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Canon EOS R Mirrorless Camera: A Hands-On Review

07 Sep

The post Canon EOS R Mirrorless Camera: A Hands-On Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

The Canon EOS R isn’t the newest Canon camera on the block, but it’s one of Canon’s four full-frame mirrorless offerings.

Which means that, if you’re an advanced Canon photographer looking to move to mirrorless, you don’t have many options.

But what does the Canon EOS R offer advanced and professional photographers? And how does is hold up in the field?

That’s what this review is all about.

I’ve now had the Canon EOS R for nine months, which has given me plenty of time to test it. I’ve worked with the EOS R in rain, in snow, through blowing sand, at night, in the studio, and much more. So I know what this camera can do; I also know its limitations.

And I’ve used the EOS R with an EF to EOS R adapter, so I can confidently say whether Canon EF/EF-S lenses work well with the EOS R, or whether you need to purchase a whole new set of (expensive) Canon RF glass.

Are you ready to discover everything you need to know about the Canon EOS R?

Let’s get started.

Canon EOS R: Overview

Canon EOS R review sample image — Canon EOS R | Canon EF 24-70 f/4L | 5s | f/7.1 | ISO 200

The Canon EOS R debuted back in 2018 as Canon’s first full-frame mirrorless camera, featuring:

A 30.3 MP sensor
A native ISO range of 100-40000
Dual Pixel Autofocus with 5655 AF points
5 fps shooting with continuous autofocus; 8 fps shooting with One-Shot AF
A fully-articulating rear LCD with touch functionality
A 3.69M-dot electronic viewfinder
One SD card slot
4K/30p video (with a 1.7x crop)
A 370-shot battery life
A brand new (RF) lens mount
Weather sealing
1.46 lb (660 g)
5.35 x 3.86 x 3.31 in (136 x 98 x 84 mm)
Current price: $ 1799 USD

While there are plenty of worthy capabilities on that spec list, at the time the EOS R was seen as something of a letdown.

Why?

For two key reasons.

First, the EOS R only offered a single SD card slot. This meant professional photographers who require redundancy in their work (e.g., wedding photographers, sports photographers) didn’t feel comfortable working with an EOS R.

Second, the EOS R didn’t include any innovative features, and certainly not any features on the same level as Sony’s groundbreaking autofocus, huge megapixel counts, blazing-fast continuous shooting speeds, and in-body image stabilization (admittedly, Sony doesn’t offer all these in the same camera, but still!).

That said, the EOS R did, and does, offer some compelling attributes.

And after testing the EOS R for nearly a year, I can say, without a doubt, that it is a great camera…

…for the right person.

Absolutely, the EOS R has some drawbacks, and it fails to really break out in most areas. But it’s also reasonably priced and gives you access to additional mirrorless capabilities that you just can’t get on a DSLR, without needing a brand new bag of lenses (not to mention its relatively fast autofocus and strong image quality that we’ve come to expect from Canon’s higher-end cameras).

Plus, no two photographers are alike, and one photographer’s trash is another photographer’s treasure.

Bottom line:

While the EOS R just doesn’t work for some photographers, there are others for whom it’ll be an absolute dream to use.

So let’s take a closer look at the Canon EOS R!

Canon EOS R: Build

The Canon EOS R is medium-level compact, with a relatively lightweight (but solid) build. It’s easily smaller than the full-frame Canon 5D Mark IV, which is longer, taller, and around 1.5x heavier; the same is true of the Canon 6D Mark II.

That said, the EOS R hardly feels slim, and it doesn’t really scream travel-ready to me. Personally, I don’t mind the weight of the EOS R, but if you’re coming from a smaller APS-C mirrorless body then the difference may take a little getting used to.

The EOS R packs a top LCD, as well as a shooting mode dial, a video button, a standard top command dial, and more.

Moving on to the back, you have a 3.2-inch fully-articulating touchscreen, which tilts in pretty much any direction and flips out to the side. You also get several buttons that are almost completely programmable, along with an (also programmable) multi-selector wheel.

Then there’s the electronic viewfinder and, to its right, a programmable touch bar (which I’ll discuss more thoroughly in a moment).

Now, the Canon EOS R is listed as weather-sealed, and it can clearly withstand some difficult conditions. I’ve used it (carefully) in snow and rain, and I’ve had no problems whatsoever. At the same time, the weather sealing just isn’t on the same level as some of the true professional bodies on the camera market, which is why I don’t think the EOS R is the right choice for shooters that regularly subject their gear to intense beatings.

Canon EOS R: Handling

I think I’m in the minority here, but I absolutely love the feel of the EOS R and its in-built capabilities. I’d even go so far to say that it’s the best camera I’ve ever handled, thanks to a few key features.

First, I’m a huge fan of the fully-articulating screen, which is fantastic for getting into odd angles when shooting macro photos, architectural photos, landscape photos, or even street photos when shooting unobtrusively from the hip. Plus, you get touchscreen-based autofocus, so you can easily tap your desired AF point and lock focus in milliseconds.

Second, the electronic viewfinder is clear, bright, and crisp. Thanks to its 3.69M-dot resolution, I rarely miss my optical viewfinder (which was a huge concern for me when I first added mirrorless technology to my camera lineup).

What’s also great about the EVF is how you can use it to “see” in black and white. You can literally look at a black and white world, which is ultra-helpful when it comes to composing compelling black and white images using the viewfinder.

Third, the camera fits perfectly into my hand and I can easily use it without checking where I’m pressing, due to a deep front grip and well-positioned buttons.

Fourth, the EOS R offers the programmable touch bar. This has been a point of contention among EOS R users, because some find it finicky to the point of being unusable, but I’m firmly in the opposite camp. I love the touchbar, which I immediately programmed to adjust my ISO and I haven’t changed since. It’s saved me from missing countless images, because instead of fiddling with buttons and dials, I can boost the ISO with a roll of my thumb.

Have I had occasional issues with the touchbar?

Yes. It’s very sensitive, which means that I’ve accidentally boosted the ISO without meaning to. But while this was frustrating, it was absolutely worth the trade-off discussed above.

And fifth:

I love the silent shooting mode. Unlike silent modes offered on other cameras, the EOS R’s silent shooting is truly silent or, at least, so quiet that you can’t hear the shot unless you listen very, very closely. This is one of those features that just can’t be done on DSLRs, and when it is present in mirrorless cameras, it can be inhibited in some annoying way (e.g., as a separate mode that doesn’t allow you to adjust all your other camera settings).

But on the EOS R, silent shooting is unrestricted, which is one of the reasons I love using the R for street photography. It’s a discrete option in the menu that can be toggled on and off at will. And it allows you to fire off shot after shot without being heard (which is also useful for photographing quiet events, such as weddings and concerts).

That said, there are two key usability issues with the EOS R.

First, the single SD card slot, which I mentioned above, but bears repeating. For me, it’s not a big deal, because I’m not a professional wedding photographer, sports photographer, or portrait shooter. But I can absolutely understand why certain photographers require the second card slot, and in those situations I’d simply refuse to use the EOS R; having a backup is just too important.

Second, battery life is mediocre for a mirrorless camera, which is to say very poor compared to DSLRs. Canon rates the EOS R at 370 shots, and I’ve been able to get far more than that out of it (maybe 600 shots or so), but you’re definitely going to need at least two batteries in the best of situations, and if you’re doing long photoshoots then three is probably better.

It’s also worth mentioning the lack of in-body image stabilization in the EOS R. This is disappointing, and if you’ve ever used cameras like the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, you’ll know how powerful good IBIS can be for low-light shooting. But Canon does offer a lot of image-stabilized lenses, so it’s certainly not a dealbreaker.

Canon EOS R: Autofocus and speed

The EOS R uses Canon’s much-loved Dual Pixel AF technology, which was confined to Live View modes on Canon DSLRs. In practice, the autofocus feels fast, but doesn’t really give Sony a run for its money. I spent a few hours shooting ducklings in a river, and my hit rate wasn’t as high as I’d like, especially when the ducks were backlit.

AF coverage is very good, though, and spans pretty much the entire sensor (thanks to the mindblowing 5600+ AF points).

