Category Archives: news

Exclusive preview of three new Canon cameras: EOS 77D, EOS 800D, EOS M6

Canon has released two new DSLRs and a new mirrorless camera today – the EOS 800D, EOS 77D and EOS M6. We had an exclusive chance to get our hands on all three cameras and check them out.



Aimed at serious hobbyists, the Canon EOS 800D sits at the top of the line among the entry level DSLR’s from the Canon stable. On the other hand the Canon EOS 77D targets the enthusiasts and serious hobbyists giving them a series of features. According to Canon, the EOS 800D is an upgrade over the EOS 750D and EOS 760D and has a host of features that will surely make the EOS 800D a choice for those who are buying their first DSLR or are looking to upgrade from the basic entry level. Canon said that the newly launched DSLR’s will focus on catering the needs of the beginners and also serious amateurs by giving them the flexibility of a DSLR with no compromises to performance and image quality.
 

We had a chance to meet the Canon team a week before the launch and were given an exclusive preview of the upcoming cameras. Under the hood, both the EOS 800D and the EOS 77D share similar architecture in terms of hardware and specifications. The Canon team informed us that both the DSLRs have the same 24.2 MP sensors, reworked for better performance along with a new 45-point all cross-type focus points. Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF makes its way into both the cameras making focus tracking during photo and video possible. Canon also has claimed that the cameras have the world’s fastest AF for still shooting in live view mode of just 0.03 sec.


The cameras also feature electronic stabilisation that works for video modes. Canon claims that the cameras will provide up to 5-stops of stabilisation when paired with Canon’s lenses which have Image Stabilisation built in. The processing capabilities of the EOS 77D and the EOS 800D are undertaken by the new DIGIC 7 processor. Both the cameras have an impressive ISO range of 100 to up to 25600. The video department is preceded by Full HD 1080p @ 60fps and the burst shooting allows shooting 6 frames per second.
Apart from the usual, the cameras also feature HDR videos and Timelapse movies which now allows users to control the change of exposure according to the scene. Also the Bluetooth technology now makes its way into the cameras, making it smart to switch between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to save power. The user interface has also seen some revamp making it easier to navigate the menu.
 
The main difference between the cameras however is minimal. The EOS 77D features a top LDC plate which the 800D misses. Also the scroll buttons of the 800D have been swapped for a turning multi-functional dial that rotates and also works individually and directional scroll buttons. The EOS 77D has a dedicated customisable AF-ON button which the EOS 800D misses out on. In a nutshell Canon has launched two different cameras with identical hardware but targets two entirely different audiences. The 800D will cost Rs. 56,995/- (body), whereas the 77D will cost Rs. 59,995/- (body)

The new mirrorless EOS M6


The new Canon EOS M6 is Canon’s latest entrant in it’s mirrorless EOS M series. According to Canon, the new mirrorless camera is the successor of the Canon EOS M3. A 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor camera, the EOS M6 will feature a DIGIC 7 processor. It will have 49 AF Points, 7fps (AF Fixed 9fps), an ISO range of 100-25600. We were disappointed to see that the camera did not feature an EVF. However, Canon informed that they are releasing a new removable EVF named EVF-DC2 with the camera body. 

The camera can record Full HD video, and features a 3.2-inch touch, tilt LCD Panel. There is built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth. The camera will come with a EF-M 15-45mm kit – EF-M 18-150mm kit, however, Canon informed that the price for the camera has not been decided yet.

We will be doing full reviews of the cameras in our upcoming issues, so make sure you don’t miss them out!

Asian Photography Awards 2017

First organised about 18 years ago in 1999, Asian Photography Awards have come a long way and become one of the most important events in the industry’s calendar. Being one of the most awaited and prestigious awards in this industry, the idea is to recognise and appreciate the excellence of the photography industry and its individuals who either work behind the cameras or simply create them! The objective is to honour the best products and services of the industry, featuring different set of parameters for judgement in each category. Here is the lowdown of awards this year!


PRODUCT CATEGORY

Every year our awards are based on the product shootouts, reviews and comparisons that we conduct throughout the year in order to help our readers make an informed decision about investing in new photography gears and accessories. Driven by performance and quality, we at Asian Photography believe in putting products against each other. So who are the winners this year?


