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Posts Tagged ‘Announced’

Leica S3 Announced, a Medium Format DSLR With 64 MP

13 Mar

The post Leica S3 Announced, a Medium Format DSLR With 64 MP appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

leica s3 announced

Last week, Leica announced the S3, a medium-format DSLR that packs a whopping 64 megapixels and replaces the Leica S2.

This update is a long-time coming – the Leica S2 debuted way back in 2008 – and the new Leica S3 is looking to be a powerhouse of a camera.

But what does this new high-end DSLR include?

First, you get rugged build-quality and weather sealing, all packed into a DSLR-type form factor. If you’re never used a Leica camera before, you’ll be impressed by how sleek the S3 appears; rather than the usual “brick” you get from Canon and Nikon DSLRs, the S3 is a combination of stylish curves and lines.

You also get a Leica Pro Format sensor, sporting 64 megapixels (up from a 37.5-megapixel sensor in the S2). Of course, 64 megapixels is an exciting specification on its own, offering a resolution beyond anything currently available in the 35mm DSLR world. But when combined with Leica’s 30x45mm Pro Format sensor, the S3 is bound to offer sumptuous image quality, even in low light and at high ISOs.

Another bonus:

Leica offers an excellent lens selection. This includes 16 native Leica lenses, as well as a number of adaptable lenses from the likes of Hasselblad and more.

Leica S3 lens selection

And let’s not forget about the Cinema 4K at 24 fps, in case you’re looking to bring that incredible image quality over to the video arena.

The main drawbacks to a medium format camera like the S3 are image size and shooting speed. As expected, the Leica S3 struggles in both of these areas; the 64 MP images produced are going to be huge, and will limit burst shooting to just 3 frames per second.

You also have to contend with a ridiculously high price, one that’s far out of the average photographer’s (and the average professional’s) price range. In this case, it’s just under $ 19,000 USD, and that’s for the body only. If you want a compatible lens, you’ll need to shell out another $ 5000+ USD.

For those who can afford it, the Leica S3 will likely come available in late March.

What do you think of the Leica S3? Do you wish you could use it? Or are you content with the 35mm camera market? Let me know in the comments!

The post Leica S3 Announced, a Medium Format DSLR With 64 MP appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Our Two Tamron Contest Winners Announced

21 Feb

The post Our Two Tamron Contest Winners Announced appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Our Two Tamron Contest Winners Announced

The Winners of the Tamron 100-400mm (model A035) in winner’s choice of Canon or Nikon mount, and a Tamron SP 35mm (model F012) in winner’s choice of Canon or Nikon mount are…

A HUGE Thank You to everyone who entered our recent contest from our friends at Tamron.

Yet again, the response was AMAZING with thousands of shares and over 500 entries! But now…onto the winners! Drum roll please, and the winners are:

Grand Prize

Image: Tamron 100-400mm Di VC USD

Tamron 100-400mm Di VC USD

The grand prize winner is:

Laurel H.

Tamron 100-400mm Di VC USD Ultra Telephoto Zoom Lens – Value $ 799.

Winner’s choice of Canon or Nikon mount.

 

Second Prize

Image: Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD

Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD

Second Prize Winner is:

Mitzi H.

Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD SP Series 35mm lens produces stunning high-resolution quality across a wide range of focusing distances – Value $ 599. Winner’s choice of Canon or Nikon mount.

 

We were all thrilled with the entries! You tugged at our heartstrings, made us laugh, and made us smile. But most importantly, you made us keep wanting to do more of what we are doing – providing you quality information and guidance to become a better photographer.

We were so pleased to see that you came from every part of the world – young adults to grandparents, and everyone in between. Thank you all for your entries!

Winner’s entries

Here are the posts from the winners of the Tamron 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD, and Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD, respectively.

Laurel

Wow! What a great lens! I would love to win a new lens like this. Over the past ten years, as my skills have greatly improved, I have upgraded my DSLR three times. I need to replace my aging 50-500 telezoom with a faster, more responsive AF lens with vibration compensation. Sadly, at this time, I cannot afford it. My passion and dedicated hobby is bird photography in all seasons. I love sharing the bird photos with my homebound parent and with others.

