Better Family Photos

I'm back! And I found the perfect camera for taking better family photos!

2018-07-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

Yes everyone. This is a real post, around 2 years after my previous one. The reason for this post is that I wanted to share with you guys that, finally, after years of searching, I've found the perfect camera for family photos.

It's actually not one specific camera model but a type of camera. Rather than explain to you what the camera is, or why it's the perfect personal camera, I'm just going to share with you a video I made:

What do you think about it? Do you agree it is the perfect personal camera? Let me know in the comments! For more info about the Samsung Gear 360 2017, check out this post.

What's New?

2016-04-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Sorry for the long absence. I went down a rabbit hole, and it was deep. Way deeper than anything I've seen since I started learning about photography. So deep I haven't gotten out, and I don't know when or if I will.

If you look at my last few posts, you'll see they've all been about 360-degree photos, particularly the Ricoh Theta S.

Sure, anyone who doesn't live in a cave has heard the hype about VR. But I'm not talking about VR per se, but the photographic possibilities of 360-degree cameras.

I've been shooting with the Theta since June 2015, and starting December, I shot with it almost exclusively, and you know what? More than 4 months later, shooting with nothing but this supposed one-trick pony, I still haven't found the bottom of this well.

Although 360-degree panoramas have been around for a long time, being able to capture them in a single shot is a relatively recent phenomenon in the history of photography. With an instantaneous capture, it is possible to capture action shots and candid moments. Indeed, 360 photos are brutally honest, capturing everything and everyone around the camera.

And while you still have constants such as exposure, sometimes traditional concepts such as the rule of thirds don't apply at all, forcing you to rethink, relearn, and rediscover photography.

my new Instagram account: @360Rumors

Beyond spherical photos, technology has made it easier to manipulate 360 photos, turning them into a different category of abstract photography.

#abstractart #abstactphotography #abstractexpressionism

A photo posted by Mic Ty (@360rumors) on Mar 12, 2016 at 12:56pm PST

#losangeles #losangelesinternationalairport #laxphotoweek #theta360 #360camera #tinyplanet #tinyplanetbuff #ultrawide #fisheye #abstractart #modernarchitecture #spherical #spiral #rollworldapp

A photo posted by Mic Ty (@360rumors) on Mar 2, 2016 at 12:06pm PST

So what now? I've decided to go all in. I will be focusing my efforts on a new website, called 360Rumors.com, to post about the latest news and developments in 360-degree VR cameras. In only a little more than a month, there have already been several exciting developments, such as:

See you there!

Pic of the day: Bougainvilleas at LAX

2016-03-01T11:32:00.001-08:00

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1TP8p6Z

Sony a6300 Announced; Preliminary Comments on a6300 vs. a6000 Differences

2016-02-03T11:53:00.001-08:00

Sony's successor to the immensely popular a6000 is finally here. Sony announced the Sony a6300. Its headline features are:

425 phase-detection AF points with claimed focusing speed of 0.05 second.
At shooting speeds up to 8fps, it has minimal viewfinder blackout, allowing the photographer to continue to see the subject.
New 24.3 megapixel sensor with copper wiring.
4k video, SLog3 support, and microphone input.
Available March 2016 for $999 (body only).

Sony's official page.

I've had the a6000 since launch and here are my thoughts on the a6300 compared to the a6000: I think the a6300 is more evolutionary than revolutionary. The new features are impressive, but they will make a greater difference for advanced amateurs than casual shooters.

Autofocus: I expect the a6300 will have class-leading autofocus. However, I would want to know whether the very high number of phase-detection AF points might cause it to have poorer autofocus performance in low light, or might cause a slight decrease in image quality than otherwise. The Samsung NX1 and NX500 has 205 phase detection points, of which 153 are cross-type, and they are very good at tracking subjects in decent light but have slow autofocus in low light, which I suspect is due to the shading of the hybrid AF pixels to allow it to differentiate light direction. See here. The a6300, with 425 AF points, might have the same issue. But we won't know for sure until it is released and tested.
Image quality: The copper wiring should reduce the noise in the image and therefore improve high ISO performance. However, the current class leaders for mirrorless, the Samsung NX1 and NX500, also used copper wiring. On top of that, the NX1 and NX500 had backside illuminated sensors, whereas the a6300 does not have backside illumination. Therefore I think that the a6300 image quality will likely be similar to (as opposed to better than) that of the NX1 and NX500.
Minimal viewfinder blackout. This is an innovative feature for mirrorless cameras. On other mirrorless cameras, using continuous burst will cause the viewfinder to blackout, which means the photographer will be pointing the camera blindly at the subject during continuous shooting. The a6300 has minimal blackout - seemingly better even than an optical viewfinder of a DSLR based on Sony's press event. However, I don't think casual shooters care too much about EVF blackout. Therefore this feature appeals primarily to advanced amateurs and pros.
4k video, SLog3 support, and mic input. These are very welcome features for more advanced video production. However, most casual shooters don't have the hardware required for 4k video editing, and most casual shooters don't care to use an external microphone (even though it would greatly improve the video). Therefore, again this is a feature that will mean more for advanced amateurs and pros, instead of casual shooters. Another video feature of the a6300 is the option to record in SLog3 color space, which maximizes the dynamic range but requires color grading. Needless to say, SLog3 support is a feature that benefits advanced videographers.

In summary, the Sony a6300 is an impressive camera. If you're an advanced amateur or pro, you already know whether you need its features. For casual shooters, the a6300 is indeed better than the a6000, but not by as much as one might expect. If you care about having the absolute best don't mind spending the extra $500, then go for it. Otherwise, I think you can save a lot of money with the a6000 and perhaps use the savings for another lens.

Pic of the day: Pacific Park at Sta. Monica Pier (Theta S)

2016-01-28T09:57:00.001-08:00

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1JIRCPB

Ricoh Theta Review (Theta S and Theta m15)

2016-01-19T03:24:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! One of the trends in photography is 360-degree panoramic photos and videos, variously called photospheres, "virtual reality," or VR. Photospheres have been around for many years, but several recent developments have come together to make it much easier to produce and share panoramas, making them accessible to casual photographers and audiences.

While much of the spotlight in 2016 is on virtual reality devices such as the Oculus Rift and Playstation VR, part of the trend is the increasing number of 360-degree cameras that can capture photospheres.

One such device for capturing photospheres is the Ricoh Theta S. It is the third generation of the Theta, which first came out in 2013. The Theta S takes photos and videos with 360-degree horizontal and 360-degree vertical field of view. Unlike panoramic photos with some cameras and phones, the Theta S captures its photospheres with a single shot, making it possible to capture movement and action in real time.

Ricoh Theta S

Separate from the increasing interest in VR shots, I think the Ricoh Theta S is a very good camera for family photos and vacations. Many family photos are taken for documentary purposes, i.e., to memorialize events and places we've been to. Especially in this age of social media, photos help us share our stories with friends and family. The Ricoh Theta S serves that function very well.

The Ricoh Theta is a unique camera that shoots 360-degree photospheres. While there have been other cameras that can take 360-degree panoramas, the Ricoh Theta strikes a very good balance of usability, image quality, and price.

Christmas eve dinner #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

I had the original Ricoh Theta, the second-generation Theta m15 model, and I now use the third-generation Theta S. In this post, I review and compare the three models, with an emphasis on the Theta S. Note: For images here with the Ricoh Theta logo, such as the one above, you can click on the images to view the photosphere (as long as your browser supports it).

Ricoh Theta m15

BACKGROUND
Panoramic cameras have been in use as early as 1843. Previous methods relied on the camera taking several photos as the camera is rotated. Previous digital cameras used a similar approach, with stitching either done internally, or in post-processing.

Another approach was to use a 360-degree mirror which would reflect into a lens (catadioptric design). Examples include GoPano and Kogeto Dot. The disadvantage of the catadioptric approach is that it will have a relatively large blind spot along the stem of the mirror - the thicker the stem, the larger the blind spot. A variation on this approach is to use a very wide angle fisheye lens and point it upward, so the periphery provides a seamless 360-degree view (although the vertical field of view is around 235 degrees or less). That is the approach used by cameras such as the Kodak SP360 and 360fly.

A newer approach is to stitch a panorama but instead of using one camera to take several shots, they use more than one camera to take several shots simultaneously. For example, the NCTech iris360 ($1,999) camera uses four cameras to produce a 360 x 295 degree view. The BublCam ($799) uses four cameras in a tetrahedron formation in a ball-shaped body to produce a complete 360 x 360 degree spherical view. In the case of the Ricoh Theta, it uses two fisheye cameras to produce a 360 x 360 degree view.

Compared to other 360-degree cameras, the Theta is priced competitively, and is smaller and more portable. Here was the prototype. The Theta has several advantages over more traditionally stitched panoramas:

Ease of use - precise stitching of a 360 degree panorama requires skill. You need to find the camera's nodal point and be able to rotate the camera around it. There are brackets designed specifically for that purpose and they are quite expensive. Stitching the images together can also take time.

Because the Theta takes a shot at a single moment in time, it does not run into problems with elements that move.

Near-instant review - you can see the 360-degree shot almost right away instead of having to stitch it together first.

Compared to a catadioptric design, the Theta has a smaller blind spot (which translates to a wider vertical field of view), and is less prone to dust. It arguably has a higher image quality because a catadioptric design requires a lens with high resolution, especially at edges.

The disadvantage of the Theta is that the resolution is not as high as the resolution of a stitched panorama, nor is it as high as that of more expensive 360-degree cameras that use more lenses and sensors.

APPLICATIONS
OK so a photosphere is cool, but it sounds very specialized. How often would you really use such a feature unless you're a real estate agent creating virtual tours? Can the Theta be used for anything else? Yes, actually the Theta's abilities can be used in many ways. Here are some of them:

1. Same uses as fisheye. Recall that fisheye lenses have a very short focal length, an extremely wide angle, and exaggerated distortion. The Theta shares these same features and therefore can be used in the same ways a fisheye lens can be used. See here for various applications of a fisheye lens.

In the shot below, I used the Theta to capture not just our lunch, but the surrounding area as well (actually even the wall "behind" the view here, although the wall is not shown in this crop). The wide angle gives additional context, and the subjects are framed by the Christmas decor on the edges, and the converging lines on the ceiling.

Christmas brunch

2. Immersive photo. By giving the audience a 360-degree view of a location or event, a Theta image creates an immersive experience for your audience. This shot of a toy store doesn't just give the viewer a view of the colorful toys but surrounds the viewer with them.

Toy store - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

3. Interactivity. A photosphere is different from static photos because the viewer can interact with it. The viewer can be a more active participant in the viewing experience. I took the shot below while we were on a ride at Legoland theme park. As the viewer rotates the image around, they can get some sense of the thrill and vertigo from the ride.

Legoland airplane ride - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

4. Photo of a complementary pair. The Theta can take a photo of a pair of complementary subjects, such as a performer and the audience reaction, or any kind of action and the consequent reaction.

Terranea Resort (Ricoh Theta S with waterproof smartphone pouch) - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

5. Getting it all in. The Theta's ability to capture the entire surrounding view can be used to take a photo of an immense environment. I used the Theta to take a photo of the new hall at Tom Bradley Terminal at LAX.

LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

6. Group shots. When I take a photo of a group, especially during a meal, it's not easy to get everyone in the picture, unless people go out of their way to stand up and pose as a group. I used the Theta to take a photo of a holiday lunch with my family.

TuanTuan Chinese Brasserie (SM Megamall) - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

7. Context for a subject. The Theta can show multiple points of view simultaneously, which can be used to capture not just the subject but another compositional element that can give context for the subject. In the shot below, I used the Theta to take a photo of my daughter at a balloon popping game at an amusement park. The Theta not only captures the focused expression on my daughter's face, but the expectant expressions on the onlookers, the balloons to be popped, and the prizes being offered.

Balloon popping #theta360

A photo posted by Mic Ty (@creadvty) on Jan 13, 2016 at 4:00pm PST

8. The Big Reveal. Because Theta images can be interactive, you can select a point of view that builds up toward another point of view.

The Big Shop - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

9. Leading lines. The ultrawide angle of the Theta causes parallel lines to converge toward the center, and even perpendicular lines seem to radiate from the center, which can be used for a powerful effect.

