Samyang Optics Unveil 14mm and 50mm Auto-Focus Lenses

Samyang have announced the upcoming launch of two auto-focus primes for Sony E mount CSCs. Scheduled for a July 2016 release, both the 14mm F2.8 ED AS IF UMC and 50mm F1.4 AS IF UMC lenses are specifically designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras. These will be the first auto-focus lenses in Samyang's history, and both models are claimed to be fully compatible with contrast-detect as well as phase-detect AF systems. Aspherical lenses have been included in both lenses to minimise aberration and unnecessary light dispersion, promising high resolution from the centre to the corners of the image. Each lens has a 67mm filter thread. The Samyang 14mm F2.8 ED AS IF UMC and 50mm F1.4 AS IF UMC lenses will be exhibited at the Photo & Imaging 2016 Show in Seoul. Pricing to be confirmed.

Samyang Press Release

Samyang Optics Unveils Autofocus 14mm and 50mm Lens

May 3rd, 2016, Seoul, Korea – The global optics brand, Samyang Optics (http://www.samyanglensglobal.com) today announced the long-awaited launch of two autofocus lenses: 14mm F2.8 and 50mm F1.4 lenses for Sony E mount Mirrorless cameras with full frame sensor size. The new 14mm and 50mm are the widest and brightest lenses in their class and offer superb quality images to photographers. This launching expands the boundaries of Samyang Optics photo lens line-up from manual focus only, to now include autofocus lenses.

Optimised Optical Design as Full Frame Mirrorless Camera Lens

Both 14mm F2.8 ED AS IF UMC and 50mm F1.4 AS IF UMC are specifically designed to work in harmony with full frame mirrorless cameras in Sony E mount. The flow of light is devised based on the uniqueness of the distance from glass to sensor in mirrorless cameras to create optimal performance. Along with portability of mirrorless lenses, the 14mm F2.8 and 50mm F1.4 are compatible with full frame sensors to deliver the wideness and sharpnessof image to photographers.

The 67mm filter diameter brings the maximum amount of light into the lens to create the best work of light in photography. The 14mm F2.8 is the widest angle available in the market and the F1.4 of 50mm and F2.8 of 14mm apertures are by far the brightest of full frame mirrorless lenses, offeringa beautiful bokeh effect and the best quality images under various exposure conditions.

Based on Samyang Optics' exceptional optical technology, aspherical lenses have been included in both lenses to minimise aberration and unnecessary light dispersion, delivering high resolution from the centre to the corners of the image.

AF Performance and Ergonomic Design Based on Class-Leading Technology

These new products will be the first autofocus lenses in over 40 years of Samyang's class-leading core optics technologies.Samyang has captured the essence of world leading image technology with their manual focus lenses and reinterpreted it into autofocus lenses. Photographers now can enjoy the prime manual lens image quality and autofocus lens. These new 14mm F2.8 and 50mm F1.4 are compatible with both phase detect and contrast detect sensors to operate fast and accurate focus detection.

The 67mm filter diameter is also the result of years of R&D for best handling, by adding stability to the photo-taking experience. Also the minimal and sleek design and metal-housing solidify the build quality with the internal focus system.

These two new autofocus lenses from Samyang Optics will be exhibited at the Photo & Imaging 2016 Show in Seoul, South Korea. The lenses will be globally available from July 2016. Further details, pricing and availability will follow.

More information will be released soon onSamyang Optics official website (http://www.samyanglensglobal.com), Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/samyanglensglobal) andInstagram (http://www.instagram.com /samyanglensglobal).

Source: Samyang Optics Unveil 14mm and 50mm Auto-Focus Lenses

Sony A6300 Review: Pro-Worthy Mirrorless Camera

Editor's choice

The good

Stellar photo quality

Razor-sharp 4K movies

Extremely quick autofocus

Fast, continuous shooting, with good motion tracking

Excellent high-res OLED viewfinder

Reassuringly solid alloy body

External mic jack

The bad

Confusing menu system

So-so, nontouch-screen LCD

Steep price, compared to the similar a6000 model

Smaller lens selection than for DSLR competitors from Canon and Nikon

The Sony a6300 is a mirrorless camera for those who have pro-level ambitions. Building on the success of the Sony a6000, this premium cousin sports the same 24-megapixel resolution, but with a new sensor that offers improved photo quality in low light. Priced at $998 for the body and only $1,148 with a 16-50mm lens, the a6300 also stands out because of its fantastic 4K video, external mic jack and sturdier metal design. However, the a6300 costs nearly twice as much as the a6000. We'll help you decide if the upgrades are worth your investment.

