Canon and Sony News for Mar 2019 (Page 3)

by Sean Setters

During their visit this past weekend, my wife's parents bought us an orchid that now resides on our dining room table. While we often have an orchid around the house, the intriguing pattern on this particular orchid's blooms along with its conspicuous location meant that it wouldn't take me long before I was motivated to drag it into the studio to see what I could do with it.

In terms of difficulty, I'd rank orchids in the medium range as far as flowering subjects go. I find flowers with deeper structures to be more difficult to capture in a captivating way, but the unique shapes found in orchid blooms, along with the blooms close proximity to one another, can make them challenging to photograph.

So what trait makes an orchid an excellent subject for the budding (pun intended) flower photographer? In a word – longevity.

Typically speaking, an orchid will bloom once or twice a year and those blooms will last anywhere from 2-4 months. To put that into perspective, a rose bloom typically lasts only about a week (to be fair, though, some rose plants bloom repeatedly). Even the low end of an orchid's longevity range provides a busy photographer with ample opportunities to photograph the plant before its blooms disappear. In fact, one of the busiest photographers I know often uses orchids in the sample photos of his reviews.

For the image atop this post, I used a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens set to f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO 100. I captured 19 incrementally focused frames using Magic Lantern's Focus Stacking feature (use Magic Lantern at your own risk – the Canon EOS RP has a focus bracketing feature built-in). The lighting was provided by two radio triggered studio lights placed to the left and right of the camera (the right one was behind the subject) with gridded strip boxes.

For a larger resolution version of the image, check out my Flickr photostream.

After putting the Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM through LensRentals MTF tests, Roger Cicala immediately sent a note of congratulations to some of his Sony contacts. Why? As Roger puts it in the LensRentals Blog post:

In the center, that’s the highest MTF I’ve seen on a non-supertelephoto lens. The highest. Let’s put particular emphasis on the purple line, which is 50 lp/mm. That’s a higher frequency than any manufacturer tests (that we know of), appropriate for fine detail on the highest resolution cameras. We would consider an MTF of 0.5 at 50 lp/mm to be very acceptable. This is hugely better, nearly 0.8 in the center. We’ve never seen that kind of resolution before.

The MTF drops away from the center, of course, but even at the very edges, the readings are still quite high.

At 100 lp/mm the Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM has a higher MTF than most excellent primes do at 50 lp / mm. If you don’t speak MTF, basically that means this lens can resolve fine details that would be a blur on excellent lenses.

...in a couple of years if you are shooting a 90-megapixel camera, this lens will be the one that wrings the most detail out of that sensor. Right now it looks at your 43 megapixels and goes, “that’s cute.”

Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM Lens Preorders
B&H | Adorama | Amazon US |Henry's | Wex Photo Video

By now, it's common knowledge that a laser shining directly onto your camera's sensor will lead to its demise. However, it seems that some lasers can also damage a sensor when reflected off of even non-mirrored surfaces, such as human skin.

Videographer Andy Boyd learned this lesson the hard way when filming a tattoo removal procedure with his Sony a7S II. With each burst of the laser, you can clearly see the sensor sustaining damage.

So take heed – if observing any medical procedure using lasers, wear eye protection and leave your camera at home.

In addition to the Image quality test results, vignetting, flare, and distortion test results along with specs, measurements, and standard product images have been added to the Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens page.

The Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens is in stock at B&H | Amazon | Adorama | WEX

Rent the Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens from Lensrentals.

Resolution test results from the Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM Lens have been added to the Canon EOS RP Review.

Here is the Canon EOS RP vs. EOS 6D Mark II comparison.

Here is the Canon EOS RP vs. EOS R comparison.

This camera is a bargain. Find it in stock at B&H | Amazon | Adorama | WEX

Rent the Canon EOS RP from Lensrentals.

From Sigma:

March 8, 2019 – The SIGMA Corporation is pleased to release the SIGMA CINE LENS 28mm T1.5 FF.

Sigma 28mm T1.5 FF

• Delivery: March, 2019
• Lens support foot and lens cap included
• Mounts: PL, EF and E-mount.

Preorder: Sigma 28mm T1.5 FF Lens – B&H

From Canon USA:

Firmware Version 1.1.0 incorporates the following enhancement:

• Support for Camera Control API (CCAPI)* function, for software developers, has been added.

*HTTP-based API for camera control

In order to use this function, additional steps are required. Please visit our website.

Download: Canon EOS RP Firmware v.1.1.0

Want to know more about the Canon EOS RP? Check out our full review.

by Sean Setters

With the sun shining, not a cloud in the sky and the local vegetation finally awakening from its wintry slumber, I thought it would be a good time to venture out with my Super Color IR-converted EOS 7D to see what I could find. Not wanting to stray too far from home, I ended up at a nearby defunct dairy farm where – fun fact – they filmed a couple of scenes from the movie Forrest Gump. One of the greatest things about having a camera in your hands is that it feels like a you have passport for exploration, sparking the impulse for embarking on new adventures.

