PhotoOomph by Joshua Cunningham

BREAKING NEWS! (Sort of) - Lumix Announcements

2017-04-19T07:43:00.005+01:00

In the early hours of the morning Panasonic made some exciting announcements.

A brand new camera to enter the TZ range with the launch of the TZ90.

The TZ90 offers:

A new 20MP Sensor

A fantastic 30x Optical zoom lens (24mm-720mm)

4K Video, Slow Motion HD (720p 120fps)

Tilting 180 Degree Touch Screen (Selfie Screen/Waist Level Shooting)
And as always with the TZ range of recent times a viewfinder

Along with the new TZ90 more details have emerged on the new Leica 8-18mm Lens:

Like the 12-60mm Lens the new 8-18mm lens offers a f2.8-4 aperture range, but new for a super wide angle lens in the Micro Four Thirds range the lens comes with a filter thread (67mm) allowing for more control over your landscapes.

The lens also inherits the Dust/Splash/Freeze proof features of the 12-60mm Leica lens we saw launch with the Panasonic GH5 meaning excellent durability even in the freezing cold (-10 Degrees) If you are looking reassurance on how touch these lenses are here is what http://www.photogearnews.com/ had to say about the lens:

"We can testify as to how good the weather sealing is on these current generation of lenses after Photo Gear News Editor, Richard Sibley, used the Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 lens is the pouring rain and cold weather in Iceland."

You can read their full article on the lens here

And the last update exciting news for people who have already got hold of the new Panasonic GH5 with the first of the planned Firmware Upgrades:

"Panasonic is announcing the new firmware update program Ver.1.1 for DC-GH5 to further enhance its performance. The new firmware Ver.1.1 enables 4:2:2 10-bit video recording in either FHD [MP4(LPCM)] / [MOV] and Anamorphic (4:3) mode, in addition to the existing 4K video recording mode."

Bringing 10BIT to all of the recording modes very soon with this announcement ending with this last bit of information.

"The new DC-GH5 firmware Ver 1.1 is scheduled to be released on 24 April, 2017 at the following LUMIX Customer Support website: http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/"

Don't forget there will be a whole host of more updates coming for the GH5, with one of the most hotly anticipated being the 400mbps All-Intra codecs. Check out the Panasonic Social Media for more information with the handle @LumixUK being used across the board now.

Keep an eye out on the Blog and on my Instagram over the next few days for test shots from the new Panasonic Lumiz TZ90.

You can find me on Instagram under the same name as the blog, link below:

https://www.instagram.com/photooomph/

Panasonic GH5 and lots of exciting announcements

2017-01-04T18:47:00.000+00:00

Panasonic have just announced the much anticipated Panasonic Lumix GH5 the successor the enormously successful GH4. With a lot of other announcements too that include 2 new accessories for the GH5, 4 x refresher lenses and the first of the new Leica lenses which were announced at Photokina along with another 2 new cameras.

To get a live Q&A head over to the Panasonic Lumix Twitter account now:

Tweets by LumixUK

First of the GH5:

Whats new? It is more of a case I think of what is not new, but I will break down the key points:
* Highest ever image quality from a Lumix Camera with a new 20.3mp Sensor
* New Venus Engine
* 6K Photo mode (18mp at 30FPS + 6K Post Focus and Focus Stack)
* Dual IS mrk 2
* 0.05 second focus speed
* 225 Area AF
* 4K Video at 60FPS (This means 4K Photo at 60FPS)
* 4:2:2 10bit recording
* Broadcast quality video
* Full sensor usage during video recording
* FHD video recording at 180FPS
* Anamorphic(4:3) 4K (h.264) recordinjg
* HDMI Type A (full size)
* Improved OLED viewfinder
* Dual SDXC UHS-II U3 SD slots (Hot swapping available)

And this is just the tip of the Iceberg with what this camera can do, it is a true multi-media tool, meeting the requirements for broadcast quality video, high resolution stills a vastly reduced size XLR adaptor (now fits on the hot shoe) and much more the GH5 like the GH4 before it looks to be a game changer. Over the next few days much more will emerge keep an eye out on @LumixUK's Twitter and Instagram to keep upto date.

Other news:

We have seen the announcement of 4 of the Panasonic lenses these are:
* 12-35 f2.8
* 35-100 f2.8
* 100-300
* 45-200

Along with the announcement of the new Leica 12-60mm f2.8-f4 lenses.(Test images to come soon)

Followed by two new cameras:

GX800 - A new entry level model to the Lumix G range, with a flip up screen ideal for Vloggers and selfie takers, 4K Video and all the bonuses that brings (4K Photo and Post focus) and coming in a variety of colours some of which we will see as exclusives to certain stores.
(Product and test images coming soon)

And last but not least the FZ82 a new addition to the Lumix FZ range and replacing the FZ72 as the high zoom option in the range, the main upgrades here are to a new touch screen interface to compliment the addition of all of the 4K Video and photo modes.

