Meural Digital Frame 2.0 - 2017 Product Of the Year (Discount Offer)

Meural Canvas 2.0 Box - Bottom

I rarely do unboxing videos, but for this product I created the article entitled First Look - Meural Digital Canvas Photo Frame 2.0 where I did just that. The reason for this is that I wanted to have a little more bake time with this newest version of the wildly successful Meural Digital Canvas that I first reviewed in August 2016 before I rendered my final verdict on this newest version.

In the first look article you can get an idea of what you get in the box and the frame itself (the Lenora Black in this case), so in this review I'll focus on other relevant points.

Overview - What is a Digital Canvas?

Simply put, this is a dedicated 1080p video display with a low cost computer built in that allows it to talk to my.meural.com. This means that there's a Meural cloud service that is used to keep the files you upload and the settings you set for all of the frames you own. This allows for easy sharing of data between your computer, apps and the frame itself. 

My TV can computer can show photos, why is this better?

While it is true that many smart devices such as modern TV's can show photos, the problem is that this is not their primary purpose so displaying photos typically involves a lot of hassle and it's easy to close the app that is playing the slideshow. As a result, this makes these devices - just like your computer - good for a one off slideshow, but not something that is literally living art in your home.

I've bought small digital frames before and they suck, how is this different?

There's an old saying "you get what you pay for" and sadly most small form factor digital displays are just that. They are a horrifically low quality video display and a terrible software experience making them worse than using your TV or computer for displaying photos and the software is so poorly done that most people are usually turning them off within months of purchasing them.

Great for portraits in offices or homes

What makes Meural different is that this is a high quality display, as the price would suggest, with high quality software with the dedicated purpose of making it easy to display your photos and add more from any location that has internet access.

I'm proud to have licensed some of my images for use on Meural

What's more, you aren't limited to your own photos, so add the subscription service and you can enjoy others high quality art for those times when you want to enjoy art that exceeds your own abilities. To see examples of art you can enjoy on your frame, check out the galleries from artists and partners who have licensed work to Meural for use on your frame.

Setup

Device menu displayed via gesture feature

Setup for this device is much like any other IoT device these days - this frame has its own wifi access point that you connect to from your phone, then use the app to setup the device and get it on your local network. Generally speaking, it works just as easy as any other device of this type (like Nest products), which is to say an average user won't have any trouble setting it up. Some beginners may struggle a bit though.

With that said, one of the setup experiences involves using the gesture support on this frame and that's one of the few areas where I don't have good things to say about this product. Simply put, the gesture feature is terrible.

Frequently I found myself flapping like a bird trying to get the gestures to work with roughly a 5% success rate, but fortunately you can completely ignore this feature after you've set up the frame (and even with setup, it's optional).

Hanging the frame

Hanging the frame requires a drill and a hammer and a little patience with the measurements. It took me about 15 minutes from start to finish to hang the frame. While they include a small level with the frame, I still think it's better a real level for better accuracy. I failed to do so when hanging the frame at my parents house and it ended up being slightly off so it drives me crazy.

If you are mindful when hanging, you can set your frame up where it can change orientation from landscape to portrait, which is handy when you get tired of photos of one orientation and you want to mix them up with those of another. I love this feature, so I always make sure I hang my frames in a way that supports both orientations.

Settings

While Meural is constantly improving the settings experience, as of December 2017 here's what they looked like in the web browser:

App Experience

Here's a demo of what you can do using the app using an iPhone (in this case, the iPhone X) with the phone upright for the first part, and the phone in landscape orientation for the second part:

It should be noted that my mom had a iPhone 4s which wasn't supported since the app requires iOS 10 or later, and her phone only supports up to iOS 9. While it is cool to have apps that take advantage of the latest features, I wasn't too happy about a 4 year old phone being unsupported.

Click here to learn more about the requirements of the app on iOS and click here for Android. While the app has features like being able to switch the images in real time, you can also use the web interface from your computer or phone as another option.

I really wish Meural would be more thoughtful about backwards compatibility for phones or make all of the app features redundant in the web interface so owners with older phones would have more options.

Another frustration point is that the app can only control the frame when you are on the same network, so I can't control the frame on behalf of my parents remotely. Since they are both over 80, this is a real bummer as that could be quite useful.

TIP: The weakest link of any connected device is getting it on a networking and keeping it on the network. The Meural frame is no different, but I do find that it loses its network connection more than other devices. When this happens, the best bet is to just unplug and reconnect the frame to its power source and the connection will restore itself. I suspect this is due to the device failing to send the router a keep alive message, so hopefully this is something they will fix in the future.

Controlling the frame from the app demo

Customization

To me the key differentiator of Meural over the competition is the customization that it supports. In addition to the settings shown earlier, the scheduler allows you to pick which play list you display at each hour of the day plus when your frame sleeps. This is a HUGE benefit over all other solutions I've ever tried, and it's the reason why I proudly own three Meural frames.

