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The post How to Achieve Great Black and White Photos in Editing appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nisha Ramroop. While every image has the potential to convert to black and white, it is no secret that some translate better. Whether you shoot in color (and convert) or shoot monochromatic, black and white photography is an art form from capture to post-processing. If you see black and white/monochromatic photography as a creative choice though, here are a few tips to consider to achieve great black and white photos. Before delving into some of the simpler ways to edit black and white images, three things to consider when capturing (and processing) are contrast, texture, and composition. Note: While the terms “black and white” and “monochrome” are used interchangeably they are not identical. Monochrome means a single color, so may contain a tint (of one color). True black and white imagery have no coloring at all, thus is essentially black, white and gray. 1. ContrastThinking with the end result of black and white in mind means thinking in contrasts. Thus look out for high contrast scenes when capturing your image. The interrelation between the light and dark areas allows you to create and emphasize shapes, edges, and forms. These include strong or interesting shadows and extremes between areas of brightness and shadow within your frame. 2. TextureWhen you choose monochrome, texture is that element that takes your image to the next level. It gives your image added dimension by providing a variance in the tonal range. Texture lends more realistic detail to your frame when it evokes a sense of touch. Some textures that work well in black and white images include dirt, stone, metals, and wood. Trees, water and aged skin also translate well. 3. CompositionOftentimes you may find it difficult to pre-visualize your scene without color. Your camera (DSLR or DSLM) most likely allows you the option of shooting both RAW and JPEG images simultaneously. By choosing the setting on your camera for black and white (also called monochrome), the images on your camera’s LCD will appear black and white, so you can revise your composition while shooting. In this scenario, you still maintain your color RAW file for processing later on, but can “see” what you will be working with. As you work more with black and white imagery, you start to see differently. When color is absent, the other compositional elements of the image become more important. Some of these include lines, shapes, framing, and perspective. One of the strongest compositional elements is leading lines that pull your eyes into the frame. Any line or elements that make up a line, that recedes towards the horizon is called a leading line. There are numerous examples of these and they include rivers, streets, coastlines, railway tracks, and even buildings. Sometimes when you convert an image to black and white, this compositional element becomes even stronger, which makes you reconsider your final crop or presentation of the image. Black and white editingWhen shooting color images to later convert to black and white, you have many options. The simplest is desaturating all the color and ending up with varying shades of gray. This is sometimes the ending point for high contrasts scenes as it may need nothing more. Do not be so quick to desaturate everything though! Depending on what you want to achieve, these captured color ranges can be used to your advantage. HSL (Hue, Saturation, Luminosity)The HSL Panel can be found in Adobe Lightroom and Camera Raw and comparable to using a Black and White Adjustment layer in Photoshop. It is widely used and thus highly probable to find these three adjustments in other editing software as well. These adjustments are worth learning and are not as daunting as they first appear. As the name implies, HSL adjusts the hue, saturation, and luminosity of the color in your image. There are individual color sliders for red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue and magenta. So why exactly is this a factor when the topic is black and white processing? With the HSL panel, when you convert to black and white, you still have access to the color information of the image. You are now able to adjust these using the sliders and can end up with a drastically different image. You can control how light or dark each color is and achieve greater separation in your tones. Tonal contrastWhere complementary and analogous colors bring the image to life in a color photo; in a black and white photo, tonal contrast can take that image to the next level. Unlike color photography, black and white has traditionally been a “contrasty” medium. Contrast is the difference between the light and dark areas in your image. Tonal contrast is the difference in the brightness (light intensity) among the various elements in an image. Thus in a black and white image, it is the difference in the range of white to gray to black. Tonal contrast is one of the main benefits of shooting black and white HDR (high dynamic range) images. HDR refers to the difference between the brightest and darkest areas of your image, thus it is only fitting that it will translate well as a black and white image. You can easily take control of your contrast though using the various tools available in your editing software. There are a number of sliders and tools to adjust contrast available in the more popular ones like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. In Lightroom, these include the contrast slider, which adjusts the global contrast of the image. There are also black and white specific sliders and the HSL panel above. In Photoshop, you can use either the Levels or Curves tool. ConclusionThe thought process of what will help you achieve great black and white photos, to capture and processing them is a great journey to take. Look for contrast and texture and try to visualize your end result. If you captured your image in color, you can maximize the color range for your black and white post-processing. Feel free to share some of your monochromatic takes below.
