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alexteltevskiy · 8 years

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Vintage camera review - Vivitar 220/SL with 50mm f/1.8

Intro

Always on the lookout for vintage cameras to try out, me and Kris (from 43 Stories) stumbled upon by chance on another long-lost closet treasure - her Grandfather's Vivitar 220/SL, complete with original strap and the Vivitar 50mm f/1.8. I was told the camera was originally bought for family candids of the grandkids but later also entered active duty in her Grandfather's business as a Private Investigator, chronicling the daily stream of evidence, clues and suspects. Quite honestly, the no-nonesense jet black finish of the camera lent it an aura of cool composure much more suited to covert snaps than trying to get the kids to smile. Seriously, the thing looks like something Darth Vader would carry around. Camera looked and felt like a tactical tool, with a weight of authority to it, oversized controls and chiseled, no-snag tapered lines.

First impressions aside, second impressions told me that this derelict detective's sidekick will need quite a lot of CLA to bring it up to spec. Viewfinder was dimmer than a dark forest path on a moonless night and the shutter was in no hurry to count the time at speeds of 1/30th and slower. Lens seemed almost opaque. Foam seals were stickier than gorilla glue and there were as many layers of dust on it as layers of family history, with the camera being handed down a couple of generations until it was ultimately phased out by its distant digital cousins. Oh, and the entire lens helicoid assembly, focus ring, front elements and all, rattled back and forth about half an inch. This one was going to be a piece of work.

History

Until this camera I honestly had nearly zero knowledge about Vivitar as a brand, always writing them off as not only a second-rate, but closer to third-rate third-party lens maker from the distant past. A regular in the discount dust bins of used camera stores, I wasn't expecting much from a body/lens package going for $10. Delving deeper into their history proved there was more than met the eye. An American company from California, in the late 30's two partners began importing first German and then later Japanese cameras into the US market. When it came time to expand in the 60's, they created the brand name Vivitar and started to make first their own lens, then bodies as well.

Turns out they were of pretty decent quality too. The design and construction of the lens was contracted to different factories at different times across the US, Europe and Japan. The bodies were made mostly by Cosina of Japan (as far as I could tell). All of these items were know for their great quality at a modest price, sold by the truckloads in department stores from one coast to another. An every man's camera.

Specs

Due to Vivitar not having exactly the same level of cachet as, say Leica, BMW or Apple, there are very few dedicated resources available online that would shed light on the more delicate historical intricacies of this particular product line. Best I could tell, the 220/SL was introduced in the mid 70's and was in production sometime into the early 80's. Was made by Cosina in Japan, ditto for the lens. M42 mount, accepts myriads of other lens spanning multiple decades and budgets.

Marketed as a mid-grade SLR, the package was decidedly minimalistic, save maybe for the light meter. After having handled a few significantly older cameras lately, shutter speeds of 1sec-1/1000sec seemed like a luxury. Bulb and cable release are always welcomed. Knurled knobs and medium stroke winder lever are decently ergonomic, nothing to rant about though. Viewfinder has a split center and circular prism focusing aids. Not sure about coverage, but I'm guessing around the 90% mark. Has a "film is loaded" indicator, might be useful for some, especially with multiple old cameras in circulation (wink wink).

Self timer, rewind knob, light meter activation switch. That's pretty much about it. CLA took longer than expected, all the lens elements were out of whack and the lens needed an entire reconstruction (with subsequent ground-glass-taped-to-film-plane focus calibration). Pentaprism had de-silvered and I could see a Milky Way through the viewfinder, but that requried too much work to fix so that had to be left alone for the time being. Shutter speeds and all related gearing was cleaned of lube-tuned-hard-wax and freshly oiled up and run through click-clack boot camp to bring it in sync. The meter was adjusted to work off the slightly higher voltage due to original spec batteries being discontinued for eons. Nowadays it takes 675 hearing aid batteries.

Design & build quality

This little black SLR’s design is a rather slippery little beast to nail down - split between being a 747 seat buckle on a 70’s Pan Am flight and an 80’s experimental stealthy lunch box for Lockheed F-117 pilots on covert combat sorties. Some might call it a little bland, lacking any embellishments that spearheaded Japanese SLR design of the time (think of the Pininfarina-envy dials and pentaprism housing of Olympus OM-1 and the pre-digital transformer-esque lines, panels and angles of the Canon AE-1), instead aspiring to the stoic looks of a 1981 Buick Century. But, if one does the math, it doesn’t look out of place at all. I quite like it - it’s a product of a less complicated time and a place where heavier meant better quality, and black meant professional. It may be a bit disproportionate here and there, but I enjoy its company. Besides, Mies van der Rohe would probably totally dig it, so it’s cool in my camp.

Where I do have a bone to pick is with the QA department. A little note on Cosina, where both the body and the lens was made in… As much as I respect and admire (nearly to the point of worship) quality products made in the Land of the Rising Sun, Cosina products get very little love from me. They are a company with an interesting history and a knack for innovation and at finding an ever-evolving niche for themselves. But most often that niche is inextricably tied to providing an increased value compared to the competition. I personally feel like they cheap out on the quality. I own a number of modern Voigtlander products (all made by Cosina) and in the short time I’ve had my Bessa R3M I’ve had a meter LED burn out (!) and, wait for it, the rubber grips are starting to unglue all around. Also had a really hard time adjusting the rangefinder (the mechanism was supposedly loctite’d by the factory, but a screw came loose that shouldn’t have anyway). Also have a brand-new Voigtlander VM 40mm f/1.4 Nokton Classic MC and the helicoid jams at times. Why? Also why does the little plastic red mount guide dot on my Voigtlander VM 21mm f/4 come off so easily? Why, oh why?? Now I’m starting to see why people shell out for Leicas (even though they have problems too). I guess Cosina has to cut corners somewhere.

All of this applies to a camera they made 30-40 years ago as well. Chop shops do a better 5-minute paint job on hot cars than this camera has ever been treated to. The shutter speed dial was coming loose. The hot shoe is crooked and the bakelite underneath it is starting to crack. The detent on the meter switch has gotten snuffed out. The pentaprism has started to de-silver. Badly. Heck, even the enamel they used to fill in the embossed lettering on the body has aged worse than the hieroglyphs on King Tut’s tomb. And don’t even get me started on the lens. That thing had more loose parts than a bucket full of loose… bolts. And that says a lot. It certainly cemented my opinion on the quality of used vintage Cosina and Vivitar products.

In use

Angry rants aside, as soon as the CLA was done it was time to put the hefty little slab of black steel to the test. Taken on a couple of street sorties several days apart, I’ve run a couple of rolls through it chronicling a wide gamut of topics, from moody bouts of existential angst in gentrified neighborhoods to an impromptu photo documentary of my niece and nephews’s trip to the zoo.

Mechanically, the camera operations were sound, predictable and relatively smooth. Biggest gripe on the first trip was the supremely dim viewfinder which made focusing possible only via f/8 + scale on lens. This was promptly remedied before the second trip (had to tear the entire top down and give it a hot bath). Focusing accuracy was dramatically improved after that and a reliable f/1.8 became almost within reach.

The meter pulled a total Pinocchio on me every single time I flipped the switch, almost making me regret the $7 I spent on the batteries, but luckily I was able to readjust the meter the second time I went in to clean the viewfinder/prism assembly. Like I said, the voltage of the only modern-day battery that would fit was a bit higher, so the pots inside had to be toned down. Metering is now in-sync with both of my Sekonics, and has a center-weighted pattern. For those curious, the prism houses two CdS cells. But I still relied on my Sekonics every time I pulled the shutter, as early pre-matrix meter tech was very temperamental.

With such a simple camera, there’s not really that much else to write about. It has nothing nostalgic about it for me, as do some of the older cameras I test, and it has no exotic features or form factors which might still pique my interest if all else fails. It is a photographic tool, one that just works. Somewhat clumsy at times, but works. I mean, the camera is just as fun to use for photos as a horse saddle is to sit on. They’re practically invisible. If the camera didn’t have the looks which I still admire, I would almost call the camera character-less. On a side note, I really enjoyed popping the back open with the little lever on the bottom. Haven’t seen that one before.

Image quality

Image quality is something that comes mainly from the lens and film being used. The Fuji Superia 200 that I used both times enjoys the reputation of rather mediocre film stock, with somewhat muted, true-to-life colors but still a somewhat solid, finely-grained structure. I know I can get sharp results from this film. But they were nowhere to be found on either of the two rolls I ran through. And it’s not just the sharpness, which is abysmal at f/1.8 and only becomes decent at f/5.6 (optimal at f/8 then a sudden rollercoaster drop into endless mush) - the contrast is nonexistent. I was really surprised that the lenses on the Made-in-USSR Zenit-B from ’70 and the Argus C3 from good-ol’ 1955 offered more contrast than this Japanese-made lens which might have even had computer input on the optical formula.

No visible distortions, flares irregularly, although appears to have some coating on it. Chromatic aberrations are there, but don’t bother much as long as you embrace the 70’s faded-textbook-color-photo look. Honestly, by the time of the second outing I didn’t care much about the lens anymore or the image character it brings with it (was none), so I just skimmed past the rest of the planned tests. Bokeh is probably the nicest thing about the lens and, at f/1.8, there is generally plenty of it. Not too busy, not too bland - just the right level of blurry pop to bring the center subject truly into focus, just don’t forget to add a generous serving of unsharp mask to start seeing the hair details again.

