What’s next?
Multiple new product announcements are expected in May - some will happen as early as next week. Here is a list of some of the rumored cameras and lenses:
The post What’s next? appeared first on Photo Rumors.
Multiple new product announcements are expected in May - some will happen as early as next week. Here is a list of some of the rumored cameras and lenses:
The post What’s next? appeared first on Photo Rumors.
→ The TTartisan AF 56mm f/1.8 lens is now 18% off, other TTartisan products are 5% off.
→ You can get 15% off LensRentals with promo code RUMORS15.
→ Get an extra 10% cash back on select Canon gear with an Amazon Prime card and eligible Prime membership.
Here are the new camera and lens rebates for the month of May
The post Ending soon: TTartisan, LensRentals, and Canon Amazon Prime savings appeared first on Photo Rumors.
Canon is teasing a new product announcement for next week:
Exciting news on the horizon!
Stay tuned next week for the latest announcement from #TeamCanon. pic.twitter.com/UwnHasyzLl
— CanonUSA (@CanonUSA) May 3, 2024
Canonrumors expects new product announcements on May 15th:
May 15 is the day (give or take based on timezone).
— Canon Rumors (@canonrumorsguy) May 3, 2024
Here is what to expect from Canon:
The latest Canon EOS R5 Mark II camera rumored specifications
The post Canon is teasing a new product announcement for next week appeared first on Photo Rumors.
The previously reported Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 lens for Nikon Z-mount will be officially announced on May 7th (check the official Viltrox website for details):
The new lens is already listed for sale in Germany:
Additional pictures:
Viltrox lenses are sold at Adorama, Amazon, B&H, and the Viltrox online store where you can get 8% off with coupon code NIKONRUMORS.
The post The new Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 lens for Nikon Z-mount will be officially announced on May 7th appeared first on Photo Rumors.
This is the VWFNDR Keirin camera concept:
"KEIRIN is a conceptual digital camera designed as a testing ground for exploring new design paradigms, seamlessly integrating hardware and software. It aims to provide an immersive shooting experience focusing on the photographic craft without distractions. Named after the Japanese word keirin 競輪 ー a bike race in a velodrome ー is the perfect name for a concept where hardware and software cycle together." (vwfndr.camera)
"The Keirin is designed around a 60-megapixel full-frame sensor with a 35mm lens. The plan is for the camera to include SSD storage and mobile connectivity so that photos can automatically be saved and backed up to the cloud. VWFNDR has also designed a proprietary magnetic expansion bay — called XPNSNBAY — that uses pogo pins to allow for peripherals like a panoramic optical viewfinder. Another clever accessory is REMOFLSH, a wireless flash unit that directly communicates with the camera’s built-in trigger. " (The Verge)
The post VWFNDR Keirin camera concept appeared first on Photo Rumors.
The Leica APO-TELYT-R 1600mm f/5.6 lens is all over the Internet again
Nikon’s stock surged 10%, the most since 2013 (and other Nikon corporate news)
The new Voigtlander NOKTON 75mm f/1.5 Aspherical lens for Nikon Z-mount will be released on May 15
LT: Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports Review – Optically Outstanding
The post What else is new? appeared first on Photo Rumors.
We've been pretty busy testing cameras over the past few weeks, and these days, camera testing usually includes shooting video samples to evaluate video quality.
You can find these samples in our recent or upcoming camera reviews, but here's a quick roundup of video test reels we've shot recently for those who may have missed them.
Sony's a9 III is the first mirrorless camera to feature a global shutter, which is exciting to many videographers. But what about video quality? Check out this sample reel by former DPReview editor Carey Rose to see how it performs.
Fujifilm announced the much-anticipated X100VI rangefinder-style camera at an event in February. DPReview editor Richard Butler was present at the camera's launch in Japan and shared this overview of the camera from the streets of Tokyo.
