Skylum released Luminar 3.1 with new AI 2.0 filter as a free upgrade for current Luminar owners. If you don’t own the software and want to buy it get it here and use our coupon code “SAR” to save extra $10 at checkout!

Pricing:
Luminar 3.1 can be purchased for US$60 (US$50 with coupon code “SAR“) instead of US$70
Luminar 3.1 + Photography 101 video course by SLR lounge (worth US$99) bundle can be purchased for US$69 (US$59 with coupon code “SAR“) instead of US$169
Luminar 3.1 + Aurora HDR (worth US$99) + Photography 101 video course by SLR lounge (worth US$99) bundle can be purchased for US$129 (US$119 with coupon code “SAR“) instead of US$268

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We’ve been hard at work on Luminar and we’ve got a significant update to share with you. With Luminar 3.1.0 you’ll find several new improvements for both Mac and Windows. The next generation of Accent AI makes enhancing your images easier than ever before. Plus some performance and usability enhancements will make your editing workflow even faster.

Accent AI 2.0. Reimagined.

The improved Accent AI filter lets you get natural-looking results in less time. New “human-aware” technology recognizes people in your photos and applies adjustments selectively for more realistic images.

With Accent AI 2.0, you can make dozens of adjustments (done quickly) with just one slider. Fix tone, detail, exposure, depth, color, and more thanks to behind-the-scenes AI. In less than a second, your photos can look their absolute best. Make Accent AI 2.0 your go-to filter. (Tip: It can even replace the Develop step for most photographers!) For beautiful photos, rely on Accent AI 2.0 as your starting point.

Follow your style.

Whether you’re working with the Library to organize your images or using the QuickEdit command, it’s now even easier to get the results you want. Take advantage of image-aware filters and professionally designed Luminar Looks to unlock the best image possible. Once you’ve created the perfect style, apply it to all shots in your series with the improved Adjustment Sync. You can now select multiple photos and apply the same adjustments in just one click. Filters and Looks are transferred in just one click, while image-specific changes like cloning and cropping are ignored.

RAW shooters can stay organized.

If you capture RAW and JPEG at the same time, it’s even easier to stay organized in Luminar 3. When you import RAW and JPEG pairs, you can decide which files to see. View just RAW or just JPEG for a less cluttered library, or see both and use the JPEG file as a reference while you edit. Edits to JPEG and RAW files are independent but can be easily synced. Use the View menu to control which images are shown for a clutter-free library.

Better Sorting.

Using the Gallery view to get organized or search for that perfect image? Now when you sort using a method like File Type or Color Label, a second organization is also applied. When you sort your images they are sorted by the new category first and then automatically sorted by date.

Trust your editing to Luminar.

Thanks to our users for reporting different issues. This version of Luminar offers general stability improvements. We’ve made hundreds of under-the-hood performance improvements based on user feedback. Windows users, in particular, will see tons of new features that bring Luminar for Mac and Windows into close alignment. Improved stability and performance along with robust catalog backups help keep your images and edits safe.

Luminar Updates for Windows Users

The Windows version of Luminar receives several updates with version 3.1.0 We hope you enjoy this new release of Luminar and appreciate your feedback and reports.

New features

IMPORT IMAGES. You can now import images from a memory card or hard drive and copy them to a folder. You can also choose to include subfolders when importing

SMUGMUG SHARING. The ability to post images to SmugMug has now been added to Luminar for Windows.

SHORTCUTS. Folders and user albums can be added to the Shortcuts list. Just right-click for a context menu or drag & drop them into the list.

IMPROVED SELECTIONS. Want to choose a range of photos in the Gallery view? Try the Shift or Ctrl key to select a range or group of images. You can also deselect images from a multiselection by Ctrl+clicking on an image.

ROTATE IN GALLERY. Images selected in the gallery can be quickly rotated left or right by 90 ̊increments with no need to switch to edit view. Just use the Image > Rotate menu or just right-click.

PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS SUPPORT. We’ve added Photoshop Elements support to the Windows platform. Just choose the Install Plugins command if you want to load Luminar as a plugin. For future versions of Luminar, plugin users should switch to Luminar Flex.

Performance Improvements

Get additional speed and performance from the Luminar update.

IMPROVED HISTORY. Undo a Sync/Copy/Paste adjustments with one step in the History list.

HIDDEN FILES. Luminar does a better job of filtering hidden folders and photo. Additionally, unwanted items like Backups, History, Previews, and Caches won’t be shown when opening Luminar Catalogs.

Luminar Updates for Mac Users

Several performance improvements, as well as new features, await Mac users. We hope you enjoy this new release of Luminar and appreciate your feedback and reports.

PROGRESS BAR. Keep better track of what’s happening when working with Luminar. You’ll see a progress bar when using tools like Erase or when running Luminar as a third-party filter.

How to Update

Updating your Luminar software is easy. Be sure to also rerun the plugin installer if using Luminar as a plugin for Photoshop or Lightroom Classic.

Mac – Please, launch Luminar 3, then in the Top Menu Bar choose Luminar 3> Check for updates.

Windows – Please, launch Luminar 3, then in the Top Menu Bar choose Help > Check for updates.

