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Canon R5 / R6 overheat claims tested: Stills shooting, setup quickly cut into promised capture times [UPDATED]

07 Aug

Testing conducted in Seattle by our Technical Editor Richard Butler. Real-world production experiences by Jordan Drake: the director and editor of many of our ‘DPRTV’ videos.

Originally published Aug 3, updated Aug 6: conclusions and analysis revised based on additional experience with the camera

If you have any interest in cameras, you may have witnessed the heated discussions lately around the new Canon EOS R5 and R6’s tendency to overheat when capturing video internally. The Internet tends to amplify the most extreme version of any story or phenomenon, which might have lead to you getting the impression that the cameras are unusable.

Jordan’s EOS R5 experience

We shot for 10 hours at a variety of locations, which I thought would give the camera ample opportunity to cool down. I planned to shoot the episode in the 4K HQ mode, with occasional 4K/120P and 8K shots peppered throughout. Quickly I realized that setting up a shot and menu-diving would reduce the amount of record time I had for HQ, so I found myself spending far less time previewing the shot before rolling, adding a layer of stress.

Eventually, I realized couldn’t record all the talking points in 4K HQ, and settled on using 4K HQ for wide shots and standard, line-skipped 4K for closeups. This made shooting sustainable, though I found myself avoiding trying to capture any spontaneous establishing shots or cutaways, lest I drop the dreaded overheating clock a bit lower. While our host Chris took it in his stride, I can only imagine how frustrating it would be for the talent to not know if the camera will last until the end of a take.

I also found myself heavily rationing the 4K/120P as it really chews up your remaining shooting minutes. I spent two minutes capturing the seagull footage in the episode: beforehand I the camera said it would shoot 15 minutes of 4K HQ, when I returned I had only five minutes remaining!

If the quality difference between 4K HQ and standard 4K capture were not so dramatic, this would bother me less. However, once you start viewing and editing the gorgeous 4K HQ footage, it makes it that much harder to go back to inferior line skipped 4K, and that’s a type of disappointment I don’t want to be dealing with on a shoot.

After extensive testing of both cameras, our conclusions with regards internal recording are:

From a cold start, the Canon EOS R5 and R6 perform in line with the company’s video performance claims.
Non-video use cuts into available shooting time, adding significant uncertainty for video shooters

We tested a pair of R5s and an R6 in a variety of warm conditions and found they consistently performed in line with the limitations that Canon acknowledged at the point of launch. However, the practical implications are that the cameras are prone to overheating if you shoot for extended periods and if you have crew or talent waiting to re-start shooting, they may take too long to recover.

It should be noted that Canon did not design either the EOS R5 or R6 to be professional video tools, nor does it primarily market them as such. But based on our testing and real-world usage we would caution against using them as a substitute.

So why is YouTube saying the sky is falling?

Our testing suggests that the cameras perform in exactly the way that Canon said they would. However, there is an important caveat that Canon’s figures don’t address: although the cameras can repeatedly deliver the amount of video promised, they may not always do so in real-world usage.

Even set to the mode designed to limit pre-recording temperature build-up, the clock is essentially running from the moment you turn the camera on. Video recording is the most processor-intensive (and hence most heat generating) thing you can do, but any use of the camera will start to warm it up, and start chipping away at your recording times. Consequently, any time spent setting up a shot, setting white balance, setting focus or waiting for your talent to get ready (or shooting still images) will all cut into your available recording time, and you won’t reliably get the full amount Canon advises.

Not only does this make R5 a poor fit for many professional video shoots, it also means that you can’t depend on the cameras when shooting video alongside stills at, say, a wedding, which is a situation that the EOS R5 clearly is intended for.

Even when left in direct sunshine, the cameras continued to record for the duration Canon promised. However, this is only true when you’re not using the camera for anything else.

The one piece of good news is that the camera’s estimates appear to be on the conservative side: every time the camera said it would deliver X minutes of footage, it delivered what it’d promised. You can also record 4K footage for much longer if you can use an external recorder but again, this probably isn’t going to suit photographers or video crews looking for a self-contained, do-everything device.

Click here if you want to see our test methods and results.

EOS R5 suggestions:

Expect to shoot line-skipped 30p for the bulk of your footage
Only use 8K or oversampled HQ 4K for occasional B-Roll
4K/120 and 8K will cut into your shooting time quickest of all
Be aware of your setup time and cumulative usage (including stills shooting)

EOS R6 suggestions:

Don’t expect to be able to shoot for extended periods
Be aware of the need for extensive cooling periods between bursts of shooting

Analysis: Why hadn’t Canon thought about this?

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking this means Canon didn’t put enough thought into thermal management for these cameras. Our testing suggests this isn’t the case, but that the cameras’ specs are rather over-ambitious.

Jordan’s EOS R6 experience

I had done some testing prior to my shoot, and was comfortable that overheating wouldn’t be a problem if I stuck to 4K/24p. Unfortunately, my experience on a warm day was quite different to that room-temperature test. There’s no line-skipped 4K mode on the R6, so if the camera overheats, you’re back to 1080P, which will be a jarring transition for viewers watching on larger screens.

While I was able to record much longer with the R6 before encountering the overheat warning, once it appears the camera takes far longer to cool down again than the R5. Our regular drives in an air conditioned car allowed Chris and Levi’s R5 to function throughout the day, but at one point I was left sitting in the car, babysitting a hot R6 while they went out to shoot. During a one hour lunch, the R5 had returned back to normal, but the R6 had a twenty minute warning still on.

This was hugely disappointing as, rolling shutter aside, the R6 video quality is excellent, and I’d be perfectly happy using it over the R5. However, the longer cool down times would probably lead me to use the R5, dropping to line-skipped 4K from time to time.

While I enjoyed most aspects of using these two cameras, I have no intention of using either of them as a primary video camera. They would be great for grabbing occasional, very high quality video clips, but I’d never want to rely on them for paid work.

With the exception of specialist video models, most cameras that shoot 4K are prone to overheating, regardless of the brand. Some companies let you extend the recording time by ignoring overheat warnings (and risk ‘low-temperature burns’ if you handhold the camera), while others simply stop when they get too hot. This should make it clear that shooting 4K for an extended period is difficult. For instance, Sony says the a7 III will shoot around 29 minutes of 4K video with the temperature warnings set to ‘Std,’ while the Fujifilm X-T4 promises 30 minutes of 4K/30 and 20 minutes of 4K/60.

The cumulative heat is constantly counting against you

8K is four times as much data as natively-sampled 4K and seventeen times more than the 1080 footage that older cameras used to capture so effortlessly. Perfect 2:1 oversampled 4K (downsampled 8K) requires this same amount of data, which is still 1.7x more data than is used to create 4K oversampled video from a 24MP sensor. Data means processing, which means heat.

What’s interesting is that the exterior of the cameras don’t get especially hot when shooting for extended periods. We’re only speculating, but this could indicate that Canon has tried to isolate the camera’s internals from external temperature fluctuations, with the down-side that they can’t then dissipate internally produced heat.

