https://ift.tt/2Imd2ns
28 Amazing Silhouette Photographs To Inspire Your Creativity https://ift.tt/2N2miOc Here at Light Stalking, we've been celebrating a very special milestone. Last week we had our 400th Weekend Photography Challenge. Our wonderful community came to the party, helped by Community Member Tersha choosing such a wonderfully creative topic for the challenge in Silhouettes. There were so many wonderful photos posted to the forum, so please definitely go and have a scroll through the challenge. Rider Oregon Coast by Mike Ince We asked our very own Federico Alegria to pick his favorite images from the challenge for you to enjoy. As Federico says: “Silhouette is an amazing topic for Light Stalking's 400th Challenge. Capturing a beautiful silhouette is a great photography technique to master to push your creativity and imagination. A great silhouette not only requires you to understand light, ensuring the light is completely behind your subject with zero light falling on their frontside but also, your composition needs to be engaging so you capture an interesting photograph and story. Silhouette is a diverse technique that can be used in every genre, from street photography to landscape – what a brilliant Challenge topic for our 400th edition.” We want to give a special shout-out to all those members that made amazing contributions to this particular challenge so here are 28 brilliant and creative silhouettes from our community for you to enjoy. Pitts S2 Special by David Baldry Orchid Mantis by Tersha Guns As Art by Kent DuFault Shelter by Click Down To A Sunless Sea by Simon Parks In The Fog by Tom M Fluffy by Mike Gifford 8 Hyper Kids by Laurel-Anne Port Severn Ontario by Rob Eyers Tahunanui Beach, Nelson, New Zealand by Ann Wheatley Mid-Tour Training by Chris Pook Hervey Bay Sunset by David Chesterfield Frog by Frogdaily “Journey to the center of the earth” by Bobbie Cannon Beach, Oregon by LeanneC Old vs New Kansas by James Silhouette by Deborah Quiver Tree by Steve Bein Misting Tent Jazz Fest New Orleans by Coco Punta Gorda, Florida by Pamela Winter Silhouette by Lorella Johnson Ice And Lava by Brian S360 Sunset Silhouette by Graham Hart Waikiki By Jose Picazo Resort Naivasha, Kenya by Enoma Izevbigie Silhouette by Angel M Sesma Saguaro National Park Arizona by Mike57 Thank you so much again to our wonderful community for these amazing and inspiring images. If there are any amazing silhouettes from our 400th Weekend Photography Challenge that you believe should be highlighted, please tell us in the comments below. The post 28 Amazing Silhouette Photographs To Inspire Your Creativity appeared first on Light Stalking. Photography News via Light Stalking https://ift.tt/2kwTW5i September 27, 2018 at 08:03AM
0 Comments
https://ift.tt/2xDk82A
Photokina 2018: Hands-on with Panasonic Lumix S1R https://ift.tt/2xUXzpp First look at Panasonic Lumix S1ROne of the most interesting announcements at this year's Photokina show in Germany was the Panasonic / Leica / Sigma L-mount partnership, the first fruits of which are two upcoming professional-oriented mirrorless ILCs from Panasonic. We've seen non-functional mockups of the S1R already, but earlier today we were lucky enough to get access to a working prototype camera in the VIP area at Panasonic's booth. Click through for a closer look. First look at Panasonic Lumix S1RWe couldn't power the camera up, so for now our impressions are limited to general handling and ergonomics but the S1R certainly feels good in the hand. It's a large camera, especially for a mirrorless ILC but it doesn't feel too heavy, and the camera+24-105mm combination shown here is nicely balanced. Panasonic tells us that every aspect of the camera was decided upon on the basis of detailed customer feedback, including the demand from professional users for large, well-placed controls and a deep grip. First look at Panasonic Lumix S1RThese blocks of plastic show the evolution of the S1R's grip shape, over several prototype iterations. First look at Panasonic Lumix S1RApparently what you get when you ask professional photographers what they want is something that looks an awful lot like a traditional DSLR. Resembling an upsized G9, Panasonic claims that 'no compromise' has been made in the S1R's performance, which is intended to satisfy the needs of the most demanding professional photographers. First look at Panasonic Lumix S1RWhile final specs are still to be confirmed, Panasonic tells us that the viewfinder in the S1R will 'rival human vision', i.e, a