Traditional Christmas Family Portrait with Natural Light

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

Hot Rumor: Nikon Acquires Samsung NX System!

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

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

Sony RX1R II improvements over Sony RX1

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

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

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

IMPROVEMENTS

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

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

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

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

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

WHAT'S MISSING

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

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

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

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

UNKNOWNS

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

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

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

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

Selfies Are More Dangerous Than Sharks

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

Improving Color Consistency with the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport

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

What is the Best Focal Length for Portraits?

first day of school

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

Taking Some Rest

This should be a short one. Mic have started this blog a long time ago. And I joined ship after we discovered we had lots of common interests and the same love for sharing knowledge with others. We don't make money for ourselves out of this blog. We're not selling anything here and we have no interest other than helping people who are like us.
 
I don't know how long I have been writing here. Just go check the updated index on the home page. We've written close to 950 posts if I remember correctly. Some of them have created some discussion, and others have lived in complete silence with no comments. Yet we never stopped posting. Maybe we slowed now, but never stopped. Without much mentl support, sometimes I feel like I am talking to myself in an empty room, despite the regular hits we keep getting according to the stats.
 
Anyway, time has for me to take some rest from posting here, and concentrate more on the projects I have on my hand. This is turning out to be the busiest time of my life till now. I will not go away and I will not disappear. But I will be around, and will make the occasional post whenever the time feels right and I have somthing worthy of sharing.
 
I also apologize for ruining some of the previous posts by removing some of the photos in them. But I have taken the decision to keep all my family photos private once more. This makes me more comfortable. So, wish me luck, and see you again soon. I have really enjoyed everything posted here.
 
Bye!

Posted with Blogsy

Strobist Sunday at Santa Monica with the Stylus 1

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

UAE Trip - Part 4

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

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

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

,

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

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

Drone on a Leash: Fotokite Phi

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

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

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

PSA: Man Dies While Filming Bull Run

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

Selens Triple Flash Bracket Review

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

DIY Passport Photos part 3

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

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

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

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

$100 Monolight: Godox e300 Preliminary Review

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

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

Unboxing the Godox e300 ($100 Monolight)

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon Prime Day Deals

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

 

GoPro Hero4 Black Prime Bundle

Crucial MX100 SSD drives

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

Hit the jump for other deals, including lightning deals!

Spectacular Strobe Sale: Flashpoint Streaklight 360ws

​

Adorama is offering a complete Flashpoint Streaklight 360 kit for $399.95.  Hit the jump for details and why you might be interested.

Spectacular Strobe Sale: Flashpoint Rovelight (Profoto D1 clone)

The Flashpoint Rovelight is a clone of the well-regarded Profoto D1 monolight, a self-contained monolight that includes a built-in battery in its body.  While the Profoto D1 costs around $1000 for the 500ws model, the Flashpoint Rovelight RL-600 offers similar functionality at just $600.

Spectacular Strobe Sale: Godox Ving V850 and V860

The Godox Ving is a unique speedlight that uses rechargeable Lithium batteries instead of AA batteries.  As a result, you get a far greater battery life (650 full power flashes -- claimed to be the equivalent of 12 AA batteries), and you have faster recycling times.  It's almost like having an external battery pack, but built-in to the speedlight itself! Check out this demo video by Gadget Infinity:



The Ving currently has three variants: the V850 is a manual flash, while the V860N is for Nikon i-TTL and the V860C is for Canon E-TTL.  Godox has its own wireless radio system: the FT-16, which can adjust flashes remotely, and which is compatible with the Ving and several other Godox products, such as the Witstro and their extensive monolight lineup.

The Ving has received positive reviews from Fstoppers (reviewing the rebranded Neewer TT850), Flash Havoc, Lighting Rumors and others.

