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Nikon’s New 500mm f/5.6 to Offer High-Quality Super-Telephoto in a Handheld Package

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Jul 162018

Nikon announced the development of a new AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens last month, but now we finally get a look at it thanks to an image posted to Twitter by Photographer Pavel Bednyakov, whose photograph makes it look like the new 500mm could be easier to hold than Nikon’s 200mm f/2.

If you’ve ever shot with the Nikon 200mm f/2G VR II (or the earlier version), you’ll likely remember how it was more or less at the limit of what could reasonably be handheld for longer periods of time. Essentially, the Nikon 200mm f/2 is to we normal humans as the 600mm f/4 is to Dwayne Johnson. But that’s what makes this new “PF” technology so exciting, as it enables this 500mm in development to be smaller and lighter than anything else before it.

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Mounting a 70-200mm Lens on the Ronin S

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Jul 162018

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to mount a longer lens like an 85-200mm on to a gimbal and get footage with it. I feel like a lot of video we see shot on a gimbal is from a wide angle lens, but in this video we see something a little more interesting.

My curiosity about mounting a telephoto lens to a gimbal came from a while ago when I saw that the Inspire could mount different lenses. Being so into drones, I really wanted to have that ability and create this new look from the sky. Once I ended up with my Inspire 2, I began to learn how to fly a 25mm and 45mm lens which both double in focal length because of the micro 4/3 sensor. After a good amount of practice flying, I was finally able to achieve the shots I wanted and have been using this for a lot of my work ever since.

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Panasonic EVA1 Guide by Barry Green now Available – For Free

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Jul 102018

Do you own a Panasonic AU-EVA1 camera? Tired of digging through YouTube and/or shady forums to get additional intel on how to squeeze the very last piece of performance out of it? Well, look no further. Barry Green has published a comprehensive e-book – An EVA1 Guide for free!

Almost every major camera manufacturer has its own industry specialist. One who knows every last detail of a given camera and spreads the word among the community. Sony has Alister Chapman, RED has Phil Holland and Panasonic? Well, Panasonic has Barry Green. And that exact Barry Green has just published an extensive e-book, an EVA1 guide.

Panasonic AU-EVA1 Guide

Just as Alister Chapman’s guide to the Sony FS7 Cine EI mode, this EVA1 guide isn’t just a manual. It’s a comprehensive real-life guide to the camera. Since Barry Green is a professional in his line of work, this guide is far from real-life Youtube flicks which oftentimes come without too much insight.. This guide to the EVA1 covers everything there is: The camera body itself with all the connectors, buttons and dials, the menu structure, codecs and recordings formats, LUTs and looks, and everything else. All in one PDF. For a brief overview of the camera in question, watch the video below, also hosted by Barry Green:

cinema5D

SLR Magic Anamorphot 65 Adapter Review – Your Alternative to Anamorphic Lenses?

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Jul 052018

Last month we reported about the new Anamorphot 65, an anamorphic lens adapter by SLR Magic that can mount to lenses with 82mm front thread like SLR Magic’s own micro cinema primes and FUJINON’s MK family of lenses. There is also a chance that by the time you read this review, this promising adapter will be available for preorder.

SLR Magic Anamorphot 65 anamorphic adapter on a Sony a7 III camera

Nino, my colleague, caught up with Andrew from SLR Magic during this year’s CineGear to discuss the new product, yet it was time to actually test it and put it through its paces.

The Anamorphic Lens Routine

First thing first: Why should one actually consider “shooting anamorphic”?, well, the answer is clear. If you are looking to mimic the true aesthetic of cinematic looks, then shooting with an anamorphic lens is the way to go. As this is a product review I will not go deep into the subject anamorphic filming, but please consider heading to our cinema5D essentials episode where Li-Lian and I were aiming to explain what anamorphic filming is all about….

Ok, so if shooting with anamorphic lenses has the benefit of producing a unique look, why is it not too widely spread? In short: budget and training. TRUE high quality anamorphic lenses simply coast A LOT, far beyond the budget of most independent filmmakers. There are, of course, ways to track and purchase vintage anamorphic lenses, but this is not too easy. Speaking of anamorphic – I urge you to visit our friend and content contributor, Tito Fernandez’ YouTube channel, where he demonstrates a great deal of knowledge and shares valuable tips for anamorphic lens and adapter lovers.

