The Phoblographer

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After the year we had in 2020, we all need to strive to make 2021 a better one. One of the best ways to do that is to invest in yourself. There’s always room to learn new skills, and new techniques. It’s great to read about photography culture too. You can learn about landscape photography with Scott Kelby for just $20,13. You can master posing with help from Lindsay Adler for only $23.99 or you can learn 75 reasons why you should hit the streets with your camera. It’s just $30. Bruce Barnbaum’s The Art of Photography: A Personal Approach to Artistic Expression is just $28.99. The Heart of the Photograph: 100 Questions for Making Stronger, More Expressive Photographs is only $27.49. Make a new years commitment to read a photography book. Check out the deals after the break.

Save and Learn From a Good Photography Book

Tutorials

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative $11.66

Stunning Digital Photography by Tony and Chelsea Northrup $12.34 (Save $12.65)

National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Great Photography $16.69 (Save $3.30)

The Photographer’s Guide to Posing: Techniques to Flatter Everyone by Lindsay Adler $23.99 (Save $20.96)

The Landscape Photography Book by Scott Kelby $20.13 (Save $9.82)

Photography Night Sky: A Field Guide for Shooting after Dark by Jennifer Wu $21.95

Digital Photography For Dummies 9th Edition $19.19 (Save $5.80)

The Photography Storytelling Workshop: A five-step guide to creating unforgettable photographs $22

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic For Dummies $23.33 (Save $11.66)

The Photography Storytelling Workshop: A five-step guide to creating unforgettable photographs $22

Street Photography Assignments: 75 Reasons to Hit the Streets and Learn $30

Photography Culture

The Photographer’s Playbook: 307 Assignments and Ideas $18.50 (Save $6.45)

The Heart of the Photograph: 100 Questions for Making Stronger, More Expressive Photographs $27.49 (Save $12.46)

Masters of Street Photography $24.99 (Save $9.96)

The Art of Photography: A Personal Approach to Artistic Expression by Bruce Barnbaum $28.99 (Save $20.96)

A World History of Photography: 5th Edition $169.90

Photography Changes Everything $27.99 (Save $11.96)

Photography: The Definitive Visual History $30.24 (Save $19.76)

It’s gone, and it’s probably never going to come back.

*Click* The sound of a camera’s shutter is so incredibly iconic. I don’t believe I know a single photographer that wouldn’t agree. Actually, let me rephrase that. I don’t think I know a single camera lover that doesn’t have a favorite shutter sound. Passionate photographers come in all shapes, sizes, and professionals. But camera lovers really adore their products. And you can’t necessarily call them techies. Instead, they’re admirers in the same way that watch lovers appreciate a good automatic vs. an Apple watch.

The last shutter sound that I really fell in love with was the original Sony a7. It was so loud! Shooting with that camera audibly felt like I was operating a medium format SLR far larger. But years have progressed, and engineers have gutted the romantic language of a camera shutter out of their bodies. Instead, there’s a heavy emphasis on silent shooting.

I’m not sitting here condemning engineers for giving professionals what they want. I truly believe that a silent shutter has its advantages. There’s nothing more irritating than a Canon 5D‘s shutter echoing through a church. Similarly, a Sony a7r camera’s continuous shutter slap can sound like a woodpecker–and frighten other birds. In these situations, the silent shutter is a practical, god-sent gift.

Cameras have taken more and more of an advance forward. They feel a lot more like machines and computers stuck into a camera’s body. And part of this feeling can be changed by appealing to another one of the five senses. The audible sound of the Olympus EP1 made generations of photographers buy it up. These legions went to adapt their vintage lenses to it and spread them all over Flickr. Olympus, however, is notorious for short-lived passionate flames that fizzle out. The Olympus OMD EM5 was one of their most perfect cameras until they ruined it with the Mk II version. In some ways, it makes me nervous for another Pen F. All it needed was weather sealing, a better screen, and a joystick.

But most cameras these days lack the romantic shutter sounds we’ve been used to for decades. Unfortunately, the manufacturers are robbing later generations of this same auditory experience. I’m sure some of you aren’t understanding it. But the sound of a camera’s shutter helps keep you in the zone. Think of it like listening to music as you do your favorite workout. Or throwing on your favorite slow jams as you cook. The camera should be a visual, tactile, and auditory experience beyond the little autofocus confirmation beep.