Should I win the A035 lens, it would be a dedicated lens for bird and wildlife photography. The challenge of shooting birds, who are mostly never quite still to flight shots of raptors and hawks, requires a rapidly focusing lens to clearly focus on the bird’s rapid wing movements of the tiniest hummingbirds to the largest raptors. I have reviewed the specs of the A035, and these are the strong selling points that stand out to me: highly responsive AF, APSC format for Nikon, handheld ability, moisture resistance with leak-proof seals throughout the whole lens barrel, the eband for reducing glare and ghosting, minimum distance of 1.5m, smoother background blurring, the USB connection to update lens firmware (never had that before on a lens), f stop of 4.5-6.3, the fluorine coating on lens. I also like the detachable mount for tripod, as I do use one from time to time. I am extremely impressed by this lens’ capabilities, which far exceeds my current telezoom lens. Thank you for reading my entry.

Mitzi

After a hiatus of many years, I am re-engaging in digital photography. Going through two major life transitions has pulled me back to my camera: I got sober in early 2016 and entered long-term alcohol recovery, and my Dad, an avid photographer for his whole life, developed ALS/MND in late 2016 and died in mid-2017 after a terrifyingly fast progression.

Something about these events made me want to get behind the lens again. The combination of the technical and creative aspects of photography helps with recovery (substance, as well as trauma/grief) by giving my brain something new and demanding to do, and the process makes me feel closer to my Dad.

Having a fast 35mm prime for my full-frame DSLR is a dream of mine. Travel and street photography are highest on my list of interests, and the ability to give context even to close shots would be fantastic. In this new stage of shooting, I find that I want to get close to my subjects more often than not (a change from my earlier days, when I loved to zoom), and the close focus distance would be brilliant for that. As well, my family has started a new tradition of traveling together at Christmas, and it would be so rewarding to have this lens to capture our memories for Christmas 2020. Finally, this is a new focal length for me and one that would spark new development/learning — which, as noted, I’ve discovered to be excellent therapy.

Thank you for running this contest and letting me tell these parts of my story.

Special offer for dPS readers

Our Two Tamron Contest Winners Announced

Now, for those of you that didn’t win, Tamron has invited ALL dPS readers to take advantage of their Tips and More section. You can find them here.

The winners will be emailed with details of how to collect their prizes. Please make sure to look for our email.

Thank you again for all the wonderful submissions and to Tamron for sponsoring this competition.

Tamron Rebates

For all of you residing in the USA, when you do purchase your next Tamron Lens, make sure to take advantage of the rebates* up to $ 200 off through March 1, 2020. Find additional information HERE!  

 

*Current rebate offers end March 1, 2020. US RESIDENTS ONLY.

Our Two Tamron Contest Winners Announced

About Tamron   

 

Disclaimer: Tamron is a paid partner of dPS.

 

 

The post Our Two Tamron Contest Winners Announced appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


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Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Announced With 20 MP, 60 FPS Shooting

20 Feb

The post Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Announced With 20 MP, 60 FPS Shooting appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Olympus-OM-D-E-M1-Mark-III-Announced

Earlier this month, Olympus announced their latest mirrorless camera: The OM-D E-M1 Mark III, which continues the professional E-M1 series, and promises a lightning-fast performance for the most serious of shooters.

Like Olympus’s other mirrorless options, the E-M1 Mark III sports a Micro Four Thirds sensor. This means that the E-M1 is impressively compact, as is its lens lineup. In fact, if you haven’t laid hands on a Micro Four Thirds camera, I suggest you go check one out, because the size is astonishing.

Unfortunately, a small sensor also comes with drawbacks, and in this case, they’re compounded by a 20.4 MP option that’s quite a few years old. For some reason, Olympus has insisted on including the sensor used in the E-M1 Mark II, the E-M5 Mark III, and the E-M1X, which is in serious need of an upgrade. It doesn’t offer the worst image quality out there, but Micro Four Thirds cameras struggle to compete with APS-C and full-frame rivals in this area, which isn’t helped by a sensor that’s nearly a half-decade old.

In other words, don’t expect too much in terms of dynamic range or high ISO performance.

The same complaint could be leveled at the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III electronic viewfinder, which only packs 2.36M dots and is frustratingly dated.