The Panasonic S5II landed on our doorstep just as we learned of our parent company's intention to close DPReview in 2023, and we've been looking for an opportunity to shoehorn it back into our testing calendar ever since we joined Gear Patrol last summer. The good news: we finally managed to block out time to finish our review of the camera.
For this video test reel, shot with the S5IIX, editor Dale Baskin picked a maritime theme and took the camera to Seattle's Lake Washington Ship Canal, Fisherman's Terminal and Ballard Locks to capture samples in a variety of of settings.
The long-awaited Panasonic G9 II is an impressive camera for both stills and video. Former editor Jeff Keller, who still writes for DPReview and authored our Panasonic G9 II review, took the camera to the Bloedel Reserve, a forest garden near Seattle, to capture this video reel.
The Nikon Zf may look like a film camera from the 1980s, but it's a capable video tool. For this sample video, Richard Butler followed a friend on a ferry trip across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island to visit a favorite haunt for fish and chips.
Westcott released five new FJ80 II/SE M/S speedlight models that work with most camera systems for TTL and high-speed sync up to 20 fps. The FJ80 II M model has advanced wireless controls and can wirelessly control the FJ80-SE M. See the full details at Adorama and B&H Photo.
Additional informtion:
Via FujiAddict
The post New Westcott FJ80 II/SE M/S speedlights released appeared first on Photo Rumors.
Topaz Labs has a new logo, redesigned website, and released several new software updates:
Luminar Neo Spring update version 1.19.0 is now officially released (see pricing) with new technologies like Water Enhancer AI, Twilight Enhancer AI, new masking tools for Luminosity and Object Selection, Batch processing in HDR Merge, and a brand new interface:
The DxO PhotoLab 7.6, 20% off deal is ending in 3 days.
The post New releases: Topaz Photo AI 3.0.1, Video AI 5.0.3, Gigapixel 7.1.3, Luminar Neo 1.19.0 + DxO PhotoLab sale appeared first on Photo Rumors.
Venus Optics released several new Laowa lenses for XCD and DL mount:
The new lenses should already be listed for sale at the official Laowa online store and at Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Erhardt, WEX.
Additional information:
New DL Mount for the Laowa 11mm f/4.5 FF RL & 14mm f/4 FF RL Zero-D and XCD mount for 3 medium format lenses
Anhui China, May 5, 2024 – Venus Optics, a pioneer in producing unique photo and cine lenses, announced today the addition of the DL mount for their ultra-wide 11mm f/4.5 FF RL and 14mm f/4 FF RL Zero-D full frame lens. Both lenses are super compact and lightweight, but still being able to deliver sharp image quality and well-controlled distortion performance, making them the ideal options for extraordinary wide drone shots.
The 11mm f/4.5 weighs only 206g with a Ø62mm filter thread and the 14mm weighs 186g with a Ø52mm filter thread. The lenses reduce the payload of the setup and thus improve the overall stability with advanced user experience. They are the ultimate professional full-frame prime lenses for FPV and drone pilots.
Additional XCD mounts for other Laowa lenses are also announced for 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift, 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift and 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D.
Both 11mm and 14mm lenses deliver an incredibly wide perspective, dynamic landscapes and enormous skyscrapers can be seen and captured with ease. Featuring a 126° angle of view, this new 11mm f/4.5 is the world’s widest rectilinear full-frame lens for DL users. The lens opens up a new dimension for creative landscape and cityscape drone shots.
Extremely Compact & Lightweight
The 11mm f/4.5 weighs 206g and the 14mm f/4 weighs 186g only. The lenses are tiny for mounting on drones, keeping a low-level flight shake when flying in the air and delivering stabilized footage at ease.
Built-in Filter Thread
Both lenses have a filter thread to provide user benefits to drone pilots. They can screw in the ND filters conveniently in different light conditions without extra filter holders, which also reduces the payloads of the drone.
Superb Image Quality
Despite the compact size of the lenses, the 11mm f/4.5 and 14mm f/4 produce excellent sharpness and contrast, ensuring high-quality aerial imagery for demanding shooting. Designed with optical excellence, purple fringing and chromatic aberration are well suppressed.
