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  • ‘World’s sharpest’ 250mm lens now on Kickstarter with swappable lens mount

    Taiwanese lens manufacturer William Optics is proposing to make a flatfield Petzval lens aimed at star gazers and photographers that it claims is the world’s sharpest 250mm.

    Originally conceived as a compact and lightweight telescope for astrophotographers, the Redcat 250mm F4.9 uses a pair of synthetic fluorite elements to correct the usual field curvature of the Pretzval design to produce a sharp image right across the frame, according to the company. It is also claimed the lens is corrected to apochromatic standards.

    A manual focus lens with a single aperture setting, the Redcat 250mm F4.9 is being promoted for normal subjects as well as for astrophotography on its Kickstarter campaign page. Those using it at night might not get to appreciate its startling red finish, but daylight photographers shooting wildlife could feel a little conspicuous.

    Designed with a 44mm covering circle the lens is good for full frame cameras, and comes with an interchangeable T-mount system that allows options for Canon EF, Nikon F and Sony E cameras, with Micro Four Thirds and Pentax K to follow shortly. The lens weighs 1.47kg / 3.24lbs, measures 225mm x 80mm, and features a field rotation function for turning the camera on the mount, with markings for every degree. A reversible mount on the tripod foot has fittings for Arca-Swiss and Vixen style heads, and the lens comes with what is described as a ‘patented’ Bahtinov Mask for astro-focusing.

    Sample shot with the Redcat 250mm f/4.9

    At the time of writing the funding campaign had raised over $ 47,000 – well beyond the goal of $ 30,000. With most of the discounted deals gone, the lens can be had for $ 648, which the company says represents 93% of the full retail price. Visit the Redcat 250mm f/4.9 campaign page for more information, or the William Optics website.

    Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • How to Set Your Photography Goals (and NOT Fail)

    The post How to Set Your Photography Goals (and NOT Fail) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

    You can spend many years as a stagnant photographer simply because you didn’t set any goals.

    But if you set goals, and work toward accomplishing them, you can grow more than you ever imagined.

    Photographers encounter two problems when setting goals. The first is not knowing how to set a goal. The second is not knowing how to accomplish it.

    Let’s look at how to set a goal and then be sure that you can accomplish it.

    If you need inspiration toward growth and learning as a photographer, look to the toddler. They develop more over 2 years than most adults develop over 2 decades.

    How to set your photography goals

    I’ll share my photography goals with you and explain how to set your own goals.

    1. Define my creative vision (no more copying other photographers)
    2. Accomplish a photography project I started as an unskilled kid
    3. Learn about light from painters
    4. Study toddler psychology
    5. Help 15 students achieve their photography goals

    Five goals seem like a lot, but I accomplished all my major goals last year, so I’m eager to accomplish these goals too.

    Toddlers are at one of the crossroads of life. They’re exploding in their abilities but need to have their potential guided by grown-ups and older kids.

    You should set your goals based on these 2 questions:

    1. What will I have accomplished when I finish this goal?
    2. How will this goal help me grow as a photographer?

    Accomplishment: When I complete goals 2 and 5, I will have fulfilled a childhood ambition and helped other photographers to grow.

    Growth: Goals 1,3 and 5 will help clarify my vision and deepen my understanding of light and toddlers.

    Set goals that are meaningful to you. Make them small enough to be achievable but large enough to challenge you.

    When you first start setting goals, you should set and focus on one at a time. Once you know what you’re capable of you can set multiple goals that cover an extended period of time.

    A toddler with a marker, colors on everything without thought. We can be just as directionless in our photography, snapping photos of anything that grabs our attention. Or, we can be purposeful and move toward intentional accomplishment.

    Setting a goal is easy, but how do you accomplish it?

    After deciding on your goals, use this method to accomplish it:

    1. Describe how life will look when you’ve achieved your goal
    2. Understand the consequence of not completing it
    3. Plot out the steps toward achieving your goal
    4. Create an environment that makes the goal happen by default (so failure isn’t an option)

    I’ll use my toddler psychology goal as an example.

    How will life look once I’ve achieved this goal? I’ll better understand toddlers, better connect with them during sessions and take more creative photos.

    If I don’t complete this goal then I will not have expanded myself as a photographer and I’ll continue to experience the same frustrations during sessions.

    The main steps toward achieving this goal will be:

    • Finding reliable sources that explain toddler psychology
    • Reflecting on my experience as a father and photographer
    • Use what I’ve learned to take better photos of toddlers
    • Write about what I’ve learned (for myself and others)

    Many people fail to reach their goals because their environment works against them.

    How can I create an environment that will make this goal achievable?

    It’s busy running a photography business and I’m likely to forget my goals. But, I’ve written it on my list of goals so that it won’t be forgotten. I came up with a quick list of sources to begin my research. Research time has been scheduled into my calendar.

