360Photography

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  • The journey: Michael Brown on photography at the edge of the world

    Michael Brown is an award-winning director and a pioneer of adventure filmmaking. He has summited peaks on all seven continents (including five summits of Mount Everest) and made first kayak descents of wild rivers in places like Bhutan and Chile, all with the camera rolling.

    Brown goes into some of the world’s most hostile environments — where there’s little room for error — and comes away with stunning visual footage and stirring stories that remind us of our shared humanity. He believes that if you can imagine a goal, you can achieve it.

    In his talk from PIX 2015 Michael takes us on a very personal journey to the edges of the world, including climbing Mt. Everest with blind climber Erik Weihenmayer. In the process, he shares important lessons about risks, relationships and the importance of challenging ourselves and mentoring others.

    To learn more about Michael’s work you can visit his web site at Serac Adventure Films.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Opinion: Enthusiast compacts have finally come of age

    Last December I was looking to buy a camera for my mom to replace her aging Panasonic travel zoom. It didn’t take very good photos but, to be fair, you can’t expect miracles from a 30x zoom camera with a 1/2.3″ sensor. She listed a couple of must-haves: it should fit in a purse, have a decent amount of zoom and have photo quality that was better than what she had now. She didn’t want to deal with changing lenses and my dad wanted it to have a viewfinder, if possible.

    Being somewhat knowledgeable in the digital camera field I knew that I needed to look at the 1″-type camera market first. Back in mid-December I had just a few options: the Canon PowerShot G3 X / G5 X / G7 X / G9 X, the Panasonic FZ1000 and the Sony RX100 and RX10 series. While quite a few of those cameras passed the ‘purse test’, none had focal lengths longer than 100mm equiv. For real zoom power there was only the Canon G3 X, Panasonic FZ1000 and Sony RX10, all of which were far, far too large. 

    The RX100 III and IV meet the size and EVF requirements but are just too limited in terms of zoom. The Panasonic FZ1000 is my favorite enthusiast superzoom but is way too large for a purse.

    Plan B was to find something in the middle: a slightly smaller sensor that had decent zoom, and my choice was Olympus’ Stylus 1s. It has solid image quality, well-designed controls, and a 10X zoom, making me think that I found just what I’d been looking for. Shortly after it arrived I did a quick FaceTime chat with the future recipient who thought it was too large for a purse, and I agreed, so back it went.

    At this point I felt as if I’d struck out. Anything with a decent zoom was just too darn big, and pocket cameras just wouldn’t cut it.

    The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V ticked all of the boxes on my shopping list, except for one: image quality.

    Not knowing what was coming out next (really!), I bit my tongue and bought a Sony Cyber-shot HX90V. It’s small, has a 30X zoom, a pop-up EVF (a la RX100 III/IV), flip-up LCD, and Wi-Fi. Sounds like the perfect gift, except for two rather important things. First, the sensor size is 1/2.3″, which is exactly what I was trying to avoid. Second, the lens is quite slow, with a maximum aperture range of F3.5-6.4. Thus, in low light, the camera will need to crank up the ISO, resulting in a big drop in image quality.

    The hole in the market

    What was missing in the 1″ sensor market was pretty obvious: something in-between the compact, short zooms and the giant superzooms. As anyone who has ever bought a piece of consumer electronics knows, your purchase is outdated as soon as it leaves the store. As luck would have it, the camera I’d been waiting for showed up on January 5th: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100.

    The Panasonic ZS100/TZ100 finds a middle ground between small/short zoom and huge/long zoom.

    The ZS100 (known as the TZ100 in most countries) ticked nearly every box on my list. It’s compact, has a reasonable amount of zoom (10X, 25-250mm equiv.), and an EVF (though it’s not a great one). Seeing how it uses the same sensor as the FZ1000, photo quality and 4K video should both be very good. The only downside I can find is that the lens, with a maximum aperture range of F2.8-5.9, is pretty slow. At least image quality should hold up when it has to increase the ISO sensitivity in low light. 

