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What you need to know about the new Leica M10-R

What you need to know about the new Leica M10-R

Leica has just released a major update to the M10-series, with a big leap in resolution over the original M10 models. The new M10-R features a variant of the 40MP sensor found in the more recent ‘Monochrom’ version, and includes a couple of the nice extras introduced in the older ‘P’ model. Read on to learn more.

New 40MP CMOS sensor

Externally, the only difference between the M10 and M10-R is the addition of an ‘R’ to the engraving on the hotshoe.

Internally, it’s a different story. The M10-R offers a big jump in pixel count, from 24MP to 40MP. For anyone who was expecting the next-generation M to feature the 47MP sensor from the SL2 and Q2, we’re told that the reason Leica opted for a ‘color’ version of the M10 Monochrom’s 40MP sensor is simply size. The 40MP sensor is thinner, and better optimized for use in the compact body of the stills-only M10-series cameras.

Like the original M10, there’s no option to shoot video. There’s also no low-pass filter on the sensor, to really make the most out of all those pixels. The downside to that is that moiré can be an issue in some situations (especially when shooting fabrics).

Same processor, better high ISO and dynamic range

The M10-R’s processor is the same Leica Maestro II that we’ve seen in previous M10-series models, but Leica claims that thanks to the new sensor, dynamic range has been substantially improved in Raw mode. Despite the significant increase in the size of its files, the M10-R’s continuous shooting rate is 4.5 fps – barely slower than the original M10’s 4.8 fps.

Like the original M10/P, native ISO sensitivity spans 100-50,000 (everything above 6400 is accessed via the ‘M’ setting on the ISO dial shown here) and the maximum exposure time has been extended to 16 minutes (from 4 minutes on the M10/M10-P).

Raw files are recorded in the DNG format, in 14-bit, with lossless compression.

Rangefinder focus system

Leica aficionados can skip this section, but for the uninitiated, the Leica M10-R is a rangefinder-type camera. It has an optical viewfinder, offering a comfortable field-of-view of approximately 28mm.

A series of prisms and mirrors under the top-plate (linked to a cam which connects to the lens) project two overlapping images into a small patch in the middle of the finder which, when they line up, indicate accurate focus. This was considered high technology in the 1920s, and still works well 100 years later, once you’ve got the hang of it.

Focus accuracy

One of the first questions I asked Leica representatives when they showed us the M10-R was whether the focusing system had been revisited to increase its accuracy, given the demands of a new 40MP sensor.

The answer I received was ‘no’. The system was overhauled and improved for the original M10, and has not been tweaked since. From my shooting on the M10-R so far, focus accuracy is about what I’d expect from shooting with the original M10. When working wide-open, it’s sensible (if you can) to focus bracket a little bit, but with practice, it’s not too hard to get focus where you want it, in most situations – despite the higher pixel count. For critical work, the optional Typ 020 viewfinder (shown above on an M10) allows for precise manual focus.

Framelines

The approximate field of view your lens is indicated in the viewfinder using projected frame lines. You can preview the field-of-view provided different lenses (from 28mm to 135mm) by moving the lever below the viewfinder window (shown in the previous section of this article).

When you mount a different lens, the frame lines will automatically adjust accordingly. To accurately frame shots using lenses wider than 28mm, you’ll need to attach an optical finder to the M10-R’s hotshoe. This image shows how much the 75mm Summilux intrudes into the view, but it’s an exception: most M-mount lenses don’t take up this much visual real estate.

3″, 1.04M-dot touchscreen

The M10-R borrows from the M10-P in a couple of key respects, one being its touch-sensitive rear LCD. The touch functionality is well-implemented, to the extent that it doesn’t get out of the way of the shooting experience. It’s useful mostly for flipping through images in playback mode mode, and pinch-to-zoom to check focus. And you can tap as hard as you like – the screen is protected by Gorilla glass.

Touch-screen

It’s a bit disappointing that there’s no option to customize the touch function. It would be nice, for example, to be able to rate images by touch or use the screen as a focus point positioning pad with your eye to the (optional) EVF.

On the plus side, navigating through captured images and zooming in/out is very fast, with virtually no ‘lag’ despite the large file sizes. Please note that the image above shows the M10-P, and was taken at a time when we could still get friends to hold cameras for us from less than 6 feet away.

