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Photography News Issue 29 absolutephoto.com
News
Olympus go retro with PEN-F Under its stylish, iconic shell beats a heart bursting with the very latest technology. The PEN-F is the most powerful OM-D camera to date with a 20-megapixel resolution and much, much more
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The Olympus OM-D system goes from strength to strength and the latest weapon in its armoury is the PEN-F. This beautifully designed Micro Four Thirds CSCboaststhehighestresolutionyetseenonanOlympus camera and the Live MOS sensor delivers 20-megapixel images. Use Olympus’s High Res shot mode and you get 50-megapixel JPEG images and even bigger Raws. The sensor has no optical low-pass filter so you get the very best possible quality from the sensor and the range of high-spec M.Zuiko lenses. Olympus says that there is a 25% increase in image quality by doing away with the optical low-pass filter. Image quality is also assisted by Olympus’s renowned five-axis image stabilisation system that offers a benefit of up to 5EV. An EVF featuring a 2.36 million dot LED provides a beautifully clear viewing image and is placed to give a rangefinder shooting feel. Focus peaking and image
magnification of 0.62x enhance the overall experience. A vari-angle monitor is also provided so it’s perfect for shooting at unusual angles when you are looking for the best viewpoint. The touchscreen also gives access to point focusing for fast shooting. And speaking of fast shooting, the PEN-F can blitz through frames at 10fps. The PEN-F has a Creative dial to give quick access to Olympus’s integrated Art filters, as well as the new Color Profile and the Monochrome Profile controls. These profiles let you tailor the look of your shots with three presets. Color Profile lets you adjust the saturation of 12 colours to 11 different levels. The PEN-F body retails at £999.99; with the M.Zuiko ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ pancake lens kit it’s £1099.99 or with the 17mm f/1.8 it’s £1199.99.
olympus.co.uk
Sony goes all out for speed Sony’s latest mirrorless CSC boasts the world’s fastest AF speed using a system with the highest number of AF points
The SonyA6300 is a 24.2-megapixel APS-C format mirrorless CSC with focus achieved using the company’s 4D focus system that can lock onto a subject in just 0.05sec – claimed to be the world’s fastest autofocus acquisition time. TheAFsystemuses425AFpoints that cover the entire image area and Sony’s Fast Hybrid systemcombines high-speed phase-detection AF and contrast AF to capture and lock onto moving subjects very rapidly. The AF can activate a large number of sensors surrounding the subject and then intelligently adjust them to cope with the subject’s motion to give sharp results even with small subjects within the frame. The capable focusing system helps the camera shoot at 11 frames- per-second with continuous AF and exposure tracking. Continuous shooting in live view is possible at eight frames-per-second if you prefer to track with the monitor. The EVF is a high resolution XGA OLED Tru-finder with 2.4 million dots and a fast refresh mode works at 120fps making tracking subjects more SLR-like. The APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor works with the BIONZ X image processing engine and picture quality through the entire ISO range of 100-51,200 is said to be outstanding. This has been assisted
by the new sensor using copper wiring to improve light gathering efficiency and operating speed. There is no confirmed UK price at the time of writing, but the A6300 will retail in Europe fromMarch at a body price of €1250 and €1650 with the 16-50mm zoom. Sony has also introduced a new flagship lens family, the G Master series, with three lenses: 24-70mm f/2.8, 85mm f/1.4 and 70-200mm f/2.8. Very high optical quality, beautiful bokeh and dust/moisture resistance are key qualities of all three. The trio also feature Sony’s Super Sonic Wave motor that offers smooth and quiet AF. Prices and availability aren’t all confirmed, but the 24-70mm is due to sell in Europe for €2400 and the 85mm for €2000.
And then therewere five
Two lenses have been announced in the Samyang XEEN video lens series, the 14mm T3.1 and 35mm T1.5. This duo joins the 24mm T1.5, 50mm T1.5 and 85mm T1.5, thus making a five-lens set for the keen video maker. XEEN lensesworkwith full-frame aswell as Super 35, APS-C andAPS-H formats and are available inPL, EF, F, E and Micro Four Thirds fittings. Depending on how you prefer to work there’s even the option of metric or imperial focusing scales.
The 35mm’s fast T1.5 maximum aperture is ideal for less than perfect lighting conditions and when shallow depth-of-field is needed. Optical quality from both lenses, as you would expect from Samyang, is high, with X-Coating technology helping in this regard. And both lenses suit 4K shooting. The 14mm and 35mm costs £1599 each and will be available from early March.
intro2020.co.uk
sony.co.uk
Voting for the Photography News 2015 Awards closes 24 February so hurry if you want to register your views on what you consider to be the Best CSC, Best lens and Best Mains flash unit. There are 47 product and service categories in total and you can register your vote in every one or just cherry- pick categories that interest you. There is a category for everyone and everything including best retailer, insurance provider as well as hardware categories. Everyone who votes is eligible for a prize draw with a case of wine going to one lucky voter picked at random. Vote at absolutephoto.com. Last chance to vote
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