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Manfrotto adds four new carry-on trolley bags to its Pro Light Reloader collection

11 Mar

Manfrotto has introduced four new carry-on trolleys to its Pro Light Reloader collection: the Pro Light Reloader Air-55, Air-50, Pro Light Reloader Switch-55 and Pro Light Reloader Spin-55. The Air-55 and Air-50 are fairly straightforward trolley cases, but both the Switch and Spin have a little more to offer, albeit with a higher price tag.

Pro Light Reloader Air-55

The Pro Light Reloader Air-55 can fit up to two pro-style DSLR, five lenses and a 17″ laptop. It features various zippered pockets on the front and side of the bags, as well as a handful of internal pockets for storing accessories. Gear organization is done with the help of large supportive dividers and 19 additional shock-absorbing dividers that can be maneuvered around to fit your needs.

The side of the bag has a dedicated strap system for holding tripods and there’s an integrated TSA combination zipper lock. Manfrotto notes the ripstop nylon fabric is water-repellent, but the bag also comes with a rain protector.

The Pro Light Reloader Air-55 is currently available at B&H for $ 379.99.

Pro Light Reloader Air-50

The Pro Light Reloader Air-50 is identical in design to its Air-55 contemporary, but slightly smaller with fewer zippered pockets and internal dividers. It can hold up to two pro-style DSLRs, four lenses and a 15″ laptop.

It too features various zippered pockets inside and out for organizing accessories and comes with two supportive dividers and 12 additional shock-absorbing dividers for making the most of the internal storage space. Manfrotto also includes the integrated TSA lock and accompanying rain protector with the Air-50.

The Pro Light Reloader Air-55 is currently available at B&H for $ 329.99.

Pro Light Reloader Switch-55

The Pro Light Reloader Switch-55 is similar to the Air-55, but has a little trick up its sleeve. In addition to working as a rolling carry-on case, it can also be turned into a backpack by taking a set of integrated shoulder straps out of its front pocket.

Like the Air-55, the Switch-55 can fit up to two pro-style DSLR, five lenses and a 17″ laptop. There are multiple internal and external zippered pockets as well as a side strap for attaching a tripod.

The Switch 55 comes with large supportive dividers and 14 additional shock-absorbing dividers for securing and structuring gear inside the bag. Manfrotto has included the TSA compliant three-digit lock and an accompanying rain cover.

The Pro Light Reloader Switch-55 is currently available at B&H for $ 389.99.

Pro Light Reloader Spin-55

Last up is the Pro Light Reloader Spin-55. As the name suggests, the Spin-55 features four wheels — instead of the two on the other Pro Light Reloader cases — that give it the ability to spin freely on the ground, whether you’re running through the airport or on-location at a shot.

The bag features a polycarbonate shell and a nylon insert that can be removed if needed. It features a front access compartment on the outside of the bag as well as multiple internal zippered pockets for additional accessories.

The Pro Light Reloader Spin-55 can hold two pro-style DSLRs, five lenses and a 15″ laptop. It features side and top handles as well as an attachment point for a tripod. An integrated TSA-approved lock is included as is a rain protector for those times when the weather gets a little rough.

The Pro Light Reloader Spin-55 is currently available at B&H for $ 399.99.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Your Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

11 Mar

The post Your Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

Engagement sessions can be really fun, but it can get a little repetitive posing the couple together again and again throughout the session. Here are great poses that work for all couples during an engagement photo session.

1 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

Begin with foundation poses

A foundation pose is a pose where you set the couple in the exact spot facing a specific direction. Foundation poses are great to lead into different variations as you begin to build upon the poses. For example, you start with both people facing the camera. From this foundation pose, you can build so that the couple holds hands, look at each other, and in the end, you can capture them walking toward each other slowly.

2 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

From each foundation pose, you can get at least five different variations without having to move the couple all that much! This is helpful especially when you find yourself in tight spaces or pressed for time.

However, you don’t always have to stay in one spot. Depending on the location, feel free to move around and use all of the interesting nooks at the location of the session.

3 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

Posing facing each other

This is probably the most comfortable pose for all couples because it’s the most natural. Have the couple face each other, and with their arms furthest from the camera, have them wrap them around each other. This leaves the pose open from the front so that you can capture them looking at each other.

From here, have them hold hands loosely or play with their hands up with interlocking fingers. You can also have one person play with the other person’s hair while you get creative angles on the pose.

4 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

Have them give each other a good squeeze to help loosen nerves and get the most natural laughs and expressions out of the couple. Have them kiss if they’re comfortable with that.

You can also give them a little space so that they are directly facing each other. Here the couple can stand with their hands at their side and then hold hands. Have them lean in to kiss each other and let them move in closer if they need to.

5 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

From this pose, you can also ask that they get really close together – tummy to tummy – and have one person lay their heads on the other person’s shoulder/chest. This pose is romantic and sweet.

The “T” pose

The “T” pose is a variation on the prom pose and gives a more romantic feel to the photo. Have the taller person stand facing 45-degrees from the camera. Ask the other person to stand with their shoulder’s perpendicular to the other person. Have them get close and wrap their arms around each other.

This pose is great for all couples because it keeps the faces at an angle where the couple can look at one another, hug, kiss, and enjoy each other at close proximity.

6 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

Try photographing this pose with a wide-angle lens, like a 35mm, and place the couple in the center. This technique makes the pose much more interesting! Especially if you’re at a breathtaking or unique location.

When your clients are in this T pose, you can ask one person to look at the camera while the other closes their eyes or looks off into the distance. Get in close to take a beautiful portrait of the person looking at the camera.

7 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

This is also a perfect pose to get a nice ring shot while the couple’s arms are wrapped around each other. Try getting more of the couple’s bodies in the frame with the rings in focus and the rest out of focus.

Prom pose with variations

While the prom pose isn’t all that popular these days, you can still use the foundation pose to build on and get great photos of the couple. One variation is to get the shorter person to stand behind the taller. Here, they can hold onto the taller person’s arm and look at the photographer.

