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Slideshow: A bewildered roadrunner at the US—Mexico border took hom the grand prize in this year’s Bird Photographer of the Year competition

02 Sep

Bird Photographer of the Year 2021 winners

Winners of the 2021 Bird Photographer of the Year awards were announced today. Over 22,000 images were submitted from around the globe. Mexican photographer Alejandro Prieto took home the £5,000 grand prize for his image of a roadrunner standing next to the 3,000km-long US–Mexico border.

‘The border wall crosses deserts, mountains, and even mangroves. It is not just desert, and is in fact very biodiverse with more than 1,500 animal and plants species threatened by the wall,’ says Prieto. ‘I have watched many different animals reach the wall before turning around and heading back.’

The Bird Photographer of the Year awards also gives back. The organization donated £8,000 to Birds on the Brink. They fund grass-roots bird conservation projects around the world. All 2021 winners can be viewed on the competition’s main website.

Gold Award Winner and Bird Photographer of the Year: ‘Blocked’ by Alejandro Prieto (Mexico)

About this Image: The 3,000km-long US–Mexico border traverses and straddles some of the continent’s most biologically diverse regions. It is home to uniquely adapted mammals, reptiles, birds and plants, some of which are found nowhere else on the planet. Numerous species will be affected if the US government decides to build a wall along the border with Mexico. Border infrastructure not only physically blocks the movement of wildlife but it also destroys and fragments habitats.

Many desert animals are, to a degree, nomadic wanderers and a wall would sever habitat connectivity and prevent them moving freely from one place to another. In this photograph, a Greater Roadrunner approaches the border wall at Naco, Arizona, with what almost looks like a sense of bewilderment.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70–200mm f/2.8 lens. Focal length 112mm, 1/320 second, f/14, ISO 200.

Gold Award Winner, Best Portrait: ‘Underwater Portrait’ by Felipe Foncueva (Spain)

About this Image: This underwater image of a Brown Pelican was taken off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, near the mouth of the T.rcoles River, where there are small fishing villages. Groups of pelicans await the return of fishermen and take advantage of the scraps they throw into the sea.

Looking at this image, I am struck by the similarity between the way the pouch beneath the pelican’s bill functions and the throat of a feeding baleen whale. At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking you are looking at a marine mammal rather than a bird!

Gear and Specs: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with Canon 8–15mm f/4 Focal length 15mm; 1/10th, f/9, ISO 200.

Silver Award Winner, Best Portrait: ‘Sing Heartily’ by Maofeng Shen (China)

About this Image: June marks the start of the breeding season for Demoiselle Cranes on the vast grasslands of Keshiketeng in Inner Mongolia. It is a blessing to witness the arrival of these beautiful birds, and a privilege to have documented their nesting behaviour. In order to capture wonderful, intimate moments of breeding behaviour without causing disturbance, I did a lot of homework.

I drove more than 800km to the vast prairie of Keshiketeng two days before I planned to photograph and did my groundwork. I got up at 3am on 29 June 2018 and rushed to the location of the breeding cranes. In order not to disturb their peaceful life, I had previously set up my equipment in the long grass and lay down, disguised on the ground.

In the morning light, the figures of the Demoiselle Crane family of four gradually appeared out of the gloom. Just as they were leisurely foraging for food, suddenly the distant sound of shepherds herding sheep could be heard. It seemed as if the sound was enough to inspire the pair of adults to call, as they stood back to back. This evocative sound cut through the silent sky for a brief moment, then everything quietened down again. I enjoyed the company of the crane family for the next four hours.

Gear and Specs: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with Canon 600mm f/4 lens, 1/640 second, f/6.3, ISO 400.

Bronze Award Winner, Best Portrait: ‘Night Hunter’ by Jonas Classon (Sweden)

About this Image: Poised for attack and staring intently, this Great Grey Owl has fixed its penetrating gaze on a vole in a Swedish forest. On the night of a full moon, I photographed the owl as it raised its deadly taloned foot, with my car headlights adding a little more illumination to the scene. When I looked at the photo afterwards it gave me goosebumps.

Gear and Specs: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with Canon 200–400mm f/4 lens. Focal length 300mm, 1/160 second, f/4, ISO 3200.

Silver Award Winner, Birds in the Environment: ‘Claiming the Forest Floor’ by Joshua Galicki (United States)

About this Image: This image shows a male Ovenbird singing on top of a fallen log. The bird is staking its claim to a breeding territory shortly after arriving from a lengthy migration to the northeast United States from wintering grounds in Central America. Ovenbirds are quite small – 15cm or so in length – and unlike most other New World warblers, prefer to forage on the forest floor among the leaf litter. I have observed and studied North American songbirds for years and care deeply for all of my subjects.

This shot was taken with a non- intrusive remote set-up to capture the expanse of the Ovenbird’s environment. The camera and lens were camouflaged next to the bird’s favourite singing log and the shutter was remotely triggered. No bait or tape lure were used for this shot, nor was any stress placed on the bird. As a result, this is an image of an Ovenbird behaving naturally.

Gear and Specs: Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with Canon 24–70mm f/4 lens. Focal length 24mm, 1/500 second, f/8, ISO 6,400.

Bronze Award Winner, Birds in the Environment: ‘Yellow-billed Oxpecker with Cape Buffalo’ by Barbara Fleming (United States)

About this Image: Yellow-billed Oxpeckers chatter constantly as they fly in and out of a Cape Buffalo herd, landing wherever they can to rest and feed. They spend almost their entire lives around large mammals, to the point where even courtship and mating take place in their company. Oxpeckers feed on ticks and other insects, although they also have a predilection for the mammal blood.

In this image both oxpecker and buffalo were in motion, moving in different directions and at different distances from the lens. This added to the challenge of capturing this symbiotic pair, but enhanced the satisfaction at achieving my goal. The image was darkened in post-processing.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D4S with Nikkor 500mm f/4 lens and 1.4x teleconverter. Focal length 700mm, 1/1,600 second, f/8, ISO 1,600.

Gold Award Winner, Attention to Detail: ‘Disappearing’ by Rafael Armada (Spain)

About this Image: Reflections are one of the details I like most in nature because light undergoes incredible transformations when it interacts with water. In a way, it is nature playing with us, with our forms and with the forms that we see. In this photograph, the same water that creates the reflection strikes with force to destroy it, in a sense to overthrow the King. The King is still standing; he knows his reign is not over… not yet. But it will end the day that water no longer creates reflections in the sand.

Gear and Specs: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with Canon EF 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6 II lens. Focal length 100mm, 1/30 second, f/14, ISO 100.

Silver Award Winner, Attention to Detail: ‘Growing Up’ by Raymond Hennessy (United States)

About this Image: Great Northern Divers (known as Common Loons in North America) and their chicks take to the water soon after the chicks hatch. The size difference between adult and youngster is evident in this image and shows just how much growing is left for this tiny chick: it is dwarfed by the large bill of the adult next to it. I took this photo as the pair floated incredibly close to my kayak in the soft afternoon light.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D4S with Nikkor 500mm f/4 lens. Focal length 500mm, 1/640 second, f/4, ISO 400.

Gold Award Winner, Bird Behavior: ‘Floral Bathtub’ by Mousam Ray (India)

About this Image: This image was taken at North Bengal Agricultural University in Cooch Behar, West Bengal. To set the scene, here in India autumn days (when the photo was taken) are typically hot and humid – sporadic rains interspersed with sweltering heat – while the nights are cold. I was keen to capture images of Crimson Sunbirds drinking nectar from banana flowers. Typically, these flowers point towards the ground, but in some ornamental species they point skywards and some of their outer petals open up like cups, holding water from rain or dew.

