GearComments Off on Zhiyun Weebill-S Compact Gimbal for Mirrorless and DSLR Cameras Announced
Oct172019
After the massive success of the Kickstarter campaign for their SMOOTH-Q2 smartphone gimbal, Zhiyun is back with a new gimbal for DSLR and Mirrorless cameras: the Zhiyun Weebill-S. This compact and robust handheld gimbal is a follow-up to the previous Weebill LAB that was announced at Photokina 2018. Let’s take a closer look at it!
Zhiyun has just announced their new handheld gimbal for mirrorless and DSLR cameras: the Zhiyun Weebill-S. This fresh stabilizer is a follow-up to the previous Weebill LAB, but it is not a replacement. Overall, the one-of-his-kind design is similar between the two. If it works, don’t fix it.
GearComments Off on Nikon Releases NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct Lens – World’s Fastest Z-Mount Lens
Oct172019
Nikon releases the NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct manual-focus lens, which is currently the fastest lens for the Z-Mount and one of the world’s fastest lenses ever. It covers full-frame sensors, offers a function button, and comes with a dedicated case. This unique lens is now available for pre-order for slightly under $8,000.
NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct lens released. Image credit: Nikon
Nikon works hard to extend their mirrorless Z-mount lineup. The Japanese company recently announced the new APS-C camera Nikon Z50 along with two new budget DX lenses. Nikon also released an announcement including the fastest lens in the Z-mount lineup – NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct lens. Let’s take a look at its features.
Nikon NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct Lens
The NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct is an ultra-fast, standard prime, manual-focus lens for the Nikon Z mount system’s full-frame (Nikon FX-format) mirrorless cameras – the Z 6 and Z 7. It takes advantage of the large-diameter (inner diameter of 55 mm) of Z-mount and 16 mm flange focal distance to realize an f/0.95 maximum aperture.
Action cams, GearComments Off on Sirui Swift M1 and Swift P1 Gimbals for Smartphones and Mirrorless Cameras
Oct172019
Sirui is launching an Indiegogo campaign for two new compact gimbals: the Sirui Swift M1 and Sirui Swift P1. The Sirui Swift M1 is designed for smartphones only, while the Swift P1 can take smartphones and mirrorless cameras up to 900 grams. Let’s take a closer look at these new stabilizers!
Image credit: Sirui
Sirui Swift M1 Gimbal for Smartphones
The Sirui Swift M1 is a gimbal for smartphones that is lightweight at just 498 grams/1.1 lbs, and that can take a maximum load of 300 grams/0.66 lbs. As a reference, the iPhone 11 Pro Max weight 226 grams. The gimbal folds down in two and has an internal non-removable battery that should last for 6 hours, according to Sirui. There are locking buttons on every axis, so the gimbal won’t move when you transport it.
On the front of the Sirui Swift M1, there is a little OLED display that shows you the mode you are in. Below the screen, there is a control jog and four buttons: functions/menu/record/power. On the back of the gimbal, there is a little trigger button to reset all the axis. On the left side, there is a small dial to adjust the roll axis or change modes.
There’s nothing extraordinary on the hardware side, so what makes this gimbal different?
GearComments Off on A Comprehensive Review of the Sony a7R IV
Oct142019
The Sony a7R IV brings the company’s latest innovations and improvements to the popular line of high-resolution full frame cameras. Along with its new sensor come a bevy of new upgrades and refinements to existing features, making it an interesting choice for a lot of photographers. This comprehensive and thorough review takes a deep look at the camera to help you decide if it is right for you.
Coming to you from Maarten Heilbron, this excellent review takes a look at the Sony a7R IV. The a7R IV features lots of upgrades over the a7R III, the most prominent being the new 61-megapixel sensor, an upgrade of almost 50% over its predecessor. Along with the new sensor comes a better EVF, more ergonomic grip, more powerful autofocus, better weather-sealing, and more. The capability to fire at 10 fps at 61 megapixels is certainly a boon for many photographers, particularly wildlife photographers, who retain vast cropping capabilities with enough speed to capture animals in action, all supplemented by the capable autofocus system.
