DJI just announced the DJI Zenmuse X7, the world’s first Super 35mm camera optimized for aerial cinematography. It’s designed primarily for the DJI Inspire 2 drone and features interchangeable lenses as well as a new DJI Cinema Color system for greater creative freedom in cinematography.
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It’s fairly common for vintage lenses to have their quirks.
Aesthetic quirks are usually embraced, it’s often why a particular lens is a selection in the first place, but mechanical quirks can be a whole different beast.
Some older lens sets require little modification to get up to spec – conforming all front diameters to the same size for ease, or using a thicker focus gear because one of the lenses telescopes a little.
But there are some popular lenses out there that are particularly tricky. Take the Lomo Round Fronts, for example, they telescope (substantially) as you focus and the front of the lenses rotates.
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Buying a beautiful f/2.8 lens zoom is tempting. Large apertures are always better. If you’re using primes, a f/1.8 or f/1.4 is even better. But is that expensive large aperture lens really necessary for your photography?
The first lens I bought next to the one I got with my camera was the beautiful white Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM. Its name is a mouth full, basically meaning it has that amazing f/2.8 aperture over the complete focal range. It is white, it is large, it is heavy, it looked good on the camera, and people were impressed by this huge white expensive looking lens.
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VAXIS has announced that they are working on a new wireless video transmitter for the upcoming RED Komodo. The VAXIS ATOM 600 KV will connect to the camera via a dual Canon BP battery slot and provide a power pass-through for V-Mount batteries. It will offer up to 600ft transmission distance for up to 1080p video signal with less than 0.1s delay.
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Z CAM eND (electronic ND) Filter is a new product compatible with Z CAM E2 S6, F6 and F8 cinema cameras (EF or PL Mount versions). First introduced during the IBC 2019, the eND filter offers ND range from 1.7 to 6.7 stops in 1/3 stop increments. It is now available for pre-order.
Z CAM eND Filter Unit. Source: Z CAM
Last year during the IBC Show in Amsterdam, we stopped by at the Z CAM booth to talk about their new flagship cameras and we were happy to see the planned optional Electronic ND Filter unit. Make sure to check the video and the article itself.
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Sigma has announced a forthcoming firmware update for the full-frame mirrorless Sigma fp that will add some very impressive features including cinemagraph functionality, Full HD 120fps RAW video capture, HDR shooting, and more.
The official announcement was posted last night as a sort of “preview of coming attractions.” Slated to be released in Summer of 2020, the Firmware Update Ver.2.00 will improve the Sigma fp by adding support for six important features:
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YouTuber Max Yuryev recently went out on the streets of New York with the Sony a7 III, Nikon Z6, and the brand new Fuji X-T4 to compare the video quality and—of particular interest to stills shooters—the IBIS performance of all three cameras side-by-side.
It’s really worth watching the comparison in its entirety above, especially if you have a 4K display and can crank the video’s resolution for the video comparison, but even without that it’s immediately obvious that Fujifilm did a lot of things right with this new flagship.
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The launch of the new Olympus O-MD E-M1 Mark III has reminded the world that micro four-thirds is not dead, and right now, it’s almost exactly the same price as the Sony a7 III. If you were in the market, which would you buy?
Over on B&H Photo right now, there’s a dollar difference in price between these two cameras, though if you opt for the Olympus, you are buying a camera with a much, much longer name. That said, in a world when full-frame offers so much, why would you ever want the smaller sensor? This entertaining video from Vistek makes a compelling case for the Olympus, and clearly it’s a tool that definitely fits well under certain circumstances.
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The new FUJIFILM X-T4 has just been released, promising to be one of the more interesting cameras to be delivered during 2020. If you are like me, an owner of the FUJIFILM X-T3 who wished for a little extra, then the wait is over. Enhanced performance, combining the advantage of the now discontinued X-1H (stabilised sensor) and articulating LCD screen, can now be found within this newcomer camera. Prepared to be impressed by what seems to be the best all around small and lightweight APS-C sensor camera that can shoot video, currently in the market?
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The Micro Four Thirds System standard just added a few new members: YONGNUO, MEDIAEDGE and most notably Venus Optics just joined the standard. The latter company is responsible for the well-known Laowa brand. In the year 2008, Panasonic and Olympus originally jointly announced the Micro Four Thirds System. Since then, it has grown to 44 alliance partners, as listed on their https://www.four-thirds.org website.
Lens Collection from the MFT System Standard Group (Credits: Olympus Corporation / based on an image by four-thirds.org)
Some words about the companies that just joined the formation:
Venus Optics (i.e. Anhui ChangGeng Optics Technology Co., Ltd., better known under their brand Laowa) is a company that was formed by photography experts and lovers in China in 2013. Since then they have created a wide range of photography lenses with lots of specialized products. Among the newest photography lenses are the Laowa 4mm f/2.8 Fisheye MFT, Laowa 17mm f/1.8 MFT, Laowa 17mm f/4 Ultra-Wide GFX Zero-D and the Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO. The newest cine lens is the Laowa 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine lens, which according to the company, is the widest t/2.9 lens that unrestrictedly covers full-frame and even vista vision size (larger than full-frame) at the same time. Among these specialty lenses, the brand presumably became best-known for their Laowa 24mm f/14 2X Macro Probe lens (our review here). For more information, feel free to take a look at https://www.venuslens.net
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I didn’t have a terribly long time with Fujifilm’s latest hybrid shooterbefore it was released—it was only about a week for what you see shot below—but thankfully, not too much has changed since the previous X-T3, and what has is obvious and easy to evaluate.
Compared to the X-T3, the X-T4 is still weather resistant, still shoots 10-bit 4k internal F-Log at 60p, and maintains much of what made its predecessor great. Fuji has simply added a few things that make it an even better tool for the hybrid creators like myself.