Design

The a6300's biggest design improvement is the upgrade from a composite material (reinforced plastic) body to magnesium alloy. That adds 0.63 ounces (for a total of 14.25 ounces), but it's a positive change. Although it's pretty durable, the a6000 always felt fragile; the a6300's heft removes the uneasy feeling that you might break the camera. The rest is essentially the same, for better or worse. The a6300 has slightly smaller (4.7 x 2.6 x 1.9 inches) dimensions, a deep handgrip, popup flash for fill lighting and a hot shoe for a more powerful strobe (or mounting a mic).

Some little tweaks mean a lot. The OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF), already quite nice, gets a resolution upgrade to 1024 x 768 pixels (XGA) from 800 x 600 pixels (SVGA), as well as an option to bump screen refresh from 60 to 120 frames per second (fps) to keep the preview from blurring when you pan.

The 3-inch, 640 x 480 rear LCD still provides a view that's inferior to the EVF and, unlike most other mirrorless cameras at this price, it's not a touch screen. Still, your ability to tilt up the LCD 90 degrees and down 45 degrees is great for framing extreme shots, as well as holding the camera steady when you're shooting video. A sensor automatically switches the preview from LCD to EVF when you place the camera to your eye. You can turn off this feature and set one of the camera's programmable buttons to toggle between screens. (We'll get to that in a bit.)

The addition of an external microphone jack allows the a6300 to use virtually any mic — a great improvement over the a6000, which only lets you plug in a few Sony microphones into its flash hot shoe.

MORE: Best Mirrorless Cameras From Beginner to Pro

Controls

Buttons and menus continue to be a mix of good and bad on the Sony a6300. Good is the freedom to program the C1 and C2 buttons as shortcuts. Plus, nearly every button can be reassigned to trigger nearly any menu option. A new combo button and switch near the right corner of the LCD toggles between autofocus and manual focus and activates auto exposure lock.

Bad is a sloppy menu layout that has sprawled even more. Pressing the menu button brings up six submenus, with up to nine sub-sub menus under each and up to six settings under each sub-sub menu. It's hard to suss out the logic, like why an item such as LCD display quality level is under the toolbox icon submenu instead of the gear icon submenu.

Those programmable shortcut buttons sometimes save you from falling into the menu abyss. Also helpful is the Fn button, which brings up an on-screen menu for quick settings like ISO (light sensitivity), and autofocus mode or metering mode. You can adjust settings like aperture and shutter speed using either a wheel on the back right of the camera or a (hard-to-reach) thumbwheel on the top right. Still infuriating is the tiny, recessed video record button below the top wheel, where it's nearly blocked by the camera strap mount.

The interface has a few little upgrades for pros, like displaying audio levels when capturing video and customizing image file names and embedding copyright info. Gamma Disp. Assist makes it easier to preview a video shot on-screen in the professional S-Log format. If these upgrades sound superfluous or baffling, the a6300 probably isn't worth the splurge for you.

Image Quality

Great photos (and videos) make up for the a6300's lackluster interface. This mirrorless camera retains the 24-megapixel resolution of its forerunner. It has an upgraded APS-C CMOS sensor (same size as in most DLSRs) that provides a higher max ISO of 51,200 — up from 12,800 on the a6000. That's one f-stop (illumination level), so it's not as dramatic as it looks, and the images are not pretty at that max setting.

Lightning-fast autofocus, a hallmark of the a6000, gets even faster on the a6300.

I shot pictures with the 3X (16-50mm) kit zoom lens, as well as a snazzy 4.4x (16-70mm) Zeiss lens, which retails for about $900. The camera captured simultaneous JPEG and uncompressed RAW images, in order to gauge the in-camera processing — which was quite good. Light metering and focus setting depended on the subject matter, but were mostly Multi (aka evaluative or matrix) metering and Wide AF.

MORE: Best DSLR Cameras From Beginner to Pro

Bright-Light Quality

Like virtually every camera, the a6300 does well on a sunny day. It perfectly captures the skin tones and colorful gear of divers emerging from the Pacific. With the 16-70mm Zeiss lens, the a6300 quickly locked sharp focus on the figure in the foreground at the far left.