Maybe this is one of the reasons why so many people reach for vintage cameras. Have you ever tried a Mamiya RB67? The experience is one that no one forgets. Looking through the viewfinder to line up your shot can go one of many ways. If you have the top-down finder, then you compose one way. If you use the prism finder, you work in a totally different way. The shutter button is on the front near the bottom. Press it. Then you’ll need to manipulate a lever to recock the shutter. When that’s done, move your hand to the film back to advance the film. Then start the process all over again. It’s little things like this that keep a photographer focused and in the zone. As you become better, things don’t become difficult. You instead grow to take better shots.

I think that the camera and lens manufacturers have a steep hill in front of them. They need to find a way to bring the romance of a camera back. And if anything, I think that the only companies really doing it are Fujifilm, Hasselblad, and Leica.

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If you had the Fujifilm GF 30mm f3.5 R WR, would you love it? Would you even like it? That’s a question I was asking myself the entire time. I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the GF format for a while. I’ve always felt they needed faster aperture lenses. And if they wanted to keep things small, I believe they should go collapsible. But this lens feels incredibly sterile and perfect. It’s not the Fujifilm that I’m very used to using. Personally speaking, I’m not sure I’m in love with it. But if you like clinical sterility, you might be.

Fujifilm GF 30mm f3.5 R WR Pros and Cons

Pros

Sharp

Weather-Sealed

Fairly small for what it is

Fast-focusing

Reliable

Very clinically near perfect

Cons

I wish it had a faster aperture. Otherwise, I’d settle for a collapsible design.

Lacking character

Gear Used

We tested the Fujifilm GF 30mm f3.5 R WR with the Fujifilm GFX 50R and the Fujifilm GFX 100.

Tech Specs

These specs are summarized from the LensRentals Listing.

9 aperture blades

Weather resistance

f3.5 aperture

58mm filter thread

13 elements in 10 groups

3.9 inches in length

1.1-foot minimum focusing distance

1.12 lbs

Fujifilm GF 30mm f3.5 R WR Ergonomics

Taken from our first impressions post

Photographers familiar with Fujifilm’s Medium Format prime offerings will feel right at home with the GF 30mm f3.5 R WR. It utilizes the same design language found in the company’s other G Mount prime lenses. A large, rubberized manual focusing ring dominates much of the lens’s exterior. The manual focusing ring offers a good amount of resistance when turning, and the rubber ridges on the ring also make it very easy to grip. Both are helpful when fine-tuning the focus.

The Fujifilm GF 30mm f3.5 R WR also sports a smaller, clicked aperture ring. You can use it to dial in your aperture (between f3.5 and f32), or set it to either A or C modes. When set to A mode, your camera will automatically control the aperture settings, while C mode allows you to adjust the aperture using your camera’s customizable dials.

Aside from the manual focus and aperture control rings, you’re not going to find any other buttons or switches on the Fujifilm GF 30mm f3.5 R WR. A petal-shaped hood is included in the box and helps reduce flare when shooting in brightly lit conditions. For photographers planning on shooting long exposures with the GF 30mm f3.5, it uses 58mm filters. It’s a minimalist design that works.

Build Quality

Here in NYC, we’re in the middle of the pandemic. Our positivity rates are pretty well controlled, but we still need to be careful. With that said, some of our recent snowstorms were perfect for testing this lens. The Fujifilm GF 30mm f3.5 R WR lens stood up to the snow with no issues at all. It’s what we’ve come to expect from Fujifilm.

More importantly, it feels great in hand. When you hold the lens, it doesn’t feel too large or too small. But it does this odd thing of starting really wide towards the mount and getting really small in front. Lots of Fujifilm f2 weather sealed primes for the X mount do this. So I guess you can just call this lens the equivalent of that lineup.

Ease of Use

This is a pretty simple lens to use overall. Mount it onto the camera, point, focus, and shoot. It’s that simple. There is no manual focus ring to bring back. The only thing that could throw people off is the aperture ring. I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it. You buy Fujifilm cameras and lenses for ergonomics. If you’re not using those features, then you might as well go to another camera system.

