Fujfilm X-E3 Snap VerdictThe X-E3 completes Fujifilm's cycle of updating its mirrorless system cameras to the 24.3Mp X-Trans CMOS III APS-C sensor and X-Processor Pro processing engine combination that appears in the X-T2, X-Pro2, X-T20 and X100F. As a result, it's capable of producing high-quality images with plenty of detail and attractive colours that are dictated by the selected Film Simulation mode. It also has an ingenious touch-control system and a mini-joystick that takes the place of a traditional navigation pad and really improves the handling. It's a gem of a camera. Overall Score: For Fujifilm X-E3
Against Fujifilm X-E3
What is the Fujifilm X-E3?The Fuji X-E3 is an APS-C format compact system or mirrorless camera with the Fujifilm X lens mount. It's the replacement for the 16Mp Fuji X-E2S which was announced in January 2016. Like the camera it replaces, it has a rectangular rangefinder-like design and an electronic viewfinder built-in.
Fujifilm X-E3 SpecificationPerhaps the biggest, but also the most predictable upgrade that the X-E3 makes to the X-E2S is the change from a 16Mp sensor to a 24.3Mp device. It's predictable because it's the same 24.3Mp X-Trans CMOS III APS-C sensor as has appeared in the Fuji X-Pro2, X-T2 and X100F. Also, like these other cameras, the sensor is paired with the X-Processor Pro processing engine. This combination enables a standard sensitivity range of ISO 200 to 12800 with extension options taking it to ISO 100 to 51200. It's also possible to shoot up to 21 uncompressed raw files or 35 jpegs at 14fps (frames per second) using the electronic shutter. If you want to focus continuously, however, this drops to 11fps and 53 jpegs or 21 uncompressed raw files. Switch to the mechanical shutter drops the maximum rate to 8fps for 62 jpegs or 25 uncompressed raw files. In another significant upgrade upon the X-E2S the 3-inch 1,040,000-dot screen on the X-E3 is a touchscreen. And in addition to the usual Touch Shot, Touch AF and Focus Area Selection options there's a Touch Function feature that enables gesture control that's familiar from smartphones. AutofocusFujifilm has updated the phase detection autofocus algorithm to boost its performance with moving subjects. This is now claimed to take around half the time of the X-E2 to focus and subject can be half the size that it needs to be with the X-E2S. According to Fujifilm, the X-E3 can also get subjects sharp in as little as 0.06sec. There are up to 325 focus points (in a 13 x 25 grid) available for selection, but if you prefer this can be limited to 91 (in a 7 x 13 grid). These can be selected individually in single focus point mode or the camera select one automatically in Wide/Tracking AF mode. Alternatively, there's Zone AF which is useful when you know roughly where the subject will be in the frame. Like the X-T2 and X-T20, the X-E3 has a collection of five autofocus customisation options that tailor how the camera responds in continuous autofocus mode (AF-C). Unlike the X-T2 (but like the X-T20), it's not possible to adjust the individual parameters such as Tracking Sensitivity that are controlled by these settings, but they are a useful addition to the feature set. The options are:
Video specificationFujifilm doesn't offer a dedicated video camera like the Panasonic GH5 and Sony A7S II but it enables photographers to shoot video that compliment the stills by using the Film Simulation modes. It's possible to record 4K (3840 x 2160) at 29.97, 25p, 24p or 23.98p and 100Mbps for up to 10 mins at a time. Full HD (1920 x1080) movies can be recorded at up to 59.94p and 36Mbps for up to 15 mins. If you want to shoot continuously for longer than that you'll have to drop to HD (1280 x 720) which can be maintained for up to 30mins. There's an HDMI Micro port available if you want to record to or view footage on an external monitor and a 2.5mm socket is available for connecting an external mic (via a 2.5/3.5mm adaptor).
Build quality and handlingLike the X-E2S, the X-E3 has a rectangular rangefinder-like shape with the viewfinder fitting within the rectangle rather than protruding above the top-plate like the mini-DSLR X-T20 and X-T2. It's like a smaller version of the X-Pro2. Unlike the X-Pro2, however, there's no optical element to the viewfinder, it's purely electronic. Although the grip on the front of the X-E3 body is quite shallow and there's only a small thumb-ridge on the back, they are both covered with a grippy, textured finish that makes the camera feel comfortable and secure when you're shooting one-handed. And while it feels okay with a lens like the XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS mounted, it looks and feels more natural and better balanced with a prime lens like the XF 23mm F2 R WR. Control arrangementAlthough the X-E3 will seem familiar to X-E2S users, there are some significant and welcome changes to the control arrangement. The most significant of these is that Fujifilm has done-away with the usual navigation pad on the back of the camera. Instead, there's a mini-joystick control that Fuji calls a 'focus lever'. This sits in line with the Menu, Display and Playback buttons and falls within convenient reach of your right thumb. It makes it easy to navigate through menu options, make settings selections and set the AF point. It's much faster and easier to use than the navigation pad. Further good news is that getting rid of the navigation pad means there's more room on the back of the camera for your thumb so the X-E3 is easier and more comfortable to hold than the X-E2S. Fujifilm has also given the X-E3 a front dial, which works in tandem with the rear dial for scrolling through menu options and browsing through settings. While there's a lens aperture ring and both shutter speed and exposure compensation dials on the X-E3's top-plate there's no sensitivity (ISO) dial. However, there's an 'ISO Command Dial Setting' option in the Set-up menu that enables you to set ISO via the new front command dial. I found this useful for those occasions when I wasn't using the camera in Auto ISO mode. Touch-ControlAs I mentioned earlier, the X-E3's screen is touch-sensitive and it's possible to swipe up, down, left and right to access key features such as AF mode, sensitivity (ISO), Film Simulation mode and white balance. Initially, I had mixed success with using this gesture control but then I discovered the swipes need to be quite fast. When the camera doesn't respond, the natural response is to drag your finger slowly, but the camera seems to be looking for a quick swipe so you need to do the opposite. Once you've sorted out how to activate the Touch Functions, it takes a little while to remember which way to swipe to access what you want, but it's something you become familiar with and it speeds-up making adjustments. These gestures can also be used while the camera is held to your eye and you can specify whether you want to use the whole screen or just the left or right area. This is a bit trickier to use for left eye users, but it's pretty nifty for right-eyed shooters. It's possible to customise the Touch Function via the Button/Dial setting option of the Set-up menu and there's a total of 31 options available, plus 'Off'. In addition, you can drag your thumb on the screen to select the AF point you want while you look in the viewfinder, but I found it easier to use the Focus Lever (joystick). Viewfinder and screenWhile it's not the largest EVF that Fuji as on offer, X-E3's electronic viewfinder provides a clear view of the scene and it matches the final image well. The screen is also good and doesn't suffer excessively from reflections. It's disappointing, however, that the screen is fixed. It would be nice if it were possible to tilt it to have a clearer view when shooting from high or low angles. A dual-tilting mechanism like on the X-T2, or even a more common vari-angle hinge would be even better.
