The post Canon Unveils a Dual Fisheye Virtual Reality Lens, the RF 5.2mm f/2.8L appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Canon has announced a one-of-a-kind lens for EOS R cameras: the RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye lens, which looks exactly as strange as it sounds:
And check out the lens again, this time mounted to the Canon EOS R5:
So what is this bizarre new lens? What’s it’s purpose?
The RF 5.2mm f/2.8L is designed for virtual reality (VR) recording; it’s “the world’s first digital interchangeable dual fisheye lens capable of shooting stereoscopic 3D 180° VR imagery to a single image sensor.” In other words, the twin fisheye lenses offer two frames covering a huge field of view in total; when processed, this footage turns into a single, 180-degree image, and with the proper equipment (the press release mentions the Oculus Quest 2), viewers can feel truly present in the scene.
It seems that, when the RF 5.2mm f/2.8L debuts, it will be available solely for EOS R5 cameras, though this could change once the lens hits the market. Such a unique lens is bound to turn heads, and Canon has certainly been hard at work, offering a product with an outstanding form factor – for filmmakers who record on the go or who simply prefer to minimize kit size – along with weather resistance, a very nice f/2.8 maximum aperture, and most importantly, Canon’s in-built filter system. The latter allows you to use neutral density (ND) filters when recording, essential for serious videographers.
Unfortunately, processing dual fisheye images isn’t done with standard editing software. Instead, Canon is developing several (paid) programs capable of handling VR footage: a Premiere Pro plugin, and a “VR Utility.” The company explains, “With the EOS VR Plug-In for Adobe Premiere Pro, creators will be able to automatically convert footage to equirectangular, and cut, color, and add new dimension to stories with Adobe Creative Cloud apps, including Premiere Pro,” while “Canon’s EOS VR Utility will offer the ability to convert clips from dual fisheye image to equirectangular and make quick edits.”
So who should think about purchasing this new lens? It’s a good question, and one without an easy answer. Canon’s decision to bring out a dedicated VR lens suggests a growing interest in creating VR content. But the day when most video is viewed through VR technology seems a long way off, at least from where I’m sitting.
That said, if VR recording sounds interesting, you should at least check out this nifty new lens. Canon suggests a December release date with a $ 1999 USD price tag, and you can expect Canon’s VR post-processing software around the same time.
Now over to you:
Are you interested in this new lens? Do you do (or hope to do) any VR recording? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Canon Unveils a Dual Fisheye Virtual Reality Lens, the RF 5.2mm f/2.8L appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
TTartisan has announced it will soon release a 32mm F2.8, its first autofocus lens. Very little information about the lens is revealed, aside from the mount options, which will include Canon RF, Canon EOS M, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z and Sony E mount camera systems.
As it stands, this particular focal length is going up against quite a bit of competition in nearly every lens mount it’ll be offered in. The F2.8 aperture isn’t exactly inspiring, so its selling point across all lens mounts will likely be its price point, which hasn’t yet been announced.
We’ll share another article when the lens and its more detailed specifications are released.
The photographic lens is what creates the optical magic of bringing a subjects image to focus on to the image plane (that is the image sensor or the photographic film at the back of the camera). It refracts the lights rays, condenses them, and brings them to focus. The photographic lens is responsible for all the magic that happens inside Continue Reading Photodoto
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The human eye has several camera-like features. As a photographer, you would want to know the various parameters like focal length, aperture, and megapixels of the eye, which are the typical parameters of any digital camera. Many famous photographers use the eye equivalent focal length to capture most of their images. Why do many photographers prefer to choose this focal Continue Reading Photodoto
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The post Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Review: A Wildlife Photographer’s Dream Lens? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.
Tamron just released the 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD lens for Sony E-mount cameras – but while it seems impressive, is it the right lens for you?
In a hands-on Tamron 150-500mm review, we’ll go over the specs, first impressions, and sample photos taken with this zoom lens. It’s Tamron’s first Sony full-frame E-mount lens with Vibration Compensation (VC), and thanks to the built-in image stabilization and the impressive zoom range, it sounds like a wildlife photographer’s dream. But how does it actually perform?
Let’s find out.
Tamron 150-500mm: overview
The Tamron 150-500mm telephoto zoom lens is designed for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras, but it also works with APS-C cameras (for an effective 225-750mm focal length). The lens features a variable aperture of f/5-6.7 to f/22-32 and a front filter size of 82mm.
