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Dual-screen Vivo NEX 2 expected to ditch front camera

04 Dec

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo has been teasing its upcoming Vivo NEX 2 flagship model on its own website and Youtube and it looks like the new model will introduce an interesting new concept that – if widely adopted – could make smartphone front cameras a thing of the past: Dual screens.

The teasers are in line with previous rumors and indicate that the NEX 2 will come with a smaller secondary display on the rear of the device. From a camera point of view this means that the need for a front camera has been eliminated as the rear main camera can be used to capture selfie portraits or video, and record footage for video calls.

No front camera likely also means no display “notch”, allowing the main display to occupy the entire front of the device. Other rumored specs include an option with 10GB RAM and 128 GB storage, Snapdragon 845 chipset and AMOLED display technology.

Judging by one of the teaser animations, the main camera will likely combine three sensors and lenses in a circular module that is surrounded by a circle of flash LEDs.

We’ll know more on December 11 when the new model is expected to officially launch but if rumors and teasers are anything to go by it already looks like the Vivo NEX 2 could be one of the most innovative new smartphones of 2018.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Samsung Malaysia caught using DSLR image to advertise Galaxy A8 Star ‘Portrait Mode’ feature

04 Dec

Samsung has again been caught using an image captured with a DSLR to advertise its mobile camera capabilities. The discovery was recently detailed on DIY Photography by writer and photographer Dunja Djudjic, who took the image and made it available for sale on EyeEm.

After receiving an alert that the image had been sold, Djudjic used a reverse image search and found the image on Samsung Malaysia’s website, where it features a different background and is used to advertise the Galaxy A8 Star’s Portrait Mode feature.

Samsung Malaysia displays two iterations of the image on its website, one with a sharp background replacing the original, another with a blurred background supposedly demonstrating the handset’s Portrait Mode capabilities.

Djudjic contacted EyeEm in an attempt to confirm whether Samsung purchased the image, but the company hadn’t yet received the sales data and was unable to confirm the buyer. Getty, which is partnered with EyeEm, was also contacted to determine whether the sale took place through its platform, but didn’t respond to the inquiry.

Djudjic attempted to contact Samsung Malaysia and Samsung Global, but was unable to get a response about the image’s use.

This isn’t the first time Samsung has been caught passing off stock images to advertise its mobile camera capabilities. In August, Samsung Brazil’s Twitter account tweeted two stock images advertising its Galaxy A8 camera capabilities, but later removed them after being called out.

Competitor Huawei was also previously caught using images captured with a DSLR to advertise its mobile camera capabilities. In 2016, the company used an image captured with a Canon 5D Mark III to advertise its P9 smartphone’s camera. Later in August 2018, the company published a video with images seemingly taken by the nova 3 and nova 3i, but that were later revealed to have been captured with a Canon DSLR.

In addition to EyeEm, Djudjic’s work can be found on Flickr and Behance.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Photokina 2019 gets postponed, will become an annual event starting May 2020

04 Dec

In 2017, Photokina’s organizers announced the world’s largest trade fair would ‘reposition’ itself an annual event starting in 2018 and subsequently announced that after this year’s Photokina, which took place in September, the event would be moved to the month of May going forward.

Naturally, it was expected the next Photokina event would take place in May 2019, but plans have changed. According to the German Photo Industry Association (PIV), conceptual sponsor of the trade fair, and Koelnmesse, the event’s organizer, the 2019 Photokina event has been postponed a year, meaning the next Photokina event will take place from Wednesday May 27th, 2020 through May 30th, 2020.

‘The decision to postpone the start of the announced annual cycle by one year is intended to give all participants the opportunity to further develop the new concept for Photokina and to tap into new target groups among exhibitors and visitors in order to heighten the status of the trade fair as a global platform for the photography and imaging industry,’ reads the announcement press release.

From left to right: Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer Koelnmesse GmbH, Rainer Führes, CEO of Canon Deutschland GmbH and Chairman of the Photoindustrie-Verband – The Imaging Association, Jürgen Roters, Mayor of Cologne

PIV CEO Rainer Führes is quoted in the press release saying Photokina 2018 ‘clearly exceeded our already optimistic expectations with groundbreaking innovations and 180,000 visitors from 127 countries.’ He goes on to say that Photokina 2018 ‘set the bar very high for the next event.’

“It is therefore unlikely that, in May 2019 after just over seven months, we will once again be able to create the same enthusiastic atmosphere that characterized Photokina 2018 […] This is why we have decided to start the planned annual cycle in 2020.’

Considering the quick turn-around time from the last Photokina — not to mention its proximity to CP+ in March and NAB in April — it was a big ask of Photokina and its organizers to expect exhibitors, media, and attendees to bounce back with enough updates, products, and cash to fill the floors.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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5 Ways to Light Your Christmas Tree Portraits This Festive Season

04 Dec

The post 5 Ways to Light Your Christmas Tree Portraits This Festive Season appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

You want to snap a picture of the kids around the Christmas tree. But after finally getting a photo where they’re all looking happy, you’re disappointed with how it turns out.

In this scene both the tree and the people are nicely illuminated.

Why is it so dim? Where’s the ambiance? Why can’t I capture what I’m seeing with my eye?

The classic Christmas tree portrait can be problematic. And many of those problems have to do with light. So today I’m going to walk you through the five major lighting solutions for better Christmas tree portraits.

I want you to be able to set up a quick shot in front of the tree and have it turn out well. And to do that you need to light the people in the photo without ruining the mood of the Christmas tree lights.

Nighttime vs Daytime Tree Photos

There’s a big difference between taking a Christmas tree portrait at night and taking one during the day. What’s the difference? Light. During the day you can make use of natural window light. However, at night you have to create your own light, which means you’re often taking your tree portrait in a dimly lit room.

So let’s cover nighttime tree photos first, then daylight. Because shooting photos in daylight is easy.

1. Ambient Light by Accident

Ambient light simply refers to the light already present in the scene – the light from your tree, whatever other bulbs you have on in the room, and maybe some lamps or an overhead light.

Many people prefer using ambient light to their camera flash because the flash often ruins the mood of the scene. Working in ambient light can be wonderful providing you’re intentional about it. You can’t just turn on the tree lights and hope for the best.

This was our first ever family photo around the Christmas tree. Like most families, I propped up the camera and set the ten-second timer. But clearly, it didn’t work. Even though the tree is glowing nicely, we’re not lit at all.

2. Ambient Light on Purpose

If you’re going to rely on ambient light for your photos (rather than using your camera flash), you need to get extra light on the people without it spilling onto the Christmas tree. You don’t want to spoil the mood and glow of the tree lights, but you still want the people to be lit nicely.

Try moving some lamps around. Don’t just turn them on to get more light. Move them closer to the people.

This portrait was taken using only the tree lights and a small lamp. Because of the way they diffuse light, lamps create soft light.

3. Pop-Up Flash

Sometimes the ambient light just doesn’t work. So how else can you light the scene? By using the pop-up flash on your camera.

I can hear you groaning. “But I hate the look of flash.” Me too. But there are things you can do to make it look better. And what you rather have – a photo lit as well as possible with flash or no photo at all?

Remember, the idea is to light the people without ruining the mood of the tree lights.

Here’s how to do it:

Move the people in your photo away from the tree a little (three feet or more).
Get as close to the people as you can.

