Samsung NX1 Discontinued at B&H

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We have seen the signs, heard the rumors and now here in the US at B&H Photo Store- the NX1 with Lens is listed as discontinued.  It is clear this line of cameras from Samsung is completely dead and done. A real shame - I really liked the NX1 as a camera though I did worry about the ecosystem.   I still miss it's beautiful OLED screen and smart features like over wifi firmware updates.No more NX1They do still have stock of Body Only models - not sure how long that will last but the price is decent. $1099 Slightly related - Amazon's deal of the day is the older NX3000. For $399 you get the camera, 20-50 and 50-200 lens. This is an excellent deal - just think of this as a point and shoot and it's a fantastic deal with good wifi connectivity and even a cheap tiny prime, 30mm f/2.0 lens you can add for additional portability.The NX3000 is a 20MP APS-C camera that does very well in low light. flip up touchscreen and the ability to take 3D photos (when using a 3D lens) round out the features.Samsung NX300 - Super deal  

Rokinon 14mm - Best Budget Lens for Astrophotography!

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Hands-on review with the budget-friendly Rokinon 14mm full frame lens - Is this the BEST budget lens for shooting the night sky full of stars? And you all have suggested some great alternatives I listed below.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TSrFKLzsrQUPDATE SEPT- 2017 The IRIX Firefly is sharper with better features for Full Frame astrophotographers and is now my pick for budget astrophotography lens.Watch this updated video and learn more Buy the IRIX Firefly from B&H Photo $400.00Using my links for purchase or shopping of ANYTHING helps support the work we do here.

 Alternative options

Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 (manual focus)  $429 - Buy from B&H Photo

Good

  • Faster Aperture
  • Full Frame compatible
  • Takes Filters
  • Lovely walk around focal length for general photography

Bad

  • On crop 24 = 36mm, less exciting for wide starry skies

Samyang 10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS Lens $429 - Buy from B&H Photo (best option for crop DSLRS)

Good

  • 16mm on Crop - nice and wide

Bad

  • Crop Only
  • Still no filter threads

Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye Lens with Removable Hood - $232 - $299 - Buy from B&H Photo

Good

  • WIDEEEEEE!
  • CHEAP!!!!

Bad

  • Crop Only
  • No filters
  • f/3.5
  • Fish eye even more limited in use.

Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 NCS CS $299  - $399 - Buy from B&H Photo (my pick for MIRRORLESS crop alternative)

Good

  • Very portable
  • Takes filters
  • Fast f/2.0

Bad

  • Not available for DSLRS- only mirrorless

Rokinon 16mm f/2.0 $351 - $380 - Buy from B&H Photo (decent alternative - just not very wide)

Good

  • Takes filters
  • Fast f/2.0

Bad

  • Crop only
  • Barely wider than kit lens

 Learn more about the Tokina 11-16 vs the Canon 10-18 and Canon 10-22Learn more about the more expensive full frame wide angle lens options- Canon 16-35, Tamron 15-30 

