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Modular PITTA camera transforms into drone, action, and security cameras

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PITTA, a modular ball-shaped 13MP camera that transforms into a drone, is currently blasting its way through a campaign on Kickstarter. The small, sphere-shaped modular camera launched on the crowdfunding platform with a $ 50K goal, but as of this writing it has already raised well over a quarter million dollars.

Eyedea, the company behind PITTA, describes its product as a multi-purpose device:

It’s not just aerial, not just handheld, not just wearable or mountable, it’s all of these. It’s a complete system packed into a single device.

Here’s a quick intro video from the company’s Kickstarter:

In its most basic form, PITTA looks like a simple black sphere, which is the 200g/7oz camera body. The sphere-shaped body features a 13MP sensor, support for 4K/30fps recording, and “software image stabilization.” Additionally, the body contains various sensors including GPS/GLONASS, gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer, magnetometer, object detection and visual tracking hardware, and optical flow positioning sensors.

Joining that is an Action Cam Module, Charging Cradle, and Drone Module. When docked in the Charging Cradle, PITTA can be used as a stationary security camera or livestreaming camera.

When used with the Action Module, PITTA can be attached to a tripod or other mount and used as an action camera that supports burst shot, 60fps slow-motion recording, livestreaming, and time lapse, as well as direct sharing to the major social media platforms.

The Drone Module, meanwhile, transforms the camera sphere into a drone via a snap and twist-to-lock design. The resulting camera drone is controlled using a smartphone and companion app, which itself offers several operation modes. PITTA as a drone supports taking panoramas, hovering in place, orbiting around the operator, auto-following the operator, as well as a “Come Back Home” function, terrain awareness, auto-landing, and GPS. The slow-motion and time lapse functions aren’t available in drone mode.

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PITTA is being offered to Kickstarter backers who pledge $ 290 for a Kickstarter Exclusive Basic Kit or $ 320 for a Kickstarter Exclusive Full Package, though other pledge packages are also available. Shipments to backers are expected to start in May 2018, though as with any crowdfunding campaign, plans could change, so proceed with caution.

To learn more or pledge for your own, head over to Kickstarter by clicking here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 4, 2018
NYPD investigating Terry Richardson over sexual assault accusations

Photo by Christopher Macsurak (cc-by-2.0)

Fashion industry photographer Terry Richardson is reportedly the subject of an ongoing NYPD investigation following multiple accusations of sexual assault. According to the NY Daily News, two former models and a Model Alliance representative confirmed that they have been approached by law enforcement as part of the investigation.

According to the report, NYPD Special Victims division detectives have spoken with former models Caron Bernstein and Lindsay Jones about their alleged encounters with Richardson. Both have previously accused Richardson of sexual assault, similar accusations to which have been made by some other women who have worked with Richardson over the years.

Richardson has long denied the accusations against him, and yet he has continued to face increased scrutiny following an editorial published by The Times in October 2017. The article claimed, among other things, that the photographer has a “reputation as the Harvey Weinstein of fashion.” Days later, a leaked email revealed that Condé Nast had ordered its publications to blacklist Richardson.

A representative of Richardson’s had issued a statement to HuffPost back in October about the Condé Nast email and the accusations in general, saying:

Terry is disappointed to hear about this email especially because he has previously addressed these old stories. He is an artist who has been known for his sexually explicit work so many of his professional interactions with subjects were sexual and explicit in nature but all of the subjects of his work participated consensually.

In a more recent statement to the NY Daily News, Bernstein shot down Richardson’s claims of innocence, saying, “I didn’t know this man from Adam. I would never walk in somewhere and agree to a sex act with a stranger. I’ve never done that in my entire life. Never in a million years.”

Neither the NYPD nor Richardson have commented on the NY Daily News report at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 4, 2018
Video: Using the $5,700 Canon 200mm F2 on the Sony a7R III

Photographer and YouTuber Manny Ortiz recently put together what he calls “the sexiest camera and lens combo” he has ever held: combining the DPReview Product of the Year Sony a7R III with Canon’s beastly 200mm F2L IS USM. He wanted to see if this $ 5,700 lens could live up to its potential on Sony’s latest mirrorless flagship, so he took it with him to a family photo shoot and brought along the vlogging camera to give us all a behind the scenes look.

He adapted the Canon lens to the Sony body using the Sigma MC-11 mount converter, and despite the fact that he was using three different brands at once, the Sony and Canon played well together. In particular, Manny was impressed that Sony’s Eye-AF worked as well as it did with the Canon 200mm, keeping focus locked even on the edges of the frame.

Summing up his final thoughts on this camera and lens combo, he says:

The performance of the Canon 200mm on the Sony a7RIII is really impressive […] It actually blows me away how far [Sony] have come in terms of improving autofocus performance with adapted lenses.

I did notice that in low light, autofocus, especially Eye-AF, isn’t as consistent […] but in good light I didn’t miss any focus.

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Beyond the low-light limitations Manny mentions, it’s also worth noting that you don’t exactly get “all of those” AF modes Sony offers. You still don’t have access to Zone or any of the Lock-on AF modes of the Sony a7R III with Canon glass. Also, max burst rate is just 3 fps. Still, for portrait photographers like Manny, face recognition and Eye-AF are the big ones, and the a7R III seemed to perform very well in those modes in Manny’s test shoot.

