Tag: Photography

Where Apple is aiming the puck

There weren’t too many surprises on the hardware front with the iPhone 7 release with the usual stream of supply chain leaks and rumours over the last few weeks leading up to the launch. The event pretty much reemphasized that the smartphone market, particularly the high end, has pretty much matured and Apple checked off the niggles over the entry level storage. Apple also broke a trend of sorts with the external design not changing considerably over the previous “s” year, another sign of a maturing market.

There was also a lot of clarity in their positioning of the Apple Watch with the focus shifting to health and fitness, while reducing the emphasis on communication (at least for the time being). It is going to be a while before the Apple Watch is able to turn into a standalone device. The new models in tandem with WatchOS 3 do address some of the performance concerns with the first model, but we’re still some time away from an always on display.

Apple also doubled down on their strengths with the focus on platform exclusives, 3D Touch and pushing the envelope on the camera capabilities. They have also increased the feature gap between the regular and Plus model this year with the camera having a tangible difference in addition to the screen and battery size, along with the increased RAM.

There was of course the loss of the headphone jack that many had predicted and the switch to a non clickable home button. The former is something that many of the Android phone makers have tried to preempt, while the latter is something a majority of the non-iPhone owners are used to. As for the A10 chip, it was a validation of ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture that has been in use by the Android market for over 3 years. Big jumps in performance usually come through node shrinks, and with Moore’s law slowing Apple has its task cut out.

Here are a few thoughts on where things seem to be headed based on Apple’s moves this year:

  • They have pretty much set their sights on the pro camera market with the support for wider colour gamuts on the sensor and display. Plus (pun intended) there’s the dual camera lens bringing back a viable telephoto lens to the smartphone market (sort of – 56mm is closer to normal focal length). People who were hurt with Windows Phone and Nokia’s (Lumia 1020) demise have a proper alternative at last.
  • It’ll be a while before the longer focal length on the iPhone attains the quality of the wider one, but this is just the beginning and we can expect iterations to happen pretty quick now that the ball has been set rolling by the most focussed company. Also, you don’t have to look any farther than this comparison of the original iPhone camera to the iPhone 7 to see what can be done in 10 years.
  • Again, on the photography front, with the Plus introducing a second lens, we get closer to the “holy trinity” of prime lenses which typically refers to a wide-normal-telephoto combination of lenses to cover a majority of shooting options. Technically we’ve got the wide and normal lengths covered. Of course, the iPhone is not going to be replacing DSLRs for specialised purposes (birding, low light action) anytime soon, but you know where we’re headed.
  • This dual lens camera also enables the journey towards computer vision thanks to the depth of field perception. What is today a sort of gimmicky feature previously tried by Android phone makers can potentially be the stepping stone towards AR.
  • Those Intel fab rumours that have been around for the last couple of years might finally be coming true next year.
  • The currently gimmicky, but increasingly exhibited feature of 3D Touch is most likely a stepping stone to a future where the display lets you actually feel the textures of items shown. This would take interaction to the new level and iOS 10 has finally opened up the current haptic engine to developers. Just take a look at Apple’s patents to get a feel (yes) of where things are headed. Maybe it’ll arrive as soon as next year when people expect the 10th anniversary iPhone to have an all display front. Accessibility has been one of Apple’s strengths and they also support Braille displays with their iOS devices. This expertise might just help them overall bringing out the really 3D in the touch. As to what kind of stuff is possible, check out Disney Research (guess which companies share board members?).

So, where does this leave me personally? Well, I just replaced my iPhone 5s battery and it should last me another year quite easily given that the performance has all but improved with iOS 10 (I doubt anyone with a 3 year old Android phone can say the same thing). The iPhone 7 Plus camera is really tempting me to give up my DSLR entirely (I really love shooting with my Canon 50mm f/1.8 prime lens which on a cropped body like the 550D gives an 80mm equivalent focal length), it’s just the first iteration and I find the 5.5″ size too big. Apple Pay has also not launched in India either, so I’m not missing any major feature with the 5s barring the screen size and camera (I do use a Mi 4 as well, so the screen size is even less of an issue). Then there’s the next year’s iPhone of course.

