360Photography

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  • GoPro to discontinue three cameras and exit entry-level market

    This week, GoPro announced it will discontinue three of its six available action cameras and abandon the entry-level market. This follows the company’s preliminary fourth quarter results revealed last month. GoPro had stated at the time that poor holiday sales would likely result in low quarterly revenue, and that it would layoff 7% of its workforce as a result.

    In a conference call this week, GoPro’s founder and CEO Nick Woodman said the company’s recent misfortunes aren’t due to increased competition. ‘Growth slowed in the second half of the year,’ said Woodman, ‘and we recognize the need to develop software solutions that make it easier for our customers to offload, access and edit their GoPro content.’

    GoPro is banking on the improved software reversing its sales numbers, but it isn’t clear what other plans may be in place. Woodman said the company will be ‘delivering this new experience in 2016, period.’ In the meantime, though, GoPro anticipates its first quarter sales will be below analysts’ $ 300 million expectation, falling between $ 160 and $ 180 million.

    GoPro will stop selling its HERO+ LCD, HERO+ and HERO entry-level cameras in April, making the $ 200 HERO4 Session its least expensive model.

    Via: Financial Times

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Samyang adds 14mm and 35mm lenses to Xeen cinema system

    The 14mm T3.1 Samyang Xeen lens

    Korean lens manufacturer Samyang has added two new wide angle lenses to its Xeen series of full-frame video lenses. The new focal lengths are 14mm and 35mm, and while the 35mm conforms to the family-standard maximum aperture of T1.5 the 14mm opens only to T3.1. The Xeen system now contains a total of five lenses as these two join the existing 24mm, 50mm and 85mm.

    All the lenses are manual focus only, and feature focus and aperture gear rings in identical positions so that they can be switched quickly in and out of the same rig. Filter rings also match, and users have a choice of metric or imperial focus scales. The lenses come with interchangeable mounts, and adapters are available for Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony E, PL and Micro Four Thirds bodies.

    The 35mm T1.5 Samyang Xeen lens

    Samyang is proud of the way its lenses render out-of-focus highlights, and the new 35mm complements the existing lenses with its 11-blade diaphragm. The wider lens uses a 9-bladed iris.

    The lenses should be on sale by March at a cost of £1599.

    For more information visit the Samyang Xeen website. 

    Press Release:

    Two more XEEN Lenses announced by Samyang to complete a Perfect Five-Lens-Set

    SEOUL, February 5th, 2016 –Global optics brand, Samyang Optics, has announced the release of 2 new lenses: XEEN 14mm T3.1 and 35mm T1.5. These two lenses, along with the existing 24mm T1.5, 50mm T1.5 and 85mm T1.5 lenses, create a perfect balanced five-lens-set for filming video and cinema with the outstanding image quality from resolving power for 4K+ production.

    XEEN is a specialized brand in professional video-cine lens launched by Samyang Optics in 2015. The XEEN lenses are designed with Samyang Optics’ know-how and have outstanding optical performance for 4K+ with the X-Coating Technology, ensuring maximum image quality to create a cinematic look.

    The 24mm x 36mm negative size allows XEEN to not only work with full frame cameras, but also with Super 35, APS-C and APS-H cameras. The lenses are available in five different mounts – PL, EF, F, E, and MFT and two different focus scales – metric and imperial units. Also, the aluminum metal housing is known for its reliability in various shooting conditions.

    Most of the XEEN lenses come in a bright T1.5 aperture. The lenses deliver high quality footage with clear contrast and impressive colours, even under less-than-optimal lighting conditions. The large aperture also creates a pleasing bokeh effect for a cinematic look.

    “Thanks to the rise of multi-channel networks, the demands for video creation is internationally surging and the expectation of video quality is also increasing,” stated a XEEN official. He continued, “to satisfy the international needs, we have completed the first five lenses which deliver a high-quality cinematic image.” As an answer to the future product plan, he carefully disclosed that two more XEEN lenses will be announced in the second half of the year.

    Created to deliver infinite possibilities, XEEN14mm and 35mm lenses will be globally available in early March. The recommended retail price of each lens is £1599.00 inc VAT.

    More detailed product information is available on the official website (http://www.xeenglobal.com) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/xeenglobal) or Samyang Lens Global Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/samyanglensglobal).

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Heavy hitter: Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM first shots

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    Sony has made some strong claims about its new G Master lens series. Unveiled earlier this week, the FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM is one of three in the lineup to make its debut, giving Sony’s full-frame mirrorless customers a fast, constant standard zoom for the first time. We had a few moments to shoot with the lens at Sony’s press event in New York, and while we only provide a small sampling of shots at this time, we will be updating this gallery as soon as we can. 

    Our initial impressions are extremely positive: sharpness appears to rival prime levels wide open, and there’s very little axial chromatic aberration to speak of. Sony’s claims may not be exaggerated at all.