    Unfortunately, the ZS100 wasn’t set to ship until mid-March, so my mom was out of luck.

    Where’s my wide-angle?

    Still, there was one area of the 1″ camera market in which there was a void, and that was at the wide end. The Panasonic LX100 was really the only choice, but it’s considerably larger than what I was looking for.

    The Nikon DL18-50 filled in the last gap in the 1″ enthusiast compact market with its 18-50mm equivalent lens.

    Then, lo and behold, Nikon came running into the market with three new 1″ cameras (known as the DLs), which finally filled in that last gap. The camera that did so is the DL18-50 which, as its name implies, has an 18-50mm equivalent lens – easily the widest in this class. And it’s a fast one, with a maximum aperture range of F1.8-2.8. There are many other things going for it spec-wise; it has a 20.8MP sensor (likely from Nikon’s 1 J5 mirrorless camera), Hybrid AF system (the DL cameras are the only cameras in the 1″ category with this), tilting LCD, 4K video and a ‘SnapBridge’ Wi-Fi system that uses Bluetooth to maintain a constant connection with your phone. We haven’t tested it yet, but we’re really looking forward to it.

    The two other DLs have the same guts, but have focal lengths that fit in with the competition. The DL24-85 slots in-between the Sony RX100 III/IV and Canon PowerShot G7 X I/II, while the DL24-500 is similar to the Canon G3 X and Panasonic FZ1000. 

    Everyone wins

    When I started my search for that Christmas gift, the enthusiast compact market was so limited that I ended up purchasing the very type of camera that I was trying to avoid in the first place. Had Christmas been postponed about four months, the ZS100 would’ve been in a box with “To Mom” on it. 

    In the end, this year’s rapid growth in the enthusiast compact market didn’t help me personally. But there are now cameras for every situation, from wide-angle to super-telephoto. The enthusiast compact market has finally come of age, to the benefit of everyone. 

    * The G7 X has since been replaced by a Mark II model which offers a faster processor, improved Raw shooting and battery life, and refined ergonomics.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    Fujifilm didn’t announce any new products at CP+ this year, but the show is the first chance that a lot of Japanese enthusiast photographers have had to get their hands on the X-Pro2 and X70, which were unveiled last month.

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    In an effort to get cameras into photographers’ hands, Fujifilm is running a rental service at this year’s show, where prospective X-series users can hire gear while they’re attending the show. 

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    Here’s the camera that a lot of people at the booth have come to see – the 24MP X-Pro2. The long-awaited replacement for the X-Pro1 brings a higher resolution sensor, upgraded processor and significantly revamped autofocus system. 

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    Ergonomically, the X-Pro2 is very similar to its predecessor but in terms of performance, it’s a totally different beast. The snappier processor, revamped ergonomics and higher-resolution viewfinder all make a welcome difference to the camera’s operation. 

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    Less obvious are the changes that Fujifilm has made under the hood. The X-Pro2 is weather-sealed and – Fujifilm claims – more able to withstand punishment than its predecessor. This is what happens to an X-Pro2 after it has been aged in a simulated (i.e. sped up) process which appears to have involved rather a lot of sandpaper. Even with paint missing from pretty much all of its edges, the camera remained operational (we’re told). 

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    Apologies for the poor quality photograph, but this camera is an early mockup of an ‘X-Pro1 S’, which ultimately became the X-Pro2. Cameras often go through several design changes during the course of their development but it’s unusual to be able to see any of the rejected versions. The X-Pro1 S is a little boxier, and a little more ‘classic’ looking than the eventual X-Pro2.

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    And slimmer, too. Although of course it’s impossible to say whether the camera would have stayed quite so skinny by the time it entered production. We’re pretty sure that this prototype doesn’t actually contain any working electronics. 