Unfortunately, my exploration on this day revealed that the area is not as scenic as it was at the time the movie was filmed. A nearby dike failed many years ago flooding the low-lying areas with salt water, killing many of the trees such as the one above, the catalyst for my spending a few minutes capturing its curvy branches in isolation against a distant background and rich, blue sky. I had originaly planned on desaturating the yellow tones so that the vegetation would appear white (the more traditional IR look I had in mind when setting off from my studio), but doing so resulted in the tree no longer standing out as well, so I instead opted to leave the grass and shrubs yellow after switching the red and blue color channels (more IR image processing in the IR Conversion Review).

You can find a higher resolution sample of this image on my Flickr Photostream.

In addition to the Image quality test results, vignetting, flare, and distortion test results along with specs, measurements, and standard product images have been added to the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens page.

Still, this is a very impressive-performing lens.

The Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens is in stock at B&H | Amazon | Adorama | WEX

Rent the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens from Lensrentals.

From the B&H YouTube Channel:

In this video, SLR Lounge teams up with B&H to give you 5 long-exposure tips to maximize creativity. From creating silky smooth water effects to capturing subjects under the Milky Way, you’ll learn a handful of techniques that will raise your photography game.

Image quality, vignetting, flare, and distortion test results along with specs, measurements, and standard product images have been added to the Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM Lens page.

As we continue to maintain the site's sharpening standard for Canon images, one needs to keep the differences in the results of this setting between cameras in perspective. Here is a Canon EF-M vs. EF 200mm f/2L lens comparison with the L at f/4, an extremely sharp lens and aperture combination. The little 32 is a remarkably sharp lens.

The price is quite attractive. The Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM Lens is in stock at B&H | Amazon | Adorama | WEX

Get a refurbished Canon EOS M5 (or M6) to go behind it for only $448.99.

Rent the Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM Lens from Lensrentals.

by Sean Setters

Years ago, you could expect good reasonable customer service from almost any photography gear manufacturer. Today, however, that isn't necessarily the case. Therefore, we like to draw attention to companies that offer more than just great products, but seem to go above and beyond the competition to support their customers' needs.

Today's case in point: Matthews Studio Equipment.

Backstory

I recently posted an image of a surfer taken at nearby Tybee Island. While I experienced many technical difficulties during that session, one thing I didn't mention was what I noticed as I loading up the car and getting ready to leave. After brushing the sand off the Matthews Maxi Kit Steel Stand I had been using, I placed it in the trunk of my car. As the light stand hit my trunk, sand started pouring out one of the legs. That's when I realized an end cap on one of the light stand's legs was missing. After all of the frustration I had endured throughout the session, I didn't really feel like combing the beach to find my missing end cap. Regardless, back to the beach I went.

The rising tide which had been encroaching on our shooting location shortly before packing up had erased the telltale signs of the exact spot where my light stand had been. There was no hope of finding the relatively small plastic end cap, assuming it had been lost on the beach and not somewhere else before I had arrived. I gave up after only a few minutes of aimless searching.

Once I arrived home, I immediately put a ring of gaffer tape around the leg that was missing an end cap to alert me of the missing accessory which could result in a scratched surface if the stand were used on certain types of flooring. While doing so prevented me from using the stand on a floor where it may cause damage (wood, tile, etc.), the gaffer tape obviously didn't fix the problem. What I needed was another end cap.

My Experience with Matthews Studio Equipment's Customer Service

When I called the Matthews Studio Equipment phone number, an operator answered the phone and asked which department I would like to be connected with. First off, an actual operator answering the phone was a refreshing change from the typical automated answering service that I end up screaming at in vain before my call is finished. I told the operator my problem, and she politely said, "You need the parts department. I'll connect you now." Well, that was easy enough. Unfortunately, with Matthews Studio Equipment being in California, it was roughly lunchtime when I called and no one answered. However, the mailbox message requested that I leave my name and phone number and that someone would call me back, which I did.

Fast forward to the end of the California workday (5:00pm their time, 8:00pm Eastern Time) and I get a call from Stuart in the Matthews Parts Department. I told him that I needed the end cap for a Matthews Maxi Kit Steel Stand, part #387485 because one of mine was missing. He said, "Ok. I have a few of those right here. What's your email? I'll need you to send me your mailing address."

At this point, I'm a bit confused. I realize the plastic end caps for my light stand are probably not an expensive accessory, but I'm wondering when he's going to tell me the price of the items, how much shipping will be and how exactly I will pay for the desired gear. I assume all the details will be in the soon-to-arrive email. A few minutes later, Stuart's email arrived with no subject line and a simple "Hello" in the body, to which I replied with my address and the following:

Just let me know how much I owe you and the preferred method of payment and I'll make it happen.

Hello Sean

I will mail these out to you today free of charge. No payment needed.

Have a good day

My replacement feet arrived a few days later. My light stand is now whole again, and I take comfort in knowing that Matthews Studio Equipment's reputation for excellence and commitment to its customers is well earned.

For your light stand and other studio equipment needs, Matthews gear should be at the top of your short list. They'll take care of you.

Just posted: Really Right Stuff TFC/TVC-34/34L Mk2 Tripod Review.

This is my primary tripod. It's awesome.

The Really Right Stuff TFC/TVC-34/34L Mk2 Tripod is in stock at B&H.