PerformanceAs I mentioned earlier, the X-E3 has the same sensor and processing engine as the Fujfilm X-T2, X-Pro2. X-T20 and X100F. This means that it produces very similar images and noise is controlled well throughout the native sensitivity range (ISO 200-12,800). Naturally, some detail is lost at the uppermost settings, but the results are good and even the expansion settings can produce passable images. As you'd expect, if you want the best images, the sensitivity should be kept to the lower values as that ensures the highest level of detail and best colour saturation. Ideally, keep to ISO 3,200 or lower but don't stress too much if you need to go to ISO 6400 or even 12,800. Fujifilm's Film Simulation modes, combined with the Shadow and Highlight tone controls allow you to give jpegs the look you want. Everyone has their favourite, but some suit some scenes better than others. I particularly like Classic Chrome for it's slightly muted colours and warm tones. I like to push the Shadow tone pup a little to deepen the shadows and boost contrast. Acros is also another favourite for black and white images. As with other Fujifilm cameras, the X-E3's automatic white balance setting is a good default option, but the Daylight setting delivers slightly more attractive results in some natural light situations (shade for example) â in others, it's indistinguishable from the Auto WB result. ExposureAs it has an electronic viewfinder that can show the image as it will be captured, taking into account the exposure and colour settings, it's rare that you'll find an image that isn't exposed as you'd like it to be. Nevertheless, I found that in its Multi setting the X-E3's 256-Zone metering system copes well with some scenes that might fool other cameras. When photographing a river under an overcast sky, for example, it delivered an excellent image with no intervention on my part. In fact there were remarkably few occasions when I needed to use the exposure compensation dial to prevent the subject from being under- or over-exposed. If you should underexpose an image, either accidentally or to protect the highlights, you'll find that the X-E3's low ISO raw files have good dynamic range and can withstand quite substantial brightening. AutofocusThe Fuji X-T2 or X-T20 is perhaps the more natural choice for shooting sport and action as their shape works better with long lenses, but the X-E3's autofocus system is fast and accurate so it is feasible to shoot fast-moving subjects with it if you want. However, the X-E3 is more at home with small prime lenses than it is with long telephoto zoom optics, so it's more likely to be used for landscape, documentary and street photography. But it's good to have the potential if you need it â and fast focusing can be useful for street photography. The X-E3's AF system also proves reliable in quite low lighting and with the XF 23mm F2 R WR mounted, it achieved sharp focus even with some really low contrast subjects during my testing. Wireless TransferI found the X-E3's Bluetooth and Wi-Fi automatic image transfer system rather hit and miss. There were many instances when I saw the lights on the camera flashing as I turned it off, but when I checked my phone, the images weren't there. The problem was usually solved by opening the Fujifilm Remote app on my phone and tapping the camera's name to reform the connection. The app usually issued a warning about the need to open the phone settings and connect to the camera's Wi-Fi system, but if I waited a few seconds it worked it out for itself. From this point, I could then use my phone to browse the images on the card in the camera and select the ones I wanted to transfer â and they would copy across without a hitch. After that any images, I shot subsequently would also usually transfer automatically until the next time that the camera and phone were out of range and I'd have to make the connection again. It's clear that there's a little work to be done before we can expect automatic image transfer to be seamless. Sample ImagesFollow this link to view and download full-resolution X-E3 files Fujifilm X-E3 Review Sample Images
VerdictWhen I first heard about the X-E3 I assumed it was a mini X-Pro2 with a cutdown feature set that meant it was destined to be the camera people bought if they couldn't afford the one they really wanted. However, Fujifilm has made it much more than that and there are valid reasons why people might choose it instead of the camera above it in the manufacturer's line-up. For a start, it's smaller and lighter, but it also offers a different way of working that cuts through some of the button use that can slow you down. The Touch Function gives a speedy route to four key features (provided you can remember which is accessed in which way) and the joystick controller that Fuji likes to call a focus lever, takes the place of a space-hungry navigation pad. As well as being easier to use with your thumb while you're looking in the viewfinder, the joystick takes up much less space than the usual navigation pad so the camera looks cleaner and is easier to hold. And while the X-E3 might be shaped to make it more comfortable for use with prime lenses, it has an autofocus system that can make good use of longer optics, so you can use it to photograph a wide range of subjects â including sport Add to this the fact that Fujifilm cameras have a recipe that enables them to deliver attractive looking images with pleasant colours and nice mid-tone contrast you start to see why the X-E3 really hits the spot. I just wish it has a tilting screen and that Fuji can hurry-up and iron out the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connection issue. Fujfilm X-E3 RatingOverall Score: Features: Build and Handling: Performance: Image Quality: Should I buy a Fujifilm X-E3?If you like traditional exposure controls, want a fairly small camera that has an understated appearance and is capable of delivering high-quality results, then the Fujifilm X-E3 is a great choice. It's a camera you will grow to love.