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    Again, sorry about the poor quality of this image, but if you look carefully at this exploded view of the X-Pro2 you’ll see various yellow lines around the body shell on the left of the picture. These are gaskets for weather-sealing. 

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    Fujfiilm is really pushing the X-Pro2 at CP+, and has even created a gallery space showcasing images from its newest X-series camera. We must say, these prints (which are mostly around 20 inches in size) look great. 

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    Let’s not forget about the X-70 though, Fujifilm’s new APS-C format compact camera. Essentially the X70 takes the imaging components from the X100T, and puts them into a smaller, more compact body. Gone is the X100T’s hybrid viewfinder (an optical one – shown here – can be added if you like) but new is a 28mm equivalent F2.8 lens. 

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    The X70’s rear screen can tilt outwards, and up for shooting from low and high angles (and self portraits if you’re so inclined). It’s touch-sensitive, which allows for direct placement of AF point by touch, and quick swiping through images in review mode.

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    A major booth at CP+ just wouldn’t be complete without some scantily-clad ladies to take pictures of, and Fujifilm has even created a nice little garden for them to stand in. How kind. 

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    Meanwhile, photographers use Fujifilm’s new 100-400mm telezoom to snap overhead portraits of the ladies in their garden. . 

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    Fujifilm isn’t focused completely on digital technology of course. The company still makes (and sells a lot of) instant film cameras. Instax had a prominent and very colorful corner of the Fujifilm booth at this year’s show.

    CP+ 2016: Fujifilm gets new X-Pro2 and X70 into photographers’ hands

    It looks like Rishi has found his favorite color – what’s yours?

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • CP+ 2016: Pentax K-1 past and present

    With CP+ 2016 in full swing, we stopped by a very crowded Ricoh booth to get our hands on the hotly anticipated Pentax K-1 full-frame DSLR. During our visit, we couldn’t help but notice something very special hiding in the back – the original Pentax full-frame DSLR prototype from Photokina 2000. Take a look, as we take a peek at Pentax full-frame – both past and present. 

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • CP+ 2016: Nissin gets serious with radio-triggered flash solutions

    CP+ 2016: Nissin Stand Report

    Flash manufacturer Nissin offers some compelling alternatives to on-brand flashes, and they’ve recently updated their lineup with the announcement of the i60A, pictured in the middle here. The i60A features a Guide No. of 60 at at 200mm (ISO 100), which is more powerful than the company’s flagship Di700A, which has a GN of 54 under the same conditions. Impressive, given the flash’s overall smaller size. It also features High Speed Sync (HSS).

    Possibly the most compelling feature of the i60A (and the flagship Di700A)? Integrated 2.4GHz radio wireless control in conjunction with the Air 1 commander and Di700A flash. Off-camera event flash photography’s best friend. They’re ergonomically fantastic as well. Read on as we dig a little deeper into these products.

    CP+ 2016: Nissin Stand Report

    The i60A is significantly smaller than the Di700A (illustrated in grey here) – Nissin’s flagship and the flash that introduced the 2.4GHz radio wireless control system. At only 98mm tall, the i60A is significantly smaller than the 140mm tall Di700A. It’s lighter too: 300g (without batteries) vs. the Di700A’s 380g. And yet it provides brighter flash output. Nice.

    CP+ 2016: Nissin Stand Report

    The i60A is Nissin’s second flash to work with the company’s 2.4 GHz radio wireless control system, meaning you can trigger it off-camera with the Air 1 commander (on right) or Di700A flash on-camera. It can even act as a radio trigger itself in commander mode. Radio triggering can be essential for fast-paced, unpredictable scenarios, like at a wedding reception or dance floor where objects might momentarily block off-camera flashes triggered optically or via infrared.

    While Canon has had their own solution in the 600EX-RT flash and ST-E3-RT emitter, Nikon has only just recently announced their radio solution, and Sony has no such solution at all. Given the intuitive on-board control of manual power or auto TTL flash exposure bias on both the Air 1 commander and any flash units, the Nissin solution is quite attractive, even mandatory if you’re looking for radio-triggered flash on a Sony system.

