Nikon released their Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8 lens. The development of this lens was announced back in June. The “Special Edition” (SE) of this lens already exists (still out of stock at Adorama and B&H). Shipping will start on December 10. Additional information on the new lens can be found here. Here are the pre-order links:
Additional pictures:
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The 10% off coupon code PHOTORUMORS for Capture One products is expiring tomorrow – this is the last chance to use it.
For a complete list of all Capture One products and licensing options click here. A 30-day fully-featured free trial of Capture One 21 is available here. Capture One learning videos can be found here.
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ON1 published new sneak peeks of their upcoming functionality that will be included for free in the next version of ON1 Photo RAW 2022:
A Sneak Peek at Advanced Search:
A Sneak Peek at the Liquify Tool:
The post ON1 Photo RAW 2022 sneak peeks appeared first on Photo Rumors.
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Black Friday is a week from today and many companies already got their deals online:
Venus Optics Laowa direct Black Friday deals
Free card reader with Lexar CFExpress memory card purchase.
Lighting deals at Adorama
Lighting deals at B&H
WANDRD camera bags Black Friday sale
Funleader Black Friday sale. You can also get an additional 5% off at Funleader with coupon code LEICARUMORS (valid also for the new Contax Zeiss Planar T* 45mm f/2 G lens conversion for Leica M-mount).
New Olympus savings at Adorama, Amazon, B&H Photo.
Vi Vante sheetline rope camera strap sale (42% off).
$60 off Topaz Labs Image Quality Bundle $100 off Topaz Labs Video Enhance AI 15% off Topaz Labs products with code RUMORS15 $10 off Skylum products with code PHOTORUMORS
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The COVID-19 pandemic has touched nearly every aspect of daily life across the globe. While there’s no denying the hardships endured and losses felt by nearly everyone on this planet throughout the past two tumultuous years, Hamish Gill, founder of 35mmc, wanted to showcase the work of film photographers who have continued to create throughout the global pandemic. What he and his collaborator, Holly Gillman, came up with is Photography through the Pandemic, a book that showcases the images and words of 49 different photographers from across the world who were inspired to create over the past year-and-a-half.
Gill says Photography through the Pandemic is a look into ’the myriad ways that the Pandemic has affected photographers from all around the world and from all different backgrounds.’ But it’s about more than just photography. Gill says the book ‘is about shared experience; the different ways we as humans respond to crises, and how we learn to cope as individuals.' He also says it's 'about the power of creativity as a coping mechanism and can even be seen as an important document that – through words and pictures – captures a moment in human history that won’t, or at very least shouldn’t, be forgotten for decades to come.’
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The photographs and words within the book come from a diverse range of artists from around the world, representing different cultures, races, genders and backgrounds. And as diverse as these individuals’ experiences are, Gill says everyone who contributed to the book ‘is connected by their response as a human being, as well as a shared passion for film photography and alternative photographic processes.’
While the book has been a special project for Gill and his collaborators, it took on an even more profound meaning following the saw news that John Whitemore, a respected member of the film photography world who went by the name ‘TheDarkShed’ across social media, had passed away. To honor Whitemore and his contributions to the film photography community, Gill has dedicated this book to John. He will be the 50th contributor to the book and all profits from the book will be split between charities Whitemore supported in life and a trust fund for his young daughter, Harriet.
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Photography through the Pandemic is currently being funded on Kickstarter, where it has surpassed roughly 70% of its $16,000 goal via pledges from more than 190 backers. There are 36 days to go in the campaign and a pledge of £25 / $35, plus shipping, will get you a single copy of the book. The first books are expected to be delivered by February 2022.
To read more about the Kickstarter, head on over to the Photography through the Pandemic campaign. If you have any questions about the book or campaign, you're free to ask questions on the FAQ page. You can also read more about the work and life of John Whitemore on this campaign update post.
About Film Fridays: We've launched an analog forum and in a continuing effort to promote the fun of the medium, we'll be sharing film-related content on Fridays, including articles from our friends at 35mmc and KosmoFoto.
Note/disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project before backing it. Pledges to crowdfunding campaigns are not pre-orders. DPReview does not have a relationship with this, or any such campaign, and we publicize only projects that appear legitimate, and which we consider will be of genuine interest to our readers. You can read more about the safeguards Kickstarter has in place on its ‘Trust & Safety’ page.
Canon USA has announced that the company will provide technical assistance to Project Dragonfly, an international research team from Yale University and the University of Toronto, in its plan to expand the Dragonfly Telephoto Array.
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The Dragonfly Telephoto Array is a telescope concept designed to capture images of extremely faint structures in the night sky. It is believed that the structures offer insight into the distribution and nature of dark matter.
Canon USA will provide the team with 120 Canon EF 400mm F2.8L IS II USM large-aperture super-telephoto lenses. Canon Inc. will also provide technical assistance. The telephoto array currently consists of 48 Canon EF 40mm F2.8L IS II USM lenses given to the team in 2013 and 2015. The lenses are arranged in two clusters of 24. The additional 120 primes will significantly enhance the array's capabilities.
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| Canon EF 400mm F2.8L IS II USM |
Per Canon, the 168 lenses will create a telescope array with 'light-gathering capability equivalent to that of a refracting telescope of 1.8m in diameter with a focal length of only 40 cm.' It will be interesting to see what the team can discover with the larger telescope array and improved capabilities. In 2016, the team discovered the ultra-diffuse galaxy Dragonfly 44. In 2018, they identified a galaxy that lacks dark matter, NGC 1052-DF2.
