Sony Week - Part One - Lifting the Lid

Opening the box on a new camera is like lifting the lid on either a treasure chest or a can of worms. Don't let that image put you off - it depends if you are fishing for compliments or bass.

This week's exploration is of a Sony mirrorless camera and two lenses. These were chosen from the Camera Electronic stocks to find out what the brand is like to handle and to see whether there is a real usable difference between the full-frame system and an APS-C system. To this end, lenses that would give a similar field of view were selected:

Sony Alpha 7 II and Fujifilm X-Pro1

Sony 50mm and Fujifilm 35mm

Sony 28mm and Fujifilm 18mm

The true believers of each brand are free to jump up and down, wave spec sheets, and berate each other as much as they like - the committee of the camera club needs to fill a hole in the year's entertainment roster and a fist fight will do nicely. I am jut going to play cameras in the studio and out in the field.

First comment, though, is one that Mr. Sony, Mr. Panasonic, and Mr Fujifilm may well like to heed. It is a biased comment, and a finicky one, but here goes; knock it off with the in-camera battery charging, guys.

It might look like a good idea, but it turns around and bites the photographer in the end. If the only way that the shooter can get electricity into a battery is to relinquish the use of the camera for the charging period, there is gong to come a time when the best shot of their life is happening and the camera is connected to a wall socket or a computer...

Oh, I know you can buy accessory charger blocks, and I know you can buy extra batteries - and I strongly suggest that anyone who gets a camera with no charger goes out and does exactly that - but think about the people who have not got this same amoiunt of foresight. Give them a charger block that they can leave back at the hotel charging their extra battery when they take the camera out. You can bank on the fact that they will eventually forget to pack it when they check out and have to buy another one. You'll score extra profit eventually. But give them that charger block to start with.

Note also to ALL makers: Memory cards are cheap as chips these days ( ...see what I did there...? ) and if you are a multi-billion Yen camera maker you can probably get a discount down at the local Bic Camera store in Tokyo - so you can afford to include a little 8 GB or 16 GB card in the basic camera box. It will save the thoughtless buyer from opening the thing on the Boeing and having no way to take pictures. If you brand out the cards as well, you'll encourage them to always buy your version in the future.

Now a word of praise to Sony. Their packaging designers have finally come up with a sales box that is neither too complex to be understood nor too sealed to be opened for inspection. Plus the external graphics now include a clear flag that the product is suitable for both the E - mount and the full frame format. Complex codes and numbers never help - clear labelling is a winner.

Interesting to see how many instruction books they put into the packaging. I counted 6 in the 50mm lens coping with Chinese, Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Russian, Swedish, Portuguese, Greek, and what may possibly be Korean. Three of them seem to be addressed to the photographers and three to the photographers' lawyers. I suppose it is the way of the world...

That there is no leather case in there is a given these days. You have to step pretty far up in the market fto find someone who is prepared to include one - though there are plenty of bag manufacturers who have wonderful camera containers. You should pop this Sony into an Ona if you are stylish or a Think Tank if you are practical. I'm cheap - I used a hessian bag...

Note that as this camera is one of the wonderful WiFi ones, you may wish to consider a bag that has a compartment for your tablet or mobile phone - you are going to be using that WiFi facility to store and share on a regular basis.

The X100 Cameras Go Out For The Day...

And the evening, too. Not everything happens in a studio, so you have to go out to where they store the landscapes. You might be able to make convincing copies on a tabletop or in Photoshop, but if you use the original scenes it is a lot cheaper and quicker.

Jandakot, again, and boiling hot. It can't be too much fun to do circuits and bumps in the heat and I daresay there is quite a lot of turbulence coming up off the tarmac. Nevertheless, I balanced one X 100 in one hand and one X100F in the other and tried to track the same planes in the same phase of takeoff.

The settings are as before - ProNeg Hi for the X100F and Provia for the X100. See the difference that it makes with the grass colour? As before the X100F is on Large/Fine JPEG and the X 100 is running RAW.

