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Video: There’s no such thing as lens compression, it’s just perspective distortion

We’ve been saying for years that the term “lens compression” is misleading, but Lee Morris over at Fstoppers has put together a useful video that explains exactly why this is the case, and demonstrates it with two easy-to-understand examples.

The main issue with the term “lens compression” is that the distortion the term refers to has nothing to do with the lens itself. The issue is simply perspective distortion, caused by the distance between your camera and your subject, as well as the distance between your camera and the background.

Put another way: if your subject is 1 meter away (or feet: it doesn’t really matter), and your background is 50 meters away, moving back 1 meter will double the distance between you and your subject, while barely changing the distance between you and the background—the perspective on your subject changes drastically, while the perspective on your background barely shifts at all.


This diagram, from the FStoppers video, shows why changing your perspective appears to compress the background…	When you double the distance to your subject you halve its size, but you’ve barely moved in relation to the background, so it remains roughly the same size in your image.

To show this concept in action, Morris uses two examples. First, he shows you how you can get the exact same perspective using a 24mm lens that you can with a 400mm lens by simply cropping the wide-angle shot. Then, he does the opposite, creating the same perspective as a 15mm shot by stitching multiple shots taken at 70mm.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should go throw out all of your lenses and just pick one focal length to either crop or stitch with. Physical limitations apply: like how much room you have to back up, how much resolution you’re willing to sacrifice by cropping, and how much sanity you have to spare if you’re trying to create a 15mm shot by taking a thousand shots with an 800mm lens.

The demonstration is just that: a demonstration of a concept that is often misunderstood because of the language we use to describe it. The compression you get using a long lens isn’t a result of the lens, so much as the distance between your subject, your background, and the camera.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 24, 2018

My Top 5 Photography Documentaries on YouTube
Surrounding yourself with inspiration is one of the best ways to jump-start your creativity. By viewing the works of others, we connect with our own photographic practice. One of my favorite things to do in a creative lull is to trawl YouTube. I could spend hours looking for interesting photography documentaries to watch and study.

I always feel myself rearing to get photographing by the time the credits roll. So here are a few of the favorites that I like to revisit from time to time. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

#1 – The Many Lives of William Klein

William Klein is known for his gritty street photography as well as his fashion work with Vogue. As a creator of some of the most iconic imagery of the 20th century, the American-born French photographer originally trained as a painter. Despite having no formal training as a photographer, Klein won the Prix Nadar in 1957 for New York, a book of photographs he compiled in 1954. Since then, Klein’s work has been praised as uncompromising and revolutionary in both his approach and execution.

The Many Lives of William Klein takes a peek into Klein’s world as he prepares his retrospective exhibition. Smart and sarcastic, Klein recounts memoirs of his photographic past and shares insights into his process and passion for photography.

Note: there is a warning of strong language in this video so if you find that offensive you might want to go to the next one.

#2 – The Colourful Mr. Eggleston

Produced by BBC for its “Imagine” TV series, The Colourful Mr. Eggleston provides a rare look into the life and work of one of photography’s most influential proponents. William Eggleston was born in 1939 in Memphis, Tennessee to a family of plantation owners. He grew up in Sumner, Mississippi and spent six years studying at various art schools, never receiving a degree. When he received his first camera in 1957, a Canon rangefinder, he was hooked. As one of the first art photographers to use color film, he began visually recording the world around him, capturing everyday moments in life in compressed color and light.

Eggleston’s idols, Robert Frank, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Walker Evans roamed the world for photographic subject matter. But Eggleston remained rooted in Memphis. His wife, Rosa, tells the story that one day Eggleston told a friend that there was nothing to photograph because everything in the city was ugly. The friend told him to “photograph the ugly stuff” which set him on a path photographing a contemporary landscape made up of vending machines, light bulbs, power poles, wires, signs, urban decay and occasionally human subjects.

The Colorful Mr. Eggleston follows his photographic process in and around Memphis as he isolates the facets of everyday life that make up the dense, atmospheric imagery of his work.

#3 – The Genius of Photography

The Genius of Photography is a series originally featured on BBC Four that investigates the rich history of photography. Over the six-part series, the documentary explores an aspect of the photographic medium. It covers the earliest incarnations of photography through to modern digital practice.

From art to commercial photography, the series includes interviews and encounters with some of the world’s best including William Klein, Sally Mann, Jeff Wall and many more.

Click here to go to the video.

#4 – Lomography: Shoot from the Hip

The Lomo Camera: Shoot from the Hip is a colorful insight into the history and momentum of the Lomography movement. The philosophy behind Lomography is “Don’t Think, Just Shoot”, encouraging spur-of-the-moment photography not dissimilar to Cartier-Bresson’s decisive moment. The movement is also accompanied by 10 golden rules encouraging spontaneous, active photography with less concern for formal photographic technique.

While Lomography itself can be a bit hit-and-miss, the documentary conveys a world of unfocused color and spontaneity. But the Lomo ethos isn’t reserved only for photographers with plastic cameras; much of the Lomographic practice can still appeal to those with more hi-tech photographic equipment. With rules like “Take your camera everywhere you go” and “Lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it.”

