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The (Almost) Perfect Autofocus of the Sony a7R III: a Hands-On Review

02 Dec

The post The (Almost) Perfect Autofocus of the Sony a7R III: a Hands-On Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anabel DFlux.

Focus is one of the most important concepts for a photographer. It can make or break an image. Whether you’re a pixel peeper like me who always looks for technical critical focus or an image maker who uses specific focus points to tell a story, how the camera focuses is everything.

That’s why the newest addition to the Sony Alpha series is so conversation-worthy. With the 399 focus points on the Sony a7R III, and its ability to track focus like no other, the company touts it’s hard to get a shot that’s out of focus. This camera is like an artificially intelligent robot – it can predict and figure out exactly what you want in focus on.

With the thumb joystick on the back of the camera, you can quickly and easily change your focus point. And its AI Servo is out of this world. It could figure out the entire outline of a subject and hold on to it for dear life.

I take varying images – shooting animal action sports, live concerts, and everything in between. So I took all the boasting I’ve heard about this camera and put it to the ultimate test.

About the Sony a7R III

The a7R III is one of Sony’s newest and flashiest addition to its impressive mirrorless line of cameras. According to its website, the Sony a7R III sports the following drool-worthy perks:

42.4 MP 35mm full-frame Exmor R CMOS and enhanced processing system
Standard ISO 100-32000 range (upper limit expandable to 1024005, with a lower limit of 50)
Fast Hybrid AF with 399-point focal-plane phase-detection AF and 425-point contrast-detection AF. The focus modes include:
- AF-A (Automatic AF)
- AF-S (Single-shot AF)
- AF-C ( Continuous AF)
- DMF (Direct Manual Focus)
- Manual Focus
Face detection, with Modes:
- Face Priority in AF (On/Off)
- Face Priority in Multi Metering (On/Off)
- Regist. Faces Priority (On/Off)
- Face registration (max. number detectable: 8)
High-speed continuous shooting of up to 10fps (12fps with AF/AE tracking)
5-axis image stabilization with 5.5-stop exposure advantage
4K video recording
Dual card slots with simultaneous or consecutive recording
Silent Shooting Mode

The camera is compatible solely with Sony E-mount lenses, including G-Master and Zeiss lenses (sought after in the Sony world). The aspect ratio is 3:2, and the camera can record still images in JPEG, (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver.2.31, MPF Baseline compliant) and RAW (Sony ARW 2.3 format). The images are quite large: a 35mm full-frame image is 42MP (7,952 x 5,304 pixels), which in uncompressed RAW format takes up about 80MB of storage.

The camera also has built-in noise reduction software you can turn on or off as needed.

But what really set this camera apart (and why I fell in love with it) is the autofocus.

The Sony a7R III Autofocus Features

The a7R III allows for silent shooting at up to 10fps with AF/AE tracking – great for those who do wildlife photography. Shooting at 10 FPS yields up to 76 images at a time (when shooting JPEG).

Its phase-detect points cover around 47% of the sensor area. When you combine that with the contrast-detect sensor areas, the total AF coverage is nearly 68% of the frame.

Advanced algorithms provide high AF precision down to light levels as low as -3 EV for more reliable autofocus in dark scenes. The enhanced Fast Hybrid AF speeds up AF approximately two times faster under dim lighting conditions. The camera’s infrared technology allows it to autofocus even in extremely low or difficult lighting situations.

The camera also has an ‘eye autofocus’ setting. You read that right: it can find eyes on your subject and lock focus on them with the push of a button. This is photographic witchcraft and I love it. The a7R III’s Eye AF evolves with twice the effective eye detection and tracking, even when shooting a moving portrait subject. It’s touted by the company to work when:

the subject’s face is partially hidden
the subject is looking down or wearing glasses
the subject is backlit
the lighting is dim or low
the subject is far away.

The a7R III includes a touchscreen that provides touch AF, focus point dragging and focus racking features. The AF-C (continuous autofocus) option feature is extraordinary. The camera can keep tracking the subject even if it’s changing direction erratically or an object gets in the way.

Tip: The ‘Expand Flexible Spot’ mode is a good one to start from, and works well with the AF joystick for quick adjustments to the preferred focus area.

Real Life Use

This camera is fast and accurate. With my DSLRs, I usually have to refocus multiple times. But I didn’t have to do it once on the Sony a7R III. I think mirrorless cameras really outshine most DSLRs in the autofocus department.

Here’s how it did in various scenarios:

Action and Sports

I photograph a lot of action, and when I first bought this camera I took it to a Frisbee dog competition to test it out. I was absolutely blown away by the autofocus. The camera even recognized a dog’s face with its facial tracking autofocus and maintained focus on the dog’s face throughout its trick-induced performance. When the dog moved further away the focus changed to the animal’s entire body, which I appreciated.

Regardless of how spontaneously the dog moved, the focus remained locked.

