Blog

The Apple TV 4K Device is a Deeply Flawed and Frustrating Product… for Me

About 12 years ago, in 2006, I had what at the time felt like the biggest technological change in my life. I switched from a PC to my first MacBook Pro. Switching computer operating systems at the time seemed like a massive chasm to overcome, but I did it and I’m glad I did. My main motivation was that I was tired of all of the errors that I was getting from PCs and all my friends with Macs just kept saying pretty much the exact same thing, “it just works.” After hearing that enough I broke down and made a decision that it was time for a change.

Over the last decade, that first decision has brought dozens of new Apple products into my life. Every three years or so I’d upgrade MacBook Pros. I bought a Mac Mini for the kitchen which I upgraded to a nicer iMac latter. I bought a high end iMac to edit my photos on for my home office. I bought a Cinema Display as a second monitor. I spent the night in line overnight to buy the very first iPhone. I bought the iPhone 3g, the iPhone 4, 5, 6s and most recently the 10. I’ve bought iPads, MacBook Pros and iPhones for my wife and kids. I always buy Apple Care. Apple iCloud storage, movies, tv shows, airpods, the list goes on and on.

I haven’t added it all up yet, but I’d say over the past decade I’ve easily spent tens of thousands of dollars on Apple products.

I feel like at some point I’ve just about purchased every product as a good Apple consumer is supposed to… except maybe the watch. The watch feels stupid to me. If I want to know what time it is I can just look at my phone. I haven’t worn a watch in 20 years. I don’t need an uncomfortable thing strapped to my hand and my health is good enough that I don’t need to constantly run ECGs or have someone notified if I fall down and can’t get back up (which hasn’t happened once yet in the 50+ years I’ve been on the planet).

Unfortunately for me though, it’s the Apple TV which I’ve always been the most excited about and which has also unfortunately frustrated me more than any Apple other gadget I’ve ever owned. I’ve bought every version of the Apple TV as they’ve been released dutifully. Giving Apple my hard earned money for the promise of something great, the ability to watch my photos in my living room — and it’s been a completely frustrating experience along the way.

I’m not sure exactly why I’m writing this blog post about Apple TV. I haven’t blogged in a while. In part it’s probably cathartic for me. In part I feel like I’m giving up on photos tonight and hope that maybe someday someone will Google one of my error codes and have a better answer. Maybe someone will read it and have some suggestion that I haven’t considered. Maybe someone will suggest a better way to watch photos on a TV.

My most recent problem revolves around the new Apple 4k TV. Of the six Apple TVs in my house I have two connected to Vizio 4k TVs. Of course I upgraded to the 4k Apple TV because what’s the point of having a 4k TV without a 4k device.

For the most part over the life of the AppleTV product photos have been frustrating. I have a large library of images that I want to play on my Apple TVs. I use home sharing and point my iTunes to a folder of images and ask for my Apple TVs to stream those images. (File >> Home Sharing >> Choose Photos to Share with Apple TV…) Frequently my AppleTVs lose their connections to my iTunes library and the only way to get the photos to play again is to quit iTunes and relaunch it. I frequently would have to restart the Apple TVs. The Apple TV in the living would be working but then the one in the attic couldn’t connect. The one in the attic would work but then the one in the bedroom wouldn’t connect. It was a constant exercise of frustration. I set all of the Apple TVs to update automatically and I’d constantly check for updates to apply them manually.

About a year ago I spent several weeks working with Apple Engineers. They sent these trace packet things to me by email and I’d do different things, run the logging software and send them log files. After several weeks and many log files I did get an answer back about a year ago that Apple engineers had found a problem related to my Apple TVs constantly disconnecting from home sharing that that a fix would be coming. They couldn’t tell me when but said that it was an issue on their end and to keep checking for updates. So at least I wasn’t totally crazy and at least there was hope… kind of?

Although this was a frustrating way to use my AppleTV, the payoff of being able to relax on the couch and watch my life’s work, my photos that I love so much, while enjoying a glass of wine was such a high payoff that I put up with it… until, unfortunately now, with the latest dreaded TVOS12 update.

Last week I updated all of my Apple TVs to TVOS12. On my non-4k Apple TVs, it’s the same sad, frustrating experience of having to restart Apple TVs, restart, my iMac, restart iTunes, constantly to get them to work. But when they do work it will play my photos for hours. Unfortunately on the two 4k Apple TVs photos crash 100% of the time. Usually within 10 seconds, but sometimes I can get them to play for 20 seconds or 45 seconds or maybe even 2 minutes before it crashes. But they crash 100% of the time. I’ve spent at least 20 hours trying to fix my photos over the past week (including a good 3 hour phone call last night with an Apple Care tech) but nothing seems to work.

If I try to stream photos on my iMac to my 4K Apple TVs the photos crash. If I try to stream photos on my MacBook Pro to my 4k Apple TVs the photos crash. If I try to stream photos on my home network to the 4k AppleTVs the photos crash. If I create a hotspot with my iPhone with just my MacBook Pro and one 4k Apple TV photos crash.

If instead of pointing home sharing to a folder, I import all the photos into Apple’s Photos app on my iMac (I hate the Apple Photos App on my iMac) and share from there instead still photos crash.

Every time after the photos crash there is a brief error message on the screen for about 1 second that reads “No iTunes libraries available. Home Sharing lets you stream content from your computer’s iTunes library to your Apple TV. To access your iTunes library, turn on Home Sharing on your computer and use the Apple ID. Retry.”

That message disappears and brings me right back to the main home sharing page on the Apple TV.

I’ve made sure that the photos that I want to share are all on the internal hard drives of the devices I’m trying to stream. I even upgraded yesterday to the new Apple OS Mojave, in the hopes that this might fix things. I’ve turned my Comcast router on and off.

The bottom line is there is simply nothing that I can do to make photos work on my 4k Apple TVs since updating to TVOS 12. And, of course, Apple will not allow you to roll your OS on your Apple TV back to a previous version so there is no getting out of TVOS 12 hell. I did a reset of the entire device back to factory settings, but instead of resetting it back to the factory setting from when I bought it. It reset it back to the factory settings for TVOS 12.

The Apple Tech I spent hours on the phone with yesterday suggested that I take my Macbook Pro and my 4k AppleTV into the Apple store and set an appointment to show them there. I had an appointment this afternoon at 2pm to do just that, but after only getting three hours of sleep last night trying to troubleshoot my Apple TV I just couldn’t go through with it today. It’s just too much, too soon.

In the meantime it looks as though I wasted $ 200 each on some useless Apple hockey pucks, but maybe at some point I’ll regain the strength to try again, or maybe someday, somewhere I’ll find an answer on how to make these devices stream photos for me again.

Or maybe like I ditched Windows back in 2006, it’s now time to ditch Apple again and maybe go find something that you know, “just works.”

Needless to say, your 4k AppleTV may work flawlessly and perfectly for you. This is my personal experience though and it’s my blog and this is what the experience has been like for me.

I made a video of this problem here. If anyone does have any constructive advice I’d love to hear it. Thanks.

Thomas Hawk Digital Connection

September 27, 2018
Blackrapid develops strap designed for women photographers
Accessories manufacturer Blackrapid has introduced a new version of its shoulder sling camera strap that is designed to be especially comfortable for female photographers. The Nicole Elliot by Blackrapid uses wide pad to hug the shoulder and take the pressure away from the neck and distribute weight more evenly. The company says the design is based on the way ‘women have been carrying their babies for centuries’, and promises the camera will feel virtually weightless.

The black shoulder pad is reversible to display a black and white pattern, and it contains pockets for memory cards and for accessories needed close at hand. The strap measures 63in and costs $ 69.95. For more information see the Blackrapid website.