Lighting 101 - Basic 3-point lighting setup

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4u_92uRsWc 

Lighting 101: 3-Point Lighting

  For this setup you will need:Key Light -  The Key Light defines the most visible lighting and shadows on the subject and acts as the primary source of illumination.  You can use just about any light source as your Key Light, whether it be the sun, a window, a lamp, or a video/photography light. For this video, we’ll be working entirely with constant lights for portrait lighting. Fill Light - The Fill Light softens and extends the illumination provided by the Key Light, making the subject more visible and softening the harsh contrast and dark shadows cast by the Key Light. Your Fill Light can simulate natural light from the sky, or secondary light sources such as a table lamp. A lamp or video light can be used, or one can use a reflector to do this as well.Rim Light - The Rim Light creates a bright line around the edge of the subject, to help visually separate the subject from the background and bring them further into the foreground of the photo. This too could be a carefully positioned reflector or another light source.Let’s get started:Step 1: You will want to set up or turn on a work light to establish your subject and frame. Bear in mind, this setup can be completed within 15 minutes but can take up to half an hour or longer depending how much adjusting you do, so you’ll want to make sure your subject is comfortable before you begin or use a stand in for practice until your talent arrives. Once you have your subject and frame established, you want to block off any natural light in the room that will add a glow or ambient light to the room.Step 2: Now we’ll set up our Key Light. You will want to position your Key Light 15-45 degrees to the right or left of your camera, to illuminate your subject. This will create a strong contrast between the light on the near side of your subject, and the dark shadows on the far side of your subject (away from your Key Light). You will want to elevate your Key Light a foot or two above the height of your subject, until you just begin to see a Rembrandt Lighting pattern (link to video/show short clip of the pattern). Your Key Light should be your brightest and strongest lighting source, and the additional lights will work to soften and shape the base light from the Key Source.Step 3: Next, we’ll add in the Fill Light. This is the point where you’ll begin to shape the light on your subject. The position of the Fill Light will be 15-45 degrees to the side of your camera, opposite the placement of your Key Light. So, if we placed the Key Light on the right side of the camera, our fill will come from the left side. Your Fill Light will be about half as bright as your Key Light, to soften the shadows cast by the Key source, without beginning to cast shadows of it’s own, which will often look unnatural and draw attention away from the subject.The Fill Light may be raised to the subject’s height, but should remain lower than the Key Light. Adjust the height of the Fill to see what appeals to you aesthetically. Alternatively, you can also bring in a reflector or bounce to act as your Fill Light, reflecting light from the Key Light back onto the subject to fill in the darker shadows.Step 4: Lastly, we’ll bring in our Rim Light. The Rim Light will be placed behind your subject, across from the camera, just off frame, and raised above the subject at level with the Key Light. Adjust the Rim Light to give you a bright outline, highlighting the top or side edge of your subject. The intensity of your Rim Light can be as bright as necessary to achieve the intensity of the highlight you want around the edge of your subject. The positioning of your Rim Light and the focus of light behind your subject is key, to ensure the light falls only on the subject and does not illuminate the background. You want to keep your background darker, so the Rim Light around the edge of your subject pulls the subject forward and away from the background.And that’s it. Three Point Lighting can be a great starting point for lighting just about any subject, person or otherwise. With this basic setup, you can adjust the height, positioning, intensity and source of lights to create your own look and feel for any lighting setup. For a darker, moody look, pull back the intensity of the fill to give the shadows a darker contrast. For a mysterious look, focus on backlighting your subject, and lower the intensity of your Key and Fill Lights. There are many options for you to customize the look and feel of each setup you want, but don’t feel like you have to have professional lights at your disposal to accomplish the looks you want. This setup can be implemented with basic table lamps, or even outdoors using the sun and a reflector.

Instagram Challenge Winners- Street Art

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Last week's challenge, #PRTV_STREETART, was colorful, gritty and fun! Picking a winner was difficult, it always is!They are listed below along with some awesome honorable mentions.  You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week's challenge #PRTV_forcedperspective.You can follow us - Photorectoby | Christinabernales on Instagram

Toby's Winner

https://www.instagram.com/p/q8H4REO6Tw/

Toby's Honorable Mentions

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCtN_RwwB8w/https://www.instagram.com/p/BChXjjSoPWW/

Christina's Winner

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCtN_RwwB8w/

Christina's Honorable Mentions

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCtS9pdxE5I/https://www.instagram.com/p/BCrHsbMSNeu/ 

New Canon DSLR- EOS Rebel T6 (1300D)

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Canon has announced a new bare bones, entry level DSLR- the Canon EOS Rebel T6 or 1300D in the rest of the world.  I almost always recommend buying a previous model- e.g. Canon T5i as a better investment (articulating touchscreen, 5fps vs 3 etc) but the T6 does have one advantage- WiFi/NFC. If you are on a tight budget and you want that connectivity it offers, it might be the best option for you at this price point .  Though for just $99 more you can get the Sony a6000 (my Sony a6000 review) with tons more features AND WiFi. Canon T6

