Canon and Sony News for Apr 2019
Tilt-shift lenses from Canon, Nikon and Rokinon (Samyang) are now included in the site's Camera Lens MTF Measurements Comparison Tool.
The image shared on this post should get your attention!
In addition to presenting danger, this large Pennsylvania mother black bear was looking for danger, a move that often includes a pause that gives a photographer time to carefully focus, compose, and shoot.
At this distance, the bear was not close to fitting in the 600mm frame. Keeping the bear's head in the frame is the primary compositional goal and shooting vertically with a sideways pose meant that a large portion of the frame was empty. Fortunately, the mamma bear's second-year cub was moving in and added interest to the empty portion of the frame.
As I had no control over either subject, this result depended on situational awareness along with a bit of serendipity. Time spent in the right locations increases the chance of serendipity.
While the bright gray background may appear studio-like, it was courtesy of a heavy morning fog between the subject and the distant background.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
ISO 2800
5504 x 8256px
Join me for the Fall Landscape in Acadia National Park Instructional Photography Tour!
Acadia National Park is considered the "Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast." Consuming about half of Mount Desert Island on the coast of Maine, Acadia National Park has significant photographic appeal in all seasons, but it is especially appealing in my favorite season, fall.
No one can predict long in advance when the ideal fall foliage color will occur, but this tour's dates have been within the reported peak foliage color time period for the last many years. Regardless of the foliage, the New England coast does not get better than Mount Desert Island's rocky coast that can provide a different experience even daily, with varying tide schedules and especially with surf conditions that can range from quite calm to very rough.
One of my primary goals is to help you get great images and I'd love for you to join me to photograph the landscape in this great location. Beginners can start with the basics and all, including the most-advanced photographers, will be positioned in ideal locations to build out their portfolios. Unleash your creativity in this field-intensive tour in a world-class outdoor classroom environment — Acadia National Park.
Plan on hanging out in a beautifully scenic location with a small group that shares your passion for photography. Bring your friends, make new friends. Just putting this tour together has made me excited!
When and Where: Tue, Oct 15 through Sun, Oct 20, 2019 in Acadia National Park
The plan is to meet at the inn on Tuesday evening for a short orientation/meet & greet, preparing for an early AM shoot. We will wrap up after an early morning shoot on Sunday.
Get the full details here: Fall Landscape in Acadia National Park Instructional Photography Tour
Email me at Bryan@Carnathan.com to sign up or ask questions!
An easy way to get a unique photo is to find a unique subject. I have seen a lot of different antler abnormalities, but this buck sported a new one.
Antlers are very strong, but deer frequently break their tines and even main beams, especially when fighting. However, the broken tine or beam nearly always breaks cleanly, detaching immediately, never to be seen again. Or, often due to injury, antlers grow in abnormal directions. This buck's right antler was broken off under the skin, dangling from the skin keeping it attached.
When photographing animals, I like to see separation between the legs and especially like to see one of the front legs stepping forward, showing action. I'll rarely complain about wildlife photography lighting when there is a setting sun behind me with the catchlight in the eye adding life to the animal.
What will this buck's next rack look like? I hope to find out this fall. Want to join me to photograph these great animals in Shenandoah National Park?
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
ISO 320
8006 x 5338px
Welcome to Island Pond, located by Red River Camps in Deboullie Public Reserved Land of T15-R9 in the North Maine Woods. That this location is a nearly 1-hour drive from the grid and paved roads should help set the scene. Along with natural beauty, what you get here is a dark sky and at this time in August, a beautiful view of the Milky Way and the annual Perseid Meteor Shower.
Aside from the effort required to get to this location, this was a very easy image to create.
- Mount the camera and lens on a solid tripod
- Manually focus the lens on a bright star using fully-magnified live view
- Adjust the composition as desired with the camera leveled for roll
- Dial in a manual exposure of f/1.8 (use your widest available), ISO 6400 and 30 seconds (a stretch)
- Set the camera to its high-speed frame rate
- Plug in a remote release
- Capture a test image and verify that it looks good
- Lock the release button down (press down and slide forward)
- Return later
After setting up the first camera, you have plenty of time, so set up a second camera the same as the first, capturing a different composition.
On this night I had three camera setups with four of what I consider the best night sky lenses available. One of the cameras was a Nikon model and the only Nikon-mount star-capable lens I had along (not a Nikon model) showed a serious image quality problem, leaving two cameras in operation.
I mentioned that the 30-second exposure was a stretch and that is what happens to the stars at this focal length, exposure duration, and imaging sensor pixel density combination. They get stretched.
