Sony A6000 has a hell of AF speed! Full video-review by CameraStoreTV

Well, that nifty Sony A6000 may not be as glamorous as the Fuji X-T1 but it can do a lot for the money. The guys from TheCameraStoreTV posted the first full video review and there is really little to complain about the camera. The AF speed is terrific and even the on paper weakest point, the low resolution EVF is said to be a positive surprise because of the faster refresh rate and absolute no lag.

Preorders:
Sony A6000 at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), SonyStore (Click here).
Sony A6000 with lens at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).
Sony 70-200mm FE at Amazon (CLick here), BHphoto (Click here), SonyStore (Click here).

Using Fuji X Lenses vs Canon Full Frame Lenses

A lot of people (as in photographers that I know) have been talking about replacing or augmenting their current DSLR systems with mirrorless systems. The benefits are hard to ignore (See: Comparing the Fuji X-E2 and the Canon 5D Mark III) as mirrorless systems are less expensive and lighter and smaller. There are always trade offs of course and the mirrorless systems are often more awkward to use quickly and difficult for those with larger hands. For me personally, the portability side of mirrorless systems more than makes up for the downsides. But what about lenses? How do focal lengths differ between the systems?  This isn’t so much a mirrorless vs DSLR debate as much as a cropped vs full frame sensor. While there is one full frame mirrorless system (The Sony A7 and A7R), it currently lacks options for native lenses and costs more than double than the more popular cropped mirrorless models (Olympus OM-D E-M1, and Fuji X-E2 and just announced Fuji X-T1).

Follow the link to see my findings:

http://andrewvanbeek.com/fuji-x-lenses-and-full-frame/

Samsung NX300 user review

Hello everybody. There are plenty of reviews of NX300 online but here is a special one. I continue reviewing my mirrorless stuff in long term point of view. I’ve been using this camera for 8 months and it’s time to share my personal long term experience with the world.

You can find the review here: Samsung NX300 user review by NXcamera

?Also here is a video compilation of my photos taken with this camera:

Fashion Photography With the Sony RX1. It’s One Little Beast of a Camera.

A little Background…
I am a 23 year old photographer who moved to Chicago from Nigeria 6 years ago. I started photography about 3 years ago. After playing around with a DSLR in Target, I was hooked. I shoot mostly fashion photography, and female models. I have shot full frame since late 2011 with the 5D mk2, then the D800 since November 2012.

Why the RX1?
I honestly just had some extra money 2 months ago, and wanted a new toy. It was either the camera or a new road bike. Boy am I glad I went with the RX1. I was lucky enough to get a used one in excellent condition for $1900 with a very nice leather case. 

First Impressions
It’s really small, but substantial. There is a solid heft to it, even though it’s not heavy by any means. The compactness makes me marvel at how far technology has come. Everything on the camera feels solidly built and very premium. 

Using the Camera
It’s such a joy to use. It gets out of your way, and just lets you shoot. The controls are very intuitive, and the feedback from the buttons are very good too. Before getting this camera, my preferred lens was the Nikon 50mm 1.4. I don’t like zooms, so a fixed lens that gave me more room to add the environment was perfect. It took me a little while to get used to the 35mm focal length, but now it just feels natural. I have only shot with the camera in available light. I tried using my generic Calumet flash triggers, but they didn’t fit completely into the hotshoe. The strobe syncing worked fine, but the contact was finicky, so it wouldn’t flash when it secured tightly. I prefer to shoot with available light when I shoot outdoors anyways, so strobing with the RX1 wasn’t a priority for me. That just takes the simplicity of using this camera out of the equation. The auto white balance on the RX1 is wonderful. It always metered much better than my D800 in every situation. 

One big advantage with shooting outside on location with the RX1 is how little attention you gather. It’s unbelievable. Cops just walked on by when I was shooting a model in a vest and panties in the middle of the street, in the middle of the day without saying a word. Contrary to my experiences with my D800, we would have been asked to present permits, and all sorts of documentation. People don’t crowd around to watch, because it just looks like I’m with my hot friends taking pics for Instagram.

