With 'Generative Remove,' Lightroom users can highlight an area they want to remove, such as this person in the background, and then let Lightroom fill in that space with what it things should go there. Image credit: Adobe

Adobe announced several updates to Lightroom today. Adobe Firefly, first announced in March 2023 as a beta for Photoshop users, is a generative AI tool for editing, altering and producing generative AI images. It's now coming to all versions of Lightroom.

With 'Generative Remove,' users can highlight an area of an image they want to remove (think of it like the heal tool on steroids) and then let Adobe's AI tools take their best stab and artificially create something that passes for real.

Original image with a yawning person over the subject's shoulder. Image credit: Adobe	Image after 'generative remove' is used to remove a person in the background and create an artificial street scene where they were.

If you've used generative fill on Photoshop or seen one of Google Pixel's Magic Eraser commercials, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Adobe says 'generative remove' for Lightroom is built on its first imaging model from last year, not 'model 3,' which was announced more recently.

'Lens Blur' is another AI-driven tool coming to Lightroom. With this tool, Lightroom users can generate a depth map and apply artificial depth of field. Users can apply varying levels of depth and the tool is also capable of introducing bokeh that mimics out-of-camera photography. The idea is that users can take a portrait shot at F22 and make it look like F3.5.

Both Generative Remove and Lens Blur are non-destructive edits, and Adobe says files altered by these tools will be automatically labeled using Content Credential tools from C2PA and CAI.

Also announced, updates to Lightroom mobile's interface and Lightroom Classic gains expanded tethering support for several Sony cameras.

Availability

Generative Remove is available immediately as an 'early access' feature in Lightroom versions for desktop, mobile, iPad, web and Lightroom Classic.

Lens Blur, which was previously in 'early access,' is now included as a standard feature in the latest versions of Lightroom across the aforementioned platforms.

Adobe adds AI Generative Remove and Lens Blur to Lightroom:

• Fixed issues in Adobe Lightroom
• Adobe Lightroom Desktop update
• The latest camera support added
• The latest lens support added

The latest Adobe CC subscription plan rates can be found here. The different Adobe Creative Cloud options are described here. Additional information on Photoshop and Lightroom is available on this page.

Additional information on AI Generative Remove and Lens Blur:

AI Generative Remove

Powerful ability to remove anything with one touch​:

• Brand-new feature to help users generate significantly improved removal results, powered by Firefly technology. ​
• Smart enough to replicate the background behind removed items, matching complex patterns like paisley shirts or ripples in water to ensure no smudges, distortions, or dark spots are left behind.​
• More realistic results, less work needed to get the ideal result, and less precision is needed in the selection​

Lens Blur

Pro Quality photos in just one click:

• No longer need a special lens, a specific phone, or the right setting to achieve the popular blurred look​
• Blur any part of any photo. ​
• 7 new Lens Blur presets automatically apply blur on portraits, cityscapes, and street/urban photography​
• Create a preset of a Lens blur effect you like and apply it to more photos in the future​

Additional information on the latest Lightroom release:

New updates released: Adobe Generative AI for Photoshop plus a new version of Excire Foto 2024

Retouch4me uses AI to simplify the lives of photographers by streamlining routine processes

Neurapix: a new AI start-up from Germany that learns from previously edited images and applies individual’s editing style to new photos in Adobe Lightroom Classic

The post Adobe adds AI Generative Remove and Lens Blur to Lightroom appeared first on Photo Rumors.

The previously rumored Panasonic Lumix S9 camera with L-mount is already shown on Amazon on another accessory listing from SIRUI:

Additional pictures:

The official announcement is tomorrow:

New Panasonic Lumix camera announcement next week

Update: Panasonic to announce a new Lumix camera on May 22

The post The new Panasonic Lumix S9 camera already shown on Amazon, the official announcement is tomorrow appeared first on Photo Rumors.

91%

Overall score

Jump to conclusion

The Sony a9 III is the company's latest high-speed pro sports camera. It features a Stacked CMOS sensor capable of shooting at 120 fps and able to capture all its pixels' data simultaneously: the long hoped-for 'global' shutter.

Key features

• 24MP global shutter Stacked CMOS sensor
• High speed shooting up to 120 fps
• Pre-burst capture of up to 1 sec before the shutter is fully pressed
• Shutter speeds up to 1/80,000 with flash sync across the full range
• 9.44M dot (2048 x 1536px) OLED viewfinder with 0.9x magnification
• 2.0M dot rear LCD with tilting cradle on a fully articulated hinge

The a9 III is available now at a recommended price of $6000. This is a $1500 increase over the previous iteration from 2019. A matching VG-C5 battery grip that provides space for two batteries is available for an additional $398.

Index:

• What's new
• How it compares
• Body & handling
• Image quality
• Autofocus and action photography
• Video
• Conclusion
• Sample galleries
• Specifications

What's new

Global shutter sensor

The big news with the a9 III is the move to a sensor that offers a global electronic shutter: ending the exposure for all its pixels simultaneously so that there's no lag or rolling shutter effect. Such sensors have existed before (some CCD chips, for instance), but this is the first one to use a full-frame sensor in a modern mirrorless camera to deliver the full potential benefits.

The sensor delivers the camera's two main selling points: the global shutter, which extends what the camera can offer in three specific areas, and sheer speed. As well as having no motion distortion from its capture, the a9 III is able to shoot at up to 120 frames per second.

Its fast readout also allows incredibly high speed capture, with shutter speeds that extend to 1/80,000 sec. The global readout also means it can sync with flashes all the way up to its maximum shutter speed (though the power of the flash will be reduced at the very shortest exposures and may require the timing of the flash trigger signal to be fine-tuned so that the exposure syncs with the brightest point of the flash output).

