Samsung Launches Affordable Large Capacity 860 QVO SSDs

Samsung 860 QVO SSDs Marries Affordability with Storage Capacity

For content creators with extensive workflows, many opt to utilize Solid State Drives for the significant performance boost over that of traditional Magnetic Hard Disk Drives. The only tradeoff of opting to utilize SSDs over traditional HDDs is that SSDs have much lower amounts of storage capacity when compared to HDDs of the same price range. Thanks to advancements in SATA technology, Samsung aims to make the storage capacity vs performance tradeoff a non-issue with their new affordable & high capacity Samsung 860 QVO series of SSDs. Key features of the Samsung 860 QVO line of SSDs include:

  • Read / Write speed of up to 550 MB/s and 520 MB/s, respectively
  • Utilizes faster MJX controller, enabling faster communication with the host system
  • Storage capacities of up to 4TB

Available beginning on December 16, 2018, prices start at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $149.99 for the 1TB model 860 QVO SSD. Additional details on the new Samsung 860 QVO SSD series are available in the full press release after the jump.

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The 2018 Phoblographer’s Editor’s Choice Awards: Canon, Sony, Fujifilm, Sigma and More!

We’ve tested out a whole lot of cool new products this year. Want to know what our favorites were?

2018 was a pretty interesting year for cameras, lenses, and more. It’s a Photokina year and arguably the last really good one we’ll see for a while. But that also means many manufacturers save their top of the line products for the end of the year. In some cases, they’re yet not even available. But we scoured through our Reviews Index to find some of our favorite cameras, lenses, bags, lights, etc.

Without further adieu, we’re going to dive into it (in no particular order)!

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RNI Films for iPhone Now Supports RAW Format

Got RNI Films on your iPhone? You can now make RAW file edits on the go with the app’s latest update.

Great news for all photographers using RNI Films on their iPhones! Really Nice Images (RNI) has recently introduced support for RAW formats in the latest version of the app. Whether you’d like to give your RAW images a quick analog look or are curious about trying out this film-inspired photo editing app, this update should give you more options to do so on your iPhone.

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Sony Announces Alpha Female Creator-in-Residence Contest Winners

The five participants of Sony’s Alpha Female Creator-in-Residence Program have been chosen.

Sony Electronics Inc. recently announced the winners of its Alpha Female Creator-in-Residence Program Contest, which is part of its “Be Alpha” campaign flagship initiatives. Out of over 6,000 entrants, the five winners were chosen to receive funding, mentorship, Sony digital imaging products, and other perks.

The Alpha Female initiative is Sony’s answer to the imaging industry’s well-known gender gap challenges, with the goal of providing exclusive opportunities for women photographers to get ahead in their careers. To empower these talented women, Sony will award them with a six-month grant of $25,000 in funds, $5,000 in Sony digital imaging product allowance, a one-on-one mentorship with a high-profile Sony Artisan of Imagery, and many other prizes.

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DxO Releases Updated Nik Collection by DxO 2018 v1.1

The latest update to the Nik Collection by DxO plugin suite offers improved stability and compatibility with the latest operating systems and Adobe host apps.

Today, DxO has released the Nik Collection by DxO 2018 v1.1, the company’s second update to the creative plugin suite. This version now offers full compatibility with macOS Mojave and the 2019 versions of Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, Photoshop CC, and Photoshop Elements. Certain interface and compatibility issues with other host applications have also been corrected in this new update.

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Lume Cube AIR is a New Versatile and Portable Lighting for Content Creators

The new and improved Lume Cube AIR promises to be an all-in-one, portable, and on-the-go light for all your shooting needs.

Content creators looking for versatile lighting that they can take anywhere may want to check out the all-new Lume Cube AIR. This improved version of the original Lume Cube promises to be a reliable, all-in-one light in the smallest and lightest package for shooting better photos and videos with either a smartphone or professional DSLR camera. If you’re doing a lot of projects on the go, this may be another useful and affordable tool for your lighting needs.

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We Collaborated with Tog Tees to Make These Unique T-Shirts. You Should Get One

We’re super excited to announce our official collaboration with Tog Tees and are bringing you these wonderful new T-Shirts.

For years, as the Phoblographer’s founder and editor I always wanted to abide by strong ethics–which is why we never stepped into doing collaborations or selling merch the way a few others do. I’ve always wanted folks to wear their love of the site in their actions, and not make you into cultists. My thoughts on this have changed over the years though, and while I still don’t want you to be a cultist of the Phoblographer, I think that you’d look great in our latest collaboration with Tog Tees in the form of these snazzy T shirts.