Awards in the Media Storage Category


BEST SECURE DIGITAL (SD) MEMORY CARD 



Winner: Kingston SDHC UHS-I 32GB

The Kingston consistently performed toe to toe in every test. It tied with the Transcend in the Crystal Disk Mark test and fared quite well in the folder transfer test. The Kingston SDHC UHS-I 32GB Card aced the in camera test with 1.73 shots per second exceeding its competitors’ performance significantly. The card comes with a lifetime warranty and is priced at ₹1699 which is significantly lesser than the Transcend. If you are looking for a quality product with a consistent performance at a reasonable price the Kingston SDHC UHS-I 32GB Card, the winner of this year’s secure digital (SD) memory card shootout, most certainly is the way to go.


BEST MICRO SD CARD 



Winner: SanDisk Ultra 32GB microSDHC UHS-I

In the Crystal Disk Mark test, SanDisk had a better read speed of 34.82MB/s, but a lower write speed of 17.99 MB/s. In the folder transfer test, SanDisk had a slower read time of 87.48 seconds, however, had a faster write time at 71.07 seconds. In the in-camera performance test SanDisk card recorded 4.36fps. performing decently in almost all parameters, and retailing at a low price of ₹750, SanDisk Ultra 32GB microSDHC UHS-I is this year’s MicroSD card shootout winner.


BEST CF CARD 



Winner: SanDisk Extreme CompactFlash 64GB

The SanDisk card performed consistently throughout the shootout. In the CDM test, SanDisk CF Extreme Pro aced, with read speed of 34.91MB/s and the write speed of 27.23MB/s. In the Folder Transfer test, SanDisk had the best write speed at 48.44 seconds, but a slower the read speed of 30.94 seconds than Kingston. In the in-camera performance test, SanDisk scored 2fps. At the price range of ₹4800, SanDisk is definitely a strong contender and wins the shootout.


Awards in the Printing Category


BEST ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER 



Winner: Epson L360

The EPSON L360, performed well in most categories with good quality prints, but in some tests took longer time than the Canon PIXMA G3000. However, Epson’s output in most tests was better than the Canon printer, and with a price tag of ₹11,599, it costs less than the Canon G3000 as well, making it the winner of the All-In-One Printer Shootout this year.


Awards in the Rechargeable Battery Category


BEST AA RECHARGEABLE BATTERY 



Winner: Uniross 2700mAh Rechargeable

The Uniross 2700mAh Rechargeable performed better all throughout the shootout. Though the counts of the flashes fired were less than the GP batteries but more than what the Envie could deliver, the consistency of the Uniross batteries between the flashes fired after the heat up have been steadier. The price also being about the same, the charge time taken by these batteries is a little lesser, which is 8 hours and 25 minutes. So taking into consideration the charging time and the consistency of the fl ashes fired; the Uniross performs slightly better than the competition. The shootout this year was extremely close and with a price of ₹900 for four batteries, the Uniross rechargeable wins this year’s AA battery shootout.


Awards in the Lens Category


BEST ALL-IN-ONE LENS 



Winner: Tamron 18-200 AF18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 DiII VC

The Tamron lens, priced significantly lesser than the Tamron lens at ₹17,900, was quite well built. While we would’ve liked the focussing ring to be a little wider and have more resistance the lens was very easy and comfortable to use. The colour output of the lens was superior to its competitor and produced least distortion. The Tamron beat it’s competitor in the chromatic aberration department as well as produced better colours hands down, thus making the Tamron 18-200 AF 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 DiII VC lens this year’s winner for the All-in-one lens shootout.


BEST FIXED FOCAL LENGTH LENS 



Winner: Canon 24mm f/1.4L II USM

The Canon 24mm f/1.4L II USM is a balanced lens with a good build quality and great photo output quality. The lens even though a little bigger, is fast to focus and comfortable to use. Even though it lost to the Sony in chromatic aberration test it faired well in the other tests. The Canon, priced at ₹1,12,995 is reasonably priced, given the quality of optics used in them. Keeping in mind the minimum f-number on the lens being 1.4 the lens will be substantially more useful in low light situations. The Canon 24mm f/1.4L II USM also has better and more believable colours which one would expect from such a lens. Overall the lens performed really well compared to the Sony’s overall performance, thus making it this month’s winner in the fixed focal length category.


BEST DSLR KIT LENS 



Winner: Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/ 3.5-5.6 IS USM

Priced at ₹37,995, Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/ 3.5-5.6 IS USM looks very good in terms of construction and optics. The buttons, focus and zoom rings are very smooth to operate and the focussing was quick and precise. Works well with a newer body and delivers good quality images. However, the colours produced are somewhat fl at but nothing to be very worried about. The distortion and chromatic aberration was decent and it exhibited the least amount of both. Canon wins the shootout this year.