Here's an example of how you configure this feature from the web browser (only):

There's a drag and drop interface for choosing which playlist you'd like to display on the frame at any given hour. Once you drop it on the frame you can drag it have it span multiple hours as I've done with the 78 image "portraits" playlist. You can also have it randomly choose play lists for part of the day and fixed playlists for other parts. Finally, you can specify which hours the frame sleeps which is my favorite feature as I don't want my frame running at night.

For simplicity sake, I've only shown two playlists here but it supports as many playlists as you've downloaded to your frame. You can also avoid this altogether and turn on "Playlist Rotation" and "Canvas goes completely dark" (shown earlier) if you want the frame to be more hands off and make those decisions for you.

This is the game changer feature that I can't live without!

Frame & Display Quality Thoughts

The display used in this frame is a good quality 1920 x 1080 (1080p) full HD display that resolves to 100 pixels per inch, and it features a matte finish to avoid reflections. Since it is calibrated nicely from the factory, this results in a very pleasant viewing experience that often times can fool novices into thinking they are looking at a framed print.

For those who do frame prints, the size feels about the same as a 13x19" print, so it's big enough to enjoy but not obnoxiously large. When viewing images in landscape orientation it feels just right for most things, but busy scenes viewed at distances greater than 16 feet can feel a bit on the small side (duh). However, in portrait mode I found that most images felt quite large and enjoyable, but that could also be since I get up close on my portraits so the images are larger than life size.

The frame itself features a nice wooden frame white a white matting that feels very professionally done. As a result, it doesn't feel like a cheap digital frame but instead like a print that you had framed. This is why I think I often get the reaction from guests who so say "I didn't realize that was digital" after they see the image change for the first time.

As previously mentioned, the gesture support is terrible so I consider it a non-feature. In fact, for my parents I had to effectively disable it as they would sometimes accidentally activate it which stressed them out.

I've owned my first version for over a year and heat has never been a problem. It's always cool to the touch, unlike my TV, so that's a good sign that it's using a lot less electricity too. This is one of the big benefits of this solution over a computer or TV used to display your images because I haven't noticed any impact on my electricity bill while running this frame for 16 hours a day for the last 16 months! My room doesn't feel like a sauna either like it does when I'm done watching a long movie.

New for 2.0 - the sleep button

Meural 2.0 Sleep Button

One great new feature for the 2.0 version is the sleep button. This allows you to push a physical button on the side of the frame to put it to sleep. Push it again and you get instant wake up - much like open and closing a Macbook Pro.

But why isn't it 4k?

4k is great, but it also comes at a premium price both in terms of the display cost as well as the the bandwidth and storage needed to transmit photos back and forth. While I'm sure there will be a day in the future when I'm bragging about the 4k Meural, I've found that at this size I don't have any concerns about resolution at normal viewing distances (and I'm a master printer and display expert) . A typical billboard is 15 dots per inch and a magazine which has a closer viewing distance is often 150 dots per inch, so this is a good trade off for price versus performance.

What about Momento?

Yes, I've heard of Momento Smart Frame (B&H & Amazon), but the software is optimized around the mobile photo experience with a lack end to end thought. It's also very cheaply built, so it doesn't have the same quality as a Meural. It's promising given its price point, but at this time I have to say it's poor hardware and software experience by comparison. I've also had a terrible experience trying to reach anyone at this company, so I've been reluctant to invest in one for fear that it would be the same experience as I've had with all of the cheap frames that have disappointed me in the past.

What about the optional subscription service?

I hate subscription services, and that's putting it very politely. This is why I'm happy to report that Meural doesn't require you use their service. What the service provides you is access to their gallery of curated art to display on your frame which for some may be preferable to their own images - especially businesses. However, that's a value added feature and not a required service.

While the galleries from artists and partners offer a lot of great images, some of which I enjoy on my frame despite my photography background, you aren't forced to use it so don't worry. I do recommend you try it out though as I've found some of the images are quite spectacular like the ones from 1x. You could never legally license these photos yourself at this price, so it's a good deal to get this many images at this price.

Conclusion

The Meural frame is the first and only digital frame that I can say that I've truly enjoyed. It has all of the features that I've wished for and its continuous improvement shows a commitment to make it even better for existing owners. My 1.0 frame has all of the software benefits of the 2.0, yet it didn't cost a penny to get those upgrades.

I also have found it to be a profound life changing experience for myself and my family members to enjoy hundreds of digital photos changing on the wall of my home (and my parents). There's no way I could display that many prints, so a lot of touching family photos can be enjoyed at no additional cost. What's more, I have no hesitation to include "bad" photos that I'd never print, but put a smile on our faces nevertheless.

While the first version was good, it felt like a product in progress from a start up. The bones were good and mine still works fine, but this newest version feels a lot more polished. I also had a unit shipped from the East coast to my house and then I shipped it to my parents place in Texas. Despite this the original packaging (shown here) kept the frame safe for thousands of miles of travel.

