The Panasonic S5 is a 24MP full-frame mirrorless camera built around the same sensor as the Panasonic S1, but in a smaller, more affordable body. In fact, despite having a full-frame sensor, the S5 is smaller in every dimension than its Micro Four Thirds sibling, the GH5. Aiming to appeal to both photographers and videographers, it includes updates to Panasonic’s DFD autofocus system, new creative photo modes, and video features that come close to matching both the GH5 and the much more expensive S1H.
Key specifications:
24.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor with no AA filter
Up to 4K/60p (APS-C), full-frame oversampled 4K/30p all with 4:2:2 10-bit color
Panasonic contrast-detect DFD AF with improved face, body and head detection
2.36M dot OLED EVF w/ 0.74x magnification
3” 1.84M dot fully articulating touchscreen
Dual SD card slots (1x UHS-II, 1x UHS-I)
96MP high-resolution mode
7 fps burst shooting (5 fps with continuous autofocus)
2.4/5Ghz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with one-touch image transfer
Dust and splash resistant
460 shots per charge when used with EVF
Whereas Panasonic’s first-generation full-frame cameras were somewhat niche-driven, the S5 is more of an all-around generalist, with a body and price point that more directly competes with the likes of the Nikon Z6 and Sony a7 III. For videographers, it’s a bit like a full-frame GH5 or a mini S1H, while photographers should benefit from an updated AF system and a variety of photography-focused performance enhancements.
The S5 will be available around mid-September for $ 1999 body-only, or $ 2299 with the Lumix S 20-60mm F3.5.5.6 lens.
Watch DPReview TV’s first impressions review of the Panasonic S5.
What’s new and how it compares
The S5 shares many video features with the S1H, adds some creative photo modes for stills shooters and gets an updated DFD autofocus system.
Read more
Body controls and handling
This is Panasonic’s most compact full-frame camera to date. See what’s different about it, and why it will get even better through firmware.
Read more
Initial impressions
The S5 is Panasonic’s first compact full-frame camera. Find out why we think that’s a good move and what we think of it so far.
Read more
Sample gallery
See some scenes of summer around Seattle in our Panasonic S5 sample gallery.
Posts with images get 650% more engagement than those without. For this simple reason, stock photos are in high demand and it’s unlikely that demand will be going away anytime soon — and that’s just content writers. Designers, artists, and other creatives always need new design assets and content for their work. This has given rise to a number of Continue Reading
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The Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 is a less-expensive addition to the company’s full-frame range of L-mount mirrorless cameras. It’s smaller and lighter than the existing models and is designed for both stills and video shooting.
It’s based around the same 24MP BSI CMOS sensor as the S1 but as far as the rest of the specification goes it differs in a number of ways. Panasonic promises some autofocus improvements over the existing cameras (at least until firmware updates are issued for the other models). The company highlights ‘ambitious amateur photographers’ and ‘video creators’ as users who’ll appreciate the camera.
Ergonomics
The S5 is noticeably smaller than the S1, S1R or S1H. In fact it’s even a fraction smaller than the company’s Micro Four Thirds video powerhouse the Lumix DC-GH5. It’s around 30% lighter than the S1.
This reduction is size has been made possible by a couple of design changes. The use of a smaller battery and the absence of an LCD settings panel on the top of the camera are the most significant.
The body is still made from magnesium alloy and features extensive weather-sealing measures (though Panasonic doesn’t claim the same level of freeze resistance as its bigger models).
Viewfinder and screens
Another area in which the S5 has been simplified is the camera’s display panel specs. It uses a 2.36M-dot OLED EVF, which is comparatively low by contemporary standards, alongside a 3.0″ 1.84M-dot rear LCD. The greater emphasis on video/stills shooting means that rear screen features a hinge for full articulation, rather than the twin-hinged panel well-liked for stills shooting on the S1.
For comparison, the S1 has a 5.76M-dot EVF and 3.2″ 2.1M-dot LCD.
Sensor and stabilization
The S5 uses the same 24MP sensor as the S1 and S1H, with no anti-aliasing filter. It’s a dual-gain chip, which Panasonic describes as having ‘Automatic Dual Native ISO.’ As with the S1, Nikon Z6 and Sony a7 III, this means it switches to a higher gain readout mode (with less read noise) for its higher ISO modes. Unlike the S1H, you can’t choose which gain mode to use for the ISOs around the switching point.