    We need to make a note about lens corrections: it seems that the camera we were handed had vignetting and chromatic aberration corrections turned on. The way this feature works is that these corrections are applied even in Raw mode (technically, vignetting correction is applied prior to writing the Raw file, while chromatic aberration correction information is embedded in the Raw and irreversibly applied by ACR).

    The good news is that we’ve looked at Raw conversions from third-party converters that ignore the CA correction profile, and CA from this lens appears to be very minimal. Watch this space for more sample images, hopefully very soon.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Delayed: Nikon Japan pushes D500 to end of April

    Nikon shooters have waited a long time for a D300S replacement, and it appears that they’re going to have to keep waiting a little longer. Nikon Japan has released a statement (in Japanese) pushing the D500’s initial March release back to late April 2016. Nikon cites high demand for the camera as the cause of the delay. It seems that the D500’s battery grip and WT-7A wireless transmitter are also delayed.

    Come April, the D500 will be available for $ 1,999.95 body only or with the 16-80mm F2.8-4E ED VR lens for $ 3,069.95.

    See our hands-on with the Nikon D500

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Panasonic and Fujifilm reveal joint sensor development, offering global shutter

    Cross-sectional image of conventional Back Side Illumination (BSI) CMOS sensor compared to Panasonic’s Organic Photoconductive Film (OPF) sensor. (Image courtesy of Panasonic.)

    Panasonic has announced that it has developed a new sensor using Organic Photoconductive Film (OPF), developed by Fujifilm, that is capable of recording a much wider range of tones (up to 3 EV greater dynamic range) than current silicon-based sensors, and in which each pixel is read out simultaneously to effect a true global shutter.

    We first heard about this collaboration back in 2013, and it appears that the companies have made progress during that time. Similar to InVisage Quantum Film technology, the OPF sensor employs a thin, light-sensitive film on top of CMOS silicon circuitry. Panasonic says that the separation of the light conversion medium and electronic charge storage removes some design trade-offs that need to be made with conventional CMOS designs. The design allows for a larger active pixel area that makes it 1.2x more sensitive to light than normal photodiodes. Decoupling the photoconversion and storage areas also allows for the ability to store more total charge (higher full well capacity), resulting in 10x, or 3 EV, greater dynamic range. 

    Additionally, the OPF layer is only 0.5 microns thick, or four to six times thinner than silicon photodiodes that are typically 2-3 microns in depth. According to Panasonic this expands the incident angle of light that can be collected to 60 degrees, compared to 30-40 degrees for conventional silicon sensors, which should allow greater flexibility in lens design. It should also help reduce false color and vignetting.

    In addition to better sensitivity and dynamic range, the new technology brings other benefits as well. In particular, the OPF-based sensor will provide global shutter, by allowing all pixels to be exposed essentially at the same time by turning on and off the entire photosensitive area at once. The net effect is that all the lines of the sensor are essentially exposed simultaneously, as opposed to line-by-line as is the case with traditional ‘rolling’ electronic shutters. This helps avoid the dreaded ‘jello effect’ often seen in video, or the distortion of fast moving objects. It also helps avoid flickering and banding with artificial light sources, which with a ‘rolling’ shutter otherwise result in different rows on the sensor being exposed while the pulsating light source is on vs. off.

    When combined with Panasonic’s historical strength in video-oriented products this will likely get the attention of the videography crowd. The potential benefits don’t stop there though. Panasonic has also developed a method of recording sequences of images at slightly different exposure values, that it calls Variable Sensitivity Multiple Exposure Technology. The process can track the direction of motion in the scene by tracing the subject as it moves across the scene becoming gradually darker from one frame to the next. If the camera knows it applied less exposure to the second frame than to the first, it can determine in which direction the subject is moving and at what speed. This could be of great assistance to AF algorithms.

    The company is not absolutely clear about what practical uses it will put this new sensor to, but says ‘We expect this technology to be used widely in motion capture applications and also extend to other applications that have been thought to be difficult to realize unless high saturation global shutter or variable sensitivity multiple exposure.’ Panasonic is also developing a system for using cameras that replace wing mirrors in cars, and this technology will probably see the light of day in that area first, but the lessons learned will be very useful for its regular camera business. 

    Press release:

    Panasonic develops 10times Higher Saturation & Highly Functional Global Shutter Technology by controlling of Organic-Photoconductive-Film on CMOS Image Sensor

    Osaka, Japan – Panasonic Corporation today announced that it has developed a new highly functional global shutter[1] technology for CMOS image sensor using organic photoconductive film (OPF)*1. This technology enables to capture high speed moving object up to 10 times brighter*2 scene in global shutter mode. In OPF CMOS image sensor, charge-storage function and photoelectric-conversion function can be set independently. By utilizing the unique feature of OPF CMOS image sensor, this technology solves the degradation of saturation signal[2] in conventional image sensor with global shutter function. Motion direction can be detected from acquired object’s signal level in one picture by fine control of shutter sensitivity by changing applied voltage to OPF which is hardly realized by conventional CMOS image sensors.

