MasHD Blog

Meizu has officially announced its Pro 7 Plus flagship smartphone for 2017 . The phone , which breaks the typical smartphone design trend by featuring a second rear facing display (Similar to Russian Yotaphone ) is also bringing in Dual cameras into Meizu's smartphone cv . The phone , based on the 10 core Mediatek Helio X30 (2.6Ghz - dual Cortex A73 cores , 4 A53 cores and 4 A35 cores for low power)  chipset and 6GB of ram is certainly up there in the raw horsepower department and combined with the 64 or 128GB storage options is also quite well spec'd in that department as well  . The phone , like most smartphones with dual cameras , use Sony's IMX368 1/2.9" sensors with one Bayer RGB panel and one without it for monochrome detail (similar to Huawei's P10) . The dual 12 MP sensors have a 1.25 micro meter pixel size  and feature phase detection AF and F.2 aperture . The front features a 16MP shooter The displays on the Plus model is certainly t...

Whether you like it or not , car accidents do happen . But in a dog -eat - dog world  ,having a recorded session of your journey would be a lifesaver, and as a result, more and more companies are venturing into this market. Motorola has kept quite a long cv in making communications gear , cameras, consumer products , and automation gear is now setting their sights on dash cameras .(eventhough the Motorola brand name is owned by multiple companies now) Designed by Binatone , a British company which bought Motorola accessories in 2015 basically carries the Motorola name on their product and even has some design elements carried on by Motorola smartphone products . The camera ,which is said to feature a wide angle lens with 1080p recording will be sufficent for most dash cam situations and it features a micro SD for storage . The unit features a 4" 480x854 resolution LCD which would also have the ability to sync with a reverse camera if its available . The pricing for this uni...

AMD has been rocking Intel HQ for a while now , the processors , which undercut the high price monopoly enjoyed by Intel for similar performance is now set to get even better with the announcement of the Ryzen 3 series which is technically the arch nemesis of the Intel Core i3 series  . As we said earlier , the Ryzen series is basically designed to give intel a run for their money and put AMD back on the map . For many years , Intel's Core iX series remained unchallenged ,but now with the Ryzen 7 and the whole advantage was simply lost overnight (which eventually prompted Intel to announce their Extreme Core i9 series ) . The Ryzen 5 , which challenges the i5 series was also received well and cost much less than their intel counterparts , and now we have the entry level Ryzen 3 - which is technically a Core i3 killer.! The Ryzen 3 - which comes in two variants  - 1200 and 1300X models , both models come at affordable prices starting at $109 for the 12...

Apple has officially discontinued the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle today , the move , which may upset a few remaining fans of the two iconic music players would now probably have to move up to the iPod touch as it has now doubled in storage (32GB and 64GB instead of 16/32 options early) or a proper smartphone as music seems to be heading into the world of live streaming and online downloads rather than plug and sync . Apple first announced their iPod in 2001 , this is a symbolic event for Apple as it signaled the move from being a  PC manufacturer to a consumer electronics . At the time , MP3's were still a relatively new format and people did still use Walkman devices for portable music . The iPod changed all that , and offered a 5GB option which can hold 1000 songs in your pocket - This basically put Apple on the map ! literally ! . With successful hit after hit , the company soared in profit as the iPod continued to be the Walkman of the 21'st century . The iPod eventua...

Sony has apparently released their "development plans" for their 35mm 36x24mm CineAlta camera . The camera , which would depart from the traditional Cinema standard of Super 35 (APS-H) sensor size is expected to give a better depth of field and more room for crop in post . Although Sony has video centric cameras with 35mm sensors - A7S series . This is the first time that their cinema lineup is set to receive this treatment . So what's in it then ? Well the Statement says that the custom Cinema FF sensor will have the following Aspect ratio-agnostic – including Full Frame, Super35 4K 4-perf 4:3 Anamorphic and 4K spherical 3-perf 17:9 . This is good news as the adaptability would greatly enhance Sony's position even further . The statement also said that their current workflow will remain in Sony’s 16bit RAW/X-OCN and XAVC for RAW video and it supports Cinealta accessories such as the DVF-EL200 Full HD OLED Viewfinder, AXS-R7 recorder, AXS-CR1 and AR1 card reader, ...