hypothetically perfect optical finder. We're curious to see for ourselves what this means in practice but judging by the excellent finder in the G9, Panasonic has what it takes to create very high quality, immersive EVFs. This view shows the S1R's conventional, button-laden rear control layout which includes an AF positioning joystick and twin rear dials. The grip texture is provisional - final shipping cameras will feature a textured faux leather finish. First look at Panasonic Lumix S1RThe touch-sensitive rear LCD (specs are again TBD) is articulated, which means you can fold it out.... First look at Panasonic Lumix S1R...and down, allowing for waist-level shooting in both landscape and portrait orientations. First look at Panasonic Lumix S1RNow there's a thing - twin card slots. The S1R is aimed squarely at professional photographers, and the option of XQD and / or SD should fulfill demands for backup, redundancy, or 'stills to this card, video to that one' shooting. Like every point on the S1R's body, the card door is gasketed to protect against dirt and moisture incursion. Panasonic claims that the S1R should rival the GH5/S for durability in unusually cold, hot or wet environments. First look at Panasonic Lumix S1RThe S1R we handled was missing a battery, but Panasonic tells us that battery life was a priority in the new models and as such, both will take a new, larger-capacity battery than those found in the company's M43 cameras. First look at Panasonic Lumix S1RThis image shows the S1R without a lens attached. The S1R will accept existing Leica L-mount lenses marketed alongside the SL, as well as forthcoming Panasonic-branded lenses and future Sigma alternatives. This view shows off the S1R's two customizable front-mounted buttons, to the left (as seen from this direction) of the lens mount. In a thoughtful touch the upper button is convex, while the lower is concave for ease of identification by touch. First look at Panasonic Lumix S1RThe S1 and S1R will be sold alongside four lenses: a 50mm F1.4, 24-105mm, 28-70mm and a 70-200mm F2.8. Final specifications are still to be confirmed, and the lenses shown here are non-functional mockups, displayed under glass. Learn more about the Panasonic S1/R Photography News via Dpreview https://ift.tt/i0r8o5 September 27, 2018 at 06:18AM
https://ift.tt/2Q6ZaQy
Fujifilm GFX 50R pre-production sample gallery https://ift.tt/2R694Dt Support DPReview. Shop with View Comments (0) The Everyday Sling might just be the perfect pack for not carrying too much gear, combining comfort with Peak Design's signature modern style. When the Fujifilm X-T2 arrived, it was more than just a modest upgrade to the already impressive X-T1. While the new X-T3 hasn't changed the overall design of the camera, this model is way more than an upgrade; rather, it's a quantum leap. The Movie Maker is a compact, motorized slider designed for phones, action cams and small mirrorless cameras. We think it's a fun little kit and a good value proposition for the cost, provided you can work around a few of its weak points. Nikon's Z7 is the first camera to use the all-new Z-mount, the company's first new full-frame mount since 1959. We've put together our first impressions based on quality shooting time with a pre-production camera - check out what we've found. We got some hands-on time with a pre-production LX100 II to get a better feel for the improvements Panasonic's brought to the table. Here's a rundown of what's new – and what we think. The instant camera market is heating up, and with four formats and 15+ cameras to choose from, we felt it was high time to examine them all and pick our favorite. Whether you're hitting the beach in the Northern Hemisphere or the ski slopes in the Southern, a rugged compact camera makes a great companion. In this buying guide we've taken a look at seven current models and chosen our favorites. What's the best camera for a parent? The best cameras for shooting kids and family must have fast autofocus, good low-light image quality and great video. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for parents, and recommended the best. What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best. What’s the best camera costing over $2000? The best high-end camera costing more than $2000 should have plenty of resolution, exceptional build quality, good 4K video capture and top-notch autofocus for advanced and professional users. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing over $2000 and recommended the best. Photography News via Dpreview https://ift.tt/i0r8o5 September 27, 2018 at 06:04AM
