Magic Lantern gives 14 stops of DR to Canon 5D Mark III with dual ISO recording

Magic Lantern gives 14 stops DR to Canon 5D Mark III with dual ISOs

Magic Lantern’s brought some miraculous features to Canon EOS DSLRs lately, including RAW video recording on the 5D Mark III, and video recording, period, to the 50D. Its latest feat is no less amazing, even for jaded DSLR shooters. By exploiting unused dual ISO amplifiers on a sensor chip in the Canon 5D Mark III and 7D, new firmware allows you to record lighter parts of a scene at ISO 100 and darker portions at ISO 1600. It works with RAW video and stills on the 5D III and RAW stills only on the 7D, with both requiring post-processing after capture. That bit of creative coding increases the dynamic range of both cameras to around 14, though not without some drawbacks. Namely, the 7D implementation is buggy for now, you’ll lose some resolution while gaining aliasing in shadows and highlights, and won’t be able to check critical focus by zooming in. Still, the organization has a track record of quickly improving new features — so, if you’ve got the guts to risk voiding your warranty, hit the source.

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Via: planet5D

Source: Magic Lantern

Nikon outs D5200 DSLR in Japan

Here you are Nikon’s latest entry level DSLR the D5200! Replacing the already rather capable and highly recommended D5100, the D5200 comes with a lot of new and improved features like a 39 points AF System, an Expeed 3 Image Processor and a 24.1Mpix sensor! But what makes Nikon truly unique for most people and especially first time users is its easy to understand UI that has been completely rework from the ground up to be even more intuitive! The D5200, is also capable to shoot 5fps …

Lytro camera gets manual controls, new colors and accessories for exacting light-field fans

Lytro camera gets manual controls, new colors and accessories for exacting lightfield fans

A frequent gripe of Lytro camera owners has been the hands-off nature of the photography, with that signature infinite focus about the only real fine-tuning that’s on tap. As of a fresh firmware upgrade, the light-field camera is much friendlier to demanding shooters. The unconventional point-and-shoot now lets owners manually adjust the ISO sensitivity (80 to 3,200) and shutter speed (1/250th of a second to 8 seconds) as well as lock the exposure or invoke a neutral density filter. Regardless of their precision demands, anyone who was already sold on the concept still gets a few perks with today’s refresh: the 8GB model now comes in Seaglass green and a Target-exclusive Moxie Pink, and there’s both a $30 sleeve as well as a $60, accessory-friendly case for those who’ve fully committed to the Lytro lifestyle. Neither upgrade will bring higher resolutions or video, but they’ll go a long way towards accommodating those who were at least on the fence. Check out an interactive sample of the shutter speed control’s benefits after the break.

Continue reading Lytro camera gets manual controls, new colors and accessories for exacting light-field fans

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Lytro camera gets manual controls, new colors and accessories for exacting light-field fans originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 15:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nikon unveils lightweight, full-frame D600 DSLR — hands-on and low-light samples (video)

Nikon unveils D600 fullframe DSLR 24MP, lightweight, 2,400 handson video

We’ve been watching out for the D600 since images leaked a couple of months ago, and today it’s been made official: a full-frame DSLR that’s priced ever-so-slightly closer to the reach of mortals (read: “high-end enthusiasts”) who perhaps can’t claim everything off their tax. At just shy of $2,100 (update: €2,150 in Europe), the 24-megapixel camera’s US list price is significantly lower than that of the 36-megapixel D800, and undercuts Canon’s rival EOS 5D Mark III and Sony’s brand new full-frame Alpha A99.

What’s more, aside from the resolution, you’re getting something pretty close to the D800 — including a weather- and dust-resistant magnesium alloy build, fast Exspeed III processor, and AF that works down to f/8 — but here it’s all contained in a body that sheds a full 15 percent off the D800’s weight. It feels great to hold a full-frame DSLR like this, which is barely any heavier or more conspicuous than an APS-C shooter like the D7000.

Nikon is also making a big deal out of the fact that the D600 handles wireless transfers and triggers using the new WU-1b widget, which is identical to the familiar WU-1a we reviewed on the D3200 except that it plugs into the camera’s USB port rather than the HDMI port. There’s an Android app to allow your mobile device to communicate with the camera, and an iOS app is set to land by the end of September.

Read on a few more initial impressions and a quick look at the D600’s high-ISO performance.

Continue reading Nikon unveils lightweight, full-frame D600 DSLR — hands-on and low-light samples (video)

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Nikon unveils lightweight, full-frame D600 DSLR — hands-on and low-light samples (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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