Digital Photography for Next to Nothing: Free and Low Cost Hardware and Software to Help You Shoot L

You'll learn how to shoot your own product photos on a budget. There are hundreds of product photography tools to help you get the job done Free Guide : DIY Product Photography . A room with windows next to a wall is perfect. . Don't use the digital zoom as this will lower the quality of the image.
Table of contents

To take it even further, I m sure we will see algorithms monitoring us in how we edit our photos in our editing programs and ultimately learn to edit like us, or even imitating popular styles, also sold separately: This may well be attractive to some perhaps the same people who want self-driving cars, or like eating frozen dinners and pop tarts. I would have thought that people who spend the extra money to buy a manually configurable camera with which to experiment to see what it takes to achieve different effects wouldn't be all that interested.

If however customers want to buy the product, it won't matter what people like me say, will it? Great photographs are not made by knowign which knob to twiddle , slider to scoot, or button to push, but knowing when to push that button, what and to put between the four edges of the frame and where to put it, and to have the imagination to see things in a new way even to oneself.

I'm with you when it comes to frozen dinners and pop-tarts. Yes, when you push the button and how you frame are essential.. One day the IA may very well do it better than the most the population, including most people here. Factories already do that for most things. No way you would make by hand an iphone or even a tie with the same finish as what machines can do.

After all, high end camera focus better than most people and track moving objects better. They are better at evaluating exosure and WB. Tomorrow they'll be better at choosing the right speed and apperture The basis of all things, of all that make our societies is that thanks to specialization we can do more with less effort and so get more in the end.

Having an interresting life is about choosing what you should delegate to others and what you choose to do and experience yourself. When to go for a walk or when to take the car With this device I can turn my Sony a into an iPhone camera with a good sensor and interchangeable lenses, but There goes the challenge AND fun of making creative and technical decisions myself.

In other words, I will no longer be a photographer. And you will no longer take crappy shots, because each shot can not be taken twice, you all sound like the Holly Grail of photographers in here, which most of you are not. If this works out the way it says it does, it will help kick start the DSLR market back into gear, it has been hurting for some time now. Technology moves ahead people not backwards. Given the comments found on the "Most popular 15 " tab, your use of the phrase "you all" is appropriate.

Seriously, LMAO, you will no longer be a photographer, of course you will, you still have to see the canvas, frame it and press the shutter button, it's not like you are no longer going to be a brain surgeon. You're right - a chimpanzee can't be a neurosurgeon, but he can certainly take pictures with an Arsenal-equipped DSLR. I think there are few apps that can do same as this device.

Then of cause , if your camera doesn't have WIFI and you're not ready to work on your skills - pay the man. This is not what you think it is.


  • Advantages of shooting RAW!
  • You may also like!
  • How to Make An Inexpensive Light Tent - DIY.
  • Race the Rising Sun: A Chinese Universitys Exodus during the Second World War!
  • Arsenal is artificial intelligence for your DSLR or mirrorless camera!
  • Arsenal is artificial intelligence for your DSLR or mirrorless camera: Digital Photography Review.

This will change the game, I see many pros in here crapping bricks with their negative comments. This device comes to be upgrade for cameras' Auto mode. You have to ask why would some scam artists have better technology then Canon and Co. One should never present a kickstarter project as something that will become a real product. These projects are some sort of fantasy and will never exist.

I lost s of Dollars on kickstarter. I hope this pans out, since the DSLR market has gone stale. I see quite a few pros in here crapping their drawers, reason for the negative comments. A system that "chooses ideal camera settings for a particular scene based on what it has learned from thousands of similar existing photographs.

Their statement matches Nikon's original claim of the development of Matrix metering, on the FA, rather precisely. If it can actually leverage the knowledge s of pictures and actually do something useful these people will prove themselves so they can sell the tech for top top dollar to big photo. If they try to sell to big photo directly they will get almost nothing and only one brand will have it. I hope they can deliver, but I can't really see how.. Nikon and Canon cameras already have this programmed into their cameras and have been doing so since at least the early '90s.

Nikon and Canon and presumably Sony, etc. Wow, just what photographers need. God knows photography was still way too difficult for the average person before this. Quite frankly I think this is if not doa then not far from it. If it is considered helpful, then what keeps Nikon, Sony, Canon, etc. If it is not good, then why should the big three worry? The best thing the developers can do after they have delivered their promised units is to sell the software to one of the camera makers.