To see more of Manny’s photos or tag along on his next photo shoot, head over to his website, give him a follow on Instagram, or subscribe to his channel on YouTube.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 4, 2018
Re.photos: This website lets anyone create and share then-and-now photos

If you’re both a photography fan and history buff, then you might want to check out a platform called re.photos. The website/social network, which launched a couple of months ago, allows anyone to share interactive then-and-now images—so-called “rephotography”—that compare a modern version of a location or subject with an older image of the same spot.

Re.photos is the brainchild of retired computer science professor Oliver Vornberger, and it’s extremely easy to use. Users simply upload both a before and an after photo, then place markers on a few points on the images so that the system knows how to align them.

Speaking to PetaPixel in November, Vornberger said that a student of his is working on improving the platform’s algorithm so that manually placing markers isn’t necessary. Eventually, the whole system should be as easy as uploading a before and after picture, and letting the website do the rest of the work.

In addition to automatically aligning images—taking the hard work out of creating these comparisons manually—re.photos serves as an exploration platform for finding rephotography from other users. Rephotography created by users can be searched using descriptions, username, titles, tags such as date or location, and category such as interior, nature, and people.

To check out the platform for yourself, or upload a few before and afters of your own, click here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 4, 2018
5 Tips to Getting the Most out of a Photography Conference

One of the best ways to rapidly improve your photography skills and broaden your photographic community is to attend a photography conference. But, if you’ve never been to a conference before, just the idea of going can be intimidating. The rewards are great though, so read on for five tips that will help you select the right photography conference for your needs plus get the absolute most out of it once you get there.

Tip #1: Know your goals

Before you plunk down your deposit, evaluate your own specific goals for attending the photography conference. First, think about what you want to learn when you are at the conference. Obviously, if you’re a wildlife photographer and the conference focuses solely on street photography, it’s probably not right for you. But, if the conference offers many different learning options, you’ll need to do some investigating before you decide whether or not to attend.

I’m primarily a wildlife and nature photographer so when I evaluate a conference, I look for courses that will support my goals. I want to become a better landscape photographer too so I look for classes that will help me do that as well. Canon 7D Mark II, 24-105 II @ 70mm, f/11, 1/400th, ISO 100, handheld, stylized in Lightroom.

The instructors

Start by checking out the bios and websites of the instructors. Ask yourself if they are making images that inspire you. Do their images look like the images that you aspire to make yourself? Read their blogs and watch their videos too to get a good idea of whether their teaching style suits your learning style. If you find a few instructors that are simpatico, check out their courses at the conference.

I signed up for a Photoshop course at AdobeMax with Glyn Dewis but, since I didn’t know much about him, I looked up his website and read his About page first. Turns out he was an excellent instructor.

The course offerings

Now, review the course offerings. Is there content that you need to learn? Most photographers want to improve their existing skill set, whether that’s learning how to make better-exposed images or how to mask in Photoshop.

Does the conference offer courses at the right skill level for you? If you’re not sure, reach out to either the instructors or the conference organizers.

I use Lightroom and Photoshop in my work often so discovering how two different photographers use these tools felt like a course that would teach me a great deal. Plus, Julieanne Kost is my photography hero!

Learning new things

Learning new things is important too so look at courses that are completely out of the box for you.

If you’re a wildlife life photographer and you invest your time in a 90-minute course on street photography, you might be surprised at how that affects your work the next time you head out on an African safari. It can help you get “unstuck” if you’re mired in a creative rut.

After the class, you might even be inspired to continue learning street photography.

When I attend a photography conference, my goal is to improve skills I already have but also to learn new things. At AdobeMax I did a bit of both, with courses on public speaking and Photoshop.

Tip #2: Networking

A huge reason to go to a photography conference is to expand your photography community. One thing I really love is that I can connect with people I’ve only ever met online. Meeting “live” at a conference is almost like a reunion. Of course, you can make new friends too, plus you can meet expert instructors in person.

Big conferences versus small ones

When you’re evaluating a conference, if networking is a big part of why you’re attending, definitely reach out to past conference attendees to gauge their experiences. At a 12,000-person conference like AdobeMax, it’s not as easy to hob knob and make new friends.

At a smaller, 400-person conference like Out of Chicago, making new friends is a snap. You’ll be in the same courses with the same people over and over. You’ll probably be best friends and be planning a photography trip together before the weekend even ends.

The Out of Chicago Community page has over 1000 members. That makes it easy to reach out to people to ask if the conference would be a good fit for you. Most photography conferences have similar social media community pages.

Instructor accessibility

Likewise, at a huge conference, the instructors might not be so accessible for you to chat with, except at special times. And at those special times, since 12,000 people are waiting to speak with them, it will be a mob scene rather than a cozy tête-à-tête.

At a smaller conference, your instructors will probably be eating lunch right next to you. Bigger conferences draw bigger names though. So while you might not make as many personal one-on-one connections, it might be worth it if you’re going to learn from someone you hold in extremely high esteem.

Tip #3: Take advantage of every opportunity

In addition to seminars and hands-on courses, most photography conferences offer opening and closing keynote speeches. Big-name photographers or well-known industry experts usually give these talks. You might think of these things as “free” – just regular stuff included in your conference that everyone gets – but don’t think that way.

