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theothertrack · 5 years

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PhoneX Review : Best Budget SmartPhone under $200

Being 7x cheaper than flagships, I never thought PhoneX could be worth anything at all. Luckly I was intrigued by the design to pick it up. And then.

"Numbers say nothing about a device", I used to say. I was a firm believer in pricey brand names. But the PhoneX completely flipped my way of thinking. The Phone X series from latest smartphone startup has helped shape what the budget smartphone segment in this world is today. We've had some iconic phones such as the XonePhone, and now the PhoneX, all of which upped the performance war in the budget segment by introducing powerful SoCs under $200. With a vibrant 6.3" screen, triple camera system for real life-alike photos and stellar performances powered by Android underneath the hood — the PhoneX is a true flagship phone. And with 32GB of space and ultra-fast facial recognition technology, you will be amazed to discover everything this phone has to offer. Get your PhoneX while it's still in stock for a discounted price at $199!

PhoneX design

PhoneX's design just blew me away. It looked didn't look very different from its predecessor, like an extremely expensive flagship phone with its high screen-to-body ratio. I picked the phone up to be fascinated by the blue gradient body. My finger just naturally slid across the surface of the phone's back to what was — to my surprise — a fingerprint reader. PhoneX seems to have gone the extra mile and really knocked it out of the park in terms of design. Available in three striking colors, the PhoneX's best budget smartphone features a glass back which we haven't seen at this price point. The body also has a P2i nano coating, responsible to make this budget smartphone phone splash-proof. >>Free delivery available at your location. Check out availability. The ports are placed ergonomically, with the 3.5mm headphone socket at the top and the USB port down at the bottom. It's nice to see PhoneX has an IR blaster on the top, which can be used for controlling infrared home appliances via the Remote app. The PhoneX does have a white notification LED tucked on the usual top of display panel, making it easy to notice messages.

Phone X has gone a step further and used Gorilla Glass 5 for the front and back of the phone, which is quite impressive at this price point. The sides are still plastic, but overall, this device feels very premium to hold. 😊

PhoneX specifications and features

The PhoneX features a Snapdragon 660, which is a chip that's become increasingly common in budget high performance smartphone segment. All thanks to price cuts over the past couple of months, smartphone processor prices have became stable. On paper, it's not as powerful as the iPhone is built around, but it's more than enough to handle its fair share of work. The fact that you can get this much power for just under $199 is an achievement in itself. The PhoneX starts with the variant (we are reviewing) 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage at that price (available), and another variant (not available) 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for $100 more. The PhoneX also supports dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, dual 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 5, 3 satellite navigation systems, USB-OTG, and the variety of sensors.

PhoneX Camera, Performance and Battery Life

Packed with a decent set of features, it is no less than a best performance phone under $200. PhoneX is a good phone to live with for most day-to-day tasks. The processor has enough power to handle the usual social and productivity apps that we all use, and it even does a good job in games. Battery: The 4000 mAh battery on the PhoneX will last you a full day on a single charge and there’s fast charging support too. The original charger and accessories come bundled in the box. Unlike other budget smartphone, the PhoneX doesn't have any heating issues. Sure, the phone got warm after we played heavy titles such as PUBG Mobile or god of war for a little while, but it wasn't close enough to make us take a break between gaming sessions. Display: PhoneX has a big display, making it look taller. But the user interface has a one-handed software mode that can be activated with a swipe gesture on the Home button. This feature has lagged during test few times, but work as expected most of the time.

Apart from the quick fingerprint sensor, the phone also has AI face recognition. This is decently quick under good light. There's even a raise-to-wake gesture, but it isn't reliable in very low-light, and it refused to work properly for us. That can be avoided as one do not use this feature often at night. Camera: In daylight, the PhoneX captured quite impressive images. Colors and details were good, although a bit of sharpness was lacking. There were also minor traces of chromatic aberration when shooting against bright backgrounds, and the HDR doesn't always handle the exposure of bright areas well.

Video: We tested PhoneX for media files including videos and it performed well in our tests. Videos were sharp, colors were punchy, although red levels could have been better. The phone is also L1 certified, which means you'll be able to stream TV shows and movies at the highest supported resolution from OTT services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The inbuilt speakers gets fairly loud, while not breaking bass. Edit- After writing the article, we were informed that company has added a new ‘Night' shooting mode. This takes a second longer to process shots, but the end results were generally a bit brighter than using Auto mode.

Our Recommendation

With a price of $199, the variant we have tested — seems like a no-nonsense. You get a good looking phone with a good display, excellent build quality, a decent set of cameras, day-long battery life and solid app performance. It provide support to Dual Sim and you can use micro SD card to increase storage space. Battery life is good, and we typically managed to average an entire day's worth of usage on a single charge with a little left over. In our HD video battery test, the PhoneX ran for 11 hours and 50 minutes, which is quite impressive. We recommend this phone if you are willing to get high value of your money on budget smartphone. While we can not expect iPhone features, but this phone is quite impressive for best smartphone under $200.

I Couldn't Believe What I Was Experiencing

The colorful display instantly turned on as the my fingerprint was scanned. I played around with the phone running latest Android, thinking why I had never heard of such an amazing device. I watched in awe as every application I started opened within a split-second after touching the screen. It was unbelievable. I quickly went into Settings just to discover the phone also has a whopping 32GB of memory... why didn't I have so much space on my last high-end device? But, I thought, there must be a catch.

How To Buy PhoneX

The PhoneX is available for a limited time only, with exclusive offers and free shipping. Ordering is quick and easy, so take advantage of the great price by ordering yours today.

Recommended Read - Xphone Review Read the full article

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buckapedia · 2 years

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[5/2021 - Cock: Essays and Illustrations on Attention, Accessibility, and Deep Play] Ingold, Illustration, and Bloodsport in the Brain

At first glance, Tim Ingold’s Lines: A Brief History seems far more surreal than the average anthropological piece. [Ingold, Tim. Lines: a Brief History. Routledge Classics, 2016.53] Accompanied at every turn by complex diagrams of, say, “language at the interface between a plane of thought and a plane of sound imagery,” the aural and visual manifestations of gesture and inscription, and star charts, Ingold tells the tale of linearity in its most literal form throughout human evolution. Lines, he claims quite blatantly, “are everywhere... It is not just that line-making is as ubiquitous as the use of the voice, hands and feet--respectively in speaking, gesturing and moving around--but rather that it subsumes all these aspects of everyday human activity and, in so doing, brings them together into a single field of inquiry” (Ingold 1). I cannot disagree, and find myself intrigued by the otherworldly quality of Ingold’s account.

As previously mentioned, and can quite clearly be seen in the pages of this anthology, I favor drawing as a form of entertainment and means of self expression: low hanging fruit for Ingold’s theories, one might assume, though he actually opens Lines with an analysis of the linearity of auditory and musical notation. By the time Ingold gets to the subject of the drawn line, his lack of prioritization of, arguably, the most simplistic manifestation of manufactured linearity in Lines: A Brief History is evident: Ingold favors the complexity of naturally occurring delineation, as in the trampled-down earth of long-trod walking paths and the branching unconscious tracks of fungal mycelium growing outward. Drawing with a pigmented utensil is focused on with far less intensity than “the threading, twisting, and knotting of fibres... among the most ancient of human arts,” “reductive traces--for example in the sand--with [one’s] fingers,” and even a naturally occurring “precipitous gorge in an otherwise level plateau” (Ingold 42-45). Nonetheless, the connection unquestionably exists between the far more abstract delineative forms described within Lines and the so-called “doodling” I partake in for the sake of self-stimulation as a learning aid to my ADHD. “It is not enough to regard the surface as a taken-for-granted backdrop for the lines that are inscribed upon it,” Ingold states. “For just as the history of writing belongs within the history of notation, and the history of notation within the history of the line, so there can be no history of the line that is not also about the changing relations between lines and surfaces” (Ingold 39). This quotation brought to mind a term that finds its way around art schools and classes: mark-making, simplistic in its phrasing and far more technical, primal, than the artistic processes of sketching or rendering. Mark-making in academic contexts refers to experimentation at the outset of one’s education in a certain medium--to practice with the persistent fluidity of oil paint, for example, one might mix colors and test brushes on a strip of spare canvas. Mark-making begs the role of creation in less formal parts of the artistic process--and oftentimes I feel I am doing just that in my periods of self-stimulatory drawing, entirely separate from the dedicated sessions of attentive creation I generally end my evenings with.