Late one evening, a female Crimson Sunbird suddenly arrived and started sipping nectar. Her thirst quenched, she then started bathing in the water stored in this banana flower petal. It’s quite common to find birds refreshing themselves in the evening, visiting puddles and pools, dipping their heads and wetting their wings and body. However, it was a unique experience to see this sunbird immersing herself upside down in water contained in an ornamental flower petal, like a lady in a bathtub. Her relaxed and indulgent manner, lit by the glow of sunset, was truly a sight to behold.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D500 with Nikkor 300mm f/4 and 1.4x teleconverter. Focal length 420mm, 1/4,000 second, f/7.1, ISO 1,600.

Silver Award Winner, Bird Behavior: ‘The Face of Death’ by Massimiliano Apollo (Italy)

About this Image: After many years of frequenting these rice fields in northern Italy, I finally managed to capture what is for me the perfect shot! In late summer, prior to migrating south, the region’s Purple Herons try to feed as much as possible and take advantage of the abundance of prey present in the rice fields.

I had long dreamt of a shot like this, one that would allow me to see the expressions of the two subjects – predator and prey. I can also say with some satisfaction that this shot is completely wild and no form of baiting was employed – just a lot of patience, perseverance and, why not, a little luck!

Gear and Specs: Sony A9 II with Canon 600mm f/4 lens and 1.4x teleconverter. Focal length 840mm, 1/2,000 second, f/6.3, ISO 3200.

Bronze Award Winner, Bird Behavior: ‘Entangled’ by Julie Halliday (Falkland Islands)

About this Image: In the past, the Imperial Shag went by the name of King Cormorant. This subantarctic and Antarctic species breeds in dense colonies, and on the Falkland Islands it favours gentle cliff-top slopes, often mixing with Southern Rockhopper Penguins and Black-browed Albatrosses.

Imperial Shags use various displays to reinforce pair-bonds, ranging from head-wagging, gargling and kinking their necks, to making throat-clicking noises and nibbling or biting the tips of the bill. This pair allowed a close approach, and as one came in to land, they went through a ritual courtship greeting.

Gear and Specs: Canon EOS 5D Mark III with Canon 70–200mm f/2.8 II lens and 2x teleconverter. Focal length 400mm; 1/1,600 second; f/5.6; ISO 250.

Gold Award Winner, Birds in Flight: ‘Thirsty’ by Tzahi Finkelstein (Israel)

About this Image: Common Swifts live their lives on the wing and are a challenge to capture in flight. With a diet of flying insects, they need to drink from time to time, and even that behavior is performed on the wing. I had had this image – of a swift skimming over water – in my mind for a long time.

I finally found a suitable place to attempt it, and to get the photo I had to sit in water wearing a wetsuit, shrouded by a portable hide, every day for three weeks. Eventually, I got this photo on the final day – the day after the birds had all gone.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D500 with Nikkor 300mm f/4 PF lens. Focal length 300mm, 1/4,000 second, f/7.1, ISO 1,800.

Silver Award Winner, Birds in Flight: ‘The Art of Motion’ by Nicolas Reusens (Spain)

About this Image: This image is one of my favorite shots from my last trip to Ecuador. Using a complicated set-up, I was able to trigger two sets of flashes during a single exposure, using a shutter speed of 1/25 second. I then tried to introduce a sense of movement into the image by adding continuous lighting to the scene. After three days of photographic attempts to get a single picture with an intense atmosphere, this is what I achieved. I hope it was worth it!

Gear and Specs: Canon R6 with Laowa 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens. Focal length 100mm, 1/25 second, f/13, ISO 200.

Bronze Award Winner, Birds in Flight: ‘First Come, First Served’ by Hannes Lochner (South Africa)

About this Image: This image captures the moment when two Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills chase after the same insect in a mid-air competition. In hornbill society, there appears to be no such thing as a fair fight, and the slower of the two birds played dirty by grabbing the tail feathers of the other. In spite of this cheating, the attempt failed, so maybe there is some justice after all in the world of hornbills!

Gear and Specs: Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70–200mm f/2.8 lens. Focal length 120mm, 1/5,000 second, f/4, ISO 200.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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In-depth tripod review: Leofoto ‘Summit’ LM-364C

30 Aug
The fully extended Leofoto LM-364C with a compact (non-Leofoto) gimbal, full-frame camera, and 500mm prime lens.

Leofoto LM-364C
Leofoto.com | $ 580

Leofoto is a brand of Laitu Photographic, a manufacturer that has been making tripods, heads and accessories since 2014, both under their own name and for other brands. The early products from the Leofoto brand were clearly ‘inspired’ by the designs and appearances of successful products from other companies. However, they have recently developed some of their own innovative gear, as well as a broad catalog of photographic accessories; from plates and clamps to straps and camera cages. The quality of this new gear is intended to compete at the same level as some of the best in the market, as well, and that is what we’re here to evaluate.

Compared to others | First impressions | Use in the field | Test results | Conclusion

Specs and what’s included

  • Maximum height of 145 cm (57.1″)
  • Minimum height of 9 cm (3.5″)
  • Folds to 53 cm (20.8″) with 14 cm (5.5″) diameter
  • Weighs 1.92 kg (4.23 lbs) with flat platform
  • 30kg (66 lbs) load limit
  • Three leg angles (23° / 56° / 87°)
  • Four leg sections (36mm top leg diameter 32.5 / 28 / 25mm)
  • 70mm platform side-clamped with release button
  • Large weight hook under platform
  • Bubble level included on apex
  • Removable 42mm mushroom feet on standard 3/8″ thread
  • Includes padded bag, tools, instructions, 26mm spikes, 75mm video bowl

The Leofoto LM ‘Summit’ series are all modular apex, systematic tripods, like the older and larger ‘Mountain’ series, and come in 32, 36, and 40mm top tube sizes. Within the Summit series, there are three, four, and five-section leg options, as well as regular and long versions. Recently, Leofoto even added an entirely olive green version of the LM-364CL.

In addition to the LM range, Leofoto also makes the LS ‘Ranger’ series, which share the same leg options, but top them with a compact apex for a slimmer, lighter package. This series includes the CEX models, with a built-in leveling half ball on the slim apex. (Ranger shown on top, Summit below.)

The top platform on the LM-364C can be replaced with the generously included 75mm bowl insert to accept large video heads or appropriately-sized leveling half-balls. Leofoto also offers carbon-fiber quick columns, geared columns, and horizontal columns to fit this 70mm central opening. Whether these accessories are readily available in your part of the world can still be uncertain, though Leofoto is gaining distributors in many regions.

To get really low, and still be level, the Leofoto LB-75S leveler fits into the LM-series apex.

Compared to others

This tripod was tested and compared with its modular apex peers. Left to right; ProMediaGear TR344, Really Right Stuff TVC-34, Sirui SR-3204, FLM CP34-L4 II, Leofoto LM-364C, Gitzo GT3543LS.

The Leofoto LM-364C was tested and compared alongside tripods in the same class of ‘Series 3′ (33-36mm top leg tube diameter) “Systematic’ (modular apex with removable platform) type, in terms of size and utility, including products from Sirui, Really Right Stuff, ProMediaGear, Gitzo and FLM.

All of these tripods were used in four seasons of sand, snow, mud, rain, and salt water; set up in the bog-like Atlantic salt marshes and the wind-swept Appalachian mountains. They have been loaded with gimbal heads, ball heads, geared and pano-heads, and up to 4kg (8.8lb) lenses attached to cameras ranging from APS-C to medium-format, shooting anything from long-exposure landscapes to extreme telephoto birds-in-flight. The only test they did not go through was being rough-handled at the airport, thanks to pandemic travel restrictions.

Height comparison

Below is a relative height comparison between the Leofoto LM-364C and a 6 foot (1.83m) photographer.

High Mid Low

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First impressions

The Leofoto Summit LM-364C standing tall on thick legs with a leveling aid inserted into the 70mm opening of the modular apex.