Often the keynote speeches are the best parts of the conference. The opening keynote sets the stage for the week and lays out all of your opportunities for learning. The closing keynote caps the week with a review of what you did learn, and a reminder to go out and practice it.

AdobeMax didn’t offer any photo walks while I was there. So instead, I photographed the expo hall one morning while the light was amazing. Canon 5DIV, 24-105 II @ 31mm. 1/100, f/14, ISO 640, handheld, stylized in Lightroom.

Photo Walks

Another great add-on is photo walks. They help combine learning and networking into one fun outing. As you can imagine though, these are more prevalent in smaller conferences than large ones. Herding 12,000 attendees with cameras around the Vegas Strip doesn’t typically make for very good picture-taking.

On the other hand, 400 attendees walking through the Chicago Loop is a drop in the bucket. If photo walks are important to you, check into smaller, regional conferences. Either way, don’t skip these if they’re offered at the conference you’re attending.

Vendors

Every conference has a vendor or exhibition area where you can check out the latest and greatest gear and technology. Make sure you plan time into your schedule to visit this area. I usually grab a quick lunch on the go and use the 90-minute lunch period checking out all the different booths.

Just outside the AdobeMax vendor area, there were lots of interactive activities for creatives, like this “chalkboard.” Canon 5DIV, 24-105 II @ 24mm, f/6.3, 1/100th, ISO 640, handheld, stylized in Lightroom.

At small conferences, you’re more likely to be able to rent a piece of gear for the day and test it out on a photo walk. Sometimes vendors offer discounts and even have product on hand that you can buy and take home with you.

At a large conference, you probably won’t be able to do more than review the gear at the vendor booth and talk to the rep. However, at a large conference, the vendor area often has a carnival-like feel to it, with interactive creative and technology exhibits set up to draw you in.

Tip #4: Conference bonuses

There will almost always be a party and often that party will include free food, drinks, and entertainment so go! It’s a bonus. Don’t skip it. Remember, if you’re goal is to network, the party is where you’ll meet fellow photographers and instructors.

Bring your camera

While night-time concert photography isn’t even remotely one of my fortes, I had a blast photographing this band at the AdobeMax Bash. Canon 5DIV, 24-105 II @ 105mm, f/5, 1/320th, ISO 8000, handheld, stylized in Lightroom.

That party – and probably a good bit of the conference – will be a blast to photograph so bring your camera. A lot of people won’t. Some people will bring them, but will never take them out of their camera bags. You, on the other hand, should keep your camera in hand and happily shoot away.

Even if you’re a wildlife photographer, and the images won’t go into your portfolio, making images of the conference will help you solidify everything you’ve learned over the course of the weekend.

Serving up dragon’s breath dessert at the Adobe Max Bash. Canon 5DIV, 24-105 II @ 24mm, f/4.5, 1/320th, ISO 10,000, handheld, stylized in Lightroom.

Swag

Hopefully, it doesn’t surprise you that you will get swag (free stuff!) at a photography conference. There might be a raffle or contest where you can win big door prizes – like lenses, tablets, and cameras. There will surely be a bag of goodies handed to you when you check in.

Most often you’ll get a reusable bag containing a sample pack of printer paper, a tee shirt, stickers, magnets, lens cleaning cloths, candy, water bottles, and lots of flyers. Now I know it’s tempting to just pitch most of it but before you do, review it all. There will be coupons and promo codes and it’s possible that there might be one for 20% off the business cards you always order or a BOGO (buy one get one) for your favorite ink or fine art paper.

A notebook and pen, courtesy of Adobe, in my AdobeMax swag bag.

Tip #5: Maximizing your trip

This is pretty much my favorite part of going to a photography conference. Most of them are only three or four days but there’s no rule that you can’t play hooky from work a bit longer. I recommend that you pick a conference near a cool destination. After the conference ends, stay in the area a few more days and put everything you learned to practice.

Wild horses couldn’t drag me away

Wild mare and foal in the Onaqui Mountains in Utah. Canon 5DIV, 100-400 II @ 400mm, f/10, 1/60th, ISO 200, handheld, stylized in Lightroom.

After the AdobeMax conference in Vegas this past October, I headed off on a week-long wild horse photography road trip. I drove through Nevada, all the way to Utah, meeting half a dozen friends along the way, and flew home from Salt Lake City.

No surprise that for me that maximizing the conference was about heading off to photograph wild horses! For you, it might be photographing the Vegas Strip at night, or creating panoramas of the nearby Grand Canyon.

Which photography conferences are your favorites?

While AdobeMax was pretty amazing, my favorite is still the Out of Chicago Summer Conference. Of course, I’m biased since the conference is run by some of my good friends.

Chicago has so much beautiful architecture, it’s perfect for magical photo walks. Canon 5DIII with 24-105 @ 24mm, f/8, 1/125th, ISO 250, handheld, stylized in Lightroom.

Which photography conferences are your favorites? Please take a minute and list the conference name in the comment section, and why you recommend it so that other photographers can benefit from your experience.