Why should they do that, I wouldn't, why sell it to one manufacturer where you can sell it to the masses who use gear from every manufacturer. Photography is an intuitive process. Becoming a craftsman means knowing how to get there, Not letting some program design it for you. What have you really learned about photography if you let this happen without your input. I for one am against this and tell everybody to learn the craft, thereby creating your own style. Use the best computer in the world — your brain! No machine will ever create your essence.

To me this takes the enjoyment out of photography and makes everybody the same. Art is not meant to be a program. Like I stated in a few of my other posts, you sound like a Pro that is crapping in their drawers. This is about getting the right shot the FIRST time, which means saved time, which means more time for more shots. I am sure you are the holy Grail of photographers and never missed a shot or crapped a bunch of them.

Seems like there are benefits outside the AI, but if the AI part were to actually magically guarantee great photos insert intense skepticism here , it kind of loses the whole point of photography. It would be a bit like buying Watson, having it win every game of chess with your friends, and then declaring what a great chess player you are because you bought Watson. I think we need to step back and remember that technology is the means, but the betterment of human condition enjoyment, quality of life, love, family, relationships, community, etc. But individuals are free to choose what matter to them and live their life accordingly.

For some it may happen they want to take photographs with exactly the amount of automation we have in today cameras. So the camera can take thousand of photos, track objects accurately and focus properly, select a good enough exposure so that you can just alter it a bit in post and so on.

Anyway, taking photos is only a single possible activity in the grand schemes of life and what people can do with their time overall. Nobody did it just years ago and I hope it could have been said they had fullfilling life anyway. It may be very well that nobody would do it the way we do it today as almost nobody does it how we did it years ago. I was hoping to spend some time learning photography before it became to pointless to learn! Why would I want that? Something you can just plug to the camera and you get instant access. With more development, this can be very useful for those with cameras from different brands and for those who switches systems.

The AI is also useful to provide settings that are a starting point, so that photographers can override or fine tune if they want, but can rely on for quick shooting when there no time to think. Just need some more control overrides than mentioned. Maybe also a way of feeding one's own photos into its database to personalise with odds one own style.

If you combine this with a drone you don't even have to be there to take the picture! Regardless of the "it thinks for you" features, being able to ditch all the camera menu systems and control the cameras from a single consistent, familiar piece of software sounds nice, as does having macros for quickly doing everything to implement tasks you want the camera to perform again later. Seems a shame it takes extra hardware to make this happen. By now, we ought to be able to pair the camera with the phone and operate software that uses a manufacturer supplied SDK for remote control of settings and operation.

What if you're ugly and the robot can't do the math to take your picture? Will you go to the suicide booth then? I'm no expert but wouldn't more, not less, depth of field be more of a go-to setting in this case? Kinda depends on whether you're trying to document the scene, or aim for an aesthetic that's improved by isolating the subject. Auto mean averaging 1, exposures to simulate a 10 stop 'Big Stop' ND filter without anyone owning and using such a filter doesn't take the joy out of photography for me. It adds to it. While saving me money and an extra damn filter to carry.

Not to mention the hassle of focusing through a 10 stop filter, or the cost. Sometimes the most pleasant aspect of taking a photo is composing it, not fiddling with exposure settings. No skills or education required! You just have to have the ability to follow automated instructions and lug our stuff around! And there's never a need to fuss over advancement - you never will! See our link at MonstrouslyExploitativeJobs.

The Everyday Sling might just be the perfect pack for not carrying too much gear, combining comfort with Peak Design's signature modern style. When the Fujifilm X-T2 arrived, it was more than just a modest upgrade to the already impressive X-T1.

How to Make An Inexpensive Light Tent – DIY

While the new X-T3 hasn't changed the overall design of the camera, this model is way more than an upgrade; rather, it's a quantum leap. The Movie Maker is a compact, motorized slider designed for phones, action cams and small mirrorless cameras. We think it's a fun little kit and a good value proposition for the cost, provided you can work around a few of its weak points.