This would be consistent with us getting the full recording period out of the camera, even when tested well above the 23°C (73°F) conditions specified by Canon. And with the fact that leaving the camera’s doors closed and battery in place didn’t change the recovery time. However, while this appears to be workable for the line-skipping 4K mode, the added workload of the higher quality settings seems to present a problem. Dealing with 1.7x more data than the a7 III and X-T4 is a step too far: the R5 will match them for promised recording duration but only from cold. This leaves it much more sensitive to any other use beyond video recording.

The EOS R6 is a slightly different matter. It can shoot 40 minutes of 4K taken from 5.1K capture, which is a pretty good performance and may be enough that you won’t often hit its temperature limits. However even after a 30 minute cooling period, it has only recovered enough to deliver around half of its maximum record time, whereas the EOS R5 recovered nearly its full capability. The more extensive use of metal in the construction of the R5 seems to help it manage heat better than the R6 can.

And, as both Jordan’s and Richard’s experiences show: if you don’t have time to let the cameras cool, that cumulative heat is constantly counting against you.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sony’s new a7S III brings 4K/120p video capture, extended shooting and improved AF

30 Jul

As expected, Sony has released the a7S III, its third-generation video-focused full-frame mirrorless camera. It includes a new 12MP BSI-CMOS sensor, the latest ‘Bionz XR’ processor, improved autofocus, an ultra-high resolution EVF and the ability to capture 4K/120p video.

In addition, Sony claims that the a7s III can also record up to ‘at least’ one hour of continuous 4K/60p footage. The company says that this was made possible be redesigning the heat dissipation system in the camera: no fan necessary.

The combination of the new sensor and processor allow for a native ISO range of 80-102400, which can expand to 40-409600, and the (claimed) ability to capture 15 stops of dynamic range. Sony says that the sensor reads out twice as fast as on the a7S II, which considerably reduces rolling shutter. The more-responsive autofocus system has 759 on-sensor PDAF points and offers person, eye and animal AF. Sony says that color reproduction has been noticeably improved, as well. The a7S III also have the distinction of being the first consumer camera to support the new CFexpress Type ‘A’ media.

The a7S III’s physical design is much like that of the a7R IV (including build quality and IBIS), with a few notable exceptions. The electronic viewfinder has the higher resolution we’ve seen yet, with 9.44 million dots. It’s also giant, with a magnification of 0.91x. This is Sony’s first Alpha-series camera with a fully articulating LCD, and nearly everything can be operated by touch (finally). The menu system has been refined and is easier to navigate. The camera has a full-size HDMI port along with headphone and mic sockets, dual-band Wi-Fi and support for USB Power Delivery. It has twin dual-format memory card slots, both of which can handle an SD or CFexpress Type A card.

There are too many video features to list here (our initial review has all the details), but the highlights include 10-bit 4:2:2 recording, your choice of H.264 or H.265 codecs, 16-bit Raw output at up to 60p, and support for S-Log2/3 and HLG. The a7S III does not support DCI or Super 35 capture.

The a7S III will be available in late September for $ 3499.

Read our initial review

Press Release

Highly Anticipated Sony Alpha 7S III Combines Supreme Imaging Performance with Classic “S” Series Sensitivity

New Alpha 7S III Empowers Creators with 4K 120P[i] Video, 10-bit 4:2:2 Recording, 15+ Stop Dynamic Range[ii], Improved AF Performance and More

Newly developed BIONZ XR™ image processing engine with eight times more processing power[iii] and a brand new 12.1-megapixel (, effective) back-illuminated full-frame Exmor R™ CMOS image sensor, significantly reduced rolling shutter effect[iv]
Ultra-high sensitivity with ISO range expandable from 40 – 409,600[v], and improved image quality by approximately 1 stop noise reduction[iv] in the middle and high sensitivity ranges
Video recording capabilities include 4K 120p[i], 10 bit 4:2:2 color depth, All-Intra recording, XAVC HS format with H.265 codec and more
15+ stop dynamic range for movies[ii]
4K 60p 16-bit RAW video HDMI output for the first time in the Alpha™ series
Fast Hybrid AF system with 759 point phase-detection[vi] AF sensors covering 92% of image sensor
Enhanced Real-time Eye AF for movie recording[vii] and still image recording
New heat dissipating mechanism and dual slot relay recording enables over one-hour long 4K 60p 10-bit 4:2:2 movie shooting[viii]??
5-axis optical in-body image stabilization supports handheld movie shooting, with added Active Mode [ix] to support especially difficult handheld movie shooting
World’s brightest[x] and largest[x] new 0.64-type 9.44 million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder
Side Opening variable angle LCD screen enhances shooting flexibility
Completely redesigned menu system with touch screen interface and touch operation
High-speed continuous still image shooting at up to 10fps[xi] for more than 1,000 consecutive uncompressed RAW images[xii] with full AF / AE tracking
Dual CFexpress Type A card slots that enable high speed data processing while keeping the compact size

SAN DIEGO – July 28, 2020 –Today, Sony Electronics Inc. announced the long-awaited addition to its acclaimed Alpha 7S full-frame mirrorless camera series? — the Alpha 7S III (model ILCE-7SM3).

Featuring a brand new 12.1MP (approx., effective) back-illuminated full-frame image sensor with ultra-high sensitivity and 15+ stop wide dynamic range[ii], a host of impressive video recording capabilities including 4K 120p[i] and 10-bit 4:2:2 color depth, a new heat dissipating mechanism, dual slot relay recording enabling over one-hour of 4K 60p movie shooting[viii], a new autofocus system, and touch screen interface and side flip LCD screen, the new Alpha 7S III will become the ultimate creative tool for video professionals and all types of hybrid still/video shooters.

“The Alpha 7S III is the ultimate representation of Sony’s passion to solve our customers’ pain points,”, said Neal Manowitz, deputy president for Imaging Products and Solutions Americas at Sony Electronics. “We are always listening to our customers’ feedback, pushing hard to deliver innovation that goes far beyond their expectations. There is no better example than this new camera. Combining classic S series sensitivity with a feature set, performance level and user experience that is simply unmatched in the market today — at any price level — the Alpha 7S III opens up a new world of possibilities for today’s creators.”

The system architecture for the new Alpha 7S III has been completely redesigned to deliver exceptional video and still shooting performance. The new 35mm full-frame 12.1MP (approx., effective) back-illuminated Exmor R™ CMOS image sensor reduces rolling shutter by up to three times[iv] and utilizes a variety of advanced light-gathering techniques to ensure high-sensitivity with low noise, allowing users to shoot in low-light situations without needing large-scale lighting setups. In addition to improved image quality, this new image sensor includes a focal plane phase-detection AF system for the first time in an S-series camera.

