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Posts Tagged ‘Lens’

Why I’m Downsizing from a Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 Lens to the f/4 Version

13 Jun

The Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens has been one of my most used since purchasing it several years ago. It’s a perfect lens for photographing either abstract, intimate or obviously, zoomed in landscapes. However, after borrowing the f/4 version from a local camera store during a trip to the Faroe Islands, I’ve decided to sell my current lens and replace it with the smaller and less expensive (almost $ 1000 less) f/4 version.

Before we get into why I’m replacing it, let’s look at why I went for the f/2.8 lens, to begin with:

Why I Purchased the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8

When I purchased my first full-frame camera several years ago (the Nikon D800), I started out with only one lens: the 16-35mm f/4. At the time, that was all I could afford and it was my main setup for close to a year.

By that time I had saved enough money to add another lens to my backpack (only having the 16-35mm was quite limiting so I wanted to add more range before heading out on a two-week journey to the US).

Why I'm Replacing my Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 Lens with the f/4 Version

Though there are several other brands to choose between, I had already made up my mind that I’d go for Nikon’s 70-200mm. The harder choice, however, was whether I should go for the f/2.8 or f/4.

After much back and forth, and long discussions with other photographers, I ended up with the f/2.8. Despite it being heavier and more expensive, it seemed like the right choice as it has a wider maximum aperture. Even though I’m a landscape photographer (I don’t do much wildlife or portraits, etc), I figured the wider aperture might come in handy and be more important than the weight.

I’d say this is the perfect lens if you’re photographing:

  • Wildlife
  • Portraits
  • Macro
  • Concerts/events
  • Under low light
Why I'm Replacing my Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 Lens with the f/4 Version

Captured with my 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.

Why I’m Changing to the f/4

When looking through the images I’ve shot with my 70-200mm, only a fraction of them were captured at f/2.8. In fact, the majority of those are images I captured at concerts or other events for a local magazine, which I very rarely do anymore.

The fact that I rarely use an aperture of f/2.8 on this lens, combined with the fact that I’m spending more time hiking and need a lighter backpack, made it an easy decision to replace my current lens with the lighter 70-200mm f/4 lens.

Why I'm Replacing my Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 Lens with the f/4 Version

Captured with the 70-200mm f/4 lens.

As a landscape photographer, it’s rare that you need f/2.8, especially for the type of images I tend to capture.  It’s more important for me to save weight (1540 gm/3.2 lbs versus 850 gm/1.9 lbs) since my backpack gets quite heavy when carrying all my lenses and cameras, a tripod, and other accessories.

Though I only tested the lens for 10 days, I found it’s not a sacrifice of much image quality by choosing the f/4 over the f/2.8. Both the sharpness and autofocus are just as good in the former.

These are the main benefits I’ve found with the 70-200mm f/4 lens:

  • It’s almost half the weight of the f/2.8.
  • It’s smaller in size and takes less space in the camera bag.
  • Autofocus is just as good (in fact it’s better than on my old f/2.8).
  • Sharpness is just as good.
  • It’s nearly half the price of the f/2.8 ($ 2800 versus $ 1400 roughly).

The Consequences of Changing

Of course, sacrificing one stop of light is something worth mentioning, as this does come with a few consequences. While it might not be a big difference between f/4 and f/5.6, there is a significant difference between f/2.8 and f/4, especially in low light situations.

Why I'm Replacing my Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 Lens with the f/4 Version

If you use a tripod for all of your photography and you avoid photographing wildlife and other scenarios with a shallow depth of field, the sacrifice is minimal and most likely not even notable. However, if you tend to photograph handheld in low light situations and enjoy photographing with a shallow DoF, you might want to reconsider replacing the f/2.8.

Here are some of the sacrifices you’ll make when changing from f/2.8 to f/4:

  • You won’t get as good of a “bokeh” effect nor achieve as much of a shallow depth of field.
  • You’ll need to increase the ISO instead of opening the aperture in low light situations.
  • You will be more dependant on a tripod in low light situations.

That being said,  this was an easy decision and one that I wish I’d made many years ago. Do you have a 70-200mm lens? Which version do you have and why?

The post Why I’m Downsizing from a Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 Lens to the f/4 Version appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Samyang officially announces 24mm F2.8 AF lens, available in July for $400

12 Jun

Just a week after we came across leaked images of the lens, Samyang has unveiled its latest Sony autofocus lens, the AF 24mm F2.8 FE.

Samyang calls the lens ‘tiny but wide’—and rightly so. This lens weighs just 93g and measures 37mm from front to back without the hood or rear lens cap. The FE mount means it works with full-frame Sony cameras, including but not limited to the A9 and A7 IIII.