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| Dragonfly Telephoto Array installed in New Mexico - Image by Pieter van Dokkum, Yale University |
Canon adds, 'Canon is committed to contributing to the development of science and technology by leveraging the technological strengths it has cultivated as a leading imaging company.'
'The Dragonfly Telephoto Array is the pre-eminent survey telescope for finding faint, diffuse objects in the night sky. It has enabled us to discover ultra-diffuse galaxies and other low-surface brightness phenomena—rendering images that deepen our understanding of how galaxies are formed and providing key insights into the nature of dark matter. The initial array was equipped with 48 Canon EF 400mm telephoto lenses featuring anti-reflection coatings that mitigate the effects of light scattering, overcoming the limitations of conventional telescopes in detecting faint structures. The lenses are coupled to monolithic wide-field detectors that permit excellent error control,' said Professor Pieter van Dokkum of Yale University.
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| Photo taken with the Dragonfly Telephoto Array. The moon is shown for scale - Image by Pieter van Dokkum, Yale University |
Van Dokkum continues, 'With the addition of 120 of these lenses, in a newly developed configuration allowing extremely narrow filters to be used, Dragonfly will be the most powerful wide-field spectroscopic line mapping machine in existence. A major goal of the next iteration of the Dragonfly array is to detect and study the faint gas thought to exist around and between galaxies. By opening this new window on the cosmos, Dragonfly will tackle some of the most critical questions in astrophysics today.'
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This past September, we covered the finalists for the 2021 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards competition. Now, the winners have been announced. Over 7,000 images were submitted from around the world. Amateur photographer Ken Jensen was awarded Overall Winner for his image of a golden silk monkey looking like he's in pain, when he's really showing aggression.
'I was absolutely overwhelmed to learn that my entry had won, especially when there were quite a number of wonderful photos entered. The publicity that my image has received over the last few months has been incredible, it is such a great feeling to know that one’s image is making people smile globally as well as helping to support some fantastically worthwhile conservation causes,' says Jensen of his win.
The competition, which if free to enter, donated 10% of its revenue to the Save Wild Orangutans cause. More information, and a gallery the winning images, can be found on the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards site.
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Animal/Location: Golden Silk Monkey, China
About this Image: A golden silk monkey in Yunnan China - this is actually a show of aggression however in the position that the monkey is in it looks quite painful!
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Animal/Location: Bald Eagle, Longmont, USA
About this Image: When this Bald Eagle missed on its attempt to grab this prairie dog, the prairie dog jumped towards the eagle and startled it long enough to escape to a nearby burrow. A real David vs Goliath story!
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Animal/Location: Pigeon, Oban, Argyll, Scotland
About this Image: I was taking pics of pigeons in flight when this leaf landed on the bird's face.
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Animal/Location: Smooth-coated otter, Singapore
About this Image: A smooth-coated otter "bit" its baby otter to bring it back to and fro for swimming lesson.
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Animal/Location: Pigeon, Oban, Argyll, Scotland
About this Image: I was taking pics of pigeons in flight when this leaf landed on the bird's face.
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Animal/Location: Elephant, Matusadona Park, Zimbabwe
About this Image: An elephant expresses his joy in taking a mud bath against the dead trees on the shores of Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe on a hot afternoon.
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Animal/Location: Brown Bear Cubs, Kamchatka Peninsula, Far East Russia
About this Image: Two Kamchatka bear cubs square up for a celebratory play fight having successfully navigated a raging torrent (small stream!)
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Animal/Location: Mudskipper, Taiwan
About this Image: No description supplied.
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Animal/Location: Bald Eagle, South west Florida, USA
About this Image: Bald Eagles will use the same nest for years, even decades, adding new material to it at the beginning and throughout the nesting season. Normally, they are highly skilled at snapping branches off of trees while in flight. Possibly tired from working nonstop all morning on a new nest, this particular Bald Eagle wasn't showing its best form. Yes, sometimes they miss. Although this looks painful, and it might very well be, the eagle recovers with just a few sweeping wing strokes, and choses to rest a bit before making another lumber run.
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Animal/Location: Raccoon, Kassel, Germany
About this Image: The little raccoon cups are telling secrets to each other.
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Animal/Location: Kangaroo, Perth, Western Australia
About this Image: Two Western Grey Kangaroos were fighting and one missed kicking him in the stomach.
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Animal/Location: Raccoon, France
About this Image: This raccoon spends his time trying to get into houses out of curiosity and perhaps also to steal food.
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Animal/Location: Brown Bear, Hargita Mountains, Romania
About this Image: A young bear descending from a tree looks like he/she is playing hide and seek.
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Animal/Location: Spermophile, Hungary
About this Image: I spent my days in my usual 'gopher place' and yet again, these funny little animals haven't belied their true nature.
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Mick Rock, a British photographer known for capturing some of the most iconic photographs of rock stars and rock bands throughout the 70s, passed away today at the age of 72. ‘It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share our beloved psychedelic renegade Mick Rock has made the Jungian journey to the other side,’ reads a statement shared to Rock’s official social media accounts.
When we look back through history, particularly music history, we often do so in decade-long increments, referring to the different sounds as ‘the 60s’ or ‘the 90s.’ Visually, these decades are remembered through the iconic images captured by hundreds of photographers from around the globe. But in the case of the 70s, there’s an argument to be made that one photographer in particular is responsible for a vast majority of the photographs the world visualizes when they think of musical acts in the 70s — Michael Rock.