To compliment the new sensor, the Alpha 7S III also includes a new BIONZ XR™ image processing engine that provides up to eight times more processing power[iii], minimizes processing latency, and enables many of the hallmark still and imaging features of the camera. The new system also includes the world’s brightest[x] and largest[x] 9.44 million-dot (approx.) OLED electronic eye-level viewfinder and is the world’s first camera[x] with dual CFexpress Type A card slots, enabling high-speed data transfer in a compact size.

Professional Video Workflow Solutions

The Alpha 7S III offers in-camera 4K recording up to 120 frames per secondi, 10-bit depth and 4:2:2 color sampling, producing stunning video recording. The new camera offers a more flexible and efficient post-production workflow with a variety of advanced movie recording modes such as All-Intra[xiii] and MPEG-H HEVC/H.265 coding (XAVC HS™)[xiv]. The Alpha 7S III makes it easy to integrate video recordings with other professional camcorders by providing three color gamut settings S-Gamut, S-Gamut3, and S-Gamut3.Cine, allowing users to easily match footage shot on the Alpha 7S III with footage shot on the professional camcorders simplifying multi-camera post-production workflow. In addition to S-Log3 gamma curves, the Alpha 7S III supports an HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) picture profile with minimum post-production. The Alpha 7S III also allows up to 4K 60p 16-bit RAW output[xv] to an external recorder via HDMI Type-A[xvi] connector, offering additional post-production flexibility.

Improved Image Quality

The new CMOS image sensor and BIONZ XR™ image processing engine in the Alpha 7S III delivers legendary S-series sensitivity with significantly enhanced color reproduction and texture renderings for improved overall image quality. The base ISO has been lowered to 80, resulting in a normal range of 80-102,400 (expandable to 80-409,600 for video and 40-409,600 for stills) to provide more flexible ISO plus wide dynamic range with low noise at all settings. It offers improved image quality by approximately 1 stop of noise reduction[iv] in the middle and high sensitivity ranges.

The colors and textures of foliage, human skin, and more are ideally and consistently reproduced without dependence on light sources. Gradation rendering has also been refined for better looking skin tones and highlight roll-off in portraits. It also improves AWB (Auto White Balance) performance with a new “Visible light + IR Sensor” that helps to achieve more precise white balance under artificial lighting, including fluorescent and LED lights.

Versatile Operability

Advanced Autofocus Performance for Hybrid use

For the first time in an Alpha 7S series camera, the Alpha 7S III offers Fast Hybrid AF by combining phase-detection and contrast-detection AF, giving it the ability to track subjects over a wide area with outstanding speed, precision and smoothness, even when using a narrow depth of field. Fine focus expression is possible with Sony’s E-mount lenses.

For environments with a lot of movement, Real-time Tracking and Real-time Eye AF are available to maintain constant focus on the intended subject. Sony’s advanced Real-time Eye AF improves detection performance by 30% over the previous system[iii], thanks to the new image processing engine. It ensures accurate, reliable detection, even when the subject’s face looks away. Real-time Tracking is initiated simply by touching the subject on the screen. Real-time Eye AF is automatically initiated when an eye is detected.

Flexible Autofocus Settings for Movie Shooting

Based on customer feedback, the camera includes several AF features for professional users including AF Transition Speed in seven settings, to easily create rack-focus transitions, and five AF Subject Shift Sensitivity settings, which allows the user to customize how easily AF will switch or stay with the locked-on subject. Touch Tracking allows user to not only initiate Real-time Tracking, but also compose and shoot while using a gimbal or while shooting solo. It’s now possible to Touch Focus during manual focus mode on the LCD screen or remotely from the Imaging Edge Mobile application[xvii].

New Heat-dissipating Structure

The Alpha 7S III’s design has been updated to ensure effective heat dissipation and minimizes overheating — even during extended continuous recording sessions at 4K 60p 10-bit 4:2:2 video lasting an hour or more[viii]. A newly developed unique heat dissipating structure keeps the image sensor and image processing engine temperatures within their normal operating ranges, preventing overheating while maintaining compact body dimensions. The new heat-dissipating structure requires no fan or cabinet vents allowing Alpha 7S III to maintain dust and moisture resistance[xviii].

Movie Assist Functions

For video on-the-go, the Alpha 7S III is the first Alpha series camera to include Active Modeix with 5-axis optical in-body image stabilization to support especially difficult handheld movie shooting. It is also the first Alpha series E-mount body to feature a side-opening vari-angle rear screen, perfect for gimbal-mounted shots, complicated angles, handheld operation and more. The screen rotates sideways, up and down, and features a 3.0 type 1.44 million-dot (approx.) touch panel LCD monitor, for optimal visibility even in bright outdoor environments.

In addition, the Alpha 7S III provides a selection of new Creative Look with 10 presets that can be used for both photo and video shoots, making it easy to create interesting moods right in the camera to be used as is or customized by the user.

A digital audio interface has been added to the camera’s Multi Interface (MI) Shoe for clearer audio recordings from a compatible Sony external microphone. Used with Sony’s XLR-K3M XLR Adaptor Kit, the Alpha 7S III provides 4-channel 24-bit digital audio recording capability in an Alpha series camera for the first time. Like other MI shoe accessories, no cables or batteries are required, providing unrestrained freedom for Alpha system moviemaking.

Additional movie assist functions include a redesigned monitor display with a bold, clearly visible red frame that makes it clear when recording is in progress even when mounted on a rig or gimbal, custom zoom settings, adjustable white balance while recording, display rotation, interval recording, still extraction from movies and more.

Outstanding Still Image Photography

The Alpha 7S III includes a fast Hybrid AF system with 759 phase-detection AF points covering 92% of the image sensor. The camera can also achieve high AF precision to accurately and reliably focus in light down to EV-6[xix], where subjects are difficult to see clearly even with the naked eye. Users can continuously shoot more than 1,000 uncompressed RAW[xii] images at up to 10fps, or up to 8fps in live view mode, with either the mechanical or electronic shutter.

The Alpha 7S III also includes the world’s first[x] 9.44 million-dot (approx.), 0.64 type Quad-XGA electronic viewfinder with a high-definition OLED display and refined. The Alpha 7S III viewfinder offers a 0.90x viewfinder magnification[xx], 41° diagonal field of view, 25mm high eyepoint for clear, low-distortion corner to corner viewing. It is also dust, fog and moisture resistant[xviii], extremely responsive, and has switchable modes for different subject types. Every aspect of the Alpha 7S III viewfinder has been designed and refined for a professional workflow.

For the first time in one of Sony’s digital cameras, the Alpha 7S III includes HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) allowing for smooth 10-bit gradations and advanced compression technology to maintain image quality while significantly reducing file size and saving storage space. HEIF stills shot in this mode can be played back on a compatible Sony HDR (HLG) TV via a direct HDMI Type-A connection from the Alpha 7S III, delivering true-to-life dynamic range[xxi].

