FroKnowsPhoto RAWtalk 213: SHARPEST Lens Ever? The NEXT Ansel Adams and Help Name My Kitty
On this weeks episode we have an interview with Steve Garfinkel. He is a younger local concert photographer who tells you how he became a photographer, started shooting shows and now is making a living. That interview starts at 42:04
Plug of the week: Photoshopworld.com
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We have photo news, fun times, memes and did I mention a good time yet?
If you enjoy RAWtalk please subscribe on iTunes so you never miss a show. We are now on an every other week schedule for the show to free up shooting / editing time to make more “Real World Reviews” and “5 Min Portraits”
00:00:16 Intro
00:05:56 Plug of the Week
00:10:37 Photo News
00:11:24 Album Uploads On Instagram
00:13:24 The Next Ansel Adams
00:17:52 Cardboard Folding Instant Camera
00:20:20 Pentax KP
00:22:02 Lexar 512 Gb 3500x Card with DNA
00:23:17 Manfrotto Founder Passes Away
00:25:49 Shooting Star Drone Show Hosted by Meredith
00:28:35 GoPro Flies The Karma Drone Again
00:31:15 Jared’s New Spray Toy Atmosphere Aerosol
00:32:52 Tamron SP 70-200 f2.8 G2
00:34:42 New Sigma 85mm Is Rated Best Ever
00:35:44 Italian Kodak Style Film Company Ferrania Film
00:38:04 Gear of the Week
00:42:04 Interview With Steve Garfinkel
01:13:35 What’s In Your Gear Bag?
01:25:20 Memes of the Week
01:32:08 Wheel of Fro
01:36:39 Hashtags of the Week
Canon EOS M5 “Real World Review”
Here’s all of Stephen’s photo news stories in detail:
Full Photo Albums Coming Soon to Instagram?
Instagram is beta testing a new feature that will allow for album uploads to the social network. The new feature appears in the latest beta version on Android devices, which allows users to include multiple images in a single post. Similar to what business pages can currently do with their ads, the album will show up in a left-to-right swipe feature form which allows the user to swipe through to see more. Here’s how it works in the beta version: when uploading photos, the user can now select multiple images if you long press on a photo—up to 10—you can then put them in a specific order to be shown. Your followers and other Instagram users will be able to like individual photos in each post, and not just the full album itself. It’s still pretty buggy however, it currently produces an error when users attempt to post an album in the beta. Will this new feature help photographers tell their photo story better? Hmm… (via DL)
Screenshot via Eric Chang
Jarob Ortiz, the Next Ansel Adams of the National Park Service
Introducing the next Ansel Adams of the National Park Service, photographer Jarob Ortiz. Back in December of 2015, the NPS put out a job listing for a black-and-white large format photographer, with a salary up to $100,000 per year (AKA the next Ansel Adams). Jarob’s job title includes taking photos inside the national parks but also “outside in the communities around the parks, sites that aren’t under the umbrella of the National Park Service but are still significant in American history.” Ortiz was picked for the job back in July, but this is the first time we’re really seeing his work. CBS This Morning did a profile on him, where he’s seen photographing the abandoned baggage & dormitory building at Ellis Island, one of his first assignments. He says, “My background in large format photography started at my photography program at the Milwaukee Area Technical College. There I was formally trained on how to use the view camera.” He also explained why they’re still shooting on film: “Here at the National Park Service we are still shooting film because the Library of Congress likes to have a tangible record of each documentary photograph. The negative serves as this tangible, unaltered record. If properly processed and stored, a negative will outlast a print by a few hundred years. It’s quite remarkable.” However, Ortiz says he’s hoping to talk the LOC into switching over to digital by the end of 2017. Check out the full interview below: (via PP)
Introducing the First Cardboard-Folding Instant Film Camera
Speaking of vintage cameras, a startup is bringing that old-school feel back with the first cardboard-folding instant film camera via a new Kickstarter campaign. Called the Jollylook, it shoots Fuji Instax film and is made of recycled paper and cardboard—it doesn’t feature any electronics inside either! The company says the environmentally-friendly camera is as “dangerous to the environment as a banana peel” and that it uses less materials than used in the packaging alone of a regular camera. The front of the camera features a meniscus lens with a 110mm focal length, which can simply be pulled up and out of the way to reveal a pinhole if you’d like to shoot through that instead. Like vintage cameras, it has a fresnel lens that acts as the viewfinder. Once the image is snapped, you crank out the photo using a rotating handle on the side. The mechanical aperture can be set from f/8 to f/64 with shutter speeds of 1/250, 1/160 or full manual. With a pledge of just $38, you’ll receive the camera along with a pack of Instax film. Delivery is expected by June of 2017. It was originally $29 but that early bird special sold out quickly. The campaign has already raised $210,000 at the time of this recording and still has about three weeks to go. It’s initial goal? $15,000. Check out the full Kickstarter promotional video below to learn more: (via PP)
Pentax’s New KP DSLR Has a Max ISO of 819200
Ricoh has revealed their latest Pentax camera, the Pentax KP. The new DSLR houses a 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor with no AA filter, which has a max native ISO of 819200. Other notable features include their shake reduction II system which prevents camera shake up to 5 stops, which also helps take their high-res Pixel Shift photos. It has 27 AF points with 25 being cross-type. The KP also has an electronic shutter with a max shutter of 1/24000s—which is rare on a DSLR. The grip of the camera can also be changed too: in addition to the standard grip, photographers can choose to swap in a medium or large grip—what they’re calling the Smart Function Exchangeable Grip. The KP will be available at the end of this month for about $1100.