GearComments Off on Kinotehnik LCDVF BM5 – New Viewfinder for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and 6K
Oct142019
Kinotehnik just introduced their new LCDVF BM5 viewfinder for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and 6K. It features 200% magnification, AR coated and optically corrected lens, magnetic frame, and 46mm threading to attach diopter correction lenses.
LCDVF BM5 viewfinder for BMPCC 4K and 6K. Image credit: Kinotehnik
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras 4K (our review) and 6K (our review) have gotten very popular among filmmakers. They offer great image quality with solid codecs for a very affordable price. Numerous third-party accessories for this camera have already been released to compensate for these cameras’ downsides – particularly battery life and support for SSD media. When it comes to ergonomy, another downside of BMPCC 4K and 6K is the absence of a viewfinder.
While Kinotehnik claims their LCDVF BM5 is a world’s first viewfinder for the BMPCC 4K and 6K, I personally know filmmakers who have been using viewfinder from a Brazilian company GRID with their BMPCC 4K. To be fair, GRID 5.0 viewfinder is quite expensive at $241 and the distribution might be a bit problematic. My point is, that Kinotehnik LCDVF BM5 certainly isn’t the world’s first in this regard.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on SIGMA fp Camera Cage – Taipan KABUTO FP-1 Soon to be Available
Oct142019
KABUTO FP1 from Taipan Cinema is the first cage system for the upcoming full-frame mirrorless camera SIGMA fp. It features a modular design with many ¼-20 UNC, 3/8-16 UNC mounting threads and ARRI 2-pin anti-rotation mount. It also includes T5 SSD holder and a cold shoe adapter without blocking any of the camera’s functions.
KABUTO FP-1 Cage for SIGMA fp. Image credit: Taipan Cinema
The compact full-frame mirrorless camera SIGMA fp is coming very soon. Now we know it is going to be priced slightly under $2,000. My colleague Johnnie was testing the camera in Japan and his early hands-on impressions article is coming very soon. In the meantime, Taipan Cinema introduced the first cage for this camera.
The Italian camera accessories company Taipan Cinema is focusing mostly on cages and rigs for popular cameras. They usually react very quickly and introduce first cages and rigging solutions to newly announced cameras – like with the EXO cage for DJI Osmo Pocket. This time Taipan Cinema most likely took advantage of the published 3D models of SIGMA fp camera and they introduced the first cage for the fp – KABUTO FP-1. What are its features?
Taipan KABUTO FP-1 Cage for SIGMA fp
KABUTO FP-1 cage features a modular design and is mounted on the camera like a mask, from the front. The name is inspired by the battle helmets used by Samurais in ancient Japan.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on KIPON Releases PRO Cine Adapters for PL and LPL Mount Lenses and Medium Format Lenses
Oct102019
KIPON announced a new PRO line of adapters for PL and LPL mount lenses and 0.7x speed boosters for selected medium format lenses. The adapters feature precisely manufactured bodies from strong stainless material and the possibility to add shim papers. They will be available for most popular mirrorless mounts – Sony E, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z, EOS R-mount, L-mount, FUJIFILM G-mount, and RED cameras. The adapters are available now.
KIPON PRO cine adapters
The Shanghai-based company KIPON is known mainly for its lens adapters and affordable manual focus lenses. Back in March 2018, we informed you about their Canon-EF to FUJIFILM X-Mount autofocus adapters. Now KIPON releases a new PRO line of adapters. What kind of adapters are these exactly?
KIPON PRO Cine Adapters for PL and LPL Mount Lenses
First group of new PRO cine adapters from KIPON are adapters without an optical element. They are designed for PL and LPL mount cine lenses, so these adapters naturally do not support autofocus or aperture operation. They only support full manual operation.
