Imagine being able to record true film footage with all the character of Kodak celluloid, yet with a device that has an integrated digital mic, 3.5" swivel LCD screen, and an SD card slot to store the dialog. Wouldn't that be an interesting convergence of old and new?

That's what Kodak is endeavoring to do with the just-announced Super 8. They've brought together designer Yves Behar to create the look, and Logmar in Denmark to handle the mechanical fabrication for this hybrid camera. The result is one of the more fascinating devices I've seen at CES.

Kodak writes, "By launching its first Super 8 camera product in more than 30 years, Kodak is demonstrating its resolve to ensure that film plays an important role in the future of filmmakers - both professionals and amateurs. This product, like many in Kodak's history, will be a tool for artists and all those who aim to capture special moments."

The Super 8 accepts C-Mount lenses; uses 50-foot Kodak film cartridges; provides variable speeds of 9, 12, 18, 24, and 25 fps; offers both manual speed and iris settings; includes cartridge detection; ships with integrated battery with charger; and includes an integrated mic as well as line-in for your own audio gear.

The workflow is relatively simple. You shoot and ship the film, then Kodak processes it, scans the footage, and delivers it to your mailbox. You can add the audio and edit the content using any standard video editor... except that your source has the look of film instead of digital video.

If you need a more detailed view during capture, you can also send the SD video output to and external monitor (via HDMI) in lieu of the integrated LCD. The Super 8 really does bring together both worlds of filmmaking.

Rachel Morrison (cinematographer, director) wrote this about analog storytelling, "There is something tactile about film that is inherently humane. I can't think of anything more fitting for a medium whose currency is channeling emotion into imagery."

Kodak is planning to make the first run of Super 8s available later this year. No price has been set yet, but the best estimates are between $750 and $900. Plus, of course, there will be the price of the film and its processing.

I'm looking forward to seeing what visual artists can do with this camera.

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The USBCELL rechargeable battery offers an eco-friendly alternative as can be reused hundreds of times, and no charger adaptor or cable are required. It uses lithium polymer technology so you get both state of the art and convenience. It was one of my 5 Favorite Innovations from CES 2016.

Instead of a copper top that's for branding only, the Pilot has a green cap that opens to reveal a USB connector that can plug into practically any mobile charger or even your laptop. Great for photographers and gamers who have open USB ports on their console. They can always have a fresh set of cells available for their controllers.

As an interesting sidenote, the Pilot ECO USBCELL is manufactured by Foxconn, the same folks who make millions of Apple's iPhones.

More from CES

Tune in to TDS Podcast 513, My 5 Favs from CES Las Vegas where I cover the USBCELL and four other hot picks, reporting directly from CES Unveiled at Mandalay Bay Conference Center in Las Vegas.

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This week I peer into the future of technology at CES in Las Vegas and report on what I discover...

Opening Monologue

A new year tradition of recent years is to trek to Las Vegas to cover CES. Here's where I, and thousands of other journalists, have the opportunity to see firsthand the tech landscape for 2016. And that's the focus of today's show.

My 5 Favs from CES Las Vegas

I report from CES Unveiled at Mandalay Bay in this "Notes from the Field" segment.

In the News

Amazon's best-selling camera item this holiday was... film - covered by Imaging-Resource.

While there are some staggering results, such as Amazon shipping more than 200 million items via free Prime shipping this holiday season and over three million people joining Amazon's Prime service during the third week of December, perhaps the most surprising tidbit is that Fujifilm INSTAX Mini Instant Film was the biggest-selling item from Amazon's camera department. Following the INSTAX Mini Instant Film on Amazon's best-selling camera products this holiday season are the GoPro HERO4 Silver Edition and AmazonBasics Head Strap Camera Mount for GoPro.

Virtual Post Cards from Las Vegas

I'm on the road this week covering CES. So, since I'm in Las Vegas, I thought I'd try my hand at making a few virtual post cards for sharing images with others. ImageFramer is perfect to add the finishing touch.

Jacob has set up an ImageFramer Landing Page specifically for TDS listeners, with sweet discounts on the 3 different versions of the app. Please go over and take a look.

