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Posts Tagged ‘zoom’

The Pinhole Pro X — a pinhole zoom lens — launches on Kickstarter

10 Aug

On the back of the Pinhole Pro and Pinhole S ‘innovation incubator’ Thingyfy has launched what it is describing as the world’s first pinhole zoom lens. The Pinhole Pro X offers full frame users a range of focal lengths covering 40-60mm, while the APS-C and MFT version has focal lengths of 18-36mm.

Unlike the usual pin prick in a sheet of aluminium foil, the aperture for these lenses is created by micro drilling, which the manufacturer claims produces a rounder and cleaner hole and thus better image quality. This allows company to create an aperture measuring just 0.25mm in diameter and less than 0.1mm deep. The F-stop values than for the full frame model will be F160-240, and for the APS-C lens F72-144.

The below video was shot with Thingyfy’s previous pinhole lens, the Pinhole Pro S:

The metal bodied lens comes in mounts for Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony A, Sony E, Pentax K, Fujifilm X and Micro Four Thirds. Both the full frame and APS-C models cost $ 69 via the Kickstarter campaign. For more information see the Pinhole Pro X Kickstarter page.

Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Hasselblad’s first XCD zoom, the 35-75mm F3.5-4.5, finally arrives this October

22 Jun

Hasselblad’s press release says its first zoom lens for the X system is ‘eagerly awaited’, though some users might consider ‘much delayed’ a more accurate phrase. Promised in 2017, the XCD 35-75mm F3.5-4.5 should finally be arriving in stores in October this year.

The company seems to think it will all be worth the wait though, as its chief designer declares it to be the ‘best zoom lens available on the market’. Said to offer the same edge-to-edge image quality as a series of prime lenses, Hasselblad claims it is the best lens it has ever developed.

Using an internal focusing system that allows the lens to retain the same compact dimensions throughout the zoom range, the lens is said to provide fast AF in a lightweight package.

The Hasselblad XCD 3.5-4.5/35-75 Zoom lens will cost $ 5175 / €4500 / £4050. For more information see the Hasselblad website.

Hasselblad XCD 35-75mm F3.5-4.5
Focal length 35.9-73.1mm
Focal length equiv 28-58mm
Aperture range F3.5-32/F4.5-32
Angle of view (D, H, V) 77°/64°/50°
Length/diameter 145 / 85 mm
Weight (excl. covers and lens shade) 1115g
Filter diameter 77 mm
Minimum distance object to image plane 0.42 / 0.6 m

Press release

THE NEW XCD 3,5-4,5/35-75 – PRIME LENS PERFORMANCE IN A COMPACT ZOOM

The ninth addition to the X System lens range is the eagerly awaited XCD 3,5-4,5/35-75 Zoom Lens. Delivering the same superb image quality from edge-to-edge as the XCD prime lenses, this extremely high performance, compact mid-range zoom covers moderate wide angle to short telephoto focal lengths. Its internal focusing keeps the lens’ dimensions constant, delivers quick autofocus and additionally keeps the overall weight down. Ideal for shooting anything from wide angle landscapes to portrait images, this lens is perfect for photographers who are looking to keep the amount of equipment they carry when travelling to a minimum but don’t want to compromise on image quality. “This really is the best lens Hasselblad has developed – its performance is extremely high, competing with our prime lenses. I can even go as far to say that it’s probably the best zoom lens currently available on the market,” says Per Nordlund, Hasselblad Lead Optical Designer.

Like the rest of the XCD lens range, the XCD 35-75 features an integral central lens shutter, offering exposure times from 68 minutes to 1/2000s with full flash synchronisation throughout.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Review: DJI Mavic 2 Zoom

14 Apr

The post Review: DJI Mavic 2 Zoom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.

Photography is an ever evolving medium. New gear, new technology and new ways of seeing the world make it an extremely exciting time to be a photographer right now.

Over the last year or so I’ve become more and more interested in aerial photography and getting new perspectives for my work. And wouldn’t you know it, DJI just released another brand new tool for aerial photography in August of 2018. So when I had the opportunity to test it out, I didn’t hesitate. I give you…

…wait for it…

…the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom.

