First images of the new Zhongyi Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 Lens for Sony FE
The 50mm f/0,95 FF E-mount lens has been marked as discontinued at BHphoto. The new “mark 3” version will be released in April and here are the first images of the lens mounted on the Sony:
via Weibo
The official Sony A7III Help Guide now explains you how to set the new features: EyeAF (Click here) and Interval Shooting Functions (Click here).
Firmware live update report by David Oastler
An Animal EyeAF test:
World famous photorapher Paul Nicklen sent out this newsletter to explain his switch to Sony:
I’ve switched to Sony mirrorless cameras. Here’s why.
I know these words might frustrate some of you, because for photographers, investing in gear is a huge financial commitment and we all want to get it right the first time. Once we go down a path of bodies and lenses, it’s difficult to switch.
I’ve made the decision to switch from my DSLR system to a Sony mirrorless system because I’ve realized mirrorless is the future of our industry—and Sony is leading the charge.
In the same vein as the evolution of life, there is also the evolution of camera equipment; it’s always changing. Early on in my career, most people at National Geographic shot Nikon, the prosumer camera of choice, especially in the film days. I excitedly moved to Canon in the early 2000s as they seemed to be the frontrunner in the digital space, but I never wanted to lock into a relationship with a major camera company because I didn’t want to be held to any one system. I’m a journalist and an artist, and I want to shoot with the best of the best and the latest and the greatest. After all, it’s really about getting the shot—a shot that will live on forever. And in my case, to tell an important story that has enough impact to create change for our planet.
I get dozens of emails from people every day asking me which camera I recommend, a question I haven’t readily been answering. The truth is, I’ve been conflicted.
Even though I have been shooting Canon until recently, for the past two years, I have I found myself telling everyone to buy a Sony system. See? Conflicted. It’s like telling someone to become a vegetarian while living on a carnivorous diet.
Cristina Mittermeier, my partner and co-founder of Sealegacy, has been shooting Sony for the past 12 years. I’ve watched her closely in the past two years and have become deeply impressed with the rapid evolution of this powerful photography system.
Cristina on expedition in the Abrolhos Archipelago, making the most of her Sony gear.
For a long time, the race was for DSLR (digital single lens reflex) cameras. DSLRs use a mirror, meaning every time you hit the shutter, the mirror goes up, the camera opens the shutter, exposes the image, and then the mirror closes. And for years, that race was mostly Canon and Nikon—until the introduction of mirrorless systems.What does mirrorless mean? No mirror flips up and then bangs shut. You know that mirror sound: the one that almost rattles your teeth and scares huge flocks of birds from the trees and sends a bear running for the forest as you hammer away at ten frames a second. I’ve received countless angry glances from Cristina and other mirrorless shooters when my DSLR goes clack-clack-clack while they are quietly getting the shot at double the frame rate or nearly double the file size.
What happens when you physically remove the mirror from a camera? With no moving parts, the camera gets faster, and it becomes silent: the two most important camera traits for a wildlife photographer.
While other companies were devoting R&D to DSLR systems, Sony quietly went about investing most of its R&D in mirrorless systems. To me, it feels like the other big manufacturers are now trying to play catch-up—and it could take quite some time.
Combining a 42mb file while shooting at 10 frames a second on incredible quality G Master lenses while also being 100% silent makes the decision seem pretty simple. Life is about compromises, and camera equipment is no different.
Finally, for the first time since I became a professional photographer, I can wholeheartedly tell the world that this is what I shoot, guilt-free.
I’m proud to be a Sony Artisan of Imagery; I’m proud to tell everyone who asks me about what system they should get. I’ve stopped being conflicted.
That said, what are my favorite camera and lens combinations? I like the A7R3 for the file size and the speed of shooting. At 20 frames per second (fps), the A9 has its place as well. For me, 10 fps is fantastic; I will take file size over speed, mostly because I love seeing my images as massive fine art prints. But having 20 fps at my fingertips is a tremendous asset as well.