The Lomo Camera: Shoot from the Hip inspires a fun and creative approach that can be applied across the board photographically.

#5 – The Photographers

Click to go to the video page.

Working for National Geographic is a job that many photographers dream of, but few attain. With some assignments lasting for months, National Geographic’s camera staff aren’t just journalists, they’re artists, braving a myriad of hardships. As one Nat Geo photographer featured on the Photographers, Michael (Nick) Nichols explains, “The toughest part of [the] job often times is not taking photographs but surviving an environment”.

Seeking out “memorable images, unusual subjects, and unexpected moments” in some of the most unique and sometimes inhospitable of locations. The Photographers follows several Nat Geo photographers as they capture iconic shots the magazine has become known for, delivering beautiful and unique imagery and delving into what it is that makes up our world.

Conclusion

Photography documentaries are great because they give us a behind-the-scenes look at someone else’s photographic world. Every photographer works differently. So when we view another photographer’s practice, it’s as if they are passing their own inspiration on to us.

These are only a few of the wide selection of photographic documentaries to find on YouTube. So go ahead, start your own list of favorites and get inspired! Share your list in the comments below as well.

Editor’s list: here are a few others I recommend if you can find them:
- War Photographer – James Nachtwey. I can’t find the whole documentary on YouTube but you can watch his TED talk here.
- The Big Bang Club is about news photographers in South Africa during the fall of the Apartheid. This one you might have to pay to watch but it’s really worth it.
- Double Exposure is about the life of photographer Margaret Bourke-White, one of the earliest women photojournalists. I can’t find it on YouTube but look around maybe you can find a copy somewhere.
The post My Top 5 Photography Documentaries on YouTube appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
May 24, 2018
Why You Should Find Your Own Photography Style and Not Conform to Social Media Trends

Everyone is a photographer. We all love to use our phones, tablets, or cameras to take photos. What’s more, we all share them and publish them for the world to see. This phenomenon has changed photography and photographers.

Not so long ago you needed to have a camera to be able to take a photo, there was no other way. Before the explosion of social media sites hit the internet is was decidedly more difficult to get your pictures published.

Go Beyond Social Media Norms

With the rise of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and the proliferation of other media sharing websites, we are seeing and sharing more and more photographs every day. Standing out in such an enormous global crowd is not easy.

So how do you create a unique photography style which does not look the same as most of what’s already out there? Because, let’s face it, so much of it is so similar (and dull.) There are tons of pictures of pets, sunsets, selfies, kids and food, food, food.

Most successful photographers concentrate on one style. This can take years to develop. Dedication and experimentation are keys to attaining a photographic look and feel that is uniquely yours and will be recognized as such. Mastering any form of creative expression does not happen easily or without a lot of practice.

Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Get Into a New Zone

You need to be willing to step outside your comfort zone. Don’t just keep photographing the same things, in the same way, that you are comfortable with already. Push yourself to do things with your camera that you’ve not experimented with before. Step out and photograph subjects you’ve wanted to but not have been bold enough to do so. You never know what you will discover by trying something different.

Don’t give up easily either. Giving up will not get you anywhere if you haven’t first shown some commitment to producing some photographs you are content with.

My Story

As a young man, I was painfully shy. I loved photography, but could never bring myself to photograph people. My sister encouraged me. She told me my photos were excellent, but really lacked the inclusion of people.

She was not so happy when she became my subject. I also started photographing friends as we hung out together and became somewhat comfortable photographing people that I knew.

Shortly after I landed a job in the photography department of a daily newspaper, I quickly realized that if I wanted to keep my job I would have to overcome my fear (yes, it was a real fear) of photographing strangers. Everything in me wanted to keep the job at the paper and to succeed as a photographer, so I pressed on and challenged myself to break through.

Now my main love in photography is taking pictures of people. Often they are people I do not know.

Most people will not face the same test to develop their photography abilities as I was confronted with. But I hope my story can inspire you to press on trying new things with your photography and to persevere in going beyond your comfort zone.

Experience and Experiment

As you experiment, keep in mind that your worldview is unique. No one else sees or experiences the world quite the same way you do.

Think about how you can express this through your photography. What do you see that someone else might not? Why do you feel a certain way about the subjects you are photographing? No one else will feel just the same.

Connect with your subject, whether it’s a person, a pet, a landscape or your lunch, and photograph it with feeling. More often than not you will create a strong, more unique image than if you just take a quick snapshot.

Go Beyond Your Gear

As you seek to develop your own unique personal photography style try not to concentrate too much on your equipment. Pouring all your attention into what you’re doing with your camera will not help you connect with your subject and you will produce less dynamic photographs. No matter how technically correct your images are, they will often be rather dull if you are not connecting with your subject.

However, the more comfortable you are with your camera, and the more proficient in knowing what it’s capable of and the best settings to use will help you immensely.

Loving your camera and knowing it well, so you can use it as an integral part of your creative process, will assist you in developing your photography style. The more focused you are on trying to figure out which lens to attach and what shutter speed will be needed, the more likely you are to disconnect with your subject. The more familiar and comfortable you are with your camera the better.

