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How to Get Kids Interested in Photography

25 Oct

Kids are fickle creatures. One day they’re into painting and drawing, the next day they want to learn to play guitar, and pretty soon they’ve moved on to something else entirely like soccer or basket-weaving. For parents who want to get kids interested in photography, it can seem like a losing battle. They are competing with all the other hobbies and activities occupying their kids’ time and energy, and when they finally show some interest, it can be fleeting at best. Fortunately, there are some simple strategies that you can use to build a child’s interest in taking photos, and perhaps help you form a stronger bond with them in the process.

How to Get Kids Interested in Photography 1

Get Them a Camera

The first step in getting kids interested in photography is to get them a camera! If you’re comfortable with them using yours, then by all means, hand over your DSLR, mobile phone, or even an old point-and-shoot. Another option is to let them use their mobile phone or tablet. I found that the best solution for me and my kids was to get them each an old point-and-shoot camera from eBay. These old cameras still pack a big punch and can go a long way towards igniting a child’s interest in photography.

How to Get Kids Interested in Photography 2

Old point-and-shoot cameras, like this Canon A70, can’t stack up to their modern counterparts, but they are very inexpensive and often have features like optical zooms and creative filter modes. Perfect for getting kids interested in photography.

Give Your Kids Some Photographic Parameters

I used to be the computer teacher for a K-12 school, and I remember helping kindergarteners and first-graders explore creative apps. These apps allowed them to draw, create music, and express themselves in various ways while learning more about the digital devices they were using. One valuable lesson I learned soon after my first semester began was that children almost always produced better results when given a framework in which to work.

Allowing total freedom usually meant a classroom full of blank stares and nervous confusion, but giving a few parameters like ‘draw a family of elves’ or ‘create music that makes you think of summer’ was like watering the parched earth, and all sorts of creative results soon sprang forth. The same principle holds true for adults who want to help children explore photography. Giving some structure or rules goes a long way towards helping them explore.

How to Get Kids Interested in Photography 3

This concept seems counter-intuitive, but it works more often than you might think. Instead of giving a camera to a child and telling him or her to ‘take pictures of something’ try offering some guidance or rules. Say things like…

  • Take five photos of something that makes you happy
  • Go outside and take 15 pictures of bugs
  • Find photos that represent every color of the rainbow
  • Take a piece of silverware from the kitchen and photograph it in ten different, unusual settings
  • Find a friend and take pictures of as many emotions as you can think of
  • Go to the park and take photos of 13 different flowers

Scenarios and parameters like these give children enough direction to be creative and explore photography while also producing results they can be proud of.

How to Get Kids Interested in Photography 4

The rule here was ‘take pictures of things that move.’

Let Your Kids Break the Rules

One of the fun, or frustrating, parts about giving kids some rules is watching how quickly they want to break them. Sometimes that’s not okay, especially when breaking the rules would put them in danger or cause harm to other people. When embarking on creative endeavors, it never hurts to experiment and push the boundaries. Some might say you have to learn the rules first to know how to break them, and I understand that. However, if your only goal is to get kids excited about taking pictures, don’t worry so much about technicalities such as understanding the ‘Rule of Thirds’ or the ‘Brenizer Method.’ Instead, just let them push some simple rules you set forth.

How to Get Kids Interested in Photography 5

My kids and I went out to find pictures of animals, but one of them wanted to take pictures of flags instead. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and he got some pictures like this one that he loves as a result.

For example, if you start with the first tip and tell your child to take five photos of something that makes them happy, it won’t be long before they ask you if they can take ten photos of something that makes them nervous. They might want to take photos of grass instead of flowers, or want to play with the video feature instead of taking still images. It’s all about process over product, and if children learn and have fun by trying what they want to do, then there’s no reason to stop them.

Go on a Photo Walk With Them

When you think of the term Photo Walk you might conjure images of rain-soaked neon lights in Hong Kong, or impossibly tall skyscrapers of New York, or perhaps pedestrians perambulating past patisseries in a small French villa. Photo walks can be simpler than that, and you can do them right in your neighborhood, whether you live in the city, in the suburbs, or on a tropical island. The best part about photo walks is that they’re a fantastic activity that you can do with kids to help them get excited about photography.

How to Get Kids Interested in Photography - spider eating grasshopper

My son took this photo of a spider eating a grasshopper while we were on a photo walk. It’s a little out of focus, and the composition isn’t great, but he had fun exploring nature with his camera. That was far more important to me than the technical details.

The first time I took my boys on a photo walk we spent about 40 minutes going a few blocks down the sidewalk they take on their way to school. The territory was very familiar to all of us, but re-framing our little jaunt as a photo-taking exercise put everything in an entirely different perspective. The kids paused every few minutes to snap pictures of flowers, leaves, insects, yard decorations, old cars, and all sorts of other objects they see every day but never really considered as photo subjects.

It was fun to see their eyes light up during the exercise and it was a nice way for us to spend some time together out of the house all doing the same thing. I had my camera too, and my kids were eager to have me take pictures as well. They helped me see familiar things in a brand new way.

How to Get Kids Interested in Photography 6

Kids find even the most mundane things interesting, such as this baseball sitting in a patch of grass.

Be Present With Your Children

One of the more esoteric techniques to employ when finding ways to get kids interested in photography is to make sure you are a part of the experience. If you hand your child a camera and let them play while you do something else, they miss out on your help, encouragement, and excitement as they take pictures and learn about photography. You, in turn, miss out on spending some valuable time with your child that could help build and strengthen the relationship.

Being present with your children when they learn and explore is great for almost any type of activity, not just photography. Learning and exploring with them helps children feel safe and secure. It gives them a sense of belonging and allows them the freedom to create and explore without the fear of judgment or other adverse consequences—essentially meeting all the needs on Maslow’s Hierarchy. You learn together, share moments and create memories, and end up with some beautiful pictures as a result. You create pictures that tell a story of not just a plant or a bird or a lamp post, but a story of a parent putting everything else aside to share an hour learning, exploring and growing with their child.

How to Get Kids Interested in Photography 7

After my son shot some photos of red flowers, the two of us looked through his images together commenting on which ones were our favorite.

Print the Pictures!

As DPS writer Bryan Caporicci once wrote, prints are one of the most meaningful ways that you can enjoy photography and this sentiment applies double when kids are concerned. Anyone who has spent more than five minutes with children knows how eager they are to share stories about their lives, impress you with their accomplishments, and show you talents they have or skills they have learned.