Sony a6300, F11, 1/640 sec, ISO 400, 70mm. Credit: Sean Captain

Accurate color is indistinguishable between the a6300 (at left) and a6000 (right)

Both: F9, ISO 800, 50mm; a6300: 1/200 sec; a6000: 1/250 sec. Credit: Sean Captain

Detail is fine and color is true in this close-up of a cactus.

Sony a6300, F8, 1/200 sec., ISO 100, 50mm. Credit: Sean CaptainIt's just a tad sharper (and a skosh brighter) than an image taken with the a6000.

Sony a6000, F9, 1/200 sec., ISO 100, 50mm. Credit: Sean Captain

Dynamic Range

The a6300's fine ability to capture both highlights and shadow is evident in the cactus photos and this other beach photo — ranging from late afternoon sunlight beating on the mom's forehead to her shadowed hair and baby's less-illuminated face. The kit lens captures detail well.

Sony a6300, F5.6, 1/320 sec., ISO 500, 50mm. Credit: Sean CaptainI used the camera's default Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO) setting for this and most other shots. It processes a single photo to bring out highlights and shadows, without combining multiple shots (with frequent blurring) to make an HDR image. Like the a6000, the a6300 has both automatic and manual DRO settings — letting you push the dynamic range to near-HDR levels, as seen in these two photos, first shot in Auto, then level 4 (of 5) DRO.

Sony a6300, f16, 1/80 sec., ISO 200, 44mm. Credit: Sean Captain

MORE: How to Take Great Pictures with the Sony a6300 or a6000

Low-Light Results

Color and Detail

The a6300 and a6000 perform almost identically well in photos of a bar at night at a very high ISO.

Sony a6300, F5.6, 1/60 sec., ISO 6400, 35mm. Credit: Sean CaptainWhen you're using auto white balance, some amber tint is to be expected in both the a6300 photo above and the a6000 below.

Sony a6000, F5, 1/60 sec., ISO 6400, 31mm. Credit: Sean Captain

ISO Performance

The a6300 achieves high light sensitivity of ISO 51,200, which is in line with rival cameras, but the results aren't pretty. In shots of the ocean liner Queen Mary, images looked clean up to ISO 3200, when they were displayed at around 1280 x 800 pixels — about the resolution of a typical laptop screen. Images were acceptable at ISO 6400, and showed just a little fuzziness in very smooth surfaces like the sky. Things fell apart an f-stop higher (ISO 12,800), but these are solid results for a camera with a sensor of this size.

Sony a6300, F5.6, 1/60 sec., ISO 3200, 50mm. Credit: Sean CaptainThe same photo taken with the a6000 at ISO 3200 is a bit more mottled, especially in the sky.

Sony a6000, F5.6, 1/60 sec., ISO 3200, 50mm. Credit: Sean Captain

Focus and Speed

Lightning-fast autofocus, a hallmark of the a6000, gets even faster in the a6300: 0.05 versus 0.06 seconds, according to Sony's specs. Sony attributes the benefit to the whopping 425 phase-detection autofocus sensors on the new 24.2-MP imaging chip, up from 179 in the a6000.

a6300, F9, 1/400 sec., ISO 160, 70mm. Credit: Sean Captain

The camera had no difficulty locking focus on the tiny target of a kite high in the sky.

Same as above. Cropped to show kite detail. Credit: Sean Captain

Continuous Shooting and AF Tracking

The a6300 matches its predecessor's max burst rate of 11 fps (refocusing between each shot). I found the midlevel speed of 6 fps to be plenty, and since it fills the memory buffer less, I could shoot longer to capture more action.

Both cameras have focus tracking that's smart enough to distinguish the correct moving subject about two-thirds of the time. In about half a dozen tests, the a6300 seemed a bit better than the a6000 at catching a target and staying on it, such as this cyclist. You can see the progression in a handful of wide shots, along with 100 percent crops on his face.

Sony a6300, f5.6, 1/500 sec., ISO 100, 50mm. Credit: Sean CaptainTo fully appreciate how fast shooting is (even on the Mid setting), check out this GIF made from a 24-photo burst of a skateboarder. For some reason, white balance shifts in two images.

Sony a6300, f5.6, 1/400 sec., ISO 100, 50mm Credit: Sean Captain

Video Quality

The a6000 is an outstanding HD (up to 1880p, 60 fps) video camera. The a6300 continues that quality, as you can see in this clip of volleyball players.