The post How to Achieve Great Black and White Photos in Editing appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nisha Ramroop. Photography via Digital Photography School https://ift.tt/29wB9CX July 26, 2019 at 07:44AM
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The successor to the Canon Cinema EOS C500 is expected this fall, and these are the rumored specifications that have been sent to us. Canon Cinema EOS C500 Mark II Specifications: (Rumored)
If these specifications are true, Canon is not yet moving to 8K video camera. Which means the 8K camera used at the Apple event back in June isn’t the C500 Mark II. Photography via Canon Rumors https://ift.tt/2v4dYqS July 26, 2019 at 06:30AM
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The post Canon to Announce the 90D or the EOS M5 Mark II Next Month appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey. August is bound to be an exciting month for Canon fans. Rumors indicate that either the Canon 90D or the Canon EOS M5 Mark II will be announced next month, though it is also possible that we’ll get an announcement for both. The Canon 90D would likely be the replacement for the Canon 80D, a mid-level Canon DSLR aimed at enthusiasts. The Canon EOS M5 Mark II, meanwhile, replaces the Canon EOS M5, an APS-C mirrorless camera. The Canon 80D debuted back in February of 2016, and a lot has changed since then in the camera world. For one, the 80D lacks 4K video, and Canon fans expect to see this featured in a new 90D. Recent speculation suggests that the 90D may also be the first Canon DSLR to contain in-body image stabilization (IBIS). Here are several rumored Canon 90D specifications:
Note the 30+ megapixel sensor, which will take Canon APS-C cameras to a new level. And the dual card slots point to this being a slightly higher-end body than the Canon 80D. The Canon 90D may not be replacing only the Canon 80D, however. Canon 7D Mark II fans have long awaited a 7D Mark III, but may have to settle with a Canon 80D/Canon 7D Mark II replacement hybrid, which will combine both APS-C camera lines into one. The Canon M5 Mark II, on the other hand, would be an upgraded APS-C mirrorless body. It’s rumored to have an electronic viewfinder like the Canon RP, and enhanced video capabilities, including 4K and high frame-rate slow motion. Note that the Canon EOS M6, another Canon APS-C mirrorless body, may also see a replacement announced sometime late next month. Now I’d like to ask you: Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.Let me know why in the comments! The post Canon to Announce the 90D or the EOS M5 Mark II Next Month appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey. Photography via Digital Photography School https://ift.tt/29wB9CX July 26, 2019 at 05:14AM
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I straight up didn’t know this one. Even if I did know it at one point, I sure didn’t recall it, and it’s awesome, and I did a video about it, with credit to CallMeBob — who knows a ton about Lightroom and often shares with us here on the blog, so thank you again “Bob” (or Lyle, or ya know, whomever). Bob for the win! (thanks, CallMeBob) Tons of news over on my daily blog todayLots of stuff to share over there. Here’s the link if you’ve got a sec. I finally got my shots from Tokyo postedHere’s that link – hope you can check them out. Have weekend everybody (I’m working on finishing up “I hate myself for loving you” by Joan Jett in my home studio this weekend). -Scott P.S. The Photoshop World Conference in Las Vegas is just about a month away. Tons and tons of Lightroom training classes at the conference. You should go. PhotoshopWorld.com The post Another Awesome Lightroom Shortcut (this one, from one of our readers) appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips. Photography via Lightroom Killer Tips https://ift.tt/2sh0aZ8 July 26, 2019 at 03:33AM
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New rumored specifications for the upcoming Canon EOS M6 Mark II have appeared in our inbox. It looks like the new EOS M bodies are being shown to select dealers ahead of the expected August 28, 2019 (unconfirmed date) announcement. Canon EOS M6 Mark II specifications (Rumored)
Keep in mind these specifications are unconfirmed, hence the [CR1] rating. We’ll update the rating once we have confirmation one way or another about the validity of these specifications. Photography via Canon Rumors https://ift.tt/2v4dYqS July 25, 2019 at 03:21PM