The post 5 Tips to Getting the Most out of a Photography Conference by Lara Joy Brynildssen appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

January 4, 2018
How to Reboot Your Creativity with 15-Minute Exercises

Here are four steps to rebooting your creativity and desire to do more photography with some 15-minute simple exercises.

Have you lost your photography mojo?

I get it, you’ve been at work all day, and it’s been stressful. Maybe there are kids to look after and dinner to cook as well. Perhaps a dog to take for a run or a family dinner to attend. There are all kinds of reasons why you don’t have the time or energy to pick up your camera and shoot.

When we don’t want to do something, we focus on all the reasons why it’s too hard – it takes too long to drive somewhere, the light is wrong, it’s raining, the battery is flat and so on. It’s easy to tell ourselves a story that allows us to talk our way out of doing something, especially when there aren’t any major consequences. Don’t get up early in the morning and miss the spectacular sunrise? Life goes on.

But the longer you leave your camera sitting in its bag gathering dust, the easier it becomes to talk yourself out of picking it up again. Months or even years go by. Maybe you think about it now and then and feel a niggling guilt or just sad.

Well, there is good news. With a small amount of effort, you can take steps to reboot your creativity and enthusiasm for photography again.

A shiny copper coin on a piece of black cardboard and a macro lens. Simple as (of course I have a macro lens!) can be.

Four Simple Steps

So here are the four simple steps I promised earlier.

Step One – PREPARE

Get your gear out, clean it, and charge the batteries. Check that it’s all still working and present. Wipe the memory cards clean.

Do everything you need to do in order to have your gear in peak working condition so you can grab it and go. The trick here is to remove the first mental block stopping you from shooting. If your gear is all prepped, then you don’t have anything stopping you there.

A marble I found walking on the beach on a piece of white fabric. Shot on a craft table in my spare room with natural window light.

Step Two – ASSEMBLE

Keep it simple and find some space at home where you can shoot. Work with objects you have at hand. Put together a small still life studio, maybe using window light or a flash, whatever you have nearby.

An assortment of props that I have assembled for my still life photography. Note the neutral color tones and mostly matte finish. That piece of slate gets used a lot.

By keeping it close to home and working with what you have close at hand, this removes the mental block about having to go out, needing to take the time, or spending more money. Making a small still life studio doesn’t need much, a neutral background and a base surface, some light and shadow and you are done.

A bunch of white stock, wrapped in white fabric, with a window draped in a white curtain in the background. Simple and cheap and you can use white fabric for so many things.

Having something quick and easy to put together (maybe a couple of sheets of white cardboard or foam core) that you can easily store out of the way reduces the resistance to setting up a shoot. Even better if you can leave it set up for a few days while working on this project.

My studio is a craft table, covered in white cotton, a window draped in white fabric, and neutral walls.

Step Three – TAKE 15 minutes

No one has enough time in the day, there are always things to do, places to be, demands on our time. However, for this exercise, I challenge you to give yourself a calendar appointment every day for a week. When you get home from work, instead of sitting down in front of the TV, or immersing yourself in social media or whatever it is you do to chill out, instead make a date with your camera.

If you have done Step One and Two, you have everything you need in place but the hardest is Step Three. Give yourself permission to take just 15 minutes out of your day and shoot. This length of time is long enough to be able to create some images but not so long it will interfere with your day too much. Let’s face it, by the time you make yourself a coffee and drink it, that probably takes just as long.

A wooden board and scoop and some chocolate chips. Yum!

Here is the really critical thing – IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT! In fact, it will be really hard for the first couple of days. The point of this exercise is for you to have your camera in your hands again, and to get you shooting something, anything.

Half a lemon on a wooden board and a macro lens. Simple and clean and vibrant yellow.

Step Four – PERSEVERE

If it has been a while since you’ve done any photography, you will probably find this quite hard. Shooting still life isn’t everyone’s cup of tea either but it is the simplest combination of factors to get you up and going. Maybe you decide to shoot the same item in different ways or using different lighting. It doesn’t matter. No one else needs to ever see these images, you just need to do it.

Pomegranate on my favorite slate slab. Gorgeous color, via the window in my studio. My studio is a spare bedroom.

Maybe you decide to shoot all the different kinds of cutlery and utensils in the house. You could do close-ups of labels on wine bottles. Maybe you have some smooth white eggs and one brown freckled one. Or maybe you make up a bowl of ice cream and pour chocolate sauce and sprinkles on it.

Your cat or dog is asleep in the sun and you do close-ups of their noses or paws. Maybe your kids are building something random with Lego. Maybe there are some flowers in the garden or some stones found on the footpath. If you have a macro lens or setting you can experiment with things up close and abstract. Maybe you go for a walk around the block or to the park instead.

Eggs in a crate with a feather that came along for the ride on a table draped in white linen.

Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter so long as you take the time to point your camera at it and take time to do it every day for a week – seven days.

By setting yourself both an achievable goal and a reasonable limit, it is easier to trick your brain into saying, “Okay we can do this” instead of thinking,”Oh this is just too hard”.

I found this gorgeous lime green viburnum out on a walk. The house owner kindly let me pick a bunch to take home when I asked nicely.