Pros
Solid design and build
Considering its extreme zoom range, the Tamron 150-500mm is relatively compact. It weighs in at 60.8 ounces (1725 grams) and is 8.3 inches (21 centimeters) long. Like many other telephoto lenses, it extends when zooming. There are several physical switches on the lens, including a focus range limiter, AF/MF switch, VC switch, and VC mode switch. The lens comes with a removable hood and a tripod mount.
Built-in tripod mount
The tripod collar was one of my favorite features, thanks to its Arca-Swiss compatible tripod mount. You can quickly and easily mount the lens to a tripod without fiddling around with the usual tripod plate. Also incorporated into the tripod collar are strap attachment loops. And for those who want to save on some weight, the tripod collar is removable.
Moisture-resistant
The Tamron 150-500mm offers moisture-resistant construction for shooting in inclement weather conditions. There are leak-resistant seals on the mount and throughout the edges of the lens. And the front lens element includes a fluorine coating to deter dirt, dust, and fingerprints.
Vibration compensation
Historically, the biggest drawback to buying a Tamron lens has been the lack of image stabilization (i.e., Vibration Compensation). Thus, Tamron’s decision to add VC to the 150-500mm is a big deal and goes a long way toward reducing blur caused by camera shake. There are three VC modes on the lens, including Standard (Mode 1), Panning (Mode 2), and Framing Priority (Mode 3). In fact, the inclusion of VC makes this lens more viable not only for still photography but also for video.
Good macro capabilities
Despite being a super-telephoto lens, the Tamron 150-500mm can shoot at impressively high magnifications. It features a minimum object distance (MOD) of 23.6 inches (59.9 centimeters) at the 150mm end and 70.9 inches (180 centimeters) at 500mm. The lens also offers a magnification ratio of 1:3.1 at 150mm. In other words, you can maintain a reasonable shooting distance when capturing macro and close-up images with this lens.
194mm | f/6.3 | 1/640s | ISO 400
Compatible with Sony in-camera features
Though it’s a third-party lens, the Tamron 150-500mm plays well with Sony cameras, especially when it comes to autofocus. Not only is the focusing snappy and accurate, but eye autofocus is available on relevant Sony cameras. All in all, the Tamron offers a very similar shooting experience to native Sony lenses.
Good price
The Tamron 150-500mm costs $ 1399 USD, and while this might seem steep, it’s actually a fair price considering the competition (more on that below).
500mm | f/6.7 | 1/250s | ISO 320
Cons
Variable aperture
The Tamron 150-500mm uses a variable aperture, which means that the maximum aperture changes based on the focal length. This can be a dealbreaker for those seeking a constant aperture throughout the zoom range – namely, those shooting in low light. However, a constant aperture telephoto lens would cost significantly more and be much larger in size.
Zoom lock
The Tamron 150-500mm has a flex zoom lock that holds the zoom at any focal length by simply pushing the zoom ring forward. Some users might appreciate the convenience, but I found it too easy to activate the flex zoom lock by mistake. My preference is to keep the zoom switch instead, which does the same thing, but is much harder to trigger on accident.
Cannot be used with teleconverters
Many who shoot with telephoto lenses like to add teleconverters for additional focal length reach. Unfortunately, teleconverters are not currently available for use with the Tamron 150-500mm.
478mm | f/6.3 | 1/500s | ISO 640
Image quality
Overall, the photos produced with this lens are crisp and sharp (with peak sharpness at f/8). Shooting at such a slow aperture does require ample lighting, and this can potentially affect image quality if you need to raise the ISO in dark shooting conditions.
Because the lens is long and heavy, it is best to use it with a monopod or tripod for maximum sharpness. Vibration Compensation does help when shooting handheld, but the lens is still hard to stabilize without additional assistance.
500mm | f/6.7 | 1/250s | ISO 100
Tamron 150-500mm alternatives
The closest competitors to this lens are the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 and the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3. Of these lenses, the Sony is the most expensive (at $ 2,398 USD), and the Sigma is the cheapest (at $ 949 USD).
Both the Sony and the Sigma offer a slightly wider focal length compared to the Tamron but lose out by 100mm on the long end. The Sony 100-400mm’s higher price tag is likely due to lens build, performance, and overall optics. The Sony is also compatible with teleconverters.
Who should purchase the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7?