‘Silent’ shutter

The M10-R’s ‘silent’ shutter is actually nothing of the sort, but rather the nicely-damped, very discreet mechanical shutter from the M10-P. While not silent, it is less obtrusive than the shutter sound of the original M10. There is no truly silent, fully electronic shutter mode available, in either normal or ‘EVF’ (live view) shooting.

Same old battery and memory card bay

No surprise here – the M10-R’s battery and memory card are still accessed via a latched door on the base of the camera. Leica will tell you this is to help keep the camera sealed against dust and moisture (which is it, by the way) but we suspect that tradition plays a big part.

Having to remove the base of the camera to swap out a battery or SD card isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it does make using the M10-R on a tripod (or even just in a soft case) more awkward than it probably needs to be. We had hoped for USB charging on this model, via a more-accessible port somewhere on the body but alas, tradition won the day, yet again. There’s no official word on battery life, but we’d expect the M10-R to offer basically the same stamina as the M10 Monochrom (350-400 shots per charge).

The M10-R supports SD cards up to the SDXC standard. In other words, there’s no benefit from using UHS-II cards in this camera. You can do it (and they’re mechanically perfectly compatible), you just don’t gain anything.

Leica FOTOS app

The M10-R is fully compatible with the FOTOS app, allowing for remote capture, image review and file transfer to a smart device. A fully-featured ‘Pro’ version of FOTUS is also available for iPad, for an annual fee. The app is shown here running alongside the weird and wonderful M10-D (which as you can see, doesn’t have an LCD of its own).

The Leica M10-R is available in ‘black chrome’ and ‘silver chrome’, for an MSRP of $ 8,295 (the same price as the M10 Monochrom).

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

July 18, 2020
Weekly Photography Challenge – Abstracts

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Abstracts appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

This week’s weekly photography challenge – ABSTRACTS!

Play with color in your abstracts. Photo by Caz Nowaczyk ©

Grab your cameras and go out and take some interesting new shots of everyday objects. Play with line, color, shapes and blur to create some fabulous abstract images.

Alternatively, crop your photos at interesting spots and create abstracts from that. You could also try some post-processing to completely change the look of your images and make them more unique.

I look forward to seeing your shots!

Use color, line and shape together in photographing everyday objects. Photo Caz Nowaczyk ©

Use color and blur for your abstracts. Photos by Caz Nowaczyk ©

Try cropping sections of photos and placing them together. Photos Caz Nowaczyk ©

Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.

Tips for photographing ABSTRACTS

Creative Abstract Photography with Food Coloring and Milk

How Practicing Abstract Photography Can Influence Your Photography

Get Moving – Four Ways to Create Abstract Light Trail Photography

How to do Abstract Watercolor Photography

How to Make Interesting Abstract Smoke Photos

A Beginner’s Guide to Abstract Flower Photography

How to Create Abstract Photos with Fruit and Veggies

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see. Or, if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSabstracts2020 to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Abstracts appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Digital Photography School

July 18, 2020
NASA and ESA Solar Orbiter spacecraft sends back closest ever images of the Sun

NASA and the ESA revealed the first images of the Sun from its Solar Orbiter joint mission, providing an unprecedented look at our star. The images have revealed a new mystery that scientists have named ‘campfires’ — this refers to miniature solar flares on the Sun described by ESA as ‘omnipresent.’

ESA says the early technical verification phase of the mission knowtn as commissioning has been completed, meaning Solar Orbiter is just getting started. Despite this early stage, the mission has already revealed new phenomena, underscoring the promising results the space agencies anticipate from their joint spacecraft.

Solar Orbiter was launched in February 2020 with the goal of, among other things, capturing images of the Sun at the closest distance thus far attainable. The mission includes half a dozen remote-sensing telescopes and four in situ monitoring instruments for studying the environment around Solar Orbiter.

Data gathered by both sets of instruments will, hopefully, provide scientists with new insights about the star and solar wind. Kicking things off are the ‘campfires’ featured in the first set of images above. Solar Orbiter used its Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) instrument to capture the images — it includes an imager capable of capturing the entire Sun, plus two high-resolution telescopes.