Products We Love: The Indigo Marble 15" Protective Camera Wrap

I've been testing the Indigo Marble 15" Protective Camera Wrap ($24.97), using it with a variety of shoulder bags while on the go. And what I like best about it is that I have the freedom to carry my gear anyway I want, and still have good protection while doing so. I explain more in this segment of the show.

Member Quotes of the Week

Intelligent comments culled from The Digital Story Facebook page.

In regard to Friday's Facebook Post: "Together we cross the bridge to 2016. Happy New Year! See you on the other side..." we had some terrific comments that I want to share it with you now.

Arron wrote: "And sometimes the path to new things looks wet and slippery, but we take it anyway :-)"
Michael added: " A very appropriate image Derrick - thanks for all your great work thru 2015 and I wish you all the very best for 2016."

Post your thoughts on our Facebook page. Believe me, I read them.

A Holiday Poem from Red River Paper

And as she made her final print,
The postman arrived in a sprint.
He had to finish his final run
Before going home for family fun.
She checked the card one last time
Just to make sure all was fine.
She had used Red River Paper
And learned to add water vapor
Because humidity helps when the air is dry,
Such as when it is cold and dampness too shy.
Her card did not curl and was perfectly flat,
A gorgeous image of a holiday cat.
Into the addressed envelope her personal card went,
And even the postman confirmed it was money well-spent.
When you need help learning all about inkjet printing,
Make Red River Paper your source from the beginning.

A thought from Red River Paper

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

lynda.com - Learn lighting, portraiture, Photoshop skills, and more from expert-taught videos at lynda.com/thedigitalstory.

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

ImageFramer Take your photos to the next level with ImageFramer. Visit www.apparentsoft.com today.

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

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!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

I've been testing the Indigo Marble 15" Protective Camera Wrap ($24.97), using it with a variety of shoulder bags while on the go. And what I like best about it is that I have the freedom to carry my gear anyway I want, and still have good protection while doing so.

The wrap is constructed with no-scratch, water resistant nylon material on the inside, and soft durable velcro knit on the exterior. The stitched square in the middle has extra padding. It feels like closed cell foam, and is very dense, yet flexible.

There are Velcro fasteners on 3 corners. The fourth corner goes against your gear and won't scratch contents because it doesn't have the Velcro tab. I've used the 15" wrap for my mirrorless gear and lenses.

Also, the corner that does not have the Velcro tab does include a secure pouch that's perfect for an extra memory card or small battery. And when you're not protecting your gear during transport with the Indigo Marble Wrap, you can use it as a work area to place your gear on while packing or cleaning.

The Indigo Marble Wrap is one of those seemingly simple photo accessories that can be put to use in a variety of ways, including serving as a gray card that you always have with you. I'll certainly have mine with me as I hit the road this month.

The Indigo Marble Wrap has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

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You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Here's a fun thing for Instagramers. You can see your most popular 9 shots of 2015 by visiting 2015bestnine.com and entering your handle. After a few moments, your best 9 images will be neatly displayed. Here are mine.

You can see the best 9 for friends too by entering their IG handles. It's a great way to look back on your past year in photos.

Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography.

This is The Digital Story Podcast 512, Dec. 29, 2015. Today's theme is "My Blunders in 2015." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

There's a lot of looking back this time of year. The highlights of 2015, the best of the best, and various great accomplishments. But I doubt that you would be that interested in the shining moments of my 2015. Plus, a lot of them are personal anyway.

But, how about those blunders? Now that's something that we all can learn from, right? And the theme for this week's show focuses on three business missteps that I made over the last 12 months. Now, that sounds intriguing, doesn't it?

My 2015 Miscalculations

So, I made 3 business choices this year that just didn't pan out. I'll tell you the story of each during the feature story of this week's episode.

Who Cares about Cuba? - My takeaway: A lot of people don't care about travel to exotic locations, especially those with a checkered past in terms of U.S. relations.
Don't Reinvent the Wedding - My takeaway: Apparently weddings don't need to be reinvented. Everyone seems fine with the agonizing process of hiring a photographer. And keep with warm, fuzzy names for these types of services.
No New Podcast After All - My takeaway: In all honesty, it's tough to depend on others who don't care about your art as much as you do. Give your power to someone else, and it's unlikely that you'll be happy with the outcome.

