Studio Neat has updated their Glif tripod for iPhone 5 compatibility. Man, I love these guys and the products they produce. Check them, and their awesome Glif for iPhone 5, out over at www.StudioNeat.com
Facebook Testing Auto Upload Feature for Photographs
Source Facebook
Via The Verge
Via PetaPixel
We all know Facebook is the most popular social networking tool on the planet right now. The service enables us to connect with friends, stay in touch with family, share media – mainly photographs, get our news, find deals from our favorite brands and so much more. However, something you may have never thought of using Facebook for is backing up your mobile photos. Well, Facebook is taking action to make sure your photographs are never again lost by testing a new feature with their Android users. The feature auto uploads photographs taken with your mobile device and stores them, privately, on Facebook’s servers. You decide what goes public and what stays hidden.
The feature automatically backs up your smartphone’s photographs by uploading them to Facebook as they’re shot, tucking them away inside a private “Synced from Phone” tab on your photos page that isn’t visible to anyone but you.
While some folks may find the service “big-brother-ish” I actually think it’s a great idea. With so much of our lives in digital media these days, 95% of which is generated from our mobile devices, backing up our memories is super important. Especially in the event that a hard drive fails or a device is stolen. Of course, there are other solutions out there such as DropBox or more robust services like CrashPlan that make backing up your digital life a breeze as well. However, what it seems like Facebook is proposing is effortless, free cloud storage that will back up unlimited files at a lower resolution on 3G or 4G (960px) or a higher 2048px on WiFi. Though the file sizes suggest that Facebook is not looking to store images suitable to print, the fact remains that many of us rarely print our photos to begin with. This sounds like a really great option for automatic backup for most of Facebook’s users. I can only hope the feature will soon be tested on iOS as well so I can report back as to whether or not it is what it seems to be.
If you are using an Android device, you can check here to see if it has been enabled for you as of yet.
Is Vogue Glorifying Domestic Violence?
source Jim Romenesko
via Daily Mail
via fStoppers
“Choking is not a fashion statement, and certainly not something that should be used to sell magazines.”
“This truly disturbing image of a woman being choked sends a dangerous message to anyone who sees this magazine – that choking is a sign of passion rather than of violence.”
Okay folks, I agree; choking should not be portrayed as a sign of passion and ignored as a sign of violence. However, political correctness and hyper-sensitivity to “the plight” has been taken just a tad too far this time. Someone is really digging deep to come up with a story and justify their job/salary here. This image, until twisted in a major way to call unnecessary attention to itself , did not in any way portray a message of domestic violence to me. Instead, I see a couple who is really in to each other and perhaps suggesting a bit of foreplay is getting ready to go down. As I have read in a string of comments, and I paraphrase, “Her body language is what would be the telltale sign to indicate domestic violence, not his.” Just take an honest look at the picture. There is no aggression or intimidation present whatsoever. She is in no way indicating that she is uncomfortable nor does the image communicate that he has forced himself upon her in a way that is indicative of violence/rape. I am all about empowering women (and men) who are victims of domestic violence and taking steps to decrease the number of future victims, but this is just creating a mountain out of… nothing. Please, let’s move on. Thank you.
Will We see a Jony Ive Designed Leica Camera?
No, you and I are likely to never see, with our own two eyes, a Leica camera designed by Jony Ive. Why? Because according to Petapixel, Leica will produce only a single unit from Ive’s design, to be auctioned off for charity.
So, get ready. If you’re one part Apple fanboy, one part Leica fanboy, and all parts extraordinarily wealthy, then you’re going to want to pull out that checkbook soon.
I would have to imagine that there is some major overlap between those who love Apple, those who love Leica and those with tons of disposable cash. If I could ever conjure up my very own dream team in an effort to make the world’s most expensive and sought after digital imaging product, Leica and Jony would likely be the starting point. Both giants among men in their respective industry. I can not wait to see images of the Leica camera born of this collaboration, as it is most certainly the closest I will ever get to it.
iPhone 5 Camera: What’s New?
photo via The Verge’s live coverage of the iPhone 5 event
Well, unless you have been living under an Android… er um… a rock, then you are probably aware that Apple held it’s iPhone 5 event today, September 12th 2012.The biggest surprise of them all? That there were no surprises. As far as I can recall, this is really the first time that we have seen leaked images before an iPhone event that were exactly the product Apple unveils on stage. Although no surprises in that arena, there were a few pleasant surprises that came with the iPod and iPod touch refresh. Essentially, the iPod touch now has the inner-workings of the iPhone 4S and the iPod nano became a little mini me iPhone, with its own home button and a new rounded format for its application icons.
As far as camera technology in the iPhone 5, there were again, no major suprises. Most of the specs from the 4S remain intact for the iPhone 5. Despite the predictable outcome of the event overall, there were a few gems thrown in to excite those of us who love iPhoneography. Most notably, the ability to capture panoramic images. Phil Schiller showed off a 28 megapixel panoramic composite image of the Golden Gate Bridge that demonstrated the iPhone 5′s ability to “create seamless transitions between these photos.”
Word from the crowd, it was “pretty impressive.” Also new this year is Apple’s inclusion of sapphire crystal, known for being “crystal clear,” in its lens components. Phil spoke of better low light performance and better processing time due to the A6 chip introduced this year as well. Though slightly underwhelming as far as big camera features go, Apple has improved upon what was already a fantastic camera. At this point Apple is just dancing around the compact camera market with hatchet in hand, communicating their untimely demise to them in no uncertain terms. Farewell ‘point & shoots’. It was fun while it lasted.