With that in mind, make sure that you find a way to get your child’s pictures off the camera, phone, tablet, or other such digital device and into a frame on the wall or a book on the shelf. Printing photos are easy and relatively inexpensive these days, and it is for your exciting your kids to have physical versions of their pictures to show and share. You could even take it a step further and get some larger prints framed and hung on their bedroom wall to help instill a love for the medium that could last for the rest of their lives.

How to Get Kids Interested in Photography 8

My son asked if he could get this photo printed and framed. I’m not exactly sure what he liked so much about it, but it was a very inexpensive way to encourage his interest in photography.

Things Not to Do

Along with all these ways to help children learn and get excited about taking pictures, it’s also worth mentioning a couple of things not to do. Lest you inadvertently snuff out the photographic flame when it’s in such a fragile state of infancy.

Don’t criticize or over-analyze the photos they take. Focus on the positive aspects of their photos and be encouraging. It’s more about the process of learning than the end product, especially at such a young age.

Don’t give children a camera they don’t understand. An old mobile phone or point-and-shoot camera works well, but a DSLR could easily backfire despite your best intentions. Plenty of adults are confused and befuddled by the buttons and menus on DSLRs, and while kids might have fun experimenting with this type of camera, they could easily get overwhelmed and lose interest.

How to Get Kids Interested in Photography 9

DSLRs can take better pictures than point-and-shoots, but they’re probably going to confuse most young kids.

Don’t make it about you. If you’re taking pictures with your child, let them be the star of the show and not you. Your pictures might be brighter, more colorful, or better from a technical standpoint, but that’s not the point right now. Your child could easily become discouraged if you compare their work to that of a seasoned adult. So, put your ego aside and focus on the child and helping nurture her newfound interest instead of showing off your pictures.

Don’t continually push them to improve. Let your children grow and develop at their own pace—encourage them, validate their work, and let the journey be the reward. Their interest could wax and wane over time, and they may show an intense interest in photography for a week, followed by two months of not using their camera at all. That’s normal, and if you try to force the issue, you’ll likely see your best intentions wither on the vine.

Sharing your own ideas

Sharing your photography passion with your kids can be incredibly rewarding and exciting. Perhaps some of these ideas give you a starting point if you aren’t quite sure how to begin turning the gears. I’m curious to find out what has worked for you and your kids, and I would love to learn from your experiences as well. Share your ideas, tips, and suggestions in the comments below!

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Focus on Autofocus – Achieving Sharp Images Every Time

25 Oct

Focus on Autofocus 1

Focus on autofocus – this article goes out to all my fellow focus-obsessed shooters who strive for consistently tack-sharp images no matter what the scene, subject matter, or lighting situation.

Have you ever walked away from a shoot feeling confident that you nailed every last shot only to discover, upon closer review, that the majority of your captures are slightly or significantly front or rear focused? If so, this article is most definitely for you!

My eyes have been drawn to and compelled by explicitly sharp, detailed, and descriptive imagery since I was a young man pouring over the works of photojournalists such as Gordon Parks, Diane Arbus, Elliot Erwitt, and Eugene Richards to name a few.

These photographers not only captured substantive and spectacular content (moments) but did so with a technical acumen that titillated my visual senses and sent chills down my spine. I wanted to create images just as clean and captivating as those I idolized.

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Autofocus in the age of modern digital technology offers quick, responsive subject acquisition and focus, but that technology sometimes yields inconsistent and unreliable results when creating images in chaotic environments or adverse situations—and, surprisingly, sometimes even in ideal situations.

My intention with this article is to discuss autofocus (AF): how it works and the various AF modes and points that are available to help ensure more consistent focus even under the most challenging circumstances.

Autofocus systems are incredibly complex and providing an in-depth explanation of precisely how they work, would take far too long and lead us astray. So here’s a concise breakdown of the two types of passive autofocus modes.

Phase Detection

Focus on Autofocus 3

Phase detection is most common in DSLRs and employs what is known as a beam-splitter. The beam-splitter directs the light (the image) onto two different microsensors, thus creating two separate and identical images. These are aligned (brought into focus) automatically using the camera’s internal software.

If you’ve ever used an older film camera with manual focus lenses, you may recall how the image or scene would appear split in the center of the viewfinder, and focus was achieved by aligning the two misaligned images. Phase detection works this way.

Contrast Detection

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Contrast detection is arguably more accurate than phase detection, especially when shooting subjects (portraits) close-up with a wide aperture (i.e., f/1.4–f/2.8). The technology behind it is less cumbersome (lightweight) and less expensive. We see contrast detection AF systems most commonly in smaller and lighter mirrorless cameras.

Phase detection is more robust and more expensive, but it is also more responsive and reliable with subjects that are in motion or moving erratically. The mechanics of contrast detection are much leaner, lightweight and less expensive, but this system is notably slower and less responsive than phase detection.

For this article, I focus (no pun intended) on DSLR systems since they remain—for the time being—the mainstay for fast-action, low-light photography (i.e., photojournalism, sports, wildlife, and wedding photography).

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I’ve worked extensively with both Canon and Nikon systems (each has their strengths and weaknesses), but based on my personal experience Nikon prevails when it comes to fast, accurate focus acquisition under adverse low-light situations with subjects in motion.

I shoot mostly using available light, fixed lenses, and wide apertures—typically between f/1.4 and f.2.8. There is no margin for missed shots when it comes to capturing key moments for wedding clients.

I need speed and accuracy and strive for consistency. I need to be able to capture those decisive moments as they unfold, but I also want tack-sharp images. Nothing frustrates me more than capturing great content that is slightly out of focus.

I need my focus to land precisely where I want the viewer’s eye to arrive first. Typically, that focal point is the main subject present in the scene or that subject’s eyes if the image is more portrait-like (rather than a scene with multiple subjects).

The issue of precise and accurate focus becomes even more pronounced and problematic when focusing on subjects close to the lens or when using fast lenses with wide-open apertures. A thorough and comprehensive understanding of your camera’s autofocus modes and AF points prove to be paramount in these cases.

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When capturing stationary or slow-moving subjects, I achieve the best results with AF-S. I use the camera’s center focus point, which is considered the most accurate and reliable AF point. I acquire and lock focus with the center AF point then quickly recompose and capture.