Manufacturer’s description
Nicole Elliott by BLACKRAPID

Introducing a brand-new camera strap designed by women for women – Nicole Elliott by BLACKRAPID. With its innovative functionality, maximum comfort and unique style this strap will change the way you photograph life.

Your camera should be an extension of you, not an annoyance to carry. Your camera gear should add to your creative energy – not inhibit it. Taking its cue from the way women have been carrying their babies for centuries, Nicole Elliott by BLACKRAPID takes the pressure points away from your neck and shoulders by “hugging” your shoulder to evenly distribute the weight. Allowing you to have full mobility and making your camera feel virtually weightless. Shoot for hours without feeling fatigue, discomfort or pain!

The strap is reversible – black on one side, black and white pattern on the other – business and party in one unique design. The shoulder strap has two pockets for lens caps and two zippered pockets for memory cards, batteries and whatever other small accessories you want to keep close. The strap has a release trigger snap hook that locks in place when hooked to the 1/4″ screw that attaches securely to the bottom of your camera. And the strap adjusts to up to 63” in total length, ensuring a perfect fit for any body type.

Nicole Elliott by BLACKRAPID – #LiveTheMoment in Comfort and Style!

Features:
- Ergonomically Correct. Even weight distribution takes the pressure off your neck and shoulders, making your camera feel weightless.
- Durable, water resistant fabric.
- Reversible – Pattern on one side, black on the other.
- Reversible front or back adjustment for left or right handed users.
- 2 zippered pockets, 2 lens cap pockets.
- Extendable up to 63” in circumference.
- Swivel ConnectR (CR-3) and FastenR (FR-5) connection system. LockStar Breathe cover to secure carabiner. Camera Safety Tether included for extra security.
- Front and back spring-loaded cam locks.
Product Specs
- Reversible for Right- or Left-handed wear
- Shoulder Piece – Removable, Reversible and Washable*
- Strap length with shoulder piece – 63” (160cm) fully extended total circumference
- Shoulder piece – approximately 7.5”x 23.5”
- 2 zippered pockets 4”x4.5”
- 2 lens cap pockets 4”x4.5”
- 2 front and back cam locks
- Quick adjustment
- Webbing 100% nylon
- Webbing width 1”
- Product weight 6.35oz
- LockStar Breathe
- 2 Gate Keeper attachments for reversibility
*Laundering: Detach Shoulder Strap from nylon strap and rings. Wash by hand with mild soap. Lay flat to dry.”

The heart behind Nicole Elliott by BLACKRAPID:
“We are mothers, we are daughters, we are wives and friends…
We love deeply and live passionately.
We are surrounded by a world of wonder and amazement, from little laughs and giggles, to the beautiful people that surround us and the everyday moments that steal our hearts.
Life is a journey…. A bunch of little moments that together make up one big beautiful life.
My hope is that the Elliott strap helps you capture the life around you Confidently, Creatively, Passionately…without borders.
Here’s to a beautiful life captured one shot at a time – one moment at a time.
Every moment, #LiveTheMoment. In comfort and style.”
~ Nicole Elliott
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
September 27, 2018
Tips for Getting Started in Street Photography

This article will help you with those all important decisions for getting started in street photography. Including the best gear to use, settings to apply, and what to do about the tricky topic of photographing people in public.

Any image of a street that can be used to tell a story about the location it shot could be defined as a street photograph. It could be a large city or a small village.

Gear

As a street photographer, you want to be able to blend into your surroundings. By blending in, you stand a better chance of going unnoticed and capturing candid moments. This means you will want to keep your gear small and light.

Camera

The big question these days is around the DSLR or mirrorless choice. My advice for street photography is the latter.

There is nothing wrong with using a DSLR if that is what you prefer or have already. However, mirrorless cameras will simply save you space and weight. Your street photography adventures will be much more enjoyable if you’re not arriving home to find one arm longer than the other after carrying around a DSLR all day.

Another benefit to mirrorless is that the electronic viewfinder (EVF) will provide you with an accurate representation of the exposure for your image before you even press the shutter.

If you find yourself without your camera and get the urge for street photography, there’s nothing wrong with using the camera on your phone.

Shot and edited on an iPhone.

Lenses

If you’re getting started in street photography, you will want to use a zoom lens, rather than a prime. An 18-55mm kit lens (or similar) will be fine to start. I recommend planning to move to a prime lens once you have more experience.

The reason for this is that they are (usually) sharper than zoom lenses and shooting consistently at one focal length will help you to develop your own style.

When you’re ready to invest in a prime lens, you can look back at the metadata of all the street photos taken with your zoom lens and observe what focal length you used most often. This will help inform your decision making for which focal length to choose when buying a prime lens.

Settings

When shooting street photography, your camera should be ready to take the next shot at a moment’s notice. This means you’ll need to have your settings dialed in as much as possible.

I recommend starting in full Auto. This will allow you to concentrate on your surroundings and nail the composition. When you are more confident, you could move on to aperture priority.

Here’s some advice for when you start looking at those manual settings.

Aperture

The best street photos make use of the entire frame. This means you’ll want a good depth of field, which means that the image is in focus from the nearest point in the photograph to the furthest point. I recommend shooting between f/5.6-11.

Shutter speed

For any kind of handheld photography, a good rule of thumb is to use a minimum shutter speed that is equal to or greater than one over your focal length. This is to avoid blurry photos caused by camera shake. For example, if you are shooting at 50mm, your shutter speed should be at least 1/50th of a second.

If you are including people in your photos, you have two options.

First, use a fast enough shutter speed to freeze their motion. Anything faster than 1/100th should do it, for walking pace. A faster shutter speed will be needed for joggers and cyclists and will vary depending on how fast they’re moving.

Secondly, if you want to get creative and blur their motion slightly to project a sense of movement in your image, you can use a slightly slower shutter speed. But make sure you still use one that’s fast enough to avoid camera shake.

ISO

Keep ISO as low as possible while still achieving the points mentioned above for aperture and shutter speed. This will reduce the amount of noise (grain) in your photos.

Focus

If your lens has a focus ring that stops at infinity, use it and switch your camera to manual focus. If not, you’ll need an autofocus setting that allows you to track your subject, as it’s likely to be moving if it’s a person.

Metering

When you’re first getting started with street photography, you’ll want to use a metering mode that measures the whole frame. This will help you to prevent under or overexposure. Different camera manufacturers have different names for this metering mode. For example, Nikon refers to it as “Matrix Metering” and Canon refer to it as “Evaluative Metering”.

Composition

The rules of composition are an article in themselves. You can read more about it in this article.

Good composition is one of the most important elements of any photograph, but try not to get too hung up on it. As mentioned a few times in this article, you don’t have long to see and capture an image when practicing street photography.

While I agree that you should always try to get things right in-camera, sometimes this just isn’t practical. It’s better to get the shot and crop it later if you need to, rather than not get the shot at all.

When looking around you, don’t forget to look up or down. You never know what opportunities you might be missing.

Blending In

At the beginning of this article, I talked about how important it is to blend into your surroundings. There are a couple of ways you can do this.

Environment

If you go to tourist hot spots for your street photography, you’ll just look like another tourist. This means that when you hold your camera up to look through the viewfinder, you’ll just be another person with a camera. It’ll be white noise to everyone around you so it’s a great place to start off with and build your confidence.

Camera Position

By holding your camera down by your side, or in front of your torso, you can make it look like you’re not even taking a photograph. It can be particularly helpful in this scenario if your camera has a tilting screen.