Updates:

Pricing expected prices to be:
Body only: £1699
Body + Lumix 12-60mm: £1899
Body + Leica 12-60mm f2.8-4: £2199

With the Vlog update expected to be around £99

These prices are subject to change.

Raspberry Pi Ideas

2016-11-06T13:37:00.001+00:00

I have said before that I plan to start talking about more than just photography, and here is the first real post in that direction. A while ago(like over a year ago) I purchased 1Raspberry Pi and received another as gift. A link to the latest version below.

With so many ideas and projects available I was ready to start making cameras, games consoles, media centres and everything else, somehow I got distracted, then last Black Friday I brought one of these on Amazon. A power extension which can be enabled and controlled using a Raspberry Pi (again not got around to this yet) but each socket is individually controllable, allowing me in theory to Tweet a command and turn on the heater in my room when I am on the way home or power up my computer etc. Once I get around to building this project I will make a guide and show how I got on,

My favourite projects from the web:

Magic Mirror

Using a two-way mirror (not the type from Harry Potter, although I wonder if that is another project to make hmmm...) a screen and a Raspberry Pi you can make a magic/smart mirror.

The person in the above image is the creator and here you can find all his updates, how to's and updates here: http://michaelteeuw.nl/tagged/magicmirror

Infrared Camera

Source:

Raspberry Pi, creators initially made a standard camera to go with the camera boards, allowing people to make their own camera, cctv, nature cams and the like however after a larger demand. They launched the PI NoIr camera (now on version 2)

"The Pi NoIR gives you everything the regular camera module offers, with one difference: it does not employ an infrared filter. (NoIR = No Infrared.) This means that pictures you take by daylight will look decidedly curious, but it gives you the ability to see in the dark with infrared lighting"

All the details can be found here:

https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/pi-noir-camera-v2/

Other uses with the addition of IR lights can include Night Vision cameras great for making Nature Cams and this is something I am interested in creating at some-point possibly combining one of these http://amzn.to/2fdEjsX along with one of these http://amzn.to/2f6Dt3E to create a motion detectable IR Night Vision camera.

I am not sure how I would pull it all together but I am sure I will!

There are hundreds more projects out there and I will make occasional posts about what I find and what I do.

Panasonic Photokina 2016 announcements

2016-09-19T21:18:00.002+01:00

Every two years Photokina takes over Cologne and is always full of big announcements and this year has been no different, the most exciting for me have come from Panasonic, with new cameras and new lenses. Packed with new features you can check out Mark Babers Twitter below for all the latest news coming from Lumix during Photokina

Tweets by markbaberphoto

For me the biggest excitement comes from the announcement of the development of the new Lumix GH5. What will be the update to the current flagship model the GH4 as has become the norm with the GH series take massive leaps forward:

New 18MP Sensor

6K Photo (18mp at 30fps)

4K Video - 60FPS (Slow motion 4K Video + 60FPS Still capture) - 10-bit recording

And that is all I can really tell for now, who knows what else will be added before the product is finished for a early/mid 2017 launch.

Other new products include the;

G80/G85 which will replace the G7 adding improved video options, in-body stabilisation and a new focus stacking option (likely to make use of 4K video/post-focus).

The LX10/LX15 replacing the LX7 (Not the LX100) offering a touchscreen, great auto-focus, a 24-72mm f/1.4-2.8 lens, 4K video.

Plus...

Three new Panasonic MFT lenses:
8-18mm f/2.8-4.0
12-60mm f/2.8-4.0
50-200mm f/2.8-4.0

I can not wait to get my hands on these products, to show you what they can do keep an eye out on my Twitter and Instagram to see when this happens.

Lightroom Sliders/Controller

2016-09-01T22:05:00.001+01:00

So for a while I have been looking at ways to improve my work flow and around a year ago I saw concept art for a collection of Sliders which interlocked and allowed you to control certain development modules and though oh thats a brilliant idea, fast forward a year and the products are launched find it here http://palettegear.com/.

Now I have to be honest the Palette kits are beautifully designed and would look great on any creatives desk. However for me the starting price of $199.99 (+shipping and taxes)

2 Buttons, 1 Dial, 1 Slider

Giving you 3 controllable modules if you want/need more as I feel most people would this raises up to $499.99 (+shipping and taxes) for the kit below. Again for

4 Buttons, 6 Dials, 4 Sliders

Again for me as nice as this looks the cost made its value questionable as this was/would be my first movement in to this style of editing. So this is where I started to research my options and it appears there are lots of options varying in price.

However the post this option is going to focus on is using a fantastic FREE software MIDI2LR which can be found here - http://midi2lightroom.com/ a software that allows you to use any midi controller as a way to edit your photos in Adobe Lightroom.