Today’s cameras come equipped with many focal points. Depending on which make and model of camera you’re using, you could choose from up to 153 points. AF points typically light up in red or green when the shutter-release button is halfway depressed.

Focusing Modes (for Both Nikon & Canon)

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Autofocus Automatic (AF-A) Nikon | AI Focus AF Canon

In Autofocus Automatic (AF-A), the camera analyzes the scene and determines which AF point/s to use. Based on whether or not the subject is moving or stationary, it automatically switches between AF-S and AF-C to achieve focus.

Single Servo AF (AF-S) Nikon | One-shot AF Canon

In Single-Servo AF (AF-S), the selected AF point locks focus on the subject as long as the shutter release button remains partially depressed. Focus lock is typically indicated in the viewfinder by the illumination of a solid circle.

Once focus is acquired and locked, the scene is recomposed without losing focus on the chosen subject/s. This AF mode is ideal for subjects that are stationary.

Continuous Servo AF (AF-C) Nikon | AI Servo AF Canon

In Continuous Servo AF (AF-C) focus, the camera continues to focus (and adjust focus) on the selected AF point up until the moment the shutter is activated. This AF mode is ideal for subjects that are moving.

The AF Area Mode (AF points)

In addition to these focusing modes, Nikon and Canon DSLRs come equipped with numerous AF points and AF area mode options.

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Nikon AF Area Modes

Nikon allows you to choose the following AF area mode options:

Single Point – The photographer determines a single AF point manually, and the camera focuses on the subject in the selected AF point, working best with stationary subjects.

Dynamic Area – The photographer determines the AF point manually, as with Single Point AF (above). However, if the subject moves and leaves the selected AF point area, the camera adjusts accordingly based on surrounding AF points and refocuses accordingly. This setting works best with subjects that are moving unpredictably.

Auto – The camera determines which AF point contains the subject and focuses automatically.

3D – The photographer determines the AF point manually. Once the shutter release button is partially depressed, and the camera achieves focus, the photographer recomposes the scene, and the camera automatically shifts to a new AF point to maintain focus for the selected subject.

Canon AF Area Modes

Canon’s AF Area Mode options are very similar to Nikon’s but are predicated more so on groupings of AF points to achieve focus.

AF Point Expansion – This mode allows you to select a primary AF point accompanied by a surrounding 4 or 8 additional AF points for subjects that are moving or don’t offer much contrast for quick focus acquisition.

Zone AF – This provides a cluster of either 9 or 12 moveable AF point groupings to achieve focus on the nearest subject that falls within in the zone you’ve selected.

Auto AF Point Selection – In this mode, all AF points are active and track focus much like Nikon’s 3D AF mode.

If you’re anything like me, options can be exciting but also incredibly overwhelming. When reading camera manuals or highly technical tutorials, I want to ball up in the fetal position and go to my happy place.

So, I urge you to take a deep breath and read on as I speak more prosaically about how to synthesize and integrate this information for the practical application and use in the field.

I’m primarily a portrait and wedding photographer whose obsession with making sharp images has led to a great deal of experimentation throughout my 20-year career. I have worked with every pro DSLR body and lens combination imaginable and what I’m about to tell you isn’t a secret; it’s an affirmation.

Lens Calibration

First, I have achieved my best focus and image sharpness results by using fixed proprietary lenses. Proper lens calibration is also instrumental in achieving optimal results with DSLRs and proprietary lens combinations – both fixed and zooms. Lens calibration is the very first step you must take to achieve consistency and accuracy when it comes to focus.

Nikon offers AF fine-tuning with some of their newer or newly released DSLR pro bodies, and I can’t rave enough about what a valuable tool this is. Canon also allows its shooters to fine-tune and calibrate their pro lenses with their pro bodies, but for right now it remains a manual process.

If you’re interested in learning more about Nikon’s AF fine-tuning, please visit https://fstoppers.com/gear/how-get-most-nikons-auto-af-fine-tune-194063. This video provides a great tutorial that enables you to harness the power of this awesome feature!

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Know that no camera body lens combination is ever a perfect match and that all body/lens combinations can benefit from calibrating your lenses. Whether you have a newer Nikon that allows you to calibrate automatically, or you own a Canon system and have to perform lens calibration manually, this is the genesis of consistently tack-sharp imagery.

My experimentation with AF points and AF modes is equally extensive. I have come to find that center point focus, and Single-Servo AF (AF-S) delivers more consistently for stationary or slow-moving objects than any other available combination of AF point and focusing mode.

I prefer to use the AF center point to achieve and lock focus, then recompose my scene for final image capture, rather than using AF points located nearer to the edge of the viewfinder. I haven’t always shot this way but discovered through comparison that this method was quicker and more reliable and that the focus was also far more accurate shot after shot.

Your camera’s AF points and focusing modes rely heavily upon contrasts present in the scene. The AF center point discerns contrast and thus achieves focus faster and more accurately than points closer to the edge of the viewfinder or image. Here contrast, clarity, and brightness get stifled by vignetting and optical aberrations that occur in all lenses—especially toward their edges and corners.

Additionally, the AF center points are cross-type focusing points, which are capable of focusing on lines in two directions, horizontally and vertically.

Focusing on Moving Subjects

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When focusing for moving subjects, I have found that using Continuous-Servo AF (AF-C) in combination with Dynamic Area AF mode (Nikon) or Zone AF (Canon) delivers the best, most consistent results even in extreme low-lighting conditions.

Remember, Dynamic and Zone AF modes allow for the selection of AF point groupings ranging from 4-8 point groups to maintain constant focus tracking for subjects in motion.

When I’m a bit further away from subjects that are moving, I find that shooting in Continuous-Servo AF (AF-C) in combination with 3D area AF mode (Nikon) or Auto AF (Canon) produces the most consistent results.

For example, when I’m shooting the bride and groom’s first dance, 3D AF-C is my go-to, as it allows me to tell the camera which subject/s I want in focus and maintain that focus continuously as the subject/s move within the frame or I recompose the scene myself.

More on shooting moving subjects here.

Shooting Portraits

I think the most significant focus challenges come with shooting portraits or close-up details with longer lenses (50mm or greater) at apertures of f/1.2–f/2.8. This is where the pros separate from the amateurs.