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Over the last month or so, there has been a lot of little hints sent our way about new Canon EOS R bodies. There won’t be a new EOS R body announced alongside the EOS 90D, EOS M5 Mark II and EOS M6 Mark II, but we should start hearing more soon after. We have been told on more than one occasion that the “pro” or “sports” EOS R body will definitely be in photographers hands ahead of next summer’s Olympics in Tokyo. Whether it’s for testing or as an available product is unknown at this time. There are some other hints that have come our way that we will share in the near future. Photography via Canon Rumors https://ift.tt/2v4dYqS July 25, 2019 at 08:39AM
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The post 5 Different Approaches to Photographing Wildlife appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint. Wildlife photography is a popular genre of photography that documents various forms of wildlife in their natural habitat. Seeing and photographing animals in the wild has to be one of the most awe-inspiring experiences imaginable. Nothing compares to sighting a lion running across the Serengeti plains of Africa or a bison family roaming the lands of Yellowstone in the USA. Photographing your pets or animals in zoos can also be just as rewarding. Whether you are new to this genre of photography or have had some practice, here are 5 different approaches to photographing wildlife: 1. Shoot from the vehicleWhen viewing and photographing animals in the wild you will want to keep a safe distance. They are wild for a reason and should not be approached. The best way to photograph them is generally from the comfort of your own vehicle. Encountering animals can be a wonderful thrill, and although there may be an urge to get out of your vehicle for a better look, it is better not to take the risk. You can’t predict the behavior of animals very easily, so it is always safer just to stay in your vehicle and avoid any potential conflict. Whether you have your own transport or are in a vehicle on a guided tour, they make great places to take pictures from. You can potentially position yourself nearer to the animals than if you were on foot and you can take pictures from a closer range compared with standing out in the open far away from the animal. Photographing animals from a closer vantage point, and from the safety of your own vehicle, enables the use of a wide-angle lens. This can help to give your images more variety and a different angle to those images generally shot with a telephoto lens. 2. Aim for the skiesAnother way to photograph wildlife is to keep an eye out for animals above you. Look upwards and aim for the skies. Photographing majestic birds in flight or circling above you are wonderful subjects to capture. The beauty of birds in motion can be mesmerizing, especially when the light catches their body and lights up their feathers and wings. With so many different species of birds around the world, photographing birds can be inspiring. Birds move swiftly so be sure to select a fast shutter speed to capture the action. 3. Get on their levelOne of the best options for photographing wildlife is to get on their level. To add interesting shots of animals, crouch down and get yourself on the same elevation as the animal. Whilst taking pictures from the same height as the animal may be more demanding in the wild, it can result in cute pictures of pets, especially if they are looking right back at you. 4. Shoot from an elevated viewWildlife can be notoriously challenging to photograph, and some wild animals, such as leopards, are renowned for being particularly elusive. Taking shots from an elevated view such as from a tower, the air or from a building can help to improve the sightings of these animals that may be hiding in the long grass. Also, if you are on higher ground, you are more likely to be at the same height as birds flying past you. Taking photos of birds is surprisingly addictive, and capturing them flying by can produce great results. 5. Shoot from an enclosureWhen photographing animals in captivity, you will likely have restrictions in terms of where you can take photographs from. For example, visiting zoos, an enclosure, viewing area, or platform are great places to shoot from to capture the animals inside. By practicing shooting animals in your neighborhood or at your local zoo, it will help you to improve your wildlife photography and become more comfortable when shooting in the wild. ConclusionPhotographing wildlife in their natural habitat can be a great photographic adventure for any aspiring photographer. Different ways to photograph wildlife include shooting from a vehicle, from the same height as the animal, from an elevated view, and an enclosure. Pointing your camera upwards is another great way to give a different perspective to taking pictures from inside your vehicle. On your next adventure outdoors, whether that is a walk in the countryside, a visit to your local zoo or a trip of a lifetime to see majestic wildlife, don’t forget to take your camera. Share your pictures with us below!
