Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Take Advantage Of Silent Shutter

Many DSLR's have a Quiet Mode. One way this is done is by separating the sound of the shutter from the slap of the mirror. When you press the shutter button the mirror flips up and the shutter is fired, exposing the image. But then the mirror doesn't flip down until you remove your finger from the shutter button. This works surprisingly well to make your camera not sound like a camera and it's far less distracting in quiet situations–I've even photographed live ballet performances this way without ruining the show.

Silent Mode Trumps Quiet Mode

Mirrorless cameras, on the other hand, can be so much quieter than DSLR's. There's no mirror to slap, and even the shutter sound can be eliminated. For most mirrorless cameras in silent mode, the only sound will be the closing of the aperture to shoot. The shutter can be completely disabled and the camera will be virtually silent.

When to Use Silent Shutter

Anytime you need to be unobtrusive is the right time to use Silent Shutter. Weddings benefit greatly because even at high frame rates the camera is silent. Photographing quiet sports like dance and golf are ideal. Wildlife and hunting photography is best done with mirrorless cameras so you don't spook the animals. Candid street shooters and everyone covering events should also explore Silent Shutter. I wish photojournalists covering the White House would use mirrorless cameras because all I can hear during press conferences are the clicks of D5's and 1DX's rapid firing in the background. The White House should make a policy…

Beware of These Things

Silent Shutter is a terrific tool, but as with everything in photography, it has limitations and compromises. Watch out for these situations:

LED & Fluorescent Lights

LED and fluorescent lights are constantly cycling on and off which can be recorded visibly when you use a fast shutter speed. However, you may notice that the scanning effect is emphasized in Silent Shutter mode. You'll see lines or bands of dark and strange colors across your photo. The easiest solution for this is to use a slower shutter speed. Under fluorescent lights, slowing to 1/60th of a second is usually sufficient.

But if you're under LED's that have a scanning issue, you may have to go as slow as 1/20th of a second to remove the effect. Higher quality LED's don't have this issue, but if you're planning to use LED light bulbs in your studio you should make sure that they have a return policy. Any lights you buy from a place like B&H should be just fine even at higher speeds.

Interestingly, older versions of the Tesla Model S had LED headlights that had this issue. It's since been fixed with a firmware change. I shot an event in a very fancy hotel, however, that had been an early adopting of LED light bulbs, but the scanning was so visible that I had to shoot at just 1/20s which made it very hard to record presenters who had lots of mannerisms.

Rolling Shutter

Another problem with the Silent Mode is that it can have an issue called rolling shutter. The issue arises because the sensor doesn't record the entire frame all at once. It records line by line across the image all the way down the sensor. You could figure out how many lines of pixels your sensor has and be amazed anew at the technology in your hands.

The trouble is that when you film something very fast, it has already moved to a different part of the frame by the time the sensor has read all the way down. This can make fast moving objects appear distorted. It's a problem for Silent Shutter, but it has been a problem in photography ever since the shutter was invented–more than 100 years ago. One solution might be to try to time your shot with the peak of movement–like the very top of a golfer's swing– so there is less motion to give you trouble.

Conclusion

Silent Shutter mode is such a powerful tool, and I'd say my camera is set to Electronic Shutter (Lumix name) 80% of the time. It makes it possible to shoot in otherwise impossible situations. Just pay attention to the kind of lighting around you and know that slowing down the shutter will fix the issue, and pay attention to how rolling shutter might affect your movement pictures.

What kind of success have you had using Silent Shutter in otherwise impossible shooting situations?

The Mirrorless Camera Maniac publishes each week–check them out right here.