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The optical design of the lens is made up of 7 elements in 7 groups. Three of the optical elements are aspherical lenses and two are high-refractive lenses. The lens also features ‘ultra multi coating’, which helps minimize chromatic aberration and undesired light dispersion.

As the leaked images suggested, the lens features a minimum focusing distance of just 0.24m/0.79ft and has a rubberized focus ring for when you want to take things manual.

The Samyang AF 24mm F2.8, which retails under the brand name Rokinon in the United States, will be available in July for $ 400.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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PanoClip is a 360-degree smartphone lens

06 Jun

If you’ve been toying with the idea of trying 360-degree imaging but are reluctant to spend large amounts of money on specialist equipment, the newly announced $ 50 PanoClip might be worth a good look.

The PanoClip snaps onto a smartphone and lets you capture 360-degree photos by combining images from the device’s front and rear cameras. The latter are aligned with the PanoClip’s built-in super-wide-angle lenses and image output from both cameras is stitched in real-time in the PanoClip companion app.

The app also allows you to create a “Tiny Planet” effect and can convert 360-degree images into short video clips that showcase the scene in every direction. A number of filter effects are available as well and sharing options include Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and other social platforms.

PanoClip looks like a clever idea. Smartphones already have front and rear cameras, so there isn’t really a need for 360-degree clip-on cameras to come with their own sensors and lens combos. Wide angle conversion lenses for the built-in cameras in the phone are enough and reduce cost. What’s the effect on image quality? We don’t know yet but we hope to get a test unit in our hands sometime soon.

PanoClip can now be ordered at PanoClip.com for $ 49.99 in two body configurations. The full version can be used with screen protectors and thin protective cases. The PanoClip Lite does not work with any any protective gear. Both are compatible with the iPhones 6/Plus, 6s/Plus, 7/Plus, 8/Plus and X. The PanoClip team is also working on a version for Android devices.

Press Release:

PanoClip Lets You Shoot 360° and ‘Tiny Planets’ from Your Phone for $ 49.99

The groundbreaking PanoClip launched today, letting anyone effortlessly take 360° photos and “Tiny Planet” shots straight from their phone. Using a cleverly designed dual-lens system, PanoClip snaps instantly onto a smartphone, and then creates a seamless 360° photo by combining images from the front and rear cameras.

Available today to iPhone users for $ 49.99 USD, PanoClip is the first device of its kind. It pairs perfectly with the cameras people use most – their phones – and makes 360° capture easier than ever before. An Android version will be available soon.

Introducing PanoClip: https://youtu.be/4hRdKWWExvA

How It Works

Traditional 360° cameras use two or more cameras to capture all angles of a scene, before stitching them together into a single image. PanoClip works on the same principle, but thanks to some ingenious tech, it achieves the same result with the two cameras that are likely already in your pocket.

Using PanoClip could not be simpler. Snapping it onto the top of a phone will align its super-wide-angle lenses with the phone’s front and rear cameras. Then, all that’s left to do is open up the companion app and start taking 360° snapshots.

PanoClip users will never miss a detail, and they’ll easily capture vibrant, dynamic scenes with action in every direction, such as music festivals or parties. When users want to focus on a particular part of the action, the screenshot feature lets them re-frame the best angles.

Sharing is effortless, with integrated publishing options for Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and every popular social platform.

Karen Cheng introducing the PanoClip: https://youtu.be/3dPu4_pm1aM

Your Whole World… But Tinier

Along with capturing immersive 360° scenes that can be explored with a simple finger swipe, PanoClip also unlocks a world of creative possibilities for traditional “flat” pictures, such as the unique Tiny Planet effect.

Tiny Planet shots roll an entire 360° view into a traditional rectangular or square frame, allowing creators to get mind-bending effects that show the world in an all-new way.

How To Make a Tiny Planet (Karen Cheng Tutorial): https://youtu.be/fQ-Z8IC2IR4

Spin View, SkyWarp and Filter Effects

The PanoClip’s Spin View feature lets users take advantage of the benefits of 360° photos on any social media platform – even those that don’t natively support 360° content.

Spin View converts 360° snapshots into short, dynamic video clips that showcase the scene in every direction and bend it into eye-catching shapes.

Plus, users can apply the new SkyWarp effect to add a stunning twist to these video clips. For shots taken outdoors, the PanoClip app will automatically detect the horizon, and then swap out the sky with a variety of preset skyscapes that shift and flow in time with a music clip. It’s trippy, fun and will make your friends think you’ve got crazy editing skills.