On the other hand, there’s a lot to like about the new E-M1 Mark III, including Olympus’s world-class in-body image stabilization (the company promises 7 stops of stabilization, which increases slightly when paired with an image-stabilized lens). This is fantastic for anyone shooting video, especially with Olympus’s longer lenses, and it’s also excellent for still shooters working in low light. Sure, Olympus’s dedication to their sensors is far from impressive, but it’s somewhat counterbalanced by the power of their IBIS.

You also get high-performing autofocus, and an insane 60 frames-per-second shooting speed (with locked AF, and using the electronic shutter). Even with autofocus, you get 18 frames-per-second continuous shooting, which rivals pretty much any pro-sports camera body out there.

Plus, as with Olympus’s other OM-D cameras, the E-M1 Mark III includes a long list of interesting features. I’m talking about things like Starry AF (designed to nail focus on stars during astrophotography), High-Res Shot (which produces 80 MP images), and Pro Capture mode, which starts capturing images before you press the shutter button so that you never miss a critical shot.

Here’s the bottom line:

There’s a lot to love about the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, even if it falls short in a number of key areas. So it’s certainly worth checking out if you’re looking for one of the most powerful-yet-compact options on the market today.

You can currently pre-order the E-M1 Mark III for $ 1799 USD; the camera will ship on February 24th.

The post Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Announced With 20 MP, 60 FPS Shooting appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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The Fujifilm X-T4 to be Announced in Early February (With IBIS)

22 Jan

The post The Fujifilm X-T4 to be Announced in Early February (With IBIS) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

 

fujifilm-x-t4-to-be-announced

It might come as a bit of a surprise, but it looks like we’re getting a Fujifilm X-T3 successor earlier than expected:

The Fujifilm X-T4.

(While the “X-T4” moniker isn’t official, we’re definitely talking about a successor to the X-T3.)

According to Fuji Rumors, the X-T4 will drop in March, with an official announcement on February 4th. This breaks the common two-year upgrade cycle that Fujifilm generally follows; the Fujifilm X-T3 was released in late September 2018, and the Fujifilm X-T2 was released just over two years prior, in early September 2016.

It’s possible that this faster upgrade indicates only minor changes between the two cameras. But I find this unlikely, given the high expectations Fujifilm has created for itself after producing the phenomenal X-T3.

So while the details are sparse, let’s talk about what we know (or suspect) will be present in the Fujifilm X-T4.

First, the most persistent rumor addresses what might be the biggest complaint regarding the X-T3:

In-body image stabilization.

The Fujifilm X-T4 will have IBIS, according to Fuji Rumors. To date, the only Fujifilm camera with IBIS is the Fujifilm X-H1, which sacrificed a compact build in order to include the IBIS tech. Hold the Fujifilm X-H1 and you get a DSLR-like experience, compared to the compact, travel-ready build of the X-T3.

Fortunately, it seems that we won’t see a Fujifilm X-H1 build for the X-T4. Instead, Fuji engineers have likely compacted the IBIS tech, so the X-T4 will feature IBIS will little-to-no increase of size.

As for other Fujifilm X-T4 features, while nothing has been confirmed, we can predict a modest upgrade in resolution (perhaps from the current 26 MP to a 28 MP or even 30 MP sensor). And we can expect at least equivalent continuous shooting speeds (30 fps with 1.25x crop, 20 fps with the electronic shutter uncropped, 11 fps with the mechanical shutter) to the X-T3, as well as dual card slots, impressive autofocus, and (maybe) a fully-articulating touchscreen.

There’s also a possibility of 6K/60p video, which would be a clear step up from the 4K/60p offered by the X-T3.

Regardless, we don’t have long to wait.

So keep your eye out for further updates on the X-T4, which is bound to be an incredible addition to Fujifilm’s already-formidable APS-C mirrorless lineup.

The post The Fujifilm X-T4 to be Announced in Early February (With IBIS) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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The Canon 1D X Mark III Is Officially Announced, With 20 FPS and a New Processor

13 Jan

The post The Canon 1D X Mark III Is Officially Announced, With 20 FPS and a New Processor appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

 

dps-canon-1dx-mark-iii-announced

Well, it’s finally here:

The Canon 1D X Mark III – the camera that wildlife and sports photographers have been waiting for, and that will rival the upcoming Nikon D6 just in time for the Summer Olympics.