Versatile Design Made for the Pros

CFexpress Type A for High-speed Data Transfer

In another world’s first^x, the Alpha 7S III features two CFexpress Type A compatible media slots which also support UHS-I and UHS-II SDXC/SDHC cards, enabling high write-and-read speeds while keeping the camera body compact in size. CFexpress Type A cards are ideally suited to high-speed continuous RAW still image shooting as well as 4K 120pⁱ movie recording at high bit rates[xxii], providing next-generation write speeds that can quickly clear the buffers of cameras that generate high volumes of still image and movie data. High-speed data transfer to a PC is possible at about 1.7 times faster[xxiii] than that of SD card. The dual slots can be set to relay mode for extended continuous recording of even the highest bit rate data as well as simultaneous recording and sort by format type recording.

Revised Menu System with Enhanced Touch Screen

The Alpha 7S III also features a revised menu structure for easier navigation and touch-responsive menu operation for faster, more intuitive control. For creators who shoot both stills and movies, separate settings can now be stored for stills and movie shooting for quick transition between the two.

High Reliability Gives Creators New Freedom

Professional users need more than just refined features and performance. They also need the reliability and durability demanded of any professional tool. The Alpha 7S III features a redesigned grip for greater comfort and a secure hold, an improved dust removal feature, plus dust and moisture resistance[xviii] that maximizes reliability in challenging environments. It includes a durable, reliable HDMI Type-A connector, and is the first Alpha series camera to support USB PD (Power Delivery), allowing higher power to be supplied from an external source so that users can continue to record for extended periods with minimal internal battery usage.

Advanced Connectivity for Professional Working Environments

The Alpha 7S III has been designed and configured to support photo and video journalists and sports shooters who need to deliver stills or movies as quickly as possible with several advanced connectivity options. The camera supports 5GHz[xxiv]/2.4GHz wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11ac) and offers MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) to improve communication quality by using multiple antennas, doubling in speed when compared to the Alpha7R IV. It also carries new USB tethering support[xxv]. When connected to a 5G (5th generation technology standard for cellular networks) compatible device via USB cable, it is possible to use 5G network for fast and stable FTP file transfer[xxvi]. USB to high-speed wired LAN connectivity[xxvii] also offers stable and fast FTP transfer for both movies and stills. A USB Type-C™ connector that supports fast SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps (USB 3.2) data transfer is provided, enabling high-speed PC Remote (tethered) data transfer available for smooth handling of large image files.

Pricing and Availability

The new Alpha 7S III Full-frame Interchangeable Lens Camera will be available in September 2020 for approximately $ 3,499.99 USD and $ 4,799.99 CAD. It will be sold at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers throughout North America.

Exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new camera and Sony’s other imaging products can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, a site created to educate and inspire all fans and customers of Sony ? – Alpha.

For detailed coverage on the new product on Alpha Universe, please visit this LINK.

The new content will also be posted directly at the Sony Photo Gallery.

For detailed product information, please visit:

(US) – ILCE-7SM3
(CA) – ILCE-7SM3

[i] 10% of view cropped

[ii] S-Log3 movies, Sony internal tests

[iii] When compared to the BIONZ X™ image processor

[iv] When compared to Alpha7S II

[v] 40 to 409,600 for stills and 80 to 409,600 for movies. Sony test conditions

[vi] When shooting full-frame still images. The number of AF points used depends on the shooting mode.

[vii] This function does not track animal eyes

[viii] Sony test conditions. XAVC S-I 10-bit 4:2:2, 25 deg C (ambient, camera when recording started), Auto Power Off Temperature: High. The value will vary depending on the shooting conditions. Movie shooting past an hour will continue until battery ends.

[ix] In active mode, the shooting angle of view is slightly narrowed. If the focal length is 200 mm or more, it is recommended to set to standard

[x] As of July 2020, Sony survey. Among full-frame mirrorless cameras

[xi] Up to 10fps in continuous “Hi+” mode, and up to 8fps in continuous “Hi” mode Maximum fps will depend on camera settings

[xii] Requires CFexpress Type A memory card

[xiii] When XAVC S-I 4K or HD is selected via the file format menu

[xiv] Requires compatible memory card

[xv] Atomos Ninja V HDR monitor-recorder support planned. As of July 2020

[xvi] Sony’s Premium High Speed HDMI Cable DLC-HX10 recommended

[xvii] Imaging Edge Mobile Ver. 7.4 or later required

[xviii] Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof

[xix] ISO 100 equivalent, F2.0 lens, AF-S mode

[xx] 50mm lens, infinity, -1m^-1 diopter

[xxi] Desktop application “HEIF Converter” for displaying and editing HEIF format is planned to launch in September 2020

[xxii] 4:2:2 10-bit All-I, when recording slow motion

[xxiii] Sony test conditions.

[xxiv] 5 GHz communication may be restricted in some countries and regions

^[xxv] Power Delivery supported smartphone is required

^[xxvi] Does not guarantee connection with all smartphone. FTP file transfer by USB tethering that utilizes 4G network is also possible

[xxvii] A compatible USB-Ethernet adapter is required

Sony a7S III specifications

Price
MSRP	$ 3499 (body only)
Body type
Body type	SLR-style mirrorless
Body material	Magnesium alloy
Sensor
Max resolution	4240 x 2832
Image ratio w:h	1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels	12 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors	13 megapixels
Sensor size	Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm)
Sensor type	BSI-CMOS
Processor	Bionz XR
Color space	sRGB, Adobe RGB, BT.2020
Color filter array	Primary color filter
Image
ISO	Auto, 80-102400 (expands to 40-409600)
Boosted ISO (minimum)	40
Boosted ISO (maximum)	409600
White balance presets	7
Custom white balance	Yes
Image stabilization	Sensor-shift
Image stabilization notes	5-axis
CIPA image stabilization rating	5.5 stop(s)
Uncompressed format	RAW
JPEG quality levels	Extra fine, fine, normal
File format	JPEG (Exif v2.32) HEIF Raw (ARW 4.0)
Optics & Focus
Autofocus	Contrast Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi-area Center Selective single-point Tracking Single Continuous Touch Face Detection Live View
Autofocus assist lamp	Yes
Manual focus	Yes
Number of focus points	759
Lens mount	Sony E
Focal length multiplier	1×
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD	Fully articulated
Screen size	3″
Screen dots	1,440,000
Touch screen	Yes
Screen type	TFT LCD
Live view	Yes
Viewfinder type	Electronic
Viewfinder coverage	100%
Viewfinder magnification	0.91×
Viewfinder resolution	9,440,000
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed	30 sec
Maximum shutter speed	1/8000 sec
Exposure modes	Program Aperture priority Shutter priority Manual
Built-in flash	No
External flash	Yes (Multi-interface shoe)
Flash X sync speed	1/250 sec
Drive modes	Single Continuous Self-timer Bracketing (AE/WB/DRO)
Continuous drive	10.0 fps
Self-timer	Yes
Metering modes	Multi Center-weighted Highlight-weighted Average 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 steps)
WB Bracketing	Yes
Videography features
Format	MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-1, H.264, H.265
Modes	3840 x 2160 @ 120p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 100p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 140 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 140 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 120p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 100p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Microphone	Stereo
Speaker	Mono
Storage
Storage types	Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots
Connectivity
USB	USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
USB charging	Yes (USB PD supported)
HDMI	Yes (Standard)
Microphone port	Yes
Headphone port	Yes
Wireless	Built-In
Wireless notes	802.11ac (dual band) + Bluetooth
Remote control	Yes (wireless or smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed	Yes
Battery	Battery Pack
Battery description	NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery charger
Battery Life (CIPA)	600
Weight (inc. batteries)	699 g (1.54 lb / 24.66 oz)
Dimensions	129 x 97 x 81 mm (5.08 x 3.82 x 3.19″)
Other features
Orientation sensor	Yes
GPS	None