    Creating your environment to make your goals achievable

    This is one of the most important steps. If you set a goal and then have the proper space and time to work on it, you’ll be able to achieve it.

    Let’s suppose your goal is to learn how to use your camera off Auto Mode. But 30 days after setting your goal you’ve hardly practiced at all. Your life is hectic and your environment will keep you distracted unless you make it work for you.

    You need to set aside a block of time every day that is devoted to using your camera. Write it in a day planner or set an alert. Better yet, carry your camera with you all day. It’s hard to avoid learning when you’ve committed to taking a camera with you everywhere you go.

    Rubber boots are a passport to adventure for toddlers. With their boots on they can go anywhere and do anything.

    Maybe you’re taking a trip this year and hope to take a lot of great photos. But hoping isn’t the same as setting a goal and plotting out the steps to achieve it. Most trips have a very rushed itinerary which is one way that your environment will work against you. Have you set aside time for photography?

    Maybe you want a more efficient post-processing workflow. Is your environment filled with distractions that eat up your time? Turn off the WIFI, your phone, and any other digital distractions. Isolate yourself for a block of time or until the work is finished. Banish everything that distracts your focus.

    Your goal should be challenging to achieve, but don’t make it worse by having your environment work against you.

    Peeking through the bedroom door.

    Tell me YOUR goals

    One of the best ways to get started on a goal is to tell somebody what you plan to do.

    I would love to hear your photography goal. Leave a comment letting me know what your goals are.

    The post How to Set Your Photography Goals (and NOT Fail) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.


    Digital Photography School

  • Tamron SP 35mm F1.4, 35-150mm F2.8-4 and E-mount 17-28mm F2.8 III arriving mid-2019

    Tamron has announced three new full-frame lenses slated to launch in the middle of 2019: an SP 35mm F1.4 Di USD and 35-150mm F2.8-4 Di VC OSD for DSLRs, as well as an ultra-wide 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD for Sony E-mount cameras.

    The SP 35mm F1.4 become’s the company’s fastest current lens, joining the existing 35mm F1.8 in Tamron’s high-end SP line. Calling it “the embodiment of all optical technology and manufacturing knowhow Tamron has developed to date,” the company isn’t revealing much more detail – only that it will offer fast, high-precision autofocus.

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    The Tamron 35-150mm F2.8-4 is designed as a compact, do-it-all zoom and is equipped with stabilization. The lens offers a minimum subject distance of 45cm / 17.7in across the entire zoom range, and low dispersion glass elements aim to keep optical aberration under control.

    For Sony a7-series shooters, Tamron offers a 17-28mm F2.8 with a notably small diameter and 67mm filter size. It’s equipped with a stepping motor (denoted as RXD or Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) to boost its appeal to video as well as stills shooters.

    Pricing isn’t available at this time; Tamron plans to launch all three lenses in mid-2019.

    Tamron announces the development of three lenses—two for full-frame DSLRs and one for full-frame mirrorless cameras

    February 20, 2019, Saitama, Japan – Tamron Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Shiro Ajisaka), a leading manufacturer of optics for diverse applications, announces the development of two new lenses for full-frame DSLR cameras—the 35-150mm F/2.8-4 Di VC OSD (Model A043) zoom lens and the SP 35mm F/1.4 Di USD (Model F045) fixed focal lens; and a new high-speed ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras—the 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD (Model A046).

    Tamron will display these new lenses at CP+ 2019, the World Premiere show for camera and photo imaging, beginning February 28 through March 3, 2019 at Pacifico Yokohama and at the Wedding and Portrait Professionals International (WPPI), February 27 through March 3, 2019 in Las Vegas.

    The lenses are expected to launch in the middle of 2019.

    Fast compact Portrait Zoom breaks new ground: 35-150mm F/2.8-4 Di VC OSD (Model A043)

    The new compact Model A043 is designed for fast handling and easy transport and features a zoom that extends from 35mm to 150mm, incorporating the 85mm focal length (often regarded as optimum for portrait shooting). It offers a fast F/2.8 aperture at the wide-angle end while maintaining a bright F/4 at the telephoto end. For close-focusing, the MOD (Minimum Object Distance) is 17.7 in across the entire zoom range. Delivering superb image quality, precisely placed LD (Low Dispersion) glass elements and aspherical lenses quash degrading optical aberrations. Furthermore, the Model A043 incorporates the Dual MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) system, which assures optimal AF performance and effective vibration compensation.

