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Playing Stuck in the Mud – A Creative Exercise for Photography

Do you remember that game called Stuck in the Mud we used to play as kids? It goes something like this; one kid is elected to be “it” and runs around to tag as many people as possible. When tagged, the other players have to freeze and stand with legs and arms apart, as if they were stuck in some glutinous mud. The only way to get free of the mud is when a non-tagged comrade climbs through the legs of the trapped players. It goes on until everybody inevitably gets stuck in the mud.

I was thinking about this game rather nostalgically over the course of this project.

Um… What has mud got to do with photography?

Actually, a fair bit sometimes. Fortunately, this project doesn’t involve wading in sticky mud (unless you want to). This project is about parking your feet for a few minutes to have a good look around – as if you were stuck in the mud yourself.

Even when going for a dedicated photography walk, you are bound to miss the subtle details of a landscape. You can’t help it. The brain prioritizes images that portend to the mission at hand – surviving. Physical activity, self-preservation – it’s all the ingredients a brain focuses on to sustain its host. That’s why the best way to draw more detail out of a location is to slow down.

We know this because often when we see a potential photograph, we stop in our tracks to take the shot. So rather than halting for a brief second, the idea of this project is to and make a little extra time to investigate an environment. The shapes, colors, people, graffiti, or details in a window sill. There are countless moments that are ready for the taking, they just have to be caught.

How to play stuck in the mud with a camera

It sounds terrible, doesn’t it? The thought of my camera even coming near mud makes me sweat. But playing photographic stuck in the mud is easy.

The first step is to grab your camera and head out the door. Wander around, find a place to take a few shots and hold your position. Keep in mind that your spot doesn’t have to appear instantly enticing. In fact, choosing a boring location would be a quicker way to train yourself onto detail. Plant your feet on the ground and have a good look around. I would recommend holding your position for a good one to two minutes at first. You’ll notice the time tends to go faster each try. In order to concentrate, set an alarm on your phone and get shooting!

Rules of the game

Apart from taking a few minutes to study the spot you’ve chosen, there aren’t any hard and fast rules to the stuck in the mud project. To advance, add a higher photo count or hang out in one spot for a longer period of time.

Want to stop every 100 steps? Do you want to be able to swivel around in a circle? Want to halt at particular points on a map? It’s totally up to you. You could even go out with a friend and compare shots from the same spot after! But I do recommend staying in the one spot for at least a minute or so – to truly get into that state of mindfulness and awareness. Sometimes it can be hard to get into that creative flow, so slowing down your process can help activate what I like to call “The Photography Zone”.

Also, it’s probably obvious, but don’t stop in the way of others or get yourself in a dangerous situation. This isn’t Pokemon Go, okay?

This is an example of a street corner I parked my feet on the other day. I was waiting for a friend and decided to take advantage of the surrounds. It doesn’t look like much, right? A fresh construction zone impeded by scaffolding. But, embracing the challenge I honed in on some of details that really make up the urban landscape.

This dark blue scaffold retains a sharp contrast in the midday sun.

A vibrant red scaffolding hanging just close enough to get a detailed shot.

You never know what you are gonna find! A cute little button.

And of course, don’t forget the selfie!

Pleasant Surprises

This short collection below surprised me a little because I’ve walked the route many so times before. But that’s what is so great about this project. It slows down your photographic practice, making room for unusual subjects to peek through.

The black and white conversion was a no-brainer to match tones in this image

I’ll often use these manholes to mark where I’ll stand next. This time, I decided to photograph one instead. I really enjoy the light filling out the overall image.

This tarp has been under construction for weeks but it took me a concerted effort to stop and explore the panorama of the city to capture this picture.

Sometimes the stuck in the mud project yields a cohesive series in itself. This image is the remains of Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station in Australia. But instead of walking around to hunt out the obvious subject matter, I took a few minutes to plant my feet and take a good look at the detail around me.

It’s the act of staying put in the one space that allowed me to capture a different perspective of the old station.

The site of the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station. Before I set off to scurry around for subjects I deliberately took a minute or two to survey the details of the overall environment.

The results of a few minutes stuck in the mud. The detail of the ground around me lit up like an abstract artist’s canvas.

The variation from one tile to the next is a striking contrast. Perfect for focusing on the historical site in a different light.

