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Hands-on with the new Fujifilm XF33mm F1.4 R LM WR

04 Sep

Introduction

Fujifilm’s XF 33mm F1.4 R LM WR is the latest in a series of primes from the company that offer modern alternatives to some of the first optics in the X-mount system. I say ‘offer alternatives’ rather than replace, because the company says the 33mm won’t replace the nine-year-old XF 35mm F1.4 R and instead both will be available alongside one another.

Although Fujifilm also announced a 23mm F1.4 sister lens alongside the 33mm, it’s the longer lens that will become available first. It’s expected to arrive later this month at a price of $ 799.

What is the 33mm F1.4 (concept)

The lens is significantly larger and more complex than the original XF 35mm F1.4 (one of the first trio of lenses that launched the X-mount system). It features 15 elements in 10 groups, including 3 ED and 2 aspherical elements, making it much more complex than the 8 element, 6 group design of the 35mm, that just featured a single aspherical element.

This added complexity nearly doubles the weight, meaning the 33mm F1.4 weighs 360g (12.7oz) rather than 187g (6.6oz), it also sees the length increase by about 50%, with the 33mm being 73.5mm (2.9″) long, up from 50.4mm (2″).

Optical design

Fujifilm says the 33mm’s design is focused on delivering sharpness by minimizing aberrations. Distortion and other aberrations are corrected optically and the design of the focus group is symmetrical, so that any aberration introduced as light enters the group is corrected as it leaves, according to the company.

The focus group is placed behind the aperture blades, allowing it to be smaller, and the use of a linear motor (as denoted ‘LM’ in the name) should result in smoother, faster focusing than in the older 35mm lens.

33mm F1.4 (details)

The lens has few external controls: just aperture and focus rings. As usual, the aperture ring has an ‘A’ position that lets the camera control the aperture value, with a choice of whether the value is then set automatically or using the command dials.

At the back of the lens you’ll find a small rubber seal around the outer lip, to help deliver on the promise of the ‘WR’ weather resistance, and there is extensive sealing around the other joins in the case to prevent moisture ingress around the control rings.

Side-by-side with the 35mm F1.4 R

The 33mm is appreciably larger than the older 35mm, which is probably what’s prompted Fujifilm to keep both options in its lineup.

Focus breathing has been minimized on the new lens, and its lack of snap-back focus ring (as featured on some of the primes released previously) is said to be so that the response of the focus ring can be adjusted to give a linear response for repeatable focus pulls in video.

The new 33mm features 9 aperture blades, rather than the 7 of the 35mm, and, while the minimum focus distance has increased from 28cm (11″) to 30cm (11.8″), its designers say sharpness should be better maintained at close focus distances.

23mm F1.4

Alongside the 33mm F1.4, Fujifilm also announced the XF23mm F1.4 R LM WR, which will replace the earlier XF23mm F1.4 R. We don’t have the new LM WR version of the 23mm lens, yet, but it will very closely resemble the 33mm F1.4 shown on the left here (only 4.3mm / 0.17″ longer), so we’ve lined the new 33mm up against the outgoing 23mm F1.4 R.

The design of the new 23mm very closely resembles that of the 33mm F1.4, with 15 elements in 10 groups, three aspherical and two ED elements. This again makes it much more optically complex than its existing counterpart, which featured 9 elements in 6 groups with a single aspheric. Again there’s a shift from 7 aperture blades to 9, and the move to the use of a linear motors, which should speed up focus.

XF23mm F1.4 R LM WR vs XF23mm F1.4 R

The 23mm F1.4 R LM WR doesn’t have the snap-back focus ring of its predecessor but again it’s been optimized for reduced focus breathing and the option of linear focus response, making it a more attractive lens for videographers.

Sharpness is improved over the old lens, as it the minimum focus distance, which drops from 28cm (11″) to 19cm (7.5″), which sees the maximum magnification increase from 0.1x to 0.2x.

The XF23mm F1.4 R LM WR will be available in November at a recommend price of $ 899, a $ 100 premium over the list price of the existing, non-weather-sealed model.

Wrap-up

The new LM WR 23mm and 33mm F1.4s join the XF18mm F1.4 R LM WR launched earlier in 2021, forming a trio of primes that update some of the earliest lenses in Fujifilm’s X-mount range.

The X-mount celebrates its tenth birthday in 2022 and, with Fujifilm having opened the mount up to more third-party lens makers, it’s good to see the company go back and update some of the key options in its lineup. The updated lens all promise significant increases in speed and sharpness, handling and behavior that works better for video, and the addition of weather sealing.

It’s almost certainly not a coincidence that Fujifilm is launching a line of lenses that it claims will be able to resolve higher frequencies than its existing models could. All three lenses would clearly make a lot of sense if Fujifilm were to introduce a higher-resolution X-series body in the future.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Hands-on with the new Panasonic Lumix S 50mm F1.8

05 Jun

Hands-on with the new Panasonic Lumix S 50mm F1.8

Panasonic’s new Lumix S 50mm F1.8 is a dust and splash-resistant lens for L-mount shooters, sporting a reasonably fast F1.8 maximum aperture. It’s the second of four budget-oriented, compact F1.8 primes (announced by Panasonic last September) to come to market, joining the Lumix S 85mm F1.8. All four of these primes are intended to share a similar design, weight, and footprint, while also appealing to both stills and video shooters alike.

Priced at $ 449 and available in July, the Lumix S 50mm F1.8 offers a lot of versatility at a reasonable price, whether you looking for a walk-around lens, something to shoot portraits with, or a combination of the two; you truly can’t go wrong with the 50mm focal length. Let’s take a closer look at this one.

View our Panasonic Lumix S 50mm F1.8 sample gallery

Size and weight

Weighing 300 g (10.6 oz) and 82 mm (3.2?) in length, the Lumix S 50mm F1.8 is considerably lighter and smaller than Panasonic’s Lumix S Pro 50mm F1.4, which weighs 955 g (2.1 lbs) and is 130mm (5.12″) in length.

It also weighs less than the Sigma 35mm F2 DG DN (325 g / 0.72 lbs), another recently-launched sub-$ 1000 prime for L-mount (and Sony E-mount). The Panasonic is however 17mm longer than the Sigma, but also 1/3rd-stop faster.

