Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2021 i Smart Photography

We are now taking more photos than ever before. Why are we shooting so many pictures? Obviously, to show or share our skills, emotions and likes. However, our research shows that a lot of images taken are never shared. Photographers today have a number of avenues to share their pictures. Apart from friends and relatives, photographs can be exhibited on the internet and there are several suitable sites available. Your hidden talent can be discovered much more easily and the world can share your success. Don’t forget that SP also regularly features fresh talent. The message this February is therefore to share your pictures . You never know what will happen next.…

Sony has announced the FE 35 mm f/1.4 GM (model SEL35F14GM), the newest addition to its G Master full-frame lens series. When paired with an E-mount camera body, the lens offers Sony’s AF capabilities. The lens weighs 524 g and measures 76 mm dia. x 96 mm, with a filter diameter of 67 mm. It features an optical technology including two XA (extreme aspherical) elements, one ED glass element and other optical refinements. The lens reportedly, performs well in difficult lighting by suppressing chromatic aberration and purple fringing. It delivers an almost circular aperture thanks to its 11-blade construction. The combination of f/1.4 maximum aperture and the flexibility to choose the shooting distance (minimum focussing distance of just 27cm with a maximum magnification of 0.23x in autofocus mode) allows for…

Samyang has announced the addition of a wide 14 mm lens to its recently introduced VDSLR MK2 cine-lens series. The lens measures 9.6 cm long and weighs about 650 g. All 5 lenses in its VD-SLR range are available and fully compatible with 7 camera mounts i.e. Canon EF, Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon F, Canon M, Fuji X and MFT. The lens was created using 4 types of special lens elements, including an aspherical element used for reducing spherical and optical aberration, 3 High-Refractive, 1 Hybrid aspherical and 2 Extra-low Dispersion elements. It is fully-featured with de-clicked aperture rings and focus gear rings. Other features included in the lens are weather sealing, 9 aperture blades and a lightweight sleek design in black matte finish. As of now, no information…

Nikon has released a notice regarding the discontinuation of international warranties for interchangeable lenses and accessories. The notice mentions that the company will no longer provide international warranty for Nikkor interchangeable lenses (F mount and Z mount lenses, mount adapters, etc.) and accessories (Speedlights, etc.), but, will provide instead local warranties specific to the country or region of sale, or shipping destination. Until recently, Nikon had attached its international warranty to interchangeable lenses and certain accessories. However, with the differences in regional laws and safety standards, it has reportedly become difficult to maintain a single international warranty that is effective around the world. After considering a variety of options, the company has ultimately decided to begin the gradual transition from international warranties to regional warranties for interchangeable lenses and accessories,…

Moza has released an intelligent selfie stick, the Moza Nano SE. It is an extendable, intelligent selfie gimbal aimed at travellers and travel vloggers who use mobile phone to create their videos. The Nano SE is compact and lightweight gimbal weighing 250 g and can support mobile phones weighing up to 280 g. It comes in 4 colour options to choose from, with green and black available now, the blue and pink versions are scheduled to be launched later. The gimbal is controllable using a detachable Bluetooth remote and also supports Wireless Dual Control. It can be switched between landscape and portrait mode instantly by the single press of the top button. The device comes with a four stage extension with maximum extension up to almost 27 inches (690 mm).…

Ishara Art Foundation, a non-profit foundation based in Dubai, that covers contemporary art practices from a South Asian context, will be holding an exhibition from January 20 to May 20, 2021. This exhibition marks Sohrab Hura’s inaugural curatorial project as a photographer and filmmaker, along with the presentation of several artists and collectives never before shown institutionally in a regional and international context. The exhibition will include a showcase of 14 artists, photographers and collectives from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Germany, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Singapore, including Farah Mulla, Sean Lee, Munem Wasif and archival photography by Nepal Picture Library that looks at the representation of women in public space. As the first institutional showcase for many of the artists and the first curatorial venture by Sohrab Hura, the exhibition, ‘Growing…