Simply put, there's no better way to enjoy your investment in photography than to display your photos on a Meural Digital Canvas.  As a result, I can easily give it my highest recommendation for anyone who enjoys viewing meaningful photos. It's also a no brainer for my 2017 ronmartblog.com Product of the Year.

Where to Buy?

CLICK HERE to learn more or buy today.

Discount Offer

For a limited time, Meural is offering $100 off and if you order by December 20th they promise delivery by Christmas (exclusions apply and subject to weather and transportation conditions).

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Meural 2.0 First Look & What's Inside
• REVIEW: Meural Large Digital Frames–The Perfect Way To Display Your Family Photos
• Ron Martinsen Featured on Meural Digital Canvas
• Ron's Windows Computer Setup

Enjoy these and more on the Reviews tab as well as Ron's Recommendations.

Disclosure

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. While I have purchased a 2.0 frame, I was also provided with one for review purposes. I also am a featured artist for images found in the subscription based service as part of a research experiment for a future idea that I have for this blog.

First Look - Meural Digital Canvas Photo Frame 2.0

Meural Canvas 2.0 Box - Bottom

I've owned the first version of the Meural Digital Canvas photo frame for over a year and I've been loving every minute of it. There's not a day that goes by that I don't spend a few minutes enjoying watching some of my favorite photos displayed on it as I stare at it from my dinner table. My friends, family, and yes - even my teenage kids - all have gushed over how cool our frame is, so when the folks at Meural told me that I could review the latest and greatest version, I was all over it!

This is my first impressions, but I'll be doing a more comprehensive review very soon. For this one I thought I'd start with the packaging, as there's been a big upgrade there that makes this product feel more polished and professional versus something that comes from a startup.

Meural Canvas 2.0 Box - Top Side

Just check out the cool packaging which illustrates one of the great features about this product - you can not only show your own photos - but a galleries of other flavors of fine art.

When I got my first frame, I wasn't so sure about why I would ever want to show other people's art, but after exploring the available content I found myself adding a couple dozen photos. In fact, my oldest son loved some of those photos so much that he went on a trip to Norway to try to locate some of the places featured on my frame and was thrilled to see them in real life!

A Quick Peek Inside 

Meural Canvas 2.0 Box - Inside with quick start manual

I hate unboxing videos, so I thought I'd cut to the chase and just show you some quick pics.

I don't usually do this, but I know I was worried about my frame getting damaged in shipment. I thought this could be a useful article to show just how well it is packed for those who had doubts about its safety when ordering online.

Meural Canvas 2.0 Box - Frame Packaging

As you can see the frame is very well protected and arrived in perfect condition to my house near Seattle even though it had been shipped from New York. I was pleased to see the protective cover and despite the cool temperatures it arrived with no issues. To be fair, I did let it acclimate to my house for 8 hours before opening just to make sure there was no condensation issues.

Meural Canvas 2.0 Box -  Hanging Hardware & Cleat

The mounting hardware was secured with tape (removed here) but I have what I need to hang my frame securely in the sheetrock. I didn't hang my first frame because it just rested nicely in my TV alcove and I used a couple big crystal trophies to hold it secure in place (not recommended).

Meural Canvas 2.0 Box -  Rear View

On the back side frame, the cleat mounts are much more polished (literally) and there's better frame ventilation (although my v1 never had and heat issues). There's also a big purple port to accept the power with space to coil up extra slack from the power cable if you don't need to extend it.

Software

Web Frame Management Site
Partial List of Settings Shown

If you own an existing Meural frame, then you can see the new software. However, if you don't then it's evolved a lot since my original review. It's a lot more robust and user friend with support to features available both on the website AND phone.

I'll cover this more in my review, but I wanted a quick mention to let people know that the software that was the Achilles heal of the original models, is now working well and all the bugs are worked out.

First Thoughts

Everything just worked out of the box and felt very much like my original frame which is a good thing, since I liked it quite a bit.

The quality of the black frame is very different. It has more of a bevel to it, but it seems more manufactured than the wood of the first version. I can't say that is a good or a bad thing - it's just different.

Overall, this frame looks more commercial whereas the first version felt more hand made. However, from a distance they both look very similar and quite good.

The power cord cable is MUCH improved and significantly longer than the one I got with my review unit for the first version. There's also multiple adapters for different regions, but the one right out of the box worked fine in the US.

Usability wise, it felt like the much improved iOS app was more responsive with this frame than the first version, but otherwise the only noticeable improvements were a better onboarding experience than when I last did this > 14 months ago.

So far it's been working great and not really a huge difference than my first one, but that's a good thing because the firmware and software of my first one have been updated to make it act the same as this one.

My only gripe has been that he gesture feedback often leaves me giving the frame a middle finger gesture, as it just doesn't work very reliably. However, the phone allows you to do everything you need so I just use it instead as I've done with the first version of the frame.