    Fast fixed focal lens boldly demonstrates Tamron’s lens-making expertise: SP 35mm F/1.4 Di USD (Model F045)

    Tamron’s SP lens series was born in 1979, based on the concept of delivering lenses for taking the perfect picture for those who love photography. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the series. In celebration, Tamron has developed the Model F045, the distillation of Tamron’s accumulated lens-making expertise and craftsmanship. This orthodox fixed focal lens, which some consider the most basic of all interchangeable lenses, is the embodiment of all optical technology and manufacturing knowhow Tamron has developed to date.

    The Model F045’s unprecedented high-resolution image quality and beautiful, appealing background bokeh lets photographers capture any scene down to the finest details. The external lens barrel was developed through tireless pursuit of operability and durability, focusing constantly on the needs of photographers. This lens is equipped with a fast F/1.4 aperture and high-speed, high-precision AF functionality offering exceptional reliability, plus various other features for increased convenience, making it the perfect everyday lens for your creative pursuits. It is ideally suited for nearly every photographic genre, including photojournalism, landscape, sports, street life, wedding groups and family snapshots.

    High-speed ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for Sony E-mount cameras is extremely compact and lightweight: 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD (Model A046)

    The Model A046 achieves an astonishingly small diameter for a high-speed ultra-wide-angle zoom lens, as witnessed by its modest 67mm filter size. Its unprecedented light weight and compact size provide excellent balance when used with a full-frame mirrorless camera, making it easy to carry, and enabling it to cater to a wide range of scenes and shooting conditions. The Model A046 offers a fast F/2.8 aperture throughout the entire zoom range and delivers high-resolution and contrast edge to edge. The combination of ultra-wide-angle focal length, fast constant F/2.8 aperture and Minimum Object Distance of 7.5 in at the wide-angle end encourages richly expressive and creative photography in a multitude of scenarios. The Model A046’s AF drive system is powered by the RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) stepping motor unit, enabling it to deliver high-speed, high-precision and superbly quiet operation suitable for shooting video as well as still photographs.

    Note: All DSLR camera functions are possible when the Models A043 and A045 are attached to a mirrorless camera via the manufacture’s adapter.

    *Specifications, appearance, functionality, etc. of the above-mentioned three products are subject to change without prior notice.

    Tamron SP 35mm F1.4 Di USD, 35-150mm F2.8-4 Di VC OSD and 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD specifications

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Canon EF-M 32mm F1.4 review

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    Silver Award

    85%
    Overall score

    The EF-M 32mm F1.4 STM was an easy lens to miss when it was announced, unveiled at the same time as Canon’s all-new EOS R. Quite how the EOS M series will play alongside the newer R line remains to be seen, but its adopters have been clamoring for more wide-aperture native lens options for some time, so it’s nice to finally see a lens of this type join the lineup. And at F1.4, it’s the fastest lens in the EOS M system to date.

    The third prime lens for the EF-M mount, the lens’s 32mm focal length provides a versatile equivalent focal length of 51mm in full-frame terms on EOS M-series bodies, and an aperture equivalent to an F2.2 lens on full-frame. As the only lens of its kind in the range, it should appeal widely to those already invested in the system, particularly portrait photographers who haven’t really had a suitable alternative as of yet (at least not a native one).

    It should also find a lot of love from those shooting in low light, and it also makes sense for those intending to capture nature who don’t need a lens with true macro capabilities. In short, it has plenty of appeal.

    Key specifications

    • Focal length: 32mm (equivalent to 51mm in 35mm terms)
    • Aperture range: F1.4-16 (In 1/3 stops)
    • Filter thread: 43mm
    • Close focus: 0.23m (0.76ft)
    • Maximum magnification: 0.25x
    • Diaphragm blades: 7
    • Hood: optional (ES-60)
    • Length / Diameter: approx. 56.5 x 60.9mm (2.22 x 2.40in)
    • Weight: approx. 235g (8.3oz)
    • Optical construction: 14 elements in 8 groups

    That wide aperture is arguably even more important here, given that this is only the second lens in the stable not to be furnished with its own image stabilization system. This isn’t a feature we’d expect as standard on a lens of this sort, but it wouldn’t exactly be out of place when you consider that stabilization isn’t found inside any current EOS M-series bodies (at least not mechanically). Its omission from the lens itself is probably less of a concern for anyone intending on shooting portraits, but those planning on using it for static subjects in sub-optimum light might have hoped Canon had found space for this.

    Speaking of not finding space for things, it’s a shame to find that a lens hood isn’t included with the EF-M 32mm F1.4 as standard.

    Design and handling

    The overall design of the EF-M 32mm F1.4 is consistent with the other optics in the series, which is to say smart and understated. Its charcoal grey finish perfectly complements the EOS M50 body I used during this review, while its weight of 235g gives it some substance relative to its size when held on its own. The combination is just as nicely balanced in the hands as it is to the eye, and the whole package will just about fit into a coat pocket.