For lenses, I love the 12–24mm G wide-angle zoom for its range at the ultra-wide spectrum: it’s a spectacular lens for underwater photography. The 16–35 focal length used to be my favourite but I find that I leave it in my bag more often than not because I prefer the 12–24mm. The 24–70 f/2.8 G Master lens is great for portraits, but I can’t wait to try the new 135mm G Mast4er after hearing all the recent buzz. But my favourite lens of all is the 100–400mm G Master; it is a workhorse like no other. Finally, the new 400mm f/2.8 is incredible for low-light shooting; with teleconverters, I can shoot it at 800mm. With a 42mm MB file, I can afford to crop in even more, which really makes that lens combo about 1200mm—all while keeping the 30MB equivalent.
I couldn’t be more excited or grateful for the journey ahead. Thank you for sharing in the adventure.
Found via Sonymirrorlesspro.com
Downloads:
Sony A7rIII firmware at Sony.
Sony A7III firmware at Sony.
Share your tests and findings in our comment system!
Press:
Sony’s acclaimed α7 III and α7R III mirrorless cameras have received an exciting firmware update – software version 3.0 – that enhances Real-time Eye AF performance and adds Real-time Animal Eye AF and interval shooting for time lapse.
Software Version 3.0 brings Real-time Eye-AF to the α7R III and α7 III, an AI-driven enhanced eye detection system that’s based on the results of machine learning. Through machine learning, Sony has created a system that can detect—and focus on—the human eye even if the subject is looking down, partially blocked in the frame, turning or backlit. This feature is available in AF-C mode with a simple half-press of the shutter button.
As with human eye recognition, Software Version 3.0 brings AI-driven animal eye detection to Sony cameras for the first time. Advanced subject recognition allows the α7 III and α7R III to detect and track animal eyes, and is the first step in a robust animal-tracking AF system.
The development of Animal Eye AF performance will continue, increasing the range of animals recognized by the system as well the system’s ability to track their movement.
This new software adds a built-in interval timer, enabling photographers to easily capture and create time-lapse movies. The new feature can be set for anywhere between 1 and 60 seconds, with a total number of shots from 1 to 9999. AE tracking sensitivity is available to be adjusted to “High”, “Mid” or “Low” in order to reduce changes in exposure.
Press text via Alphauniverse:
Sony has just released firmware version 3.0 for the Sony α7R III and α7 III. The update gives α7R III and α7 III users new AF capabilities as well as an advanced built-in intervalometer for time lapse.
For α7R III click here. For the α7 III click here.
Drew Geraci, one of the top time lapse creators in the world, has used the intervalometer functionality that’s built into this new firmware. “I think it’s probably one of the best features that they’ve added in a long time,” he says, “I’m glad to see it’s finally in there. There’s definitely a lot of things to it that I think will help time lapse photographers.”
Above: Time lapse by Sony Artisan of Imagery Drew Geraci
Besides just the basic intervalometer ability to set the number of frames and the interval, Geraci points to a few other key features that Sony has included. “The introduction of the low, mid and high levels of automatic exposure sensitivity is great, especially if you’re in a city situation where the lights are always changing and you want to make sure that the scene is metered properly or if you’re in a darker situation out in the wilderness and you’re watching the moon rise, you can set it so the exposure will change more gradually. They’ve also added a playback function that allows you to actually get an in-camera playback of the time lapse instantly. It’s like being able to chimp your time lapse. That’s one of the best features that comes with the firmware update.”
Above: Time lapse by Sony Alpha Imaging Collective member Rachel Jones Ross.
In addition to the interval shooting, the firmware breaks new ground with AI-driven autofocus features.
Real-time Eye AF builds on the continuous Eye AF technology with an AI-driven eye-detection system that will detect and keep focus on the eye even in particularly difficult situations. (see below for more details).
Animal Eye AF which detects and tracks animal eyes (the feature currently works with dogs and cats and more animals will be supported in future updates).
For more information about firmware updates for Sony cameras and lenses, see the Alpha Universe firmware page here.
You will get an additional $120 discount when buying this Sony A7rIII superbundle at FocusCamera using our checkout code “SAR3“. Bundle Includes:
New gear in Stock:
Sony RX0II at Amazon US ,BHphoto, FocusCamera and Adorama.
