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Xiaomi might be developing a phone that can shoot 8K30p video

26 Sep

Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha

The team at XDA Developers has dug deep into the source code of the camera app that comes with the latest Xiaomi MIUI 11 update and found an interesting detail: a string in the code indicates the app will support devices that are capable of recording 8K (7680×4320) video at 30 frames per second.

No current Xiaomi model can record video at such a high resolution which suggest the Chinese manufacturer could be working on a new 8K-enabled device. The recently announced Mi Mix Alpha concept phone, which comes with Samsung’s 108MP Bright HMX sensor, is limited to 6K at 30 fps. and the only currently available device that can record 8K footage, the Nubia Red Magic 3, is limited to 15 fps.

Battery drain and overheating could be potential problems for any phone recording such high-resolution footage. We’re looking forward to seeing how Xiaomi will be managing these issues in the finalized device if it ends up coming to market.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Report: Samsung Galaxy S11 to come with 5x telescopic zoom and 108MP main camera

26 Sep

Huawei with the P30 Pro and OPPO with the Reno are still the only manufacturers to offer folded-tele-optics in their respective smartphone camera systems. According to South Korean technology publication The Elec they might soon be joined by Samsung, though.

The company started mass production of a 5x optical zoom camera module back in May. In in its report, The Elec claims the new tele camera will debut in the next generation Galaxy S11 device and will be accompanied by a 108MP main camera.

Like other recent high-resolution smartphone sensors, the 108MP juggernaut will likely not be designed to output full resolution images but instead deliver image data that can be subjected to all sorts of computational imaging trickery, resulting in better detail, lower noise, a wider dynamic range and better zoom performance among others.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics has released a video which shows the new lens design and how it works in detail. The module is only 5mm tall which means it fits even in thin smartphone bodies without protruding too much. Light is diverted onto the sensor via a prism. The latter is tilting to provide image stabilization which makes a lot of sense for the lens long maximum focal length.

Samsung launched the Note 10 flagship series with a more conventional camera not too long ago but we should be able to see the new design in the S11 models which are expected to launch sometime next spring.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How Using Props in Portraits Can Make Your Photos More Interesting

26 Sep

The post How Using Props in Portraits Can Make Your Photos More Interesting appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

There are many ways using props can make portraits more interesting. Often photographing a person can be challenging. This can be so for both the photographer and the person being photographed. Using props can not only add interest to the portrait, but it can also help your subject relax more.

What are props and how can you use them effectively?

A prop is any element you add to a photograph which adds interest or meaning to your subject or the concept you’re creating. What you can use is up to your imagination. They can be anything from an ancient tree stump to a melting ice cream cone.

Props can add humor to photographs. Using a prop well with a nervous subject can help them relax. You can use props effectively to help contextualize your subject. Without a prop, a portrait may not convey much or any concept. With the addition of a prop, a portrait can take on a whole new meaning.

A prop is often used to add visual information about the person;

their occupation
hobbies
character
or location

Using props to help illustrate a story

When you’re illustrating a story using a portrait, adding a prop can add depth and meaning. A prop incorporated into a photo will tell more of a person’s story than a caption, or even a whole paragraph.

Making a series of travel portraits with a visiting friend I asked her to bring along her backpack. She was going to the station to purchase a ticket for a later date and would not have brought her luggage. Having it with her for the photographs helped to create more of a visual story.

The location and the train tell part of the story. Having her backpack in the pictures lets you know she was traveling, not just there to meet a friend. The more relevant visual information you can include, the more interesting your portraits become. Well-used props help stimulate the viewer’s imagination.

Isolated studio portraits using props

Isolating your subject on a plain background is a popular method of taking a portrait. A subject on their own can produce great character portraits. But for many people, it can be somewhat intimidating.

Using a prop can help them relax and enjoy the experience more. Having something in their hands to concentrate on distracts them from your camera. Feeling less intimidated by it, they are more likely to give you vibrant expressions.

I took a series of photographs for a small drama school. Using props helped the students feel more at ease. They were confident performers, but many of them were not so comfortable in front of the camera. Including props allowed their tutor, who was assisting me, to encourage them into character.

A single prop keeps a studio portrait simple and adds meaning that would not be evident without it. Creating concepts for stock photography in this manner it’s possible to facilitate a whole series of photos.

Including props will add depth and interest to a series of photos of the same person. It can be challenging to take more than one or two different portraits of a person on an isolated background. Using props will give you more diverse options for what you can achieve.

Bring your own props or use what’s available

Often asking a person to bring along their own props can help create a meaningful portrait. Using items that they relate to and tell something about themselves will add genuine feeling to the portraits.

I asked this friend if I could photograph her and also what she’d like to use as a prop. Immediately she replied, “ice cream.” She loves ice cream so it was appropriate and meant she’d enjoy the photo session. The weather was so hot that even with the air conditioning blasting the ice cream melted quickly. We went with the flow and used the prop for additional makeup as well. It was a fun session.