A blur is created when details in an image move across pixels on the imaging sensor, regardless of the reason why that happens. As we all know, due to the earth's rotation, stars are moving across the frame when the camera is in a fixed position. The longer the exposure, the more they are magnified (longer focal length lens) and the higher pixel density the imaging sensor has, the more that star blur will be visible at the pixel level.
Note that when final images are viewed and compared, the imaging sensor's pixel density-caused blur becomes equalized. For example, if you are printing at 8" x 12", the pixel density factor no longer matters in regards to the star trail blur created by two different resolution, equal-sensor-sized cameras.
Also, note that not all stars move at the same rate relative to the camera position. For example, the North Star (Polaris) does not move at all. If you are primarily including the northern sky in the frame, you might be able to use longer exposures than if your camera was directed west, east or up. There are star blur rules that can be helpful, but photography skills rule. Analyze your results as soon as they are captured and make adjustments as needed.
I mentioned having 4 of my favorite star lenses along with me. They are my favorites, but the perfect star lens, at least from a lens in the realm of affordability for most individuals, does not exist. All lenses have at least some issue keeping them from reaching perfection and corner performance is typically their biggest limiting factor.
This image was captured with the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Lens. It is a great choice for this purpose.
For star photography, ultra-wide angles are helpful for taking in a greater area of the sky and allowing longer exposures before star trails become visible, though ultra-wide angles produce rather small stars. Ultra-wide apertures (that produce sharp enough image quality to be used) create a brighter image in less time or at a lower ISO setting. The Sigma 14mm Art lens has those two features.
The worst case: even if the entire night's shoot was a failure, just hanging out under a starry sky would be totally worth the time and effort.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
ISO 6400
5792 x 8688px
A handful of Rokinon (Samyang) Lenses have been added to the site's Camera Lens MTF Measurements Comparison Tool.
Go make some comparisons!
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by Sean Setters
As I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate the many benefits of being well organized. Why is that? Far too often, I have experienced the consequences resulting from not being very well organized or thorough in my planning. And that's an ideal segue into the following story.
Our small family was planning on spending the long Easter holiday weekend with some friends and their two kids in Gerton, NC (about 17 miles southeast of Asheville, NC). As I contemplated what photography equipment to bring, my wife advised me that the Honda CRV we would be taking was going to be very full, so I needed to "think carefully" about how much camera equipment I brought along. Typically speaking, I like to bring the kitchen sink, so to speak, when photography is on the agenda. But in this case, there wouldn't be room in the car for the I-maaaaay-use-that type of gear I typically bring along.
Knowing that the gear I packed had to be versatile enough to capture indoor/candid portraiture as well as landscapes/waterfalls didn't make the job any easier, especially since I wanted to also bring some off-camera flash gear to take formal portraits of our hosts' kids (as well as my own, possibly) if given the opportunity. So, here's what I packed into a medium-sized photography backpack the night before we set off:
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III with memory cards
- Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens
- Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens
- Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM Lens
- Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens
- Canon Speedlite 580EX Flash (forerunner to Speedlite 600EX RT-II)
- Female Hotshoe with Miniphone Jack
- 3.5mm Male Miniphone to 3.5mm Male Miniphone cable
- Radio Receiver
- Flash Gels
- Neutral Density (ND) Filters (77mm, 2/10/15-Stops)
- Circular Polarizer (77mm)
- Step-Up Ring (67-77mm)
- FEISOL TT-15 Mark 2 Mini Carbon Fiber Tabletop Tripod
- X-Rite ColorChecker Passport
- Microfiber cloths
- Extra AA batteries
I knew I wouldn't be shooting enough to exhaust the two camera batteries stored in the camera's battery grip, so there was no need to bring the LC-E6 battery charger. I considered bringing an LCD Loupe and a rocket blower, but there wasn't enough room in the bag and I thought I could make do without them.
In addition to the backpack, I also stowed the following lighting gear in another part of the automobile:
- Manfrotto 5001B Nano Black Light Stand
- Westcott Rapid Box - 26" Octa Softbox
- Westcott Optical White Satin Diffusion Umbrella (43")
At this point, sharp-eyed observers might have noticed a vital omission from the items I packed if I wanted to use the off-camera lighting gear. However, I didn't notice what I had forgotten until we were all eating dinner the first evening of the trip. For some reason, I was going through the gear I had packed in my head when it hit me. I turned to my wife and said in astonishment, "I forgot to bring my radio trigger and the 5D III doesn't feature a pop-up [master] flash. The off-camera flash gear I brought is completely useless."
Of course, "completely useless" was a bit of an exaggeration, as I could still use the flash on-camera and bounce it off a neutral colored surface if shooting indoors. But in essence, forgetting the tiny radio trigger meant that I had packed several of the items in vain, a frustrating revelation to say the least.