You can also have them loosely hold hands in this position and look off into the distance. The person in the front can look back or down while the person in the back can look at the camera. This is a romantic and sweet pose that can be taken full length or from a closer angle. Take both focal lengths to get more variety from the pose.

8 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

This pose can also stay in its original form where the shorter person stands in front and arms are wrapped around the waist. However, it’s best if you change it up a bit and have the hands of the person in front caress the face of the person behind. Here the pose becomes more romantic and has more connection rather than staying in its original form.

Ask the person in the back to wrap their arms up high around their beloved. Make sure that in this pose, the heads are not directly above one another. Move the front person to either side of the neck to avoid having the pose look stiff and disconnected.

9 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

From here, move around the couple and get different angles. Have the couple look off into the distance and enjoy the moment. Perhaps tell a joke to get them to laugh a bit.

To create a little bit more movement, from this pose, ask the couple to hold hands while the person in front moves towards the camera creating some distance from the other person. It will appear like they’re walking while holding hands. It’s a more creative take on the pose and adds beautiful movement.

10 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

Action poses

Action poses are fun and a great way to loosen nerves and get the couple more comfortable with being in front of the camera. These can include the couple walking, either holding hands or at a distance, climbing, dancing, or just talking with one another.

11 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

Starting with action poses can be more comfortable for a couple that is not necessarily big on kissing or being affectionate. If you’re in a location where there are activities, like an amusement park or coffee shop, have the couple do what they usually would if you weren’t around. This could be playing games, getting a coffee, enjoying some music together, walking, dancing, and talking.

12 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

You can also have the couple walk toward the camera while you’re out photographing the engagement session. Have them walk two or three times as you get different focal lengths and angles. Ask the couple to talk with each other or smile at one another because this looks more natural as they are walking.

Facing away from the camera

Having the couple face away from the camera can create more interesting photographs and keep the mood more romantic resulting in less posed and more natural looking photographs.

13 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

For one pose, have the couple stand at a distance facing away from the camera. Have the couple take one step forward and hold it as if they were walking. Have one person look back toward the camera and the other person looking down or to the side. You could have them do this as the couple is walking away from the camera. Just make sure that there is nothing in the way that could provoke a fall.

14 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

Another pose is having the couple face away from the camera but gets in close to each other. Here they can look at one another, hold hands, or kiss the forehead all while you are photographing from behind. Try getting the couple from a high angle, so it looks like you’re looking down at them.

Allow poses to develop naturally

While you set foundation poses and build different variations, allow the poses to develop into their own naturally. What I mean by this is that let the couple take charge in some of the poses with the kissing and getting close. Allowing for the couple to feel like they can move around within a pose can create more authentic and romantic expressions.

15 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

Couples feel most uncomfortable when they can’t be themselves, so during the session let them know that they are free to move and enjoy the moment. You are there to capture their love and excitement for their wedding day.

Once they have this liberty to move about in a pose, you’ll get real emotions and might even progress naturally through poses you may have thought of doing anyway!

16 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

Make sure to go with the vibe of the couple

Some couples aren’t romantic types and feel silly or uncomfortable doing lots of kissy or huggy shots. Try and get a feel for how the couple is. Are they playful? Active? Romantic? If after a few silly poses, you find that the couple is more on the romantic side, go for those types of poses.

17 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

Here are some ideas for each type of couple:

Romantic: Go with poses where the couple is close to each other. Either facing each other or hugging. Lots of closed eyes and enjoying the quiet moments of love between them. Try and photograph with a longer lens to give them space to be intimate with one another. Have them say something they love about one another while you photograph their reactions.

Fun/silly: Here you can get the couple talking and being overall silly. Try and get them to dance, tell jokes or play around at the location of the session. For example, having the couple make silly faces at one another or have one person tell a joke and get the reaction of the other person. Pose them with a little distance while holding hands to create a connection but not too close to where they feel uncomfortable having their photo taken so intimately.

Active: This couple will appreciate a good walk or even run! Have them jump, dance, climb, or even have one person piggy-back on the other! This couple is fun and needs to move around to keep them active by having them move around.

Not all of the poses have to be active if the couple is active, or romantic if the couple is the romantic type. Usually, after the first half hour, the couple has lost their nervousness and are more open to other poses. Just make sure that you keep an eye out for their natural personalities and go along with that vibe.

18 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

Being a little intuitive to the personality of the couple helps you create more authentic photos that they will love. An important note to remember is that some couples will be easy to pose, and others will need more direction.

In any case, let the couples know that they can move around and to not worry about holding poses for too long. Remind them to enjoy the moments and do what feels natural to them as a couple. This helps to calm nerves, and you’ll get much more real expressions than forced ones.

19 - Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos

In conclusion

The best poses for engagement sessions are where you set a foundation pose and then build upon that depending on the vibe of your clients. Aim to give them a real and fun experience and document their personalities during the session. Pose them but let them feel free to move around and be themselves. They will have a great time and love their photos after!

The post Your Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.


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Are Canon and Nikon the New Kodak?

10 Mar

The post Are Canon and Nikon the New Kodak? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.

Canon Z6 and Eos R

Selling? Yes. Boring? Also yes.

Kodak. Remember them? Back in the film days, never did we think they would be an afterthought in the photography industry. But a complete mishandling of the move to digital became their downfall. At one time a top five most valuable brand in the world, now reduced to a footnote in the photography world we live in today. But are Canon and Nikon beginning to edge the same way? Are they the lumbering giants, slow to move with the times? Or, are they playing the game to perfection?

The recent announcements from Canon and Nikon about profit from their camera divisions are not exactly encouraging, but are they still the brands to beat?

Financials

I’m sure you’ve heard the news. Canon and Nikon did not meet their revenue targets for 2018 and both are rapidly revising their numbers for 2019. Predictions are that interchangeable lens camera sales will continue to fall year on year. There was even a rumour from an internal document from a camera company predicting Canon and Nikon will lose 50% of market share in the next three years. This is serious!

