You might know DJI mainly for its excellent drones and it has a range of products designed to help you capture video – but now it can help you capture crisp audio with the new DJI Mic.

While the focus for most has been on video quality, the DJI Mic wireless microphone system can now offer same high quality.

DJI Mic consists of two wireless transmitter/microphones for dual channel recording and a receiver that connects directly to your camera.

And it’s all housed in a handy charging case like your wireless earphones.

This is helpful because they are easy to store, and you know at a glance the charge level of the transmitters and receiver.

DJI says the microphones and receiver can run for up to 5 hours and 5.5 hours respectively with the case providing a further 10 hours of power.

Content creators can clip the microphone – which weighs just 30g – to their clothing and keep it out of site using the included magnet to secure it under clothes or inside your jacket.

Each transmitter also has a 3.5mm jack to connect a lapel microphone (which is not included).

In this instance, the transmitter can be clipped to your belt or stored in a pocket.

And the transmitter has a range of up to 250m and still be able to record quality audio.

The system connects through the stable 2.4Ghz frequency band so you’ll always have a strong signal when you’re shooting.

The DJI Mic also provides an interference free wireless transmission so even in busy areas you’ll enjoy a clear signal.

The DJI Mic also comes with two windscreens to reduce wind noise.

On the receiver side, it attaches securely to the hot shoe of the camera and can be positioned so the touchscreen can face the camera operator or to the presenter.

When we reviewed the DJI Mic – we had the receiver facing us so we could see the battery level, our audio levels and which microphones.

We connected the DJI Mic to our Sony A6600 and Sony ZV-1.

The microphones did well to pick up our voice even when there were external noises. Our voice was always still the main focus of the audio.

With the windscreens, we recorded some audio near the beach, the wind was almost inaudible.

From the receiver’s touchscreen, users can choose mono or stereo recording, adjust the receiver gain and the volume if you’ve connected headphones.

The DJI Mic also comes with a safety track so it can record all your audio in case there is a loss of audio or distortion. Each transmitter has 8GB of built-in storage.

One word of caution – on the microphone the record button is right next to the link button so make sure you press the right button.

And DJI Mic is not just limited to your camera – it can also be used with your smartphone and your laptop.

DJI Mic comes with a Lightning plug so you can connect the receiver to your iPhone and USB-C plug which can be used to connect to an Android smartphone or a laptop.

The DJI Mic is a versatile device that can cover all your audio needs when creating content either with a camera or a smartphone.

The other option on the market right now is the Rode GO Wireless II which is cheaper at $349, and it also comes with a lavalier wearable mic.

The DJI Mic does not include a lapel microphone so it would have to be purchased separately.

The DJI Mic is available now and is priced at $509.

VERDICT

The DJI Mic is a versatile device that can cover all your audio needs when creating content either with a camera or a smartphone. It creates quality audio to complement the quality of your videos.

The post DJI Mic review – a versatile audio recording system for content creators appeared first on Tech Guide.

To II or not to II? Usually, that’s an easy question to answer, because of course we always want the improved version of a given current model, right? But when it comes to Fujifilm’s GFX 50s Mk II, the upgrade path presents some cause to pause for thought ahead of slamming your money down.

Having used the GFX 50s Mk I over the last couple of years, I’m very aware of its shortcomings, in particular its lack of image stabilisation.

However, it’s a tolerable shortcoming because almost all the work I do with the 50s is architectural or studio work, so the camera is usually hugging a tripod or other support. Image stabilisation – or lack thereof – usually presents no issue in these circumstances.

Yet the the addition of 5-axis In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) in the new model is very welcome indeed.

Certainly, while I was testing it, shooting a pin-sharp capture of a beautifully textured vintage rail freight wagon handheld at 1/25sec gave me quite the thrill after so many wasted shots of similar subjects using the Mark I with its lack of stabilisation.

But is one new feature really enough to justify changing up?

My initial thought on that was a resounding “yes”. Damn straight, I do.

One of my favourite recreational shoots involves a visit to Spring Mount Conservation Reserve where the dense tangle of scrub makes it difficult to work with a tripod and the subdued light under the forest canopy tends to keep the shutter speeds on the slow side, along with close-up subjects that don’t lend themselves to high ISO settings.

Yeah, I want stabilisation. Who wouldn’t? It’s a very welcome addition.

However, on extracting the Mark II from its box, my heart sank a little.

Fujifilm decided to change the controls layout and one of my favourite things about working with the 50S has been radically changed.

Where the old-school shutter speed dial used to be on the top panel to the right of the viewfinder, there is now an LCD panel displaying virtual dials controlled by front and rear-mounted selection wheels.

If you’re a Mark I owner, you may well share my disappointment. I found it took some getting used to; indeed, rather confusing at first.

If you’re new to the camera, it won’t matter, unless your motivation to buy into Fujifilm is spurred by the maker’s long-standing styling with traditional knob controls. It’s entirely a matter of taste, really, and not a deal-breaker.

In any case, other changes to the controls layout are more welcome. There is now a stills/movie selector on the left side of the top panel, which saves you digging into the Drive menu as required in the Mark I.

The Focus Mode selector has been moved from the left side of the rear panel to the right side where it sits more comfortably within the controls cluster. It’s good to be able to feel your way to that control within reach of your trigger finger (sorry, lefties) rather than hunt for it where it was.

Also, this may seem inconsequential, but the self-timer setting now persists. On the Mark I, if I enable the two-second self-timer (a habit I practise in part to overcome the Mark I’s lack of IBIS) I have to set it again after the camera powers down to conserve battery. It drives me batty. Nice that that’s fixed.

Fujifilm has made a radical change to the battery, too, with the Mark II now using the NP-W235, which happens to be the same battery used in the Fujifilm X-T4.

If you’re so invested in the Fujifilm system that you own an X-T4, you’ll find yourself with swappable batteries, which is always handy. The NP-W235 battery is rated to capture 455 still frames and 80 minutes video, which out in the field largely held up, though of course your mileage will vary depending on how you use it.

It’s quite the improvement over the Mk I, which forced me into buying the battery grip for a second battery in order to get through a commercial shoot without the camera dying on me.

As an inveterate timelapse photographer, my go-to power test is with the rear display disabled and the timelapse function set to record every five seconds. The single NP-W235 battery lasted for 2682 frames before powering off the camera.

Actually, a pretty good result. I’d have been satisfied with 1800 frames, which is what I get from a twin-battery set-up in my Canon 5D Mk III.

Another welcome addition to the Mark II’s power management is the addition of a USB-C port that can charge the battery and power the camera. If you have a portable battery pack, you can take the Mark II a long way from an AC outlet and shoot for days.

Worth noting, though, is the Mark II has no capacity for adding a battery grip, which would give the user a second battery as an alternative to overcome power outage during a long shoot.

With all that said, the litmus test lies with the imaging quality.

Cosmetic and physical changes to the camera are to be expected to some degree but what we really want in a Mark II model is some measure of improvement to the camera’s imaging prowess. Is it there?

Let’s start with the addition of the Pixel Shift Multi-shot function, which uses the camera’s IBIS to shift the image sensor by 0.5 of a pixel through 16 successive frames, then uses Pixel Shift Combiner software (using a computer with free, downloadable software, not in-camera) to concatenate a single Digital Negative file to deliver a 200MP image, which weighs in to the order of hundred of megabytes, so bear storage requirements in mind.

I first encountered Pixel Shift captures when using Panasonic’s S1 and I recall how I initially thought it was just a gimmick.

Not so with the S1 and not so with the GFX 50s II. If you’re into shooting any subject with a view to making highly detailed large prints, the Pixel Shift capture option may well be your favourite feature of this camera.

Be sure to use a solid tripod, though. The slightest movement of the camera/lens between shots will lead you into a surreal render of your scene.

Indeed, a static subject is paramount to a successful Pixel Shift capture. A desert scene with strongly defined motion-free shapes? Excellent. Wetlands with reeds swaying in a gentle breeze? Not so good.

Remember, this comes off a medium format sensor (I deliberately resist using “large format” as per Fufjifilm’s wont) so even with the standard single-frame capture mode, you have a 51.4MP sensor to start with to build a huge file, but it’s not a matter of just having a lot of pixels to play with, there are after all DSLRs with similar pixel counts; the important consideration is the sensor size, which at 43.8mm x 32.9mm is 1.7 times the size of a full-frame DSLR.

And so? Well, geometry, friends. Geometry. There’s a good reason those 10-inch x 8-inch negatives of Ansel’s et al are still awe-inspiring: it’s largely in the size of the recording medium (and, yes, filmophiles, being shot on film didn’t hurt, either) and the same idea holds true in the digital age.

The sensor dimensions matter. Until you shoot with a larger-than-DSLR sensor, the benefit can’t be apparent to you and, for the want of a less subjective phrase, the larger sensor gives all those pixels extra room to breathe. Shoot with it, you’ll get it.

Sharp? You bet, especially with the GF lenses on the front.

I don’t mind saying the Fujinon GF 110mm f2 is among the best glass I’ve ever mounted on a Japanese camera and the smooth bokeh when shooting wide open on the 110mm or any of the GF lenses for that matter presents another benefit of the larger sensor.

But is the image capture really any better than the Mark I? Well, given it’s the same sensor in both cameras: no, it can’t be, notwithstanding improvements wrought by the upgraded image processor.

The improvements to image capture in the Mark II lie largely with the improved AF response, a more capable image processing engine and the Pixel Shift function.

On one count, however, the Mark II presents quite a leap; the higher ISO settings are far more usable than the Mark I. I would never have shot higher than ISO 800 on the Mark I. I could confidently shoot up to ISO 3200 with the Mark II.

This brings us to the improved image processor, the X-Processor 4, which Fujifilm claims to offer better AF.

It is more responsive in most instances and portraitists will welcome its faster face/eye lock, but I found it not nearly the sports/action capture beast I was hoping for and in some instances there was a tendency to hunt for the subject, especially with the GF f3.5mm 50mm lens.

Better is always good, of course, but I don’t believe the improved AF is going to be the prime motive for buying the 50s II. That said, I suspect a firmware update will bring some performance enhancement so the jury will remain out on this score.

And this brings us to the overall design philosophy behind the Mark II.

Fujifilm has steered this model well into the compact zone.

The smaller battery, smaller body size, integrated EVF (the Mark I’s detachable EVF was quite bulky, which led me to detach it for most shooting situations) and changes to the control layout combine to offer a shooter weighing in at 900gm (with battery) that feels in the hand more like a bulky DSLR from 2015.

The Mark I is 920gm, so not a big weight reduction but there is a big change in the handling characteristics.

Engineering-wise, especially given the addition of IBIS and the pixel-shifting function, this is quite an achievement, yet I can’t help feeling indifferent to the size reduction.

Personally, I like the feel of a solidly built camera that sits heavy in the hand. Maybe that indifference is an old-school sentiment that younger shooters – perhaps the demand-drivers for smaller, lighter cameras – might scoff at. In the end, it’s a subjective thing as long as it doesn’t compromise critical functionality, which is not the case here.

On other feature counts, the Mark II delivers well. The rear, 3.2in tiltable display can now be pulled away a little further from the rear panel, which means a top-down view of the display in its fully tilted position lying flat for an overhead view clears the back edge of the EVF.

In the Mark 1, the EVF’s rubber eye patch impeded that view, a real nuisance and another reason to remove the EVF in that model but an issue now resolved.

As with the Mark I, the newer model’s dynamic range is excellent. You will be impressed with the extent of shadow and highlight detail.

Add dynamic range bracketing to your exposures and you’d have to be facing some extra-heavy duty contrast in your scene before your histogram spills its guts.

A shutter speed range from 60 minutes to 1/4000sec (and electronic shutter to 1/16,000) offers versatility.

Also, while the RAW captures from the GFX enable plenty of elbow room in post-production, don’t be hesitant to shoot JPEGs and explore the film simulation modes, especially the Velvia vivid mode for landscape captures. Very tasty. Fujifilm does a great job here and indeed it should. The company has film DNA behind it.

What else? A range of mechanical and electronic shutter settings should be understood in order to get around tricky lighting situations and it’s good to have these onboard.

The Bluetooth pairing and stickiness seems to be improved over the Mark I, which comes as a relief. The re-design of the joystick with its flatter profile and grippy nipple is a welcome improvement, offering more affirmative control as you toggle through the camera’s menus and settings.

There is a wealth of capture and control customisation on board that is easy to overlook as you dive into shooting with it but the Fujifilm’s menu system really should be explored thoroughly to get the most from the camera’s capabilities.

For instance? An adjustable tone curve setting, programmable film simulation bracketing, and a 35mm format mode if you want some crop factor.

There remains one sticking point with the 50S that may be a deal-breaker for some.