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Out of the box

Sleek, compact and understated; that’s how I would describe the appearance of the Mavic 2 Zoom. DJI has chosen a color scheme that should be familiar to those who have experienced the previous model upon which they have based the Mavic 2 Zoom upon – the Mavic Pro. The drone itself is dark gray with a silver belly and matching silver accents. You’ll notice that while the overall lines have been maintained, the Mavic 2 Zoom is a completely different animal when compared to its predecessor.

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The gimbal cover of the Mavic 2 has also been updated to protect the camera during transport. While easy to remove, I have to admit reattaching the gimbal cover was slightly confusing the first time I attempted it. Luckily, DJI has included a quick diagram to help with this.

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Who knows, maybe it was just me being clumsy? In any case, once you get the hang of the new gimbal cover, reattaching it becomes essentially like riding a bike.

The Mavic 2 Zoom has incorporated a set of legitimate landing and take-off lights to aid in low-light situations when the bottom-facing obstacle sensors may have difficulty discerning where the ground may be. Speaking of sensors, DJI has enhanced the Mavic 2 Zoom with Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing technology (more on that later) for side, front and rear obstacle avoidance. These sensors are readily visible throughout the breadth of the aircraft yet somehow the body of the drone doesn’t appear overly cluttered.

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The controller for the Mavic 2 Zoom has received a light makeover as well. I was happy to see the addition of the fantastic “stow and go” joysticks present on the Mavic AIR controller to this new iteration of Mavic controllers. When not in use, the joysticks can be packed away beneath the folding wings of the controller.

This makes stashing your controller in your bag much easier and less likely to snag or less ideally, break.

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Shown with joysticks attached

Most of the contact surfaces are rubberized, and the controller feels great even when using a larger smartphone like my Samsung S8 Active.

Speaking of phones, an incredibly cool feature of the Mavic 2 Zoom controller is that it charges your phone should your phone’s battery level drop to below 40% during flight. How cool is that?

Thanks for having our backs, DJI.

With that said, you will almost certainly need to remove your phone case (should you have one) to make everything fit within the controller. Of course, you might not have to, but keep that in mind before you fly.

Another feature, albeit possibly not as overtly impressive for some as it was to me, is the addition of an integrated charging cable built right into the included battery charger.

This controller is also identical and interchangeable with the controller for the Mavic 2 Zoom

This enables the user to always have a way to charge their controllers should they misplace or not have another cable to charge the controller.

With the introductions complete, let’s get down to business and see how well the Mavic 2 Zoom performs in the air.

Flight performance

In comparison to the Mavic Pro, it’s safe to say that DJI has improved virtually every area of flight performance in the Mavic 2 Zoom. They have increased the maximum speed and the overall flight time and distance capability. Even though descent/ascent speeds have remained the same as the Mavic Pro (impressive in its own right), it’s easy to see that the Mavic 2 Zoom is very much an upgrade in terms of its ability to fly further faster and with more confidence.

  • Dimensions Folded: 214×91×84 mm (length×width×height)
  • Dimensions Unfolded: 322×242×84 mm (length×width×height) with 354mm at diagonal
  • Weight: 1.99 lbs(905g) with battery and propellers attached
  • Maximum flight time: 31 minutes at constant 15.5 mph(25 kph)
  • Maximum hover time: 29 minutes(no wind)
  • Operating temperatures: 14° F to 104° F(-10°C to 40°C)
  • Maximum speed: 44.7 mph(72 kph) (S-mode)
  • Maximum ascent speed: 5 m/s (S-mode), 4 m/s (P-mode)
  • Maximum descent speed: 3 m/s (S-mode), 3 m/s (P-mode)
  • Maximum altitude: 19,685ft above sea level (6000m)

The Mavic 2 Zoom is about 2g lighter in total weight but all other performance statistics regarding speed, dimensions and flight are precisely the same as the new DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone. In fact, it’s safe to say that the Mavic 2 Zoom and Mavic 2 Pro use the same drone body. The only difference being their respective camera systems.

Don’t believe me?

Here is the Mavic 2 and Mavic 2 Zoom side by side. If you can’t tell, why should I?

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In flight, the Mavic 2 Zoom is nimble with great response time. The propellers have been redesigned to make them quieter when compared to the Mavic Pro. Unfortunately, this also means that the propellers are not interchangeable between the two aircraft. So, you won’t be able to buy a set of Mavic 2 props to quiet down your older Mavic. Sorry folks.

