October « 2017 « 360Photography

RSS

Archive for October, 2017

The medium format Hasselblad X1D is the highest rated camera on DxOMark

26 Oct

After the Nikon D850 became the highest rated camera on DxOMark with a score of 100, the sensor testing and software company promised to start reviewing medium format cameras again very soon. Today, they fulfilled that promise and unseated the former-champion Nikon D850 all in one fell swoop.

The new DxOMark champion is the mirrorless medium-format Hasselblad X1D-50c, which came “crashing through the 100-point barrier” with an overall sensor score of 102.

“The X1D-50c excels in all three of our measurement categories, achieving either the top-ranked or a podium position result in each,” explains DxOMark. In fact, the camera received the highest Low-Light ISO score DxO has ever doled out, and it ties for 1st place with the Nikon D850 in the Color Depth category.

You can read the full review and dive into the results on the DxOMark website, but here’s a snippet from the Conclusion for you TL;DR types:

Image quality on the Hasselblad X1D-50c is outstanding, crashing through the 100-point barrier to become the highest-scoring commercially-available sensor we’ve tested. At 102 points overall, it also achieves either the best, or very close to the best results for both color depth and dynamic range. Combine that with its 50Mp resolution and mirrorless design, all packaged at a more realistic price tag, the X1D-50c starts to look like a tantalizing prospect.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

5 Camera Settings Every New Photographer Needs to Know

26 Oct

The first time you pick up a camera it can be pretty confusing. With all the bells and whistles crammed inside even entry-level DSLRs nowadays, knowing where to start is anyone’s guess. Teaching yourself, through trial and error, is one of the best means-tested ways to come to grips with your camera and learn how to use it. But sometimes that takes a while, so here are some of the camera settings that I think every photographer needs to know about when they get their hands on a DSLR.

1. Live View Stops Mirror Slap

That satisfying, reassuring “clunk” sound you hear when you press the shutter button isn’t actually the shutter firing on the camera. In fact, that is the mirror moving up and down to expose the sensor to the world. But that relatively aggressive motion of the mirror can introduce camera shake into your images.

It’s something you might notice if you’re shooting a long exposure, but there’s an easy way around it. Switch the camera into Live View mode, forcing the mirror to raise permanently (until you turn off that mode) so that you can see the image on the LCD screen. This means that when you do actually press the button, only the shutter itself is moving – no need to worry about that mirror thudding up and down anymore.

Long exposures are better shot in Live View. 5 Camera Settings Every New Photographer Needs to Know

2. Auto ISO and Manual Mode Helps You Learn

Lots of photographers stay in Automatic mode because of the fear of missing images when they switch to Manual mode. To remove this fear, try shooting in Manual mode with Auto ISO enabled. This means that the camera is still in control of one of the three factors affecting exposure (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) so that it can balance out the settings with the ISO. But now you get to control the aperture and shutter speed yourself, changing them around to see what effect they will have on your photo.

5 Camera Settings Every New Photographer Needs to Know

Use Manual mode and Auto ISO to experiment safely with the other camera settings.

Try slowing down the shutter speed, or narrowing the aperture of the lens, safe in the knowledge that auto ISO will do a pretty good job at balancing the exposure (unless you slow your shutter down a lot). Being able to experiment freely like this will help you to get a practical knowledge of the exposure triangle and how it works.

3. Disable Area Autofocus Modes

The first thing you should do is disable any Area (zone) Autofocus modes. This is where the camera picks and chooses where it focuses, as it will rarely be at the point you would want. Instead, try using single-point focus. This allows you to be precise and line-up the black square over the target area in the scene.

Here I used single-point focus to nail the focus on the eye.

If you were taking a photo of a dog, for example, it’s much better to focus on the eyes than to rely on the camera to find that spot for you. Most likely, the camera would be focused on the end of the dog’s nose – not very good for an impactful shot.

4. Mute Your Camera

As a wildlife photographer, one of the really annoying things to hear in a quiet hide or nature reserve is the beep of someone’s camera. Whenever I get a new camera, it’s not long before I dive into the menu and disable all of the autofocus beeps, menu selection beeps, and any other noises the camera might feel so inclined to make.

Mute your camera to avoid disturbing sensitive animals – or people!

Not only is it pretty pointless, it could alert an animal to your presence! So, wildlife photographers, don’t do it.