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Shooting in the Snow

09 Jun

For years now, I’ve had this concept of a shoot at night, under the streetlamps with snow coming down… dramatic light and environment… the whole nine yards

Unfortunately I live in Philly, and the only “snow” we get here is usually slush, rain, and more slush…

Course this week was different… practically couldn’t have asked for better conditions. It was coming down pretty hard, and I think I put the weather sealing on my gear to the test (watching piles of snow accumulate on your lights is a little disconcerting…) By the time we finished my camera bag on the ground was merely a small white lump. Luckily no gear casualties though, and some great shots came out…

snowshoot (1 of 7) snowshoot (2 of 7) snowshoot (3 of 7) snowshoot (4 of 7) snowshoot (5 of 7) snowshoot (6 of 7) snowshoot (7 of 7)

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‘Like being asked to cook for Gordon Ramsey’ Photographer Jerry Ghionis on shooting portraits of Joe McNally

20 May

When Jerry Ghionis got a call asking if he was interested in photographing portrait legend Joe McNally, he jumped at the opportunity. Using just one lens – Nikon’s Z 85mm F1.8 S – Jerry and Joe turned their cameras on one another. Watch the video above to see how they got on.

What’s it like to take pictures of a portrait legend? In an exclusive interview, Jerry explains the background to the shoot and what it was like to work with Joe, as well as offering some insight into his work, and his approach to portrait photography.

Tell us how you got involved with this shoot

When I got the call about taking portraits of Joe McNally, I thought wow – that’s like being asked to cook for Gordon Ramsey!

The brief was just to shoot portraits of one another, have some fun, and see what comes of it. I wasn’t intimidated, I was excited. I want to create flattering and meaningful portraits of people, and I thought, well, here’s a guy who’s done this for everyone, and he deserves something for himself. That was the opportunity I was excited about: creating something for Joe that he’s done for so many people.

For this shot, Jerry posed Joe with the first Nikon camera he ever used, an FTn with F36 Motor Drive.

Photo by Jerry Ghionis, courtesy Nikon USA.

The one shot that was pre-planned was the portrait of Joe with the Hollywood lights and me in the mirror. For that one I thought it would be cool to feature Joe with the first Nikon camera he ever used. He’s a tall guy, and I wanted to style him like a trendy 50s or 60s-era photographer, with a blue background working with his blue eyes, and the contrast against the color of his hair. So I found some old studio lights, a vintage mirror and some other things. I knew what I wanted, but I only had literally about five minutes to set it up and another five to shoot it. That was quite tough. I’m trying to light Joe, who’s a lighting master!

Everything on this shoot, including the video, was shot using the 85mm alone. Was that intimidating?

No, not at all. Once you’ve shot a few weddings and you know how to do it, very few things intimidate you. At least in terms of gear. And anyway, some of the recent weddings I’ve shot, most of the images I took were using that one lens.

The 85mm suits my style of photography because I like longer focal lengths

How long had you been working with the 85mm at that point?

Probably a month or two, before the shoot. And I loved it. The 85mm suits my style of photography because I like longer focal lengths. My usual favorite lens is a 70-200mm, so I was looking for something longer to use with my Z6 and Z7, which might become my new ‘go to’ lens.

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What is it about the 85mm that makes it useful to you?

Whenever you use a lens that’s faster than F2 for portraiture, you’re going to want to shoot a handful of images, sort of rapid fire, to make sure that you get a shot where the focus is exactly where you want it. That’s just the nature of portrait photography on fast lenses. But the 85mm has just become my reliable everyday go-to lens. I’d say the last six months of weddings I’ve shot, I’ve used the 85mm probably about 90% of the time. It’s so light. Focus is perfect at F1.8 and it’s completely sharp. I’ve made an incredible amount of pictures using that lens, I love it.

Had you worked with Joe on a project together before?

No this was the first time we’d shot together. It’s rare on campaigns like this that you’d shoot with somebody else. It was great, it was just two guys, no egos – we just wanted to have some fun and create some cool pictures.

The whole thing was probably one of the biggest honors of my photographic career.

It’s rare on campaigns like this that you’d shoot with somebody else

Did Joe like the pictures you took of him?

He did! He’s referred to the pictures on stage in his presentations. He’s been very generous and kind. And most importantly his wife likes them too!

What lenses would you advise someone should invest in who wants to get into portrait and event photography?

Most of the weddings and portraits I’ve shot lately have been on the 85mm F1.8, and at a minimum, I would recommend an 85mm, two camera bodies, a 24-70mm, and a 70-200mm, and two flashes. One camera’s not enough, and you’ll need cameras from the same system, so that you can switch between them without thinking.

The Z 85mm F1.8 S is a compact short-telephoto prime lens for the Z System. Sharp and almost aberration-free wide open, the Z 85mm is a useful lens for portraiture and available light shooting.

What simple things can someone do to improve their portrait photography?

The biggest problem I see is people shooting too quickly. When you’re photographing a wedding or a portrait, you can’t just show what someone looks like, you need to show who they are. To do that, you need to slow down, connect with them, and know how to flatter them. You can’t do that if your eye is glued to the viewfinder or your head is buried in your camera’s menu system. Shooting too quickly contributes to a lack of confidence.

The other thing is people don’t practice enough. I practice all the time. I’ll often shoot once a week just for myself, trying a new technique or a different lighting setup. I have a mannequin at home, so if I want to produce a particular lighting setup that I haven’t done before, while the hair and makeup person is doing their thing, I’m practicing with the mannequin and by the time my subject is ready I’ve prepared the full lighting setup.

What advice would you give to someone who is trying to get into photography seriously?

Remember that you’re only as good as your last shot. You don’t have to be the best, you just have to be better than you were last week.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Shooting photos with anamorphic lenses is a fun way to get out of a creative rut

03 Apr

I’ve always been fascinated by anamorphic lenses, which optically compress, or ‘squeeze’, an image in the horizontal dimension, making it possible to capture an artificially wide field of view on a standard film frame or sensor.

I first discovered anamorphics in college, not because I shot with them but because I had a part time job as a projectionist at a small theater. Sometimes films came through in anamorphic format and I had to attach accessory lenses to the projector to desqueeze the image beamed up on the screen.