It’s unknown at this time whether campfires are entirely different than big flares or simply miniature versions of them. Talking about the newly discovered phenomena is EUI instrument principal investigator David Berghmans, who said:

The campfires are little relatives of the solar flares that we can observe from Earth, million or billion times smaller. The Sun might look quiet at the first glance, but when we look in detail, we can see those miniature flares everywhere we look.

The EUI is only one of the imagers on Solar Orbiter; it is joined by the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) used to capture high-resolution measurements of the Sun’s magnetic field lines. The latter instrument has also provided scientists with another ‘first,’ having revealed a single active region on the Sun that is experiencing bursts of energetic particles that, until now, experts were unaware existed.

‘That is a first,’ said PHI principal investigator Sami Solanki. ‘We have never been able to measure the magnetic field at the back of the Sun.’

In time, Solar Orbiter will reach within 42 million kilometers (26 million miles) of the Sun, covering almost a full quarter of the distance between the star and our planet. This gradual change in distance will take place over the next two years, providing the space agencies with increasingly detailed close-up images of the Sun.

NASA Solar Orbiter project scientist Holly Gilbert said, ‘The first data are already demonstrating the power behind a successful collaboration between space agencies and the usefulness of a diverse set of images in unraveling some of the Sun’s mysteries.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

July 18, 2020
Researchers craft tiny wireless camera that can be attached to beetles

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a tiny camera that can ride aboard a beetle, offering us a distinct and new view of the world. The lightweight wireless camera can stream video to a connected smartphone at 1 to 5 frames per second and can even pivot up to 60 degrees.

The small camera, which has been used in the real world on Pinacante and death-feigning beetles, records black-and-white images and can even be used in very low light. While an impressive achievement, the specs of the camera itself are nothing to write home about. The monochrome camera streams images that are 160 x 120 pixels.

The device communicates with a smartphone via Bluetooth from up to 120 meters away. In addition to viewing footage, researchers can also remotely control the mechanical arm attached to the camera via an electrical charge. When a high voltage is applied, the material used for the arm bends to the desired position. After the voltage is reduced or altogether removed, the arm will relax back to its original position, like how a human can only keep their head turned for a limited amount of time before needing to return to a natural resting position.

Co-lead author Vikram Iyer, a UW doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering. Image credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington

The tiny camera is a huge feat of engineering; the entire camera system, including the mount, arm and necessary electronic components, weighs about 250 milligrams, which is roughly half the weight the subject beetles can carry naturally. Fortunately, the camera has been designed in such a way that it doesn’t limit the mobility of the beetles or harm them.

At this point, you may be wondering what scientific applications there are for attaching a camera to a beetle. The first-person view from a beetle has allowed researchers to better understand how the subject responds to various stimuli and how it uses vision to approach its environment.

Further, by leveraging its incredibly small camera system, the team also built the world’s smallest terrestrial power-autonomous robot with wireless vision. The robot is ‘insect-sized’ and uses vibrations to move. The team hopes that future versions of the autonomous robot camera could be made without a battery or be solar-powered.

The world’s smallest terrestrial power-autonomous robot with wireless vision. Image credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington

Unsurprisingly, with a such small device, finding a way to power it proved challenging. Researchers turned to the world of insects for inspiration. Flies, for example, dedicate 10 to 20 percent of their total resting energy to power their brains, which are primarily busy with visual processing. In order to efficiently use its limited energy, a fly has a small portion of their overall vision area which sees with high fidelity. In order to see different areas with good detail, a fly must move its head.

This is where the researchers got the inspiration for a movable arm for their tiny beetle camera. Co-lead author of the study, University of Washington doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering, Vikram Iyer, said the following: ‘One advantage to being able to move the camera is that you can get a wide-angle view of what’s happening without consuming a huge amount of power. We can track a moving object without having to spend the energy to move a whole robot.’ To further conserve energy of the system, the camera system includes an accelerometer, which allows the camera to only record images when the beetle moves. In the end, battery life is between 6 and 10 hours.