Samsung has launched the ‘Max Up’ Galaxy M02s under its Galaxy M Series. The M02s is priced below INR 10,000 and is packed with a range of Samsung’s first ever features for the digital-first consumers in this price segment. The smartphone comes with a 6.5-inch Infinity-V display, targeted for immersive viewing, content streaming, video calls and attending online courses. It comes with memory that is expandable up to 1TB. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and comes with up to 4GB RAM. The M02s is Samsung’s first sub-10K smartphone with 5000mAh battery and a triple rear camera. The battery comes with 15W fast charging and the rear camera setup has a 13MP main camera, 2MP refined macro lens, a 2MP depth camera and a 5MP front camera that comes…

As an entrepreneur who founded many successful startups in your career, what was the thought process behind the development of PicsArt? PicsArt is something very close to my heart. While many know me as an engineer and an entrepreneur, just a handful might know that I applied to an art school before I decided to study engineering, but I was rejected. Fortunately, I did well at engineering. However, the love for art and the experience I had trying to get into art school motivated me to build a company where I could help others pursue their creativity. Another experience that inspired the building of PicsArt was when my 10-year-old daughter came to me in tears because she had shared her artwork online and was bullied. That very day, I decided…

• 2018 Photoblogger of the Year (Gujarat Tourism & ICIT) • Pro Travel Photographer. Photo Jurist. Photo Educator. SPEAKER (Architectural & Travel Photography): • • TBEX Europe 2016 (Stockholm) •TBEX Asia 2016 (Manila) •TBEX International 2017 (Jerusalem) •TBEX North America 2017 (Huntsville, AL) TBEX Europe 2018 (Ostrava, Czech Republic) WINNER: •India’s Biggest Blogging Contest - Cox & Kings’ Grab Your Dream (Season 2) • National Geographic Traveller’s GetOutThere Photo Essay Contest Web: http://travelu.re Goa as a destination attracts the most tourists in India. And these folks flock here for its long coastline that offers a variety of beach experiences ranging from the usual sun, sand and surf to water sports, dolphin watching, exotic seafood, the local brew Feni, and more. What most travellers ignore during their visit is the rich…

Ashok Kandimalla has been in the photographic field for over three decades and has extensive experience in both film and digital photography. Being an electronics engineer by profession and a photographer, he possesses a unique and deep insight into the technical aspects of digital photography and equipment. He has published more than a 100 articles on photography and some of his writings have also been published in the well-known international magazine Popular Photography. An avid collector of photographic books and vintage cameras, Ashok has a keen interest in the history of photography and a passion for sharing his knowledge on photography through teaching and writing. He is the only Indian photographer to be featured on the Nikon Centenary website. He is presently working as a Management and Engineering consutant. He…

Effective pixels: 45.7 million Lens mount: Z mount Sensor size: 35.9 x 23.9 mm (Full frame) Sensor type: CMOS File format (Stills): Raw 12 or 14-bit (lossless compressed, compressed or uncompressed); JPEG; Raw + JPEG Storage media: CFexpress (type B) / XQD card Viewfinder: 1.27 cm approx. 3690K-dot OLED VF eye sensor: Automatically switches between viewfinder and monitor display Shutter type: Electronically-controlled, vertical-travel focal-plane mechanical shutter; Electronic front-curtain shutter; electronic shutter Shutter speeds: 30 -1/8000 sec, Bulb, Time, X 200 Max shooting speed: 10 fps at full resolution Metering: Matrix, Center-weighted, Spot, Highlight weighted Picture controls: Auto, 7 more Creative pic controls: 20 available ISO sensitivity: 64 – 25,600. Can be set to equivalent of ISO 32 and 102,400 Autofocus system: Hybrid phase-detection/ contrast AF Lens servo: AF-S, AF-C and…

WE ARE GLUED TO THE GLOBAL IMAGING INDUSTRY Our team is updated with all the benchmarks and road blocks that the field of photography and imaging across the globe experiences. This helps us record the changes in the global perspective, thus making us the first to predict which products will be a rage in the Indian markets. WE’RE IMPARTIAL Loyalty towards our readers is a given, and their best interests are always on our mind. Every verdict is honest and not influenced by advertisers or personal favourites. So when we say a product is a ‘BEST BUY’, then, it is just that! OUR TESTS ARE CONDUCTED BY EXPERTS All equipment go through a series of tests at the hands of our experts. Our reviewers are experts in the field of…