    The newly developed highly functional global shutter technology contributes to high speed image sensing of moving objects without image distortion which appears in conventional shutter operation under very bright scene. We expect this technology to be used widely in motion capture applications and also extend to other applications that have been thought to be difficult to realize unless high saturation global shutter or variable sensitivity multiple exposure.

    The new technology has the following advantages.

    1. Wide incident angle (60 degrees), high sensitivity, high saturation and highly-functional circuits due to a unique feature of OPF, in which an OPF for photoelectric-conversion and a readout circuits are independent.

    2. High saturation signal up to 10 times larger*3 than conventional image sensors with global shutter function due to Photoelectric Conversion Controlled Global Shutter Technology.

    This development is based on the following new technologies.

    1. CMOS Image Sensor Design Technology, in that, an OPF photoelectric-conversion part and a circuit part can be designed independently.

    2. Photoelectric Conversion Controlled Global Shutter Technology that is realized by controlling of organic photoconductive film sensitivity.

    3. Variable Sensitivity Multiple Exposure Technology which can detect the motion and its direction by changing image capturing sensitivity in each frame.

    Panasonic holds 60 Japanese patents and 41 overseas patents (including pending) related to this technology.

    Panasonic will present part of the research at the international conference ISSCC (International Solid-State Circuit Conference) 2016 which is to be held in San Francisco, USA on January 31 to February 4.

    Notes:

    *1: We are using an organic photoconductive film (OPF) that FUJIFILM Corporation has developed.

    *2: Saturation signal per pixel area, compared with conventional silicon based CMOS image sensor with global shutter function.

    More on the Technology

    1. The OPF CMOS Image Sensor Design Technology, in that, photoelectric-conversion part and a circuit part can be designed independently.

    The conventional image sensor consists of a silicon photodiode for capturing light, metal interconnects and an on-chip micro-lens. And, both a photoelectric-conversion function and a signal charge-storage function are executed by a silicon photodiode. On the other hand, in an OPF CMOS image sensor, a photoelectric-conversion function is executed by an OPF, instead of a silicon photodiode, and a signal charge-storage function is executed by circuits beneath the OPF. Both functions are almost independent, so an OPF CMOS image sensor can achieve the following features.

    Expansion of the incident light range to 60 degrees and reproduction of faithful color.

    An OPF with high optical absorption coefficient[3], instead of a silicon photodiode, is adopted, the thickness of an OPF has been reduced to just 0.5 microns, four to six times thinner than silicon photodiodes. Since the conventional silicon photodiode needs at least 2 – 3 microns in depth, the range of incident angles was limited to around 30 – 40 degrees. An OPF, achieved with the OPF CMOS image sensor technology, has enabled the expansion of this range to 60 degrees, efficiently utilizing light entering at an angle for faithful color reproduction with no color mixing. It also gives greater flexibility in lens designs, facilitating the reduction of overall camera size.

    Boost of sensor sensitivity by 1.2 times compared to conventional silicon image sensors to deliver clear images, particularly in dark conditions.

    The transistors and metal interconnects in each pixel, fabricated using Panasonic’s semiconductor device technology, are coated with an OPF. The area of the light receiving section becomes limited in conventional image sensors because of the existence of metal interconnects and the need to form a light shield film to prevent light incidence into areas other than the photodiode in each pixel. However, an OPF CMOS image sensor technology coats the sensor with an OPF, which can harvest all the light received on the sensor. This unique structure and high quantum efficiency of OPF boosts sensor sensitivity by 1.2 times compared to conventional silicon image sensors to deliver clear images, particularly in dark conditions.

    Cross-sectional image of conventional Back Side Illumination (BSI) CMOS image sensor and OPF CMOS image Sensor

    Design of OPF and circuits completely independent and realization of high-performance (high-saturation)

    In the architecture of an OPF CMOS image sensor, the OPF, that converts light into electric signals, and the circuits, that store electric signal charges and readout electric signals, are designed completely independently. Therefore, by selecting an OPF, photoelectric-conversion characteristics, wavelength, sensitivity, etc., can be set with flexibility.

    Moreover, in conventional image sensors, it is necessary to place both a silicon photodiode and circuits (transistors and capacitors) on silicon substrate in each pixel, so an area of circuits is limited. On the other hand, in an OPF CMOS image sensor, it is not necessary to place a silicon photodiode, so high-performance circuits, such as high-speed or wide dynamic range[4], can be formed on a silicon substrate.

    In particular, in an OPF CMOS image sensor, by providing a large capacitor for storing signal charge, a saturation value[2] of electric signal can be significantly increased from conventional image sensors.

    2. Photoelectric Conversion Controlled Global Shutter Technology that is realized by controlling of organic photoconductive film sensitivity.