Any well-established portrait studio has a diverse selection of props. Your subject doesn’t have to own a prop. If they can choose from a selection you have, they might find something that lights up their imagination.

Even simple things that are common can work as props. Having someone read a book or make a phone call can help them focus on what they are doing and not on your camera.

Finding props on location helps to incorporate your subject in the place. Having them pick up some produce at the market, or interact with some part of the environment can make for a more illustrative portrait.

Conclusion

Working with props definitely adds diversity to photographing people. Use the props to support your subject. Having the prop and subject in the same frame is not enough. Encourage them to interact with the props in different ways. The way your subject relates to the prop is important. This will influence the feel of the photo.

Work to develop a healthy relationship between your subject and their props. This is part of your job as a photographer. Doing this, you’ll create more entertaining portraits.

Have you tried using props for a portrait session? Let me know in the comments below the props you have found helpful during the session. Also, what type of props help make the most interesting portraits?

The post How Using Props in Portraits Can Make Your Photos More Interesting appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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These are the best new photo features you’ll find in iOS and iPadOS 13.1

26 Sep

Following the launch of its new iPhone 11 models and updated iPad, Apple has released iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, its latest mobile operating systems. Although iOS 13 was released last week, iOS 13.1 was only released yesterday and due to it being a substantial upgrade in terms of features and stability, we held off until now to post this overview.

Summarized below are the new tools, features and functionality iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 bring to a lengthy list of iOS devices that support the latest operating systems.

Update Photos app

One of the first things you’ll notice with iPad and iOS 13 is the updated Photos app. Now, there’s a dedicated ‘Photos’ tab at the bottom of the app that splits your images up into ‘Years,’ ‘Months,’ ‘Days’ and ‘All Photos.’ You can tap on the individual timeframes or pinch in/out to expand and compress accordingly.

It’s not a massive change, but it should simplify the process of finding older images if you know the rough timeframe they were captured.

New photo editing tools

Along with the new organization within the Photos app is an improved user interface and new editing tools.

First and foremost, the interface for editing images has improved dramatically. Rather than the multiple layers of dials that were vaguely worded and unusually categorized, the editing interface now uses dedicated sections, each of which has individual adjustments displayed as circular tiles that can easily be swiped through and individually adjusted. Below is a list, in order, of the editing tools at hand:

Auto
Exposure
Brilliance
Highlights
Shadows
Contrast
Brightness
Black Point
Saturation
Vibrance
Warmth
tint
Sharpness
Definition
Noise Reduction
Vignette

Portrait Mode photos have also had a bit of an update. You can now control the intensity of the light on Portrait Mode photos and with newer devices, there’s a Portrait Mode option called High-Key Light Mono.

Video editing in Photos

Another major improvement in iOS 13 is the ability to edit video. You can now crop, make image adjustments and even add filters to videos directly within the Photos app. Previously, video edits required third-party apps, which was anything but intuitive.

New Shortcuts/Automations

Apple has also added new functionality to its Shortcuts app called Automations. These are individual macros of sorts that can be used to trigger certain behaviors on your phone. The uses are seemingly endless, but a few notable examples include the ability to ‘change’ the default camera app, trigger the camera to open when you get a certain location or even upload your latest photos and videos to a backup location of your choice when you connect to your home Wi-Fi.

Shortcuts and Automations are more directed towards power users who want the most from their phones, but Federico Viticci of MacStories has a wonderful rundown as part of his annual iOS and iPadOS 13 review to will help to get you started if it’s something you want to dive into.

Desktop-class browsing

As Apple demonstrated during its keynote, the iPad will now appear to websites as a standard computer rather than a mobile device. While this is overarching across the entire web, one area this could greatly benefit photographers is in regards to an online portfolio and photo blogging. Now, in iPadOS 13 you can use sites such as Squarespace, WordPress and other portfolio and blogging platforms as you would with a desktop computer.

Previously, it was possible to visit the likes of Squarespace and WordPress, but a lot of functionality was greatly limited or downright unattainable due to websites only recognizing the iPad, even the ‘Pro’ models, as mobile devices. Rene Ritchie of iMore has a great rundown on what the new functionality means.

External storage

As we addressed back with iPadOS 13 was first announced at WWDC in May 2019, one of the most significant additions is the ability to use external hard drives natively within the iPadOS 13 Files app. It’s now possible to import, export and transfer images and other content from USB thumb drives, external SSDs and other storage means.

It’ll be up to the developers of third-party applications to make the most of it (we’re looking at you, Adobe), but having the option at all is a much-welcomed addition.