  • 18.0 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) image sensor and high-performance DIGIC 4+ Image Processor for excellent speed and quality.
  • ISO 100-6400 (expandable to H: 12800) for shooting from bright light to low light.
  • Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity provide easy sharing to compatible smart devices, select social media sites and the Canon Connect Station CS100 device.
  • 9 point AF system (including one center cross-type AF point) and AI Servo AF provide impressive autofocus performance with accurate results.
  • High-performance Optical Viewfinder helps facilitate quick and accurate focusing by firmly framing and capturing the subject at hand.
  • Large, 3.0-inch LCD monitor with 920,000 dots shows fine details and provides easy viewing.
  • Scene Intelligent Auto mode simplifies settings for users without extensive photography experience.
  • Feature Guide offers short descriptions of shooting modes, settings and effects for easy operation.
  • EOS Full HD Movie mode for easy-to-use video capture.
  • Continuous shooting up to 3.0 fps to capture action shots.
  • Creative options made easy with imaging features like Basic+ and Creative Auto.
  • Creative Filters including Toy Camera, Fisheye and Miniature Effect help you capture everything with a new perspective.
  • Auto White Balance provides "white priority," adjusting for the warmer tones under tungsten lighting.
  • Compatible with the full line of Canon EF and EF-S lenses.

Canon t6 Back Buy the Canon T6 from Amazon (available April 15th) $549.00Buy the Canon T6 from B&H Photo

Photo Mish Mash 88 - 6D Mark II or 5D Mark IV first?

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Instagram Challenge #PRTV_flags

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Last week's challenge, #PRTV_flags, was challenging but we celebrated flag day with awesome images of flags. Picking a winner was difficult - they are listed below along with some awesome honorable mentions.  You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week's challenge #PRTV_streetart.You can follow us - Photorectoby | Christinabernales on Instagram

Toby's Winner

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCYy2cQFdG5/

Toby's Honorable Mentions

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCNO1xzFucF/https://www.instagram.com/p/yQdTx_maXR/

Christina's Winner

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCTzoj9kkU3/

Christina's Honorable Mentions

https://www.instagram.com/p/8f_u8fIMrQ/https://www.instagram.com/p/BCNO1xzFucF/

Sony a6300 Hands-on Review (Draft)