Levi Sim Levi Sim is passionate about making photographs and helping others make their pictures better, too. He's a full-time photographer making business portraits and marketing and branding pictures for a living. He spends the rest of his time practicing all other kinds of photography. Read more of his articles here. Latest posts by Levi Sim (see all)
Source: Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Take Advantage Of Silent Shutter

Fotodiox Pro’s New PRONTO Adapter Gives Your Vintage Lenses AF on Sony Mirrorless

Feature Image Screengrab from Video. Credit to Fotodiox Pro

It is no secret that one of the best advantages of mirrorless over traditional DSLR systems is the ease of adapting various lenses to your camera. You can use really old vintages lenses for a unique look and feel with ease, but the one thing that you always give up when you use these old lenses is Auto Focus – but Fotodiox Pro doesn't want that to be the case anymore (at least on Sony mirrorless) thanks to their new PRONTO lens adapter.

The PRONTO lens adapter does something unique, it allows the camera to communicate with it, and then uses a tiny motor to adjust the position of the lens to achieve focus in the shot. What this means is you can now use your vintage or manual focus only lenses with autofocus! Now, it's not going to be incredibly fast or accurate AF, and definitely not good for tracking subjects, but if you don't mind a slightly slower AF experience this could be a nice lens adapter for you.

But whats more, it's not limited to just one lens mount. The PRONTO base can be used with several other primary mounts, so you can use this one adapter with Olympus OM, Pentax, Nikon, M42 and more by simply switching out the lens mounting plate. Which makes this an even more interesting idea.

Fotodiox Pro says the adapter works with the Sony camera's phase detection AF system, so it may be faster than contrast detect based systems, but color us skeptical until we see that work well with our own eyes. Additionally, we do somewhat wonder who could really NEED this sort of adapter – sure, if it was as fast and accurate as a normal Sony lens that would be one thing, but we can be pretty sure that is not the case. So then the question becomes, is this AF going to be faster and more accurate than you with the all of the manual focusing aides that Sony cameras have now? That depends on the photographer, but we know from experience that fast and accurate MF is totally possible, so we wonder at what point it would be better to just perfect your MF skills vs invest in an adapter like this.

We guess time will tell. More information about the PRONTO lens mount adapter can be found over on the Fotodiox Pro website, here.

Source: Fotodiox Pro's New PRONTO Adapter Gives Your Vintage Lenses AF on Sony Mirrorless

Zenit's full-frame mirrorless camera will use components made by Leica

Following an announcement last month that camera maker Zenit would launch a full-frame camera in 2018, USSRPhoto claims the new Zenit model will be based on the Leica SL full-frame camera. Leica will reportedly make components for the Zenit based on the ones found in its Leica SL camera, but will tailor them specifically for the upcoming Zenit model.

Little is known about Zenit's plans at this time. In mid-August, an announcement that Zenit would return with a new camera was reportedly made on Moscow Region Radio 1. No camera specifications were provided aside from the fact that it will be a full-frame mirrorless model with a brand-recognizable design and an anticipated 2018 launch date.

We know that the reborn Zenit company won't try to compete with the industry's biggest camera makers, and it was stated at the time that a "leading photographic equipment company" would be used to produce some of the new model's components. That company wasn't revealed, but assuming USSRPhoto's leak is correct, it will be Leica.

However, and in speaking to PetaPixel, USSRPhoto said the KMZ Zenit factory in Russia will itself produce the new lenses for this upcoming model, and that work on this project has already started. Though the factory isn't capable of producing electronic components for the camera (hence Leica's involvement) it does have the equipment necessary to make its own optics.

Additional information—such as cost, specs, and a more specific release date—still haven't been revealed.

Source: Zenit's full-frame mirrorless camera will use components made by Leica

Nikon Has New Mirrorless Camera On The Way

The Nikon 1 line isn't going to be the imaging giant's only foray into the mirrorless market. The company is hinting that new mirrorless line will be full frame. A statement from the company has confirmed initial rumors in July. A September interview suggests that upcoming camera will sport a full frame sensor. In an interview with the Japanese newspaper Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Nikon president Kazuo Ushida initiating a new round of Nikon mirrorless rumors when he hinted at a high-end mirrorless camera in the company's future. Nikon released a statement confirming what the translation suggested in July.