Another bonus here is that autofocusing works all the way down to -6 EV. I’ve used the EOS R in almost complete darkness, and I’ve found that autofocus does indeed work, though it hunts as you approach that -6 EV territory.

That said, the EOS R does offer Eye AF, which allows you to nail focus on your subject’s eyes when capturing portraits. Note that this is generally used instead of Face Detection AF, though the two are designed to work together to get you the best focus depending on whether the eyes or only the face are in view.

You have two options on the EOS R regarding autofocus selection:

You can select AF points using the touchscreen, or you can select AF points using the multi-selector wheel on the rear of the camera. I use the touchscreen almost exclusively, and there’s a nice implementation that allows you to make only a corner of the screen touch-sensitive for AF use, so you don’t have to worry about repeatedly selecting AF points with your nose.

In terms of shooting speeds, I do wish the EOS R were faster.

You can work at 8 fps if you’re using One-Shot AF, but this drops to 5 fps when autofocusing continuously. I consider that 7-8 fps a minimum for action photography, and 5 fps just can’t compete in sports or wildlife or other action scenarios.

The upshot of this is that the buffer is relatively deep; you can capture 65 RAW images without pause, or 126 high-quality JPEGs, which is always nice for situations where you need to keep on shooting during once-in-a-lifetime moments.

So while the EOS R clearly isn’t well-equipped for dedicated action photography, it won’t completely fail you in fast-paced situations.

Canon EOS R: Image quality

The EOS R offers reliable image quality without being particularly groundbreaking.

First, in terms of resolution, you get 30.3 MP, which offers a middle ground between the 45+ megapixel sensors offered by Sony’s A7R series and the Nikon Z7 (as well as the Canon 5DS/5DS R), and the standard 24 MP sensor. Personally, I think this is a nice place to be, because you get good detail and significant cropping capabilities without producing huge file sizes or a lot of high-ISO noise.

Canon cameras aren’t usually known for their high ISO performance, and here the EOS R is a good performer without being great.

The Canon EOS R offers an ISO range of 100-40,000, with the ability to expand to ISO 50 on the low end and ISO 102,400 on the high end. I feel comfortable pushing the ISO to 800 or 1600 when aiming for a clean image, and I’ll often go to ISO 6400 when shooting street images at night, but this is a step down from the truly impressive low-light capabilities of the Nikon Z6 or the Sony a7 III.

The same is true of dynamic range, where images are good without being breathtaking. You don’t get the 15 stops of a Sony a7R IV, but the results are perfectly usable for, say, serious landscape photographers.

All in all, I’m pleased by the Canon EOS R’s image quality without being floored. If you’re coming from an APS-C camera or an older full-frame DSLR, you’ll notice a big difference, but the EOS R doesn’t offer much of an image quality boost compared to a camera such as the Canon 6D Mark II and is pretty on par with the 5D Mark IV.

Canon EOS R: Using the adapter

There are three Canon EF to RF adapters on the market:

The basic EF-EOS R adapter, which simply allows you to connect your EF/EF-S lenses to an EOS R body.

The midrange EF-EOS R adapter, which gives you a dedicated aperture ring when using EF/EF-S lenses.

And the high-end EF-EOS R adapter, which allows you to drop in filters (such as a circular polarizer or an ND filter).

I have only used the first of these, which you can grab for $ 99 USD. I’ve tested it on the EOS R with a handful of lenses in quite a few situations, and it works flawlessly. I’ve noticed zero autofocus lag, which means that you can comfortably use your EF and EF-S lenses without worry.

However, the adapter comes with two minor drawbacks:

First, it does take up space, either in your bag or on your camera. If you’re aiming for the smallest, lightest kit possible, then it’s probably not your best option.

And second:

It’s inconvenient to work with a group of lenses, some of which are EF-mount and some of which are RF-mount, because you have to keep moving the adapter on and off the camera.

To me, these drawbacks aren’t a big deal, and I plan to keep my EF lenses for a long time. But it’s certainly worth thinking about.

Who should purchase the Canon EOS R?

If you’re looking for an advanced or pro-level camera that’s easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and can do a lot of things well without really specializing in one area, then the EOS R is a great option. It’s especially compelling if you’re already a Canon shooter and have a slew of Canon lenses that can be attached via the EF-EOS R adapter.

You can use the EOS R for great results if you’re a:

Portrait photographer
Street photographer
Landscape photographer
Travel photographer
Macro photographer
Architectural photographer

But it’s not an action camera, which means that you shouldn’t grab the EOS R if you’re looking to shoot sports or wildlife exclusively. Instead, I’d recommend the newly released EOS R5 or the EOS R6, which both offer a whopping 20 fps shooting via the electronic shutter. The same is true when it comes to wedding photography: Both the EOS R5 and the EOS R6 offer dual card slots, which make them much better choices for the redundancy-conscious photographer.

In fact, given the release of the EOS R5 and EOS R6, which are pretty much all-around powerhouses, it’s worth asking:

Is the Canon EOS R obsolete?

In most ways, the EOS R5 and the EOS R6 are objectively better than the EOS R.

But in the end, it comes down to price; the EOS R5 costs over twice that of the EOS R, and the “cheaper” EOS R6 is also relatively expensive ($ 2500 USD) while only offering a 20 MP sensor.

So if you’re looking for a high-quality camera but you can’t afford the EOS R5 or R6, then the EOS R is a great choice.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The post Canon EOS R Mirrorless Camera: A Hands-On Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Hands-on with the Panasonic Lumix S5

04 Sep

Introduction

The Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 is a less-expensive addition to the company’s full-frame range of L-mount mirrorless cameras. It’s smaller and lighter than the existing models and is designed for both stills and video shooting.

It’s based around the same 24MP BSI CMOS sensor as the S1 but as far as the rest of the specification goes it differs in a number of ways. Panasonic promises some autofocus improvements over the existing cameras (at least until firmware updates are issued for the other models). The company highlights ‘ambitious amateur photographers’ and ‘video creators’ as users who’ll appreciate the camera.

Ergonomics

The S5 is noticeably smaller than the S1, S1R or S1H. In fact it’s even a fraction smaller than the company’s Micro Four Thirds video powerhouse the Lumix DC-GH5. It’s around 30% lighter than the S1.

This reduction is size has been made possible by a couple of design changes. The use of a smaller battery and the absence of an LCD settings panel on the top of the camera are the most significant.

The body is still made from magnesium alloy and features extensive weather-sealing measures (though Panasonic doesn’t claim the same level of freeze resistance as its bigger models).

Viewfinder and screens

Another area in which the S5 has been simplified is the camera’s display panel specs. It uses a 2.36M-dot OLED EVF, which is comparatively low by contemporary standards, alongside a 3.0″ 1.84M-dot rear LCD. The greater emphasis on video/stills shooting means that rear screen features a hinge for full articulation, rather than the twin-hinged panel well-liked for stills shooting on the S1.

For comparison, the S1 has a 5.76M-dot EVF and 3.2″ 2.1M-dot LCD.

Sensor and stabilization

The S5 uses the same 24MP sensor as the S1 and S1H, with no anti-aliasing filter. It’s a dual-gain chip, which Panasonic describes as having ‘Automatic Dual Native ISO.’ As with the S1, Nikon Z6 and Sony a7 III, this means it switches to a higher gain readout mode (with less read noise) for its higher ISO modes. Unlike the S1H, you can’t choose which gain mode to use for the ISOs around the switching point.

Like the S1, the S5 features a 5-axis in-body image stabilization system rated as giving 5 stops of correction, and this system can work collaboratively with in-lens stabilization systems to provide 6.5EV of correction with ‘Dual IS 2’ lenses.

The S5 can shoot at up to 5 frames per second with continuous autofocus or 7 fps with just a single AF acquisition.

High Resolution and High Dynamic Range modes

When mounted on a tripod the S5 can use its stabilization system to shoot a sequence of 8 images, each a little offset from the last and these images can then be combined into a 96MP high-res image. Unlike the S1, the new camera can directly produce a JPEG result, rather than being limited to generating a Raw file.