Have Precise Control

Anyone who’s read my articles watched my videos or taken my workshops or online courses will know I always encourage the use of a camera in Manual Mode. Being in precise control of the equipment you are using will definitely facilitate your unique creative growth.

Using settings which give your camera control of the exposure (auto modes) will give you results like everyone else who relies on these settings. In Manual Mode you have the choice to expose your photos as you like, not always as your camera dictates.

You are Unique – Create Unique Photographs

Experiment! Take time and work with a purpose and a goal in mind. Be inspired to step beyond creating just another snapshot for your social media posts and make a point of producing strong photographs expressing your unique perspective of the world you live in.

It’s not easy to do. But press on and don’t give up. Make a start with your first ideas and keep at it. Be flexible and adapt as you develop.

At first, you might love the topic or photography style you’re working on and later find you are drawn to a something a bit different. Go with the flow, so long as you are continuing to produce photographs you are happy with and you can see a progression in what you are doing.

To learn the story behind some of these photographs please check out this video:

I’d love to know how you are developing your photography style, whether you are inspired by this article and just starting out, or if you’ve been working on your own particular style for some time. Please share your thoughts and photos in the comments section below.

The post Why You Should Find Your Own Photography Style and Not Conform to Social Media Trends appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

May 23, 2018
Shutterbug shuts down print publication after 45 years, goes ‘web only’

Popular photography magazine Shutterbug has announced that it is shutting down its print publication of 45 years, and will focus instead on reaching its audience online as a “web-only publication.”

The news was published earlier today by Shutterbug Editor-in-Chef Dan Havlik, who says the media landscape simply cannot sustain a photography print publication any longer. The best way to serve Shutterbug’s readers, says Havlik, is by dedicating all of the company’s resources towards becoming a “dynamic, web-only publication.”

Shutterbug magazine had a great run, but the media landscape has changed dramatically in the last 4+ decades, and we felt now was the time for Shutterbug to become a dynamic, web-only publication. Shutterbug.com has grown dramatically in recent years with record traffic and expanded reach to photographers around the world. We can now dedicate all our resources to further growing our online presence and expanding our video, social media, mobile and e-commerce channels.

Beyond simply shutting down the print side of the business, the brand has big plans for Shutterbug.com. In addition to continued how-to content, feature stories, and gear reviews, the website plans to expand its reader photo galleries and launch an online store where readers can purchase cameras, lenses, software, photo accessories, and Shutterbug-branded merchandise.

Press Release

Shutterbug Moves Forward as Web-Only Publication

Venerable Photography Media Brand to Focus on Website After Ending Print Edition

May 22, 2018 – Shutterbug is moving forward as a web-only publication (Shutterbug.com) after ending its print magazine after 45 years, Shutterbug Editor-in-Chief Dan Havlik announced today.

“Shutterbug magazine had a great run, but the media landscape has changed dramatically in the last 4+ decades, and we felt now was the time for Shutterbug to become a dynamic, web-only publication,” Havlik said. “Shutterbug.com has grown dramatically in recent years with record traffic and expanded reach to photographers around the world. We can now dedicate all our resources to further growing our online presence and expanding our video, social media, mobile and e-commerce channels.”

In the last four years since Havlik joined Shutterbug as editor-in-chief, Shutterbug.com’s traffic has increased over 700%. Shutterbug.com was also recently named one of the top five best photography news sites by Feedspot. Meanwhile, Shutterbug’s social media channels have grown exponentially in recent years, with nearly one million followers on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Flipboard, Twitter and other social sites combined.

“The web, social media and video are simply the best ways for Shutterbug to reach the growing audience of photographers out there, including everyone who is graduating up from shooting with their smart phones and wants to learn how to capture photos with real cameras, to photo enthusiasts and seasoned pros who want to read the latest news and reviews of the hottest photo gear. Shutterbug.com offers it all.”

Along with continuing to post the best photography how-tos, video tutorials, feature stories and camera gear reviews on the web, Shutterbug.com will expand its popular photo galleries where readers share and comment on their images. Shutterbug.com will also open an online photography store where visitors can buy cameras, lenses, software, and photo accessories, along with Shutterbug-branded merchandise such as t-shirts and camera bags.

Shutterbug is owned by AVTech Media Americas Inc., a division of the UK-based AVTech Media Ltd (UK) company.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 23, 2018
Instagram launches Mute button, tests ‘all caught up’ feature

Ever after Instagram decided to abandon its chronological feed and reorder user feeds using an algorithm, it has been difficult to keep track of what you’ve already seen. This, in turn, keeps some users nervously scrolling through their feeds to make sure they don’t miss any important posts from the people they follow. According to TechCrunch, Instagram is testing a new feature that will help alleviate this anxiety.

The feature notifies you when you’re all caught up so you can turn your attention to another app or, heaven forbid, even put your phone away. In practice, the feature will be very simple: as you scroll through your feed, you’ll get a notification saying “You’re All Caught Up – You’ve seenall new post from the past 48 hours.”

In combination with the recently announced “time spent” feature—which will give users a better idea of how much time they spend with the app once implemented—this latest function is aimed at helping Instagramers control and manage their time in a more efficient way.