On that note, it feels appropriate that I actually address my own work with Ingold’s sensibilities in mind. I work digitally, utilizing a Wacom Cintiq 13HD pen tablet and accompanying stylus, a lightweight Japanese drawing software called Paint Tool SAI, and an editing program called MediBang Paint; while self-stimulatory drawing in class is done using merely a ballpoint pen and sketchbook paper, I engage in far more calculated production when I draw digitally (as with the pieces that make up a portion of this thesis). The keen-eyed reader will note additions and effects that are either technically impossible or impractical in traditional art: chromatic aberration, for one--the thin outlines of neon red and cyan on either side of each marking--and the presence of screentones, also sometimes referred to as Ben Day dots. Traditionally, screentones are applied via adhesive transfer sheets cut down to size and generally make appearances in black and white illustrations to add depth in lieu of color. Digitally, screentones take the form of brushes, used at large sizes to fill areas as one might adhere traditional adhesive screentone clippings to a page and at small sizes to draw single file dotted lines. Citing artist Paul Klee, Ingold describes a “line” made of dots as “the quintessence of the static... To complete the pattern is not to take a line for the walk but rather to engage in a process of construction or assembly, in which every linear segment serves as a joint, welding together the elements of the pattern into a totality of a higher order” (Ingold 73-74). Ingold implies an inherent nonlinearity in lines formed by disconnected segments--generally a staple of my work in digital and traditional forms as a result of the constant starting and stopping that occurs as a result of both ADHD and non-artistic obligations.

Digital art offers the advantage of unlimited materials: one never runs out of ink or has to go out for another stack of screentone films or a new sketchbook. I believe Ingold would appreciate aspects of digital illustration--the infinite supply of linework hiding metaphysically within a stylus, and perhaps even the potential to readjust drawn lines after the fact. That said, Ingold is clear in his belief in the strength of a traditionally crafted line’s permanence: “When, pen in hand, Sterne recreated the flourish on the page, his gesture left an enduring trace that we can still read... Paul Klee described this kind of line as the most active and authentic” (Ingold 72). While Ingold’s present example of a traced physical gesture embodies the whole of his comprehension of the drawn line (by no fault of his own, naturally), digital art presents a greater berth for mark-making that is indirect or non-immediate. Take, for example, Paint Tool SAI’s stabilizer tool: set on a scale from 0 to 15, then S-1 to S-7, the stabilization level introduces a chosen amount of lag on the user’s illustrative gesture. With a stabilizer set to S-7, an otherwise quick stroke of the stylus creates an immaculately smooth line tracking tediously behind the cursor. Set at 0, the stabilizer has no effect, and a tremor in the hand appears as readily as it would when drawing in pencil. As my ADHD medication makes my hands shake slightly, I generally keep my stabilizer set to 3, allowing for a fair amount of natural imperfection but still keeping my lines legible. Considering Ingold’s stance that “not everything that is done in a notation... need consist of traces” which allows him to analyze the more practical tactility of fiber arts (i.e. weaving), I assume Ingold would find value in the ability to edit digital markings and their resulting impermanence.

Clifford Geertz is not particularly attentive to the superficial movements and patterns of Balinese cockfights; his focus is on the depth of meaning of non-physical interaction made manifest in the titular bloodsport. That said, the cockpit can still be analyzed for linearity: the naturally occurring circle around the action, formed of layers of viewers disparate in financial status or perhaps merely punctuality. Speaking of both the pit’s metaphysical and literal periphery, Geertz tells us that “there are two sorts of bets, or toh. There is the single axial bet in the center between the principals (toh ketengah), and there is the cloud of peripheral ones around the ring between members of the audience” (Geertz 66). The concentric geometry of Geertz’s cockpit would undoubtedly fascinate Ingold’s taste for life as a tangle of human pathways: describing Journey Through Europe, a board game dating back to its 1759 publication, Ingold states that “on a map as on the game-board, locations or positions may be joined by lines to indicate possible moves. These lines are, of course, static point-to-point connectors. Together they form a network in which every place figures as a hub, from which connections fan out like the spokes of a wheel” (Ingold 98). The Balinese cockpit, “usually held in a secluded corner of a village in semi-secrecy” but risked at a central venue during the Geertz couple’s visit, would undoubtedly take the form of one of those tangled hubs Ingold describes--all the more circular, in fact, for its real-world shape. Geertz even comes near to conjuring Ingold’s wheelhouse in his description of the cockfight’s central bet being “hedged in... with a webwork of rules,” but for the most part the theoretical venn diagram between Notes on the Balinese Cockfight and Lines: A Brief History is little more than two lone circles (Geertz 66). In that sense these pieces resemble two ends of the same self-stimulatory spectrum to me: Ingold’s creative expressions of oft menial mark-making for quiet periods of hyperfixative occupation versus Geertz’s complex, involved, and high-risk sport. Both have unquestionable value in coping with daily life based solely on personal experience: quiet boredom requires equally discreet entertainment, while manic energy begs expenditure in physically involved, adrenaline packed play. In spite of their evident differences, Ingold and Geertz’s disparate styles and subject matters mirror legitimate methods of self-stimulation in neurodivergent circles, and thus the deep play of seemingly mindless personal amusement--of which doodling in class is only one example.

This brings me to the accompanying illustration. Inspired, naturally, by Ingold’s precious line, I felt it only appropriate to experiment with a continuous line drawing--just as it sounds, a piece wherein the pen never leaves the surface of the paper (or the stylus and tablet, as the case may be). Per Ingold’s analysis, a continuous line emphasizes the organic process of creation: the line is subject to the natural whims of gesture and impulse; in the case of my ADHD, there is a particular propensity for visual anomaly. Note the thick tangle of linework towards the upper left of the page, located between the heads of the uppermost trio of roosters. The knotlike connection point of lines marks the place to which my pen instinctively returned as I contemplated my next move, and I can’t help feeling it resembles the metaphysical tangle Ingold describes in the geographical discussions cited above--the connection point between the living lines that make up human movement. Also note the presence of screentones in the piece’s background, as well as fine chromatic aberration on the edges of the central forms (the effect of which may be a slight strain on the eyes when focusing on any one spot). I delighted in the loose, frantic creation of this piece: after the comparative stiffness of typing up its accompanying essay, it felt as if I were truly honoring Ingold’s vision--however distant it initially felt from what I perceived to be my own.