It also provides a new 4K/UHD option (up to 30 fps) with video so sharp you could cut yourself on it.

Nighttime 4K video is equally stunning. The 30-fps limit (typical for 4K/UHD cameras) is an asset, because it allows a slower shutter speed than HD clips I shot at 60 fps.

The whooshing sound in the second and third clips, triggered by even a slight breeze, shows the limits of the built-in microphones. The option to connect an external mic, such as one with a noise-limiting windsock, is very handy.

Another fun upgrade is the ability to shoot HD video in HFR (high frame rate) at 120 fps, which provides 4x slow motion when you're playing it back at 30 fps.

Wireless Sharing

Sony has made transferring photos over Wi-Fi radically simpler. Instead of making you manually enter the camera's Wi-Fi hotspot password into your phone, Sony took a cue from camera makers like Olympus and now displays a QR code on the a6300's LCD that you can scan with the latest PlayMemories Mobile app to establish a connection. That's less important with NFC Android phones, because you can establish pairing by tapping the camera, but it's a huge improvement on iPhones, which lack this capability.

Unlike Sony's many competitors, the a6300 does not allow you to control the camera from a smartphone.

You can also connect the a6300 to Wi-Fi hotspots to share photos across the network. It's also simpler, as Sony has added WPS push, which only requires you to tap a button on the phone, as long as you have a router that supports the technology. Unlike many competitors, the a6300 does not allow you to control the camera from a smartphone.

Battery Life

Using the industry-standard CIPA method, Sony rates a6300 battery life at approximately 400 shots if you're using the LCD, and 350 shots if you're using the power-hungry viewfinder. I got 153 shots in one session, 218 in another and 513 in a third. (In the last case, I shot in burst mode, getting lots of photos compared to the downtime when the LCD was on.)

You can goose battery power in several ways, like dimming the screen and viewfinder, and using the default Standard LCD quality setting, instead of the High option. Setting a short time for the camera to "go to sleep" between shots helps, as well as programing a shortcut button to trigger Deactivate Monitor, so you can turn off the LCD and viewfinder between shots.

MORE: How to Take Great Photos with a DSLR or Mirrorless Camera

Even with all the power-saving tricks, you'll feel more relaxed on a daylong shoot with an extra Sony NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery, which sells for about $50.

Lenses

The 16-50mm kit lens option adds a mere $150 to the base price, for rather good quality. It held up well to the 16-70mm Zeiss lens; it provided sharp quality at the center of photos, but trailed off to the edges, as you can see in this photo.

16-50mm kit lens, f9, 1/160 sec., ISO 100, 50mm. Credit: Sean CaptainIn comparison, the SEL1670Z 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS lens that was included with our review unit stayed sharp across the frame. Another benefit of the Zeiss is its wide f4 aperture throughout its zoom range. The kit lens's max aperture varies from f3.5 (wide) to f5.6 (telephoto) — a standard range for kit lenses that is a slight handicap in low light.

16-70mm Zeiss lens, f9, 1/160 sec., ISO 100, 50mm. Credit: Sean CaptainIf $900 is beyond your means, Sony has some other options. A nice low-light alternative for nearby subjects is the Sony SEL35F18, a 35mm prime (nonzooming) lens with a giant f1.8 aperture that sells for roughly $400. For serious telephoto work in bright light (such as bird watching), the E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS image-stabilized zoom is a great deal at about $350. Combine that with the 16-50mm kit lens, and you can cover a tremendous range, from ultrawide to supertelephoto. If you decide that you don't need the a6300's extra goodies, you can get the a6000 and save plent y of money for lens upgrades.

Bottom Line

Though you might not be a fan of labeling yourself, it might be a good exercise when you need to decide between the new Sony a6300 and the older and cheaper a6000. If you consider yourself a really "serious" photographer who wants the absolute, best quality, the better low-light performance and slight autofocus improvement may be worth it. The case for the a6300 grows if video is a priority, since you can shoot in 4K and get respectable audio from the external mic jack.

The a6000 is the better option if you want to spend less but still enjoy great photo quality and speed. Whichever model you choose, you'll have a lot of fun capturing gorgeous images.

Source: Sony A6300 Review: Pro-Worthy Mirrorless Camera

Sony A6300 camera with 4K support launched in India at Rs. 74,990

Sony has launched a new mirrorless camera in India, Sony A6300. The camera is launched in India at Rs. 74,990. It comes with 4K support. A6300 is now available in India.

