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| ISO 100 | 1/800 sec | F8 |
Canon’s 28mm F2.8 IS USM may not be the most exciting lens in the company’s lineup, but it’s reasonably affordable, lightweight and solid. As fall weather begins to hit Seattle, we find ourselves visiting the sunny images of this gallery and thinking fondly of summertime past. Take a look to see what this little lens can do.
See our Canon 28mm F2.8 IS USM sample gallery
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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| Standing alongside the Bixby Creek Bridge in Big Sur, California. Processed to taste from Raw. ISO 125 | 1/160 sec | F11 |
By virtue of a considerable quantity of dumb luck, we had timed it perfectly.
Our belongings shifted gently to and fro in our rented cherry-red Hyundai Sonata as we zig-zagged freely along Highway 1 in California’s Big Sur region, a stretch of road that has been described as the ‘longest and most scenic stretch of undeveloped coastline in the contiguous United States.’*
We were visiting Big Sur just into the off-season, with Highway 1 subdivided by a massive landslide to the south and a bridge closure to the north. As a result, the road was remarkably unoccupied, devoid of the typically ubiquitous caravans of gawking tourists.
Although the extensive closures tacked on about six hours of additional driving onto our trip, the journey along the famous Nacimiento-Fergusson Road – the only way in and out of the region cut-off by the closures – was unforgettable. Unfortunately, thanks to the rampant switchbacks, it was also literally nauseating. Can’t have it all, I guess.
It was into this scenario that I brought Canon’s diminutive 28mm F2.8 IS USM lens attached to an EOS 5D Mark IV; my only photographic tools for the duration of our time in central California.
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| Photograph courtesy Jordan Stead |
The Canon 28mm F2.8 IS USM is not a new lens by any means. So why write about it now? Well, for starters, we didn’t yet have a gallery on it here at DPReview. It also happens to be among the smallest and lightest full-frame Canon lenses around, and so a great way to (attempt to) minimize the bulk of bringing a full-frame DSLR on my vacation.
Announced back in early 2012 alongside its 24mm cousin, the 28mm IS is very straightforward. You get a rubberized focus ring with a fairly long throw, an AF/MF switch and a stabilizer on/off switch. And that’s about it.
Alongside Canon’s EF 40mm F2.8 Pancake and two ‘nifty fifties,’ it’s among the the lightest full-frame lenses that the company currently offers, though it is by far the most expensive of this group with a current MSRP of $ 499. Despite its price, the 28mm IS does not come with any claims of weather-sealing, which is a disappointment.
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| I’m happy to report that, despite the lack of weather sealing, the EF 28mm F2.8 IS USM survived a few drops of salt water. Processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. ISO 100 | 1/200 sec | F8 |
Regardless, the build seems very good. The outer barrel is polycarbonate, and the mount is metal. Due to the stabilizer, there’s a very slight rattle if the camera is jostled while the power is off, but the 28mm has an overall dense feel of quality to it.
For use on 30MP (and even higher pixel count) cameras, the 28mm is good, if not mind-blowing in terms of sharpness. There are also noticeable amounts of green and purple fringing if you leave those corrections off, but both the camera’s JPEG engine and Adobe Camera Raw tame those handily, so it’s rarely an issue.
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| Corrections off | Corrections on |
The biggest issue you’re likely to run into comes in terms of vignetting, which is readily noticeable with this lens. In particular, if you have the corrections turned on within Adobe Camera Raw, the corner exposure will be lifted enough as to perhaps introduce unwanted noise, especially if your image was already taken at a higher ISO value.
I’ll freely admit that I haven’t been much of a 28mm guy until this past year and half. That changed after I was tasked with reviewing the Leica Q, and subsequently purchased a secondhand Nikon Coolpix A as a casual carry-everywhere camera.
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| Without a super fast aperture or a telephoto lens to fully isolate subjects and blur backgrounds into oblivion, the 28mm F2.8 IS USM made me slow down and focus on my compositions more. Processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. ISO 160 | 1/125 sec | F4 |
What I find most intriguing about the 28mm focal length this Canon offers is that it forces me to think more holistically about the images I’m making. Without telephoto compression or a faster aperture to more easily isolate my subject, the context becomes nearly as important as the subject itself.
When I pick up a 35mm, 50mm or 85mm lens, I know that I’m likely going to get a faster aperture, and more background compression, making the scene look a little more ‘interpreted.’ When I pick up a 24mm-and-wider lens, I’m often doing my very best to exaggerate the perspective between objects that are both near to me and far away for a more interesting look.
