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Olympus 45mm F1.2 Pro sample gallery

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The Olympus 45mm F1.2 Pro is a 90mm equivalent that just screams to be used for portraiture. So when we found ourselves with a production-ready copy, we got right to work. Head to our full sample gallery to see how Olympus’ newest prime fares.

See our Olympus 45mm F1.2 Pro
sample gallery

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 26, 2017
What you need to know about Sony’s a7R III

Introduction

The a7R III is Sony’s latest high resolution camera, which carries over many of the improvements found on the company’s flagship a9. The 42.4MP sensor itself hasn’t changed from the Mark II, but virtually everything else wired into it has. This allows for faster burst shooting, improved autofocus and higher quality 4K video. Some important user interface and ergonomic changes, inspired by the a9, have also made the transition.

Same sensor, better performance

The a7R III uses the same full-frame 42.MP BSI CMOS sensor as its predecessor, though improved readout circuitry lowers the already low read noise, improving dynamic range.

Sony promises a slight improvement in rolling shutter, but not to the level as the a9, so the a7R III didn’t earn the ‘Anti-distortion shutter’ designation.

While the hybrid autofocus continues to offer 399 phase-detect points, there are now 425 contrast-detect points, up from 25 on the a7R II.

From a9 (hardware)

Several items found on the body a9 have thankfully migrated to the a7R III. They include its brilliant 3.69M-dot OLED EVF with incredible contrast and resolution, a joystick for selecting an AF point, an AF-On button and a flash sync port. (The a7R III flash sync speed is 1/250 sec.). Also added is the a9’s ‘C3’ button to the left of the ‘Menu’ button on the camera’s back, and the ability to assign a button to ‘Protect/Rate’ in Playback. This should make it much easier to quickly select images from bursts in camera. Bursts can even be grouped during playback for faster image viewing and selection.

The rear thumb dial on the back plate of the camera has been updated as well from the Mark II to be heftier, with better haptic feedback and less accidental input – just like the one on the a9.

On the memory card front, the Mark III now has two SDHC card slots instead of one on the Mark II. One of the slots supports UHS-II media while the other sticks to UHS-I.

From a9 (firmware)

There are some nice improvements on the software side, as well. Sony says that autofocus is up to two times faster than the Mark II. Low light performance is now rated down to -3 EV with a F2 lens, meaning the a7R III should offer similar low light AF performance to the a9 – a stop better than the Mark II. AF algorithms have been refined, with more ‘tenacious’ subject tracking and improved Eye AF. We’re hoping this means that Eye AF is more prone to stick to your original subject (per the a9), rather than randomly jump between detected faces as with the a7R II. Eye AF is still laggy when shooting bursts though, much like the original a7R II.

Also new is the helpful Touchpad AF feature, which lets you use the LCD to move the focus point while your eye is to the viewfinder. Movement can be absolute (you’re picking a point on the frame) or relative (to the current focus point). You can also restrict the active area to certain parts of the screen. Our first impression is that Touchpad AF seems rather over-sensitive, jumping almost uncontrollably around the screen.

While Sony didn’t make a big deal about it, the a7R III should also inherit the a9’s Improved JPEG color and noise reduction. Today, Sony’s JPEG engine renders some of the finest detail we’ve seen amongst cameras, even at high ISO. But JPEG color still remains a point of contention.

From a9: Battery!

For both stills and video shooters, perhaps the biggest news is that Sony has found room for the larger NP-FZ100 battery used in the a9. This required a complete redesign of the body, including a slightly modified grip, but it means a huge boost in battery life. If you’re using the LCD, expect 650 shots per charge (which is the ‘official’ CIPA number), and 530 shots with the EVF. Compare that to the 290 shot CIPA rating the Mark II received. Color us impressed.

An optional battery grip, the same VG-C3EM model as the a9 uses, doubles battery life, so you’ll get up to 1300 shots.

Entirely new

There are a couple of things that are a7R III ‘originals’. The first is a redesigned low vibration shutter mechanism, which allows 10 fps bursts without the risk of ‘shutter shock.’ It also allows for the 1/250 sec flash sync mentioned earlier. With the proper strobes, you can even get up to 10 fps shots with flash – something even an a9 won’t do (it’s capped at 5 fps with flash, since that’s its maximum mechanical shutter rate).

The camera has two USB ports. The first is USB 3.1 with Type C connector (found on modern smartphones and newer Apple laptops), which allows tethering and battery charging. A more traditional micro USB jack is available which supports existing remotes and external battery packs.

Responding to user feedback, Sony has added the ability to enter the menus while the camera is writing to a memory card. YES!

Video

Better processing means improved detail and lower noise in both full-frame and Super 35 crop mode 4K. The real standout footage, as before, should be the Super 35 4K, since it’s oversampled.

The AF algorithms in video have also been improved and are more resistant to refocusing off to the background. That’s a huge improvement over the Mark II, and means many casual users can leave the camera in complete auto AF area mode (‘Wide’) with Face Detection on and expect precisely focused 4K footage.

If you’re looking for a simple ‘tap-to-track-subject’ mode a la most other manufacturers, you’re still out of luck. The camera unfortunately still has the old outdated ‘Center Lock-On AF’ mode, which you’ll have to turn on to enable ‘tap-to-track’ functionality. Once it’s on, you can tap anywhere on the screen and it’ll put a box around your subject and track it. It doesn’t work as well as Lock-on AF modes in stills in our experience, and it’s still unfortunate that you have to engage this mode to get ‘tap-to-track’ – a functionality you’d just expect out of the box by default. Furthermore, you’ll have to remember to turn ‘Center Lock-on’ off when you switch back to stills mode, since it’s not a mode you’ll ever want to be used and can be accidentally triggered by a touch of the touchscreen.

