Sigma 20mm F1.4 Art lens video-review (a game changer?)

Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM ART
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Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM ART [shopcountry 36336]

Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM ARTat a glance:

  • EF Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/16
  • Two FLD Elements and Five SLD Elements
  • Two Aspherical Elements
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor, Manual Override
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • TSC Material, Brass Bayonet Mount
  • Built-In Petal-Shaped Lens Hood
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

Tony & Chelsea Northrup on YouTube posted a video-review about Sigma’s 20mm F1.4 DG HSM ART Lens. This is likely not a lens anyone will have in his or her bag, it’s a highly specialised lens. It’s for full-frame sensors but will work perfectly also on your APS-C DSLR. It’s another one of Sigma’s recent optical jewels, and as all of those recent Sigma lenses it comes at an almost affordable price, $899. It would sell for more if it was made by Canon or Nikon.

The Pros and Cons of Canon EOS 5Ds R’s 50 Megapixel

eos 5ds r
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Canon EOS 5Ds R: [shopcountry 27766]

Canon EOS 5Ds R at a glance:

  • 50.6 Megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with ISO 100-6400 (Lo: 50 and H1: 12,800) sensitivity range.
  • Low-pass cancellation filter for maximum sensor resolution.
  • Dual DIGIC 6 Processors for outstanding image processing speed and camera responsiveness.
  • 5 frames per second (fps) with selectable burst speeds and silent shutter mode.
  • 61-point wide area AF with 41 cross-type sensors with iTR, AI Servo AF III and AF Configuration tool.
  • 150k pixel RGB+IR metering sensor.
  • 100% magnification Intelligent Viewfinder II with electronic overlay.
  • 1.3x, 1.6x and 1:1 ratio crop modes with masked viewfinder display.
  • Mirror Vibration Control System to reduce mirror vibration blur.
  • Fine Detail Picture Style.
  • CF + SD (UHS-I) dual memory card slots.
  • Peripheral Illumination and Chromatic Aberration Lens Correction in camera.
  • Multiple Exposure and HDR mode.
  • Customisable Quick Control screen.
  • Built-in timer functionality – bulb timer and interval shooting timer.
  • Time-lapse Movie function.
  • SuperSpeed USB 3.0 for high-speed tethering and image/movie transfer.
  • 150,000 shutter cycle life.

In this 18 minutes video photographer Dustin Abbott takes a real world look at the 50 megapixels resolution of the Canon EOS 5Ds R. He examines the pros (cropping ability, maximizing resolution, etc…) along with the cons (processor load, need for higher shutter speed, etc..) to give you a realistic view at whether you need that amount of resolution. To view the image gallery, click here.

Canon EOS 80D review (Camera Labs)

APS-C EOS 80d canon eos 90d
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Canon EOS 80D: [shopcountry 37471]

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 awith NFC
  • RGB+IR 7560-Pixel Metering Sensor

Camera Labs posted their exhaustive Canon EOS 80D review. And it is another very positive review. Canon appears to have hit the spot with the EOS 80D, a perfect all-rounder that’s impossible not to like.

From the conclusion:

The EOS 80D makes a number of key improvements over its predecessor, but its core appeal remains unchanged: the speed and confidence of a traditional mid-range DSLR coupled with one of the best movie and live view autofocus systems on the market. This gives you the choice of uncompromised shooting whether you’re using the optical viewfinder or the fully-articulated touch-screen. The earlier EOS 70D really did give you the best of both Worlds and now the EOS 80D enhances it further.

[…]

Beyond the sensor, the other major upgrade concerns the AF system which enjoys a decent jump from the 19-point system of the EOS 70D to a new 45-point system here. All points remain cross-type, but now 27 of them will work at f8, allowing you to autofocus with slower lenses or those combined with teleconverters. The new AF system also works in much lower light levels than before, down to -3EV compared to -0.5EV on the 70D.

There is not one single review that I saw that isn’t positive about the 80D. I have to say that I am highly tempted to upgrade from my [shoplink 14246]Canon EOS 70D[/shoplink]. See all our EOS 80D coverage here.

eos80d-ef-s18-135-top-

[via Camera Labs]

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DxOMarked, best sensor in Canon’s range

EOS-1D X Mark II
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Canon EOS-1D X Mark II: [shopcountry 37157]

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II at a glance:

  • 20.2MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
  • Dual DIGIC 6+ Image Processors
  • 3.2″ 1.62m-Dot Touchscreen LCD Monitor
  • DCI 4K Video at 60 fps, 8.8MP Still Grab
  • 61-Point High Density Reticular AF II
  • Native ISO 51200, Expanded to ISO 409600
  • 14 fps Shooting, 16 fps in Live View
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF and Movie Servo AF

DxOMark put the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II on their benchmark. This new full-frame sensor developed by Canon got an overall DxOMark score of 88 points, making it the best-performing sensor in Canon’s offering.