Sony A6300 comes with 425 phase detection AF points which Sony claim to be world's higher number of AF points on any interchangeable lens camera. The camera can shoot upto 11 frames per second with continuous autofocus and exposure tracking.

Sony A6300 Mirrorless camera supports full live-view continuous shooting on the Tru-Finder or LCD screen. The camera is equipped with 24.2 Megapixel APS-C sized Exmor CMOS sensor that works together with a BIONZ X image processing engine which can produced image in ISO sensitivity range ISO 100 – 51200.

Sony A6300 can shoot and record high resolution 4K video with full pixel readout in the Super 35mm format. It has Fast Hybrid AF system that combines high-speed phase detection AF with extremely accurate contrast AF and allows it to capture and lock on to moving subjects in as little as 0.05 seconds.

Sony A6300 is equipped with a microphone line input that accepts external microphones and supports XLR input with Sony's XLR adapter kit, as well as Gamma Display Assist, a new function that allows users to monitor images or check focus when recording S-Log movies. It also carries with it enhanced Zebra functionality for greater exposure control and has availability of Picture profile settings, Time Code / User Bit and much more.

Sony α6300- ILCE-6300L/B IN5 (with SELP1650 lens) price in India is Rs. 74,990. It is available in India.

Source: Sony A6300 camera with 4K support launched in India at Rs. 74,990

SpiderLight Hand Strap launces on Kickstarter

Yesterday Spider Holster, the producers of professional camera holsters and strap accessories, launched their new product on Kickstarter, the SpiderLight Hand Strap. The SpiderLight Hand Strap is designed for use with mirrorless and small DSLR camera bodies. These new hand straps offer the convenience of carrying your camera for extended periods of time without the bulk and fatigue of a neck strap. Here's how.

Use with permission of Spider Holster

The folks at Spider Holster know photographers don't want to be fumbling with their gear when shooting in action filled environments. So, the SpiderLight Hand Strap has an S-curve design that allows you to get your hand in and out quickly. This S-curve design also places your hand in the correct position to access all of your camera's controls. With the SpiderLight photographers can quickly release the strap from the camera or leave it on when attaching the camera to a tripod, which is a really nice touch. Many pro level hand straps can be either cumbersome or flimsy. The SpiderLight strikes a great balance. Its slim padded design provides strength and security without the bulk. With this hand strap you don't need to "hold" the camera. You can actually relax your hand and "let go". Of course this feels stra nge at first, but it allows the photographer to keep their camera available without putting it back in their bag.

Again, the SpiderLight is a professional grade hand strap designed for mirrorless and newer smaller DSLRs. It doesn't work well with pro "point & shoot" cameras like the Panasonic LX100. These camera's controls aren't in the same position as those of interchangeable lens cameras. It would be cool if Spider Holster made a hand strap for those cameras, but the body designs are probably too varied to make it practical. But if you are using one of the new small pro cameras check out the SpiderLight Kickstarter page. There are several pledge support options from a single SpiderLight to kits offering full integration with the Spider Holster's Pro line of strap and holster accessories.

Source: SpiderLight Hand Strap launces on Kickstarter

Sony A6300 Field Test: Mirrorless camera offers many improvements and great all-around performance

by Jeremy Gray

posted Tuesday, April 26, 2016 at 3:21 PM EDT

The Sony A6000 was a very popular camera indeed; the best-selling interchangeable lens camera over $600 and the best-selling mirrorless camera. The Sony A6300 is a very good follow-up to the A6000, besting its predecessor in basically every way.

During my field test with the Sony A6300, I found it to be a great mirrorless camera overall. It is compact, but includes many controls. It has an APS-C sensor that delivers really good image quality, even at higher ISOs. Many of its best improvements are subtle in nature, such as the redesigned APS-C CMOS sensor and improved electronic viewfinder. However, some other improvements are immediately noticeable, such as the massive boost in autofocus performance and the wide array of excellent video features.

On the other hand, some shortcomings remain, like the clunky menus and lack of touchscreen functionality. Other issues only present themselves in particular situations, like during continuous shooting when the unfortunately-slow buffer clearing becomes apparent. However, it is also during continuous shooting at eight frames per second when the excellent new electronic viewfinder really shows its stuff.