In the News

The First Leaked Photos of the Fujifilm X-Pro2 - covered by Petapixel

Fujifilm helped kick off the mirrorless camera revolution back in 2012 by announcing the powerful retro-styled X-Pro1 camera. Now it appears that a follow-up will soon be upon us: the first official photos of the new Fujifilm X-Pro2 have leaked. The camera will reportedly be officially announced on January 15th, 2016.

Virtual Matte Frames Directly from Your Printer

I've had a number of portrait shoots over the last couple weeks, and I've been printing out some of my favorites on Aurora Fine Art Natural from Red River Paper. And I've been creating custom custom mattes for these portraits in ImageFramer. And I can't describe how stunning they look, right out of the printer. I do my best to describe in this segment of today's show.

Jacob has set up an ImageFramer Landing Page specifically for TDS listeners, with sweet discounts on the 3 different versions of the app. Please go over and take a look.

Products We Love: Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader

Thanks to a recent iOS 9.2 update, we can now use the Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader ($29) with our iPhones. And how sweet it is! This is a welcome feature for those of us who shoot with older cameras, such as my Fujifilm X20 that doesn't have WiFi for quick image transfer on the go. I've gone into more detail about this process in my article, How to Upload SD Card Pictures to Your iPhone.

Member Quotes of the Week

Intelligent comments culled from The Digital Story Facebook page.

In regard to Friday's Facebook Post: "Merry Christmas to All Who Celebrate! And don't forget to take the group shot...," we had some terrific comments that I want to share it with you now.

Brenda wrote: "Always good when the photographer gets in the image. Merry Christmas Derrick. Looking forward to another year listening to your podcasts!"
Preston added: "Merry Christmas Mr. Story! You are photography's George Bailey!"
And Mike finished with: "Merry Christmas Derrick Story. Hope you had a wonderful holiday and yes, no one at my place touches a gift till we get the family pic."

Post your thoughts on our Facebook page. Believe me, I read them.

Print those Holiday Group Shots

Speaking of group shots, if you really want to preserve your memories you need to make a print. Your kids and grandkids will appreciate the effort. A thought from Red River Paper

Software Download - DxO Optics Pro for Photos

A new editing extension for Photos for OS X, DxO Optics Pro for Photos uses modules for many of the common camera/lens combinations, but presents the tools in a simplified format that's easy to use. DxO Optics Pro for Photos is currently on sale for $9.99 in the Mac App Store. You'll need Mac OS X El Capitan and a 64-bit processor to run either app.

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

lynda.com - Learn lighting, portraiture, Photoshop skills, and more from expert-taught videos at lynda.com/thedigitalstory.

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

ImageFramer Take your photos to the next level with ImageFramer. Visit www.apparentsoft.com today.

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

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!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

With iOS 9.2, Apple opened the door to use a Lightning SD Card Reader for uploading images directly from a memory card to an iPhone. We've had that functionality with an iPad, and now it works for iPhones too.

The process is fairly simple. Attach a Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader to your iPhone, and choose Import All or select the individual shots by tapping on them in Photos for iOS.

By doing so, Photos will put a blue checkmark in the lower right corner of the image designated for import. If you change your mind, tap the thumbnail again to remove the checkmark. (You won't see any checkmarks at all if you use the Import All command until the process has begun.)

Now tap the blue Import or Import All label in the upper right corner. The images will be copied from the memory card into your Photo Stream. If you have RAW+Jpeg pairs, only the Jpegs will be visible on your mobile device. You'll see the message, "Multiple formats imported" reminding you of how this works. But the RAWs will be accessible for editing when you use Photos for OS X on a Mac. Of course you'll need iCloud photo sync enabled for the images to automatically appear on your computer too. And when editing, be sure to choose "Use RAW as Original" from the Image menu while in Editing mode.

OK, now getting back to your iPhone... if you don't see your recently uploaded files in Collections in Photos for iOS, tap on the Albums tab and view the Last Import album. They should be there. The pictures should also be visible in the All Photos album.

From this point forward, you can mark images as Favorites, share them on social sites, edit them with Photos' adjustments, or work on them in other applications.

This capability is also handy for viewing what's on a particular SD card that you find rattling around in the bottom of your backpack. Either way, with the large screens we now enjoy with the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, adding the card reader function makes a lot of practical sense.

For more help mastering Photos for OS X, be sure to take a look at Photos for OS X Essential Training on lynda.com.