As on previous Panasonic cameras, there’s a mode that prioritizes maximum resolution and a second that compares the images for movement that’s happened between shots, and uses single image data for the parts of the scene where movement has occurred. The latest implementation can use shutter speeds as long as eight seconds per frame, up from a single second on the older cameras.

The S5 also provides the option to shoot Hybrid Log Gamma still images, which contain more dynamic range than conventional JPEGs, for viewing on HDR TVs that can show brighter whites and a wider range of tonal information.

Card slots, connections and connectivity

The S5 has two SD card slots, one of which has a UHS-II interface, the other of which uses the slower UHS-I type.

As you’d expect, the S1 has both mic and headphone sockets. The mic input can accept typical mic levels or line level inputs, with the option to provide power to the external mic if needed. The camera has a ‘micro’ Type D HDMI port, rather than the full-sized Type A port on the other S-series cameras.

The S5 also includes dual-band Wi-Fi, allowing faster 5GHz connections to Wi-Fi networks or 2.4GHz connections to smartphones.

Video specifications

Despite being a less expensive model, the S5 offers an impressive video spec. Like the S1, it shoots full-frame UHD 4K footage at up to 30p or UHD 4K at up to 60p from a Super 35 (~APS-C) crop or a native 3840×2160 pixel region (a slightly greater, 1.56x crop).

Most notably, it includes the ability to capture V-Log footage, for people who need flexibility when they color-grade their footage. It can shoot 10-bit video, with 4:2:2 chroma sub-sampling in modes up to 30p and 4:2:0 for its 60p capture. It can also capture Hybrid Log Gamma footage optimized for HDR displays. Available codecs and bitrates are essentially the same as those of the Panasonic S1 with the optional Log upgrade installed.

The camera can shoot for up to 30 minutes when shooting 4K at 50 or 60p, or when capturing 10-bit 4K footage. There are no limits on its capture at 30p or slower. Panasonic says this is based on testing at 40°C (104°F) and that extreme temperatures could eventually cause the camera to stop recording.

Improved Autofocus (stills)

One of the major features is the camera’s improved autofocus. The biggest changes come when shooting bursts of stills. Panasonic says it found a way to re-work its subject recognition algorithm in a way that lets the AF system perform more Depth-from-Defocus calculations. This reduces the amount of hunting (and distracting viewfinder flutter) when performing continuous AF.

In addition to being able to use DFD more, the S5 also gains human head recognition, on top of the body, face and eye recognition that were already offered. This helps make sure that subject tracking doesn’t lose your subject or switch to a different person if your original subject turns away from the camera.

AF in stills is also based on reading the sensor out faster, which improves the speed at which it can recognize subjects. Other improvements allow it to recognize subjects that are smaller in the frame, better-recognize faces if they’re tilted to one side, and recognize eyes when subjects are side-on to the camera.

Improved Autofocus (video)

The video autofocus also benefits from the addition of head recognition and a faster recognition algorithm, in terms of the camera focusing on the correct subject. There are some responsiveness and stability improvements, too, but much of this applies primarily to the Super35 footage, which has faster read-out rates.

Some of the improved stability of the focus should extend to its full-frame 24p capture (which uses the camera’s slowest readout mode), but not necessarily the improved responsiveness.

Battery

The S5 uses a new battery called the DMW-BLK22. It’s a similar size to the one used in the GH5, but a slightly different shape, meaning older batteries won’t work in the S5 (though the new batteries will work in the older cameras). Conversely, the new external charger can be used to charge batteries both new and old, but the new BLK22 batteries won’t fit in the chargers supplied with older cameras.

	Panasonic DC-S5	New DMW-BTC15 drop-in charger	Panasonic GH5, GH5S, G9	Existing BTC10 or BTC13 chargers
New BLK22 Battery	Compatible	Compatible	Compatible	Incompatible
Existing BLF19 Battery	Incompatible	Compatible	Compatible	Compatible

It’s a 15.8 Wh battery that powers the camera to a rating of 440 shots per charge when using the rear LCD and 470 shots per charge when using the viewfinder. The S5 can be charged or powered using USB-PD compatible chargers and power banks over its USB Type-C socket.

Summary

Overall, the S5 looks like an interesting addition to Panasonic’s S-series. Its launch price makes it a much more direct competitor to the likes of the Nikon Z6 and Sony a7 III, though it inevitably initially looks expensive next to these cameras (and even the better specced S1) given they’ve been on the market for more than 18 months and have dropped away from their MSRPs.

We’re told the other Panasonics will receive the autofocus improvements of the S5 by the end of 2020, but for now the S5 adds yet another competent-looking stills/video hybrid camera to the mix. Especially as Panasonic has already said that the S5 will receive a free update adding DCI 4K, Raw video output and shutter angle control at a later date.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Hands-on with the new Fujifilm XF 50mm F1.0 R WR

03 Sep

Hands-on with the new Fujifilm XF 50mm F1.0 R WR

Fujifilm’s fastest lens is here – the new XF 50mm F1.0 R WR is a versatile low-light lens aimed at portrait photographers and creative photographers that need extremely narrow depth-of-field. Read on to learn more.

Hands-on with the new Fujifilm XF 50mm F1.0 R WR

The gestation period of the new Fujifilm XF 50mm F1.0 R WR has been lengthy – originally planned as a 33mm, the company’s engineers ultimately decided that the size, weight and cost penalties incurred by the wider field of view weren’t practical. Hence: Fujifilm’s fastest-ever lens is now a 50mm – or 75mm equivalent on the company’s X-series APS-C mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras.

Hands-on with the new Fujifilm XF 50mm F1.0 R WR

Despite being ‘downsized’ at the design stage, the XF 50mm F1.0 is still far from a small lens, and weighs in at a considerable 845g (about 1.9lb) without the included (and very effective) hood or front / back caps. That’s a good deal heavier than the X-T4 shown here (526g, or 1.2lb).

Despite its weight, the mass is well-distributed, and the lens doesn’t feel too heavy or unbalanced on the (relatively chunky) X-T4. It’s unlikely to handle so well on many of Fujifilm’s smaller ILCs, but it’s also much less likely to be purchased alongside one of them.

Hands-on with the new Fujifilm XF 50mm F1.0 R WR

As we’d expect for a high-end Fujifilm XF lens, the 50mm F1.0 features a large faux-mechanical aperture ring, for direct control over aperture, on the lens. By setting it to ‘A’, aperture can be automatic or manually controlled via the camera body in M and Av modes depending on your settings.

The broad knurled ring towards the top of this image is the focus ring, which offers ‘focus by wire’ control over manual focus, and it moves smoothly, offering fine-grained control over exact focus position.

Automatic focus is usable but (no surprise) not exactly fast, and because depth of field at wide apertures is so narrow, we did experience occasional issues with focus ‘hunting’ when a scene was heavily defocused.

Hands-on with the new Fujifilm XF 50mm F1.0 R WR

Offering an equivalent focal length of 75mm, this is a perfect lens for traditional portraiture. Don’t expect to be taking any closeups though – the minimum focus distance of 0.7m limits the maximum magnification ratio to 0.08x. Basically, in our shooting, there were several times when we found that we wanted to get closer to our subjects than we were able to.

Hands-on with the new Fujifilm XF 50mm F1.0 R WR

Optically, the XF 50mm F1.0 is pretty complex, and construction comprises 12 elements in nine groups, including one aspherical and two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements. The front element is concave, and considering this is an APS-C lens, the front filter ring is relatively large, at 77mm.

Nine rounded aperture blades ensure circular bokeh at wide apertures – something that keen portrait photographers will appreciate.

Hands-on with the new Fujifilm XF 50mm F1.0 R WR

The ‘WR’ in the lens name stands for ‘weather resistant’ and the XF 50mm F1.0 is sealed against dust and moisture incursion. You can see the rearmost gasket (which forms a seal against the camera lens throat) in this picture – it’s the black rubber ring around the outside edge of the mount. It’s also rated for operation in temperatures down to 14°F (-10°C).

