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  • 2017 in review: a look back at November

    This shot from Dan’s Gear of the Year writeup wasn’t taken in November but it seemed apt for an overview article.

    November is usually a fairly quiet time for the industry: all the cameras the manufacturers are hoping will sell around Christmas have been announced. Well, except for Leica, which always likes to set itself apart – this time by launching a new model in mid November. Still, there was plenty going on in the wider world of photography:

    The internet has always made rather more liberal use of other people’s images than is legally allowed but it’s generally only the egregious examples that tend to get pursued. US TV network CBS bucked that trend by going after a photographer who’d used a screengrab from a forty-year old TV show on social media. Meanwhile, another photographer took action against pop star Bruno Mars for using one of her photos on social media without seeking the appropriate license.

    The UK’s National Air Traffic Service published a video showing the knock-on effects of breaching drone rules

    Speaking of licenses, the UK’s National Air Traffic Service published a video showing the knock-on effects of breaching drone rules, after four planes and their passengers were diverted to other airports in response to one incidence of careless droning. It’s probably no surprise that tighter rules may be implemented in the UK, and that DJI has the ability to track its drones.

    Meanwhile Eastman Kodak announced more job losses, just four years after a bankruptcy restructuring that saw it exit the photography market. However, at the same time, the company also gave an insight into the work it’s doing to recreate its Ektachrome filmstock.

    But, just because all the camera makers were able to put their feet up until after Christmas*, that didn’t mean we could do the same. Instead, we worked to test and evaluate the a7R III and put together the best-informed review we could, only for it to really complicate our Gear of the Year and DPR Award choices. But those are a topic for next month…

    See all November content

    * I mean, I’m pretty sure that’s what happens.

    Sony a7R III review

    We put a lot of effort digging into the a7R III’s performance. The sensor was common to both this camera and the Mark II but enough changes had been made that we wanted to make sure we’d experienced and captured those differences and improvements. And what improvements…

    Read our Sony a7R III review

    A first look at the Leica CL

    The Leica T and TL series cameras have tended to split opinion, with their minimalist design and touchscreen interfaces. The CL is a much safer product, though: traditional controls and pared-down classic styling. Barney took a closer look.

    Find out more about the Leica CL

    Canon 85mm F1.4L IS USM

    An 85mm F1.4 has long been one of the glaring omissions from Canon’s lens lineup. Not content to just fill that gap, Canon decided to make an image stabilized version worthy of its ‘L’ designation. As you can imagine, we were pretty excited to get out shooting with it.

    Take a look at our Canon 85mm F1.4L IS USM gallery

    New Fujifilm Raw-conversion software

    Fujifilm released a Raw converter but one with a difference: all the processing is done by the camera.

    Take a closer look

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Reviews and Articles on Photography Gear – 2017

    If you’ve been reading over the last few of days you may have seen these already:

    • The Best Landscape Articles on dPS in 2017
    • Top Portrait Photography Tips of the Year on dPS in 2017
    • Most Popular Post-Processing Articles of 2017
    • Best Beginner Photography Articles 2017

    Now it’s time to geek out a bit and talk about photography equipment. Here are some of the reviews and tips from 2017 to help you make the best of your gear.

    Reviews and Articles on Photography Gear – 2017

    1. Review of the New Sigma 500mm F4 DG HSM OS Sport Lens
    2. Review of the New Flagship DX Camera – The Nikon D500
    3. Review of the New Formatt Hitech Firecrest Filter Holder and Neutral Density Filters
    4. Review of the Wine Country Camera Filter Holder System
    5. Review of the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art Lens
    6. Review of the New Nikon D5600 Camera Body
    7. Review of the Sigma 24mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens
    8. Camera Bag Review – The Udee Backpack
    9. Review: Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens
    10. Think Tank Signature 13 Camera Shoulder Bag Review
    11. The New Canon 6D Mark II – Hands-On Previews and Thoughts
    12. Review of the K&F Concept TC2534 Lightweight Carbon Fiber Tripod
    13. Review of the new Spekular Modular LED Light System
    14. VSGO Camera Sensor Cleaning Kit Review
    15. Eight Ways to Get Rid of GAS – Gear Acquisition Syndrome
    16. When is the Right Time to Upgrade Camera Gear?
    17. Tips for Buying Used Camera Gear
    18. Recommended Gear for Doing Long Exposure Photography at Twilight and Dusk
    19. DIY Hack 2-for-1 Luggage and Camera Roller Bag

    The post Reviews and Articles on Photography Gear – 2017 by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


    Digital Photography School

  • 2017 in review: a look back at October

    Leica’s Thambar-M 90mm F2.2 costs $ 325 per aperture blade – and it has 20 of them.