Summary

The point of this exercise is simple, get your camera in your hands and get in the habit of shooting again. More importantly, it also helps overcome the mental blocks you put in place when you think something is too hard or will take too long. This puts some structure in place and makes it easy for you to allocate a small achievable time slot every day to just shoot, and not care about the outcome. Just the fact you are shooting is what’s really important.

It doesn’t really matter if you follow the framework laid out here, or do something completely different, so long as you take some time every day for a period and commit to picking up your camera and shooting.

Perhaps it helps you to share your process with a friend or via social media. You might choose to set a goal of posting one image a day for a week and let your friends know so that if you miss a day they can hold you accountable.

However you do it, in whatever way works for you, go through the steps, and set yourself up to be as prepared as possible. Make the commitment in your mind of “just 15 minutes” and see what happens…I bet you spend a lot longer and have more fun than you expect.

Once you overcome the inertia of sitting on the sofa, the challenge and fun of creating a composition in a small time frame begins to bubble up again.

A couple of years ago I undertook a 21 Days of Creativity course, which laid out steps to remove distractions from our lives, prepare both our physical and mental spaces, clean out the cobwebs and make creating a fun and easy thing to do, rather than a chore. This “15 Minutes A Day” exercise was the most valuable step I got out of the course. I shot every day for a month, as after the first week I was enjoying the challenge too much to let it go. Plus the added bonus of making some really good and fun images, several of which I have included in this article.

Once you have done the preparation, got your gear sorted, and a space to work in, the only thing you have to do, is pick up your camera and shoot. Just for 15 minutes.

Go on, give it a try, I dare you.

I shot dandelions for about two weeks. Every day I had the challenge of shooting the same tiny subject in new and interesting ways.

The post How to Reboot Your Creativity with 15-Minute Exercises by Stacey Hill appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

January 3, 2018
Google Camera mod brings Pixel 2 portrait mode to older devices

Portrait Mode on the Google Pixel 2

Google’s Pixel 2 comes with one of the best-rated smartphone cameras in the world, and is one of very few single-lens devices to offer a background-blurring, fake bokeh portrait mode. Unlike dual-lens setups, the camera uses machine learning and neural networking to generate a foreground-background segmentation on both front and rear cameras. On the rear, the Pixel 2 also uses depth data from the image sensor’s dual-pixel technology for this task.

Thanks to Charles Chow, developer of the Camera NX Google camera mod, the feature is now also available to users of the original Google Pixel as well as the Nexus 5X and 6P smartphones. Portrait mode was included in version 7.3 of the Camera NX app but, due to a lack of dual-pixel technology on older Google Android smartphones, uses the exclusively software-based approach of the Pixel 2’s front camera.

The developer says the functionality has so far only been tested on the Nexus 5X, although it should work on Nexus 6P and first generation Pixel phones as well. If you want to try Camera NX and the new Portrait Mode you can find all technical details and download links in Charles’ article on Chromloop.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 3, 2018
Rock n Roll unveils handcrafted leather ‘Hendrix’ camera straps

Rock n Roll straps has launched The Hendrix Straps, a product line containing three handcrafted leather camera straps composed of between 52 and 64 individual leather pieces. The company bills its camera straps as ideal for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, explaining that the leather is supple enough to wrap around a wrist in addition to draping around one’s neck.

The Hendrix camera strap features leather components that have been cut, threaded, and then stitched by hand, a process that takes more than two hours, according to Rock n Roll. Each strap is 24mm / 0.9in wide with two length options—100cm / 39in and 125cm / 49in—and three color options—Black, Red Dot Special Edition, and Cigar Brown.

The 100cm Hendrix strap (any color) is €120.00 (~$ 145 USD) excl. VAT, while the 125cm strap is €130.00 (~$ 156 USD) excl. VAT.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 3, 2018
Camera Comparison of 3 Popular Nikon Models: D750 – D7100 – D5100
No matter which stage you are into the world of DSLR photography, often the big question comes. Which camera do you buy to start or progress your photography journey and get those creative juices flowing?

In this article, I will compare three widely popular Nikon cameras (the Nikon D750 24 MP FX body – $ 1499, Nikon D7100 24 MP DX body – $ 724, and the Nikon D5100 16 MP DX body – $ 189) of different capability levels and price points. It will give you practical insight into their image quality by using them in real-world shooting scenarios (landscape/social events/sports) that you may want to cover in your photography.

According to statistics from explorecams.com, these three cameras (as of 11 September 2017) rank in Nikon photo-count: D7100 first, D750 second, D5100 sixth. So indeed these are cameras trusted and used by Nikon shooters the world over.

This article is not a photography theory, camera specs, best settings, lenses, or camera technical reviews. There are excellent web resources for that and I do fully encourage you to check these out, both here on dPS and other sites. This comparison will give you real-life examples to see which camera may suit your needs, expectations, and wallet better.

All scenarios will have the following structure:
- A description of the scene
- Gear and settings used to ensure comparability
- The output photographs
- Summary
Landscape Scenario

The Scene

Most probably you will find yourself at some point outside, camera at hand, wanting to capture the beauty that you see around you. In southern Greece, the picturesque village of Planiteros, with its flowing streams and huge sycamore trees, is the perfect setting for our first scenario.