The post 5 Different Approaches to Photographing Wildlife appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jeremy Flint. Photography via Digital Photography School https://ift.tt/29wB9CX July 25, 2019 at 07:44AM
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The post 8 Micro Habits That Will Completely Change Your Photography in a Year appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey. Do you want to become a master photographer… …in only a year? That’s what this article is all about. Because in it, I’m going to give you 8 micro habits that will completely change your photography in a year. These micro habits are small adjustments in how you go about taking photos. They take very little effort. But if you make a real effort to follow them, you’ll be a photography master within a year. Sound good? Let’s get started. 1. Check your settings every time you turn on your cameraThis is such an easy way to improve your photos. And yet photographers always forget about it! All you have to do… …is check your camera settings before you begin a shoot. And make sure you have the settings you need for the current situation. Because here’s the thing: Every photography outing is different. And you absolutely do not want to find yourself using the same settings from shoot to shoot. That’s a recipe for disaster. But if you don’t check your camera before you start shooting, that’s exactly what will happen. Because you’ll forget about your previous settings, and you won’t realize that you’ve seriously messed up until halfway through a photo shoot. (How do I know? Because I used to do this all the time! Until I started checking my settings, that is.) So here’s what you do: Get in the habit of choosing new settings every time you turn on your camera. First, make sure you’re shooting in RAW, or RAW+JPEG. This is absolutely key. If you don’t do this, you’re sacrificing a ton of post-processing potential in your images. Fortunately, this can be a ‘set it and forget it’ feature, but it pays to be alert. Next, think about your camera mode. Do you want to shoot in Aperture Priority mode? Do you want to shoot in full Manual mode? This depends on your shooting situation, but Aperture Priority is a good go-to. Third, think about your ISO setting. It should sit at a default of around ISO 200, but feel free to raise it if the light is limited. Fourth, choose your metering mode. I recommend leaving your camera set to evaluative metering mode (also known as matrix or multi-segment metering, depending on the brand). Evaluative metering takes into account the entire scene and determines the best overall exposure. Finally, think about your focus mode. AF-S (One Shot) focusing is a good default because it locks focus when you press your shutter button halfway. Checking your camera settings is easy. It takes 60 seconds, tops. So you’ve just got to get in the habit of remembering to do it! 2. Check the surroundings before you take each photoYou’ve framed up your shot. Your finger is on the shutter button. You’re itching to capture a photo. But you wait. Why? Because if you want to make sure your photo is a stunner, then you must check the surroundings. In other words, you need to look all around the viewfinder, so you can be absolutely sure there are no distractions. Notice how clean this photo is; it’s a flower, a stem, and nothing else. That’s what you want. But if you don’t get in the habit of checking the whole scene before taking a photo, you’ll find that all sorts of distractions creep into the frame. You’ll get stray leaves, branches, and other elements around the edges. And you’ll get telephone poles, wires, and street signs sprouting out of your subject’s head. These things are so easy to miss if you’re not looking for them. You get so excited about your subject, so fixated on it, that you miss what’s going on in the surrounding area. Now, you don’t have to do a long check. It doesn’t have to take more than a couple of seconds. But just flick your eyes over the scene. And make sure there are absolutely no distractions. Then you can take your shot. 3. Only get out to shoot during the best lightOne of the easiest mistakes to make in photography? Shooting during bad light. In fact, bad light is probably the number one culprit of lackluster images. Because bad light can break a photo so easily. It can take a beautiful composition and make it into a muddy mess. That’s why you should get in the habit of shooting only during the best light. But what counts as the best light? It depends somewhat on your genre of photography. But it’s pretty hard to go wrong with golden-hour lighting. You find golden-hour light early and late in the day when the sun is low in the sky. The low sun casts a golden glow over the entire scene, giving you light that’s soft, warm, and just all-around beautiful. This photo was shot with classic golden-hour lighting: Golden hour is usually seen as the two hours after sunrise and the two hours before sunset. But there’s no hard-and-fast rule. Instead, just start shooting when the light becomes golden, and you’ll do just fine. Now, there are a few other types of light that are worth pursuing. First, just after sunset (and just before sunrise), you get something known as the blue hour, when the sun moves lower and lower over the horizon. This can be great for landscape photos, as long as you remember to bring your tripod! Second, cloudy light is good for bringing out colors. That’s why macro and flower photographers love clouds; it allows them to capture deeper, richer colors in their subjects. It took cloudy light to get these stunning red tones: Here’s the bottom line: If you can restrain yourself from shooting bad light, and get out to shoot during good light… …well, your photography will move to the next level, instantly. 