Supported devices

Below is a list of iPhone and iPod Touch models that support iOS 13:

iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XR
iPhone X
iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone 8
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 7
iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone 6s
iPhone SE
iPod touch 7th generation

Below is a list of iPad models that support iPadOS 13:

12.9-inch iPad Pro 3rd generation
12.9-inch iPad Pro 2nd generation
12.9-inch iPad Pro 1st generation
11-inch iPad Pro
10.5-inch iPad Pro
9.7-inch iPad Pro
iPad 6th generation
iPad 5th generation
iPad Air 3
iPad Air 2
iPad mini 5
iPad mini 4

Wrapping up

In conclusion, iOS 13 is well worth downloading if your device is supported. Even if you have iOS 13 installed, make sure you update to iOS 13.1 which should be available now as an over-the-air update, as it irons out a lot of issues found in the first public version of iOS 13.

If you have an extended period of time on your hands and want to see nearly every new feature Apple has added to iOS 13, Jeff Benjamin of 9to5Mac has created this comprehensive video below:

Likewise for iPadOS 13:

If there’s a tip or trick you find that’s not mentioned in this list, let us know and we might add it. We would also love to see what Shortcuts and Automations you come up with for your photo workflow.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Nisi introduces the ‘Switch,’ a filter system with independently rotating holders

26 Sep

Filter system manufacturer Nisi has introduced a new filter holder that allows photographers to rotate two filters independently of each other, in much the same way that Lee’s Tandem operates. The Nisi Switch attaches to the existing 82mm filter holder and provides an additional rotation point so that the forward filter can be twisted separately to filters in the main holder.

The system is designed for those using graduated filters to make tackling mountainous horizons easier and so that graduated filters can be placed at more than a single angle to allow photographers to control different areas of the scene individually.

The Switch is part of the company’s 100mm filter system and will cost around $ 99. Those without the current 82mm filter holder will also need to buy a V6, a V5Pro or a V5 kit as well. These kits start at $ 169. For more information see the Nisi website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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The iPhone 11 Pro Max gets the teardown treatment from iFixit

26 Sep

As it does with nearly every Apple smartphone, tablet and computer that hits shelves, iFixit has torn down an iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max to reveal what technological goodies are hidden within. The teardown didn’t reveal too many surprises, overall, but a few interesting things did pop up.

From left to right: the iPhones XR, XS Max and 11 Pro Max.

Before cracking into any of the devices, iFixit teamed up with Creative Electron to X-ray the phones before they were opened up. As seen above, there’s not a millimeter of free space within the frames and although the same general layout was used, there are a few noticeable differences between the iPhone 11 models and the iPhone XS models. Considering the iPhone 11 Pro Max is the most interesting of the devices from a photography standpoint, that’s the teardown we’ll be focusing on here, although the full teardown of the iPhone 11 is available on iFixit.

Most notably, the iPhone 11 Pro Max uses a single-cell L-shaped battery, instead of two separate batteries found inside previous Plus/Max models. Apple also dropped down the logic board, presumably to make room for the much larger three-camera array.

In ‘Step 6,’ iFixit gets to the camera modules. The team at iFixit also had X-rays performed on the camera modules, which revealed the optical image stabilization on the wide and telephoto camera modules. According to the teardown, iFixit plans on doing a more detailed analysis of the camera unit, so when that goes live we’ll be sure to cover accordingly.

The black bars in the two larger camera modules are the OIS units.

Moving on, the iFixit team digs into the nitty-gritty details of the logic board and all of the individual chips, memory units and sensors within.

At ‘Step 13’ the battery gets some attention and iFixit reveals it was ‘pleasantly surprised to find some relatively repair-friendly features.’ The battery analysis also reveals the battery inside the iPhone 11 Pro Max ‘pumps out 3969 mAh at 3.79 V, for a total of 15.04 Wh […] a whopping 2.96 Wh more than the XS Max battery, and 1.52 Wh less than the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G battery.’ Of course, this increased capacity comes with a slight size increase. The battery inside the iPhone 11 Pro Max is 4.6mm thick and weighs 59.6g, which is 0.7mm thicker and 13g heavier than the dual-cell battery arrangement inside the iPhone XS Max.

The remainder of the teardown covers the bottom section of the devices, which includes speakers, microphones, charging ports, additional cables and more. iFixit gives the iPhone 11 Pro Max a repairability score of six out of ten, mostly due to the fact that if the back glass cracks the entire device essentially needs to be stripped away to repair it.

Image credits: Courtesy of iFixit

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Review of PaintShop Pro 2020 Ultimate: A Photoshop Contender?

26 Sep

The post Review of PaintShop Pro 2020 Ultimate: A Photoshop Contender? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Glenn Harper.

Not for nothing is Photoshop called the “industry standard” for graphic design and photo editing. The moment you defect to another product, you start missing stuff. Can Corel Paintshop Pro 2020 Ultimate do the job just as well? It’s a comprehensive standalone program with lots of extras thrown in for free.