Fast forward a number of years. I’m still fascinated by anamorphic lenses, only now they’re becoming accessible enough to content creators that you don’t need to be a Hollywood filmmaker to afford them. One of these days I’ll get around to shooting an entire video project with anamorphics, but recently I’ve been intrigued by the possibility of using anamorphic lenses for still photography.

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Which is why, on a recent trip to Washington, DC, I found myself carrying no camera gear except for my iPhone 11 Pro and two small anamorphic accessory lenses. I’d been in a creative rut for a while and needed a diversion, so I resolved to shoot in anamorphic for the entire trip. It turned out to be a fun creative challenge.

Shooting anamorphic on a smartphone

The two lenses I used for this little experiment were the Moment anamorphic lens ($ 150) and the Moondog Labs anamorphic lens (also $ 150), each of which compresses the horizontal dimension by a factor of 1.33x. Both employ a simple twist-lock M-series bayonet mount (not to be confused with Leica M-mount) and attach to compatible cases from a number of manufacturers including Moment, RhinoShield and Sirui.

The Moondog Labs (L) and Moment (R) anamorphic lenses. Both squeeze the image horizontally by a factor of 1.33x, which is what makes the exit pupils appear oval in this image.

These lenses are primarily aimed at video shooters. When used with standard 16:9 format video they deliver a desqueezed aspect ratio of 2.35:1, about the same as CinemaScope, a widescreen cinema format originally developed in the 1950s.

Shooting still photos, however, requires some creative choices. The native aspect ratio for photos on most smartphones is 4:3, so a 1.33x desqueeze works out to an aspect ratio of almost exactly 16:9.

Of course, if you can already shoot in 16:9, why bother? Because anamorphic lenses provide a qualitatively differently look than simply cropping the frame. You’re effectively using a longer focal length but capturing the horizontal field of view of a shorter focal length, giving you more control over depth of field than you would typically have at that shorter focal length. Additionally, anamorphic lenses produce some distinctive optical effects, such as oval bokeh and horizontal lens flare.

Anamorphic lenses provide a qualitatively differently look than simply cropping the frame.

Of course, when working with a smartphone you would need to be pretty close to your subject to have any appreciable control over depth of field or to generate much bokeh, but there’s certainly the opportunity to create horizontal lens flare.

In the end I settled on a hybrid approach: I set my phone to shoot 16:9 in combination with a 1.33x anamorphic lens. This results in that wide 2.35:1 CinemaScope look, so that’s the route I went.

Shooting in anamorphic

Almost as soon as I began shooting I realized there were more choices to make. Should I shoot Raw or JPEG? Would it be better to use the iPhone’s built-in camera app or a third party app designed for anamorphic lenses? Let the experimentation begin!

Use the slider to compare the desqueezed image (L) with the squeezed image (R). The desqueeze process can be performed automatically by an apps, or in post-processing with a program like Photoshop.

The built-in camera app was the easiest way to get started, and ensured that I was taking advantage of all the wizardry of the iPhone’s computational photography. However, there was one downside: there’s no way to desqueeze the image in-camera. The image is always compressed horizontally, so you need to pre-visualize what the desqueezed photo will look like when framing a shot.

It’s not difficult, but it’s still not as natural as viewing a desqueezed image in real time, so I tried a couple third party apps designed to do just that: Filmic Firstlight (iOS, Android) and Moment Pro Camera (iOS).

Both are feature-rich photography apps that display a desqueezed image preview when shooting and include useful tools like manual controls, focus peaking, zebras, Raw image capture and the ability to export TIFF files.

The Moment Pro Camera app provides a real time desqueezed image preview, making it easier to compose photos.

The most noticeable difference I found is that the Moment app obscures parts of the image behind various camera controls, whereas the the Filmic app does not. As a result, I slightly preferred the Filmic app, but beyond that one issue they provide similar feature sets. They’re both good apps and the one you prefer will mostly come down to personal preference.

The Filmic Firstlight app provides similar functionality to the Moment app, but doesn’t obscure your image behind the camera controls.

Workflow and image quality

The workflow is far easier with third party apps since you can see what your final image will look like when shooting, and photos are desqueezed before being saved to the camera roll: no additional work required.

In contrast, photos shot using the built-in camera app require an additional processing step to desqueeze them. It was easy enough to create a Photoshop action to do this in bulk, but it meant a little extra work and some delayed gratification.

The workflow is far easier with third party apps since you can see what your final image will look like when shooting.

After experimenting with various combinations of app, file format and desqueeze methods, I learned some useful things:

The Filmic and Motion apps are more fun to shoot with thanks to real time previews of the anamorphic image. It’s more intuitive and you don’t need to imagine what the final shot will look like. They also make it easy to share photos in the moment instead of waiting until later.

Anamorphic accessory lenses allow you to capture classic anamorphic characteristics like horizontal lens flares.

iPhone 11 Pro with Moment anamorphic lens.

For the most part, desqueezed Raw images generally didn’t look any better than JPEGs from the iPhone’s native app, even after being stretched out. I expected this for photos taken in low light since the native app can do some exposure stacking, but it turned out to be true in most of the comparisons I tried.

Images captured with the native iPhone app and desqueezed in Photoshop generally looked a tiny bit better than the files from the Filmic and Motion apps. It’s possible the those apps don’t have access to quite the same computational wizardry as the native app, or it might just be that Photoshop does a better desqueeze.

Either way, the differences aren’t significant. As a result, I often found myself using the third party apps for a more enjoyable experience.

The greatest limitation on image quality are the lenses themselves. They’re really intended for video use, so it feels a bit unfair to judge them critically as still lenses. Keeping that in mind, you’re going to see flaws that wouldn’t be nearly as noticeable in a moving image.

iPhone 11 Pro with Moondog Labs anamorphic lens.

Overall, the Moondog and Moment optics performed similarly; as with any accessory lens, neither provides the level of optical clarity found on your smartphone’s built-in lenses. Once you add a desqueeze step that stretches the image horizontally, you’re going to start seeing artifacts. In fact, if you pixel peep the images in this article you’ll almost certainly be disappointed

Final thoughts

None of the anamorphic photos I shot with these lenses will win awards for technical image quality, but that really wasn’t the point of the experiment. Using them forced me to think differently about the way I composed and framed shots, and that’s always a good creative exercise.

Ignoring the optical limitations of the lenses for still photography, I really like the wide, cinematic aspect ratio. I was also pleased that I was able to provoke at least one of the distinctive characteristics anamorphics are known for, horizontal lens flare.

Now, couldn’t you just use the widest angle lens on your smartphone and crop to 2.35:1? Of course you could, but it won’t look quite the same. You’ll often hear cinematographers talk about the characteristics of a particular lens instead of how technically perfect it is, and even on a smartphone these anamorphic lenses result in a different look than you’ll get by cropping. Is it technically perfect? Definitely not, but it can be a lot of fun to visualize the world in a slightly different way.

iPhone 11 Pro with Moment anamorphic lens.

