Afraid of missing out on the latest photo industry news while you’re out, well, actually taking pictures? Photo FOMO is all the news you might have missed this week, published on the weekends. Alongside the biggest stories of the week, like Red Cinema’s partnership with Facebook, Olloclip’s new iPhone X lenses, GoPro’s app update and cool Kickstarters like a night vision action cam and a 360 to 180 camera that can refocus, find briefs on the latest in accessories and photo industry news from this week with Photo FOMO.
This X-shaped camera strap aims to take the ache out of photography
Literally tired of neck straps? Photographers could soon have another strap alternative to choose from. Fotocase is an X-shaped strap that’s designed to distribute the camera’s weight evenly across the back while leaving a sling-style access with the camera resting at the hip. The strap is designed with Italian leather and uses the tripod mount along with a secondary safety cord to securely attach compact, mirrorless, and DSLR cameras. The strap is slated for designs for both one and two camera carrying options. The company is taking to Kickstarter to fund the project. If the campaign is successful, early backers could pick up the strap for pledges starting at $79.
Daily photo snapping isn’t an addiction — it’s good for your health, study suggests
Debating whether to commit yourself to a 360-day photo challenge? A new study from the U.K. suggests that shooting and sharing a daily photo is actually good for you. The study, published in Health, followed daily photo takers for two months. The study concluded that the daily photo shares improved well-being in three areas: Self-care, community practice, and reminiscence. The scientists aren’t about to advise doctors to write out a script for daily photo taking, however — they suggest that the practice of creating meaning associated in those photos contributes to overall well-being.
“Rather than saying that photo-a-day can be prescribed to improve well-being, by looking at it within the wider sphere of everyday life and via the lens of practice theory, we can think about the interlinked and complex nature of the practice,” the researchers concluded. “Its effect arises from the way people come to attach meaning to it and connect it to other practices. By definition, this is an active process of meaning making, in which a new conceptualization of well-being emerges.”
This SD card won’t need to be swapped for five years
SD card companies have been focusing on creating faster cards for 4K video — but what if you don’t really need that speed, but longevity? Samsung recently launched a line of SD cards, the Pro Endurance, that is designed to write continuous footage for uses in security cameras, dash cams, body cameras and the like. The biggest card can handle 43,800 hours of 1080p video at 26 Mbps, which amounts to about five years of recording. Samsung says the line offers 25x more endurance compared to cards focused on speed — and backs it up with a five-year warranty. The line stretches from 32GB to 128 GB and from $25 to $90.
BenQ launches affordable photo-focused monitor
The company known for monitors tailored for creatives just launched its cheapest PhotoVue SW monitor yet. Coming out sometime in May, the BenQ SW240 is a 24-inch monitor with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The monitor boasts color coverage ranges from 95 percent to 100 percent in DCI-P3, Adobe RGB, and SRGB and comes from the factory already color calibrated. At about $400, the monitor is a bit more than monitors not designed with that color focus but sits at a lower price point than the rest of the line.
YouTube-supported 180 cameras get a new app
YouTube’s new 180 video format is designed for creating immersive scenes when a look behind you isn’t really necessary — and now the supported cameras have their own app focused on the format. The VR180 app allows users to transfer footage, get a live preview or set up the camera. The app is designed for Daydream VR180 cameras including the Lenovo Mirage, Yi Horizon VR180, and the Z Cam K1 Pro.