    CP+ 2016: Nissin Stand Report

    So you’ve seen the Air R in a couple of photos now and are probably wondering what it is. It’s a receiver for Nissin’s 2.4GHz radio wireless control system, meaning you can attach it to flashes without radio control to have them join Nissin’s system. There are versions for Nissin, Canon, and Nikon flashes.

    CP+ 2016: Nissin Stand Report

    The Nissin i60A has a tiltable, rotatable head, capable of rotating up and down 90°, and left and right 180° in either direction. This is great for creating a softer bounce flash effect, either on or off-camera. The flash is powered by 4 AA batteries, which should provide 220 full power bursts.

    Every version of the i60A helpfully comes with the ability to act as a Canon, Nikon, or Sony radio slave, triggered by an Air 1 commander. That means that you can have a Canon version of the Air 1, mounted to a Canon body, fire a Nikon version of the i60A off-camera. Cool.

    CP+ 2016: Nissin Stand Report

    Pictured here is the i60A in comparison to the Di700A. As we’ve said before, the i60A is significantly smaller. The downside? The i60A is missing the red AF assist beam. It does, however, have a small LED light that can be used for AF assist, though its far more annoying to subjects than a red assist beam.

    Speaking of AF assist, it’s important to note that the Sony versions of these flashes can only fire AF assist beams on Sony Alpha SLT cameras, not Sony E-mount cameras. That means the assist beams are useless on the popular a7 and a6000-series cameras. We confirmed with Nissin that this is due to Sony E-mount cameras failing to send a signal over the hot-shoe connection when the shutter button is half-depressed. That’s a shame, because pros need focus ability in extremely low light conditions – the dance floor of a wedding reception, for example. I told Nissin we’d stress this with Sony, and their response was ‘please, please do’.

    Sony: your move.

    CP+ 2016: Nissin Stand Report

    We mentioned favorable ergonomics earlier on, and here’s why. Take a look at the user interface of the Air 1 commander. You’ve got visual indicators for manual power and flash exposure compensation (TTL), for each group. It’s simple to use the dial to bias these. No menu digging. The Di700A has a similar display, though the i60A’s truncated display means it can’t show quite as much information. 

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Let there be light: Photographing Yosemite’s elusive ‘Firefall’

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    Once a year, photographers turn their lenses toward Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall and hope for the best. If the conditions are right, the waterfall will be transformed into a spectacle known as ‘Firefall’ as the mid-to-late February sun casts a blazing orange glow on the water – that is, if the water is flowing, and if the horizon isn’t too cloudy. And that’s not to mention the difficulty of nabbing a coveted spot in view of the falls, as well-informed photographers claim their spaces early in the day.

    After years of drought, the falls in Yosemite are finally flowing this month and photographers like Taylor Gray have been able to capture the event with a lot of patience and a little luck. It’s quite the effort to put in to get the shot, but the results are truly spectacular. Read Gray’s recounting of capturing the magic moment at the falls over at Resource Travel. You might just want to book a trip to Yosemite this time next year…

    Read the full story at Resource Travel

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Something we’ve never seen before: LensRentals eviscerates the Fujifilm XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8R LM OIS

    Into ‘the land of Fuji’

    Roger and Aaron over at LensRentals have been tearing lenses down again. This week they’ve ‘eviscerated’ Fujifilm’s XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8R LM OIS – the company’s mid-price tele zoom. The name may be redolent of a ‘$ 100 extra for a dual lens kit’ zoom but inside they found surprises at every turn. And not just with regards the number of screws holding the thing together.

    Click here to read LensRentals’ tear-down of the Fujifilm XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8R LM OIS

    The 55-200mm doesn’t have the fastest aperture range but it’s a fast-focusing, weather sealed telephoto zoom that we’ve always been impressed with. Fujifilm has often hinted that the X Series was partly an opportunity for its lens designers to show-off what they could do, so it’s probably to be expected that the designs are quite creative.