Of course, one could argue that simply going back to the original chronological feed would have been the simpler solution… but we digress.

In addition to testing ‘all caught up’, Instagram today introduced a new feature that allows you to mute accounts in pretty much the same way as on parent platform Facebook. You can hide posts in your feed from certain accounts without unfollowing or blocking them, allowing for a more personalized feed.

Like on Facebook, you can still see posts from muted accounts on their profile, and will still be notified if you are tagged in a post or comment. Muted users are not aware of their status and, of course, you can always unmute an account if you’ve changed your mind.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 23, 2018
Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool

Lightroom’s suite of editing tools is not as comprehensive as its big brother Photoshop But the program does offer a host of options for fixing photos that cover most of the corrections you are likely to need on a daily basis. You can, of course, use Lightroom for basic operations like adjusting white balance, changing exposure, and converting images to black and white. But there are much more advanced features as well, such as the Spot Removal Tool.

This tool is a quick and easy way to remove blemishes and imperfections. It doesn’t have the same level of depth and customization as similar options in Photoshop, but with a little practice, it should suffice for most situations in which you are likely to need it.

Fixing Imperfections

To access the Spot Removal tool, first, click on the Develop module and then press the Q button (the keyboard shortcut). Or you can click on the circle icon with a small arrow pointing to the right just below the histogram at the top of the panel on the right-hand side.

Once you are in the Spot Removal panel it might be tempting to start clicking away at every spot and blemish on your images. But understanding some of the options available to you will help you use the tool more effectively and result in better edits.

The Spot Removal tool has two main options, Clone and Heal. Each of these has three sliders that you can change: Size, Feather, and Opacity. Before getting into the differences between cloning and healing, let’s take a look at the three options they have in common.

Size

This changes, as you might have guessed, how big the edit is going to be. Larger sizes are suited for bigger edits, while pinpoint accuracy can be obtained by making the tool as small as you need it to be.

You might be tempted to slide left and right to change these values, and that certainly works just fine. But you can also type precise numbers between 0-100 or just scroll up and down using the mouse wheel to see the brush automatically grow and shrink until you get it to where you want. You can also use the square brackets [ and ] on the keyboard to adjust the brush size.

Feather

This slider lets you control how gradually the Clone or Heal edits are implemented. Sliding all the way to 100 means your edits will gradually fade out near the edge of the tool. A value of zero indicates that there will be no feathering whatsoever.

This will result in a harsh edge around your edits that will be easy to spot so I don’t usually recommend it. Instead, try for a value of around 50 and adjust it to your taste. Similar to the Size parameter you can adjust this with the mouse by holding [shift] and scrolling up and down, which I find much easier to use than the slider.

Opacity

The opacity is a way for you to specify how transparent your edits will be. A setting of 100 is totally opaque and nothing will show through, whereas lower values will lessen the overall impact of the tool.

There might be instances in which you don’t want to completely remove a spot or blemish but mask over or fade it just a little, and in that case, set an opacity of 25 or 50 (this works well for portrait retouching, lightening circles under eyes and wrinkles without completely removing them).

Cloning

Hearkening back to the earlier days of Photoshop, the Clone tool is one of the most often-utilized features for beginning or even more advanced photographers who want to tidy up their pictures. The basic function is pretty straightforward since all it does at a fundamental level is copy, or clone, one part of a picture and put it on top of another part. This is great for situations with textures, patterns, or colors that are highly similar or where duplicating one portion would not be easy to detect.

Using the Clone Tool

This picture of a squirrel (below) has a stick on the right-hand side that I would like to remove. The Clone tool is a good way to do it. To fix something like this you can either shrink the tool so it’s small and brush it over the imperfection or increase the size to be much larger and click just once.

Each situation is going to call for a different type of edit but in general, I like to use a larger brush and click once because it usually results in edits that aren’t as visible in the final result.

This image is fine, but it would be great if that stick protruding up on the right side could be removed.

Lightroom tries its best to get your initial clone edit just right by taking what it thinks is a sample of a similar portion of your image. But as you can see below it doesn’t always work.

Lightroom’s initial attempt with the Clone tool was less than ideal. You can clearly see a circle of in-focus grass where the stick used to be.

Adjusting cloning results

You don’t have to be content with the initial results though, as Lightroom lets you refine and tweak the cloning options until you’re satisfied.

There is an Overlay setting for the Clone tool. It is a white circle indicating the location from which the Clone Tool is selecting to copy. As well there is another circle showing you where it is being pasted. In the lower-left portion of the Develop module is a tiny little option picker that says “Tool Overlay” with four choices: Auto, Always, Selected, and Never. My personal preference is to go with “Never” and use the “H” key to show and hide the Tool Overlay as I need it.

As you use the Spot Healing tool you will see little gray circles pop up all over your image, which shows you the places where you have edited your image. If you don’t see these tiny pins press “H” to show them, and then click on one to show the white circles showing you where the edits are being taken from and applied. You can see an example of this in the image below.

Press the H key to show and hide the Tool Overlay. Then grab the source that is being copied and drag it to another part of your image that blends in better with the surroundings of the blemish to be cloned out.