Paired with the hefty Panasonic S1R, you hardly notice the Lumix S 50mm is there. But it feels perfectly at home attached to the more modestly sized/weighted Panasonic S5.

Build quality

Panasonic says the Lumix S 50mm is both dust and weather resistant and the rubber ring around the lens mount is proof of that. There’s also a handful of internal gaskets around the sizable focus ring and front element. We’re also told it has been tested to perform in conditions down to -10°C (14°F).

While the body of the lens appears to be some sort of polycarbonate, the mount itself is constructed of metal. The focus ring is finished in a grippy rubber material and is well-damped. It takes about a half-turn of the ring to throw focus from the minimum distance of 0.45 m (17.7?) to infinity. Speaking of minimum focus, the maximum magnification for this lens is 0.14x.

For video shooters, focus breathing is impressively well-controlled. You can see a demonstration in our Lumix S 50mm F1.8 sample gallery, right here.

Optical construction and autofocus

The lens features a 9-bladed circular aperture, which, combined with highly polished internal elements, results in smooth, rounded bokeh, even when shooting at F1.8 And stopping the lens down a bit should also result in some decent-looking sunstars. The maximum aperture of this lens is F22.

Optical construction consists of nine elements in eight groups, including three aspherical elements, an ED (Extra Low Dispersion) element, and a UHR (Ultra High Refractive Index) element. All that fancy glass should translate to high-resolution output and well-suppressed chromatic aberration.

Focus is internal, meaning there’s no increase in length during an AF rack. And the focus is driven by a linear motor, which results in snappy, silent AF acquisition. This should be a boon for stills and video shooters alike.

Initial image quality impressions

Looking at our pre-production sample gallery, we’re definitely seeing good resolving power and center sharpness from this lens, even wide open. That said, there’s some cross-frame weirdness apparent in our shots taken at infinity (which we’re hoping is just a pre-production lens issue). You’ll notice longitudinal CA in a handful of the samples, but lateral CA appears well controlled. There’s also noticeable vignetting wide open, but it’s gone by F2.8 (and easy enough to correct).

Control points and accessories

Aside from the focus ring (there’s no aperture ring), the only other control point is an AF/MF switch located on the side of the lens barrel, which has a nice click response and shouldn’t be easily bumped by accident.

Like the Lumix S 85mm F1.8, (and presumably the forthcoming Lumix S 24mm and 35mm F1.8s) the Lumix S 50mm offers a 67mm front filter thread. A plastic lens hood ships with the unit and attaches bayonet style.

The wrap

And that wraps up our tour of the new Lumix S 50mm F1.8. In all, it looks to be an affordable and capable option for L-mount shooters and a welcome addition to Panasonic’s full-frame lens family. We shot with a pre-production model, but very much look forward to getting in a final production unit and putting it through its paces, soon.

Until then, be sure to take a look through our full sample gallery, brush up on the details of the Lumix S 85mm F1.8, and keep your eyes peeled for the final two Lumix S F1.8 primes to launch in the near future.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Hands-on with new Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM

13 Jan

Hands-on with new Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM

It’s been a long time coming, but Sony has finally announced a G Master series 35mm lens for its full-frame mirrorless system. The new FE 35mm F1.4 GM is Sony’s 39th full-frame E-mount lens, and does not replace the older Zeiss-branded optic. It should and – spoiler alert – does outperform it in most respects, according to our testing.

Click-through for a closer look at Sony’s newest full-frame prime lens.

Size and weight

The Sony 35mm F1.4 G Master handles and looks quite a bit like its 24mm F1.4 GM cousin, which is to say the design is both compact and lightweight. Weighing in at 524g (1.1lbs), the new lens is lighter than its Zeiss-branded predecessor (630g) and smaller, too. The older lens measured 112 x 78.5mm (4.4 x 3.1″) compared to 96 x 76mm (3.8 x 3.0″) for the new ‘GM’. This isn’t a huge difference, but it is noticeably shorter when mounted onto an a9 or a7-series body.

The front filter thread is smaller, too: 67mm compared to 72mm.

Build quality and sealing

Despite its surprisingly lightweight design, this lens feels incredibly well-built. In line with other GM-series lenses, the FE 35mm F1.4 GM is rated as ‘dust and moisture resistant’, which basically means you can take it out into the elements from time to time, though we’d recommend you avoid subjecting it to lengthy exposure to dust, mud or rain (and don’t expect it to work underwater…). A rubber gasket around the mount also helps to protect moisture and gunk from entering the body and getting onto your camera’s sensor. A fluorine coating on the front element should make water or dirt easy to clean off.

Minimum focus

The FE 35mm F1.4 GM boasts a minimum focus distance of 27cm (10.6″), which works out to a maximum magnification of 0.23X. This is about average for a lens of this type, but Sony claims that image quality in its close-up range should be extremely good. Meanwhile, twin XD (‘extreme dynamic’ – Sony really likes adding the word ‘extreme’ to things) linear AF motors are designed to deliver accurate and silent focus across the focus range. Thanks to the combination of these motors and a single focusing group, focus is nearly instantaneous, making the lens suitable for fast and erratic subjects.

Manual focus

For manual focus fans, the response of the manual focus ring is linear, i.e., 5 degrees of movement of the focus ring will always change focus by the same amount, regardless of how fast or slowly you rack the control. The manual focus ring also turns with a nice smooth motion. This is all great news for video, where you need to be able to accurately and repeatedly position focus manually between fixed positions.

A customizable focus hold button on the lens barrel can temporarily disable autofocus – quite useful when paired with ‘touch tracking’ AF in video – but it need not be restricted to this function. It can be assigned to any custom function available to the other custom buttons on Alpha series bodies. The faux mechanical aperture ring can be set to move in fixed ‘clicky’ detents, or ‘de-clicked’ for smoother, stepless adjustment: again, a useful feature for video work. The only downside we could find for video shooters was some noticeable focus breathing when rack focusing.