    Conventional CMOS image sensors with global shutter function require storage located near photoconversion area which makes it difficult to simultaneously shrink the pixel size and enlarge the saturation signal. Developed “Photoelectric conversion controlled global shutter technology” realizes shutter function by controlling of photoelectric conversion efficiency by only modulating applied voltage to OPF, without additional in-pixel circuit and no degradation of saturation signal. And developed “high saturation pixel technology” by pixel gain switching operation can capture under extremely bright scene, up to 10 times or more saturation signal per unit square pixel than conventional CMOS image sensor with global shutter function. This technology will solve imaging problems caused by rolling shutter distortion, flash bands[5] and LED flickers[6] in very bright scene.

    Comparison of Global shutter pixel structure

    3. Variable Sensitivity Multiple Exposure Technology which can detect the motion and its direction by changing image capturing sensitivity in each frame.

    Conventional multiple exposure cannot detect the direction of motion because the capture sensitivity is fixed. Panasonic have developed “variable sensitivity multiple exposure technology” by controlling the voltage applied to OPF with elapse of time, which is hardly realized in conventional silicon based image sensor. We can get several images of different exposure time and different exposure sensitivity in one picture that enables character recognition by choosing optimum exposure time, so direction of motion can be detected by acquired object’s signal level. This technology enables sensing of moving object detection and motion directions.

    Technical Terms:

    [1] Global shutter

    Shutter operation which can capture the image at the same time in all pixels.

    Ordinary CMOS image sensor operates in rolling shutter mode in which exposure and shutter operation is executed row by row.

    [2] Saturation/Saturation signals

    Maximum amount of electric signal that can be handled by image sensors. Receiving a signal greater than this value leads to highlight clipping.

    [3] Optical absorption coefficient

    A constant value that indicates how much light is absorbed into a material, when incident light enter to the material.

    [4] Dynamic range

    Range of brightness that can be captured. (the ratio between highest and lowest signal can be captured by image sensor)

    [5] Flash band

    stripe shaped contrast appears in captured image, because light flashes during image sensor capture the image row by row pixel (rolling shutter operation).

    [6] LED flicker

    Imaging phenomenon resulting in incomplete image capture, caused by a LED’s (traffic, headlights, signs, etc.) frequency and a camera’s imaging speed.

    Captured images of rotating propeller by different shutter mode

    Multiple exposure images by Variable exposure time and sensitivity

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • ‘We want to make lenses that can be used forever’: Sony engineer discusses G Master lenses

    ‘We want to make lenses that can be used forever,’ says a senior engineer behind Sony’s new G master lenses. At the launch of the ‘G Master’ range of high end lenses, we spoke to Motoyuki Ohtake, Distinguished Engineer in Sony’s Lens Design Department about the process and the philosophy behind the latest lenses.

    The development process series involved re-thinking several parts of the design and manufacturing process, he says.

    Motoyuji Ohtake, Distinguished Engineer, Opto Design Department, Core Technology Division, Digital Imaging Business Group at Sony.

    To understand how the lenses came about, he explained the usual process of lens development. ‘Sometimes we propose a new lens but often it comes from the product planning department [the marketing department that assesses potential requirements and demands]. We then make a series of rough designs, some are big, with high optical performance, others are more compact but maybe not so optically strong. We discuss which design to proceed with, based on what we think is the optimal balance or cost, performance and size to make the perfect product.’

    After deciding which of the initial designs to pursue, there’s a great deal of collaboration between teams, he explains: ‘we work with the mechanical team, the lens motor team, the lens control team, the lens element team and maybe the equipment team who will have to prepare the manufacturing process.’ Each of these team feeds its expertise into the design. ‘Maybe the optical team proposes a new lens design and the motor team tells us which motor is best. Or warn us if the focus will be too slow. They feed back about the mechanical aspects,’ he says.

    The G Master series required many of these teams to re-think their parts of the process, from design to manufacture.

    Re-thinking basic assumptions

    ‘For the G Master lenses we decided we would assess the spatial frequency at 50 lines per mm,’ says Ohtake: ‘Usually lens makers, including ourselves, evaluate lenses at 10 and 30 lpmm (or 10, 20 and 40 for Carl Zeiss-branded optics).’

    ‘At the start of the process we all agreed we should change the spacial frequency [to a more challenging target],’ he says: ’but which is best to get good performance? We could design for 100 lpmm but the lens would become very bulky and long – which might not be a very practical lens. A balance of the size and the optical performance was very important.’

    The target of 50 lpmm wasn’t dictated by the company’s 40MP camera or 4K video, he says. ’All our FE lenses were designed for at least 40MP. Because we have an image sensor team within Sony, we get to see the sensor roadmap, so we’ve been designing for this all along with FE. With the G Master we’d like to make lenses that can be used forever.’