Over to you

I would love to see the results of your stuck in the mud sessions. By taking a few moments to truly check out a landscape, odd little moments become clearer. You’ll almost definitely leave your spot thinking, “Wow, I never noticed that before!” So have a go! and share your images in the comments below.

The post Playing Stuck in the Mud – A Creative Exercise for Photography by Megan Kennedy appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

January 15, 2018
6 Mistake to Avoid When You’re Starting Out in Photography

Like most hobbies or professions, every photographer started out somewhere. This usually means they also made mistakes along the way from which they have learned.

The thing to remember is that everyone makes mistakes – even seasoned pros might on the odd occasion get things wrong, but the key is to learn from your mistakes and move on. As you become more experienced the mistakes will get less and less, but in the meantime, here are six mistakes to avoid when you’re just starting out in photography.

#1 – Avoid Skipping Over the Camera Manual

I often get asked if I have any advice for people starting out in photography and my first tip is to read the camera manual cover to cover. Even now, whenever I upgrade my camera I always read the manual a couple of times. Besides the fact that your camera is the tool you need to use to capture photos so you need to understand how to use it, the manual also has a wealth of information about photography.

Set yourself a task of reading each part over and over again until you understand it, then practice it using your camera until it becomes second nature to you. In an instant, you should be able to change settings, focus points, review images, and so on.

Cameras these days offer so many possibilities and you can only use your camera to its full potential if you know and understand everything about it.

#2 – Avoid Blaming Your Gear

Every new photographer has probably at some point early on in their photography journey said the words, “If only I had a better camera I could take better photos”. While better cameras allow you to take better photos by giving you more control, bigger image sizes, less noise, etc., that alone will not make you a better photographer and thus make you capture better photos.

A good photograph requires that many elements come together and regardless of the camera that you have, a boring or uninspiring subject will still be boring and uninspiring even shot with the latest high-end camera.

If you really want to improve your photography, first you need to improve the creative and visual elements. Things like being able to light the scene or subject nicely, compose/frame your image correctly and actually find interesting opportunities to photograph. Once you have mastered these parts, your photos will look better regardless of the camera you are using.

#3 – Avoid Skipping the Theory Parts of Learning

Like most things, the more you practice photography the better you will become. It’s easy to forget that there is actually some science and theory behind photography.

Now while you don’t need to understand every intricate part of the theory (unless you want to) and be able to recite color temperatures off by heart, it still does help if you know some of the basics. It can help you in your photography, but also it can give you an indication of the limitations of modern day DSLRs.

The great thing is that there is tons of information about photography online these days and you can learn as much or as little as you want to, at your own pace, in your own time.

#4 – Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others

When you are starting out in photography there will always be a part of you that looks at your work and compares it to other people’s. While you should always look at other photographer’s work and be influenced by those who you admire, trying to compare yourself to others is not only a pointless exercise but it might actually be detrimental to your long-term success.

You will find yourself trying to copy other people rather than developing your own style which is what can help you and your photos stand out from the crowd. So don’t get consumed by comparing your work to others, view other people’s work with admiration but never envy.

#5 – Not Being True to Yourself

One of the great things about photography is that you could send a brief to multiple photographers and they will all likely come back with different work. Whether it’s in their interpretation, their vision or their style – the key is that their work will all probably look different even if that difference is subtle. It’s this uniqueness that makes photography such a wonderful art form to be involved in. But all of those photographers have one thing in common and that is that they stay true to their own way of working.

Sure, at times you’ll have to adapt when working for clients on a brief, but when photographing for yourself, there should always be a synergy in your work. If you want a test to see if you have developed your own style, lay out a whole load of your photos on a table. You should immediately see a connection between them. If you don’t, then ask yourself why and try to understand what is different.

#6 – Not Doing What You Love

Most photographers will tell you that they absolutely love what they do, and they wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

If photography is a hobby for you, why would you want to photograph something you don’t enjoy? Most people get into photography with a part of it that they really enjoy. For some, it’s travel images, for others, it might be food or weddings. Some people like shooting wildlife photos and others like sports photography.

Whatever your passion is, you’ll be far better off focusing on the things you love photographing rather than things you don’t enjoy as that passion will likely be shown in the quality of your work.

Conclusion

While this may seem like an obvious list, it’s incredible how often people still fall into these pitfalls. If you want a few more mistakes to avoid – go here.

Photography for many people is a hobby, and as such should be like any other hobby, an enjoyable activity. Avoid these beginner pitfalls and you’ll be sure to enjoy your photography even more and it will show in your work.

