Tabla de contenidos para November - December 2020 en Camera

IF YOU THOUGHT the standard Alpha series full-frame cameras were compact – and they are compared to any of the competition – just wait until you see the Alpha 7C (a.k.a. ILCE-A7C). It’s full frame – using the same sensor as the A7 III – with in-body image stabilisation, a fully adjustable rear display, and an extensive suite of both photo and video features all shoe-horned into a body similar in both size and weight to the APS-C format A6600. The key to the size reduction is a monocoque-type construction that combines the chassis and body into a single magnesium alloy component (and, incidentally, makes it easier to seal against the intrusion of moisture or dust). Consequently, Sony says, the A7C is the smallest and lightest full-frame camera with in-body…

A FOURTH CAMERA body has been added to Panasonic’s Lumix S mirrorless system in the shape of the Lumix S5. At roughly the same size as the M43-format Lumix GH5 and weighing a little over 700g (with battery and memory card), the S5 is significantly smaller and lighter than the other Lumix S series models and, at $3,199 for the body, quite a lot cheaper too. Panasonic’s objective is to increase its L mount system’s appeal to include enthusiast-level photographers and video content providers who don’t need all the bells and whistles of a pro-level camera. That said, the Lumix S5 still delivers a hybrid still/video feature set that’s not significantly pared-down from the S1H’s, starting with a weather-sealed magnesium alloy body. On the video side, the S5 can record…

Current to 30 May 2021: Exhibition.National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020 touring exhibition. The 48 finalists and winners from the 2020 competition. At Griffith (current to 2 August), Cowra (8 August – 27 September), Beaudesert (19 October – 11 December), Roma (6 January – 3 February 2021), and Grafton (9 April – 30 May 2021). Visit www.portrait.gov.au for full details. Exhibition currently available to view online. 18 – 21 May 2022: Photokina 2022. The world’s largest exhibition of new imaging products has been rescheduled to May 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. At the Köln Messe, Cologne, Germany. Visit www.photokina-cologne.com for more information. Current to 28 February 2021: Exhibition. Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2019. Winners and finalists – 100 images in all – displayed on special light panels. At the…

THERE ARE SOME basic requirements for a professional level camera. These are reliability and durability combined with a high level of both features and specifications. After this, you can pretty well interpret the brief however you like, as is very evident in this year’s shortlist for this category – Canon EOS R5, Fujifilm X-Pro3, Fujifilm X-T4, Leica SL2 and Olympus E-M1 Mark III. About the only thing these five have in common is that they’re all mirrorless designs, although there’s no doubt that they’ll also all work very well as professional cameras. So why do we think that Fujifilm’s X-T4 will potentially work better as a professional camera than the other four? Both Olympus and Fujifilm have been using retro styling to create cameras that, in terms of both looks…

THE WHOLE MIRRORLESS revolution is as much about lenses as it is about the camera bodies. The simple elimination of the reflex mirror box has opened up new design possibilities with both, enhancing various elements of handling, operation and performance. Some manufacturers are making more of it than others and one of the best examples of what’s now achievable in lens design is Canon’s RF mount 70-200mm f/2.8 L series zoom. This is one of the ‘staple’ lenses in many photographers’ kits, so we’re all pretty familiar with a DSLR system 70-200mm f/2.8. Canon’s EF mount model is now in its third iteration and a direct comparison with the RF mount zoom. Both are L series lenses, both have built-in optical image stabilisation (note that there’s also a non-IS version),…

YOU KNOW THAT a technology has matured when the product model cycles start to get longer and longer. This has been the case with large format photo printers for a while and we were starting to think that perhaps there wasn’t much left that could be improved. Think again. Epson’s next generation of SureColor pro-level printers are smaller, lighter, better featured and capable of higher quality inputs than their predecessors. It’s the A3+ format SureColor P706 that wins here, mainly because this model really makes the most of the physical size reductions (it’s a substantial 30% smaller than the old P600) and it’s also more ‘mainstream’ in terms of the maximum print size. It’s a smart-looking thing too, requiring roughly 51cmx76cm of operating space on your desktop. At the heart…

If you’re looking for a full-frame mirrorless camera in the resolution range of 20 to 25 megapixels, then you’re a bit spoiled for choice right now. The Nikon Z 5 or Z 6, Panasonic Lumix S1, Sony A7 III or A9/A9 II and now the Canon EOS R6. Of course, the Sony A9 models are primarily sports cameras, but that still leaves you with a good selection – meaning the EOS R6 has some stiff competition, even from within its own ranks if you also include the EOS RP as a possible contender (well, it does have affordability on its side). Arriving alongside the headline-grabbing R5, the R6 has already faced a major challenge – making itself known when all the attention has been on its more glamorous stable mate.…