    A focus on bokeh

    But it’s not just the more stringent frequency assessment that was developed for the G Master lenses, Ohtake explains: ‘We had to discuss what good bokeh means. We have some designers from Minolta who understand that the spirit of the ‘G’ lenses was good bokeh in the background but we had no way to evaluate that.

    ‘We looked at what is considered good bokeh and how it affects not just the background rendering but also the transition from perfectly sharp to out-of-focus regions. We developed a way to evaluate bokeh and were able to make a simulation. This meant we didn’t have to build a lens to see how it performed, we could now computer model it before taking a design too far.’

    This is a significant change, Sony says, as it means bokeh can be one of the primary design considerations, rather than being something that can only be adjusted later in the process, once the main aspects of the design have been settled upon.

    Another piece of the puzzle – shape and smoothness

    This analysis of the factors that affect bokeh showed that both the precision of the lens molding and the smoothness of the lens surface could have an effect.

    ‘Traditionally it was very hard to achieve both: current technology gives a roughness on the scale of 20-30nm on the aspheric surface. Improving this usually involved polishing, which can then lead to the lens element being slightly unevenly shaped.’

    ‘We developed a new way of making the lens element and a new molding process, including a new machine. Now we can get roughness down to around 10nm and get a more accurate shape to the aspherical surface.’

    AF technologies

    Ohtake wouldn’t budge when we asked which his favorite lens was, but immediately reached for the 85mm F1.4 when we took this group shot.

    The first three G Master lenses use three different AF motor technologies between them – emphasizing Ohtake’s point that different technologies work better in different contexts.

    The 24-70mm F2.8 uses a Direct Drive SSM system (piezoelectric element). This is very fast, very quiet and very precise. We used a linear motor for the 24-70mm F4 but this lens has a heavier focus element, so direct drive was a better choice.

    The focus element in the 85mm F1.4 was even heavier, however. ‘For the 85mm we use a ring type focus motor. This is very good for heavy lens elements and our lens software team developed a good algorithm so that it works well with contrast-detection autofocus’ (a traditional weakness for ring-type designs).

    Finally, the 70-200mm uses a combination of a linear actuator and a ring-type focus motor. ‘The focus group had become too heavy so we separated the two focusing lenses. One is very heavy, so we used a ring type motor for that one, then used a linear motor for the other. The ring type is used to quickly achieve approximate focus and the linear motor is used for the high precision aspect.’

    Still correct to optically correct

    Discussing the idea that bokeh and sharpness have previously been in conflict, we asked Ohtake about other trade-offs. We’ve been told that the ability to correct lateral chromatic aberration in software makes lens design easier, since you don’t have to correct it optically, which can quickly complicate the lens design and detract from other parameters.

    Not for G Master lenses, he explains. ‘Light doesn’t separate nicely into red, green and blue’ (the color channels that most cameras capture, and which can be adjusted, relative to one another, to correct lateral CA). It’s a continuum with each wavelength being displaced slightly differently. ‘To get the really high contrast we wanted in G Master, we had to suppress it in the lens.’

    The future of APS-C

    We also asked Ohtake about Sony’s APS-C lenses for E-mount. His team likes designing APS-C lenses, he says: ‘The focus elements are light, so it’s easier to design. We have all these focus motor technologies in-house and we’d like to try them in APS-C lenses if that’s what the Product Planning team says is required.’

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Leica T firmware version 1.5 update adds Wi-Fi Direct feature

    Leica has released firmware version 1.5 for the Leica T, adding Wi-Fi Direct functionality for transferring images wirelessly. After updating, Leica T owners can set up a mobile hotspot through which images are shuttled between the camera and an iOS mobile device running the Leica T app. In addition, firmware 1.5 speeds up the camera’s wireless reconnection with known networks and improves reconnection reliability.

    The Leica T for iOS app is available from iTunes. The new firmware version 1.5 update is available through the Leica T website.

    Via: Leica Rumors

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Portrait time: Sample gallery from Sony’s new 85mm F1.4 GM lens

    After Sony showed off its a6300 and trio of new lenses, our staffers were able to grab an a7R II and start shooting. Above we’ve put together a small selection of images taken with Sony’s new 85mm F1.4 GM portrait lens. 

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    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Oh, wow… Sony announces 24MP a6300 with incredible AF and 8 fps live view bursts

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    Sony has introduced the long-awaited update to its popular a6000 mirrorless camera: the a6300. Featuring a newly developed 24 Megapixel APS-C sensor and a completely revamped ‘4D’ AF system with 425 phase-detection AF points, the a6300 sits at the top of Sony’s APS-C mirrorless lineup. It also appears poised to break down one of the last remaining strongholds of DSLR by a live feed of the action in between frames, with minimal blackout, at a respectable 8 fps shooting rate, with AF.

