In the last few years, OnePlus has really cemented its place in the minds of the consumer as a brand that offers the best specs at a very affordable price. But for many, the brand has become a beacon of innovation and the boundaries that they are constantly challenging. Whether it is their dash charger, or now the fingerprint sensor under the screen, they have truly been innovating in the smartphone industry. And with the OnePlus 6T they haven’t disappointed.
Every year the T version of the phone comes out, which is an upgrade in terms of the specs, but this year there is a serious upgradation to the phone which is beyond just a specs bump. The phone is available in the 3 variants as usual – 6GB RAM + 128GB storage – Rs 37,999 , 8GB RAM + 128GB storage – Rs 40,999 and
8GB RAM + 256GB storage – Rs 44,999. There is no 64GB version this time.
So what really are the changes that the 6T has introduced as compared to the 6?
Water drop notch
The first is the water-drop notch as they call it. The notch now is less intrusive and also gives you a very immersive experience to your phone. But with the new design the front side of the camera has seen a redesign in many ways. For instance, the camera is the only part that is featured here and the speaker has moved further up on the bezel. The design though is nice and it gives a much better experience when you are surfing the Internet and also watching videos compared to the OnePlus 6.
The phone is bigger
The 6T is now slightly bigger in terms of size as compared to the 6 and features a 6.41-inch screen. The bottom bezels have been pushed back a little in order to make the screen much bigger. But this also means that the phone has become more heavier and slightly bulkier than the 6.
But the change can’t just be attributed to some of these cosmetic changes. There is a lot that has changed under the hood as well. Like the phone now features a bigger battery with a 3700 mAh capacity as compared to the 3300mAh in the OnePlus 6. Which is great since the 6 already had a good battery life and now it has gotten much better with the 6T. And the Dash fast charging indeed makes life a bit easier.
No headphone jack
With the battery being bigger and more powerful, the headphone jack has been completely ditched this time. This isn’t much of a surprise to me honestly since the company moved to the wireless bullet headphones last year, it was evident that at some point of time this was going to happen. And this means that now you get an apple like USB-C connector for your headphones in the box.
And Oneplus has said that it was because of the bigger battery that they couldn’t have the headphone jack in the phone.
Finger print sensor
Now that the headphone jack is out of the way,the 6T also becomes the first OnePlus to use the fingerprint sensor under its screen. This means that the sensor from the back is gone and this makes the design look really beautiful and clean as compared to the 6. Personally I am not a big fan of the fingerprint reader on the back. Its just makes the design look very congested.
The finger print sensor has 3 new animations when you try and unlock the phone and I really wish these would’ve been better. In terms of performance, the fingerprint sensor works all right. It’s definitely not as fast as the one on the back of the 6. But as a first attempt, it is pretty good. And more importantly, it is innovating and gives something new to the user. You can still unlock the phone using the Face Unlock feature which continues to run pretty fast.
Camera Performance
There is no difference between the cameras of the 6 and the 6T. They feature the exact same cameras on the back, which are the 16-megapixel and 20-megapixel f/1.7 cameras. Usually the cameras in every smartphone works with a combination of hardware and software and in the 6T the performance of the camera is enhanced with software advancement.
A new feature called “Nightscape”, is part of the camera app now and that makes the pictures less blurry in low-light which works in combination with software. And if you are a OnePlus 6 user then fear not, this feature will be available as part of a free software upgrade for you as well.
In terms of the performance this feature didn’t make much of a difference to the pictures that we shot. Yes, the images very slightly less blurry but the fact that you have to hold the phone still for a very long time for the images to get captured, isn’t really the best experience. In the images that we have shot we have clicked the images with and without the software update. We have a OnePlus 6 which we have updated to the new release and it doesn’t have a night mode. And you can tell the slight difference in the images.
The camera also comes with the studio lighting and OnePlus says that in the 6t, it has made an effort to make the images much more true to life and neutral in nature. There is also a studio lighting feature now which is supposed to give a more even light to the images that you click, especially in the selfie mode.
