Innehållsförteckning för March 2023 från Smart Photography

The advent of social media has given rise to a new breed of what are commonly called ‘influencers’. These influencers very often have little knowledge of the subjects they speak on but put on the garb of being experts. Very often, they are celebrities out to encash their goodwill. They praise or run down a product depending on who pays them. Since they are not required to state whether they have been sponsored, they can get away with anything. We have known of cases where companies have been extorted and threatened with negative reviews if they do not pay up. Some companies, on the other hand, quietly sponsor such influencers. Influencers have assumed menacing influence in the automobile industry and are also present in the imaging sector. It is imperative…

Xiaomi India and Leica Camera AG have come together for a strategic cooperation in mobile imaging. The first imaging flagship smartphone co-engineered by the two companies- Xiaomi 12S Ultra was launched in July 2022 globally. Now the companies concluded a framework regarding development and engineering of the camera for smartphones. The brands have stated that the partnership has introduced strict Leica image standards for high-quality mobile photography. Today’s Xiaomi smartphones come with powerful sensors, low-light functionality, fast autofocus, and optical image stabilisation, as well as portrait modes and manual exposure modes. Further, the partnership aims to bring advanced camera capabilities to smartphones and push the limits of what is technologically possible in the smartphone camera module segment. Leica provides its expertise in optical engineering, design, imaging software, and consumer experience…

HMD Global has launched the Nokia X30 5G, their most eco-friendly smartphone yet. The new planet-friendly design has a 100 percent recycled aluminium frame and a 65 percent recycled plastic back. The phone comes with premium features including Nokia’s best-ever PureView photography and a 6.43” AMOLED PureDisplay. The display is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass cover glass. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, the Nokia X30 5G runs on Android 12. The phone carries a three-year warranty and offers three OS upgrades. The device has a robust metal frame and a tough display. The phone comes with IP67 dust protection and water immersion assurance of up to 1m for 30 minutes. The X30 houses a big pixel 50 MP PureView camera clubbed with a 13MP Ultra-Wide camera which…

It is true that our lives are fulfilling when we give and share. And as Mother Teresa said, “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” As photographers, even with a basic smartphone camera, we have this unique opportunity to give and spread joy. On my part, on various occasions, I have taken pictures of common people on roads and have either couriered them the prints or personally handed them over on a return visit. Of course, in many cases, I miss out on doing so as it would have been difficult to collect their address. Taking pictures of strangers on the street might seem like an odd thing to do, but believe me, even this small gesture has huge potential to bring joy…

When you take a photo, the data is captured on the imaging sensor, and then transferred to the memory card for permanent storage. So then, why have a buffer? The imaging sensor can record instantly – in a fraction of a second. But the memory card cannot write that data just as fast. And unless the data from the imaging sensor is cleared, you cannot write further data to it (imagine the sensor as a slate we write on; unless we wipe away what is written on the slate, we cannot write further). To solve this issue, a temporary storage device – called the ‘buffer’ – is introduced into the path. The captured data is quickly pushed into the buffer (thereby freeing the sensor to receive further data) and then…

Write to us at: Smart Photography, Next Gen Publishing Pvt. Ltd., 608, Trade World, 6th floor, C wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai - 400 013E-mail: sp@nextgenpublishing.net Dear Editor, I am regular reader of Smart Photography since a long time. Since last 2-3 months I have seen the feature about Why Print? by Mr. Vimal Parmar, and really it is a good initiative by Smart Photography regarding the importance of printing of images. Due to smartphones, the sale of compact cameras and entry level D-SLR have drastically dropped and the photographic printing has come down considerably. Though daily millions and millions of images are clicked by every camera owner and smartphone owner, but the printing percentage is very negligible. So If even 1-2% of the…

Sigma Corporation has announced the upcoming launch of interchangeable lenses for Nikon Z Mount system. This addition allows users to enjoy high performance, and high-quality Sigma lenses in native mount on their Z Mount system. Three f/1.4 prime lenses —16mm f/1.4 DC DN | Contemporary, 30mm f/1.4 DC DN | Contemporary, and 56mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary — which are currently available in five mounts will be simultaneously released in Z Mount. Sigma has revealed that control algorithm including AF drive and communication speed optimisation have been developed specifically for Z Mount interchangeable lenses. In addition to realizing high-speed AF, the lens also supports AF-C (Continuous AF) and in-camera aberration correction. The mount is rubber-sealed for use in a variety of environments.…

Bengal Photography Institute had organised its 10th Photography Exhibition, Lensvision, at Gaganendra Shilpa Pradarshasala, from 5th February to 8th February 2023. Eminent writer, musician and actor Padmanava Dasgupta was the Chief Guest, eminent painter Subrata Das was the Guest of Honour and renowned photo artist S. P. Mukherji was a Special Guest. The function also saw a life-time achievement award given to S. R. Mandal from the exhibition committee. Mandal is a very renowned name in the field of photography and has more than 50 years of experience in this field. Egypt was this year’s Focus Country. The photo-works of Egyptian photographers were displayed in this exhibition which has made the viewers familiar with the art and culture of the country. The exhibition displayed 120 prints of images out of…

