Gear, MirrorlessComments Off on Hands-On First Impression of the Fujinon GF 30mm f/3.5
Jul022020
Fujifilm’s newest lens for the G mount is coming soon and it offers a mid-range prime between its two current options.
The go-to wider primes for Fuji’s G mount are the Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR and the Fujifilm GF 45mm f/2.8 R WR. This left a reasonably sized gap between the two which could be filled by the Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR, but that would be giving up a prime for a zoom. If you’re like me and you gravitate towards primes wherever possible, that wouldn’t be an option.
GearComments Off on Nikon Rumored to Announce a Brand New Full Frame Mirrorless Camera and Three Z-Mount Lenses
Jul022020
It’s being reported that Nikon is close to launching an entry-level, full frame mirrorless camera and three new lenses, with the announcement due to come within the next three weeks.
The rumor mills have been discussing the arrival of the mooted Z 5, an affordable full frame mirrorless camera that would rival the Canon EOS RP. Speculation has wavered over whether this camera would include an EVF, perhaps only featuring a rear LCD with the option of a bolt-on EVF that could be added via the hotshot.
The chatter now seems to have decided that Nikon has not taken this route, choosing to ditch only the top-panel LCD, and borrowing the EVF from the existing Z 6. Other guesses include a 24 megapixels sensor, dual card slots, IBIS, a 1.7x crop in 4K, and stills at 6 frames per second.
Perhaps of greater interest to existing Z 6 and Z 7 owners are the three new lenses that may be announced at the same time. The three lenses are:
GearComments Off on Atomos and Z CAM Release 5.8K and 4K ProRes RAW Recording for Z CAM E2 Series of Cameras
Jul022020
Atomos and Z CAM just released an update that enabling 12-bit 5.8K Apple ProRes RAW over HDMI recording on the Atomos Ninja V HDR monitor-recorder for the Z CAM E2-F6, E2-F8, and E2-S6. For the Z CAM E2, E2-M4 and E2 C Micro 4/3 cameras, you can record in 4K ProRes RAW to the Ninja V. Also part of the update, Atomos released new camera control functions for all Z CAM models that allow crucial features to be set from the Ninja V via the monitor’s touchscreen. Let’s take a closer look at it.
Atomos Unleashes ProRes RAW Recording to All Z CAM E2 Cameras
Atomos is on fire recently! In less than a week, the company announced Apple ProRes RAW support for the SIGMA fp, the FUJIFILM GFX100, and all Z CAM E2 cameras today. However, during our cinema5D Virtual Show, we already had a conversation with Dan Chung from Atomos to talk about the upcoming ProRes RAW recording capabilities of the “regular” Z CAM E2 camera.
Gear, MirrorlessComments Off on Hands On with the Sigma 100-400mm DG DN: A Budget Superzoom For Sony
Jul022020
Wildlife photographers who shoot with Sony have been limited when it comes to lens choice. The Sony 100-400mm GM was released in early 2017, but the price ($2,500) was out of reach for many. Last year, Sony released the 200-600mm G, which was a bit more budget friendly ($2,000) but is a pretty large lens to carry around on wildlife hikes.
Fortunately, Sigma recently announced their new 100-400mm Contemporary lens for Sony E-Mount and Leica/Panasonic/Sigma L-Mount. We had the chance to test out an E-Mount 100-400 for a few days – read on to see what we thought.
GearComments Off on Olympus Unveils Webcam Software for OM-D Cameras, New Lens Roadmap
Jul022020
Recent industry-shaking news aside, Olympus isn’t going anywhere just yet. In fact, earlier today, the company revealed an updated lens roadmap and released OM-D Webcam Beta Software: a Windows-only program that turns several of the most popular OM-D cameras into webcams for livestreaming and video conferencing.
First up, following in the footsteps of Canon, Fuji, and Panasonic, Olympus has released its own “Webcam Beta Software.” Just like the previous releases from other companies, this first release is Windows-only, but if you happen to be a PC user and you own one of the cameras listed below, you can now use them as high-quality webcams over USB by installing this free software.
GearComments Off on SIGMA 100-400mm f/5-6.3 Lens for L-Mount and E-Mount Introduced
Jun232020
SIGMA 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary lens is the company’s new ultra-telephoto zoom lens designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras with L-Mount and Sony E-Mount. The lens features a relatively compact and lightweight design with autofocus and image stabilization. SIGMA also announced new TC-1411 (1.4x) and TC-2011 (2x) Teleconverters for L-Mount.
It is obvious that SIGMA is fully committed to supplying the L-Mount cameras – including their own SIGMA fp (click here for our review) – with a wide choice of native lenses. In a recent live stream, the SIGMA Corporation CEO Kazuto Yamaki himself announced a new lens in the company’s lineup. It is the first ultra-telephoto zoom lens designed natively for L-Mount. Additionally, Kazuto Yamaki announced two teleconverters to accompany the new lens. The SIGMA 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary will also be available for Sony E-Mount. What are the features and specs of this new lens?