Acceleration is quite impressive, with stops being not overly abrupt. Of course, many of these observations depend on how you have the responsiveness of your controller configured. Speaking of that, DJI has placed the three main flight modes for the Mavic 2 Zoom on the right side of the controller. These modes are Tripod (T), Positioning (P) and Sport (S).

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When in T-mode, the speed of the drone becomes greatly reduced as well as the acceleration and deceleration making it great for slow and controlled pans. Also, all of the Mavic 2 Zoom’s Omnidirectional Obstacle sensors are enabled.

P-mode could be called the “standard” flight mode. In P-mode, all of the Intelligent Flight modes are available.

Lastly, we have blazing-fast S-mode. In sport mode, all obstacle avoidance is disabled which means you’re entirely on your own. The fun part? The Mavic 2 Zoom can then hit a top speed of nearly 45mph (72.4kph). The Mavic 2 Zoom can also allow the pilot to select from pre-programmed intelligent flight modes which are great for obtaining footage that would otherwise be difficult for the average user.

Intelligent Flight Modes

  • ActiveTrack 2.0(with improved 3D subject tracking) Capable of identifying up to 16 subjects and track 1
  • Cinematic Mode (dampens the drone’s movements for increased stability) Softens the breaking period for increased video smoothness
  • Hyperlapse Moves the drone through out the acquisition of time lapses
  • QuickShots (outlined below)
  • Points Of Interest (POI 2.0) Allows the user to choose a subject and instruct the drone to keep it in frame based on a predetermined altitude and speed while circling
  • Waypoint Navigation The Mavic 2 Zoom will fly to a series of locations chosen on the map
  • Tap-to-Fly Select a map area and the drone will automatically fly to that spot

QuickShot Intelligent Flight Modes

  • Dolly Zoom An interesting cinematic zoom effect…Hitchcock style
  • Asteroid Essentially contorts your scene into spherical illusion
  • Boomerang The drone will fly in an ellipse around the subject and automatically start and stop filming in the same place
  • Rocket The Mavic 2 Zoom will take off vertically with the camera flowing your subject
  • Circle Enables the drone to fly in a circle around the subject at a predetermined altitude and distance
  • Dronie Pre-programmed upward flight with the drone moving backward all the while tracking the subject
  • Helix The drone will upward and away while maintaining view of your subject

Zoom Zoom

If you’re like me, then I figure you’re extremely interested in the camera of the Mavic 2 Zoom. After all, unless you just like flying a drone around the sky (which is fun too), the real reason you’re doing it all is to get awesome aerial photos and videos.

The elephant in the room is, of course, the zoom feature which is the Mavic 2 Zoom’s namesake. It has a 2x optical zoom plus an additional digital zoom capability (which DJI reports being lossless) when shooting video in FHD 1080p. DJI also reports the Mavic 2 Zoom to be capable of producing images with 13-stops of dynamic range. That’s impressive.

Here’s a rundown of the major camera features from the DJI website:

  • Sensor: 12MP 1/2.3″ CMOS
  • Focal Length: 35 mm equivalent of 24-48 mm
  • Maximum Aperture: f/2.8 (24 mm) – f/3.8 (48 mm)
  • Shutter Speed Range: 8–1/8000s
  • ISO Range: 100-3200 for video, 100-1600 (auto) 100-3200 (manual) for photo
  • Internal Memory Storage: 8GB
  • Image Formats: JPEG / DNG (RAW)
  • Video Formats: MP4 / MOV (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, HEVC/H.265)
  • Video Resolution: 4K: 3840×2160 24/25/30p
    2.7K: 2688×1512 24/25/30/48/50/60p
    FHD: 1920×1080 24/25/30/48/50/60/120p

The camera of the Mavic 2 Zoom also incorporates some flashy new in-camera functionalities. It’s “Super Resolution” feature is incredibly interesting. It is essentially an onboard image stitching tool which can create images with a total resolution of approximately 48MP.

Not only that, but the Mavic 2 Zoom also sports DJI’s new “Hyperlight” mode for increasing image quality during extremely lowlight flights.

Here are a few test images made with the Mavic 2 Zoom.