DxOMark writes:

This is a well-deserved result for Canon, and this versatile sensor should prove attractive to a wide range of photographers, including those that work in multiple disciplines. The wide dynamic range at low ISOs should appeal to all photographers, but especially those using it for landscapes, and the low noise at high ISOs will also appeal to action and sports photographers. Although the new model is aimed primarily at that market, the increase in pixel count over its predecessor now matches that of the earlier EOS-1Ds Mk III, a model that’s still highly regarded for editorial and commercial work. It is not too much of a stretch to view the new EOS-1D X Mk II as the natural successor to that camera, and its wide range of capabilities, including DCI 4K video, make it look highly tempting. Sure, it would have been great to see a higher pixel count, but overall, the sensor performance offers photographers the versatility to tackle a wide range of assignments with just one camera.

The Canon [shoplink 37471]EOS 80D[/shoplink], Canon’s best performing APS-C sensor (according to DxOMark), achieves a score of 79.

All our EOS-1D X Mark II coverage.

[via DxOMark]

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II real world (video-) review

canon eos-1d x mark ii
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Canon EOS-1D X Mark II: [shopcountry 37157]

EOS-1D X Mark II at a glance:

  • Fastest shooting EOS-1D, capable of up to 14 fps full-resolution RAW or JPEG, and up to 16 fps in Live View mode with new Dual DIGIC 6+ Image Processors.
  • Achieves a maximum burst rate of up to 170 RAWs in continuous shooting at up to 16 fps, and 4K movies using CFast cards in the new CFast 2.0 slot.
  • Experience less noise in higher ISO images via a new 20.2 Megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, with an ISO range of 100 51200; expansion to ISO 409600.
  • Improved AF performance through 61-point, wide area AF system with 41 cross-type points, improved center point focusing sensitivity to -3 EV and compatibility down to f/8
  • Accurate subject tracking for stills and video with new EOS Intelligent Tracking and Recognition AF with 360,000-pixel metering sensor.
  • 4K video (4096 x 2160) up to 60 fps (59.94), with an 8.8-Megapixel still frame grab in camera. Full 1080p HD capture up to 120 fps for slow motion.
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF & Movie Servo AF for high speed, high frame rate and continuous autofocus during video shooting.
  • View and control high quality stills and videos via the 3.2-inch touch panel LCD with 1.62 million dots.
  • Increased resolution and fine detail, with lens aberration correction and diffraction correction via new in-camera Digital Lens Optimizer technology.
  • Built-in GPS provides geotag information including auto time syncing with Universal Time Code via satellites.
  • The new optional Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E8A is compatible with IEEE 802.11ac/n/a/g/b, supporting both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands.
  • Durable and rugged magnesium alloy body with dust- and-weather resistance for demanding shooting situations.

Jared Polin, aka FroKnowsPhoto, posted a 35 minutes real world video-review of the Canon [shoplink 37157]EOS-1D X Mark II[/shoplink]. He also made all sample files available for download (raw format).

[via FroKnowsPhoto]

Canon EOS 5Ds R hands-on video and sample pictures

eos 5ds r mark ii
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Canon EOS 5Ds R: [shopcountry 27766]

Canon EOS 5Ds R at a glance:

  • 50.6 Megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with ISO 100-6400 (Lo: 50 and H1: 12,800) sensitivity range.
  • Low-pass cancellation filter for maximum sensor resolution.
  • Dual DIGIC 6 Processors for outstanding image processing speed and camera responsiveness.
  • 5 frames per second (fps) with selectable burst speeds and silent shutter mode.
  • 61-point wide area AF with 41 cross-type sensors with iTR, AI Servo AF III and AF Configuration tool.
  • 150k pixel RGB+IR metering sensor.
  • 100% magnification Intelligent Viewfinder II with electronic overlay.
  • 1.3x, 1.6x and 1:1 ratio crop modes with masked viewfinder display.
  • Mirror Vibration Control System to reduce mirror vibration blur.
  • Fine Detail Picture Style.
  • CF + SD (UHS-I) dual memory card slots.
  • Peripheral Illumination and Chromatic Aberration Lens Correction in camera.
  • Multiple Exposure and HDR mode.
  • Customisable Quick Control screen.
  • Built-in timer functionality – bulb timer and interval shooting timer.
  • Time-lapse Movie function.
  • SuperSpeed USB 3.0 for high-speed tethering and image/movie transfer.
  • 150,000 shutter cycle life.

While working on his review, photographer and reviewer Dustin Abbott posted a 12 minutes hands-on video where he analyzes design, features and specifications of Canon’s full-frame resolution champion, the 50MP [shoplink 27766]EOS 5Ds R[/shoplink]. Dustin also posted a sample image gallery here.

[via Dustin Abbott]