Like the S1, the S5 features a 5-axis in-body image stabilization system rated as giving 5 stops of correction, and this system can work collaboratively with in-lens stabilization systems to provide 6.5EV of correction with ‘Dual IS 2’ lenses.
The S5 can shoot at up to 5 frames per second with continuous autofocus or 7 fps with just a single AF acquisition.
High Resolution and High Dynamic Range modes
When mounted on a tripod the S5 can use its stabilization system to shoot a sequence of 8 images, each a little offset from the last and these images can then be combined into a 96MP high-res image. Unlike the S1, the new camera can directly produce a JPEG result, rather than being limited to generating a Raw file.
As on previous Panasonic cameras, there’s a mode that prioritizes maximum resolution and a second that compares the images for movement that’s happened between shots, and uses single image data for the parts of the scene where movement has occurred. The latest implementation can use shutter speeds as long as eight seconds per frame, up from a single second on the older cameras.
The S5 also provides the option to shoot Hybrid Log Gamma still images, which contain more dynamic range than conventional JPEGs, for viewing on HDR TVs that can show brighter whites and a wider range of tonal information.
Card slots, connections and connectivity
The S5 has two SD card slots, one of which has a UHS-II interface, the other of which uses the slower UHS-I type.
As you’d expect, the S1 has both mic and headphone sockets. The mic input can accept typical mic levels or line level inputs, with the option to provide power to the external mic if needed. The camera has a ‘micro’ Type D HDMI port, rather than the full-sized Type A port on the other S-series cameras.
The S5 also includes dual-band Wi-Fi, allowing faster 5GHz connections to Wi-Fi networks or 2.4GHz connections to smartphones.
Video specifications
Despite being a less expensive model, the S5 offers an impressive video spec. Like the S1, it shoots full-frame UHD 4K footage at up to 30p or UHD 4K at up to 60p from a Super 35 (~APS-C) crop or a native 3840×2160 pixel region (a slightly greater, 1.56x crop).
Most notably, it includes the ability to capture V-Log footage, for people who need flexibility when they color-grade their footage. It can shoot 10-bit video, with 4:2:2 chroma sub-sampling in modes up to 30p and 4:2:0 for its 60p capture. It can also capture Hybrid Log Gamma footage optimized for HDR displays. Available codecs and bitrates are essentially the same as those of the Panasonic S1 with the optional Log upgrade installed.
The camera can shoot for up to 30 minutes when shooting 4K at 50 or 60p, or when capturing 10-bit 4K footage. There are no limits on its capture at 30p or slower. Panasonic says this is based on testing at 40°C (104°F) and that extreme temperatures could eventually cause the camera to stop recording.
Improved Autofocus (stills)
One of the major features is the camera’s improved autofocus. The biggest changes come when shooting bursts of stills. Panasonic says it found a way to re-work its subject recognition algorithm in a way that lets the AF system perform more Depth-from-Defocus calculations. This reduces the amount of hunting (and distracting viewfinder flutter) when performing continuous AF.
In addition to being able to use DFD more, the S5 also gains human head recognition, on top of the body, face and eye recognition that were already offered. This helps make sure that subject tracking doesn’t lose your subject or switch to a different person if your original subject turns away from the camera.
AF in stills is also based on reading the sensor out faster, which improves the speed at which it can recognize subjects. Other improvements allow it to recognize subjects that are smaller in the frame, better-recognize faces if they’re tilted to one side, and recognize eyes when subjects are side-on to the camera.
Improved Autofocus (video)
The video autofocus also benefits from the addition of head recognition and a faster recognition algorithm, in terms of the camera focusing on the correct subject. There are some responsiveness and stability improvements, too, but much of this applies primarily to the Super35 footage, which has faster read-out rates.
Some of the improved stability of the focus should extend to its full-frame 24p capture (which uses the camera’s slowest readout mode), but not necessarily the improved responsiveness.
Battery
The S5 uses a new battery called the DMW-BLK22. It’s a similar size to the one used in the GH5, but a slightly different shape, meaning older batteries won’t work in the S5 (though the new batteries will work in the older cameras). Conversely, the new external charger can be used to charge batteries both new and old, but the new BLK22 batteries won’t fit in the chargers supplied with older cameras.