The 36mm top tubes of the LM-364C are the second largest in this group, and the aluminum parts are impressively finished for the price, with a well machined apex and nice rubber grips on the leg locks. The wide range of Leofoto accessories available for these ‘systematic’ tripods increases their utility and appeal, and the fit and finish of these extras is equally good. In terms of materials and construction, the initial impression of Leofoto gear is quite good.

However, the proof is in the details. When fully extended but not yet locked, the leg tubes wiggle a bit more than expected, as if they aren’t a very tight fit inside each other, or the loosened locks allow too much play. Once the locks are tightened, of course, this flex disappears and the legs are rigid. This is still different from the feel of every other tripod in this group, and points to a less-precise mating of the tubes and locks.

The flat platform that comes initially installed is a thick and well-finished aluminum plug with deep sides, a large weight hook underneath, firm plastic disk on top, and a set screw to prevent a head from unscrewing off of it. This platform can be easily swapped out due to the clamping spider and repositionable locking lever, similar to the Gitzo method. However, unlike Gitzo, Leofoto put a pull-out safety button prominently on one side, so it’s possible that a loose platform could come out with an accidental knock of that button. That said, any responsible user should insure the platform is tightened down before moving or using any of these tripods.

On occasion, the flat Leofoto Summit platform was swapped for the LB-75S platform leveler, or the included 75mm video bowl and a Leofoto YB-75SP leveling half ball. Both of these extras are as well made as the tripod itself, and very smooth and easy to level. Due to their standard sizes of 75mm for the half ball, and 70mm for the insert diameter and interior ridges, these accessories can be used in the apexes of four of the other tripods in this group, and worked equally well on those legs.

The spring-loaded, ratcheting leg angle locks are easy to pull from the front or push from the back, and ratchet back in pretty well. However, when it gets really cold, the grease on the angle locks firms up and they don’t really snap back in like they do in the warmer months, or in the studio. Adjusting the angle of each leg is still easy and quick, but required a nudge sometimes.

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Use in the field

Packed up, the LM-364C is about average in weight, but stays nicely tucked into its padded, ‘horn-type’ bag for longer trips. While the overall packed size is on the larger end of the group, its leg tubes are also the second widest, so there is a lot of tripod being carried around. One minor annoyance is that, like the Gitzo, there is no hard stop under the apex when folding the legs inward, so without a center column, they can be pushed to extreme angles. This made repacking the legs a bit more cumbersome compared to some others.

In use with heavy loads of long lenses and gimbals, medium-format cameras and geared heads, or even complicated panoramic heads, the hefty Leofoto never felt insubstantial or not up to the task. The stabilizing effect of those wider-than-average leg tubes was apparent, and the LM-364C only exhibited a few minor hiccups of sliding leg locks or slow angle locks while supporting whatever was the gear of the day. Considering how large the heads and lenses on top usually were, it was rarely noticed that the Leofoto is the shortest, fully deployed, set of legs in the group (by 1cm).

The Leofoto leg locks are nicely wrapped in firm, grippy rubber, and are easy to grasp all at once and unlock. They require just a quarter turn to unlock, and the legs come out quite easily, but on more than a few occasions, the legs seemed locked after a quick turn, but then started a slow, sliding compression once weight or pressure was put on them.
The included rubber mushroom-style feet worked well on many different surfaces, and while the included spikes were easy enough to install, they seemed short and a little insubstantial. They still did their job on ice and some softer surfaces. Leofoto makes a range of other feet available, including titanium rock claws, which seem both excessive and fun to try out at the seashore.

One thing to note, the apex of the LM-364C only has a single 3/8” threaded hole for accessory attachment, similar to the Gitzo ‘Easy-Link,’ rather than the typical 1/4” seen on most accessories and other tripods (while the ProMediaGear has both sizes). This just means that a reducer bushing will be needed to attach that ‘magic arm’ or clamp to hold a phone, battery pack or other small device. Naturally, Leofoto offers 3/8” threaded accessories specifically designed to use the anti-twist holes next to this attachment point.

Maintenance

Cleaning the legs of the LM-364C requires pulling off the one-piece shim with a lot more force than any other tripod, and it felt like this thin, plastic part was going to break. It did not, but it is still a little unsettling to do this for each leg section. The lack of rubber seals in the locks is also apparent.

Availability of extra shims is unpredictable in different regions, and no mention of spare parts was found anywhere from Leofoto, Laitu, or their distributors.

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Test results

Vibrations can make even the sharpest lens turn out mushy, blurred photos, and can ruin long exposures. In the typical use cases for this class of tripod, reducing the effects of vibration is extremely important, since longer focal lengths and higher resolutions magnify the effects of any movement, and environmental vibrations like wind and water will have an increasing effect on larger legs and gear. Camera vibration can be mechanically minimized with mirror lockup, electronic shutters, and a remote shutter release, while adding weight to the bottom of the tripod (with the weight hook or a tripod stone bag) can help stabilize the whole setup. However, not all sources of vibration can be eliminated, so we tested whether the tripod will dampen them or transmit and reflect them to the camera.

The tripod legs were fully extended, and our vibration analyzer for heavy-duty tripods (an iPad on a 3.2 kg (7 lb) cantilevered weight) was mounted directly to the flat platform’s 3/8″ threaded bolt with a long lens plate. An industrial solenoid valve with a plastic hammer was used as a source of vibration (a knock to the bottom of one leg). The resulting graph of all three accelerometers shows both the resistance of the tripod to the initial shock, as well as the rate of decay for residual vibration within the tripod.

Leofoto LM-364C vibration resistance test results – click for larger graph

*Note that this graph is relative only to this class of tripods. The weight and test equipment was adjusted to provide a conclusive result for this size of tripod.

In the vibration testing, the Leofoto LM-364C showed the full advantage of its 36mm top tubes and solid construction, providing a good amount of resistance to the initial shock, and then a very quick dampening of any residual vibrations. This puts the ‘Summit series’ Leofoto in the upper half of this competitive group for direct vibration resistance, only edged out by the Gitzo and RRS. There is nothing to complain about here.

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Conclusion

With Leofoto gear in general, you get a lot for the price paid, but in some cases, that ‘value’ is coming from the innovations and designs of others. When it comes to their tripods, they are generic enough that it’s the performance that matters, and the LM-364C holds up quite well. This ‘Summit’ tripod provides a nice balance between size, weight and modularity, while remaining solidly in the middle of this demanding pack of competitors when it comes to performance.

The low price for this size and type of tripod is the real attraction, and after a thorough review and long testing period, there were only a few minor issues with the fit of all the parts. If you spend a lot of time using your tripod, this is a still a good choice and will be a satisfying companion in many instances. The wide range of options in the ‘Summit’ and related ‘Ranger’ series, with similar legs and materials, mean there is probably a good personal fit in the Leofoto tripod line for most needs.

One ongoing concern is after-sale support and availability of spare parts for a tripod of this type, which is intended to be maintained and used for a very long time to come. Admittedly, this can also be a concern for some other brands in this comparison if you are outside of North America.

What we like

  • Very affordable price for stout 36mm legs
  • Very good vibration resistance
  • Uses standard apex and foot sizes
  • Comes with video bowl, bag and spikes
  • Lots of related tripod choices and accessories

What we don’t like

  • Leg tubes and locks don’t fit precisely
  • No rubber seals inside leg locks
  • Hard to get replacement parts

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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ASUS Zephyrus G14 (2021) Review: The M1 MacBook Pro killer

29 Aug
The ASUS Zephyrus G14 is a new breed of powerful, portable laptop made possible by the latest AMD Ryzen CPUs.

All product photography by DL Cade.

When it comes to lightweight laptops for creatives, Apple pretty much cornered the market with the release of the M1 MacBook Air and M1 MacBook Pro. The price-to-performance of these laptops is better than anything we’ve seen from Cupertino in a long time, and the Apple Silicon M1 punches well above its weight given its ‘entry-level’ designation.