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This Week’s Top 10 Deals for Filmmakers – Atomos, DJI Drone, Gimbals and More

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Jul 052018

There are lots of interesting deals for filmmakers available online. We selected the best 10 offers of filmmaking gear from our partners’ online shops for this week. Including gimbals, Atomos recorders, DJI drone, tripod and wireless follow focus.

I went through the current deals on our partners’ websites and selected the top 10 offers currently available, which I think could be interesting for you. First, there are B&H offers listed for our readers based in the US and then a couple of deals from our European partner CVP. By shopping at our affiliate partners’ stores you are supporting cinema5D through our buy links, as we get a small affiliate commission when a purchase is completed. Now, let’s take a look at this week’s top 10 deals for filmmakers:

B&H: ikan EC1 Beholder 3-Axis Gimbal

Starting off this week’s deals with motorized stabilizers, the ikan EC1 Beholder supports cameras between 2-4.5 lb (1-2 kg), which should be enough for most mirrorless cameras and smaller DSLRs. Keep in mind though, that using heavy lenses can cause problems with balancing the setup. This is generally the case with most handheld stabilizers.

The gimbal features 360° rotation along all 3 axes, 32-bit controller & 12-bit encoder, three follow modes plus auto-inversion, lock mode & auto point-and-lock mode. It has a quick release baseplate, OLED display, 3/8″-16 tripod mount threaded hole and 1/4″-20 accessory mount threaded hole.

Buy link: ikan EC1 Beholder 3-Axis Gimbal ~~Was: $699.00~~ Now: $449.00 (Savings: $250.00)

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Canon Has Two Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras in the Works: Report

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Jul 052018

It’s not just Nikon. Canon is also reportedly planning to launch two different full frame mirrorless cameras in the very near future.

Canon Rumors is hearing that Canon will be releasing two full frame mirrorless cameras before the middle of 2019. And like Nikon’s rumored pair, Canon’s cameras will also arrive as a high-megapixel “flagship” model and a lower resolution, cheaper model.

The first camera to be announced will be a 30.4-megapixel mirrorless camera that could be “closely related” to the sensor found in the existing Canon 5D Mark IV, Canon Rumors writes. Canon said back in May that it’s finally willing to cannibalize its DSLRs to play a bigger part in the growth of mirrorless cameras.

The second Canon full frame mirrorless body launched afterward will reportedly have a lower pixel count — possibly 24 megapixels.

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Magmod Launches Three New Revolutionary Lighting Tools for Photographers

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Jun 272018

MagMod has become known for pushing the boundaries of light modifier design. They always put quality, portability, and ease of use into all of their products. With the release of three new lighting tools, they don’t disappoint.

Magmod recently announced three new products to add to their lineup of existing products: a new MagBox, MagRing, and MagShoe.

MagBox

MagMod’s past lineup of modifiers has always been extremely small and portable. The only problem is those small modifiers can’t produce the soft light found on larger modifiers. The MagBox aims to fix this. The MagBox is a 24-inch octabox that packs a number of revolutionary traits. The first is an integrated gel holder. So no more trying to tape gels to the inside of your softbox. The Magbox also has a built-in side zipper to make changing out gels simple and fast.

The most interesting feature of the MagBox though is in the diffusion panels. The first is a traditional cloth diffusion that you find on most softboxes. But the second is a new diffusion material they call the FocusDiffuser. This diffuser has a microstructure that focuses and directs the light forward. This minimizes spill similar to a grid but also increases the light’s effective output similar to a Fresnel lens. What you’re left with is a gridded softbox that now has a two-to-three stop increase in effective power.

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This Week’s Top 10 Deals for Filmmakers – Z Cam, Canon DSLRs, MacBook

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Jun 272018

There are lots of interesting deals for filmmakers available online. We selected the best 10 offers of filmmaking gear from our partners’ online shops for this week. Including Canon DSLRs, Z CAM E1, LED lights and gimbals.

I went through the current deals on our partners’ websites and I selected the op 10 offers currently available which I think could be interesting for our audience. First I listed B&H offers for our readers based in the US and then a couple of deals from our European partner CVP. You are supporting cinema5D by buying on B&H and CVP through our links because we get a tiny affiliate share. Let’s take a look at the offers.

