You can truly leave the tripod at home for this one. The just-announced Olympus 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO incorporates in-lens image stabilization that works in concert with Olympus in-body 5-Axis IS on compatible OM-D and PEN cameras to create 5-Axis Sync IS, ultra powerful image stabilization with 6.5 shutter speed steps of compensation. That is some serious stuff.

In addition to its broad focal range (24mm-200mm, 35mm equivalent), the zoom has excellent close-up performance with a minimum working distance of 1.5 cm and a maximum shooting magnification of 0.6x (35mm equivalent) at the 12mm wide-angle setting.

This is a go-anywhere optic with weatherproof construction, providing dustproof, splash proof, and freeze proof (down to 14°F/-10°C) performance with hermetic sealing in 12 locations. The 12-100mm is constructed with a high-quality metal exterior and equipped with the Manual Focus Clutch mechanism, which makes switching to manual focus possible by pulling the focusing ring toward you. The lens barrel features an Image Stabilization activation switch and the L-Fn button to pause autofocus or assign other custom settings.

The Olympus 12-100mm f4.0 IS PRO will be available beginning in November 2016 for an estimated street price of $1299.99 USD and $1599.99 CAD. You can pre-order it now here. For a complete list of specifications, visit the Olympus website (Please send mine now...).

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Canon announced its first mirrorless body that I've found interesting, the EOS M5. Despite its lack of 4K video, which I don't consider a deal breaker, the specs are terrific.

• 24.2 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor, with ISO 100-25600.
• High-speed continuous shooting at up to 7.0 fps (up to 9.0 fps with AF Lock) and new DIGIC 7 Image Processor with improved AF tracking performance.
• Digital IS with 5-axis image stabilization when shooting movies plus increased image stabilization with both lens optical IS and in-camera digital IS when shooting with an IS lens.
• Built-in high-resolution EVF (approx. 2,360,000 dots) with new Touch and Drag AF lets you manually move the AF frame displayed for more precise focusing in different shooting situations.
• Intuitive touch screen 3.2 tilt-type (85 degrees up/180 degrees down) LCD monitor (approx. 1,620,000 dots) enables flexible positioning and clear viewing.

The problem is, I couldn't switch now, even if I wanted to. The same thing that kept me a Canon shooter for so long - my lens catalog - now prevents me from moving to them for my mirrorless work.

I have a substantial investment in Olympus and Panasonic optics that I truly like. Those zooms and primes are compact, sharp, and capture great images. And at this point in the game, it just doesn't make sense to hand those over for a limited selection of Canon M lenses.

Using an adapter for my existing EF optics isn't a consideration either. After shooting with an Olympus 45mm f/1.8 prime that's razor sharp and weighs only a few ounces, it seems like stepping back in time to mount a Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF via an adapter to a mirrorless body.

Plus, Olympus will probably announce their own updates around Photokina, yet moving the mirrorless ball forward and distancing themselves further from Canon and Nikon.

I'm glad that Canon created the M5. They needed to show the world they could get serious about mirrorless. And I hope the world enjoys shooting with it.

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Thanks to Finder integration, you can set up an Export Preset in Lightroom that sends images directly to a selected location inside your Dropbox. Once they arrive, those pictures are available on all of your connected devices and computers. Here's a short movie on how to set this up.

I've created landing folders in my Dropbox for Lightroom, Capture One Pro, and Photos for macOS. When I'm working in Lightroom, I send the image to the established folder, and it's easy to find when I need it.

This process couldn't be easier. And you don't need any special plugins. Just make sure that Dropbox is loaded on your Mac or Windows computer, then follow the steps in the above video.

More Dropbox 2016 Tips and Tricks

Dropbox users who enjoy photography will get a lot out of my latest lynda title, Dropbox for Photographers 2016. Or if you just want to learn more about some of the cool things that Dropbox can do, then watch the free movies and see what you think.