I typically use my Canon 7D Mark II for animal sports photography due to its speed and the fact the body is intended for action. But I now prefer the a7R III due to its superb tracking. The 7D tends to get lost when there isn’t much contrast between the subject and the other objects in the frame, such as photographing in the fog. (Many of these dog sporting events happen around 7am when the fog rolls onto the field.)

The Sony mirrorless clearly identified the subject despite the lack of contrast. It can even refocus on dogs running at me without needing any prompting or additional technique.

Portraits

Portraits are an absolute breeze with this camera. From face tracking to eye tracking, it’s almost impossible to take an out-of-focus image unless you have your settings wrong. As I mentioned earlier, the eye tracking feature is said to work in problematic scenarios (the face is partially hidden, the subject is looking down, etc.)

Well, I can confirm that what Sony promises is true. It works in all of those scenarios. Even when I shot a model wearing unnatural contacts and bright glittery makeup, the camera had no issue.

Dimly-Lit and Golden Hour Portraits

Much like the camera’s success with well-lit portraits, the Sony a7R III can focus on portraits in dim light as if they were lit to perfection. I’m happy to say there was absolutely no difference between the two. Night portraits were a breeze.

The golden hour portraits were just as easy (not to mention exquisite). My other cameras have focusing issues when the sun is low and hitting the lens at an angle. But the a7R III breezed through and held focus on the subject no matter how the sun was hitting the lens glass.

Live Concerts

Dogs may wake me up in the mornings, but it’s the rock stars who keep me awake at night. In the evenings you’ll probably find me shooting a live concert with an arsenal of camera equipment to get me through the job.

Live concerts are extremely difficult focusing situations. In fact, they’re like a low-light sports situation. For the most part, you’ll have limited lighting, and have to deal with colored bulbs that can paint the subject with a very saturated color (such as the dreaded red hue).

Live concerts are also high-energy and filled with action as the guitarists swing their guitars and the drummer pounds away. You may not always have enough contrast to work with, and plenty of annoying obstacles to get in the way of whatever musicians you’re photographing.

Much like I found success in dog sports photography, the Sony a7R III does mighty well at maintaining focus on the subject despite erratic movement or instruments getting in the way. If the light is low but even, the camera does a splendid job of finding the subject thanks to its Advanced AF algorithms.

Unfortunately, live concerts are also where we hit a bit of a snag. As venue goers know, most music venues (especially small indie ones) don’t have consistent lighting on the stage. It can be uneven, sporadic, and wild. Some genres of music (e.g. metal and rock) really love using strobe lights on the stage as well.

And this is where the Sony a7R III flops terribly.

The moment strobes are used, the camera completely loses its ability to focus or find the subject. It’s a negative I haven’t seen covered in other reviews and one that keeps me from bringing this camera to a live concert (after having a particularly bad experience at a recent show).

When strobes were involved, none of the autofocus settings or adjustments worked. The camera began to hunt and then failed to focus at all. This happened with other native and non-native lenses. My guess is the infrared technology is affected by the strobing effects, but that’s just an assumption.

Non-Native Lens with an Adapter

As an avid 16-year Canon user with an army of L lenses, I have no plans on switching brands anytime soon. When I added the Sony a7R III to my kit, I immediately looked for ways to adapt my L glass to the Sony camera. (That way I’d need to buy only buy one native lens for the Sony and use the rest of my existing kit.)

After testing out several adapters I found that the Metabones Smart Adapter worked best.

Now it was time to test the autofocus on a non-native lens.

Although some of the autofocus features (e.g. eye-tracking) are disabled on non-native lenses, the facial recognition and AF-C (continuous autofocus) features worked like a charm. Once I’d calibrated the adapter to my lenses I didn’t experience any lag, searching or loss of focus. And despite certain features being unavailable, the camera was just as fast with non-native lenses as it was with native ones – even in low light. (I took this set up out for a spin during a club event.)

But the strobing issue was still there, which is why I’m convinced it’s a camera issue rather than a lens issue.

Final Thoughts

I have no regrets investing top dollar in this mirrorless camera. I find myself using it as much as my DSLRs, and I have three of them. I’ll often pick the mirrorless for more complex shoots simply because of its exquisite face tracking with autofocus.

Have I got you salivating? Think the Sony a7R III might be your next camera? Let’s talk about it in the comments.

The post The (Almost) Perfect Autofocus of the Sony a7R III: a Hands-On Review appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Anabel DFlux.

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Zhong Yi Optics launches Mitakon Speedmaster 65mm F1.4 lens for Fujifilm GFX

02 Dec

Zhong Yi Optics has launched the Mitakon Speedmaster 65mm F1.4 for Fujifilm GFX cameras. This announcement makes Zhong Yi Optics the first third-party manufacturer to develop a lens for Fujifilm’s G mount and gives them the claim — for the time being — of having the fastest standard lens designed specifically for GFX medium format mirrorless camera systems.

The lens provides a 46-degree angle of view, roughly equivalent to a 50mm lens on a 35mm full-frame camera. It’s constructed of eleven elements in seven groups and has a minimum focusing distance of 70cm.