Awards in the Photo-Imaging Category


BEST INNOVATION IN DSLR/ MIRRORLESS CAMERA TECHNOLOGY



Winner: Panasonic GH5

Panasonic, who have been known for it’s innovation, produced the Lumix DC-GH5 which boasts of being the first mirrorless single-lens camera in the world with 4K/60p, 4:2:2 10bit recording. The camera can also take 4K-quality still photos (approximately eight megapixels) at up to 60 frames per second, and it can handle 6K images (approximately 18 megapixels) at up to 30 frames per second. The 20.3 Megapixel camera also has a Venus Engine processor and has features like 5-Axis Dual IS2, free angle touch screen, double SD card slot etc. The Dual I.S.2 5-axis stabilization system can coordinate the correction functions of the camera and the lens, while advances in DFD technology have greatly improved the autofocus field recognition capabilities. Awards 2017



BEST ENTRY LEVEL DSLR 



Winner: Nikon D3400

It is a tough decision for people who buy their first DSLR, especially beginners who would stick to a brand after they have purchased their first DSLR. Since one has or plans to invest in the same brand eco-system, it is advisable to stick to a brand which you have been using or are probably going to use. Both the Canon 1300D and the Nikon D3400 are great entry level cameras, although the Nikon D3400 had a slight edge over the Canon when it comes to ISO performance and image quality at high ISOs. The Nikon D3400 comes for ₹31,450 (body only) and the Canon 1300D comes with a kit lens (18-55mm) and is priced at ₹29,995 which is lower than the Nikon. If you want image quality and slightly better performance like faster burst mode, go for the Nikon D3400.


BEST SEMI-PROFESSIONAL DSLR 



Winner: Canon EOS 7D Mark II

The Canon 7D Mark II is a steady performer and the image quality is superior to most of the cameras that are trying to match up with it now. It’s image quality was fairly balanced, and it performed really well in the ISO performance as well. The Canon 7D mark II costs ₹128,795 for the body only which is on the higher side but for a camera that is marked by its performance, and hence is a pretty good deal, thus making the Canon win the shootout.


BEST PROFESSIONAL DSLR CAMERA 



Winner: Canon 1DX Mark II

The Canon 1DX Mark II comes with a C-Fast card slot and a CF card slot and is priced at ₹4,55,995. The performance of the camera is impressive and the burst mode is brilliant. The image quality and ISO performance which is delivered proves its performance. Although the Canon is slightly higher in price for body-only, the Canon 1DX Mark II proves to be the winner of this professional DSLR shootout.


BEST MIRRORLESS CAMERA 



Winner: Canon EOS M5

The Canon M5 was underexposed a little for portraits and the skin tones accuracy was average. However, the Canon impressed in low-light and with its colour reproduction which was the closest to the real life situation of the scene itself. The ISO was decent in daylight and usable enough for night time shooting. Priced at ₹81,995 (with 15-45mm IS STM kit lens) it is higher than both the Fujifi lm and the Sony but you also get a kit-lens bundled to start off with. The overall performance of the Canon is impressive and so the Canon M5 wins the mirrorless camera shootout this year.


Photographer of the Year



Winner: Sudharak Olwe

Hailing from Akola district in Maharashtra, and overcoming poverty, Sudharak Olwe has been documenting stories around India since 1988. With a career spanning nearly three decades, Olwe’s lens has captured the grittiest of stories that narrate accounts of resilience, courage and change. His ground-breaking series on the Mumbai’s conservancy workers exposes their inhumane working conditions, whereas his Kamathipura series with the sex workers reveals the city’s dark underbelly. His empathetic approach is what is unique in bringing out emotions through photographs. In 2016, he was awarded the Padmi Shri award, one of India’s highest civilian honours, for his work. Olwe’s work has been featured and exhibited in Mumbai, Los Angeles, Dhaka, Amsterdam, Kassel and Malmo.

Top 10 Most Influential People in Photography Unveiled

One of the most sought after award trophies in the industry is the Most Influential People in Photography, organised as part of the Asian Photography Awards ceremony. The category introduces you to the 10 Most Influential people/institutions in the photographic fraternity of India. The process, participants and the jury for this award call for something special. Adjudged by a jury outside the industry and is tabulated by an independent auditor to ensure the awards are unbiased and impartial. The nominees for these awards are judged not only on the basis of achievements, but also on their contributions and impact towards the industry in the last one year.