Conclusions

So, it’s that time again, huh? What do I think of the camera? I look back at the review and notice how I started on a high note and then cycled lower and lower through the octaves, tapping out a brooding baseline in a D minor by the end. That’s how I feel about this camera. It gets you hooked with its looks (all black, must be pro) and heft (very heavy, must be reliable), but then starts to fail at impressing you with every stroke of the winder. Don’t get me wrong - it is a decent camera. If we just look at just the body and discard the almost-legally-blind lens it ships with (no, just no), it actually performs reasonable well and has competitive specs compared to its peers. But the biggest turn-off and the last nail in the coffin for me was the camera’s complete lack of character. This camera seems like it was made for citizens of Lucas’s dystopian THX 1138 or Equilibrium’s Libria, or some other dystopian work of fiction where people aren’t bothered by quaint silly little things like emotions and feelings. It works, just not on an emotional level.

PS: for the (ever so slightly more) money, just get a Canon AE-1 or a beat-up Pentax K-1000.

Sample images

#slr #200/sl #film #analog #35mm #50mm #camera #test #review #vintage #m42 #fuji #superia 200

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lancecarr · 5 years

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The Evolution Of The Mirrorless Hybrid Camera With The Fujifilm X-T4

The new Fujifilm X-T4 Mirrorless Hybrid is the latest offering from Fujifilm.

As you’ve seen if you’re tapped into camera/production social media and it’s resulting blogosphere, Fujifilm recently announced the successor to the Fujifilm X-T3, one of the most popular cameras it has ever produced. We shot a project for a Los Angeles NPR station two years ago and had a chance to use our client’s Fujifilm X-T2 as a gimbal and B camera, gathering various moving b-roll footage around the station as we shot interviews with our A camera in their on-air studio. Overall, I found the X-T2, despite some glaring video omissions, to be a pleasant camera to use with some nice results.

The Fujifilm X-H1 Mirrorless Hybrid had more video-driven features and IBIS but was larger than the X-T series bodies and it still lacked some video features.

I then covered the launch of the Fujifilm X-H1, a more video-centric model with in-body image stabilization (IBIS) and a few more video features. After using the X-H1 a bit and speaking with the engineering team that was over from Japan at Fujifilm’s offices in Los Angeles, I knew that Fujifilm was close to introducing a camera that, while primarily a still camera, would have enough solid video features to be useful for me.

The Panasonic Lumix GH4 was our first 4K-capable mirrorless hybrid. It had some great video features but some fatal flaws, as well, for our needs.

My Mirrorless Hybrid History

A bit of background: I owned the Panasonic GH4, it was our first 4K camera, but I found that the Micro Four Thirds imager seemed to be too noisy for my shooting style, and I found the skin tones lacking, with a pastel quality that had to do with the noise reduction the GH4 applied. I also had experience shooting with my producing partner’s Sony A7 II on a few shoots and while I found its high ISO ability to be useful for low-light shooting (we shot some footage in a dark nightclub for a documentary where we couldn’t light the shots), I found its constant overheating when shooting 4K and its color science to not be appealing to me.

I have a DSLR, the Canon EOS 80D, that wasn’t a bad video camera, but it only shot 1080 and I found the footage to be marginal when any kind of grading or even mild color correction was applied. As we were heading into production for a docu-series that we wanted to produce in 4K, I was on the hunt for a 4K-capable mirrorless hybrid. I really liked the Panasonic GH5; it was a big improvement over the GH4, but its autofocus wasn’t very good even though the rest of its features were very appealing for video shooting.

Full-frame mirrorless hybrids like this A7 II allowed Sony to capture a huge portion of the mirrorless market, but the A7 line has languished as competitors have moved ahead with specifications and capability.

I was planning on using whichever mirrorless hybrid we ended up with primarily on a gimbal and as a handheld, in a cage mount for shooting in cars, on small boats in the ocean or in other locations where bringing in our A cameras, the Canon C300 MKII and the C200, fully rigged, would be too conspicuous.

The Fujifilm X-T3 has been a resounding success for Fujifilm simply because it was a great camera at a very good price with amazing capabilities as both a still and video camera.

Enter The X-T3

When Fujifilm introduced the X-T3 in late 2018, I knew that it could be a good contender to serve as the gimbal and B camera for our docu-series. It seemed that Fujifilm had improved on the X-T2 and X-H1 video capabilities with the exception that the X-T3 lacked IBIS. But it had improved autofocus, the ability to use the AF while shooting 4K, great color science, a very detailed and good looking sensor called the X-Trans 4 and not only a way to shoot Flog, Fujifilm’s log format, but also the ability to shoot using Fujifilm simulation presets.

I knew that Flog would generally yield the most dynamic range, but I had seen some YouTube clips shot using the X-T3’s film presets that I thought looked very good too. With the X-T3, Fujifilm introduced a new film simulation called Eterna that looked to be a great starting spot for light grading and color correction. The other intriguing thing was that the X-T3 shot 10-bit H.265. 10-bit, which has gone from being considered an exotic high bit rate to what’s now considered standard fare in mirrorless camera video, but at the time of the X-T3’s introduction, 10-bit 4K wasn’t common. The ability to shoot at up to 400 Mbps made other competing camera’s 4K data rates (100 Mbps on all Sony A7 variants!) look weak and inadequate for post-production.

The Fujifilm X-T3: Likes

Small Size, Lightweight – These are important when operating on a gimbal all day.

Cost/Value Equation – With some of the competition coming in at close to $4,000, $1,299 on sale was appealing.

Color Science – The X-T3 colors are very appealing to me. Flog is Fujifilm’s log profile; it’s mildly flat but easy to expose for. The film simulations are also interesting and fun to work with for certain projects.

Specs – 4K DCI and UHD at up to 60p, data rates up to 400 Mbps, 10-bit 4:2:0 H.265 8-bit H.264 recording options and up to 120 fps in FHD. These place the Fujifilm X-T3 side by side or better than almost every other mirrorless hybrid available.

Construction/Tactile/Ergonomics – The X-T3 has a personality. It’s not a computer-with-a-lens feeling camera like some of its competition. It also has dedicated old-school rotating knobs and dials for selecting the most commonly changed parameters. The construction is robust with lots of metal used instead of plastic.

Good Lens Adaptability – We bought two Fujinon XF lenses, the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 OIS and the XF 16mm f/1.4 WR, but we also bought the Fringer Pro X mount to EF adapter so we can use any of our dozen Canon EF S and EF lenses with the X-T3. Not all operate perfectly in AF, but most do.

Detail – I was impressed with the amount of detail that the X-T3 records to 4K with its almost 6K sensor. This detail lends a very precise look to the images without being cold and sterile.

The Micro HDMI video output on the Fujifilm X-T3 is one of the weakest features of an otherwise great camera.

The Fujifilm X-T3: Dislikes

Terrible Battery Life – The too small NP-W126S 1,260 mAh batteries run out after only about 20 to 25 minutes of shooting video. That problem can be solved with the addition of the Fujifilm X-T3 battery grip, but that added a few hundred dollars to the bottom line.

29:59 and 19:59 Recording Limits – Shooting documentary coverage, the recording time limits became a nuisance at times.

AF Challenges – When we bought the X-T3, with its initial 2.0 Firmware, the AF functions were usable. Not as good as our Canon C200, 80D, 300 MKII and not as good as the latest Sony A7 variants. But usable, better than the Panasonic GH5, if you kept an eye on it. We waited months for bug reports and user feedback to update the X-T3’s FW to 3.01, hearing no major negatives, but once we started shooting gimbal using the AF-C focus settings, we began to notice an AF pulsing. When you framed up an interview, for instance, the AF on the X-T3 would constantly micro-adjust itself, resulting in the subject seeming to mostly be in focus, but you’d notice a constant slight shifting in the background focus.

XF Lens Issues When Shooting Video – We rented several different Fujinon XF lenses for various shoots and noticed that besides the AF pulsing described above, all of the Fujinon XF zooms also had focus delay where when you zoomed the lens, it would often take the camera an extra second or two to actually locate the subject and snap into focus. This focus delay, coupled with the exposure compensation that Fujifilm engineers into every zoom lens, makes using the X-T3 with XF zooms a not very pleasant experience with constant exposure shifts visible in your footage. Every time you shift the focal length of the zoom lens, the lens and body shift the exposure to compensate for there being less light at longer focal lengths, even if every setting on the camera is in manual mode.

Micro HDMI Video Output – I can’t say enough bad things about how terrible, fragile and unreliable the micro HDMI video output on the X-T3 is. Fujifilm used it to save space, but it has almost become a rite of passage for the X-T3 owner to have to ship their X-T3 back to Fujifilm repair to fix and/or replace the micro HDMI connection.

No Video Waveform – The X-T3 has a histogram, but no video waveform monitor. The histogram merely displays pixel brightness distribution from dark to light pixels. No marking, calibration or scale. Without a video waveform, it can be difficult to accurately judge exposure and lighting on skin tones.

The Fujifilm X-T4 adds the most requested feature from Fujifilm users—IBIS!