Why do it like this? Because when you’re closer to the people, the flash sends out a smaller burst of light. Once it reaches the people in your photo it fades out quickly, which means it won’t light up the tree too much.

In this photo the pop-up flash has lit the entire scene, ruining the ambient light of the Christmas tree. I need to bring her away from the tree and closer to the camera so the flash lights her but not the tree.

While I also used the pop-up flash in this photo, this time she’s further away from the tree. Now she is lit nicely by the flash, while the tree remains untouched by the flash.

4. External Flash

If you don’t like your pop-up flash blasting light directly at your subject, you could try using an external flash instead. It still attaches to your camera, but you can aim it at the ceiling or a wall to bounce the light off that surface and onto your subject.

I used an external flash for both of these photos. For the photo on the left, I pointed the flash at the wall so the light bounced back to light her up. In the photo on the right, I pointed the flash at the ceiling.

Bouncing light can be tricky when it comes to color. As well as the light, it will also reflect the color of the wall or ceiling it bounces off. (Direct flash is a much cleaner light than bounced flash.) As you can see, the photos I took with the external flash look much warmer. But I can adjust that with a program such as Lightroom.

Notice how her eyes are a little dark in this photo? The light is being bounced off the ceiling above her and isn’t lighting up her eyes. To avoid that, back up a little farther so the light bounces back in front of her and not just above.

Tip: If your flash seems too bright, turn down the power with flash exposure compensation.

I turned the flash power down all the way in order to add just a little bit of light to the scene.

5. Window Light

Window light is is my favorite form of natural ambient light. It’s bright and soft, and illuminates people wonderfully for photos.

This works best when the tree is tucked into a corner out of the window light so it still has some glow for the photo.

Here the tree is tucked into a dim corner so the lights can glow. The kids will sit on the stool and be lit by the window.

Have the light from the window lighting people from the side to create some dimension in the photo through shadow.

The window light provides soft light with just a hint of contrast from the soft shadow. Notice that her left cheek is just a little bit darker than her right.

Notice the glow of the tree and the nice soft light illuminating the portrait.

However, try not to get split light. Have them look toward the window slightly.

Because she’s turned away from the window, a shadow is now dividing her face. Even though it’s still a soft shadow, the light on her face isn’t as pleasing.

In this group portrait, you can even see catch lights in their eyes.

They are turned ever so slightly toward the window, ensuring their faces are nicely illuminated.

Even though I had no idea what I was doing at the time, this is a good example of a glowing Christmas tree combined with window light. There’s a small window illuminating his face, and a larger one creating edge light around his arm and head.

Practice Makes Perfect

Remember, your goal is to set up a quick shot in front of the tree where you’re lighting the people without ruining the glow of the tree lights.

Practice using both flash and window light so you’re prepared for anything. Feel free to share examples of your christmas tree portraits that you’ve taken and how you lit them in the comments.

The post 5 Ways to Light Your Christmas Tree Portraits This Festive Season appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

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6 Ways to Capture Coastal Scenes to add Impact to Your Photos

04 Dec

The post 6 Ways to Capture Coastal Scenes to add Impact to Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

1 - 6 Ways to Capture Coastal Scenes to add Impact to Your Photos

Myrtos beach, Kefalonia. © Jeremy Flint

Coastal photography is a popular genre and provides a plethora of photographic opportunities. At the same time, it is an enjoyable experience being by the sea. Whether you are visiting the seaside on a day trip or as part of a holiday, or are lucky enough to live near the coast, the fresh sea air is a refreshing draw while the coastline can be incredibly scenic.

Here are 6 tips to help you capture coastal scenes with impact and take your photos to the next level:

1. Colors of the Seashore

You don’t need to be taking a vacation on a paradise island to capture a beautiful beach shot. Light and water always make an inspiring subject. Captured in the right light, which may only last minutes, a pebbly or sandy beach can become transformed into a strikingly colorful image. With careful framing and the right conditions, a color in the sea in good light and with waves can add impact to your images.

Look at the beach in different ways. Close-ups of vibrant textures in the sand or sea make for great abstract pictures. Alternatively, add contrast to a scene. You can achieve contrast by adding another element such as the sky or white foam in the water.

2 - 6 Ways to Capture Coastal Scenes to add Impact to Your Photos

2. Crashing Waves

Have you ever been on the coast and enjoyed seeing the dramatic effects of a rough sea and crashing waves? Capture one of the cycles of waves when the next big swell hits. It may take a few attempts to get a picture that is pleasing.

3 - 6 Ways to Capture Coastal Scenes to add Impact to Your Photos

Dunseverick Falls, County Antrim, Northern Ireland © Jeremy Flint.

Be careful to position yourself in an area that is out of danger, so you don’t end up wet. Some coastlines can produce unusually large waves so stay at a safe distance. Use a zoom lens to capture the action and avoid being too close to the sea if the conditions are hazardous.

3. Fast-Flowing Water – Sea Shot

Fast-flowing water can be a challenge to photograph well. There is often a sharp contrast between the dark shadows and the brightness of the water. In bright sunlight, there is the added disparity of light and shade. Take some test shots and adjust the shutter times for creative effects. If you want to record sharper images of the moving sea water, use shorter shutter speeds, or use a longer exposure to give a milky effect. Try different settings and see which effect you prefer.

4 - 6 Ways to Capture Coastal Scenes to add Impact to Your Photos

La Digue, the Seychelles © Jeremy Flint.

4. A Tranquil Scene

Idyllic, peaceful seascapes are great subjects to photograph by the coast.

So how do you capture a tranquil scene well? Some things you should consider are location, tone, and color. Select a suitable location, use gradients of tone to draw the eye into the picture and use color to suggest movement. Capturing a serene and calming scene can be very inspiring and great for the soul.

5 - 6 Ways to Capture Coastal Scenes to add Impact to Your Photos

The Giants Causeway, Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland © Jeremy Flint.

5. The Colors of Sunset

Who doesn’t love witnessing a spectacular sunset by the sea? Photographs of this spectacle can often be underwhelming but vastly improve when vivid skies shine brightly overhead. Aim to arrive early to capture the sunset and be in a position to capture the last rays of light on the ocean.

6 - 6 Ways to Capture Coastal Scenes to add Impact to Your Photos

Don’t forget to turn around and capture the sky and landscape opposite the sunset which gets bathed in beautiful light.

Take in and photograph the warm yellows and deep blues as the sun reaches the horizon before dipping below.

For subtle or dramatic tones, shoot the palette of colors left in the sky after the sun sets.

7 - 6 Ways to Capture Coastal Scenes to add Impact to Your Photos

6. Cloud Formations

Magnificent cloud formations are always worth photographing and help take your coastal images to the next level. If you look up from the shoreline, you can see clouds change constantly. They often take on wonderful shapes and patterns that encompass great colors interacting with the seascape.

You can create a fabulous picture of cloudy seascapes just by capturing these changes and shifts of light.

Watch for low clouds in the sky too, which can produce a magical spectacle.

8 - 6 Ways to Capture Coastal Scenes to add Impact to Your Photos

Durdledoor, Jurassic coast, Dorset © Jeremy Flint.

Conclusion

In summary, photographing the coast can be a great experience and a brilliant opportunity to capture coastal scenes beautifully. Crashing waves, fast-flowing water, tranquil scenes, clouds, and colors can all be utilized to create images with impact. Once you capture coastal scenes near you, please share your images with us below.