10. Symbiosis School Of Photography


The objective of Symbiosis School of Photography is to successfully educate and graduate professional image-makers with the technical, artistic and business skills necessary for success. Their programs are presented through a combination of intimate classroom lectures and demonstrations, practical hands-on assignment work in studios and labs, and real-world experience through the fulfillment of actual contract work for clients. They conduct study tours for students to various places across India, one day tours to culture events, and other industrial visits as well. The institute also houses a research lab where hybrid technologies are taught, and students can publish research papers on photography. The institute has a guest faculty from Royal College of Art London who regularly conducts lectures for students, and professionals from Europe who give seminars at the institute. Students also get a chance to conduct their own photography exhibitions. Headed by Vishal Bhende, the institute is redefining photography education.

9. Bishwarup Mallick, Business Head, Camera and Binocular Division, Ricoh India


Bishwarup has been influential in helping Ricoh establish their business in India, widen their customer base, improve sales, create a category which was non-existent during the time it was introduced. He has help build a strong forum to interact regularly through various social networking platforms, and increase exposure through word of mouth, and customer satisfaction and loyalty. As a marketing head, he introduced a major international marketing activity in India called Photomarathon. He’s been instrumental in successful introduction of 360 degree image and video category in India, and all India service collection facility for Pentax, Ricoh camera.

8. Rajesh Gupta, Country Manager, India and SAARC, SanDisk


As the Country Manager, Rajesh Gupta has led the SanDisk sales and marketing team to deliver various projects and maintain strong business record for SanDisk in India. He has worked collaboratively with the management at the regional and HQ level to position India as a strong emerging market and get higher visibility for the new launches in India. He also worked closely with the team to build reach for SanDisk in Tier II and III markets across India, in emerging cities through roadshows, incentive programmes for partners, enhanced level of retail visibility and co-marketing programmes to reach out to the channel partners in the upcountry markets.

7. Nitin Goyal, President and CEO, Tamron India


Under Nitin Goyal’s leadership, Tamron has been able to develop their own set of distributors across India from different industries. He has helped the company with key marketing activities like Dealer Activations, Wedding events, Exhibition Participation, Associations with all imaging committees across India, Mentor programme to bring photographers hidden talent on open platforms like workshops etc. He played a vital role in idea generation, brainstorming, team making and motivation, fine-tuning projects and successfully executing them. These efforts have helped Tamron to penetrate major cities, and has been rewarding in terms of brand recognition, brand visibility and business growth.

6. Udaan School of Photography


A conglomeration of photographers and artists, Udaan prides itself on its learning modules, as they are original and created by a common think tank. The renowned institute recently moved to a new expansive premise of over 10000sqft purely dedicated to photography, in the heart of Mumbai. Their aim is to provide better facilities, huge studios, extensive computer lab, libraries, lounges and even a cafeteria and a proper learning environment to our students, without an increase in fees. The institute has involved many photographers (and even students), from different streams in the management of the institute. The institute is setting high standards in area of photography education.

5. Sephi Bergerson


Sephi Bergerson has 12 years of experience as a commercial photographer in Israel and 15 years of documentary experience in India. He is an award-winning photographer, and specialises in lifestyle photography, and destination weddings. Sephi’s work has been featured in books and publications worldwide and has won international acclaim. His most inspiring photo projects address cultural and humanitarian issues, from polio and HIV to rural development and education. Last year, he helped organise SILK INSPIRE 2016, India’s first wedding photography festival, and SILK Awards, India’s first-ever recognition platform for documentary series in wedding photography.

4. Dabboo Ratnani


With more than 20 years of experience shooting the Indian entertainment and fashion industry, Daboo Ratnani is a name to be reckoned with. He has shot numerous Indian and international celebrities including Brett Lee, Chris Gayle, Borris Becker, Nelson Mandela, Michael Jackson, and Dwayne Bravo. He also conducts numerous workshops all over India for aspiring professional photographers. He is part of Nikon’s Pro Panel, wherein he conducts seminars and interactive workshops for Nikon School.

3. Sudhir Shivaram


With his undying love for wildlife, Sudhir Shivaram is among the most well-known and respected wildlife photographers in India. With a strong technical background, Sudhir’s work has won various prestigious awards, including the National Geographic’s ‘Yellow Border Award’. He was a brand ambassador of Canon for a period of 8 years, and is also the founding member of the non-profit photo sharing site India Nature Watch. He has launched an online video based photography tutorials. He also started a photography-related Facebook chats that have gone on to become hugely popular. In the last one year, around 3.5 million people over the world have viewed his various live videos broadcasts on Facebook, including the ones from various National Parks from around India and Kenya/Tanzania. He was the first person in the world to do a live broadcast of the great migration from the Masai Mara on Facebook in 2015.