The post Fujifilm X-E3 Review appeared first on Camera Jabber.
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The Sony a7R III is the highly anticipated update to the very popular a7R II. Since it uses the same sensor as its predecessor, it might seem like this is more an incremental release, but this helpful video will highlight the newest and most improved features to help you decide if it's worth the upgrade. [ Read More ] Vimeo has launched a dedicated camera for its new Vime Live platform, introducing Mevo Plus, price tag $500. Mevo Plus boasts a 12.4-megapixel 4K sensor that can capture video in 3840 x 2160 resolution at 30fps. What's more, iOS apps can be used to run real-time face recognition via the iPhone's camera. Video can be recorded to the camera directly or streamed via ethernet, WiFi or LTE. The Mevo Plus will replace the original Mevo, which is being phased out. Mevo Plus is designed for use with Vimeo's new Vimeo Live platform, launched in September, and aimed at professional users. Other features of the Mevo Plus include a 16:9 aspect ratio, 150-degree field of view and one-hour battery life. Mevo Plus Livestream like a Pro from Mevo Camera on Vimeo. While the Mevo Plus is priced $500, the original Mevo price tag has decreased to $300. Vimeo is also offering a Mevo Plus Pro Bundle for $800 that includes a stand, case, tripod and Mevo Boost. Click here for more details on the Mevo Plus. Via DPReview, Venture Beat The post Vimeo launches Mevo Plus camera for livestreaming appeared first on Camera Jabber.
This photograph was taken at 2AM on Disko Bay in Greenland. I had been sailing for several hours between immense icebergs, and the clouds were building in such a way that it was becoming clear that the sunrise was going to be something special. Upon approaching a patterned iceberg floating between smaller pieces of ice, the light struck it from the side in a way that accentuated its texture. The smaller ice pieces provided the foreground, and it all really came together wonderfully. The image won a gold medal on the 2015 Arctic Awards. Photo taken with a Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 16-35mm f/4L IS. Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveler based in Israel. You can follow Erez's work on Instagram, Facebook and 500px, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates. Erez offers photo workshops worldwide. When we got our hands on Chinese camera maker YI's first mirrorless camera, the YI-M1, we didn't have a lot of positive things to say. Despite a great sensor, the camera was... unrefined. But the company just released a new firmware version for the M1 that promises to smooth out some of its rougher edges. Key updates include (much-needed) improved AF speed, the addition of a RAW+JPG shooting option, exposure control in P, A, S and M modes when shooting video, AF/MF control during video capture, and the addition of a histogram in live view while shooting both stills and video. We've updated our review model to the latest firmware and are taking it for another spin to possibly update our review, but in the meantime, check out the release notes below to see what all YI has improved and fixed on the M1 with this newest update. Release Notes {PressRelease} Firmware Version 3.0-int Update LogsNew
Fixed Fixed some known bugs, and improved the overall stability of the system. Changed Change the thumbnails in each screen from 9 to 12 images. {/PressRelease} Sony has claimed 15 EV dynamic range from its newest ILC iteration: the a7R III. Is it true, or is it like Sony's odd claim that the a7S had 15 EV dynamic range? Turns out: Sony has some strong grounds for its claim here. The Sony a7R III retains its dynamic range even in bursts. That's a big deal for a Sony ILC At the launch event in NYC, we were able to gather enough data to measure the 'engineering dynamic range' of the a7R III.* And it is impressive. Possibly as important: for the first time the a7R III retains this dynamic range even in continuous drive. That may be a big deal for any kind of photography that includes action or moving subjects. But how true is Sony's claim?
Sony has found a way to reduce shadow (or 'read') noise in its files such that the final output has higher dynamic range, and cleaner shadows if you need them, than files from its predecessor. To summarize it in a number at base ISO: 13.6 EV at the pixel, or for a 42.4MP file. Or 14.8 EV if you like to compare to DXO numbers (and only generate 8MP images from your 42.4MP camera). Either way, that's a nearly half-stop improvement over its predecessor. See our table below, which also compares the a7R III to the full-frame chart-topping Nikon D850, ranking based on highest performer:
While the Nikon D850 is the top performer here, its important to note that this is only the case if you can give the D850 the extra ~2/3 EV light it needs at ISO 64 (which you often can if you're shooting bright light or a landscape photographer on a tripod). At ISO 100, the a7R III dynamic range actually exceeds that of the D850, thanks to incredibly low read noise. That's impressive for a camera constantly running its sensor in live view. At ISO 100, the a7R III dynamic range actually exceeds that of the D850... impressive for a camera constantly running in live view Keep in mind, though, that if you can give the D850 the extra exposure to take advantage of its ISO 64 dynamic range, all tones in your image benefit from the higher signal:noise ratio-even midtones and brighter tones will be more amenable to post-processing and sharpening thanks to being more 'clean' and less noisy to begin with. The D850 is able to tolerate as much total light as the medium format Fujifilm GFX 50S, as we showed here. That's what allows one to get unbelievably crisp, 'medium format-like' like files from a Nikon D810 (try zooming into 100% on that linked image and tell us you're not impressed). But the Sony a7R III gets you nearly there. While in some circumstances the Nikon D810/D850, or medium format, may afford you slightly cleaner more malleable files, the a7R III takes a significant step at closing the gap. And that's nothing short of impressive for a mirrorless ILC constantly running its sensor for a live feed (and all its benefits). As for Sony's marketing, it sounds like the claim of 15 EV is believable, but only technically if you consider how your images look when shrunk to 8MP files. To be fair, there's some benefit to comparing dynamic range figures after resizing camera outputs to 8MP, since it's a common basis for comparison that doesn't penalize cameras for having higher resolution (and therefore smaller pixels). In depth vs. a7R IILet's take a deeper dive. Here are our 'engineering' dynamic range measurements of the a7R III vs. the a7R II. 