#theta360 #360 #tinyplanet #littleplanet #fisheye

A photo posted by Mic Ty (@creadvty) on Jan 17, 2016 at 8:09am PST

10. Un-selfie. Selfies are ubiquitous but they can also be boring and can make the photographer seem self-absorbed. Images taken with the Theta can also include the photographer, so technically yes they are selfies, but there is so much more to the image than a photo of the photographer that the image appears less narcissistic. In the photo below at a Legoland concert, I used the Theta to capture the performers, the artificial snow, and the audience's delight. Although I'm in the shot, the photo doesn't give the impression of being a selfie.

Concert at Legoland (Carlsbad, California) - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

11. 360-Specific Apps. There are several apps that are uniquely suited for 360-photos. For example, Rollworld allows you to morph your 360-degree photo, changing the point of view in seemingly impossible ways.

Los Angeles #NaturalHistoryMuseum #theta360 #360

A video posted by Mic Ty (@creadvty) on Jan 19, 2016 at 10:51am PST

These are just a few of the many ways the Theta can be used other than for virtual tours. Check out the #Theta360 tag and official Ricoh Theta account (@Theta360Official) on Instagram to see how people are using the Theta for anything but photospheres. Indeed, I would say that the Theta has one of the most numerous possible applications compared to other lenses.

THETA MODELS
The Theta has had three generations: the original Theta, the m15 and the S. The original Theta was introduced September 2013 and took so-called 720-degree photos (360 horizontal * 360 vertical) with a 6mb resolution (3584x1792). The m15 came a year later and is almost identical to the original, except that it added the ability to take panoramic videos. The newest model is the S, which was released around October 2015 and made several improvements:
- Much higher resolution (5376 x 2688)- Live view (via smart device app)
- lower noise
- HDMI live streaming
- adds 720p / 15fps video mode (more compact)
- noise reduction mode
- DR compensation mode

Honestly, if you're buying a Theta, the S has so many improvements and it's not much more expensive than the original Theta or m15, that you may as well get the S, unless you're very sure that you won't need or want any of the S' improvements.

RICOH THETA SPECIFICATIONS
Field of view: 360 degrees x 360 degrees
Shooting distance: Approximately 10cm to infinity (from front of lens)
Shooting mode: Auto, Shutter priority, ISO priority. S adds Manual.
Exposure compensation: Manual (-2.0 to +2.0EV 1/3EV Step)
ISO sensitivity: ISO 100~1600
White balance: Automatic, Manual

Aperture: f/2.0 (S); f/2.1 (original and m15)
Shutter speed: 1/6400 - 60 seconds (S); 1/8000~1/7.5 second (original and m15)
Memory: Internal, approximately 8GB or around 1600 photos (S); 4GB or around 1200 photos (original and m15)
Power: Internal lithium ion battery, rechargeable via USB cable
Battery life: ~260 photos (S); ~200 photos (original and m15) (with Wi-Fi® on, transmitting images at 30-second intervals; duration varies with usage conditions)
Image file format: JPEG (Exif Ver2.3) DCF2.0-compliant
External interface: Micro-USB: USB 2.0
Dimensions (LxWxD): 42 mm (approx.1.65 inches) x 129 mm (approx. 5.08 inches) x 22.8 mm (approx. 0.9 inches). Depth 17.4 mm/approx. 0.69 inches without lenses
Weight: Approx. 125g (S); 95 grams (original and m15)
Operating temperatures: 0 to 40 degrees Celsius (32 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit)
Operating humidity: Under 90%
Storage temperatures: -20 to 60 degrees Celsius (-4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit)

DESCRIPTION
The Theta has a slim body, similar to a smartphone but longer and narrower, with a prominent lens on both of its sides.

Parts of original Theta and m15

Back of the Theta

The original Theta and m15 have bodies that appear identical. The controls are simple: a shutter button, a WiFi button and a power button. On the m15, holding down the WiFi button while turning on the m15 toggles between photo and video. The top has a speaker. The bottom has a micro USB port and a 1/4-20 tripod socket. There is no LCD preview screen, memory card slot, or replaceable battery. The original Theta and m15 available in several colors: white, yellow, pink, and blue.

Parts of Theta S

The S still looks similar to the original and m15 but adds a dedicated button for switching between photo and video. There is also an indicator below the shutter button showing whether WiFi is on, and whether the camera is in photo or video mode. On the bottom of the camera, there is a new HDMI port for livestreaming to an HDMI recorder. The Theta S is available only in black.

THETA USAGE OVERVIEW

There are two ways to take photos with the Theta: either using just the Theta itself, or with a smartphone or tablet.

With Theta itself

Taking photos with just the Theta itself is simple.  The cameras are panfocal so there's no need for any kind of autofocus.  Exposure is automatic when using the Theta by itself.  Technically, the only thing you need to do is press the shutter.  However, composition can be tricky -- see below (Theta Details: Composition).

With a smartphone or tablet
The Theta has dedicated apps for iOS and Android. There is a separate one for the S on one hand, and the original and m15 on the other. Shooting with the app allows some control over the exposure and white balance, or take interval photos (for a timelapse or otherwise)

To control exposure, you can choose from Auto, Shutter priority, ISO priority, and manual (you specify the ISO and shutter). There is also exposure compensation at +/- 2EV (1/3 stop increments). Aperture is constant at f/2 for the S and f/2.1 for the older models.

The S also allows you to either one of two options: noise reduction mode and DR (dynamic range) compensation mode. The former is for low light situations, and the latter is for scenes with wide dynamic range. Both modes will cause the Theta to take multiple shots then combine them, so any movement can result in ghosting. They work best with a tripod.

Whether you're taking a photo using the Theta by itself or with a smartphone, pressing the shutter will cause the Theta to emit a loud chirp. There is no silent mode or way to decrease the volume. There is also strangely no self-timer mode, even though it has been requested by users ever since the original Theta was released (the closest alternative is to use interval shooting).

3rd Party Apps
In addition to Ricoh's apps, there are third party apps for the Theta. Some are merely similar to Ricoh's own app, though there are a few that add functionality such as for bracketing HDR exposures.

IMAGE QUALITY
Lens
The Theta's fisheye lenses are pretty good but there are some weaknesses in images because the lenses are being pushed heavily. Each fisheye lens captures a circular fisheye image:

However, these twin fisheye images are converted into panoramic equirectangular images (this happens internally, and you normally can't get the unconverted fisheye images). To convert them into equirectangular images, the edges of the fisheye images have to be stretched to fit a rectangular frame, similar to this one, which is the native JPEG image that is saved into memory:

Unedited equirectangular image format

The stretching of the fisheye edges leads to a lot of softness around the edges of the image. When taking photos, you may want to take into account that the sharpest parts of the photo will be the parts to which the fisheye lenses are pointing. Conversely, the softest parts of the photo will be those things that are captured along the edges of the Theta.

Another issue with the lens is the severe chromatic aberration and fringing along high-contrast areas. Chromatic aberration is worse along the edges of the image.

The Theta's flare resistance is nothing to write home about. Very bright light sources can decrease the contrast as well as produce flare artifacts.

Sensor
The image quality of the sensor of the original Theta and m15 is roughly comparable to what you would expect from an older smartphone such as the iPhone 4. It's not terrible, but it will not withstand pixel peeping. Here is a sample from the m15:

Terranea Resort (Ricoh Theta m15 comparison) - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

Just looking at the image as-is, I think it looks ok. However, if you zoom in to the pixel level, you can easily see the sensor's limitations.

The Theta S greatly improved the image quality of the sensor, especially with resolution. In terms of image quality, I would say it is similar to the image quality of an iPhone 6. I like the colors, although the white balance is usually inaccurate. Below is a shot on the Theta S for comparison:

Terranea Resort (Ricoh Theta S comparison) - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

If you're not a pixel-peeper, you might wonder if the extra resolution is truly necessary. I think the extra resolution is extremely useful, particularly if you want the freedom to change the composition of the image or to use a different projection (see below under Theta Details: Editing). The improvement in image quality is significant enough that I would have been happy to upgrade from the m15 to the Theta S for that reason alone, regardless of the other benefits of the Theta S.

VIDEO
Both the m15 and S can take 360-degree videos. The videos have to be converted from the twin circular fisheye format to an equirectangular format that can be recognized by 360-degree viewers and players such as the YouTube app. The video quality is not very good, although it is about the same as other competitors that are limited to 1080p. Because the entire 360 degrees is being captured within a resolution of only 1080p, and because you're only looking at a portion of the panorama at any given time, the equivalent resolution is relatively low. If being able to capture 360-degree videos is important to you, I would recommend looking for a 4k-capable spherical camera.

SHARING
There are many ways to share images taken with the Theta.

First, you can sign up for a free account on Theta360.com, which allows you to upload images and videos. You can upload either with the Theta smartphone app or the Theta desktop software. When you upload an image, you can select whether the images are public or unlisted. As an example, here is my account on Theta360.com.

Once uploaded, the images are interactive, and the viewer can pan around or zoom in as in a photosphere. The photosphere can even be viewed on smartphones. To share the uploaded image with your audience, you can just send them a link to the uploaded image on Theta360.com. Currently, Theta360.com allows automatic sharing with Facebook, Twitter, and/or Tumblr.

Other than Theta360.com, there are several other sites that will host your photosphere, with varying degrees of functionality.

Google StreetView: you can upload photospheres of places. In addition to a typical photosphere view, the uploaded photospheres can be viewed on Google Cardboard.

YouTube: you can upload 360-degree videos to YouTube, but first you need to convert the video using the Theta desktop app.

Microsoft PhotoSynth. Now includes support for the Theta.

Flickr: Flickr now supports photospheres. Just upload the equirectangular panorama. Flickr will recognize it as a photosphere.

Picasa and Google+ Photos: Picasa and Google+ will automatically recognize equirectangular panoramas and allow you to view them as a photosphere.

Sphereshare.net: a website for sharing photospheres.

Optonaut. A new website that will convert your photosphere into a 3D photosphere. Does not yet support images from spherical cameras, but Optonaut staff said that they will be adding support for spherical cameras such as the Theta.

Instagram. At the time of this writing, Instagram does not yet support photospheres, but Theta users are posting projections to Instagram such as tinyplanet or rabbit hole projections.

Shopping #theta360

A photo posted by Mic Ty (@creadvty) on Jan 13, 2016 at 4:03pm PST

THETA DETAILS: COMPOSITION

Composing on the Theta might seem easy because it captures everything around it. But it's actually challenging for several reasons: First, the camera's position has a very significant impact on the image because of the very short focal length, which exaggerates distances and proportions of compositional elements. In other words, close things appear closer and disproportionately larger, while far things appear farther and disproportionately smaller. Second, the camera's orientation may affect how easily the viewer can control the photosphere. If the camera is vertical, the photosphere controls are easy and intuitive. If the camera is in any other position, such as diagonal, the photosphere controls can become confusing. Third, because the Theta captures everything around it, it is very easy to mess up the composition with distracting elements. Finally, Theta cameras don't have a built-in preview screen, and only the Theta S has live view capability (with a smart device), while the original Theta and m15 have no way of previewing the composition.

Here are some tips/suggestions:

- If you want subjects to appear about the same, put the subjects at equal distance and height from the camera.
- If you are triggering the shutter on the Theta instead of the app, consider pressing the shutter with the tip of your index finder to move your fingers and hand further away from the lens.
- The orientation of the camera affects the appearance of the image. Viewed as a photosphere, the impact is on the viewer's control. Viewed as a 2D projection (equirectangular or otherwise), the orientation changes the appearance of the projection, although this can be adjusted with a panorama editing program.

THETA DETAILS: EDITING
As mentioned, the native image format of the Theta is a 360-panorama with equirectangular projection, in JPEG format.

Simple Editing

Ricoh offers companion apps called Theta+ and Theta+ Video for editing images and videos respectively. Both Theta+ apps allow you to apply Instagram-style filters. Theta+ also allows the user to change the projection type from stereographic ("mirror ball"), tiny planet, equirectangular, or rectilinear.

In addition to the Theta+ apps, you can also use image editing apps to edit the equirectangular JPEGs. After editing them, you can still view them on the Theta app and publish them from there.

Advanced Editing

It is also possible to edit Theta images within your normal Lightroom or Photoshop workflow. First, the Theta images can be imported to your catalog as you would any other photo (in my case, I created a separate panorama folder in my catalog). The equirectangular panoramas can then be edited just like other photos.

In Lightroom, you can add the Ricoh Theta desktop app (or another panoramic photo editor) as an external editor. From Lightroom, you can choose to edit with the Ricoh Theta desktop app to be able to quickly view a photosphere, or capture a particular perspective/orientation, or publish to the Theta360.com website.