The picture sizes are adjusted in the final result to show the resolution. The tail registration numbers on the aircraft prove that the X100F JPEG is better than the X100 RAW...but by just a little bit.

Note as well in the uncropped versions that the vignetting the X100 is prone to is easily seen against the mid-blue sky. Not there in the X100F file. As an effect in portraiture or reportage - very helpful. In landscapes, not so much.

Later in the day the good old South Perth foreshore at dusk delivered the goods. It also delivered the ants - watch yourselves when you set up for landscape shots - some of the landscape regards you as food.

The fact that the X100F could be run at much higher ISO before electronic noise crept in - a function of the newer processor in the camera - meant that the motion of the water was easier to stop. In the case of these shots I relented and shifted both cameras to Velvia and both AE systems to Average.

I reviewed the images and found a number of them unusable:

a. The panorama pictures that you can do at 120º or 180º looked fine on the back of the LCD but as they were taken at a slow shutter speed and too high a rotation rate, there was a lot of motion blur. The cure would have been to set the shutter speed to 1/60 to 1/180 of a second and raise the ISO accordingly.

b. Some of the still shots had a surprising amount of blur. This is my fault for trusting a lightweight tripod and no cable release - even the pressure of me jabbing down on the camera was enough to displace it slightly. The studio Gitzo Studex 5 on a concrete floor is one thing - a spindly tripod on grass is another. Lesson learned for next time.

 

Note the thunderhead seen earlier in the day down the length of our street. I took it as much to test the dynamic range of the camera, as to admire the beauty of nature. The lightning show was great at South Perth as well, though no-one did as well with the lightning pictures as our friend Duncan Dodd. He may have arranged for the thunderstorm just to get some good pictures down at Rockingham.

The Eye Of A Fish - Tokina

I have not reviewed many fish-eye lenses in this column over the years - not for any sinister reason, mind, but really because I am at a loss as to what images will be best captured with them.

I do not swim underwater with the fish and rarely go to pop concerts or inaugurations that might have tens of thousands of people attending them. I rarely go into caverns or cathedrals, and generally do not take the wide view of the place. So for me, the fish-eye view is a novelty.

For others, it can be the exact way they see the world...and I am not talking about haddock and tuna...some people see a wider view than I do. Not surprising, really, as I was fitted with spectacles at the age of eight and have seen the world through frames for the last 60 years.

For those who do see more, the Tokina AT-X 10-17mm f:3.5-4.5 DX Fisheye lens is a wonderful device. It is avaiable for Canon and Nikon mounts - this one is the Nikon version - and is built in the old-school material - metal. Note the slightly bulging front element that is characteristic of a fisheye lens and the fixed compact lens hood.

As we said with the other Tokina lens reviewed recently, the focus and zoom ring action is smooth and well damped and the operation very quick indeed.

A worthy optic for experimenters, interior shooters, landscapists, and environmental shooters. Not exactly a portrait lens, unless your taste in portraiture differs markedly from that of the rest of the world...and from that of the clients. Mind you if your clientele are haddock or you do schools portraits for herring and you can sell  the images, by all means come in and buy one!

As with all Tokina: made in Japan

An Eye In The European Sky

If you have ever wanted to invade France but without having to join the German Army, now is your chance. You can do it with a camera, amongst friends, have a good time, and learn a great deal.

Eye In The Sky is a photographic company from Western Australia that is dedicated to providing photo tours of the Tarn region of southern France. Their current prospectus lists the next tour between April 28th and May 4th - when the spring should be making France into a landscape photographer's paradise.

The tours are run by Western Austalian Jon Davidson and his wife Jude, and this time you will have our favourite Rockingham photographer - Kingsley Klau - along to help your photo development.
The tour is packed with visits to ruins, monasteries, galleries, castles, chateaux, vineyards and restaurants. The thing is all-inclusive - you are not going to be shelling out Euros right, left, and center for transfers, meals and accommodation. It is the easy logistics approach to a wonderful time.

It's not just wonderful - it's useful. You'll get daily lessons as you travel from the professionals and learn the importance of Lightroom and Photoshop post production on your images.