The PanoClip app also offers a full range of colorful filters, and a variety of stickers to add a creative touch to any 360° scene.

PanoClip is available now at PanoClip.com. Two body configurations, a full and a Lite version, together offer compatibility for iPhone 6/Plus, 6s/Plus, 7/Plus, 8/Plus and X. An Android version is also on the way.

To purchase a PanoClip or learn more, visit PanoClip.com today.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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First pictures of rumored Samyang 24mm F2.8 AF lens

05 Jun
Image via Nokishita

Japanese rumor site Nokishita has published images it claims are of the forthcoming, as yet unannounced, Samyang AF 24mm F2.8 lens for the Sony E mount. If accurate, the lens will look very similar to the company’s existing AF 35mm F2.8, and will share its 49mm filter thread.

The lens in the leaked images is marked with a closest focus distance of 0.24m/0.79ft, and features a rubberized close-ribbed focus ring.

There is no word at the moment from Samyang regarding when this lens will appear.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens

05 Jun

Landscape photography is the realm of the wide-angle lens. Right? Isn’t it? I’m sure I read that somewhere. “When photographing the landscape, use a wide0angle lens.” I know I’ve heard that. We probably all have. But it’s just not true. So in this article, I’ll give you some tips for shooting landscapes with a telephoto or long lens.

Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens - sunset over the mountains

At 100mm, I was able to bring in the details of Denali, and the nearby Alaska Range as seen from Talkeetna, Alaska.

Think beyond the wide view

Sure, wide-angle lenses are great for the landscape, I use them frequently. But they shouldn’t be the only tool in your box when you are photographing the landscape. In fact, as I was browsing through my image catalog looking for images for this article, I found that many of my favorite landscape shots were made with a lens other than a wide-angle. Many were in the 70-200mm range, and a few were even made with super telephotos at 500mm or 600mm.

If you spend much time photographing landscapes, then you’ll know that there are situations where a wide-angle falls short. Here are some thoughts, and examples of when to apply telephoto lenses of different lengths to your landscape photography.

black and white landscape scene - Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens

An otherwise non-descript mountain becomes an interesting subject when the dappled sunlight plays over the tundra.

50-100mm Short Telephoto

Just a step above the “normal” lens lies the short telephoto. Many frequently used zooms, such as the popular 24-70mm and 24-105mm lengths fall into this category. Since images made in this range are not much above a standard lens, they share many of the same characteristics.

A substantial depth of field remains, even at fairly wide apertures, and the field of view is wide enough to include large features of the landscape, such as entire mountains, or broad bends of a river.

mountains in warm light - Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens

While holding on to some of the advantages of a wide-angle or standard lens, short telephotos also retain some of the challenges. This range is not for landscape details alone, rather, substantial elements of sky or foreground are often included, reminiscent of classic landscape composition.

As in a wide-angle landscape, you must consider the many different layers of an image (foreground, mid-ground, background, subject, etc.). Unlike a wide shot, however, depth of field is compressed, so when possible, use a high f-stop (like f/11 or f/16).

man on a hilltop - Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens

Think of this range (50-100mm) as a tool to simplify your composition, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to make an image work.

100-200mm Range

storm on the horizon and mountains - Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens

The storm described below rolls over the Kelly River in the Noatak National Preserve of Northwest Alaska.

As I was paging through my Lightroom catalog looking for images, I was surprised to find that this range of focal lengths (100-200mm) is actually one of my most-used. I expected to find a lot of portraits and action shots but was surprised to see how many landscapes appeared.

A couple of years ago, I was hiking with a group of clients on a remote mountainside in far northwestern Alaska. It was late autumn, my last trip of the season. The tundra below was a mosaic of red, yellow, and orange. We’d summited a small peak and were on our way down when ominous clouds appeared on the far side of the valley. From the way the precipitation blew, I could tell that those clouds held not rain, but snow, and a lot of it.

My mind went two directions at once. The guide in me, safety oriented and risk-averse, told me I needed to get down the mountain with my clients, and fast. We still had a couple thousand feet of descending, plus three or four miles to walk to reach the safety of camp.

The photographer in me, however, wanted to drop my pack, pull out the camera and go to work. I compromised, pausing regularly to shoot as we made our way down carefully. I relied heavily on a mid-range telephoto, reaching out with my lens to find the patterns in the tundra, the rolling storm, and the sweep of the river.

hillside in red and orange - Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens

Telephoto lenses allow you to play with patterns. Here I worked with a creek flowing through the autumn tundra in Denali National Park, Alaska.