Nikon's Z7 is the first camera to use the all-new Z-mount, the company's first new full-frame mount since We've put together our first impressions based on quality shooting time with a pre-production camera - check out what we've found. We got some hands-on time with a pre-production LX II to get a better feel for the improvements Panasonic's brought to the table. Here's a rundown of what's new — and what we think. Whether you're hitting the beach in the Northern Hemisphere or the ski slopes in the Southern, a rugged compact camera makes a great companion.

In this buying guide we've taken a look at seven current models and chosen our favorites. What's the best camera for a parent? The best cameras for shooting kids and family must have fast autofocus, good low-light image quality and great video. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for parents, and recommended the best.

The 37 best photography accessories in | Digital Camera World

What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important.

21 Comments

In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best. We've got our hands on a full-production Nikon Z7 camera and have updated our gallery with additional samples. A new Kickstarter campaign seeks funding for Chroma Chrono, a programmable RGB camera flash that emits multiple colors during long exposures. Think Tank Photo has launched a new lineup of six dual-access, water-resistant protective lens cases it calls Lens Case Duo.

Canon and Nikon finally entered the full-frame mirrorless market this summer with the brand-new RF and Z mounts. Now that we've had some time with the cameras, we wanted to revisit our earlier predictions and take stock. The devices' camera specs look pretty much identical to last year's iPhone X but under the hood a number of important improvements have been made.

The company says the new format combines the benefits of shooting Raw video with the ease of use and smaller file sizes usually associated with non-Raw video files. Serif, the company behind the Affinity suite, has announced the latest update for its mobile Photoshop competitor Affinity Photo for iPad. The Atomos Ninja V external video recorder and monitor will be ready to ship at the end of this month. After last week's teaser, lighting manufacturer Profoto has announced its 'small big' new product. The B10 is designed to be used as studio flash head but in a very small body, and has a powerful continuous light source for videographers as well.

Konseen has launched Photo Studio, a new light box tent large enough to photograph people, as well as objects.

The case was first announced earlier this year as a Kickstarter campaign and comes with a range of features aimed at iPhone photographers. Manfrotto has introduced a new two-in-one tripod to its Befree lineup. Called the Befree 2N1, this new addition is both a tripod and monopod in one and is available with both of Manfrotto's locking mechanisms.

Downsides and Solutions

Apple has unveiled the next generation of its iPhone X in the form of three variants: Ahead of the launch of the CamRanger II the company has announced a mini version of its wireless remote control system that it says has a longer range than the original in a body half the size. LumaPod is a a new tripod being funded on Kickstarter that takes just four seconds to set up and uses patented tension technology to keep your shots steady in a compact design.

ExperimentalOptics has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund its second lens design, a 35mm F2. The new XF mm F2. We've been taking a look. The Getty family is working to regain control of stock photo agency Getty Images, according to multiple reports published late last week. The Phoneslinger line, a modular bag system for mobile photographers, has been launched on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform.

CamRanger has announced the impending arrival of its CamRanger 2 wireless tethering and trigger system, complete with redesigned apps, updated wireless features, and support for select Sony and Fujifilm systems. We recently spent two days with director Chris Hershman, shooting a music video on the Z7 for pop artist Emily Blue. Lighting manufacturer Profoto is teasing users with a video clip that includes frames of a new light it will announce later this month.

Amid all the excitement surrounding the launch of the Nikon Z-series recently, you could be forgiven for missing the official unveiling of Nikon's new Nikon AF-S Nikkor mm F5. In this article, wildlife photographer Roie Galitz shares his impressions. Submit a News Tip! What camera should I buy? Arsenal is artificial intelligence for your DSLR or mirrorless camera comments.

Arsenal, leaving stealth mode, unveils AI-powered camera hardware on Kickstarter Intelligent camera assistant wirelessly controls DSLR and Mirrorless cameras from a smartphone, uses machine learning to find optimal settings in any conditions. MarkMccaffrey I have one that i can not even get to update the software.

Fletch in HI They have been shipping these out to buyers already, it's time for an updated review on this. Canon I have had one of these units on order for 8 or 9 months, lots of good communication. Fletch in HI Did you get your's yet? If you did have you tested it out? NikonsForLife The key advantages for the pro or advanced user are focus stacking and the ability to capture a photo in rapidly changing conditions. Buffalo69 It doesn't 'need' a hot shoe. I hope DPR does a review of the actual product when released. GregAllenphoto I remember the matrix metering days and the new auto focus feature arrival and thought it a gimmic.

