All images in this article were generated with help from DALL·E 2.
DALL·E 2 from OpenAI (the folks who gave us ChatGPT) uses AI to convert plain language text strings into realistic images and art. We typed in “Digital camera that looks like a red pepper” and DALL·E 2 generated the image you see here (we added the Shutterbug nameplate. For lovers of imaging, DALL·E 2 is addictive.
Looking for a new Facebook profile pic? Ready to dress up your Instagram posts? Or maybe you just want to play with the most powerful word-to-image AI converter available FREE to consumers today? Then DALL-E 2 is for you.
Getting Started
Sign up for an OpenAI account. It’s free. Go to the DALL·E 2 section of the OpenAI website and sign in. New users receive 50 free credits to generate images. After you run out (and you will fast—this stuff is addictive) DALL·E 2 adds 15 more credits to your account 30 days later. But who can wait? You can buy more at the very low cost of $15 for 115 credits. Check out their explanation of how credits work for more details.
Enter detailed descriptions of the image you want. Let your vivid imagination be your guide. For example, if you type in “Monkey riding piggyback on a duck,” you get something like the image above. Add “digital art” to the description and you get digital art. You can also specify “3D rendering.”
DALL·E 2 generates four iterations from the text string you enter. Additionally, you can select any of the four images and ask DALL·E 2 to generate four variations of it.
Ownership & Usage Rights
You own the images you create with DALL·E 2 and as long as you’re not using them to harm anyone, you can do with them as you wish—even sell them. OpenAI insists that you are fully transparent and honestly disclose that AI helped with the creation. There are other common sense restrictions. Read OpenAI’s Content Policy carefully.
OpenAI is very clear that DALL·E 2 must not be used for unethical, immoral or illegal purposes. They prohibit nudity and warn against infringing on the copyrights of others. DALL·E 2 renderings that appear on social media, news media and other vehicles of public consumption must include a clear disclosure that AI was used in the creation. Interestingly, unlike some companies that insist on being given full credit and having their brand name displayed, OpenAI makes no such demands. You can state that “DALL·E 2 was used,” but it’s equally okay to just indicate that “AI was used.”
Fails
Sometimes the rendering of human faces contain eyeballs that just aren’t normal. Some fails can be fixed, others cannot. Also, occasionally a subject will be rendered partially outside the image border. Currently, DALL·E 2 renders in square format only.
Uploads
You can upload images to DALL·E 2 for editing and magic making. We haven’t tried that yet so we’ll wait until we do before commenting. It can also extend images beyond their original borders and magically conjure up the missing content.
How Does it Work?
According to the OpenAI website, “DALL·E 2 has learned the relationship between images and the text used to describe them. It uses a process called ‘diffusion,’ which starts with a pattern of random dots and gradually alters that pattern towards an image when it recognizes specific aspects of that image.”
Where is it Headed?
If you read the semi satirical story we posted recently about ChatGPT, one of OpenAI’s other AI engines, you doubtlessly noticed a thin shiver of fearful apprehension regarding AI being used to write essays, book reviews and — Gulp! Can I say it? — magazine articles. Using AI to produce images, on the other hand, seems fairly harmless and benign, as long as it’s disclosed that AI played a role. Or maybe we’re just ignorant and shortsighted.
If you’ve ever wanted to be able to draw pictures of the things you see in your head, DALL·E 2 is as close as we can get right now. The image quality, the digital art, the 3D renderings—they’re unbelievably well done. DALL·E 2 is amazing fun and you must try it soon.
Now, if we could get ChatGPT to write screenplays and feed them directly to DALL·E 2 we could blast the Hollywood film industry out of the water and have an exciting new movie every day. Or maybe ChatGPT and DALL·E 2 could collaborate and send the output to a 3D printer so we could print something tastier than a ham-and-pineapple pizza…
All images in this article were generated with help from DALL·E 2.
—Jon Sienkiewicz
Billed as a crossbody bag, the Think Tank SpeedTop 10 and SpeedTop 15 bags can be slung over the shoulder, worn bandolier-style, or worn on a belt. But the list of attractive features doesn’t end there.
Think Tank has added another pair of workhorses to its stable, this time in the form of crossbody bags. Crossbody is the safest way to carry expensive gear in questionable situations. Think Tank enhances the security aspect via covert styling, forward-opening top lid and a sturdy metal latch that secures the contents. It also features a neodymium magnetic lock that clamps the lid closed without fumbling and provides near-silent gear access.
Founded 17 years ago by Doug Murdoch, Mike Strum, Kurt Rogers and Deanne Fitzmaurice, Think Tank immediately became known for high quality photo bags carefully designed to fulfill the needs of photographers everywhere. Legendary for toughness, practicality and first class construction, Think Tank camera gear quickly became the personal choice of many working pros.
Key Features
The SpeedTop 10 is ideal for a small mirrorless system or a trio of lenses. The SpeedTop 15, about three inches longer and one-half inch taller, can also accommodate compact drone gear and larger lenses. Shutterbug evaluated the SpeedTop 10 specifically, but nearly everything said applies to the larger model as well.
The neodymium magnetic top lid is the big story. It opens away from you, with the hinge in front, and the contents can be accessed easily with one hand. The lid can be secured with a steel latch that can be concealed if not needed.
The nonremovable shoulder strap features a pair of QuickCam adjustable buckles and has a built-in cushioned pad. The quick-adjusting strap facilitates wearing the SpeedTop conventionally over the shoulder or across the body like a bandolier. The SpeedTop can also be worn on a wide belt (like the Think Tank Modular Belt) thanks to a belt pass-through on the backside.