B&H: Z CAM E1 Mini 4K Camera with MFT Mount

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Diana Instant Square: The First Instax Camera with Swappable Lenses and a Hot Shoe

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Jun 272018

Lomography has unveiled the Diana Instant Square, a lo-fi toy camera that shoots Fuji Instax Square instant film. It’s the world’s first Instax camera to feature interchangeable lenses and a hot-shoe mount.

The camera is compatible with all of the lenses that have already been released for the Diana F+ instant camera, which shoots Instax Mini film. These include the 110 mm telephoto lens, 75 mm glass lens, 20 mm fisheye lens, 38 mm super-wide-angle lens, and a 55 mm wide-angle lens (which comes with a close-up attachment).

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Sony Unveils the 400mm f/2.8 Lens, a $12,000 Sports and Wildlife Monster

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Jun 272018

Sony has just unveiled the long-awaited 400mm f/2.8 G Master prime lens. The E-mount ecosystem finally has a fast super-telephoto lens designed for sports and wildlife photographers, and the Sony a9 finally has a best friend.

The new Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS is the first super-telephoto prime in the E-mount lineup. The existing Sony 100-400mm G Master lens can provide the same reach, but it’s a zoom lens with a slow variable maximum aperture of f/4.5-5.6.

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Samyang Unveils an 85mm f/1.4 Full Frame Lens for Canon EF

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Jun 192018

Samyang has just announced its new Samyang/Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 full frame autofocus lens for Canon EF-mount cameras. The announcement comes just one week after the company unveiled its new 24mm f/2.8 lens.

The lens is the equivalent of a 136mm when mounted on a Canon crop sensor APS-C camera.

Thanks to its internal design and technologies such as a Hybrid Aspherical element, the 85mm measures less than 3 inches long and is lightweight for its focal length (17oz/482g). The features (including Ultra Multi-Coating) also help reduce and control distortion and aberrations.

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Canon’s Next 18-55mm Kit Lens May Have a Built-In LCD Screen

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Jun 192018

It looks like electronic info displays are becoming a new norm for camera lenses. A new patent filed by Canon suggests that the company’s next 18-55mm kit lens will feature an LCD display.

New Camera first spotted the new Canon patent (JP2018005130A) for aberration reduction in an interchangeable lens. Within the document is an illustration showing what appears to be the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS III kit lens, and one of the reference indicators is for a “lens information display.”

The info display is found next to the AF/MF and IS ON/OFF toggle switches.

Zeiss kicked off the idea of sticking electronic displays on lenses with the Batis series back in April 2015.

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Zeiss Accuses Samyang of Stealing Its Lens Designs

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Jun 132018

The renowned German lens maker Carl Zeiss has accused the South Korean lens maker Samyang of copying its designs. As a result, the Samyang lenses at the center of the dispute are being pulled by distributors and retailers.

The Swedish website Monitor reports that the Samyang Premium XP 50mm f/1.2 and 85mm f/1.2 lenses are the ones Zeiss has issues with.

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MIOPS Capsule360: The World’s ‘Most Compact and Versatile Motion Box’

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Jun 132018

The camera triggering company MIOPS has just announced the Capsule360, a new app-controlled motion box that the company claims is the world’s “most compact and versatile motion box ever created.” It’s one motion system that aims to do it all.

Compatible with any DSLR camera, mirrorless camera, or smartphone, the Capsule360 can do pans, tilts, slides, custom movements, subject/star tracking, and 360-degree photography.

“For those filmmakers and stills photographers who want to go further than ever before with their projects, the MIOPS Capsule360 is the ideal companion,” MIOPS says.

The Capsule360 has 3 axes of motion: it can do pans straight out of the box, tilts with the optional L-Bracket, and slides with the Capsule Slider accessory.

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Canon Announces EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III and EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II Lenses [Update: Pre-Order Now]

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Jun 072018

Tonight, Canon announced the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM and EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II USM lenses. These both include the latest technologies in their categories for improved performance within one of the most popular zoom ranges around.