The post 6 Ways to Capture Coastal Scenes to add Impact to Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint.

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Lensrentals breaks down the numbers behind the most popular cameras and lenses of the year

04 Dec

Image provided by Lensrentals

As it does every year, Lensrentals has released the numbers behind the most popular gear it saw rented out through 2018. In a blog post on its website, Lensrentals details nearly every category and subcategory imaginable, showing what cameras, lenses, and formats reign supreme in the world of online rentals.

In Lensrental’s own words, ‘This barometer of equipment rental patterns is useful for the industry to gauge trends in adoption of new technology, camera and lens formats and change in brand share of the market.’

Starting with cameras, Canon still leads, with Sony and Nikon trailing, respectively. Year-over-year though, Canon is down from 44.90% in 2017 to 41.57% in 2018, while Sony and Nikon both increased from 24.67% to 26.31% and 15.06% to 15.28%, respectively. Although the data for this analysis was gathered before the general availability of both Canon and Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless offerings, Lensrentals says early data suggests Canon’s EOS R system is roughly twice as popular as Nikon’s Z6 and Z7 cameras.

The top ILC camera brands, based on percentage of total rentals, according to Lensrentals.

The Canon 5D Mark IV and 5D Mark III take the top two spots, respectively, with the Sony a7s II, Sony a7 III, and Panasonic GH5 rounding out the top five. The Sony a7 III is the only new camera (released in 2018) to make it into the top five.

While on the topic of CaNikon, Lensrentals data shows Canon’s overall camera usage has decreased slightly, going from 44.90% to 41.57% year-over-year, as Nikon’s increased from 15.06% to 15.28% year over year. Lensrentals notes this is possibly due to the release of the D850 late in 2017, which gave Nikon momentum going into the new year. Other camera brands saw growth as well in 2018, filling the void left behind by Canon.

Below is a list of the top ten cameras rented out by Lensrental users:

1. Canon 5D Mark IV
2. Canon 5D Mark III
3. Sony Alpha a7S II
4. Sony Alpha a7 III
5. Panasonic GH5
6. Sony Alpha a7R III
7. Nikon D750
8. Canon 6D Mark II
9. Nikon D850
10. Canon 6D

On the lens front, not much has changed at the top. Canon, Sony, Sigma, and Nikon take the top four spots, with 37.17%, 14.58%, 12.96%, and 9.62% of rentals, respectively. After that, the numbers drop dramatically, as seen in the below chart.

The top lens brands, based on percentage of total rentals, according to Lensrentals. Other includes: Metabones, Olympus, Rokinon, Voigtlander, Leica, Tokina, Fujinon, Pentax, Veydra, Lensbaby, Venus Optics, Hasselblad, Angenieux, Wooden Camera, SLR Magic and Schneider.

Canon’s second-generation 24-70mm F2.8 and 70-200mm F2.8 have proven to be the most popular lenses yet again. However, Sony has found its way into the top three with its own 24-70mm F2.8 and Sony lens rentals have increased approximately 60%, growth mostly driven from new lens releases. Lensrentals says the following lenses ‘drove the most growth’ for Sony:

Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 OSS
Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS

Panasonic also saw growth, driven exclusively by three lenses as well:

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 X Power OIS II
Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 X Power OIS II
Panasonic/Leica 8-18mm f/2.8-4 ASPH

Both Sigma and Tamron saw a slow, but steady increase in popularity, as both have been rolling out new and improved lenses across their respective lineups. Below is a list of the top ten lenses, according to Lensrentals:

1. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II
2. Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
3. Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM
4. Canon 35mm f/1.4L II
5. Canon 50mm f/1.2L
6. Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS
7. Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L
8. Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro
9. Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III
10. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II

Overall, there isn’t too much change across the board, aside from a few notable exceptions mentioned above. Again though, this data was pulled before Canon and Nikon’s respective full-frame mirrorless cameras became available to the general public. With the cameras now available leading into the next year, there could be dramatic changes, both in the DSLR and mirrorless market as manufacturers battle it out for the top spot.

To see a more detailed analysis of the gear rented out and numbers behind the scenes, head over to Lensrentals’ blog post.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Guide: How to get the most out of Sony’s autofocus technologies

03 Dec

Getting the most out of Sony’s autofocus technologies

After years of development, Sony’s mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras offer among the most advanced autofocus technologies on the market, allowing photographers to create pictures that simply wouldn’t be possible with other systems.

Sony was among the first manufacturers to add phase-detection autofocus pixels onto a camera’s main imaging sensor, which allows for ultra-precise focus. A wide spread of AF points and intelligent scene recognition algorithms are standard in Sony’s market-leading a6000-series, a7-series and a9 cameras, allowing for powerful and accurate subject tracking. While these technologies are obviously useful for shooting fast-paced sports and action, features like face detection, Eye-AF and Direct Manual Focus (DMF) can also be employed for portraiture, landscape photography and video work.

In this article, we’ll be outlining some key use-cases and recommending how to set up your Sony camera’s autofocus system to get the best results.

Sports and action

Because, unlike a DSLR, there’s no mirror in the way, the millions of pixels-worth of data from the image sensors in mirrorless cameras can be used to feed the cameras’ autofocus and metering systems in real time. This allows for sophisticated object recognition and tracking. Autofocus data is also taken from the main imaging sensor itself, which means that AF is inherently more accurate than conventional DSLR systems.

The flagship sports-oriented Sony a9 for example features 693 phase detection autofocus points offering 93% coverage across the image area (illustrated above). Having so many AF points – and such a wide spread – makes it possible for the camera to accurately track action right out to the edges of the frame – something that isn’t always possible with other full-frame cameras. Here are our recommended settings for shooting sports and action:

Recommended AF settings for sports and action:

Focus Mode: AF-C
Focus Area: Lock-on AF: Flexible Spot M

How to use: Frame your composition so the AF point is over your subject, then half-depress the shutter to start tracking it. At this point you can recompose the scene however you want, and your subject will continue to be tracked. To switch subjects, simply release the shutter, reframe to place the AF point over your new subject, and half-depress the shutter again.

Notes / Tips: This AF setup is also useful for more general photography: if you identify your subject by placing the AF point over it and engaging AF, the camera will keep track of it for you, making sure it’s perfectly focused when you take your shot.

For some types of fast-action photography, like birds-in-flight, air shows, or any situation where your subject is the nearest object in the scene or well isolated against distant objects, you can often trust the camera to automatically identify the subject and focus on it. This avoids the need for you to reframe and place the AF point over your subject before initiating AF, saving you time and helping you capture the moment faster. To try this way of working, switch the camera’s Focus Area to ‘Wide’, or use ‘Recall Custom Hold’* to assign a custom button to this focus mode so you can instantly activate it in fast-paced situations.

*Only available on A9, a7R III and a7III Alpha cameras.

Portraits

For the serious portrait photographer, Eye AF is fantastic, letting you focus more on posing and expression and leaving the camera to do the rest. With Eye AF enabled, a Sony camera will continue to track your subject’s eye, even when firing away at fast frame rates, which makes it a great option for catching just the right expression.

Sony’s Eye AF system is very ‘sticky’ in that once it’s been set to track a subject it rarely jumps off to someone else in the scene, even if your subject moves or momentarily turns away from the camera. And because of the wide AF area coverage, Eye AF will track your subject right out to the edges of the frame – this is useful for off-center compositions or erratic subjects like kids.

