tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58262318028595235692024-02-20T07:52:28.293-08:00Ron Martinsen's Photography BlogPhotoshop, photography & printing topics with discounts, coupon codes and special offersronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.comBlogger1411125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-67741383151698278242024-01-11T12:36:00.000-08:002024-01-11T12:36:01.235-08:00REVIEW: Angler Bi-Color Ring Light Kit with Light Stand (18")<p align="center"><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Angler Bi-Color Ring Light Kit/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><img style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block;" src="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=500,quality=95/https://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/images500x500/angler_webcam_bi_color_ring_light_1637170651_1674129.jpg"><em>Angler Bi-Color Ring Light Kit with Light Stand (18")</em></a></p><p>Hey friends, long-time no blog! :)</p><p>I’m writing today because I had a need for an affordable ring light for use with my iPhone and I wanted to tell you what I thought about it. </p><p>In my world these days it’s becoming increasingly rare for me to need to use my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_single-lens_reflex_camera" target="_blank">DSLR</a>, so like a lot of people I frequently use my phone camera for internal use only product shots and education videos. That said, for amazing as modern smartphones are for creating phenomenally good <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank">HDR</a> images and pulling off amazing results in low light, sometimes you just need more light to get your desired results. </p><p>In my case, I found myself wanting something that would allow me to interact and record a tutorial video or review of something I was interacting with, but I still wanted to see my cell phone while I was doing it. I also wanted the light to be very good – you know, like pretty much every YouTuber these days!</p><p>When I started looking for options, the prices were more than I wanted and some of the purchases I made from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2F&tag=ronrmarsblo-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957" target="_blank">Amazon</a> were pretty bad. As a result, I reached out to <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/09/my-visit-to-b-in-new-york-city.html" target="_blank">my friends at B&H</a> to leverage their expertise to find something that worked well but also didn’t break the bank.</p><p>My key criteria were:</p><ol><li>Affordable</li><li>Diffused light</li><li>Ability to control the temp</li><li>Big enough to use for products as well as face lighting</li><li>Ability to see my phone screen while recording, so this meant a phone mount as well as a pivot arm design.</li><li>Easily portable for many use cases.</li></ol><p>I’m happy to report that the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Angler Bi-Color Ring Light Kit/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Angler Bi-Color Ring Light Kit</a><em></em> checked off all of the boxes and was <em>almost</em> perfect. </p><p>This shot was taken using JPEG only (doh) and mixed light (ambient light was tungsten with sources in front and behind the subject and edited heavily in <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Adobe+Lightroom+Download/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Lightroom</a> to make it suck less:</p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3526049712-3.jpg" border="0"><br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3526049712.png" target="_blank"><em>Kai with his dog Teddy using Canon 1DX II JPG and low brightness</em></a></p><p><a href="http://ronmartinsen.blogspot.com/2009/07/having-fun-with-my-son.html" target="_blank">Kai</a> was struggling with the brightness, so I cranked it down low enough for him to tolerate it. If it wasn’t a quick and dirty shot (and a bit of luck with the dog), I probably would have taken a bit more time to make it much better. That said, that is what I like about this light – it allows me to do a lot better than my cell phone with very little effort. It makes experimentation much easier than traditional lighting methods thanks to the lightweight portable stand and battery powered light with adjustable temp and brightness!</p><h4>A Closer Look</h4><p>Here’s a closer look at the ring light itself:</p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3526044176-5.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Excellent diffusion panel on the front</em></p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3526044205-5.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Plenty of hot shoe mounting points for the camera adapter</em></p>
<p>Notice the inside and outside hot shoes all over things thing. It’s also shown with the batteries installed (included on some bundles), but it also includes the ability to just plug it into an outlet which saves weight. </p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3526044071-5.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Camera adapter could easily fit my iPhone 13 Pro with extra space left over</em></p>
<p>The camera adapter can be placed in any of the hot shoe mounts, but I elected to put it in the 6 O’clock spot. One side is spring loaded, so it supports many phones. My unit had a pretty strong spring, so I could only get it to open to just under 3 inches in width.</p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3526044405-5.jpg" border="0"><br><em>The hot shoe phone adapter could easily be moved to where I needed it</em></p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3526044153-3.jpg" border="0"><em>I used a <a href="https://bhpho.to/3RTiRgb" target="_blank">Impact C-Stand</a> along with a <a href="https://bhpho.to/47vKrWK" target="_blank">grip head</a> and <a href="https://bhpho.to/3vB0GEI" target="_blank">extension arm</a><br>for added flexibility and reach for this scenario</em></p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3526044247-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>With this setup, I could peek through and interact with the lens<br>on the table while monitoring the video<br>Notice how the captured content has drifted off the table!</em></p><p>Remember, my goal here was to test the ability to record where I was both interacting with and viewing the video of with an object on a table using my iPhone. I hate video editing, so I’ll spare you that boredom and just show a shot that I did with the iPhone 13 Pro and enhanced with Topaz AI:</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3526044409-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>iPhone 13 Pro static image taken using the ring light configured as shown previously</em></p><p>As a lighting tool, it did great. Where it failed miserably (as you can see if you look carefully in the prior image is that the ring light would drift and often overshoot the table. This seems to be due to the lack of any sort of teeth or serrations on the adjustment knob, so I really grew frustrated at this problem. While it might be fixed by adding a rubber washer or something, know that going in won’t “just work” for this scenario, It’s fine when upright vs this extreme angle with the weight of the camera on it, so if your goal is to do a podcast or more practical angles, then it will be great.</p><h4>Testing in Complete Darkness</h4>
<p>I wanted to test with a real camera in a normal scenario where the camera isn’t hanging from the hot shoe. For that scenario, it did great.</p><p>Light makes up for the lack of shutter speed, so I decided to push things to the limit, and this time using <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">RAW</a>, to see what I could do. Here were my light settings:</p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3526044373-4.jpg" border="0"><br><em>61% brightness in total darkness at 5400k</em></p><p align="left">Even though the room was lit (by the ring light) for the shot, it was done at night with no ambient light beyond the Christmas tree for this shot. </p><p align="left">For fun, I decided to use the Passport ColorChecker to make sure the foreground color was as accurate as I could get it, but for those who are new to the complexities of lighting – that only impacts the subject (Kai) and has zero impact on the ambient light on the background. </p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3526049707-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Canon 1DX Mark II f/2.8 @ 70mm for 1/10 sec at ISO 100 from RAW</em></p><p>Here’s a behind the scenes look but I didn’t make any effort to get accurate colors or light for this shot:</p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3526044320-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>
The camera was on its own tripod for this series and just shooting through</em></p><h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p>For the price of about 1 to 2 tanks of gas these days (at the time this was written), I think this ring light offers a lot of bang for the buck. Its ease of use, portability and overall quality of light were way more than I was expecting. </p><p>Will it keep up with my studio lighting? No, but it’s great for on the go video that is all to common these days with social media influencers who need professional looking light when on the camera as well as when interacting with products. </p><p>The <a href="https://bhpho.to/3tObHSm" target="_blank">Impact Air-Cushioned Light Stand (Black, 8')</a> included in this review was perfect for cost effective portability, but I wouldn’t recommend it for the product review scenario I mentioned. For that, you’ll definitely want to invest in a <a href="https://bhpho.to/3RTiRgb" target="_blank">C-Stand</a> or even better, <a href="https://bhpho.to/3SbZGzs" target="_blank">a base with wheels</a> along with a <a href="https://bhpho.to/47vKrWK" target="_blank">grip head</a> and <a href="https://bhpho.to/3vB0GEI" target="_blank">extension arm</a>. While you are at it, don’t forget a <a href="https://bhpho.to/3vyGd3j" target="_blank">saddle bag</a> (bring your own sand).</p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Angler Bi-Color Ring Light Kit/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today. Don’t forget that you can apply for the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/credit-cards?iframe=false&BI=2071&KBID=2787" target="_blank">Payboo</a> card and get special financing to make it easier to purchase in these difficult times.</p>
<p>Enjoy more classic reviews on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a>.</p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-40680840165428295632023-09-05T22:23:00.001-07:002023-09-05T22:23:16.144-07:00Crazy Turn of Events on a Photoshoot<center><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs6eBxBR5ML/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs6eBxBR5ML/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; 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<p>I loved being a pro photographer, because I got to see and capture so many amazing things and events. But this past May, I had a unique experience that even I had never done before.</p>
<p>I had a blast at the Rock Chuck Olympics, a sporting event that my friend, Gavin Gear over at <a href="https://ultimatereloader.com/" target="_blank">UltimateReloader.com</a>, organized. He invited five YouTubers to compete in different challenges that were totally out of their comfort zone. I got to photograph them do some hilarious and amazing things. It was like a reality show with a lot of action and fun.</p>
<p>The participants were:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/ErikCortina" target="_blank">Erik Cortina</a> - F-Class World Champion and Precision Shooting Parts </li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@backfire" target="_blank">Jim Harmer</a> - Founder of BackFire TV</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChua9rzlTWnx8syBXAq4FRA" target="_blank">Nils Jonasson</a> - Pro USPSA, IPSC, IDPA, 3-Gun and Steel Challenge style matches shooter who has won US Nationals and World Championships </li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@IMPACTSHOOTING/" target="_blank">Pieter Milan</a> - PRS Competitor and Hunter in South Africa</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@WHOTEEWHO" target="_blank">Adam Weis</a> - Better known as Who Tee Who on YouTube</li>
</ul>
<p align="center"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs9vV2Nv8VU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p2538821507-3.jpg" /></a><br /><i>It was an honor to meet Erik. He made me the long-distance shooter I am today, so I hope to find out later this year if the invitation to come shoot with him at his ranch was legit</i></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs9f-s4SM1l/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p2538846566-4.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Adam was a soft spoken gentle giant, but super down to Earth</i></p>
<h4>The Shot - 245 Yards - First Try</h4>
<p>I grew up in a small town where shooting was a normal hobby. I wasn't very skilled, but I had fun with my buddies doing it and other things.</p>
<p>But in 2020, everything changed. I needed something to do that was still open. I found a local range and it became a place for me and my son to bond over a sport. The range was safe and clean, and nobody got sick (or injured). We also got better at shooting, thanks to some of the YouTube videos made by the competitors. My son even was on a National Championship winning squad two years in a row!</p>
<p>While photographing the Pistol ELR event, I finally got my first chance to participate in the competition. It was tough to watch and miss out on all the fun, so I was happy to finally get my chance. When I did, I made the most of it:</p>
<p align="center"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fkb7CIS-kns?si=Y-jy5B8ocwVTffgi" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>
<h4>More fun on Instagram</h4>
<p align="center"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs9aWUxPNNm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p2538754950-5.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Pieter was a great competitor, but also an awesome dude to hang out with</i></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtFPiPpyYi2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p2538790270-4.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Nils is genuinely a nice dude</i></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtQnf8-O-5q/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p2538788020-4.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Yes, Jon is as funny as you might expect in real life</i></p><p>
</p><p>I enjoyed being a photojournalist again, even though I wasn't raking in the big bucks like the good old days. It was a blast to explore Gavin's beautiful place and share some laughs with a great group of people. I also feel like I made some new friends for life - at least I hope so.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtFOPUByvfX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p2538707682-3.jpg" /></a><br /><i>It was incredible being with Nils and seeing the guy who designed my pistol shoot it like a boss</i></p>
<p>When we had to go back down the mountain for the final time, I got to ride with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/noskillsnils/" target="_blank">Nils Jonasson</a>, the designer of my Canik Rival and the Rival S, as well as Jim Harmer, the founder of Backfire TV. They were both awesome and we had a great time chatting.</p>
<p>I have a ton of photos that I shared with the particpants and sponsors, but I put a few on my Instagram for you to enjoy. Perhaps, sometime I'll post some more. Until then, here's a final shot that you can visit to go see some more of my latest photos:</p>
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtUyk0BSWFj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtUyk0BSWFj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtUyk0BSWFj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Ron Martinsen (@ronmartblog)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></center>
<p align="center"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CstsFnjRyxS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p2538707645-3.jpg" /></a><br /><i>My last shot before heading home was after a great coffee and conversation with Pieter Milan and Jon Patton</i></p>
<h4>Thanks Athlon</h4>
<p>A huge shout out to Athlon optics for following up on their promise to donate some products to the team I coach. The boys and girls on the team, and especially the parents, appreciated their support.</p>
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwa9oleSqX2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwa9oleSqX2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; 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height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwa9oleSqX2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Renton Steel Dragons (@rentonsteeldragons)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
</center><p></p><p></p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-68117304642105348132022-06-28T23:14:00.001-07:002022-06-28T23:14:40.362-07:00The Best Wireless Personal Video Conferencing Light I’ve Ever Used<p align="center"><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1578520-REG/raya_r9_bi_led_9_inch_round_bi_color.html" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/images500x500/raya_r9_bi_led_9_inch_round_bi_color_1578520.jpg"><br><em>Raya Bi-Color Round LED Panel Light (9")</em></a></p><p>Sometimes a product is so good that people who use it become instant fans and they are eager to tell everyone they know about it. Great examples include game consoles, the iPhone, Netflix, etc.. </p><p>As you’ve probably noticed, I’m not reviewing much lately because my personal life has been dedicated to my family and my work life has been quite busy. However, when I tried this product out, I loved it so much that I knew it was time to get another article out as quickly as possible. </p><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p116710853-5.jpg" border="0"></p><p>I think what won me over so quickly on this one was that <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/09/my-visit-to-b-in-new-york-city.html" target="_blank">my friends at B&H</a> sent me a review unit that included a great support stand (which consists of several parts sold separately) and a battery pack with charger that makes this entire unit wireless. What you see in the picture is all you need and you can take it anywhere, set it down, turn it on, and voila you’ve got great light. What’s more, you can adjust the light temperature and brightness to give you subtle lighting improvements that are hardly noticeable or you can crank it up if you really want to bring your eye color out to the max!</p><h4>Examples</h4><p>My bedroom chair is one of my favorite places to have video conference calls when working from home or talking with friends, but I almost never turn my camera on because the light is just blah as shown here:</p><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p101845350-5.jpg" border="0"></p><p>To be fair, this was actually a rare sunny day in the Pacific Northwest and the light is much better than normal but the challenge is the back lighting and the harsh side lighting. If I was taking a professional photo I’d use an <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/279427-REG/Westcott_1032_Illuminator_Reflector_Kit_6_in_1.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">reflector</a> and be in good shape, but this is live video so that isn’t especially practical. However, with my Raya 9” light, I can give new life to my Herman Munster-like dark inset eyes as shown here:</p><p><img style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p36281130-5.jpg"></p><p>Yes, I may have overdone it a bit with the brightness and the warmth, but you get the idea. I now have nice catchlights that bring out the color of my eyes better and improve the experience quite a bit. </p><p>Now, I know some of you are probably saying – heck, that before is way better than the lighting I have at my office, I’d take that any day so I don’t see the value here. Ok, that’s fair, so how about a more common problem of overhead light that casts shadows over your face like this:</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p431316719-4.jpg" border="0"></p><p>versus something more evenly lit across the face like this?</p><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p336970361-4.jpg" border="0"></p><p>Now, imagine I get that light up higher (to address the camera left eye shadow) and possibly throw a handkerchief or other softening material over the light to make it light without the harsh highlights? You get the idea, that it can make a big difference without much effort but if you do put some effort into it then it can be as professional as you want it to look – for not that much expense.</p><p>Even outdoors, where light isn’t splashing all over shiny countertops and stainless refrigerator doors I was able to take an acceptable lighting scenario like this:</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p215732905-4.jpg" border="0"></p><p>into a subtle, but improved lighting on my eyes with catchlights like this:</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p494188310-4.jpg" border="0"></p><p>This sunny day sitting under the deck umbrella just got a whole lot better with this portable light – without any wires cluttering up the space. I didn’t need to worry about wires that the dog would chew on or trip on to bring my light down at the worst possible time. It just worked as easy as it was to bring my phone (in this case) or laptop to a outdoor environment to enjoy a online meeting with friends.</p><h4>How it works</h4><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p85280534-5.jpg" border="0"></p><p>So the “trick” here is two big batteries that look like what some of us might recognize from camcorders in the 90’s. They are those two big rectangles in the middle of the light that hold a lot of power but also add weight to help stabilize the light so that it’s not falling over with the lightest breeze outdoors. </p><p>The two orange knobs control light temperature and brightness. If you aren’t going to be moving it around then you can skip the batteries and go for the power cord that comes with the light and never have to worry about charging anything, but for me the batteries make it so mobile that I want to use it everywhere around my house.</p><p>Here’s everything you need based on the picture above:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://bhpho.to/3QSLiJV" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; float: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" src="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,fit=scale-down,width=500,quality=95/https://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/images500x500/impact_large_magnet_grip_mount_1639143332_1678326.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Impact Large Magnet Grip Mount with 50mm Stud and 6" Baby Pin Adapter Kit</em></a></p><p>Oh, did you notice something cool in that title? Yes, the base is a big magnet so if you have something metal to set it on then it’s rock solid. I stuck it on my refrigerator, but my wife didn’t like that too much (but hey, it worked!).</p><p>You’ll also need TWO <a href="https://bhpho.to/3OKFBfa" target="_blank">Watson NP-F770 Lithium-Ion Battery Pack (7.4V, 4400mAh)</a> batteries (<a href="https://bhpho.to/3OwRndt" target="_blank">7800mAh</a> and <a href="https://bhpho.to/3A8OpaJ" target="_blank">10,050mAh</a> versions are also available for even longer battery life). To charge them you’ll need a <a href="https://bhpho.to/3Nv45rQ" target="_blank">Watson Compact AC/DC Charger for L & M Series Batteries</a>.</p><h4>Don’t need it to be portable?</h4><p>If you just want to mount it to your desk and forget it, then ignore all of that above and just get this and use the power cord that comes with the light:</p><p><a href="https://bhpho.to/3y5JbtL" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images500x500/1610982931_IMG_1474254.jpg" border="0"></a></p><h4>Yeah, but how does it work with video?</h4><p>I hate video editing, so here’s a video I did using just my iPhone and the Raya light outdoors on my deck. Please forgive the poor reduction in video quality and horrible color after YouTube’s terrible video compression when viewing on a PC, but it’s less terrible on iPhones:</p><p><a title="https://youtube.com/shorts/ThmNaws4f6o?feature=share" href="https://youtube.com/shorts/ThmNaws4f6o?feature=share" target="_blank">Night time iPhone Video</a></p><p><a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/RgF5wM0Odq8?feature=share" target="_blank">Day time iPhone Video</a></p><p>If you are a content-creator, you might be interested in the full <a href="https://bhpho.to/3ONhjkz" target="_blank">Livestreaming Kit</a>.</p><h4>Why should you care what I think?</h4><p>Many of you who have followed this blog may not realize that my primary job has always been in high tech at a company you’ve definitely heard of. With 6 years of experience in building cutting edge video conferencing solutions for the biggest companies on the planet, I know a thing or two about the challenges many users face when collaborating with others over video. </p><p>Typically, my photography life outside of work doesn’t directly cross paths with my day job, but when <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/09/my-visit-to-b-in-new-york-city.html" target="_blank">B&H</a> contacted me to say they had a cool personal light for photography and video conferencing, I couldn’t pass up the chance to check it out. What I didn’t expect is that it would be a wireless solution that would allow me to have great light wherever I landed with my laptop or even phone to have a meeting!</p><p>I am not allowed to endorse items for work, so I can’t mention who I work for or what I work on (but it’s easy to figure out). As such, this is my personal opinion formed outside of work using personal products for personal meetings with friends and relatives, but after this is done I do plan to show my friends at work and use it to enhance my personal meeting experiences.</p><h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="https://bhpho.to/3Q8uHkQ" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today.</p>
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<p>Enjoy more reviews on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a>.</p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this. I was not paid to do this review, but I was allowed to keep my review unit. </p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0Newcastle, WA, USA47.5376072 -122.161994819.227373363821151 -157.3182448 75.847841036178835 -87.0057448tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-15106372581908884112022-04-04T00:06:00.003-07:002022-04-04T00:06:54.387-07:00Imagenomic Portraiture 3 ai Discount and Video Review - 2022 Edition<p align='center'><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p906915226-5.jpg" /><br><em>Check out the latest tutorial using this image and more</em></p>
<h4>Video Tutorial</h4>
<p>Check out my latest video tutorial on <a href="https://secure.shareit.com/shareit/product.html?productid=300332545&cookies=1&affiliateid=200089627" target="_blank"><em>Imagenomic Portraiture 3 ai</em></a>:</p>
<center><iframe width="560" height="315" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i-VhwViKXtY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></center>
<h4>Before and After Images</h4>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p390996874.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p390996874-5.jpg"><br><em>Click to view the full original unedited image</em></a></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p190193893.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p190193893-5.jpg"><br><em>Click to view the full image after Portraiture 3 ai editing</em></a></p>
<h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p>I've been using this product since it first came out and still to this date there's nothing I like more. Check out the free demo for Photoshop and Lightroom to see for yourself - it really makes skin enhancements a simple one minute step in your photo editing workflow.</p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="https://secure.shareit.com/shareit/product.html?productid=300332545&cookies=1&affiliateid=200089627" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today.</p>
<p><a href="https://secure.shareit.com:443/shareit/product.html?productid=300332545&cookies=1&affiliateid=200089627" target="_blank"><img title="Enter the code and click update to apply the discount" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Enter the code and click update to apply the discount" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p510589776-3.jpg" border="0"></a><br><em>Enter the code and click update to apply the discount</em></p>
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<p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-62591239990966914492021-12-23T15:45:00.000-08:002021-12-23T15:45:00.219-08:00Merry Christmas 2021 from Ron Martinsen<p align="center"><a href="https://www.photographicessays.com/" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p4000983201-6.jpg"><br><em>Martinsen Family by Corrine Alavekios</em></a></p>
<p>Merry Christmas to all my former blog readers who have supported me over the years. I've taken an extended break from blogging, but I wanted to just leave a note that I'm alive and kicking despite the impact that COVID has had on all of us.</p><p>You can still <a href="http://ronmartinsen.com/contact.html" target="_blank">contact me</a> for consulting and business matters, but I’m enjoying getting a good night sleep again since I’ve put the blog on pause. You can also <a href="https://instagram.com/ronmartblog" target="_blank">follow me on Instagram</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ronmartblog" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://linkedin.com/ronmart" target="_blank">or LinkedIn</a>.</p><p>Thank you for your support!</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-12392184314187892452020-08-07T00:19:00.000-07:002020-08-07T00:19:00.460-07:00Printing Your Memories with the EPSON SureLab D870<p><a href="https://bhpho.to/2DKbRjb" target="_blank"><img title="Click to see the EPSON SureLab D870 at B&H" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" alt="Click to see the EPSON SureLab D870 at B&H" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images500x500/1561369513_IMG_1205906.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p>Want to print a large number of photos blazingly fast at a price that doesn’t break the bank, yet has a professional look and feel? I did, so I wrote this review to see if the EPSON SureLab D870 lived up to its promises and my very high standards as a professional print master, print book author and Senior Program Manager of the Microsoft Windows print team for 3 years. </p><p><strong><font color="#f79646">If you are here just for the review of this printer</font></strong> designed for professional photographers then you can <strong><font color="#f79646">skip the next section</font></strong>. If you are a photography hobbyist or someone with a lot of photos that you wish you had time to print, then you may enjoy the background story below about why I am writing this article.</p><h4>Background Story</h4><p>According to my photo library management software, <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/06/review-mylioyour-lifes-memories.html" target="_blank">Mylio</a>, I have roughly 450,000 photos saved on my NAS and for my phones I have 100,000+ in Google Photos plus 22,000 in iCloud. Now out of those roughly 572k photos I’ve made about 30k public and shown my family about another 10k or so on top of that. Let’s assume I’m being too conservative though and say that the total number of photos seen by eyes other than mine is really 72,000 photos. That means I have a half million photos that have never been seen by others, and that’s from someone who is internationally known for photography AND printing!!!!</p><p>Now I will admit that because I shoot in burst mode, there’s probably plenty of photos that my eyes have only glanced at once or twice. However, this past March I had a lot of time to think as I drove from Seattle to Texas (and back) to bury my Dad. While I was at his place in a rural Texas town I found myself enjoying old family prints from the time before digital photography. It kinda hit me like a ton of bricks that I wasn’t judging these photos for their composition, sharpness, color, etc… – I was just enjoying the walk down memory lane.This reminded me of a common complaint from my wife who tells me “you have all those photos, but they are useless because I can’t even see any of them”. </p><p>Now we do enjoy plenty of photos on our <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/12/meural-digital-frame-20-2017-product-of.html" target="_blank">Meural</a> digital frames as well as the fantastic photo frame experience of the <a href="https://store.google.com/product/google_nest_hub_max" target="_blank">Google Nest Hub Max</a>, so if you aren’t doing that I still highly recommend that. My wife enjoys printing her cell phone photos with her Epson <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/09/review-epson-picturemate-pm-400-great.html" target="_blank">PictureMate</a>, and I’m a heavy user of my EPSON <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> and <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/10/review-epson-surecolor-p5000.html" target="_blank">P5000</a> printers for my fine art photography work. However, there’s a decade of digital photos that live on my redundant NAS storage devices that really need to be combed through so I can print those memories to be enjoyed the good old fashioned way – by holding them in a hand – long after me and my NAS devices, digital frames and phones are long gone. More importantly, they need to be enjoyed by my kids and future grandkids (hopefully) as I have enjoyed the print photos my parents and generations before them took.</p><p>As I was driving through beautiful places like Moab, Utah during my long drive I got to thinking about how sad it would be if my family couldn’t enjoy the experience of seeing my photos because they got lost due to some digital tragedy after I was gone. Sure I have lots of digital backups, but what if those after me just simply stopped tracking all of that data and ultimately it was lost? What would be left? Just the prints – and most likely just the ones in good old fashion photo albums or printed photo books. </p><p>Now my success with this blog has given me a benefit many of you don’t have, so my cost at trying photo print services, printing photo books, archiving photos digitally, making professional prints, etc… is usually $0.00. With the cost excuse out of the way, I still have my wife complaining that she doesn’t know happened for most of the years we were dating and the first 10 years of my sons life outside of what you see on the blog (which is also what’s on our digital frames). Why is that? I have no excuses, right?</p><p>Well, it turns out that I still work 60+ hour weeks despite the fact that I’m not blogging like I used to. I’m also the father of 4 children which includes active 11 and 4 year old kids who need to spend time with Dad when he stops his workaholic days, so my free time usually begins around 10:00 PM at night (which was the start of my blogging work day years ago). Weekends end up being family time as well, so I’m lucky to get 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there to do activities that I enjoy – like editing or printing personal photos. With these constraints, I find myself getting deeper in the hole each month as I still shoot photos regularly, but I fail to find to edit or print photos that aren’t for my clients or blog. Simply put, my cherished personal photos don’t get prioritized – sound familiar?</p><p>Sure, I occasionally tell myself I’m going to do it and then I find myself falling into the second trap – I end up going through a few dozen photos and then spending all my personal time editing one or two of these photos. At this pace it would take me a few centuries to accomplish my goal of leaving prints that memorialize my wonderful life for generations that come after me. </p><p>When I had this discussion with my wife she challenged me – why don’t you just identify the best family photos and JUST PRINT THEM. She insisted – don’t waste your time editing them because its better to leave the memories behind than it is to have them lost because you couldn’t let the professional photographer inside you forgive yourself for not making professional images. She even went so far to remind me about my strict policy of publishing photos on the blog for camera and lens reviews that are 100% unedited (all are in-camera JPEG), so why couldn’t I do the same for my digital memories and “just print the damn things”. </p><p>Again, is any of this ringing a bell with you?</p><p>Well, its my own love of photo editing and desire to have my important pictures that have been a mental block keeping me from doing what I needed to do, so I made a pact with her and myself that I’d finally address this problem. My objective – to print my collection – but obviously not all 500k+ photos – just the memories through the years.</p><p>I started with my 2007 photos collection – the year I got serious about digital photography (after years of “thankfully” being a film photographer with prints – albeit very bad ones). After 3 months of pouring through – just that one years worth of photos – I identified about 460 images that seemed to be worth printing. I took 22,271 photos that year, so roughly 2% were what I’d consider “family classics” that I’d want to hand down to generations after me. They also represent just over an hour of printing by the amazing SureLab D870.</p><p>Wow – after the long battle of pouring through all of these photos – and admittedly probably spending too long in <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Adobe+Lightroom+Download/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Lightroom</a> doing minor tweaks on some of them – it took me 3 months to pinpoint the photos and a little over an hour to have a big stack of 4x6 prints to put in a photo album or at least a shoebox (guess what I actually did :). I didn’t have to then upload them to some service and fight with its UI, I didn’t have to deal with a ROES system for a service built for volume printing, I didn’t have to fight the crappy tools to build photo albums that never preserve my desired aspect ratios so I end up spending weeks to build a simply 20 page “book”. </p><p>No, this was much easier – I just dumped all of the files out as Full Size JPEG’s, went to the folder in <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">Windows</a> Explorer, selected all of the photos then did a right-click and Print (which launches the native Windows Photo Print Wizard). </p><h4>REVIEW: Epson SureLab D870 </h4><p>EPSON describes this printer as “The fast minilab printer for demanding small-format photo production”, and I’d say that actually hits the nail on the head. This six ink dye-based ink printer is optimized to print 4" x 6" prints in as fast as 8.3 seconds (using 720 x 360 dpi) and <a>up to 430 4" x 6" prints, 275 5" x 7" prints, or 140 8" x 10" prints per hour – that’s screaming fast!!!</a></p><p>This means if you are a school, event or wedding portrait photographer you can print the bulk of your photos on this printer very quickly even if you have a huge amount of photos to print. What’s more, the <a href="https://bhpho.to/2CLpDBy" target="_blank">Epson SureLab Luster Photo Inkjet roll paper</a> and <a href="https://bhpho.to/3eCnipQ" target="_blank">Epson UltraChrome D6r-S Light Ink Cartridges</a> are extremely affordable, so you will not only save time but your cost per print will be peanuts compared to SureColor professional printers – yet they will have that same high-quality professional feel same in the hand to your clients. While its true you will sacrifice the archival and tonal range characteristics of the UltraChrome<sup>® </sup>inks, it does allow you to have more competitive pricing for the time and money you’ll save with this solution. You can also still use your professional pigment ink printers for the larger prints sold at a premium price.</p><p>Simply put, if you print a lot of prints for your business – this is a no-brainer purchase that will quickly yield a return on your investment as you enjoyed with your 70-200 f/2.8 lens! However, I’m not and many of my readers aren’t either. </p><p>I decided to review this printer with a slightly different intention – does this printer make sense for the hobbyist to print their collection and can it produce results that are better than the typical low budget print services (e.g., Costco, Walgreens, Shutterfly, etc…). </p><h4>How I Printed 495 Photo Print Jobs</h4><p><img width="650" height="466" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3942890320.jpg" border="0"></p><p>I identified the photos I wanted to print in Lightroom and then exported out all of my pics as full-size <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SRGB" target="_blank">sRGB</a> JPEG files to the same folder. I would then select all, right click and choose print. This launches the Print Pictures wizard whereby I set the settings as shown above and then then clicked options to modify the printer driver as follows:</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3942890323.jpg" border="0"><br><em><font color="#ff0000">Don't forget to change the Color Management setting to ICM for best results!!!!</font></em></p><p>This gave perfect borderless prints, but the prints were dark. This was easily corrected by changing the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/07/color-management-101-how-do-i-get.html" target="_blank">Color Management</a> to ICM with no other changes necessary in the Advanced… settings.</p><p>Like all borderless printing, if your aspect ratio of your images don’t match the output you are going to lose quite a bit of picture detail. As a result, you may choose to NOT do borderless to avoid that. If you go down that route some 4x6 prints taken from 3:2 aspect ratio source images may have a small white line on one edge of the photo but its not bothersome to me. </p><p>Sorry Mac users, I only tested on Windows 10 1909 over USB, so I have no comments about using this printer from a Mac.</p><p>I did successfully print to this printer from Lightroom and <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a>, but this method was by far the fastest and recommended to me by my friends at EPSON. After much experimentation, I agreed and stuck to this method throughout my time with this printer. </p><p>Oh and if you are wondering why I had 495 photos – well that was just the limit I gave myself for each year worth of photos.</p><h4>Actual Observed Performance</h4><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3942890321-4.jpg" border="0"></p><p>When printing 4x6 borderless prints I observed it took an average of 7.2 seconds per print which excludes the nearly 2 minutes it took for the Windows Print Wizard to create the print job and then another 4 minutes it took Windows to spool the 6GB print jobs (495 photos) I would throw at it. I excluded that as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">my Windows system</a> is getting a little old so a faster performing system might be much quicker. </p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>Pouring through tons of photos to identify the ones you want to print is really the big time sync. I completely underestimated how long this task would take – especially given my crazy busy work schedule. I could have been less picky when pouring through 20,000+ photos per year, but 500 pics creates a pile of photos over 6 inches tall that then need to be dealt with later (e.g., put in a photo album, or even organized in a shoebox). Sadly when printing this any when the photos pile up they don’t end up in a meaningful order, they just get mixed all together out of order. This means I ended up with a huge pile of photos that needed to be sorted once again by hand.</p><p>I definitely think the quality of the luster prints I got was very good but obviously not as good as I can get from my SureColor printers with a complete color managed workflow in Lightroom/Photoshop or with Epson Print Layout.</p><p>For a consumer who can afford a large format printer or $2000+ lens, I think this is definitely a great investment to print your own 4x6, 5x7, 8x10 or letter size prints at home – especially now during COVID-19. I’d much prefer to do my own than send them off to a service – especially with the hassle of having to upload all of the photos and configure the settings for the photos (or god forbid dealing with horrible ROES systems).</p><p>Obviously if you are the budget conscious type or one who thinks Costco / Walgreens / Shutterfly prints are just fine, then go for it. I’m not that type as I’m pretty picky and I don’t like a big pile of prints that don’t look even close to color accurate to me. </p><p>If you are a wedding, event, portrait photographer, etc.. – this is a no brainer investment. Yes, you’ll still want a SureColor printer for your large prints and the Bride’s wedding album, but for everything else these prints are going to look very professional and make your clients happy. </p><p>The only knocks I really have against this printer is that the lack of pigment means these prints aren’t going to last as long, which I care about for archival purposes. That said, I think they’ll look significant better in 40 years than the prints my parents took of me and had developed at the drug store, so really its more of an academic discussion than anything else. If a photo was so important that it needed a 200+ year archival lifespan then I’d print it on the SureColor anyway – and it won’t be hundreds of prints! </p><p>So, if you can afford it – get it. Its a big upfront investment that will pay off quickly thanks to super inexpensive ink and paper. The performance will give you back valuable time and you'll avoid being the most hated family member for sucking all your household bandwidth uploading photos to print services. </p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="https://bhpho.to/2DKbRjb" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today.</p>