Optical construction

Sony is proud of the design of this lens, describing it in our briefing as offering ‘overwhelming image quality in a compact and mobile package’. The image quality part of that comes courtesy of a complex optical design, comprising 14 elements in 10 groups, including two ‘XA’ (extreme aspherical) elements, with one such element positioned at the front of the lens. One ED (extra-low dispersion) element, positioned in the middle of the optical layout, helps focus light rays of varying wavelengths (or colors) at the same focal plane. All of this fancy glass should pay off in excellent sharpness across the frame, and very good control of longitudinal chromatic aberration (often seen as purple or green fringing in front of and behind the focal plane, respectively).

Eleven rounded aperture blades provide a near-circular aperture even as you stop the aperture down, which should ensure attractive bokeh and out-of-focus highlights. Meanwhile, Sony’s ‘Nano AR Coating II’ is designed to control flare and ghosting.

Image Quality

We’ve had some time to shoot two copies of the Sony 35mm F1.4 GM and have come away impressed by what we’ve seen. The lens is sharp wide open, resolving hairs with high contrast that are just one pixel wide at F1.4. Longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCA) is well-controlled but modestly present. While it won’t bother you at an image level, you may notice it upon close inspection at high magnification when shooting wide open. It’s largely a non-issue once you stop down to F2. In this regard it’s far better than many lenses of its type, significantly outperforming the Sony 35mm F1.4 ZA, the Sony 35mm F1.8, and the Sigma 35mm F1.4 Art, but falling behind the industry leading Canon 35mm F1.4L II.

Bokeh, which along with LoCA, was one of the Achilles’ Heels of the 35mm ZA lens, is smooth and pleasing, with circular out-of-focus highlights showing no patterning or onion rings, well-controlled cat’s eye effect, and no mechanical truncation of bokeh at image edges or corners that can otherwise lead to ‘busy’ bokeh in these image areas.

Flare and ghosting are well controlled; we found it hard to induce contrast-killing flare or unsightly ghosts in the image when pointing the lens directly into the sun. Twenty-two point sunstars are well-defined as you stop down. Overall, optical quality is particularly impressive when you consider the size and weight of the lens.

Price and availability

The Sony FE 35mm F1.4 GM will be available in mid-February at an MSRP of $ 1400.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Hands-on: What you need to know about the Leica SL2-S

13 Dec

Hands-on with the Leica SL2-S

Leica’s third full-frame L-mount camera, the SL2-S, has just landed. Based on the SL2 which launched just over a year ago, the SL2-S has a 24MP sensor and it’s a bit more video-focused than its higher-resolution forebear.

If you’re familiar with the SL2, there frankly isn’t much that’ll surprise you about the SL2-S. But if you’ve overlooked the SL2 previously or are just new to the Leica SL-series in general, then follow along for a closer look at the newest model in the lineup.

Sensor, grip and logo

The most immediate change on the SL2-S relative to its sister model is right here, front-and-center: the sensor. It’s a 24MP unit that sits on an in-body stabilizer, and it grants users the ability to capture oversampled (meaning, very detailed) 4K/30p video using the sensor’s full width. You can also opt for 4K/60p capture, though you’ll need to crop in to a smaller APS-C portion of the sensor to access that. There a few other nitty gritty video details to cover as well, which we’ll get to shortly.

As for the rest of the camera, the most obvious outward change on the SL2-S relative to its sister model is the blacking-out of the ‘LEICA’ lettering on the viewfinder hump. It does make for a slightly more subtle look, but of course, the bright red dot next to it will probably still draw some attention for those in the know. Lastly, the grip remains pretty comfortable despite its blocky shape, helped by an indent for your fingertips just visible in the shadow here.

Rear controls and screen

On the rear of the camera, along the screen’s left side, you’ll find Leica’s standard set of buttons. ‘Play’ enters playback, ‘Fn’ can be pressed once to access a custom function, or can be ‘long-pressed’ to select a different custom function for the next time you short press. It’s a handy way to change the button’s behavior without diving into the full menus.

Hitting the ‘Menu’ button enters a quick menu where you can control some key functions via the touchscreen, including the shooting mode, drive mode, focus settings, and more. A further press of the Menu button brings up the main menus, which let you delve a little deeper into the camera’s settings. You can continue to press the ‘Menu’ button to navigate along the six pages of options, or you can use the top command dial to do so. The rear dial will navigate up and down various settings.

Speaking of that rear dial, it’s also how you quickly change shooting modes without entering the quick menu at all; you press it in, and then rotate it to swap between PASM modes.

The AF Joystick allows you to move your AF area around the frame, and it allows you to manipulate settings in the main and quick menus as well. The button next to it defaults to manually swapping between the LCD screen and electronic viewfinder (EVF), but a long-press allows you to change its behavior, just like the ‘Fn’ button. Speaking of the EVF…

Viewfinder

The viewfinder alone could be a reason for someone to consider an SL2-S. It’s big, bright and detailed, offering 5.76M dots of resolution. The only other 24MP camera you’ll find that type of detailed picture on is the Panasonic Lumix S1; other comparable 24MP offerings from the likes of Nikon, Canon and Sony have viewfinders that are a similar size but lower resolution.

The ring surrounding the viewfinder is a large diopter adjustment dial for those glasses-wearers among us; its size makes it easy to set it just right, but there’s enough resistance that you won’t knock it out of place accidentally.

Top plate controls

On the top of the camera we see a generously sized display that shows pertinent exposure and camera settings. To its right are two more custom buttons that, again, you change the behavior of using a long press. A close look reveals, in fact, two more custom buttons well-placed to be manipulated with your middle or ring fingers on the front of the camera, though we wish they were separated a bit more.

You also get a flash hot-shoe, and on the right side of that you’ll see an engraving reading ‘LEICA SL2-S’, the only place on the camera you’ll find its model name. (A rather cryptic ‘Type no.: 9584’ is printed on the bottom of the camera.)

Video

The headline video spec of the SL2-S is 4K at up to 60p, which, on paper, looks a lot like that of the SL2. There are differences, though. The SL2 shoots sub-sampled video from nearly the full width of its sensor for all of its video modes, whereas the SL2-S shoots full-width oversampled video for its 24, 25 and 30p modes. This means the SL2-S is using all its pixels to shoot 6K footage which is then downscaled to 4K. This should give more detailed video and possibly better low-light performance. The ‘S’ uses an APS-C region for its 60p footage, which gives up some of this benefit but should still look good.