Photo: Nathalie Rock pic.twitter.com/I50ofDuO0r
— Mick Rock (@TheRealMickRock) November 19, 2021
Defined as ‘The Man Who Shot the Seventies,’ by BBC News in a 2003 interview, Rock is most known for his iconic images of 70s rock stars, including David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Queen, Blondie, Lou Reed (of Velvet Underground), Syd Barrett (founder of Pink Floyd) and so many more.
Rock was Bowie’s official photographer throughout the early 70s and helped to catapult the singer into the spotlight when he captured a single, controversial image (potentially NSFW) in which Bowie was replicating a sex act on the guitar of Mick Ronson on stage while performing Suffragette City at the Oxford Town Hall in June 1972. That image, which Rock defined as ‘outrageous,’ in the BBC News interview, ‘was the beginning of all the lunacy,’ according to Rock. Despite that image and Rock’s future work that helped propel Bowie and his Ziggy Stardust alter ego into the spotlight, Rock never took credit for the role he played. ’I was good at synthesizing and capturing what he [Bowie] was doing. I helped him with the propaganda, but the image and style of Ziggy Stardust was entirely David,’ Rock told BBC News.
In addition to the live performance and portraits Rock captured of 70s music stars, he also photographed images used for some of the most iconic album covers of the 70s and served as the chief photographer on a number of films and music videos, including The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus, Space Oddity, Life on Mars and many more.
Throughout the remainder of his 30-year career, Rocks’ subjects spanned genres and generations, capturing images of Joan Jett, Bob Marley, Mötley Crüe, Queens of the Stone Age, Daft Punk, The Misfits, Snow Patrol, Black Keys, Hall & Oates, Nas, Jane’s Addiction, Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Richard Barone, Miley Cyrus, Michael Bublé and dozens of others.
‘The stars seemed to effortlessly align for Mick when he was behind the camera; feeding off of the unique charisma of his subjects electrified and energized him,’ reads the statement posted across social media. ‘His intent always intense. His focus always total. A man fascinated with image, he absorbed visual beings through his lens and immersed himself in their art, thus creating some of the most magnificent photographs rock music has ever seen. To know Mick was to love him. He was a mythical creature; the likes of which we shall never experience again.’
Ted Forbes, known as The Art of Photography on YouTube, published a 25-minute interview he had with Mick back in 2015. It’s a fantastic, raw look into the work and life of a man who defined an era and well worth a watch, regardless of whether or not you’re familiar with Rock’s work.
No cause of death was provided in the announcement and it is asked that 'the privacy of his nearest and dearest be respected at this time.' As for remembering the legend, the announcement says 'Let us not mourn the loss, but instead celebrate the fabulous life and extraordinary career of Michael David Rock.' To that end, Rock In Peace, Mick.
The new Leitz Elsie full-frame cine prime lenses are now available
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Chris and Jordan have been testing a full production EOS R3 and pushing it to the limits: high ISO tests, dynamic range, eye-controlled AF, flash photography and more!
You may recall that in their EOS R3 first impressions review with a pre-production Canon R3, Jordan experienced a couple of overheat warnings. Watch to find out how the production camera performed.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
If you had a new Canon EOS R3 what would you shoot first? Penguins, apparently. Along with dinosaurs, oversized kangaroos and wolves. Because #artists. Check out Chris and Jordan's EOS R3 sample gallery and let us know what you think of the image quality.
Did you miss their review? If so, you can watch it here.
The new TTartisan 28mm f/5.6 lens for Leica M-mount is now available for pre-order at the Photo Rumors Online Store (free international shipping included in the price):
Note that the TTartisan 28mm f/5.6 lens is not yet listed for sale in other retailers:
Additional information on the new TTartisan 28mm f/5.6 lens for Leica M-mount:
Additional pictures of the TTartisan 28mm f/5.6 lens:
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Each autumn since 2015, Exposure Software has released a major update to its eponymously-named flagship photo editing and organization software. Affordably priced and packed to the rafters with features, the Exposure X-series has built a loyal following among photographers looking for a subscription-free rival to the likes of Adobe's Lightroom Classic.
And 2021 didn't buck the trend, as Exposure X7 made its debut in late September. Given that we've published an in-depth review of each new version since the launch of 2017's Exposure X3, clearly it's time we give this latest iteration a spin! As usual we'll predominantly focus on what's new in the last release in the interests of keeping things to a readable length.
Key takeaways:
Available immediately, Exposure X7 can be purchased from Exposure Software for $129, the exact same price as that of the previous version. A free 30-day trial version can be obtained here. Those who purchased Exposure X6 after July 15, 2021 can upgrade for free, while earlier adopters can upgrade for $89.
An Exposure X7 bundle including Exposure Software's Blow Up and Snap Art tools is also available, priced at $149. Customers who already own either Blow Up 3 or Snap Art 4 can purchase the overall bundle for $99.
Although at first glance it appears very similar to its predecessor visually, Exposure X7 nevertheless brings with it a slew of new and updated features. Perhaps the most significant of these for my money is its support for multiple, customizable workspaces.
Out of the box, there are three preconfigured workspaces in addition to the default, which includes all of the available tools at once. These are the Culling, Editing and Retouching workspaces, and each reduces down the selection of tools on offer to just those relevant to the task at hand.
For example, in the Culling workspace the left-hand toolbar offers a navigator, histogram display and folder selector, while the right-hand toolbar offers only the most basic image editing tools and a metadata display from which you can also perform tagging and keywording.
Controls for flagging, rating, color-coding and rotating images appear atop the screen in both the thumbnail and single-image views, and filtering tools appear beneath the thumbnail view. You can also quickly access cropping, spot healing and masking tools atop the right toolbar, but by default the panels for these are hidden.