Samyang 85mm f/1.4 autofocus FE lens is in Stock for the first time via Adorama (Click here).
Capture One for Sony Superdeal:
The Capture One deal on all Sony packages (Click here) has been extended to April 30! You save 50% on the perpetual license, the subscription pan and the style bundles.
Sony 400mm f2 8 GM – Portrait shoot w/ Sony a7r3 & Godox ad400pro
Full list of todays Gold Box deals at Amazon, BHphoto, eBay, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, Amazon.it, Amazon.es.
Sony 24mm F/1.4 GM Review (Enthusiastphotoblog).
Sony a6400 review in progress (Dpreview).
A Guide to Choosing Umbrellas and Softboxes (Explora).
Sony’s new CFexpress memory cards offer more than double the speeds of its current fastest cards (TheVerge).
Kando Trip 3.0 in Sunriver (SonyMirrorlessPro).
New Scars On Broadway video! Sony a9 and Zeiss Batis lenses (Greg Watermann).
Personal photos and tests from SAR Admin Andrea on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and 500px.
Join the new Sony Alpha Camera Facebook group.
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This could be interesting for photographers like me who need to backup on the field!
PARAMUS, N.J. — April 5, 2019 — Today, Sony announced two new external SSD drives, the high-performance SL-M series and the standard compact SL-C series. These external SSD drives boast ultra-toughness, high-speed, hardware encryption and new utility software features aimed at photographers and videographers providing them the peace of mind to know that their data is safe even in challenging environments. The SL-M and SL-C’s high speeds enable quicker workflow when processing, editing, duplicating and storing data.
Toughness when you need it
The SL-M series and SL-C series both feature an innovative one-piece aluminium body with an omni-directional shockproof construction that provides the user with a sense of security when it comes to storing data. With an IP67 rating, both series are dustproof and waterproof and feature a USB Type-C port that is waterproof even without a sealing cap. Data is also protected even if dropped in up to 3 feet of water[5]. These external SSD drives are highly durable and can withstand pressure of up to 6000kgf and bending of up to 2000kgf meaning that the user need not worry about carrying alongside other, heavier equipment. Additionally, the SL-M series and SL-C series are impact proof, withstanding drops from up to 9 feet.
Both the SL-M series and SL-C series have a stylish wave-surface aluminium body providing slip free grip along with an easy-to-find silver and yellow design. Plus, both models feature a conveniently placed LED so it’s easy to see, as well as rubber bands to hold ID labels in place and label stickers to identify different drives.
Speed up your workflow
The high performance SL-M series has an outstanding read and write speed of up to 1000MB/s, while the standard compact SL-C series has an impressive 540MB/s read speed and 520MB/s write speed. Both series also feature a USB 3.1 Gen 2 (USB Type-CTM) interface and the SL-M series is able to achieve incredible high speeds with NVMe SSD technology. Thanks to the latest SSD controller for both models, users can enjoy constant high speed even when working with extremely large data files that are copied or overwritten many times. These ultra-fast speeds make professional workflow more efficient, whether you want to process high resolution photos or 4K videos, duplicate original files to another device or edit a lot of images at once.
Secure your data
These external SSD drives include four helpful features to make sure that your data is always safe. First, with password protection, data can be secured with hardware encryption providing AES 256-bit encryption without any speed decline. Second, dual password protection is supported on the SSD Utility app which is free to download. The owner (administrator) can share the locked drive with other users using just the user password, without having to reveal the administrator password. Plus, with cross platform compatibility, users can set a password to lock from a Mac then open from Windows PCs or Android smartphones, and vice versa.
Third, the Lifetime Checker, also available on the SSD Utility app, helps check the condition of the storage drive so the user can be prepared when they’re reaching their limit. Through the SSD Utility app, updates or upgrades can be applied to keep the device working perfectly. Fourth, file rescue software helps to reduce fear over losing precious data. Accidentally deleted files including RAW or high-resolution videos may be recovered, giving the user greater peace of mind.
Both models with be available in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB storage capacities.
The SL-M series and SL-C series will be available from summer 2019 and pricing is to be confirmed.
via Sony
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