The Goods: Our Favorite New Premium Photo Gear

 

Eye in the Sky
Want to shoot striking aerial photos but can’t afford a helicopter? DJI’s Phantom 3 remote-controlled quadcopter shoots 12MP still images in Adobe’s DNG Raw format along with 4K video, so you’ll capture amazing amounts of detail in your bird’s eye photos and movies. Powerful copter motors and improved stabilization let this drone fly faster and steadier while giving the on-the-ground pilot more control. Three built-in sensors in the Phantom 3 monitor the ground to help prevent crashes, while improved battery life keeps it aloft for up to 23 minutes. Want instant aerial fame? You can now live stream your video from the drone directly to YouTube.

DJI Phantom 3
$1,259 (professional model that shoots 4K)
dji.com

 

Cinema Star
Photographers who want to make the leap to shooting pro-quality movies can turn to a familiar name. The Canon EOS C300 Mark II may have some similarities to the company’s DSLRs—including an EF lens mount so you can attach Canon’s photo lenses—but under the hood this cinema camera is a vastly different beast. The C300 Mark II is powered by a new 8.85-megapixel Super 35mm Cinema CMOS Sensor, new dual DIGIC DV5 processors, and features a new Canon XF-AVC Codec that allows 10-bit 4:2:2 4K image data to be recorded internally, and an expanded dynamic range of up to 15 stops. The camera has been redesigned from the previous model to make it more comfortable and easier to use, and there’s now a built-in microphone for scratch audio as well as dual CFast 2.0 card slots for MXF recording and an SD card slot for 8-bit 4:2:0 Full HD proxy recordings.

Canon EOS C300 Mark II
$20,000 (in EF or PL lens mounts)
usa.canon.com
 

Light of Your Life
Even if you have a vast collection of Raw image files and like to tweak them to your heart’s content, the latest version of Adobe’s Lightroom has the power to handle them. Known as Lightroom CC in Adobe’s subscription-based Creative Cloud Photography plan with mobile features; or Lightroom 6, as a stand-alone desktop app, this revamped image organizer/editor received a GPU boost that Adobe claims makes it “10 times faster than ever.” New features include an HDR Merge tool that combines shots with different exposure settings into one Raw high dynamic range image; Panorama Merge, which stitches together images into a Raw panoramic photo; Facial Recognition for quickly searching and sorting images of friends and family; and Video Slideshows, which combine still images, videos, and music with pro effects such as pan and zoom.

Adobe Lightroom CC/Lightroom 6
$9.99 per month for Lightroom CC; $149 for Lightroom 6
adobe.com
 

Print King
Turn your images into gallery-worthy photo prints with the Epson SureColor P800. This 17-inch-wide professional photo printer uses a new UltraChrome HD eight-color pigment ink set and revamped Epson MicroPiezo AMC printhead technology for eye-catching but natural-looking color and crisp detail. Other new features include a sheet feeder for photo or matte media, and a front-in and front-out paper path designed to make it easier to print on thicker fine art papers and poster board. There’s also an optional roll paper adapter for printing on canvas and on longer print lengths of up to 10 feet to help produce ultra-wide panoramic photo prints. Monochrome fans will love the Advanced Black-and-White print mode for pro-level neutral or toned black-and-white prints.

Epson SureColor P800
$1,295
epson.com

 

(Editor’s Note: The Goods is a new feature in Shutterbug that spotlights the hottest premium photo gear out there. If you have a product you’d like considered for The Goods, e-mail images and info to editorial@shuttterbug.com.)

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