In addition, the SL2-S includes features such as built-in display correction LUTs to give a usable preview when shooting in Log gamma (both of which are also available as ‘Cube’ files which can be applied as you edit the footage). A future firmware update will add options such as waveforms for assessing exposure, and the ability to set exposure time as shutter ‘angle’ rather than shutter speed, along with a ‘tally’ lamp mode that indicates when the camera is recording.

Ports

Behind a thick, flexible rubber door on the left side of the camera body are headphone and microphone ports, which also double as remote release ports, as well as a full-sized HDMI port (which feels a lot sturdier than the ‘mini’ or ‘micro’ ports on many competing cameras). Immediately beneath these, behind its own rubberized door, is a USB-C port that supports charging, tethered shooting and image transfer.

Storage

On the other side of the camera is a set of SD card slots; both support the faster UHS-II type memory cards, and you’ll likely want to use reasonably quick cards if you’re planning on using the 25 fps silent shutter burst feature, or shooting at the camera’s highest video quality settings.

Battery

On the bottom of the Leica SL2-S you’ll find a BP-SCL4 battery pack, the same as you’ll find in the SL2 and the Q2 and Q2 Monochrom fixed-lens cameras. It’s good for a CIPA-rated 510 shots per charge, though you’ll likely get many more than that in normal use. We find that a rating of 500 or so is good for at least a couple of days of focused photography if you’re, say, exploring a new city.

Interestingly, there’s no battery ‘door’ per se; the entire unit pops out and leaves a hole in the bottom of the camera. But each BP-SCL4 has its own gasket around the bottom, ensuring that the camera lives up to its IP54 weather-sealing rating.

Hands-on with the Leica SL2-S

And there you have it: Leica’s latest full-frame mirrorless camera, the SL2-S. Although compared to the SL2, the exterior differs only by the blacked-out logo, its lower resolution sensor will likely be welcomed by those who don’t need 47MP of resolution, or those who need better quality video (which will be augmented further in a promised firmware update next year). The SL2-S also comes with its own high-res shot mode, which can churn out 96MP files on the occasion that you do need more resolution (though you also need a tripod and a pretty static subject).

What do you make of the SL2-S? Is it something you would consider adding to your camera bag? Let us know in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Hands-on with new Sigma 35mm and 65mm F2 DG DN lenses

01 Dec

Hands on with new Sigma 35mm and 65mm F2 DG DN | C

Sigma just added three ‘I-series’ lenses to its Contemporary lineup, in the form of 24mm, 35mm and 65mm primes. Physically somewhat similar to the metal-bodied 45mm F2.8 ‘C’ released alongside the fp, these new primes promise very good performance and light weight when paired with L-mount and Sony E-mount mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras.

We’ve had our hands on the 35mm and 65mm for a few days; read on for pictures, impressions and key specifications.

Sigma 35mm F2 DG DN

‘A classic reimagined’ is how Sigma describes this lens, which is one of a trio of new ‘I-series’ primes in Sigma’s established ‘Contemporary’ line. The ‘I’ lenses are described as compact, high-quality optics for mirrorless cameras, offering an alternative to the often large, heavy lenses we’ve seen appear for full-frame mirrorless cameras.

Metal construction

Like the quirky 45mm F2.8, these new ‘Contemporary’ primes are unusual in featuring a metal construction, including the lens hood. Made from ‘precision cut’ aluminum with a brass mount, the 35mm F2 feels like a premium product. However, at 325g (11.5 oz) it remains relatively lightweight, as well as being (by the standards of most modern mirrorless primes) fairly compact.

On a Sony a7R IV, it feels very well-balanced indeed, with its light weight keeping the combination from feeling front-heavy.

Focus and aperture rings

Knurled focus and aperture rings add to the somewhat retro-inspired design of these new lenses, although both operate of course ‘by wire’. The focus ring is buttery-smooth yet well-damped, and the ‘clicky’ aperture ring is a joy (though it cannot be de-clicked for smooth operation when shooting video).

The accented ‘cut-out’ between the focus ring and aperture ring is cosmetic (it looks like it should be an annular switch but it isn’t) but does provide a little purchase when mounting and dismounting the lens. Unlike the rest of the lens, this ring has a gloss, rather than matte finish, giving it a strange prominence. Both finishes are something of a fingerprint magnet.

Focus speeds aren’t lightning quick, but are more than fast enough for almost any subject you’d be shooting with a 35mm prime. The focus motor is, for all intents and purposes, silent, though you may hear a slight whine or hum if you’re using onboard microphones to record audio while shooting video.

Optical design

It might be small (only 70mm long, or about 2.7 inches) but the 35mm F2 packs in ten glass elements in nine groups, including one SLD (super low-dispersion) and three molded aspherical elements, all produced in Sigma’s factory in Aizu, Japan. This fairly complex design is optimized for excellent control of chromatic aberrations and field curvature. Sigma also claims very good correction of coma, which is good news for fans of low light, wide-aperture shooting.

9-blade rounded aperture (35mm & 65mm only)

Speaking of wide-aperture shooting, the 35mm and 65mm ‘C’ primes feature a nine-bladed aperture, with rounded blades to help deliver circular bokeh at a wide apertures (the 24mm has seven blades). The 35mm F2 accepts fairly standard 58mm screw-in filters and the included metal lens cap attaches magnetically.

The back of the metal cap has a felt ring to prevent it scraping the lens, and this is something of a dust trap. The lens comes supplied with a conventional plastic pinch cap, too.

Dust and splash-proof

Sigma doesn’t make any great claims about the weather-sealing of the new ‘I’ series, but like all three of the new lenses, the 35mm F2’s brass mount is rated as ‘dust and splash-proof’. To that end, a slim rubber gasket around the mount helps keep any dirt or moisture from entering the camera.

The Sigma 35mm F2 DG DN will be available in mid-January for $ 639.