    The streamlined barrel features a large, textured focusing ring, while the rest of the casing has a matte finish that’s smooth to the touch. The overall result is perhaps the most minimally styled lens in the line since the (much smaller) EF-M 22mm F2 STM pancake lens. As with its siblings, there’s no focus-distance window or equivalent markings, and in the absence of an AF/MF switch, alternating between autofocus and manual focus has to be done via the camera.

    It’s only the focus limit switch that physically breaks the lens’ symmetry. We wouldn’t necessarily expect such a lens to be fitted with one, but its inclusion makes some sense when you consider its 0.23m close-focusing limit and broad range of potential applications. This two-mode control allows you to either use the full focusing range or to work between 0.5m (1.64ft) to infinity, and it’s relatively flush with the rest of the barrel and somewhat stiff. This, together with its placement just above the mid-point of the lens, meant that I found it somewhat more awkward to operate than necessary. That said, I imagine for most photographers it won’t be a control used frequently enough to matter.

    Like all of Canon’s EF-M lenses, the 32mm F1.4 is very compact. At barely 8 ounces in weight it won’t weigh you down, either.

    The EF-M 32mm F1.4 STM’s mount is made of metal, and there’s no real issue with mounting or un-mounting as such, although the fact that the barrel is the same diameter throughout and that most of it is made up by the rotating focus ring means that you have to grab it right at its base when changing lenses.

    As useful as it is to have such a wide aperture, one issue I soon ran into with the EOS M50 was the lack of an electronic shutter that can enable shutter speeds beyond the the mechanical 1/4000sec limit. This applies to other EOS M-series bodies too, and presents an obvious challenge when working outdoors in brighter conditions. Of course, an ND filter can help here, but it’s not a convenient solution. (Incidentally, there is a silent shutter option that employs an electronic shutter hidden in the EOS M50’s scene modes, although you have no agency over exposure settings when this is enabled and you can’t otherwise access the feature).

    Focus

    As with every other current optic in the EF-M series, focusing is handled by an STM stepping motor. Here, it’s a lead gear-type motor that promises smooth and quiet focus for stills and ‘near silence’ when capturing videos.

    Canon’s own literature makes it clear that the advantage of this type of motor over the screw-type STM motor used in its other lenses relates to compactness rather than silence and speed. After using it for some time, I’m not sure whether the motor can be described as smooth in its operation when capturing stills, but only because it’s clearly working at speed to acquire focus. I’d certainly prioritize speed over smoothness here, so this is no criticism.

    When shooting very close subjects, the EF-M 32mm F1.4 can take a moment to achieve focus, but for arms-length shooting and beyond, focus is fast and snappy.

    Converted Raw| ISO 100 | 1/160 sec | F1.4 | Canon EF-M 32mm F1.4

    In good light, the lens typically performs a rapid shift to its approximate position before a brief final shuffle for accuracy. While this is audible, these sounds are easily masked by ambient noise, and they’re not particularly obtrusive. When the lens hunts, it typically manages to travel between its full range in around a second and a half, although this can obviously be improved if you’re not shooting up close and are happy to limit the focus range to the 0.5m-infinity range.

    Using autofocus during video recording will result in an audible low-frequency hum as it transitions between different focusing distances, rather than the more obvious, higher pitched whirring when focusing for stills. These sounds are picked up on recordings, but they’re also not distracting and are, again, easily quashed by ambient noise. These movements are very smooth, and I found the transitions looked very pleasing in resulting footage, assuming the camera found focus without any issues. There’s some noise from the lens as it’s manually focused during video recording, but if you turn the ring slowly enough you will not even notice this.

    This image shows the 32mm at its closest focusing distance, with the inner barrel extended from the main body of the lens.

    Focus itself isn’t internal; the inner barrel extends by around half an inch or so when at its closest focus distance of 0.23m, although the outer barrel maintains the same length at all times and the focusing ring also stays put. The focusing group isn’t mechanically linked to the ring, and response is speed-sensitive, not linear. This means that the amount of focus adjustment when manually focusing will vary according to how quickly you rotate the ring. You can work through the whole focusing range in as little as three quarters of a full rotation, but turn it too quickly and you may end up needing two-and-half rotations to move between the two extremes. Video shooters manually focusing will miss the option for linear focusing.

    In any case, there’s ample room for fine control over manual focus adjustment, and this is helped even further by the peaking option found on every compatible camera, save for the original EOS M. The lens also supports full-time manual focus, which lets you override the AF system by turning the focusing ring.

    Overall, while the lens doesn’t operate in complete silence for stills nor video, it works quickly enough for stills and smoothly enough for video.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • LensRentals constructs a C-4 Optics 4.9mm F3.5 Hyperfisheye Prototype lens

    Lensrentals is known for its in-depth teardowns of the latest and greatest camera gear, but not everything has to be about destruction. For a change of pace, Lensrentals has decided to build a lens rather than destroy it.