For more information, members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science can view the full article in the latest volume of Science Robotics. If you’re interested in other electronics-equipped insects, researchers at the University of Washington attached sensors to bees in 2018.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

July 17, 2020
Pentax’s new ‘Brand Vision’ shows it’s doubling down on SLR camera systems

While the rest of the photography world is determined to double down on mirrorless camera systems, Pentax has announced its dedication to SLR cameras. In the above video a new microsite dedicated to the new ‘Pentax Brand Vision,’ the Japanese manufacturer emphasizes its dedication to ‘the future of SLR Photography.’

A product photo of Pentax’s upcoming APS-C DSLR, which is yet to be named.

‘When you take a picture with a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, the light passes through the lens, and in turn the optical viewfinder,’ reads a manifesto of sorts on the microsite. ‘You view the image directly with your eyes, and feel it with your heart.’

The microsite notes Pentax was the first Japanese manufacturer to build an SLR and says the company ‘is committed to the future of SLR photography through the continued development of camera technology, making it more fun and exciting than ever before for all PENTAX users.’ From there, under numerous headlines, Pentax explains a number of benefits it believes SLR cameras offer over other camera systems.

Pentax ends its SLR tribute page with ‘The Five Principles of Pentax,’ seen in the screenshot below:

Pentax has also shared a 30-minute video wherein Ricoh Imaging President, Shinobu Takahashi, explains the company’s vision and what it values most in future camera releases:

This kind of dedication to SLR cameras is surprising in a market that’s hellbent on ridding the photography world of mirrors, but it doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise considering how much effort Pentax put into emphasizing its optical viewfinder technology during the development livestream of its forthcoming APS-C DSLR.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

July 17, 2020
Film Fridays: 10 classic Olympus film cameras

Photo: Stephen Dowling

We figured with the sad news regarding the inevitable sale of Olympus’ camera division, it’d be nice to celebrate the company’s history designing some of the coolest film (and digital) cameras of all time. This week’s Film Friday comes to us from our new friends at KosmoFoto.com, another excellent resource for film camera reviews and analog nerdery.

From half-framers, to TLRs, to pocketable rangefinders, to the cult-classic and now impossibly-overpriced mju III (Stylus Epic) compact, Olympus’ film camera portfolio is truly remarkable. Hit the link below and have a look for yourself at 10 classic Olympus film cameras. And we won’t judge at all if your next step is to pick one up on Ebay or Craigslist.

Read: 10 classic Olympus film cameras

About Film Fridays: We recently launched an analog forum and in a continuing effort to promote the fun of the medium, we’ll be sharing film-related content on Fridays, including articles from our friends at KosmoFoto and 35mmc.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

July 17, 2020
Blackmagic Design debuts new URSA Mini Pro 12K camera and lower-cost versions of its Video Assist 3G

Editor’s note: Skip to just under 30 minutes again to avoid the static intro image.

Blackmagic Design has taken the wraps off its new Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K digital film camera with support for recording video at up to 12K/60fps with 80MP per frame. The model is joined by a pair of new off-camera monitors from the company, the Blackmagic Video Assist 3G in 5″ and 7″ sizes.

Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K

The Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K is a digital film camera offering advanced options combined with a 12288 x 6480 Super 35 image sensor. This is the company’s third-generation model, one offering 14 stops of dynamic range, 4K/220fps Super 16 and 8K/110fps options in addition to 12K, an interchangeable lens mount and a SuperSpeed USB-C expansion port.

Blackmagic Design has packed a number of other notable features into its new pro-grade digital film camera, including built-in ND filters, an interchangeable PL mount and UHS-II SD and CFast card recorders. The company says that the Super 35 sensor found in this model is ‘optimized for images at multiple resolutions’ and that it features a unique (non-bayer) design with an equal number of RGB pixels. We’ve contact Blackmagic Design for further information on the sensor and will update with additional information when it becomes available.

Blackmagic Design has also streamlined its entire workflow to be more efficient, going so far as to demo that with the help of Apple’s Metal graphics architecture, it’s possible to edit 12K Blackmagic Raw footage directly on a MacBook Pro.

The Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K is aimed at professional productions, including use with television and movies. Videos shot in 12K Blackmagic RAW can be tweaked with multiple constant bitrate encoding and quality options. The 12K sensor enables oversampling so that users get sharp, highly detailed 4K and 8K images, giving creators a bit more freedom during post-production.

