a bit of everything…


Panasonic G9 Part 4: Lenses Primes vs Zooms

A SIGMA Factory Tour – cinema5D Exclusive (Cinema5D).
Olympus 45mm f1.2 Pro Aperture Sweet Spot/Panasonic G9 (Aron J Anderson)
Vanguard Tripods, Monopods and Bags (Personal View).
Editing Photos on a Microsoft Surface Pro (Explora)

Share your best pictures on our new Instagram MicroFourThirdsGallery.

Plenty of news on the facebook E-M1II group and the GH5 group.

James:Ive been using the Panasonic G9 for two weeks, as I wanted a hybrid video and photo camera to replace my Canon 80D. Loving the camera, and its ability to execute my vision. Here is a video I created solely with Panasonic G9 (ok, I used the DJI Mavic Pro for aerial shots), with 12-60 2.4-4 and 15 1.7 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zmgE9EcJOc

Dpreview: “The reign of the DSLR is almost over…”

The mirrorless system camera history started with the G1 back in 2008 :)

Dpreview is now convinced Canon and Nikon will go full monthy with FF mirrorless. And this will be the sign that “The reign of the DSLR is almost over”:

We know from speaking to executives at CP+ that Tokyo 2020 is going to be a big deal for Canon, and I’d expect it also to be used as a showcase for flagship professional mirrorless ILCs from the other two manufacturers in the ‘big three’ – Nikon and Sony.

By then, it would make sense for both Canon and Nikon to have replicated their most important tele primes and wide-aperture zoom lenses in their respective new native mirrorless mounts, and for Sigma and Tamron to be offering their own lower-cost alternatives. I don’t want to guess at exactly what those alternatives will look like, but it’s a safe bet that Sigma’s will be larger.

What do you think? Will Fujifilm or Panasonic be competing with the big three in the photographers stands at Tokyo 2020? Will Ricoh ever make another mirrorless ILC? Will Canon’s concept cameras transform how we think about capturing images?

Dpreview also believes Full Frame mirrorless will be the norm. Panasonic-Olympus may have to think if they want to get into the FF battle too.

a bit of everything…

Chris (video on top):I’d like to share my latest Adventure Photography On Location episode with you. This time we’re in Slovenia capturing the magical winter landscapes. And I take the opportunity to share my favourite composition techniques and show how I apply them on my photography work. It’s somewhat of a cinematic photography vlog with a little something for everyone. Enjoy!

The Pixel Wars are Back, and That’s Great! (Explora).
BOYA BY-DMR7 Shotgun Condenser Microphone Review (Personal View).
Lumix DG Vario-Elmar Super Telephoto Test by Warren Jones
Panasonic GH5 with Kowa 6mm f1. 8 test (Gan Eden Media).

Share your best pictures on our new Instagram MicroFourThirdsGallery.

Plenty of news on the facebook E-M1II group and the GH5 group.

a bit of everything…


Olympus 17mm, 25mm, 45mm F1.2 Pro Primes

Panasonic GH5S gallery images now available (Imaging Resource).
En-“light”-en Your iOS Video Rig With Manfrotto’s Lumimuse 8 Bluetooth (Explora)
Panasonic GH5S vs Alexa Mini (CineGal).
Canon shows off full-frame sensor that shoots 100fps Full HD in ‘exceptionally low-light’ (Dpreview).
Haida Nano Video Filters Interview (Personal View).

Share your best pictures on our new Instagram MicroFourThirdsGallery.

Plenty of news on the facebook E-M1II group and the GH5 group.

New Luminar Jupiter 2018 has Snappier Performance, Camera/Lens Profiles, Batch Processing and more!

Skylum released the update 1.2.0 for Luminar 2018. It includes adding Batch Processing and a Free Transform tool to the Windows version.

If you plan to buy Luminar use the coupon code “43RUM” you will get $10 off:
– The update is free for all current users of Luminar 2018.
– Current users of Luminar 2017 may upgrade for $49 ($39 with your coupon code);
– New users can purchase Luminar 2018 for $69 ($59 with your coupon code);

Luminar 2018 link: https://macphun.evyy.net/c/60087/320119/3255.
Luminar 2018 link to the Trial page: https://macphun.evyy.net/c/60087/339971/3255

Press text:

New Update to Luminar 2018 Brings Snappier Performance
Luminar Jupiter is now 3x faster and more responsive, and gets new pro features and over 300 other improvements.

Bellevue, WA – April 12, 2018 — Skylum Software today released the latest free update to Luminar 2018 which brings significant performance enhancements, improved RAW conversion and key-feature parity of Mac and Windows version with Batch processing, Free Transform, and Flip and Rotate features on Windows. Dubbed the “Jupiter” release, this latest version allows users to edit photos much faster with better quality results.

While enhancing speed and overall app performance was the major focus for the Jupiter update, Skylum also dramatically improved the RAW Develop filter with new tech to provide better color and less noise, plus incorporated automatic lens distortion removal. The result is a superior, cleaner starting image, ready for further editing.

“Our loyal community of users continues to offer ideas for new features that would benefit their respective workflows, and we’ll keep on listening, learning and improving our products,” said Alex Tsepko, CEO of Skylum. “Our goal is to produce fast, easy, and feature-rich imaging software that can offer both single-click solutions as well as custom functions for those who want absolute control.”

