Canon USA released the new firmware updates for pretty much every DSLR (and mirrorless camera) to fix an issue with the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM lens.
Firmware Update incorporates the following fixes and improvements:
The following DSLRs have available firmware updates:
Thanks CanonRumors for spotting this!
Read more: 2016 Holiday Camera Deals.
Related posts:
Video Rating: / 5
Join Jason Lanier as he reviews the Sigma MC-11 Adapter in the middle of Muir Woods using both Canon and Sigma lenses. PLEASE THUMBS UP, SHARE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE!
To read the complete review and to see images taken using the Sigma MC-11 Adapter on the A7Rii, please click below:
http://www.jasonlanier.com/blog/sigmamc11adapter
**Links to Gear:
*Sigma MC-11 Adapter- http://www.adorama.com/sgmc11c.html?utm_source=rflaid912653
*Metabones Mark 4 Adapter- http://www.adorama.com/mbefebt4.html?utm_source=rflaid912653
*Sony A7Rii- http://www.adorama.com/isoa7r2.html?utm_source=rflaid912653
*Feisol Monopod- http://www.adorama.com/fecm1473.html?utm_source=rflaid912653
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Jason Lanier Photography
It doesn't take much for your camera's battery to fade, even if you started with multiple, all fully charged. If you're running on empty, either because it's been a long day or you just forgot to pack a backup, these tips will help you make the most of the charge you have left without sacrificing your photos.
The video itself is from the folks at SLR Lounge, always a good resource on better photography. Some of the tips might come off a little obvious, like disabling camera stabilization when you don't need it, or when you can compensate for having it off. Turning off sensor cleaning every time the camera turns on and off is another way to save a little power—just remember to turn it back on when you're charged up. Many cameras also allow you to disable unnecessary features with a quick settings tweak, like Sony's mirrorless cameras that have a kind of "airplane mode" built into them that'll help you conserve battery.
For a less drastic measure, you can turn off image preview, where your photo is displayed on the LCD after you take a shot. That way you can just take your shots and review them later instead of letting your LCD turn itself on and stay on while you're actually taking pictures. While you're at it, consider turning your LCD brightness down for the time being. Those are just a few options, so hit play for more, or check out the links below to watch the video at YouTube.
7 TIps On How to Conserve Camera Battery power | SLR Lounge via DIY Photography
The Sony A6300 is one of the best APS-C mirrorless cameras in the world, so we were surprised when an update was announced after less than a year. The new Sony a6500 mirrorless camera comes with the world's fastest AF speed and highest humber of AF points with in-camera 5-axis image stabilization, touchscreen with AF operation and 24.2 MP Exmor CMOS APS-C sensor. Are the Sony A6500 upgrades worth the extra money? Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake went to the A6500 press event in Austin Texas to find out.
And Patrick Murphy-Racey published his first Sony A6500 review saying that the Sony A6500 is by far the best sports action E-Mount camera Sony has made to date.
Sony a6500: $1,399 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.
See also: Best Lenses for Sony A6500.
Read more: Sony Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals 2016 and all the Black Friday Camera Deals and Cyber Monday Camera Deals.
Via: TheCameraStoreTV
Related posts:
Simon Hagelin , Nov 25, 2016; 02:57 p.m.
Hello!
I am planning on purchasing a new camera and lens for vlogging and photography. I have about 400$ (377€) to spend. I am buying used, links to amazon.de or amazon.co.uk would be great. I have looked at some mirrorless cameras and I think the Lumix GH2 is great for me. It's a bit old but I think it's good for my needs. I haven't bought it yet so feedback on the camera would be nice. I'm recording mostly in a studio but sometimes I do selfie vlogging. And I sometimes I go out and take photos. I know almost nothing about lenses. The body is around 230$ and the rest of the money i can use for the lens. I heard that prime lenses is good for vlogging. Is that true? If I want to use a Rode Videomicro I need to buy a adapter right?
Thank you in advance!
Gerry Siegel (Honolulu) 
It is a good starter for video at a decent price. I still use mine and pleased with the results even without the so called hacks. I think only that you may need a simple plug adapter to use the micro 2.5 mm plug from the 3.5mm which is no big deal, common and cheap..... Lenses are another story. If you were me, I would start with the 20mm 1.7 Lumix (used series I)which will serve you also as a good starter lens for not much money. If you do not care about stereo mic, the Sennheiser makes a small and capable one that is easy to handle and has the quality of Rode IMO, though I would start with camera mic and see if that is enough to do the job.....There is also a useful book out on that camera you might want to nab, that might offer more details on its features, is geared more to stills than video but handier than company manual. Hope that little is responsive. Your budget does not allow for a fluid head tripod or any lighting and stuff. But you know that and will work around it as you go along.So good luck and good tidings.
