Facebook Marketplace gets smarter with new A.I.-powered tools
Facebook's Craigslist competitor is now 2 years old, and getting even smarter, thanks to A.I. Facebook marketplace will now suggest prices based on what similar items sold for. The company is also testing a tool that would allow users to search for Marketplace items using a photo to find similar items nearby.
Pictar Pro makes phones even more DSLR-like with viewfinder and better build
The Pictar Pro gives smartphones more of the controls that a real camera has, including a viewfinder, dials, zoom toggle, shutter button, and a large grip. Miggo has added a battery and a handful of new features to the latest version while still using the same unique way to connect to the smartphone.
Facebook Premieres is a mash-up of popular Live and prerecorded videos
Love the Live chats but cringe at the quality? Facebook Premieres will mix the features of Live with prerecorded videos. Premieres are scheduled to go live at a specific time, allowing users to watch and chat together. The tool launches alongside video polls and Top Fan badges for video-focused Pages.
Panasonic surprises with first full-frame cameras, the mirrorless S1 and S1R
Nikon and Canon aren't the only ones announcing full-frame mirrorless this year. The Panasonic Lumix S1R and S1 are the first full-frame cameras to house 60 fps 4K, as well as being the first within that category to include Dual IS. The models also have dual SD card slots.
The race is on: Full-frame dominates Photokina (and could drive prices down)
If there's one trend in the photography world this year, it's full frame. Photokina 2018 brought not just new full-frame mirrorless cameras, but a full-frame compact with Lightroom built in. Explore all the new gear from Photokina 2018 -- and find out what the trends mean for the industry.
Art or science? This mesmerizing video shows the development of neurons
The 2018 Nikon Small World in Motion winners are here -- and the videos are every bit as artistic as they are scientific. Watch the growth of an entire nervous system unfolding in 3D over a matter of seconds. Try to guess how the second-place video was captured, and what the microbe in the third-place video is doing.
Gear from Leica, Sigma, Panasonic forms one system with new L-Mount Alliance
Brand loyalty just got a little less essential -- the new L-Mount Alliance means that L-Mount cameras and lenses from different brands can work together in the same system. The alliance includes Leica, Sigma, and Panasonic, brands that will remain separate companies but will use the same mount system.
Zeiss puts Lightroom inside a full-frame camera with a huge touchscreen
Mobile photo editing has arrived for full frame cameras -- and you don't even need a smartphone. The Zeiss ZX1 is a full-frame compact camera with Lightroom CC built in, mixing the best of smartphone photography and advanced cameras together. The camera is slated for a launch sometime early in 2019.
The Facebook Red Manifold shows what 360 content from 16 8K lenses looks like
Hollywood videos are about to get the same movement possible in virtual reality video games. The Facebook Red Manifold is a 6DoF camera that uses 16 8K sensors from Red to capture 3D video with enough data to move in. So what's 6DoF cinema look like? Here's the first video from the Manifold.
This plug-in makes Prisma-like painted videos possible on a PC
Mobile apps first brought painted videos into the spotlight -- but now those effects are available from a PC. A new plugin for PowerDirector 16 allows video editors to turn their work into a painted film, in resolutions up to 4K. The first styles are for Van Gough and Impressionist painters.
Insta360 tosses out teasers on an upcoming stabilized, throwable 360 camera
What's next for Insta360? Teasers for a new Insta360 action camera show a camera that's well-stabilized. Oh, and you can throw it in the air too. While the camera doesn't yet have a name or full specifications, the company is suggesting big features for the upcoming camera in a series of videos.
Love gear inspired by history? Zenit returns with the Zenit M rangefinder
Optics brand Zenit just announced its first camera in more than a decade. The Zenit M is a full-frame digital rangefinder designed with collaboration from Leica. The company says the 35mm f/1 lens creates soft focus and excellent bokeh. The camera is slated for a December release in Europe.
Fujifilm unveils lower-cost GFX 50R and teases GFX 100-megapixel concept
Fujifilm made waves when they launched the medium-format mirrorless GFX 50S -- and now that camera is even smaller. Meet the Fujifilm GFX 50R, a camera with the same guts as its older sibling but with a smaller, rangefinder-style body, Bluetooth LE, and -- the best part -- a much lower price.
Sigma launches three f/1.4 lenses and the first 600mm with a 10x telephoto zoom
During Photokina 2018, Sigma unleashed five new lenses, two in the Art series, one in the Contemporary Series and two in the Sports series. The new Sigma lenses cover a range of mounts, focal lengths, and features, including the first 10x optical zoom 600mm lens for sports and other telephoto photography.
Panasonic 10-25mm f/1.7, the brightest zoom lens yet, is like five primes in one
Panasonic just unveiled the brightest zoom lens yet, a Micro Four Thirds mount Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7. The company says the zoom lens is the brightest constant aperture lens on the market -- but while the lens is like five primes in one, it comes with a catch.
Flying could feel more like going to the movies with VR headsets and headphones
How do you make air travel feel like not flying at all? Put a screen on your face and noise-canceling headphones in your ears. Alaska Airlines is now testing virtual reality headsets for in-flight entertainment. The airline isn't making promises for a big rollout, but is trying the gear out this week.