Many photographers want to achieve the striking visual effect (bokeh) we see when shooting a subject wide open (f/1.2 – f/2.8) and nailing focus on the eyes. In these instances, there is no margin for error. Sometimes you see just a centimeter of sharpness—and if you miss it, the image is unusable (at least in my opinion). It’s a significant risk with huge rewards.

I’m often asked if there is a trick to nailing eye sharpness in portraits shot at such shallow depths of field. The ‘trick’ is to know how all of your equipment works. Know how each lens works with the body to which it’s paired, and which AF point or focusing mode produces best results when shooting shallow for that particular subject or scene.

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For me, the reward is only worth the risk if I possess the technical acumen and confidence to achieve the desired result at least 8 out of 10 times (that’s my standard).

Consider the following: When shooting at 85mm set to f/1.8 with a subject to camera distance of 1 meter, you only have around a 1.3cm depth of field. If you use the center AF point in AF-S to set, lock focus, and recompose before capturing the image, it is highly unlikely your razor thin plane of focus will land where you initially locked focus.

It’s basic trigonometry.

The slight change in camera angle from recomposing (or even breathing), drastically affects (shifts) the plane of focus, resulting in the cheek, nose, ears, or chin (rather than the eyes) being in focus.

So unless you want the subject’s eyes positioned dead-center of the frame in all the portraits you shoot with a shallow aperture, you’ll need a more creative and effective strategy.

In my experience, using Continuous Servo AF (AF-C) and selecting a group of 4 to 6 Dynamic AF points near the eye is the best way to achieve eye sharpness in this precarious scenario.

However, I have found shooting in Continuous Frame or High-Speed mode, and manually making micro adjustments to the focus while the shutter is activated, is the only surefire way you’ll capture at least 1 or 2 frames where eyes are tack-sharp.

Conclusion

Autofocus is a powerful and convenient tool that has helped evolve and elevate photography to heights I would have never imagined 20 years ago.

However, with all things mechanical and humanmade, there exists weakness and limitations. That aside, there are no limitations when we speak of imagination or the creative wills that enable us—and compel us—to push those tools well beyond their limits to achieve optimal and desired results; something only possible when we possess the proper knowledge of how those tools work.

As I stated earlier in this article, Autofocus and AF systems are incredibly complex. It’s a topic of great interest and value to many photographers – from novices to seasoned pros alike.

It’s also a rapidly evolving technology, which means that what we know today may not apply tomorrow. Many variables and factors impact and affect AF accuracy and consistency – it’s a multifarious topic for sure. One article alone could never address all of these facets.

I hope that with this article I’ve been able to break the ice and provide useful information that inspires you to hone your skills further. We as photographers rely upon technology to articulate our vision and voices, so it’s not only crucial but also incumbent upon us to understand the technology – so that we may advance our artistry.

That said, I’m looking forward to writing more articles on this topic and carrying forward this conversation so that we may examine more closely and improve our collective focus.

 

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DJI updates geofencing system to better protect airspace around airports

24 Oct

DJI has announced Geospatial Environment Online Version 2.0 (GEO 2.0), a geofencing update for its drones that improves their ability to avoid restricted airspace near airports. The improvements are “based on a more finely-tuned evaluation of risks associated with aircraft approaching and departing different types of airports,” according to Brendan Schulman, DJI VP of Policy & Legal Affairs.

The update will arrive in phases starting in November for airports and airspace in the US. DJI indicates similar upgrades will arrive in other regions, but doesn’t provide a timeline, saying only that they “will follow in due course.”

DJI explains that its new system enables Geospatial Environment Online to create a 3D “bowtie” safety zone around airport runway flight paths; the update also adds complex polygons for placement around non-runway facilities deemed sensitive.

The update also adds restrictions for the final approach corridor of active runways, which are designated as “runaway exclusion zones” by the FAA Reauthorization Act. DJI has dropped AirMap and selected PrecisionHawk as its new North America data provider. The company collaborated with the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to get guidance on GEO 2.0 from general aviation pilots and airports.

DJI drone owners will need to update their drone firmware and the DJI GO 4 flight control app to access the changes.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Apple to fix ‘beauty filter’ issue with iOS 12.1 update

24 Oct

Apple’s iOS 12.1 software update will fix a bug causing the “beautygate” scandal impacting the iPhone XS and XS Max, according to The Verge. Critics have complained about overly smooth skin in selfies taken with the front-facing camera on the iPhone XS, believing it to be the result of a beauty filter akin to what Samsung uses on some of its phones.

Earlier this month, Sebastiaan de With, developer of iOS camera app Halide, had placed blame for the issue on excessive noise reduction, but The Verge reports that Smart HDR is to blame. The feature may incorrectly choose a base frame captured with a longer shutter speed, using this frame for preserving detail in the selfie.

The lack of optical image stabilization for the front camera may result in a slight blur on the frame that smooths out some details, this producing the “beauty filter” look some users have complained about. According to the report, iOS 12.1, which is currently in beta, will fix Smart HDR so that it chooses a frame captured with a short shutter speed, eliminating the issue.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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This lens only existed for a minute and was made from a crystal clear iceberg

24 Oct

French photographer and YouTuber Mathieu Stern is known for his look at rare, vintage glass, but his latest lens might just top it all. While on Iceland’s famous “iceberg beach,” Stern fulfilled his dream of shooting photos and videos with a lens made of ice.

“Shooting photos using an ice lens [has been] my dream for almost 2 years. After some research I saw that almost no one ever tried this crazy idea, mainly because it’s hard as hell to find pure ice, and even harder to get a clear image,” says Stern in the video’s description. “So I had the choice to give up on my idea because it was too hard, or to just level up in the craziness […] If it’s hard to find pure ice in my city, maybe I should go where I could find some 10 000 year old pure ice — Iceland’s famous iceberg beach.”

The night before Stern and his friends were supposed to go to the beach, a “huge” storm went through and took all of the icebergs away from shore. So, they waited a few days and eventually went back three days later at 5am in the morning to get a chunk from one of the icebergs that had made its way to shore.

Stern says it took nearly six hours to create a single working ice lens, after four of them had broken inside of the housing. Every iteration, each of which took 45 minutes to make, was done so with the help of a Japanese cocktail ice ball maker, which Stern had hacked to form the piece of iceberg into a half-sphere.