But why? Well there are several factors here. Firstly, there is the rise of Sony, Fuji and others in the mirrorless market. Sony have been producing amazing cameras (although not [yet] sold in the same number as Canon and Nikon), which have carved a nice piece of the pie for themselves very quickly. Add in Fuji, Panasonic, Olympus et al and you have an ever increasing number of cameras to choose from – all with amazing features and image quality

However, the more major factor for the whole industry is the ever-increasing quality of the smart phone. Whilst those of us who read Digital Photography School are generally concerned with DSLR and Mirrorless cameras, many just want a decent photo with minimum fuss, and the phone camera does this amazingly well. For all camera companies, the development of amazing quality phone cameras mean the market for those wanting to get great a “proper” camera is shrinking all the time. The latest series of phone cameras are more than good enough for most people.

The big three

According to the latest data for the year of 2018, Canon continues to dominate the world of interchangeable lens cameras with a 49.1% market share (a growth of 3.9%). Nikon stay second with 24.9% (a decline of 0.6%) and Sony are in third with 13.3% (a growth of 2.9%). All other brands made up the remainder. 

Canon’s market share in photography has sat steady at around 40-50% for around the last ten years. The EOS R quickly became the best selling mirrorless camera in Japan on launch. Nikon’s Z series also stole a decent share of the market that has been dominated by Sony of late. The question is, are the people buying these existing Sony and Nikon cameras, heavily invested in a system? The answer for a large portion will no doubt be yes. It just makes financial sense.

As the market shifts and more people move to other systems such as Sony, Fuji and the L-Mount Alliance, will this continue? Existing customers are a large market, but people buying their first “Pro” camera have a choice that is now much wider than merely Canon or Nikon. You only need to look to YouTube for the number of people singing the praises of brands that are not Canon and Nikon to be able to see the beginnings of this shift.

The L-Mount Alliance is the newest kid on the block. How big will its impact be?

Canon’s video problems

I am a Canon shooter. I have been since my first SLR (I know, I’m old). But, their current business model sucks! In an age where the average photographer uses both stills and video, Canon have fallen behind in DSLRs for video. Evidence includes some questionable codecs (motion JPEG anyone?) and cropped 4K. Compared to Sony, it’s not even the same league. What happened Canon? You are the same Canon that released the classic 5D2! Remember that? A game changer that was so good that episodes of your favorite TV shows were filmed on it and Canon were hailed as heroes. Well, they dropped the ball.

Skip to 2019 and Canon release the EOS RP. A great price point of only £1300 (US$ 1299) and a decent sensor (basically taken from the 6D2). A great camera at a great price. Yes, you can argue the dynamic range of the sensor is not perfect, but it seemed like a great camera release by Canon. Then the news came that the camera was unable to shoot in 24fps in HD. Wait…what? Yep, the standard video frame rate for movies, the same one that was in the 5DMk2 over ten years ago is now absent.

I know what some of you are thinking. It’s the entry-level model; you can’t expect everything. Most people won’t care. However, to omit such a basic video feature is a sign of Canon seemingly making terrible decisions in their digital camera lineup.

Why are they doing this though? The answer seems to be in Canon’s product lines. Canon’s pro video line has a similar starting price to the EOS R. If they put full-frame 4K video, 120 frames per second at 1080P and more into their DSLR range, they would be basically killing off some of their pro video line customers in the process.

You have to question this as a business decision. Put simply, Canon’s current cameras are lagging behind Sony and Panasonic when it comes to video. Rather than move to their C-line of cameras for video though, most people are moving to Sony and the A7 III.

This move seems to be incredibly short-sighted by Canon. When I look to upgrade my trusty 5DMk4, I’m not sure Canon will be the top of my list. The video features on Sony are just too tempting. Sure, I don’t currently do much video work, but I can see my customers wanting more, and Sony cameras have better video features right now.

EOS RP camera with 24-105

Canon brought DSLR video to the masses with the 5D2. A decade later and they don’t even include 24fps.

 

Two cards are better than one

Shouted about all over the internet, why oh why did Canon and Nikon choose to launch their first cameras in their brand new system with one card slot? This feature alone means that a large amount of working professional users will not purchase a camera with one card slot. There is no way I would risk shooting a wedding with one memory card in the camera. It is just not worth the risk.

Nikon has taken this one step further and only have on XQD card. A more expensive format right now and also a format that most existing camera owners will not own in any great amount.

If photography is a hobby rather than a way to earn your living, then it may not be so much of an issue. However, again, it just seems a little short-sighted.

Shooting without a backup is always fine until a card fails.

Where’s the excitement?

Who was honestly excited by the EOS RP? Or the EOS R for that matter? Who thought that Nikon Z6 & Z7 were ushering in a new dawn of quality? Pretty much nobody. They just seemed to be mirrorless hack jobs of the 5DMk4 and D850 respectively, albeit with limitations.

The recent products from Canon and Nikon seem boring. No style and no killer features. Just OK. Just safe. The initial move into mirrorless feels like products designed and launched quickly to try and compete with Sony. Look at the amazing video features of the Sony A7 III when compared with Canon and their disappearing histogram. Compare the autofocus on the Sony A6400 or Fuji X-T3 with the Nikon Z6. There is no contest (the Nikon may improve dramatically with the eye AF update). The question is, why are they not competing with the best in class at launch?

Are Canon and Nikon’s cameras good? Yes. Are they class leading or exciting camera releases? No.  

Fuji’s retro styling, mixed with cutting edge features make for a very exciting camera system.

The Cameras do not match the glass

Leading with your best glass is an obvious decision. Both Canon and Nikon’s glass for their new mirrorless systems looks great. But it makes Canon’s decision to release the EOS RP all the more strange. Simply put, there is no budget glass for their budget full-frame camera.

There is no glass that really matches the system. The lens offered as a kit lens for this system costs over £1000. A quick Google shows the price of the EOS RP body at £1399 ($ US$ 1299), but the cheapest option with a lens (the 24-105 f4) is a staggering £2329 (US$ 2199). This is crazy! Especially when you can pick up a Sony A7 III with a 28-70mm  f/3.5-5.6 for £1999 (US$ 2298). The Nikon Z6 with 24-70mm is even more expensive still at £2514 (US$ 2596). Yes, you can use an adapter if you have other branded glass, but if you buy a new system, with a new mount, you surely want a native mount lens to play with.