But with 28mm, I feel almost as though I’m simply documenting what’s happening in front of me without letting the optics of wider or more telephoto focal lengths influence the look of the scene.
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| Processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. ISO 100 | 1/250 sec | F8 |
In other words, it’s a fun challenge if you’re used to those other options. As with many photographers, I’ll admit I sometimes find myself relying on fancy gear as a crutch to make a photograph more ‘interesting.’ On the other hand, this 28mm lens just got out of the way and recorded what I put in front of the camera; it was up to me to make the most of my subjects and compositions.
If you haven’t given 28mm a try, I’d certainly recommend it, and if you happen to be a Canon shooter, the EF 28mm F2.8 IS USM represents a solid, lightweight and affordable option.
Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter / magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review), we do so in good faith, please don’t abuse it.
Unless otherwise noted images taken with no particular settings at full resolution. Because our review images are now hosted on the ‘galleries’ section of dpreview.com, you can enjoy all of the new galleries functionality when browsing these samples.
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* Per Wikipedia: Marvinney, Craig A. (1984). “Land Use Policy Along the Big Sur Coast of California; What Role for the Federal Government?”. UCLA Journal of Environmental Law & Policy. Regents of the University of California. Accessed 22 August 2016.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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The Nikon 28mm F1.4E ED has come to the market more than twenty years after the rare and expensive 28mm F1.4D was released in the early ’90s. It’s the latest lens to join the company’s F1.4 professional prime lens lineup, which now has 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 58mm, 85mm and 105mm options – it looks pretty complete to us.
The 28mm F1.4E adopts an electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism, meaning aperture control is fully electronic, as opposed to Nikon’s older G and D lenses, which feature a mechanical lever on the mount for this purpose. In the real world, this should result in greater exposure accuracy when shooting at high continuous burst speeds.
The lens is very well-built, features dust and weather-sealing, and the minimum focus distance is less than a foot from the sensor or focal plane.
We’ve had ours around town, to the beach, a car show and a wedding to suss out what its capable of – find out for yourself.
See our Nikon 28mm F1.4E ED samples
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Nikon has added a sixth lens to its collection of fast F1.4 primes (the others being 24mm, 35mm, 58mm, 85mm and 105mm). The AF-S Nikkor 28mm F1.4E ED lens features nine rounded aperture blades, two ED and three aspherical elements, and Nikon’s Nano Crystal Coating. The lens is made of magnesium alloy and is sealed against dust and moisture.
As you might imagine, this is a pricey lens – it’ll go on sale in late June for $ 1999.95.
Press Release:
MELVILLE, NY (May 31, 2017 at 12:01 A.M. EDT) — Today, Nikon announced three exciting new wide-angle NIKKOR lenses to give a diverse array of users brilliant image quality and maximum versatility whether shooting vast landscapes, architecture, interiors, events and many other wide-angle applications. The new ultra-wide zoom and lightweight DX-format AF-P DX NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR is an excellent value for budding shutterbugs and novice shooters looking to explore a wide-angle point of view, while the new AF-S Fisheye NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED is an FX-format circular fisheye zoom lens for photographers and content creators who desire a truly unique perspective. Lastly, the new AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E ED is a superior prime lens that provides professional and advanced photographers the ultimate in wide-angle image quality. Both the AF-S Fisheye NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED and AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E ED are the latest additions to the Gold Ring Series of NIKKOR lenses, a mark identifying Nikon’s premium lens offerings.
“Nikon continues to push the limits of optical excellence, while making new perspectives more attainable than ever before with our latest wide-angle NIKKOR offerings,” said Kosuke Kawaura, Director of Marketing and Planning, Nikon Inc. “Whether a photographer is a novice learning the art of landscapes, an enthusiastic video creator or a working professional shooter, Nikon now makes the wide-angle perspective achievable for everyone.”
The AF-P DX NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR – Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens That’s Compact and Portable
The new NIKKOR 10-20mm is an ultra-wide-angle DX-format zoom lens that opens new perspectives and possibilities for those new to photography, and is ideal for shooting travel and scenery, real estate, large group portraits or vlogging. This new lens combines superior image quality and an attainable price to give consumers wide-angle versatility with a lens that’s remarkably compact and lightweight.
