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Fujfilm GFX100RF 102MP medium format rangefinder style fixed lens available from April 7th

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Anyone remember the Fujfilm GS645W, that robust go-anywhere 120 rollfilm leaf shutter rangefinder with a 45mm f/5.6 wide-angle lens, or its electronic GA645W with faster f/4? Well, in a slightly different body form the medium format digital GFX series is revisiting this amazingly popular minority choice for landscape, travel and everyday use.

The GFX100RF is the first fixed-lens digital camera in the GFX Series, equipped with the 102-megapixel high-speed sensor ‘GFX 102MP CMOS II’ and the latest high-speed image processing engine ‘X-Processor 5.’ By thoroughly reviewing the design of both the lens and the body, it achieves a weight of approximately 735g making it the lightest in the GFX Series despite being a fixed-lens camera. 

  

• Achieving the lightest weight in the history of the GFX Series, the GFX100RF weighs approximately 735g. To achieve significant reduction in size and weight, Fujifilm developed a new lens and thoroughly revised and optimized the internal structure of the camera body. As a result, despite being a fixed-lens digital camera, it is significantly lighter than the previous lightest model in the GFX Series, the GFX50R, which weighs 775g (body only).

• The GFX100RF is equipped with a 102-megapixel large format sensor and high-speed image processing engine. With a newly developed lens and advanced color reproduction technology, it achieves the exceptional image quality that the GFX Series is known for. The ‘GFX 102MP CMOS II’ sensor, with improved pixel structure and microlenses, offers a wide dynamic range, low-noise shooting, enhanced edge quality, and improved AF accuracy, allowing you to enjoy the extraordinary high image quality that the GFX Series proudly delivers.

• For the first time in our digital cameras, the top plate of the camera is manufactured using precision-machined aluminium. This meticulous machining extends to the lens ring, dials, bottom plate, and other details, enhancing the feel of the metal and unifying the design. This results in a sophisticated design that highlights the presence of the camera body and dials, befitting a premium model.

 

• The camera features a first-ever Aspect Ratio Dial on the top rear. This allows for easy switching between nine aspect ratios for stills and video including new ‘3:4′ and ’17:6’ ratios.



• To make the digital teleconverter function, which utilizes the 102-megapixel high-resolution sensor, even more user-friendly, a Digital Teleconverter Lever is mounted on the front of the camera. This lever allows you to quickly and intuitively select the desired angle of view. Designed with a 35mm focal length (equivalent to 28mm in 35mm format), it can be switched in three field of view to 45mm (equivalent to 36mm in 35mm format), 63mm (equivalent to 50mm in 35mm format), and 80mm (equivalent to 63mm in 35mm format), providing flexibility to accommodate various shooting scenes.

• A new 3.15-inch, 2.1 million-dot, two-axis tilt LCD monitor features a new user interface (UI) that optimally aligns shooting icons to match the monitor’s 3:2 aspect ratio. A new surround view function has been added, displaying areas outside the shooting frame in a semi-transparent or line format according to the aspect ratio. This function can be easily switched using a lever while looking through the viewfinder, providing an OVF-like experience even with an EVF, allowing you to be aware of what’s happening outside the frame.



• Fujifilm have newly developed a dedicated 35mm f/4 lens for the GFX100RF. A leaf shutter instead of focal-plane has allowed shortened the back focus and extra space for the advanced lens design without making it very deep.

• The 35mm focal length (equivalent to 28mm in 35mm format) is suitable for a wide range of scenes, including landscapes, travel, snapshots, and portraits. The 102MP sensor allows a wide range of crops from the frame, with just 1/10th of the image area being needed for the best quality A4 repro.

• The 10 elements in 8 groups lens configuration, which includes two aspherical lenses, reduces spherical aberration and field curvature, delivering high resolution performance. A newly developed Nano GI coating, optimized for lenses with significant curvature, suppresses light reflection even at the periphery of the lens. This ensures the exceptional resolution performance worthy of the GFX Series.

• Focusing is to just 20 cm from the lens front. Despite being a large format camera, its compact and lightweight body design allows you to get close to your subject and enjoy photography freely.

• For the first time in the GFX Series, the camera is equipped with a built-in 4-stop ND filter. This is useful for shooting with a wide aperture in bright environments or for slow shutter speed photography.

• The leaf shutter up to 1/4000s allows flash photography at any shutter speed, providing greater flexibility in shutter speed and expanding creative possibilities, even for outdoor daytime shooting.