This is joined by a new film curve feature for Blackmagic Generation 5 Color Science that takes advantage of the 12K sensor color data. According to Blackmagic, this will ensure that highly saturated colors are better rendered and that skin tones are particularly ‘pleasing.’ The camera is compatible with PL cinema lenses, as well as EF and F mount lenses.

Talking about the new model is Blackmagic Design CEO Grant Petty, who said:

With Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K we have advanced imaging technology into a new generation where new styles of shooting will be possible. It’s not just the 12K sensor, but there is so many other innovations in this camera. From the Generation 5 Color Science, the in sensor scaling, new symmetrical color pattern, full RGB quality and of course the 12K resolution, it’s going to be exciting to see what DOPs do creatively with this technology!

Blackmagic Design is launching the URSA Mini Pro 12K this month at $ 9,995.

Blackmagic Video Assist 3G

Joining the new digital film camera is the Blackmagic Video Assist 3G, an off-camera monitor offered in 5in and 7in sizes. According to the company, Video Assist 3G is a touchscreen model offered at a lower price point than the company’s other options; it features HDMI and 3G-SDI with support for all Standard and High Definition video formats.

Likewise, Video Assist 3G has upgraded batteries compared to past models, as well as built-in scopes, a rear tally light, headphone jack and front panel speaker. Both size options feature standard SD and UHS-II SD card support — the larger model has two SD card slots so that a full card can be swapped out while recording to the second card continues.

As well, the Video Assist 3G utilizes Sony L-Series batteries and features two battery slots so that one can be swapped out with a charged battery while recording. The obvious benefit to the Video Assist 3G is that it offers a larger display than the often small screens built into cameras, giving users considerably more control over their work.

Likewise, the Video Assist has an integrated pro-grade audio recorder, exceeding the quality of many cameras while eliminating the need to tote around audio gear, though it is also possible to attach microphones to the 7-inch model via a pair of XLR inputs. In addition to the monitor’s many other features, Blackmagic has included support for several languages, including English, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian, Japanese and more.

Blackmagic Design is now offering the Video Assist 3G monitors starting at $ 495.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

July 17, 2020
DPReview TV: Canon EOS R6 review
The EOS R6 promises to be the full frame mirrorless camera from Canon that many have been waiting for. Does it hit the mark? We put it through the wringer for both stills and video to find out. Filmed on a pre-production Canon EOS R5.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.
- Intro
- Design and handling
- Sensor
- Video capabilities
- Japanese garden sample photos
- In-body image stabilization (IBIS)
- Displays and battery life
- The Lethbridge Viaduct
- Low light and dynamic range
- HEIF recording
- Autofocus
- Evening photo shoot
- Who's it for?
Sample gallery from this episode

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
July 17, 2020
Gear Review: Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 for Sony

The post Gear Review: Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 for Sony appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

Earlier this year, the highly anticipated Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 telephoto lens finally hit the shelves. Made for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras, this lens is very compact and affordable, coming in at more than half the price of the Sony G-Master version. What are the pros and cons of getting this lens? Read on to find out!

The Tamron “Holy Trinity” is complete

Photographers often refer to the “holy trinity” of zoom lenses that cover a wide range of focal lengths. Traditionally, the holy trinity consists of a wide-angle lens (16-35mm), a midrange lens (24-70mm), and a telephoto lens (70-200mm). Tamron has been working on their own version of the holy trinity that includes the 17-28mm f/2.8, 28-75mm f/2.8, and now the 70-180mm f/2.8.

All three of these Tamron lenses complement each other in that they are very affordable, compact in size, and even use the same filter thread size of 67mm. The low cost is probably the most attractive feature. You can have the Tamron holy trinity of f/2.8 lenses for just under US$ 3,000. In comparison, buying all three Sony G-Master lenses would cost a whopping US$ 7,000.

Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 100mm f/2.8 – 1/60 sec, f/7.1, ISO 400

Specs

The formal name of this lens is the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD. Tamron claims this is the “world’s lightest and most compact package,” and it’s hard to disagree when comparing this lens to similar focal lengths. The lens is 5.9 inches (149mm) long and weighs 1.8lbs (816 grams). The Tamron 70-180mm also has moisture resistance and weather sealing.