It still offers only Full HD video capture, no 4K. I can understand that Fujifilm may want to reserve 4K capability as a point of differentiation for the GFX 100 model but, nevertheless, it’s a disappointment.

On the other hand, given this camera’s prowess with stills capture, it’s hard to imagine most buyers wanting it as a video tool.

But apart from all I’ve written so far, there remains one very compelling aspect to investing in the GFX 50S II – price.

This camera, at an RRP of $6499 (body only, or $7299 with a GF35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR) represents the most affordable way to get into shooting with a medium format sensor, even more affordable than some of the top-shelf units in the DSLR or MFT camps, and that alone should be good enough reason to give this camera your serious consideration.

Just be sure there’s room in your budget for fast memory cards and maybe a computer upgrade. Those pixel-shifted captures need some serious grunt in post.

VERDICT

The Fujifilm GFX 50s Mk II is a powerful, well-featured stills camera that will enable a user graduating from smaller sensors to pursue higher standards in their photography.

Chris Oaten is a professional photographer from Insight Visuals

The post Fujifilm GFX 50s Mk II review – great stills camera to graduate to higher standards appeared first on Tech Guide.

GoPro HERO10 Black has taken a big leap in a year with the new GP2 system on a chip processor and improved frame rates and quality so your videos are better and sharing them and editing them is easier.

The device looks almost identical to the HERO9 Black released last year but all of the improvements are under the hood.

For a start the GP2 processor makes things even smoother and faster and provides the platform to literally double the frames rates of the HERO9.

This time out the GoPro HERO10 Black can shoot 5.3K at 60 frames per second, 4K at 120fps and 2.7K at 240fps.

This makes it a lot more versatile. Not only are you getting amazing quality, but you can do a lot more especially with those higher frames rates.

There is improved low light performance and local tone mapping along with 3D Noise Reduction. Hard to believe all these features are all housed in such a small device.

Another cool new feature – and this will be welcomed by GoPro fans – is the new protective lens cover with the hydrophobic water-shedding design.

This means if you’re in the water with the GoPro you won’t get those annoying droplets of water on the lens that sometimes ruin your videos.

Now the water runs right off so your video is crisp and clear no matter what you’re getting up to in the water.

And if it’s stills you’re after you can snap 23-megapixel images or grab 19.6 stills from a video.

There’s the same rear display and front screen that was introduced with the HERO9. That front display does make it easier to frame yourself for your videos or images rather than doing the guesswork to hope you’re in the frame before having the small but now essential screen.

And being the same size as HERO9 means it will also work with the mods case and all the handy accessories.

One of the most brilliant features of the GoPro HERO10 Black is HyperSmooth 4.0 that really smooths out your video.

There are three levels of anti-shake assistance and at the top level you can see the video has been worked on.

Some may think this takes out the natural look and makes things look a little rubbery at the highest HyperZoom 4.0 level but it really depends on your video and how hard you want to correct the movement.

Now it’s one thing to shoot the videos but the next step is to store, edit and share your footage.

Not that gets easier with the HERO10 thanks to the automatic cloud uploading.

When the device is charging all of your footage is uploaded to your GoPro account.

Subscribers – and you’re mad if you don’t subscribe because it makes the camera cheaper – you get unlimited storage of all your videos at their original resolution.

And you can also take advantage of the Quik companion app to see your footage and also gives you access to some pretty slick editing tools as well.

The GoPro HERO10 Black is priced at $599.95 with an included one-year subscription or $749.95 without a subscription. So – guess what – get that subscription and make it cheaper.

VERDICT

The GoPro HERO10 Black is an impressive update to an already excellent action camera with more quality and versatility at your fingertips.

The post GoPro HERO10 Black review – even more powerful and even more versatile appeared first on Tech Guide.

We’re no strangers to the odd video meeting and Zoom call in the last year since the start of the COVID pandemic and now you can enjoy even higher quality and convenience with the new Poly Studio P5 webcam.

The P5 professional webcam offers 1080p full high definition at 50hz or 60Hz with an 80-degree field of view so you’re always looking your best.

Onboard are impressive optics which has automatic low light compensation so you can enjoy excellent no matter where you have to make your video call or meeting.

There is also 4x zoom which makes it easier to frame yourself and your background.

And your audio is also covered thanks to the single directional microphone which focuses on your voice and is optimised for personal workspaces so you’ll sound as good as it looks.

The camera connect to a regular USB port – would have been nice if it was USB-C.

For us to use this camera on our MacBook Pro we needed a USB hub instead of being able connect it directly.

Once connected whatever video client you’re using – FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, WebEx – you can simply choose the Poly Studio P5 as your preferred camera and also do the same with the microphone (it has a built-in mic remember?).

For added security and peace of mind there is also a physical camera shutter which blocks the camera completely.

Users can buy the camera to use for themselves but there is an option to deploy these cameras for your staff and also manage all of them from the cloud with the Poly Lens software for easier collaboration and communication.

The camera itself can be swivelled left and right for easier framing but there is no tilt up or down so you’ll have to adjust the laptop, your desktop computer or the Studio P5’s stand to make this fine adjustment.

But we also discovered that the stand actually comes off and it revealed a tripod screw mount which opens up the possibilities about placing the camera and positioning it correctly.

The Poly Studio P5 is available now and is priced at $259.

VERDICT

The Poly Studio P5 adds a new level of quality to your videos and audio for your video calls and meetings. It’s easy to set up so you’re up and running in minute but also protect your privacy with the camera shutter.

The post Poly Studio P5 webcam review – look and sound your best for your video meetings appeared first on Tech Guide.

How things can change dramatically in a short time. In my previous review for Tech Guide, COVID restrictions were in force and there was barely anyone on the streets. This time, with the Adelaide Fringe Festival in full swing and restrictions eased almost all the way back, the opportunity to “shoot street” with the Fujifilm X-S10 could not be left begging.

In fact, as the official photographer for one of the Adelaide Fringe venues, it was in my remit to fulfill a shot list that could in part lean on the X-S10’s small form factor and responsiveness to capture people shots in a shoot-from-the-hip style with an emphasis on spontaneity.

The most usable shots based on this approach came from switching into the 10fps burst capture mode and enabling face recognition, which meant the camera could be held aloft at an awkward angle that I couldn’t achieve using the EVF or even properly preview on the rear-mounted articulated display, though its tilt/swivel capability came in handy for roughly framing up the shot in these situations.

Adding something extra to this capture method was the X-S10’s image stabilisation, allowing for a lower ISO and a slow shutter speed that allowed for some movement in the frame, which heightens the sense of activity in the shot.

Its accurate face recognition was no small help, either, even in scenes that often confuse this feature.

Let me just add here that an experienced shooter with a strong working knowledge of depth of field and the characteristics of certain focal lengths could do all this without the electronic assistance of face detection and auto-focus and so on, so what the X-S10 offers is an assisted shortcut to a specific outcome, and there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, this is largely what this camera is all about.

Let’s flesh that out. I was rather confused about where this camera sits in Fujifilm’s product line.

This started with the model designation. It doesn’t fit. Same can be said for the form factor, control layout and feature set. Just who is Fujifilm aiming this camera at?

I asked Fujifilm’s roving ambassador Warwick Williams about this model. Here’s what he had to say.

“Many years ago I speculated that a beginner would benefit from a more advanced camera but would tend to avoid such a product because of its complexity and price. Entry level cameras usually don’t offer the high speed focus, face detection, AF tracking, colour features, etc. of their more advanced and substantially more expensive stable mates,” he said.

“The X-S10 was a way of combining those features plus the processing speed and capability of the X-T4 and putting them into a more economical and easy-to-use package.

“X-S10 is a bit different and in spite of new models arriving after it (not just from Fujifilm) X-S10 still has the unique Advanced Automatic setting that can decide not just the best shooting solution but the best film simulation and colour tweaks for any given image.

A very powerful feature (hence why the camera needed the processor from X-T4) and very clever too.”

The X-T4, if you’re not familiar with the Fujifilm line-up, is the maker’s flagship APS-C mirrorless camera and its image processor is top notch.

“Very clever”?

Warwick explained that the Advanced Automatic setting is the result of a team of international photographers, among them Warwick himself, who were given an extensive and exacting shot list, the results of which went to Fujifilm which combined all the visual data into a scene analysis algorithm.

When you point this camera at a scene using the Advanced Automatic setting, it will work out everything that the scene needs in order to be rendered the best possible way, extending even to picking the best Film Simulation to apply to the scene.

If you haven’t used a Fujifilm camera and you like the look of traditional film, Fujifilm film filters should thrill you.

You know, going back in the day, Fujifilm actually made film (indeed they still have film products on the market) so they know better than most how it should look when transforming a digital file into something to look like it was taken in 1982.

Fujifilm emphasised the X-S10’s newly developed Image Stabilisation in its press release for the camera, claiming “despite its small size of just 450g, the X-S10 delivers up to 6.0-stops of five-axis image stabilisation”. The “small size” part of that sentence I’m completely down with.

This is not a “compact” style camera in the usual sense but it is small enough and light enough to be fit for purpose as a travel camera. The “up to 6.0-stops” part is a little harder to grasp, probably because “up to” is hard to define but here’s how I approached it.

Without bracing the camera, I can shoot at 1/30 sec and get a vibration-free image, so if the claim asserts I can get another six stops with the IS, then I’d expect a stable image all the way to a one-second exposure.

Certainly, with other cameras boasting this kind of IBIS, the one-second handheld shot without wobblies has held true.

Astonishingly so, with some models. With the X-S10, not so much.

It’s good and given the size and weight of the camera at 415g (excluding battery) it’s impressive, but I wouldn’t lean too heavily on it.

If you’re shooting stills slower than 1/15, you’ll want to firmly brace the camera when shooting, which in any case is good practise.

That said, the stabilisation is at its most assistive when shooting video, adding smoothness to a handheld capture that looks like you’re using a gimbal. Don’t think I’m not impressed with what Fujifilm has done with its IS feature in the X-S10.

All I’m saying is there’s room for improvement, which I fully expect to be the case given this feature is a first in its class for Fujifilm.

The camera’s performance can be improved by enabling the Boost Performance option but on the down side this will chew through your battery faster.

You’ll want to use Boost judiciously or have at least one spare battery when you head out to shoot.

If Fujifilm cameras have a consistent Achilles Heel it’s the life of their batteries.

The camera’s specs state a battery life of 325 still images in normal mode and 260 with Boost enabled.

In a timelapse capture, I got 284 frames before the battery gave up. Further, the specs state about 40 minutes battery life when shooting video.

I don’t really need to recommend a second battery comes along for the ride, do I?

My favourite feature of all in this camera is the ability to capture 4K/30p 4:2:0 8-bit video on the internal SD card in F-log, though if you want 10-bit 4:2:2 pulldown, capturing out to a drive over HDMI is necessary.

If you haven’t shot in F-log, think of it as analogous to shooting RAW instead of JPEG.

The science isn’t quite the same but the benefit is: the ability to take deeper control of the image in post-production.

Compared to the standard video capture method, you’ll be able to control colour rendering and highlight and shadow detail when capturing with F-log that otherwise would have been lost.

For me, this further underscores the idea of the X-S10 being an excellent travel camera for anyone who loves to shoot video but especially so when encountering difficult lighting conditions, as is often the case when travelling under an itinerary preventing a return for more favourable light.

Of course, you’ll need to have the post production skills to make the most of F-log. If you do, or you want to delve into it for the first time, you could do a lot worse than the X-S10.

Also, if F-log capture is new ground for you, the X-S10 will provide a basis to begin researching the wonderful world of colour grading with LUTs.

On the flip side, if you want to trust the camera to capture stills and make all the decisions for you, the Advanced Automatic setting will do that. There’s a lot of scope in this camera’s functionality.

In terms of handling, I found it comfortable in the hand thanks to the well-sized grip but, as I have always found with Fujifilm cameras, the eye-detect feature is way too sensitive.

When using the camera at arm’s length with the display flipped out to monitor the capture, an inadvertent swipe of the hand or arm across that eye sensor causes the display to black out as the camera thinks you’re holding it up to your eye.

As with previous Fujifilm models, it’s the first feature I disable as it drives me batty. The other nuisance was that when switched into movie mode, the camera seems to not want to wait for you to press the record button.

I repeatedly found the camera capturing when I hadn’t intended it to but I’m still not sure whether it was because of clumsiness on my part or recording actually is too easily activated because of the control layout.

Neither of these nuisance factors is a deal-breaker but you’ll want to be mindful of them when using the camera. If only the sensitivity of the eye detection sensor could be adjusted.

The quality of still images was none too surprising, with excellent files delivered off the 26.1MP APS-C sensor looking crisp and sharp.

Along with Panasonic with its Lumix cameras, Fujifilm seems to have mastery over getting the most out of this class of capture device, though with its X-trans sensor Fujifilm brings something to the party that is unique in the market.