OmniVision has announced the release of OV40A, a 40MP, 1.0 micron pixel image sensor that features super high gain and de-noise technologies for low-light camera performance in the 1/1.7” optical format. This sensor also offers multiple high dynamic range (HDR) options for the stills and video captures. Additionally, it supports 1080p slow-motion and high-speed video captures at 240 frames per second (fps) with phase-detection autofocus. The OV40A supports super high gain of up to 256x, and is embedded with multi-sampling de-noise functionality for enhanced low-light performance. It also offers HDR through selective conversion gain for the optimum balance between low-light image quality and HDR, along with 2- and 3-exposure staggered HDR timing. Built on OmniVision’s PureCel Plus-S stacked die technology, the OV40A integrates an on-chip, 4-cell (4C) colour filter array…

Nisi optics has officially released its first lens, a 15 mm f/4 ‘Sunstar’ wide-angle lens for Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z and Sony E mount cameras. The lens combines a compact form factor with a super ultra-wide field of view making it suitable for landscape, seascape, night, architecture, interior and nature applications. The wide 112° angle of view is combined with an advanced optical design, which includes aspherical and low dispersion elements, to achieve a well-corrected, sharp, and colour-accurate image. The lens has a manual focus design, a minimum focussing distance of 20 cm and a 72 mm front filter thread. It features a unique aperture design that contains 10 straight blades allowing for Sunstars from f/4 to f/22 and optimal image quality throughout. The lens elements are made…

ViewSonic has unveiled a range of new products, including their first 8K ColorPro monitor with Adobe RGB and colour-sensor and colourblind modes, new ViewSonic Elite gaming monitors including a 32-inch, 4K, HDMI 2.1 monitor with FreeSync, a 4K projector and an upgraded LED-based, 1080p portable projector with smart connectivity. The 32” 4K monitor (VP3286-4K) comes with 3,840 x 2,160 resolution and has 100% Adobe RGB coverage, a colour-blind mode and advanced colour adjustment options. It has the same connectivity options as the 8K display, Thunderbolt 3 and DisplayPort, plus a USB hub. The monitor will be available at a price of USD 2,000. In the 27” 4K display category, the VP2786-4K features 100% Adobe RGB coverage and colour-blind function and connectivity similar to the 32” devices. It is scheduled for…

Fujifilm has announced the discontinuation of its Pro 400H colour negative film in both 35 mm and 120 formats. On a recent press release, the company has stated that while the Pro 400H film is a unique product that is coated with a fourth layer requiring specialised raw materials and chemicals, it has become increasingly difficult to procure the raw materials needed to produce the PRO 400H film. This has resulted in the business decision to discontinue the production of PRO 400H. Fujifilm says that the discontinuation applies only to the 135 PRO 400H EC NP 36EX 1 and 120 PRO 400 H EP EC 12EX NP 5 products. On the basis on recent demand, the company anticipates that it will be able to allocate the PRO 400H 120 film…

Poco has announced new pricing for its M2 and C3 smartphones. According to Poco, the M2 has been one of the bestselling 6GB RAM phones in the country after its launch in 2020. From a selling price starting INR 10,999 earlier, buyers will now be able to get the phone starting at INR 9,999. The 128GB storage variant of the M2 will also see a 1,500 INR price drop, making it available for 10,999 INR. Alongside M2, the C3 now starts at INR 7,499 for the 3+32GB variant, and the 4+64GB variant is available for INR 8,499 down from INR 8,999.…

Godox has announced the launch of VL series, a series of compact, lightweight and portable continuous COB LED lights that come in three variants, VL300, VL200 and VL150. The VL Series features video lights which are daylight balanced at 5600K. It maintains the accuracy in colour rendition with CRI and TLCI ratings of 96 and 95 respectively. They come with a remote control, enabling wireless control within 6 groups and 16 channels. They can also be operated using the GodoxPhoto App which is available both for iPhone and Android. The lights draw power using an AC source or lithium battery. Using one (VL150) or two (VL200 and VL300) high capacity V-Mount lithium batteries, the VL series of lights can reach their max output without power cords. To ensure that the…