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To give a better understanding of what that 24-48mm focal length actually brings you in terms of zoom capability, here are two frames for comparison. The first shot at 24mm….

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24mm at f/2.8

…and the second at 48mm

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48mm at f/3.8

Why not two more? Each one is a 1-second exposure which speaks to the stabilization of that 3-axis gimbal.

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24mm at f/2.8

Then zooming in to 48mm on that tower the distance.

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48mm at f/3.8

I feel it’s worth mentioning that those last two nighttime images were made in a well-known and open area with the drone constantly in site. Be extremely cautious should you operate any aircraft in dark conditions.

Lastly, here is a quick bit of video footage shot using the Mavic 2 Zoom and a few of its features.

Final thoughts on the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom

The ability to zoom with the camera of the Mavic 2 Zoom adds in a new flavor of excitement to an already exciting drone. The aerobatics of the DJI’s latest entry to the Mavic lineup is impressive for any drone. Especially one marketed as a “consumer grade” aircraft.

With a camera capable of all sorts of high-end feats of imagery, it’s hard to draw the line between consumer and professional performance. From the Intelligent Flight features to the increased flight time and speed, refined obstacle avoidance system and compact form factor, the Mavic 2 Zoom is very much a welcome breath of fresh air to the aerial photography and videography community. Not only does it produce excellent still images and video, but the overall experience of operating this little aircraft is an absolutely enjoyable experience.

Have you used the Mavic 2 Zoom yet? Let us know in the comments how you like it and how it compares to any other drones you might have piloted.

 

review of the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom Drone

The post Review: DJI Mavic 2 Zoom appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Adam Welch.


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Venus Optics shares details of upcoming zoom and prime cine lenses

07 Apr

Venus Optics is showing prototypes of its new Laowa cinema lenses at the NAB show in Las Vegas, and has released more details of their specification, what we should expect and a better idea of when they will be shipping. The lenses were first shown at Photokina in September, but in the meantime the company has confirmed more information regarding both models which were at a very early stage on their last outing.

The Laowa OOOM 25mm-100mm T2.9, it says, was designed with the aim of suppressing focus breathing, as well as distortion, chromatic aberrations, focus shift across the zoom range and variations in exposure – hence the fixed T2.9 aperture. The company also says that the OOOM name stands for ‘Out Of Our Minds’ and reflects the engineers ideology when it comes to lens design – meaning I suppose that the plans for the concept were ambitious. The lens has a 32mm covering circle which Venus Optics says makes it suitable for all Super 35mm aspect ratios. Using 20 elements in 16 groups the lens will have a closest focus position of 12.7in/32mm.

Venus Optics says we should expect delivery late this year at a price ‘well below USD $ 10,000’ – and that it is working on two more lenses to join it. One will be a wide angle zoom, and the other a telephoto model.

The company’s 12mm T2.9 Zero-D cine lens is also making progress, with details pointing to another late 2019 shipping date. New information on the specification shows the full frame lens will have a covering circle of 46.5mm and a 110mm filter thread. A 114mm step-up ring will be included for filmmakers to fit a rod-supported matte box onto the lens.

For more information see the Venus Optics website.

Press Release:

Laowa OOOM 25-100 t/2.9 and 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D will make their North America debut in NAB Las Vegas (Booth# C11738)

Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer who had previously launched a number of unique Laowa camera lenses, is proud to display the new prototypes of Laowa OOOM 25-100mm t/2.9 and 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D in NAB Las Vegas show (Booth#C11738) and its the first time in America.

Laowa OOOM 25-100 t/2.9 Cine

Laowa OOOM 25-100 t/2.9 Cine is a high quality cinematic zoom lenses dedicated for PL/EF cameras with Super35-sized sensors. The name “OOOM” stands for “Out Of Our Minds” which properly describes our ideology of designing lenses. Unlike some other cine zooms in the market, the OOOM 25-100mm was designed with a goal to suppress focus breathing to the minimal at the beginning. Featuring a 32mm image coverage, the new OOOM lens covers a relatively bigger image than other S35 zoom lenses and should be able to cover most of the aspect ratios of cameras with Super35 sensors. The lens can focus up to 12.7” (32cm) away from the front element, which is comparatively closer than other lenses in the market with similar zoom factor. The 20 elements in 16 groups optics design successfully suppress distortion and chromatic aberration to the minimal and deliver outstanding resolution across the frame.