The biggest improvement seems to be support for auto rotation, but that's not something I find very practical as I plan on putting it up one way and leaving it like that forever. In fact, I'm considering leaving this one in portrait orientation while I leave my old one in landscape.

Conclusion

Simply put, this is pretty much everything I liked about the first one but with a lot more spit and polish. It feels more like a mass distributed product rather than a one off, but still looks way better than any other digital frames I've ever used.

Definitely put this on your short list for holiday gifting as the image quality is fantastic and the ease of use via the phone app and web site make it very serviceable remotely after you get it set up initially. For my v1 the only glitch was the need to occasionally unplug and re-plug it to reboot it to get it back on my network again, but I haven't had this one long enough to see if that issue still exists.

Click here to see my full review.

Where to Buy?

CLICK HERE to learn more or buy today.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• REVIEW: Meural Large Digital Frames–The Perfect Way To Display Your Family Photos
• Ron Martinsen Featured on Meural Digital Canvas
• Ron's Windows Computer Setup

Enjoy these and more on the Reviews tab as well as Ron's Recommendations.

Disclosure

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.

Ron Martinsen Featured on Meural Digital Canvas

I'm pleased to announce that some of my photos are now available for download to your Meural digital canvas. If you aren't familiar with Meural, then check out my review for more details.

Disclosure

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 also provided with a review version of this product.

REVIEW: Meural Large Digital Frames–The Perfect Way To Display Your Family Photos

*** See my review for the new version 2.0 released in Nov 2017 ***

Meural Digital Canvas - Show famous art or your own

If you've ever shopped around for digital frames, it's easy to say that you've probably experienced how underwhelming the offerings can be. Generally the digital frames are small, with horrible resolution displays and they usually only allow you to upload your photos via USB or some very bad software.

Wouldn't it be great if you could upload your photos to a digital frame that was housed in a wooden frame with a matte that was suitable for display in a fine home, art gallery or luxury hotel?

Wouldn't it be great if you could not only upload your photos from your computer and have them automatically downloaded to your frame from anywhere in the world with an internet connection?

Wouldn't it be cool if you didn't see the same photos all day long, but could also see the work of others fine art paintings and photos?

Most digital frames suck, does this one?

When the folks from Meural contacted me about reviewing a frame that could do all of this, I was highly suspicious that the quality and user experience would be terrible. I'm a NEC Color Visionary and X-Rite Coloratti Pro with a history of working with display manufacturers. I’ve attended display technology conferences, so I know what good quality displays and accurate color look like.  As a result, I'm used to being underwhelmed and very disappointed by bargain displays that look terrible to my eyes.

I'm happy to report that when my frame arrived I was very pleased and my "geek with a new toy" smile hasn't left my face since it's arrival.

For starters they did a fantastic matte finish that avoids reflections without destroying image quality. They also did a good job of calibrating the color from the factor, so the images on the frame were on par with my calibrated NEC PA Series displays.

What I wasn't expecting is that the wood and matte that surrounds the frame is very well done and feels like something I'd get from a high end framing studio. I've spent $450+ on custom frames of this size, and while I wouldn't say that this frame is as good as some of the ones I've purchased - it's very close. Keep in mind though that those were traditional frames that just housed and protected one photo. This is a digital frame that looks great on the wall, even when it is off, and even better when it is displaying lots of my images and fine art.

Using my Meural Canvas

The Canvas List displays all of the canvases that you've registered

I've been using my frame for a couple weeks, and even though I typically wait longer to do a review - I love this product so much I felt compelled to write my review right away. Part of the reason for this is that it not only performed beautifully displaying my images and the art of others, it did so with zero noise and no noticeable heat. This is a HUGE advantage over using a smart TV or building your own PC to display images - both of which I've already done before myself.

Canvas Settings

When I first got my canvas and started using it, I was disappointed that the phone app and gesture based UI had no mechanism for editing important settings like slide duration and off hours. Fortunately all of these settings are easily accessible via the web site and included even more than I could imagine. Rather than spend a lot of time talking about them, here's a screen shot of the behind the scenes controls I have over my canvas:

Canvas Settings
Some images featured here are copyright their respective owners and used under license

In addition to being able to specify exactly what art collections are stored on my canvas, I can control when they are displayed as well as when the frame sleeps thanks to the handy timeline feature. If you’ve ever used other frames or tried to build your own, this is the key thing that the others fail to offer. This is the game changer feature that really sets this frame apart!

My family really loved how we could enjoy our family photos during meal times but then enjoy other art during the day so we didn't get bored seeing the same photos all day long.

Video Demo

*** Note this covers the original frame and UX – all has improved so I’ll be updating this in the near future ***

While recording a video of any video display is the best way to make a display look terrible, I decided it was important to show off some of the features of this frame. Please know that the image quality of this display is outstanding in real life – much like a high quality computer monitor, so don’t be misled by the video quality.