Autofocus

As far as focusing goes, the Fujifilm GF system is the fastest focusing on the medium format market. Specifically, the 30mm is also very fast to focus. But part of this is because of the wide-angle design. In my tests, though, it never missed a shot. And that’s impressive. At times, it an...

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I’m writing this article partially because someone asked me about how to get your work into a gallery. But I’m also writing it because I’m honestly not even sure that galleries are worth it anymore. Are they cool? Sure! When we’re all vaccinated against the pandemic, and we go back to a semblance of what the world was before, that might change. However, I think that the way the public views photography isn’t necessarily as art anymore. At least, traditional capturing isn’t really necessarily art. There’s too low of a barrier of entry for lots of folks.

Let’s think about this. Why do you go to an art gallery? Typically you go to be inspired and to get creative juices going. Or you go to take in the culture of some sort. But lots of people don’t really stand around and take the art in. They sit there and browse through stuff. The exception is if they have a special assignment in school or if there is an artist that they’re really interested in. But go to the photography section of most galleries and museums and most folks don’t really pay much attention.

To get people to truly pay attention to your work, you have to be different. Printing on different mediums, combining the work with other art forms, etc. can work. Ever seen images printed as a jigsaw puzzle? Those are really cool! I’m not talking about printing on metal or something else. I’m talking about finding a way to truly get someone’s attention. And by doing that, you’re not going to get into the bigger galleries to start.

So what do I recommend you do? Well, there’s a big emphasis on the DIY world once again. The world is still suffering from an economic recession. That’s because of the pandemic. We’re all scared. Getting people to view your work digitally is cool. But if you’re getting people into a specially designated area, then start of doing it yourself. First, pick a spot that’s pretty easy to work with and get to. It could be a restaurant, a cafe, etc. In fact, that’s what I’d recommend. Tell the owners that you’re going to bring in more foot traffic and you’ll convince people to buy drinks or food. Then use their space to get the work out there.

But as you’re doing this, think about the #1 part of all DIY projects. This is about symbiotic relationships. You have to treat the company or person you’re working with like a business partner. You want them to know that you’re in this for the long haul. So settle into it. And treat them as such.

Next, put together all the important stuff. We’ve got a call on our website that tells you how to get your work featured. This is the kind of stuff that some gallery owners and curators care about. Some only care about your social media numbers. Others are more interested in sales. But you have to sell yourself. Answer the question why someone would care to work with you.

Then, go ahead and promote it. Have the list of people you want to invite set up beforehand. Specifically, reach out to people who would probably spread the word or give coverage. That’s a variety of folks. Bloggers, reporters, Instagrammers, etc. From there, you can show bigger galleries that you’ve done some of your own curating, organizing, etc. Plus, people actually end up coming to your show. Once you get that set up, they’ll probably want to work with you. At least you’ll have a better chance.

But are they worth it for photographers? These days, I think that’s only the case for specially curated projects, creative work (not a documentary unless it’s a long term project), and alternative printing methods. Otherwise, interactive photography projects can also be cool. This is a long answer to saying that I truly don’t know. There’s a lot that’s involved with working with a gallery. And if you can make it work, then go for it.

Mental health is incredibly important for photographers.

All humans face adversity in life. But some people go through times so difficult that it leaves them living with trauma and PTSD. It’s a long path to healing for these people, and they have to find ways to survive and then overcome the experience they had. Amongst the many methods of healing is photography. The process of creating has allowed certain photographers to explore their trauma, understand it, and then move forward. In this piece, we look at six of our favorite stories of creatives overcoming trauma through making photographs.

1. Ian McDonald

Before photography, Ian McDonald spent 20 years working as a paramedic. Working in health care, he’s been exposed to some heartbreaking situations. Over time, having to respond to calls that involved major traumas, sexual assaults, and pediatric deaths, the mental toll became too much, and McDonald began experiencing PTSD. In terms of photography, it was the street that helped him come out of his darkness. Observing people and creating street photography helped him build himself back up. McDonald now works full time as a creative and is able to look at his mental struggles as a thing of the past.