A Sony Photography Artisan, a Profoto mentor and an ambassador of NCPAI, Amrita is a pioneer in the maternity and child photography industry in India, having started close to six years ago. She started her business ‘Mommy Shots by Amrita’ in 2013 with set ups in India and Singapore, specialising in newborn and baby portraiture. Amrita has covered over 1400 shoots across ten countries and has scaled her business with an all-women’s team, as a means of supporting women in the creative field, hoping to bridge the opportunity gap in a small way. She spends her free time using photography as a medium to either help save NICU babies by raising awareness on breast-milk donation or help raise funds to nourish kids fighting cancer. As an educator, she conducts photography…

During the last Christmas season at the end of 2020, I travelled to Ahmedabad, which is conveniently located around 500 km and about 8 hours of driving distance from Mumbai. This also ensured avoiding the crowd enjoying their New Year celebrations. The winter chill of December is best suited for travelling in this corner of Gujarat, and hence, the chosen destination for a travel break. Ahmedabad is a large city which blends old colonies, by-lanes, old architecture and new modern architecture. It is rightfully considered the heritage city of India and has several intricately carved historic monuments including the Jamma Masjid, Stepwell at Adalaj, Jhulta Minara and the Rani Mosque, apart from numerous other monumental places, within the bounds of the city. Besides the places located within the city, there…

Final Rankings Recommended ..................... 75-80% Best Buy.....................81% and above D-SLR/ILCC Design & Build Quality.......... (out of 20) Key Features ....................... (out of 20) Ergonomics......................... (out of 20) Performance Autofocus ......................(out of 5) Metering.........................(out of 5) Noise control..................(out of 5) Distortion/Sharpness......(out of 5) LCD/Viewfinder ..............(out of 5) Auto White Balance........(out of 5) Value for Money ............ (out of 10) Grand Total ................. (out of 100) LENSES Design & Build Quality.......... (out of 20) Key Features....................... (out of 20) Ergonomics......................... (out of 20) Performance Autofocus ......................(out of 5) Sharpness......................(out of 5) Distortion control............(out of 5) Aberrations ....................(out of 5) Darkening of corners......(out of 5) Extra Features ................(out of 5) Value for Money................... (out of 10) Grand Total ....................... (out of 100) COMPACT CAMERAS Design & Build Quality.......... (out of 20) Key Features…

Interface: SATA 6Gbps (backwards compatible with SATA II and older interfaces) Form factor: 2.5-inch Storage memory: Samsung V-NAND 3-bit MLC (TLC) Controller: Samsung controller DRAM: 4GB LPDDR4 (4TB), 2GB LPDDR4 (2TB), 1GB LPDDR4 (1TB), 512MB LPDDR4 (250/500GB) Capacity: 4TB, 2TB, 1TB, 500GB, 250GB Sequential Read/Write speed: Up to 560/530 MB/s Random Read/Write speed: Random read 98K, Write 88K IOPS Management software: Samsung Magician Total bytes written: 2,400TBW (4TB), 1,200TBW (2TB), 600TBW (1TB), 300TBW (500GB), 150TBW (250GB) Cache memory: Samsung 1 GB Low Power DDR4 SDRAM Encryption support: AES 256-bit Encryption (Class 0),TCG/Opal, IEEE1667 (Encrypted drive) Average Power Consumption: (system level) 2.5 W (Maximum: 4.0 W) Reliability (MTBF): 1.5 Million Hours , reliability (MTBF) Warranty: 5 Years Limited Warranty or 600 TBW Limited Warranty Dimension (WxHxD):100 x 69.85 x 6.8 mm…

Write to us at: Smart Photography, Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 105-106, Trade World, B-Wing, 1st Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400 013 E-mail: sp@nextgenpublishing.net Great issue Dear Team SP, I really enjoyed reading your December issue. I am yet to check out the January issue and I’m sure it will be full of amazing photographs as well. Despite the restrictions imposed, I was recently able to make a short trip to Orissa and shot a few photographs there using my Canon Power Shot. It would be wonderful if I am someday, able to make a contribution to your esteemed magazine. I will keep working on my craft until then. Wishing all readers, contributors and team SP, ‘a very happy new year’. Cheers!…