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<h4>Sales Tax Reimbursement with Payboo</h4><p>Don’t forget, with the B&H <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/credit-cards?iframe=false&BI=2071&KBID=2787" target="_blank">Payboo</a> card most buyers can get the sales tax reimbursed. <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/credit-cards?iframe=false&BI=2071&KBID=2787" target="_blank">Click here</a> to learn more.</p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-84078028852397674922020-05-17T23:53:00.001-07:002020-05-17T23:58:24.441-07:00REVIEW: Sony a7R IV with with 24-105mm Lens<p align="center"><a href="https://bhpho.to/2Z78Z8V" target="_blank"><img title="Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera at B&H" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" alt="Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera at B&H" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/sony_alpha_a7r_iv_mirrorless_1571855180_1495321.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera at B&H</em></a><br><em>shown with <a href="https://bhpho.to/2TenOTd" target="_blank">Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens</a><br><a href="https://bhpho.to/2X4mC5T" target="_blank">also sold in kit form</a></em></p><p>When I reviewed the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">Sony a7R III</a> in 2017 I declared it my camera of the year. I was literally blown away with it, so I was a bit shocked when the IV came out and I started hearing rumblings of it being inferior to its predecessor. After all it had gained almost 19 more megapixels and had performance improvements that were sure to make it better, right?</p><p>Read on to see if more is better or if Sony ruined a good thing.</p><h4>Camera Body Thoughts</h4><p>You can read about all of the big features <a href="https://www.sony.com/electronics/interchangeable-lens-cameras/ilce-7rm4/specifications" target="_blank">on Sony’s website</a>, but my real world observations were that the viewfinder is definitely very good and the joystick feel is now excellent. My favorite feature – eye AF – now works without requiring special setup or holding a button and even features support for specifying which eye it should focus on or you can still have it decide using the auto feature. Lastly the lock button on the exposure compensation is a welcome addition to avoid accidental changes. </p><p>Other than that, really this feels like mostly the same camera now with loads more megapixels.</p><p>I did not try the <a href="https://support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp/app/imagingedge/en/instruction/1_2_about_psm.php" target="_blank">Pixel Shift Multi Shooting</a> feature on this camera or the III, even though it sounds interesting. If any readers have had great results with this feature, then I’d love for you to post links to your favorite shots on my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ronmartblog" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ronmartblog/posts/3013387352088316" target="_blank">alongside the post for this review.</a></p><h4>Imaging Edge Desktop</h4><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3897447653.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3897447653-3.jpg"><br><em>Imaging Edge Desktop Editor</em></a></p><p>I don’t keep up on every detail around Sony, but I noticed that Sony offers an option besides my recommendation of <a href="https://captureone.38d4qb.net/c/70801/753645/8798" target="_blank">CaptureOne for Sony</a> (or <a href="https://captureone.38d4qb.net/c/70801/605018/8798" target="_blank">CaptureOne Pro</a>). Their raw editing software is called <a href="https://imagingedge.sony.net/en-us/ie-desktop.html" target="_blank">Imaging Edge Desktop</a> that is super crude, but gets the job done if you don’t have anything else. I do think its better at raw processing Sony files than Adobe <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Adobe+Lightroom+Download/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Lightroom</a> / Camera Raw, but my favorite is still Capture One to bring back the most details from Sony ARW files. </p><p align="center"><a id="733570" href="https://captureone.38d4qb.net/c/70801/733570/8798"><img width="300" height="250" alt="" src="https://a.impactradius-go.com/display-ad/8798-733570" border="0"></a><img width="0" height="0" style="visibility: hidden; position: absolute;" src="https://captureone.38d4qb.net/i/70801/733570/8798" border="0"></p><h4>Bookshelf</h4><p>For my long-time fans of the blog, I thought I’d throw in a bookshelf shot here (<a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/sony/a7Riv" target="_blank">more available in the gallery</a>) to show the razor sharp detail in the Lord of the Rings book, great color and excellent detail in the shadows. </p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3897449498.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3897449498-3.jpg"><br><em>f/8 @ 105mm for 15 sec at ISO 100</em></a></p><p>With 61 megapixels you get super shallow depth of field, so you’ll notice <a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3897449504.jpg" target="_blank">even at f/11</a> that the books on the edges are out of focus, so its a good thing this camera and lens perform well at f/16 & f/22 as you are definitely going to need those apertures!</p><h4>Real World Shots</h4><p>With the death of my father just days before my review unit arrived and lockdown for COVID-19, it was very tough getting decent shots for the review. As a result, my apologies for the larger number of kids shots vs more interesting landscape shots. I literally had to visit a closed park and hike straight up hill for 800 feet to get any landscape shots at all!</p><p>All of the photos are 100% unedited in-camera JPEG originals. Generally speaking I tried to shoot with camera default settings, but I did adjust the white balance to daylight or shade for landscape shots. I also enabled eye AF auto as well as face priority which I’ll discuss in sample photos below. </p><p>You may download and view the photos associated in this article while your browser is open to this article, but you permission to have the images locally ends when you navigate away from this article. All images are copyright Ron Martinsen – all rights reserved – so you may not edit, print, alter, republish or link to any of the photos in this article without my ink on paper notarized signature. </p><p>For the full gallery of photos, visit <a title="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/sony/a7Riv" href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/sony/a7Riv" target="_blank">https://photos.ronmartblog.com/sony/a7Riv</a>.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896960805.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896960805-6.jpg"><br><em>f/4 @ 105mm for 1/320 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>My 4 year old daughters first shot with this camera was spot on thanks to <a href="https://www.sony.com/electronics/eye-af" target="_blank">great eye AF</a></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896962094.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896962094-6.jpg"><br><em>f/4 @ 105mm for 1/400 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>Even rush attacks from my daughter with hair and hand distractions had a good keeper rate,<br>but if you pixel peep these images aren’t as tack sharp as those from the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/08/review-sony-a9-ultimate-action-camera.html" target="_blank">a9</a> or <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">a7R III</a> </p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896962715.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896962715-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/640 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>The advantage of more megapixels is better <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh" target="_blank">bokeh</a>, but the challenge becomes less depth of field</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896963685.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896963685-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/640 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>Perhaps I’ve grown to used to my iPhone XS Pro, but I often forgot to do some exposure compensation to adjust for <a href="https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-metering.htm" target="_blank">the meter really sticking faithfully to a 18% gray exposure</a> in its default multi metering mode</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896963742.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896963742-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/400 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>Switching to center metering mode vs spot worked better for scenes like this</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896964425.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896964425-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 640</em></a><br>Even seemingly static shots like this with virtually no wind required a handful of shots to get a fairly sharp image without boosting the shutter speeds – which I tried to avoid given the mediocre ISO high performance (as shown in the next shot)</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896974672.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896974672-6.jpg"><br><em>f/4 @ 24mm for 1/400 sec at ISO 10000</em></a><br>The overall <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_range" target="_blank">dynamic range</a> seemed less than the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">a7R III</a> or the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/10/review-nikon-d850-with-24-70mm-f28e-ed.html" target="_blank">D850</a>. <br>Compare to <a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s2/v71/p2570262181.jpg" target="_BLANK">a similar shot taken with a Nikon D850 under similar conditions</a>. <br>Notice how the D850 did a much better job with the details outside the window.<br>Also observe at 100% how bad the image quality and noise is on the face.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896975378.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896975378-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 78mm for 1/80 sec at ISO 2500</em></a><br>As good as eye AF is, the foreground bunny and eyes closed seemed to trip it up</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896975392.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896975392-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 78mm for 1/80 sec at ISO 2500</em></a><br>When I shot a similar shot without the bunny in the foreground it did much better</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896976181.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896976181-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 400</em></a><br>Lots of gallery shots including this one and the one below prove that hair distractions often aren’t an problem for the excellent eye autofocus</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896976450.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896976450-6.jpg"><br><em>f/4 @ 80mm for 1/640 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>In super harsh direct sunlight I got mixed results with multi metering, but overall it was good enough especially since the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">raw</a> images support a whopping 15 stops of dynamic range which means almost any sharp shot can be saved</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896977051.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896977051-6.jpg"><br><em>f/4 @ 105mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 400</em></a><br>In harsh midday sun I once again felt like this camera was underperforming <a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3897248435.jpg" target="_blank">compared to what I’m used to enjoying from my iPhone XS Pro</a> but its still about the same as what I saw with the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">a7R III</a>. Once again, its pretty easy to correct if you shoot RAW. </p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896977072.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896977072-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/320 sec at ISO 5000</em></a><br>The advantage of so many megapixels is that you can preserve a lot of detail even after aggressive noise reduction which is a good thing as ISO 5000 shots are definitely going to need <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/11/imagenomic-noiseware-portraiture.html" target="_blank">Noiseware</a> if you are doing anything with the shots besides posting them small like this online</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896977386.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896977386-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/320 sec at ISO 6400</em></a><br>In my opinion, ISO 6400 is my usable limit for this camera – in ideal lighting conditions</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896956970.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896956970-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 75mm for 1/30 sec at ISO 2500</em></a><br>There’s great flexibility in the auto white balance setup, but even the default is reasonable for everyday snapshots like this taken under tungsten lights.<br>The extra megapixels definitely help bring out the texture of the red maguro</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896956977.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896956977-3.jpg"><br><em>f/8 @ 24mm for 1 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>Daylight white balance is pretty warm even with standard creative style so I never even tried landscape or shade white balance during this review period</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896956973.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896956973-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5 @ 83mm for 1/100 sec at ISO 5000</em></a><br>Gorgeous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh" target="_blank">bokeh</a> that is buttery smooth is definitely a benefit you get with 61 megapixels<br>as shown here on a shot from my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2020/05/review-peak-design-carbon-fiber-travel.html" target="_blank">Peak Design Travel Tripod</a> review</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896958228.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896958228-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5 @ 43mm for 1/50 sec at ISO 1600</em></a><br>This is a tough scene due to the dark blacks and bright iPhone XS Pro LCD, but multi metering actually did an admirable job. I could easily make this shot perfect with some raw editing and layer masks.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896958539.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896958539-3.jpg"><br><em>f/16 @ 30mm for 4 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>Without the tilting LCD this shot wouldn’t have been possible.<br>See a behind the scenes of this shot in my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2020/05/review-peak-design-carbon-fiber-travel.html" target="_blank">Peak Design Travel Tripod</a> review.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896958594.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896958594-3.jpg"><br><em>f/16 @ 24mm for 2.5 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>Another down low shot made possible thanks to the tilting LCD.<br>See a behind the scenes of this shot in my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2020/05/review-peak-design-carbon-fiber-travel.html" target="_blank">Peak Design Travel Tripod</a> review.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896960112.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896960112-6.jpg"><br><em>f/8 @ 36mm for 1.3 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>Generally cameras start to lose sharpness after f/8 due to <a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm" target="_blank">diffraction</a>, but not here.<br>Compare this f/8 shot to the f/16 shot below<br>See a behind the scenes of this shot in my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2020/05/review-peak-design-carbon-fiber-travel.html" target="_blank">Peak Design Travel Tripod</a> review</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896960436.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896960436-6.jpg"><br><em>f/16 @ 36mm for 6 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>I was pleased to see that f/16 kept the sharpness of the in-focus f/8 subjects while offering sharpness to the f/8 out of focus subjects thanks to minimal detail loss. <br>Simply put, f/16 (and even f/22) can be used without concern – if you can keep the ISO low.<br>See a behind the scenes of this shot in my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2020/05/review-peak-design-carbon-fiber-travel.html" target="_blank">Peak Design Travel Tripod</a> review</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896964950.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896964950-3.jpg"><br><em>f/9 @ 46mm for 2 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>I was playing around using the Peak Design Travel Tripod as a tabletop tripod for this shot and got an impressive result. Given the importance of keeping the ISO low on this camera, I’d strongly urge you to bring a tripod everywhere you take this camera to avoid going beyond ISO 6400.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896964957.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896964957-6.jpg"><br><em>f/9 @ 49mm for 4 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>I moved the flowers in to better light with less distractions and got great detail on the center of the flower with highlights that are easily recovered with the raw file.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896966194.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896966194-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 400</em></a><br>It surprises me how weak the in-camera JPEG’s are, but I guess Sony gave up making improvements there knowing that the 15 stops of exposure adjustments possible with the RAW file make it ridiculous to not shoot raw with this camera.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896966309.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896966309-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 1600</em></a><br>Ask a 10 year old to find a prop that we can use to test eye AF, and this is what you get.<br>You get the point though – even with a clear distraction, eye AF does a stellar job for about 80% of the complex scenarios like this that I threw at it. It might miss a frame or two, but more times than not it nailed it like this.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896966694.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896966694-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 3200</em></a><br>I was super pleased that photo bombing big brothers didn’t confuse the auto focus either.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896967559.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896967559-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 3200</em></a><br>Once again, while my daughter waved a stick in front of her face the eye AF never faltered…</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896967731.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896967731-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 3200</em></a><br>This one frame was the only one that focused on the stick, but that’s what I’d expect with AF sensitivity set to 5 (most responsive) as it was in this case. The default or slower most likely would have kept the eye in focus.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896967826.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896967826-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 800</em></a><br>I’m used to Canon’s default Evaluate metering on my 1DX II prioritizing the focus point, but the default multi metering here and <a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896967845.jpg" target="_BLANK">another similar shot</a> always did a scene average which still results in hot spots and the subject being too dark. Again this is all savable with the RAW, but its a theme that demonstrates that Sony expects you to shoot raw and spend a lot of time fixing these in-camera issues unless you are very diligent in your manual adjustments on a per shot basis.<br>Sadly enabling Face Priority in Multi Metering mode did not solve the problem in cases like these.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896968213.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896968213-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 1250</em></a><br>Yeah, another eye AF test – I just couldn’t help but try to trip it up but it almost always nailed it.<br>Thankfully the IV does it automatically with an option to prioritize which eye like Fujifilm offers, without having to hold a special button as was required with the III.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896968958.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896968958-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 1250</em></a><br>I registered both kids faces with my daughter as the #1 priority. However, my son was in the #2 spot so the camera alternated between the two subjects as shown in this series of shots.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896969625.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896969625-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 1250</em></a><br>Since my son was in the #2 spot for registered faces, the camera sometimes would choose him over my daughter who was registered in the #1 slot.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896970311.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896970311-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 1250</em></a><br>When I unregistered my son’s face, I had a 100% success rate with the camera prioritizing her face over his. This feature is available on many Sony models and as a parent I can’t emphasize enough how much I love this feature – especially with photo bombing big brothers!</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896970340.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896970340-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 800</em></a><br>I know I keep going on about the metering, but in this shot the meter just blows the exposure on the dress and cheek highlights</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896970486.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896970486-6.jpg"><br><em>f/4 @ 105mm for 1/320 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>When I switched from multi-metering to spot metering with focus point link enabled it did a better job but at the expense of the entire background. Canon shooters who appreciate partial metering or how Canon does spot metering are going to struggle like I did with getting perfect metering in-camera. That said, I was happy with how this one came out even if it wasn’t my intent to completely lose the background.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896971965.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896971965-6.jpg"><br><em>f/4 @ 105mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 500</em></a><br>My daughter was dancing around behind the tree while winking and once again the eye AF feature did a great job.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896972201.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896972201-6.jpg"><br><em>f/4 @ 105mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 500</em></a><br>Auto white balance on overcast days had mixed color results with this shot being taken a few minutes apart from the shot below.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896973331.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896973331-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 1000</em></a><br>Here the auto white balance color was outstanding whereas above it was fairly blue so I wondered if face priority in multi being enabled not only helped the exposure but the skin tone colors for this more close up shot than the one above.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896973696.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896973696-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 2500</em></a><br>Take moments apart from the two previous shots, the average result in real world shooting was that auto white balance does a pretty good job.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896974083.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896974083-6.jpg"><br><em>f/11 @ 77mm for 1/160 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>This studio shot gave the IV and this lens the opportunity to show their strengths – and it did in the detail in the eyes and the hair. However the extra megapixels showed how unforgiving the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field" target="_blank">depth of field</a> is at f/11 as the bunny belly is completely out of focus. This is to be expected, but its something to consider when shooting in the studio as you are going to want lenses that are razor sharp from f/11 to f/16 – at least.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896974595.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896974595-6.jpg"><br><em>f/9 @ 52mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>I cranked up the lights to try to freeze the action on some hair spin shots but my decision to open up to f/9 cost me too much depth of field so my previous point applies. If you are going to have a dynamic studio shoot with this lens, I’d recommend staying closer to f/16 than f/8.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896977395.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896977395-6.jpg"><br><em>f/9 @ 105mm for 1/100 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>Ok, I admit this shot is mostly here because its cute but I was happy that eye AF saved me from having eyes that were out of focus. Her eye lashes are razor sharp which is exactly what you want in a shot like this, so I was happy the camera did the right thing without me having to put any thought into it.<br>For the record, she was sad because the studio chair was scary high. She took the next shot shortly thereafter, so she recovered quickly.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896977665.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896977665-6.jpg"><br><em>f/11 @ 105mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>A 61 megapixels camera is always going to find its happy place in the studio under ideal lights so the strength of this camera and lens camera combo shined for this shot. Even a thin stray hair over the camera right eye is tack sharp at 100% Here the softness on the neck and body work brilliantly to direct the viewers eye to the face exactly like you’d want it.<br>Yes, if you are a studio photographer you are going to enjoy this camera – especially if you pair it with amazing glass like the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1126140-REG/sony_sel90m28g_fe_90mm_f_2_8_macro.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787">Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS Lens</a> or <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/12/review-sigma-85mm-f14-dg-hsm-art-yeah.html">SIGMA 85mm f/1.4 Art Series</a> .</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896978187.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896978187-3.jpg"><br><em>f/14 @ 32mm for 3.2 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>For fun, the gallery has several series of shots where only the aperture differ.<br>Enjoy comparing this f/14 version to <a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896978289.jpg" target="_blank">the f/16 version</a> and the <a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896978542.jpg" target="_BLANK">f/22 version</a>.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896978542.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896978542-3.jpg"><br><em>f/22 @ 31mm for 6 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>I have no reservations shooting this camera at f/22 but I sure wish this camera had the built-in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_stacking" target="_blank">focus stacking</a> that I enjoyed in the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2019/03/review-fujifilm-gfx-50s-with-32.html" target="_blank">Fujifilm GFX 50s</a>.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896982147.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896982147-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 71mm for 1/160 sec at ISO 12800</em></a><br>Buttery smooth bokeh is an advantage of 61 megapixels no matter how bad the high ISO noise is – especially when showing small version of the the massive files.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896982863.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896982863-6.jpg"><br><em>f/22 @ 32mm for 13 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>This shot, taken with a circular polarizer, had loads of detail and deep greens – especially when viewed at 100%.</p> <p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896984017.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896984017-3.jpg"><br><em>f/22 @ 27mm for 15 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br>Same scene photographed with the camera nearly touching the water using the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2020/05/review-peak-design-carbon-fiber-travel.html" target="_blank">Peak Design Travel Tripod</a>. It obviously needs a perspective adjustment because I had issues with the viewfinder sensor making the LCD screen go black because the viewfinder was too close to the legs. I’m sure there’s a way to disable it, but I wasn’t able to figure it out deep in the backwoods while standing in the water for this shoot. If you buy one of these cameras, don’t be like me – learn how to disable this feature if you plan to shoot shots like these!</p> <h4>Conclusion</h4><p>Well we’ve been down this road before where more megapixels doesn’t always mean a better camera. Yes, I loved the extra megapixels in the wonderfully fun to use <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2019/03/review-fujifilm-gfx-50s-with-32.html" target="_blank">Fujifilm GFX 50s</a> but more often than not the extra megapixels end up being a disappointment as a primary everyday camera as I observed with the Nikon <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/05/comparision-nikon-d800-vs-canon-5d-mark.html" target="_blank">D800</a> and the Canon <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/08/review-canon-5dsrpart-i-of-ii.html" target="_blank">5DsR</a>. It seems Sony wasn’t concerned about that and decided to leapfrog all of these cameras by offering a whopping 61 megapixels (9504 x 6336 pixels), but would this result in mediocre autofocus performance and poor high ISO performance as I’ve historically observed?</p><p>The short answer is sadly, yes. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great camera but you do make tradeoffs that I wouldn’t make – especially for this price point. </p><p>I’d gladly still take a Sony <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">a7R III</a> over a IV any day of the week. The extra megapixels have only made the ISO performance above 800 below average by todays standards and increased the number of out of focus shots I got even in bright lights both outdoors and in the studio. </p><p>This camera simply isn’t for me. If was going to go with more megapixels I’d still opt for the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2019/03/review-fujifilm-gfx-50s-with-32.html" target="_blank">Fujifilm GFX 50s</a>, but if I wanted the best camera I’ve ever used then I’d have no reservations “stepping down” to the much more affordable Sony <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">a7R III</a> or the sports machine gun that is the <a href="https://bhpho.to/2ZdHfiY" target="_blank">a9 II</a> (see my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/08/review-sony-a9-ultimate-action-camera.html" target="_blank">Sony a9 review</a>).</p><p>I will say that I did enjoy the range of the <a href="https://bhpho.to/2TenOTd" target="_blank">Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens</a> , but I’d need to test it with a different camera to really render a final verdict. I was terribly disappointed with the <em><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1222774-REG/sony_sel2470gm_fe_24_70mm_f_2_8_gm.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787">Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens</a></em> when I reviewed it with the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/01/review-sony-a6500-24-70-f28-gm-part-i.html" target="_blank">a6500</a> and <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/08/review-sony-a9-ultimate-action-camera.html" target="_blank">a9</a>, but I also loved the <a href="https://bhpho.to/2LzBZy3" target="_blank">Sony Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens</a> that some Sony fans hate. I will say the 24-105 covers a focal range that I most enjoy when carrying only one lens, but given the constraints of a 61 megapixel sensor I’d love to retest it to get a better feel for its true performance. </p><p>I also wish that I had a <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1126140-REG/sony_sel90m28g_fe_90mm_f_2_8_macro.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787">Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS Lens</a> or <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/12/review-sigma-85mm-f14-dg-hsm-art-yeah.html">SIGMA 85mm f/1.4 Art Series</a> to use for this review as that would have given me the most accurate picture as to just how good this sensor is in terms of resolving detail, but I still don’t recommend the a7R IV based purely on its autofocus and ISO performance despite what other fanboy and paid advertising sites say about it.</p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p>To learn more or buy today please use the following links:</p><ul><li><a href="https://bhpho.to/2Z78Z8V" target="_blank">Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera at B&H</a></li><li><a href="https://bhpho.to/2TenOTd" target="_blank">Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens at B&H</a></li><li><a href="https://bhpho.to/2X4mC5T" target="_blank">a7R IV & 24-105mm Kit at B&H</a></li></ul><h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4>
<p>If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2020/05/review-peak-design-carbon-fiber-travel.html" target="_blank">Peak Design Travel Tripod</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2019/03/review-fujifilm-gfx-50s-with-32.html">Fujifilm GFX 50s</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/printing-series-articles.html" target="_blank">Printing Series</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/09/a-point-and-shoot-beats-most-dslr.html">Sony RX100IV in the hands of a pro that destroys DSLR shots</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/07/sony-rx100-v-better-than-iphone-x.html">Sony RX100 V vs iPhone X</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html">Sony a7R Mark III - Camera of the Year 2017</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/08/review-sony-a9-ultimate-action-camera.html">Sony a9 with 24-70mm GM</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/01/review-sony-a6500-24-70-f28-gm-part-i.html">Sony a6500</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/04/mini-review-sigma-24mm-f14-dg-hsm-art.html">SIGMA 24mm Art Series</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/12/review-sigma-35mm-f14-dg-hsm-art-series.html">SIGMA 35mm Art Series</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/05/review-sigma-50mm-f14-art-seriesis-it.html">SIGMA 50mm f/1.4 Art Series</a> (includes comparisons)</li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/12/review-sigma-85mm-f14-dg-hsm-art-yeah.html">SIGMA 85mm f/1.4 Art Series</a> - the best art series I've tested</li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/12/using-x-rite-colorchecker-passport-in.html">X-Rite ColorChecker Passport</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/01/choosing-right-display-calibration.html">X-Rite i1Display Pro and ColorMunki Display Colorimeters</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/01/mini-review-zeiss-otus-55mm-f14is-it.html">Zeiss Otus 55m f/1.4</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/10/review-zeiss-otus-85mm-f14.html">Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4</a></li></ul>
<p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Sales Tax Reimbursement with Payboo</h4><p>Don’t forget, with the B&H <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/credit-cards?iframe=false&BI=2071&KBID=2787" target="_blank">Payboo</a> card most buyers can get the sales tax reimbursed. <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/credit-cards?iframe=false&BI=2071&KBID=2787" target="_blank">Click here</a> to learn more.</p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-67215088382470442802020-05-16T17:22:00.001-07:002020-05-18T00:21:04.106-07:00REVIEW: Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod<p align="center"><img title="Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod at B&H" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" alt="Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod at B&H" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/peak_design_tt_cb_5_150_cf_1_carbon_fiber_travel_tripod_1563493561_1495136.jpg" border="0"><br><a href="https://bhpho.to/2TbgkAw" target="_blank"><em>Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod</em></a></p>
<p>Years ago I did my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/05/tripod-recommendations2011-part.html" target="_blank">tripod recommendations</a> and I settled on a <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/05/review-gitzo-gt1541the-perfect-hiking.html" target="_blank">Gitzo GT1541</a> with a RRS <a href="http://reallyrightstuff.com/Items.aspx?code=Ballhead55&key=cat" target="_blank">BH-55</a> head. I also did a <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/08/tripod-ball-headsalternatives-to-rrs-bh.html" target="_blank">tripod head comparison</a> where I switched from the RSS to the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/469077-REG/Arca_Swiss_801103_Monoball_Z1_sp_with.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787">Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp (Single Pan)</a> head as my primary ball head of choice. </p><p>During some end of year business spending a few years back I also picked up a <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/05/review-gitzo-gt2531exa-macro.html" target="_blank">Gitzo GT2531EX</a> to simplify the process of shooting macros, but the reality is that I usually preferred to the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/569102-REG/Gitzo_GT1541_GT1541_Mountaineer_6X_Carbon.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">GT1541</a> so it was used more in the studio than in the field. </p><p>All told I probably spent over $2000 for the two complete <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_fiber" target="_blank">carbon fiber</a> tripods and ball heads that I still own to this day. With as little as 30 minutes with the <a href="https://bhpho.to/2TbgkAw" target="_blank"><em>Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod</em></a> I found myself wanting to sell all four of them (seriously, <a href="http://ronmartinsen.com/contact.html" target="_blank">make me an offer</a>) so can get this awesome tripod and head combo! </p><h4>Hands On Thoughts</h4><p align="center"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3890347844-6.jpg"><br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3890347844.jpg" target="_blank"><em>So lightweight and practical I actually found myself overusing it!</em></a></p><p>Right up front what I loved the most about this tripod was its lightweight but highly usable built-in ball head design. It addresses the bulkiness challenges I deal with for both my existing ball head and tripod combos I own today, without losing any functionality that I enjoy today. I especially enjoyed the speed and ease at which I could attach and detach my camera with complete confidence. </p><p>What surprised me even more was just how well this tripod is built – every detail and texture seems to be meticulously thought about so it makes you feel like Apple designed it. Just take a look at how nice the fast to operate (compared to Gitzo) angle adjustments are below:</p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3890347535-3.jpg" border="0"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3890347535.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Outstanding design and build quality</em></a></p>
<p>That knob shown on the right is for height adjustment of the center column, and it has a wonderful soft tactile feel that just screams quality. You can also see the cool looking carbon fiber pattern legs in the shot below.</p><p align="center"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3890347542-6.jpg"><br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3890347542.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Sexy Carbon Fiber legs with no pinch height adjustment</em></a></p><p>Of course pretty means nothing if it doesn’t work well, so I put this camera to use right away with a <a href="https://bhpho.to/366kA9z" target="_blank">Sony a7R IV</a> with a <a href="https://bhpho.to/2TenOTd" target="_blank">Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens</a> and it never once had any stability issues. I took shots for as long as 25 seconds in portrait orientation as shown below and never did an ounce of shake get introduced into the shot both indoors and outdoors – even with my kids running around me while I was shooting.</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3890347756-3.jpg" border="0"><br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3890347756.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Rock solid stability even in portrait orientation</em></a></p>
<p>Here’s the result of the shot taken above:</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896858490-4.jpg" border="0"><br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896858490.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Sony a7R IV with 24-105mm for f/16 @ 36mm for 6 sec at ISO 100</em></a></p><p>I also found the useful head almost flawless. My only real gripe was the bubble level was very hard to see as shown below, but if your camera has a level (as the one I was reviewing did) then its not really a big deal. Here’s an overhead view of the head:</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3890347540-4.jpg" border="0"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3890347540.jpg" target="_blank"><em>My biggest complaint about the head is that the level bubble is hard to see</em></a></p><p>I also agree with other reviewers that the plate for the camera needs support for screwing on with a coin vs requiring a tool which I lost about three times during my review – the last time for good as shown below in the slot where the $20 USD tool once lived:</p><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896905050-6.jpg" border="0"><br>My recommendation is to NOT leave this plastic mount with the toolkit attached to the tripod as the odds are high you’ll lose it. </p><p>Below is a photo that shows the universal plate installed, although the lack of a metal lip does mean you have to re-tighten it time to time to avoid drift when shooting in portrait orientation:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896905052.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896905052-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Arca Compatible Standard Plate fits all cameras and only cost $20</em></a></p><h5>It Does Everything Very Well</h5><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896854775-6.jpg" border="0"><br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896854775.jpg" target="_blank"><em>This thing can almost get to table top size as well as full size</em></a></p><p>My most heavily used accessory is my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/01/drastically-improve-your-handheld-shots.html">Leica Tabletop Tripod & Large Ball Head</a> combo. I literally don’t go anywhere without it, but while I had this tripod out on loan it never left my bag. I enjoyed that I could use this one as a slightly larger but still super low table top tripod (as I did <a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896878105-6.jpg" target="_blank">in this random shot</a> when I first unboxed it) as shown above. </p><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896872112-3.jpg" border="0"></p><p>Front heavy lenses like the one shown above were no issue for this very solid tripod and ball head combo. I never had any issues with drifting for long exposures either – something that frustrated me with my Really Right Stuff BH-55. </p><p><img width="580" height="772" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896894999-5.jpg" border="0"></p><p>Even my big Canon <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/10/review-canon-1dx-mark-ii-im-no-longer.html" target="_blank">1DX Mark II</a> with the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/03/the-new-canon-24-105mm-f4l-is-ii-on.html" target="_blank">24-105mm f/4L IS II USM</a> lens was no problem for this tripod in portrait mode, but <a href="https://bhpho.to/3g20uSH" target="_blank">L-Brackets are available</a> for those who get stressed seeing this setup. </p><h4>Hands On Video</h4><p>I very rarely do hands on videos, but this tripod just begged for it. Sadly when I got out to shoot I had an equipment failure with my mic so my apologies for using the built-in mic of the iPhone XS Pro with rushing water in the background:</p>
<p align="center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I-BME7ZSm00" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe><br>Video Review<br>(sorry for the bad audio, my remote mic broke)</p>
<h4>How Low Can It Go?</h4>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3890347661-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3890347661.jpg" target="_blank">It really can go lower then your mama's ever seen it in her life time</a></em></p><p>If Ludacris was a photographer, he’d approve of this tripod for its ability to get the low shots as shown in these two iPhone snaps I took while out shooting with this tripod. </p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896858132-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896858132.jpg" target="_blank">Even portrait orientation I never would've imagined did not even in my right mind</a></em></p><p align="center"><em><img width="580" height="560" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896881574-4.jpg" border="0"></em></p><p>See the photo above to compare to see how low this tripod starts at compared to my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/05/review-gitzo-gt1541the-perfect-hiking.html" target="_blank">Gitzo GT1541</a> with a <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/469077-REG/Arca_Swiss_801103_Monoball_Z1_sp_with.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1</a> head mounted on it. Yet even when you put both at max height, its not much shorter as shown below:</p><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896881630-4.jpg" border="0"></p><p>The actual tripod is only 2.5 inches taller but the big Arca head on the Gitzo adds another 4 inches of shooting height. </p><p><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896881618.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see a full view of both side by side iPhone snapshot if you are interested.</p><h4>Easy To Carry Around All Day Long</h4><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896872186-3.jpg" border="0"></p><p>Because my old tripod was so big I used to carry it on the outside of my bag, but when I did that with this tripod it seemed so unnecessary as shown above. As a result, I started putting it inside my back when I could which was very convenient – especially when sitting down with my bag on my back.</p><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896881576-6.jpg" border="0"></p><p>This is a really big deal when you are travelling or hiking with a bag on your back all day, so to say I was excited about this is an understatement.</p><h4>But Wait There’s More – Mobile Phone Support!</h4><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896872089-3.jpg" border="0"></p><p>One of the coolest, yet simplest features of this tripod is the fact that the center stalk hook actually hides a cell phone attachment in it. It’s so small and subtle that I almost missed this wonderful feature.</p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896858489-3.jpg" border="0"><br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896858489.jpg" target="_blank"><em>An excellent cell phone tripod mount included and nicely hidden in the center stalk</em></a></p>
<p align="center"><img width="580" height="870" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896858488-6.jpg" border="0"><br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896858488.jpg" target="_blank"><em>This is the best cell phone tripod I've ever used</em></a></p>
<h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p align="center"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3896872153-6.jpg"><br><a href="https://bhpho.to/2TbgkAw" target="_blank"><em>My New Favorite Tripod In Its Cool Box</em></a></p>