For this technique (called shooting from the hip), you’ll want to use a wide-angle lens to maximize your chances of capturing the shot. I took the shot below while continuing to walk and holding my camera by my side.

Clothing

Wearing bright clothes will instantly make you more noticeable so be sure to wear dark or neutral colored clothes.

Confrontation

One of the hot topics of street photography is how to avoid confrontation when photographing people in public. Or what to do if someone takes offense when you have just taken their photograph without permission.

This section is not intended to put you off, but prepare you in the event that you are confronted. It’s only ever happened to me once. A security guard asked me to move on, so I did.

Here’s a quick summary of the different kinds of confrontational situations you may find yourself in and what to do if they arise.

Authorities

A common experience for street photographers is being approached by security guards or the police, in particular when taking photographs of buildings in big cities. The bottom line in this situation is that you are in a public space and therefore are allowed to be there.

However, you’re not likely the first street photographer that security guard or police officer has encountered, and you’re even less likely to be the last. Don’t give street photographers a bad reputation by being difficult. No photograph is ever worth the aggravation. Just move on.

Members of the public

With the ubiquity of social media and people growing ever more aware of their privacy, you can understand if someone doesn’t like it when their photo is taken without permission. Particularly if they have no idea where that photo might end up.

I liked this pop of red in the shirt against the subdued tones of the building. Unidentifiable subject.

The same rules apply here as in the previous section. If you and your subject are in a public place, you are within your rights to take their photograph. If a person confronts you and wants you to delete the photo you took of them, there’s a couple of ways you can approach it.

If they’re not a major part of the photograph, politely remind them of your rights. Inform them that they’re barely noticeable and you intend to keep the photograph. However, if you sense that they might turn aggressive, it’s always best to do as they ask. Again, it’s not worth the aggravation.

If the person that has approached you is a major part of the frame, it is best to respect their wishes and delete the photo.

Clearly identifiable subject.

Summary

Street photography is meant to be fun. Try not to get too hung up on gear and settings in the beginning and just enjoy yourself. Keep practicing and the ability to spot a photo opportunity developing in front of you will become instinctive.

Over to you. Let me know in the comments if you think there’s anything I missed or would like to know more about.

The post Tips for Getting Started in Street Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

September 27, 2018
Manfrotto launches ‘50% more rigid’ carbon fiber twin-leg tripods for video
$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_4098012349″,”galleryId”:”4098012349″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

Accessories manufacturer Manfrotto has launched a pair of carbon fiber tripods for videographers that it claims are 50% more rigid than their aluminum counterparts and which come in a choice of configurations. The CF Twin Leg models feature dual risers and offer users a choice of leg spreading braces. The first model has a removable middle spreader half way up the legs and the other has the spreader attached to the feet. Both can have rubber or spiked feet, and are essentially the same in all other respects.

A 100mm bowl comes as standard along with a 75mm adapter to make the set-up compatible with a wider range of heads, and the legs are available as an optional kit with the Nitrotech N8 and N12 video heads as well as the 504. The legs in either configuration will cost £659.95/$ 699.95 with no head, and are available for pre-order on the Manfrotto website.

Press release

{pressrelease}

MANFROTTO EXPANDS ITS VIDEO SUPPORTS RANGE WITH TWO NEW TWIN-LEG TRIPODS IN CARBON FIBRE
- Carbon fibre with new internal lock mechanism
- 100mm bowl with 75mm aluminium adapter
- 50% increased rigidity*
Manfrotto, world leader in the photography, videography, imaging equipment and accessories industry, has expanded its video tripod range with two new twin-leg video tripods made of carbon fibre.

The two brand-new, twin-leg video tripod models are the perfect solution for professional videographers looking for robust, rigid and lightweight support.

A 50% increase in rigidity* is achieved thanks to the combination of carbon-fibre tubes and a new patent-pending internal leg lock mechanism.

Manfrotto’s two new twin-leg carbon-fibre video tripods feature a 100mm bowl and include a 75mm aluminium adapter, for compatibility with a wider range of video heads.
Moreover, the tripod feet with spiked option give great versatility when it comes to different shooting locations.

The twin-leg carbon fibre tripods are available in two models: the first with an easily removable middle spreader and telescopic arms, and the second with a ground spreader, telescopic arms and incorporated rubber shoes.

Both twin-leg carbon-fibre tripods are also available in combination with Manfrotto Nitrotech N12, N8 and 504 video heads.

All Manfrotto video tripods are engineered with a focus on quality and dedication to continuous innovation. These products are the perfect solution for all videographers looking for a great support for their video shooting. Manfrotto’s new twin-leg carbon-fibre tripods will take support for their video gear to the next level.

*Compared with the Manfrotto aluminium versions 546B, 546GB, 545B, 545GB.

RRP £659.95. For more information, please visit www.manfrotto.co.uk

{/pressrelease}

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
September 27, 2018
How to Photograph Your Everyday Family Life
Raising kids is beautiful chaos

From breakfast to bedtime, raising kids is chaos. But there are hundreds of beautiful moments along the way if you train your heart and eyes to see them. Right in the heart of the chaos, you can beautifully capture mundane everyday moments of family life in photographs.

In order to capture your everyday family life in photos, there are four areas you will want to cover:
- Gear to use.
- What to photograph.
- Creative skills.
- Discovering lifelong projects.
1. Gear

“Photographers, like few other kinds of artists I can imagine, have an insanely personal relationship with their gear.” – David DuChemin

I will begin with gear because you will dramatically increase your chances of great photos throughout the day when you are well prepared.

Minimal Gear

I’m a fan of using minimal gear for anything that I’m photographing, including my own family life. You might find that constantly worrying about upgrading your camera or using too many different lenses will actually distract you from the little moments that are happening all around you.

Settle on a camera and then forget about all the new options that come along. Pretty soon you’ll discover which lens is your favorite. Use that lens often, but try a different one every now and then to expand your creative abilities.

iPhone

“The best camera is the one that’s with you.” – Chase Jarvis

Many families invest in a DSLR camera such as the Canon Rebel, but then it’s too difficult for them to use. So they often find themselves using their phone instead.

Don’t feel bad about using your smartphone to take pictures. Though the technology may differ, any camera is better than no camera. The principles of creative photography are the same no matter what camera you’re using.

Because it’s so easy to carry, your phone is normally the camera that you are ready to take a picture with any given moment.

I began capturing family moments with my iPhone 4s as a challenge to take interesting photos no matter what camera I had with me.

Keep your camera close

Whatever camera you’re using, make sure that it’s normally within arms reach. When you see a great moment happening you can reach for your camera and turn it on as you’re lifting it to your eye. I also leave my lens cap off at all times. I’ve never damaged a lens and don’t want to fumble over lens caps while a great moment passes me by.

Keep your battery charged

How many times have you seen a family member miss a great photo because their camera battery died? I see this happen during every single special occasion just as the best moments are happening!

You should always have a spare battery and have it charged and ready. I don’t wait for my first battery to be drained before I charge it. As soon as it begins to drain I switch them.

Don’t leave your camera in manual mode

How many times have you quickly picked up your camera to take a few pictures only to discover that the settings were totally wrong? Perhaps you used your camera in manual mode outdoors in the bright light and then forgot to set it before capturing a quick moment indoors.

The indoor photo will be underexposed or completely dark. To avoid this I always leave my camera set on aperture priority. I do this because I don’t want to forget to adjust the settings if it was left in manual mode.

A clean 50mm lens

I recommend that everyone own a 50mm lens. They are wonderful for achieving bokeh and perform well in low light.

This photo was taken with a 50mm lens at f/2.5. The background is blurred, but you can still tell the context.