Recommended AF settings for portraits:

Focus Mode: AF-C
Focus Area: Flexible Spot M (or L)
Button Assignment: Assign Eye AF to AF-ON

How to use: If you have multiple people in the frame and are using any AF area other than ‘Wide,’ you can place that AF area over one of your subjects, and when you initiate Eye AF, it will track that person’s eye. To switch subjects, release the Eye AF button, place your AF area over the other person, and re-initiate. If you simply want to focus on a person yourself, just place your AF point over the desired portion of your subject, and half-press the shutter to focus.

Notes / Tips: If you only have a single person in the scene, or you’re happy to let the camera choose a face to focus on on its own (usually the nearest), switch Focus Area to ‘Wide’, then just press the Eye AF button.

Note that while we recommend assigning Eye AF to AF-ON for ease of use, you may wish to assign it to the AEL button if you prefer to use the AF-ON button for back-button focus.

Travel and general photography

As well as offering powerful autofocus features designed for portraiture and capturing fast-moving sports and action, Sony cameras are incredibly versatile when it comes to day-to-day photography. For general everyday and travel photography with Sony’s mirrorless cameras , we recommend the following autofocus settings:

Recommended AF settings for general photography:

Focus Mode: AF-S
Focus Area: Wide (Face Priority in AF: On)

How to use: For general photography, we recommend you simply let the camera choose what to focus on. It will focus on faces in the scene, and prioritize nearer subjects over further ones.

Notes / Tips: If you wish to take control, just assign a button – like a central press of the AF joystick – to ‘Recall Custom Hold’* and set its options to activate AF-S Focus Mode and Center Focus Area, with AF activation. That will allow you to quickly revert to the tried-and-true ‘focus and recompose’ method if necessary.

*Only available on A9, a7R III and a7III Alpha cameras.

Landscape photography

Traditionally, landscape photography has been the domain of manual focus, but even with static subjects, autofocus can be a huge time-saver. Here’s how we recommend you set your Sony camera’s AF for shooting landscapes.

Recommended AF settings for landscape photography:

Focus Mode: DMF
Focus Area: Flexible Spot: M (or L)
Button Assignment: Assign a custom button to focus magnifier

How to use: Compose your scene, then place the AF point over a portion of the scene you want focused. Use the focus magnifier to zoom into that region, then half-press the shutter to focus. While the shutter button remains half-pressed, you can turn the focus ring on the lens to fine-tune focus, then take your shot.

Notes / Tips: Using this technique, autofocus quickly gets you close to where you need to be, then it can be fine-tuned to achieve the correct balance of foreground and background sharpness for expansive scenes.

Video

Advanced HD and, more recently, 4K video features have been included in Sony’s E-mount mirrorless cameras from the very beginning, and Sony’s E-mount lenses are optimized for movie autofocus requirements as well as stills photography. Traditionally, a lot of filmmakers would rely on manual focus when shooting video, but Sony’s mirrorless cameras’ hybrid on-sensor autofocus systems function just as well (and in exactly the same way) when shooting stills and video, making AF useful and practical for videography.

Here are our recommended settings for video:

Cocktails with Don Draper, Dinner and Drinks at Oakland’s New Mid-Century Modern, Bardo Lounge and Supper Club

03 Dec

Bardo Lounge and Supper Club, Oakland, California

If, like me, you are a fan of all things mid-century modern, then you won’t want to miss Oakland’s newest Lakeshore addition, Bardo Lounge and Supper Club. Like a vintage trip with Don Draper back in time, you’ll enjoy all the little touches that make for a perfect night out for some excellent cocktails along with lounge or supper service to go with them.

With Bardo, owners Seth and Jenni Bregman have transformed the former Michel Bistro space on Lakeshore into a sort of museum of great taste and design from our favorite wayback era — with some seriously good tunes spinning all night long.

Along with the lush 60s feel, Bardo serves up swingin’ cocktails with lounge service downstairs (no reservations required) and supper service upstairs (reservations required). The downstairs lounge features a lounge and bar where you can order “lounge fare” and some of the items off of the larger tasting menu from supper service upstairs.

Last night Mrs. TH and I tried the lounge service at the bar. In terms of the booze, I opted for the “Walk in the Orchard” cocktail, a well balanced craft cocktail with High West Double Rye, Cynar 70, Apple Cider, Fresh Lime Juice, White Pepper Thyme Maple and Angostura Bitters. Mrs. TH chose the equally delicious “Pilot Maxine,” Blackberry-Washed Gordon’s Gin, Top Hat East India Tonic, Fresh Lime Juice and Fee Brother’s Rhubarb Bitters.

From the menu I’d highlight the devilishly delicious deviled duck eggs, the super rich foie gras cacio e pepe pasta, and most definitely the broccolini casserole — the toasted shallot and almonds on top of the casserole were just perfect. That casserole would win any neighborhood bake off hands down.

Bardo’s Lounge is open from 5pm to Late Wednesday-Sunday and supper is served upstairs 5:30-10pm Thursday-Saturday and 5:30-9:30pm on Sunday. I’d recommend getting there as early as you can for lounge service. We had no problem getting a spot at the bar at 5:30pm last night, but it filled up quickly with a line as it got later. Bonus tip, go catch an epic sunset, with your old school film camera of course, for an early winter sunset over Lake Merritt and just walk on over for dinner afterwards.

More photos here.

3343 Lakeshore Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610

Bardo Lounge and Supper Club, Oakland, California
Bardo’s upstairs supper service

Bardo Lounge and Supper Club, Oakland, California
Walk in the Orchard: fall aromas and flavors in a glass. High West Double Rye, Cynar 70, Apple Cider, Fresh Lime Juice, White Pepper Thyme Maple, Angostura Bitters

Bardo Lounge and Supper Club, Oakland, California
Pilot Maxine: refreshing and light with berry notes. Blackberry-Washed Gordon’s Gin, Top Hat East India Tonic, Fresh Lime Juice, Fee Brother’s Rhubarb Bitters

Bardo Lounge and Supper Club, Oakland, California
Deviled Duck Eggs: Spiced red wine jus, scallions, duck skins

Bardo Lounge and Supper Club, Oakland, California
Kanapachi tartare: persimmon, Calabrian pepper, brussel sprouts, charred vegetable broth, yam chips

Bardo Lounge and Supper Club, Oakland, California
Foie gras cacio e pepe, beemster, duck jerky

Bardo Lounge and Supper Club, Oakland, California
Broccolini Casserole: Brown mustard, gruyere, almond, shallot

Bardo Lounge and Supper Club, Oakland, California
14 oz Dry Aged Prime New York: Bone-in, grilled and loaded baked potato, greens, B1 Sauce

Bardo Lounge and Supper Club, Oakland, California
Ice Cream Sandwich: Banana semifreddo, double chocolate cookie.

Bardo Lounge and Supper Club, Oakland, California

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Improve Your Photography by Learning How To Use Exif Data

03 Dec

The post Improve Your Photography by Learning How To Use Exif Data appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Whenever a photo is taken with a digital camera, data relating to that photo gets stored with the image in what’s known as the Exchange image file format (Exif).

Knowing how to use that Exif data can help you gain insight into the camera settings of both your own and other people’s photos. Seeing what settings worked well together in a great photo (or didn’t work well in a bad one) can help you improve your photography skills.