All PRO adapters are manufactured with high precision using strong stainless material with very good abrasive resistance. KIPON says there will be no tolerance change for lens and body mount side even after years of use. There is also a possibility to add shim papers of various thicknesses to all PRO adapters to ensure precise (back-)focusing.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on SIGMA fp Pricing Revealed – A Sub-$2,000 Full Frame Camera With RAW Capabilities
Oct102019
Back in July, we reported about the launch of the SIGMA fp full-frame camera. We visited the SIGMA factory in August, we asked questions about it at this years IBC in September and we posted about the official release of highly accurate 3D models of the camera and its available accessories in order to create an even further expanded pool of custom accessories. But one thing remained in the dark and that’s the price of the fp camera. Now the company spilled the beans and here it is: The SIGMA fp will be yours for $1,899 US. Preorders are open as we speak
The SIGMA fp is not your average pocket-sized point’n’shoot camera. It’s kind of two cameras in one and it sports a full frame sensor. You can choose between a dedicated cine mode as well as a stills mode, accessible via a hardware switch right on the top plate of the camera, no more menu digging! That’s a lot of functionality inside this tiny body and it’s a fresh apporach of tackling all these menu settings and controls for both, stills and cine applications.
Apple, GearComments Off on What Is Apple’s Semantic Rendering and How Does It Affect iPhone 11 Photos?
Oct102019
Apple has made a lot of noise with its camera-festooned iPhone 11 models, but beyond the lenses and hardware is a lot of interesting software. It’s arguably that software that’s driving the biggest changes to photography to date.
Some of that software isn’t available yet, such as “Deep Fusion” AI which Apple’s Marketing Chief described as “computational mad science,” or marketing speak for “I’m not really sure what this is yet, but it’s got a cool name.” But one of the technologies that is available right now is “semantic rendering,” which according to an article from Digital Trends is basically an editor in your phone touching up each individual part of your image.
Gear, MirrorlessComments Off on Sony a9 II Announced – More Speed for Pro Photographers, Same Video Specs
Oct072019
Sony just announced the a9 II full-frame E-mount mirrorless camera. Aimed at professional sports photographers and photojournalistst, the Sony a9 II is all about speed. It has the same 24.2 MP CMOS sensor as the original a9. The camera is capable of 20fps continous blackout-free stills shooting with AF and AE tracking with electronic shutter (up to 10fps with mechanical shutter). The new a9 II also features better in-body image stabilization, weather resistance, and gigabit ethernet port for high speed communication. Available in October for $4,500 (€5,400).
Sony a9 sits on top of the alpha series of mirrorless cameras. It is aimed at professional photographers, who does not require the maximum possible resolution (for those Sony has the a7R series), but who require speed and other useful features (for example sports photographers and photojournalists). The first generation Sony a9 was presented during NAB 2017, so it has been more than two years. Today Sony announced the a9 II. What are its specs and innovations?
As I mentioned above, the a9 series is all about speed. Sony a9 II (full model name: ILCE-9M2) features blackout-free continuous shooting at up to 20 frames per second (with electronic shutter) with Auto Focus and Auto Exposure tracking, 60 times per second AF/AE calculations. This applies for 1/125 sec. or higher shutter speed. In AF-C mode the maximum continuous frame rate will depend on the shooting mode and lens used. The number of AF calculations will depend on the lens used. A software update may be required for some lenses.
The high speed shooting can last for up to 361 JPEG images or 239 compressed RAW images (in “Hi” continuous shooting mode with UHS-II memory card), with no viewfinder blackout, allowing the photographer to follow the subject and action with no interruption to the EVF during picture taking. For times when mechanical shutter is preferred or required, the new A9 II has been improved to shoot at up to 10 fps, about 2x the speed of the A9.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on KIPON Releases PRO Cine Adapters for PL and LPL Mount Lenses and Medium Format Lenses
Oct072019
KIPON announced a new PRO line of adapters for PL and LPL mount lenses and 0.7x speed boosters for selected medium format lenses. The adapters feature precisely manufactured bodies from strong stainless material and the possibility to add shim papers. They will be available for most popular mirrorless mounts – Sony E, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z, EOS R-mount, L-mount, FUJIFILM G-mount, and RED cameras. The adapters are available now.