The Mitakon Speedmaster 65mm F1.4 features an aperture range of F1.4 through F16 via its nine-blade aperture diaphragm. The front filter thread measures in at 72mm and the whole lens weighs 1,050g.

Below is a collection of sample images provided by Zhong Yi Optics:

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The Mitakon Speedmaster 65mm F1.4 is currently available to purchase online for $ 799.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Capture Candid Moments This Christmas

02 Dec

The post How to Capture Candid Moments This Christmas appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

Ever since I was a little kid with a 110 camera and little rolls of film, it’s the candid moments I love to capture.

At Christmas, that often meant the expression on someone’s face as they opened a gift. However, over the years I discovered that there is a lot more to Christmas than the excitement of opening gifts.

I’ll show you a few specific ingredients to use if you would like to better capture candid moments this Christmas.

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Our living room window is a backdrop for candid moments to happen. Many times I have passed through the living room, only to stop and fumble for my camera to capture something interesting.

Why Candid Moments?

Taking candid photos is a fun challenge. You don’t get to direct the scene, and you have to take whatever the moment offers.

The benefit to this is that you really get to see what is going on. Many people complain that they miss out on a group or family experience because they’re always taking pictures. If you focus more on seeing than on clicking, you may find that you’re more in-tune to events than ever before.

“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” – Dorothea Lange

Even though you’re not in control of the scene, you can still make the most of the moments given to you by:

Understanding the type of moment
Choosing the best angle
Paying attention to your background
Learning to write about your photos

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When our kids were young they always napped over the Christmas holidays. The days were packed with activities and they were exhausted by the afternoon. My little girl fell asleep with an LED lantern. I couldn’t help but sneak in for a photo. I pushed my camera to its limits with this low light photo. 56mm, f/1.2, 1/15th, ISO 6400.

1. What kind of moment is it?

This first question I ask about a candid moment is whether it’s an action moment or an emotional moment.

What inspired you to pick up the camera? Are you anticipating a burst of excited emotion? Is somebody about to do something?

Action vs emotion is a quick way to understand the nature of the moment that is about to happen. This becomes more intuitive over time so you won’t have to overthink it.

3 - How to Capture Candid Moments This Christmas

I consider this to be an action moment. It is about my son playing with his model plane. Action is often about gesture. He is holding the plane precisely, and you can even see by the shape of his mouth that he is making the sound of the airplane. The plane is in focus so we likely look at it first, but then we’re led back to his face. His eyes are looking at the plane, so our focus is brought back to it as well. The more engaged a person is in an action moment, the more interesting the photo will be to you.

4 - How to Capture Candid Moments This Christmas

This is more of an emotional moment. It’s not a high energy moment like laughter or tears, rather it’s soft and subtle. It’s among my favorite portraits of my daughter. The only thing that indicates Christmas in this photo is the paper crown from her Christmas cracker, a tradition carried on for at least four generations in my family.

2. What is the Best Angle to Use?

There are five main angles from which you can choose:

Bird’s eye view
High angle
Face to face
Low angle
Bug’s eye view

My favorite angles for candid moments are high-angle because it often makes the scene appear more dramatic, and face-to-face, because it’s such an engaging angle.

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This is an action moment. My son was playing with his new helicopter. I went for a low angle because I wanted to be looking up at the helicopter. Normally, we see helicopters in the sky, so let’s go for a more dramatic looking angle. In this action moment, you can even see him lifting his foot for balance. When kids play, they get right into it!

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High angles are great for looking over shoulders. Some moments are tough to define as simply action or emotion. Though my son is looking at the pictures in his new book, it’s not exactly what we think of as an action moment. We can’t see his face to detect any emotion. But this photo comes to life in my mind as I think of all the times I read him this book while he was tucked into bed or sitting on my lap. In that sense, I would call it an emotional moment.

7 - How to Capture Candid Moments This Christmas

I jumped up on the coffee table to get this bird’s eye view angle of my son. He had just tried crawling for the first time and collapsed after using all his energy trying to reach a can a play dough!

3. Pay Attention to the Background

Backgrounds can be a distraction in your photo if they are messy or cluttered. But they can also add to the mood or story of your photo.

I try for one of two types of backgrounds:

Clean and simple
Scenic

You can see that the photos above either had a clean and simple background or something more scenic, but not cluttered.

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I love this humorous photo of my daughter, but the background is really cluttered and distracting. One thing I could have done while taking the picture is to get closer to her. That way she would appear larger and there would be less background. But another way to deal with a cluttered background is to crop it away!

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This face to face angle draws me right into this photo. The background is clean and simple with no distracting elements. I find that black and white often draws out the humanity and emotion of the moment.

4. Journal

Many photographers understand themselves to be creative people. Creative people are often compelled to write.

Take time this Christmas season to write about what is happening in your life. You can write about your kids, your parents, or your traditions. Think of it as a way of preserving some of your family history. Write about the moments of days gone by and the new moments happening around you.

