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Alpha mail from Sony “The five-axis IBIS
camera’s five-axis IBIS system is said to be so accurate it can detect slight blurring in a single pixel and correct for it. A Pixel Shift Multi Shooting mode and 8fps continuous AF shooting are significant inclusions. Available this October, retail price is £3199. Both cameras offer 4:2:2 10-bit 4K video recording up to 60p and support Sony’s S-Cinetone colour science to deliver rich, cinematic-looking video. The new lens is the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II, described as the world’s smallest and lightest high-resolution f/2.8 wide-angle zoom, at a weight of approximately 547g and length of 111.5mm. Features include fast and precise AF, while the operability and reliability of the lens is said to make it as adept for shooting video as capturing stills. Operability is said to have been improved for this iteration, which features an aperture ring that can be clicked on or off via a switch, two focus-hold buttons that can be assigned a function from the camera body, plus a fluorine coating applied to the front lens, so any adhering dirt can be easily removed. The manufacturer’s suggested cost for the lens is £2399 and it’s also available now. sony.co.uk
The electronics behemoth has been in touch to tell us two new compact and relatively lightweight Alpha cameras will be available by the time you read this, along with a new G Master series premium lens. Key features of the second-generation A7C II include a 33-effective-megapixel, full-frame, back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor. The camera’s core sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 51,200 for photo and video is expandable to ISO 50 and 204,800 for stills. It also boasts the same AI processing unit as the A7R V. Compared with the Alpha 7 IV, meanwhile, the newer camera is 22% lighter and has up to 45% less volume, with the body weighing a manageable 513g. Available now, suggested retail price is £2099, while a kit bundle with a 28-60mm lens costs £2349. A full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor and the same Bionz XR processor also feature in the second new Sony, the A7CR, except this time the priority is resolution, with up to 61-megapixel images achievable. Compared to the A7R V, the new camera is approximately 29% lighter and has roughly 53% less volume. In terms of light sensitivity, a core range of ISO 100 to 32,000 is expandable from ISO 50 to 102,400. The
system is said to be so accurate it can detect slight blurring in a single pixel and correct it”
We’re more used to seeing firmware upgrades than new hardware from certain manufacturers these days, but Panasonic has defied our expectations by announcing a new Lumix G9 II mirrorless camera body and two accompanying lenses. Notably, the second-generation camera is claimed to be the first in its Micro Four Thirds Lumix G series to feature phase-detection autofocus technology. It also incorporates what we’re told is a new 25.2-megapixel Live MOS sensor and new high-speed processor, along with AI-powered recognition technology capable of recognising vehicles and animal eyes, while it’s said to be able to shoot at up to 60fps in continuous AF mode. Panasonic suggests the new launch is aimed at providing videographers with flexible framing options to suit social media formats, along with slow-motion recording and active IS technology to counterbalance camera shake when filming on the move. As well as the impressive AF-C burst shooting credentials, the Lumix has pre-burst recording that can begin shooting up to 1.5 seconds before the shutter is released and take approximately 113 consecutive shots. Built-in image stabilisation provides eight stops of correction, while new modes include a real-time LUT function, enabling customised colours through the use of LUT files, plus a new Leica Monochrome mode for deep-contrast black & white and a handheld 100-megapixel high-resolution mode and Live View Composite mode. Up to 5.8K, 4:3 format full-sensor video recording is achievable here, or it’s 5.7K at 17:9 aspect ratio. Alternatively, 4K recording at a choice of 120p/100p enables slow-motion video footage. Arriving this November, the Lumix G9 II has a manufacturer’s suggested price of £1699. The new lenses are a pair of high-spec telephoto zooms – the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 35-100mm f/2.8 Power OIS, plus the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 100- 400mm f/4.0-6.3. The former delivers the equivalent of 70-200mm in 35mm terms, while the latter provides 200-800mm. The lenses are also available this November, at a suggested £1099 for the 35-100mm and £1499 for the 100-400mm. Lastly, the electronics giant has announced a new compatible battery grip for the Lumix G9 II in the DMW-BG1, which also works with the previously available Lumix S5 II and S5 IIX. panasonic.co.uk Panasonic’s new phase
STABLE MATE The new Sony A7CR has a 61-megapixel sensor and seven stops of IBIS
NEXT-GEN The Lumix G9 II has a brand-new sensor
Issue 111 | Photography News 7
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