<p>In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I love this tripod. Yes, its expensive but if you consider the fact that it has a ball head included then its actually about $500 USD cheaper than most recommended carbon fiber tripod and head combos. </p><p>If your budget is tight and you don’t mind an extra half pound of weight and 20% less stability then you can save $200 USD (at the time this article was written) and <a href="https://bhpho.to/2LBKA37" target="_blank">get the aluminum version</a>. At that point its cheaper than the average ball head and you get the head, mounting plate (again which usually costs extra), a great mobile camera mount, and carrying case.</p><p>Simply put, this is is the best tripod and head combo I have ever seen so I highly recommend it. </p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="https://bhpho.to/2ZbQYGi" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today at B&H.</p><p>You can also see some cool videos and more details about the carbon fiber and aluminum models on the <a href="https://www.peakdesign.com/pages/travel-tripod?rfsn=4178059.7d6eac&utm_source=4178059&utm_medium=affiliate" target="_blank">Peak Design website</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.peakdesign.com/pages/travel-tripod?rfsn=4178059.7d6eac&utm_source=4178059&utm_medium=affiliate" target="_blank"><img width="650" height="841" title="See cool videos and more details on the Peak Design website" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" alt="See cool videos and more details on the Peak Design website" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3897461926-5.jpg" border="0"></a></p>
<h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4>
<p>Enjoy more reviews on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Sales Tax Reimbursement with Payboo</h4><p>Don’t forget, with the B&H <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/credit-cards?iframe=false&BI=2071&KBID=2787" target="_blank">Payboo</a> card most buyers can get the sales tax reimbursed. <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/credit-cards?iframe=false&BI=2071&KBID=2787" target="_blank">Click here</a> to learn more.</p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-80177610022131524572020-05-01T00:22:00.001-07:002020-05-01T15:00:12.603-07:00COMPARISON: Topaz GigaPixel AI vs ON1 Resize vs Photoshop<p>\We’ve all seen the ads that show incredible resizing that seems to recover tiny photos into something better than before, but honestly I don’t believe ads like that. The skeptic in me sees source images that appear to be blurred with heavily sharpened after images which don’t tell the tale of what really happened. It makes no sense to me how an image could get better on upsizing, but I do see how upsizing could improve to get closer to the original source image by with improved algorithms that understand what data is lost on downsizing. </p><p>To help separate fact from fiction, I decided to take an engineering approach to do an analysis of how the resizing tools I have at my disposal really perform. To do this I started with an original image at full size, then created scaled down versions at 50 percent and 25 percent in Photoshop. I then took these smaller files and upsized them at 2x and 4x to see how they compared with their original file to better understand what was lost. </p><h4>Methodology</h4><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889324142-3.jpg" border="0"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889324142.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Photoshop CC 2020 21.1.2 Save for Web Settings</em></a></p><p>I took the full-size original JPEG’s and downsized them in <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> using the Save for Web (Legacy) feature with the settings shown in the above screen shot with the percentage set to 50% and 25% using Bicubic Sharpener. Its been my experience that this technique works best for downsizing in Photoshop, but your results might vary if you chose a different technique. To avoid hard to interpret data, I intentionally avoided using Photoshop and its “auto” option as then I’d end up with Forrest Gump downsizing. </p><p>I then passed the 25 percent version into the software below for a 4x upsizing and the 50 percent version for a 2x upsizing and compared these results against the original. If you have a better way, then stop reading and go for it. The remainder of this article is for those who agree with this approach and are curious about the results / my findings.</p><h4>A Little Background Info</h4><p>I’ve been writing about Topaz Labs products since July 2009 and ON1 (then onOne) since PhotoTools 1.0 in 2008. As a side note, onOne acquired Genuine Fractals in 2005 for what many still think is the best resizing software ever built. </p><p>I’ve also been using Photoshop since version 6.0 in 2000, so I know these products well and have relied on them for quite some time. That said, advancements in resizing don’t happen very often so my last article on the subject was in 2013 when onOne <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/07/review-onone-software-perfect-resize-75.html" target="_blank">Perfect Resize</a> 7.5 came out. In that article I also compared <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Adobe+Lightroom+Download/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Lightroom</a> and Alien Skin <a href="http://ronmartblog.com/2009/03/review-alien-skin-software-blowup-2.html" target="_blank">BlowUp</a>, but I’ve long abandoned both for resizing when making prints. </p><p>I will say that Photoshop CC 2018 drastically improved its resizing, but I didn’t write about it since I still thought that ON1 still had the best product on the market. However, curiosity did get the better of me so I decided to do a software comparison for the first time in years to satisfy my need to know which is best.</p><h4><a href="https://topazlabs.com/gigapixel-ai/ref/35/" target="_blank">Topaz Gigapixel 4.7.1</a></h4><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889372660-4.jpg" border="0"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889372660.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Topaz Gigapixel 4.7.1 Batch Processing UX with Preview</em></a></p><p>This product is optimized for batch processing of high quality resizing, so I really appreciated the clean UX and ability to customize each line item separately vs a batch where all must be done the same exact way. You can also multi-select to change some or all of the items in the batch to the same settings. </p><p>Simply put, this is how every UX should be for batch processing – I LOVE IT!</p><p>My biggest gripe is that the preview rendering is painfully slow so I turn it off normally. However, it is nice if you want an idea of what kind of results you are going to get in advance on a particular region of your image.</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889372659-3.jpg" border="0"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889372659.jpg" target="_blank">Topaz Gigapixel 4.7.1 Batch Processing UX while running</a><br><em>I love how it shows processing time in minutes and seconds</em></p><p>After you’ve set up your batch processing, go to bed or go watch a movie – its going to be busy for a while! </p><p>Yeah, Gigapixel AI does a great job but at a huge cost – its painfully slow. Granted <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">my Windows photo editing system</a> isn’t a <a href="https://bhpho.to/35vUZqx" target="_blank">$53,799+ USD Apple Mac Pro</a> (at the time of this writing) which certainly will be much faster, but my system still performs better than most i5 based laptops on the market today. It also enjoys 32 GB of RAM and dual M.2 SSD’s, so this is the first product I’ve used on that really made me wait. </p><h4>Gigapixel 4.4.2 vs 4.7.1 Performance Analysis</h4><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889327949-3.jpg" border="0"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889327949.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Topaz Gigapixel AI 4.4.2 Single Image Resize UX</em></a> </p><p>When I first started doing this test I was using Gigapixel AI 4.4.2, but then I upgraded and re-ran my tests using 4.7.1. I noticed a 62% increase in performance of version 4.7.1 on the 2x upsizing of the 50 percent files and a 46% increase in the 4x upsizing of the 25 percent files. As a result, I can definitely say that Gigapixel AI 4.x users should upgrade to 4.7.1 or later for a significant increase in performance. The Canon 5Ds file sizes did increase to 20% larger for the 25 percent file and 7% for the 50 percent file when using 4.7.1 vs 4.4.2, but the quality of the 50 percent version seemed identical. The 25 percent version seemed slightly better with the 4..4.2 version, but only when pixel peeping at 100%.and not enough for me to give up the performance improvement of the newer version.</p><p>My conclusion is you should definitely upgrade to the latest version as the time savings are significant without a measurable Impact in quality. To see for yourself, view the 4.4.2 version of the files in the gallery against the original and the scale-2.00x & scale-4.00x versions created in 4.7.1.</p><h4><a href="https://www.on1.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=101_155_3_185" target="_blank">ON1 Photo RAW 2020</a>.1 Resize Feature</h4><p align="center"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889491953-3.jpg"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889491953.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Resize is built into the ON1 Photo RAW UX,<br>but sadly its batch mode shown here doesn't support percentage scaling</em></a></p><p>While it was formerly a separate product, ON1 has incorporated resize as a feature in its standalone UX for quite some time. You can also access it directly in Photoshop as a nicely integrated feature via File | Automate | ON1 Resize 2020 which is my preferred way to use it. The UX is simple and they have some nice presets for resize. </p><p>My favorite feature is its gallery wrap feature which is a must have if you do that type of work, but sadly its not even an option in <a href="http://ronmartblog.com/2009/09/topaz-labs-offers-15-discount-to.html" target="_blank">Topaz Labs</a> Gigapixel AI.</p><p>Performance wise its pretty close to on par with the performance of Photoshop itself, so for the past decade its been my go to solution for resizing images prior to printing.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://www.on1.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=101_155_1_791" target="_blank"><img width="300" height="250" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none;" alt="ON1 Photo RAW 2020" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/on1-wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/17132749/Try_2020Ship_DS-300x250-px.jpg"></a></p><h4>Overall Resize Performance</h4><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889515152-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Times shown for Gigapixel are in minutes and seconds<br>All others were 0 minutes and the seconds value shown after the first semicolon</em></p><p>As I would have suspected, Photoshop is the fastest followed by ON1. That said, I think if you were working natively in ON1 as your end to end workflow then ON1 might be the fastest, or at least comparable to Photoshop.</p><p>Yes, Topaz Gigapixel is painfully slow despite making significant improvements in the current release. However, its batch processing support is excellent – by far the best of the pack – so you could realistically set up a bunch of files to convert and kick off the job before you go to bed and all files would be resized by the morning. Photoshop and ON1 don’t have the luxury if your target destination is JPEG and you want to resize by percentage.</p><h5>Overall File Size Changes</h5><p>This is stats for nerds who want to see how big the files are after the resize compared to the original. The Original column are the sizes of the the source file then the sizes saved to disk after being downsized in Photoshop. </p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889526667-4.jpg" border="0"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889526667.jpg" target="_blank">Changes in File Sizes</a><em></em></p><p>All percentages shown are relative size to the original for each section. From a file size standpoint, ON1 gets the closest to the original size which is what I’d consider the best case scenario. Gigapixel has the most data, but that might be able to get reclaimed by re-saving the file in Photoshop as JPEG compression will reduce file sizes on each save.</p><h4>Image Quality</h4><p>This section briefly discusses my findings for 2x and 4x resizes using a series of 5 test images.</p><h5><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/07/review-canon-5ds-part-i-of-ii-with.html" target="_blank">5Ds</a></h5><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889324685-5.jpg" border="0"></p><p align="center"><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/07/review-canon-5ds-part-i-of-ii-with.html" target="_blank"><em>Canon 5Ds</em></a><em> using the </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/09/comparison-canon-24-70-f28l-ii-vs-24.html" target="_blank"><em>24-70 f/2.8L II</em></a><em> lens<br>1/125 sec at f/9.0, ISO 100, 70mm</em></p><p>This image taken with a 50.6 megapixel camera presents a huge challenge thanks to the gradient in the background as well as the details in the jacket, the blown out white spot on the shirt and the detail in the hair and iris of the blue eyes.</p><p><strong><u>4x Resize</u></strong></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889841751.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889841751-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Click to see how the 4x upsize from Gigapixel destroys Photoshop</em></a></p><p>This was probably the worst performance for Photoshop of all of the tests done. To be fair, I didn’t try every interpolation method it offers so Photoshop performance could probably be improved with a more patient comparison of all of the methods it offers. That said, Gigapixel is on par with the original even when doing a 4x upsizing.</p><p><strong><u>2x Resize</u></strong></p><p>Gigapixel was clearly the best, but in this case Photoshop and ON1 were about the same and did an excellent job. Neither was as good as Gigapixel, but close enough that I wouldn’t leave Photoshop to use Gigapixel unless my target output was a large print.</p><h5>Focus Bracket Flower</h5><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889324147-4.jpg" border="0"></p><p>This image was made from a focus stack made with the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2019/03/review-fujifilm-gfx-50s-with-32.html" target="_blank">Fujifilm GFX 50s</a> at f/11 @ 64mm for 1/100 sec at ISO 100 using fifty-eight 1 step frames! The pollen detail and shadow details are impressive so its a great image to see how much gets lost and restored after resizing.</p><p><strong><u>4x Resize</u></strong></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889841752.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889841752-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Click to see how the 4x upsize from Gigapixel is almost as good as the original!</em></a></p><p>Like the 5Ds image, I thought the Gigapixel 4x upsize was mistaken for the 2x upsize because the quality was so good that it nearly matched the original. I had memories of Blade Runner when doing this comparison, so it made me realize the some things are worth the wait if the best details are necessary.</p><p>Photoshop didn’t do very well and ON1 disappointed me quite a bit here. </p><p><strong><u>2x Resize</u></strong></p><p>Gigapixel was amazing with the upsize – its additional sharpening made it look better than the original to me! Photoshop came in last of the pack, but not bad by any means. </p><h5>Landscape</h5><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889324191-3.jpg" border="0"><br><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2019/03/review-fujifilm-gfx-50s-with-32.html" target="_blank">Fujifilm GFX 50s</a> using GF32-64mm F4 LM WR lens<br>f/10 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100, 64mm</p><p>Probably the weakest image of the bunch, I included this one due to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh" target="_blank">bokeh</a> in the background and all of the details in the moss. I was also curious to see what would happen to the blown highlights and crushed blacks after resizing as those are typically the places that resizing does a horrible job.</p><p><strong><u>4x Resize</u></strong></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889841749.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889841749-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>ON1 looked embarrassingly bad against Gigapixel and was even beat by Photoshop</em></a></p><p>This proved to be the toughest test for ON1 as it was definitely worse than Photoshop. For a moment, I thought I had accidentally run Topaz Labs <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/07/review-topaz-labs-simplify-4ready-for.html" target="_blank">Simplify</a> on ON1 as all the detail left the bark and green branch as shown above. Even Photoshop retained more detail, so this was a huge surprise for me. </p><p><strong><u>2x Resize</u></strong></p><p>This were much better here where Gigapixel was the best, but ON1 still had an advantage over Photoshop. </p><h5>Studio</h5><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889377488-5.jpg" border="0"><br><em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2019/03/review-fujifilm-gfx-50s-with-32.html" target="_blank">Fujifilm GFX 50s</a></em><em> using GF32-64mm F4 LM WR lens<br>1/125 sec at f/10, ISO 100, 64mm</em></p><p>This image has the advantage of a solid white background so in theory there shouldn’t be new background artifacts introduced, but it has the challenge of a blue eye and a suit and tie with a challenging pattern. </p><p><strong><u>4x Resize</u></strong></p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889533595-3.jpg" border="0"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889533595.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Gigapixel had the best performance on the eye</em></a><br>(easier to see the advantage when clicking the link above)</p><p>ON1 had the worst performance on the eye by far, but the rest of the image was good. Next up was Photoshop which did a decent job, but the image above is misleading until you click it to view it at full size as the details in the eyelashes and iris are clearly better in the Gigapixel image. </p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889533596.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889533596-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Gigapixel had a flaw in the jacket when face refinement was turned ON, but its fixable</em></a></p><p>One disappointing discovery is that Gigapixel did have a flaw on one spot of the jacket, but everything else looked good. This was caused by me turning on Face Refinement for this file only AND it only happened on the 4x upsizing – not the 2x. When I ran it again with Face Refinement turned OFF the problem didn’t happen. Since there is a workaround and this is a pattern that was easily corrected in Photoshop using content aware healing, I didn’t consider it a huge issue. However, it is something to look out for when resizing when using the Face Refinement feature.</p><p><strong><u>2x Resize</u></strong></p><p>All were excellent, but Gigapixel had a little extra sharpening that made it better than the original. Not an obnoxious amount, but enough to make me just say wow. Next up was ON1 which had an almost perfect match to the original but was just a tiny bit softer on the eye lashes. Photoshop did a good job but it was definitely the worst of the bunch.</p><h5>Bookshelf</h5><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889325018-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">Sony a7R III</a></em><em></em><em> </em><em> using the </em><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/why-ed-ld-eld-sld-and-asph-glass-make-difference-your-photographs/BI/2071/KBID/2787/KWID/EZ"><em>Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens</em></a><br><em>15.0 sec at f/8.0, ISO 100</em></p><p>The Sony a7R III has a high quality sensor but the lowest megapixels in this lineup with only 24.2 mp. This is offset by is phenomenal dynamic range and arguably the sharpest lens in this lineup, The bookshelf shot is my long-standing test of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_range" target="_blank">dynamic range</a> and performance win the shadows and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specular_highlight" target="_blank">specular highlights</a>. There’s a little distortion on the left side of the image caused by my sensor not being 100% perpendicular to the bookshelf, but its still a good source image for resizing thanks to the texture details, highlights on the books, patterns in the spine of the blue strip poker book and the wood in the shadows. </p><p><strong><u>4x Resize</u></strong></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889856840.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889856840-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Gigapixel was strong, but ON1 looked bad for text and paper detail</em></a><br><em>Please click to view a larger version</em></p><p>Once again, Photoshop was stronger than ON1 because its text anti-aliasing algorithm was much stronger (which makes sense given their history in typography). However, Gigapixel really blew me away in how well it brought not only the text back but the details of the pages of the spiral bound book as shown above. </p><p><strong><u>2x Resize</u></strong></p><p>Once again, standard results – Gigapixel made the original look soft, ON1 did a good job and Photoshop was respectable but could benefit from additional sharpening. </p><h4>Overall Image Quality Results</h4><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3889865155.jpg" border="0"></p><p>To help quantify my findings I created this report card. I gave a score of 10 to images that were hard to distinguish from the original (or in some cases better than the original), a 9 to an image that was excellent with only a minor softness that could easily be fixed with sharpening. 8 is pretty close to 9 but again, softer – but most likely corrected with unsharp mask. Anything below 8 is what I’d consider unacceptable results that I would only use for scenarios I don’t care about (e.g., Facebook posts). </p><p>I did use the Face Refinement feature for the Gigapixel Studio shot, but I included a version with it turned off to address the only major artifact I found in all of my testing. Since this was an easy workaround, and both images with and without were excellent, I didn’t deduct points for the final result. I could have arguably given it a 7 with face refinement on, but it was such an easy one second fix with content aware patch or healing (and there was a workaround to eliminate it) I focused on the overall result which was easily the best in class.</p><p>Overall Photoshop did a good job and for the upsizing I chose the Auto interpolation option as that’s how I typically use it in real life. With a little effort and sharpening some of those numbers could probably get a 1 point boost, but I got tired of resizing images as I quickly discovered what the best product was.</p> <h4>See for yourself</h4><p><a title="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/Software/Resize" href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/Software/Resize" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to download and pixel peep the images yourself. You can review the images for as long as your browser is open and on this review, but you should delete all downloaded images after navigating away from this article.</p><p>ALL images are copyright Ron Martinsen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not print, edit, upload, relink, modify or otherwise use any of the images in this article or in the gallery without an ink on paper signed contract with Ron Martinsen.</p><p>My recommendation is to use Lightroom to pixel peep as I’ve done here in this video:</p><p align="center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/af-1urRASPE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></p><h4>Conclusion</h4> <p>If your objective is the best quality and you aren’t doing gallery wraps, then Topaz Gigapixel AI is without question the product you want to use. Yes, its painfully slow, but its results are worth the wait.</p><p>No, I don’t think its upsizing isn’t as amazing as the ads might suggest, it is the real deal and worth at least using the trial version to see for yourself.</p><p>ON1 Photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">RAW</a> 2020 has many reasons besides resize to own it, and it is a good overall alternative for those who don’t wish to own Adobe products. As a result, if you’ve got it then I think for most scenarios its good enough – and its fast. It also has a wonderful gallery wrap feature, so I’ll probably continue to use it for its speed.</p><p>Not every resize needs to be pixel peeper perfect, so in those cases (which is most common for me), I’ll probably continue to use Photoshop (or Lightroom Export resizing). However, this reminds me that when quality matters that its worth the time for me to collect my images and send them over to Topaz Gigapixel before I go to bed. </p> <h4>Where to Buy?</h4> <p><a href="https://topazlabs.com/gigapixel-ai/ref/35/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more, use the free trial or buy Topaz Labs <a href="https://topazlabs.com/gigapixel-ai/ref/35/" target="_blank">Gigapixel AI</a> today. Use the <strong>RONMART</strong> <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/discount-codes.html" target="_blank">discount coupon code</a> when you check out to save 15%!</p><p><a href="https://www.on1.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=101_155_3_185" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more, use the free trial or buy <a href="https://www.on1.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=101_155_3_185" target="_blank">ON1 Photo RAW 2020</a> today. Use the coupon code <strong>MART20</strong> to get a 20% discount.</p><h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4> <p>If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/07/review-onone-software-perfect-resize-75.html" target="_blank">Perfect Resize</a> 7.5 vs Photoshop, Lightroom & Alien Skin <a href="http://ronmartblog.com/2009/03/review-alien-skin-software-blowup-2.html" target="_blank">BlowUp</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/printing-series-articles.html" target="_blank">Printing Series</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2019/03/review-fujifilm-gfx-50s-with-32.html" target="_blank">Fujifilm GFX 50s</a> Review</li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">Sony A7R III Review</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/07/review-canon-5ds-part-i-of-ii-with.html" target="_blank">Canon 5Ds Review</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/09/review-nec-pa271q-bk-27-169-color.html">NEC PA271Q-BK</a> 2018 Review<li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/12/review-nec-multisync-pa322uhd-32-3480-x.html">NEC PA322UHD 4k for Pro Photo & Video Editing</a></li></ul> <p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p> <h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-86375726606461686852020-04-27T12:53:00.001-07:002020-04-28T11:03:44.550-07:00Nikon Lens Instant Rebates plus 4% rewards and free 2 day shipping<p><div id="ez_banner_container_222_10" class="HYPE_document" style="margin:auto;position:relative;overflow:hidden;"><script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/webfont/1/webfont.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8" src="https://mer54715.datafeedfile.com/ez_banner/?b=222&v=1.0&aff_num=2787&sid=EZBANNER"></script></div></p><p><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/nikon-lenses/ci/31377/N/0?BI=2071&KBID=2787" target="_blank">B&H has a sale on Nikon lenses</a> where you can get up to $200 back instantly plus up to 4% rewards on many lenses like the cool <a href="https://bhpho.to/2YbX5Ku" target="_blank">200-500mm zoom</a> shown below.<p align="center"><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/nikon-lenses/ci/31377/N/0?BI=2071&KBID=2787" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/nikon_af_s_nikkor_200_500mm_f_5_6e_1438656707_1175034.jpg" border="0"></a><p> <p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Sales Tax Reimbursement with Payboo</h4><p>Don’t forget, with the B&H <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/credit-cards?iframe=false&BI=2071&KBID=2787" target="_blank">Payboo</a> card most buyers can get the sales tax reimbursed. <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/credit-cards?iframe=false&BI=2071&KBID=2787" target="_blank">Click here</a> to learn more.</p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-27633271636153338142020-04-24T16:08:00.001-07:002020-04-24T16:15:45.684-07:00EPSON P700 & P900–No More Black Ink Switching!!!!<p align="center"><a href="https://bhpho.to/2yK2cXj" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images500x500/1587573048_IMG_1346685.jpg" border="0"></a><br><em><a href="https://bhpho.to/2yK2cXj" target="_blank">EPSON SureColor P900</a></em></p><p>While we all endure being locked up at home for the apocalypse, it seems hell has frozen over as Epson is FINALLY catching up with Canon to release two new SureColor printers that don’t require black ink switching!!!! </p><p>Yes, you read that right – the new SureColor <a href="https://bhpho.to/3aA7Ngq" target="_blank">P700</a> and <a href="https://bhpho.to/2yK2cXj" target="_blank">P900</a> printers feature a new 10-channel MicroPiezo AMC printhead with dedicated channels for both Photo and Matte Black ink types so no ink switching necessary – hallelujah! This was something previously only the the 24-inch <a href="https://bhpho.to/2S7Kns6" target="_blank">P7570</a> and 44-inch <a href="https://bhpho.to/2S7Kns6" target="_blank">P9570</a> enjoyed, so I’m glad it has made its way down to these stalwarts. </p><p align="center"><a href="https://bhpho.to/2yK2cXj" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images500x500/1587573048_IMG_1346693.jpg" border="0"></a><br><em><a href="https://bhpho.to/2yK2cXj" target="_blank">Introducing the new Violet ink too</a></em><br></p><p>Both printers feature <em>new</em> UltraChrome PRO10 pigment ink <em>with Violet </em>to deliver an extremely wide color gamut, support Advanced Black and White Mode, and offer a new “Carbon Black” printing mode to dramatically increase Dmax for best-in-class black density on glossy papers. I can’t wait to try out this new Carbon Black feature!!!</p><p>For those familiar with how the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/10/review-epson-surecolor-p5000.html" target="_blank">P5000</a> offered Violet, this is better because it’s not an either or thing – you actually get both a dedicated line for matte black and violet so its the best of all worlds! I’ve heard great things about the violet ink, but I made the choice with my P5000 to go with the Standard Edition (Light Light Black) instead of the Commercial Edition (Violet) so this is wonderful news!</p><p>I’ve also noticed that LLK seems to be replaced with a renamed Gray so I suspect that is part of the formula that makes the new Carbon Black feature possible. The P900 cartridges shown above appear to be the same design and capacity, but this is a new ink set so I’d plan on having to sell your existing inks with your outgoing printer.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://bhpho.to/2yK2cXj" target="_blank"><img style="border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images500x500/1587573048_IMG_1346694.jpg" border="0"></a><br><em><a href="https://bhpho.to/2yK2cXj" target="_blank">Compact P900 design — 30 percent smaller than the previous generation</a></em></p><h4>P700 vs P900 (and their predecessors)</h4><p align="center"><a href="https://bhpho.to/3aA7Ngq" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images500x500/1587573928_IMG_1346706.jpg" border="0"></a><br><em><a href="https://bhpho.to/3aA7Ngq" target="_blank">EPSON SureColor P700 with a new design for its built-in roll support</a></em></p><p>From that I know so far, the P700 has roll support in the same basic way that the P600 did but the P900 is just like P800 in that it requires a more substantial roll media adapter – however, I have no info yet if the P800 adapter will work on the P900 (let’s hope). </p><p><a href="https://bhpho.to/3aA7Ngq" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images500x500/1587573928_IMG_1346703.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p align="center"><em>Both models appear to have a new waffle pattern for the paper trays which should result in both a weight savings and limit the surface area for dust build up (<a href="https://bhpho.to/3aA7Ngq" target="_blank">P700 shown</a>)</em><br></p><h4>Press Release<br><br></h4><h3 align="center">Epson Reinforces Commitment to Changing Needs of <br>Creative Professionals with New Photography Desktop Printers</h3><p><em>13-inch SureColor P700 and 17-inch SureColor P900 Incorporate Breakthrough Advancements from Large Format Printers to Produce the Highest Quality Prints for the Desktop</em><h3>LONG BEACH, Calif. – April 21, 2020 – <font style="font-weight: normal;">Epson, an industry leader in the photography market, today announced a breakthrough in professional printing technology with the introduction of the 13-inch SureColor® </font><a href="https://epson.com/For-Work/Printers/Large-Format/SureColor-P700-13-Inch-Photo-Printer/p/C11CH38201?utm_source&utm_medium=pr&utm_term&utm_content&utm_campaign=us-surecolor-p700_p900"><font style="font-weight: normal;">P700</font></a><font style="font-weight: normal;"> and 17-inch </font><a href="https://epson.com/For-Work/Printers/Large-Format/SureColor-P900-17-Inch-Photo-Printer/p/C11CH37201?utm_source&utm_medium=pr&utm_term&utm_content&utm_campaign=us-surecolor-p700_p900"><font style="font-weight: normal;">SureColor P900</font></a><font style="font-weight: normal;"> desktop photo printers. Replacing the award-winning SureColor P600 and SureColor P800, these new printers draw from over 20 years of experience to incorporate the same large format printing technology used by the world’s leading photographers into a sleek, compact design, allowing for the creation of exhibition quality prints from the convenience of the desktop.</font></h3><p>“Fifteen years ago, Epson stunned the industry with the Stylus Pro 3800 that provided unprecedented creative control for photographers, allowing them to print up to 17-inches wide without a darkroom,” said Reed Hecht, senior product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America. “With the introduction of the SureColor P700 and SureColor P900, a new generation of photographers will experience another breakthrough in printing technology – truly redefining not only the photographic print but also the printing workflow.”<p>The new SureColor P700 and SureColor P900 are the smallest professional 13 and 17-inch printers in their class, with a 30 percent size reduction from Epson’s previous generation printers, and are designed for use in photography, graphic design, fine art, and illustration. The printers tout a new 10-channel MicroPiezo® AMCTM printhead to increase productivity, with dedicated channels for both Photo and Matte Black ink types – no ink switching necessary.<p>Featuring new UltraChrome® PRO10 pigment ink* with Violet, the SureColor P700 and<p>SureColor P900 deliver an extremely wide color gamut and support Advanced Black and White Mode to create unparalleled, professional black and white photographs.<p>According to Henry Wilhelm, director of research at Wilhelm Imaging Research, the world’s leading independent print permanence testing laboratory, Epson’s new printers and inks are currently undergoing comprehensive ten-factor testing with a range of papers and canvas, with both color prints and B&W prints made using Epson’s Advanced Black and White Mode. “Preliminary data for the Epson 10-color UltraChrome PRO10 pigment inks in the new SureColor P700 and SureColor P900 create stunning museum quality prints with WIR Display Permanence ratings that we believe will equal the ratings achieved by the current UltraChrome PRO12 inks of up to 200 years for color prints and up to 400 years for B&W prints.1 Prints framed with UV-absorbing acrylic – and those displayed under LED illumination – will achieve significantly higher ratings.”<p>For the first time, users can easily print directly from iOS® devices2 to the SureColor P700 and SureColor P900 in a color managed workflow. Using an updated mobile version of Epson Print Layout software, full support and color management tools are provided for iPhone and iPad printing. These printers also feature a new print driver mode – Carbon Black – which dramatically increases Dmax by up to 11 percent, for best-in-class black density and reduced bronzing and gloss differential on glossy papers.<p>The SureColor P700 can accommodate both roll and cut sheet media, and the SureColor P900 accommodates cut sheet media and an optional fully enclosed roll media adapter supports both 2-inch and 3-inch rolls and roll printing up to 10 feet long. Additional features include a 4.3-inch customizable touchscreen, upgraded wireless connectivity including 5GHz and an interior LED light to watch the progress of a print.<h3>More About the SureColor P700 and SureColor P900 Desktop Photo Printers</h3><p> Designed to help photographers reproduce every detail of their creative vision, the new SureColor P700 and SureColor P900 incorporate a range of features to produce exhibition quality prints from the convenience of a desktop:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Outstanding image quality and color </strong>— All-new UltraChrome PRO10 Ink with Violet produces a wide color gamut for vibrant and rich colors</p><li><p><strong>No Photo and Matte Black ink switching</strong> — Dedicated channels for both black ink types – no switching needed</p><li><p><strong>New 10-channel MicroPiezo AMC printhead </strong>— Consistently delivers prints with outstanding speed, consistency and accuracy; supports variable size droplet technology as small as 1.5-picoliters for remarkable output quality</p><li><p><b>Easy printing from smart devices </b>— Print color-managed files directly from an iOS device2 with an easy-to-use interface</p><li><p><strong>New Carbon Black Driver technology </strong>— All-new Carbon Black Driver mode dramatically increases Dmax for best-in-class black density on glossy papers</p><li><p><b>Professional media handling </b>— Accommodates rolls3 and sheet media up to 1.5 mm thick of Epson Professional, Signature Worthy® and Legacy papers as well as third-party media</p><li><p><strong>Easy to use </strong>— Features 4.3-inch customizable touchscreen, wireless connectivity and interior LED light</p><li><p><strong>Compact design</strong> — 30 percent smaller than the previous generation</p><li><p><strong>Industry-leading print permanence </strong>— UltraChrome PRO10 ink is expected to create prints that last up to 200 years for color and 400 years for black-and-white1</p></li></ul><h3>Pricing, Support and Availability</h3><p>The SureColor P700 ($799 MSRP) and SureColor P900 ($1,295 MSRP) will be available through Epson Authorized Resellers starting in May. The printers offer a standard Epson Preferred Limited Warranty, a one-year program that includes toll-free advanced telephone access Monday through Friday and usually next business-day on-site service in the unlikely event of any hardware failure. For additional information, visit <a href="http://www.proimaging.epson.com">www.proimaging.epson.com</a>.<h3>About Epson</h3><p>Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to becoming indispensable to society by connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. The company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics, and is underpinned by original microdevices. Epson is proud of its contributions to realizing a sustainable society and its ongoing efforts to realizing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.<p>Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of more than U.S. $10 billion.<p>Epson America, Inc., based in Long Beach, Calif., is Epson’s regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/EpsonAmerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica).<p align="center"># # #<p>* This product uses only genuine Epson-brand cartridges. Other brands of ink cartridges and ink supplies are not compatible and, even if described as compatible, may not function properly or at all.<p>1 Print Permanence in testing. Ink lightfastness rating based on accelerated testing of prints on specialty media, displayed indoors, under glass. Actual print stability will vary according to media, printed image, display conditions, light intensity, humidity and atmospheric conditions. Epson does not guarantee longevity of prints. For maximum print life, display all prints under glass or lamination or properly store them. Visit www.wilhelm- research.com for the latest information.<p>2 Most features require an Internet connection to the printer, as well as an Internet- and/or email-enabled device. For a list of Epson Connect enabled printers and compatible devices and apps, visit <a href="http://www.epson.com/connect">www.epson.com/connec</a><a href="http://www.epson.com/connect">t</a><p>3 Roll media handling is standard on SureColor P700; optional on SureColor P900<p>EPSON, MicroPiezo, Signature Worthy, SureColor and UltraChrome are registered trademarks, EPSON Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark Seiko Epson Corporation. AMC is a trademark of Epson America, Inc. Epson Preferred is a registered servicemark of Epson America, Inc. iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. Copyright 2020 Epson America, Inc.<h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p>I’m very excited about the addition of violet and the end of black ink switching. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to review one as my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> and <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/10/review-epson-surecolor-p5000.html" target="_blank">P5000</a> have been great additions to my studio. These improvements are definitely worth the upgrade. My P800 has been getting a workout in my office lately during the lockdown and <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/08/review-epson-surecolor-p600-part-ii-of.html" target="_blank">P600</a> impressed me way more than I ever expected, so It will be fun to see how the new models perform. </p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="https://bhpho.to/3eOnOTc" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more and get on the waiting list to buy once they become available in June 2020.</p>
<h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4>
<p>If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/printing-series-articles.html" target="_blank">Printing Series</a> <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/08/review-epson-surecolor-p600-part-ii-of.html">Epson SureColor P600 Printer Review</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html">Epson SureColor P800 Review</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/01/news-epson-surecolor-p5000-replaces-4900.html">Epson SureColor P5000 Preview</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/06/review-epson-perfection-v850-pro.html">Epson Perfection V850 Pro Scanner</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/how-to-using-epsons-advanced-b-photo.html">How To: Using Epson’s Advanced B&W Photo (ABW) printing feature</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/11/review-epson-metallic-photo-paper.html">REVIEW: Epson Metallic Photo Paper Glossy & Luster</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/02/epson-legacy-papers-reviews-tutorials.html">Epson Legacy Papers Reviews & Video Tutorials with individual articles on Baryta, Etching, Platine and Fibre</a></li></ul>
<p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-42608479396149026242019-12-28T14:25:00.001-08:002019-12-28T14:26:45.881-08:00REVIEW: Skylum Luminar 4– FINALLY Complex Sky Replacement Without Cumbersome Masks!<p align="center"><a id="714812" href="https://macphun.evyy.net/c/143525/714812/3255" target="_blank"><img width="650" height="300" alt="" src="https://a.impactradius-go.com/display-ad/3255-714812" border="0"></a></p><p align="center"><img width="0" height="0" style="visibility: hidden; position: absolute;" src="https://macphun.evyy.net/i/143525/714812/3255" border="0"></p>
<p>I’ve been following Skylum Software since its MacPhun days and along the way they have made many products that I’d put into the camp of “good, but still not there yet”. Luminar is definitely one of those products that has a lot of great photo editing features, but it’s always lacked my beloved U-Point controls in the Nik Collection (now by DxO). This is important because often times you want to make local edits to specific features of your photo, but not globally across the entire photo. While <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> and Luminar offer masks to help with this, they are cumbersome to create especially along the edges of the mask against complex subjects like tree branches with leaves or hair.</p><p><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/luminar-finally-arrives-on-windows.html" target="_blank">Luminar</a> 4 addresses this with what it is calling Artificial Intelligence masking and it nothing demonstrates this better than its new sky replacement feature. While this isn’t far from the only new feature in Luminar 4, it’s the one that is worth talking about first as this really is breakthrough technology that makes me excited for Luminar now and in the future.</p><p>Here’s an example of a photo of a beautiful valley in Switzerland that I took this last October. This unedited version isn’t bad, but it’s a little hazy and lacks the impact of what it felt like when I saw it in real life:</p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3772438761-3.jpg" border="0"><br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3772438761.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Original</em></a></p><p>To address this, I used the AI Enhance feature with an auto generated luminosity mask with the AI Accent light filter to enhance the details and overall color of the image. I then used the Color and Details Enhancer filters to make the image feel a bit more crisp. Lastly, I used the Landscape Enhancer to Dehaze and boost the foliage a bit. This set me up for what I think is one of the biggest improvements – the AI Sky Replacement – where I used the Blue Sky 4 preset for a subtle but believable improvement:</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3771593654.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3771593654-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Edited with Luminar 4 and Blue Sky 4</em></a></p><p>In less than a minute I got improvements that were good enough for me to call this one done. However, I like to tinker so I kept experimenting with skies. My wife was watching me do this and she encouraged me to use the Blue Sky 6 preset for leading lines that pull your eyes into the mountains:</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3771593655.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3771593655-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Edited with Luminar 4 and Blue Sky 6</em></a></p><p>Changes like these are subjective so I polled my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ronmartblog" target="_blank">Facebook</a> friends and most found Blue Sky 6 to be the best choice, while some aligned with me found Blue Sky 4 to be more believable. </p><p>In retrospect, I think both are believable if you don’t know of the original image. What’s more, it’s feasible for this scene to have clouds of this nature, so I don’t consider this to be a change that misrepresents the area – it just misrepresents my luck with the clouds this day.</p><p>What’s more, my sensor was as dirty as hell due to changing lenses in the wind so I lucked out and got about a hundred dust spots in the sky removed when I replaced the sky – without any effort on my part. I’ve seen Luminar 4 fans getting the same benefit by using sky replacement on power lines and other distractions in the sky. This s a huge time saver, and I find it quite believable – especially with the wealth of adjustments you can make to this filter:</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3771614575.jpg" border="0"></p><p>So yes, I can easily say that this feature is a hit and delivers a huge value in your digital workflow making this a no-brainer investment or upgrade if you do outdoor photography. </p><h4>Yeah, but what about…</h4><p>Using your own sky photos? Yes, you can.</p><p>Complex backgrounds with only one click? Yep, no problem as shown here:</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3771621313.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3771621313-3.jpg"><br><em>Blue Sky 4 with Complex Tree Branches</em></a> <br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3771621312.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Click here for unedited original</em></a></p><p>Now this horribly bad looking photo isn’t believable as we’ve put a bright blue sky into an overcast day, so there’s still work to do. However, I wanted to illustrate the power of the AI masking (which is more easily appreciated with darker sky colors) so I had to include it.</p><h5>What about people?</h5><p>Here’s a photo I took in 2015 for my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/08/review-sony-rx100-ivthe-best-point-and.html" target="_blank">RX100 IV</a> review that I never bothered to edit because it would have been too much work to mask around Kai’s hair. With the AI Face Enhancer, AI Sky Replacement and a few other minor adjustments I got a much improved image with about a minute of editing:</p><p align="center"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3772438764-3.jpg"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3772438764.jpg" target="_blank"><em>2015 RX100 IV Photo with Portrait Enhancements & Sky Replacements</em></a></p><p>Take note that I’m using the Blue Sky 4 preset in three images in this article, but the sky is different for all of them – this because this isn’t a simple image substitution but an AI application of the sky that keeps the horizon in mind. In this case it did miss a spot in the bottom left corner, so it’s not quite perfect – but it’s still pretty damn good. As I show in my video below, problems like this sometimes are easily solved by adjusting the horizon in this filter. However, this one can’t be corrected this way. </p><p>In this case, I like how the leading lines of the clouds all draw you into Kais’ face. However, you have to be careful about default processing choices because it’s easy to get dark skies like this. To address this problem be sure to experiment with the Sky Exposure setting as well as making sure that AI Sky Enhancer is 0 in the AI Enhance Essential filter.</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3772452798-6.jpg" border="0"><br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3772452798.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Above with Sky Exposure set to 100 and Red saturation = -8</em></a> </p><p>I also use the AI Face Enhancer remove skin flaws, enhanced lips & whitened teeth (both exaggerated for effect), pulled his jaw line in and more without me doing any face masks or object mapping. It just works with no hassle and that’s huge!</p><h4>Video Tutorial</h4><p>To demonstrate a lot of concepts in Luminar 4, I chose this image that I thought would be the ultimate test: </p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3772459906-3.jpg" border="0"><br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3772459906.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Video Tutorial Image BEFORE Edits</em></a></p><p>It features a lot of blown out background, thin strands of hair, and a face that is turned away from the camera. </p><p>Notice even when I zoom in, the auto masking around the hair is nothing short of spectacular:</p>