Thankfully, the first floor of the house where we were staying had a large bank of windows that provided ample soft light in the family/dining room and kitchen areas of the house, as evidenced by the picture atop this post and the one below.
Next door to our weekend home was an old abandoned house. It was the kind of location that made me miss having the ability to use off-camera flash, but we found a few areas to utilize the light that was available.
So while my lack of proper planning certainly left some photo opportunities on the table (or at least impove on what could be captured with available light), it certainly wasn't a devastating mistake (this time).
However, the mistake did get me thinking about how I could avoid a similar issue in future photography outings. The simplest solution – a checklist system – seemed to be an adequate solution to the problem. Of course, there are many types of photography, with different subjects requiring different types of gear. With that in mind, I've put together a few sample checklists that you may want to use as starting point when packing for your next photo adventure.
Always Bring
- DSLR/Mirrorless Camera(s) with at least (1) lens, memory card(s) and a sufficiently charged battery (or batteries)
- Color calibration target (i.e., ColorChecker Passport)
Portraiture, Natural Light Checklist
- General purpose or prime lens
- Circular Polarizer
- Filter wrenches
- Reflector
- LCD loupe
- Camera strap
Portraiture, Flash Checklist
- General purpose and/or prime lens(es)
- Flash(es)
- Extra flash batteries
- Proprietary flash trigger (for flash units with built-in receivers)
- Radio Trigger (or Transceiver)
- Radio Receiver (or Transceiver) for every flash + backup
- Triggering cables
- Hot shoe/cold shoe adapters
- Extra batteries for trigger/receiver
- Light Meter
- Flash gels
- Light stands
- Super Clamp and Justin Clamp (for attaching the flash to different surfaces)
- Umbrella swivels
- Modifiers - soft box, umbrella, beauty dish, grid
- Sand bags
- Neutral Density filters (useful if flashes are not capable of high-speed sync)
- Circular Polarizer
- Filter wrenches
- Gaffer tape
Landscape/Cityscape Checklist
- General purpose and wide-angle lenses
- Tripod with head (ensure the camera has the appropriate plate/means for attaching to the head)
- Neutral Density filters – variable, 10-stop and/or graduated
- Circular Polarizer
- Filter wrenches
- Rain cover (for both the camera and the camera bag)
- Intervalometer (if not a built-in feature of the camera)
- LCD loupe
Architecture/Real Estate Checklist
- Camera with high-end exposure bracketing
- Ultra-wide, wide angle and/or tilt-shift lens
- Tripod
- Possibly off-camera lighting gear (see "Portraiture, Flash")
Sports Checklist
- Camera with advanced AF, light flicker detection, fast continuous burst rate and a large buffer
- General purpose and telephoto/telephoto zoom lens
- Monopod and/or camera strap
- Circular Polarizer
- Filter wrenches
- Rain cover (for both the camera and the camera bag)
- LCD loupe
Make your checklists now so that they're ready when you need them, and keep your lists updated as you find additional items necessary for your particular endeavors. Doing so will help you avoid forgetting a vital piece of gear and the resulting embarrassment/frustration caused by the slip-up.
Image quality test results have been added to the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens page.
Here is the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 VC G2 vs. G1 Lens image quality comparison. Obviously, the camera resolution is quite different in these results, but if you visualize the chart details in the G1 results being enlarged to the G2's detail size, you will likely determine that these two lenses perform very similarly. That they perform similarly is not a surprise.
Here are some more comparisons for your entertainment:
Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 VC G2 vs. Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III Lens
Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 VC G2 vs. Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art Lens
Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 VC G2 vs. Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM Lens
Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 VC G2 vs. Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro FX Lens (different resolution)
The Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon US | WEX
Rent the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens from Lensrentals.
While it is always great to photograph a beautiful sunset, better is to find a way to create sunset images that are different from the hordes of others in my archives. A silhouette often makes a good sunset image differentiator, adding a little something to the image, and in this case, a tiki torch hints at the location the image was captured at.
Note that sunsets do not always have to be in focus. To mix things up a bit, I decided that I wanted the tiki torch and its flame to be sharp with the background going out of focus. Thus, a wide aperture was selected. The wide aperture had the secondary purpose of enabling a flame-freezing shutter speed.
The composition decisions for this image were made primarily for overall balance in the frame. The tiki torch is dark and heavy, so placing it near the center was helpful for balance. I wanted the torch flame in the frame along with the other flame, the sun, along and the color surrounding it was another subject of primary interest. With the latter seeming stronger than the prior, moving the tiki torch slightly to the right seemed to make sense. Keeping the perimeter of the frame clear of lines often helps keep the viewer's eye in the frame.
As the flame was changing rapidly, I captured a burst of images and later selected the flame shapes I liked best.