OmniVision has announced the OV32B image sensor, featuring a 0.7 micron pixel size to provide 32 megapixel (MP) resolution in a 1/3” optical format. This enables smartphone designers to reportedly, offer the highest possible front-facing, selfie camera resolution in the limited space available. The OV32B also supports 2- and 3-exposure HDR timing for up to 8MP video modes and still previews. Additionally, it integrates a 4-cell colour filter array and on-chip hardware re-mosaic, which provides high quality, 32MP Bayer output in real time. The OV32B is built on OmniVision’s PureCel Plus stacked die technology, providing still image captures and 1080p video recordings at 180 frames per second (fps). In low light conditions, this sensor can use near-pixel binning to output an 8MP image with 4X the sensitivity, offering 1.4 micron…

Nikon has announced the addition of two new plans to its Nikon Professional Services (NPS) memberships with paid additional benefits. The Pro+ and Platinum+ plans includes additional benefits such as equipment loans, gear checks and discounts on repairs. While Nikon’s complimentary Pro membership includes access to NPS support, priority repairs, free return shipping on repairs, priority shipping for new products, webinars/meetups/events, a virtual membership card etc., the Pro+ NPS membership includes everything the Pro plan offers along with five equipment loans, three cleanings and checks, 20% off repairs, free overnight return shipping on repairs, loaner equipment for certain repairs and a ‘premium’ welcome gift. The Platinum+ plan too offers everything the Pro plan offers along with additional benefits such as 10% off one-time new Nikon product purchases (up to $300…

Godox has recently unveiled a wide range of photography accessories. Its latest launches include the AD1200 Pro strobe, AD300 Pro flash light, M1 LED light, R1 mini lights and the UL150 video lights. The AD1200 Pro is termed by Godox as its most powerful strobe until now. It boasts of 1200 Watts of power and can be triggered with R2 transmitters. It is a compact battery operated flash which is made up of a 1200 Watt flash head and an interchangeable power pack and has a battery capacity of 5200mAH that takes just 2 hrs to fully charge and delivers up to 500 flashes per charge at full power. It also comes with a battery option of WB1200 which is portable and allows you to take it as a carry-on…

Lava has announced the launch of their first customisable smartphones, the MyZ, which can be customised and even upgraded to suit the customers’ requirement. It is designed to allow customers to customise their smartphone to suit their needs, before purchase. The phone can also be upgraded post purchase (being called as Z-Up). These smartphones can be customised in 66 unique ways with options of increasing or changing RAM, ROM, front camera, rear camera(s) and even the colour of the phone. Lava’s ‘Made-to-Order” concept for smartphones will allow customers to choose between a 2GB, 3GB, 4GB or 6GB RAM, and mix and match it with 32GB, 64GB and 128GB ROM in a combination of your choice. Further it provides options to choose between a dual (13+2MP) or a triple rear camera…

Gudsen has launched 2 new microphones under their brand name Mirfak Audio, called the ‘MC1 -Lavalier microphone’ and the ‘N2 - On-Camera microphone’. The MC1 is an ‘all-purpose mic’ that is compatible with a wide variety of devices such as D-SLRs, mobile phones, camcorders, PCs and even audio recorders. It has a 360-degree condenser microphone with sensitive recording and intelligent noise reduction capabilities. It features a frequency range of 20-16000Hz and comes with a cable length of 6 m. The N2 On-camera mic uses a cardioid sound pick up pattern, and uses a highly sensitive condenser. It sports an all-metal body made from high grade aluminium and offers a wide range of compatibility with all recording devices using a 3.5 mm jack. It comes bundled with a host of accessories…

Godox recently announced the release of the Collapsible Lantern. While most light modifiers work on the principle of uni-directional light, this latest addition from Godox is an omnidirectional light. It comes in a spherical shape, making it ‘ideal for creating soft light in all directions equally’. It has a 270 degrees beam angle and can easily be converted it into a uni-directional light by using optional Skirts. It comes with a 4-Section Skirt, which is optional and can be purchased as an accessory that can be attached anywhere on the lantern. It can be rolled up or rolled down to cut any beam of light and give it the desired direction and shape. The lantern has a Bowens Mount, making it compatible with a wide array of lights and flashes…

