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We’ve had some time to get to know the Nikon D850 and so far it’s safe to say we’ve been really impressed. Its low ISO dynamic range is class-leading, and it has proven so far to be a versatile tool for shooting everything from wedding receptions to white water rapid kayaking. We’ve also had a chance to put it in front of our standard studio test scene for your viewing pleasure – see how its 46 megapixels look side-by-side with its peers.
See the Nikon D850 in our studio scene comparison tool
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The new version of Voigtlander’s 40mm Ultron lens and the brand new 40mm Nokton lens are both ready to ship, and the company has finally revealed pricing as well. The more affordable Ultron will cost you ¥60,000/£479/$ 515, while the more expensive (and faster) Nokton will cost ¥135,000/£749 (~ $ 1000 USD).
The Ultron 40mm f/2 SL ll-S is the third generation 40mm f/2 for Nikon that the company has made, and brings with it the distinctive ‘bunny ears’ coupling fork so it can now be used with non-Ai film cameras. The lens has enjoyed an external make-over to deliver a Nikon-like retro look, while internally a new helicoid ring allows a closer minimum focusing distance of just 25cm, and 1:4 reproduction.
The lens is obviously manual focus, but contacts with the body transmit shooting information for EXIF data purposes. The lens is available now in a black or silver rim finish.
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Voigtlander makes quite a range of lenses for the Sony E-mount, and the latest is the 40mm f/1.2 Nokton, which the company claims is the fastest 40mm available for the system.
It features a 10-bladed f/1.2 iris and electronic contacts ensure EXIF data is recorded and Sony’s in-camera image stabilization system is fully functional with the lens. The Nokton offers both clicked and clickless aperture rotation, and its eight-elements-in-six-groups construction makes for a minimum focusing distance of 35cm. The lens goes on sale on 5th October.
For more information, check out the translated versions of the Voigtlander pages for the Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f/2 SL ll-S for Nikon and the Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.2 for Sony E mount.
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The Sigma SD1 was an APS-C DSLR that featured the then-new 15MP (times three) Foveon X3 sensor. Previous models, such as the SD15, had 4.7x3MP sensors with a 1.7x crop, so this was a pretty big jump in resolution as well as a move to a more common sensor size. Foveon sensors capture color in a completely different way than Bayer sensors, with each 15MP layer capturing a primary color. Thus, 45MP of total data is captured at 15 million locations, to give what the company claimed was equivalent to a 30MP Bayer sensor.
Other features on this SA-mount camera include an 11-point ‘twin-cross’ AF system, 3″ 460k-dot LCD and a weather-sealed body. The SD1 was originally announced in 2010 with an MSRP of $ 9,700 but the company then emphasized that it expected it to have a ‘street price’ nearer $ 7,000 by the time it hit the market in mid 2011. Early the following year, the camera was renamed the SD1 Merrill and relaunched for a more down-to-earth $ 2,300.
As with all Foveon ‘X3’ sensors, while the SD1’s low ISO resolution was great, image quality fell apart quickly as the sensitivity climbed.
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For those who wanted to carry around something a bit more ‘classy,’ Sigma released a model with a burl wood veneer, which was priced at €10,000, at least in Germany, where it was announced. The body was described as ’emphasizing the camera’s premium appeal by adding a casing made from Amboyna Burl, an expensive and decorative veneer taken from complex growths on a Southeast Asian tree. The case takes around 60 hours to cut, mill and polish.’ Wow.
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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The long-awaited ‘Firmware Update Version 2.0’ for Panasonic’s GH5 is officially live today. The update was teased when the camera was first unveiled, and more details about the update were released in August. But even then, the official release date was a mystery. We only knew that it would drop at ‘the end of September.’
Well, it turns out ‘the end of September’ meant today: September 27th, 2017.
If you own a GH5 you’ll want to head to Panasonic’s support website and download this firmware update ASAP. You can get a full breakdown of the features this update adds or improves upon here, but here’s a quick list of the most prominent boosts:
Grab the free update for yourself at this link, and be sure to check out our full Firmware Version 2.0 feature breakdown while your camera updates:
GH5 Firmware 2.0 Feature Breakdown
Filmmaker Matteo Bertoli—who you may remember from his very popular iPhone 7 Plus cinematic video—recently got an iPhone 8 Plus to test out. And so he put on his walking shoes and spent some time shooting with the new phone all over the Los Angeles area.
The result is the 2:40 video above, all of it captured in 4K, all of it captured with the iPhone 8 Plus in either 24p, 48p or 60p, and most of it shot handheld with the exception of a few slider shots. All of the footage was captured using the Filmic Pro app (which allows Bertoli to shoot in Log, although it gave him some trouble with iOS 11), and then edited using DaVinci Resolve 14.
The results didn’t disappoint.
“I was super impressed by the colors this iPhone is able to pull out,” writes Bertoli in the video description. “Dynamic range is also very impressive and finally the second camera was improved at a point where you can actually use it for video. Bummer it doesn’t have OIS like the iPhone X.”