KIPON PRO cine adapters
The Shanghai-based company KIPON is known mainly for its lens adapters and affordable manual focus lenses. Back in March 2018, we informed you about their Canon-EF to FUJIFILM X-Mount autofocus adapters. Now KIPON releases a new PRO line of adapters. What kind of adapters are these exactly?
KIPON PRO Cine Adapters for PL and LPL Mount Lenses
First group of new PRO cine adapters from KIPON are adapters without an optical element. They are designed for PL and LPL mount cine lenses, so these adapters naturally do not support autofocus or aperture operation. They only support full manual operation.
All PRO adapters are manufactured with high precision using strong stainless material with very good abrasive resistance. KIPON says there will be no tolerance change for lens and body mount side even after years of use. There is also a possibility to add shim papers of various thicknesses to all PRO adapters to ensure precise (back-)focusing.
GearComments Off on Yuneec Typhoon H3 drone packs high-end Leica camera tech
Oct022019
Chinese drone company Yuneec has introduced the Typhoon H3, the company’s first drone launched in partnership with camera manufacturer Leica. The drone features the ION L1 Pro, a camera that features a large 1-inch sensor and Leica technology. Yuneec claims the Typhoon H3’s camera was designed specifically for aerial photography.
Action cams, GearComments Off on GoPro HERO8 Black, Mods and GoPro MAX Announced
Oct012019
One year after the release of the GoPro HERO7 Black and a couple of months after the launch of the DJI Osmo Action, GoPro is back with loads of new products: the GoPro HERO8 Black, a couple of modular accessories called Mods, and the GoPro MAX that replaces the GoPro Fusion. Let’s take a closer look at all these new products for action lovers!
GoPro HERO8 Black – If It Works, Don’t Fix It
The GoPro HERO8 Black replaces the previous HERO7 Black. Let’s start with the exterior design because there is not a massive difference between the two:
The HERO8 Black measures 66.3mm x 48.6mm x 28.4mm, whereas the HERO7 is 62.3mm x 44.9mm x 33mm.
The HERO8 Black weighs 126 grams, which is 10 grams heavier than the previous version.
You don’t need a frame to attach your HERO8 Black to all existing GoPro mounts. Instead, the two swapping mounts are now built-in at the bottom of the action camera. They are retractable, so you can fold them if you don’t need to attach your camera to an accessory.
The lens cover is slimmer and is equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass which, according to GoPro, is “two times more impact resistant than previous models.” Gorilla Glass is the same type of glass that is used on iPhones.
GearComments Off on First Look: This is the Upcoming Pentax APS-C Flagship DSLR
Sep302019
Last week, Ricoh revealed that it would be releasing a new flagship Pentax APS-C DLSR in 2020, but they shared very few details and only one low-resolution photo of the upcoming camera. Fortunately, photographer Niels Kemp was at the Pentax 100 Years of History event in The Netherlands, and sent us a few first-look photos.
Pentax fans haven’t had much to celebrate lately. First, Sigma announced that it would no longer be making Pentax K-Mount lenses in order to focus more resources on Mirrorless cameras; then, Ricoh confirmed it would not be launching any new cameras in the Fall of 2019. But just as all hope seemed lost and we all began to wonder if Pentax was, indeed, going to fade quietly into history, never to be seen or heard from again, Ricoh revealed that there is a new flagship Pentax APS-C DSLR “currently under development for market launch in 2020.”
The name and specs of the camera are yet to be announced, but it’s nice to get a closer look at the camera beyond the tiny image Ricoh shared alongside the development announcement:
GearComments Off on Canon Just Announced the EOS M200 and the Launch Video Is Fascinating
Sep272019
Canon has announced the launch of the EOS M200, a small camera featuring a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor, Dual Pixel autofocus and 4K video. Canon has also packed in a few features that make it more accessible to those without a deep knowledge of photography who are looking to produce and share content quickly on social media. What’s more interesting, however is the marketing video itself.