<p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3772438767-3.jpg" border="0"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3772438767.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Auto detection of the sky and face make this difficult edit easy</em></a></p><p>If you have 10 minutes to spare, you can see how I edited this image using Luminar 4:</p><p align="center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QhkC2pK-GmU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></p>
<h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p>While I do think the Windows version is unacceptably slow at times on <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">my desktop computer</a>, it’s still usable. I’m also still a fan of <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Adobe+Lightroom+Download/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Lightroom</a>, so I don’t want Luminar to be my digital asset manager so I find having to open photos using Edit Single Image and close them by right click remove to be unnecessarily cumbersome.</p><p>With these gripes aside, this is an impressive piece of software that does appear to be doing some advanced image analysis with AI above and beyond anything I’ve used to date. This alone makes it worth a look to help speed up your digital workflow. As such, I can highly recommend this product and I look forward to great improvements to come in the future.</p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="https://macphun.evyy.net/c/143525/714812/3255" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today.</p>
<h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4>
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<p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-36480133075954645132019-12-27T18:19:00.002-08:002019-12-27T18:25:31.945-08:00REVIEW: Fujifilm X-T30 with 18-55mm & XF 100-400mm Lens <p align="center"><img title="FUJIFILM X-T30 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens at B&H" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" alt="FUJIFILM X-T30 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens at B&H" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/fujifilm_x_t30_mirrorless_digital_camera_1550136983_1459613.jpg" border="0"><br><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/FUJIFILM+X-T30/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">FUJIFILM X-T30 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens</a><em></em></p><p>This summer I got to spend some quality time using the Fujifilm X-T30, and like always I can’t help but fall in love with Fujifilm’s brilliant in-camera color processing. However, the latest smart phones are getting “good enough” for most users needs, so would this camera wow me like the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2019/03/review-fujifilm-gfx-50s-with-32.html" target="_BLANK">Fujifilm GFX 50s</a> or would it be another disappointment like the Canon <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2019/01/review-canon-eos-r-rf-24-105mm-control.html" target="_BLANK">EOS R</a>? </p>
<h4>Overall Thoughts</h4><p align="center"><img title="Rear View of the Fujifilm X-T30" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" alt="Rear View of the Fujifilm X-T30" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images500x500/1550136634_IMG_1139469.jpg" border="0"><br><em>The joystick is a departure from the traditional d-pad design found on other Fujifilm cameras, but I find it more user-friend and reliable</em></p>
<p>Generally speaking, Fujifilm is one of my favorite brand of camera bodies to use because of the ease of use of the physical knobs for aperture, shutter speed, drive mode and exposure compensation. This allows you to quickly switch between manual settings or auto for your creative controls without distracting you from the creative process of finding your desired composition for a given shot. </p>
<p align="center"><img title="Top View of the Fujifilm X-T30" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" alt="Top View of the Fujifilm X-T30" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images500x500/1550137629_IMG_1139486.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Top View of the Fujifilm X-T30</em></p><p>While I won’t bore you with all of the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1459613-REG/fujifilm_x_t30_mirrorless_digital_camera.html/specs/KBID/2787" target="_BLANK">specs</a> that can easily be read at B&H or elsewhere, I’ll say that the burst mode of up to 20 fps at 26.1 MP for up to 17 Exposures is more suited for casual use (vs a machine gun like the Sony <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/08/review-sony-a9-ultimate-action-camera.html" target="_BLANK">a9</a> or Canon <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/10/review-canon-1dx-mark-ii-im-no-longer.html" target="_BLANK">1DX Mark II</a>). However, roughly $899 (body only as of Sept 2019) price of this camera is a lot cheaper so this camera is clearly targeting the value shopper looking for more creative control over the best smartphones. </p><p>I wasn’t blown away with the sensor quality of this camera, but those looking to enjoy images on large 4k displays or in print will see the advantage of this sensor over their smart phone images – at least I do compared to my iPhone XS. </p><p>The battery life and overall ease of use – for someone who is going to do more than stay in full auto mode – was great. My only complaint was that the touch screen got tapped by my nose quite often when I had my eye up to the the viewfinder which caused the focus point to be reset. That irritated me enough that I had to turn that feature off. </p><p>Features like eye tracking AF (with a choice between left, right and auto eye) are sure to please, and the gorgeous in-camera color of the in-camera processing of JPEG’s is sure to please the photographer who has no desire to do post-processing. Those who enjoy black and white photography are sure to be pleased with the built-in black and white presets as well. </p><h4>Real World Shots</h4><p>Like many of my reviews, I simply carried this camera during my life adventures with my family where I rarely have more than a minute to spend on a shot before I have to move on. None of these photos are staged – they are simply taken with most of the camera default settings except I’ll sometimes do exposure compensation or set the white balance, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aperture" target="_BLANK">aperture</a> or shutter speed to suit the scene. As such, I consider these typical shots that anyone can get and with additional effort much greater results are possible. </p><p>The photos shown below and in the gallery are the original in-camera JPEG’s with zero post-processing including no rotating or cropping, so what you see is what you can expect to get.</p>
<p>Here’s my thoughts about the results I got on a few select photos:</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615785811.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615785811-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5 @ 55mm for 1/680 sec at ISO 160</em></a><br><em>Fujifilm’s strength is great natural colors with the default settings</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615787219.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615787219-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/2.8 @ 55mm for 1/340 sec at ISO 320</em></a><br><em>Eye focus wasn’t bothered by this hair so a spur of the moment snapshot turned out ok</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615787122.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615787122-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/10 @ 24mm for 1/200 sec at ISO 320</em></a><br><em>While f/10 turned out great…</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615786816.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615786816-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/16 @ 24mm for 1/75 sec at ISO 320</em></a><br><em>…Fujifilm X series seem to not be as heavily impacted by </em><a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm" target="_blank"><em>diffraction</em></a><em> or being stopped down to large f-stop numbers as other brands</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615743292.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615743292-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/11 @ 41mm for 1/60 sec at ISO 320</em></a><br><em>Click to view full screen to appreciate the detail and beauty not possible with even the best smart phones</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615745587.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615745587-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5 @ 107mm for 1/180 sec at ISO 160</em></a><br><em>The </em><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1388817-REG/fujifilm_xf_100_400mm_f_4_5_5_6_r.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><em>XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens</em></a><em> was a nice step up from the kit lens…</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615745619.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615745619-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 400mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 400</em></a><br><em>especially when at </em><em>400mm</em><em> to see the picture within the picture (from the above scene)</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615746041.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615746041-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/4.5 @ 100mm for 1/400 sec at ISO 320</em></a><br><em>This sunset shot taken with the 100-400mm was one of my favorites as the in-camera processing captured a true to life image of just how awesome this sunset light was on this tree</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615749589.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615749589-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/8 @ 16mm for 1/420 sec at ISO 320</em></a><br><em>This was a beautiful scene, no doubt…</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615749844.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615749844-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/8 @ 16mm for 1/350 sec at ISO 160</em></a><br><em>…but being able to get an in-camera panorama of it made me feel like I was really there</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615750416.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615750416-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 400mm for 1/900 sec at ISO 320</em></a><br><em>Nobody does great colors better than Fujifilm – period</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615751681.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615751681-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5 @ 261mm for 1/850 sec at ISO 160</em></a><br><em>The full series of burst mode shots are in the gallery, but I must say I was very unimpressed with the image quality and auto focus performance of the 100-400 on this camera body</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615777833.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615777833-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/8 @ 17mm for 1/420 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_range" target="_blank"><em>Dynamic range</em></a><em> was meh – I’ve definitely seen worse, but I’ve also seen a lot better – especially <a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3618110476.jpg" target="_blank">on the iPhone XS</a> – but the color is definitely better on the X-T30</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615770307.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615770307-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 16mm for 1/950 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>Again, another no editing required result from the Fujifilm</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615765993.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615765993-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/11 @ 23mm for 1/75 sec at ISO 250</em></a><br><em>This was an amazing scene, but it also shows </em><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3618113695.jpg" target="_blank"><em>how great the in-camera HDR is on the iPhone XS</em></a><em> which is frustrating when buying a a camera like this</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615757091.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615757091-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 26mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>Still there were plenty of pixels and detail to satisfy me for many of my shots</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615759945.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615759945-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/8 @ 17mm for 1/420 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>The articulating LCD made it much easier to get action shots of my daughter – something that would be nearly impossible with a smart phone</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615761058.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615761058-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 31mm for 1/680 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>Real </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh" target="_blank"><em>bokeh</em></a><em> vs fake iPhone bokeh (portrait mode) is always more enjoyable too</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615761869.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615761869-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 16mm for 1/950 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>I was impressed with the shadow details and the ability to focus on the eye of this Canadian Goose</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615762744.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615762744-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/8 @ 17mm for 1/240 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>While a </em><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/651253-REG/X_Rite_MSCCPP.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><em>ColorChecker Passport</em></a><em> would probably say that the colors are exaggerated, this camera captures scenes like this exactly the way the way my minds eye remembers them</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615768244.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615768244-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 19mm for 1/750 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>The kit zoom offers the ability to go wide as in the case with the beach scene here…</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615767613.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615767613-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 53mm for 1/800 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>…but still zoom in enough to bring you into the action</em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615769862.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615769862-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 100mm for 1/450 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>Here’s another at </em><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/647011-USA/Canon_3554B002_EF_100mm_f_2_8L_Macro.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><em>100mm</em></a><em>, but below I zoom in…</em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615768398.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615768398-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 400mm for 1/340 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>Zooming in to 400mm got me the scene I wanted<br>plus a bonus of noticing the person on top of the mountain!</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615745285.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615745285-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/8 @ 52mm for 1/85 sec at ISO 160</em></a><br><em>I failed to find a good angle for this amazing scene of these double falls, but the colors at sunset using Velvia film simulation were simply magnificent!</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615784916.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615784916-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/4 @ 34mm for 1/150 sec at ISO 320</em></a><br><em>This was a tough scene but it rendered it beautifully. Sure there would be more shadow details in cameras with better sensors, but creatively speaking this was spot on with nothing left to do but crop</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615748716.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615748716-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/22 @ 16mm for 1/160 sec at ISO 320</em></a><br><em>Sunset shots rendered nicely even though I had lots of schmutz on the lens</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615748200.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3615748200-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/2.8 @ 16mm for 1/3200 sec at ISO 320</em></a><br><em>You have to view this one full size to appreciate it and the </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank"><em>raw</em></a><em> is even more spectacular</em></p>
<p>See a full gallery of unedited images taken for this review at <a title="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/fujifilm/x-t30" href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/fujifilm/x-t30">https://photos.ronmartblog.com/fujifilm/x-t30</a>. </p><h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p>As always, I really love the in-camera processing of Fujifilm X-Series cameras because I can call most shots done without ever editing them on the computer. It makes a great travel camera with its biggest weakness is its noise at higher ISO’s compared to the competition, but <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/11/imagenomic-noiseware-portraiture.html" target="_blank">Noiseware</a> can address that difference. </p><p>In the end I enjoyed this camera and have no problems giving it a recommendation. Yes, it’s not in the same league as the latest cameras from Sony, but the fantastic in-camera colors are exclusive to Fujifilm so you have to decide where to make your tradeoffs.</p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/FUJIFILM+X-T30/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today.</p>
<h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4>
<p>If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:</p>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.ronmartblog.com/2019/03/review-fujifilm-gfx-50s-with-32.html">Fujifilm GFX 50S with 32-64mm</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/10/review-fujifilm-x30the-best-one-yet.html">Fujifilm X30</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/04/review-fujifilm-x100sreal-world-sample.html">Fujifilm X100s</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/12/review-fujifilm-x-e2-dslr-replacement.html">Fujifilm X-E2</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/04/review-fujifilm-x-pro-2-16-55mm-f28.html">Fujifilm X-Pro 2 & 16-55mm f/2.8</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/12/review-fujifilm-xq1a-canon-s120-killer.html">Fujifilm XQ1 (vs X20 & Canon s110)</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/05/review-fujifilm-x-s1the-point-shoot-in.html">Fujifilm X-S1</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/03/review-fujifilm-x-t1-with-18-55mm-xf.html">Fujifilm X-T1</a> (includes 18-55mm & 23mm lens reviews)<li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/04/comparison-fujifilm-x-e1-x100s-x20-x10.html">Fujifilm X-E1, X100s, X20 & X10 Compared</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/05/review-fujifilm-xf-10-24mm-f4-r-ois-xf.html">Fujifilm XF 56mm</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/05/review-fujifilm-xf-10-24mm-f4-r-ois-xf.html">Fujifilm XF 10-24mm</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/01/review-fujifilm-xf-50-140mm-f28-r-lm.html">Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8</a></li></ul>
<p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-39442426399802936992019-09-08T13:03:00.000-07:002019-09-08T13:03:12.198-07:00REVIEW: Canon EOS R & RF 24-105mm + Control Ring Mount Adapter with iPhone XS/8 Plus Comparisons<p align="center"><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/items/ci/40345/N/0/view/GRID/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/1536134759000_1433711.jpg" border="0"><br><i>Canon EOS R Mirrorless Digital Camera</i></a></p><p>When I did <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/09/first-thoughts-canon-eos-r-mirrorless.html" target="_blank">my first thoughts on the Canon EOS R</a>, I hadn't used this camera or done my review of the Nikon Z7. Since <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/11/review-nikon-z7-mirrorless-457mp-24.html" target="_blank">the Z7 was way better than I expected</a>, I tried to go into this review with a more open mind. I was hoping for a great surprise from Canon like I got from Nikon. </p><p>There were definitely some surprises, so read on to find out how this camera would fair in every day life, a NFL game and a trip to the Arizona desert. At the same time I also picked up a new iPhone XS and my wife got a new iPhone 8 Plus, so doing a comparison of the phones vs the EOS R was inevitable for my own personal curiosity. </p><h4>Settings used during testing</h4><p>I don't typically include a section like this in my reviews but my inclusion of comments about iPhone vs EOS R makes it necessary for me to comment on what settings I've used to get what I felt were the best in-camera JPEG results when comparing Canon and Apple's in-camera image processing. I always shoot <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">raw</a> so I can change my mind later, but here's what I set for the in-camera JPEG's included in this article:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/06/got-new-canon-lens-read-this-about.html" target="_blank"><strong>Peripheral Illumination Correction</strong></a> ON</li><li><strong>Distortion Correction </strong>ON</li><li><a href="https://global.canon/en/imaging/dlo/effect/index.html" target="_blank"><strong>Digital Lens Optimizer</strong></a> ON</li><li><strong>Dual Pixel </strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank"><strong>RAW</strong></a> Disable</li><li><strong>Image Quality</strong> RAW+L (fine)</li><li><strong>Highlight Tone Priority</strong> D+2 (Enhanced) - sets ISO to a minimum of 200</li><li><strong>Picture Style </strong>Auto</li><li><strong>Color Space</strong> Adobe RGB</li><li><strong>White Balance</strong> AWB or Cloudy most often</li><li><strong>High ISO Speed Noise Reduction</strong> Low</li><li><strong>ISO Speed Settings</strong> Auto with Min Shutter Speed set to Auto Fast (+1)</li></ul><p>Obviously the best results for any given photo requires changing one or more of these values to the best choice for the conditions at a time a photo is taken, but average camera users rarely change this many settings per photo. As a result, I intentionally excluded any photos from this article where I deviated from these or the camera default settings.</p><p>All shots were hand-held for this review with <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/01/drastically-improve-your-handheld-shots.html" target="_blank">no special devices to assist with stabilization</a>.</p>
<h4>Things I Loved about the EOS R</h4><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250627422.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250627422-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/9 @ 58mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>The kit lens can definitely make a nice sharp image as seen above, especially in the ideal conditions I enjoyed in Phoenix, Arizona</em></p><p>I'm glad that Canon is investing in a new R lens system for the future that addresses the limitations of the EF system which was optimized for film based cameras. In the long run I think this will allow for improved performance for future advancements in lens and sensor technology. I was also pleased that all of my Canon L lenses performed flawlessly with the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1433718-REG/canon_mount_adapter_ef_rf_with.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Control Ring Mount Adapter</a> - even my super wide and razor sharp <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/03/review-canon-ef-11-24mm-f4l-usm-lensone.html" target="_blank">11-24mm</a>. This preserves my past investment in lenses while still moving forward to a better future ahead, so this was the right thing to do.</p><p align="center"><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1433718-REG/canon_mount_adapter_ef_rf_with.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/canon_mount_adapter_ef_rf_with_1536135667000_1433718.jpg" border="0"></a><br><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1433718-REG/canon_mount_adapter_ef_rf_with.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><em>Canon Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R</em></a></p><p>I'm a bit confused as to why Canon didn't just have one adapter to rule them all that included a control ring and drop-in filter. It seems odd that you have to settle on <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1433717-REG/canon_mount_adapter_ef_rf.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">just an adapter</a> (the value option) or <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1434047-REG/canon_3442c002_drop_in_filter_mount_adapter.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">an adapter with a drop-in filter</a> for a $100 premium (which is great for my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/03/review-canon-ef-11-24mm-f4l-usm-lensone.html" target="_blank">11-24mm</a>), but you can't get a control ring adapter with the drop-in filter feature too.</p><p>The OLED view finder was very good and I really liked the new white on black dot-matrix LCD panel on top over what I have on my other Canon <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_single-lens_reflex_camera" target="_blank">DSLR</a>'s. It was much easier to read.</p><p>While I didn't use it in the real world due to old habits being hard to break, I found the new Fv (aka Flexible-Priority) auto exposure mode to be a great idea. Personally, I find having Manual mode with exposure compensation for the Auto ISO to be enough for my needs, but I could see myself using Fv mode if I was just getting started in digital photography. </p><p>The new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">RAW</a> (CR3) file format was also handy when using C-RAW (Compact <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">Raw</a>) Dual Pixel <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">RAW</a> mode to keep the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">RAW</a> files down to 40MB on average and roughly 15MB - 20MB on average with Dual Pixel <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">RAW</a> turned off. It worked fine with <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Adobe+Lightroom+Download/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Lightroom</a> Classic and I didn't observe any measurable real world differences with it. I did notice that uncompressed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">RAW</a> mode that files ballooned up to 70MB . That said, it is technically a lossy-compression so purist will likely still prefer the uncompressed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">RAW</a> format - especially if you think you'll be doing +3EV or more adjustments regularly as demonstrated in <a href="https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Cameras/Canon-C-RAW-Image-File-Format.aspx" target="_blank">Bryan Carnathan's excellent article on this new format</a>.</p><p>The battery did a great job with an all day outing in Arizona as well as a very cold day shooting the Seahawks - both with plenty of chimping resulting in only about half of the battery life being used. This was way better than the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/11/review-nikon-z7-mirrorless-457mp-24.html" target="_blank">Nikon Z7</a> or Sony <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/10/review-sony-a7r-iicanon-nikon-and.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">A7R III</a>, so I was pleased with the battery performance in real-world use case scenarios. </p><p>Lastly, I did put the weather sealing to the test with both rainy conditions in Seattle and dust conditions in Arizona and never observed any sensor dust issues or otherwise. </p><h4>Areas for Improvement</h4><p>My biggest complaint of this camera was that it seems to use the same technology that makes the images in the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Canon+80D/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">80D</a> look like pixels that have been smeared and lacking for crisp and sharp details even in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">RAW</a> files. This results in images that are closer small sensor cell phone quality than what I see in other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera" target="_blank">mirrorless</a> and higher end <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_single-lens_reflex_camera" target="_blank">DSLR</a> cameras. As a result, even when this camera does everything right I end up with an image that makes me just shake my head when I'm used to seeing what is possible from the best of Sony, Nikon and even Canon. </p><p>If you've been pleased with the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/12/review-canon-7d-mark-ii-oh-no-not-again.html" target="_blank">Canon 7D</a> series or XXD series cameras (e.g., <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/09/review-canon-70d-first-look.html" target="_blank">70D</a>, <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Canon+80D/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">80D</a>, etc...), then you'll love this camera. If you've found them to be lacking in quality, then it's pretty clear that Canon isn't out to win you over with this camera. The 30.3 MP sensor sucks in my personal opinion, so until Canon comes out with something better I see no reason to downgrade to this camera from something like a <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/11/review-canon-5d-mark-iv-better-than.html" target="_blank">5D Mark IV</a>, <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/07/review-canon-5ds-part-i-of-ii-with.html" target="_blank">5Ds</a>, <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1119027-REG/canon_0582c002_eos_5ds_r_dslr.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">5Ds R</a>, <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/08/review-canon-6d-mark-ii-fantastic-in.html" target="_blank">6D Mark II</a> or <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/08/canon-1d-x-in-real-world.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/10/review-canon-1dx-mark-ii-im-no-longer.html" target="_blank">1D X Mark II</a>. However, if you've invested in Canon gear and are looking to move up from the Rebel series, XXD series or even the 7D series (if you can live with a 2 fps drop in burst mode performance) then the EOS R should be high on your list of cameras to consider.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1433712-REG/canon_rf_24_105mm_f_4l_is.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/canon_rf_24_105mm_f_4l_is_1536135667000_1433712.jpg"><br><em>Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens</em></a></p>
<p>As for the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1433712-REG/canon_rf_24_105mm_f_4l_is.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">RF 24-105 f/4L IS</a> lens, it seemed soft and didn't perform as well as my <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Canon+24-105mm+IS+II/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS II</a>. In fact, I'd say it performed closer to my very old 24-105mm f/4L IS with terrible <a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm" target="_blank">diffraction</a> after f/11. As a result, I was wishing I would have reviewed the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1433713-REG/canon_rf_28_70mm_f_2l_usm.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">RF 28-70mm f/2L</a> lens instead as I can't recommend this lens. I you have existing Canon lenses then I'd recommend forgoing the kit lens and using your existing lenses with the adapter. </p><p>Just like Nikon, Canon went cheap on the slots and only offered one. I really wished this camera would have had a slot for my CF cards (or even CFAST 2.0) to go along with the single SD card, but I got over it as the price point suggests that this camera is targeted as consumers who are coming from cameras with only one memory card slot.</p><h5><a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm" target="_blank">Diffraction</a> Compensation Needs Work</h5><p>When shooting landscapes, I like a lot <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field" target="_blank">depth of field</a>, so when testing cameras and lenses I always start out at f/22 and do a series of shots more opened up (smaller f-stop #'s) to see how much depth I can get before <a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm" target="_blank">diffraction</a> kicks in. In the field you usually only have the in-camera JPEG and the rear LCD to make a judgement call so when I got back to my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">Windows</a> system and closely analyzed it on my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/09/review-nec-pa271q-bk-27-169-color.html" target="_blank">NEC PA271Q</a> display I noticed that anything beyond f/11 was very soft. Here's an example that illustrates the level of <a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm" target="_blank">diffraction</a> when viewing the three versions at full size:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250591687.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250591687-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/11 @ 50mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>This f/11 shot was much sharper than the </em><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250591513.jpg" target="_blank"><em>f/16</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250591076.jpg" target="_blank"><em>f/22</em></a><em> versions which lost any advantage in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field" target="_blank">depth of field</a> due to massive <a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm" target="_blank">diffraction</a> which soften the entire image</em></p><p>Canon once again is light years behind Fujifilm, Sony and Nikon in their <a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm" target="_blank">diffraction</a> compensation technology that is present in both the in-camera JPEG processing as well as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">raw</a> files. The Nikon Z7 did way better even in poor weather conditions, and the Sony <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">a7R III</a> and Fujifilm <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/04/review-fujifilm-x-pro-2-16-55mm-f28.html" target="_blank">X-Pro 2</a> were both excellent by comparison. </p><h5>Focus Performance Observations</h5><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250616209.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250616209-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/2.8 @ 200mm for 1/2000 sec at ISO 3200</em></a></p><p>The lack of eye auto focus that Sony and Fujifilm mastered years ago is quite frustrating, but the Face+Tracking auto focus mode in this camera is the worst I've seen any camera on the market - in years. In fact, it was so bad that I expected to see a firmware update to be available for this camera but that never happened during the entire time I was reviewing the EOS R. </p><p>I found myself having to rely on manually setting my AF point which was cumbersome due to the lack of a dedicated joystick for this function, and frustratingly slow speed at which the focus points could be moved using the arrow keys. Like other touch screens, I found my nose accidentally changing the AF point on the touch screen, but it seemed to happen more often in this camera for reasons I can't explain. Overall the whole experience setting the focus points was worst in class of any camera I've used in the last few years. </p><p>Yes, if I did my job right with manual AF point positioning then I could get my subject in focus even in nose bleed stadium seats even while using the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1433718-REG/canon_mount_adapter_ef_rf_with.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Canon Control Ring Mount Adapter</a> and my <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/680103-USA/Canon_2751B002_EF_70_200mm_f_2_8L_IS.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM</a> lens as shown here:</p>
<p align="center">
<a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250600804.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250826344-3.jpg" border="0"></a>
<br><em><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250600804.jpg" target="_blank">Zoomed in, click for the original full-size image</a></em></p>
<p>It wasn't all bad though. I love the improved AF point coverage and the performance seems to be fairly fast, but its low-light performance was abysmal in my testing. Yes, it didn't focus hunt like a typical Canon DSLR, but it did quickly find a wrong subject and/or simply stop searching and take a blurry shot more often than I've seen on a camera since the Canon <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/484813-REG/Canon_1888B002_EOS_1D_Mark_III_Digital.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">1D Mark III</a>. </p><p>While I was glad to see that this camera offered focus peaking, once again it was a worst in class implementation that didn't come close to the easy to see and use implementation I've seen with Sony, Fujifilm or and Nikon. In fact, it was so bad that I simply stopped using it after a week of poor results. Of course this partially had to do with the terrible 1.48' / 45 cm minimum focus distance of the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS. </p><h4>Compared with the iPhone 8 Plus / XS</h4><p>Each release of the iPhone seems to make great progress with its "in-camera" default processing of images, so I find myself taking some shots with my phone and simply calling it a day. For social media and casual printing it offers a file that is good enough that the average person won't see the need for something better.</p><p>With this in mind, I found myself very impressed with the metering and performance of my iPhone XS and my wife's 8 Plus during our trip to Arizona - so much so, I found myself taking the iPhone shot first and then trying hard to dial in settings that gave me a better result with the EOS R. </p><p>In terms of speed and overall satisfaction, the iPhone was the hands down winner. However, with pixel peeping and the advantage of the EOS R larger sensor still won in my comparisons - but I did find myself taking a lot of shots on this trip only with the iPhone and determining that they were "good enough" to not bother to shoot it again with the EOS R. </p><p>Here's some examples of shots taking with the EOS R and links to iPhone shots of the same scene. All shots are 100% unedited from both devices and are exactly as they came out. While you are viewing this article you may download and compare the images side by side, but you must delete them from your machine after you close this article. </p><p>All images are copyright Ron Martinsen with all rights reserved. You may not edit, print, post, link to, redistribute or use any of the images featured in this article without a hand signed contract on printed paper. </p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250596941.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250596941-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/16 @ 105mm for 1/320 sec at ISO 400</em></a><br><em>A shot like this benefits from a longer focal length lens vs the wide angle of the iPhone, so I was much happier with the EOS R result</em><br><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/fEQJc7rZyWgrgBDL8" target="_blank"><em>Compare with iPhone XS in-camera HDR</em></a><em> which isn't bad but needs a serious crop</em><br></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250591073.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250591073-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/22 @ 24mm for 1/160 sec at ISO 400</em></a><br><br><em>My wife did a better job composing her iPhone shot but I included this one as it shows off the distortion you get by default with the EOS R kit lens at 24mm vs the auto perspective correction <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/X9D8A9G25X3szt6f7" target="_blank">with iPhone 8 Plus in-camera HDR</a>. This problem can be easily fixed in </em><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Adobe+Lightroom+Download/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Adobe+Lightroom+Download/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><em>Lightroom</em></a><em>.<br></em><br><em>The iPhone 8 Plus shot was the more impressive shot but the highlights were better preserved with the EOS R in Enhanced (D+2) Highlight Tone Priority mode<br></em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250594601.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250594601-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/11 @ 70mm for 1/1250 sec at ISO 800</em></a><br><em>Single exposure with camera defaults and Cloudy White Balance<br>Lots of shadow detail is lost with the default settings so I took it again (below) using the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank">HDR</a> features of both the EOS R and iPhone XS</em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250596590.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250596590-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/11 @ 70mm for 1/1250 sec at ISO 800</em></a><br><em>In-Camera </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank"><em>HDR</em></a><em> +/- 3EV Natural<br>Shadow details come back but the image overall feels washed out<br><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/1vzx4wH1tavAv6a28" target="_blank">Compare with iPhone XS in-camera HDR</a> which lacks the saturation but has a more natural color and feels more upright</em></p><p align="center"><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250585229.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250585229-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/8 @ 63mm for 1/1250 sec at ISO 2500</em></a><br><em>In-Camera </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank"><em>HDR</em></a><em> +/- 3EV Natural<br>iPhone handles extreme mixed lighting scenarios like this very well.<br>It manages to avoid the bleached out looking sky, tree top and saguaros (in the background)</em><br><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/WvNWLP78p9rPAXCp6" target="_blank"><em>Compare with iPhone XS in-camera HDR</em></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250579467.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250579467-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/16 @ 45mm for 1/160 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>The OLED viewfinder helped me eliminate the distracting yellow box at the bottom left corner of </em><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/VWVgBamUM2NUr8P98" target="_blank"><em>the iPhone XS version</em></a><em>, but I did prefer the camera default processing from my phone</em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250579567.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250579567-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/9 @ 70mm for 1/1600 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>This shot made me hate the EOS R swivel out LCD (which is great for selfies) versus how Sony only tilts up and down which makes it easier to get </em><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/n9pz7BaCVUmrL6Fw7" target="_blank"><em>better composed shots like I did with the iPhone XS</em></a> for objects that are close to the ground</p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250580523.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250580523-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 25mm for 1/160 sec at ISO 400</em></a><br><em>Having a hood paid off for this mugshot as there was some intense sunlight that was blocked by the hood, but </em><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/8MDQy3yzKqAKhzTDA" target="_blank"><em>it wreaked havoc on the iPhone XS version</em></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250580701.