Nikon India has introduced the Nikkor Z 26mm f/2.8, the slimmest and lightest in the Z-lens line-up. Built for superior optical performance despite its compact form, the full-frame/FX-format lens strikes an optimum balance between advanced functionality and unobtrusive size. The lens has a slim design , measuring 70 x 23.5mm, and is compact and light enough to fit in a purse or bag, with a weight of 125g. The slim build is made possible with a design that adopts an all-element focusing system, and with an effective arrangement of three aspherical lens elements that further contribute to minimise aberrations, all while maintaining excellent optical performance in a small body. The lens has a minimum focus distance of 0.2m, and hence it allows you to get closer to the subject. The…

Rajat Malakar is an IT professional working for IBM India as an Application Architect. Rajat is a travel and landscape photographer. He started learning astro-landscape photography in 2018 out of curiosity. Since then he has gone through several online studies/tutorials on astro-landscape photography and practiced and learned a few different techniques for shooting the Milky Way, star trails, and starry landscapes. Eventually his interest carried on to landscape photography as well. His work has been published on many international and national photography platforms like ViewBugs, 500px and in a few online magazines and he has also received several awards in exhibitions organised by photography groups and manufacturing companies.…

Yes, in photographic circles, we hear this more often than not. So, is the body not important? Why do we often disregard the body and give all our praise only to the lens? It is true that without the lens, there can be no photographs. The lens is very important. There’s no denying it. But let’s not deride the camera body. If the body was not important, we would not be spending a small fortune in purchasing it. Think for a moment. With a high-end lens, why did you not buy a cheaper body and save your hard earned money? If the body was not important, why do we spend thousands and even lakhs on a camera body? Shall we all take a pledge that from now onwards we shall…

Oppo has announced the global availability of its flagship, the Find N2 Flip. The foldable smartphone combines the largest cover screen of its kind with best-in-class battery life and the fastest charging speeds on any flip phone. Oppo’s debut flip phone features a powerful MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ processor with ultra-fast 5G connectivity, a Sony IMX890 camera system, the MariSilicon X NPU for low-light 4K videography, Hasselblad colour tones in photos, as well as Supervooc flash charging support. The large 3.26-inch cover screen includes powerful widgets and offers enough screen space to showcase meaningful information. The phone is available in two colours — Astral Black and Moonlit Purple, weighs a mere 191g, and is 7.45mm slim when opened. When closed, the curved back sits comfortably in the palm of your hand.…

The Sony World Photography Awards 2023 has announced the national winner for the Indian edition. The World Photography Organisation and Sony India have announced Pradeep Kodimana Ramakrishnan as India’s National Award winner for the awards. The National Awards program is an initiative set up by the World Photography Organisation and Sony to support local photographic communities around the world, with 55 countries taking part this year. Pradeep was anonymously selected by judges for his photograph Tuffie entered into the Street Photography category of the Open competition. The image depicts Navigating life’s twists and turns, one step at a time. Pradeep is a scientist, traveller and photographer from Kerala. His images were published at United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) 2022. He is a self-taught photographer and has learned photography…

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…

Fujifilm X-H2 ₹199,999 (body only) Inside the Box ✓ Camera body + body cap ✓ Battery (Li-ion) NP-W235 ✓ AC power adapter AC-5VJ ✓ Plug adapter ✓ USB cable ✓ Shoulder strap ✓ Hot shoe cover ✓ File transmitter/vertical battery grip connector cover ✓ Sync terminal cover ✓ Cooling fan connector cover ✓ Cable protector Fujifilm has reaped the benefits of focussing steadfastly on the APS-C market segment and has carved out an enviable market share in this segment. This month we have before us the Fujifilm X-H2 which has recently been launched in the world market along with the X-H2 S. Design & Build Quality The X-H2 is an Interchangeable Lens Mirrorless camera from Fujifilm. Like all Fujifilm cameras, it is built tough, and with its deep hand grip,…

1 For freezing action, like fast cars, what shutter speed should you set? a) 1/1000 sec b) 1/125 sec c) 1/250 sec d) 1/60 sec 2 If you are panning with a moving subject like a car, what shutter speed should you select? a) 1/30 secb) 1/60 sec c) 1/125 sec d) 1/250 sec 3 What is the desired shutter speed if you want blurred motion and long exposures with subjects like a waterfall? a) 1 sec b) 8 sec c) 15 sec d) 1/8 sec 4 When shooting animals, where should you focus? a) The animal’s earsb) The animal’s eye c) The animal’s nosed) The animal’s mouth 5 When shooting coastal scenes, which of the following should you do? a) Use a tripod b)…