GH 2 book is here and also on Amazon last I looked, Rocky Nook is good publisher--
http://www.rockynook.com/shop/photography/the-panasonic-lumix-dmc-gh2/
Gerry Siegel (Honolulu)
I bought a used 20mm 1.4 for about USD 200.00 and it would do fine as a vblogging lens. Set the focus on face priority and get a remote cable if you like and see how it goes. The video function offers choices on type of file. I find the internal microphones adequate, though the monaural Sennheiser is a more directional microphone that will avoid some noisy side interference. Discuss here with Michael Chang on the video forum and he can give you more details. Here is a photo of my trusty old GH 2 with the monitor pointed at me as it might be at you. With the 20mm prime lens. More I can not come up with for video blogging...I blog not...though I am tempted. Too often am in my skivvies for the You Tube eyeballs...:-)
The 2016 holiday shopping season has arrived, with lots of free shipping promotions and deep discounting. Up to now the Sony a6000 with 16-50mm lens kit ($150 off) is the best seller in mirrorless cameras, according to the Amazon best sellers ranking.
Sony A6000 Black Friday Deals:
$150 off on Sony A6000 with 16-50mm Lenses: $548 at Amazon.
$350 off on Sony A6000 with 16-50mm and 55-210mm Lenses: $698 at Amazon.
$150 off on Sony A6000 Body: $398 at Amazon.
Read more: Sony Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals and all the Black Friday & Cyber Monday Camera & Lens Deals.
Related posts:
Godox/Flashpoint as a brand is somewhat of an enigma for photographers this side of world, but their products do tend to leave a mark, supplying high functionality and quality at a cost not typically associated with such attributes. The company has just unveiled a new small flash unit designed with Sony mirrorless cameras in mind, though Godox states it will also work well with SLT Sony cameras like the a58 and a77, and a99II.
It's called the Godox TT350S, and features a 2.4GHz radio and TTL capbility, 3 groups with 16 channels, and topped with a guide number of [email protected] 100. Powered by two AA batteries, size can be minimal and even still the company is claiming 1 set/charge of batteries should be able to tally north of 200 shots at full power. That power is controlled through 22 output levels all the way from 1/128th power. The company is also claiming that overheating will be a non-issue and still you'll get a recycle time of approximately 0.1-2.2s.
[REWIND: The Black Friday Deal Tracker For Photographers (Updated Daily)]So its diminutive size is not necessarily indicative of its ability, and the TT350S is able to work as a master or slave and along with other Godox/Flashpoint flash units in multi-flash rigs. It'll also do HSS through a dedicated HSS mode up to 1/8000 of a second, a range of around 30m, helping facilitate most creative endeavors, an it's featured with a zoom head that ranges from 24-105mm.
All in all, this looks like a promising option for Sony shooters, and at a price point that will likely come in under what Sony's offering by a wide margin. What precisely IS that margin? Well we don't know yet since the company has yet to release official pricing, but if a listing on eBay is anything to go by it'll be coming in at $89.
Check it out in more detail here.
The Leica SL is getting more tempting by the minute :). Thanks to Bob at Bergen County Camera, I was able to borrow an SL with the 24-90mm, and M adapter to see if I actually want one as a replacement for my M 240. I know there are a lot of great cameras out these days, and ones that are coming out like the Fuji GFX. I was actually pretty sure that this time around, I was going to get a GFX. It's within the same price range as a top end Leica, and it's medium format. Plus, I am also a Fuji fan, and I already love what the existing X Series produces in terms of image quality. But I already have an X-T2, and I review a lot of gear; I can tell you that Leica definitely has a unique look that I totally love. It's so real and film like. I love the tones, I love the colors. Of course, I'm not saying that nothing else compares because that's not true at all. Fuji and pretty much every other good brand has their own unique look as well. Judging by how many articles I write about Fuji gear, I'm obviously a fan :).
It's been a little difficult for me to decide on whether or not I should dive into the Leica SL because I've been a rangefinder fan for so many years but at the same time, I feel like my photography is slowly changing, and the SL's features may be a better fit for me now. I just want to make sure I'm completely comfortable focusing my M lenses on the SL because unfortunately, there just aren't many SL lenses out yet.
So far, there are two zooms but I'm just not interested in them mainly because I prefer primes. The good news is the 50mm Summilux ASPH is coming out very soon for the SL. The M version is by far my favorite lens from any manufacturer. Leica have made some pretty bold statements about the qualities of the SL version, and if they are true (which I don't doubt), the Lux is going to be pretty spectacular to say the least. Plus, they are coming out with a 90mm APO Summicron along with a 35mm Summicron at later dates, which would pretty much fill what I need. I would like an ultra wide but that can be filled by my 18mm Super Elmar-M. It's one of my favorite lenses. The only thing is, until they release the 35mm and 90mm, I would essentially be relying on my M lenses, and the SL version of the 50mm Lux (which still isn't out yet). That's not bad at all; who can complain about M lenses, right ;)? But if I'm investing in this system, I want to use one of the benefits, which is the fast autofocus.
The other issue is the size. The Leica SL is larger than the M, especially if you mount SL lenses to it. But to me, I'm actually okay with the size of the body; Leica has emphasized that they are trying to make the best lenses that they can for the SL, and that means they aren't making any compromises. I'm totally on board with that but that might also mean larger lenses, which is why a larger body makes sense. The whole camera is better balanced. It's easier to grip. It's like Fuji: I was an X-E series user but the lenses steadily increased in size. I ended up going with the X-T series bodies because I felt that they were better balanced with some of the larger Fuji lenses.