The other workspaces similarly pare back the tool choices to include only what's relevant, and if you don't like them or want to add your own, you can edit existing ones and create as many new workspace presets as you like. You can control not only which tools to include but also which toolbars they should appear in and in what order.
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| Exposure X7 now allows you to customize its user interface to your heart's content, setting up multiple different workspaces with only the controls relevant to specific workflow tasks. |
The workspaces also remember the visibility and scaling of each toolbar for you, and you can even choose whether you want a secondary display to be enabled for a given workspace or not, and if so on which display(s) individual toolbars should appear. Presets can also be exported and imported, letting you back them up or synchronize them between machines.
All of this definitely helps to reduce the amount of scrolling needed to navigate Exposure X7's non-modal interface, which was one of my key concerns with prior releases.
One other user interface change of note can be found in Exposure X7's tool for cropping and transforming your images. In the previous release, there were separate panels for each task, and the way they interacted was somewhat confusing. For example, the crop tool included an angle slider with which to rotate images which seemed to achieve the same task as the transform tool's rotate slider, yet the pair weren't linked to each other.
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| Cropping and transformation is more logical in Exposure X7, and also gives access to a wide range of handy overlays to help with composition and rotation adjustments. |
Now, tools for cropping, rotation and other transformations all share a single unified panel, and the result feels rather more logical. It also includes a new composition guide selector which allows you to choose not only a grid with which to help align horizontal or vertical elements in your image, but also options like rule of thirds, golden spiral, golden triangle and other overlays.
Another big change in Exposure X7 is the addition of a new polygonal selection tool that is at once both quite easy to use, and yet extremely powerful.
A few mouse clicks are all that's needed to draw a line approximating the outer periphery of your chosen subject. Once you're done you can adjust the base width – that is, the distance either side of your outline that the algorithm will roam in its quest to find a boundary in the image – by dragging a slider. The outline and base width area are represented by a blue border overlaid on the image itself.
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| Exposure X7's polygonal selection tool lets you vary its width not just overall, but also on a point-by-point basis. This lets you narrow the selection in troublesome areas of your subject while minimizing the number of points needed for an accurate selection elsewhere. |
Where it gets powerful, though, is that you can not only adjust the overall base width, but also the relative width for individual points in your polygonal selection. This lets you constrain the algorithm to a relatively narrow area in places where the subject and background are too similar for the algorithm to separate, while allowing it more freedom to expand or contract the selection elsewhere without needing to carefully outline the shape.
Once you've closed the polygon, you can add further polygons that include or exclude additional areas of the image as necessary, and you can also select an existing polygon and add more points to it if needed for a more precise selection. You can also drop or paint in marker points that indicate specific subject areas to include or exclude from the selection.
By holding down the Alt key while drawing polygons, you can switch from drawing a point-to-point outline to a more precise hand-drawn outline instead. You can mix and match the two approaches for a single polygon, too, dropping down a scattering of points that make up the bulk of your selection but hand-drawing the outline for the more difficult to discern areas.
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| Once you move your mouse pointer off the image the blue border indicating the polygonal selection and its component points vanishes, letting you see just the resulting mask. |
I found this last option particularly handy when using a pen or touch screen, both of which are well-supported throughout Exposure X7, but there are a couple of drawbacks to note with these hand-drawn outlines.
Firstly, since there aren't individual points making up this hand-drawn selection, you only get a single control point at each of its ends, and so don't have as much control over relative width along the hand-drawn area as you would if you'd tediously laid it out point by point.
A bigger concern, though, is that I found that liberal use of hand-drawn outlines can quickly lead to performance issues for the base width slider and the polygon selection dropdown. For example, in the image of the statue below, I outlined the entire horse with a single hand-drawn outline, then added two more exclusion outlines to cut out the areas inside the front legs and curled tail.
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| Although it supports hand-drawing of outlines with a mouse, pen or touch screen, Exposure X7's base width slider quickly becomes unresponsive if you use this function too liberally. |
With these three polygons drawn, the base width slider would take several seconds to respond to adjustments, making it very difficult to use, and switching between polygons would likewise take two or three seconds. And that's on a relatively recent 2018-vintage Dell XPS 15 9570 laptop running Windows 10 version 20H2 with GPU-based processing enabled for its Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q graphics chipset.
One other issue that I discovered is that the visual representation of the mask that is shown can prove less than completely accurate unless you're fully zoomed in on your image. If you look at the masked image of my son a little further up this section, you'll see a section of his left shoulder appears not to be included in the mask.
Yet zooming in to a 1:1 view below, we see that the mask looks quite different. There are still a few pixels that are mysteriously shown as excluded from the mask, but nothing like the large area that appears unmasked when viewing the full image onscreen.
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| The mask preview is more accurate when viewed at 1:1 scale than it is when viewing the full image. In this 1:1 crop, you can see my son's left shoulder is almost entirely selected, but in the earlier screenshot of the overall image, a large portion of that shoulder appears to be excluded. |
Exposure Software has also revisited its noise reduction, which got a big overhaul in the previous X6 release. Exposure X7 brings both a new defective pixel removal function and a fine texture noise tool that aims to recover some of the finer detail lost to more aggressive noise reduction settings.
The hot pixel removal tool couldn't be much easier to use, consisting of a single slider. I found it to be quite effective at locating and removing stuck pixels that can be common in long exposure or higher ISO images.
The 'Add Fine Texture' tool meanwhile has two sliders, one apiece for strength and radius. It does a fair job of bringing back just the finer-grained noise in the source image without the more mottled and distracting coarser-grained noise, and gives you a good level of control over where the cutoff should lie between what's squashed and what's allowed to remain.