There are downsides to the sensor, though: the global shutter design works by using what is effectively a second photodiode within each pixel to act as a buffer: holding the charge generated by the exposure so it can all be read out later. This reduces the effective size of the photodiode used to capture the image, reducing the amount of charge each pixel can hold before it becomes full.

This reduced capacity for charge means the pixel becomes saturated sooner, so it can tolerate less light before clipping. In turn, this means it needs to be given less exposure, which is reflected in the base ISO of 250, 1.3EV higher than typical. Giving a sensor less light instantly reduces the image quality, because light itself is noisy, and this noise is more visible, the less light you capture.

120fps shooting

The new C5 button on the front of the camera is set, by default, to activate the speed boost function for temporary access to 120 fps shooting.

The super-fast sensor readout allows the a9 III to deliver a faster shooting rate than we've ever seen from a sensor this large. Whereas the previous generation of Stacked CMOS sensors with progressive readout would shoot at up to 30 frames per second, the a9 III quadruples this to 120. Sony has published a list of its lenses that can operate at this full speed.

It's a reasonable question to consider how often even the most demanding sports photographers will need to shoot at 120 frames per second, and how much more sorting and selecting work will be created by generating so many additional files.

You can lower the burst rate to whatever makes the most sense for your specific subject, but there's also an option to temporarily jump back to a faster rate when you hold a button down, meaning you could shoot at, say, 30 fps in the buildup to what you expect to be the critical moment, then press a custom button to give a faster, more concentrated burst around the moment of interest itself.

Like the other recent high-end Sonys, the a9 III has a pair of CFexpress Type A and UHS-II SD card slots set one within the other, providing compatibility with both the widely available SD format or the faster CFexpress format. Both are still significantly slower than the CFe Type B cards adopted by most other manufacturers.

Interestingly, the a9 III continues to use Sony's preferred CFexpress Type A cards, which have half the read/write channels of the larger Type B format. This means the a9 III has to depend that bit more heavily on its internal buffer. It has the capacity to shoot 196 uncompressed 14-bit Raw files in a burst, allowing 1.6 seconds of capture at its fastest rate. This is nearly 10GB of data, which gives some idea of the size of the camera's buffer but also of how quickly you'd fill up your cards if you shot at full tilt in Raw.

Pre-capture

The a9 III becomes the first Sony to have a pre-capture feature: starting to buffer images when you half-press the shutter button or hold the AF-On button, then retaining up to one second's worth of images when you fully press the shutter. You can reduce the time period to as little as 1/200 sec if you're really confident in your ability to anticipate the crucial moment, but the pre-buffer time isn't affected by your choice of shooting rate.

Dedicated 'AI' processor

The a9 III gains the 'AI' processor that Sony first introduced in the a7R V. This does not add any 'intelligence' or learning in and of itself, but is designed to process the complex subject algorithms created by machine learning for functions such as subject recognition. This should boost the camera's subject recognition performance compared to previous generations of cameras, such as the a1, making the tracking more responsive and more robust.

8EV image stabilization

The a9 III gets the flexible tilt-and-hinge cradle we previously saw on the a7R V. It can be manipulated into all sorts of positions, for wherever you're shooting from.

The a9 III also gains the latest image stabilization processing algorithms, helping it deliver performance that's rated at up to 8.0EV of correction, using the CIPA standard methodology. This is an appreciable increase over the 5.5EV offered by previous generations of cameras. Unlike Canon's system, this doesn't depend on synchronized use of in-body and in-lens IS mechanisms, so users should see an increase in correction performance over a wide range of lenses, though the peak correction may not be quite so well maintained at extremely long and short focal lengths.

C2PA authentication

Although not present at launch, Sony says it plans to add C2PA authentication to the a9 III. This is a cryptographic metadata standard developed by a range of software makers, camera makers and large media organizations that will provide a secure record of the file's provenance and edit history, allowing media organizations to know that the images they are receiving can be traced back to a specific camera and haven't been inappropriately manipulated.

How it compares

With its high shooting speed and pro-friendly features, the a9 III's closest competitors are the pro sports bodies from Canon and Nikon, as well as Sony's own a1. This is an exclusive group, not only in the sense of commanding a significant price but also in that they have professional support networks established to ensure working pros have the most possible 'up' time. While other cameras promise fast shooting and capable autofocus, these are the models that the most demanding professionals rely on.

The a9 III stands out, even from the other manufacturer's pro-grade cameras, in offering 120 fps shooting as a standard mode, with full AF and Raw capture, whereas Canon's R3 locks AF and AE at the first exposure (rarely ideal for the kinds of action shooting that require high speed bursts) and the Nikon outputs significantly reduced resolution JPEGs.

Like the EOS R3, the a9 III opts for speed over resolution, meaning it can't deliver the 8K footage that the a1 and Z9 can. Also, any users hoping for Raw video will need to buy an external recorder, rather than being able to capture this in-camera, as you can on the Canon and Nikon.

The biggest apparent shortcoming is the relatively low battery life of the a9 III, as it's a single grip camera and hence lacks the space for the larger batteries included in the Canon and Nikon. Adding the BG-C5 battery grip adds space for a second battery, as well as providing duplicate portrait orientation controls.

Body and handling

Although the company's a7, a9 and a1 models all look similar, each generation has seen the control layout reworked and details such as the handgrip tweaked. The a9 III sees a larger than typical re-working of Sony's ergonomics.

The grip is a little deeper, with a more prominent dent for the middle finger to rest in, but more significantly, the shutter button is placed on a surface that angles forward rather than sitting in the same plane as the camera's top plate. This means you don't have to rotate your hand or stretch your finger quite so far to reach the shutter. In turn, the custom buttons on the camera's top plate have been extended upwards so that they're still accessible from this less stretched position.

