Micro Four Thirds Lenses and more
The Micro Four Thirds Consortium/org. has published a detailed list with specifications of Micro Four Thirds Lenses, Four Thirds Lenses and adaptors. This is a 45 page PDF document that you can review or download using the following link:MFT LENSES
Lume Cube Review
The makers of Lume Cube have a new smaller and less powerful but a highly efficient light designed for phone photography called the Life Lite. This is a smart, Bluetooth controlled, pocket-sized Lifestyle Light for iPhone, Android, DSLR or a GoPro. The Life Light will be available in March.This gadget review however, is of the original Lume Cube and the cheaper version that does not have any bluetooth connectivity. Both are identical in performance and while you can controll one with a smart phone the lite version is all manual. I have been using the Lume Cube for many months and have been most satisfied with its performance and portability. I have used these lights for macro, video and portraiture and love the results they have helped produce.Specs:
- Type LED
- Output Variable: 0 to 1500 Lumens
- Strobe: Variable 1/8000 to 1 second
- Mount Type: 1/4"-20 female
- Power Source: Integrated battery
- Battery Duration: 100% Brightness: 20 minutes; 90% Brightness: 60 minutes; 50% Brightness: 120 minutes
- Power Connector: USB (for charging)
- Waterproof Depth: 100' / 30.5 m
- Dimensions: 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5"
CLICK HERE TO ORDERThe Lume Cube comes in a small cube shaped cardboard box that contains the Lume Cube and a USB charging cable.You do need to unscrew a small cover to access the charging port. This access cover is a requirement as the Lume Cube is rated to be waterproof to depth of 100 feet.Shaped as a cube, the unit has two rubberized push button switches on the top and a 1/4 20 mount that can be used to mount the light on a light stand, tripod or any flexible light mounting device.The two push buttons control the video light and the alternate flash function of the device. Each time you depress the on/off video switch the light cycles through 10 levels of intensity.
You can also control the Lume Cube using the mobile app. Lume Cube has simplified its lighting controls with a proprietary wireless, Bluetooth-enabled app, available on both Apple iOS and Android. The app is capable of controlling up to 5 Lume Cubes simultaneously. The app allows you to adjust the brightness, flash duration and red eye latency on each Lume Cube independently; and with its onboard optical sensor, Lume Cube can be configured as a slave flash unit to be fired by any other external flash.You have to register your Lume Cube to sync it to your app once registered you can control all your Lume Cube’s power and settings separately.Lume Cube Setup and test for portraitsTo test the Lume Cubes I fitted two Lume Cubes on two separate light stands. The “Main” Lume Cube was place so as to create Rembrandt lighting on the dummy head. The second was place to create a gentle fill. As you can see from the image below, the Lume Cube, due mainly to its size creates a fairly hard light. The settings were ISO 200, f/1.7 at 1/125 sec. using a Panasonic Lumix GX85 body and a Lumix 42.5mm f/1.7 lens wide open. The light emitted is cool and for this test I used an X-Rite Color Checker Passport to balance the temperature.
The second test was conducted with the same placement of the lights but instead of the Lume Cubes facing the dummy head directly the light was bounced off two Rogue Flash Benders. No Diffusion material was used.As you can see the light was much softer and way more pleasing in the image below. The settings were ISO 640, F/1.7 at 1/80 sec. Clearly there is about 3 stops of light loss when using the Flash Benders. However, the soft light is excellent for portraiture.
Lume Cube for Macro/Close-up PhotographyThe Lume Cube produces a really hard light as it is a very small light, but also a very powerful one. The Lume Cubes were about 1.5 inches from the subject. Exposure triad: F/4, 1/800 sec., ISO 640. The lens was a 30mm macro with an extension tube. Camera: Panasonic Lumix GX85.The following is the setup:
The image shown below is a 45 image stack using the GX85's focus bracketing feature.