4. Shoot every scene from 5 different anglesIt’s easy to get stuck in a creative rut. One where you approach a scene and shoot it head-on, without ever trying different angles. By doing this, you’re missing out on so many potential shots. So many possibilities for creativity! That’s where this micro habit comes in. Here’s how it works: When you approach a scene, go ahead and take the standard, head-on shot. This can sometimes look good, after all! But then get into unusual angles. Try finding a vantage point and shooting from overhead. Try getting down low down to the ground and shooting up. Move around your subject, taking care to capture at least five unique angles, every single time you do a shoot. And you’ll soon be taking unique photos everywhere you go. 5. Use the rule of thirds to begin every compositionThe rule of thirds is a basic composition guideline. It states that the best compositions put the main elements a third of the way into the frame, somewhere along these gridlines: In particular, you should try to put your main subject at the power points, which are the four intersection points on the grid. Here’s an example of a photo that uses the rule of thirds: I was careful to put the two flowers along the gridlines, and the overall shot came out looking well-balanced (which is exactly what you want!). Now, the rule of thirds isn’t a hard-and-fast law of composition. You can break the rule of thirds. And sometimes you can create truly unique photos by being willing to break the rule of thirds. But the rule of thirds is an excellent starting point for all of your compositions. So here’s what I recommend: Get in the habit of using the rule of thirds to start off your compositions. Think to yourself: How can I align elements of this photo with the rule of thirds gridlines? If you ultimately don’t use the rule of thirds for that photo, that’s okay. But if you at least consider the rule of thirds before breaking it, your compositions will improve fast. 6. Post-process all of your good photosHere’s the thing about photography: If you take photos, and you don’t do anything with them, they’ll look decent. But if you do even a bit of post-processing… Well, you can make them look amazing. Because a little post-processing can go a long way. Which is why I suggest that you post-process every single one of your good photos, even if you’d rather be out shooting. Now, you don’t actually have to do much to your photos. Take all of the photos from your recent shoot, and go through them quickly, selecting the ‘decent to good’ photos out of the mix. Then go through these and do a quick processing job. What should this entail? You should at least do two very basic things. First, you should adjust the contrast. Most photos can benefit from a significant contrast boost, so test it out on your photos to see how it looks. Second, you should adjust the colors. Lightroom has a slider called Vibrance, and it’s amazing. It simply increases the saturation of colors that aren’t yet saturated, so it’s sort of a ‘smart saturation’ option. And it’ll really make your colors pop! After this, you can go on to make other changes, do noise reduction and sharpening, etc. But you don’t have to. Just a bit of contrast and a bit of Vibrance can do a long way. 7. Take one image every day to increase your photography skillsDo you currently take one photo every day? For a long time, I didn’t. I went out once a week, took a series of photos, then went home. And then I decided to take photos every day for a month. By the time the month was up, I had resolved to continue to take photos every single day, no matter what – because it improved my photography so much. I started to see compositions where I previously saw none. I started to get a sense of the light that I had never had before. And this didn’t require any extra learning. It was just from being…aware. From keeping my photography brain awake. So I urge you: Start taking photos every day. Even if you can only take one photo, even if you can only take it with a smartphone, you should still do it. You’ll be amazed by how quickly your photography improves. 8. Look at beautiful photos every single dayHere’s the final micro habit that will drastically improve your photography: Look at beautiful photos. Every day. You see, the more you look at good photos, the more you develop your sense of color, composition, and lighting. You’ll start to notice the way other photographers use the rule of thirds. You’ll start to notice how photographers use contrasting colors to great effect. You’ll start to notice how different angles give different looks. And then you’ll start noticing how you can use these techniques in your own photography. Plus, in this day and age, it’s not difficult to look at stunning photos. You can subscribe to the Instagram feeds of great photographers. You can subscribe to high-quality Facebook groups. Or you can join the email lists of top photography websites (such as this one!). The key is to make sure you look at amazing photos every day, no matter what. 8 Micro Habits That Will Completely Change Your Photography in a Year: ConclusionNow that you know about these game-changing micro habits… …all that’s left is to start implementing them in your daily life so you can completely change your photography in a year. None of them are hard. They take a few minutes, at most. But look back in a year, and you’ll be so glad you started them. Also, if you found these micro habits useful, then you should check out our course, 31 Days to Become a Better Photographer. Registrations close on 31st July, so make sure you don’t delay! The course is full of useful tips and suggestions like the ones I’ve given here. And it’s guaranteed to improve your photography, fast. So if you’re looking to take your photography to the next level, the course is exactly what you need. View it here: 31 Days to Become a Better Photographer.