The top lid of the Think Tank SpeedTop 10 is gently sloped and features a grab handle in front plus a small loop at the rear. The inside of the lid has a large mesh pocket and below it a hidden pocket that’s secured magnetically. The hidden pocket has two small pouches to segregate small items like memory cards or batteries.
The fabric bottom is level and sits steadily on a table or other flat surface. On either end there is an expandable pocket that can be cinched tightly with a half-inch strap.
Inside we find a set of removable, adjustable, closed-cell foam dividers that offer adequate protection for the contents. Think Tank delivers the SpeedTop bags with a seam-sealed rain cover packed inside, too, in case inclement weather prevails.
The exterior of the Think Tank SpeedTop bags is made from abrasion-resistant Cordura that sports a DWR (durable water repellent) coating. The color is black with a subtle gray-on-black pattern in the center and on the bottom.
Specifications
SpeedTop 10
Exterior dimensions: 9.8 x 8.9 x 5.5 inches (25 x 22.5 x 14 cm)
Interior dimensions: 8.5 x 7.3 x 3.9 inches (21.5 x 18.5 x 10 cm)
Weight: 1.3 pounds (0.6 kg) including dividers and rain cover
SpeedTop 15
Exterior dimensions: 12.6 x 9.3 x 5.5 inches (32 x 23.5 x 14 cm)
Interior Dimensions: 11.2 x 7.9 x 3.9 inches (28.5 x 20 x 10 cm)
Weight: 1.8 pounds (0.8 kg) including dividers and rain cover
SpeedTop 10 In the Field
Flip the lid open by overcoming a comfortably strong magnetic catch and retrieve what you need—then move your hand and the lid cleanly snaps back shut. Very cool. And very secure. If you want to button it up tighter, simply lock it down with the hideaway steel latch. This setup worked perfectly for me every time. I like it. It’s faster than a zipper and more reliable than a standard lift-up lid.
The two QuickCam length adjustment buckles on the inch-wide shoulder strap operate easily and fast. The ability to change the strap length without unshouldering the bag expedites switching from shoulder carry to crossbody. It’s also handy if you want to just tweak the length to find a more suitable carrying position. I did not use the Think Tank SpeedTop 10 as a belt pack, but I’m well familiar with the arrangement as a long-time Think Tank Modular Belt user and think it would be excellent in that configuration.
The expandable pockets on either end unfold to accommodate larger items like a shoe-mount flash or half a sub from Jersey Mike’s. The pockets can be cinched tightly with the built-in strap and are held flat by magnets when not in use.
I’m enthusiastic about the overall cosmetic appearance of the SpeedTop bags, although I wish the two-tone color scheme did not extend all the way through the bottom (I’d rather have a weather-resistant skid plate underneath), and I prefer detachable straps because they can be replaced.
My only serious gripe about Think Tank’s SpeedTop 10 goes to the interior dividers. They’re thick and protective enough, and the hook-and-eye tabs stick like a bear. There are two very small dividers, one mid-size and one large. It would be much easier to arrange gear inside if at least the largest divider were hinged near the middle so it could fold sideways. That layout would accommodate a camera body with lens and at the same time protect another lens under the folded section.
Conclusion
Think Tank has done it again. But that comes as no surprise from a company that enjoys a strong record of success stories. Compared to many small bags, the SpeedTop 10 is a battle tank, ready for rough treatment and committed to providing a comfortable carry solution for hours on end.
Price and Availability
Backed by Think Tank’s Limited Lifetime Warranty, the SpeedTop 10 is available now. Order from Think Tank or from Amazon for $129. Or visit the Think Tank store at amazon.com.
The SpeedTop 15 available for $149 from Think Tank, or you can order from Amazon.
How to Choose a Bag
How does one decide the best camera bag for their individual needs? In an article we ran a couple years back (link here) we listed 10 characteristics to consider when determining the right camera bag for you. This approach might also suggest some options you never thought about. The list is arranged in no particular order because what’s important to me may not be important to you at all, which is a significant fact of life when camera bag shopping.
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—Jon Sienkiewicz
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Photographers tend to be gadget freaks, constantly on the lookout for interesting gadgets and accessories to buy. But admit it: How many of the purchases you’ve made recently have actually found their way into your bag?
There’s no doubt that many accessories are worthwhile. Some make photography easier and more enjoyable, while others actually enable you to capture better images. Still other others, while they may seem interesting at first glance, are eventually relegated to an ignominious spot in the back of your camera cabinet.
Today’s video from the Photo Genius YouTube channel is intended to separate the wheat from the chaff, and save you some cash to use on more worthwhile gear in the future. And if you’re lucky, you may even find something to purchase that you really need.
Instructor Paul Farris in an Australia-based pro who says, “in this week’s video I want to share some of the items from my camera bag that I feel are essential for every photographer.” He further explains that some of these accessories have made him a better photographer while others make him a more efficient photographer.
We all understand the importance of a solid tripod for avoiding camera shake when shooting in low-light conditions or using a long telephoto lens. But there’s less obvious stuff Farris won’t leave home without. And he provides links to where you can find the items discussed in the description beneath the video.
Before clicking the ”play” button” make a mental inventory of the accessories you consider crucial to your work, and then compare your list to the items recommended by Farris—just to see where you stand.
Farris discusses everything from the filters he uses for landscape photography to camera-cleaning kits, lens hoods and much more. He even includes a couple very affordable lenses that he uses with great success.
So take close look, carefully consider your needs, and then feel free to go shopping with restraint. When you’re done filling up your bag, be sure to visit the Photo Genius YouTube channel where there’s much more to learn.
And speaking of accessories, take a look at the tutorial we posted earlier, explaining why another pro insists that, “UV filters hurt more than they help.”