What’s a few hundred megapixels between shots

Kill the green screen maybe, but take datacentres to a different level:

The Lytro Cinema camera gathers a truly staggering amount of information on the world around it. The 755 RAW megapixel 40K resolution, 300 FPS camera takes in as much as 400 gigabytes per second of data.

Source: Lytro’s 755 megapixel Cinema light field camera is going to kill the green screen | TechCrunch

Shooting with expired film in the digital age

Some things Instagram filters can’t buy:

A box of super-expired E-6 and C-41 35mm film has been sitting in a box in my closet for years slowly filling up with random rolls collected from friends, found in old camera bags leftover from internships, and the like. This isn’t film that expired just last year. This is film expired with dates like: March 1996. November 1975. April 2004. January 1992. October 2006. Expiration dates that are probably older than some of you reading this blog post. This was before having flares and crazy-whack color shifts became an app on an iPhone. Some of this film was around when Zack Morris had a brick phone on Saved by the Bell and Kurt Cobain was still thrashing around with Anarchist cheerleaders in a gym.

Source: expired at the daytona 500 | Redlights and Redeyes

Taking photos of X-ray slides at home

Well, I broke my left arm last week and as expected got some X-rays done. Hospitals and clinics have their well lit setups for viewing the X-ray slides. Ideally you would want to take photos from these setups, but it may not always be possible to do so. In such cases there are a few options for you to snap the slide at home:

  1. Use a flashlight app on an iPad\tablet to get a full white screen set at full brightness and use this to light up the slide. I used this technique for my slide pictured above. You may not get full coverage, but it is good enough if you know which section of the slide you need to click.
  2. The next option is to use a laptop screen with a white wallpaper or a blank text editor to get a white background. You will need to hold the slide in place with this technique, but it should give you greater coverage.
  3. The last option would be to use the largest screen at home, i.e., the TV. It may not be easy to get a fully white screen on the TV unless you can connect your tablet\smartphone\laptop to it and mirror the white background, but this is probably the only screen large enough to cover the slide completely.

So, there you go a few simple ways to light up that slide.

The camera that’s taking over from my DSLR aka a year with the iPhone 5s

I ended up with a broken screen on my beloved Nokia Lumia 720 over a year ago, and thus began my search for a new phone. After lots of deliberation and the delayed launch of the Lumia 930 with its mixed reviews, I ended up with a 16 GB gold iPhone 5s that had just received some price cuts thanks to the iPhone 6 launch. It’s been a very satisfying photo taking journey with the iPhone thus far barring some hiccups. It is a very versatile shooter that gives amazing results even in its auto mode. Then of course, there are the manual controls introduced in iOS 8 that hand over the reigns to the photographer. Plus the entire photography workflow from shooting to editing to publishing and backing up can be performed on the same device.

The iPhone 5s has been my primary camera for nearly a year now, and there have been only a few occasions like stage shows that I’ve used my Canon EOS 550D. I carried the DSLR with the 15-85 mm lens on my Goa trip in March but hardly shot with it, and then altogether skipped it on my last trip to Kolkata. In fact, I’ve been giving away some of my DSLR accessories that I rarely use over the last few months.

In terms of reliability, the iPhone series easily beats its Android counterparts as the camera app launches in a jiffy and the focusing speed and shooting latency are top notch. These parameters have been thoroughly tested in the last one year thanks to my daughter who’s 2 1/2 years old now.

Processing and sharing photos is also a breeze with the numerous apps, and this is one part of the workflow that has been completed integrated with the photo taking effort unlike in a standalone DSLR. Then of course there are the automatic backups through iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Photos, Flickr et al that ensures that the memories remain intact. It’s only natural that Microsoft and Google are trying to automate the album creation and tagging process on their photo storage services given the huge volumes we’re shooting.

The only fly in the ointment has been the storage space as 12 GB of usable is barely enough to hold all the photos after you’ve loaded a few apps. Then of course there are the videos which are all full HD and pretty enormous in size. I’ve managed to make do thanks to the iCloud photo library introduced in iOS 8 that automatically backs up and removes old photos from the device. In fact, I have gone beyond the 5 GB free tier and upgraded to the 20 GB one.

Then of course there’s the loss of variable focal lengths and being stuck with a wide angle lens. I do have a personal preference of shooting medium telephoto lengths with the 50 mm prime being my DSLR favourite. Cropping manages to take care of some of these issues when the lighting is good, and I like to think of the iPhone 5s as a camera with a wide angle prime lens.