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For the last few days I have been in Miami shoot with the Sony a6300, 24-70 f/2.8 GM series and the 85mm f/1.4 GM.  I will have a full video review soon (subscribe to my Youtube Channel to be notified) - below are some thoughts after spending three solid days with the Sony a6300 and shooting 3,000 photos.Sony a6300 with 24-70 GM f/2.8 Lens - 6 Seconds Sony a6300 Review - The headline features: Redesigned 24MP sensor, Improved AF system (4D Focus) with 425 Phase detection points - almost complete coverage of AF points from corner to corner and improved speed of focus 0.05 seconds. 11fps at high+ mode, 4K including 4k at Super 35mm.01-70 mm_1-1250 sec at f - 4.0_ISO 100a6300 Spoiler Review - This is the best hybrid (photos & video) camera you can buy at this price point: focus is impressive, low light capabilities are some of the best I have seen in a crop sensor and 4K video looks great.   A few small issues hold this camera back from perfection but I would very happy to walk out the door with the Sony a6300 for just about any photo or video task.The Good -Focus system works as advertised, We shot wake boarders, parkour athletes and salsa dancers and I was impressed with the speed and tracking capabilities.  In one example I watched the tracking squares lock on and follow a sprinting, tumbling athlete cross from one corner of the frame to the other. - He moved by people, intersecting objects and it capably tracked him.     When I compare this system to the Sony a7RII or the a6000 I see noticeable improvements and increased intelligence. One of my big complaints about sony is picking the focus point - no touchscreen and no dedicated joystick make it difficult but with the increased smarts the camera selected my subject most of the time and when it didn't a new feature to the a6300 - focus selector, helps.  This allows you to use the directional pad on the back as a joystick to move your focus points without an extra button press.  This does require an extra press to get into the other functions of the directional pad- e.g. ISO, exposure compensation ect. So not perfect but I appreciate the choice.Focus during movies - good, with customizability on speed.  I will have more to say after I send time carefully reviewing all the footage I shot.a6300 Photo Quality - Despite sharing the same MPs (24) as the a6000 they did redesign the sensor, increasing copper blah blah, do you really care. I don't I just want to know the result, and I believe this will be the new king of APS-C low light performance.   I shot 12,800 images that while noise was certainly present it was far below what I expected and I would be happy to deliver those images to a client or bride.100% crop at ISO 6400 - Noise Reduction turned OFF(MORE sample Images from the a6300)Video Quality - Very good - more to say soon.  These are good Codecs with S-Log as an option.Body and Handling - Very similar to the a6000- an additional switch at the AEL button allows a little more customizability.   Still can't assign shutter button to start video :(  Bodies construction is upgraded, honestly not sure I can really tell when I hold but it should be more robust.   The EVF is upgraded - nice rubber cup and it is higher quality with NO lag. With image review off I was tracking and shooting wake boarders without issue. Now with mic jack or you can use Sony's hotshoe mic.  Still no headphone port.Features- I mentioned the focus point selector. It's great! Also new option to magnify live view and focus for ultra precise focusing.  120fps full HD video! And of course 4k and cinema 4K - again, this will be the best performing low light camera for photos or video at this price point and honestly you have to spend significantly more to see improvements.  Custom 1 and 2 on the dial are additional nice touches.   Additional customization options in menu too  but. .The Sony menu system - This isn't particular to the a6300 but as these Sony cameras add additional features it becomes harder and harder to find and set all the variables you need for best performance in certain shooting situations. For example AF options are spread out over multiple tabs and pages and it makes it very difficult to find everything you need.  Additionally no favorites tab or customizable page mean if you want to seriously use this camera you will NEED to spend time memorizing the location of menu items.Anemic Buffer - Sure it can shoot 11 fps but that is a short burst and the camera locks up and is all but useless until it finishes writing to the card - this can be very frustrating in some situations.I will have lots more to say in my video- for now I will repeat the line. This is the best hybrid (photos & video) camera you can buy at this price point: focus is impressive, low light capabilities are some of the best I have seen in a crop sensor and 4K video looks great.I plan to compare the a6300 vs the Gh4, the 70D and 80D and it's big brother the Sony a7RII- but really, is it fair to compare a $1,000 camera vs a $3,200 camera?What else would you like to know or see covered in the review?Sony a6300Sony a6300ORDER the Sony a6300 from Amazon  or B&H Photo. Using my links to purchase is the best way to support my work on this channel- I can't continue to do this without your support. Use the links and visit http://photorec.tv/support to learn more.

Instagram Challenge #PRTV_local

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last week's challenge, #PRTV_local, Was POPULAR- You all submitted so many awesome images of your hometown - we loved seeing a glimpse of where you live. Picking a winner was difficult - they are listed below along with some awesome honorable mentions.  You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week's challenge #PRTV_flags.You can follow us - Photorectoby | Christinabernales on Instagram

Toby's Winner

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBx1BLNoBVP/

Toby's Honorable Mentions

https://www.instagram.com/p/BB8Sgp1ju3N/https://www.instagram.com/p/BB2XKCWN1xq/https://www.instagram.com/p/BCILqXpSn9R/

Christina's Winner

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBFeV22oBcb/

Christina's Honorable Mentions

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBNcBP0JxmM/https://www.instagram.com/p/7oalx_CuT6/