On To The X-T4

Since I haven’t yet had a Fujifilm X-T4 made available to me for review, I can’t verify a few small details about the new X-T4, but looking at Fujifilm’s specifications, press photos, YouTube videos and the like, I can surmise what I believe the X-T4 to be. Cutting to the chase, in a nutshell, the X-T4 is basically an X-T3 with a slightly larger body, same exact sensor and video specs save for the fact that it can now shoot 240 fps in FHD versus 120 fps on the X-T3. Fujifilm added a new ETERNA Bleach Bypass film simulation, a flippy screen for Vloggers, a significantly larger battery and IBIS. There has been much consternation that the X-T4 also loses the 3.5mm headphone jack from the X-T3, which was replaced with a USB C dongle.

How Does The X-T4 Address Limitations For The Pro Video Shooter?

Here are the main points that I found lacking in the X-T3.

Terrible Battery Life – The X-T4 upgrades Li-ion battery NP-W235, at 2,350 mAh, nearly doubling the battery power of the X-T3 battery. It remains to be seen how much additional battery drain the IBIS function on the new X-T4 battery results in.

29:59 and 19:59 Recording Limits – The X-T4 doesn’t change or eliminate these limits.

AF Challenges – The X-T3 recently received a 3.20 FW update that tamed the focus pulsing other than when using Flog in low light. It appears the X-T4 utilizes basically the same technology with similar results.

XF Lens Issues When Shooting Video – Unfortunately, these issues are tied to the XF lenses themselves, not just the X series bodies, so they remain.

Micro HDMI Video Output – Fujifilm retained the fragile micro HDMI video output.

No Video Waveform – Fujifilm didn’t add a video waveform monitor, retaining the same histogram display as the X-T3.

I predict the Fujifilm X-T4 will be just as big of a hit as the X-T3 was, if not bigger. It adds user-requested features to the already excellent X-T3 and a slightly higher price with a slightly larger body to house the IBIS.

My Take On The Fujifilm X-T4

The headline feature of the X-T4 is IBIS. The X-H1 had IBIS but was a physically larger body than the X-T3 and not the X-T4. Fujifilm implemented magnetic IBIS which, according to preliminary tests, works pretty well. That said, most but not all pros utilize a gimbal, motion control slider or a Steadicam-like device to fluidly move the camera. IBIS seems to be more of a hobbyist feature, but it can be useful in certain situations, taming the micro jitter that’s painfully apparent when shooting 4K especially. I’ve tried shooting handheld with our X-T3 without the accompanying cage, monitor microphone and external battery system that all together add up to making our X-T3 handheld rig weigh about 6 to 7 pounds depending on the lens. Trying to shoot handheld with the X-T3, even with a wide-angle lens, results in a lot of micro jitters that the IBIS in the X-T4 will tame.

A feature that has been used to hook a lot of still shooters coming into the world of mirrorless hybrids is the full-frame sensor. I debate even including this point, but all of the Fujifilm X series bodies use an S35 sensor. If you shoot a lot of low light and need high gain without as much grain, FF sensors are superior in low light. That said, the Fujifilm X-T3 does well up to about ISO 2,500, which is plenty of gain for all but the darkest situations. Since the X-T4 uses the same sensor, it’s fair to say the ISO performance is probably roughly the same as the X-T3. Most but not all video/digital cinema pros are able to light the majority of their scenes, but if you shoot weddings, events or constantly shoot in other situations where you want or need to shoot at ISO 12,500 or higher, do yourself a favor and buy an FF camera.

Moving on from sensor size, the X-T4 appears to be more of a good thing and one the most interesting mirrorless hybrids out there. The value equation is still excellent with the X-T4 body retailing for $1,699 in the United States. IBIS was easily the most requested feature at all of the Fujifilm Summits and from feedback from Fuji user groups. The second most requested feature was a flippy screen versus the tilt screen on the X-T3. The additional battery horsepower is much welcomed, although until we get a hands-on review unit, it’s hard to say what the recording times will be.

Overall, if you’re buying your first mirrorless hybrid, the X-T4 appears to be an across-the-board winner, with a great value equation and features for $1,699. If you’re obsessed with shooting in the dark, look elsewhere for a full-frame camera. If you own the X-T3, the real question is, is it money well spent to sell off your X-T3 and upgrade to the X-T4?

For us, the answer is no. We have tamed the short battery record times of the X-T3 with the external battery grip that adds two more batteries to the internal X-T3 battery. We power the X-T3 from the DC output of our gimbal, so short battery times aren’t a factor anymore. Same with IBIS, we have the Zhiyun Crane 2 gimbal, so we don’t really need IBIS. We don’t need the flippy screen because (thankfully) we don’t Vlog. Objectively, the X-T4 is an iterative upgrade, but it’s an upgrade of an already very good camera that probably edges into great territory for pro video/digital cinema shooters.

The post The Evolution Of The Mirrorless Hybrid Camera With The Fujifilm X-T4 appeared first on HD Video Pro.

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go-nervouscollectordefendor-blog · 6 years

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All eyes on Fujifilm x-t3 review , the Fujifilm x-t3 is the best APS-C mirrorless digital camera that the business enterprise has ever produced, and it’s many of the pleasant and most versatile alternatives available on the market that isn’t full-body. At $1,500 (frame only) or $1,900 with a very good 18-55mm kit lens, the X-T3 is a sophisticated show off for the advances Fujifilm has made in stills pictures, and it’s almost startling how quick the company has honed its video chops. At a time whilst even Canon and Nikon are turning their attention to complete-body mirrorless cameras, Fujifilm is pronouncing “not so fast.” Though it seems quite acquainted, the X-T3 is a worthy improve to the X-T2 with a long listing of upgrades that grow to be evident when you start taking pictures with it. Fujifilm x-t3 release date is September 20, 2018

Fujifilm x-t3 review

As with Fuji’s different cameras, the X-T3 is rooted in a retro-looking, weatherproofed layout that’s meant to provide it the texture of an analog movie digital camera. Its frame is sort of equal to the X-T2’s, and no matter some hand-wringing over Fujifilm assembling it in China in place of Japan, the entirety about the hardware feels on par, sometimes better than, the X-T2. The command dials on the front and back turn with a good more enjoyable click. None of the buttons sense loose. And the magnesium alloy frame feels as sturdy and solidly built as ever. The X-T3’s left-aspect door homes a mic enter, headphone jack, USB Type-C port, and HDMI. Dual SD slots occupy the proper facet. Having USB-C right here is certainly pleasant. The digicam does seem to price quicker, relying on what it’s plugged into, and you can use a supported battery percent to preserve it juiced up at the pass. The built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth make it smooth to offload pics from digicam to telephone. Fujifilm x-t3 release date is September 20, 2018

Fujifilm x-t3 review

Fujifilm x-t3 Specs

GOOD STUFF

Improved, faster autofocus

Up to 11 fps (mechanical) or 30 fps (electronic) continuous shooting

Powerful 4K video-creation tool

Sharp, fluid EVF is a joy to look through

Usability improvements to buttons and dials

Great-quality images right out of camera

BAD STUFF

No in-body image stabilization

Rear LCD doesn’t flip around for vlogging

Shallow grip isn’t the best fit for large hands

Battery life still demands carrying a spare

Fujifilm x-t3 specs , there are buttons and dials galore at the X-T3, each of which may be customized for short get admission to to your often-used features and settings, so that you’ll lose much less time to the camera’s menus. You won’t find a mode wheel right here like you will on most virtual cameras. Instead, Fuji’s dials at the camera provide you with direct manage over shutter speed, ISO, and publicity reimbursement (and you may set aperture with the the front or returned dial if you don’t want to use the hoop that’s to be had on most Fujifilm lenses), letting you manually prioritize any of them and letting the digital camera do the rest. Fujifilm x-t3 release date is September 20, 2018

Fujifilm x-t3 Specs

Fujifilm x-t3 review , the shutter velocity and ISO dials are lockable, which prevents them from getting turned out of region. And in a welcome trade, the publicity comp dial has been slightly downsized and moved inward and faraway from the top right aspect where it changed into all too smooth to accidentally rotate on the X-T2 and rangefinder-fashion X-Pro2. It’s an admittedly minor tweak, but it suggests Fujifilm is paying attention to the photographers who are the use of its gear. The identical is going for the diopter that now locks to prevent your electronic viewfinder from going blurry. That EVF has been prolonged out a chunk to keep your nostril from constantly smushing up towards the rear display.

And what an excellent viewfinder it’s far. Fujifilm x-t3 specs , the 3.Sixty nine-million-dot OLED EVF has a 60 fps refresh fee, which ramps as much as one hundred fps while the digital camera is in its boosted overall performance mode. It’s first-rate to apply and a substantive step up from the only X-T2 proprietors peer thru.

Fujifilm x-t3 specs , the 3.2-inch back LCD, at the same time as unchanged in sharpness, is now a touchscreen, which brings with it some blessings. If you’re framing your shot with the display, you may tap everywhere to recognition. But my favourite “function” of the touch show is that even if searching into the EVF, you can slide a finger across the display to move the point of interest factor while not having to attain for the joystick. You can also interact with the quick settings (Q) menu thru faucets. The rear display screen nevertheless articulates up or down when you’re retaining the digital camera above or beneath you, but unluckily, it doesn’t absolutely turn around, which would’ve been immensely useful for vlogging. You also can customize swipes at the screen to act as software shortcuts — every direction can do something extraordinary — but I located that I prompted these manner too often once I didn’t suggest to and disabled the option altogether.

