Phone Photography, Mirorrless Happiness And The OM-D EM-6

Say hello to my new phone. I have been a faithful Samsung Galaxy S owner since the series was first introduced more than three years ago, I owned the original Galaxy S, the Galaxy S II, the Galaxy S III, and now the latest Galaxy S4 (yes, Samsung ditched the Roman numerals). You see, here in Egypt we don't have the concept of carrier locked phones and 2 year contracts, phones are usually (97%) sold unlocked, and you have zero obligation to stay with a single carrier, that's why there is a huge market for buying and selling used phones, and that's what I do, once a new model is announced, I make a deal with someone to buy my phone, and the exchange date is once I have the new phone in my hands. People like to buy from me because I treat my phones really well, and they rarely have a scratch on them, despite never using any screen protectors or covers.

But we're not going to talk about phones all day now, are we? Hit the jump to go back to photography.


PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY
 

So why am I talking about phones? The fact is that phones are available within an arm's reach 99% of the time, and nowadays they have good enough cameras for casual snaps in good light, and even in less than good light in some cases. I have used all sorts of famous camera phones in the past (Nokia N95, N86, N73, Sony Ericsson K750i, K810i, W910i, K850i, C905, etc...) and I used to blog about them, but they rarely produced pictures that impressed me.

Even by today's standards, the previous generation of 8MP phones (Galaxy S3, iPhone 4 & 5, etc...) didn't impress me on a pixel level, they didn't respond well to exposure adjustments in lightroom, and they didn't provide me with enough resolution to crop a tighter composition given their fixed 28mm equivalent lenses. But come see my S4 here, when they announced that it will feature a 13 MP sensor, I thought "ok, here's one more victim of the megapixel race". I didn't think I'd see good quality pixels, and that noise (or noise reduction smearing, depends on the manufacturer's JPEG engine tweaking) would be astronomical.

But when I used my phone's camera on a recent sea-side trip, I was quite impressed, see that picture above? A casual snap of a fish restaurant setup inside a man-made lake. Now look below to see a 100% crop.

What do you think? I am indeed very impressed with the image quality in good light, especially given that this is a 13 MP teeny weeny sensor, and I finally have enough room to get a useful crop when needed. What impressed me even more is the shadow recovery, it is no where near comparable to a RAW file from the RX100 or the OMD, but is quite good compared to all the phones I used before.

One more useful feature is the panorama mode, I tested both the RX100 which has it's own panoramic mode and my phone, and the phone came on top each time, it was way easier to follow up the required movement, and the phone stitched the images much better, click on the picture below to see the full 10,000 x 1,600 pixel wide panorama (it's a 6 MB file).

And on a final note, here's a quick comparison between the dynamic range of my phone and a RAW file shot using the famous sensor of the Sony RX100. The first image is taken with the phone, and was given my best efforts on lightroom, the fake tilt-shift effect was done with the gradient tool.

Now here's the same location, same timing, but shot with the incredibly versatile RX100, it has proven to be a very powerful tool as long as you're not shooting a lot of portraits.

PANALEICA 25MM F/1.4, AGAIN

Remember that shot? You saw it in my "Tale of 7 Cameras, And One Subject" post.

I got a lot of positive feedback on this picture, it was taken using the 5D Mark III, the 50mm f/1.4 and the Canon 600EX flash, to me, a great deal of the appeal of this picture is a result of the colored out of focus areas, the lighting direction of the bounced flash, and the mix ratio between the available light and the bounced flash.

So I went there again with my 50mm equivalent MFT lens, the Panaleica 25mm f/1.4, and decided to try and see if I will get similar looking shots, but unfortunately I forgot to take my flash with me, so I shot available light only (i.e. not that good).

What do you think? All three pictures were shot wide-open, and I quite admire the rendering of that lens, no regrets there, it deserves each of it's 499 dollars.

By the way, see that last picture with the two eggs? My brother took this picture himself, he got some eggs, drew the faces, and then killed one of the eggs as you can see, needless to say, it was a mess.

Before I skip this topic, here's one more Panaleica shot, don't ask me why, but I like it, a lot.

LUMIQUEST GEL HOLDERS

I have been using the LumiQuest gel holders for a long time now, I have one for each of my flashes. I don't take them off even when I'm not using gels. I was taking flash lit photos in full daylight @ 1/2000 sync speed using the RX100, I had one YN-560II flash inside the LumiQuest Softbox III triggered optically using the RX100 popup flash, the flash power was set to full power, since I wanted to kill most of the daylight, and when I finished I saw those burning marks on the gel holder, nothing melted on the gel holder, but now it permanently features those ugly burn marks.