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This is The Digital Story Podcast #549, Sept 13, 2016. Today's theme is "iPhone 7 and the Age of Smartphones." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

No doubt that initially the rise in smartphone photography was due to convenience. Having a camera integrated into a connected device made it easy to send and share pictures, especially when practically every person we know is online. But we've gone way beyond simple convenience into truly capable cameras. And with no end in sight. I talk about the iPhone 7 specifically, and smartphone photography in general on today's show.

iPhone 7 and the Age of Smartphones

I think the best way to start this conversation to cover what Apple announced with the iPhone 7. I'm sure that many of you are familiar with the basic specs. But they're worth repeating.

• 12MP backside illumination sensor with f/1.8 aperture
• Optical image stabilization
• Six element lens
• Quad-LED True Tone flash
• Sapphire crystal lens cover
• Hybrid IR filter
• Live Photos with stabilization
• Improved local tone mapping
• Auto HDR for photos
• Photo and video geotagging
• 4K video recording at 30 fps
• 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
• Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps and 720p at 240 fps
• Timelapse video with stabilization
• Cinematic video stabilization (1080p and 720p)
• Take 8-megapixel still photos while recording 4K video

Clearly, these are impressive specs. And we're seeing this kind of technology in the other brands too, which are also designing fantastic image capture devices. And this got me thinking about the role of my iPhone with the pictures I shoot. Being in Maui on vacation for the past week, I'm the perfect demographic for this device.

How I'm using the iPhone. There are three of us here using our iPhones for photography. One 5S, 6, and 6S. The boys use the iPhones for everything. We purchased waterproof lanyards (very popular here in Maui), and they've shot with their phones up in the air while parasailing and underwater while snorkeling. It's their singular go-to imaging device.

Me, on the other hand, shoot some with the iPhone, but use it mainly as a conduit between the Olympus TG-4 and my Photos library. I like shooing with the TG-4 better because it affords me more options, plus it's waterproof. But it talks to the phone easily, and my images still end up there thanks to WiFi.

The bottom line is this: the smartphones are so versatile that you can customize their use to the workflow that suits you best. The boys see it as an all in one. I like it as a link the chain. But at any moment, we could change our approach and be just fine.

In the News

Instagram is working on iPhone 7-specific features (DP Review) - In one of the next versions of the app, the zoom of the iPhone 7 Plus dual-camera will be controllable from the Instagram camera. In addition, the new taptic engine will indicate how much the photographer has zoomed into the scene in both video and stills mode. Instagram says it is also looking at adapting its image filters to the iPhone 7 display's wider color gamut, which lets viewers see a wider range of color.

For all iPhones, there will also be a function to convert Live Photos into Instagram Boomerang GIFs, which repeatedly play back and forth. This function will be based on the new Live Photo API in iOS 10. The new Instagram version is expected to launch sometime after shipping of the new iPhone models has started on September 16.

Nimble Photographer Workshop, Portland, Nov. 5

The Nimble Photographer is on the road again, this time making a stop in Portland, Oregon for a 1-day Nimble Photographer Workshop. We're setting up camp at the Pro Photo Supply Event Center on Saturday, November 5, 2016.

Highlights over the course of the day include my sharing the techniques that I've developed during years of nimble photography, participant "What's in Your Bag" sessions, street shooting and portrait tips, hands-on session, post production discussion, gear review, photo sharing, and more. We're even including lunch. You can register here.

Drobo Diaries

I've begun working with a Drobo 5Dt five bay storage device that can manage up to 64TB with Thunderbolt 2 or USB 3.0 connectivity.

The first step was setting up the device and installing the five hard drives: 6TB, 6TB, 2TB, 2TB, 2TB. Make sure you hear a click when you install the drives to confirm they are seated properly.

Next, install the Drobo Dashboard software and fire it up. It will find the connected Drobo and ask if you want it formatted. I set mine up as a Mac drive so I can use it for Time Machine, Photos libraries, and Capture One catalogs.