2. Maren Klemp

When Maren Klemp and her family came face to face with family trauma, it sent her into a spiral of anxiety and PTSD. Her daughter became sick, having a febrile seizure that lasted over an hour. From that point on, Klemp would be in a constant state of worry, ruminating over the idea of it happening again. She began to create the series, SCENARIOS, as a way of creatively documenting the thoughts that existed in her mind. On how the series helped her on her path to recover, Klemp told The Phoblographer, “I did get a form of closure. The PTSD is still there, and I occasionally have bad days, but it made me able to control my anxiety better after I addressed it.”

3. Annie Flanagan

Annie Flanagan fell victim to one of the worst crimes a human has to endure: rape. It happened during college, and, of course, the experience impacted her future – leaving her having to struggle and overcome. But it also helped shape her photographic voice. Flanagan started creating a long term series called Deafening Sound. As part of the work, she followed several women – including a close friend – as they embarked on a journey of overcoming abuse and violence. Flanagan is the perfect example of a person using photography to help raise awareness of the pain people have endured at the hands of others.

4. Michael A. McCoy

Michael A. McCoy is a US veteran, having served two tours in Iraq. Knowing first hand the impact serving for your country has on your mental health, McCoy used his experience to start a photo project. The goal was simple: to raise awareness for veterans living with PTSD. When asked what the ultimate goal was for the work, he told us, “In the future, I hope that this project can be used to educate people about PTSD.”

5. Saiful Huq Omi

Saiful Huq Omi spent 12 years documenting the oppression and genocide of the Rohingyas. He told us he saw things that were so traumatic that he could not speak about them. But despite being diagnosed with PTSD, Omi still continues to do his project and raise awareness for those who are suffering. He’s a fine example of the sacrifices photographers make in order to tell the world’s most important stories.

6. Danielle Hark

Danielle Hark is the founder of the Broken Light Collective. She started the group after realizing how powerful photography was in relation to treating mental health. Hark has struggled with mental illness and it was photography that really helped her work through her traumatic times. In a conversation back in 2014, she told us, “I use photography as a tool that I can pull out during difficult times, no matter where I am.”

Photography May Help Your PTSD

While different things work for different people, photography may be a good option for you if y...

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Do we really need super high megapixel cameras? Truthfully, probably not. But the likes of Samsung and others try to do it with their phones. And it’s partially a selling point! Arguably, we’ve reached peak camera. In terms of tech, it seems like companies are probably running out of ideas. Inevitably, cameras will become luxury passion products. They’re already passion products for many. And some of those folks probably care a ton about megapixels.

There are reports online of very high megapixel sensors coming to the market. The current world of photographers is in a few camps. Some of us want more megapixels. Those photographers often do a ton of post-production. I’m personally trying to spend less time in front of a computer, but I sincerely appreciate all the color editing that and tweaks that can be done with Capture One. Further, I also like printing large. So for me, I’ve always liked high megapixel bodies because lots of my work demands it.

Other photographers like lower megapixels for better high ISO output. And indeed, the market has accommodated both types of users. But they both need to step up in megapixel counts. This year, the 24MP camp should move up to the 30 or 40 range.

So how will this translate for photographers? Well, the megapixel wars have always been a problem. Engineers obsess over it, but consumers are sort of sick of it. Engineers and designers need to find ways to make cameras better, and that means pumping other features into their cameras. More importantly, it also means that they shouldn’t be getting their sensors from the same company. Canon uses its own sensors. Leica typically uses Tower Jazz for sensors. But the rest of the industry relies on Sony. This means basically many of the cameras perform the same.

And for reviewers, that’s a problem. I can’t tell you how disheartening it is to be saying the same thing about multiple cameras and lenses. Why aren’t these companies trying to be original? Is the problem with consumers? It could be, but with an incredibly diverse market, I doubt it. Let’s look at all the various markets for a moment:

Phone users

People who want to move up from a phone

Pro photographers

Amateur photographers

Passionate photographers

Landscape

Portrait

Photojournalism

Street

Black and White

Wildlife

Birding

Adventure

Travel

Weddings

Macro

Cinematic

There are tons of other photo markets out there. And there is lots that camera and lens companies can do to appeal to them. There needs to be a lot more diversification besides just in the megapixel count. Here are a few ways that’s done:

Canon: Superfast lenses and major lens innovations. Cool things like the Powershot zoom too.