It’s fast, really fast
One of the best things that I like about the OnePlus phones is that it gives you a near stock android performance. And the 6t is also the same. It’s powered with the Andriod Pie version and as usual it performs super fast. I also like the new navigation gestures in the phone and also the new about screen menu, which is a refreshing change since it gives all the info in a much more organised manner.
The performance of the phone is really quick and is very seamless with the new update. You can toggle between apps super fast and also move around a lot.
Conclusion
So what are my overall thoughts about the phone? In simple words, it truly is amazing. It’s fast, innovative, and gives you a great performance. It has taken all the good things it did with the 6 and has added substantial upgrades to the phone. Yes there is no headphone jack, but I think you should be used to it by now because all the smartphones might move in the similar direction in future. And the best part is that the company has stuck to their smart pricing principles and has placed 6t in a very accessible place , by just increasing the price slightly.
So if you are a OnePlus 6 user and have that extra cash to spare then it might as well be an upgrade, that is worth it. But if you are a new user and are looking to buy an android phone then the OnePlus 6 is definitely the phone for you.
Introduction
The latest BenQ monitor, the SW 240 is aimed at photographers and graphics professionals, wanting a wider gamut hardware calibrated display. The need for better viewing needs and competitive pricing makes this monitor a really interesting deal. We test the monitor with some standard parameters and see if it is really worth the price.
Look, Body and Feel
At 24.1-inches, the SW 240 is a good size option for those looking for something much larger than a standard laptop screen, but perhaps don’t have a huge amount of desk space to work with. It is a slim and stylish monitor, looking smart on a desktop. Setting up the monitor is very simple. Instructions come in the box on how you can attach the stand to the back of the monitor, but you don’t require any specialist tools, everything is very straightforward. The base of the monitor has an attachment for the vertical column to be fixed to it. The monitor can then be attached to the vertical post with a snap lock. There is a press button near the monitor mount which can be pressed to release the monitor from the vertical stand. The vertical stand also allows the monitor to be rotated to 180 degrees to get a vertical view.
The BenQ SW 240 allows the attachment of a hood which would sheild the light coming in from behind and the sides giving the user an easy and smooth editing experience.
The BenQ SW 240 comes with additional supplied cables which can be use d to connect the monitor to an existing system. However the monitor features a DVI port which is pretty much standard these days. It also features a thunderbolt port and a an HDMI out to directly connect it to an Apple computer or direct HDMI output from any source. There is also a built-in speaker for sound and card slot along with USB input ports.
The physical dimensions of the monitor are very manageable as the monitor has almost no bezels on the sides excluding the bottom which has a bezel and houses the buttons for input and adjustments. The buttons allow scrolling through the menu which features various color modes and an exclusive Black and White mode for editing in B&W. There is a dedicated button for switching the colour modes which is welcome as you do not have to go through the menu for changing the colour schemes.
The monitor allows colour calibration and it also automatically adjusts the colour according to the input source. This is quite useful for those who do not want to spend their time calibrating the monitor according to their systems and preferences. Overall the look and feel of the monitor is quite premium and its features give it a good edge from those very expensive made for the purpose displays.
Testing Parameters and Performance
To test this monitor for its colour accuracy (our main criteria) we decided to connect it to an existing computer and colour correct the same image using two different monitors to see the actual change in colour and the results after the correction. The selected images are plain JPEG files straight out of a Canon EOS 6D Mark II without any retouching.
The images after correction seemed to look different than the original. The one corrected on a regular TFT monitor screen looks dull when printed or viewed on a better screen. The images corrected on the BenQ SW 240 looked better and had more room for adjustments which points out at the display having the colour range to display even the slightest differences. The images when compared side by side using the BenQ monitor showed their apparent differences and made it pretty easy for us to decide. A dedicated photo-video editing monitor sure takes your colour game a notch higher.