The Canon EOS R and RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens are a perfect walkaround combination. The camera and lens used to capture this image were on loan, but I eventually added this pair to my personal kit.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
ISO 100
6720 x 4480px
From Skylum:
We’ve been hard at work on Luminar 3 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.
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.
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.
We hope you enjoy these improvements. We’re hard at work on more performance updates and features
Use coupon code THEDIGITALPICTURE to save $10.00 on a Luminar 3 purchase.
From Sigma:
Thank you for purchasing and using our products.
We would like to share results of our investigations regarding the operating conditions of the Sony “a6400 (ILCE-6400),” released by Sony Corporation on February 22nd, 2019, and SIGMA’s interchangeable lenses for Sony E-mount.
With the SIGMA’s interchangeable lenses for Sony E-mount, both the AF and the AE work inter-connectedly, and they are compatible with the in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function:“Lens Correction” (“Peripheral illumination correction”, “Chromatic aberration of magnification correction”, “Distortion correction”). *SIGMA 19mm F2.8 DN | Art, SIGMA 19mm F2.8 EX DN, SIGMA 30mm F2.8 DN | Art, SIGMA 30mm F2.8 EX DN, and SIGMA 60mm F2.8 DN | Art are not compatible with the Fast Hybrid AF.
In addition, we found some phenomena particular to some products listed below. Regarding these phenomena, we are going to release a firmware update for improvement. The availability of the firmware will be announced on a later date.
Furthermore, the operating conditions of SIGMA’s SIGMA GLOVAL VISION (SGV) lenses via the MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 are currently under investigation. After completing it, we are going to make an announcement.
Applicable products
- SIGMA 14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art ??for Sony E-mount
- SIGMA 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art ??for Sony E-mount
- SIGMA 24mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art ??for Sony E-mount
- SIGMA 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art ??for Sony E-mount
- SIGMA 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art ??for Sony E-mount
- SIGMA 85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art ??for Sony E-mount
- SIGMA 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art ??for Sony E-mount
- SIGMA 135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art ??for Sony E-mount
Confirmed phenomenon
The stop position may vary when the shutter button is repeatedly half-pressed on the AF toward the same subject.
Applicable product
- SIGMA 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art ??for Sony E-mount
Confirmed phenomenon
With a6400 and cameras incorporating DMF mode, it automatically displays a magnified view as it gets in focus, when using the AF while the MF assist function is turned on.
In this video, photographer Lindsay Adler demonstrates three techniques for using V-flats for beauty lighting.
Relevant Gear
From Tamron:
April 25, 2019, Commack, NY - Tamron announces the launch of a new zoom lens, the 35-150mm F/2.8-4 Di VC OSD (Model A043), for full-frame DSLR cameras. Photographers everywhere, especially those who enjoy photographing people, can add wider range to their creative expression with the new Model A043 that extends from 35mm to 150mm and offers a fast F/2.8 aperture at the wide-angle end while maintaining a bright F/4 at the telephoto end. The lens will be available May 23 in Nikon mount and June 20 in Canon mount at approximately $799 at authorized Tamron USA retailers.
The zoom range incorporates the 85mm focal length (often regarded as optimum for portrait shooting) and covers everything from full-body shots that include the surrounding environment to head-and-shoulders shots that stand out from a natural defocused "bokeh" background for which Tamron is renowned. The compact Model A043 is designed for fast handling and easy transport, measuring only 4.9 in long and perfectly balanced. On the technical side, three optimally placed LD (Low Dispersion) glass elements and three hybrid aspherical lenses quash various optical aberrations. Autofocus is exceptionally quiet with improved precision and speed thanks to the OSD (Optimized Silent Drive) DC motor. Furthermore, the Model A043 incorporates the Dual MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) system, which strikes the perfect balance between AF performance and effective vibration compensation. For close-focusing, the MOD (Minimum Object Distance) is 17.7 in across the entire zoom range. Providing greater flexibility when used outdoors, a Fluorine Coating and Moisture-Resistant Construction deliver extra measures of protection. The new 35-150mm portrait zoom is the most useful and most creative lens a portrait photographer can own.
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
Superb optical performance meets requirements of high-resolution 50+ megapixel DSLRs
Chromatic aberration and other imperfections that can diminish and degrade resolving power are thoroughly controlled by an optical design that combines three high-performance LD (Low Dispersion) glass elements with three hybrid aspherical lens elements aligned in perfect balance.
The result provides the high levels of sharpness and contrast that today's high-resolution digital cameras require.
Tamron's exclusive formula is optimized for exceptional performance around the mid-zoom 85mm range because that focal length has long been regarded as the preferred choice for portrait shooting.
