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Our favorite gear, rewarded: DPReview Awards 2018

03 Dec

DPReview Awards 2018

This year was a busy one for DPReview and the camera industry as a whole. 2018 saw the launch of two new full frame mirrorless systems from Canon and Nikon, a brace of excellent lenses, and the development announcement of even more goodies due to be released in early 2019.

With so many great products to choose from, there’s never been a better time to be a photo enthusiast, but the amount of gear out there can be overwhelming. Every year in December we get together as a team to recognize the standout products of the past 12 months in our annual DPReview Awards. Click through the slides above to find out which products made our list of the best gear of 2018!

Best photography accessory

Shortlist:

  • Adobe Lightroom CC 2.0
  • Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI
  • Wandrd Prvke 21L Backpack
  • Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD

Runner up: Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD

Photography accessories come in all shapes and sizes and this year’s shortlist includes four products that are as different as can be. But something they all share is the potential to help streamline the photographic process, whether that means improving the experience of transporting gear from A to B, or simply creating a better way to back up files on the go.

The Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD falls into the later category. It’s a solid state version of the company’s already popular wireless drive with a shock resistant construction. Core features include a built-in SD 3.0 card reader, USB 3.0 connectivity, Wi-Fi connectivity for reviewing media on a device, a built-in 6,700mAh battery for charging other devices over USB (and to power Wi-Fi), and preview support for Raw files. It’s available in 250gb, 500gb, 1Tb and 2TB capacities.

Read more about the WD MyPassport Wireless SSD

Winner: Wandrd Prvke 21L Backpack

The right camera backpack is a frustratingly elusive thing to find. No bag is going to be perfect for every photographer. But wouldn’t be nice if one came close? Meet the Wandrd Prvke 21L. It might have a weird name (it’s pronounced ‘wandered provoke’), but it’s awesome to use. So awesome, in fact, that it’s our favorite camera backpack on the market and our pick for photographic accessory of the year.

The Wandrd Prvke 21 provides an impressive balance of intelligent, rugged design with outstanding weight distribution and comfort. It’s also incredibly versatile: a roll-top provides an additional 4L of storage and the internal ‘Camera Cube’ can be completely removed. There’s also plenty of external storage pockets and even loops to attach bulky gear, like a sleeping bag, to the bottom of the pack. In short, this bag looks good, handles well, is super versatile and can carry a ton of gear. As such, it’s a worthy winner of our award this year for best photo accessory.

Read our review of the Wandrd Prvke 21L camera backpack

Best video accessory

Shortlist:

  • Atomos Ninja V
  • Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve 15
  • DJI Ronin-S
  • Sigma Cine 28mm / 40mm / 105mm T1.5 FF

Runner up: Atomos Ninja V

Video capabilities continue to improve every year, and it’s common these days to find advanced features such as oversampled 4K, 10-bit recording, and Log gamma profiles on many cameras. While it’s possible to shoot amazing footage with just a camera and a lens, specialized video accessories can make your shoot easier or take your production quality up a notch or two.

The Atomos Ninja V is a tool that lets you take complete advantage of your camera’s video capabilities, some of which may only be fully realized when using an off-camera recorder. With features such as 4K/60p recording, support for Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHR, a 5″ daylight viewable screen, anamorphic de-squeeze, and HDR monitoring there’s a lot to like, and it does so in a compact size that’s a perfect match for DSLR or mirrorless cameras. If you want to squeeze every bit of quality out of your camera’s video, or just have a more enjoyable shooting experience, this is an easy way to do it.

Read more about the Atomos Ninja V

Winner: DJI Ronin-S

It’s easy to get stable video when using a tripod, or even when shooting a relatively simple shot using a camera’s image stabilization, but sometimes the key to great video is camera movement. Unfortunately, that’s where many in-camera or in-lens stabilization systems just aren’t quite good enough for things like run-and-gun documentary or narrative filmmaking.

Enter the DJI Ronin-S. It’s not the first one-handed camera gimbal, but it’s our current favorite thanks to its effective operation and ease of use. Setup is a breeze, thanks to its auto-tune feature for gimbal calibration, and the 3-axis motorized gimbal has some of the strongest motors DJI has ever put in a gimbal, allowing the Ronin-S to compensate for slight changes in balance when using zoom lenses. It’s also possible to save three distinct groups of settings and toggle between them at the press of a button – ideal for filmmakers who need to quickly react to changing conditions.

Other great features include an offset roll axis that’s cleverly designed to avoid blocking the screen while shooting, configuration using a smartphone app, and a 12-hour battery that will outlast your arm. It even supports remote camera operation including remote start/stop and a very precise remote follow focus knob.

Read our DJI Ronin-S review

Best smartphone camera

Shortlist:

  • Apple iPhone XS
  • Google Pixel 3
  • Huawei Mate 20 Pro
  • Samsung Galaxy S9+
  • Sony Xperia XZ3

Runner up: Google Pixel 3

The Pixel 3 is the first smartphone camera to truly rival traditional dedicated cameras, surpassing 1″-type and rivaling cameras with Four Thirds sensors in ‘Night Sight’ mode.* It does this by improving upon the Pixel 2’s already class-leading HDR+ multi-frame fusion technique, now capturing even more frames and merging them using a super resolution algorithm to extract more detail, reduce noise, and remove the need for demosaicing. A new learning-based white balance approach in this mode also renders pleasing colors even in challenging light.

Portrait Mode has been improved using machine learning to understand a variety of depth cues, rendering the most pleasing subject isolation and blur of any smartphone we’ve tested. ‘Synthetic fill flash’ uses learning-based segmentation to identify and re-light faces. ‘Top Shot’ captures perfect moments you may have missed before hitting the shutter button. The Pixel 3 outputs Raw, but these Raw files have image quality that far surpasses what you’d expect from such a small sensor, since they’re the result of stacking and merging up to 15 rapidly captured frames. To sum up: it’s the best smartphone camera for stills we’ve ever seen.

Read more about the Google Pixel 3

*Despite the name, you can use Night Sight mode any time of day to get its benefits, with the only downside being a positive shutter lag.

Winner: Apple iPhone XS

The iPhone XS faced fierce competition from the Google Pixel 3 this year, and from a pure still image quality standpoint the Pixel 3 wins hands down. But the iPhone XS takes the top spot overall thanks to a more rounded feature set that includes class-leading video, reliable AF, wide color capture and HDR display of imagery, plus a range of improvements over the original iPhone X.

New in the XS is a larger image sensor in the main camera for better dynamic range and low light performance, and a refined Portrait Mode. In a snub to traditional cameras, the XS allows you to choose your aperture after you shoot – all the way from F1.4 to F16. Cleverly, Apple has modeled the optical properties of real full-frame portrait lenses to accurately – and attractively – simulate ‘real’ bokeh.

Perhaps the biggest improvement though is Apple’s new ‘Smart HDR’ feature, which takes advantage of the faster processing capabilities of the phone to capture wider dynamic scenes in stills, panoramas, and even in video up to 4K/30p, making the HEVC 4K footage the best we’ve seen from a smartphone. Pair all this with improved contrast on one of the best displays on the market, with accurate color management under the hood so you get the benefits of the wide gamut display without a loss in color accuracy, and you have one of the best smartphones available today.

Read more about the Apple iPhone XS

Best prosumer camera drone

Shortlist:

  • DJI Mavic 2 Pro
  • DJI Mavic Air
  • Parrot ANAFI
  • Skydio R1

Runner-up: DJI Mavic Air

Drones have quickly become one of the most exciting new areas of photography, allowing anyone to capture stunning photos or video that previously required a helicopter or cable-cam.

The DJI Mavic Air is an ultra-compact, foldable quadcopter that’s small enough to be a true ‘take anywhere’ drone. Its 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor records 4K/30p or 1080/120p video at up to 100 Mbps, captures 12MP Raw photos, and ‘QuickShots’ modes make it easy to get cinematic looking footage even if you’re a beginner. It even includes DJI’s Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS), which uses numerous sensors to detect and go around obstacles so you can continue following your subject.

Read more about the DJI Mavic Air

Winner: DJI Mavic 2 Pro

The Mavic 2 Pro is the model that drone enthusiasts had been asking DJI to create, and in 2018 DJI delivered. It has all the great features of the original Mavic Pro, including a small, foldable form factor, but adds a camera built around a larger 1″-type sensor with Hasselblad branding. It’s the perfect match for the person who values exceptional photo and video quality in a compact package.

The Mavic 2 Pro’s standout features don’t stop with the larger camera, however. It’s capable of recording 4K/30p at up to 100 Mbps, supports both H.264 and H.265 codecs, offers 10-bit recording with DJI’s DLog-M gamma profile, and uses DJI’s OcuSync 2.0 video transmission system for reliable transmission over long distances. It also includes APAS for obstacle avoidance using 10 sensors that provide omnidirectional coverage around the aircraft and numerous intelligent flight modes for cinematic shots.

Read more about the DJI Mavic 2 Pro

Best zoom lens

Shortlist:

  • Canon RF 28-70mm F2
  • Canon RF 24-105mm F4
  • Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD
  • Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD

Runner-up: Canon RF 28-70mm F2

A lot of lenses get released every year, and it’s always a challenge to whittle the year’s releases down to a shortlist – let alone to pick a winner. That said, this year several lenses stood out from the pack.

Canon’s impressive RF 28-70mm F2L is perhaps the clearest indication that despite the mid-level positioning of the EOS R, the RF system should be taken seriously by professionals. This durable, weather-sealed lens features super-advanced glass and coatings designed to keep aberrations to a minimum despite its ambitious continuous maximum aperture. The result is a fast zoom that offers stunning image quality throughout its range.

Arguably falling into the category of ‘stunt lens’, the 28-70mm F2 is almost comically large and unbalanced on the R, but it’s clearly designed for a future – more professional – camera. We can’t wait.

See some samples from the
Canon RF 28-70mm F2

Winner: Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD

At the other end of the scale from Canon’s behemoth is the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD. It might not be the widest or fastest (thanks to our runner-up), standard zoom of its kind, but it’s the smallest and lightest, and one of the best nonetheless.

The Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD has the distinction of being the first third-party zoom lens designed from scratch to be compatible with Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras. It has seriously impressed us with its optical quality, close-up ability, relatively fast (and silent) autofocus, pleasant handling and excellent value for money. A perfect companion to Sony’s a7 III, we hope that the 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD is the first of many future mirrorless-oriented lenses from Tamron, which has really impressed us in the past couple of years with its range of high-quality Di prime and zoom.

See our sample gallery shot with the
Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD

Best prime lens

Shortlist:

  • Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM
  • Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM
  • Sony FE 400mm F2.8 GM
  • Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN

Runner-up: Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary

The launch of several new mirrorless systems has helped 2018 become a bumper year for interesting prime lenses. The fact that after a lot of discussion, Canon’s ambitious (and super-sharp) RF 50mm F1.2L just missed out on an award gives a hint of how hotly-contested this category was.

One of the lenses that really caught our eye this year was the Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary. The 56mm F1.4 is the third in a set of affordable Sigma F1.4 lenses for Sony’s E-mount and the Micro Four Thirds system, and like the existing 30mm and 16mm lenses, the 56mm makes most sense on the APS-C format, where it’s equivalent to a classic 85mm portrait lens.

The 56mm F1.4 DC DN is small, light and, with an MSRP under $ 500, very sensibly priced. More than this, though, it’s sharp, fast to focus and exhibits pleasant bokeh, as a portrait lens should. In our view this makes it a great addition to the otherwise slightly under-served Sony APS-C E-mount lineup. We only wish it were available for other mirrorless APS-C mounts.

See our Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN
sample gallery

Winner: Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM

We’ve seen a lot of small, OK lenses this year, and a lot of very large, very good lenses, but it’s really nice when we see a manufacturer make a small excellent lens. The Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM is exactly that.

This medium-wide prime lens for Sony’s a7-series and a9 mirrorless cameras (it’s also a useful 36mm F2.1 equivalent on APS-C) is a great example of the lens-maker’s art. Superbly suited to landscape and astrophotography, the 24mm F1.4 is equally useful for low-light candid photography and portraiture. It’s uncannily sharp edge-to-edge wide open with little to no coma, bokeh is smooth, and longitudinal chromatic aberration – that purple and green fringing we loathe on many fast wide primes – is well controlled. Our decision this year was unanimous – the Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM takes the well-deserved top spot in our award for best prime lens of 2018.

Read more about the
Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM

Best compact/fixed lens camera

Shortlist:

  • Fujifilm XF10
  • Nikon Coolpix P1000
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II
  • Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI

Runner up: Nikon Coolpix P1000

This year was another relatively slow one for compact cameras, but the models in our shortlist all have something special to offer.

Taking the runner-up spot this year is the Nikon Coolpix P1000, distinguished by its wonderfully bonkers lens, which covers an equivalent focal length range of 24-3000mm. This kind of zoom would be useless if the pictures were terrible, but the P1000’s lens is very impressive given its extraordinary range, and capable of everything from sweeping landscapes to sharp lunarscapes, thanks in part to a very effective effective image stabilization system. The bulky Coolpix P1000 might not be the ideal camera for everyone, but it has some unique tricks up its (very long) sleeve.

Read our review of the
Nikon Coolpix P1000

Winner: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI

Another year, another Sony Cyber-shot RX100-series compact camera. What will it be this time – a faster lens? Better 4K video? Boosted continuous shooting? Well, in fact the RX100 VI offers none of those things compared to its predecessor the RX100 V/A, but instead adds a more versatile 24-200mm zoom to the lineup, which trades brightness (and a built-in ND filter) for extra telephoto reach.

The RX100 VI doesn’t replace the older RX100 V/A, but it does fill a gap in the established RX100-series lineup for a true ‘travel zoom’ camera, offering advanced video and stills features in a compact package, with a versatile zoom lens. Photographers have been asking Sony for a longer zoom in the RX100-series for a long time, and with the RX100 VI, Sony delivered, without compromising too much of what we love about the series as a whole. As such the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI takes our award for best compact / fixed-lens camera of 2018.

Read our review of the
Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI

Best consumer stills/video camera

Shortlist:

  • Fujifilm X-H1
  • Fujifilm X-T3
  • Nikon Z6
  • Sony Alpha a7 III

Runner up: Nikon Z6

Once the shape of things to come, ‘hybrid’ cameras that offer high-quality video modes alongside stills photography features are now the norm. The new video standard of course is 4K, and all of this year’s shortlisted cameras offer excellent 4K video features alongside 24MP+ stills capture.

Taking the runner-up spot this year is the Nikon Z6 – the companion model to the flagship Z7 in Nikon’s new Z-system lineup. The Z6 offers lower-resolution 24MP stills capture than the 46MP Z7, but cleaner, distortion-free 4K video, and slightly better autofocus sensitivity in low light, too. Coupled with effective in-body stabilization and a supremely adaptable lensmount, the Z6 is a highly attractive camera for hybrid stills and video shooting, and Nikon’s most convincing video camera yet.

Learn more about the
Nikon Z6

Winner: Fujifilm X-T3

Every year, there’s at least one DPReview Awards category where we struggle to reach a unanimous decision. After a lot of discussion we awarded first prize in this category to the Fujifilm X-T3.

At first glance very similar to its direct predecessor the X-T2, this year’s model is in fact a major upgrade, offering a substantially improved set of video and stills features. In fact, despite its lack of IBIS, the 4K/60-capable X-T3 is arguably a better 4K video platform than the nominal video flagship of the X-series, the X-H1. Its ability to capture 4K/60p footage in 10-bit even puts it ahead of the latest models in Panasonic’s video-centric GH series.

All of this is made more impressive by the fact that until quite recently, Fujifilm’s X-series lagged seriously behind its competition in terms of video. The X-T3 is the clearest indication yet that Fujifilm has well and truly joined the game.

Read our review of the Fujifilm X-T3

Best entry-level ILC

Shortlist:

  • Canon EOS M50
  • Fujifilm X-T100
  • Nikon D3500
  • Olympus PEN E-PL9

Runner-up: Nikon D3500

Entry-level cameras are among the most important products in every manufacturer’s lineup. Once a new photographer has invested in a system, the hope is that they’ll stay loyal, growing their investment in lenses, accessories and – in the future – more advanced cameras.

The Nikon D3500 is a modest upgrade to the last-generation D3400, but it still offers the excellent 24MP sensor of its predecessor, and despite its entry-level positioning the D3500 handles very nicely, thanks in part to a redesigned, deeper grip. For anyone looking for an inexpensive first camera to grow and learn with, the D3500 fits the bill nicely. As such, it takes the runner-up spot in this year’s DPReview Award for best entry-level ILC.

Read more about the Nikon D3500

Winner: Canon EOS M50

Canon’s EF-M range occupies an awkward spot in Canon’s current product portfolio – based around the APS-C sensor format, but incompatible with the lenses from Canon’s newer, full-frame RF mirrorless mount. Nevertheless, the best EOS M cameras are really nice to use, and have a lot to offer the beginner and enthusiast photographer alike.

The DSLR-styled EOS M50 is one of the standout cameras in the EF-M lineup, offering an attractive combination of pleasant handling, solid stills photography features, and usable 4K video in a small, lightweight package. As a beginners’ ILC, the M50 is easy to use, powerful, and un-intimidating. As such, it takes the winning spot in our award category this year for best entry-level ILC.

Read our review of the
Canon EOS M50

Best midrange ILC

Shortlist:

  • Canon EOS R
  • Fujifilm X-T3
  • Nikon Z6>
  • Sony Alpha a7 III

Runner-up: Fujifilm X-T3

This year, the mid-range interchangeable lens camera segment saw a lot of action. All of our shortlisted models are capable of excellent still image quality, and feature a range of powerful features. Three of the four are also capable of superb 4K video capture, making them true ‘hybrid’ cameras of the sort unthinkable just a few years ago.

Runner-up in this competitive category is the Fujifilm X-T3, one of the most impressive cameras released in 2018. Despite its APS-C sensor, the X-T3’s image quality at low and medium ISO sensitivities gives a lot of full-frame cameras a run for their money, and its 4k video features are very competitive. The X-T3 is one of those rare cameras that is better than it probably needed to be, and this is reflected in the fact that it beat out several full-frame models to the runner-up spot in this years’ award for best midrange ILC.

Read our review of the Fujifilm X-T3

Winner: Sony Alpha a7 III

One of the full-frame cameras that the X-T3 has to compete against is one of our favorite cameras released all year – the Sony Alpha a7 III, which takes the winning spot in this year’s DPR Awards category for best mid-range ILC. The a7 III won out thanks to its stabilized full-frame sensor, powerful autofocus system and excellent 4K video features. For anyone looking for a ‘do it all’ camera without spending a lot more money, the a7 III is hard to beat. For these reasons, it takes the top spot in this years’ DPReview award for best midrange ILC.

Read our review of the Sony Alpha a7 III

Best high-end ILC

Shortlist:

  • Fujifilm GFX 50R
  • Nikon Z7
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-G9

Runner-up: Fujifilm GFX 50R

The high-end ILC category saw some serious innovation this year, from Fujifilm’s slimmed-down medium format GFX 50R to Nikon’s all-new Z7. At the other end of the sensor size scale was the video-centric Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 and the ultra-rugged G9.

This year’s runner-up spot is taken by the camera with the biggest sensor of all – the Fujifilm GFX 50R. Designed for active photographers, the 50R takes the best bits of the more costly 50S – including its most important feature – the excellent 50MP CMOS sensor – and packages them in a smaller, more affordable, rangefinder-style body. Medium-format has never looked more attractive.

Read more about the Fujifilm GFX 50R

Winner: Nikon Z7

The Nikon Z7 marks the beginning of a new era for the stalwart Japanese camera manufacturer, debuting the new full-frame mirrorless Z mount. With a wider diameter than the 1950s-era F-mount and a shorter flange-back, the Z mount is designed to be futureproof, and the enthusiast-oriented Z7 is an appropriately bold camera to kick things off.