MIDI2LR is a fantastic option for any body looking to explore this option as a way of editing, the key benefits of this software are;

Open source, allowing it to be developed by all who know how making the progress and development of software fast paced.

Completely customisable/compatable, for all midi devices - I personally chose:

As this device gave me all the options that I was looking for 8 pads and 8 dials to allow me to set up a workflow that works well for both cataloguing and developing.

Easy to set up - The software is to install and set-up. With the programming/mapping of the Midi device is just as easy.

Set Up:

Once downloaded the installation is very simple and can be followed using their ReadMe guide but here are the basics:

File, Plug-In Manager

Click add

Locate and Install MIDI2LR

And that's it installed and ready to set up.

The plug-in should launch its self bringing up this menu.

When you click/twist a button dial you'll bring up this menu you to allow you to program them as you need/want

And that, is that. You are set up and ready to go see below for a quick demo video from my Instagram.

The set up I have started to use as part of my @adobe #Lightroom #WorkFlow the software I am using is a brilliant free ware Midi2LR #Photography #Tech #Basset #GH4 #CreativeCloud #Midi2LR #Tech #PhotoHack #MyDesk #Office

A video posted by Joshua Cunningham (@photooomph) on Aug 20, 2016 at 2:56pm PDT

Saal Photobook Review.

2016-07-15T00:17:00.002+01:00

To start of the post I would like to point out that this is not a paid for review. Saal simply reached out to photographers with a voucher towards a Photobook for an honest review. I have recently left my day job at a well sized photographic retailer in the hopes of reaching out my own skills and work more. I have moved to a very different day job to allow me to review and share products that may otherwise be classed as conflict of interests.

As you may have realised I have since my change from DSLR to mirror-less I have worked closely with Panasonic on a number of occasions, for that reason I decided to use my Saal Photobook as a chance to show off what I have shot since making the change.

Making the book:

Saal like almost all Photobook producers now have their own dedicated software to help you create you own perfect for you book, and these layouts are fantastic, you can mix and match to your hearts content and come out with each page looking perfectly matched or wonderfully mismatched. The choice is yours. One thing I would like to see is a much easier way of uploading your own design, as whilst this is an option and for people well-versed in design it would be no issue as the sizes are given, however for people who are unsure of bleeds, margins and where the book would fold a template for each book would be a useful addition.

The selection of choices on offer from Saal for their photobooks, I went for Photobook, size Lrg SQ.

You then have a choice of 6 themes which all drop in to a sub menu (shown below for layout designs)

And here is a quick preview of the book.

The Book:

First impressions the book had an incredibly fast turn around time arriving in 4/5 working days. Which for what I can only assume is a standard turn around time is one of the fastest turn around times I am aware of. Again whilst it was not obvious quite possibly as I was not looking for it an express service (If in fact it is possible to get much faster) would make the company a "Go to" company in situations where you can not wait for the product or a deadline has been sprung up on you.

Now the actual book is fantastic, print quality and colours are brilliant. The book is well produced and shows no signs of defects.

The hardcover looks great, and is as you would expect, however next time I may pay out the extra £5 and go for the padded cover to give it that stand out feel from most regular photobooks.

The papers finish for me was possibly the only slight disappointment, not that isn't a great quality feel and heavy weight, but the fact the matte isn't a true matte and more of a lustre finish. However this by no means would put me off either this finish nor this company for a future order I would however love the addition of a true matte paper.

Another thing to be aware of, the first page is the first page there is no blank page on the inside of the cover. Which from memory is standard across a lot of books. Whilst I did not pay enough attention to the preview to realise this, it was in-fact obvious but don't be as oblivious as me if you were wanting blank inside covers.

As I mentioned in the making section there is a great selection of templates available with only a fraction being shown in the screen shots above. What impressed me about the templates if how accurate they are with margin and how well the pages join meaning double page spreads or photos over the centre fold of the book still look great.

One last point, I would make is if you were to pay £5 to remove this barcode you would be crazy it is tiny and hardly noticeable. However if you really dont want it in there the £5 charge to remove it isn't too bad at all.

All in all, I could whole heartily recommend Saal Photobooks. A product I applied to do a review of as I thought I might get an okay book out of, returned to me a very good book. Yes there are changes I would possibly make next time but that is down to my design and wanting to stick to a budget. Next time a bigger budget, a thicker book and a padded cover I think.

Finally back online

2016-06-01T22:12:00.002+01:00

So after a prolonged absence due to my MacBook Pro's WiFi card failing and the time taken to decided what my next step should be I am back online...

How? A new self built PC and its running like a dream and at a fraction of the cost of what would of been a similar speced Mac.

What I have built:

AMD 6 Core Processor FX-6300 Black Edition:

http://amzn.to/22yqGqF

Brilliant choice for me, plenty of cores for editing, gaming and unlocked to allow for easy over clocking.