Fujifilm x-t3 price

Fujifilm x-t3 review , by important criticism of the X-T3’s layout is still its grip, which, in case you’ve got huge arms like me, isn’t as extensive as I’d like — especially whilst larger lenses like the 18-135mm are connected. For Fujifilm’s compact primes, it’s best, however you would possibly need to consider the overpriced steel grip (or vertical battery grip) in case you’ve got any of the organization’s heavier glass. But unlike with the X-T2, you don’t want to shop for the battery grip to benefit such things as a headphone jack for monitoring audio or quicker non-stop capturing; that’s all built at once into the camera this time.

Fujifilm x-t3 specs , the 26-megapixel X-Trans 4 sensor (up from 24MP in the X-T2) marks the first time Fujifilm has long past with a bottom-illuminated (BSI) sensor in its cameras, which allows the X-T3 to gather a chunk more mild and drop its base ISO to 160. It has segment-locate autofocus spanning throughout the whole body and a total of 425 selectable AF points.

Fujifilm x-t3 specs , you can shoot full decision with the mechanical shutter at eleven fps or, if you’re k with a 1.25x crop, at an absurd 30 fps the use of the electronic shutter and not using a blackout inside the EVF. There’s a useful Sports Finder Mode function for the latter situation with the intention to display you what’s simply outdoor the body, giving you a higher threat of nailing the shot when shifting topics are worried. And a brand new pre-shot mode is supposed to assist avoid missing moments by beginning to shoot with the electronic shutter while the shutter button is pressed halfway — repeatedly filling and clearing the buffer — and saving a chain of pictures starting just earlier than you press it down all the way. It’s no longer in contrast to the capabilities on cutting-edge smartphone cameras that assist make sure you don’t pass over the crucial moment.

Fujifilm x-t3 maintains to provide extremely good out-of-digital camera JPEGs that require little to no processing earlier than they’re worth of sharing. When you do edit RAW, there’s lots of leeway for improving shadows and pulling again highlights. To me, standard imaging overall performance feels very much like the X-T2. I’ve visible other opinions observe that the X-T3 is barely noisier at excessive ISOs, however this isn’t some thing that stood out to me. When I want to move there, my ISO 6,400 pix feel simply as usable as earlier than and hold a huge amount of element. The enterprise’s signature movie simulations are all blanketed, and you additionally get a new colour chrome impact thrown in, which “produces deeper colorings and gradation in subjects with distinctly saturated colorations present.” It’s a useful trick for keeping reds in plants or automobiles beneath manage. Fujifilm x-t3 release date is September 20, 2018

Autofocus in the X-T3 is relatively advanced to that of Fujifilm’s different X-Series cameras, locking onto and tracking subjects in continuous mode with a kind of self assurance that wasn’t there before. It’s additionally better in low light, able to consciousness down to -3EV versus -1EV inside the X-T2. That doesn’t mean the digital camera will never hunt at all; whilst capturing a live performance at New York’s very darkish Rockwood Music Hall, it sincerely did. But on every occasion the rectangular over your awareness point turns inexperienced, you can be quite certain the digital camera is hitting the mark. And having phase-hit upon AF throughout the whole viewfinder is a big help, putting off any pressure to hold your subject somewhat centered.

Fujifilm has additionally remodeled its algorithms for eye and face detection, and the improvement is hanging. Whereas earlier than it changed into an choice that loads of humans may have absolutely omitted, now, it locks onto human beings with little put off. And for the first time, face/eye AF additionally works whilst recording video. It’s similarly on factor there, primarily based on some checks I did. The disadvantage is that the camera isn’t brilliant at coping with a couple of people in the equal shot — you can’t pick out which face to attention on — but this seems like some thing Fujifilm can iron out with firmware updates. These leaps in high-pace shooting and AF performance are enabled by the X-Processor four, which is three instances quicker than the chip powering Fuji’s previous generation. Even Fujifilm’s every now and then-gradual f/1.Four primes are becoming a shot inside the arm and appear to fasten consciousness faster on the X-T3.

Fujifilm x-t3 specs, the new processor additionally contributes to the X-T3’s powerhouse video capabilities. This digicam allows you to internally shoot 4K video at as much as 60 fps in 10-bit 4:2:zero colour proper to the SD card in H.265/HEVC, and you can select a bitrate of up to 400Mbps for body costs of 30p and beneath. (The even extra facts-wealthy four:2:2 recording is to be had externally over HDMI.) Now, don’t get beaten by using the videographer jargon; what it all means is that the X-T3 is a splendidly succesful video-advent tool that’s proper up there with Panasonic’s nice. If you choose having the maximum dynamic range when grading, Fuji’s F-Log profile is the manner to move, however there’s additionally a movie simulation designed for video called Eterna that have to work notable for widespread editing functions. I’m now not approximately to up and begin a brand new career as a filmmaker or YouTuber, but the X-T3 places some contemporary creativity at your disposal. It’s spectacular to peer how a long way Fujifilm’s video abilities have come. The lopsided days of this company’s cameras being superb for stills and horrible for video are over. Fujifilm x-t3 release date is September 20, 2018

But the lack of a flip-round screen is a exact knock in opposition to the X-T3. The face detection is reliable sufficient that vloggers can probably get away with conserving the camera towards them with a extensive lens and capturing blind, however that’s nowhere near as exact as having a display to glance at. It appears like Fujifilm purposefully decided towards one just to provide a destiny X-H2 every other promoting factor past in-frame image stabilization. On that subject, I do wish the X-T3 had IBIS. It’s the only lacking element right here that would really positioned this camera over the top. But I’m no longer certain how Fujifilm could’ve filled it in with out compromising the X-T3’s appealing design. Battery lifestyles is simply barely progressed over the X-T2, so I’m firmly locked within the dependancy of shutting the digital camera off whenever I don’t need it and am almost constantly sporting a spare. (The digital camera will annoyingly nag you whenever it’s switched on in case you’re the usage of some thing except the agency’s $65 W126S battery, so be forewarned in case you’re thinking about cheaper off-brand alternatives.)

Fujifilm x-t3 specs, the X-T3 is the pleasant X-Series digital camera ever made, however that doesn’t make it an ideal camera — or maybe the ideal mirrorless one in a few instances. Sony’s complete-body mirrorless cameras (and the new entrants from Nikon and Canon) will provide depth of subject and occasional-light overall performance which might be definitely past what this APS-C sensor can do. If you want that stage of digital camera, you probable won’t give Fujifilm’s today’s extreme consideration. Fujifilm x-t3 release date is September 20, 2018

But each person else in the market for a digital camera have to absolutely supply the X-T3 a close look. This is the pinnacle of the X-Series to date, improving upon the X-T2 with greater advanced autofocus, blazing-fast non-stop taking pictures, and video output that firmly places it inside the equal communique as Sony and Panasonic. Fujifilm’s lens lineup is stuffed out and complete. (But significantly, don’t sleep at the package lens.) And if the beyond is anything to head via, the X-T3 could be an even better, more function-packed camera a year or two from now as Fujifilm maintains to build upon what it can already do through everyday firmware updates. Aside from the obvious IBIS and flippy screen enhancements, I’m certainly curious approximately where a capacity X-T4 goes from here.

What a top notch time to love photography.

The post All eyes on Fujifilm x-t3 review appeared first on Rach Tech.

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repwinpril9y0a1 · 7 years

Text

Sony a9: Why being better might not be enough

The Sony a9 is an impressive looking camera. At 20 frames per second, its able to shoot much faster than either of the professional sports cameras from the two big DSLR makers.

The Sony is also smaller and lighter than these cameras (even with a battery grip added, to get nearer to matching their battery endurance), and has autofocus coverage across a much wider region of the frame than a DSLR AF system can offer. On top of this, it’s $1500 cheaper than Canon's EOS-1D X II and $2000 less than Nikon's D5.

And, most importantly, my colleagues who've shot with the camera say that the AF performance is within the realms of that offered by the current generation of pro DSLRs.

So, game, set and match, Sony?

Our initial impressions, as well as the underlying specifications, suggest Sony's a9 is a highly capable piece of kit. But is that enough for it to elbow its way to the sidelines of the world's sports pitches?

Well, not necessarily. For moneyed enthusiasts, the Sony looks like a pretty competitive option. Though, of course, the cost isn't just about buying the body. If you have to make a switch to a completely new system, the costs extend to every item you need to replace.

However, there are a number of factors that make it more difficult for a working professional to change systems. We spoke to a couple of photojournalists at The Seattle Times about the factors beyond sticker price that might stand in the way of switching (not specifically to Sony but to any other system).

Lenses

Lenses are one of the biggest factors in deciding whether to swap systems. Not only are lenses every bit as important as cameras themselves when making images but also, especially at the pro and sports end of the market, can easily cost more than a camera body. Often the bulk of the cost of changing systems lies in the need to sell your existing lenses and buy new ones, with the precise cost depending on which lenses you need.

Lens availability is another significant hurdle. Sony has been making strides with its GM lens series but there's a distinct lack of the long and fast telephoto lenses that sports shooters depend on.

'Go to any sporting event: the Olympics, the Super Bowl and it comes down to the same basic configurations: short zoom, long zoom, super telephoto'

'Go to any sporting event: the Olympics, the Super Bowl and it comes down to the same basic configurations: short zoom, long zoom, super telephoto. Essentially a 16-35, 70-200 and 400 mm F2.8,' explains Seattle Times photographer Dean Rutz.

'What all these companies lack is the super prime telephoto,’ he says: ‘I can't logically make the switch without a 400mm F2.8 or equivalent. At least a 300mm F2.8. A 70-200 equivalent isn't sufficient.'

