Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
When Yongnuo teased a new mirrorless camera the other day, there wasn’t really any information to go along with it. Pretty much the only thing we new for sure was that it had 4G capability. But we could make a few assumptions based on what we saw and prior Yongnuo history.
Now, some of those assumptions have been confirmed as Yongnuo has released the specs for the yet-to-be-named new camera, which currently bears the code YN450. And there are a couple of surprises…
A year ago, I called out Yongnuo for not being able to keep up with Godox. Their flashes seemed to have stalled in development and they had randomly switched from making inexpensive, but not completely terrible, speedlights to cheap copycat lenses. Now, though, it looks like they’re trying to break into the camera market.
Although this won’t be of much to iOS users, Lexar has announced a new 512GB 633x (100MB/sec) A2 microSD card for smartphones. Designed for lots of fast read and write operations per second, this card is ideal for Android smartphones. Especially those used by photographers and filmmakers shooting lots of photos and footage.
Since Lexar’s move from Micron to Longsys, their future has been in doubt. But it looks like they’re finally back and ready to get serious.
Just when you already think that three rear cameras in a phone is a bit excessive, Lenovo comes along and teases this. Oh yes, the Z5/S5 Pro will have four cameras. One 2x telephoto, one regular, and two unknowns. Maybe wide-angle, black & white, depth sensor or a telephoto with a longer reach, who knows?
But what we do know is that one of them is a 2x telephoto, and Lenovo has released a few sample photos shot with it. Officially, the phone’s name is the “S5 Pro”, but people are apparently also calling it the Z5 Pro? So, yeah, no idea.
I recently received my shiny new ASUS ZenFone 5, which just went on pre-order in the UK today. As an ASUS Brand Ambassador, I can’t exactly review this phone without it being perceived as a little biased (even if I’m being completely objective), so I’m not posting a review. But what I can do is show you how I use it to help me with my photography and the apps I use to do that.
These apps aren’t specific to the ASUS ZenFone 5. They should be available to users of just about any modern Android device. And some are even available for that other mobile platform. To illustrate the features of some of the apps, I went out over the weekend to shoot a video of them in use. If you want to miss my unboxing and get straight to the apps, then skip ahead to about 4:10.
It kinda looks like a phone from a decade ago, except it runs a modern Android operating system with a bezel-less design. And that design does look quite sleek. But what makes me immediately think of flip phones and slide out keyboards is that it has these strange popup cameras. That phone is the Oppo Find X.
You might not have heard of Oppo before, but they’re owned by the same company behind the OnePlus You probably have heard of those guys. Oppo is a big smartphone brand in China, and the Oppo Find X is their new flagship phone. A first for Oppo, though, this phone will be launched globally.
Google Lens is an AI-powered platform that enables you to search using your phone camera in real time. It was only available through Google’s newest Pixel phone when it was launched last year. But today, the tech giant has announced that it will expand to Android phones very soon.
Google have now announced the availability of the final Developer Preview of Android 8.1. While the finalised version won’t roll out until December, the new preview features “near-final” system images. The new preview actives the Pixel Visual Core chipset in both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2XL.
Essentially, this is an 8 core system on chip (SOC) which can run three trillion operations per second. Android Central reports that Google’s HDR+ routines will be five times faster using less than a tenth of the energy over using the standard image processor. This means better dynamic range and reduced noise through computational imaging.
The DXO One has proven to be very popular amongst its users. Almost everybody who owns one recommends them. The problem until now, though, is that only iPhone users can take advantage of them. That’s all about to change, though, as DXO have announced that the DXO One is to come in a new Android flavour.
They’ve also expanded their accessories list, adding a new battery pack for extended life. The software has also seen an update to perfect Facebok Live Multi-cam streaming. The new software also adds new 4K timelapse features.
Google have released a new version of Snapseed with a drastically overhauled user interface. Version 2.18 is available for both iOS and Android. You know Snapseed, it’s the reason Google bought Nik Software. A company which offered a fantastic suite of desktop tools Google then abandoned.
They say that the new user interface is designed for faster editing and a more efficient workflow. All of the usual features are still there, and a new perspective correction feature has also been added. The new, brighter look is getting some mixed reactions, though. Many aren’t happy about the new, bright grey and white background. I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of it myself.
You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.
To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.
JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.
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