The post 6 Mistake to Avoid When You’re Starting Out in Photography by Kav Dadfar appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

January 15, 2018
Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S added to studio scene comparison

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors and detail types you’ll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

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We’re hard at work on our review of Panasonic’s video-focused Lumix DC-GH5S and have added it to our studio comparison tool. Here’s a quick look$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-3892–2071317688”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(3892); }); }) at how it stacks up against the GH5 at very high sensitivities, and another versus Sony’s a7S II$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-3893-1117426504”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(3893); }); }).

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 15, 2018
Canon accidentally shared a composite photo shot with a Fuji all over social media

Well… this is awkward. Fstoppers has caught Canon Italy and Canon Spain sharing a photo to all of their social media accounts—Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram—the majority of which wasn’t even taken with a Canon camera. In fact, it was shot using a Fuji X-T1, by popular landscape and travel photographer Elia Locardi.

You can compare the two photos for yourself below, but there is little doubt that large parts of Elia’s photograph were used to create the one Canon shared:

The original photo, captured by Elia Locardi. Used with permission.

The image Canon Italy and Canon Spain have shared all over social media.

As you can see the entire sky, parts of the water, and some foreground elements as well were lifted directly from Elia’s original. In fact, as Fstoppers points out, there’s even a few-pixel-sized bird in Elia’s photo that was copied directly into the new shot.

We spoke to Elia this morning, and he told us that after a bit of sleuthing he was actually able to uncover the source of the image: a royalty free photograph on Unsplash that was allegedly taken in October of 2017 with a Canon 1D Mark IV. Elia has asked that we not “out” the photographer, but you can see the EXIF data in this screenshot:

From there, it doesn’t take an advanced degree to figure out what happened. A social media team at Canon Europe took to Unsplash to find a royalty free picture to share. They probably searched for “Canon 1D Mark IV” and “Italy,” and when they stumbled across this shot they had no idea that it was, in fact, not a single image but a composite of (at least) two photos… one of which was taken with a Fujifilm camera.

It’s embarrassing, sure, but probably an honest mistake. As of this writing, the post is still live on Canon Italia and Canon Estana’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, but we don’t expect that to last much longer as this story gains traction in the blogosphere.

The photo as seen on the Canon Italia Instagram account this morning.

We’ve reached out to Canon for comment, and will update this post if and when we hear back.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 15, 2018
Canon defends embarrassing photo sharing gaff, photographer fires back

Yesterday, we reported on an understandable if embarrassing mistake by Canon Italy and Canon Spain. The two branches of Canon had shared a composite photo that contained stolen elements from a photo by travel photographer Elia Locardi all over their social media accounts; to make things worse, those elements were shot with a Fujifilm camera.

The reasonable response would have been to admit the mistake, apologize, and move on. This morning, however, Canon responded through social media and managed to somehow make things worse.

In its response, the company confirmed our assertion that it had pulled the photograph from the royalty free photo sharing website Unsplash, but claimed that it was not the same photo, pointing to “seasonal variation” between the two shots and completely ignoring the fact that parts of the photograph are exact clones.

Here is the response in full, posted as a comment on the Canon Italia Facebook share:

This answer, for obvious reasons, has photographers shaking their heads. There is no denying that the photograph uses stolen elements from Locardi’s—the same exact sky and water patterns don’t just repeat themselves willy nilly, making sure that the same bird is flying through the shot at the exact same time for good measure.

But the fact that Canon shared a composite with part of his work isn’t what bothers Locardi. Speaking with him yesterday and this morning, it was obvious that this was just an odd and funny moment for him. What does bother him about Canon’s response is something else entirely, as he explained on Facebook this morning:

Guy takes part of my Fujifilm photo, uploads it to a copyright free website. Then Canon shares it all over their social media. And now, Canon’s official response is that it’s not my photo? And the differences are just a “seasonal variation.”

LOL, really? As if this story couldn’t become more awkward.

But seriously, the greater part of this story and by far the largest issue here, is the fact that Canon is using a free image resource like Unsplash to fuel their social media rather than tapping into their large community of photographers. That’s incredibly insulting to both their own consumers and to the photography community itself.

Speaking with me directly this morning, Elia repeated the last part of his Facebook post before he continued on to say that this kind of thing, “encompasses almost everything that’s wrong with our industry today.” To really drive home the point, he also posted the comment as a response to Canon Italia’s comment on Facebook.