True to its designation as a "portrait zoom," the Model A043 leverages Tamron's optical technologies across the entire zoom range from wide-angle to telephoto to assure the finest experience at any setting.
Making full use of the controlled depth-of-field properties only fast-aperture lenses can provide, Tamron employed proprietary simulation technologies to maximize the soft and natural "bokeh" defocused blur it has cultivated over many years.
As a result, in-focus areas are rendered sharp and crisp down to the fine details that makes the subject stand out against a gently and beautifully blurred background.
This technique is highly prized by portrait photographers and is potent for virtually every other type of photography.
Outstanding performance even in strongly backlit situations
Tamron's legendary BBAR (Broad-Brand Anti-Reflection) Coating works in harmony with an optical design that suppresses internal lens reflections to significantly reduce all traces of ghosting and flare.
Because portraits are often shot under backlight conditions for impact, Tamron uses these advanced technologies to preserve high image quality even when strong sources of light-including the sun-are in frame.
High-speed Dual MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) control system delivers fast and highly responsive autofocus performance plus outstanding vibration compensation
- Silent autofocus driven by OSD (Optimized Silent Drive) DC motor - The OSD DC motor debuted in the 17-35mm F/2.8-4 Di OSD (Model A037) with favorable response. OSD technology reduces drive noise significantly (compared to previous DC motor-equipped lenses) while boosting autofocusing precision and speed by a wide margin. This eliminates noisy distractions during portrait shooting. Furthermore, the superior AF precision also provides more accurate tracking when locked on moving subjects.
- Outstanding VC (Vibration Compensation) - Tamron's original VC system is enhanced in the A043 with an independent MPU dedicated to image stabilization without detracting from AF processing functions. Consequently, the VC (Vibration Compensation) achieves 5 stops*, according to CIPA Standards. This is highly beneficial when shooting at the telephoto end where camera movement is magnified. It's also very valuable when shooting at slow shutter speeds in dim lighting conditions.
* CIPA Standard Compliant. For Canon: EOS-5D MKIII is used. For Nikon: D810 is used.
MOD (Minimum Object Distance) of 17.7 inches across the entire zoom range
Close focusing, the A043 delivers an MOD of 17.7" at all focal lengths thereby expanding versatility and creative freedom.
This allows portrait photographers to get in close to capture expressions and smaller details and allows them to adjust camera-to-subject distance with greater control.
Even when shooting indoors where movement is restricted, users can make use of this feature to find the perfect shooting position and angle.
Next-generation design is consistent with brand identity and is ergonomically superb
Tamron has applied magnificent craftsmanship to a beautiful, intuitive design to produce a zoom with superior look and feel.
From the outer contours of the lens, to the deftly worked Luminous Gold brand ring, the quality of this lens is second to none.
Even details like the shape of the switch box and the precision and stability of the metallic mount reveal a commitment to functionality as well as design.
Moisture-Resistant Construction
Seals are located at the lens mount area and other critical locations to prevent infiltration of moisture and/or rain to provide Moisture-Resistant Construction.
This feature affords an additional layer of protection when shooting outdoors under adverse weather conditions.
Fluorine Coating
The surface of the front element is coated with a protective fluorine compound that has excellent water- and oil-repellant qualities.
The front surface is easier to wipe clean and is less vulnerable to the damaging effects of dirt, dust, moisture or oily fingerprints, allowing for much easier maintenance.
Compatible with TAMRON TAP-in ConsoleTM, an optional accessory
The new Model A043 is compatible with the TAMRON TAP-in Console, an optional accessory product that provides a USB connection to a personal computer for easy updating of the lens's firmware as well as customization of features including fine adjustments to the focus position of AF and VC control.
Covers a broad range of diverse scenarios when combined as a set with the 17-35mm F/2.8-4 Di OSD (Model A037) ultra-wide angle zoom
For the discerning travel photographer who wants to pack light while maintaining excellent image quality, the new 35-150mm zoom pairs perfectly with Tamron's 17-35mm F/2.8-4 Di OSD (Model A037) wide-angle zoom.
The two lenses together cover 17mm to 150mm affording creative and versatile capture of landscape, street scenes, architectural details, food, street portraits and more, at a total weight of just 44.1 oz* with fast F/2.8 at the wide ends and F/4 at the tele end of each.
* Weight applies to the model with the Nikon mount.
B&H has the Tamron 35-150mm F/2.8-4 Di VC OSD Lens available for preorder.
For wildlife photography, timing, in a variety of ways, is critical.
The time of the year is one timing factor. In Shenandoah National Park, spring brings bright green foliage and these adorable whitetail fawns.