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III lens features an Air Sphere Coating (ASC) for better flaring and ghosting control. Other features include the Optical Image Stabilizer with up to 3.5 stops of correction, fluorine coating on front and rear elements to help reduce smears and fingerprints, an inner focusing system with Ring Ultrasonic Motor (USM), one fluorite lens and five UD lenses that help to provide high-image quality, a minimum focusing distance of 1.2m (3.9ft), and a circular eight-blade aperture. This lens features 23 elements in 19 groups.

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Drone Comparison: New Parrot Anafi vs. DJI Mavic Air

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Jun 072018

Parrot just announced a new drone that may be able to challenge DJI’s domination in the hobby market. Let’s take a look at the specifications and check if the French manufacturer can take on the Chinese leader.

Size, Weight and Speed

The two drones are fighting in the similar lightweight category but the Anafi is lighter than the Mavic air at 374 grams versus 430 grams. It can be a curse or a blessing. Lighter drones tend to sustain less damage in case of crash but more weight also helps to stabilize the frame.

The Mavic Air wins the top speed category (42mph) but the Anafi is not too far behind (33mph). The key factor is to determine the maximum usable speed because the sport mode on DJI drones is not very good to record video (propellors in the field of view, limited stabilization) but it can help to fly back against strong winds.

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The Camera You Should Want: Fstoppers Reviews the Sony a7 III

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Jun 072018

Sony has been making waves with the a7R III and a9, but a lot of photographers don’t need those crazy levels of resolution and frame rates. Instead, they look for a quality camera that can do almost anything asked of it at a reasonable price. The Sony a7 III may just be that camera, with an awesome feature set, excellent performance, and an aggressively competitive price. Check out our full review.

Key Specifications

24-megapixel backside-illuminated sensor
693 phase detection AF points with 93 percent frame coverage
ISO range: 100-51,200 (expandable to 50-204,800)
UHD 4K 30p with HLG and S-Log3 Gammas (6K oversampling at 24p and 5K oversampling with 1.2x crop at 30p)
2.36-million dot OLED EVF
3-inch, 922,000-dot tilting touchscreen
5-Axis SteadyShot Stabilization
Continuous rate: 10 fps
Buffer: 89 raw, 177 JPEG
Dynamic range: 15 stops
Built-In Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Anti-flicker mode
Dual SD slots
USB 3.0 Type-C port
Magnesium alloy chassis with weather-sealing
Battery life: 710 shots

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DJI Mavic Air vs. Mavic Pro Footage Comparison

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May 282018

After our hands-on with the Mavic Air in Monaco earlier this year, it was time to put the Mavic Air up against its older brother, the Mavic Pro, and compare the footage. Which footage holds up better?

Does the Mavic Air Make Superior Images?

The irony about new technology is often that newer generations are simply better, even in a model that sits in a lower price bracket than a predecessor that is still in the market. And this is exactly what we are seeing with the new Mavic Air, which I took for a hands-on spin at their press event in Monaco earlier this year (watch the video here). The Mavic Air is a classic example for this conundrum that many manufacturers face, unless they want to artificially strip newer technology off of some of the features of older, but “higher end” version of their products (C200, cough-cough!).

Leica Finally Discontinues the Last Numbered M Series Film Camera

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May 282018

While film has long been outpaced by digital, a few iconic films and camera have stuck around after the industry transitioned, one of the most notable being the Leica M7. Now, the last vestige of the film side of the iconic numbered M Series has been discontinued.

The Leica M Series has found its way into the hands of numerous top photographers over the years and has been one of the most recognizable set of cameras in and out of the photography world. Leica brought it into the digital age with the M8 in 2006, but the M7, the last film model in the series, has hung around since its introduction in 2002.

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When the Sony a7S III Is Announced, What Features Are Make or Break?

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May 282018

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z97p00uQ3Ik

Each day that passes is another day closer to the announcement of the Sony a7S III. We all know it’s coming, but what new features should it have?

In September 2015, Sony announced the a7S II sporting a groundbreaking sensor specializing in low light videography. As time went on, other companies introduced very competitive alternatives that either matched or exceeded many of the a7S II’s video specifications. Personally, I think it’s a little uncharacteristic for the Sony of the past few years give their competitors enough time to catch up. But what this may mean in the end is that they have something worth waiting for.

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