Once you see where Lightroom is grabbing the part of your image that it’s using to fix a blemish, it’s easy to fine-tune it to get the results you are looking for. Use your cursor to drag the bright circle around the image until you find a spot that would be better-suited for filling in the blemish. You can also adjust the sliders while you have your editing point selected to see in real-time what happens when you change things like size, feather, and opacity.

I wouldn’t say it’s impossible to tell that this photo has been edited, but most casual viewers would likely never know.

Visualize spots

One issue that you might encounter when using the Spot Removal Tool is that it’s not always easy to see where the spots in your picture are actually located. Fortunately, Lightroom has an option that can help you in this regard.

If you click the “Visualize Spots” button in the lower-left corner of the Develop module (make sure the Spot Removal tool is selected), you will see a black-and-white version of your image with areas of high contrast highlighted. If you do not see this option, activate your toolbar by pressing T on the keyboard.

You can also simply press the A key to activate the Visualize Spots view. Use the slider to fine-tune the amount of contrast visible, and doing so will show you where some of the imperfections are located that you might have missed.

Some of the spots on the above image are easy to see, but others are visible only upon closer inspection. Snuffing out all the blemishes, which are really dust on the front of my camera lens, would be a time-consuming process without the Visualize Spots option enabled. Doing so makes it easy to see every mote and speck that I need to fix with the Spot Healing tool.

Visualize spots activated

The finished image, after some clicking and editing, is much improved. I even decided to leave in the streak of lens flare on the left side because I liked the effect, you could remove it if you wanted to by using the same tools.

Healing

While similar to the Clone tool, the Healing brush operates in a slightly different way. It takes textures and tones from a source portion of your image and blends it with the area you want to fix. It’s not a direct 1:1 copy of the source, like the Clone tool, and as such it creates results that are often a little more refined and effective in terms of removing problems and blemishes.

The Heal tool has the same options as the Clone tool (Size, Feather, and Opacity) but because the nature of the tool is somewhat different. The Opacity doesn’t function in exactly the way you might expect. It still adjusts how much of the source spot is stamped onto the blemish you want to remove but because it’s blending textures, colors, and patterns even a 100 value of Opacity means that you won’t see quite the same results as the Clone tool.

To fix a picture using the Heal tool, click on any spot you want to remove (or click and drag if it’s more than just a single spot) and Lightroom takes care of the rest. If the spot is not fixed to your liking, press H to show the Tool Overlays and edit as you see fit by dragging the source that is being copied and adjusting the Size, Feather, and Opacity.

Note: One other thing you can do with the Lightroom Spot Removal tool is to draw a line or shape. Your cloning area is not just limited to a circle anymore as it once was in LR.

The picture below shows the result of using the Heal tool to remove about a dozen blemishes and imperfections on a photo of some mushrooms. All this was done in under five minutes using only the Heal tool, and it illustrates how simple and effective this type of editing can be.

The Photoshop Solution

I often use the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool to fix little things in my images, but for real in-depth editing, you might want to turn to Photoshop. There you can really dig in with layers and the advanced editing tools that program offers.

For most photographers, whether professional or casual, the options in Lightroom will usually suffice. That’s what I find myself using almost every time I need to tweak a picture. Give it a try and you might be surprised at what it can do for you too.

The post Fixing Your Photos with the Lightroom Spot Removal Tool appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

May 23, 2018
The new ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 features a 100% Adobe RGB 4K display

ASUS has unveiled its new ZenBook Pro 15: a lightweight laptop that packs some seriously impressive specs, including a 4K factory-calibrated display and, despite its thin 18.9mm frame, up to an 8th-generation Intel Core i9-8950HK hexa-core processor.

The model offers excellent hardware options targeting video and photo professionals, in addition to gamers. The new ZenBook Pro 15 offers a 15.6-inch IPS multi-touch display in 1080p and 4K 3840 x 2160 resolutions, both of which feature 100% Adobe RGB color space and 95% NTSC color gamut, integrated ASUS Calibration, and the promise of “pin-sharp accuracy.”

If the Intel Core i9 chip—which is fairly uncommon in laptops—is a bit too rich for your blood, buyers can choose a quad-core Core i5 or six-core Core i7 processor instead. RAM can be customized to either 8GB or 16GB, and storage maxes out at 1TB SSD. Finally, graphics are delivered via an NVIDIA GTX 1050 with up to 4GB of GDDR5 memory, and a dual-fan cooling system with three heat pipes promises to efficiently keep the laptop cool during a heavy editing session.

Despite the high-end hardware, the company claims the model’s 71Wh battery coupled with “clever ASUS thermal engineering” results in a runtime of up to 9.5 hours per charge. The laptop also features fast charging for bringing the battery from 0 to 60% in 49 minutes.

Other key features include two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a microSD card slot, HDMI, two USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, dual-band 802.11ac WiFi, Harman Kardon audio, a NanoEdge ultra-slim bezel and aluminum unibody, silver keyboard backlight, integrated fingerprint sensor, and an overall weight of 1.86kg / 4.1lbs.