The Sony A6300 is a very good mirrorless camera, and delivers a ton of performance and features for its roughly US$1,000 price tag.

24mm equivalent (16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS lens at 16mm), f/9.0, 1.6s, ISO 100 This image has been modified.

As more enthusiast photographers move toward full-frame sensors, the Sony A6300 is here to make the claim that there is still a place for crop sensors for serious photographers. Read my Sony A6300 field test to see if this new camera is up to that challenge.

291mm equivalent (Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS lens at 194mm), f/4.0, 1/640s, ISO 100. This image has been cropped. 

24mm equivalent (Sony FE 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS lens at 16mm), f/8.0, 1/10s, ISO 100 This image has been modified.

• Sony A6300 Field Test • Gallery Images • • Overview • Image Quality • Lab Samples • Performance • Buy Now •
Source: Sony A6300 Field Test: Mirrorless camera offers many improvements and great all-around performance

Olympus AIR A01

Olympus didn't invent the smartphone add-on camera—Sony was first to market with the QX100 and QX10—but it is attempting to refine the concept with the AIR A01 ($299.99, body only). The small Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera does make some refinements to the concept, and there are some applications for which it's appealing, but it is ergonomically unsound for handheld shooting. If you're just in the market for an inexpensive mirrorless camera, you're better off with another Olympus option, our Editors' Choice, the Olympus PEN E-PL6.

DesignThe AIR A01 is a small cylinder that measures 1.7 by 2.2 inches (HD) and weighs about 5.2 ounces. It's compatible with Micro Four Thirds lenses—we're reviewing it as a body only, but a kit option is available with the M.Zuiko ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 EZ for $499.99. The AIR is available in a black or white finish.

The normal array of things you'd expect to see on a camera—an LCD, control dials and switches, and an ergonomic handgrip—are missing. Instead you just get a power button on top, along with a large shutter release control and a status indicator light. A removable smartphone mount at the rear can be adjusted to work with small or large phones—it had no problem fitting an iPhone 6 Plus with a case.

The mount can be tricky to remove—you'll need to twist it while holding down a catch release on the body. But once it's off you have access to the micro USB port (for data transfer and for charging of the internal, non-removable battery), and the toggle switch to turn the AIR's Wi-Fi on or off (useful if you plan on using it on an airplane or other areas where Wi-Fi is verboten). There's an additional plastic cover you'll need to remove in order to access the microSD memory card slot.

Holding the AIR with a phone attached is not exactly comfortable. Even when paired with a small prime lens, the camera is a little cumbersome to hold. I used the M.Zuiko 12mm f2 and M.Zuiko 25mm f1.8 during testing. With both lenses I wasn't quite sure whether to hold the AIR by its body, or to hold onto my phone; I ultimately found my grip to be more secure when holding onto the AIR's cylindrical body. It's easier to access on-screen controls when holding onto the phone, but I was always worried about the clip giving way and the AIR falling to the ground when using this method, as it's notably heavier than a smartphone with a lens attached. Those fears proved unfounded, but it doesn't change the fact that the AIR is simply awkward to use as a handheld device.

There is a standard tripod mount, of course. And if you were thinking about the AIR as a small, inconspicuous camera you can squeeze into a tight spot for remote operation, it's capable. There is some shutter lag when operating it remotely, so it may take some trial and error to get the perfect shot if you're thinking about mounting the camera in a backyard bird feeder or other spot where your subjects would be disturbed by a visible human presence.

AppThe AIR is best used when paired with its companion app, O.A. Central. Available for Android and iOS, the app connects to the camera via Wi-Fi, streaming a live feed to your phone or tablet's screen. Pairing via Wi-Fi is simple, though if you're already connected to another network, you'll need to manually connect to the AIR's network each time you use it. (This is par for the course with camera Wi-Fi.) The AIR A01 does have Bluetooth, which can wake it from sleep on demand, though you'll still need to manually switch the Wi-Fi network.

Once everything is connected and communicating, you'll need to choose the mode in which you want to shoot. There are six: Mode Dial, Art Filter, Color Creator, Photo Story, Clips, and Genius. Mode Dial supports traditional camera operation, with control over shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. 

Filters are built into current Olympus cameras, including the midrange E-M10 Mark II, and act just like the ones you find on Instagram—you can capture images with vivid colors, in sepia tones, with a cross-processed look, in black-and-white, and so on. The Color Creator mode is a bit more targeted—it allows you to tune the standard color output to better suit your taste.