5. Pay Attention to the White Balance Setting

The White Balance setting is one that can totally transform your images in a second, but it’s one that most people ignore for quite a while and just leave in auto mode.

If you’re shooting in JPEG file format, and not raw, then the White Balance choice you make in the camera does matter. If you’re shooting raw, you can adjust this later during post-production.

Adjust your white balance for proper color replication.

Why not Auto White Balance? I find that it never gets things right. Colors always look much flatter and dull, whereas the daylight or cloudy presets add an immediate punch to your shot. Try it, and you’ll probably find things really do change for the better.

You can also look at the manual White Balance setting (measured in degrees Kelvin) if you want to have a much more fine-tuned control over this setting.

Summary

Hopefully, these five tips will help you to navigate through the minefield that is a new DSLR camera. There are of course so many more things to know – and that’s where Digital Photography School can help you, of course. But these are some things that I think will make life easier for you as a new DSLR user.

Let me know in the comments if you have any other great tips or camera settings for new DSLR users!

The post 5 Camera Settings Every New Photographer Needs to Know by Will Nicholls appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography

Demo: Sony a7R III’s impressive Eye AF

26 Oct

We’ve been fans of Sony’s Eye AF feature for a while now, and since the company claims it’s twice as effective in the a7R III it was one of the first things we wanted to check out. In our brief initial demo it does indeed look impressive, which could be a huge benefit for pro photographers. Take a look.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Sony to shift focus as demand for automotive image sensors increases

26 Oct

Sony is the largest supplier or CMOS image sensors worldwide, with about half of its production capacity reserved for mobile device image sensors. However, according to a DigiTimes report, the company is now looking to expand its position in the market for automotive image sensors, where rivals On Semiconductor and OmniVision are currently the largest players.

As a consequence Sony is planning to allocate a larger portion of its sensor production capacity for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and other automotive electronics applications.

Self-driving vehicles have been identified by sensor suppliers as a major growth area that will generate elevated demand for image sensors in the near future. According to DigiTimes sources, automotive is expected to overtake mobile devices as the leading application for CMOS sensors and will be first among all auto electronics segments, with major growth kicking in during 2018.

According to Digitimes, increasing demand for CMOS sensors through high-end smartphone and automotive applications could be bad news for consumers as the average unit price of CMOS sensors is expected to rise. The global market volume for CMOS sensors is forecast to increase to nearly US$ 13.8 billion in 2020, up from US$ 11.2 billion in 2017.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Olympus 45mm F1.2 Pro sample gallery

26 Oct

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_0186617905″,”galleryId”:”0186617905″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”standalone”:false,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”startInCommentsView”:false,”isMobile”:false}) });

The Olympus 45mm F1.2 Pro is a 90mm equivalent that just screams to be used for portraiture. So when we found ourselves with a production-ready copy, we got right to work. Head to our full sample gallery to see how Olympus’ newest prime fares.

See our Olympus 45mm F1.2 Pro
sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

What you need to know about Sony’s a7R III

26 Oct

Introduction

The a7R III is Sony’s latest high resolution camera, which carries over many of the improvements found on the company’s flagship a9. The 42.4MP sensor itself hasn’t changed from the Mark II, but virtually everything else wired into it has. This allows for faster burst shooting, improved autofocus and higher quality 4K video. Some important user interface and ergonomic changes, inspired by the a9, have also made the transition.

Same sensor, better performance

The a7R III uses the same full-frame 42.MP BSI CMOS sensor as its predecessor, though improved readout circuitry lowers the already low read noise, improving dynamic range.

Sony promises a slight improvement in rolling shutter, but not to the level as the a9, so the a7R III didn’t earn the ‘Anti-distortion shutter’ designation.

While the hybrid autofocus continues to offer 399 phase-detect points, there are now 425 contrast-detect points, up from 25 on the a7R II.

From a9 (hardware)

Several items found on the body a9 have thankfully migrated to the a7R III. They include its brilliant 3.69M-dot OLED EVF with incredible contrast and resolution, a joystick for selecting an AF point, an AF-On button and a flash sync port. (The a7R III flash sync speed is 1/250 sec.). Also added is the a9’s ‘C3’ button to the left of the ‘Menu’ button on the camera’s back, and the ability to assign a button to ‘Protect/Rate’ in Playback. This should make it much easier to quickly select images from bursts in camera. Bursts can even be grouped during playback for faster image viewing and selection.