As you increase the strength slider, the noise levels in the image obviously increase as well, but so too does the perception of crispness. There's not really any more detail visible in the final image, but the presence of the finer-grained noise helps to give that perception and to make the image seem more natural than was possible with Exposure X6.
With that said, I still don't think Exposure's noise reduction algorithms are quite as good as those of Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop Lightroom. And as for class leader DxO and its DeepPRIME algorithms as featured in PhotoLab and PureRaw, it's just not in the same ballpark.
Although in fairness, it also operates far more quickly than does DeepPRIME. DxO's much-vaunted noise processing tech achieves its stellar results by throwing a lot more processor power at the problem and so can easily take 30 seconds to process each image.
One last change which is rather more esoteric and likely beyond the needs of many users is an improvement to color reproduction when using custom DCP color profiles, support for which was added in Exposure X5.
Given that the scope of this change seems to vary from camera to camera, I'm not including samples here as your mileage will vary depending upon your gear. Suffice it to say that if you like to profile your own cameras, you should now find results to be better than with previous versions, however.
Although Exposure Software didn't call out performance improvements in its new release, I made sure to compare it side-by-side with the previous version on identical hardware, as it's an area where changes often slip by under the radar.
The good news is that despite the new features, I found no reduction in performance versus the previous version. Nor was it any faster though, turning in identical times both for startup and batch processing right down to the tenth of a second on my 2018-vintage Dell XPS 15 9570 laptop running Windows 10 version 20H2. The user interface felt about equally responsive, as well.
Exposure X7 and ACR auto adjustments compared
As compared to its main Adobe rival, initial startup is quite a bit slower, something that's made more noticeable by the fact that Adobe displays a splash screen during loading and also begins to render the program UI behind it long before it's actually ready to start. Lightroom Classic's splash screen appears around the four-second mark and it's finally ready to use after about 14 seconds on my hardware, whereas Exposure X6 and X7 both take right around 24 seconds to start, and don't first start to display their UI until about 1-2 seconds before they're done.
But once it's running, Exposure X7's UI feels about on par with Adobe's for responsiveness when scrolling through thumbnails. While Adobe has a slight edge on the speed with which it previews image adjustments, Exposure was only slightly behind in this respect.
And I found that Exposure, like its predecessor, was noticeably faster at rendering its final output than was Lightroom, managing a random 714MB selection of 25 images from five different camera models in just 61 seconds, as compared to around 86 seconds for Lightroom when set to a similar output compression level.
As I said in my review of the previous version, I find myself quite impressed by Exposure X7. It offers good image quality in most respects, even if its noise reduction lags a little behind Adobe Lightroom, and I found its automatic adjustments tended to yield more lifelike, less punchy results than those favored by its rival. And its performance is likewise very close and in some respects actually better than that offered by Adobe.
Compared to the previous release, the addition of customizable workspaces answers one of my main criticisms of Exposure X6, saving a lot of unnecessary scrolling or enabling and disabling of panels depending upon the tasks you're performing. And the new polygonal masking tool is something that, with relatively little practice, can make really light work of subject selection.
And It's worth remembering that Exposure X7 manages all of this with a perpetually-licensed pricetag of just $129 which frees you from the need for subscriptions. Sure, there will be a new version available for download in a year's time, but unless you need its new features, you'll be able to keep using the current release for years from now without needing to pay another cent.
If you're on a tight budget and need to stretch your dollar as far as possible [...] I strongly recommend taking a close look at Exposure X7
Even if you're the type to upgrade every year, with upgrade pricing of $89 it still works out to be more affordable than Adobe's Lightroom or Photography plans, although in fairness those net you either a terabyte of storage or a combination of both Lightroom and Photoshop, two apps which can undeniably do more together than can Exposure X7 alone.
Is there anything I'd improve? Sure, I'd really like to see Exposure Software improve its noise reduction quality and the performance of its previews in the next release, as these are definitely areas where Adobe still has a bit of an edge. And I'd also like to see faster startup performance or at the very least a splash screen displayed early in the process, so you have the sense that something's actually happening.
But if you're on a tight budget and need to stretch your dollar as far as possible, or if subscriptions are simply a deal-breaker for you, I strongly recommend taking a close look at Exposure X7 and giving the free trial version a test for yourself!
What we like:
What we don't:
This past year has been a busy one in the drone world, but we've got you covered – our updated 2021 Drone Buying Guide will get you up to speed with everything you need to know about the latest and greatest models.
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Western Digital (WD) has announced that it is ending support for prior generations of My Cloud OS, including My Cloud OS 2 and 3. The company has also announced that devices compatible with My Cloud OS 5 will no longer support previous generations of My Cloud OS. If your device is compatible with My Cloud OS 5, which you can check here, you should upgrade now to continue to have remote access to your storage device.
My Cloud OS 5 released in March of this year and includes major security updates to address vulnerabilities. In June, we wrote about a vulnerability with My Book Live devices that resulted in some users losing their data. A couple of weeks later, it became clear that a similar security risk affected additional Network Attached Storage (NAS) hard drives.
It appears that WD is simply ceasing support for devices with specific security risks rather than undertake the arduous task of updating device compatibility for the latest update. WD writes, 'Western Digital strives to provide reliable and trustworthy storage solutions for businesses and consumers alike. We continuously evaluate and improve our hardware, software, and services as security standards evolve. As a result, we've determined that it’s necessary to end support for prior generations of My Cloud OS, including My Cloud OS 3 and WD Cloud OS 2.' As a note, there is no My Cloud OS 4.