Coltonh Fire I'm with you Smoothmoose The art and skill will be lost? Smoothmoose Also it would be interesting to see how it works in handheld app free mode. O5iris Neural networks and machine learning are extremely helpful and interesting in countless scientific applications but this is just lame Dave Oddie People probably said the same thing when they first put exposure meters in cameras. O5iris All poor comparisons. PhotoKhan For all those deriding this To send you the best pictures ever taken of your location Skip the plug in box That's how they talk On the Apple presentations!

FLruckas DPR sample images Huck There are plenty of software programs that already can do this without the higher price of new gadgetry. Making those choices myself is a big part of the creativity and the fun of photography.


  • 10 Reasons Why You Should Be Shooting RAW.
  • Die 50 besten Kalorienkiller: Die wichtigsten Stoffwechsel-Turbos von A bis Z - Abnehmtipps für jede?
  • Wildlife Photography Gear On A Budget - Outdoor Photographer.
  • The Horde (Peoples of The Arden Book 1)!
  • 10 Reasons Why You Should Be Shooting RAW.

Which probably is due to the operator's lack of intelligence Not for me thanks Steve Sanacore Very interesting product from some creative thinking. Clive50 you want your golf to drive into a wall why oh why would anyone want Senna mode. Karl Blessing No Olympus support, and most of that is already built into the Wifi mode. Dave Seeley Seems like the AI portion, is a likely future development in Canon's fully automatic and even program modes Dave Seeley I like it I must be missing something fundamental, because I just don't get it.

Low Budget Dave Remote control, time lapse, and focus stacking. North of 46 This may well be attractive to some perhaps the same people who want self-driving cars, or like eating frozen dinners and pop tarts. Ellis Vener I am all for self-driving cars when commuting. North of 46 I'm with you when it comes to frozen dinners and pop-tarts. Nicolas06 The question is if the result matter or the way of doing it matter.

Mike Davis With this device I can turn my Sony a into an iPhone camera with a good sensor and interchangeable lenses, but Mike Davis Given the comments found on the "Most popular 15 " tab, your use of the phrase "you all" is appropriate. Akpinxit I think there are few apps that can do same as this device. Akpinxit This device comes to be upgrade for cameras' Auto mode.

Ert, aren't they describing the basic claim of Matrix metering? Esstee I thought we already had this in auto mode? Sirandar Don't dis this as a stupid idea. Ellis Vener Nikon and Canon cameras already have this programmed into their cameras and have been doing so since at least the early '90s. Ellis Vener it;s the database of previous exposure scenarios that form the basis for evaluative RGB metering processes that take into account things like color, focusing distances, exposure times, lenses, flash vs.

Ellis Vener But they don't take over your camera, just suggest exposure solutions. Andreas Stuebs Quite frankly I think this is if not doa then not far from it. Jon L Photography is an intuitive process. Nicolas06 But individuals are free to choose what matter to them and live their life accordingly. Sergey Borachev The beginning of a universal menu system. The important thing, if you use a tripod, is to get a sturdy one; a flimsy one won't hold the camera and lens steady.

Note that because long lenses generally weigh more than a camera body, you generally mount the lens to the tripod head, rather than using the camera body's tripod socket. To carry gear in the field, a photo backpack is the best solution; it leaves your arms free for shooting and climbing, and won't fall off as a shoulder bag might. You want a rugged one that can handle life in the wild and that can hold what you need and provide easy accessibility, preferably without having to take it off every time you need something contained therein.

Of course, it depends on what you need on a particular shoot. Some bird specialists go out with camera and lens on a neckstrap, spare batteries and memory cards in their pockets, and that's it. That said, always carry spare batteries and memory cards when afield, as well as a lens-cleaning kit, a small flashlight and a hat David Morgan makes good ones. Teleconverters A teleconverter or tele-extender provides a quick and cheap way to gain "reach"—attach a 1.