The post 8 Micro Habits That Will Completely Change Your Photography in a Year appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey. Photography via Digital Photography School https://ift.tt/29wB9CX July 25, 2019 at 05:14AM
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The post Real-World Review of the Olympus OMD-EM1X appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mark C Hughes. I recently picked up the Olympus OMD-EM1X (it was a few months ago). I’ve had a chance to use it a lot during this time. It’s an interesting beast of a camera, and have a bunch of observations that I thought would help provide some perspective on this new camera. I put the Olympus OMD-EM1X camera through its paces for this unscientific, but real-world, review. Full disclosure, I am not sponsored by Olympus, but I have been shooting with Olympus gear for several years now and have had several Olympus bodies (OMD EM1 Mark 1, EM1 Mark II and an EM5 Mark II). I also have a bunch of other gear (I shot some older Panasonic cameras I used before switching to Olympus), and prior to that, I was in the Canon system. While I still have all my lenses, the camera bodies are now getting long in the tooth. I really liked my Canon gear but found that it was just too heavy for me because I tend to like to travel. However, I have lens options, and full-frame cameras use significantly larger lenses for similar focal length when compared to Micro 4/3rds. Also, I tend to be a bit of a run-and-gun photographer, preferring to get to a position, compose my images, and move on. I don’t usually spend a great deal of time in one position, opting for more positions to work an image. Moreover, I don’t like having to pull out filters, switch lenses (if I can avoid it) or carry tripods (although I often have one with me somewhere). Lots of criticsWhen the EM1X first came out, some critics were pretty negative about this camera before even seeing it. That’s because it’s an expensive camera based around a slightly older micro 4/3s sensor (same as the EM1 Mark II). While the features are all professional-grade (i.e., insane weather sealing, exceptional in-body image stabilization, speed, and unique computational photographic features, all based upon a 20 MP sensor), some critics felt it is too small. Micro 4/3s sizeJust as a reminder for those unfamiliar with micro 4/3rd sensors, a micro 4/3rd sensor is a sensor with a crop factor of 2. This means the sensor only covers about a quarter of the area of a full-frame (same size as a 35mm negative) sensor. Years ago, full-frame sensors were incredibly difficult to produce, and most sensors were crop sensors of one form or another. Now with advancing technology, full-frame sensors are more readily available, although they generally found in camera bodies with substantial price tags. Costs vs. featuresAs an Olympus user, buying my own gear, I was a bit unsure of the cost (it is about $3,000 USD), which is about double the cost of the OMD EM1 Mark II ($1500 USD). Now I have both. I really liked my OMD EM1 Mark II, and it has been a workhorse for all my work. With very few complaints about it, the biggest thing I would like would be a bump in the continuous autofocus hit rate (it is already pretty good, but…). I think all photographers chase better focus, especially now with the incredible autofocus systems on most cameras. The continuous autofocus on the EM1 Mark II was a huge improvement over the EM1 Mark I. It made it much easier to shoot moving subjects, but still wasn’t great for tracking. In the new Olympus OMD-EM1X, on the surface, the other upgrades to the new body seemed more evolutionary than revolutionary (although I have since discovered that impression was not entirely correct). In addition, the sensor seemed to be the same in the EM1 Mark II, so what was worth so much more? After I purchased the Olympus OMD-EM1X, I immediately realized that some of the cost differences between the models (EM1 Mark II and EM1X) were a little misleading. That’s because the EM1X comes with an integrated battery grip (you can purchase a non-integrated battery grip separately for the EM1 Mark II for US$250), an extra battery charger at US$59 and an extra battery which goes for US$54. I have used the external battery grip (HLD-9) for my EM1 Mark II, and I’ve barely removed it since. This makes the overall cost difference a little less, but still, at about US$1,100 more, the 2 years newer EM1X is still the most expensive camera that Olympus sells. Beyond the cost, I was initially a little reluctant to jump on the EM1X because of the slightly unusual marketing messaging on this product. I am a professional photographer and need a solid, reliable camera that is quick to autofocus. Although this was clearly a premium model for the Olympus line and the most expensive camera they sell, Olympus seemed unwilling to state that it was their top model. They instead stated it had shared top billing with the Olympus EM1 Mark II. The EM1X seemed to be marketed only for wildlife and sports photography but is it more capable than just in those two areas? Another big feature of the camera is the weather sealing. According to the advertising, you can expose this camera to a rainstorm and it will continue to work. The real-world resultsIn addition to some travel photography to Nevada and Madeira, I also took the Olympus OMD-EM1X backcountry camping for a few days. While backcountry camping, it