Snap, then shop? Snapchat’s camera will soon buy stuff from Amazon
Want to Snap that item and buy it for yourself? Snapchat is testing an option to shop on Amazon using the camera. The tool works similar to Shazaming a song inside Snapchat; users tap and hold on the screen inside the camera mode. The app then sends a pop-up of the closest match on Amazon.
Irix gets up close with the 150mm Macro in new, lightweight Dragonfly finish
Deviating from the company's original ultrawide lenses, the Europe-based Irix has announced a new 150mm macro lens. The Irix 150mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 is the start of a new Dragonfly line that uses a unique construction for a lighter, durable body. Irix has not yet announced the price point.
Musicbed gives YouTube creators a legal soundtrack option
YouTube flags videos that use copyrighted music in them -- so music licensing Musicbed platform is launching a new subscription tool and a way to tell YouTube's bots to back off. Connecting the subscription to a YouTube account will automatically clear flags for copyrighted music.
Photography News of the Week: Fujifilm creates A.I. for use in designing albums
Spending too much time culling photos and designing albums? Fujifilm is developing artificial intelligence that could help -- based on your preferences. The A.I. along with new camera bags from Lowepro and extreme weather camera protection from Think Tank Photo in Photography News of the Week.
Canon crams more resolution and speed in the 65x zoom PowerShot SX70 HS
The new Canon PowerShot SX70 HS keeps the same notable 65x zoom lens but adds resolution, speed, and 4K video while lightening the camera body. The bridge camera is a much-needed update to the 4-year-old SX60 HS, with a significant increase in burst speed and video quality.
Instagram could separate hashtags for less annoying posts
Just what features will Instagram add next? One enthusiast reverse engineered the app to uncover several potential features the app could be testing, including a dedicated spot for hashtags. Geofencing could also allow users to limit who sees their posts by excluding a country or region.
Joby’s tiny tripods double as selfie sticks and hide four different modes
The Joby TelePod models are more than just compact tripods -- they also double as hand grips, selfie sticks, and tabletop tripods. Designed to accommodate smaller gear like smartphones and lightweight mirrorless, the tripods use a unique telescoping design for added versatility.
All about that bokeh: Meet the Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master with updated autofocus
With a unique lens design and updated autofocus system, the Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master lens is the 30th native lens for Sony E-mount. The lens uses primary XD elements at the front and rear of the lens for better chromatic aberration suppression and smooth bokeh.
It’s safe to add music to Facebook videos if it comes from this record label
Sharing music on Facebook is no longer a copyright violation -- if that music comes from the Universal Music Group.
Loupedeck+ brings improved hardware controls to Lightroom — and Aurora
The new Loupedeck+ builds on the original with mechanical keys, new customization options, and support for Skylum Aurora HDR, taking the hardware control console beyond Lightroom for the first time. Even with all the improvements, the second-generation console is also available at a lower price.
Sick of black? Ethnotek’s Raja camera bag lets you customize designs on a whim
Like to change your bag as often as you change your socks? The Ethnotek Raja is a camera backpack that has interchangeable "Threads," or front panels to change up the look while still stashing two DSLR bodies and multiple lenses. The company is also launching a smaller sling bag and a camera strap.
Instagram’s shopping stickers for businesses see wide rollout
As the Stories format continues to grow, Instagram is allowing users to shop the items inside a Stories photo or video. Instagram recently expanded stickers that let people shop inside a Story by tapping on the sticker. The update expands Instagram shopping from tags in the news feed to Stories.
Photo FOMO: Recharge and stash lenses with this smartphone photo bag
Between lenses and extra batteries, smartphone photographers have lots of accessories too -- and could soon have a bag designed specifically for them. The bag isn't the only new accessory announced this week with wireless charging with Moment's latest phone cases. The latest photography news and more in Photo FOMO.
Aurora HDR 2019 applies A.I. to achieve more natural high dynamic range images
HDR is easy to overdo and difficult to get just right -- but Skylum says the new artificial intelligence inside Aurora HDR 2019 helps create more natural HDR images. The update also brings the LUT mapping popular in video editing to HDR images, along with new HDR looks.
Facebook expands fact-checking net to try to catch doctored photos and videos
Facebook is now fact-checking images and video along with articles, using third-party organizations. New A.I. helps flag potential fakes for human review, but user flags and comments still help recognize what content might not be accurate.
Adobe Premiere Pro uses A.I. to streamline audio cleanup and other tedious tasks
Adobe Premiere Pro will soon be able to remove background noise and reverb in a few clicks. It was announced along with a slew of new features for Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and Character Animator. The updates also include new color correction tools and Motion Graphic Template options.
As Twitter and Facebook growth slows, Pinterest hits 250 million users
Pinterest is now home to 250 million active users, despite a pattern of slowed growth and even reduced numbers among the latest reports from other networks. Pinterest also now boasts more than 175 billion pins and growth in several different categories.
Photoshop makes objects disappear with revamped Content-Aware Fill
Photoshop's Content-Aware Fill tool fills in the gaps when removing objects -- but not perfectly. An overhaul of the tool will give photo editors more control if Photoshop doesn't get it right the first time, including choosing what part of the photo to duplicate and mirroring objects.
Photo FOMO: A tripod with literal strings attached, Flickr’s new look for albums
In this week's photo industry news, learn why wannabe wildlife photographers are being blamed for the death of a moose and how Flickr is revamping albums. Meet the strange tensioning system tripod launching on Kickstarter next week and a new waterproof backpack that's already available.