New stuff

This edition of Paintshop Pro (PSP) introduces several new features, including a touch-ready Photography Workspace, a SmartClone Tool, and a Refine Brush for ultra-precise selections. There are improvements to existing tools, too. We’ll cover these things during this review as well as looking at preexisting features.

The new touch-ready Photography Workspace may not suit everyone, but it’s uncluttered and armed with enough tools to rifle through many pictures.

Raw processing in Paintshop Pro

Paintshop Pro Ultimate comes with Corel Aftershot 3 raw processing software as well as its own in-built raw conversion. Since many of our pictures start out as raw files, it seems apt to look at these facilities first.

Aftershot 3

Aftershot 3 is a pared-down version of Corel’s Aftershot Pro, which you can upgrade to for a modest sum. The latter lets you create Lightroom-style catalogs, so all changes to images are stored inside the program instead of in separate XMP sidecar files. Although not as sophisticated as the pro version, Aftershot 3 Standard offers much more than the in-program raw conversion tool of PSP 2020. A notable exception to this is DNG support, but it does have lens corrections, layers and Perfectly Clear auto image enhancement. The latter works well with layers since you can adjust the opacity to achieve optimum results.

Reducing the opacity of Perfectly Clear on an adjustment layer often gives a nice result.

An early problem I had with Aftershot and Paintshop Pro 2020 was that neither liked my custom monitor profile, so I had to switch to a generic Adobe RGB profile to make the color look acceptable. It took some head-scratching before I realized why raw previews looked so bad.

With that problem temporarily solved, I found the software eminently usable, though I think Corel should include a histogram in the standard Aftershot version. The pro version has enough to commend it without cutting essentials from its little sibling.

Adjusting perspective in Aftershot 3 using the zPerspector plugin.

Aftershot is rebranded Bibble software, which was highly rated in its time. It includes access to many plug-ins, such as the Wavelet Sharpen plug-in and the zPerspector perspective correction plugin. These are useful add-ons. I’d recommend that you trial Aftershot thoroughly before buying or upgrading. Remember, the Pro version won’t catalog your DNG files if you use them. You need proprietary raw files. As well, Paintshop Pro doesn’t like Adobe’s enhanced DNG files.

Working in Paintshop Pro 2020

The first thing to do in Paintshop Pro 2020 Ultimate is to choose from three workspaces: Photography, Essentials and Complete. The new “touch-ready” Photography workspace is inviting since it doesn’t distract you with a bewildering set of tools. It’d be a good place to start for beginners. But if you’re coming from years in Photoshop, you’ll probably skip to the Complete workspace where all things are possible.

Adjustment Layers

Just like Photoshop, Paintshop Pro 2020 gives you the choice of editing photos on adjustment layers or independently. Some of the editing choices are not available as layers, though you can always apply these to a duplicate layer. All adjustment layers have built-in layer masks for selective editing.

Color and Tone

Paintshop Pro offers most of the features you’d expect in an advanced pixel editor when it comes to correcting color and tone. There are a few things you may not have seen before. For instance, the “Histogram” adjustment layer is a kind of advanced blend of Levels and Curves.

The “Histogram Equalize” adjustment in PSP 2020 evens up the tonal range of the image, often brightening it. You need to be careful with this if you don’t want to blow highlights. More useful, I think, is “Local Tone Mapping” at its default low settings. It seems to have a very subtle HDR effect that perks many photos up.

Smart Photo Fix lets you alter the software’s One Step Photo Fix adjustment, and as an alternative starting point, it’s pretty good. PSP did a decent job with the photo in the screenshot, though it could still do with brighter whites.

Conspicuous by its absence in Paintshop Pro is any form of clipping display or exposure warning. If it’s there, I never found it. To me, this is a must-have feature, since it shows you what you’re losing with tonal or color adjustments and whether it’s likely to matter. I don’t expect it to be missing in a wide-ranging package like Paintshop Pro.

Correcting perspective

I’ve gotten used to being able to correct perspective in architectural photos, so I was keen to see what Paintshop Pro offers in this respect. In fact, the Perspective Correction tool in PSP is very good, albeit without the full-auto option of ACR or Lightroom. It’s the work of a few seconds to correct most photos, and that’s good enough for me.

This is all you need do to correct verticals in Paintshop Pro. Not automated like Adobe’s solution, but easy.

Cloning (& the new SmartClone tool)

The regular cloning tool in Paintshop Pro is fine for most cloning work, but now we also have the SmartClone tool. This is useful if you want to lay textures or patterns over another area of a photo or even a different photo. Three blend modes are available for different effects: Original, Blend, Black and White. The first gives you regular-type cloning, the second tries to blend color and texture by reducing opacity, the third clones only texture by desaturating the selected area.

smart clone tool and paint brush - Paintshop Pro 2020

I used the SmartClone tool to superimpose Proust’s face onto a separate image of the beach at Cabourg – a scene he’d have known well. By placing the clone onto a duplicate layer with a layer mask, I was able to refine the original rectangular selection using the Paint Brush with “Smart Edge” tool.