Sigma 65mm F2 DG DN

The 65mm F2 is physically very similar to the 35mm, but a little heavier (405g/14.3oz compared to 325g/11.5oz) and very slightly longer. Optically it comprises 12 elements in nine groups, including one SLD element and two aspherical elements.

Sigma says the 65mm focal length encourages a greater working distance than a conventional 50mm ‘normal,’ which in turn provides slightly more of a compression effect for the same composition. Its minimum focus distance is 55cm (21.7″)

The front filter ring is larger than that of the 35mm F2, and accepts 62mm screw-in filters.

The Sigma 65mm F2 DG DN will be available in mid-January for $ 699.

Sigma 65mm F2 DG DN

Like the 35mm, the 65mm comes with both a pinch-fit plastic lens cap and a rather smart magnetic metal one. There’s also a light, ribbed metal hood with a plastic insert with a clip mechanism that provides smooth and secure attachment to the lens itself.

Despite its extra length and weight, it still balances nicely. We used it on some of Sony’s more recent full-frame models, whose larger grips mean the weight is easy to hold. Unlike some recent FF mirrorless lenses, the lens’s weight is pretty evenly distributed along its length: there’s no extreme front element pulling the front of the lens down.

Sigma 24mm F3.5 DG DN

Third in the new trilogy of primes (and the only one not available to us at the time of writing) is the lightweight (only 225g/8oz) 24mm F3.5 DG DN. Of the three, this lens is the closest in terms of physical design and handling to the existing 45mm F2.8, but unlike that lens, it promises thoroughly-modern, aberration-free imaging, with ‘high resolving power’ across the entire frame at all apertures.

Its 10 element in 8 group optical design includes one SLD element and three aspherical elements, and a minimum focus distance of only 10cm (~4″) works out to an impressive maximum magnification ratio of 1:2.

The Sigma 24mm F3.5 DG DN will be available in mid-January for $ 549.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Hands-on with the Fujifilm X-S10: Small camera, great grip

16 Oct

Hands-on with the Fujifilm X-S10

Meet the Fujifilm X-S10 – a camera the company is calling a cross between an X-T30 and its older X-H1. That basically means that here we have a compact camera with the best APS-C size sensor Fujifilm has to offer (from the X-T30 / X-T4) but with a really nice, sizable grip and in-body stabilization inspired by the X-H1.

In the time we’ve had the X-S10, we have to admit we’re impressed. We think it offers a lot of bang for the buck, and its simplified control scheme will appeal to a lot of users, including those upgrading from older DSLR cameras in particular.

Sensor, performance, and look at that grip

The X-S10 comes with the same 26MP X-Trans sensor we’ve seen in a handful of Fujifilm’s other cameras, and that’s a good thing. It offers excellent noise performance and very fast readout speeds, which help boost autofocus performance and video capability. Based on our preliminary testing, we’d expect autofocus performance to be essentially on par with the X-T30 / X-T3 / X-T4 cameras, which is to say, darn good.

Video specs are solid too: You can record up to 4K/30p, 8-bit files internally. If you use an external recorder, you can boost that to 10-bit 4:2:2 files, which is handy for people who want to do some post-production work on their clips.

Burst speeds are great for a camera of this class. You can shoot at up to 8 fps with the mechanical shutter, and up to 20 fps with the electronic shutter (and a further 30 fps with a 1.25x crop). Unfortunately, we don’t yet know the buffer depth of the X-S10 (how long you can shoot bursts before the camera slows down), but we’ll be testing this when we get a final review sample.

And lastly, check out that grip! It’s generous and comfortable, and makes handling the X-S10 a breeze with lenses big and small. But although the X-S10 feels incredibly solid in your hand, it doesn’t come with any claims of weather-sealing.

New stabilizer

The X-S10 is equipped with an all-new, compact stabilizer unit built specifically to fit inside the camera’s smaller body. It tops out at 6 stops of shake reduction with stabilized lenses, and varies from 5 to 5.5 stops with unstabilized lenses.

Those figures mean that with a 50mm-equivalent lens, you should be able to handhold images with a reasonable degree of success at shutter speeds of 0.6 seconds or even slower.

Control scheme

But where the X-S10 really stands out – among Fujifilm cameras, at least – is right here. Most Fujifilm cameras are covered in ISO, shutter speed and exposure compensation dials, but not this one. This one uses a mode dial, customizable control dials under your forefinger and thumb, and a third customizable dial on the left shoulder of the camera.

While manipulating those manual dials on other cameras could get you into a ‘program auto’ mode, on the X-S10, that’s made much easier by just rotating the mode dial to ‘P’. Fujifilm is banking on appealing to a different subset of users with the X-S10; a group that either sees no need for dedicated dials for exposure parameters, or those coming from other cameras with this style of control scheme, which is basically ubiquitous among entry-level and mid-level DSLRs.

Fujifilm has also said that the full Auto mode has been tweaked to give users a bit more control over autofocus and image quality parameters while also automatically choosing a film simulation mode depending on the scene. Lastly, it’s worth noting that the X-S10 has a built-in pop-up flash which you trigger with the small switch on the far left, and the top plate is also where you’ll find customizable ISO and movie record buttons. The ‘Q’ button brings up the camera’s customizable Quick Menu on the rear screen or in the viewfinder.

Control scheme

The rear of the camera is fairly spartan. You get a customizable drive-mode button on the top left, a customizable button just to the right of the EVF, the requisite Playback, Display / Back, Menu / OK and AEL and AF-ON buttons as well as an AF joystick. We actually find that, overall, we prefer the control scheme on the X-S10 to, say, the X-T30; we collectively thought the X-T30 was a bit cramped, and we’d knock the joystick by accident all the time. On the X-S10, there’s plenty of room for your grip hand and the joystick is perfectly placed.

The rear screen is touch sensitive, and as you can see, is a side-hinged design, which may appeal to video shooters more than a simple tilting design. At the top of the camera is a fairly middle-of-the-road 2.36M-dot EVF, which does at least offer a great refresh rate and good contrast.