The rear thumb dial on the back plate of the camera has been updated as well from the Mark II to be heftier, with better haptic feedback and less accidental input – just like the one on the a9.

On the memory card front, the Mark III now has two SDHC card slots instead of one on the Mark II. One of the slots supports UHS-II media while the other sticks to UHS-I.

From a9 (firmware)

There are some nice improvements on the software side, as well. Sony says that autofocus is up to two times faster than the Mark II. Low light performance is now rated down to -3 EV with a F2 lens, meaning the a7R III should offer similar low light AF performance to the a9 – a stop better than the Mark II. AF algorithms have been refined, with more ‘tenacious’ subject tracking and improved Eye AF. We’re hoping this means that Eye AF is more prone to stick to your original subject (per the a9), rather than randomly jump between detected faces as with the a7R II. Eye AF is still laggy when shooting bursts though, much like the original a7R II.

Also new is the helpful Touchpad AF feature, which lets you use the LCD to move the focus point while your eye is to the viewfinder. Movement can be absolute (you’re picking a point on the frame) or relative (to the current focus point). You can also restrict the active area to certain parts of the screen. Our first impression is that Touchpad AF seems rather over-sensitive, jumping almost uncontrollably around the screen.

While Sony didn’t make a big deal about it, the a7R III should also inherit the a9’s Improved JPEG color and noise reduction. Today, Sony’s JPEG engine renders some of the finest detail we’ve seen amongst cameras, even at high ISO. But JPEG color still remains a point of contention.

From a9: Battery!

For both stills and video shooters, perhaps the biggest news is that Sony has found room for the larger NP-FZ100 battery used in the a9. This required a complete redesign of the body, including a slightly modified grip, but it means a huge boost in battery life. If you’re using the LCD, expect 650 shots per charge (which is the ‘official’ CIPA number), and 530 shots with the EVF. Compare that to the 290 shot CIPA rating the Mark II received. Color us impressed.

An optional battery grip, the same VG-C3EM model as the a9 uses, doubles battery life, so you’ll get up to 1300 shots.

Entirely new

There are a couple of things that are a7R III ‘originals’. The first is a redesigned low vibration shutter mechanism, which allows 10 fps bursts without the risk of ‘shutter shock.’ It also allows for the 1/250 sec flash sync mentioned earlier. With the proper strobes, you can even get up to 10 fps shots with flash – something even an a9 won’t do (it’s capped at 5 fps with flash, since that’s its maximum mechanical shutter rate).

The camera has two USB ports. The first is USB 3.1 with Type C connector (found on modern smartphones and newer Apple laptops), which allows tethering and battery charging. A more traditional micro USB jack is available which supports existing remotes and external battery packs.

Responding to user feedback, Sony has added the ability to enter the menus while the camera is writing to a memory card. YES!

Video

Better processing means improved detail and lower noise in both full-frame and Super 35 crop mode 4K. The real standout footage, as before, should be the Super 35 4K, since it’s oversampled.

The AF algorithms in video have also been improved and are more resistant to refocusing off to the background. That’s a huge improvement over the Mark II, and means many casual users can leave the camera in complete auto AF area mode (‘Wide’) with Face Detection on and expect precisely focused 4K footage.

If you’re looking for a simple ‘tap-to-track-subject’ mode a la most other manufacturers, you’re still out of luck. The camera unfortunately still has the old outdated ‘Center Lock-On AF’ mode, which you’ll have to turn on to enable ‘tap-to-track’ functionality. Once it’s on, you can tap anywhere on the screen and it’ll put a box around your subject and track it. It doesn’t work as well as Lock-on AF modes in stills in our experience, and it’s still unfortunate that you have to engage this mode to get ‘tap-to-track’ – a functionality you’d just expect out of the box by default. Furthermore, you’ll have to remember to turn ‘Center Lock-on’ off when you switch back to stills mode, since it’s not a mode you’ll ever want to be used and can be accidentally triggered by a touch of the touchscreen.

