News
-
Nikon Z6III announced with partially stacked 24.5MP CMOS, promising fast AF and EVF refresh rates
The new Nikon Z6III looks to be targeting Nikon’s traditional press customers, as well as high-end amateur users. As such, it’s a more sensible ‘backup’ camera to the Nikon Z9 than the Z8, offering a smaller file from the 24.5MP sensor and a good mix of video features for hybrid uses. Will also appeal to action and wildlife photographers, given the fast AF and a good range of native mount telephoto lenses in Nikon’s range. Sales start: July 2024 RRPs: Z6III Body – £2,699 (UK) | €3,099.00 (ROI) Pre-order: WEX UK | Amazon | Park Cameras UK B&H Photo US | Adorama | Amazon London, United Kingdom, 17th June…
-
Fujifilm Fujinon GF30mm F5.6 T/S specs compared with Canon EF 24mm F3.5L TS-E
I realise this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison but as many architecture photographers adapt the Canon 24mm TS-E to use on their Fujifilm GFX system cameras then the side-by-side contrast makes more sense. It’s surprising how similar the specs are but early testing of the Fujifilm GF30mm T/S with the 100MP Fujifilm GFX100 II (which has an optimised sensor for this lens, apparently) suggests super-impressive optical performance, even when shifted to the maximum. Also, if there was any doubt that the tilt and shift functions can be oriented separately to use in the same ‘direction’ (it wasn’t that clear in the press release), then I can confirm they can. When fully…
-
Fujifilm Fujinon GF30mm F5.6 T/S
Technical Data Manufacturer Fujifilm Model Fujinon GF30mm F5.6 T/S Web www.fujifilm-X.com Elements/construction 16 elements in 11 groups (1x Super ED, 3x ED) Angle of view 84.7° (diagonal) 24mm equivalent Tilt/Shift +/- 8.5° Tilt, +/- 15 mm Shift Max aperture F5.6 (9-blades, rounded) Min aperture F32 Min focus distance 0.3m (11.9 in) Mount GF mount Filter size 105mm (with adapter ring), 72mm front cap* Length 135.8mm (5.5 in.) Diameter 87.1mm (3.4 in.) Weight 1340g (2.95 lb) Price £3,899 inc VAT ($3,999) The Fujinon GF30mm F5.6 T/S will be sold with an RRP of £3899 inc VAT. User manual at: www.fujifilm-x.com Additional coverage/press release. Pre-order: WEX UK | Amazon | Park Cameras…
-
Nikon Z6 III teaser released
The formal announcement will be made on June 17th at 8.00 am ET. Besides some form of pre-capture, details remain sketchy (obvs). Still, the new camera is expected to retain a 24 MP CMOS sensor (though wouldn’t be surprised to see the sensor resolution move to 30 MP) but with improvements to the viewfinder, DR, AF and video.
-
Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM specs compared with predecessor, Canon EF 35mm F1.4L USM II
Canon has introduced the mirrorless successor to the much-vaunted EF 35mm F1.4L USM II, only it’s not quite what we were expecting. Like the recently announced Canon RF 24-105mm F2.8L, this new lens is a hybrid model, appealing to filmmakers and stills photographers. As such, it features a new voice-coil motor (VCM) for AF, a type of linear motor noted for its smooth focusing, supplemented with a second Nano USM to control the ‘floating’ (independently moved) element used in close-range correction. It also relies quite heavily on digital correction, though it’s not alone these days. A new step-less manual aperture ring is included but only for video; apparently it’s not…
-
Aperture values for reference
Maximum aperture values in third and half stops can be tricky to compare, so I’ve made a table to aid the task. Below F1.0 it gets a bit trickier still, so don’t take it as gospel (and it’s subject to amendment), but you’re unlikely to come across that many in regular production. The Noct Nikkor and Noctilux are both F0.95, which as you’ll see is 1/3 stop ‘faster’ than F1.0 and 1 1/3 stop faster than F1.4 and just over 1/2 stop faster than F1.2. Interestingly, if you’re a film buff, Kubrick’s Zeiss Planar 50mm F0.7 adapted NASA lenses used to film indoor scenes with just candle-lit for illumination in…
-
Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM specs compared with predecessor, Canon EF 35mm F1.4L USM II
Canon has introduced the mirrorless successor to the much-vaunted EF 35mm F1.4L USM II, only it’s not quite what we were expecting. Like the recently announced Canon RF 24-105mm F2.8L, this new lens is a hybrid model, appealing to filmmakers and still photographers. As such, it features a new voice-coil motor (VCM) for AF, a type of linear motor noted for its smooth focusing, supplemented with a second Nano USM to control the ‘floating’ (independently moved) element used in close-range correction. It also relies quite heavily on digital correction, though it’s not alone these days. A new step-less manual aperture ring is included but only for video; apparently it’s not…
-
What I would like to see released in 2024
Manufacturers are often accused of not listening to customers when it comes to introducing new features but I’m sure it’s complicated to strike a balance between what’s achievable and their users’ wishes. Nevertheless, it’s still odd that we haven’t seen some features that would appear to be easy to add, such as those via software or firmware updates. So, here’s a list of some firmware or software (via the maker’s app) features that I would like to see added to cameras this year: Auto aperture series selection, where the photographer can program the camera to select and capture a series across a range of aperture settings. The camera must alter…
-
Sigma announces world’s first F1.8 zoom for full-frame 35mm cameras: SIGMA 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art
Lens maker Sigma has announced the SIGMA 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art, the world’s first F1.8 high-speed zoom lens for full-frame 35mm mirrorless cameras (narrowly beating the much more expensive Canon RF 28-70mm F2.0L USM for the EOS R series). The new top-of-the-range Art series lens will be available in two versions to fit Sony E-mount and Leica SL-mount cameras. The new lens weighs 960g and features 18 elements in 15 groups (5 SLD, 3 aspherical elements). It adopts both inner zooming and internal focusing. There are many benefits to this, but one that’s not often mentioned in marketing material is that the design makes it more durable than lenses…
-
Review: Samsung T7 Shield Portable SSD USB 3.2 Gen 2
Samsung’s highly portable T7 Shield SSD with USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) promises high transfer speeds in a robust housing, Kevin Carter takes a look. What is it? This small, highly portable bus-powered NVMe SSD with a USB-C 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps) with read/write speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s and 1,000 MB/s respectively, is almost twice as fast as SATA-based SSDs (and 10x that of HDDs). As such it is ideal for photographers and occasional videographers. It’s also a rugged (IP65 rated) drive that’s ideal for replacing any old hard-disk drive for sharing across multiple devices, such as direct-to cameras (mainly but not limited to the newer Panasonic, Sony and…
You must be logged in to post a comment.