Here’s one last look at these two photos, just for good measure:

The original by Elia Locardi

A composite from Unsplash that obviously takes the sky and parts of the foreground directly from Elia’s image.

We have not received a response to yesterday’s request for comment from Canon, but we will update this post if and when we hear back.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 14, 2018
How to do Tilt-Shift Style Photography with the Lensbaby Edge 50

Professional architectural and landscape photographers use tilt-shift lenses to avoid converging vertical lines and to get the entire scene in sharp focus. Portrait and food photographers use them to create interesting effects using blur and shifts in the plane of focus. Tilt-shift lenses are exciting creative tools, but they are also specialist items. That means they’re expensive to buy, especially for hobbyists.

But there is a way you can apply a tilt-shift style effect (although there are no shift movements) with a relatively inexpensive camera lens – the Lensbaby Edge 50.

The Edge 50 is a 50mm lens attachment that fits in the Lensbaby Composer Pro II. The two are sold together, or you can buy the Edge 50 separately if you already have a Composer Pro II. It’s available for all major camera mounts.

The Lensbaby Edge 50 (with an inexpensive lens hood that I bought on Amazon) and Composer Pro II mounted on a Fujifilm X-T1 camera. The Edge 50 lens is tilted down in this photo.

On my APS-C Fujifilm camera, the Edge 50 is a short telephoto lens ideal for portraits and many other subjects. If you own a full-frame camera then you’ll get the same field of view and a similar effect with the Edge 80 optic.

The Edge 50 lens lets you tilt the plane of focus so that it runs in any direction across the frame you like.

The red lines show the direction of the plane of focus in the photos above.

Why buy a Lensbaby Edge 50?

So, why buy the Lensbaby Edge 50 optic? For me one of the driving factors was curiosity. I had so many questions. Could I make interesting photos with this lens? Is it any good for portraits? What happens if I add an extension tube to make close-up photos? The images in this article will provide some answers.

What I didn’t expect is that I would love using this lens. There’s something strangely fascinating about viewing the world through a lens that has tilt movements. The Edge 50 is so much fun to use there’s a genuine danger that you use it all the time and forget about your other lenses!

The Edge 50 can help you make photos with a miniature effect created by tilting the lens. These work best when you have a high viewpoint overlooking the subject.

Practicalities of using the Edge 50 lens

There are some differences between the Edge 50 lens and regular camera lenses that you need to know about before you buy one.

The Edge 50 is a manual focus lens

This is not an autofocus lens and you need to take great care when focusing for accuracy. It’s easier to focus with cameras that have electronic viewfinders and focus peaking. Or you could use Live View.

The Edge 50 lens is perfect for fine art black and white photos like these.

The Edge 50 doesn’t come with a lens hood

This is disappointing as it means you can’t point the lens anywhere near the sun without getting lens flare. I bought a metal lens hood from Amazon for a few dollars. The lens hood reduces lens flare and protects the front element from accidental damage when the camera is hanging at your side.

You can experiment with shifting the plane of focus, photographing the same scene in multiple ways.

Depth of field is very narrow at the widest aperture of f/3.2

I’ve learned to stay away from the widest aperture setting and stop down to f/4 or f/5.6 to get the best results. You will also have to use a higher ISO to get the correct exposure in low light than you would with a regular 50mm prime lens.

The Edge 50 lens with an extension tube can create close-up photos like this.

You can shift the plane of focus in all directions

With this lens, you can position it so that the plane of focus lies horizontally, vertically or at any angle in between. This allows you to get creative and experiment with different focusing effects.

For example, portraits are very effective when the plane of focus is horizontal, as you can focus on the model’s eyes and throw the rest of the scene out of focus.

The Edge 50 is great for close-ups when combined with an extension tube

I use a Fujifilm MCEX-16 extension tube with this lens for taking close-ups of flowers. It lets me shift the plane of focus around and create interesting effects in a way that you can’t do with a conventional 50mm lens.

Conclusion

The Lensbaby Edge 50 lens is a great addition to my camera bag and one that I’m very happy to have made. If you like creative photography, interesting bokeh, and blur effects, or if you’re looking for something a little different for your portraits, then the Edge 50 could be just what you need.