It's a relatively small adjustment but enough that you'll notice it after several hours of shooting. Given the a9 III's target audience, it's hard not to make assumptions that this change has been made in response to Sony's tie-up with the Associated Press, giving the company more feedback from a large pool of working pros.

Beyond this, the body is pretty familiar from the previous generation of cameras, with most of the control points and custom buttons existing in the same places. The main exception to this is that the a9 III gains a fifth custom button, on its front panel. By default, this is used for the 'speed boost' function, but this can be modified.

The a9 III has the same 9.44M dot (2048 x 1536px) OLED viewfinder that first appeared in the Sony a1. The optics in front of the panel give an impressive 0.9x magnification, meaning it's very large to look at, and the fast sensor means its full resolution is used even when refreshing at 120fps. There's a 240fps mode if you need an even more frequent update of what's going on in the scene, but this runs at a reduced resolution. The viewfinder shows no blackout at all when shooting images.

The rear screen is a 2M dot panel that's arranged on a tilting cradle that is itself hinged at the side, providing a wide range of movement and adjustment.

The a9 III uses the same NP-FZ100 battery as all the most recent full-frame cameras have. It's a well-sized 16.4Wh unit that powers the camera to a rating of 530 shots per charge, using the rear LCD according to CIPA standard tests. This drops to 400 shots per charge if you use the viewfinder. These are strong numbers compared to most cameras but some way behind those of its pro sports peers, which typically have a twin-grip body with space for a much larger battery.

Battery life can be increased significantly through the addition of the optional VG-C5 vertical grip. This adds the space for a second FZ100 and more than doubles the battery life, as Sony has developed a system for treating the two batteries as a single large power source.

It's also worth noting that the CIPA standard tests are even less reflective of the behavior of pro sports cameras than they are elsewhere. Bursts of images use much less power than the individual shoot-and-review process that standard testing assumes. As such, a rating of 400 shots per charge for a camera that shoots at 120 frames per second should not be taken to mean that the battery will only last for 3.3 seconds of holding the shutter down. This is nowhere close to being true.

Image quality

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors and detail types you'll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

We've looked at the a9 III's image quality and have found that its performance is up to a stop behind those of contemporary full-frame cameras. Essentially the halving of the photodiode size halves the amount of light the sensor can tolerate. This raises the base ISO, limiting the maximum image quality the camera can deliver (ie: comparing base ISO to base ISO).

The added complexity of the sensor's design also means that it isn't able to offer a second low-noise readout path as has become common in dual conversion gain sensors that dominate the market. This sees up to a stop noise penalty, relative to its full-frame peers.

All of that said, a lot of sports shooting doesn't necessarily happen at ISO 100, so being limited to ISO 250 or higher needn't be a major issue (the a9 III isn't at any disadvantage, compared to its peers when shooting at moderate ISOs). Likewise, even something approaching a one-stop increase in noise at high ISO isn't likely to be a deal-breaking difference, especially if the a9 III's global shutter and incredibly rapid burst rates mean that it can get a shot that its rivals simply miss.

So, while the a9 III's sensor tech may not make as much sense in other cameras, for the high-speed users it's designed for, these aren't necessarily a significant drawback.

Exposure Latitude | ISO Invariance

Autofocus and action photography

By Carey Rose

The a9 III proves capable of sticking to subjects despite rapid changes in speed and direction. ISO 2500 | 1/640 sec | F2.8 | Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II | Processed and cropped from Raw Photo by Carey Rose

Being Sony's most sports-focused flagship, it should come as no surprise that the a9 Mark III comes with outstanding autofocus performance across almost any situation you might think to put it in. Of course, no camera can fully substitute for a photographer's given experience and skill, but the a9 III gives you a high chance of success for your action-photography endeavors. It certainly netted this photographer plenty of keepers, under varieties of bright, dim, natural and artificial light.

If you've used any of Sony's recent camera bodies, the a9 III's autofocus interface will be familiar. You get a standard array of autofocus areas, as well as 'Tracking' equivalents of most of them. While you can certainly choose a static AF area and manually follow your subjects yourself with a very high hit-rate, much of the technology in the a9 III is designed to support its own tracking and subject recognition algorithms, so that's principally what we put to the test.

Autofocus setup

For general reportage and lifestyle shooting, I tended to keep the a9 III in one of its 'Flexible Spot: Tracking' modes, which works impressively well. In essence, you can choose your starting AF area size (small, medium or large), and then place that area over your intended subject and initiate tracking with the shutter or AF-On button.

Shooting rugby with the a9 III turned out to be an impromptu weather-sealing test as well. (The camera survived just fine.) ISO 4000 | 1/320 sec | F2.8 | Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II | Processed from Raw Photo by Carey Rose

This tracking sticks to your subject tenaciously even if it's not necessarily identifying it as a subject such as a bird or a plane. The a9 III will follow anything around the frame, like a flower, or a portion of someone's clothing, allowing you to experiment with composition while the camera keeps your chosen subject in focus. If you happen to initiate tracking over a person's face, the camera will automatically track their eyes if you have face and eye priority enabled. Use this technique for casual shooting and you'll basically never get an image out of focus (a hallmark of Sony cameras for a couple of generations now).

I found, however, that this wasn't my preferred method of photographing sports and action.

When I tried to work this way with team sports, the camera would often latch onto a player's arm, or portion of their uniform, or really whatever bit of them I could catch in the viewfinder and initiate focus on. And often, their face would be just noticeably outside the plane of focus.