'Engineering' dynamic range means we are measuring the range of tones recorded between clipping and when the shadows reach an unacceptable noise threshold where signal is indistinguishable from noise (or when signal:noise ratio = 1). Have a look (blue: a7R III | red: a7R II): The a7R III shows a 0.42 EV, or nearly a half a stop, improvement in base ISO dynamic range over the a7R II. That's not insignificant: it will be visible in the deepest shadows of base ISO shots of high contrast scenes. Suffice it to say the a7R III improves on low ISO dynamic range, without sacrificing anything on the high end It's worth noting our a7R II figures are higher than DXO's published 12.69 EV (13.9 EV 'Print') figures, possibly because they tested an older unit prior to uncompressed Raw and improvements to Sony's compression curve. We retested it literally today with the latest firmware, and get figures of 13.2 EV or 14.4 EV normalized for 'Print' (Bill measures 13.3 EV, which you can see by clicking the camera name in the legend). See our 8MP, or 'Print' normalized, dynamic range figures below. These are more comparable to what DXO might report, for the benefit of your own comparative efforts (blue: a7R III | red: a7R II): You can see the Sony a7R III encroaching on the ~15 EV rating of the Nikon D850 at ISO 64, but achieved at ISO 100 on the Sony, thanks to lower read noise. Impressive, though keep in mind again that the overall image quality improvement of an ISO 64 file from a D850 is due to total captured light (and it's all about total captured light, which you can read about here). Independently, our friend Bill Claff has tested the a7R III and also shows a similar 0.3 EV improvement over the Mark II (you can see the dynamic range numbers by clicking on the relevant camera in the legend at the upper right). He also shows the slight advantage of the Nikon D850 over the a7R III, which comes in at 13.7 EV vs. the a7R III's 13.6 EV at the pixel level.** Sony: a job well done. And all this at no cost to high ISO performance (we have comparisons coming showing parity between high ISO a7R III and a9 performance). Now, Sony, if you could please offer us visually lossless compressed Raw so we don't have to deal with >80MB files (and longer write times and fewer images per card) for no reason, I'm sure we would all be happy... ISO-InvarianceA camera with such great dynamic range performance suggests it's probably fairly ISO-invariant, but is it? Well, yes and no. It's ISO-invariant in exactly the way it should be, but not so in the ways it shouldn't be. Confused? Read on. The a7R III, like many Sony predecessors, has a separate higher conversion gain (HCG) circuit at the pixel. You can think of this circuitry as amplifying the signal at the pixel level more than at lower ISOs, at the cost of higher tones, to protect it from any downstream noise.*** The a7R III, like its predecessor and the a9, switches to this HCG mode at ISO 640, using it for higher ISOs as well. The HCG mode ensures the camera has amplified its signal so much that any remaining noise barely affects it before it's digitized. That's why the camera shows no difference between brightening an ISO 640 Raw file in post vs in-camera by raising your ISO. While we'll have a more rigorous and controlled ISO-invariance test coming soon, you can see even in our cursory test at the launch event below that comparing an ISO 6400 shot (amplified or brightened in-camera) to an ISO 640 shot taken with the same exposure but raised 3.3 EV in-post to maintain the same brightness as ISO 6400 shot shows no difference at all in noise performance: What's the advantage to the latter? 3.3 EV of highlights you otherwise lose by amplifying to ISO 6400 levels in-camera, but that you don't lose if you ask ACR to digitally brighten 3.3 EV in post (anything that gets blown from that 3.3 EV push can easily be recovered in ACR since it's there in the Raw file). Below ISO 640 there's some extra noise to, say, shooting ISO 100 and boosting 6 EV in post as opposed to shooting ISO 640 and boosting 3.3 EV. But there's simply no excuse to the camera's traditional ISO 6400 method of shooting ISO 6400-appropriate exposure and then amplifying the analog signal 6 EV in post to get ISO 6400 levels of brightness; instead, 2.7 EV of that push could be done in the analog domain by switching dual gain to ISO 640 levels, but the remaining 3.3 EV push should be saved for Raw conversion in order to retain 3.3 EV (or more) of highlight detail. Indeed, this is easily seen in Bill Claff's 'Shadow Improvement' graphs that show little to no benefit to analog amplification above ISO 640 on even the Sony a7R II (or ISO 400 on the Nikon D850). And only a highlight cost of stops, upon stops, upon stops, since tones get amplified above the clipping point of the ADC at higher ISOs. I'm going to use this as an opportunity to ask manufacturers like Sony, Nikon and the like: please accept the digital revolution that even your video departments have accepted (in their 'E.I.' modes). Please stop throwing away highlight data for almost no shadow benefit to ostensibly stick to poor antiquated 'film' analogies, or to work around CCD/CMOS read noise limitations that no longer exist. We've been singing this tune since 2014 when we designed our ISO-invariance test, and it's even more relevant today with dual-gain architectures. ACR understands digital 'push' tags and you can brighten the image preview (and JPEG) as necessary. This is not to single out Sony: Nikon, Olympus and Panasonic are just as easy to blame, if not Canon of late after having modernized its sensor architecture to catch up with the rest. Footnotes: * Sony's claim that the a7S had 15 EV dynamic range was confusing, as no commonly used measure of dynamic range that we know of