    October – in America anyway, the month of costumes, changing leaves and inebriated frights. This year, I dressed up as a sheep for halloween (apologies to anyone who saw that), so the ‘frights’ part is pretty suspect. Anyway, I digress.

    This past October was also a great month for gear releases as well. As you see above, we have Leica’s Thambar 90mm F2.2, as well as Olympus’ 17mm and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses. Sigma released a 16mm F1.4 ‘Contemporary’ lens for both Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount, and Google released two new Pixel phones that offer groundbreaking (for phones) photographic results. Last, but not least, Canon released a new PowerShot flagship in the G1 X Mark III.

    We published our full review of the Nikon D850, as well as a review of Fujifilm’s very likable X-E3

    And while the camera companies were busy, so were we. We published our full review of the Nikon D850, as well as a review of Fujifilm’s very likable X-E3. And our own Dale Baskin looked back on the Samsung NX1 for one of our most popular editions of Throwback Thursday.

    We would, of course, be remiss to ignore the release of the new silver edition of the Leica Q. Like so many Leica ‘special editions,’ its could be easy to dismiss, but we’re big fans of the highly capable Q and also fans of the new design – even though it comes at a $ 245 premium over the all-black model. Maybe silver paint is more expensive than we thought.

    Photo Plus Expo 2017: Full coverage

    This year’s PPE saw new releases from several manufacturers, from more or less conventional compact cameras to some really out-there products (ahem – Leica Thambar…). As usual, DPReview was there with full coverage

    Read our full PPE 2017 coverage

    The California Coast with the Canon EF 28mm F2.8 IS

    We spent some quality time with Canon’s compact EF 28mm F2.8 IS USM on the California coast in October – read how it performed.

    Read our Canon 28mm F2.8 IS shooting experience

    Looking (further) back at the PowerShot G5

    As Canon announced the newest G-series flagship in the G1 X III, Barney looked back at the PowerShot G5 – a remarkable camera that he picked up for the princely sum of $ 9 at a local thrift shop.

    Read about Barney’s thrift shop PowerShot G5

    Check out our full D850 review to find out why it’s just so darn good.

    See the Nikon D850 review

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • GorillaPod unveils the Mobile Rig: A flexible tripod with two extra accessory arms

    GorillaPod has launched a new flexible tripod product called the Mobile Rig. With Mobile Rig, smartphone filmmakers get two extra arms in addition to the smartphone mount, making it possible to attach a small secondary camera or accessories, such as lights and a microphone. And, of course, Mobile Rig has the same flexibility as past GorillaPod tripods.

    The GorillaPod Mobile Rig includes a pair of arms, each with 1/4″-20 connection points, as well as a pair of Cold Shoe mounts and a single GoPro mount. Joining those is the GripTight locking mount for securing a smartphone to the tripod. The tripod is made of aluminum, ABS plastic, zinc-aluminum, stainless steel, and TPE.

    GorillaPod Mobile Rig is in stock on JOBY’s website for $ 100 USD.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Yongnuo announces YN 14mm F2.8 in Canon mount

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    Yongnuo has made a name for itself as the go-to brand for cheap photo gear, and that includes several Canon lens alternatives (some of which seem like outright clones) that sacrifice some quality while slashing 60-80% or even more off the price. So far, Yongnuo has released its own versions of Canon’s 50mm F1.8, 35mm F2, 85mm F1.8, and 100mm F2. And today, they add one more to the list.

    Meet the Yongnuo YN 14mm F2.8: a lens that looks very similar to Canon’s own 14mm F2.8L II. Here they are side by side:

    According to Yongnuo’s description, the YN 14mm F2.8 sports 12 lens elements in 9 groups (Canon’s has 14 elements in 11 groups) and a 7-blade aperture (Canon’s has 6 blades). The other big difference is the focus motor. The Canon 14mm F2.8L II USM has an ultrasonic motor, while Yongnuo’s 14mm sports a standard DC motor; expect a much louder experience if you’re going to try out this lens.

    The minimum focusing distance (0.2 meters), aperture range (F2.8-F22), magnification (0.15x), and angle of view (114°) are all identical.