READ MORE SEE LESS

Source: Nikon Has New Mirrorless Camera On The Way

Nikon reveals it’s working on a full-frame mirrorless camera

While camera makers like Sony, Fujifilm, and Olympus have found varying levels of success with the mirrorless camera format, Nikon has been more conservative, limiting its offerings to devices that are closer to the point-and-shoot market. It looks like that's going to change soon, as Nikon has said that going forward, all of their mirrorless cameras will be full-frame.

This was revealed by Nikon's R&D manager Tetsuro Goto in a recent interview with China's Xitek. When combining his statement with Nikon's recent hints about working on a "serious" mirrorless camera model, it's likely that upcoming device will the company's first such camera to feature a full-frame sensor.

Goto goes on to mention Nikon could be the first to serve the niche of professional photographers looking to shoot with mirrorless cameras. Either he's in denial or blissfully unaware that Sony has already been targeting that market, especially with the recent full-frame A9.

Then again, Nikon might just be attempting to get the jump on rival Canon, which has been rumored to be developing a full-frame mirrorless camera for release in 2018. Sadly, Goto didn't reveal any specs or offer a timeframe of when we might see this new Nikon, so in the meantime we'll have to wait and see what's in store.

SOURCE Nikon Rumors, Xitek

Source: Nikon reveals it's working on a full-frame mirrorless camera

How I Use My Cameras by Xyza Cruz Bacani

The X100F, on the other hand, is a tiny camera packed with amazing functions. It is my everyday camera for street photography. People do not notice me when I am photographing them – making me a ninja. This camera is fast and invisible.

I also enjoy the fact that I do not need to worry about my cameras under bad weather. The GFX is a weather resistant camera and I've used the other Fujifilm cameras without worries, rain or shine. I love that these cameras let me do my work and enjoy photography daily.

On a recent trip to Japan, I went to a Mosque on assignment to shoot for a paper. I used my X100F on the first day and noticed that the people I am photographing are more relaxed because I was not using a big DSLR. In my line of work, it is critical to establish trust between the subject and I on the first day. I was able to get the access and take some intimate images with the X100F. It is compact, quiet and not intrusive on first day shoots yet it still gives me high quality images especially on print.

X-Pro2 & XF14mmF2.8 R, F5, 1/2000s, ISO3200
Source: How I Use My Cameras by Xyza Cruz Bacani

Going for the low light performance. What format or camera is my fave in mirrorless? By Steve Huff

Going for the low light performance. What format or camera is my fave in mirrorless? 

By Steve Huff

I am knee-deep into my Hasselblad X1D review and make NO mistake. I love it, but at the same time I am well aware that there are other cameras that can do very close, similar work, for less. As I have explained, I am one who enjoys the designs and build of cameras just as much as what they can do for the output. The X1D is tops over any I have shot in that area. But there are also things I love about other cameras I own or have shot with. The Leica SL. I love it for some of the same reasons, but with the sensor and EVF of the SL along with great Leica Glass, it too puts out a "Medium Format" look to the images at times. It only lacks in low light when compared to the X1D really, and weight and size (when using something like a 50 Lux SL). The SL and Lux combo, though, is the same cost as the Hasselblad X1D setup with 45mm lens. I like them both equally as much, for different reasons. I even feel that at times, that SL can put out a nicer image than the Hasselblad. At times. Sa me goes for the Hasselblad, at times.

I shoot a lot in music clubs, and many of my images have never been published or posted here, or anywhere. In fact, I just started working on a year-long project for this club series. So it's something I love and enjoy, a part of my life enjoyment. I tested many cameras in these environments. From the Leica Monochrom 246 (did great) to the M 240 (failed) to the Olympus EM1 (failed) to the Fuji X-Pro 2 (no go) Leica M10 (did good) and even a Canon 6D (did good). I have shot the A7RII and A9 in this environment as well, and they did wonderful.

My fave two setups here in this scenario though have been the A7RII with a Canon 50 1.2L lens and now the X1D.