• With high-speed, high-precision autofocus and 4K/30P video capability, GFX100RF delivers outstanding performance across a wide range of scenarios.

• GFX100RF features an evolved AF prediction function and face/eye detection AF thanks to an improved algorithm. Additionally, the AI subject detection AF uses deep learning technology to recognize a wide variety of subjects including animals, vehicles, birds, and airplanes. For video recording, the tracking AF function has been enhanced, allowing easy subject tracking with touch operation. Whether for still images or videos, GFX100RF delivers high-tracking performance, ensuring a comfortable shooting experience.

• GFX100RF incorporates a 0.84x magnification and 5.76 million-dot high-resolution EVF. When using the viewfinder, it minimises image blurring and distortion caused by eye misalignment, ensuring high visibility.

• GFX100RF supports smooth 4K/30P 4:2:2 10-bit video recording. With a standard ISO setting of 100, it allows for wide dynamic range and low-noise shooting. The ‘F-Log2’ with over 13 stops provides rich gradation expression and high flexibility in post-production.

• Compatible with the Frame.io Camera to Cloud service. Video and still image files can be uploaded directly to Frame.io, dramatically speeding up the workflow from shooting to editing.5)Bundled accessories that combine practicality with sophisticated design, further enhancing the product’s appeal.



• The package includes a protector filter PRF-49 and a precision-machined aluminium lens hood with dedicated adapter ring, and a rope-type shoulder strap.
..
Further product information can be found at: https://fujifilm-x.com/en-gb/products/x-series/ 
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Cameras (DSLR), News, Press Releases, Technology

Final Cameracraft print + digital super deal

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All future editions of Cameracraft will be digital PDF downloads. All digital subscribers will be given a download link. This will include a QR code/link for ordering affordable A4 print on demand if you want a magazine copy to keep.

SUBSCRIBE NOW to our digital editions and (UK only) receive the final three issues including the latest March/April 2025 while stocks last. This issue has a black and white portfolio of Elena Dudar, sent to us from Kyiv. Elena’s portraits celebrate the strength and creativity of Ukraine’s women. She’s written a great article on her work to go with it.

Subscribe using the button below at £15 (worldwide). Only UK addresses can receive the pack of three magazines free with site subscription.

Cameracraft Digital Sub £15

Overseas: one-off payment for pack of three magazines (Nov/Dec 2024, Jan/Feb 2025, Mar/Apr 2025) by International Standard Post – please use payment panel below to select postal region (does not include subscription). £15 Europe, £20 Zone 1 world, £21.50 USA, £25 Zone 2 (Australia etc)

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Magazines, Offers, Subscriptions, Uncategorized

LCE Photographer of the Year 2025 competition winners announced

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  • First prize awarded to London-based Capri McPherson-Noel with outstanding portrait ‘Sunkissed Boy’
  • Total prize fund of £10,000, with 14 category winners including ‘Emerging Talent’ and the ‘People’s Choice’ publicly-voted award
  • Second year of London Camera Exchange competition attracts thousands of stunning entries from around the world

10 March 2025

London Camera Exchange (LCE) has announced the winners of its LCE Photographer of the Year 2025 competition, which attracted entries from around the world, submitted in 14 diverse categories. This year’s contest featured a new ‘Emerging Talent’ category for photography students, with a prize awarded to both the individual photographer and their university or college.

First prize winner: Capri McPherson-Noel

First prize winner

The overall first prize winner is London-based Capri McPherson-Noel with her exceptional portrait ‘Sunkissed Boy’, captured last year in the UK. Commenting on the photograph, Capri said, “I wanted to create the connection between humans and nature. The way the sunlight bounces off the sunflowers for growth is similar to the way the sun beams off the model’s skin tone. As humans, we gain energy from the sun, just as the flowers do.”

British-Caribbean Capri was raised in Ireland and moved back to the UK ten years ago. She currently works in the television industry, but aims to make photography her full-time career, and has a passion for all things creative. “I am a big believer in showcasing stories, especially in my work. I am outgoing and love to meet people. Hearing about different walks of life has always been intriguing for me and this has definitely contributed to my view as a photographer. I try to see the best in everything and live life to the fullest.” Sunkissed Boy was shot on a Canon EOS 90D in summer 2024. Capri received £3,000 in LCE vouchers as the top prize winner.

