(SR5) Zeiss will soon announce the Loxia 25mm f/2.4

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Zeiss will soon announce a new Loxia 25mm f/2.4 lens. These are the psecs:

  • Presentation is in the first half of 2018. Probably around February
  • Filter diameter is 52 mm
  • The shortest shooting distance is 25 cm
  • (Test lens) Weighs about 393 g
  • Price is rumored ot be around 1299 Euro

List of current Zeiss Loxia lenses at [shopcountry 65655].

via Nokishita

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Updated: Luminar 2018 now adds full A7rIII and RX10m4 support

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With the latest version of Luminar 2018 (Click here) the A7rIII and RX10m4 are officially supported. New features and imrpovements include:

WINDOWS USERS

  • Work faster. Luminar can now launch more quickly.  Plus you’ll see a faster-editing performance and better RAM usage.
  • Save Native files. Be sure to save your editing projects in the new native Luminar format.  This makes it easy to come back and edit later.
  • Clone & Stamp released. Remove objects and blemishes with ease!
  • LUT Mapping. Any LUT you’ve chosen can now be stored to a preset with no need to link to the original .cube file.
  • More export control. You can choose to export to the Adobe RGB wide color profile or the ProPhoto RGB color space on export. You can also sharpen an exported file which is great for printing.
  • Better masking controls. Users can adjust both the feather and density controls on a mask to refine the blending of layers. When editing a mask, a user can also press the X hotkey to toggle between Paint/Erase brush mode.
  • More editing control. Now even more raw formats can be edited natively with our RAW Develop filter.  All filters also support advanced blending mode options as well.

MAC USERS

  • Work faster. We’ve improved compatibility with OS X 10.10, 10.11 support. The Histogram also updates in real-time. Users will also enjoy Performance and RAM usage improvements. When editing press Cmd+L to quickly access the Filters list as well.
  • RAW image improvements. Luminar does a better job of detecting noise in a raw file and automatically fixing it when you open to a photo.  DNG file support is also improved for easier editing. Plus even more raw formats can be edited natively with our RAW Develop filter.
  • Improved workflow with other applications. We’ve addressed several small bugs reported when working with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Lightroom, and Photos for Mac.
  • Better batch processing. A streamlined user interface makes batch processing even easier to fix multiple photos at once. Additional improvements also made to address user-reported issues.
  • Improved Native files. Save your editing projects in the native Luminar format which makes it easy to come back and edit in the future. Plus files can be shared between Mac and Windows users.
  • LUT Mapping. Any LUT you’ve chosen can now be stored to a preset with no need to link to the original .cube file.
  • More plugin support. Luminar can also use Topaz plugins within the Luminar editing workflow.
  • Improved exports. Photos can now be exported to SmugMug for online sharing.  The Sharpen on Export filter is also improved for crisper images.
  • Better masking controls. Users can adjust the density controls on a mask to refine the blending of layers. When editing a mask, a user can also press the Backspace hotkey to reset gradient/radial mask drawing.

Don’t forget you get $10 off using our code “SAR” when buying Luminar 2018.

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New deals on the A7rII, A7sII and A6xxx cameras

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Sony A7rII and Sony A7sII:
Grey imported A7rII with 1 years eller warranty for $1,899 on eBay.
A7rII for 35mm f/2.8 FE lens for $2,449 at BuyDig. That’s only $50 extra you pay for the lens.
A7sII for 35mm f/2.8 FE lens for $2,449 at BuyDig.

A6xxx cameras:
$50 gift card and extras for free with the A6500 at BHphoto and FocusCamera.
$50 gift card and extras for free with the A6300 at BHphoto and FocusCamera.
$50 gift card and extras for free with the A6000 at BHphoto and FocusCamera.

Other deals:
There is a $35 discount on the Sony SF-G 128B card sold by Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto.
You get 20% back on select items (Click here) with an Amazon Prime credit card. The list of items includes many Rokinon E-mount lenses (see here).

25% off everything:
RawDigger: https://www.rawdigger.com/news/rawdigger-1-2-24-beta
FastRawViewer: https://www.fastrawviewer.com/blog/FastRawViewer-1-4-6-beta

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Review by Opticallimits: “Sony 85mm f/1.8 FE is an epic lens”

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Opticallimits (former Photozone) tested the Sony 85mm f/1.8 FE lens:

Moderately fast (as opposed to insanely fast) 85mm or 100mm lenses are generally an easy choice unless something went terribly wrong during the design phase. Still, honours where honours are deserved – the Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 is an epic lens. It combines outstanding sharpness with a buttery bokeh which is a quite rare combination actually. Lenses that are pushing sharpness are usually not quite as smooth when it comes to the quality of the bokeh. Lateral CAs, as well as image distortions, are low. In terms of weaknesses, we’d list the bokeh fringing – albeit it isn’t any worse than the competitors, a fairly high RAW vignetting at f/1.8 and a reduced quality at very close focusing distances (if that matters in this lens class).

The build quality of the lens is surprisingly high considering the fact that the lens is primarily targeting the consumer market. It’s a tightly assembled, all-metal construction and it’s weather-sealed, too. Manual focusing (by wire) works nicely and the auto-focusing speed is above average.

And to complete the nice story, all that is available at a very affordable price. Therefore, unless you really need that extra speed of a 85mm f/1.4 (and most don’t really), we finish with … highly recommended!

Sony 85mm at [shopcountry 65241].

 

And Opticallimits also tested the Zeiss Batis 85mm:

The Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 is one of the best lenses that we have reviewed so far. It isn’t just a sharp lens. It is excessively sharp even at fully open aperture. Low CAs add to the goodness. That being said – it is not a perfect lens. Image distortions and vignetting are weak spots making it almost necessary to take advantage of Sony’s image auto-correction. The quality of the bokeh is very good but there are a few lenses out there that are better still. That also applies to bokeh fringing which is on the high side.
The build quality is up to professional standards – a metal body, no wobbly parts, weather sealing – that’s all excellent. However, we are still no big fans of the slippery surface coating, the dust catching focus ring and the dismal quality of the lens cap. The AF speed is good albeit not extremely fast. The OLED display on the lens is a looker for sure … whether it’s really useful may be a different question.

Even when taking its downsides into account – the Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 is an awesome lens. Therefore … highly recommended!

Batis 85mm at [shopcountry 54737].

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Sony Tidbits…

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7Artisans 25mm F1.8 Sony E-Mount Review | Sony a6000 Image Samples

Shortest day of the year. 10 tips for low-light shooting (Alin Popescu).
Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens Review (Lensvid).
12 Great Gifts for Emerging Filmmakers (Explora).
Sony FE 24-105mm f4 G OSS Lens: Detailed Comparative Review (Terra Galleria).
Camera of the Year, Best Enthusiast Zoom – Sony RX10 IV (Imaging Resource).
Camera of the Year, Best Professional Mirrorless – Sony A7R III (Imaging Resource).

Guilherme:I did this film last week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr9Nq-qLFo0

Fatih:I would be happy if you could upload a timelapse video of mine on your page. I shot this 2 years ago on the sony a7s back then. Still got only 1,4k views :(
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IcXHeMQqhw

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