Gear and Settings

Reasonable companions to this type of photography are a wide angle lens, a tripod, and a remote. The Tokina 12-28 f/4 lens, the Sirui T-025X carbon fiber tripod and the Nikon ML-L3 remote were used. Using the Tokina, which is compatible with both full frame or FX (D750) and crop sensor or DX cameras (D7100 / D5100) allowed photographs of very similar focal lengths to be taken for comparison.

Nikon D5100, capable of handling this situation?

Aiming to give a slightly softer flow rendition of the stream, while maintaining ample depth of field, a longer exposure time and a narrower aperture were desirable. For all three cameras, sensible vibration reducing technique was applied for this type of shooting vision. Mounting the camera on a tripod, using a remote to trigger the shutter, and activating mirror lockup (available on D750 and D7100) or exposure delay (on the D5100, as mirror lockup is not available) are solid steps to getting a good quality landscape photo.

Aperture Priority mode (set at f/8), Matrix Metering, Auto WB, single autofocus mode (AF-S), single point focus, autofocusing on the same point using live view and using the base ISO for each camera (100 for the D750 and D7100, and ISO 200 for the D5100), were the settings applied to extract the best possible quality files from each sensor. Raw files were processed in Lightroom (LR) to produce similar JPGs.

The Landscape Photographs

Look at the photographs below and try to guess which camera produced which picture. The answer comes right after the photographs.

Answer: 1) D750 (top), 2) D5100 (middle), 3) D7100 (bottom).

Summary Landscape

If you could not find an edge between one photo over another that makes two of us. I would be glad to hang 12×16″ print from any of them on my wall. Proper technique in this scenario is more important than the camera used and it creates a level playing field for all sensors.

Social Events Scenario

The Scene

Gatherings with friends and family are occasions where you want to grab a candid moment or the ambiance shot that will serve as a memento for many years. Good friends Nikos and Athina were kind enough to invite me and my wife over to their place for a glass of wine. This was the perfect occasion to compare the three cameras in a usual social setting.

Gear and Settings

Contrary to the landscape scenario’s contemplative and slower pace of shooting, social gatherings usually lend themselves more to a handheld, run and gun shooting style. So no particular gear other than the Tokina 12-28 f/4 lens was used here. While this is not a usual focal length for shooting indoors with people, when used from a sensible distance and towards the wider end it can serve the comparison between the three cameras.

Nikon D7100

Aperture Priority mode (at f/4), Matrix Metering, Auto WB, single autofocus mode (AF-S), single point focus, focusing through the viewfinder and using Auto ISO with no High ISO Noise Reduction applied, were the settings used to extract the best possible quality files from each camera.

Using Auto ISO has to do with my individual shooting style. In this scenario, it is actually the same as using ISO 1600 for D5100 and D7100 and ISO 3200 for D750. These are, in my experience, the highest ISO levels that each camera can handle (especially for straight out of camera JPGs) before noise becomes too obtrusive.

Both the out of camera JPGs and those made following similar processing of raw files in Lightroom are provided in the next section.

The Social Event Photographs

Let’s start with the camera JPGs. Which camera produced which photo will come right after both sets of pictures (camera JPGs and LR processed JPGs).

And here are the LR processed counterparts in the same order.

Answer: 1) D7100 (top), 2) D750 (middle), 3) D5100 (bottom).

Summary Social Events

Again, as in the landscape scenario, you would be hard-pressed to find a winner here. Less than perfect focusing (front or back focus) or camera shake (due to a slow shutter speed) have a lot more impact than the camera model in such shooting environments (e.g. the domestic indoor lighting here).

Sports Scenario

The Scene

Photographing movements, be it your loved ones playing in the backyard or shooting any sport, can generate highly dynamic, catchy, and memorable photographs. Usually, I play football with my friends once a week. For the sake of this article, I put my football gear aside and grabbed my photo kit to shoot the sports scenario.

Gear and Settings

Depending on the sport and the venue, different lenses can be employed in your gear arsenal. The consensus seems to be that a telephoto zoom is an invaluable piece of kit for sports in general. A Tamron 70-300 f/4-5.6 lens was used for this test, as it is compatible with both FX and DX cameras. A Sirui P-224SR Carbon Fiber Monopod and a Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared Tripod Head were used to create the support platform.

Hand holding a DSLR camera with a lens attached is achievable for periods of time. However, when shooting sports, perhaps for hours, and consistently following the action as it unfolds requires more support. This monopod and head combination is working very well for me.

Nikon D750 really excels in this situation.

Usually, sports photography lends its self to shutter priority mode. Select at least a 1/500th of a second. Then take it up from there to freeze action as needed (unless panning is used, where perhaps even 1/60th or slower may be sufficient).

Unfortunately, in the available light conditions of this scenario, not even 1/20th was attainable with any of the three camera-lens combinations, while using reasonable ISOs as discussed before. To somewhat combat this, a minimum of ISO 3200 was used for all cameras. This pushed the limits of acceptable noise, but bought a few more precious tenths of seconds of speed.

With this important point in mind, Aperture Priority mode (varying between f/4 and f/5.6 across the zoom range), Matrix Metering, Auto WB, continuous autofocus mode (AF-C), Dynamic-area AF mode (d9 for comparability), autofocusing through the viewfinder and no High ISO Noise Reduction, were the settings used to extract the best possible quality files from each camera.