Christmas can be a very difficult season for people who struggle with depression or anxiety. It can be a very sad time of year when you miss loved ones. Many people have found that writing helps you wrestle with and take control of what you’re struggling with.

Inspired by photojournalists, take time to truly reflect this Christmas. Add words to your photos.

This Christmas

As you grab your camera to take candid photos this Christmas, think:

Is this an action or emotion moment?
Which angle would look best?
Is the background clean or scenic?
What will I write about?

I would be thrilled to see some of your favorite Christmas photos when you post them in the comments below!

The post How to Capture Candid Moments This Christmas appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Mat Coker.

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DPReview TV: Nikon Z6 and Z7 review for video

01 Dec

Following up on their review of the Nikon Z7’s still photo capabilities, Chris and Jordan take a look at the Z7 and Z6 for video shooting. Both cameras – particularly the Z6 – represent a huge step forward for Nikon in terms of video, but Jordan doesn’t think they’re quite ready to be your primary video camera. Take a look and see what they have to say about it.

Get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!

Introduction
Design and Handling
Stabilization
Autofocus
Manual Focus
Image Quality
Slow Motion
External Recording
Audio Quality
Timelapses
Conclusion

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Boost Your Creativity with Lightroom Presets

01 Dec

The post How to Boost Your Creativity with Lightroom Presets appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Stacey Hill.

1 - How to Boost Your Creativity with Lightroom Presets

There are many divisive points in the photography world – brand versus brand, film versus digital, and minimal editing versus Photoshop. The one that seems to have a fervent dislike is the use of Presets in Lightroom. Find any post on presets and people line up in the comments to judge and criticize anyone who uses them. People get told they are lazy, that their images all look the same ala Instagram filters and so on.

Up to a point they are right – anything overused becomes a short-lived fad. If all you ever do in your editing is use canned settings and don’t learn even the basics, then I agree with them.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that applying a Preset (or a filter) makes a bad photo better, but hopefully, Instagram has taught us better by now. Instead, think of Presets as tools to help you automate your process, make you faster and more efficient at editing.

Still, there’s a lot of potential and possibilities that presets offer us. Let’s explore that idea!

(Note: While this article specifically addresses Creativity with Lightroom Presets, the same principles apply for any other program that allows presets, including Photoshop Actions)

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This is the same image as the header but this features a preset which deepens the green tones and desaturates the image, toning down the yellow. I like this much more than the original which is true to life.

The Benefits of Using Lightroom Presets

1. Saves Time

You can spend hours on editing just one image if you want to. However, most of us don’t have the luxury of that much time. Nor do customers want to pay that much for their images.

My recommendation is you should do a basic edit for each image to suit its requirements. However, if you want a specific look or a consistent style to your images, imagine how much more time you have with just being able to click a preset to finish it off?

Some images take more time to edit. You can allow extra time for those images by utilizing presets on the easier ones.

Of the two images below, the top image is an unedited RAW File, while the second image is a processed image using Presets.

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2. Easy and Fun

Why do people judge you for doing something that is easy? Does everything have to be complicated and involved? Can’t it be fun too?

Not everyone has time to fully understand and master every setting and option within Lightroom (or any other program). Presets can allow you to quickly and efficiently apply complex effects.

It’s also fun to experiment with new styles.

3. Consistency

If you have a shoot where the subject/light/tones are all similar, you can achieve a consistent finish for the final image by applying a preset. You can also make one specifically to suit the shoot if required.

Besides, if you have done a series of tweaks to your image, do you remember exactly what you did and what the settings were? Do you remember everyone to add to lots more images manually? Yes, you can write it all down or pull it out of the ‘history,’ but there’s no need.

Of the two images below, the top image is an unedited RAW File, while the second image is a processed image using Presets.

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4. Customizable

You can easily create your own presets in Lightroom and save them for using repeatedly. Alternatively, you can create one that only works for a specific shoot. Presets are also available to buy pre-configured for all kinds of different finishes.

Once you have applied the preset, you can continue to edit and refine the look. Depending on the settings, you can stack multiple presets on top of each other for a unique outcome.

There are many different ways to use and apply presets, and you can get a sophisticated outcome quickly and easily even when you may not fully understand all the capabilities of the software.

5. Different Functions can have Presets

For your editing functions, the primary use for Presets is in the ‘Develop’ module. However, you can create presets that apply to Metadata, or when you Import or Export images. This process can help you apply copyright information or customer information to images, or quickly change the export settings depending on requirements. For example, print versus web use.

Of the two images below, the top image is an unedited RAW File, while the second image is a processed image using Presets.

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So, can I just use Presets for everything?

Presets are not a magic one-click fix. Each preset reacts differently with individual images. It is essential to understand the basics of your program because some editing is necessary.

However, if you only want to use presets, no one is going to stop you. Do you want to make that choice though?

Can people tell if you are not entirely in control of your editing software? Yes. In general, experienced people can tell.

That said, I strongly recommend that everyone should have a solid understanding of the basic features their editing program has so they know enough to be able to edit without relying on presets. If you are using presets, you should understand how you can further tweak and improve the effect.