In many respects akin to a mirrorless D850, the Z7 offers a proven 46MP sensor, traditional Nikon handling, deep customization and a powerful 4K video feature set with impressive video AF. While stills autofocus could be improved, the Z7 is a formidable camera signaling Nikon’s dedication to the future, and as such it takes the top spot in this year’s DPReview Award for best high-end ILC.

Read our review of the Nikon Z7

DPReview innovation award

Shortlist:

  • Canon RF 28-70mm F2
  • Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI
  • DJI Mavic 2 Pro
  • Google Pixel 3

Runner-up: Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI

Innovations come in all shapes and sizes, but sometimes the simplest innovation can have the biggest impact on how you make photographs. Take for example the Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI, an on-camera flash that uses a simple technique to demystify the art of bouncing light.

For years, hot shoe flashes have been able to measure distance to subject. Canon’s Speedlite 470EX-AI takes this simple action several steps further. By first measuring the distance to subject, followed by the distance to ceiling, the 470EX-AI can predict the optimal bounce angle and set itself there, automatically. Even cooler, it re-positions itself when switching from portrait to landscape orientation.

Learn more about the Canon Speedlite 470EX-AI

Winner: Google Pixel 3

Every year brings new innovation in the camera industry, and this year was particularly busy with new entrants in the mirrorless and full-frame camera markets, and stellar new optics. Despite this competitive landscape, we unanimously picked the Google Pixel 3 for our ‘Innovation of the Year’ award.

The Pixel 3 is the first smartphone camera to truly challenge traditional cameras from an image quality standpoint, surpassing 1″-type and rivaling cameras with Four Thirds sensors in ‘Night Sight’ mode. It does this by improving upon the Pixel 2’s already class-leading HDR+ multi-frame fusion technique, now capturing up to 15 frames and merging them using a super resolution algorithm to extract more detail, reduce noise, and remove the need for demosaicing altogether. That allows its image quality to rival higher resolution dedicated cameras with Bayer filter arrays, and allows for digital zoom that rivals modest optical zoom modules.

Google is also at the forefront of applying machine learning to photography. This pays off in more accurate white balance, sharper images, as well as ‘real’-looking background blur and subject isolation for the best portraits we’ve seen outside of a dedicated camera. The list goes on, but importantly: these techniques are bringing high quality photography – and videography – to the masses, on unprecedentedly small and convenient devices. This democratization of the art using technology is what garners the Google Pixel 3 our Innovation of the Year award.

Read more about the Google Pixel 3

DPReview product of the year, 2018

Shortlist:

  • Fujifilm X-T3
  • Nikon Z7
  • Sony Alpha a7 III
  • Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD

Runner-up: Fujifilm X-T3

Picking the single best product of the year is always a difficult task, and if we’re being honest, it’s impossible. Everyone’s needs are different. There has never been a better time to be a photographer, and in 2018 there are fantastic cameras, lenses and accessories out there for everyone.

But pick we must. This year’s shortlist is comprised of those products that represent, in our collective opinion, four of the best bits of gear released in 2018. Two of them really stood out, though. Runner-up is the Fujifilm X-T3 which – in case you didn’t already get the message – we really like. Fujifilm didn’t need to make the X-T3 as good as it is – hell, Fujifilm didn’t even need to replace the X-T2 yet – but they did, and they did. And the resulting camera is one of the best APS-C format ILCs money can buy, even rivaling some full-frame models.

Read our review of the Fujifilm X-T3

Winner: Sony Alpha a7 III

And the winning spot this year is taken by the Sony a7 III. Arguably the best-value full-frame ILC available right now, the a7 III is a superbly versatile camera for both stills and video imaging, at a great price. Other cameras in Sony’s lineup offer higher stills resolution and some nice extras, but the a7 III takes most of the essentials, and packages them inside an attractive, very usable and affordable body. As such, the a7 III is a worthy winner of our most important award – the best product of 2018.

Click here to read our Sony Alpha a7 III

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photokina 2018: Tamron interview – “We have standard three-business-day turnaround for repairs”

01 Dec
Stacie Errera is VP of Marketing and Communications for Tamron USA.

We met with Tamron’s Stacie Errera at Photokina 2018 in Cologne, Germany where we discussed the brand’s unique identity, product development prioritization, future lens plans and the importance of user feedback.

How is Tamron different from other lens manufacturers?

Our focus on customer service at all aspects of the users’ experience makes us different. We’re very focused on education – we like keeping our customers up on the latest techniques to create great photography. So whether it’s in-person workshops, working with our local authorized dealer base to bring workshops to stores, our magazine or our newsletter, we’re very focused on education. We’re also focused on support – all of our products have a six-year warranty. We have standard three-business-day turnaround for repairs with no extra charge for every customer – it doesn’t matter who you are. If you have a lens and you need a repair, you send it in and you get it back within three days. That’s the best in the industry.

We have standard three-business-day turnaround for repairs with no extra charge for every customer

Is Tamron’s three-day repair turnaround for US customers only?

It’s worldwide. Almost all markets now have that. Any place we have a subsidiary, it’s three days and anywhere we have a distributor, it’s mostly three days. This policy actually came as a mandate from our president to increase confidence in Tamron lenses and Tamron customer service.

And our overall philosophy or feeling we want customers to have – which extends into the lens design itself – is a ‘human touch quality’. We want that to extend beyond the product. We strive really hard to work closely with our customers. We hear what they have to say and work with them on social media and in person to give them good service. So I think it sets us apart a little bit, how closely we try to listen to and help motivate and mentor our customers.

The Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD is the most compact F2.8 zoom available for Sony E-mount. Also important: It’s very sharp.

How do customer needs and feedback play into the design and development of new lenses?

We do a few customer surveys a year where we find out what people are looking for. Also any feedback that my tech team or sales team might get is fed to me and then it goes up through the chain. With our subsidiaries, we sit down several times a year and put together our thoughts and make recommendations – these are based off of what people are asking for, what they feel they need and what they feel might be missing from a current lens line. Sometimes people bring up technologies and maybe you’ll think the idea is crazy, but we still pass it on. So we definitely try to pass all that information up to our headquarters.

Who do you see as Tamron’s user base? Is it pros, enthusiast, or a combo of both?

It’s a combo of both. We do several professional tradeshows a year and have very busy booths and a lot of customers there. As we put together our VIP program we’re seeing all the customers who own multiple lenses, so we do have a lot of pros out there. I’d say we’re maybe 60% enthusiast, 40% pro.

We want to make it affordable so [photographers] can have four, five, or six lenses in their bag without going broke

Our enthusiasts, they run the gamut from first entry-level DSLR / ILC users up to serious enthusiast that have been using cameras for 20+ years, many of whom came out of the film days. We really have a wide range of users. And again, just looking at our database with the VIP program – how many people own multiple lenses – we know our users really are gear-intensive customers. They’re into getting new lenses; many update their cameras, then get new lenses to match.

Tell me more about Tamron’s VIP program.

Any customer that registers their Tamron USA lenses purchased after 2011 are eligible for Tamron USA’s VIP program. If they have four lenses, five lenses or six+ lenses there’s silver, gold and platinum VIP.

We just had all our platinum members out at a VIP summit in Santa Fe for four days of seminars and field workshops. They brought their lenses and it’s amazing to see these customers that have lots of gear but continue to get new lenses to make sure they have the right tool for the job. We want to make it affordable for them so they can have four, five, or six lenses in their bag without going broke.

The new Tamron SP 15-30mm F2.8 Di VC USD G2 is the only stabilized F2.8 wide zoom for full-frame DSLRs. It’s also, you guessed it, very sharp.

How important is affordability to your long-term growth and vision for Tamron?

It’s definitely high up there. Our goal is to number one, make sure the lens is high quality. The second goal for us, depending on the category of the lens, is definitely size and weight. So looking at the Sony FE and E-mount, for example, we’re definitely looking at compactness and lightweight designs as key features of those products.

But we also do look to keep the price in an affordable range for the customer. One of the philosophies of the company is we want to make photography accessible for everyone. By having tools that can be more affordable for the photographer, we can expand their bag and make sure they have the right tool for the types of photography they like to do.

One of the philosophies of the company is we want to make photography accessible for everyone

What about for DSLRs, is size and weight still a high consideration?

For both mirrorless and DSLR size and weight are a consideration. For example, the 17-35mm F2.8-4 for DSLRs, it is the lightest and most compact in its class of lenses that are F4 or faster. If you look at the 15-30 F2.8 for DSLR, while it’s definitely a large lens with it’s constant 2.8 aperture, it is still the only lens in the category with stabilization. So it’s not compact, but within the category it still has advantages.

How important a consideration is video when Tamron develops lenses?

It’s a high consideration. We are trying to make sure the motors in our lenses are as silent as they can be. However, depending on who the videographer is and what they’re filming, they may be using manual focus anyway. The new 28-75 F2.8 for Sony FE has a rapid extra-silent drive (RXD) and it is definitely geared toward video because we know people are using Sony full-frame to shoot video more so than on some other systems.

A sample photo shot with the Tamron SP 15-30mm F2.8 Di VC USD G2.

The 28-75 F2.8 for Sony FE is one of our favorite lens available for full-frame E-mount. How this lens been received by customers and will we see other full-frame Sony E-mount lenses soon?

That lens has definitely been very well-accepted by Sony shooters worldwide. Right now we’re still in a very heavy demand situation. Supply is catching up, though. I think it’s really the first lens that seems to fit the form factor of the camera itself. That balance and that lightweight design without compromising performance, everything about it fits the form factor and goal for what that system is all about. So definitely, with the acceptance of this, we’ll see more from Tamron for Sony mirrorless cameras.

We’ll see more from Tamron for Sony mirrorless cameras

Tamron now makes lenses for Sony FE, E, A, Nikon F, Canon EF, M, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax K-mounts. With all these mounts, how does Tamron prioritize what lenses they are going to make?

We look at the market and see where there are gaps – what’s moving, what’s not moving.