Images off an X-trans sensor have a particular characteristic that helps define the maker. The loan unit supplied for review came with two of Fujifilm’s somewhat ordinary lenses, which based on prior experience with Fujifilm’s top-notch pro lenses led me to think the supplied glass let down the camera a little.

If I were buying this camera, I’d be sure to pair it with great glass such as the XF 24mm f1.4 to get the best out of the X-Trans sensor.

Price-wise, the RRP reflects the technology and mountain of R&D that went into this camera. You’ll want to be serious about exploiting this camera’s capabilities before you lay out the dosh.

As Warwick asserted, it is priced well under a model such as the X-T4 but it’s still a considerable investment.

Curiously, and this is nothing I’ve ever said before, the opposite is also true.

If you really want to just concentrate your energy on taking pictures while trusting the camera to figure out everything needed for the best result, the X-S10 will deliver on that front, too.

I get the feeling this camera is a test-bed concept for Fujifilm.

As the black sheep of the maker’s line-up, perhaps it will get the chop if sales aren’t what they should be.

That would be a shame, because it would end up in that litany of market failures studded by such cameras as the Olympus OM-4ti, an awesome camera that marked the end of that company’s SLR line.

By no means am I suggesting the X-S10 will kill Fujifilm but what I really mean to suggest is those who do embrace this camera may come to think of themselves as being blessed for making that choice while they still could.

Price: $1749 body only; $1899 with 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ.

VERDICT

A very versatile camera with an extensive feature set crammed into a small package that will find a market among those after a professional feel to results with minimal effort in the capture.

Chris Oaten is a professional photographer from Insight Visuals

The post Fujifilm X-S10 review – a versatile camera with an extensive feature set appeared first on Tech Guide.

On unboxing Fujifilm’s X100V rangefinder camera and handling it for the first time, I let out a little squeal. No, really! That sounds ridiculous, I know, but to explain why I’m going to need to run a little history by you.

A good number of famous 20th century street photographers used the rangefinder type camera to great effect in the execution of their work.

Among my favourites is Joel Meyerowitz who, along with many of his peers, and certainly many contemporary photographers, captured memorable and intimate scenes of everyday city life on the street.

Their rangefinder cameras, the Leica being a popular choice, made this possible because the design of the camera, in which the eye level finder is pinned to the top left corner of the body, allows for framing the shot in an instant while still having a sense, using your other eye, of the rest of the scene. It means you can hone in on your subject while maintaining a broader context of the subject’s place in the scene.

If you want an explanation from Meyerowitz himself, search for a video called “What you put in the frame determines the photograph” in which he explains why the rangefinder is superior to the single lens reflex camera. If capturing the unguarded moment is your thing, the rangefinder should be your weapon of choice.

Now, here’s why I squealed. (Hey, it was a suppressed nerdgasm expression of excitement, not a five-year-old at Christmas kind of squeal, so get that image out of your head.) The X100V’s rangefinder can be switched between digital and optical, so the reason I got so excited was because this enables a particular way of shooting that is liberating. But how so?

Here’s the recipe. Switch to the optical rangefinder, set manual focus to 1.5m, the aperture ring (yes, the X100V has an aperture ring on the lens barrel, drool!) to f16, the manual shutter speed according to the sunny 16 rule, or 1/250 at ISO 160 should get you through most lighting situations on a sunny day, and you’re good to go.

The f16 aperture on the X100V’s 23mm lens will give you a depth of field from about 1m to infinity. No need to focus. At all. Also, with a wide dynamic range off the sensor and shooting RAW files, you will be able to recover shadow and highlight detail off every pixel in all but the most extreme contrast lighting.

This means that all that’s getting between you and a result is the skill of putting a rectangular frame around the target. No need to concern yourself with anything other than that. And it’s a blast. It will teach you about framing, which with the modern preoccupation with technical capability and pixel counts and video resolutions and what not, is something I think is often forgotten but mastering framing on the fly can separate ordinary from good, and good from great.

Unfortunately, this style of shooting promotes getting  close to your subject to fill the frame and, for as long as COVID-19 is a thing, invading people’s personal space is a really bad idea.

Thus, when I put this shooting method to the test, which is something I’ve been itching to do for ages, I had to be content with walking Adelaide’s riverfront precinct nabbing selected slices of architectural and streetscape elements. But regardless of subject, the method is the same. And it’s liberating.

Of course, that extensive depth of field at f16 getting everything effortlessly in focus may not be your thing, so if you’re after some bokeh, the maximum aperture of f2 will let you express that creative option with subjects within close range. For this, you will want to enable the AF because the manual focussing ring is a bit spongy. I found the AF accurate, if not a little tardy, though I’m making a comparison against a Canon 5D Mark IV, which may be a little unfair.

If you were to ask me to recommend the X100V on just one feature, its optical rangefinder would be it. But what else is in the package?

To begin with, the optical rangefinder is enhanced by an equally old school design. Two features of the design I loved were the toggle switch on the front panel and the ISO selector. The toggle switch looks exactly like the self-timer that was once a common feature on film SLR cameras and mechanically performed the self-timer function.

On the X100V, that toggle is used to switch the rangefinder between optical and digital. There’s also a programmable button built into the toggle. Other buttons are programmable, too, which when combined with the comfortable control layout, provides customisation to match your shooting style to bolster responsiveness.

The ISO selector is very old school, too, with a ring that surrounds the shutter speed dial that you lift up and turn to snap on to your selected ISO. Pairing the ISO selector with the shutter speed dial is an entirely logical thing to do. It always has been.

The exposure compensation dial sits on the back right corner of the top panel and with its firmly stepped rotation promotes eyes-off compensation adjustments while shooting in auto, such that you don’t need to take your eyes away from the rangefinder and off the subject. This camera is designed to keep you connected with what you’re shooting.

I was astonished to find the 26MP X-Trans CMOS IV sensor delivers 56.1MB files when shooting RAW uncompressed. The files, as expected from the X-trans, are beautifully detailed and faithful to the subject.

However, if you’re going to shoot uncompressed RAW be sure to have a fast, high-capacity SD card to write to. You may not need to use the uncompressed RAW very often. The lossless compression option delivers very usable files. That said, I stitched together a 15-shot panoramic image from uncompressed RAW source that would make a stunningly detailed large print.

The colour rendition off the sensor is quite lovely. It’s very neutral and will handle soft tones gracefully, allowing plenty of scope in post-production with capable software. If you want JPEGs out of the box with more punch, the camera’s film emulation modes deliver.

As a devotee of time-lapse photography, it was reassuring to see an internal intervalometer along with an exposure smoothing option. I don’t see any reason why this shouldn’t now be a standard feature in digital shooters and it certainly is not uncommon. Not so common is the X100V’s internal neutral density setting.

Enable it and you de-sensitise the sensor by several stops. This is such an important option for shooting time-lapse in daylight and will add a lot of appeal to captures by blurring subjects in motion as they pass through the scene. An internal ND gets a big thumbs up.

Also appealing is the shutter speed range. A top speed of 1/4000 and the ability to dial down to 15 minutes via the T setting is a welcome range that will cover off everything from action to astro. Thumbs up.

Fujifilm maintains its commitment to minimalistic back panel control design with a very simple layout that includes the nipple selector button. If you haven’t used one yet, you must give it a go. I much prefer it to the four-way selector, which by comparison is slow and awkward to use.

If you can tear your right eyeball away from the rangefinder, the rear display offers everything you expect to find, from touch focus shooting to fast and easy parameter settings combining the Quick menu and nipple selector. If you’re new to Fujifilm cameras, it will take some getting used to.

If I pick one up after handling another camera make, I have to reset my brain a little to cope with Fujifilm’s menu system, but it’s not rocket science, and you should be flying in no time at all.

Shooting in video offers plenty of scope with a wide range of format settings including 120fps in full HD for smooth slo-mo playback. With the camera set to 4K at 29.97fps at a max 200Mbps your memory card will be under pressure so budget for that when you purchase if you don’t already have high-performance cards.

On the down side? For a start, with this shooter being such a good all-rounder compact, it seems a pity the rear display can’t swivel around to face the front. Selfie fans and vloggers will be disappointed with this.

One workaround is to use the Fujifilm smartphone app for remote viewing but, apart from adding another layer of technology to get in the way of spontaneous intentions, Fujifilm’s set-up for wireless is awkward to say the least. There’s a lot of room for improvement here, not least of which would be making the wireless set-up and activation procedure reside in the same menu.

Also, there is no image stabilisation. Personally, I don’t find this an issue. I’ve always been of the opinion that if you don’t know how to hold a camera still enough to capture a sharp image, you probably need a better tripod, either a mechanical one or the organic version with legs and a good bracing stance.

That said, if you’re accustomed to leaning on IS for sharper images or you have another good reason for needing IS, you might want to look elsewhere.

Another down side is the fixed lens. It’s a quality Fujinon lens, to be sure, and I’m a big fan of prime lenses but for some users the fixed 23mm focal length will be limiting. If you are hung up on this, bear these things in mind: with 6240 × 4160 pixels, there’s plenty of scope for cropping images to mimic a longer focal length.

Also, Fujifilm offers screw-on conversion lenses, one each for for wide and tele shooting. I haven’t used these conversion lenses so I can’t speak to their quality with any authority but my past experience with such things is that they’re cumbersome and optically imperfect, not to mention an added expense on top of an already hefty asking price and a bit of a pain to lug around in combination with a camera that is so well suited to a candid, on-the-fly shooting style.

The only other thing I found irksome was the lens’s AF motor. It’s noisy. Put the camera down on a desk while it’s still on with the AF activated and the buzzing of the lens as it hunts for a subject will make you think your phone is ringing on silent mode.

Given the camera is otherwise nearly silent in operation (or actually silent when using the electronic shutter) it’s disappointing the AF has an obvious buzz.

The non-swivel display and the fixed focal length will be a deal breaker for some users but if these features of the camera won’t cramp your shooting style, this is a camera I would strongly recommend as the one to have by your side at all times. Light, compact, but very capable and versatile, it won’t sell you short for good results as compact shooters so often do.

The Fujifilm’s X100V rangefinder camera is priced at $2349

VERDICT

Apart from its excellent image quality and feature set, if you’ve never used a rangefinder camera, it might just teach you something about photography.

Chris Oaten is s professional photographer from Insight Visuals

The post Fujifilm X100V rangefinder camera review – excellent image quality and feature set appeared first on Tech Guide.

If you’d like to broadcast yourself easily and in decent quality or want to look your best for your next video meeting then the Logitech StreamCam is an ideal solution.

The device has come along at just the right time and can be used for live streaming as well video chats which have become the norm as we work from home during the coronavirus crisis.

We’re dialling in from home and having video meetings with the current COVID-19 restrictions in place and the StreamCam can help you look and sound your best.

Logitech StreamCam has an adjustable mount that can help users attach to the lid of a laptop or on top of a monitor and then aimed at the user.

It can also be attached to the top of a tripod if you pop it out of the mount.

Logitech StreamCam, as its name suggests, can be used for live streaming to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, Instagram and Snapchat.

Users can choose to shoot horizontally like a regular video or re-position camera in the mount to capture vertically to create videos for the smartphone screen for Instagram and Snapchat.

The device, which works with both Mac and Windows, connects to the USB-C port on your laptop or computer and offers 1080p full high definition at up to 60fps (frames per second).

Quality of the video is quite impressive with a sharp image and the automatically calculated exposure takes into account the available light and makes the adjustments on the fly.

It works quite well even if there isn’t a lot of light in the room.

The StreamCam also has smart focus and AI-enabled face tracking so the camera will always keep you centred and in focus.

On the audio sound, users also have the choice of using the mic aboard the Logitech StreamCam which is actually decent quality.

But users can also connect their own higher quality microphone if they prefer.

A lot of online live streamers also like their microphones to be visible on screen because they not only sound good but look pretty cool as well.

Apart from the Logitech StreamCam itself, there’s also the Logitech Capture companion software which adds some fun and versatility.

With the software, users can connect a second camera and create various split screen and picture in picture effects so you can really take your live stream or recording to another level.

Another source can also be your desktop and the various open applications you have so you can display on the screen websites, documents, images – whatever you need.

It’s also possible to place text on the screen and change the font and colour. This is handy to identify yourself on screen or to cut and paste questions or comments you might be receiving in a live stream

You can also easily change the colour and transparency of the text background as well to suit your video.

Scene effects are also available to change the colour of the image, turn it to black and white and other fun effects like magnifying parts of the scene.

There’s also an option to create a border around the image as well.

And for true broadcast quality features you also have the ability to create sliding transitions to shift between sources and cameras.

The Logitech StreamCam is available now in white or graphite and is priced at $229.95.

