Samyang firmware update for the 35mm and 50mm FE lenses improves AF performance!

Our reader Mike spotted a new firmware update for the 35mm and 50mm FE lenses. He also added some first impression commentary:

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Just wanted to let you know that there are firware updates for the Samyang AF 35mm f/1.4 FE and the Samyang AF 50mm f/1.4 FE over at their website. For the updates their lens station is neccessary, which is currently available in the UK.

Samyang AF 35mm f/1.4 FE v02

Improvement:
– Improved autofocus performance in low light | I can confirm this on the a6500 & a7II in VERY low light – WOW!
– Improved AF-C tracking speed | I can confirm this on the a6500 & a7II, but it was already very good before

The AF35 focuses incredibly fast anyway in all modes including with eye-AF (tracks faces/eyes faces right to the very edge of the screen in AF-C), but what it can do now in darkness is unbelievable! I have some portrait shots on my office wall (faces are 1:1) and the AF35 instantly aquired the eye on those 2D faces with just a 25W LED lamp on at the other end of the room – and it stayed on it in AF-C!

That is just a sweet lens – I love it even more than my AF50 :-)

Samyang AF 50mm f/1.4 FE v30

Improvement:
– Improved autofocus performance in low light | I can confirm this on the a6500 & a7II in VERY low light – WOW!
– Fixed shutter delay problem after focus confirmation when strobe was installed   FINALLY! This has bugged me forever with the GODOX X1T-S/AD-600 combo
– Automatically switch to manual focus in video mode on α5000, NEX-F3, NEX-C3, NEX-7, NEX-5, NEX-5N, and NEX-3N.

AF on the AF50 is nearly the same as the AF35 in darkness now (including the portraits on my wall), plain awesome!
As you can see these firmware updates are major.

Links to all Samyang/Rokinon FF E-mount AF lenses:
50mm f/1.4 at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon. Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, Amazon ES.
14mm f/2.8 at BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon. Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, Amazon ES.
35mm f/2.8 at BHphoto, Adorama. Amazon. Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, Amazon ES.
35mm f/1.4 at BHphoto, Adorama. Amazon. Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, Amazon ES.

Next German brand name gets revived to cash in on Kickstarter :)

Seems like all older german brand names are being revived to cash in on Kickstarter :)

Of course, if this is a good lens we all are happy about this! We now got the new Schacht Travegon 50mm f/2.5 E-mount lens on Kickstarter:

The Travegon 50mm f: 2.5 is the fascinating combination of a close to perfect optical system, designed for mirrorless cameras in a compact lens housing. The ultimate goal when designing this lens was to create an outstanding image, optical and mechanical quality at an attractive price so that the increasing popularity of manual photography would meet the appropriate modern lens which allows to take full advantage of the technological innovations of modern mirrorless camera bodies. All lenses will be handmade in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, to ensure the highest quality but sourcing of materials will be done internationally to enable an attractive price point. This is a unique combination taking full advantage of globalized supply chains and German know how to the advantage of the backer.

The Travegon 50 was developed with the uncompromised goal to meet the most stringent quality demands for analog and digital photography. The Travegon 50 shows outstanding performance when it comes to contrast, resolution, structure and tonal depth.

The Travegon is a lens for people who want the extraordinary but do not want to spend extra. It is for photographers who see the bigger picture, who look beyond the obvious, question the average and recognize the significant in everyday things. They want to enlarge their own horizons but not to empty their pockets. All of this calls for the Travegon – a lens that goes beyond the undistinguished but is affordable for all.

via MirrorlessRumors.

New craziness: Hasselblad new H6D-400c captures 400MP images in multi-shot mode (future 600MP model likely)

Granted it does use the same “old” Sony 100 MP sensor. But the new camera has one stunning feature: It can take 400MP images in multi-shot mode. We know this will work in limited situations only. But still it marks a new record.

