Stay up-to-date with the latest news within the photography industry. Here we feature new photography gear announcements, creative conferences, and other interesting headlines related to the world of photography and filmmaking.
The rumor mill in Panasonic user groups has been buzzing the last few months, speculating on what the next iteration of the very popular GH4 would look like. Today at Photokina 2016, Panasonic came through and announced some major specs and release dates for the highly anticipated GH5, and even had a prototype to show.
Mario Testino is without a doubt one of the most famous fashion and portrait photographers currently alive. He has worked for the biggest magazines and brands in the world, including Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Calvin Klein, and Burberry. Over his 35 years of experience in the industry, he more than certainly shot some of the sexiest, most important, and most famous people on earth. In this article, take a glance at his work, but also his life, through a documentary created by the BBC.
The latest member joining the beautiful Zeiss Loxia line of manual focus lenses is the 85mm f/2.4. Much like the other lenses in the Loxia family, the new 85mm is suited for both stills and video users of the Sony E-mount cameras. Shipping in early December, the telephoto lens will be priced at $1,399.
The world's most popular camera is the iPhone. That isn't news anymore, but it does highlight a number of interesting points about how people consume photography these days. Firstly, if people have a camera on their person that's readily available, they'll take pictures. Although this is somewhat obvious, it does draw the eye to one of the drawbacks of DSLRs and ILCs: size. They are both invariably too big to have on your person at all times, but what if that could be overcome?
You heard right, an entire year of Adobe CC Photography Plan for free with the purchase of an Intuos tablet. This deal is only good until September 17, so you might want to act fast before the weekend hits. Though it might not seem like a deep discount, for those photographers out there that find retouching and fine tuning imagery with a physical pen the way to go, this might be perfect for them so don't wait and miss out on a solid deal.
Until now, mirrorless bodies have been more of a side project for Canon, with the company declining to compete on the level of Sony and Fuji. However, today, Canon has announced the EOS M5 and EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens, which represent its first serious attempt at an upper level mirrorless option.
For Sony E-mount and micro four thirds (MFT) users looking for wide and fast lenses, look no further. Venus Optics has released two new lenses to help assuage your needs. Their new 15mm f/2 E-mount is the world's fastest E-mount rectilinear lens with a 110-degree field of view, and a fast wide open f/2 aperture promises to be an extremely fast and sharp lens. The 7.5mm f/2 is the widest rectilinear lens ever designed for MFT cameras, lending itself to extremely wide fields of view and wide aperture use for everything from cameras to drones.
After owning the DJI Osmo for about six months, I’ve come to realize how handy it can be when filming certain things. Usually a steady shot requires a huge gimbal or rig but with the Osmo it becomes simple and doable with just one hand. For me it is ideal for real estate and other little side projects I do, however it isn’t much of an everyday camera. DJI now introduces the Osmo Mobile, the Osmo handle with gimbal that can hold your smartphone.
Today Macphun launched Aurora HDR 2017, their latest version of the HDR photo editing software for Mac. The new software features an improved user interface, faster performance, and more features that Macphun claims will provide “more versatility and higher quality images than before.” Aurora HDR 2017 will officially release on September 29 for $99, but there is special pre-order pricing plus bonuses for new and current owners of previous versions available if purchased before then.
Astrophotographers have a tough job, balancing the use of electronics and star-gazing apps with the ability to keep their eyes adjusted for the night sky or the dark ground that surrounds them as they shoot. I have wrapped my phone in red cellophane plenty of times. While some apps (many of which were recently pulled) allowed for changing the bluish cast of your device's screen to something more amber, Apple's iOS 10 update is the first time the company has included a way to make everything on your screen an actual shade of red.
In the United States, you might know them better as Rokinon. Samyang Global, the Korean optics manufacturer, has announced two new lenses that may come as a bit of a surprise. While they have been producing quality manual lenses for a variety of mounts, they haven't done much that the mainstream manufacturers haven't already in terms of focal length, aperture, or cinema capability, though their price points have always been far more reasonable. With these new releases however, that has changed.
Adobe has announced the 2.5 update to their popular Lightroom Mobile app. The new update adds the ability to shoot directly to Adobe's open source raw file format, DNG, avoiding the compression and data loss inherent in standard JPEG files. To capture in DNG, users will need a device running iOS 10 that has a 12 MP sensor, such as the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, and iPad Pro 9.7. When available, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will also support capturing in DNG format. The latest update is available in the App Store at the time of this writing.
Highly anticipated for years, Adobe have finally released their team collaboration system for Premiere Pro. Until now, only large enterprises would be able to do this. However, is it powerful enough?
Musicbed, the popular music licensing platform for creatives looking to perfect their stories while supporting musical artists, has announced an all new app for iPhone. Touted as not “just some update,” the app has been completely rebuilt to share the same experience of the new Musicbed website that was launched earlier this year. With the Musicbed app you can bring your synced wishlists with you, discover new music, and collaborate with others to find the perfect sound for your shared project.