New video functionality

This one is kind of huge: there are now separate function button configurations for stills and movie modes. By default the movie mode functions are set to ‘As in Stills mode’ but this can be edited, per button, to ensure you have access to the settings you need for both situations. We’ve been asking for this for a long time, as video needs often differ drastically from stills needs, so this is a welcome change. We’d still like to see totally separate settings banks for video vs. stills – where each mode remembers your last used settings – but this is a start in the right direction.

The a7R III now supports S-Log 3 / S-Gamut 3, which offer even flatter profiles to make use of camera’s full dynamic range. Also new is support for Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG), which allows you to view wide dynamic capture on HDR displays, without any post-processing required. Newer displays allow HDR capture to appear less ‘flat’, since HDR displays have a wide range of tones they can reproduce. The ‘flat’ log capture is automatically expanded to the full capability of the display so your high contrast capture look high contrast on-screen, without blown highlights or blocked shadows.

HDR display of HDR capture will become increasingly important in the stills world, as it is already in the video world, so we’re glad to see Sony taking this new movement seriously in even their prosumer cameras.

Multi-shot mode

This mode, similar to that on Olympus and Pentax cameras, shoots four uncompressed Raws, which must be later processed in Sony’s Imaging Edge software to combine them into a .ARQ file, which can then be adjusted. Both Olympus and Pentax do this in-camera.

The benefits of Multi-shot mode are an increase in color resolution (since each pixel has its own red, green and blue value) and a reduction in noise and softness, since there’s no demosaicing needed and since you’ve taken 4 images in place of one. The latter you can do by stacking images from any camera for a nearly ~2 EV noise or dynamic range benefit, but the benefits of not needing to demosaicing are specific to these sorts of multi-shot modes that can use sensor shift to shift the sensor in the precise movements needed to remove the effects of the Bayer color filter. You won’t realize these gains unless you post-process, though.

There’s at least a 1 second delay between shots while the camera waits for the sensor to settle. This delay means that this feature will not work well with moving subjects. You can change the delay to anywhere between 1 and 30s.

What’s missing

There are a couple of things that we would’ve liked to have seen on the a7R III. They include lossless compressed Raw, more use of the touch panel (for adjusting settings, as an example), in-camera Raw conversion and support for downloadable PlayMemories apps.

The lack of PlayMemories apps may be of particular concern to landscape photographers using such apps for timelapse or gradient filters, and for those that use apps like ‘Sync to Smartphone’ to automatically download all JPEGs from camera to their phones and online photo storage services. This is a trend, starting with the a9, we’d really like to see Sony reverse.

Overall, though, the a7R III is an impressive package, and one that we’re eager to spend more time with.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 26, 2017
Hands-on with the new Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

Olympus has introduced two new lenses in its M.Zuiko Pro F1.2 prime lens lineup, the Digital ED 17mm F1.2 Pro and the Digital ED 45mm F1.2 Pro. Both lenses promise to give Micro Four Thirds shooters excellent flexibility in low light situations, in addition to providing shallow depth of field and excellent image quality.

The two prime lenses join the existing Digital ED 25mm F1.2 Pro in the Olympus lens lineup.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

Olympus says the design philosophy for its Pro F1.2 prime lenses is to deliver aesthetically pleasing ‘feathered’ bokeh without sacrificing any sharpness or resolution, even when shooting wide open. Both lenses use Olympus’ new Z Coating Nano technology to suppress flares and ghosting in order to Provide extremely clear image quality.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

So, what is ‘feathered bokeh’? Olympus says that unlike many lenses which Produce ring-shaped or solid bokeh (with sharper outlines), the Pro F1.2 primes deliver bokeh with extremely smooth transitions from in-focus to out-of-focus areas, resulting in smoother backgrounds that make a foreground subject stand out better, creating a sense of depth. Olympus says that feathered bokeh does not come at the expense of resolution, which remains extremely high, even wide open.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

The Digital ED 45mm F1.2 Pro is built around 14 elements in 10 groups, including one ED lens, four HR lenses, and one aspherical lens. It contains three bonded lens elements, including the ED lens, to compensate for problems that sometimes occur on wide aperture lenses, such as out-of-focus color bleeding (axial chromatic aberration) and peripheral color bleeding. It has a minimum focusing distance of 50cm and weighs in at 410g.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

The Digital ED 17mm F.12 Pro is built around 15 elements in 11 groups. Want to know how that breaks down? Get ready for acronym soup!

The 17mm F1.2 Pro includes six ED lenses (more than any other Zuiko lens), including one Super ED lens, three ED lenses, one EDA lens, and a newly developed ED-DSA lens, along with a Super HR lens and an aspherical lens. According to Olympus, this combination effectively compensates for chromatic aberrations, as well as spherical aberrations that can affect wide primes. The result, they say, is excellent optical performance with feathered bokeh.