What this experience taught me is that I want to shoot more photos using anamorphic lenses. It’s not something that a lot of people do, but it challenges your creativity and presents an opportunity to create unique images. For my next experiment, I’m planning to kick it up a notch and pair a larger anamorphic lens with a mirrorless camera. That should allow me to take better advantage of unique anamorphic characteristics related to depth of field.

Want to try this this yourself? It’s a fun experiment that you can do on your own. All you need is an anamorphic accessory lens and a case with a compatible mount. In addition to the Moondog and Moment lenses I tried, there are similar lenses available from Sandmarc, BeastGrip and Ulanzi, and cases from Moment, RhinoShield and Sirui. If you give it a try let me know how it works and send me a link to your photos!

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How to Create a Budget Tabletop Photography Setup for Shooting Food and Products

31 Mar

The post How to Create a Budget Tabletop Photography Setup for Shooting Food and Products appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

It can feel like photography is a money vortex and unless you have an unlimited amount, many types and styles of photography may seem out of reach. We’re here to tell you that you can create your own tabletop photography setup on a budget and still create some amazing food and product photography.

All you need is a trip to your local dollar store and craft store, and you’ll have a set up ready to go that won’t break the bank. It will also let you create the images your clients will love.

What is a tabletop photography setup?

A tabletop photography setup is generally used to photograph products and food for commercial or marketing services.

In recent years, tabletop photography setups have moved away from the Lightbox and toward more authentic setups thanks to social media.

The basic tabletop photography setup is a table, backgrounds, tabletop backgrounds, and nice light source that you can use to light your products and food.

What you need for a basic setup

A tabletop photography setup doesn’t have to be complex or involve a lot of materials. You can have a simple setup that offers you a variety of backgrounds, looks, and setups all in the same spot, at the same table.

tabletop photography setups — There is a big window to camera left and here we can see the basic setup with kraft paper and white paper taped to the wall.

You’ll need:

a table or any stable surface to place items onto of
a few backgrounds like a white paper, kraft paper, black paper, foam boards, different types of fabric and textures
depending on your products/food you’ll need some stands, dishes, and plates, or other styling items
tape
a large window for window light
clips or clamps to hold things down
a tripod for max aperture and depth of field to avoid camera shake.

This basic setup will help you to create your tabletop photography setup without the need to be in a big space or rent a studio. It will also keep costs down.

Get creative with backgrounds

While a table, solid plain wall and a good light source are the basic set up, it can often get boring. As you get more clients, you’ll want to have different setups to help you get more interesting photos.

A quick trip to the dollar store can help keep costs down. You can get items that can give your tabletop the right look and style for the product that you’re photographing.

How to Create a Budget Tabletop Photography Setup for Shooting Food and Products — 1/15 sec; f/11; ISO 400 using a 50mm lens. You can see the window in the reflection of the watch.

Choose different patterns for backgrounds, like this shower curtain I used to give the tabletop photography setup more of a marble texture and style. The watch stands out against the colors and pattern and creates a more interesting effect.

Different placemats work really well as backgrounds and tabletops for food photography as well as product photography. Letting you change the tabletop photography setup without having to directly paint or change your table.

Posterboard can be really useful in creating a faux cyclorama wall for products giving the illusion of a seamless background. Taping fabric to the wall also works to help keep the backgrounds in place and creates seamless backgrounds.

Placemats of various textures and prints can also be perfect for food photography and work in many different settings for products as well.

Kitchen towels can also serve as props for your food styling as well as backgrounds.

Find the light

The biggest concern is getting enough light and that is what a big window is for.

If you don’t get lots of light in your home, go outside! Take your tabletop setup out onto your patio or yard. Find some good indirect shaded light to work in.

The idea is to create an evenly-lit tabletop setup so that you’re able to set your camera to the correct settings and get the look you want.

Having enough light to work with, lets you take away light with flags or create shadows with different items. You’re also able to get different exposures to your products or food.

Different times of day can give different types of lighting for your tabletop photography setup too. Take advantage of the lighting changes and experiment to see what light is best for the items you’re photographing.

Using available ambient light can really help keep costs down while doing tabletop photography and can offer lots of different types of lighting.

Don’t limit yourself to a table

With a lifestyle component, you can take your tabletop photography setup on the go. Take your backgrounds, fabrics, and styling items to different locations to get different types of photographs.

You can photograph in a park, trail, cafe, or in front of an interesting wall in your neighborhood.

Using your creative eye, you can photograph food and product photography just about anywhere that will save you money, while also giving you amazing results.

In conclusion

As you can see, creating a tabletop photography setup doesn’t have to mean spending loads on lighting, space, styling equipment or backgrounds. With a trip to your local dollar store and craft store, you can create stunning product and food photography for a fraction of the price.

Your clients will love their photos and you will have a setup that you can use anywhere!

Do you have any other tips for creating a tabletop photography setup? Share with us in the comments section.

The post How to Create a Budget Tabletop Photography Setup for Shooting Food and Products appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jackie Lamas.

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The Canon EOS R6 Will Have Dual Card Slots, 20 FPS Shooting

23 Mar

The post The Canon EOS R6 Will Have Dual Card Slots, 20 FPS Shooting appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Canon EOS R6 Rumors - The Canon EOS R6 Will Have Dual Card Slots, 20 FPS Shooting

The Canon EOS R5 has been attracting a lot of attention recently with its 45 MP sensor, blazing-fast shooting speeds, and 8K video.

So much attention, in fact, that you’d be forgiven if you weren’t aware of Canon’s other soon-to-drop mirrorless model, the EOS R6.

To be fair, the EOS R6 hasn’t been officially announced by Canon. All the information we have on it comes from rumors, but this type of rumor tends to be pretty accurate, and there’s little doubt that the EOS R6 will debut in 2020.

So what can we expect from this new mirrorless body?

First, the R6 will have a full-frame sensor, but one that packs just 20 MP, making it Canon’s lowest resolution EOS R model to date.

Not that 20 MP is insufficient for most purposes, of course, but it comes as something of a surprise, especially given that Canon’s enthusiast full-frame mirrorless model, the EOS RP, features 26 MP.

Fortunately, a low-resolution sensor can often make way for other features, such as high continuous shooting speeds. On that front, I have good news:

The EOS R6 will shoot up to 12 frames per second using the mechanical shutter and 20 frames per second using the electronic shutter, putting it above many of the action-centric cameras currently on the market. If you’re looking to shoot sports or wildlife, that’s more than enough speed for top-of-the-line images.

The EOS R6 will also offer in-body image stabilization, making it the only Canon mirrorless body, aside from the upcoming R5, to do so.

And if all these specs weren’t interesting enough, we have a new EOS R6 rumor on the docket, suggesting that the camera will offer dual card slots, but will also have an EVF and build quality that can’t match the R5.

So what, exactly, is this camera shaping up to be?