Pricing & Availability
The new DL and XCD mount lenses are available to purchase via Venus Optics official website and authorized resellers.
The US price for Laowa 11mm f/4.5 FF RL in DJI DL mount is USD549 and Laowa 14mm f/4 FF RL in DJI DL mount is USD449. Pricing varies in different countries.
The US price for Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift is USD1,199, Laowa 20mm f/4 Zero-D Shift is USD1,099 and Laowa 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D is USD999. Pricing varies in different countries.
Here are the new camera and lens rebates for the month of May
The post Venus Optics released several new Laowa lenses for XCD and DL mount appeared first on Photo Rumors.
Fujifilm has issued a series of firmware updates for its GFX100 II, X-T5, X-H2, X-H2S and X100VI.
All five cameras gain some bug fixes and the ability to upload Raw files using the Xapp smartphone app, along with promises of more consistent Wi-Fi connections.
The X-H2S, X-H2 and X-T5 gain more, though, with the addition of AF tracking and the ability to tap-to-track in movie mode. The company also promises improved stills AF performance, with AF tracking less likely to lose focus.
They also gain the ability to upload files directly to the Frame.io platform (the X-H cameras previously required the File Transmitter FT-XH accessory grip.
Firmware can be downloaded from your local Fujifilm website or via Xapp.
The Sony a9 III gains some features promised at launch, including the ability to use its full shutter speed range when shooting 120 fps bursts. Photo: Richard Butler |
Sony has released the promised firmware v2.0 for the a9 III, adding a series of features including the ability to use the camera's full shutter speed range when shooting at 120fps.
It's also re-released an updated version of the firmware for the a1, which it announced in March and then withdrew. Firmware v2.01 fixes a networking bug that was present in firmware v2.00.
Firmware for both cameras can be downloaded from your local Sony support website.
The company has also started selling the paid-for licenses that allow users of the a7 IV, a1, a9 III and a7S III to install custom grid-line displays on their cameras. The feature is aimed at professional photographers who produce large volumes of photos and need a high level of consistency between shots to speed-up their workflow. The $150 license fee can be paid at Sony's professional products website.
Nikon has released a series of firmware updates this month, including ones for the Z5, Z8, D7500 and D850. These primarily resolve a minor bug relating to the handling of Wi-Fi passwords when the cameras are reset.
Zf owners gain a more extensive series of bug fixes, with firmware v1.20 ensuring details such as consistent white balance in images shot in pixel shift mode.
These updates can be downloaded from the Nikon website for your region, or via the Snapbridge app.
OM System has issued firmware updates for its OM-5, OM-1 and OM-1 II models. The firmware for all three offers bug fixes, with the OM-1 models also gaining the ability to choose which security protocol is used to communicate with smartphones. This lets you force the camera to use WPA2 if the WPA3/WPA2 option isn't working.
Updates can be downloaded from OM System's website.
Panasonic's Lumix DC-S5II and S5IIX received updates adding camera-to-cloud connectivity, some additional subject recognition modes and pre-burst shooting.
Coincidentally, Panasonic North American has also released a paid-for firmware option for professionals generating high volumes of images. This can integrate with several workflow tools and Panasonic's own barcode/QR code scanner and also offers framing masks to aid consistent composition. This $199 upgrade is available now.
We've searched around for firmware updates but if there are any significant ones we've missed, please let us know in the comments.
May 11 is World Migratory Bird Day, and we want to see your best bird images! Take part in the official DPReview Editor's Challenges for your chance to have your work featured on our homepage, in articles and galleries. We may even reach out to interview you about your work!
You don't need to take your pictures on May 11. Anytime starting today is okay. Just be sure to submit your best work by May 16.
DPReview editors will review every photo you upload to an Editors' Challenge. We'll publish our favorites in a gallery and celebrate your work with our peers.