#thesis #2021 #art

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immedtech · 6 years

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Laowa's probe lens gives a bug's eye view, even underwater

Macro probe lens isn't exactly a new idea, and in fact, it's a favorite tool amongst underwater photographers. For those who prefer sticking to the land, though, they now have an option. Laowa, a brand known for its special photography lenses, is leveraging Kickstarter to launch its 24mm f/14 Probe Lens. Given the aperture value, this piece of kit relies on its built-in LEDs at the tip of the lens, and these are powered by a micro-USB port further up the barrel (a cable with an L-shaped plug is included; reversible on both plugs). Thankfully, the lens is waterproof up to said port, meaning you can still take extreme macro shots in shallow water -- as is the case with my aquarium photos and videos.

This 2:1 manual lens consists of 27 elements with an aperture range from f/14 to f/40, plus an 85-degree field of view. The standard version comes with mount options for Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony FE, Pentax K, with the cine version compatible with either Arri PL and Canon EF. I was able to quickly borrow one for my Sony A6500, and as a macro newbie, it took me a while to get used to this manual lens -- it's surprisingly hard work due to the lack of stabilization, so a small, sturdy tripod is highly recommended. I also had to keep adjusting the aperture to adapt to the LEDs' brightness.

Still, I was able to capture some fun shots inside my small aquarium. After a few attempts, the shrimps came out sharp, and there wasn't much chromatic aberration which was surprising. The results were even more impressive on video, so long as I kept the camera steady. Likewise, I had fun with some still macro shots of some moss on my potted plants; just too bad the weather had been gross, otherwise I would have loved to take the lens into the wild.

kickstarter

For those who are interested, the lens is still available on Kickstarter starting from $1,399 (it'll retail at $1,499; add $200 for the Cine PL-mount version), and the first batch is estimated to ship in October. Head over to the campaign page for more cool sample shots.

Source: Kickstarter

- Repost from: engadget Post

#ITlive #engadget #Laowa's probe lens gives a bug's eye view #even underwater

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istillshootfilm · 7 years

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The Best Point And Shoot Film Cameras

An Intro to Point and Shoot Cameras for Beginners

By Milosz Siebert

Taking up photography might be a little overwhelming at first, especially if you're a complete beginner. Getting to know all the effects of shutter speed, aperture, understanding focal lengths and all other technical aspects of photography can take time. Not to mention carrying all the equipment usually requires a separate camera bag, which might not be what you need right now. This is where point and shoot cameras come in.

Often designed to be as compact and as simple to use as possible, those cameras were invented to provide a decent quality camera in as small a package as possible. Fixed lenses, focal lengths and almost complete automation of picture-taking process, as well as their size (with a few notable exceptions) make them especially suited for people wanting to concentrate on the moment and not have to think about all the settings.

Although usually associated with the stereotypical tourist shooting away without thinking too much, these cameras can produce stunning results and should under no circumstances be considered "idiot-cameras", not worthy of anyone's attention. Some of the most prominent photographers of our time have used point-and-shoot cameras at some point. Stephen Shore, for example, who (along with William Eggleston) contributed to colour photography being recognised as a legitimate art form shot his entire legendary "American Surfaces" series using a Rollei 35 camera (by the way, if you're not familiar with both of these gentlemen's work, go check them out immediately!).

The simplicity of use and lack of control might be considered an advantage by some, and I do not only mean beginners. Apart from the fact that these cameras free the mind of the usual things to consider while shooting with more "advanced" cameras, they can be a great starting point at a moment of creative block. There is nothing as refreshing creatively as trying a completely different approach to what one is doing and letting go of one's habits. Point-and-shoot cameras allow you to do just that.

Probably the most important thing to keep in mind while using one of these is to be aware of their limitations and not ask them to do what they weren't designed to. This should not be very difficult, given that this guide focuses on models offering the bare minimum amount of control over all the settings.

As with any camera type, there are numerous sub-categories within the point-and-shoot world. Some of them do offer more control over what you are doing, others do everything for you and the only thing you have to think about is how to compose the shot and when to press the button (there aren't that many of those very often on those cameras, either). Instead of listing 5 similar cameras and focusing only on their technical aspects (which the complete beginner will probably ignore anyway), this guide aims at providing a wide array of choices and options, with each camera allowing you to do something slightly different than others.

As such, the following list includes : two very basic and inexpensive, fully automatic point-and-shoots, two very different instant cameras, and two upper-range cameras offering a bit more control and higher quality components.

A quick side note concerning the instant cameras. Even though they do not take 35mm film, I've decided to include them in the point-and-shoot category since this is basically what most of these these cameras are. There are currently two major players in the instant photography field - Fuji and The Impossible Project. The former has it's own range of "Instax" cameras and produces proprietary film, widely available in most camera stores (more details below). The latter started as a company making their own version of Polaroid film for used Polaroid cameras and have since been evolving at a steady rate, releasing new and updated versions of their film, as well as their own camera. They offer a huge variety of film, ranging from color to duochrome to pure black and white.

They have even started manufacturing 8x10 film for large format cameras, which is quite frankly something quite amazing to be doing these days. Their film comes in fours standards, which will fit most of the polaroid cameras available on the used market right now.

That being said, let's have a look at the cameras:

1. Olympus μ[mju:]-II

{Olympus μ[mju:]-II / Image by Morinaka / Flickr}

Perfectly fitting into our automated camera lineup, this little gem from Olympus gives you almost no control whatsoever over any of its settings. It has automatic exposure and autofocus as well as automatic ISO selection. The only two things you can (sort of) change are the flash (the camera allows you to choose from a few modes, including red-eye reduction and night fill-in flash) as well as the metering mode (spot metering is available, surprisingly). So pretty much the only thing you have to focus on (pun intended, again) is the moment and the composition. Which is not a bad thing to make you think about.

2. Yashica T3

One from a series of 4 cameras, this Yashica T3 features a very nice and sharp 35mm f2.8 lens (with Zeiss T* coating, which will eliminate basically all chromatic aberrations, flare and whatnot), full automation as well as weatherproofing. A great camera for beginners. Another interesting feature is a waist-level viewfinder situated on the top plate, allowing you to take photographs from lower angles without squatting and attracting attention.

3. Nikon 35/28 Ti (1993/94)

Although technically two different cameras, I've decided to count them as one here, as the only difference is the focal length - the Nikon 35Ti model features a 35mm lens and the Nikon 28Ti - you guessed it - a wider, 28mm. Both of these lenses are fantastic, high quality pieces of Nikon glass, with integrated ED (low dispersion) elements. Along with Nikon's great Matrix metering system, you'll be well covered in many different lighting situations. Both cameras allow for a bit more creative control by allowing you to switch from automatic to manual scale focus, for those who want to experiment with that a little. Apart from this, all the other features remain automated. With their titanium bodies, these two are a step up in build quality - as well as price - from the previous cameras. For those of you also looking for original design, these cameras also have a very curious feature on the top plate - a pair of analogue needle gauges, which will definitely attract some attention.

4. Contax T2

Another step up in price range, as well as picture control, the Contax T2 is a great little camera which adds manual focusing as well as aperture-priority mode to its standard automated features, allowing the beginner to get a first grip of why aperture matters. Apart from that, it features a very sharp 38mm f2.8 Zeiss Sonar lens.

5. Fuji Instax Wide 210 / 300

Fuji's try on the instant camera is pretty much the opposite of Polaroid cameras. It uses Fuji's proprietary Instax films which are really easy to find. The picture is rectangular, as opposed to Polaroid's famous square format and measures 62 x 99mm. Design-wise, the Fuji Instax Wide is definitely is NOT a compact camera (even the latest 300 model) but it does take decently-sized images.