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This is runs counter to Western Digital's Product Lifecycle Support Policy, which promises standard updates for products for up to eight years. Of course, the company reserves the right to change this policy in the face of security concerns, which is the current situation.
There are two key dates for WD customers to know. On January 15, 2022, devices that are compatible with My Cloud OS 5 will no longer support prior generations of My Cloud OS. After January 15, remote access, security updates, and technical support will no longer be provided. On April 15, 2022, support for prior generations of My Cloud OS will end. If your device is incompatible with the current OS, My Cloud OS 5, you will only be able to access your storage device locally. You no longer have remote access, receive updates, or have technical support. WD recommends that any such devices are backed up, disconnected from the internet, and protected with a strong unique password.
If you don't own a WD device that's compatible with My Cloud OS 5 but wish to continue to use Western Digital products, WD is sending a 20% discount coupon to affected WD device owners in January 2022. The coupon will be good for 90 days and you will not be required to send in your old device. To view the list of devices for which the discount will be distributed, click here.
On this page, Western Digital has also created a FAQ. It discusses many topics, including what makes My Cloud OS 5 different from My Cloud OS 3, how to protect your current data, different policy concerns and more.
Rob Corbett served in the United States Air Force as a criminal and counter-intelligence investigator for over a decade. In 2016, after 4 long deployments, he left active duty and became a reservist. One month into his transition, a freak snowboarding accident left him paralyzed from the neck down.
'I knew on impact something was wrong and I felt totally disconnected from the shoulders down. I was air lifted off the mountain to the nearest trauma center and that is where the new chapter began for my family,' Corbett tells DPReview.
'My wife was by my side upon arrival and mind you she was only 8 days away from giving birth to our youngest daughter. Together we pushed forward and somehow navigated months upon months of hospitalization, rehabilitation all while raising two children and learning life over again. Once we returned home my mind was set on returning to the workforce and repurposing my skills and experience.'
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Since then, Corbett has been flying drones and educating others on their many uses. Now, Rob is looking to deliver his message and teachings to a broader audience. A documentary, 'Flight Takes Many Forms,' is in the works and he's raising money on Kickstarter. DPReview had a chance to talk to Rob about this inclusive project, focusing on a diverse range of remote pilots from all walks of life.
I had been around aviation and remote piloted aircraft most of my career and always wanted to be a pilot of some kind. With some experience flying drones recreationally in the past I felt even with limited mobility, I could safely fly drones again. So the journey began.
Drones level the playing field and are viable forms of creativity, therapy, and vocational opportunities for so many people.
I took a position teaching a technology course for adults with disabilities and noticed the curriculum could incorporate drones and the Part 107 certification. I built the program based on my research of adapting drones to fly personally. This was when 'Flight Takes Many Forms' came to be. In many forms of aviation people with disabilities are excluded. Drones level the playing field and are viable forms of creativity, therapy, and vocational opportunities for so many people.
I believe in the benefits of the technology and experienced first hand how drones improve peoples quality of life. At the height of my program taking off, COVID, budgeting and not enough need for drone pilots in the local job market stalled any forward progress. So I began independently advocating for adaptive/inclusive drone training and operations. The sUAS community has been supportive and I continue to collaborate with the FAA, AUVSI working with industry leaders, nonprofits and organizations on how to be more inclusive with their programs and training.
Drones have been a crucial part of my life post injury. The adventure of exploring places I can no longer reach due to my wheelchair is invaluable. Using drones as a creative outlet is much needed and extremely therapeutic. Flying drones is a way to connect with my wife and children on many levels and I am grateful for the opportunity to do just that.
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| Rob training a student. |
Lastly, it provides an environment for vocational opportunities and growth. Drones really have improved my quality of life on every level and I hope to do the same for others. When I launch a drone I forget I am paralyzed or stressed it’s just focus on the beauty around me and the unique perspective it brings.
'Flight Takes Many Forms' is more than a motto it’s a movement to highlight and represent unique and diverse uses of drones and the people behind the controls – drone users from around the globe collaborating, coming together and sharing their stories through their art.
The main highlights of the documentary will be underrepresented populations of people. People from a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities, women, people with physical and cognitive disabilities, and those from rural outpost to inner cities will be represented. The documentary will hopefully give a visual to people everywhere and communicate 'I can do that.'
The documentary will hopefully give a visual to people everywhere and communicate 'I can do that.'
It will hopefully inspire others and foster innovation along with improvement in the industry. I encourage everyone to share why they fly drones and what inspires them to use the technology for their passion. So anyone wanting to be apart of the documentary, or to collaborate, please reach out.
A friend and fellow veteran Ernest Spicer, Ignis Studios Inc, reached out and wanted to assist with raising funds for the documentary and the inclusive drone efforts. We discussed possibly minting NFT’s as a way to fundraise. So we recently put some work on OpenSea and we’re hoping it will take off.
The vision is that the profit from all NFTs sold will go directly to the documentary and inclusive drone efforts. The space is unique and allows people to showcase their art, cause and vision so I felt why not give it a try? Hopefully some positive things will happen.
There's about 6 weeks left to support Rob Corbett's project via Kickstarter. You can also keep up with him on Twitter.
Note/disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project before backing it. Pledges to crowdfunding campaigns are not pre-orders. DPReview does not have a relationship with this, or any such campaign, and we publicize only projects that appear legitimate, and which we consider will be of genuine interest to our readers. You can read more about the safeguards Kickstarter has in place on its ‘Trust & Safety’ page.
