Camera Gear Review News (Page 21)

Image quality test results have been added to the Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G Lens page.

You are going to like these results. The full review for this lens should be available soon.

The Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G Lens is in stock (or available for order) at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | Henry's | WEX

Rent the Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G Lens from Lensrentals.

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Just posted: Really Right Stuff TQC-14/TFC-14 Mk2 Tripod Review.

This tripod is very impressive, outperforming many significantly larger, heavier models.

The Really Right Stuff TQC-14/TFC-14 Mk2 Tripod is in stock at B&H

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Just posted: Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Lens Review.

A great value like its siblings.

The Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

Rent the Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD Lens from Lensrentals.

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Just posted: Canon EOS M200 Review.

The M200 is a lot of camera for its size, weight, and price.

The Canon EOS M200 is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA (check out the "Renewed" option) | WEX

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Image quality, vignetting, flare, and distortion test results along with specs, measurements, and standard product images have been added to the Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Lens page.

I'll get you started with comparisons:

Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Lens compared to the Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Lens

The Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

Rent the Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD Lens from Lensrentals.

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Image quality test results have been added to the Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens page.

Here is a starter comparison:

Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens compared to the Sony FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens

The Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens is in stock at B&H ($189.95 used)| Adorama ($309.00 open box) | Amazon USA | WEX

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Image quality test results have been added to the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens page.

Note that this lens has very strong geometric distortion that is corrected in-camera. The test images are not corrected for distortion but the required in-camera correction means the chart was framed slightly smaller than correct in the final image.

As always, there are many comparisons available but this was the one I most wanted to see:

The Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens compared to the Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM Lens

Note that the Canon lens requires distortion correction in-camera and in Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP) during processing.

The Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

Rent the Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Lens from Lensrentals.

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Just posted: Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Review.

This is an awesome camera (mostly).

The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is available for order at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

Rent the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III from Lensrentals.

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Resolution test results have now been added to the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Review page.

Here is the 1D X III vs. II comparison. The two cameras have similar resolution and appear similarly sharp, but the III is delivering cleaner results (see the fine converging horizontal lines in the top crop).

Get in line: the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is available for order at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

Don't want to wait? Rent the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III from Lensrentals.

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Noise test results (225 images) have been added to the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Review page.

Use the under- and over-exposed result sets for a look at the dynamic range. I'll add commentary to the results soon.

Here is the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III compared to the 1D X Mark II.

I've been spending a lot of time with this awesome camera — the shutter count is hovering around 6,000 mostly in-the-field shutter actuations and I have lots to share in the near future.

The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is available for order at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

Rent the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III from Lensrentals.

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With a Canon EOS-1D X Mark III in hand, it is time to set up the camera for use. Following are the 46 steps I took to make an out-of-the-box 1D X III ready for use.