Improve Your Photography by Learning How To Use EXIF Data Hmong Girl

Data About Data

The Exif data is what’s called metadata (data about data). Some data is more significant and useful than the rest. Within it you’ll find the information you probably know already – camera make and model, image dimensions, copyright information, etc. But you’ll also find information about the exposure, whether or not the flash fired, metering mode, distance to subject, and plenty more.

You can view the Exif data on your camera, on your computer, and on photo sharing sites such as Flickr and 500PX.

Here’s a screenshot of the Exif data being displayed in Adobe Photoshop after choosing ‘File Info...’ from the ‘File’ menu.

Improve your photography by learning how to use Exif data

To view this information in Windows right-click on the image file and select ‘Properties,’ then select the ‘Details’ tab.

If you’re using a Mac, open the image file in Preview, then select ‘Show Inspector’ from the ‘Tools’ menu and select the ‘Exif’ tab.

Note: Adobe programs create a file with the same name as the image but with the extension ‘xmp’. This stands for Extensible Metadata Platform and contains the Exif data for the image.

Improve Your Photography by Learning How To Use EXIF Data File Explorer Data View

As you can see, the EXIF data includes all the information about the exposure. My camera was set to manual mode. My shutter speed was 1/320 sec, the aperture was f/2.8, the ISO was 100, and I used my spot meter. It also shows that my flash fired.

In these examples, we’re looking at data from the RAW file. But the data is also stored in other file types such as JPEG and TIFF.

About the only thing it doesn’t tell you is whether a photo has been manipulated during post-processing.

How Is This Information Useful to Beginner Photographers?

When you first start out, and you’re still getting used to your first camera, the Exif data can help you learn. If you took a photo that didn’t turn out the way you thought it would, the data may show you why.

Improve Your Photography by Learning How To Use EXIF Data 105 one fourth

For example, seeing that the shutter speed was 1/4th sec will help you understand why your photo was blurred. To shoot at such a slow speed you need to use a tripod to avoid camera shake.

And seeing an aperture setting of f/16 will help you understand why so much of your image is in focus. You could then look at the Exif data of an image where more of the composition is out of focus to see what its aperture setting was.

Improve Your Photography by Learning How To Use EXIF Data Three at f16

Use Exif Data To Make Comparisons

The Exif data can also help you compare images you’ve made. Looking at the lens data can help you understand when it’s best to use that lens. Compare the same aperture setting on two different lenses. It will help you learn more about depth of field.

Comparing the same image shot with two different focal lengths is also a useful exercise. These three photos were taken using different lenses (as shown in the Exif data).

Improve Your Photography by Learning How To Use EXIF Data EXIF-f4

Analyze and Anticipate

Analyzing the Exif data of your photos can help you plan and improve future photo sessions of the same subject or situation. Studying the data on photos from an annual event will give you insights into what you did well and where you can improve.

The Hmong people in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and other countries (including the US and France,) hold awesome New Year festivals. The celebrations include various sporting competitions such as kart racing, crossbow shooting and top spinning, which can all be challenging to photograph.

So before I go to the festival each year I look back at photos I’ve made previously. The Exif data from these images reminds me of the settings I’ve used in the past. When I arrive I know which lens will give me the best photos for each competition, and what shutter speed I’ll need to capture sharp action in the kart racing.

Improve Your Photography by Learning How To Use EXIF Data Kart

Analyzing data from photos of subjects you don’t photograph can also be helpful. On websites such as Flickr and 500px the Exif data is often displayed alongside the photos, and so you can use it as a reference. When you’re photographing new subjects, especially ones that require special camera settings, look at the Exif data of other people’s photos. It could save you a lot of time and stress.

Conclusion

Making the most of the tools you have will help you become a better photographer. Next time you wonder why a photo worked (or didn’t work) so well, take a look at the Exif data. You may be surprised what you can learn.

Do you use the Exif in other ways? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

The post Improve Your Photography by Learning How To Use Exif Data appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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Our favorite gear, rewarded: DPReview Awards 2018

03 Dec

DPReview Awards 2018

This year was a busy one for DPReview and the camera industry as a whole. 2018 saw the launch of two new full frame mirrorless systems from Canon and Nikon, a brace of excellent lenses, and the development announcement of even more goodies due to be released in early 2019.

With so many great products to choose from, there’s never been a better time to be a photo enthusiast, but the amount of gear out there can be overwhelming. Every year in December we get together as a team to recognize the standout products of the past 12 months in our annual DPReview Awards. Click through the slides above to find out which products made our list of the best gear of 2018!

Best photography accessory

Shortlist:

Adobe Lightroom CC 2.0
Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI
Wandrd Prvke 21L Backpack
Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD

Runner up: Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD

Photography accessories come in all shapes and sizes and this year’s shortlist includes four products that are as different as can be. But something they all share is the potential to help streamline the photographic process, whether that means improving the experience of transporting gear from A to B, or simply creating a better way to back up files on the go.

The Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD falls into the later category. It’s a solid state version of the company’s already popular wireless drive with a shock resistant construction. Core features include a built-in SD 3.0 card reader, USB 3.0 connectivity, Wi-Fi connectivity for reviewing media on a device, a built-in 6,700mAh battery for charging other devices over USB (and to power Wi-Fi), and preview support for Raw files. It’s available in 250gb, 500gb, 1Tb and 2TB capacities.

Read more about the WD MyPassport Wireless SSD

Winner: Wandrd Prvke 21L Backpack

The right camera backpack is a frustratingly elusive thing to find. No bag is going to be perfect for every photographer. But wouldn’t be nice if one came close? Meet the Wandrd Prvke 21L. It might have a weird name (it’s pronounced ‘wandered provoke’), but it’s awesome to use. So awesome, in fact, that it’s our favorite camera backpack on the market and our pick for photographic accessory of the year.

The Wandrd Prvke 21 provides an impressive balance of intelligent, rugged design with outstanding weight distribution and comfort. It’s also incredibly versatile: a roll-top provides an additional 4L of storage and the internal ‘Camera Cube’ can be completely removed. There’s also plenty of external storage pockets and even loops to attach bulky gear, like a sleeping bag, to the bottom of the pack. In short, this bag looks good, handles well, is super versatile and can carry a ton of gear. As such, it’s a worthy winner of our award this year for best photo accessory.

Read our review of the Wandrd Prvke 21L camera backpack

Best video accessory

Shortlist:

Atomos Ninja V
Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve 15
DJI Ronin-S
Sigma Cine 28mm / 40mm / 105mm T1.5 FF

Runner up: Atomos Ninja V

Video capabilities continue to improve every year, and it’s common these days to find advanced features such as oversampled 4K, 10-bit recording, and Log gamma profiles on many cameras. While it’s possible to shoot amazing footage with just a camera and a lens, specialized video accessories can make your shoot easier or take your production quality up a notch or two.

The Atomos Ninja V is a tool that lets you take complete advantage of your camera’s video capabilities, some of which may only be fully realized when using an off-camera recorder. With features such as 4K/60p recording, support for Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHR, a 5″ daylight viewable screen, anamorphic de-squeeze, and HDR monitoring there’s a lot to like, and it does so in a compact size that’s a perfect match for DSLR or mirrorless cameras. If you want to squeeze every bit of quality out of your camera’s video, or just have a more enjoyable shooting experience, this is an easy way to do it.