Would you like to learn more about lenses and your camera? My ebook Mastering Lenses teaches you everything you need to know. The buying guide alone will save you many times the cost of the ebook!

The post How to do Tilt-Shift Style Photography with the Lensbaby Edge 50 by Andrew S. Gibson appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

January 14, 2018
Gallery Update: Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

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Since initially publishing our G9 sample gallery late in 2017, we’ve had the chance to spend substantially more time shooting with it. Now that the full G9 review is live, we wanted to revisit that gallery and update it with additional ACR conversions, out of camera JPEGs, and high-res mode samples. Without further adieu, the updated G9 sample gallery…

See our Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 14, 2018
Kodak Scanza is a portable, budget film scanner that turns negatives into JPEGs

Kodak has launched a new budget scanner that digitizes film and slides. The scanner, called the Kodak Scanza, is compact at just 12cm x 12.7cm (4.7in x 5in), and features: a 3.5-inch color screen, an integrated SD card slot for saving scanned content, adapter trays for different types of film, and an HDMI port for viewing scanned content directly on an external display.

Kodak Scanza, which was introduced at CES 2018, supports 35mm, 110, Super 8, and 8mm film negatives and slides via inserts and adapters. Content is scanned as 14MP JPEGs, though users can enlarge the resolution up to 22MP.

The integrated screen, which is hinged for tilting, provides access to pre-scanning options, such as exposure and color adjustments.

Both Windows and macOS are supported out-of-the-box, and scanned content can either be saved to a compute, or directly to an SD card inserted into the scanner’s built-in card reader. Kodak Scanza will be available to purchase from Amazon for $ 170 USD. Availability and pricing in other regions is unclear at this time.

To learn more about the scanner, visit the Kodak Scanza landing page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 14, 2018
6 Tips for Better Engagement Photos

When doing engagement photos, it is very important both to you and to the couple that everyone feels relaxed so that you can capture them being their truest selves. When your clients are relaxed and comfortable in front of your camera, it makes a huge difference in the images you capture and ultimately the client’s experience.

Here are a few tips that can help settle your nerves and your clients’ so that you rock the session and are able to photograph them at their best.

1 – HAVE A CONSULTATION BEFORE THE SESSION

Have a simple meeting, either in person or via email, where you and the couple can talk about what the session will entail. The who, where, what, when, and how of their engagement photos. A few questions can help you narrow down the location, or locations if you’re up for doing more than one, clothing changes, and perhaps special information about the couple.

Start this conversation by asking how their wedding is coming along and how they met. This gives you great insight as to who they are as a couple. In addition, it conveys to the couple that you are interested not only in the session but in them as people. Let the conversation flow between topics and session details.

Ask questions like, “What do you envision for the feel of your engagement photos? Something more earthy or perhaps a more urban feel?” This will help you get an idea of what kind of surroundings they want for their photographs as well as where they’d feel most comfortable for their session. Another great idea is to offer shooting at a location that is special to them, so ask about that too.

Add something special just for them

Perhaps the place where they met, or where they went on their first date might be great locations if they are local and accessible. If they do reveal a place that is feasible, offer it up as one of the locations. They will love that you took interest in finding out such a place and recreating a special memory for them. If not, then go with the previous ideas and
narrow down some places where you like to shoot that go along with what they are envisioning for style and feeling.

Any additional details you can get during the consultation are key to helping you be more confident on the day of the shoot. Knowing a little more about the couple helps to have a few conversation starters as well, which will become important on the day of the engagement photo shoot.

Each couple is different, so it helps when you can get to know them on a more personal level rather than showing up at the location and having an awkward beginning. It isn’t unheard of for clients to turn into friends after photo sessions!

2 – PREP YOURSELF BEFORE THE SESSION

Now that you have the details of the session planned out and a little insight as to the personality of the couple, it’s time to begin preparing yourself for the session.

Aside from the obvious gear preparations, it’s good to go over some inspirational photos that you would like to try. Have at least 10 on your phone so that you can look at them during the session when you need a refresh or want to try something new. Having a set of images to help you with ideas for posing or lighting will make you more confident on the day of the session in the event you get stuck with a pose or need to change it up.

It’s a good idea to confirm with the couple a few days before the session and ask them if they have any questions for you. Being accessible reassures the couple that they have chosen a friendly photographer, which in turn helps them to feel more comfortable when the time comes to be in front of your camera.