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250580701-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 43mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>This EOS R shot above turned out so bad </em><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/VyMqn9WtyB5De3rJ8" target="_blank"><em>compared to the incredible iPhone XS version</em></a><em> that I seriously considered not using the EOS R for the rest of the day. If it wasn't for this review, I probably would have too.</em> </p><h4>Unedited JPEG's</h4><p>The images you see below are just like my "real world pics" (except these aren't so real world -- it's cool places in Arizona and an NFL game) where I'm showing the 100% unedited in-camera JPEG. You can click the photo to see the full size original, but I don't provide the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format">raw</a> files due to storage cost and file permissions issues.<p>You may view the images at full-size, but you may not save, print, edit, link to or otherwise use any of the images in this article or in the gallery. All photos are copyright Ron Martinsen - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do ask that you also leave the article open in your browser while you view the images.<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250611767.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250611767-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 180mm for 1/2000 sec at ISO 10000</em></a><br><em>Even with nose bleed level seats, I was able to catch all of the action on the field with the EOS R using the </em><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1433718-REG/canon_mount_adapter_ef_rf_with.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><em>Canon Control Ring Mount Adapter</em></a><em> and my </em><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/680103-USA/Canon_2751B002_EF_70_200mm_f_2_8L_IS.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><em>70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM</em></a><em> lens.<br>Unlike my 1D series cameras, I wasn't left with an image that I could heavily crop and use as I did </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/03/my-turn-sitting-in-best-seat-in-house.html" target="_blank"><em>the last time I shot the Seahawks vs the 49ers</em></a><em> from the sidelines.<br>The adapter performed well, but the camera sensor and in-camera JPEG processing left me wanting for for better results, but it wasn't bad for a ~$2300 camera (at the time this was written).</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250616535.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250616535-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/4 @ 105mm for 1/1000 sec at ISO 3200</em></a><br><em>At the end of the game I got a better seat and shot with the RF </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/03/the-new-canon-24-105mm-f4l-is-ii-on.html" target="_blank"><em>24-105mm</em></a><em>, but the images weren't any sharper when zoomed to 100% when compared to my 2012 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens. <br></em><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250616155.jpg" target="_blank">Click here to see one of many examples</a><em></em><em> in the gallery taken at the same ISO and the same elevation</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250575935.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250575935-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/9 @ 24mm for 1/1000 sec at ISO 1250</em></a><br><em>This was the first time I tried the in-camera Auto </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank"><em>HDR</em></a><em> (Natural) processing to see if I could make this back-lit rusted piece of rusty iron look like more than just a black silhouette. It did ok, but I immediately went to my iPhone XS when I wanted perfectly exposed in-camera shots</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250576028.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250576028-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/7.1 @ 50mm for 1/1000 sec at ISO 250</em></a><br><em>In-camera </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank"><em>HDR</em></a><em> saved this from looking like a hand flipping the bird, but the results are so gross that I still wanted to toss it. With that said, this is probably the best I've seen a camera from Canon for </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank"><em>HDR</em></a><em> processing of the sun as typically a shot like this would have nasty banding around the sun</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250578527.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250578527-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/22 @ 101mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 1000</em></a><br><em>This was one of my first f/22 shots with this camera and the first </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/11/review-topaz-impression-2-discount-offer.html" target="_blank"><em>impression</em></a><em> was "not bad", so I mistakenly used it a lot more often than I should have after this. Don't be like me - stick with f/11 or smaller f-stop numbers if you care about </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field" target="_blank"><em>depth of field</em></a><em> and sharpness at the same time</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250582909.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250582909-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 400</em></a><br><em>This shot helps illustrate what I mean by soft when you view the details in the cut area where the focus point was set. To see what I consider sharp, </em><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s10/v98/p2698023879.jpg" target="_blank"><em>consider this shot</em></a><em> taken with the Sony </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/10/review-sony-a7r-iicanon-nikon-and.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank"><em>a7R III</em></a><em> at</em><em> only 1/60 sec and ISO 2500 albeit with </em><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1126140-REG/sony_sel90m28g_fe_90mm_f_2_8_macro.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><em>a very sharp 90mm prime lens</em></a></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250622710.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250622710-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5 @ 105mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 25600</em></a><br><em>I was pleased to see that color fidelity was good even at the highest ISO's, so that's a huge improvement from what we saw from Canon in its last generation of cameras a few years back</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250589745.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250589745-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/22 @ 53mm for 1/1250 sec at ISO 8000</em></a><br><em>This shot was ruined with </em><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250589924.jpg" target="_blank"><em>the in-camera HDR version</em></a><em>, but thankfully the "save source images" option in the </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank"><em>HDR</em></a><em> settings allows you to keep both the </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank"><em>RAW</em></a><em> and JPEG version of each of the exposures (3 here but up to 7 possible) so I went with the +0 EV version for the keeper frame shown above</em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250592440.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250592440-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/11 @ 53mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>If you have mixed lighting conditions in a frame, Evaluate Metering isn't going to save you so you better pray - or just use your phone instead as my wife did </em><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/MvhYuAM55L67ASpb6" target="_blank"><em>with her iPhone 8 Plus shot here</em></a></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250592980.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250592980-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/9 @ 61mm for 1/400 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>The old saying that f/8 is great rings true, but I'd add stick with f/9 and you'll be fine for landscapes as seen here in this incredibly sharp and detailed shot</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250593511.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250593511-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/14 @ 70mm for 1/200 sec at ISO 320</em></a><br><em>I did +2/3 EV to brighten up the dark shadows here, but I was surprised to discover that I didn't need it when I got back to the computer. I think this was user error due to the sun playing games with my eyes, but luckily it was easy to bring this one back with a quick adjustment in Lightroom using the CR3 C-</em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank"><em>RAW</em></a><em> file (<a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3251023613.jpg" target="_blank">see here</a> for the full-size <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">RAW</a> processed version)</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250599107.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250599107-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 105mm for 1/1600 sec at ISO 8000</em></a><br><em>While traveling home at desert freeway speeds, I couldn't help but open the car window and try to get a snapshot of the sunset. I was pleased to see that even at a high ISO and shutter speed that the gradients turned out ok and there weren't any huge color splotches in the noise as I would have seen with previous generation Canon cameras. I wouldn't say this is a great high ISO camera, but I've definitely seen worse - and this is an easy one to clean with </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/11/imagenomic-noiseware-portraiture.html" target="_blank"><em>Noiseware</em></a></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250625864.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3250625864-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5 @ 67mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 25600</em></a><br><em>4 out of 8 frames taken in these conditions resulted in a completely out of focus image. It didn't focus hunt like a Canon normally would, it simply took a blurry shot<br>NOTE: Continue Focus Search was set to ON for all frames and burst mode was not used - I took each shot separately</em></p><p><a href="http://photos.ronmartblog.com/canon/eosr" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see a gallery of 145 images taken with the EOS R and <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/UKS66WZ3HNttcbM89" target="_blank">click here</a> for a few redundant shots taken with the iPhone 8 Plus or XS while I was in Arizona. All images are copyright Ron Martinsen with all rights reserved. You may not edit, print, post, link to, redistribute or use any of the images featured in this article without a hand signed contract on printed paper. </p>
<h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p>If you are a loyal entry level (Rebel) to mid-level (XXD series / 7D series) Canon shooter with an investment in Canon lenses and/or flashes, then the EOS R is a camera worth considering. For everyone else, I still go back to saying that my 2017 Camera of the Year winner the Sony Alpha <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">a7R III</a> or even the cheaper <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Sony/Ntt/Sony+a7+II/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">a7 II</a> is the better choice. The Nikon faithful have a much better alternative with the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/11/review-nikon-z7-mirrorless-457mp-24.html" target="_blank">Z7</a> as it impressed me a lot more than the EOS R did.</p><p>Simply put, the EOS R isn't a bad camera - it's just hard to recommend in this era where there are so many better offerings from Sony, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus and Panasonic. I'd also strongly advise against the RF 24-105 kit as that lens simply isn't sharp enough in 2019 to justify its $1100 price tag. </p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/items/ci/40345/N/0/view/GRID/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today.</p>
<h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4>
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<p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this..</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-91040827153910949172019-09-07T13:03:00.000-07:002019-09-08T13:03:41.640-07:00REVIEW: Fujifilm GFX 50S with 32-64mm–Finally A User-Friendly Medium Format Camera, But Is It Worth It<p align="center"><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1364662-REG/fujifilm_gfx_50s_medium_format.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x849216/SID/EZ" target="_blank"><img title="Click to learn more on B&H" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" alt="Click to learn more on B&H" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/1484803515000_1283336.jpg" border="0"></a><br><em><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1364662-REG/fujifilm_gfx_50s_medium_format.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x849216/SID/EZ" target="_blank">FUJIFILM GFX 50S Medium Format Mirrorless Camera with 32-64mm Lens Kit</a></em></p><p>Most people have no experience with a medium format camera from one of the big names in the business, but they are <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1384729-REG/hasselblad_h_3013775_h6d_400c_multi_shot_medium_format.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x871332/SID/EZ" target="_blank">as expensive as a luxury car</a> (not including <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Lenses/ci/5518/N/4232860421/BI/2071/KBID/2787/KWID/EZ" target="_blank">the expensive lenses</a>) and frequently lack all of the creature comforts we take for granted with modern <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_single-lens_reflex_camera" target="_blank">DSLR</a> and mirrorless cameras. High ISO? – Forget about it. Format your card in your camera? – Nope, you’ve got to do that on your computer. Handhold and shoot? – Only if you are using <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/01/rons-studio-lighting-gear-list.html" target="_blank">studio lights</a>. And the list goes on and on and on. </p><p>Now, medium format shooters who spend the money have to defend their decision to spend so much for a camera that offers so little, so they will argue til the death about why their cameras are so much better than yours. However, unless your shooting billboards or other commercial work where every pixel counts, the reality is that most prosumers these days end up discarding most of their megapixels when they post their photos online or display their images on their TV’s / digital frames. </p><p>As a result, this always begged the question – why can’t we have a camera with all of the creature comforts that high end cameras offer that simply adds a larger size sensor? Seems simple, but it sure took a long time to see that become a reality. </p><p>At just under <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1364662-REG/fujifilm_gfx_50s_medium_format.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x849216/SID/EZ" target="_blank">$7800 USD (2019-03-02)</a> the GFX 50s and its 32-64mm lens aren’t cheap, but it’s still less than <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1245050-REG/hasselblad_h_3026590_hcd_35_90mm_f_4_5_6_lens.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x725295/SID/EZ" target="_blank">some Hasselblad zoom lenses</a>! At 51.4MP it’s also about half the megapixels which actually looks closer in specification to the Canon <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/07/review-canon-5ds-part-i-of-ii-with.html" target="_blank">5Ds</a>/<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/08/review-canon-5dsrpart-i-of-ii.html" target="_blank">5DsR</a>, Nikon <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/10/review-nikon-d850-with-24-70mm-f28e-ed.html" target="_blank">D850</a> and the phenomenal Sony <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/10/review-sony-a7r-iicanon-nikon-and.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">a7R III</a> – all of which are much cheaper. This begs the question, is the bigger sensor worth the bigger price?</p><h4>Ron’s Take on 50s Body Usability</h4><p><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1364662-REG/fujifilm_gfx_50s_medium_format.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x849216/SID/EZ" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314630546-4.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p>When you analyze specs and high ISO performance, it’s easy to have a negative perception of Fujifilm cameras. However, every Fujifilm camera I’ve ever reviewed has had some magic that makes me fall in love with photography all over again. Perhaps its their more retro and classic designs, but I think it really boils down to the amazing film simulation modes (e.g., Provia, Velvia, etc…) that give you an image that straight out of the camera that is just wow – no additional work is required. To me, this makes them much like an iPhone XS in the sense that you stop thinking about what you need to do with the images after you shoot and just focus on composition which is so refreshing.</p><p>While some features will require you to peek at the manual to figure them out, once you learn you come to love this camera body real quick. Features like:</p><ul><li>push button locks on the dials that make them easy to turn, but also easy to lock in place (brilliant!!!);</li><li>excellent touch enabled 2.36M-dot LCD</li><li>removable <a href="http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/gfx/fujifilm_gfx_50s/features/img/page_03/pic_03.jpg" target="_blank">tilting</a> (!!!) electronic viewfinder that is fantastic quality, but something you can leave off to save battery if you want;</li><li>built-in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_stacking" target="_blank">focus stacking</a> that performed the best of any that I’ve ever tested;</li><li>excellent built-in eye tracking auto focus with auto, left, and right eye priority options;</li><li>and an industry leading number of drive modes that include exposure bracketing, film simulation bracketing, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-lapse_photography" target="_blank">time lapse</a> , and so much more. </li></ul><p>Check out <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/3DImage.jsp/sku/1364662?BI=2071&KBID=2787&KWID=EZ" target="_blank">B&H’s awesome interactive 360 view of this camera</a> to really see what it is like in your hands and get your <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek" target="_blank">geek</a> on at <a href="http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/gfx/fujifilm_gfx_50s/features/index.html" target="_blank">all of the glorious technical details about this camera on Fujifilm’s website</a>.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1364662-REG/fujifilm_gfx_50s_medium_format.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x849216/SID/EZ" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314630544-4.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p>Yeah, I loved this camera body and it was durable too. I shot in the rain, snow, and even took a hard fall on the ice and there was not a single scratch on this camera by the end of my review – that’s rare these days.</p><p>This love spilled over to the awesome <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=GF32-64mmF4%20R%20LM%20WR&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=&BI=2071&KBID=2787&KWID=EZ" target="_blank">GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR lens</a> which features my much loved <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aperture" target="_blank">aperture</a> dial so that with this feature and the 1.28-inch monochrome LCD monitor can be viewed in all conditions (including bright sunlight), you can easily set all of your settings without needing to get bogged down in menus that slow you down.</p><p>Simply put, this is a well engineered tool for photographers who hate menus and who know how to shoot manual. With that said, every dial and option has an auto setting so if you want to let the camera do all of the work then it will – and quite well from my experience. </p><p>Lastly, if you haven’t shot a Fujifilm camera with its outstanding film simulation modes, you are really missing out. What’s more, if you don’t like something (say Velvia is too dark in the shadows and perhaps a touch to vibrant for your taste), you can easily adjust the default settings. The customization in this camera is excellent, so you can genuinely have a series of presets and programmable buttons to match your style with final images that will cause you to just use the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">raw</a> as insurance because the in-camera JPEG’s are spot on most of the time.</p><p>So yes, in case you haven’t figured it out yet – I love this camera body & lens. It was a delight to use and extremely difficult to return back to <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/09/my-visit-to-b-in-new-york-city.html" target="_blank">B&H</a> when I was done shooting. In fact, I ended up keeping it much longer than the typical allotted time I devote to my review camera check-out window.</p><h4>Fun with Focus Stacking</h4><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_stacking" target="_blank">Focus stacking</a> has been around for quite some time, but I never got into it because it was too cumbersome for my busy (and impatient) lifestyle. With that said, this camera makes focus stacking incredibly easy to use and improvements in <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Adobe+Lightroom+Download/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Lightroom</a> and <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> have made the process about as easy as processing a raw file. Yes, it does take some time, but the result is worth the reward. </p><p>Here’s an example of the kind of detail I got of a 58 images (2 flash misfires missing) shot of a lily with a very long stem – a shot that is totally impossible without focus stacking. This image is 100% unedited from RAW except for it being cropped and focused stacked & RAW processed in Lightroom:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3312727799.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314631625-5.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p align="center">Here’s a 100% crop with no post-processing of any type (including NO sharpening):<img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314631632-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Click to see the full Photoshop stacked 8280 x 6208 original image<br>f/11 @ 64mm for 1/100 sec at ISO 100 (x 58 1 step frames)<br>No editing adjustments – only stacked from RAW via Lightroom</em></p><p>The 50s has a deep body so that during focus stacking the sensor can move 1 to 10 steps between each frame and you can set the interval for how long to pause between each frame (great when using a flash). This flexibility was excellent, but even more impressive is that this feature came out as a newly added feature with the 3.30 firmware update! Who doesn’t like new features after you’ve bought the camera?!!</p><p>For those new to focus stacking, here’s a great example of why you need to stack to get more <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field" target="_blank">depth of field</a>:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314631623.png" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314631623-3.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p>Lightroom has FINALLY got the raw processing of Fujifilm film simulation down to where it can match in-camera results, so I found no difference between the focus stacked in-camera JPEG vs the Lightroom processed RAW. Both also resulted in a ~19.5GB file in Photoshop if you keep all 58 layers, so I always flattened to have a more manageable ~296 MB file. Oh and yes, this is one case where the more RAM you have in your computer (and you better have a fast SSD & processor) will save a lot of time. </p><p align="center">I also should note that if you get things right in camera, then focus stacking with the in-camera JPEG results in nearly identical results to focus stacking with the RAW as you can see here:</p><p><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314631624.png" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314631624-3.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p>Other than white balance, can you tell the difference? The raw is on the right, but was the time required to process it took twice as long.</p><p>However, if you get things wrong in camera, then obviously having the RAW images can save the shot as shown here:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314631630.png" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314631630-3.jpg" border="0"></a><br><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3312726538.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see the amazing detail of the flowers in the yellow roses RAW processed shot. It’s another textbook case of focus stacking really saving the day!</p><h4>Black & White Lovers Delight</h4><p>Fujifilm is so well loved for its great in-camera black and white conversion that they even <a href="https://www.fujirumors.com/monochrome-fujifilm-x-pro1-m-x100s-m-available-converted-maxmax/" target="_blank">made monochrome only versions</a> of a couple of their cameras a few years back. Here’s three shots taken in my studio where the first two are straight out of the camera using the ACROS+R film simulation and the last is obviously edited but you can click it to see the in-camera original.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3281251009.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img width="580" height="435" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3281251009-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/11 @ 58mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>Can you believe this is straight out of the camera with zero edits? This is literally the in-camera JPEG that I loved so much that I printed it and put it on my </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/12/meural-digital-frame-20-2017-product-of.html" target="_blank"><em>Meural</em></a><em> frame. Impressive!</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3281257575.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img width="638" height="850" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3281257575-5.jpg"><br><em>f/10 @ 64mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>Even at 1/125 sec there’s still a little vignette on the left edge caused by this camera having a very slow flash sync speed. However, the JPEG image that comes straight out of the camera is pretty amazing!</em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289348750.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img width="650" height="812" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289349214-5.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 64mm for 1/60 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><a href="http://ronmartinsen.blogspot.com/2009/07/having-fun-with-my-son.html" target="_blank"><em>Kai</em></a><em> and I even had a little fun with it (and yes he wanted to be 7’ tall)<br>Edited shown, click to see full original unedited file</em></p><p>Some say that if you really want to see the face, shoot monochrome, otherwise it gets lost in the color. I think that rings true, so if you love making black and white images you are going to love this camera.</p><h4>Bracketed Exposures</h4><p>I found myself using the exposure bracketing drive mode quite a bit with the 7 exposures setting with 1 stop between each exposure (i.e., -3 to + 3). I really liked the menu design for how bracketing works on this camera. </p><p>Just for fun, here’s the RAW files merged with <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/09/aurora-hdr-2018-for-windows-and-mac.html" target="_blank">Aurora HDR</a> for <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">Windows</a> with highest ghosting, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_aberration" target="_blank">chromatic aberrations</a> correction and the Balanced Interior preset:</p><p><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314322494.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="650" height="488" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314322494-4.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p>I wasn’t impressed with how it handled the sky and tree line and there were some artifacts in the stream, but it did a good job in the shadow details.</p><p>Here’s a Lightroom Classic 8.2 Photo Merge <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank">HDR</a> with Auto Align, Auto Settings and High deghost amount:</p><p><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314328663.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="650" height="488" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314328663-4.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p>This was a much better merge but a lot of detail is lost on the rocks and in the trees.</p><p>Here’s my final edit using a high-end photo retoucher manual HDR technique from RAW then edited with <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/luminar-finally-arrives-on-windows.html" target="_blank">Luminar</a> 3:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://500px.com/photo/292914293/romance-of-the-river-by-ron-martinsen?ctx_page=1&from=user&user_id=203720" target="_blank"><img width="650" height="433" title="GFX50S Hike-271_273_275_277_279_281_283_IY [3.1 sec at f - 22 32 mm Fujifilm GFX 50S GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR]" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="GFX50S Hike-271_273_275_277_279_281_283_IY [3.1 sec at f - 22 32 mm Fujifilm GFX 50S GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR]" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314630549-4.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p align="center"><a href="https://500px.com/photo/292914293/romance-of-the-river-by-ron-martinsen?ctx_page=1&from=user&user_id=203720"><em>I think too much was lost in the sky, so I tried to distract from it via the sunrays filter in my final edit via </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/luminar-finally-arrives-on-windows.html" target="_blank"><em>Luminar</em></a><em> 3. </em></p><p>As someone who enjoys shooting landscapes, I really loved this camera.</p><h4>In the Studio</h4><p>Medium formats pretty much own ultra high end studio photography, so I was looking forward to taking this camera into the studio to see how it compared to the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/07/review-canon-5ds-part-i-of-ii-with.html" target="_blank">5Ds</a> I used for my personal portrait. Read on to see how it did.</p><p>I was pretty shocked when I discovered that the flash sync speed was below 1/160 as shown by the black bar at the left of the frame here (f/7.1 @ 64mm for 1/160 sec at ISO 100), so I had to shoot at 1/125 sec in the studio:</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3312730972-5.jpg" border="0"></p><p>This shot was also pretty heavily overexposed, but there’s tons of details in these raw files so this was a trivial recovery for a gorgeous final edit:</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3312728678-5.jpg" border="0"></p><p>As someone who does a lot of studio portrait work, I was extremely happy with the GFX 50s!</p><p>Again, because this is a large sensor the depth of field is much more shallow so when the eye auto focus on my left (camera right) eye did its job, my deep eye wells and big nose resulted in unexpected softness. As a result, a face like mine required f/11 or better (photo taken by my wife):</p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3281252149.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3281252149-5.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/8 @ 62mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 100</em></a></p><p>As you can see going to f/10 solved the problem, but that’s something I wouldn’t have needed to do on the full frame sensors I’m using to shooting with.</p><p>When you compare the image below with <a href="http://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s11/v33/p1335404349.jpg" target="_blank">a similar shot my daughter took of me</a> with the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/07/review-canon-5ds-part-i-of-ii-with.html" target="_blank">5Ds</a>, you’ll notice that the hot spots on the face aren’t as harsh. This is the recurring theme I’m seeing for indoor and outdoor shooting with Canon vs Fujifilm & Sony – they do sooo much better and preserving details in the highlights which saves a lot of time in post-process editing.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314408155.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314408155-5.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/10 @ 64mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>The Provia film simulation is pretty impressive straight out the camera with default RAW processing from Lightroom Classic 8.2</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314409189.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314409189-5.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/10 @ 64mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>The same RAW file switched to Velvia processing really makes the eyes and tie pop and the blacks deeper on the suit, but it makes the background too yellow. </em></p><p><em>When I did a ba</em>ckground replacement to white on the next frame after the shot above and asked <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ronmartblog" target="_blank">Facebook</a> friends to compare Velvia to the Provia, most came back saying they preferred the Velvia. I felt the skin tone was too red, so I merged the skin of the Provia to the rest with Velvia, replaced the background and did typical processing for this final result:</p><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314418673-5.jpg" border="0"></p><p>Yeah, I love this camera as a studio portrait camera too – the details are outstanding! This would definitely be my studio camera of choice if I had one, but I’d definitely use a longer focal length lens (I generally prefer 200mm). The 64mm focal length is the full frame sensor equivalent to a 51mm which I consider a horrible lens for portrait photography (makes subjects look fatter than they are), so keep that in mind when making your lens choice if you photograph people.</p><h4>More Unedited Images</h4><p>The following images in this section are all 100% unedited and exactly as they came out of the camera via in-camera JPEG originals. While I did use <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/01/drastically-improve-your-handheld-shots.html" target="_blank">my mini-tripod setup</a>, I did not use any lens filters or in-camera photo adjustments. Most shots are Velvia or Provia film simulations with no other camera adjustments beyond setting white balance to taste.</p><p>ALL images in this article are copyright Ron Martinsen © All Rights Reserved. You may not save, copy, edit, print, link to or otherwise use any of these photos without ink on paper signature and a consent agreement with Ron Martinsen.<a href="http://ronmartinsen.com/contact.html" target="_blank">Contact me</a> if you are interested in prints or licensing.</p><p>If the photos in this article aren’t enough for you, <a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/fujifilm/gfx50s" target="_blank">click here</a> to visit the full gallery more images with duplicates taken at various apertures or settings for comparisons. </p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272895576.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272895576-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/32 @ 32mm for 3 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>f/32 means you can pretty easily get a long exposure without needing to carry a ND filter</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272883338.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272883338-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 64mm for 1/10 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>Because this is medium format, you get roughly half the depth of field you’d get with your full frame sensors. As such, f/5.6 is pretty shallow and f/4 feels like f/2.8.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272887639.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272887639-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/32 @ 32mm for 4 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>You have to view with no ambient light, but even in Provia mode the shadow areas are pretty blocked up. As such, if you need shadow detail you’ll either need to adjust the shadows default behavior or handle via raw for post-processing.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272885095.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272885095-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/32 @ 48mm for 4 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>If you compare this shot at f/32 and the one below at f/22 & f/16, you’ll see that unlike many full frame cameras there is a visible depth of field differences. What’s more, f/32 suffers from very little </em><a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm" target="_blank"><em>diffraction</em></a><em> compared to other brands, so I didn’t avoid f/32 with this camera.<br>Notice how crisp the details are in the background rock on the right in the river.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272885464.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272885464-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/22 @ 48mm for 2 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>Details in the background definitely drop off at f/22 so that rock isn’t as crisp, but the foreground does get slightly sharper.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272885536.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272885536-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/16 @ 48mm for 1 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>f/16 is plenty sharp but at the expense of a smooth river, so I found myself comfortable with longer exposures at f/32 with this camera.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272883038.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272883038-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/11 @ 44mm for 1/5 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>While I was pleased that flare wasn’t a huge issue, the backlit foreground details weren’t totally lost despite shooting into the sun. While <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_range" target="_blank">dynamic range</a> isn’t close to the Sony <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/10/review-sony-a7r-iicanon-nikon-and.html" target="_blank">a7R</a> III, it’s not terrible.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272895841.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272895841-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/11 @ 32mm for 1 sec at ISO 100</em></a><em> (-1 EV)</em><br><em>This was the –1 EV exposure of a bracketed series, but a great starting point for a fun edit. However, when I got home I regretted shooting it at f/11.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272888000.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272888000-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/32 @ 32mm for 20 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>This is one of those fairytale scenes in nature that only Fujifilm Velvia film simulation can properly capture. I also felt f/32 was a must for the details on the tree laying down in the woods at the top 1/3rd of the frame.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272887761.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272887761-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/16 @ 32mm for 6 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>Yes, f/16 was sharp but the depth of field loss wasn’t worth it.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272890686.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272890686-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/6.4 @ 64mm for 1 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>High megapixel images give you lots of details so that when you downsize your images for the web, more details are preserved. The detail in the tree stump here is a great example – it’s way more crisp</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272880520.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272880520-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/32 @ 32mm for 1 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>This is an in-camera natural starburst from shooting into the sun, but I did get some nasty rainbows on the rock and in the trees so the anti-flare coating isn’t close to what Canon offers in some of its amazing lenses like the </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/03/review-canon-ef-11-24mm-f4l-usm-lensone.html" target="_blank"><em>11-24mm</em></a></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272890387.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272890387-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/8 @ 32mm for 1/2 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>Even if your composition sucks, this camera makes every scene just look gorgeous!</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272892849.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272892849-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/32 @ 38mm for 3 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>I had a love affair with f/32 since I didn’t have a ND filter for my review, but this sensor does so well at f/32 it felt like I was shooting film. I really didn’t have the fear of diffraction like I do when shooting with Canon and Nikon (both of which are useless after f/11)</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272890764.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272890764-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/32 @ 32mm for 4 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>The DR-AUTO feature which is supposed to help increase the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_range" target="_blank">dynamic range</a> didn’t impress me. The Sony a7R III would not have blown out this long exposure as bad as this camera does.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272893310.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272893310-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/16 @ 32mm for 17 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>You become obsessed with scenes with tons of detail when shooting with this camera because you look on the rear screen LCD and just say “oh my god” every time you do. If you love super detailed images, this camera will delight you to no end!</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272900512.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272900512-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/16 @ 40mm for 10 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>Personally, I love shooting in the </em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvia" target="_blank"><em>Velvia</em></a><em> film simulation when doing landscapes, but others mock it and call it </em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velveeta" target="_blank"><em>Velveeta</em></a><em> because it is too saturated. Compare this image to the one below which is using </em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provia" target="_blank"><em>Provia</em></a><em> to decide which you prefer</em> </p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272902171.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272902171-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/16 @ 40mm for 10 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>Provia film simulation is still excellent in my opinion, but if you hate it too there’s tons of flexibility in this camera to </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/11/save-15-when-you-enter-ronmart-discount.html" target="_blank"><em>adjust</em></a><em> the saturation, contrast, highlights, shadows, sharpness and more to create your own film simulation. In fact, you can even bracket shoot with multiple film simulations to give yourself options later (assuming you only shoot JPEG)</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272888053.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272888053-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/8 @ 57mm for 19 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>This is a shot where I got burned by this being a larger sensor camera. f/8 was waaaaay too shallow depth of field for this scene, so I learned that lesson really quick</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272888092.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272888092-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/22 @ 32mm for 14 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>Even at f/22 if you focus on nearby subjects you are going to get much less depth of field than you are used to with full frame cameras, but this thing can focus stack like nobody’s business so the choice is yours as to whether or not you embrace it (as I did in this shot) or work around it.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272903778.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272903778-6.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 32mm for 1/27 sec at ISO 800</em></a><br><em>Sadly you lose a lot at higher ISO, so 800 is the max I’d use for this camera. That’s a tremendous difference from mainstream DSLR’s where I have no reservations at shooting at ISO 25,600 (or higher on some models)</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272902809.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272902809-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 40mm for 1/17 sec at ISO 800</em></a><br><em>Using my </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/01/drastically-improve-your-handheld-shots.html" target="_blank"><em>assisted handheld technique</em></a><em> I managed to get a MUCH sharper shot with the GFX </em><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3314372073.jpg" target="_blank"><em>than I did with my iPhone XS</em></a><em> (which is VERY RARE) due to the low light conditions. However, my pure handheld shot was completely unusable so I had to delete it in the field</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272904446.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3272904446-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/22 @ 32mm for 4 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>I started to risk life and limb to get shots with this camera – that’s a good sign of a fun camera that rewards the effort</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3312736843.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3312736843-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/11 @ 32mm for 1/26 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>Some AF systems I’ve tested struggle in snow, but the Fujifilm didn’t focus hunt during my entire snow shoot</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289336024.jpg" target="_BLANK"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289336024.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289336024-5.jpg" border="0"></a><br><em>f/4 @ 42mm for 1/140 sec at ISO 200</em><br><em>Obviously if you’ve got good light then you can do hand held shots so I was pretty pleased with the in-camera results on this shot</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289332436.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289332436-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/32 @ 64mm for 1/2 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>The 50s ability to capture lots of detail made this the perfect camera for a snowy day at the falls</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289335693.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289335693-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/4 @ 53mm for 1/100 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt7O3fIhuVX/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet" target="_blank"><em>Edited version on Instagram</em></a><br><em>Default metering struggled with this scene, so I had to resort to some exposure compensation in the subsequent shots as shown below</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289335817.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289335817-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 64mm for 1/40 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><em>My 9 year old son had a shaky hand when taking this photo and the pixels literally shifted!<br>This is NOT a handheld friendly camera</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289335791.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289335791-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 64mm for 1/40 sec at ISO 200</em></a><br><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtvCxbqBeJW/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet" target="_blank"><em>Edited version on Instagram</em></a><br><em>But with the same settings and not moving, he got a crisp shot.<br>My wife despised the focal length as it made her face super wide compared to what it is in real life and with longer focal length cameras. Guys, do NOT photograph your wife with this lens!</em></p><p>Full Gallery for more images at <a title="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/fujifilm/gfx50s" href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/fujifilm/gfx50s">https://photos.ronmartblog.com/fujifilm/gfx50s</a></p><p>ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT RON MARTINSEN © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED – NO LINKING, SAVING, PRINTING, ETC… WITHOUT WRITTEN AND INK SIGNED PERMISSION</p><h4>The Occasional “Off” Shot</h4><p><br></p><p><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289234927.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289234927-3.jpg" border="0"></a></p>