    Finally, the Yongnuo 14mm F2.8 will feature the same USB connection as the company’s 100mm F2, allowing for firmware updates that could help sand down the lens’ rougher edges after it makes its way into consumer hands.

    For now, we don’t know when the Yongnuo YN 14mm F2.8 will officially arrive at online retailers, but we’ll keep an eye out for you.

    As for cost, the Canon 14mm F2.8L II retails for $ 2,100. And while we don’t yet know exactly how much Yongnuo plans to charge for the YN 14mm F2.8, you can bet it’ll cost a whole lot less than two grand. To give you a frame of reference, Canon’s 100mm F2 USM lens goes for $ 500; the Yongnuo knock-off is just 160 bucks.

    To learn more about this lens, head over to the Yongnuo website.

    Editor’s Note: The post has been updated to more clearly point out the differences between the Yongnuo 14mm and Canon 14mm F2.8L II. Our apologies if the original came off as misleading by using the term ‘clone’.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • 2018 Shoot & Share Photo Contest opens for entries on January 8th

    Wanna pit your skills against tens of thousands of other photographers… for free? You’ll soon have your chance. The 2018 Photo Contest by Shoot & Share—which bills itself as the world’s only free & fair photo contest—will start accepting entries on January 8th.

    What sets this particular contest apart is the voting process. No hoity-toity group of judges sifting through your entries, the whole system is democratic.

    Every entrant is allowed to submit up to 50 photos in a total of 25 categories, and those photos are voted on by everyone else (including you). Photos are shown to you at random, and you vote for your favorites. As Shoot & Share explains it, “No one knows who took the photos, but everyone votes for the winners. The photos with the most votes win!”

    Here’s a fun intro video Shoot & Share put together:

    The democratic draw of this contest as summed up best, perhaps, by DPReview Editorial Manager Wenmei Hill:

    “It’s huge, it’s free, and it’s a big ego boost (or destroyer, depending on how good a photographer you are) for tons of photographers.”

    Prizes for the 2018 contest haven’t been revealed yet, but all 25 categories will have 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners, in addition to a Grand Prize Winner for the contest as a whole. According to the contest site, “Last year, there was over $ 1,200,000 in free memberships, software, credit, gifts, workshops, and more,” given away.

    Not bad for a totally free and extremely democratic contest.

    To learn more about the 2018 Photo Contest or see last year’s winners, head over to the contest website. And if you plan to participate, you have just over a week to curate your best shots for submission.

    UPDATE: Several readers have expressed concern about some of Shoot & Share’s terms and conditions for this contest: specifically, the part that says you allow them to use your images with photo credit.

    To clear up any misconceptions, we reached out to Heather Keys, the company’s head of Marketing and Business Development, to ask how contestants’ photos have been used in the past. Here’s what she said:

    In the past, the photos from the contest have been used to promote various community activities as well as used to promote future contests (always with photo credit included).

    At times, we have reached out to those photographers that submitted images during the contest to request to use certain submitted photos in promotion of some of the products we offer (PASS.us and Agree.com ). With that said, we’ve always requested permission and offered compensation if we ever used submitted photos for promotion of our software tools.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Selfitis, the obsessive taking of selfies, may be a real mental disorder

    A viral article published in 2014 claimed that the American Psychiatric Association had established a new mental disorder called “selfitis” — that is, the obsessive taking of selfies. That article, though fake, inspired a real exploratory study to determine whether a condition like the one described in the article could exist…and, the research shows, it very well may.

    Of note, the fake viral article had claimed that selfitis existed across three levels of severity: borderline, acute, and chronic. To determine whether that could be true, researchers Mark D. Griffiths and Janarthanan Balakrishnan conducted interviews with a focus group of 225 Indian university students to attempt to create what they called the Selfitis Behavior Scale (SBS) based on those three severities.

    Having created the SBS, and as explained in the recently published study, the researchers then attempted to validate it using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). For this, they recruited 734 total students, and identified 400 students as belonging to one of the three severity categories they’d outlined — the breakdown being 34% borderline, 40.5% acute, and 25.5% chronic. The most severely affected age group was 16- to 20-years-old at 56%, while 21 to 25 was the next highest age group at 34%. As well, men represented 57.5% of the categories, while women represented 42.5%.