Photo Story is used to create multi-image collages in-camera. These can be saved in a square format that's ideal for Instagram. Clips is where you'll want to go if you plan on doing any video work that requires editing. You can record video from the standard Mode Dial screen, but Clips adds the ability to assemble short shots into a longer movie.

Finally there's Genius. It's basically a copy of the Creative Shot feature that Canon puts in many of its PowerShot cameras, like the G5 X. The AIR captures seven photos—your original, as well as six images with varying crops and filters. If you don't mind shooting in JPG—Raw isn't supported in this mode—it's a fun way to snap some photos with a creative look.

The app isn't without issues. One of note that I ran into during testing—when working with a lens like the Olympus 12mm f/2 that includes a focus clutch system, the AIR had a hard time dealing with switching back and forth between manual and autofocus. Autofocus would regularly stop working, even if the focus clutch was in the autofocus position. I had to put the AIR to sleep and kill the app in order to get autofocus working again.

I also had some problems connecting in areas with lots of Wi-Fi signals and activities. When I was out in a park there was no lag in connection and I was able to hold the phone in one hand and the AIR in another without issue. But in a Manhattan office building the phone needed to be attached to the camera in order to work, and even then there was some choppiness in the video feed.

Performance and Image QualityUsing the phone to control the AIR A01 introduces some slowness. There's a 0.4-second lag between tapping the on-screen shutter button and the AIR capturing an image. If you opt to use the physical shutter button the delay is cut to 0.1-second, the time the camera requires to confirm focus and capture an image. That's on par with other mirrorless cameras. The insanely small Panasonic GM1, for instance, also requires about 0.1-second to confirm focus and fire.

In terms of burst shooting, the AIR A01 can fire off shots at about 10fps in continuous drive mode. But it's limited as to how many images it can capture at that pace. When shooting Raw+JPG the buffer fills after 9 shots, with the camera slowing considerably to less than 3fps after that. In JPG mode you'll get 11 shots, and the camera doesn't slow down as much—it settles into shooting at about 5.5fps after the initial speed burst and can keep that up for some time.

See How We Test Digital Cameras

I used Imatest to look at how the AIR's 16-megapixel image sensor stands up to capturing photos at high ISOs. If you're comparing it with your smartphone's sensor, the AIR will absolutely blow it away in terms of detail and noise control. Imatest indicates that the camera controls noise well, keeping it under 1.5 percent through ISO 6400 when shooting JPGs. A close look at photos from our ISO test scene shows that fine detail does take a hit at ISO 6400. But it holds up well at ISO 3200 and ISO 1600, and at ISO 800 is just as good as the Raw output. These are solid results for a mirrorless camera. I did use the highest quality JPG setting for our tests; by default the AIR is set to a more aggressive compression rate, so you'll want to venture into the settings and switch to Xtra Fine to get the best JPG output possible.

Raw capture is also an option, and it allows you to squeeze more information out of images at higher ISO settings. Raw images retain fine detail even at ISO 6400—although there is a grainy quality to photos when you push the camera that far. ISO 12800 is useable, if you don't mind a grainy image—Raw photos are much sharper than JPGs captured at the camera's top ISO sensitivity.

The top video quality is a little limited—1080p30 was the cat's meow a few years ago, but now many mirrorless cameras offer the option to push the frame rate to 60fps or the resolution to 4K. The footage, saved in QuickTime format, is crisp and smooth. The AF system reacts promptly to changes in the scene and changes focus with a pleasant, slow rack. Audio is clear when recorded close, but the internal mic does pick up a lot of background noise and you can't add an external one.

The real complaint is that, since the AIR lacks in-body stabilization, handheld video has a jittery look. You can use a stabilized lens, but your options are limited on the Olympus side of the fence, as most of its cameras put stabilization into the body. Panasonic lenses, which work fine with the AIR, do often have stabilization, and should be a preference if you're keen on shooting steady handheld video.

ConclusionsThe Olympus AIR A01 is another attempt to create a digital camera that works in conjunction with a smartphone to achieve its fullest potential. But, like other devices of this type, including the similar Sony QX series and the tiny DxO One, it has some issues. The AIR's are mainly ergonomic, although its companion app exhibited behavior that was occasionally quirky. There are conventional cameras available for around the same price that deliver similar image quality and a more pleasant design for handheld use. The Olympus PEN E-PL6 is our Editors' Choice for budget mirrorless compacts—it costs the same with a bundled lens as the AIR A01 does without. If you want something really small, you should also take a gander at the Panasonic GM1. It uses the same Micro Four Thirds lens system and a similar image sensor, and costs about $400 with a bundled zoom lens.