Ports

Along the side of the X-S10, we see a 3.5mm microphone port as well as USB-C and micro-HDMI ports. The USB-C port can be used for data transfer, it can charge the battery or you can also attach an included dongle adapter to plug in a pair of headphones for audio monitoring while shooting video. However, based on your usage, it’s worth being aware of the fact that the positioning of the ports may get in the way of the fully articulating screen.

Battery and storage

Power for the X-S10 comes from the standard Fujifilm NP-W126S battery pack, found in a number of its other cameras. Battery life is rated by CIPA for 325 shots if you’re primarily using the rear LCD, but we’d expect far more than that in normal use, especially if you watch your Wi-Fi use and keep the pop-up flash popped down.

One small disappointment is that the single SD card slot is only UHS-I compatible, so you won’t gain any speed benefit from UHS-II cards. It’s not a huge deal on a camera at this level, but considering how fast the X-S10 can shoot burst images, it would have been nice to see the faster slot included.

Hands-on with the Fujifilm X-S10

And that concludes our short tour of the Fujifilm X-S10. While it may not be a revolutionary camera, it looks like a really well-rounded model at a good price, and one that may tempt new users into the Fujifilm ecosystem.

What do you make of the Fujifilm X-S10? Let us know in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Hands-on with the the Canon PowerShot Zoom

14 Oct

Hands-on with the Canon PowerShot Zoom

From clunky concept mockup to final shipping product, the Canon PowerShot Zoom has been a long time coming. We first saw an early working sample at the CP+ show in Japan, last February. Back then it was a boxy, colorful camera with a simple button-driven interface, which evolved over the course of a year into a slimmer, subtler and much more rounded design, last seen at CES 2020. The final product looks a lot like that last concept, but with some subtle changes.

Read on to learn more about this unusual camera.

Hands-on with the Canon PowerShot Zoom

The PowerShot Zoom is a 12MP compact camera, which can capture stills (JPEG only) and video (Full HD up to 30p.)

Where the last working concept of what is now called the PowerShot Zoom featured five buttons, all on the top, the final shipping camera (Canon is calling it a ‘monocular’) simplifies the top layout even further to just three buttons, none of which is a shutter control. The lozenge-shaped button is the zoom toggle, and sits perilously close to the power and menu buttons. I say ‘perilously’ because with your eye to the finder, they’re so close together that it’s easy to accidentally press the wrong one. Ask me how I know.

The Zoom can be used one-handed, but is more stable (and a little more usable) with two.

Hands-on with the Canon PowerShot Zoom

The shutter and movie-record buttons are positioned below the EVF, adjacent to a diopter control. Unusually (but logically) the shutter button is labeled ‘PHOTO’. The shutter button can be half-pressed to focus, and takes a picture when fully depressed. The shutter is electronic, and a brief flash of the outline around the EVF image is your only indication that a picture has been taken.

In use, I’ve found it easiest to use these controls with the thumb of my right hand (which holds the camera), with my left hand reserved for toggling the zoom control on the top of the camera.

The controls themselves are adequate, but the control interface (when you need to use it) is hard to get used to. When I unpacked the PowerShot Zoom for the first time I was really hoping that the diopter wheel was a control wheel, but sadly not. Menus are navigated and options selected using the buttons alone. The hardest thing is setting the date – I challenge anyone to do it without turning the camera off accidentally at least a couple of times (I did it five times, but perhaps I’m unusually stupid).

Hands-on with the Canon PowerShot Zoom

At the heart of the PowerShot Zoom is a 12MP 1/3in sensor, behind a 2-position zoom lens, which can be used at either 100mm or 400mm (equivalent). Early concepts included an intermediate 200mm position, but in the end Canon went with a simple 100/400mm toggle.

The lens is pretty complex, being made up of no fewer than 11 elements in eight groups, but there’s no specialty glass or aspherical elements. It is optically stabilized, and while Canon does not quote a figure for the exact amount of stabilization, it was easily capable of steadying compositions at 400mm on a very windy day here in Seattle.

Hands-on with the Canon PowerShot Zoom

Slightly surprisingly, the PowerShot Zoom records pictures and videos to a physical memory card. I rummaged around in my drawers for this fairly old 8GB Micro SD (good for almost 1,000 images according to the camera’s info display). Using the Canon Camera Connect app, images can be downloaded to a smart device and edited, shared or saved to your camera roll.

Hands-on with the Canon PowerShot Zoom

The battery, however, is non-removable, and is charged over USB C (a cable is included). The 800 mAh battery is good for 150 images (CIPA). A full charge from empty takes just under two hours.

Hands-on with the Canon PowerShot Zoom

Despite its tiny size, the PowerShot Zoom features a decent electronic viewfinder, featuring 2.36 million dots and an automatic switch to turn off the display when you take the camera away from your eye. The view is crisp and clear, but in common with a lot of cheaper compact cameras, the preview image doesn’t always match the final picture once you’re able to get it off the camera and take a closer look. Typically, I’ve found that captured images lack a little of the ‘bite’ of the preview image in the EVF.

100mm

When you first turn on the PowerShot Zoom, the lens is set to 100mm (equivalent). While technically this is the ‘wide’ setting, 100mm is still pretty long, and the minimum focus of 1m (3.3 ft) precludes closeup work. There is no macro setting, either.

400mm

Image quality at 400mm is slightly lower than it is at 100mm, but when shooting distant objects, as always, air quality and thermal haze can also be a factor when it comes to sharpness. At 400mm minimum focus is 4.5m (14.6 ft)

Autofocus performance is pretty good with decent light, but prone to hunting in lower light levels. You have two AF modes: face detection + tracking (a sensible default, which works reliably well for most subjects) and single point AF as an option. Continuous AF can also be toggled on/off.

800mm (digital zoom)

Like all digital zoom options, the Zoom’s ‘800mm’ setting is handy, but not great from a critical image quality point of view. It’s basically just a crop, upsized in-camera to 12MP. Convenient (and good enough for sharing over a text message or on Facebook) but nothing special.

Final thoughts

With an MSRP of $ 299, the PowerShot Zoom falls outside of the realm of ‘impulse buy’ for most people, but there are some definite use-cases. I can see it being a hit among birders, for example, and for casual documentation of garden wildlife. Similarly, if package cruises ever become a thing again, I can imagine a pocketable 400mm lens being pretty handy for taking pictures of penguins on melting ice sheets etc., from the comfort of a 7-story high floating hotel.