This video is one of the first well-rounded examples of 4K cinematic footage we’ve seen from the new phone, so if you’re curious what Apple’s latest smartphone can do with video, definitely give Bertoli’s creation a watch. Now we just have to wait for a few iPhone X models to make their way into the wild…
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A new ‘tripod’ like device called the Tenikle has just launched on Kickstarter, and it looks kind of like a Joby GorillaPod with a creative twist. As with the GorillaPod, Tenikle features three flexible arms that can be bent and reshaped for a variety of surfaces; unlike GorillaPod, Tenikle can stick to those same surfaces using the three powerful suction cups found on each arm.
Tenikle can be used by either directly attaching a small action camera (or smartphone) to a suction cup, screwing a camera mount into the device’s 1/4-20″ port, or attaching a camera directly to its 1/4-20″ screw adapter. The tripod is flexible enough to be rolled into a ball for heightened portability and strong enough to hold 8lbs / 3.6kg per suction cup.
When used dry, the creators claim that each cup is able to maintain strong suction for two or more weeks, while wet cups will maintain strong suction for four or more weeks. Both Stingray Gray and Coral colors are available, but Lagoon Blue and a special Kickstarter color will be added if the crowdfunding campaign hits stretch goals.
The team behind Tenikle plan to retail the tripod for $ 30, but is currently offering it to backers who pledge $ 25 or more. The campaign also includes pledge options such as a bundle with an adapter (and more) for $ 35 on up.
To find out more about the Tenikle or put down a pledge of your own, head over to the Kickstarter campaign by clicking here. This creative little tripod has already destroyed its initial funding goal, so it’s very likely this one will become a reality (although that’s never a guarantee…)
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Sony has released firmware version 1.10 for the Sony a9, bringing improved image quality to the camera alongside a bug fix that addresses a problem with Raw images disappearing when SDXC and microSDXC cards were transferred from the camera to ‘certain smartphones.’ The update also adds the Eye AF function for some A-mount lenses when they’re used with the LA-EA3 mount adapter.
Firmware Version 1.10 for the Sony a9 is available to download from Sony’s website.
The full firmware change log is below:
*1: This function is only for A-mount lenses which can adapt to 8 or 10 fps (maximum) tracking AF-C shooting. See here for details.
*2: Raw data recorded by the ILCE-9 with firmware Ver. 1.00 or 1.01 could disappear. Please backup your raw data files, even if you’re updating the system software to Ver. 1.10.
In the last year, I’ve probably walked over 2,000 miles with my camera. I love photo walks because they are so meditative. There is also great excitement when you get home to look at the photos, to see if you captured anything good. And finally, it adds a dimension of extra beauty and flow to your regular long walks.
The following are the seven most important lessons I have learned when it comes to getting the most enjoyment and best possible results from your photo walks.
This one is not only about lenses, it applies to equipment in general. I always just bring one lens—the one on my camera.
I pick a lens that I feel would fit this particular day, and this particular photo walk. If it is a beautiful morning with a clear sky, where I can anticipate a sunrise, I would likely bring a wide angle lens. If I am out walking with my girlfriend, I might bring a portrait lens.
The point is that I try to minimize the weight and amount of stuff I bring, so that the camera gear never becomes a burden. You want to feel free and light during a photo walk.
Have you noticed that, as you enter an IKEA store, you usually encounter a too-good-to-be-true deal in the first few minutes? Like, an insanely good deal? The reason is that they want you to take that deal and put it in your bag, as this will shift you into “shopping mode” early on in your visit.
Entering “shopping mode” is a threshold you must cross, where you make the decision that “today I am shopping.” And soon item number two and three goes into your bag as well. The sooner you go into shopping mode, the more money IKEA makes from your visit.
It is the same with photo walks. The sooner you take your camera out of the bag, turn it on, and take the first photo, the sooner you enter into photography mode, and the more photos (and hopefully good photos) you will come home with. As soon as you snap the first couple of photos, you enter a more creative mindset.
This one seems unintuitive, I know, but the more constraints you have, the more creative you will get. A great first constraint that I always utilize is that I only bring one lens (see above), and that lens it is always a prime. But see what happens if you add even more constraints, such as only shooting in black and white, or only shooting in portrait orientation.
A constraint is particularly useful if you initially feel resistance towards it; stay determined to work your way through the initial resistance, and your creativity will spring into action.
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I find that the best results come from the photo walks where I allow myself to walk without a set plan. I go out exploring. Whenever you get a feeling that the light is particularly beautiful in a certain direction, or your intuition just tells you that you should go somewhere, go there.
I’m not giving you this advice because I necessarily believe our intuition can lead us to the best photos. I have simply found that following my intuition boosts my creativity, and the result of that is always better and more beautiful photos.
This one is common to hear from street photographers, where the so-called decisive moment is everything, but I think it applies in all forms of photography. When your gut feeling says that you have an opportunity to take a great photo, go for it. Even if your camera is packed in the bottom of your bag. Even if you feel embarrassed to take a photo in the situation at hand for whatever reason. Even if you tell yourself you can come back later and take that photo.
Usually, you cannot come back later. Photos are unique moments that you freeze, and moments never come back. The exact same scene, with exactly the same light, will never come back. So always take the shot if your gut tells you to!