I know the lens is not as good, but the Canon EOS RP is not in the same ballpark feature-wise as the Sony A7 III and you can have a camera and native lens for over £300 cheaper. There is no way I would spend extra to get a lesser camera. The fact that Canon has yet to release a cheaper lens seems crazy given they’re releasing more budget-friendly cameras. Maybe Nikon will launch a similar lens with the rumored upcoming EOS RP competitor?

Sony camera and lens lineup.

Sony now have a great range of lenses built up. Canon and Nikon are, for the first time, playing catch up.

Where’s the flagship camera?

So why not a pro body to rival the Sony A9? With the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, my guess is that Canon and Nikon are working feverishly behind the scenes to get their new flagship cameras out for the opening ceremony. I’m sure Sony is doing the same.

Rumors are surfacing that Canon has begun testing the 1DX Mark III with a very limited number of photographers, so this prediction does seem likely.  Canon is a big Olympic sponsor, and it is also a home Olympics for them. It really does make sense for big product launches on the eve of the event. Whether the new flagships will be a DSLR or mirrorless is going to be interesting to see.

But what about the meantime? What’s next up for Canon or Nikon? The EOS RP was underwhelming for many, and the next in line from Nikon is meant to be a direct competitor to the EOS RP. I feel this camera will also be met with the collective sigh the EOS RP received.

What does the future hold?

In the end, it boils down to this; mirrorless is the future of photography. It took a while to get here, but the benefits are now easy to see. Canon and Nikon were late to the party, but they are working hard to claw back ground they have lost. They seem to have learned from Kodak and their lack of acknowledgment for the digital camera.

The fact that both Canon and Nikon have fully entered the market late is currently having an impact on the quality and excitement that greets their new products. So far they appear to be playing it safe with mirrorless, which might not be enough to keep them on top moving forward.

What would be in your dream camera? As a Canon shooter (and daydreamer), I have thought long and hard while writing this article. For me, it would be a mirrorless update to the Canon 5DMk4. A new sensor. Autofocus to rival that on the Sony A9 (or even 6400) and non-crippled video. Full sensor 4K and 120 frames-per-second at 1080P in C-Log and preferably without a histogram that disappears when you press record, or at least zebra stripes. Maybe IBIS would be nice too. Oh, and two card slots. Is that too much to ask? I also would like it under £3000.

Or maybe, I’m getting tempted to move. The Sony A7III keeps tempting me to rent it. The A9 with that new autofocus update is a beast of a camera for a shade over £3000. I also want to see how Panasonic’s latest offerings play out.

I’m heading to The Photography Show in Birmingham, UK in March for an annual look at what is out there. On top of my list of stands to visit are Sony, Panasonic, and Fuji. The fact the Canon and Nikon are not even on my radar says a lot about their current appeal.

What are you looking for from Canon or Nikon? Or, have you moved to another brand and never looked back? Let me know in the comments.

The post Are Canon and Nikon the New Kodak? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Carl Spring.


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PSA: Don’t film laser tattoo removals unless you too want to fry a $2,200 camera

10 Mar

Laser systems used at concerts and even self-driving cars are known for damaging camera sensors, but now there’s one more thing to add to the list — tattoo laser removal lasers, even when the laser isn’t being pointed directly at the camera.

As unfortunately demonstrated in the 37-second video above, Andy Boyd destroyed the sensors inside his $ 2,200 Sony a7S II when he was filming a laser tattoo removal.

In the video description, he writes:

‘Hot tip: Don’t record laser tattoo removal on…anything. You can see with each pulse the sensor shows new damage. The repair cost was about as much as a new camera so try to avoid this. Club lasers can do this too but we’d never seen the reflection of a laser beam do damage, only when the beam itself hits the sensor.’

Hopefully you’re never in a situation where you’re asked to film a tattoo removal — especially one that reads ‘I am juicy’ with a strawberry next to it — but in the event you are, either use a camera you don’t mind destroying or pass up the opportunity as a whole.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon EOS RP vs EOS 6D Mark II: Which is right for you?

10 Mar

Introduction

Years back, Canon released the EOS 6D as its basic, ‘entry-level’ full frame DSLR to sit below the pro-oriented 5D-series. Not surprisingly, that was a recipe for success, with the 6D and follow-up 6D Mark II proving to be quite popular with all kinds of photographers.

But now we have the EOS RP, a new entry-level offering that is even more affordable and portable than the 6D’s that came before it. So how do they compare for various kinds of shooting? Here’s what we’ll be covering – click the link to hop straight to the section of your choice.

  • Travel
  • Video
  • Family and moments
  • Landscape
  • Candid and street
  • Sports

Travel

Canon EOS RP with EF 24mm F2.8 IS USM | ISO 100 |1/500sec | F7.1

Both cameras offer Wi-Fi and good JPEG image quality with pleasing color rendition right out of the box, a great combination for someone looking to share images on the fly. In-camera Raw processing is also offered by both cameras, making it easy to share photos from the road – no laptop required. GPS is offered in some form by both cameras (though we prefer the 6D II’s in-camera implementation over the RP’s use of smartphone location data) and selfie-takers can safely choose either camera as they both offer a screen that flips forward.

However, where battery life is concerned, the 6D II looks like the stronger option. There’s no getting around it – the RP is a mirrorless camera that draws a lot of power for constant Live View use, so its 250 shot CIPA rating is dwarfed by the 6D II’s rating of 1200 shots per charge. On the other hand, it’s not much of a burden to carry a couple of spare batteries for the RP as they’re smaller and lighter, and the camera supports USB charging where the 6D II doesn’t. Tack on the fact that the 6D II is weather-sealed whereas the RP offers no official claim of weather resistance and the 6D II keeps looking better and better.

Things swing back in the RP’s favor when you consider its incredibly compact size, even compared to the relatively light weight 6D II. But that advantage is somewhat reduced when you consider the RP’s native lens selection – right now the RF 35mm F1.8 is the best native option to keep size down. Adding an adapter and a smaller lens like the 50mm F1.8 STM or 24mm F2.8 IS doesn’t tack on too much extra bulk, but it’s not nothing. The RP still wins on compactness, but unless you’re happy shooting at 35mm until some more RF lenses come out, the camera’s small size isn’t as much of an advantage as it seems.