The 17mm lens has a minimum focusing distance of 20cm and weighs in at 390g.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

What is a ED-DSA lens, you might ask? It’s a Dual Super Aspherical lens that features an extremely large thickness ratio between the center and periphery of the lens, made from ED glass. Olympus claims to be the first company to successfully mass produce this type of lens, and that it results in a lens which possess the characteristics of both an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens and a DSA (Dual Super Aspherical) lens to compensate for spherical, comatic, and astigmatism aberration.

According to Olympus, producing this lens as a single element reduces the total number of lens elements, improving performance as well as reducing the overall length of the lens.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

Both lenses use the Olympus MSC (Movie and Still Compatible) autofocus mechanism, which provides smooth high-speed focusing while remaining virtually silent, despite being wide diameter lenses. Olympus says this system provides class-leading AF performance when paired with the E-M1 Mark II body (as low as 0.12 seconds for the 17mm lens). Additionally, there are no limits on what AF points can be used, even at the widest aperture, thanks to Olympus’ use of on-sensor phase detect autofocus.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

All three M.Zuiko F1.2 Pro primes share virtually identical sizes, with less than a couple millimeters of variation between them, and have very similar weights. All use the same 62mm lens diameter, allowing them to share filters and other accessories.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

Both lenses are designed with ease of use in mind. The wide focus ring has been placed near the front of the lens in order to make manual focusing easier when paired with cameras that have large grips, such as the E-M1 Mark II. As with some other Olympus lenses, a clutch mechanism allows users to instantly switch from auto to manual focus by pulling the focus ring toward the camera body. Olympus even says it designed a gradually curving surface around the L-Fn function button to make it easier to access when shooting through the viewfinder.

Since all the Pro F1.2 lenses are so similar in size, Olympus has printed each lens’s focal length in oversized numbers to make it easy to tell them apart.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

In addition to excellent optical performance, Olympus has built the Pro F1.2 primes to meet the needs of demanding users. Both lenses are dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof (to 14ºF/-10ºC), making them ideal for use even in extreme conditions.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

Both the 17mm and 45mm lenses should provide great performance for Micro Four Thirds photographers, especially those who work in low light conditions or who desire very shallow depth of field.

When combined with Olympus’ existing 25mm F1.2 Pro lens, the set represents a trio of fast primes at very useful focal lengths of 17mm, 25mm, and 45mm. (34mm, 50mm, and 90mm equivalent.) Their small size, when combined with a compact Micro Four Thirds camera body, could make a great kit for photographers who prefer to travel light but like to shoot with fast primes.

Olympus Digital ED 17mm F1.2 and 45mm F1.2 Pro lenses

The M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 Pro will be available in late November 2017, and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 Pro will be available in late January 2018. Both will retail for $ 1,199, the same price as the existing 25mm F1.2 Pro lens.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 26, 2017

Olympus 45mm and 17mm F1.2 Pro lenses emphasize bokeh quality

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Olympus has announced 17mm and 45mm F1.2 Pro primes, offering high-end fast 35mm and 90mm equivalent lenses. The lenses use the same 60mm filters that the existing 25mm F1.2 Pro uses and, like that lens both are weather sealed and dust proof.

The two lenses expand the company’s series of F1.2 lenses, which are equivalent to 35 and 90mm F2.4 lenses for full frame. This allows Micro Four Thirds users to achieve very shallow levels of depth-of-field at the focal lengths where they need this capability. The lenses are designed to be consistent in size with one another.

Olympus says it’s focused the design not just on achieving sharpness but also on providing attractive bokeh. It says its research showed that bokeh with a soft edge produces the most attractive result, producing a smooth transition from in-focus to out-of-focus regions, and with minimal risks of interference patterns occurring in backgrounds.

To achieve this, both lenses are designed so that spherical aberration is not fully corrected (that would give completely uniform bokeh). Instead it focuses peripheral light rays slightly in front of the plane of focus, giving a soft roll-off to the edges of the bokeh. This, they say, is how many much-loved ‘classic’ lenses gave desirable, ‘3D’ rendering.

The 17mm lens includes a unique ED-DSA element, which has dual aspherical lenses formed from soft and hard-to-work extra low dispersion glass. They claim to be the only company currently able to do this.

The company also highlights that its cameras should be able to achieve very high levels of focus precision even with off-center points. Both lenses also have the snap-back focus clutch system, so that videographers can manual focus with a linear focus response.

Olympus mentions that there’s been a trend towards bokeh-optimized primes in recent years but says its design approach gives attractive bokeh without any of the light loss causes by the use of apodization filters in Fujifilm’s APD or Sony’s STF lenses.

Each lens will cost $ 1200. The 45mm will go on sale in late November, and the 17mm will be available in late January 2018.

Press release

BEAUTIFUL BOKEH: TWO NEW OLYMPUS LENSES EXPAND THE M.ZUIKO PRO F1.2 PRIME LINEUP

M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO and M.ZUIKO® Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO Offer Smooth Feathered Bokeh and High Resolution at the Brightest Aperture

CENTER VALLEY, PA., October 25, 2017 — Olympus expands its M.ZUIKO F1.2 PRO prime lens lineup with the new M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO (34mm focal length in 35mm equivalent) and the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO (90mm focal length in 35mm equivalent). These Micro Four Thirds® system lenses join the currently available M.ZUIKO Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO (50mm focal length in 35mm equivalent) to deliver outstanding resolution and beautiful feathered bokeh at a maximum aperture of F1.2.