    In particular, Roger and his team have shared the above video and an accompanying blog post highlighting the construction of the the widest fisheye lens in existence, the C-4 Optics 4.9mm F3.5 Hyperfisheye Prototype.

    Photos kindly provided by Lensrentals

    Much like the 1970s Nikkor 6mm f/2.8 fisheye lens, the C-4 Optics 4.9mm F3.5 Hyperfisheye Prototype is so wide that it can actually see behind itself. It takes it a step further though; Instead of the 220-degree field of view of the Nikkor lens, the C-4 Optics fisheye, of which only two have been made, has a 270-degree field of view. Not only is it wider though, it’s also sharper and has less distortion and vignetting.

    An individual element is stacked on top of another during the construction of the lens.

    The entire construction is a doozy from beginning to end, with individual elements costing as much as $ 5,000, but as always Lensrentals manages to get it down with impeccable results. The final result is an unusual-looking lens that has legs and a backplate to help support the massive hunk of glass and metal.

    ‘For those of you who are curious, a smaller Sony camera (A7xxx) fits nicely protected within the legs,’ says Roger in his blog post. ‘For larger cameras the bottom platform can be removed, the legs extended or removed, and various apparatus (rods, follow focus, aperture control, etc.) mounted directly to the cheese plate.’

    Roger notes the lens won’t be available to rent, so don’t get your hopes up. To see the full build and soak up the details, head over to Lensrentals.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Apple has turned ‘bokeh’ into a verb (and taken a stance on how it’s pronounced)

    According to Merriam-Webster, bokeh is a noun that means ‘the blurred quality or effect seen in the out-of-focus portion of a photograph taken with a narrow depth of field.’ Apple, however, has different plans.

    In a recent video advertisement, Apple has turned the word bokeh into a verb, ‘bokeh’d.’ Not only has Apple turned bokeh into a verb, it’s also taken a stance on how the Japanese term is pronounced, a widely debated topic. Based on the video, Apple’s pronunciation of choice is ‘bok-uh,’ a departure from the Japanese pronunciation which sounds more along the lines of ‘bow-kayh.’

    The advert itself is humorous regardless of your pronunciation preference and, for better or worse, Apple’s ‘verbing’ of the word bokeh may very well become a universally accepted.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • ‘Kissing sailor’ George Mendonsa featured in iconic 1945 photo dies at 95

    The kissing sailor featured in the iconic ‘V-J Day in Times Square’ photo, George Mendonsa, has died at the age of 95, according to his daughter. Mendonsa suffered a seizure at the Rhode Island assisted living facility where he resided and passed away two days before his 96th birthday.

    The photo, which was first published by Life Magazine in 1945, was captured by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt at the end of World War II. Mendosa, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, had been on a date with Rita Petrie, his eventual wife of 70 years, when he heard news of Japan’s surrender in August 1945. Overcome with excitement, he grabbed a stranger and kissed her.

    The identities of the two people featured in the photo remained a mystery for decades, spurring multiple false claims from individuals who alleged they were the pictured subjects. The issue was laid to rest in 2012 when the U.S. Naval Institute Press published a book title ‘The Kissing Sailor’ by George Galdorisi and Lawrence Verria.

    A combination of expert analysis and facial recognition technology confirmed the image features Mendosa and Greta Friedman, the woman in the nurse’s uniform. According to Verria, Mendonsa had been struck by the sight of nurses treating injured sailors during the war. When news of the war’s end arrived, Mendonsa saw Friedman in her uniform and pulled her into a kiss.

    In a 2005 interview, Friedman explained the experience from her side, saying that she had been working that morning in a dental office when rumors of the war’s end began circulating. Later that day, Friedman walked to Times Square and saw a billboard confirming the news.

    And so suddenly I was grabbed by a sailor, and it wasn’t that much of a kiss, it was more of a jubilant act that he didn’t have to go back, I found out later, he was so happy that he did not have to go back to the Pacific where they already had been through the war. And the reason he grabbed someone dressed like a nurse was that he just felt very grateful to nurses who took care of the wounded.

    Photographer Eisenstaedt detailed the moment he captured the iconic photo in his book ‘Eisenstaedt on Eisenstaedt.’

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • What Your Camera Can’t See

    The post What Your Camera Can’t See appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Herb Paynter.

    For all the incredible technology packed into cameras, there is one missing element that will remain missing perhaps forever. The missing element? The combination of human eyesight and the brain’s image processor called the Visual Cortex.

    1 - What Your Camera Can't See

    The Visual Cortex

    The Visual Cortex is located in the lower rear of your brain. It is here the real color perception magic happens – magic that goes way beyond the analysis capabilities of any camera on the planet. As you understand this human version of the camera’s image processor, your understanding of the photo process will come into clearer focus.