Really the past few years have been dedicated to analyzing the mirrorless portion of the market. With all the recent introductions to mirrorless I think it’s very evident that the market is swiftly moving toward mirrorless dominance. But that’s not to say full-frame DSLRs are not still strong. My opinion is that people will continue, for at least the next few years, using multiple formats. I have my DSLR I use for some situations and I have my mirrorless I use for other situations – I have my smartphone that I use still for others. So I think we’re in a place where each consumer is a multi-format user. Obviously there are people that are mirrorless-only, DSLR-only. And obviously there are pros not ready to make the jump to mirrorless yet. But overall, it’s a fun time to be making lenses.

Really the past few years have been dedicated to analyzing the mirrorless portion of the market

Do you have any prediction for how much of your business will be represented by mirrorless lenses rather than SLR lenses?

Right now we have a couple of mirrorless lenses plus the recent introduction of the full-frame Sony mirrorless. I think we’ll move along with the market. The US market is swiftly catching up to some other markets in the world. And I think we’ll see some changes worldwide for Tamron over the next few years. But it’s hard for me to attach a number or percentage to that at this point. But we’re definitely moving with the market.

All-in-one zooms for DSLRs are still a crucial part of Tamron’s portfolio. The Tamron 100-400mm F4.5-6.3 Di VC USD for APS-C – which this photo was shot with – offers a good balance of quality and affordability.

We now have two new full frame mounts, Canon R and Nikon Z, as well as the announcement of the Panasonic/Leica/Sigma L-mount alliance. Is there talk about making lenses for these mounts?

I think we need to get those cameras into our engineers’ hands and analyze them and see what they’re all about and make determinations from there. I think that we’re keenly looking at all these different mounts and I think it’s an important part of the market today. I’m not involved in the talks over in Japan, but I would assume there is definitely a strong interest in these.

I think we’ll see some changes worldwide for Tamron over the next few years

Sigma, Panasonic and Leica announced their L-mount partnership at Photokina. Has Tamron considered making partnerships with other brands in similar fashion?

At this point in time, there’s none I’m aware of. That doesn’t mean there won’t be partnerships in the future.

What’s the immediate future hold for Tamron?

I think we’ll continue expanding our lineup. We’ll be continuing our G2-series, the 15-30 F2.8 G2 now completes the SP (Superior Performance) trio of fast, image-stabilized zooms. It was very important for us to complete that trio. We’ll also be filling in the full-frame arena and raising the bar for all-in-ones, an area of the market where we are the leader. It’s just a progression of filling and finding areas of need as the market changes.

Editors’ note: Dan Bracaglia

Tamron is a brand increasingly putting out lenses I want to get my hands on, from their outstanding, stabilized SP 15-30mm F2.8 Di G2 to their perfectly sized 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD – my favorite lens for Sony FE without question. Both of these lenses represent unique designs within their chosen mounts.

2018 is an exciting time for third-party lens brands

2018 is an exciting time for third-party lens brands, but with the number of mirrorless mounts growing, it’s as important as ever for these companies to carefully consider what they prioritize. Tamron seems to understand this though – lens development boils down to a careful mix of user feedback and market analysis.

Though all-in-one zooms for DSLRs have long been the brand’s bread-and-butter, here’s hoping we’ll even see other well-sized, constant-aperture mirrorless zooms in the near future given the market success of the 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD and Stacie’s mention of ‘changes worldwide for Tamron over the next few years.’

…with Tamron’s new commitment to three-day repair turnarounds, their lenses are looking more desirable than ever

Speaking of mirrorless, Stacie wouldn’t give me any indication what plans the company has for the new Nikon Z and Canon RF-mounts. This isn’t terribly surprising given how new they are, but it will be interesting to see whether existing mirrorless models eventually become available for these new mirrorless mounts.

At the end of the day, I’m thankful that brands like Tamron and Sigma exist. Though they take very different approaches to lens development, both are going to great lengths to ensure that there are a lot of cool lens choices on the market. And with Tamron’s new commitment to three-day repair turnarounds, their lenses are looking more desirable than ever.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photokina 2018: Leica, Sigma and Panasonic talk L-mount Alliance

26 Nov

Autumn 2018 saw the launch of two new full-frame systems and one full-frame alliance. A month or so after Canon and Nikon launched their RF and Z mount systems respectively, Leica, Sigma and Panasonic announced that they would be partnering to develop new cameras and lenses around a shared standard: the L-mount.

The so-called L mount alliance was announced at the Photokina tradeshow in Cologne, Germany. We were there, and the following interview is an edited transcript of a group interview conducted with Stephen Schultz and Dr. Andreas Kaufmann of Leica, Junichiro Kitagawa of Panasonic, and Kazuto Yamaki of Sigma. The following interview contains questions from various members of the photo press, and has been edited for clarity and flow.

Since the announcement of the alliance, have you been approached by any other companies interested in licensing the L mount?

Leica: Not yet. But it’s only been a short time since we made the announcement. Leica has been collaborating with Panasonic since 2001, and three years ago we met with Yamaki-san [of Sigma], and since then we’ve been [developing our partnership].

How will you make this work? Three different companies, three different backgrounds…

Leica: We are going to have regular meetings in order to keep the standard up to date, and to ensure that all products work smoothly and seamlessly with each other. We share a long history of collaboration with Panasonic, and we have had very close connections on a development level for many years. This is not new for us.

Sigma: Since the beginning of Four Thirds we’ve been working with Panasonic on the development of the Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds systems.

‘Collaboration is necessary to make sure that all three companies are making products at the same level’ – Leica

Is there a timeline mapped out for future product development within the L mount standard?

Sigma: We have agreed to work on products using the same platform, but regarding products from each of the three companies, we’re working independently. We’re not exchanging [that kind of] information. Each company is working on its own roadmap. We have our own strategy and our own customers, so we’re just trying to bring high quality products to the market at the right price.

Leica: It’s a little bit like Android, the mobile standard. We make our own [separate] products but we use the same standard. Collaboration is necessary to make sure that all three companies are making products at the same level, for the [shared] standard. And that’s it.

We work in an alliance at a high level, but Leica is the licensor of the L mount standard. We developed the L mount brand: it’s a Leica brand, and Sigma and Panasonic are licensees. But in our daily work, we are all part of this alliance.

Panasonic: Each companies has its own responsibilities and its own obligations. To [preserve] the standard is really important.

‘Technically the L mount is a very good standard. A wide lens mount diameter and a short flange back – there are no technical drawbacks’ – Sigma

What made the L mount the preferred choice of mount for Sigma and Panasonic?

Sigma: Technically the L mount is a very good standard. A wide lens mount diameter and a short flange back: there are no technical drawbacks. At the beginning we were planning to develop our own full frame mirrorless system, but we concluded eventually that it was more beneficial to our customers to enter a partnership. The customer can use a wider variety of cameras and lenses.

Panasonic: Panasonic’s customer coverage [at present] is maybe more high-level amateurs, not professionals. The new [customer segment] of videographers appreciates what we’ve introduced for movie making, but still there are customer segments that we cannot reach. So the L mount gives us a chance to challenge in these top-end segments. I hope that the L mount gives us a chance to complete our lineup, [by] supporting our current Micro Four Thirds business.

The GH5S is a video-focused Micro Four Thirds camera which has been received by a constituent of video professionals, but Panasonic does not offer a full-frame rival to Sony’s a7S-series. Could the company fill this gap with a future L-mount camera?

How much room for future growth is built into the L mount standard?

Leica: Regarding functionality, we think that the standard will cover everything that we can anticipate, at the moment. We think that the standard is sufficient [for the foreseeable future]. The mount was developed very thoroughly in order to have enough space to make the biggest and fastest lenses for full frame, while also being as compact as possible to make attractive APS-C cameras as well. We think this is a big benefit of the L mount.

The flange back distance could be shorter, but if someone wants to make a professional L mount video camera for example, its better to have a little more room, for filters [built into the camera body] and so on. With 20mm, that’s fine. If you go closer, it becomes very difficult.

Do Sigma and Panasonic see the L mount as an APS-C mount as well? Are you planning on developing APS-C lenses for L?

Sigma: Yes, we have a plan to develop APS-C lenses for L mount, but the main focus is full-frame.

Panasonic: No. We will only develop [L mount products] for full-frame sensors.

The forthcoming Panasonic Lumix DC-S1/R are advanced mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, built around the full-frame L mount standard. The S1R (pictured) will be Panasonic’s high-resolution stills flagship when it’s released next spring.

Do you see the Panasonic Lumix DC S1 and S1R as companion cameras to the Leica SL or as competitive cameras?

Leica: They’re an addition to the market, and they’re also competition. We’re three independent companies. From our point of view, [the S1/R] will bring customers into the L mount system. A Leica price-point will always be a Leica price point. That has to do with how we do things, and how we develop products. So if someone wants to [shoot with] a different body, but using Leica lenses, we’re OK with that.

Is any money changing hands, or are you just bound by a common agreement?

Leica: We cannot comment on that, but think of it as a very friendly agreement.

As licensor, does Leica maintain any kind of design approval over lens designs from Sigma and Panasonic for the L mount?

Leica: We host all of the information relating to the L mount standard, but there is no more exchange than that. Regarding products that we may [all, separately] be developing, it’s actually not allowed [due to anti-trust legislation]. Leica does not have design approval.

‘This alliance is like marriage. The previous arrangement [with Olympus] was more like we were just living together’ – Panasonic

One thing that we saw happen in the Micro Four Thirds market it is that over time there was a divergence between Panasonic and Olympus technologies. Will this alliance avoid that kind of issue?

Leica: We plan to have regular committees to define the standard, and to get common agreements about changes and updates to the technology, in order to avoid that situation.

Panasonic: The difference, maybe, is that this alliance is like marriage. The previous arrangement [with Olympus] was more like we were just living together. So the obligation [now] is a little more high-level.

Are the L mount partners working on a unified solution for service?

Panasonic: At the very least we have to exchange all of the necessary information, in advance. And if a situation arises in future [where a customer requires service to L mount products of two brands] we need to find a way of responding. For example if [in future] a customer brings a Panasonic camera to one of our service centers with a Leica lens, we need to work out how to deal with things like that.