AMD Asus Strix R9 380 4GB Graphics Card

http://amzn.to/1TYkW7o

Another great option for a budget build but with the power to handle 4K video and gaming making it a fantastic option allowing me to make the best of the Panasonic GH4 and LX100 at last!

Installed on a Gigabyte 970A

http://amzn.to/1TYlaLL

A great choice with 4 x DDR3 Ram Slots allowing up to 32GB of Ram

2 x USB 3 Ports on the card with the option of adding 2 more depending on your case (I will add a link to mine below.)

And the option if required to "CrossFireX" which is the option to use 2 graphics cards at once.

Case:

http://amzn.to/22ytAM1

Comes with 3 fans with built in LEDS, 2 x USB 3 front ports, 2 ports for external drives and clear side panel.

I am hoping this will allow a much needed boost to productivity and that you will soon be seeing a lot more posts. Over the coming weeks and months, both on photography, video and much more going forward, concerts, events and much more.

Blogging to resume shortly...

2016-04-10T17:43:00.001+01:00

My MacBook Pro has finally decided that after nearly 6 years of use that it no longer wants to connect to the Internet making full blog posts a bit harder but keep an eye on my YouTube and Twitter to see all the latest news and reviews of anything I am getting a chance to play with.

However the components have now started to arrive for my "Super" computer. Which will allow for much quicken and speedier editing and allow full use of the 4K footage captured using my GH4 and LX100.

It shouldn't be long now.

TZ100 First Look

2016-02-09T23:09:00.002+00:00

So at CES 2016 Panasonic launched their new TZ camera(s) starting off with the update to the well regarded TZ70. Adding touch screen, post focus, 4k video, 4k photo all features taken from the higher end interchangeable lens cameras. But then came the exciting news, the launch of a new range, the TZ100 the large sensor older sibling of the current TZ range. Whilst you drop down to a 10x zoom you gain a much larger 1" sensor, along with the other features that have been introduced to the TZ80 (Post focus, 4K Photo and video and touch screen as well as 100fps in FHD video too) the camera has not lost its popular selling point of being one of the few compact cameras with a view finder.

Now whilst the camera has dropped zoom of the rest of the current TZ range it is still a massive zoom for the sensor size, in comparison the Sony 1" camera with a 10x Zoom is a huge bridge camera while the TZ remains a jacket pocket camera (With the added bonus of all the 4K features)

So I have now had the camera for around a week, its been to Dublin with me and on several dog walks and so far I have had some fantastic shots check them out here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/joshcunninghamphotography/

With super fast focus, great low light performance and a compact size for a camera with such great specs, I can see this camera dominating the premium compact range for a while to come.

I will be testing and using the camera more and more over the next few weeks, any questions Tweet me @PhotoOomph or leave a question in the comments section below.

Lost and Stolen...

2016-02-09T16:55:00.000+00:00

Recently I saw the sad news from a friend that they had, had their prized possession and work tool stolen from them, it got me thinking, well that sucks in this day and age there has to be an easy way to trace it. In a quick chat I mentioned about registering the serial numbers on a data base of stolen products. I had heard it mentioned before, not sure what if any success would come from it but better to do something rather than nothing.

Then it came to me, why is it not easy to flag a stolen camera down by the metadata is it possible? And then I came across http://www.stolencamerafinder.com/ which appears to be a paid for service which is in the development stages. But working with the manufactures and imaging sites such as Flickr could we be on to something here. Is the way forward to prevent gear theft making it possible to flag a cameras serial number as stolen and when that image is uploaded to YouTube, Facebook or Flickr a notification is sent with the location data to the local authorities making it easy for police to recover stolen property and to trace the people behind the offence.

With a simple site put in place accessible for stores that purchase second hand goods, and enforcements put in place to make sure they are used the retrieval of stolen cameras would surely increase significantly?

What do you think?

New Panasonic Products Launched

2016-01-05T20:53:00.001+00:00

An exciting day for Lumix users today as Panasonic launched the new 100-400mm Lens at a bargain price of £1349 with Jessops offering 12 Months Interest free any Micro Four Thirds users with an interest in sports or nature I am sure will be getting a pre-order in tonight or tomorrow.

See Mark Baber talk about it here to Jessops:

On Micro Four Thirds 100-400 as you will most likely know equates to 200-800mm which for the size of it is increadible with an aperture range of f4-6.3 and Power OIS its looking to be a very exciting lens. As mentioned in the video when paired with the GX8 dual stabilisation using an algorithm to combine the 2 axis in lens and 4 axis in camera making it highly likely that 800mm handheld shooting to be hassle free.