Like all NIKKOR lenses, the new AF-P DX NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR provides advanced optical technologies for stellar image quality in any light, whether shooting a sun-drenched coastal vista, tight spaces or the night sky. The lens features the equivalent of 3.5 stops1 of Vibration Reduction (VR) performance, to help capture sharp images while handheld or in challenging light. Additionally, it utilizes Nikon’s Pulse Motor technology for super-fast and whisper quiet AF operation- which is especially useful when recording video. The optical formula contains three aspherical elements for excellent image quality with minimal distortion even at the widest focal length.
This is a versatile lens that not only excels at shooting expansive horizons, but also offers a remarkably close working distance that’s useful for images or showing up-close details when making product-related videos or how-to content. To get closer to capture small objects with big details, the lens has a close minimum focusing distance of only 8.6 inches (0.22 meters), bringing small objects to life in glorious size.
AF-S Fisheye NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED – Circular Fisheye for Photographers and Content Creators
Nikon’s first fisheye zoom gives photographers and filmmakers an FX-format lens with the look and feel of a circular fisheye and the versatility of a full-frame fisheye, all in one lens. The new lens design provides a creative circular 180-degree vertical / horizontal angle of view on full frame cameras, and zooms to a non-circular fisheye view (180-degree diagonal angle of view) on the long end of the focal range. The lens can also be used on DX-format cameras for a distinctive point-of-view and extreme wide-angle applications. When looking to push creative boundaries, the intriguing perspective from a fisheye lens should be considered to provide a distinct look to your photos and videos, such as a dramatic emphasis on a subject or an extremely wide interior point of view.
The AF-S Fisheye NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED is also the latest in Nikon’s Gold Ring Series of premier lenses and features a next-generation design for high-resolution Nikon DSLR cameras. Made for advanced photographers and creators, this durable lens is constructed of lightweight magnesium alloy, and employs internal focusing (IF) to retain its compact size, even while focusing. It is also Nikon’s latest lens to use an electromagnetic diaphragm for consistent exposure during high speed shooting, or smooth exposure control while capturing video.
The optical formula of the Fisheye NIKKOR 8-15mm consists of three ED elements to reduce chromatic aberration, while two aspherical lens elements minimize coma even at the widest aperture, and enable a more compact lens size. Additionally, the front lens element is coated with Nikon’s non-stick Fluorine coat to help resist dirt, fingerprints and smudges, while Nikon’s exclusive Nano Crystal Coat helps reduce ghost and flare.
AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E ED – The Latest in The Gold Ring Series of f/1.4 Primes in the NIKKOR Line
The new AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E ED is Gold Ring glass that provides maximum versatility for outstanding definition and sharpness regardless of shooting scenario. With a fast f/1.4 maximum aperture and nine blade rounded diaphragm, it affords a shallow depth of field with gorgeous bokeh and stellar low light performance, making it a great choice for shooting low light landscapes, interiors and events.
The superbly balanced and solid body is composed of lightweight magnesium alloy, and features dust and water drop resistant sealing to withstand the elements, combined with a fluorine coating to resist dirt and smudges. The optical construction of the lens is engineered for the best possible wide-angle image quality. It consists of 14 elements in 11 groups, with three aspherical elements that virtually eliminate coma, aberration and distortion, with two ED glass elements that minimize chromatic aberration. The lens also uses Nikon’s Nano Crystal coat to reduce instances of ghosting and flare.
The new AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E ED is a welcome addition to Nikon’s stable of impressive f/1.4 primes that give professional photographers and creators the highest levels of image quality and performance, which also include; The AF-S 24mm f/1.4G ED, AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.4G, AF-S NIKKOR 58mm f/1.4G, AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G and AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED.
Price and Availability
The Nikon AF-S Fisheye NIKKOR 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED will be available immediately for a suggested retail price (SRP)* of $ 1249.95. The AF-P DX NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR and AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E ED will be available in late June for a suggested retail price (SRP)*, $ 309.95 and $ 1999.95, respectively. For more information on these NIKKOR lenses as well as the latest Nikon products, please visit www.nikonusa.com.
1: Based on CIPA Standard. This value is achieved when DX-format compatible lenses are attached to a DX-format digital SLR camera and zoom lenses are set at the maximum telephoto position.