But description without images is useless - the best way you can see the lay of the land and the sort of opportunities that you'll have is to go over to the website now and follow their planning links. It is a picture-rich site and well worth just ogling over.

 Go to:

eyeinthesky.com.au

or email:

 jon@eyeinthesky.com.au

The tours are not crowded - there will be ten people as well as the photographer guides. That means time to learn, space to move, a chance to soak up the wonders of the Cathar country.

Sirui For The Not Quite So Serious - Part Two

Okay. You have your new mirror-less system camera, you have a card and a battery and have read the instruction book.

You have booked a trip to the Landscape Coast during the sunset season. You are all set to make fabulous postcard views and insightful artistic statements...and you only need one more thing.
You need a tripod.

Trust us. The Landscape Coast will supply all the ocean and sunset you can handle but if you are trying to capture it by balancing the camera on the bonnet of the tour company's 4WD you will be disappointed with the results.

Sirui to the rescue with an extremely lightweight travel tripod plus ball head combination, The T 024X and C10X come as a package deal inside a nylon travel bag. It is ideal for you as a mirror-less user whether you are walking out to the coast or out to the airplane...in both cases weight is a factor and at .8 Kg this choice is a blessing. All thanks to a lightweight yoke casting and carbon fibre legs.

It will hold up to 6 Kg of camera and lens so it is unlikely that you can exceed the spec there. It will come up to 139 cm. so you can deal with your camera out on the rocks with some comfort and confidence. It is weather-resistant so when you are caught by the spray or rain you are not in too much trouble.

The head has an Arca Swiss-fitting quick release and plate - you are not going to have to fumble about in the dark trying to attach the camera. The usual bells and whistles - weight hook at the bottom, reversible column, macro column, and leg spread ( ...for when you graduate to lying in the mud taking pictures of mushrooms...don't laugh...it is coming...)

The leg locks are the screw type and go to a slim line to fit in that carry bag. The whole thing folds back 180º on itself to become smaller. You can easily fit it into your suitcase for longer trips.


Safety note: That red button on the side of the ball head is a saving feature. If the Arca Swiss-size jaws are loosened, it prevents the quick release plate and your camera from lurching sideways onto the ground.

Tripod tip from the experienced. Put three bits of cardboard - or better three bits of carpet tile - into your pocket when you head out into the bush or down to the beach. Put these down as pads under the legs and they won't disappear into soft sand or moss. Much more stability.

Second tripod tip. Wrap one of the CF legs with a strip of reflective tape so that you can see the little beggar in the twilight and don't stumble over it.

Sirui For The Serious - Part One

Sirui? Are you serious? Sure we are.

The larger of the Sirui tripods that appeared in the Little Studio turns out to be a compact design - the company recognizes that people are travelling more these days and need to travel lighter. We also know that they may be travelling with the DSLR rather than the mirror-less systems - hence the need to hold heavier loads.

The Sirui T 2204X and the Sirui K30 X are partners - albeit partners that you have to purchase separately and mate together. They are designed for supporting the larger system cameras while still retaining lightness and compact size themselves. These are components for people who are going to stand at the airline counter and look over the excess-baggage price list with nervousness.

The tripod starts out as a carbon fibre design with screw-lock legs. The yoke is a lightweight forged casting - more weight saved. It folds back 180º into itself for space saving. it packs into a nylon case with the K-30 X head still attached.

You might just get away with it in the cabin locker or at least not get charged extra in the hold. Give it a try and remember to be pleasant - you never know your luck.

The whole rig only weighs 1.9 Kg all up and can support up to 30 Kg. You want to ponder going out in the morning with 30 Kg of photo equipment stacked around you - mainly ponder what you'll feel like as you come back at night. Perhaps best to take only three giant telephoto lenses out at a time, eh?

Whatever the state of your joints and back at 6:00 PM at least you will know that the Sirui T 2204X / K30X combo is not responsible for the pains. Hope the pictures come out okay.