ACCESSORIES

There are several accessories that can be useful for the Theta:

Strap attachment. Ricoh sells a strap attachment that attaches to the tripod socket of the Theta so you can attach a wrist strap to the Theta. I think the attachment is quite expensive. I instead use the BlackRapid FastenR Hitch for the same purpose.

Eyeglass case. To protect the Theta, I put it in a hard eyeglass case, which is more protective than the soft case that comes included with the Theta.

TH-1 Hard case. The TH-1 case doubles as a case and water resistant cover. The case also allows the Theta to stand on flat surfaces. Unfortunately, the cover of the TH-1 can create additional distortion and glare (from sun's reflection and from the camera's reflection). I usually carry the Theta in the TH-1 case. When I want to use the Theta, I merely uncover the TH-1, and I use the Theta with the TH-1 base.

Tripod/selfie stick. I use a combination selfie stick and tripod from iKross.

Waterproof case. You can use the Theta underwater using a waterproof case for smartphones. It is not as clear as the image you'll get from the TH-1 but you can still press the Theta's buttons, and I've used the Theta with such a case underwater.

SOME ALTERNATIVES

NCTech iris360 - not portable, takes 2 minutes to stitch, huge nadir (360 x 295). $2000.

Kodak SP360 - 360 x 214 degrees. Samples here http://kodakcamera.pixpro-sp360.com/ The SP360 relies on a single lens and single sensor. To provide a 360-degree view, the lens is typically pointed upward, and the 360-degree view is taken from the periphery of the lens, similar to how catadioptric 360-degree mirrors are used but without the blind spot in the middle. I haven't used the SP360 or SP360-4k myself, but the SP360's design seems to sacrifice image quality. First, the vertical field of view is only 214 degrees (as opposed to 360 degrees with the Theta). Second, as with most lenses, the highest image quality is typically from the middle of the lens, with the outer parts of the lens having progressively lower image quality. However, to provide a 360-degree view, the SP360 uses the outermost part of its lens, i.e. the part with the lowest image quality, while the sharpest part is pointed to the sky. Not surprisingly, the sample images from the SP360 have noticeably lower quality than even the original Ricoh Theta (never mind the S). Kodak also emphasizes usage for video, which makes the discrepancy less noticeable because of the lower resolution of 360 videos.

The Kodak SP360-4k ($499) has higher resolution, but has the same design issue that relies on the weakest part of the lens. For higher image quality and/or for a full photosphere, you can combine two SP360 cameras back-to-back. To Kodak's credit, they have software that automates stitching the two videos together. However, using two SP360 cameras increases the cost.

360fly - similar to the Kodak SP360. Uses one sensor and one ultrawide fisheye lens.

V.360 ($449) - 360x60. Single 16mp 1/2.3 sensor. Single catadioptric lens design.

Bublcam ($799). 360 x 360. 4 cameras.

Luna 360 ($299 - $399). Crowdfunded 360 x 360 camera. Uses two 190-degree lenses with 5mp sensor.

Giroptic 360cam ($499). 360 x 300. 3 185-degree lenses. Less distortion than Theta.

Nikon Keymission 360. This recently announced camera from Nikon uses two fisheye lenses like the Theta. It promises 4k video resolution therefore it may have a higher quality sensor, but I expect the price to be at least $800 if not higher. It is due for release this Spring 2016.

Catadioptric adapters for phones and cameras.

CONCLUSION
It's been a long time since I have found a camera that I found as intriguing and unique as the Ricoh Theta S. It's an amazing camera that creates many possibilities for both casual users and artists looking for a new creative tool. I highly recommend it if you're at all interested in a 360-degree camera.

+ true 360 x 360 field of view
+ pretty good image quality for its class and its price

+ easy to use
+ very portable
+ water resistant hard case is reasonably priced
+ frequent updates to firmware and software
- 360-degree videos have marginal image quality
- 360-degree videos take a while to process
- still no self-timer
- loud chirp when taking photos
- weak WiFi signal for live view
- can't add spare battery or add extra memory
- need to be careful to avoid damaging the lenses

If you found this review helpful and would like to get a Ricoh Theta, please consider purchasing through this Amazon affiliate link (it adds nothing to your cost). Thanks!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I'm an amateur photographer, and I've been shooting since 2007. I started this blog in 2009 to help me learn photography and to help other photographers. Most often, I take photos of people and events, though occasionally, I shoot other subjects such as products, architecture and landscapes. Most of my shots are candid, though I do setup shots from time to time. I have had photos published since 2010. I have had several interchangeable lens cameras, and several lenses, including Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony, and Samsung.

My Flickr album is here (hasn't been updated in a while): http://www.flickr.com/photos/13451101@N05/ .

Theta page: https://theta360.com/users/31612#

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/360rumors/

Traditional Christmas Family Portrait with Natural Light

2015-12-07T02:11:00.001-08:00

This weekend, I took a photo of our family for our Christmas card. In this post, I'll describe the thought process behind the photo.

EQUIPMENT

Camera and Lens
In preparation for the photo, I first had to decide on which camera and lens to bring. I wanted the photo to appear traditional, which means that I would be shooting at typical portrait distances. This usually means that I would need a longer lens. However, because it would be a group shot, I don't need a very long lens.

I was choosing between the Sony 18-105 f/4 (with the Sony a6000), the Samsung 16-50 f/2-2.8 S, or the Samsung 50-150 2.8 (with the NX500 - reviewed here). The Sony 18-105 f/4 would be able to cover almost any scenario for taking portraits, whether I have a lot of space (which would mean that I could use it toward the longer end), or not (in which case I would use a shorter focal length). The disadvantage of the 18-105 is the narrower aperture compared to either the Samsung 16-50 S or the 50-150 S, but that wasn't a huge disadvantage, given that using f/4 or narrower for a group photo would help ensure that everyone is in focus.

The 16-50 S can take group shots as well. It has the same focal length as the kit lens and can cover anything from wide angle to very short telephoto. It has the advantage of a much wider aperture compared to the kit lens, which can blur the background a bit, although that would have to be balanced by the need to keep everyone in focus in a group shot. Moreover, because it can only go to 50mm, it cannot easily take a photo from a farther distance.

Finally, there was the 50-150 S. This was the "riskiest" lens for a group photo because it needs a lot of space to be usable. If I don't have at least around 10 feet of space to shoot, I can't zoom out or crop the image to fit. On the other hand, if the space were available, it would give me the farthest perspective, which can help make the portrait look more cinematic.

I ultimately decided to use the 16-50 S and 50-150 S, primarily because I prefer the colors and tonality of the NX500 over those of the a6000. It's just a subjective preference, and the a6000 could of course have done the job as well.

Lighting
In previous years, I took our family portraits with flash (like I did last year). This year, we weren't absolutely sure about our location, so I wanted more flexibility in changing locations. Moreover, if I used flash, I would be limited to the sync speed (1/200 for the NX500), and because it was quite sunny, I would likely be forced to use a narrower aperture, in turn limiting my ability to blur the background. (True, I could use still a wider aperture if I had an ND filter, but I don't have a good quality one at the moment.) I therefore decided to use ambient light only.

Trigger
To trigger the camera, I brought the Yongnuo RF603. The NX500 can connect to a smartphone as a remote live view trigger. However, when shooting that way, the image is JPEG only (i.e. no Raw), which I wasn't satisfied with. (This is also true for the Sony a6000.) Instead, I used a radio trigger, with the Yongnuo RF603 II as a transmitter and the RF603N (with a JJC remote cable for Samsung NX) as a receiver. This setup worked well, with no missed shots.

TAKING THE PHOTO
My wife already had a good idea of what the Christmas card would look like, so she wanted a background that was covered with foliage. We decided to take the photo at a nearby outdoor mall, which had a couple of spots that could provide a suitable background.

The first spot we tried was at a corridor. Besides having foliage along the walls, the sun was hitting the top of one side of the corridor, which provided a soft yet directional light source to add a subtle pop to the picture. The corridor was just barely wide enough to use the 50-150 at 50mm.

However, for the group shot, I had to switch to the 16-50 S (at 40mm):

In these shots, one thing I had to be careful of was blowing the red channel. Even though the ambient light wasn't very bright, we were wearing bright red clothes. The NX500's exposure algorithm appears to look only at the luminance values rather than the separate RGB channels. Therefore, at what would be a "correct" exposure for luminance can easily blow the red channel. In this case, I checked the histogram then underexposed by 0.7EV to bring down the red channel to just under the point of oversaturation.

Anyway, I wasn't completely satisfied with the shot, so I continued to look around. I then tried the mall's large outdoor Christmas tree as a background:

The mall's Christmas tree was very tall but not super wide. To be able to use it as a background filled with foliage, I had to shoot from afar with a long focal length, which is exactly the kind of situation the 50-150 is made for.

With the sun almost overhead, I positioned our group to be in the shade of the tree (unfortunately, the sun could be used as shoulder light for me but not for my family due to obstructions). I also positioned us several feet from the tree so that background blur could help separate the foliage as background. I was about 15 feet away, and shot at 85mm (about 130mm equivalent on the NX500).

For the exposure, I used aperture priority and set the aperture at f/2.8 (which had just barely enough depth of field to keep us in focus). I intentionally underexposed by -1EV to avoid clipping highlights and to preserve the red channel,

Because we were backlit, the NX500 took longer than usual to focus each shot, usually taking about 1 second or so to focus, and some shots missed focus. This was an issue with the NX500, not with the RF603 (I tried using manual focus for some of the shots, and the RF603 took the shots with no delay).

Here was the original shot, corrected only for color temperature and slightly cropped.

Because the shot was intentionally underexposed, I had to raise the exposure in postprocessing to normalize it (see here). In addition, I clawed back the highlight details with highlight recovery (on the side of my head and jeans). Note: if a highlight is blown, it is lost. However, the NX500 is pretty good at exposing to retain relevant highlight detail, so all that I did was to reveal the highlight details captured by the NX500. Don't expect to be able to do that with your smartphone. :)

To add some glamour to the shot, I tweaked it using PortraitPro Studio, which lets you enhance portraits using sliders.

Here was another shot that I took with the NX500 and 50-150:

To print the photo on a Christmas card, I looked at Tinyprints.com and Shutterfly.com. They both have special offers right now. Tinyprints has 40% off + free shipping (use the code: BESTSALE40FS until 12/8/15), while Shutterfly has 50% off (use the code: HOLIDAY). Both had designs that we liked but in the end, we went with Tinyprints because we wanted the return address printed on the envelope instead of using an address label.

I hope you found this post helpful. I wish you and your family Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

RELATED POSTS
Family Portrait Walkthrough
Christmas Portrait On-Location
One Flash Portrait with Linco Boom Arm (Samsung NX500 + Samsung 50-150 S)

Hot Rumor: Nikon Acquires Samsung NX System!

2015-12-02T08:33:00.001-08:00

Samsung NX500 with 16-50 f/2-2.8 and the Nikon F-mount Fuji S5 with 28-105 AF-D.

In what may turn out to be the biggest news of 2016, MirrorlessRumors.com claims that Nikon will acquire Samsung's NX mirrorless technology! It's just a rumor at this point, but I believe it makes so much sense that I think it is very likely to be true. Hit the jump to see why!

Here are some of the reasons why I think an acquisition between Nikon and Samsung NX makes sense:

1. Mirrorless is the wave of the future. This is not so much because of any inherent superiority of mirrorless, but simply because mirrorless is cheaper to produce, and has fewer moving parts (and therefore is less likely to malfunction).

2. Sony is becoming the 800-lb. gorilla of mirrorless. Sony's mirrorless cameras have been earning accolades from photographers and the press. Sony's a6000 was a huge hit. Moreover, Sony's full frame mirrorless cameras have been amazing, and they literally have no competition.

3. Nikon has been floundering in mirrorless. Nikon entered the mirrorless market half-heartedly with the Nikon 1 series, which have not been very well received for several reasons, including its small sensor.

4. Meanwhile, Samsung has leapfrogged Sony in sensor technology. Its latest sensor, used in the NX1 and NX500, have edged out its competition to become recognized as the best sensor for APS-C for now.

5. However, Samsung failed to gain a significant market share with the NX1 and NX500. Reviewers loved the NX1 and NX500 (reviewed here) but they have not catapulted Samsung's market share the way the a6000 and a7 did for Sony. I believe that part of the reason is that Samsung doesn't have as much credibility to photographers as some of its competitors. Meanwhile, Nikon has a stellar reputation and the respect of industry professionals.