The still image quality of the PowerShot Zoom is no match for a more conventional camera, or even for a smartphone, but that’s really not the point. What it offers is a telephoto lens in a small, lightweight and hand-holdable form factor. No current smartphone can offer true telephoto without a digital zoom, making the PowerShot Zoom a powerful companion for anyone who regularly wants to share images of (for example) birds, boats or aircraft without the need for bulky, expensive gear.

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Hands-on with the new Panasonic Lumix DC-BGH1

13 Oct

Hands-on with the new Panasonic Lumix DC-BGH1

Panasonic’s Lumix DC-BGH1 is a new type of product for Panasonic: a box-style video camera that is designed to be as adaptable and flexible as possible.

It’s built around an oversized Four Thirds sensor very similar to the one found in the GH5S, and the ‘GH’ in its name is designed to invoke that series of cameras, but the BGH1 expands far beyond those models in terms of what it can do.

The idea is that it can be connected to a wide variety of other devices, depending on your needs. The expectation isn’t that anyone needs everything the camera offers, but instead that it offers a wide number of users the couple of features they need.

Video specs

The core video specifications of the BGH1 are similar to those of the GH5S, but with the added ability to capture 4K/60p footage in 10-bit quality. The 60p footage is 4:2:0, with 4:2:2 available for 4K at up to 30p.

Panasonic has also reworked the sensor’s output, optimizing for noise at the base ISO steps of its two gain modes (rather than trying to offer the most consistent performance at all settings). This decision has helped lower noise and hence boost DR at those settings.

In turn, this has prompted Panasonic to expand how much of the V-Log gamma curve the camera uses. The V-Log system works by using the same curve shape, with each camera using different extents of the curve depending on how much dynamic range they can usably capture, so that the footage of any two Log-capable Panasonic cameras can be used with a single set of LUTs, when they’re being processed.

So, while the BGH1 is still classified as shooting V-Log L, it’s using a larger region with more DR than the GH5S does.

All the usual features

As you might expect from a camera whose name explicitly references the GH series, the BGH1 does pretty much everything the GH5S does, in video terms. This includes Variable Frame Rate mode, with 1080 capture at up to 240p and 4K at up to 60p, output at a variety of frame rates.

There’s also 10-bit HLG capture and anamorphic support, with corrected previews output over HDMI or SDI. The BGH1 uses the latest improvements to Panasonic’s DFD autofocus system.

The only thing missing, really, is the ability to output waveforms or vectorscope, which Panasonic says it expects to be offered (often with more precision) by many of the things you might connect the BGH1 to.

As a self-contained unit

Before we discuss how the BGH1 can be used with other equipment, it’s worth pointing out that it can be used as a self-contained camera. Not the most ergonomic one, perhaps, but it has a series of customizable buttons and a control dial to mean that, other than the lack of screen, the BGH1 can be operated as a standalone device.

In its simplest form, the camera can be framed using the Lumix Connect app on a smart device, and set to record.

Internal capture

Anyone using the BGH1 as a standalone camera, or building it into a rig with an external monitor will find the inclusion of dual UHS-II SD card slots immediately valuable.

The provision of internal capture options also means it can be attached to a drone and can record onboard while in flight. But Panasonic’s expectation is that only a proportion of users will ever make use of the SD card slots.

A hotshoe sounds useful

A hotshoe might seem like an odd addition to a video camera with no mechanical shutter, but its provision means it’s compatible with Panasonic’s DMW-XLR1 module, that provides XLR balanced audio inputs.

HDMI

As you’d expect, the BGH1 includes an HDMI socket, to allow the output of Raw or gamma encoded streams. This is the most consumer-friendly of the camera’s outputs, allowing the use of external monitors and recorders while shooting.

As well as Raw, the port is fast enough to allow a 10-bit stream of DCI 4K at up to 60p.

SDI

Under one of the covers on the camera’s corners is an array of SDI connectors.

The first of these connectors can be used to output a video signal. It’s a 3G SDI socket so the output is limited to Full HD but can output a signal with less latency than is possible using HDMI, which is essential for audio syncing in some live environments.

The next one along is a timecode in/out socket, allowing the camera’s use as part of multi-camera shoots.

But it’s the third socket in the line that shows the camera’s ambitions: a Genlock port that allows perfect synchronization with other devices. Whereas timecode allows multi-device sync as precise as a single frame, Genlock allows even finer precision, for applications such as 3D, VR and volumetric capture, where multiple perspectives need to line-up exactly, in order to work.

Ethernet

Another way of using the camera is via its Ethernet connection. The BGH1 supports power over Ethernet, in addition to video transmission and camera control signals, allowing it to run without a battery or plug-in power. Additionally, up to 12 cameras can be operated remotely from the Lumix Tether app, which provides a complete array of camera controls.

Panasonic says that it’s working on firmware that will allow the streaming of video using the RTMP system over Ethernet, meaning the camera can be sent to an interviewee, configured remotely and then stream back to the studio using a low-latency RTMP connection.

Panasonic says it will release an SDK to allow users to develop their own software to fully control the camera, though it only refers to USB control, since the same SDK will also cover many of the company’s existing cameras.

The BGH1 will be able to output over HDMI, SDI and USB simultaneously, if you so require it.

Batteries

If you’re not using Ethernet or the camera’s 12V DC input (shown above) to power the camera, the BGH1 can use Panasonic’s large VW-VB video camera batteries.

These are available in capacities of 43, 65 and 86 Wh (7.28V 11,800 mAh), which will provide battery life way beyond anything we’re used to in the stills sphere. For reference, a Sony NP-FZ100, which is one of the most powerful batteries we usually encounter, is rated at 16.4Wh.

Weight

In order to allow drone use, the BGH1 has been designed to be as light as possible. Rather than the 730g of the stabilized GH5, the BGH1 weighs just 545g without a battery.

The use of 7.2V batteries allowed a higher voltage, lower current design, which reduces heat built-up, and the camera also features a fan much like the one in Panasonic’s full-frame S1H, since this adds less weight than adding additional metal to act as a heatsink.