Video

See our full Canon EOS 6D Mark II sample reel

As far as headline video specifications go, the EOS RP stands ahead of the 6D II with 4K video recording (the 6D II tops out at 1080/60p). To be sure the RP’s 4K is heavily cropped, but it is 4K. The mirrorless camera also comes up with a headphone jack as well as a mic jack – the 6D II only offers a mic jack. It also comes with the inherent mirrorless advantage of offering video recording while using the EVF, which can be handy in bright light or for a little extra stabilization in a pinch. The RP’s 4K mode is also the only place you’ll find “cinematic” 24p recording between the two cameras.

Using a stabilized lens with either camera will yield the best results, as neither offers in-body stabilization. While digital IS creates smooth footage, it also sacrifices some detail. The 6D II and EOS RP also both provide fully articulated screens with face detection autofocus, a benefit for vloggers.

The 6D II does provide the advantage of more control over autofocus while recording video, offering adjustments to Movie Servo AF speed and tracking sensitivity – both missing from the RP.

Family and moments

Canon EOS RP with RF 35mm F1.8 IS STM | ISO 1000 | 1/80sec | F1.8

The EOS RP introduces a new feature for Canon that will be particularly handy for photographers looking to capture candid moments: Pupil Detection in Servo AF. In our experience so far it’s not quite as impressive as Sony’s freaky-good Eye AF, but will do a good job of identifying and focusing on an eye without intervention from the user.

The RP’s compact size could be another benefit to family photographers who tend to chuck their camera into a packed bag or purse. As we saw when looking at using these cameras for travel, the size advantage of the RP is compromised once you attach an adapter and any sort of zoom lens to the camera. The RF 35mm F1.8 does keep things more compact, but you’ve really got to like 35mm if that’s the deciding factor for you.

Canon’s great JPEG image quality and color is a real bonus

The RP’s much lower battery life is another significant drawback here, since you’ll be more likely to run out of juice at an inconvenient time. But the good news is that its USB charging means you can re-charge it in the car, or top up the battery with the same kind of portable battery you may already carry for your phone.

Both cameras provide handy ‘tap to track’ functionality in live view, making it easier to focus on what you want. And we’ll say it again – Canon’s great JPEG image quality and color is a real bonus if you don’t want to fuss with photos too much before sending them out to the world.

Landscapes

Canon EOS RP with EF 24mm F2.8 IS USM | ISO 100 | 1/400sec | F7.1

We can’t say that the either the 6D II or the RP would be among our top recommendations for landscape shooters. Other options with more resolution and dynamic range will likely suit serious landscape photographers better. If that’s not your sole priority, both of these cameras would serve the casual landscape shooter just fine on travels or hikes, and their image quality will be roughly the same.

The 6D II’s robust battery life is a big plus in this category if you plan to spend a good deal of time away from a power source and don’t fancy carrying extra batteries. Another point in favor of the DSLR: weather-sealing. The 6D II is designed to handle the elements better than the RP, and that can make a big difference when you’re halfway into a hike and the weather rolls in.

Both cameras offer fully articulated screens to facilitate composing shots from low angles or working on a tripod

For obvious reasons, size and weight are real concerns for photographers who will carry gear along on hikes or all-day excursions. Again, the RP would seem to have an advantage here but current native RF lenses are quite large and few in number. Adding an adapter to the kit isn’t a huge amount of extra weight or bulk, but if every bit of space in your bag counts, it’s something to consider.

Both cameras offer fully articulated screens to facilitate composing shots from low angles or working on a tripod. Both cameras also provide a means of recording your location via GPS – the 6D II offers it in camera while the RP requires use of Canon’s smartphone app.

Overall, both cameras supply features that will certainly be appreciated by photographers who shoot landscapes among other things, but we’d hesitate to recommend either just for that purpose.

Candid and street

Canon EOS 6D Mark II with EF 24-105mm F4L IS II USM | ISO 1000 | 1/500sec | F8

Both the RP and 6D II offer a number of features that would appeal to a street photographer looking to keep a low profile and capture the decisive moment. Both offer great-looking JPEGs and a flip-out screen to aid shooting from the hip (paired with Canon’s excellent Dual Pixel AF). Unfortunately, neither camera truly offers silent shooting – it’s not available on the 6D II and the RP offers it as a scene mode without exposure controls.

There’s not much between the two cameras in terms of size either, once you account for the adapter you’ll almost certainly need (for now) on the RP. Both of these options also offer wireless connectivity for easy image sharing.

As we cautioned landscape-oriented folks, the limited dynamic range that the RP and 6D II offer may be of concern to some street photographers. If you’d like some flexibility in pushing shadows then you may want to look elsewhere, but between the two cameras neither presents a significantly better feature set for street photographers.

Sports and action

Canon EOS 6D II and 70-200mm F4L @ 200mm | ISO 1250 | 1/1250 sec | F4

For sports and other fast-moving subjects, the 6D II and EOS RP trade punches back and forth. Generally speaking, mid-to-low-end EOS cameras with Dual Pixel autofocus haven’t handled fast-moving distant subjects very well. The 6D II offers an advantage here with its optical viewfinder and traditional AF system, which does a better job on distant subjects if you choose your own AF point, and you may find it easier to follow your subjects with the optical viewfinder than the EVF on the RP.

On the other hand, the RP offers the better subject tracking experience with viewfinder shooting, considering that it can use Dual Pixel with the EVF. Canon’s optical viewfinder tracking AF experience leaves something to be desired. On the other other hand, you get faster viewfinder burst rates with the 6D II (though you get faster Live View burst speeds on the RP). To the RP’s credit, it has a bigger buffer and offers CRaw to save you some storage space if you’re shooting Raw in burst mode.