Winner: DJI Ronin-S

It’s easy to get stable video when using a tripod, or even when shooting a relatively simple shot using a camera’s image stabilization, but sometimes the key to great video is camera movement. Unfortunately, that’s where many in-camera or in-lens stabilization systems just aren’t quite good enough for things like run-and-gun documentary or narrative filmmaking.

Enter the DJI Ronin-S. It’s not the first one-handed camera gimbal, but it’s our current favorite thanks to its effective operation and ease of use. Setup is a breeze, thanks to its auto-tune feature for gimbal calibration, and the 3-axis motorized gimbal has some of the strongest motors DJI has ever put in a gimbal, allowing the Ronin-S to compensate for slight changes in balance when using zoom lenses. It’s also possible to save three distinct groups of settings and toggle between them at the press of a button – ideal for filmmakers who need to quickly react to changing conditions.

Other great features include an offset roll axis that’s cleverly designed to avoid blocking the screen while shooting, configuration using a smartphone app, and a 12-hour battery that will outlast your arm. It even supports remote camera operation including remote start/stop and a very precise remote follow focus knob.

Read our DJI Ronin-S review

Best smartphone camera

Shortlist:

Apple iPhone XS
Google Pixel 3
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Samsung Galaxy S9+
Sony Xperia XZ3

Runner up: Google Pixel 3

The Pixel 3 is the first smartphone camera to truly rival traditional dedicated cameras, surpassing 1″-type and rivaling cameras with Four Thirds sensors in ‘Night Sight’ mode.* It does this by improving upon the Pixel 2’s already class-leading HDR+ multi-frame fusion technique, now capturing even more frames and merging them using a super resolution algorithm to extract more detail, reduce noise, and remove the need for demosaicing. A new learning-based white balance approach in this mode also renders pleasing colors even in challenging light.

Portrait Mode has been improved using machine learning to understand a variety of depth cues, rendering the most pleasing subject isolation and blur of any smartphone we’ve tested. ‘Synthetic fill flash’ uses learning-based segmentation to identify and re-light faces. ‘Top Shot’ captures perfect moments you may have missed before hitting the shutter button. The Pixel 3 outputs Raw, but these Raw files have image quality that far surpasses what you’d expect from such a small sensor, since they’re the result of stacking and merging up to 15 rapidly captured frames. To sum up: it’s the best smartphone camera for stills we’ve ever seen.

Winner: Apple iPhone XS

The iPhone XS faced fierce competition from the Google Pixel 3 this year, and from a pure still image quality standpoint the Pixel 3 wins hands down. But the iPhone XS takes the top spot overall thanks to a more rounded feature set that includes class-leading video, reliable AF, wide color capture and HDR display of imagery, plus a range of improvements over the original iPhone X.

New in the XS is a larger image sensor in the main camera for better dynamic range and low light performance, and a refined Portrait Mode. In a snub to traditional cameras, the XS allows you to choose your aperture after you shoot – all the way from F1.4 to F16. Cleverly, Apple has modeled the optical properties of real full-frame portrait lenses to accurately – and attractively – simulate ‘real’ bokeh.

Perhaps the biggest improvement though is Apple’s new ‘Smart HDR’ feature, which takes advantage of the faster processing capabilities of the phone to capture wider dynamic scenes in stills, panoramas, and even in video up to 4K/30p, making the HEVC 4K footage the best we’ve seen from a smartphone. Pair all this with improved contrast on one of the best displays on the market, with accurate color management under the hood so you get the benefits of the wide gamut display without a loss in color accuracy, and you have one of the best smartphones available today.

Best prosumer camera drone

Shortlist:

DJI Mavic 2 Pro
DJI Mavic Air
Parrot ANAFI
Skydio R1

Runner-up: DJI Mavic Air

Drones have quickly become one of the most exciting new areas of photography, allowing anyone to capture stunning photos or video that previously required a helicopter or cable-cam.

The DJI Mavic Air is an ultra-compact, foldable quadcopter that’s small enough to be a true ‘take anywhere’ drone. Its 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor records 4K/30p or 1080/120p video at up to 100 Mbps, captures 12MP Raw photos, and ‘QuickShots’ modes make it easy to get cinematic looking footage even if you’re a beginner. It even includes DJI’s Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS), which uses numerous sensors to detect and go around obstacles so you can continue following your subject.

Winner: DJI Mavic 2 Pro

The Mavic 2 Pro is the model that drone enthusiasts had been asking DJI to create, and in 2018 DJI delivered. It has all the great features of the original Mavic Pro, including a small, foldable form factor, but adds a camera built around a larger 1″-type sensor with Hasselblad branding. It’s the perfect match for the person who values exceptional photo and video quality in a compact package.

The Mavic 2 Pro’s standout features don’t stop with the larger camera, however. It’s capable of recording 4K/30p at up to 100 Mbps, supports both H.264 and H.265 codecs, offers 10-bit recording with DJI’s DLog-M gamma profile, and uses DJI’s OcuSync 2.0 video transmission system for reliable transmission over long distances. It also includes APAS for obstacle avoidance using 10 sensors that provide omnidirectional coverage around the aircraft and numerous intelligent flight modes for cinematic shots.

Best zoom lens

Shortlist:

Canon RF 28-70mm F2
Canon RF 24-105mm F4
Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD
Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD

Runner-up: Canon RF 28-70mm F2

A lot of lenses get released every year, and it’s always a challenge to whittle the year’s releases down to a shortlist – let alone to pick a winner. That said, this year several lenses stood out from the pack.

Canon’s impressive RF 28-70mm F2L is perhaps the clearest indication that despite the mid-level positioning of the EOS R, the RF system should be taken seriously by professionals. This durable, weather-sealed lens features super-advanced glass and coatings designed to keep aberrations to a minimum despite its ambitious continuous maximum aperture. The result is a fast zoom that offers stunning image quality throughout its range.

Arguably falling into the category of ‘stunt lens’, the 28-70mm F2 is almost comically large and unbalanced on the R, but it’s clearly designed for a future – more professional – camera. We can’t wait.

See some samples from the
Canon RF 28-70mm F2

Winner: Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD

At the other end of the scale from Canon’s behemoth is the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD. It might not be the widest or fastest (thanks to our runner-up), standard zoom of its kind, but it’s the smallest and lightest, and one of the best nonetheless.

The Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD has the distinction of being the first third-party zoom lens designed from scratch to be compatible with Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras. It has seriously impressed us with its optical quality, close-up ability, relatively fast (and silent) autofocus, pleasant handling and excellent value for money. A perfect companion to Sony’s a7 III, we hope that the 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD is the first of many future mirrorless-oriented lenses from Tamron, which has really impressed us in the past couple of years with its range of high-quality Di prime and zoom.

See our sample gallery shot with the
Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD

Best prime lens

Shortlist:

Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM
Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM
Sony FE 400mm F2.8 GM
Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN

Runner-up: Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary

The launch of several new mirrorless systems has helped 2018 become a bumper year for interesting prime lenses. The fact that after a lot of discussion, Canon’s ambitious (and super-sharp) RF 50mm F1.2L just missed out on an award gives a hint of how hotly-contested this category was.

One of the lenses that really caught our eye this year was the Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary. The 56mm F1.4 is the third in a set of affordable Sigma F1.4 lenses for Sony’s E-mount and the Micro Four Thirds system, and like the existing 30mm and 16mm lenses, the 56mm makes most sense on the APS-C format, where it’s equivalent to a classic 85mm portrait lens.