    The system with the most screws

    Having only broken a minor element of the lens in trying to open it up (something Roger didn’t want to embarrass Aaron by mentioning, so we shan’t dwell on it), they found the front section of the lens was held together with a lot more screws than usual. And, that many of these were screwed into metal inserts, rather than easily stripped or broken plastic columns. This turns out to be something of a recurrent feature of the 55-200, prompting Roger’s assertion that: ‘If you want the system with the most screws, you want Fuji, no question.’

    Commenter helps Cicala find his orientation

    Things got interesting when they dug a little deeper. Having removed the rear screws from their metal-inlaid holes, they discovered two sensors attached around the lens’s rear element. Since the element is static, Roger wasn’t clear what their role was and hoped that he’d be able to rely-on (and recognise) the wisdom of the crowd. He was right to, as pro photographer Trenton Talbot immediately guessed that they were gyroscopic sensors. A look at the way they’re orientated, relative to one another, along with a bit of Googling, suggests he’s right: they appear to be Epson gyro sensors, presumably feeding information to the lens’s stabilisation system.

    The ‘R’ is for ‘by-wire’

    Digging further into the lens revealed one of the few conventional parts of the 55-200mm’s design: the spring ball-bearings used to provide clicks as you turn the aperture ring. That ring being secured in place with screws, of course. It’s a similar approach to the one we saw in LensRentals’ tear-down of the Sony FE 35mm F1.4 a little while ago: the ring itself doesn’t directly drive anything, its movement is registered with a sensor, then sprung ball bearings are added to provide a stepped feel to the dial. Unlike the Sony, they can’t be disengaged.

    Full metal barrel

    A few loosened screws later, our intrepid duo found themselves facing a solid-looking metal zoom barrel, attached with three similarly solid ‘keys’ with which the zoom barrel transfers its motion to the mechanisms below. Cicala says he’s impressed with this level of construction on such a modestly-priced lens: another recurrent feature.

    Fujifilm takes and eccentric path

    Roger noted the ‘complex dance’ performed by the lens elements in Leica’s SL 24-90mm F2.8-4 when he tore that apart. That lens featured six helicoid paths that different elements trace as the lens is zoomed. That’s a $ 5000 lens. By comparison, the Fujifilm drives five groups in a similarly intricate optical shuffle, in a package you can pick up for one tenth of the cost.

    Limited degrees of freedom

    Down past the IS mechanism and carefully screwed-down aperture assembly, Aaron and Roger reached the focus element. There’s a sensor detecting the position of the focus group within the lens barrel then, on the group itself, what appears to be another one to detect the focus element’s position within the group’s housing.

    But, wherever the focus element itself is, you can be fairly sure it’s not crooked: as Roger points out, the twin linear motors (10 o’clock and 2 o’clock in this image) and the rail along which the focus element moves (12 o’clock) are all broad, flat bars, rather than circular rods, meaning the element shouldn’t go askew as it races on its way.

    Conclusion

    Overall, Cicala says he’s impressed with the construction of the 55-200mm, especially given how much the lens sells for. He also seems pleased by the degree of optical adjustment that can be conducted on the lens, given the challenges of building lenses consistently. ‘This looks like a lens that was designed by people who know how to make reliable lenses,’ he concludes.

    When ‘modern’ lens design is discussed, it’s often in terms of the use of Computer Aided Design to develop the optical formulae. But, just like the Sony FE 35mm, the Fujifilm shows an innovative approach to construction and focus drive. LenRentals ventured into the land of Fuji, ‘where things are done differently,’ with some trepidation but seem to have returned with a healthy respect for what goes on there, as well as a couple of screws that were probably supposed to stay there.

