Posts

Showing posts from 2014

Nissin i40 High Speed Sync Flash for Sony Cameras

Image
Nissin i40 Flash for Sony Cameras Nissin i40 Review by Lavikka Photography Lavikka Photography shows us the features of the compact Nissin i40 flash on the Sony a6000 . The best feature is high speed sync in such a small package. The Nissin i40 was used with the inexpensive Youngnou 560 flash, shown below, to freeze action in daylight - up to 1/4000s. Youngnou 560 Flash

Sony a7ii and a7r Comparison

Image
Sony a7ii A7r Comparison. Here's a video from TheDigitalDigest comparing the new a7ii and the a7r.

Hands On with the a7II from Steve Huff

Hands On with 5-axis Stabilized Sony A76 II Get your Sony a7II from Amazon.

Sony a7ii with 5-Axis Image Stabilization Announced

Image
Sony a7ii with 5-Axis SteadyShot (Image Stabilization) Video Here is the new Sony a7ii with a 5-axis SteadyShot Inside, which means that the sensor can compensate for movement in the pitch, yaw, roll, x-axis, and y-axis. The technology comes from Olympus which Sony has an alliance with after a large investment. The a7ii is about $500 more than the standard a7 . The a7ii will be available next month. New C1 / C2 Buttons Above shows the added customizable button next to the shutter. There are now 4 customizable buttons instead of 3 on the a7, a7r, and a7s. The body panels of the a7ii looks to be textured compared to the smooth body of the previous a7 cameras. The shutter button moves from the top plate to the grip. The front and rear wheel have a slimmer form factor. There is now a 45° ledge for the Menu and C button on the rear. Images of the new Sony a7ii

Sony a7 Clear Image Zoom Test

Image
Sony a7r Clear Image Zoom Candidate #1 Here are four images from the Sony a7r and the Contaz Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 Planar. The four shots are full frame, 1.5x clear image zoom to match APS-C, a7r in APS-C mode, and 2X clear image zoom in APS-C mode. The images were then cropped to match a 2X clear image zoom in APS-C mode. The 50mm lens now provides a field of view of 150mm with 2X clear image zoom APS-C mode on the a7r.  See the images below and determine if CIZ is something you should try.  Please rank the images from best to worst. What is Clear Image Zoom? from Sony: Clear Image Zoom is a function that uses the Sony® exclusive By Pixel Super Resolution Technology. It allows you to enlarge the image with close to the original image quality when shooting still images. The camera first zooms optically to the maximum optical magnification, then uses Clear Image Zoom technology to enlarge the image an additional 2x, producing sharp, clear images despite the increased zoom ratio.

Save $1200 on Sony a7r with Vertical Grip

Image
Now is the time to buy the Sony a7r . Save almost 50% on the cost of the a7r with the Sony VG-C1EM vertical grip. The MSRP is $2637 while the current deal sells the combo for $1396 . Run.

Meike Vertical Grip for the Sony A7 Cameras

Image
3rd Party Vertical Grip for the Sony a7 Cameras Here is a third-party version of Sony's VG-C1EM Vertical A7-Series Camera Grip by Meike. Their model designation is MK-AR7. It duplicates the front and rear dials, shutter button, and the C1 button for use in a vertical shooting orientation. It provides room for a 2nd battery to extend shooting. It also has a receiver for a wireless remote with timer for time lapse photography. We have not used this Meike MK-AR7 ourselves but the price is very tempting. The added battery is a plus but we always carry extra. The support provided by the grip is the major feature of this grip. We always have to warn people that 3rd party accessories causing damage to your Sony a7 will not be covered by warranty. See the video and data sheet below to see if the MK-AR7 will work for you.

Hands On with Zeiss 35mm Distagon on Sony a7r at Photo Plus

Image
Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon on the a7r Here is the newest Zeiss lens for the Leica M system. It is a Distagon 1.4/35mm ZM lens - Carl Zeiss' fastest lens for rangefinder cameras. We stopped by the Zeiss booth at Photo Plus and tried it out on the Sony a7r with a close-focus adapter. Voigtlander makes a better version of the adapter but this one works for us. The 35mm Distagon ZM feels like a fine piece of machinery. The aperture from f/1.4 to f/18 have soft click stops. The focus ring is smooth, well damped, and pleasing to use - we prefer it to the Otus' ring . The lens is dense and heavy for such a small size thanks to the all metal construction. The 35mm Distagon ZM is deceptively heavy as the 85mm Otus ZE is deceptively light.