*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.
| Principal specifications | |
|---|---|
| Lens type | Prime lens |
| Max Format size | 35mm FF |
| Focal length | 28 mm |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Lens mount | Nikon F (FX) |
| Aperture | |
| Maximum aperture | F1.4–16 |
| Minimum aperture | F1.4–16 |
| Aperture ring | No |
| Number of diaphragm blades | 9 |
| Optics | |
| Elements | 14 |
| Groups | 11 |
| Special elements / coatings | 3 aspherical + 2 ED element, Nano Crystal and fluorine coatings |
| Focus | |
| Minimum focus | 0.28 m (11.02″) |
| Maximum magnification | 0.17× |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Motor type | Ring-type ultrasonic |
| Full time manual | Yes |
| Focus method | Internal |
| Distance scale | No |
| DoF scale | No |
| Physical | |
| Weight | 645 g (1.42 lb) |
| Diameter | 83 mm (3.27″) |
| Length | 101 mm (3.98″) |
| Materials | Magnesium alloy |
| Sealing | Yes |
| Colour | Black |
| Filter thread | 77.0 mm |
| Tripod collar | No |
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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The Leica Summaron-M 28mm F5.6 is a curious thing – a ‘new’ M-mount version of a pancake lens originally introduced in the mid 1950s. Manufactured in limited numbers between 1955-1963, the original Summaron would have been most commonly paired with Leica’s screw-mount and (via adapters) M3 and M2 film rangefinders of the day.
So is the Summaron a collectors item best left inside its presentation box, or is this something you might actually want to shoot with?
The answer to that question is a bit complicated, and I must admit that I changed my mind a couple of times during the course of shooting for this article.
Initially, I must say I was rather skeptical. Leica lent me the Summaron ahead of a trip to Japan at the end of February, and I opted not to take it, borrowing a more practical 28mm F2.8 Elmarit instead. I enjoy vignetting as much as the next person, but I didn’t like the idea of being limited to F5.6. The fact that the Summaron arrived in a satin-lined presentation box scared me a little, too. I’m painstakingly protective of loaner gear, but accidents do happen, and the thought of accidentally losing or scratching the tiny jewel-like lens worried me. So I took the Elmarit, and I don’t regret it.
Back home though, with a few days left on the M10 loan agreement and a strong desire to get away from rain-drenched Seattle, I headed to the coast to see what the little Summaron could do.
There’s not much I can say about the Summaron’s handling, because there’s precious little lens to actually handle. As you can hopefully tell from the photographs in this article, it’s very small indeed, which means that focus and aperture rings are small, too. The focus ring features a traditional infinity lock, by way of a sprung peg that must be depressed to move the lens from its ? position.
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Whether or not you get on with this depends partly on what you’re used to. Personally I find the infinity lock a bit annoying, more so on this lens than others I’ve used with a similar design, mostly because the whole thing is so tiny. With the hood attached and the camera to my eye, there is very little tactile differentiation between the infinity release peg and the hood tightening peg. A bigger issue is that when rotating the focus ring, the one tends to get in the way of the other.
The Summaron’s aperture ring is unusual by modern standards in that it has detents only at every full stop setting, not 1/2 or 1/3. You can of course live dangerously and set intermediate positions if you want to. The M10, at least, will recognize 1/2 steps in aperture-priority mode, but be warned – in its 1/2 stop positions, the 8-bladed aperture is far from rounded – in fact it’s literally star-shaped.
Like the focus ring, the aperture ring is slim, and a little hard to find by touch when the hood is attached.
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Given that the hood also occludes a decent portion of the M10’s 0.72X viewfinder, I stopped using it pretty quickly, except when it was very obviously going to be necessary. Flare isn’t enough of a risk to require it most of the time, and ditching the hood makes the Summaron’s aperture and focus rings easier to manipulate.
Of course this is mitigated somewhat by the fact that when the lens is used at a small aperture and its corresponding hyperfocal focusing distance, there is very little need to actually adjust anything.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Leica’s new Summaron 28mm F5.6 is an incredibly slim pancake lens, originally sold in the 1950s, and recently re-released in M-mount. Does it make sense in 2017?
Check out our gallery of sample images, and watch this space for a shooting report, coming in the next few days.
View our gallery of sample images
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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‘Get closer’ is photo advice that the Canon EF-M 28mm F3.5 takes to heart. It can achieve focus as close as 9.4cm/3.7in, and brings a couple of built-in LEDs to the party to brighten things up. It’s not perfect, but it’s priced attractively and if you’re a Canon EOS M shooter then we think this little lens is a great way to experiment with macro photography. Read more of our impressions on using it and take a look at a full gallery of samples.