For less active subjects, you don't need to do too much tweaking with the a9 III's autofocus. And it does, of course, pick up cats in its 'Animal' subject detection mode. ISO 2000 | 1/250 sec | F2.8 | Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II | Processed and cropped from Raw Photo by Carey Rose

So off I went to the camera's 'Custom' tracking AF areas, and dialed-in a tall, narrow rectangle that I could then move around the frame as I saw fit. I also programmed the camera to alter my AF area when I switched to portrait shooting orientation, so the rectangle would remain vertically oriented regardless of how I was holding the camera. In essence, I made my AF area the rough size and area of a human player or torso in the frame. Finally, I also instructed the camera to prioritize the tracking of human faces and eyes, if it could find them.

What this gave me was the ability to quickly identify which player I wanted the camera to track, after which the camera would reliably and quickly identify the player's eyes or face, and I could focus on following the action.

The custom AF area option, combined with my subject recognition settings, meant that the camera was able to reliably follow a player's face or eyes and I didn't have to worry about perfectly initiating tracking on their face at 250mm of zoom. ISO 16000 | 1/400 sec | F6.3 | Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G | Processed / cropped from Raw Photo by Carey Rose

Another setting I ended up experimenting with that netted me further keepers was slowing the camera's default response to other subjects passing between me and the player I was following. I found it would too quickly jump off to other subjects in its default setting, for the sports I was shooting. I reduced this sensitivity, referred to in the camera as "AF Lvl for Crossing", by one notch and found that to be a sweet spot.

Slowing the camera's default tendency to jump off to other subjects was especially helpful in shooting Ultimate Frisbee, where other players are frequently coming between you and your subject. ISO 250 | 1/500 sec | F6.3 | Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G | Processed from Raw Photo by Carey Rose

But as stated at the outset, sophisticated tracking algorithms aren't a panacea. The camera did an impressive job in spite of my less-than-perfect technique, but there were situations where I would be acquiring focus as two players overlapped, and the camera might track the unintended player.

Or I'd smash the shutter, attempting to drive focus to the correct point as well as start firing off a burst of shots, just as I spotted a crucial moment happening. The camera would often, amazingly, find correct focus, but I would occasionally get short bursts of out-of-focus images in these rushed scenarios. The blame for this result in these types of edge cases can hardly be laid at the camera's feet, though. You simply need to be realistic with your expectations and consider your own technique and reaction time accordingly. Even with a pricey sports flagship.

Other action photography considerations

Another of the headline features on the a9 III is its 120fps burst shooting mode. While I was reticent to use this swiftest shooting speed that often due to the sheer amount of data it produces, I appreciated the option for a custom button to enable this burst speed only when held.

It works very well in practice and is eminently useful when set up this way; I've found that 10-20fps is my sweet spot for most sports, but for certain moments, I boosted the camera to 120fps and enjoyed having the extra options to choose from.

ISO 8000 | 1/500 sec | F2.8 | Sony 70-200mm F2.8 GM II | Processed / cropped from Raw Photo by Carey Rose

Take the above image, for example. The 120fps burst option allowed me to have a large degree of control in the final image over where the ball is in the air in relation to the player. It's a level of nit-pickiness that I can understand and respect, but I also think 20-30fps is realistically the maximum most people need most of the time.

In terms of displays, I appreciate the array of options relating to viewfinder speed and size, but I have to admit that I tended to keep the viewfinder out of its fastest setting, even for the most demanding sports. The resolution just drops too dramatically, to the point where it was difficult to tell if focus on a distant player was even accurate.

If you crave the most speed on the market and want some of the most reliable autofocus around, the a9 III is a slam dunk. Or at least a stylish layup. ISO 3200 | 1/640 sec | F2.8 | Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM II | Processed from Raw Photo by Carey Rose

I also found that battery life was on the short side of my expectations, and while I never ran out, I found myself feeling motivated to turn the camera off and on again more often than I'd like during a given event. That said, I fully expect (and would recommend) that anyone looking at the a9 III should be budgeting for the battery grip. Not only do you get double the battery life, but I find it a necessity for shooting vertical, telephoto images handheld.

Autofocus summary

The a9 III is unquestionably a capable, high-performance autofocusing machine. Its subject tracking is seriously impressive, locking onto my intended subjects immediately and tracking them steadfastly. Put simply, if you find that you can't get the shot with the a9 III, I wouldn't necessarily look to blaming the camera first.

This is one of the situations where I swung the camera around, smashed the shutter with the camera still in motion, and captured an acceptably in-focus (though perhaps slightly motion-blurred) burst of images. It's hard to ask for a better result under those circumstances. ISO 500 | 1/1250 sec | F5.6 | Processed and cropped from Raw Photo by Carey Rose

As capable as the camera is, it's also highly customizable, and you will absolutely benefit from some experimentation and dialing in preferred settings for the way you work and the subjects you shoot. This isn't a knock against the camera, just a fact of life for all sports camera flagships to varying degrees. And though I do expect AI-trained automatic modes will continue to improve, there must always be some method of your intentions about subject matter reaching the camera's processor, and so some customization will likely remain necessary for the foreseeable future.

As it stands, if you're after some of the best autofocus performance money can buy and also want the fastest burst shooting we've seen in a full-frame camera to date, the a9 III is a compelling option and worthy of your consideration.

Video

Putting the a9 III's fully articulating screen out on a tilting cradle means that it can be extended and rotated completely clear of the mic, headphone and HDMI sockets on the camera's left flank.

The a9 III's global shutter has major implications for video shooters as well as stills photographers. Being able to end the entire frame's capture simultaneously means it doesn't exhibit any rolling shutter artefacts at all. So there's no risk of warped verticals with moving subjects and no risk of banding when shooting under uncontrolled artificial lighting.