The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO and M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO give M.ZUIKO PRO lens users more flexibility in low-light environments as well as an extraordinarily shallow depth-of-field. Each is designed to achieve a new level of depictive performance, delivering three-dimensional images that represent subjects as they appear in the real world through a combination of feathered bokeh and sharp resolution.

By focusing not only on the bokeh’s size but also its quality, each lens produces a feathered bokeh effect that better emphasizes the main subject and allows it to stand out within the image. The shallower depth of field produced at F1.2 is especially ideal for portrait photographers.

The newly developed ED-DSA lens, which possesses the characteristics of both an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens element and a DSA (Dual Super Aspherical) lens element, is incorporated in the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO. The ED-DSA lens compensates for common wide-angle lens issues, including chromatic aberrations, distortion and color bleeding on the image periphery.

Like other lenses in the M.ZUIKO PRO series, the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO and M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO feature compact, lightweight construction and a dustproof, splashproof, freezeproof (to 14°F/-10°C) design, giving photo enthusiasts and professionals the ability to capture brilliant images in a variety of shooting conditions.

U.S. Pricing and Availability
The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO will be available late November 2017, while the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO will be available late January 2018. Both lenses will have an estimated street price of $ 1,199.99 USD/$ 1,499.99 CAD. For a complete list of specifications for the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO, visit the Olympus website: http://getolympus.com/lenses/m-zuiko-ed-45mm-f1-2-pro.html, and for the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO lens, visit http://getolympus.com/lenses/m-zuiko-ed-17mm-f1-2-pro.html.

Main Features

1. Depictive performance that delivers feathered bokeh and outstanding resolution

Feathered bokeh provides an ultra smooth transition from the sharp to the defocused areas of the image to provide an overall softer background. This results in a subject that stands out with lifelike dimensionality.

In the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO, there are 15 elements in 11 groups, including specialized lens elements like the newly developed ED-DSA lens. The ED-DSA lens element, which possesses the characteristics of both an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens and DSA (Dual Super Aspherical) lens, reduces the overall weight and the number of lens elements. This design effectively compensates for various types of aberrations that tend to occur in wide-angle lenses, such as chromatic aberration, distortion and color bleeding on the image periphery (magnification chromatic aberration).

The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO contains three optimally placed and bonded lens elements, including one ED lens, which compensate for typical problems on wide-aperture lenses like out-of-focus color bleeding (axial chromatic aberration) and peripheral color bleeding (magnification chromatic aberration). The extensive use of special lenses incorporated into 14 elements in 10 groups results in superb optical performance and feathered bokeh effects, even at the widest aperture setting.

Both lenses use the same Z Coating Nano technology as the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO for sharp, clear image quality that significantly reduces ghosts and flares that tend to occur in backlit images.

2. Fast, high-precision AF

Both lenses are equipped with the MSC (Movie- and Still-Compatible) autofocus mechanism that provides virtually silent and smooth high-speed focusing performance, even when using the maximum aperture of F1.2. Additionally, there are no AF point limitations, even at the widest aperture, due to the On-Chip AF system in all Olympus OM-D® and PEN® cameras.

Using Face Priority or Eye Priority AF, two modes which are highly regarded by professional portrait photographers, brings out the true power of these large-aperture lenses.

3. Compact, lightweight construction and dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof (14°F/-10°C) performance

The M.ZUIKO PRO F1.2 prime lens lineup is exceptionally compact, lightweight and provides unrivaled mobility, dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof (14°F/-10°C) performance consistent with the M.ZUIKO PRO series. A uniform lens filter diameter across the three F1.2 lenses allows for use of the same lens filters, such as protection filters and PL filters.

Other Features

Excellent close-up shooting: The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO has a minimum focusing distance of 20 cm and a maximum image magnification of 0.15x (35mm equivalent: 0.3x), while the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO has a minimum focusing distance of 50 cm and a maximum image magnification of 0.1x (35mm equivalent: 0.2x), providing outstanding close-up shooting performance.
Premium design: Each lens was designed with the professional photographer in mind. The focusing ring placed at the front of the lens makes focusing easier when paired with the large grip of the flagship OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera. The L-Fn Button is located on a gently curving surface to make it comfortable to access. The MF Clutch mechanism allows the photographer to instantly switch between auto and manual focusing mode by pulling the focusing ring toward the camera body.

Lens Accessories:
Lens Cap, LC-62F (bundled): This lens cap is designed for quick and easy removal from lenses with a filter diameter of ?62mm, and can be used even when the lens hood is still attached.

Lens Case, LSC-0811 (bundled): A purse-string-type lens case with three-layer construction thatsecurely protects the lens. The lens can be stored in the case with the lens cap, protection filterand lens hood (stored) attached to the lens.

Lens Hood, LH-66C (bundled): A lens hood specifically designed for the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO lens to reduce the amount of unnecessary light entering the lens when shooting in backlit conditions. The hood release lock button features a nonprotruding design that prevents the hood from accidental detachment.

Lens Hood, LH-66B (bundled): A lens hood for use with the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO and the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO lenses to reduce the amount of unnecessary light entering the lens when shooting in backlit conditions. The hood release lock button features a nonprotruding design that prevents the hood from accidental detachment.

Protection Filter, PRF-ZD62 PRO (sold separately): This protection filter maximizes the abilities of M.ZUIKO PRO lenses bearing the Zuiko name. It features ZERO coating, which cuts reflection by approximately one-half compared to conventional multicoating, black-edged glass, and a satin-finished black alumite aluminum frame for a matte surface that suppresses reflections.

