Photo Mish Mash Episode 84

Photo Mish Mash Episode 84

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Week in review AKA in case you missed it:

Photography challenge, watch at the Northrup channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIOF4vpm_sYArtist vs. Geek - http://petapixel.com/2016/01/19/the-yin-and-yang-of-photography-the-artist-and-the-geek/A7Sii vs. A7Rii - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbCPVz6zi_k

Gear on the Table:

News:

GoPro going down the toilet?RM3 - http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/13/10763952/gopro-lays-off-seven-percent-of-its-staff-warns-of-poor-salesNikon Announcement - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1214308-REG/nikon_keymission_360_action_camera.htmlRM3 - Fujifilm’s X-Pro2 is a Retro 24.3MP X-Trans Mirrorless with a New Hybrid ViewfinderRM3 - Fujifilm Unveils the X-E2S: A Sleek and Simple 16.3MP Mirrorless CameraRM3 - The Fujifilm X70 Boasts the First Touchscreen in an X-Series Camera - RM3 - http://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/fuji-brings-yet-the-best-pro-mirrorless-argument-so-far/SRG - Sony "G-Master" line fe 24-70 f/2.8RM3 - Fujifilm Unveils the XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 LensHow far will you go to get the shot?! (Portraits with sharks)RM3 - Almost all Samsung NX lenses now listed as “closeout” at AdoramaRM3 - VENUS OPTICS ANNOUNCES LAOWA STF 105MM F/2, A FAST PORTRAIT PRIME FOR FULL-FRAME CAMERAShttp://www.theverge.com/2016/1/18/10785038/fujifilm-x-pro-2-lens-factory-manufacturing-photosRM3 - Leica updates wide-angle M lenses with new optical and design featuresRM3 - Photographer Sues Twitter for Not Removing Photos Despite DMCA RequestsRM3 - Manfrotto introduces next generation of on-camera LED panels RM3 - Leica X-U: Leica’s First Rugged Underwater Camera 

Favorite photo of 2015

I am collecting your favorite photo from 2015 for the 2nd annual slide show. Last year's slide show.Directions-

  • Search your library for your favorite image you captured in 2015.
  • Export as a JPEG at full HD Quality 1920 x 1080- larger is ok.
  • Name the file your firstname_lastname and drop into the folder here.
  • Submit by the end of the day December 29th.

Submission is closed - Watch your favorite images of 2015 slideshow here

Disclaimers-

  • By submitting your image here you give me permission to show this in a slideshow of images on Youtube.  I will not return images - make sure you don't give me the ONLY copy.
  • I cannot guarantee that I will use your image

Instagram Winners - High Key Challenge

Sharp Shots!! Those that participated in the High Key challenge really made some excellent photos. We picked the winners and honorable mentions on our weekly live show at 6pm EST wednesday night.  This week's challenge - Colorful! Post your images on Instagram and tag them #PRTV_colorful- more info at PRTVFollow Toby on Instagram | Follow Christina on Instagram

Toby’s Winner:

#prtv_highkey #prtv

A photo posted by Eduardo Gimenes (@gimenes.eduardo) on

Toby’s Honorable Mentions

https://www.instagram.com/p/-1oyDPDBBr/https://www.instagram.com/p/_AzP9_yISP/

Christina’s Winner:

https://www.instagram.com/p/_B9QoHEpS9/

Christina’s Honorable Mentions:

https://www.instagram.com/p/-2PS2EDTw9/ https://www.instagram.com/p/-8tdUIG-PJ/

Post Focus Arrives in Mainstream Cameras

By now most of us are familiar with the Lytro camera technology - those funny looking cameras that allow you to choose your point of focus AFTER you take the photo.Lytro They didn't sell well and the company has moved on to VR applications now.    That doesn't mean the idea of focusing after you take a picture is dead. Panasonic teased it a few months back and now we have the official announcement though their version of this technology is a good bit different and doesn't require any fancy viewers, then again it isn't as interactive as the Lytro stuff - read on.Panasonic will release a firmware update available via the Lumix Global website next Wednesday, November 25 at 01:00 GMT. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8, DMC-G7, and DMC-FZ330 will be supported.Watch this videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WCmPSEMiEA How does post focus work?  It uses the 4K Photo technology that is currently available in many of the Panasonic camera capable of shooting 4k Video- 4K Photo technology allows you to shoot 4k video and then extract a still.  I have talked about this and demonstrated the technology on our weekly live show. You can shoot 4k video at 30fps and then scroll through and pick your still image to pull out and save as a jpeg. These jpeg files are 8mp. Big enough to get prints, I have and was impressed with the quality.  What the post focus feature adds - as you use the feature it is running that 30fps video and each frame is focused on a different point in the video. When you play it back you can move backward and forward in time to select the focus point you want, extract the still and voila.Gimmick or Useful?  The beginning of serious technology that is a glimpse of what is to come for photography or a silly fad? Let me know in the comments your thoughts.