Another timing factor is where the animal is at the moment it is photographed. That timing involves determining (guessing) where the animal is going next, determining an ideal photo position in that path, being the right distance away for framing and composition purposes, and being ready when (OK, if) they get there.
This time, the timing worked and this image of a fawn against a bed of green was the reward.
Often, wildlife looks best when photographed with a camera that is level for both tilt and roll. The tilt part means getting the camera at the animal's level and when the animal is small (and not at a higher elevation than you), that means getting down low. Photographing from a low position is not always the most comfortable, but the effort is usually worth it and the images taken with a downward angle are often deemed not good enough after some level captures are on the card.
In this example, the low green foliage permitted a level position, but a compromise is sometimes needed if visual obstructions become an issue.
Fawns are constantly moving and a monopod lets me adjust the height very quickly while trying to photograph them.
There is still room for you on the "Whitetail Fawns and Much More", Shenandoah National Park Instructional Photography Tour. All skill levels are welcome!
Sun, June 9 to Wed, June 12, 2019 and/or Wed, June 12 - Sat, June 15, 2019
Email me at Bryan@Carnathan.com to sign up or ask questions!
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
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Canon has released its financial results for 1Q 2019. You can download the results, presentation material and speech summary here.
It seems that the camera market decline is occuring at a higher rate than Canon initially projected.
Here's what Canon had to say about the numbers:
In the first quarter, sales of interchangeable-lens cameras were down 19% to 850 thousand units. This reflects the combined impact of accelerated market contraction for DSLRs, in particular entry-level models, and economic slowdown in China, which is a sizeable market for interchangeable-lens cameras.At the very least, it appears that we have six new RF lenses to look forward to before the close of 2019.The habit of capturing images with smartphones with improved cameras has become a part of daily lives of consumers. As a result, the market for entry-level DSLRs is contracting at a pace that exceeds the outlook we had at the beginning of the year. That said, we expect the user base of professionals and advanced-amateur, people who value the image quality and expressive possibilities afforded by cameras with large sensors and an abundance of interchangeable-lenses to remain. For the market overall, however, we expect the trend of market contraction to continue for some time.
In light of these circumstances, we decided to reexamine our full-year projections for the market and our own unit sales. We now expect the market and our own unit sales to decline 17% to 8.6 million units and 4.2 million units, respectively.
Mirrorless cameras, known for being small and lightweight, are increasing their presence in the market. Amid this situation, we will steadily shift our focus from DSLR to mirrorless cameras with the aim of maintaining our overwhelming competitiveness, which we have built upon DSLRs.
In the first quarter as well, we grew our unit sales of mirrorless cameras at a pace far exceeding the overall market, thanks to such new products as the EOS M50 and EOS R. Additionally, at the end of the quarter, we further enhanced our lineup, with the launch of the EOS RP, a smaller and lighter mirrorless camera equipped with a full-frame sensor and the same new mount found on the EOS R. Additionally, we plan to release six new models of RF lenses within the year. Users have not only praised the performance of these bodies and lenses, but also expressed their high expectations for the R system overall having felt our sense of urgency in strengthening our lineup over a short period of time. We will work to maintain sales growth of the EOS RP, which got off to a flying start, while also successively launching new RF lenses as we work to further stimulate sales of our strengthened mirrorless lineup.
From a profit perspective, in the full-frame sensor category where particularly high growth continues, even among mirrorless models, we will work to improve our product mix, actively expanding sales of both R System products. Additionally, for lenses with high profitability, we will not only promote sales of RF lenses, but also continue to promote the appeal of our broad range of EF lenses. Furthermore, we will work to expand automation initiatives not only to other products, but also other processes, raising our cost competitiveness and linking this to a recovery in profitability.
From Zeiss:
The Telephoto Lens.
With its new Otus 1.4/100, ZEISS has expanded the tried and tested Otus family to include a new telephoto focal length. The ZEISS Otus 1.4/100 is one of the best lenses in its class due to its low sample variation, outstanding imaging performance, and superior build quality.
With the same uncompromising performance that makes all Otus lenses stand out, the ZEISS Otus 1.4/100 is a truly exceptional lens. A lens that is a reflection of the comprehensive expertise and extensive experience of ZEISS.
Although developed for 35 mm full-frame cameras, the Otus 1.4/100 gives you the quality and look of a medium-format system.
Whether in the studio or on location, this lens stands out in every situation thanks to its high resolution and excellent sharpness – even at the maximum aperture of f/1.4.
Whether portrait or product photography, the bokeh will impress you. The apochromatic lens design with aspherical lenses and special glass prevents almost all conceivable aberrations. In addition, the high-quality coating keeps the contrast high, even when shooting against the light, and minimizes lens flare.