Please note that not all presets are created equal. Some are better designed and, when applied, provide a more polished effect.

Of the two images below, the top image is an unedited RAW File, while the second image is a processed image using Presets.

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Freedom to be Creative

One of the most powerful things Presets can do is take us out of our comfort zone and show us new possibilities in the way we edit images. Humans are creatures of habit, so once we find the comfortable place that we can generate images of acceptable quality, we are likely to settle in there.

Maybe we don’t know everything the program can do? Perhaps we don’t understand how we can apply this feature here on top of that function there. For example, how many people fully understand Split Toning?

What if we didn’t need to understand absolutely EVERY function and feature in our software? Maybe we simply don’t have the time. What if we could understand enough to be able to use the necessary bits and then use the knowledge someone else has created to add that extra dimension to our editing?

What if we CAN try a new look with one click? Maybe a purple-toned one, then a matte-finish one, and a black and white one? We can compare a whole heap of different processes.

Maybe by trying out Presets, we can learn more about the software’s capabilities? Perhaps it can give us more confidence to shoot in a different style, taking advantage of the new editing prospects.

Breakdown of an Edit

In the screenshot below it shows the final edit of the clematis flower (Before and After images featured above).

As you can see, after Import, the next step is ‘Paste Settings.’ This is where I have copied the Preset and some adjustments made on a previous image in the shoot.

A further 19 steps have been taken to enhance and finalize this image to achieve the desired outcome.

Could I have stopped after the first ‘Paste Settings?’ Absolutely.

Was it the best that image could have looked? Not in my opinion. So, I spent the time I had saved using a preset to do further fiddly little tweaks and refinements.

Using Presets Creatively

This winter landscape of frost-crusted rocks, icicles, and what I can assure you was freezing water, was already quite blue-toned. The blue tone was due to the 10-stop filter I used to achieve long exposure on the water.

I liked how the blue tone emphasized the cold crisp winter feel so I decided to use it to set the whole mood for this image. A blue-toned, slightly matte finish preset helped boost that aspect of the process. It added more brightness on the whites, deepened the shadows a touch and added a bit of clarity for extra crispness.

I could have completely changed the color space to natural daylight, but seeing this blue tone inspired me to follow that direction further. I knew I had a preset that would do interesting things to the blue tones and it worked better than expected.

Of the two images below, the top image is an unedited RAW File, while the second image is a processed image using Presets.

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I tend towards darker, moody edits. So, using Presets for an image helps me see different possibilities quickly. With a few clicks, I can assess what is suited to a high-key edit, a desaturated, matte edit, a neutral, natural edit, or perhaps black and white one.

Sometimes I strike gold and end up with something delightfully unexpected (like the green currants at the top of this article). It never fails to amaze me how much scope Lightroom has to do things I don’t fully understand yet. However, using presets has taught me a great deal, and I am slowly unpacking them, figuring it out and beginning to make my own Presets now.

Conclusion

Lightroom (and other editing programs) offer a lot of functions and scope for editing your images. Many people don’t have the time to learn all the features and capabilities in detail. It can be frustrating when you are learning how to use it.

Presets give you access to features within the software without needing to know exactly how to implement them manually.

Using Presets allows even novice users the ability to be creative and experiment with different styles and looks to their editing. More experienced users can create their own presets, or utilize purchased ones in their editing process. They save time and can make your editing process more efficient as well.

Presets offer you the opportunity to try a style that is different to what you typically create. Alternatively, perhaps you want to dabble and see how an image turns out with a range of edits. Using Presets can also help you learn more about the program by showing more of its capabilities.

While Presets can be overused, or not used to best effect, they also offer many advantages. Provided they are used as part of your process, and not as a magic solution, Presets can be a valuable tool.

Finally, playing with them is fun. Being able to experiment safely and easily with one click of a button gives you the latitude to be brave while considering new editing styles.

The post How to Boost Your Creativity with Lightroom Presets appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Stacey Hill.

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Photokina 2018: Tamron interview – “We have standard three-business-day turnaround for repairs”

01 Dec

Stacie Errera is VP of Marketing and Communications for Tamron USA.

We met with Tamron’s Stacie Errera at Photokina 2018 in Cologne, Germany where we discussed the brand’s unique identity, product development prioritization, future lens plans and the importance of user feedback.

How is Tamron different from other lens manufacturers?

Our focus on customer service at all aspects of the users’ experience makes us different. We’re very focused on education – we like keeping our customers up on the latest techniques to create great photography. So whether it’s in-person workshops, working with our local authorized dealer base to bring workshops to stores, our magazine or our newsletter, we’re very focused on education. We’re also focused on support – all of our products have a six-year warranty. We have standard three-business-day turnaround for repairs with no extra charge for every customer – it doesn’t matter who you are. If you have a lens and you need a repair, you send it in and you get it back within three days. That’s the best in the industry.

We have standard three-business-day turnaround for repairs with no extra charge for every customer

Is Tamron’s three-day repair turnaround for US customers only?