These additions are what I’d like to discuss. Furthermore, given my rather limited experience with the new gear, I want to keep these initial thoughts succinct.
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Mens is a new ultra-wide-angle fast full-frame E-Mount lens. It features a compact design with clickless/clicked manual aperture ring, customizable button, 67mm front filter thread, and dust- and moisture-resistant body. It will be available in March 2020 for around €1,100.
Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G Lens. Image credit: Jakub Han / cinema5D
Sony has had a line of full-frame cameras for a long time with the Alpha series. Last year, they announced the Sony FX9 full-frame cinema camera. Naturally, they want to provide their customers with a wide range of native Sony E-mount lenses to take full use of the autofocus capabilities of their full-frame cameras.
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The new FUJIFILM X-T4 has just been released, promising to be one of the more interesting cameras to be delivered during 2020. If you are like me, an owner of the FUJIFILM X-T3 who wished for a little extra, then the wait is over. Enhanced performance, combining the advantage of the now discontinued X-1H (stabilised sensor) and articulating LCD screen, can now be found within this newcomer camera. Prepared to be impressed by what seems to be the best all around small and lightweight APS-C sensor camera that can shoot video, currently in the market?
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Sony has just announced their new flagship smartphone – the Xperia 1 II. It comes with a Snapdragon 865 processor and 5G connectivity, and the 21:9 CinemaWide 6.5″ 4K HDR OLED display. The phone has three 12MP rear-facing cameras (16mm, 24mm, and 70mm) and many useful functions for photographers and filmmakers. Sony has further announced the development of a new Sony Xperia Pro for professionals. Lastly, they have announced the mid-range Sony Xperia 10 II.
Xperia 1 II Smartphone announced. Source: Sony
Last year in July, my colleague Johnnie tested the Sony Xperia 1 phone with Sony’s “Cinema Pro App”. Now, the Japanese electronics giant has announced a new generation flagship phone – the Xperia 1 II. What are its features and specs?
The Xperia 1 II (Mark II) is Sony’s new flagship smartphone. It will feature the Snapdragon 865 processor with 5G connectivity, a 4.000mAh battery with wireless charging, and USB Type-C connector. It comes with IP65/68 water resistance and Corning Gorilla Glass 6 on both sides.
When it comes to memory, the phone has 8GB RAM, 256GB internal storage and it supports microSDXC memory cards with up to 1TB capacity. Good thing is that, unlike most competitors, Sony decided to keep the 3.5mm audio jack. The phone also features two front-facing stereo speakers. The dimensions of the phone are 6.5″ × 2.8″ × 0.3″ and it weighs 6.4oz.
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Last year, Usman Dawood of Sonder Creative decided to switch systems from Sony to Fujifilm for both his stills and video work, but he didn’t end up doing it. In this video, he shares the three main reasons why the switch never happened—in other words: the three “major” advantages of Sony cameras over Fuji.
The point of this video, says Dawood, is not to trash on Fujifilm or turn people off from the system. His goal is to inspire change in a company he respects a great deal.
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The StabiLens is a lens counterweight system for gimbals. It allows filmmakers to match the center of gravity of each lens in a kit, and allows for faster lens swapping when on a gimbal. It consists of a gimbal ring and a set of tungsten and steel weights. The StabiLens is already available for pre-order.
StabiLens counterweight system. Source: StabiLens
Last year in September, I wrote an article about Quickdraw by Reflex Cinema – lens counterweight system for gimbals, which lets users add weights to all lenses in your kit to match the heaviest lens. The purpose of Quickdraw was to make switching lenses on a gimbal easier as well as faster.
Recently, I came across the StabiLens counterweight system, created by US-based filmmaker Zac Miller. It basically does the same thing, but features a slightly different design. Let’s take a closer look at it.
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The ‘compact and flexible’ Rokinon XEEN CF line has been expanded by another two lenses. The new 16mm and 35mm now make up a family of 5 of these smaller and lighter lenses.
In September last year, Rokinon made the initial announcement of the XEEN CF Lens line.
With that announcement, the 24mm, 50mm and 85mm arrived – with promise of a 16mm and 35mm in Q1 of 2020, and here we are!
The new 16mm (T2.6) and 35mm (T1.5) slot straight into the line up, and are available in 3 mounts (PL, EF and Sony E).
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Sony has reportedly canceled features that were set to be released in an upcoming mirrorless camera due to a scarcity of parts that its other businesses are competing for.
In an article titled “Sony Is Struggling With PlayStation 5 Price Due to Costly Parts,” Bloomberg reports that there isn’t enough flash memory to go around between Sony’s video game, smartphone, and camera products.
“The company’s biggest headache is ensuring a reliable supply of DRAM and NAND flash memory, with both in high demand as smartphone makers gear up for fifth-generation devices, according to people familiar with Sony’s operations,” Bloomberg states.
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The 12-year-old Micro Four Thirds standard just got a nice third-party boost today. In a joint release, Olympus and Panasonic announced that three new companies were officially joining the group: Yongnuo, Venus Optics, and a B2B company called Mediaedge.
Mediaedge isn’t terribly relevant for photographers, but both Yongnuo and Venus Optics have released Micro Four Thirds compatible products before.
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Cheap lenses are getting better, faster, and more interesting these days. So, how’s this wide angle for Leica M mounts?
The TTArtisan (not 7artisan though as Burling says in the video, they share a factory…) 21mm f/1.5 is for Leica M mounts and can be adapted for other mirrorless bodies. It’s only a few hundred dollars brand new, it’s wide, it’s fast, and it’s just another entry in to the recent spate of affordable manual focus lenses. But are they any good?
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