Gear, MirrorlessComments Off on FUJIFILM X-A7 and X-T200 – Firmware Update Enables USB WEBCAM Capabilities
Jun232020
FUJIFILM released a new firmware update for the X-T200 and X-A7 mirrorless cameras. The update brings USB WEBCAM capabilities via USB-C connector and is available for download free of charge. The company further announced that the macOS version of its FUJIFILM X Webcamwill come in mid-July 2020.
FUJIFILM X Webcam now for X-A7 and X-T200 as well. Source: FUJIFILM
In previous months we have seen many camera manufacturers releasing firmware updates and special software to make it easier to use their camera models as webcams without the need for any third-party devices. Canon, FUJIFILM, and Panasonic are at the forefront of these efforts.
Roughly a month ago, FUJIFILM X Webcam app enabled selected GFX medium format cameras and X-Mount cameras to act as a webcam only via connecting it to the computer via USB. FUJIFILM, however, initially only included its top X-Mount cameras (X-Pro2 & X-Pro3, X-T2, X-T3 & X-T4) to be compatible with the X Webcam. Now, there is a new firmware update that adds this functionality to the X-T200 and X-A7 “entry-level” cameras.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on Laowa 7.5mm T2.1, 9mm T2.9 Zero-D and 15mm T2.1 Zero-D Cine Lenses Introduced
Jun232020
Laowa has introduced three cine lenses to its lineup: the Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 Cine for MFT cameras, the Laowa 9mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine that covers Super35 sensors, and the 15mm T2.1 Zero-D Cine for Full Frame cameras. All lenses feature a gear pitch of 0.8mm on the focus and aperture rings, the aperture ring is click-less, and the housing is much more robust for cinema applications. Let’s take a closer look at these new Laowa Cine wide-angle lenses!
Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 Cine
The Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 Cine is a wide-angle lens compatible with Micro Four Thirds camera. This lens was initially announced back in September 2018, but it’s now finally shipping with new housing and some improvements.
The Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 Cine features a 110° FoV on an MFT sensor. However, it is not a “Zero-Distortion” lens, but, according to Laowa, the lens distortion is minimal and well-controlled. The minimum focus distance is 12cm/4.7″, and the lens weight just 226g/0.5 lbs, which makes it a good match with the Panasonic GH5, the BMPCC4K, and the Z CAM E2. In front of the lens, there is a 55mm front filter thread to attach filters.
GearComments Off on Sony 200-600mm Lens Settings for Bird Photography
Jun232020
In this video I will go through each setting of the Sony FE 200-600mm super-telephoto zoom lens and show you how I use them for bird photography.
The Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens features a full settings panel on the left side plus three customizable focus hold buttons midway down the barrel. The settings from top to bottom include an AF/MF switch, a focus limiter switch, an Optical SteadyShot on-off switch, and lastly a mode switch to choose how the image stabilization will operate.
Gear, MirrorlessComments Off on FUJIFILM Firmware Updates for XC/XF Lenses
Jun142020
FUJIFILM has released several minor firmware updates for seven of its XC/XF lenses. These lenses include the popular FUJIFILM XF10-24mm F/4 R OIS, XC16-50mm F/3.5-5.6 OIS II, and XF80mm F/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro, for example. Let’s take a closer look at it!
FUJIFILM Firmware Updates for XC/XF Lenses
FUJIFILM is continuously improving their products by releasing firmware updates, and they just released seven firmware updates for XC/XF lenses. These firmware are pretty “minor,” and FUJIFILM is staying vague by just saying that these FW updates contain “fixes of minor bugs.”
Action cams, GearComments Off on Why Should You Buy the DJI Mavic Air 2?
Jun142020
The Mavic Air 2, DJI’s latest drone, sits squarely between its other drones, the Mavic Mini and the Mavic 2 Pro, but what does it offer that its siblings don’t? Gena Nagata, a.k.a Potato Jet, takes all three for a spin to find out.
The size and convenience of the Mavic Mini made the world of drones suddenly incredibly accessible, and the Mavic Pro 2 offers some higher-end features that make it suitable for slightly bigger projects. As you’d expect, the Mavic Air 2 brings a little of both, and for Nagata, it’s enough that this is his day-to-day drone of choice.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on Are Canon’s Rumored Super-Telephoto Lenses a Serious Threat to Olympus?
Jun142020
The rumored Canon lenses coming out have got a lot of us talking and pricked up a number of ears. One set of ears it ought to have pricked up, however, is Olympus’ — and here’s why.