The Tamron 150-500mm lens is ideal for wildlife, nature, and sports photographers. You’ll need ample light and a monopod or tripod to get the best performance and image quality – but its flexible focal length range and reasonable price tag make this a no-brainer zoom lens for Sony E-mount shooters.
The post Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Review: A Wildlife Photographer’s Dream Lens? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.
The post 6 Tips for Avoiding a Foggy Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jim Hamel.
Has this ever happened to you?
You are on vacation at the beach. You decide to photograph the sunrise or sunset, so you grab your camera from your hotel room and head out. You get to the perfect spot and look through the viewfinder at the beautiful sunrise/sunset – only to find that your lens is completely fogged over. You wipe away the condensation from the front of the lens, but it instantly comes right back. Over and over again.
You’re in your car, and you spot something you want to photograph. You pull over, hop out, and set up the shot – only to find that the lens is fogged over, and every time you wipe it away, the fog comes right back. You miss the shot.
In coastal and tropical environments, lens fog happens all the time. Transferring your camera and lens from a cool, low-humidity location like your car or hotel room to a warmer, high-humidity environment causes condensation to form on the lens – which, in turn, causes you to miss photos (and can increase lens issues down the road).
Plus, humid environments are where most folks go on vacation/holiday, and therefore where they tend to take the most pictures. Meaning that the foggy lens problem ruins a lot of shots.
So what do you do? How do you keep a camera from fogging up? And once it’s happened, how do you deal with the condensation? Is there any way to defog a lens?
Read on to find out.
Dealing with a foggy lens
So how do you fix this problem?
Well, I have bad news:
Once your lens is foggy, there’s not a quick and easy fix. There are a few things you can try, which will be addressed at the end of the article, but you just have to keep wiping off your lens and waiting for it to acclimate. This can take a while. Sometimes it just takes a few minutes for the lens to acclimate and stop fogging over, but other times it can take half an hour.
Taken at sunrise in the Florida Keys. Although this shot turned out okay, check out the photos below, which were taken minutes before with a foggy lens. I’m lucky I didn’t miss the sunrise entirely.
Here is a similar shot to the one above, but this one was taken before the lens had a chance to acclimate to the warm, humid air outside my hotel.
So: since there’s no on-the-spot fix, you have to avoid the problem in the first place – by letting your camera and lens acclimate ahead of time.
Obviously, you cannot just leave your camera bag lying around outside. You will need to let everything acclimate safely. Here are some tips for preventing a foggy lens while keeping your camera gear safe:
1. Leave the camera outside (but in a safe place)
If you have a secure hotel balcony, you might put your camera and lens outside to let them acclimate. You probably don’t want to leave gear out overnight, though. Security concerns aside, the coastal environment is not friendly to electronics, and prolonged exposure isn’t great for your camera. You can, however, place the camera and lens out on the balcony or other secure place while you prepare to go out. (Leaving them outside for 30 minutes or so ought to be sufficient.)
If you are getting up early to shoot a sunrise, for example, you might place your camera and primary lens outside immediately after you wake up, and let them acclimate while you are getting ready to go. That will give them some time to fog up and defog before you need to shoot.
(Also, once you’re ready to go, place your camera and lens in your camera bag while still outside, zip it up, then bring it in. You don’t want to reverse all your acclimation work by causing your equipment to cool down all over again!)
2. Keep the camera in the trunk
When you are driving around or headed to your photo shoot location, keep your camera and lenses in the trunk of your car. That way, they avoid the air conditioning and can acclimate to the outside temperature and humidity.
Sometimes, however, you want to keep your camera handy (just in case you come across a great shot). If that’s the case, turn the AC off and roll down the windows. This will keep your camera and lens out of the air conditioning so they acclimate to the temperature and humidity outside, while ensuring you can still grab a shot or two if need be.
3. Get your equipment out of the bag
If you leave your camera and lens in a zipped-up camera bag, the acclimation process will take far longer. A camera bag, while certainly not airtight, will prevent airflow and keep your camera and lens surrounded by cool, dry air – which will cause condensation the moment you open your gear up to the surroundings.
Instead, when you are acclimatizing the camera and lens – whether that be on the hotel balcony, in the trunk of your car, or some other place – keep them outside the camera bag.
Here is another shot taken immediately upon exiting my cool, dry hotel and entering the warm, humid air in the Florida Keys.
4. Remove the caps and filters
The front of your lens likely has the biggest problem with condensation, so that’s the part you should spend the most time and effort acclimating.