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Kodak Consumer Film Division Revenue Drops, Q3 2018 Report Says

In their recently released Q3 2018 financial results, Eastman Kodak Co. reported net earnings of $19 million but a revenue decline of $7 million in its Consumer and Film Division.

Attention, film photographers: looks like Kodak still needs our help. In their third-quarter 2019 financial results, the company garnered $366 million in revenue and net earnings of $19 million, compared to $379 million revenue and $13 million earnings in the previous year. However, the Consumer and Film Division continues to struggle with a $7 million decline in earnings compared to the same quarter last year.

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We’re Making a Few Big Changes to Our Reviews

In an effort to keep the site fresh and adapt to how content is being delivered, The Phoblographer is changing the way that we’re doing reviews.

The Phoblographer is making a few big changes to our reviews from now on. If you’ve been a fan of the site, you know that we tend to do things much differently than lots of other publications. And today we’re taking that even further.

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Research Finds Number of Photo Shoots in LA Increased by 63% in the Past Decade – Here’s Why

Two of the three biggest reasons photo shoots in LA have increased in the last 10 years are connected to the rise of online influencers and social media. 

Things are bright and sunny over in Los Angeles, California, where the number of photo shoots in LA has increased from 1,925 in 2008 to 3,033 in 2018. That’s a whopping 63%, despite the average cost of securing a shoot in the city also increasing by 87.4% (from $353 to $662) in the same period of time.

This is the key finding of a recent study conducted by US-based company Giggster, which describes itself as “the Airbnb for filming locations.” But now you may be wondering; why did the number of photo shoots increase despite the cost of permits also increasing very close to 100%?

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The Explore 30 Backpack by Shimoda Is for All Types of Adventures

Shimoda is back with yet another cool creation – the Explore 30 backpack – created with photographer-slash-explorers in mind.

Photographers who have an affinity for the great outdoors would love the latest backpack that adventure camera bag company Shimoda recently launched. Called the Explore 30, it claims to be the perfect companion to whatever adventure any photographer’s embarking on – from hitting the streets of a bustling city to exploring somewhere far, new, and exotic.

According to Shimoda’s website, the Explore 30 has the same maximum camera carrying capacity as the previous Explore 40 but is shorter and has a new removable belt system. Its maker claims that these new features “open up new worlds of possibility for Shimoda users, and they allow the Explore 30 to fit in everywhere.”

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ONA Partners with Passion Passport for Wanderlust-Inspired Camera Bags

Camera and travel bag maker ONA has some new colorful additions to their collection of limited edition camera bags.

If you’ve been a fan of camera and travel bag maker ONA, you’ll be delighted to know that the New York City-based company just announced their latest limited edition bags. Made in partnership with the purpose-driven travel community Passion Passport, the ONA x Passion Passport capsule collection features the best-selling Bowery Bag in limited edition colorways. Perfect for adventure-loving photographers who prefer a splash of color for their camera bags!

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Could a 14-21mm f1.4 Lens for Canon EOS R Really Be On the Way?

Dreaming of a fast, ultra wide-angle zoom lens for the Canon EOS R? A recent patent application suggests that Canon is on the way to making one.

We recently got wind of some reports about Canon possibly releasing an f1.4 ultra wide angle zoom lens, and we’re sure it’s going to get a lot of you excited. The eagle-eyed folks of Canon News broke the news of a new patent for a Canon lens with a range of 14-21 mm, with a constant maximum aperture of f1.55 and a nearest full f-stop equivalent of f1.4. If this sounds like something you think you need for the Full Frame mirrorless EOS R system, it’s believed that the lens in the works is exactly for that.

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This Kipon Ibelux 40mm f0.85 Lens is an Absolute Bokeh Machine — in Pink

On Wednesdays, we wear pink — and shoot with the pink Kipon 40mm f0.85 lens for some bokehlicious snaps.

With gorgeously bubbly and creamy bokeh still pretty much in vogue in the photography world today, lenses promising to provide it have been popping up here and there. Among the latest of these is the Ibelux 40mm with a whopping f0.85 aperture, made by Shanghai-based lens adapter innovator Kipon. The best part? It comes in screaming pink! If you didn’t catch this lens, Kai Wong spotted this bokeh machine at the Kipon booth during this year’s Photokina and recently made a video review about it.