<p>On a few occasions I got a shots where things just felt way off compared to the adjacent shots. In some cases the shots were super blue so it was obvious that the white balance was off, but the white balance was set to shade so how could that be? In the shot above things weren’t the extreme blue, but it felt darker and more blocked up in the shadows than I typically saw during my review with other shots. </p><p>Of course these are all easy to fix if you have the raw file as you can see below:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289234924.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3289234924-3.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p>In some cases some might even prefer the result of this anomaly even more than the accurate shot! </p><p>If you’ve seen this, please feel free to comment. Due to massive spamming, I am slow to manually approve comments and I generally don’t approve comments with links in them.</p><h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p>In case you haven’t figured it out yet, YES I love this camera and highly recommend it. The camera body performance and features were excellent and this lens was plenty sharp. While the price is too steep for me to afford it, it’s a bargain compared to the medium format cameras I’ve used over the years with clients. I also think the odds of getting BETTER results because of all of the features (like eye AF, auto ISO, etc…) mean that this is the medium format camera of the future. </p><p>Fujifilm cameras have some special magic that always makes me love them, and this one was no different. If you find yourself in a rut and looking for inspiration, then definitely buy or rent one from my friends at <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/01/lensrentalscom-discount-coupon-code.html" target="_blank">LensRentals.com</a>.</p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1364662-REG/fujifilm_gfx_50s_medium_format.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x849216/SID/EZ" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today.</p>
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<p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-35416481813360179242019-06-16T16:42:00.001-07:002019-06-16T16:42:54.194-07:00REVIEW: Elvid StudioVision 4K Portable Monitor<p align="center"><a title="Elvid StudioVision 4k Displays - up to 28"" href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Elvid+StudioVision+4k/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images500x500/1555080327000_IMG_1170842.jpg" border="0"></a><br><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Elvid+StudioVision+4k/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Elvid StudioVision 4k Displays - up to 28"</a><br></p><p align="left">Laptops are great and practical for field shooting activities including tethering, but advanced shooting scenarios – especially in cinematography – result in multiple source devices in need of larger screen high resolution projection. What’s more, traveling with gear means that something like an extra display is going to take a beating so protecting an extra display can be a challenge.</p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Elvid+StudioVision+4k/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images500x500/1555080327000_IMG_1170845.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p align="left">The Elvid StudioVision displays solve these problems by offering a 4K display in a near indestructible case that offers a wide variety of easily switchable inputs including HDMI 2.0, BNC (3G-SDI), and even VGA. What’s more, it has a speaker and headphones port so you can listen to the audio as well – all very a very affordable price.</p><h4 align="left">Yeah, but is it any good?</h4><p align="left">Long-time followers of my blog know that I care a lot about image quality so I’ve written many articles on high-end displays, spectrophotometers, colorimeters, and color calibration in my role as a <a href="http://xritephoto.com/ph_coloratti.aspx?id=2595" target="_blank">X-Rite Coloratti</a> and <a href="http://www.necdisplay.com/ColorCritical/Home/Testimonials#RonMartinsen" target="_blank">NEC Display Color Visionary</a>. As a result, I was a bit skeptical when <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/09/my-visit-to-b-in-new-york-city.html" target="_blank">B&H</a> (on behalf of Elvid) reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in reviewing this display. </p><p align="left">My initial impressions was that the case was very well built and the soft touch discrete input buttons were a welcome feature. However, my first impression was disappointment when I discovered that the display had no modern inputs like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort" target="_blank">DisplayPort</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB-C" target="_blank">USB-C</a>. This meant that I had to interface it with things like my AppleTV 4k and <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">my Intel NUC</a> to put it through its paces, instead of my <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Apple/Ntt/macbook+pro/N/176/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">MacBook Pro</a> and <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?sts=ma&fct=fct_brand_name%7cmicrosoft&N=0&Ntt=SurfacePro&BI=2071&KBID=2787&KWID=EZ" target="_blank">Surface Pro</a>. </p><p align="left"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3468181337.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3468181337-3.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p align="left">While frustrating, the support for HDMI 2.0 (on port 1 only) meant that I could easily use adapters to get full 4k UHD performance out of this display. As a result, I started with some 4k YouTube videos and compared the results to my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/12/review-nec-multisync-pa322uhd-32-3480-x.html" target="_blank">NEC PA332UHD-2</a> such as the one shown here: </p><p align="center"><a href="https://youtu.be/LXb3EKWsInQ" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3468184237-3.jpg" border="0"></a><br><a href="https://youtu.be/LXb3EKWsInQ" target="_blank">Costa Rica in 4K 60fps HDR (ULTRA HD)</a></p><p>Obviously the screenshot doesn’t tell you anything about the display performance beyond the fact that YouTube did report that I was getting UHD at 60fps, but my system reported that the display could only do <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard-dynamic-range_video" target="_blank">SDR</a> – not <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_video" target="_blank">HDR video</a>.</p><h5>Color Accuracy</h5><p>Out of the box I observed the colors to be a little oversaturated and on the warm side which is common for displays as that makes unedited photos and videos look more interesting. However, it’s a curse if your intention is to edit colors and get a accurate screen representation of what you are editing. As a result, I got out my <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1369004-REG/x_rite_eostudio_i1studio.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x852728/SID/EZ" target="_blank">X-Rite i1Studio Spectrophotometer</a> and calibrated the display. With the colors displays more accurately, I found myself satisfied with the image quality but disappointed in the high gloss display finish which caused massive reflections even when using a hood as shown in the two photos below:</p><p><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3468181332.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3468181332-3.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3468181334.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p3468181334-3.jpg" border="0"></a></p><p>Notice how both have lots of reflections despite the included built-in hood and viewing angles. A matte finish for the display surface would have been a much better choice so this is something to consider if you will be using this display outdoors in strong daylight conditions.</p><p>As a result, I’d say this display is good for reviewing image and video content, but not suitable for photo or video color critical work in the field. Realistically, It is unlikely anyone would use it for that purpose anyway, but I wanted to make sure this was well understood who trust my opinions on color critical workflows.</p><p>For less than $900 USD (at the time of this writing) for Elvid StudioVision 4k Displays - up to 28" means they are a value that’s hard to beat for durability that is built to survive abuse in transport to your set.</p>
<h4>Conclusion</h4><p>I was extremely disappointed in the lack of support for DisplayPort and USB-C and the high gloss finish severely limits its usefulness in the field, but I think videographers looking for a larger display – especially when working with many multiple video sources in the field will really love this display. It’s super durable and can even run on battery power (not included), so it certainly beats the back of screen LCD or cheaper external displays most video productions use in the field. </p><p>Photographers looking for another display for field tethered shooting will find it invaluable as well – just don’t forget to bring the right display adapters and cables.</p><p>Lastly, at less than </p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Elvid+StudioVision+4k/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to review the technical specs or buy today at B&H.</p>
<h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4>
<p>If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/11/nec-multiprofiler-update-is-must-have.html">NEC MultiProfiler</a> - A Must for NEC Displays!</li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/09/review-nec-pa242w-color-critical-wide.html">NEC PA242W Monitor Review</a> (<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/12/review-nec-pa-241w-pa-271w-lcd-monitors.html">PA241W & PA271W Review)</a><li><a href="https://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/09/review-nec-pa271q-bk-27-169-color.html">NEC PA271Q-BK</a> 2018 Review<li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/12/review-nec-pa302w-30-backlit-wide-gamut.html">NEC PA302W Monitor Review</a> (<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/06/review-nec-pa301w-30-display.html">PA301W Review</a>)<li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/12/review-nec-multisync-pa322uhd-32-3480-x.html">NEC PA322UHD 4k for Pro Photo & Video Editing</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/11/review-nec-ea244uhd-4k-displayis-it.html">NEC EA244UHD 4k Display</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/02/review-nec-soundbar-pro-speakers.html">NEC SoundBar Pro Display Speakers</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/11/review-nec-spectrasensor-pro-powered-by.html">NEC SpectraSensor Pro (powered by X-Rite)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/03/b-review-canon-realis-sx80-mark-ii-3000.html">Canon SX-80 Pro Photography Projector</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/07/getting-great-color-on-projectors.html">Getting Great Color on Projectors</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/03/review-eizo-coloredge-cg243w.html">Eizo ColorEdge CG243W 24” IPS 1.07 billion color LCD Display</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/01/review-eizo-flexscan-sx2762w27-wide.html">Eizo FlexScan SX2762W–27” Wide Gamut IPS Photography Display</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/07/guest-blog-understanding-10-bit-color.html">Understanding 10-bit Color by NEC’s Art Marshall</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/07/color-management-101-how-do-i-get.html">X-Rite ColorMunki Photo Color Management Solution</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/12/using-x-rite-colorchecker-passport-in.html">X-Rite ColorChecker Passport</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/01/choosing-right-display-calibration.html">X-Rite i1Display Pro and ColorMunki Display Colorimeters</a></li></ul>
<p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this. I should also point out that I was allowed to keep this display after the review versus my typical requirement to return products. </p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-15725218469285312652019-06-04T22:37:00.001-07:002022-04-03T23:35:40.481-07:00REVIEW: Imagenomic Portraiture 3 (DISCOUNT OFFER) - Video Tutorial<p>Imagenomic Portraiture has always been my favorite skin softening product because it does a wonderful job of softening the skin without obliterating the texture like most other products (and techniques shown on YouTube). It's the secret sauce use by a lot of high end fashion and beauty photographers, so it's been a key part of my digital workflow for nearly a decade.</p> <p align="center"><a href="https://secure.shareit.com:443/shareit/product.html?productid=300332545&cookies=1&affiliateid=200089627" target="_blank">Buy and SAVE now using coupon code RONMART20</a><strong></strong></p> <p>One of the big new features of version 3.0 is how the user-interface scales on a 4K UHD or larger display, like the NEC <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/12/review-nec-multisync-pa322uhd-32-3480-x.html" target="_blank">PA322UHD</a> that I use.Here's the old UI which looks tiny both in thumbnail and when you click to view the 4K screenshot:</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1JqsZO6tXW8/WSPxgdZgVpI/AAAAAAAASC0/E5fQmJGIp3IiiXV8qZbZEvfMU-_pC3g5QCHM/s1600-h/image%255B17%255D" target="_blank"><img width="640" height="360" title="Imagenomic Portraiture 2 - Tiny on 4K" style="border-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Imagenomic Portraiture 2 - Tiny on 4K" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YunTPVjx6E8/WSPxhOm2wtI/AAAAAAAASC4/pTROFQ0TJgw9-PJDteBiTKHhnH-LTk2rgCHM/image_thumb%255B11%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p> <p>And here's the new UI which scales beautifully to any size:</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1HMu4htpOvE/WSPxi28EW2I/AAAAAAAASC8/jcLXGlLzlIASYYrV64DVf5FxYJRXIDV7QCHM/s1600-h/image%255B11%255D" target="_blank"><img width="640" height="360" title="Imagenomic Portraiture 3 - New Optimized for 4K UI" style="border-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Imagenomic Portraiture 3 - New Optimized for 4K UI" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-flO0rmuNqkg/WSPxjo78TtI/AAAAAAAASDA/SX2-GcwZE90_T5wHY50WdL5Do4qaZQaZACHM/image_thumb%255B7%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p> <p>The heart of the new user-interface can be found in the left panel which is functionally similar, but now just bigger and easier to read:</p> <p align="center"><img width="466" height="1261" title="Imagenomic Portraiture 3 - New UI Controls" style="border-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Imagenomic Portraiture 3 - New UI Controls" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3RLtJ94PiEY/WSPxkIU3RSI/AAAAAAAASDE/KrrXviOQhLUGeb5MSi8WJDFO62gXIlYoQCHM/image%255B23%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></p> <p align="left">The new user-interface is significantly more responsive thanks to hardware acceleration, so zooming is now instant with no painful minute waiting for the softening effect to be applied. </p> <p align="left">The user-interface does lose my beloved tabs feature which allows you to experiment and see the results of different settings spread over multiple tabs, but that was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek" target="_blank">geek</a> feature most people didn't know exist so I don't think most users will miss it. </p> <h4 align="left">Skin Softening Results</h4> <p align="left"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DTL7umJHG8I/WSPxn-0s0UI/AAAAAAAASDI/ESCTO1UhVa4nkhh1e9CKcHy-xKV1bPngQCHM/s1600-h/image%255B29%255D" target="_blank"><img width="640" height="403" title="Original Image - BEFORE Skin Softening (Zoomed to 111%) - Click for larger version" style="border: 0px currentcolor; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Original Image - BEFORE Skin Softening (Zoomed to 111%) - Click for larger version" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OO3QbhBrO1I/WSPxoqOOUII/AAAAAAAASDM/Vb9E7Cpaf006NCR1VL-GO5sP49AdhilHACHM/image_thumb%255B18%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a><br><em>Original Image - BEFORE Skin Softening (Zoomed to 111%) - Click for larger version</em></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lYyprfFJ2As/WSPxsh1q38I/AAAAAAAASDQ/RZ3vwqGAt5E7jK3bOhZ4WWiGZkggOeuMQCHM/s1600-h/image%255B35%255D" target="_blank"><img width="640" height="403" title="Portraiture 3 Normal Preset AFTER Skin Softening (Zoomed to 111%) - Click for larger version" style="border: 0px currentcolor; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Portraiture 3 Normal Preset AFTER Skin Softening (Zoomed to 111%) - Click for larger version" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oiH74CdJCWc/WSPxtbpIF2I/AAAAAAAASDU/V8bqLIr16bcSk8hmv7Aqd9AGJGfI8lEjgCHM/image_thumb%255B22%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a><br><em>Portraiture 3 Normal Preset AFTER Skin Softening (Zoomed to 111%) - Click for larger version</em></p> <h4>Video Tutorial</h4> <p><a href="https://youtu.be/zOXkR4KXQzU" target="_blank">My previous tutorial on Portraiture 2</a> had nearly 150,000 views and the advanced techniques tutorial was <a href="http://imagenomic.com/video.aspx" target="_blank">featured on the Imagenomic support website</a>. In this all new for version 3 review, I focus on both a face and full body with basic and advanced techniques with improvements that hopefully address user suggestions for my past videos:</p> <div style="height: 0px; padding-bottom: 56.25%; position: relative;"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PYvfdzYDE_4?rel=0?ecver=2" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div> <h4>Conclusion</h4> <p>If you have a high resolution display, the upgrade is a no brainer because it's so much easier (and faster) to use. However, if your budget is tight I can honestly say that I don't see any improvements to the skin softening algorithms that make me prefer the new version over the old version. </p> <p>This is still a great product that I highly recommend, especially for those who are disappointed by the wealth of terrible skin softening products and techniques currently available today. It's fast and easy to use and a must have for anyone who edits a lot of photos with people. </p> <h4>Where to Buy?</h4> <p><a href="https://secure.shareit.com:443/shareit/product.html?productid=300332545&cookies=1&affiliateid=200089627" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today, and be sure to use my coupon code <font color="#f79646"><strong>RONMART20</strong></font> to save 15% on one or more Imagenomic products as shown below:</p> <p><a href="https://secure.shareit.com:443/shareit/product.html?productid=300332545&cookies=1&affiliateid=200089627" target="_blank"><img title="Enter the code and click update to apply the discount" style="border: 0px currentcolor; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Enter the code and click update to apply the discount" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p510589776-3.jpg" border="0"></a><br><em>Enter the code and click update to apply the discount</em></p> <h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4> <p>If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/11/imagenomic-noiseware-portraiture.html">Imagenomic Noiseware Discount & Tutorial</a> (<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/02/review-imagenomic-noiseware-for-ios.html">iOS Version</a>) <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/04/tutorial-using-portraiture-23-by.html">Imagenomic Portraiture 2 Tutorial</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/03/plotagraph-pro-mini-review-discount.html">Plotagraph Pro</a> (Discount)</li> <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/03/perfectly-clear-30-preview-special-offer.html">Perfectly Clear 3</a> by Athentech (Discount)</li> <li>Scott Kelby's <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/04/review-professional-portrait-retouching.html">Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers using Photoshop</a> - My favorite portrait editing book<!--EndFragment--></li> <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/11/review-topaz-impression-2-discount-offer.html">Topaz Labs Impression 2</a> (new review 11/23/16)</li> <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/09/review-new-topaz-texture-effects-2-only.html">Topaz Labs Texture Effects 2.0</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/02/home-studio-on-budget-from-b.html" target="_blank">Home Studio on a Budget</a></li></ul> <h4>Disclosure</h4> <p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-22210778127572095052019-01-01T22:47:00.001-08:002022-04-03T23:37:40.062-07:00Imagenomic Noiseware & Portraiture Advanced Techniques Video Tutorial<p align="center"><a href="http://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s5/v124/p755377725.jpg" target="_blank"><img title="Copyright Ron Martinsen - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED" style="border-width: 0px;" src="http://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s3/v43/p250658893-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>ISO 6400 Edited Image (Click for Full Size)</em></a><br><em>Original Full Size –> </em><a href="http://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s5/v120/p802165673.jpg" target="_blank"><em>Click here</em></a></p> <p>Here’s a video where I demonstrate some of the more advanced techniques of the Noiseware user interface:</p> <p align="center"><iframe width="480" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/i_zSYzPDboo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br><a href="http://youtu.be/i_zSYzPDboo" target="_blank"><em>View Full Screen for 1080p here or on YouTube</em></a></p> <p>Page down for more articles about these products and special discount offer.</p> <h4>Conclusion</h4> <p><a href="http://ronmartblog.com/2009/04/imagenomic-noiseware-411-professional.html" target="_blank">Noiseware</a> has been my favorite noise reduction software ever since it won my <a href="http://ronmartblog.com/2009/03/noise-reduction-roundup-1-of-5.html" target="_blank">noise reduction roundup</a> in March 2009. I use it all the time, but a little less so these days as cameras are getting to be so good and sensor level noise reduction. </p> <p><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/05/review-imagenomic-portraiture-3.html" target="_blank">Portraiture</a> is the only product I use for skin softening, and my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/05/review-imagenomic-portraiture-3.html">Latest Version Tutorial</a> I did for it shows more examples of how I use this awesome product.</p> <p>I hope you enjoyed this and if you need either product, please support this article by using my purchase links below.</p> <h4>Special Offer – Save 15%</h4> <p align="center"><a href="https://secure.shareit.com/shareit/product.html?productid=300332545&cookies=1&affiliateid=200089627"><img title="image" alt="image" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-10/p510589776-3.jpg" border="0"></a><br><em>See the </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/discount-codes.html"><em>Discount Coupon Code page</em></a><em> for the latest code if this doesn’t work</em></p> <p align="center"><a href="https://secure.shareit.com/shareit/product.html?productid=300332545&cookies=1&affiliateid=200089627">CLICK HERE</a> to use my coupon code <strong><strong><strong><strong><font color="#f3a447"><strong><strong><strong>RONMART20</strong></strong></strong> </font></strong></strong></strong></strong>when you check out.<a href="https://secure.shareit.com:443/shareit/product.html?productid=300066752&affiliateid=200089627" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.imagenomic.com/images/Partners/Banners/noiseware468x60.jpg" border="0"></a><br>Want to get rid of noise from your images?<br><a href="http://ronmartblog.com/2009/04/imagenomic-noiseware-411-professional.html">Noiseware</a> is the king of noise removal while preserving detail – period!</p> <h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4> <p>If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/02/review-imagenomic-noiseware-for-ios.html" target="_blank">Noiseware for iOS</a> <li><a href="http://ronmart.blogspot.com/2009/04/imagenomic-noiseware-411-professional.html">Imagenomic Noiseware 4.1.1 Professional</a> (<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/08/imagenomic-noiseware-portraiture.html">Latest Version</a>) <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/01/review-imagenomic-portraiture-20-and.html">Imagenomic Portraiture 2.x</a> (<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/04/tutorial-using-portraiture-23-by.html">Latest Version Tutorial</a>) <li><a href="http://ronmart.blogspot.com/2009/04/noise-reduction-roundup-5-of-5-and.html">Noise Reduction Software Comparisons - CONCLUSION (5 products)</a> <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/10/update-review-hdrsoft-photomatix-40.html">HDRSoft Photomatix Pro 4.x</a> (<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/05/canon-5d-mark-iii-hdr-is-good-but.html">4.2 Update</a>) <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/09/what-camera-should-i-buy-2012-edition.html">Which camera should I buy?</a> <li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/02/which-printer-should-i-buy-epson-or.html">Which Printer Should I Buy? Epson or Canon?</a></li></ul> <h4>Disclosure</h4> <p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-58872080369901645852018-12-05T09:39:00.000-08:002018-12-05T09:39:30.813-08:00REVIEW: Nikon Z7 Mirrorless 45.7MP & 24-70mm F/4 S Z-Mount Lens - Way better than I was expecting!<p align="center"><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Nikon+Z7/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_BLANK"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images500x500/1535007761000_IMG_1052119.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Nikon Z7 24-70mm f/4 S Kit</em></a></p>
<p>When I saw the announcement for the Z7 and <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Nikon+Z6/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Z6</a> I wasn't expecting much, but I knew I had to review it - like it or not. What would happen over the next month was an initial negative opinion, that was happy to believe some of the trolls complaints on the web, would be turned into a new respect for Nikon's first legitimate attempt at doing a proper <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera" target="_blank">mirrorless</a> camera suitable for pros. </p><h4>Overall Impressions</h4><p>Initially I was very put off at the decision to change lens mounts and a slot that only takes expensive <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/XQD/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">XQD</a> cards, but as I got to know this camera all was forgiven. The ergonomics were great and the joystick and "i button" meant that it didn't suffer from Sony's initial <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera" target="_blank">mirrorless</a> mistakes. In fact, outside of the decision to only do one <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/XQD/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">XQD</a> slot, I have no complaints at all with the body. </p><p>The battery life was disappointing so I found myself running out of battery in just one day out shooting in Shinagawa, Japan. I also found the performance of the in-camera card reader when transferring images over the USB-C cable back to my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">Windows</a> computer to be painfully slow. </p><h4>Unedited JPEG's</h4><p>My Z7 kit arrived just as I was about to fly to Japan for a business trip, so during the limited time I had to myself I managed to put it through a pretty good stress test under a variety of conditions. </p><p>The images you see below are just like my "real world pics" (except these aren't so real world -- it's cool places in Japan) where I'm showing the 100% unedited in-camera JPEG. You can click the photo to see the full size original, but I don't provide the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">raw</a> files which enjoy +/- 5 EV of recovery which is a fantastic tool to have at your disposal! </p><p>Most shots are shot with A2 White Balance that keeps warm colors. In cases where it's obviously a bit heavy on the yellow side, I've typically put the camera in Shade white balance (and in some cases forgot to reset it back to A1 - like the first shot below). </p><p>You may view the images at full-size, but you may not save, print, edit or otherwise use any of the images in this article or in the gallery. All photos are copyright Ron Martinsen - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I do ask that you also leave the article open in your browser while you view the images. </p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163776286.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163776286-6.jpg"><br><em>f/22 @ 43mm for 1/200 sec at ISO 2000</em></a><br><em>I was impressed with the </em><a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/diffraction-photography.htm" target="_blank"><em>Diffraction</em></a><em> Compensation feature as it gave me the confidence to<br>shoot at f/22 without the fear of getting a very smeared details caused by diffraction</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163775147.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163775147-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 70mm for 1/80 sec at ISO 10000</em></a><br><em>As you start to see on the highlight area, shots like this typically get blown out where the light hits the hardest. The Z7's highlight-weighted metering was good, but this was one scene that defeated it. With that said, this does highlight the wide </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_range" target="_blank"><em>dynamic range</em></a><em> even in the in-camera JPEG, so recovering this to perfection in a </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank"><em>raw</em></a><em> editor is trivial.</em> </p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163775151.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163775151-3.jpg"><br><em>f/13 @ 37mm for 1/640 sec at ISO 1600</em></a><br><em>I was very pleased with the 24-70 kit lens and default in-camera noise reduction of the in-camera JPEG's. While the costumes and makeup are cheesy, this shot did make me say WOW when I saw it on the back of the camera and even more so at home on a 4K display!</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163774635.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163774635-6.jpg"><br><em>f/6.3 @ 70mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>I wanted to get a shot of this fish on the roof, but in the default FX mode it was so tiny with the 70mm kit lens</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163774842.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163774842-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 70mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>DX mode (3600 x 5408) gave me an in-camera result that was closer to my intention and there's still plenty of megapixels to crop in even closer. While this is a bit of a gimmick since you can crop in and get the same result from the FX mode (5504 x 8256) version, if you aren't ever going to use those extra pixels why waste the storage space for them?</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163775348.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163775348-3.jpg"><br><em>f/4 @ 70mm for 1/1000 sec at ISO 125</em></a><br><em>This was my first shot where I tried focus peaking and it worked like a champ on these leaves that were kind of hard for AF to pinpoint and moving a lot in the breeze. I was super happy to see this feature on this camera!</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163776638.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163776638-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 70mm for 1/320 sec at ISO 11400</em></a><br><em>This was a classic case where the flicker reduction feature could have easily prevented the banding you see in this scene, but sadly we got seated at our table before I got a chance to try it out. Despite my best efforts on the trip to get another great flicker scene like this, Murphy's Law kicked in and I couldn't do it - even standing in the same exact spot again later!<br>The good news is that IF I did, this camera has the perfect feature to make ugly banding like this go away when you enable flicker reduction.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163777116.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163777116-3.jpg"><br><em>f/7.1 @ 24mm for 1/100 sec at ISO 110</em></a><br><em>One of the features of higher megapixel cameras is more shallow </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field" target="_blank"><em>depth of field</em></a><em>, but f/7.1 did ok for a scene like this where I expected more out of focus areas much sooner. The </em><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/nikon/z7" target="_blank"><em>full gallery</em></a><em> has similar scenes at f/14 and f/18 which are more appropriate for a scene like this, but I just liked this one more for the content of the scene itself (not that it has anything to do with this review - ha ha)</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163782958.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="623" height="623" title="Japan Shinjuku 2018-7" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Japan Shinjuku 2018-7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XpnDpp_vpSM/W-eeVx9C9PI/AAAAAAAAt5A/b1djHdulZxw5t_ZSPQCywxkxNaI6RBu1QCHMYCw/Japan-Shinjuku-2018-76?imgmax=800" border="0"></a><br><em><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163782958.jpg" target="_blank">f/5 @ 65mm for 1/500 sec at ISO 640<br>(623px crop of 5504 x 8256 original - click for original)</a><br>I didn't have a macro lens and I didn't want to get too close to this spider,<br>but I can crop to see the hairs the spider legs!</em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163785258.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163785258-6.jpg"><br><em>f/7.1 @ 70mm for 1/400 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>This was the image that made me love the lens and sensor in this camera - there's definitely a lot to love about this camera and its razor sharp kit lens, so don't sell yourself short by trying to bring the clunky F mount 24-70 when this Z mount lens is so good.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163785824.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163785824-6.jpg"><br><em>f/4 @ 31mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 3600</em></a><br><em>The lack of a hood for the kit lens is unforgivable, so I was irritated when this shot got ruined by lens flare that could have easily been canceled out by a proper hood.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163786530.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163786530-3.jpg"><br><em>f/11 @ 41mm for 1/200 sec at ISO 560</em></a><br><em>I thought this shot was a pretty good representation of the wide </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_range" target="_blank"><em>dynamic range</em></a><em> and buttery smooth continuous tones you can get from your landscape skies. Shooting </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank"><em>RAW</em></a><em> for this also means you can bring back more details in the shadows to make a very interesting edit for this shot.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163786607.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163786607-6.jpg"><br><em>f/8 @ 46mm for 1/200 sec at ISO 14400</em></a><br><em>I had to double-take when I saw the ISO for this shot. Granted, noise is easier hidden in brighter scenes, but this was actually shot as the sun was setting but you can never tell thanks to ability to do a clean ISO 14,400 shot</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163787083.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163787083-3.jpg"><br><em>f/4.5 @ 58mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 4000</em></a><br><em>The real scene was extremely dark and I was at an awkward angle to take this shot. I fully expected to have motion blur, but 1/250 plus in-camera stabilization meant a super sharp shot that you might mistake for a tripod shot</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163787224.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163787224-3.jpg"><br><em>f/9 @ 28mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 20000</em></a><br><em>Again, in a dark scene shooting into the sun, I was pretty happy with this ISO 20,000 result</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163788184.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163788184-6.jpg"><br><em>f/11 @ 30mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 22800</em></a><br><em>Again, this scene makes you think that this is just before the sun is setting but the truth is that the sun was below the tree line so the shrine was closing. I got to hand it to Nikon for doing an incredible job with the in-camera noise reduction!</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163788468.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163788468-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 38mm for 1/160 sec at ISO 3200</em></a><br><em>Highlight-priority metering mode gave me something to work with on the </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank"><em>RAW</em></a><em> later, but this also illustrates about what the lighting felt like in real life for most of the scenes at this shrine</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163788896.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163788896-6.jpg"><br><em>f/22 @ 24mm for 1/13 sec at ISO 25600</em></a><br><em>This scene looked like the above scene in real-life yet the image stabilization and high ISO performance let me pull off a shot that I can work with. ISO 25,600 is totally usable with this camera!</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163780169.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163780169-3.jpg"><br><em>f/22 @ 28mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 2800</em></a><br><em>This was my one and only in-camera </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank"><em>HDR</em></a><em> and it did a reasonable job, but I'd personally still use </em><a href="http://em.impact.com/wf/click?upn=rmBYD21j95McfOW4d1XxPUpi6eaLo9Xgjlz0vCepMuKSxwHBjNjjl-2BkDqqd7kTPK1r-2B0xEH9oEqzH-2FSrvDGbzg-3D-3D_1r1kPHj7-2B3MHbcXLovo9Lb82uRFmNv5bhDeiQm4W7Xfw5oRPLkKnKP3n6f4QpETcEZBPsej3AC8RaHI7aWi8JCVFzZJyACcf4iCCEn4a9iSwB8TcUaHJqJEMEwcEbJniJ5kPeAmN553rFNlg1Hk-2FHSkEYNK-2F-2B2Zivhlja5cOmtxlFirDaqw8v0EenBvXE-2B58KA0k5IktSUjC3kUORhgRDg-3D-3D" target="_blank"><em>Aurora 2019</em></a><em> to get a lot better results than this</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163781339.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163781339-6.jpg"><br><em>f/7.1 @ 24mm for 1/100 sec at ISO 6400</em></a><br><em>While in Shinagawa, Tokyo I had to stop by the Nikon Museum again where they have nearly every Nikon camera ever made on one wall!</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163781817.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163781817-6.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 25mm for 1/100 sec at ISO 4000</em></a><br><em>While not relevant to the article, I had to point out that they have the first Nikon camera on display too! Sadly it's behind a glass case so it's not easy to get a shot due to all of the reflections</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163782015.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163782015-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 66mm for 1/320 sec at ISO 9000</em></a><br><em>Yes, they even had the Z7 & Z6 on display which proved to be too much for the default metering</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163782078.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163782078-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 57mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 4000</em></a><br><em>This camera definitely makes me feel that cutting </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/05/review-nikon-d5-part-i-of-ii.html" target="_blank"><em>D5</em></a><em>'s like this is probably the more interesting use of them in the not too distant future as </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera" target="_blank"><em>mirrorless</em></a><em> is here to stay</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163782417.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163782417-6.jpg"><br><em>f/7.1 @ 47mm for 1/200 sec at ISO 16000</em></a><br><em>They have nearly every Nikon lens ever made, so it was cool seeing the display case with a 1979 20mm mounted to the Z7 using the FTZ adapter</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163782572.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163782572-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 41mm for 1/160 sec at ISO 500</em></a><br><em>Canon has a mini-museum in a nearby building where the next </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera" target="_blank"><em>mirrorless</em></a><em> I'll be reviewing is on display. Based on the body design alone, I'm not expecting it to be as enjoyable as the Z7.</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163782928.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163782928-6.jpg"><br><em>f/4 @ 70mm for 1/800 sec at ISO 4500</em></a><br><em>Highlight-priority metering helped me to get a more usable shot of this train which was blown out with the default metering</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163778250.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163778250-6.jpg"><br><em>f/11 @ 44mm for 1/640 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>In yet another case where highlight priority metering saved the day, the sun was shining on this castle so the white was pretty blown out. As such, I was glad I had highlight priority metering available to me</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163779101.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163779101-3.jpg"><br><em>f/6.3 @ 24mm for 1/60 sec at ISO 25600</em></a><br><em>This tea room in the castle was pitch black and behind glass so I didn't think I could get anything, but after a little focus hunting I got a "I was here" shot</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163780072.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163780072-3.jpg"><br><em>f/8 @ 27mm for 30 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>I love </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera" target="_blank"><em>mirrorless</em></a><em> for long exposures as a 2 second timer and a tripod are typically all that is needed to get a super steady and sharp shot. I also didn't have to disable stabilization either - it seemed to take care of that for me as I didn't notice any vibrations in the scene. The light trails are laser sharp - sweet!</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163773562.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163773562-3.jpg"><br><em>f/9 @ 53mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 4000</em></a><br><em>This was a tough scene, but no metering option on this camera could do this shot justice. I settled on the matrix metering with the focus on the bright white objects on the table on the left. Had it not been so crowded I would have tried </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank"><em>HDR</em></a><em>, but I was with a friend and had to move on before I could do that. </em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163789565.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163789565-6.jpg"><br><em>f/11 @ 58mm for 1/250 sec at ISO 160</em></a><br><em>I encourage you to click this image to see the full-size image and pay attention to the wires and crane detail - it's fantastic and highlights the real benefit of using a 45.7mb camera. </em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163790149.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163790149-6.jpg"><br><em>f/4 @ 68mm for 1/320 sec at ISO 20000</em></a><br><em>I tried several settings, but settled on A2 white balance to keep the warm colors, but this red was definitely a good case for shooting </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank"><em>raw</em></a><em> and correcting in a higher color space than </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SRGB" target="_blank"><em>sRGB</em></a></p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163790908.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163790908-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 29mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 3200</em></a><br><em>No trip to Japan is complete without a sushi shot, so you're welcome - looks exactly as it did just before I ate it - ha ha. </em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163790402.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163790402-3.jpg"><br><em>f/10 @ 34mm for 30 sec at ISO 100</em></a><br><em>This shot was quite a torture test too, but I was satisfied with the in-camera result. I thought the colors were preserved very well as was the tonal range of the greens under very difficult conditions during a long exposure</em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163791097.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163791097-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 52mm for 1/30 sec at ISO 800</em></a><br><em>I had to use </em><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/01/drastically-improve-your-handheld-shots.html" target="_blank"><em>my handheld trick</em></a><em> to pull this shot off without motion blur, but the aggressive in-camera noise reduction destroyed the detail captured in the original. Again, </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank"><em>raw</em></a><em> to the rescue but still a usable JPEG for social media</em></p>
