Saturday 31 March 2012

iPhone Photography

The iPhone 4S is proving fun to use as a camera and the results are looking respectable. The photos are sharp with lots of detail captured. Its 8MP sensor is not going to waste thanks to decent optics. 


iPhone 4S Collage

It would be nice if the iPhone 4S provided customisation options for the camera as standard rather than having to rely on additional applications. Having said that, apps such as  Camera+, Pro Camera, and, Awesome Camera add some extra functionality. 

The iphone 4S with its 35mm focal length lens, close focusing capabilities, and a maximum ISO of 800 makes for some versatility without the need for further image processing via apps. 

There will be more about shooting with the iPhone 4S at RWI.

Saturday 24 March 2012

Better Image Stabilisation

Both Panasonic and Sony have made improvements to their high-end consumer camcorders for 2012. One of the most notable improvements compared to their previous models is for their image stabilisation systems. 



Panasonic's OIS+ uses five axis correction to suppress shake across the camcorders 30-270mm (approx.) x12 optical zoom range.



Sony's Balanced Optical SteadyShot is quoted to have a 13x image stabilisation improvement compared to the previous model for its 26-260mm x10 optical zoom lens. 


Having decent image stabilisation is a must for any video production especially for those who prefer to shoot without the use of a tripod (I'm guilty). Certainly, scenes can be post-processed in applications like Final Cut Pro X or Premiere etc to remove or at least reduce any visible shake but its at the cost of some cropping to the scene.


Both camcorders also offer improvements in shooting under low lighting conditions. I'll write more about the feature sets of these camcorders at a later date at realworldimages.co.uk. EA

The new look RWI

Website realworldimages.co.uk has been rebuilt for improved presentation and navigation. New content will be added as soon as is possible but the development of the website will continue as required.  



The Gallery and Travel sections are very much a work in progress but the photos from the old galleries shall be back. Lots of interesting photography content is on its way. EA

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Sony announces the Alpha 57 SLT camera

Press Release
Power-packed camera with unique features including Full HD progressive recording and new Auto Portrait Framing at an accessible price
  • High speed 12 fps shooting with full-time continuous autofocus (in Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE mode)
  • Full HD 50p video with full P/A/S/M control
  • World’s first* Auto Portrait Framing
  • Clear Image Zoom for detail-packed close-ups
  • New high-resolution Tru-Finder™ with 100% coverage
  • 16.1 effective megapixels Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor plus latest BIONZ processor
  • Extended sensitivity range ISO 100 - 16000
  • 15-point AF system with 3 cross sensors
* As of December 2011. Among interchangeable lens digital cameras.




Limitless creative options are made even more accessible with a brand-new addition to the range of cameras by Sony employing Translucent Mirror Technology. This innovative design directs incoming light to the CMOS image sensor and the AF sensor at the same time, allowing full-time continuous AF during both still and video shooting. Framing, focusing and real-time preview can be achieved on the high-resolution Tru-Finder™ that offers a wide viewing angle and 100% field of view. This allows photographers to capture exactly what they see on the screen.

A natural successor to the acclaimed α55, the α57 is priced to appeal strongly to a wide audience of DSLR users. It shares many of the premium features – plus sophisticated styling and ergonomics – found on the enthusiast-focused α65. For the first time, entry-level photographers can shoot stills and Full HD video with razor-sharp responses and creative flexibility you’d expect from a camera in the class above.
Ensuring detail-packed images, the 16.1 effective megapixel Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor is teamed with a latest-generation BIONZ engine. Refined by Sony during development of the flagship α77 and α65, this powerful processor effortlessly handles large amounts of image data for flawless, low-noise stills and Full HD video.

The α57 allows incredible shooting speeds of up to 12 frames per second in new Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE mode. Magnifying the central portion of the sensor’s image by 1.4x, it’s perfect for capturing split-second action close-ups with a burst of sharply-focused images, even when your subject’s moving.

Shared with the α65, the 15-point AF system with 3 cross sensors assures fast, accurate TTL phase detection autofocus. Newly-enhanced Object Tracking AF keeps faces or other selected objects in sharp focus – even if your target’s obscured momentarily by another passing object.
The α57 also lets you create powerfully expressive Full HD movies. Responsive full-time continuous phase detection AF ensures that moving subjects stay sharply focused, just like with still shooting. AVCHD (Ver. 2.0) Progressive compatibility means that Full HD resolution movies can be captured at up to high 50p (progressive) frame rate: ideal for capturing silk-smooth, blur-free action. 25p shooting is also selectable for giving your footage that rich, cinematic look. Movie-making options are enhanced further with full control over P/A/S/M shooting modes for virtually limitless creative expression.