While there aren’t many ways to focus acclimation on a specific lens element, you can take off any filters or lens caps. You don’t want an ND filter or a lens cap keeping the warm air from equalizing the temperatures. Because as soon as you take either of these elements off to shoot, the warm air will rush in – and the fogging will occur.
5. Keep a microfiber cloth handy
Once the condensation happens, you just have to ride it out until your camera and lens acclimate. At the same time, you should periodically wipe off the front of the lens. That way, you can see if the condensation is going to return, and whether you can start shooting. If you are not wiping the lens off periodically, you just won’t know.
In addition, if the fogging isn’t too severe, you can wipe off the lens and then quickly snap a shot or two before the lens starts fogging up again. That usually works after the acclimation process has been going on for a while.
So keep a microfiber cloth handy for this reason. If you don’t have one, you can use whatever is available to wipe off your lens, like your shirt (I’d like to scoff at the idea, but I’ve been forced to wipe lenses with my shirt many times).
Before your outing, buy a couple of clip-on microfiber cloths that come in little pouches. You can just clip one to your camera strap and you’ll always have it handy. This will also keep you from having to dig through your bag to find your cloth (because they always head to the bottom in a hard-to-reach corner!).
6. Fix it in post-production
A picture with any significant fogginess due to condensation is a goner. You will not be able to save it.
But if the picture only has a minor amount of fogginess, you can try to clear it up. There are no surefire cures, but my suggestions below will help in some cases.
Your first thought should probably be to increase the contrast and clarity in Lightroom or ACR. That will work a little bit, but a slightly stronger move is to take the photo into the LAB color space and perform a basic LAB color enhancement. A fortunate side-effect of the color enhancement is that you’ll remove haze from the picture.
Again, neither tactic is a magic wand, but they can help.
To conclude on a positive note, here is a shot taken the same morning as the fogged picture above. The lens cleared in time to capture a great sunrise. Yet another reason to get there early!
Avoiding a foggy lens: final words
Condensation is definitely a trap for the unwary. Light conditions change fast. Optimal conditions at sunrise and sunset are fleeting. You don’t want to be standing around waiting for the condensation on your lens to disappear!
So take steps to avoid the problem. Acclimate your camera and lens ahead of time, then make sure you are wiping off the front of your lens periodically. It will keep you from missing shots when the light is optimal!
Now over to you:
Do you have any advice for dealing with camera and lens condensation? Any defogging tips or tricks? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post 6 Tips for Avoiding a Foggy Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jim Hamel.
Lens mounts are an integral part of understanding whether or not a lens will work with your camera system. Most often we are not given that choice because entry-level cameras come bundled with a kit lens. However, once we want to go beyond a kit lens and want to buy an extra lens comes the inevitable question – will this Continue Reading Photodoto
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Canon has unveiled a new professional 4K camcorder and a new 8K-suitable pro BCTV zoom lens. The Canon XF605 is a ‘compact’ 4K camcorder designed for solo shooters. The XF605 is 10% smaller and 600g lighter than the Canon XF705. The new lens is the 10×16 KAS S, an addition to Canon’s 1.25″ 8K broadcast camera lens lineup that includes 10x optical zoom from 16mm to 160mm.
Looking first at the XF605 camcorder, it includes a 1″-type CMOS image sensor paired with Canon’s DIGIC DV7 processor. The camera records 4K UHD video at up to 60p. The XF605 records 4:2:2 10-bit in XF-AVC and MP4 formats. FHD video can be recorded at up to 120p. The camera includes Canon Log 3 and HDR.
The XF605 includes a built-in 4K L-series 15x optical zoom lens with 30x Advanced Zoom (digital zoom) in FHD resolution. The lens has a 35mm equivalent range of 25.5mm to 382.5mm. Its minimum focus distance is 10mm at the wide end and 60cm across the zooming range. Its maximum aperture is F2.8, and it accepts 58mm filters. The lens also includes optical image stabilization.
Autofocus is provided via Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology. The XF605 offers Eye Detection AF and provides intelligent head tracking. Focus is controlled via a lens ring and using the camera’s 3.45″ touchscreen, which has a resolution of 2.76M dots. There is a peaking assist function for manual focus. You can customize AF speed, response and frame size, plus you can use AF to assist with manual focusing.
