Karsten: “At a reception last week we presented the trailer of an upcoming theatre premiere. 90% were shot with the Sony A7s combined with Atomos Shogun. We used only three lenses: Sony Zeiss 35mm f2.8, Sony Zeiss 55mm f1.8 and Minolta Rokkor MC 58mm f1.2. We loved the work with this exceptional cam which offers a great price-performance-ratio. Perhaps it is interesting for you and your readers? Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHVHdAxsMXU”
Stan Moniz: “https://youtu.be/ugUYSXMbhSY. A short time-lapse film shot with the Sony a7rii and Sony Playmemories Time-lapse downloadable application. Shot at the most unusual geologic wonders in the California Desert, The Trona Pinnacles. With its alien landscape and dark skies it was a perfect place to shoot a collection of time-lapse pieces to further test out the easy to use Playmemories Time-lapse app. Visit: www.stanmoniz.com to see more videos and imagery of the night sky.”
At a presentation in Europe Sony showed that image to explain the difference between their GM and Zeiss lenses: Mirrorlessons writes:
Sony actually explained that these new products don’t go into direct competition with Sony/Zeiss. The G Master lenses aim for high resolution and a perfect bokeh while the Sony/Zeiss lenses focus on resolution and contrast.
Still, somehow it feels Zeiss branded Zeiss lenses make less sense to be continued after the G master line announcement…
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Sony announced a brand new kind of sensor. It’s a sensor that has electronic 3-Axis stabilization that corrects both, in camera shake and lens distortion! Here you can watch two demo videos and after that the full press text:
Tokyo, Japan – Sony Corporation (“Sony”) is announcing the commercialization of a new Exmor RS™ image sensor for smartphones and other devices that require increasingly better cameras and thinner form factors. The IMX318 is a type 1/2.6 stacked CMOS image sensor with 22.5 effective megapixels, and it boasts a more compact size, greater image quality, and higher performance. This new Exmor RS is the industry’s first*1 to be equipped with built-in high-speed hybrid autofocus (“AF”), as fast as 0.03 seconds*2, and built-in 3-axis electronic image stabilization technology for video. Sony aims to begin shipments for this new CMOS image sensor in May, 2016.
The IMX318 boasts a stacked structure and the industry’s smallest unit pixels, which measure 1.0μm (micrometers) in size. With this, the image sensor achieves a compact, type 1/2.6 size suitable for inclusion into smartphones, while still realizing a high resolution of 22.5 effective megapixels, among the top in the industry. This new image sensor not only boasts enhanced resolution, but it also matches its predecessor in image quality despite the IMX318’s smaller size and unit pixels (IMX230 predecessor model: type 1/2.4 sensor with 1.12μm unit pixel size). Additionally, Sony has succeeded in equipping the IMX318 with cutting-edge digital imaging features, namely high speed built-in hybrid AF and 3-axis electronic image stabilization for video, a first*1 for the industry. With this image sensor, the user can capture image stills of those decisive moments reliably in high quality, as well as high resolution video without fear of blur.
Main Features
1. The industry’s smallest unit pixel size at 1.0μm, achieving compact size (type 1/2.6) while realizing 22.5 effective megapixels high resolution
As smartphones grow ever thinner, so too are image sensors growing increasingly more compact. In line with this trend, Sony has developed a miniscule 1.0μm pixel sensor that, despite its small size, realizes high image quality. To accomplish this, Sony employed manufacturing technology that improves light utilization efficiency, as well as circuit design technology that eliminates noise, a root cause of deterioration in image quality. With this innovation, Sony has realized an image sensor that delivers high quality images, while also boasting small optical size and a high resolution of 22.5 megapixels. Night shots have long been a weak point for the compact cameras used in smartphones, with the lack of light translating into excessive visual noise. The IMX318 addresses this weakness and realizes beautiful photography in nighttime conditions.
2. The industry’s first*1 image sensor with built-in hybrid AF, as fast as 0.03 seconds*2, and 3-axis electronic image stabilization
Hybrid AF
Hybrid AF, which merges image plane phase detection AF with contrast detection AF, has previously been realized through the combination of an image sensor and an application processor. But with the IMX318, Sony has created the industry’s first*1 stacked CMOS image sensor with hybrid AF built into the sensor’s internal signal processor. The IMX318 leverages Sony’s high-speed AF technology that has been honed over many years, boasting an AF as fast as 0.03 seconds*2 (and as fast as 0.017 seconds when shooting video at 60fps). With this power in hand, the user can capture those decisive moments reliably in focus, whether shooting stills or video.
Image plane phase detection AF: Utilizes dedicated image plane phase detection AF pixels embedded throughout the image sensor pixel array. Contrast AF: Works off the contrast of the subject.
3-axis electronic image stabilization for video
With the IMX318, Sony has also created the industry’s first*1 stacked CMOS image sensor with image stabilization functionality built into its internal signal processor. This sensor leverages the image stabilization technology that Sony has cultivated over its years developing cameras, realizing smooth 4K*3 videos with little camera shake by making effectively use of the signal output obtained from the external 3-axis (pitch, yaw, and roll) gyro sensor*4. Sony’s unique image stabilization technology incorporated into the IMX318 corrects not only camera shake, but also lens distortion, making for more beautiful videos. Furthermore, because image stabilization is achieved by processing within the hardware of the image sensor, less power is used than when it is accomplished by software processing in the external application processor. Since it enables smooth video shooting, this image sensor is suited for incorporation into not only smartphones, but also a variety of other products that tend to generate substantial camera shake, such as aerial drones used for image capture.