Now, the SL is also heavy. But once you hold it in your hands, you'll know why. The Leica SL is probably the most solid, and dense feeling camera that I've had the pleasure of using. Vault-like might be an understatement. This feels better built than my M, and anything else I've used. It's almost hard to believe a camera can be built to this level. It's also quite comfortable to hold, and I love the simplicity of it. There are four main buttons in the back, and that's it! The menu is extremely easy to navigate as well. It took me 10 minutes to figure it all out without instructions. All the important controls are essentially at your fingertips too. It's typical Leica layout, which I love.
Overall, the Leica SL is quite impressive to me. When it first came out, I never really considered getting one because I just didn't think it fit me but it grew on me, and once I started using one, I realize how amazing the camera really is. I'll post some pictures up soon. I should've posted some images today to accompany my little blog post (I know, it's kind of boring without any pics 
If you're interested in any Leica gear, and you want a fantastic dealer (which my family and I have been going to for 30+ years), you should consider calling Bob at Bergen County Camera. I wasn't told to say any of this but they really are up there with the best.
Amir T. , Nov 21, 2016; 10:19 p.m.
Hi In DSLR Cameras the mirror blocks the light to sensor until you press capture button. But in mirrorless cameras the sensor is always exposed to light. My question is when the camera is turned off, is the sensor still exposed to light? Does it damage or shorten the sensor quality? Thank
Gerry Siegel (Honolulu) 
I am no expert elex engineer but I think not. My video cam in the carport has been ON for years and I see no degradation of the silicon chip picture. Photons in the visible spectrum are not all that powerful as radiation goes to my understanding. Are you really concerned? The voltages generated are indeed small and have to be amplified to do anything at all with the light energy. Anyone else have a view or better speculaton on Bayer arrays or the physical behaviour of CMOS chips?
Kenneth Katz 
The sensor is exposed when the camera is on or off. I have used mirrorless cameras for over 5 years and so far no damage to the sensor. Of course when the camera is off, the sensor is not powered up.
Jochen Schrey
If you do an online search on "surveillance camera lifespan" you get results in the 9 years or more range for quality products and I assume those are years working powered up.So I would not worry about light hitting a powered down sensor.
John Tran , Nov 22, 2016; 12:08 a.m.
For DSLR, the sensor is also covered by the shutter. I thought that would be the same for MILC, but many MILC have no shutters?
Louis Meluso
My question is when the camera is turned off, is the sensor still exposed to light?
Yes, but it doesn't matter because....
Does it damage or shorten the sensor quality?
In normal use, no.
Jochen Schrey
@John: IDK, but if they have shutters those can't treat the sensor like film since the sensor is needed to generate the EVF image and do the AF thing.Removing the lens from a Fuji I see sensor. - Only mirrorless (with a stretch) that can keep sensors shutter covered would be Epson & Leica M.A MILC can use a shutter the same way as a DSLR in live view: close it an instant before the exposure and opening it up ASAP after it to continue feeding the screen or EVF.
Amir T. , Nov 22, 2016; 01:43 a.m.
Thanks for all responses My worry is because my camera was in show window when I bought it and l don't know if sun was shining to its sensor at those time of being showcased. Should I mind it?
Barry Fisher
Also, if you are really panicked about it, just keep a lens cap on it when not in use :)
Introduction Shooting sports and other fast action is probably the last application for which it is clear that DSLR's are still outperforming mirrorless camera. There are several reasons for this, most are objective limitations that mirrorless need to overcome:
On top of that mirrorless have been making impressive gains with respect to EVF quality and AF performance. Based on the existing information, I would guess that Sony A6300 and A6500 are the current leaders when paired with the right lens. Unfortunately, Sony system is not the most exciting one when it comes to the lens selection. This is why I user MFT and Fuji. Out of MFT I use Panasonic GX8, and out of telephoto lenses I have both Olympus 40-150mm F2.8 and Leica 100-400mm lenses. This is what I have been using for the last several action shoots. The system did pretty well, though tracking object in bright daylight with EVF has been a challenge.At the same time MTF is still noticeably limiting compared to Fuji APS-C sensor in terms of dynamic range and low light performance. Hence, I was excited to hear about the firmware updates for Fuji and to test it with the new 100-400mm lens. I headed south to Santa Cruz my X-Pro2 and Fuji 100-400mm for a test run.
Testing with X-Pro2 vs X-T2 As I mentioned, I was using Fuji X-Pro2 for this test. While it is one of the two latest flagship cameras, X-Pro2 is the wrong flagship for this type of shooting – the correct one being X-T2, which I do not have. X-Pro2 and X-T2 share many elements – same sensor, same focusing software so there is no reason to expect that one would be light years away from another; but they are not exactly identical.
X-T2 notably has slightly different firmware that allows one to select shooting scenario – which informs the camera about expected subject behavior – will the subject pop-out suddenly, or if subject will gradually move through the frame, etc. I do not know to what degree this setting will impact auto focus performance, but I cannot discount that it may.
X-T2 can also be operated with the optional grip. It is not just a holding convenience – having two batteries this grip provides option to operate camera in "high performance" mode. This increases how quickly batteries will drain, but also increases frame rate making it easier to track subject through the EVF, and allegedly also increases AF performance.
My expectation is that X-T2 should prove to be a superior option. But it is hard for me to say to what degree. Though some people have strong opinions about EVF being in the corner vs the center, I do not believe this makes a difference.