The 4X zoom factor provides a great deal of flexibility to shoot in most scenarios. This lens also has a par-focal and fixed t/2.9 aperture design that both the focus point & brightness will stay unchanged throughout the whole zoom range. The focus, aperture and zoom ring feature a cine-style 0.8 Mod gear teeth for fitting with focus units or motors. An industry standard 114mm front diameter is equipped for filmmakers to fit with their own matte boxes. A focus mark calibration mechanism is incorporated for filmmakers to micro-adjustment in case of front/back focusing. A user-interchangeable PL/EF mounts are available.

Venus Optics are currently preparing a similar cinematic zoom lens with wider focal length and the other one with a more telephoto perspective. The specifications will be announced in due course.

The retail selling price of the Laowa OOOM 25-100mm t/2.9 lens is not fixed yet but it will be well below USD 10,000. It will be available to ship from late 2019.

The lens will make its US debut in the coming NAB show in Las Vegas between 6-11 Apr in Venus Optics Booth (C11738).

Laowa 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine

Laowa 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine is one of the widest and fastest available lens for shooting with large format sensors. It is designed with a 46.5mm image circle, successfully covers both full frame and Vista Vision-sized sensors. Despite the ultra-wide 122° field of view, the image is perfectly rectilinear and features a close-to-zero distortion rate. The focus flow is extended to 270° for cinematographers to also take advantage of the 0.6 feet (18cm) closest focusing distance. The lens is super lightweight (650g, 1.4lbs) and comes with a 100mm front diameter. A 114mm step up ring is included for filmmakers to fit rod supported matte box onto the lens. Both EF and PL mount will be available.

The retail pricing of the 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine is not ready yet and it will be ready to ship in around late 2019.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Huawei P30 Pro: The new benchmark for smartphone zoom

04 Apr

The P30 Pro, Huawei’s brand new high-end Android smartphone, comes with a whole bunch of innovative imaging features but to many users the most exciting one will arguably be the new device’s innovative zoom system.

The P30 Pro offers a 125mm equivalent periscope-style tele lens and uses image fusion and other computational methods for seamless zooming between the 16mm equivalent focal length of the camera’s super-wide-angle module, the 27mm primary module and the tele.

At the long end reach is extended to an approximately 250mm equivalent focal length using a super resolution algorithm that stacks several frames for increased detail capture. The camera apps even allows for a maximum 50x zoom factor but it’s probably best to limit yourself to 10x for usable results.

We’ve had a few days to try the P30 Pro’s zoom since the device was launched and are so far seriously impressed. By managing to pack an extremely useful zoom range into the thin body of a high-end smartphone the new Huawei is bound to make an important impact on mobile photography and the smartphone market alike.

At the long end reach is extended to an approximately 250mm equivalent focal length using a super resolution algorithm that stacks several frames for increased detail capture.

Let´s start by having a look at the actual zoom range that is covered by the device. The four samples below were shot form the same position, using different zoom settings in the camera app. The super-wide-angle offers, as you would expect, a very wide field-of-view. At 16MP the image is larger than the 10MP output of the primary camera and offers decent detail. There are the usual distortions and softness around the edges you would expect on such a wide lens, and some low-contrast detail is being smeared.

Overall, the camera does very well though, considering these samples were captured on a very gloomy afternoon. The exposure system deals especially well with the bright over cast sky, capturing good detail in the clouds without underexposing the landscape elements of the scene. Below are comparison images showing the difference in quality between the P20 Pro and P30 Pro (the P20 Pro didn’t offer a super-wide camera, so there’s only a P30 Pro photograph for that image).

Super-wide-angle, 16mm

At 27mm equivalent the primary camera offers a typical smartphone field-of-view. The image has a lower 10MP pixel count than the super-wide-angle output but still manages to squeeze better detail out of the scene. We are not talking DSLR-level here but detail rendering is pretty good for a smartphone and more than sufficient for any kind of web use and social sharing.

Full-size images: P20 Pro, P30 Pro

The 5x zoom level (using the primary camera as a reference) is where things get really interesting. Yes, image purists will detect some blurring of fine low contrast detail but the quality of this shot is a large step ahead of the 5x zoom output of any other current smartphone. Detail is decent, dynamic range is excellent and the corners are sharp. This is the first 5x zoom on a smartphone that is genuinely usable for general shooting.