I also show the iOS and web apps that complement this device. It should be noted that while I demo the iOS app, there is also an Android version too.

Technical Specs

If you are a geek like me then you want more technical details about the display specs and the hardware, so I've created this link  for you to get that info including a video that shows how they are built.It's fun to watch so check it out!

The highlights are the 27” 1080p IPS Display with Anti-Glare Technology, 1920 x 1080 Full HD Resolution and 8GB of storage.

Conclusion

Yes, you can use your Smart TV (or device connected to your TV), your iPad, an old computer or a new fanless PC to have your own digital slideshow solution. What makes this product unique is that you get a fine art quality frame that just works without any heat or noise issues, and great software and stock that keeps things interesting.

It's nicely designed UI makes it simple to see the photos you want when you want them - including art made by others. The simplicity and quality of this all-in-one solution is what makes it unique. The performance of the 27" 16:19 aspect ratio calibrated color display is what makes it feel like a 23x13" print hanging on the wall.

I expected to be underwhelmed, but I can't say enough about how much I love this frame. In fact, now that I have one I seriously want another one so I can dedicate one to landscape photos and another to portrait photos elsewhere in my house. I want one for my elderly parents house  too- that's how much I love this product!

If you've been underwhelmed or disappointed by digital frame offerings in the past, I'm pleased to say that the time has come to finally get one. This is the one I've been waiting for! Even if you don't own a camera - it's useful at displaying lots of great (and currently free) stock art available on the Meural web site, as well as digital art you purchase off  the web.

Verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Where to order

Meural has discontinued all discount offers from partners, but  you can CLICK HERE to order.

Disclosure

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 also provided with a review version of this product.

REVIEW: The Adobe Photoshop CS6 Book for Digital Photographers

The Adobe Photoshop CS6 Book for Digital Photographers is an update of a classic book that every Photoshop owner should have near their desk.  If you already own The Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers, then you’ll find that this book is very similar with some nice new updates to keep your skills relevant to current trends. The biggest obvious difference is that Chapter 6 (Jonas Sees in Color – Color Correction Secrets) gets dropped and replaced with the new Chapter 12 – Videodrome chapter which is a must read if you are wanting to learn what Photoshop CS6 can do with video.

Chapter by Chapter Walkthrough

Because I’ve reviewed preview editions of this book, I’m catering my walkthrough a bit to those who have read the previous version. If you haven’t, don’t worry, you can still get an idea of what’s included but you might find it handy to read one of the previous edition reviews if you are feeling like you are missing something. Each version of this book drops a little of the old and picks up the new, but each one is strong enough to stand on its own – if you own the version of Photoshop that the book was written for.

Here’s my thoughts on the chapters in this edition:

Chapter 1 Mini Series – Using Photoshop CS5’s Mini Bridge

One of the cool new features of CS5 was the miniature version of Bridge built in to a panel directly into CS5. This chapter covers a lot of things you never would have guessed it would do. It replaces the “London Bridge – Bridge Essentials” content from the CS4 edition, so it’s worth a read if  you’re coming from CS4 or skipped this chapter in the last book. There’s some very cool stuff you can do with Mini Bridge so check it out.

Chapter 2 WWF Raw – The Essentials of Camera Raw

This is an improvement over Chapter 3 of the CS4 edition where now more practical tips are added, but near identical to the CS5 edition. It’s worth a read if you aren’t using Lightroom or are new to Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). If you read the

Chapter 3 Raw Justice – Camera Raw – Beyond the Basics

I highly recommend this chapter, especially if you haven’t read the 7 Point System. There’s lots of practical tips here that every photographer should know and it starts to show why you should care about Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) even if you own Lightroom.

If you read the previous version of this book then it’ll feel like déjà vu all over again, but there’s a a few hidden gems scattered throughout. The one I think many will appreciate is the “Getting the Old CS5-Style Fill Slider Back” (which also applies to Lightroom). I hated Adobe for getting rid of this one, so if you haven’t figured out what to do to get it back then you’ll love this!

Chapter 4 Attitude Adjustment – Camera Raw’s Adjustment Tools

This was a good chapter in the last book and it’s actually improved quite a bit here. The last main three sections on selective white balance; reducing noise just in shadows; and getting more out of adjustment brush effects are “doh, why didn’t I think of that” tips that beginner to intermediate users will love. 

Chapter 5 – Scream of the Crop – How to Resize and Crop Photos

If you read the last book then skip to the next chapter, but if you haven’t then this is pure gold – especially for new and frustrated users. You might actually stop saving cropping for Lightroom and do it directly in Photoshop after reading this!

Chapter 6 – Black & White – How to Create Stunning B&W Images

For me Silver Efex Pro is the only way to create Black & White now, but if you are pinching pennies and need to do it the old fashion way then there’s much goodness here. It feels identical to the previous book because not much has changed in Photoshop. It’s an easy skip for repeat readers or those who have accepted the reality that the Nik Software suite is simply a must own collection for anyone serious about photo editing.