Camera companies probably aren’t exactly thrilled when you suggest that the entry-level model in a line-up is actually the pick of the litter. This has arguably been the case with the last three generations of the E-M10, which have balanced affordability and capability in a way that none of the higher-end OM-D models have really been able to match. Since then, though, Olympus has upgraded both the E-M5 and E-M1, so there’s now some clear differentiation between them and the new Mark IV version of the E-M10. Moreover, the price has crept up a bit too, and that’s put the E-M10 Mark IV up against some stiff competition, including Fujifilm’s X-T200, the Canon EOS M50 and, from the M43 stable, Panasonic’s Lumix G100. Of course, the Mark IV camera is…

12 ISSUES FOR ONLY $89.95 Two easy ways to subscribe to Australian Camera Magazine Visit subscribe.techmags.com.au/aucamera or call (02) 8227 6486 TERMS & CONDITIONS: This offer expires Dec 31st 2020, and is available to subscribers within Australia only. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of your first issue. For full terms and conditions, see: http://techmags.com.au/style/images/FutureTC.pdf Please see our privacy policy on page 3. *Twelve issues for only $89.95.…

You know the brand name and you probably know some of the history behind it, but what about the people who made it happen? In this series we look at the personalities who, through often courageous decisions, got us to where we are in photography today. In this article, we’re focusing on the life of Ernst Leitz II – the father of Leica – but also acknowledge the importance of his father in the history of the legendary brand. In 1849, a mechanic and amateur mathematician, Carl Kellner, established a small optical company in the central-west German town of Wetzlar. The Optisches Institut made, firstly, telescopes and, later, microscopes. Known as the City of Optics, Wetzlar is in the German state of Hesse, about an hour’s drive north of Frankfurt.…

www.teds.com.au DIGITAL SLR CAMERAS BUYER’S CHECK LIST NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 THIS CHECKLIST is designed to allow direct comparisons between different camera models, listed here in price order within each brand. The published prices are mostly supplied by the distributors as recommended retail prices (RRPs). However, some distributors are no longer supplying RRPs to the media so it has become necessary to determine an estimated street price’ derived from the range of prices for a model published by retailers. Where this has been necessary, the letter ‘E’ appears at the start of the entry. A dot appearing in a column indicates that the feature is available on the camera model listed. Where a specification or product detail hasn’t yet been published or confirmed, the letters TBA (to be announced) or TBC (to…

RIGHT NOW, IT’S all about lenses in the full-frame mirrorless camera systems, and Nikon has added another two Z mount models to its ever-growing line-up, which now numbers 16. The newcomers are the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S fast prime and the Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S ultra-wide constant-aperture zoom. This latter model completes a trilogy of f/2.8-speed constant-aperture zooms, joining the existing 24-70mm and 70-200mm models to create a handy trio of high performance lenses. Notably, the Z mount lens is nearly 35% lighter than the F mount AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G DSLR model. It weighs 650g and is 124.5mm in length. An interesting design aspect is the comparatively flat front surface of the front element for the fitting of conventional screwthread filters… albeit a massive 112mm in diameters. Fortunately,…

THIS IS ARGUABLY just as interesting a product as the EOS R5, and it’s a further indication of Canon’s growing emphasis on its RF lens mount. The EOS C70 is the first Canon Cinema EOS camera to have the RF mount, but it’s also interesting for other reasons, including a new and very compact (comparatively speaking) form factor and price tag likely to lure video-makers away from any of Canon’s mirrorless cameras or DSLRs. The body weight is just 1.17kg, and the styling is more like that of a mirrorless camera or DSLR than a Cinema EOS camera. The C70 inherits quite a few features from the higher-end Cinema EOS, including a full set of eight pro-level interfaces, input/output terminals and ports (including two mini XLR terminals for audio, and…

2020 will long be remembered for all the wrong reasons, and the economic knock-on effects will continue to be felt for many years to come, even assuming an effective vaccine for the Covid-19 virus is perfected soon. The photography industry has not been immune, but has arguably weathered the pandemic a little better. While many of the activities that stimulate photography – most notably travel and tourism – have been severely curtailed, there has been plenty of scope for taking pictures closer to home, such as macro, astrophotography pets, portraiture and still life. These have all helped the sales of new equipment. Additionally, with time on their hands, many photographers have taken the opportunity to do the things they’ve been putting off when there were other priorities – making prints…

AS WITH THE last couple of years, this is still the most hotly contested camera category as mirrorless bodies have already consigned entry-level DSLRs to the history books. Here it really is all about the reduction in size and weight that’s possible with a mirrorless configuration, as well various performance benefits like faster shooting speeds and much more capable autofocus systems. This category is all about achieving a balance. Not just with size and weight, but also the capabilities and performance that help capitalise on the portability, which is the main reason that you’re likely to be switching from DSLR to mirrorless. The Canon EOS M6 Mark II ticks a lot of the boxes here as it’s essentially a repackaged EOS 90D, but it’s compromised by the absence of a…

THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN a hybrid camera and a stills camera that’s also very good at video is becoming increasingly blurred. By definition then, we reckon that a hybrid camera has to be very, very good at video with a choice of resolutions, compression codecs, frame rates, bit rates, colour subsampling and log profiles to satisfy the pro-level video-maker. Not surprisingly, Panasonic and Sony are the masters here, often applying elements of their pro video camera expertise to these designs. Canon is now in the mix too, drawing on the developments embodied in its Cinema EOS cameras. As with the rest of its A7 series mirrorless cameras, Sony again stands out for its mastery at packaging a full-frame camera into such a compact form factor without compromising functionality or capability. In…

If you have access to a reasonably sized room, windows and co-operative family or friends, you already have the basic ingredients for a simple home portrait studio. Available light and a willing sitter are really all you need to get started (plus your camera, of course), but almost immediately you’re going to want to do more, particularly in terms of having increased control over the lighting. You can have a basic portrait studio setup that you put together only when you want to shoot and then can be packed away afterwards, but as you get more experienced – and more involved – you might want a more permanent arrangement, perhaps in a spare room, garage or loft space. Setting up and packing away can become a bit of a chore…

While it might lack the R5’s 8K video options (to be frank, still a facility with limited applications right now) and the faster frames rates for 4K recording, the EOS R6 is nevertheless very capable as a video camera. It records 4K UHD at 60, 50, 30, 25 or 24fps in the MP4 format with the MPEG 4 AVC/H.264 codec, and IPB compression with 8-bit 4:2:0 colour and a maximum bit rate of 230 Mbps. However, Canon Log and HDR PQ internal recording are available, which use the more efficient HEVC/H.265 codec and give 10-bit 4:2:2 colour. The maximum bit rate here steps up to 340 Mbps (again with the IPB compression regime). There’s a slight crop of 1.06x, but the 4K footage is still oversampled from 5130x2886 pixels (i.e.…

Olympus has been steadily improving the video aspects of its OM-D bodies, so the E-M5 III and E-M1 III, in particular, are pretty capable and also leverage the size advantages of the Micro Four Thirds sensor size. The Mark III version of the E-M10 had its video functionality pared back a bit compared to the previous model, and the fourth-generation camera has essentially the same features and specs, so it’s more about making short clips for immediate sharing than anything else. It records 4K UHD video at 30fps, 25fps or 24fps in MOV format with MPEG-4/H.264 AVC compression, giving a maximum bit rate of 102 Mbps. Bit rate acn be varied via three quality settings – Superfine, Fine and Normal. Full HD and HD shooting are available at 60fps, 50fps,…

It all started in 1959 with the revolutionary Nikon F, a camera that undoubtedly had as much impact on photography as the original Leica and introduced the concept of a 35mm SLR system. It took Canon 10 years to come up with a rival, by which time Nikon was onto the F2 and the legend had begun. Since then, Nikon’s pro-level cameras have always had a certain cache even in the digital era, although Canon has certainly made sure it never lagged behind again. A little over 60 years later, it looks like we’re coming to the end of the line for the reflex camera, which will mean no more ‘big banger’ DSLRs. It certainly feels like Canon’s EOS-1D X Mark III and Nikon’s D6 could well be the last…

When we road-tested Panasonic’s 100-400mm zoom – for its Lumix G system – back in mid-2016, we reckoned it was the most convincing argument for the mirrorless camera in general and the Micro Four Thirds sensor size in particular that there was. It’s effectively a 200-800mm super-telephoto zoom that can be comfortable handheld – aided by optical image stabilisation – delivers superb image quality, even has decent close-up capabilities, and is very affordable compared to any similar full-frame tele lens. It has turned out to be a very big seller for Panasonic, which is probably why Olympus has decided to build its own model (although we suspect the Lumix lens has ended up on quite a few OM-D bodies). Back in 2016 Olympus was promoting its 300mm f/4.0 prime telephoto,…

AUSTRALIAN CAMERA EDITOR Paul Burrows’ home office is now also the test lab for cameras, lenses and other imaging products. On one weekend, he photographed this mouth-watering collection of cameras that had either been tested (and about to be returned), were on test or were awaiting testing. Clockwise from front right – Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV, Canon EOS R5, Olympus OM-D E-M1 III with the M.Zuiko Digital 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS telezoom, Nikon D6 and Sony A9 II. As the character Sharon Strzelecki from Kath & Kim would say, noice. BRIEF EXPOSURES Canon has introduced a new firmware upgrade for the EOS-1D X Mark III pro-level DSLR. Firmware version 1.2.0 gives improved face and eye recognition over longer subject distances and also fixes a number of bugs, including the camera locking…