rained a great deal and I carried my EM1X for the entire time using a Peak Design capture clip on the outside of my backpack. I have also used the camera to photograph animals and some wildlife. The considerable differences are the weatherproofing, autofocus, in-body stabilization, field sensors, and some of the computational features. Weather resistanceIt is a bit of an understatement to say that it is a weatherproof camera. Lots of cameras claim to be weatherproofed, but in reality, you don’t want to get them wet. With the Olympus OMD-EM1X, I was genuinely unconcerned when shooting even in a torrential downpour (except for how it would affect my composition). I start focusing only on what I need to do to get the shot, not whether or not my camera will survive. When you try to access the memory cards or the battery, there is no doubt that this camera is built to withstand the weather. I live in Northern Canada, and I have used the EM1 Mark II and the EM1X in bitterly cold conditions with lots of snow, and I can attest that neither is a problem for this camera. While backcountry camping at Mount Robson in British Columbia, Canada, it rained most of the entire trip. At no time was I concerned about the EM1X, nor did I ever put it away to get it out of the rain. This was not a concern shared by others. There were lots of other photographers with other camera brands around, and all had some type of weather shielding for their cameras (camera bags and plastic bags) even while shooting. The biggest problem I encountered was trying to keep water off the front of the lens so I could take my images without big water drops in the image. The EM1X got very wet but never showed any adverse consequences of the water. I never quite felt that confident with my EM1 Mark II, because of the battery grip attachment. FeelThe EM1X is very solid, kind of like a tank. It feels great in hand, and it has key buttons in great locations. Unlike the EM1 Mark II that felt like the battery grip was always a little loose, the integrated battery grip significantly improves the overall ergonomics. In addition, by having both batteries in the same compartment, changing them out is trivial. With the EM1 Mark II, if one or both batteries depleted, getting the battery out of the main body required removal of the battery grip to get at the second battery compartment. The use of locks for the battery grip and memory card slots give the EM1X a solid feel too. New button layoutThe new button layout has a real sense of purpose. With some cameras, it almost seems the designers couldn’t figure out where to put particular buttons, so they just put them anywhere. In this case, button placement is deliberate. The majority of buttons sit in the same position, regardless of whether the camera is in portrait or landscape orientation. This means there are two buttons for most functions. I used back-button focus for many years on different cameras, and its placement has much improved for Olympus. The addition of the two-track pointers (both landscape and portrait) allow you to fine-tune your autofocus position while shooting. Autofocus improvementsContinuous tracking is significantly better than the EM1 Mark II (firmware 2.3) with an ability to lock into a subject and stay on them even in a crowd. I was shooting my son’s lacrosse game and was amazed at how well the tracking held. I know there are other makes of cameras with good tracking, but this one definitely ranks up there with the elite. It uses both phase and contrast detection and is super fast. In-body image stabilizationIt is claimed that the in-body image stabilization (IBIS) is up to 7.5 stops when used in combination with a stabilized lens. Most Olympus lenses don’t have stabilization; instead, they rely on in-camera stabilization. This means you can shoot handheld at times up to about 4-6 seconds and still get sharp photos. Coming from Canon DSLRs that use only optical stabilization (same as Nikon), you need to pay attention to your shutter speed because of camera shake. This becomes a significant issue with higher megapixel images as the greater detail in the images means that camera shake is highly visible. The Olympus OMD-EM1X mostly eliminates this, and you can really use it to your advantage. It is difficult to convey to someone how big a deal this is in practical shooting, particularly if you don’t have a tripod. It means you can leave your tripod behind (more often than you probably already do). Field sensorsThe field sensors provide a built-in GPS with all kinds of information about where you took the image. This includes altitude, temperature, and elevation. The information is baked into the metadata for the images so that it is there. Prior Olympus cameras, in general, required communication with an app on your mobile phone to get this kind of data. This allows you to track the location of your images in applications such as Adobe Lightroom. One word of caution, there are two options with how the field sensors activate. You can drain your battery quite fast (even if you are not using the camera) if you don’t use the battery conservation option. In practical terms, it means that if you use the battery saver mode, you need to turn on the camera for a little while for the GPS to get the location. If you are too quick, it will be missing the GPS location data. In real-world terms, when I was backcountry camping, the field sensors also showed elevation change