Panasonic DC-S5
New DMW-BTC15 drop-in charger
Panasonic GH5, GH5S, G9
Existing BTC10 or BTC13 chargers
New BLK22 Battery
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Incompatible
Existing BLF19 Battery
Incompatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
It’s a 15.8 Wh battery that powers the camera to a rating of 440 shots per charge when using the rear LCD and 470 shots per charge when using the viewfinder. The S5 can be charged or powered using USB-PD compatible chargers and power banks over its USB Type-C socket.
Summary
Overall, the S5 looks like an interesting addition to Panasonic’s S-series. Its launch price makes it a much more direct competitor to the likes of the Nikon Z6 and Sony a7 III, though it inevitably initially looks expensive next to these cameras (and even the better specced S1) given they’ve been on the market for more than 18 months and have dropped away from their MSRPs.
We’re told the other Panasonics will receive the autofocus improvements of the S5 by the end of 2020, but for now the S5 adds yet another competent-looking stills/video hybrid camera to the mix. Especially as Panasonic has already said that the S5 will receive a free update adding DCI 4K, Raw video output and shutter angle control at a later date.
The Panasonic S5 includes important upgrades to its autofocus system, but how much do those improvements extend to video? We put it to the test, shooting side-by-side against the S1H, to find out.
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Skylum Software has increasingly utilized artificial intelligence in its editing software, including its flagship raw photo editing software, Luminar. Skylum has used AI for tasks such as automatically adjusting the color and exposure of an image and even replacing the entire sky in an image. With the newly-announced version of Luminar, aptly dubbed LuminarAI, Skylum has taken the implementation of AI even further.
Skylum has designed LuminarAI to automate as much of the photo editing process as possible while never removing the user from making creative decisions with their images. The idea is to streamline the process and make photo editing more accessible for beginners while offering even more powerful editing tools for experienced users. As Skylum puts it, LuminarAI uses artificial intelligence to remove ‘boring and complex tasks without sacrificing professional quality.’
Image credit: Skylum Software
Of LuminarAI, Skylum CPO Dima Sytnik says, ‘LuminarAI will bring an entirely new, non-conventional approach to the world of photo editing, focusing on the results instead of the process. We’ve designed LuminarAI from the ground up to change how people interact with their images. We’re really excited to see what LuminarAI can do for creatives everywhere.’
Artificial intelligence begins operating as soon as you select an image in LuminarAI. The software analyzes your image and recommends certain templates to help improve a specific image. Although AI is present throughout the entire process, you retain complete control over which edits are made and how they are applied.
LuminarAI can automatically crop and straighten your images via CompositionAI and automatically adjusts exposure and color via AccentAI, a feature longtime Luminar users will recognize. To add detail and texture to your image, LuminarAI includes StructureAI.
LuminarAI includes SkinAI to easily retouch skin and remove blemishes. There is also IrisAI, allowing the user to quickly enhance a subject’s eyes. Image credit: Skylum Software
The portrait retouching process includes numerous new AI-powered tools for photographers. If you’d like to change the shape or relative size of parts of the subject, you can utilize BodyAI and FaceAI to gently sculpt. If eyes are truly the window to the soul, you’ll want to use IrisAI to enhance a subject’s eyes. Skin retouching is often a time-consuming process in software such as Photoshop, but in LuminarAI, Skylum includes SkinAI to quickly remove imperfections and blemishes in the skin without making the subject look fake or unnatural.
Image credit: Skylum Software
Landscape photographers will be able to enhance the sky in their image with the existing Sky Enhancer feature, but there’s a new AtmosphereAI tool as well to add additional details to the sky. Of course, you will still be able to entirely replace the sky in your photo using SkyAI in LuminarAI. Within SkyAI, you can add warmth to the scene and even add rays of light.
LuminarAI includes numerous features aimed at enhancing landscape images. You can replace the sky, add rays of light, add warmth to the scene, enhance the sky and more. Image credit: Skylum Software
LuminarAI is releasing this holiday for macOS and Windows. The software will be available as both a standalone application and as a plug-in. To learn more about LuminarAI and to preorder via early-bird pricing, visit Skylum’s new LuminarAI page.
Canon Australia has announced the release of the PIXMA PRO-200, Canon’s latest professional desktop photo printer.
Although the PRO-200 is the successor of the PIXMA PRO-100, it takes its design cues from Canon’s more advanced imagePROGRAF lineup, and looks indistinguishable from the imagePROGRAF PRO-300, aside from a few small details.
