New Topaz Mask AI released (and $30 discount)

Everything goes “AI branded” nowadays: Topaz announced the new Mask AI plugin which you can get with a $30 discount here. Topaz writes:

Compared to Photoshop, Mask AI doesn’t need tedious brushwork to get a high-quality mask. And there’s no need to learn complicated icons and tools. With Mask AI you only need to roughly outline your subject in blue, one click fills what you want to cut, one click fills what you want to keep, and press “Compute Mask”. It’s really that simple. Our neural network has been trained to distinguish tough edges, so you can get a great mask on the first attempt.

The $30 discount will expire on tonight!

Reminder: The AI powered new Luminar 4 (full details here) will be released on November 18. Here is an example video showing you how to create fake Sunrays  :)

Sony Tidbits…


Samyang 45mm AF F1.8 Lens Review

Voigtlander 50mm F2 APO-Lanthar announced (Phillip Reeve).
Lume Cube Announces the Updated Lume Cube 2.0 LED Photo/Video Light (Explora).
The new Noct 58mm f/0.95 lens is so big and heavy it stands on the tripod mount with camera attached (Mirrorlessrumors).
Sony A7rIV test at DC.watch.
Samyang AF 45mm F1.8 FE Lens Review (Lensvid).
Panasonic’s S1H is the first mirrorless camera approved by Netflix (L-rumors).
Sony RX100 VII Tutorial – Beginners Guide, Set-Up, How-to Use the Camera, Menus, and More… (SonyAlphaLab)

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

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Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 FE lens: Image samples, MTF graph and “Best-in-class optical performance”

Preorders are yet NOT open:
Sigma 24-70mm FE lens at BHphoto, Adorama.

Sigma published the full 24-70mm f/2.8 FE product page (Click here). Sigma is aiming high with this lens as they say it has the “Best-in-class optical performance”

Best-in-class optical performance

The F2.8 Art zoom flagship zoom lens series is developed primarily to achieve superior optical performance. As extra-low dispersion glass materials, six sheets of “F” low dispersion (FLD) glass and two sheets of special low dispersion (SLD) glass are lavishly employed while taking advantage of an optical design dedicated for mirrorless lenses. By employing three aspheric lenses, this zoom lens thoroughly subdues aberrations such as axial chromatic aberration or sagittal coma aberration, which are difficult to correct in post-processing, tailors the resolution and achieves uniformity and superior optical performance from the center to the periphery throughout the zoom range. In addition to Super Multi-Layer Coating, Nano Porous Coating* is employed. This lens is designed so as to be less affected by strong incident light such as flare. The mirrorless camera-dedicated design successfully contributes to reduction in the lens size and weight.

 

Image samples (Click on it to download)

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 FE lens officially announced!

Preorders are yet NOT open:
Sigma 24-70mm FE lens at BHphoto, Adorama.

Press release:

Sigma Announces New 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art Zoom Lens for Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras; Available in Sony E-mount and L-mount

Sigma Corporation today made the following announcement:

Launch of the 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art Zoom lens for full frame mirrorless cameras, leveraging the top-level Art zoom performance, featuring:

  • Best-in-class optical performance
  • Compatibility with the latest full-frame mirrorless camera bodies
  • Flexibility for various uses and photographic environments

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art Lens

This second newly-designed Art zoom lens from Sigma is a large-aperture standard zoom for full-frame mirrorless camera systems and is available in Sony E-mount and L-mount. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 offers best-in-class performance due to a sophisticated optical design that delivers high resolution throughout the entire zoom range. This new Art zoom lens from Sigma follows the debut of the lauded 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art zoom for mirrorless cameras.

The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art lens exerts superiority in mirrorless camera-dedicated designs, resulting in a reduced lens size and weight while achieving uniformity and high resolution from the center to the periphery throughout the zoom range. Compatibility with the latest mirrorless camera bodies and functions assists in various photographic environments and meets the high demands of both professional and advanced amateur photographers.

Key features include:

  1. Best-in-class optical performance. The F2.8 Art flagship zoom lens series is developed to achieve superior optical performance. By employing three aspheric lenses, this zoom lens thoroughly subdues aberrations such as axial chromatic aberration or sagittal coma aberrations, which are difficult to correct in post-processing, tailors the resolution and achieves uniformity and superior optical performance from the center to the periphery throughout the zoom range. In addition to Super Multi-Layer Coating, Sigma’s proprietary Nano Porous Coating is employed to achieve high-contrast and clear image quality. This lens is designed to be less affected by strong incident light such as flare.
  2. Ensuring compatibility with the latest full-frame mirrorless camera bodies. The Sigma 24–70mm F2.8 DG DN ensures compatibility with various types of the latest full-frame mirrorless camera bodies for Sony E-mount and L-mount, (including the new Sigma fp camera), capable of exerting the best performance under any photographic circumstances.
  3. Flexibility for various uses and photographic environments. Featuring a dust and splash-proof body and zoom lock mechanism for preventing the lens barrel from extending unexpectedly, the 24-70mm F2.8 meets a wide range of needs for a variety of photographic environments. The maximum magnifications are 1:2.9 at the wide-angle end and 1:4.5 at the telephoto end, which provides a wider range of expression for close-up photography. The minimum focusing distance is 18 cm at the wide-angle end.

Additional features:

  • Zoom lock switch
  • Lens hood with a lock
  • Mount with dust- and splash-proof structure
  • Compatible with the Lens Aberration Correction
  • Available Mount conversion service
  • Designed to minimize flare and ghosting
  • Evaluation with Sigma’s own MTF measuring system: A1
  • 11-blade rounded diaphragm
  • High-precision, rugged brass bayonet mount
  • “Made in Japan” craftsmanship

The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art will be available in L-mount and Sony E-mount in mid-November 2019 through authorized US dealers. Pricing will be announced at a later date.

For full product details and technical specifications as well as press imagery, please refer to the official press release here.

More details are available at: http://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/cas/concept.

 

Capture One leaps into 2020 with new software version, Capture One 20

You can buy Capture One PRO 12 today (Click here) and you will get the new Capture One PRO 20 software as a free update when it’s released!

Some of you wondered why Phase One decided to make this big jump from version 12 to version 20. You will find the answer here:

Capture One 20 is more powerful than ever and will deliver the next generation of photo editing tools. So with a new decade taking off in 2020, we decided to mark a new era of photography and image processing with Capture One.

 

This week SAR readers photos selection


Bartek Klinowski
“Adrenaline”
Self portrait with over 200 tries before success
Sony A7RIII + Sony 90mm F2.8 Macro OSS
ISO12800 F22 1/125s
#sonyalphagallery

1) You can submit one single picture per week only.
2) To submit your picture for the weekly readers roundup post you can choose one of the following three options:
Instagram: Follow @sonyalphagallery and tag us on your picture to give us the permission to repost your image on the instagram gallery and on SAR (we will credit you)
Facebook: Submit your picture on our group: facebook.com/groups/sonyalphacamera. Please add the hashtag “#sonyalphagallery ” to grant the permission for reposting on SAR. Without the hashtag we will not add your picture!
Forum: Submit your picture on the SonyAlphaForum image section and add the hashtag “#sonyalphagallery
3) Like and comment the pictures from other readers here: instagram.com/sonyalphagallery, facebook.com/groups/sonyalphacamera and on SonyAlphaForum.
4) A selection of most liked pictures by the community and by me SAR admin will be posted weekly on SAR.

Note: When sending a pic feel free to also add a link to your site to promote yourself! And please do share one single picture per week only. Do not spam :)

 

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