Sales Outline for Separately Available Accessories

Product Name	MSRP	Planned Launch Date
Lens Cap, LC-62F	$ 23.99 USD $ 21.99 CAD	On sale
Lens Case, LSC-0811	$ 26.99 USD $ 26.99 CAD	On sale
Lens Hood, LH-66B	$ 44.99 USD $ 44.99 CAD	On sale
Protection Filter, PRF-ZD62 PRO	$ 64.99 USD $ 64.99 CAD	On sale

Olympus 17mm and 45mm F1.2 Pro specifications

	Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 Pro	Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 Pro
Principal specifications
Lens type	Prime lens
Max Format size	FourThirds
Focal length	17 mm	45 mm
Image stabilization	No
Lens mount	Micro Four Thirds
Aperture
Maximum aperture	F1.2
Minimum aperture	F16
Aperture ring	No
Number of diaphragm blades	9
Optics
Elements	15	14
Groups	11	10
Special elements / coatings	1 Super ED, 3 ED, 1 ED-DSA, 1 EDA, 1 Super HR, 1 aspherical	1 ED, 4 HR, 1 aspherical
Focus
Minimum focus	0.20 m (7.87″)	0.50 m (19.69″)
Maximum magnification	0.15×	0.1×
Autofocus	Yes
Motor type	Stepper motor
Full time manual	Yes
Focus method	Internal
Distance scale	No
DoF scale	Yes
Physical
Weight	390 g (0.86 lb)	410 g (0.90 lb)
Diameter	68 mm (2.68″)	70 mm (2.76″)
Length	87 mm (3.43″)	85 mm (3.35″)
Materials	Magnesium alloy
Sealing	Yes
Colour	Black
Filter thread	62.0 mm
Hood supplied	Yes
Hood product code	LH-66C	LH-66B
Tripod collar	No

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 26, 2017

Video: Sony a7R III first look

Sony took the wraps off its a7R III this morning, and we’ve been able to spend a little time checking out its standout features. Dan and Richard are on the ground in New York at Sony’s launch event, and have put together a quick video showing what’s new and cool.

Read all about the a7R III and keep an eye out for sample photos and more in the near future!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 26, 2017
4 Tips for Low Light Photography During the Winter

With fall here and winter fast approaching as well, the sun sets earlier in the day and most of us will be confined to shooting indoors. Whether you are shooting during the day or in the evening after the sunset, adapting and embracing shooting in low light will be beneficial to help you continue working on your photography skills and other personal photo projects.

If you are like me and work all day and come home in the evening to pick up your camera, you may be further limited to shooting right around sunset or utilizing artificial light sources only.

There was a time not long ago when I used to hate photographing my kids in low light. I was nervous about increasing the ISO and adding noise in my images or worried about reducing the shutter speed and causing camera shake. But slowly over time, I started to get used to working with various light sources around me creatively and utilizing them in my images.

If you are new to shooting in low light, here are some simple tips that could be helpful without the fear of shooting indoors in low light or using artificial light.

1. Shoot wide open and/or use a slow shutter speed

Although this may not be the best solution all the time with multiple people in the image indoors; but shooting wide open (as much as your camera allows) helps you get more light in the image. Making sure your focal points are aligned on the subject where they need to be, this could help you with that low light shooting you are struggling with.

Another option would be to consider using a slow shutter speed. A shutter speed of 1/200th or slower to 1/100th doesn’t always produce camera shake when handheld and lets more light in as well. There’s always the option of using a tripod, however, keep in mind that this may not be feasible when photographing kids in action.

2. Crank up that ISO and embrace noise

Having a camera with low light capabilities sounds great. However, if you are on a budget and need to work with what you have, consider cranking up your ISO as high as you can after adjusting your shutter speed and aperture.

Consider embracing the noise or grain produced and using it in your images creatively. Converting an image to black and white during post-processing also helps hide any yellow light indoors you may have from artificial sources after hours.

Consider using alternate artificial light sources such as an iPad light, refrigerator light, desk lamp, etc., for extra creativity.

3. Find pockets of light

Open up windows, blinds, and curtains. Pockets of light and shadows add to the drama and create depth.

Once you get home from work in the evening, look around to find any little pockets of light that you can use. This may be right around the golden hour (one hour prior to sunset) and you will find some amazing light peeking through the windows if you time it just right. Utilizing this light will produce some amazing shadows and you can create some moody images as well.

4. Dust off your flash and practice using it

When all else fails and I need to turn my lights on after hours, I rely on my Yongnuo flash unit and simply bounce it off the nearby walls. A lot of times I hear from other photographers (who limit themselves from shooting indoors during evening hours) that using flash is really complicated. I set my flash unit on ETTL and power it accordingly to get more or less light in the image based on how many artificial light sources I have turned on in the room.

Conclusion

In conclusion, all of the tips above are not always an either/or situation. Most of them can be used together such as combining a slow shutter speed along with increasing the ISO while shooting in a pocket of light with the blinds open when you really have those corner rooms with less light!

While doing the above and balancing your exposure creatively, you can create moody images with some drama. In summary, shooting in low light or the use of artificial light doesn’t have to be that intimidating. Give it a trying show us what you come up with in the comments below.