New video functionality

This one is kind of huge: there are now separate function button configurations for stills and movie modes. By default the movie mode functions are set to ‘As in Stills mode’ but this can be edited, per button, to ensure you have access to the settings you need for both situations. We’ve been asking for this for a long time, as video needs often differ drastically from stills needs, so this is a welcome change. We’d still like to see totally separate settings banks for video vs. stills – where each mode remembers your last used settings – but this is a start in the right direction.

The a7R III now supports S-Log 3 / S-Gamut 3, which offer even flatter profiles to make use of camera’s full dynamic range. Also new is support for Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG), which allows you to view wide dynamic capture on HDR displays, without any post-processing required. Newer displays allow HDR capture to appear less ‘flat’, since HDR displays have a wide range of tones they can reproduce. The ‘flat’ log capture is automatically expanded to the full capability of the display so your high contrast capture look high contrast on-screen, without blown highlights or blocked shadows.

HDR display of HDR capture will become increasingly important in the stills world, as it is already in the video world, so we’re glad to see Sony taking this new movement seriously in even their prosumer cameras.

Multi-shot mode

This mode, similar to that on Olympus and Pentax cameras, shoots four uncompressed Raws, which must be later processed in Sony’s Imaging Edge software to combine them into a .ARQ file, which can then be adjusted. Both Olympus and Pentax do this in-camera.

The benefits of Multi-shot mode are an increase in color resolution (since each pixel has its own red, green and blue value) and a reduction in noise and softness, since there’s no demosaicing needed and since you’ve taken 4 images in place of one. The latter you can do by stacking images from any camera for a nearly ~2 EV noise or dynamic range benefit, but the benefits of not needing to demosaicing are specific to these sorts of multi-shot modes that can use sensor shift to shift the sensor in the precise movements needed to remove the effects of the Bayer color filter. You won’t realize these gains unless you post-process, though.

There’s at least a 1 second delay between shots while the camera waits for the sensor to settle. This delay means that this feature will not work well with moving subjects. You can change the delay to anywhere between 1 and 30s.

What’s missing

There are a couple of things that we would’ve liked to have seen on the a7R III. They include lossless compressed Raw, more use of the touch panel (for adjusting settings, as an example), in-camera Raw conversion and support for downloadable PlayMemories apps.

The lack of PlayMemories apps may be of particular concern to landscape photographers using such apps for timelapse or gradient filters, and for those that use apps like ‘Sync to Smartphone’ to automatically download all JPEGs from camera to their phones and online photo storage services. This is a trend, starting with the a9, we’d really like to see Sony reverse.

Overall, though, the a7R III is an impressive package, and one that we’re eager to spend more time with.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Hands-on with the new Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

26 Oct

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

Olympus has introduced two new lenses in its M.Zuiko Pro F1.2 prime lens lineup, the Digital ED 17mm F1.2 Pro and the Digital ED 45mm F1.2 Pro. Both lenses promise to give Micro Four Thirds shooters excellent flexibility in low light situations, in addition to providing shallow depth of field and excellent image quality.

The two prime lenses join the existing Digital ED 25mm F1.2 Pro in the Olympus lens lineup.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

Olympus says the design philosophy for its Pro F1.2 prime lenses is to deliver aesthetically pleasing ‘feathered’ bokeh without sacrificing any sharpness or resolution, even when shooting wide open. Both lenses use Olympus’ new Z Coating Nano technology to suppress flares and ghosting in order to Provide extremely clear image quality.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

So, what is ‘feathered bokeh’? Olympus says that unlike many lenses which Produce ring-shaped or solid bokeh (with sharper outlines), the Pro F1.2 primes deliver bokeh with extremely smooth transitions from in-focus to out-of-focus areas, resulting in smoother backgrounds that make a foreground subject stand out better, creating a sense of depth. Olympus says that feathered bokeh does not come at the expense of resolution, which remains extremely high, even wide open.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

The Digital ED 45mm F1.2 Pro is built around 14 elements in 10 groups, including one ED lens, four HR lenses, and one aspherical lens. It contains three bonded lens elements, including the ED lens, to compensate for problems that sometimes occur on wide aperture lenses, such as out-of-focus color bleeding (axial chromatic aberration) and peripheral color bleeding. It has a minimum focusing distance of 50cm and weighs in at 410g.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

The Digital ED 17mm F.12 Pro is built around 15 elements in 11 groups. Want to know how that breaks down? Get ready for acronym soup!