One important point that you won’t find any spec sheet is how comfortable the camera will be in the hand for long periods of time. In our opinion, the 6D II is way ahead of the RP in this department. The DSLR will be better balanced with heavier lenses and offers a bigger, more comfortable grip. An add-on grip can be purchased for the RP to help things somewhat, but for our money, the 6D II is the one we’d rather hold on to for hours at a time.

Which one is right for you?

The Canon EOS RP and 6D Mark II share much of the same DNA when it comes to image quality, but their feature sets and implementations are still quite different. The 6D II provides the familiar comforts of a DSLR: robust battery life, a comfortable grip and plentiful lens options.

The RP brings many of the trappings of a modern mirrorless camera, including (decent) 4K video and use of Canon’s very good Dual Pixel AF system with the built-in viewfinder. But as it often does, the choice may come down to the lenses. It’s very early days for the RF mount, and the first lenses available for it are some real stunners, but they don’t seem particularly well matched the RP’s price point and target audience unless you really love shooting 35mm.

But even given the lack of native lenses, we tend to recommend the EOS RP over the 6D II for most use-cases. Experienced photographers may scoff, but for amateurs and even enthusiasts, the ability to see your exposure, white balance and get a better idea of critical focus with the RP’s full-time Live View on the rear screen or EVF will help you get more keepers more often. Plus, the RP’s full-time touchscreen controls are among the best in the business, and make up somewhat for the lesser amount of buttons compared to the 6D II.

Only you can choose what is best for you; the 6D II is the undisputed winner regarding its build quality, battery life and beefy grip. But for most people, we think the RP will be a better – and, dare we say, more ‘fun’ – photographic companion.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Flickr says it will spare all Creative Commons photos, announces ‘in memoriam’ accounts

10 Mar

Last November, SmugMug announced a number of changes the photo-sharing site would be undergoing in the coming months as part of a clean-up operation of sorts to help streamline Flickr assets and unused accounts. One of those changes was the news that free accounts would be limited to 1,000 images and any images over that limit would be deleted.

Almost immediately, Flickr caught flack for the decision, especially surrounding the vast amounts of Creative Commons images hosted on the photo sharing site. Within a week, Flickr announced it was sparing Creative Commons and public domain images and also sparing non-profits from the 1,000 photo cap.

Now, Flickr is going a step further. In a blog post, Flickr says it will not be deleting any public, freely licensed images from its platform, regardless of who’s operating the account.

‘In this spirit, today we’re going further and now protecting all public, freely licensed images on Flickr, regardless of the date they were uploaded,’ reads the blog post. ‘We want to make sure we preserve these works and further the value of the licenses for our community and for anyone who might benefit from them.‘

Flickr isn’t just rolling over though. To combat accounts from simply switching all their photos to Creative Commons without understanding what all it entails in hopes of still hosting their photos on the site, Flickr has disabled the bulk license change tools in the Settings menu.

‘We’ve done this to prevent community members from flipping all their images to a new license without first understanding the significant implications of the various free licenses we support. Any member (Free or Pro) can still change the license of any of their photos on the photo page.’

Additionally, Flickr is introducing ‘in memoriam’ accounts. These accounts come after concern from users about what happens to their images after they pass away (or late photographers who still have images on Flickr).

Flickr says ‘in memoriam’ accounts ‘will preserve all public content in a deceased member’s account, even if their Pro subscription lapses […] The account’s username will be updated to reflect the “in memoriam” status and login for the account be locked, preventing anyone from signing in.‘

Flickr has created this dedicated form to help identify accounts in need of ‘in memoriam’ status.

To help preserve the accounts of members who have already passed away, Flickr is asking for help to identify existing accounts that are deserving of ‘in memoriam’ status. A dedicated article has been added on Flickr’s Help Center to help explain the process.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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4 Essential Things to Consider When Styling a Photoshoot

09 Mar

The post 4 Essential Things to Consider When Styling a Photoshoot appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.

A successful photoshoot doesn’t just happen by itself. Perhaps there are times when everything lines up and an impromptu photoshoot happens. But that is often the exception. From my experience, much planning goes into a successful photoshoot. Whether you are doing a family, newborn, or portrait shoot, formal, informal, indoor or outdoors, styled or casual shoots, there are common factors that are crucial to its success. Here are some essential things to consider when styling a photoshoot.

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1. Location

Location dictates equipment

Deciding on your location beforehand is necessary as that dictates the equipment you’ll need. If shooting in a studio, you need to think of the lenses you would use for the amount of space available in your studio. If you have a small studio, you may only be able to use a 35mm or a 50mm lens for portraits. A 24-70mm would be ideal for a small space, but you need to consider any distortions if you’re shooting portraits at close range using a short focal length.

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If you are relying on natural light indoors, then you would need to think of the time of day you are shooting and the available ambient and natural light at those time to give you ample light that you need for your shoot. It would also be a good idea to have a reflector handy for both shoot, but most especially for indoor shoots. Their are various types of reflectors, that create different effects.

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Backdrops

Another thing to consider when shooting indoors is your background or backdrop. If it’s in a client’s home, you may need to ask them for photos of an idea of walls, windows, possible backdrops you can use if you haven’t been there before. If shooting in your own home or studio, then you have more control and can prepare the space beforehand. You can go for a light or dark backdrop, fabric or walls, wallpaper or painting, or just the available surfaces in the home. You may need to declutter a bit so unnecessary objects are in the shot.

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Weather – Plan B

If shooting outdoors, you need a plan B in case the weather doesn’t cooperate on the day. A plan B could be a cafe nearby or a sheltered area such as a gazebo. Generally, when shooting outdoors during the day, the opposite problem occurs. There is often too much light. The first thing to decide on is the time of day to shoot. Will it be golden hour? Middle of the day? Early morning? Dusk? Evening? Understand the needs for these different times of the day.

Best times of day to shoot

Early and late and golden hour are great times to shoot because the light comes from an angle. Golden hour gives a nice warm glow to your images but light during early morning shoots are often quite cold. Midday light, when the sun is high up in the sky, gives harsh light. You need to mitigate this by using reflectors, so you don’t get dark shadows under the eyes. They can be a natural reflector like concrete paths, white walls, floors or the usual photography reflectors available.