But what if you’re not a Mac fan? What if 16GB of unified memory isn’t enough? And what if you want more graphics power than the maxed out 8-core GPU variant of the Apple Silicon M1 can deliver? Is there a PC out there that offers all of these things without sacrificing the portability and efficiency of laptops like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro?

There is, and that PC is the ASUS Zephyrus G14: a small, lightweight ‘gaming laptop’ that features a powerful-but-efficient AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS, 32GB of RAM, a WQHD/2K display with 100% DCI-P3 coverage and an NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU with 6GB of VRAM. All of it packed inside of a 14-inch laptop chassis that’s only a tiny bit thicker, and no larger, than your typical 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Design, build and usability | Performance benchmarks | Performance takeaways | Conclusion

Key specifications:

The 2021 ASUS Zephyrus G14 that we’re testing is the more expensive of the two main variants available in the US. Both options come with the same AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor and NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU (60W, 80W boost), but our model is equipped with 32GB of RAM and a WQHD display that claims 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut, while the more affordable model comes with only 16GB of RAM and a Full HD display that can only manage 100% of sRGB.

Zephyrus G14 – FHD Zephyrus G14 – QHD
CPU AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS
GPU

NVIDIA RTX 3060

6GB VRAM

NVIDIA RTX 3060

6GB VRAM
RAM 16GB DDR4-3200MHz 32GB DDR4-3200MHz
Storage

1TB NVMe M.2 SSD

PCIe 3.0

1TB NVMe M.2 SSD

PCIe 3.0
Display

14-inch 144Hz FHD

100% sRGB

14-inch 120Hz WQHD

100% DCI-P3
Price $ 1,450 $ 2,000

Note that the RAM in the Full HD version is user-upgradable, but for creatives, we would still recommend the more expensive option simply because of the color-accurate display. The extra pixels aren’t totally necessary at this screen size, but we’ve found that many high-refresh-rate displays used in gaming laptops slightly under-perform their spec sheet when it comes to gamut coverage, so it’s always good to have some cushion above and beyond 100% sRGB.

If you’re going to be doing creative work, the extra $ 550 for the top-tier model is worth the additional RAM, resolution and color accuracy.

Design, build and usability

For photo and video editors, the ASUS Zephyrus G14’s WQHD display delivers up to 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

The Zephyrus G14’s design is gamer-y, but not over the top. There’s no ostentatious RGB accents or glowing logos, and while the overall shape of the laptop features a few sharp angles, there isn’t even an RGB backlight on the keyboard – just a standard white light. The chassis is available in a ‘Moonlight White’ or ‘Eclipse Gray’ and, when closed, the only hint that this is an ASUS computer comes from the Republic of Gamers (ROG) logo stamped on a pearlescent metal plate that’s embedded in the lid.

Speaking of the lid, the most ostentatious and unique design element of the ASUS G14 is the so-called ‘AniMe Matrix’ lighting effect that covers a little more than half of the laptop’s lid on a diagonal.

The Zephyrus G14’s design is gamer-y, but not over the top.

Made up of mini-LEDs hidden behind a matrix of little dots, the matrix can be customized in ASUS’ Armoury Crate software to show any number of preset animations, display a static image, or loop through a custom set of images or GIFs that you upload yourself. For this review, I obviously couldn’t resist popping the DPR logo onto the back.

The so-called ‘AniMe Matrix’ on the G14’s lid can be customized to display a customized image or animation.

Unfortunately, that little bit of showing off is about all it’s good for. After taking the picture above, I turned it off and kept it off to avoid any additional battery drain, and the only purpose the little dots served from that point onward was the collection of dust and other particles that are practically impossible to remove once they’ve become embedded.

It is, in my opinion, the only thing on this laptop that is 100% gimmick and 0% function, and I kind of wish ASUS had left it off. Even the cheaper model, which won’t allow you to customize the AniMe Matrix, still comes with these little holes, they’re just set to display a static ‘holographic’ effect.

Moving back to the front of the computer, both the keyboard and trackpad qualify as good-but-not-great in my book. The keyboard features a little bit more travel and ‘mush’ than I’m used to from most low-profile laptop keyboards these days, but your preferences may vary, while the trackpad is sufficiently smooth and responsive, but a little bit undersized.

The Zephyrus G14’s trackpad is smooth and responsive, but smaller than most competitors.

Compare this to the massive glass-topped trackpads favored by Apple, Microsoft, Dell and Razer, and you’ll see what I mean. By pushing the keyboard down to make room for the audio controls, ROG button and power button/fingerprint reader, the trackpad has been squeezed to just 2.5 inches tall and 4.5 inches wide.

It’s precise, with a nice springboard click that’s usable from about halfway down the trackpad, but I wish it were a little bit taller.

In terms of ports, the Zephyrus G14 comes equipped with an HDMI, two USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, a headphone jack and standard barrel connector for power. One of those USB Type-C ports can also carry a DisplayPort 1.4 signal and charge your device if you leave the included 180W power brick at home, and both can transfer data at USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds (10Gbps), but neither supports Thunderbolt’s faster 40Gbps transfer rate because of the AMD processor.

The trackpad is precise, with a nice springboard click that’s usable from about halfway down the trackpad, but I wish it were a little bit taller.

In terms of ports, the Zephyrus G14 comes equipped with an HDMI, two USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, a headphone jack and standard barrel connector for power.

Thunderbolt is an Intel creation, and until it fully merges with the CPU-agnostic USB 4.0 standard and AMD releases Ryzen 6000 sometime in 2022, you won’t find any AMD Ryzen laptops that also feature Thunderbolt support.

Everything so far makes this a good gaming PC but not particularly special for photo and video work. That’s where the display comes in.

Following a trend we’ve seen from other gaming laptops, ASUS offers the Zephyrus G14 (and the bigger G15) with a couple of different display options. There’s an ultra-fast 144Hz Full HD display that can only hit 100% sRGB or a slightly slower 120Hz WQHD option that is ‘Pantone validated’ and claims 100% coverage of DCI-P3.

In my testing, it didn’t quite live up to that claim, managing only 95.3% coverage of DCI-P3 and 80.0% of AdobeRGB, but it did so at a respectable Delta E 2000 of less than 2. Other reviewers have profiled this display at up to 98% DCI-P3, but to my knowledge, nobody has seen it hit the advertised 100%.

In other words: the display is accurate enough for proper photo and video editing on the go, but I would not rely on it as my only screen. When it’s time for serious color grading, use the USB-C/DisplayPort to connect a larger, color-accurate 4K monitor, especially if you’re planning to print your work.

Finally, there are two more things left to mention – one positive and one negative.

The positive is battery life, which is excellent. AMD’s Zen 3 processors are already very power efficient, and ASUS is taking full advantage of that fact by putting a large 76Wh battery inside of the G14. For normal writing, research, and video consumption in ‘Silent’ mode, I could easily get 8+ hours of use out of this laptop. In ‘Performance’ mode while doing serious photo or video editing on battery, that drops to about 2 hours, but that’s to be expected given the NVIDIA 3060 GPU is pulling 60W all on its own.

The Zephyrus G14’s QHD display is color-accurate enough for proper photo and video editing on the go, but I would not rely on it as my only screen.

The negative is the total lack of webcam on this computer. While the Zephyrus G14 does have a built-in microphone array embedded in the top bezel, it does not have a webcam. None at all. Not even the crappy 720p option that’s included in most laptops today.

With so many photo and video professionals communicating with their clients over Zoom as much (if not more) than in-person, this is a huge miss. I suppose the idea is that gamers who stream will use a nicer camera anyway, and those who don’t won’t care about a webcam, but it’s a glaring omission that has the potential to really annoy you day-in and day-out.