    Medical experts tell us that more than 80% of what we experience enters our brain through our vision. Your eyes capture light’s amazing array of colors as the eye’s lens focuses light beams onto the panoramic viewing screen in the back of your eyeball called the retina.

    2 - What Your Camera Can't See

    Your brain is very forgiving. It focuses light entering through your eyes, and automatically color corrects almost every lighting condition and color cast en route to the Visual Cortex. Within seconds, your eyes and brain adjust to a wide range of lighting intensities and color influences and deliver very believable images to your mind. And it all happens without you even realizing it. No white balance to set, no color shifts to neutralize. Your brain’s magic intuition and forgiving nature do a crazy-good job of color correction for you.

    Your camera records colors a bit more objectively. However, even when shooting RAW files, decisions about color still have to be made in the editing process. Your camera simply doesn’t have cognitive or reasoning skills and thus must be tutored to interpret what it “sees” accurately. You might say that your camera sees, but it doesn’t observe.

    White balance and memory colors

    When you visually observe a white sheet of paper in a daylight lighting (preferably outside, in natural light), the paper looks… white. Even when you observe that same white paper indoors under tungsten light, your brain recognizes that the paper is really white. This is because the human brain possesses what we call “memory colors;” a basic set of colors that are so familiar that even lighting variances cannot confuse.

    Your camera cannot remember what color white is when it is captured under different types of lighting. It must be told every time. What your camera calls “memory” isn’t the same “memory” that your human brain possesses.

    3- What Your Camera Can't See

    When you set your camera’s White Balance to Daylight and take a picture of the white paper outside, it indeed appears white. That is merely the way the camera’s image sensor is biased to record light under daylight (6500° Kelvin) color conditions. However, when you move inside and shoot the same white paper under tungsten lighting (using the same Daylight WB), the paper appears to the camera to be somewhat yellow.

    4- What Your Camera Can't See

    Auto White Balance (left) and Tungsten (right)

    Changing the camera’s WB setting to Auto White Balance (AWB) and shooting the paper under a typical table lamp light, the picture still appears slightly yellow.  Even when you set the camera’s WB to Tungsten, the paper still fails to appear perfectly neutral white, though it appears much closer to white.

    5- What Your Camera Can't See

    The truth is, there are colors in the visual spectrum that digital cameras record differently than film cameras did in the past. And neither technology captures and records the exact colors that the human eye sees or the mind perceives. This is why most captured images, for all their beauty, still lack the full sense of authenticity and depth that the human mind experiences from light observed in every scene.

    Technically (and spectrally), in each case, the camera is telling the truth, just not the “truth” that we perceive with our eyes. This is, of course, a good example of why we shoot in raw format. When captured in raw format, all regimented color categories get ignored. Any color shifts can be corrected and lighting variances addressed in the post-processing stage.

    As mentioned earlier, the can’t the camera see the white paper as white (the way our eyes do) regardless of the lighting situation because the camera doesn’t have an onboard reference registry of “memory colors” the way our brains do.

    6- What Your Camera Can't See

    The brain automatically remaps each scene’s color cast to your brain’s “memory colors.” Think of these memory colors as preference presets in your brain’s color interpreter. These memory colors automatically compensate for variable lighting situations. The infinite Look Up Table (LUT) variables that would be needed for a camera to replicate this basic, natural brain function would have to be both immense and incredibly complex. No matter how smart digital devices become, they’ll never replace the magic of human interpretation.

    Conclusion

    So what have we learned? Your camera, for all its sophistication, cannot automatically correct color casts. It simply isn’t human. That means that your camera ultimately benefits from and makes use of your understanding of the behavior of light and color. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll produce images that more closely replicate color as your mind perceived it. Photography is a two-part process that requires the camera to do its job and for you to do yours. What is defined by the clinical term as “post-processing” is merely finishing the job that your camera started.

    Moreover, this is a good thing. Your judgment and interpretation of the colors your mind saw when you captured the image can guide you as you tweak and make minor adjustments to your images. Don’t think of this as a burden. Recognize this as a gift. You, the photographer, are the producer of the image. Your camera is merely a tool that provides all the “raw” materials you’ll need to share what your mind observed when you captured the scene.

    This is why photography is an art, and why this art requires an artist. You are that artist.

    Celebrate the partnership you have with your camera. Together, you produce visual beauty.

    The post What Your Camera Can’t See appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Herb Paynter.


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  • Luminar update brings improved performance and new features

    Skylum Software has announced an update to its Luminar image editing software. Version 3.0.2 comes with new features as well as improvements in performance and stability.