It’s worldwide. Almost all markets now have that. Any place we have a subsidiary, it’s three days and anywhere we have a distributor, it’s mostly three days. This policy actually came as a mandate from our president to increase confidence in Tamron lenses and Tamron customer service.

And our overall philosophy or feeling we want customers to have – which extends into the lens design itself – is a ‘human touch quality’. We want that to extend beyond the product. We strive really hard to work closely with our customers. We hear what they have to say and work with them on social media and in person to give them good service. So I think it sets us apart a little bit, how closely we try to listen to and help motivate and mentor our customers.

The Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD is the most compact F2.8 zoom available for Sony E-mount. Also important: It’s very sharp.

How do customer needs and feedback play into the design and development of new lenses?

We do a few customer surveys a year where we find out what people are looking for. Also any feedback that my tech team or sales team might get is fed to me and then it goes up through the chain. With our subsidiaries, we sit down several times a year and put together our thoughts and make recommendations – these are based off of what people are asking for, what they feel they need and what they feel might be missing from a current lens line. Sometimes people bring up technologies and maybe you’ll think the idea is crazy, but we still pass it on. So we definitely try to pass all that information up to our headquarters.

Who do you see as Tamron’s user base? Is it pros, enthusiast, or a combo of both?

It’s a combo of both. We do several professional tradeshows a year and have very busy booths and a lot of customers there. As we put together our VIP program we’re seeing all the customers who own multiple lenses, so we do have a lot of pros out there. I’d say we’re maybe 60% enthusiast, 40% pro.

We want to make it affordable so [photographers] can have four, five, or six lenses in their bag without going broke

Our enthusiasts, they run the gamut from first entry-level DSLR / ILC users up to serious enthusiast that have been using cameras for 20+ years, many of whom came out of the film days. We really have a wide range of users. And again, just looking at our database with the VIP program – how many people own multiple lenses – we know our users really are gear-intensive customers. They’re into getting new lenses; many update their cameras, then get new lenses to match.

Tell me more about Tamron’s VIP program.

Any customer that registers their Tamron USA lenses purchased after 2011 are eligible for Tamron USA’s VIP program. If they have four lenses, five lenses or six+ lenses there’s silver, gold and platinum VIP.

We just had all our platinum members out at a VIP summit in Santa Fe for four days of seminars and field workshops. They brought their lenses and it’s amazing to see these customers that have lots of gear but continue to get new lenses to make sure they have the right tool for the job. We want to make it affordable for them so they can have four, five, or six lenses in their bag without going broke.

The new Tamron SP 15-30mm F2.8 Di VC USD G2 is the only stabilized F2.8 wide zoom for full-frame DSLRs. It’s also, you guessed it, very sharp.

How important is affordability to your long-term growth and vision for Tamron?

It’s definitely high up there. Our goal is to number one, make sure the lens is high quality. The second goal for us, depending on the category of the lens, is definitely size and weight. So looking at the Sony FE and E-mount, for example, we’re definitely looking at compactness and lightweight designs as key features of those products.

But we also do look to keep the price in an affordable range for the customer. One of the philosophies of the company is we want to make photography accessible for everyone. By having tools that can be more affordable for the photographer, we can expand their bag and make sure they have the right tool for the types of photography they like to do.

One of the philosophies of the company is we want to make photography accessible for everyone

What about for DSLRs, is size and weight still a high consideration?

For both mirrorless and DSLR size and weight are a consideration. For example, the 17-35mm F2.8-4 for DSLRs, it is the lightest and most compact in its class of lenses that are F4 or faster. If you look at the 15-30 F2.8 for DSLR, while it’s definitely a large lens with it’s constant 2.8 aperture, it is still the only lens in the category with stabilization. So it’s not compact, but within the category it still has advantages.

How important a consideration is video when Tamron develops lenses?

It’s a high consideration. We are trying to make sure the motors in our lenses are as silent as they can be. However, depending on who the videographer is and what they’re filming, they may be using manual focus anyway. The new 28-75 F2.8 for Sony FE has a rapid extra-silent drive (RXD) and it is definitely geared toward video because we know people are using Sony full-frame to shoot video more so than on some other systems.

A sample photo shot with the Tamron SP 15-30mm F2.8 Di VC USD G2.

The 28-75 F2.8 for Sony FE is one of our favorite lens available for full-frame E-mount. How this lens been received by customers and will we see other full-frame Sony E-mount lenses soon?

That lens has definitely been very well-accepted by Sony shooters worldwide. Right now we’re still in a very heavy demand situation. Supply is catching up, though. I think it’s really the first lens that seems to fit the form factor of the camera itself. That balance and that lightweight design without compromising performance, everything about it fits the form factor and goal for what that system is all about. So definitely, with the acceptance of this, we’ll see more from Tamron for Sony mirrorless cameras.

We’ll see more from Tamron for Sony mirrorless cameras

Tamron now makes lenses for Sony FE, E, A, Nikon F, Canon EF, M, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax K-mounts. With all these mounts, how does Tamron prioritize what lenses they are going to make?