Tehre is no webcam on the ASUS Zephyrus G14 – a frustrating omission given the increased popularity of video conferencing.

Overall, I quite like the design and build quality of the Zephyrus G14. Sure, I tend to prefer the rigid CNC-milled aluminum unibody designs favored by companies like Razer and Apple, but I never felt like I was dealing with a flimsy laptop and the design aesthetic is clean enough to use for both business and fun… assuming you turn off the AniMe Matrix.

For creative professionals, you can go in knowing that the I/O is solid, the trackpad is good (if a little bit small), and the screen is sufficiently color accurate so that you can get your work done on the go. If you can live without Thunderbolt and a webcam, the G14 checks just about every other ‘ultra-portable’ box, without sacrificing performance.

Speaking of which…

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Performance benchmarks

Despite its small size, the Zephyrus G14 is one of the fastest photo and video editing laptops on the market.

What really makes the ASUS Zephyrus G14 special is just how powerful it is given its size and weight. This is down to the magic of the AMD Ryzen processor inside, which is built on AMD’s Zen 3 architecture and practically sips wattage compared to most of Intel’s chips.

This is why ASUS chose AMD for this 14-inch laptop, why Razer chose AMD for their 14-inch Blade, and why we expect to see Ryzen PCs and M1 Macs practically take over the ‘powerful-but-portable’ category for at least the next year or two. Intel’s latest 11th-geneneration H-series laptop CPUs are more efficient than 10th-gen, but they still soak up a lot more wattage to generate those results.

For this round of performance benchmarks, we tested the M1 Mac mini, an Intel-based 13-inch MacBook Pro, the AMD Ryzen-based Razer Blade 14 and the ASUS Zephyrus G14. Full specs below:

Zephyrus G14 13-inch MBP M1 Mac mini Blade 14
CPU AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS Intel Core i7-1068NG7 Apple Silicon M1 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
GPU

NVIDIA RTX 3060

6GB VRAM

Intel Iris Plus Graphics

 Apple Silicon M1 8-core

NVIDIA RTX 3070

8GB VRAM
RAM

32GB DDR4

3200MHz

32GB LPDDR4X

3733MHz

16GB Unified Memory

16GB DDR4

3200MHz
Storage 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe 3.0 SSD 4TB NVMe SSD 2TB NVMe SSD 1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe 3.0 SSD
Display

14-inch 120Hz WQHD IPS LCD

100% DCI-P3

13-inch Retina Display

100% Display P3

 N/A

14-inch 165Hz QHD IPS LCD

100% DCI-P3

Price

 $ 2,000 $ 3,600 $ 1,700 $ 2,200
Price w/ 1TB of Storage $ 2,000 $ 2,600 $ 1,300 $ 2,200

Unfortunately we did not have an M1 MacBook Pro on hand to do a side-by-side comparison, but the internals of the M1 Mac mini and the internals of the M1 MacBook Pro are identical, so the results should be interchangeable. As usual, we tested Adobe Lightroom Classic, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Capture One 21 using the suite of tests described here.

All tests were run a minimum of three times in a row, with the laptops plugged in, fully charged, and set to their maximum Turbo/Performance settings.

Lightroom Classic

Import and preview generation in Lightroom Classic is based entirely on CPU performance, RAM amount and RAM speed. Each of these machines has a different combination of these factors, and the ASUS Zephyrus G14 and M1 Mac mini end up trading blows at the top of the import table thanks to the stellar performance of their respective CPUs and the Mac’s fast unified memory architecture.

Despite having an ever-so-slightly more powerful CPU than the ASUS, the Razer Blade 14 falls to last place because of its 16GB RAM limitation, while the Intel-based MacBook Pro sits somewhere in the middle of the pack.

Canon EOS R6 Import Nikon Z7 II Import Sony a7R IV Import Fuji GFX 100 Import
ASUS G14 1:38 2:59 3:30 7:35
Blade 14 2:07 4:16 4:58 12:30
M1 Mac mini 1:44 2:54 3:03 8:51
MacBook Pro 2:22 3:42 4:02 10:12

It’s a similar story when we try exporting heavily edited 100% JPEGs, but now that there are more pixels to move around, the ASUS G14 wins every single category.

As resolution increases and file sizes get larger, the Blade 14 and M1 Mac mini fall way behind the rest of the pack, held back by the maximum 16GB of RAM available to them. By the time we get to the 100MP Fuji GFX 100 files, the ASUS G14 is more than 15 minutes faster than both the M1 Mac mini and the Blade 14, but only about 3 minutes faster than the two-year-old MacBook Pro.

These results show you just how RAM dependent Lightroom Classic exporting really is. The more RAM, and the faster your RAM, the better your performance… even if you’re running an older processor and no discrete GPU:

Canon EOS R6 Export Nikon Z7 II Export Sony a7R IV Export Fuji GFX 100 Export
ASUS G14 3:58 8:55 11:41 23:40
Blade 14 5:30 14:40 20:46 40:02
M1 Mac mini 4:06 9:21 15:04 38:44
MacBook Pro 5:55 12:01 15:35 26:46

Capture One 21

Capture One 21 is a whole different animal. As we showed in our recent head-to-head comparison between Capture One and Lightroom Classic, C1 is less dependent on RAM speed and better optimized to take advantage of powerful GPUs through hardware acceleration.

At import, CPU performance is still the most important factor, and the ASUS G14, Blade 14, and M1 Mac mini are within spitting distance of each other, while the MacBook Pro and its weaker 10th-gen Intel processor falls further and further behind as file sizes increase.

Canon EOS R6 Import Nikon Z7 II Import Sony a7R IV Import Fuji GFX 100 Import
ASUS G14 00:40 00:59 1:12 1:50
Blade 14 00:40 00:59 1:14 1:50
M1 Mac mini 00:45 00:53 1:00 1:22
MacBook Pro 00:47 1:42 2:12 3:12

At export, the Zephyrus G14 uses its combination of a fast CPU, fast GPU, and 32GB of RAM to (once again) sweep every single category. None of the other computers could keep up.

The Razer Blade 14 only fell a little bit behind the ASUS, but by the time we get to the largest files the M1 Mac mini is more than 10 minutes slower than the Zephyrus G14, and the Intel-based MacBook Pro was another 10 minutes slower than that – a full 20 minutes and 45 seconds slower than the ASUS G14.

If you own an Intel-based 13-inch MacBook Pro (as I do) this is not a pretty graph.

Canon EOS R6 Export Nikon Z7 II Export Sony a7R IV Export Fuji GFX 100 Export
ASUS G14 1:35 3:12 3:50 6:53
Blade 14 1:48 3:47 4:47 7:46
M1 Mac mini 2:53 7:02 8:49 17:20
MacBook Pro 4:57 12:50 16:18 27:38

Photoshop

When we ran the Pugetbench benchmark for Photoshop, the ASUS G14 came incredibly close to beating the impressive overall score put up by the M1 Mac mini, and did manage to beat the Mac in both the GPU and Filter categories.

However, this result requires a bit of context.

Presumably due to their ultra-fast unified memory, M1 Macs are able to merge panoramas much faster than any PC we’ve tested (at least in Photoshop), but the high overall score is disproportionately affected by that one factor. It’s like an Olympian winning the decathlon by coming in the middle of the pack in 9 events, and then pole vaulting twice as high as anybody else.

In most of the individual tasks that the benchmark performs, the ASUS G14 is as fast or faster than the Mac, which is reflected in the high General, GPU, and Filter score. I only really loses the ‘overall’ battle because of its lower PhotoMerge score.