Canon EF-M 28mm F3.5 Macro IS STM real-world samples
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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This is the Canon EF-M 28mm F3.5 Macro IS STM. It is a compact, light weight, close-focusing lens designed exclusively for Canon’s EOS M lineup. It’s image-stabilized and uses a quiet stepping motor mechanism for autofocus. It’s priced at $ 299.
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| The lens comes with a removable cover for the front |
$ 299 places it below a majority of macro primes for cost. However, the Nikon Micro?Nikkor 40mm F2.8 does still beat it out in price by around $ 50, and is 2/3-stop brighter.
All the trump cards held by the Micro-Nikkor fold when other features of the EF-M 28mm Macro are brought in to consideration, though. First, even though it is a wider FOV lens, its nearest focus distance is 3.7″, nearly 3″ closer than the Micro-Nikkor. Even taking the slightly longer field of view of the Micro-Nikkor in to account, the Canon is able to achieve a 1.2x magnification in “Super Macro” mode over the Nikkor’s 1x magnification.
When working at such diminutive focus distances, there’s an inherent issue that many experienced macro photographers have learned to work around. The camera, lens, and sometimes even photographer start blocking light from the itty bitty subject. To get around this, macro photographers will use specialized lights, typically ring lights mounted to the filter thread.
Canon has gone the extra mile (inch?) and included a pair of LED lights (hidden under their cover in this shot) mounted on the left and right hand side of the front of the lens, diffused by a clear white ring, eliminating the additional requirement of a macro light kit for those extreme close-ups.
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3.7″ is quite an extreme working distance, and this means a maximum reproduction ratio of 1.2x in ‘Super Macro’ mode. Image stabilization is included and is effective for shooting in a wide range of scenarios, although for the extreme close-ups it’s better left switched off and replaced with a tripod.
A subject at minimum focus distance illuminated by the two LED’s together receives about 8.9 EV illumination in normal macro and 9.1 EV in super macro mode when measured with an incident light meter. The lights have two levels of brightness, and are switched on via a button on the lens barrel. Both come on with a single press, and a press and hold switches to one light only. Sadly, there’s no ability to have just one LED on at full brightness and the other dimmed. They’re either both on at the same power level, or illuminated independently.
The lightweight construction and STM focus motor also help this lens focus reasonably quickly, especially when compared to the painfully slow-focusing macro lenses of yore. It isn’t as fast as some of the quickest we’ve seen, but does very well, especially considering how close its MFD is.
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By itself, this lens weighs 130 grams, making it so light Canon boasts about the 28mm F3.5 being the ‘world’s lightest autofocus macro lens for an ILC system.’ When mounted to the EOS M3 the total weight is a featherweight 492 grams, exemplifying the lightness and convenience benefit of mirrorless systems compared to DSLRs. By comparison, a Nikon D5500 body weighs 420 grams. Add another 235 grams for the 40mm Micro lens, then another 200+ for an LED macro light kit, and the total comes out to 855 grams, or nearly double the weight of the Canon kit.
This diminutive size means weight can also be saved when making a tripod selection, as long as it is sturdy enough for work that is incredibly sensitive to vibrations.
Less weight means less fatigue and more reasons to bring the camera on location.
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This graph shows the maximum resolution (as a percent of Nyquist) attained by our copy of the lens at various apertures. It uses MTF-10 criteria, which is a measure of the finest detail that can be resolved with at least 10% contrast. If that sounds complicated, just keep in mind this figure is well correlated to total resolution, though isn’t as great a representation of perceived sharpness, which correlates more with MTF-50 measurements (more on that on the next slide).
Our results here show that center resolution peaks at 80% the linear resolution that can be theoretically attained, at F5.6 – a decent result. If this were resolved across the frame, you’d get about a 16MP image from this 24MP sensor. Of course it’s not, but corners aren’t too far behind, at 67% by F6.3. Not bad when you consider the higher resolving power demands placed on the lens by the smaller APS-C sensor… but what about perceived sharpness?
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The MTF-50 result – better correlated with perceived sharpness – tells a slightly different story, indicating only around 875 line pairs per picture height resolved, which translates to ~4.6MP, or 19% of the total sensor resolution. It’s not a terrible result, but does indicate that while the lens resolves a lot of detail, it doesn’t quite maintain as much contrast as a higher performing lens might. This is no surprise, given the lens’ size, weight, and price.