6. Samsung is already leaving the UK and German market. There were rumors swirling around of Samsung leaving the camera business, and Samsung took the step of denying those rumors. However, subsequently, Samsung has confirmed that it was leaving the German and UK markets. It's pretty strange for Samsung to do that after making somewhat of a splash with the NX1 and NX500, unless Samsung has other plans for its awesome sensor.

7. It's been done before. An acquisition between Nikon and Samsung already has a precedent. In 2006, Sony acquired Konica Minolta to enter the DSLR market.

We will probably find out on or before January at CES 2016.

WILL NIKON KEEP THE NX MOUNT?
While Nikon is acquiring Samsung's NX technology, it is not yet certain that they will keep the NX mount. However, I think Nikon will keep the NX mount.

1. The Nikon 1 is not strong enough to dominate the mirrorless market. If all that Nikon does with Samsung's technology is to use Samsung's sensor, it wouldn't disrupt the market at all. You know about that cliché about the definition of insanity.
2. If Nikon just wanted to get good sensors, it can already get them from Sony, or order them from Samsung. It doesn't make sense to acquire an entire camera division merely to get better sensors.
3. If Nikon abandons the NX mount, it would have to develop a whole line of APS-C mirrorless lenses, AND convince the market that the new system is viable. That would take too much time as well as resources. By then, Sony would be way ahead of the game. It would also be a waste of the lenses and bodies Samsung has already developed.

For these reasons, the only logical alternative for Nikon is to keep the NX mount.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM SUCH A PARTNERSHIP?

Supposing Nikon does indeed purchase Samsung's NX division and keeps the NX mount. What impact would that have on consumers?

Sensors. Samsung has the best sensors at the moment and seems to have leapfrogged Sony's sensor technology, whereas Nikon relies on Sony to manufacture its sensors. We would expect future Nikon cameras to rely primarily if not exclusively on Samsung sensors. Given the performance of Samsung's most recent sensors, this is a very good development for Nikon shooters.
Even better image quality. Nikon is very good at squeezing the best performance from sensors. Sony sensors on Nikon bodies usually perform slightly better than their Sony counterparts. I expect Nikon will apply their magic sauce to the Samsung sensors to get even better performance from them.

Lenses. Nikon excels in lens design and has a comprehensive lens system. Samsung has also produced pretty good lenses but they have very few lenses compared to other camera systems. I believe Nikon will produce an adapter for F-mount to NX-mount, allowing Nikon's F-mount lenses to be used on NX-mount bodies. Meanwhile, if Nikon is serious about mirrorless, they will also produce dedicated NX-mount lenses to fill in gaps in the NX lens line, such as a walkaround zoom (probably 18-105 f/3.5-5.6 VR) and a telephoto (70-300 f/3.5-5.6 VR).

Flash technology. Nikon has a very well developed lighting system, while Samsung's flash system is primitive. I expect that Nikon will make an adapter to allow Nikon's flashes to be used on NX bodies.
Autofocus. Nikon has a very well-regarded autofocus technology. It is possible that they might apply their autofocus algorithms to NX-mount bodies to give them better autofocus consistency.
Colors. This is one area I'm a little worried about. I love the colors on Samsung cameras. I personally find Nikon's colors a little too orange. I'm concerned Nikon might apply their color processing to future Samsung bodies. I guess I would have to rely on color calibration to fix that.

So, in summary, Samsung handing over its NX system to Nikon makes a lot of sense. The future looks bright for Nikon and Samsung shooters.

Sony RX1R II improvements over Sony RX1

2015-10-14T14:24:00.002-07:00

There are lots of exciting news for Sony full frame today! There was the announcement of the Sony a7S II, which everyone saw coming. There was also an announcement of a firmware update to add 14-bit Uncompressed Raw, to be available October 19. Finally, Sony also announced the Sony RX1R II, the successor to the RX1 and RX1R.

People had been speculating about the RX1's successor but for a long time there was no news about it, and people shifted their attention to the a7RII. So when Sony announced the RX1R II today, it came as a surprise.

I had the Sony RX1 (reviewed here), and the RX1R II looks like an attractive upgrade with several improvements over the RX1.

IMPROVEMENTS

1. Sensor and variable OLPF. The RX1 had a 24 mp sensor, while the RX1R II has a 42mp sensor, similar to that of the a7RII. Other than the improvement in resolution, the RX1R II also has a variable optical low-pass filter, which essentially allows you to choose whether to shoot with a low-pass filter (to minimize moire) or without the filter (for maximum resolution).

2. Built-in EVF. The RX1 was criticized for not having an electronic viewfinder, except as an expensive accessory. The RX1R II has a built-in electronic viewfinder that pops up, a novel feature that first appeared on the Sony RX100 III.

3. Continuous autofocus (AF-C). The original RX1 had no continuous autofocus capability at all. The RX1R II has continuous autofocus and has an improved autofocus tracking capability. This should make it easier to track and capture moving subjects. In my opinion, this is a significant improvement, because the RX1's difficulty with moving subjects made it unsuitable for candid photos. If the RX1R II performs as promised, it becomes a good candidate for candid and family photos.

4. Faster autofocus. The RX1 wasn't slow to focus, but it wasn't that fast either. Although it would sometimes focus quickly, much of the time, it was not much faster at focusing than a good point and shoot such as the Panasonic LX5. The RX1R II has the same autofocus system as the a7RII, with 399 AF points covering almost all of the frame. Sony claims the new system is 30% faster than the autofocus of the RX1. To be honest, that does not sound very impressive, considering the RX1 wasn't that fast to begin with. However, I will withhold judgment until we have more information.

5. Tilting screen. The RX1R II adds a tilting LCD screen, which is very useful for taking photos at unusual angles. Regretably, the LCD screen cannot be flipped 180 degrees for a selfie mode, which can be very useful for family photos and candid shots.

WHAT'S MISSING

1. No built-in image stabilization. Although the RX1R II uses the same sensor as the a7R II, and the latter has built-in image stabilization, the RX1R II does not have optical image stabilization. That's unfortunate, but not a deal breaker in my opinion.

2. No curved sensor. Ever since Sony announced the development of a curved sensor, everyone had assumed that it would be used in the RX1's successor. A curved sensor would have improved image quality at the edges of the frame. On the other hand, it would be difficult to develop zoom lenses for it. Naturally, most people figured Sony would use it for a premium fixed lens camera such as the RX1. However, for whatever reason, Sony apparently did not implement its curved sensor in the RX1R II.

3. No touchscreen. As with other Sony cameras with an EVF, there is no touchscreen on the RX1R II. I'm still not sure why Sony can't follow Olympus, Panasonic, Samsung and other camera manufacturers in having cameras with both an EVF and a touchscreen.

4. Lost the popup flash. The RX1 had a popup flash which was useful in part because of the RX1's 1/2000 sync speed. The RX1R II's popup EVF now occupies the space that used to be for the RX1's popup flash. For flash users, it's not the end of the world because the RX1R II retains the hotshoe, and still has a 1/2000 sync speed.
5. No 4k video.

UNKNOWNS

1. Color fidelity. One of the strengths of the RX1 was its color fidelity. It had awesome colors and faithful reds (unlike some Sony cameras that have reds that look more orange). I'm hoping the RX1R II has similar fidelity, though I can't be sure without seeing more samples. However, Sony posted a sample photo of a maiko (geisha apprentice), and the red of her lipstick and her obi (sash) look pretty good.

2. Does the sensor outresolve the lens? The RX1's Zeiss 35 f/2 was superb. It was very sharp and in my opinion, it had the best bokeh of any lens I've used. The RX1R II appears to use the same lens. With the higher sensor resolution, I don't know if the images from this lens will look as sharp when pixel-peeped. However, even in the worst case scenario, we can expect the overall resolution to be improved.

The Joys Of Owning An Olympus E-M1 (firmware v4.0)

2015-10-08T05:57:00.003-07:00

For a long time, I wanted to post a review of the Olympus E-M1 and how it compared to the Olympus E-M5 I had before. However, I guess this is not relevant anymore with the release of the E-M10, the E-M5 II and the E-M10 II. Let me tell you the jump from the E-M5 to the E-M1 for me was quite significant, these are some of the major differences that affected my day-to-day use of the camera:

EVF with double the resolution, auto brightness, and auto-off when screen is tilted, better LCD as well
Focus peaking
More reliable continuous AF with on-sensor phase detection
Lots of customizable buttons, with better positioned rear dial
9 fps burst rate with C-AF and a huge buffer
1/8000 max shutter speed
Electronic first curtain shutter to solve the famous shutter shock issues with long lenses
Faster sync speed, and less lag when using FL600R in TTL mode
Much better video codec, although still shoots 30 fps only
Mic input with 21 adjustable levels
Fully sprung battery door
Very good JPEG engine with spot-on colors, sharpness and noise reduction, first time I can shoot JPEG confidently
Built-in WiFi to share images with smart phone, and use the phone as a remote live view shutter (stills & video)

As you can see, these are significant differences that transformed my experience with the E-M1. To date, I still enjoy using the E-M1 immensely because of the transparent shooting experience, the fast AF, the beautiful and accurate colors, and the malleability of RAW files in LR (easier to process than Sony A7II files).

The E-M1 was released two years ago as the Olympus mirrorless flagship, and it still is compared to other MFT and mirrorless cameras. Olympus took a hint from Fuji, and for two years to date, they are updating the E-M1’s firmware to add new features and fix idiosyncrasies that existed. Every time they release a major upgrade, I feel like Olympus have given my camera a new life, and they are still caring about its flagship status. Yes, some of the updates should have been included in the camera from the beginning, and some of the upgraded features were already available in other mirrorless cameras earlier than Olympus, but that still doesn’t take from the importance of what Olympus does, and how they make their users feel happy and proud. Look at what Apple did with the original iPhone. They made a 2G-only iPhone with a bad fixed-focus camera and made a big fuss about it, while at the same time all other manufacturers had 3G phones with way better cameras. Then they released the iPhone 3G and made an even bigger fuss about it as if Apple has invented the 3G technology, etc… At the end of the day, the users were excited with each release and flocked to buy the upgraded version. In analogy, Olympus does the same with the E-M1, but without costing you extra money. How good is that?

Which brings us to the subject of this post (long intro, eh?): Olympus’ announcement of E-M1 firmware v4. Before telling you about major this update is, I would like to start with the earlier firmware upgrades (starting with v1.1) and let you know how they mattered to me as an end-user. I will only list the features relevant to me. You can find the full list in this link.

v1.1 (23.Nov.2013):

improved live bulb image quality

v1.3 (31.Mar.2014):

added 21 audio levels when using external mic with the ability to switch the volume limiter off/on
added a 0 second anti-shock setting (EFCS) which finally got rid of the shutter shock issues completely, however, it is only available in single-shot mode and not in continuous shooting modes which I use extensively

v1.4 (21.May.2014):

improved stabilization when shooting in C-AF modes
OI Share (remote shooting app) supported custom self-timer, digital tele-converter and zoom operation for lenses with electronic zoom

v2.0 (16.Sep.2014): this was a MAJOR update

added keystone compensation (digital shift), it works brilliantly
added tethered shooting with PC
added live composite shooting (shoot several photos imposed over each other)
added vintage and partial color art filters, both are very cool to use
added AF function for each frame in custom self-timer
MF assist available in magnified frame
completely removed the lagging that happened with focus peaking, that was one of my favorites
level gauge and histogram are visible in magnified view
current focal length for zoom lenses appear on the screen/EVF

v2.1 and v2.2 (Nov.2015):

mainly bug fixes

v3.0 (24.Feb.2015): another MAJOR update

improved burst with C-AF from 6.5 fps to 9 fps
now on-sensor phase-detection AF works in C-AF mode with MFT lenses, while it previously worked only with FT lenses .. this made the C-AF much more reliable and accurate with MFT lenses .. I was able to shoot a jet-ski moving at high speed with water splashing everywhere with a 99% hit-rate

v3.1 (16.Jun.2015):

added “Live View Boost 2” function to make shooting stars and very dark environments easier

v4.0 (end of Nov.2015): third MAJOR update, and best of them all. I will only mention the updates that will be useful to me, full update can be found here

add 4 colors for focus peaking, yay, I hate the white I have now and wish to use red (like on my Sony) or blue
add full electronic shutter (not only first curtain) enabling full silent mode and shutter speeds up to 1/16,000
enable continuous shooting in Anti-Shock mode (EFCS), another yay, now I can shoot continuously with no fear of shutter shock
add 4K time lapse movie, a slight meh, I don’t like to shoot time lapses in fear of wearing my shutter down, but now with full electronic shutter, I am more inclined to use it
add digital IS in addition to the 5-axis IS in movie mode, similar to the E-M5 II
add 24 and 25 fps in movie mode, a big yaaay, finally!
add movie info display, I wonder what that is, but anything to improve movie mode is welcome
update firmware of M.Zuiko lenses to improve aperture action for smooth exposure control even when shooting movies in situations with sudden changes in brightness
add focus stacking mode: the camera takes 8 pictures with different focus distances and combines them in one photo to maximize DOF, very useful in macro shooting (to be available with 12-40 f/2.8, 40-150 f/2.8 and 60mm Macro)
add focus bracketing mode: takes up to 999 shots at different focal lengths and lets the user use programs like photoshop to stack the photos and achieve deeper DOF

As you can see, Olympus has continuously updated the E-M1 (and other cameras too) throughout its 2 year-old life. And not just small updates, no, hugely useful updates to cater to all types of users. And for that, I am eternally thankful, and would stay loyal to Olympus for the time being. I just hope they concentrate on a better video codec and 4K shooting on their next flagship, not that I need to produce 4K-sized videos, but it looks very impressive and detailed on a 1080p timeline, and gives me flexibility to punch-in for close-ups as if I was using two cameras for the same shot.