There is one way in which X-Pro2 may be superior to X-T2 – this is the option to use X-Pro2's optical view finder. Theoretically rangefinder-style OVF is superiors in two ways to even optical through the lens (TTL) viewfinder: first, there is no blackout of any kind during exposure; second, is that being able to see outside of the frame lines allows one to survey larger area and get camera on target faster.
The practical side of using X-Pro2 OVF is a bit more tricky. Since OVF in X-Pro2 is not TTL, as such it is not able to provide reasonable preview experience for a long telephoto lens. It is designed to cover the range from 16mm-150mm, with 150mm is already being a small section of the viewfinder that is used for framing. After 150mm the line indicating framing turns red and does not get any smaller, basica lly leaving one to guess what is the actual fraction of the view that will be captured.
At this point someone may recall that starting with X100T Fuji OVFs introduced digital tab. This is a section of OVF that projects (picture-in-picture style) EVF view of the scene. It is a good feature for manual focusing and some other application. Unfortunately, this mode cannot be activated when focusing mode is set to zone focus. At the same time zone focus is the mode that is recommended and performs the best when tracking moving subjects.
So while OVF performs great with 50-140mm lens, it is much more difficult to use with 100-400mm, and even more so with 100-400mm + teleconverter.
Physical characteristics Fuji adopted philosophy, similar to that of Olympus – if one wants high quality then be willing to pay and deal with the weight. This approach is apparent with Fuji 16-50mm, 50-140mm, 90mm as well as 100-400mm – those are big and weighty lenses. All of them are well built and environmentally sealed. This is not the kind of lens that you stick in a bag just in case. Weight wise Fuji is just over 3 lb, which makes it is actually heavier than the full frame Nikon 80-400mm DSLR lens. Fuji is also wider and significantly longer. Given the size it does look a bit odd on comparatively compact, and rangefinder styled X-Pro2.
Lens performance One aspect I will not cover extensively here is the optical performance of the lens. By all accounts the lens is a good performer and that was also my impression. Unfortunately, given that I was mainly planning to use the lens for sports photography other aspects of the lens seemed more interesting for me to explicitly test – namely its focusing performance with my Fuji camera.I will preface this section with saying that historically Fuji has not been the leader when it came to focusing performance, both in terms of speed and accuracy. While being well recognized for its image quality and lens line-up among APS-C sensor cameras, Fuji usually was not seriously considered for action shooting, or video for that mater – both being closely correlated based on the quality and processing of live feed. As of recent Fuji decided to close this gap and claimed to significantly improve both.
In low light I was not too impressed with X-Pro2 performance, even after the September 2016 firmware update. Its continuous focusing could not hold its own against likes of Panasonic, which is one of the front runners among mirrorless when it comes to low light focusing performance.
But low light focusing is quite a bit different from daylight focusing. The main reason for this is that many mirrorless cameras these days are using on sensor phase detection. This method introduces a number of small spit prism elements built into the sensor. Because they are small their effectiveness is minimal in noisy low light feed. So when operating in low light phase detection based cameras switch to usual contrast detection, which makes them generally slow. Based on the technology choices Panasonic does not have this dual system method, but this is outside of scope of this review.
At the same time it is pretty clear that 100-400mm is not a lens for low light. Hence X-Pro2 performance in low light is more relevant to 50-140mm, but not too much to 100-400mm. So I headed in reasonably bright day to Santa Cruz to see how well it does with one of my favorite subjects – surfers.
I was very pleasantly surprised how well auto-focusing has performed. During the entire time AF was set into continuous mode, and focusing was set to "zone" mode where it selects a set of specific points from a highlighted region. Zone focusing is what Fuji claims is the mode one should be using for fast moving object. While experience was not as good as Nikon DSLR, because of both difficulty tracking subject and AF accuracy, but it was not bad at all. In fact I would say that overall focusing was pretty reliable. I can use specific points of reference there. Nikon D700 in my experience would produce more focusing errors when paired with Tamron 200-500mm. Those errors where very significant, clear inability to track fast moving object. Panasonic GX8 with Leica 100-400mm also seemed to be less reliable. In case of Leica camera seemed to be able to respond fast enough, but while it was close, in noticeable number of instance it was not close enough when reviewing results on a monitor. 
Comparing those three is not exactly trivial. Error that would result in image being noticeably out of focus with full frame (D700) may be completely acceptable with MTF camera (GX8), Fuji X-Pro2 being in between those two. At the same time Leica is longer in 35mm equivalent terms at telephoto end – 800mm, and it is also not as bright, being F6.3. So worse performance may have an explanation. Of course, if you switch to a latest high end DSLR, such as Nikon D810, and pair it will a fixed focal length telephoto lens, such as Nikon 300mm F4 PF, results will be better than what one can expect from Fuji.So in short I felt that the improvement was impressive! Focusing performance was such that only about 20 images out of 1,500 were unusably out of focus. This is a very reasonable keeper ratio. Most of my experiments using OVF at 500-600mm end ended up a failure being hopelessly miss-framed. But framing with EVF was not all that bad. While falling short of what one can get with a DSLR it was not crippling at least for the bar that I have. I am sure professional surfing photographer would laugh at this, but I am not in the same category.