While performance isn’t state of the art in terms of macro lenses (the Sony FE 90mm F2.8 deserves a shout out here), it does a good job throughout the aperture range, with good field uniformity, and fair ability to resolve fine detail, particularly when you factor in the disadvantages of the smaller APS-C sensor (which places high demands on lens’ resolving power). It doesn’t have L-series levels of contrast and perceived sharpness – but we wouldn’t expect it to.
See our gallery for a set of infinity shots to see how this tiny macro resolves real-world detail on a flat plane.
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The EOS M3’s articulating touch screen is great for close-up work when using this lens. It takes a lot of strain out of working low when one doesn’t need to peer through a viewfinder or crouch low to see the screen. Magnifying the image for focus checking also works brilliantly on the M3. There’s no pixel binning or frame rate drops in 100% magnification mode, which helps the touch-enabled panning function to operate quickly and smoothly, helping ensure the narrow focus plane is placed exactly where you want it.
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| Even club soda can make an interesting photo when shooting this close |
Or rather, it can be used creatively. 1.2x magnification means that objects are 1.2 times their actual size on the sensor plane. This means objects, details or textures can completely fill the frame, creating wonderful abstract shots that aren’t usually possible without a fair bit of kit. Combine this ability with a set up that is easily carried around and opportunities for interesting shots begin to pop up everywhere, as it offers a whole new view on the seemingly mundane.
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| This image was taken with just the built-in LED lights for illumination, and was cropped and brightened in post. |
Well, for $ 300, expecting absolute perfection is unrealistic, especially in the photo world.
First, it isn’t the sharpest lens out there. It’s pretty good, but in the macro world there are better options. That said, none of them have those lovely lights and will probably cost more.
The lights and image stabilization aren’t powerful enough to make this a hand-holdable macro, so don’t make the mistake of expecting that. The handheld spider shot above illustrates the pitfalls of lighting exclusively with the on board LEDs.
First, the light cast by the LEDs isn’t particularly intense. It’s bright enough to light subjects at minimum focus distance outdoors, but only when its overcast. Any direct sunlight will overpower the light and will make the lens’ shadow very obvious. By itself, the light needs to be combined with a tripod, and should be thought of as a way to avoid the complications of a ring light system (batteries, cables, etc) instead of an all-purpose fill light.
Second, when working with a high reproduction ratio, depth of field is inherently incredibly shallow. The LED lights aren’t bright enough to allow for stopping down for deep depth of field while shooting handheld in dim ambient light.
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| Using a narrow aperture can achieve deep depth of field when close focusing, but diffraction will decrease sharpness, as can be seen in this shot at F18. |
It is important to remember that shallow depth of field is a challenge with all macro lenses. One way to get around that issue is by focus stacking. There are many software solutions to focus stacking, and Olympus has even gone as far as to include it as an automatic function in some of its cameras. One can only hope Canon does eventually as well.
The only other gripe is with the lights and their configuration. It would be nice to be able to rotate the lights 90 degrees for a sort of “clamshell” lighting instead of being stuck with the “copystand” lighting constantly, or to be able to have them configured either way regardless of wether the camera is being used in portrait or landscape orientation.
As a standard lens, it performs fine in normal working distances, but vignetting is strong wide-open, making the EF-M 22 F2 a better general use prime lens if you don’t need the macro performance.
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| This image used a combination of the built-in lights and a back lit semi-transparent surface |
For beginners looking to shoot macro, the EF-M 28mm F3.5 Macro is a great place to start. Its close focus abilities mean it has a wide range of macro use cases, and the built-in LEDs mean one doesn’t have to budget for a set of lights when just getting started. It’s a great starting point for learning the challenges and pitfalls of macro photography, and will produce great results when applying those lessons.
Click here to see our Canon EF-M 28mm F3.5 Macro Sample Gallery
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Canon is introducing the first macro lens for its EF-M mount. The EF-M 28mm F3.5 Macro IS STM provides two user-controllable built-in LED macro lights and offers true 1:1 reproduction along with a 1.2x super macro mode.
The EF-M 28mm is just the fifth lens for its EOS M system and will provide a 45mm equiv. angle of view on the mirrorless crop-frame bodies. It uses an STM motor and offers a hybrid image stabilization for a claimed 3.5 stop compensation. Shipping in June, it will cost $ 299.99.
Press release:
MELVILLE, N.Y., May 11, 2016 –Spring is all about having the right look and Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is giving photographers of all levels two new options that can improve their creativity and versatility; the Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT flash and the Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens.