    Click here to read LensRentals’ tear-down of the Fujifilm XF55-200mm F3.5-4.8R LM OIS

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • CP+ 2016: A look inside the G Master lenses at the Sony booth

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    Earlier this year, Sony announced a trio of new lenses dubbed G Master, which include the Sony FE 24-70 F2.8 GM, the Sony FE 70-200 F2.8 GM and the Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM. These three lenses helped to fill noticeable gaps near the higher end of Sony’s lens lineup.

    And, no, we didn’t Photoshop in that gap in the lens lineup above just to make a point.

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    The G Master lenses are chock-full of new and advanced technologies meant to maximize image quality, autofocus speed and accuracy, durability, and bokeh. Let’s take a look inside…

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    Here’s the 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens cut in half. This lens comprises 18 elements in 13 groups, and features three aspherical elements, including an extreme aspherical (XA) element – more on that later. An ED (extra low dispersion) and Super ED glass element help minimize chromatic aberration while maintaining high resolution and bokeh characteristics. We believe it – our initial samples show very well-controlled chromatic aberration, and bordering on eye-popping sharpness even on a 42MP sensor, when shooting this lens wide open.

    A 9-bladed aperture helps confer a circular shape to out-of-focus highlights, but it’s the autofocus system in this lens that most excites us. A Direct Drive SSM (super sonic wave motor) positions a relatively small group of focus elements accurately and quickly, and when we say quickly we mean with nearly unprecedented speed for this type of lens. We’ve become fans of Direct Drive SSM for AF ever since we saw the speed it confers in the FE 35mm F1.4. Focus, including continuous tracking, is nearly instantaneous on this 24-70 GM, which is fairly unexpected considering its counterparts in the DSLR arena. Focus is also both smooth and quiet, making it a great lens for video as well as stills.

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    The new XA (extreme aspherical) element is claimed to reduce aberration and deliver high resolution throughout the entire zoom and aperture range, across the entire frame. Sony claims to have achieved this via extremely high surface precision, maintained to within 0.01 micron tolerances. This should help reduce imperfections that can lead to onion-ring bokeh, typically an issue with aspherical lenses. 

    And speaking of high precision, Sony claims to iterate their internal development of optical design by looking at actual lens MTF performance at 50 lines/mm. That doesn’t mean the lens only resolves to 50 lines/mm, it means that Sony’s threshold for acceptable performance in designing these lenses is quite high. Judging from the sharpness wide open on an a7R II, we’re inclined to believe it’s working for Sony.

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    Sony has also recently announced the FE 85mm F1.4 GM, shown here cut in half. This lens comprises 11 elements in 8 groups, and features a new XA (extreme aspherical) element as well as three ED (extra low dispersion) elements that help optimize both resolution and smooth transitions to out-of-focus areas. It’s also got a ‘Nano’ anti-reflective coating on its front element to reduce flare and ghosting, particularly useful for maintaining contrast in backlit portraits. 

    The 85mm GM lens utilizes a ring drive SSM (super sonic wave motor) to drive the lens’ large, heavy focus group. In other words, this lens is much like some of its DSLR counterparts in terms in focusing speed – very fast, but not quite as fast – in our initial impressions – as Sony’s own Direct Drive SSM combined with a relatively small focusing group in the 24-70mm F2.8 GM. Two position sensors support accurate positioning of the focus elements, which should ensure accuracy of focus.

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    Particularly nice is the 11-blade circular aperture in the 85mm F1.4 (and 70-200mm F2.8) GM lenses. The more blades you have, the more circular the aperture remains even when stopped down significantly – especially with the curved blades typical of almost all lenses today. Most modern lenses have between 7 and 9 blades these days, with 9 blades being reserved more pro-level lenses. 11 takes it a step further and, indeed, the opening retains a circular, less polygonal shape as you stop down (here it is in action). This should ensure circular out-of-focus highlights and increased quality of bokeh, even at smaller apertures.