When watching the video above, a few things jumped off the screen at me.
Connected But Still App-alling?
Web-ready content is key in today’s media environment and Canon is keen to push the M200’s wireless and Bluetooth connectivity. However, users can but hope that Canon is also taking steps to improve its smartphone apps which don’t have a particularly good reputation. Given that the example in this video shows a camera with the nickname of “EOSM200_C64D7,” Canon might still have a long way to go when it comes to understanding how to make something user-friendly.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on Cooke S7/i 16mm Full Frame Plus and Anamorphic/i 135mm FF+ Introduced
Sep272019
If you value endgame-performance and money is nothing to worry about, Cooke has everything you need when it comes to cine lenses. At this year’s IBC, the company had two new lenses on display: The Cooke S7/i 16mm T2.0 Full Frame Plus (spherical) prime and the Cooke Anamorphic/i 135mm T2.3 cine prime. High-end glass for the high-end cine market.
The new Cooke S7/i 16mm T2.0 cine prime (spherical). Image Credit: cinema5D
Yeah, I know. I won’t spend a cool $25.000 on a single lens, either. But there is a high-end, money-no-object market in which you just want to get that perfect shot. Check out the shotoncooke.comwebsite for a brief overview of productions shot on Cooke glass. Do you want that Cooke-look? Well, you better get some Cooke glass, then! At this year’s IBC, Cooke introduces two new primes to their lineup.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on CINE-X BMPCC 4K and 6K Battery Grip First Look
Sep272019
During IBC 2019, we met Dimitar from CINE-X to talk about their new battery grip solution for the BMPCC 4K and 6K cameras. This CINE-X battery grip can be an excellent alternative to the official Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K Battery Grip that was announced a couple of months ago. Indeed, the CINE-X version features additional D-taps and USB ports. Let’s take a closer look at it!
The back of the CINE-X battery grip features two Sony NP-F slots. Image credit: cinema5D
Action cams, GearComments Off on OCLU Action Cam: Delete Unwanted Footage on the Fly
Sep252019
Offering in-body stabilization that seems to compete well with other action cameras on the market, the OCLU also has an aerodynamic design and a wide selection of accessories. These attachments and casings are sold as “Bundles” that are geared towards underwater usage or attaching the camera to specific pieces of equipment.
Perhaps most appealing to extreme sports enthusiasts is the ability to delete footage on the fly using the camera’s “Live Cut” mode. When you’ve finished filming a specific clip that you don’t plan to use, instead of hitting the record button again to stop, you press a different button to delete the clip. This allows you to avoid fill-in up your micro-SD card with unwanted footage.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on Canon Unveils Entry-Level EOS M200 with Eye Detection and 4K Video
Sep252019
Canon has just revealed a new entry-level mirrorless APS-C camera. The Canon EOS M200 won’t blow anybody’s socks off, but it brings some useful upgrades to Canon’s popular entry-level mirrorless EOS M100, adding eye-detection autofocus, 4K video, and more.
The main upgrade between the two cameras is the Digic 8 processor, which allowed Canon to include Dual Pixel AF with Eye Detection on the EOS M200. Canon also added (cropped) 4K/24p video, 1080/60p, and automatic support for vertical video when you shoot in portrait orientation and export to an iOS or Android device.
Otherwise, the camera remains largely unchanged. You still get a 24MP APS-C CMOS image sensor, flip up LCD touchscreen for selfies, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth for wireless file transfer, and a compact, travel-friendly design.
Here’s a quick intro to the Canon EOS M200’s main features:
GearComments Off on A Review of the Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD Lens
Sep242019
Tamron has been killing it with their lens releases in the last few years, undercutting the prices of first party manufacturers by significant amounts while still providing high optical quality and performance that have led to an increasing presence in the professional segment. This great review takes a look at the Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD lens for Canon and Nikon DSLRs.