‘When it comes to products, there’s a distinct firewall between the three companies’ – Sigma

Leica: Let’s see what the future may bring. Leica has a unique business model, and maybe we can add some [insight] based on our experiences, but it hasn’t been discussed yet. But by creating a shared technical platform, that’s a great step in this industry. Because normally this industry works more like several little ‘boxes’ [of separate technologies].

Panasonic: In 2020, on the 24th of July the Tokyo Olympic Games will open. And there we will see many professionals and advanced amateur photographers, and I hope that we will see many L mount products [being used]. So we will need to provide service facilities for professional photographers from all over the world. We’re starting now to think about how we will do that.

The Leica SL is still going strong, several years after announcement. Even in its dotage however, it is still priced out of reach for most photographers. The addition of cameras from Panasonic and Leica should make the L mount standard more accessible.

Are you each developing your own sensors, separately from one another?

Leica: From the point of view of the alliance, again, we’re completely different companies. This will continue and we’re not going to disclose where we get components from, and I suspect that Panasonic and Sigma won’t either.

Sigma: When it comes to products, there’s a distinct firewall between the three companies but we work together as a technical committee just to maintain compatibility between products.

Leica: The standard needs to provide for seamless compatibility between products from all three manufacturers. For Leica, our business model is very different [to other manufacturers]. We own most of our distribution, and also retail. It’s a different concept. Here, [with the L mount alliance] we’re talking about a technical platform.

Sigma is one of many third party lens manufacturers. What made Sigma your choice of partner?

Leica: It’s a great company. And it’s family owned. That means that certain decisions can be reached in a very effective way.

Editors’ note: Barnaby Britton

The L-mount isn’t a new system, but the addition of two new manufacturers to the standard is potentially very significant. Leica’s L-mount cameras have been good products for the most part, but as Dr Kaufmann said, ‘a Leica price-point will always be a Leica price-point’. And as such, cameras like the Leica SL and TL/CL are completely ignored by the vast majority of the camera-buying public, who don’t understand why they cost so much. While entirely understandable, this is a shame, if only because many of Leica’s L-mount lenses are so good.

It seems unlikely that Panasonic’s upcoming Lumix S1 and S1R will be cheap, but it’s a safe bet that in terms of price per line of spec, they’ll be a hell of a lot more reasonably priced than anything Leica will come out with in the near future. It’s anyone’s guess what Canon and Nikon will do next with their new RF and Z mounts, but for now it looks like the S1R could be the most ‘pro’ of all the new crop of full-frame mirrorless cameras when it becomes available next spring. It could, in fact end up being one of the most compelling options in the entire full-frame space.

I bet that Panasonic is itching to knock Sony off its perch as king of full-frame mirrorless video

The lower-resolution Lumix S1 looks set to be more of an all-rounder, which we’re expecting to offer a very compelling video feature set. And speaking of video, Stephan Schultz’s passing comment about a hypothetical ‘professional L mount video camera’ is intriguing. I doubt whether Leica would ever attempt such a thing (although you never know, with Leica) but I bet that Panasonic is itching to fill the troublesome hole in its product lineup between cameras like the GH5/S and cinema-focused offerings like the Varicam – and knock Sony off its perch as king of full-frame mirrorless video in the process.

That hole, between consumer video and professional cine cameras, is where we expect to see a lot of growth over the next few years since it represents the growing emerging production market. Given Panasonic’s history in video, this fertile ‘middle market’ seems to represent an obvious opportunity for the company.

More products means more competition, which is almost always good for consumers

Sigma meanwhile, although best known as a lens manufacturer, has been quietly developing a range of quirky, high-quality cameras for years. The move away from its SA mount might prove painful for a small number of loyal Merillites, but I suspect it will prove to be a very smart move in the long run. More products means more competition, which is almost always good for consumers. Arguably, friendly competition – where manufacturers compete for the same customers with rival but cross-compatible products – is even better, assuming it’s sustainable for the manufacturers involved.

One of the questions raised in the group interview session was whether the three companies in the L mount alliance will work to avoid the kind of technological divergence which we saw emerge over time between Panasonic and Olympus’s rival Micro Four Thirds systems. Mr Kitagawa of Panasonic replied with an unusually candid metaphor about cohabitation versus marriage. The new alliance, it seems, is more serious than his company’s previous partnership with Olympus. I hope it works out.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photography gifts for every budget: 2018 edition

22 Nov

With so many accessories, bags, lenses and so on to choose from, shopping for a photographer can be daunting. But we’re here to help: From stocking stuffers to, well, entire cameras, we’ve got you covered – at every budget.

2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Under $ 50

2018 Holiday Gift Guide: $ 50-250

2018 Holiday Gift Guide: Over $ 250

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Friday Feature: 2018 National Geographic Photo Contest entries

17 Nov

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Brian Hammonds / National Geographic Photo Contest

CLIMBERS OVER SEOUL

Rock climbers can be seen from Bukhansan’s Peak outside of Seoul, South Korea. The size of the South Korean mega-city is hard to imagine without visiting.

National Geographic has shared the first collection of entries from its 2018 photography contest. The photographs, which fall under the categories of ‘wildlife, people, and places’ showcase beautiful scenes and subjects from all over the world. To see more editor-selected entries, head over to National Geographic’s website.

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Eduard Gutescu / National Geographic Photo Contest

THE SHEPHERD FROM TRANSYLVANIA

On the Carpathian mountains in the region of Bran village i found this authentic shepherd. His name is Nea DAN. It was a real joy to listen to his life story as a shepherd .

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Eduard Gutescu / National Geographic Photo Contest

FLY OVER TRANSYLVANIA PARADISE

Fundatura Ponorului is a remote village from Transylvania in the Carpathian mountains where people have been living in harmony with nature for hundreds of years . The main activity is animal breeding. The hay gathering is the main activity that takes place during the summer and is the main source of food for animals during winter time .

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Yaron Schmid / National Geographic Photo Contest

BABY TEETH

We spotted a pride of lions sleeping on top of the kopjes in the Serengeti, and as we got closer to the rocks, we saw that there were quite a few cubs in that pride. The best moment was when 3 of the young cubs started chasing, playing and biting their mom’s tail as if they were kittens that were playing with yarn. I can’t remember when was the last time that I laughed so hard as I did watching these guys.

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Mo Wu / National Geographic Photo Contest

MOONLIGHT

Wanaka Tree is the most famous tree in New Zealand. At a summer night, I captured the shadow of the tree in the golden moonlight on Wanaka Lake.

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Marcus Hennen / National Geographic Photo Contest

CURIOSITY

A creative portrait of a little curious burrowing owl. This owl was pretty cute and sat on a small branch in a front yard. I cropped the photo a bit to support this moment of curiosity.

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Istvan Ladanyi / National Geographic Photo Contest

THE ALWAYS WATCHING EYE OF A BLACK SWAN

The always watching eye of a black swan. I toke this shot as I noticed the sleeping black swan and he noticed me and open his deep ruby red eye. It was a magic moment because the contrast of the black feathers and the red eye catched me from the first time.

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Laura Wood / National Geographic Photo Contest

UNSEEN (SELF PORTRAIT)

It isn’t always obvious – your identity as a mother. It’s clouded by expectations, demands and sleep deprivation. For the most part, you live out your day and your duties behind doors with only children looking on who don’t fully understand the sacrifices you make. Seven pm rolls around and you breathe a big breath as your children go to sleep, you pour a glass of wine and your identity changes again. Always a mother, but sometimes more than others.

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Karen Donnelly / National Geographic Photo Contest

SOARING

Taken in the rising morning aboard a hot air balloon, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Water buffalo scatter on the mara below.

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Ana Luiza Sampaio / National Geographic Photo Contest

WINTER IN PINGYAO

This picture was taken during the winter in the ancient city of Pingyao, province of Shaanxi, China. In this season, the skyline of Pingyao changes completely. The use of charcoal to heat up the houses makes the sky deeply smoggy. At the streets, the only color one can distinguish is the red from the national flags and lanterns of Chinese New Year. The dust and soot modify the life of the residents, who strive daily to cope with the cold and the air pollution.

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Alison Langevad / National Geographic Photo Contest

A NEW LOOK

‘Sporting a new look’ These rhinos were dehorned in an effort to save them from poachers. The poaching of rhinos in South Africa has reached crisis level.

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Roger Chen / National Geographic Photo Contest

SISTERHOOD

A quiet moment backstage as dancers of the classical Indian Kuchipudi dance form, which is focussed on rhythmic hand gestures and eye movements, support each other in preparation for the performance.

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Vladimir Kushnarev / National Geographic Photo Contest

FATHER AND SON

The family of nomadic herders living at the Polar Urals. Father and son Tiberi.

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Leighton Lum / National Geographic Photo Contest

LAND ON FIRE

Recently the Kilauea volcano erupted causing thousands of gallons of lava to flow into the ocean. It was an incredible sight to witness such power of this eruption!

2018 National Geographic Photo Contest (Week 1 and 2 entries)

Photo and Caption by Camille Niel/ National Geographic Photo Contest

LAS COLORADAS

A Salt evaporation pond located in Yucatan, Mexico. This pink color come from the plankton, shrimps and roots of red plants

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DxO updates Nik Collection 2018 with better macOS, Adobe compatibility and fewer bugs

15 Nov

DxO has announced a new update to Nik Collection, the plugin suite it acquired from Google back in October 2017. Nik Collection version 1.1 is the second major update since DxO relaunched it back in June 2018 and puts an emphasis on adding more compatibility for the latest operating systems and Adobe applications.

DxO says Nik Collection has been optimized for full compatibility with macOS Mojave as well as the 2019 versions of Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, Photoshop CC, and Photoshop Elements. DxO has also fixed a few bugs hidden from the days Nik Collection was in the hands of Google, ‘including problems with freezing when installing the macOS version of the software, block effects along the edges of the image, and compatibility issues with certain color profiles.’

Nik Collection on macOS has also been updated to work with the Adobe Photoshop competitor Serif Affinity Photo.

Nik Collection by DxO 2018 version 1.1 is available on the DxO website for €69/£59/$ 69. Users who purchased Nik Collection by DxO after the June 2018 update can update their software for free.