A neat feature of the SmartClone tool is the ability to save selections as presets, so you can use them with future images. This tool is not an equivalent to content-aware fill in Photoshop. It has its own uses and controls. Paintshop Pro offers Object Remover and Scratch Remover tools to intelligently fill in areas of an image, though you have to be reasonable in your expectations as to what these things can do.

Selection Refine Brush (new)

I never need to make intricate selections in my day-to-day photography, but perhaps that makes me a good candidate for testing the new Selection Refine Brush in Paintshop Pro 2020. I had trouble even accessing it at first until I realized the chosen selection tool must be docked for the button to appear. Despite this shaky start, I was soon impressed.

I started with a quick freehand selection around the edge of the subject and well within the hairline so that any intricate hairs could be selected later with the refine brush. The brush does such a good job at picking out fine detail that it’s a waste of time to attempt precision yourself. You can further refine the end result with global corrections such as smooth edge or feathering.

Image: In this photo, everything not in red is selected. You can see the Selection Refine Brush has...

In this photo, everything not in red is selected. You can see the Selection Refine Brush has done a very good job of selecting strands of hair. This was the work of just a few minutes, and I’m a novice at selections. (Photo: Pixabay)

Once you’re happy with the selection, you can output it in various ways. It’s easy to copy and paste the selection with transparent background onto a new image if you want, or you can edit it further on a new layer. Whatever your aim, it’s hard to imagine other software doing a much better job in getting you to that point.

Dealing with Chromatic Aberration

Fixing chromatic aberration, even in its most common purple fringing form, is one of the great strengths of Photoshop. Other programs struggle to compete. Paintshop Pro’s “One Step Purple Fringe Fix” introduced an artifact the first time I used it and didn’t completely remove the fringing. On the other hand, “Chromatic Aberration Removal” in PSP 2020 gave a good result. Taking as small a sample as possible seemed to help. Based on this, it might be better to leave chromatic aberration in a raw image and fix it in the rendered version, unless you have advanced raw conversion software on your side.

Image: Using the Chromatic Aberration Removal tool in Paintshop Pro to remove green fringing. Radius...

Using the Chromatic Aberration Removal tool in Paintshop Pro to remove green fringing. Radius and color range settings help to fine-tune the correction. (You may need to view this full size to see the difference.)

Sharpening

Paintshop Pro offers four sharpening methods: Sharpen, Sharpen More, Unsharp Mask, and High Pass Sharpening. These are familiar choices. Unsharp Mask lets you choose radius, strength and clipping settings. It also includes a set of presets you can pick from according to your intended use for the image.

High Pass Sharpening focuses sharpening on edges. Most programs give you a grey overlay with this feature so you can clearly see the effect of your edit, but that’s not possible in Paintshop Pro. Instead, you have to eyeball the image directly.

There is another route to high-pass sharpening in PSP where you do get the grey preview: create a duplicate layer and go to Effects->Edge Effect->High Pass. Choose an Overlay, Hard Light or Soft Light blend mode.

You get this useful preview if you sharpen your photos using Edge Effects->High Pass in PSP 2020. It’d be nice to see this in the High Pass Sharpen tool, too, but you get a regular preview there. As you can see, the grey overlay makes it easy to see what your sharpening settings are doing.

The noisier your photo is to begin with, the wiser it is to avoid global sharpening. If you have a clean file to work with that you want to quickly publish online, a simple Sharpen or Sharpen More adjustment will often look fine.

Plugins

A great feature of Paintshop Pro is its compatibility with Photoshop plugins (those with 8bf, 8be, 8bi, and 8ba extensions). A lot of the time they work fine, though I noticed the color goes flat in my Nik Collection Viveza 2 plugin if the preview is small. This is a known problem with other Photoshop alternatives.

Paintshop Pro’s compatibility with PS plugins is not an insignificant factor when weighing up the software. In fact, a range of downloadable plugins and scripts is available as soon as you buy the product – some of them free.

Time Machine

Paintshop Pro also offers the fun “Time Machine” photo effect. This teaches you something about photographic history and attempts to replicate photos from different eras, ranging from the daguerreotype in 1839 to the cross-processing look discovered in the late 1950s to early 60s. You can add appropriate borders to each effect if you want. Below is the “Early Color” preset in action with James Joyce obliging as the subject.

Review of PaintShop Pro 2020 Ultimate: A Photoshop Contender?

