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Sony launches $1M ‘Create Action’ initiative to support local non-profit organizations

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Sony launches M ‘Create Action’ initiative to support local non-profit organizations

Sony Corporation has launched a nationwide ‘Create Action’ initiative to support local grassroots organizations. Sony designed the $1M+ grant program to support underserved and underrepresented communities at a local effort. Sony aims to enhance the efforts of local, non-profit organizations through grants, product support and enhanced marketing and outreach efforts.

Youth in underserved communities face many challenges. Among these challenges, a lack of access to opportunities and support looms large. Local non-profit organizations work hard to offer the children and young adults in their communities the mentorship, leadership, education and sense of community needed to grow and prosper. Unfortunately, many organizations often struggle to achieve the level of financial stability they need.

Through Create Action, Sony will select a total of 10 organizations to receive Create Action grants and support, with a new grant recipient being announced each month from this month through March 2022.

Selected organizations will receive the following:

  • $50,000 cash grant
  • Up to $50,000 in Sony product support
  • A custom film created by Sony-affiliated creators that promotes the organization’s mission and efforts
  • Full support of the Sony brand and its platform to spread the organization’s message and raise awareness
  • Additional opportunities to collaborate with Sony Electronics and its network of corporate partners

Sony is calling for applications now. Eligible non-profit organizations must be 501(c)(3) with less than $500k in annual operating revenue. Although not a strictly limiting one, there’s an emphasis on organizations that focus on STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics), academic enrichment, workforce development, and community and civic engagement.

The $500k in annual operating revenue is a telling one. 88% of non-profits, which is over a million organizations in the US, have annual budgets of less than $500,000. These smaller organizations, whose budgets may already be stretched thin to serve their primary purpose, struggle to market and fundraise. In fact, per a survey (National Council of Non-Profits / JPMorgan Chase – Bridgespan Survey), marketing and fundraising are the two most cited challenges for smaller non-profit organizations. In addition to the financial assistance promised by Sony, the help in marketing and outreach may prove critical for the selected organizations.

The funding to support Create Action is sourced from Sony’s Global Social Justice Fund. The $100M fund was announced in June 2020 ‘to support social justice and anti-racist initiatives around the world.

Neal Manowitz, President and COO of Sony Electronics, said, ‘Sony’s main purpose is to ‘Fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.’ Create Action is designed to support this mission. It is a program that summons the full power of Sony – including funding, product, creative resources and accessibility – to expand the impact and influence of local organizations that are creating a tremendous positive impact in their community.’

Press release:

Sony Electronics Launches Nationwide ‘Create Action’ Initiative to Support Local Non-Profit Organizations

$1 Million Social Justice Program Offers Funding, Product, Creative Resources and Increased Awareness for Local Organizations Supporting Underrepresented, Underserved Communities

SAN DIEGO, CA – Jun 9, 2021 – Sony Electronics (“Sony”) today announced the launch of ‘CREATE ACTION’, a new $1 million grant program designed to support underserved, underrepresented communities by amplifying the efforts of local, non-profit organizations embedded within these communities. This program is part of Sony’s broader social justice efforts, with funding sourced from the company’s Global Social Justice Fund.

Why CREATE ACTION?

88% of non-profits, over 1 million organizations in the U.S., have annual budgets of less than $500,000. Marketing and fundraising are the two most cited challenges for these smaller organizations*. Many times, they lack the necessary budget, creative resources or accessibility to larger platforms to help spread their message.

Grant Program Details

Sony will select a total of 10 organizations to receive the CREATE ACTION grants, with one new grant being announced each month from June 2021 through March 2022.