Press release:

Nik Collection by DxO 2018 v1.1: promises kept!

DxO is offering the latest versions of the plugin suite relaunched in June 2018 with an update that offers improved stability and compatibility with the latest operating systems and Adobe host apps.

PARIS — November 14, 2018 — DxO, one of the most innovative companies that offers imaging solutions for the general public, has announced the immediate release of Nik Collection by DxO 2018 v1.1, DxO’s second update to the creative plugin suite designed for photographers and graphic artists. This version is completely compatible with macOS Mojave and the 2019 versions of Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, Photoshop CC, and Photoshop Elements. It also corrects a certain number of interface and compatibility issues with other host applications.

Compatibility with macOS Mojave and the 2019 versions of Adobe software

To ensure the best possible user experience, the Nik Collection was optimized so it could be fully compatible with macOS Mojave as well as the 2019 versions of Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, Photoshop CC, and Photoshop Elements. DxO’s development teams have also resolved issues that were left over from the Google version of the plugin suite, including problems with freezing when installing the macOS version of the software, block effects along the edges of the image, and compatibility issues with certain color profiles. In addition, the compatibility problems between Nik Collection by DxO 2018 and Serif Affinity Photo with macOS have also been resolved.

“When we launched Nik Collection by DxO last June, we agreed to deliver the best possible user experience and to provide our customers with assistance and support. We also promised to organize the community and ask for feedback through regular surveys,” said Jean-Marc Alexia, VP Product Strategy and Marketing at DxO. “We made progress in each of these areas. Now, we are taking one step further towards our goals by concentrating all the latest product updates in this new version.”

About Nik Collection by DxO

Nik Collection by DxO includes seven plugins that offer a full range of creative effects and filters:

  • Analog Efex Pro, a classic lens, camera, and analog film simulator.
  • Color Efex Pro, for color corrections, retouching, and creative effects.
  • Dfine, which reduces noise in digital images.
  • HDR Efex Pro, for editing HDR images.
  • Sharpener Pro, for increasing the precision and detail of digital images.
  • Silver Efex Pro, a black-and-white converter inspired by dark room techniques.
  • Viveza, for locally adjusting color and the tonality of specific areas within the image.

Thanks to exclusive U Point technology, the Nik Collection by DxO plugins can be used to apply local adjustments to specific areas in the image with seamless precision.

Nik Collection by DxO can also be opened with other host programs, including DxO PhotoLab 2, Serif Affinity Photo, Skylum Luminar, and other image processing software that features an export menu to a third-party program or is compatible with Photoshop plugins.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photokina 2018: Nikon interview – ‘We love feedback, because it leads to better products’

13 Nov
Two cameras, two lens-mounts, separated by almost six decades. The new Nikon Z7 (left) is the first of a brand-new breed of Z-mount full-frame Nikon cameras, just as the original Nikon F (right) debuted the legendary F mount in the late 1950s.

This interview comprises on-record portions drawn from several conversations with multiple Nikon executives dating back to August, primarily those which took place in Tokyo following the launch of the Z system, and in Cologne, Germany, during the Photokina trade show.

Please note that responses to our questions were provided variously by multiple high-level executives, engineers and marketing specialists. These exchanges happened at different times, and in all cases, our conversations were conducted via an interpreter. As such, since individual attribution is impossible, responses have been combined and anonymized. The following interview has been edited for clarity and flow.

What were the biggest challenges you faced when developing the Z mount?

For the mount, the biggest challenge was to finalize the specifications. This is a new system and we’re looking ahead into the future for our users. We want them to use the Z mount for a long time, so we wanted to make sure that the specifications would [support] use for the long-haul.

For lenses, taking the Z 35mm F1.8 for example, we were determined to exceed the [previous] performance level, which was very challenging. Manufacturing was challenging too because we wanted to exceed [previous] lens specifications and performance.

In the camera bodies, we had to maintain robustness, while making them smaller and lighter. This was a challenge for us.

The Nikon Z mount is intended to be at least as futureproof as the legacy F mount – hopefully, according to Nikon representatives – it will still be current in 100 years’ time.

Nikon Z-mount lenses are designed for cameras that are capable of high resolution video as well as stills – how does this requirement affect the design?

Our optical design had to change. There are five elements that are improved significantly. One, we minimized aberrations, in a very well-balanced manner. Secondly, we improved resolution, towards the edges of the frame – not just the center. Thirdly, we improved point image performance [coma] towards the edges of the frame. Fourth, bokeh is natural, and beautiful. And finally we minimized ghosting and flare effects as much as possible. All of these improvements allow us to render sharp, very ‘real’ images.

Mechanically speaking, we improved focus speed, and focus is very quiet and very smooth in movie recording. That smoothness is really improved, and also movie users can adjust focus speed, from slow to fast.

We’ve tried to maintain the same level of operability between the D850 and the Z7

One of the concerns that we have with the Z6/7 is that their autofocus behavior and user experience is so different to DSLRs like the D850. Why did Nikon make this decision?

The D850 has a dedicated autofocus sensor, but in the Z7 we have on-sensor phase-detection autofocus. Each system has its own distinct features and its own strengths. We looked at the differences between the two, so that we could satisfy our customers’ needs by utilizing the strengths of each system. It’s not a question of which system is better, each has its own strengths.

When we think about usability of the autofocus systems, we’ve tried to maintain the same level of operability between the D850 and the Z7. Our priority is to make sure that our [Z7] customers feel that they have the same level of functionality and usability [as they do with the D850].

The Nikon Z7, pictured here with the 35mm F1.8, one of three compact lenses announced at the debut of the new Z mount, in August.

Do you intend to be more proactive in the Z-series, to respond to feature requests via firmware?

We need to look at our camera models, their features and characteristics, and our customers’ needs. With some models it’s better that we update their functionality more often than others.

But upgrading a camera isn’t easy. Also, as functionality evolves, software becomes even more complicated to design and update. However, the environment is changing rapidly, and due to the accelerated evolution of the functions, maybe we have to accelerate our response. We will make sure that we develop and upgrade [our cameras’] functionalities in order to satisfy our customers’ needs.

Our goal is to become number one in the full-frame market

Do you have an internal target for percentage of sales represented by Nikon mirrorless versus DSLR?

We have internal sales targets for each model, but we cannot disclose the figures. Our goal is to become number one in the full-frame market for both mirrorless and DSLRs.

What is your target timeframe for achieving this goal?

That’s a difficult question to answer – we cannot disclose the specific timeline, but we will make every effort to hit the target of being number one as soon as possible. We believe that we can achieve the number one position maybe quite soon. A lot of manufacturers have launched full-frame mirrorless cameras, but sales of our Z6 and Z7 are really robust, which gives us confidence.

Since DSLR and mirrorless have their own benefits and merits, they can co-exist

How do you expect the Z6 and Z7 to affect sales of Nikon’s DSLRs?

Since we launched the Z6 and Z7, demand for the D850 has remained very robust and stable. Since DSLR and mirrorless have their own benefits and merits, they can co-exist, and they will. However, its unavoidable that the market will shift more and more towards mirrorless. Right now, mirrorless market share is around 40% but by 2020 and afterwards we expect that mirrorless will surpass DSLR. For now we think they can co-exist.

At launch, the Z system is a full-frame system. Could it support DX (APS-C) format cameras in future?

We are not thinking about other formats yet. But we’re monitoring market trends, and we’re not ruling anything out [in future].

From left to right: The Nikon D850, the new Z7 and it’s main competitor, the Sony a7R III.

When you were developing the Z6 and Z7, what were your key benchmarks, and measures for success?

In one word, our benchmark for the Z7 was the D850. We wanted the Z7 to be at least on the same level as the D850. We have a lot of accumulated knowledge from our DSLRs, and we gathered information from our customers to make sure that we really met their needs and their demands. For example a comfortable grip, a good viewfinder experience, and the operational feel of pressing the shutter. We have to make sure that we can match or exceed these qualities [of our DSLRs] before putting a [mirrorless] product on the market. These are the expectations that people have of Nikon as a camera maker.

In-body V.R. is a new concept in the Z6 and Z7, and we set a very strict target for the number of stops of correction. When it comes to lenses, we can’t disclose the exact numerical performance targets, but we’ve already talked about the five ways in which we aimed to improve the lenses, plus operability and user-friendliness. We actually set some very ambitious targets.

These are high-performance cameras and lenses – how long has the system been in development?

We cannot disclose the specific number of years.

How important was it to Nikon to incorporate high-quality video features in the development of the new Z-mount cameras?

An increasing number of customers are looking at stills and video and they want both of them. Therefore we focused on improving video performance, which also affected body and lens design. We wanted to make sure that the new cameras would have very good still and video qualities.

We want to be recognized as a company that provides tools for video professionals

We love feedback, because it leads to better products. We want to be recognized as a company that provides tools for video professionals. If we hear from professionals that now, finally, they can do the kinds of jobs they want to with our products, that would be great. We’ve provided a set of functions, including N-Log, and if any of them can be useful, we’re very happy about that.

We are now starting to communicate with the community of professional videographers because we have really improved the video performance of our cameras and lenses and we’re proud of that, so we want to communicate this to the community.

The Nikon 1 V3 was the last – and arguably best – of the erstwhile 1 System mirrorless camera lineup. Although the 1 System didn’t last, Nikon tells us that a lot of the technologies pioneered in cameras like the V3 was utilized in the development of the full-frame Z mount.

How much technology and experience gleaned from creating the 1-system was brought into the new Z system?

That’s a hard question to answer. There’s a lot we could say, but it’s hard to put into words. The basis of the technology comes from Nikon 1. Especially the technology behind the imaging sensors. Not the [hardware] technology itself but definitely the concept and basic principles.

Of course, the the F system and the 1 system represent the basic foundation of everything that we do, but with the Z system the goal was to go beyond those predecessor products. The larger volume of data being communicated [between camera and lens] is a huge benefit, and that’s one of the biggest improvement between previous models and the new Z-series.