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The New Lomography Berlin Kino Film Was Inspired by German Cinema

Lomography offers black and white film photographers the new Berlin Kino Film, another limited edition emulsion for their monochrome needs.

Attention, film photographers! Lomography has just dropped a new, gorgeous film for all you fans of black and white film. Called the Berlin Kino Film, this 35mm, 400 ISO, B&W film promises to render your monochrome snaps with delicate grain and soft tones. If you’re looking for something new to shoot with, this should be interesting for you.

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Satisfy Your Curiosity on the Shutter Sounds of Fujifilm Cameras

It’s probably not a big deal for most, but if you have a preference for certain shutter sounds on Fujifilm cameras, here’s a video you might want to watch.

Do you like the shutter sound of your camera quiet or mechanical-sounding? Do certain shutter sounds help you make up your mind on which camera to get? Whether you’re simply curious or it’s a deciding factor for your next Fujifilm camera purchase, we’ve found a quick video to satisfy your curiosity.

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These Angry Videos Most Likely Speak for Everyone Who Backed the Yashica Y35

If you backed the Yashica Y35 digiFilm camera and already received your unit, this angry review (and its follow-up) most likely sums up the things you hate about it.

Previously, we reported about Yashica Y35 backers finally starting to receive their cameras after some delays. However, those who have gotten their hands on it and tested it out were very unhappy about it. A lot say that the build quality isn’t good at all, and it’s overall more of a toy than a camera. The comments section of the Kickstarter campaign is also still getting angry feedback and reports of issues from backers. As unboxing videos and reviews have started pouring in, we believe this particular video (and its follow-up) is among the angriest, and most likely speaks for every backer’s disappointment over this camera.

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This Patent Hints at Image Stabilization Coming to the Canon EOS R Lineup

If you’re planning to get the Canon EOS-R Full Frame mirrorless camera, you might want to consider putting it off until the model gets this possible upgrade.

Been wanting to get your hands on the very first Full Frame Canon mirrorless camera, it might be better to put it off for until early 2019 at least. This is because a Mirrorless Rumors report cited a new Canon patent for a sensor stabilization system that we might see in the future units of the Canon EOS-R. Indeed one of the biggest “problems” with the Canon EOS R is the fact that it doesn’t have an image stabilized sensor. In contrast, both Sony and Nikon have it built in, and the upcoming Panasonic cameras will too!

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Tomorrow! Dance Photographer Lois Greenfield on Inside the Photographer’s Mind LIVE!

Dance photographer Lois Greenfield is joining us on Adorama TV next week. 

On November 7th, dance photographer Lois Greenfield will be joining us on Adorama TV for the latest episode of Inside the Photographer’s Mind. Lois has been a dance photographer for many, many years and has been interviewed here before. So we’re doing something different: we’d like to call this a follow up interview more than anything else and seeing how Lois has evolved as a creative, understanding how she has developed her very unique creative vision, and what advice she has for the newer generation of photographers out there.

You can catch it live on Adorama TV on November 7th at 5pm EST by following the Phoblographer or Adorama on Facebook. Or join us live at the Adorama Event Space via EventBrite!

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Kamlan Announces Two New APS-C Lenses for Sony, Fujifilm, and Canon Mounts

Taiwanese brand Kamlan has recently unveiled two new, fast APS-C lenses for major camera mounts.

In need of some fast, bokehlicious lenses for your APS-C camera? Mirrorless Rumors gave us a heads-up that Taiwanese brand Kamlan has recently announced its two new offerings: a 50mm f1.1 II (replacing the popular previous version) and a 21mm f1.8 for Sony E, Fuji X, MFT, and Canon EOS-M mounts.

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Kodak ProImage 100 Film: Neutral Skin Tones, Sharp Detail, and Gorgeous Greens

Portrait photographer Max Heinrich does portrait and street shoots to test the Kodak ProImage 100 and reviews it favorably.

Kodak released the Kodak ProImage 100 35mm film to select markets, including Asia and Latin America in 1997, but – surprise, surprise – it wasn’t until around the middle of this year that it finally made the emulsion widely available in Europe. Of course, Munich, Germany-based photographer Max Heinrich of the YouTube channel Analog Insights quickly snapped up a few rolls to see what fuss is all about for himself.

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