This is an autofocus lens with two rubber barrels – one controls focus and the other zooms. The front part of the lens extends when zoomed in. There is just one minimal locking switch on the lens to keep it from extending when not in use. No other physical buttons or switches are on the lens. The minimum focusing distance is 33.5 inches, however, you can focus down to 10.6 inches when using manual focus at 70mm.

One last thing to mention about this and every Tamron lens is the 6-year warranty for USA residents. The warranty period is much longer than Sony’s and just about any lens manufacturer out there.

Canon 5D Mark III with 100mm f/2.8 – 1/60 sec, f/7.1, ISO 400

Canon 5D Mark III with 100mm f/2.8 – 1/60 sec, f/7.1, ISO 400

Canon 5D Mark III with 100mm f/2.8 – 1/60 sec, f/7.1, ISO 400

Ease of use

The Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 is very easy to use, especially if you’ve ever shot with a 70-200mm f/2.8. In practice, it’s almost not fair to compare these two lenses. The Tamron is considerably smaller and lighter than any 70-200mm f2/.8 on the market. It weighs 1.46 lbs lighter than the Sony G-Master, and it easily fits inside of medium-sized bags that a traditional 70-200mm lens would never fit into. Thus, it’s no longer a second thought on whether this lens should be packed on a hiking trip, or whipped out to shoot a quick photo.

To keep the lens small, 20mm was shaved from the long end which might be a problem if you really need to be shooting at 200mm. However, Sony full-frame shooters have the option of shooting in APS-C mode to get a zooming effect (roughly 270mm with the 1.5 crop factor). When shooting with a high-resolution camera such as the Sony a7rIV and its 61 megapixels, you also have more megapixels, so cropping is a viable option.

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 @ 180mm – 1/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 160

Autofocus

The autofocus performance on this lens is phenomenal. You have access to all of the autofocus features in your Sony E-mount camera including face and eye detect for humans and animals.

Autofocus was snappy and accurate when shooting a still or moving subject. This lens feels just like using a native Sony lens in a much lighter and cheaper body.

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 @ 70mm – 1/4000 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200

Only one thing missing

Like the rest of the lenses in the Tamron holy trinity, the 70-180mm is missing image stability built into the lens. Tamron claims it isn’t needed because many Sony full-frame cameras come with in-body image stabilization (IBIS, or SteadyShot).

While this might seem like a downside, Tamron might be onto something. In practice, the 70-180mm shot incredibly stable handheld video, even at 180mm. Stills photography was also very sharp and spot-on in every scenario. Along those lines, let’s talk about image quality.

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 @ 70mm – 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 400

Image quality

When reviewing images, the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 leaves little to be desired. Photos are tack sharp and crisp with excellent color. Thanks to the lens coating, there is also very little ghosting and flare, even in the most backlit conditions.

Conclusion

This is a rather short review, because there honestly isn’t a lot to say about this lens other than it is impressive on every level. If you want an ultra-compact f/2.8 telephoto zoom at a very affordable price, this is the one for you.

However, you’ll want to act fast since this lens has been back-ordered ever since it was announced, and for good reason.

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 @ 180mm – 1/160 sec, f/11, ISO 400

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 @ 180mm – 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 400

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 @ 70mm – 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO 400

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 @ 140mm – 1/60 sec, f/8, ISO 160

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 @ 70mm – 1/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 @ 70mm – 1/100 sec, f/10, ISO 200

Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 @ 140mm – 1/250 sec, f/11, ISO 400

The post Gear Review: Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 for Sony appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

Digital Photography School

July 17, 2020
Sony confirms a7S III launch event will take place on July 28

Sony has announced, via a teaser on its website, it will be holding an ‘Imagination in Motion’ launch event for its forthcoming a7S III camera on July 28 at 10am EDT (-4 UTC).

Confirmation of the a7S III’s existence was confirmed just over two weeks ago in an exclusive interview with DPReview wherein Kenji Tanaka, VP and Senior General Manager of Sony’s Digital Imaging Group, shared the news that an a7S II successor would be announced ‘later this summer.’

Sony doesn’t divulge any new details of the a7S III in the teaser, but we know from our interview the camera will be ‘a complete redesign of the whole system,’ complete with a new sensor.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

July 16, 2020