    The latter includes faster import of images and folders to the catalog and faster launch times on the Windows platform as well as faster image moving between external and internal drives and better imports of native Luminar files for Apple Mac computers.

    On both platforms the software now offers a new ‘Locate Folder’ command, allowing users to find misplaced or moved folders on their system. There are also new dedicated toolbar buttons for Gallery and Single Image views.

    New features for Windows users include nested folders, offline file alerts and new shortcut keys for several functions. On a Mac you can now enjoy automated database backups, new preferences for cache, catalog and backup and Aurora HDR integration among other new functions.

    The new version also comes with an updated list of supported cameras to which the following models have been added:

    • Nikon: D3500, P1000, Z6, Z7
    • Panasonic: Lumix DC-LX100 II
    • Fujifilm: GFX 50R, X-T3
    • Sony: RX100VA, RX100VI, DSC-HX99, DSC-HX95
    • Leica: M10-D, M10-P, D-Lux 7

    A full list of supported cameras is available on the Luminar website. Luminar is available as a 30-day free trial. A full license will set you back $ 69 and allows you to install the software on five machines in your household. More information is available on skylum.com/.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • How to Move Your Lightroom Library to an External Drive

    The post How to Move Your Lightroom Library to an External Drive appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

    Many photographers put their pictures on their computer’s internal hard drive. This can be a great solution since even laptops now have fairly generous storage options compared to their counterparts in days gone by. It may take you a while to fill up a 1TB or larger internal drive even if you shoot in RAW, but at some point, you’re going to run out of space, and you’ll have to address this problem. Cloud storage is a good solution but often involves a monthly or yearly fee, and upgrading your internal drive can be expensive and time-consuming. One perfect solution is to migrate your entire Lightroom library to an external drive. While this might sound difficult and intimidating, it’s quite simple and is something that anyone can easily do.

    Choosing your storage

    Storage space is fairly inexpensive, but not infinite. There are always going to be physical limitations when it comes to how many images you can store on a single piece of media. This is true whether it’s a traditional hard drive, a solid-state drive, or a mix of both such as Apple’s Fusion Drives.

    Thankfully, external drives can offer vast amounts of storage space for relatively little money. With the fast transfer speeds of USB-3, which is common on most computers today, you won’t lose anything in terms of editing efficiency by having your pictures stored externally.

    The first step in migrating your pictures to an external drive is to buy an external drive, and you have several options:

    • Traditional hard drive made with spinning platters. If you take this route, I recommend one with a transfer rate of 150mb/sec (megabytes per second) and an RPM speed of 7200. As I write this in early 2019, a four-terabyte drive, which can hold around 200,000 RAW files or half a million JPG files without breaking a sweat, can be found for US$ 100 to US$ 150.

    Storage is inexpensive and prices are falling all the time. This 4 terabyte hard drive was only $ 90 when I bought it in the spring of 2019. (Guitar pick shown for scale.)

    • Solid-state drive with no moving parts. These aren’t as cheap as traditional drives, and they don’t hold quite as much data. However, with prices falling all the time, it won’t be long until solid-state drives are the norm and traditional spinning platters become redundant. Transfer rates on these drives are going to be plenty fast enough for any photo editing.

    • RAID array or Drobo. These are much more expensive than traditional storage options but offer redundancy in case of data failures, but they might be overkill for non-professional photographers. Besides, no matter what external storage solution you use, you should always have at least one off-site backup even if you do use a RAID array.

    For most people, I recommend a simple USB-3 external drive, as it’s the most cost-effective solution and easy to backup onto another drive as well.

    Once you have an external drive, there are two methods for getting your photos in Lightroom copied over to it. I’ll walk you through each of these methods as well as the positive and negative aspects of each so you can decide which is right for you.

    Method 1: Use Lightroom

    This process works well if you don’t have a large photo library. It doesn’t involve a lot of heavy lifting on your part because you can do everything within Lightroom. If you have a lot of images (a few thousand or more), I’d recommend against this because I’ve read reports that it can become a little unreliable when working with that many files. Your mileage may vary though, but know that you ought to proceed with a bit of caution when using this method.

    First, locate your Folders pane on the left side of the Library module of Lightroom. Then click the + button in the top-right corner and choose “Add Folder…” This is going to let you create a new folder for storing your images. In this case, navigate to your external drive and create a new folder at that location.

    Navigate to your external drive and create a folder on it that you can use to store your pictures. In the screenshot below my external drive is called “Untitled” and my folder is called “Lightroom Pictures.”

    Once done, you should see the new folder show up in Lightroom, but it will be empty. This action also creates a new folder on your external drive, which you can see if you navigate to the external drive using Finder or Windows Explorer.

    The final step in moving your images from the internal drive to an external drive is to drag-and-drop them from Lightroom. From the Folders panel, click on a folder that you want to put on the external drive and drag it from your internal drive to the new folder you just created.