Extras

As well as Corel Aftershot 3 raw conversion software, Paintshop Pro 2020 Ultimate comes bundled with a host of other goodies. Here’s the full inventory:

GRFX Studio: gives access to 1000s of photo effects.
Parallels Toolbox: a suite of tools to keep your computer running smoothly.
PhotoMirage Express: turn stills photos into eye-catching animations.
Painter Essentials 6: lets you paint, draw and sketch as well as automatically adding painting effects to photos.
Aftershot 3: raw conversion software (good, but lacks some of the near-essential features of the pro version).
Creative Collection: free pack of many extras available for optional download.

As well as letting you create original artworks, Painter Essentials 6 can generate “paintings” from your photos.

Other new features of PSP 2020 include copy-and-paste layer styles; quicker text rendering, editing and text wrap; faster Pic-to-Painting transitions; and an improved depth-of-field effect.

shallow depth of field - flower photography

Paintshop Pro lets you apply arty shallow-depth-of-field effects with the improved Depth of Field tool.

Conclusion

Corel Paintshop Pro 2020 Ultimate is a vast photo-editing package that doesn’t leave you wanting for much. But it’s lacking in places. The absence of a clipping display or exposure warning that I could find is almost a deal-breaker for me. I use that all the time when adjusting color and tone. Also on my wants list would be gradient maps. There are surprising omissions and inconsistencies in Paintshop Pro. That aside, it’s not unlovable.

black and white conversion - GRFX Studio

The Classic B & W effect in GRFX Studio creates some pleasing black and white conversions and gives you plenty of control over the result.

Some of the tools in Paintshop Pro 2020 Ultimate are exceptional. My new-found ability to make complex selections with the Refine Brush was a bit of a revelation. And there are tons of special effects, so there’s no excuse not to be creative. Paintshop Pro seems to lean that way – towards the visual editor who doesn’t care so much about the math and more about how the photo just looks. And maybe that’s not a bad thing.

Have you used Paintshop Pro 2020 Ulitmate? What are your thoughts? Share with us in the comments!

The post Review of PaintShop Pro 2020 Ultimate: A Photoshop Contender? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Glenn Harper.

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Kenko’s new flash automatically moves its own head for optional bounce lighting

25 Sep

Accessories manufacturer Kenko has introduced a flash unit that automatically rotates and tilts its own head to bounce its output from ceilings and walls to provide the ideal soft lighting. The Kenko AB600-R follows the lead of Canon’s Speedlite 470EX-AI by using motors to move its own head into the ideal position to suit the room and the subject, as well as the orientation of the camera.

The new flash unit measures the distance between itself and the subject, as well as between itself and the bounce surface, and automatically calculates the best angle from which to direct its light. The user can also position the head manually and have the flash unit rotate itself when the camera is turned to be used in a different orientation or at an angle.

Where the Kenko flash differs from the Canon model is that it has a guide number of 60m/197ft at ISO 100 (using the 200mm setting) and it offers radio control for wireless operation as well as optical. In wireless mode the unit can act as a master or slave, and can be controlled additionally via the WTR-1 wireless transceiver.

The zoom head can track focal lengths of between 24mm and 200mm, and with the built-in diffuser lowered it will cover the angle of view of an 18mm lens. First and second curtain triggering options can be set, and strobe and high speed sync modes are also available.

The head is powered by 4 AA batteries, but can also be powered by the BP-1 external battery pack and comes with a two-year guarantee. At the moment it comes with i-TTL compatibility for Nikon users (though B&H is advertising a Canon version – but showing the Nikon one), and costs $ 400 / £400. It is expected in stores in November. For more information see the Kenko website.

Manufacturer information

New: AI Flash AB600-R

An electronic flash with Auto Bounce and Angle Lock functions.

The Kenko AB600-R is a high-power, ‘Advanced Intelligence’ flashgun which enables photographers to raise their game to another level, helping them automate the lighting process and get the best results every time.

Amongst its many features, the Kenko AI flash AB600-R incorporates an ‘AI’ Auto-Bounce function that takes care of the most difficult part in the shooting process: Bounce flash. By automatically calculating and moving to the optimum bounce angle, it enables the photographer to concentrate on the artistic part of the process, achieving better results in a more efficient way.

3D Auto Bounce function – The auto-bounce function of the Kenko AI flash AB600-R automatically calculates the most appropriate angle of light-bounce from the wall (left or right side) or from the ceiling. With the help of the auto bounce function, the photographer can accomplish a perfect shot with just a single shutter release; no more wasting time thinking and testing the optimal light path during the photo session. This function is invaluable for wedding photographers or anyone shooting portraits to a tight schedule, when the photographer has no time for failure. Auto Lock function – Allows the photographer to adjust the desired bounce angle, based on the automatically calculated one, in manual mode and lets the system remember this angle when the camera is turned from horizontal to vertical format. This allows the photographer to really focus on the artistic part of the shooting process, like composition and interaction with the model, making the process of getting the ideal shot so much quicker and easier.