But no matter what lens you are using, make sure to keep it clean! The easiest way to improve photo quality is to keep the lens clean from fingerprints and dust.

Messy toddler hands force me to clean my lens several times a day!

2. What to photograph

With minimal gear, charged batteries and a clean lens the question then becomes, “What should I photograph?” The answer is literally, anything.

Capture the obvious moments that are important to you. Maybe first steps, first foods, siblings playing, day trips to the beach. But begin to consider the less obvious moments as well.

“I look around the edges for those little askew moments — kind of like what makes up our lives – those slightly awkward, lovely moments.” – Keith Carter

Breakfast

“If the home is a body, the table is the heart, the beating center, the sustainer of life and health.” – Shauna Niquist

Remember going to restaurants with your parents and the server would bring you a coloring book? Those are the little things to photograph.

Chores

I love it when the kids help with the chores, especially when it adds to my series of window photos.

Playing outside

Especially when photographing outdoor adventures, consider taking enough photos to tell a story.

One year the bay flooded and came right up into our yard. The kids got the idea to drag their swimming pool along and use it as a boat! I wasn’t about to miss out on that photo op!

After launching their boat they discovered that some huge fish had come to live in our flooded yard!

Wanting a different perspective, I decided to wade into the water myself.

To come up with an interesting series of photos, try to capture events from beginning to end. Use a variety of angles and perspectives, and go for the close-up!

Snacks

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” -J.R.R. Tolkien

Grown-ups eat without thinking, but snacks really make kids cheer up! She is lit by a window off to the side and warm colored light just above her head.

Playing inside

Is there a child alive who can resist playing the piano? One thing I was careful to do with this photo was to frame it in such a way as to cut out the background clutter. It forced me to get nice and close.

For a totally different perspective try looking through toys to take the picture.

My kids love glow sticks and I love the challenge of low light photography! This is when a 50mm lens with a large aperture of f/1.8 comes in handy! I bumped up the ISO to 5000 and slowed the shutter speed to 1/15th of a second to get this shot.

The texture in this photo is brought out by a window back-lighting the scene.

Day trips

Sometimes play for me is photographing a challenging scene like this.

Museums are a way to work exciting new things into your photos.

My son loved playing with his toy roundhouse and crane. This photo allowed me to capture the real-life versions of the toys my son loved playing with.

Dinner

“The shared meal is no small thing. It is a foundation of family life, the place where our children learn the art of conversation and acquire the habits of civilization: sharing, listening, taking turns, navigating differences, arguing without offending.” – Michael Pollan

Backlight or sidelight helps to capture steam in a photo.

Golden Hour

I love to time our family walks so that I can take some golden hour photos.

I love golden hour so much that I’ll even photograph it indoors.

Sick days

Even when my daughter is sick, she lets her funny personality shine. We kept a bowl by her bed just in case, but it made a good helmet too!

Sunsets

Photographing a sunset outdoors is the obvious choice. But when your living room window offers a good view, don’t miss the chance for a different perspective.

Kids sleeping

This is a perfect example of using an iPhone to take photos of your family life. My DSLR would have made a lot of noise. So I grabbed my iPhone 4s and turned the sound off to take this photo.

A higher ISO and slower shutter speed were used to capture this low light photo.

3. Creative Skills

“The real tools of our craft are not the camera and lens: they are mood and composition and the visual language of the photograph. Spend more time learning those and no matter what camera you use, you’ll make compelling photographs.” – David DuChemin

In order to capture all these moments, you need to master some essential skills. We’ll discuss creativity, basic camera settings, patience, and editing.

Angles

Choosing different camera angles will instantly make your photos more exciting and add variety to the hundreds of moments you’ll be capturing.

Try angles such as bird’s eye view, face to face and low angle.

I used a bird’s eye view to photograph this scene of my kids drawing.

I used a high angle to capture the scene as it began to turn chaotic!

Finally, I came in for a slightly low angle “face-to-face” shot before things spun completely out of control. By using a variety of angles and getting in close, everyday family life can be just as fun for the photographer as the kids!

Background

Backgrounds are good for two things; telling a story or getting in the way.

If the background does not help add anything to your photo then try to make it disappear. In all the photos in this article, I tried to eliminate the background as much as possible, or use it to create a context in the photo. Look back and decide which one you think I chose.

If your background is beautiful or adds to the story of your photo then be careful to make the background a strong part of your photo. Allow me to illustrate with Lego!

This shady Lego character was photographed with a clutter-free neutral background.

This is the same Lego character, but this time there is a Lego train in the background adding some context to the photo.

ISO

When you are in low light situations and you’re using a new camera you should raise your ISO as high as possible (3200 or 6400). A higher ISO will help your camera to absorb more of the dim light and help your photo to be brighter.

True, a higher ISO may introduce some grain or digital noise into your photo, but isn’t a grainy photo better than a blurry photo or no photo at all?

This naptime photo was captured with an ISO of 3200.

Sharp photos

If you’re in low light and using a lens with a large aperture (f/1.8) and a high ISO (3200 or 6400) then the last thing to consider is your shutter speed. If your shutter speed is too slow your photos might become blurry for two reasons. Perhaps your subject moved. This happens all the time with kids! Or perhaps you moved the camera, even slightly, as you took the photo.

You need to steady yourself as much as possible while you take the photo and wait for the moment (however brief it may be) when your subject is still.

You could also embrace the creative side of a slow shutter speed!

This was taken with the iPhone 4s on a cloudy evening. I knew the shutter speed would be slow. I walked backward while my daughter walked toward me. This kept my daughter sharper than the moving background. Motion blur is fun to experiment with, try it!

Inspiration

Look for inspiration among street, food and portrait photographers. Anything you can learn from different photographers will help you to photograph your everyday family life better.

Patience

I cannot over-stress the absolute importance of patience as you photograph your everyday family life (especially with toddlers). So many possible moments and photos will be ruined if you refuse to be patient.

Perhaps you have a photo in mind but the kids aren’t cooperating. Losing your patience will only lead to anger on your part and frustration from the kids. Your kids will learn that picture time is no fun and cringe every time you bring out your camera.

Edit and Print

Finally, you need to prepare your photos for print. Consider adding your favorite photos to a photo book or making larger prints for your home. Do not skip the printing stage, this is what gives your photos a real life of their own rather than just existing on a hard drive.

4. Discovering Lifelong Projects

As you sift through your photos over the years, you may notice that patterns begin to emerge.

Many people start photography projects from scratch, but you can also create photography projects based on photos you have already taken.

I had taken a number of photos of my kids playing near our living room window. When I put them together, I realized I had been working on a series without even realizing it! After that I began to think of that window as a canvas, waiting to see what would happen on it.

This is a small number of my living room window photos. When the collection is complete I’ll figure out how I want to present it. Perhaps a photo book, or a series of large prints in a recreation room. Maybe I could use them to illustrate a collection of essays.

Conclusion

Your life and family are unique. Whatever gets you excited to grab your camera, do it. Whatever will keep you up late at night sorting and editing. What will get you printing your images? Those are the things worth photographing.

Whatever chaos your family produces around you is an opportunity to create beauty with your camera.

I would like to know which tip has been most helpful to you and I’d love to see some of your prized family life photos in the comments below.

The post How to Photograph Your Everyday Family Life appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
September 26, 2018
What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

Fujifilm’s latest digital medium-format camera is the GFX 50R, a rangefinder-styled interpretation of the GFX 50S that was announced at Photokina 2016.

Bearing more than a passing resemblance to some of Fujifilm’s medium-format film rangefinders, the GFX 50R is 145g (0.32lb) lighter than the 50S, and is 25mm (0.98″) thinner. The smaller size and redesigned controls serve to make the 50R handle very differently from its elder sibling.