The Canon 5D Mark IV

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The Canon 5D Mark IV will be announced in the next few months- despite the huge selection of cameras on the market it remains the professional camera I see most wished for (maybe incorrectly so) and so let's spend a few minutes thinking about what this camera will or won't bring to the table.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgP3D6fWRpgA quick reminder that in partnership with a bunch of wonderful sponsors photorec.tv is giving away an all expenses paid trip to Africa- an awesome photo safari - all the details are at photorec.tv/giveaway.Canon 5D Mark IVSo what will or should the followup to the wildly successful Canon 5D Mark III bring? I am basing some of this from a CanonRumors post in late january - I will link that below. There hasn’t been any real news about the 5D Mark 4 since December.28mp - The 5D Mark 3 offers 22 MP - There were some rumors that they would actually drop the MP below 22 to further improve low light performance but I don’t see Canon doing that - they are still clearly clinging to the megapixels war as evidenced by the 5DS and R with 51 megapixels. I think 28 is a reasonable target.Dynamic range - one place Canon has seemed to really lag is dynamic range - when you compare the 5D Mark 3 to Sony or Nikon’s current cameras - you are not only able to capture a greater dynamic range you can also post process the files to a much greater degree - bringing up the shadows without loads of noise appearing. Earlier reports from the 1DX Mark 2 seem to show a nice improvement in DR and I hope we see something similar in the 5D Mark 4 but i am not holding my breath - I expect improvements but believe they will still be a step behind the competitors. I have the same feelings about high ISO - again the 1DX Mark 2 has a redesigned sensor designed to improve noise at the low ISOs - nothing really about the higher ISOS- again I expect improvements but not at a level that passes Sony or Nikon's current offerings.9fps The 5D Mark 3 offers 6fps. Nine sounds high to me. I don’t need that at weddings or events and for sports I would think Canon would want you want to go with the 1Dx or the 7D Mark 2. I personally think 7fps is a more likely number.61 point AF - Same as existing 5D Mark 3 41 are cross types - this is the same system that is in the original 1DX - so if we look at the 1D X Mark 2 - well Canon stuck to that same system though with some intelligence improvements and improvements at f/8 as we just saw from the 80D. I do think we will see 61 Af points with the same upgrades - no additional features.I do think we will see dual pixel AF in Live view But will we see 4K. I know some of you don’t care at all about 4k or even video- you can see my facebook exclusive video on the canon 80D that touches on this subject, linked below, but in short I don’t think we will see 4K in this camera. What do you think. Will the direct successor to the 5D Mark 3 offer 4K video? Answer in this poll. As others have suggested we might get a split line - a 5D Mark 4 and a 5DC or something that does offer more robust video features. Canon has done this with the 5DS series and th 1DC series that offer more specialized features targeting certain markets... One of the things that made the 5D Mark 3 so great, when it was released no other DSLR did as good a job at was shooting video and stills. While it would be nice to think Canon want’s to continue pushing that envelope, they haven’t made any indication that they will and while the 1D Mark 2 does offer 4K it only does 1080p out via HDMI and has a few other quirks that in my opinion make it less ideal for shooting video. Part of Canon’s problem here is avoiding conflict with their cinema line - They deliberately hold features back.CFast & SD - The 1DX Mark 2 offers Cfast and CF card - It seems that Cfast is mostly designed for the 4k shooters. I will be surprised if this is where Canon decides to be cutting edge and think they will continue to use CF card and SD slots. If I am wrong about 4K- and I very well could be, then there is a much better chance of a Cfast slot in this camera.Touchscreen - I do think you will at least be able to select focus points as in the new 1D X Mark 2 but the screen will be fixed, not articulating - Though I would love to see an articulating screen like the new Nikon or Sony cameras off.Built-in GPS & Wifi - Sure - they did it in the 6D years ago- speaking of that where the heck is the 6D Mark 2, some think we won't see that until 2017! I really don’t know - but I do know the 6D has sold well and I often get asked about its successor.Lighter weight - I suspect it might be a little lighter but the body design will be near identical. When you have a large percentage of Pros you don’t make big changes to body design so pros can upgrade mid season without having to learn a new interface.Price - should be similar to 5D Mark 3 at launch $3500.Leave a comment below - are you excited for this release? Couldn’t care less? 