Some of you may know that earlier this year, Olympus was kind enough to send me to Costa Rica with their new OM-D E-M1 Mark III to review it with the help of some of South America’s staggeringly diverse wildlife. From the first pre-trip presentation, it was clear the direction Olympus had been going for some time was the one there were intent on staying on: wildlife and sports. Their micro four thirds sensor puts a lot of people off — not least because of its age now — but it comes with at least one perk, and it’s a big one: effective focal length. With the 300mm f/4 IS PRO lens on the aforementioned body, I was shooting at the full frame equivalent of 600mm. Then, when I added the 2x teleconverter, I’m shooting at the equivalent of 1,200mm on a full frame body, something that is not easily or cheaply done!
Gear, MirrorlessComments Off on The Best APS-C Camera Ever Made? A Review of the Fujifilm X-T4
Jun102020
Fujifilm’s X-T4 has been seen by some as an incremental progression over its predecessor, the X-T3, and if you’re a stills shooter that doesn’t need advanced autofocus performance, that might well be true. This excellent review runs through the features and explains why it might be a worthy upgrade.
Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake of DPReview bring a wealth of experience to their review of the X-T4 and, suffice to say, they’re impressed. As the video makes clear, this is definitely not a turkey.
GearComments Off on These are All of the Lenses Canon Will Announce in 2020: Report
Jun102020
Notoriously reliable site Nokishita has posted a list of six lenses and two teleconverters that Canon is planning to release in 2020. All of them are RF-mount lenses, some are exciting, and some of them are quite strange… like the 600mm f/11 and 800mm f/11 super-telephoto primes.
Gear, MirrorlessComments Off on Should I Use a Crop Sensor or Crop an Image From a Full Frame Sensor?
Jun082020
If a crop sensor is used, it will look like the focal length is much longer. Photographers that need long telephoto lenses can benefit from this. But instead of using a crop sensor, it is also possible to crop a full frame sensor to have the same field of view. Let’s take a look at the differences.
It isn’t really that difficult. A small sensor will record only a part of the projected image of the lens you are using. A bigger sensor will record a larger part of that same projected image. A full frame sensor with the dimensions of 24 x 36 mm will have a larger area compared to a 1.5x crop sensor that measures 23 x 15 mm. But when the recorded image is viewed at the same size on a screen, the image of the crop sensor will result in a magnification of 1.5 times that of the full frame sensor.
This is why a lens on a camera with a sensor that is smaller than a full frame sensor will act as if it has a longer focal length. A 24mm the lens will act like a 36mm lens, a 50mm lens will become a 75mm lens, and a 400mm lens will imitate a 600mm lens. This is when the sensor has a 1.5x crop. If a micro 4/3 sensor is used, with a crop factor of 2x, the focal lengths will be 50mm, 100mm, and 800mm compared to its full frame cousin.
Gear, MirrorlessComments Off on Canon 1D X Mark III Review and Sample Footage
Jun072020
The Canon 1D X Mark III has been shipping for quite some time and with its capability to record up to 5.5k RAW video internally, it promises to be a leader in its class. Together with the upcoming EOS R5, Canon is showing muscle flexing and an explosion of technical generosity. To me, it looks like a true come back for the creator of the VDSLR segment and a former leader of that field.
GearComments Off on SANDMARC Motion Variable ND Filter for iPhone Launched
Jun012020
Smartphone accessories specialized company SANDMARC has just introduced a new variable ND filter for iPhone and smartphone shooters: the SANDMARC Motion Variable Filter. This filter is compatible with SANDMARC lenses, but you can also simply clip it directly onto your phone, without the need for a dedicated case. With a range from ND8 to ND64, let’s take a closer look at how this SANDMARC Motion Variable Filter can help you capture better footage with your smartphone.
GearComments Off on 8Sinn SIGMA fp Cage – Hands On
Jun012020
8Sinn, an accessories manufacturer based out of Poland, creates a wide variety of products aimed at supporting a majority of the small sized camera market. The SIGMA fp camera, launched in 2019, is billed as the world’s smallest full frame mirrorless camera weighing in at under a pound and I’ve been finding ways to beef up the camera to a true Cine-style rig. Will the 8Sinn SIGMA fp cage both hold up to the constant stress of production? Let’s find out!
GearComments Off on Pentax Officially Unveils Long-Awaited FA* 85mm f/1.4 Lens for the K-Mount
May282020
After first showing off the lens over a year ago, and sharing a few more teasers during a livestreamtwo weeks ago, Ricoh has officially unveiled the HD Pentax-D FA* 85mm f/1.4ED SDM AW—a “next-generation, high-performance” portrait prime for K-mount DSLRs.
The lens is only the second prime to be added to the “Star series” of high-performance lenses for digital cameras, and like its 50mm f/1.4 predecessor, it promises to deliver “extra-clear, high-contrast images with edge-to-edge sharpness.”
