Table of contents for Issue 430 in Camera

In response to my ‘Comment’ piece in the last issue’s news section regarding EVFs -or, rather, the lack of them in so-called vlogging mirrorless cameras – a reader sent me an interesting email, adding some further observations which got me thinking about a related topic. In my ‘Comment’ piece I observed that if Canon could put a perfectly good EVF into the superbly-compact PowerShot G5X (the first-gen model, by the way), for example, then there really is no excuse for not having one in the likes of the Fujifilm X-M5 or the Panasonic Lumix S9. Regardless of whether vlogging cameras are primarily designed for video -when having an EVF isn’t so important – they surely have other applications. As you’ll read in our test of the X-M5, it really is…

The ‘single digit’ Olympus OM 35mm SLRs are film camera royalty and while the original OM-1 and the OM-2 tend to get all the accolades, the OM-4 (introduced in 1983) was arguably the most successful model, especially in terms of attracting professional users and appealing to enthusiast-level shooters when Canon and Nikon were starting to sweep all before them. For a while, the OM-4 was standard issue at National Geographic magazine, no doubt partially because of its compact size, but also the truly excellent system of Zuiko lenses. The Ti version’s titanium bodyshell – which arrived in 1986 – added extra durability to the mix, although all OM-4s were weather-sealed. However, for the purists there was the OM-3, also launched in 1983 and also available later on with a titanium…

No matter how advanced or sophisticated camera automation becomes, if you don’t know what’s going on behind-the-scenes, you’re not in control and that means you aren’t always going to get the results you’re expecting. It’s the reason that even the very latest mirrorless cameras still have manual overrides for just about everything… sometimes you will need to take over. But first you need to know what you’re doing which means, firstly, knowing when to use these controls and, secondly, how to use them to make the camera do exactly what you want. So let’s start with the most basics of basics… exposure control. Controlling exposure is the essential ingredient of making photographs, but if you leave it entirely to the camera, you’ll be missing out on some vital creative possibilities.…

SIGMA IS NOW offering six of its DC DN zoom and prime lenses for Canon’s ‘APS-C’ format RF mount mirrorless cameras – currently comprising the EOS R100, R50, R10 and the R7 models. The license agreement means that the Sigma lenses fully integrate with the AF systems, Exif data exchange, in-camera lens corrections and in-body image stabilisation in the R10 and the R7, and the first three facilities on the R100 and R50 (which don’t have IBIS). The autofocus drive control program is specifically tuned for each lens with high-speed data transmission so these lenses off fast autofocusing response and reliable subject tracking. They’re also fully compatible with in-camera aberration correction, including for peripheral illumination (vignetting), chromatic aberrations and distortion. By matching corrections to the optical characteristics of the lens,…

LEADING PROFESSIONAL PHOTO, video and graphic arts supplier Kayell Australia is the new Australian distributor of Broncolor lighting equipment and accessories. For various reasons Australian photographers recently have only had access to a select line-up of Broncolor products. With this new partnership, Kayell says it will now reintroduce the complete Broncolor portfolio, including the company’s latest innovations in lighting technology. Kayell also plans to provide repair services for Broncolor products through its service centre in Sydney. “We are thrilled to expand our offering with Broncolor products and services to the Australian market,” comments Robert Gatto, who is the managing director of Kayell Australia. “Broncolor has long been a trusted name in high-quality lighting, and we’re proud to bring the full range of their exceptional products back to local photographers. Whether…

THE HERITAGE OF the 35mm OM series 35mm SLRs has informed much of the design thinking behind the Olympus DSLRs and mirrorless cameras over the last two decades or so, reprising in various ways the great Yoshihisa Maitani’s keep-it-small philosophy. But it’s the post-Olympus OM Digital Solutions that has perhaps got the closest to the ideal of a ‘digital OM’ with the new OM-3 which is the perhaps the most classically-styled mirrorless camera we’ve seen so far, even going without a handgrip to maintain dimensions very close to those of the original OM-1. Compared in silhouette, the new OM-3 is only very marginally wider and taller than the 35mm SLR which changed the world in 1972. Of course, there was a 35mm OM-3 (1983) as well and which was intended…

What do you first notice about the OM System OM-3? It takes a little while to take in that you’re looking at the clean and uncluttered lines that were once a staple of 35mm SLR design before ever-bulkier handgrips became a thing. Yup, the OM-3 doesn’t have one at all… not even a little bump like on the Nikon Zf. There’s a thumbgrip at the back, but from the front it’s all about the balanced, elegant proportions that made the original OM-1 – and its OM-2 semi-auto exposure sibling – such a hit back in the 1970s. Of course, there was also an OM-3 in the original dynasty (see the breakout panel), so OM Digital Solutions is going the full classical OM camera experience with this new model… although the…

Type: Enth usiast-level interchangeable lens digital mirrorless camera with Micro Four Thirds System bayonet lens mount. Focusing: Automatic ‘Cross Quad Pixel AF’ hybrid system using contrast-detection and phase-difference detection measurements via the imaging sensor with 1053 X-type focusing points for each. Sampling at 120 fps with 100 percent scene coverage vertically and horizontally. Focus points may be selected manually or automatically by the camera. Area modes are Single, Small (3×3), Medium (9×7), Large (15×11), Cross (9 points horizontally, 7 vertically), or Custom shape/size (up to four). ‘Intelligent Subject Detection AF’ tracking modes for humans, animals, birds, motorsport (cars and motorcycles), aircraft (including helicopters) and trains. Eye/face/head/body detection for humans and animals. Up to eight targets can be tracked simultaneously. ‘Starry Sky’ AF mode. Manual switching between one-shot and continuous AF…