Thank you for reading.

Selfies Are More Dangerous Than Sharks

2015-10-07T09:01:00.001-07:00

In the latest selfie-related accident, a Russian teen who has gained notoriety for his selfie stunts fell to his death when he took a selfie while hanging from a roof by a rope. In 2015, it is reported that at least 12 people have died while capturing selfies, whereas sharks have killed 8 people.

Improving Color Consistency with the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport

2015-09-29T03:06:00.001-07:00

INTRODUCTION
Different cameras see color differently - even within the same brand. Color accuracy is not just a matter of getting the correct white balance. Different sensors simply render color differently. You don't have to take my word for it. Check out the test below.

THE ISSUE
Here is a test scene with a color chart (in this case, the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport). Because many sensors have difficulty rendering red, I also included two red objects that are familiar to many people: a can of Coke and a Netflix envelope. I used the same exact lighting setup for the shots (a remote Yongnuo YN560III bounced to a white ceiling and triggered by a YN560TX). I took shots of the test scene using three different cameras -- the Sony a6000, the Olympus Stylus 1, and the Samsung NX500. I took the shots in raw, then I used the white balance dropper on the black square of the color chart to equalize the white balance. I also tried to adjust the exposure as closely as possible.

One of the biggest differences is how they render the color red:

In case you're wondering, the top one is from the Stylus 1, the middle is the Sony a6000, and the bottom is the Samsung NX500. In my opinion, among the three, the Stylus 1 has the most neutral/accurate colors. The a6000 has reds that are too orange. The NX500 has reds that are a little deeper. It's not as accurate as the Stylus 1's red but it's not unpleasant in my opinion. Is there a way to make the colors more accurate? Moreover, if you are using more than one camera to cover an event, can the colors be made to look similar between the cameras?

THE SOLUTION
Whether you want to make the color more accurate, or you want more consistency between different cameras, you can benefit from using a color calibration tool. One such calibration tool is the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport.

With the ColorChecker Passport, you take a photo of a pocket-sized test chart. The Passport software analyzes the test chart photo and automatically creates a custom DNG raw profile for your camera to correct for color inaccuracies. DNG camera profiles include not only information about color rendering, but also contrast and tone curve for each color channel.

Technically, you should create a custom profile for each camera/lens combination under the same lighting conditions that you will use for your photo. However, with the X-rite you can do a dual-illuminant profile that can work across a wider range of lighting conditions.

I used Passport to generate custom profiles for the shots above. I applied the profiles to the shots, and here are the results:

Stylus 1 - calibrated

a6000 - calibrated

NX500 - calibrated

The shots now have more similar colors (although not perfectly identical). Even looking at each shot individually, there is a huge improvement in the color accuracy of the Sony a6000 so that the red isn't so orange anymore. The NX500 colors also look more accurate.

The Passport (and its big brothers the ColorChecker Classic, and the Digital SG) isn't the only color calibration tool available. There's also the SpyderChecker which I will review next time. The difference is that the X-rite calibrators run within Lightroom (you don't have to launch another software), and they create DNG camera profiles, whereas SpyderChecker creates presets.

CONCLUSION
If you want to improve the color accuracy of your photos, as well as the color consistency between different cameras, check out the X-rite ColorChecker Passport.

What is the Best Focal Length for Portraits?

2015-09-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

first day of school

It's commonly said that the best focal length for portraits is 85mm to 135mm. That is often true, but what's the underlying rationale for it? What if the subject is a child? What if it's a group portrait? What if you wanted to include the environment in the background? The truth is there is actually no ideal focal length for portraits. Instead, there are three factors that you need to keep in mind. Hit the jump!

DISTANCE VS. FOCAL LENGTH

First, a subject's appearance and facial proportions are affected by perspective, which in turn is dependent on the distance from the camera to the subject, not the focal length per se. Of course, there are typical compositions for headshots, which is how certain focal lengths were associated with portraits. However, ultimately, what you need to consider is the distance to the subject. This is more useful to know when using a composition other than a headshot for one person. The best focal length would vary if the subject is a child or a tall adult, or if you wanted to get a full body shot instead of a headshot, or if there are more people, or if you wanted to include the background in an environmental portrait. But in each case, what controls the subject's appearance is the distance from the camera to the subject.

THE INTENDED EFFECT

OK, now that we know it's actually the camera-to-subject distance that we should be thinking about, what is the best distance for portraits? Again, there is no single best distance. The best distance depends on the effect that you want.

In a study published in the Journal of Vision, scientists showed photos of ten men and ten women to the participants of the study. The portraits had the same scale (the same apparent size) but unbeknownst to the study participants, the portraits were taken at different distances. The participants rated the portraits according to certain qualities such as attractiveness. The participants' answers were then correlated with the distances at which the portraits were taken. The scientists found that the camera-to-subject distance influenced different qualities of the portrait subjects:

close distance (56cm / 1.8 feet): "more benevolent (good, peaceful, pleasant, approachable)"
intermediate distance (124cm / 4.1 feet): more attractive
larger distance (400cm / 13.1 feet): "more impressive (smarter, stronger)."

The best distance therefore depends on what impression you and your subject want to create in the portrait. Do they want to look more benevolent, more attractive, or more impressive? You can then choose the distance accordingly.

THE SUBJECT

Finally, you should consider the subject's facial proportions. Subjects' faces can be wide or narrow, and size and shape of their noses can vary. Shooting at a closer distance has the effect of making a face appear more narrow, or can make a nose appear longer, and vice-versa. We can choose the distance that complements the subject's facial proportions.

CONCLUSION

There is no single best focal length for portraits. Instead there are three factors to consider: First, you should consider the camera-to-subject distance (not the focal length). Second, you should think about what quality you want to emphasize in the portrait: their benevolence, attractiveness, or impressiveness, then choose the distance accordingly. Finally, you can adjust the distance to complement the subject's individual facial proportion.

Taking Some Rest

2015-09-02T18:32:00.001-07:00

This should be a short one. Mic have started this blog a long time ago. And I joined ship after we discovered we had lots of common interests and the same love for sharing knowledge with others. We don't make money for ourselves out of this blog. We're not selling anything here and we have no interest other than helping people who are like us.

I don't know how long I have been writing here. Just go check the updated index on the home page. We've written close to 950 posts if I remember correctly. Some of them have created some discussion, and others have lived in complete silence with no comments. Yet we never stopped posting. Maybe we slowed now, but never stopped. Without much mentl support, sometimes I feel like I am talking to myself in an empty room, despite the regular hits we keep getting according to the stats.

Anyway, time has for me to take some rest from posting here, and concentrate more on the projects I have on my hand. This is turning out to be the busiest time of my life till now. I will not go away and I will not disappear. But I will be around, and will make the occasional post whenever the time feels right and I have somthing worthy of sharing.

I also apologize for ruining some of the previous posts by removing some of the photos in them. But I have taken the decision to keep all my family photos private once more. This makes me more comfortable. So, wish me luck, and see you again soon. I have really enjoyed everything posted here.

Bye!

Posted with Blogsy

Strobist Sunday at Santa Monica with the Stylus 1

2015-08-26T03:54:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, we went to Santa Monica's Pacific Park, a small amusement park at the famous Santa Monica pier. I took some shots Strobist-style (i.e. with off-camera flash). In this post, I would like to share some samples comparing on-camera flash, off-camera flash, and no flash.

For my camera, I used the Olympus Stylus 1. Besides being versatile, it also has unlimited sync speed, which made the flash more efficient. The Stylus 1 also has a popup flash that can control a compatible speedlight wirelessly.

For my flash, I used the Olympus FL-36R, a small yet full-featured speedlight compatible with Olympus' RC wireless system (note: Olympus' system is optical, not radio-controlled, despite the name). Because the FL-36R only has modest power, I chose to use it bare, with no modifiers. To make the light more interesting, I mounted the flash on a selfie-stick (using the FL-36R's included flash stand), which enabled me to have much more control over its direction, compared to using it handheld.

The selfie stick I used was the iKross selfie stick, which has an adjustable head with 1/4-20 mount and can convert from a selfie stick to a tripod (technically, a chicken-foot style self-standing monopod). However, on this occasion, I used it only as a monopod and not a tripod.

OFF-CAMERA FLASH

I had never used the Olympus wireless flash system outdoors, much less in very bright sun, so I wasn't sure if it would even work. I didn't know how sensitive the wireless flash sensor was, nor did I know if the popup commander would be able to put out enough light for the flash to detect its signal. I first tried it indoors. With the flash held about 3 feet above and to the right of the camera, the flash triggered successfully, even though the flash was not in the direct line of sight of the popup commander flash. It appears that the FL-36R's sensor can detect the popup flash reflected from the subjects (similar to Nikon's CLS AWL flashes). I also tried putting the light in other directions, and it triggered consistently.

Outdoors, in very bright sun, it was less consistent. Sometimes, it would work (note here that the flash is from above and slightly to the left of the camera, while the sunlight was behind the subjects, to camera right).

At other times, it wouldn't detect the commanding signals from the Stylus 1, which wasn't very surprising because of the Stylus 1's small popup flash. There were also times when the flash would detect the signal, but for some reason, the flash exposure would be too bright.

correct exposure

nuked

Speaking of the flash output, I initially used manual power (the flash can be adjusted from full power to 1/128 in 1/3 stop increments). However, because I kept adjusting the flash position (both direction and distance), I kept having to readjust the power, so instead I switched to TTL. As the example above shows, it wasn't always consistent, however, it worked better for these run-and-gun shots than manual flash.

Anyway, here are some shots to compare with and without flash:

flash didn't trigger - I used dodging and burning to bring up the subjects' exposure.

similar shot where the flash was triggered

In the first shot below, I used Lightroom's radial gradient to bring up the subject's exposure. In the shot below it, I used flash.

Here are some more samples with off-camera flash:

ON-CAMERA FLASH

Sometimes, I switched to using the flash on-camera as fill, such as when my kids were too far away, in which case it would not be practical to position the flash at a desirable angle, and I'm better off using the flash as on-axis fill light.

No flash

With flash (on-camera as fill light)

Here are some shots with on-camera flash:

Here is a comparison between on-camera flash and off-camera flash:

on-camera flash

off-camera flash

EPILOGUE

I hope these shots illustrate the differences between off-camera flash, on-camera flash, and no flash. I'm not trying to imply any one of them is the best. In my opinion, there is no single technique that is always superior. The best technique to use depends on the circumstances and the photographer's intent.

UAE Trip - Part 4

2015-08-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the fourth and final part of the “Trip to UAE” series. We started with my arrival at Abu Dhabi at night, then spending the next morning visiting various famous locations in Dubai (Palm Island, Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and its dancing fountain). That same night we managed to rent a Corvette C7 Stingray for 24 hours from Dubai and left our car there and drove back to Abu Dhabi to get a night’s sleep. Next day we drove to the top of Jebel Hafeet mountain in the Corvette, went to JBR in Dubai for lunch, then finally returned the Corvette and drove back to Abu Dhabi in our car.

All of this happened in the matter of 48 hours and I only had one other day to spare in UAE. In this post I will tell you all about what we did there. Hit the jump.