The XF605 records to a pair of SD card slots and Class U3 V90 cards are recommended. The camera records externally via HDMI or 12G-SDI, and simultaneous recording is possible. When using the XF-AVC format and the maximum bitrate of 410Mbps, the camera can record for 39 minutes. By dropping bitrate down to 260Mbps, recording time increases to 100 minutes. Using MP4 and H.265 codec, you can record up to 118 minutes. In H.264 at 8Mbps, you can record for 2,006 minutes. Full recording time, framerate and quality information can be viewed on the XF605 specifications page.
In addition to the touchscreen, the XF605 includes a 0.36″-type EVF with 1.77M dots. The camera’s full offering of inputs and outputs includes two XLR 3-pin jacks with 48V phantom power, line and mic. The camera includes a 3.5mm mic input jack with 2.4V DC supply voltage. The camera includes a built-in mic as well. For audio monitoring, there’s a 3.5mm stereo mini jack. Plus, the camcorder includes a built-in speaker. There’s a full-size HDMI Type A port and a pair of USB ports, one Type A and the other Type C. As mentioned, there’s a 12G-SDI output with BNC connector. The camcorder also includes LAN, a remote controller terminal and 3.4mm DC input. The XF605 includes built-in Wi-Fi, too.
The camcorder includes a total of 11 assignable buttons which can be used for over 100 assignable functions. Also, there’s a custom dial that includes Av, Tv, M, AGC Limit, exposure compensation, and more. The camera includes auto ISO and auto gain control functionality. The ISO range is 200-12,800, and the gain range is -6.0dB to 21.0dB. The shutter speed can go up to 1/2000s, and the shutter angle goes from 360° to 11.25°. The XF605 includes a built-in neutral density filter.
For the full details on the XF605, visit Canon. The XF605 is available for preorder now and has a suggested retail price of $ 4,500.
The Canon 10×16 KAS S adds a telephoto lens to Canon’s 8K broadcast series, complementing the 7×10.7 KAS S. It’s targeted at broadcasters of major sporting events. The 10x zoom lens has a constant F2.8 aperture from 16mm to 160mm. It offers the same operability as Canon’s 4K portable lens line while adding 8K camera compatibility.
The lens includes special elements such as fluorite, Hi-UD lenses and wide-diameter aspherical lenses. The specialized glass elements reduce chromatic aberrations, spherical aberrations and other image quality defects. The lens weighs 2.94kg, which is reasonably lightweight for an 8K zoom lens. It’s designed for handheld 8K broadcasts. Pricing varies by dealer, but it’s reasonable to expect the lens to be costly.
Cosina has revealed the release date and specifications for its new Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm F1.5 lens for its VM mount.
The lens’ optical design consists of six elements in three groups. Cosina says the lens, which has a single coating, has been specifically designed to showcase ‘classical reflections that are not found in modern lenses and dares to express various aberrations.’
It features an aperture range of F1.5 through F16, uses a ten-blade aperture diaphragm and has a minimum focusing distance of 50cm (20″), despite the on-lens focus markings only going down to 70cm (27.6″) for the interlocking system when used with rangefinders. Cosina says the manual focus system uses an all-metal helicons unit that ‘produces moderate torque’ and offers ‘smooth focusing.’
Below is a small gallery of black-and-white sample images, provided by Cosina:
The lens measures 56.5mm (2.2″) in diameter by 41.9 (1.65″) long and weighs 255g (9oz). Cosina says the Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm F1.5 lens will start shipping in September 2021 for ¥90,000 (~$ 825).
TTArtisan has revealed its new $ 235 50mm F1.4 lens for full-frame mirrorless camera systems.
The new TTArtisan 50mm F1.4 ASPH lens is entirely manual and, according to TTArtisan, able to be used with sensors up to 60MP. The optical construction consists of ten elements in eight groups, including a low-dispersion element and aspherical element.
It uses a 12-blade aperture diaphragm, has an aperture range of F1.4 through F16, offers a minimum focusing distance of 50cm (19.7”) and uses a 49mm front filter thread.
As with TTArtisan’s recent lenses, this one follows a clearly Leica-inspired design, complete with white and yellow markings in a Leica-like typeface. The lens features a clicked aperture ring and is rather compact. The lens measures 68mm (2.68”) long, 57mm (2.24”) in diameter and weighs around 430g (15.2oz), with slight variations between the different mounts.
Below is a gallery of sample images captured with the lens:
The TTArtisan 50mm F1.4 ASPH lens is available for Canon RF, Leica L, Nikon Z and Sony E mount camera systems. It is available to purchase through TTArtisan’s online store for $ 235.
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