Sony: AI and targeting content creators

Nikon: Creative Profiles that they treat like bastard children

Fujifilm: The X Trans sensor, though as the megapixel count gets higher, the need for it becomes lesser in a way. Plus, image stabilized and affordable medium format.

Pentax: Still sticking to DSLRs.

Panasonic: Live Composite on one of their cameras and Netflix certifications

Leica: Literally unlike anything on the market

Sigma: Literally doing the weirdest things

Olympus: Lightweight birding and wildlife with a smaller sensor

Zeiss: It’s fair to say they’ve given up on photography, and the ZX1 probably won’t be talked about much.

That’s about it. The camera and lens makers need to find ways to stay relevant besides playing into the high megapixel and high ISO wars. If they’re going to do that, they need to take a quantum leap forward.

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Did you get a new camera over the holidays? Are you confused about which lens you should buy first? If so, you’re in the right place. While your new camera may have come with a kit lens or two, we highly recommend grabbing a prime lens. Prime lenses will challenge you and they’ll help you grow simply because you cannot rely on zooms to get the shot you want. Primes make you think and compose with your feet. On top of that, prime lenses have much faster apertures than zoom lenses. This means you can shoot in low light situations, and you’ll be able to create gorgeous bokeh. 50mm prime lenses are ideal for new photographers because they provide a field of view similar to what the human eye can see. Here are five of our favorite 50mm prime lenses for new photographers.

Sony 50mm f1.8

In our review, we said:

“Generally speaking, in terms of nifty 50 lenses, you can’t really get much better here. Sony’s 50mm f1.8 is right up there with the Canon 50mm f1.8 in terms of image quality. It’s got great color output, is very sharp, very little chromatic aberration (and even then, you’ve really got to look for it), and bokeh that isn’t bad overall.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $248

Canon 50mm f1.8 STM

In our review, we said:

“Canon’s 50mm f1.8 STM is a great lens for the beginner, hobbyist, enthusiast, or even the professional who likes to rough and tumble their equipment.

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $145.90

Pro Tip: All of these 50mm prime lenses are fantastic, but not all of them are weather sealed. If you want to shoot in the snow, rain, or any inclement weather, make sure your gear is protected. Grab some weatherproof camera and lens covers and stick them in your camera bag. They’re just $12.95 for 5! If the weather takes a turn for the worse you can keep on shooting.

Nikon 50mm f1.8 Z S

In our review, we said:

“We found the Nikon 50mm f1.8 Z S’s image quality to be very good in our tests. It is sharp, has very pleasing bokeh, doesn’t exhibit any major problems, and has an overall beautiful look to it.”

Buy now: $596.95

Fujifilm 35mm f2 R WR (35mm Equivalent on Fujifilm APS-C Cameras)

In our review, we said:

“It is the fastest to focus Fujifilm lens to date and finally makes candid street photography with a Fujifilm camera really viable when it comes to using autofocus. For this reason alone, many photographers will greatly, greatly appreciate this lens and just how quickly it can perform.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $399

Pro Tip: You’re quickly going to find that these 50mm prime lenses will make your creativity soar. If you want to make the most of your new nifty fifty, really take a deep dive. This creative photography bundle will help you get the most out of your new lens.

Olympus 25mm f1.8 (50mm Equivalent on Micro Four Thirds Cameras)

In our review, we said:

“In fact, the 25mm f1.8 is one of the most affordable and bang for your buck lenses out there for the Micro Four Thirds system. We’re quite impressed with the sharpness, bokeh, fast focusing speed (coupled with accuracy), small size, and the overall feel that it is the single-lens that you may want to keep mated to your camera forever.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $299

Everyone complaining about Leica prices probably hasn’t used the Leica R6, and they know nothing about R mount glass.