VERDICT

The Logitech StreamCam is an ideal solution for users who want to broadcast themselves with live streaming or to create content that can be viewed on social media and smartphones. It offers quality and versality and the companion Logitech Capture software puts a range of powerful features at your fingertips to improve your content.

The post Logitech StreamCam review – easily broadcast yourself in great quality appeared first on Tech Guide.

Tech Guide readers who saw my review of Fujifilm’s X-T3 a few weeks back might remember how I was taken with that camera’s excellent functionality and image quality.  Now, it’s the X-T30’s turn for a look and the first thing I thought on unboxing it was: “is this just a baby version of the X-T3?” because if it is, it’s already on a winning track.

So, is it an X-T3 mini-me? Yeah, actually, it is, pretty much.

However, whereas I expected it to house an M4/3 sensor because of the smaller body size, it has the same 26.1MP APS-C CMOS 4 sensor as its bigger cousin. Nice one. Big thumbs up right there.

The X-Trans sensor is impressive tech delivering to its users images that look like they were shot on a full frame camera.

To have that kind of imaging quality in such a small package gets more thumbs up and so everything I wrote about the X-T3’s image quality – crisp, detailed images with excellent colour rendition – holds true for the X-T30.

Turning to the design of the X-T30, it manages to maintain the old-school features that define the Fujifilm line: a lens with an aperture ring and shutter speed, exposure compensation and mode dials set out like it’s from 1992.

Picking up a Fujifilm camera, you almost reach for the film winder to get started. A small thing I also love is the firm shutter release half-press used to wake the camera from sleep or activate the AF.

It’s just firm enough for you to know exactly the pressure required to make it work without actually firing a frame. If you’re a seasoned Fujifilm user, this will not surprise you. Others will surely come to appreciate this along with the maker’s loyalty to a retro design and intuitiveness.

Unlike its bigger brother, there’s a “Focus Lever” on the back panel supplanting the D-pad typically found on digital cameras. You use it exactly the same way as a D-pad to navigate menus, settings and to shift focus points.

This takes very little effort to get used to it. Indeed, I found it absolutely intuitive, as if such a control device had always been there, which, when you think about it, is kind of true. The back of a Canon body, for instance, has a similar lever.

Fujifilm’s GFX 50S has it. On the small form factor of the X-T30, such a design element is a logical choice but it’s not the inclusion of it that will surprise you so much as the exclusion of the familiar D-pad control. It may take a little getting used to for those new to the Fujifilm way.

If you’re an owner of the X-T20 and wondering if an upgrade is worth it, wonder no more. The feature upgrades are significant. There’s a new  AF system for improved low light and subject tracking with four times the number of phase detection pixels than the CMOS 3 model. The on-sensor phase detection AF area now covers the entire frame for quicker, more accurate focus on a subject anywhere in the frame.

The AF works better in low light, too, with a limit for phase detection AF expanded from +0.5EV to -3EV, making it possible to autofocus in very poor lighting such as at night or under dim light.

This was one of the first improvements I noticed, actually, as my initial handling of a review camera is invariably while sitting at my computer and pointing it at objects on my desk. My office has very low ambient light but the X-T30 responded surprisingly well.

If you’re a keen video shooter or just want a step up in capability from an earlier model, the X-T30 offers 4K/30P video functionality and a higher resolution audio capability without requiring additional equipment. Impressively, the X-T30 uses almost all of the sensor’s pixels to record in 6K in order to downsize the capture to produce 4K. That’s a clever trick.

When I switched into the DCI format (17:9) shooting at 23.98p at 200Mbps and capturing in F-log, the graded edit was gorgeous. Certainly not what you would expect from this camera when you pull it out of the box.

If you know what you’re doing when handling F-log captures – which is a bit like saying “if you know what you’re doing when handling RAW files” – I’m sure you’ll be surprised with the 4K capture capability of the X-T30. This little guy is punching above its weight here.

Another neat feature is being able to apply film simulation modes not just to stills but video, too, including the new ETERNA motion picture emulator – if you’re into that sort of thing, of course, though if the previous paragraph meant something to you, you’re probably not.

There’s a solid range of video capture settings including a Full HD High Speed recording mode with up to 120fps, but no High Speed capture in 4K. To record at highest quality at 4:2:2 10-bit you’ll need to send the capture through the HDMI port.

The smaller form factor and light weight of the X-T30 is going to be well received by those after a small mirrorless with interchangeable lenses. Also, this is not a must-by motivator, but I discovered the X-T30 with 16mm lens fit into the load capacity of my Snoppa Kylin motorised gimbal which I bought for use with my Lumix LX100 or GoPro. Relevance to you?

A lower price point for a motorised gimbal. Like I said, not a dealmaker but worth considering if you want to up your video game with a handheld gimbal but not have to pay for a pricier one designed for a larger/heavier body. Put another way, the X-T30 offers a good foundation for a lightweight system.

I can hear your burning question. Why would you want to buy the X-T3 if there’s so much on offer in the X-T30? The differences, specs-wise, is mostly marginal, but for the most demanding users the X-T30 does present some dealbreakers. For instance, the X-T3 max shutter speed is 1/8000, the X-T30 is 1/4000; the X-T3’s buffer is bigger, coping with up to 60 frames (JPEG, Lossless) captured in continuous mode vs the X-T30’s 26. The X-T3 has (maximum) 1/250 flash sync, the X-T3 at 1/180. The X-T3 has a higher bitrate capture in 4K.

Importantly, the X-T30 just won’t keep up with the same capture demands of the X-T3. In more than one respect, it’s just not as robust.

For instance, I locked up the camera after trying to jam a lot of data through, such as a seven-frame AE-bracketed RAW capture, requiring a battery removal to reset the camera. I hate it when that happens.

Also, power management was odd. In power save mode, the camera drew enough current to trickle out a charge that drained the battery if it was already nearing empty. Odd that, because otherwise the battery’s not a bad performer, able to expose 1479 RAW files in time-lapse capture mode (five-second intervals with rear display off) before giving out. A second battery, nevertheless, would be a good investment.

Other than the price difference, the X-T3 and X-T30 are in many respects very close but, in some respects such as the video compression choices offered in the X-T3 but absent in the X-T30, they’re far apart. I expect that for the shooter more likely to value the smaller size, the X-T30 should meet or exceed expectations. Also, for the owner of an X-T3, the X-T30 would make an excellent second body given they share the same lens mount.

The X-T30 has one thing the X-T3 doesn’t. A built-in flash. And it’s cute as a button. Literally. Neither camera, though, has in-body image stabilisation, and I expect for a lot of buyers eyeing off the competition this could be a deal-breaker. That said, I suspect the kind of shooters who go for the Fujifilm line are the kind who would be satisfied with stabilisation from one of Fujifilm’s OIS lenses.

Despite whatever shortcoming you may perceive the X-T30 to have, I believe the X-Trans sensor will trump it. This is a gorgeous sensor with a very particular quality of clarity and colour rendition that sets it apart from the competition.

Let’s be clear, though. I’m not saying it’s necessarily better than the competition. I’m just talking about its character, in much the same way I might direct you at the newest Ektachrome film over Velvia; there’s a character to the X-trans that may or may not seduce you but it’s one that’s definitely worth investigating.

A warning, though, for those dipping their toes in X-trans captures for the first time. Be very careful how you sharpen the files. The pixel arrangement in the X-trans sensor lends itself to “wormy” artifacts if sharpened using Lightroom. If you’re assessing RAW files from this camera for the first time, send the file to Photoshop (or even better, use Capture One) either directly through Adobe RAW or as a TIFF or original RAW from Lightroom because the way Lightroom handles the sharpening of Fujifilm RAW files is tragic and will drastically compromise your assessment.

Price: $1599 body only or $2199  with an 18-55mm F2.8 lens.

VERDICT

Marry the X-T30 with a Lumix OIS zoom lens and you have a well-featured, small form APS-C camera with very good performance or a very useful partner to an X-T3.

Chris Oaten is a professional photographer from www.insightvisuals.com.au

The post Fujifilm X-T30 camera review – the little big guy appeared first on Tech Guide.

Some reviews could write themselves. Like this one, because when a camera – in this case the Lumix S1  – wins the Technical Industry Press Association World Awards “Best Full Frame Photo/Video” category,  it might be cavalier to follow any course of appreciation other than the one taken by the respectable folks at TIPA. Who am I to challenge their judgment?

So I’m not going to. There’s little doubt the Lumix S1 deserves the accolade. As the first Lumix mirrorless full-frame camera, the high anticipation held for this shooter would have crushed it had it not lived up to expectations.

It’s come through that anticipation with (mostly) flying colours. What I will do, though, is explain why I find this camera exciting and hope to help your camera purchasing decisions by doing so.

First, though, let me point out I’ve taken a keen interest in pixel-packing sensors over the last year, having bought into the Fujifilm GFX 50s as a way to incorporate a physically larger sensor into my creative choices.

I’ve also put a Canon 5Dsr into my camera bag to complement my Canon lens system, which despite all the innovations presenting themselves in the market these days is a lens system I remain hesitant to part with.

The S1, however, has turned my brain inside out with its High Resolution capture mode, which for some time has seemed to me a gimmicky concept, until I realised just how useful it can be; in this case, turning the S1 into a camera that can serve two masters. And what do I mean by that?

My main line of work is construction timelapse photography.

For this, I can use crop sensor or full frame cameras, though I prefer the latter. The key workflow concern, however, is data volume.

If I capture 3000 frames during a day’s work, I have to be mindful of wrangling that data in post-production, especially with the additional storage required for back-ups. This generally precludes using high density sensors such as the GFX or Canon 5Dsr. Those sensors, for construction timelapse work, are overkill.

Yet regardless of my main line of work, like most photographers I want to keep up with developments and have access to ever increasing pixel counts. It’s the photographer’s lament: more/bigger/faster is always better, right? Yeah, and it keeps us broke, too.

So here’s the thing. The S1, like a few of its competitors, has a pixel-shifting capture mode that Panasonic calls High Definition mode. If you enable it, the camera’s in-body stabiliser is put to work to physically move the sensor through a sequence of exposures that are stitched together in-camera to build a file that quadruples the pixel count of captures in standard mode.

This means instead of the standard 6000 x 4000 pixels, the S1 will give you 12,000 x 8000 pixels. 24 million pixels vs 96 million pixels. And that, friends, is a lot of pixels.

Thus, the S1 can serve two masters: firstly, the timelapse producer in me who needs file size efficiencies to deal with commercial projects inevitably measured in terabytes and, secondly, a camera capable of delivering a pixel-packing file when I need to scale up the capture quality, especially if there’s an A3 print (or larger) at the end of the workflow.

The dual practicality of the S1’s sensor extends to a host of photography applications. For instance, shooting architecture but don’t have a tilt-shift lens? Switch the S1 to High Definition mode and those extra pixels provide a heap more leeway for correcting converging verticals.

Shooting a country sporting event and want to tack on a day trip to shoot some outback landscapes? Use the S1’s standard capture for the action, switch to High Definition mode for the landscape.

My experience with the S1’s pixel-shifted captures was surprising and fun. In fact, I’d like you to see the files for yourself, so I’ve included my email in this review.

Send me a message with “S1 files” in the subject line and I’ll respond with a Dropbox link to the unprocessed RAW files.

Alongside the High Definition captures, you’ll find standard capture files so you can make a comparison. Bear in mind when looking at the files that the lens supplied with the S1 review unit was the 24-105mm.

This is actually a very good lens, which comes as a bit of a surprise given that while this zoom length is a popular design it’s usually appreciated more for its versatility than its finesse. That said, I fully expect better results could be achieved with prime lenses, such as a Sigma 24mm with an L-mount.

I need to digress a moment. L-mount is a mount system developed jointly between Panasonic, Sigma and Leica that opens up a wealth of lens options. Perhaps this lens production alliance should be a consideration in your purchasing roadmap? There’s an FAQ here if you’d like to know more: https://l-mount.com/en/Q-and-A.

For now, know that in the L-mount camp there are three Lumix lenses with three more due out by year’s end, eight Leica lenses and Sigma has 11 on offer.

Also bear in mind there are limitations to pixel-shifting. While the mode settings includes two options for dealing with blur in between sensor movements you will need to mount the camera to tripod and your subject needs to be motionless, or close to it.

Thus, architecture, products and landscapes are obvious choices as subjects. V8 Supercars? Not so much.

Alright, so with the thrills of pixel-shifting possibilities out of the way, how does the S1 handle? Short answer: beautifully. I’m really pleased Panasonic didn’t try to produce a shooter that panders to the lightweight mindset that seems to be driving the world of mirrorless cameras.