measured it as such (you'd have to downsize a7S' images to 3.7MP to claim 15 stops). However, since there's no set standard for dynamic range measurement, it's hard to say whether or not anyone's claim is 'right' or 'wrong'. ** But again, that's not the whole story until you consider the higher signal:noise ratio of all tones at ISO 64 on a D850 compared to ISO 100 on any other full-frame at ISO 100. *** Technically, the HCG circuitry generates a higher voltage swing per photoelectron at the read stage, effectively generating a larger signal for the same photoelectron count than the lower conversion gain circuit that is optimized for higher dynamic range capture when higher exposures are possible. Today would have been my Dad's 95th birthday. He made it to 93, but when somebody you love has a birthday on a holiday, the memories seem to come up more often. I wrote about him in my Sunday Morning Reflections post, and I've shared a lot of personal things about him over the years in this blog. I know there's only so much about my Dad you can handle. So, as I looked at these two 8x10's, there were a few things I hope make my birthday tribute different and even a little educational. Even though he passed away two years ago, there aren't many people lucky enough to have their parents around at my age, let alone enjoy being with them. Dad was always my best buddy, and a few of you met him at the various conventions. I got him to write a couple of posts over the years, andone of them was sharedon the MarathonPress blog,just last week. What I love about these two images is first, they were taken by another best buddy, Don Blair. Don and Dad were good friends, and when they were together at any convention, it was nonstop laughter. The second reason I love these images is they make such a great point about having a studio! There was no studio! These were taken in the Hasselblad booth at IUSA, 20-25 years ago. I've heard so many young artists who haven't taken the time to learn lighting complain about not having a nice studio. Well, a great studio won't make a difference if you haven't mastered the craft! Then there's the pose. When Don first set Dad and me up, Dad was sitting, and I was standing behind him. Well, I hated the Polaroid. There's another point - these were shot on film and Don did a test print with the Polaroid back on his Hasselblad ELX. It was the only way to preview an image. The reason I hated the pose was that it made Dad look like a peanut! I might have been 7-8 inches taller and outweighed him by fifty pounds, but he was always the biggest person in my life. Having me standing behind and towering over Dad put him in a different light. So, Don simply switched us around, and the result became one of my favorite portraits. Last on the list is the thumbs up we're doing. Don often made it the last shot of virtually anybody he was having fun with and especially if there were two or more people in the portrait! It was part of his signature, along with his smile, and booming laugh. Supposedly there's something genetic in the arch of our thumbs too - no need for DNA testing to verify the connection between us two! I like to think that Dad and Don are smiling together right now as I share this image.Happy Birthday, Pop - I miss ya! If you've ever been told that you should be doing a job for free, then this is an absolutely special ad just for you. When you're starting out or even later on in your career, it's not uncommon that someone may ask you to do a photography job for free. It's also fairly common that folks will do it for free and will most of the time do nowhere near as good of a job as you would. And so this special ad recently shared on Writing on Writing's Facebook wall will relate to photographers oh so much. Screenshot image from the rainbow effect video byJessica Kobeissi One of today's most popular photography trends is the rainbow effect on portraits. Some of us may feel that it's overused and gimmicky, but it's most likely going to stick around for a bit longer. If you haven't done this before and want to see what The Fujifilm X-E3 is a 24MP mid-level APS-C mirrorless camera, designed as a smaller, more touchscreen-driven sister model to the SLR-like X-T20. In terms of their internal hardware and specifications, the two cameras are very similar, but the X-E3 relies more heavily on its touch panel for moment-to-moment operation, as well as retaining a more rangefinder-like form factor. It's slightly smaller than the previous X-E models, with the removal of the four-way controller and built-in flash allowing the body to be made a little lighter and more compact. A clip-on flash is included in the box, but it's a simple affair with no tilt or swivel capability to compensate for the decision to make it a separate component. Key Features
The more advanced use of the touchscreen, with directional swipes of the finger replacing the role of the four-way controller, pinch to zoom in playback and the option to use the screen as an AF touchpad when the camera's to your eye doesn't come at the expense of physical controls for all the main exposure settings. The X-E3 also becomes the first Fujifilm model to gain Bluetooth, which establishes a full-time connection between the camera and a smartphone, allowing instant transfer of images as you shoot them. [or faster re-connection of Wi-Fi if you're just choosing to send selected images] The company also says it has improved its AF Tracking algorithm so that it can track smaller and faster subjects. Fujifilm say this improved algorithm will also come to the X-T2, X-T20, X100F and X-Pro2 in fimrware updates in November and December 2017.
Kit options:Fujifilm will offer the X-E3 in two kits, one with the excellent 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 OIS, the other with the 35mm-equivalent 23mm F2 lens. We're particularly interested to see this second kit, as it's a combination we particularly like. It's also a useful option for anyone who already has an earlier generation X series camera and already owns the 18-55mm. The camera will be available, body only, for around $899, with the 18-55mm kit costing $1299 and the 23mm kit weighing in around $1149, both of which represent a considerable cost saving over the cost of buying the lenses separately.