    And why go from 9 to 11 blades, skipping 10? Odd numbers of aperture blades are generally better for their more favorable sunstar rendition, creating sunbursts with twice the number of rays as aperture blades when stopped down. Even-numbered designs only create sunbursts with as many rays as aperture blades, so while a 10-blade aperture would produce 10-ray stars, an 11-blade aperture would produce 22-blade stars. Of course, longer focal lengths and circular aperture designs are less prone to creating sunstars at all – and we have no idea if this was the actual thinking behind the choice – but it’s still nice to see the general trend toward odd numbers of aperture blades.

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    Pictured here is the new FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS telephoto zoom lens Sony recently announced, cut in half of course. This lens, like the 24-70mm GM lens, features XA, Super ED, and ED glass elements to help achieve high resolution and desirable bokeh characteristics. It’s got 23 elements in 18 groups. A ‘Nano’ anti-reflective coating ensures reduced flare and ghosting. An additional fluorine coating to the front of the lens help keep it clean, and the lens is dust and moisture resistant.

    OSS (Optical Steady Shot) is built into the lens, despite the availability of IBIS in a7-series cameras, because for longer focal lengths, it’s beneficial to do a certain amount of the stabilization in-lens, because of how much the sensor would have to move to compensate for even slight angular displacements. The two systems – OSS and IBIS – theoretically work together to provide even more effective stabilization than any one method might provide.

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    The autofocus system on the FE 70-200mm GM OSS is quite intriguing: it’s a floating focus system, which sees its debut in an ? lens. This floating system design contributes to its impressive minimum focusing distance of 0.96m, and also helps control aberrations that might otherwise be problematic when focusing at close distances. 

    Pictured on the left is the more traditional ring-drive SSM motor that’s required to drive the large, heavy glass elements typical of this type of lens. The double linear motor of this system, pictured on the right, allows for effective ‘wobbling’ actuation (typically used in contrast-only AF), which is useful when shooting video. The entire focusing mechanism is also very quiet – and smooth – which ensures AF performance is optimized for both stills and video shooting. 

    The 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS lens also functions with Sony’s newly announced 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, which may somewhat make up for the lack of longer telephoto lenses (for the time being anyway).

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    Lifting our heads back up from the tech demos and turning our attention to other things (wait, where’d Rishi go?), we see that in typical trade-show form, Sony’s provided some subject matter for eager attendees to test the latest tech. But if you were to show up to CP+ hoping to capture some model mayhem using the new GM lenses, you’d have to make do with the 85mm F1.4 GM, the only new GM lens available in front of this display.

    And don’t worry, if you’re already missing the lens-cut-in-half thing, you can get your fix when our Editor Barney returns with many more things cut in half later this week. Like nicely packed, and then cut in half (naturally) sandwiches.

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    At first glance, the 85mm F1.4 GM looks a little unwieldy on an a7-series camera, but in hand, the pair balance remarkably well. The lens has a pleasingly solid heft to it without feeling too front-heavy. At 820g, it’s significantly heavier than, say, Nikon’s counterpart (595g), but our initial impressions are that the sharpness wide open – even off-center – and lack of chromatic aberration might make the weight more than worth it.

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    Beyond the price of a CP+ admission ticket, there’s no charge to try out the new 85mm F1.4 GM – but to get one of your very own, you’ll need $ 1800 when it goes on sale in March. Also of note for video shooters is the ability to de-click the aperture dial for smoother operation.

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    Although you’re a little ways away from the real models, you can try out the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM on some beleaguered Sony reps behind the counter. And though it appears a bit hefty on the smaller a7-series bodies, it balances well – particularly if you have a vertical grip attached. At 886g, it’s not unreasonably heavy, and the extra heft may be well worth it anyway – our preliminary impressions are that this is the sharpest 24-70mm zoom (particularly wide open) we’ve ever seen.

    It will be available in March for $ 2200.

    CP+ 2016: Sony stand report and G Master action

    Last up is the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM. As you can probably tell from this image, the lens itself isn’t overly large, but it’s definitely got some weight to it. At 1480g, it’s around the weight of Canon’s equivalent lens, which means you’ll really want a grip on an a7-series camera to balance the weight well. The FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS will be available in March, and the price is still TBD.