This camera is squarely aimed at the demanding buyer with a reassuring build quality that feels like it can withstand the rigours of working life. At a smidge over 1kg without a lens, it sits solidly in the hand, always a good thing for those of us with the caffeine shakes. Its physical dimensions will suit well an owner with big hands, even more so with an optional battery grip. This is no dainty snapper. It feels like a workhorse.

If I have one grudge it’s the shutter release button. I’m sure lots of people will love it but its sensitivity drove me a bit nuts. If you’re a somewhat heavy-handed, half-press-to-focus kind of shooter, you are going to have to get used to working with back button focus or grow accustomed to deleting a lot of unintended frames.

But here’s some things I really love.

There are White Balance, ISO and Exposure Compensation buttons lined up behind the shutter release button and the first two of those buttons can be pressed repeatedly for incremental changes to the respective settings while the Exposure Compensation uses a familiar button/wheel combo to affect changes.

There’s an On/Off toggle behind this row of buttons, the design of which seems kind of retro and it weirded me out at first but took no time at all to appreciate for its easy but affirmative action. It’s a small detail but it feels right, as does all of the control layout.

The top panel display has a backlight illumination button that actually lights up the display. I’m so sick of wussy backlights on displays, so this impressed.

The exposure modes – M, S, A, P, Movie, iA and Custom – are on a selector dial on the top left panel, with shooting modes – Single, Sequence, Timelapse and Timer – on a selector ring below. All of these controls feel solidly built, just like the body.

I adapted very quickly to the two adjustment dials – one in front of the shutter button and one on the back top right corner – that enable very quick aperture/shutter speed adjustments when shooting in manual mode without needing to take a finger off the shutter.

The Electronic View Finder is excellent, apart from the briefest blackout between frames when shooting in high-speed burst mode. When tracking a moving subject such as the scooter in the sample shot with this story, I didn’t find it limiting but I expect shooters of very fast-paced sport may find it falls a bit short.

I very much like that the USB-C input can charge the camera. Not having to take the battery out or carry a charging cradle is one thing but being able to easily power the camera out in the field from a portable power source scores extra brownie points.

This is not to suggest the S1’s battery is a weakling. It’s not, though as always I would strongly recommend the battery grip if you’re a trigger-happy shooter. In trialling the S1, I never actually drained the battery but I’m sure if it was out with me on assignment, the single battery wouldn’t see the day out.

The customisability of the S1 is impressive, including a Function lever on the front panel that I could grow very attached to, enabling an affirmative switch quickly to enable a shooting aid such as the Sheer Overlay, which I would work with a lot when setting up intermittent timelapse captures of the same subject. (Sheer Overlay? Very cool feature. You select an image off the card that is overlaid translucently on the live display.)

Colour rendition from the 24.2MP CMOS sensor is excellent. No complaints from the usual tricky subjects such as skin tone.

Especially pleasing was a wide dynamic range with very clean shadow detail. A lot of sensors have disappointed me in this regard in recent years, requiring a secondary capture for the shadows and blending in post to get around the noisy shadow issue. Not so here.

The new Venus image processing engine is doing a lovely job. The promotional guff for the S1 describes “Multipixel Luminance Generation” and ‘Intelligent Detail Processing”.

To be honest, I don’t fully understand what those two things are but I do know a clean file when I see it. One of the RAW sample files I’m offering includes a High Definition capture of a metallic latticework in the foreground combined with a short depth of field that has vehicles moving through a background rich with foliage. I fully expected this scene to fall apart on at least one technical level. It didn’t.

Of course, this shooter also offers excellent video capture – the TIPA award recognised the camera’s photo AND video capabilities – though there was one thing I found a bit weird. In the High Speed Video capture mode the ISO setting is restricted to Auto and the lens is stopped wide open, so if you wanted to shoot High Speed with a fuller depth of field in low light conditions with a high ISO, you’re out of luck if the Auto ISO doesn’t handle the situation.

However, you do of course have full control over exposure settings in normal capture mode with a range of capture settings up to 4K (3840 x 2160) at 60p in 8bit/LongGOP/150Mps. I’d encourage you to check Panasonic’s web site for full specs. Also, be aware there’s a VLOG Filmmaker kit due to ship this month.

When this camera came out, I noticed there were a few reviews claiming the continuous AF was spongy. In my time with the camera I updated the body’s firmware and found the constant AF was mostly up to the tasks I presented it with and better than before the firmware update.

For instance, I tested it mounted on a tripod shooting a factory laser-cutting machine that had erratic lateral movements and the AF kept up with it just fine shot at 35mm. However, when shooting handheld at 105mm and reframing the shot, I found the AF needed a little nudge with the back focus button to pull focus on near subjects brought into frame at the end of a pan.

There’s room for improvement here but when weighed up against everything else this camera offers, this shortcoming would seem to me to be no deal breaker for the user who mostly shoots stills. For the demanding shooter whose main task is video ahead of stills, it may be of greater concern.

Switch back to shooting stills, on the other hand, and the AF is sweet. Among the AF options is a subject tracking system that recognises an animal or human and locks focus on it.

If you’ve used or seen the Live-tracking mode in a DJI drone (or something similar), you’ll recognise the application in the S1. It’s not a great mode for sports subjects but I reckon pet photographers might just love it.

It’s in the weighing of pros and cons, with respect to buying into the Lumix S1 system against whatever you’re now using , where the challenge lies with this camera. Panasonic is clearly going after the pro, prosumer and enthusiast market with the S1 and S1R – the latter designation offering a 47.3MP sensor (and a massive RAW file when that baby’s shot in High Definition mode).

The price alone tells you who this camera is aimed at, which is a potential buyer who very likely already owns hardware in the high-end spectrum from a competing maker and thus a system changeover is in order and that may be a big ask. If this is you, something to bear in mind when considering a switch is the S1’s dual slots house the common and affordable SD card as well as the newer XQD card and while the 440MB/s write speed of those XQD cards is tasty – and necessary, given the S1 has no time limit on 4K recording – kitting out with a set of even modest capacity XQD cards will set you back many hundreds of dollars.

Also, if you want to integrate the S1 into a professional set-up, you’ll be wanting the XLR microphone adaptor. You’ll also be needing either a set of L-mount lenses or adaptors for the lens system you already have, which if you decide to pursue should be accompanied by some testing and/or research into performance limitations imposed by those adaptors; I have a professional colleague who tried his Canon lens on an S1 and was very disappointed with the slowness of the lens’ autofocus resulting from using an EF adaptor.

In pointing out these cost issues, I’m not trying to dissuade anyone from seriously considering the S1.

Indeed, Panasonic’s commitment to research and development over the last few years along with its part in the L-mount alliance suggests to me the company is very serious about capturing a slice of the high end full-frame market and will remain committed to serving it. To that end, the S1 presents an auspicious beginning along that track and should certainly be in your sights if you’re looking to embrace a mirrorless full-frame system.

For those not in the professional sphere, the S1 presents a bit of a no-brainer.

Panasonic Lumix S1

$3,599

VERDICT

Minus system expansion considerations, the S1 is a fully featured, highly capable camera that coupled with an L-mount lens to suit a budget will offer its user a surprising level of satisfaction.

For sample file requests email Chris Oaten at  chris@insightvisuals.com.au

Chris Oaten is s professional photographer from Insight Visuals

The post Lumix DC-S1GN-K review – one camera for two masters appeared first on Tech Guide.

If you’re looking to install wireless security cameras, the D-Link Omna Wire Free Indoor/Outdoor Surveillance Kit is a great place to start.

The kit has a hub and two wireless cameras included and the good news is there are no cables and wires to run.

You can be up and running within minutes.

Everything you need is in the box including the internet cable, the power supply for the hub and the charger for the two full high definition cameras.

Each of the cameras are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and they’re weatherproof which means they’re equally at home inside or out.

Also included are the magnetic mounts for the cameras and a single mounting arm plus all the screws you need as well.

For our review we placed one camera outdoors and another indoors and placed the hub in a central part of our home – our office – where the modem/router is located.

Set up is very straightforward – you basically have to connect the hub, download the mydlink app from the App Store or the Google Play Store and just follow the step by step instructions.

What helps make it easier are the QR codes on the hub and the cameras.

We connected the D-Link hub to power and connected the Ethernet cable to our router.

With the app, all we had to do was scan the QR code on the back of the hub to add the device.

The next step was to connect the cameras, also by scanning a QR code on the back which immediately identified them before we hit the sync button on the left side to link them to the hub.

The first camera was connected in minutes, the second camera needed about four or five attempts to connect it through the app and pressing the sync button.

When you’re done you can name the camera based on its location either using the suggested room names or by giving it your own name.

This is to make it easier to identify each camera and so you know exactly where it is and what you’re looking at.

The video stream looked sharp on our smartphone. To view the camera feed full screen all you need to do is turn your phone sideways.

It’s easy to capture pictures or record video from the control screen and you can even talk to whoever is in front of the camera thanks to the onboard two-way audio.

If it’s located near your front door, that conversation might be with a courier or delivery driver.

Users also have control on where they can store recorded video – on a microSD card, on a USB drive connected to the hub or the mydlink cloud.

The D-Link system also supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant so they can be included in your smart home automation.

There’s also a mydlink skill for Alexa which means if you have an Amazon Echo with a display you can see the live feeds from the cameras on the screen.

The D-Link Omna Wire-Free Indoor/Outdoor Surveillance Kit has excellent hardware but it is let down by the companion app. For our review we used the mydlink app on an iPhone.

Our biggest issue was its lack of responsiveness navigating between screens.

The arrow back button from the camera video feed screen just would not work after numerus attempts.

Eventually we’d hit it in the right spot to go back to the home screen.

Another issue was that the top back arrow was also on top of the last command of the iPhone.

For example, we did a search for the mydlink app on the iPhone and the word “search” and an arrow back to that menu is located in the top left corner which overlaps the app’s back arrow.

It was the same deal when trying to access the settings through the cog symbol on the right side. It was equally non-responsive.

This needs immediate attention with an update – it is really frustrating.

The D-Link Omna Wire-Free Indoor/Outdoor Surveillance Kit makes it easy to check in on your home, holiday home or office.

It’s really easy to watch live video or stored video and users can also set the cameras to send a notification when it detects movement.

D-Link Omna Wire-Free Indoor/Outdoor Surveillance Kit

Price: $799.99

VERDICT

The D-Link Wire-Free Indoor/Outdoor Surveillance Kit provides an instant solution for anyone who want to install a wireless camera system to increase the security of their property.

The post D-Link Omna Wire-Free Indoor/Outdoor Surveillance Kit review – upgrade your home security appeared first on Tech Guide.

Alongside its X-T3 release, Fujifilm has brought the X-H1 to market, positioning it as a flagship model of the X series line-up boasting a first for the maker with in-body image stabilisation but the release brings with it a quandary for buyers of this class of camera.

Before explaining the quandary, however, let’s have a cheer for the X-H1’s in-body 5-axis stabilisation (IBIS).

Here’s the thing. I have notoriously shaky hands. Too much caffeine, I think. It’s why I’ve always liked a solid camera rig that sits heavy in the hand and overcomes my nervous ticks. Thus, whenever I’ve picked up a lightweight mirrorless camera, the rule of never shooting slower than the reciprocal of the lens focal length (ie 50mm = 1/60sec) has to be upped a stop with shutter speed.

You can imagine, therefore, how satisfying it is for me to hold the X-H1 and throw that rule out. In fact, I was managing sharp pictures handheld at 1/15 sec in close shots with obvious fine detail and as slow as 1/2sec for wide scenes in which a little softness from camera shake could be reasonably fixed with a touch of sharpening in post.

So a little hurrah for Fujifilm, even if it’s late to market with this feature but better late than never, I say, and I’m sure so will loyal Fujifilm users who’ve held off changing systems as they wait for this feature to surface.

Some points to consider with IBIS. It works for stills and video, so motion shooters combining the X-H1 with a handheld gimbal should enjoy buttery smooth captures.

The review model was supplied with the XF18-55mm with OIS. If the lens’ OIS is enabled, the X-H1 shares stabilisation duties. If the lens’ OIS is disabled or you’re using a lens that has no OIS, the X-H1 manages stabilisation. The camera will make these decisions about prioritising stabilisation method, so you don’t have to think about it.

I switched the lens OIS on and off and found no obvious advantage for stills but a little smoother capture with video when stabilisation was all IBIS.

So there you have it. IBIS. The single most compelling reason to buy the X-H1. If you consider the X-H1’s new flicker reduction, it’s easy to see some shooters – especially those working events in mixed lighting conditions – understandably preferring the X-H1.

But this is where the plaudits end, friends. Against the X-T3, recently reviewed for Tech Guide with a big thumbs-up, the X-H1 comes off second-best in almost every other respect.