Apochromat
Because this lens is an apochromat, chromatic aberrations (axial chromatic aberations) are corrected with elements of special glass with anomalous partial dispersion.
The chromatic aberrations are therefore significantly below the defined limits.
Bright-dark transitions in the image, and especially highlights, are reproduced almost completely free of color artifacts.
The ultimate in image contrast
Aberrations caused by extreme differences between shadows and highlights are particularly obvious in images captured at night.
Thanks to the outstanding correction of lateral chromatic aberration, the floodlit facade is reproduced with absolute perfection.
No colour fringing
Sources of light located in front of or behind the plane of focus present particular challenges to every lens.
In the case of the ZEISS Otus, longitudinal chromatic aberration is so low that practically no colour fringing occurs.
The medium format look
Thanks to its exceptional sharpness, the ZEISS Otus exploits the full potentials of contemporary high-resolution sensors and rewards photographers with images characterised by breathtaking rendition of even the finest details.
Aspherical design
The aspherical lens design ensures consistent imaging performance throughout the entire focusing range as well as sharpness to the periphery of the image.
The asphere's more complex surface profile can reduce or eliminate spherical aberration and also reduce other optical aberrations compared to a simple lens.
Technical Specifications
| Focal length | 100 mm |
| Aperture range | f/1.4 – f/16 |
| Camera mount | Canon EF-Mount* (ZE) | Nikon F-Mount* (ZF.2) |
| Format compatibility | Full Frame |
| Focusing range | 1,0 m (39.4") – 8 |
| Free working distance | 0,83 m (32.7") – 8 |
| Angular field** (diag. | horiz. | vert.) | 24° / 20° / 14° |
| Diameter of image field | 43 mm (1.69") |
| Coverage at close range (MOD)** | 206 x 309 mm (8.11 x 12.17") |
| Image ratio at minimum object distance | 01:08.6 |
| Lens elements | groups | 14 / 11 |
| Flange focal distance | ZE: 44 mm (1.73") | ZF.2: 47 mm (1.83") |
| Entrance pupil position (front of image plane) | 35 mm (1.38") |
| Filter thread | M86 x 1.00 |
| Rotation angle of focusing ring | 315° |
| Diameter max. | ZE: 101 mm (3.96") | ZF.2: 101 mm (3.96“) |
| Diameter of focusing ring | ZE: 90 mm (3.54?) | ZF.2: 90 mm (3.54?) |
| Length (with lens caps) | ZE: 152 mm (6.00") | ZF.2: 150,1 mm (5.91") |
| Length (without lens caps) | ZE: 129 mm (5.07") | ZF.2: 127 mm (4.98") |
| Weight | ZE: 1405 g (3.10 lbs) | ZF.2: 1336 g (2.95 lbs) |
The lens is expected to be available for preorder at B&H and Adorama.
From the Adobe Photoshop YouTube Channel:
In this Photoshop Magic Minute, Meredith Stotzner uses the Refine Edge Brush to pull in edge details like fur and hair.
B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.
Unless you are a local, Bowers Beach in Bowers, DE, referred to as sleepy fishing village (population about 335), is probably not on your radar. That this town and beach border the Murderkill River, north of Slaughter Beach, surely does not help spur interest.
Exploring with a camera is one of my favorite things to do and late on this day, I ended up on the very peaceful Bowers Beach at low tide. With the Delaware Bay drawn back, the low angle light emphasized the ripples left in the sand. Those ripples consumed my attention for the last hour of direct sunlight.
The Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD Lens mounted on a Sony a7R III were perfect for walking around the beach. For each image, I selected an aperture that would keep all details in the frame sharp (commonly f/11) and focused roughly 1/3 into the depth of the image. I varied the focal length, the camera height, and the camera's up/down angle while trying out a variety of ripple locations on the beach.
When the right set of ripples are found, there seems to be endless compositions available. That of course creates a selection challenge during post processing. For this set, I simply picked one image I liked and archived the rest of the RAW files.
Images of patterns are seldom among my most-liked social shares, but ... I love them. They are great for interior decorating and they work very well as backgrounds for various media.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
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From Nikon:
Changes from “C” Firmware Version 1.15 to 1.20
- The camera can now connect via Wi-Fi to devices running SnapBridge. For more information, see the “Addendum to the User’s Manual” in which this feature is described. Before using this feature, upgrade to the following version of the app:
- SnapBridge version 2.5.4 or later
- Fixed the following issues:
- The camera sometimes had trouble focusing on subjects in the focus points at the edges of the frame.
- The camera would sometimes stop responding during shooting in continuous high-speed (CH) release mode.
- The camera would sometimes not turn off after the power switch was rotated to “OFF”.
Download: Nikon D500 Firmware v.1.20
Just posted: Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD Lens (for Sony) Review.