Even beginners can effortlessly create pro-style portraits with the α57. In a world first, Sony introduces new Auto Portrait Framing. Using face detection and the compositional ‘rule of thirds’, the camera identifies your subject’s position, trimming the scene to create tightly-framed, professional looking pictures in vertical (portrait) or horizontal (landscape) orientation. By Pixel Super Resolution Technology by Sony ensures that cropped, zoomed images retain a full pixel count. The original photo is saved together with the optimally-trimmed image. This allows easy comparison between the two versions, offering photographers inspiration to refine their own portrait skills.

If you want to get closer to your subject, 2x Clear Image Zoom doubles the effective magnification of your lens. Unique to Sony, By Pixel Super Resolution Technology maintains superb image detail, even with super-zoom shots. It’s a highly practical alternative to travelling with a bigger, bulkier telephoto lens.

Framing, focusing and real-time preview of exposure adjustments are a pleasure with the new Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder. With ultra-detailed 1440k dot resolution and a 100% field of view, it rivals quality optical viewfinders. There’s a choice of selectable high-resolution information displays with a wide viewing-angle to help you shoot with confidence, including a digital level gauge and framing grid. Information can be displayed either in the Tru-Finder™ or on the angle-adjustable 7.5 cm (3.0-type) Xtra Fine LCD.

Thanks to the BIONZ processor, creative shooting opportunities are boosted by an outstanding sensitivity range of ISO 100-16000. You’ll experience consistently natural, low-noise images – whether you’re using fast shutter speeds to freeze dynamic action or shooting handheld without flash in low light.

Already popular with creative photographers, the range of in-camera Picture Effects includes 11 effect types and 15 variations – offering a generous palette of ‘PC-free’ artistic treatments. Results can be previewed in live view mode on the LCD screen on in the Tru-Finder™, whether you’re shooting Full HD video or stills.

A range of optional accessories makes an ideal match for the α57. The battery-powered HVL-LE1 LED video light broadens options for recording video indoors or in low light. Ideal for active shooters, the ACC-FM1A accessory kit bundles a spare NP-FM500H rechargeable battery with the compact, versatile LCS-AMB travel case that protectively cradles the camera while offering quick access.

The new SLT-A57 Translucent Mirror camera by Sony is available in Europe from early April 2012.

Thursday 8 March 2012

Adobe Lightroom 4


Press Release

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 Now Available

Innovative Shadow and Highlight Recovery and Enhanced Digital Photography Workflows Mark A Milestone Release

London, UK. — March 6, 2012 Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the availability of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 4 software for Mac OS and Windows. Lightroom is the essential digital photography workflow solution helping amateur and professional photographers quickly import, manage, enhance and showcase their images. First released as a public beta in January 2012, the final version of Lightroom 4 is now available for £86.57 ex VAT for the full version and £49.24 ex VAT for the upgrade, providing an incredible value for photographers. Lightroom 4 introduces refined technology for superior shadow and highlight processing, ability to create photo books, additional local adjustment controls, and enhanced video support.

“Feedback from our customers is invaluable in developing Lightroom and the real trick to a great release is to combine these insights with Adobe’s unrivalled image processing innovation,” said Winston Hendrickson, vice president products, Creative Media Solutions, Adobe. “Lightroom 4 is a stunning new release that will enhance photography workflows and help photographs stand out from the crowd.”

New Features in Lightroom 4
Lightroom 4 is a major release, adding significant new capabilities and innovations. New adjustment controls maximise dynamic range from cameras, recovering exceptional shadow details and highlights. The software features new and improved auto adjustments to dynamically set values for exposure and contrast, and additional local adjustment controls including Noise Reduction, Moire and White Balance.

Lightroom 4 provides photographers the tools to create beautiful photo books with text controls and a variety of easy-to-use templates, as well as a direct link for photo book creation from within the new Book module. A new intuitive Map module displays images already assigned a location, provides location tagging and reverse geo-tagging controls and saved locations for easy assignment of a photographer’s common locations.

Now, native video support gives photographers the capability to play, trim and extract frames from video clips shot on DSLRs, point-and-shoot cameras and smartphones. Video-specific presets and many standard Lightroom image adjustment controls can be applied to video clips, and adjusted videos can be exported as a H.264 file or published directly to Facebook or Flickr*.

In the Develop module, presets fully utilise new processing technology and the addition of soft proofing helps photographers tune images in a destination colour space to ensure content looks its best. In addition, customers can now email images directly from Lightroom using an email account of their choice.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 is now available for Mac and Windows at www.adobe.com/uk/store.  The final version of Lightroom 4 is now available for £86.57 ex VAT for the full version and £49.24 ex VAT for the upgrade. A Student and Teacher edition is available for £49.24 ex VAT. For more detailed information about product features, upgrade policies, pricing and language versions, please visit www.adobe.com/go/lightroom.

Users can also connect with the Lightroom team directly on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lightroom), via Twitter (www.twitter.com/lightroom) or on the Adobe Lightroom blog (http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal). For Lightroom how-to videos, visit http://www.youtube.com/lightroom.