Making a video of cinematic quality doesn't only depend on the quality of the camera. You can even shoot with your phone if you're on the budget. But, you may want to add movement to your footage to make it look more professional. InMotion is an automated slider aimed particularly at those filming with smartphones. [] The post InMotion slider promises cinematic movement for your smartphone videos appeared first on DIY Photography. Well, we suppose it's a sign of the times, but anyway a new app, appropriately called Nude, claims to have developed technology that can identify, group, and make your nude pictures stored on your smartphone disappear from public access, all without your help. Currently, the app is only available for iOS devices but an Android-based app is in development according to the team behind Nude. Automating the process of removing potentially embarrassing photos from your phone might sound promising but is it safe? Well, you decide. The app works by examining your photos for sensitive material using algorithms designed just for that purpose. Nude then removes your photos from your phone and iCloud storage and keeps them stored locally, within the app. The pics are then stored in a PIN-protected vault. For iOS 11 users, the entire process is local and uses no outside source to view your photos, relying instead upon the app's built-in machine learning. That is unless you use iOS 10. The iteration of the app for iOS version 10 and under, utilizes Amazon Rekognition technology which means the photos are, if only briefly, sent to a cloud according to DIY Photography. So, if you're cool with letting this app's cloud AI potentially looking at your candids (or someone else's for that matter), then this app is probably a solution for youif you also happen to have so many nudes on your smartphone that you can't possibly be bothered to catalog them manually. To use Nude, new subscribers will need to sign up for the service. An annual subscription costs $10 dollars. Nude photos are not the app's only specialty it also works to protect sensitive documents and materials stored on your phone as well, such as driver's licenses, credit cards, and other information. The app has a built-in camera just for this functionality. Additionally, Nude has other security measures: In case someone tries to access your app with the wrong PIN number, it will take a picture of the user with the front-facing camera. Reactions to the app are mixed, with Gizmodo's Melanie Ehrenkranz complaining about the app's lack of a basic understanding of human anatomy, seemingly classifying innocent photos as NSFW images that needed to be archived. Ehrenkranz is pretty unequivocal in her criticism, writing after letting Nude troll through my camera roll, I'm not convinced this algorithm has ever seen a naked body. According to Ehrenkranz, she let the app analyze over two thousand images, which took it approximately thirty minutes. While she didn't have a lot of explicit images on her phone, the app nonetheless deemed images explicit seemingly for the hell of it classifying memes and images of Pokemon as in need of top-secret classification. Addressing this discrepancy, app creators Jessica Chiu and Y.C. Chen told Gizmodo in an email: When it comes to the sensitivity of nude detection, we tried to play it safeThere will always be some borderline false positive, and we are leaning towards catch-them-all rather than failing to detect some sensitive content. With that being said, we do recommend all our users update their iPhone to iOS 11 before installing our app. CoreML has proven to be the most accurate when running our ML model, unfortunately, Apple makes it so that CoreML would only work on iOS 11. Of course, the creators' promise of improvement over time might not be enough to convince a lot of people to fork over a $10 annual subscription now while the service is still in its infancy. Still, if you're somebody that stores a lot of personal photos on your smartphone, it might be worth a look. You can download Nude for iOS or visit their website by clicking here to learn more. The post This App Makes Nude Photos on Your Phone Disappear. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? appeared first on Light Stalking. If you just updated to Photoshop CC 2018, you may have noticed a small purple line that follows your brush around, and until you figure what it is, you may be frustrated by it. RetoucherPratik Naik put out a great video explainingexactly what this purple line is. Turns out this purple line is an indication [] The post What is that purple line on your Photoshop Brush tool, and how to turn it off appeared first on DIY Photography. Yesterday at Adobe Max in Las Vegas, Adobe announced the newest version of Lightroom. Let me restate that they announced the newest versions - that's plural. As of yesterday, you have the option of getting either Lightroom Classic CC or Lightroom CC. Overall, I feel quite positive about the announcement of Lightroom's new versions and what this means for the future of the program. However, they are indeed two distinctly different versions of Lightroom, and I'm sure that some photographers will be left scratching their heads wondering what this all means. "How will I be affected? Do I have to use both? If not, which version should I use?" And of course, without fail, there will be a percentage of photographers asking, "What the hell was Adobe thinking?" We, the Disgruntled, fear change, and I'm most certainly included in that we. Change terrifies me. Taking all this into account, let me first speak to this head-scratching stuff, because I think once we get past that, there are some very cool things about these new releases, and for the future of Lightroom. Lightroom CC Vs. Lightroom Classic CC: The BasicsIf you are a veteran Lightroom user, the name of your program will change from Lightroom CC to Lightroom Classic CC. And Adobe has announced a whole new product, called Lightroom CC - let the head scratching commence. Lightroom CC isn't what we current Lightroom users will be using anymore. Lightroom CC is instead something else. It's a totally new cloud-based product. To say this another way, existing Lightroom users will now be using a version that's branded as Lightroom Classic CC. Now before we all make our justifiable comparisons to the marketing genius of Classic Coke vs. New Coke, there are silver linings beyond the naming. For starters, the lives and workflows of existing Lightroom users will not change. Lightroom Classic CC (a.k.a. Lightroom-As-We-Knew-It)is the unchanged Lightroom we have grown to depend on. So, that's good news. Lightroom Classic CC will also work better than ever. Adobe's primary focus for upgrades for Lightroom Classic CC has been performance, not sparkly new tools or sliders. This has been a long needed upgrade for Lightroom, and overall, it works much faster. Needless to say that much faster is relative. Different users have different hardware with different resources, so Lightroom's speed is relative to what system you are using it with. But relativity aside, I feel confident that most everyone will experience a noticeable performance boost. Here is a list of changes in Lightroom Classic CC:
Who Is The New Lightroom CC For?Who Lightroom CC is for is yet to be well defined. I suspect that there will be as many answers to the question as there are photographers. Personally, I'm going to use it right away, but not to replace my existing catalog or workflow. I can't. I have terabytes and terabytes of data, and Lightroom CC is not for the pro or semi-pro user with sizable image archives. Its online capacity as of now is 1TB, so it's limited to users that don't shoot a ton, but want something more robust than Apple Photos or Photoshop Elements, and want something that's designed to seamlessly work across your device chain - and I mean seamlessly. Lightroom CC easily integrates how you tag and keyword your photos and how you develop or edit your photos between your computer, your phone and other portable devices. Yes, Lightroom As-We-Knew-It could sync to the cloud as well, but not like this - it has allowed us to sync Collections we create to our mobile devices, but Lightroom CC is a completely cloud-based ecosystem. Speaking quite generally, Lightroom CC is designed for the userwho wants a simpler experience that is easily integrated into their lifestyle. And Adobe knows there's a whole new demographic of photographers out there who want that, but don't have the patience for a program as robust as Lightroom As-We-Knew-It. The Potential of Lightroom CCWhen Lightroom 1 was released back in 2007, it was released to solve the ongoing problem of photographers using multiple applications in their workflow. My personal workflow consisted of using Photoshop, Bridge, Photo Mechanic and a slew of Photoshop plug-ins. My images bounced from application to application, and my folder system was an ever-growing mess. Lightroom's release fixed all that. It gave me the ability to manage, develop and share my work through an all-encompassing application that was specifically designed for the workflow of a photographer, unlike Photoshop. Now ten years later, we are at another industry crossroads. People aren't buying SLRs like they used to, and the vast majority of photography is being made with our portable devices. Our culture is creating images on-the-go, and the need to be plugged-in and connected while we are on the go is exploding. Lightroom CC is Adobe's attempt to meet that need. Now imagine if there were a version of Lightroom CC (meaning cloud-based) that was designed for the pro user, the user with terabytes and terabytes of data? I believe this is coming. Whether Adobe will eventually merge Lightroom CC with Lightroom Classic CC as its functionality evolves, or whether Lightroom Classic CC changes to also meet this growing need still remains to be seen. But, it's coming, I am sure. Another possibility for Lightroom CC is its potential to work in multi-user environments. Since the beginning of Lightroom this has been a problem. Sharing catalogs with colleagues to share workloads just doesn't work well. Currently Adobe allows Lightroom CC to be added to two devices at a time, but there is potential for that to expand. Again, overall, I'm feeling excited for the future of this technology, as Adobe answers our growing need for device integration. The Fate of Perpetual LicensingHere's the bad news for those of you who have been holding on to your ability to own your software outright. Those days are gone. Lightroom 6 will have a few more updates to handle bugs and camera compatibility, but that's it. It is time to put on your big-boy/girl pants and move to CC. I know there are still many that won't like this, so if you're one of those, take comfort in the fact that Lightroom Classic CC works the same way that Lightroom 6 does, except it's better. You are not forced to use the cloud service, and for $9.99 a month, you can get Lightroom Classic CC, Lightroom CC, and Photoshop. That's a smokin' deal. This day was inevitable. I'm honestly surprised it came as quickly as it did, but Adobe sees urgency in solving the problems that creating and managing software with perpetual licenses creates, and there are many. But, that's a whole other article/blog rant. For now, trust those of us in the digital deep-state, CC is better. Lightroom CC & Lightroom Classic CC Resources And PricingPricing is still quite reasonable for Lightroom, and there are a few approaches. You can acquire just Lightroom CC, or Lightroom CC bundled with Classic CC and Photoshop. There are also different choices for cloud storage. There are 20GB and 1TB choices only right now, but I'm confidant this will expand as CC evolves. Below are videos that Adobe has released to further explain what's in these two programs. I, too, will soon produce some videos, so stay tuned for those. Happy Lightroom'ing, and please feel free to comment with questions about Lightroom. The post Lightroom CC Vs. Lightroom Classic CC appeared first on Outdoor Photographer. Are you one of those people who winces every time you take a photograph that's slightly skewed, with a foot cut off, overblown highlights, or too much grain? Well let me tell you something, sometimes the problem might not be with the photograph it may be you. Are you a perfectionist? Is it affecting how you view your photography? In this article let's take a look at this concept and see how it applies to you and your work. How much does it matter?Needless to say, there are many situations where a skewed horizon, a cutoff limb, or a white sky will ruin the photograph. But there are just as many situations where it won't matter at all, yet many people will think it does, and they will trash their perfectly good photographs because of this. It's hard not to over-think your photographs, especially if you are a bit of a perfectionist or like as much order as possible to things. And even if you're not, you probably have moments where you over-think the details in your images. We all research cameras that have the sharpest lenses and most megapixels for a reason, don't we? But a lot of the time, this stuff doesn't matter that much. What matters is that the photograph looks beautiful, that it's interesting, and that it has an alluring quality that engages the viewer. In those situations, straight lines and perfect sharpness are just a bonus. Negative critiquesA big purveyor of this way of thinking comes from photo competitions or photo clubs. While I'm not knocking photo clubs they are an amazing place for the knowledge, enthusiasm, and comradery. But they can also have the effect of making us question our photos in the wrong way. In a room full of people, there will always be a few that are hyper-focused on an element that they see as out of line, and this disregards the photo as a whole. No matter what image you show, there is guaranteed to be one person who will find something wrong with it, and that puts a lot of pressure on you. Similarly, think about the difficulty for judges in photo competitions, where they have to stare at hundreds or thousands of photos to pick a winner. They are just looking for any reason to disregard a photo. Nitpicking the little details is the easiest way to do this, so that becomes a prerequisite for your photo to do well. Find a balanceThe result of all of this is that I work with many photographers who get so nervous about making the slightest mistake, and it throws their whole photography experience off. Where they should spend their time enjoying themselves and looking for something amazing, they question their abilities and over-think each detail. I'm not trying to disregard the importance of technical quality in photography. It's vital and necessary. You have to have good technical skills to become a good photographer, but the technical aspects should be in the back of your mind instead of in the front. After all, the only people that pixel peep and gaze at a photograph from six inches away, are other photographers. Embracing imperfectionsGoing to galleries to view the work of the old masters is a great way to learn this. For every Ansel Adams, there was a Garry Winogrand. Cameras were often downright primitive compared to what we have today. Some of the most famous photographs of all time are slightly blurry or have technical elements that would make the judges of a photo contest today cringe. Some photographers even look to add imperfection into their work, often by skewing their photographs or including elements in strange compositions. Other photographers even will shoot at high ISOs in all lighting situations because they like to have a grainy look to their images. In this way, imperfections can improve your photographs by making them feel more real and of the moment. It shows that the photograph was a special and unplanned event. I do not want you to forget to think about the technical qualities of your photographs, but I want you to be more in the moment. Take the pressure off yourself. Be