The new A3+ printer features a new eight-color dye ink system, an increase in two cartridges from the PRO-100 and one fewer catridges than the imagePROGRAF PRO-300. Canon says a standard high-quality A3+ (11”x14”) bordered color print can be completed in 90 seconds and the printer now features better media capabilities, with ‘the ability for professional photographers to print on a range of photo paper surfaces and finishes up to 0.6mm thickness in addition to producing panorama size prints and gallery wrap support functions.’
The maximum print resolution is 4800 (horizontal) by 2400 (vertical) dpi and printing is done via 6,144 total nozzles (768 per ink color).
The PRO-200 offers three connection methods: Wi-Fi, ethernet and USB, and has a three-inch LCD display on the front to view settings, ink capacities and navigate through the menu. It measures in at 639mm (25.2”) by 379mm (15”) by 200mm (7.9”) and weighs approximately 14.1kg (32lbs).
No mention of pricing or availability has been made at this time, but you can peruse the product page on Canon Australia’s website. We’ve contacted Canon for additional details and will update the article accordingly if we receive a response.
The post Tips For Making Someone Comfortable in Front of the Camera appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.
For many photographers, making someone comfortable in front of the camera is a huge challenge. It’s often so difficult that they shy away from photographing people altogether. Or they only photograph people candidly with a long lens.
Much has been written about camera control, composition, and other aspects of photography. These things require no relationship skills.
But when you photograph people, making your subject comfortable is often essential.
When a person does not like having their photo taken, it shows in their expression. Your camera captures this. That’s why you need to help your subject overcome their anxiety about being photographed (which is particularly difficult for shy photographers).
Here are fifteen tips for making someone comfortable in front of your camera.
Tip #1: Provide instructions before the photo session
Prepare your subject before the photo shoot. Talk about what they will wear. Suggest the best time of day.
Take into account the timing. Will they be needing to rush away to another appointment? Having plenty of time is helpful.
Turning up to a portrait session with no ideas is not a good way of making someone comfortable. Talk with your subject prior to the photo session and share some of your ideas.
Talk with them about what they want. Tell them your ideas for the portrait session, and ask if they have anything specific in mind.
Be positive, even if you don’t like what they are suggesting. If you follow through with their suggestions, it will help them feel included. They’ll then be more likely to relax and enjoy themselves.
Tip #3: Choose a good location where your subject will be comfortable
You may use a certain location because you love it. But your subject may not like it at all. Check with them first.
There’s no point picking a place to photograph that will make your subject uncomfortable.
Often, it’s best to find somewhere away from where other people will be. If your subject is uncomfortable being photographed, they will not want to do the session in a location where others can see the process.
Arrive at the location of your photo session plenty of time before your subject does. Scope out the location. How is the lighting? What will be in the background? Figure out the best combination of these things and some places to position the person you’re photographing.
This may not seem relevant to making someone comfortable, but it is. The more you can sort out these issues in advance, the more you’ll be able to give your attention to your subject when they arrive.
Make sure your camera equipment is set and ready to use. Are your camera batteries charged? Do you have enough space on your cards? Will you need to use your flash or a reflector?
Know what exposure mode you’ll use. Set up your camera as much as possible before the person you’re photographing even arrives.
Having your gear set and ready to use allows you to concentrate more on your subject and on other aspects of photography. Making someone comfortable requires you to pay more attention to the subject than to your camera.
Be there for your subject and let them know it. Don’t rush in and start taking photos immediately. Spending time having a conversation will help them relax and build confidence in you.
Focus the conversation on them and keep it positive. Don’t discuss how difficult it was to find parking, and don’t discuss politics. These topics are not uplifting and will not help make someone comfortable.
Show you are interested in who they are. Asking people questions shows you care about your subject and will help build their confidence.
Explain to your subject that when they’re stressed, this will show in the photographs. You know they need to relax and why, but they may not know this. You need to take some time to explain it to them.
People often don’t look the same way in a photograph as they do in the mirror. Even if they’re stressed and see their reflection in a mirror, it’s different than the way they will look when being photographed if they are not relaxed. They will not like what they see in the photos. It’s vital that you overcome this, and explaining your reasons will often help matters.
If you get the sense that a person is uncomfortable being photographed, talk to them about it before the photo session. Then remind them again before you start taking photos. Give them time to think about what you’ve said and continue your conversation. It’s almost like giving someone a mental massage to help their mind relax.