Both out of camera JPGs and JPGs following similar processing of raw files in Lightroom are shared in the next section.

Finally, to showcase how high ISO performance has evolved over the years, I will include a bonus JPG with Hi-2 (ISO 51,200) straight out of camera from the D750 (only cropped and lens profiled in Lightroom).

The photographs

First up the camera JPGs, then the LR processed ones. Which is which is shown at the end after both sets:

And here are the LR processed counterparts in the same order.

Answer: 1) D7100 (top), 2) D5100 (middle), 3) D750 (bottom).

The bonus ISO 51,200 file from the D750.

Summary sports

Shooting sports is indeed a completely different animal. Gear that will get perfectly adequate photos in normal situations (e.g. nature and social situations as above) simply will not be enough for sports. It is not an accident that you see big glass and pro bodies used in sporting venues the world over.

Having said that, it is possible with any of the three cameras discussed here to get some usable shots by capturing the peak of the athletes’ movement. My learning is also that increasing ISO even well above 3200 may be sensible for all these cameras. The higher shutter speed benefit offsets the increased noise.

The key differentiator between the three Nikon cameras is not the quality of the keeper photos. It is the vast superiority of the D750’s autofocus system, frame rate and ISO performance that will allow you to create a lot more keepers, long after the other two bodies have given up trying.

Conclusion and proposals

You went through a lot of info here. Now it is time to make some sense of it. I will hopefully help by offering my insights following this Nikon camera comparison and my few years of trying to decipher photography principles and gear choices.

Newest and biggest isn’t always necessary

The latest most expensive camera, with more Megapixels, is neither necessary nor is it a guarantor of getting good photographs. The 4/2011 launched DX D5100 coupled with a suitable (i.e. with built-in focus motor) lens, can create the same quality photographs in many situations as its more capable 2/2013 launched DX D7100 or the 9/2014 launched (and much more expensive) FX D750 siblings.

Solid shooting technique and basic gear (e.g. a tripod) is essential no matter which camera body is used.

In some cases, bigger is better

Higher spec bodies do offer tangible shooting benefits other than image quality. This was apparent in the sports scenario. Be it superior focus performance, internal focus motor, larger viewfinder, commander flash capability, AF fine tune, physical buttons for more functions at hand, prosumer (D7100) or semipro (D750) bodies can help you get your photography to that next level of refinement.

Consider carefully your lens purchases. Ensure the best possible compatibility in case you ever decide to move from DX to FX. A few clever purchases can give you great value-for-money FX and DX compatible lenses (hint: Tokina).

However, do rent or try out gear from friends before you commit. I cannot overstate the real-life ease-of-use factor versus any specs’ sheet excellence.

So here are my proposals to you depending on your stage in the photo journey

Just starting out. Don’t feel pressured to get an expensive high-spec body. A sensible approach may very well be to grab a dirt cheap used D5100 and an 18-200mm inexpensive used lens. See if DSLR photography suits you and your lifestyle and take it from there. Give it time and do not splash out immediately on many different lenses. Plus the D5100 can also act as a great video camera thanks to its rotating screen.

The bug has bitten you. It takes an honest discussion with yourself to see if you really need all the bells and whistles of that new body versus an early D5xxx or a D7000 model. If the answer is yes, then my proposal is to hang in there. Skip the D7100 and save the cash to spring for the D750 (new or used), unless the more recent D7xxx series have similar autofocus and ISO performance for a lower price.

You are ready to make money from your photography and turn semi-pro or even full-time pro. Congratulations! By now you have probably outgrown even the D750 for the sake of other pro FX and DX bodies. There’s not much I can offer in terms of advice here, other than a D750 can always be a light backup body, great for both stills and video.

Conclusion

Thank you for the time reading this article and see where your photography passion takes you next!

Do you have and use any of these Nikon cameras? What types of photograph do you shoot? Please share your experience in the comments below.

The post Camera Comparison of 3 Popular Nikon Models: D750 – D7100 – D5100 by Konstantinos Skourtis appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
January 3, 2018
Why you should own a 135mm F2 lens

Image quality, weight and value for money. We have come to accept that most lenses are strong in only one or two of these three factors, that I personally focus on when researching lenses to buy. Sometimes though, we stumble upon a great lens design which is strong in all three. One of the prime examples of such a design is the “nifty fifty”—the 50mm F1.8 lens construction that many lens manufacturers provide. Another example is the 100mm (or sometimes 90mm) F2.8 macro lens. If you buy a nifty fifty or a 100mm macro lens you simply cannot go wrong—you will get a great and handy lens for your money, with great image quality.

Today I want to talk about another such lens design: The 135mm F2 lens. I use the word design, because although the available 135mm F2 lenses aren’t the exact same optical formula, they share many important traits. Perhaps you have seen the photos of masterful Russian portrait photographers such as Elena Shumilova or Anka Zhuravleva. They create a beautiful, mesmerizing dreamscape in their photos, and their secret weapon, besides an impeccable sense for aesthetics, is the 135mm F2 lens.

The moment I tried the Samyang 135mm F2 for the first time after purchasing it, I immediately felt that it was a very special lens. I took a few shots with the lens on my way home after buying it. I was blown away when I loaded the photos into my computer. I had of course heard that this lens is supposed to be very sharp, but I had never before had such a full blown “wow” experience when reviewing the sharpness of a lens.