    Click the Move button and Lightroom transfers everything over to the external drive, with no extra effort required on your part. If you have thousands of pictures, this could take a while. So be patient. In the end, your images will be on the external drive and also removed from your internal drive.

    Method 2: Copy files manually

    If you don’t mind doing a little bit of work yourself using Windows File Explorer or the Macintosh Finder, this is the option I generally recommend. That’s because it not only gives you the most control over the copying operation but helps you understand exactly where to locate your pictures. This method also lets you decide when to delete the original images on your internal drive because you copy them to your external drive instead of moving them. The first thing you need to do is navigate to your Library module within Lightroom and look for the Folders pane. This module tells you where to locate your image files on your computer.

    I’ve got images in Lightroom going back to 2013, and each year’s pictures are stored in a separate folder on my hard drive.

    Right-click, or control-click on a Mac, on the name of one of the folders in your Folders pane and choose the option that says “Show in Finder.” If you are using Windows, this says “Show in Explorer.” This takes you to the location on your computer where your images are stored.

    If you have multiple folders with images in them, do this operation one at a time for each folder. In this example, I started with the 2013 folder in Lightroom, and selected “Show in Finder.” Then it brought up the actual folder on my computer labeled 2013 that contains my images from that year.

    When you get to this step, right-click (or control-click) the folder and choose Copy. Then navigate to your external drive and choose Paste. This makes an exact duplicate of the folder on your external drive which might seem redundant, but this is only temporary. A bit later in the process, you can delete the original folder on your internal hard drive once you are sure that everything worked with the copy operation.

    Repeat this copy/paste process for every folder listed in your Lightroom Folders pane. After you are finished copying everything to your external drive, rename the original folders by giving them a suffix such as “2013-Original” or “2013-Old.” Again, this is only temporary, and you end up just deleting these folders entirely. But for now, you don’t want to get ahead of yourself and start deleting folders before you are confident that everything has worked properly.

    Locating your missing folders

    After you rename the original folders, Lightroom may have a bit of a fit because it suddenly won’t be able to locate all your images! With the folder names changed, it won’t know where to look for your pictures even though they are all still intact. The next step is to tell Lightroom where to find your images on the external hard drive instead of looking on your original internal hard drive. As soon as you rename the original folder, the icon in Lightroom changes to a question mark since it no longer knows where to locate your pictures.

    Right-click on the folder with a question mark and choose “Find Missing Folder” to rectify the situation.

    In the screen that pops up next, navigate to the folder on your external hard drive where your pictures are. This is the folder you copied over at the start of this whole process, and its name should be unchanged. Select it, to make it show up in Lightroom. All your photos should be fully intact.

    Repeat this process with all your folders. When finished, your images will have successfully migrated to the external drive. You can verify this by scrolling through your Lightroom library and looking for any images with a question mark. If you don’t see any, then everything is fine. If you do, then Lightroom is having trouble locating the original image, and you might need to double check that all your pictures have copied to the external drive successfully.

    When you are satisfied that you have completed the operation without error, you are free to delete the original images on your internal drive. However, I’d recommend keeping a backup of them just in case. When it comes to photos, you can never have too many backups!

    Catalog vs. Photos

    It’s important to know that your Lightroom pictures are not the same as your Lightroom Catalog. The latter is a reference file which keeps track of all your edits to your pictures, leaving the originals fully intact and unchanged. I recommend keeping your Catalog on your internal hard drive since Lightroom uses this for all your editing operations and internal drives are likely to be faster than external drives. However, it’s up to you. If you’re not sure what to do, just don’t even think about it, since moving your Catalog to an external drive is an entirely separate operation altogether.

    The Catalog stores all the changes to your images and only takes up a few gigabytes of space. Your actual images can take up hundreds or even thousands of gigabytes.

    Remember to Backup

    A final step in moving your pictures to an external drive is to make sure you have a good backup plan in place. If you are on a Mac and have your computer backed up via Time Machine, it will not automatically back up your external hard drives, and you might also find yourself quickly running out of space on your Time Machine backup drive. I recommend keeping a separate backup of your external hard drive and using a program like Carbon Copy Cloner to make sure you sync everything correctly.

    Windows has options available as well, but the bottom line here is that you can never be too safe when it comes to backing up your images. Hopefully, this tutorial helps you understand how to go about reclaiming some of the space on your internal drive and setting yourself up for success in the long run when it comes to external storage options. However, all will be for naught if your images aren’t properly backed up and your computer fails.

    Once you have all these pieces in place, it’s time to get off your computer, start shooting photos, and know that you’ve got plenty of storage space for years to come!

    The post How to Move Your Lightroom Library to an External Drive appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.


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