SALE
The good news is the Godox Ving is on sale: buy 1, get the 2nd at 50% off, through eBay seller "zeniko_online_store":

This sale applies only to Zeniko's U.S. eBay stores (they have items listed from their stores in China, which have a lower price per unit but aren't included in the sale).  To avail of the discount, just select "2" under quantity.  The price will be updated automatically.

Note: I'm not affiliated with Zeniko or eBay, and we receive no commissions on this.  I'm just passing along this tip!

UAE Trip - Part Three

In the last part of our story, we stopped at the end of my first day in UAE; where we rented a C7 Stingray Corvette from Dubai, and took it home to Abu Dhabi at around 3am to spend the night and start the second day early in the morning.

Parrot Teleprompter on 20% Sale

​

The Parrot teleprompter is a small teleprompter that works with your smartphone and can be attached to your camera's lens like a filter.  I ordered one through their Kickstarter campaign and it is indeed exactly as described.  The folks at Parrot are offering a 20% sale that ends on the 4th of July.

 

Quick notes: 

1.  The adapter for attaching it to your lens is the same size as the one for a Cokin square filter holder (type P).  If you have one of those, they will work.  Alternatively, you can get Cokin lens adapters inexpensively from eBay.

2.  The clamp for the smartphone can accommodate thicker smartphones.  I didn't need to remove my phone from its protective case.

3.  Parrot is now using teleprompter glass instead of acrylic.  This allows better transmission and clarity, but it is also more fragile.

4.  They also have a teleprompter app for Android and iOS (free for now).  The app does not yet support remote control, but they plan to have a remote control accessory in the future.  Alternatively, you can use any other teleprompter app, as long as it allows mirroring.

 

P.S. We're not affiliated with Parrot and we don't receive any commissions from them.

Testing the Samsung NX500 after firmware update v. 1.10

This video shows the effect of the firmware update v. 1.10 on the Samsung NX500's low light autofocus speed, backlight autofocus accuracy, and the raw buffer depth.



Hit the jump for details.

What's Up?

 

Hi everyone.  I hope you had a great weekend!  Here are some of the upcoming posts I'm working on.  If there are any you'd like me to prioritize, pls. let me know in the comments!

Samsung NX500 firmware update

NX500 with kit lens

Just a few months after releasing the NX500, Samsung has already issued a significant firmware update for the NX500 (firmware v. 1.10), addressing some of the issues raised by users.  Hit the jump to see what has improved, what got worse, and what hasn't changed.

Do Apple, Google or Facebook Own Your Photos?

We upload photos and other media to services such as Facebook and Google.  Photographers (and other content creators) have wondered if by doing so, we're giving those companies ownership over our photos and media.  In this post, I'd like to raise some issues and just give you some things to think about.  I'm going to let you know upfront that I unfortunately don't offer any solutions here, and I can't give legal advice (if you want an answer or solutions, that's what hiring a lawyer is for).

Ready for Summer? Olympus Tough TG-3 Waterproof Camera

Summer is almost here and you may be looking for a camera that you can take with you anywhere you go for your vacation.  The Olympus TOUGH TG-3 (released June 2014; originally $349) is a camera that is waterproof, shockproof, and can function in temperatures as low as -10°C/14°F.  Rugged, waterproof point-and-shoot cameras often have mediocre image quality.  However, the TG-3 is the bench of the bunch, winning the 2014 DPReview Waterproof Camera Roundup.  Olympus announced the TG-4 in April 2015, adding raw shooting capability and the ability to choose AF points, but keeping everything else otherwise the same.

In this post, I will give a brief review of the TG-3.

Find Your Smartphone Photos Easily with Google Photos (for iOS and Android)

Do you ever find it difficult to find a photo on your phone?  Google Photos (available for Android or iOS) is an app that organizes your smartphone photos and videos, tagging them automatically using image recognition, which makes it easier to find a photo.  If you have photos on Google Photos (aka Picasa Web Albums), it can include those as well (this option can be turned off).  Google Photos can also sync your smartphone photos and videos to the cloud for free, with some compression (uncompressed backups are available for a subscription).