Seriously Tripod

Seriously tripod. Seriously light. Seriously Gitzo.*

The travel tripod is a major division of the photo accessory world - thank goodness. People have recognised that they need the sort of support that a tripod brings to their architecture, travel, and landscape shots. Even with the mind-boggling stabilisation systems on board modern cameras (Ask the Fujifilm, Nikon, and Olympus reps about this next time they have a demonstration day in the shop, but be prepared for a full lecture...).

People still need the tripod for the 1/2 second to 1/2 hour exposure. And if they are going overseas they need to take something light to do it with.

The Gitzo tripod you see in these pictures is probably the best light tripod in the world. It has positive twist locks on the carbon fibre legs. Also reversible legs, an extendable centre column, and two position stops on the legs. The head is probably the slickest casting you have ever seen and the ball that revolves in it is freely adjustable for friction - but when it is released from constraint it is the smoothest turning one I have ever felt.

There is a wealth of good thinking as well. The triangular shape of the quick release platform is not just an attempt at art deco Gallic style - it is shaped that way to allow the legs to fold in tight when it is closed into travel configuration. Some other tripods from some other manufacturers fail in this area - I know because I own one - and the legs tend to jam out when you try to put it into a bag.

The finish and fit on the head is also of such a high standard as to suggest art as well as utility. Go for utility by all means but please your eye at the same time...

* The bottom line is that it is expensive. If you are pinching pennies pass further down the car. This tripod is intended for the people who need or want the best and can afford it. They pay now and never have to buy it again.

Note: I used a Gitzo Studex IV tripod to take the pictures of the Gitzo travel tripod. I'll never buy another because I simply can neither fault it nor wear it out. At my age, it has prettier legs than I do.

See the full Gitzo range on the Camera Electronic website here.

Huzzah For The Troops - Huzzah For The Photographers

A spring day out is an occsion to be treasured. A spring day out at Government House seeing how the ruling class lives even more so. And an opportunity to review the troops should never be missed.

Thus the pictures you see on this morning's blog. Perth on a sunny day can be brutal as far as contrast in lighting goes but the readers of this column are old hands at modifying this with fill-flash or seeking shady spots to shoot. In some cases the strong shade and light is exactly right for a shot evoking the era - witness our cigarette card of the Pensioner Guard . If you had gone to the open day as I did you could collect the entire series without risking your health...

Okay, that was the entertainment - here comes the commercial. A Fujifilm X-E2 camera with the 27mm f:2.8 lens was used to take all the pictures. An EF-42 flash was attached and set to +.5 fill ratio. The entire compass of technical skill needed after that was to point the camera at the subject and press the right forefinger. The reward was files that needed no fiddling.

Which did not stop me fiddling, of course... I am like you - you would fiddle with the WB slider and the shadow fill and the exposure even if it was perfect. I went further and added the effect in Alien Skin Snap Art 3 that made a watercolour of the Pensioner Guard. And the lettering. Hey, this is photography and you and I and the entire staff of Camera Electronic love it.

We're not alone. The cheerful tourists are a Fujfilm couple - She's an X-E2 with 18-55mm lens and he's  an X-T1 with a 27mm lens. We cheerfully agreed upon it as a perfect choice for the day. SO nice to have someone else re-inforce your prejudices...

The great thing about this is that you can grab the cameras right now at a very good price from Camera Electronic ( ooh, that means you'll be getting the X- E2s for even more fun ).

Fujifilm Australia is also offering cashbacks on lens purchases for the next couple of months. Perfect timing to add a new one to your camera bag or clap it onto a new Fujifilm body. Hop to it while spring is still here and the outdoors is still livable.

Get A Grip Week - Day Three - Fujifilm Boxes On

Retro is as retro does - and if that isn't as fatuous a statement as you are likely to read in a camera column...read on. It gets worse.

Fujifilm struck a real chord with the digital camera-buying public a few years ago when they brought out a retro camera. It's not rude to say that - the Fujifilm X-100 series of cameras have been deliberately styled to look and feel like cameras from the film era. Those of us who used film cameras can relate pretty nearly instantly to them as far as ergonomics go.