Guide number: 60 – With a maximum guide number 60 (ISO 100 at 200mm), the Kenko AI flash AB600-R has all the power it needs to deal with wide range of scenes and situations.

Master to slave flash angle remote control – The built-in radio transmitting and receiving unit allows a master flash to control the bounce angle of the slave flash remotely.

Optical and radio (2.4GHz) wireless control – For off-camera and multiple flash shooting. Sync terminal is also supported.

Auto and manual zoom adjustment – Light coverage angle equal to the 18-200mm range (18mm achieved when used with the wide diffuser panel). External power supply – The optional BP-1 battery pack supports longer shooting sessions and delivers faster recycling times. Firmware updates – The Kenko AI Flash AB600-R firmware can be updated via micro USB port.

Zoom Range: 20-200mm (18mm using wide diffuser panel)
Flash Modes: i-TTL-BL / i-TTL / Manual / Strobe (1-200Hz), 1st/2nd curtain sync, high-speed sync
Power: 4x AA type batteries (alkaline / Nickel Metal Hydride), or external BP-1 battery pack
Recycling Time: Approx. 0.1-3.5 sec (using NiMH batteries)
AF beam assist: 29 point AF
Exposure adjustment: -3.0 to +3.0 stops (TTL mode), Full power to 1/128 power (Manual mode)
Wireless Communication Systems: Optical and Radio (2.4GHz)
Bounce Mode: AI Auto bounce / Manual bounce (both with angle lock function)
External Connections: Micro USB (for firmware updates) / Sync terminal / External power supply
Dimensions (HxWxD): 196 x 80 x 62mm

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Gear Review: 4 New K&F Concept Filters Put to the Test

25 Sep

The post Gear Review: 4 New K&F Concept Filters Put to the Test appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.

I have always been an advocate of carrying as little camera equipment as possible. In fact, most people are surprised to hear how little I carry with me on any trip. Besides the obvious weight to carry, it also means more things to lose or have stolen. But whilst carrying less is always better, there are some things that I simply can’t live without. Filters are one of the sets of accessories that I always take with me as they are essential for my photography. So when given four new K&F Concept filters recently, I was very excited to put them to the test.

k&f-concept-filters-put-to-the-test

Why should you use filters?

As advanced as digital cameras are these days, they still occasionally need some help to capture photos the way you want. Often the big issue in photography is light. Too much of it, not enough, too harsh, in the wrong place…if only you could control outdoor light like in a studio.

Filters can help a photographer control light in varied circumstances. There are lots of filters that all fill different objectives. Two of the most common filters are neutral density filters and polarizing filters.

Polarizing filters

Polarizing filters help to remove unwanted reflections from non-metallic surfaces. For example, if you are photographing water or through glass, they can help ensure you keep reflections to a minimum. In addition to this, they also help to boost the saturation in images (especially blues and greens). So, they are very useful for photographing things like waterfalls.

Neutral Density filters

Neutral Density filters help to reduce the amount of light that enters the camera. This allows you to select a slower shutter speed to create motion blur (when photographing water during the day or moving clouds). However, even in day to day photography, you may sometimes find ND filters useful to help avoid overexposure at wide apertures.

k&f-concept-filters-put-to-the-test

Square filters vs screw-on filters

There are two types of filters these days – square filters and screw-on filters.

Square filters are either square or rectangle and attach to a holder attached to your camera. As the name suggests, screw-on filters screw onto your lens directly.

There are pros and cons for using both. Historically, I have always used square filters, so this was a good test to see how I get on with using screw-on filters instead.

Gear Review: 4 New K&F Concept Filters Put to the Test

The filters tested

The four filters tested for this article are:

77mm ND8-ND128 Variable Neutral Density ND Filter Nano Coated
77mm Variable ND2-ND32 Neutral Density and Circular Polarizing Filter Coated
77mm Circular Polarizers Filter, K&F Concept 77MM Circular Polarizer Filter HD 18 Layer Super Slim Multi-Coated CPL Lens Filter
77mm ND2-ND32 Variable Neutral Density ND Filter Nano Coated

Packaging

My first impression of the filters was of the beautiful and secure packaging they arrive in. They come in a hard cardboard box with the filter itself placed in a hard plastic case inside the cardboard box. The filter is further protected inside the plastic box wrapped in a plastic bag and placed on a piece of foam. The plastic box that they come in makes them really easy to get in out to use when needed as the lid flips open. The circular polarizing filter comes in a slightly different plastic box which twists open but is still secure inside due to some rubber ridges. This stops the filter rattling around the case.

I will need to stick some small stickers on the plastic boxes and write the filter on them to make them easier to find – something that is currently lacking on the plastic boxes. Other than that, the packing is very impressive.

k&f-concept-filters-put-to-the-test

Build and ease of use

The frames of all of the filters, except the circular polarizer filter, are made from an aluminum alloy (the polarizer filter has extra-tough magnalium). Even though they are very slim in design, they certainly feel rigid with no real bending even when forced.