Grant winners will receive:

  • $50,000 cash grant (by check)
  • $50,000 in Sony Electronics products

Additionally, Sony will provide grant winners:

  • A custom short film promoting the organization’s mission and efforts, created in collaboration with a team of Sony-affiliated creators
  • Support of the Sony brand and platform to help spread their message and raise awareness
  • Additional opportunities for collaboration with Sony Electronics and extended network of corporate partners

Eligible non-profit organizations need to be 501(c)(3) with less than $500k annual operating revenue for 2019 and 2020, with a key focus on programs including, but not limited to:

  • STEAM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics)
  • Academic Enrichment
  • Workforce Development
  • Community and Civic Engagement

“Sony’s main purpose is to ‘Fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology,’” said Neal Manowitz, President and COO of Sony Electronics Inc. “CREATE ACTION is designed to support this purpose. It is a program that summons the power of Sony – including funding, product, creative resources and accessibility – to expand the impact and influence of local organizations that are creating a tremendous positive impact in their community.”

The program launches with a national call-to-action for applications, open from today through March 29th, 2022. After initial submission, each application will be within consideration throughout the entirety of the program.

To learn more, see Sony Electronics’ Create Action Grant Program Official Rules, including awards, entry instructions, etc. and to apply for a CREATE ACTION grant, please visit:

www.alphauniverse.com/createaction

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New Pen not yet on the drawing board, says OM System

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New Pen not yet on the drawing board, says OM System


OM System’s Director of Product Planning, Hiroki Koyama and VP for Brand Strategy and Product Planning, Kazuhiro Togashi, at CP+ 2025

Photo: Dale Baskin

“We are considering the new Pen concept as OM System brand,” says OM System’s Kazuhiro Togashi, VP for Brand Strategy and Product Planning.

We spoke at the CP+ trade show in Yokohama, Japan, and he reassured us that the arrival of the OM-3 with a Pen-F style ‘creative dial’ on the front doesn’t close the door on the rangefinder-style series.

“There’s a different concept between OM-3 and Pen-F series,” he explains: “basically the Pen-F series is about ultimate beauty and the ultimate craftsmanship. Whereas OM-3’s core concept is to take authentic and great creative photos.”

But, he says, it’s too soon to know what a future Pen might look like. “We think the camera’s design must realize the concept of the product, so we don’t start to decide the camera design before deciding the camera’s concept: the product concept must come first.”

“Therefore, we haven’t yet decided if the product design for a new Pen will look like the Pen-F or similar to the E-P7 because we haven’t decided on the product concept.”

But what’s clear is that OM System does plan to continue the Pen line.

The continued appeal of dedicated cameras

We asked Togashi what he thought makes shooting with a dedicated camera special, in a time when smartphone image quality has got so good.

“Experience is very important,” he says: “There’s a different kind of experience between smartphones and a camera. For example, I personally love to use a smartphone, but just to record; without any emotional feeling.”

“When a user decides the moment with their camera, maybe their feelings are being moved by such an attempt: they’re not just recording, there’s more to it.”

“It’s like with professional sportsmen. They have to prepare to give their best performance during the game. They are always training before the game.”

“When you get a perfect photo, you feel a win”

“In the case of photos, photo enthusiasts always think or calculate before taking a photograph. Before you take something, you consider the place, or you think about which position is better, or what sort of atmosphere or angle: you calculate before you take the photo.”

“This is like a serious game, just as it is for football or baseball player. And when you get a perfect photo, you feel a win. ‘I win, by myself’ I don’t know if many people can get that similar experience by taking photos with a smartphone.”

And he thinks this difference should remain, even as the image quality gap narrows. “Smartphone’s development speed is very high, and in the future, the difference between smartphones and camera might become very small,” he says: “however the difference in experience, is a bit bigger.”

We’re not the company to make an enthusiast compact

Despite this, and in spite of rising sales of compacts, Togashi says we shouldn’t expect an enthusiast compact.

“As for the current popularity of compact digital cameras, lower-priced models seem to be selling very well worldwide, but we feel that this is a temporary trend.” he says: “We are continuing to study the development of a successor to the TG series, but currently we don’t have any plans to introduce other compact camera concepts.”