It's worth noting that while the a9 III's sensor can end its exposure instantaneously, this doesn't mean it can read-out its sensor as immediately. It's still quick enough to allow 4K/120 footage to be created from 6K full-width capture, though, making it one of the fastest hybrid cameras on the market.

Its video feature set is consistent with recent Alpha models, meaning it can shoot 10-bit video in H.264 (long GOP or All-I) or H.265 codecs. It can also shoot small proxy versions of its video in parallel with the main clips, for quicker editing and can output raw data over its HDMI socket if you have an external recorder to capture it.

The a9 III offers the Auto Framing option that uses subject recognition to crop-in and follow a subject within the frame, allowing a single presenter/operator to capture more dynamic video. There's also breathing compensation, which works with Sony's own-brand lenses, cropping in to the tightest angle of view that the lens offers and then adjusting the crop to remove the change of framing that would otherwise happen as the lens changes focus distance.

On top of this, the a9 III delivers some of the most dependable video autofocus we've seen. As with most cameras you can adjust the speed at which the focus is driven, depending on whether you're trying to tightly maintain focus on a constantly moving subject or smoothly drift between different focus distances. Taken together these features make it relatively easy to shoot good-looking footage with the a9 III even if your background isn't in video.

What the a9 III lacks is many of the videographer-focused features present in Sony's video line. So there's no option to set exposure in terms of shutter angle, rather than shutter speed (something that would be really valuable on a camera that can shoot 4K/120 as readily as it can 4K/24). There are no waveform displays or vectorscopes and no option to use the EI exposure system, rather than ISO.

You do get the attractive, low contrast S-Cinetone color profile, though, and when shooting in Log, you can upload up to 16 LUTs which you can use to give you a corrected preview, with the option to embed the LUT alongside the footage, or directly apply it to your footage in-camera.

Overall it's a flexible, capable video camera but one that seems careful not to tread on the toes of models aimed more pointedly at videographers.

Conclusion

Only time in the hands of a large number of pro photographers will test how much value 120 fps capture with no risk of banding is, but historically faster has proven to be better, even when the current level of performance has let people get results.

The a9 III is an undeniably ground-breaking camera. The global shutter sensor, which lets it start and end exposure for all its pixels simultaneously, means electronic shutter with no concern about strobing advertising boards, zero rolling shutter in video and the ability to sync flash at incredibly high speeds with no blackout of the viewfinder. Then there's the ability to shoot at up to 120 frames per second: not something a lot of people will need to do all the time, but a capability that will undoubtedly expand photographers' options.

All of this is allied to what's probably the most capable autofocus systems we've yet encountered, with highly reliable tracking being at least as relevant as the en vogue subject recognition modes it gains. Top-level sports shooting will require a degree of behavior tuning, as different sports and shooting styles require different responses, but we were hugely impressed by the hit rates we got from the a9 III.

The provision of a LAN socket and full-sized HDMI port show that Sony wants the camera to fit readily into professional workflows, and the camera will ultimately succeed or fail on that basis.

It's not an unalloyed success, though. We found the fastest, most sports-friendly viewfinder mode gave up too much resolution to be confident in the camera's focus. And Sony's decision to use a single grip design for its sports and photojournalism cameras is being challenged by the greater power consumption of its newer models: we expect and would recommend the a9 III will be used with a battery grip in many circumstances.

We have fewer concerns when it comes to image quality. The a9 III's relatively high base ISO means it can't match the IQ of its direct rivals at their peak performance, but as soon as your shot requires ISO 250 or higher, the a9 III's added speed gives it the edge. Likewise, whereas it falls a little behind in side-by-side comparisons at higher ISOs, there are likely to be situations in which the a9 III captures a fractionally noisier version of a photo that another camera might simply miss.

Ultimately the a9 III sets a new standard for what we can expect from a pro sports camera, and Sony appears to be adding the workflow features that the most demanding pros are requesting. There are some trade-offs being made to deliver the a9 III's super-fast capabilities but taken as a whole they allow it to pull ahead of the field.

Scoring

Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.

Sample galleries

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

All gallery images are uncropped out-of-camera JPEGs with accompanying lossless-compressed Raw files.

Pre-production sample gallery

The previously reported AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 autofocus full-frame lens for Nikon Z-mount is now officially announced and available for order at the AstrHori online store for $249 (international shipping available).

AstrHori lenses are also sold at Amazon and B&H Photo.

Additional information:

• Focal length: 85mm
• Aperture range: f/1.8 - f/16
• Field of view: 28.4°
• Minimum focusing distance: 790mm
• 
Lens configuration: 9 elements in 8 groups
• Filter Size: 72mm
• Weight: 626g
• Mount: Nikon Z
• Price:$249
• Eye focus support
• STM stepper motor for quiet autofocus

Via NikonRumors

The post Priced at $249: the new AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 autofocus full-frame lens for Nikon Z-mount is now available appeared first on Photo Rumors.

Think Tank is offering 15% off their Retrospective Travel Series of camera bags:

Additional picture of the Think Tank Retrospective Travel series camera bags:

The post Deal of the day: Think Tank Retrospective Travel Series camera bags are now 15% off appeared first on Photo Rumors.

Every week, we ask newsletter subscribers a question about gear, creativity or life. We recently asked readers: If you could only pick one lens for the rest of your life (yes, only one), what would it be and why?

We got some insightful, unusual and snarky responses to the prompt. The idea of having a single lens for everything you'd ever want to do is challenging, but that's also what makes it a fun debate.

Here are three of our favorite responses:

1. Nikon 16-80mm F2.8-4.0

A reader wrote: "Nikon 16-80mm F2.8 for everyday shooting: people, scenery, nature, sports. It sits on my Nikon D500. It’s fast, sharp and adaptable ... in my opinion, an underrated Nikon lens and is not expensive to purchase."