Zeiss 16-35mm Lens Review by Mobile01

Image
Zeiss Vario-Tessar 16-35mm FE OSS lens Barrel Extension Here are some corner samples of the new Zeiss Vario-Tessar 16-35mm FE OSS lens from mobile01.com . The samples compare the center sharpness against the extreme corner of 16-35mm for the Sony A7 cameras at 16mm and 35mm at all apertures. Check out more Zeiss 16-35mm Vario-Tessar high resolution samples and the full review at mobile01.com . Pre-order the Zeiss Vario-Tessar 16-35mm FE OSS lens for a mid-November ship date.

Faces with Sony A6000 by Craig Martin

Image
ISO: 100 Aperture: f/2.2 Shutter speed: 1/3200 Here are some images created with the sony a6000 and the 50mm f/1.8 OSS lens by Craig Martin. ISO: 100 Aperture: f/2.2 Shutter speed: 1/500

Jeff Koons at the Whitney Museum with the A7r

Image
Jeff Koons: A Retrospective Whitney Museum We discovered that the Jeff Koons exhibit was on its final days at the Whitney Museum. We also learned that the Whitney was closing the doors at the Breuer Building location and was moving downtown towards the Highline. We took the Sony A7r and a Contax 28mm Distagon and tested out GeoTagging - posted earlier . Here are some images from the excursion. Bear and Policeman by Jeff Koons

Sony A7s Video: Aurora Borealis in Tromsø

Aurora Borealis in Tromsø by Anders Mildestveit Real time video of northern lights on oct. 18th in Tromsø, Norway. Shot with a Sony A7S and Rokinon 24mm T1.5 at 25600 iso with no noise reduction applied. The video of the of the Aurora Borealis demonstrates the low light prowess of the Sony A7s.

Sony A7 GeoTagging with Exiftool

Image
Smartphone Running MyTracks Showing GPS Info for Time Calibration Geotagging your images, attaching location information, is a great way to help document your shooting.  Many services like flickr, Google, and iPhoto/Photos take advantage of the geotags to show where the image is taken.  We took a quick stroll around New York City to test out how easy geotagging Sony A7 files were. Above shows the GPS status provided by our smartphone's built-in gps and shown by an app, GPS Status.  The third icon from the top left shows the app MyTracks is running and is logging our location along the way.  The image below shows the final product, a geotagged image. Here's a quick tutorial on geotagging your Sony A7 photos using your GPS enabled smartphone and exiftool.

Sony A7 Trade In Deal is Sweeter

Image
Save $545 on the Sony A7r The previous trade in deal saved us $460 from the MSRP of the a7r. The new trade in deal from Adorama is sweeter since the MSRP of the cameras are lower by $200. Sony a7 MSRPs Reduced by $200 What this means for us is a savings of $545 on the Sony a7r body, $500 on the a7 + 28-70mm lens bundle, and $455 on the A7 body only. You can also add in the trade in value of your old camera for more savings. The Sony A7 trade in offer from Adorama expires by the end of the year. Make sure to add items from our post on essential Sony A7 accessories . Sony A7 with 28-70mm Lens

Sony E-Mount Lens Roadmap Photokina 2014 Update

Image
Upcoming Sony / Zeiss E-mount Lenses Photokina 2014 introduced six new full-frame lenses for the Sony E-mount family.  The E-mount lens range now covers 16mm (converter) up to 240mm.  The image above shows four new prototype Sony / Zeiss E-mount lenses, 28mm with converters, 35mm, 90mm, and a 24-240mm zoom. The new E-mount lens roadmap added 3 lens slots compared with the previous roadmap .  The roadmap shows that seven more lenses will be announced in 2015.  The only hole we see is a fast portrait lens at around 90mm.  We are hoping that this will be the next lens announced. Sony E-mount Lens Roadmap Photokina 2014 Update Below are more details on the new lenses announce at Photokina 2014.  Included are photos of the prototypes found at Photokina and quick mock ups on a Sony A7 body .