Both provided rich, low noise results. This had me thinking today…in reality all I "need" for this series is a Canon 50 1.2L for my A9. Or a Sony 50 1.4 which is also an awesome fast 50 with a Summilux type character. But there it is again, the "need" vs "want", lol. We all know about diminishing returns here but if my goal is low light performance, the realities are that there are only a few choices in mirrorless that will do it for me. There are a few DSLRS as well, but you guys know I am not a DSLR guy, so I will leave those out.

So as I test this X1D I am truly thinking hard about a few things for my "low light" camera choices..

What solution will deliver the best results?

What solution will deliver the most enjoyment?

What system will inspire me the most to use it?

What system will be the best "bang for my buck"?

What system will give me the least hassles?

What system will print the best at 16X20?

I will answer these below, as I have the answer..but 1st a few low light photos from a few cameras that worked well in these environments…

The original Sony A7s takes the stage…though this club has some better lighting than my usual haunt. At 12MP, large prints are doable, but may not have the most impact. 

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Below: The next two shots are from the Sony A7RII with Canon 50 L 1.2. This is a beautiful setup. The A9 would perform in a similar way. 

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The Leica Monochrom 246 at ISO 10k. Another gorgeous setup for low light, if you are OK with only B&W imagery. 

The Leica SL is a bit tricky in this situation. I would not choose it as my 1st camera for these ultra low light clubs. But with the right lens, it can work. Just not ideal for really low light. 

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The X1d with 45 f/3.5 is pushing the limits due to the f/3.5 aperture. This means the ISO has to be jacked up to 12,800 or 25,600. Luckily, this is ok with the X1D as the results are beautiful regardless but its right at the limits. I ordered a 16X20 print of the shot below..and it is a 1/3 frame crop from the X1D original file.

So the answers to the questions above, I have them.

The X1D is the answer to #1 as to which will deliver the all out best results for what I am doing. But the Sony/Canon comes in a VERY VERY close 2nd. Almost a tie.

Enjoyment? Well, the X1D is. the camera I would enjoy more to shoot. It is what it is.

Inspiration? Well, both really. The Sony and 50 L combo is fun to shoot due to the qualities of that unique Canon lens. The X1D is inspiring all by itself. Makes you want to go shoot.

BANG FOR THE BUCK? Sony wins here. The A9 and Canon lens is under $6k or just about half of the X1D combo. THAT is a chunk O change.

Least hassles? Wells so far neither have given me any hassles, so as of now, both are good here.

Prints? Well, if comparing the A9 to the X1D, the X1D wins. The A7RII would be closer of course due to the higher res. X1D wins. Can't deny the facts, and that sensor is a beauty.

So by looking at those answers, it is sort of tie between the Sony/Canon combo and the X1D.

If I end up keeping the X1D I may also have to buy a 50 1.2 L (well, in a couple of months) to go with my A9, and shoot them both in these clubs for my year long project. I would add the 90mm f/3.2 for the X1D in about 4-5 months and call it a day for my personal photo gear setup. Would be all I needed. But I am not sure yet on what I will do. That may take me another week or two to grind around in my head. One other camera above, that Leica MM..gorgeous. But I have given up rangefinders these days due to my eyes and deteriorating vision.

But from the Sony to the Leica to the Hasselblad, while none of these are "cheap" options, they are all amazing cameras, and the best bang for the buck in MIRRORLESS for low low light shooting like this with intent to print may just be the original Sony A7RII and that Canon 50 1.2 L. Gorgeous setup, not too large and practically sees in the dark.

If low light is not needed, then we can move onto Micro 4/3 for mirrorless as well, as in decent light that system rocks. Fuji as well. With great light the Fuji colors are so so nice. But this is an article about chasing that fading light into almost darkness, and today we have a few choices in mirrorless that can get the job done. I will say though, the best low light performance of the bunch here is the Hasslebald. It should be for the cost but that sensor made by Sony is a special one indeed. I can't believe they have not implemented yet in a new Sony body ; ) Hmmm.

Source: Going for the low light performance. What format or camera is my fave in mirrorless? By Steve Huff