THE OM-D EM-6

Remember my EP-5 announcement post? I said that the EP-5 gave me a very good glimpse on some of the features that will be included in the next OMD iteration, according to 43rumors.com there is more:

• The new OMD will have the same viewfinder quality as the just announced VF-4.
• It will have phase detection on sensor.
• It will probably be announced between August and September.
• More surprises are coming regarding the EM-6.

Here are the three links I used to get this information, here, here and here. If those rumors are true, I suspect we will have another great hit in our hands soon. I already love my EM-5 and I consider it one of the best cameras I have ever owned, but I am still bugged by some missing stuff, so in the next update I hope/expect to see the following:

• At least the same sensor quality as the existing OMD.
• More dynamic range, especially the highlights recovery.
• Sharper & larger EVF, but that's almost certain.
• Higher resolution rear LCD.
• True focus tracking that works, hopefully this will happen with the built-in phase detection.
• Better video features: touch to focus, 14x magnification, manual audio control, 24p and 60 fps.
• Higher max. shutter speed 1/8000, almost certain similar to the EP-5.
• Lower base ISO.
• WiFi & GPS.

Will they do it? I certainly hope so, we will know in a few months, if not before.

This brings us to the end of this post, I am sorry if it is a long one, but I don't have enough time to sit down in front of my PC, and post regularly, that's why I gathered lots of topics in this post, maybe when the new iPad is announced, I will get one and post more frequently using the brilliant Blogsy client, but you have to ask Apple to hurry up and release it already. :-)

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Cross-Camera Profiles for Lightroom

When Lightroom 4.2 was released, it included raw support for the Nikon D600 (hands-on review here), albeit in beta.  One of the issues is that there was only one camera profile, unlike other Nikon cameras, where you could change the camera profile to Standard, Neutral, Vivid, etc. to mimic the picture styles of Nikon cameras.

I found out that you can apply the camera profile for one camera to another.  In this case, I used the camera profile for the Nikon D800 to create a profile for the Nikon D600.  The concept can be applied to take the camera profile of any camera (not limited to the same maker) and apply it to another for some interesting effects.

Here is an overview of the steps:

1. Download DCPTool by SandyMcGuffog.

2. Copy an existing camera profile.

3. Use DCPTool to decompile the camera profile from a binary file to an XML file.

4. Edit the XML file and replace the tag into your target camera and save as a new camera profile in xml format.

5. Use DCPTool the new camera profile into binary.

6. Add the camera profile to Lightroom. 

That's all there is to it.  Here are the details:

STEP 0: Make sure Lightroom is not running.

STEP 1: DOWNLOAD DCPTOOL

The camera profiles are binary files.  To edit them you need to decompile them into xml using DCPTool by SandyMcGuffog.  Download the zip file from Sandy's site (beware fake sites that purport to allow you to download DCPTool but are actually full of links for downloading spyware). Extract the file and make a note of where you extract it.

STEP 2: COPY EXISTING CAMERA PROFILE

Camera profiles adjust how Lightroom interprets the hue and saturation information from a raw file.  They also apply a specific tone curve.  More about DNG Camera Profiles.  Camera profiles are stored in a specific directory:

• For PC it's in "C:\ProgramData\Adobe\CameraRaw\CameraProfiles".  Note: ProgramData is a hidden folder.  You'll need to make sure that in Folder Options, the option Show hidden files, folders, and drives is selected.  It will then show up as a grayed out folder.
• For Mac I believe it's in "Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/CameraProfiles/"

You'll see that each supported camera has its own directory with the different camera profiles for that camera.  Copy the camera profile you want into the 

STEP 3: DECOMPILE THE CAMERA PROFILE

The camera profiles are binary files.  To edit them you need to decompile them into xml using DCPTool by SandyMcGuffog.  Just extract the file.  You'll see a folder called Binaries and in it there are folders for OS X and Windows.  For simplicity, copy the camera profile into the Windows or OS X folder as applicable.  You should also rename the file so that there are no spaces.  For example rename "Nikon D800 Camera Vivid.dcp" to "NikonD800CameraVivid.dcp"

To run DCPTool you need to use a command line.  In Windows, hold down shift and then right click on the Windows folder.  Select the option "Open command window here".  In Mac I believe you can use Terminal.app to get a command line.

From the command prompt, type:

dcptool -d xxxxxxx.dcp yyyyyyy.xml

For xxxxxx.dcp use the filename of the original camera profile.

For yyyyyy.xml use any filename (but to be organized you can use the same name).

You don't need to exit the command prompt.  We'll come back to it later.

STEP 4: EDIT THE XML FILE

Edit the new XML file using any text editor.  In Windows I use notepad.  Toward the end of the file is a tag called and the name of the camera that the profile is for.  Change this into your camera's model.

If you wish you can also change the name of the profile as it will show up on Lightroom.  There is a tag at the beginning of the file called .  That's where you place the new name.