https://ift.tt/2xSUXbM
Samyang is showing off an XP 10mm f/3.5, the world’s wide rectilinear lens for full frame DSLRs. The lens is built using glass mould aspherical lens elements and Samyang claims it can resolve 50mp image sensors. Check out more images of the Samyang XP 10mm f/3.5 at ePHOTOzine. header image credit // ePHOTOzine Photography via Canon Rumors https://ift.tt/2v4dYqS September 27, 2018 at 05:53AM
https://ift.tt/2Dz5Aqb
VIDEO Peter McKinnon has completed his review of the brand new Canon EOS R camera body and has come away quite impressed. From a vloggers perspective, he loves that the camera shoots c-log, he doesn’t find the 4K crop a big deal since you can use inexpensive wide EF-S lenses easily. Check out the video review above. Photography via Canon Rumors https://ift.tt/2v4dYqS September 27, 2018 at 05:37AM
https://ift.tt/2Q5X03q
Venus Optics shows eight new Laowa models, including the widest Fujifilm GFX lens https://ift.tt/2xHOu3T A dramatic flurry of lenses has emerged from independent manufacturer Laowa at Photokina as the company shows a total of eight new models in a wide range of mounts. The company is showing a 17mm F4 for the Fujifilm GFX medium format system that will offer the angle of view we’d expect from a 13mm focal length on a 135 format camera. The lens will be the widest available lens for Fujifilm’s system and, as part of the Zero D series, it should have only the slightest amount of distortion. Other lenses of note in the collection include a designed-for-cinema 25-100mm T2.9 zoom marking Laowa’s entry into the professional movie market. The lens is claimed to be parfocal, so focus doesn’t shift during zooming, and to display minimal breathing as focus is altered. Drone and MFT users will both get versions of a 9mm F2.9 super wide, while macro lovers will be able to enjoy a 100mm macro that can reproduce a subject at double size on the sensor. All the details are below and on the Venus Optics website. Pricing and availability are yet to be confirmed. Press Release Venus Optics unveil 8 new & unique Laowa lenses in Photokina, including the 25-100 T/2.9 Professional Cine LensTogether with the 4 new lenses showed earlier in Beijing P&E, a total of 12 new Laowa lenses will make their Europe debut in Venus Optics’ booth in Photokina (Hall 2.1, D-040) Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer who had previously launched a number of unique Laowa camera lenses, is proud to unveil 8 new and unique lenses in Photokina. Laowa OOOM 25-100mm t/2.9 Cine Lightweight Zoom Laowa OOOM 25-100 t/2.9 Cine Lightweight Zoom Laowa OOOM Cine lightweight zoom is the first professional cinema style zoom lens offered by Venus Optics. The lens features a wide 25-100mm zoom range, making it a one-size-fits-all lens for different types of productions. Unlike some cine lens in the market which were re-engineered from a photo zoom lens, Laowa OOOM Cine lens is designed for digital cinematography in the first place. It is truly parfocal, meaning the focus will never shift when you zoom in or zoom back out. It is designed to have nearly zero focus breathing throughout the whole zoom range. The aperture remains fixed at t/2.9 at all focal lengths. It is built with the true cinema level mechanics. It comes with a stepless, t-stop independent aperture ring with an industry standard 0.8 mod /32 pitch gears. The 270° rotation flow provides room or precise focus pulls and the iris is clickless, enabling smooth iris pulls. The lens weighs only 2.16 pounds, which is fairly light for a cinema zoom that holds focus and aperture throughout the focal length range. Laowa 17mm f/1.8 MFT Laowa 17mm f/1.8 is a new compact, standard prime designed for Micro Four Thirds cameras and it gives a 35mm-equivalent field of view. The lens houses 9 elements in 7 groups and have a 5-blade aperture for the best sunstar rendering. The lens is extremely compact and lightweight, weighs only 160g (0.36lbs) and is 5cm (2”) long. A 46cm filter thread is included and the 15cm minimal focus distance make it a perfect lens for videography. Laowa 12mm f/1.8 MFT Laowa 12mm f/1.8 is a new compact, wide-angle prime for Micro Four Thirds cameras and it gives a 24mm-equivalent field of view. The ultra-fast f/1.8 aperture allows photographers to take astro photos with ease. The lens houses 13 elements in 10 groups and a 5-blade aperture. The lens can focus as close as 14cm (5.5”) and takes 46mm screw-in filters which gives extra convenience to videographers. It weighs only 165g (0.4 lbs) and its 5cm long (2”). Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D (DJI DL) Following the successful launch of the super compact and lightweight 7.5mm f/2 MFT lens for DJI Inspire drones (X5 gimbals) during 2017, Venus Optics is proud to introduce another ultra-wide option, Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D DL, to use on DJI Inspire 2 (X7 gimbals). Featuring an effective 118° angle of view, the Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D DJI DL is currently the widest available option for DJI Inspire 2 drones with Zenmuse X7 gimbals. The bigger image circle can cover the size of Super35 sensors and the native DL mount allows an easy lens switching. The lens weighs only 215g and it is super tiny and compact. It comes with a 49mm filter thread and features a close-to-zero optical distortion. Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D MFT Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D (Micro Four Thirds mount) is the 4th variant added to the existing Fuji X, Sony E and EOS-M mounts. The 9mm lens provides a 18mm equivalent angle of view on the Micro Four Thirds sensor. It also has a better vignetting control over the other variants of the same lens. The close-to-zero distortion will remain unchanged. Laowa 7.5mm t/2.1 Cine / Laowa 9mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine The new Laowa 7.5mm and 9mm Cine lenses are the cine-mod version of the existing photo version of Venus Optics best-selling models. Both lenses were re-housed with a step-less aperture rings and focus rings with standard 0.8 mod gears which give videographers extra convenience to use with follow-focus systems. Both of the lenses are the widest available in the market in its class and only weigh 180g (0.4lbs) & 250g (0.55lbs) respectively. Closest focusing distance is both 12cm (0.4 feet). The wide perspective and lightweight makes them the perfect companion for gimbal shooting. MFT mount is available for 7.5mm t/2.1 Cine and Sony E mount is available for 9mm t/2.9 Cine. Laowa 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine (PL) The new Laowa 12mm t/2.9 Zero-D Cine in PL mount is the cine-mod version of the existing 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens. The lens was rehoused with a step-less, t-stop aperture rings and focus rings with standard 0.8 mod gears for iris and focus pulls. It successfully covers the 35mm Vista Vision sensor size and offers an ultra-wide 122° angle of view, making it one of the world’s widest and fastest available option for shooting with large sensors. Despite the ultra-wide field of view, it is perfectly rectilinear and features a close-to-zero distortion rate. The focus flow is extended to 270° for cinematographers to also take advantage of the 0.6 feet (18cm) closest focusing distance. The super lightweight (650g, 1.4lbs) is also an added benefit for cinematographers. Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 FE Zoom This lens is currently the widest zoom lens available for Sony full frame E-mount cameras. Designed primarily for travel photography, Venus optics have managed to compress the size to smallest in its class, less than 4 inch (<10cm) and only 1.1 pounds (<500g). The 102? (18mm) to 130? (10mm) angle of view provides flexibility for photographers to compose landscape or architecture photos with ease. The lens houses with 14 elements in 10 groups with 2 aspherical elements & 1 extra-low dispersion element to deliver exceptional performance. It can focus as close as 15cm for some mini-macro shooting. A rear filter slot is included to fit with 37mm filter. A dedicated filter holder is being developed to fit 100mm-wide filters. Click/clickless aperture can be toggled by the switch on the lens barrel. A 5-blade aperture design ensures a pleasing and clean sunstar rendering. Multiple samples will be available for free rental during Photokina period. Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Followed by the success of the Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro, the 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Macro is the 2nd member of Laowa 2:1 macro line-up. This new 100mm lens can cover full frame sensor size and focus from 2:1 magnification to infinity. The wide magnification range allows macro photographers to capture subject at any sizes. This 100mm portrait lens also features an apochromatic (APO) characteristic that no chromatic aberration can be found. The 12 elements in 10 groups optics design delivers a crystal sharpness image in both macro and tele distances. Automatic aperture control feature is available for Canon EF version and Aperture coupling is available for Nikon F mount version. Laowa 17mm f/4 GFX Zero-D This is currently the widest available native lens option for Fujifilm G-mount cameras. The new Laowa 17mm f/4 GFX has a field of view equivalent to 13mm in 35mm format (113?). Featuring a close-to-zero distortion and 86mm filter thread, this lens is ideally suited for landscape, architecture & interior photography. The 21 elements in 14 groups design with 2pcs of aspherical & 3pcs of Extra-low dispersion elements successfully help to control the distortion & chromatic aberrations to the minimal. Laowa 4mm f/2.8 Fisheye MFT Featuring a 210? angle of view, this lens delivers unique circular fisheye field of view on Micro four thirds cameras. The ultra-wide angle view allows photographers to create 360? panorama with ease. Despite the unique & ultra-wide perspective, the lens only weighs 0.3 pounds (135g). Free Rental Programme Availability About Us For more information about Anhui ChangGeng Optical Technology Company Limited and our products information, visit https://ift.tt/1ywjDmD Photography News via Dpreview https://ift.tt/i0r8o5 September 27, 2018 at 03:07AM
https://ift.tt/2Of0enZ
Leica FOTOS is a Universal Smartphone App for Leica Cameras https://ift.tt/2OQHhFf Leica has announced a new smartphone app called FOTOS that’s compatible with a number of Leica cameras. With multiple Leica cameras supporting wireless connectivity now, FOTOS is one app that rules them all. “In the past, Leica Camera offered a wide range of apps that could be downloaded and installed for various different cameras,” Leica says. “As of now, the Leica FOTOS app replaces them all.” FOTOS is designed to help Leica photographers seamlessly integrate their smartphones into how they shoot and manage their photos. The app connects directly to compatible cameras via Wi-Fi — certain models can easily pair using a QR code — and stores the camera’s registration details to make future pairings as quick and convenient as possible. Once paired, the app can view the Live View of the camera as well as remotely adjust various settings such as aperture, ISO, shutter speed, and exposure compensation. When you have the settings you want, you can then trigger the camera’s shutter remotely through the app. After photos are captured, you can view them in full resolution directly through your phone. Double-tapping the screen brings up a 100% zoom view. Captured photos can be post-processed on the smartphone and then shared to social networks. If you’re an Instagram user who wishes to quickly share your Leica photos while on-the-go, FOTOS can help greatly reduce the number of steps and amount of time it takes to go from pressing the shutter button to pressing the share button. The Leica FOTOS app will initially be compatible with the Leica S (Typ 007), SL, M10, M10-P, Q, TL2, TL, T, CL, D-Lux, and V-Lux cameras. Additional compatibility for more cameras is on the way, Leica says. If you’d like to get started, you can register to download the beta version on the FOTOS webpage for iOS and Android. The finished version will continue to be free-to-use after its official launch. (via Leica via Red Dot Forum) Photography News via PetaPixel https://petapixel.com September 26, 2018 at 02:46PM Silhouettes Japans Asteroid Photography And An Orchid Mantis Dominate This Week On Light Stalking9/26/2018
https://ift.tt/2xO95D2
Silhouettes, Japan’s Asteroid Photography, And An Orchid Mantis Dominate This Week On Light Stalking https://ift.tt/2OQUfD5 This has been quite a week for our Light Stalking community. We welcome 170 new members to our beloved family just in this last week, and we hope that they'll start sharing their knowledge and curiosity with us. We also want to say that our 400th Weekend Photography Challenge has just been a celebration of wonderful images and stories. Thank you so much to the community for embracing the Challenge and sharing with us some breathtaking work. Photo Of The Week – September 24, 2018Just Wow! The fantastic John Thompson (AKA@nikon-nut) photographs the stunning Red Rock region in all its glory and regularly posts his work to the forums. Individually, these images are spectacular, but as a portfolio (please see John's Flickr stream for more of his work) you can really get a sense of his deep love and appreciation of this beautiful land. Here's what Kent DuFault had to say