Full-size images: P20 Pro, P30 Pro

Even the 10x setting, which combines the image capture of the tele lens with the effects of a super-resolution algorithm is capable of producing usable results. Some years ago most of us would have been happy with this kind of image out of a travel compact camera. Now you can get it from your smartphone camera, along with all the other useful functions of a high-end device.

Full-size images: P20 Pro, P30 Pro

It’s very reassuring to see that the system continues to deliver good results when light levels go down. The primary camera is actually one of the best we have seen on a smartphone in terms of low light capabilities. If you click through to the full-size version of the night show below you’ll see the camera captures excellent detail and manages to keep noise levels at bay. The exposure system also works very well, balancing the high contrast of the scene and avoiding highlight clipping in the brightest parts.

Primary camera, 27mm, night shot

Thanks to very efficient optical image stabilization and excellent image processing the tele camera still performs well in dim conditions, allowing to zoom into some architectural detail in this night shot.

Tele camera, 125mm, night shot

Detail is getting softer at the 10x zoom factor but the image below is definitely still usable in social media and smaller viewing sizes in general. Given the tele-camera has to capture and stack several frames in low light to achieve these results, this is quite an impressive feat.

Only in very dim light does the camera give up, producing severely underexposed images at the 10x zoom setting. At 5x, when no frame stacking is required, it can shoot for longer in low light, however.

Tele camera plus super-resolution, 250mm, night shot

Shooting with the tele lens that offers more than 2x or 3x magnification is an entirely new experience on a smartphone. The zoomed-in scenes look great on the P30 Pro’s large OLED display and a very efficient combination of electronic and optical image stabilization ensures easy hand-held framing at all focal lengths.

The longer lens compresses the scene a lot more than the wider conventional smartphone lenses and offers a field-of-view that most of us will be familiar with from travel compact cameras. This opens up new possibilities for smartphone photography. You can capture street scenes without getting uncomfortably close and create perspectives that simply aren’t possible with a conventional wide-angle smartphone lens.

Tele camera, 125mm
Tele camera, 125mm
Tele camera, 125mm
Tele camera, 125mm

Overall, it’s fair to say that in terms of zoom performance Huawei is currently light years ahead of the smartphone competition, and for me that’s a good enough reason to make the P30 Pro my go-to device for the foreseeable future — a least until other brands can follow suit and make similar zoom technologies available in their devices.

That said, it would be unfair to reduce the P30 Pro to its zoom system. It’s a high-end smartphone with an excellent all-around camera that shines especially in low light (as long as you stick to the primary module). You can find a wide range of samples across focal lengths and light conditions in the gallery below. For more information on specs and technologies please read our original P30 Pro news story and closer-look article.

Sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter / magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review), we do so in good faith, please don’t abuse it.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Huawei P30 Pro features super-wide-angle, 5x optical zoom and ISO 409,600

27 Mar

One year after launching the P20, Huawei has announced its new P-series high-end smartphone models: the P30 and P30 Pro. As usual, the Chinese manufacturer is at the forefront of smartphone camera development and the P30 Pro in particular has some real innovation to offer in the camera department.

The top-of-the-line device comes with a triple-camera setup (Huawei calls it a quad-camera, counting the time-of-flight (ToF) sensor), covering a focal length range that has previously been unheard of on a smartphone. The primary camera features a 1/1.7 40MP quad sensor that puts out 10MP images. The optically stabilized lens comes with an 27mm-equivalent focal length and F1.6 aperture. If you want to go wider there is also a 20MP 16mm-equivalent super-wide-angle option but the P30 Pro’s real highlight is the stabilized 5x (125mm-equivalent) periscope-style tele-camera with folded optics.

Huawei P30 Pro

The concept is very similar to OPPO’s prototype zoom system and allows for a much longer reach than would be possible with a conventional lens in a thin smartphone body. In addition Huawei also uses clever software algorithms to further enhance the P30 Pro’s zoom performance. In combination with a super resolution algorithm which merges several RAW frames into one high-resolution image that is then cropped to produce a zoomed image, a maximum zoom factor of 50x can be reached.