There are also two new editions to the TZ Range(TZ80 & TZ100) both add 4K video, excitingly the TZ100 packs a 10x optical zoom and 1" sensor a first I believe for a camera of its size. Again see Mark tell Jessops all about it:

And below Marco Crupi shows off what the TZ100 can really do:

I am looking forward to seeing the TZ100 and 100-400 most for me, but for anyone looking for pocketable 4K then the TZ80 will be a must on your shopping list.

4K Macro Stills

2015-11-11T22:20:00.001+00:00

Today I received my Pentax to Micro Four Thirds adapter to make use of my 50mm Macro lens.

The downside to a manual focus macro lens and a moving subject is well the difficulty to focus the perfect way to combat this is to shoot 4k Video and choose the stills where the focus, composition and sharpness is at its peak.

Here are my favourite 2 images that I have taken so far with this method.

There will be lots more to come I am sure, just waiting until my next payday to order my 3 Legged Thing (http://3leggedthing.com) which will allow me to adapt this technique further.

Lauren Aquilina and Chloe Black - Live @ Nottingham Bodega

2015-11-02T11:39:00.000+00:00

At some point what now seems forever ago, I found I had liked a Facebook page for Lauren Aquilina you can find it here. A little while later I saw a post from Lauren for one of her songs...She has one of those voices you can just put on and listen to over and over again, she did not disappoint on the live tour for launch of her latest EP Ocean

Support for tour came from an artist unknown to me, but who is now someone like Lauren you could just listen to over and over and not get bored amazing lyrics and voice.

Both performed at an intimate sold out show at Nottingham Bodega below are a selection of my favourite images from the show.

You can see the full set on my Flickr account here

My advice if you get the chance to see either or both of these artists preform go! You will regret not going when they turn out to be huge starts not having had the chance to see them in a small little venue.

Skate by Night.

2015-10-05T22:18:00.003+01:00

It has always been a style of photography I had enjoyed and always took a few snapshots when I had time to pass in the City Centre. I even shot a video a few years ago..

Shot on Sony NEX 5

And watching that video back now, makes me really want to go back and shoot some more video, working with a few of the people I am now starting to see regularly now, even more so with the GH4 and GH3 allowing what will be some incredible footage, but that is not what this post was about, watch this space for any development on that.

Last week I ended up in Derby as the Roller Snakes tournament was finishing up, and managed to grab a few shots I liked despite getting there late and having to carry an extra bag with me.

Below are a selection of my favourite images, shot as the competition ended and night fell.

"Skate by Night"

All images shot on the Panasonic GH4/GH3

Follow @LumixUK on

Twitter & Instagram

To see the best of #LumixShooters

New Camera....

2015-09-15T22:41:00.001+01:00

For a while I have been considering making the next step in Instant Photography already owning a Polaroid 600 an an Fujifilm Instax Wide camera, the next camera to get seemed obvious to get the new Instax Neo Classic 90 (Which is an awesome camera) unfortunately however deciding on a Tuesday evening that you want one for Thursday at the latest ruled that out, however thanks to a local store having a different option in I will be shooting away this weekend instead on the Lomo'Instant camera (Details here: http://shop.lomography.com)

Looking forward to London with this and either the LX100 or the GH4 this weekend.

Click the images to get the best prices I could find on Amazon

I am sure example images will follow in the near future, as will photos from last weekend and this weekends wanderings of London.

A change of direction...

2015-09-12T22:29:00.000+01:00

For a while now, this blog has either been filled with posts or goes a fair while between each post. From this point I plan to merge a more personal and tech side to the blog as well. I have no plans to tell you about walking my dogs or what I had for dinner. More along the lines of posts which just have a few of my favourite recent photos in, cool new Kickstarter (or other crowd funding site) projects and deals I find.

Watch this space.

GX8 Review

2015-09-12T22:22:00.000+01:00

So my time with the GX8 has now passed and unfortunately for my bank account it was a great time indeed. When the time and money come it will most likely become my 2nd camera in my Micro Four Thirds line up.

So what was so nice about the camera?

For me this camera was a new camera, a "game changer" now when I first started talking to people about this camera a few people seemed to be shocked by the price compared to the GX7 understandably so, when most manufactures go up one level in a camera not much changes, maybe an extra FPS, or a slight tweak to the sensor or a improvement in build quality etc and as such the price goes up a bit and people go ohhhh new camera and away they go. What the GX8 does is improves everything and not only a little bit either. No discredit to the GX7 which in itself is an awesome camera but I believe the GX8 goes far beyond a regular upgrade, so much so if they had started a new product line off I do not think this would have been unjustified...
With improvements too; the viewfinder (OLED and in my opinion one of the clearest on the market, with lab test actually putting it above the XT1), massive improvement to the autofocus system making it the fastest in the micro four thirds range, a brand new sensor (20mp), 4K video (and in turn 4KPhoto), full weather sealing, improved burst modes (more than doubling its predecessor) and many more features too.