When it comes down to image quality, I’ve found it good enough compared to my DSLR except in very low light situations. The focus speed can be a bit slow compared to the DSLR as well and this is one aspect that’s been upgraded in the iPhone 6\6+. Video quality is of course superb and the electronic stabilization makes a real difference, but the storage space gets in the way for longer videos.

There are of course other features like slo-mo 120 fps videos that are just not possible on the DSLR, and shooting time lapses or hyperlapses is a breeze compared to the elaborate setup required with the DSLR.

So, do you want to buy a DSLR? Please don’t – just get an iPhone (or even one of the Android flagships like LG G3\G4 or Galaxy S6)

So you got a DSLR

It has been a while since my first 2 posts on this topic, but better late than never. A DSLR is a powerful tool no doubt, but it can seem intimidating at first with its gamut of controls. The OEMs have tried to ease the learning curve for first time DSLR users by providing a bunch of automatic modes just as in Point & Shoot cameras. These modes make for a good starting point for starting your photography journey and get you acclimatized to the controls of your new camera. Today’s DSLRs give pretty good results in typical scenes that you want to shoot. However, there will be situations where the automatic modes will fail to give you the desired results. These are the times for which you need to prepare yourself, and some basic understanding of the way your camera works and photography is going to prove very helpful. To unlock the true potential of your DSLR you will of course have to switch to the semi-automatic and manual modes eventually. The first thing you need to do is master the basics of not just your camera, but also photography in general. There are a wealth of resources online and tons of books on the topic, and I will try to guide you to some of the ones that I found useful.

A couple of key concepts to understand:

  1. The exposure triangle that relates the 3 key parameters – aperture, shutter speed and ISO – is one of the key concepts behind image making. Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Exposure is the best book in this regard and explains the key concepts in a very easy to understand manner with lots of examples.
  2. Metering modes and learning to read your cameras exposure meter (particularly important when using the advanced controls).

Now that you have understood a couple of basic concepts, don’t forget that every camera comes with this wonderful free book that contains a wealth of information about the controls and how to use them. Not many people end up reading it though as it is not presented in the most attractive of formats. Yes, I’m talking about the manual that came with your camera and it can actually answer a lot of questions that you have initially. In most cases, there should also be an electronic version of the manual and you could do worse than to copy it to your smartphone and\or tablet to have a ready reference with you. In case you are looking for a more attractive and easier to read package, there is also a series called From Snapshots to Great Shots for most of the recent models, and you can get hold of the version for your camera. It also goes without saying that practice is the best teacher, and the digital medium lends itself naturally to the trial and error technique of shooting.

This information should help you get started with your shiny new DSLR. Also, keep in mind that just because you are trying to master the basics does not mean that you should not check out the advanced modes and controls. So go ahead and explore your camera, and I will try to whip up a few posts (hopefully quicker than this post) on how to get better results.

So you want to buy a DSLR?

It’s been over 3 years since I got a DSLR, and 4 lenses, tons of book and a bunch of accessories (and overall expenses just a bit south of Rs 2L) later here’s my take on whether you should get a DSLR (yes, whether) and what you should start with if you decide to take the plunge.

First things first

A lot of it depends on your budget – not just the initial amount but also the amount you will be spending (or be tempted to) after you have taken the plunge. The minimum amount you will have to spend to start off will be in the Rs 25 – 30K range (unless you bag a second hand deal) and this will net you a starting DSLR body plus a kit lens. However, if you really want a decent starting combo then be prepared to invest at least Rs 40-50K. If you have a lot of money burning a hole in your pocket, then the good news is that you can easily spend over Rs 1.5 lakh and get a pro level kit and have the option of spending lots more in the future as well. Then again, I doubt that you would be reading my post if that were the case. As for your options, I’ll come to that in a bit after I’ve covered my second point.

The Second thing (or the first thing actually) – Why do you want a DSLR?

If you are thinking of taking the plunge solely for better photographs, then think again. Most mid-range Point & Shoot cameras give pretty decent images these days and will cost you half to a third of the starting DSLR option. Plus, they are a lot more convenient to carry around and the ultra-zoom models (we’re in the 50X+ zoom range now and they’ll cost you about as much as a starting DSLR kit) will easily outrange your starting DSLR kits. In fact, you will need to spend upwards of Rs 1 lakh to match the range of even a 20X ultra zoom P&S.