Here’s a gallery of full resolution photographs, taken with the iPhone 5 courtesy of Apple.
My Favorite 9/11 Memorial Related Image, Post 9/11
via The Frame
Memphis firefighter David Schlauch helps refold a giant American flag after the annual September 11th Fire Services Memorial at the Fire Museum Tuesday morning, Sept. 11, 2012 in Memphis, Tenn. The Commercial Appeal / Jim Weber
Sony’s Full-Frame A99 Is the Start of Their Ascend to the Top
via PetaPixel
View full set of images from their original source SonyAlphaRumors.
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It’s designed to compete as a pro camera with all the heavyweight full frame DSLRs on the market today. The camera will reportedly cost somewhere around $2,800.
Prediction: Canon and Nikon, in their complacency, will shrug this camera off; certain of their position atop the digital imaging industry. They will continue to produce product iterations that underwhelm the consumer, while Sony continues to innovate and push the envelope. By 2015, we will see a shift, as Sony becomes an industry standard while Canon and Nikon scramble feverishly to catch up, scratching their heads wondering “how did we end up here, playing catch-up?” Put it on your calendars.
It’s the End of the Road for Ritz and Wolf Camera Stores
via PetaPixel
The entire lineup of camera shops was purchased yesterday by Hilco, an industrial liquidation company, which plans to shut down the stores and liquidate all the assets. The Ritz warehouse has been shut down, the online printing service is going offline, and all the company’s social networking accounts have been deleted.
We hear that the stores may only be around for another 7 weeks or so, so get ready to go on a shopping spree once the liquidation sales start, and use your gift cards today!
I am saddened to see brick and mortar photography solutions disappearing at such a rapid pace. Though I am guilty of passing up the local mom and pop shops for cheaper, faster products available online, it is always comforting to know that the local camera store is available if you need something in a pinch. It’s as if the local camera store is a mistress that doesn’t get a lot of attention and is kept around ‘just in case.’ Until finally, one day, she gets fed up and leaves. Well, maybe it’s time to start paying a little more, complaining a little less, waiting a little longer and supporting our local stores and film labs. Online retailers are great, but try running to the internet when you are on-location and your lens malfunctions. See just how fast your replacement lens arrives. Then, and only then, will we realize what we are doing.
I too must do better. We must do better.
Lumia 920 PureView’s Redeeming Quality; Low Light Photography?
source WP Central via PetaPixel
[single_youtube video_id="jFhhBJ1URCg" video_width="598" video_height="336"]
Despite some rather bad press surrounding the Nokia video which, aimed to demonstrate the PureView’s OIS capabilities, turned out to be a fake, I am still rather interested in what Nokia is doing in the realm of mobile photography. The video above shows a head to head comparison with a Samsung Galaxy, iPhone 4s and the not-yet-released Lumia 920. All three devices are seen taking pictures in a dark environment, with very little or zero ambient light hitting the subject. None of the three cameras are allowed to use the flash settings on their device and the iPhone and Galaxy, not surprisingly, fail miserably. However, the Lumia 920 performs somewhat miraculously. The resulting image turns out really well, as though it was taken in a much brighter environment. Great job Nokia, really, I mean that. Despite the faked videos and images, the real world performance thus far (only seen in videos, which may be faked) appears to be above and beyond.
Here’s my problem: If Nokia faked their OIS video, as well as the still images used for promotion, what’s to say this too is not then deceitful? Don’t get me wrong, I believe the image is an actual reflection of the camera’s abilities, I do. But it is clear that the 920 illuminates the subject prior to snapping the photograph. The person using the device says it is “the auto focus feature, not a flash.” But who’s to say the 920 is not using the AF feature/lamp to illuminate the subject and automate the process of capturing an over exposed image, and a properly exposed image, then merging the two with the manually captured image which is obviously going to be under exposed, to generate an HDR image? Is that fair? Isn’t that in some way using a flash? Just because the camera is automating the process, doesn’t negate the fact that it is using a light source to illuminate the subject. I’d be curious to see the test repeated, allowing the iPhone and Galaxy to use their flash. I still believe the 920 would outperform them, but by a much smaller margin.
I’m not bitter, just skeptical. I find it hard to trust large corporations as-is. So when a company knowingly makes the effort to deceive consumers , they stand to lose a lot of trust from me. We must also keep in mind that the iPhone being used in this video is one year old while the Lumia 920 is yet to be released. Again, it seems as though the testing is heavily skewed in Nokias favor before it ever even begins.
Sony RX1: A Full-Frame Fixed-Lens Compact Camera?
source Sony Alpha Rumors via PetaPixel.
Sony RX1 Leaks: A Full-Frame Fixed-Lens Compact Camera for $2800
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The camera packs a Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2.0 lens — a great all-around focal length — and the same 24-megapixel full frame sensor as the upcoming A99 SLT pellicle mirror camera.sonyalpharumors reports that the RX1 will be priced at $2799. This mean’s it has a larger sensor and a larger price than the Leica X2, and an equal sensor and a smaller price than the Leica M9.
I would have to agree with a lot of the comments I have seen elsewhere; this sounds amazing. The price tag is steep, but indicative of high end specs crammed into a small form factor. My only gripe about the Sony RX1 is its lack of a viewfinder. I am assuming the RX1 will be using the same full frame sensor as the A99? Why not toss in the same EVF from the A99 as well? If the next gen has one, I may consider selling my car to buy it.