The Canon 1D X line is far out of the price range of most photographers. Yet it still inspires constant discussion. Probably because it shows the peak of 35mm photography and, most importantly, what Canon can do when it really lets loose.

So what does this action photography powerhouse include?

As expected, the Canon 1D X Mark III will feature a new full-frame Canon sensor, though the 20.1 megapixels of resolution is almost identical to that of the 20.2 megapixel Canon 1D X Mark II. This is hopefully a sign that Canon has made great strides in low light performance (and Canon’s website claims that the 1D X Mark II offers “even better high-ISO image quality that the previous version”).

The Canon 1D X Mark II was a top-of-the-line low light performer, which means that the Canon 1D X Mark III has a lot to live up to; if Canon has actually managed to improve low light performance, the 1D X Mark III’s high-ISO capabilities will be truly impressive.

The Canon 1D X Mark III Is Officially Announced, With 20 FPS and a New Processor

Also new in the 1D X Mark III is the processor, Canon’s DIGIC X. With the DIGIC X, you’ll be able to shoot at 16 frames per second using the optical viewfinder and 20 frames per second in Live View. Of course, these speeds are useless without a capable AF system, but Canon promises great strides in that area, too. The 1D X Mark III will feature a 191-point AF system that can “follow subjects across the…AF array like no EOS DSLR before it.” This should certainly please sports photographers, and wildlife photographers, too.

Live View autofocus is an area where Canon has repeatedly managed to stand out, and it looks like the 1D X Mark III should continue this trend. The camera body includes Canon’s famed Dual Pixel AF, with Eye Detect AF and 525 AF zones.

Also included in the Canon 1D X Mark III are dual CFexpress card slots, a 1000 RAW image buffer, a 2850-photo battery life, and impressive video capabilities (UHD 4k video at 60p).

So if you’re a professional sports or wildlife photographer looking for the next flagship camera, or you’re really looking to take your action photography to the next level and you have a limitless budget, then take a look at the Canon 1D X Mark III. The camera will drop in February for $ 6499 USD, and is currently available for preorder.

The post The Canon 1D X Mark III Is Officially Announced, With 20 FPS and a New Processor appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Nikon has Announced the D780, an Update to the Hugely Popular D750

09 Jan

The post Nikon has Announced the D780, an Update to the Hugely Popular D750 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

nikon-d780-announced

If you’re an enthusiast photographer wedded to your Nikon DSLR, then you’re in luck.

Because Nikon has just announced a new DSLR, dropping at the end of January:

The D780.

The Nikon D780 comes as a long-awaited upgrade to the Nikon D750, a powerhouse camera that packed a full-frame sensor into an affordable body. The D750 offered full HD video at 60p, excellent low light performance, impressive autofocus, dual card slots, and a tilting LCD, features that won over a slew of photographers back in 2014.

But can the Nikon D780 build off of the D750’s success? And what can a new midrange DSLR offer in a world where DSLRs are becoming less and less valued?

In some ways, the D780 doesn’t seem like a big step up from the D750; it offers a full-frame sensor with 24.5 megapixels (compared to the D750’s 24.3-megapixel sensor), a 51-point AF system with 15 cross-type points (specs that are identical to the D750’s AF system, though the D780 packs the D5’s focusing algorithm), and 7 frames-per-second shooting (compared to the 6.5 fps on the D750).

But in other ways, the D780 more than lives up to expectations. While the megapixel count is nearly identical to the D750’s, the sensor itself is borrowed from the Z6, one of Nikon’s two full-frame mirrorless offerings, and an impressive camera in its own right. This means we can expect a jump in ISO performance, which should excite Nikonians who often find themselves shooting in low light.

We can also expect significantly improved Live View autofocus, given that Nikon has imported the D780’s 278-point Live View AF straight from the Z6.

Nikon has Announced the D780, an Update to the Hugely Popular D750

Not to mention the enhanced video performance on the D780: with 4K video at 30p with a full pixel readout, full HD video at 120p and 60p, and features such as focus peaking, this is the most powerful Nikon DSLR for videographers to date.