Though ASUS has unveiled the new ZenBook Pro 15, it hasn’t yet revealed the price. While we wait for that, you can learn lots more about the new laptop over on the ASUS website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 23, 2018
Camera Comparison – The Fujifilm X-H1 Versus the Sony a7R III

Two of the hottest mirrorless cameras you can get your hands on right now are the Sony a7R III and the Fujifilm X-H1. My husband owns one and I have the other. In the past few months, we’ve been experimenting with our new cameras and have noticed quite a few similarities and differences. This is by no means a comprehensive camera comparison, but some of the main differences will be highlighted below.

The Fuji X-H1 left, and the Sony a7R III on the right.

Our Background

My husband and I are both photographers who have always been in opposite brand camps. We were Nikon versus Canon during the height of the DSLR. Now in the mirrorless world, we are Fujifilm versus Sony. I’m a full-time photographer specializing mainly in food and architecture photography, while my husband is a part-time assistant photographer.

Our differing photo needs and styles have partially dictated our camera brand loyalty. I prefer Sony for its higher megapixel count for architecture photos and also its more flexible lens selection. Meanwhile, my husband loves Fujifilm for their rangefinder design and film simulations.

One thing we can agree on is that we both have an interest in making more videos. That is why we specifically choose the Sony a7R III and Fujifilm X-H1 as our new cameras. Note that at the time, the Sony a7R III was the newest camera on the market–there wasn’t yet a Sony A7III or a Sony a7S III, both of which are arguably better cameras for video.

Fuji versus Sony

Common Features

Before we talk about differences, the Sony a7R III and Fujifilm X-H1 do have many features in common. First, both cameras have enhanced, on-par video recording capabilities. They shoot in 4K and 120 fps slow motion video, and both cameras offer in-camera image stabilization (IBIS). Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are available on both cameras to facilitate quick transfers to cell phones or tablets.

Physically, both cameras have dual SD card slots for more storage flexibility. There’s also focus peaking to help highlight areas that are in focus, which is especially helpful when using manual-focus lenses. Finally, there are tiltable touchscreens on both cameras. However, touchscreen capabilities are quite limited and you can’t perform full camera operation with them.

Here is the same scene, shot with both cameras for comparison.

Fujifilm X-H1

Sony A7rIII

Common Weaknesses

In terms of things that neither camera offer, the list isn’t terribly long. But ideally, both cameras would offer a more flexible tilt and swivel screen. Built-in GPS for geotagging photos is also missing.

Finally, both cameras come with hot-shoe mounts for attaching an external flash. However, neither camera comes with a built-in flash.

Sony a7R III

Sony a7R III Benefits

Larger Sensor, More Megapixels

The biggest difference exists in the cameras’ sensors. There’s a full-frame, 42.4-megapixel sensor on the Sony, while the Fujifilm has an APS-C 24.3-megapixel sensor. Currently, Fujifilm does not make any full-frame mirrorless cameras, although that will change when the X-T3 comes out in late 2018.

Depending on your photography style, more megapixels is a generally a good thing. Although, it does require using SD cards and hard drives with significantly more storage space for those large file sizes.

Super High-Resolution Composite (Pixel Shift)

Speaking of resolution, there’s a new feature on the Sony a7R III called Pixel Shift. In short, this increases image resolution by 4 times. You still have to shoot individual images and stitch them together in post-production using the included software. The result is a super high-res image that’s great for shooting landscapes or buildings.

A photo that was taken with Pixel Shift.

Longer Battery Life

Mirrorless cameras have long been criticized for having poor battery life. Luckily, Sony responded positively by putting a new Z-battery in the a7R III. This battery isn’t cheap, but it offers a much longer battery life than the X-H1 at 650 shots versus 310 shots.

Hyperlapse Filming Mode

One thing many Sony shooters miss from the a7R II is the PlayMemories App that added built-in features such as time-lapse shooting. However, time-lapse can still be taken on the a7R III if you use the S&Q setting.

This allows for shooting slow motion or fast (hyper-lapse). If you do the latter, this is essentially a hyper-lapse that is taken in camera. Just be sure to adjust the settings in the camera, as S&Q can be set to shoot slow motion or hyper-lapse videos.

Headphone Jack

Since recording accurate sound is a big part of video-making, it’s essential to have a headphone jack. This is present on the Sony a7R III but is oddly missing from the Fuji X-H1.

Fuji left, Sony right.

Bigger Buffer for JPGs

The X-H1 is a faster camera when it comes to shutter speed and frames per second (more on that below). But the Sony has a leg up when it comes to JPG buffering, or how many more JPGs you can shoot before waiting in burst mode. It’s 82 shots on the Sony a7R III compared to 40 shots on the Fuji X-H1.

Higher ISO

Sony – The Sony a7R III has a native ISO sensitivity range of 100 to 51,200. When extended, the Sony can reach ISO 50 to 204,800 for stills, or 102,400 for video.

Fuji – Meanwhile, the X-H1 has a slightly smaller range of ISO 200 to 12,800 or an extended ISO range of 100 to 51,200 for stills or 25,600 for video.

Bigger Lens Selection

When it comes to lenses, Sony has a wider array of choices compared to Fujifilm. If you need traditional focal lengths such as the 16-35mm, 24-70mm, or 70-200mm, you’ll want to go with Sony.