If you miss participating in this one, please look out for our next editors' challenge. We have many DPReview Editor's Challenges planned for our 25th anniversary; you can even leave a comment to suggest our next theme.
Enter your photos and read all the rules
Processing rules:
Here are the new camera and lens rebates for the month of May:
New Nikon rebates now live in the US (Nikon Z8 now $500 off)
Also new for May: get a $500 trade-in bonus towards the purchase of a new Nikon Z9 camera
The post Here are the new camera and lens rebates for the month of May appeared first on Photo Rumors.
Viltrox is expected to announce 7 new lenses for Sony E-mount:
Additional information on the upcoming Viltrox lenses can be found here:
Viltrox lenses are sold at Adorama, Amazon, B&H, and the Viltrox online store where you can get 8% off with coupon code NIKONRUMORS.
Via SonyAddict
The post Viltrox to announce 7 new lenses for Sony E-mount appeared first on Photo Rumors.
The Fujifilm X100VI is a photographers' fixed-lens camera that combines a stabilized 40MP APS-C sensor with a 35mm equivalent F2 lens.
The X100VI is available now at an MSRP of $1599, a $200 increase over the previous models. Despite demand initially outstripping supply, the backlog does appear to be easing, somewhat.
Buy now:
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The biggest change in the X100VI is the addition of in-body image stabilization.
Interestingly, Fujfilm says the IS performance drops from 6.0EV of correction to 5.5EV of correction if you use the viewfinder in optical mode. The company has not given any insight into why this is the case.
The X100VI also sees a move to the 40MP BSI CMOS sensor used in the X-H2 and X-T5. It's a sensor that delivers high levels of detail capture, and from what we've shot so far, we don't have much concern about the lens's ability to make the most of this resolution bump.
The VI also features Fujifilm's X Processor V, that brings with it the machine-learning trained subject recognition algorithms. This means the X100VI has modes to recognize animals, birds, automobiles, motorcycles and bikes, airplanes or trains. As with other recent Fujifilm cameras, human face and eye detection is a separate mode, so you'll need to configure two buttons or positions on the Q Menu if you plan to swap between photographing people and a different subject type.
The X100VI gains the Reala ACE film simulation first seen in the GFX 100 II. Alongside this are added the Nostalgic Neg and Eterna Bleach Bypass simulations, taking the total number to 14 simulated filmstocks or 20 if you include the faux-color-filtered variations of the mono modes.
This is a lot to choose from, even for experimenting with them after the fact, using in-camera Raw conversion. For the most part, the options available represent film responses that you might actually choose to use, but the distinction between some modes is becoming quite subtle, and there's a balance between providing useful options and feature-bloat.
The X100VI becomes Fuijfilm's first camera to support the camera-to-cloud (c-2-c) system using its built-in Wi-Fi. This comes in addition to the usual Wi-Fi-to-smartphone options. It lets you pair the camera with a Wi-Fi network and then have the camera upload images and video directly to Adobe's Frame.io cloud-based collaboration platform. We found it was easy to set up and gives the option to auto upload files as they're created or to let you manually select the ones you wish to upload. You can select specific file types, too, so that it only uploads video or JPEGs, or just Raws or HEIFs, as you prefer.
The X100 series has always offered video to some degree, but we've not heard of a lot of people making use of that capability. The X100VI offers essentially the same options as the X-T5 (itself not the company's most video-focused model), so you gain 10-bit recording, 6.2K capture from a 1.23x (43mm equiv) cropped region or 'HQ' 4K derived from this footage. This exhibits appreciable rolling shutter. Alternatively, there's sub-sampled 4K at up to 30p from the sensor's full with or at up to 60p with a 1.14x crop.
Like the recent GFX 100 II, the X100VI now has AF tracking in video mode, and this isn't restricted to the subjects it's been trained to recognize.
The X100VI has a mic input and can use its USB-C socket for audio monitoring, though, unlike the X-T5, no USB-to-3.5mm adapter is provided.