As that focal length was too long to show a broad field of view, I isolated the components that told the story. I ignored the foreground, cropping it (in the camera) completely out of the composition. From my perch high above the river, everything in the frame was far away, maximizing depth of field and relieving any necessity to choose a focal point. A

That is where this range of telephotos thrive: distant landscape elements can be shown in context, sharp from front to back.

200-400mm Long Telephoto

sunrise reflection - Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens

At 300mm, a detail can become a subject, or something entirely abstract, like these distant mountains reflected at dawn in the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.

High in the Himalayas of Bhutan, I rose before daybreak and walked a quarter mile to a mid-valley hillock. At 15,000 feet even that small exertion winded me. I recovered, gasping, and watched a dense bank of fog roll past in the gray light.

As morning dawned, the fog began to break, alternately revealing and hiding narrow views of the surrounding peaks. The rocks and glaciers of the mountains high above the fog layer were lit by the bright morning sun, while I shivered in damp mist.

Through the 24mm lens on my camera, I saw little but gray. Frustrated, I pulled the lens off and replaced it with a long telephoto zoom. When a window opened in the fog, I followed it with my camera waiting for something to appear. Letting the clouds do my composition for me, I snapped images: a glacier, a jagged ridge, a spear-headed peak.

sunlight on part of a rocky mountain cliff - Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens

A flank of Jhomolhari, a Himalayan peak, appears through a hole in the clouds. With a wide-angle, this would have been a small sliver of a gray image.

When the circumstances are right, a long telephoto can be a trip-salvaging tool for a landscape photographer. The morning described above was the one chance I had to make images from that camp high in the mountains. Without a long lens, that sweet light touching the mountains above would have appeared as a tiny speck in a sea of gray.

Rarely is there much depth in images made in this focal range. The depth of field is shallow at most apertures, and it can be difficult or impossible to retain focus in all of the image’s layers. So select your focal point carefully, and then compose your image to suit the story you want to tell. The focal length may cut the landscape down to smaller parts, but that doesn’t make your composition any less important.

400mm and Above Super-Telephotos

There aren’t many photographers who spend thousands of dollars on a 500mm or 600mm f/4 lens to shoot the scenery. And yet super-telephotos are capable of capturing surprising and unique landscapes.

I’ll be honest. My big glass stays at home unless I expect to see wildlife. In the backcountry, where I shoot a lot, my 500mm f/4 is just too big to lug around. However, on a number of occasions, it’s proved useful for making some atypical images of the landscape.

A 600mm equivalent allowed me to bring in a ridge of Denali in Denali National Park, Alaska, and show close detail.

Several years ago I was leading some bird photographers on a trip to the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We were camped near the coast, on a river delta just spitting distance from the Arctic Ocean. We had been happily exploring the tundra, photographing the abundant birds and rarely paying attention to the landscape.

But one evening (late-night really), the never-setting sun was at its lowest and shed golden light across the expanse of tundra between us and the mountains. It was crystal clear, every detail visible in the distant peaks. The tripod-mounted 500mm leaning atop my bruised shoulder was the perfect tool.

The great distance to the mountains allowed large swaths of the coastal plain and foothills to maintain focus. Everything was compressed, making elements that were miles apart appear close to one another. I played with the light on the mountains, exploring the Brooks Range with my camera from 50 miles away.

caribou on the tundra - Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens

The distant Brooks Range loom over the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a place, where for now at least, caribou still roam wild.

The next morning, it was still clear when a herd of caribou (above) some ten thousand strong, passed by a few hundred yards from our camp. The long glass combined with the animals were the perfect combination for showing what a dramatic and wild place is the Arctic Refuge. The compressed field made the distant mountains loom close providing more context for the caribou in the foreground.

Super telephotos are all about compression and isolation. The landscape through long glass looks nothing like it does to the human eye. Distant elements grow close, and unless your focal point is in the distance, depth of field is compressed to a few feet. These lenses are a tool for isolating patterns, compressing distances, and exaggerating sizes.

Conclusion

At 500mm lens with a 1.4x teleconverter allowed me to provide a close-up image of the full moon rising over the Andes of Bolivia, just as the last alpenglow touched the volcano.

Long lenses allow you to play with details. Here, sun falling through the clouds in Southeast Alaska makes a simple composition.

When it comes to landscape photography, telephoto lenses are often forgotten. They slip to the bottom of packs or are simply left at home.

Your bag or closet are bad places for telephoto lenses. They should be accessible, ready to help you see your landscape in a new, and creativity-inspiring way. So pull your long lens out, click it onto your camera, and explore the way the lens changes your perspective of the landscape.