Save the edited XML file as a new XML file, preferably in the same directory as dcptool.  When you do so, under File Type select All Files instead of Text Files, then add .xml to the filename.  If you save it as a text file DCPTool won't recognize it.

STEP 5: COMPILE THE XML FILE

Now we need to convert the XML file into binary.  Go back to the command prompt and type:

dcptool -c xxxxx.xml yyyyyy.dcp

xxxxx.xml should be the name of the new xml file.

yyyyy.dcp should be the name of the new camera profile.

STEP 6: ADD THE CAMERA PROFILE TO LIGHTROOM

Go to the folder where Camera Profiles are stored.  Create a new folder for your camera model, e.g. Nikon D600.  Copy the new camera profile into that folder.  When you run Lightroom, you can now select the new camera profile for photos from your camera model.  Remember - this only works for raw files (not necessarily DNG) not TIFF or other files.

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If you find interesting cross-camera profiles please feel free to post them in the comments.  BTW if this is all too tedious for you, you can buy a whole bunch of cross-camera profiles for your camera from PSKiss.

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The Full-Frame, Large Sensor Bonanza!!!

Credit: photokina.com

 
THE YEAR 2012
 
This year's Photokina exhibition certainly was different, a few months ago, both Canon and Nikon each announced two new high-end full-frame DSLRs (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 1DX, Nikon D800, Nikon D4), then just before the end of the year each of them announced a more affordable (not really) full-frame DSLR again (Canon 6D, Nikon D600). And to make matters more exciting, Sony announced the revolutionary A99 full-frame DSLR, and the sweet, expensive RX1. A full-frame Leica completes the picture. Do you see a trend here?
 

On the other hand, the mirror-less world has never been more exciting, earlier this year, we had the Canon G1X, the Sony RX100, the Sony NEX-5n, the Fuji X-Pro and the Olympus OM-D. However, the Photokina announcements gave us a huge dump of larger-than-average-sensor compacts and mirrorless, most notable the new Olympus XZ-2, E-PL5 and E-PM2, the Fuji XE-1 & XF-1, the Panasonic GH3, and the Sony NEX-6.
 
You can read a quick summary about most of these cameras on Roger Cicala's blog.
 
 
WHAT DO I THINK?
 
You might know I already have a lovely Canon 5D Mk II, whereas before I had a couple of APS-C Canons and a larger-than-average-sensor Canon G11. I love full-frame sensors, I get better image quality, sharper images, more exposure latitude and lower noise than I ever got with any of my previous cameras, amazing, but there's a huge caveat, shallow depth of field!
 

Too shallow a DoF? Miss focus from my 5D2 ruined the shot, I would have loved to have both eyes in focus, and that's @ f/2.8, two stops down from wide open!!

 
 
I know, you will tell me that we all seek the shallow DoF, and that I am lucky to have a full-frame camera, ok, it's sometimes useful to have that shallow DoF, just not all the time, it is now more difficult to shoot large groups, macro objects, and generally lots of stuff where you need more DoF. I can, of course, stop down and increase the DoF, but that way I will suffer from lower shutter speeds and higher ISOs.
 
I was jealous - and still am - of those Olympus m4/3 users, they can use the excellent Olympus/Panasonic sharp lenses wide-open and still get sharp shots with just enough DoF, and the correct amount of background blur. I know the same can be done with APS-C, I was more comfortable shooting wide-open with my APS-C cameras, but I am seriously intrigued with the small sizes of Olympus m4/3 bodies and lenses, and I love the concept of the EVF, maybe Kirk is an evil-genius writer, but he succeeded in making me like them without ever trying them, the whole WYSIWYG concept (exposure, white balance, real-time information, histograms, etc...) without lifting your eye from the view finder is intriguing, and that's probably an under-estimation.
 
M4/3 cameras keep getting excellent lenses all the time, did you see that luscious 60mm Macro? I would buy one because of the looks alone, did you see how sharp the new 75mm f1/.8 lens is? Did you see the crazy 24-70mm f/2.8 & 70-200mm f/2.8 35mm equivalent lenses from Panasonic? They mean serious business. And now one can't complain about the focusing speed or accuracy anymore (except for tracking moving subjects, in which DSLRs are still king). I have been contemplating getting a m4/3 system for a long time, and I am sure the time will come sometime within a couple of years, however, I would rather have a full-frame camera for the following reasons:

• Image Quality: despite achieving quantum leaps in image quality (OM-D sensor), they can now match the larger APS-C sensors, but they are no match for their larger brothers yet.
• Egyptian Market: zero presence for such cameras or lenses, only Canon & Nikon DSLRs, no Olympuses, Sonys, Fujis or Panasonics. If I buy a system from abroad, I would never be able to sell it.
• Flashes: I shoot a lot with flash, sometimes I am a hard-core strobist, and most of the time, I'm a Neil Van Niekerk bouncer, I am not sure that those systems have the same flash hardware, capabilities and prices as the trusted Canon & Nikon speedlites.