Also, it does allow for some degree of control over what you are doing for those of you who want to go a step further. Some degree of exposure compensation was made possible by including "Light", "Neutral" and "Dark" settings. There is no autofocus - the camera uses what's called a fixed-focus lens, meaning that basically everything within the specified range will be sharp. The range itself can be adjusted by choosing between two focusing modes 0.9-3m and 3m-infinity. This, however is where your control over the camera settings control ends. The flash is completely automatic, meaning that the camera decides - based on the amount of the available light - whether it should use flash or not (for more creative effects, some users have been covering the flash with tape).

The image quality is quite decent, the colors are much more neutral and contrasty than what you would get from The Impossible Project films for Polaroid cameras. So it really comes down to your personal preference and the effect you are looking for. All in all, it is a fun camera to use, even though it is quite bulky and heavy.

The 210 Instax Wide model was released in 2010 and should still be widely (pun intended) available. The 300 model -a redesign of 210 -was released in 2015 and is basically the same camera in a different, slightly less cumbersome packaging.

{Fuji Instax Wide 300 / Image by www.yashicasailorboy.com / Flickr N.B.}

A much smaller (yet, surprisingly still quite bulky) Fuji Instax Mini has been growing in popularity lately. It is a similar concept but the images it produces are half the size of the "Wide" models : 62 x 46 mm. The Mini 90 models do allow additional features such as double exposure and long exposure.

6. Polaroid Instant 1000

Ah, the simplicity! Fixed focal length, fixed focus, that square format and those Polaroid colours!

If you're looking to have some fun with Polaroid without spending too much, the 1000 is a good option (they are ridiculously cheap here in Europe, you can find them on Ebay for around 30-50€). Just insert a film pack and you're ready to go.

The image quality cannot rival cameras with high-contrast, low dispersion lenses but then the Polaroid 1000 was never meant to do so. Given the single-element plastic lens, the image quality is still pretty decent.

For those of you wanting to experiment with exposure a little without thinking about the exact settings, the Polaroid 1000 does - surprisingly - offer some amount of exposure control by turning the black dial next to the lens.

There are, of course, hundreds of other options out there. Given that most of these cameras are still relatively cheap, as is film, do not hesitate to experiment with anything that catches your interest.

About the Author

Milosz Siebert is an architectural and landscape photographer based in Brussels. He also enjoys exploring abstract photography and more experimental approaches to making images.

You can see his work and follow him here :

www.milsiebert.com www.facebook.com/MilSiebertPhotography www.instagram.com/milsiebert twitter.com/milosz_siebert

#film photography #point and shoot #camera #learn #article #help #how to #milosz siebert #list #polaroid #nikon #contax #yashica #35mm #instant film

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lumisequence · 4 years

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Week 5 - EXPERIENCE

Describe your experience after playing Passage (Jason Rohrer, 2007). Play the game twice.

Very confusing and disorientating the first time - the extremely low pixelated artwork made it hard to discern what objects were. The lack of cues, rather haunting music, and just general confusion made me largely afraid I was going to get jumpscared. I progressed slowly and straight forward, picking up the character’s spouse and only moving up or down when there was something blocking the way. Halfway through the game I realised it might be some metaphor of life as I saw stages I had progressed through before being condensed to the left side of the screen while the right side expanded, a guess that was strengthened after the player character’s spouse became a gravestone.

Second time I did try to move further up and down, but the heavy pixelation still scared me too much for me to explore properly, so I proceeded in a linear fashion yet again.

Describe your experience after playing Slave of God (increpare, 2012).

The game refused to run for me so I watched a playthrough instead. Again, very disorientating, this time with the intense flashing, chromatic aberration, and constantly moving shapes. As I was watching a playthrough by someone who had played before and was now going through the events I was able to see everything and pick out the hints of the basic story, (club, getting drunk, dancing on the dancefloor, romancing someone and then seeing the sunrise) but if I were actually playing and going in blind I most definitely would have no idea what to do and how to progress with the lack of cues.

Discuss your opinions of narrative and storytelling in play and games. Does it create more immersion, meaning, and engagement? Or would you rather engage more with mechanics, possibilities and choice?

As someone who definitely lacks the skill and precision some games require, I prefer narrative based games rather than skill based ones. There are exceptions like when mechanics are simple but engaging, and possibilities and choice like in sandbox games are always nice, but in the long run narrative and storytelling will stick with me much much longer and are more likely to make me return to a game- it’s definitely more immersive to me, and I like things that have meaning and inspire me to create.

Give examples of games or playful activities that could be enjoyed by each of the 5 personality types listed by Ferro, Walz and Greuter.

Dominant - Mario Cart, Smash Bros

Objectivist - Skyrim, Achievement Unlocked

Humanists - MMORPGS, Animal Crossing(?)

Inquisitive - Minecraft (survival mode)

Creative - Minecraft (creative mode)

Reflect on the intersection of physical play and technology; in your view, what are the most interesting possibilities?

Dropmix is really interesting in that while it requires technology to play, the interface is wholly physical - the screen is only there to provide visual representation and clarification. This is what I like about Johann Sebastian Joust as well, how the interactive part of the game is in physical 3D space. I really love the idea of bringing a digital game into physical reality especially for multiple people at once, like the Connected Worlds installation work from Week 3. Like my Week 3 notes mentioned, it’ll be interesting to explore how to make art installations more interesting or encouraging for anyone older than children to interact with, like adding more engaging mechanics.

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terryblount · 5 years

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Blair Witch PC Performance Analysis

Blair Witch is the latest first-person psychological thriller game from Bloober Team. After receiving its first performance patch, it’s time to benchmark this new first-person game and see how it performs on the PC platform.

For this PC Performance Analysis, we used an Intel i7 4930K (overclocked at 4.2Ghz) with 16GB of DDR3 RAM at 2133Mhz, AMD’s Radeon RX580 and RX Vega 64, NVIDIA’s RTX 2080Ti, GTX980Ti and GTX690, Windows 10 64-bit, GeForce driver 436.15 and the Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.8.2. NVIDIA has not included any SLI profile for this title, meaning that our GTX690 performed similarly to a single GTX680.

Bloober Team has implemented a few graphics settings to tweak. PC gamers can adjust the quality of Anti-Aliasing, Shadows, Textures, SSS, Resolution Scaling and Lens Flares. There are also options for Motion Blur, SSAO, SSR and Separate Translucency. Moreover, there is an FPS cap option (though the game also supports unlocked framerates).

In order to find out how the game scales on multiple CPU threads, we simulated a dual-core and a quad-core CPU. Blair Witch uses DX11 and appears to be mainly single-threaded. Moreover, the game relies heavily on the memory frequency, something that may bottleneck older PC configurations. Still, and despite these shortcomings, even our simulated dual-core system was able to run the game with constant 60fps. Therefore, in order to enjoy this game at 60fps, PC gamers will not need a high-end CPU. On the other hand, those targeting 120fps will have to use a modern-day CPU.

Despite its somehow “okay-ish” CPU requirements, Blair Witch requires a high-end GPU in order to be enjoyed, even at 1080p. Not only that, but the game under-performs on AMD’s hardware. We know that some Unreal Engine 4 games perform horribly on AMD’s hardware, however in this particular game the GTX980Ti was able to match the performance of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64.

At 2560×1440, the only GPU that was able to provide a smooth gaming experience was the NVIDIA GeForce RTX2080Ti. As for 4K, NVIDIA’s most powerful graphics card was unable to offer a smooth gaming experience.

We were unable to hit 60fps even when we used the following custom settings. The only way we could achieve a 60fps experience in 4K was by lowering the Resolution Scaling to “Half”.