2. Kazuo Ninomiya, Managing Director, Nikon India


Taking the role as the Nikon MD in 2015, Kazuo Ninomiya has helped the brand reinforce it’s presence in India. With key projects like Nikon schools, the brand has been able to contribute to the proliferating photography culture in India, and come up with a YouTube channel with tutorials in English and Hindi. He has also worked closely with potential partners, media and corporate consumers, and reinforced Nikon’s policy of “consumer first” to evaluate customer feedback, and change for the benefit of the customers. In making social contributions, CSR initiatives to aid students with education, transport and healthcare were undertaken.

1. Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon India


With over 36 years of experience with Canon and during this tenure of half a decade with Canon India, Kazutada Kobayashi has played a role in bringing about several changes in the market, customer expectation and technological development, and ensure Canon India has stayed a step ahead of it all. Understanding the brand’s DNA, he has led a team that has diligently, towards the growth and success of the brand, and as a leading digital imaging company in India. He has contributed, directly or indirectly, to all of Canon’s projects, and helped expand the company’s product portfolio and focussed on improving customer education and awareness with pan-India activities like Canon Photo marathon, Photo-walks and photography workshops.

Nikon Strengthens Its Retail Presence In The Western Region Of India

Nikon India inaugurated a new Nikon Experience Zone in the city of Mumbai last month, to bring their products to their customers. Launching the company’s 38th Experience Zone in West India, the centre was inaugurated today by Mr. Kazuo Ninomiya, Managing Director, Nikon India and Mr. Sajjan Kumar, Sr. Vice President – Corporate Sales and Strategy, Nikon India inThane (West), Maharashtra.

According to the company, with the ever increasing presence of Experience Zones in the country, Nikon aims to provide a matchless ‘touch & feel’ experience to its customers, enabling them to make a purchase decision. The company stated that the photography enthusiasts of Solapur will now have greater accessibility to the entire range of Nikon D-SLR cameras along with Nikon’s COOLPIX range, Nikon 1 series, select array of NIKKOR lenses, Nikon accessories and Nikon Sport Optics range.

At the store inauguration, Mr. Kazuo Ninomiya, Managing Director, Nikon India said,”At Nikon, we take pride in enhancing our services to better meet the varied requirements of our customers. The launch of the new Experience Zone in Thane clearly showcases our vested interest in promoting photography in the region. We will continue to expand our presence in the splendid state of Maharashtra to offer the best of camera technology to all photography enthusiasts.”

Mr. Sajjan Kumar Division, Sr. Vice President – Corporate Sales and Strategy, Nikon India added,”As a company, Nikon invests heavily in strengthening the retail base, including investments in Tier 2 and 3 cities. The launch of the Experience Zone in Thane reiterates our efforts to continue to support and promote emerging markets. We are confident that today’s announcement will boost the demand for both the Compact Camera as well as D-SLR categories by ensuring the direct availability of devices to our esteemed customers in Thane.”  

Kodak to bring back film

To the delight of all the film-phoptography enthusiasts around the globe, Eastman Kodak Company has announced it’s plans to bring back one of its most iconic film stocks. According to the company over the next 12 months, Kodak will be working to reformulate and manufacture KODAK EKTACHROME Film for both motion picture and still photography applications. 

KODAK EKTACHROME Film has a distinctive look that was the choice for generations of cinematographers before it was discontinued in 2012. The film is known for its extremely fine grain, clean colors, great tones and contrasts.
Steven Overman, Kodak’s chief marketing officer and president of the Consumer and Film Division said, “It is such a privilege to reintroduce KODAK EKTRACHROME Film to the cinematography community,”. “We are seeing a broad resurgence of excitement about capturing images on film. Kodak is committed to continuing to manufacture film as an irreplaceable medium for image creators to capture their artistic vision. We are proud to help bring back this classic.”

According to Kodak, the company will produce EKTACHROME at its film factory in Rochester, N.Y., and will market and distribute the Super 8 motion picture film version of EKTACHROME Film directly.

Kodak Alaris, an independent company since 2013, also reportedly plans to offer a still format KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film for photographers in 135-36x format. KODAK PROFESSIONAL EKTACHROME Film is a color positive film, also known as “reversal,” “slide,” or “transparency” film.  The availability is expected in the fourth quarter of 2017.