More Help and Insights on Photos for OS X

Don't forget about the Photos for OS X Special Feature Section on The Digital Story. It's a roundup of tutorials, videos, and articles focused on helping you master Apple's latest photo management software. You can also find it under Photography in the top nav bar.

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You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is one of the easiest ways to add location information to any photo, captured with any camera. Just open the image in Photos for OS X, and follow the simple steps that I show you in this movie from Photos for OS X Essential Training on lynda.com.

By doing so, not only are you adding geotags to your pictures, but Photos also recognizes this information for search. So, for example, if you add geotags to the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, you can also search for images using any of those labels.

If you prefer articles to videos, you might want to read my How to Geotag in El Capitan Photos App. And for other hands-on tutorials, be sure to take a look at Photos for OS X Essential Training on lynda.com.

More Help and Insights on Photos for OS X

Don't forget about the Photos for OS X Special Feature Section on The Digital Story. It's a roundup of tutorials, videos, and articles focused on helping you master Apple's latest photo management software. You can also find it under Photography in the top nav bar.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

The DXO ONE workflow just got a little easier for Mac users. Now there's an Optics Pro editing extension just for the DxO ONE camera and Photos for OS X. And it works pretty well.

Instead of having to use a completely separate app, previously DxO Connect, ONE shooters can now import their RAW/Jpeg pairs directly into Photos for OS X. Then, simply select the image for adjustment, go to Edit mode (make sure you're working on the RAW file), and choose DxO Optics Pro for the DxO ONE from the list of editing extensions.

This gives you access to lens corrections, Smart Lighting, white balance, and DxO ClearView. There are presets within the adjustments to help you get the look you want. After doing so, click on Save Changes, and you're returned to the standard Photos for OS X editing environment. Here, you can continue to work on your picture if necessary using Photos' standard toolset.

The adjustments are quite powerful. Compare the top image, processed with the Optics Pro editing extension, with the middle photo that's straight out of the camera. Both Smart Lighting and ClearView can add a lot of pop to a picture.

The editing extension is free, but of course you have to have a DxO ONE camera to use it. If you don't have the ONE, there's also DxO Optics Pro for Photos that uses modules for many of the common camera/lens combinations.

When DxO loads modules for both camera and lens, the corrections are quite impressive. And even when a lens module does not load, such as with my Olympus 17mm f/1.8 prime, the Smart Lighting and ClearView still provided lots of pop to the image. (I was disappointed, however, when a lens module would not load for editing a photo. I suspect this process will be smoothed out in future updates.)

DxO Optics Pro for Photos is currently on sale for $9.99 in the Mac App Store. You'll need Mac OS X El Capitan and a 64-bit processor to run either app.

More Help and Insights on Photos for OS X

To learn all the ins and outs of the latest version of Photos, take a look at Photos for OS X Essential Training on lynda.com. And don't forget about the Photos for OS X Special Feature Section on The Digital Story. It's a roundup of tutorials, videos, and articles focused on helping you master Apple's latest photo management software. You can also find it under Photography in the top nav bar.

Here's an image captured with the DxO ONE camera and processed with the Optics Pro editing extension in Photos for OS X.

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You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast 511, Dec. 22, 2015. Today's theme is "Breaking New Ground." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

In my mind, setting an important goal for 2016 is different than a New Year's Resolution. A resolution is typically to fix something that's wrong. "I'm going to lose 10 pounds in 2016 because I weigh too much." Setting a goal is enhancing one's life or career by endeavoring something new.

The theme of today's show is Breaking New Ground. I'm going to talk about ways in which we can become better artists, technicians, and business people though setting just one goal and working toward it.

Breaking New Ground

Every December I sit down and think about what I could achieve in the coming year. This isn't an exercise in fuzzy abstracts, such as, "I want to become a better person," or "This is the year I finally make it big." My goal is more concrete than that.

I figure if I can keep doing what I'm already doing, and add one more skill, product, or revenue stream, then I'm moving in the right direction. Think about how this can add up over the course of a single decade?

The goal I set for 2015 was to finally get my newsletter, The Nimbleosity Report, off the ground. I didn't finally launch until November (the latest I've ever achieved an annual goal). But I did make it happen, and I'm having a ball with it. I truly wish I had started it earlier.

