Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II First Look and Hand’s On Video Review

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II
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Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II at a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/4 to f/32
  • One Fluorite Element and Two UD Elements
  • Super Spectra Coating
  • Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
  • Optical Image Stabilizer
  • Internal Focus, Focus Range Limiter
  • Weather-Sealed Construction
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

Dustin Abbott posted a first look and hand’s on video on the new Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II lens. The video lasts 20 minutes and can be seen below.

The new Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II is in stock at major retailers in the US, price is $1,299: B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS II world-wide:

[shoplist 51369]

Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF lens Review (not perfect but great to use, ePhotozine)

Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF
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Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF at a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/16
  • One Hybrid Aspherical Element
  • Ultra Multi-Coating
  • Ultrasonic Dual Linear AF Motor
  • Round Nine-Blade Diaphragm

ePhotozine reviewed the new Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF lens.

There is a lot the reviewers like in the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4: sharpness, low CA and flare, fast and quick auto-focus, and a very good build quality.

From their conclusion:

The Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF is a great lens to use, not perfect in that there are some AF issues close up and also quite a bit of edge CA, but overall a good solid performing lens at a very attractive price.

In the end, it’s the results that count and the ease of use of the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 lens lends itself to producing some excellent photography. Without a doubt, it can be recommended. Plus, Samyang has said the AF close-focus issues will be resolved in a firmware update that will be applied to all production lenses before they ship in early July. Read the review…

The Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF has a very compact size and is light, compared to Canon’s EF 85mm f/1.4L IS and Sigma’s 85mm f/1.4 ART lenses.

Pre-orders are open in the US for $749 at B&H Photo | Adorama.

In the UK, Park Cameras has the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF in stock. In Germany, Amazon DE ships the new Samyang.

Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD Review (DPReview)

Tamron 70-210mm f/4 DI VC USD
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Tamron 70-210mm f/4 VC USD at a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/4 to f/32
  • Ultrasonic Silent Drive Autofocus Motor
  • VC Image Stabilization
  • Fluorine-Coated Front Element
  • Moisture-Resistant Construction
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • Compatible with TAP-in Console

DPReview tested the new Tamron 70-210mm f/4 VC USD, a relatively inexpensive option in this zoom range.

From their conclusion:

The Tamron 70-210mm F4 is a great telephoto lens option with relatively few shortcomings considering its reasonable price point. Its optical performance should represent a meaningful upgrade for those using entry-level 55-200mm or 55-250mm kit zooms, and the F4 aperture saves weight and expense compared to constant F2.8 aperture alternatives.

[…]

Our direct comparison with the Canon 70-200mm F4L II IS shows that lens to be a generally better performer, especially wide-open. But in our experience the Tamron balances well on more entry-level cameras, the autofocus kept up just fine with everything we threw at it, and if you take the time to shoot Raw, the lack of in-camera optical corrections is neither here nor there. Read the review…

Another quite positive review for the Tamron 70-210mm f/4 VC USD. It may not be able to compete with Canon’s “L” glass but it appears to deliver bang for the bucks.

Tamron 70-210mm f/4 VC USD

[shoplist 50511]

Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III video-review (Tech Gear Talk)

canon powershot g1 x mark iii dual pixel af
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PowerShot G1 X Mark III at a glance:

  • 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 7 Image Processor
  • 3x Zoom Lens, 24-72mm (35mm Equivalent)
  • Built-In Electronic Viewfinder
  • 3.0″ Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF, Image Stabilizer
  • ISO 25600, 9 fps Continuous Shooting
  • Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC, Bluetooth
  • Dust- and Water-Resistant Construction

Tech Gear Talk posted their exhaustive, 25 minutes video-review of the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III.

The reviewer thinks it’s a good point and click camera from Canon, and that photographers, video content creators and vloggers are going to like the APS-C sensor on this flagship PowerShot camera. Well, there re some good points here. The highlights on the PowerShot G1 X Mark III camera are the APS-C sensor, Dual Pixel AF, and the rest of the bells and whistles. Canon made a very good product here.

Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III:

[shoplist 47842]

Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art review (well made & solid macro lens, ePhotozine)

Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro
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Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art at a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22
  • Two FLD Elements, Two SLD Elements
  • Low Dispersion and Aspherical Elements
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • 1:1 Magnification, 10.2″ Min. Focus
  • Coreless DC AF Motor, Manual Override
  • Weather-Sealed, Brass Bayonet Mount
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

ePhotozine completed there review of the new Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art lens.

From the conclusion:

Sigma has provided a well made, solid macro lens that delivers very impressive image quality. It operates flawlessly, albeit it with slightly slower than average AF, but proves an excellent overall match for the Canon EOS 5DS R.

The 70mm focal length is a good compromise for the full frame bodies. For APS-C cameras the “35mm format equivalent” would be 112mm for Canon. This means that a 50mm macro might be a better choice for APS-C if the user wanted a similar field of view to the one this lens offers in full frame.

[…] in summary, the new Sigma lens offers all the right things in terms of handling and quality and is well worth considering as an alternative to the more common focal lengths. Read the review…

Comparable Canon Macro lens offerings are more expensive than the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro.

Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro available in USA at Amazon | Adorama | B&H Photo, and in Europe at Amazon Germany | Park Cameras (UK) | Amazon UK