Now we wouldn’t mind such high GPU requirements if the game justified them. However, and while the game looks great for the most part, it does not. Bloober has used high resolution textures and there are some cool environmental effects (like God Rays). Still, there is nothing here we haven’t seen before in other triple-A games. I know it’s not fair comparing a small team with a triple-A studio, however, Blair Witch currently suffers from major optimization issues. Not only that, but due to the lack of meaningful graphics settings, the game cannot properly scale on older GPUs.

It’s also worth noting that the game uses an awful Depth of Field filter. Thankfully, PC gamers can disable it (as well as Chromatic Aberration) by editing the engine.ini file. All you have to do is open that file and add the following lines.

[SystemSettings] r.DepthOfFieldQuality=0 r.SceneColorFringeQuality=0

All in all, Blair Witch needs major optimization and performance fixes/patches. Thankfully, the game does not require a high-end CPU for gaming at 60fps, though it’s still limited by the DX11 API. As said, the game requires high-end GPUs, does not justify its high GPU requirements, and does not scale on older graphics cards. Here is hoping that Bloober Team will be able to resolve the game’s performance issues via post-launch updates.

Enjoy!

The post Blair Witch PC Performance Analysis appeared first on DSOGaming.

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takenews-blog1 · 6 years

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Zeiss Otus: One other Degree of High quality

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/zeiss-otus-one-other-degree-of-high-quality/

Zeiss Otus: One other Degree of High quality

I’ve been taking pictures utilizing Zeiss optics for many years. The appreciation was instilled in me by my grandfather who collected cameras fairly significantly, together with a big Leica assortment. He handed on just a few cameras just like the Argus C3, Zeiss Ikoflex Twin Lens Reflex, Rollei 35, and so forth. in addition to just a few massive format and enlarging lenses, usually explaining to me that Zeiss was the actual chief of optics.

He had a factor for German engineering and I perceive why. Paradoxically, he was a Lt. Colonel within the US military in WWII and accountable for many demolitions. As a hobbyist photographer, he introduced cameras with him and bought some there.

My first critical digicam for professional use (after the Sinar F1) was a Contax RTSIII. I had fallen in love with a pal’s RTS. And since I used to be taking pictures massive format I didn’t actually really feel a necessity for medium format, skipping over it for probably the most half for any actual work, and selecting what I felt was one of the best in 35mm movie from an organization that used one of the best title in medium format imagery – Zeiss.

After I lastly went to digital, the principle query was what physique may I put my Contax Zeiss lenses onto. Initially, it was Canon. Later, Sony appeared intriguing as an organization who would possibly even go full body with a brief flange distance, permitting using Leica M-mount lenses just like the Zeiss ZM line – an possibility I actually wished. Certainly, Sony delivered.

At the moment, I primarily use the Sony a7R II with a collection of Zeiss lenses together with the Otus collection. Whereas I exploit different lenses for particular seems, it’s all the time Zeiss when high quality is crucial. And in that, nothing beats the Otus. Merely put, there isn’t any lens providing the identical efficiency with a 1.four f-stop.

The story goes that Zeiss let the optical engineers have free reign to create one of the best lens with no restrictions. The outcome: the Otus line. Initially, the 55/1.four and later extra variants adopted.

The lens is massive, and the 85 and 28, very massive. They’re additionally quick, at 1.four. In addition they created a brand new customary in a few methods. They merely exceed the rest on the market. In addition they provide close to prime efficiency on the widest aperture.

In most lenses, together with among the finest and sharpest, vast open efficiency isn’t superb nor completely managed in favor of permitting extra gentle, and sometimes sufficient, merely a special look vast open that’s forgiving. The Zeiss 100/2 Makro is an instance the place there are certainly chromatic aberrations splitting colours at f2 permitting ensuing purple and inexperienced fringing (simply mitigated in software program right this moment). Closed down these shortly disappear yielding a superbly tight and managed picture.

The Otus lenses are tight, and apochromatic throughout the vary permitting one to shoot good photographs vast open with out worry for lack of perfection. The one query turns into the mastery over depth of discipline, alignment and what primarily comes all the way down to the understanding of photographic rules and self-discipline in making use of them. That is fairly distinctive in permitting for stunning depth of discipline and isolation of topic in a picture but nonetheless yielding a pointy, contrasty picture freed from imperfections of the glass.

This additionally permits for extra dramatic depth of discipline or bigger format equivalence – a picture that in any other case may solely be shot on medium format or massive format to get the identical look and impact of topic vs background. However I stress, that like taking pictures actual medium format particularly 6×6, 6X9 and enormous format, taking pictures imperfections are amplified exponentially.

I really like the qualities of assorted lenses, and see each as a paintbrush of kinds that permit for various seems. Every an possibility with a really totally different consequence on particular topics. Some lenses are superb for portraiture, however not for everybody – as topic or photographer, nor for each lighting scenario.

The Zeiss Milvus 100/2 Makro is an incredible lens and provides unimaginable particulars and micro distinction, but in harsher lighting and on pores and skin that isn’t porcelain easy, it may be too “bitingly sharp” for portraiture in a means that many would discover unappealing for their very own picture. For a male with salt and pepper options, it’s a incredible software for that gruffness. The Otus 55 could have extra element, and but extra subtly utilized. It may reveal particulars with a microscopic stage of knowledge exceeding what the attention can see whereas nonetheless remaining pleasing.

The resolving energy and sharpness with a high-resolution digicam yield one other stage of element that interprets into extra particulars in shadows and highlights fairly than a muddy contrasty simplification of sunshine and darkish areas. That is additionally boosted by flare management that mitigates flare and lightweight bounce even in direct gentle. Magic. By no means seen such functionality.

I really feel it’s akin to the next dynamic vary finally due to better data in particulars and thus easy tonal transitions throughout a tonal vary. I’m not an optical engineer or skilled besides in what I see. I can’t say I do know with scientific certainty that the optics can really have an effect on dynamic vary and that that is supported by numbers or assessments. However I do see the ends in my photographs. This high quality jogs my memory of four×5 transparencies even when not fairly that. Very merely it exceeds something I’ve ever seen.

When it comes to medium format in digital, I do really feel from my very own assessments that the Otus lenses are no less than on par, or exceed the present choices out there. We stay in superb occasions by way of digicam expertise. So many nice methods, and plenty of nice lenses. Arduous to knock any of them, particularly top-tier corporations. However, the Otus is an apparent selection for me and permits me to get what I really feel is medium format high quality on a full body sensor that has sufficient decision.

At one level, I in contrast 2 prime medium format choices with their higher and equal lenses in opposition to the Otus 55 on my Sony a7R II. I didn’t discover any single benefit of the methods that value at minimal Three occasions as a lot. As a substitute, I’d be taking a look at critical compromises at a far greater worth, and all of the extra so for any extra lens and peripheral purchases.

However all that apart, only one digicam and one lens, I discovered the above mixture one thing extraordinarily highly effective at an inexpensive value that completely holds its personal in opposition to present medium format cameras at 50MP. I can’t but converse for the 100MP sensor, nor the brand new 400MP functionality. I can solely say I might like to see how the Otus lenses fare on them.

The silver lining of utilizing “full body” vs “medium format” is ease of use, normal usability in any state of affairs, and much fewer restrictions and compromises related to them, whether or not better lighting, velocity, weight and even fundamental but important means to carry the digicam regular. Add to that lenses.

For photographers that love lenses, it’s superb after we can take our superb lenses with us, whether or not old style or the most recent and biggest. With Zeiss and others, popping out with superb new ranges of superiority at a speedy tempo of growth it’s extra than simply good to permit for his or her use. The lenses can usually outline our work.