I have some good possibilities for 2016. Some of them I can't share because they involve other companies, and I don't want to jinx myself. Others are very personal, such as finishing my book, "The Nimble Photographer," or publishing "The Film Project."

Regardless of which one I settle on - I still have a week to do so - it will most likely improve my working life. And that's really my bottom line: moving in the right direction.

I'll discuss this in more detail during the feature story of today's show."

In the News

Apple Has 800 People Working on the iPhone Camera - 60 Minutes covered by Petapixel

Apple is one of the largest companies in the world, the iPhone is Apple's biggest and highest-earning product, and the camera on iPhones is the device's most used feature. So, it makes a lot of sense that Apple would dedicate 800 "engineers and other specialists" toward making the iPhone camera as awesome as possible.

Apple reveals that there are 200 separate individual components in each tiny iPhone camera module. The camera's stabilization system uses 4 wires that are just 40-microns in width -- less than half a human hair -- to hold the suspension and stabilize the camera from hand shake. Finally, get this: each time you capture a photo with an iPhone, there are 24 billion operations that happen just for that one snapshot.

Meet ImageFramer's Jacob Gorban

A few weeks ago, I received this email from a Mac Developer named Jacob Gorban. I want to read you his note, then talk about the app he has developed.

"Hello Derrick, I'm the founder of Apparent Software and ImageFramer was the first OS X application I released, back in 2006.

I would love to know your opinion on it, as a professional photographer and fellow Mac user.

So, I did try Jacob's software, and I love it. So I'm going to spend some time over the next few week's discussing its array of features. I thought today I should start with creating frames for your holiday greeting cards.

Jacob has set up an ImageFramer Landing Page specifically for TDS listeners, with sweet discounts on the 3 different versions of the app. Please go over and take a look.

Products We Love: The Tenba Cooper 13 Slim

It's official, the Tenba Cooper 13 Slim is my camera bag of the year, winning over the much-discussed Peak Design Everyday Messenger. Why, because it's more nimble (hence the term Slim in its name), costs $20 less, and more professional looking (personal opinion). I've been using this bag on location, in rainy conditions, and around the studio, and it is the clear winner for my camera bag of the year.

The Screening Room

This week's Screening Room selection is Lightroom Insider Training: Mastering the Develop Module with Bryan O'Neil Hughes.

In this course, Adobe's Bryan O'Neil Hughes explores the Develop module in depth, stepping through each of the module's core tools and sharing insights on each along the way. The course concludes with chapters on essential time-saving tools, taking photos from Lightroom to Photoshop for further enhancement, and editing images on smartphones and tablets with Lightroom for mobile.

Member Quotes of the Week

Intelligent comments culled from The Digital Story Facebook page.

In regard to Sunday's Facebook Post: "Tenba Cooper 13 Slim - Exceptional Shoulder Bag," we had a great exchange between two virtual camera club members, and I want to share it with you now.

Bob wrote: "It looks promising. But I wish Tenba and the other bag makes would get away from the inserts, they waste a lot of room in the bag."
William replied: "And therein lies the problem for bag designers, Bob. I like bags with inserts and that you can remove them!"
So then Bob replied: "So you're the cause of the problem. I should have known :-)"
And William finished: "A man has to do what a man has to do!"

Post your thoughts on our Facebook page. Believe me, I read them.

Why Prints Are So Important

Photography has always been about preserving memories and history for the future. Today that means protecting images from the vagaries of technological change. Remember the floppy disk? How about the PhotoCD? Good luck easily retrieving data from either! Remember that today's file formats and storage devices may not always be available.

If you want to preserve your memories you need to make a print. Your kids and grandkids will appreciate the effort. A thought from Red River Paper

Found Treasure

Registration is open for The 2016 Street Photography Workshop in San Francisco. And I've posted the full preliminary itinerary on the Workshops page. And if you plan on ordering through B&H Photo or Amazon, please stop by the TDS site first, click on their respective ad tile, then place your order. That extra step helps support the site.

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

lynda.com - Learn lighting, portraiture, Photoshop skills, and more from expert-taught videos at lynda.com/thedigitalstory.

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

ImageFramer Take your photos to the next level with ImageFramer. Visit www.apparentsoft.com today.

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

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!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.