Overall General GPU Filter PhotoMerge
ASUS G14 973.6 99.0 97.3 86.9 115.0
Blade 14 835.6 85.6 88.8 67.3 111.9
M1 Mac mini 1017.8 99.4 81.2 82.9 144.2
MacBook Pro 597.7 65.4 32.6 52.8 62.6

Premiere Pro

Our final tests involve Adobe Premiere Pro. Unlike most other Adobe CC apps, Premiere is well optimized to take advantage of the NVIDIA GPUs in both the Razer Blade 14 and the ASUS Zephyrus G14 through ‘CUDA’ hardware acceleration. It’s also able to take advantage of ‘Metal’ hardware acceleration on the M1 Mac mini.

This fact alone puts these three computers in a league of their own, and leaves my poor little Intel-based MacBook Pro trailing way behind the rest of the pack in every video encoding task we tried.

The Zephyrus G14 steals the show here, putting up the fastest times in all but one category despite stiff competition from both the Razer Blade 14 and M1 Mac mini. Using our Sony a1 test video, the G14 rendered and exported the full Premier Pro project 1 to 2 minutes faster than either the Blade or the Mac mini, and a whopping 18 to 20 minutes faster than the MacBook Pro.

This result, more than any others, shows the potential of GPU hardware acceleration. Properly implemented, it can produce massive performance gains.

Render All Export Master File Export H.264 Export H.265/HEVC Warp Stabilize
ASUS G14 6:40 00:15 6:06 5:59 2:33
Blade 14 8:50 00:41 8:12 8:06 3:13
M1 Mac mini 7:32 00:18 7:30 7:19 2:13
MacBook Pro 25:53 00:37 26:12 25:09 2:36

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Takeaways

Normally, this is the part of the review where I would list a few interesting takeaways based on the strengths and weaknesses that I noticed while running our benchmarks. But the ASUS does so well across the board that I don’t really have much to say other than: wow.

The ASUS Zephyrus G14 is an extremely capable photo and video editing machine – far more capable than you would guess given its small size. Thanks in large part to the power-efficient AMD CPU, ASUS has created a little monster that packs more punch than any other ‘ultra-portable’ PC laptop on the market, including the similarly specced Razer Blade 14 and, presumably, the M1 MacBook Pro (based on our M1 Mac mini results).

ASUS has created a little monster that packs more punch than any other ‘ultra-portable’ PC laptop on the market.

From a performance standpoint, ASUS basically didn’t have to cut any corners; as a result, we get a $ 2,000 14-inch laptop that easily outperforms $ 3,000+ Intel-based PCs from less than a year ago and gives the Apple Silicon M1 some honest to goodness competition in this size and price bracket.

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Conclusion
What We Like What We Don’t Like
  • Exceptional performance
  • Color-accurate WQHD display
  • Small and portable
  • Good variety of ports
  • Great battery life
  • Affordable
  • No Thunderbolt Support
  • No SD card slot
  • No webcam
  • Small trackpad
  • The AniMe Matrix is a neat-but-useless gimmick

It’s hard to find fault with the 2021 ASUS Zephyrus G14. It already offers most of what ‘creators’ are hoping to see from the rumored 14-inch MacBook Pro: it’s a small, portable, efficient laptop that delivers professional-grade performance in creative applications, including GPU accelerated tasks.

All of this for an extremely reasonable price and without some of the Apple-specific downsides that we’ve gotten used to: the lack of user-upgradable storage, the lack of ports, and occasional compatibility issues (especially with ARM-based M1 Macs).

The 2021 ASUS Zephyrus G14 a small, portable, efficient laptop that delivers professional-grade performance in creative applications.

The only real downside for creatives is the lack of Thunderbolt support – a must for some specialized equipment – and the computer’s focus on certain gaming-specific specs and design elements. Personally, I’d rather have a more power-efficient WQHD display that’s limited to 60Hz or a more affordable Full HD option that covers 100% DCI-P3, and the ‘AniMe Matrix’ feature is nothing more than a party trick that sucks up battery if you forget to turn it off.

Sure, this little gaming laptop can’t match the top-shelf build quality and clean design of brands like Apple, Razer, Microsoft, and even Dell – which is basically the only reason I can’t give the computer a full 5 stars – but if you’re looking for the ultimate ultra-portable PC laptop with the fewest trade-offs and the best performance, the ASUS Zephyrus G14 is the way to go.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Zeiss will raise the prices of all its lenses in the US on October 1

27 Aug

Zeiss has announced it will be increasing the price of its lenses in the United States starting October 1, 2021.

According to a graphic, embedded below and shared by Leica Rumors, lenses in the Batis and Loxia lines will increase by $ 50 per unit, while the Milvus (ZE & ZF.2) and ZM lenses will increase by $ 75 and $ 100 per unit, respectively. Zeiss’ T* UIV and POL filters will increase by 10% each.

If you’re already in the market for one, you might want to pick one up within the next month. Otherwise, count on shelling out a little more cash to get your hands on the Zeiss lens of your choosing.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: Curiosity rover captures 360-degree panorama of Mount Sharp on Mars, showing changing landscape

24 Aug

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover recently explored Mount Sharp. The mountain is 8km (5 mi) tall and is within the 154km-wide (96 mi) basin of Mars’s Gale Crater. Curiosity captured a new 360-degree panorama at Mount Sharp, revealing its diverse terrain and shedding light on the area’s ancient environment.

NASA writes, ‘Images of knobbly rocks and rounded hills are delighting scientists as NASA’s Curiosity rover climbs Mount Sharp, a 5-mile-tall (8-kilometer-tall) mountain within the 96-mile-wide (154-kilometer-wide) basin of Mars’ Gale Crater. The rover’s Mast Camera, or Mastcam, highlights those features in a panorama captured on July 3, 2021 (the 3,167th Martian day, or sol, of the mission).’

Studying the region has been a long-term goal for the Curiosity mission, which is now in its ninth year on Mars. By studying the layers of Mount Sharp, scientists hope to understand how the environment of Gale Crater dried over time. Similar changes in mineral composition are seen across the planet, so understanding Gale Crater should pay dividends in understanding other parts of Mars.

‘The rocks here will begin to tell us how this once-wet planet changed into the dry Mars of today, and how long habitable environments persisted even after that happened,’ said Abigail Fraeman, Curiosity’s deputy project scientist, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

‘NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to capture this 360-degree view near “Rafael Navarro Mountain” on July 3, 2021, the 3,167th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Stitched together from 129 individual images, the panorama has been white-balanced so that the colors of the rock materials resemble how they would appear under daytime lighting conditions on Earth. A craggy hump that stretches 450 feet (137 meters) tall, the geologic feature is located on Mount Sharp in northwest Gale Crater.’ Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS. Click to enlarge.

When Curiosity landed on Mars on August 5, 2012, its primary mission was to study whether different Martian environments could have supported microbial life in Mars’s ancient past. Lakes and groundwater once existed within Gale Crater, and scientists want to use Curiosity to understand better what happened and how Mars changed over time.

Looking forward, Curiosity is currently working its way up a path between Rafael Navarro Mountain and a towering butte. In the coming year, Curiosity will drive past these features and enter a canyon. It will then revisit Greenheugh Pediment.

You can learn more about the Curiosity mission by visiting NASA’s dedicated Mars website. You can also check out some of our prior coverage, including Curiosity photographing rare shimmering clouds in June and a neat selfie Curiosity sent to Earth in March.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The UK’s largest news agency announces partnership with Sony

23 Aug

The largest national news agency in the United Kingdom and Ireland, PA (formerly known as the Press Association), has announced a deal with Sony to have its photographers shoot with Sony cameras and lenses.

PA was founded 153 years ago, in 1868, and its parent company is PA Media Group Limited. PA Media Group Limited is a private company owned by 26 shareholders that are primarily UK-based newspapers, like the Daily Mail.

PA has over 90 staff photographers and video journalists working in the UK and Ireland, and the process of switching them all over to Sony’s full-frame Alpha mirrorless cameras and Cinema cameras, like the FX3, has begun.