For me the low light performance was going to be a key factor and taking it to a local gig or two allowed me to put it through its paces. Click the image below to see the full album.

Above: Eva Plays Dead - Rock City Nottingham - GX8

For me at this stage it was a winner no issues with focusing in low light, and capturing a nice tonal range for such a difficult situation, an issue many cameras seem to struggle with.

Now there is not a lot more to say about this camera that has not already been written about, however having gotten so used to it, shooting with it none stop for about a month and training staff and demoing to customers, I should be able to answer any questions you have. Just leave them in the comments section below.

GX8 Test images

2015-07-17T09:50:00.000+01:00

A very quick blog post from a cafe before I head in to Jessops Nottingham to show of the brand new GX8 for the day (also on Saturday 18th, Friday 24th, Saturday 25th July) so if you are in the area come and get a hands on with me.

There will be many more photos to come an I will be testing it all situations. Keep coming back to see the latest updates or see the Flickr Album here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/joshcunninghamphotography/

The New Panasonic G7 - First Impressions

2015-07-16T16:46:00.001+01:00

So I have been lucky enough to get my hands on the new Panasonic Lumix G7....and what a lovely camera it is. Well designed, brilliant controls and fantastic image quality, oh and do not forget 4K Video. So what we are looking at here is in reality the GH4's not so little brother. Offering many of the features you find on the flagship model.

So having just made the change over from Canon to Panasonic the design of the G7 is brilliant a DSLR in shape and design but not size or weight. Making the transition from either like myself DSLR to Mirrorless very easy or if you are planning to make your second body something a bit smaller just not too small, then you are looking in the right place.

The G7 has many features one of the key one being its ability to record video in 4K (That is 4x more than Full HD) now many people I talk to push this to one side and say they are not interested in video, keep reading and I might change your mind.

What will change you mind? This camera and all of the Lumix 4K ranges many 4KPhoto options, making uses of the cameras ability to record 4k video footage the camera has several 4KStills options:

4K Burst S/S (Start/Stop) - Press the shutter to start recording press it again to stop, couple this with the cameras ability to use continuous Auto Focus will give you great control when you know what you want to capture.

4K Burst - Half press the shutter to focus, all the way down starts the burst, this mode will continue recording whilst the shutter is pressed.

and finally

4K Pre Burst* - Pre burst is brilliant for when you know something is going to happen but you don’t know when, the camera will constantly be recording and storing to the buffer a seconds data at a time, meaning when you press the shutter approximately 1 seconds footage before and after you’ve pressed will be stored. Giving you around 60 frames to choose from (I will come on to that now)

Now if you are not familiar with 4K still and asking what am I going to do with this small bit of footage that my TV cannot yet display, well to start, most TVs will actually down sample the footage to allow a beautiful HD output and any 4K TV should be able to handle and display the footage in all its glory. However thats not what we have these small clips for, each 4K video frame has the equivalent of 8MP (aprox) given the size and quality of all the sensors currently on the market that offer this feature that would mean if you could take a still from that footage you could easily achieve a print between A3 and A2 in size. The best bit? You can easily take a still from the footage, its as simple as pausing the video at the frame you want (clicking through the near by frames and choosing the best one) and then clicking save. Giving you in reality the option of a 25/30fps. \

For those people wanting to use the 4K video footage for film making you will be please to know that there is the option for an external microphone however not for head phones, for this you would need to make the jump to the Panasonic GH4.

Now when it comes to using it in real world situations the G7 is brilliant, well designed for the hand fast focusing and the vari-angle screen is a brilliant feature. For me what was important was performance in low light and more specifically local music venues. Below are a few quick snaps of a local gig that I called in on.

And for me it meets all my needs, the camera performs brilliantly in low light with no focusing issues and noting to worry about in terms of un-usable noise.

Check out my next post which is due over the next couple of days to see how I made use of the 4K video footage the camera can produce.

*Warning extensive use may cause the cameras temperature to rise to a point where the camera shuts down in order to prevent damage and cool down.

Panasonic Product Updates - GX8, FZ330 and 2 x New Lenses

2015-07-16T06:24:00.000+01:00

So this morning you will have seen some exciting news from the Panasonic UK team and that is a launch of numerous new cameras.

The Panasonic FZ300/FZ330 the hotly anticipated replacement for the FZ200 the cameras smaller sensor bridge camera will continue to pack a 24x optical zoom with a constant f2.8 aperture in RAW and Jpeg but also in the new DPOF format comeback over the next few days to see more details of that. The video has now joined the likes of the GH4 and the FZ1000 (to name only two) that pack the ability to shoot in 4K. Again giving you the advantage of 4K stills these options are:

4K Burst: 30 frames/sec, max. 29 min 59 sec

4K Burst (S/S): 30 frames/sec, max. 29 min 59 sec

4K Pre-Burst: 30 frames/sec, approx. 2 sec (One second before and one after you press the shutter button(aprox))

Along side the new FZ range camera we see two new lenses announced for the Lumix G range that are currently in development the:

Panasonic 25mm f1.7 and more excitingly the 100-400 Leica f4-6.3 which will give you a whopping 200-800mm 35mm lens equivalent.