So if you’re an enthusiast photographer who is looking to upgrade to full-frame, or you’re simply looking for a great full-frame option, then the Nikon D780 is worth a look.

It will begin shipping at the end of January for $ 2300 USD (or $ 2800 with a Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G lens).

The post Nikon has Announced the D780, an Update to the Hugely Popular D750 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Sony has announced it’s reorganizing and renaming its image sensor business

30 Sep

Sony has announced it’s reorganizing its image sensor business and giving new titles to various management positions tomorrow, October 1, 2019.

In a press release, Sony notes its ‘Imaging & Sensing Solutions’ is being reorganized to ‘Corporate IS Department.’ Sony has also streamlined its research and development (R&D) organizations by combining the divisions within each of the three R&D organizations: Application Technology Development, System and Platform Technology Development, and Fundamental Technology Research and development.

The section of the press release detailing the ‘Organizational Reforms’ within Sony’s image sensor business.

With the reorganized structure comes new titles for multiple division heads and Senior Vice President Makoto Toyoda.

The section of the press release detailing the ‘Personnel Appointments’ within Sony’s image sensor business.

No answer is given as to why the changes are being made and what they could mean for consumers, but it’s something we’ll be keeping an eye on.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Blackmagic RAW 1.5 adds Adobe and Avid support, two new Blackmagic Video Assist 12G units also announced

15 Sep

Blackmagic has announced a number of new products and updates at IBC 2019, but two particular announcements stand out: the introduction of Blackmagic RAW 1.5 and the Blackmagic Video Assist 12G.

Blackmagic RAW 1.5 is a new software update that adds support, via plug-ins, for working with Blackmagic RAW video files directly inside Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer, negating the need to transcode files and rely on proxies to edit footage. The update also includes a new version of Blackmagic RAW Speed test that’s compatible with Linux and Windows computer; until now, it was only available for macOS.

The Blackmagic RAW 1.5 update is currently available to download from Blackmagic’s website (under the ‘Latest Downloads’ section halfway down on the page)

Blackmagic also announced the Blackmagic Video Assist 12G, an update to its Video Assist 4K monitor-recorder that includes a brighter HDR screen, built-in scopes, 12G-SDI connectivity and support for recording to external disks over USB-C.

The Blackmagic Video Assist 12G is offered in 5in and 7in models, both of which feature 2500 nit touchscreen LCD displays with wide color gamuts to show Rec. 2020 and Rec 709 colorspaces. Both models include 12G-SDI connections, analog inputs for audio, USB-C external disk recording, dual battery slots for Sony L-Series batteries and headphone output for monitoring audio. Other features include four built-in scopes, tally indicators, enhanced focus assist features and 3D LUTS.

The only difference between the units, aside from size, is the 7in model features dual UHS-II SD card slots, compared to the single SD card slot on the 5in model. These SD card slots are hot-swappable, meaning you can remove and add storage even while recording, making it possible to shoot longer videos without the need to stop and start.

Connections on the device include two S12G-SDI ports, two HDMI ports, two Mini XLR inputs, a USB-C port on the base and a locking 12V DC power connection.

The 5in and 7in Blackmagic Video Assist 12G units will be available in September 2019 for $ 495 and $ 795, respectively, from authorized resellers.

Press releases:

Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic RAW 1.5

IBC 2019, Amsterdam, Netherlands – September 13, 2019 – Blackmagic Design today announced Blackmagic RAW 1.5 a new software update with support for Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer, plus Blackmagic RAW Speed test for Mac, PC and Linux, so customers can work on a wider range of platforms and editing software with their Blackmagic RAW files. Blackmagic RAW 1.5 is available for download now from the Blackmagic Design web site.

Blackmagic RAW 1.5 will be demonstrated on the Blackmagic Design IBC 2019 booth #7.B45.

The new Blackmagic RAW 1.5 update includes Blackmagic RAW Speed Test which is now available on Windows and Linux for the first time. Blackmagic RAW Speed Test is a CPU and GPU benchmarking tool for testing the speed of decoding full resolution Blackmagic RAW frames on their system. Multiple CPU cores and GPUs are automatically detected and used during the test so that customers get accurate and realistic results. Simply select Blackmagic RAW constant bitrate 3:1, 5:1, 8:1 or 12:1 and the desired resolution to perform the test. Results are displayed in an easy to read table that shows how many frames per second the computer can decode for all supported resolutions.