Franck Boutonnet is a France-based photographer and has been producing stunning images for his clients for over 15 years. His knowledge, skills, and work are amazing! There is a lot to learn from his pictures, but also from him. In a short video ShotKit created, Boutonnet gives us six tips to help us improve our craft.
Expanding upon the high-end manual focus line of Milvus lenses for DSLR cameras, today Zeiss announced they are adding three new additions. These new lenses — a 15mm f/2.8, 18mm f/2.8, and 135mm f/2 — will feature the same solid optical quality housed within a beautiful barrel design that the Milvus line is known for. Created for both high-resolution photography and videography, the new lenses will begin shipping at the end of October.
Apple just finished their keynote announcing the new iPhone 7. The new 7 and 7 Plus include some pretty awesome (sounding) camera upgrades that should be another step forward for mobile photographers and videographers.
We're live now, come humor me as I mock the company that takes all of my money!
Continuing their approach of creating high-value products that people can’t seem to get enough of, Sigma has introduced a whole new line of CINE lenses specifically designed for cinematographers. The new lenses come in three different categories: the High Speed Zoom Line, the FF Zoom Line, and the FF High Speed Prime Line. In total, eight new CINE lenses have been announced and we have all the details right here from the announcement.
In an industry where product differentiation is tough because everyone has to meet similar standards, G-Technology continues to show that it can innovate on top of simply promising higher-quality products. Through partnerships with companies that creatives work with every day (such as RED Camera and Atomos), G-Technology continues to help filmmakers and photographers at every step of the creative process from capture to delivery.
“Peter Lindbergh: A Different Vision on Fashion Photography” will be on view from September 10, 2016 until February 12, 2017 at the Kunsthal in Rotterdam, Holland. Just two days before the exhibition opens, the photographer will be giving an exclusive masterclass for students.
A Stanford professor releasing his entire course for free. It sounds too good to be true, no? Fear not, for it has actually happened.
While most of the photography and videography world has been pining over the 5D Mark IV, Canon has released a second camera that promises a whole lot more. The C700 is the successor to the wonderful C500. It boasts some seriously impressive specs. But is it too late?
First launched in December 2013, the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD ultra-telephoto lens is now seeing its first update. The second generation (G2) lens will feature improvements to several areas including faster speed and better accuracy. Canon, Nikon, and Sony A mount versions of the lens start shipping September 28 at a cost of $1,399.
Chances are, if you're serious about this industry or have been doing your homework, you've heard about the importance of having color-accurate monitors in order to produce the best quality images possible. This point cannot be driven home hard enough: you can have all the correct techniques and execution, but if you're working on a monitor without a correct color calibration, your final image will not deliver the same impact as what you see on your monitor. The answer? A color calibration system.
Now admittedly, this particular device probably won't see much use in a commercial sense due to a few limiting factors. However, that being said, for those in need of fast moving aerial footage in the 1080p range, this may be worth checking out. The Parrot Disco is a fixed wing, single operator, first-person perspective flight drone that can record up to 32 GB of 1080p video on an internal storage system. It's able to reach speeds up to 80 km/h, a 2 kilometer range, and 45 minutes of flight time. This could be an interesting step forward in the direction of other high-speed aerial recording that won't require the use of full-size planes or helicopters.
Lomography, makers of fun film cameras and cool vintage lenses, has just launched a Kickstarter for their latest instant camera, the Lomo'Instant Automat. The Automat is the second generation of the Lomo'Instant camera and offers updates and improvements over the company's original instant camera that they successfully Kickstarted over two years ago.
Today Canon has revealed that they developed a new global shutter equipped CMOS sensor. This means moving objects will no longer be distorted as they were on the old rolling shutter style sensors. The new sensor also addresses the dynamic range issue that has affected previous sensors.
Double-check your focus on your photos, Instagrammers! The social platform has begun a slow rollout on its latest update: the ability to pinch and zoom on images. But is this update foreshadowing what's about to come?
Today the Sony Digital Imaging team announced their latest lens addition, the FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro for full-frame E-mount cameras. Shipping at the end of September, the new lightweight macro lens will offer a 1:1 reproduction and 6.3-inch minimum focusing distance. See all the specifications here as Fstoppers gets a first look at the FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro.
As most of us know, those who would like to fly for commercial use (any flying where the pilot will be paid) must now pass a test from the FAA and score 70% or over to fly legally. Now, I am a few days into studying for the test and realize that there is really a decent amount to know.
Today DJI is adding an upgrade to their Osmo handheld gimbal with the new Osmo Plus. The Osmo+ features a 3.5x optical zoom camera with an extra 2x digital lossless zoom (while shooting 1080p), which gives it a 22-77mm focal length. Now available for $649 on the DJI website, the Osmo+ is an $80 increase of price over the regular Osmo handheld gimbal.