The post 4 Tips for Low Light Photography During the Winter by Jyotsna Bhamidipati appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

October 26, 2017
12 Tips for Better Nighttime Event Photography

There’s no way around it: doing nighttime event photography is tricky. Festivals, ceremonies, parties, and parades involve fast action, difficult lighting conditions, and hectic environments. It’s no wonder that first attempts at nighttime event photography often result in blurry and unusable images. Fear not – this article will help you get up to speed.

1. Know the pros and cons of different lens types

Instead of telling you, “use a fixed focal length lens with a wide aperture,” I want you to maintain an open mind to zoom lenses. Prime lenses are my first choice for shooting nighttime events where I’m free to move and get close to my subjects. However, for events where I’m confined to the audience or press section, I need the ability to zoom, frame, and isolate subjects without moving all that much.

In this article, the example images are a 50/50 mix of fixed focal length and zoom lenses. Through this, you’ll see what is possible with each type. Although zoom lenses with wide apertures (i.e., a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8) are often said to be ideal for nighttime events, they are extremely expensive pieces of equipment.

A scene from the Keelung Ghost Festival parade on September 4th, 2017 – Taiwan. This is a solid example of a nighttime event for which I chose a zoom lens over a prime. I was shooting from the press section—the edge of a wide boulevard on the action side of the crowd barrier—and I could only move from side to side, not towards the action. Therefore, the ability to frame shots using a zoom lens was crucial to me.

2. Focus on the interplay of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO

Because creating a correct exposure is a balancing act between various settings, the next step is to focus on the interplay between shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Generally, you want your nighttime event images to be sharp; therefore, make a fast shutter speed your priority.

With a prime lens, select a wide aperture (try f/2.8) and increase the ISO until your test shots register a shutter speed of 1/125th or preferably higher. Shooting wide open (i.e., f/1.4 or f/1.8) will result in slow autofocusing and you missing your shot. Go higher to avoid these problems.

With a zoom lens, select the widest available aperture available (i.e., f/4.0) and crank the ISO up high. I usually select ISO 3200 and fire off some test shots of a moving subject. Using these settings in aperture priority mode, I was able to achieve a shutter speed of 1/640th for the image below.

A costumed performer dressed as a Chinese god runs straight towards me – Keelung, Taiwan. 1/640th | f/4.0 | ISO 3200 | Canon 24-105mm f/4 L.

3. Utilize available light

For my style of travel photography, I rarely use a flash; I prefer the results from utilizing available light. It takes a great deal of skill to use a flash in a way that compliments your images rather than detracts from them. Therefore, I recommend saving it for a later, more advanced stage of your photography journey.

Pirouetting gypsy-style dancers amaze the crowd – Keelung, Taiwan. 1/250th | f/4.0 | ISO 3200 | Canon 24-105mm f/4 L. I waited until these dancers were beneath a spotlight to utilize this light source and achieve a faster shutter speed.

4. Get close to the action

Get as close as possible without disturbing the event’s participants. For the image below, I was in Manipur, a remote Indian state on the border with Myanmar. I sat cross-legged just as the boys opposite me were doing, which was fine until the real fighting began. This martial arts demonstration took place after dark in a poorly lit pagoda. It was hard enough to focus my eyes, let alone my camera. I had to push my ISO to the limits, even though I was using a prime lens.

The ancient Manipuri martial art of Thang Ta. This was the most challenging lighting condition I have ever shot in. 1/80th | f/1.4 | ISO 25,600 | Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art. You read that right – ISO 25,600! Note the noise.

5. Ask your subjects to move

At nighttime events, I am always on the lookout for well-lit spots. I want a place with bright artificial light that I can utilize to increase my shutter speed. Once I’ve found both the spot and my willing portrait subject, I ask them if they would be kind enough to step into the light. This is the best method for capturing beautiful portraits at nighttime events without a flash.

Girl of the Meitei ethnic group at the Lai Haraoba festival – Manipur. The temple where the festival was taking place was dimly lit; however, one corner had the light I was looking for. She agreed to move, which allowed me to achieve a shutter speed of 1/200th.

6. Use continuous shooting mode

Once you have nailed your settings in combination with the available light, I recommend that you set your camera to continuous shooting mode. Take a look at the image below. I took five similar shots within fractions of a second of each other, and could then select the image with the best composition, facial expressions, and lighting when I was back at home.

Children’s rollerblade display team at the Ghost Festival parade – Keelung, Taiwan. 1/250th | f/4.0 | ISO 3200 | Canon 24-105mm f/4 L

7. Observe, anticipate, and shoot

Another technique is to spend time observing the event. Look for patterns in movement and people that would make the best subjects. Try to compose the shot you want to take in your head. Next, get into position and select your settings. Anticipate what is likely to happen and be ready when it does. Finally, shoot away.

Ladies performing a dance for the Lai Haraoba festival – Manipur, India. The dance involved moving slowly in a circle for one hour or longer. I was able to observe full rotations, anticipate exactly where to stand for the best view and light, and then shoot when the ladies came back around.

8. Frame using the environment and set the scene with the background

This is a valuable technique for increasing the visual interest and storytelling elements in your nighttime event shots. Be on the lookout for environmental features, which could also take the form of other people, to frame your shots. Take a look at the example below.

The younger Manipuri ladies watched their elders’ intricate hand movements to check if their own were correct. To communicate this detail, I framed the shot from behind the two oldest women and used their heads to frame the younger ladies looking back at them.

9. Move and use your feet

Your legs are your zoom when you’re using a fixed focal length lens. Throw yourself into the action. Crouch, climb and run your way to finding interesting angles and available light. In the image below, I left my seated position among the crowd, stood below the stage looking up at the priest, and composed the shot.