The XF 50mm F1.0 will go on sale this fall for $ 1500 USD.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Hands-on with the Sirui 35mm F1.8 1.33x anamorphic lens

13 Aug

Anamorphic for less $ $

After much teasing, Sirui has finally launched its second anamorphic lens for interchangeable lens systems. The first was the 50mm F1.8 1.33x anamorphic that came out at the beginning of this year, and the company doesn’t seem to be wasting much time getting its second model out to the market.

One of the great attractions of the original lens was its price, and many will be pleased to hear that this new 35mm model is following suit. Anamorphic lenses are, in the main, quite expensive, so these sub-$ 800 Sirui examples open anamorphic shooting to a much wider audience. The lens is being launched via an Indiegogo campaign with early-bird prices from $ 599.

With its 1.33x anamorphic characteristic the lens offers a 2.35:1 aspect ratio to those shooting in 16:9 while GH5 and GH5S users using Anamorphic mode will get a high resolution 16:9 image with all the anamorphic trappings of flare, blue streaks and oval out-of-focus highlights. GH5S users shooting in 4096 x 2160 C4K will be able to achieve a 2.5:1 aspect ratio.

MFT mount with adapters

The 35mm F1.8 comes only in a Micro Four Thirds mount, but Sirui offers adapters for Nikon Z, Sony E and Canon EF-M bodies. The 50mm was offered with fixed mounts for MFT, Sony E and Fujifilm’s X mount so there’s been a bit of a shift in favor of Nikon Z and away from Fuji X. Sirui says there is a Fujifilm X-mount lens on the way, but it hasn’t said what focal length it will be. With all the video improvements Fuji has introduced in recent times there should be a decent market for an anamorphic lens, but Sirui says it can’t make an adapter to fit MFT lenses on Fujifilm X-mount bodies.

Designed to cover APS-C, Super 35 and MFT sensors, the smaller imaging areas will add some apparent magnification to the marked focal length. The 35mm focal length on APS-C sensors with a 1.5x factor behaves as a 52.5mm would on a full frame camera, but with the extra 1.33x width in the horizontal plane that 52mm stretches back to the appearance of the 40mm.

On MFT bodies the 35mm doubles to 70mm, but then stretches to cover the horizontal angle we’d expect of a 52mm. The angles of view achieved with this lens are wider than those achieved with the 50mm lens, but they leave a good deal of room for a wider lens in the future.

Gear rings

Sirui has helpfully included a pair of gear rings with this lens to allow it to be used more easily with follow-focus systems. The rings slip over the mount-end of the lens and marry with the ribbing on the focusing and aperture rings. Each ring is labelled so you know which goes where, not that it seems to make much difference.

The rings are essential for follow-focus but they also make hand-made smooth focus transitions much easier too. As the barrel of the 35mm is somewhat wider than that of the 50mm, these rings aren’t interchangeable between the two lenses.

Design

The lens has an all-metal ‘aircraft aluminum’ body that feels very solid in the hand and dense for its size – but without it being heavy. The smooth finish feels good to the touch and the focus and aperture rings turn nicely with just the right amount of resistance. The ribbing on both is perhaps a little fine for a sure grip in all conditions, but the addition of the gear rings soon solves that. I kept mine on all the time.

The aperture ring turns smoothly and without clicked stops, allowing iris altering during filming without disturbance, and of course focus is all manual.

Plain underbelly

The underside of the lens is completely plain other than for the close focus and filter size engravings. I rather like the look without any other text, but it does mean that when the camera is mounted above head-height you can’t see what aperture you are using or the focus distance set. For those more used to lenses designed for stills this won’t seem unusual, but for those coming from movie lenses this might be a surprise.

The distraction-free underside though shows clearly where the anamorphic element group is in the optical construction, as the forward end of the barrel expands to accommodate that wide anamorphic cylinder.

Looking through the lens

Further evidence of the position of the anamorphic group comes when we look through the lens. From the front the iris looks oval and from the rear it looks round, thus demonstrating that the iris is positioned behind the anamorphic group. Not all anamorphics have the anamorphic group at the front of the construction, as some use a design that places the group just in front of the mount, but those with a forward anamorphic group display more pronounced optical characteristics. Having the cylinder at the front helps it catch the light that creates flare and ensures we get those oval out-of-focus highlights.

Close focus

For a normal spherical lens a close focus distance of 0.85m / 33in would be considered a little long, but in anamorphic terms this is about standard. Distances are marked in feet and meters, and apertures in full stop measurements. All markings on the barrel are deeply engraved, with paint neatly dropped well below the surface.

It takes a 191° rotation of the focusing ring to shift focus from the closest point to infinity, which makes for swift shifts in the focus position.

Construction

The Sirui 35mm F1.8 1.33x anamorphic is built with 13 elements in 9 groups, and uses a 10-bladed iris. The glass is made by Schott according to Sirui.

The lens is really very small for an anamorphic, which is partly down to its reduced covering circle but must also be the result of some internal miniaturization in the design, elements and glass used. It measures 117mm / 4.61in including the mount, is 70mm / 2.8in wide at the front and weighs 700g / 1.55lb.

Compared to the 50mm F1.8

The overall look and design of the 35mm (right) is very much in keeping with the existing 50mm, so the two lenses are easily identified as part of a set. There are some minor changes to the font used in places but you’d only notice if you had the time to look at such things.

The 35mm is longer, broader and heavier than the 50mm, and although the focus rings match in depth they have different diameters due to the difference in barrel size. The aperture rings are different in design too, with the 50mm featuring a much narrower ribbed area.

Red dots

The shift from dedicated mounts to an adapter system has meant Sirui has had to relocate the index red dot. Maybe not such a big deal, but I’m used to Micro Four Thirds lenses having their red dot on the side of the barrel where it is easy to see rather than on the mount itself, so this took some getting used to. The dot has shifted from a permanently visible position to avoid confusion when a Nikon Z adapter is fitted, for example, as the Z mount has its red dot in a different place. Moving the dot to the mount means there will only ever be one on display as the MFT red dot that is marked on the mount will be covered by the adapter ring.

The mount adapters are fitted using the second set of screws in the base of the lens, with an index indentation to ensure it is positioned correctly. One set of screws has a star head while the ones we are supposed to use have a regular cross-head, to avoid getting them mixed up. The 50mm doesn’t have the facility to accept these adapters, so those using Nikon Z cameras, for example, will only have access to the 35mm at the moment. Only Sony E and MFT camera users can fit both 50mm and 35mm lenses.

Clips reel

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Hands-on with the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art

08 Aug

Hands-on with the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art is the latest in the company’s ‘DN’ (Digital Native) lens lineup, designed specifically for use with mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. Like previous DN-series lenses, the 85mm F1.4 is available in two mounts: L (Sigma, Leica and Panasonic), and Sony E-mount.

Click through this article for a closer look at Sigma’s latest portrait prime lens.

New optical formula

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art might share a focal length and maximum aperture with the older 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art (released in 2016) but the similarities end there. This is a completely new optical design, comprising 15 elements in 11 groups, with five SLD (super low-dispersion) elements and one aspherical element.

Sigma claims that this combination results in excellent sharpness at all apertures, and very well-controlled flare and ghosting: claims that appear to be born out in our initial shooting. Like all of the lenses in Sigma’s ‘Global Vision’ line (Art, Contemporary and Sport) each copy of the 85mm is tested using Sigma’s proprietary ‘A1’ MTF measuring system prior to shipping.

Smaller and lighter than previous 85mm F1.4 Art

Despite its ambitious optical construction, the new 85mm F1.4 is more than an inch shorter (94mm/3.7″, compared to 127mm/5″) and more than a pound lighter (635g/1.4lb), compared to 1.1kg/2.5lb) than the previous-generation 85mm F1.4 Art. Many of Sigma’s Art-series primes have felt rather heavy and bulky, but the new 85mm gives an impression of compactness and light weight, helped by its tapering barrel.

Build quality has not been sacrificed for the sake of weight though, and construction is in-line with what we’d expect: a mixture of aluminum and Sigma’s TSC (Thermally Stable Composite), complete with a brass mount. The lens is rated as ‘dust and splash-proof’.