Rahul is a professional photographer from Gurgaon. “Belonging to a veritable conservative family, I completed mechanical engineering, but slipped ‘serendipitously’ into photography with dreams in my eyes and a Nokia 808 Pure View in my hand. I embarked on a journey to turn my passion into career. If I have to sum myself up in one word, it would be “Imagineer”. For me, an image speaks a thousand words and conveniently, it’s also 999 fewer things to remember. In all, it wasn’t an easy ride, but now with Nikon D850 as a mate, I capture moments and make it worthwhile. I don’t limit myself to any particular genre, be it street or wedding photography, I love and live to capture everything through my lens.”, says Rahul. Camera: Nikon D850 Focal…

With a plethora of national and international honours, Mahendra is an extremely illustrious photographer. He is particularly inclined towards capturing stills from everyday lives of people against the rural backdrop, and Indo-China and other East Asian regions remain his forte. His work is a montage of scenes capturing the innocence of a primal lifestyle along traditional lifestyle. These photos range from instantaneous pictorial shots to premeditated frames composed with nuance and diligence to incorporate the essence of its moment. Mahendra is based in Maharashtra and runs a graphic designing and printing business besides his intense fervour for photography. You can follow him on Instagram @mahendrabakle or his website www.mahendrabakle.com Roshan was born and brought up in Ranchi. Professionally, he is a Gazetted Officer in the Judiciary Department of the govt.…

What makes a good portrait? Most of us would agree that the two most important factors are lighting and composition. There are many others too, but, what about the background? Mistakenly and often, the importance of the background is often relegated to, well, the background! This is unfortunate, since a bad background can ruin any picture, not just a portrait. What makes a good background for a portrait? First, it should be unobtrusive with the least amount of clutter so that it does not distract the viewer’s attention from the main subject. So, if you are photographing outdoors you will see that tree branches, railings, poles, etc., don’t poke out of the head. You will also make the background blurry (unsharp) as much as possible though there are exceptions to…

Lens mount: E-mount Effective pixels: Approx. 24.2 million Sensor type: 35 mm full-frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm), Exmor R CMOS Dust reduction: Yes (Charge protection coating and sensor shift) Image format: JPEG, Raw (Compressed / Uncompressed), Simultaneous Raw + JPEG available Max. dimensions: 6000 x 4000 pixels Picture profile: Yes (Off/PP1-PP10) Parameters: Black level, Gamma (Movie, Still, Cine1-4, ITU709, ITU709 [800%], S-Log2, S-Log3, HLG, HLG1-3), Black Gamma, Knee, Colour Mode, Saturation, Colour Phase, Colour Depth, Detail, Copy, Reset 14bit Raw: Yes Recording format: XAVC S (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, LPCM 2ch) Best video quality: XAVC S 4K (3840 x 2160, 25p), XAVC S HD (1920 x 1080, 100p or 50p) Slow and quick motion:(shooting frame rate) 1fps, 2fps, 3fps, 6fps, 12fps, 25fps, 50fps, 100fps Recording media: SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-I/II compliant) card…

There seems to be no end in sight for our needs for speed and storage capacity. With camera companies edging closer to realising practical 8K video recording, the current standards of write speed and storage capacity are fast becoming redundant. Enter Kingston Canvas React Plus SD XC memory cards, and on our test bench, is the Canvas React Plus Kit, which combines the memory card along with a fast MobileLite Plus UHS-II SD reader. The Canvas React Plus SD XC card is designed for 4K and 8K professional cinema cameras, which require blazing fast recording. These Class 10 cards are UHS-II standard and conform to U3 and V90 speed classes. V90 indicates the fastest in video speed class, which is a minimum sequential write speed of 90MB per second, which…

1 DJI, the company that pioneered the market for drones and is the market leader, hails from: a) Hong Kong b) China c) Korea d) Japan 2 Go Pro, founded in 2002 and best known for its action cameras, is a company from: a) Japan b) China c) USA d) Taiwan 3 Garmin, known for its smart watches and fitness products, was founded in 1989 in Kansas, USA. It is now incorporated in: a) Switzerland b) Germany c) Japan d) Italy 4 Suunto Oy manufactures smart watches, compasses and other precision equipment. The company is from: a) Finland b) UK c) China d) Taiwan 5 Case Logic is known for its camera and computer bags and belongs to the Thule Group. It manufactures a lot of its products in Taiwan…