Many photographers are looking for two things to make their editing workflow more efficient: first is a high-quality RAW converter to unlock the best image their camera has produced; one that’s rich in detail and color, while free from noise and artifacts. The second is speed – a responsive application that matches pace with a photographers workflow, and makes it easy to edit photos to look their best, is one that will be the #1 choice. Luminar Jupiter brings both qualities to photographers of any skill level.

WHAT’S NEW

Speed improvements to get more done in less time

Skylum has dramatically increased the speed of editing across all areas of Luminar. Now images open faster, filters apply quicker, and the entire application is more responsive.

1. Most users will see snappier sliders as they’ve gained performance boosts of 3-25x for easier adjustments.
2. Luminar better uses the operating system for faster performance, with many operations seeing significant boosts.

Luminar Jupiter also got numerous interface and user experience improvements based on users’ feedback for an improved editing experience. The new version has several “under-the-hood” enhancements to add stability as well as to improve performance when editing even the largest of images.

Better RAW conversion

  1. Better exposure calculation. Refined initial brightness setting for RAW files produces a perfect match to how a camera saw the scene.
  2. Cleaner gradients. Improved de-mosaic process for even cleaner image conversion, i.e. smooth transitions in areas like skies and shadows for accurate color and less noise.
  3. Fewer halos. If an image has high contrast areas, the improved Defringe option will help with backlit areas or strong contrast.
  4. More cameras, better compatibility. Now even more RAW formats can be edited natively with the RAW Develop filter. Plus, a large set of existing camera modules have been refined for even better RAW conversion.
  5. Reduced chromatic aberration. If a lens shows color artifacts in high contrast or backlit areas, the new Auto Chromatic aberration removal option will help to get rid of green and cyan shifts.

Automatic lens distortion removal

Getting the perfect shot is now easier than ever. The RAW Develop filter analyzes an image and its metadata to calculate an Automatic Lens Distortion fix that can be applied in one-click. This is a perfect tool to get rid of wide angle distortion and get truer perspective lines and more attractive portraits.

Advanced support for DCP Profiles

Luminar recognizes the industry standard DNG Camera Profile, or “DCP” files, that users may already have on their computers (or have purchased from third parties) to ensure accurate and consistent colors. Users will also be able to use DCP profiles from DNG files. This feature is currently available for Mac and will be available soon for Windows.

Essential New Features for Windows Users

The Skylum team has put a lot of effort into making the Windows experience be world-class and significantly faster. In fact, the PC version now matches the Mac version for all core features with Batch Processing, Free Transform and Flip and Rotate tools.

Here are some Windows-specific additions

  1. NEW: BATCH PROCESSING. The powerful Batch Processing workflow saves time and effort.
  2. NEW: EASY TRANSFORMATIONS. To easily transform the shape of an image, the Free Transform tool can scale and position an object as needed. Plus users can easily Flip and Rotate an image using the Image menu commands.
  3. Better cloning. Users can quickly call up the Clone & Stamp module by pressing Ctrl + J. Softness, opacity, and size of the brush can also now be modified.
  4. Cleaner zooms. Accelerated zooming now delivers a cleaner image at all sizes. Images appear sharper when the zoom is beyond 100% for detail work. Plus the new version provides a cleaner preview when zoomed out to see the whole image.
  5. Preview mode. To check out a photo free from any distractions users can now use Full Screen Preview – a great way to really study an image in detail.
  6. Localization support. It’s even easier to use Luminar in a different language. The localizations have been improved for greater accuracy and can now be changed from the File menu in Windows version.
  7. Better masking controls. Users can create masks more easily when painting masks. Holding down the spacebar and dragging with the cursor, pans and moves the image when masking.
  8. Improved workflow with other applications. When using Luminar as a plugin with other applications, color profiles are properly included. This change also improves image exporting with attached profiles.
  9. Shared workspaces. Users can now share their custom workspaces.

If you plan to buy Luminar use the coupon code “43RUM” you will get $10 off:

The update is free for all current users of Luminar 2018.

Current users of Luminar 2017 may upgrade for $49 ($39 with your coupon code);

New users can purchase Luminar 2018 for $69 ($59 with your coupon code);

A collection of bonuses will also be included with every purchase.

OFFER AVAILABILITY: April 12 – April 29

What’s included in the offer:

  • Luminar 2018: the most powerful and technologically advanced photo editor for Mac & Windows (worth $69) – Luminar 2018 is a fast, versatile, and intuitive image editor, which can take your workflow from RAW file to fully finished image without needing to use any other image editor.

  • The Complete Landscape Photography Guide ebook from Photzy (worth $50) – An outstanding guide written by professional photographer and writer Kent DuFault. This ebook has something for everyone, with 237 pages packed full of information and assignments that will transform your landscape photography.

  • Aerial Photography & Video with Matt Granger (worth $79) – World-renowned photographer, Matt Granger will share planning, shooting and editing aerial stills and video. Matt will also demonstrate editing with Luminar 2018 on his still aerial images..

  • Photography Tutorial by Daniel Kordan (worth $29) – Extensive tutorial with a full workflow demonstration by expert landscape photographer Daniel Kordan. This tutorial includes shooting and post-processing images in Luminar 2018.

  • 119 Dramatic & Romantic Sky overlays (worth $29) – This is an amazing addition to your photo editing workflow, and will help give boring skies that ‘wow!’ factor.

  • Splitsville Presets By Brian Matiash (worth $15) – Add a professional polish to your images with these cool presets.