Sony A7S II - Review Round-up

Summary: Sony A7S II provides videographers with amazing low light performance and 4K in body recording at significant savings versus Canon.  Preorder the Sony A7S II from B&H Photo | Amazon for $2998.00 - Shipping Oct 16th.FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS, M mode, 10 sec, F2.8, ISO12800, Manual white balanceSony has held several press conferences and hands-on demos over the last 24 hours and the reviews are starting to appear.  Form-wise it is identical to the Sony a7RII and A7II. The distinguishing feature of the Sony A7S series is the amazing low light performance.  This is really a video focused camera - read over the new features below to see why the A7RII is still a better hybrid (video and photos) choice for those that need both stills and video.The NEW features of the Sony a7S II

4K video with full pixel readout and no pixel binning in full-frame format (A7S only did 4K to external recorder)

Full HD 120fps recording and 4x/5x slow motion recording (60fps was max at 1080 with A7S)

S-Log3 Gamma and Display Assist Function (The S-Log formats are very flat, makes it difficult to judge focus - With Display Assist Function DAF - you get a graded preview in the viewfinder making it easier to judge focus)

In-camera 5-axis optical image stabilisation (same as Sony a7R II - makes handheld video possible, stabilizes any fast prime you want to use)

Upgraded autofocus system with 169 AF Points (but missing the Phase Detection AF system that gives that Sony A7R II fast and accurate focus with loads of lenses even in low light

Upgraded XGA OLED Tru-Finder EVF - Same as Sony a7R II

Option for Uncompressed Raw files (coming to Sony A7R II soon)- Files are

Preorder the Sony A7S II from B&H Photo | Amazon for $2998.00Sony A7SII FE 90mm

Metabones vs Commlite - EF to E mount and EF to MFT Mount adapters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRgsSepyo4gEF to E mount Metabones and Commlite adapters allow you to use Canon lenses on Sony cameras and the EF to Micro Four Thirds (MFT) allow you to use Canon lenses on MFT cameras like the GH4.  What exactly are The differences between a standard Metabones adapter that costs $399 and the Commlite Adapter that costs just $75? 