The flawless image quality is only half the story though. Another thing that makes people go “wow” over the 135mm F2 lens design is the bokeh, which can be so creamy that distant backgrounds almost render as gradients. The 135mm F2 lens design is truly special, and in this article (and the video I made), I want to try to convince you as well.

Subject Separation

There are only a handful of foolproof strategies for making a great photograph. One of them is simplicity: A clear, simple subject that constitutes a shape, standing out and contrasting against a calm and simple background.

When you shoot a 135mm F2 lens at F2, your subject will stand out in this beautiful way, often without much work needed from you as the photographer. Just place your subject against a distant background, and half of the job is done. Even if the background is very close to your subject, somehow the optical construction in the 135mm lens will still manage to separate the background beautifully.

The Creamiest Bokeh

To achieve creamy bokeh, a lens should have a wide maximum aperture and a long focal length. One very popular lens for bokeh fiends is the Canon 85mm F1.2—it can produce extremely creamy out of focus backgrounds. But I would argue that a 135mm F2 lens produces even greater bokeh, thanks to the long focal length that compresses the background far more than the 85mm lens.

You would be hard pressed to find any other lens on a full frame camera that produces creamier bokeh. There are, of course, outliers—such as the legendary unicorn lens Canon EF 200mm F2—but that one isn’t a great alternative unless you are cool with spending $ 5,700 and carrying around something about as wieldy as a fire hydrant.

Unreal Sharpness

When I was on my way home after purchasing my first 135mm lens (the Samyang/Rokinon one) I took a few quick snapshots just to try out the lens. The first shot I ever took with this lens was of my neighbor’s cat, as it was sneaking around in a bush. When I got home and loaded the photo into Lightroom I was blown away by two things.

First of all, the background separation and the bokeh: I had photographed lots of animals in bushes before, but never before had I seen the bush melt away in the way it did with the 135mm lens.

Second of all, the incredible sharpness of the photo: I have owned many lenses, most of which I bought because they were supposed to have world-class sharpness, but the Samyang 135mm still stands out to me.

Never before (nor after) have I seen a lens with this level of sharpness wide open. Perhaps this impression of unreal sharpness is strengthened by the contrast to the extremely creamy bokeh you typically get in the same photo.

Close Focus Ability

Most of the available 135mm F2 lenses have a very short minimum focusing distance in relation to the focal length, creating a magnification ratio of around 0.2 – 0.25. This is great news if you like to photograph small things up close. These lenses go about as close as you could get without a dedicated macro lens.

Low Weight

Lenses with extreme sharpness and bokeh tend to be heavy. For example, the legendary Canon 85mm F1.2L weighs in at 1025g, and the Sigma 85mm F1.4 Art isn’t too light either at 1130g.

Sure, not all 135mm lenses are lightweight—Sigma’s new 135mm F1.8 is rather heavy at 1130g—but if you look at the Samyang 135mm F2, which is pretty much flawless optically, it weighs only 830g. And if you want autofocus, I would recommend the Canon 135mm f2.0L, which is incredibly light for its performance at just 750g.

Extreme value for the money

While there are certainly pricey 135mm F2 lenses out there (such as the aforementioned Sigma 135mm F1.8 Art, or the Carl Zeiss 135mm) there are a couple that give you extreme value for the money. When you buy a lens with fantastic sharpness and image quality at all apertures, you typically expect it to cost $ 1,200 on up. But like a glitch in the matrix, an anomaly that shouldn’t exist, you can get the Samyang/Rokinon 135mm for as little as $ 430 brand new. The only downside with that lens is that it is manual focus, which might not be suitable for photographing sports or children. Otherwise this lens is absolutely incredible.

If you want autofocus and great value for money, buy the Canon 135mm, as it has almost the image quality of the Samyang, and you can get it for under $ 1,000 new. The Canon is about as sharp as the Samyang, but it has some very slight chromatic aberration. I would recommend buying it used if you want to save some money, with the added benefit that you can re-sell it at the same price as you bought it for, effectively giving you the opportunity to “rent it” for free.

Which One to Buy?

If you want the best value possible for your money, and can survive without autofocus, buy the Samyang. If you must have autofocus, and care about weight, buy the Canon. If you want the best possible image quality, and you must have autofocus, and you don’t care if it is a bit heavy (maybe you need it for studio use), buy the Sigma. Include the Carl Zeiss in your research though, it might be an interesting lens for you, even if it is a bit pricey for what you get. If you are a Nikon user, of course have a look at the Nikon AF Nikkor 135mm f/2D DC and compare it to the other lenses mentioned in this article.

Whatever lens you pick in the end, you will make a great purchase. All of them are extremely sharp and produce mouth-watering bokeh, and all of them are reasonably priced for what you get. I have only owned my 135mm for less then a year, but already it is one of my top three most used and most fun lenses.

Micael Widell is a photography enthusiast based in Stockholm, Sweden. He loves photography, and runs a YouTube channel with tutorials, lens reviews and photography inspiration. You can also find him as @mwroll on Instagram and 500px.

This article was originally published on Micael’s blog, and is being republished in full with express permission.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

January 3, 2018