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

But before we get into the handling, let’s take a quick look over what isn’t new on the GFX 50R. Compared to the 50S, we have the same sensor, processor, battery, film simulations and viewfinder panel (though EVF magnification takes a dip, at 0.77x compared to 0.85x).

This means that you’re getting the same impressive image quality as the 50S in a smaller, lighter package and for less money – $ 4500 USD, to be precise. So while the hardware itself isn’t the most exciting, the 50R does represent a new low price of entry to the world of medium-format digital imaging. There’s still a question as to the advantages of this larger format over existing full-frame cameras, but there’s some silver lining in that the 50R grants you access to Fujifilm’s excellent lineup of sharp, well-built GF lenses.

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

As you can see, the GFX 50R slots in nicely between Fujifilm’s X-E3 and an old Fuji GW690 III from the 1990s in terms of size. Though the 50R approaches the Hasselblad X1D for compactness and is much smaller than the Pentax 645Z, it’s still a substantial camera. The 50R’s rangefinder styling necessitates a smaller grip than the GFX 50S, and as a result, the 50R is best used with two hands.

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

Here, you can more clearly see the resemblance in controls between the GFX 50R and the X-E3. Both come with AF selection joysticks and a similar array of buttons, and both eschew a ‘standard’ four-way controller in favor of using directional swipes on the touchscreen. Despite our fears of Fujifilm’s touchscreen interface mis-reading those directional swipes, they work just as they do on the X-E3, which is to say, rather well.

This layout, which places most of the direct controls within reach of your right thumb, isn’t as convenient on the 50R as on the X-E3. With a suitably compact lens, the X-E3 can be easily operated one-handed. The extra heft of the 50R, regardless of which lens is attached, means you’ll likely be supporting the camera with your left hand and manipulating controls with your right.

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

Along the bottom of the camera are a few other changes. The battery slots in here, rather on the side like the GFX 50S. There are also ports for AC power and USB-C behind a rubberized door. The GFX 50R does not support USB charging, but it does allow for tethered shooting and is fully compatible with Capture One.

Fujifilm has confirmed that there won’t be a battery grip option for the GFX 50R, and as such, there are no connectors for one on the camera.

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

The top-plate controls on the GFX 50R are likewise similar to the X-E3. There’s no dedicated ISO dial, but the front dial that surrounds the shutter button can be configured to serve that purpose. By default the rear dial biases the shutter speed in 1/3-stop increments above and below the chosen whole-stop value on the dedicated shutter speed dial. There are also plenty of physical customizable buttons, though they’re not always easy to find with your eye to the finder – they’re small, and sit nearly flush with the body.

As a staff, our views are mixed regarding the On/Off switch. In truth, no one is really a fan of it, but some of us are more indifferent than others. Whichever side of the fence you’re on, there’s no denying that it’s on the small side and a little awkward to reach.

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

Getting back to the inside of the camera, we should note that because the GFX 50R has the same processor as the 50S, the camera exhibits some slight lagginess not present on the likes of the X-T3. This is particularly noticeable when enabling the Color Chrome effect, as an example.

But as we said at the start, the processor / sensor combo in the GFX 50R is capable of really stunning image quality, and the camera remains overall quite responsive.

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

So at its core, the GFX 50R is a smaller, cheaper 50S. But to make your GFX 50R kit as compact as possible, you’ll want to pick up the GF 50mm F3.5 pancake prime when it’s released in 2019. It’s one of three lenses from Fujifilm’s updated roadmap, and should pair well with the 50R.

Pictured above, the GF 50mm F3.5 is extremely compact, and offers a field-of-view equivalent to 40mm and a depth-of-field equivalent to roughly F2.8 on a full-frame 35mm sensor.

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

Our full GFX 50R review is already underway, so stay tuned for updates to our sample gallery as well as further studio testing in the coming weeks. You can get your very own GFX 50R when shipping begins in November.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 26, 2018
Photokina 2018: Hands-on with Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

Six years after launching the Global Vision line at this very show in 2012, Sigma took the wraps off five new lenses at Photokina this year, and we were there at the launch event to see (and handle) them for ourselves. Click through for more information and some early first impressions.

First up is the new 56mm F1.4 DC DN ‘Contemporary’ for Sony APS-C format E-mount cameras and M43 – where it provides an equivalent focal length of 84mm and 112mm, respectively.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

At 280g (9.9 oz) the 56mm is a very lightweight lens, and with the lenshood (shown in the previous slide) removed, it’s actually the smallest of Sigma’s current fast-aperture E-mount / M43 primes.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

Optical construction consists of 10 elements in six groups, and the lens features a nine-bladed aperture. We weren’t able to use it on a camera, but Sigma claims that ‘smooth autofocus’ should make this lens ideal for video use. Pricing and availability will be confirmed at a later date.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

Next up is the latest in Sigma’s range of wide-aperture ‘Art’ series primes for full-frame ILCs – the 28mm F1.4 DG HSM. Compared to the 56mm, this fast wideangle prime is quite a hefty piece of glass, but if performance is in line with its stablemates, it should be capable of great things.

Sigma tells us that its benchmarks were Nikon and Zeiss’s 28mm F1.4 primes, and performance from its new Art-series option should be ‘best in class’.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

Key to the 28mm F1.4’s claimed performance is its optical makeup, which comprises 17 elements in 12 groups, including no fewer than three aspherical elements, two FLD and three SLD (“F” low-dispersion and ‘Special’ low-dispersion respectively) elements. Sigma claims that this design provides ‘thorough’ correction of chromatic aberration and minimal distortion.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

Unlike Sigma’s earliest Art-series primes, the new range are weather-sealed, and employ water and oil-repellant coating on their front elements. The 28mm F1.4 certainly feels like a solid professional tool, but Sigma has yet to confirm its actual weight.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

Price, likewise, is TBD but we understand that the upcoming 28mm F1.4 will be somewhere around $ 1300, pre-tax.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

Even larger and even heavier is the 40mm F1.4DG HSM. Created from Sigma’s 40mm cine lens, the company claims that this fast standard prime is its sharpest ever lens of this type.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

As you can hopefully tell from our pictures, it’s a big lens, measuring 87.8mm x 131mm (3.5in. x 5.2in) and weighing in at 1.2 kilos (43 oz). An 82mm filter ring is bigger than most, but not quite as bonkers as the 95mm thread on Canon’s new 28-70mm F2!

Like Sigma’s 28mm F1.4, the 40mm F1.4 is dust and moisture-sealed.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

Designed to satisfy the resolution requirements of 50MP sensors and 8K video, the 40mm F1.4 is highly corrected for distortion (which, it is claimed, is below 1%) and coma. Optical construction consists of 16 elements in 12 groups, including three FLD and three SLD elements. Pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

This is a lens that Sigma fans (and photography fans in general) have been waiting for, for some time: the new 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM ‘Sports’ While not an ‘Art’ series lens, the 70-200mm was designed to meet the needs of the most demanding professional photographers, and the company claims that it will be competitive with own-brand equivalent lenses from the other major camera manufacturers. This shot shows off the various focus and OS switches, and the removable Arca-Swiss compatible tripod mount collar.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

The 70-200mm F2.8 makes generous use of magnesium alloy in its construction, for strength and low weight. Sigma processes this material in-house, at a brand new factory built at its existing site in Aizu, Japan. In keeping with other Sport-line lenses, it is dust and weather-sealed, and features and oil and water-repellant coating on the front element.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

Optical construction of this internal zoom lens is pretty impressive on-paper, comprising 24 elements in 22 groups, including ten low-dispersion elements – nine ‘FLD’ and one SLD. Sigma claims that this advanced optical makeup ensures attractive bokeh and excellent correction of color aberrations. On the mechanical side, ‘intelligent OS’ is capable of correcting for shake in all directions, with total shake-reduction effectiveness still to be confirmed. Ergonomically, while we couldn’t mount it on a camera (we’re hoping to do that soon!) the lens feels exceptionally nicely made and very well-balanced, and some photographers will be pleased to see that Sigma has put the zoom ring at the front of the lens.