There is a reason (or many of them) why this is the best-selling lens at B&H right now.
The Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD Lens is expected in stock soon at B&H | Adorama | Amazon US | WEX
Rent the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD Lens from Lensrentals.
In this video, photographer Vanessa Joy demonstrates her techniques for editing bright and colorful photos.
It was an early morning in Crested Butte, Colorado and the sky was dark, heavily overcast and quite uninspiring. Then the clouds rolled away and suddenly there was bright light bringing life to the fall-colored aspens.
I was primarily shooting with the Canon EOS R and RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens this morning. As there was adequate light, shooting this combination handheld permitted rapid and significant location and composition changes as dictated by the rapidly changing light.
A larger version of this image is available on Flickr.
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If you have used Canon's Map Utility lately, you've likely seen the following warning message (thanks Henri):
"Map displaying service of Map Utility will be terminated by the end of Oct. 2019."We reached out to Canon Technical Advisor Rudy Winston to ask what prompted the change. While the reason behind the change remains unclear, Rudy did let us know that Canon's Map Utility is reaching the end of its product life cycle and another Canon-developed program has taken its place, albeit without some of Map Utility's functionality (specifically, the mapping feature utilizing Google Earth imagery).
From Rudy Winston:
"Basically, the current Canon Map Utility software is in the process of being discontinued. We don’t know the reasons, so there’s little point in my speculating about possible causes of this. However, the good news is that there is a replacement Canon software available, to work with GPS Log files – it’s called Canon GPS [Log File] Utility, and it was posted on the Canon USA web site as a free download in February.Is the Google Maps API price increase the root cause of this change? I know that one of my favorite dark sky map websites has gone ... dark, popping a "This page can't load Google Maps correctly." message.It's not literally the same as the previous Canon Map Utility – it’s basically a *retrieval* and conversion software, and does NOT have “mapping” functionality itself. What it does do is convert Canon GPS Log files into Google Earth-compatible .KMZ files – which can then be used and read by numerous third-party mapping software programs. So it loses the display portion of the previous Map Utility, but again, that should pose little problem for most users, since various 3rd-party solutions to display the Canon-generated .KMZ files on a map are readily available.
There’s reportedly no change in GPS tagging capability either (that is, creation of specific spots where a given image was taken) ... again, you just need a compatible 3rd-party mapping software to display them."
Download: GPS Log File Utility
B&H carries the GPS Receiver GP-E2.
From Tokina:
Apr 19, 2019 – Kenko Tokina Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce the worldwide sales date for the new Tokina FíRIN 100mm F2.8 FE MACRO (SONY E-mount) for digital mirrorless cameras.
Sales will commence on April 26th, 2019.
Tokina FíRIN 100mm F2.8 FE MACRO is the second lens in FíRIN series designed to help shooting artistic photos of people, landscape or things at a very close distance, allowing to see the details that human eyes would hardly see.
It is a moderate tele macro lens with incorporated optics designed for Sony full frame E-mount mirrorless cameras. The lens is capable of life-sized (1:1) reproduction at 30cm. Due to its macro specifications the lens has extremely high resolution, low distortion and low falloff. Fast aperture f/2.8 provides excellent performance in low light conditions. Beautiful soft bokeh makes this lens an extremely attractive tool for macro, portraits, landscapes, art reproduction, commercial and general purpose shooting.
B&H will have the Tokina FíRIN 100mm F2.8 FE MACRO for Sony E available for preorder.
From the B&H YouTube Channel:
Wedding photographer JB Salle gives tips on off-camera lighting and how to use strobes effectively. He discusses lighting techniques that mimic the sun when there isn’t enough natural light, as well as how to use a reflector to separate the subject from the backdrop. There are a lot of useful nuggets of information in this video, so check it out!
- Another Update: Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens In Stock at B&H
- Estimated Availability Dates for the Canon RF-S 10-18mm, RF 24-105mm F2.8, and RF 200-800mm IS Lenses
- Update: B&H Expects Canon RF 100-300mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens Availability on Dec 7th
- Save $200.00 on the Sigma 14mm F1.4 DG DN Art Lens
- Capture One 23 (16.3.2) Released, Including Support for Sony a7C R and a7C II, On Sale for Only $139.00 (Reg. $299.00)
- Hot Canon USA Refurbished Camera Deals Still Available!
- Just Arriving Used Gear at B&H: EOS R3, RF 24-105 F4, RF 24-105 F4-7.1, 28-70, 50 F1.2, 85 F1.2, Alpha 1, a7R V, a7C R, a7C II, a6700, FE 600 F4, More!
- Deal Zone and Other Memory Card Deals, Lensbaby Pro Kits – Half Price
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