The autofocus is good. It’s not going to win any awards for speed and accuracy, but it’s good enough to capture what I want quickly enough. Especially in sufficient light. It does struggle in low light, but I rarely ever shoot in low light, so that hasn’t been a problem. Speaking of low light performance, the RX1 is really good at high ISO’s. Better than my D800 from 3200 and up.

The dynamic range and sharpness from that 35mm f2 lens are just wonderful. I don’t even add sharpening in post, because the photos come out nice and sharp. With tons of shadow and highlight detail which makes post-processing a joy.


I didn’t get the EVF, because it adds bulk to the camera, is quite expensive, and makes it feel like a very formal/professional affair which goes against the philosophy behind the RX1 in my opinion. The LCD works just fine even in direct sunlight. I do not have a single complaint with it.


Battery life is quite bad, but the batteries are really cheap, and I have five of them with two chargers. I usually use 2 batteries for a full 2-3 hour fashion shoot. It’s also disconcerting to models who are used to using loud shutter clicks as cues to switch poses, but they get used to it after a while.

I shoot weddings occasionally, and I use the RX1 for all the pre-ceremony and reception shots where I have more time to be creative. 


My only gripe with using it is that I still haven’t had a bride, groom, or client freak out that I was shooting with this tiny camera. It’s a little disappointing because I expected to get that reaction every time I whipped out the RX1 instead of my big DSLR. My D800 now sits at home collecting dust, and it takes me a while to re-adjust when I have to shoot with it because it really is cumbersome working with DSLR cameras. They’re heavy, bulky, and I hate not being able to see what my photo will look like before I click the shutter. Optical viewfinders are so old-fashioned.


I LOVE my RX1. It has been a revelation shooting with this little beast of a camera. I can’t stress how easy it makes shooting become. It makes something as serious as a high-end fashion shoot feel like a leisure time activity. It makes it easier for me to interact with my models, because everyone is more relaxed and having a blast during the shoot, and it shows in the images. I can’t speak for others, but for my purposes it is the perfect camera for my uses. I recently went on a trip to LA, and I left my DSLR at home. I didn’t miss having it for one moment. That was when I realized that small mirrorless Full-frame cameras are the future. I’ve only done a handful of shoots with the RX1, but it will be my main camera for the foreseeable future. 


You can ask me any question you like, and I will be glad to answer in the comments section.
You can see more of my work on www.isispiks.com
Thanks for reading!

Isi Aakahome

 

The Noctilux 50mm is not a lens, it’s a myth. But is it really that good? New Photozone, EosHD tests.

Image courtesy: Photozone.

The Leica Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 is a mythical lens. Also because the price of $11,000 makes it impossible to own for “normal” people. But let’s keep our feet on ground. Does the lens deliver a $11,000 optical performance? The answer seems to be “no” if you read the latest two reviews posted in these days:

Photozone reports:

To those who either simply need the speed or really care about the rendering characteristic, the Noctilux may well be worth its price. One should be aware, though, that the most expensive Leica lens is not necessarily the best one, but no doubt one of the most special ones.

The lens earns only 2,5 stars out of five.

EosHD compared the Noctilux with the SLR Magic 50mmf /0.95 Hyperprime:

Price – $10,000 (Leica) vs $3000 (SLR Magic)
Centre sharpness (wide open) – higher resolution on the SLR Magic
Corner sharpness (wide open) – higher resolution on the SLR Magic
Vignetting (wide open) – furthest corners are darker on the Leica
Minimum focus – 0.7m on the SLR Magic vs 1.0m on the Leica
Contrast (wide open) – higher contrast on the Leica
Purple fringing (wide open) – due to design both have high purple fringing at F0.95 but this can be muted in post using digital correction on raw files

Yes, the Noctilux is a great lens, but do not expect to get a $11,000 Image Quality. If you do not need that extreme speed you may buy the Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 lens which I am sure will give you a higher performance. But you have to use an adapter and take into considertaion that the lens size is huge!