I will hopefully be able to post more information in the not too distant future with regards to these as and when more information becomes available.

But the biggest news was the hotly anticipated GX8 and it has been worth the wait, I am not going to give too much away now over the coming weeks if you keep an eye on my Instagram and Flickr you will see plenty of action with it and over the next two weeks if you want to get a hands on with one, head down to selected Jessops stores for a hands on with a Panasonic Rep or Ambassador (Check Jessops.com for details)

What is so exciting about the GX8?

A brand new 20MP imaging sensor "that achieves highest ever image quality in the history of LUMIX G digital cameras” an exciting claim and surely a move designed to take on Fuji and their X-T1/X-T10 range. The new 20.3-megapixel Live MOS Sensor "excels both in response, sensitivity and dynamic range". That coupled with the Venus Engine image processor dramatically boosts its performance with a quad-core CPU that offers high speed processing, integrating the superior noise reduction systems, the DMC-GX8 is able to shoot at maximum ISO of 25600. It is also capable of high speed burst shooting at 8 fps(AFS) / 6 fps(AFC) not to miss the fleeting photo opportunities.

An improved 2,360K-dot high resolution tilt-able OLED LVF offering 100% field of view and the highest ever magnification ratio of approx.1.54x / 0.77x (35mm camera equiv.) in the history of LUMIX G digital cameras. It also features an eye point of approximately 21mm, which offers high visibility with comfort for users wearing glasses. Now if a view finder isn’t your thing don’t worry the same attention has been put in to the screen which now offer a much more flexible (flip out) 250 degree rotation. meaning the most awkward of angles are much easier to shoot.

New rapid auto focus system with focus speeds of 0.07 seconds.

Increased maximum shutter on electronic shutter too the speed of 1/16000 sec

Dual I.S - 4 axis in camera and 2 axis in the lens both of which will communicate together to offer superb levels of hand held stabilisation when shooting still images, the best bit an almost identical technology is used in video, allowing for smooth and clear videos even when shooting hand held.

Carrying on in the note of video an expected but still exciting feature that we will see when the GX8 comes to market is the introduction of 4K video which will give you the benefits listed above from the new FZ300/FZ330 cameras.

Overt the coming months I have one of the few samples in the country at the present time so keep checking back, any questions ask in the comments or tweet me at @PhtotoOomph and I will get back to you ASAP over the next week I will add more details and a first look review.

I will be in Jessops Nottingham this Friday and Saturday and the following week as well, come see me come as questions and get a hands on before anybody else.

Lots of new posts to come...

2015-06-10T22:37:00.002+01:00

Well its been a quite yet busy month, for me. I don't really know where time has gone since I last made a post, but the good news is lots has happened in that time. I have finally made the switch to Micro Four Thirds (MF3/MFTs) with the GH4, 12-35 and a 100-300. I briefly owned the Voigtlander 25mm f0.95 but it didn't seem to be the lens for me at the minute.

I have placed an order with Polagram once they arrive, I will be posting about them. If anyone else is interested in testing them out use code - PGFRPSV5 to receive £5 off of your first order (excluding p&p which is £1.69 (I think)) but from what I have heard so far they are brilliant quality and becoming very popular.

And more exciting than free prints I am also currently in possession of the new Panasonic Lumix G7 which I am testing out. And will be reviewing and posting some new test images from in the near future.

#PhotographeresProject new additions

2015-05-07T20:23:00.000+01:00

As you may have seen for the last 5 years I have been shooting photographers on the Fuji Instax wide cameras and asking them to sign the strip of the images, as each photographers style is unique to them as is their signature/what they write. It could be from a simple squiggle, a name and a date to a bit of advice or even a joke. As I am drawing close to the 200 point I am hoping to publish a book maybe the first book I am not sure yet. We will see if I can fund it and then go from there. The project is by no means drawing to a close find below the most recent additions.

From the UK Photography Show:

The Panasonic ambassadors:

Don and Damien

Format International Photography Festival

A small selection of the fantastic people I got a chance to meet at Format International Photography Festival, if any of these people featured would like a website/link adding to the photo, let me know via Twitter or in the comments section of the blog.

Preparing to move to M43s continued....Testing the Panasonic 100-300

2015-05-05T17:51:00.001+01:00

One of the draws for me of making the jump to M43s is the 2x crop factor,making the Panasonic 100-300 a 35mm equivalent of 200-600mm but at half the size and weight. Now for me starting to gain an interest in nature and wildlife this is a massive bonus, it will allow me to take the lens out with me, without going out specificly for the purpose of taking wildlife shots as would be the case with something like the Sigma 150-500 ("the bigma").