The F system and the 1 system represent the basic foundation of everything that we do, but with the Z system the goal was to go beyond

The concept for the development of the new series, although obviously to some extent they are based on the F and 1 systems that came before it, is to listen to those users and hear what they like and don’t like, and look into the future. People might be happy with what they have right now, but maybe those technologies won’t work in the future. We can’t be myopic about it.

It’s very important to us that our F mount customers can use their lenses with the Z mount, for example. We had to consider that.

Did any of the engineers that worked on the 1 system go on to work on the Z6 and Z7?

Yes – part of the development team from the Nikon 1 was involved in developing the Z6 and Z7.

With the next generation of Z mount cameras, is it more urgent to target professionals, or beginners?

While we are focusing on mid-to-high end models, entry-level users who have never used an interchangeable lens camera are very important to Nikon. Both entry-level and professional users are equally important to us, and we aim to expand the Z mount system lineup to appeal to a wide audience.

The iPhone X/S, and other smartphones of its ilk are small, powerful, water-resistant and take great photographs. According to the Nikon executives that we spoke to, the threat to traditional camera manufacturers from mobile devices, jam-packed with computational photography technology, is acute.

Will future Z series cameras offer optical V.R. in addition to in-body stabilization?

We intend to continue with the development of optical stabilization. If there is a benefit of the functionality, we will continue to employ [optical V.R.] as an option. For telephoto lenses, optical stabilization is very beneficial. When it comes to wide-angle zooms, in some cases it is also beneficial.

What are the biggest challenges facing Nikon in the future?

This is a hard question to answer. Because of the advent of the smartphone, the digital camera has shrunk. However, the mirrorless camera market has been revitalized, and we believe that Nikon can expand this market. Another challenge is that if computational photography technology advances rapidly, maybe smartphones will be be able to produce images that are as good as interchangeable lens cameras. If this happens, it will be a real challenge.

The number of people taking photos is growing, and the number of photos being taken is also growing

However, because of smartphones, the number of people taking photos is growing, and the number of photos being taken is also growing. So maybe we can combine hardware and imaging technologies where we can see a business opportunity to expand into camera, software applications, b to b [etc.] there are many possible opportunities for us.

So many people take photos with their smartphones because they want to post them to Instagram or Facebook, or other social networking services. However, some of these people are not really satisfied by the quality of the photos taken on their phones. This segment of people are looking for a camera which can give them better quality images, but maybe they’ve never used a dedicated camera ever in their lives. I am sure that this segment of the audience is growing and [they represent] a great opportunity.

Will we see fewer DSLRs released by Nikon in future?

Our strategy is to [market] both DSLR and mirrorless. We launched the D3500 [alongside the Z6/7] and we’re planning to launch more DSLR models in the future.

The F mount was Nikon’s premier lens mount for 60 years – how far into the future are you looking for the Z mount? Another 60 years?

At least another 60 years! I was about to say 100. Hopefully it will last indefinitely – that’s why it’s so important for us to look into the future, and why such a high volume of data communication [in the Z mount standard] is so important.

Editors’ note: Barnaby Britton

This has been a big year for Nikon, and I suspect one that Nikon’s engineers and executives have been eagerly awaiting for a long time – to say nothing of their customers. Nikon did a fine job of maintaining and updating the F mount for as long as it did, but the question was never if the company would replace it with a redesigned standard for mirrorless, but when.

The Z mount of course is Nikon’s second mirrorless camera mount, after the 1 mount, designed around the 1″ sensors used in the company’s various 1-series ILCs from 2011 until the discontinuation of the lineup earlier this year. It was interesting when speaking to executives to learn that some of the technologies from Nikon’s 1 System (and in fact some of the engineers that worked on it) were integral to the development of the Z mount.

The resulting mount is a very, very different standard to Nikon 1, and different again to the 60-year old F mount, despite being designed around the same sensor format. Clearly the company is looking ahead – a long way ahead, judging by the ‘100 years’ comment in our interview – and it will be interesting to see how Nikon develops its Z-mount lens lineup in the coming months and years. Unlike Canon, Nikon publishes roadmaps, and I suspect that the Z7 and Z6’s true potential (and that of their inevitable successors) will become clear once lenses like the planned 24-70mm F2.8 start to become available.

The Z7 really is intended to replicate as far as possible, the performance and durability of the D850

So what did we learn from this interview? For one thing, we learned that Nikon wants to be the number one full-frame manufacturer, and it hopes to achieve that position fairly soon. That’s a lofty goal, and a bold statement, but the Z6 and Z7 are bold products. As far as Nikon’s executives are concerned, the Z7 really is intended to replicate as far as possible, the performance and durability of the D850 – a very popular camera which has been backordered almost since the day it was announced.

To the company’s credit, we think that the company has largely succeeded in this goal (although there are some things we’d like to see improved) and that’s no small feat. It’s a bit disingenuous to call the Z6/7 first-generation cameras, but they’re certainly first attempts at something very new for the company, and compared to Canon’s more cautious approach with the EOS R, straight out of the gate they’re powerful, highly competitive ILCs. Whether there is any room for APS-C products in Nikon’s future Z-mount lineup, however, is unclear.

The challenge of building a reputation as a video manufacturer is one that Nikon hasn’t really been faced with tackling up to now

While Nikon has made some overtures towards videographers before now (lest we forget, the D90 was the first DSLR to shoot video and the D850 is a very capable 4K video camera) the challenge of building a reputation as a video manufacturer is one that Nikon hasn’t really been faced with tackling up to now. The Z7 and (especially) the Z6 have a lot to offer these users, and it will be interesting to see how Nikon approaches the challenge of becoming a major player in this space, alongside more experienced competitors like Sony, Canon and Panasonic. It’s reassuring to see that whatever challenges Nikon faces in the future, a lack of confidence doesn’t seem to be one of them.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Luminar 2018 gets new AI Sky Enhancer tool for creating dramatic skies

02 Nov

Skylum has released a Luminar 2018 update that brings its new AI Sky Enhancer filter to the image editing software. The new tool works “almost instantly” to improve the sky in photos, only requiring the user to adjust a slider, according to the company. AI Sky Enhancer replaces the masks and filters that would otherwise be used to enhance skies.

The new tool was created by Skylum’s AI Lab and is powered by a deep neural network that was trained using hundreds of thousands of images. Luminar uses the enhancer to detect and adjust only the skies in images, including ones that are cloudy, partly sunny, bright blue, and more.

Skylum offers a long look at how AI Sky Enhancer works in a new blog post, where it explains that the tool relies on semantic segmentation, in part, to separate an image into layers based on detected objects. By doing this, AI Sky Enhancer is able to adjust the sky independent of other image elements while keeping issues like noise and halos to a minimum.

The software automatically applies a mask to the sky in these images, working to selectively adjust elements like brightness and contrast as the user moves the tool’s slider. “Every parameter is applied selectively, as if you were doing it yourself using masking and layers,” the company explains in its post.

The AI Sky Enhancer update is free for Luminar 2018 and arrives ahead of Luminar 3 with Libraries, which will be available starting December 18. Skylum will offer all of its new Luminar features for free to current Luminar 2018 owners until “late 2019,” it explains on its website. The application is available to purchase through Skylum for $ 59/€59/£53.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Apple unveils new 2018 iPad Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and Apple Pencil

31 Oct

Today, Apple announced updated MacBook Air, iPad Pro, Mac Mini, and Apple Pencil models at its event in Brooklyn, New York. Both the iPad Pro and the MacBook Air received considerable design changes, including the addition of Touch ID to the latest MacBook Air model and an elimination of the home button from the new 11″ and 12.9″ iPad Pros. This follows last month’s iPhone event.

The 2018 iPad Pro swaps Touch ID for Face ID, the face-scanning security technology first introduced with the iPhone X. Both the 11″ and 12.9″ 2018 iPad Pro models feature an all-screen design with Liquid Retina displays, rounded corners, flat edges, and a 5.9mm thickness, making them the thinnest iPads to date.

The new iPad Pro features Apple’s A12X Bionic chip with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, as well as a new performance controller that Apple says allows all eight cores to be used at once. This is joined by Apple’s own seven core GPU, which the company claims offers “console-quality graphics.” As rumored, Apple has replaced the Lightning connector with USB-C.

Apple is offering the new 2018 iPad Pro tablets in space gray and silver with 64GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations; both WiFi-only and WiFi+cellular options are available. Prices start at $ 799 USD for the 11″ model and $ 999 USD for the 12.9″ model.

Full details on the new iPads are available here.

The two new iPad Pro tablets are joined by an updated Apple Pencil, the stylus that originally launched as an iPad Pro exclusive. The new Pencil model charges wirelessly and attaches magnetically to the iPad Pro’s edge. This eliminates the highly criticized Lightning connector found on the bottom of the original Apple Pencil. The updated model likewise packs a touch sensor that can detect taps, which Apple describes as a new way to interact with apps.

Joining the new iPad Pro models is the fabled MacBook Air update, which brings Touch ID to the Apple laptop, as well as a 13″ Retina display, faster SSD options, a Force Touch trackpad, an Apple T2 Security Chip, Thunderbolt 3, and wide stereo audio. Other features include a FaceTime HD camera, the ability to display 48% more color than the previous Air generation, an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and Intel UHD Graphics, up to 13 hours of battery life, and a new “wedge-shaped” design.

Apple is offering the 2018 MacBook Air starting at $ 1,199 USD. More information on the laptop can be found here.

Joining the MacBook Air is a new Mac Mini with quad-core and six-core processor options, up to 64GB of RAM, the Apple T2 Security Chip, Thunderbolt 3 ports, and what Apple says is five times faster performance than the previous model. The updated model boasts 10Gb Ethernet, all-flash storage in capacities up to 2TB, HEVC video transcoding up to 30 times faster than before, and an enclosure that’s the same size as the previous model.

Apple says it used entirely recycled aluminum for the enclosure and increased its use of post-consumer recycled plastic for parts. The company claims these two things combined reduce the Mac Mini’s carbon footprint by almost 50%.