The housing of the lens he created was 3D-printed, which held the continuously-melting piece of ice in place in front of Stern’s camera. As you could imagine, shooting with the lens was less than ideal. The lens lasted only a minute or so after it was completed and trying to focus as it was melting proved to be a challenge.

According to Stern, no cameras were harmed in the making of the video. As to whether or not he was happy with the result, Stern says “This project is a scientific, artistic and poetic project — I never imagined the result would look like the photos that comes from an ultra modern lens, but I was amazed by the strange beauty of the images I made with the first ever 10,000 year old lens.”

You can read Stern’s detailed account on the creation of the lens and see more of his work on his website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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How to Use a Black and White Filter to Improve Your Photos

24 Oct

In photography, you’re always looking for that extra percentage improvement in your work. One of the best ways you can quickly get this improvement is by using a black and white filter.

Those interested in black and white photography should know about the various filter options available to them. In this article, you’ll discover how to get more dramatic photos simply by changing the color of light coming into your camera.

So read on and find out which filters those are, and when and where best to use them. Now you’ll know all there is to know about the black and white filter options!

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Using yellow, orange or red filters on a partially cloudy day will give you good results.

The Classic Black and White Filter Group

The workhorse filters for black and white photography are undoubtedly the red, orange and yellow filters. These filters can add more punch and drama to your scene, so let’s take a look at what they do and why they’re important.

Yellow Filter

Adding this filter to the front of your lens will add more contrast, which will lead to a more dramatic look. The main way this happens is that the yellow filter will darken the skies while keeping the clouds white. To get the most out of this you’ll need to be photographing on a partially cloudy day. The filter will also add more contrast to the foliage for your nature landscapes. Now, if you’re a cityscape photographer those darker skies will make a skyscraper building jump out of the frame more. This filter will reduce the amount of light coming into the camera, so be aware of this and compensate by increasing the exposure value if needed.

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Buildings will stand out more against the sky when you use filters.

Orange Filter

You may have guessed that using orange as opposed to yellow will in effect dial up all of the effects that the yellow filter makes. Whether you want to darken those skies more is an artistic choice, but it’s always worth having an orange filter in the bag to give you that option. This filter further reduces the amount of light coming into the camera by about 1 stop.

Red Filter

Using this black and white filter gives your photo a dark foreboding look, and makes the viewer sense an incoming storm. It does this because the blue skies become black when you use this filter, so the clouds have a lot of mood and drama to them. Whether your an urban or nature photographer, this filter ensures that those particular elements jump out of the frame much more. Again, as you dial up the contrast that a red filter applies, you reduce the amount of light coming into the camera. You’ll lose around 2 stops of light with a red filter on your lens.

How to Use a Black and White Filter to Improve Your Photos 3

The use of a red filter will give a really moody foreboding look. In this photo, you can see Sinabung volcano in the background.

Other Filter Options For Black and White Photography

There are plenty of other filters. Indeed, circular polarizing filters and neutral density filters work just as well for black and white photography. This article looks to concentrate on filters specific to black and white photography. So beyond the prominent red, orange and yellow filters, what else is out there? The answer is more colored filters – green and blue.

  • Green filter – Use this filter when photographing foliage, it brightens those areas of the image that contain green.
  • Blue filter – This filter works in almost the opposite way of red, orange and yellow filters. It darkens the warm colors and is used to separate images that have a mixture of colors. Another application for this filter is when there is mist or fog. In these scenes, using this filter adds even more mood to your photo.
How to Use a Black and White Filter to Improve Your Photos 4

Street photography is an area that’s popular for black and white photographers.

Using Graduated Filters

The use of graduated filters for landscape photography is still very popular, even with the dawn of post-processing in photography. The aspiration to get the photo right in camera is still very much alive, and it’s great to cut down on extra post-processing if you can. In black and white photography you can use neutral density filters to balance the light out across the frame. There are also sunset filters that can be used to add reds and oranges to the top half of an image. These filters can also be used in black and white photography to selectively add the filter color effect to certain parts of the photo, giving you a little more creative control over your final result.

Screw-on Filters, or a Stacking System?

Filters come in broadly two types; Circular-shaped filters that screw onto the front of your lens and square or rectangular-shaped filters that attach to a bracket. So which system is the best for you? Those looking to use one filter at a time might find the screw-on filters work better. These filters are made of glass and are also more resilient as a result. The stacking option gives you a choice to line up several filters, one in front of the other, and to adjust the horizon line for any graduated filters you may have. So what’s the best system? There are advantages to both, but if pressed, the stacking system is a nice option.

How to Use a Black and White Filter to Improve Your Photos 5

The use of the correct black and white filter can add more mood to a scene.

How About Post-Processing?

These days you can produce an excellent black and white photo through post-processing. There is less need to use filters, and unless you’re using film, the use of physical filters is somewhat redundant. While this is true in some areas of photography, the pervading mantra is it’s better to get your photo right in-camera.

Nik Silver Efex

There is still a place for post-processing though, and one of the best programs out there for this is Nik Silver Efex. This program has a range of filters as well – though not the circular or screw on variety! You can use the program to add either red, orange or yellow to your image. Beyond that are filters like push-process that add contrast and punch to your photo. Finally, you can color cast your photo and add a vignette to it. All the effects you could create in a dark room, are now possible with post-processing.

How to Use a Black and White Filter to Improve Your Photos 6

Of course, you can use programs like Silver Efex to create black and white photos during post-processing.

Try Out a Black and White Filter!

Many people who like photography will no doubt be familiar with these black and white filter options. Which ones do you find the most effective? We’d love to hear your opinions in the comments section.

Those who are new to black and white photography, have you considered using filters? Which are you more likely to use; digital versions or a filter you can attach to your lens? Once again, please share your experience of filters with the community!

Now all that’s left is to go out and make some stunning black and white photos!

 

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ONA teams up with Tutes, Adorama to release new capsule camera bag collection

24 Oct

Camera bag manufacturer ONA has partnered with Adorama and Bronx-based photographer Jose “Tutes” Tutiven to create a pair of camera bags for a new capsule collection.

The collection consists of ONA’s most popular camera bag and backpack, the Bowery and Camps Bay, with a new green and orange colorway that ONA says was “inspired by the classic MA-1 bomber jacket, a reference to Tutes’s personal style and Bronx roots.”