So it remains full-frame for me until we get better, smaller sensors. I have a 5D Mark II, which is an excellent camera, image quality wise. However, I was worried before I bought it from the so-so focusing system, I am not a focus-recompose person, and I love to put a focus point directly where I want my focus to be, despite the 60D having only 9 points, they were 9 great points, all of them were cross type (i.e. more accurate), however with the 5D Mark II, you only get an accurate center point, and the outer points are either horizontal or vertical points, they miss a lot and they completely suck in tracking my kids, even if they are just moving their heads when I am composing. Which brings us to the next part.
 

5D Mark II + 100 Macro L, f/11, Canon 580EX II

 
 
DARN YOU CANON, DARN YOU NIKON
 
Before I bought the 5D2, I waited for Canon's imminent full-frame announcement to see if I would buy that instead, they announced the 5D3 which was way out of my budget, so I only had the option to buy the 5D2, end of story.
 
When I heard about Canon's rumored "affordable" full-frame, I was really excited, it would be the same price as the 5D2 (sell mine, buy new, no loss), and would certainly have more features like a pop-up commander flash, swivel screen, and more importantly, a much better focusing system, rumors mentioned the 7D's great focusing system, I was very happy and excited, until Nikon announced the D600.
 
I am quite impressed with the D600, I see it as an excellent move by Nikon, and I assume it will sell like hot cakes, Mic has received his, and it seems very nice. Am I jealous? Mmmaybe. Do I want one? Certainly. Will I buy one? Unfortunately not, the cost of replacing all of my lenses and flashes with Nikon ones will be huge, and I will lose a lot of money selling my own stuff, so I have to stay still for now, maybe one day I will only have one camera and one lens, switching would be much easier then, I would even buy the Sony A99, drool. Darn you Nikon for producing such a nice teasing camera.
 
Now the Canon, after the D600 announcement, I saw an entry on canonrumors.com that stated the 6D would have 11 AF points, my heart sank at that moment, my only hope in the new full-frame was broken to pieces, and true, the 6D in my opinion is a fail on several levels, but I don't doubt it will sell well amongst hard-core Canonistas, and at some time in the future completely replace the 5D Mark II. Here's what I like/hate about both the Canon 6D and the Nikon D600, and take care that both cameras sell for the same price, so the comparison is relative:
 
Canon 6D - Me Likey:
 

• Full-frame sensor, will probably have excellent image quality, can't imagine it will be better than the 5D3 however.
• Built-in WiFi & GPS, genius, the Wi-Fi remote capabilities with smartphones are excellent.
• Small, light body.
• 4.5 fps, faster than the 5D2 at least.
• Same battery as 5D2, 5D3, 7D & 60D, thanks Canon.
• Silent Shutter taken from 5D3.
• EV -3 sensitive center focusing point.
• Weather sealing.

Canon 6D - Me Not Likey:

• Crappy outer focusing points, a no-go for me.
• 1/4000 max shutter speed, I checked my photos and I shoot a lot of 1/6400 and faster shots in full sunlight.
• Crappy outer focusing points, oh, I mentioned it before.
• LCD auto brightness not available, a very nice feature on the 5D2, sucks not to have it.
• Loss of joystick.
• 97% viewfinder, come on, I hate it when I carefully frame a shot only to find out that I have to crop something I didn't notice while shooting.
• Crappy outer focu..., oh well, you get the idea.

 
Nikon D600 - Me Likey:

• Sony 24 MP full-frame sensor, I expect amazing things.
• 100% viewfinder.
• Can mount DX lenses.
• Can switch between DX & FX modes.
• Commander pop-up flash.
• Dual SD UHS cards, bravo Nikon.
• 5.5 fps, woot.
• Weather sealing.

Nikon D600 - Me Not Likey:

• 1/4000 max shutter speed, however, for Nikon purists, previously they had a base ISO of 200 and a max shutter speed of 1/8000, now that the base ISO is 100, they can get away with 1/4000.
• Center clustered AF points, although it has 9 cross type points, they are all very close to the center point, so they can be considered as one large cross type point.
• EV -1 focusing compared to Canon's EV -3, although I don't it won't differ 90% of the time.
• No dedicated AF-ON button.
• Can't change aperture electronically during live view, you have to have a lens with an aperture ring.

 
As you can see, both cameras are comparable, with a clear edge towards the Nikon, now when someone tells me they want to switch to full frame, I will certainly point them to the D600, at least they can use their DX lenses, bravo Nikon.
 
Oh, I wish Sony makes an RX1 with a 50mm Zeiss lens, and sell it for $1000, I would buy one.
 

 

Posted with Blogsy

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