“We don’t have any plans to introduce other compact camera concepts”

“As for high-end compact digital cameras, we recognize that there is a dedicated user base that remains a valued segment of the market, however, at OM System, we are focused on developing products that align with the evolving needs of photographers, ensuring we deliver the best possible innovation and performance across our lineup.”

“When we were Olympus, our brand was known for high-end compact cameras like the XZ series and Stylus 1. However, since becoming OM System, we no longer carry high-end compact cameras. Instead, we focus on cameras that align with broader market needs, including those of younger generation photographers. Given the significant investment required – not only in research and development but also in reestablishing a high-end compact brand image – such a product would be challenging to make profitable.”

The TG series endures…

OM System TG-7
The TG series of rugged, waterproof cameras continues to have an audience, the company says.

Image: OM System

But the TG series definitely has a future, says Togashi, because it has a dedicated user base.

“TG still survives and is well received by the market,” he says: “Outdoor enthusiasts want to capture their activities and adventures. Also families look for ways to preserve special memories—whether it’s their children playing in the pool or on vacations and situations like that.”

“On the other hand, professional scuba divers or climbers continue to rely on the TG series. For them, safety is very important during these extreme activities, and the TG series remains a trusted tool in these challenging environments. “

“Both types of users continue to use the TG series, setting it apart from other high-end compact cameras. Their main priorities are mobility and ease of operation, rather than smartphone connectivity. They love the operation and mobility.”

…but a high-end TG would be challenging

These specific requirements might rule out a higher-end TG, he suggests

“We’re always talking about the successor of the TG series and whether to add a new, higher TG line, maybe using a bigger sensor, or perhaps a TG-DSLR.”

“We’re always thinking about the possibilities. However, as of today we don’t have any best answer to realize this concept because the requirement for TG series is very hard. For example, making a large or removable lens drop resistant is very difficult.”

Also, he says, keeping the size down is important: “if we adopted a bigger sensor and we maintain the same optical zoom range, the body would need to be very big. That means such a TG would lose the mobility concept.”

Togashi didn’t seem enthused by our suggestion of a prime lens: “A lot of TG users’ photographic needs are different from enthusiasts’, so they like to use a zoom lens. They like to enlarge subjects in their photos, therefore they always use tele-zoom.”

Director of Product Planning, Hiroki Koyama raises another concern: ” We also give priority for close-up capability. TG can be used very close to the subject. If we choose a bigger sensor size, the close-up capability will be reduced. The current sensor size is the best balance, but we’ll try to study the concept.”

The OM System lens range

On the subject of lenses, we asked whether they believe the current Micro Four Thirds lens lineup includes all the options an OM-3 user might want.

“Still not yet,” says Togashi: “We are also trying to develop small and light and bright lenses or something like that. We have space to make new lenses in the future. I can’t disclose [the details], but yes.”

Choosing the right lenses to add isn’t always easy, he suggests: “People always ask ‘will you make a pancake lens?’,” he says: “but then the pancake lens sales are not so good in general. But still, we’ll continue to consider it.”


Interview conducted by Dale Baskin and Richard Butler, answers edited for flow.



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Tips for taking epic shots of tonight’s ‘blood moon’ total lunar eclipse

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Tips for taking epic shots of tonight’s ‘blood moon’ total lunar eclipse


A lunar eclipse, captured by Jamie Malcolm-Brown in November 2021. Used with permission.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2022. We have updated it with information about the current eclipse as a service to readers.


Starting tonight, March 13, through the early hours of tomorrow, March 14th, skywatchers in the Americas will be able to view the first total lunar eclipse of the year. The moon will turn a ‘blood red’ hue for a brief period as it passes entirely into the Earth’s shadow when lined up with the sun. Depending on where you are located, there is a specific time you can witness this phenomenon.