Category winners (£500 vouchers each):

  • Action – ‘Blowing the Cheeks’ by Lester Woodward (overall runner-up)
  • After Dark – ‘Cosmic Gates’ by Dawid Glawzin
  • Birds – ‘Backlit Cuckoo’ by Colin Vanner
  • Creative – ‘Future Portrait’ by Gilbert Murray
  • Emerging Talent – ‘Abigail’ by Martina Aguirre Torres
  • Landscape – ‘Close to Heaven’ by Edyta Rice
  • Macro – ‘Season of Love’ by Sandip Guha
  • Music – ‘Creation of Deadletter’ by Gracie Hall (overall runner-up)
  • Pets – ‘Muesli Yawn!’ by Jon Pauling
  • Portrait – ‘Sunkissed Boy’ by Capri McPherson-Noel (overall winner)
  • Street – ‘Platform No. 1’ by John Seager
  • Travel – ‘Mundari Women’ by Lynn Fraser
  • Wildlife – ‘After the Kill’ by Caroline English
  • People’s Choice – ‘Steep Hill Lincoln’ by Andrew Scott

A standout winner in the Emerging Talent category caught the judges’ attention. Simply entitled ‘Abigail’, the photo was also chosen as a runner-up in the Music category, and portrays charismatic singer Abigail Morris from British indie rock band The Last Dinner Party. The image was captured on the group’s tour in October 2024 at the Eventim Apollo, by student Martina Aguirre Torres, who is studying fashion photography at the London College of Fashion. Martina commented, “Editing photos from this gig is what made me find my editing style. Before, I was a bit lost, as I’m sure a lot of young photographers are – but after playing around in Lightroom and Photoshop, and then seeing the final result, I felt like I could cry! I’m super proud of this photograph because of that.”

Emerging Talent winner

Also of note is overall runner-up (and Action category winner) ‘Blowing the Cheeks’ by Lester Woodward, which was taken at the 2023 British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championship practice sessions, featuring Dutch champion and Paralympics gold medallist Jiske Griffioen. Lester said, “I think this image really highlights the dedication and effort put in by the athlete, and felt the practice sessions were a lot harder than the match. I was lucky to have great lighting on the day.”

Blowing the Cheeks

Lee Harasyn, managing director of LCE, commented, “The calibre of entries this year was outstanding, and it took the judges many, many hours to agree on the shortlist, as the standard generally was so very high. Submissions in the ‘Emerging Talent’ category for photography students blew us away with their diversity and creativity. We are particularly thrilled to present this new award, celebrating up-and-coming photographers and providing a platform for their work to be in the spotlight. On behalf of the LCE team, I’d like to congratulate the all the winners and thank all the entrants for making the second year of our competition such a triumph.”

The awards were presented at a special ceremony at The Photography & Video Show on Sunday 9 March 2025 at Excel, London. All the finalist images were displayed in an exhibition at the four-day show and have been published in a commemorative book. Winners received a share of the £10,000 prize fund and an impressive trophy.

Open to entries from October 2024 to January 2025, the LCE POTY competition received more than 10,000 submissions. The prize fund was generously supported by major photo industry brands including headline sponsors Canon, Nikon and Sony, plus partners Fujifilm and OM System. The judging panel included Chris George, content director at Future Publishing, street photographer Peter Dench, journalist and SheClicks founder Angela Nicholson, and Lee Harasyn, Managing Director at London Camera Exchange.

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Uncategorized

Sony fights back! 400-800mm G and 16mm f/1.8

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Well, a couple of days after Sigma announced their new 300-600mm f/4 to much acclaim Sony has pulled the rug slightly from their feet with a £2,549 400-800mm ƒ6.3-8 G OSS supertele zoom. Like Canon, they have realised current mirrorless sensors can focus easily with small apertures on long lenses

The saving in cost is matched by a saving in weight – 2.4kg is good for a big white lens in this class, rugged and weather-sealed (they claim ‘fully’) and with optical stabilisation to take over from I.B.I.S. which would be at the limits of movement at 800mm. As adding converters… it works with both 1.4X and 2X.