<p><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/nikon/z7" target="_blank">Click here</a> to view a gallery of over 80 images from the 2500 images I took during my Z7 review. </p><h4>Poor Autofocus at Night</h4><p>I found the autofocus to be terrible in low light and the face detection to be even worse. What's more, if you are in a big crowd it just flat out gives up rather than doing like other cameras that seem to just look for foreground faces and stop. Here's one of hundreds of out of focus shots I had in Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, Japan on Halloween:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163791232.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163791232-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 70mm for 1/320 sec at ISO 25600</em></a><br><em>Obviously this is a tough shot for face detection, but I question the algorithm that decides to pick the subject the farthest away from the camera. A typical failure would have focused on the guy in the right edge or the guy behind the girls lookin at his phone</em></p><p>I was so disappointed at the failure rate both here and other places on the trip when the light went low - especially when people were the subject, so I definitely would NOT recommend it for street photography. </p><p>Here's another example where literally the subject stopped for me and despite getting 6 tries, not one frame was in focus - for anyone! It seems that the camera tries and fails then just defaults to infinity which is almost always wrong:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163791110.jpg" target="_BLANK"><img src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3163791110-3.jpg"><br><em>f/5.6 @ 26mm for 1/125 sec at ISO 9000</em></a><br><em>How in the world did the AF miss this stationary subject after 6 tries?!!!!</em></p><p><a href="https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/mirrorless-cameras/z-7.html" target="_blank">Nikon did a fantastic job on their website</a> describing the features of the Z7. The also highlight the similarities and differences between the Z7 & <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/10/review-nikon-d850-with-24-70mm-f28e-ed.html" target="_blank">D850</a>, so if that's something you are interested in then I suggest you check it out! </p><h4>FTZ Adapter</h4><p>The FTZ Mount Adapter enables the use of nearly any Nikon F-mount lens on Z-mount mirrorless camera bodies. Sadly I couldn't get my hands on any Nikon lenses before I had to send this camera back, so I was unable to test this feature. If you are reading this review and you've tried it out, please feel free to add your thoughts on it in the review comments. I'll approve your comments assuming they don't link to anything and aren't spam. </p>
<h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p>I expected to be writing a scathing review of Nikon's half-hearted attempt to go <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera" target="_blank">mirrorless</a>, but honestly I did not find that to be the case at all. Instead, I found myself very surprised at how good Nikon's first attempt at a pro quality <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera" target="_blank">mirrorless</a> camera turned out to be. While I'd be lying if I said that it even comes close to the Sony <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">a7R III</a>, but long-time Nikon shooters and Sony haters now have a viable alternative. </p><p>Yes, only one slot that is <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/XQD/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">XQD</a> only sucks - a lot. Yes, the autofocus isn't even in the same galaxy as Sony. Yes, I was very annoyed that the kit lens didn't come with a hood. Yes, it hunts like a <censored> in low light and can't find a face to save your life. However, it did offer much of what I loved about the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/10/review-nikon-d850-with-24-70mm-f28e-ed.html" target="_blank">D850</a> with very good high ISO performance and excellent image quality. As such, I can easily recommend it for Nikon shooters with a legacy collection of lenses they wish to continue to use on a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera" target="_blank">mirrorless</a> body that they are quite familiar with already. I also think it would make an excellent complementary body for Nikon shooters.</p><p>Yes, it's not perfect but overall I was impressed with what this camera offered and the results produced. Now let's see if Nikon follow's Sony's path to success by releasing annual improvements until they get hit one out of the park. </p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Nikon+Z7/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today.</p>
<h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4>
<p>If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:</p>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/10/review-nikon-d850-with-24-70mm-f28e-ed.html">Nikon D850</a> (includes 24-70 VR & SIGMA 135mm Art)</li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/10/review-nikon-d750-with-24-120mm-lens.html">Nikon D750</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/05/review-nikon-d5-part-i-of-ii.html">Nikon D5</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html">Sony a7R Mark III - Camera of the Year 2017</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/07/sony-rx100-v-better-than-iphone-x.html">Sony RX100 V vs iPhone X</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/08/review-sony-a9-ultimate-action-camera.html">Sony a9 with 24-70mm GM</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/09/a-point-and-shoot-beats-most-dslr.html">Sony RX100IV in the hands of a pro that destroys DSLR shots</a></li></ul>
<p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-48514343791483047342018-12-04T19:27:00.000-08:002019-05-28T19:27:53.999-07:00Printing Series: Douglas Dubler – Fashion Photographer & Epson Stylus Pro Master Printer<p align="center"><a href="http://ronmart.smugmug.com/Blog/Printing/Epson/13236836_3f3SP#974395987_4fhn7-A-LB" target="_blank"><img style="border-width: 0px;" src="http://ronmart.smugmug.com/photos/974395987_4fhn7-M.jpg" border="0"></a> <br><em>Copyright © Douglas Dubler – ALL Rights Reserved</em></p> <p>My printing series, which I hope everyone is enjoying, would never have existed had it not been for <a href="http://www.douglasdubler3.com" target="_blank">Douglas Dubler</a>. I first met Douglas at the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/06/nik-summit-final-day-wrap-up.html" target="_blank">Nik Summit</a> in 2010 and was floored by his “<em>Avatar Beauty</em>” print (a 44” x 60” beauty shot shown at the end of this section) that had such amazing color and detail that I could stare at it all day long. I was immediately hooked and realized that <em>now</em> was the time to get into printing. </p> <p>Before meeting Douglas, I had always advised people to outsource their printing to avoid the headaches I had endured in the past when trying to print my own photos. However, Douglas assured me that all my fears and concerns based on past horrible experiences were no longer valid. He explained that amazing prints were now possible by anyone – with the right tools if you just followed the proper procedures. In fact, he declared it was so easy that “a monkey could do it.” With that gauntlet thrown down, I set out to prove if Douglas was right, and I quickly discovered he was 100% correct! With the headaches of the past (mostly) gone, I decided it was time to share the joy of printing – the final and most important part of the art of photography - with all of my readers. </p> <p>All that I’ve learned from this amazing master printer would take years to blog, so I set out on a journey that resulted in my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/printing-series-articles.html" target="_blank">Printing Series</a> and book. I hope that you enjoy the tips here so that you can get the same passion for printing that Douglas, and I now share. I hope you enjoyed my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/printing-series-articles.html" target="_blank">printing series</a>, so if you ever see Douglas, be sure to thank him for it!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://ronmart.smugmug.com/Blog/Printing/Epson/13236836_3f3SP#974395975_YiU5R-A-LB" target="_blank"><img style="border-width: 0px;" src="http://ronmart.smugmug.com/photos/974395975_YiU5R-L.jpg" border="0"></a> <br><em>Copyright © Douglas Dubler – ALL Rights Reserved</em></p> <h4>Custom Paper Profile Guru</h4> <p>It seems that every master printer, RIP software vendor, printing product maker, etc… in North America knows Douglas Dubler. To many he is the ultimate paper profile guru who shows what is possible when you fight your way for that last 10% of printing perfection. His prints are a testimony to the reward he gets from spending several days building a perfect paper profile. </p> <p>Yes, Douglas Dubler is hard core when it comes to paper profiles – probably more than you’ll ever want to be. However, there’s much to learn from Douglas no matter what level of investment you decide to make in printing. There’s also one thing that he taught me that is 100% true – your final print is really only as good as the paper profile you use to print it. Don’t believe me? Check out my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/07/color-management-101-how-do-i-get.html" target="_blank">ColorMunki</a> article where I show how a simple paper profile can make a radical difference on a sub $100 printer with crappy generic paper. </p> <p>The good news for the rest of us is that Douglas is a highly respected member of the <a href="http://www.xritephoto.com/ph_coloratti.aspx?id=365" target="_blank">X-Rite Coloratti</a> who has been actively involved in helping to make the paper profiling process more accurate and easier for everyone. Even if you have never heard of Douglas, if you print using paper profiles generated by an <a href="http://www.xrite.com/" target="_blank">X-Rite</a> product then you owe Douglas a debt of gratitude for what he’s done to help to improve the process and fantastic results we are capable of enjoying today. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://ronmart.smugmug.com/Blog/Printing/Epson/13236836_3f3SP#974396018_vzPgh-A-LB" target="_blank"><img style="border-width: 0px;" src="http://ronmart.smugmug.com/photos/974396018_vzPgh-L.jpg" border="0"></a> <br><em>Copyright © Douglas Dubler – ALL Rights Reserved</em></p> <h4>Printing so easy a monkey could do it!</h4> <p>This was the claim that Douglas made, but in retrospect it could be a bit of a play on words as this series kicked off with a review of the X-Rite <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/07/color-management-101-how-do-i-get.html" target="_blank">ColorMunki</a> (now replaced by the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1369004-REG/x_rite_eostudio_i1studio.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">i1 Studio</a>). The ColorMunki is the entry level way to get an even larger monkey off your back – prints with horrible color that don’t resemble what you see on your display! Sure there’s more advanced products which can be used to get that last 10% of perfection for the fine art print, but Douglas was adamant that anyone could get great results worthy of hanging in their home. His formula for great prints is quite simple:</p> <ol> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Start with a good image</strong></font> – Shoot a great image in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">RAW</a> and process that raw data as a 16-bit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ProPhoto" target="_blank">ProPhoto RGB</a> image in <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> or his current favorite, <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Capture+One/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Capture One</a>. Without a great image and lots of data to work with, then the rest of the workflow fails. <br> </li> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Calibrate your display</strong></font> – without a calibrated display you are effectively playing printing equivalent of Russian Roulette. It is virtually <em>impossible</em> to edit your image in a way that can be viewed on other devices (i.e., printers and other people’s displays) with the same vision you had for the colors in your image when you processed it (i.e., in Aperture, Lightroom, Photoshop, etc…). For this you need hardware designed to calibrate your display, and Douglas recommends a <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/854477-REG/X_Rite_EO2PHO_11_Photo_Pro_2.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">i1Photo Pro 2</a> or better because it includes a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrophotometer" target="_blank">spectrophotometer</a> (more on that later). However if you can’t afford that, then at least an <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/798930-REG/X_Rite_EODIS3_I1DISPLAY_PRO.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">i1Display Pro</a> is necessary . Some operating system tools for visual software calibration exist, but are only as accurate as your eyes and for most of us that isn’t very accurate as <a href="http://www.xritephoto.com/ph_toolframe.aspx?action=coloriq" target="_blank">this test</a> proves. His recommended display calibration settings are 6100K, 2.2 Gamma and 120 brightness. <br> </li> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Use a good paper profile</strong></font> – Here’s where things can start getting complicated, depending on how good you want your results to be. For any of us, just using the paper profiles provided by the OEM for our printer will give satisfactory results with a monitor that is calibrated. This is possible via <a href="http://blog.xritephoto.com/?page_id=29" target="_blank">soft proofing</a> where you have your monitor calibrated and you use software like Adobe Photoshop to apply a printer paper profile to adjust your display image so that it is a close representation of how your image will appear after it is printed. <br> <br>You can improve upon this result by using a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrophotometer" target="_blank">spectrophotometer</a> like the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1369004-REG/x_rite_eostudio_i1studio.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">i1 Studio</a> to create your own paper profiles which I discuss in very old <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/07/color-management-101-how-do-i-get.html" target="_blank">my ColorMunki review</a>. I covered more advanced paper profiling in my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/10/extreme-color-management-with-x-rite.html" target="_blank">i1Xtreme</a> review (now replaced by the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/854477-REG/X_Rite_EO2PHO_11_Photo_Pro_2.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">i1Photo Pro</a>). <br> </li> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Print using a great printer</strong></font> – As a serious entry level printer Douglas recommends Epson’s SureColor <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> or for the ultimate; his current high end choice, the 17” SureColor <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1306059-REG/epson_scp5000se_surecolor_p5000_standard_edition.html" target="_blank">P5000</a> Epson printer w/UltraChrome HDX inkset. <br> </li> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Print on only the best papers</strong></font> - The Epson <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/02/epson-legacy-papers-reviews-tutorials.html" target="_blank">Legacy papers</a> (<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/03/review-epson-legacy-baryta-video.html" target="_blank">Legacy Baryta</a> and <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/02/review-epson-legacy-platine-video.html" target="_blank">Legacy Platine</a>) are Douglas' favorite gloss papers. While all of the Epson <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/02/epson-legacy-papers-reviews-tutorials.html" target="_blank">Legacy papers</a> are extremely good, he really loves <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/02/review-epson-legacy-fibre-video.html" target="_blank">Legacy Fibre</a> because it has such a wide color gamut, improved longevity with the new UltraChrome HD (<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a>) and HDX (P5000, P9000) Epson ink sets. It creates amazing prints using matte black ink. </li> </ol> <p>Of course this is just a basic workflow and Douglas is not a basic guy. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://ronmart.smugmug.com/Blog/Printing/Epson/13236836_3f3SP#974396007_yWUhN-A-LB" target="_blank"><img style="border-width: 0px;" src="http://ronmart.smugmug.com/photos/974396007_yWUhN-L.jpg" border="0"></a> <br><em>Copyright © Douglas Dubler – ALL Rights Reserved</em></p> <h4>Douglas Dubler’s Full Workflow</h4> <p>Douglas only shoots with the best equipment possible, which for him is the Sony <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/10/review-sony-a7r-iicanon-nikon-and.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">A7R III</a> and Phase One IQ3 100MP medium format, <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Broncolor/Ntt/bronocolor/N/4291575548/bi/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Broncolor</a> strobes using the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Scoro+S/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Scoro S</a> power packs. </p><p>He explains that he wants to start with the best image possible and add his artistic touch on top of that. He doesn’t want to waste time compensating for crappy equipment. Once he has that great 16-bit ProPhoto image ready, he does the following:</p> <ol> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Start with a good wide-color gamut display</strong></font> – Douglas uses a <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1271101-REG/eizo_cg247x_bk_coloredge_cg247x_24_1_hardware.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Eizo ColorEdge CG247X</a> as his primary display and the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/676418-REG/NEC_PA241W_BK_MultiSync_PA241W_BK_24_Widescreen.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">NEC MultiSync PA241W-BK</a> (which I use too – and love it) as his secondary display. He recommends at least a <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/854476-REG/X_Rite_EO2BAS_11_Basic_Pro_2.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">i1Basic Pro 2</a> for calibrating your display . To calibrate your Eizo display, Douglas recommends <a href="https://www.eizo.com/products/coloredge/cn/" target="_blank">Eizo Color Navigator</a> and for the NEC he only recommends the <a title="SpectraView II Display Calibration Software" href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/679242-REG/NEC_SVIISOFT_SpectraView_II_Display_Calibration.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">SpectraView II Display Calibration Software</a>. <br></li> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Prepare your image for print</strong></font> – He strongly believes that your image should be resized to its final size and resolution using on1 <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/07/review-onone-software-perfect-resize-75.html" target="_blank">Perfect Resize</a> and he does a special two pass sharpen Nik Software’s <a href="http://ronmart.blogspot.com/2009/09/review-nik-software-sharpen-pro-for.html" target="_blank">Sharpener Pro</a> to prepare his images for a final print. <br></li> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Create great paper profiles using your own <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrophotometer" target="_blank">spectrophotometer</a></strong></font> - Douglas uses the X-Rite i1iSis XL Color Calibration System (<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/496190-REG/X_Rite_EOISXL_Eye_One_iSis_XL_A3.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">B&H</a>), but a <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/854470-REG/X_Rite_EO2AST_1110_Automated_Scanning_Table.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">X-Rite i1iO Automated Scan Table 2</a> or even the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/854477-REG/X_Rite_EO2PHO_11_Photo_Pro_2.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">i1Photo Pro 2</a> can be used to create the best possible profiles for your paper. </li> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Analyze your profile using ColorThink Pro </strong></font>(<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/11/printing-series-chromix-colorthink-pro.html" target="_blank">review</a>) – Give this product your image & paper profile, and it graphs you can see where the image exceeds the ability of the paper to reproduce portions of your image (i.e., out of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamut" target="_blank">gamut</a> areas). You can use this data to modify your image or try different paper profiles to see which paper will give you the most color gamut coverage. This can be very useful when selecting papers as some papers will be able to render more colors in your image than others. <br></li> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Use <a href="http://www.overdriverip.com/index.php?promocode=6" target="_blank">ColorBurst OverDrive</a></strong></font> – Douglas feels that the best way to get the most out of your Epson printer is to use great RIP software. For Douglas, that only means you have several choices including Mirage, <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/01/review-colorbyte-imageprint-10-discount.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/01/review-colorbyte-imageprint-10-discount.html" target="_blank">ColorByte ImagePrint</a>, or <a href="http://www.overdriverip.com/index.php?promocode=6" target="_blank">ColorBurst OverDrive</a>. He feels using a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raster_image_processor" target="_blank">RIP</a> gives him the best image quality possible. It also gives him the features necessary to come back and get those same great results in the future (which may sound silly you now, but after reading my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/10/printing-101-notebook-introduction-to.html" target="_blank">Printing 101 eBook</a> – you’ll understand how complex it can sometimes be to get the same results on another day). Douglas claims to be able to do it years later and with his fastidious workflow, I believe him! <br></li> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Use the best ink and papers</strong></font> – He strongly recommends that you stay away from third party ink and refills as you are defeating one of the major benefits that the Epson printer platform offers – fantastic archival ink! He also highly recommends that you at least try the new <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/02/epson-legacy-papers-reviews-tutorials.html" target="_blank">Epson Legacy papers</a>. See my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/printing-series-articles.html" target="_blank">printing series</a> for more reviews of great papers too. <br></li> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Print big on the best printer</strong></font> – For Douglas, the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1189030-REG/epson_scp9000se_surecolor_p9000_standard_edition.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Epson SureColor P9000</a> is the best printer on the market - period. Nothing makes a statement like a large print, and I can testify that it is quite magical seeing the results from these amazing machines. You may enjoy <a href="http://wpc.0e64.edgecastcdn.net/000E64/focalpoints/DouglasDubler_Web.mov" target="_blank">this video</a> of Douglas discussing how he gets the most out of his large format Epson printers. </li> <li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Inspect your prints in good light</strong></font> – Douglas uses a <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/338258-REG/GTI_VPI_52_D_VPI_52_52_Vertical_Print.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">GTI VPI 52</a> print inspection station, and recommended the product I use – the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/review-gti-pdv-2020ex-desktop-viewer.html" target="_blank">GTI PDV-2020EX Desktop Viewer - 23.5 x 25.3" with Lower Luminaire and Side Walls</a>. The ability to critically examine your image in consistent and color balanced light helps you to judge what corrections might be necessary to your image to get the best possible result, GTI’s solutions offer that advantage. <a href="http://randyhufford.ivamaui.com/" target="_blank">Randy Hufford</a>, <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/printing-series-greg-gorman-celebrity.html" target="_blank">Greg Gorman</a>, and others featured in this series are a big fan of these light boxes and after using one you can never be satisfied with any other light source for image editing. </li><li><font color="#ff8000"><strong>Become a Master Printer</strong></font> – If reading this brief synopsis really inspires you to master fine art digital print making, then Douglas offers one-on-one remote viewed sessions in a ten-hour complete course on all aspects of <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/07/color-management-101-how-do-i-get.html" target="_blank">color management</a> from concept to output. <a href="http://ronmartinsen.com/contact.html" target="_blank">Contact me</a> for details if you are interested.</li> </ol> <p align="center"><a href="http://ronmart.smugmug.com/Blog/Printing/Epson/13236836_3f3SP#974395980_mCRQ7-A-LB" target="_blank"><img style="border-width: 0px;" src="http://ronmart.smugmug.com/photos/974395980_mCRQ7-M.jpg" border="0"></a> <br><em>Copyright © Douglas Dubler – ALL Rights Reserved</em></p> <h4>Conclusion</h4> <p>I’d like to thank <a href="http://www.douglasdubler3.com" target="_blank">Douglas Dubler</a> for the countless hours he took out of his busy schedule to educate me and answer my every question. Douglas is super funny and honest guy who really cares both about creating amazing prints and sharing his knowledge with those who follow in his footsteps. It has been an honor to work with him as my dream is to one day be able to create the amazing fashion photos he has on his portfolio at <a href="http://www.DouglasDubler3.com" target="_blank">http://www.DouglasDubler3.com</a>. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://ronmart.smugmug.com/Blog/Printing/Epson/13236836_3f3SP#974396011_ySuQ4-A-LB" target="_blank"><img style="border-width: 0px;" src="http://ronmart.smugmug.com/photos/974396011_ySuQ4-L.jpg" border="0"></a> <br><em>Copyright © Douglas Dubler – ALL Rights Reserved</em></p> <h4 align="left">More Douglas Dubler Articles</h4><p align="left">Since I originally wrote this article, Douglas has been kind enough to share more content with me. Here's few more articles featuring Douglas that I think you will enjoy:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/09/a-point-and-shoot-beats-most-dslr.html">A Point and Shoot That Beats Most DSLR Portfolio Shots</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/09/getting-shot-indonesian-beauty-by.html">Getting The Shot: “Indonesian Beauty” by Douglas Dubler 3</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/09/getting-shot-indonesian-beauty-ii-by.html">Getting The Shot: “Indonesian Beauty II” by Douglas Dubler 3</a></li></ul><h4 align="left">Disclosure</h4> <p>If you make purchases using the links provided, I may get a commission. I appreciate your supporting this blog by using the links provided! </p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-21512270863241685142018-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:002018-11-13T12:59:51.982-08:00PREVIEW: on1 Photo RAW 2019 (Special Offer)<p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M8eCWrM4FYU/W-qNerGk76I/AAAAAAAAt8M/Ttr0VbUqobgZ3ugzTQK50Ce7esjjTZWygCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="650" height="355" title="5 minute edit of a Nikon Z7 NEF Image" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" alt="5 minute edit of a Nikon Z7 NEF Image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dc5yHdljgAQ/W-qNf5aoFiI/AAAAAAAAt8Q/BV2SaVtPnKsKqZU05dRg0Md4OUmRf9TrwCHMYCw/image_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>I've been playing around with the final release version of <a href="https://www.on1.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=101_141" target="_blank">on1 Photo RAW 2019</a> starting with this 5 minute edit of a <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/11/review-nikon-z7-mirrorless-457mp-24.html" target="_blank">Nikon Z7</a> NEF <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">RAW</a> Image that was taken in a nasty display case under horrible light and quickly turned it into a pretty decent image. It was a little slower than expected on my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">Windows</a> system, but it's 2.5 years old so perhaps it might be time for me to consider a system upgrade. </p><p>This next image was a quicker edit that took advantage of the effects features much in the same way <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/luminar-finally-arrives-on-windows.html" target="_blank">Luminar</a> offers its effects for a workspace. The net result was a big improvement in a hurry:</p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tn7-pDznHyY/W-qNibd0VyI/AAAAAAAAt8U/dTgjoFyxGlklWFBNdafLTXZNl7X_xbuywCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B24%255D" target="_blank"><img width="650" height="355" title="image" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S_kBvessOyc/W-qNjsyLsBI/AAAAAAAAt8Y/xcrb6qiS5NgQ5Pbp-el4JPyYneouFgX1wCHMYCw/image_thumb%255B16%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>Here's what's new for 2019:</p><p><b>A New & Faster Editing Workflow </b>–<b> </b>All of the editing modules from previous versions have been combined into the Edit module to create a single place for editing photos. The former editing modules are now available as tabs to allow you to work in each seamlessly without changing the application appearance. These include Develop, Effects, Portrait, and Local Adjustments tabs.<p><b>A New Workflow for Layers</b> – ON1 Layers is no longer a separate module. Instead, the power of layers is accessible within the non-destructive workflow in the new Edit module. This allows for creating or editing multi-layered files, including raw files, and keeping non-destructive settings for each photo layer. Customers can also move, size and mask each layer. More importantly, and a new concept, each layer has its own non-destructive settings, all the way back to the original file. What’s most exciting is if you are working with raw files, powerful adjustments like exposure, highlights and shadows can now be processed using the raw data in a layered photo workflow. All without having to change modules or applications.<ul><li><b>New Lightroom Photo Settings Migration</b> – New AI-powered algorithms give customers the ability to transfer Lightroom edited photos, keep the non-destructive settings, and move them into ON1 Photo RAW 2019. The updated Lightroom Migration Tool in version 2019 transfers almost every edit you can make in Lightroom including raw processing, crop, retouching and local adjustments along with folders, photos, collections, and metadata. </li><li><b>New Focus Stacking</b> – Automatically blend a series of photos at different focus distances to increase depth-of-field. It’s so fast, you can adjust the focus in real-time, just like changing the focus on your lenses. Think of it like HDR, but for focus instead of exposure.</li><li><b>New Auto-Align Layers</b> – Easily combine multiple photos as layers, then automatically align them based on image content, making it easy to mask and blend them together.</li><li><b>New AI Masking Tool (coming Winter 2019)</b> – This new tool, powered by machine learning, will allow customers to easily identify areas of their photos to create a selection or mask and the AI technology detects your subject matter and automatically creates a beautiful mask.</li><li><b>New Portrait Tab </b>– The new Portrait tab automatically detects faces in your photo allowing you to easily retouch, smooth skin, brighten and sharpen eyes, and whiten teeth.</li><li><b>New Text Tool</b> – The new text tool is perfect for creating posters, postcards, or adding your byline or watermark. Easily control font size, color, position, and more and then save a preset to add the same text overlay to a batch of photos quickly. </li><li><b>New Master Keyword List</b> – Now you can see every keyword you use in a single, searchable list. You can quickly apply, clear, edit, or delete keywords.</li><li><b>Enhanced Local Adjustments</b> – Local adjustments have been enhanced to use the raw processing data. This allows for more highlight and shadow details with more tonal range. This also includes new controls like haze, whites and blacks.</li><li><b>New Layered HDR Workflow</b> – With the powerful new non-destructive layers you can combine other photos, text or alternate exposures with your HDR photos. Use the powerful masking tools to combine multiple HDR renditions even.</li><li><b>New Filter Options in Effects </b>–<b> </b>We have added dedicated film grain, curves and color adjustment filters to Effects. These let you add film grain to color photos and make advanced, targeted color and tone adjustments faster. There’s even a new filter selector that allows you to search for filters, learn what they do and even view a sample before you add them.<b></b></li><li><b>New User Interface</b> – The new user interface has a fresh and modern feel. Overall contrast has been reduced to make photos stand out along with a new font to help increase readability. Updated icons, tabs, and sliders will also take up less visual space.</li><li><b>Other Updates </b>– including support for HEIC files, keyboard shortcuts for changing modules, more accent color options, color labels on folders and more.</li><li><b>Additional Camera Support</b> – Added support for the Fujifilm XF10, Fujifilm X-T3, Nikon P1000, Nikon Z7, Panasonic LX100 II, Leica M10-P.</li><li><b>Additional Lens Profiles</b> – Added lens profiles for: Canon EF35mm f/1.4L II USM (750), Chinon Auto Chinon 35mm f/2.8, KMZ Helios-40 85mm f/1.5, Nikon 200-500mm F5.6 174, Panasonic LEICA DG 8-18/F2.8-4.0, Panasonic LEICA DG NOCTICRON 42.5/F1.2, Pentax Pentax SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4, Sigma Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM, Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS, Sony FE 50mm F1.8, Tamron 14-150mm F/3.5-5.8 DiIII C001, Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (A032), Voigtländer Voigtlander Super Wide Heliar III</li></ul><h4><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_stacking" target="_blank">Focus Stacking</a></h4><p>Probably one of the biggest new features is the built-in support for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_stacking" target="_blank">Focus Stacking</a>, something that usually requires a 3rd party solution to get right. I wasn't able to try it out yet though as I did have images suitable for trying this feature. Here's a sample provided by on1:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HAEjENt3x14/W-qNl-8gc0I/AAAAAAAAt8c/b69802HPYvcWDwrSBsElY-n6hl4--upAgCHMYCw/s1600-h/ON1-Focus-Stacking%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="650" height="406" title="ON1-Focus-Stacking" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="ON1-Focus-Stacking" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyelyKwhCA0QUR0wsqvMNC5Jq748U7-D57MUfUBPqjBeOVvxMdGsOEXpDWHZlESI5RqNoRWkMYWwJBBEnrEKPazIM1izbpAst1etWXT-sKNzP5Nk4IgjKwTztPZ7Ku8G_8ZEjpVWJj_2dp/?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><h4><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank">HDR</a> Support</h4><p>Improved <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging" target="_blank">HDR</a> support is included as shown in this sample provided to me by on1:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yyNVQELer7s/W-qNqE8L-wI/AAAAAAAAt8k/ScasTcxnTTEWPMN9OAXqIxzX-vQ7xRnswCHMYCw/s1600-h/ON1-HDR%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="650" height="406" title="ON1-HDR" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="ON1-HDR" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PqgxrVCMzfg/W-qNrfOdZ8I/AAAAAAAAt8s/Dk63O83k9fkx5ZKPiRRedUROrIKtG2JfwCHMYCw/ON1-HDR_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><h4>Pano Support</h4><p>Stitch your images quickly with the built-in support for building panoramic photos as shown with this feature provided by on1 by Hudson Henry...</p><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PkpEdSpMNv4/W-qNthPqBnI/AAAAAAAAt8w/-b8rS_EkJoALhYSMl1alj_mokOPbjVv1QCHMYCw/s1600-h/ON1-Pano%255B7%255D" target="_blank"><img width="650" height="406" title="ON1-Pano" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="ON1-Pano" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GXDkgzKtbPE/W-qNu6dMf1I/AAAAAAAAt80/gQUnR3XDQ0su0RFcxhEgFQHE8LyegLSTwCHMYCw/ON1-Pano_thumb%255B5%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><h4>HEIC File Format Supported</h4><p>I was really happy to see that HEIC files worked fine on <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">Windows</a> and even with no edits the images looked as good as they do on the iPhone as was the case here...</p><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PFGPU1PGq5s/W-qNwWQUDsI/AAAAAAAAt84/Tpi8n7u6YPIkxHq5JjpSw94_Z5UCwBVeQCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B23%255D" target="_blank"><img width="650" height="450" title="iPhone X HEIC Support" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="iPhone X HEIC Support" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mCSeNieC4tI/W-qNxmYt85I/AAAAAAAAt88/MZkc-LNvBWQT6Cj_1wY6ftgHHSUEuqu7ACHMYCw/image_thumb%255B15%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p>This is the best version of on1 Photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">Raw</a> I've used yet, so I'm looking forward to spending more time getting to know the features better. I wasn't able to deep dive with the new features just yet, but I was happy with the support it offered for my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/11/review-nikon-z7-mirrorless-457mp-24.html" target="_blank">Nikon Z7</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format" target="_blank">raw</a> files and Apple iPhone X HEIC files, so new camera or phone users are definitely going to appreciate it. </p>
<h4>Where to Try or Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="https://www.on1.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=101_141" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more, get a free trial or buy today.</p><p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>SPECIAL OFFER</strong></font>: Use the coupon code <font color="#ffc000"><strong>Mart20</strong></font> to save if you decide to purchase.</p>
<h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4>
<p>Enjoy more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p><p align="center"><a href="https://www.on1.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=101_141" target="_blank"><img width="500" height="500" title="Try on1 Photo RAW 2019 Risk Free Today" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Try on1 Photo RAW 2019 Risk Free Today" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aPmBUnmWUdc/W-qNyngCYjI/AAAAAAAAt9E/jzTpg1Qi-jspvg_mqS2Wzr8Eeje1ueA7ACHMYCw/v2%2B-%2B500x500_Try%255B5%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-17174534133021547972018-10-09T22:45:00.001-07:002018-10-09T22:45:35.729-07:00REVIEW: Epson SureColor P5000<p align="center"><img width="629" height="768" title="Epson SureColor P5000" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Epson SureColor P5000" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Vs1NktlvliQ/W72RxBOZcNI/AAAAAAAArgk/B9IjBv4FbeAsC3YTYTDTpDW3dnmqxpl-QCHMYCw/image%255B6%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Epson+SureColor+P500/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><em>Epson SureColor P5000 Standard Edition 17" Wide-Format Inkjet Printer</em></a></p><p>It's been two years since I first saw the P5000 in New York and since January 2017 when I write <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/01/news-epson-surecolor-p5000-replaces-4900.html" target="_blank">my first thoughts on this printer</a>, but Epson USA and I finally got in sync to get one into my studio. I have had a chance put it through its paces with some of the best <a href="https://epson.com/professional-imaging-media" target="_blank">Epson Professional Imaging Media</a> and I must say that I've been quite happy with it. </p><p>For long-time readers of my blog, you may recall, I reviewed the Stylus Pro <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/08/review-epson-stylus-pro-4900.html" target="_blank">4900</a> in early 2011. I owned it for many years and made many great prints from it until it eventually died from a clogged print head. While time will only tell if this printer meets the same fate, it is claimed that improvements in the inks and a startup routine that clears the nozzles should hopefully reduce the likelihood of that happening again. If it does happen, I'll be sure to report it, but in the meantime I'm sure glad to have this work horse printer back in my studio again. Read on to learn why. </p><h4>New UltraChrome HDX ink set</h4><p>I found the <a title="https://www.epson.co.uk/consumables/ultrachrome-hdx-ink" href="https://www.epson.co.uk/consumables/ultrachrome-hdx-ink" target="_blank">UK UltraChrome HDX Ink Set Page</a> to be a little more enjoyable to read than <a href="https://news.epson.com/news/new-epson-ultrachrome-hdx-pigment-ink-technology-delivers-the-highest-print-permanence-ratings-in-history-for-epson-ultrachrome-inks" target="_blank">the official press release</a> to learn about what's new ink that comes with this printer. Specifically, it illustrates how the new Photo Black ink has a pigment concentration that is 1.5 times higher, and the new Matte Black of the UltraChrome HDX ink technology has a raised pigment density.Bronzing has also been reduced in Cyan and Magenta. </p><p>Using the light light black (LLK) option means users can achieve 98% of Pantone. While choosing violet ink means the gamut increases to 99%, that's mostly important for graphics designers doing content that must match Pantone colors. For photography, you'll still want to stick with the LLK option for the best results with black and white photos as well as shadow details in color photographs. </p><p>For those with a Epson <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> that uses <a href="https://www.epson.eu/consumables/ultrachrome-hd-ink" target="_blank">Epson UltraChrome® HD ink</a>, the main difference is that the orange, green and yellows are slightly better. I don't think the average user will see the difference, but now that I have both I'd be inclined to use the P5000 over the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> for prints that I deliver to my most demanding clients. </p><h4>Features & Setup</h4><p>If you read my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/08/review-epson-stylus-pro-4900.html" target="_blank">4900</a> review, you pretty much can apply almost everything in it to this review. Nothing has really changed feature-wise other than a different color case and a new and improved ink set. </p><p>Sadly my areas of improvements back then remain and I've added a few more at the end of this article. </p><p>After downloading the software, setup was easy via USB or Network cable, but sadly wireless support still hasn't arrived. </p><p>You can still load the tray up with your favorite papers up to 17x22 as well as a roll of 17" wide paper, and print from either automatically. </p><p>And yes, sadly you must still wait for switching between photo black and matte inks so plan you print jobs carefully. </p><h4><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> CC 2018 (19.1.6)</h4><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5A0faaqHewM/W72RyIuIcmI/AAAAAAAArgo/DC1G-1u0P9Yn_oEPcwifkA2fnsLmjv44ACHMYCw/s1600-h/2018-09-30_20-37-11%255B4%255D"><img width="650" height="563" title="Printing in Photoshop CC 2018 with the Epson SC-P5000" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Printing in Photoshop CC 2018 with the Epson SC-P5000" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F-Ka5EwkeBk/W72RzTSbIbI/AAAAAAAArgs/iRJNQyNCSk4ZZfSz6Wo7e5DwGwhvrlOvgCHMYCw/2018-09-30_20-37-11_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>Printing from <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> is a challenge with all of the settings you need to make sure you set properly. Specifically, you must make sure that you set Color Handling in Photoshop's Print Settings to <em>Photoshop Manages Colors</em> (shown above) and your click Print Settings... to set the Media Settings Mode to Custom | Off (No Color Adjustment). If you fail to do this you'll get double <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/07/color-management-101-how-do-i-get.html" target="_blank">color management</a> which means your colors will be very off from what you see on the screen. </p><p>You also need to ensure that the Media Type in the driver matches the paper you are using as should the Printer Profile in <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a>, and this can be rather tricky to figure out for the novice. </p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jFCUEno-8x0/W72R0bP3HNI/AAAAAAAArgw/54K2aVC6dgkrDtIV3DgnSzxf6OSBtWpNACHMYCw/s1600-h/2018-09-30_20-36-54%255B5%255D"><img width="650" height="512" title="Printing in Windows with the Epson SC-P5000" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Printing in Windows with the Epson SC-P5000" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WRgQkh0QNPQ/W72R1aak-hI/AAAAAAAArg0/bq9E1P83bYYJQV6QxDom1MuL1RpjDkE3ACHMYCw/2018-09-30_20-36-54_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a><br>This example shows printing to 13x19" Epson Premium Luster Photo (260) roll paper (not to be confused with Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster). You must also click the Roll Paper Option... button to turn on Auto Cut each time you switch the paper source which is rather frustrating. Finally, for best results you'll want to set print quality to Max Quality. </p><h5><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/how-to-using-epsons-advanced-b-photo.html" target="_blank">Advanced Black & White</a></h5><p>Epson is famous for great Black & White prints, so I've written a lot about its <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/how-to-using-epsons-advanced-b-photo.html" target="_blank">Advanced Black & White</a> mode (aka <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/how-to-using-epsons-advanced-b-photo.html" target="_blank">ABW</a>). If you aren't familiar with how to use it, the key thing to do is set the color media setting item to Advanced B&W Photo then click the Advanced Button for the custom mode color color controls as shown here:</p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hWuR7PNSRFU/W72R2Gw9ogI/AAAAAAAArg4/seIbccXYK-IAsL7MLMkULXF5hA-B-A05gCHMYCw/s1600-h/2018-09-30_21-57-11%255B4%255D"><img width="650" height="512" title="2018-09-30_21-57-11" style="border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="2018-09-30_21-57-11" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PjIQKlXX5eI/W72R3BP_KzI/AAAAAAAArg8/Q9MKRJIaiAI-ysRRBevwv5XUMXq69DisACHMYCw/2018-09-30_21-57-11_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>After clicking the Advanced button from Color Controls you can dial in the Color Toning (which I usually start with Neutral or <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/printing-series-greg-gorman-celebrity.html" target="_blank">Greg Gorman</a>'s Favorite - Warm) then set Tone to Dark. I wrote about this topic in my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/printing-series-articles.html" target="_blank">Printing Series</a> and interviews with <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/printing-series-greg-gorman-celebrity.html" target="_blank">Greg Gorman</a> and <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/printing-series-vincent-versace-digital.html" target="_blank">Vincent Versace</a>, so you can learn more about this dialog in those articles. Here's a quick look at my settings though:</p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h5QLktRbh0c/W72R4CrkhfI/AAAAAAAArhA/XAo8Ztdx4PQCAzKhk0y3MsQt-m30rDUXQCHMYCw/s1600-h/2018-09-30_21-56-41%255B5%255D"><img width="532" height="513" title="2018-09-30_21-56-41" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="2018-09-30_21-56-41" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hisQpmgYgvE/W72R5f_qViI/AAAAAAAArhE/MwKjzeepEfUYOzIkwOBdCQ3eXVip0f3jACHMYCw/2018-09-30_21-56-41_thumb%255B3%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>The important part to remember in <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> is to say "Printer Manages Colors" for Color Handling:</p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J8UnsnltdBQ/W72R6K55BmI/AAAAAAAArhI/O19ocvjAfdotk9H_MsVdMUKtF8hx4e6VwCHMYCw/s1600-h/2018-09-30_21-57-27%255B4%255D"><img width="650" height="563" title="2018-09-30_21-57-27" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="2018-09-30_21-57-27" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TK4bjw8ImS8/W72R7cr9uMI/AAAAAAAArhM/PfPT3apOyu09a8ArlAFOQkb3YuQ-_J3bwCHMYCw/2018-09-30_21-57-27_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>Sounds too complicated? Well that's where the Epson Print Layout app below comes in - and it works exactly the same way on both <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">Windows</a> and Mac. With that said, my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/how-to-using-epsons-advanced-b-photo.html" target="_blank">ABW</a> article does explain how to use this feature on a Mac if you are interested. </p><h4>Epson Print Layout 1.3.5</h4><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxuCCHXEc72SXTnqYIAxXA8jewn9t4m7qW0L19mbfQySZv_i03g_n3ydmYKTUQGfDg51r0AYEqW-8Txxhq2F5BJCn5WEPHc6u-3Ccq4w3LQuw8dntZ-vIsc5_PWF4yzA6ST5AlexYk1Cb/s1600-h/2018-09-30_21-19-11%255B6%255D"><img width="650" height="694" title="Printing Color in Windows Epson Print Layout with the Epson SC-P5000" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Printing Color in Windows Epson Print Layout with the Epson SC-P5000" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--HqXcy5-ZMo/W72R9Wg4jaI/AAAAAAAArhU/uY7o_aFS96c2Q5duSEn8hyrtDSKBEsMhwCHMYCw/2018-09-30_21-19-11_thumb%255B4%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>Fortunately Epson makes printing much easier these days with Epson Print Layout whereby you simply choose the desired values in the Printer Settings section, make your desired adjustments (if any) in Layout settings and typically you can accept the defaults in Color Settings. Choose your copies and hit print, and everything just works. While you don't get the advantage of soft proofing and gamut warnings like you get in <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a>, for most users this is the safe and easy way to get accurate color managed prints so I recommend using this software (on Mac and PC) unless you have a strong reason not to. </p><p>Sadly, despite choosing the Center "Centering" option, the image still printed on the left side of the page when using roll paper. What's more, there's no "Save Roll Paper" option like you see in the driver so more paper was wasted on the top and bottom. </p><p><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/08/understanding-epsons-printable-area.html" target="_blank">See this article</a> to learn how to workaround this issue which also occurred on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/08/review-epson-stylus-pro-4900.html" target="_blank">4900</a>, but sadly the workaround only applies to sheet paper. </p><h5><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/how-to-using-epsons-advanced-b-photo.html" target="_blank">Advanced Black & White</a> Mode</h5><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TVZ8zYni1qg/W72R-dLH4kI/AAAAAAAArhY/fsgT4eomBCcYWxaZSRJvif6OdCrBBHHJQCHMYCw/s1600-h/2018-09-30_21-14-50%255B4%255D"><img width="650" height="693" title="Printing Advanced Black & White on Windows Epson Print Layout with the Epson SC-P5000" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Printing Advanced Black & White on Windows Epson Print Layout with the Epson SC-P5000" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JbtHOgyT9BI/W72R_ceGBKI/AAAAAAAArhc/8xo3yuKAdp8UmLcsu7lHt-ot1wszr97hgCHMYCw/2018-09-30_21-14-50_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>I think this is one of the big advantages of Epson Print Layout because <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/how-to-using-epsons-advanced-b-photo.html" target="_blank">Advanced Black & White</a> mode is a little tricky to use, but this app makes it as simple as selecting "Advanced B&W Photo" from Type in the Color Settings section. From there just choose your desired color toning and tone and you are done - so easy! </p><h4>Getting the Best Results</h4><p>Yes, Epson ink is expensive but the ink its the secret sauce that makes the prints look so fantastic. It's also a required element for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICC_profile" target="_blank">ICC profiles</a> that are fine tuned to get the best results out of your ink and paper combo. As a result, your best print results will always come from the use of genuine Epson inks made by Epson ONLY for the P5000 and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICC_profile" target="_blank">ICC profiles</a> generated on a P5000 (NOT a <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/08/review-epson-stylus-pro-4900.html" target="_blank">4900</a>) for the paper you wish to use. A failure to do this will result in poor quality prints, so my blanket advice is - don't print unless you are using the correct profile and genuine Epson ink!