The post Tips for Shooting Landscapes With a Telephoto Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Kamlan 28mm F1.4 APS-C lens unveiled with upcoming Kickstarter campaign

01 Jun

Chinese company Machang Optics is preparing to launch its new Kamlan 28mm F1.4 MFT lens on Kickstarter, where the company currently has its project listed in draft. The latest Kamlan lens is billed as an inexpensive alternative to pricier lenses while offering the same “premium optical quality” paired with a versatile focal length, super-low chromatic aberration, and a full metallic body.

The Kamlan 28mm F1.4 APS-C lens features 7 groups in 8 elements, 11 circular blades, 0.25m minimum focusing distance, 0.15x max magnification, manual focus, 52mm filter thread, and a 348g / 12oz weight. Machang Optics says the manual aperture ring is de-clicked for smooth changes during video recording.

Despite its budget-tier cost, Machang claims its new Kamlan lens provides a “neutral, accurate color rendition” and excellent center sharpness. The company plans to offer its latest model in Canon EOS M, Micro Four Thirds, Sony E, and Fuji XF mounts.

Once live, Kickstarter backers will able to pledge $ 149 USD to the campaign for a single Kamlan 28mm F1.4 lens. Shipping to backers is expected to start in August, and the lens has an anticipated $ 199 USD retail price.

In addition to its new 28mm offering, Machang has revealed a product timeline for future lenses it plans to launch: 21mm F1.8 APS-C, 50mm F1.1 Mark2, 32mm F1.3 APS-C, and 15mm F1.8 APS-C. The company indicates it will launch these new lenses later this year.

Via: 43rumors

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sigma announces price and ship date of 105mm F1.4 ‘bokeh master’ Art lens

26 May

Sigma’s special ‘bokeh master’ 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens made quite a splash when it was first announced back in February, and now Sigma is finally revealing when it will ship and how much it will cost. If you’re in the market for this behemoth of a lens—seriously, we got a hands on at CP+… it’s huge—for either Nikon, Canon, or Sigma mounts, you’ll have to pony up $ 1,600 USD and wait until “late June” to get it.

For Canon and Sigma shooters, this is a whole new speed of lens that you’ve never had access to before. For Nikon shooters, it’s an opportunity to save $ 600 on the Nikon 105mm F1.4E ED lens, which is currently going for $ 2,200.

To learn more about this lens, check out our hands-on coverage from CP+, read the full pricing and availability press release below, or visit the Sigma website.

Press Release

Sigma Announces Pricing and Availability for Its 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens

The “Bokeh Master” will begin shipping in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts in late June for a retail price of $ 1,599.00 USD

Ronkonkoma, NY – May 25, 2018 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading still photo and cinema lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, today announced that its 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens will be available in Canon, Nikon and Sigma camera mounts in late June for $ 1,599.00 USD through authorized US dealers. The Sony E-mount availability will be announced later.

The “Bokeh Master” with Longest Focal Length Among Sigma Wide-Aperture F1.4 Art Lenses

The Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art is the ninth lens in the Sigma F1.4 line-up designed for full-frame cameras. To combine outstanding wide-aperture, mid-telephoto performance with F1.4 brightness at maximum aperture, this lens incorporates 17 optical elements in 12 groups, including three FLD glass elements, two SLD glass elements and one aspherical lens element. This optical setup minimizes axial chromatic aberration to deliver ultra high resolution along with ample peripheral light volume, which minimizes vignetting. As a result, the area in focus is extremely sharp, while the out-of-focus area features a beautiful bokeh effect with highly natural colors, making this a desired lens for portrait photography. The optical design also minimizes sagittal coma flare, making it an excellent choice for capturing starry skies.

Featuring the Sports line level dust- and splash-proof design, this lens can be used in varying weather conditions. The high-speed, high-accuracy autofocus helps photographers react in an instant to capture those special moments.

Other lens highlights include carbon fiber reinforced plastic hood for durability and compatibility of the Canon mount lens with the Canon Lens Aberration Correction function.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: There’s no such thing as lens compression, it’s just perspective distortion

24 May

We’ve been saying for years that the term “lens compression” is misleading, but Lee Morris over at Fstoppers has put together a useful video that explains exactly why this is the case, and demonstrates it with two easy-to-understand examples.

The main issue with the term “lens compression” is that the distortion the term refers to has nothing to do with the lens itself. The issue is simply perspective distortion, caused by the distance between your camera and your subject, as well as the distance between your camera and the background.

