Computer photography features worry many photographers, but many examples of these tools help photographers give life to their creative visions and make their lives easier. It seems good to me, not frightening.
It is fair to say that there is often a deep distrust of new technologies in photography, which is somehow a paradox. Digital photography itself is a natural advance in silver photography; At one point, an engineer would have presented the idea of ​​pixels instead of a film and would probably have encountered many reluctance. As an example of this distrust, look at the way we talk about retouching of images; We wonder if a frame was “photoshopped” as if it was a bad thing when in reality, almost all the photos seen online suffered a certain degree of improvement, that it is a Good amount of adjustments to RAW conversion software such as Lightroom or even simply by adding a filter to Instagram.
The latest technology that divides photographers is computer photography. This fairly wide generic term includes a number of functions that use IT processing for your photograph.
At one end of the spectrum, you can group the noise reduction in the camera in this sector, in which the camera strives to combat digital noise that can occur from high ISO values ​​or long exposures.
At the other end, you have features such as high resolution mode, which generally works by triggering a burst of images and merging them into a single image with high resolution – much greater than the sensor could Capture with a single file. This mode can work with or without the camera being fixed on a tripod and is particularly popular with photographers using the micro oven system Thirds where resolution is limited – currently, MFT cameras at the highest resolution (Panasonic G9 II/GH7) offer 25 megapixels. Although this high resolution mode has many advantages, including the possibility of creating larger prints, it has drawbacks because, even if high resolution mode is suitable for static subjects such as landscapes and architecture, shooting sportswoman or animal photography will be delicate in certain situations. To the rapidly moving subjects changing position between the captured images.
However, IT functionalities are better associated with functions such as integrated neutral density (ND) digital filters. The Live ND of OM System is particularly breathtaking, because not only will this feature will allow you to artificially extend the shutter speed to capture a long exposure in stronger lighting environments where it would generally be impossible, but you will also be able to see The effect gather, and taking shape right before your eyes on the LCD screen, offering you more control to obtain this striated sky or this waterfall which flows exactly as you wish. More recently, the attention paid to computer features turned to a new function, namely the Live Graduated ND Filter mode found on the flagship product OM System O-1 Mark II, which, as its name suggests, helps The photographer to balance the exposure levels in a scene in addition to an ND filter effect graduated to an area chosen in the frame, all integrated into the camera.
Today, photographers invest a lot of time in the selection of the filter system adapted to their photograph and a lot of money hard earned in the purchase of specialized optical glass. It is therefore not surprising that there is a little skepticism when a digital version arrives, but after having used it technology myself, I see its potential. Having the opportunity to digitally balance the level of exhibition in the frame without needing to transport an additional kit could be a huge victory, not only for photographers seeking to travel light, without the additional weight of filters and filter holders , but also for photographers who may start. In genres such as landscape photography and do not yet have the budget for often expensive filters.
Of course, technology is worth mentioning only if it actually works, otherwise it can be rejected as a gadget. Well, OM System has managed a circuit with the Live Graduated ND filter function on OM-1 Mark II. With the possibility of precisely selecting an area of ​​the frame (and even the angle of the graduated area), the fine adjustment continues with the possibility of controlling the filtration force and the appearance force of the graduation.
Of course, technology has its limits; Very large differences in light levels between a burning sky and a dark first plane can test artificial filtration to its limits, but it should not be forgotten that this is only the beginning. As we have seen thanks to progress in fields such as image stabilization integrated into the body and automatic development by detection of the subject, these technologies tend to start modestly, then to be improved very quickly.
Even if technology can be advanced, IT features will need more features to really succeed. They will need the acceptance and membership of photographers who integrate these features into their daily workflow. It is at this point that attitudes will change, and I think that in only a few years, computer features have not only been accepted but enlarged and advanced, with more ability to refine exposure levels or reduce The passage from light to the environment. Artificially extend the exposure times to reproduce the appearance of an ND filter at 10 or even 20 stops.
Another important factor that could not only help IT technology, but also accelerate its acceptance as a regularly used element of our cameras, is the growing emergence of AI. Imagine how AI could help the camera read a scene and automatically apply the correct exposure correction levels to instantly balance your frame lighting. This is only the beginning; It is time to adopt these computer functions and make them work for us, to help our photograph, speed up our shooting and help us capture even better photographs.
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