more spontaneous, enjoy yourself, and try to get lucky. Focus on the moment more than the photograph, and share that moment with us. If it's a great moment, it won't matter how off the horizon is. Bring back a photo that you love, that you relate to, that you want to put on the wall, and I guarantee there will be others that will love it as much as you do. Don't worry about the ones who feel differently. Take their opinions into account, but try not to let it consume you. Just make sure not to photograph someone with a tree coming out of their head. The post Are You Too Much of a Perfectionist With Your Photography? by James Maher appeared first on Digital Photography School. Adobe has announced new versions of its Photoshop and Premiere Elements apps. Both apps utilize the Elements Organizer to automatically catalog and sort image files. they also offer a wide range of guided or automatic edits that allows users to automatically swap backgrounds, create double exposures, freeze frames and fix action cam footage. The new apps are available now, priced at 99.99 for each as a stand alone and $149.99 as a bundle. Press releaseNew, Easy-to-Use Adobe Photoshop Elements, Premiere Elements 2018Adobe has just announced the newest release of its consumer photo and video editing applications, Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements 2018, for Mac and Windows. In the professional editing industry, Adobe has been one of the few top names for many years. Adobe Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and After Effects are found in virtually every studio. The Elements versions are for those editors who want to make creative and polished photos and videos, but quicker and easier than possible in the pro versions, and they're designed with the weight and sophistication of Adobe's resources and experience. The Elements versions provide a more automated process backed by advanced Adobe algorithms. Click a button or two, and Elements will analyze your photo or video intelligently, and determine the best solution in each case. You can also make further adjustments based on personal preference, but even this process is designed to be quicker and simpler. In as little as just minutes or even less, you can have beautiful photos and videos (including batches of photos) ready to be shared on social media, printed, or burned to DVD. They'll be complete with all the right parts highlighted, issues that need fixing fixed, titles, music, menus, and more. Advanced one-click features, like Whiten Teeth and Open Closed Eyes, will ensure that your subjects come out looking impressive. There are also special side features for creating calendars and greeting cards that you can print at home or send to a professional printer, scrapbooks, and photo and video collages. Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements are powerful and comprehensive solutions for moments we capture during family vacations, kids' school recitals, and similar adventures and events. They're also great for YouTube videos and vlogs, sales presentations, and the like, as well as for beginner enthusiasts. Both support high-resolution files and popular file formats, so you can work with your high-megapixel and 4K smartphone, DSLR, action cam, or any other camera. Adobe Photoshop Elements 2018
A major feature is that the two programs integrate well for those who like to shoot still photos and videos. They have a similar user interface and similar workflow, and share the same file manager, an exceptional stand-alone tool called the Organizer. Not many editing applications have such a self-contained file manager. Normally, you're limited to importing files and selecting them as needed, but the Organizer kind of has a mind of its own. It takes all the hundreds of photos and videos on your computer, automatically arranges them in one place by criteria such as dates, people, places, and faces, and gives you a visual view of them all. It additionally allows you to tag them as you like, including by tagging faces using your Facebook friends list. Adobe Premiere Elements 2018
The same Organizer appears in both applications, so one can jump between the two programs and have access to the same media in both. There are also other features that are found in both applications, such as Slideshow, and the Organizer allows these features to work cross-platform. For example, click a few buttons, and Slideshow will dig into the Organizer and produce a fancy, animated slideshow of your best photos and short video clips, along with a theme. Once it's done, you can make manual adjustments, adding/removing photos and videos as you like. Both applications also have many Guided Edit features, which lead you step by step through applying a specific effect or function. Photoshop Elements offers 49 Guided Edits, such as Replace Background. This Guided Edit will walk you through placing a more interesting background behind the subject of a photo. Although the Guided Edit process works step by step, it takes only seconds. Premiere Elements has 19 Guide Edits, like Fix Action Cam Footage, which guides you through quickly making trims, correcting color, and fixing lens distortion in your action camera videos. The overall workflow in both applications is largely based on one-click tools that are also highly automated, like the Guided Edits. In Photoshop Elements, one-click tools allow you to add effects, looks, border frames, and textures, turn photos into illustrations, paint on effects, add photo text, make panoramas, and much more. You can also let Photoshop Elements analyze a photo and suggest five effects that it thinks would be ideal for your photo. And you can make many different corrections to perfect your photos, such as turn frowns into smiles, open closed eyes, whiten teeth, remove pet eye discolorations, remove camera shake in selfies, and remove haze in landscapes. A lot of this can also be done to batches of photos at a time. You may wonder, how can closed eyes be open? Photoshop Elements will search through your photos in the Organizer, find a photo of the subject with open eyes, and blend it into the photo of the subject with closed eyes. Open Closed Eyes is a new feature in Photoshop Elements 2018. Other new features include multiple new Guided Edits, Auto Curate, major enhancements to the Organizer, and a redesigned and upgraded Slideshow. Using one-click tools in Premiere Elements 2018, you can add graphics, text, effects that move with the subject, standard graphics, cartoon looks, transitions, animated titles, slow-motion, fast-motion, motion menus, fancy credits, and much more, as well as choose from more than 50 musical scores and 250 sound effects and easily remix music to match up to the length of your movie. You can even go as far as select to make instant-themed movies. When shooting video, one is prone to camera shake and other issues need correcting. Premiere Elements 2018 lets one auto-fix shaky footage, adjust color with sliders, auto-balance audio elements, fix audio problems easily, combine elements from different videos, and much more. Adobe Photoshop Elements & Premiere Elements 2018
Both Photoshop and Premiere Elements 2018 allows one to share creations with friends and family on social media right from the interface. Also, even with all the automated and easy-to-use features, you can still get help right within the interface via eLive. They're offered individually, as well as combined in one package for those who want both. Create beautiful photos and videos in seconds. Tagged: adobe, elements 2018, news Thanks to cameras like the Hasselblad X1D and Fujifilm GFX 50s, there's been a lot of fuss over medium format the last couple of years. And while those two cameras have helped to drive down the cost of getting into medium format, it's still not cheap. So, is it worth getting into? This video from [] The post 5 reasons why you should consider buying into medium format appeared first on DIY Photography. |
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