Conclusion While shooting with EVF may not be the same as shooting with a DSLR for a very long time, Fuji is making reasonable strides to catch-up with the leaders of the mirrorless pack.The big and bulky 100-400mm actually delivers when paired with the latest Fuji bodies. Overall I think performance of the lens is impressive enough. While it may not satisfy a pro user, it is a great lens for an occasional supper telephoto user.
We received such a great response from our Fujifilm "which is right for you" post that we have decided to make this into a little bit of a mini-series, and on today's docket is the Sony mirrorless ecosystem. There is no doubt that Sony has been the "It" kid of the photography industry over the last few years with their impressive sensor technology and very capable APS-C and Full Frame mirrorless cameras. They have also released a ton of cameras, which may leave some of you wondering, which Sony mirrorless camera is right for you?
Well, let's see if we can help you get that figured out…
The A6300Sony has some of the best APS-C based mirrorless cameras available right now, and among them is the A6300. Until only recently with the announcement of the A6500, the A6300 was the best APS-C camera that Sony was offering, so it should come as no surprise that this is a serious camera that would do well in many gear bags.
Sony A6300 Highlights
What we thought in our review: "In many ways the Sony a6300 is an excellent camera. Great image quality, very versatile RAW files, a small size, great autofocus, and more. What more could you possibly ask for?" Read the full review
Who should get one?
The A6300, sitting right around that $1000 mark, is an incredible camera for the price. If you are looking for a camera that takes great still images and also offers some of the best 4K video quality around, then the A6300 is a camera you need to consider. The AF is some of the best in any mirrorless camera and you really can't go wrong with this choice at all. Those interested can get their hands on the A6300 over on Amazon, here.
The A6500As good as the Sony A6300 is, the A6500 is just that much better. The A6500 is for those who wants the best that Sony has to offer in terms of AF performance and in-body sensor stabilization, as well as slight improvements in other areas over the A6300.
Sony A6500 Highlights
What we thought in our review: *Note, we have not had time to do our full review of the A6500 yet, so this quote is from our initial thoughts* "It's loaded with features and from what I've experienced thus far, delivers in spades. I wish I would have gotten to take the video capabilities through its paces, but as a stills cameras it is going to be one of the better options for hobbyists and pros alike. I'd say the other cameras in the same price-range have been put on notice." Read Our First Impressions
Who should get one?
The A6500 is for the wildlife and action sports photographer as well as the dual purpose stills/video shooter. Its improved AF, in-body stabilization and 4K video output makes this one of the best dual purpose cameras you can get right now under $1500. Those interested in picking up an A6500 can get their pre-orders in now over on Amazon, here.
The A7 IISony's current budget full frame mirrorless offering is none other than the A7 II, a very capable full frame camera that has the disadvantage of being out shined by other cameras that share a similar name in various aspects. That said, as far as being a well rounded, general purpose camera, the A7 II is a quality option that should be considered by anyone looking to get into the Sony full frame mirrorless ecosystem.
Sony A7 II Highlights
What we thought in our review: "While current Sony A7 owners may be groaning because of the quick refresh to their brand new camera, they can rest assured that the A7 Mk II is really nothing more than a further attempt to snatch up the professional market. This is evident in the small changes." Read the full review
Who should get one?
The A7II may not get mentioned much in gearhead camera circles because of it being out shined in almost every headline feature when compared to its other second generation A7 series brethren, but when you look at the camera on its own, the A7 II is a very capable camera, one that would do well in the hands of a landscape, portrait, or travel photographer. Those interested can find the A7 II over on Amazon, here.
The A7s IISony's A7s II is a camera that gets a lot of attention, despite the fact that it is meant to be a fairly specialized camera. If you are someone who likes to shoot in low light, than this is the stills camera – DSLR or mirrorless – that you should be considering. It's ISO performance is virtually unmatched in the current camera market, but the trade-off for that insane level of performance is a lower resolution sensor.
Sony A7s II Highlights
What we thought in our review: "The Sony A7s Mk II is getting it for really great autofocusing, excellent high ISO results but most of all for what the dynamic range is capable or retaining. It's really, really crazy and I'm not even sure that I would expect that with film." Read the full review
Who should get one?
The A7s II is for those low-light freaks out there and video people who absolutely need that ISO performance since they don't have the ability to shoot in RAW to push/pull details and dynamic range like us stills shooters do. Unless you fall into one of these categories though, you are better off with the A7 II or A7r II if we are being really honest. Those interested can pick up an A7s II over on Amazon, here.
The A7R IISony's A7R II is the company's current cream of the crop, their best camera on the mirrorless market (also the most expensive). It offers insane levels of resolution, sensor stabilization, 4K video, and really respective high ISO and dynamic range performance. It is the top of the line, but honestly it is also a lot more than most photographers need for that the price that it commands.
Sony A7R II Highlights
What we thought in our review: "Need more megapixels? Sure, it's got it. What about better high ISO results? Yup, it's got that, too. And autofocus, it's improved quite a bit. Weather sealing? It's not the best, but it's there according to Sony's definition of it. It's good enough realistically–and to that end, it's all most people need and much more." Read the full review
Who should get one?