Editors working in Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer can now work with Blackmagic RAW files using the free plug-ins found in Blackmagic RAW 1.5. These new plug-ins enable editors to work with Blackmagic RAW directly, so they no longer have to transcode files. That means camera original Blackmagic RAW files can be used throughout the entire workflow. There is no longer a need to create proxy files and conform edits for finishing. These plug-ins bring the quality of RAW in small, modern, GPU and CPU accelerated files that are faster and easier to work with than any other video format.

Best of all, when projects are moved from Premiere Pro or Media Composer into DaVinci Resolve for color correction and finishing, all of the camera RAW metadata and image quality is still there.

“Blackmagic RAW is now available for editors working on all major professional NLEs,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “It’s exciting because you can now edit native Blackmagic RAW files in Premiere Pro and Media Composer and then finish them in DaVinci Resolve without needing to create proxy files, all without ever losing quality!”

Blackmagic RAW 1.5 Features

  • Includes Blackmagic RAW Speed Test for Mac, Windows and Linux.
  • Adds support for Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer.
  • Performance improvements and minor bug fixes.

Availability and Price

Blackmagic RAW 1.5 is available now for download from the Blackmagic Design web site.

Blackmagic Design Announces New Blackmagic Video Assist 12G

IBC 2019, Amsterdam, Netherlands – Friday, 13 September 2019 – Blackmagic Design today announced Blackmagic Video Assist 12G which are new models of the company’s popular combined monitoring and recording solutions. These new models feature brighter HDR screens, built-in scopes, upgraded batteries, 12G-SDI and much more. Blackmagic Video Assist 12G will be available in September 2019 from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide from US$ 795.

The new Blackmagic Video Assist 12G HDR adds professional monitoring and recording to any SDI or HDMI camera in all HD, Ultra HD, 2K and 4K DCI formats. The new improved design includes innovations such as brighter screens for HDR work, tally indicator, 4 built-in scopes, enhanced focus assist features, 3D LUTs and native Blackmagic RAW recording from supported cameras. With 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 on both 5″ and 7″ models, customers get support for recording from virtually any device in all formats up to 2160p60. A brighter touch screen ensures a better view of their recording when shooting HDR digital film, or when shooting outdoors in sunlight. The new design also features upgraded batteries and supports two standard Sony L-Series batteries. This means Blackmagic Video Assist 12G is incredibly versatile and is the perfect solution for the next generation of digital cinema shoots, live production mastering, broadcast testing and measurement.

There are two models of Blackmagic Video Assist 12G, with each model including an innovative touch screen user interface with deck controls, as well as a large screen to view recordings. The Blackmagic Video Assist 7″ 12G model also includes 2 media slots, while both the 5″ and 7″ models include 12G-SDI for high frame rate Ultra HD, analog inputs for audio, USB-C external disk recording, plus a front panel speaker and side-mounted headphone jack. Customers also get 2 rear battery slots for mounting Sony L-Series batteries, so customers have enough power for the brighter HDR screens and higher speed Ultra HD electronics. A 12v universal power supply is included for studio or on-location use.

Blackmagic Video Assist 12G HDR is an ideal upgrade for cameras, as it’s super bright 2500nit display is bigger than the tiny displays found on consumer cameras, plus users are also adding professional focus assist features and better quality file formats. Video Assist is also a great solution for professional cameras because customers can use it to upgrade older broadcast cameras to modern file formats used on the latest editing software. No matter what editing software customers use, Video Assist lets customers support them all, as customers can record in Apple ProRes, Avid DNx and Blackmagic RAW. With both HDMI and 12G-SDI inputs customers can connect it to any consumer camera, broadcast camera or even DSLR cameras. Then, on supported cameras, customers can even upgrade to RAW style workflows with Blackmagic RAW.

The innovative touchscreen LCD user interface provides incredible control. On-screen, there are dedicated buttons for play, stop and record, plus a mini timeline for scrolling through their recordings. Customers can even image swipe to jog. The LCD includes a heads up display of timecode, video standard, media status as well as audio meters. Scopes can be enabled via the touch screen as well as focus and exposure assist. Plus customers can load and save 3D LUTs.