Main points:

400-800mm OSS lens with G optics
Sony’s first E-mount super-telephoto zoom lens to extend to 800mm
27 elements in 19 groups, with six ED glass elements
f/6.3-8 aperture with an 11-blade diaphragm
Fast, silent AF from Two XD Linear Motors
Internal zoom mechanism does not extend barrel
Optical SteadyShot (OSS) stabilisation with three modes
Focus down to 1.7m (400mm) / 3.5m (800mm)
0.23x macro scale
Compatible with 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters, extending reach to 1600mm
Focus range limiter
Full-time DMF
Detachable tripod collar
Weather-sealed with silicone gaskets
Fluorine-coated front element repels water, oil, and fingerprints
Lens hood features with filter window for rotating polariser

Viltrox inspiration?

The new 16mm f/1.8 is hardly surprising when Viltrox in China has made such a groundbreaking lens and taken the market by storm. Sony’s G response even fairly priced by its standards at £849 RRP, and at 304g it’s a striking 246g lighter than a bigger Viltrox. It’s also much smaller but still a full-frame f/1.8. It focuses down to 13cm and has a declickable aperture ring with an unusual iris lock switch to prevent change of setting. It takes 72mm filters. It lacks the A-B focus change movie function or clever (fault prone?) LED display of the Viltrox, but has a regular multi-function button. At £300 more than its independent predecessor it should become a standard addition to pro and enthusiast kits alike.

Order now from Amazon UK

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Lenses - E mount, News

Panasonic Lumix S1R II – 44MP full frame

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The Panasonic Lumix S1R II, just announced, features a new 44.3MP sensor offering high-resolution imaging with a wide dynamic range (14-stop V-Log/V-Gamut) and impressive low-light performance.

Powered by the latest L2 engine, it balances high resolution with low noise, offering a flexible ISO range of 80-51,200 (expandable to 40-102,400). It’s equipped with advanced 779-point phase-detection AF and AI-driven subject recognition. The camera also offers a 177MP high-resolution mode and supports 8K video recording, as well as 6.4K 30p 10-bit Open Gate, making it a powerful tool for both photographers and filmmakers.

  • New 44.3MP full-frame sensor
  • 14-stop dynamic range
  • Fully articulated rear screen
  • Latest processor with L2 technology
  • ISO 80-51200 (expandable to 40-102400)
  • AFC/AFS at 40fps, blackout-free
  • 8.1K (17:9) / 8K (16:9) 30p 10-bit with V-Log/V-Gamut
  • 779-point phase-hybrid AF with advanced AI Tech
  • AI subject recognition for People. animals, cars, planes and more
  • 8.0-stop 5-axis sensor-based stabilisation
  • Sensor shift 177MP high resolution capture
  • Weather-sealed pro body in magnesium alloy

It is priced at £2,999 body only, £3,799 with 24-105mm f/4 Macro OIS lens.

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Uncategorized

Sigma 300-600mm f/4 arriving soon

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The first chance to see the new 300-600mm DG OS Sports f/4 Sigma in E-mount and L-mount will be at The Photography Show, London, March 8th-11th at the ExCel Centre. This £5,899 big white zoom will be joined on the Sigma stand by a new 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS Contemporary in L, E, Canon RF-A and Fujifilm X mounts at £599.

The stand will have new branding – “From today the Sigma brand will adopt a reimagined look and feel, including a new corporate logo and symbol, updated box designs for new products, and a fresh colour palette. This brand enhancement celebrates our technical precision and manufacturing excellence with a nod to the Japanese elegance and soulfulness that underpins our design philosophy.”

There will also be a new Sigma bf 24 megapixel L-mount minimalist camera body with 8K video, here seen in fashionably unsaleable white and silver. However, the new silver versions of the i-series prime lenses should be very popular, as they make some cameras look like classic Leica.

You can see full info now on all this at Sigma’s website:

https://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/s025_300_600_4

https://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/c025_16_300_35_67

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Accessories - 3rd party, Lenses - E mount, Press Releases

A seasonal montage for a Christmas card

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In early November, my local camera club held a non-studio table top photography evening, inviting members to bring three items along, set them up and see what photographs could be got. Lighting was either none (the room’s ceiling lights) or portable camera flash. A few backgrounds and reflectors were brought along too.

I took a candle in cut glass holder and a wooden base of polished cut teak, and some holly with berries from my garden, along with the new Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD full frame macro lens for my Sony A7RV, and a tripod. For lighting, I brought two UYLED USB recharged photo-video light sticks with adjustable colour temperature and brightness.