Taking the lens on to the street paired with the GH4 it felt well balanced and had a responsive and snappy autofocus speed. The main competitor to this lens being the Olympus 75-300, which will offer you a wider angle it has the down side of the apeture range being f/4.8-6.7 where as the Panasonic offers you f/4-5.6.

Taking the Panasonic out on the street I had no issues with shake even at the top end of the lens with O.I.S performing very well. Below is an example of the range of the lens, due to working from a iPad paired with a camera connection kit exact focal lengths aren't stated.

Admittedly not the most interesting of photo, but unfortunately I was not able to take the lens anywhere more exciting on this occasion, all going well in the not too distant future over on my Flickr much more exciting images from the same combination will be available.

Whilst having a quick look at the lens, it quickly became apparent another stand out selling point of this lens for me at least was the bokeh produced. The image below is straight out of the camera and on to the blog:

What catches my eye is the almost water colour painting effect on the blur, it's a common comment it's not what is in focus it's what isn't and judging by this photo this lens is on to a winner.

I have not however tested out the Olympus nor is this by any means a technical test of the lenses ability, simply a visual test. All images were shot on the Panasonic GH4.

The GH4 in Barcelona

2015-05-03T13:19:00.001+01:00

A small selection of my favourite images shot in Barcelona when I borrowed the GH4 for the weekend.

All images have been resized to 750pixels(long edge) and 72DPI for a speedy uplaod you can see the full files here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/joshcunninghamphotography

Preparing to move from DSLR to Mirrorless (Micro Four Thirds)

2015-04-29T11:15:00.001+01:00

Over the past few months, you may have noticed I am moving more and more towards M43(Micro Four Thirds) and particularly for me the GH4. The time is about here for me to upgrade my camera and in reality sticking with a DSLR makes the upgrade pretty much unaffordable for me at the moment. However with the rise in recent products from Olympus and Panasonic with products such as the GH4 and GX7 from Panasonic and many many more and the E-M1 and E-M5ii from Olympus image quality is now heavily battling it out even against cameras twice the price and size for example Snapsort, rates the Canon 5Diii at roughly 7% better image quality than the GH4, when you consider at body only prices you can almost buy to GH4's for the price of one Canon 5Diii. This is before you consider all the other benefits of the GH4:

* 20% Smaller

* 40% Lighter

* Better dynamic range (12.8 stops)

* Touch to focus

* 4k Video

* 12 Frames Per Second

* Flip out screen

* Built in flash

* 2x Crop factor

Now you maybe thinking I am a photographer, 4K video is of no interest to me, however you couldn't be more wrong, thanks to Panasonic's innovation in technology you are now able to take a still frame from a 4K video and produce an 8MP still, and on a sensor the quality of the GH4 8MP is more than enough to produce a lovely canvas for your wall, a glossy magazine cover or maybe even just an interesting Instagram photo.

Full article on PetaPixel click the photo to read more.

So why am I changing? For me since graduating from my Photography Degree I have seemed to fall in to a slump, not being bothered to look for work and not doing anywhere as much as I should be with my photography. Since I have got my LX100 I have been shooting a lot more and not just on my iPhone which I had tragically fallen in to the habit of doing, however that trend will soon be gone as I am now waiting on the delivery of my CM1 which I briefly tested here.

I am hoping a change in gear to something in pretty much every way an improvement over my current kit will kick me back in to gear of shooting anything and everything. With plenty of new ideas that I want to shoot ideas with LED lights to replace flash guns, 4k Stills from action shots and adding the Panasonic 100-300mm lens doubling my current 70-200mm on the most powerful focal length allowing me to take advantage of rural living and the vast amount of wildlife in the area.

Not only that but the sheer flexibility of all mirrorless systems and the ability to adapt almost anything with the right adapters to fit on the front, allowing you pretty much the largest selection of lenses on the market (this being the case for all mirrorless cameras, however some being more suited to it than others). Having already started my collection of older lenses with the Helios 44, 58mm f2

which I have adapted to my now discarded Sony NEX 5.

As you can see the bokeh achieved from something so affordable will help you stand out, over the coming months I am going to be researching and compiling a list of a selection of lenses to add you your Micro Four Thirds cameras to help you stand out from the crowd.

So for me the time is almost here if I can get the right prices for my Canon gear to start making the move over to Panasonic, just a quick eBay search for accessories has me excited and sets projects going off in my mind, once I have made the move the next step will be to create a PC(possibly hackingtosh) capable of 4k video editing and or downsampling and start on finally getting more work out there from stills to video and combining both.

I am sure more posts will follow, with the progress and where I go and more on lenses and lens choice for the M43s system.