Sony UK writes, ‘With developments in the quality of still and video technology and specifically the introduction of Sony’s full frame silent shutter mode and remote capture it has meant that journalists and photographers have been able to adapt and shoot in situations not possible before – for example silently during broadcast – a key requirement for official engagements, where most recently the Sony Alpha 9 II has been used. Remote shooting is becoming a more common requirement, so being able to control cameras and send images quickly and efficiently to the newswire, is key for success. Along with a close working relationship with the Sony UK Pro team, it is for these reasons that Sony imaging kit was selected as the preferred choice.’

Beyond Sony A9 II and Sony FX3 cameras, additional full-frame cameras will be used. Cameras will be paired with a wide range of Sony E-mount lenses, including several G Master models, like the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM, FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS, FE 135mm f/1.8 GM and FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS.

PA members will be receiving their kit personally from Sony, along with product setup support and regular training. After all, some photographers have likely been working with non-Sony equipment for a long time, and there will probably be an adjustment period.

‘We are extremely honored to announce this collaboration with PA Media, the largest press agency in the UK and Ireland. We are incredibly proud to be working alongside them to deliver best in class photography and videography for news and sports to their clients,’ said Yasuo Baba, Director Pro Business, Sony Europe, ‘The partnership and on-going relationship will not only help us develop our camera system further but allow us to better serve their professional photographers and video journalists in future, giving them the opportunity to capture, transmit and deliver imagery in ways they never could before.’

Martin Keene, Group Picture Editor at PA Media Group, added, ‘Sony’s silent shutter, superb lenses and brilliant sensors, along with the relationship that we have built-up with them over the past few years made the switch an easy choice.’ Keene also discussed the support PA has received from Sony as a reason for the switch. Keene added, ‘It’s a big investment, but the opportunity to have all of our team using the same brand new, state-of-the-art kit is both rare and really worthwhile, and will make a real difference to the quality of the pictures that our customers see.’

This news from the UK and Ireland comes just over a year after The Associated Press announced that it partnered with Sony to exclusively provide its visual journalists with Sony camera gear. The AP’s undertaking was massive, including journalists in more than 250 locations across 100 countries being supplied with Sony cameras, lenses and accessories. Last July, the AP said, ‘A wide variety of Sony’s imaging solutions products will begin delivery immediately, including the full-frame mirrorless Alpha cameras, FS series professional video cameras and an assortment of Sony’s 57 E-mount lenses including G Master models.’

At the time of AP’s big move, we interviewed J. David Ake, Director of Photography at The Associated Press, to discuss the switch to Sony equipment. To learn more about the switch, including what motivated the AP’s partnership with Sony, read the full interview.

It wasn’t long ago that photojournalism was dominated by Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras. How things have changed in a short period.

Press release:

SONY BECOMES KEY CAMERA SUPPLIER FOR PA MEDIA GROUP

Sony Europe announces partnership making Sony supplier of Imaging kit for PA Media Group’s (formerly the Press Association’s)still photographers and video journalists.

With over 90 staff photographers & video journalists working for PA, based in the UK and Ireland, the process for switching has begun and kit lists are made up of Sony’s full-frame mirrorless Alpha™ camera series, includingthe Cinema Line Camera FX3. These will be paired with a broad selection from Sony’s E-mount lenses including several G Master™ models – FE 24-70mm F2.8GM, FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS, FE 135mm F1.8GM and the FE 400mm F2.8GM OSS. The PA team members have been receiving their kit personally along with a product setup support from the Sony UK Pro team.

Being the largest press agency in the UK and Ireland, the PA team providesimages from key events throughout the year including major annual sporting events through to the biggest news stories and momentous official events and engagement.

With developments in the quality of still and video technology and specifically the introduction of Sony’s full frame silent shutter mode and remote capture it has meant that journalists and photographers have been able to adapt and shoot in situations not possible before – for examplesilently during broadcast – a key requirement for official engagements, where most recently the Sony Alpha 9 II has been used. Remote shooting is becoming a more common requirement, so being able to control cameras and send images quickly and efficiently to the newswire, is key for success. Along with a close working relationship with the Sony UK Pro team, it is for these reasons that Sony imaging kit was selected as the preferred choice.

Regular training and support will also be available for the PA team to ensure that this continues, and to keep them at the forefront of what Sony imaging technology can deliver

“We are extremely honoured to announce this collaboration with PA Media, the largest press agency in the UK and Ireland. We are incredibly proud to be working alongside them to deliver best in class photography and videography for news and sports to their clients,” said Yasuo Baba, Director Pro Business, Sony Europe, “The partnership and on-going relationship will not only help us develop our camera system further but allow us to better serve their professional photographers and video journalists in future, giving them the opportunity to capture, transmit and deliver imagery in ways they never could before”

Martin Keene, Group Picture Editor at PA Media Group, said: “Sony’s silent shutter, superb lenses and brilliant sensors, along with the relationship that we have built-up with them over the past few years made the switch an easy choice.

“In addition, we have had first-class support from the Sony team in the UK to make the swap and ensure that our photographers can go out and use the kit the next day. Having both stills and video cameras from the same manufacturer simplifies the workflow and colour balance across both genres.

“It’s a big investment, but the opportunity to have all of our team using the same brand new, state-of-the-art kit is both rare and really worthwhile, and will make a real difference to the quality of the pictures that our customerssee.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon XF605 professional 4K camcorder and new 8K broadcast lens announced

18 Aug

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.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Cosina announces $825 Voigtlander Classic 50mm F1.5 lens, will be available in September

17 Aug

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:

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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).

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sirui rehouses its 1.33x anamorphic lenses for cinema rigs and adds T-stops

15 Aug

Chinese anamorphic lens manufacturer Sirui has introduced a new set of lenses bases on its existing four models. The Sirui MARS lenses are designed to offer better handling for rigged cameras, and come with built-in mod gears for both aperture and focus rings. The apertures have also been reclassified as T-stops and the focus throw of each of the models has been significantly extended to make accurate focus adjustments easier with follow focus equipment.

While the standard 1.33x anamorphic lenses from Sirui come in a range of mounts, the MARS set is offered only for the Micro Four Thirds system – though the company tells me they are considering other mounts for the future. The focal lengths on offer are 24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 75mm, which correlate directly with the existing lenses. To unify the iris though the f/1.8 lenses now are marked T2, and the f/2.8 aperture of the 24mm is now marked as T2.9. Further modifications to the lenses include harmonised filter threads at 67mm (the existing 24mm takes a 72mm filter) and each of the MARS lenses is heavier and longer than its original equivalent.

From the group shot photograph it appears that Sirui has managed to reposition focus and aperture rings so that they all fall in the same place. This will allow lens changes without too much rig adjustment, helped too by the fact that now each lens has its own 1/4in thread mounting socket aligned between the two rings. The lenses also now have focus and iris scales that are visible from the side of the lens instead of only from the top.

Sirui says it hasn’t changed its optical designs for these lenses in the process, and the number of elements used and the way they are grouped is exactly the same as in the original models – though some close-focus specifications have changed.

At the moment the lenses are available only as a set rather than individually, and they come in a hard case that can hold them all. The sets are due to begin shipping on 20th August, and will cost just under $ 4000 – a premium of about $ 600 over buying all four of the original versions. For more information see the Sirui website.

Manufacturer information:

SIRUI MARS 1.33x Anamorphic Lens Set for Micro 4/3

  • Lens Kit for Micro 4/3 mount
  • 2.4:1 cinematic widescreen vision
  • 1.33x crop anamorphic front element
  • Built in Mod Gears
  • Long Focus throw
  • 1/4inch screw mount
  • Fast T2 aperture (35mm, 50mm, 75mm), Range T2-T16
  • Fast T2.9 aperture (24mm), Range T2.9-T16
  • Oval shaped bokeh and horizontal flaring
  • Create a cinematic feel in your videos
  • 67mm filter thread
  • Manual focus

With its 1.33x Ratio, the lens takes full advantage of the 16×9 sensor crop that these cameras shoot video in to produce a 2.4:1 aspect ratio that is synonymous with theatre movie experiences.