Original Image
Standard TFT Monitor
BenQ SW 240
Conclusion
The BenQ SW 240 is a monitor aimed at the pros especially who are not looking to spend a fortune on a dedicated photo/video editing monitor but do realise the necessity of a good display for correcting their images. The main issue with the final output of the image (often in prints) is the change or shift in colours due to different sources and poor colour reproduction from their display devices which only include the monitor. The incorrect colours are seen when the pictures are printed from a high accuracy photo printer, making it lose its original charm. Hence photo dedicated monitors are a real necessity among the design and the editing fraternity.
The BenQ SW 240 has been priced at Rs 39,000 , but is still half or lesser than the price of some dedicated monitors. Sure there would be some differences like a 4K resolution, wider colours etc setting them apart but the overall results and the ease of use along with a approachable price tag makes it an excellent buy for the enthusiasts and pros alike. Not only designers and editors, but multimedia consumers and games also can enjoy the high quality output from the display. The absence of 4K resolution is a bit disappointing, owing to the fact that most videos, games and pictures are shot in very high resolutions and could have used a better crisper screen resolution to make things even better. However we must realise that this is a budget monitor and having a 4K enabled monitor would also increase its price by a few folds.
If you are an enthusiast, a designer or an multimedia editor who appreciates the need of good and true colours in your workflow, could definitely look at the BenQ SW 240 which is a good buy for the price.
Nikon Inc. announced the release of the full-frame (Nikon FX–format) Nikon Z 7 and Nikon Z 6 mirrorless cameras, as well as NIKKOR Z lenses, featuring a new, larger-diameter mount to enable the next generation of ultimate optical performance.
The new Nikon Z mount system is
comprised of mirrorless cameras and compatible NIKKOR Z lenses. The Z
mount system will offer a variety of high-performance lenses,
including the fastest lens in Nikon history, with f/0.95.
Additionally, the new mount adapter will enable compatibility with
NIKKOR F mount lenses
The Z 7 and Z 6 are equipped with a new Nikon FX-format BSI-CMOS sensor with built-in focal-plane phase-detection AF pixels, and the latest image-processing engine, EXPEED 6.The high-resolution Z 7 has 45.7 effective megapixels, and supports a standard sensitivity range of ISO 64–25600. The versatile Z 6 is an all-purpose FX-format camera with 24.5 effective megapixels, and supports the wide sensitivity range of ISO 100–51200. With superior performance at high ISO sensitivities and full-frame 4K UHD video capture with full pixel readout, the Z 6 responds to a variety of needs, such as shooting in dimly lit environments and high-quality movie recording.
The electronic viewfinder adopted for the Z 7 and Z 6 is comfortable and easy to use, comparable to optical viewfinders. Both cameras are equipped with an electronic viewfinder for which an approximately 3690k-dot OLED panel has been adopted. The electronic viewfinder has frame coverage and magnification of approximately 100% and 0.8×, respectively, as well as an approximately 37.0° diagonal viewing angle.
The bodies are compact, while boasting a firm grip that is easy to hold, and the sub-selector and buttons such as AF-ON, ISO, and exposure compensation are all placed so that they can be operated swiftly and easily. Additionally, a display panel has been placed on the top plate of the camera, where information about settings can be displayed, similar to high-end digital SLR camera models.
The Z 7 and Z 6 support recording of not only full-frame 4K UHD (3840 × 2160)/30p movies using the FX-based video format, but also Full-HD/120p movies. Sharper 4K UHD movies are made possible, using the full-pixel readout.
The Z 7 and Z 6 are equipped with in-camera vibration reduction (VR). The VR unit provides compensation for movement along five axes. The effects of vibration reduction are equivalent to a shutter speed up to approximately 5.0 stops6. This function can also be used effectively with NIKKOR F lenses, including those not equipped with a VR function, with the Mount Adapter FTZ (sold separately).