Physical aperture ring

All of Sigma’s ‘DN’ lenses have been designed with video, as well as stills, in mind. As such, the new 85mm features a ‘clicky’ physical aperture ring, which can be ‘de-clicked’ if desired, for video use. If you’d rather adjust aperture via the camera, this ring can be locked in the ‘A’ position using a dedicated switch, to avoid accidental inputs.

This image also shows the lens’s ‘AF-L’ button, which locks autofocus by default, but can be customized via the menu system on a compatible camera.

Stepping motor for autofocus

The 85mm F1.4 is optimized for use with both contrast detection (Leica, Sigma and Panasonic) and phase detection (pretty much everyone else) autofocus systems, and uses a stepping motor, coupled with a small, lightweight focusing group. Unlike some other fast 85mm lenses we could mention, autofocus is fast, and it’s also quiet enough for use during video shooting. Although we haven’t been able to perform a side-by-side test, our impression is that focus is a little faster than the previous-generation 85mm F1.4 Art.

77mm filter thread and included hood

With the generously-sized hood attached, the 85mm F1.4 suddenly looks a whole lot bigger, but it can be reversed on the lens when you’re not shooting. The front filter ring is a very reasonable 77mm.

Sigma is aiming this lens at enthusiast and professional portrait photographers, and as such, it is equipped with 11 rounded aperture blades, to ensure circular apertures at wide-to-medium F-stops. Don’t plan on many closeups though: Much like its peers, minimum focus is 85cm (33.5″) and the maximum magnification ratio of 1:8.4 (0.12x) means you’re not going to be using the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DN for macro photography.

Compatible with Sigma USB DOCK UD-11

The L-mount version of the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN is compatible with Sigma’s UD-11 USB dock (not pictured). This mounts like a camera body onto the lens, and provides an easy way to update lens firmware and customize some aspects of operation.

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN will be available later this month, in L and E-mounts, for $ 1199.

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Hands-on with the Sony a7S III

30 Jul

The Sony a7S III

The a7S III is the third model in Sony’s lineup of video-oriented mirrorless cameras, beginning with the original a7S in 2014 and the a7S II in 2015. Keen observers will note that five years have passed since the previous model was announced – which may seem an eternity in Sony years – so it’s understandable that expectations are high.

While the a7S III undoubtedly speaks to videographers and filmmakers, Sony has taken a different approach to its video flagship than we’ve seen from other companies, eschewing the headline specs found on other cameras and foregoing features like high resolution image sensors and 6K, or even 8K, video.

Instead, it embraces good old-fashioned 4K video, a production standard that will remain relevant for many years. Rather than chase ever bigger headline numbers, it focuses on doing one thing and doing it really well. It may still say 12MP on the box, but there’s a lot of exciting tech going on under the hood, so let’s take a look at everything that’s new.

Body

At first glance, the a7S III looks similar to Sony’s other ‘fourth generation’ mirrorless cameras, including the a9 II and a7R IV, bringing better ergonomics and compatibility with Sony’s impressive NP-FZ100 battery. Look a bit closer however, and there are a couple visible (and one invisible) differences worth noting.

The most obvious change is the fully articulating rear LCD display, the first of its kind on a Sony a7 model. It’s a useful addition for a camera aimed at videographers. As we’ll see on a subsequent slide, this LCD also delivers a lot more functionality than any a7-series LCD before it. There’s also a small visible light and IR sensor on the front of the body, designed to improve white balance accuracy in artificial light (something that’s particularly useful considering that most video is not shot in Raw format).

Finally, the a7S III features an all-new internal structure to improve heat dissipation. It’s not visible from the outside, but Sony tells us it’s what allows the camera to record for extended periods of time without the need for an integrated cooling fan.

Rear LCD screen

As we mentioned on the previous slide, the a7S III is the first a7-series camera to feature a fully articulating rear screen. It’s now a much more functional touchscreen as well.

Touch control extends to most aspects of the camera’s operation, including tap-to-track functionality, navigating the menus, pinching, zooming and swiping in playback mode, and even access to the all-important (and customizable) Fn menu. We’d celebrate the innovation if it weren’t such an obvious thing to do, but better late than never, right?

The disappointing news? At 1.44M dots it’s a surprisingly low resolution screen for a premium camera in 2020. We had hoped for a bit more of an upgrade here, but at the end of the day it will get the job done.

EVF

The resolution of the rear LCD screen may be lacking a bit, but the same can’t be said for the camera’s new electronic viewfinder. The 9.44M dot OLED EVF promises more resolution than we’ve seen on any mirrorless camera to date.

We say ‘promises’ because the benefits of full resolution depends on which mode the camera is set to. Based on our experience so far, it appears that the screen uses full resolution in playback mode, but loses some detail when used in live view, even when set to ‘high quality’ mode.

The EVF features an impressive 0.91x magnification and 41º field of view. This results in a high eye point of 25mm so that glasses wearers should be able to see the entire image in the finder. If a higher eye point is needed, the field of view can be narrowed a bit by using only a central portion of the display (though with less magnification).

Sensor

OK, let’s address the elephant in the room: it’s 2020 and the a7S III is still built around a 12MP CMOS sensor. However, it’s a completely different sensor than any we’ve seen in previous a7S models, and it’s a good match given Sony’s stated design intent for the camera: to deliver class-leading 4K video.

To start, the new sensor is a BSI (backside illuminated) CMOS sensor, allowing it to gather more light than the series’ previous 12MP sensors. It also features on-sensor phase detect pixels for improved autofocus, a first for an a7S model. According to Sony, it has twice the readout speed of the sensor found in the a7S II, which allows it to support higher frame rates for video and it should deliver significantly improved rolling shutter performance.

The 12MP sensor also means the camera can use the full width of the sensor for (almost) any capture mode, whether for 4K, perfectly (2:1) oversampled Full HD, or even Raw video capture without any need for pixel binning or line skipping.

Video

Video is what the a7S III is all about. It features 10-bit 4:2:2 color in all recording modes, impressive frame rates running up to 4K/120p, and video can be captured continuously for up to 60 minutes with a minimal crop. Sony claims high ISO video performance has been improved as well, and we’ll certainly put that to the test.

Serious videographers will appreciate the ability to use Sony’s S-Log2 and S-Log3 gamma profiles, which will be much more useful thanks to 10-bit recording (Sony claims to achieve 15+ stops of dynamic range when using S-Log3). There are also presets for HLG to facilitate direct playback to an HDR display and, unlike Sony’s previous HLG implementation, they’re 10-bit as well. One notable omission is the ability to record in 4K DCI format; only UHD 4K is supported.

Next, let’s take a look at the camera’s codecs and Raw video option.

Video codecs

The XAVC codec on Sony’s mirrorless cameras has remained unchanged for several years, capping out 100 Mbps, 8-bit video, so it comes as no shock that the video-focused a7S III jumps well beyond the old specs.

XAVC S recording, based on the H.264 standard, is still there, but now supports bit rates up to 280 Mbps. Additionally, a new XAVC HS codec, based on the H.265 standard, is also available at up to 280 Mbps. H.265 is about twice as efficient as H.264, meaning you can capture just as much detail at half the bit rate, or a lot more detail at the same bit rate. Not surprisingly, Sony takes the latter approach.

Sony also introduces a new version of XAVC S, called XAVC S-I. It’s an all-Intra version of the codec, meaning it captures complete image data for every video frame rather than just saving differential information between ‘I’ frames. With a data rate of 600 Mbps, it should prove beneficial when encoding scenes with complex motion details.

Finally, S&Q (‘slow and quick’) mode can record All-I up to 4K/120p, but with an interesting twist: it writes data at up to 240 Mbps based on intended playback speed. For example, recording 120p for playback at 24p results in an effective bit rate of 1200 Mbps. The downsides? You can’t record audio in S&Q mode, and it requires CFexpress Type A cards for the highest bit rates.

Raw video

Raw video is becoming more common on mirrorless cameras, and the a7S III is no exception. However, it promises to go beyond what we’ve seen on many recent models, outputting full-width, 16-bit Raw video at up to 60p.

So far, the only external recorder to support the a7S III is the Atomos Ninja V, which encodes the camera’s output as 12-bit ProRes Raw. It’ll be interesting to see what the footage looks like, but the decision to use a 12MP sensor means you only have to deal with 4264 x 2408 footage rather than coping with 6K files or any quality loss from sub-sampled a higher-res sensor.

