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Debunking a myth: why Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras aren’t what Sony wants you to believe

Size advantage? Sony A7R vs Canon EOS 5Ds R (right), both with a 85mm lens.
Size advantage? Sony A7R vs Canon EOS 5Ds R (right), both with a 85mm lens (image courtesy of Camera Size)

I came over a very interesting and educated article at PetaPixel. It’s about why Sony’s full frame pro mirrorless was a fatal mistake that can’t hold up to the promises.

The article analyses five of the apparent advantages a full-frame mirrorless camera is supposed to have for the professional photographer, and systematically debunks those myths. A full-frame mirrorless camera is supposed to have the advantage of

  • Compactness
  • Weight
  • In-Body Image Stabilization
  • You can adapt non-native lenses
  • Live Exposure Preview

Well, it’s not as easy as Sony tries to sell it. The supposed advantages fail to deliver in the real world.. In the conclusion the author says:

So we find ourselves returning for the last time to the original question: what is the point of professional grade FF mirrorless? It isn’t for the compactness (beyond shooting with just one pancake type lens), certainly not for the faster autofocus, not for faster frame rates, not for EVF/exposure preview, not for access to a high cost-performance lens habitat, not for manual focus peaking, not for the ergonomics, and almost universally not for the sake of adapting lenses.

When it comes to FF professional grade mirrorless, the answer is that there is little or no point. People are buying into it because it is an irrational fad. You end up having to buy lots of big and expensive lenses for the one tiny body, when it is preferable to have lots of smaller lenses for the one big body, since the total lens-body combination is the same anyway due to physics. In actual fact the lens-body combination makes professional grade FF mirrorless multi-lens packages larger overall. Read the article…

An article that’s definitely worth to be read before you waste your money for something that will turn out not to be what you expected and what you have been told. Better go for serious gear.

[via PetaPixel]

Canon EOS 80D has greatly improved RAW dynamic range (new sensor design)

Eos 80d

Canon EOS 80D at a glance:

  • 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 6 Image Processor
  • 3.0″ 1.04m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
  • 45-Point All Cross-Type AF System
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF
  • Expanded ISO 25600, Up to 7 fps Shooting
  • Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC
  • RGB+IR 7560-Pixel Metering Sensor

DPReview posted the results of their tests on the Canon Canon EOS 80D‘s dynamic range.

The article is pretty interesting, and understandable also by non-engineers.

Previous Canon sensors have conducted the analogue to digital conversion step away from the sensor, an approach that contributed noise that limited dynamic range at low ISO settings (while still allowing the excellent high ISO performance that Canon’s CMOS chips built a reputation with). The sensors in the EOS 80D and EOS-1D X Mark II appear to have an on-chip ADC design that conducts the conversion within the sensor, shortening the electronic path and preventing this noise building up.

The results of exposure latitude and ISO invariance are striking. It was already known that Canon had a new sensor design (maybe also on the Rebel T6sRebel T6i and EOS M3 but I am not sure), now we have test results that confirm the new sensor design, and the better performance that this design delivers. The reason:

Canon’s previous design allowed electronic noise to accumulate after the amplification stage […], which had minimal impact at high ISO settings but limited the processing flexibility of low ISO files by adding noise that was visible if you tried to lift shadows or increase contrast. […]  Now that it’s moved across to an on-chip column ADC architecture, we should expect to see further improvements in future generations as the design is optimised. Read the article…

 Good news for all Canon fans! :-)Want the EOS 80D user manual? See here how to download it.


Canon EOS 80D: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE


World-wide Canon EOS 80D pre-order links after the break.

Click here to open the rest of the article

Canon ME20F-SH overview videos (the ISO 4.5M camera that can see in the dark)

Canon ME20F-SH at a glance:

  • Up to 4 Million ISO & 12 Stops DR
  • Full Frame 35mm CMOS Sensor
  • Canon DIGIC DV 4
  • Full HD up to 60p
  • HD/3G-SDI & HDMI Connectors
  • Canon Locking Cinema EF Lens Mount

Do you remember the Canon ME20F-SH, the Canon camera with ISO 4.5M (yes ISO 4,500,000)?

CanonUSA on YouTube posted two videos that give a good overview about the Canon ME20F-SH. The ME20F-SH is a hghly specialised camera, and it sells at $20,000, so it is not the nice camera you want to gift to your spouse or your childrens.

More about the Canon ME20F-SH after the break.

Click here to open the rest of the article

Canon EOS 80D video review and overview

APS-C EOS 80d Canon Eos 90d

Canon EOS 80D at a glance:

  • 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 6 Image Processor
  • 3.0″ 1.04m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
  • 45-Point All Cross-Type AF System
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF
  • Expanded ISO 25600, Up to 7 fps Shooting
  • Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC
  • RGB+IR 7560-Pixel Metering Sensor

Chris Winter posted a neat 6 minutes video on YouTube where he reviews the Canon EOS 80D’s features and in general gives a good overview about the EOS 80D and what is new compared to the Canon EOS 70D.

Want the EOS 80D user manual? See here how to download it.


Canon EOS 80D: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE


World-wide Canon EOS 80D pre-order links after the break.

Click here to open the rest of the article

Canon EOS 80D RAW lab sample pictures published

EOS 80d Eos M5

Imaging Resource posted a set of Canon EOS 80D pictures shots in controlled studio settings. The whole ISO range is available, and you can compare the shot with the Canon EOS 70D and Nikon D7200.

A short overview is here. The set of Canon EOS 80D lab sample images are here. You may also want to use their Comparometer to see how the EOS 80D shots compare to other cameras.

The EOS 80D is expected to start ship on March 25. Canon EOS 80D at a glance:

  • 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 6 Image Processor
  • 3.0″ 1.04m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
  • 45-Point All Cross-Type AF System
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF
  • Expanded ISO 25600, Up to 7 fps Shooting
  • Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC
  • RGB+IR 7560-Pixel Metering Sensor

Want the EOS 80D user manual? See here how to download it.

World-wide Canon EOS 80D pre-order links after the break.

America: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
Europe & UK: Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon IT, Canon IT, WEX Photographic, Canon FR, Canon UK, Canon DE

Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art real-world sample pictures (DPReview)

Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8
Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8

DPReview posted a real-world sample gallery shot with Sigma’s latest marvel, the Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art lens. What so special with this lens (and with the awesome Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8?). It’s the following:

Sigma’s F1.8 zooms for APS-C are ground-breaking in the following sense: F1.8 on APS-C gives you around the depth-of-field control of F2.7 on full-frame. That makes Sigma’s 18-35/1.8 and 50-100/1.8 roughly equivalent to 27-53/2.7 and 75-150/2.7 lenses on full-frame, in terms of both DOF and noise (in low light) control […]. For some, these lenses go a long way in addressing some of the inherent disadvantages of the smaller sensor format.

If you want to go deeper into this, there is an article by DPReview here. The new Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 Art sells for $1,099, pre-order: B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon

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