The X-T3’s AF is markedly superior. Indeed, it was the very first thing I noticed when trialling the X-H1; its AF is a bit doughy. The second thing I noticed was no headphone jack. Really, Fujifilm? No headphone jack? You’re gonna force video shooters to monitor sound only via external audio devices? Tsk. The X-T3 has one, though. Along with a more versatile range of video capture options.

What else? There’s an older sensor in the X-H1, the 24.3MP X-Trans III sensor vs the X-T3’s 26.1MP X-Trans IV sensor. Is there a visible difference? For sure. The X-T3’s images show a crispness lacking in the X-H1, though this impression should be moderated a little given the different lenses in use.

Arguably, the X-H1’s older sensor will lend a softer, more filmic feel to video captures, especially with the lovely Eterna film simulation put to work.

On a purely subjective note, the X-T3 maintains that lovely retro styling Fujifilm does so well by not having any digital readout on the top panel whereas the X-H1’s little panel spoils that feel. On the other hand, the X-H1’s grip is larger, which will be appreciated by many users, along with the more robust build quality.

Also annoying is that while the articulated rear display is a welcome feature enabling top-down viewing using an old-school TLR shooting style that is great for candid captures, the rubber eye cup on the finder obscures the view of the display, which wouldn’t be a big deal if it was easy to slide that eye cup off its mount. It’s not easy to slide it out the way and back again and was sufficiently niggling that I couldn’t help knotting my knickers over it.

FUJIFILM X-H1 

Price: $2899 (be sure to shop around)

VERDICT

If you’re going to spend the money and be comfortable with the X-H1’s slightly larger body, it’ll be because the X-H1’s IBIS is sufficiently crucial to your shooting needs for you to forego the X-T3’s superior specifications or other on-par features – or in the case of battery life notably sub-par. That’s a call only you can make. Me? I’ll take the X-T3 and lean on some older stabilisation technology, such as a door frame, or a hand rail, or a table, or a post, or a well-braced standing position, or maybe even one of those tripod thingies. Or maybe just less coffee.

Price: $2899 (be sure to shop around)

The post Fujifilm X-H1 review – digital camera that’s a one trick pony appeared first on Tech Guide.

I’ve heard some great challenges to my technical sensibilities over the years but when Fujifilm’s people asked the gathered throng at the first showing of their new X-T3 to “not think of it as an APS-C camera” I was incensed.

I thought, immediately: “Right, you’re on, mate. It’s hammer time. Show me this anvil”.

Context. Over the last few years, I’ve spent a lot of time shooting commercial timelapse and in almost every instance there’s a decision to be made, being this: will I get by with shooting this clip on a crop-sensor camera or is it the kind of shot that really needs a full frame treatment?

I am, as a consequence, acutely aware of the limitations of the smaller sensors, especially from both the Canon and Nikon camps.

So here’s the first surprise. The X-T3’s APS-C sensor delivers uncompressed RAW files of about 58MB off a 26.1Mb sensor with pixel dimensions of 6240 x 4160. Crop sensor? Really?

But the proof is in the pudding, they say, so forgetting the tech specs and looking at the files, the verdict is… well, these files are gorgeous.

The loaner unit for review was supplied with the Fujinon f1.2 56mm lens, which offers excellent optics.

It’s a pity Fujifilm didn’t also send one of their tele lenses so I could flex the camera’s action capture muscles because it has a new Sports Finder mode that frames the capture area (to help with predicting subject framing) plus two burst modes; CH (Continuous High) burst at 8fps and CL (Low) burst that can be set to 5.7, 5.0, 4.0 or 3.0 fps. In any case, the 56mm combined with the pixel count of the X-T3’s sensor combined to offer images that – yes, I’m calling it – have a full-frame feel that, I can only hope, comes across effectively in the sample pics accompanying this review.

Fujifilm’s R&D development is clearly paying off with this camera, with the X-T3 boasting a fourth generation X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and X-Processor 4 image processing engine that represents seven years of continual development.

For me, the acid test for sensor performance has always been foliage detail. Nothing will reveal the shortcomings of a sensor better than the fine edges of leaves or the irregular feathery surface of a herb such as lavender and from what I’ve seen in testing, the X-T3 handles this kind of subject better than any APS-C camera I’ve yet handled.

Up against the very high pixel count/density of something like a full-frame Canon 5Ds or Nikon D850, the X-T3 comes off second but, you know, take a look at the difference in pricing. The value proposition here is you get lots of bang for your buck with Fujifilm’s crop sensor.

If it seems like I’m a bit too excited, it’s because if all that any new camera had to offer was an outstanding sensor I could be impressed but pixel performance is just the start of what’s going on with this shooter.

The following plaudit will come as no surprise to seasoned users of Fujifilm cameras, so if that’s you then skip this and the next paragraph.

Also skip along if you’ve never handled a 35mm film camera such as an Olympus OM 10 or Pentax K1000, because this 54 year-old shooter remembers those cameras as clear as day.

Relevance? Those 1970s film boxes had just one place to put their control knobs and dials: on the top panel, which is exactly where you’ll find all the shooting controls to get the job done when using the X-T3.

On the left of the eye-level finder is the ISO dial and Drive Mode sub-dial. On the right of the finder is the Shutter Speed dial and Focus Mode sub-dial, along with the on/off switch surrounding the shutter release, and an Exposure Compensation dial.

Also up top are a programmable function button and the Display Mode selector on the right face of the finder.

Shooting Goolwa with the Fujifilm X-T3 4K HEVC from Chris Oaten on Vimeo.

If you want to switch between Auto and Manual Focus modes the switch for that is on the front panel to the left of the lens. This feels odd at first but I quickly got used to sliding a finger to the front and “feeling” out the position of that switch.

Add to this the aperture ring on the lens (yes, on the lens barrel) and what have you got? A camera that holds to some very well established traditions in camera design that have stood the test of time.

This, ladies and gents, feels like a “real” camera. If you’re my vintage, this camera will seem like a reunion with an old friend. If you’re a digital native yet to handle an X series Fujifilm shooter or something with old-school design sensibilities such as the Nikon Df, I’d venture to say you’re in for a treat.

One more thing about the camera’s control layout. For the first time in years, I found it entirely intuitive to attenuate captures with the exposure compensation dial while shooting in aperture priority.

For a dyed-in-the-wool manual shooter on other camera makes, this is a pretty big deal.

This camera’s stills are impressive enough without also being able to punch above its weight with its video capability.

How so? How does 4K/60P 10-bit recording with 4:2:2 subsampling sound? This is the first APS-C mirrorless camera capable of this, according to Fujifilm (a claim I understand to be true) though if you want to shoot such data-heavy video files you’ll need to write out via HDMI.

If an external HDMI drive – think an Atomos Ninja V – is not in your kit, you either have another item on your shopping list or will need to be satisfied with what can be written to SD card, which means 4:2:0 subsampling and lower data rates. Just be sure to have a very fast SD card in slot 1.

Listing the X-T3’s extensive video capture settings is going to get tedious, so I encourage you to look up the specs at Fujifilm’s web site.

As a matter of interest, though, Panasonic’s Lumix GH5s will write 10-bit 4:2:2 to an internal SD card but remember this is coming off a micro four-thirds sensor.

All I can say about that is if you really need portability with a small form factor camera that can shoot 10-bit with 4:2:2, you have a tough choice to make.

Incidentally, there’s a further clue in the Screen Settings menu that Fujifilm is fishing for pros with this camera – there’s an option to set the aperture units to a T number.

For my video capture experience with the X-T3, I settled for shooting 4K using F-Log at 25fps encoded in H.265. Hoping to capture a file that would respond well to colour grading, I wasn’t disappointed.

What else can be said? A great deal, actually.

How about the AF? Mixed bag, here.

Yes, it’s highly responsive with up to 425 focus points and 2.16m phase-detection pixels across the whole frame making face detection right on the money.

The specs are impressive, certainly, and most of the time worked perfectly, yet I frequently found the shutter resisting release when shooting a very small subject in single-point AF mode at f1.2, despite the AF display showing the subject locked on.

Smaller apertures alleviated this, as did enlarging the focus area. This was the only part of my experience with this camera that was frustrating.

But I can forgive it. If this is actually the X-T3’s Achilles heel and not an anomaly of a loan camera already hammered after being handed around the traps,

I could still find joy in its other features, among which are: excellent capture parameter tweaking with dynamic range, highlight and shadow tone adjustment, colour and sharpness adjustment, and the scalable Colour Chrome effect for better rendition of gradations in highly saturated subjects (which, I expect, you’ll soon learn when not to use); dual SD card slots; a lockable dioptre adjustment dial (other manufacturers, please take note); excellent high-ISO performance with agreeable results up to ISO 12,800; an articulated rear display that enables TLR-style waist-level shooting, great for street or other candid capture situations; a USB-C port and headphone jack; and a Quick menu that makes the same feature from other makers look needlessly confusing.

Battery life? Interesting results here. Setting the camera to timelapse mode to capture a Fine JPEG every five seconds, with the rear display off, resulted in 2,153 frames being captured.

Not too shabby, that. However, in a more real world testbed, I started a Sunday session at 6.30am shooting a mix of stills and 4K video and the battery was dead by lunch time. There’s a compelling case here to carry a spare battery or invest in the battery grip attachment.

Another sales pitch accompanying the X-T3 on its release was that it is aimed at the buyer who wants to take their Instagram account to “the next level”.

That means providing lots of on-board options to help that objective along and while this  pitch might amount merely to matching a product to an obvious, and booming, market, there’s much to be said for the combination of light weight and portability, form factor, colour treatment options with film emulation options that can supplant Instagram filters, and wireless capability all on offer in the X-T3 that gives the pitch some credibility.

There’s so much more to this camera than first meets the eye. But above all, this camera did something for me that hasn’t happened in a long time.

It encouraged me to pursue different creative approaches, to again enjoy some old-school handling that felt intuitive and natural, and it did this while delivering in spades on the technical front.

FUJIFILM X-T3

PRICE: $2499 (body only)

VERDICT

A very impressive release from Fujifilm absolutely worth a closer look.

* Chris Oaten is a professional photographer from Insight Visuals

The post Fujifilm X-T3 review – feels like a “real” camera appeared first on Tech Guide.

Netgear’s Arlo range of wire free cameras already provide excellent coverage on your home network but now the new Arlo Go can provide the same monitoring anywhere because it has its own SIM card.

It is the world’s first wire-free weather resistant 4G LTE high definition security camera that can be positioned anywhere.

Suddenly the options open up for users who want to keep an eye on their boat, their car, their caravan or just about anything anywhere.

Because you’re using the 4G cellular network for your connection you can now take this camera outside the reach of the your wi-fi network in your home or office.

You might have a holiday house where there’s no wi-fi network, your boat docked at a marina or a caravan in a camping ground.

In all of these scenarios you can use the Arlo Go to keep an eye and ear out for you.

And, just like the other Arlo wire free cameras, users can monitor the cameras through the app and also receive motion notifications.

There’s also two-way audio onboard so you can hear what’s going and talk to whoever is in front of the camera.

Users can also view up to seven days of recordings for free in the cloud and can pay a monthly fee if they want their recordings retained for a longer period.

The set up took just minutes through the Arlo app. It was simply a matter of turning it on, aiming the camera at a QR code on your phone and we were done. That’s it.

For our review, we even left the camera in our car while we were parked at a shopping centre to monitor what was going on around our vehicle. Car park accidents increase by 20 per cent in the Christmas period so now we would be able to see if any incident occurs.

And because of the high-resolution video we were able to see number plates and faces of anyone coming near the car.

This isn’t what Arlo Go is specifically designed to do but it illustrates just how easily it can connect anywhere and how portable it can be.

There is no wi-fi onboard Arlo Go – if you need a wi-fi camera then the Arlo Pro is available for that.

The Arlo Go has a SIM card slot and a slot for a microSD card so you can store your recordings locally.

You do need a SIM card and an attached data plan to provide the connection for the camera.

Data wise, you’re probably looking at about up to 2GB a month.

Options here would be a monthly plan on its own or including the data component to share your existing mobile phone plan’s data allowance.

The Arlo Go is powered by a rechargeable battery that will run for up to 4 months before it needs recharging.

If the camera is placed in a hard to reach location, it would be an idea to invest in an Arlo solar panel so it can constantly charge the device and you’ll never have to worry about the battery again.

The Arlo Go comes with a power cable and adapter, a mounting post and all the screws and plugs you will need.

The Arlo Go is priced at $599 with limited stock in JB Hi-Fi stores now with more stock due early in the New Year.

And if you wanted to pair it up with the Arlo solar panel that will be an additional $149.

VERDICT

With the Arlo Go, Netgear has created a security camera that can literally be placed anywhere and monitor anything to give you peace of mind at all the time.

The post Netgear Arlo Go review – onboard 4G SIM allows you to use it anywhere appeared first on Tech Guide.