We get to touch a shutter speed dial, an aperture ring, and a focusing ring. We get a mechanical shutter button - They're even retro enough to take a mechanical cable release. We get an optical viewfinder, an electronic viewfinder, and an LCD live screen.

But we also get a pretty small and somewhat slippery camera body. I won't say that it is likely to squirt out of your fingers like a buttered squid, but you need to have your digits in the right place to operate it. If they are big sausage fingers you can be fighting for space. Enter the X-100 series grip:

It's a chunky monkey all right, with enough hand grip to allow to to pretty well let go of the camera with the left hand for good. The camera has got a fixed lens that is very compact. Even with an additional lens hood or filter holder, it is never going to overpower your right wrist like a long zoom would. If you are the sort of shooter who favours a wrist strap instead of a neck strap, this is the ideal way to secure the camera.

Note that it is cut out for card/battery replacement without being disturbed, and the bottom of the grip incorporates an Arca-Swiss rail fitting.

Now suppose you have decided to get the newest of the Fujifilm cameras - the X-T2. Can you be accommodated? You can:

Here the emphasis is on practicality rather than just accessorising for the sake of spending money in a camera shop (not that we discourage this...). The 18-135, 55-200, and 50-140 lenses are all substantial devices - they contain a great deal of heavy glass. They can twist a camera out of your right hand very easily, and it is awkward. This grip strengthens your chances. I also noted that the 1/4" screw was captive on a C-clip, though the battery door is accessible and the X-T2 has the card door on the side of the body anyway.

Please note that there are grips for the X-T1 and the X-E1 and 2 series as well.

See the Fujifilm MHG-XT2 Metal Hand Grip on our online store here.

Get A Grip Week - Day Two - Olympus Discovers the Grip

I realise that there will be camera historians reading this column who will take umbrage at the title - they'll be able to find lots of Leica and Contax and Exakta grip designs that have been sold long before the current Olymopus digital camera grips. Okay - I'll modify it for you:

Get A Grip Week- Day Two - The Grip Discovers Olympus

Olympus have always known where their chief marketing points are, and for a great deal of the time that they've been selling 35mm film and micro 4/3 digital cameras one of them has been the size of the apparatus. Olympus cameras are made compact - they contain all the good ingrediants, but they are small in the hand.

Good if you are a person with a small hand, as many of the people in the land where Olympus comes from may be. Targeted design. But the target shifted overseas decades ago, and much of the rest of the world has larger hands. This is not a problem - this is an opportunity - an opportunity to sell an accessory.

Grip One:

This fits an OM-D E-M5 camera. The shooting button is surrounded by an adjustment wheel to spread what you can do further away from the top plate of the camera. Literally, there is a bigger hand piece for the camera. But it also has provision for the attachement of a further grip, containing an extra connected battery and controls that in turn allow you to turn the camera on its side for portrait orientation.

That's why you see a connection of the electrical contacts through the bottom of the grip as well as the top. Clever marketing, because even if you are a landscape shooter you get to buy something for your money.

Grip Two: 

 

This one matches a micro 4/3 mirror-less camera that is on the more basic level. Basic, but equally small, and needing a grip boost if it is not to turn in the hand. 

 

The grip has an unusual feature on the lower level - a slide switch. Pull it and... 

And it comes apart. I can only surmise that you are meant to leave it attached for most of the time and then when you need to change batteries you trigger it off rather than screw it off.

Grip Three: 

This grip suits the new Olympus Pen F micro 4/3 camera - the one that looks like a rangefinder. It's been made with the recognition that more and more photographers are standardising their camera support systems to include the Arca-Swiss quick release fitting. The rail at the bottom of the grip is Arca-Swiss fitting, though they do allow you to second-guess your choices by also including a standard 1/4" tripod screw. 

Note the open frame to allow for battery changing. Also note the allen-key screw head - this grip is designed to stay on permanently. I am speculating about the hollowed out portion of the casting at the left of the camera...being the fiddler I am I would make a small cover for this that would hide a couple of spare SD cards.

We'll return to the Olympus company at the end of the week...