Bye end 2018 Sony will release a new 150MP medium format sensor. On paper this means a new Hasselblad camera could take 600MP images.

Press text via Dpreview:

Hasselblad Introduces the H6D-400c MS, a 400 Megapixel Multi-Shot Camera

Building on a vast experience of developing exceptional, high-quality single and multi-shot cameras, Hasselblad once again has raised the bar for image quality captured with medium format system.

Multi-Shot capture has become an industry standard in the field of art reproduction and cultural heritage for the documentation of paintings, sculptures, and artwork. As the only professional medium format system to feature multi-shot technology, Hasselblad continues to be the leading choice for institutions, organizations, and museums worldwide to record historic treasures in the highest image quality possible.

With over 10 years of digital imaging expertise, the latest Multi-Shot digital camera combines the H6D’s unrivalled ease of use with a completely new frontier of image quality and detail. This new camera encompasses all of the technological functions of Hasselblad’s H6D single shot camera, and adds to that the resolution and colour fidelity leaps that only Multi-Shot photography can bring to image capture.

With an effective resolution of 400MP via 6 shot image capture, or 100MP resolution in either 4 shot Multi-Shot capture or single shot mode, the Multi-Shot capture requires the sensor and its mount to be moved at a high-precision of 1 or ½ a pixel at a time via a piezo unit. To capture Multi-Shot images the camera must be tethered to a PC or MAC.

In 400MP Multi-Shot mode, 6 images are captured, the first 4 involve moving the sensor by one pixel at a time to achieve real colour data (GRGB- see 4 shot diagrams below), this cycle then returns the sensor to its starting point. A further two exposures are made moving the sensor by ½ a pixel horizontally and then ½ a pixel vertically (see 6 shot diagram on next page). These 6 captures are then merged to give the equivalent of a single 400MP image, delivered as a 2.3GB 16-bit TIFF (23200 x 17400 pixels), for those seeking the utmost in image quality and resolving power.

The H6D-400c MS encompasses all the features and functionality of Hasselblad’s standard single shot cameras:

  • USB 3.0 type c connection for tethered shooting, high speed data transfers & 30FPS live view
  • Dual media card slots: CFast 2.0 and SD card
  • 3.0-inch touch rear display
  • Smartphone style user interface
  • HD & UHD video
  • Modular system with improved back removal process
  • Technical camera connectivity (single shot)
  • Wi-Fi
  • HDMI & Audio I/O
  • True Focus II

The H6D-400c MS will begin shipping March 2018 with a MSRP of € 39,999 / $ 47,995 / £ 36,250 / RMB 319,999 / JPY 5,391,380 excl. VAT.
Pre-orders can start to be taken January 16th

The H6D-400c MS will also be available to rent through your local Hasselblad sales representative. The rental fee is approx. €399/day for short term loans, but you can save up to 50% of that cost if you rent for a longer period.

The A5 imagined by Nilz De Guzman would be the smallest Full Frame camera ever

Nilz De Guzman posted this image on our SonyAlphaCamera Facebook group. He writes:

Is this even possible, a video centric compact full frame camera with A7S sensor with PDAF on a5100 body type?
Full touchscreen interface, no dial, no built- in flash.
with added MIS mount for XLR audio, external EVF, monitor, video lights etc.

Sony once registered an A5 alike FF camera patent. But I doubt Sony will make such a camera. I don’t know why would anyone would buy such a camera when FE lenses are big anyway. They would have to first to release some nice compact pancake lenses for it. But maybe you have a different opinion on this than me:

Would you like to get this A5 kind of camera?

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Announcement of free repair on some Sony A9 models

Sony Japan announced a free repair on the Sony A9 cameras with serial number between “3020001 to 3023644”. The reason (google translated):

We have confirmed that there is a case where rattling may occur in the multi-interface shoe portion rarely when a large load is applied when using a large flash (optional) etc. mounted on the multi-interface shoe.