Frequently commenting on how good a person looks will help them have confidence and feel more relaxed. Be careful to be genuine. Notice moments when your subject is more open and carefree. These are the times to compliment them as you are taking their photographs.
Tell them how happy you are with the photos you are taking. Talk to them about their smile and how good their hair looks. Mention positive aspects about the clothing they have chosen. Talk about how nice they look in a certain pose.
Don’t overdo the compliments or you’ll start to sound fake. Keep it balanced and be gentle but honest if something doesn’t look right.
You can almost always find some aspect of a person’s hair or clothing that needs a little tweaking. Even when you can’t see anything out of place, tweak anyway!
Paying attention to these details and putting them right does two things. It’ll make your photos better, and it will help make your subject comfortable. They will feel good that you’re paying attention to them and you’re focused on making them look good.
Put a little distance between your camera and your subject. Getting too close may not be comfortable for them. Using a 105mm or 135mm lens will provide a convenient distance.
Don’t use a monster of a lens. This can be intimidating. It’s one reason I am not a fan of 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms; they are so bulky and can be off-putting.
A little further into the photo session, you can consider coming in closer with a 50mm or 35mm lens. The person you’re photographing will need to feel good about you being this close. If they are comfortable at closer distances, your photos will be more intimate than ones taken with a long lens.
Tip #11: Show your subject the photos you’re taking
The monitor on the back of a digital camera is a great tool for making someone comfortable. When you show them how good they’re looking, it’ll build their confidence.
This young woman was surprisingly uncomfortable when I came to photograph her and some of her friends. She was part of a drama group, and I’d observed her confidence on stage in front of a crowd. But the self-assurance was missing when she was in front of my camera for the first time. Once I’d taken a few good photos, I showed them to her. She was impressed, so she immediately relaxed and enjoyed the photo session greatly.
Take time to do what you do well. Don’t be in a rush. Work carefully. Check your camera settings. Review your photos and make changes when you need to. Don’t work so fast you miss when you are making mistakes (because they will happen).
Plan for the photo session to last more time than you think it will. If you have extra time at the end, buy the person you’re photographing a coffee. This might be another opportunity for a few more nice pictures of them.
Use props or another person to help draw attention away from yourself and your camera. When someone is nervous about being photographed, it can help when they are distracted. They are more likely to look relaxed and natural when they are not paying attention to your camera.
When photographing a bride at a wedding, I’d often get the groom to stand just behind me and have him talk to his bride. There’s no way I’d get the same look from a bride as when she’s looking at her groom.
For this photo, I asked the subject to pretend to talk on her phone, as I thought this might help. It worked very well. Later she told me that she had actually called a friend and was talking to her, so she was totally distracted.
Have a nice manner and be positive; this will help you inject some fun into the photo session. When people are happy and relaxed, you’ll certainly get better photos of them.
Come up with some things that you can talk about or funny stories you can tell. Try to laugh together when things don’t go exactly as planned. If you have a positive attitude, this will rub off on the person you are photographing.
Tip #15: Be confident and your subject will be confident in return
Confidence in what you are doing is vital. Don’t be brash and boastful. Don’t bamboozle people with your photography knowledge or with how good your camera is. Just use your camera with certainty. If you are stressed and nervous yourself, the person you are photographing will feel uncomfortable.
Being quietly confident in what you’re doing, even if you’re a shy photographer, will help your subjects relax. Your mood and attitude will be reflected back to you by the people you are photographing.
Making someone comfortable is as important as getting your camera settings correct. So often I see portraits of people where it’s obvious they were not relaxed. As a photographer, it’s your mission to ensure the person you’re taking pictures of looks good. Much of this depends on how relaxed and confident the subject feels.
And I am not satisfied with the portraits I take unless my subject is, too.
Let me know in the comments below which of these tips you find the most helpful. Please also share other techniques you use for making someone comfortable when you are photographing them.
The post Tips For Making Someone Comfortable in Front of the Camera appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.
On Tuesday, Microsoft introduced Video Authenticator, a new AI-powered tool that analyzes still images and videos to determine the likelihood that they feature digital manipulation. The tool is designed to address the growing problem of ‘deepfakes,’ a type of highly realistic manipulated content generated or modified by artificial intelligence systems.
Deepfake refers to images, videos and audio modified using AI tools. Though this technology can be used creatively, it is most associated with manipulating media to present something that didn’t happen in real life. This could include, for example, a video of a politician saying something they never said or doing something they never did.