The 17mm F1.2 Pro includes six ED lenses (more than any other Zuiko lens), including one Super ED lens, three ED lenses, one EDA lens, and a newly developed ED-DSA lens, along with a Super HR lens and an aspherical lens. According to Olympus, this combination effectively compensates for chromatic aberrations, as well as spherical aberrations that can affect wide primes. The result, they say, is excellent optical performance with feathered bokeh.

The 17mm lens has a minimum focusing distance of 20cm and weighs in at 390g.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

What is a ED-DSA lens, you might ask? It’s a Dual Super Aspherical lens that features an extremely large thickness ratio between the center and periphery of the lens, made from ED glass. Olympus claims to be the first company to successfully mass produce this type of lens, and that it results in a lens which possess the characteristics of both an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens and a DSA (Dual Super Aspherical) lens to compensate for spherical, comatic, and astigmatism aberration.

According to Olympus, producing this lens as a single element reduces the total number of lens elements, improving performance as well as reducing the overall length of the lens.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

Both lenses use the Olympus MSC (Movie and Still Compatible) autofocus mechanism, which provides smooth high-speed focusing while remaining virtually silent, despite being wide diameter lenses. Olympus says this system provides class-leading AF performance when paired with the E-M1 Mark II body (as low as 0.12 seconds for the 17mm lens). Additionally, there are no limits on what AF points can be used, even at the widest aperture, thanks to Olympus’ use of on-sensor phase detect autofocus.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

All three M.Zuiko F1.2 Pro primes share virtually identical sizes, with less than a couple millimeters of variation between them, and have very similar weights. All use the same 62mm lens diameter, allowing them to share filters and other accessories.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

Both lenses are designed with ease of use in mind. The wide focus ring has been placed near the front of the lens in order to make manual focusing easier when paired with cameras that have large grips, such as the E-M1 Mark II. As with some other Olympus lenses, a clutch mechanism allows users to instantly switch from auto to manual focus by pulling the focus ring toward the camera body. Olympus even says it designed a gradually curving surface around the L-Fn function button to make it easier to access when shooting through the viewfinder.

Since all the Pro F1.2 lenses are so similar in size, Olympus has printed each lens’s focal length in oversized numbers to make it easy to tell them apart.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

In addition to excellent optical performance, Olympus has built the Pro F1.2 primes to meet the needs of demanding users. Both lenses are dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof (to 14ºF/-10ºC), making them ideal for use even in extreme conditions.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

Both the 17mm and 45mm lenses should provide great performance for Micro Four Thirds photographers, especially those who work in low light conditions or who desire very shallow depth of field.

When combined with Olympus’ existing 25mm F1.2 Pro lens, the set represents a trio of fast primes at very useful focal lengths of 17mm, 25mm, and 45mm. (34mm, 50mm, and 90mm equivalent.) Their small size, when combined with a compact Micro Four Thirds camera body, could make a great kit for photographers who prefer to travel light but like to shoot with fast primes.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

The M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 Pro will be available in late November 2017, and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 Pro will be available in late January 2018. Both will retail for $ 1,199, the same price as the existing 25mm F1.2 Pro lens.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Olympus 45mm and 17mm F1.2 Pro lenses emphasize bokeh quality

26 Oct

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_2115725642″,”galleryId”:”2115725642″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”standalone”:false,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”startInCommentsView”:false,”isMobile”:false}) });

Olympus has announced 17mm and 45mm F1.2 Pro primes, offering high-end fast 35mm and 90mm equivalent lenses. The lenses use the same 60mm filters that the existing 25mm F1.2 Pro uses and, like that lens both are weather sealed and dust proof.

The two lenses expand the company’s series of F1.2 lenses, which are equivalent to 35 and 90mm F2.4 lenses for full frame. This allows Micro Four Thirds users to achieve very shallow levels of depth-of-field at the focal lengths where they need this capability. The lenses are designed to be consistent in size with one another.

Olympus says it’s focused the design not just on achieving sharpness but also on providing attractive bokeh. It says its research showed that bokeh with a soft edge produces the most attractive result, producing a smooth transition from in-focus to out-of-focus regions, and with minimal risks of interference patterns occurring in backgrounds.

To achieve this, both lenses are designed so that spherical aberration is not fully corrected (that would give completely uniform bokeh). Instead it focuses peripheral light rays slightly in front of the plane of focus, giving a soft roll-off to the edges of the bokeh. This, they say, is how many much-loved ‘classic’ lenses gave desirable, ‘3D’ rendering.