    Key Features:

    • 24MP CMOS APS-C sensor with copper wiring
    • 425-point on-sensor phase-detection AF system
    • 11 fps continuous shooting (8fps continuous live view)
    • Silent shooting 
    • Max ISO of 51200
    • 4K video capture up to 100 Mbps
    • Phase-detect AF compatible with A-mount lenses via LA-EA3 adapter

    Capable of continuous shooting at up to 11 fps with AF, the a6300’s 425-point hybrid AF system features ‘high-density’ tracking, which dynamically activated AF points around a subject and adjusts them depending on the motion of the subject itself. The 425 phase-detect points, impressively, reach all the way out to the corners of the frame.

    Perhaps the biggest news is that the a6300 is capable of uninterrupted live view at up to 8 fps, potentially addressing one of the biggest shortcomings of mirrorless cameras when it comes to fast action shooting. Traditionally, mirrorless cameras tend to show only a stop-motion sequence of last-shot images at the highest shooting frame-rate, which makes it hard to follow a subject and keep an AF point over it. Live view in between short blackouts at 8 fps brings the a6300 much closer to the experience of a DSLR with optical viewfinder. At the launch event in New York this morning, Sony showed a video reminiscent of Nikon’s recent DSLR vs. mirrorless comparison for fast action shooting at CES, albeit comparing the a6300 to a <$ 1000 DSLR. Results looked impressive.

    Notably, the a6300 can use all of its 425 phase-detect points to quickly focus A-mount lenses using a LA-EA3 adapter, which indicates this is now a standard feature that will be available across future E-mount cameras. We also expect phase-detect AF to work with other 3rd party lenses using adapters like the Metabones Smart Adapter.

    The a6300 is capable of 4K video capture at up to 100 Mbps. The camera uses a 20MP (6K) region of the sensor to offer 2.4x oversampled 4K video with full pixel readout, and no pixel binning. Videographers should be able to expect sharp, low noise footage, even in low light since almost the entire sensor is sampled.

    While the progress in technology is impressive, lack of true weather sealing, a touchscreen, or direct AF point selection with a dedicated joystick or control will continue to be problematic for some. The a6300 will be available in March for $ 1000 body only.

    Press Release:

    Sony Introduces New ?6300 Camera with World’s Fastest Autofocus 

    New Mirrorless Camera Features World’s Fastest AF speed1 and Highest Number of AF points2 plus Newly Developed 24.2 MP APS-C Sensor, High Resolution 4K video recording and more 

    NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2016 – Sony Electronics, a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer, has today introduced the latest addition to their award winning lineup of mirrorless cameras, the ?6300 model. 

    The camera boasts an unrivaled 4D FOCUS™ system that can lock focus on a subject in as little as 0.05 seconds, the world’s fastest AF acquisition time1.  Additionally, the ?6300 has an incredible 425 phase detection AF points that are densely positioned over the entire image area – the world’s highest number of AF points on any interchangeable lens camera2, and can shoot images at up to 11 frames per second with continuous autofocus and exposure tracking,

    The impressive new mirrorless model also has the ability to  support full live-view continuous shooting on the Tru-finder or LCD screen at up to 8 frames per second, ultimately producing a real-time shooting experience that combines all the benefits of an electronic viewfinder with the immediacy of a through-the-lens optical viewfinder. 

    The versatile ?6300 is equipped with a newly developed 24.2 MP (approx.. effective) APS-C sized Exmor CMOS sensor that works together with a BIONZ X image processing engine to produce outstanding image quality throughout the entire ISO sensitivity range ISO 100 – 51200 3.  It can also shoot and record high resolution 4K video with full pixel readout and no pixel binning in the popular Super 35mm format.

     “The ?6300 is yet another example of the dominant innovation that Sony continues to bring to the industry, especially from the mirrorless space,” said Neal Manowitz, Vice President of Digital Imaging at Sony Electronics.  “With this new model, we’ve combined the world’s fastest and most extensive AF system with a superb image sensor and many of our most advanced imaging and video technologies, creating a package that can far exceed the performance of any DSLR in its class.   This camera connects you with the action like never before.” 

    Unrivaled AF Performance

    Sony’s new ?6300 camera builds upon the acclaimed 4D FOCUS performance of the ?6000 model, utilizing a Fast Hybrid AF system that combines high-speed phase detection AF with extremely accurate contrast AF and allows it to capture and lock on to moving subjects in as little as 0.05 seconds1.  The camera’s High-density Tracking AF technology positions 425 phase detection AF points over nearly the entire field of view, allowing it  to accurately focus throughout a wide area – even on small, fast objects that other cameras would fail to recognize. 

    In addition to the extensive AF coverage, the ?6300 debuts a new High-density tracking AF technology that significantly improves subject detection and tracking performance.  This new technology can quickly activate a large number of AF points surrounding a subject – approximately 7.5 times more density than the ?6000 – and intelligently adjust them in accordance with the subject’s motion.  This is a particularly powerful feature when used with high-speed 11 fps continuous shooting or the new 8 fps continuous live-view mode, which provides 100% accurate framing for fast moving subjects on the LCD screen or viewfinder.