Video Assist uses commonly available SD card media, so customers can record to flash memory cards that are easy to obtain. The files are small enough to allow long recordings on standard SD cards or the faster UHS-II cards. The larger Video Assist 12G 7″ model even includes 2 SD card slots so customers can swap out any full cards even during recording, allowing infinite length recording. Standard SD cards or the faster UHS-II cards are perfect for broadcast because they are small, high speed and affordable.

If recording to other media types is required, then the USB-C Expansion port lets customers plug in an external flash disk for recording. Imagine adding a Blackmagic MultiDock 10G for easy SSD compatibility with other recorders such as Blackmagic HyperDeck models. Customers even get on-screen menus for managing external disks using the touch screen.

Video Assist features a wide range of video and audio connections such as multi-rate 12G-SDI for SD, HD, and Ultra HD SDI devices. HDMI is included for HDMI cameras and monitoring to consumer televisions and video projectors. The 7-inch model features Mini XLR inputs which are provided for audio input from microphones and external audio mixers. Video Assist even includes a 12V DC power connection with locking power connector.

Customers will be ready for the latest HDR workflows with support for the latest HDR standards and an extremely bright screen with a wide color gamut. Plus the high brightness screen makes outdoor shooting in bright sunlight possible. The built-in scopes even change to HDR scopes when working in HDR formats. Files are tagged with the correct HDR information then SDI and HDMI inputs will also automatically detect HDR video standards. Static metadata PQ and HLG formats are handled according to the ST2084 standard. The bright LCD has a wider color gamut so it can handle both Rec. 2020 and Rec. 709 colorspaces. The built-in Video Assist LCD color gamut can even handle 100% of the DCI-P3 format.

Video Assist features full internal waveform monitoring so customers can ensure compliance to broadcast standards and it also works great as a portable waveform monitoring solution. The waveform display provides a traditional luminance (brightness) levels view of the video inputs or the playback signal. The vectorscope display allows customers to see the intensity of color at 100% SDI reference levels. Customers also get an RGB parade display which is ideal for color correction and checking for illegal levels. Histogram shows the distribution of white to black detail in their images and highlights or shadows clipping. The built in scopes can even be overlaid on live video, or as a small picture in picture view at the top right of the scope.

The SDI and HDMI connections are multi-rate, so handle SD, HD, and Ultra HD. SD formats include NTSC and PAL. 720p HD standards include 720p50 and 59.94p. 1080i HD interlaced formats include 1080i50 and 59.94. 1080p HD formats include 1080p23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94 and 60p. Customers can even do 1080 PsF formats. Ultra HD is supported up to 2160p59.94. Customers can even record 2K and 4K DCI rates up to 25p for digital film work.

Video Assist works with industry-standard 17 and 33 point 3D LUT files, or customers can work with the built-in LUTs such as Extended Video, Film to Video, Film to Rec.2020 and more.

Video Assist records using standard open file formats so customers don’t have to waste time transcoding media. Recording works in industry-standard 10-bit ProRes or DNx files in all formats and from all HDMI or SDI cameras, as well as 12-bit Blackmagic RAW when connected to supported cameras. Best of all media files work on all operating systems.

Blackmagic RAW is a revolutionary new format designed to capture and preserve the quality of the sensor data from cameras. Video Assist supports Blackmagic RAW recording from popular cameras such as Panasonic EVA1 and Canon C300 MK II. This eliminates the problems with popular camera formats such as H.264, which are highly compressed resulting in noise and processing artifacts. It also saves camera settings as metadata so customers can set ISO, white balance and exposure, then override them later while editing, all without any loss of quality. Blackmagic RAW files are also small and fast to use making them easy to work with.

Blackmagic Video Assist 12G includes a built-in professional audio recorder that’s much better quality than the audio quality found in most cameras, eliminating the need to carry around extra audio equipment. When working in SDI formats, customers can record 2, 4, 8 or 16 channels of audio in real-time. For connecting microphones the Video Assist 7″ model has two XLR analog audio inputs with phantom power that support the high definition audio sample rate of 192 kHz at uncompressed 16 and 24 bit per sample. Customers can monitor using on-screen audio meters with user-selectable VU or PPM ballistics.