Autofocus

Autofocus is one area where we expect to see big improvements on the a7S III. Previous a7S-series models relied on contrast detect autofocus, necessitating manual focus to avoid focus hunting and wobbling. However, it’s a myth that videographers always want to use manual focus; for many applications, such as documentary shooting, a good autofocus system can be really useful.

The a7S III features a hybrid AF system that includes 759 phase detect AF points that cover 92% of the frame, and which automatically uses eye and face detection when tracking subjects for both video and stills. Sony claims that the a7S III has improved its eye recognition by up to 30% for even better performance. And, unlike some cameras that have limited use of AF features in certain modes, autofocus works in all video modes including 4K/120p.

We’ve been very impressed with autofocus on recent Sony models and anticipate similar performance from this camera.

Connections

External connection points are important to video users, and we think most will like the options Sony included on the a7S III. To start, there’s a full-sized HDMI port, which is more durable and universal than the mini and micro HDMI plugs found on a lot of cameras. The HDMI port also facilitates the camera’s 16-bit Raw video feed to an external recorder.

The camera also features not one, but two, USB ports: USB-C and USB-micro. The USB-C port complies with the USB 3.2 Gen 1 standard, which corresponds to the 5Gbps transfer speed formerly known as USB 3.0. It also supports PD charging systems and allows the camera to run on continuous external power if desired.

Finally, there are 3.5mm headphone and microphone jacks: a must-have on a camera of this nature.

Image stabilization

Like other Sony alpha cameras, the a7S III includes 5-axis in-body image stabilization, claiming up to 5.5 stops of effectiveness.

Additionally, there’s a feature Sony calls ‘Active Mode’ image stabilization. This mode uses data from the camera’s gyroscopes, in combination with cropping the video to a native UHD region of the sensor (approximately 1.1x), in order to allow the sensor to move further and correct even higher amplitude movements.

4-channel audio

In a first for an a7-series camera, the a7S III can record 4-channel audio. This requires Sony’s XLR-K3M hot shoe adapter, which features two XLR inputs as well as a 3.5mm audio input. 4-channel audio facilitates more complex audio setups that might otherwise require an off-camera recorder to execute.

4-channel audio extends to monitoring as well, and the user can configure which audio inputs are routed to the two available monitoring channels.

Menu system

The a7S III features a completely redesigned menu system. Sony menus have long had a reputation for being a bit complex, despite providing a very high level of user customization. By comparison, the new menu system is a breath of fresh air.

The most notable change is that menu tabs are now arranged vertically and color coded by section. When you tap on a menu item a list of settings appears on the right side of the screen. The new layout requires less memorization and is easier to navigate, meaning there’s less toggling back and forth between different screens to find what you want.

The other big improvement is that menus can now be navigated using the camera’s touchscreen interface.

Bionz XR

Bionz XR is Sony’s first new processor in several years, and the a7S III is the first camera in its model lineup to use it. Sony claims the dual chip design has up to 8x the processing power of the previous Bionz X processor.

Why does it matter? According to Sony, the Bionz XR touches just about every aspect of performance on the camera and overcomes some of the restrictions found on earlier a7-series cameras. In particular, image processing is now handled separately from other tasks rather than competing with them, and the new processor also facilitates the camera’s high bit rates for video.

What’s the practical impact? We have yet to fully test the camera, but our initial impression is that the a7S III is quicker and more responsive in its handling than previous Sony models.

Photography features

With all the focus on video it might be easy to forget that the a7S III is also a stills camera, and Sony has added some features worth noting.

Base ISO has been lowered to 80, and can be extended as low as ISO 40 if desired (though this will almost certainly be a ‘pull’ setting that won’t improve dynamic range). At the high end it can shoot at ISO 102,800 with the option to expand that up to 409,800. In addition to Raw and JPEG images, it can capture 10-bit HEIF files with either 4:2:0 or 4:2:2 color sampling, and HLG images that use the same BT.2020 color space as the latest HDTV standards.

The a7S III isn’t a speed king when it comes to shooting stills, but its 10fps burst shooting with mechanical or electronic shutter should be sufficient for all but the most performance-minded photographers. It can also capture 1000 Raw+JPEG images in a burst, not terribly surprising given that each frame is only 12MP.

Card slots

Sony’s a7-series cameras have long included dual card slots, but the a7S III adds a new twist: twin dual-format card slots. In addition to standard UHS-II SD cards, both slots also accommodate a new type of card: CFexpress Type A. As the name implies, CFexpress type A cards are part of the broader CFexpress standard. Their smaller size means they’re not cross-compatible with the XQD-like Type B cards we’ve seen in recent Canon and Nikon cameras.

CFexpress Type A cards have a lower theoretical maximum speed than Type B cards, but have the advantage that they are actually smaller and faster than SD cards. In fact, they’re effectively two generations ahead: V90 is part of the UHS-II standard, and SDexpress, which uses the same protocols as SVexpress, is the next generation beyond UHS-III.

The good news is that if you’re already invested in fast SD cards you can continue to use them since most of the camera’s features work fine with either V60 or V90 cards. However, the camera’s most bandwidth intensive recording format – S&Q (‘slow and quick’) mode with 10-bit 4:2:2 recording – requires CFexpress Type A cards.

Conclusion

Sony’s a7S series has historically delivered very high quality video, beginning with the original a7S and its perfectly oversampled Full HD, then with the a7S II and its native resolution, full frame 4K. Both also provided robust low light video performance at a time that full frame video was less common. But that was 2015, and it’s now 2020. Many cameras – even those without a strong video emphasis – have stronger video capabilities than either model.

The a7S III seems poised to challenge the market again, though it’s a very different market this time around. Instead of trying to win with the most impressive spec sheet, Sony’s strategy is more of a ‘deliver what people want, and do it in a very dependable way’ approach. It’s not a bad strategy; video quality has become so good across the board that a solid, dependable camera that can consistently deliver great results will likely appeal to quite a few videographers.

We haven’t had a chance to fully evaluate the camera yet, but we’re impressed with what we’ve seen so far. We’re looking forward to sharing our findings in the days to come.

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DPReview TV: Sony a7S III hands-on preview

29 Jul

The a7S III promises to be Sony’s best mirrorless camera for video to date. Instead of winning a battle of spec sheets, it focuses on delivering robust, high quality 4K video. What do we think so far? Watch our hands-on preview to find out.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

Intro
Design and handling
Sample photos
LCD display
EVF
New menus
Card slots and media
Photography features
12MP sensor advantages
Color profiles
Codecs and compression
Rolling shutter
Active Steadyshot
Raw video
Autofocus
LCD design
Punch-in for manual focus
Compared to the Canon EOS R5
Compared to the Panasonic S1H
Who's it for?

Sample gallery from this episode

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Hands-on with Canon’s new RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM

10 Jul

Hands-on with Canon’s new RF85mm F2 Macro IS STM

Alongside a trio of telephoto lenses, Canon also announced a new 85mm this week. The RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM is a compact, affordable alternative to the pro-oriented 85mm F1.2L, which can’t match the light-gathering power of its costly cousin, but adds optical image stabilization and a handy close-focusing ability. Not to mention it’s a whole lot easier to carry around.

Click through this article for a closer look at Canon’s sixth autofocus 85mm lens.

Size and weight

At 500g (1.1 lbs) the 85mm F2 is far from a featherweight, but it’s less than half the weight of the 85mm F1.2. It’s nicely-balanced, too, and doesn’t feel heavy on an EOS R6. The filter thread is a very reasonable 67mm, so no need to hunt around for expensive, larger, less common filters.

Ergonomics

The RF 85mm F2 features a pretty clean, matte black, low-key design, with a broad rubber-clad focus ring in the middle of the barrel (manual focus is focus-by-wire, as we’d expect) and a customizable ‘clicky’ control ring at the front, nearest to the filter ring. The two rings are textured differently to help differentiate them by touch.

There’s a lot of polycarbonate in the body of the lens (our copy is made in Malaysia, for those who care about such things), and overall build quality seems very high. It should be noted, however, that Canon makes no claims about weather-sealing in this lens.