It's interesting to note that many movie mode settings are now accessible only when the camera is in Movie drive mode. This way, there's only a single page of basic video functions in the menu when you're shooting stills.
In addition to updating some of the camera's main specs, the X100VI also inherits many of the smaller refinements and updates that Fujifilm has developed in the four years since the last model was released. These include:
The X100VI is 2mm deeper than the existing X100V, and 43g heavier. In practice, neither of these changes is especially noticeable. The camera still doesn't feel overly heavy.
The body's dimensions are similar enough to still fit in the existing LC-X100V leather camera case. It's also still compatible with the existing tele and wide-angle converter lenses. It uses the same lens as the previous model, so you can weather-seal the camera if you add the filter ring adapter and a filter of some sort.
The rear screen on the X100VI is a refinement of the tilting touchscreen on the previous model. It now tilts down a little further (45° rather than 30°) and pulls away from the body and viewfinder a little when tilted up for waist-level shooting. It's a small change, but a welcome one.
The control layout is identical to the previous model, with dedicated controls for aperture, shutter speed, exposure comp and ISO (albeit an ISO control that's fiddly to the point of primarily being decorative). As with previous models and many historic film cameras, the exposure mode is dictated by the position of the dedicated dials. Essentially you turn the dial to 'A' if you want the camera to control that value:
Manual | Aperture Priority | Shutter Priority | Program | |
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Aperture ring setting | F-number | F-number | A | A |
Shutter speed dial setting | Shutter speed | A | Shutter speed | A |
Exposure compensation is available in all modes, including Manual, if you have Auto ISO selected. And, since the shutter speed dial only has whole-stop steps, you can use a command dial to give you 1/3rd stop precision, ±2/3 EV from the value selected on the dial.
In addition, there are two pressable command dials on the front and back of the camera, which can have a series of functions applied to them if the dedicated controls aren't being used.
By default, the camera's front clickable dial is set to control aperture, ISO and exposure comp (with a click of the dial cycling between the options). However, it doesn't actually let you control any of these things unless you consciously hand off control from the dedicated dials first.
This is where things get a little complicated: the exposure comp and ISO dials have dedicated 'C' positions to pass control over to the command dials. The shutter speed dial doesn't have a C position, so instead should be turned to its 'T' (Time) setting. The aperture ring doesn't have a C position but its 'A' (Auto) position can be reconfigured to act as 'C', via the menus. This may not be obvious, given the ISO dial has both an A and a C position, but this is where the X100 series development has brought us to.
We find it hard to imagine many people are assigning three settings to the command dials, and hence needing the pressable dials to make their function toggleable, but for most permutations we can anticipate, we think you can configure them only to the functions you want to control, so at least you won't accidentally press the dial and adjust anything unexpected.
Disappointingly, if you set ISO to 'A' you can't use a command dial to select between the three Auto ISO presets that you can configure. For that you'll need to select 'C' and be careful not to scroll the command dial too far and disengage Auto ISO altogether.
The X100VI has the same hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder as its immediate predecessor. This has three modes: fully electronic, fully optical and optical with an inset electronic display.
As with all viewfinders that are offset from the lens and sensor, the optical finder is affected by parallax: when focused at infinity, the difference in position between the lens and viewfinder is irrelevant, but it becomes increasingly important as the focus distance decreases. Not only does the framing of the photo diverge at closer focus distances, the position of the AF points effectively moves down and to the right as you focus on closer subjects.
The X100VI finder includes the improvements made in firmware 2.0 for the X100V. A 'Corrected AF point' option (AF/MF Settings pg 3) displays a bracketed indicator in the OVF, showing where your AF point will move to if you focus close to the camera. Another menu option, 'Bright Frame Position Memory' (Setup/Screen Setup pg 1) lets you decide if you want the AF box to revert to infinity after each shot or stay at the correct position for the last time you focused. Between these two options, you should be able to get the OVF to work the way you're most comfortable with.