Multiple languages are fully supported so customers don’t need to learn another language to use it. Support is included for English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, German, French, Russian, Italian, Portuguese and Turkish.

The files from Blackmagic Video Assist 12G are common and are compatible with all operating systems or in most video software. Media can be formatted using ExFAT or HFS+ so customers can easily access the media on computers and access the files like regular disks. DaVinci Resolve is perfect for use with Video Assist because it features editing, color correction, audio post-production and visual effects all in one software application.

“The original Blackmagic Video Assist monitors and recorders were very popular and a fantastic way to upgrade older cameras, as well as for use in general broadcast areas of the television industry,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “These new models are an incredible improvement and incorporate all the lessons we have learnt from our customers in Hollywood. They have brighter LCD screens, 12G-SDI, Blackmagic RAW, better focus assist tools, presets, 3D LUTS and much more! They are so nice and it’s very exciting!”

Blackmagic Video Assist 12G Features

  • Supports live production, digital signage and archive use.
  • Modern design with fast to use touch screen controls.
  • Upgrades cameras to better monitoring and better record codecs.
  • Large LCD screen for digital film style focus assist tools.
  • SD/USH-II card support for commonly available media.
  • Records direct to external USB-C media disks.
  • 12G-SDI and HDMI for recording in SD, HD and Ultra HD.
  • Advanced HDR support with bright 2500nits wide gamut LCD.
  • Built in scopes include waveform, vector, parade and histogram.
  • Latest Multi Rate 12G-SDI technology for SD, HD and Ultra HD.
  • 3D LUTs can be applied for both monitoring and recording.
  • Standard open file formats compatible with popular software.
  • Records Blackmagic RAW from supported third party cameras.
  • Professional multi channel digital and analog audio.
  • Localized for 11 popular international languages.
  • Works with popular NLE software such as DaVinci Resolve.

Availability and Price

Blackmagic Video Assist 12G will be available in September 2019 from US$ 795, excluding duties, from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Voigtländer Nokton 21mm F1.4 Aspherical lens for E-mount officially announced

21 May

Voigtländer has officially announced its 21mm F1.4 Nokton lens for the Sony E mount after showing the concept at the CP+ show in February. The company says the lens will have electronic contacts to transfer EXIF data to the camera and distance information from the lens will help the camera’s image stabilization system. Turning the focus ring on the manual focus lens will activate focus assist modes in the camera, and the aperture ring offers click-less operation for those shooting videos.

The lens is constructed of 13 elements in 11 groups, features a 12-blade aperture diaphragm, has a minimum aperture of F16 and a shortest focus distance of 0.25m. It weighs 560g, measures 70.5mm x 79.5mm (2.78in x 3.13in) and takes a 62mm filter. Below is a (nowhere near full-res) gallery of sample images provided by Voigtländer:

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The Voigtländer Nokton 21mm F1.4 will be available in June for ¥165,000 (approx. $ 1,500).
For more information see the Voigtländer website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nissin MG80 Pro flash announced with command/slave modes, modeling light and more

07 May

On May 1, Nissin Digital unveiled its new MG80 Pro hot shoe flash with integrated Nissin Air System (NAS) radio commander and slave modes, support for multiple battery types, and a built-in color LCD. The GN60/83Ws flash packs a Quartz flash tube, heat-resistant head, 8W LED modelling light, removable Fresnel lens, and compatibility with both standard AA NiMH and Lithium-ion (Type 14500) batteries.

When used with four Li-ion Type 14500 batteries, the flash offers a 1.5s recycling time, which increases to 3.8s when used with four rechargeable AA batteries. Users can expect around 280 flashes when using four 650mAh Li-ion batteries, or around 320 flashes when using four 2450mAh rechargeable batteries.

The MG80 Pro supports TTL, manual control, and HSS, has a transmission range up to 100m (328ft), and a zoom mode covering focal length options from 24mm to 200mm. Other specs include a metal shoe with ring lock, tilt/swivel head, support for micro SD and SDHC cards for firmware updates, and a weight, without batteries, of 520g (18oz).

The flash will be available for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic and Olympus cameras. According to Flash Havoc, Nissin plans to release the MG80 Pro in ‘late May,’ but a price has not been revealed.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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