Chapter 7 – We are HDR – Creating HDR Images

CS6 has come a long way with HDR over the past few versions. However the only reason you use Photoshop for this is because you are pinching pennies. Proper HDR is best done in HDR Efex Pro 2, or Photomatix. In this article I compare different HDR products including CS6 so you can see which HDR solution is right for you.

If you decide to get Photomatix then Trey Ratcliff's Photography, HDR and Post-Processing Course is a must own in my book.

Chapter 8 – Little Problems – Fixing Common Problems

I loved this chapter before and it keeps improving. CS6 has some awesome stuff like content aware scale and move added, so everyone should read this chapter. Scott added several new sections over the last edition for things like dealing with backlit subjects and creative content-aware related sections. He nixed the fixing dark eye sockets section (which can be solved easily using Viveza), but left in goodness from the previous edition like selecting hair & compositing. This is a must read chapter!

If you like this chapter then you’ll love Photoshop Compositing Secrets, so I highly recommend you pick that book up when you are done reading this one.

Chapter 9 – Side Effects – Special Effects for Photographers

This is a major update to catch up with current trends, so if you are a previous edition owner and are wondering if there’s much that is new – this is where you’ll find a good chunk of it! Personally I try to re-read every chapter of this book each time a new edition comes out because I find that there’s too much for me to absorb through just one pass through the book. I rarely find time to read it twice before a new edition comes out, so I add a few items to my toolbox each time I read one of these killer books by Scott Kelby! This edition includes cool new things like the Instagram look, tilt-shift effect (using the new blur gallery), lighting effects, liquify tricks, and so much more. Don’t skip this chapter!

Chapter 10 – Sharpen Your Teeth – Sharpening Techniques

Just when you think that you can’t beat this old dead horse much more, Scott goes and adds some new stuff that makes you glad you read the chapter. Sharpening is a critical part of photography these days, so I recommend you read this chapter. Personally I find Sharpener Pro easier, but CS6 can create results that are as good in the right hands. This chapter helps you to get those skills. Previous edition owners can skip this chapter though as nothing has really changed.

Chapter 11 – Fine Print – Step-by-Step Printing and Color Management

This a good super high-level summary of what I cover in more depth in my Printing 101 eBook. This chapter gives you a taste of what you are jumping into if you decide to do your own printing, before you’ve told yourself – yes, I’m going to do this! My book is for those who are definitely getting ready to get into printing, or who already have but are frustrated with mediocre results.

This chapter is a carryover from the previous edition with only one minor section about contact sheets added.

Chapter 12 – Videodrome – Editing DSLR Video in Photoshop

I despise doing video because it’s so time consuming and I’m just not really ready to learn new software. I want to take my Photoshop knowledge and be able to apply it to my video, but that hasn’t been possible – until now. Scott mirrors my thoughts exactly and does what we all want – he just shows us how to make use of Photoshop’s video features right away using what we already know. This subject is big enough for a whole book (hint, hint, Scott!), but until we get that this is the primer that I think most readers will appreciate.

Chapter 13 – Workflow – [Scott Kelby’s]  Step-by-Step Workflow

If there is one reason to keep your old versions of this book it’s because Scott always does something new in this section for each book, and personally I like to have the old ones around. This one is useful even if it’s a little more simple than some of the past editions (mainly due to advancements in Photoshop). It’s really geared towards the beginner who is looking for that “ah,ha moment” where they start to tie things together to see how the stuff they’ve learned can be used on their photos.

I still STRONGLY recommend Scott’s 7 Point System book even though it’s written for CS3. If you like this chapter then you’ve gotta get the 7 Point System – that book changed my life!

Conclusion

Anytime I know I’m going to be on a long flight I like to take the books from this series and re-read them because I always pick up great new things each time. While it’s more of a recipe book that you'll use as a reference, I find myself using this book at least once a month for some tricky challenge I face. I love it and can’t live without it!

Skill Level: ALL - Beginner to Advanced
Value: Excellent (worth every penny)
Recommendation: Must Own for those who don’t have previous editions and worth the upgrade for those doing video or who want to pick up modern day skills.

If you are too busy or lazy to read a book like this, then you might consider KelbyTraining.com too. While I prefer to have this as a reference book to quickly to the solution for the problem I’m currently facing, there’s lots of great videos on Kelby Training (discount) that are more in-depth. I also find that Kelby Training keeps me up to date on the latest techniques as they are always adding new videos each week. Some good examples are Photoshop CS6: Brushes and Painting and Photoshop CS6: What’s New?. There’s also tons on Lightroom 4 too!

Click here buy your copy today and help to support this blog!

If you liked this article...