The A7R II is the peak of mirrorless camera technology right now in many ways. It offers incredible resolution, great AF performance, great dynamic range and high ISO performance, there is really only a few negatives to this camera, one being battery life and the other being it's premium price tag. That said, for those looking to get the best of the best, the wedding photographers, portrait photographers, product photographers – this is the camera you will want to look at. Those interested can pick one up over on Amazon, here.
What about some older generation cameras that are great deals and still very capable in today's world? We have a couple of those picked out for you below, for those of you who aren't so concerned with getting the latest tech, and are maybe more concerned about getting proven cameras at a great price.
The A6000Sony's A6000 for the longest time was their highest end APS-C based mirrorless camera, and it blew away the competition in several key categories including video support and AF performance. It is starting to show its age with its relatively low (by the latest generation standards) resolution, but this is a proven camera with great capabilities.
Sony A6000 Highlights
What we thought in our review: "The Sony A6000 hands down has what could arguably be called the best autofocusing system out there. While it isn't the fastest, it by far is the smartest and the most responsive–putting some DSLRs to shame in our tests for sure. Granted, Sony did this with an APS-C sensor and have yet to do this with a full frame sensor. " Read the full review
Who should get one?
The A6300 and A6500 both outclass the A6000 in every way, but as noted above, the A6000 is still an incredibly capable and effective camera. This could be a great general-use camera for family gatherings, or sports camera for parents looking to shoot their kids. At the time of this writing the A6000 is also under $500, making this, without a doubt, one of the most solid cameras on the market for that price – this generation or not. Those interested can pick one up on Amazon, here.
The A7Sony's A6000 for the longest time was their highest end APS-C based mirrorless camera, and it blew away the competition in several key categories including video support and AF performance. It is starting to show its age with its relatively low (by the latest generation standards) resolution, but this is a proven camera with great capabilities.
Sony A7 Highlights
What we thought in our review: "It almost seems like an obvious choice, but the A7 is wholly deserving of an Editor's Choice Award for its beautiful design and image quality. Alongside the A7R, the A7 is creating a new market that Nikon has also tried to stake its place in, but this is clearly Sony's game." Read the full review
Who should get one?
The original Sony A7, despite some of the quirks that it has being a first generation product, remains a solid full frame choice for those who do not need an incredibly fast AF. It is also one of the most affordable full frame cameras on the market right now, so for someone who wants to get into Sony's full frame ecosystem, but can't jump into one of the higher end bodies just yet, this could be a perfect option. Those interested can pick up an A7 over on Amazon, here.
After being introduced at the Photokina 2016 trade fair in Cologne, Germany, in September, the Fujifilm GFX 50S reportedly will make its way to the Indonesian market, although the exact date has yet to be announced.
"[GFX 50S] has currently not been launched in Indonesia; perhaps in February next year," Fujifilm Indonesia general manager of sales and marketing Johanes J. Rampi said as quoted by kompas.com in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Targeted at professional photographers who take commercial, landscape and other high-resolution and detailed photographs, the medium format mirrorless camera boasts a 51.4 megapixel 43.8 x 32.9mm CMOS sensor and a X-Processor Pro image processor.
(Read also: Leica introduces new mirrorless camera)
"We don't have the exact numbers of the medium format camera market in Indonesia, but with this product, we want to change the mindset of photographers; that our medium format camera is as good as the high-end brands like Hasselblad," said Fujifilm Indonesia president director Masatsugu Naito.
The recent increase in prices of full-frame cameras has provided an opportunity for companies like Fujifilm to market medium format cameras.
"I think photographers of the high-end segment will be interested in trying medium format cameras. This is the opportunity that we want to tap into," said Johanes.
The Tokyo-based company has also introduced new lenses specially designed for the GFX 50S, including zoom, macro, wide and telephoto lenses. (fmn/kes)
Back in 2014, the century-old camera manufacturer Leica released a mirrorless camera, the Leica T, a continuation of the company's digital camera pioneer, the Leica M.
Despite the money spent on it by the company, the camera received not-so-positive reviews from users, who argued that the costly price of the camera did not match up to the quality of service that it provided.
This November, the company is set to release Leica TL, a revamped version of Leica T.
As reported by dailysocial.id, TL has a very similar exterior design with T, such as its full aluminum body and 3.7 inch touchscreen.
However, the quality of the lens is slightly upgraded. It will now have 16.5 megapixels in size (previously 16 megapixels) and will come with an APS-C sensor and a 1080p full HD video recording ability.
It also boasts an autofocus feature that the company claims is "fast and precise".
(Read also: New Macs, Lenovo laptop make traditional keyboards touchy)
Another upgrade is in connectivity, as Leica TL can be connected to both Android and iOS through a Wi-Fi connection. It also has more built-in memory, starting from 16GB to 32GB.
The camera is set to be released this November at a price of US$1,695 (body only) in three color variants: black, silver and titanium.