Optical construction

The RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM is a lot less of a handful than the F1.2L, but it’s still a pretty advanced, complex design. Optical construction comprises 12 elements in 11 groups, including one UD (ultra low-dispersion) element for chromatic aberration control. A nine-bladed aperture ensures that out of focus highlights will be rendered as near-circles when the lens is shot near or wide open. Canon claims ‘beautiful bokeh’ from this lens, which should be a favorite of portrait photographers.

Close focusing

The ‘Macro’ in the full product name of this lens refers to its close focusing abilities, and its maximum reproduction ratio of 0.5X. Technically this isn’t true macro (that would be 1:1 reproduction) but manufacturers (not only Canon) have been playing fast and loose with that word for years, so we’ll forgive it. Especially since this kind of close focusing ability (you can focus down to 1.1 ft, or 35 cm) is so impressive in a lens of this kind. For (near) macro work, you can lock the lens’s autofocus to a range of 0.5m – 0.35m to prevent hunting.

We expect this macro capability will make this lens a handy kit – particularly when paired with the RF 35mm F1.8 – for portrait and wedding photographers who can quickly go close in for detail shots.

Speaking of autofocus, like its shorter focal length RF 35 cousin, the RF 85mm F2 uses a stepping motor to drive its focus group. Given our past experience with Canon’s STM motors, we expect autofocus speeds are unlikely to be as fast as the company’s lenses with Nano USM focus drive systems, and it remains to be seen if focus drive is silent.

Image Stabilization

The RF 85mm F2 features optical image stabilization, rated to five stops of correction (per CIPA, tested on an EOS R). Canon claims that when mounted on an EOS R5 or R6, photographers can expect a combined stabilization effect of up to eight stops with this lens, which will be hugely beneficial for the kind of closeup work that the lens is capable of. Regardless of what body it’s attached to, the 85mm F2’s ‘Hybrid I.S’ system is designed specifically to help with the kinds of rotational and up/down left/right movements that can create problems at very close focusing distances.

We’re unable to test stabilization performance (or autofocus, or image quality) in this pre-production sample, but these are all things that we want to try out when we get an opportunity. In the meantime, let us know what you think of Canon’s latest portrait prime lens in the comments.

The RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM lens is scheduled to be available in October 2020 for an estimated retail price of $ 599.99.

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Hands-on with new Canon RF 100-500mm, 600mm and 800mm telephoto lenses

10 Jul

Hands-on with new Canon RF 100-500mm, 600mm and 800mm telephoto lenses

Alongside the EOS R5 and R6, Canon has announced a brace of lenses, all in the short to long telephoto range. Filling out the ‘long’ end are one L-series zoom, and two innovative primes. Click through to learn more about the 100-500mm F4-7.1L IS USM and the RF 600mm and 800 F11 IS STM.

100-500mm F4-7.1L IS USM

Let’s start with the more conventional lens of the trio – the 100-500mm F4-7.1L IS USM, which first appeared in mockup form at events earlier this year (remember when we had events?) featuring 20 elements in 14 groups, this is a complex design, which incorporates six UD (Ultra Low-Dispersion) elements and one ‘Super’ UD element. These elements should help control chromatic aberrations.

(Relatively) compact

The 100-500mm is relatively compact when zoomed ‘out’ to 100mm (207.6mm / 8.2 in) but extends (to 297mm / 11.7 in) at 500mm. A torque adjustment allows you to make the zoom movement stiffer or looser as desired, and lock the zoom ring if required.

Canon is at pains to reassure users that despite its telescoping design, this lens is very well-sealed against dust and moisture. At 1370 g (3 lbs), the 100-500mm is far from a lightweight lens, but it’s only a couple of hundred grams heavier than the much faster RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM. The front filter thread is a very reasonable 77mm.

A removable tripod collar allows the lens to be mounted directly onto a tripod, in situations where hand-holding isn’t desirable or practical.

Close focusing performance

Considering its focal length range, the 100-500mm offers good close focusing performance, with a minimum focus distance of 0.9m at the 100mm end of the zoom, and 1.2m at 500mm. This should make it practical for conventional short-tele portraiture. The maximum magnification ratio of 0.33X is achieved at 500mm (full extension at 500mm shown in this image).

Autofocus is handled by dual Nano USM motors that can work independently of one another for fast and silent AF.

5 stops of IS

This is a stabilized lens, rated at 5 stops of correction on an EOS R. When mounted on an R5 or R6, Canon claims that total stabilization with its I.S.-enabled lenses should improve due to both in-body and lens IS systems receiving information from the others’ sensors.

This two-way communication is enabled by the fast protocols developed for the RF mount. Canon quotes as much as an 8 stop benefit with some lenses. Canon claims you can expect 6 EV of correction from the 100-500mm and R5/6 combination, and this is something we’ll be sure to test as soon as we can. There are three IS modes to choose from: standard, panning or active during exposure.

Compatible with RF 1.4X and 2X teleconverters

The 100-500mm is compatible with Canon’s new RF 1.4X and 2X teleconverters, but only at focal lengths of 300mm and longer. A locking mechanism prevents their use at wider focal length positions, where damage might occur to the lens’ rear element.

The RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens is scheduled to be available in September 2020 for an estimated retail price of $ 2,699. The RF Extender 1.4x and 2x are scheduled to be available at the end of this month for an estimated retail price of $ 499.99 and $ 599.99.

Canon RF 600mm F11 IS STM

Alongside the 100-500mm Canon unveiled two very unusual lenses, both of which employ collapsible mechanisms and DO – Diffractive Optics – elements in their designs, to reduce their size and weight. The first is the RF 600mm F11 IS STM. Canon claims that the use of a new material for the gapless dual-layered DO element allows for smaller and more cost-effective designs compared to the EF equivalents.

Compact and lightweight

The 600mm F11 IS STM weighs less than a kilo (930 g / 2.05 lbs), features a perfectly reasonable 82mm filter thread and measures only 200mm (7.9 in) when stowed. Considering its focal length, these figures are impressive. The DO optical technology certainly helps, but the main reason for its unusual compactness is an innovative retractable design.

Retracting design

Retracting / collapsing designs have been around for as long as photographic lenses have existed, and the basic principle (and benefit) has remained the same – extend and lock the mechanism when you need to shoot with the lens, and retract / collapse it when you don’t, for compactness. This isn’t possible with complex multi-element primes (let alone zooms) but for a long tele like the RF 600mm, where most of the glass is clustered together, in a design with a lot of empty space between groups, it becomes an option.

Retracting design

To unlock the 600mm’s extending mechanism, just turn the collar, and pull (or push) to put the lens into either the extended shooting position, or collapsed storage position. When extended, the lens measures 270mm (10.6 in).

Fixed aperture of F11

Another way of keeping this lens small is its fixed aperture of F11. This is the kind of aperture that traditionally, we would have associated with mirror lenses, which were a devil to work with on D/SLRs because of the dim viewfinder image associated with such a small working aperture.

However, on a mirrorless camera with a decent EVF, that’s much less of a concern, especially now that the Dual Pixel CMOS AF systems in Canon’s EOS R-series cameras can autofocus at working apertures down to F22 (which – not coincidentally – allows for these lenses to be used with the new RF teleconverters). Yes, F11 (and remember that’s fixed – you cannot stop down as there is no multi-bladed iris) is still a limiting aperture for exposure, but it’s a much more practical working aperture now than it would have been back in the days of SLRs.

Image stabilization and autofocus

The 600mm F11 is also equipped with an image stabilization system which can deliver up to 5 stops of stabilization. Canon did not claim an increase in performance when paired with the EOS R5 and R6 IBIS systems, and this makes some sense given the limited ability of IBIS systems to effectively stabilize very long focal lengths. Autofocus is handled by an STM motor, of the kind that has become common in Canon’s more enthusiast-centric lenses and those optics intended to be used for video, as well as stills. It’s not as fast – or usually as silent – as Canon’s Nano USM motors, but still quite effective.