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Never just quickly glance at your camera’s screen and think to yourself “looks good, let’s move on.” Chances are, the photo isn’t really that good. It might be slightly out of focus. It might be a bit tilted. It might be overexposed.
Always make a habit of checking the composition, exposure and sharpness of your photo before leaving the scene. Otherwise you might be very disappointed when you bring up the photo on your computer screen only to discover that it wasn’t as good as you thought. If you check your photos in detail, by zooming in on details to check sharpness, you can always retake the photo while you’re still at the scene.
A final key to creativity is variation. Always walk to new places, because novelty triggers creativity. If you always walk the same path, on every photo walk, you will get increasingly bored and gradually lose inspiration. Walk new walks every time!
Micael Widell is a photography enthusiast based in Stockholm, Sweden. He loves photography, and runs a YouTube channel with tutorials, lens reviews and photography inspiration. You can also find him as @mwroll on Instagram and 500px.
This article was originally published on Micael’s blog, and is being republished in full with express permission.
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Photograph by Tom Leonard
The Minolta MC Rokkor X 40-80mm F2.8 zoom is a unique lens, which uses a gearbox for controlling focus and zoom. The advantage of this design? It’s pretty small for an F2.8 zoom, especially one made in the 70’s, and more precise than a conventional helicoid. The downside? It’s fiendishly hard to take apart – as Roger Cicala and Aaron Closz at Lensrentals recently found out…
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Image courtesy of Lensrentals
Roger and his team started by removing parts of the rear lens assembly, including the aperture ring. So far, so conventional. In Roger’s words: “We were starting to feel a little confident now. That confidence, as you will see, was entirely misplaced.”
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Image courtesy of Lensrentals
Removing the leatherette that covers the lens barrel revealed several screws which – once unscrewed – allowed the gearbox housing to be removed, revealing the complicated mechanism for controlling zoom and focus.
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Image courtesy of Lensrentals
Inside the housing, you can see the macro selection and focusing mechanisms, both of which move what Roger is calling ‘The Magic Slot’ (indicated with a red arrow). If this looks complicated, that’s because it is. In Roger’s words, “this is a mechanical art of the highest order”, ensuring that even when the lens is zoomed, the focus point remains unchanged. That was impressive stuff for the 1970’s (and even today).
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Image courtesy of Lensrentals
Back to the lens barrel, and things are getting even more complicated…
Here, the green arrow is pointing to the zoom stem, while the red arrow indicates a heavy duty brass post covered with a white bumper. Since “normal lens terms like helicoid and cam don’t work here” Roger is calling this ‘The Golden Post’.
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Image courtesy of Lensrentals
For a full explanation of exactly how all of this works, we’d recommend heading over to Roger’s original blog post, which explains things in fascinating detail. In the meantime, here’s a picture of the mechanical zoom and focus assembly, removed from the lens barrel.
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Image courtesy of Lensrentals
With this assembly removed, the 40-80mm starts to look rather more like a conventional lens. To completely disassemble it, though, the team referred to ‘Aaron’s Second Rule of Disassembly’. Specifically – All leatherette must be removed. Because underneath leatherette, you’ll invariably find screws.
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Image courtesy of Lensrentals
Finally, after “about an hour of time and a thorough and complete use of our full lexicon of unprintable words”, Roger and Aaron managed to get the inner barrel out of the outer casing.
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Image courtesy of Lensrentals
With the front optics taken out, the aperture blades were revealed. After such a complex disassembly, Roger and Aaron “were glad to see something that looked familiar”.
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Image courtesy of Lensrentals
And here is the 40-80mm F2.8, reduced (almost) to its component parts. Roger’s final takeaway, from one of the most complex disassemblies he’s ever done?
“There were some slick engineers working on things at Minolta back in the 1970s, thinking way outside the box”.
If this article whetted your appetite, we’d encourage you to head to Lensrentals for a full explanation of the entire process (including MTF charts!) and read more about the unique 40-80mm F2.8 in Tom Leonard’s article, ‘A forgotten solution: Why this strange 1975 zoom lens is so sharp’. See links below.
Read the full article on Lensrentals.com
Read Tom Leonard’s writeup of the Minolta MC Rokkor-X 40-80mm F2.8
Photographer and filmmaker Mathieu Stern is good to his word. He said he would start a series of videos highlighting vintage lenses, and he has. In his second installment of “three vintage lenses, one model” he shoots the same model (obviously) using the Konica Hexanon 28mm f/3.5, Minolta MD 100mm f/2.5, and Industar 50-2 50mm f/3.5.
You might remember his previous test where he compared the Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C., the Soligor 21mm f/3.8, and the Helios 103 53mm f/1.8 (which he had modified for tilt focusing).
This comparison is shot exactly the same way: no overbearing voiceover, just a quick introduction to the lenses before he goes out and shows all three in action at three different locations. Results are shown on-screen so you’ll want to watch this full screen at the highest resolution your internet connection can handle.
Let us know in the comments which of the three lenses is your favorite, and if you like this comparison check out Mathieu’s YouTube channel for a lot more vintage gear goodness.