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Buy it here:
Luminar 3.1 can be purchased for US$60 (US$50 with coupon code “SAR“) instead of US$70
Luminar 3.1 + Photography 101 video course by SLR lounge (worth US$99) bundle can be purchased for US$69 (US$59 with coupon code “SAR“) instead of US$169
Luminar 3.1 + Aurora HDR (worth US$99) + Photography 101 video course by SLR lounge (worth US$99) bundle can be purchased for US$129 (US$119 with coupon code “SAR“) instead of US$268

Today Viltrox announced this new 85mm f/1.8 FE autofocus lens. You can preorder the lens for $379 at BHphoto (Click here).

Now we have plentiful of 85mm options from Sony and third-party manufacturers Just recently Samyang announced this 85mm f/1.4 FE lens (available at BHphoto and Adorama)

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Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 Overview

A short-telephoto well-suited to portraiture, the Sony E PFU RBMH 85mm f/1.8 STM from Viltrox is also characterized by its bright f/1.8 maximum aperture, which excels in difficult lighting as well as benefits working with shallow depth of field techniques. The optical design comprises one extra-low dispersion element, along with four elements made from highly transparent glass, that aids in reducing chromatic and spherical aberrations in order to realize high clarity and sharpness. An HD Nano multi-layer coating has also been applied to suppress flare and ghosting for improved contrast when working in strong lighting conditions. Additionally, the lens features an STM motor for quick, quiet autofocus performance along with a minimum focusing distance of 2.6′ for working with close-up subjects.

– Portrait-length prime is designed for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras, however can also be used with APS-C models where it provides a 127.5mm equivalent focal length.

– Bright f/1.8 maximum aperture benefits working in difficult lighting conditions and also offers a wealth of control over focus position when using shallow depth of field techniques.

– One extra-low dispersion element and four elements made from highly transparent glass contribute to reducing a variety of aberrations in order to produce well-corrected imagery with accurate color and high sharpness.

– HD Nano multi-layer coating has been applied to individual elements to reduce flare and ghosting for improved contrast. Also, this coating is water-resistant to help protect the exposed surfaces from moisture.

– STM autofocus motor delivers quiet and precise focusing performance along with a minimum focusing distance of 2.6′.

– Electronic contacts convey Exif data as well as permit camera-based aperture selection.

Sony | Imaging Edge | Movie Edit add-on

Full list of todays Gold Box deals at Amazon, BHphoto, eBay, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, Amazon.it, Amazon.es.
Kaz Hirai is retiring from Sony (TheVerge).
A Tour of SIGMA’s Aizuwakamatsu Factory (Lensvid)
First Panasonic S1-S1R tests with the firmware 1.0 (L-rumors).
Spring Resolution: Back Up Your Data (Explora).
Smartphones with 64MP and 108MP sensors are coming in 2019-2020 (Mirrorlessrumors).
Video AF test Sony a7iii / Native lens vs Metabones adapted (Latest firmware) by Biscuitsalive.

Personal photos and tests from SAR Admin Andrea on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and 500px.

Join the new Sony Alpha Camera Facebook group.
To get news from our Forum subscribe that RSS feed.
I kindly invite you all to follow our RSS feed, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to not miss news and rumors

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#Laowa 24mm f/14 super macro lens on the #SonyA7rIII⁣ Image by Marc Alhadeff from sonyalpha.blog.⁣ -⁣ #mirrorlesscamera #mirrorlessgeeks #cameragear #camerageek #mirrorlessgeeks #camerasetup #camera⁣ #sonyimages #sonyalphasclub #sonyalpha #sonyphotography #sonyphotogallery #sonyalpharumors #sonyalphagear #SonyPhotoGallery #SonyAlphasClub #SonyMirrorless #sonyalphaphotos #sony #sonyalphauniverse #sonyalphaclub ⁣ ⁣

A post shared by Andreas Photography world (@andrea_pizzini_photographer) on Mar 27, 2019 at 10:00pm PDT

Zeiss officially announced the Zeiss Otus 1.4/100. This lens is available as Nikon F and Canon EF mount version. But as with all their OTUS lenses it can be used via adapter on any E-mount camera too.

Full info and image samples here: zeiss.com/camera-lenses/us/photography/products/otus-lenses/otus-14100.html

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ZEISS Otus 1.4/100
The Telephoto Lens.

With its new Otus 1.4/100, ZEISS has expanded the tried and tested Otus family to include a new telephoto focal length. The ZEISS Otus 1.4/100 is one of the best lenses in its class due to its low sample variation, outstanding imaging performance, and superior build quality.

With the same uncompromising performance that makes all Otus lenses stand out, the ZEISS Otus 1.4/100 is a truly exceptional lens. A lens that is a reflection of the comprehensive expertise and extensive experience of ZEISS.

Although developed for 35 mm full-frame cameras, the Otus® 1.4/100 gives you the quality and look of a medium-format system.
Whether in the studio or on location, this lens stands out in every situation thanks to its high resolution and excellent sharpness – even at the maximum aperture of f/1.4.

Whether portrait or product photography, the bokeh will impress you. The apochromatic lens design with aspherical lenses and special glass prevents almost all conceivable aberrations. In addition, the high-quality coating keeps the contrast high, even when shooting against the light, and minimizes lens flare.