The 17mm lens includes a unique ED-DSA element, which has dual aspherical lenses formed from soft and hard-to-work extra low dispersion glass. They claim to be the only company currently able to do this.

The company also highlights that its cameras should be able to achieve very high levels of focus precision even with off-center points. Both lenses also have the snap-back focus clutch system, so that videographers can manual focus with a linear focus response.

Olympus mentions that there’s been a trend towards bokeh-optimized primes in recent years but says its design approach gives attractive bokeh without any of the light loss causes by the use of apodization filters in Fujifilm’s APD or Sony’s STF lenses.

Each lens will cost $ 1200. The 45mm will go on sale in late November, and the 17mm will be available in late January 2018.

Press release

BEAUTIFUL BOKEH: TWO NEW OLYMPUS LENSES EXPAND THE M.ZUIKO PRO F1.2 PRIME LINEUP

M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO and M.ZUIKO® Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO Offer Smooth Feathered Bokeh and High Resolution at the Brightest Aperture

CENTER VALLEY, PA., October 25, 2017 — Olympus expands its M.ZUIKO F1.2 PRO prime lens lineup with the new M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO (34mm focal length in 35mm equivalent) and the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO (90mm focal length in 35mm equivalent). These Micro Four Thirds® system lenses join the currently available M.ZUIKO Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO (50mm focal length in 35mm equivalent) to deliver outstanding resolution and beautiful feathered bokeh at a maximum aperture of F1.2.

The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO and M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO give M.ZUIKO PRO lens users more flexibility in low-light environments as well as an extraordinarily shallow depth-of-field. Each is designed to achieve a new level of depictive performance, delivering three-dimensional images that represent subjects as they appear in the real world through a combination of feathered bokeh and sharp resolution.

By focusing not only on the bokeh’s size but also its quality, each lens produces a feathered bokeh effect that better emphasizes the main subject and allows it to stand out within the image. The shallower depth of field produced at F1.2 is especially ideal for portrait photographers.

The newly developed ED-DSA lens, which possesses the characteristics of both an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens element and a DSA (Dual Super Aspherical) lens element, is incorporated in the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO. The ED-DSA lens compensates for common wide-angle lens issues, including chromatic aberrations, distortion and color bleeding on the image periphery.

Like other lenses in the M.ZUIKO PRO series, the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO and M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO feature compact, lightweight construction and a dustproof, splashproof, freezeproof (to 14°F/-10°C) design, giving photo enthusiasts and professionals the ability to capture brilliant images in a variety of shooting conditions.

U.S. Pricing and Availability
The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO will be available late November 2017, while the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO will be available late January 2018. Both lenses will have an estimated street price of $ 1,199.99 USD/$ 1,499.99 CAD. For a complete list of specifications for the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO, visit the Olympus website: http://getolympus.com/lenses/m-zuiko-ed-45mm-f1-2-pro.html, and for the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO lens, visit http://getolympus.com/lenses/m-zuiko-ed-17mm-f1-2-pro.html.

Main Features

1. Depictive performance that delivers feathered bokeh and outstanding resolution

Feathered bokeh provides an ultra smooth transition from the sharp to the defocused areas of the image to provide an overall softer background. This results in a subject that stands out with lifelike dimensionality.

In the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO, there are 15 elements in 11 groups, including specialized lens elements like the newly developed ED-DSA lens. The ED-DSA lens element, which possesses the characteristics of both an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens and DSA (Dual Super Aspherical) lens, reduces the overall weight and the number of lens elements. This design effectively compensates for various types of aberrations that tend to occur in wide-angle lenses, such as chromatic aberration, distortion and color bleeding on the image periphery (magnification chromatic aberration).

The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO contains three optimally placed and bonded lens elements, including one ED lens, which compensate for typical problems on wide-aperture lenses like out-of-focus color bleeding (axial chromatic aberration) and peripheral color bleeding (magnification chromatic aberration). The extensive use of special lenses incorporated into 14 elements in 10 groups results in superb optical performance and feathered bokeh effects, even at the widest aperture setting.

Both lenses use the same Z Coating Nano technology as the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO for sharp, clear image quality that significantly reduces ghosts and flares that tend to occur in backlit images.