During the presentation Huawei CEO Richard Yu also put a lot of emphasis on the the camera´s low light capability, claiming a maximum ISO of 409,600 and the capability to capture well-exposed images in near darkness (1 Lux). This is made possible through the use of an RYYB sensor in the primary camera. According to Huawei the chip is 40 percent more light sensitive than a conventional RGB sensor. Combined with OIS and a fast F1.6 aperture the new Huawei should be one of the best performing smartphone cameras in low light we have seen.

There is also an improved portrait mode that creates a background-blurring bokeh effect. A first depth-map is created using data from the super-wide and primary cameras. It is then refined with the help of the ToF-laser that can precisely measure subject distance in all ligh conditions. Other imaging innovations include adaptive frame rates in video mode – the camera shoots at 60fps in bright light and with camera motion and reduces to 30fps in lower light or when the camera is held still – and HDR video recording on the front camera.

Other key specs include a Kirin 980 chipset, 8GB RAM, a 6.47-inch display with minimal bezels and FHD+ resolution as well as a 4,200mAh battery with fast charging. The Huawei P30 Pro is available from today but unfortunately isn’t quite a bargain. Pricing ranges from 999 ($ 1130) Euros for the 128GB version. You’ll have to invest 1249 Euros ($ 1410) for the 512GB top-of-the-range model.

Huawei P30 Pro key camera specifications:

  • Triple-camera setup
  • Primary: 40MP, 1/1.7-inch quad sensor; F1.6 aperture, OIS, 27mm-equivalent
  • Tele: 8MP sensor, folded optics with F3.4 aperture, OIS, 125mm-equivalent
  • Super-wide: 20MP, F2.2 aperture, 16mm-equivalent
  • PDAF/Time-of-flight (ToF) autofocus
  • LED flash
  • 32MP front camera, 26mm equivalent, F2 aperture, HDR video
Huawei P30

The P30 is the Pro version’s mode affordable cousin. In the camera department it lacks the 5x optical zoom and comes with a similar camera setup to last year’s Mate 20 Pro. The primary camera uses the same sensor as the Pro but has to make do without an OIS system. The super-wide comes with a lower 16MP resolution and the conventional tele ‘only’ offers an 80mm equivalent focal length.

Other differences include a smaller 6.1-inch OLED display and a lower capacity 3650 mAh battery. The Huawei P30 comes with 6>GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and will set you back 799 Euros ($ 900).

Huawei P30 key camera specifications:

  • Triple-camera setup
  • Primary: 40MP, 1/1.7-inch quad sensor; F1.8 aperture, 27mm-equivalent
  • Tele: 8MP sensor, F2.4 aperture, OIS, 80mm-equivalent
  • Super-wide: 16MP sensor, F2.2-aperture, 16mm-equivalent
  • PDAF/Time-of-flight (ToF) autofocus
  • LED flash

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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OPPO teases Reno device, shows 10x zoom samples

14 Mar

OPPO has been talking about its 10x periscope smartphone zoom lens for what seems like an eternity but now we are finally seeing some action after all the talk. The Chinese brand will be launching its new OPPO Reno line of devices on the 10th of April and has been teasing some information ahead of the event.

We’ve seen an allegedly official image of the device that shows the triple-camera with 48MP main module and 10 x periscope zoom on the rear posted on the social network Weibo. Other specs are so far largely unknown but it seems there will be models with Snapdragon 710 and 855 chipsets and a large 4,000+ mAh battery.

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The company has also posted a number of images combining an image captured with the wide-angle camera with an inlay from the 10x zoom. The images are not full size, so aren’t any useful for judging image detail, but they do give you a pretty good idea of the range of focal lengths that the camera will be covering. And if the samples are anything to go by 2019 might be the year in which the long range smartphone zoom will be taking off.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CP+ 2019: Olympus shows super-tele zoom and 2.0 TC under glass

03 Mar

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm 1:4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO

Olympus announced its intent to make a 150-400mm F4.5 zoom back in January. There was a demonstration sample on show at CP+ in Yokohama. The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm 1:4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO has a name that matches its considerable size.