</p><p>Since getting the best <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICC_profile" target="_blank">ICC profiles</a> from third parties can be difficult, the easiest and fastest way to get the highest quality prints is to use use genuine Epson paper. Your printer comes with perfect <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICC_profile" target="_blank">ICC profiles</a> made specifically for Epson's papers found at <a title="https://epson.com/professional-imaging-media" href="https://epson.com/professional-imaging-media">https://epson.com/professional-imaging-media</a>. </p><p><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/Epson+Legacy+Paper/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Click here</a> to find deals on Epson papers at B&H or <a href="https://amzn.to/2REqreK" target="_blank">click here</a> to find deals on Amazon.</p><p>I'm a big fan of sample packs to get a feel for what paper works best for me, so here are links to sample packs of my favorite Epson papers:</p><ul><li>Legacy Papers at <a href="https://amzn.to/2C6e5GM" target="_blank">Amazon</a> or <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1226981-REG/epson_s450183_legacy_paper_sample_pack.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">B&H</a> </li><li>Signature Worthy Sample Pack at <a href="https://amzn.to/2QGblUv" target="_blank">Amazon</a> or <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/738097-REG/Epson_S045234_Signature_Worthy_Sample_Pack.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">B&H</a> </li></ul><p>Also see the end of this article or my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/printing-series-articles.html" target="_blank">printing series</a> for instructions and videos on how to use these papers for your Mac or PC. </p><h4>Areas of Improvement for the Future</h4><p>While the ink set has been improved, and the new black case looks great, there doesn't seem to be much else that has improved over its predecessor in 7 years since the release of the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/08/review-epson-stylus-pro-4900.html" target="_blank">4900</a>. Specifically, I am disappointed the following wish list features didn't get added to the P5000: </p><ol><li>Support for wireless printing - including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Printing_Protocol" target="_blank">IPP printing</a> (e.g., <a href="https://mopria.org/what-is-mopria" target="_blank">Mopria</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirPrint" target="_blank">AirPrint</a>, etc...)</li><li>4x6 photo support - this pretty much forces you to get a <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> if you plan on giving 4x6 keep sake photos to friends or clients</li><li>Dedicated lines for Photo Black & Matte Black Ink - Switching is a hassle and wastes a ton of ink. Canon has overcome this problem ages ago, so surely in 7 years Epson could have solved this problem. The lack of this feature is actually quite offensive. </li><li>Still no "Center to Printable Area" feature for Roll Prints - really?!!! Again, this could have been a simple driver improvement or even a feature in Epson Print Layout, but no. </li><li>Performance - Is it any faster? According to my contacts at Epson America, they say "<em>No, it performs about like the 4900. 8" x 10" prints from 0:59 to 2:26 (normal is 1:28) and 11" x 14" prints from 1:42 to 4:04 (normal is 2:31)"</em></li><li>No Driver Improvements - No meaningful driver changes from the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/08/review-epson-stylus-pro-4900.html" target="_blank">4900</a> means its far behind in terms of features and user friendliness when compared to the Canon <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/12/review-canon-pro-1000-part-i-of-ii.html" target="_blank">PRO-1000</a> & <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/12/review-canon-pro-2000-part-i-device.html" target="_blank">PRO-2000</a> that I also use in my studio. </li></ol><p><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/01/news-epson-surecolor-p5000-replaces-4900.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see my Q&A with Epson America when this printer was being launched for more details about what's changed.</p>
<h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p>It's been a while since I used my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/08/review-epson-stylus-pro-4900.html" target="_blank">4900</a> and sadly it died due to a clogged print head, so I was reluctant to decide if I should even bother reviewing this printer. Now that I have it, I forgot how fast and enjoyable this printer is to use. In fact, I looked back and saw how a majority of my printing was done on <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/08/review-epson-stylus-pro-4900.html" target="_blank">4900</a> when it was in service. Since P5000 arrived I've found myself wanting to use it for its blazing speed and flexibility of doing roll and sheet paper without the hassle of any manual switching. </p><p>With that said, Canon's lack of roll support for 17" means this is really the only game in town for high quality 17" roll printing. While the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> can do roll printing in a pinch, it's lack of a built-in cutter makes it less practical for those who enjoy doing banner printing. </p><p>In the end, I consider this a great printer for those doing large workloads on a weekly basis - not the occasional print. Professional event, wedding, school portrait, etc... photographers who do high volume printing on a weekly basis are going to appreciate its blazing speed and large capacity tray - even if you never print on roll paper. If this is you, then I highly recommend this printer. </p><p>Users making the occasional print are much better served with the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> for its ease of use for everyday printing, and a head that is less likely to clog. If you are serious about roll printing then you'll want to move up to the 24" or larger model as 17" is pretty small in the world of "large format" printing - ESPECIALLY when doing canvas wraps. </p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1306059-REG/epson_scp5000se_surecolor_p5000_standard_edition.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today from B&H and <a href="https://amzn.to/2A1xgQw" target="_blank">consider one of these covers</a> while you are at it to keep the dust away.</p>
<h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4>
<p>If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:</p>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html">Epson SureColor P800 Review</a></li></ul><ul><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/02/epson-ultra-premium-luster-review-and.html">Epson Ultra Premium Luster Review and How To Walkthrough Videos for Mac & Windows</a> - Covers Lightroom & Photoshop for Mac and Windows for the R3000, 3800 & 4900
<li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/epson-exhibition-fiber-paper-review.html">Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper Review and How To Walkthrough</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/07/epson-surecolor-p600-roll-printing.html">Epson Exhibition Canvas Natural Gloss Review</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/02/epson-hot-and-cold-press-papers-review.html">Epson Hot & Cold Press Papers</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/how-to-using-epsons-advanced-b-photo.html">How To: Using Epson’s Advanced B&W Photo (ABW) printing feature</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/08/understanding-epsons-printable-area.html">Understanding Epson’s Printable Area Feature to Avoid Uneven Margins on the 4900</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/11/review-epson-metallic-photo-paper.html">REVIEW: Epson Metallic Photo Paper Glossy & Luster</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/02/epson-legacy-papers-reviews-tutorials.html">Epson Legacy Papers Reviews & Video Tutorials with individual articles on Baryta, Etching, Platine and Fibre</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/printing-series-articles.html" target="_blank">Printing Series</a> - My blog section on many print related topics </li></ul><p>For casual users, I also recommend you consider these reviews:</p><ul><!--StartFragment-->
<li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/09/review-epson-picturemate-pm-400-great.html">Epson
PictureMate PM-400 4x6 Photo Printer</a>
<li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/04/review-epson-surecolor-p600-part-i-of-ii.html">Epson
SureColor P600 Review</a></li><!--EndFragment--></ul>
<p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-46722282319780215992018-09-26T22:23:00.001-07:002018-09-26T22:24:20.734-07:00REVIEW: NEC PA271Q-BK 27" 16:9 Color-Critical IPS Monitor<p align="center"><img width="650" height="650" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/multiple_images/images1000x1000/1529445785000_IMG_1010755.jpg" border="0"><i><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/NEC+PA271Q/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">NEC PA271Q-BK 27" 16:9 Color-Critical IPS Monitor</a></i></p>
<p>Since December 2014, my primary display has been my huge NEC <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/12/review-nec-multisync-pa322uhd-32-3480-x.html" target="_blank">PA322UHD</a> which I've loved for the screen real estate. However, when I read about the latest <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/12/review-nec-pa-241w-pa-271w-lcd-monitors.html" target="_blank">PA series</a> display with its improved color accuracy, I had to try it out. </p><p>While I'll admit, that I miss the huge 32" 4k display for its size, I have appreciated that this display is much more color accurate which is very important when doing color critical photo editing and soft proofing. </p><p><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> looks spectacular on this 16:9 aspect ratio <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_display_resolution#2560_%C3%97_1440_(QHD,_WQHD)" target="_blank">WQHD</a> resolution display that is 2560 pixels wide by 1440 pixels tall (or 109 ppi): </p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G9J9BvF0qGU/W6xpIlKkSAI/AAAAAAAAq_0/A_phE3ppYxk4twPfAIKjNgoIR3C0bQtmgCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B11%255D" target="_blank"><img width="640" height="353" title="Plenty of space for Photoshop CC 2018" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" alt="Plenty of space for Photoshop CC 2018" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VWDMVNqHy6U/W6xpJiexNuI/AAAAAAAAq_4/YArNp29cBD8Xs2UuAaB1ci0Bi5NyG6kggCHMYCw/image_thumb%255B7%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>In fact, if you have a compatible video card you can even <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/07/guest-blog-understanding-10-bit-color.html" target="_blank">enjoy over a billion colors</a> by enabling 30 Bit Display </p><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Cqa-Mz-Wq94/W6xpKVuTWjI/AAAAAAAAq_8/ttxIue1WeVoWUZxyyFPwpyQKFM5bph-jACHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B26%255D"><img width="416" height="389" title="image" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6-bc5ZYso28/W6xpLeddPRI/AAAAAAAArAA/uFHnhPwgQ1ISsIj_LCkh1yas-qfFKHDBACHMYCw/image_thumb%255B16%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>What this will do is eliminate banding in grayscale or color images when you <a href="https://www.necdisplay.com/documents/Miscellaneous/DisplayPort_Notice.pdf" target="_blank">use good video cables that can support it</a>! However, be careful with this if you'll be printing because no printer made supports 30 bit printing, so it can cause you to miss some banding issues which could occur during printing. </p><p>For everyday use Excel 365 still goes out to a whopping AM61:</p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LLU_TtRTtHU/W6xpMFEHPHI/AAAAAAAArAE/D2jhVK984fYif2fV8bnxN49x9O2iS9x9ACHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B5%255D" target="_blank"><img width="640" height="353" title="Easily show all cells to AM61 in Excel 365" style="border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" alt="Easily show all cells to AM61 in Excel 365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKntFNIxXBJaL-lptMD7_UBS8ujR8w5pbo_ndwvs7GS6LtQLbIKnxUjfrf3VTG-FgVluwjGBOPQue48g_DZiDIQO-uASAuVerApOSVLppvuhtm3VRcS8Oe9frwwi4ONLEkKzGzzfJH4TW/?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>So while it might not be 4k it's still plenty of screen real estate to get a lot more done than traditional 1080p or 1920x1200 displays. </p><h4>Inputs Galore</h4><p>This display features lots of I/O ports both on the bottom (shown in silver on the left below) and on the side (shown in black on the right below):</p><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-07sard1-jes/W6xpN8yvvhI/AAAAAAAArAM/H0nZBemFJHgFhd52-5S9viEOw3Ca_pP4QCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B16%255D"><img width="212" height="758" title="image" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L5TTfMUR7PM/W6xpO1sAMlI/AAAAAAAArAQ/DOWeGapCSpcZ9YLihuj7Oo4GHZIE3XGuQCHMYCw/image_thumb%255B10%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9usDWH2tiy0/W6xpP9ZakUI/AAAAAAAArAU/K10EaV1QrWs0ynaKdXF61n1dZRRfObnBgCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B21%255D"><img width="257" height="761" title="image" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7lbFl4LVLL7ijo6H6GOe9THJe0lPVEZQIWO2eFU4nBLRteJHiQVsV4Oz0Zw1nwwHMIllzcp_TZYfwc-DpORtWaUEmnOBUrT5HM5HgxcitnncOkLWPnrCoDo9HtReV02KeNbrHkp8l5M-/?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>In fact, this is what you get:<p>1 x DisplayPort<br>1 x Mini DisplayPort<br>2 x HDMI<br>1 x USB Type-C<br>3 x USB (USB 3.1) Input<br>3 x USB (USB 3.1) Output<p>To learn more about the specs of this display be sure to <a title="https://www.necdisplay.com/p/PA271Q-bk" href="https://www.necdisplay.com/p/PA271Q-bk" target="_blank">visit the PA271Q product page</a>. <h4><a href="https://www.necdisplay.com/support-and-services/naviset-administrator/Overview" target="_blank">NaViSet Administrator 2™</a></h4><p>Want to do an Ethernet management of your <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/12/review-nec-pa-241w-pa-271w-lcd-monitors.html" target="_blank">NEC</a> displays? No problem, check out the control you have using the NaViSet Administrator software:</p><p><a href="https://www.necdisplay.com/images/Softwares/na2-pd-lg.png" target="_blank"><img width="640" height="386" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://www.necdisplay.com/images/Softwares/na2-pd-lg.png" border="0"></a></p><ul><li>Remotely adjust almost any parameter or setting found within the On Screen Display menu</li><li>Gather valuable information pertaining to a Windows computer such as model name, OS version, memory and CPU (Windows version only)</li></ul><ul><li>Any information that is gathered about connected devices is stored in a local database and can be exported for later review</li></ul><ul><li>Automatically issue email alerts if a diagnostic error is reported by a device or a setting has been changed</li></ul><ul><li>Schedule periodic polling for singular or multiple devices at specific times or on demand</li></ul><ul><li>Sort connected devices into groups to help organize collections of display and computers</li></ul><ul><li>Assign an electronic Asset Tag to a device to provide a secure method of tracking an product over a network</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwQ7Ey-lsrg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see a video to learn more about what you can do.</p><h4>Easily Switch Between 2 Computers with 1 Mouse & Keyboard</h4><p>This display acts as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KVM_switch" target="_blank">KVM switch</a> so you if you are like me and you have a <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Apple/Ntt/macbook+pro/N/176/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Macbook Pro</a> and a <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">Windows</a> PC that you want to use with this display and a single mouse and keyboard, then it's no problem. Just press the input button to go back and forth between the two as shown here:</p><p align="center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TRlkr2O1lfY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media"></iframe></p><h4>Calibration Settings</h4><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JMczgSsXeLw/W6xpRgT9A0I/AAAAAAAArAc/ZWPUvk3cc7sBmHD5gkuH44U6G-bI5T8cQCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B38%255D"><img width="279" height="421" title="image" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pfw2rFxBWL4/W6xpSl8nipI/AAAAAAAArAg/fu4tBIRVktEQVz8tdRJ-Bd5UnekInARJACHMYCw/image_thumb%255B24%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>I calibrate to the settings shown above and set my preferences to use 52 calibration and profile steps. Here's the information summary for this display after calibration:</p><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RO0P4M0vp6I/W6xpTpTsfbI/AAAAAAAArAk/xYKekkjKkaYh7Zt24-nc0hGsqDsFYFAIwCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B33%255D" target="_blank"><img width="650" height="699" title="image" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0gnhc7I55Yk/W6xpUk_FYpI/AAAAAAAArAo/rhJDoDN8wY0grnVvFbwHqHjqzbNCBukAgCHMYCw/image_thumb%255B21%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>An impressive 0.25 <a href="http://www.colorwiki.com/wiki/Delta_E" target="_blank">Delta E</a> beats even the best <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/03/review-eizo-coloredge-cg243w.html" target="_blank">Eizo</a>'s that I've tested. What this means in simple terms is that the color accuracy on this display is phenomenal. </p><p>Learn more about this display in this short 40 second video:</p><p align="center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HnI1RwT46o0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media"></iframe></p>
<h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p>This is the most color accurate, fastest to color critical temperature, display I've used in years. For <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/03/review-eizo-coloredge-cg243w.html" target="_blank">Eizo</a> fans looking for a cheaper alternative where you sacrifice nothing, this is the display for you!</p><p>Now I want a 32" UHD version of this display, because I love this one so much that it would be hard to go back to my 4K display again!</p><p>Simply put, if you care about color accuracy and a display that is going to hold your calibration settings plus come up to temperature quickly, then this is the display for you!</p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/0/Ntt/NEC+PA271Q/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy today on B&H or <a href="https://amzn.to/2Ikhjrb" target="_blank">click here</a> to find it on Amazon.</p>
<h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4>
<p>If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:</p>
<ul><li>NEC <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/12/review-nec-multisync-pa322uhd-32-3480-x.html" target="_blank">PA322UHD</a> - The best 4K display I've tested<li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2014/11/review-nec-ea244uhd-4k-displayis-it.html">NEC EA244UHD 4k Display</a> – nice, but not as good as a <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/12/review-nec-pa-241w-pa-271w-lcd-monitors.html">PA series</a> for photo editing
<li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/07/guest-blog-understanding-10-bit-color.html">Understanding 10-bit Color by NEC’s Art Marshall</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/09/review-nec-pa242w-color-critical-wide.html">NEC PA242W Monitor Review</a> (<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/12/review-nec-pa-241w-pa-271w-lcd-monitors.html">PA241W & PA271W Review)</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/12/review-nec-pa302w-30-backlit-wide-gamut.html">NEC PA302W Monitor Review</a> (<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/06/review-nec-pa301w-30-display.html">PA301W Review</a>)
<li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/02/review-nec-soundbar-pro-speakers.html">NEC SoundBar Pro Display Speakers</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/11/review-nec-spectrasensor-pro-powered-by.html">NEC SpectraSensor Pro (powered by X-Rite)</a><li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2011/03/review-eizo-coloredge-cg243w.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www2.chromix.com/colorgear/shop/productdetail.cxsa?toolid=50100&pid= 28538" target="_blank">Eizo CG243W</a> IPS</a> Display<li><a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2012/01/choosing-right-display-calibration.html">Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device</a></li></ul>
<p>Enjoy these and more on the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-28167810689079637682018-09-18T23:56:00.001-07:002018-09-18T23:56:23.849-07:00REVIEW: Epson PictureMate PM-400 - A Great Whole Family Photo Printer<p align="center"><a title="Click to learn more at Amazon.com" href="https://www.amazon.com/Epson-PictureMate-Wireless-Compact-Printer/dp/B014KU0RIA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1537335917&sr=8-1&keywords=Epson+Pm-400&linkCode=li3&tag=ronrmarsblo-20&linkId=e1216cdc9b4311e811346a726342654b&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block;" src="https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B014KU0RIA&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ronrmarsblo-20&language=en_US" border="0"></a><br><em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Epson-PictureMate-Wireless-Compact-Printer/dp/B014KU0RIA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1537335917&sr=8-1&keywords=Epson+Pm-400&linkCode=li3&tag=ronrmarsblo-20&linkId=e1216cdc9b4311e811346a726342654b&language=en_US" target="_blank">Epson PictureMate 400</a></em><br><img width="1" height="1" style="margin: 0px !important; border: currentcolor !important; border-image: none !important;" alt="" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=ronrmarsblo-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B014KU0RIA" border="0"></p>
<p><div class="pixels-photo">
<p>
Despite my history of printing my own images and even writing a book on the subject as part of my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/printing-series-articles.html" target="_blank">Printing Series</a>, my beautiful wife has no desire to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek" target="_blank">geek</a> out on printing like me. As a result, she's been frustrated with the bottleneck (me) in getting prints made from her iPhone pics or from the photos I share with her from my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_single-lens_reflex_camera" target="_blank">DSLR</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera" target="_blank">mirrorless</a> cameras. To address this frustration, I decided to test the wildly popular Epson PictureMate PM-400 wireless compact color photo printer to see if it would meet her needs. </p><h4>Setup</h4><p>The nice thing about this printer is you don't need a computer, so you just turn it on - plug in <a href="https://amzn.to/2NqjfnW" target="_blank">the 4 color ink cartridge</a> and you are in business. You can then quickly print to <a href="https://amzn.to/2OBaZhw" target="_blank">Epson 4x6</a> or <a href="https://amzn.to/2NpiYl2" target="_blank">5x7</a> photo paper directly from your cell phone or SD card. </p><p>The wireless networking setup was easy and <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">my Windows 10 PC</a> had no problems discovering the printer. I also connected it via USB and saw no noticeable performance difference so I decided to take advantage of wireless printing so I could put the printer anywhere in the house where we were sitting when we wanted to crank out some pics while talking or watching TV. </p><h4><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirPrint" target="_blank">AirPrint</a> vs <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">Windows</a></h4><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirPrint" target="_blank">AirPrint</a> is known for being easy and reliable, but it's also known for being very simplistic. With this in mind, I decided to print some photos off of my iPhone X and everything went pretty smooth. For large photos not taken on the phone it did seem to take nearly an extra 30 seconds to print a photo via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirPrint" target="_blank">AirPrint</a> vs <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">Windows</a>, but if you aren't hovering over it like someone trying to watch water boil, the difference was tolerable. </p><h5>Test Images & Performance</h5><p>For comparison, I also pitted the inexpensive PM-400 against the excellent Epson SureColor <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> which <a href="https://amzn.to/2NRfaJ4" target="_blank">costs nearly $1000 more</a> just to see how wide the quality and performance gap was between the two - and the results surprised me!</p><p><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" alt="Into the Light by Ron Martinsen on 500px.com" src="https://drscdn.500px.org/photo/252966245/m%3D900/v2?user_id=203720&webp=true&sig=db84e40c13f3f7f8cabe5d2acc2b5fa566c9014bc86141d9ec25c54dfd6ebd24" border="0">
</p>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://500px.com/embed.js"></script><p>For my first image, I thought I'd start with an excellent photo with a wide range of tones to see what was the best this printer could do. The PM-400, which had been turned off for a couple weeks took 2 minutes 17 seconds for first print with 46.5 seconds for head prep before paper feed from cold start. This means roughly a minute and 30 seconds for this image to print for a roughly 36mb print job which was NOT specially prepared for this printer - I just threw an original JPEG at it. </p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3075581909-4.jpg" border="0"><br><em>PM-400 From Photoshop with Printer Manages Colors & Default Settings</em></p><p>The quality was average viewer good, but obviously with 4 colors you aren't going to get a match to the original. It actually looks quite a bit better in real life than the scan of the print here, so don't let the quality here scare you - in real life it seems "good enough" for most users and I think better than what you get from discount photo printing labs like Costco, Walgreens, Target, etc... </p><p>For my photography <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek" target="_blank">geek</a> friends, here's the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> and printer driver settings I used:</p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qEFgsXsDepk/W6Hyz8hmP6I/AAAAAAAAq18/duWkDwru2CkKSw3Ra14uO9Zlb4ivSv0RwCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B23%255D" target="_blank"><img width="509" height="480" title="Epson PM-400 Photoshop Print Settings" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" alt="Epson PM-400 Photoshop Print Settings" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x7wgfJPLYG4/W6Hy0-NW4lI/AAAAAAAAq2A/FL5wgaqZ8HMyvd8rEk3-HY_a4_FTDM1yACHMYCw/image_thumb%255B15%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Oa6BRpzizmo/W6Hy2tKpT3I/AAAAAAAAq2E/AQubLUrrZBojMGoBuGmLaCsKaTjVx5g1gCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B22%255D" target="_blank"><img width="640" height="458" title="Epson PM-400 Windows Print Driver Settings" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" alt="Epson PM-400 Windows Print Driver Settings" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cYUsGHO6oSk/W6Hy3d3cd4I/AAAAAAAAq2I/zitoX4fnm40zN7G8j0IShSO1k_tC66gjwCHMYCw/image_thumb%255B14%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>Surprisingly the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> took 2 minutes and 3 seconds with 11 seconds before the paper feed on a cold start. This means it took one minute and 52 seconds, but the tonal range was significantly better in the highlight areas on the cheeks.</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3075581906-4.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Epson SureColor P800 from Photoshop with Printer Manages Color using the sRGB preset</em></p><p>Despite being printed on the same <a href="https://amzn.to/2xrNFv6" target="_blank">Epson 4 Stars Premium Glossy paper</a> and not using any <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICC_profile" target="_blank">ICC profiles</a> or complex print features, the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> was pretty darn close the original photo. Had I used an ICC profile I could have got an identical match. </p><p>Again, for my printing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek" target="_blank">geek</a> friends here's the settings I used to get this print:</p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jYNjnnxAwAg/W6Hy4-7hMOI/AAAAAAAAq2M/lCH0Yi-vXNEx2Mf8AHT3y0k_JV0EOGk9ACHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B21%255D" target="_blank"><img width="509" height="480" title="image" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" alt="image" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SduM9W_T6IQ/W6Hy52lXB8I/AAAAAAAAq2Q/5OmnbimuZc8SZt569z_dIOCOiGXIH6YfACHMYCw/image_thumb%255B13%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Op2zyqGUs9Q/W6Hy68r0xXI/AAAAAAAAq2U/VEtSiQ9_mrE4v_fz03InA3vJx_p7TIlqQCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B20%255D" target="_blank"><img width="613" height="480" title="Epson Windows P800 V3 Driver Settings" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Epson Windows P800 V3 Driver Settings" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Kn-fPp8OLjs/W6Hy793V6JI/AAAAAAAAq2Y/t3E6nFUuNMowkXXi5IL5mrH8VpIISRT8gCHMYCw/image_thumb%255B12%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><h5>Black & White Test</h5><p>To the novice who has never done fine art printing, one would think that Black & White printing would be very easy and there's no difference between the two. However, the reality is that B&W printing is actually rather complicated and hard to get right simply because printers aren't using just black ink to print out a "black and white" image (which is really a grayscale image). </p><p>Here's the source image I used:</p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-THQicX9Cih4/W6Hy84s1-nI/AAAAAAAAq2c/_7yxLaJMHygQQDqRee3IBqTO4orqATr-ACHMYCw/s1600-h/Sigma85ArtModel-531-Edit%255B4%255D"><img width="650" height="433" title="Sigma85ArtModel-531-Edit" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Sigma85ArtModel-531-Edit" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lFPuH6_kAdM/W6Hy95u9A2I/AAAAAAAAq2g/OxF6swp-OigkyNIh4iIuoUz3dBWtPSueQCHMYCw/Sigma85ArtModel-531-Edit_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>When the PM-400 was warm it only took 10 seconds before the paper had been pulled into position and it started printing resulting in a total print time of 1 minute 37 seconds for a 57.4 mb job over a wireless network connection. The <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/how-to-using-epsons-advanced-b-photo.html" target="_blank">ABW</a> did it in 2 minutes 2 seconds with 11 seconds which was the real kicker that I'd see consistently in my testing - the PM-400 was actually faster at cranking out a 4x6 photo!</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3075581628-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Epson PM-400 Grayscale</em></p><p align="left">No, your eyes aren't deceiving you - the black and white images often taken on a blue/purple tone depending on the ambient light that you view them under. It doesn't look quite as extreme as what you get from a scan in real life, but it's off - way off - from reality. Again, my wife thought it was fine but this one that was tough for me to accept. </p><p align="left">I used the same <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> settings as above but here's the settings I used for the driver:</p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cOYq7HbeIy8/W6Hy-wZUFiI/AAAAAAAAq2k/AvdOS1ppKzc28Lm0BkNlfkTIwxbfcuAtQCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B29%255D" target="_blank"><img width="640" height="460" title="Epson PM-400 Windows Print Driver Settings" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" alt="Epson PM-400 Windows Print Driver Settings" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-p7Ku6k2KFGE/W6Hy_t4BN5I/AAAAAAAAq2o/ZK2oUp5JQEsll_Z3RiBYw36DXfGf4ZqkACHMYCw/image_thumb%255B19%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>This time there was no contest in terms of tonal fidelity - the extra $1000 made a huge difference as you'd expect from a high end photo printer:</p><p align="center"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://photos.ronmartblog.com/img/s/v-3/p3075581627-3.jpg" border="0"><br><em>Epson P800 using Epson's Advanced Black & White (<a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/how-to-using-epsons-advanced-b-photo.html" target="_blank">ABW</a>) Mode</em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PWnEo-QBJY0/W6HzAt85mNI/AAAAAAAAq2s/6LOj9ZABzw0GrpeOHDmV7lbpFu7a_mSbACHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B41%255D" target="_blank"><img width="612" height="480" title="Epson P800 Windows V3 Driver using Advanced B&W Photo mode" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="Epson P800 Windows V3 Driver using Advanced B&W Photo mode" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mfdeMsprGu8/W6HzBsWNzoI/AAAAAAAAq2w/PdvK3yQgQLUzChU18HGv8JZ-IPm7yYX0gCHMYCw/image_thumb%255B27%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a><br><em>Epson P800 Windows V3 Driver using Advanced B&W Photo mode</em></p><p>For more information about <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/how-to-using-epsons-advanced-b-photo.html" target="_blank">Epson Advanced B&W Photo mode</a> see my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2010/08/how-to-using-epsons-advanced-b-photo.html" target="_blank">ABW</a> article.</p><h5>Casual Print Test</h5><p>Here's a 100% unedited photo I took with my iPhone X:</p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4EEArDp9_V8/W6HzCgJCNpI/AAAAAAAAq20/Uy8qhemOdsAGCz0wrCQuFSwqlswSp8rcgCHMYCw/s1600-h/IMG_3543%255B4%255D"><img width="650" height="488" title="IMG_3543" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; display: inline; background-image: none;" alt="IMG_3543" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UE6M4MWU_sU/W6HzDY3gspI/AAAAAAAAq24/R9G8DMbBKGMgST0WG5B3eMHFHirfb4PPQCHMYCw/IMG_3543_thumb%255B2%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>I printed directly from from my phone using <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirPrint" target="_blank">AirPrint</a> to the PM-400 and in 1 minute 30 seconds I had a nice borderless print. </p><p>Using my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirPrint" target="_blank">AirPrint</a> on my phone was 1 minute 56 seconds which was surprising. </p><p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CQTLiaHVDhU/W6HzEdj6_WI/AAAAAAAAq28/1wbC58NQKqIunVN4I3iyTxNAd7-kFW7KwCHMYCw/s1600-h/image%255B35%255D" target="_blank"><img width="633" height="480" title="Windows Print Pictures Wizard" style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" alt="Windows Print Pictures Wizard" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WLhP9kSpcGk/W6HzFTiUOlI/AAAAAAAAq3E/laVZk0NRSmsErzuFH8k-CMjb05qgwIqBQCHMYCw/image_thumb%255B23%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>On <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">Windows</a> with <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Adobe/Ntt/Creative+Cloud+Photography+Plan/N/0/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> even when I told the driver to do borderless with max expansion, the aspect ratio of the photo caused me to get white bars on both the left and right side. To fix this problem I simply tried right-clicking on the photo in Explorer and choosing Print to use the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/07/rons-windows-photo-editing-system-intel.html" target="_blank">Windows</a> Print Pictures Wizard which resulted me in getting the same borderless results as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirPrint" target="_blank">AirPrint</a>. This is primarily due to the aspect ratio of iPhone prints vs digital camera prints which means that a true borderless print is going to crop more off the top and bottom of the print than one with white bars on the side. Keep this in mind when choosing borderless! </p><p>Quality-wise I saw the same differences in skin tones especially in the hot spots of the photos and in the cheeks as I saw with the model shot above, but it was less noticeable in a natural light photo. </p>
<h4>Conclusion</h4>
<p>In the end my wife loved the PM-400 so it was EXACTLY what she wanted and it works for her. I appreciated it for its ease of use and speed when the kids need a quick print of a photo that's on my iPhone for a school project where quality doesn't matter. It was also great for sending pics to the grandparents who don't really give a hoot about the quality as long as the pics are of their precious grandchildren!</p><p>For me, I obviously won't be giving up my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a> for the photos I care about. With that said, you don't need to spend a fortune as my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/08/review-epson-surecolor-p600-part-ii-of.html" target="_blank">P600</a> is almost as good <a href="https://amzn.to/2pnaf4p" target="_blank">for substantially less than the P800</a>. </p><p>For the price, I loved the speed and ease of use I got out of the PM-400 so I can easily give it a strong recommendation for everyday non-color critical use. It's fast and certainly worth <a href="https://amzn.to/2xEYQRB" target="_blank">the great reviews it gets on Amazon</a> for printer that cost less than a set of ink for my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2015/12/review-epson-surecolor-p800-vs-p600.html" target="_blank">P800</a>! </p>
<h4>Where to Buy?</h4>
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Epson-PictureMate-Wireless-Compact-Printer/dp/B014KU0RIA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1537335917&sr=8-1&keywords=Epson+Pm-400&linkCode=li3&tag=ronrmarsblo-20&linkId=e1216cdc9b4311e811346a726342654b&language=en_US" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to learn more or buy a Epson PictureMate PM-400 today.</p>
<h4>Other articles you may enjoy</h4>
<p>If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/printing-series-articles.html" target="_blank">printing series</a>. Also be sure to check out my <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/index.html" target="_blank">Reviews tab</a> as well as <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/p/recommendations.html" target="_blank">Ron's Recommendations</a>. </p>
<h4>Disclosure</h4>
<p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.</p>ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5826231802859523569.post-5687644431813679282018-09-05T11:00:00.001-07:002018-09-05T11:00:18.310-07:00First Thoughts: Canon EOS R Mirrorless Digital Camera<p align="center"><a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/items/ci/40345/N/0/view/GRID/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px currentcolor; border-image: none; background-image: none;" src="https://static.bhphoto.com/images/images500x500/1536134759000_1433711.jpg" border="0"><br><i>Canon EOS R Mirrorless Digital Camera</i></a></p><p>A lot of people have been reaching out to me for my thoughts on the all new Canon R – Canon’s answer to the recently introduced <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/promotion/14450/oarthur.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Nikon Z series</a> - given my history a “Canon shooter”. Long-time readers have noticed that I’ve been very vocal about how much I loved the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">Sony a7R III (my 2017 Camera of the Year)</a> and <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/08/review-sony-a9-ultimate-action-camera.html" target="_blank">Sony a9</a>, so would my history with Canon change my opinion?</p><p>I’ve been off doing other things besides blogging lately, so I have actually been out of the loop on the rumors of the “R” until friends started reaching out to me about it this past weekend. While I’m not surprised about the announcement, I had no inside info prior to the release so it’s been a learning experience for me too. </p><p>My first thoughts are:</p><ul><li>Why only 30mp? </li><li>Where’s the advanced eye auto focus? </li><li>Nice job with the screen on the top like my DSLR’s, but where’s the rest of the buttons?</li><li>No joystick?!!!! No thank you!!!</li></ul><p>On paper, it feels like it’s button layout is more like a <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2017/08/review-canon-6d-mark-ii-fantastic-in.html" target="_blank">6D Mark II</a> / <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1225875-REG/canon_1263c004_eos_80d_dslr_camera.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">80D</a> but its sensor seems targeted for a <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2016/11/review-canon-5d-mark-iv-better-than.html" target="_blank">5D Mark IV</a> user. This places it in line to compete with the <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=sony+a7+iii&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&typedValue=&Top+Nav-Search=&BI=2071&KBID=2787&KWID=EZ" target="_blank">Sony a7 III</a> not the <a href="http://www.ronmartblog.com/2018/01/review-sony-a7r-iii-camera-of-year-2017.html" target="_blank">Sony a7R III </a>which is a bit of a surprise for me – especially given the fact that this camera is priced like the more capable Sony a7R III. </p><p>While I should reserve judgement until actually using one, on paper I still think that Nikon and Canon have both missed the mark in competing with Sony’s more compelling offerings. I think <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1431754-REG/nikon_z7_mirrorless_digital_camera.html/BI/2071/KBID/2787" target="_blank">Nikon did a better job with the Z7</a>, but if I were spending my money on a mirrorless right now I’d still go with Sony. </p><h4>Disclosure</h4><p>If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.ronmartblog.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815090271742112506noreply@blogger.com0