Trends and Predictions for 2017

One of the key things that we feature in our anniversary issue every year are the upcoming Trends and Predictions when it comes to technology, photography and products in the coming year. And the best part is that we are able to predict them accurately as opposed to many others. So these are the things that we feel will become big in the coming years. 
___________
Bhavya Desai 
___________

Film

While I have been speaking about the emergence of film in the past few years, 2017 probably might be one of the biggest years of its comeback in recent history. A few years back it was only a few photographers that would shoot on film and in most cases also develop it themselves. But in recent times small developing pigeon hole set-ups have also sprung up which are seeing more than their share of film. Not to mention that couple of mainline manufacturers have increased their sales and production of silver halide paper. So get ready for some film action.

Augmented and Virtual reality

While augmented and virtual reality is still at a nascent stage but going by what I saw at Photokina and CES in the past year, the year 2017 will establish a firmer footing. Imaging biggies like Nikon and Panasonic launched products in 2016 focussing on AR and VR technology. But largely it will be the content that will see the biggest change with the newer products supporting the visual experience around photography.

Technology

While the development of technology is inevitable, yet there are milestones achieved which change the manner in which an industry moves. Take for instance the launch of the first iPhone. Sure there were touch phones prior to its launch, but it changed the trend of most phones featuring touchscreen in the next few years, and now practically 90% or more phones are touch screen.

I don’t think that when it comes to imaging there will be a milestone achieved in the year 2017, but the launch of products like Hasselblad X1D and the Moto Mods are a few example about where the imaging companies and the technology in the industry might be heading. This might just be the beginning of the imaging industry starting to lock horns with the technology and its future. I see more companies coming to the fore in 2017 when it comes to playing with technology, and the true future of the same will be seen in the next few years, which is when I expect a milestone breakthrough.

360 Degree Photography

While 360-degree photography in some ways is already to the fore and the content has started trickling in, I feel that in 2017 this will one of the biggest trends when it comes to content. You can already see video content with the 360 experience on platforms which is changing the way we experience content. And the true potential of that content is what I expect to gather force in the year 2017. In fact when it comes to content I think this will be one of the biggest trends of the year.

Flash Photography

When it comes to trends in shooting images then flash is going to be a big trend in the coming year. While it has been around for the longest time, earlier the efforts were made to reduce its impact to merge it into natural light. But in the year 2017 flash will be more in your face instead of taking a back seat in those shoots. Be it fashion, portrait, candid or commercial, the trend in the industry will be to make it loud and in your face. 

Photos taken in the moment

For most who might understand the sub-head might think that this is nothing but candid photography. While that might be marginally true, the year 2017 will be all about ‘being natural’. It means that pictures will be shot in the moment, capturing the action in its natural form. Yes, I did predict about candid being one of the trends in 2016 and in wedding photography it was one of the trends that swooped the industry. 

But there is a fine line between the pics shot in a natural environment and candid. Ideally candid is a genre where the subject isn’t aware of the photographer. But for natural environment, the subjects are aware of the photographer’s presence yet continue their journey. 

Social Media/POV and Perspective photography

There is no denying that fact that social media has impacted our life in many ways. And the year of 2017 will see a phenomenal rise in the manner in which pictures are shot, both professionally and personally. Naturally in some places selfies have been banned because of its nuisance value to many, but there will be a new trend that I predict that will come up in 2017, which is point-of-view photography (POV). 

Not that consumers today aren’t shooting these things. But there is stark difference between the regular pics and the ones that are shot and uploaded on social media. In many ways its for social approval and bravado. And I feel that is the style that will be a big trend in the coming year. Another big trend will be perspective photography, much like what we see on Snapchat these days where people often provide their personal take or experience to an event/occasion. 

Better technology in smartphone cameras

While this isn’t something that is going to take much predicting, it’s natural that smartphones launched in 2017 will feature better cameras. But I feel that the technology featured in smartphones cameras will get a lot better, especially since manufacturers don’t have much space to play with (literally). So while they might get feature packed, we can expect new breakthroughs in this industry for sure.        

PureNight filter cuts out light pollution for better night sky photo

Light pollution is something that every nature photographer has faced at one point in his or her life. This is an issue that requires post-processing to correct and usually is a burden for most photographers. This is where PureNight comes into play. PureNight is a glass light pollution reduction filter designed by Lonely Speck. Made of a special didymium glass, PureNight reduces the transmission of light from sodium vapor lamps, one of the most prevalent sources of light pollution on our planet. Resulting images will have truer colors and improved contrast when compared to images influenced by light pollution. This is something that astrophotographers can look forward to, if they want to save time and energy in editing images. PureNight has also,in their website published some sample images that display the amazing capabilities of the simple yet useful filter. 