Comments on the DxO ONE Connected Camera



DXO's webpage for its ONE camera

​Most photography enthusiasts know DxO for their postprocessing software and their sensor and lens tests.  Today DxO announced that they are producing a camera, the DxO ONE.  The DxO ONE is unusual in that it does not have its own LCD but rather is designed to connect with your iPhone (no Android support yet), which it uses for both controlling the camera and displaying images.  Here's our take on it.

Lytro Camera (First Generation) Review

This is a review of the Lytro's First Generation camera, the first consumer light field camera that became famous for changing the focus after having taken the shot.

Portraits: Biggest Blur for the Buck

Nikon D600 + Nikon 85 1.8G.  f/1.8, 1/800, ISO 100

This question was posted on DPReview and I thought it is a useful question: "What is the greatest amount of blur you can get in the most compact package for portraits?"

Update: thanks to readers' suggestions, I added Fuji 56 1.2, Samsung 85 1.4, and Nikon 135 f/2.

Samsung NX500 with 16-50 kit lens is now $599

The NX500 was originally $799, and Samsung decreased the price to $699, then now to $599 at retailers such as Amazon, B&H and Adorama.  At that price, it seems like a pretty good deal to me.  I suggest that if you buy it, you buy from a store with a price protection policy.  I got mine from B&H at $799. When the price later dropped to $699 two weeks later, I asked for a refund of the price difference and they did give it to me.

One week in Italy (Part 1: Rome)

We just got back from a weeklong vacation Italy, my first visit to this beautiful country. In this three-part post, I will discuss the places we visited, beginning with Rome, then Florence, and finally Venice. I will also discuss the cameras and lenses I used, and how well they each performed.

Allora...

Streets of Rome
Olympus Stylus 1

Sony announces a7RII, RX10m2, RX100m4!

Press release for A7RII here

Press release for RX10 and RX100 here

 

A7RII highlights:

42mp resolution with BSI sensor

Hybrid AF (40% faster than a7R) with 399 AF points

5-axis in-body image stabilization

4k recording with digital zoom
electronic first curtain shutter (to eliminate shutter shock) and option for totally silent shutter
Sony's dedicated page for A7RII here

This makes me think that the a6000's successor will likely have IBIS as well (following the trend of the A7II and A7RII), and might also have a BSI sensor.  Sonyalpharumors.com reports that it's been delayed due to overheating issues, which sounds to me like it might also have 4k recording.

Re autofocus with 3rd party lenses, Mark Weir (Sony's Senior Technology Manager) supposedly claims that Canon lenses focus faster on the A7RII that on Canon bodies (!).  If true, that would be a game changer...  And I hope it's also true for other makers' lenses as well!

Imaging Resource's Dave Etchells had this to say:
"I got hands-on with the A7R II and a Canon 24-70mm connected via a Metabones adapter that had the CPU in it to translate the AF signals. This was in a fairly dimly-lit conference room, and it was pretty dang quick (really quite fast, especially given the relatively low light level), when hopping back and forth between objects that were within a moderate range of distances from the camera. In cases where the subject was very far OOF, though, it was much slower sorting it out, and would often hunt in the wrong direction, hit the focus stop, and then go back. AFAIK, these samples were all pretty early firmware, and as noted, it was a pretty low-light situation, so that hunting behavior may not be representative of final production. When the subject wasn't *too* far OOF, it seemed very quick indeed.

We'll obviously have to see how the production samples test under controlled conditions, but this really could be a breakthrough of sorts for Sony, have a lot of impact on the industry, and put a lot of pressure on Canon and Nikon. People with collections of Canon and Nikon glass will suddenly have a non-Canon or Nikon option for using them."