Because these deepfakes are created using machine learning algorithms, the resulting content is typically very high quality and difficult (or impossible) for someone to discern from authentic media just by looking at it or listening to it. The solution to AI manipulation is another AI trained to spot the changes.
Microsoft has introduced Video Authenticator under its Defending Democracy Program, pointing out that dozens of ‘foreign influence campaigns’ targeting countries around the world have been identified in the past several years. These campaigns are intended to manipulate the public into certain beliefs or ideologies; others attempt to stir up debate and further polarize groups against each other.
Of 96 different campaigns identified (PDF) in part with support from Microsoft, 93% of them involved original content, which can be particularly difficult to detect. Microsoft explains that while ‘no single technology will solve the challenge of helping people decipher what is true and accurate,’ its Video Authenticator is an important tool that will help counteract disinformation by detecting subtle evidence of AI involvement in its creation.
Though Video Authenticator isn’t a long-term solution to what is inevitably an evolving technology, Microsoft explains that ‘in the short run, such as the upcoming U.S. election, advanced detection technologies can be a useful tool to help discerning users identify deepfakes.’
Video Authenticator works by analyzing every frame in a video, as well as still images, and assigning them a ‘percentage chance,’ also called a confidence score, that indicates its likelihood of having been manipulated. When analyzing videos, Video Authenticator presents users with a realtime percentage for each frame.
In a sample provided by Microsoft, the tool isn’t able to detect evidence of manipulation in every frame; some pass without triggering the system, while others may have enough greyscale elements, blending boundaries, subtle fading or other aspects to trigger the detection system.
Ultimately, Video Authenticator is just the start. Microsoft explains:
We expect that methods for generating synthetic media will continue to grow in sophistication. As all AI detection methods have rates of failure, we have to understand and be ready to respond to deepfakes that slip through detection methods. Thus, in the longer term, we must seek stronger methods for maintaining and certifying the authenticity of news articles and other media. There are few tools today to help assure readers that the media they’re seeing online came from a trusted source and that it wasn’t altered.
Microsoft isn’t making Video Authenticator available to the public in order to protect it against manipulation that may hamper the effort.
Video Authenticator is the latest example of a deep learning algorithm designed to counter the negative use of other AI algorithms. Last year, for example, Adobe Research and UC Berkeley introduced a method for detecting subtle face manipulations made using the Face Aware Liquify tool in Photoshop.
Conversely, we’ve also seen AI-based technologies that empower users to better protect themselves in this new digital landscape. Most recently, researchers with the University of Chicago SAND Lab released a free tool that uses AI to subtly ‘cloak’ images of one’s own face in order to poison facial recognition algorithms trained to recognize them.
Nearly one year after its development announcement (which was itself a year after the original idea of producing an F1.0 XF lens), we’ve gotten our hands on a pre-production copy of the Fujifilm XF 50mm F1.0 R WR. Offering a 75mm-equivalent field of view, it’s the fastest-aperture mirrorless lens with autofocus that we’ve yet seen, and of course, offers wonderfully smooth blurred backgrounds for whatever subject you’re pointing it at. Take a look through our sample gallery to get a sense of how it performs.
Fujifilm has formally announced its XF 50mm F1.0 R WR portrait prime lens, the world’s first F1.0 lens for mirrorless cameras that includes autofocus capability. It’s also the 35th lens Fujifilm has developed for its lineup of X-series cameras.
The XF 50mm F1.0 has 12 elements in nine groups, and contains one aspherical element and two extra-low dispersion (ED) elements. It has a rounded diaphragm and its wide maximum aperture means that, paired with Fujifilm’s X-Pro3 and X-T4 cameras, users can autofocus at a luminance level of -7EV. That’s dimmer than a night lit by a quarter moon.
The wide, focus-by-wire focus ring gives users 120° of rotation, allowing for precise movements. It weighs in at 845g (1.86lb), and is dust, moisture and freeze resistant down to temperatures of -10°C (14°F).
Fujifilm says the XF 50mm F1.0 R WR will be available in Fall 2020 at a price of $ 1499 USD ($ 2000 CAD).