You might also enjoy these articles too:

• Nik Software Reviews and Discount
• Kelby Training Review & Discount
• Photoshop Compositing Secrets
• Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It
• What Photoshop Books Should I Read? 
• Adobe Lightroom 4 Review
• Canon 1D X Review
• Canon 5D Mark III Review
• Nikon D800 vs 5D Mark III Review
• Nikon D4 vs D800 & 5D Mark III Review

See more articles in the right column of this blog.

Disclaimer

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. I was also given a copy of this book by the publisher so I could see what was new and share that info with you.

NEW: Canon EOS 60Da DSLR Camera For Astrophotography

Canon 60Da Astrophotography Digital SLR Camera

PRE-ORDER Now from Adorama and B&H

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., April 3, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today introduced the EOS 60Da Digital SLR Camera, a long-awaited successor to the EOS 20Da that is optimized for astrophotography. This DSLR caters to astronomers and hobbyists who enjoy capturing the beauty of the night sky by offering a modified infrared filter and a low-noise sensor with heightened hydrogen-alpha sensitivity. These modifications allow the camera to capture magnificent photographs of "red hydrogen emission" nebulae and other cosmic phenomena.

"The EOS 60Da is a testament to the constant desire to meet the needs of every customer, including those in specialized fields," said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A., "This new camera enables an accurate depiction of a part of our solar system which is hard to achieve with conventional cameras but should be enjoyed and celebrated."

The Canon EOS 60Da camera packs a powerful 18-megapixel CMOS sensor (APS-C) that produces sharp and high-contrast images of astronomical objects, a major enhancement over the EOS 20Da model's 8.2-megapixel sensor. The improved infrared-blocking filter is a modification suited specifically toward astronomy enthusiasts to achieve a hydrogen-alpha light sensitivity that is approximately three times higher than that of a normal Canon DSLR camera. This produces a 20-percent higher transmittance of Hydrogen Alpha line, or H α wavelength, allowing astronomers to capture crisp, clear images of reddish, diffuse nebulae.

Enhanced Features

Crisp images of the stars and planets can be viewed on the EOS 60Da's improved 3.0-inch Clear View LCD screen with 1,040,000 dots for detailed focusing. The flip-out Vari-angle screen allows photographers to adjust the screen for easy viewing without straining even while the camera is mounted to a telescope via a third-party T-ring adapter. Optimized for stargazing with friends or in an educational setting, astronomy enthusiasts can connect the camera to a TV with the provided AVC-DC400ST Stereo AV Video Cable and display the night sky on a TV monitor using the camera's Live View mode. Moreover, the EOS 60Da's Live View mode is equipped with a Silent Shooting feature that eliminates shutter-induced vibration for maximum camera stability when the camera is mounted to a telescope or super-telephoto EF lens.

Enhanced noise reduction on the EOS 60Da sensor offers photographers the ability to experiment with the wide array of ISO settings and increased ISO speeds up to 6400 expandable to 12800. Other features include an intelligent nine-point autofocus system, full manual controls, and RAW, JPEG, and RAW+JPEG image recording capabilities.

Accessories

The EOS 60Da helps capture the wonders of the night sky with its use of Canon's award-winning EF and EF-S lenses along with other EOS accessories. Additionally, the EOS 60Da is packaged with Canon's RA-E3 Remote Controller Adapter, providing the ability to connect a Canon Timer Remote Control such as the TC-80N3 (optional accessory). The TC-80N3 is ideal for controlling time exposures longer than 30 seconds as well as capturing a series of consecutive time exposures that can be composited during post-processing for improved image quality. This is especially useful when the camera body is connected to a telescopeⁱ or an EF super telephoto lens.

Canon has also included an AC adapter kit with the EOS 60Da, allowing the camera to be powered through an AC wall outlet or a battery-powered inverter, ideal for long exposure image or video capture at home or in the field.

Availability

As a specialized product, the EOS 60Da is only available to order from select authorized dealers. The estimated retail price is $1,499.00 and it is expected to be available this month.

PRE-ORDER Now from Adorama and B&H.

Disclosure

If you make purchases using links found in this article, I may make a commission.

REVIEW: Wacom Intuos 4 Wireless Digital Tablet–vs– Wacom Intuos 3 (2011 Edition by Ron Martinsen)

In March of 2009, my friend David Pitcher did a guest blog article entitled Wacom Intuos 4 –vs- Wacom Intuos3 and 3DConnexion SpaceExplorer combination that has been a very popular.

Until recently I was still using my Intuos 3, so I couldn’t comment about the Intuos4, so I had little reason to update it. While I had heard good things about the Intuos4, I had two medium Intuos3 tablets and saw little reason to upgrade.

Recently I upgraded to the Intuos4 wireless and now I’m kicking myself for waiting for so long!

Out of Box First Impression

The first thing I noticed about the Intuos4 over my Intuos3, is that it “just worked”. My Intuos3 would just stop working – a lot, so I’d have to shake my Wacom mouse with the pen tracking it to get it to work again. I also had some apps by Topaz Labs, onOne Software, ColorByte ImagePrint, and more that simply wouldn’t let me click certain objects with my Wacom – I had to use a separate mouse. This left me frustrated, so I only used it for fine detail work in Photoshop. 