Photographers looking to take rapid-fire flash images will appreciate the improved recycling time in the new Canon Speedlite-600EX II-RT flash. Those looking to explore the world of macro photography will appreciate the stylish compact look of the new Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens, the first EF-M Macro Lens for the Canon EOS M Camera System, which features Image Stabilization and a pair of built-in miniature Macro Lites to enhance image quality during close-up photography.
The Speedlite 600EX II-RT flash is compatible with most EOS cameras. It replaces Canon’s top-of-the-line Speedlite 600EX-RT, and improves recycling time by approximately 1.1 to 1.5 times* during continuous flash shooting when using AA batteries and up to 2 times* when adding the new optional Compact Battery Pack CP-E4N.
Additional Speedlite 600EX II-RT flash features include:
Photographers looking for a compact, lightweight macro lens should look no further than the Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens, the first Canon Macro Lens specifically designed for the EOS M Camera System.
The new lens features a pair of built-in miniature Macro Lite electronic flash units that illuminate close-up subjects as needed, helping to freeze movement, enhance color accuracy and provide a better sense of depth and dimension. Two curved flash units surround the front element of the lens, with the ability to illuminate both simultaneously, or one at a time. Users are also able to adjust the brightness of the Macro Lites between “bright” and “dim” settings.
The standard focusing range of the Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens extends from infinity to life-size (1 time). Additionally, a Super Macro Mode allows shooting at even higher magnifications up to 1.2 times. This feature allows you to capture smaller details that really make your subjects stand out against the background.
Additional features of the Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens include:
The Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT electronic flash unit is scheduled to be available through authorized Canon dealers in June 2016 for an estimated retail price of $ 579.991. Canon’s EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens is scheduled to be available through authorized Canon dealers in June for an estimated retail price of $ 299.991.
1 Availability, pricing and specifications are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.
* Based on Canon’s standards. As compared to the Speedlite 600EX-RT.
** Among autofocus lenses for interchangeable lens cameras. As of May 11, 2016, based on Canon’s research.
| Principal specifications | |
|---|---|
| Lens type | Prime lens |
| Max Format size | APS-C / DX |
| Image stabilisation | Yes (3.5 stops) |
| Lens mount | Canon EF-M |
| Aperture | |
| Aperture ring | No |
| Optics | |
| Elements | 11 |
| Groups | 10 |
| Special elements / coatings | One UD and two aspherical elements |
| Focus | |
| Minimum focus | 0.09 m (3.54″) |
| Maximum magnification | 1.2× |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Motor type | Stepper motor |
| Full time manual | Yes |
| Focus method | Extending front |
| Distance scale | No |
| DoF scale | No |
| Physical | |
| Weight | 130 g (0.29 lb) |
| Diameter | 61 mm (2.4″) |
| Length | 46 mm (1.79″) |
| Sealing | No |
| Colour | Graphite |
| Hood supplied | Yes |
| Hood product code | ES-22 |
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Fujifilm has announced the X70, a fixed-lens compact camera designed in the spirit of the company’s X100-series.
The X70 takes the design of the X100, shrinks it down, and adds a 28mm equivalent F2.8 lens (compared to the 35mm equiv. F2 optics on the X100). The cool hybrid viewfinder from the X100 is gone, but in exchange users get Fujifilm’s first touchscreen LCD (3″ in size), which can also tilt 180 degrees. The X70 has direct controls for aperture, shutter speed and exposure compensation, just like its big brother.
The guts of the camera are similar to that of the X-T10, meaning that the X70 has a 16.3MP X-Trans CMOS II sensor and Hybrid AF system. The AF system offers 49 points in single-point mode and 77 in zone and wide/tracking modes. The lens itself has nine rounded aperture blades and a minimum focus distance of 10cm. The mechanical shutter stops at 1/4000 sec but the electronic shutter goes all the way to 1/32000 sec.
The X70 has a standard ISO range of 200-6400, which expands to 100-51200. It can shoot continuously at 8 frames per second, though only for ten photos. Naturally, it has the full set of Film Simulation Modes, save for the new ACROS mode on the X-Pro2. Video can be recorded at 1080/60p, with a maximum bitrate of 36Mbps. As one would expect, the X70 also has built-in Wi-Fi with remote control from your smartphone.
The X70 will be available in all-black or silver and black in February at a price of $ 699.95.
Online resellers are selling the X70 for $ 799 – Fujifilm tells us that the $ 699 price in the press release is indeed correct.