Bettina Hansen, Rutz's colleague at the Seattle Times agrees: 'for sports I use a 16-35, 70-200 and one of either the Canon 200-400, 400 F2.8 or 500 F4.'

Sony has introduced a 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM alongside the a9, but that's not the same as having a 400mm F2.8 available.

Then, of course, there's the issue of who owns the lenses. If your employer has spent money on a particular lens system or the rental house with which you have an account and a working relationship only supports certain systems, then this can become a significant barrier to switching.

This is certainly the case for Rutz: 'my employer provides a generous amount of Canon gear for my work, which is predominantly sports related.'

'The Times owns everything [I use],' says Hansen. 'Changing isn't totally impossible, though. Our boss did say: "let us know what you want, next time we have to replace gear," but we tend to replace bodies one year and lenses the next. Those super-telephotos are used on a pool basis, so you can't necessarily change while everyone's on another system.'

Sony has clearly looked at the needs of a range of pros, with the inclusion of features such as an Ethernet connector. 'That's how the wires do big events,' says Hansen: 'Olympics, World Series, etc - the shooters sit in designated spots and images transmit instantly to editors as they are shot via Ethernet.'

The short flange-back distance of the a9 leaves enough room to fit an adapter to allow the mounting of any DSLR lens, but there'll be a significant change in performance associated with this. Sony only promises 10 frame per second shooting when adapting its own A-mount lenses, and we're told that both subject tracking (Lock-on AF) and Eye-AF will be unavailable when using non-native mount lenses (this has always been the case even with previous a7 bodies).

'Performance reportedly will degrade with the adapter,’ says Rutz: ‘I'd need to see the practical application of it before committing.'

Accessories

As well as bodies and lenses, changing systems incurs a range of associated expenses, Hansen points out.

'Rain gear is important for sports like football,' she says: 'We use Think Tank Hydrophobia rain gear, which isn't cheap. That's pretty popular among photojournalists.'

'The other thing is cards: we've invested heavily in Compact Flash,' she says. 'That might not seem like much, but we have nine photographers at the moment, so it really adds up. Then there's cases. We've got bags that are designed to perfectly fit a pro level DSLR and everything you need to shoot a football game and get it on a plane. Are we going to have to replace those, too?'

Some of these expenses are likely to be small, but it's all a question of unknowns.

Support

Professional gear tends to be built pretty tough, but it's not indestructible. Focus motors fail, lenses get dropped, sensors need cleaning. Working professionals, particularly photojournalists and sports photographers need a good degree of support if anything goes wrong: since neither the news nor a big game will wait for their gear to get fixed.

This is what the competition looks like: Canon Professional Service's loan stock for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

As a results, Canon, Nikon and Sony all have 'Pro' support schemes that promise a certain level of service, usually including a defined repair period and loan equipment being available in the meantime.

'CPS is huge to us,' Hansen stresses: 'For instance, say I am shooting a Seahawks game, I break a lens, shear it off at the lens mount or it gets stuck on the camera: I can send it in and have a loaner pretty quick. Canon also has a rep in Seattle so we can just go to him if we need something, he'll often come to the games.'

Sony's Pro Support program has been expanded to include more countries, but can it offer the degree of service that pro sports shooters have come to expect?

Sony has said it's beefing-up its Pro support system, opening two walk-in support centers and extending coverage to Canada. The program is also available in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the United Kingdom, though the service level may differ across territories.

This is a key requirement, says Rutz: 'the challengers need better pro services and outreach, as well as big primes, to be able to push the other companies off their perch.' One thing in Sony's favor? If you mostly use the electronic shutter, your mechanical shutter will have a longer life. That's something, at least.

Familiarity

Then, beyond the practical concerns, there are the personal aspects. Canon and Nikon's pro cameras have been carefully iterated, generation to generation, so they include the improvements asked for, while also maintaining backwards-compatibility so that users who have spent years with one brand will find the latest model immediately familiar.

Rutz gives just a small example: 'I think most sports photographers rely on back-button focus to balance framing and frame rate in a rapid-fire sequence. Canon has a big, fat button on the back of their cameras that's easy to find, on the fly but most other cameras have made that button too flush to be as instinctive. That's an area that needs to be addressed.'

Interestingly, Hansen highlights exactly the same thing: 'Back button focus is one of the first things you learn when you're getting into photojournalism and sports photography.'

Sony has clearly heard about this need and has added a dedicated AF-On button on the a9, so it'll be interesting how our pros get on with it, once they've had a chance to use the camera.

The Sony a9 has a dedicated AF-On button, but is it pronounced and well-positioned enough to ensure your thumb hits it without having to think?

That said, if the performance gain is sufficient, most pros will take the time to learn new tricks and work around any oddities. 'The quirks of these new systems can be mitigated - honestly - if there's less difference in fundamental performance than what you're already used to,' says Rutz.

'It does take time to get used to these new cameras,' he says: 'but most [professionals] I know are geeks and they're more than willing to play with the assets until they get the swing of it.'

Hansen, having already moved from Nikon to Canon, agrees: 'If you're in the field, you're always experimenting. Learning a new system isn't so hard. You find the menus that are important to you and you learn those.'

'Familiarity helps, though,' Rutz says: 'At a point photography is reflexive and the camera has to fit into that, versus you having to adapt to the camera.'

A question of inertia

Overall, then, there are a series of factors beyond just the cost that contribute to the inertia that acts against working professionals changing systems. As such, being better might not be enough for Sony's a9 to make a significant dent in the pro sports market.

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chpatdoorsl3z0a1 · 7 years

Text

Sony a9: Why being better might not be enough

The Sony a9 is an impressive looking camera. At 20 frames per second, its able to shoot much faster than either of the professional sports cameras from the two big DSLR makers.

And, most importantly, my colleagues who've shot with the camera say that the AF performance is within the realms of that offered by the current generation of pro DSLRs.

So, game, set and match, Sony?

Lenses

Lens availability is another significant hurdle. Sony has been making strides with its GM lens series but there's a distinct lack of the long and fast telephoto lenses that sports shooters depend on.

'Go to any sporting event: the Olympics, the Super Bowl and it comes down to the same basic configurations: short zoom, long zoom, super telephoto'

Bettina Hansen, Rutz's colleague at the Seattle Times agrees: 'for sports I use a 16-35, 70-200 and one of either the Canon 200-400, 400 F2.8 or 500 F4.'

Sony has introduced a 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM alongside the a9, but that's not the same as having a 400mm F2.8 available.

This is certainly the case for Rutz: 'my employer provides a generous amount of Canon gear for my work, which is predominantly sports related.'

'Performance reportedly will degrade with the adapter,’ says Rutz: ‘I'd need to see the practical application of it before committing.'

Accessories

As well as bodies and lenses, changing systems incurs a range of associated expenses, Hansen points out.

'Rain gear is important for sports like football,' she says: 'We use Think Tank Hydrophobia rain gear, which isn't cheap. That's pretty popular among photojournalists.'

Some of these expenses are likely to be small, but it's all a question of unknowns.

Support

This is what the competition looks like: Canon Professional Service's loan stock for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sony's Pro Support program has been expanded to include more countries, but can it offer the degree of service that pro sports shooters have come to expect?

Familiarity

Interestingly, Hansen highlights exactly the same thing: 'Back button focus is one of the first things you learn when you're getting into photojournalism and sports photography.'

Sony has clearly heard about this need and has added a dedicated AF-On button on the a9, so it'll be interesting how our pros get on with it, once they've had a chance to use the camera.

The Sony a9 has a dedicated AF-On button, but is it pronounced and well-positioned enough to ensure your thumb hits it without having to think?

'It does take time to get used to these new cameras,' he says: 'but most [professionals] I know are geeks and they're more than willing to play with the assets until they get the swing of it.'

'Familiarity helps, though,' Rutz says: 'At a point photography is reflexive and the camera has to fit into that, versus you having to adapt to the camera.'

A question of inertia

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stormdoors78476 · 7 years

Text

Sony a9: Why being better might not be enough

The Sony a9 is an impressive looking camera. At 20 frames per second, its able to shoot much faster than either of the professional sports cameras from the two big DSLR makers.

And, most importantly, my colleagues who've shot with the camera say that the AF performance is within the realms of that offered by the current generation of pro DSLRs.

So, game, set and match, Sony?

Lenses

Lens availability is another significant hurdle. Sony has been making strides with its GM lens series but there's a distinct lack of the long and fast telephoto lenses that sports shooters depend on.

'Go to any sporting event: the Olympics, the Super Bowl and it comes down to the same basic configurations: short zoom, long zoom, super telephoto'

Bettina Hansen, Rutz's colleague at the Seattle Times agrees: 'for sports I use a 16-35, 70-200 and one of either the Canon 200-400, 400 F2.8 or 500 F4.'

Sony has introduced a 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM alongside the a9, but that's not the same as having a 400mm F2.8 available.

This is certainly the case for Rutz: 'my employer provides a generous amount of Canon gear for my work, which is predominantly sports related.'

'Performance reportedly will degrade with the adapter,’ says Rutz: ‘I'd need to see the practical application of it before committing.'

Accessories

As well as bodies and lenses, changing systems incurs a range of associated expenses, Hansen points out.

'Rain gear is important for sports like football,' she says: 'We use Think Tank Hydrophobia rain gear, which isn't cheap. That's pretty popular among photojournalists.'