Dave's observations echo those made by DPReview here:
""This is potentially a huge deal - especially for Canon users. We've used an a7R II with a Canon 24-70mm lens and a Metabones adapter, and focus is indeed very fast indeed. We'll be looking at this in more depth as soon as we have a production sample camera, but for now, we're highly impressed. Canon should expect some cancelled EOS 5DS orders..."
 

RX10 and RX100 highlights:
4k recording
960fps, 480fps and 240 fps frame rates
up to 16 fps on the RX100 IV and up to 14 fps on the RX10 II (Sony also claims no blackout)
Anti-Distortion Shutter (maximum speed of 1/32,000 second)
4K (QFHD 3840x2160) movie recording and can capture 16.8 MP still images during 4K video recording
Sony's page for the RX10m2 here
Sony's page for the RX100m4 here
 

 

UAE Trip - Part 2

In part one, we were still reviewing day one of the trip, and we had just found a good place to rent a C7 Corvette in Dubai, which was 30 minutes away from closing. Today we continue that story.

We canceled our JBR outing and chose to head to the dealer immediately before they closed. The trip to there should approximately take 30 minutes. For the first time in my life, I was about to drive a real Corvette, and a Stingray no less, so I wasn't going to miss this opportunity.

UAE Trip - Part 1

The entrance to Palm Island (if you don't know what that is, this is an island that looks like a palm tree from the sky, google it)

First of all, I have to apologize for disappearing suddenly. Besides the usual daily burdens, I am working on a long video series that is sucking any free time for blogging. I initially planned to make this post on two parts, but it seems that it will become three or more. We'll see.

I travelled to UAE for the first time in my life on the first week of April 2015. I didn't know what to expect regarding photography. And to be honest, I didn't want to concentrate on chasing photographic opportunities, and lose valuable time where I could be enjoying myself and having fun, so I packed accordingly. If you check my packing post, I chose to go with the E-M1 + 12-40 f/2.8 combo for the majority of the photos. I also added the Panaleica 25 f/1.4 as my night/low light shooter, added the Rokinon 7.5mm fish-eye for extreme-wide perspective, packed the 40-150 just in case, and finally I packed the brilliant Panasonic LX100 as a take-everywhere camera when I wasn't in the mood of carrying a larger bag.

Quicker lens change

I glued two lens caps back-to-back to make it easier to switch lenses.

Which lens for a vacation?

One of the frequently asked questions I hear is, "What lens(es) should I bring with me on my vacation?"  In this post, I would like to suggest how you can narrow down your choices.  I am also going to discuss the cameras and lenses that I will bring for my upcoming vacation to Italy.

Move to Mirrorless? Mirrorless vs. DSLR; mirrorless systems comparison

Sony recently launched an ad campaign called Move to Mirrorless.  Should you?  Mirrorless cameras are becoming increasingly popular, so much so that DigitalRev recently parodied the enthusiasm about mirrorless.  In this post, I'll post my reasons for shooting with mirrorless, and also discuss situations when I would prefer a normal DSLR.

One Flash Portrait with Linco Boom Arm

Over the weekend, I took a quick portrait of my son to commemorate his First Communion.  In this post, I will discuss my lighting setup.

 

Sony a6000 with TWO lenses for $649 at Costco.com!

Costco.com is selling a Sony a6000 bundle with two lenses (18-55 and 55-210) plus a bag and 32GB SD card for the amazing price of $649 with free shipping!

Please note this is the older 18-55 kit lens, not the more compact 16-50 PZ.  Although it's larger than the 16-50 PZ, it is optically much better according to Photozone.de (18-55 reviewed here; 16-50 PZ reviewed here).

As with any other item from Costco or Costco.com, you have to be a member to buy it.  (Membership costs as little as $55 annually and they usually have the best price for gas.)