X-Pro2, X-E2S, X70 and XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR join the X-Series; all-weather FinePix XP90 gets the shot from sand to slopes
Valhalla, N.Y., January 14, 2016 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation, a leader in digital imaging, today announced new additions to the award-winning X-Series line of premium fixed and mirrorless cameras, and ultra-high quality lenses, including: the FUJIFILM X-Pro2, FUJIFILM X-E2S, FUJIFILM X70 and FUJINON XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR. Fujifilm also introduced the new rugged and waterproof FinePix XP90, perfect for capturing amazing images everywhere, from underwater to mountain tops.
The FUJIFILM X70 is a newly designed premium fixed lens digital camera that features a FUJINON 18.5mmF2.8 lens (28mm in 35mm format equivalent), suitable for a range of applications from landscapes to everyday snapshots. The new X70 elegantly combines simple manual operation with superior image quality and versatile picture-taking functions, and is the first X-Series camera to offer a touchscreen display that rotates 180 degrees, enabling users to shoot from up high, down low and capture selfies.
The compact FUJIFILM X70 uses a 16.3MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS II Sensor for extraordinary image resolution, and gives photographers milled aluminum dial controls, as well as aperture settings in 1/3 stop increments, and the new Auto Mode Switch lever for selecting its fully automatic Advanced SR Auto mode. In this mode, the camera automatically chooses the optimum settings for great results on any scene.
The new FUJIFILM X70 features a responsive touchscreen – a first for the X-Series. Now, photo enthusiasts can use the Touch Panel for operations during shooting and playback modes. For shooting, users can select their focus area and touch-to-shoot. During playback, users can swipe their finger to scroll through images, double-tab to enlarge images, and drag to view different points on the picture, and pinch-out and pinch-in to enlarge and reduce the image view.
Users can also disable the touchscreen functions at any time by turning the Touch Panel Settings to “off.”
FUJIFILM X70 key features:
The FUJIFILM X70 will be available in February 2016 for USD $ 699.95 and CAD $ 899.99.
| Price | |
|---|---|
| MSRP | $ 799/£549 |
| Body type | |
| Body type | Large sensor compact |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 4896 x 3264 |
| Other resolutions | 3:2 (3456 x 2304, 2496 x 1664), 16:9 (4896 x 2760, 3456 x 1944, 2496 x 1408), 1:1 (3264 x 3264, 2304 x 2304, 1664 x 1664) |
| Image ratio w:h | 1:1, 3:2, 16:9 |
| Effective pixels | 16 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 17 megapixels |
| Sensor size | APS-C (23.6 x 15.6 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Processor | EXR Processor II |
| Color space | sRGB |
| Color filter array | X-Trans |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, 200-6400 (expandable to 100-51200) |
| Boosted ISO (minimum) | 100 |
| Boosted ISO (maximum) | 51200 |
| White balance presets | 7 |
| Custom white balance | Yes |
| Image stabilization | Unknown |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| JPEG quality levels | Fine, standard |
| File format |
|
| Optics & Focus | |
| Maximum aperture | F2.8 – F16.0 |
| Autofocus |
|
| Autofocus assist lamp | Yes |
| Digital zoom | Yes (35mm, 50mm digital teleconverter) |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Normal focus range | 10 cm (3.94″) |
| Number of focus points | 77 |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Tilting |
| Screen size | 3″ |
| Screen dots | 1,040,000 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Screen type | TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | None |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed (electronic) | 1/32000 sec |
| Exposure modes |
|
| Built-in flash | Yes |
| Flash range | 7.90 m (at ISO 1600 (5.5m at ISO 100)) |
| External flash | Yes |
| Flash modes | Auto, Forced Flash, Slow Synchro , Suppressed Flash, Commander |
| Drive modes |
|
| Continuous drive | 8.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs) |
| Metering modes |
|
| Exposure compensation | ±3 (at 1/3 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | ±1 (at 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps) |
| WB Bracketing | Yes |
| Videography features | |
| Resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p) |
| Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Microphone | None |
| Speaker | None |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| HDMI | Yes (micro-HDMI) |
| Microphone port | No |
| Headphone port | No |
| Wireless | Built-In |
| Wireless notes | 802.11b/g/n |
| Remote control | Yes (Wired or via smartphone) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | No |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | NP-95 lithium-ion battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 330 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 340 g (0.75 lb / 11.99 oz) |
| Dimensions | 113 x 64 x 44 mm (4.45 x 2.52 x 1.73″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| Timelapse recording | Yes |
| GPS | None |
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)