This one of the frames taken. There was no black background, just a dark curtain about 2m away at the end of the room. For my set-up, the room lights were turned off, with the camera first focused and composed and locked to manual focus. ISO was set to 100, WB to Daylight, the aperture to f/16 for a long exposure moving the light sticks all round the subject to wrap the light. Aperture priority auto was used, with no EV correction for this example. A few auto exposures were made with +1 EV and the time ranged from 5s to 25s giving a choice of how much detail appeared in darker areas, and the colour of the candle flame. Moving the light sticks around gave a range of exposure times. The one I chose to work with later was the shortest exposure.

With so little light reaching the background, it’s effectively black. This could be used as a Christmas card with a message in the upper left black area, but a brighter exposure would be my choice for that. This rather more subdued shot was destined to be quickly combined with an old shot taken of my dining-room window in winter.

What may be seen straight off is the floating candle flame! That’s because where I wanted to cut the candle out in a Layer by making a quick mask using a Path, this would not work for the blended flame. The original window photo (Christmas 2006, Sony A100) is sharp, so was given brushed-in Lens Blur adjusted by eye to look right, before the flame was clone-brushed in using Lighten.

This is the Layer on top of that Background Layer, as masked. A fair amount of retouching for dust was also done, as the subject had been around for a year or so since the candle was last lit! For a ‘proper’ studio job, everything would have been scrupulously cleaned. A 61 megapixel sensor with a lens of the Tamron’s sharpness reveals even the smallest speck of dust or scratch on the glass. With the cutting out and masking, and tidying up, it took me about an hour before saving the Photoshop file as a .psd with its two Layers.

It doesn’t matter that the cut out round the flame looks rough, as the tones at its sharp edge are identical to the tones in the background image.

This is the result. It’s not entirely convincing as the glass did not have that garden view beyond it, and has a metallic look from the dark background. The candle was dark grey and I think if there had been a suitable red or green one attractively melted in the same way it would have been better. But it looks wintery!

These are the LED sticks I used to wave all round the subject, either side and ahead of the camera position. They don’t seem to be made any more, as there’s a new version with full RGB colour change, otherwise similar with a tripod thread for mounting at the handle end, and the remote control for colour and dimming. The LUXCEO Q508A, below, is £49.99 on Amazon.

I’ve found my tungsten-to-daylight adjustable pair from 2018 very reliable! If a roomful of readers click any affiliate link in this article and decide to buy, I may be able to afford an RGB upgrade…

Here’s a studio shot from when I bought the light sticks, created by carefully moving one in a circle round the subject and keeping the distance and time as steady as possible. At least two circuits were made with the light at different heights, level with the subject and higher up.

This is the new Tamron. I have a report to be published in Cameracraft due out on January 1st 2025, but in a month of using it I’ve also taken many more different images – more than the magazine can show. So I’ll be putting a page of photographs here with a link on the printed page. The lens costs under £600 in Sony FE/E mount or Nikon Z mount. Thanks for the loan of the review lens to Tamron UK – https://www.facebook.com/TamronUK

The Christmas card prints were made on 20-plus-year-old Lyson 300gsm double sided Smooth Fine Art paper – a box abandoned after I got an Epson P3800 pigment ink printer (which still runs thanks to Marrutt refill cartridges and inks). These original Lyson papers don’t handle pigment inks well. But they DO work with Epson Eco-Tank ET8550 dye-based inks, even if the black is pigment. In fact they work so well that ‘Printer Manages Colours’ and no colour management at all was needed. Set the printer to Matte paper, load the main tray with A4s halved to A5, use Velvet Fine Art as the paper setting and the cards were dry enough to crease on my Unibind Creaser directly off the output tray. The Lyson paper came from Marrutt too all those years ago for tests with their Quad Black inks. I never throw anything away!

– David Kilpatrick

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Accessories - 3rd party, Lenses - E mount, Photo Techniques, software, Studio, Studio Lighting, Techniques

Portrait Pro discount boosted

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For those who must keep family or paying clients happy, in this era of completely modified selfies and altered perceptions of what a portrait should be, the latest AI version of Portrait Pro has real value. The discount has been increased pre-Christmas 2025 to 50% plus and extra 25% instead of 10% when using our new code F2BF24.

If badly out of focus faces within a group can be recovered, reflections removed from glasses, and smiles improved without the £10k my dentist suggests is necessary to replace teeth you can’t even see… take a look at this full info. – David Kilpatrick

  • Key New Features
  • Mouth Inpainting & Teeth Replacer
  • Glasses Reflection Remover
  • Face Recovery
  • Skin and Hair masks
  • Improved workflow
  • New gender and age detector

This is Face Recovery, though the lass has become a bit long in the tooth – the AI teeth are more realistic than any amount of focus retrieval and sharpening plus retouching could achieve in a few minutes.