Put another way: if your subject is 1 meter away (or feet: it doesn’t really matter), and your background is 50 meters away, moving back 1 meter will double the distance between you and your subject, while barely changing the distance between you and the background—the perspective on your subject changes drastically, while the perspective on your background barely shifts at all.

This diagram, from the FStoppers video, shows why changing your perspective appears to compress the background… When you double the distance to your subject you halve its size, but you’ve barely moved in relation to the background, so it remains roughly the same size in your image.

To show this concept in action, Morris uses two examples. First, he shows you how you can get the exact same perspective using a 24mm lens that you can with a 400mm lens by simply cropping the wide-angle shot. Then, he does the opposite, creating the same perspective as a 15mm shot by stitching multiple shots taken at 70mm.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should go throw out all of your lenses and just pick one focal length to either crop or stitch with. Physical limitations apply: like how much room you have to back up, how much resolution you’re willing to sacrifice by cropping, and how much sanity you have to spare if you’re trying to create a 15mm shot by taking a thousand shots with an 800mm lens.

The demonstration is just that: a demonstration of a concept that is often misunderstood because of the language we use to describe it. The compression you get using a long lens isn’t a result of the lens, so much as the distance between your subject, your background, and the camera.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras

20 May

If you have been considering getting a new camera or have been considering upgrading a camera, you have probably heard all about crop sensor cameras but what does it mean? How does crop factor affect lens selections? When you are considering systems, often it is not just the camera bodies you must consider, but the selection of lenses for that system as well.

Sensor Optics and Equivalences

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - crop sensor optics

Crop Sensor Optics

Most new photographers often start out with crop sensor cameras because they are usually less expensive. But as you become more advanced does it make sense to upgrade to a full frame system? If you are thinking about upgrading is there a reasonable upgrade path?

For example, should you buy full frame lenses to use with your crop sensor body? It seems so confusing and to be fair, it is a little complicated and the simple rules of thumb don’t tell the whole story. Rather than look at the differences in camera sensors themselves (they are all pretty good), let’s try to make sense of the lenses themselves.

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - different lenses

Similar focal length lenses – the Olympus micro 4/3rds 40-150mm f/2.8 (80-300mm equivalent) and Canon’s 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 (for full frame).

Lens sizes

If you are looking at lenses you will see many different focal lengths and apertures. Even from the same manufacturer for the same camera body, there are often different aperture and focal length combinations. Since an important part of photography is optics, how can you begin to compare lenses for different size sensors? How do the lenses relate to the camera body you are looking at?

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - two lenses for comparison

Nifty 50mm (full frame on the left) and micro 4/3rds 25mm (50mm equivalent) on right.

Going further, how do different size crop sensors affect lens optics? Is an f/2.8 lens on a crop sensor camera actually f/2.8 lens or is it something else? What about bigger format cameras? Why do the smaller apertures (f-stops) seem so big but the images so gorgeous with great background separation and bokeh?

This all relates to lens optics and crop sensor equivalences, one of the great mysteries of photography that most photographers don’t really understand.

Lens Optics Basics

To understand lens optics you need to understand what a lens does to the light coming into it. The light coming through a lens actually inverts, flipping the image upside down. The light then projects onto the digital sensor after passing through the lens. 

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - diagram of lens focal length

Focal length and image flip onto the sensor.

Most lenses are defined by the focal length and maximum aperture. The higher the focal length, the closer distant objects seem. So, for example, sports and bird watchers typically want much larger focal lengths to get in close.

Lower numbers widen the field of view to make more things fit within the image (wide angle lenses) and are often the tools of the trade for landscape photographers. In 35mm equivalents, a 200mm lens is a long lens and a 20mm lens is a very wide lens.

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - aperture diagram

Relative aperture size illustration.

The aperture f-stop number represents the size of the iris or hole in the lens. A lens will be rated based upon the largest aperture the iris can open. The more light you let in, the slower the shutter speed you will need. Because of this property, larger maximum aperture lenses are called faster lenses. For example, an f/2.8 lens is considered pretty fast and an f/5.6 lens (think kit lens) would be considered pretty slow.

Optical Math

Let’s keep the geeky math minimal, but it really helps understand lens optics. 

Focal length is not a measurement of the actual length of a lens, but a calculation of an optical distance from the point where light converges to form a sharp image on the digital sensor at the focal plane in the camera. Aperture, on the other hand, is the size of the hole created by the iris in the lens. Aperture is geometrically related to the focal length of the lens. For example, an f/2.8 lens on a 100 mm focal length lens is 100 divided by 2.8 = 35.7 mm. As the lens focal length dictates the size of the aperture, it is independent of the size of the sensor but dependent on the focal length.