Features (of some sort) galore

The side of the lens shows five switches, which we’d expect to give direct access to AF/MF, IS, focus limiting and two other things. Possibly including the control to engage and disengage the 1.25x teleconveter that’s built in. Bringing the TC into the optical path turns the lens into a 187.5-500mm F5.6. That’s 375-1000mm F11 equivalent, if those numbers aren’t already big enough for you.

Sensibly sized

Considering the range it covers it’s a relatively compact lens. While it’s easy to point out that it’s an F9 or F11 equivalent, it’s worth remembering that there aren’t many 300-800mm/375-1000mm lenses for other formats. If you need that impressive reach in a lens that you can actually pick up, this will be one of the only options.

There’s a predictably large lens hood/bucket to go with it.

Who’s it for?

Olympus says the lens will be available in 2020 and is intended for sport, wildlife and bird photographers.

M.Zuiko Digital 2x Teleconverter MC-20

Also on show was a non-built-in teleconverter: the MC-20, which will be available in Summer 2019. This doubles the focal length of a lens it’s attached to, but at the cost of 2 stops of light. The MC-20 can be used with 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO as well as the existing M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm F4.0 IS PRO and M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F2.8 PRO.

Combined with the forthcoming zoom and its internal teleconverter, we believe you’d get a 375-1000mm F11 lens (equivalent to a 750-2000mm F22 lens on full frame). Though the combination seems rather specialist.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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OPPO has started mass production of 10x zoom smartphone camera module

27 Feb

OPPO has been teasing its periscope-design smartphone tele lens for two years now, but those who expected a product launch at MWC 2019 were disappointed once again. That said, we now at least know when a production device with the company’s 10x zoom system will be commercially available.

OPPO announced it has started mass production of the system and will launch a device with the 10x zoom camera in the second quarter of this year. There’s a slight caveat though: unlike most manufacturers, OPPO bases the zoom factor on the 16mm equivalent super-wide-angle. The tele lens comes with a 160mm equivalent focal length, hence a 10x zoom.

A rendered illustration from the above video showing the construction of the optical elements and sensor inside the periscope-style zoom lens.

Most other manufacturers don’t include the super-wide-angle in the zoom factor and instead use the primary camera, which on the OPPO model comes with a 48MP sensor and likely a 28mm focal length, as a reference.

The periscope design features a prism that reflects incoming light by 90 degrees and makes it possible to include such a ‘long’ lens in a thin smartphone body. The prism is also used for image stabilization. The primary comes with OIS as well and OPPO says the system is 73 percent more efficient than the previous iteration.

In addition the engineers have been able to maintain the dimensions of the older 5x prototype system, despite adding a super-wide-angle and using larger sensors.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Tokina releases 16-28mm wide zoom with constant F2.8 aperture

23 Feb

Lens manufacturer Tokina has officially released details, price and on-sale dates for the Opera 16-28mm F2.8 lens it first showcased at Photokina last September. Expected to ship mid-March the full-frame wide angle zoom will cost $ 699 and will be available in two versions for Canon EF and Nikon F DSLR mounts.

The lens joins the previously-released 50mm F1.4 in the Opera series. Tokina says it used the Opera name as it hopes these lenses will help photographers to create works of art. The company also says that these lenses are not designed to be small and lightweight but with image quality as a priority.

Using 15 elements in 13 groups the Opera 16-28mm F2.8 weighs 940g (~2lb) and measures 89 x 133.5mm. It also offers a nine-bladed iris for improved rendering of out-of-focus highlights and an upgraded AF system that is claimed to be both faster and more accurate than the original AT-X 16-28mm F2.8 PRO FX.

See the Tokina website for more information, and B&H Photo for sample shots taken with the lens and a first impressions review.

Press Release

New Tokina opera 16-28mm F2.8 FF

Inspired by the focal length and aperture of the widely acknowledged Tokina AT-X 16-28mm F2.8 PRO FX lens, Tokina opera 16-28mm F2.8 FF has been developed with the same concept as the already released opera 50mm F1.4 FF, to offer the photographers another contemporary tool for professional photography.

Super wide angle, superior resolving ability coupled with high contrast and beautiful bokeh rendering, fast f/2.8 constant aperture throughout the zoom range and accurate AF drive system make this lens attractive for photographers who specialize in landscape, interior architect, documentary, environmental style portrait and night sky/time lapse photography genres.

Sales start date worldwide: March 15th, 2019

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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