This doesn’t imply that the lenses of the opposite corporations aren’t any good or missing in relation to private selection, solely that no matter perfection or not, utilizing my lenses, entry to older ones and new pinnacles of accomplishment is kind of an asset and easily not attainable with most methods. I do love the Hasselblad XD1 for ergonomics, and ease of use, as that type is kind of distinctive certainly if not outright one of the best appear and feel of any digicam on the market. If I may solely put my Otus on it… Why?

Primarily, for the entire causes above. I additionally consider the Otus would give a special look. However the actual headline factors are 1.four, true Apochromatic, distinctive resolving energy and guide focus. These separate out the lenses being produced by different medium format producers. For me, at 1.four, most AF methods can’t be totally trusted and I see this usually. Most AF methods have a neater process at 1.four on one hand, but have a tough nailing precisely what you need at such a shallow DOF and razor skinny airplane of focus. Merely put, it’s a system that invitations challenges as a result of better complexity, very like the now pointless mirror mechanism in SLR methods.

That added complexity invitations extra failures. AF methods require calibration exceeding what most are prepared to even take time to know, nor does the AF know precisely which level in three-dimensional house you need. I do know after I shoot MF, not solely is the “really feel” there that I like however so is the accuracy, as long as I’m disciplined in my taking pictures.

For instance, the attention. Sony has a beautiful eye focus characteristic that makes a lot sense. And I hear it really works amazingly for a lot of. From a distance, that’s most likely good. For me, the attention alone isn’t sufficient precision. The attention is three dimensional. I just lately discovered I had inadvertently centered on the outer portion of the attention, the cornea – like specializing in the outer glass, however not the iris, the place the attractive patterns and colours are. It’s the iris that I’m after, the flat airplane of the attention that we most frequently take into account as the actual data of the attention, in addition to stunning distinctive art work of patterns and colours.

The iris not solely reads data and transfers but in addition provides us data, uniquely to science and ranging traditions from cultures world wide. A bit humorously, and particularly with this stage of functionality in particulars, it additionally usually displays and reveals what is going on within the scene in entrance of the topic, like a mirror.

This shall be controversial — as if the prior opinions weren’t sufficient. Backside line, I’ve been capable of upscale – or uprez – fairly a bit when utilizing the Otus lenses. Going to 50MP from the native 42.2MP within the Sony is actually not an enormous deal and sometimes with zero means to discern any variations. When strobes and good lighting are used, together with the Otus and Sony sensor, I’ve discovered pushing as much as 100MP nonetheless yields particulars that almost all can’t inform aside from native photographs when cropped and supplied to professionals to with out accompanying particulars on what was completed. I’ve even gone as excessive as 200MP in some photographs, with the understanding they’d be printed very massive and minimal viewing distance is greater than 2-Three ft.

As it’s, I have a look at faces and portraiture akin to taking pictures landscapes. Portraiture is like taking pictures psychological forensic landscapes of humanity. The number of options, the rolling surfaces, complexities of particulars, every a part of the interface with the world, but beneath a whole world of knowledge, connections, methods in concord, and but additionally at conflict, and the thoughts together with private histories which might be finally inscribed. Portraiture opens that up and captures these intimate particulars that for some are telling, and but as if hidden.

Portraiture is a deep stage of intimacy and figuring out, sharing the inside – the inside pains, struggles, successes, ease, consumption, positioning, blessings, curses, illness, and dis-ease. A lot data. I’ll stress that it may be an excessive amount of, however that’s a method and storytelling query for the photographer and the way they want to symbolize topics. However, it’s sincere data, not overly sharp or aggressively detailed in a means that’s harsher than any actuality. However it actually affords extra data than seen to the human eye. I all the time see greater than what I noticed after I shot photographs. All the time. For higher, or worse.

However, it’s all in how we shoot and inform that story by way of the seize of that epic and distinctive panorama and the alternatives of storytelling brushes and instruments. For me, onerous to beat the Otus 55/1.four That high quality, that aperture/velocity, actually apochromatic, unimaginable resolving energy and smoothness of tonal gradations, particulars in shadows and highlights — I do know of no different lens or lens traces that meet this.

It’s vital to know with nice energy comes nice accountability. Right here, that could be a good analogy to: with nice decision comes nice accountability in taking pictures self-discipline to be able to mitigate errors that received’t even be a problem with lesser decision and resolving energy. Identical to printing bigger (for people who have), taking pictures bigger amplifies errors exponentially, together with people who wouldn’t be related at decrease resolutions with lenses much less succesful.

Not nailing give attention to smaller sensors, particularly any sensor 24MP and beneath, isn’t usually seen significantly when merely shared on the Web, particularly Facebook which additionally downgrades the picture, and all of the extra so with Instagram, as a result of the pictures are tiny. Ever surprise why many digicam corporations have stopped at 24MP? As a result of we don’t want greater than that for 97% of the taking pictures on the market for supposed finish outcomes, and since extra begins to generate points exponentially. Higher and costlier lenses are just one small a part of that.

Taking pictures so sharply with a large decision and hair-thin shallow depth of discipline requires large accuracy and steadiness of photographer and topic, a better understanding of planes in house and three-dimensional considering, better persistence in taking pictures and with topics and folks abilities to instill confidence and persistence in your topics. It’s a talent, that mixes many abilities for the devoted. However, first, it’s an understanding. It’s an method and methodology requiring persistence and construction – very like taking pictures massive format.

Snapping off pictures isn’t adequate. I see many shooters with quick lenses to point out off however all the time shoot closed all the way down to play it protected, which defeats the aim of such lenses. Actually, if you’re taking pictures at 5.6 or so, a slower lens is way extra economical and, in some circumstances, superior. They’re actually simpler to fabricate and thus provide cheap prices. The lens lineups for a lot of corporations will reveal this clearly. You’ll discover you may’t get a 1.four in any medium format lens. And ultra-fast lenses wider and quicker than 1.four are extraordinarily uncommon and costly until they’re for a smaller sensor at much less decision.

Taking pictures merely no matter will probably not yield any spectacular outcomes. But, like taking pictures massive format, correct consideration, creativity and stable taking pictures of even probably the most mundane will be elevated to the extent of artwork, or imagery that’s distinctive and compelling counting on the imaginative and prescient and expertise that introduced that imaginative and prescient to fruition.

For sure work a tripod is important. For residing respiratory topics strobes actually assist, particularly if the topic is simply ft away and one is attempting to seize the iris alone at 1.four. It’s exceedingly troublesome; to nail give attention to the iris, to align each eyes, to be regular together with respiratory which causes minor swaying and limb actions, to make sure the topic can also be nonetheless or sway congruently, and so forth. Errors in most methods can be swallowed by the decrease decision and so forth, whereas with the Otus, all of it reveals, the nice, the dangerous, the microscopic.

It usually strikes me that I’m utilizing one thing extra like army grade scientific tools that’s almost inappropriate and unlawful for civilian use. After I’m out using the Otus acts as like a robust telescope to particulars far far-off, whether or not the floor of the moon or who’s within the restaurant blocks away. Spy companies, this can be the software for you.

It’s certainly overkill for many conditions. However when becoming, wow, and definitively superior. One other stage.

For weddings, it has large versatility.It has a gentle, basic search for the event with a print promoting worthy crisp sharpness that may be utilized in a razor-thin flat airplane, together with a spotlight fall off that’s dramatic, but painterly good in its delicate softness. It actually excels in formal portraits of households the place that high quality issues, in addition to bride and groom portraits the place that versatility and ranging nature relying upon aperture, lighting, and so forth. help in dictating that last general look.