Get to the chosen location early, even if it’s a place where you have shot before. Going early can help you make a plan of where you want to start shooting and move through your session. Having a plan makes the session run smoothly without losing momentum.

3 – BE A FRIEND, NOT JUST A PHOTOGRAPHER

You’ve already set the groundwork for being friendly during the pre-session consultation and the confirmation and now it’s time to really be genuine.

When the couple shows up, don’t start shooting right away. Spark up a conversation with them. You will have much more relaxed clients this way and it will also relax you a bit if you’re nervous. Which, by the way, is completely normal! Plenty of seasoned photographers still get nervous before big shoots.

During the entire session, keep the conversation going. In between locations, clothing changes, and through the entire session. It relieves a little bit of the awkwardness between the clients and the professional, you. It speaks volumes when you can give your clients more of a personal experience by finding common interests, discussing the news, or even sports, anything. When your client has a good time, especially if they are nervous during the session, talking about common interests will aid in getting genuine expressions.

4 – KEEP THE SESSION MOVING

Each session and each couple is different. It’s important to keep the session moving smoothly throughout or the couple could tire quickly or become bored. This is why getting to the location and making a plan of where to shoot is so handy. Try different places within the location to shoot, offer clothing changes when you feel you’ve got enough with what they arrived wearing.

If a pose isn’t working, don’t say so, otherwise, you could make the couple feel like they’re doing something wrong. Keep going and try a different pose. Make sure that when you get a great shot, show them! This can build their confidence quickly and help them be more engaged during the session.

5 – BE IN CHARGE BUT ALLOW YOUR CLIENTS TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS

Whether this is your first engagement session or you’re worried because sessions sometimes go in a different direction than you hope – you simply need to take charge.

Direct the couple by showing the poses you’d like for them to do by demonstrating them first. Allow yourself to direct the flow of the session.

It sounds scary, however, you are the photographer. You’re the one who knows what to do and taking charge of the session speaks to the couple that you are confident in your work. Over time, it will become natural to you.

Once your clients become more relaxed in front of your camera, they will offer ideas, poses, and locations. Always allow them to be part of the creative process, as it makes them more confident and offers up more shooting opportunities where they are just being themselves.

6- HAVE FUN

You got into photography because it was fun for you, so why not have fun during your session as well? You should enjoy the shoot as much as the couple.

If you feel nervous that the session tends to go stale, have the couple do actionable poses. For example, have them dance, walk, tell each other a secret, or whisper something funny into their loved one’s ear. This will unwind them and you’ll be able to capture their real expressions.

Conclusion

All of these tips are here to help calm your nerves and allow the clients to be themselves in front of your camera. Being prepared, friendly, having a good momentum during the session, and most importantly, having fun all contribute to real expressions and real moments. Your clients will appreciate how real and relaxed you made them feel during their session and in turn, refer you to more people!

The post 6 Tips for Better Engagement Photos by Jackie Lamas appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

January 14, 2018
Leaked photo hints at Samsung Galaxy S9 with variable aperture lens

Samsung has confirmed its upcoming new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S9, will be launched at MWC in Barcelona, so we’ll have to wait until late February to know for sure what features and specifications the new model will have to offer. That said, Reddit users have found an image of an alleged S9 retail box that is already giving us a good idea of what to expect from the new flagship.

From a photography point of view, the most interesting information on the box is the “F1.5 / F2.4” aperture specification, indicating that the Galaxy S9 might come with the same stabilized variable aperture 12MP camera as the China-only W2018 flip-phone.

On that phone, the camera switches between F1.5 and F2.4 when it senses there’s enough light around in an attempt to capture the background as much in focus as possible. Whether or not that really makes a lot of sense, given the small image sensors in smartphones, is for you to decide. In any case, the F1.5 aperture value is the fastest on any current smartphone, which should be appealing to any low-light shooter.

Source: Reddit

If the specifications on the box are true, the S9 camera will also record super slow-motion videos, hopefully at similarly high frame rates as the latest Sony devices. In addition, there is a pair of AKG-powered stereo speakers, and we’d expect the S9 to come with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 chipset.

Most most of the additional information on the retail box is quite similar to the current S8 model: the S9 screen will have a Super AMOLED panel with Quad HD+ resolution (1440 x 2960 pixels), 18:9 aspect ratio, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, and an 8MP front camera, all wrapped up in an IP68 water and dust resistant body.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 13, 2018