Leica provides six types of additional lenses compatible with the TL camera, but users can also opt to use their previous lenses, dailysocial.id has noted. (mas/kes)
Despite its midrange pice, the Lumix DMC-GX85 ($699.99, body only) is Panasonic's current entry-level Micro Four Thirds camera. It has a lot going for it that will appeal to casual photographers looking to better smartphone quality, as well as more serious shutterbugs and videographers, including a compact build, a crisp EVF, fast autofocus, and 4K video capture. It's a very strong performer, especially if you want to take advantage of the vast Micro Four Thirds lens system. But it doesn't quite better our favorite inexpensive mirrorless camera, the Editors' Choice Sony Alpha 6000, which offers higher resolution and a more advanced autofocus system.
DesignThe GX85 is quite small, measuring just 2.8 by 4.8 by 1.7 inches (HWD) and weighing in at about 15 ounces without a lens. We're reviewing it as a body only, which is sold only in black in the US, but if you opt for a bundle with the compact 12-32mm zoom (a $100 premium) you can choose between an all black or a two-tone silver and black finish.
The body includes a built-in flash—it pops up from the top plate and can fire when tilted upward, giving the GX85 a modest indirect bounce flash function. That isn't a given in a mirrorless camera, especially one this small and one that includes an EVF. There's also a hot shoe available if you want to add a more powerful flash or a PocketWizard wireless trigger.
The only control on the front plate is the lens release, which is located to the left of the lens. There's a modest handgrip, not nearly as deep as you'll find on an SLR. The GX85 is comfortable to use with a small zoom or prime, but I wouldn't want to pair it with a huge lens like the Olympus M.Zuiko 300mm f4.0 IS PRO.
Top controls include a Record button to start and stop video capture, a Mode dial, the On/Off switch, and a control dial that surrounds the shutter release. They're bunched together on the right, but I didn't find the layout to feel cramped at all.
Rear controls start at the top, to the right of the EVF. The Fn4 button toggles the EVF function by default, but like the other Fn buttons it can be remapped. It's joined by the Fn3 button (4K Photo), the mechanical flash release, the AF/AE Lock button, and the rear control wheel, which can turn to adjust shutter or aperture, and be pushed in to gain quick access to standard and flash EV compensation control. You'll find a four-way control pad (ISO, White Balance, Drive/Self-Timer, AF Mode) to the right of the LCD, with the Menu/Set button at its center. It's flanked by Fn1 (Post Focus), Play, Fn2 (Delete/Q. Menu), and Display buttons.
The Q. Menu is an on-screen display that gives you quick access to a number of shooting settings so you don't have to keep diving into the menu. From it you can adjust the picture style, flash power, video and image quality settings, focus mode and area, as well as the metering pattern, exposure settings, ISO, and white balance. Like many of the physical camera controls, you can change what's shown in the Q.Menu to best configure the GX85 for your needs.
The rear LCD is a 3-inch panel that's mounted on a hinge so it can tilt to be viewed from above or below, but you can't face it all the way forward for selfies. The LCD is very sharp (1,040k dots) and sensitive to the touch. You can tap to focus and (if desired) fire the shutter, and swipe and pinch to review photos just as you do with a smartphone. It also supports Touch Pad AF, which lets you move the active focus point using the rear LCD when the camera is to your eye.
The EVF is located at the top left corner of the rear plate. Considering the GX85's small size, it's quite large, delivering 0.7x magnification, but when you're shooting still images you'll notice that its size is cut down a bit. The finder is a 16:9 ratio, ideal for video, that leaves black bars on the sides of the image.
Features and PortsPanasonic includes a 4K Photo feature in its newer cameras, including the GX85. It leverages its 4K video processing capabilities to shoot still frames at 30fps, but cuts the resolution to 8MP and works in JPG format only. The 4K Photo capture mode has some advantages over grabbing frames from video, including the ability to pick your aspect ratio, and to set the camera to a high shutter speed to freeze motion, but also makes moving images look odd. You can use it to capture a specific moment of very fast motion, and there's also a Post Focus mode that takes an image at each of the camera's focus points, so you can be sure that the plane of focus is just where you want it for an image.
The GX85 also has Wi-Fi. It supports transferring images to Android and iOS devices via the Panasonic Image app, as well as remote control. The remote is fully functional. It supports full manual control if desired, and lets you set a focus point just by tapping on your phone's screen.
The only data ports are micro HDMI and micro USB. The GX85 supports in-camera battery charging, so you'll need to plug it into the wall to recharge the battery. If you opt to buy a second battery, you'll want to buy an external charger to go along with it. The camera has a single memory card slot that supports SD, SDHC, and SDXC media. There is no connection for an external microphone.
Performance and Image Quality
Continuous shooting speed varies on file format and image resolution. You can shoot at 30fps by leveraging the 4K Photo function, but you're limited to 8MP JPG images. Likewise, if you want to shoot at 2MP, you can push the camera to 40fps.
For full-resolution capture, the GX85 is no slouch, shooting in Raw or Raw+JPG format at 6.6fps, and in JPG format at 8.6fps. With AF-C focus enabled the speed is 6.5fps—the focus hit rate is excellent at this speed. The shooting buffer is large, holding 47 Raw, 44 Raw+JPG, and 355 JPG images before filling. The GX85 doesn't quite match the 11.1fps shooting rate of the Sony Alpha 6000, a speed at which the Sony tracks moving action, but the Alpha 6000 has a comparatively limited shooting buffer.