According to PureNight, “These photos, as with the first samples, were exported directly from RAW with no edits other than a brightness equalisation with a 0.7EV push on the PureNight shots to compensate for the reduced brightness of the light pollution. We expect the final versions of PureNight to show roughly -0.3EV to -1EV of reduction in brightness, depending on the conditions.”

The filter requires a square filter system as the PureNight is made to fit into the popular square filter systems including: Cokin P (85mm), Lee 100mm (4-inch), and Formatt-Hitech. The PureNight filter will be available in two different sizes –  85mm and 100mm filter holders (sold separately).”Each PureNight filter is custom made to our specifications. Grinding, polishing, optical coating, engraving and packaging are all things that we need to be able to order in a large enough quantity to make PureNight reasonably affordable.” Says their crowdfunding website. The filter will be available in two sizes – 85mm for $219 (Early Bird Pricing) and 100mm square filter — $239 (Early Bird Pricing). 

Pirelli unveils its 2017 calendar shot by Peter Lindbergh

The 2017 Pirelli Calendar, created by one of the world’s top photographers, Peter Lindbergh, was presented in Paris recently. The 2017 edition, which follows on from the one by Annie Leibovitz in 2016, sees the German master become the only photographer to have been asked to produce the Pirelli Calendar for the third time. It was Peter who shot the Calendar of 1996 in the El Mirage desert in California, and the one of 2002 at the studios of Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles. In 2014, it was again Lindbergh, together with Patrick Demarchelier, who took the photographs to celebrate 50 years of the Calendar, which was first launched in 1964.
Taking into account some gaps in its publication, the Pirelli Calendar has now reached its forty-fourth edition.
The photographer explains the underlying theme of the 2017 Pirelli Calendar, “In a time when women are represented in the media and everywhere else, as ambassadors of perfection and youth, I thought it was important to remind everyone that there is a different beauty, more real and truthful and not manipulated by commercial or any other interests, a beauty which speaks about individuality, courage to be yourself and your own private sensibility…”.
Lindbergh has chosen the title “Emotional” in order to emphasise how the idea behind his photos was “to create a calendar not around perfect bodies, but on sensitivity and emotion, stripping down to the very soul of the sitters, who thus become more nude than naked.”
In order to convey his idea of natural beauty and femininity, Lindbergh has portrayed 14 internationally renowned actresses. They are Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, Helen Mirren, Julianne Moore, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlotte Rampling, Lea Seydoux, Uma Thurman, Alicia Vikander, Kate Winslet, Robin Wright and Zhang Ziyi. He has also included Anastasia Ignatova, professor of Political Theory at MGIMO – Moscow State University of International Relations. These choices once again reveal Lindbergh’s love of the cinema which makes the Cité du Cinéma in Saint Denis, one of Europe’s most important film studios, the natural setting for the traditional gala dinner where the new calendar has been presented.
“My aim was to portray women in a different way”, says Lindbergh, “and I did it by calling in actresses who’ve played an important role in my life, getting as close as possible to them to take my photos. As an artist, I feel I’m responsible for freeing women from the idea of eternal youth and perfection. The ideal of perfect beauty promoted by society is something that simply can’t be attained.”
The photos were taken between May and June of this year in five different locations: Berlin, Los Angeles, New York, London and the beach at Le Touquet in France. The result is a calendar consisting of 40 images – with portraits and environments – made not just in the studio, but also in a number of city corners and open-air sets. We thus see the streets, fast food joints and run-down hotels in downtown Los Angeles, along with Times Square in New York, the Sophiensaele theatre in Berlin, attic roofs in New York and London and the beach at Le Touquet.

Sony launches ɑ99 II, a new flagship ɑ A-mount interchangeable lens camera

Expanding its ɑ A-mount interchangeable lens camera line, Sony India has launched a new flagship, the a99 II. A successor to the acclaimed ɑ99, the new a99 II which is said to combine the best of Sony’s latest digital imaging innovations including a new Hybrid Phase Detection AF system with exclusive Sony A-mount features such as Translucent Mirror Technology (TMT). 

According to Sony, ɑ99 II has been redesigned to allow for high resolution and continuous shooting at high frame rates. A new front-end LSI works with the image sensor and BIONZ X image processing engine, as well as a newly designed shutter unit, to enable continuous shooting at up to 12fps with AF/AE tracking, all whilst harnessing the sensor’s 42.4MP capabilities. 