This is Mouth Inpainting.

And this is Glasses Reflection removal, which again is a task not to be relished in Photoshop, and the top end version of PortraitPro (Studio Max) can handle in groups, in a series of shots where it’s having a similar effect.

This pair shows a cumulative but very subtle effect from the improved workflow, and it clearly compensates for failings in the colour management and lighting. It’s impressive to note that PortraitPro started life being a very obvious process, and our advice was always to turn the default sliders down rather than up. It has matured considerably. The new workflow has improved gender and age detection, and Studio Max is well-tuned to Apple Silicon to make optimum use of CPU, GPU and RAM.

PortraitPro 24 Editions

PortraitPro Standard is standalone software for photographers working with JPG or 24-bit TIFF files.

PortraitPro Studio is for photographers who work directly with RAW files or want the higher quality of 48-bit colour files, supports conversion between different color spaces, and provides JPEG/TIFF embedded color profile support. Offers Batch Dialog.  

PortraitPro Studio Max For professional photographers or those working with a large number of images. Full Batch Mode to speed workflow greatly.

Compare the different editions: anthropics.com/portraitpro/editions

Availability and Pricing

PortraitPro 24 editions are available from: anthropics.com/portraitpro

Remember to use Cameracraft’s latest code F2BF24 for maximum discount! This can also be used for PortraitPro Body, Landscape Pro and the user-recipe Smart Photo Editor.

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Offers, Press Releases, software, Studio, Technology, Trade News

Sigma launch world first 28-45mm f/1.8 full frame zoom

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Today Sigma announced their latest E and L mount DG DN Art series wide to standard zoom with a constant maximum aperture of f/1.8. The focal length range from 28 to 45mm on 24 x 36mm full frame covers 75° to 51°.

It’s a large lens taking 82mm filters as does the new 24-70mm f/2.8. It is six inches/151mm long and and does not extend during zooming. It weighs 950g (E-mount) and focuses down to 30cm for quarter life size 1:4 close-ups at 45mm. It has 18 elements in 15 groups, with three aspherical and five super-low dispersion.

No previous mirrorless lens from Sigma has been similar but two have a good reputation in DSLR fit, from 2015. The 24-35mm ƒ2 DG HSM Art weighs only 20g less, takes the same filter size and is smaller by the difference between mirrorless and DSLR body depth. The 18-35mm ƒ1.8 DC HSM Art is for crop format (1.5-1.6X) not full frame.

The 28-45mm comes with a new type lens hood, front and rear caps and a padded zip case. It goes on sale on June 20th for £1299 inc. VAT, UK retail. Sigma claim ‘sharpness and clarity comparable to that of a prime lens throughout its entire zoom range’. A de-clickable physical aperture ring stops the 11-blade rounded diaphragm down to f/16. A function button, AF-MF switch and zoom lock complete the controls.

Our review of the 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art will appear in the July/August edition of Cameracraft, it’s being tested right now. First impressions: crystal clear images, good handling for a large zoom, usual top-grade Sigma case/strap/new-type hood and excellent value. We expect the 28-45mm to appear in a later issue.

See: https://www.sigmauk.com

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Lenses - E mount, News

AI cuts reflections in glasses

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This is a follow-up to our last post about PortraitPro. Using a self-portrait taken for the purpose with bad reflections in uncoated reading specs, I went through the options of the reflection removal process. Mid-May a 15% discount was authorised for code CC524 at www.anthropics.com which applies to all 50% discounted program downloads.

It was taken on the Sony A7IV with 85mm f/1.8, tripod, ISO 400, lens at to f/8 and control through iPhone 15 Pro Max using Sony Creators’ App remote viewing and control. The screen on the A7IV was vertical and facing me, so I could also look at the camera and see the reflections move as I changed my head angle. Setting this up showed me some problems with the A7IV articulated screen design I had not realised – it can only face the self-portrait subject when folded out at the left-hand end of the camera, which with a Arca-Swiss L-plate means hanging down… obscured by the tripod head! So no L-plate but standard Arca small plate, and camera upside down compared to normal hand holding.

This is the result using PortraitPro V24. Read on to learn more, and don’t forget if you decide to get this program use Cameracraft’s additional 10% discount code, CCV245.