Recommended settings for Samsung NX500

Did you get a Samsung NX500 (reviewed here)?  Here are the settings and menu options that I use on the NX500 for people photos:

The Matchup You've Been Waiting For: Sony a6000 vs. Samsung NX500

​

So the champ is finally meeting a worthy contender.  The champ has a style that is not terribly exciting but it can't be denied that he's an excellent all-around fighter, with no major weaknesses.  In the other corner is the challenger, a talented fighter with an unorthodox style.  He's got a much smaller but growing group of fans who love how he throws caution to the wind.  Everyone is wondering who is going to emerge the winner in this battle.

We're talking of course about the Sony a6000 and the Samsung NX500 (reviewed here).  I have been using the Sony a6000 for about a year, and the Samsung NX500 for about a month.  A lot of people looking for a mid-level mirrorless camera have asked which one is better.  For me, there is no clear winner between them.  It depends on your priorities.  In this post, we'll examine their similarities and differences.

UPDATE: The NX500's firmware 1.10 improved its performance.  Changes are highlighted in yellow.

Note: the Sony a6000 shots here use a custom color profile.

How about 170mm f/1.4 or 400mm f/2.8 lenses for MFT?

Consider this a teaser. I cannot wait to start playing with the 200L and the 85 f/1.4 lenses on my Olympus E-M1. Should be fun. Oh, and please don't start talking about equivalency and DOF and all that. I know. At the end, I have 170mm f/1.4 and 400mm f/2.8 STABILIZED lenses. Wohoo.

Samsung NX500 back at $699 (with kit lens); NX1 at $1299

The Samsung NX500 (reviewed here) went on sale at $699 a couple of weeks ago, then went back up to its MSRP of $799.  Now it's back to $699.  The NX1 is likewise back down from $1499 to $1299 body only.  Given the relatively large price fluctuations, it seems Samsung is still trying to figure out the elasticity of demand for the NX1 and NX500.

An Eye-Opening Experience & The Power Of Olympus

Ever since I got the Sony A7II, I have been using it almost exclusively, apart from my trip to UAE where it made sense to pack a MFT kit due to its small size, versatility and auto-focus (Will be covered in a different post. The pictures are ready). To be honest, I was having too much fun playing with the A7II and both the Zeiss and the legacy lenses while ignoring my Olympus kit, to the extent that I decided one day to sell all of my MFT kit and only keep the Sony with the single autofocus lens that I own. And indeed I put my MFT kit for sale, only to decline the first few offers I received. I just didn't have the courage to do it. But I kept using the Sony.

Samsung NX500 Review

In my previous post, I posited that the Samsung NX500 may be the camera that brings Samsung NX to the mainstream.  In this post, I present a preliminary review of the Samsung NX500.  I am evaluating it based on usage for shooting candid photos, not so much for professional use.  I'm comparing it primarily with the Sony a6000, which won DPReview's 2014 poll for Best Consumer Interchangeable Lens Camera by a landslide.

In this preliminary review, I will be discussing the following topics:

•Handling

•Menus

•Exposure

•Autofocus

•Manual focus

•Performance/Responsiveness

•Image quality

•Flash/Lighting

•Video

Please note my evaluation is based primarily on the kit lens, and based on having used the NX500 for about 4 weeks.  I will post reviews of other lenses separately.  Unless otherwise specified, the NX500 samples here are from raw, converted in Samsung DNG Converter or Lightroom 6, with minimal adjustments, so they are representative of what you can readily get from the camera.  (Product shots are from the Olympus Stylus 1.)

6/30/15 UPDATE: Firmware v. 1.10 significantly improved the NX500's performance in several important ways.  I revised this review to note these changes, highlighted in yellow.

1/12/16 UPDATE: Added info re DMF mode and MF Responsiveness.

Save $70 on Lightroom 6 Upgrade

You've probably heard about the release of Lightroom 6, and the standalone price of $149 (and the CC subscription).  What was not so obvious is that you can pay much less for an upgrade if you have a previous version of Lightroom (even Lightroom 1.x, apparently).