The portability of these little powerhouses has me convinced, and I tend to carry two in my bag at all times.CLICK HERE TO ORDER
Lume Cube LITE Announced
Lume Cube has recently announced the Lume Cube LITE. This is priced at just $69.99, which is $10 less than the OG Lume Cube. Essentially the Lume Cube LITE is the same build quality as the Lume Cube, with just two features pulled out to cut costs. The Lume Cube LITE is stripped of the Optical Sensor (which is primarily for Professional DSLR Flash Photographers) as well as the Bluetooth connectivity (sometimes not needed for your everyday use), cutting the Lume Cube down in both weight, and in price! It still has the same 10 settings of bright light output, the same clean beam angle provided by our built-in fresnel lens, but the Lume Cube LITE has a manually triggered Strobe Light mode. CLICK HERE TO ORDER 
CLICK HERE TO ORDER
Aquatic Birds of Florida
Before I say anything, I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not a videographer. I captured these clips while I was in Florida during the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, late January 2017. All these were captured during my photo walks/drives in Black Point Wildlife Drive in Merritt Island. The primary purpose was to tryout the "In Body Image Stabilization" aka IBIS of the Panasonic Lumix G85 camera body. The camera was used with the Leica 100 - 400 mm lens at its full extension that is an equivalent of 800 mm (most of the time). All footage was captured hand-held and in many instances during high winds and rain. It is important to note, that all the footage was captured before Panasonic released two major firmware updates, one of the camera and the other for the lens. What this means is that the Dual IS function was not in effect when these videos were captured. I was very impressed with the performance of this camera and lens combination and will be doing a comparison to see the impact of the new firmware when I am at the next conference in St. Augustine in April.To see the video in 4K please CLICK HERE to be directed to YouTube [video type="youtube" id="i1exFCyhtGU" width="600"]Default Message[/video]
Panasonic Lumix Camera and Lens Firmware updates - Feb 8, 2017
Panasonic yesterday released firmware updates to its G 80, 81 and 85; GX80 and 85 camera bodies; and the Leica H-RS100400 lens.The firmware update to the G80,81 and 85 fixes the following:
- Reduced operation noise during the shooting standby or the motion picture recording.
- Dual I.S.2 function with the interchangeable lens H-RS100400 is available.(Firmware update of the H-RS100400 is required.)
The firmware update to the GX80 and 85 fixes the following:
- Reduced operation noise during the shooting standby or the motion picture recording.
- Fixed a problem that camera fails to connect to the Picmate server.
The firmware update to the Leica H-RS100400 lens fixes the following:
- Dual I.S.2 function is available.(Firmware update of Dual I.S.2 compatible model is required.The firmware of the DMC-G80/81/85 should be ver.1.2 or later.)
- Fixed the instability of Auto Focus when the focus switch set to [5m - ∞], using Olympus Corporation's OM-D E-M1 MarkII.
PLEASE NOTE: THE UPDATES ARE SPECIFIC FOR EACH MODEL. PLEASE ENSURE YOU USE THE CORRECT UPDATE FOR YOUR CAMERA.Thes updates can be downloaded using the following link:Panasonic firmware updates
LRTimelapse version 4.7.5
LRTimelapse version 4.7.5 has just been released. Here is the link for the update:https://lrtimelapse.com/download/If you do not own the best Timelapse processing application (it works in tandem with Adobe Lightroom) you can get it here:
This update improves support for external ramping tools like the timelapse+ View and improvements for working with Cinema-DNG files. The windows version does not need java installed anymore (likewise as on mac) and along with this there are several fixes and improvement to make your workflow easier and more streamlined. Preview generation has been significantly improved and several new cameras are now supported.
Adobe CS 6 Dead (Retired) and CC subscription prices go up in some countries
Without any press release or announcement, Adobe has officially retired the CS 6 products. The CS 6 web page reads:
Adobe and currency fluctuations
Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival Day 3
A very bleak, cold and windy morning in the Titusville area. The morning photo drive yelled very little compared to days one and two. A trip to the visitor center was worth it for the Painted Bunting. Images captured with the Panasonic Lumix GX85 and the Leica 100 - 400 mm lens.
Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival Day 2
Iffy weather with grey skies and a cool wind. It sure made the birds hunker down in the mangroves. Not to be a dettered my group were all ready to make the most of it. Personally I am waiting to photograph the Roseate Spoonbills that have been quite elusive at Black Point. I was however, rewarded with a fairly decent sighting and a photograph of a Clapper Rail. It was nice to get an image of the bird in its entirety. All the images except the last two were photographed using the Panasonic Lumix G85 body with the Leica 100 - 400 mm. lens. What an amazing combination.
Silhouettes at first light. 
Flight after flight of White Pelicans flew in to land and feast in the shallow waters of Black Point Drive
Missing Rosettes Spoonbills but there were enough Herons and Egrets and a decent Glossy Ibis.
Not to miss out on ducks the Northern Shoveler families were a lot of fun to photograph.
Finally here are two images that I posted earlier on FB that were captured using the new Panasonic Lumix FZ2500
Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival Day 1
Took a small group on a photo drive to Black Point this morning. A fair amount of bird activity but not many spoonbills. I used the Panasonic Lumix G85 with the Leica 100 - 400 mm lens for all the images shown here. Low light performance is not bad at all. Most of the images were at ISO 1600 and some at ISO 400. All images captured hand-held, confirming the 5 axis IBIS and the lens IS combination truly works.Please click on any image for a larger rendition.
Panasonic Lumix GH5 - WOW!!!!