If you’re a video shooter doing more than just desktop work, the X-M5 still makes a lot of sense, and the lack of an EVF is much less of an issue. Plus you can certainly take advantage of its compact size and compatibility with a big system of interchangeable lens. It works well with a gimbal or in a rig with an external recorder. For its primary intended usage, the main mode dial has a ‘Vlog’ setting (as does the X-S20) which brings up a dedicated touch screen display and access to specific modes – namely Portrait Enhancer, Product Priority and Background Defocus – which are designed to make it easier to shoot more professional-looking videos without needing a lot of experience. There’s also a ‘Short Movie’ mode for shooting…

Auto exposure bracketing automatically captures a sequence of images, adjusting the exposure for each frame either up or down around the metered exposure setting. You set the amount of plus/minus exposure variation which, typically, can be up to three stops either way. Shown here is fiveframe sequence captured with a plus/ minus one stop adjustment – +2 stops overexposed, +1 stop overexposed, normal, -1 stop underexposed and -2 stops underexposed. In practice, you probably wouldn’t apply such a big variation between shots, as it’s the small differences that tend to make the all the difference.…

Format: ‘APS-C’ digital sensors. Effective focal length is equivalent to 762mm. Angle-of-View: 3.3 degrees (diagonal on ‘APS-C’). Construction: 24 elements/14 groups. Seven special elements – five extra-low dispersion (ED) types and two ‘Super ED’ extra-low dispersion types. Minimum Focus: 275 centimetres. Maximum Reproduction Ratio: 1:5. Aperture Range: f/5.6 to f/22. Overall Length: 255 millimetres. Maximum Diameter: 105 millimetres. Filter Diameter: 95 millimetres. Weight: 1335 grams (without lens hood or tripod foot). Lens Mount: Fujifilm X. Features: Weather-sealed external construction including insulation for operation in subzero temperatures down to -10 degrees Celsius, fluorine coating on front element, optical image stabilisation (up to 5.5 stops of correction for camera shake), internal focusing, high-speed linear AF motor, ‘Focus Preset’ button, four ‘Focus Control’ buttons (for AF-on, focus hold or recall focus distance preset),…

ANNOUNCED ALONG WITH the OM-3 are updates to three lenses from the previous Olympus OM-D system which obviously get a change of branding, but also some design revisions. Obvious companions for the OM-3 because of their compact dimensions are two primes – the OM System M.Zuiko Digital 25mm f/1.8 II (equivalent to 50mm) and the 17mm f/1.8 II (equivalent to 34mm). Both have metal barrel constructions and are now weather-sealed to the IPX1 standard to protect against dust and moisture. The 17mm’s optical construction employs nine elements in six groups which includes four special types – two aspherical, one with a high refractive index (HR) and one ‘Dual Super Aspherical (DSA) which is particularly effective at correcting for both distortion and chromatic aberrations. This lens also uses the OM System’s…

With its clearly photographic heritage, the OM-3 doesn’t look like an obvious choice as a video camera, but as with its photographic capabilities, it inherits the most of the video feature set from the OM-1 Mark II as well. Again, the practical limitations versus the latter aren’t significant and topped by the single card slot which obviously prohibits proxy recording or back-ups. Both 4K DCI and 4K UHD can be recorded internally at 50 or 60 fps, and Full HD shooting is available up to 200/240 fps for slow-motion clips (in the ‘S&Q’ mode). There’s the option of 10-bit 4:2:0 colour with the H.265 HEVC compression codec which delivers bit rates of up to 152 Mbps. With the standard MPEG-4 AVC H.264 codec and 8-bit 4:2:0 colour, the bit rates…

Type: Compact digital mirrorless camera with Fujifilm X bayonet lens mount. Focusing: TTL automatic hybrid system using phasedifference detection and contrast-detection measurements. 425 measuring points (in 25×17 or 13×9 patterns). Single-point (six sizes), zone (7×7, 5×5 or 3×3 point clusters selected from 117 points), custom zone (three user-defined shapes) and wide/tracking modes. Five ‘AF-C Custom’ settings for optimising tracking plus a user-definable setting for Tracking Sensitivity, Speed Tracking Sensitivity and Zone Area Switching. Face/eye detection with left/right priority. Subject detection for animals, birds and insects, cars, motorcycles and bikes, aircraft and drones, and trains. Auto subject detection when the camera is in full auto mode. Focus range limiter. Face/eye detection with left/right priority. Manual switching between one-shot and continuous AF modes. AF+MF mode. Low-light assist via built-in illuminator. Manual focus…

Type: Fully automatic mirrorless digital camera with 68-pin databus connector for fitting lens modules and accessory units. Lenses: A12/50mm module = 33mm f/2.5 macro (equivalent to 50mm). S10 = 5.1-15.3mm f/2.5-4.4 zoom (equivalent to 24-72mm). A16 = 15.7-55.5mm f/3.5-5.5 zoom (equivalent to 24-85mm). P10 = 4.9-52.5mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom (equivalent to 28-300mm). A12/28mm = 18.3mm f/2.5 wide-angle (equivalent to 28mm). A12 mount = Leica M bayonet lens mount. Focusing: Automatic using contrast-detection via imaging sensor and with multi-point, spot and ‘Snap’ modes. Manual focusing override provided. Low light/contrast assist provided by a built-in illuminator on the GXR body. Manual focusing on lenses mounted via the A12 M mount module. Metering: 256-segment multi-zone, centre-weighted average, spot and TTL flash. Exposure Modes: Program (with shift), aperture-priority auto, shutter-priority auto and manual. Six Scene…

DIGITAL SLR CAMERAS BUYER'S CHECK LIST 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 no longer supply 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 be confirmed) are used.…