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - similar lenses

Utility lenses covering a similar range – the Canon 24-105mm f/4, and the Olympus 12-40mm Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras f/2.8 (24-80mm equivalent).

Zoom lenses may have more than one aperture because the iris doesn’t get bigger as the lens gets longer. Since it is a math relationship, the longer focal length with the same iris opening makes the aperture smaller. More expensive zoom lenses have the same aperture for the entire range but that is a bit of an engineering feat as the iris must get larger as the lens zooms to a longer focal length.

Camera Sensor Format Refresher

In the golden age of film photography, there were multiple formats dictated by film stock. One of the more common sizes was 35mm film dictated by sprocket film stock that was 34.98 ±0.03mm (1.377 ±0.001 inches) wide. Back in the film days, there were multiple formats too, with larger and smaller film stock available that also affected lens sizes and performance.

When digital sensors were originally developed for still cameras, larger sensors were prohibitively expensive, so smaller sensors were used. There is a wide range of sensor sizes and this variety of sensor sizes affects the mechanics of how lenses on cameras operate.

When a sensor is close to the size of 35mm film stock, it is called full frame. Anything smaller is called a crop sensor. Anything bigger is generally called medium format although there is a lot of variability in sizes larger than full frame. Sensors not only vary in size but also geometry.

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - crop sensor sizes

Crop sensor relative sizes

Sensor sizes

Generally speaking, a full frame sensor is in the shape of a rectangle that is roughly 36mm x 24mm which is a length to width ratio of 3:2 covering an area of 862mm sq. Conversely, a micro 4/3rds crop sensor is 17.3mm x 13mm (ratio of 4:3) covering an area of 224.9mm sq. A Nikon/Pentax APS-C crop sensor is 23.6mm x 15.7mm (ratio of 3:2) covering an area of 370mm sq, whereas a Canon APS-C sensor is 22.2mm x 14.8mm (ratio of 3:2) but only 328.5mm sq. Larger formats (bigger than full frame) tend to be square.

Many times the crop factors are calculated by the size of the diagonal distance from corner to corner of the sensor.  For example, a full frame sensor is twice the diagonal as a micro 4/3rds sensor, therefore the crop ratio is 2x. For a Nikon APS-C crop sensor the ratio is 1.5x and for a Canon APS-C crop sensor, it is 1.6x.

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - sensor footprints and sizes

Comparison of the sensor footprints

Square versus Round

Lenses are round whereas sensors are rectangular or square. So, all cameras cut off part of the image because the round lenses project a circular image on the sensor which is a rectangle. This means that the edges of the image circle are cut off.

Camera manufacturers design their lens/camera combinations so that the entire sensor gets great coverage from the image circle (this is called covering power). This can create problems when you have a mismatch between the sensor size and the size of the sensor for which the lens was made.

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras -

Image circle with full frame and micro 4/3 frame overlaid

So, How Does Crop Factor Affect Images?

There are lots of factors that affect your images. The sensor size does affect images, but so does focal length and aperture size but those are physical properties of the lens and are not affected by the crop factor. At least not directly.

To illustrate the effect of crop sensors on light gathering and focal length, a series of test images were set up (these are not overly scientific but more illustrative). Using an Olympus EM1 Mark II (Micro 4/3rds sensor – 2 times crop factor) and a Canon 5D Mark IV (full frame).

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - Olympus camera

Olympus EM1 Mark II, micro 4/3rds camera

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - Canon camera

Canon 5D Mark IV full frame camera.

To illustrate the focal difference conversion and the light gathering conversion, the cameras were set up side by side using only the focal length conversion. The geometry of the sensors is not exactly the same so they have been cropped to match each other (8×10 ratio).

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - two cameras shooting the same scene

Camera size comparison (full frame on the left, micro 4/3 on the right)

Both cameras were targeted at the same vista.

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - side by side cameras

Test setup side by side cameras.

Rules of Thumb Versus Reality

Focal lengths are commonly converted into equivalents for full frame sensors to give the same the field of view by multiplying the focal length by the sensor’s diagonal ratio. For example, a 25mm lens on a micro 4/3rd sensor is the equivalent of a 50mm lens on a full frame camera (crop factor is 2:1).

A Canon EFS (crop sensor) lens to match a 50mm lens is 31mm. This works in reverse too. If you put a full frame lens on a crop sensor camera body, the focal length is multiplied (the same 50mm lens becomes like a 75mm lens on a crop sensor). This rule of thumb works.

Editor’s note: The optics are not the same, but this is a generally accepted method of understanding crop sensors.