    Overall, the G Master lenses appear to be solid additions to Sony’s FE lens lineup, potentially addressing the need for professional-level lenses for the system. We’ve shot a few shots with these lenses on a 42MP a7R II, and it’s clear from the sharpness and chromatic aberration results, as well as AF speeds, that Sony is clearly targeting professionals, and high-end enthusiasts, with these lenses. And we expect them to compare favorably against even the best counterparts offered by the stalwarts in the industry. We’ll reserve judgement until we’ve had time to do more rigorous, side-by-side testing, but for the time being, it’s safe to say we’re very impressed.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Video: Hands-on with Sony’s G Master lenses and the a6300 at CP+ 2016

    There are lots of new products vying for attention at CP+ 2016, including Sony’s a6300 and new GM series lenses for its full-frame mirrorless cameras. And they are getting plenty of attention from show attendees, especially those eager to try out the FE 85mm F1.4 GM’s portrait capabilities. We took another look at the a6300 and the GM lenses on display at the buzzing Sony booth in Yokohama. 

    See all of our CP+ 2016 coverage

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Polaroid launches Eyeball panoramic tripod head

    A remote control spinning tripod head that is said to be ideal for shooting panoramas has been launched in the US and UK by Polaroid. The Panorama Eyeball Head fits on a tripod or stands freely on its own feet, and can accommodate DSLRs as well as compacts. The control unit connects with the head via an IR link and manages both the speed and direction of rotation. 

    The head is capable of turning a full 360° and the company says that careful gearing ensures the motion is always smooth. There are five speed modes as well as a mode that provides three fixed viewpoints up to 75° apart. 

    The head is powered by a built-in rechargeable battery that is said to provide up to five hours of standby time, and which can be recharged via a powered USB port. 

    The Polaroid Panorama Eyeball Head costs £44.99/$ 49.99 through Amazon. 

    Press release:

    RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ – The versatile Polaroid remote-controlled 360° panorama eyeball head accessory is a compact, portable freestanding mini tripod that can also be placed on a tripod, slider or even selfie stick. Designed for Polaroid cameras, other small popular cameras and SLRs, the Polaroid remote-controlled 360° panorama eyeball head is ideal for creating the perfect panoramic video or picture. IR remote controls offer five speed modes, clockwise and counter clockwise rotation, as well as a triangle mode up to 75°.

    Panoramic Shooting Made Plenty Fun

    For the contemporary videographer, being able to capture expansive panoramic vistas without any shake or distortion is an absolute must. Thankfully, the Polaroid remote-controlled 360° panorama eyeball head delivers effortless and precisely controlled results. It is compatible with a range of action cameras such as the Polaroid Cube lifestyle action camera line and smaller digital cameras (with ¼” threaded hole). Attachment comes included.

    Turns on a Dime – or Quarter

    The Polaroid remote-controlled panorama eyeball head rotates your camera in its place, clockwise or counterclockwise, for smooth shooting action. Users can easily control the turning degree from 0 to 360°.

    Heeds Your Need for Speed

    Using the remote, shooters can also control the exact rotational speed. Press a button to speed up, and press a button to slow down. And thanks to finely calibrated gears, the action always remains perfectly smooth.

    Functions Free or Mounted

    At the top, a ¼” threaded screw connects to a wide variety of cameras. A padded platform prevents motion-related scratches. At the bottom, a ¼” threaded hole accepts tripod and slider connections for greater application flexibility.

    Runs on Built-In Battery

    To make this already compact and pocket-sized head as portable as possible, the built-in battery is rechargeable from any USB port or power outlet. A single charge provides five hours of standby and over three hours of non-stop runtime.

    The Polaroid remote-controlled 360° panorama eyeball head accessory is available now for $ 49.99.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)