They informed that the improvements to the EVF display algorithm now deliver continuous live-view shooting at up to 8 fps with AF/AE tracking with minimal display lag so that the viewing experience is essentially no different from that of an optical viewfinder. Exposure, white balance and other camera settings are displayed in real time in the viewfinder and continuous live view shooting can be set in 3 stages to match a variety of subjects: 8 fps, 6 fps and 4 fps. The back-illuminated full-frame 42.4MP Exmor R CMOS sensor has  a gapless-on-chip design and is said to allow for fast readout of large volumes of data, as well as being extremely efficient in its light gathering ability. The ɑ99 II does not have an optical low-pass filter, and has an ISO range of 100-25600, expandable to ISO 50 – 102,400.

The newly developed Phase Detection AF System is capable of ‘full-time AF’ and is the first implementation of 4D FOCUS in the full-frame ɑ series, which is said to bring a new level of AF performance to ɑ99 II users. The Hybrid Phase Detection AF System is enabled by combining a 79-point dedicated phase detection AF sensor with 399 focal plane phase detection AF points to produce a 79 hybrid cross AF point array. In addition, as there is no moving mirror, TMT enables continuous AF operation and the finder image remains unaffected during any type of shooting, including live view and movie recording. After featuring it in the ɑ7 II series of cameras, Sony has designed a new in-body 5 axis image stabilisation system for A-mount cameras which debuts for the first time in the ɑ99 II.

The ɑ99 II enables internal 4K movie recording featuring full pixel readout, without pixel binning, for ultimate high resolution video in the pro friendly XAVC-S format.  It is capable of recording high quality footage at 100Mbps for 4K recording. 

The newly launched ɑ99 II will be available in select Sony Center, Alpha flagship stores and major electronic stores across India, and will cost Rs 249,990/-
 

The wait is over: Canon has officially announced the long-awaited EOS 5D Mark IV

The wait is finally over, as Canon today announced the highly-anticipated EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera, the next generation of the popular 5D series of Canon professional DSLR cameras. Building on its celebrated legacy, the EOS 5D Mark IV is set to propel the series forward with features and enhancements targeted to please even the most discerning creative eyes.  The new power-packed camera features a 30.4 megapixel Dual Pixel Canon CMOS sensor, with the DIGIC 6+ Image Processor, delivering 4K 30P video and up to seven frames per second (fps) continuous shooting. 



Earlier this month, we had a chance to meet the Canon team to get an exclusive hands-on with a prototype of the new camera. The Canon team informed us that the new 30.4 Megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor in the camera allows for versatile shooting in nearly any light, with ISO range 100–32,000; expandable up to 50–102,400. The camera features 4K Motion JPEG video (DCI cinema-type 4096 x 2160) at 30p or 24p; in-camera still frame grab of 4K 8.8-Megapixel images; the multiple video options include Full HD up to 60p, and HD up to 120p.



They informed that the Dual Pixel CMOS AF facilitates for responsive and smooth AF during video or Live View shooting; LCD monitor has full touch-screen interface, including selection of AF area. The AF area has 61 AF points, and 41 cross-points. The AF area has also been extended, with Block at center Approx. 8.6％ vertically extended, and 24% vertically on side blocks. The camera also features the new Dual Pixel RAW format (a special version of RAW image data that contains Dual Pixel information sent from picture elements (pixels). If the image-recording quality mode is set to DPRAW, this new data format supports development of the photo through the Digital Photo Professional application), in-camera Digital Lens Optimizer during JPEG shooting and Diffraction Correction technologies. There is also inbuilt WiFi and NFC for sharing of images to compatible devices or social media sites.



“Canon’s EOS 5D series of DSLR cameras has a history of being at the forefront of still and video innovation. And today, we add to this family of cameras the EOS 5D Mark IV– the first in our 5D series to offer 4K video and built-in Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A.. “In developing this new DSLR camera, we listened to the requests of current EOS users to create for them a modern, versatile camera designed to help them create and share beautiful still and video imagery.”

The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR is currently scheduled to be available in early September 2016 for an estimated retail price of $3,499.00 for the body only. It will also be sold as part of body-and-lens kits with the EF24-70mm f/4L lens ($4,399.00, scheduled to be available early September)  and the EF24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens ($4,599.00, scheduled to be available late October) .

In addition, Canon is also introducing two new L-series EF lenses – the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM Standard Zoom Lens, with the former scheduled to be available late in October for an estimated retail price of $2,199.00, and the later scheduled to be available in late October for an estimated retail price of $1,099.00.