Sony Tidbits…

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Switching from Nikon to Sony and Dumping my D850

Let’s Talk Sony RX0 II (That1CameraGuy).
Sony a6400 Overview and a6500 Comparison (Dustin Abbott).
Sony A7 III vs RX0 II (Apotelyt).
Last of the New York Camera Repair Shops (Explora).
Tamron financial report shows small good surprise: Lens sales increased (MirrorlessRumors).
Take a look Inside the Panasonic S1 (L-rumors).

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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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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Skylum has launched Luminar 3.1 with improved artificial intelligence filter

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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

Press text:

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.

Luminar 3.1.0: Accent AI 2.0 + More Usability & Stability  Image1

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.

Luminar 3.1.0: Accent AI 2.0 + More Usability & Stability  Image2

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

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Just announced: New Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 STM FE autofocus lens

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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)

Press text:

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.

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Not a surprise: Panasonic S1 and Sony A7III score nearly identical results at DxO…likely because they use the same Sony sensor!

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This won’t come as a surprise: The Panasonic S1 has been tested by DxOmark and Photonstophotos. And in both cases the S1 performed nearly identical to the Sony A7III. I think it’s a save bet to say the Panasonic uses the same sensor made by Sony (without the phase detection pixels). DxO writes:

With just one point between them in the DxOMark rankings and similar Portrait, Landscape, and Sports scores, the new Lumix DC-S1 sensor performs practically identically to its most direct competitors.

I am much more interested to see how the Panasonic S1R sensor scores at DxO…we should see these results soon!

via L-rumors

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Sony Tidbits…

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Sony | Imaging Edge | Movie Edit add-on

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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New Sigma 28mm f/1.4 FE lens now in Stock for the first time in the USA

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The new Sigma 28mm f/1.4 FE lens now in Stock for the first time via Amazon, BHphoto and Adorama.

You save money on those three lenses:
$150 off on the Voigtlander 10mm f/5.6 FE at BHphoto, Amazon and Adorama.
$100 off on the Voigtlander 12mm f/5.6 FE at BHphoto, Amazon and Adorama.
$20 off on the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 FE at BHphoto, Amazon and Adorama.

New FE lens preorders:
Voigtlander 50mm f/1.2 FE at Adorama and BHphoto.
Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0,95 III at at Adorama and BHphoto.
Tokina FiRIN AF 100mm F/2.8 Macro FE at Adorama and BHphoto.
Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM ships on April 30 at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama and FocusCamera.
No preorder yet on the Meike MK 85mm F1.8 FE lens at Amazon.

New gear in Stock:
Sony RX0II at Amazon US ,BHphoto, FocusCamera and Adorama.
Samyang 85mm f/1.4 FE lens in Stock at BHphoto and Adorama.

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.

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