    As a result of the EFA, the two researchers were also able to identify half a dozen factors referred to in the study as “selfitis motivations” — they include social competition, seeking attention, modifying mood, boosting self-confidence, conformity, and enhancing one’s environment.

    The researchers note that the study has some limitations, including that the data was self-reported and “subject to many well-known biases.” However, it indicates that a mental disorder like “selfitis” could possibly exist and that it is worth further investigation. “As with internet addiction,” the study states, “the concepts of “selfitis” and “selfie addiction” started as a hoax, but recent research including the present paper has begun to empirically validate its existence.”

    Via: PetaPixel

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Grand Canyon time lapse records rare cloud inversion

    In search of some tranquility on this last Friday before 2018? Well, Skyglow project collaborators Gavin Heffernan (of Sun Chaser Pictures) and Harun Mehmedinovic have just the video for you. They captured remarkable time-lapse footage of a cloud inversion in Arizona’s Grand Canyon. This event occurs when an upper layer of warm air traps the cold air in the canyon, and the canyon fills with rolling fog and clouds for a spectacular sight.

    Turn down the lights and experience a few minutes of peaceful clouds that are reminiscent of ocean waves – and don’t forget to turn up your headphones for the full effect.

    Via: Laughing Squid

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Adaptalux’ miniature lighting studio gets Laser, UV, and Arm-s lighting arms

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    Adaptalux Studio, the miniature lighting studio launched on Kickstarter in 2015, is on the receiving end of some new special effect lighting attachments called the EFX Lighting Arms. The new lighting arms bring three special effects to Adaptalux Studio: Laser, UV (ultraviolet), and Arm-s (super-bright with a TIR lens).

    As with the existing Adaptalux arms, these new EFX Lighting Arms plug directly into the Studio and are flexible enough to be arranged in nearly any position. Adaptalux explains that its UV EFX arm features a purple anodized connector, while the Arm-s has a silver finish connector and the Laser arm has a red finish connector, helping distinguish them from each other and existing arms.

    The UV EFX arm features a UV LED coupled with a UV Band Pass Filter, the latter of which is able to filter out 99% of visible light, according to Adaptalux. The Arm-s EFX arm, meanwhile, has a super bright white LED joined by a built-in TIR lens, which “greatly improves the amount of light reaching the subject,” the company explains. Finally, the Laser EFX arm features laser diodes with a focus-able lens to produce a red beam of light.

    Adaptalux has 48 hours left in its EFX Lighting Arms Kickstarter campaign, where it’s already raised about $ 16,000 more than it needed to bring this idea to fruition. But funded or not, backers have 2 more days to get a single pack of either the Laser Arm or Arm-s Arm for a pledge of $ 50, a single pack with the UV Arm single pack for a pledge of at least $ 70, or a triple pack with all three arms for a pledge of $ 160.

    Here are video intros to all three of the new arms, embedded for your viewing pleasure:

    Shipping to Laser/Arm-s single pack backers is expected to start next April, while UV single pack backer shipments are expected to start in May 2018. To learn more or put down your pledge before the campaign ends, head over to Kickstarter.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Best Beginner Photography Articles 2017

    If you’ve been reading over the last couple of days you may have seen these already:

    • The Best Landscape Articles on dPS in 2017
    • Top Portrait Photography Tips of the Year on dPS in 2017
    • Most Popular Post-Processing Articles of 2017

    Now, let’s get some help for those new to photography. If you just got a new camera as a gift and don’t know where to start – these are for you!

    Best Beginner Photography Articles 2017

    1. 10 Must-Use Bird Photography Camera Settings for Beginners
    2. Avoid These 5 Common Camera Setting Mistakes Made By Beginners
    3. How to Shoot in Manual Mode Cheat Sheet for Beginners
    4. The dPS Ultimate Guide to Photography for Beginners
    5. 4 Beginner Tips for Creating Dramatic Portraits with One Flash
    6. Beginner’s Guide to Metering Modes on Your Camera
    7. 5 Easy Ways to Drastically Improve Your Photographs for Beginners
    8. Photoshop Versus Lightroom: Which is Best for Beginners?
    9. 25 Things I Learned as a Photography Newbie
    10. 3 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Photography
    11. 5 Camera Settings Every New Photographer Needs to Know
    12. 5 Things Every Newbie Photographer Must Learn and Practice
    13. Bought Your First DSLR? 6 Tips for Learning How to Use Your New Camera

    The post Best Beginner Photography Articles 2017 by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


    Digital Photography School