After getting a good rest at night, we were ready for our final big day of fun. The main event of the day was to visit Ferrari World in Yas Island; a few kilometers out of Abu Dhabi city center. I saw Tiff Needell and Jason Plato spend some great time there on Fifth Gear, and I was eager to see it for myself. The day started with a late breakfast at home, then we headed to Abu Dhabi mall and I bought a few gifts for my family. I didn’t take pictures there, but the mall was much more relaxing and enjoyable compared to Dubai mall. There were not a lot of visitors. The streets leading to the mall were not crowded. Parking was simple and straight forward. And the mall had almost everything that Dubai mall had.

Around noon, we went directly to Ferrari World. There is a (yet another) huge shopping mall there. It was a very nice mall with lots of sunlight and very large spaces giving an airy feeling. Crowds were at a minimum too. After prayer, we spent some time looking around the different shops that I didn’t see before. One shop that caught my eye was an antique looking shop called the “Tea Shop”. It had large walls filled with lots of yellow cans filled with all sorts of tea. It was very eye catching, and I made a mental note to visit it on our way out. Finally, at around 2:30pm, we headed for Ferrari World.

At the entrance, I was already in awe. The place is crazy huge for something indoors, and the ceiling was a massive piece of art held by what seemed like just 2 huge columns. I only had the LX100 with me, but it didn’t matter. I started taking lots of pictures of the ceiling trying to convey its sheer size. After I peeled my eyes from the ceiling, I was able to see Ferrari demo cars all around the place. The ones that caught my attention were the 458 Italias. I only saw them in red before, probably all Ferraris I saw either came in Red, Yellow and sometimes Silver or Black/Dark Blue. But I found there my favorite 458 Italia color of all, a very handsome off-white 458. Wow. It was a piece of art. They also had a big Ferrari gift shop outside the gates that once can visit without paying for tickets. I left that shop till the end.

When it comes to tickets, there are two main options. Option one is the normal ticket which grants you access to all the games inside. The second one is almost double the price, but it gives you priority access to pass any queues and go ahead to the games. We chose the first option as the tickets were not what you’d call cheap. Me and my friend decided on three games that we had to try first: world’s fastest roller coaster (0-240 km/h in 5 seconds), Formula 1 simulator, and Go Karts. At the tickets window and before buying the tickets, we asked the operator if there were open slots in all of those three games and he confirmed there were. Excellent.

We went inside and decided to catch the go karts first, only to find that go karts were more like stop karts. The track was a very small one, and it was filled almost bumper to bumper with karts not moving any faster than 10 km/h. Moreover, no more bookings were available for the day. We left it and went to the F1 simulator that I saw on Fifth Gear, only to discover that there were several small ones for free; which were all booked for the day, and two large ones (F1 and F430 Scuderia simulators, the ones I saw on Fifth Gear) that cost 60 Dirhams each. So in order to ride the F1 simulator, I'd have to pay again above the ticket price, and I haven't even played a single game yet. Anyway, we queued for the F1 simulator for almost 30 minutes, and when we finally reached the reservation desk, we were told that the nearest appointment would be in 3 hours. I asked the lady if I could leave Ferrari World to go to the mall and return back at the appointed time, she told me that I can't!! I left the queue and didn't look back.

At that stage I was quite furious. I wasted more than an hour and 250 Dirhams for nothing. The last worthy thing I could do was to ride the roller coaster, but there was a 45 minute waiting time. That was enough. I went to the help desk and asked for a refund. The guy refused a refund and offered me a priority pass to the roller coaster (no waiting) which I didn't accept. I was told that there were F1 simulator and Go Karts availability before paying the tickets, while there were not. He called for his manager who accepted the refund without a single question. So we left Ferrari World and went inside the mall for lunch and a promise from my friend to invite me to a "Tea Shop".

We had lunch at a very nice place over looking a large fountain. They offered very tasty steak and mashed potatoes. The funny thing was the peanuts they brought as an appetizer until our meal was ready. After lunch, we went to an interesting looking place called the "Tea Shop". The shop featured walls covered in yellow tea tins from floor to ceiling, and there were these classic looking chairs and tables with white cloth covers. It turns out that you go inside and either buy exotic types of tea and take it home, or have a seat and enjoy a full pot of the tea of your choice. We went for the full experience. The menu consisted of at least a thousand types of tea: black, red, blue, white, jasmine, expensive, more expensive, way more expensive, etc... Oh, and they had a "Tea Book" that described the origin of each of the tea types.

I don't remember which tea types we chose, but the waiter brought each of us a full tea pot, and we had tea cups, sugar and a spoon on the table to enjoy our tea pots. I didn't really fancy the tea, but the shop was a very photographic place. Everything looked classic and elegant.

At night, we went to a very fast outdoor Go Kart track in Al-Forsan club to have my Go Kart dose that I was denied at Ferrari World. I can easily say it is the best Go Kart track I have ever driven. It had steep slopes, blind corners after hill climbs, vast run off areas (which helped me once), etc... I was able to come in 3rd place among the 12 competitors we had, which is not bad for a first timer like me. And I had the fortune of racing with the fastest-time holder of the track, who of course won the 1st place.

That mostly sums my first time experience in UAE. Next time I go there, I will try some water activities. I hope you've enjoyed the series, and I am sorry for the long time it took me to post all of it.

RELATED POSTS

UAE Trip - Part One

UAE Trip - Part Two

UAE Trip - Part Three

Nissin Air Di700a (radio wireless TTL) now available for Sony

2015-08-21T06:40:00.004-07:00

The Nissin Air Di700a, a radio-based wireless TTL system which I wrote about here, is apparently now available for Sony cameras. According to another ebay listing, it uses the new Multi-Interface Shoe.(used in the a6000, a7 series, etc.), not the Minolta hotshoe.

The seller describes it as a "pre-sale" (pre-order) although the seller's specified release date has already passed, so it appears to be readily available. You should probably contact the seller to confirm. Also please note the price of this combination is significantly higher than the price of a similar kit for Nikon or Canon, which is around $300. Hopefully, it becomes available at a lower price for Sony as well.

Drone on a Leash: Fotokite Phi

2015-08-18T08:40:00.002-07:00

Fotokite Phi is a drone that is designed to carry a GoPro camera. What makes it different is that it is controlled by a leash, like a kite. Check out their Indiegogo campaign. Early bird pricing is $259 (pre-order price is $349). Note: There is NO camera included.

True or False? "Aperture Controls Flash, Shutter Speed Controls Ambient"

2015-08-11T21:15:00.001-07:00

One of the often-repeated rules of thumb for flash is that "aperture controls flash, while shutter speed controls ambient." In this post, we'll see why this adage can be misleading.

IS THE ADAGE WRONG?
At first glance, the adage sounds correct. When using manual flash, changing the aperture will affect the flash exposure directly. Using a wider aperture will increase the flash exposure, while using a narrower aperture will decrease the flash exposure.

It is also true that generally, the flash duration is so brief that shutter speed usually has no effect on flash exposure (note: there are flashes with very slow flash durations which are affected by shutter speed). At the same time, shutter speed does affect the ambient exposure. So, indeed, shutter speed can be used to control ambient.

For these reasons, the adage is not exactly wrong. However, as I said, it's misleading for a couple of reasons.

EFFECT OF APERTURE
While aperture affects the flash exposure directly, it also affects the ambient exposure. Here are some test shots to illustrate (all of them use manual exposure with manual ISO).

In the first shot, the light is all ambient. I used f/5.6, 1/60, ISO 800:

In the second shot, I added manual flash at 1/64 power (popup flash). The ambient exposure is the same as the previous shot: 1/5.6, 1/60, ISO 800. The light is therefore a mix of ambient and flash:

In the third test shot, I widened the aperture to f/2.8 in order to increase the flash exposure. The manual flash was still 1/64 power. However, because I widened the aperture to f/2.8, the flash appears brighter. On the other hand, widening the aperture also had the incidental effect of making the ambient light brighter.

Therefore we can see that when using manual flash, aperture controls not just flash exposure but also ambient exposure. If you really want to change just the flash exposure without affecting the ambient exposure, you can do it by adjusting the flash output instead of changing the aperture.

ADAGE DOESN'T APPLY TO TTL

More relevant to candid shooters, the adage doesn't apply at all to TTL flash. Just to recap, with manual flash, you set the flash power output. With TTL flash, the flash emits a pulse and measures the reflection to guess the approximate power output to achieve a correct exposure.

With TTL, the adage doesn't work because when a TTL flash sets the power output, it already takes into account the aperture and ISO. When you adjust aperture or ISO, the TTL flash will adjust output automatically to give the same exposure. Here are sample shots to illustrate.

#1: a baseline shot, all ambient: f/5.6, 1/60, ISO 800:

#2: Here is the shot with TTL flash added. Still at f/5.6, 1/60, ISO 800:

#3: In this next shot, I widened the aperture to f/4. Now at f/4, 1/60, ISO 800. Note that the flash exposure (illuminating the surrounding carpet) did not change. What was affected was the ambient light (the flashlight), which now appears brighter.

#4: Here, I narrowed the aperture to f/8. Now at f/8, 1/60, ISO 800. Note that the flash exposure still did not change. What was affected was the ambient light (the flashlight), which now appears dimmer.

#5: What if instead of changing the aperture, we changed the shutter speed? I increased the shutter speed by one stop from the 1/60 baseline to 1/125. Now it is at f/5.6, 1/125, ISO 800. Relative to the baseline, the flash exposure still did not change. However, the ambient light (the flashlight) appears dimmer.

#6: Similarly, decreasing the shutter speed 1 stop from 1/60 to 1/30 has no effect on the flash exposure. Now it is at f/5.6, 1/30, ISO 800. Relative to the baseline, the flash exposure still did not change. However, the ambient light (the flashlight) now appears brighter.

#7 Instead of adjusting aperture or shutter speed, we can also try to adjust ISO. Suppose we decrease the ISO to ISO 400. Here it is at f/5.6, 1/60, ISO 400. The flash exposure hasn't changed, while the ambient light is dimmer.

#8 And let's try to increase ISO to 1600. Here it is at f/5.6, 1/60, ISO 1600. Once more, no change to flash exposure, while the ambient is brighter.

In all these examples, changing the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO had no effect on the TTL flash exposure. While that may sound limiting, it's actually liberating. As you saw, adjusting aperture, shutter speed or ISO did have an effect on ambient exposure (of course!). Therefore when using TTL, you can adjust the ambient exposure using aperture, shutter speed or ISO, not just shutter speed.

But what about the flash exposure? Are we stuck with the flash exposure chosen by the TTL flash? No, we're not. That's what Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) is for. You use FEC to adjust the flash exposure upward or downward. Let's say you want to make the flash exposure brighter by 1 stop. Just dial +1 FEC. If you want to decrease flash exposure by 2 stops, just dial -2 FEC. It's that simple.

RELATED POSTS

TTL Flash FAQ
TTL Flash Tutorial (Part 1 and Part 2)

PSA: Man Dies While Filming Bull Run

2015-08-10T12:11:00.001-07:00

While using a cell phone to film a bull run in Spain, a man was gored in the neck and died. AP News article here. Just a reminder to stay safe when shooting photos or video.

Selens Triple Flash Bracket Review

2015-08-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

I got a Selens triple flash bracket, a bracket with three hotshoes to allow you to use three speedlights at the same time.

The Selens triple flash bracket has an umbrella holder in the middle, and has a 1/4-20 socket at the bottom. I like the way the bracket positions the axis of the umbrella in the middle of the three flashes, which can make the light distribution more even. I prefer this design over other triple bracket designs where the three flashes are mounted side-by-side or on a square-shaped bracket.

BENEFITS
With more power, you can use larger modifiers. At the same time, because each speedlight has its own batteries, you don't need to bring a separate power source. Even with three flashes, the whole assembly was lighter than I expected.

TRIGGERING
The hotshoes are connected to each other, and there is a 3.5mm sync port to trigger all three speedlights. In the sample shot above, I attached a Nikon SB-800, a Yongnuo YN560III, and a Yongnuo YN560IV, each in manual mode, with slave deactivated. To trigger them, I used a Yongnuo RF603 as receiver, and connected its PC sync port to the 3.5mm port of the triple flash bracket. For my transmitter, I used a Yongnuo RF603II. As the shot above shows, it triggered properly.

There were a couple of times when one of the flashes didn't trigger, due to user error. It was either because the flash went to standby mode, or because I hadn't fully secured the flash to its hotshoe.