We’re now living in a 4K world – our content, our TVs, our computers and even some mobile devices have ultra-high definition screens and now Logitech has released a 4K webcam called BRIO.

The device can sit on top of a monitor or laptop or also positioned on a tripod and can provide sharp video with excellent colour and audio.

The Logitech BRIO webcam can stream 4K (4096 x 2160) at 30fps (frames per second) as well as full high definition (1920 x 1080) at 30fps or 60fps as well as 720p (1280 x 720) at 30fps, 60fps and 90fps.

Connecting the device is as simple as plugging in a USB cable from your Windows or Mac computer.

The companion application that you download allows users to adjust the camera’s settings like standard or widescreen view and white balance (which can be set to auto).

You can also control the field of view and adjust it between 65-degrees, 78-degree and 90-degrees.

Once those settings are sorted you can then choose the Logitech BRIO as your go-to camera for Skype and FaceTime.

Of course, you will look your brilliant best is the person you’re video chatting with has a 4K screen on their computer, monitor or a 4K TV (yes you can Skype on a 4K TV).

Under the hood is more technology than you’ll find in any other webcam including HDR (high dynamic range) and RightLight3 which adjusts to the lighting in the room to make you look your best.

There’s also infrared facial recognition so it’s always focused on you.

The BRIO’s lens offers lifelike video to make you feel you’re in the same room with that person

And not only is the video clean and crisp, the BRIO also minimise background noise so it works well even if you’re in a loud and busy space.

If you’ve connected the Logitech BRIO to a computer running Windows 10 you can also set up the webcam to power the system facial recognition system Windows Hello. You just look at the camera and you’re signed in.

One thing we would have loved to see was recording 4K video though the BRIO webcam. You can stream in 4K but you can only record in full high definition.

But even at full HD, that’s still better quality than the video the iSight camera in our 5K Retina iMac which records at 720p.

The Logitech Brio is available now and is priced at $299.

VERDICT

The Logitech BRIO sets a new standard for webcams and brings it into the growing world of 4K so your video chats can look better than ever.

The post Logitech BRIO review – the webcam that brings 4K quality for your video chats appeared first on Tech Guide.

BY CHRIS OATEN

Just by coincidence, a Facebook friend asked for a suggestion for a Micro Four Thirds camera with 4K capability in a compact form factor and, being familiar with the Lumix line of products, I suggested the G85 might be worth a look.

After having a loaner for a short while, I think I can upgrade the suggestion to a recommendation.

While it’s by no means the most compact camera in the MFT field, the G85’s 4K capability, along with its many other features, packaged into a body priced under $1500, offers a pretty tasty deal.

Before going any further, however, it’s worth noting that all testing of the camera was done with a DG Nocticron 42.5mm f1.2 lens, which I am thus far convinced is the finest prime lens available in the Lumix line-up.

This bears mention because, as I’ve written previously for Tech Guide, the most critical component of an imaging system is the lens in front of the sensor.

A good lens such as the Nocticron will make a good imaging sensor and processor shine to their fullest potential.

I’d just like you to remember that should you decide to buy the G85 as a kit bundled with one of the lesser quality zoom lenses.

Right, with that said, let’s cover off the basics.

Feature-wise, it’s packed to the rafters. Five-axis image stabilisation, flip-out/swivel display with touch control, programmable function buttons, a full suite of capture and AF modes, programmable function buttons, the ever-impressive Intelligent Auto mode, and a logical control layout that’s not too challenging to come to grips with, though as usual the “in-hand” feel can be a bit awkward for users whose large-ish hands might render them a bit ham-fisted.

It also features the “Post Focus” capture mode, something I’ve been dismissive of previously because, frankly, it seems like a solution looking for a problem.

Here’s how it works. Switch into Post Focus mode and when you press the shutter, the camera captures a short movie clip, with the focus being set differently for each frame.

This delivers an image sequence that you then scroll through to select your image to save. I tried a number of tricky focusing challenges before finding Post Focus to be very useful when shooting a planter box full of petunias.

The problem with a frame filled with a box full of flowers is it can be tricky to compose using selective focus as the compositional method, which is something you’re very likely to do with an f1.2 lens such as the Nocticron.

You might find yourself not sure whether to bring a far petal cluster into focus or one nearer the lens.

Switching in to Post Focus enables a very quick way either to pick the best focus option, or use the image sequence to help you decide which selectively focussed shot presents the best composition, after which you can switch back to your preferred shooting mode to capture the image for the best quality post-processing.

If that sounds at all confusing, I apologise. It’s never easy to describe a problem in need of a solution. I hope you get the idea.

It’s a feature I once thought was a bit useless but I’ve proven myself wrong.

Some shooters will find it a godsend, others will overlook it.

The five-axis image stabilisation in the G85 is remarkable.

I shot a pic, handheld, at 1/10 sec at f1.2 of a crescent moon and clouds soon after sunset.

You probably don’t need to shoot at 1/10 sec too often but it’s nice to know you can count on the IS to do its job.

It’s also very effective at video stabilisation and plays a useful role when capturing in Post Focus mode.

In finding how slow a shutter speed I could use with a handheld shot, I started out at ISO 6400 and worked my way down to ISO 400.

Acceptable image noise is a subjective thing but, personally, I found the image unacceptable above ISO 1600.

This has been a continuing character of the Lumix line, so I’m not disappointed. It’s another good reason to buy a fast lens.

The G85 has so many features – features that fully reveal themselves when you mine through the menu options – that I suspect the ol’ Microsoft Word 80/20 rule will apply being that 80 per cent of the time, you’ll use only 20 per cent of the features.

For instance, the ability to define a tone curve before capture is a brilliant feature.

Again, as before, I’m going to use the opportunity to implore other makers to include this feature.

Of course, you need an advanced sense of digital photography processes to put it to work, so I suppose the least that can be said is that here’s a camera that will respond well to a broad range of users.

In fully auto mode, image captures are very good but with some closer application of the camera’s features users should grow their options and their skills.

Speaking of auto mode, Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto continues to impress and if you look at the image of the graffiti wall accompanying this article you’ll see why.

The fullest extent of the camera’s dynamic range is on display, which demonstrates well the G85’s ability to analyse a scene, with deep shadow and bright highlights recorded as accurately as you might hope for with such a small sensor.

So, how is the image quality? Very good, actually. At low ISO the G85 delivers clean, crisp images of excellent detail from its 16-megapixel image sensor that, at full quality RAW setting, come off the card at 4592x3448px (in 4:3 aspect ratio, high quality setting).

And handling? I will never get over the way Lumix cameras shut down the rear display when you wave a hand across the back of the camera, as you do when reaching to use the touch display with your right hand with the camera held in your left.

The fix is simple, of course. You learn to switch hands. Simple, right? Agreed, yet it means I have to adjust my camera handling habits when a Lumix lands for review.

If this is your only camera, no issue. If not, it’ll drive you batty.

And that, friends, is pretty much the only issue I have with the way the G85 handles, which makes it almost embarrassingly petty to even bring it up.

Performance? Little to complain about here, too.

Using constant auto-focus in video mode leads to a bit of hunting, especially in a panning shot, but it does settle down.

Whether that’s a result of continual scene analysis during capture, I don’t know, but if you use it, plan your shot to give the camera a chance to settle.

Battery-wise, things are good. I hammered the camera for about four hours solid as I worked through its features and there remained about 25 per cent charge.

That’s better than other models I’ve tried and with the touchscreen display, which is a joy to use, used through all that time.

I reckon Panasonic has really nailed its displays, though they remain difficult to use in bright sunlight.

There is one other consideration you really need to know about. As of writing, Lightroom doesn’t support RAW files (RW2).

I believe Adobe is working to resolve this. It’s no biggie, really. Just something to bear in mind before you import for the first time from the G85. You can open RW2 files in Photoshop (latest CC version, in any case) so until Adobe patches Lightroom to support RW2, you’re stuck with a workaround of your own making. (I’d suggest copying the whole DCIM folder from the card to your drive and work with a selective file/folder import from there.)

You will definitely want to shoot the RAW file, I can tell you.

The in-camera treatment of JPEG files is aggressive, as seems always to be the case with Lumix cameras, leading often to unrecoverable blacks that otherwise are at your disposal in the RAW file. If you’re like me and dig your blacks, shooting RAW on the G85 is a no-brainer.

All you kids who like that contemporary travesty of washed out, overexposed, unsaturated images with sun flares and ludicrously placed out of focus elements?

Well, you guys have less to worry about.

Also, here’s a gotcha you may want to keep in mind.

The SD card supplied with the G85 had a too-slow write speed to cope with the 100Mbps data rate when shooting in 4K.

The camera knew this, which is why it hid the 4K option from the movie quality settings.

It took a while to realise what was going on and I swapped in one of my own (faster) cards in order to capture some 4K vision.

I tell you this so you don’t walk away from the camera store with an inadequate card for 4K captures, only to have to return another day.

Indeed, you should keep the cost of one of these cards in your budgeting considerations. The very fast ones are not cheap.

That said, if you don’t have a 4K television to plug that card into, you’re probably just making a rod for your back and needlessly so.

The G85’s Full HD video is excellent. Of course, one day you will have that 4K TV, right? And when that day comes, you’ll be chuffed about reliving the scene with all that lovely detail.

CHRIS OATEN IS A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER with INSIGHT VISUALS

Panasonic Lumix G85

Price: $1399 (body only)

VERDICT

The G85 is a great all-rounder. I won’t gild the lily any more that, other than to suggest your budget should extend to putting some quality glass on it.

The post Panasonic Lumix G85 digital camera review – ticking almost all the boxes appeared first on Tech Guide.

There are lot of connected security cameras on the market but there aren’t many that are as easy to set up as D-Link’s Omna 180 Cam HD which is available through Apple online and in stores.

D-Link’s new Omna 180 Cam HD is the first camera that works seamlessly with the Apple HomeKit so you can take control and receive notifications through Apple’s Home app.

The cylindrical device has a brushed metal housing and a design that means it can fit in anywhere in your home.

Omna gets its name from Latin word “omnis” which means all-encompassing.

It has a high definition camera with a 180-degree field of view so it’s not going to miss a thing.

There’s also a microSD card slot on the base so you can store all your motion-triggered recordings locally on a memory card instead of in the cloud so there are no recurring monthly fees.

Setting up the camera is an absolute snap that took less than a minute.

All you need to do is position the camera, plug in the power, open the Omna app on your wi-fi connected iPhone or iPad, scan the 8-digit HomeKit accessory code on the back of the camera (or you can enter them manually) and that’s it.

The Omna 180 Cam HD is then also automatically added to the Apple Home app. It couldn’t be simpler.

The device has a 180-degree view and uses D-Link’s de-warping technology so you can clearly see everything in the room.

Users can remotely access the Omna 180 Cam HD and enjoy smooth live video streaming because the bitrate is constantly adjusted to deliver optimal performance for the available bandwidth.

And the camera can not only see – it can also hear.

Onboard is two-way audio so not only can you see and hear what’s going on, you can also speak to whoever is in the room.

The camera can detect motion and trigger automatic recordings and it can also see up to 5m in complete darkness with night vision.

When motion is detected, users will receive a rich notification on their screen from the Apple Home app which will instantly show you a live feed from the camera.

Usually when you receive a notification of this kind, you need to unlock the iPhone and go to the app to see the video.

One thing we noted with the Omna is that is gets quite warm but not hot enough to cause any concern.

Omna will be the first of a range of D-Link connected home products that will be Apple HomeKit-enabled.

D-Link’s Omna 180 Cam HD is available now and is priced at $329.95 and $NZ349.95.

It can be purchased from apple.com.au and apple.co.nz and will be stocked in Apple stores in the coming weeks.

VERDICT

D-Link’s new Omna 180 Cam HD is easy to set up, offers excellent coverage, two-way audio and with Apple HomeKit compatibility it’s one of the best cameras money can buy.

The post D-Link Omna 180 Cam HD review – first camera to work with Apple HomeKit appeared first on Tech Guide.

Whether you’re using your smartphone or a small camera to take your photos and videos, anything that can help us create better results is welcomed. Say hello to the IK Multimedia iKlip Grip Pro multifunction stand.

The iKlip Grip Pro is four accessories in one – a tripod, a hand-grip mount, an extendable monopod and a selfie stick complete with remote shutter control.

It is made of sturdy lightweight plastic and aluminium and when fully closed and folded down it is about 20cm long but it extends to more than three times that length to up to 62cm.

It has a standard UNC quarter inch threaded ball mount which is adjustable so a phone or camera can be held at different angles.

It comes with a smartphone tripod mound and can also be used with a digital camera.

TRIPOD

The iKlip Grip Pro’s handle unfolds and becomes the three legs of a tripod.