Source: Olympus AIR A01

"When the time is right" Canon will enter the Make in India campaign

In India and probably the world "images" has always been the buzzword for companies like Canon. They have been constantly innovating and bringing new features to their DSLR's, and Point & Shoot cameras. We recently caught up with Mr Andrew Koh, Vice President of Consumer Imaging and Information Center, Canon India, who gave us some good insights of how Canon India's imaging business is doing and where is the company headed. Here is what he had to say:

What are the camera business plans in anvil for 2016?

Canon has harnessed imaging know how to develop new and versatile camera models with advanced features and remarkable quality. With the launch of our new cameras in the market in 2016, we see huge potential from our newly launched models like our entry level camera EOS 1300D, our mid level camera EOS 80D and also our mirrorless offerings which give consumers the power of an EOS Camera in a simplified form.

Apart from this, we have recently launched our flagship model EOS-1DX Mark II which is a high end professional camera. This model has blazingly fast features that boast of a 4K video recording @ 60 fps, dual DIGIC 6+ processor and 14 frames per second.

Doing what we do best, Canon reckons to bring digital imaging as a realm for the Indian digital culture. This year we are looking to achieve a double-digit growth in the camera business and aim to reach 50% market share in DSLR by end of 2016.

Is Canon also planning to invest in India with the Make in India platform? If yes, what is the amount (approx.)?

It would be the head office who would be deciding on this but we need to consider lot many possibilities. There are a lot of factors to consider, such as the infrastructure that can be offered in the countries. When the time is right we will make the announcement but at the moment there is nothing to say.

Canon EOS M10 mirrorless camera review: The handy DSLR for photography enthusiasts

Canon EOS M10 is a mirrorless compact DSLR camera by Canon that is priced at Rs 39,095.

Smartphones are a major competition to Canon digital cameras, how is the company planning to tackle that?

With smartphones, the number of clicks has increased manifolds. We are happy till the time there is enough clicking happening. Whenever, the young aspiring clickers turn to quality imaging, they will certainly look at either a compact camera or a DSLR.

There are people in India who have never owned a mobile phone but they buy a smart phone. Likewise for camera technology, there are people who have never used a film camera but straightaway opt for a DSLR camera. This is because they are interested in taking better photos which cannot be captured with a smart-phone camera. Canon has always been the pioneers in manufacturing the best Digital SLR cameras, which newer customers have loved across generations.

To take our products closer to our customers we have launched a new campaign - "Get ready with EOS 1300D" targeted to multifarious set of buyers who are explorers, p hotography enthusiasts, first time buyers and fence sitters who are considering to buy their first DSLR. Canon has also launched the EOS Academy wherein a panel of photography experts conducts free and paid workshops and seminars on various aspects of photography. To further promote the spirit of photography Canon is conducting workshops in schools to encourage photography.

Any new camera innovation you would like to talk about, which we might see in the near future from Canon?

Technology is something that is evolving on daily basis. New camera technology is making it an exciting time for amateurs as well as professional photographers. At Canon we're firm believers in breaking new technology to the market. And this is a philosophy that we bring to our products as well. We lead the world with our innovative products that realize high-quality images using groundbreaking technologies such as proprietary lenses, CMOS sensors and image processors.

This ensures perfect harmony in the working of these components together and we call this the 'Canon Digital Trinity'. There are several areas in which we can expect some new trends in camera technology. For instance, improvements in sensor and lens design, which means DSLR camera sensors, will feature increasingly higher resolution. A good example is our EOS 5DS and EOS 5DSR that has 50.6 megapixel full frame sensors making them the highest resolution full frame DSLR cameras in the world. Apart from this we will see photographic devices evolve in terms of features and usability, as well as an expansion in features. A good example is 4K video recording which earlier was the singular domain of our high end cinema EOS range of cameras but with the EOS-1DX Mark II launch, it has percolated down to our DSLR cameras as well. Live View focusing technology for DSLR camera models will also improve, and we will see more and more cameras featuring touch screen LCDs for easy user interface.
Source: "When the time is right" Canon will enter the Make in India campaign