“Known for his trend-setting urban portraiture, Tutes has partnered with both ONA and Adorama since his early days as a full-time photographer,” reads ONA’s press release. “Most notably as one of the first photographers featured in Adorama TV’s popular “Through The Lens” web series.

The bags are constructed of 1000D Cordura material and include pebbled black leather accents around the zippers and compartments. Gunmetal solid brass hardware is used throughout both bags.

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You can purchase the “ONA X Tutes” Bowery bag and Camps Bay backpack on ONA’s website for $ 179 and $ 419, respectively.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon USA revives CarePAK Plus, free accidental damage repair on EOS R, most DSLRs

23 Oct

Canon USA has reintroduced its CarePAK Plus service as a promotional incentive for most of its recent DSLR cameras, as well as for the new EOS R full frame mirrorless body. The service plan offers 13-months’ worth of free accidental damage cover, as well as two Canon Maintenance Services during that period.

The offer covers 10 of the company’s DSLR and the EOS R, and will also be accessible for those buying one of 13 lenses from the L professional series. Customers have a month to register their products for the service, and Canon boasts that it handles everything from calls and emails, to the actual servicing, so you’ll never have to deal with a third party. Below is a complete list of the participating products:

EOS R EOS 6D Mark II EF 24-70mm F2.8 II USM
EOS 1D X Mark II EOS 80D EF 70-200mm F2.8 IS II USM

EOS 5D Mark IV

 EOS 77D EF 70-200mm F2.8 IS III USM
EOS 5D Mark III RF 28-70mm F2 L USM EF 50mm F1.2 L USM
EOS 5Ds RF 50mm F1.2 L USM EF 85mm F1.2 L USM
EOS 5Ds R EF 16-35mm F2.8 L II USM EF 85mm F1.2 L II USM
EOS 6D EF 16-35mm F2.8 L III USM EF 100mm F2.8 L Macro IS USM
EOS 7D Mark II EF 17-40mm F4 L USM EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 L IS II USM
EOS 6D Mark II

The offer applies to products purchased from authorized dealers from now until 5th Jan 2019. See the Canon website for more information.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners

23 Oct

Effective post-processing can be challenging to learn.

If you take photos in RAW format, you need to post process your photos to get them looking good.

Here are seven steps I take in Lightroom and Photoshop with most of the photos I take.

Typically, the photos I take are documentary-style, and I don’t change them with much post-processing. I have developed a workflow to enhance and tweak my photos with the aim of rendering a result similar to how I saw the picture in reality.

Technicalities and alternative variations are kept to a minimum in this article to avoid causing confusion and discouragement. This article is written for beginners starting on their post-processing journey.

7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners

The original unaltered RAW file.

Intention When Post-Processing RAW files

Post-processing software has become very complex and powerful. It is possible to manipulate photos, so they become entirely different from the original. There are dozens of tools and multitudes of ways of achieving the same or similar results.

My intention most for most photographs I post process is to make them look as natural as possible. I believe this is an excellent place to start, even when you want to go on and create more surreal looking images.

Tone range in a photo is one of my primary concerns. Your eyes can usually see a broader range of tone than your camera can record. How to post-process a RAW file to appear as close as possible to what you saw, in reality, is what I want to share with you.

Seven Post Processing Steps

  • Step 1: Process The RAW File
  • Step 2: Open in Photoshop (PS) and Create Two Layer Copies
  • Step 3: Balance the tone range
  • Step 4: Remove Distractions
  • Step 5: Dodge and Burn to Refine
  • Step 6: Crop (if you need to)
  • Step 7: Save a TIFF and a JPG

Step 1: Process The RAW File

7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners

The RAW file with no adjustments.

Choose the photo you want to work with and open it in the ‘Develop Module’ in Lightroom. Take a look at the shadow areas, mid tones, and highlights. Choose what you consider to be an essential part of your photo and pay attention to that when making your adjustments.

For this article, I am using a landscape photo of the view I see from my home. Within it, there are no real extremes or any outstanding main subject. The photo has a pleasing range of tone and color, and I want to see detail in each area – the sky, mountains, and the rice. As an unprocessed RAW file, it looks flat and dull.

Make use of the sliders in the ‘Basic’ panel on the right to begin making adjustments. For my image, I move the ‘Blacks’ slider to the left, darkening the black areas and take the ‘Contrast’ slider to the right up increase the contrast a little. Then move the ‘Shadows’ slider to the right a fraction to bring back detail in the dark areas that I may have lost while moving the previous two sliders. Lastly, I push the ‘Clarity’ slider to the right a bit.

It’s good practice to avoid moving any slider to its extremity because the image quality deteriorates. It’s better to use a combination of the various sliders to achieve the look you want and keep the quality.

The ‘Color Temp’ slider has also been moved towards the blue as the photo is a little too yellow.

I’ve made a Preset in Lightroom with these adjustments, using it on most of my photos, and then tweaking the sliders if need be.

7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners

The RAW file with adjustments.

Step 2: Open in Photoshop and Create Two Layer Copies

About 90% of the photos I post-process go through this step. I have an Action set up in Photoshop that is applied first-up on any photo I process. Make two layer copies and set the Blend Mode of the top layer photo to ‘Screen’ and the middle layer blend mode to ‘Soft Light’.

Creating two additional layers of your photos allows you to add extra punch to them. This extra punch happens by manipulating the top ‘Screen’ layer.

7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners

Opening Photoshop with two new layers created of the photo and Blend Modes changed.

Step 3: Balance the Screen Layer

Adjust the ‘Opacity’ of the layer until the darkest area you want to retain detail in is looking good. In my photo, it is the forest on the mountain that’s in shadow. I adjusted my screen layer to 40%.

7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners

Manipulate the opacity of the top Screen layer.

You can turn off the top to layers to see the changes you have made. The bottom layer is still as you imported it.

Now select the ‘Eraser’ tool and give it an Opacity setting of around 30%. Begin to gently erase the areas of your photo you want to darken. The sky is the area I worked on the most because I wanted to bring out more detail in the clouds.

7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners

Use the Eraser tool to darken some areas that are too bright.

Having the Opacity set at 30% allows you to be more precise in the way you manipulate your photo. I use a pen and tablet which is pressure sensitive and gives me more control than a mouse.

7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners

Turn off the lower two layers and temporarily make the Screen layer 100% opacity to see what you are doing more easily.