Some of these expenses are likely to be small, but it's all a question of unknowns.

Support

This is what the competition looks like: Canon Professional Service's loan stock for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sony's Pro Support program has been expanded to include more countries, but can it offer the degree of service that pro sports shooters have come to expect?

Familiarity

Interestingly, Hansen highlights exactly the same thing: 'Back button focus is one of the first things you learn when you're getting into photojournalism and sports photography.'

Sony has clearly heard about this need and has added a dedicated AF-On button on the a9, so it'll be interesting how our pros get on with it, once they've had a chance to use the camera.

The Sony a9 has a dedicated AF-On button, but is it pronounced and well-positioned enough to ensure your thumb hits it without having to think?

'It does take time to get used to these new cameras,' he says: 'but most [professionals] I know are geeks and they're more than willing to play with the assets until they get the swing of it.'

'Familiarity helps, though,' Rutz says: 'At a point photography is reflexive and the camera has to fit into that, versus you having to adapt to the camera.'

A question of inertia

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2oCdgfk

#DIYS

0 notes

rtawngs20815 · 7 years

Text

Sony a9: Why being better might not be enough

The Sony a9 is an impressive looking camera. At 20 frames per second, its able to shoot much faster than either of the professional sports cameras from the two big DSLR makers.

And, most importantly, my colleagues who've shot with the camera say that the AF performance is within the realms of that offered by the current generation of pro DSLRs.

So, game, set and match, Sony?

Lenses

Lens availability is another significant hurdle. Sony has been making strides with its GM lens series but there's a distinct lack of the long and fast telephoto lenses that sports shooters depend on.

'Go to any sporting event: the Olympics, the Super Bowl and it comes down to the same basic configurations: short zoom, long zoom, super telephoto'

Bettina Hansen, Rutz's colleague at the Seattle Times agrees: 'for sports I use a 16-35, 70-200 and one of either the Canon 200-400, 400 F2.8 or 500 F4.'

Sony has introduced a 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM alongside the a9, but that's not the same as having a 400mm F2.8 available.

This is certainly the case for Rutz: 'my employer provides a generous amount of Canon gear for my work, which is predominantly sports related.'

'Performance reportedly will degrade with the adapter,’ says Rutz: ‘I'd need to see the practical application of it before committing.'

Accessories

As well as bodies and lenses, changing systems incurs a range of associated expenses, Hansen points out.

'Rain gear is important for sports like football,' she says: 'We use Think Tank Hydrophobia rain gear, which isn't cheap. That's pretty popular among photojournalists.'

Some of these expenses are likely to be small, but it's all a question of unknowns.

Support

This is what the competition looks like: Canon Professional Service's loan stock for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sony's Pro Support program has been expanded to include more countries, but can it offer the degree of service that pro sports shooters have come to expect?

Familiarity

Interestingly, Hansen highlights exactly the same thing: 'Back button focus is one of the first things you learn when you're getting into photojournalism and sports photography.'

Sony has clearly heard about this need and has added a dedicated AF-On button on the a9, so it'll be interesting how our pros get on with it, once they've had a chance to use the camera.

The Sony a9 has a dedicated AF-On button, but is it pronounced and well-positioned enough to ensure your thumb hits it without having to think?

'It does take time to get used to these new cameras,' he says: 'but most [professionals] I know are geeks and they're more than willing to play with the assets until they get the swing of it.'

'Familiarity helps, though,' Rutz says: 'At a point photography is reflexive and the camera has to fit into that, versus you having to adapt to the camera.'

A question of inertia

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2oCdgfk

#DIYS

0 notes

pat78701 · 7 years

Text

Sony a9: Why being better might not be enough

The Sony a9 is an impressive looking camera. At 20 frames per second, its able to shoot much faster than either of the professional sports cameras from the two big DSLR makers.

And, most importantly, my colleagues who've shot with the camera say that the AF performance is within the realms of that offered by the current generation of pro DSLRs.

So, game, set and match, Sony?

Lenses

Lens availability is another significant hurdle. Sony has been making strides with its GM lens series but there's a distinct lack of the long and fast telephoto lenses that sports shooters depend on.

'Go to any sporting event: the Olympics, the Super Bowl and it comes down to the same basic configurations: short zoom, long zoom, super telephoto'

Bettina Hansen, Rutz's colleague at the Seattle Times agrees: 'for sports I use a 16-35, 70-200 and one of either the Canon 200-400, 400 F2.8 or 500 F4.'

Sony has introduced a 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM alongside the a9, but that's not the same as having a 400mm F2.8 available.

This is certainly the case for Rutz: 'my employer provides a generous amount of Canon gear for my work, which is predominantly sports related.'

'Performance reportedly will degrade with the adapter,’ says Rutz: ‘I'd need to see the practical application of it before committing.'

Accessories

As well as bodies and lenses, changing systems incurs a range of associated expenses, Hansen points out.

'Rain gear is important for sports like football,' she says: 'We use Think Tank Hydrophobia rain gear, which isn't cheap. That's pretty popular among photojournalists.'

Some of these expenses are likely to be small, but it's all a question of unknowns.

Support

This is what the competition looks like: Canon Professional Service's loan stock for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sony's Pro Support program has been expanded to include more countries, but can it offer the degree of service that pro sports shooters have come to expect?

Familiarity

Interestingly, Hansen highlights exactly the same thing: 'Back button focus is one of the first things you learn when you're getting into photojournalism and sports photography.'

Sony has clearly heard about this need and has added a dedicated AF-On button on the a9, so it'll be interesting how our pros get on with it, once they've had a chance to use the camera.

The Sony a9 has a dedicated AF-On button, but is it pronounced and well-positioned enough to ensure your thumb hits it without having to think?

'It does take time to get used to these new cameras,' he says: 'but most [professionals] I know are geeks and they're more than willing to play with the assets until they get the swing of it.'

'Familiarity helps, though,' Rutz says: 'At a point photography is reflexive and the camera has to fit into that, versus you having to adapt to the camera.'

A question of inertia

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2oCdgfk

#DIYS

0 notes

repwincoml4a0a5 · 7 years

Text

Sony a9: Why being better might not be enough

The Sony a9 is an impressive looking camera. At 20 frames per second, its able to shoot much faster than either of the professional sports cameras from the two big DSLR makers.

And, most importantly, my colleagues who've shot with the camera say that the AF performance is within the realms of that offered by the current generation of pro DSLRs.

So, game, set and match, Sony?

Lenses

Lens availability is another significant hurdle. Sony has been making strides with its GM lens series but there's a distinct lack of the long and fast telephoto lenses that sports shooters depend on.

'Go to any sporting event: the Olympics, the Super Bowl and it comes down to the same basic configurations: short zoom, long zoom, super telephoto'

Bettina Hansen, Rutz's colleague at the Seattle Times agrees: 'for sports I use a 16-35, 70-200 and one of either the Canon 200-400, 400 F2.8 or 500 F4.'

Sony has introduced a 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM alongside the a9, but that's not the same as having a 400mm F2.8 available.

This is certainly the case for Rutz: 'my employer provides a generous amount of Canon gear for my work, which is predominantly sports related.'

'Performance reportedly will degrade with the adapter,’ says Rutz: ‘I'd need to see the practical application of it before committing.'

Accessories

As well as bodies and lenses, changing systems incurs a range of associated expenses, Hansen points out.

'Rain gear is important for sports like football,' she says: 'We use Think Tank Hydrophobia rain gear, which isn't cheap. That's pretty popular among photojournalists.'

Some of these expenses are likely to be small, but it's all a question of unknowns.

Support

This is what the competition looks like: Canon Professional Service's loan stock for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sony's Pro Support program has been expanded to include more countries, but can it offer the degree of service that pro sports shooters have come to expect?

Familiarity

Interestingly, Hansen highlights exactly the same thing: 'Back button focus is one of the first things you learn when you're getting into photojournalism and sports photography.'

Sony has clearly heard about this need and has added a dedicated AF-On button on the a9, so it'll be interesting how our pros get on with it, once they've had a chance to use the camera.

The Sony a9 has a dedicated AF-On button, but is it pronounced and well-positioned enough to ensure your thumb hits it without having to think?

'It does take time to get used to these new cameras,' he says: 'but most [professionals] I know are geeks and they're more than willing to play with the assets until they get the swing of it.'

'Familiarity helps, though,' Rutz says: 'At a point photography is reflexive and the camera has to fit into that, versus you having to adapt to the camera.'

A question of inertia

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grgedoors02142 · 7 years

Text

Sony a9: Why being better might not be enough

The Sony a9 is an impressive looking camera. At 20 frames per second, its able to shoot much faster than either of the professional sports cameras from the two big DSLR makers.

And, most importantly, my colleagues who've shot with the camera say that the AF performance is within the realms of that offered by the current generation of pro DSLRs.

So, game, set and match, Sony?

Lenses

Lens availability is another significant hurdle. Sony has been making strides with its GM lens series but there's a distinct lack of the long and fast telephoto lenses that sports shooters depend on.

'Go to any sporting event: the Olympics, the Super Bowl and it comes down to the same basic configurations: short zoom, long zoom, super telephoto'

Bettina Hansen, Rutz's colleague at the Seattle Times agrees: 'for sports I use a 16-35, 70-200 and one of either the Canon 200-400, 400 F2.8 or 500 F4.'