Of course, you don't have to use the sync port to trigger the flashes. I prefer to use a YN560TX to remotely adjust the YN560III and 560IV. I then put the SB800 on optical SU-4 slave mode to sync with the 560III and 560IV.

QUALITY OF LIGHT
Here is a comparison of how the speedlights fill a 32-inch silver umbrella, compared to a monolight (the Godox e300).

I found that zooming the flashes made little difference to the way the umbrella was filled. Interestingly, the combined output was slightly higher when the flashes were zoomed to 24mm compared to 105mm. However, when I tried to use the built-in diffuser (14mm coverage), the combined output dropped noticeably compared to either 24mm or 105mm.

OUTPUT COMPARISON
I compared the output of one, two, or three speedlights, against the 300ws Godox e300 monolight. Unfortunately, I don't have a flashmeter anymore, so I can only estimate the difference. I was surprised that the output did not change as much I expected with each added speedlight. Below are the results with a fixed exposure of f/11, ISO 100, using the silver umbrella.

one flash

two flashes

three flashes

Godox e300

It appears that the 300 watt-second Godox e300 is still more powerful than the three flashes. In post, I had to raise the exposure of the image with three flashes by +0.5EV in order to have a similar histogram to that of the Godox e300.

three flashes +0.5EV

CONCLUSION
The Selens triple flash bracket works pretty much as advertised. I was a little surprised that the combined output of three speedlights was not more powerful than I expected. Of course, depending on what speedlights you have, YMMV. If I had the choice, I would still use the Godox e300, not only for its power but also for its faster recycling, resistance to overheating, modeling light, and lower total cost (less than $100, plus ~$30 for the transmitter and receiver). On the other hand, the triple flash bracket is a versatile accessory. It allows me to reallocate my speedlights to other functions when necessary. I also liked the quality of light -- it is at least equal, if not better than the light distribution of the Godox e300. I will probably use the triple bracket combination for outdoor shooting instead of the Godox e300 so I won't need to bring an inverter.

DIY Passport Photos part 3

2015-07-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

It was time again for us to renew passports for my daughter and myself (note that children's passports expire after only five years). As before, I wanted to do it myself so that I could have photos I would at least be satisfied with for ten years (the passport duration for adults).

For the passport photos in this post, I used the following:

Samsung NX500 (reviewed here)
Samsung 50-150 2.8 OIS
Godox e300 monolight (reviewed here)
Yongnuo YN560III and YN560IV (reviewed here)
Fotodiox Tri-Fold Reflector
4 x 6 feet popup background
and... Parrot Teleprompter

To process the photos and prepare them for printing, I used Lightroom 6. Here's how I took the photos.

Briefly, US Passport photos have strict requirements. Among other requirements, there must be no shadows. This means we should use create the softest light we can get by using a very large light source. The background must also be white. These requirements mean that the setup is pretty similar to the setup for high-key portraits.

SETUP
When taking portraits, you need to consider the distance of the camera to the subject. I'll post more about it next time, but the ideal distance depends on the effect that you want, and in my opinion it depends on the subject's physical features as well. For example, if they have a prominent nose then you should probably shoot from a farther distance to make his features appear flatter. For a passport photo, the distance should be at least 4 feet. In my case, I chose a distance of about 8 feet.

For my lens, I chose the Samsung 50-150 2.8 because it is the sharpest telephoto lens that I currently have. This meant that I had to use the Samsung NX500, which I was happy to use because of its high image quality.

To light the photos, I used bounce flash with the Godox e300 monolight. I aimed it above and behind the camera, turning our ceiling into a very large light source. I used a monolight for greater power, faster recycling, and less chance of overheating. To trigger the e300, I used the Godox FT16.

For the white background, I used a popup backdrop. To make the backdrop appear truly white, I illuminated it with a speedlight, the Yongnuo YN560III. Later, to improve recycle times, I added the Yongnuo YN560IV. Originally, I was going to trigger them with the RF603 (I don't need to adjust the power remotely therefore I didn't need to use the YN560TX). However, I found out that the RF603 would push against the Samsung 50-150's body. I didn't want to scratch the 50-150, so I just used the wireless S1 slave mode. I placed the flashes on the floor, near the backdrop, aimed at the ceiling. The slave flashes therefore had two purposes: to illuminate the background, and to provide a hair light through the bounced light from the ceiling.

For a little fill, I used the Fotodiox Tri-Fold Reflector. It would bounce some of the light from the ceiling back onto the subject.

EXPOSURE
Our living room lights have a warm tint. I didn't want the ambient light to 'pollute' the sunlight-balanced light of the flashes, therefore I set the NX500 to its 1/200 sync speed to minimize the ambient light.

For passport photos, I wanted to have adequate depth of field. I set the aperture at f/5.6 which has a depth of field that is deep enough even for a telephoto lens. It also allows the lens to have a sharper image (lenses tend to be better when stopped down).

All the lights here are manual (not TTL), which is better for setup shots. For maximum image quality, I wanted to use as much light without overexposure, so that I could use as low an ISO as possible. I therefore set the lights at their maximum power first, then viewed the image to see if they were overexposed to the point of blowing relevant highlights I was also checking if the background is illuminated too brightly compared to the subject, or was so bright that it would cause flare.

At full power for the background lights and the key light, I was not overexposed, so I left them at full power. Normally, I would then increase the ISO as needed to get the right exposure. However, the NX500 is ISO-invariant, which means that boosting the ISO in post has the same amount of noise as shooting at a higher ISO. It was best to leave it at ISO 100, then adjust it in post, to retain as much dynamic range as possible.

The monolight was powerful enough that at f/5.6, at ISO 100, I only had to boost the exposure by 0.21EV in post.

SHOOTING
As a reminder, you should compose the shot with the face somewhere in the middle of the frame, and not frame it too tightly. That is to make sure that we'll have sufficient room to crop the image according to the U.S. Department of State's requirements, as you'll see below.

Taking my daughter's photo took more time than I expected. My daughter can be self-conscious when she's in front of the camera, so it was hard to coax her to give a neutral expression (as required by the Dept. of State). We got shots like this:

Finally, after several tries, I got the idea of using the Parrot teleprompter and displaying one of her favorite shows.

I did get a better expression out of her that way:

And here's mine:

EDITING
I used only very minor changes (white balance correction, corrections to exposure). I didn't want to use any skin-smoothening, because if the Department of State's staff notice that, they could reject the photos. So the shots are are almost SOOC.

In terms of composition, the Department of State has specific requirements. There are several ways to make sure the photo is properly composed. One way is to upload the photo to the Department of State's composition tool, where you can move and crop the image to fit their requirements. There are other websites that offer a similar service. The disadvantage of this method is that the resolution and image quality will take a big hit from compression.

Another way is to use Photoshop or some other program with layers. I took a screenshot of the Department of State's template, then overlaid it on the image, adjusting the transparency to use it as a guide:

The critical part is to make sure the top of the head is within the top two green lines, and the chin is within the bottom two green lines.

Another way to do it is in Lightroom. You can't use layers in Lightroom, but I used the side-by-side comparison tool to eyeball the correct composition (again checking the top of the head and the bottom of the chin).

Once I had the correct crop, I used the Print module to put together a collage.

On the right side, under Layout Style, I chose single image / contact sheet.
Under Image Settings, I checked "zoom to fit" and "repeat one photo per page".
Under Layout, I set all the margins and cell spacing to zero, set the page grid to 2 rows and 3 columns (or vice-versa), and set the cell size to 2 x 2 inches.
Under Page, I checked "page options" and "crop marks".
In the Print Job panel, I selected Print to JPEG file, set the custom file dimensions to 6 inches x 4 inches (or vice-versa), sRGB profile.

With these settings, I clicked on Print to File, which generated a JPEG file ready for printing to 4x6 size.

Voila. Ready for printing at Costco. ;)

RELATED POSTS
DIY Passport Photos
High Key Passport Photos

$100 Monolight: Godox e300 Preliminary Review

2015-07-20T01:48:00.000-07:00

Chinese lighting products have been steadily improving while offering incredible prices, and studio strobes are no exception. Godox's e300 is a monolight that has pretty good specifications on paper, including 300 watt seconds of power. The kicker is that it's available at under $100 - comparable to the cost of an inexpensive speedlight, making it attractive to hobbyists and casual shooters, especially first-time strobe buyers.

I just got a Godox e300 and in this post, I provide my first impressions.

BACKGROUND

Most people are familiar with speedlights - the external flashes that are attached to a camera's hot shoe. They are convenient and versatile, and ever since David Hobby started the Strobist revolution, speedlights have been used for an increasing range of lighting tasks. However, speedlights have limits -- most notably, limited power. For big jobs, strobes are more capable tools.

There are several types of studio strobes:

- battery-powered strobes (e.g. Quantum T-series) are similar to speedlights, but they use an external battery pack to provide more power and capacity than typical speedlights.

- pack and head systems (e.g. Elinchrom Ranger) are powerful strobes that have flash heads connected to an external power pack. The power pack controls the flash heads, provides them power, and stores the battery.

- monolights (e.g. Alien Bees) are studio strobes that have the flash and capacitor in the body of the flash. Almost all of them don't have batteries, and instead they are plugged into an AC power source. You can use them on-location if you have a portable power source.

Compared to speedlights, monolights have several advantages (+) and disadvantages (-):

+ much more powerful

+ faster recycling time

+ modeling light

+ resists overheating

+ bare bulb allows light to fill a modifier more evenly

+ most have a built-in umbrella mount and light stand mount

- larger and heavier

- needs AC power or a portable inverter

- most monolights are manual-only, not TTL

- many monolights have slower flash durations when used at lower power levels.

- reflector is bulkier

I was looking for a monolight because I wanted a modeling light which I plan to use as a video light. I also plan to use it with large modifiers. Because I don't plan to use a monolight often, I looked at more inexpensive options.

I looked at Godox because they seem to have a somewhat decent reputation among cheap Chinese strobes. They produce so many types of monolights that it can be confusing to choose between them. The main differences between them are: power, type of modifier mount (e.g. Bowens or something else), power adjustment range, and size/weight. Here is a comparison table.

The Godox e300 is the newest monolight in Godox's line, and is designed to be an entry-level monolight. I chose the e300 for its low price and smaller size compared to other monolights.

GODOX E300

Here are its basic specifications:

- Power: 300ws

- Recycle Time 0.4~2.5s
- Power Output Control 1.0~3.0 （1/8~1/1）

- Flash Duration 1/2000~1/800s

- Color Temperature 5600±200K
- Operating Voltage 100-120v or 200-240v. You need to specify this when you order it.
- Modeling Lamp: 150 watts
- Modeling lamp control: 9 Levels (L1 to L9)

- LCD display.

- Triggering options: sync port (3.5mm jack), slave triggering, wireless control port (compatible with Godox FT16).
- Dimensions: 11.8cm x 20cm x 20.3cm (with modeling lamp)

- Weight: Approx.1.5 kg

It has several advantages over the Smart 300SDI, Godox's previous entry-level light: the e300's modeling light is 150w (instead of 75w), its power can be adjusted in 21 steps instead of 8 steps, and the e300 can use the FT16 wireless system whereas the 300SDI apparently can't.

DESCRIPTION

The plain-looking box contains the e300 itself, a sync cable (PC sync to 3.5mm), 3-prong AC power cable, manual, and warranty. The e300 I received had the modeling lamp not fully pushed into place. Moreover, the modeling lamp was 75 watts only, instead of the 150 watts specified. I requested the seller to send a 150 watt lamp bulb to me. The seller offered me a discount instead, so I ordered a 150-watt bulb separately.

The e300 is quite compact. It is less than the width of a letter-size paper, and only slightly longer than the fully extended length of a Yongnuo YN-560. It is of course heavier than a speedlight (3.2 lbs. vs. ~1 lb.) but it is still light for a studio strobe.

The e300's length is slightly less than the width of a letter-size paper.

The e300 seems to be all-plastic, except for the inner part of its lightstand mount. Fortunately, the plastic appears very dense, similar to the bodies of lenses.

The fit and finish looks pretty good. It looks well made and I didn't see anything that looked like it was sloppily manufactured or would fall apart easily. There was also the issue about the modeling light that I mentioned above, but I think that is more of an issue with the final assembly rather than the manufacturing itself.

Like other monolights, the e300 has a built-in lightstand mount. The built-in 5/8-inch light stand mount is tiltable, and has grooves inside to help lock it into place. The lightstand mount is plastic, but it has an interior that is metal.