Obtained by NikonRumors , these two leaked press images give us the first look into what the Nikon D850 actually looks like . TL:DR - Nikon D850 has a larger penta-prism buldge on top , and it no longer features a pop up flash . The bulge will feature connectivity options (Wifi ? Bluetooth and NFC? GPS?) rather than a hybrid EVF(as rumored by many) as locking up the mirror for on sensor detection is still in its infancy ) . Nikon will implement this technology in the future once the tech improves and costs drop down  , but by that time they will just feature a Mirrorless lineup as well. Although the new D850 shares the same DNA as its predecessor ,The first leaked images show us that the buttons are now illuminated , this is great for all those "Astrographers" who struggle with finding which is which on the 810 series as backlighting was left out . There is also a tiltable touch screen display and will certainly benefit all those who shoot like to shoot in odd an...

Apart from some pre-announced Nikon anniversary goodies , the company released a few subtle announcements surrounding its 100 year anniversary . The company which started as an alliance between Three optical companies in Japan under the name we now call Nikon . The alliance , which consisted of Nippon Kōgaku Kōgyō Kabushikigaisha went on to be one of the largest optical equipment manufacturers in the world with products ranging from spotting equipment to high precision microscopes. During the time of WW1, the company provided Imperial Japan's need for superior spotting optics as the Great war restricted Germany's ability to provide them (They were enemies during this war however) .Although Nikon's primary market was for the Japanese military , they did make lenses which were adopted by another Japanese camera company called Canon ,since Canon had no optical division , all camera lenses for their Leica inspired designs were provided by Nikon until the Second world war ,...

Motorola has officially launched their latest flagship spec smartphone - The Motorola Z2 Force . DESIGN Following its predecessor , the new Z2 features the ability to attach external speakers and camera modules to its shell . The phone , which features a design similar to its predscessor , now features a 7000 series aluminum unibody with a shatter resistant display up front . The phone sadly does not feature a headphone jack and it features a USB type c for audio and charging . The phone is also water repellent . HARDWARE Designed to work both as a stand alone unit and a battery+Brains for the Moto mods accessories , the internals of the phone are en par with modern smartphones of today . The  display , which features a P-OLED (A plastic hybrid display with a Super AMOLED display panel ) of 5.5" with a resolution of 2560x1440p . The inner guts of the phone include a 2.35Ghz Snapdragon 835 Cpu , Adreno 540 graphics and 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage with the...

Rode has basically made a name for itself in the on-camera microphone department . The company , which has a whole range of On camera - Videomic options, released the latest update to the VideoMic Pro in the form of the advanced VideoMic Pro+  model today(25th). The new model , which now supports power input via microUSB (USB power bank) , 2x AA cells or Rode LB1 battery gives users more options to power their mic during run and gun situations . The unit also has an intelligent power saving option which shuts the mic off when not in use . Users who had issues with the battery door opening procedure in the previous model can rejoice as the new model features a new redesign . Functionality wise , the new mic features a 2 stage high pass filter for ambient noise filteration and it also has a gain control with 3 stages (+20 db) and a high frequency boost for enhancing along with a spike reduction safety channel . Pricing for the new Rode Videomic Pro Plus is said to be $300 and...

Microsoft Paint - affectionately known simply as "Paint" has been the building blocks of many graphic designers and the go to artistic app for aspiring meme artists since its inception in 1985 . But now , apparently in a move that would upset many , Microsoft is said to pull the plug on this epic software applet as the new 3D paint would take its place starting from the "Windows 10 creators Update" . The paint applet , which came as a part of Microsoft's bundled packages along with notepad and others has been a staple tool for anyone who wanted a quick way to save their screenshots , edit basic photos by sometimes attempting to airbrush layers or add text and draw the iconic rage faces and meme characters from the world over . Paint ..we will miss you via - TheVerge UPDATE - Microsoft has confirmed that the paint software will still be axed from its software bundle , but instead , it will live on as a Windows Store app . This is still good news to many , b...

Nikon has officially announced their plans for the upcoming D850 DSLR . The camera , which wasn't officially announced ,was however released as a press article with focus on "teaser" features including the ability for super - low light image capture and 8K timelapse . The announcement which comes in a time when Nikon is celebrating its 100th anniversary probably hints that the D850 will be a beast of a camera once announced . we expect the camera to feature a ~42MP sensor with the ability to shoot 4K and 8K timelapse .this is a major update over the D810 , but we are yet to see performance gains . Overall the D850 , when announced will surely shake up the Nikon vs Canon feud ,but with recent developments happening on the other side of the fence , its high time Nikon gives us some info on that super secret Mirrorless camera they are working on as well . Press Release July 25, 2017 Development Of Digital SLR Camera Nikon D850 Melville, NY – Nikon Inc. is pl...