The glass itself on all the filters is coated optical glass (to help reduce reflections) that is waterproof and scratch-resistant.

k&f-concept-filters-put-to-the-test

Performance

Overall, all of the filters performed very well. As someone who has always used square filters, I was skeptical about the quality and how they would affect the image. I deliberately headed out during early afternoon as I wanted to test these filters in harsh light. Below are the images taken using these filters.

Gear Review: 4 New K&F Concept Filters Put to the Test

Circular Polarizer Filters

I conducted the first test with the circular polarizer. Below are two images taken from the same place only seconds apart. The image on the left was with no filter. In the image on the right, you can see how the reflection from the water has been removed using the K&F Polarizer Filter. In addition, you can see a boost in the blue in the sky a little. There is a very slight vignette on the top left corner, but this is so minor that it can easily be removed in post-production.

Gear Review: 4 New K&F Concept Filters Put to the Test

ND2-ND32 Neutral Density

I conducted the next tests with the two ND filters. Both filters easily screwed in and were subsequently easy to remove with no jamming at all. Both filters performed very well with no color casting or vignetting. I also didn’t come across the X cross-issue that might sometimes occur with variable ND filters.

From the left: ND2, ND4, ND8, ND16, ND32

ND8-ND128 Neutral Density

The thing that I found so useful with these variable filters is the ease of transporting them and the amount of space saved in my camera bag. To be able to carry two ND filters that cover such a wide range is definitely something I feel is worth including in my camera bag.

From the left: ND8, ND16, ND32, ND64, ND128

ND2-ND32 Neutral Density and Circular Polarizing

The final filter tested was the ND filter with the circular polarizing filter. Whilst I was really impressed with the other filters, this is the one that I really found useful. Normally in a situation like this, I screw on my circular polarizing filter, then screw in my filter holder ring, put the holder on, and add the filters I need before I’m ready to shoot.

This filter does all of that. You can see below how using the filter gives you a longer shutter speed to achieve smooth water, and also removes much of the reflection as well. This helps bring out the details on the river bed.

No filter on the left, ND16, ND32

Conclusion

As mentioned, I have always been skeptical of using circular or screw-in filters. However, I am thoroughly impressed with the K&F Concept filters I tested out. The image quality is superb and the added benefit of just using one filter and adjusting the gradient without having to stack filters is really useful.

The thing that really impressed me about these filters is how premium they look, feel, and perform. In fact, I did not notice any difference between these K&F Concept filters and my very expensive current square filters.

Another huge benefit of these filters is the cost. For example, at the time of writing the 5-stop variable ND and CPL filter is priced at $ 89.99. In other words, you are getting six filters for that price. Individually purchasing good quality filters will be a lot more expensive. This will obviously help anyone starting out and wanting to build their accessories up without spending a small fortune. I, for one, will be adding these filters to my collection.

Note: The author was given the K&F Concept filters free of charge to test out. But he is not paid or affiliated with K&F Concept and his review is honest and unbiased and based his personal experience of using the products.

The post Gear Review: 4 New K&F Concept Filters Put to the Test appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kav Dadfar.

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Nikon Z 85mm F1.8 S sample gallery

25 Sep

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Nikon’s latest Z-series prime is one of its most impressive, offering very similar optical characteristics to the Z 50mm F1.8 S which we liked so much when we tested it back in January. Providing a traditional portrait focal length and moderately fast aperture, the Z 85mm is fairly pricey by the standards of an F1.8 prime, but it’s hard to argue with the image quality, at any price.

We’ve been shooting with the Z 85mm F1.8 S for a few days, to see what it can do. Take a look through our full gallery of sample images.

What are props and how can you use them effectively?

Using props to help illustrate a story

Isolated studio portraits using props

Bring your own props or use what’s available

Conclusion

Update Photos app

New photo editing tools

Video editing in Photos

New Shortcuts/Automations

Desktop-class browsing

External storage

Supported devices

Wrapping up

New stuff

Raw processing in Paintshop Pro

Aftershot 3

Working in Paintshop Pro 2020

Adjustment Layers

Color and Tone

Correcting perspective

Cloning (& the new SmartClone tool)

Selection Refine Brush (new)

Dealing with Chromatic Aberration

Sharpening

Plugins

Time Machine

Extras

Conclusion

New: AI Flash AB600-R

Why should you use filters?

Polarizing filters

Neutral Density filters

Square filters vs screw-on filters

The filters tested

Packaging

Build and ease of use

Performance

Circular Polarizer Filters

ND2-ND32 Neutral Density

ND8-ND128 Neutral Density

ND2-ND32 Neutral Density and Circular Polarizing

Conclusion

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