Hindu priest performing the Ganga Aarti ceremony – Varanasi, India. 1/125th | f/1.4 | ISO 1250 | Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art

10. Interact with your subjects

Get the attention of your subjects and make eye contact before raising your camera. I remember waving, smiling, and shouting “Ni hao!” to the performer in the image below, which led to a series of interactions and photo opportunities.

A performer at the September 4th Ghost Festival parade in Keelung, Taiwan interacted with me directly after I initiated contact. 1/125th | f/4.0 | ISO 3200 | Canon 24-105mm f/4 L

11. People expect to be photographed. Don’t hold back.

This isn’t street photography. The protagonists and guests at your event, particularly festivals and parades, probably expect to be photographed. An exception to this would be religious ceremonies, which require extra sensitivity on your part. Ask permission from someone in charge, and if someone asks you not to photograph them you should absolutely respect their wishes.

Taiwanese lady marching with members of her organization in the Keelung parade. 1/400th | f/4.0 | ISO 3200 | Canon 24-105mm f/4 L

12. Research your location ahead of time

Finally, pick an event ahead of time and research it. Consider attending on two different nights with two different sets of objectives. This is what I did when I attended the Ganga Aarti ceremony in Varanasi, India. The first night, I used a 35mm prime lens and focused on close-up action shots and portraits. The second night, I shot the ceremony from a boat on the Ganges using a 24-105mm zoom lens.

Walking across tightly-packed boats on the Ganges, this boy used his thumb to brush colored powder onto the forehead of anyone with 10 rupees to offer – Varanasi, India. 1/50th | f/4.0 | ISO 3200 | Canon 24-105mm f/4 L. Note the lower shutter speed, which ended up not really mattering. Through spot metering off the flames and utilizing available light, I was able to come away with not only a usable image but also one of my favorite shots from two months in India.

Conclusion

Put these 12 tips for better nighttime event photography into practice soon. Why not look in your local newspaper and check for events that you could attend this week? Don’t forget to share your comments and images below.

The post 12 Tips for Better Nighttime Event Photography by Ben McKechnie appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

October 25, 2017
The Winners of the Three NYIP Photography Courses Are . . .
The winners of the four NYIP photography courses are…

A BIG thank you to everyone who entered our recent competition to win one of three photography courses from our friends at NYIP.

The response was wonderful. In fact, it was so wonderful that the team at NYIP decided to offer a special 20% discount off any of their courses (details below). But first – here are the three winners of the competition for Fundamentals of Digital Photography Course – worth $ 749 (winners chosen by NYIP):
- ETricco
- Felicia Giberson
- SD Art Teacher
A Message from NYIP (and a 20% discount)

“Congratulations to all three winners! And thank you to all the participants for your many comments. We were so excited to see how many people were interested in our Fundamentals of Digital Photography Course. To those who did not win, we wanted to let you know that for a limited time we are offering you the chance to save 20% on the NYIP Course of your choice. Learn more at www.nyip.edu. Simply use the code NY20 at sign-up. But don’t wait, because this offer is only available until November 8th EST – The NYIP Team”
- Winners will be emailed with details of how to collect their prize by the team at NYIP.
- Thanks to everyone for entering and to NYIP for yet again, sponsoring another wonderful competition.
Photo by NYIP Student Photographer, Finnur Tomasson

The winning comments:

By ETricco – This course seems to be just what I am looking for. I have dreams of getting into some sort of photography-related field (most often when the 3 1/2 walls of my cubicle feel like they’re closing in on me and I need to find a more fulfilling career ASAP), but how do you start?? They are probably pipe dreams, but I figure at the very least I would like to master the skills. I use manual settings all the time and end up with decent pictures, but they are the production of lots of shots and just testing out different settings to see what works. I want to move on from this try-and-see method to a more calculated, intent technique. Anyone can take a beautiful photo of something beautiful, but I want to gain the skills to take something ugly or ordinary and capture it in a beautiful frame- and to be able to do that consistently, knowing exactly how to go about it and why. I’ve been reading up on ISO and aperture and shutter speed and have a basic grasp of what they are and how they work together, but I can’t yet look at something and know what my settings should be. I think if I had the framework this course provides instead of the piecemeal learning I’ve been doing, pulling together tips and facts from different articles and forums I find, it would really pull everything together; moreover, I think I would also be a source of motivation, because I love learning but trying to teach myself on my own is often overwhelming and disheartening. Lastly, I love that this course can be done at my own pace, so it can fit into my already hectic life and I can really get the most out of it. Please pick me and rescue me from my Office Space nightmare!

By Felicia Giberson – NYIP to me is a place that cares about their students by helping them to become better photographers. Being able to be mentored by a professional photographer would be absolutely amazing. I never seem to be completely satisfied with my pictures and to be able to have a professional guide me and give me one on one feedback is priceless. I have been learning for over a year now and seem to have hit a roadblock in the way that my pictures are coming out. My focus, composition, and exposure always seem to be off and while I can fix exposure and composition in the computer I cannot fix the focus. I would be so excited to have someone be able to give me pointers to use so that I can correct this and other issues I am having. Watching videos online and reading articles only helps so much. I would love to have the chance to get that perfect final image in my photos that I see in my mind and I believe that the New York Institute of Photography can do that.