It has rubber feet for added grip and creates a sturdy base that can be used on a table top or on the ground.

The lightweight telescopic aluminium pole is extendable and can be twisted to lock in place at your desired height.

And you can use the smartphone mount or attach your camera using the threaded ball mount.

HANDGRIP MOUNT

When the legs of the iKlip Grip Pro’s tripod legs are folded down they form an ergonomic grip.

This handle can be used as a hand-held mount so you can hold your phone or camera with one hand and get a better angle on your shot.

And if you want to shoot over other people’s heads in a crowd you can extend the pole to full length and trigger the phone’s shutter with the Bluetooth remote or using the digital camera’s timer.

EXTENDABLE MONOPOD

A monopod is a tripod without the legs and the iKlip Grip Pro can be used in this way to provide a stable base to shoot your pictures or video.

And the mount can be easily adjusted to take your smartphone or camera from landscape to portrait mode at the top of the monopod without disconnecting the device.

SELFIE STICK

If you want to take great photos of yourself, the iKlip Grip Pro can also come in handy.

In the handgrip mount mode, you can extend the pole and even angle the smartphone mount towards you to achieve the best shot.

And the telescopic aluminum pole allows you to easily adjust it to get the right length to suit your shot.

The included smartphone mount can even fit larger devices even if they are inside a case.

SHUTTER REMOTE

With the iKlip Grip Pro you can set up your smartphone in a variety of positions and it’s not always possible to hit the shutter button on the device.

But the Bluetooth shutter remote makes snapping your images or triggering your videos easier.

It pairs to your iPhone or Android smartphone and has two buttons – the top button works with Android phones and larger bottom button works with the iPhone.

There’s also a clip on the back so you can attach it to the iKlip Grip Pro so you won’t lose it and put it a position to let you take your shots with one hand.

But one thing that we found particularly frustrating was trying to pair the remote shutter. It worked fine the first time but once we were disconnected it took a while connect again.

With our iPhone, we had to forget the device and start the pairing process all over again.

The iKlip Grip Pro is available now and is priced at $99.95.

VERDICT

The IK Multimedia iKlip Grip Pro is an excellent multifunction photography accessory whether you’re shooting with a smartphone or a digital camera. It can convert in seconds and all fold and stay in one piece so it’s an ideal companion. They just need to get the shutter remote right to it automatically pairs when you turn it on again.

The post iKlip Grip Pro review – the handy photography accessory for your phone or camera appeared first on Tech Guide.

We carry a lot of gadgets around with us and usually that means we need a bag to fit all that stuff. But not anymore thanks to the SCOTTeVEST jacket which has numerous pockets to store all your items.

SCOTTeVEST makes jackets and vests for men and women that addresses the fact that 21^st century customers have more devices than ever before.

Regular apparel manufacturers haven’t altered their clothing to accommodate our use of mobile devices – until now.

SCOTTeVEST was founded in 2000 by Laura and Scott Jordan. Scott got tired of having to put all his gadgets in Laura’s purse.

Scott had already ruled out a man bag and he knew that regular pockets wouldn’t be enough.

That’s when he started experimenting with fishermen’s vest modified with extra pockets and created the first eVest.

Since that time SCOTTeVEST has gone on to create an extensive line-up of clothing that feature numerous functional pockets so customers can carry their laptops, tablets, smartphones, cameras, earphones, batteries and more in their jacket or vest.

Tech Guide obtained the Enforcer from SCOTTeVEST to put it through its paces.

The stylish jacket has a 100 per cent poly exterior with a softshell look and looks no different to the other jackets you can buy.

You can also remove the sleeves with a handy hidden zipper if you’d prefer to wear the Enforcer as a vest.

It’s also surprisingly lightweight considering it is designed to be warm outerwear.

The SCOTTeVEST garments are also water resistant with droplets beading on the outside and able to be brushed off the jacket.

But the difference is on the inside.

There are 30 pockets on the inside and rapid access pockets outside of the jacket that offer loads of space to store gadgets, batteries, books, batteries, cameras, sunglasses, keys and even water bottles.

The Enforcer even has a pocket for a gun and ammunition – a feature that would appeal to US customers.

Tech Guide wore the jacket at the Consumer Electronics Show and we could have our devices with us without a bag, leaving our hands free.

It’s astonishing just how much you can fit inside – including the new 15-inch Macbook Pro and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro at the same time.

The jacket is constructed in such a way so the added weight of devices you’re carrying don’t make it sag or bulge.

Just looking at a fully loaded jacket, a casual observer wouldn’t be able to tell that you’ve got pockets filled with gadgets.

The SCOTTeVEST is also a great travel companion.

When we travelled from Las Vegas to Los Angeles could store our iPad Pro, earphones, book, Sudoku puzzle book, pen, passport and phone in our jacket and still have a hand free for our boarding pass and our roller carry-on bag.

This meant that when we got to our seat on the aircraft all we had to do was put our bag in the overhead locker and sit down.

Usually we would have had to stop and remove the iPad, books, pen and headphones from our carry-on bag before putting in the overhead locker. And with people waiting behind you to get to their seat, it just delays everyone.

You could even get away with not carrying a carry-on bag at all thanks to the enormous storage in the Enforcer jacket.

And the jacket’s pockets are not only useful for storage they are also functional.

The inside pocket for your phones has a clear plastic window so you can see your device and even operate the touchscreen without removing it from your pocket.

There also a keyring and extendable plastic chain in one pocket so you can open your door without unhooking the keys.

You’ll also find handy pen pockets as well as clips to run your headphone cables inside the jacket from your device to your ears.

The front right pocket also has a thick band that can hold your bottle of water/soft drink/beer upright as well.

There’s even an RFID section where you can store your wallet and passport without the fear of being skimmed by a criminal.

www.scottevest.com

VERDICT

If you are a frequent traveler or someone who loves carry their devices around unencumbered, then the SCOTTeVEST is definitely worth the investment.

We say investment because the jackets and vests aren’t cheap.

The Enforcer is priced at $US360 (down from $US475) but a high-quality jacket of this kind can cost this much anyway.

And even if you had to buy a decent quality bag to carry all of these things as well, then there’s another $US150 dollars as well.

Once you start wearing a SCOTTeVEST jacket or vest for men and women you could never go back to ordinary outer wear.

The post Meet SCOTTeVEST – the jacket that has room for your laptop and all your gadgets appeared first on Tech Guide.

For those who love exercise and the great outdoors, Garmin has introduced two new products you’ll love – the Forerunner 35 GPS running watch and the VIRB Ultra 30 action camera.

Garmin’s mission is to provide users with data about their workouts and adventures and a way to capture the moment like never before.

The Forerunner 35 and VIRB Ultra 30 looks like they’ve got all of those bases covered.

They will be available in stores later in September.

GARMIN FORERUNNER 35 – $299

This Forerunner 35 has a screen that’s 23.5mm across and, thanks to the built-in GPS, it can track distance, speed and also map your run without the need to carry your smartphone as well.

Also onboard is a built-in heart-rate sensor for 24/7 monitoring without a chest strap.

And even when you’re not exercising, the device can also act as your fitness tracker and count steps and calories.

It’s also a smartwatch so you can get your smartphone notifications right there on the screen as well as your music controls.

Garmin has created a screen that’s easy to read inside and out as well as multiple modes to track all kinds of exercises in the gym and on the road.

And all day long it will also connect to the excellent Garmin Connect app to track your fitness, join challenges and share your activities with other users.

GARMIN VIRB ULTRA 30 – $699

The VIRB Ultra 30 is a waterproof action camera that can shoot up to 4K resolution at 30 frames per second.

The small and lightweight device has built-in sensors and GPS which means it can also capture data as well as video to show how high, how fast and how far you’ve gone too.

One of the handy exclusive features of the device is voice control so you can tell the camera when to start recording and also when to stop.

Also onboard is a touchscreen LCD screen to easily scroll the menu and playback your recordings.

There’s also three-axis stabilisation to take the shakes out of your movies and the ability to live stream the action to YouTube.

And with the VIRB app you can turn your smartphone or tablet into a wireless remote control and see the real time view out of the camera.

VIRB Ultra 30 can also capture 12-megapixel stills.

The waterproof housing that comes with the camera can go to a depth of up to 40m.

The post Garmin introduces Forerunner 35 GPS watch and VIRB Ultra 30 4K action camera appeared first on Tech Guide.

Why decide on only one direction to shoot when you can shoot all directions at once. That’s exactly what you can do with the 360Fly 4K camera so you won’t miss a thing no matter the angle.

This is the second generation 360fly following the original high definition camera. But this time out you’ve got 4K quality.

Not quite the same 3840 x 2160 shape of your 4K TV but 2880 x 2880 which actually adds up to the same number of pixels.

It has a compact ball shape that’s slightly larger than a golf ball. It is almost identical to the design of the previous HD model.

At the top of the device is the eight element glass ultra-fisheye lens with a 360-degree horizontal and 240-degree vertical field of view.

With that in mind you don’t need to work out what direction to point the 360Fly 4K because it’s actually pointing everywhere.

Other 360-degree cameras on the market have two lenses that shot 180 degrees and stitch it together.

But the 360Fly 4K captures everything at once with that one large lens so your videos are going to be consistent in terms of lighting.

There is no display on the device but a single button that turns it on and off and start and stop recording. So it’s super easy to operate.

The single triangular button is surrounded a coloured LED light with the same LED around the base of the camera so there’s no mistaking the camera’s status at any time.

But the companion app that runs on the iPhone and Android devices also offers plenty of other options including providing a screen for live views and uploading and sharing your videos.

360Fly 4K actually creates its own wi-fi hotspot so you can connect your smartphone directly with the camera.

This way you can see what the camera is seeing in real time but then also upload the videos and pictures from the camera to your mobile device.

There is an internal memory of 64GB which is enough space for a couple of hours of video.

There is no microSD card slot and no flap that pops open for you to charge it.

Charging the 360Fly 4K means it has to be placed in a small circular magnetic cradle which has a microUSB port to connect a cable.

The base of the 360Fly 4K has a regular tripod thread so the mounting options really open up and there’s an adaptor so it will work with GoPro mounts as well.

It’s also completely waterproof as well so there’s no limit to the places you can take the 360Fly 4K.

What I liked to do was simply hold it in my hand and also place onto a monopod and hold it aloft like a torch and looking like the Statue of Liberty.

On a recent trip to New York we shot a 360-degree video in Times Square which really gives viewers a better appreciation of the busy part of the city and its amazing atmosphere.

I also took a trip to Philadelphia and, as a big Rocky fan, I naturally took the Rocky film tour which culminates at the Philadelphia Museum of Art – the site of those famous 72 steps that Rocky scales.

So we wanted to make people feel like they were running the steps with us than with a 360-degree video and the 360Fly 4K performed admirably.

The footage looked smooth and sharp and it captured the moment like no other camera could.

Users can place it anywhere they’d normally position an action camera to capture video and also photos and photo bursts.

You can also choose to use the 360Fly 4K as a regular front-facing camera in POV (point of view) mode and what you get is a 2560 x 1440 resolution video with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

There’s also timelapse mode so you can capture some breathtaking 360-degree footage as well as GPS onboard so you can tag locations plus the altimeter and accelerometer can look after reading altitude and speed.

But there’s no use having a cool 360-degree camera like the 360Fly 4K unless it’s easy to view and share your videos.

And the good news is you can share your videos so others can view them in their full 360-degree glory pretty easily.

From the app you can export your videos to Facebook and YouTube and, depending on the desktop browser, they can be viewed in 360-degrees where the person can pan around and change the direction of their view.

If viewing on your mobile device, you can actually move the phone to pan around the video to appreciate the full scope as well.

Your videos can also be seen in a VR headset – 360Fly sell one of their own – so you can really experience being right there.

Speaking of being right there, it’s also possible to live stream from your 360Fly 4K through the Livit app. This functionality is only available for iOS users at the moment but it will soon become available for Android.

360Fly is working on more ways to stream your live 360-degree videos so stay tuned.

There is also a desktop app called the 360 Director to manage your videos and pictures and add other effects but we preferred the simplicity and efficiency of the mobile app.

On the battery side, you’ll get up to two hours out of the 360Fly 4K before you need a recharge.

The indicator light around the button will flash magenta when you’re below 20 per cent battery capacity.

And you’ll need that magnetic cradle to charge the device so you have to remember to take that with you if you need to power it up again on the move.

VERDICT

If you’re looking for a 360-degree camera, it’s hard to go past the 360Fly 4K.

It offers the quality, versatility, ease of use and sharing options that competitors don’t have.

The 360Fly 4K is the 360-camera to beat.

360Fly 4K

Price: $849.95

The post 360Fly 4K review – this is the 360-degree camera to beat appeared first on Tech Guide.