The 2018 Mac Mini is available from Apple now starting at $ 799 USD. More information on the model can be found here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photokina 2018: Fujifilm interview – ‘we’ll never go full-frame’

23 Oct
Toshihisa Iida, General Manager of Fujifilm’s Optical Device and Electronic Imaging Products Division pictured at the Photokina trade show in Cologne, Germany last month.

At this year’s Photokina show in Cologne, Germany we spoke to senior executives from several major camera and lens manufacturers. Among them was Toshihisa Iida of Fujifilm, who told us about the future of his company’s medium-format lineup, the challenges of 100MP and why Fujifilm will never make a full-frame camera.

Photokina is proving to be an important show for Fujifilm!

Yes. Photokina 2010 was the X100 development announcement, 2012 was the first-generation mirrorless – 2014 I’ve forgotten! [in fact it was the announcement of the X100T and X30] and 2016 was of course the GFX 50S.

Now that all of the legacy DSLR makers except Ricoh have full-frame mirrorless systems, will Fujifilm ever enter the full-frame market?

No, never. Because we don’t have that legacy – luckily or unluckily. We don’t see any point in Fujifilm entering that market, particularly since we have good APS-C and medium format systems. If we entered full-frame [our systems] would just start cannibalizing each other. We’re happy to stay with two completely independent systems.

Fujifilm’s new GFX 50R is a rangefinder-style medium format camera which uses the same 50MP sensor as its direct predecessor the GFX 50S.

Do you see many of your users upgrading from X to GFX?

Not quite yet. Because they’re totally different systems. We started creating our legacy based on the X100. Usability, colors [etc.] and I hope that in near future more X Series customers will step up to GFX.

Can you describe the thinking behind the creation of the 50R?

Shortly after we introduced the 50S we started receiving requests from customers, who remembered the old medium format film cameras. Immediately after we released the 50S they were asking ‘when is a rangefinder style 50S coming?.

Is this a camera you expect to be used more like a field camera? Like the old rangefinders?

Yes. All controls must be reachable with one hand, that was our concept for usability. We wanted the camera to be more suited to street, reportage and portrait photography.

The forthcoming 100MP camera is more SLR style, with a detachable viewfinder, more similar to the 50S, but with an integrated battery grip for greater battery capacity. The sensor and the image stabilization system need more power.

The upcoming 100MP GFX will feature an integrated battery grip and in-body stabilization. Fujifilm also promises a superior electronic viewfinder experience and beefed-up video capabilities.

Was a 100MP camera always in the works?

Yes, it’s why we designed our GF lenses to support 100MP, when that resolution [eventually] became available. We’ve talked about that openly.

You’ve mentioned the need for more battery capacity, what other changes did you face when designing a 100MP camera?

The biggest challenge was image stabilization. The sensor is so sensitive that even the smallest vibration is picked up [in the image]. So we knew we needed in-body stabilization. And you can imagine that it’s quite challenging to stabilize such a big sensor.

Is the system adapted from the IBIS system in the X-H1?

We drew on our experience from the X-H1, yes but it’s more challenging with the larger sensor size.

Will the viewfinder experience of the 100MP camera be better to the current GFX 50S and 50R?

It should be a lot better, yes, because the readout speed of the new sensor is a lot quicker. The sensor and the processor itself are both upgraded. The processor is much more powerful.

The recently-announced Fujifilm X-T3 is a powerful 26MP APS-C camera, which packs impressive still and video-oriented features.

Fujifilm was a little slow to introduce video features, but the current generation are very strong video cameras. What’s your video strategy for future cameras?

The forthcoming 100MP camera will be the first 4K/30p GFX camera, which is the first step. It will be interesting to see what kind of quality we can get from the new sensor. With the X Series we have a plan, for example to extend recording time, and make the menus more usable for still and video shooting. We have more to do, more speed, 4K/60p [etc.] We would really like to attract videographers to the GFX cameras as well.

Do you think that you might create Fujinon cine lenses for GFX in the future?

Let’s wait and see. The first step is 100MP, and then we’ll see how it goes. Of course, developing such lenses is probably technically possible, it’s just a matter of prioritization.

Filmmakers are creative people, always looking for something more

How do you plan to market the 100MP medium format to videographers? Videographers don’t typically think about medium format.

Just today [after the 100MP announcement at the Photokina press conference] I started receiving a lot of questions from videographers. Larger formats are becoming a trend for videography. Filmmakers are creative people, always looking for something more.

100MP and 4K/30p represent a huge amount of data – is SD media still appropriate?

I think that SD media and HDMI output are enough for now.

Tamron’s FE-mount 28-70mm F2.8 was the first third-party attempt at a native Sony FE mount lens. Could Fujifilm open up its XF and GF mounts to other lens developers?

Do you welcome third-party lens manufacturers that want to create lenses for XF and GF?

They’re not open standards as yet, but of course our customers want choice. We’re always considering what would benefit our customers, and more lenses are generally beneficial for customers.

Should we expect to see more smaller, compact lenses for GF mount, like the forthcoming 50mm pancake?

Yes, in the future we’d like to expand our lineup of compact lenses for GF. We need small lenses for the smaller camera, to get the right balance. We’re always thinking about the whole system.

Maybe we need to start from scratch when it comes to future cameras aimed at smartphone upgraders

The competitive marketplace is getting quite crowded. Which competitive products do you take most seriously?

We’re always watching the major brands, to see what they’re doing, but at the same time smartphones. The quality and functionality – we have to watch that segment very carefully, especially considering our entry-level mirrorless cameras.

How will you address the challenge from smartphones?

The first thing is to do more research into what smartphone customers want from cameras. Usability, shooting options and so on. Maybe we need to start from scratch when it comes to future cameras aimed at smartphone [upgraders].

Our biggest potential challenge is from smartphones, not competitor cameras.

Do you see opportunities for more Instax incorporation into your traditional camera lineups?

Yes, Instax are already becoming digital cameras. Maybe we should think about interchangeable lens Instax. One of the biggest features for mirrorless cameras are interchangeable lenses, so Instax is one of our opportunities.

The Pentax Q range (a Q7 is pictured here) was an intriguing but relatively short-lived attempt at an ultra-compact mirrorless interchangeable lens system. As most manufacturers move toward larger cameras and (especially) lenses, the days of such pocketable alternatives might be over.

Do you think that there could be a future for small format interchangeable lens cameras like the Pentax Q, now?

With that product, the sensor size was too small. The image quality was not strong enough to really compete against smartphones. We need a decent sensor size and high quality lens. So again the question is how to balance size, weight and quality.

Camera bodies can be small regardless of sensor size. The big difference is the lens. The size of the lens [is directly related to] sensor format.

In the past we’ve spoken about software corrections for some lenses. Do you see a future where your high-quality lenses could be made smaller using software?

We always prioritize optical quality first, minimizing software correction. That’s our policy at the moment, and I don’t think it will change. That’s why the APS-C format is important to us. We make the lenses as small as possible, without [a lot of] software correction.

What are the challenges of designing fast focusing large-aperture lenses?

A brighter lens means that each element is heavier. So we need to build in more powerful focus actuators, but there’s limited space. So it’s always a tradeoff of lens brightness, focus speed, and how heavy the lens is.

Designed for the more compact GFX 50R, Fujifilm’s forthcoming 50mm F3.5 offers a near-pancake form factor, much smaller than most of the company’s medium-format GF lens lineup.

Now that you’re thinking ahead to high resolution video capture in the GFX series, what impact does this have on lens design?

It’s challenging – how to minimize the weight of focusing units. It’s a task for the lens design team. Maybe they’ll use more aspherical elements, for example. There are technologies which we can use, but it’s a challenge.

Is there potential for Fujifilm to create dedicated video cameras?

Potentially, yes. We don’t have any concrete plans, but we need to understand the requirements of videographers, and how their requests when it comes to usability and menus are different from stills photographers. Especially for stills, operation is more dial-driven, but for video it’s totally different.

Editor’s note: Barnaby Britton

As Mr. Iida mentioned, for the past several years Photokina has been an important show for Fujifilm, serving as an opportunity to showcase its major releases in front of a global audience. Photokina 2018 was no different, with the announcement of two major new cameras – a rangefinder-style GFX 50R and the development of a forthcoming 100MP medium-format model, coming next year.

Both announcements probably serve as tacit answers to the question of whether or not Fujifilm will ever create a full-frame camera, but “no, never” is about as conclusive a response as we’d ever expect to get. A more typical response (of the kind that we get repeatedly whenever we talk to senior executives) is more along the lines of ‘we need to study the market, and we’re not ruling anything out’. The fact that Mr. Iida was so definitive is unusual, but reassuring. Fujifilm has an excellent opportunity to differentiate with medium-format in a way that it couldn’t expect to do with full-frame, especially now that Canon, Nikon and Panasonic have joined the fray.

Fujifilm’s cameras might be getting bigger, but Mr Iida recognizes a need for smaller lenses

The forthcoming 100MP GFX won’t be cheap by full-frame standards, but with features like built-in IBIS and 4K/30p video, it promises to set new technical benchmarks for large-sensor imaging when it is released next year.

Fujifilm’s cameras might be getting bigger, but Mr. Iida recognizes a need for smaller lenses, especially with the somewhat more compact rangefinder-style GFX 50R. A range of compact F3.5-ish primes for GFX would help make the system somewhat more portable, as well as potentially more attractive to first-time medium-format buyers.

We expect to see more – and more powerful – ‘hybrid’ cameras from Fujifilm

Still imaging is only part of the story, of course. In recent generations Fujifilm has made impressive efforts to improve its products’ video capabilities, to the point where the X-H1 and more recent X-T3 are among our favorite cameras for 4K videography. Assuming that it reads out all pixels for 4K video, the forthcoming 100MP medium-format model could actually prove very disruptive for professional filmmaking, thanks to the wide dynamic range of medium format sensors compared to full-frame and super 35 formats.

Could Fujifilm use its long experience of making broadcast and cine lenses to create a dedicated video camera? Mr. Iida isn’t ruling it out, and it’s an intriguing thought. In the short term though, we expect to see more – and more powerful – ‘hybrid’ cameras from Fujifilm, and that’s still an exciting prospect.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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