    Of note is the fact that the camera’s 425 phase detection AF points, enhanced tracking and focus accuracy are all available on the ?6300 when using A-mount lenses4 with a mount adaptor like the Sony LA-EA3.  This is a first for Sony E-mount interchangeable lens cameras with an APS-C sized sensor, as the only other cameras to feature this capability are the full-frame ?7R II and ?7 II models.

    Other enhancements to the ?6300 include silent shooting functionality the ability to use AF in focus magnifier mode, expanded flexible spot AF, Eye AF in AF-C mode and more. 

    Powerful 24.2 MP Exmor CMOS Sensor and BIONZ X Processor

    In order to maximize efficiency and overall camera performance, the ?6300 features a new 24.2 MP sensor that is an ideal match for its BIONZ X image processing engine. 

    The new image sensor employs copper wiring in its structure, which improves light collection efficiency and significantly accelerates readout speed. The BIONZ X processor features an upgraded image processing algorithm designed to maximize the sensor’s overall capabilities.  Together, the two key components work together to produce images with low noise and exceptional resolution in sensitivity settings up to ISO512003, in particular in the mid-to-high sensitivity range. 

    Ultimate 4K Resolution and Other Professional Video Capabilities

    In another first for non-full-frame Sony interchangeable lens camera, the new ?6300 offers internal 4K movie recording in Super 35mm format.  When shooting in 4K, the camera uses full pixel readout without pixel binning to collect 20 megapixels of information – approximately 2.4x5 (6K equivalent) as many pixels as 4K UHD and then oversamples the information to produce high quality  footage with exceptional detail and depth.   

    The camera utilizes the XAVC S codec6 during video shooting, which records at a high bit rate of 100 Mbps7 during 4K recording and 50 Mbps during standard Full HD shooting, ensuring maximum detail and clarity in both video formats.  Additionally, the camera will focus approximately twice as fast as its predecessor during movie shooting thanks to its new and improved AF system.  AF speed and AF tracking sensitivity are also adjustable for expanded creativity.  

    Other professional caliber video features include the ability to record Full HD at 120 fps at 100 Mbps7, another first for ? interchangeable lens cameras with APS-C sized sensors.  This mode allows footage to be reviewed and eventually edited into 4x or 5x slow motion video files in Full HD8 (24p or 30p) resolution with AF tracking.   The new ?6300 also offers S-Log gamma recording9 for wide dynamic range shooting – approximately 14-stop latitude in S-Log3 gamma setting – and supports S-Gamut for a wider color space.  Both options allow for greater creativity for processing video post-production.

    Also included on the new camera is a microphone line input that accepts external microphones and also supports XLR input with Sony’s XLR adapter kit, as well as Gamma Display Assist, a new function that allows users to monitor images or check focus when recording S-Log movies. The new model has enhanced Zebra functionality for greater exposure control.  Picture profile settings are available, as well as Time Code / User Bit and much more. 

    Enhanced Operability and Ergonomics

    The ?6300 camera is equipped with a high contrast, high-resolution XGA OLED Tru-Finder with approximately 2.4 million dots that offers exceptional corner-to-corner visibility.  There is also a new mode available for the viewfinder that allows display of images at 120 fps, ensuring that action is displayed smoothly with very few afterimages, making subject tracking through the Tru-finder easier than ever.    

    Aesthetically, the new ?6300 camera features an extremely solid feel in hand thanks to its robust, magnesium alloy design.  It can be customized to fit nearly any shooting style or preferences, with 9 customizable buttons that one of 64 different functions can be assigned to.  The camera adds a digital level gauge as well as upgraded dust and moisture resistance10, a reinforced lens mount structure and a new shutter release button and mode dial with improved operability and grip.

    The new ?6300 camera is Wi-Fi® and NFC compatible and fully functional with Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile™ application available for Android™ and iOS platforms, as well as Sony’s growing range of PlayMemories Camera Apps™, which add a variety of creative capabilities to the camera.  It also supports QR code for easy connection to non-NFC smart phones.

    Pricing and Availability

    The Sony ?6300 interchangeable lens camera will be available in March for about $ 1,000 for the camera body or for about $ 1,150 paired with a 16-50mm F3.5 – F5.6 kit lens (model SELP1650).  Prices for the Canadian market will be about $ 1,350 CA for the body and about $ 1,500 CA for the camera kit.  It will be sold at a variety of Sony authorized dealers throughout each region.   

    1.      Among interchangeable lens cameras equipped with an APS-C sized sensor as of February 2016, based on Sony research.  Measured using CIPA-compliant guidelines and internal method with an E PZ 16-50 F3.5-5.6 OSS lens mounted.  Pre-AF off and viewfinder in use.