The Nikon Z 7 will be available September 27 for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $3399.95* for the body-only configuration, or for $3999.95* SRP as a kit with the new NIKKOR Z 24-70 f/4 S lens. The Nikon Z 6 will be available in late November for the $1995.95* SRP for the body only configuration, or for the $2,599.95* SRP with the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S lens kit.
With the increase in mobile-internet penetration in the country, most users now demand having content available at their finger-tips. This has lead for a number of leading magazine brands to make immense efforts to make their magazine accessible to readers on the Internet. With the core focus on UX/UI being paramount for content on the websites, most magazines now are leveraging cutting-edge technologies and engaging their creative teams to offer a hassle-free experience for viewers on their websites. Foreseeing this phenomenon in 2009 itself helped Asian Photography to emerge as one of the first in the publishing industry to invest into developing its own e-version software. Running ahead of others by constantly updating the e-version software, the magazine currently offers the best user experience, where in readers can access the e-version on various digital platforms (desktop, tablets or smart devices), including its own app.
Offering the Only Platform
This oldest and topnotch photography magazine is the flagship product of SAP Media Worldwide Ltd., a 35-year-old publishing house, which acknowledges that it has the distinct responsibility to ensure that accurate and timely content is delivered to the readers. This pioneer not only caters to readers and photo-enthusiasts (with photography as a serious hobby) but also has instated unique one-of-the-kind content properties like the Asian Photography Awards and the Most Influential People in Photography list. What makes this process unique is its unbiased winner selection process. It is by far the most coveted trophy in this industry and also aired on television. In fact, Asian Photography was also the first company to take the photographic industry on television as part of broadening the industry and the trade.
” This is the stage where world-renowned professional photographers present their images as art on different genres under one banner and a common theme”
Bhavya Desai, Editor and Group Head, Asian Photography and SAP MEDIA WORLDIWDE LTD feels, “that innovation is at the core of the thought process of the company and it is this endeavor that allows Asian Photography to continuously push the boundaries.” For instance the company has recently launched a new project- India’s first business and photography coffee table book scheduled to release in 2019. The one-of-its-kind coffee table book is envisioned as a single point source of all information about the industry. The company has already published several books in other industry segments that it operates in which have been appreciated immensely.
But Desai feels that the need of the hour for the photography industry is to increase its penetration and also promote it as an artform. And in order to achieve this objective Asian Photography organizes a non-profit art exhibition and contest called ‘Artistique’. “This is the stage where world-renowned professional photographers present their images as art on different genres under one banner and a common theme. Today, Artistique is in its fifth edition and that is what has made the magazine unique amongst others,” he adds.
In order to increase its digital reach Asian Photography has recently forayed into digital content on its YouTube channel apart from focusing on offering news, views and reviews. The magazine ideally includes getting information of the best in the business and reviewing their creation. Currently, Asian Photography has two million followers on social media which helps it to reach even more readers. Along with the print edition, Asian Photography’s online platform works independently in terms of content in order to deliver the same.
Creating the Circle of Influence
Perceiving online platform as an opportunity, rather than a challenge, Asian Photography has always been successful in creating a circle of influence to engage the viewers with the good content. “We try to create an environment that is important to set the same thought process and energy which is inculcated in the company and that in turn flows in the team,” explains Bhavya.
Increase the color gamut with new HP Indigo inks
Being a photographer, you know that a photograph is an expression of your vision and skill. You don’t just click a moment, you capture the emotions around it too. As a photography expert, you birth stories and for that, you equip yourself with the best tools available. While your vision helps you capture what’s perfect, the real challenge is to retain that magic while printing. A print produced should be able to do justice to your photographs and make them look vivid and lively, bringing alive all the colorful emotion
Keeping this in mind, HP Indigo has come up with an interesting innovation. HP has introduced new colors, where all the images can be printed in true-to-life colors, which are currently outside of the standard print gamut.
These inks target the trends in the photo industry, where the images have now become immensely powerful and vivid in colors. The reason for this targeting is that these trends have a lot of challenging colors like pink, blue and green which are currently out of gamut. Now HP Indigo has launched two new inks, Vivid Pink and Vivid Green.