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Urban or country? Each has a very different vibe. If shooting in a busy city location where you have to walk around and have nowhere to park, you may need to pare down your equipment. If going to the country, then you can fill your car with equipment and props to your heart’s content and make a shoot logistically easier.

If shooting with artificial light either indoors or outdoors, you have more control over the amount of light available for your shoot and natural lighting is not so much a factor. However, this would require more equipment such as light stands, softboxes, electronic flashes, triggers and receivers, batteries, and diffusers.

You can read more about equipment you would need for a home or portable studio here.

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2. Overall colour scheme

Details matter when it comes to the outcome. For an image to be pleasing and successful, it involves more than just lighting. It involves tones and color schemes. When planning your shoot, it may help to think of a theme like vintage, bold, contemporary, simple, maximal or busy. Also think of a seasonal feeling; summer, spring, autumnal, or winter. Considering these things helps you eliminate ideas that won’t be fitting and narrows them down to a few essentials.

You can then decide on the colors. Winter would call for cool white, grey and blue tones and you may decide on a pop of color. Spring may have a combination of pastel colors with dominant greens. Summer may be bursting with saturation and light, blue skies, and warmth. Autumn can have burnt orange, red, purples and verdant greens.

Feeling your shoot while mentally preparing for it helps in streamlining everything to achieve the desired outcome. You could go for a rainbow shoot where you want the colors to pop against a plain white or dark backdrop.

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3. Props

Props are optional, but they are useful. My preference is minimal props, but I would suggest having them as tools during the shoot rather than items to be necessary in the shoot. Let me explain.

If I am photographing young children, I would often ask the parents to bring a bag of favorite toys without the knowledge of their children. During the shoot, I may need to use them to entertain, comfort, use during breaks and even to make them look at the camera. However, only one of those may make it into the shot, usually a soft comfort toy.

For engagement shoots, I’d ask the couple to choose one or two props they want to be in the shot but that these props must mean something to them. We’ve had picnic baskets, bikes, guitars, books and flowers amongst others. Sometimes, couples can’t think of props or don’t want any, and that is fine too. Often I’d say pick up a bunch of flowers just in case. Many couples, especially those who haven’t had a photoshoot yet may feel awkward and holding something like flowers helps.

A piece of outfit or accessory can be used as a prop too. A hat, bag or a special pair of shoes can work. This leads us nicely to the next factor…

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4. Outfits

Even when you have your lighting and location all planned perfectly, sometimes your photoshoot can still get ruined. Okay, ruined may be a bit too harsh but there is still one thing that can make or break your shoot – It’s the outfit.

I give my clients a guide on what to wear before their photoshoot in the hope that they plan their outfits beforehand and, even better, share them with me so we can discuss them. Often they send me options to choose from, and together we agree on one or two final outfits.

I once had a couple whose location was in the most beautiful country setting – it was a totally dreamy scene. Unfortunately, their outfits were not in keeping with the location. Although they were happy with the images and the shots were beautiful, their shoot could potentially have been published in many places but were let down by the outfits.

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Encourage your clients to treat the photoshoot as a special event that they plan and prepare for. If they can afford it, even buy new clothes for the shoot. With regards to matching outfits, like all white shorts and jeans, that’s down to personal preference. Mine is more towards classic complementary colors and patterns than matching or uniform outfits. Discussing this with your client is important. The one big no-no I always tell my clients is to avoid big logos, cartoon characters, numbers or letters, or anything that is trend-based that dates quickly.

I hope the above has helped with styling a photoshoot and what you can prepare in advance to ensure its success. If you have any more ideas, do share them here in the comments below.

The post 4 Essential Things to Consider When Styling a Photoshoot appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lily Sawyer.


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DPReview TV: Why waveforms are better than histograms

09 Mar

Most serious photographers are familiar with histograms, but what about waveforms? Chris and Jordan explain why this tool from the video world may just be the best way to judge exposure for still photos too – and why all cameras should have them.

Get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!

  • Introduction
  • Histogram limitations
  • How waveforms work
  • Waveform advantages
  • Why don't stills cameras offer waveforms?
  • Waveforms for photo editing
  • Wrap-up

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Understanding Imaging Techniques: the Difference Between Retouching, Manipulating, and Optimizing Images

09 Mar

The post Understanding Imaging Techniques: the Difference Between Retouching, Manipulating, and Optimizing Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Herb Paynter.

Understanding Imaging Techniques

Three distinct post-production processes alter the appearance of digital photographs: Retouching, Manipulating, and Optimizing. These terms may sound similar enough to be synonymous at first glance, but they are entirely different operations. Once you understand the difference between these three processes, your image editing will take on new meaning, and your images will deliver powerful results.

Image retouching

Photo retouching is image alteration that intends to correct elements of the photograph that the photographer doesn’t want to appear in the final product. This includes removing clutter from the foreground or background and correcting the color of specific areas or items (clothing, skies, etc.). Retouching operations make full use of cloning and “healing” tools in an attempt to idealize real life. Unfortunately, most retouching becomes necessary because we don’t have (or take) the time to plan out our shots.

Our brain tends to dismiss glare from our eyes, but the camera sees it all. A slight change of elevation and a little forethought can save a lot of editing time.

Planning a shot in advance will alleviate much of these damage control measures but involves a certain amount of pre-viewing; scouting out the area and cleaning up items before the camera captures them. This includes “policing” of the area… cleaning mirrors and windows of fingerprints, dusting off surfaces, and general housekeeping chores. This also includes putting things away (or in place), previewing and arranging the lighting available and supplementing the lighting with flash units and reflectors where required, checking for reflections, etc.

Benjamin Franklin coined the phrase “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” which pretty much sums up the cleanup chores. We also use the phrase “preventative maintenance;” fixing things before they break and need repair.

Admittedly, we don’t often have the luxury of time required to primp and polish a scene before we capture it, and retouching is our only option. However, sometimes all we need to do is evaluate the scene, move around and see the scene from another angle, or wait for the distraction to move out of the scene.

Sometimes a small reposition can lessen the amount of touchup and repair needed.