A quick note on the tab at the bottom right-hand corner of the OVF, which can be popped-up to have an electronic display projected onto it. In MF and AF-S modes, its default behavior is to show a magnified view of your chosen AF point, and you can press the rear dial to change the magnification. In AF-C mode, it simply shows the entire scene, so it isn't terribly useful.
The X100VI uses the same NP-W126S battery as the previous few X100 models. It's an 8.2Wh unit from which the camera is rated to deliver 450 shots per charge using the optical viewfinder or 310 shots if you use the EVF. The usual caveats come into play: in many shooting scenarios you can expect to get around double this number.
As you'd expect of a modern camera, you can charge the battery in the camera using a USB-C cable. As is becoming increasingly common, no offboard charger is supplied in the box to avoid electronic waste.
Buy now:
As part of the work on our review of the Fujifilm X100VI, we've shot and processed our standard studio test images with the camera.
Given the camera is based on a sensor we've seen before, there are few surprises in terms of its performance. It produces more detail than the 26MP sensor in the X100V, though perhaps not to the degree you'd expect of its 24% increase in linear resolution. Inevitably it shows more noise at the pixel level than lower-res sensors, but is comparable when viewed at the same output size, up until the very highest ISO settings.
The studio scene is not intended as a lens test: we typically use very high-performance lenses at an aperture that delivers high levels of cross-frame consistency with little risk of diffraction limiting the performance. However, with the X100VI, we have no choice but to use the built-in lens.
The 35mm equiv field of view means we have to move much closer to the target but this is still at over 40x focal length, so isn't especially close-up. An aperture value of F5.6 means the test isn't as aggressive as it could be.
And the X100VI's lens appears to acquit itself well in these circumstances. In the JPEGs it's comparably detailed near the center as the X-H2's results, using the 56mm F1.2 R lens we use for X-series ILCs (though the X100VI is possibly having to apply more sharpening to deliver this result). Things get a little softer towards the corners and exhibit some (easily corrected) lateral chromatic aberration and a degree of vignetting in the Raw conversion. For a lens that's as compact as it is, it appears to be doing a good job in front of a high-resolution sensor.
As with all the other 40MP X-Trans cameras, the Adobe Camera Raw conversion isn't showing the same levels of contrast or sharpening that the camera's own JPEGs do, so it's worth downloading the Raw files to see whether your preferred software and processing workflow produce results you're happier with. But overall, we feel it does well.
Most importantly, we have found it to show really good (though perhaps not outstanding) results in real-world shooting, which tends to be a lot less demanding than a highly detailed chart that allows side-by-side comparison with some of the best lens/sensor combinations money can buy. It's not especially sharp when used wide-open at close distances, but have a look through the real-world images and I doubt you'll find yourself disappointed.
Autofocus is one of the most expanded areas of the X100VI and yet, somewhat paradoxically, one of the least changed.
The X100VI gains the subject recognition system first introduced in the X-H2S. It's been trained to recognize your choice of subjects. This is guided by the underlying AF controls, so you can still select anything from a single, variable-size AF point, via customizable AF zones up to the whole image area, and the camera will focus on the recognized subject nearest your specified area. In AF-C mode, there's also an AF tracking mode that gives a mid-sized AF point that will then follow the selected subject around the frame if they move.
As mentioned earlier, subject recognition is a distinct series of settings from human face/eye detection, so you'll need to configure two of the camera's scarce custom buttons if you wish to regularly swap from face/eye detection to and from one of the subject detection modes.
Subject detection and eye detection do not work when you are using the optical viewfinder, where you have only a single AF point size. AF tracking (without subject recognition) is available, though. This means you lose most of the camera's more advanced focus capabilities if you try to use one of its defining features.
However, while subject recognition works very well at identifying subjects, the X100VI's heavy, unit-focus lens can't move quickly enough to sensibly maintain focus on moving targets. So, despite its interface being very similar to cameras such as the X-H2S, its AF system as a whole is much, much less effective.