At one wedding ceremony I shot, I did so discretely with the ambient gentle of the room whereas the daddy of the groom shot them with strobes on a DSLR, since he, too, was a photographer. The Otus photographs regarded far sharper and general cleaner regardless of pretty low gentle, in a means that regarded extra like massive gentle field and clear low ISO regardless of the excessive ISO needed. I’m nonetheless amazed. I’ve different lenses and know the distinction is the lens right here, not particularly the sensor or later software program. It’s the qualities of the lens itself, but in addition that 1.four, in comparison with any greater aperture, that actually provides an extra edge.

The Otus lenses are usually not low-cost. But, they’re finally not very costly. In comparison with Leica, they’re usually lower than half the worth of any higher lens of their household. Keep in mind Leica remains to be at 24MP and thus don’t require perfection past that. That doesn’t imply they aren’t succesful. The Leica 50mm/f2 Summicron APO is commonly the comparability and, little doubt, an distinctive fine quality lens. Leica doesn’t, nonetheless, make an Apochromatic 50mm/1.four. Their 50/2 APO is sort of Three occasions the worth. The Sigma Artwork 50/1.four simply isn’t the identical stage as many have proven, whether or not in corrections, picture high quality, or manufacturing and really feel. However, it’s nonetheless a superb lens and is identical class of almost prime efficiency at full aperture, a feat certainly. And a really worthy high-quality lens exceeding most.

As soon as we get into medium format, once more, there isn’t any good comparability, however many lenses at related value for something with far slower apertures – whether or not Leica, Hasselblad, Fuji or Pentax. And their our bodies retailing for minimal 2-Three occasions the present prime Sony A7R3 which may output 42.2MP natively, or simply uprez to 50MP comparatively, but with many benefits fairly than compromises. BIT depth is actually the one critical benefit in medium format. I may also concede that it could’t actually be knocked when one desires a bigger digicam with a bigger sensor with autofocus and a willingness to make compromises. Nevertheless, there are lots of benefits to the Sony, Nikon, or Canon full body (24×36) format with Otus lenses, yielding comparable outcomes to medium format high quality (and at occasions exceeding it) when taking all into consideration on actual jobs and the power to actually expertly use that wider aperture, together with in decrease gentle.

At that finish, the Otus lenses are a cut price, an amazing worth for what they provide – in of themselves, and with a correct physique and sensor able to utilizing all that resolving energy. But, in a package deal that may be taken almost wherever, a lens that may be introduced out at any time to realize one other stage of high quality, exceeding what is feasible with almost the rest, if used properly.

APO, or Apochromatic: this refers to lens designs that primarily management the alignment of shade rays. In an apochromatic lens, they converge and give attention to the identical airplane yielding better sharpness and correct shade. In brief, an APO lens focuses the colours on the identical airplane. To most, the plain query then is: you imply most lenses don’t give attention to the identical airplane?! That’s proper.

To fabricate lenses of this stage of exactness could be very costly and most not prepared to pay for such a luxurious that looks as if a normal necessity. Nevertheless, when lenses are closed down that is mitigated anyway. That additionally means to fabricate a lens that’s apochromatic vast open, and with a most f-stop of 1.four is past what anybody has ever completed – if I perceive appropriately. The Otus 55/1.four has turn into absolutely the benchmark. Beforehand, that benchmark customary of good correction belonged to the Coastal Optics 60/four lens. That lens isn’t shabby in any means, nonetheless, perfection can also be far simpler to realize at f4 and down.

Additionally vital: like “all pure” within the meals business. There is no such thing as a governing physique that controls the definition thus anybody can say it. Or like with “natural” the place the FDA permits a number of artificial substances for use when corporations declare their merchandise to be “natural”. Apochromatic ought to imply, and does to corporations with honor, that the crimson, inexperienced and blue rays of sunshine (or all) that the sensors see are certainly centered on the movie/sensor airplane. Nevertheless, many corporations make such claims with out integrity or honesty as a result of they don’t really meet the specs of apochromatic and as a substitute have solely 2 of three, or just 1 with the others shut sufficient. Within the digital age, sensors amplify the problem and are delicate to fringing. And high-resolution sensors amplify it exponentially, as they do any error.

That is why in an Otus lens you see correct and unimaginable (incomparable) sharpness even when vast open.

In regards to the creator: David Zimand is knowledgeable photographer of over 25 years primarily based within the New York Metropolis space. The opinions expressed on this article are solely these of the creator. Zimand has shot for purchasers that embody Deloitte, Amazon, Ford Fashions, and Trump Fashions. His work has additionally appeared in publications reminiscent of Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Every day Mail, and extra. You will discover extra of his work on his web site, Facebook, and Instagram. This text was additionally revealed right here.

#lens #opinion #otus #TakeNews #thoughts #zeiss #zeissotus

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pat78701 · 7 years

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Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF Gallery and 1st Impressions

Sony made big claims about its FE 100mm F2.8 STF GM OSS when it was launched earlier this year, particularly about the bokeh it produces. And the fact that it's the first lens of its kind to autofocus, not to mention include optical image stabilization. Early on we talked a bit about the principles behind this lens, but we were long overdue for some real-world examples. So when we managed to get a copy in the office, we took it on an engagement, child, street and colleague portrait shoot. Take a look at our sample gallery demonstrating its capabilities both inside the portrait studio and out in the wild.

Pay particular attention - in our aperture progressions - to just how buttery smooth the bokeh is at F2.8 (EXIF indicates the T-stop, so states 'F5.6' - or technically T5.6 - for F2.8). Almost too smooth for some tastes, blurring out-of-focus highlights so much as to lose all character. This lens approaches a very Gaussian blur wide open, rendering out-of-focus highlights more of a blur than defined circles. That's desirable to some as it ensures that background and foreground elements don't distract from the main subject. To others though, it can be too much: for example, I shot the above engagement shot at F8 just to get some circular character to the out-of-focus highlights, rather than a perfectly blurred background.

In other words this lens will be loved or hated. Read on for some of our salient findings.

Like it or not, shoot this lens wide open and you still won't get much flare, thanks to its flare resistance. No thanks, if you're a flare fanatic like me. Photo: Rishi Sanyal

Buttery F2.8 bokeh, with F4 DOF

You can get buttery smooth bokeh, but with the depth-of-field of F4 or more, even wide open at F2.8. That's because the apodization filter cuts out so many peripheral light rays as to effectively make a F4 lens - in terms of depth-of-field - at F2.8, but with the light transmission of F5.6 and the bokeh of F2.8. This is great for video, where you might want multiple subjects in focus due to the F4 equivalent depth-of-field (according to our friends over at Imaging Resource), but with the background blur of F2.8 or faster lenses.

Autofocus

This is one of the only lenses ever made with such a strong apodization filter that still autofocuses. That said, we've found some severe autofocus inaccuracies on multiple a7R II bodies, showing up intermittently as both back and front-focus. Furthermore, AF performance plummets indoors - understandable given that phase detection depends on peripheral light rays, which are the exact light rays this lens' apodization filter filters out. Expect significant hunting, or misfocus outright in low light (to be fair though: competitor lenses are simply manual focus).

Chromatic aberrations

... are noteworthy because they're largely absent. Lateral CA is automatically corrected for (it's mandated in ACR), and axial CA (the bad kind) that shows up as hard-to-correct green or purple fringing behind or in front of the focal plane, respectively, is largely absent. If you really pixel peep the image below, you can see some slight cyan fringing, but it's hardly noticeable or offensive.