Turn off the other layers and temporarily bring the ‘Screen’ layer opacity back to 100%. Doing so makes it easier to see the changes you are making. Turn the layers back on and set the ‘Screen’ layer to the opacity level you chose.

Once you are happy, flatten the image.

Step 4: Remove Distractions

7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners

Use the Patch tool and clone tool to remove distractions.

Use the clone tool or the ‘Patch’ tool to remove distractions from your photo. There’s not too much distracting in my photo, but even taking out the few bright elements enhances the photo. I have used the ‘Patch’ tool to fill in the small section of road that was visible, the electricity poles, a person and a water tower in the distance.

7 Effective Post-Processing Steps For Beginners

Cleaned image with distractions removed using the ‘Patch’ tool.

Step 5: Dodge and Burn to Refine

Zoom your photo to fill your monitor and take a good look at it. Are there still areas which are too dark or too bright? If so, use the ‘Dodge’ and ‘Burn’ tools to fix them. You also may need to use the ‘Burn’ tool on areas you used the ‘Patch’ tool to help them blend in better.

In my photo, I have set the ‘Burn’ tool to an Exposure value of 11% and chosen to work on the ‘Mid-tone’ Range. I have darkened the clouds more and also some of the rice. The clouds now look more natural. The rice in the foreground is a little darker and helps draw your eye into the photo. I have used the ‘Dodge’ tool also on 11% Exposure, to lighten the palm tree.

7 effective post-processing Steps For Beginners

‘Dodge’ and ‘Burn’ to refine the tone range.

Step 6: Crop If You Need To

Take a look at your photo and consider whether cropping it somehow would make it a stronger image. Try it and see if you are not sure. Make a copy to crop and compare with your original. Alternatively, crop it and then use Ctrl+z (cmd+z on Mac) to see the comparison.

Step 7: Save a TIFF File and a JPG File

Saving two files gives you one of full quality and one you can use on the internet. I have a lot of different Photoshop ‘Actions’ set up to resize and save my photos depending on their usage.

7 effective post-processing Steps For Beginners

The photo with post-processing complete.

Not Every Image is Created Equal

Apply these steps with a good dose of flexibility and creativity. Experiment with them to discover alternative ways you can make your photos look.

Based on these, I have alternative steps I apply to some photos to achieve a certain look. As you work your way through these steps, remember the scene you photographed to keep your photos looking as natural as possible.

If you have any other helpful tips, please put them in the comments below.

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Photokina 2018: Fujifilm interview – ‘we’ll never go full-frame’

23 Oct
Toshihisa Iida, General Manager of Fujifilm’s Optical Device and Electronic Imaging Products Division pictured at the Photokina trade show in Cologne, Germany last month.

At this year’s Photokina show in Cologne, Germany we spoke to senior executives from several major camera and lens manufacturers. Among them was Toshihisa Iida of Fujifilm, who told us about the future of his company’s medium-format lineup, the challenges of 100MP and why Fujifilm will never make a full-frame camera.

Photokina is proving to be an important show for Fujifilm!

Yes. Photokina 2010 was the X100 development announcement, 2012 was the first-generation mirrorless – 2014 I’ve forgotten! [in fact it was the announcement of the X100T and X30] and 2016 was of course the GFX 50S.

Now that all of the legacy DSLR makers except Ricoh have full-frame mirrorless systems, will Fujifilm ever enter the full-frame market?

No, never. Because we don’t have that legacy – luckily or unluckily. We don’t see any point in Fujifilm entering that market, particularly since we have good APS-C and medium format systems. If we entered full-frame [our systems] would just start cannibalizing each other. We’re happy to stay with two completely independent systems.

Fujifilm’s new GFX 50R is a rangefinder-style medium format camera which uses the same 50MP sensor as its direct predecessor the GFX 50S.

Do you see many of your users upgrading from X to GFX?

Not quite yet. Because they’re totally different systems. We started creating our legacy based on the X100. Usability, colors [etc.] and I hope that in near future more X Series customers will step up to GFX.

Can you describe the thinking behind the creation of the 50R?

Shortly after we introduced the 50S we started receiving requests from customers, who remembered the old medium format film cameras. Immediately after we released the 50S they were asking ‘when is a rangefinder style 50S coming?.

Is this a camera you expect to be used more like a field camera? Like the old rangefinders?

Yes. All controls must be reachable with one hand, that was our concept for usability. We wanted the camera to be more suited to street, reportage and portrait photography.

The forthcoming 100MP camera is more SLR style, with a detachable viewfinder, more similar to the 50S, but with an integrated battery grip for greater battery capacity. The sensor and the image stabilization system need more power.

The upcoming 100MP GFX will feature an integrated battery grip and in-body stabilization. Fujifilm also promises a superior electronic viewfinder experience and beefed-up video capabilities.

Was a 100MP camera always in the works?

Yes, it’s why we designed our GF lenses to support 100MP, when that resolution [eventually] became available. We’ve talked about that openly.

You’ve mentioned the need for more battery capacity, what other changes did you face when designing a 100MP camera?

The biggest challenge was image stabilization. The sensor is so sensitive that even the smallest vibration is picked up [in the image]. So we knew we needed in-body stabilization. And you can imagine that it’s quite challenging to stabilize such a big sensor.

Is the system adapted from the IBIS system in the X-H1?

We drew on our experience from the X-H1, yes but it’s more challenging with the larger sensor size.

Will the viewfinder experience of the 100MP camera be better to the current GFX 50S and 50R?

It should be a lot better, yes, because the readout speed of the new sensor is a lot quicker. The sensor and the processor itself are both upgraded. The processor is much more powerful.

The recently-announced Fujifilm X-T3 is a powerful 26MP APS-C camera, which packs impressive still and video-oriented features.

Fujifilm was a little slow to introduce video features, but the current generation are very strong video cameras. What’s your video strategy for future cameras?

The forthcoming 100MP camera will be the first 4K/30p GFX camera, which is the first step. It will be interesting to see what kind of quality we can get from the new sensor. With the X Series we have a plan, for example to extend recording time, and make the menus more usable for still and video shooting. We have more to do, more speed, 4K/60p [etc.] We would really like to attract videographers to the GFX cameras as well.

Do you think that you might create Fujinon cine lenses for GFX in the future?