While subject recognition makes it slightly easier and quicker to focus on an animal or bird in your image, it doesn't particularly improve the likelihood of you getting your shot if your subject moves. That's not primarily what this camera is for, but means these detection modes are less valuable than on, say, the X-H2S.
As with the X100 cameras that came before it, you're better off learning to pre-focus and anticipate movement than you are to place too much faith in continuous AF.
The X100VI is a little faster to focus than most of its predecessors, but it's still very much a camera where you work around its AF system's performance, rather than depending on it.
The X100VI offers essentially the same video features as the X-T5, which means footage at up to 6.2K at up to 30p from a 1.23x crop of the sensor, line-skipped 4K at up to 30p from the full-width of the sensor, 4K 50 or 60p from a 1.14x crop or a high-quality 4K mode at up to 30p derived from the cropped 6.2K footage. The main limitation being that the camera's older UHS-I card slot limits bitrates to a maximum of 200Mbps, lower than the X-T5's highest quality settings.
As with the X-T5, each mode is a trade-off between detail, rolling shutter and the need to crop: which not only means more noise but on a fixed focal length lens also dictates a new angle-of-view.
Fujifilm X100VI | Equivalent focal length* | |
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6.2K | 1.23x (native) crop / 24.9ms | ∼45mm equiv |
4K (HQ) | 1.23x crop / 24.9ms | ∼45mm equiv |
4K 60p (sub-sampled) | 1.14x crop / 13.5ms | ∼42mm equiv |
4K (sub-sampled) | Full width / 15.3ms | ∼37mm equiv |
The line-skipped standard 4K footage won't stand up to intense pixel peeping and will be more prone to moiré and noise than a low-res sensor that can read out all its pixels suitably quickly, but for most applications, it looks pretty good.
Our notes about AF not being the fastest mean we would tend to use the AF on the X100VI only for slow focus pulls, rather than trying to rapidly refocusing to stick on a subject but the newly-added tap-to-track system is pretty good at sticking on your intended subject. The camera's IS is also a significant bonus, and can be combined with some digital correction (with, necessarily, an additional crop) to further smooth things out. And the ability to use the camera's ND filter when shooting video can be handy, too.
If you're really determined to shoot with the X100VI, you can use a USB-C dongle to connect some headphones for audio monitoring and an adapter to connect a mic to the 2.5mm socket, but we feel there are probably better (and probably less expensive) platforms if video projects are your thing.
The X100VI is the first Fujifilm camera to be able to upload photos and video directly to Adobe's Frame.io platform. This is primarily a collaboration platform, originally designed for video production. And, while there certainly are workflows for situations such as wedding photography, where constantly uploading files so that an off-site editor can get to work immediately, it's also worth considering as a simple way of uploading your photos if you don't have the time or skills to set up your own SFTP site.
For now, at least, Frame.io has a free service that gives up to two people access and allows you to upload 2GB of files. This may be useful to a lot of people who want to automatically offload their latest photos after a shoot, as an alternative to using Xapp to transfer low-res or small batches of images to a phone.
What we like | What we don't |
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The X100VI is, as you might expect, an iterative update to the much-loved series of cameras. The higher-res sensor and image stabilization, along with some other little tweaks make it the best yet.
By now you probably know if you're the target audience. If you find yourself wondering whether it makes more sense to buy a mirrorless camera, for the flexibility of interchangeable lenses, or find that its looks prompt the words 'Hipster' or 'TikTok' to spring to mind, then this isn't the camera for you.
From a glass half-empty position, it's a camera of compromise. Its autofocus, while the best performing and most useable of the series yet, is a world away from the best contemporary mirrorless cameras. Its (tiny) lens isn't quite as sharp or as edge-to-edge consistent as a top-notch 35mm equiv could be. And, fundamentally, it's a camera whose fixed lens places limitations on your photography.
But I found the experience to be refreshing. A camera that just tries to be one thing makes you focus on the thing it does. Even though the OVF isn't actually especially practical, it helps the camera feel distinctive and special. And for all that it's possible to worry about the corner performance of the lens, I regularly find myself looking back at the JPEGs thinking: 'that looks great.'