Sony has introduced a 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM alongside the a9, but that's not the same as having a 400mm F2.8 available.

This is certainly the case for Rutz: 'my employer provides a generous amount of Canon gear for my work, which is predominantly sports related.'

'Performance reportedly will degrade with the adapter,’ says Rutz: ‘I'd need to see the practical application of it before committing.'

Accessories

As well as bodies and lenses, changing systems incurs a range of associated expenses, Hansen points out.

'Rain gear is important for sports like football,' she says: 'We use Think Tank Hydrophobia rain gear, which isn't cheap. That's pretty popular among photojournalists.'

Some of these expenses are likely to be small, but it's all a question of unknowns.

Support

This is what the competition looks like: Canon Professional Service's loan stock for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sony's Pro Support program has been expanded to include more countries, but can it offer the degree of service that pro sports shooters have come to expect?

Familiarity

Interestingly, Hansen highlights exactly the same thing: 'Back button focus is one of the first things you learn when you're getting into photojournalism and sports photography.'

Sony has clearly heard about this need and has added a dedicated AF-On button on the a9, so it'll be interesting how our pros get on with it, once they've had a chance to use the camera.

The Sony a9 has a dedicated AF-On button, but is it pronounced and well-positioned enough to ensure your thumb hits it without having to think?

'It does take time to get used to these new cameras,' he says: 'but most [professionals] I know are geeks and they're more than willing to play with the assets until they get the swing of it.'

'Familiarity helps, though,' Rutz says: 'At a point photography is reflexive and the camera has to fit into that, versus you having to adapt to the camera.'

A question of inertia

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0 notes

exfrenchdorsl4p0a1 · 7 years

Text

Sony a9: Why being better might not be enough

The Sony a9 is an impressive looking camera. At 20 frames per second, its able to shoot much faster than either of the professional sports cameras from the two big DSLR makers.

And, most importantly, my colleagues who've shot with the camera say that the AF performance is within the realms of that offered by the current generation of pro DSLRs.

So, game, set and match, Sony?

Lenses

Lens availability is another significant hurdle. Sony has been making strides with its GM lens series but there's a distinct lack of the long and fast telephoto lenses that sports shooters depend on.

'Go to any sporting event: the Olympics, the Super Bowl and it comes down to the same basic configurations: short zoom, long zoom, super telephoto'

Bettina Hansen, Rutz's colleague at the Seattle Times agrees: 'for sports I use a 16-35, 70-200 and one of either the Canon 200-400, 400 F2.8 or 500 F4.'

Sony has introduced a 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM alongside the a9, but that's not the same as having a 400mm F2.8 available.

This is certainly the case for Rutz: 'my employer provides a generous amount of Canon gear for my work, which is predominantly sports related.'

'Performance reportedly will degrade with the adapter,’ says Rutz: ‘I'd need to see the practical application of it before committing.'

Accessories

As well as bodies and lenses, changing systems incurs a range of associated expenses, Hansen points out.

'Rain gear is important for sports like football,' she says: 'We use Think Tank Hydrophobia rain gear, which isn't cheap. That's pretty popular among photojournalists.'

Some of these expenses are likely to be small, but it's all a question of unknowns.

Support

This is what the competition looks like: Canon Professional Service's loan stock for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sony's Pro Support program has been expanded to include more countries, but can it offer the degree of service that pro sports shooters have come to expect?

Familiarity

Interestingly, Hansen highlights exactly the same thing: 'Back button focus is one of the first things you learn when you're getting into photojournalism and sports photography.'

Sony has clearly heard about this need and has added a dedicated AF-On button on the a9, so it'll be interesting how our pros get on with it, once they've had a chance to use the camera.

The Sony a9 has a dedicated AF-On button, but is it pronounced and well-positioned enough to ensure your thumb hits it without having to think?

'It does take time to get used to these new cameras,' he says: 'but most [professionals] I know are geeks and they're more than willing to play with the assets until they get the swing of it.'

'Familiarity helps, though,' Rutz says: 'At a point photography is reflexive and the camera has to fit into that, versus you having to adapt to the camera.'

A question of inertia

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0 notes

rtscrndr53704 · 7 years

Text

Sony a9: Why being better might not be enough

The Sony a9 is an impressive looking camera. At 20 frames per second, its able to shoot much faster than either of the professional sports cameras from the two big DSLR makers.

And, most importantly, my colleagues who've shot with the camera say that the AF performance is within the realms of that offered by the current generation of pro DSLRs.

So, game, set and match, Sony?

Lenses

Lens availability is another significant hurdle. Sony has been making strides with its GM lens series but there's a distinct lack of the long and fast telephoto lenses that sports shooters depend on.

'Go to any sporting event: the Olympics, the Super Bowl and it comes down to the same basic configurations: short zoom, long zoom, super telephoto'

Bettina Hansen, Rutz's colleague at the Seattle Times agrees: 'for sports I use a 16-35, 70-200 and one of either the Canon 200-400, 400 F2.8 or 500 F4.'

Sony has introduced a 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM alongside the a9, but that's not the same as having a 400mm F2.8 available.

This is certainly the case for Rutz: 'my employer provides a generous amount of Canon gear for my work, which is predominantly sports related.'

'Performance reportedly will degrade with the adapter,’ says Rutz: ‘I'd need to see the practical application of it before committing.'

Accessories

As well as bodies and lenses, changing systems incurs a range of associated expenses, Hansen points out.

'Rain gear is important for sports like football,' she says: 'We use Think Tank Hydrophobia rain gear, which isn't cheap. That's pretty popular among photojournalists.'

Some of these expenses are likely to be small, but it's all a question of unknowns.

Support

This is what the competition looks like: Canon Professional Service's loan stock for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sony's Pro Support program has been expanded to include more countries, but can it offer the degree of service that pro sports shooters have come to expect?

Familiarity

Interestingly, Hansen highlights exactly the same thing: 'Back button focus is one of the first things you learn when you're getting into photojournalism and sports photography.'

Sony has clearly heard about this need and has added a dedicated AF-On button on the a9, so it'll be interesting how our pros get on with it, once they've had a chance to use the camera.

The Sony a9 has a dedicated AF-On button, but is it pronounced and well-positioned enough to ensure your thumb hits it without having to think?

'It does take time to get used to these new cameras,' he says: 'but most [professionals] I know are geeks and they're more than willing to play with the assets until they get the swing of it.'

'Familiarity helps, though,' Rutz says: 'At a point photography is reflexive and the camera has to fit into that, versus you having to adapt to the camera.'

A question of inertia

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#DIYS

0 notes

porchenclose10019 · 7 years

Text

Sony a9: Why being better might not be enough

The Sony a9 is an impressive looking camera. At 20 frames per second, its able to shoot much faster than either of the professional sports cameras from the two big DSLR makers.

And, most importantly, my colleagues who've shot with the camera say that the AF performance is within the realms of that offered by the current generation of pro DSLRs.

So, game, set and match, Sony?

Lenses

Lens availability is another significant hurdle. Sony has been making strides with its GM lens series but there's a distinct lack of the long and fast telephoto lenses that sports shooters depend on.

'Go to any sporting event: the Olympics, the Super Bowl and it comes down to the same basic configurations: short zoom, long zoom, super telephoto'

Bettina Hansen, Rutz's colleague at the Seattle Times agrees: 'for sports I use a 16-35, 70-200 and one of either the Canon 200-400, 400 F2.8 or 500 F4.'

Sony has introduced a 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM alongside the a9, but that's not the same as having a 400mm F2.8 available.

This is certainly the case for Rutz: 'my employer provides a generous amount of Canon gear for my work, which is predominantly sports related.'

'Performance reportedly will degrade with the adapter,’ says Rutz: ‘I'd need to see the practical application of it before committing.'

Accessories

As well as bodies and lenses, changing systems incurs a range of associated expenses, Hansen points out.

'Rain gear is important for sports like football,' she says: 'We use Think Tank Hydrophobia rain gear, which isn't cheap. That's pretty popular among photojournalists.'

Some of these expenses are likely to be small, but it's all a question of unknowns.

Support

This is what the competition looks like: Canon Professional Service's loan stock for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sony's Pro Support program has been expanded to include more countries, but can it offer the degree of service that pro sports shooters have come to expect?

Familiarity

Interestingly, Hansen highlights exactly the same thing: 'Back button focus is one of the first things you learn when you're getting into photojournalism and sports photography.'

Sony has clearly heard about this need and has added a dedicated AF-On button on the a9, so it'll be interesting how our pros get on with it, once they've had a chance to use the camera.

The Sony a9 has a dedicated AF-On button, but is it pronounced and well-positioned enough to ensure your thumb hits it without having to think?

'It does take time to get used to these new cameras,' he says: 'but most [professionals] I know are geeks and they're more than willing to play with the assets until they get the swing of it.'

'Familiarity helps, though,' Rutz says: 'At a point photography is reflexive and the camera has to fit into that, versus you having to adapt to the camera.'

A question of inertia

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#DIYS

0 notes

repwinpril9y0a1 · 7 years

Text

CP+ 2017 - Sony interview: 'We need to offer new imaging experiences'

Yasuyuki Nagata - Senior General Manager Business Unit 2, Digital Imaging Group Imaging Products and Solutions Sector, Sony Corporation. Pictured at CP+ 2017 in Yokohama, Japan.