Fujifilm X-H1 Benefits

Top LCD Display

The X-H1 takes on the look of a DSLR camera, departing a bit from Fujifilm’s more classic rangefinder design. Part of the DSLR look includes a top LCD display where you can easily see your camera settings. In practice, that may or may not be helpful since the pop-out LCD can also show your camera settings.

Faster JPG and RAW Shooting

Interestingly, the Fujifilm X-H1 is quite a bit faster than the Sony a7R III. The X-H1’s shutter is faster at 1/32,000th versus 1/8000th when shooting wide open in bright light. Also, the X-H1 has faster RAW and JPG shooting in burst mode (14 FPS for the Fuji as compared to 9 FPS on the Sony).

Longer Exposure

Despite being a crop sensor camera, the X-H1 is set up better for taking night photos. It has a long exposure of up to 900 seconds (15 minutes), compared to 30 seconds on the Sony a7R III.

Built-In Film Simulations

Fujifilm has been mastering color profiles long before digital cameras even existed. Many color profiles from film days have been added into digital cameras in the form of built-in film simulations. Six have existed until the X-H1 which saw the addition of the brand new Eterna film simulation. If you’re a fan of Fujifilm colors, this could be a big selling point.

Lower Price

Finally, the Fuji X-H1 is significantly less expensive coming in at $ 1,899 compared to $ 3,198 for the Sony a7R III.

In Conclusion

Here is a video comparison going over some of these things as well:

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Both the Fujifilm X-H1 and Sony a7R III are fantastic digital photography tools that offer lots of features for those looking to up their photo or video game. Which is best for you depends largely on your photography style. What do you like to shoot, and what are the basic tools of the trade that you need to make that happen?

As a commercial architecture, food, and event photographer, I need the extra megapixels, ISO range, and lens choices offered by Sony. However, these features aren’t as critical to my husband, an editorial photographer who values the physical aesthetic and experience of shooting with a Fujifilm camera as much as the image quality.

Here are some more images of the same scene for comparison:

Fujifilm X-H1

Sony A7rIII

The post Camera Comparison – The Fujifilm X-H1 Versus the Sony a7R III appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

May 23, 2018
Canon is now selling CMOS image sensors, including a 120MP APS-H beast
It looks like Canon is getting into sensor sales. The three specialized CMOS sensors the company has been recently showing off—including a 120MP APS-H model and an ultra-low light sensor—have been listed for sale by special order through Canon, and through Phase 1 Technology Corp in the US. As far as we know, this is the first time Canon has publicly gotten into the semiconductor business.

That in and of itself is big news, despite the fact that these sensors are likely meant for security, machine vision and, say, astrophotography camera makers. There’s the 120MP APS-H sensor, which outputs images measuring 13280×9184 pixels; there’s a 2/3″ 5MP global shutter sensor that boasts “remarkably wide dynamic range”; and, finally, a 2.2MP full-frame unit with 19µm high-sensitivity pixels designed for extreme low-light shooting. All three are available in RGB and monochrome variations.

B2B sensor sales like this usually require you purchase more than one sensor, so at-home camera makers may not be able to get into the action, but we’ve contacted the company for a quote so we can share the price with you all the same. We’ll update this article if and when we hear back. In the meantime, you can find more information about all three sensors on the Phase 1 Technology Corp website.

Specifications
Canon 120 Megapixel CMOS Sensor

Available Variations:
- 120MXSC: RGB
- 120MXSM: Monochrome
Ultra-High Resolution CMOS Sensor

The 120MXS is an ultra-high resolution CMOS sensor with 13280 x 9184 effective pixels (approx. 60x the resolution of Full HD). It has a size equivalent to APS-H (29.22mm x 20.20mm), and a square pixel arrangement of 2.2µm x 2.2µm with 122 million effective pixels. Ultra-high-resolution is made possible by parallel signal processing, which reads signals at high speed from multiple pixels. All pixel progressive reading of 9.4 fps is made possible by 28 digital signal output channels. It is available in RGB or with twice the sensitivity, in monochrome.

Technical Information:
- Sensor size: APS-H (29.22mm x 20.20mm)
- Filter types:
  
  120MXSC: RGB
  
  120MXSM: Monochrome
- Number of effective pixels: 13280h x 9184v, approx. 122MP
- Pixel size: 2.2µm x 2.2µm
- Progressive Scan
- Rolling Shutter
- 188pin ceramic PGA
- Sensitivity:
  
  120MXSC (Green): 10,000e/lux/sec
  
  120MXSM: 20,000e/lux/sec
- Saturation: 10,000e @ gain0.5x
- Output Channels: Data 28 lanes, Clock 14 lanes
- Dark Random Noise: 2.3e rms @ gain x8, Room Temp.
- Dark Current: 8.1e/sec @ gain x8, 60°C
- Number of output channels: Data 28 lanes, Clock 14 lanes
- Main clock frequency: 45MHz (Recommended)
- Output format: 720Mbps in LVDS output 9.4fps @ 10 bit
- Built in column amplifier (Pre-amplifier gain mode: x0.5, x1, x2, x4, x8)
- Serial communication
- All pixel progressive scan reading function, Region of Interest (ROI) reading function (Vertically)
- Vertically intermittent reading function (1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/5, 1/7, 1/15)
- Power consumption: 2.5W (under recommended operating conditions)
- Power supply voltage: 1.7 V, 3.5 V
- Package size: 55.0mm x 47.8mm x 4.49mm
Canon 5 Megapixel Global Shutter CMOS Sensor