WITH THE EOS R5 shouting “Look at me, look at me”, there’s a chance the R6 might have been overlooked in all the fuss about 8K video and… er, well… 8K video. So, the EOS R6 doesn’t do 8K video (no biggie at this point in time), isn’t quite so well built or weather protected, has a lower-res EVF and makes do with 20.1 megapixels resolution (as does, we should point out here, the EOS-1D X Mark III). However, it actually has more in common with the R5 than not… and at around $2,000 less too. What you still get, though, is up to 20fps continuous shooting (with AF/AE adjustment), 10-bit HEIF capture (as an alternative to 8-bit JPEGs), the upgraded Dual Pixel CMOS AF II autofocus system, in-body image…

WHEN SIGMA FIRST began offering its much-acclaimed (and much-awarded) Art series lenses in the mirrorless mounts, they were adaptations of DSLR designs. The ‘DG DN’ initial pairs signify that this is a lens designed from scratch for full-frame mirrorless cameras, specifically Sony FE and the L Mount (you lucky people). The pairing of the 85mm short telephoto focal length and the fast f/1.4 maximum aperture has many attractions that Sigma builds on with its mirrorless version, capitalising on what’s made possible by the shorter flange back distance. For starters, it’s significantly smaller and lighter (by close to 50% in the case of the latter) than its DSLR cousin, and boasts some improvements in optical performance too. At a shade over 1.2kg, the DSLR lens is quite a handful, but the…

OLYMPUS IS REALLY making the most of what can be achieved in lens designs, especially telephotos, when imaging onto the Micro Four Thirds sensor. Nowhere is this better illustrated than with its recently released 100-400mm telezoom, which is effectively a 200-800mm supertelezoom. What’s more, it’s a 200-800mm that you can realistically consider hand-holding. Weighing in at 1.325kg and just over 205mm in length, portability is the big deal with this lens, and this is often an important consideration with applications such as sports, action or wildlife where you’re likely to be doing a lot of trekking between locations. And if you’re travelling by air, you aren’t going to bust the carry-on baggage limit even with a couple of other M43 lenses in the bag. The weather-sealed barrel construction is an…

DSLRs are now really losing their appeal for shooting video, given the mirrorless camera configuration makes so much more sense for this application. It’s probably the main reason Nikon has just fine-tuned the D6’s video capabilities compared to the D5 rather than making any significant upgrades. So there’s now the choice of the MOV or MP4 formats (with MPEG-4/H.264 AVC encoding) for better matching the output to the application, the much-missed focus-peaking display is provided, external N.Log recording is supported and a 10-bit 4:2:2 colour output is available via HDMI. There’s also a time-lapse movie function for 2K or 4K clips. However, the basics are, by today’s standards, now pretty basic, namely 4K UHD at 30, 25 or 24fps and Full HD at 60, 50, 30, 25 or 24fps, but…

An initiative to keep its members engaged through the Covid-19 restrictions proved to be a big success for the Australian Institute Of Professional Photography (AIPP). Earlier in the year, as it became clear the Institute’s regular print-based competitions – a key component of its members’ annual activities – wouldn’t be possible at either a state or national level, work began on devising an alternative and the AIPP Silver Lining Awards were conceived. Current members were invited to enter online, but unlike any other online photography competition, the AIPP built in additional elements to make the whole experience educational and motivational, as well as inspirational. For example, members were offered the opportunity to submit images for pre-entry critique by experienced judges – valuable feedback for any photographer. This enabled entrants to…

Lockdowns and restricted travel doesn’t appear to have curbed the creative juices of our readers because the standard of entries to the 2020 Fujifilm Showcase were the highest we’ve seen for a long time. The year’s 12 finalists all produced very strong images and the judges had a hard time coming to a decision, but the panel did all finally agree there was a clear winner. Congratulations to Graeme O’Rourke who wowed the judges this time around after collecting the Highly Commended award in Round 5. Graeme’s image worked on many levels, including composition and being in the right place at just the right time (check out the sheep). The location is the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, and the abandoned farmhouse is famous for being featured on the cover…

WINNER A wonderful atmosphere has been captured in this study by Jason Freeman taken at sunrise, so the warmth of the lighting and the ethereal quality of the early morning mist combine to create an almost mystical landscape. The tighter cropping also helps emphasis the shapes of the trees. The location is Cannon’s Creek in Victoria, and Jason used a Nikon D610 fitted with a Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 Di VC USD telezoom. HIGHLY COMMENDED Viewpoint, framing and composition all come together here to create a very graphic image that uses both shape and colour for impact. The subject is one of the grand staircases in Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building. The photographer was Pierre Fonsny who used a Sony A7 II with a Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm f/4.0 ZA…