Press release:
Heralding a new age of portrait photography: FUJINON XF50mmF1.0 R WR Lens
Introducing the world’s first F1.0 lens with Autofocus*1
Valhalla, N.Y. – September 3, 2020 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the FUJINON XF50mmF1.0 R WR Lens (hereafter “XF50mmF1.0 R WR”), the world’s first autofocus lens with a maximum aperture of F1.0, designed for mirrorless cameras. The XF50mmF1.0 R WR is the 35th interchangeable lens for the lineup of X Series digital cameras.
“We’re really excited about the XF50mmF1.0 R WR,” said Victor Ha, senior director of marketing and product management for the Electronic Imaging Division of FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “Not only is it the fastest interchangeable lens Fujifilm has ever produced, but it’s also an incredible tool for visual storytellers to use in telling their stories because its autofocus can achieve critical focus at very shallow depth of fields.”
XF50mmF1.0 R WR Features:
Achieves an Incredibly Shallow Depth-of-Field
The XF50mmF1.0 R WR consists of 12 lens elements in nine groups and also contains one aspherical element and two extra-low dispersion (ED) elements to achieve optimum control of spherical aberration. Used at or near to its maximum F1.0 aperture, XF50mmF1.0 R WR can produce an astonishingly narrow depth-of-field. Its precision-engineered, rounded diaphragm produces large, smooth bokeh for a professional look. Use this new power in selective focus to keep only the subject’s eyes in focus and to create captivating, close-up character images. “But it’s not just for portraits,” said Ha. “Take this lens out onto the street or into a lifestyle session and you’ll turn cluttered locations into clean backdrops with unrivaled subject separation.”
More Options in Low-Light Conditions
The very wide, maximum aperture on XF50mmF1.0 R WR means there are more options when it comes to making images in low-light conditions. At night, or in darkened interiors, XF50mmF1.0 R WR offers the widest apertures yet seen on an XF Lens, allowing more light to be drawn in when capturing your image. The FUJINON XF50mmF1.0 R WR lens also easily achieves fast shutter speeds that freeze movement and keep ISO settings lower for detail-rich results. Alternatively, combine high ISO settings with the F1.0 aperture for incredible versatility and use in other low-light applications like astrophotography.
World’s First F1.0 Autofocus Lens for Mirrorless Cameras
As the world’s first autofocus F1.0 lens made for any mirrorless system, including full-frame, XF50mmF1.0 R WR brings more light to the sensor than any previous XF lens, making it possible for the autofocus to operate on FUJIFILM X-Pro3 and X-T4 cameras at -7EV luminance level. Leaving behind a previous limit of -6EV luminance level with other XF lenses X Series users now have fast and precise low-light autofocus, even in near-darkness. With the added benefits of on-sensor Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF), Face/Eye AF and a powerful DC (direct current) motor, precise and fast autofocus at shallow depths of field is now also a possibility.
120° of Precise Focus
To make the most of its super-shallow depth-of-field, focusing must be precise. As a result, XF50mmF1.0 R WR has a focus ring that has been designed to be more accurate than any previous XF Lens. This makes it possible to adjust the focus from the minimum focusing distance to infinity very precisely. For this, XF50mmF1.0 R WR uses 120° of rotation in its focusing ring to let you focus manually with minimal error – and to achieve accurate focus when using your X Series camera’s Focus Peaking and Focus Assist modes. The 120° of rotation also makes autofocus movements notably precise and deliberate, while the lens’ engineering is designed to minimize focus shift effects during image making.
Lightweight, Durable, Weather-Resistant Design
Despite being a fast, F1.0 lens, XF50mmF1.0 R WR is a lens you can use to make amazing pictures almost anywhere. Measuring 4.07in (103.5mm) long and weighing 1.86 pounds (845 grams), the lens is still quite compact and portable. Like all other weather-resistant XF Lenses, it is sealed in 11 locations to protect against moisture and dust, as well as being capable of use in temperatures down to 14°F (-10°C). When allied to a similarly specified, weather-resistant X Series mirrorless digital camera body, XF50mmF1.0 R WR lets you make unique images in the toughest environments.
Pricing and Availability
The XF50mmF1.0 R WR lens is expected to be available in Fall 2020 at manufacturer’s suggested retail prices of $ 1,499.95 USD ($ 2,000.00 CAD).
For more information, please visit https://fujifilm-x.com/en-us/products/lenses/xf50mmf1-r-wr/.
*1 Among interchangeable lenses for mirrorless digital camera systems as of September 3, 2020, according to Fujifilm data