An AF function button can be customized either via the host camera or Sigma’s USB Dock, and the 70-200mm will be available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sigma SA mounts, pricing and availability still TBD.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

Last but definitely not least is the 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM. A beast of a lens (that’s a technical term) this 10X sports zoom is among Sigma’s most versatile, capable of covering everything from goalmouth action at one end of a football pitch to goalmouth action at the other end without swapping lenses.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

Relatively compact at 60mm (relatively…) at 600mm, this lens is quite a handful, and in terms of optical construction it just beats out the other four lenses released by Sigma by featuring 25 elements, in 19 groups. Like the 70-200mm, the 60-600mm is partially constructed using magnesium alloy from Sigma’s new factory.

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

The 60-600mm is highly customizable, and usefully it features a zoom lock at all zoom positions, to help prevent ‘zoom creep’ when you’re trying to frame shots. It will be available in late October for $ 1999.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 26, 2018
Roundup: essential news from Photokina 2018

Introduction

You might not have been expecting much from Photokina this year. The industry’s two biggest brands have already unveiled their major products and it’s the final Photokina before the show tries to re-schedule itself into irrelevance. So, a couple of lens announcements and a chance to get hands-on with the Nikon Z7, Canon EOS R, Fujifilm X-T3 and Sony 24mm GM, right?

You could not be more wrong. It’s been a cracking opening day at the show, with some of the most exciting news in years. ‘What did I miss?’ you might ask. Well, let me tell you…

Panasonic and Sigma collaborate on Leica L mount

Sixteen years after Olympus and Kodak announced the formation of the Four Thirds system, three members of that consortium: Panasonic, Sigma and Leica, announced they will collaborate on a shared system.

All three brands have settled on Leica’s L mount (originally the ‘T’ mount, when the APS-C Leica T model was announced back in 2014). All three brands have said they’ll be making lenses and cameras for the new system, which is arguably the biggest coming together of major brands since Four Thirds.

Click here for more about the collaboration

We’ll look separately at what Panasonic and Sigma is intending to do with the system, since they’re both pretty big news. We won’t be looking so much at Leica, since they celebrated the event by launching a new S-series camera.

Panasonic developing S1 and S1R full-frame mirrorless cameras

They exist only as mockups at this point, but Panasonic has given a fair amount of detail about its first two L-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras.

The S1R will be a 47MP high-res model, while the S1 will be a more flexible 24MP camera. Both will offer in-body image stabilization and will be able to shoot 4K video at up to 60 frames per second.

The company also announced three lenses: a 50mm F1.4, a 24-105mm of unspecified brightness and, in an indication of who they’re targeting with these cameras, a 70-200mm F2.8.

Click for more details of the Panasonic Lumix S1 and S1R

The company reiterated its commitment to developing the Micro Four Thirds system in parallel, with the announcement of a 10-25mm F1.7 zoom for the smaller system.

Sigma adopting L mount and building full-frame Foveon

Sigma’s contribution to the L-mount collaboration extends beyond the lenses that you might expect. It says it will use the L mount in future, rather that its own SLR-era SA mount.

The company also says it’s working on a full-frame camera that will use one of its own Foveon sensors behind the L mount. Existing SA-mount lens users will either be able to have their lenses converted to L mount or can use an SA-L adapter that Sigma will make.

Perhaps most excitingly, Sigma says it will make an EF-L mount adapter, which immediately expands the system’s attractiveness, while we wait for all the stakeholders to deliver their promised lenses.

Click here for more information

Fujifilm to hit 100MP

Fujifilm also announced it will launch a 4K-capable, high resolution mirrorless camera with in-body stabilization. But in this case it’s talking about the GFX series of medium format bodies, and by high resolution it means 100MP.

Oh, and it’ll feature on-sensor phase detection for the first time.

Click here to read more

Ricoh working on significantly updated GR III

In any other year the major reworking of one of the industry’s few truly classic products would get higher billing, but not this year. Which is a shame, since Ricoh is promising to update and improve just about everything on the camera, without spoiling what makes it so attractive in the first place.

The GR III will still be a 28mm equiv. camera, will still be built around an APS-C sensor and will still feature the classic ‘GR’ styling that dates back to the small sensor GR Digital of 2004 (itself echoing the look of the GR series of film cameras before that). However, the GR III will include sensor shift image stabilization and on-sensor phase detection, both of which will be a major step forward for the series. It will also add a touchscreen for the first time.

The company says nothing of weather sealing, which is something of a shame, since the GRs (like all cameras with extending lenses) can suffer when the weather has periods of strong fluffy, blustery lint or dusty downpours.

Click here for more about the Ricoh GR III

Fujifilm GFX 50R

Maybe more unfair than taking so long to get to the Ricoh GR is that I’ve taken even longer to get to Fujifilm’s GFX 50R. A camera that’s long been hoped for and one that, unlike many other being discussed today, actually exists.

At heart it’s a redesigned variant of the GFX-50S but in a rangefinder-styled body. Essentially a hybrid of an X-E3 and a housebrick, the camera will sell at a considerable discount to the 50S, having launched for just $ 4500. Better still, and update to Fujifilm’s GF lens roadmap shows a 40mm-equiv GF 50mm F3.5 ‘pancake’ lens in the works.

There are also two stabilized zooms in the works, over the next two years.

Alongside the GFX 50R announcement, Fujifilm said that Phase One’s Capture One software will now support its medium format cameras both for Raw development and tethered shooting. This is a major addition for the brand, helping make its products fit more easily into some professionals’ workflows.

Click here for more about the GFX 50R

Sigma 56mm F1.4 for Micro Four Thirds and E mounts

As well as talking about its future system commitments, Sigma unveiled some actual lenses. You know, that you’ll be able to buy in the near future.

Most exciting to us is the Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN lens. It’s a small(ish) portrait lens for the Micro Four Thirds or Sony E-mount. It’ll behave as a 112mm F2.8 equivalent on Micro Four Thirds or a 84mm F2.1 equivalent on APS-C Sony cameras, giving a comfortable working distance for head-and-shoulder portraits and a good degree of control over depth-of-field.

If it’s anything like the existing 16mm and 30mm F1.4 lenses in Sigma’s DN lineup, I’d expect the 56mm F1.4 to be sharp, fast at focusing and sensibly priced. Which is a very likable combination.

Click for more about the Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN

Sigma lenses

As well as the 56mm, Sigma also announced a 28mm F1.4 and 40mm F1.4 as additions to its Art range of primes. Despite being competitively priced, many of the lenses in this series have a reputation for being among the best lenses one the market, optically. They also tend to be fairly sizeable, but if IQ is what you’re after…

Sigma also said it will introduce an updated stabilized 70-200mm F2.8 as part of its ‘Sports’ range. This will be available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sigma SA mount. We’ll be interested to see whether a Sony E mount version becomes available at a later date.

There’s also a successor to the storied 50-500mm F4.5-6.3 ‘Bigma,’ in the shape of the 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 ‘even Bigma-er.’*

Click here to see Sigma’s forthcoming lenses

*As no one will ever call it.

