Chase Melvin

An NYC-based freelance writer with interests in tech, photography, music, and gaming.

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Rumors hint at Sony light-field camera, Canon 4K DSLR

We don’t normally talk about rumors unless there is substantial evidence of actual products, which is why two reports – if real – could make a huge impact in the camera industry, and have us excited. The first is a recently discovered Sony sensor patent that suggests the company could produce its own light-field camera, much like the new Lytro Illum. U.S. Patent Application 20140071244, first filed in 2012, describes a light-field sensor that could offer enhanced image resolution due to its un

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Lytro Photo Adventure to Send 5 Winners to Iceland

As part of the launch for its new high-end Illum light-field camera, Lytro is putting on the Lytro Photo Adventure, a photography contest that will send its grand prize winners to Iceland, a country known for its beautiful landscapes. In addition to an all-expenses-paid trip to Iceland, the five winners will get the chance to meet with Chris Burkard, a widely acclaimed adventure shooter, to participate in an exclusive photo shoot, using their new Illums, naturally. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime

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Ansel Adams' Historic Camera to be Auctioned Online

Ansel Adams is considered, undoubtedly, one of the most prolific American photographers of all time. Adams is well-known for his usage of large-format cameras, and one of them could be yours – if you have the highest bid. Adams’ personal Arca-Swiss 4×5 View Camera, a photography relic of historic proportions, will be auctioned off online by the Revival Auction Company on July 9. The camera, listed in “excellent” condition, is expected to sell for a staggering amount. The Arca Swiss 4×5 camera

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Google+ Photos Brings Snapseed-Style Editing to Desktops

For those photo editors looking for the Snapseed app to make a desktop release, it’s probably not going to happen. Instead, Google has drawn inspiration from that popular photo editing app by Nik Software (which Google acquired) and incorporated several changes to Google+ Photos, which can be accessed from your Chrome browser. Google+ Photos is easy-to-use and offers several Snapseed-esque editing tools that are both selective, letting you target specific aspects of your image, and non-destruct

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StreamNation Shutter Camera App Offers Infinite Cloud Storage

With the release of the Amazon Fire Phone and its promise of unlimited photo storage, attention is now being focused on getting pictures off your smartphone and storing them in the cloud. Like all smartphones, the Fire offers a capped amount of onboard storage, which limits the amount of data you can store; offering unlimited storage via the cloud is one way around this limitation and another way for Amazon to differentiate itself from the sea of smartphones (cloud storage isn’t new, but most se

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Photographer's Chemically-Treated 35mm 'Flim' Exposes Unique Art

Film photographers (we know you’re still out there), have you ever accidentally spilled chemical substances on your rolls? Have you ever done it on purpose? Photographer Matthew Cetta sure has. In fact, he’s created an entire series of images using damaged rolls of film, and he’s encouraging others to do the same. Cetta’s Photogenic Alchemy collection, in which the artist utilized chemically-treated film to create some truly psychedelic images, has garnered a lot of attention in the photo world

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Micro Iris Uses Chemicals to Act as Camera Aperture, Not Blades

Generally, people want their smartphones to continue getting slimmer as time and technology progress. When smartphones undergo design changes, so too must the camera components in the devices – like the aperture, for instance. Cameras traditionally use mechanical blades to move the aperture, but a new technology utilizing chemicals could help facilitate smaller smartphone cameras, which, in turn, helps to keep phones smaller. Researchers at Germany’s University of Kaiserslautern have designed a

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Lifelogger Wearable Camera Streams Live Video in 1080p HD

Update on June 25, 2014: Since our initial post, Lifelogger has made some improvements to the design. Now, instead of 720p, the wearable camera can handle Full HD 1080p capture. The company also found ways to make the device smaller and lighter, and extend the battery life. “While we were developing in 2013-14 there were some new and smaller chipsets announced (like Ambarella A7LW – specifically made for wearable cams) so we are currently considering redoing the PCB layout and using the Ambarel

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Lenka is a Simple Black and White iPhone Photo

Despite the popularity, smartphone photography remains a very contentious subject among photography purists, though many are warming up to the idea – even embracing it. The various apps stores are teeming with different kinds of photo apps to download; many of them have similar features, but there are also apps that stand out from the crowd by offering very few elements. Lenka falls into one of those latter apps. Lenka was made with “minimalist” shooters in mind: The app can only use your smart

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Using Google Street View to Trace Detroit's Decay

Detroit is in bad shape – that’s not a secret. Grappling with bankruptcy and struggling to turn around, the city is also dealing with decaying infrastructure. But unless you live in Detroit or are a frequent visitor, you may not realize the scope of the urban decay. With Google Maps’ updated Street View, in which you can “time travel” to check out past images of several locations that date back to 2007, you can see how the once hustling-and-bustling street scenes of Detroit transformed over time

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OkDoThis Photo App for iPhone Suggests Images to Shoot