2. Fujifilm 150-600 F8

A reader wrote: "I have been a keen photographer for over 50 years and after a lifetime of using Nikon, Canon and Hasselblad cameras, I have now settled on Fuji cameras ... My favorite lens is currently the Fujifilm 150-600 F8. (It is) both light and optically excellent, enabling me to carry the lens further and use it hand-held in most situations."

3. Kit lenses for the win?

A reader wrote: "My favorite lens is actually two kit lenses that came with my Nikon Z30. The Z DX 16-50mm 3.5 and the Z DX 50-250mm 4.5 are all I could ask for right now ... Both lenses, paired with my Z30, produce photos that astound me every day. I hope to get a 2X extender for wildlife close-ups."

What's your take? Let us know in the comments.

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The Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K for L-mount is now 40%/$1,020 off - you can get it now for $1,575:

• Adorama
• B&H Photo

This is a limited-time offer. Additional information on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K for L-mount:

• Full-Frame 6K HDR Sensor
• Up to 6K 36 fps Open Gate/4K Anamorphic
• Active Leica L Mount, OLPF Filter
• 13 Stops Dynamic Range
• Dual 400/3200 Native ISOs
• Focus & Iris Control for Select Lenses
• 5" Tilting LCD Touchscreen
• CFexpress Type-B Card Recording
• 3D LUT & L-Mount Metadata Support
• HDMI, USB-C, 2 x Mini-XLR Audio Ports

Blackmagic announced new 6k full-frame cinema camera with L-mount and CFexpress

The post Deal of the day: the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K for L-mount is now 40% off (now only $1,575) appeared first on Photo Rumors.

It seems that the Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 (Bigma) lens is already discontinued:

• Amazon: one is in stock for Canon, the Nikon version is out of stock, and the Sigma version is unavailable
• Adorama: special order
• B&H Photo: currently unavailable
• Camera Canada: no longer listed
• Foto Erhardt: no longer listed
• Calumet: no longer listed
• Wex Photo: special order
• Map camera: product page removed
• Camera Kitamura: no elivery date
• Bic Camera: production completed
• Yodobashi Camera: discontinued

The lens was initially announced in April 2008. The end of an era (the DSLR era).

Via Asobinet

The post The end of an era: the Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 (Bigma) lens is already discontinued appeared first on Photo Rumors.

Here are the latest Rollei 35AF film camera updates (check website):

Auto Mode - the camera assists you in capturing shots effortlessly with AUTO mode:

Built-in Flash - it adjusts the light to suit the distance:

Selfie Button - taking self-portraits and group shots with the selfie button:

OLED Display - perfect for first timers and experienced photographers alike:

The latest Rollei 35AF film camera updates with first sample photos

Additional information on the upcoming Rollei 35AF camera from Mint

Mint to release a new Rollei 35AF compact autofocus 35mm film camera this summer

The post The latest Rollei 35AF film camera updates appeared first on Photo Rumors.

In addition to the already reported 85mm f/1.8 (Sony E) and 27mm f/2.8 (Nikon Z), 7Artisans will also soon announce a new line of HOPE cinema prime lenses (a total of 6 new lenses - 10/16/25/35/50/85mm T2.1):

First pictures of the two new 7Artisans autofocus lenses: 85mm f/1.8 (Sony E) and 27mm f/2.8 (Nikon Z)

Here are the first new lenses announced for the 25th China International Photographic Equipment and Technology Expo (2024 China P&E)

The post 7Artisans to announce a new line of HOPE cinema prime lenses (10/16/25/35/50/85mm T2.1) appeared first on Photo Rumors.

Here is some additional information on the upcoming Canon EOS R1 flagship camera:

The camera combines cutting-edge technology with durability and reliability to exceed the high expectations of professionals in sports, news reporting, and video production. It uses a newly developed DIGIC Accelerator image processor in addition to DIGIC X and, at the heart of it, Canon's newest CMOS sensor. The EOS R1 is capable of high-speed processing and delivers never-before-seen Auto Focus (AF) capability with high-speed and high-accuracy subject recognition. The new image processing system further boosts image quality by using deep learning technology.

• Dual Image Processors - DIGIC Accelerator and DIGIC X
• Newly Canon Developed CMOS Sensor
• Deep Learning Technology & AF Action Priority

Powerful Image Processing System

The EOS R1 is powered by two advanced image processors, DIGIC X and the latest DIGIC Accelerator. Combined with Canon's newly self-developed and produced CMOS sensor, the EOS R1 can process large volumes of data at high speed and deliver never-been-seen advancements in Auto Focus (AF) performance.

Deep Learning Technology

Get exceptional image quality through deep learning technology and the new image processing system. The noise reduction feature, originally developed and improved as part of computer software, is now integrated into the camera. This further improves image quality and allows more creative expression.

High-Speed & High-Accuracy

Experience high-speed and high-accuracy subject recognition made possible with the new image processing system and deep learning technology. Subject tracking will be a breeze with the new AF Action Priority function that recognises subject movement by rapidly analysing the subject's status to help you capture decisive moments.

More Canon EOS R1 flagship camera specifications from Adorama

The upcoming Canon EOS R1 flagship camera: everything you need to know

The post Canon EOS R1 additional information appeared first on Photo Rumors.

The Fujinon XF16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR is Fujifilm's second-generation premium kit zoom, swapping a bit of reach for a wider range at the opposite end. It loses image stabilization but shifts to a lighter, weather-resistant internal zoom design. And, while it loses about half a stop of brightness at the long end, it gains faster focus and the promise of better performance in front of the the 40MP sensor that's now in wide use across the X series.