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| Lead image: Image generated from the following text, 'A peaceful lake surrrounded by tall-trees in a foggy day.' |
NVIDIA has announced the latest version of NVIDIA Research's AI painting demo, GauGAN2. The model is powered by deep learning and now features a text-to-image feature. Whereas the original version could only turn a rough sketch into a detailed image, GauGAN 2 can generate images from phrases like 'sunset at a beach,' which can then be further modified with adjectives like 'rocky beach,' or by changing 'sunset' to a different time of day or even modifying weather conditions. GauGAN is powered by generative adversarial networks (GAN), which you can learn more about in this NVIDIA article.
Back to GauGAN2, NVIDIA writes, 'With the press of a button, users can generate a segmentation map, a high-level outline that shows the location of objects in the scene. From there, they can switch to drawing, tweaking the scene with rough sketches using labels like sky, tree, rock and river, allowing the smart paintbrush to incorporate these doodles into stunning images.'
You can try GauGAN2 for yourself on NVIDIA AI Demos. You can also see it in action in the video below.
By adding text-to-image capabilities, the new version of GauGAN is more customizable and can be tuned much quicker. Even a quick sketch is not nearly as fast and simple as typing a phrase. The latest version is also one of the first AI models to incorporate multiple modalities, text, semantic segmentation, sketch, and style, within a single GAN network.
Your text-based starting point, such as a 'snow-capped mountain range,' can be further customized with sketching. You can add trees, change the height and size of objects, add clouds to sky and much more. And then GauGAN2 generates a new, modified image.
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| 'Endless tall mountains in a sunny day' |
You don't need to keep your ideas based in reality, either. GauGAN2 may prove useful for concept artists, as you can create worlds with two suns, like Tatooine in Star Wars. NVIDIA writes, 'It's an iterative process, where every word the user types into the text box adds more to the AI-created image.'
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| Click to view GIF in motion |
GauGAN continues to improve its results. When we looked at it in early 2019, the results were impressive, but there were visible limitations. NVIDIA released a tool earlier this year built upon GauGAN, NVIDIA Canvas, which can be used on any NVIDIA RTX GPU. At this point, GauGAN2 has been trained on 10 million landscape images using the NVIDIA Selene supercomputer, which is among the world's 10 most powerful supercomputers.
To learn more about NVIDIA Research and its projects, click here. There are a lot of exciting AI-powered projects in the works and it's impressive to see how far GauGAN has come in just a few years.
Here is the big list of all Black Friday photo deals – the list will be constantly updated as new deals become available (several new deals were announced today):
The post Black Friday photo deals: the BIG list appeared first on Photo Rumors.
Related posts:
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Please note that this article will be updated over the course of the holiday week/end. We will make every effort to keep it up to date but we cannot guarantee that all of the deals listed below will be available at the time of reading.
Here in the US, we're looking forward to Thanksgiving. While this year's Turkey Day will be a little unusual thanks to you-know-what, some things remain the same. Holiday season traditionally means shopping season, and the week of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday deals is here.
We've compiled a list of the best offers on cameras, lenses, accessories and software. We're going to be updating this article regularly as more deals are listed and others are taken down. If you find a nice deal you think we've missed, or you notice one that's expired, please let us know in the comments below.
Do note that the 'SAVE' figures below represent discount from original MSRP and we make no guarantees that the discounts listed will be available across the entire holiday weekend.
We're focusing on deals from major U.S. online retailers in this article, and if you choose to shop via the Amazon links below, you'll be supporting DPReview in a small way.
Happy holidays!
Creative Cloud subscriptions — 40% off for new subscribers
Ninja V — Save $100
$499, usually $599 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Ninja V+ — Save $100
$999, usually $1,299 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Annual Capture One subscriptions — 20% off for new subscribers
Capture One Photographic Styles — 50% off
All DxO Software — 50% off
Flickr Pro — 30% off
Lensrentals — 20% off rentals (code: LRBF2021)
Lenrentals — 10% off Keeper items (code: KPRBF2021)
LensProToGo — 25% off rentals (code: 21BFLPTG)
Everyday Line (V2) Save up to 30%
(Adorama, B&H, Peak Design)
Travel Line Save up to 30%
(Adorama, B&H, Peak Design)
Straps, Clips and Accessories Save up to 15%
(Adorama, B&H, Peak Design)
Travel Tripod Save up to $60
(Adorama, B&H, Peak Design)
Max Macro Bundle — Save $64
$299, usually $363
Max Macro Deluxe Bundle — Save $126
$349, usually $475
Ultra Essentials Bundle — Save $60
$150, usually $210
Ultra-Twin Pack — Save $30
$89, usually $119
503 Bright Full HD On-Camera Monitor — Save $200
$1,399, usually $1,599
703 UltraBright On-Camera Monitor — Save $650
$2,249, usually $2,999
Entire Store — Save 25% (use code ‘BF2021’)
Think Tank Store — Up to 40% off on select bags
Annual membership — Save 25%
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You can see a full list of Canon’s deals on its dedicated holiday deals page
EOS RP (body only) — Save $100
$899, usually $999 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)
EOS RP RF24–105mm F4–7.1 IS STM Lens Kit — Save $100
$1,199, usually $1,299 (Amazon, B&H, Canon)
EOS R (body only) — Save $200
$1,599, usually $1,799 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Canon)
Canon EOS R with RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM Lens — Save $200
$1,899, usually $2,099 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Canon EF-M 22mm F2 STM Lens — Save $50
$199, usually $249 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens — Save $300
$499, usually $799 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM — Save $30
$129, usually $149 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
RF 35mm F1.8 IS STM – Save $100
$399, usually $499 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
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You can view all of Nikon’s deals on its Black Friday camera deals page.