    2.      Among interchangeable lens cameras as of February 2016, based on Sony research

    3.      Expandable up to ISO 51200 for stills and up to ISO 25600 for movies

    4.      A-mount lenses with SSM or SAM only. Users can choose phase-detection AF or contrast-detection AF in AF System menu.

    5.      1.6x in 30p setting

    6.      An SDHC/SDXC memory card with a Class 10 or higher speed rating is required for XAVC S recording

    7.      UHS Class 3 memory card is required for recording at 100Mbps

    8.      Number of pixels required for Full HD movie recording is readout from the image sensor

    9.      S-Log2 and S-Log3 are based on processing pictures.

    10.   This camera is designed for optimal dust and moisture resistance, but is not waterproof or splashproof. For FE lens only

    Sony Alpha a6300 specifications

    Price
    MSRP $ 1000 (body only), $ 1150 (w/16-50mm lens)
    Body type
    Body type Rangefinder-style mirrorless
    Body material Magnesium-alloy
    Sensor
    Max resolution 6000 x 4000
    Other resolutions 3:2 (4240 x 2832, 3008 x 2000), 16:9 (6000 x 3376, 4240 x 2400, 3008 x 1688)
    Image ratio w:h 3:2, 16:9
    Effective pixels 24 megapixels
    Sensor photo detectors 25 megapixels
    Sensor size APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm)
    Sensor type CMOS
    Processor BIONZ X
    Color space sRGB, Adobe RGB
    Color filter array Primary color filter
    Image
    ISO Auto, 100-25600, expandable to 51200
    Boosted ISO (maximum) 51200
    White balance presets 10
    Custom white balance Yes
    Image stabilization No
    Uncompressed format RAW
    JPEG quality levels Extra fine, fine, normal
    File format
    • JPEG (Exif v2.3)
    • Raw (Sony ARW v2.3, 14-bit)
    Optics & Focus
    Autofocus
    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Center
    • Selective single-point
    • Tracking
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Face Detection
    • Live View
    Autofocus assist lamp Yes
    Digital zoom Yes (2x-8x)
    Manual focus Yes
    Number of focus points 425
    Lens mount Sony E (NEX)
    Focal length multiplier 1.5×
    Screen / viewfinder
    Articulated LCD Tilting
    Screen size 3″
    Screen dots 921,600
    Touch screen No
    Screen type TFT LCD
    Live view Yes
    Viewfinder type Electronic
    Viewfinder coverage 100%
    Viewfinder magnification 0.7×
    Viewfinder resolution 2,359,296
    Photography features
    Minimum shutter speed 30 sec
    Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 sec
    Exposure modes
    • Auto
    • Program
    • Aperture Priority
    • Shutter Priority
    • Manual
    Scene modes
    • Portrait
    • Landscape
    • Macro
    • Sports Action
    • Sunset
    • Night Portrait
    • Night Scene
    • Handheld Twilight
    • Anti Motion Blur
    Built-in flash Yes
    Flash range 6.00 m (at ISO 100)
    External flash Yes
    Flash modes Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Rear Sync., Slow Sync., Red-eye reduction, Hi-speed sync, Wireless
    Flash X sync speed 1/160 sec
    Drive modes
    • Single
    • Continuous (Hi+ / Hi / Mid / Low)
    • Self-timer
    • Bracketing
    Continuous drive 11.0 fps
    Self-timer Yes
    Metering modes
    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Spot
    Exposure compensation ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
    AE Bracketing ±5 (3, 5 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps)
    WB Bracketing Yes
    Videography features
    Resolutions 4K (3840 x 2160 @ 30p/24p), 1920 x 1080 (120p, 60p, 60i, 30p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (24p)
    Format MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S, H.264
    Videography notes Supports X-AVC S up t0 100 Mbps, ACHD to 28Mbps
    Microphone Stereo
    Speaker Mono
    Storage
    Storage types SD/SDHC/SDXC
    Connectivity
    USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
    HDMI Yes (micro-HDMI)
    Microphone port Yes
    Headphone port No
    Wireless Built-In
    Wireless notes 802.11b/g/n with NFC
    Remote control Yes (via smartphone)
    Physical
    Environmentally sealed Yes
    Battery Battery Pack
    Battery description NP-FW50 lithium-ion battery & charger
    Battery Life (CIPA) 400
    Weight (inc. batteries) 404 g (0.89 lb / 14.25 oz)
    Dimensions 120 x 67 x 49 mm (4.72 x 2.64 x 1.93″)
    Other features
    Orientation sensor Yes
    Timelapse recording Yes (downloadable app)
    GPS None

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Video: A quick look at the Sony a6300

    Earlier today Sony introduced its new a6300 APS-C mirrorless camera, an update to the very popular a6000 model. DPReview’s Richard Butler was at the event in person and had a chance to get some hands-on time with the new body. In this video he gives us a quick look at Sony’s new crop-sensor flagship camera. 

    For more information about the Sony a6300, as well as full specifications, have a look at our news story.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)