You can mount some types of modifiers to the e300. Unlike most monolights, the e300's reflector is built-in. On one hand, this makes it convenient and more compact. However, it also means that it does not have a true bare bulb, which would otherwise be one of the chief advantages of strobes over speedlights.

In any case, it is possible to attach modifiers to the e300 by using modifiers for "universal mount" (which look like Profoto to me, although I can't confirm this without a Profoto light). I have also seen adapters for universal mount to Bowens S-mount or Elinchrom mount.

Alternatively, you can use the e300 with umbrellas. Above the lightstand mount is an umbrella mount with a thumbscrew for securing the umbrella. One criticism is that the knob for the umbrella mount feels too tight.

Notably, the e300 has no cover, leaving the flash tube and modeling light exposed. However there are some ways to add a cover:
- it seems that the Profoto D1 cover would fit the e300. I haven't tried it though, so I can't confirm.
- Godox has a universal mount honeycomb grid with barn doors. With the barn doors closed, it can function as a cover for the e300, besides being a useful light modifier. This is the option I chose.
- You can get a universal mount to bowens adapter, then add a bowens cover (a plastic cover with bowens mount).
- You can get a universal mount to bowens adapter, and attach a bowens reflector with a honeycomb grid.

with barn doors (separate accessory) in closed position

CONTROLS

The e300's LED display (optional barndoors seen in the background).

The e300's control panel has a simple design. There's a small LED display with arrows to adjust power up or down. There are buttons for activating the slave, the modeling lamp, and the beep, and a test/dump button. There's a power switch, a 3.5mm audio jack sync port, and a USB port for Godox's wireless system.

When you turn on the e300, you can hear its internal fan, similar to the sound of an Alien Bee. You use the arrows to adjust the power to the desired level. The power is labeled from 3.0 to 1.0 in 0.1 increments. It would seem that the 0.1 increments should refer to 0.1 stop increments, in which case 3.0 would be full power, and 1.0 would be 1/4th power. However, the specifications say it goes down to 1/8th.

When I tested, I found out that the power does go down to almost 1/8th. I also found that the increments were nonlinear. Here are the approximate f-numbers that I got, and the power equivalents:

3.0: f/22 (full power)
2.5: f/20 (1/2 + 0.7EV)
2.2: f/18 (1/2 + 0.3EV)
1.9: f/16 (1/2)
1.6 or 1.7: f/14 (1/4 + 0.7EV)
1.5: f/13 (1/4 + 0.3EV)
1.3: f/11 (1/4)
1.2: f/10 (1/8 + 0.7EV)
1.0: f/9 (1/8 + 0.3EV)

As with other monolights, when decreasing the power, you need to press the test button before your actual shot in order to dump the excess energy (it does not have auto-dump).

Pressing the buzz button toggles the beeping sound on and off.

Pressing the modeling lamp button toggles it on and off. When I first turned it on, the modeling light looked anemic, with about as much light as an LED keychain light. I was very disappointed because I had an Alien Bee with a 150w modeling lamp, so I was expecting a similar amount of light. I found out that you had to hold the modeling lamp button for a couple of seconds in order to adjust it. At its highest setting, it is reasonably bright. I ordered a 150w lamp bulb so that it will be even brighter.

WIRELESS

The e300 has several options for wireless operation: slave tripping, sync port, and Godox's wireless system.

Slave sensor. The e300 has a built-in sensor, sensibly located at the top of the e300, enabling it to receive a signal from nearly all directions. Pressing the slave button toggles between simple slave (triggers immediately upon detecting another flash, aka "S1"), digital slave (ignores a TTL pre-flash, aka "S2"), and off. The slave sensor S1 and S2 modes work as advertised, triggering correctly with a manual flash or TTL flash. However, there were times when they would not detect a flash, which gives me the impression that the sensor is not very sensitive.

Sync port. You can connect the sync port to a flash trigger. I connected the e300 to a Yongnuo RF603 using a 3.5mm to 2.5mm cable. I used an RF603II as the trigger and pressing the RF603II shutter triggers the e300. However, when I mounted the RF603II to a camera, the RF603 receiver wouldn't detect the signal. I tried several triggers: an RF603, RF603II, YN-560TX (it can function as a receiver as well), and a YN560IV. None of them worked as a wireless receiver for the e300. Because pressing the shutter on a transmitter does work, I suspect that the failure to trigger could be due to the Yongnuo's idiosyncrasies rather than an issue with the E300.

Godox FT16 wireless system. This is where the party's at. Godox's wireless system is quite capable. It has 16 channels and while many systems have 3 or 4 groups, Godox has 16 groups (in that regard, equaled only by the Paul Buff Cybercommander wireless system). Godox's wireless system can not only remotely adjust their monolights but also Godox's speedlights, battery-powered strobes, and pack-and-head systems.

I like the simple design and controls of the transmitter. It has dip switches to set the channel, and a dial to set the assigned group (mislabeled "power"). I like that the dip switches can be changed with your fingers instead of requiring a pen or other sharp object. There are buttons to change the settings (see below), toggling the sound, toggling the model lamp, and for adjusting the power. There's no need to dive into any menus.

The receiver has a USB port that can be folded flat for storage. The receiver is powered by the flash, therefore it doesn't need its own battery.

One quirk is that by default, the FT16 uses fractional power settings. Those power settings don't work on the e300, and with that setting, the e300 can be triggered but cannot be adjusted. Instead, when the FT16 receiver is attached to the e300, you have to hold down the "Set" button on the transmitter to switch the FT16 switches from a displaying fractional power levels to Godox's decimal system starting with 1.0, to a decimal system starting with 5.0 (used by some of Godox's monolights). Strangely, the transmitter can only use one type of setting at a time (fractional or decimal), which makes it harder to mix-and-match different types of strobes from Godox's system.

Once the wireless system is linked up, adjusting the power on the transmitter changes the power level on the e300 in real time.

The system seems to perform well most of the time, although it can miss occasionally, when sometimes the e300 doesn't receive the power adjustment or the trigger signal. I would say the failure rate is higher than the RF603 or Cybercommander.

Combination with Yongnuo or Other Systems

It is possible to use the e300 together with other wireless systems. I was able to combine the e300 with a Yongnuo YN560IV by attaching the FT16 transmitter to an RF603. I used a YN560TX to trigger the YN560IV and RF603, which in turn triggered the FT16. With this combination, I was able to sync at up to 1/800 shutter speed (on the Olympus Stylus 1).

PERFORMANCE

Power output
I don't have a flashmeter anymore, so to test the power, I put it in an octagon softbox and compared the output against a YN560IV speedlight to estimate their relative strengths. With the octagon softbox above the camera, 6 feet from the subject, I got the following results:

The e300 got f/22 at ISO 100.
The YN560IV, with zoom set to 24mm, got f/14 at ISO 100.

This implies that the e300 is 1.3EV more powerful than a YN560IV. This result appears consistent with tests that I have done previously with a 400ws Quantum X2 and a 640ws Alien Bee B1600, which measured 1.5EV and 2.7EV more than an SB800 respectively. Since the e300 has about half of the power of the B1600, a result of 1.3EV is pretty much what I expected, implying that the 300ws rating of the e300 is reasonably credible.

Light quality
One of the weaknesses of the e300 is that the reflector is built-in, so the flash coverage is wide, but not like a true bare bulb.

In my limited testing, the coverage of the e300 with its built-in reflector appears to be somewhat similar to that of a speedlight on 24mm zoom.

e300

Nikon SB-800 speedlight @ 24mm zoom

Nikon SB-800 speedlight @ 14mm zoom

Nikon SB-800 speedlight @ 24mm zoom with diffuser

Nikon SB-800 speedlight @ 14mm zoom with diffuser

Here is a test shot selfie with a 60x90cm softbox (reviewed here), with a YN560IV as backlight.

Flash Duration
To test flash duration, I used an Olympus Stylus 1 (which can sync at any speed) and took a shot in a dim room at the highest shutter speed, then gradually reduced the shutter speed. If the shot appears brighter when the shutter speed is reduced, that means that the flash is being clipped/truncated at the previous speed. If the shot appears just as bright even with shutter speed reduced, then that means the flash is not being clipped at the previous speed.

Full power (3.0) or 1/2 power (1.9): 1/320

1/4 power (1.3): 1/200

Minimum power (1.0): 1/250. Strangely enough, the minimum power flash duration seems faster than the duration at 1/4th power.

These times are pretty slow even for a monolight but for some uses they are usable.

Color Consistency

Some monolights have color variation at various power levels. To test color consistency, I took a shot of a color chart at full power and at minimum power. At full power, the light appears more bluish (both shots were set at an identical white balance of 5500 Kelvin).

minimum power

maximum power

If I use the white balance dropper on the same gray square of the color chart on each shot, I get a discrepancy of 400 degrees Kelvin between maximum and minimum power.

Video light

The e300's modeling light is bright enough to be able to use it with a modifier, at usable ISOs. With an octagon softbox, at around 6 feet from the subject, I got an exposure of f/2, 1/125, ISO 2000. Note that this was with a 75w bulb. I will update this post with the result from the 150w bulb.

Reliability

As mentioned earlier, there were some misses when using the Godox wireless system. In addition, I experienced an "E1" error on each of the first two days I used the e300. On those occasions, I had just turned on the e300, and after a second or so, there was an E1 displayed on the LCD, and the flash wouldn't fire (although the modeling light could still be activated or deactivated). To "fix" the error, I had to turn off the flash and turn it on again several times, then finally the e300 worked normally.

The second E1 error I experienced.

OBSERVATIONS

Based on the [few] failures I experienced (E1 and wireless), I would not recommend the e300 for professional use, unless you can have redundant strobes in case of failure. As for hobbyists who don't plan to use a monolight often, the e300 seems to be a reasonable and cost-effective option. It is definitely better than the 300SDI.

The e300 may or may not be better than the Godox SK300, depending on your needs. The SK300 has the advantage of having a removable reflector (and therefore a true bare bulb), native compatibility with Bowens modifiers, and a plastic protective cover. The SK300 is a little more expensive than the e300 but when you factor in the cost of a cover (or alternative) for the e300, the SK300 price becomes more reasonable. The bigger issue is the size of the e300, which is its main advantage. The SK300 is almost 50% longer than the e300, although they both have a similar weight.

Meanwhile, I plan to use the e300 for a real project and will update this post with anything else that I find out about the e300.

Unboxing the Godox e300 ($100 Monolight)

2015-07-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to get a decent monolight for the price of a speedlight? The Godox e300 is a monolight that seems to promise just that. Check out the specs:

300 watt-seconds of power
150 watt modeling lamp
compact size (20.3 cm long) and light weight (1.45 kg)
radio-based wireless remote adjustment capability with separate FT16 accessory (~$30)
available for less than $100 on eBay

For comparison, the Alien Bee B800, already one of the most affordable monolights, has 320ws of power and costs $280.

I ordered one last week and just got it yesterday. Here is the unboxing:

I conducted preliminary tests last night and will post my first impressions soon.

Amazon Prime Day Deals

2015-07-15T10:09:00.001-07:00

Today is Amazon Prime day. I will be on the lookout for photography-related deals and will be posting them here. If you spot any, pls. post it in the comments!

GoPro Hero4 Black Prime Bundle

Crucial MX100 SSD drives

Canon Rebel SL1 bundle $419. Amazon describes it as a mystery camera but Amazon's quote from DPReview matches the conclusion for the SL1.

Hit the jump for other deals, including lightning deals!

Lightning deals (temporary deals) - newest ones listed first:
@12 noon PST
5-in-1 43" collapsible reflector
GoPro mouth mount
1000 watt continuous lighting kit with lightstand
@11:50am PST
Rokinon DS50M-C Cine DS 50 mm T1.5 AS IF UMC for Canon

@ 11:00am PST
Movo Photo BST100 39" Rail Camera Track Slider

@ 10:50am PST
Ape Case DSLR rolling backpack
Selfie stick with tripod

RAVPower Portable Charger (backup battery for your smartphone, tablet or USB device) $31.40

CaseLogic holster-style camera bag $8.75

USB 3.0 memory card reader $9.55

GoPro monopod $14.99

Adobe Photoshop Elements 13 $59.99

CaseLogic camera backpack $42.99

FlePlow 12-slot AA/AAA battery charger $25.60

Sony 16GB SDXC card $7.29

Tiffen 67mm circular polarizer $26.99

Reticam tabletop tripod $25.47

Lowepro Slingshot 202 AW sling-style camera bag $43.99