1. Open the box, find the battery and charger and plug it in. If you have another charged Canon LP-E19 (or LP-E4N) battery available, you can continue to the battery-required steps without a wait.
2. While the battery is charging, unpack the other items you want from the box. For me, this is primarily the camera, the eye cup and the neck strap.
3. Pause for a moment to grip the camera, taking in the 1-series camera awesomeness (right up there with new car smell) and the new-camera grippyness.
4. Download the Canon EOS Solution Disk software (download) and install it on your computer. Canon Digital Photo Pro (DPP), EOS Utility and Lens Registration Utility are the options I install.
5. Attach the eyecup
6. Attach the neck strap (unless I am planning to use very large lenses)
7. Record the camera's serial number and ensure that proper insurance coverage is in place.
8. Important: Turn the vertical grip on (switch near top of vertical grip — why is this off by default?).
9. Insert the battery (ideally, after charging completes).
10. Power the camera on.
11. The date and time setup screen will show at startup the first time. Use the Rear Control dial and the Set button to update this information.
12. Insert one (or two) memory card(s) (format them via the tools menu option before taking pictures).
13. Scroll through all of the menu tabs to configure the camera as follows:
14. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: White balance: AWB-W (Auto: White priority)
15. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Picture Style: Neutral with Sharpness Strength set to "1" (Note: the low contrast "Neutral" picture style provides a histogram on the back of the camera that most-accurately shows me blown highlights and blocked shadows — I usually change the Picture Style to "Standard" in DPP after capture.)
16. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Lens aberration correction: All disabled (though I suggest leaving CA correction enabled for most uses — all adjustments can be applied in DPP)
17. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Img type/size: Use top dial to set RAW to "RAW" and Rear Control dial to set JPEG to "—"
18. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: ISO Speed Settings: ISO Speed range: L(50)-H3(819200) (the defaults may be a better choice for most)
19. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Auto Lighting Optimizer: Off
20. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: High ISO speed noise reduction: Off or Low (noise reduction is destructive to images details — I prefer to add NR sparingly in post. Having a noise reduction option enabled will provide a good base starting point for noise reduction settings for post processing in DPP.)
21. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Image review: 4 sec.
22. Shooting Menu, Tab 3: Release without card: Disable (I highly recommend this setting change — it should be Canon's default)
23. AF Menu, Tab 2: AI Servo 1st image priority: Focus (I want the images in focus more than I want the time-priority capture)
24. AF Menu, Tab 2: AI Servo 2nd image priority: Focus +2 (same reason)
25. AF Menu, Tab 4: Orientation linked AF point: Separate AF pts: Area + pt
26. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Playback information display: Enable 1 and 3
27. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Highlight alert: Enable (enable the "blinkies", flash portions of image that are overexposed during image review)
28. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Playback grid: 3x3
29. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Histogram disp: RGB (I want to monitor all three color channels for blown or blocked details)
30. Playback Menu, Tab 3: Magnification (apx): 10x
31. Tools Menu, Tab 1: Auto rotate: On/Computer only (this provides the always-largest playback image size on the camera LCD)
32. Tools Menu, Tab 2: Viewfinder display: Viewfinder level: Show, VF grid display: Enable
33. Tools Menu, Tab 2: Info button display options: Electronic level only
34. Tools Menu, Tab 3: Beep: Disable
35. Tools Menu, Tab 4: Custom shooting mode (C1-C3): Auto update set: Enable (see also: Configuring Custom Shooting Modes)
36. Tools Menu, Tab 4: Copyright information: Enter author's name: [enter name]
37. Custom Functions, Tab 1: Bracket auto cancel: OFF
38. Custom Functions, Tab 1: Bracketing sequence: -0+ (captures shortest frames first and sequences images from dark to bright)
39. Custom Functions, Tab 3: Restrict shooting modes: Enable all (adds C2 and C3)
40. Custom Functions, Tab 4: Restrict drive modes: Disable: low speed continuous, Silent HS continuous, Silent LS continuous
41. Custom Functions, Tab 5: Rec card, img size setting: Off (I don't use this button. being able to turn it off prevents inadvertent changes)
42. Custom Functions, Tab 6: Av setting without lens: On (allows me to prepare the camera for a specific, not-yet-mounted lens)
43. Custom Functions, Tab 6: Custom Controls: Smart controller: Direct AF point selection, Set: Mag/Reduce; Multicontrollers: Direct AF point selection; M-Fn2: One Shot/AI Servo
44. Custom Functions, Tab 7: Smart controller: On
45. Custom Functions, Tab 8: Default erase option: [Erase] selected
46. My Menu: Add the first tab; Register the following options for Tab 1: Date/Time/Zone (great for monitoring what time it is), Format card, Mirror lockup, Anti-flicker shoot, Sensor cleaning
47. Mount a lens, focus on a subject, and adjust the diopter (remove the eyecup)

To copy this configuration would mean that you intend to shoot similar to how I shoot — including shooting in RAW-only format. While my setup works great for me, your best use of this list may be for tweaking your own setup.

If you can't remember your own menu setup parameters, keeping an up-to-date list such as this one is a good idea. Anytime your camera is reset-to-factory state for some reason, such as when being serviced, you will be ready to restore your setup quickly while ensuring that you do not miss an important setting. If you purchase another same or similar camera, you will be able to quickly set it up.