Canon RF 800mm F11 IS STM

The RF 800mm F11 IS STM is a very similar lens to the 600mm, but it’s a little bigger, a little heavier and features a little more glass (11 elements in eight groups, as opposed to ten elements in seven groups for the 600mm).

Bigger and heavier (but still compact)

The 800mm is 35% heavier than the 600mm, weighing in at 1260 g (2.77 lbs). At 282mm (11.1 in) when stowed in its collapsed position, it’s about the same length as the 600mm is when extended. When the 800mm is extended to its shooting position, overall length increases to 352mm (13.8 in). That’s longer than a mirror lens would be, but very compact for a conventional 800mm.

Larger filter ring, longer minimum focus

The general ‘upsizing’ of the 800mm compared to the 600mm extends to the filter ring, which is a less traditional (and less convenient) 95mm. The IS system in the 800mm is only rated to four stops, too, compared to five in the 600mm (rated as per CIPA, measured on an EOS R body). The minimum focus distance is longer, too, at 6m compared to 4.5m.

All of this probably makes the 600mm slightly more practical for most photographers, but there’s no doubt that 800mm can itch some places that 600mm can’t quite scratch. We suspect that both lenses will be a hit with fans of bird photography.

The RF600mm F11 IS STM and RF800mm F11 IS STM lenses are scheduled to be available at the end of July 2020 for an estimated retail price of $ 699.99 and $ 899.99, respectively.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Hands-on with the Canon EOS R6

10 Jul

Hands-on with the new Canon EOS R6

Announced alongside the EOS R5, the R6 offers a lot of the same technology but in a more affordable, slightly more enthusiast-focused model. While the more advanced R5 might dominate headlines for a while, the R6 is likely to end up in the hands of more photographers. Click through for a closer look.

20MP CMOS sensor

Canon has a long tradition of adding features from its professional models into lower-tier cameras over time, but this is the first time we’ve seen a sensor from a flagship DSLR end up in an enthusiast camera.

The R6’s 20MP sensor is essentially the same as the one in the EOS-1D X Mark III, offering 20MP and a wide ISO sensitivity span of 100-102,400 (expandable up to 204,800). Just like the EOS-1D X Mark III, images can be captured in Raw, JPEG or HEIF file formats, with HEIF used for lifelike HDR capture.

Please note that like the EOS R, the R6’s shutter normally closes over the sensor when a lens is removed. This image shows the sensor exposed because we know that you like to look at sensors.

20MP CMOS sensor

Some photographers might be disappointed that the R6 offers ‘only’ 20MP, but we’ve been impressed by the images that we’ve been able to create from the 1D X III. Although we don’t (yet) have full third-party support for the R6’s Raw files, we expect similarly clean high ISO images and good dynamic range compared to previous generations of Canon ILCs.

Digic X – same processor as EOS 1D X III

The 20MP sensor is accompanied by a Digic X processor, also previously found in the 1D X Mark III. This allows the R6 to shoot Raw and/or JPEG files at up to 20fps (in electronic shutter mode) with full autofocus. In mechanical shutter mode the maximum shooting rate drops to 12fps.

Dual Pixel CMOS AF with 100% coverage

The R6 features Canon’s Dual CMOS autofocus, with 1053 automatically-selected AF areas covering 100% of the frame, both vertically and horizontally. This enables phase-detection autofocus right out to the very extremes of the frame, and should mean that there’s no risk of your intended subject ‘falling out’ of AF coverage during tracking.

The usual range of AF modes are included in the R6, with the Face+Tracking mode now able to recognize eyes, faces and heads for people, and eyes, faces and bodies for animals. Autofocus is rated down to -6.5EV with an F1.2 lens using the center AF point.

From our limited shooting so far, subject detection, autofocus speed and AF accuracy appear excellent, and this is something we’re hoping to properly test very soon, as we move towards a full review of the EOS R6.

3.69m-dot OLED finder w/120fps live view

The EOS R6 doesn’t get the super high-res EVF of the R5, but its 3.69m-dot OLED is nevertheless excellent, offering a sharp and contrasty view. A 120fps live view feed option (turned off by default to save power) means that there is virtually no noticeable ‘lag’ between the real world and the finder, which – with the 0.76X magnification – makes for a highly realistic, immersive experience.

Honestly, at this point, the gap between traditional D/SLR finders and the best electronic equivalents is effectively closed for all but a niche range of purposes (i.e. if you’re taking photos of fine patterns or display screens, where moiré in the live view feed can still be an issue).

It’s worth noting that like the EOS R5, and unlike most previous Canon cameras, the rubber eyecup around the R6’s EVF is fixed, and is not user-replaceable.

Vari-angle touch screen

On the rear of the R6 you’ll find the expected large, touch-sensitive LCD panel, offering full articulation in the Canon style. Offering 3.0″ and 1.62M dot resolution, the LCD image is sharp and contrasty, and the touch functionality works very well. As we’ve seen in previous R-series ILCs, the R6’s screen can be used as an AF touchpad, for quick control over manual AF point positioning with your eye to the viewfinder.

Rear controls and build quality

The R6’s rear controls are about what we’d expect from a mid / high-end Canon ILC at this point, and include an AF positioning joystick to the right of the EVF, and a control dial to the right of the LCD. Build quality overall is very high, and Canon claims that both the R6 offers build and weather-sealing inline with the company’s 6D-series. In practical terms, this means that it should easily withstand use in pretty demanding conditions. It certainly feels well-built, and its various controls are nicely damped and move positively without any play or wobble.

At 680g (1.5 lbs) including battery and memory card the EOS R6 is just a shade lighter than the EOS 6D Mark II.

Top controls

From most angles, the R6 is almost indistinguishable from the R5, but where the R5 features a top-mounted LCD, the R6 instead has an exposure mode dial. Twin control dials on the top and rear of the handgrip serve for exposure adjustment and menu navigation etc., augmented by the rear control dial which – by default – is set for direct adjustment of exposure compensation in PASM modes.

There’s no MFn bar to be seen (let us know how you feel about that in the comments) and overall, the R6’s ergonomics are likely to be extremely familiar to anyone who’s picked up a Canon DSLR or mirrorless ILC in the last few years.

In-body image stabilization

After almost two years of reassuring messaging to the effect of “we know, we’re working on it”, Canon has finally introduced in-body stabilization into the R-series lineup. The R6 offers the same IBIS system as the R5, which is capable of a claimed 8 stops of correction, when certain IS-enabled lenses are mounted.

We haven’t been able to test this in a controlled way yet, but from our shooting so far we have no reason to doubt this figure. Whatever the exact performance turns out to be in measured stops, it’s certainly a powerful and effective system. The addition of IBIS alone should make the R6 (and R5) immediately more practical than its predecessors for a lot of purposes.

4K up to 60p, 1080 up to 120p

While the 8K-capable R5 has stolen the headlines, the R6’s video specs are impressive; at least on paper. Offering oversampled 4K recording at up to 60p, and slow-mo (120p) HD capture, the R6 looks like it could be a powerful tool for enthusiast videography, with a solid set of additional features, including 10-bit 4:2:2 internal C-Log or HDR recording, and physical sockets for both a microphone and headphone.

Dual UHS-II card slots

The EOS R6 offers twin slots for SD cards, and both slots support the UHS-II standard. The slots are offset, and the usual range of overflow / backup options are available in the menu system. It is also possible to set the R6 to record stills to one card, and video to the other.

New Battery

The R6 ships with a familiar-looking but updated battery. The LP-E6NH is backwards compatible with all previous Canon models which accepted some variant of the LP-E6 (and there are a lot of them) but offers a roughly 14% increase in capacity. Battery life is stated as being between 250 frames per charge (in 120 fps EVF mode) and 510 frames (in Power Save mode, using the LCD).

The R6 is compatible with a new battery grip, the BG-R10 ($ 349.99), which replicates key controls for vertical shooting and allows the use of a second battery, to effectively double shooting time.

The EOS R6 is scheduled to be available at the end of August for an estimated retail price of $ 2499.00 for the body only, $ 2899.00 for the R6 and RF 24-105 F4-7.1 IS STM lens kit or $ 3599.00 for the R6 and RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM lens kit.

For more detail, read our Canon EOS R6 initial review

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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