2. Fast, high-precision AF

Both lenses are equipped with the MSC (Movie- and Still-Compatible) autofocus mechanism that provides virtually silent and smooth high-speed focusing performance, even when using the maximum aperture of F1.2. Additionally, there are no AF point limitations, even at the widest aperture, due to the On-Chip AF system in all Olympus OM-D® and PEN® cameras.

Using Face Priority or Eye Priority AF, two modes which are highly regarded by professional portrait photographers, brings out the true power of these large-aperture lenses.

3. Compact, lightweight construction and dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof (14°F/-10°C) performance

The M.ZUIKO PRO F1.2 prime lens lineup is exceptionally compact, lightweight and provides unrivaled mobility, dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof (14°F/-10°C) performance consistent with the M.ZUIKO PRO series. A uniform lens filter diameter across the three F1.2 lenses allows for use of the same lens filters, such as protection filters and PL filters.

Other Features

Excellent close-up shooting: The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO has a minimum focusing distance of 20 cm and a maximum image magnification of 0.15x (35mm equivalent: 0.3x), while the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO has a minimum focusing distance of 50 cm and a maximum image magnification of 0.1x (35mm equivalent: 0.2x), providing outstanding close-up shooting performance.
Premium design: Each lens was designed with the professional photographer in mind. The focusing ring placed at the front of the lens makes focusing easier when paired with the large grip of the flagship OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera. The L-Fn Button is located on a gently curving surface to make it comfortable to access. The MF Clutch mechanism allows the photographer to instantly switch between auto and manual focusing mode by pulling the focusing ring toward the camera body.

Lens Accessories:
Lens Cap, LC-62F (bundled): This lens cap is designed for quick and easy removal from lenses with a filter diameter of ?62mm, and can be used even when the lens hood is still attached.

Lens Case, LSC-0811 (bundled): A purse-string-type lens case with three-layer construction thatsecurely protects the lens. The lens can be stored in the case with the lens cap, protection filterand lens hood (stored) attached to the lens.

Lens Hood, LH-66C (bundled): A lens hood specifically designed for the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO lens to reduce the amount of unnecessary light entering the lens when shooting in backlit conditions. The hood release lock button features a nonprotruding design that prevents the hood from accidental detachment.

Lens Hood, LH-66B (bundled): A lens hood for use with the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO and the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO lenses to reduce the amount of unnecessary light entering the lens when shooting in backlit conditions. The hood release lock button features a nonprotruding design that prevents the hood from accidental detachment.

Protection Filter, PRF-ZD62 PRO (sold separately): This protection filter maximizes the abilities of M.ZUIKO PRO lenses bearing the Zuiko name. It features ZERO coating, which cuts reflection by approximately one-half compared to conventional multicoating, black-edged glass, and a satin-finished black alumite aluminum frame for a matte surface that suppresses reflections.

Sales Outline for Separately Available Accessories

Product Name	MSRP	Planned Launch Date
Lens Cap, LC-62F	$ 23.99 USD $ 21.99 CAD	On sale
Lens Case, LSC-0811	$ 26.99 USD $ 26.99 CAD	On sale
Lens Hood, LH-66B	$ 44.99 USD $ 44.99 CAD	On sale
Protection Filter, PRF-ZD62 PRO	$ 64.99 USD $ 64.99 CAD	On sale

Olympus 17mm and 45mm F1.2 Pro specifications

	Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 Pro	Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 Pro
Principal specifications
Lens type	Prime lens
Max Format size	FourThirds
Focal length	17 mm	45 mm
Image stabilization	No
Lens mount	Micro Four Thirds
Aperture
Maximum aperture	F1.2
Minimum aperture	F16
Aperture ring	No
Number of diaphragm blades	9
Optics
Elements	15	14
Groups	11	10
Special elements / coatings	1 Super ED, 3 ED, 1 ED-DSA, 1 EDA, 1 Super HR, 1 aspherical	1 ED, 4 HR, 1 aspherical
Focus
Minimum focus	0.20 m (7.87″)	0.50 m (19.69″)
Maximum magnification	0.15×	0.1×
Autofocus	Yes
Motor type	Stepper motor
Full time manual	Yes
Focus method	Internal
Distance scale	No
DoF scale	Yes
Physical
Weight	390 g (0.86 lb)	410 g (0.90 lb)
Diameter	68 mm (2.68″)	70 mm (2.76″)
Length	87 mm (3.43″)	85 mm (3.35″)
Materials	Magnesium alloy
Sealing	Yes
Colour	Black
Filter thread	62.0 mm
Hood supplied	Yes
Hood product code	LH-66C	LH-66B
Tripod collar	No

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Video: Sony a7R III first look

26 Oct

Sony took the wraps off its a7R III this morning, and we’ve been able to spend a little time checking out its standout features. Dan and Richard are on the ground in New York at Sony’s launch event, and have put together a quick video showing what’s new and cool.