The 56mm F1.4 DC DN is small, light and, with an MSRP under $ 500, very sensibly priced. More than this, though, it’s sharp, fast to focus and exhibits pleasant bokeh, as a portrait lens should. In our view this makes it a great addition to the otherwise slightly under-served Sony APS-C E-mount lineup. We only wish it were available for other mirrorless APS-C mounts.

See our Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN
sample gallery

Winner: Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM

We’ve seen a lot of small, OK lenses this year, and a lot of very large, very good lenses, but it’s really nice when we see a manufacturer make a small excellent lens. The Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM is exactly that.

This medium-wide prime lens for Sony’s a7-series and a9 mirrorless cameras (it’s also a useful 36mm F2.1 equivalent on APS-C) is a great example of the lens-maker’s art. Superbly suited to landscape and astrophotography, the 24mm F1.4 is equally useful for low-light candid photography and portraiture. It’s uncannily sharp edge-to-edge wide open with little to no coma, bokeh is smooth, and longitudinal chromatic aberration – that purple and green fringing we loathe on many fast wide primes – is well controlled. Our decision this year was unanimous – the Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM takes the well-deserved top spot in our award for best prime lens of 2018.

Read more about the
Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM

Best compact/fixed lens camera

Shortlist:

Fujifilm XF10
Nikon Coolpix P1000
Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI

Runner up: Nikon Coolpix P1000

This year was another relatively slow one for compact cameras, but the models in our shortlist all have something special to offer.

Taking the runner-up spot this year is the Nikon Coolpix P1000, distinguished by its wonderfully bonkers lens, which covers an equivalent focal length range of 24-3000mm. This kind of zoom would be useless if the pictures were terrible, but the P1000’s lens is very impressive given its extraordinary range, and capable of everything from sweeping landscapes to sharp lunarscapes, thanks in part to a very effective effective image stabilization system. The bulky Coolpix P1000 might not be the ideal camera for everyone, but it has some unique tricks up its (very long) sleeve.

Read our review of the
Nikon Coolpix P1000

Winner: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI

Another year, another Sony Cyber-shot RX100-series compact camera. What will it be this time – a faster lens? Better 4K video? Boosted continuous shooting? Well, in fact the RX100 VI offers none of those things compared to its predecessor the RX100 V/A, but instead adds a more versatile 24-200mm zoom to the lineup, which trades brightness (and a built-in ND filter) for extra telephoto reach.

The RX100 VI doesn’t replace the older RX100 V/A, but it does fill a gap in the established RX100-series lineup for a true ‘travel zoom’ camera, offering advanced video and stills features in a compact package, with a versatile zoom lens. Photographers have been asking Sony for a longer zoom in the RX100-series for a long time, and with the RX100 VI, Sony delivered, without compromising too much of what we love about the series as a whole. As such the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI takes our award for best compact / fixed-lens camera of 2018.

Read our review of the
Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI

Best consumer stills/video camera

Shortlist:

Fujifilm X-H1
Fujifilm X-T3
Nikon Z6
Sony Alpha a7 III

Runner up: Nikon Z6

Once the shape of things to come, ‘hybrid’ cameras that offer high-quality video modes alongside stills photography features are now the norm. The new video standard of course is 4K, and all of this year’s shortlisted cameras offer excellent 4K video features alongside 24MP+ stills capture.

Taking the runner-up spot this year is the Nikon Z6 – the companion model to the flagship Z7 in Nikon’s new Z-system lineup. The Z6 offers lower-resolution 24MP stills capture than the 46MP Z7, but cleaner, distortion-free 4K video, and slightly better autofocus sensitivity in low light, too. Coupled with effective in-body stabilization and a supremely adaptable lensmount, the Z6 is a highly attractive camera for hybrid stills and video shooting, and Nikon’s most convincing video camera yet.

Learn more about the
Nikon Z6

Winner: Fujifilm X-T3

Every year, there’s at least one DPReview Awards category where we struggle to reach a unanimous decision. After a lot of discussion we awarded first prize in this category to the Fujifilm X-T3.

At first glance very similar to its direct predecessor the X-T2, this year’s model is in fact a major upgrade, offering a substantially improved set of video and stills features. In fact, despite its lack of IBIS, the 4K/60-capable X-T3 is arguably a better 4K video platform than the nominal video flagship of the X-series, the X-H1. Its ability to capture 4K/60p footage in 10-bit even puts it ahead of the latest models in Panasonic’s video-centric GH series.

All of this is made more impressive by the fact that until quite recently, Fujifilm’s X-series lagged seriously behind its competition in terms of video. The X-T3 is the clearest indication yet that Fujifilm has well and truly joined the game.

Read our review of the Fujifilm X-T3

Best entry-level ILC

Shortlist:

Canon EOS M50
Fujifilm X-T100
Nikon D3500
Olympus PEN E-PL9

Runner-up: Nikon D3500

Entry-level cameras are among the most important products in every manufacturer’s lineup. Once a new photographer has invested in a system, the hope is that they’ll stay loyal, growing their investment in lenses, accessories and – in the future – more advanced cameras.

The Nikon D3500 is a modest upgrade to the last-generation D3400, but it still offers the excellent 24MP sensor of its predecessor, and despite its entry-level positioning the D3500 handles very nicely, thanks in part to a redesigned, deeper grip. For anyone looking for an inexpensive first camera to grow and learn with, the D3500 fits the bill nicely. As such, it takes the runner-up spot in this year’s DPReview Award for best entry-level ILC.

Winner: Canon EOS M50

Canon’s EF-M range occupies an awkward spot in Canon’s current product portfolio – based around the APS-C sensor format, but incompatible with the lenses from Canon’s newer, full-frame RF mirrorless mount. Nevertheless, the best EOS M cameras are really nice to use, and have a lot to offer the beginner and enthusiast photographer alike.

The DSLR-styled EOS M50 is one of the standout cameras in the EF-M lineup, offering an attractive combination of pleasant handling, solid stills photography features, and usable 4K video in a small, lightweight package. As a beginners’ ILC, the M50 is easy to use, powerful, and un-intimidating. As such, it takes the winning spot in our award category this year for best entry-level ILC.

Read our review of the
Canon EOS M50

Best midrange ILC

Shortlist:

Canon EOS R
Fujifilm X-T3
Nikon Z6>
Sony Alpha a7 III

Runner-up: Fujifilm X-T3

This year, the mid-range interchangeable lens camera segment saw a lot of action. All of our shortlisted models are capable of excellent still image quality, and feature a range of powerful features. Three of the four are also capable of superb 4K video capture, making them true ‘hybrid’ cameras of the sort unthinkable just a few years ago.

Runner-up in this competitive category is the Fujifilm X-T3, one of the most impressive cameras released in 2018. Despite its APS-C sensor, the X-T3’s image quality at low and medium ISO sensitivities gives a lot of full-frame cameras a run for their money, and its 4k video features are very competitive. The X-T3 is one of those rare cameras that is better than it probably needed to be, and this is reflected in the fact that it beat out several full-frame models to the runner-up spot in this years’ award for best midrange ILC.

Read our review of the Fujifilm X-T3

Winner: Sony Alpha a7 III

One of the full-frame cameras that the X-T3 has to compete against is one of our favorite cameras released all year – the Sony Alpha a7 III, which takes the winning spot in this year’s DPR Awards category for best mid-range ILC. The a7 III won out thanks to its stabilized full-frame sensor, powerful autofocus system and excellent 4K video features. For anyone looking for a ‘do it all’ camera without spending a lot more money, the a7 III is hard to beat. For these reasons, it takes the top spot in this years’ DPReview award for best midrange ILC.