*3: QFHD (3840 x 2160)
*4: Gyro sensor: instrument that determines angular velocity through inertia.
3. 4K and high frame rate video recording, through high-speed communications leveraging the latest MIPI specifications
Sony elected to adopt the MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) Alliance’s latest C-PHY 1.0/D-PHY 1.2 specifications for this image sensor’s interface. With this interface, the IMX318 is able to achieve more power efficient and faster data transmission from the image sensor to the application processor. As a result, even at the high resolution of 22.5 megapixels, transmission is realized for all pixels at 30fps. This enables seamless switching between high resolution video and still image photography, realizing the best of both worlds. Since the image sensor can transmit greater-than-4K resolution images for all pixels to the application processor, the user can capture 22.5 megapixel still images even while in the middle of recording video in 4K*3 at 30fps.
Redrock announced the new Retro Flex 5 for the Sony A5xxx camera series:
The retroFlex-S is a great way to shoot handheld, street, or event footage with your Sony alpha mirrorless camera. The retroFlex-S includes a form-fitting camera cage, a professional handgrip with integrated start/stop button, and a huge bright viewfinder for comfortable shooting even in mid-day sun. It’s more than just one rig: the viewfinder and handgrip are easily removed, and the cage can be used standalone for more sophisticated rigs.The retroFlex-S is compatible with Sony NEX-3, A5000, and A5100.
The Chinese company Zhong Yi Optics released the new Mitakon 35mm f/0.95 Mark II APS-C E-mount lens. It’s available for preorder at Adorama (Click here). As you can see from the image above the lens is way more compact and at the same time it’s said to have a higher optical performance.
Press text:
Shenyang China, Feb 14, 2016 – Zhongyi Optics (ZY Optics) has released an improved version of their first f/0.95 lens, Zhongyi Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II. The mark II verison features a drastic improvement of sharpness, better control of chromatic abberations and much compact size. The new version comes with a Fuji X / Sony E / EOS-M mount and is able to cover the image circle of APS-C sized sensors.
Zhongyi Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II is a ultra-fast prime lens which provides a 35mm-equivalent focal length of around 53mm in APS-C cameras. A maximum aperture of f/0.95 makes it extremely convenient to shoot at a low light conditions without flash. The new optical design incorporates a 11 elements in 8 groups structure, including 1pc of Extra- low disperson elements, 2 pcs of Extra-high Refractive Index elements and 3pcs of High Refractive Index elements. This structure effectively improved the image resolution by 30% compared to the previous version from corners to corners. This also controls the chromatic abberations very well and deliver excellent image sharpness even at f/0.95.
The new Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 is light and compact. The total weight is reduced from 680g to 460g, making it an ideal companion for the compact mirrorless cameras. Manual focus design and a click-less, silent aperture ring promote smooth handling and are especially well-suited to video applications. The lens is built in metallic enclosure with additional protective process and finest finishing, which gives extra durability and aesthetic.
Pricing & Availability
Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 is now available to purchase at ZY Optics authorized resellers and at our official website (http://www.zyoptics.net/). The Recommended Retail price is USD 599.
Hong Kong, China (Feb 9th, 2016) – SLR Magic is proud to announce the SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE 1.33x PL lens set for filmmakers which could be adapted to EF/F/mFT/E-mount via adapter. Press text:
“As a commitment to the film industry, SLR Magic developed the SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE lenses to deliver the classic contrast, distortion, chromatic, color aberration, and flare characteristics of vintage anamorphic lenses, but with the convenience of a matched lens set without the hassle of aligning and matching lenses to the already popular SLR Magic Rangefinder with Anamorphot adapter combination.
To achieve the much loved scope aspect ratio, which gives a very pleasant, epic effect, filmmakers must crop off the top and bottom of standard 16:9 footage when using spherical lenses with modern digital cameras. As a result, 25% or more sensor/negative information is discarded.
This 1.33x anamorphic lens help filmmakers to maximize their image quality by preventing this loss of vertical resolution. The unique 1.33x squeeze factor uses the entire 16:9 sensor/negative area to achieve the desired 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE 1.33x does this by compressing a 33% wider field of view to fit the width of the 16:9 sensor/negative without compressing image height.
The SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE 1.33x create a unique “artifact” such as horizontal lens flare, commonly referred to as anamorphic streaks, and may create slightly elongated bokeh. Over the history of cinema, these same stylish effects have contributed to the cinematic “look” of epic motion picture photography. Characteristics that shape this anamorphic “look” come from “front-mounted” anamorphic designs such as the SLR Magic Anamorphot while “rear-mounted” anamorphic designs have more suppressed anamorphic characteristics.
Lenses would be on demo at the BVE Expo in London, UK from October 23-25 in the Atomos booth K30″
Technical Data: SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE 35mm T2.4
SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE 50mm T2.8
SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE 70mm T4
Lens Type: Anamorphic lens
Squeeze factor: 1.33x
Objective front filter thread: Φ82
Mount: Titanium PL compatible with optional SLR Magic EF/F/mFT/E-mount
Titanium adapter.
Lens Coating: Multi Coated
Close Focus: 3’6
Weight (oz./g): 38.8/1,100
Length (cm): 13.5
Diameter (cm): 10
Image Circle: S35 for 35mm T2.4, FF for 50mm T2.8 and 70mm T4