For photography, the world is full of inspiration, yet we often see many of the same types of images over and over. For shooters who could use some help mixing it up, there’s an app for that, and it’s called OkDoThis. Not your run-of-the-mill photo app, OkDoThis has a huge collection of photo suggestions shaped by a community of photographers around the world. After a quick (and free) download from the iTunes App Store (iOS only), you can jump right into the action. OkDoThis will start you off

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iOgrapher Case is an iPad Video Rig from Photojojo

The capabilities of today’s tablets and smartphones have inspired people to take an active interest in videography. In many cases, you don’t always need a lot of expensive camera equipment to obtain good results – there’s a huge array of modestly-priced accessories online tailored to your specific mobile device. For those who like using iPads to shoot video (and there are many of them), Photojojo has released the iOgrapher. The iOgrapher case is essentially a portable video rig unique to the iP

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Fujifilm XF 18-135mm Lens Made with Weather-Resistant Body

Photographers are often exposed to varied weather conditions, and over time that can take a toll on cameras, lenses, and other gear. The smallest bit of moisture can cause huge damage to your equipment, so it’s not a bad idea to consider products that can withstand the elements. Fujifilm looks to capitalize on that notion with its first water- and weather-resistant camera lens, the Fujinon XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR. The latest addition to Fujifilm’s lineup of XF-series lenses, the XF 18

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Chinon Bellami HD-1 is a Super 8-style Digital Camera that Shoots HD

No matter how much technology advances, it seems people will always have a place in their hearts for products from the past. Ideas from the older generation of photography are still alive today – a good example of that is the Bellami HD-1 digital camera, which was inspired by the Super 8 cameras of the mid-to-late 1960s. With the Bellami HD-1, Japan-based manufacturer Chinon pays homage to Kodak’s Super 8mm camera that was first created in 1965. The HD-1 is a handheld video camera that features

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Stunning Photos of Iceland Shot with Infrared Lighting by Andy Lee

Iceland is a country well-known for the splendor of its landscapes, waterfalls, and auroras. In addition to being a popular tourist destination (getting over half-a-million visitors each year), Iceland is a dream location for any photographer. U.K.-based pro shooter Andy Lee visited the beautiful country to capture stunning photos of Icelandic landscapes, but instead of using just a plain-old camera, Lee brought out even more of the natural beauty using infrared. Lee’s Blue Iceland series of im

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Butterfleye HD Home Camera Detects Motion and Heat

Smart technology is becoming more prevalent in our homes, particularly in terms of security. Ideas like the nanny cam have been reimagined by different companies to accommodate today’s tech savvy individuals, and the Butterfleye camera looks to make a mark on the home security field. Butterfleye is a wireless, cordless home security camera that joins the ranks of Dropcam and several other smart webcam systems designed to keep a vigilant watch while you’re away. This intelligent camera is fitted

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Canon Video Offers Maintenance Tips for DSLR Cameras, Lenses

For hobbyists and enthusiasts who’ve traded up to a DSLR to enhance their photography, you’ve likely invested a significant amount of money exploring your medium. After purchasing cameras, lenses, memory cards, adapters, and other vital pieces of equipment, you need to ensure your gear with proper care. After all, it’s not a compact camera you can easily toss into a drawer. There are plenty of YouTube videos that show you how to properly clean a camera, but Canon has released a short video from

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AppCam Claims Leica T OS is Similar to their Software

Leica debuted the Leica T mirrorless compact camera last April, and the camera has already received a lot of positive feedback, in a short amount of time. Even the developers at AppCam offered praise, despite the fact that they claimed the Leica T’s operating system closely resembles that of AppCam’s. Leica is one of those companies that pride itself on originality and exclusivity, but according to AppCam, the touchscreen OS on the Leica T is nearly identical to the AppCam OS, a system that App

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NASA Transmits HD Video, Vine Time-Lapse from Space

NASA is making headlines again after successfully transmitting the first high-definition video from the International Space Station (ISS) to Earth. The video was sent on June 5, 2014 using a special piece of equipment that utilizes lasers to transmit data from space. The 148-second “Hello, World!” video message was the first sent by the Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS), a laser instrument NASA is utilizing to test communication methods that use higher bandwidth than radio waves. T

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Adobe Camera Raw 8.5 Adds Support for 6 New Cameras, Lens Profiles

Adobe has announced Camera Raw 8.5 Release Candidates, which includes support for five new digital cameras and several different lenses. This latest plug-in adds support for the Panasonic Lumix GH4, Olympus OM-D E-M10, Canon Powershot G1 X Mark II, Fujifilm FinePix S1, and Nikon’s 1 V3 and 1 J4. Owners of these cameras will be able to edit their Raw image files natively in Photoshop CS6 and Photoshop Creative Cloud, though the Camera Raw 8.5 update is still an early release candidate. Creative

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