We look at the market and see where there are gaps – what’s moving, what’s not moving.

Really the past few years have been dedicated to analyzing the mirrorless portion of the market. With all the recent introductions to mirrorless I think it’s very evident that the market is swiftly moving toward mirrorless dominance. But that’s not to say full-frame DSLRs are not still strong. My opinion is that people will continue, for at least the next few years, using multiple formats. I have my DSLR I use for some situations and I have my mirrorless I use for other situations – I have my smartphone that I use still for others. So I think we’re in a place where each consumer is a multi-format user. Obviously there are people that are mirrorless-only, DSLR-only. And obviously there are pros not ready to make the jump to mirrorless yet. But overall, it’s a fun time to be making lenses.

Really the past few years have been dedicated to analyzing the mirrorless portion of the market

Do you have any prediction for how much of your business will be represented by mirrorless lenses rather than SLR lenses?

Right now we have a couple of mirrorless lenses plus the recent introduction of the full-frame Sony mirrorless. I think we’ll move along with the market. The US market is swiftly catching up to some other markets in the world. And I think we’ll see some changes worldwide for Tamron over the next few years. But it’s hard for me to attach a number or percentage to that at this point. But we’re definitely moving with the market.

All-in-one zooms for DSLRs are still a crucial part of Tamron’s portfolio. The Tamron 100-400mm F4.5-6.3 Di VC USD for APS-C – which this photo was shot with – offers a good balance of quality and affordability.

We now have two new full frame mounts, Canon R and Nikon Z, as well as the announcement of the Panasonic/Leica/Sigma L-mount alliance. Is there talk about making lenses for these mounts?

I think we need to get those cameras into our engineers’ hands and analyze them and see what they’re all about and make determinations from there. I think that we’re keenly looking at all these different mounts and I think it’s an important part of the market today. I’m not involved in the talks over in Japan, but I would assume there is definitely a strong interest in these.

I think we’ll see some changes worldwide for Tamron over the next few years

Sigma, Panasonic and Leica announced their L-mount partnership at Photokina. Has Tamron considered making partnerships with other brands in similar fashion?

At this point in time, there’s none I’m aware of. That doesn’t mean there won’t be partnerships in the future.

What’s the immediate future hold for Tamron?

I think we’ll continue expanding our lineup. We’ll be continuing our G2-series, the 15-30 F2.8 G2 now completes the SP (Superior Performance) trio of fast, image-stabilized zooms. It was very important for us to complete that trio. We’ll also be filling in the full-frame arena and raising the bar for all-in-ones, an area of the market where we are the leader. It’s just a progression of filling and finding areas of need as the market changes.

Editors’ note: Dan Bracaglia

Tamron is a brand increasingly putting out lenses I want to get my hands on, from their outstanding, stabilized SP 15-30mm F2.8 Di G2 to their perfectly sized 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD – my favorite lens for Sony FE without question. Both of these lenses represent unique designs within their chosen mounts.

2018 is an exciting time for third-party lens brands

2018 is an exciting time for third-party lens brands, but with the number of mirrorless mounts growing, it’s as important as ever for these companies to carefully consider what they prioritize. Tamron seems to understand this though – lens development boils down to a careful mix of user feedback and market analysis.

Though all-in-one zooms for DSLRs have long been the brand’s bread-and-butter, here’s hoping we’ll even see other well-sized, constant-aperture mirrorless zooms in the near future given the market success of the 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD and Stacie’s mention of ‘changes worldwide for Tamron over the next few years.’

…with Tamron’s new commitment to three-day repair turnarounds, their lenses are looking more desirable than ever

Speaking of mirrorless, Stacie wouldn’t give me any indication what plans the company has for the new Nikon Z and Canon RF-mounts. This isn’t terribly surprising given how new they are, but it will be interesting to see whether existing mirrorless models eventually become available for these new mirrorless mounts.

At the end of the day, I’m thankful that brands like Tamron and Sigma exist. Though they take very different approaches to lens development, both are going to great lengths to ensure that there are a lot of cool lens choices on the market. And with Tamron’s new commitment to three-day repair turnarounds, their lenses are looking more desirable than ever.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Weekly Photography Challenge – Type

01 Dec

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

Bushells House on the corner of Charles Street and New England Highway, Moonbi by Caz Nowaczyk

Your weekly photography challenge – TYPE!

That’s right! Typography, text, numbers, and glyphs.

Any writing in any language. New, faded, barely legible – sign writing, posters, light painting etc.

Brass and Iron Lace Foundry – Forge and Museum, Enmore Road, Uralla NSW Australia by Caz Nowaczyk

3 - Weekly Photography Challenge Type

An old truck stop on Putty Road, Garland Valley in Yengo National Park, NSW by Caz Nowaczyk

Beechworth, Victoria Australia by Caz Nowaczyk

Beechworth, Victoria, Australia by Caz Nowaczyk

An old petrol pump gauge at an old truck stop on Putty Road, Garland Valley in Yengo National Park, NSW by Caz Nowaczyk

Check out some of the articles below that may give you inspiration for shooting and editing Type pictures.