Let’s wait and see. The first step is 100MP, and then we’ll see how it goes. Of course, developing such lenses is probably technically possible, it’s just a matter of prioritization.

Filmmakers are creative people, always looking for something more

How do you plan to market the 100MP medium format to videographers? Videographers don’t typically think about medium format.

Just today [after the 100MP announcement at the Photokina press conference] I started receiving a lot of questions from videographers. Larger formats are becoming a trend for videography. Filmmakers are creative people, always looking for something more.

100MP and 4K/30p represent a huge amount of data – is SD media still appropriate?

I think that SD media and HDMI output are enough for now.

Tamron’s FE-mount 28-70mm F2.8 was the first third-party attempt at a native Sony FE mount lens. Could Fujifilm open up its XF and GF mounts to other lens developers?

Do you welcome third-party lens manufacturers that want to create lenses for XF and GF?

They’re not open standards as yet, but of course our customers want choice. We’re always considering what would benefit our customers, and more lenses are generally beneficial for customers.

Should we expect to see more smaller, compact lenses for GF mount, like the forthcoming 50mm pancake?

Yes, in the future we’d like to expand our lineup of compact lenses for GF. We need small lenses for the smaller camera, to get the right balance. We’re always thinking about the whole system.

Maybe we need to start from scratch when it comes to future cameras aimed at smartphone upgraders

The competitive marketplace is getting quite crowded. Which competitive products do you take most seriously?

We’re always watching the major brands, to see what they’re doing, but at the same time smartphones. The quality and functionality – we have to watch that segment very carefully, especially considering our entry-level mirrorless cameras.

How will you address the challenge from smartphones?

The first thing is to do more research into what smartphone customers want from cameras. Usability, shooting options and so on. Maybe we need to start from scratch when it comes to future cameras aimed at smartphone [upgraders].

Our biggest potential challenge is from smartphones, not competitor cameras.

Do you see opportunities for more Instax incorporation into your traditional camera lineups?

Yes, Instax are already becoming digital cameras. Maybe we should think about interchangeable lens Instax. One of the biggest features for mirrorless cameras are interchangeable lenses, so Instax is one of our opportunities.

The Pentax Q range (a Q7 is pictured here) was an intriguing but relatively short-lived attempt at an ultra-compact mirrorless interchangeable lens system. As most manufacturers move toward larger cameras and (especially) lenses, the days of such pocketable alternatives might be over.

Do you think that there could be a future for small format interchangeable lens cameras like the Pentax Q, now?

With that product, the sensor size was too small. The image quality was not strong enough to really compete against smartphones. We need a decent sensor size and high quality lens. So again the question is how to balance size, weight and quality.

Camera bodies can be small regardless of sensor size. The big difference is the lens. The size of the lens [is directly related to] sensor format.

In the past we’ve spoken about software corrections for some lenses. Do you see a future where your high-quality lenses could be made smaller using software?

We always prioritize optical quality first, minimizing software correction. That’s our policy at the moment, and I don’t think it will change. That’s why the APS-C format is important to us. We make the lenses as small as possible, without [a lot of] software correction.

What are the challenges of designing fast focusing large-aperture lenses?

A brighter lens means that each element is heavier. So we need to build in more powerful focus actuators, but there’s limited space. So it’s always a tradeoff of lens brightness, focus speed, and how heavy the lens is.

Designed for the more compact GFX 50R, Fujifilm’s forthcoming 50mm F3.5 offers a near-pancake form factor, much smaller than most of the company’s medium-format GF lens lineup.

Now that you’re thinking ahead to high resolution video capture in the GFX series, what impact does this have on lens design?

It’s challenging – how to minimize the weight of focusing units. It’s a task for the lens design team. Maybe they’ll use more aspherical elements, for example. There are technologies which we can use, but it’s a challenge.

Is there potential for Fujifilm to create dedicated video cameras?

Potentially, yes. We don’t have any concrete plans, but we need to understand the requirements of videographers, and how their requests when it comes to usability and menus are different from stills photographers. Especially for stills, operation is more dial-driven, but for video it’s totally different.

Editor’s note: Barnaby Britton

As Mr. Iida mentioned, for the past several years Photokina has been an important show for Fujifilm, serving as an opportunity to showcase its major releases in front of a global audience. Photokina 2018 was no different, with the announcement of two major new cameras – a rangefinder-style GFX 50R and the development of a forthcoming 100MP medium-format model, coming next year.

Both announcements probably serve as tacit answers to the question of whether or not Fujifilm will ever create a full-frame camera, but “no, never” is about as conclusive a response as we’d ever expect to get. A more typical response (of the kind that we get repeatedly whenever we talk to senior executives) is more along the lines of ‘we need to study the market, and we’re not ruling anything out’. The fact that Mr. Iida was so definitive is unusual, but reassuring. Fujifilm has an excellent opportunity to differentiate with medium-format in a way that it couldn’t expect to do with full-frame, especially now that Canon, Nikon and Panasonic have joined the fray.

Fujifilm’s cameras might be getting bigger, but Mr Iida recognizes a need for smaller lenses

The forthcoming 100MP GFX won’t be cheap by full-frame standards, but with features like built-in IBIS and 4K/30p video, it promises to set new technical benchmarks for large-sensor imaging when it is released next year.

Fujifilm’s cameras might be getting bigger, but Mr. Iida recognizes a need for smaller lenses, especially with the somewhat more compact rangefinder-style GFX 50R. A range of compact F3.5-ish primes for GFX would help make the system somewhat more portable, as well as potentially more attractive to first-time medium-format buyers.

We expect to see more – and more powerful – ‘hybrid’ cameras from Fujifilm

Still imaging is only part of the story, of course. In recent generations Fujifilm has made impressive efforts to improve its products’ video capabilities, to the point where the X-H1 and more recent X-T3 are among our favorite cameras for 4K videography. Assuming that it reads out all pixels for 4K video, the forthcoming 100MP medium-format model could actually prove very disruptive for professional filmmaking, thanks to the wide dynamic range of medium format sensors compared to full-frame and super 35 formats.

Could Fujifilm use its long experience of making broadcast and cine lenses to create a dedicated video camera? Mr. Iida isn’t ruling it out, and it’s an intriguing thought. In the short term though, we expect to see more – and more powerful – ‘hybrid’ cameras from Fujifilm, and that’s still an exciting prospect.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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