later.
2 Transfer of photos and videos requires Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to connect and pair with a compatible smart device, along with the use of the free Canon Mini Cam app, available on the App Store or Play. Compatible with iOS® versions 11 or above, Android™ smartphone and tablet versions 5.1 or above. Data charges may apply with the download of the free Canon Mini Cam app. This app helps enable you to upload images to social media services. Please note that image files may contain personally identifiable information that may implicate privacy laws. Canon disclaims and has no responsibility for your use of such images. Canon does not obtain, collect or use such images or any information included in such images through this app.
#Additional faceplates will be available later in 2019.
3 Default video setting is 720p at 30fps. Setting can be changed to 1080p through the Canon Mini Cam app. Note: 1080p video is not supported for Live View. Maximum continuous video length is 10 minutes.
4 Waterproof to 2m/6.6 ft. for up to 30 minutes, based on IP68 testing. Tested in freshwater only. If exposed to non-freshwater, rinsing immediately with freshwater is recommended.
5 Shockproof up to 6.6 ft./2m. The shock resistant testing methods are unique to this product and do not guarantee against damage or malfunction of the product.
*Availability, price and specifications are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.