How to do a Photography Alphabet Project

How to Find Inspiration for Your Photography When Your Muse is Missing

The Ultimate Guide to Street Photography

How to do Light Painting and Illuminate Your Photography

Beginner’s Guide to Light Painting

Weekly Photography Challenge – Type

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll be 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 #DPSTYPE 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 – Type appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Digital Photography School

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Sony a7/R III firmware 2.0 unlocks all AF modes with adapted lenses

01 Dec

Sony has released a significant firmware update for its a7 III (Mac | Windows) and a7R III (Mac | Windows) cameras that brings new features, updated support and improved performance to the full-frame mirrorless cameras.

The big deal here is that firmware 2.0 unlocks all autofocus modes for adapted lenses adapted with the Sony LA-EA3 mount adapter. This includes the subject-tracking Lock-on AF modes on the a7 III and a7R III, as well as Zone and Expand Flexible Spot. Sony specifically mentions its Sony Alpha A-mount lenses in its press release, but we’ve tested it with adapted Canon mount lenses as well and can confirm it works with EF lenses via a Sigma or Metabones adapter. Since Eye AF also works with adapted lenses, we’re really starting to see less and less of a downside to using third-party lenses on Sony cameras, save for a drop in performance at longer telephoto focal lengths.

Another stand-out feature added in the updated firmware is ‘Aperture Drive in AF’. This offers two options for aperture behavior during focusing in AF-S: ‘Standard’ opens the aperture up (up to F2) for focus acquisition, while ‘Silent Priority’ always forces the camera to focus at your shooting aperture to minimize the sound of the aperture opening during focus acquisition.

Sony warns though that ‘Auto Focus may become slower when Silent Priority is selected’ – precisely the reason why we’ve been asking Sony to add a mode where the camera always focuses wide open in AF-C, at the very least until shutter actuation. This new setting adds the option to do the exact opposite in AF-S, and doesn’t change behavior in AF-C (where newer Sony cameras always focus at the shooting aperture). We urge Sony to add a ‘Focus Priority’ mode that always forces the camera to focus wide open in AF-C, as DSLRs do.

Firmware version 2.0 for the Sony a7 III and a7R III also improves the overall performance and stability of the cameras, fixes exposure issues when using flash alongside flickering light sources, and better handles continuously shot photos as groups when browsing in playback.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Clever “Sketches” video shows objects being edited in the real world

01 Dec

A newly published video called “Sketches” from Russian motion graphics designer Vladimir Tomin shows the world around him being edited using video editing tools. The experimental work presents a variety of scenes in which cursors appear to cut and paste birds, type text created from twisted crane pieces, and scrape the painted line off a road.

Clips from the video, which was published on Vimeo, can also be found on Tomin’s Instagram account alongside other videos of clever reality edits. Tomin also offers content on YouTube and through his personal website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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About the Sony a7R III

The Sony a7R III Autofocus Features

Real Life Use

Action and Sports

Portraits

Dimly-Lit and Golden Hour Portraits

Live Concerts

Non-Native Lens with an Adapter

Final Thoughts

Why Candid Moments?

1. What kind of moment is it?

2. What is the Best Angle to Use?

3. Pay Attention to the Background

4. Journal

This Christmas

The Benefits of Using Lightroom Presets

1. Saves Time

2. Easy and Fun

3. Consistency

4. Customizable

5. Different Functions can have Presets

So, can I just use Presets for everything?

Freedom to be Creative

Breakdown of an Edit

Using Presets Creatively

Conclusion

How is Tamron different from other lens manufacturers?

Is Tamron’s three-day repair turnaround for US customers only?

How do customer needs and feedback play into the design and development of new lenses?

Who do you see as Tamron’s user base? Is it pros, enthusiast, or a combo of both?

Tell me more about Tamron’s VIP program.

How important is affordability to your long-term growth and vision for Tamron?

What about for DSLRs, is size and weight still a high consideration?

How important a consideration is video when Tamron develops lenses?

The 28-75 F2.8 for Sony FE is one of our favorite lens available for full-frame E-mount. How this lens been received by customers and will we see other full-frame Sony E-mount lenses soon?

Tamron now makes lenses for Sony FE, E, A, Nikon F, Canon EF, M, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax K-mounts. With all these mounts, how does Tamron prioritize what lenses they are going to make?

Do you have any prediction for how much of your business will be represented by mirrorless lenses rather than SLR lenses?

We now have two new full frame mounts, Canon R and Nikon Z, as well as the announcement of the Panasonic/Leica/Sigma L-mount alliance. Is there talk about making lenses for these mounts?

Sigma, Panasonic and Leica announced their L-mount partnership at Photokina. Has Tamron considered making partnerships with other brands in similar fashion?

What’s the immediate future hold for Tamron?

Editors’ note: Dan Bracaglia

Weekly Photography Challenge – Type

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