It’s highly likely that Canon engineers are working on a professionally-oriented sports body (often dubbed the EOS R1), but this is almost certainly not it. The lack of a rugged build, plus the lower-resolution electronic viewfinder, suggests that the R6 will be an enthusiast camera rather than a professional one. Plus, I can’t see Canon releasing another 1D-type camera, just a few months after the 1D X Mark III was announced.

Instead, the EOS R6 is shaping up to be a Canon 6D, of sorts. A camera with excellent full-frame image quality, but lacking the durability of a true pro body, and probably limited in other areas (such as customizability).

But note that the EOS R6 is no simple rehash of the 6D series. The presence of in-body image stabilization and ultra-fast shooting speeds suggest that Canon has thoroughly “mirrorlessed” this new model, and the result is likely to make quite a splash.

While the EOS R6’s release date is currently unknown, and the situation with coronavirus is causing production delays, look out for an announcement in May.

Now over to you:

What do you think of the EOS R6 rumors? Who do you think this camera is meant for? Would you be interested? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post The Canon EOS R6 Will Have Dual Card Slots, 20 FPS Shooting appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Shooting RC jets with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III

09 Mar

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is capable of shooting at up to 60 fps and tough enough to withstand use in harsh environments in every corner of the world. What better environment to put such a small, powerful and fast camera to the test than a remote control jet airplane convention?

Join action photographer Scott Rinckenberger as he takes the OM-D E-M1 Mark III to shoot the fascinating world of remote control jet planes at Jet Jam 2020 – held annually near Coachella, California.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III at Jet Jam 2020

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Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Announced With 20 MP, 60 FPS Shooting

20 Feb

The post Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Announced With 20 MP, 60 FPS Shooting appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Earlier this month, Olympus announced their latest mirrorless camera: The OM-D E-M1 Mark III, which continues the professional E-M1 series, and promises a lightning-fast performance for the most serious of shooters.

Like Olympus’s other mirrorless options, the E-M1 Mark III sports a Micro Four Thirds sensor. This means that the E-M1 is impressively compact, as is its lens lineup. In fact, if you haven’t laid hands on a Micro Four Thirds camera, I suggest you go check one out, because the size is astonishing.

Unfortunately, a small sensor also comes with drawbacks, and in this case, they’re compounded by a 20.4 MP option that’s quite a few years old. For some reason, Olympus has insisted on including the sensor used in the E-M1 Mark II, the E-M5 Mark III, and the E-M1X, which is in serious need of an upgrade. It doesn’t offer the worst image quality out there, but Micro Four Thirds cameras struggle to compete with APS-C and full-frame rivals in this area, which isn’t helped by a sensor that’s nearly a half-decade old.

In other words, don’t expect too much in terms of dynamic range or high ISO performance.

The same complaint could be leveled at the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III electronic viewfinder, which only packs 2.36M dots and is frustratingly dated.

On the other hand, there’s a lot to like about the new E-M1 Mark III, including Olympus’s world-class in-body image stabilization (the company promises 7 stops of stabilization, which increases slightly when paired with an image-stabilized lens). This is fantastic for anyone shooting video, especially with Olympus’s longer lenses, and it’s also excellent for still shooters working in low light. Sure, Olympus’s dedication to their sensors is far from impressive, but it’s somewhat counterbalanced by the power of their IBIS.

You also get high-performing autofocus, and an insane 60 frames-per-second shooting speed (with locked AF, and using the electronic shutter). Even with autofocus, you get 18 frames-per-second continuous shooting, which rivals pretty much any pro-sports camera body out there.

Plus, as with Olympus’s other OM-D cameras, the E-M1 Mark III includes a long list of interesting features. I’m talking about things like Starry AF (designed to nail focus on stars during astrophotography), High-Res Shot (which produces 80 MP images), and Pro Capture mode, which starts capturing images before you press the shutter button so that you never miss a critical shot.

Here’s the bottom line:

There’s a lot to love about the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, even if it falls short in a number of key areas. So it’s certainly worth checking out if you’re looking for one of the most powerful-yet-compact options on the market today.

You can currently pre-order the E-M1 Mark III for $ 1799 USD; the camera will ship on February 24th.

The post Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Announced With 20 MP, 60 FPS Shooting appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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The Canon Rebel T8i/850D Revealed With 7 FPS Shooting and 4K Video

18 Feb

The post The Canon Rebel T8i/850D Revealed With 7 FPS Shooting and 4K Video appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Canon hasn’t given up on its DSLRs yet.

While we’ve seen the imaging giant shift its resources to mirrorless tech in recent years, it seems that Canon still plans to keep its DSLR lineup going.

At least for a little while.

Because the Canon Rebel T8i, also known as the Canon EOS 850D, was announced just days ago, along with specifications that give us a good idea of what the camera will offer and who it’s for.

If you’re an entry-level Canon DSLR shooter or a vlogger, then the T8i looks to be a fine (though not thrilling) option. You get an APS-C, 24.1-megapixel sensor with the potential to shoot up to ISO 25600 (ISO 51200 when expanded). You also get a DIGIC 8 processor, 7 frames-per-second continuous shooting, a 45-point AF system, and 4K/24p video.

Those familiar with the T7i/EOS 800D will undoubtedly notice the lack of major differences between the T8i and the T7i, because it seems that Canon went for a minor set of changes rather than a moderate upgrade.

That said, three key differences are:

7 frames-per-second shooting (7.5 fps in Live View) versus 6 frames-per-second shooting in the T7i
A new processor (DIGIC 8 versus the T7i’s DIGIC 7). This is responsible for the improved continuous shooting speed.
4k video

Probably the biggest among these changes is the added 4K video, as many reviewers lamented its lack of inclusion in the T7i. But the T8i’s 4K video comes with a big qualification: Canon’s fantastic Dual Pixel autofocus, which performs extraordinarily well in Live View, won’t work. Instead, you must shoot at 1080p for access to Dual Pixel AF; otherwise, you’re stuck with contrast-detection AF, a system that’s historically much slower than its Dual Pixel counterpart.

In terms of image quality, we can expect something very similar to the T7i, which performed well but hardly managed to astonish. And while the 24-megapixel count is enough for most enthusiasts, I can’t help but wish Canon had pushed the T8i a bit further. We know that they can, having seen the 32.5 MP resolution capabilities produced by the APS-C Canon 90D.

As for speed, the extra frame per second probably won’t matter much to the average user of this camera. Either you’re doing more serious action work, in which case a frame-per-second more can be the difference between a failed shot and a nailed shot, or you’re an entry-level consumer or enthusiast in this camera’s target market, in which case the minor speed upgrade doesn’t matter much.

While the Canon Rebel T8i doesn’t yet have a release date, the camera should drop for $ 900 (including an 18-55mm kit lens), or $ 750 USD (body only).

So what do you think of the new Canon Rebel T8i/850D? Are you satisfied? Were you hoping for something more? Or do you want Canon to focus entirely on mirrorless? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post The Canon Rebel T8i/850D Revealed With 7 FPS Shooting and 4K Video appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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