Hasselblad lenses

Not to be outdone, Hasselblad used the show to announce three new lenses and a teleconverter. And even these are pretty exciting.

The XCD 80mm F1.9 is the brightest lens the company has ever made. This will be equivalent to a 63mm F1.5 on full-frame, which is a big step forward for the system. There’ll also be a 135mm F2.8, giving something akin to a 107mm F2.2 equiv. Add on the 1.7x teleconverter and it becomes a 230mm F4.8 (180mm F3.8 equiv).

Finally, there’s the 63mm F2.8 (50mm F2.2 equiv), which will compete head-on with the similarly-specced lens from Fujifilm. All three lenses add significantly to the system’s capabilities.

Click here for more

Sony announces, err..

Apparently content to have a significant headstart on their full-frame mirrorless rivals (or perhaps content to highlight this headstart), Sony said little of substance at its press conference, beyond that it’s going to keep making lenses: twelve additional lenses (over an unspecified period).

In fairness, the company has only just released the 24mm F1.4 GM lens, so the product development teams probably aren’t actually in laurel-resting mode but, other than more lenses, the only thing its promised is Eye-AF that works on animals. Possibly on a new product, some time in the future.

Click to read (slight) more about Sony’s briefing

Wrap-up

For a show that’s about to surrender its relevance, Photokina 2018 has proven to be more lively than expected. There’ll be little bits and pieces over the coming days but this is likely to be it for industry-rocking announcements.

And, if you aren’t great at reading between the lines, our take on it is pretty simple: in a declining camera market, the enthusiast and professional are kings (and queens).

DPReview has been covering the show for 18 years and, while there have certainly been shows with more launches in the past, we can’t remember a time that heralded so many interesting products for people who really care about photography. In the space of a few weeks we’ve gone from there being two full-frame mirrorless brands to a point where there’ll be six by the end of 2019. Along with a what could be a fast 100MP medium format option. And a thoroughly-refreshed Ricoh GR, for the street shooters.

It’s going to be a busy year. In a good way.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 26, 2018
ON1 Photo RAW 2019 due out in November with revamped UI, improved Lightroom migration

ON1 has announced the upcoming version of its photo editing program ON1 Photo RAW 2019. Due out November 2018, ON1 claims version 2019 ‘is one of the biggest and best releases in our history [and] will include tons of improvements to the photo editing workflow and new features.’

Specifically, ON1 Photo RAW 2019 will have an updated UI, a new non-destructive workflow for layers, auto-alignment of layers, focus stacking, a new portrait module, a new AI-powered masking tool, a new text tool, new digital asset management updates and — arguably most significant — a Lightroom photo settings migration plug-in.

Starting with the user interface, ON1 says version 2019 will have a ‘fresh and modern feel.’ Specifically, ON1 says the overall UI will have improved contrast and updated icons, tabs and sliders that take up less screen real estate.

Before diving into the other features, we’re going to hit on the new Lightroom Photo Settings Migration feature. Detailed in the above video, you can now easily export your Lightroom catalogs directly into ON1 Photo RAW 2019 and bring along all metadata and non-destructive edits with the images. While the edits won’t be exact, ON1 notes its AI-powered algorithms will do their best to get more most accurate edits possible using what ON1 Photo RAW 2019 has to offer.

The workflow for layers is no longer a separate module. In ON1 Photo RAW 2019, the non-destructive layers workflow will be present inside of the Develop and Effects module. ‘This will allow for creating or editing multilayered files, including raw files, and keep the nondestructive settings for each photo layer,’ says ON1 in its press release.

Focus Stacking is also new. As the name suggests, it automatically blends a collection of images together at varying focusing distances and lets you adjust it in real-time to get just the right amount of depth of field. The Auto-Align Layers feature combines multiple images as layers for easier masking and blending when editing.

A new Portrait Module can automatically detect faces in images and features a custom toolset for precise retouching. ON1 specifically mentioned the ability to ‘smooth skin, brighten and sharpen eyes and whiten teeth.’

The AI Masking Tool isn’t due out until a December update to ON1 Photo RAW 2019, but ON1 says it ‘will allow [you] to easily identify areas of your photo to create a selection or mask and the AI technology detects your subject matter and automatically creates a beautiful mask.’

Other additions include a new Text Tool, a Layered HDR Workflow and additional Filter Options in the Effects module. Support for new cameras and lenses have also been added.

ON1 Photo RAW 2019 is set for a November 2018 release and is currently available for pre-order on ON1’s website for $ 100 for a limited time. If you own any previous versions of ON1 software, pre-orders are only $ 80 for a limited time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 26, 2018

Sigma announces 28mm F1.4 Art, 40mm F1.4 Art, 70-200mm F2.8 Sport and 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 Sport

Sigma has announced four lenses for Canon EF, Nikon F and Sigma SA mounts. The 28mm F1.4 DG and 40mm F1.4 DG are both part of the company’s premium ‘Art’ range that prioritize image quality over price and weight. These two lenses will also be available for the Sony E mount. The new lenses help round-out the series, which now includes a range of prime lenses extending from the 14mm F1.8 DG HSM up to the 135mm F1.8 DG.

The 28mm F1.4 DG adds a semi-wide option to Sigma’s impressive range of ‘Art’ prime lenses.

The 28mm F1.4 DG | Art has a 77mm filter thread, matching that of the 24mm F1.4.

The 40mm F1.4 DG | Art is a near perfect ‘normal’ lens: a close match for the diagonal length of a full frame sensor. It’s been a historically popular focal length, so we’re pleased to see its return.

The Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG | Art has an 82mm filter thread.

In addition, Sigma has introduced a redesigned, stabilized 70-200mm F2.8. The 70-200mm F2.8 DG OIS is, as you’d expect, part of the company’s Sport range of optics and is likely to offer a less-expensive alternative to OEM 70-200s. We will, of course, be testing its performance as soon as one becomes available.

Finally, Sigma has announced the 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OIS, a monster telephoto lens, also part of its Sport range. Despite the sport designation, we suspect the lens will be used more for birding and airshow shooting.

The Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG | Sport is a substantial beast, even at its 60mm setting.

But that’s nothing compared to seeing it at full stretch. It certainly lives up to the ‘Bigma’ nickname of its predecessor.

As you’d expect, it features a focus limiter, OIS control switch. In addition, there’s a ‘Custom mode switch’ that can be used in conjunction with the Sigma USB Dock to access customized adjustments of the lens’s focus and stabilizer behavior.

Sigma Unveils Five New Global Vision Lenses

Sigma’s 28mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art, 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary, 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports, and 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports will make their public debut at Photokina 2018

Cologne, Germany – September 25, 2018 – Sigma today announced five new Sigma Global Vision lenses shown for the first time at the 2018 Photokina expo in Cologne, Germany from September 26th-29th in Hall 4.2 on Stands B020, B028I and C029. From wide-angle to hyper-telephoto, the new Sigma Global Vision introductions arrive as some of the most anticipated lenses in the industry, further facilitating artistic expression for photographers.

Sigma 28mm F1.4 DG HSM Art
The new Sigma wide-angle model stands out with its thoroughly corrected magnification chromatic aberration and sagittal coma flare, as well as completely minimized distortion thanks to its optical design. It features water- and oil-repellent coating on the front lens element and its overall dust- and splash-proof structure ensures excellent performance even in the most challenging shooting conditions. The high-speed AF, thanks to the HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) with an updated algorithm, captures the perfect moment instantly. Available in Sigma, Nikon, Canon and Sony E camera mounts, this lens is a great contender for street photography, as well as shooting landscapes and night skies.

Full technical specifications are available here: https://bit.ly/2DdAiVE. Pricing and availability will be announced later.

Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art
The 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art is Sigma’s first lens developed originally to live up to the sought-after angle of view and performance standard for a benchmark cine lens. This lens effectively arranges three FLD (“F” Low Dispersion) glass elements and three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements to correct axial chromatic aberration and magnification chromatic aberration. Designed for exceptional sharpness at maximum aperture, this lens excels at available light photography. With less than 1% distortion and near non-existent sagittal coma flare, this lens demonstrates consistent optical results featuring both 8K-compatible resolution and a beautiful bokeh. It is available for Sigma, Nikon, Canon and Sony E mount camera systems.

Full technical specifications are available here: https://bit.ly/2QHliC5. Pricing and availability will be announced later.

Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary
This lens completes the Sigma large aperture series of portable wide-angle, standard, and telephoto prime lenses in Micro Four Thirds and Sony E mounts. Featuring compact design, light weight and outstanding image quality offered in Sigma’s Contemporary line, this lens stuns with a beautiful bokeh effect and the amount of brightness expected from F1.4 lenses even in the mid-telephoto range for cropped sensor cameras. In addition, this lens is characterized by smooth and quiet autofocus ideal for video shooting. Compatible with the Sony E mount Fast Hybrid AF, it also achieves precise AF tracking. By using the face recognition or eye AF functions of the camera, focus will continuously be on the face or the eye even if the subject moves during the shoot.

Full technical specifications are available here: https://bit.ly/2PLuSTh. Pricing and availability will be announced later.

Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports
One of the most anticipated lenses from the Sigma Global Vision line, the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports is the new flagship large-aperture telephoto zoom lens that meets the most stringent needs of professional photographers. Robust yet lightweight, the lens’ magnesium body ensures high mobility and its dust- and splash-proof structure together with the water- and oil-repellent coating on the front element ensure safe use even in the most challenging shooting conditions. It also incorporates Intelligent OS with an acceleration sensor and the latest algorithm capable of panning in all directions. The lens’ optical design, incorporating 10 exclusive low-dispersion glass elements, allows for extremely high resolution, from the center to the corners. By optimizing spherical aberration, a smooth and natural bokeh effect is achieved when using the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports for portrait photography. The versatility of this lens is demonstrated in various customization options via an AF Function button either through the camera body or Sigma USB Dock. The newest F2.8 large-aperture zoom lens from Sigma comes in Sigma, Canon and Nikon mounts.

Full technical specifications are available here: https://bit.ly/2DlyWbE. Pricing and availability will be announced later.

Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports
The Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports is the world’s first 10x optical zoom telephoto lens with a tele end of 600mm. Incorporating 25 elements in 19 groups, excellent and consistent image quality can be achieved throughout the entire zoom range. This lens’ intelligent OS featuring the latest algorithm delivers an image stabilization effect of 4 stops. Its optical design ensures maximum correction of magnification chromatic aberration encountered in hyper-telephoto shooting. This offers both high resolution and consistent edge-to-edge performance throughout the entire zoom range. In addition, when shooting at the focal length of 200mm, the Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports can also be used for telephoto macro photography, with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.3, thanks to its high rendering performance. Its multi-material build, which incorporates magnesium among other components, ensures durability and enhances portability, allowing for comfortable handling of the 10x zoom lens. The zooming mechanism has been engineered to make both smooth rotation and straight zoom possible. Versatile and robust, the new Sigma hyper-telephoto zoom lens is available in Sigma, Canon and Nikon mounts starting in late October 2018 for $ 1999 USD.

Full technical specifications are available here: https://bit.ly/2xmASv1.

Sigma 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | 40mm F1.4 DG HSM specifications

	Sigma 28mm F1.4 DG HSM \| A	Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM \| A
Principal specifications
Lens type	Prime lens
Max Format size	35mm FF
Focal length	28 mm	40 mm
Image stabilization	No
Lens mount	Canon EF, Nikon F (FX), Sigma SA Bayonet, Sony FE
Aperture
Maximum aperture	F1.4
Minimum aperture	F16
Aperture ring	No
Number of diaphragm blades	9
Optics
Elements	17	16
Groups	12
Special elements / coatings	Three SLD + two FLD elements	3 FLD + 3 SLD elements
Focus
Minimum focus	0.28 m (11.02″)	0.40 m (15.75″)
Maximum magnification	0.19×	0.15×
Autofocus	Yes
Motor type	Ring-type ultrasonic
Full time manual	Yes
Focus method	Internal
Distance scale	Yes
DoF scale	No
Physical
Weight		1200 g (2.65 lb)
Diameter	83 mm (3.27″)	88 mm (3.46″)
Length	108 mm (4.25″)	131 mm (5.16″)
Sealing	Yes
Filter thread	77 mm	82 mm
Hood supplied	Yes
Tripod collar	No
Other
Notes	Weight and dimensions for Sigma mount

Sigma 70-200 F2.8 DG OS HSM | 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM specifications

	Sigma 70-200 F2.8 DG OS HSM \| S	Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM \| S
Principal specifications
Lens type	Zoom lens
Max Format size	35mm FF
Focal length	70–200 mm	60–600 mm
Image stabilization	Yes
CIPA Image stabilization rating		4 stop(s)
Lens mount	Canon EF, Nikon F (FX), Sigma SA Bayonet
Aperture
Maximum aperture	F2.8	F4.5–6.3
Minimum aperture	F22	F22–32
Aperture ring	No
Number of diaphragm blades	11	9
Optics
Elements	24	25
Groups	22	19
Special elements / coatings	one SLD + nine FLD elements	1 SLD + 3 FLD elements
Focus
Minimum focus	1.20 m (47.24″)	0.60 m (23.62″)
Maximum magnification	0.21×	0.3×
Autofocus	Yes
Motor type	Ring-type ultrasonic
Full time manual	Yes
Focus method	Internal
Distance scale	Yes
DoF scale	No
Focus distance limiter	Yes
Physical
Weight	1805 g (3.98 lb)	2700 g (5.95 lb)
Diameter	94 mm (3.7″)	120 mm (4.72″)
Length	203 mm (7.99″)	269 mm (10.59″)
Sealing	Yes
Zoom method	Rotary (internal)	Rotary (extending)
Power zoom	No
Zoom lock	Yes
Filter thread	82 mm	105 mm
Hood supplied	Yes
Tripod collar	Yes
Other
Notes	Weight and dimensions for Sigma mount

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

September 26, 2018

Blog

Nicole Elliott by BLACKRAPID

Gear

Camera

Lenses

Settings

Aperture

Shutter speed

ISO

Focus

Metering

Composition

Blending In

Environment

Camera Position

Clothing

Confrontation

Authorities

Members of the public

Summary

MANFROTTO EXPANDS ITS VIDEO SUPPORTS RANGE WITH TWO NEW TWIN-LEG TRIPODS IN CARBON FIBRE

Raising kids is beautiful chaos

1. Gear

Minimal Gear

iPhone

Keep your camera close

Keep your battery charged

Don’t leave your camera in manual mode

A clean 50mm lens

2. What to photograph

Breakfast

Chores

Playing outside

Snacks

Playing inside

Day trips

Dinner

Golden Hour

Sick days

Sunsets

Kids sleeping

3. Creative Skills

Angles

Background

ISO

Sharp photos

Inspiration

Patience

Edit and Print

4. Discovering Lifelong Projects

Conclusion

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

What you need to know about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

A closer look at Sigma’s new Global Vision lenses

Introduction

Panasonic and Sigma collaborate on Leica L mount

Panasonic developing S1 and S1R full-frame mirrorless cameras

Sigma adopting L mount and building full-frame Foveon