Mountaineering with the Sony A7s with Zeiss 24-70mm FE by burnymeister

Image
Sony A7s with Zeiss 24-70mm FE by burnymeister @24mm, Aperture: f/8, ISO 25600, 20s Shutter Speed Vern D took his Sony A7s and Zeiss 24-70mm FE OSS on a mountaineering adventure. The A7s low light capability counteracts the Zeiss 24-70mm maximum aperture of f/4. The max aperture is at f/4 in order to keep the Zeiss 24-70mm as a small and light package. Vern's lightweight full frame kit went to Mount Woolley, Diadem, Little Alberta and Mushroom Peak providing excellent images day or night. Sony A7r with Zeiss 24-70mm FE OSS Lens See more of Vern Ds photos below.

Zeiss 35mm Distagon ZM Announced

Image
Mockup of Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 ZM on Sony A7r Carl Zeiss announced their fastest ZM, Leica M mount, lens at Photokina 2014. The new Distagon T* 1,4/35mm ZM is designed for the Leica M digital sensor but we are hopeful that it will work well on the Sony A7 cameras with the appropriate lens adapter. Above is a mockup of what the Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 lens would look on a Sony A7. The Zeiss 35 f/1.4 will provide subject isolation through shallow depth of field. Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon ZM in Black Below are the lens specs and intro video from Carl Zeiss.

Download Sony a5100 Help Guide Manual

Image
Sony a5100 Identifying Parts Here is the Sony a5100 Camera User's Guide / Owner's Manual in HTML format. You can use any browser and the links will be live making it easy to jump from subject to subject. We suggest that you read this to take full advantage of your new Sony a5100 . Below shows what the standard accessories are supplied with the a5100.

Two New APS-C E-mount Lenses from Zhongyi Optics

Image
Zhongyi Optics Mitakon 42mm and 24mm for APS-C E-mount Cameras Zhongyi Optics introduced two new lenses designed for the E-mount APS-C sensor (a6000, a5100, a5000, and NEX cameras) at Photokina 2014. The first is the Mitakon 24mm f/1.7 which translates to an EFOV of a 36mm lens on the APS-C. The Mitakon 24mm is attractively priced at $289. The second lens is a Mitakon 42.5mm f/1.2 lens which converts to 63mm on the APS-C sensor. The Mitakon 42mm is priced at $359. Both lenses are manual focus and provide a relatively large aperture for excellent low light shots. Both are very light and compact, perfect travel lenses. Below are specs and sample images from the new Zhongyi Mitakon lenses.

Carl Zeiss Loxia Lens Introduction VIdeo

Image
Zeiss Loxia on Sony A7r and A7s Cameras Here's a quick video from Carl Zeiss about their new line of Loxia lenses especially designed for the Sony A7 family of cameras. Fresh from #photokina : our product video for ZEISS Loxia lenses w/ product manager Christophe Casenave https://t.co/v2d8MZfJT7 #ZEISSphk14 — Carl Zeiss Lens Team (@CarlZeissLenses) September 18, 2014 Product Manager Christophe Casenave talks about the new Loxia Lenses Check out Loxia 2/50mm Planar samples we posted here . Full specs on the Carl Zeiss Loxia 2/35 and 2/50 can be found here . Pre-order the Loxia 35mm Biogon and Loxia 50mm Planar from Adorama.

Zeiss 16-35mm Vario Tessar FE ZA Lens Specs and Samples

Image
Sony SEL1635Z Mounted on a Sony A7s from PhotographyBlog The wait is over. People have been hunting for a wide angle lens for the Sony A7 cameras ever since the full frame e-mount cameras were released. Some have been using the Sony 10-18mm at 16-18mm with great results on the Sony A7 bodies. Above is the new Zeiss 16-35mm f/4 Vario Tessar FE ZA OSS Lens or SEL1635Z, announced at Photokina 2014. It is fully compatible with E-mount cameras with autofocus and auto aperture control. The lens is designed for the A7 and will cover the 24x36mm sensor. The SEL1635Z will also work with the Sony a6000 and NEX cameras where it will provide a EFOV of 24mm to 52mm, nice walkaround lens range. Below are specs for the SEL1635Z and samples from Mark Galer who has been using the SEL1635Z on the Sony A7s.

Sony a6000 Digiscoping Samples by 5Bellies Digiscoping

Image
Marsh Harrier 14 by 5bellies Digiscoping Here are some great digiscoping shots by 5bellies Digiscoping. He uses a Sony a6000 with a Swarovski scope which consists the STX-85 modular objective lens, the STX Eyepiece Module with a 25-60x magnification, and the TLS APO adapter . There are a few samples below and a quick tutorial by Swarovski. The Rig, Sony a6000 with a Swarovski STX-85 Digiscope