Photoxels

Big Switch: Lee Morris Praises the Sony A9 full-frame mirrorless camera as Incredible and Amazing, but will NOT be switching yet

2018-08-17

We’ve all read or watched video testimonials of pro photographers who have made the Big Switch, i.e. switched completely from their DSLR gear to Mirrorless. But, although more and more photographers are making that switch, there are others who are not yet convinced it’s the right decision for them. Some of the reasons are technological in nature, others more personal.

Lee Morris has a very interesting article at Fstoppers.com on how incredible the Sony A9 is, though he points out that there are still a couple of shortcomings that are important to him and so he is not ready yet to make the Big Switch from DSLR to Mirrorless — even if many of his pro photographer friends have already and are urging him to do so.

These kinds of articles and videos are very important to mirrorless camera manufacturers because they reveal what some pro photographers are struggling with: They hear about and want to make the Big Switch but there are a few things important to them still holding them back. So, let’s take a look at some of the shortcomings mentioned in this video. We know that there are workarounds for some of them, but we will not get into a discussion here. Let’s just list them and let the mirrorless camera manufacturers pick up the ball and run — or not:
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Nikon • Teasers

Nikon Teases Its New Mirrorless Lenses

2018-08-16

by photoxels

Nikon’s latest teaser is about how its new mirrorless lenses “are a new symbol of Nikon’s quest for optical perfection.” They are “Inspired by Our legacy. Built for the Future.”

The new mirrorless lenses are built around an all-new mount system and Nikon will provide a mount adapter for compatibility with existing Nikon DSLR lenses.

Visit Nikon mirrorless site.

Related Links:

Articles

The Prestigious EISA Photography Awards 2018-2019

2018-08-16

by photoxels

EISA is the unique association of 53 special interest magazines from 25 countries. Internationally known for the European EISA Awards, EISA started in 1982 when the editors-in-chief from five European photo magazines came together to select “The Camera of the Year” for the first time.

This year, 17 products and one service have received EISA Photography Awards. Five of those products are mirrorless cameras, two are DSLRs, three are mirrorless lenses, four are DSLR lenses and there is one Superzoom camera, one speedlite and one smartphone.

Fujifilm X-H1

Sony has obtained the most (four) votes from European photo editors. No surprise that the Fujifilm X-H1 and Panasonic LUMIX DC-GH5S are also award recipients. Olympus is absent this year. We expect next year to be very competitive with the introduction of Nikon’s and Canon’s full-frame mirrorless cameras.

Panasonic LUMIX DC-GH5S

Here is a list of the EISA Aawards 2018 – 2019 for photography: (more…)

Press Releases • Sony

Sony Launches #BeAlpha Marketing Campaign To Celebrate No. 1 Overall Position in U.S. Full-frame Cameras

2018-08-15

by photoxels

Perhaps aware that the Sony brand still hasn’t quite totally resonated with some photographers yet, Sony is launching an aggressive marketing campaign to put the “Alpha” brand front and center before consumers.

The “Be Alpha” campaign first celebrates that Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras have surpassed other brands of full-frame cameras in the US during the first half of 2018, in both dollars and units sold. That’s in great measure thanks to the success of the a7r III and A7 III models, “as well as the rapid adoption of the α9 camera amongst professional sports photographers and photojournalists.”

Sony is calling on photographers to “Be A Leader, Be Adventurous, Be Brave, Be Relentless, Be Unstoppable, Be Inspired, Be Lighter, Be Passionate, Be Faster, Be Bold, Be Great… Be Alpha.” And to prove they are all that, the “Be Alpha” campaign encourages all photographers to start sharing their images on social platforms with the #BeAlpha tag.

Sony is also launching a multi-tiered, female exclusive “Alpha Female” program that will include a variety of grants and mentorship opportunities for female photographers and videographers, as well as the production of several large-scale industry events.

PRESS RELEASE

Sony Celebrates No. 1 Overall Position in U.S. Full-frame Cameras with Launch of Historic “Be Alpha” Campaign

— The Leader in Full-frame Empowers Creators of all Types to Continue to Innovate, to Lead, to Push the Limits, to “Be Alpha” —

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Electronics, Inc. – a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer – today announced that it has overtaken and held the No. 1 overall position in the United States full-frame interchangeable lens camera market in the first half of 2018, in both dollars and units¹. In fact, four out of every 10 full-frame cameras sold during this time period have come from the Sony brand¹.

Additionally, Sony has announced that within the overall mirrorless market, it has held the No. 1 position in both dollars and units for more than six years². These strong results can be attributed to the company’s leadership in transitioning the market from older DSLR technology to next-generation mirrorless cameras.
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Press Releases • Sony

Sony Earns 7 EISA Awards 2018 -2019 with the α7 III Voted Camera of the Year 2018 -2019

2018-08-15

by photoxels

The following video presents Sony | α | α7 III – Full frame 4K HDR (HLG) sample movie:
“α7 III is capable of recording high-resolution and wide dynamic range full-frame 4K HDR (HLG*) movies.
Full pixel readout with no pixel binning makes it possible to condense approximately 2.4 times** the amount of data required for 4K (the equivalent of the amount of data required for 6K) into 3840 x 2160 4K output. This oversampling process and full pixel readout without binning results in the highest possible 4K movie image quality.
Moreover, the combination of full-frame format plus HDR (HLG*) gamma achieves a surprisingly wide dynamic range. Full-frame movies recorded using the HLG profile will appear true-to-life with no blocked shadows or blown highlights when played back on an HDR (HLG*) compatible TV, without the need for color grading.

The BT.2020 color space is supported, providing a wider color gamut.