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - two photos of a bridge

At 24mm equivalents – same shutter speed and ISO, full frame on left and Micro 4/3 on the right (both at f/4, ISO200, 1/160th).

Aperture and Depth of Field

Another rule of thumb that doesn’t work so great is to add a stop or two for the aperture (depending upon the crop). Why doesn’t it work? Well, there is more at play here.

The aperture affects the light gathering ability of a lens but with a crop sensor camera, the smaller sensor causes the depth of field (area in focus) to be larger.  What that means is that an f/2.8 lens at 200 ISO sensitivity should have very close to the same shutter speed on any camera body (there are variations in light meters from one camera body to another). So an f/2.8 lens is always an f/2.8 for light gathering.

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras - two bridge photos side by side

At 70mm equivalents – same shutter speed and ISO, full frame on the left and Micro 4/3 on the right (both at f/4, ISO200, 1/80th).

To make things more complex is the look of an image. The bokeh on a crop sensor will never be quite as good as a full-frame sensor because the extra area of a full frame sensor changes the depth of field (the amount of the image in focus) relative to a crop sensor. This is not a function of the lens as much as the sensor size. This can be pretty subtle but it is a factor, particularly for portraits.

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras

At 200mm equivalents – same shutter speed and ISO, full frame on the left and Micro 4/3 on right (f/4, ISO 200, 1/30th).

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras

At 200mm equivalents – same shutter speed and ISO, full frame on the left and Micro 4/3 on right (f/4, ISO 200, 1/40th).

Full Frame Lenses on Crop Sensor Cameras

Lenses tend to last much longer than cameras with good lenses lasting as long as two or three camera body iterations. So many people go by the adage of investing in glass. So if you are using a crop sensor body that will accept full frame lenses, why not buy full frame lenses until you are ready to buy the full frame body? The answer is not necessarily because it may not be as sharp as your crop lenses even if the lens seems nominally the same size.

Full frame lenses are more expensive than crop lenses but you are often paying for other features including weather sealing and better more durable construction. Because of large differences in sensor sizes, getting full frame lenses on a crop sensor means you are only using the very center portion of the lens but the detail is more concentrated on that area. This can challenge the optical quality of the full frame lenses.

They are often better quality but not enough better to account for the size differences between the sensors. So unless you know you are upgrading your camera imminently, you may not want to use the full frame lenses on crop bodies.

Another consideration is that you have to use the crop factor in reverse.  On a Canon crop body (1.6 crop factor) a 24mm lens becomes a 38.4mm lens. This means that you can’t get as wide of an angle of view on a crop body with wide lenses.

Making Sense of Lens Optics for Crop Sensor Cameras

A full frame lens on a crop body will increase the focal length by the crop factor

Conclusion

There are lots of misconceptions regarding lenses when comparing them across sensor sizes. Understanding the basic function, light gathering capabilities, and geometric relationships can help you compare lenses within camera systems and across sensor sizes.

There are great lenses available for all camera systems that can produce fantastic results. Lenses are as important at the camera body. So when choosing a system, make sure you have the lens selection you need for your particular style of photography.

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Leaked photos of DJI Phantom 5 drone with interchangeable lens camera

17 May
Photo by OsitaLV via Twitter

The DJI Phantom 5 drone is allegedly featured in two newly-leaked images—as well as a few sketches—that claim to reveal details about the unannounced model. The leak comes from Twitter account “OsitaLV,” which also leaked images that allegedly showed the Phantom 5 camera in March. The images in the most recent leak, however, include the full drone, lenses, and controllers.

One of the two newly leaked images (below) shows the same camera featured in the March leak, though with the lens removed and featured at a new angle:

Photo by OsitaLV via Twitter

OsitaLV also shared three sketches showing the camera and lenses, one claiming the DJI Phantom 5’s interchangeable lens camera has a 1-inch CMOS sensor. Another sketch claimed four F2.8 lenses will be available: 15mm, 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm. Finally, the second new image shows the complete drone with the same grey body color and dark landing gear visible in the March leak.

OsitaLV previously claimed the Phantom 5 will feature a plastic GPS antenna cover, aluminum shell, and plastic landing gear. In a tweet shared on April 26th, the same Twitter user claimed that DJI has moved the motor cooling holes to the bottom of the drone and added more sealing rings to the battery, effectively making the drone “rainproof.”

Of course, none of this is considered confirmed or official until DJI makes it so, but leaks this substantial are rarely far off the mark. Keep an eye out for the official DJI news in the coming weeks or months—it shouldn’t be long now.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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