PortraitPro has come a long way in a few years. At the top end, the Studio Max version is a £308 program which costs £154 with the 50% download discount that Anthropics have offered ever since the days of CDs in packaging. Since no-one now buys a CD, the real price is £154 (with 10% off for Cameracraft’s code, CV245 in the latest May/June issue).

You may not need Studio Max with its 48-bit file capability, workflow from raw to exported finals, multiple image batch processing intended to auto retouch complete portrait sessions, handling of wedding groups and granular control fine-tuning its effects. The basic V24 includes this function and costs £99 less 50% download only less our 10% – so £44.55.

It is now very fast indeed on Apple Silicon and integrates with Adobe’s photo programs. Under the hood it uses some of Adobe’s functions, without venturing into Generative Fill AI to change a digital capture beyond the scope of many competitions. It uses AI, but does not rely on on stolen images or ones licensed for almost nothing in bulk from the big picture libraries. Anthropics built their platform on measurements of the human face and body, research into what people like or dislike, and many years of coding. When it uses image-based AI it draws that from your photo and its bank of facial features modelling data.

The Reflections in Glasses problem

Recently we came across a question in a professional photo organisation Facebook group asking how it was possible to remove reflections from glasses. It’s very difficult, and when it happens in a set of pictures where the photographer is unable to prevent it, it can ruin groups and presentation shots. Many battery studio-location flash heads now have very low power modelling and it’s all too easy to light your subject and fail to spot that your octa-box is reflecting in specs.

PortraitPro’s specimen example might just be good luck, so I decided to test Version 24. My studio room has shutters when blackout is needed. Two pure white plain blinds 110 x 220cm cover the tall south facing windows to prevent furniture, fabrics, art and photographs fading or warping in direct heat. They make a wonderful giant dual light source in daytime sun even in midwinter but reflect in glasses when the camera angle is not just right.

Removing reflections from specs does not come under the Eye menu – it’s under the “Inpainting menu” along with Mouth & Teeth and Remove Stray Hairs.

This is a crop from the original file.

The Reduce Reflections in Glasses view above shows other retouching functions too (notice some reductions in skin blemishes and wrinkles) but has the reflections reduction set to Off. When you select Remove Reflections in Glasses, you see choices for Off (the start position) then Options 1 to 5. Each is a different AI generated restructuring of what should be visible through the reduced reflection. My eyes are old enough to be slightly difficult and it was interesting to see the five choices.

Option 1

Option 2 (note the left eye eyelid in all these and how it changes).

Option 3 which I felt got the eye almost right, though further retouching would be needed for a portrait. It would be good enough for a PR or informal shot.

Option 4 rather odd mismatched detail.

Option 5 eyelid droop…

Option 3 got the upper eyelid almost perfect (not quite but acceptable) and the Strength slider did allow the reflection to be eliminated to the degree shown above. However, it looked better with 85% effect or even the 50% of the earlier example, a faint reflection remaining without obscuring the eye.

The time taken on my Mac M2 Studio Max was next to nothing, I didn’t bother to time it as everything happens in real time include the export from the starting 33MP JPEG to a same size with all PortraitPro’s very subtle modification of the portrait. The defaults were just right but I increased fine wrinkle reduction out of vanity!

After saving a copy of processed result I also saved a .ppx file (the Project) which is a bit like an Adobe .XML sidecar file, and re-opens your original with all the edits at the point you saved this snapshot, reversible and adjustable as needed.

A tougher test

Here’s a worse example than anything you should end up with, so I set maximum strength on this. Option 4 worked best, and despite my eyes being almost entirely obscured by double reflections in my computer reading specs, it was not a bad fix at all. My ‘proper’ specs are coated of course and don’t reflect as badly.

I’m sure I could ask Adobe AI to do something the Generative Fill after masking the reflection area, but in the time it would take me to brush a mask in place, the entire PortraitPro glasses reflection removal would be done and dusted. Is it worth £139 (after our code CCV245 discount)? That depends on what your time is valued at and whether you ever encounter an error in shooting which leaves reflections ruining a shot.

– David Kilpatrick

To see Anthropics PortraitPro Studio Max, and the other versions which start from £49.95 (right now there’s a 15% CC524 discount, update May 23rd 2024) – all include this reflection removal function alongside stacks of other tools – go to https://www.anthropics.com/portraitpro/

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Photo Techniques, software, Software Reviews, Sony Digital Cameras, Technology, Tests / Reviews
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