If you are a drone owner (or fly any RC aircraft) or if you intend to purchase one, you MUST watch this podcast.  The FAA has proposed new rules which will ground all current drones and make it nearly impossible to capture interesting photos or videos with our drones.  The FAA is taking public comments up until March 2nd, so it is very important to register your concern!!

In recent news, Yuneec has launched a 30x optical zoom drone, the E30Z.  Sony's image sensor business has been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak which has disrupted their supply chain.  Sigma indicates it is starting over with its development of a full-frame Foveon-based camera which was first announced back in 2018.  Fujifilm will discontinue its Fujicolor film packs by the end of March.

Please check out and register your concerns about the new FAA proposed rules for UAS (drones and RC unmanned aircraft) - but you must do so before March 2nd!  If these rules go into effect, you might as well throw your drone away and that will be the end of the hobby!

To register your concern to the FAA:

CLICK HERE NOW!

Fred just picked up a new laptop and in today's episode, he will discuss the pros and cons of the new Dell XPS 15" laptop.

In recent news, Immaga Wordroom uses AI to automatically keyword Lightroom images (https://wordroom.org/).  Australian researches have created a new battery than can power a smartphone for up to five days. The team behind the Platypod have started a Kickstarter project for a new high-tech ball head, the Platyball. DynaLite, the photographic lighting company founded in the 1970s, has been forced to file for bankruptcy and permanently shutter its service. The US Interior Department grounds Chinese-made drones in its fleet citing ongoing security concerns.  A new UK bill would enable police to stop, search and seize drones. Parliament recently conducted a second reading of a new bill that will give UK Police the power to stop and seize drones.

Decent computers are now a part of the photographer's kit in order to process captured images.  Fred just picked up the new Dell XPS 15" laptop and discusses the attributes of this machine and why you might consider it for your next computer purchase.  The new XPS features a 4GB Nvidia graphics card, so this machine will also be useful for video production.  If you have experience or comments on the Dell laptop, please leave you comments below, or better yet, on The Fotobug YouTube channel!

Jim and Fred interviews photographer Jeff Cable!

In recent news, LucidPix AI app turns ordinary images into 3D photos. Canon has announced Image Connect to connect photographers to potential customers. Canon also shows  off a new AI plugin for Lightroom Classic that will cull images for you. Sandisk has revealed an 8 TB SSD prototype and a 1 TB flash drive.  GoPro's defunct Karma drones would not take off in 2020 due to a GPS glitch.  DJI has posted an article with issues it has with the new FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for remote identification of drones.

The Fotobug featured guest is Jeff Cable who photographed several Olympic games, and will be covering the upcoming summer games in Japan as well as the winter Olympics in Beijing.  He also leads a number of interesting photo workshops are the globe through his website and also through M&M photo tours.

Check out Jeff's website at www.jeffcable.com

Check out M&M at www.mmphototours.com 

Don't forget to check out and subscribe the The Fotobug YouTube Channel!

Welcome to 2020!  

To begin the new year, 500px combines service and contributor agreement, and confuses and concerns some users - no need to worry!  Apple's lates MFi program will enable manufacturers to make their own strobe and lighting accessories for the iPhone 11.  New DJI patents suggest the company may be expanding into land-based drones.  The FAA has finally announced their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the remote identification of drones.  Even more news and details in the podcast!

Jim and Fred check out the time lapse capabilities of the GoPro Hero 7 and 8.  In addition, Jim found an issue with the Hero 7 that may go all the way back to the Hero 4 which will cause the camera to freeze up when using particular nightlapse settings.  This issue appears to be corrected in the Hero 8.  If you have experienced the freeze issue with your Hero camera, please let us know and share the settings you were using! 

More good photo related material planned, so keep watching and please check out and subscribe to The Fotobug YouTube channel!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

In recent photography news, Nikon is celebrating its first SLR, the Nikon F, with a new Nikon Museum sale that includes a limited-edition wristwatch and repair website iFixit reports that Nikon has contacted more than a dozen independent repair shops that they will no longer be a part of its authorized repair program. Kodak Alaris confirmed Ektachrome E100 will be available to purchase globally in 5-roll 120 'propacks' and 10-sheet boxes of 4x5 film. Adobe announced 'phenomenal' performance in 2019 with more than $11 billion in revenue, as well as record fourth quarter earnings. For more details and more news, watch the podcast!

If you have ever sold an item online, you should know how important good photos are for showing off the item in its best in order to increase sales as well as the sales price.  So, Fred and Jim demonstrate a couple of techniques to take the best photos possible.  If you are interested in the items demonstrated in the podcast, click on these links for more information!

Photo Table - https://amzn.to/36TS8qx

Photo tent - https://amzn.to/36YULrs

See you next year!

In recent news, Five photojournalists have partnered with the ACLU to sue the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after it targeted, detained and interrogated them at the U.S.-Mexico border.  A drone pilot was fined $20,000 when his drone flew away and landed at McCarran International airport. B&H Photo spokesperson Jeff Gerstel has shared a detailed statement in response the New York Attorney General's accusations. A number of anti-virus programs have been flagging Nikon's software as a virus due to mistakenly identifying a specific installation file. Nikon has updated its suite of Windows software to correct this issue.  Check out the podcast for more!