If I were to track the popularity of the R series vs the M series, then I’d say the R6 is probably the most popular in the R lineup, but it’s nowhere near as popular as M mount options. However, while the R series cameras aren’t that raved out, their lenses are. Years ago, the cinema industry discovered those lenses and started buying and reformatting a ton of them. When that happened, the their prices began to skyrocket. And for that reason, owning and using a camera like the Leica R6 is a great honor. You get native access to a number of lenses that the cinema world goes crazy for. On top of that, the Leica R6 is the closest thing to the coveted Leica M6 in my opinion.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Nice shutter sound

Built like a tank

Small

A beautiful set of lenses available for R mount

Lightweight

A pretty great viewfinder for shooting landscape-oriented

Semi-mechanical; even if the battery dies it’s still going to work

Cons

Nothing really. This camera is the closest thing to the Leica M6 that Leica has in an SLR form factor

Gear Used

We tested the Leica R6 with the 50mm f2 Summicron.

Tech Specs

Specs taken from Camerapedia

Metering modes: center-weighted averaging or a central 7mm spot

Metering: via a match-diode display in the viewfinder

Autoexposure: none

Shutter speeds: 1-1/1000 +B, with X sync at 1/100

Motor drive option

Mirror-lock-up (the first Leica since the original Leicaflex to have one) *Interchangeable focusing screens

TTL flash metering with Metz SCA compatible flash units

Depth-of-field preview

Self-timer

Viewfinder diopter adjustment

Ergonomics

The Leica R6 is a very simple and plain SLR. It reminds me in some ways of a Pentax Spotmatic but with a better light meter, better build quality, and access to infinitely better lenses. So, our ergonomic tour of the Leica R6 begins with this side. You’ll see a lever that allows the photographer to get a depth of field preview, and there is also a lens release.

The Leica R6 is covered with a leatherette finish. It’s nice to the touch. And overall, it gives enough grip for most photographers. We’re sure there are photographers who will complain about it, but as long as you hold the camera right, you’ll be fine.

The top of the Leica R6 has a few cool things. There is the shutter dial, metering button, ISO control, film rewind, and the hot shoe. This hot shoe is TTL capable, but I can’t remember the last time I met someone using a Leica flash.

Of course, let’s not forget one of the most important part of the ergonomics: the film advance. This film advance and the overall shape of the Leica R6 feels different than what an M offers.

The back of the Leica R6 has an ergonomically pleasing space for your thumb to rest. There is also a film window and the viewfinder. The diopter is next to it (my recommendation is to get a rubber cup for this if you can).

Build Quality

During our tests, we took the Leica R6 into the rain and even a bit of snow. Thankfully, it kept working. To my knowledge, neither the camera nor the lenses have weather sealing. Leica, however, always builds its products to be incredibly robust. The engineers themselves even say that they’d be confident using their products in inclement conditions. As a responsible reviewer though, I can’t tell you to always be as stupid as I am with your gear.

Otherwise, if you’re a photographer who likes SLR film cameras, know that you’ll be missing a critical part: the grip. In that way, the Leica R6 is sort of like a combination of the ergonomics of a rangefinder and an SLR. But personally, I like cameras with no grips on them. So if you fall into that category, you too will appreciate it.

Ease of Use

The Leica R6 is a really simple to operate SLR film camera. There are all the basics: ISO control, metering, shutter, aperture on the lens, dep...

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The press release for SilverFast 9 came to us last week. I assume most of you will be in one camp or another. Most of you probably don’t know what SilverFast is. The other portion of you is probably a bit surprised. I wouldn’t be shocked if a few of you rolled your eyes. I’ll be honest, I rolled my eyes at the press release. Previous versions of the desktop program have been painfully slow. But more importantly, I don’t think the world really needs it anymore.

SilverFast is primarily designed to work with scanners. So if you’re archiving your film or scanning it, then you’re probably working with this program, Epson’s, or Canon’s options. But it’s always had a number of problems. In their recent press release, they promise a lot of updates which you can read about on their website.

But you’re here on The Phoblographer, and we work to give you an informed opinion. We should probably address a big truth. It’s not that people aren’t really shooting film (we’re all about the film renaissance). But people are using scanners less and less. Why? Quite honestly, they suck. Modern photo scanners have the frustration of a dial-up modem with none of the usefulness. Ever gotten your film developed and scanned? Most scans are pretty lackluster. Some of the best scans we’ve seen in recent times have been from DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. The Nikon D850 is fantastic for it!