The lens kit uses an optically distorting anamorphic front element to squeeze the horizontal axis of the shot by 1.33 times which allows for more information to be fit onto the sensor. This is then stretched back out in post-production or in-camera (see manufacturers specs for compatibility) to create the wider field of view and ratio compared to a conventional aspherical lens.

The lens kit reproduces flares beautifully whilst the coatings on the lens keep them from obscuring the entire frame. The fast aperture of T2 to T2.9 to creates a very shallow depth of field increasing the oval-shaped bokeh effect that is found in anamorphic lenses. this soft out of focus area is one of the many benefits that a true anamorphic lens brings over its filter counterparts or digital crop bars that are used to imitate the anamorphic ‘look’.

SIRUI MARS 1.33x Anamorphic Lens Set is in four focal lengths: 24mm, 35mm 50mm and 75mm, which allow you to shoot from wide angle to telephoto. The solid build quality, signature anamorphic look and the affordable price combined to open up more opportunities for creative composition.

1.33x Squeeze for 2.4:1 Aspect Ratio

Normal spherical lenses shoot standard 16:9 video.
With a cylindrical optical element in the front, SIRUI anamorphic lens squeezes the image down 1.33 times horizontally. When the final image is desqueezed, you’Il end up with an ultra-wide CinemaScope 2.4:l aspect ratio.

Oval Bokeh Balls and Blue Lens Flares

The elliptical highlights and blue light streaks produced by SIRUI anamorphic lens offer plenty of anamorphic feel, adding a sprinkle of magic to your footage.

Comprehensive Focal Lengths

MARS has a collection of four focal lengths in the set, covering the most important focal lengths to shoot a complete project. This lens set will definitely give videographers more control over various settings.

Precise T-Stops

The lens set features declicked aperture rings measured in T-stops. Among the four lenses, except for the 24mm with a T-stop of 2.9, the other three have the same T-stop of 2.0. These fast lenses perform extremely well under low light conditions.

Solid Build Quality

This lens set is of full metallic housing with standard 67mm filter threads. The weight and size of the lenses differ slightly due to different mounts. A threaded front is included for screw-in accessories like the matte box.

Built-In Mod Gears

Mod gears on the focus ring and the aperture ring are designed for extra smooth control. To save you the trouble of readjusting accessories when changing lenses, the diameter and the distance between the focus ring and the aperture ring of each lens is made the same.

Long Focus Throw

To gain enough space for accurate focus pulling, the four lenses are all engineered with a long focus throw (the longest one reaches up to 303 degrees). Graduations on both sides of the focus ring allows you to quickly pull focus to the desired position.

1/4″ Screw Hole

With a 1/4″ screw hole at the bottom, the lens can be mounted directly on the quick release plate to maintain the balance of the whole setup.

M4/3 Native Mount

This lens set is available in native mount for Micro Four Thirds, compatible with Z CAM BMPCC4K, Olympus and Panasonic (specific models) cameras. Unified native mounts make shooting a lot easier for people who want to step into the anamorphic world.

Waterproof and Drop-Proof Strong Suitcase

Plastic injection molding housing, high-density EVA lining as well as the embedded rubber ring make the suitcase strong enough to meet an international standard rating of IP68, ensuring tight protection from the inside to the outside. This suitcase facilitates photographers/videographers to carry the lens set around without worrying about the safety of the gear.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung’s new Galaxy Flip 3, Galaxy Fold 3 promise better performance, durability and more

11 Aug

Samsung has announced a pair of new foldable smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Fold 3. The Flip 3 is a clamshell design, harkening back to a classic flip phone design. The Flip 3 is compact when not in use and gets taller when you flip it open. The Fold 3, on the other hand, has a more typical smartphone footprint, and then it unfolds like a book to offer a massive display. Let’s look at each of Samsung’s new folding phones in turn.

Samsung Z Galaxy Flip 3

When folded, the Flip 3 is 106.7mm (4.2″) diagonally. It’s nearly square and has rounded corners. It’s sleek. It’s also more usable than the prior iteration, thanks to a much larger cover screen. The cover screen is just under 50mm (1.9″) diagonally, although the viewable area is slightly less due to its rounded corners. The Super AMOLED display has a 260 x 512 resolution. It’s not a large display, but it’s large enough to allow users to see and interact with notifications and preview images taken with the dual rear camera.

Samsung Galaxy Flip 3

Speaking of selfies, due to the phone’s flip design, you can use what Samsung calls ‘flex mode’ to set up the phone, partially folded, to capture hands-free selfies. The dual rear cameras are both 12MP. The standard main camera has an F1.8 lens, includes optical image stabilization and can record HDR10+ video. The front camera is 10MP.

The main screen, which is usable when you flip the phone open, is a 6.7″ dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 2640 x 1080 resolution. The display has a 120 Hz refresh rate.

Samsung Galaxy Flip 3

The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Octa-core processor paired with 8GB of memory. The phone is available with 128GB or 256GB of storage. Unlike the Fold 3, the Flip 3 is not compatible with Samsung’s S Pen.

Samsung promises that durability issues that have plagued earlier Samsung foldables have been rectified. The Flip 3 features more durable materials. Samsung writes that its new Galaxy Z Flip 3 is built using its strongest aluminum frame yet and that the phone’s front and back covers feature Samsung’s toughest Galaxy Z glass. The Flip 3 is also the world’s first water-resistant foldable smartphone and includes an IPX8 rating, meaning it can survive in 1.5m of freshwater for up to 30 minutes.

Samsung Galaxy Flip 3

The Galaxy Flip 3 is Samsung’s first foldable phone to start at under $ 1,000, with a $ 999.99 list price. The phone Z Flip 3 is available in phantom black, green, lavender, cream, gray, white and pink colorways and will begin shipping on August 27.

Samsung Z Galaxy Fold 3

The Galaxy Fold 3 has a more typical smartphone form factor…and then you open it up. When opened, the Fold 3 has a 7.6″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 2208 x 1768 resolution. The display has a 120 Hz refresh rate. The cover screen is large, too, at 6.2″ with a resolution of 862 x 2268. By the way, unlike prior models, the cover screen is also 120 Hz.

Samsung Galaxy Fold 3

While the display is the star of the show, there’s quite a lot going on inside. The Fold 3 has the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Octa-core processor as the Flip 3, although paired with 12GB of memory instead of 8GB. The Fold 3 also has a larger 512GB storage option in addition to the standard 256GB. Further, the Fold 3 is compatible with the Samsung S Pen.

Samsung Galaxy Fold 3

The Fold 3 is compatible with the S Pen due to Samsung using an 80% stronger protective film on the folding display. The cover screen is stronger, too, using Gorilla Glass Victus now for improved drop protection. Speaking of durability, the Fold 3 has IPX8 water resistance, like the Flip 3, and like Samsung’s other new folding phone, the Fold 3 includes better aluminum materials.

Samsung Galaxy Fold 3

Looking at cameras, both of Samsung’s new folding phones include a pair of 12MP wide (the main camera) and ultra wide cameras. The Fold 3 also adds a 12MP telephoto camera with an F2.4 lens. This is the same basic camera setup as in the Fold 2, but the new phone’s tele lens has optical image stabilization. There’s also a camera under the display. It’s only 4MP, but it should work well for video calls and meetings. In their hands-on, The Verge says the pixels on top of the camera are noticeable.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is available for preorder now in three colors, black, green and silver. The device starts at $ 1,800 and will ship on August 27.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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