Once that process completed, I used Hedge for Mac to copy all of my Capture One catalogs from the 5D to the 5Dt. I wanted to do this anyway, and I thought they would be a good test.

The copy went smoothly, and Hedge verified all of the files so I know that there were no gaps in my copy job. The next step for this week will be to copy all of my legacy Aperture and iPhoto libraries. I'll report on that during the next show.

Updates and Such

B&H and Amazon tiles on www.thedigitalstory. If you click on them first, you're helping to support this podcast. And speaking of supporting this show, and big thanks to our Patreon Inner Circle members.

And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.

See you next week!

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper - Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

MacPaw Creators of CleanMyMac 3 and other great software for Apple computers. Visit www.macpaw.com today.

Hedge for Mac - The fast solution for moving photos and videos from memory cards to drives, or drives to drives for that matter. Learn more at Hedge for Mac.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

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While in tropical locations, I like shooting with the Olympus TG-4 because it captures great images and it's waterproof. Plus it records RAW as well as high quality Jpegs. And I typically have it set for both.

Shooting wide during this parasailing adventure showed a real difference between the RAW and Jpeg files. Captured with an Olympus TG-4, Maui, UFO Parasailing company. Photo by Derrick Story.

The Jpegs are perfect for sending to my iPhone via WiFi, then uploading to Instagram, Photos for iOS, Facebook and more. RAWs are the ultimate safety net for special images that I want just right.

Scrubbing through the library in Capture One Pro last night, I noticed another difference between the two formats: lens corrections. The Jpegs and RAWs rendered differently for many of the shots. Tone, color, and yes, lens corrections were applied to the Jpegs. I hadn't realized that this was part of the secret sauce, but the difference was quite noticeable on many of the frames.

Yes, I can correct the RAWs to my specific tastes in Capture One or Lightroom. But for quick sharing, it's nice to know that yet another benefit of Jpegs, on some cameras, is lens corrections too.

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Now that we're in the post Carousel era, how does Dropbox stack up for photographers? To be honest, quite well actually. In some ways, the tools seem more integrated now that we don't have to jump back and forth between applications.

In my latest title for lynda.com, Dropbox for Photographers 2016, I show you how to tap the photo capabilities of this cloud-based service across all of your devices, regardless if you're using Mac, Windows, iOS, or Android.

You can enable automated backups, create password-enabled galleries, comment on photos as part of a review process, and more... all with built-in Dropbox tools, and with a service that you may already be using for your everyday work. Here's a video overview of some of these highlights.

Dropbox users who enjoy photography will get a lot out of this course. Or if you just want to learn more about some of the cool things that Dropbox can do, then watch the free movies and see what you think.

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This is The Digital Story Podcast #548, Sept. 6, 2016. Today's theme is "And Then It's Over." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

I recently learned of the passing of Scott Sheppard, who helped me in the earliest days of The Digital Story podcast. This show is a bit about Scott, digital content in general, and how it all can just disappear in the blink of an eye.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper - Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

MacPaw Creators of CleanMyMac 3 and other great software for Apple computers. Visit www.macpaw.com today.

Hedge for Mac - The fast solution for moving photos and videos from memory cards to drives, or drives to drives for that matter. Learn more at Hedge for Mac.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

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If you're recording geodata with an iPhone and/or a camera such as the Olympus TG-4, then you have some handy viewing options built right in to macOS.

"Atop Mt. Tamalpais," The GPS tab in Get Info for the Preview app. Captured with an Olympus TG-4. Image by Derrick Story.

I catalog most of these images in Photos for macOS, which does show some basic geodata. But I really like the view in Preview using the More Info heads up display (Command-I). The GPS tab is more detailed than Photos, and you can click on the Show in Maps button for a terrific Satellite view with labels.

The Satellite view in Maps with labels showing.

Now one handy thing you can do in Photos is add a location pin to a picture, then export it and view in Preview and Maps. Do this in Photos by clicking on Assign a Location in the Info box and start typing where the image was captured. Photos will offer you locations. Choose the right one, and the tag will be assigned to the picture.