News of curved sensors are almost old as Sony's Mirrorless cameras , the technology , which has been patented by Canon , Nikon and even Microsoft has been mostly reduced to nothing more than  technical schematics as companies are still considering whether biting the bullet and releasing a whole new camera platform is feasible enough . Enter Sony , a company that played a major gamble with their full frame mirrorless cameras is now apparently set to be working on another tech "first" with a possible medium format curved sensor camera which would basically steal thunder from Fuji ,Pentax and even Phase one (if it actually exists) So is Sony planning this monster ? well if patents are to go by , then yes . The technology surrounding curved sensors is nothing new , companies who usually buy sensors from Sony even had their own designs patented even 7 years back , and considering that Sony has the top seat when it comes to sensor vending , it is quite possible that the...

Nikon's curved sensor patent circa 2010 The concept of Curved sensors for cameras are nothing new ,but like most outlandish projects ,  it has so far been a tech unicorn  as they only exist in patent schematic form , but Nikon , a company who is to celebrate 100 years in two days time is now apparently said to be patenting not only the sensor , but also a lens to go with it as well . The patent - ( P2017-125904A ) speaks about a 35mm f2 lens mounted to a curved 35mm sensor which is given in a light schematic form . The article does not speak much about the camera , but the merits of a possible curved sensor camera were understood by Nikon early on , and they even patented their own technology many years back . So what advantages will such a sensor bring? well for starters , a curved sensor , unlike its flat sensor counterparts will allow maximum sharpness throughout the picture , this does mean that the new sensor , if it comes to light , will require a whol...

Most of you may have not heard about the 7Artisians lens manufacturing company from China . The company , which makes affordable quality lenses for some time now is now rumored to be preparing a new 50mm f1.0 lens for all those who need a race to the bottom in the f stop race . The upcoming lens , which is said to be available for $370 for Sony E , M4/3 and Fuji mirrorless cameras is reasonably priced considering its f1 lowest aperture setting , being a manual focus lens , the lens will benefit greatly from focus peaking on mirrrorless cameras and considering that 7Artisian lenses are already sold on Amazon and Ebay , getting one will be quite easy once the lens is officially launched . Source - dpreview image via dpreview

Always wanted an affordable mirrorless camera ? well Olympus has some goodies for you as their refurbished Olympus E PM2 cameras now retail for a super affordable $149 . The deal , which gets you basically a "mini" PEN series camera from 4 years back still has decent features including a 16MP CMOS sensor with IBIS (mechanical sensor stability - a feature that is still not available on most cameras still) 8fps shooting ,  ISO range from 200-25600  a 3" 400k dot touchscreen display and 1080p @60fps . So is the deal worth it , well..if you got a spare 150 bucks , it kind of is . Well for starters you  do get IBIS and the M 4/3 mount which already has so many mounting options giving you basically the ability to  adapt any lens under the sun . purchase link - getolympus Source - 43rumors

With more eyes than a spider , the Light camera company plans to revolutionize photography by introducing bridge camera that sits between a DSLR and a smartphone . the product , named the Light L16 , has 16 -13MP sensors  can deliver a composite image of 52MP!(And record 4k - click here to read more about this on their website ) . The front façade, which basically captures and reflects light on all 16 units which are fitted with Five 28mm  modules at f/2.0 , Five 70mm modules at f/2.0 and Six 150mm modules at f/2.4  are arranged in a maze like pattern with reflective mirrors which allows the stacking of optics without the use of a lens barrel or extra thickness . Composing a shot on the L16 is as simple as using a smartphone , tap to focus on the 5" Full HD display and voila , but the L16 is built for much greater feats , and so the manual mode (a proper shutter button is included as well) will allo...