We got a chance to take a preproduction sample of the lens when Jeff Carlson visited Stockholm, Sweden. Take a look at the performance, shot across a variety of subjects and lighting conditions.

Click here for our Fujinon XF16-50mm F2.8-4.8 R LM WR sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Here are the 2024 Camera Grand Prix award winners:

• Camera of the year: Sony α9 Ⅲ
• Lens of the year: Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena
• Readers award camera: Sony α9 Ⅲ
• Readers award lens: Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena
• Editors award R&D: Fujifilm INSTAX Pal
• Editors award R&D: DJI Osmo Pocket 3
• Editors award technology prize: Nikon Z8 Auto Capture Function
• Editors choice lifetime achievement award: Lambda bags

Camera scores for top 5 models:

1. Sony α9 III: 307 points
2. Nikon Z8: 126 points
3. Nikon Zf: 49 points
4. Fujifilm X100VI: 38 points
5. Canon EOS R8: 37 points

Lens scores for top 5 models:

1. Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena: 169 points
2. Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS: 92 points
3. Canon RF 10-20mm f/4 L IS STM: 65 points
4. Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS | Sports: 58 points
5. Panasonic LUMIX S 100mm f/2.8 MACRO: 53 points

Top 5 awards by brand:

1. Nikon: 3 awards
2. Sony: 2 awards
3. Canon: 2 awards
4. Fuji, Sigma, and Panasonic: 1 award each

More awards and best-selling listings:

Best selling cameras for 2023 at MAP Camera Japan

The best-selling cameras in the top 5 Japanese stores (March 2024)

The 2024 TIPA World Photographer’s Choice Awards are out

The post Nikon dominates the 2024 Camera Grand Prix awards appeared first on Photo Rumors.

Peter Webber to make a film about the Leica Freedom Train

The Verge on the new Ricoh GR III HDF camera: “The printer company, that makes a camera, prints one more edition”

New firmware updates released for the Pentax K-70 and KF cameras

Ricoh has a new patent for a Pentax 14mm f/3.5 APS-C lens for K-mount

Laowa Nanomorph Zoom X-Mount Adapter Now Available

Fujifilm X-T50/GFX100S II Size Comparison With X-T5 and X-T30

Fujifilm Launched its Film Simulation Page

Nextorage NX-F2PRO added to the Nikon approved list of UHS-II SDXC memory cards: Z8, Z6II, Z7II, Z5, Zf, D850, D780

The post What else is new? appeared first on Photo Rumors.

A reader sent me this picture of what appears to be a new Panasonic camera (Lumix S9?) - the only problem with the image is the label "DUMMY" present on several spots - maybe this is not the final version or perhaps this is just a prototype:

See also this very similar compact Panasonic full-frame mirrorless camera with L-mount mockup found on Weibo:

Panasonic already has teasers for a new Lumix camera announcement on May 23:

Update: Panasonic to announce a new Lumix camera on May 22

Both Leica and Panasonic to announce new L-mount cameras in the next few months

Two additional Panasonic cameras registered in Asia

The post New Panasonic Lumix camera announcement next week appeared first on Photo Rumors.

In the last two articles in this series, I wrote about my visits to Andasibe National Park, where I photographed lemurs and chameleons, and Tsingy Rouge National Park, where I saw beautiful erosion-formed formations. This time, I'd like to write about my visit to Kirindy Forest.

A Verreaux's Sifaka, my favorite lemur species in Kirindy, feeding in a tree. The eyes on some of these lemur species are incredible. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 150mm, 1/1000 sec, F6.3, ISO 800

Kirindy Forest (or Kirindy Private Reserve) is a private nature reserve located in the west of Madagascar. The forest is home to a wide variety of animals, from many species of lemurs to fossas (a very weird-looking predator) to geckos and chameleons. Numerous species of plants and trees are also found in the region, the most famous and iconic of which is the baobab tree.

Baobab trees under post-sunset glow. The gaps between the trees made it easier to compose without creating overlap. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6 83mm, 13 sec, F11, ISO 200

From a photographic point of view, Kirindy is nothing less than a paradise and was one of my favorite locations on my month-long Madagascar trip. The wildlife is surprisingly easy to find and photograph (with many highly skilled and cheerful guides available on the premises), the baobabs are easy to get to, and there are comfortable accommodation options close by. The only bad thing is the Wi-Fi connection.

Lemurs are one family of primates Kirindy has no shortage of. There are no less than eight lemur species here, from the tiny Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur (the smallest primate in the world, weighing 30 grams) to red-fronted lemurs, sportive lemurs and sifakas. I photographed all of Kirindy's diurnal species in three days, which shows how easy they are to find with a good guide. As to being easy to photograph, that's a different story.

Red-fronted lemur Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 347mm, 1/125 sec, F5.6, ISO 400

The easiest species to find in Kirindy is the red-fronted lemur. They are small and relatively common, so one could say they're also the least exciting of the local lemur species, but I found them to be very cute and expressive subjects.

Unfortunately due to massive deforestation and climate change, Madagascar's lemurs are losing their ability to migrate and access water. Authorities are trying to help them by giving them water. The red-fronted lemurs are, therefore, much less averse to getting close to humans. I really hope this doesn't hurt them in the long run.

A red-fronted lemur is feeding in a tree. Its interaction with its environment is what makes this image. These animals are cathemeral, meaning that they are active during the day and at night, especially during the full moon. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 403mm, 1/250 sec, F6.3, ISO 800

The interestingly named sportive lemurs appear not to be sportive at all. Most of the time, they rest in the trees to digest the plants they have eaten. But during the mating season, male sportive lemurs have been observed to box with each other, which gave them their unusual name.