and temperature. High-Resolution ModeFor some time, Olympus has had a sensor-shift/high-resolution mode, where the camera takes a series of images to create a high-resolution image. It does so by moving the sensor 1/2 a pixel in each direction a total of eight times. This feature is not new and has been available on Olympus cameras for a few years. It is also not the only camera manufacturer (there are only a few) that do this (implemented differently), but all require the use of a tripod. On the Olympus EM1 Mark II, the resulting image is an 80 MP raw image. The EM1X has this same ability to do high-resolution images with a tripod and introduces the ability to do a high-resolution mode while handheld. To do this, the EM1X takes 16 images and combines them for a slightly smaller, but still high-resolution image (50 MP versus 80 MP). The handheld, high-resolution mode works remarkably well. The biggest problem for all of these implementations are moving subjects in the field of view. However, the high-resolution images still turn out quite well, with a noticeable bump in resolution. Simulated ND FilterThe EM1X has an ND mode, where you can simulate long exposure photography without the use of an ND filter. This allows you to take daytime images of waterfalls, handheld, and without an ND filter. The results are pretty good. However, there are limits as to how it works, but the results are worth the effort. In the end, you can achieve this using an actual ND filter – the results are similar. The ND Filter works well if you are a run-and-gun photographer. Compact and customizableIf you look at the history of Olympus, you will realize that this is a company that has built its reputation on photographic cameras based on concepts of compact but capable cameras, with a significant emphasis on “compact” (this is not new). This has always been the case and has been part of the brand for the past 100 years. More recently, Olympus has focused on digital cameras that are very well built, with great optics, incredibly customizable and with a compact form factor. I also think that Olympus regularly tries to push the leading edge of features that surround the sensor. Things like in-body image stabilization, pixel shift high-resolution mode, and other computational features. Beyond the new tricks, how about the old tricks?The Olympus OMD-EM1X is heavier, but not by a huge amount. The ergonomics are great, and the Micro 4/3rd lens selection is fantastic (Olympus and Panasonic). The image quality has never really been an issue for me and my work. Olympus and Panasonic both make very fast lenses, and if you are looking for shallow depth of field, they have lenses that provide great bokeh. On the downside, the EM1X is not a discrete street photographer type of camera. It is big, pronounced, and screams serious image-taking. There are many smaller bodies for Micro 4/3rds, but this camera delivers big overall. I am a fan and am convinced. Without diving into the rabbit hole of full-frame versus crop-sensor debate (there are lots out there), when you consider image size and resolution, you can use most modern cameras micro 4/3rd’s and up for most genres of photography. In reality, unless you are printing very large (10 feet wide), cropping like mad or need crazy shallow depth of field, sensor size is for pixel peepers to worry about, not the average photographer. You can even use micro 4/3rds for astrophotography, but you really have to work at it. For those who want to argue the benefits of full-frame sensors over micro 4/3rds, you could argue that the current gold standard is no longer any full-frame camera. Instead, it’s something more like the Fujifilm GFX 100 – a mirrorless medium-format 100 MP camera. These have many of the features of full-frame cameras, including weather sealing, in-body image stabilization, and dual memory card slots. The verdict?This camera does certain things particularly well. If you are serious about your images, want to travel light, go into locations with harsh weather conditions and want to limit the use of additional gear (tripods and filters), this is the camera for you. Most modern cameras can take great images in the right hands. The differences become features and suitability to the task. Based on my real-world experiences, for most photographic imaging, the Olympus OMD-EM1X is up for it. It can do things other cameras can’t including durable weather sealing, handheld, high-resolution mode, ND filter simulation, very fast shooting (60fps without autofocus and 18fps with continuous autofocus) and crazy in-body image stabilization. The post Real-World Review of the Olympus OMD-EM1X appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mark C Hughes. Photography via Digital Photography School https://ift.tt/29wB9CX July 24, 2019 at 07:44AM
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WIth Canon expected to announce new products on or around August 28, 2019, things have started to leak, true or not. We have received our first mention of new EOS M bodies for the first time in a long time. Canon EOS M5 Mark II & Canon EOS M6 Mark II:
What will differentiate the models is unknown at the time, as you know, the EOS M5 had an EVF and the EOS M6 did not. If this rumor is true, then both cameras will be getting an EVF. More to come… Photography via Canon Rumors https://ift.tt/2v4dYqS July 24, 2019 at 07:16AM |
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