Jim recently backed a Kickstarter project by Chasing Technologies.  The product has now been released - the Chasing Dory, a submersible drone that is operated over a WiFi link through a smartphone app.  The Dory has an HD camera that can also capture stills, has two LED lights, contains 32GB of memory and can dive up to 15 meters (50 feet) underwater!  In addition, the Dory can maintain its depth, can maintain a 45 degree angle (up or down) and the WiFi buoy is  good for up to 50 feet from the smartphone (or tablet).  There is also an optional backpack, towel and tether available.  Jim and Fred take the Dory to Roger's Park on the Weeki Wachee river and test it out!  The Dory is now available for $499!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

Lots happening in the photography world! Apple has failed to overr-throw patents held by RED for compressing raw video.  The Kodak film division posts a 21% gain while the rest of Kodak posted a loss.   Adobe has showcased a prototype tool that uses AI to detect when edits have been made to a face in Photoshop.  Getty has announced they are doing away with Rights-Managed licenses for photos.  By the end of November, the UK will require all drone operators to pass a pilot test and register their drones - similar to Canada.  DJI is developing an app to show drones that are flying nearby.  B&H owes New York $7 million dollars in taxes.  For more, watch the podcast!

GoPro recently released the Hero 8 so The Fotobug guys grabbed one and decided to compare it to the previous model, the Hero 7 Black!  The new Hero 8 boasts improved audio, improved video, stabilization and also has a lot of new features.  Is it really better than the Hero 7?  Well, Jim and Fred decide to find out and compare the cameras for audio recording, wind suppression, and video quality.  Check out the podcast for even more!

Next time - review of the new Chasing Dory underwater drone!

The Fotobug guys demonstrate how to set up to take portraits at night with speedlight flash units.

In recent news, DJI has announced a new mini-drone - The Mavic Mini which weighs less than 250 grams but still has a lot to offer. Adobe announced that 7.5 million accounts were exposed although no passwords or payment details were taken. NetFlix has certified the Panasonic S1H camera as one of the cameras they will accept for film production to stream on their site. Canon has announced the EOS - 1D X MK III. Adobe has also announced that the latest version of Photoshop is now available for the iPad.  Darktable, a free open-source program that is an alternative to Lightroom has been updated. Tune into the podcast for more!

Jim and Fred demonstrate a technique to capture portraits at night in a city using a simple speedlight(s) and extended exposure for the background - night portraits!  The Fotobug guys recommend using a honeycomb grid on the flash in order to narrow the beam to prevent too much falloff of the flash to interfere with surrounding ambient lights.  They also explain how to set the flash unit in order to try to match the ambient light and how to use filters creatively on the flash.  Links to purchase the Rogue flash accessories used in the podcast are listed below.

Rogue Flash Grid system - CLICK HERE

Rogue Flash color filters - CLICK HERE

Please check out and subscribe to The Fotobug YouTube channel for more great videos!

Fred and check out out the Zhiying app settings for time lapse photography for the Neewer slider.  But first, recent news!

Researchers in Germany may have  a sensor with an increased dynamic range capable of HDR photography with a single capture.  Adobe has launched a redesigned version of its Creative Cloud desktop.  Canon's new sensor featured in the 90D has shown to be quite impressive. Researchers have developed a plant-powered camera and in Utah, a senator has introduced a bill to allow cities and private individuals to control the first 200 feet over their property for controlling drones.  The FAA doesn't like the idea (and neither do we!).  Check out these stories in the podcast.

The Zhiying app that controls the Neewer motorized slider doesn't come with any instructions and the timelapse settings are especially confusing.  So, Jim and Fred demonstrate a couple methods to capture timelapse videos with the app and the slider. If you have any suggestions or insights, please share them with us in the comments below!

Also, please subscribe to The Fotobug Youtube Channel for more reviews and DIY projects!

Jim and Fred just returned from the Black Hills Photo Shootout in Deadwood, South Dakota!

In recent photography news, drone make Skydio has announced a new drone, the Skydio 2 which they hope to compete with the DJI Mavic series. Also, Yuneec has released an updated drone, The Typhoon H in collaboration with Leica. GoPro just announced the new Hero 8 as well as a 2nd 360 degree camera, the GoPro Max. Chasing Dory is a new Kickstarter project for an underwater drone with 2 LED lights and an HD camera. An iPhone that fell from a small plane in Iceland 13 months ago was recovered by hikers and when recharged, it powered on and the hikers were able to find the pilot who lost it!

The ninth annual Black Hills Photo Shootout is now over and all it appears everyone had a great weekend despite the rainy cool weather Saturday morning.  Make sure to Save the Date for the tenth annual Shootout in 2020 the last weekend in September.  Special thanks to Joel Grimes for conducting the keynote address Friday night despite a bout of the flu and to Jay Grammond for organizing and running the event along with all the great instructors and all who attended. 

Coming up - how to set the Neewer slider app for timelapse!