about this image: “This week the POTW goes to John Thompson for his stunning desert landscape. What can you say about this photograph? It's just simply gorgeous and amazing.” Weekend Photography Challenge #400 – SilhouettesThis challenge was definitely special with many new Light Stalking members posting for the first time here. Once again we appreciate the work of community member Tersha for coming up with amazing challenges week-in-week-out. Here our very own Federico Alegria highlights and discusses 3 entries that caught his attention: Shelter – by Click This shot by Light Stalking member Click is fantastic. This is a great example not only of a silhouette but also of the technique of sub-framing. Sub-framing is a more complex composition technique where the photographer creates a sub-composition inside an actual photograph. Great capture! (if you'd like to read more on sub-framing, see Federico's popular post how to master framing in photographic composition for more powerful shots.) Silhouette – by Deborah This is the first image Deborah has ever shared with us at Light Stalking, and we hope she doesn't stop here because this is a great photograph! Strong composition with the main subjects on different levels – sitting and standing, coupled with a very stark silhouette creating great interest. Awesome. Patrolling the lakes (nominally) with RUC – by Chris Pook I just love this image by Chris, it doesn't have heavy silhouettes in it, but it has such a great feeling of exuberance and fun in it that it deserves a special place here on Light Stalking. It is worth noting that there is no time limit on the Weekend Photography Challenge – you can post any relevant photo you've taken. Chris took this photo back in 1991 – as he noted in the forum “This was back when you had no idea what you had shot till you got them back from the chemist” Thanks for going through the archives and sharing this fantastic photo with us! Federico will be posting more on our Special Weekend Photography Challenge #400 soon And don't forget… Weekend Photography Challenge #401 – Music And Dance is up and running, so please head over to the forums and join the conversation and post your photos!What You May Have Missed in the Light Stalking CommunityA few days ago, an article on the rule of 500 was published by Rob. A really interesting topic for people who want to learn how to shoot the sky at the quite a high level. A couple of days later, one of our forum members Robert Apple shared with us more information to continue our collective learning. This is a really interesting topic to dig into. Don't Forget To Give Other Members Feedback In The TankHelp these photographers become even better at what they do with your accurate feedback, comments, and critique over in the Shark Tank.
Top 5 Stories Of The Week Here On Light StalkingJust in case you missed them, here are the top 5 from this week: Japan’s Space Agency Releases First Photos from Asteroid’s Surface – from Kehl Bayern, this story was so popular and we can understand why! We will leave you this week with an amazing image posted by Tersha to the forum “Orchid Mantis On An Orchid” This is a brilliant image – Thank you Tersha! Orchid Mantis – by Tersha The post Silhouettes, Japan’s Asteroid Photography, And An Orchid Mantis Dominate This Week On Light Stalking appeared first on Light Stalking. Photography News via Light Stalking https://ift.tt/2kwTW5i September 26, 2018 at 08:02AM
https://ift.tt/2xQH11Y
Photokina 2018: Hands-on with Sigma's new Global Vision lenses https://ift.tt/2N3JR9j A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesSix years after launching the Global Vision line at this very show in 2012, Sigma took the wraps off five new lenses at Photokina this year, and we were there at the launch event to see (and handle) them for ourselves. Click through for more information and some early first impressions. First up is the new 56mm F1.4 DC DN 'Contemporary' for Sony APS-C format E-mount cameras and M43 - where it provides an equivalent focal length of 84mm and 112mm, respectively. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesAt 280g (9.9 oz) the 56mm is a very lightweight lens, and with the lenshood (shown in the previous slide) removed, it's actually the smallest of Sigma's current fast-aperture E-mount / M43 primes. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesOptical construction consists of 10 elements in six groups, and the lens features a nine-bladed aperture. We weren't able to use it on a camera, but Sigma claims that 'smooth autofocus' should make this lens ideal for video use. Pricing and availability will be confirmed at a later date. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesNext up is the latest in Sigma's range of wide-aperture 'Art' series primes for full-frame ILCs - the 28mm F1.4 DG HSM. Compared to the 56mm, this fast wideangle prime is quite a hefty piece of glass, but if performance is in line with its stablemates, it should be capable of great things. Sigma tells us that its benchmarks were Nikon and Zeiss's 28mm F1.4 primes, and performance from its new Art-series option should be 'best in class'. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesKey to the 28mm F1.4's claimed performance is its optical makeup, which comprises 17 elements in 12 groups, including no fewer than three aspherical elements, two FLD and three SLD ("F" low-dispersion and 'Special' low-dispersion respectively) elements. Sigma claims that this design provides 'thorough' correction of chromatic aberration and minimal distortion. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesUnlike Sigma's earliest Art-series primes, the new range are weather-sealed, and employ water and oil-repellant coating on their front elements. The 28mm F1.4 certainly feels like a solid professional tool, but Sigma has yet to confirm its actual weight. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesPrice, likewise, is TBD but we understand that the upcoming 28mm F1.4 will be somewhere around $1300, pre-tax. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesEven larger and even heavier is the 40mm F1.4DG HSM. Created from Sigma's 40mm cine lens, the company claims that this fast standard prime is its sharpest ever lens of this type. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesAs you can hopefully tell from our pictures, it's a big lens, measuring 87.8mm x 131mm (3.5in. x 5.2in) and weighing in at 1.2 kilos (43 oz). An 82mm filter ring is bigger than most, but not quite as bonkers as the 95mm thread on Canon's new 28-70mm F2! Like Sigma's 28mm F1.4, the 40mm F1.4 is dust and moisture-sealed. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesDesigned to satisfy the resolution requirements of 50MP sensors and 8K video, the 40mm F1.4 is highly corrected for distortion (which, it is claimed, is below 1%) and coma. Optical construction consists of 16 elements in 12 groups, including three FLD and three SLD elements. Pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesThis is a lens that Sigma fans (and photography fans in general) have been waiting for, for some time: the new 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM 'Sports' While not an 'Art' series lens, the 70-200mm was designed to meet the needs of the most demanding professional photographers, and the company claims that it will be competitive with own-brand equivalent lenses from the other major camera manufacturers. This shot shows off the various focus and OS switches, and the removable Arca-Swiss compatible tripod mount collar. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesThe 70-200mm F2.8 makes generous use of magnesium alloy in its construction, for strength and low weight. Sigma processes this material in-house, at a brand new factory built at its existing site in Aizu, Japan. In keeping with other Sport-line lenses, it is dust and weather-sealed, and features and oil and water-repellant coating on the front element. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesOptical construction of this internal zoom lens is pretty impressive on-paper, comprising 24 elements in 22 groups, including ten low-dispersion elements - nine 'FLD' and one SLD. Sigma claims that this advanced optical makeup ensures attractive bokeh and excellent correction of color aberrations. On the mechanical side, 'intelligent OS' is capable of correcting for shake in all directions, with total shake-reduction effectiveness still to be confirmed. Ergonomically, while we couldn't mount it on a camera (we're hoping to do that soon!) the lens feels exceptionally nicely made and very well-balanced, and some photographers will be pleased to see that Sigma has put the zoom ring at the front of the lens. An AF function button can be customized either via the host camera or Sigma's USB Dock, and the 70-200mm will be available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sigma SA mounts, pricing and availability still TBD. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesLast but definitely not least is the 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM. A beast of a lens (that's a technical term) this 10X sports zoom is among Sigma's most versatile, capable of covering everything from goalmouth action at one end of a football pitch to goalmouth action at the other end without swapping lenses. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesRelatively compact at 60mm (relatively...) at 600mm, this lens is quite a handful, and in terms of optical construction it just beats out the other four lenses released by Sigma by featuring 25 elements, in 19 groups. Like the 70-200mm, the 60-600mm is partially constructed using magnesium alloy from Sigma's new factory. A closer look at Sigma's new Global Vision lensesThe 60-600mm is highly customizable, and usefully it features a zoom lock at all zoom positions, to help prevent 'zoom creep' when you're trying to frame shots. It will be available in late October for $1999. Photography News via Dpreview https://ift.tt/i0r8o5 September 26, 2018 at 07:15AM
https://ift.tt/2Q7DFPy
Photokina 2018: First look at new Ricoh GR III https://ift.tt/2zvEGM1 Our new favorite compact? Meet the Ricoh GR IIIRicoh has announced the development of a third model in its popular GR lineup: The forthcoming GR III will feature an updated sensor and redesigned lens. We're at Photokina, where we took a quick look earlier at an early sample under glass. The biggest upgrade to the GR III is invisible. The new camera features a 24MP APS-C sensor, which should substantially improve upon the rather old 16MP sensor used in the GR/II. The new sensor brings with it phase-detection autofocus, and in-camera stabilization. Both these changes are potentially of huge value to prospective buyers, and serve as a major differentiator against arguably the GR III's main competitor, Fujfilm's X100-series. Our new favorite compact? Meet the Ricoh GR IIIExternally, the GR III is virtually indistinguishable from its predecessors, the GR and (extremely closely-related) GR II. The 28mm effective focal length of it 18.3mm F2.8 lens is unchanged, but it has been redesigned. The new lens features six elements in four groups, including two aspheres. The GR/II's lens was made up of seven elements in five groups, also including two aspherical elements. Beyond an improvement to minimum focusing distance from to 6cm (2.4") from 10cm (3.9") we don't know what the practical effects of this redesign are (the GR/II's original lens was stunningly sharp) but we're keen to put it to the test as soon as we can. Our new favorite compact? Meet the Ricoh GR IIIMovie shooting has been moved from its old position on the main exposure mode dial, to a button on the left-hand side of the camera. This button can also be configured to activate the GR III's wireless feature. Notice also the omission of the mechanical flash release switch, which was featured on the GR/II. The GR III does not include a built-in flash. Our new favorite compact? Meet the Ricoh GR IIISorry for the poor quality of this image, which was (obviously) shot through perspex, and against powerful spotlights. Hopefully it shows you what you need to know. From behind, the biggest difference to the GR III compared to its predecessors appears to be a larger LCD, but in fact this is an illusion. It looks like the GR III's screen is the same size (3 inches) and resolution (1.03 million dots) as its predecessor. The difference is that the GR III's screen is touch-sensitive. Our new favorite compact? Meet the Ricoh GR IIIYou might also notice that the GR/II's AE/AFL / AF-C switch has been deleted in the new model - likewise the +/- toggle that used to live on the upper-right corner of the thumb grip. This is a shame, but from the labeling it looks like the rear 'ADJ' jog switch can be used for quick exposure compensation. Our new favorite compact? Meet the Ricoh GR IIIFrom the top, the simplified exposure mode dial looks noticeably less cluttered than the older GR/II. Movie mode has gone, but so has the auto-everything 'green' camera mode, and TAv. Instead, we have the traditional PASM plus three user-configurable settings. The front control dial and trademark Ricoh pill-shaped shutter button are unchanged. That's it! At least for now. This camera was firmly behind glass but as soon as we can get our holds on a working sample, we'll be posting a lot more about the GR III, which is already looking like it might become our new favorite compact. Photography News via Dpreview https://ift.tt/i0r8o5 September 26, 2018 at 06:04AM |
Categories
All
Archives
November 2020
|