When you export the picture from Photos, be sure that the Location Information box is checked in the Export dialog. That will ensure the data travels with the image. Then you can view in Preview and Maps just like a picture that was geotagged with a camera.

Master Photos for macOS

(It's More Powerful than You Think)

VIDEO TRAINING

Want to see how easy it is to apply local edits to your images using Editing Extensions? Take a look at my new lynda training, Photos for OS X: Extensions for Local Adjustments.

And for an overview of all of the great features in Photos, my Photos for OS X Essential Training will get you up and running quickly. I cover everything you need to know to get the most from this surprisingly powerful image management application.

INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE

The Apple Photos Book for Photographers

For photographers who are more than just casual snapshooters, or who are making the transition from Aperture or iPhoto, The Apple Photos Book for Photographers shines a light on the sophistication of this app and the ecosystem it taps into. Available as an eBook now, and coming to print later this year.

Get it for $15 using checkout code APPLE15!

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I love classic architecture, and it's a big part of my street shooting. Fortunately, one of the best cameras for urban environments, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II, includes Keystone Compensation. You may have heard of this feature, but I want you to see side-by-side images using it.

Downtown Oakland, CA by Derrick Story. Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II with the 14-42mm EZ zoom.

I generally shoot RAW+Jpeg on the streets. I have a monotone recipe that I use for the Jpegs. So I get a B&W superfine Jpeg and the original RAW with every shot I take. Keystone compensation is applied only to the Jpeg. That's fine with me, because that's the file that I typically want to share quickly (usually in a coffee shop via my iPhone). If needed, I can correct the RAWs later in Capture One Pro or Lightroom.

The above pairing is a single shot captured in both formats. The RAW file on the left is without keystone compensation, and the Jpeg on the right has it applied. I captured the image with a standard Olympus 14-42mm Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ lens.

If you want to know more about the actual operation of keystone compensation, I wrote an article about it for the EM-1. It's very easy to use, and as you can see, the results are nearly magical.

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The image editing tools in Capture One Pro are excellent. But there are times when I need to clone an area or use content aware, which is a strength of the venerable editing app. Fortunately, the two programs play well together, and here's how it works.

This fix is easier in Photoshop.

Here's a perfect example. There's a bit of a reflector in the above shot, and I don't have an easy way to fix it in Capture One Pro. So I right-click on the image and choose Edit With... from the popup menu. I then select Photoshop from the list of editing options.

Easy fix in Photoshop.

In just a matter of seconds, I have removed the reflector with the Clone Stamp tool in Photoshop. Now all I have to do is go to File > Save, and the corrected picture is returned to my Capture One Pro library. Generally speaking, the roundtripped photo is placed before the original in the thumbnail view. It will also be a Tiff file compared to the RAW that you probably started with.

Back in Capture One, I can continue to fine tune the shot, export it, or do anything else that I need to.

Just a few things to note: Capture one won't let you send an image from a smart album, you have to jump over to a regular album or collection. Also, after you choose Save in Photoshop, the image does return to Capture One, but it also just stays there in Photoshop. You can merely close it, or do something else with it if you wish.

Capture One and Photoshop work well together, and the only really penalty you pay is adding a Tiff file to your catalog that lives beside the existing content.

More Capture One Pro Tips and Techniques

Improve your skills by watching Capture One Pro Essential Training now available on lynda.com. More than 5 hours of tips, tricks, and techniques. Plus many free movies using advanced techniques.

I've also created a dedicated Capture One Pro Training page on The Digital Story. You can follow all of the tips and techniques that I publish in one convenient spot.

Thinking About Making the Transition from Aperture or Lightroom? - Download my free eBook titled, Rocky Nook's Guide to Moving to Capture One Pro. I show you the steps to create a test library, then build the foundation for a smooth transition to Capture One Pro.

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