Z5 (body only) — Save $400
$999, usually $1,399 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Z5 with 24-50mm F4-6.3 S Lens Kit — Save $400
$1,299, usually $1,699 (Adorama, B&H)
Z5 with 24-70mm F4 S Lens Kit — Save $800
$1,599, usually $2,399 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Z5 with 24-200mm Lens Kit — Save $400
$1,799, usually $2,199 (Adorama, B&H)
Z6 (body only) — Save $400
$1,599, usually $1,999 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Z6 with 24-50mm F4-6.3 S Lens Kit— Save $100
$1,899, usually $1,999 (B&H)
Z6 with 24-70mm F4 S Lens Kit — Save $400
$2,199, usually $2,599 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Z6 with 24-200mm F4-6.3 S Lens Kit — Save $500
$2,399, usually $2,899 (B&H)
Z7 (body only) — Save $300
$2,499, usually $2,799 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Z7 with 24-50mm F4-6.3 S Lens Kit— Save $400
$2,499, usually $2,799 (B&H)
Z7 with 24-70mm F4 S Lens Kit — Save $300
$3,099, usually $3,399 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Z7 24-200mm F4-6.3 S Lens Kit — Save $400
$3,299, usually $3,699 (B&H)
D850 (Body only) — Save $300
$2,699, usually $2,999 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Nikkor Z 50mm F1.8 S — Save $100
$499, usually $599 (Amazon, B&H)
Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S — Save $100
$699, usually $799 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Nikkor Z 14–24mm F2.8 S — Save $200
$2,199, usually $2,399 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Nikkor Z 24–70mm F2.8 S — Save $300
$1,999, usually $2,299 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S Lens — Save $200
$2,399, usually $2,599 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
AF-S Nikkor 24–70mm F2.8E ED VR — Save $500
$1,599, usually $2,099 (Adorama, B&H)
AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Lens — Save $300
$3,299, usually $3,599 (Adorama, B&H)
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You can view all of Nikon’s deals on its Black Friday camera deals page.
OM-D E-M1X — Save $1,300
$1,699, usually $2,999 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
OM-D E-M1 Mark II (body only) — Save $750
$949, usually $1,699 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
OM-D E-M1 Mark III (body only) — Save $300
$1,499, usually $1,799 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
OM-D E-M1 Mark III with M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO — Save $200
$2,499, usually $2,699 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
OM-D E-M10 Mark IV (body only) – Save $100
$599, usually $699 (Adorama, B&H)
OM-D E-M10 Mark IV with M-Zuiko 14–42mm EZ lens – Save $100
$699, usually $799 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
M.Zuiko 7–14mm F1.2 PRO — Save $100
$1,299, usually $1,399 (Amazon)
M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO — Save $150
$1,199, usually $1,299 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
M.Zuiko 40–150mm F2.8 PRO — Save $150
$1,349, usually $1,499 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
M.Zuiko 100–400mm F5–6.3 IS — Save $100
$1,399, usually $1,499 (Adorama, B&H)
M.Zuiko 300mm F4.0 IS PRO — Save $150
$2,749, usually $2,899 (Amazon, B&H)
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18–35mm F1.8 DC HSM | A Save $120
$679, usually $799 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)
24–70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | A Save $200
$1,099, usually $1,299 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)
16mm F1.4 DC DN | C Save $75
$375, usually $449 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)
30mm F1.4 DC DN | C Save $75
$265, usually $339 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)
35mm F1.4 DG HSM | A Save $100
$799, usually $899 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)
50mm F1.4 DG HSM | A Save $100
$849, usually $949 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)
56mm F1.4 DC DN | C Save $75
$405, usually $479 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)
85mm F1.4 DG HSM | A Save $120
$1,079, usually $1,199 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)
Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C for Canon EF Save $190
$899, usually $1,099 (Amazon, B&H, Sigma)
MC-11 Mount Converter Save $75
$174, usually $249 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Sigma)
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You can view all of Sony's deals on its Black Friday camera deals page.
a7 III — Save $200
$1,799, usually $1,999 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
a7 III with 28–70mm lens — Save $200
$1,999, usually $2,199 (Adorama, B&H)
Sony a7R IVA — Save $500
$2,999, usually $3,499 (Adorama, B&H)
Sony a7R IIIA — Save $800
$1,999, usually $2,799 (Adorama, B&H)
Sony ZV-1 with Vlogging Accessory Kit — Save $150
$749, usually $899 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Sony ZV-1 Vlogging and Online Video Kit — Save $150
$899, usually $1,199 (B&H)
FE 24mm F1.4 GM Lens — Save $100
$1,299, usually $1,399 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
FE 16–35mm F2.8 GM Lens — Save $200
$1,999, usually $2,199 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
FE 24–70mm F2.8 GM Lens — Save $400
$1,799, usually $2,199 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
FE 24–105mm F4 lens — Save $300
$1,098, usually $1,398 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
FE 70–200mm F2.8 GM OSS Lens — Save $300
$2,299, usually $2,599 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Vario-Tessar T FE 16–35mm F4 Lens — Save $250
$1,098, usually $1,349 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Vario-Tessar T FE 24–70mm f/4 Lens — Save $200
$698, usually $898 (Adorama, Amazon, B&H)
Please note, DPReview is a wholly owned but editorially independent subsidiary of Amazon. This article was put together entirely and exclusively by DPReview's editorial staff, without any involvement from our parent company.