The minimum focusing distance doesn't change. Attach a 2X converter to a mm lens that focuses down to 5 feet, and you have a mm lens that focuses down to 5 feet. There are some drawbacks, though. For one thing, teleconverters make the lens slower—a 1. Also, a teleconverter will reduce image quality. A good converter used with a lens for which it's designed can deliver very good results many wildlife pros use converters with their pro lenses , but converters generally don't provide good results with consumer-level zooms. All budgets are limited, some just more so than others.

An entry-level wildlife kit would include an entry-level DSLR and a mm zoom but not a bottom-end one; those are just too slow in AF performance to do action, although they can deliver nice wildlife portraits. The Pentax K and new K-S1 feature essentially the same AF system as the original K-5, which our resident bird buff actually bought for its results and weatherproofing the K and K-S1 also have weatherproofing, albeit not quite in the K-5's class.

These cameras can shoot bursts at 5 to 6 fps, with AF for each frame. For a budget wildlife lens, you're most likely looking at a mm zoom. Pentax and Sony DSLRs have in-camera sensor-shift stabilization, so you get stabilization with any lens attached to these cameras. Note that these big guns weigh around four pounds, not as huge as the pro superteles, but they're no lightweights. These zooms are all slower at their longest focal length than at their shortest.

This "variable-aperture" design keeps costs down and makes for more compact lenses, but means the lens gets slower as it gets longer, a drawback if shooting in dimmer light. A good tripod is beyond an entry-level budget, so you can either work handheld and make do with the lens or camera stabilization, or get a good monopod. As far as a bag and accessories, as this is low budget, you can make do with just your camera body and long lens, and a support.

You may want to splurge on a shoulder strap like the BlackRapid Kick , rather than use the neckstrap that came with the camera; it's more comfortable than the neckstrap with a heavy lens. If you carry your camera with long lens using a neckstrap, support the lens with a hand as you walk; letting the unit hang as you walk can stress the camera mount. And, if you use a shoulder strap that has the camera hang upside down, attach it to the lens' tripod mount, which is generally pretty rugged, rather than the camera's tripod mount, which wasn't designed to support the weights of a hanging camera and heavy lens.

Filters aren't as important for wildlife as for landscapes, but a spare battery and memory card or two are always a good idea when in the field, as is an air blower and lens-cleaning kit like Hoodman 's Lens Cleanse. Here, we have some excellent wildlife cameras and lenses. In the intermediate category, there are some wildlife-suitable mirrorless cameras. Their drawbacks are lack of long native lenses and AF performance mainly noticed in birds-in-flight work.

Of course, due to their short flange-back distances, these cameras can use a wide variety of non-native lenses via adapter. You lose AF when doing that, but you can greatly expand your pool of usable focal lengths. With an intermediate budget, you can get lenses that autofocus noticeably faster than the entry-level ones.

On a moderate budget, you can buy a good tripod. Carbon-fiber units are light, yet sturdy. Check them out online, then try the ones that appeal to you at your local camera shop—usability is a big consideration with a tripod, and you can't determine that online. If you plan to do mainly animal portraits, a ballhead is ideal, as it lets you position the camera as desired, then lock it there with the twist of a single knob. If you do birds in flight, a gimbal head lets you track the bird while providing good support and also will lock down for stationary portrait shots.

On an intermediate budget, you can afford faster memory cards—a good choice, as the recommended DSLRs feature 18 to 24 megapixels and quick shooting capability. Consider camouflage coverings for your lenses such as those from LensCoat. While animals probably will know you're there, they look cool, and more importantly, provide some ding protection, and the RainCoat 2 , rain protection. Now you have the best of the best: Most serious bird photographers with big budgets use them. With a high budget, you can buy the pro "big-gun" lenses: These are the lenses used by most wildlife pros, and with good reason: They offer the best optical quality, the best AF performance, and the most rugged construction.

They're also really bulky and difficult to handhold successfully despite their built-in stabilization although we know photographers who do it. Canon's and Nikon's "big guns" are the only ones with built-in stabilization; Sony's current SLT cameras have sensor-shift stabilization in the camera body. A high budget lets you buy a top tripod.

Of course, you don't have to buy the most expensive tripod; get one that's sturdy and stable enough to support your camera and long lens es , but light enough to carry where you'll want it. Note that gimbal heads require lens-mounting plates; you'll need one for each of your lens es.