* Connect to an HDR (HLG) compatible Sony TV via a USB cable when displaying HDR (HLG) movies.
** 24p recording. Approx. 1.6 times for 30p recording.“

Sony won the EISA awards in their 2018 round-up for the following three cameras and two lenses:

The following video presents Sony | α | α7R III High resolution 4K:
“Full pixel readout in the Super 35 mm mode, without the need for pixel binning, makes it possible to condense 5K (15-megapixel) data into high resolution, extraordinarily beautiful 4K movies with minimal moiré and jaggies. Advanced image processing also allows full-frame 4K movie recording with dramatically improved image quality at mid to high sensitivities. Super 35mm or full-frame recording can be selected as required. Fast Hybrid AF performance during movie recording has been refined, providing a wide AF area that is similar to that provided for still images. AF now accurately locks onto moving subjects over a wider area.“

PRESS RELEASE

Sony Secures Sevenfold Success at EISA 2018

Aug 15, 2018

Celebrating Sony’s success in developing industry leading consumer electronics, the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) has honoured Sony with 7 awards in their 2018 round-up. As the largest editorial and multimedia organisation in Europe, the EISA committee carefully assess and evaluate a vast variety of technology categories and are consequently renowned for recognising true quality and innovation.

Sony A7 III

EISA CAMERA OF THE YEAR 2018-2019: α7 III
Sony’s unmatched innovation within the image sensor space is at the forefront of the new α7 III, as it features a brand new 24.2MP¹ back-illuminated Exmor R^® CMOS image sensor with increased sensitivity, outstanding resolution and an impressive 15 stopsⁱⁱ of dynamic range at low sensitivities. By combining this sensor with a variety of impressive features including extreme AF area coverage of 93%, fast shooting at up to 10 fpsⁱⁱⁱ with AF/AE tracking with either mechanical shutter or silent shooting^iv, diverse 4K^vi video capabilities and more, Sony has created a new tool that gives all types of creators – from enthusiast to professional – the ability to capture content in new and different ways than they ever have before.
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Contests

Carmignac Photojournalism Award – 10th Edition’s Theme is the Amazon Rainforest and Issues of Massive Deforestation: Submit Proposal before 12am (GMT) on Sunday 7 of October 2018

2018-08-15

by photoxels

The following video presents Protecting Amazonia by ending deforestation | Conservation International (CI):
“The world’s greatest rainforest, Amazonia, is also one of its most vital life-support systems — and it is under threat.

Environmental decisions in Brazil strongly impact our lives. The country is home to nearly two-thirds of the world’s largest tropical rainforest. But deforestation is on the rise. In 2015, an area of forest almost twice the size of the Grand Canyon was lost in the Brazilian Amazon alone.

Conservation International’s goal is to achieve zero net deforestation in Amazonia by 2020 to protect essential resources, mitigate climate change and increase prosperity for people.

Find out more at www.conservation.org/amazonia.“

The Carmignac Photojournalism Award was created in 2009 by the Fondation Carmignac. In each edition, photographers from all over the world are invited to respond to a chosen theme, for the creation of a long-form work of photo-reportage.

“The Fondation Carmignac chooses a region of the world where turbulences have had repercussions for the planet, or forgotten parts of the world, thereby underlining through this choice to highlight what is unique about the work of photography.”

The 10th Edition of the Carmignac Photojournalism Award aims to support an investigative photography project that will highlight the upheavals to the Amazon rainforest and encourage reflection of the consequences of massive deforestation.

Award

Carmignac Photojournalism Award funds annually the production of an investigative photo reportage on human rights violations, geostrategic and environmental issues in the world.

Selected by an international jury, the laureate receives an endowment of 50,000 euros (US $56,750 at the current exchange rate), enabling them to carry out an in-depth reportage on the ground, with the logistical support of Fondation Carmignac.
The latter presents a travelling exhibition and the publication of a monograph, upon their return.

Timeline:

Call For Entries Open: 5 July 2018
Submission Deadline: 7 October 2018
Reportage Start: November 2018
Reportage End: June 2019
Laureate announcement at Festival Visa pour l’Image: September 2019
First stop of the travelling exhibition in Paris & monograph release: November 2019

No entrance fee

Submission Requirements: (more…)

Videos

Sean Tucker on Why He Switched From Canon DSLRs and Fujifilm Mirrorless to Sony Mirrorless

2018-08-14

by photoxels

Why does a pro photographer decide to switch from one camera system to another? It could be from one DSLR system to another DSLR system or, as in this case, from one DSLR system to a mirrorless system. And, how does a pro photographer decide which mirrorless system to switch to? I am sure there are countless stories. Here’s one of them for the switch to the Sony a7 system. No doubt there will soon be many for Nikon’s new Z system.

Sean Tucker sees himself as a story-teller and have worked for individuals, NGO’S and big multinational corporations across more than 20 countries. He shoots stills and videos and have relied on DSLRs, as most pro photographers do.

Recently, he made the big switch and standardized on the Sony a7 mirrorless cameras (though not their lenses). In this video, he explains why. And it’s a good video because it gives DSLRs and Mirrorless camera manufacturers an inside look at some of the reasoning pro photographers go through as they make big decisions like that.

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Nikon • Videos

Nikon D850: Reliability Tests

2018-08-13

by photoxels

As we wait for Nikon’s new flagship full-frame mirrorless camera, let’s take another look (since some of you may have already seen it before) at what makes the award-winning D850 DSLR a favorite of photographers.

In the following video, Nikon engineers talk about the various drop, impact, vibration, weather and dust tests they perform to ensure that the camera performs in the harsh and extreme weather conditions professional photographers sometimes subject their cameras and lenses to.

It is this kind of attention to design and engineering details that builds fierce customer loyalty. Don’t you also love Akimitsu Majima’s hair [1:16]?
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