Win a GoPro from Lumoid & Photorec.tv

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Click this logo to enter!LumoidRemember when I went to Fiji?  Shot a fun little 4K video on a GoPro?    You want a chance to shoot your own 4K adventure? Read on. . .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOg5SzXghV0 Would you like a chance to get your own GoPro Hero 4 Black - the top of the line GoPro with videolapse, night shot, slow mo and of course beautiful 4K video.Screenshot 2016-02-24 15.29.31 Photorec.tv has partnered with Lumoid.com to give one lucky US resident a GoPro Hero 4 Black.    Pop over to http://lumoid.com/photorectoby and enter.   I look forward to seeing what you create!

Photo Mish Mash - Episode 86 - Favorite New Zealand Images

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Nikon Announcement

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A new lineup from Nikon- DL You might have noticed the lens and camera announcements have been fast and furious over the last week as we lead up to CP+ - A big international photo show held in Japan. First we had the Canon 80D, then the new Tamron prime lenses, Sigma's new lenses (cameras too) and the Sigma to FE mount adapter, Panasonics new 12-60 lens and now SIX new cameras from Nikon.  Three are boring Coolpix P&S cameras but the three pictured above is a new line from Nikon - the DL Series. These are all use a 20.8MP CX-format sensor - that's a 1 inch sensor similar to the Sony RX 100 line - clearly a competitor Nikon has set their sights on.  Additionally and like the Sony each of these cameras is capable of shooting 4K video.  Wifi/NFC, 120fps at 1080p round out the main features.  The also all share flip up (or flip out0 touchscreens.   The differences? Focal range/zoom really with a few additional features to support each range. Nikon DL SeriesNikon DL18-50 f/1.8-2.8 Digital Camera Pre Order from B&H Photo - Available June, 28 2016 for $846Highlight Feature: Perspective Control - accurately depict architectural subjects and correct converging lines.My own notes - This may be the new perfect vlogging camera - starting at that wide 18mm is great for hand holding and talking to the camera.  I don't know of anything else that starts as wide with this sized sensor in a compact body.

  Nikon DLNikon DL24-85 f/1.8-2.8 Digital Camera Pre Order from B&H Photo - Available June, 28 2016 for $646Highlight Features:
  • Built-in ND filter for maintaining slower shutter speeds or wider aperture settings in bright conditions.
  • A Super Macro mode and Focus Bracketing features are also available for producing close-up imagery with life-size magnification with extended depth of field.

My Own Notes - If you don't need the wider 18mm of the first model this price is hard to beat - a great focal range, ND filter And the macro mode all for $646!

  Nikon DLNikon DL24-500 f/2.8-5.6 Digital Camera Pre Order from B&H Photo - Available June, 28 2016 for $996Highlight Features:
  • Sport VR mode -  optimized for shooting sports or other fast-moving subjects and helps to keep the built-in 2.359m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder or rear LCD's image stable while panning

My Own Notes - Impressive zoom and glad to see they have added an additional VR to keep it all stable. Pricey though!

Screenshot 2016-02-24 11.29.31Additionally Nikon will be offering an electronic Viewfinder - Compatible with the 18-50 and 24-80 the DF-E1 Electronic Viewfinder, which serves as a convenient alternative to the rear screen when working in bright lighting conditions- No info on price or availability yet. Do you think any of these cameras has a chance of dethroning Sony's RX 100 or RX10 series?  let me know in the comments.