The new inks increase the colour gamut dramatically. With it, the prints produced are extremely bright, allowing access to areas that were not available before. These unique profiles keep natural skin tones, as well as provide richer deep colours with improved detail reproduction.
Here’s what professionals in the photos industry have to say about their experience with these inks
To get a digitally printed sample of HP Indigo, just click here.
Fujifilm India recently announced the launch of FUJIFILM X-A5. Sporting a retro and stylish design, the camera is said to offer a host of features including a 180-degree tilting rear LCD screen, the latest built-in Bluetooth technology and an extended battery life.
Fujifilm X-A5 boasts a 24.2MP APS-C sensor, which is equipped with a phase detection autofocus system, and a newly developed image processing engine that, according to the copmpany, is 1.5 times faster than previous models. In addition, when combined with the new collapsible FUJINON XC15-45mmF3.5-5.6 OIS PZ, the X-A5 reportedly weighs just 496g, making it the lightest camera-zoom kit lens combination in the X Series.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India Pvt. Ltd. said, “The advantage of an X Series mirrorless camera lies in its compact size packed with cutting edge innovative technology and unique features that provide great controls along with excellent color reproduction and image quality. Fujifilm X-A5 is an affordable solution with high precision, packed in an enhanced camera body to provide a refined photography experience to budding photography enthusiasts. With this camera our aim is to promote photography among amateurs, and to enable them with infinite possibilities for capturing magnificent images with confidence.”
According to a report almost 1.8 billion digital images are uploaded on the web every day. The company claims that the X-A5 is particularly designed for Instagrammers and for those who consider photography as a lifestyle and like to log their moments. The X-A5 reportedly includes features beyond a smartphone’s reach by offering a much wider range of viewing angles and depth of field effects, alongside great image quality.
According to Fujifilm, combining a newly-developed sensor and color reproduction technology that has been refined over 80 years to deliver premium quality portraiture, the X-A5 combines a newly developed 24.2 megapixel APS-C sensor with the image processing engine to achieve Fujifilm’s renowned photo quality. Combined with the supplied FUJINON lens, the camera claims to provide ultimate image resolution, recording the subject’s texture, form and even the atmosphere of the scene. The company also claims that the camera outperforms previous models in its scene recognition accuracy in SR+ AUTO mode, color reproduction performance and skin tone reproduction capability which is particularly popular. This makes the X-A5 the perfect choice for photographing human subjects.
The regular range of ISO sensitivity has been reportedly extended to ISO12800. The X-A5 is reportedly the first X-A Series model to feature phase detection pixels, originally developed for the X series’ high-end models. The Intelligent Hybrid AF speed is twice as fast as previous models, according to the company, ensuring that you capture those photographic moments more swiftly and beautifully.
The X-A5 debuts the new FUJINON XC15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ, the first electric-powered zoom lens for the X Mount. The lens reportedly has the minimum working distance of just 5cm*4, ideal for clear close-up shots, such as food photography. The smooth electric-powered zooming mechanism that starts from the wide-angle 23mm end (on a 35mm format) reportedly gives greater freedom in composition framing for both still images and video.
The company also stated that the X-A5 is equipped with a large rear LCD monitor that can rotate 180 degrees. When the panel is rotated 180 degrees, the Rear Command Dial automatically switches to the Zoom and Shutter Release function. The 180-degree rotation of the rear LCD monitor also activates the Eye AF function automatically to create high quality self-portraits with sharp focus on the subject’s eyes. The Portrait Enhancer Mode, offers its popular ability to produce beautiful skin tone, and has also evolved with the new user interface to select from three levels of skin tone enhancement with touch-screen operation for easy, natural and flattering self-portraits.
The X-A5 reportedly offers 11 variations of Fujifilm’s unique Film Simulation Modes, adding an advanced artistic flair easy with the reproduction of film-like color tones. The camera also features 17 variations of Advanced Filters including the new “Fog Remove” and “HDR Art.”