I used Imatest to evaluate the noise performance of the GX85's 16MP image sensor. The camera curbs noise through ISO 6400, crossing the 1.5-percent threshold just barely at ISO 12800 (1.6 percent). Noise reduction does play a part in JPG image quality. The finest details in our test image are crisp through ISO 400, and image quality remains very strong through ISO 3200. Images start to appear blurry at ISO 6400. More details are lost at ISO 12800 and the top ISO 25600 setting.
You'll get more detail at high ISOs if you shoot in Raw format. Details are strong and grain isn't distracting through ISO 1600. At ISO 3200 images start to appear a bit rough with grain, but details are crisp. Grain is more pronounced at ISO 6400, but it's not until ISO 12800 that it really starts to overtake an image. ISO 25600 is very rough, but much more useable than the same shot as a JPG. Images captured by the GX85 benefit from an omission of a low pass filter, so very fine detail is better captured, and the in-body stabilization system, which reduces blur due to camera shake.
Panasonic has a strong video heritage and has put 4K capture into most of its recent cameras. The GX85 records in 4K at up to 30fps, although the video is slightly cropped, so wide-angle coverage is lessened. Video is clear, crisp, and smooth, with in-body and in-lens stabilization working together to eliminate handheld jitter. Autofocus during video recording is excellent; the GX85 recognizes if the set focus point is out of focus and smoothly racks focus to adjust. You can also tap on the screen to set the focus point.
Audio is about as good as you get from a built-in microphone. It picks up voices clearly when they're in proximity to the camera, but it also captures a lot of background noise. Unfortunately there's no way to add an external microphone, so you won't be using the GX85 for projects that require pro-grade audio.
ConclusionsThe Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 is an attractive option for photographers in want of a compact mirrorless camera. It focuses and shoots quickly, records video at 4K resolution, and offers a bevy of controls. Add Wi-Fi, an in-body EVF and flash, and a tilting touch-screen display, and you've got a camera that has a lot of appeal for anyone in search of a svelte shooter that doesn't compromise on quality. It doesn't quite oust our Editors' Choice in the entry-level mirrorless category, the Sony Alpha 6000, which costs less and sports a larger, higher resolution sensor and a faster shooting rate, but remains a fine choice for photographers entrenched in the Micro Four Thirds lens system.
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By admin, on November 14th, 2016
Canon new patent document surfaced over the web that shows a electronic mount interchangeable system for cameras. According to the patent the mount system can be changed or customized based on user requirements. So, its a complete technological breakthrough.
Few days ago a rumor surfaced over the web – Upcoming Canon Fullframe mirrorless to use EF lenses (see more details here) So, the big question was if Canon upcoming fullframe mirrorless will carry big and bulky EF lenses or they will have there own lens-lineup. There is a possibility that the upcoming Mirrorless may have Interchangeable Lens Mount System built-in.
Not only Mirrorless, Canon may also introduce Universal interchangeable lens mount DSLRs in future which accepts all lenses.
Patent Details
Self-interpretation
A look at the past: On August 30th, 2013 we have published a rumor that Sony is working on a universal mount camera that will going to accept EF, EF-S, DX, FX Lenses, unfortunately the rumored camera never arrived in reality.
source – egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp
PS: Do contribute us better translation if you have
This is an update to these previous blogs:
Rokinon 20mm F1.8 photo lens: Image Courtesy of Samyang
The Rokinon 20mm F1.8 wide angle photo lens (Samyang 20mm F1.8 ED AS UMC) for stills photography is a manual focus lens specifically designed for Full-frame DSLR cameras with Full-frame sensor size. However, it is also available in APS-C, Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds mounts (with reduced angles of view), 10 mounts in all: Canon EOS, Nikon AE, Pentax K, Sony α, Canon M, Fujifilm X, Samsung NX, Sony E, FT, and MFT (Micro Four Thirds).
Rokinon 20mm F1.8 Photo Lens Specifications
Rokinon 35mm F1.2 photo lens: Image Courtesy of Samyang
The Rokinon 35mm F1.2 photo lens (Samyang 35mm F1.2 ED AS UMC CS) for stills photography is a manual focus lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras with APS-C sensor size compatible with four camera mounts: Sony E, MFT, Fujifilm X and Canon M.
Rokinon 35mm F1.2
Rokinon 35mm F1.2 Photo Lens Specifications
These lenses are now available.
I got hooked on the idea of a mirrorless camera after reading about the A6000. I also think the Fuji XT10 would be a great option. The problem is that I have a very small budget. I've done real estate photography in the past (with company equipment) but right now I'm doing more graphic design so it is hard to justify a big purchase. It will mostly be a hobby camera right now but want to have the option to use it for real estate in the future. I found a great deal on a used Fuji X100 and I was wondering if any of the wide angle adaptors would be a viable option? I would love to hear your thoughts or any other recommendations you might have.
On the subject of lens converters, see this recent post. Stay completely away from wide angle converters!
Fuji mirrorless cameras are great but you need to get one with interchangeable lenses so you can get a wide enough lens for real estate. For that, you have to go with something like the X-Pro 1 with a XF-10-24 lens.
In real estate photography, THE most important piece of gear is your wide angle glass. The Sony A6000 has become extremely popular because you get a lot for the price and you have many options for which glass to use:
Just look at what readers say about the Sony A6000.