By SD Art Teacher – How could I use an NYIP course, oh let me count the ways…
First, I am a high school art teacher from a rural school in South Dakota. And I have been given a wonderful opportunity this spring to teach a photography class. (I have only been asking for this opportunity for about 10 years or so), but anyways, I have finally been granted my wish.

This brings me to my first problem. The last time I took a photography class we used this stuff called film and we had to edit, develop and process it in a room, called a “Darkroom” ironically. Hopefully these still exist, but no matter what, this is where I learned. Now not to make myself sound THAT old, I have owned a DSLR camera for about 10 years now. I just have never officially taken a class. I am very proud to be a self-taught photographer. But I think I am in over my head with this teaching photography thing.

NYIP could help me in so many ways because while I think I know composition, lighting and editing, I also know that I might NOT know everything. Usually this is hard for me to admit. But when it comes to photography, which is at the lower end of my knowledge pool, I would be grateful for any assistance I can get. I am especially interested in learning the editing phase of the class. I know enough about editing programs to basically be dangerous, but I am very nervous about teaching tips and tricks to high school students who are depending on me for every step of the process.

While I am nervous, I am also very excited to be teaching a photography class. I also think I am in a great position to not only use the knowledge I will learn from NYIP but to pass it on to future photographers who will learn the true art of photography. I hope to inspire them to find a passion in taking photos and learning to edit them so that they look like they have been created by professionals. My students might not become professional photographers but through my journey I hope to help them find their own adventure and love for photography. Who knows, they might even be inspired to pick up their own NYIP class in the future.

Thank you all again.

You can learn more about NYIP HERE

Disclaimer: NYIP is a paid partner of dPS.

The post The Winners of the Three NYIP Photography Courses Are . . . by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
October 25, 2017
Watch Sony’s a7R III livestream event on DPReview

Sony dropped a bombshell at 2am Eastern time last night, announcing the 42.4MP mirrorless full-frame Sony a7R III to the world. And this morning, at a special event in New York City, they’ll officially ‘unveil’ this camera (and more) with all of the Apple-esque showmanship we’ve come to expect from Sony camera launches.

The ‘special livestream event’ starts in just a few minutes. Click play up top and open up the DPReview Twitter account in another page for live commentary from our lovable nerds at the event.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 25, 2017
DxO acquires Nik Collection from Google and will continue to offer it for free… for now
Look alive, Nik Collection fans: the software suite is back from the (mostly) dead. It will change hands from Google to DxO, who will continue to offer it as Photoshop and Lightroom plug-ins, as well as incorporate it into their own software. DxO will offer a new flagship application called PhotoLab, a version of OpticsPro that will incorporate Nik Collection’s U Point technology.

We spoke with Aravind Krishnaswamy, a Google Engineering Director, and DxO founder/CEO Jerome Meniere about the acquisition. Krishnaswamy mentioned Google’s need to focus on its Photos application, but that they want the Nik community to have a future, and a place to continue using the suite’s tools.

That’s where DxO picks things up. The Nik Collection in its present state will continue to be offered for free – for now. Meniere hints that this may not always be the case, and DxO plans to develop a new “Nik Collection 2018” for mid-next year. Meniere also mentions that they’d like to work with the Nik community to take the software in a direction that they’d like to see it go.

Not surprisingly, Nik-developed Snapseed is not included in the transaction, and will remain with Google. The company plans to continue actively developing and improving the mobile image editing app.

Head to DxO’s dedicated Nik Collection site if you’d like to snag free versions of the plug-ins while you still can.

Press release
DxO acquires Nik Collection assets from Google and plans to set a new bar on Photo editing softwares

PARIS – October 25, 2017 – DxO, one of the most innovative companies in consumer imaging, today announced the acquisition of the Nik Collection assets from Google.

DxO plans to continue development of the Nik Collection. The current version will remain available for free on DxO’s dedicated website, while a new “Nik Collection 2018 Edition” is planned for mid-next year.

“The Nik Collection gives photographers tools to create photos they absolutely love,” said Aravind Krishnaswamy, an Engineering Director with Google. “We’re thrilled to have DxO, a company dedicated to high-quality photography solutions, acquire and continue to develop it.”

“We are very excited to welcome the Nik Collection to the DxO family,” said Jérôme Ménière, CEO and founder of DxO. “DxO revolutionized the image processing market many times over the years with its innovative solutions, and we are convinced that we will continue to do so with Nik’s tools, which offer new creative opportunities for photographers. The latest version of our flagship software DxO PhotoLab, which is available as of now, is the first embodiment of this thrilling acquisition with built-in U point Technology.”

About the Nik Collection

The Nik Collection is composed of seven desktop plugins for Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop that provide a powerful range of photo editing capabilities — from filter applications that improve color correction, to retouching and creative effects, to image sharpening that brings out hidden details, to the ability to adjust the color and tonality of images. The current lineup of the Nik Collection includes:
- Analog Efex Pro: Applies film-era camera, lens, and film simulations to digital images
- Color Efex Pro: A comprehensive set of filters for color correction, retouching, and creative effects
- Dfine: Noise reduction software for camera-specific digital images
- HDR Efex Pro: Specialized program for processing HDR pictures
- Sharpener Pro: Image sharpening for digital images
- Silver Efex Pro: Black & White conversion of images with darkroom-inspired controls
- Viveza: Selectively adjusts image color and tonality without complicated masks or selections
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
October 25, 2017