Read our review of the Sony Alpha a7 III

Best high-end ILC

Shortlist:

Fujifilm GFX 50R
Nikon Z7
Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S
Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

Runner-up: Fujifilm GFX 50R

The high-end ILC category saw some serious innovation this year, from Fujifilm’s slimmed-down medium format GFX 50R to Nikon’s all-new Z7. At the other end of the sensor size scale was the video-centric Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and the ultra-rugged G9.

This year’s runner-up spot is taken by the camera with the biggest sensor of all – the Fujifilm GFX 50R. Designed for active photographers, the 50R takes the best bits of the more costly 50S – including its most important feature – the excellent 50MP CMOS sensor – and packages them in a smaller, more affordable, rangefinder-style body. Medium-format has never looked more attractive.

Winner: Nikon Z7

The Nikon Z7 marks the beginning of a new era for the stalwart Japanese camera manufacturer, debuting the new full-frame mirrorless Z mount. With a wider diameter than the 1950s-era F-mount and a shorter flange-back, the Z mount is designed to be futureproof, and the enthusiast-oriented Z7 is an appropriately bold camera to kick things off.

In many respects akin to a mirrorless D850, the Z7 offers a proven 46MP sensor, traditional Nikon handling, deep customization and a powerful 4K video feature set with impressive video AF. While stills autofocus could be improved, the Z7 is a formidable camera signaling Nikon’s dedication to the future, and as such it takes the top spot in this year’s DPReview Award for best high-end ILC.

Read our review of the Nikon Z7

DPReview innovation award

Shortlist:

Canon RF 28-70mm F2
Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Google Pixel 3

Runner-up: Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI

Innovations come in all shapes and sizes, but sometimes the simplest innovation can have the biggest impact on how you make photographs. Take for example the Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI, an on-camera flash that uses a simple technique to demystify the art of bouncing light.

For years, hot shoe flashes have been able to measure distance to subject. Canon’s Speedlite 470EX-AI takes this simple action several steps further. By first measuring the distance to subject, followed by the distance to ceiling, the 470EX-AI can predict the optimal bounce angle and set itself there, automatically. Even cooler, it re-positions itself when switching from portrait to landscape orientation.

Learn more about the Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI

Winner: Google Pixel 3

Every year brings new innovation in the camera industry, and this year was particularly busy with new entrants in the mirrorless and full-frame camera markets, and stellar new optics. Despite this competitive landscape, we unanimously picked the Google Pixel 3 for our ‘Innovation of the Year’ award.

The Pixel 3 is the first smartphone camera to truly challenge traditional cameras from an image quality standpoint, surpassing 1″-type and rivaling cameras with Four Thirds sensors in ‘Night Sight’ mode. It does this by improving upon the Pixel 2’s already class-leading HDR+ multi-frame fusion technique, now capturing up to 15 frames and merging them using a super resolution algorithm to extract more detail, reduce noise, and remove the need for demosaicing altogether. That allows its image quality to rival higher resolution dedicated cameras with Bayer filter arrays, and allows for digital zoom that rivals modest optical zoom modules.

Google is also at the forefront of applying machine learning to photography. This pays off in more accurate white balance, sharper images, as well as ‘real’-looking background blur and subject isolation for the best portraits we’ve seen outside of a dedicated camera. The list goes on, but importantly: these techniques are bringing high quality photography – and videography – to the masses, on unprecedentedly small and convenient devices. This democratization of the art using technology is what garners the Google Pixel 3 our Innovation of the Year award.

DPReview product of the year, 2018

Shortlist:

Fujifilm X-T3
Nikon Z7
Sony Alpha a7 III
Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD

Runner-up: Fujifilm X-T3

Picking the single best product of the year is always a difficult task, and if we’re being honest, it’s impossible. Everyone’s needs are different. There has never been a better time to be a photographer, and in 2018 there are fantastic cameras, lenses and accessories out there for everyone.

But pick we must. This year’s shortlist is comprised of those products that represent, in our collective opinion, four of the best bits of gear released in 2018. Two of them really stood out, though. Runner-up is the Fujifilm X-T3 which – in case you didn’t already get the message – we really like. Fujifilm didn’t need to make the X-T3 as good as it is – hell, Fujifilm didn’t even need to replace the X-T2 yet – but they did, and they did. And the resulting camera is one of the best APS-C format ILCs money can buy, even rivaling some full-frame models.

Read our review of the Fujifilm X-T3

Winner: Sony Alpha a7 III

And the winning spot this year is taken by the Sony a7 III. Arguably the best-value full-frame ILC available right now, the a7 III is a superbly versatile camera for both stills and video imaging, at a great price. Other cameras in Sony’s lineup offer higher stills resolution and some nice extras, but the a7 III takes most of the essentials, and packages them inside an attractive, very usable and affordable body. As such, the a7 III is a worthy winner of our most important award – the best product of 2018.

Click here to read our Sony Alpha a7 III

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Nighttime vs Daytime Tree Photos

1. Ambient Light by Accident

2. Ambient Light on Purpose

3. Pop-Up Flash

4. External Flash

5. Window Light

Practice Makes Perfect

1. Colors of the Seashore

2. Crashing Waves

3. Fast-Flowing Water – Sea Shot

4. A Tranquil Scene

5. The Colors of Sunset

6. Cloud Formations

Conclusion

Getting the most out of Sony’s autofocus technologies

Sports and action

Recommended AF settings for sports and action:

Portraits

Recommended AF settings for portraits:

Travel and general photography

Recommended AF settings for general photography:

Landscape photography

Recommended AF settings for landscape photography:

Video

Recommended AF settings for video:

Data About Data

How Is This Information Useful to Beginner Photographers?

Use Exif Data To Make Comparisons

Analyze and Anticipate

Conclusion

DPReview Awards 2018

Best photography accessory

Shortlist:

Runner up: Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD

Winner: Wandrd Prvke 21L Backpack

Best video accessory

Shortlist:

Runner up: Atomos Ninja V

Winner: DJI Ronin-S

Best smartphone camera

Shortlist:

Runner up: Google Pixel 3

Winner: Apple iPhone XS

Best prosumer camera drone

Shortlist:

Runner-up: DJI Mavic Air

Winner: DJI Mavic 2 Pro

Best zoom lens

Shortlist:

Runner-up: Canon RF 28-70mm F2

Winner: Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD

Best prime lens

Shortlist:

Runner-up: Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary

Winner: Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM

Best compact/fixed lens camera

Shortlist:

Runner up: Nikon Coolpix P1000

Winner: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI

Best consumer stills/video camera

Shortlist:

Runner up: Nikon Z6

Winner: Fujifilm X-T3

Best entry-level ILC

Shortlist:

Runner-up: Nikon D3500

Winner: Canon EOS M50

Best midrange ILC

Shortlist:

Runner-up: Fujifilm X-T3

Winner: Sony Alpha a7 III

Best high-end ILC

Shortlist:

Runner-up: Fujifilm GFX 50R

Winner: Nikon Z7

DPReview innovation award

Shortlist:

Runner-up: Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI

Winner: Google Pixel 3

DPReview product of the year, 2018