Well , well , it looks like another one is ready to bite the dust !,this time it is a 94 year old lighting company called - Bowens   - yes that Bowens , the world famous photography lighting accessory maker from the U.K . With humble beginnings in 1923 , Bowens opened shop as a Camera service company and later as an international camera equipment manufacturer (starting with flash bulbs) . The company quickly gained reputation among the photographic elite for providing dependable and powerful flash and compact flash systems for studio and on site applications (Their portable power generator solutions probably got the ball rolling for them)  .  Although their flash solutions were still superior to most of the competition and was still the first choice for many , the company was apparently acquired by an European firm called AURELIUS in 2016 , and this year , the parent company is apparently planning a new strategy without Bowens in it . Will this be the "last g...

From dust on the sensor to oil spots , Nikon's entry level Full frame cameras seem to be jinxed in one way or another . The D600  , which stirred up controversy back in 2012 was probably one of the more recent production line issues on a camera to date , the D600, which was hastily replaced by the D610 was also affected to some degree with a mechanical issue where oil was squirted onto the sensor - which was mostly an inconvenience rather than a serious issue. Nevertheless , Nikon did send these units out to repair and in turn announced the Nikon D750 - a serious FX camera suited for wedding and Nikon video shooters , the camera , which was named as one of the best selling DSLR's last year however has not managed to escape the Nikon production line woes as it is now under recall due to a shutter issue . The extent of the issue is still not known , but so far Nikon has advised that all cameras produced from July - September 2014 and models from July 2015 to September 2016 ...

Vertu Clou de Paris - a recent example of an Android powered Vertu phone With attention to detail ,precious gems , metals and skin from exotic animals , Vertu has always been the brand to go for if you have a boatload of money and limited tech know-how . The Company , which was established in 1998 by Nokia as a premium phone maker made luxurious and sometimes bespoke luxury phones which ran from about $6000 to a eye watering $360,000 for a phone which is basically a Nokia dumb phone wrapped in expensive stuff . So , did Vertu phones actually sell , ? to be honest , they kind of did , although they don't retail in the mass market sales numbers of today , the company at its heyday , appealed to everyone from dictators , oil barons , oligarchs and the elite right until around 2007 when Apple decimated the appeal of a expensive dumb phone with the fluidity of a touch screen display . The announceme...

Will Nikon base their upcoming  Mirrorless camera on the DF?  (image via Nikon) Nikon's mirrorless ambitions were confirmed a few days back as Nikon's President Mr Kazuo Ushida , revealed Nikon's future camera strategy which includes the release of new professional grade SLR cameras and Mirrorless systems which would include the best of Nikon's current technology . The camera(s) , which will probably  feature an APS-C or most probably a 35mm size sensor will be much bigger than the 1" sensors which were featured on Nikon's somewhat experimental Nikon 1 series mirrorless cameras launched 7 years back .  The new camera , which we hope would sit in the position occupied by the current Df  ,would mean that Nikon would be selling 4 full frame options (if you count out the D610 which would probably get axed as the D700/750 is successful) with one mirrorless option and FX options . This , if launched , will give Nikon the push it needs to c...

It almost feel like yesterday when Microsoft officially killed off Windows Phone 7 . The OS , which was severely limited in terms of usage was ironically succeeded with their new Windows Phone 8/8.1 mobile operating system,  which was promised to offer faster updates and support for all device . The operating system , designed with the intention of bridging the gap between Windows RT , smartphones and PC's running the Modern tile UX was initially met with overwhelming support from fans from all sides of the operating system pie , but sadly this fizzled out with the announcement of new iOS and Android smartphones and Microsoft's own "shooting one's own foot" approach they adopted when the Nokia logo was replaced with Microsoft . Although the marketshare of Windows phone is still below 2.5% in most countries (and almost non existent in some) and continues to diminish annually , the platform did reach its height during the period from 2011 - 2014 when the...

Mr Kazuo Ushida   With the mirrorless generation slowly taking over the ILC market , its inevitable that DSLR manufacturers would eventually try their hand at making their own mirrrorless cameras in order to stay relevant in the future . Currently both Canon and Nikon have worked on the new technology , but only Canon managed to make a decent model with the announcement of the EOS M5 ,.Nikon , a company that took a different approach by making a 1" sensor equipped Nikon 1 series did not place much emphasis on creating a mirrorless camera as the technology at the time was a bit primitive , but now , with companies like Sony , Panasonic and Fuji stealing thunder from them , Nikon has finally come to terms with the situation and , according to Nikon president Mr Kazuo Ushida , the company is ready to release "Mirrorless cameras " at an early stage . So what does this mean , well based off our Google translate result on the article , we can confirm that the mirror...