Take a look at the video above and what photographer Alastair Bird did. It’s accompanied by a blog post here on this site.

More importantly, film scanners use small sensors. With a dedicated digital camera, you get a larger sensor. Larger sensors give you better color depth and dynamic range. Sure, SilverFast 9 is promising great dynamic range. But why do that when the sensors just aren’t good enough? I also can’t believe that the processing power of the software is good enough either.

Think of it this way: get a smartphone camera and take a photo. The quality will be good. But use a dedicated camera and the quality will be better. The key to using a phone, though, is convenience. But SilverFast and dedicated film scanners don’t have the convenience or quality of dedicated cameras.

Combine that with proper light and a solid macro lens, and you’ll get a wonderful image. Plus, you can shoot tethered into Capture One or Lightroom to get the photos and the look you want. In my opinion, you don’t need Silverfast these days. And I think that it’s too little, too late for the company.

To add salt to the wound, SilverFast 9 is pretty expensive. It’s easy to rack up nearly $700 for the entire package. Now, if the folks at Canon or Epson would create scanners with full-frame or medium format sensors, I think it would be a bit different. But even so, I’d never use Silverfast. Instead, I’d aim to create a plugin for Capture One or Lightroom. Sure, some labs use big drum scanners and Noritsu products. The one local lab by me does a pretty great job. But so too do modern-day cameras.

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Can you believe that eight years ago, Sony did something massive? The company has only been at the top of the photo game in the past few years. But almost a decade ago, they could have changed photography forever. The problem, they really didn’t make much of a marketing effort around a special feature. And unfortunately, they took it away from photographers. Today, they’re often lauded as the most innovative camera company around. Despite all my gripes with the company, I’ll concede to that statement. They make the only camera system that I can properly use for work and play. Small things keep others away from that title. But Sony also shoots itself in the foot.

In 2012, we were still calling it the NEX camera system. The entire lineup of mirrorless cameras was APS-C. This was before they were brought under the Alpha system as a nod to their Minolta heritage. And the company introduced an app system for their cameras. Called the Sony PlayMemories app store, it gave your camera lots of power. But the apps were costly. Lots of customers wanted all these features built into the cameras. Some at Sony wanted customers to pay more. And ultimately, they ended up killing the program.

To date, I still think it’s one of the dumbest moves Sony made.

And ultimately, it removed one of the most innovative features. If Sony had only nourished that small sapling, it could have blossomed and bore fruit. That feature was cinemagraphs. In late 2012, the company introduced a feature that basically let photographers create cinemagraphs in-camera. We’d know, we reported on it. Today, we only see it present in Sigma cameras.

But why, Sony? Why did you take away something from photographers that could’ve made your cameras even better? Why remove a tool that could’ve pushed photography forward? And specifically, it would’ve pushed in-camera processing and photography forward–not post-production. This is something that still bothers me. If a camera can do something or if it was able to do something awesome, don’t take it away from us. Yes, we’ve got AI, better autofocus, better sensors, and arguably better weather sealing. But the camera bodies still feel like computers. And if you’re going to make them feel like a computer, then embrace that idea. Let someone use a camera as a computer! Let us have all of those cool apps that you removed from the market.

So what do we do about this?

I think that Sony could do a few things. They could firstly bring back the app store. It could be easily integrated into the Imaging Edge app. And from that app, you could browse their shop and port firmware/apps to your camera. If you want to charge a fee, then fine. But don’t make the fees more than $4 an app.

The other route is that they can deliver special editions of the cameras. There could be something like the a9 III standard version. This would be the camera without extra apps built-in. The variant would be the a9 IIIe or something–and this would be really cool. It would have extra firmware features built into it and have even more internal memory to store that and firmware updates. Then photographers could pick and choose which they want.

Personally speaking, though, I think that all of those cool features should just come built into the cameras, to begin with. Back in 2015, we wrote about all the things that Sony cameras were capable of doing. Multiple exposures, Live Composite, and other cool things made the system more lively.

Sony: come on. Bring them back.