 

To get the $79 desktop upgrade:
1. Go to this link
2. Scroll down to Photoshop Lightroom 6 and click Buy.
3. Click on the dropdown and change from Full to Upgrade.
4. Select your version of LR.
5. Click "Add to Cart" and enjoy the savings :)

 

Thanks to DPReview's Michael Uschold for this awesome tip! :)​

 

Fast 50mm Shoot Out: MFT vs FF (or why I bought the Sony A7II and a single FE lens)

You might remember from my previous posts about the Canon 35mm f/2, the Canon 50mm f/1.4 and the Panasonic Leica 25mm f/1.4 lenses how much I appreciate and love the 50mm focal length. To the extent that I previously mentioned that if I found a fixed lens FF camera with a fast 50mm (think Sony RX1 with a 50mm lens instead), I would sell all my gear and only use that camera and a single TTL flash. Unfortunately, that camera doesn't exist yet. So I bought something a bit different. Did it work? Hit the jump to find out.

Samsung NX500 [Temporary] Price Drop to $699!

NX500 with 20 f/2.8

Samsung has dropped the price of the NX500 (reviewed here) from $799 to $699 with kit lens included!  I don't know yet if this is temporary or permanent.  First impressions posted here.  I'm working on a more detailed review.

It's available from Amazon in black, brown, or white.  We would get a small commission at no cost to you.  As usual, 100% of our Amazon commissions will be donated to charity.

BTW the price of the NX1 has dropped from $1499 to $1299 (body only).  The price of the NX1 went back up to $1499, which might mean the NX500 price drop could also be temporary.

Update: the price of the NX500 went back up to $799

Testing the NX500's Samsung Auto Shot (SAS)

Happy Easter!

Over the weekend, I tested one of the NX500's features called Samsung Auto Shot (SAS), which was originally featured in the NX1.  SAS enables the camera to automatically take a shot at the peak moment of certain types of scenes such as baseball or basketball.

It's a feature that no one has asked for.  On the other hand, the target market of the NX500 includes parents and other family members who could use such a feature.  I think that SAS is also intended to showcase the speed of the DRIMEe V (and Vs, in the case of the NX500) processor.

Canon FL 55mm f/1.2 + Sony A7II

 
For some strange reason; unlike when used with the Olympus E-M1, I am really digging the look the Canon 55 f/1.2 is giving me when used with the A7II at wide-open or near wide-open apertures. I will not bother you with a lot of writing. Instead, I will leave you with a few of my favorite pictures taken a couple of weeks ago. Enjoy.

Samsung NX500: Unboxing and First Impressions

As I wrote last week, I found the Samsung NX500 to be impressive enough on paper that I ordered one.  Here is the unboxing:



I shot with it briefly today.  I'm still working on a preliminary review but here are my first impressions:

UPDATED 4/8/15  (see italics)

Packing A Small Do-It-All Kit For Travel

 
In a couple of hours, I will be on my way to UAE where I will be spending three days. I will be visiting both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. I’ve never been there before, but I know that there will be excellent photographic opportunities there. So, instead of just taking the LX100 (which is a very capable camera, especially in video), I decided to take a more flexible setup. It has to be small, and it has to fit in my ThinkTank Retrospective 5 bag.

NX500 Puts Samsung on the Map

Some cameras have the power to change the conversation about its manufacturer.  The Olympus E-M5, Fuji X100, Sony RX1 and Sony a6000 are examples of cameras that have each dramatically altered public perception of their manufacturers.  I believe that the Samsung NX500, which was released just last week, will be the camera that puts Samsung on the map.

(Image by Samsung)

LX100 Auto Lens Cap

 
I want to show you here a few photos for installing the official Panasonic LX100 auto lens cap. There won't be a lot of text though, things are straight forward. In short, it works as expected, and the final camera thickness stays the same; so it still fits in my small Lowepro case. The only thing that wasn't straight forward is the amount of force needed to remove the existing cover first, just be brave and twist with a bit of force.
 
Click through for the rest of the photos.