Conclusion

The Panasonic Lumix DC-BGH1 doesn’t look like most of the cameras we review and its sheer flexibility, as much as its physical shape, makes it a little hard to get a handle on. To a degree, it feels like Panasonic hasn’t so much tried to design a camera to do a particular job, they’ve tried to design a camera that can lend itself to a vast range of different jobs, probably beyond the expectations of the company itself.

To an extent, we won’t know what the BGH1 is really for until videographers and production companies start using it and pushing to explore its potential.

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Hands-on with the new Sony a7C

16 Sep

Hands-on with the Sony a7C

Sony’s just released all the details on its new super compact a7C full-frame mirrorless camera. The a7C is barely bigger than the company’s a6600 APS-C mirrorless camera, and considering how much larger the a7C’s sensor is, that’s quite a feat. This is also the first Sony full-frame mirrorless camera to come in two color schemes – all black, and the silver-accented version you see here.

We’ve had our hands on the a7C for a little while, so follow along with us as we take a look at how it handles and what its controls are like.

Sensor

At its core, the a7C is more or less a refreshed Sony a7 III that includes all of the company’s latest autofocus algorithms. That means it features a familiar 24MP BSI-CMOS sensor, mounted to a miniaturized in-body stabilization system that’s good for the same 5 EV of shake correction as its larger a7 III sibling. That all sits behind a new shutter mechanism that goes up to 1/4000 sec, and can fire off bursts at 10 frames per second. You can also use a silent electronic shutter, but you may get some rolling shutter artifacts.

The Bionz X processor is also borrowed from the a7 III, which unfortunately means that all of the fancy new menus and touch functionality from the a7S III and its updated processor aren’t included here.

In the hand, the a7C feels incredibly solid, thanks to what’s called a magnesium alloy monocoque construction. It’s sort of like what US auto manufacturers call ‘unibody’ construction, and the result is a camera that’s free of creaks and flex and exudes a sense of quality.

From the top

Top plate controls will look pretty familiar to anyone who’s seen a recent Sony APS-C camera, with a few differences. Of greatest importance, perhaps, is the inclusion of a dedicated exposure compensation dial seen on Sony’s other a7-series cameras. The large, red ‘video record’ button is customizable and in a reasonably easy-to-reach spot. We’re pleased to see the inclusion of a hotshoe, as there’s no pop-up flash to be found.

This is also a nice view of the new FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 kit zoom. It’s incredibly lightweight, and has a manual zoom ring that also acts as the retraction mechanism to keep the package as small as possible while traveling.

We tend to like the On/Off switch surrounding the shutter button, but if you were holding out hopes for a front control dial underneath that, well, sorry to disappoint you – just like Sony’s a6x00 series, there is no front control dial for your index finger.

Rear screen

The a7C inherits a similar fully articulating display mechanism as found on the a7S III. The screen itself is bright and clocks in at 921k dots, and it packs Sony’s rather lackluster touch interface. You can basically use the touchscreen to move your AF point around or initiate tracking – manipulating other on-screen functions or menus isn’t possible.

The fully articulating design is generally favored by video shooters, but for a travel camera, it can come in especially handy for…

Rear controls

…folding away for protection. This should provide some peace of mind for those times when you just need to shove the camera in a bag and get moving.

Here, you can also see the rest of the rear controls. There’s no AF joystick (but you can use the screen as a touchpad to drag your thumb on), but there’s a large AF-On button, and a rear dial that doubles as a four-way controller. The directional presses default to activating what’s printed on the camera, i.e. drive mode, ISO and so forth, but they’re all customizable.

We’re not huge fans of the placement of the Menu button. As it’s more or less in the middle of the camera, it’s an inconvenient reach for either hand. If you come in from the left to use it, you will inevitably trip the eye sensor, causing the screen to go blank and then the camera sometimes won’t register that you pressed it in the first place.

Electronic viewfinder

The electronic viewfinder on the a7C is mounted in a ‘rangefinder-esque’ top left position. While any viewfinder is always better than none at all, we have to say we find the view through this one a little constricting. At 0.59X magnification the 1.0cm (0.39″) OLED panel is on the small side, and the glasses-wearers among us found that it was hard to see to the edge of the frame.

On the plus side, though, the resolution is decent at 2.36M dots and you can kick it up to a ‘high FPS’ mode for a faster 120hz refresh rate if you’re shooting fast action.

Card slot

Behind a latched door on the left side of the a7C you’ll find a single, UHS-II compatible card slot. While there will always be those who bemoan the lack of dual slots, we think it makes perfect sense on this camera. After all, the a7C is really aimed at travelers and vloggers and the like, not necessarily wedding shooters who need the constant backup.

Ports

Impressively, the a7C has a full suite of useful ports; headphone and mic jacks, a micro-HDMI port and a USB Type-C port that supports power and charging, data transfer, remote functionality, and more.

Battery

Even more impressively, Sony has managed to shoehorn the NP-FZ100 battery into the a7C. This gives the camera the best battery life of any full-frame mirrorless camera we’ve yet seen, with a CIPA rating of 680 shots through the viewfinder and 740 using the rear screen. In our experience, you can expect a single charge to easily last a weekend’s worth of pretty heavy usage.

Hands-on with the Sony a7C

And that completes our tour of the Sony a7C! In our time with it so far, we’ve found that it really is remarkably liberating to have a full-frame camera this small, but crucially, with interchangeable lenses and multi-day battery life. If you like to travel light but have a hard time compromising on image quality, this may just be the camera for you.

The a7C will be available in late October at a suggested price, body-only, of $ 1799 USD ($ 2399 CAD). You can get it paired with the FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 lens for $ 2099 USD ($ 2699 CAD).

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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DPReview TV: Sony a7C hands-on preview

15 Sep

Chris and Jordan chat about Sony’s newest full-frame camera, despite not being able to get their hands on one just yet. Find out what they like and don’t like about the a7C so far in this hands-on, er, hands-off preview.

Chris' height
Intro
Size and design
Buttons and dials
Menus and touchscreen
Autofocus and buffer
Video features
Versus a7 III
Versus APS-C?

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