In bright light, this lens nails focus, wide open even with Eye AF. And it's tack sharp at F2.8 (T5.6). Axial chromatic aberration, which manifests as green and purple fringing, is well-controlled, evident from its absence in this photo. Photo: Wenmei Hill

Best in bright light

This is not an ideal lens for low light. You start with T5.6 (at F2.8) b/c of the incredibly strong apodization filter that blocks out most peripheral light rays. By the time you stop down to get any circular, defined character to your highlights (as opposed to almost too buttery-smooth Gaussian bokeh), you suddenly find yourself at T8.0 or worse. That's a huge light cost, so don't expect to be using this lens in dimmer situations, when the lens starts hunting or missing focus anyway.

Sharp, when it nails focus

This lens is sharp, when it nails focus that is. Pull up the loupe on the wide open, F2.8 (T5.6) child portrait above: the eyes of our subject are unbelievably sharp for a 42MP sensor.

Too smooth?

A number of photographers - ourselves included - have been struggling with the following question: is the bokeh too smooth? Take a look in the rollover below at the effect of stopping down a mere 1/3 EV T-stop (the smallest discrete step you can take), paying particular attention to the bright out-of-focus lights behind the flower:

F2.8 (T5.6) T6.3

Out of focus highlights behind the flower go from an indiscernible blob to circular out-of-focus highlights. The drastic transition despite a mere 1/3 EV difference speaks to just how dark the outer portion of the apodization filter is: as you stop down its effect become (immediately) less severe, F-stop and T-stop converge, and out-of-focus highlights start to become more defined again (which means bokeh starts looking more traditional).

Many prefer the more traditional bokeh as you stop down: the former, almost too Gaussian, blur wide open leads to a character not immediately appreciated by all. For example, the vertical portrait of our model above almost looks like a cut-out of her against the blurred background. On the other hand, the background's lack of character means it isn't distracting, allowing you to focus on the main subject, with the added advantage of more depth-of-field for couples portraits like our leading image at the top of this story. You win some, you lose some.

Take-home: should I buy this lens?

Whether or not you like this lens will be a highly personal, subjective decision. On the one hand, the lack of discernible out-of-focus circles when it comes to your point light sources means that all background and foreground out-of-focus elements meld together into a smoothly blurred, undistracting surrounding, with no harshly interfering edges. On the other hand, you get backgrounds and foregrounds lacking the character I see in a traditional lens image below:

Not taken with the Sony 100mm F2.8 STF but, instead, with the Nikon 70-200 F2.8E FL ED VR on a Nikon D5. I personally prefer my out-of-focus highlights to be defined circles or ellipses. On the other hand, for those finding these 'artifacts' distracting, the Sony 100mm F2.8 STF will render these so smooth as to not distract you from the main subject matter here: the love story behind the bokeh. Photo: Rishi Sanyal

It's up to you to decide what you prefer. A few things are certain: this lens is sharp wide open, OSS means you can hand-hold it at reasonable shutter speeds, and your subject will be isolated with very little distracting foreground or background. You'll even get more forgiving depth-of-focus to ensure more of your subject(s) remain sharp, while maintaining smooth bokeh. Videographers and portrait shooters wanting the entire face, or both members of a couple, in focus will appreciate this. But whether or not you like the character of the defocused regions will be highly subjective. Expect some autofocus struggles in challenging light as well. Click the link below to view our results.

See our Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF sample gallery

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2qlKRi4

#DIYS

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porchenclose10019 · 7 years

Text

Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF Gallery and 1st Impressions

In other words this lens will be loved or hated. Read on for some of our salient findings.

Like it or not, shoot this lens wide open and you still won't get much flare, thanks to its flare resistance. No thanks, if you're a flare fanatic like me. Photo: Rishi Sanyal

Buttery F2.8 bokeh, with F4 DOF

Autofocus

Chromatic aberrations

Best in bright light

Sharp, when it nails focus

This lens is sharp, when it nails focus that is. Pull up the loupe on the wide open, F2.8 (T5.6) child portrait above: the eyes of our subject are unbelievably sharp for a 42MP sensor.

Too smooth?

F2.8 (T5.6) T6.3

Take-home: should I buy this lens?

See our Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF sample gallery

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2qlKRi4

#DIYS

0 notes

exfrenchdorsl4p0a1 · 7 years

Text

Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF Gallery and 1st Impressions

In other words this lens will be loved or hated. Read on for some of our salient findings.

Like it or not, shoot this lens wide open and you still won't get much flare, thanks to its flare resistance. No thanks, if you're a flare fanatic like me. Photo: Rishi Sanyal

Buttery F2.8 bokeh, with F4 DOF

Autofocus

Chromatic aberrations

Best in bright light

Sharp, when it nails focus

This lens is sharp, when it nails focus that is. Pull up the loupe on the wide open, F2.8 (T5.6) child portrait above: the eyes of our subject are unbelievably sharp for a 42MP sensor.

Too smooth?

F2.8 (T5.6) T6.3

Take-home: should I buy this lens?

See our Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF sample gallery

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2qlKRi4

#DIYS

0 notes

repwincoml4a0a5 · 7 years

Text

Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF Gallery and 1st Impressions

In other words this lens will be loved or hated. Read on for some of our salient findings.

Like it or not, shoot this lens wide open and you still won't get much flare, thanks to its flare resistance. No thanks, if you're a flare fanatic like me. Photo: Rishi Sanyal

Buttery F2.8 bokeh, with F4 DOF

Autofocus

Chromatic aberrations

Best in bright light

Sharp, when it nails focus

This lens is sharp, when it nails focus that is. Pull up the loupe on the wide open, F2.8 (T5.6) child portrait above: the eyes of our subject are unbelievably sharp for a 42MP sensor.

Too smooth?

F2.8 (T5.6) T6.3

Take-home: should I buy this lens?

See our Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF sample gallery

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2qlKRi4

#DIYS

0 notes

repwinpril9y0a1 · 7 years

Text

Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF Gallery and 1st Impressions

In other words this lens will be loved or hated. Read on for some of our salient findings.

Like it or not, shoot this lens wide open and you still won't get much flare, thanks to its flare resistance. No thanks, if you're a flare fanatic like me. Photo: Rishi Sanyal

Buttery F2.8 bokeh, with F4 DOF

Autofocus

Chromatic aberrations

Best in bright light

Sharp, when it nails focus

This lens is sharp, when it nails focus that is. Pull up the loupe on the wide open, F2.8 (T5.6) child portrait above: the eyes of our subject are unbelievably sharp for a 42MP sensor.

Too smooth?

F2.8 (T5.6) T6.3

Take-home: should I buy this lens?

See our Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF sample gallery

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2qlKRi4

#DIYS

0 notes

rtawngs20815 · 7 years

Text

Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF Gallery and 1st Impressions

In other words this lens will be loved or hated. Read on for some of our salient findings.

Like it or not, shoot this lens wide open and you still won't get much flare, thanks to its flare resistance. No thanks, if you're a flare fanatic like me. Photo: Rishi Sanyal

Buttery F2.8 bokeh, with F4 DOF

Autofocus

Chromatic aberrations

Best in bright light

Sharp, when it nails focus

This lens is sharp, when it nails focus that is. Pull up the loupe on the wide open, F2.8 (T5.6) child portrait above: the eyes of our subject are unbelievably sharp for a 42MP sensor.

Too smooth?

F2.8 (T5.6) T6.3

Take-home: should I buy this lens?

See our Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF sample gallery

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2qlKRi4

#DIYS

0 notes