If you really want to spend Rs 30K on a new camera for better quality photos, take a close look at the Sony RX100. It has a pretty high resolution large sensor for a Point & Shoot which will give you near DSLR quality images (should match the quality of 5-6 year old DSLRs easily) in a pocket friendly form factor. Plus, it uses a Carl Zeiss lens with a pretty good range (28-100mm), something that will require you to spend 10-15K more on a starting DSLR kit. The camera also has an amazing burst rate of 10 fps that rivals the top end pro DSLR models.

The second generation model of the RX100 is also out and it costs almost 50% more, but gets you a tiltable screen and a better sensor among other improvements. For more compact options with larger than usual sensors, you can also check out the Canon PowerShot S series.

Another option to explore, particularly if you have an old smartphone (or none at all) is the Nokia Lumia 1020 with its large 41 MP sensor that enables lossless zooming and excellent low light capabilities. It is hands down the best camera smartphone around and gives mid-range P&S cameras a run for their money. This will not just enable you to take better photos, but it will also be with you all the time so that you can capture all those moments that you’d miss with a dedicated camera. Plus, you can edit the photos directly on your phone, back them up online and even share them easily through online services and social networks.

The above two options also mean that you will save a lot of money in the long term and not lose out on much on the photo quality front. Think about them long and hard…

Nothing doing, I really want a DSLR

Well, that was pretty quick, but it is always good to know your options and rationale before taking the plunge. So, why should you get a DSLR? Better image quality is just one part of the equation, and this too is mostly applicable to low light scenarios. What else do you get? Better control over the images you take for one, though this is partly covered by advanced settings available on many Point & Shoot cameras and also in Nokia’s Pro Camera app on its high end Lumia phones (plus similar apps on other smartphone platforms).

The real power (and real costs) of DSLRs is in their interchangeable lenses. They allow you to take photos in many different scenarios that would not be otherwise possible, like in low light without a flash in the case of wide aperture lenses, or from far far away like in the case of telephoto lenses used by wildlife and sports photographers (P&S may give you better range, but not the quality), or big picture scenarios possible through wide angle lenses (one area where Point & Shoot cameras are really lacking). Depending upon the lens the focus speed can also be blazingly fast (handy for action shots).

Then there is the whole new world of accessories like flashes, lights and filters that allow you to sculpt the kind of images you want to. Then there is also all the jargon that you will have to get used to (don’t worry, it takes a year or so), and also the constant gear temptation that you will have to put up with.

To put things in perspective on the gear and expenses front, the cheapest lens you can buy for a DSLR cost around Rs 6-7K and does not zoom (the nifty fifty, i.e. 50mm f/1.8). So, you are looking at investments (or splurges) in the 10s of Ks range at the bare minimum. Basically, buying a new lens will cost you as much as buying a decent entry level to mid-range Point & Shoot camera at the very least, and decent quality lenses will cost you as much as the good quality P&S like the Sony RX100 I had recommended earlier. As for the pro lenses, they run into the 6 figure range.

Another thing to keep in mind is that lenses don’t really come down in price unlike electronic items. In fact, their prices may even go up dramatically (10-20%) depending on supply and demand. You will also find that some of the lens designs are really old (10-15 years), and have not really come down in price. Plus, the second hand market and lens rental options are also pretty limited in India (rentals and second hand are two of the common suggestions on online forums). Of course, this is where having a bunch of DSLR touting friends comes in handy as you can share a bunch of gear among yourselves.

So, what should I get?

I’m going to give you some more time to think about what I have covered in this post, and cover the options in the second part of this series. Just be prepared to increase your budget to around Rs 40-50K, and ditch that kit lens.

Magic Camera Settings by Thom Hogan

Can’t get more concise than that I suppose:

The best, most concise instruction manual in the modern world comes on the back of shampoo bottles: lather, rinse, repeat. So here’s the camera manual equivalent: learn, experiment, control, repeat. Pick one feature or option to learn about, experiment with it to see what the range of things it does might be, figure out how you want to control it, then repeat the process.

via Magic Camera Settings by Thom Hogan.