Time and Date, a top-ranking site for times and timezones, created a useful tool that allows you to make a plan by entering your viewing location. From there, it gives you pertinent information, including the total duration, what time each phase of the eclipse starts and the direction it’ll travel, plus altitude during these phases. A helpful animation gives you a visual of how it will appear, minute by minute, once it starts.

Details of the March 13  2025 total lunar eclipse
Time and Date created a free tool to help you plan your total lunar eclipse viewing, depending on your location. This is the data for Seattle, WA, where DPReview’s headquarters is located.

If you plan on bringing your camera out for the ‘blood moon’, photographer Jamie Malcolm-Brown has some helpful tips for camera settings. Describing his process for capturing a lunar eclipse in 2021, he tells DPReview that ‘it was taken with [a] 200-600mm lens at 600mm, ISO 800, F6.3, at 1/3 sec. I bracketed the shots at 5 shots with an EV (exposure value) change of 1. Next time I would probably bracket 5 shots but with only an EV change of .3. The final image was cropped fairly significantly to fill the frame with the moon.’

While useful for capturing more detail on the moon’s surface, you don’t necessarily need a long lens that extends to 600mm to photograph the blood moon. John Weatherby released a quick, helpful tutorial on Instagram outlining his process for getting the best images possible. For one, you can shoot at a focal length between 100–200mm if you want to include a foreground.

Weatherby also explains that having a sturdy tripod and ball head is an absolute necessity. Ensuring that the lens is locked in securely will yield clearer images of the moon. Using the camera’s shutter delay or self-timer, or an external remote, will also help prevent blurry shots as the camera is likely to shake a bit once you press the shutter. PhotoPills, an app that helps you identify where the moon will travel in accordance with your specific location, is recommended as well.

It’s important to check the weather in your area as cloud coverage can potentially conceal the moon completely. Windy.com is a free app available on desktop, iOS and Android that, in my opinion, does a decent job of forecasting weather patterns. It’ll give you a visual of where clouds will appear at specific dates and times so you can determine the best place to set up in your state or country.

Screen Shot 2022-05-15 at 12.59.27 AM
Windy.com, a free app, is an effective tool for forecasting weather elements, including cloud coverage.

The next total lunar eclipse will take place on September 7, and will be visible in parts of Asia, Africa and Australia. If skywatching interests you, you’re in or near one of the locations where the eclipse is visible and weather permits, I recommend getting out for a few hours and witnessing this wonderful event first-hand.





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Fast and fun: Photographer captures the thrill of Formula 1 with Lego

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Fast and fun: Photographer captures the thrill of Formula 1 with Lego


Photo: Benedek Lampert

This weekend marks the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season, and one photographer is kicking things off with a series of photographs to celebrate. With a fine focus on detail and many hours of work, toy photographer Benedek Lampert has recreated F1 moments using Lego. This project is just the latest for Lampert, who has previously created life-like scenes of Lego versions of the Eiffel Tower and Shackleton’s Endurance.

In September 2024, Lego and F1 announced a partnership that included releasing numerous F1 Lego sets, some of which featured more realistic-looking models of F1 team cars. Lampert managed to get his hands on the entire starting grid and set to work on creating highly detailed, life-like photographs of the Lego F1 cars.

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Photos: Benedek Lampert

As with all of Lampert’s work, nearly everything was done in camera. “It’s extremely important to me that these are actual photos and not AI-generated graphics,” he explained. That meant lots of hands-on time to build sets and problem-solve special effects. He built the track scenery and crafted unique sets that allowed him to get motion blur, spinning wheels, smoke and water vapor without any editing work. Lampert explained that the only thing he added while editing was the cloud texture in the sky and rear lights in one image.

All said and done, Lampert says the project took 70 hours for the 10 final images. The photo shoot portion of the project took five days, with ten to twelve-hour days at times. You can see how he meticulously created each image in the behind-the-scenes video below, as well as the photos in the gallery above.



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