More Information

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III

Get your Canon EOS-1D X Mark III from B&H | Adorama | Amazon | WEX.

Rent the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III from Lensrentals.

With the Rebel T8i data loaded into our specifications table, the Canon EOS Rebel T8i / 850D can easily be compared to the Canon EOS Rebel T7i / 800D.

At first glance, I found the changes in the Rebel T8i uninspiring but, after digging in, discovered the overall improvements in the new flaghip Rebel model to make a solid upgrade.

Here are the differences:

• 4K video with clean 4K HDMI output
• 7 fps continuous shooting (7.5 fs in Live View) vs. 6 fps
• Eye detection AF in Live View
• DIGIC 8 vs. DIGIC 7
• CRAW vs. M-RAW, S-RAW
• AF working range of EV -4—18 EV vs. EV -3—18
• 220,000-pixel RGB+IR metering sensor vs. 7,560-pixel RGB+IR, 216 segments (18 × 12) vs. 63 (9 × 7)
• Spot metering uses approx. 2.0 % of viewfinder vs. 3.5%
• Built-in flash GN of 12 (lower) vs. 13.1 recycling in approx. 5 sec. vs. 3
• Many mode dial options moved the Special Scene (SCN) mode with new "Smooth Skin" and "Group Photo" shooting modes
• Rear control dial vs. control (arrow) keys
• AF-ON button, loses the WiFi and Av buttons
• NFC is gone
• Supports vertical video
• Battery life of approx. 800 vs. 600 (at 23°C, AE 50%, FE 50%)
• CIPA weight of 18.2 vs. 18.8 oz (515 vs. 532g)

Check out the visual comparison between these two cameras.

Just posted: Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens Review.

Especially the optical quality of this lens is outstanding.

Save the tax, use the B&H Payboo payment card (I use it exclusively at B&H)

Get in line ASAP: The Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS Lens is available for preorder at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

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Image quality test results have been added to the Tokina 50mm f/1.4 FF Opera Lens page.

Create some comparisons!

The Tokina 50mm f/1.4 FF Opera Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

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Image quality test results have been added to the Rokinon SP 50mm f/1.2 Lens page.

I'll get you started with a comparison:

Rokinon SP (Samyang XP) 50mm f/1.2 Lens compared to the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens

The Rokinon SP 50mm f/1.2 Lens is in stock and on sale now at B&H (save $350.00 instantly)| Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

Just posted: Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Lens Review.

This lens is very similar to but not the same as the Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Lens with strong barrel distortion being the most obvious difference aside from the focal length.

The Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

Rent the Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Lens from Lensrentals.

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With a Canon EOS M200 in hand, it is time to set up the camera for use. Following are the 29 steps I took to make an out-of-the-box M200 ready for use.