As a reviewer, tasked with investigating its every feature and control point, I found myself wondering if borrowing too much from other X-series models has detracted from its purity of focus, but I also found that I soon enough just ignored all the stuff I didn't want to use and got on with shooting.
As with previous X100 models, it's probably a camera you choose with your heart, not your head. But if you go into it with that knowledge, the X100VI might just help remind you of how much fun photography can be.
Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.
Fujifilm X100VI Category: Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact Camera |
Build quality Ergonomics & handling Features Metering & focus accuracy Image quality (raw) Image quality (jpeg) Low light / high ISO performance Viewfinder / screen rating Optics Performance Movie / video mode Connectivity Value | PoorExcellent | ||||
Conclusion The X100VI is designed to give a specific photographic experience and excels at it. Its styling communicates both what it is and isn't, and this will (and should) attract or repel you accordingly. If you want a beautiful, limiting, nonsensical photo tool that will help document your life in better-than-reality color, then meet your perfect companion. It has its foibles: you may never notice or care. | |||||
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We've already looked at the differences between the X100VI and the Ricoh GR IIIx in some detail but, perhaps unsurprisingly, it's mainly a question of whether you want the classic looks and hybrid viewfinder experience of the Fujifilm or the neat pocketability of the GR. The Fujifilm wins hands-down in video, for what that's worth. The X100VI also has the edge in terms of JPEG output, we feel, but ultimately we think the underlying design concept of each camera, rather than any aspect of performance, will decide this one.
The X100VI's closest competitor is arguably its predecessor, especially now they're starting to appear on the second-hand market at less inflated prices. The 40MP sensor of the X100VI doesn't offer a devastating increase in quality, nor does the addition of image stabilization definitively seal the deal. Likewise, we could live without the Reala ACE film simulation and subject recognition modes, if we had to. But collectively they, and details such as camera-to-cloud and seemingly improved Bluetooth and Wi-Fi reliability just keep nudging the needle further towards the new camera.
So what about a mirrorless camera with a 35mm-equiv lens? Sony's a6700, for example, is pretty small, has an electronic viewfinder and a decent choice of lenses (including options such as 85mm-equiv primes that the Fujifilm can't match). It also offers both autofocus and video that significantly outperform the X100VI, making it vastly more flexible. But within the bounds of what it's trying to be, the X100VI offers a more coherent, consistent and distinctive user experience than a mirrorless camera does, and a hybrid viewfinder that can set this experience apart. We think both approaches can be very good, but they're terrible substitutes for one another.
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.
For the review gallery we've primarily shot using the new Reala ACE profile, which offers a fairly subtle color response with less contrasty shadows. The Film Simulation used for each image is indicated.
Here are the latest lens discounts:
The post The latest lens discounts from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Tamron, Sigma, Tokina, Fujinon, Samyang, and Voigtlander appeared first on Photo Rumors.
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Here is the second leaked picture of the upcoming Fujifilm X-T50 camera - the official announcement is expected on May 16, 2024:
The Fujifilm X-T50 camera will be announced alongside the Fujinon XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 kit lens:
Fujifilm XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 R LM WR lens confirmed and other Fuji related updates
The first leaked picture of the Fujifilm X-T50 camera can be found here:
Visit the official Fujifilm Store on Amazon.
Via camerainsider
The post Second leaked picture of the upcoming Fujifilm X-T50 camera appeared first on Photo Rumors.
The Viltrox AF 40mm F2.5 Z is a full-frame lens for Nikon Z-mount cameras. The lightweight prime lens provides a normal field of view, roughly approximating the perspective of human vision.
We put the AF 40mm F2.5 on a Nikon Z7 and captured photos from rain-soaked Seattle to the sunny high desert of central Oregon, in a variety of lighting conditions. Check out our sample gallery to get a better idea of how this lens performs in the field.