Canon has announced what's probably the most anticipated camera in years: the 5D Mark IV. Chock full of improvements and some remarkable new features, it looks to be a worthy successor to the 5D Mark III. Along with it come two new lenses, the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM and the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM.
Due to be released in the fall of 2016, Wine Country Camera’s Filter Holder System is a smartly crafted piece of equipment that is seeking to go beyond anything else currently on the market. I never realized that filter holders could be so awesome until seeing what this could do.
Those of you who work with video will have heard the name Edelkrone passed around in regards to video and photography equipment, particularly in the compact market that's small in size, easily transportable, and reliable. Recently though they announced the release of their newest piece of gear they call, The Edelkrone Wing, marketed to achieve "perfect camera slides with no rails."
The FTC seems to be continuing its watchful eye on sponsored posts via social media as influencers and celebrities get paid to post about their favorite brands. So beware if you are one that is taking products or collaborating with a brand as an ambassador, or simply as a partner. As photographers, many of us bring on relationships with companies and camera brands without knowing the rules fully. Not disclosing these partnerships can result in fines from the FTC.
It's been going on for decades. Film chemicals that coat the film and react with the various colors coming through the lens weren't made to cope with a diverse set of skin tones.
The latest list of inductees to the 2016 class of the International Photography Hall of Fame reads like a who's who of top tier photographers and industry pioneers. Gracing the list are the likes of Annie Leibovitz, Sebastiao Salgado, Ken Burns, Tom and John Knoll, Ernst Haas, and Steve Jobs. Wait, what? Steve Jobs?
Announced today, Nikon has updated their popular entry-level D3xxx series of cameras with the new D3400. Highlights of the new DSLR include always-connected Bluetooth for automatic sharing with mobile devices, double the battery life of the previous D3300, and image quality that is a step up from mobile photography. The D3400 will come with a new Nikkor DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR kit lens and cost $646.95, with the option to also add on the new Nikkor DX 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED for a total of $996.95.
In September, Samyang will ship a new full-frame 14mm f/2.8 autofocus lens for Sony E-mount. The lens will have Ultra Multi Coating, be compatible with contrast and phase detect autofocusing, and be shorter in length than the non-AF version. With the popularity and image quality of their 14mm f/2.8 manual focus lens, this is a welcomed addition to their lineup.
Brevitē has announced two interesting bags, the Rolltop and the Rucksack. Designed to minimize the appearance of being a camera bag with expensive gear inside, they offer a great alternative if you're looking to be a bit more discreet or fashionable.
CheeringTech, the China-based company behind the original CASE Remote and CASE Remote Plus, are back again with another CASE Remote update and this time they're hoping to drastically improve performance while reducing the physical size of the unit. All this while offering the same features as the industry leader CamRanger. To achieve this, they're launching the CASE Remote Air.
Released today as a free upgrade for existing users, Astropad 2.0 brings major performance improvements and new features to the popular iPad-to-Mac graphics tablet app. Described as a “Wacom Cintiq alternative,” the app allows for a stylus-wielding iPad user to perform photo retouching in a way that many prefer over clicking with a mouse.
If you were impressed by Getty Images' table covered by high-end Canon DSLRs and lenses, then you should definitely check this out.
Today, Instagram announced a new feature rolling out over the next couple weeks called Instagram Stories. Appearing at the top of your home feed, you can now watch and create your own temporary stories that do not appear on your profile grid.
August has arrived, so it's vacation time for a bunch of fellow photographers out there. It's finally time to enjoy some well deserved rest while getting mentally (and financially) ready for Photokina 2016. We'll have to wait another month for the big stuff, in the meantime let's see what Nikon has prepared for your summer.
Have you ever wanted to go on an adventure with no vehicles, but still be able to carry and use your electronics right through the trip without having to worry about battery life? Soon, we'll be able to use the Rokpak Pioneer Series. It's a waterproof box that uses solar-charged batteries to charge your gear via USB and Micro-USB cables.
This Cinemagraph time-lapse was made using only 12 JPEG images. The software allows photographers to create motion within a static photograph. You need to upload each image to the website, and then you design the movement within each image. Once you get a moving image "flowing" you can render it out and import it into Adobe Premiere Pro to create the final time-lapse.
A team of researchers recently placed study participants in different situations such as a bus tour, a museum, or a simulation of a live event. Some participants were allowed to take photos, while others were not. The team consistently found that those who were allowed to take photos enjoyed the experience more and showed higher levels of engagement with the material.
If you had the opportunity to shoot a presidential nominee for a year knowing that the rest of your photography business would die, would you take it? Ray Reynolds of RAYzor’s Edge photography did. He’s been shooting Donald Trump for the past year after a fellow photographer invited him to shoot an event last August. Reynolds seems thrilled about the chance to shoot these historical campaign events, but laments “My photography business is dead... Nobody will use me for photography now.” Well that’s a shame for Ray, especially if Trump loses.