Available Variations:
- 3U5MGXSC: RGB on-chip color filter
- 3U5MGXSM: Monochrome
Global Shutter CMOS Image Sensor

The 3U5MGXS global shutter image sensor employs a new pixel design introducing new drive readout and light guiding technologies significantly expanding the full well capacity, reducing noise, and contributing to remarkably wide dynamic range with a power consumption of 500mW. Equipped with a global shutter and all pixel progressive reading at 120fps, the 2/3″ sensor size, and pixel size of 3.4µm with 5.33 million effective pixels (2592 x 2056) easily allow for applications in machine vision and other industrial environments where smaller size and high performance are required. It is available in RGB and Monochrome.

Technical Information:
- Sensor size: Approx. 2/3 inch (8.8mm x 7.0mm)
- Number of effective pixels: 2592h x 2056v, approx. 5.3M
- Filter types:
  
  3U5MGXSC: RGB on-chip color filter
  
  3U5MGXSM: Monochrome
- Pixel size: 3.4µm x 3.4µm
- Maximum Frame Rate: 120fps
- Global electronic shutter function
- Progressive scan
- Main clock frequency: 36MHz (Recommended)
- Sensitivity:
  
  3U5MGXSC (Green): 30,000 e/lx/sec @Analog gain x1(TBD)
  
  3U5MGXSM: TBD
- Saturation: 14,000e gain x1 (10 bit 60 fps) (TBD)
- Output Channels Data: 12 lanes, Clock 2 Lanes
- Output from LVDS: Maximum output of 864Mbps
- Analog gain: 0 to 36dB
- Digital Gain: 0 to 24dB
- Dark Random Noise: 2.6e rms @ Analog gain x4(TBD)
- Dark Current: 1.3 e/sec @Analog gain x4, Room Temp
- Maximum Dynamic Range: 74dB (TBD)
- Function: ROI function (8 region) Inverted output function (horizontal and vertical)
- 180pin ceramic LGA
- Power consumption (Typ): 500mW (full pixel scan at 60 fps)
- Power supply voltage: 3.3V, 1.2V
- Package size: 19.0mm x 18.1mm x 2.5mm
- Exposure control by external trigger
Canon 19µm Full HD CMOS Sensor

Available Variations:
- 35MMFHDXSC: RGB
- 35MMFHDXSM: Monochrome
Full HD, High-Sensitivity, Low-Noise Imaging

The 35MMFHDXS CMOS sensor delivers highsensitivity, low-noise imaging performance, even in exceptionally low-light environments. The sensor’s pixels and readout circuitry employ new technologies that reduce noise, which tends to increase as pixel size increases. High sensitivity and increased well depth have been achieved through a larger pixel size of 19µm x 19µm (square) with proprietary device design technologies. The 35MMFHDXS CMOS sensor is available in RGB or Monochrome.

Technical Information:
- Sensor size: 35mm film size (36.48mm x 20.52mm)
- Number of effective pixels: 2000h x 1128v, Approx. 2.2MP
- Filter types:
  
  35MMFHDXSC: RGB
  
  35MMFHDXSM: Monochrome
- Pixel size: 19µm x 19µm
- Progressive scan
- Rolling shutter
- Serial communication
- 180pin ceramic PGA
- Sensitivity:
  
  35MMFHDXSC (Green): 1,100,000e/lx/sec @gain x1
  
  35MMFHDXSM: 2,100,000e/lx/sec @gain x1
- Saturation: 61,000e @gain x1
- Dark RN: 2.2e rms @gain x16, around 35°C
- Dark Current: 250e/sec @gain x16, 60°C
- Simultaneous reading of vertical 4 lines
- Drive frequency: 16ch x 18MHz (Recommended)
- Output format: Source follower output (Analog)
- Built in column amplifiers: (Basic pre-amplifier gain: x1, x4, x16)
- Power consumption: 2.2W (At 60 fps under recommended operating conditions)
- Power supply voltage: 5V, 3.3V, others
- Package size: 60.9mm x 44.6mm x 3.57mm
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
May 23, 2018
Kodak Daylight Single Use disposable camera launched in Europe

Kodak Alaris has launched a new single-use disposable camera in Europe. Called the Kodak Daylight Single Use Camera, this 800 ISO film camera can be used in low and high outdoor lighting conditions, according to the company, which bills it as an item ideal for parties, weddings, and similar events.

The Kodak Daylight Single Use Camera has a one meter to infinity focal length and 39 total exposures; however, it’s worth noting that this camera does not have a flash. The company announced the camera for the European market, and it appears to be available now from Amazon UK for £7.79. It’s unclear whether the company will launch the Daylight Single Use model in other markets.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

May 22, 2018