Earlier this year, we traveled to the CP+ trade show in Yokohama, Japan. At the show, we met with senior executives from several major manufacturers, including Yasuyuki Nagata of Sony. During our interview we discussed the future of the a7-series, Sony's strategy for growing the 1-inch camera segment, and the new a99II.

Please note that this interview has been edited slightly for clarity and flow.

Nikon recently canceled the DL series, which would have competed with the RX100-series. Is this good or bad for Sony?

It’s both good and bad. If Nikon had achieved a high-quality wide lens camera with a 1 inch sensor, that would have been a very competitive product. So in that sense, it’s good for us. But actually, from the perspective of driving the 1 inch sensor market, we want to stimulate this market and that means multiple manufacturers.

What is your general strategy for FE lenses in the future?

We’re launching products based on customer feedback - especially professionals. When we started the Alpha a7 series we only had three full-frame mirrorless (FE) lenses, but after we launched the a7R II, a lot of professionals started to use it. So their voices [became more important]. For example they wanted a 24-70mm F2.8, which is why we prioritized that model. So basically our strategy is to listen to our customers.

The GM 24-70mm F2.8 was a lens that Sony's professional full-frame users wanted the company to make, according to Mr Nagata.

In the past, we’ve heard that Sony wants to create some longer sports optics. is that something that is being planned in the future?

If a lot of professional photographers [want those lenses] we will have to create them. But for now, our main professional user base is portraits and landscape photographers.

Do you aspire to having a base of professional sports photographers in future?

Maybe. Of course it’s not just the lens, it’s the body as well.

The Olympics in Tokyo is three years away - would you like to see Sony lenses in the arenas alongside Canon and Nikon?

Of course, that’s our dream. And we won’t give up on that. But it’s hard to make a specific comment on future products.

How long will it be before mirrorless products represent the majority of cameras at large sporting events?

I don’t know! Historically, I believe it took Canon 7-10 years to become the dominant brand at professional sports events. It’s not easy. But a lot of professional photographers have already switched from DSLR to mirrorless. Maybe in some cases, we are already satisfying the needs of some sports photographers.

The Sony a7R II is a capable stills camera, but fits equally as easily into a professional 4K video workflow.

Speaking about the a7-series lineup, how does your customer base divide up in terms of stills photographers versus videographers?

We don’t divide our customers in this way. Most of our customers shoot both video and stills, currently. Until a few years ago, video and stills shooters were totally different, but recently, portrait and wedding photographers have started shooting video too.

We always consider both kinds of users at every stage of development.

Moving on to the RX series, there are a lot of products now, and you’re leaving older models in the lineup - what is your aim with this strategy?

It depends on the region. By adding RX100 models 1-5, we expanded the 1 inch sensor market, and in most regions we enjoy #1 market share. The 1 inch sensor market was developed by Sony, and then other competitors started joining us.

[As such] we started with 100% market share, but even now we enjoy 60-70% market share in most regions. And our high-technology models like the RX100V drives some of that, but for the cost of one Mark V, you can buy three of the original RX100. So the cost factor is also important. With both entry-level and high-end RX models, we hope to be able to drive the 1 inch sensor market and remain at number 1.

The Cyber-shot RX100 V packs a lot of features into its pocketable form-factor, but Mr Nagata insists that older RX models still have their place in the market.

We understand some of the comments we get from dealers, that because of this strategy they have to carry all five models, which might not be efficient for them, but realistically, those dealers ‘cherry pick’ the models they want to carry. Maybe in an area like the US it doesn’t make sense to [sell] all five models, but in developing countries, the Mark I and Mark II are crucial.

The earthquake last May caused a good deal of disruption - what was the effect on the camera division?

From a supply point of view, we had a month or so’s worth of product in stock. So the effect on our supply chain didn’t really kick in until the June, July timeframe, depending on the model. One inch sensors are easier to make than full-frame sensors, which require at least 2 months to manufacture, so the effect was more profound on full-frame sensors than one-inch. But it was all back up and running by the end of 2016.

What kind of feedback do you get from professionals that have switched from DSLRs to mirrorless?

Some professional photographers have said that G Master lenses were a trigger for switching, and also the [new] STF 100mm lens. Thanks to the short flange-back distance, a lot of E mount customers can use their own lenses with a7 cameras. That’s a benefit of the system. And after they’ve switched to an a7 body, people tend to switch over completely and buy Sony lenses.

Smaller body size is a big factor, and silent shooting is important too.

Is the lens attachment rate different from an a6500 to an a7-series camera?

It’s totally different. Even from the a7 to the a7R II, the attachment rate [with the a7R II] is almost double. From the a6000 to the a6500, again it’s completely different.

What are your plans for developing your pro support network?

We’ve started pro support, but we’re still learning. Professional photographers travel all over the world, so how to provide consistent support not just in their home country, but globally is very important for us.

Sony has ambitions to expand and improve its PRO Support network for professional alpha users.

Was the choice of a smaller, lower-endurance battery in the a7 series made deliberately to keep the camera size small?

We are fully aware of this feedback. Right now, we’re not getting any negative commentary about the size of our a6000-series and a7-series cameras, so there’s probably no need to make them any smaller. There’s a balance between the size of the body and lens, too. So just making the body smaller doesn’t make much sense. And I’m afraid I can’t comment on how we will tackle this issue without commenting on future products, so I can’t say anything more.

Is Sony interested in joining the 360 imaging market?

We already have an action camera lineup, and it’s a similar category. The market itself is kind of shrinking, so instead of having one camera for 360, we’d probably prefer to support professional users, making 360 imaging using our a7-series and a rig. Rather than chasing after the consumer segment.

Do you see more growth in the high-end of the market in general?

I believe so. Which is why pro support is getting more important for us. But of course it cascades down to lower-end models too, and we don’t deny the important of the entry-level segment.

What’s the most important thing that Sony has to do to maintain its position in the next few years?

We need to offer new imaging experiences. We made the NEX series - APS-C mirrorless. That was a new experience. The RX100, the full-frame a7-series, G Master lenses - STF, too. It’s a new imaging experience. Sony is by far the number 1 sensor manufacturer, and the advantage of this is that is allows us to work together with sensor engineers to create the best image sensor for a specific model we are developing. so we’re aware of the sensor development schedule for the next two or three years. So we know what kind of future is coming, in terms of sensors, so we can plan ahead - what kind of bodies will be required, and what kind of lenses will required. We can take advantage of that.

When it comes to core technologies, we’re making lenses sensors, we’re making imaging sensors, we’re making LSIs and we have a software division. Some of our customers couldn’t believe we made an autofocus STF lens. It’s not easy. But we know light travels through lenses, and we know how light is detected on the sensor. So the total combination [of these technologies] means we can make that product.

The recently-announced a99 II is proof that the A-mount is still a going concern. According to Mr Nagata, Sony needs to maintain the A mount alongside the E mount.

In the SLT lineup, development is slower than the a7-series. Where will that line go in the future?

Having options is really important, especially for high-end amateurs and professionals. If we just had the same cameras and lenses [as our competitors] the results would be the same. Some people want A-mount, some want E-mount, and depending on the situation, some customers might want both. Having that variety of bodies and lenses is key.

We need both A mount and E mount. Some people thought that Sony was only developing the E mount, until we introduced the a99 II. You’ve seen it, it’s a serious camera. There is a huge number of lenses for A mount, from Sony and Minolta, and we want to maintain a good relationship with those customers by providing great A mount bodies with no compromises compared to the E mount system. But we can start capturing new customers with the E mount. We we need both.

In the long term, do you want those A mount customers to come over to E mount?

That depends on them.

Will we see more A mount lenses, specifically designed to get the most out of the A99 II’s autofocus technology?

We have to prioritize. It’s not easy developing new lenses. Our customers’ expectations are very high, especially after we launched the G Master series. So we can probably only launch a few lenses a year!

Editors' note:

It was interesting to speak to Mr Nagata in February. This month he is celebrating his 31st year with Sony, and during the course of three decades he has worked in various divisions, from robotics to Handycams. Clearly, he is not afraid of something that Sony has often been criticized for - having 'too many' products in the market. Every product has its place, from the high-end a99 II to the old, but still current, CyberShot RX100 Mark I, and Sony appears intent on introducing even more 'new imaging experiences' in the future.

Although understandably cautious about giving anything away, it is possible to glean some insights from Mr Nagata's responses to certain questions. Firstly, it doesn't look like the Alpha mount is going anywhere for now, although we would expect the relatively slow pace of development to be a continuing feature of that range, compared to the company's mirrorless ILCs.

Secondly, reading between the lines, we're optimistic that bigger batteries are coming to the next generation of Sony's alpha range of mirrorless cameras. As Mr Nagata pointed out (although not in so many words), there's not much point making a camera really small if you intend it to be used with large, high-quality lenses. And for videographers especially, the limited endurance of the a7R II and a7S II in some conditions is a real frustration - one that Sony is clearly very aware of.

Sony is also aware that it needs to get better at catering to the needs of professionals in a more general sense - not only when it comes to the spec sheet of their cameras. Post-sales support for professionals is something that Canon and Nikon have perfected over decades, and is one of the main reasons why major news outlets and picture agencies still generally stick with one or the other. It's early days for Sony's PRO Support network, but we'd expect the company to put a lot of energy into improving and expanding it on the run-up to the 2020 Olympics - when all eyes will be on Tokyo, and Sony will be hoping for some professional representation on the world's biggest stage.

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