1. Open the box, find the battery, place it in the charger and plug it in.
2. While the battery is charging, unpack the other items you want from the box. This is a good time to install the neck strap.
3. Download and install the Canon Solution Disk software on your computer to get support for the latest camera(s). Canon Digital Photo Pro (DPP), EOS Utility, Photostitch and Lens Registration Utility are the options I manually include in the install.
4. Insert the battery (after charging completes) and power the camera on.
5. The date, time and time zone setup screen will show at the first startup. Use the Rear Control dial and Set button to update this information.
6. Insert a memory card (don't forget to format the card via the tools menu option before taking pictures).
7. If the lens being used retracts beyond a usable focal length (the EF-M 15-45 for example), unlock and extend the lens.
8. Set the camera's mode to Av, Tv or M (some modes provide only a small subset of available menu options). Use the middle switch setting (Creative Assist by default) and scroll up to the advanced modes.
9. Scroll through all of the menu tabs to configure the camera as follows:
10. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image quality: Use top dial to set RAW to "RAW" and Rear Control arrow (press left or right) to set JPEG to "-"
11. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Image review: Off (without a review display being shown and cleared, the viewfinder becomes ready-for-shooting faster)
12. Shooting Menu, Tab 1: Lens aberration correction: disable all (I correct lens aberrations during post processing if warranted, though enabling CA correction is usually a good idea and if shooting in JPG mode, consider enabling other options as well.)
13. Shooting Menu, Tab 2: Auto Lighting Optimizer: Off (again, those shooting in JPG mode might want to explore the results of this option)
14. Shooting Menu, Tab 4: Picture Style: Neutral with Sharpness = 1 (Note: the low contrast "Neutral" picture style provides a histogram on the back of the camera that most-accurately shows me blown highlights and blocked shadows on the camera LCD. I usually change the Picture Style to "Standard" in DPP after capture. If shooting in JPG mode, selecting "Standard" is probably a better option.)
15. Shooting Menu, Tab 5: High speed NR: Off (or Low) (Noise reduction is destructive to images details - I prefer to add NR sparingly in post. Select "Low" if shooting in JPG format).
16. Shooting Menu, Tab 5: Touch Shutter: Disable
17. Shooting Menu, Tab 6: Continuous AF: Disable (increases battery life)
18. Playback Menu, Tab 4: AF point disp.: Disable
19. Playback Menu, Tab 4: View from last seen: Disable
20. Wireless Menu, Tab 1: Airplane mode: On (unless using the wireless features)
21. Set Up Menu, Tab 1: Auto rotate: On, computer only (if I'm shooting vertically, I want the image to also display vertically on the camera, optimally using the full screen)
22. Set Up Menu, Tab 3: Beep: Disable (no one else wants to hear your camera)
23. Set Up Menu, Tab 4: Shooting information display: Grid display: 3x3, Histogram: RGB
24. Set Up Menu, Tab 5: Custom Functions(C.Fn): ISO expansion: On
25. Set Up Menu, Tab 5: Custom Functions(C.Fn): Shutter release w/o lens (Disable)
26. Set Up Menu, Tab 5: Copyright information: Enter author's name
27. Display Level Menu, Tab 1: Menu display: Standard
28. Display Level Menu, Tab 1: Feature guide: Disable (beginners will want this feature enabled)
29. My Menu: Set up

To copy this configuration would mean that you intend to shoot similar to how I shoot - including shooting in RAW-only format. While my setup works great for me, your best use of this list may be for tweaking your own setup.

If you can't remember your own menu setup parameters, keeping an up-to-date list such as this one is a good idea. Anytime your camera is reset-to-factory state for some reason, such as when being serviced, you will be ready to restore your setup quickly while ensuring that you do not miss an important setting. If you purchase another same or similar camera, you will be able to quickly set it up.

More Information

Canon EOS M200

The Canon EOS M200 is in stock at B&H.

Just posted: Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS Lens Review.

Learn how this lens differs from the Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM Lens.

The Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

Rent the Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS Lens from Lensrentals.

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Image quality, vignetting, flare, and distortion test results along with specs and measurements have been added to the Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Lens page.

I'll get you started on the comparisons:

Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Lens compared to the Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Lens

The economically-priced Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

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I'm currently working on the Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS Lens review and an important attribute of this lens to evaluate is the amount of light transmission being lost at the widest apertures due to the Defocused Smoothing feature.

In the example shared in this post, the exposures were determined by an EOS R in Av mode and all appear similar in brightness.

Looking at the shutter speed changes relative to the aperture starting with the bottom right image captured at f/5.6, we see the camera selecting a one-full-stop faster shutter speed at f/2.8 than f/4, indicating that the DS technology is no longer having an impact (though in some testing scenarios, only a 2/3-stop-faster shutter speed was selected for f/4, showing a 1/3-stop impact remaining).

In a normal lens, f/2 should have required a 1/1600 shutter speed with this example illustrating a 1/3-stop loss in light transmission. At f/1.4, the shutter speed should have been 1/3200, indicating that 1-full-stop of light transmission has been lost.

The f/1.2 aperture is about 1/2-stop wider than f/1.4 and the exposure was given the same shutter speed as at f/1.4, showing a total of about 1.5-stops of reduced light transmission, the amount Canon indicated we should expect.