Photography News Issue 30 absolutephoto.com
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News
Sensational Sigma
Sigma has announced a whole raft of exciting new products including cameras and lenses. There are two interchangeable lens cameras featuring Sigma’s X3 Foveon sensor. The sd Quattro features an APS-C sensor with 39-megapixel resolution, while the sd Quattro H features an APS-H sensor measuring 26.6x17.9mm for a resolution of 51 megapixels. The lens mount on both cameras is Sigma SA for which the company has a very wide range of lenses available. Foveon sensors are different from others on the market. A Foveon sensor has three layers – blue, red, green – of photodiodes so all visible light is captured at every pixel site for the truest colour reproduction. This means the way of determining resolution is different from other sensors. So with the sd Quattro the top layer has 19.5 megapixels and that is equivalent to 39 megapixels in total. With the sd Quattro H, the top layer has 25.5 megapixels, 51 megapixels in total. Sigma’s Dual TRUE III processor is designed to handle the large amount of information coming from the sensor without any data loss. Both cameras have a Super-Fine Detail exposure mode where the camera (on a tripod) makes seven exposures with one push of the shutter button to give an X3I Raw file for maximum information from the scene. Sigma’s dedicated software is needed to process Raws from the Foveon sensor.
Prices and availability of both sd Quattros were not available at the time of writing. Sigma’s additions to its lens range include the 30mm f/1.4 DC DN and the 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM. The 30mm f/1.4 DC DN is a standard lens for Micro Four Thirds and Sony E mount cameras and price is expected to be around £240 when it becomes available later in March. It’s a fast aperture lens with swift and smooth AF and optical quality is said to be comparable to Sigma top-end Art lenses. In the Art range is the 50-100mm f/1.8DCHSM. Full- frame compatible, it offers a constant f/1.8 throughout the zoom range, which is very useful for low-light work and when shallow depth-of-field is desired. With exotic glass used in its construction we would expect optical quality to be very good. It will be available for Canon, Nikon and Sigma. Availability hasn't been announced yet, but the anticipated street price is £780. The Mount Converter MC-11 lets you mount EOS and Sigma SA mount interchangeable lenses onto Sony E camera bodies. Expected street price is £80. The final new product from Sigma is the EF-630 flashgun, a dedicated, highly featured flash unit with TTL flash, autozoom and high-speed sync capability. No price or availability has been announced yet.
sigma-imaging-uk.com
A nice pair fromTamron
David Parry,
Canon UK
“The EOS 80D sits slap bang in the middle of our DSLR line-up. It’s a great step-up from our 650D and 75OD cameras and it’s also a great second body for users of the EOS 7D Mark II, for instance, who want a lighter, smaller body. “This market sector is hugely important not just for Canon but for the whole photographic industry because it is at this stage that people get enthralled in photography and start buying lenses, accessories and getting more creative. The EOS 80D is ideal for those want to expand their photography and push the boundaries of what they shoot, with a great AF system, very good low-light capabilities, using the movie mode and so on. It will encourage people to enjoy their photography. “The AF is one of the camera’s highlights. It has 45 AF points, all cross-type and to have a similar system to the EOS IV of a few years ago on a product of this level is just incredible. “The 24-megapixel sensor is brand new, featuring improved dual pixel CMOS AF sensors which will work with all lenses – previously it was only with lenses after 2009. “The 18-135mm has nano USM technology and sits alongside our USM and STM lenses. Basically it lets you shoot movies very smoothly and is fast enough for high-speed stills shooting too where STM is less good. “Canon will be at this year’s The Photography Show so visitors can get their hands on the EOS 80D as well as its other new DSLR, the EOS-1D X Mark II, please come along and have a look.” Canon will be on stands D141 and E131 at The Photography Show.
Tamron announced two lenses, one a world’s first, the other a classic re-invented. Let’s start with the 30-year old classic, the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro. The latest version has gained Tamron’s proprietary Vibration Compensation (VC) shake reduction system with XY-Shift compensation for hand- holding success with an effective +3.5EV benefit. The USD autofocus motor provides fast, near-silent and accurate focusing for close-up distances as well as at infinity. This lens now sports a moisture- proof and dust-resistant construction. The front element has a fluorine coat to keep the front element condensation free and make it easier to clean. The SP 90mm f/2.8 VC USD is also Tamron’s first lens with user-updateable firmware and
the ability to customise lens preferences via USB. Priced at £580, it is available in Canon and Nikon fittings now; a Sony fit while follow later. Moving onto the world's first, it’s the SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD. It’ll be available in the same three fittings, but there is no guide price as we go to press. The world’s first claim is thanks to the addition of VC, making this optic the first full- frame 85mm lens with some form of shake reduction. Other highlights include the use of low and extra-low dispersion glass elements to minimise colour fringing. It is moisture-resistant and the Tamron USD focus motor gives swift and precise focusing. This lens will be available in the UK from late March.
Canon has had a busy year already and its latest launches include the EOS 80D, a 24.2-megapixel APS-C DSLR with a body price of £999.99. The CMOS sensor is completely new and works alongside the DIGIC 6 processorwith a native ISO range of 100-16,000, expandable to 25,600. Also newis the45 all cross-point autofocusing system,whichoffers individualAF points or points grouped in areas for tracking. With lenses with apertures of f/8, 27 AF points are available. The system also has impressive low-light capability, focusing even in moonlight. Exposure metering is handled by a 7560-pixel RGB+IR sensor, measuring both visible and invisible infrared light, and a Flicker Detection feature helps cope with flickering artificial light sources. The three-inch vari-angle Clear View LCD II touchscreen enables shooting at low level and convenient handling, while Wi-Fi means sharing pictures is quick and easy. Canon has also unveiled a new standard zoom lens, the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS priced at £439.99. This lens can be combined with the Power ZoomAdapter PZ-E1, priced at £129.99, for smooth zoom control for movies. The EOS 80D and 18-135mm f/3.5-5-6will be available fromApril and the Power Zoom adapter fromMay. Read more about the EOS 80 and lens, left. Canon also announced the PowerShot G7 X Mark II, the first camera to use the DIGIC 7 processor. It features a 1.0in 20.1-megapixel CMOS sensor and sports a4.2x f/1.8-2.8 optical zoomlens (24-100mmin the 35mmformat). Sharp shooting at slow shutter speeds is assisted by an improved IS system with Dual Sensing technology, while handling is enhanced by the camera’s lens control ring. The G7 XMark II will be available fromApril at £549.99. Canon takes aim at themiddle
tamron.co.uk
canon.co.uk
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