Screenshot 2015-09-02 09.18.28Metabones Adpater

Screenshot 2015-09-02 09.18.23Commlite Adapter

 Adapter Build quality - The metabones feels well made and sounds similar to mounting your lens on the camera with a nice solid lock sound. You have a detachable tripod foot that is tightly secured against the body via two hex bolts.Tripod foot secured- you can also see the wide open button, commlite does not offer. The commlite doesn't feel exactly cheap in the hand but it does feel a little less substantial, the sound is cheaper, tinnier and I have found that with the sony adapter the lens lock pin sticks, so you often need to manually slide it forward or the lens will not lock in place.Lock pin sticks on my EF to E mount adapter.The tripod foot is less secure and becomes annoyingly loose at times and I found it difficult to tighten once the camera is attached to a tripod or tripod plate. The EF to MFT doesn’t have a tripod foot at all and the lens lock pin never seems to stick, always working correctly. One more important point - the Metabones adapters have a micro USB port for firmware updates and in the case of this EF to M43 Speedbooster I have, that allowed me to easily upgrade the firmware and I now have autofocus capabilities when I didn’t before! As far as I know there is no way to upgrade the firmware on the Commlite adapters.Screenshot 2015-09-02 10.32.06Performance - with the Metabones EF to Micro four thirds adapter, performance is very good- I have used this setup with a variety of my canon lenses over the last 8 months and never had a single connection issue or error. With the new firmware update I now have autofocus and it works well albeit slower and less sure of itself compared to native,  MFT lenses.  I can’t say the same about the performance of the Commlite - I have only had it a few days but It fails after just a few seconds with almost all lenses - when it works longer than a few seconds there are AF capabilities but aperture is zeroed out and trying to change aperture or taking a photo causes the connection to fail.Error with the commliteClearly something is not working here and I have reached out to the company. Check back for updates. The EF to E Commlite adapter actually works, and with some lenses Autofocus is just as good as with the Metabones but when you compare the complete list of lenses I tested using the two adapters, the Metabones performs better with a greater number of lenses.My lens testing notesTo be fair both offer a list of compatible lenses so you can check to see if the Commlite or Metabones will work for you but it was apparent that when the same lens is on both lists the Metabones will offer slightly faster and more consistent focusing. The Commlite and any lens combination never outperformed the Metabones but with the Canon 24-70 f/2.8 and the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 as well as a few other Canon lenses I tested, autofocus performance was virtually identical with both adapters.Note about AF performance with the Sony A7R2 - Near the center of the frame, with lenses that are compatible with the adapters, it is VERY fast. Near the edges of the frame the lenses get much more confused and spend time hunting.  This is true even with the best performing lenses of the bunch.  I will have more to say in my full Sony a7R2 Review. Subscribe to my Youtube Channel to be notified.Summary - I love saving money when possible, but it is clear that although expensive, the Metabones offers the best build quality, greatest compatibility and offers additional future proof-ness with upgradeable firmware. I have a hard time recommending the Commlite but if you have just 1 or 2 lenses and they happen to be on Commlites compatibility list or you don’t mind manual focus for your work, you can save several hundred dollars.This is my fulltime job and I need your support. Using the purchase links below is easy and costs you nothing extra.  Also - I am happy to have a detailed conversation with you about which gear is best for YOU- and provide advice on how you can grow your skills and get access to all your questions. Visit http://photorec.tv/support learn more.Commlite Adapter on Amazon $75Metabones Adapter on Amazon $399Metabones Adapter at B&H $399Metabones Speedbooster ULTRA Adapter at B&H $649 - Magically make your lens wider and faster!

Instagram Weekly Challenge Winners - #Portrait

 Congratulations to this week’s winners – Great group of Portraits, selfies included. Christina and I each picked a winner and a couple of honorable mentions.  Scroll down to see Next week’s challenge.Toby’s winner - (follow Toby on Instagram)https://instagram.com/p/6nnxxYDT-8/?tagged=prtv_portraitHonorable Mentions -https://instagram.com/p/6pkZK8rJkk/?tagged=prtv_portraithttps://instagram.com/p/6TPggmNuFW/?tagged=prtv_portraitChristina’s Winners -  (follow Christina on Instagram)https://instagram.com/p/6yxFDBDcDf/ C- Honorable Mentionshttps://instagram.com/p/6TPggmNuFW/https://instagram.com/p/6xM9PekkdV/Thanks to all who participated. Take a moment to look through all the images tagged with #PRTV_portrait and like/comment on your favorite.Next week- Pets. Tag your shots #PRTV_pet and #PRTV to enter.  Winner's will be announced on next week's live show. More info and past challenges at PRTVFollow Christina and Toby on Instagram.

Sony A7R II (a7rm2) High ISO Samples & one low ISO.

Used the Sony a7R II at wedding yesterday - shared some quick thoughts on my Facebook page. Subscribe to my Youtube to be notified when the full review is released SOON.Used with Canon 24-70 f/2.8 Mark II, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS USM II, Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART series (EF Mount) and Sony FE 28mm f/2 Lens.[gallery link="file" ids="9572,9571,9570,9569,9568"]Full Raw files for download

Sony 32GB Class 10 UHS-1/U3 SDHC - $13 Limited time Lightning Deal

 Support my work - Buy the Sony a7R II from B&H 

Instagram Winners - Landscapes

Instagram Winners - Landscapes

Toby’s Winnerhttps://instagram.com/p/5c9MlUEs1F/Toby’s Honorable Mentionshttps://instagram.com/p/6FYIXmDgyj/https://instagram.com/p/6FKy1rwDsDChristina’s Winnerhttps://instagram.com/p/6ShAfjKK_Y/Christina’s Honorable Mentionshttps://instagram.com/p/6FWY88KS55/https://instagram.com/p/6BBtI_EtXO/As the last two weeks have been a bit specific on topics for the next challenge we’ll open the criteria a bit. The next challenge will be color based and your target is Blue. While the sky would work try to be creative and think out of the box, such as the “something blue” from a wedding. Join the fun on instagram and challenge yourself to go out and get a photo! Just remember to tag your photos so we can see them with #PRTV and  #PRTV_Blue.P.S. with all the english folks, and nerds on here, I expect at least one Tardis.More info