This sportive lemur looked like it had one too many drinks the previous night! Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 516 mm, 1/500 sec, F6.3, ISO 1600

The crown jewel of Kirindy's wildlife selection (in my opinion) is the Verreaux's sifaka, a beautiful, medium-sized lemur. Its thick and silky fur is mostly white, other than dark brown patches on the top of the head, face and arms. Like all sifakas, it has a long tail that it uses as a balance when leaping from tree to tree, where they are capable of making remarkable leaps. Distances of 9–10m (30ft) are not uncommon.

A Verreaux's sifaka lemur, beautifully framed between tree branches. Those eyes are to die for! Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, , Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 531mm, 1/320 sec, F6.3, ISO 800

As a rule, the better composed the jumping shots I got, the worse the sharpness was on them. These guys are notoriously hard to catch when jumping. Here's an effort, with the sifaka showing its trademark Superman-style jump. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 150mm, 1/2500 sec, F5.6, ISO 800

Unfortunately, sifakas are very hard to photograph. They tend to stay very high up in the trees, which keeps them both far away and at awkward angles. This forces the photographer to use longer lenses, which becomes surprisingly tiresome when hand-holding the camera. I wanted to shoot at eye level but ended up shooting upward the vast majority of the time. They also just love hopping from tree to tree exactly when a photographer has finally found a good composition.

This sifaka looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. Note the shooting angle is less than optimal here, due to the height of the tree it was sitting on. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 302mm, 1/800 sec, F5.6, ISO 400

As beautiful as they are shy. A lucky eye-level shot. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 421mm, 1/1000 sec, F6.3, ISO 800

My visit to Madagascar was during baby season for lemurs, which was wonderful. I ended up seeing many species carrying very young and impossibly cute baby lemurs, and the sifakas were no different.

Again, the challenge was the distance and their tendency to move around all the time, probably even more so when carrying babies. Unfortunately, about 30% of infants are lost to predators like the fossa, a cat-like mammal, and a smaller number to raptors such as the Madagascar harrier-hawk.

For the first 6-8 weeks, the infant clings to the mother's stomach, but for the following 19 weeks, it clings to her back. During my trip, I saw infants up to 8 weeks old. I guess the signature eyes are there from birth! Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 600mm, 1/500 sec, F6.3, ISO 800

A lucky closer-range, eye-level shot of a baby sifaka in its mother's fur. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 600mm, 1/125 sec, F6.3, ISO 800

I'm not much of a bird photographer, but several beautiful owl species are in Kirindy, and they were relatively easy to find.

Madagascar scops owl Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 516mm, 1/250 sec, F6.3, ISO 400

White-browed owl Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 283mm, 1/160 sec, F5.6, ISO 400

Finally, the Kirindy area was once home to a huge forest of baobabs. Not many remain, but those that are still there are huge and impressive. It was fun photographing a group of baobabs in the late afternoon and early evening, under direct light and during post-sunset glow.

The more baobabs close together in one location, the harder they are to compose, but if you manage to combine multiple elements into one shot in a satisfying way, then perhaps you've achieved something. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 11-24mm 19mm, 1/100 sec, F14, ISO 100

Here, I used the gaps between the foreground trees to frame the background trees. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6 84mm, 0.8 sec, F14, ISO 100

I highly recommend visiting Kirindy Forest if you're interested in Madagascar's wildlife. The concentration of fascinating species and relaxed atmosphere are unmatched.

In the next article in this series, I will write about my journey from Tsingy De Bemaraha National Park to Isalo.

Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveler based in Israel. You can follow Erez's work on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates and to his YouTube channel.

If you'd like to experience and shoot some of the world's most fascinating landscapes with Erez as your guide, take a look at his unique photography workshops in Madagascar, Greenland, the Lofoten Islands, Namibia and Vietnam.

Erez also offers video tutorials discussing his images and explaining how he achieved them.

More in this Series:

• Part 1: Andasibe
• Part 2: Red Tsingy

Selected Articles by Erez Marom:

• Landscape Composition - Balancing the weights
• Lava Frenzy: Shooting Fagradalsfjall Volcano
• Landscape Composition - Separation of Elements
• Parallelism in Landscape Photography
• Black Hole Sun: Shooting the Total Solar Eclipse in Argentina
• Winds of Change: Shooting Changing landscapes
• Landscape Composition - Negative space
• Shooting Kīlauea Volcano, Part 1: How to Melt a Drone
• Whatever It Doesn't Take

The previously reported AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 autofocus full-frame lens for Nikon Z-mount will be officially announced on Monday, May 20th. Here are the details (check the official website for updates):

• Focal length: 85mm
• Aperture range: f/1.8 - f/16
• Field of view: 28.4°
• Minimum focusing distance: 790mm
• 
Lens configuration: 9 elements in 8 groups
• Filter Size: 72mm
• Weight: 626g
• Mount: Nikon Z
• Price:$249
• Eye focus support
• STM stepper motor for quiet autofocus

AstrHori lenses are sold at Amazon, B&H Photo, and the official online store.

AstrHori also has a new 120mm f/2.8 MACRO 2X lens:

Three new products coming soon from AstrHori

The post The AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 autofocus full-frame lens for Nikon Z mount will be announced on Monday (May 20th) appeared first on Photo Rumors.

The first teaser for the Pentax half-frame compact film camera is here:

Here is another related post from Instagram:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by PENTAX Film Photography (@pentax.film.photography)

The new Pentax/Ricoh compact film camera will be announced this summer and will be designed for vertical-position shooting, using a half-size format

Pentax/Ricoh is the only real savior of the film camera

Via PentaxRumors (thanks Mistral75)

The post The first teaser for the Pentax half-frame compact film camera is here appeared first on Photo Rumors.