We can’t always avoid chaos, but we could limit the retouching chore with a little forethought. It takes just a fraction of a second to capture an image, but it can take minutes-to-hours to correct problems captured.

Image manipulation

Manipulation is a bit different, though it occasionally is a compounded chore with retouching. When we manipulate a photo, we truly step out of reality and into fantasyland. When we manipulate an image we override reality and get creative; moving, adding elements to a scene or changing the size and dimension. When we manipulate an image, we become a “creator” rather than simply an observer of a scene. This is quite appropriate when creating “art” from a captured image, and is ideal for illustrations but perhaps shouldn’t be used as a regular post-capture routine.

Photo-illustration is an excellent use of serious manipulation, and can be quite effective for conveying abstract concepts and illustrations.

Earlier in my career, I worked as a photoengraver in a large trade shop in Nashville Tennessee during the early days of digital image manipulation. The shop handled the pre-press chores for many national accounts and international publications. On one occasion in 1979, we were producing a cover for one of these magazines. On the cover was a picture of Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat set against one of the great pyramids. Unfortunately, the pyramid was in a position that interfered with the titles on the magazine’s cover.

While this is not the exact picture used in the magazine, you see the challenge.

The Art Director for the magazine sent instructions for us to shift the pyramid in the picture so that the titles would not interfere with it. Moving that thing was an amazing feat back then. Normal airbrushing would have left obvious evidence of visual trickery, but digital manipulation opened a whole new potential for near-perfect deception. We were amazed at the potential but a bit nervous about the moral implications of using this power.

This venture was accomplished (over a decade before Photoshop) on an editing machine called a SciTex Response, a workstation supported by a very powerful minicomputer. Nobody outside that small building knew that from Nashville, we pushed an Egyptian pyramid across the desert floor until revealed years later. Shortly thereafter, digitally altered images were prohibited from use as evidence in a court of law by the Supreme Court of the United States. Today, this level of manipulation lets you routinely alter reality and play god on a laptop, sitting on a park bench.

Manipulation is powerful stuff and should be used with serious restraint; not so much for legal reasons, but because of diminishing regard for nature and reality. Fantasyland is fun, but reality is where we live. We quite regularly mask skies and replace boring clouds with blue skies and dramatic clouds, and even sunsets – all without hesitation. We can move people around a scene and clone them with ease using popular photo editing software. Reality has become anything but reality. Photo contests prohibit photo manipulation in certain categories, though a skillful operator can cover their digital tracks and fool the general public. However, savvy judges can always tell the difference.

Typical manipulation consisting of a clouded sky to replay lost detail.

Personal recommendation: keep the tricks and photo optics to a minimum. Incorporating someone else’s pre-set formulas and interpretation into your photos usually compromises your personal artistic abilities. Don’t define your style by filtering your image through someone else’s interpretation. Be the artist, not the template. Take your images off the assembly line and deal with them individually.

Image optimization

Photo optimization is an entirely different kind of editing altogether and the one that I use in my professional career. I optimize photos for several City Magazines in South Florida. Preparing images for the printed page isn’t the same as preparing them for inkjet printing. Printing technology uses totally different inks, transfer systems, papers, and production speeds than inkjet printers. Each process requires a different distribution of tones and colors.

Since my early days in photoengraving, I’ve sought to squeeze every pixel for all the clarity and definition it can deliver. The first rule (of my personal discipline) is to perform only global tonal and color adjustments. Rarely should you have to rely on pixel editing to reveal the beauty and dynamic of a scene. Digital photography is all about light. Think of light as your paintbrush and the camera as nothing more than the canvas that your image is painted on. Learn to control light during the capture and your post-production chores will diminish significantly. Dodging, burning and other local editing should be required rarely, if at all.

Both internal contrast and color intensity (saturation) were adjusted to uncover lost detail.

Even the very best digital camera image sensors cannot discern what is “important” information within each image’s tonal range. The camera’s sensors capture an amazing range of light from the lightest and the darkest areas of an image, but all cameras lack the critical element of artistic judgment concerning the internal contrast of that light range.

If you capture your images in RAW format, all that amazing range packed into each 12-bit image (68,000,000,000 shade values between the darkest pixel and the lightest) can be interpreted, articulated, and distributed to unveil the critical detail hiding between the shadows and the highlights. I’ve edited tens of thousands of images over my career, and very few cannot reveal additional detail with just a little investigation. There are five distinct tonal zones (highlight, quarter-tones, middle-tones, three-quarter-tones, and shadows) in every image, and each can be individually pushed, pulled, and contorted to reveal the detail contained therein. While a printed image is always distilled down to 256 tones per color, this editing process lets you, the artist, decide how the image is interpreted.

Shadow (dark) tones quite easily lose their detail and print too dark if not lightened selectively by internal contrast adjustment. The Shadows slider (Camera Raw and Lightroom) was lightened.

The real artistry of editing images is not accomplished by the imagination, but rather by investigation and discernment. No amount of image embellishment can come close to the beauty that is revealed by merely uncovering reality. The reason most photos don’t show the full dynamic of natural light is that the human eye can interpret detail in a scene while the camera can only record the overall dynamic range. Only when we (photographers/editors/image-optimizers) take the time to uncover the power and beauty woven into each image can we come close to producing what our eyes and our brain’s visual cortex experience all day, every day.

Personal Challenge

Strive to extract the existing detail in your images more than you paint over and repair the initial appearance. There is usually amazing detail hiding there just below the surface. After you capture all the potential range with your camera capture (balancing your camera’s exposure between the navigational beacons of your camera’s histogram), you must then go on an expedition to explore everything that your camera has captured. Your job is to discover the detail, distribute the detail, and display that detail to the rest of us.

Happy hunting.

The post Understanding Imaging Techniques: the Difference Between Retouching, Manipulating, and Optimizing Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Herb Paynter.


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Video: Leica Q2 overview

09 Mar

Though it’s a bit impractical for most photographers, the Leica Q2 is nevertheless a camera that will draw a lot of attention thanks to its good looks and street-shooter-friendly features. Take a quick look at what’s new and drool-worthy on the second-generation Q.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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