Read all about the a7R III and keep an eye out for sample photos and more in the near future!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

4 Tips for Low Light Photography During the Winter

26 Oct

With fall here and winter fast approaching as well, the sun sets earlier in the day and most of us will be confined to shooting indoors. Whether you are shooting during the day or in the evening after the sunset, adapting and embracing shooting in low light will be beneficial to help you continue working on your photography skills and other personal photo projects.

If you are like me and work all day and come home in the evening to pick up your camera, you may be further limited to shooting right around sunset or utilizing artificial light sources only.

Low light indoors winter 10

There was a time not long ago when I used to hate photographing my kids in low light. I was nervous about increasing the ISO and adding noise in my images or worried about reducing the shutter speed and causing camera shake. But slowly over time, I started to get used to working with various light sources around me creatively and utilizing them in my images.

If you are new to shooting in low light, here are some simple tips that could be helpful without the fear of shooting indoors in low light or using artificial light.

1. Shoot wide open and/or use a slow shutter speed

Although this may not be the best solution all the time with multiple people in the image indoors; but shooting wide open (as much as your camera allows) helps you get more light in the image. Making sure your focal points are aligned on the subject where they need to be, this could help you with that low light shooting you are struggling with.

Low light indoors winter 1

Low light indoors winter 2

Another option would be to consider using a slow shutter speed. A shutter speed of 1/200th or slower to 1/100th doesn’t always produce camera shake when handheld and lets more light in as well. There’s always the option of using a tripod, however, keep in mind that this may not be feasible when photographing kids in action.

Low light indoors winter 3

2. Crank up that ISO and embrace noise

Having a camera with low light capabilities sounds great. However, if you are on a budget and need to work with what you have, consider cranking up your ISO as high as you can after adjusting your shutter speed and aperture.

Consider embracing the noise or grain produced and using it in your images creatively. Converting an image to black and white during post-processing also helps hide any yellow light indoors you may have from artificial sources after hours.

Low light indoors winter 4

Low light indoors winter 5

Low light indoors winter 6

Low light indoors winter 7

Consider using alternate artificial light sources such as an iPad light, refrigerator light, desk lamp, etc., for extra creativity.

Low light indoors winter 8

Low light indoors winter 9

3. Find pockets of light

Open up windows, blinds, and curtains. Pockets of light and shadows add to the drama and create depth.

Once you get home from work in the evening, look around to find any little pockets of light that you can use. This may be right around the golden hour (one hour prior to sunset) and you will find some amazing light peeking through the windows if you time it just right. Utilizing this light will produce some amazing shadows and you can create some moody images as well.

Low light indoors winter 11

Low light indoors winter 12

Low light indoors winter 13

4. Dust off your flash and practice using it

When all else fails and I need to turn my lights on after hours, I rely on my Yongnuo flash unit and simply bounce it off the nearby walls. A lot of times I hear from other photographers (who limit themselves from shooting indoors during evening hours) that using flash is really complicated. I set my flash unit on ETTL and power it accordingly to get more or less light in the image based on how many artificial light sources I have turned on in the room.

Low light indoors winter 14

Low light indoors winter 15

Conclusion

In conclusion, all of the tips above are not always an either/or situation. Most of them can be used together such as combining a slow shutter speed along with increasing the ISO while shooting in a pocket of light with the blinds open when you really have those corner rooms with less light!

While doing the above and balancing your exposure creatively, you can create moody images with some drama. In summary, shooting in low light or the use of artificial light doesn’t have to be that intimidating. Give it a trying show us what you come up with in the comments below.

The post 4 Tips for Low Light Photography During the Winter by Jyotsna Bhamidipati appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

Comments Off

Posted in Photography