The rear LCD monitor is said to use the new touch-panel GUI, facilitating intuitive touch-panel operation using fingertips so that you can check the effect of Advanced Filters and Film Simulations for added usability.
The Exposure Compensation Dial now reportedly has the range expanded from ±3EV to ±5EV to boost freedom in photographic expressions.
The Bluetooth Low Energy technology has said to have been incorporated for quick, easy and automatic transfer of still images and videos to paired smartphones and tablet devices, using the free smart-device app “FUJIFILM Camera Remote”. The camera is also compatible with FUJIFILM instax SHARE SP-3 printer.
The X-A5 reportedly offers a High-Speed HD Video function, allowing users to record HD video up to quad speed for slow motion clips. The Multi Focus Mode automatically synthesizes 4K quality images with changing the depth of field setting. The 4K Burst function offers to shoot 15 frames per second in 4K image quality. The X-A5 is also said to offer the class-leading number of photos per charge. Users can shoot as many as 450 photos per single battery charge.
Xiaomi announced the Redmi Y2 in India, a new iteration of the Y series that is designed for the young at heart with its exceptional selfie experience. It also announced MIUI 10, the latest update to its operating software which, according to company claims, is built for a more immersive full screen experience.
Redmi Y2 reportedly sports an AI-powered 16MP front camera powered by pixel binning technique and Xiaomi’s own AI Beautify features. Redmi Y2 also comes with a 12MP + 5MP AI dual camera. It has a 5.99-inch 18:9 Full Screen Display and is powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 625 platform.
The company claims that the 16MP front camera on Redmi Y2 is able to capture fine details in daylight and produces high-resolution images. In low-light conditions, the sensor reportedly uses pixel binning technique to combine information from four pixels and create one large 2.0µm pixel. This greatly improves the resulting picture quality, producing clearer and brighter photos in low light with less noise. Another addition to its low-light repertoire is the Selfie-light, which produces a 4500K colour temperature making it easier to take selfies in low-light conditions.
When Auto HDR is enabled, the 16MP front camera is said to automatically detect a back-light environment and apply the HDR effect. Selfie-light on Redmi Y2 reportedly mimics natural light, allowing catchlights in the eyes to be captured, which makes for great portrait photos. The camera also supports AI bokeh that effectively distinguishes the subject from the background, even correctly identifying elements such as hair accessories and popular hand gestures as being part of the subject.
Redmi Y2 sports a 12MP + 5MP AI dual camera on its back. The 12MP primary sensor has 1.25µm large pixels, which results in brighter images in low light conditions. The 5MP secondary sensor is dedicated to acquiring depth information, producing photos with great bokeh effects.
In Portrait Mode, both the front and back cameras support AI Beautify. AI Beautify 4.0 is designed keeping in mind specific needs of users in India, and can detect elements such as makeup, beards, nose rings, etc. and keep them intact (besides popular selfie facial expressions).
Redmi Y2 also comes with a 5.99-inch 18:9 full screen display that allows users a large-screen experience while being ergonomic at the same time. Its metallic-finish back is symmetrically curved and gently tapered toward edges, achieving a great handfeel.
According to the company, the Redmi Y2 features face unlock out of the box, in addition to having a fingerprint scanner. Keeping in mind specific needs of users, Redmi Y2 features a dedicated microSD card slot for storage expansion by up to 256GB. Users will also be able to control a lot of their home electronics with the included IR blaster using the Mi Remote app.
Redmi Y2 comes in three colors: Gold, Rose gold and Dark grey. The 3GB + 32GB version will retail for Rs 9,999, while the 4GB + 64GB version is priced at Rs 12,999. A simple TPU case will be shipped in the box with every Redmi Y2.
The company also revealed that the Redmi Y2 goes on sale 12PM 12th June at Mi.com, Amazon.in and Mi Home stores across the country. It will also be available across offline partners at a later date.