When working in Photoshop, my Intuos3 worked well most of the time (more so on the Mac than the PC), but when it failed it was frustrating. My Intuos4 hasn’t had any of the aforementioned issues and feels much more precise. As a result, I find myself using it MUCH more. 

Where’s the Mouse?

One thing I was very disappointed about with the wireless tablet was the absence of a mouse, as I used the Wacom mouse on my Intuos3 nearly full-time. I find right-clicking with stylus (3 or 4) to be maddening, so I want a mouse. I now have to resort to plugging in a separate mouse presumably because Wacom engineers realized that the 4 is so much better than the 3 that you wouldn’t use the mouse. That's not the case for me, but I do find myself using the Intuos4 pen 90% of the time for “mouse activities”, rather than being “just” a Photoshop brush in the past.

Some say give up the mouse for a week and you’ll never go back, but I just haven’t had luck with that process. I want my mouse.

Whew, thank goodness there’s still a wire option

My primary PC where I do most of my work is getting a bit old. As a result its bluetooth support is sketchy at best, so I find myself just leaving the Intuos4 plugged in all of the time. On my MacBook Pro it works great so I used it wirelessly most of the time and only connect it to charge. I’m really happy for this design (versus just requiring a battery change), as it allows me to use the power source  of my choice.

Living with the Intuos4

After I got settled in with 4, I immediately fell in love with the new controls. I never, ever, used the side buttons on the Intuos3 as I could never remember what they did (especially since it could change from product to product). Now I find myself using the hand button a long so I can scroll (which used to be a mouse only thing for me), and the touch ring works beautifully in Photoshop. I also really appreciate the help for more details about how my tablet is currently configured.

David Pitcher’s guest blog article entitled Wacom Intuos 4 –vs- Wacom Intuos3 and 3DConnexion SpaceExplorer combination did a great job of explaining what all of the controls do, so I won’t repeat that here. I will say that in practice I mostly just use the touch ring, the hand button, and the help most often.

Smaller size isn’t a problem

One of my concerns about reviewing this unit is that I was coming from a medium Intuos3 which had a much larger work surface area. The surface of the Intuos4 wireless is 5x8” (12.7 x 20.3cm) versus 6.25" x 10.67" (158.8 x 271.0mm) for my Intuos3, so I expected to really feel boxed in. However, for photo editing this hasn’t been an issue as the improved edge to edge support (even in my complex dual screen setup with landscape and portrait orientation displays) has worked flawlessly. I don’t find myself picking up my pen and re-centering it as I did with the Intuos3, so it’s been easier for me to hit my targets on the first try. It just subconsciously feels much better.

People doing freehand drawing might prefer the larger surface or the Cintiq, but for photography this size hasn’t been a problem at all. With that said, for my dual display configuration, I wouldn’t want to go smaller than this size.

Wireless vs Wired

Personally I’ve found that I prefer to keep the tablet on my desk instead of my lap for photography editing. I’m not twisting my tablet around like someone who would be drawing would do, so I don’t think wireless is necessary for me. Bluetooth was so buggy on my older Windows system that I just gave up, and on the Mac I still found myself keeping it in one spot with it wired up.

The beauty here is that if you can afford the wireless version you can have the best of both worlds, which is why I decided to go for this design. If I ever have a need or desire to go wireless, I can. If I don’t, I can just stay wired. If you want to save a little money though, you can consider getting the medium wired version.

Other Benefits

Lefties will rejoice at the new design and lap users will appreciate the lighter weight in addition to the lack of wires. These improvements along with the great controls and precision make it a real pleasure to use.

Conclusion

Now that I’m used to my Intuos4, I’m struggling to use my 3 at my second office. I’m going to have to get another 4 as I can’t live without its reliability, precision, and wonderful side controls. These suckers are expensive, but they are totally worth it once you add it to your photography editing workflow.

If you have an Intuos3, I give my highest recommendation on upgrading to the Intuos4 – it’s totally worth it! Wireless or not and size are personal preferences, but a medium wireless is a safe bet for most.

If you don’t have a tablet, then I strongly urge you to get one if you use Photoshop. It just makes life so much easier when doing masks, healing, cloning, etc…. At the very least you should order it from B&H and try it out. You can always return it if you aren’t sure about it, but odds are you wouldn’t dream of returning it.

Click here to buy your Intuos4 now and support this blog while you are at it – it doesn’t cost you a penny. You can also click here to learn more on Wacom’s website.

Further Reading

David Pitcher’s guest blog article entitled Wacom Intuos 4 –vs- Wacom Intuos3 and 3DConnexion SpaceExplorer combination is a great read as well.

Disclosure

Wacom provided me with an evaluation tablet to review, and I may make a commission if you make purchases using  links in this article.