Lexar Announces World’s Largest Capacity CFast 2.0 Card
Lexar has announced the largest capacity CFast 2.0 card on the market with their new 512GB model. The half-a-terabyte card is fast too at 3500x, which reaches a max read speed of 525MB/s with a write speed of 445MB/s. Given the title of largest capacity card, it’s definitely not the most inexpensive card either, with a price tag of about $1300. Will you be upgrading?
RIP: Lino Manfrotto, Founder of Manfrotto, Passes Away at 80
The founder of Manfrotto, Lino Manfrotto, has passed away at the age of 80. The photojournalist who founded the tripod and accessory company died at his home in Italy on Feb. 5. Some background information on how he got started: he began his career in photography as a photojournalist for a couple of local newspapers in his hometown. In the late 1960s, Manfrotto began designing his own stands, booms, and telescopic rods in his garage. After partnering with mechanical engineer Gilberto Battocchio, Manfrotto launched his first tripod in 1974. RIP. (via PP)
Intel Creates Giant Light-Up American Flag with 300 Drones at the Big Game
Intel created a flying light show with 300 drones at the big game last week. Flying their specially designed “shooting star” drones, the drones were all in sync with each other, forming a massive American flag behind Lady Gaga when she performed at halftime. Each drone formed an individual pixel too, which made up a 15×20 flag backdrop. Since drones are obviously illegal to fly over major stadiums, especially when they’re fully packed, the light show was actually filmed prior to the big game—nearly a week beforehand. Fun fact about these drones: each one can produce four billion color combinations and all 300 can be controlled by just two people!
GoPro Relaunches Karma, Fixes Battery Door
A quick update on another drone: GoPro has relaunched sales of their Karma drone, three months after it got initially recalled. The action camera company says the problem was that the battery door would shift in flight which would cause the batteries to disconnect mid-air, causing the drone to lose power and fall to the ground. GoPro says, “A redesigned battery latch has been incorporated into the updated Karma drone to solve the issue.” It’s selling again now in limited quantities until their sure the bugs are worked out, for $800. (via PP)
Tamron Unveils 70-200mmm f/2.8 G2 Lens
Tamron has unveiled its newly updated SP 70-200 f/2.8 G2 lens. The new lens has “dramatically” faster autofocus speed and comes equipped with 5 stops of image stabilization, depending on which of the three new Vibration Compensation modes you use. Users can now choose between VC Mode 1, 2, and 3. Mode 1 “strikes a balance” between viewfinder and lens stabilization; Mode 2 is for panning; and Mode 3 offers the best stabilization by “prioritizing the captured image and ignoring viewfinder stabilization,” so it won’t actually stabilize the image until the shutter is pressed. Tamron says a “revised and improved” optical design promises better resolution as well. The new lens will be available next month for $1300 in both Canon and Nikon mounts.
Sigma’s 85mm f/1.4 Art Lens Awarded Highest Lens Score EVER on DxOMark
Sigma’s 85mm f/1.4 Art lens has been awarded the highest lens score EVER over at DxOMark. Receiving a top score of 50, the lens even beat out the classic Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus, which comes in at a 48. DxOMark writes, “The Sigma has very high and homogenous sharpness, even wide-open, where high-speed lenses like this usually struggle.” (via PP)
Film Ferrania Back from the Dead, Introduces New P30 B&W Film
Italian film brand FILM Ferrania is back from the dead, just a few weeks after Kodak announced the return of Ektachrome. Fun fact: FILM Ferrania was once known as the “Kodak of Italy.” Ferrania unveiled their first new film stock since being back, called the Ferrania P30—a 35mm B&W film. The new stock is a recreation of the original film that Ferrania became known for over 50 years ago. Ferrania says, “With its cinema pedigree, ultrafine grain, and very high silver content, Ferrania P30 has no peers in the modern analog film market.” However, this new version is a recreation using modern techniques, which have not quite yet been perfected. Since that’s the case, the 80 ASA film will initially be released in a limited “ALPHA” version. The 35mm film will be available in 36 exposure rolls and will be up for preorder later this week. No price has been announced just yet.