What a great way to start the new year. Panasonic today announced the full specs for their flagship camera the GH5. Here are two links that say it all:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eRbB6kLCE8&t=327sandhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbYLMFbiMtA
An Awesome Deal - the Platypod Pro and the Max for one low price
Best Price Ever on the Topaz Collection - Nov. 25 - 30, 2016
Take advantage of the best pricing of the year on the complete lineup of Topaz products, with 50% off the Complete Collection starting November 25 through the end of November. Whether you want amazing photo effects or technically perfect images, Topaz helps you create the looks you love faster than ever. Click on the "Get it Now" button above or use the code “BLACKFRIDAY16”What is the Collection?With the recent addition of Topaz Texture Effects 2, Impression 2, and Glow 2, the Complete Collection includes all 17 products, which individually would cost over $1000. We normally offer the Complete Collection at 50% off. However, until the end of November you can take an additional 50% off (meaning you pay 25% of the price of individual plugins) for the collection and collection upgrades.What is a Collection upgrade?If you’ve already purchased an individual product (or several products) from Topaz in the past, our system already discounts the collection upgrade price. As long as you're signed into your account, you can get an additional 50% off your custom collection upgrade pricing through the end of November. Whether you’re just starting or looking to expand your collection, there is never a better time to buy! *Note that this discount does not apply to individual plugin purchases, which are sold at full price.
Panasonic Lumix GH4 and G85 Firmware Updates Released
Panasonic has released firmware updates for the Lumix GH4 and the G85.
The GH4 update address a few minor issues when the camera is used with a battery grip.
The G85 update resolves the in-camera image stabilization not working properly when the camera is panned while capturing video.
Go get the updates CLICK HERE for the GH4
CLICK HERE for the G85
Nov 14, 2016 - Supermoon
Just a caution, the November 14 "supermoon" (aka beaver moon) will be at its peak at 8:52 am EST - not the best time to photograph it but you could get a good image prior to that, just as it is about to set. The moon sets at 6:36 AM so any time between 5:30 and 6:20 AM will be great for some awesome images of the Western Sky.The evening of November 13th and the 14th will have a 99% full moon - great for some exceptional images even though the moon is not 100%. Be sure to include some good foreground elements.Unfortunately I will be in NY City so am not sure what opportunities I will have.
Lume Cube and the new Life Lite
Even with all the advances and improvements to camera equipment, they can’t rise to every challenge. Lighting is still the most important factor in capturing a quality photograph, and good light can be as fleeting as the moments you are trying to capture.
Lume Cube has made it possible to carry perfect lighting in your pocket and pull it out when you need it.
In 2014 they launched the original Lume Cube, which is a powerful tool that allows photographers and videographers to control lighting in a unique way. The Lume Cube is bluetooth controlled, so by using their iPhone/Android app you can adjust the brightness, flash duration, use strobe modes, and turn on the optical sensor, to use your Lume Cube as a slave flash. You can also control Lume Cubes manually. There are two simple buttons on the top of the cube, and by clicking the left one you can cycle through 10 settings of brightness.
With a ¼ 20 thread, the Lume Cube is compatible with any camera. You can mount it on your DSLR with their popular ball-head cold shoe mount. You can remove the base of the cold shoe and then mount your Lume Cube onto a light stand for a studio setting. They make several different mounting solutions including a GoPro Mount, smartphone clip, and even drone mounts. Yes, you can use Lume Cubes on your drone as a spotlight, and even get creative with light painting and long exposure photography.
To make things even more convenient, Lume Cubes are waterproof up to 100 feet. Can you use your current studio lights for underwater photography as well?
You can purchase a Lume Cube on their website for $79.99, and they also sell sets of two and four Lume Cubes.
In case that’s out of your budget and you don’t necessarily need that level of professional lighting, Lume Cube just launched their latest innovation, the Life Lite on Kickstarter. Their campaign is live now, and you can preorder a Life Lite below retail price for $39. They are expected to ship in March of 2017. The new portable light delivers the same award-winning design and functionality as the original Lume Cube, but scaled down in size, weight, and price to offer mobile lighting to the masses.
The Life Lite is still smartphone controlled, waterproof, and fully adjustable. So what are the differences? Life Lite is adjustable up to 1000 lumens, where the Lume Cube is a 1500 lumen LED. Also, the color temperature of the Life Lite is 5600K making it a bit warmer than the Lume Cube. In addition, the Life Lite is about half the width of the Lume Cube and lighter at approximately 2 ounces. This makes it much easier to use the Life Lite with your smartphone for mobile photography. Lastly, the Life Lite is half the price of the Lume Cube.
Both the Lume Cube and the Life Lite feature a custom fresnel lens, so both lighting solutions give off an even light with zero hotspots, and a soft falloff around the edges of the beam. Both products deliver high quality lighting, it just depends on your lighting needs and your budget. Which one will you choose?
Day 1 - Cape Cod Fall 2016 Workshop
Near perfect weather greeted us on the first day of my Fall workshop in Cape Cod. Here is an image of Rock Harbor in Orleans, MA just after the sun set.
Loving Lumix and IR
Another IR image from my recent Tetons trip. This is Oxbow Bend captured early morning. Mt. Moran and the clouds teases us for hours without a once showing its peak. This was about the best once could get.