Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Review (tack-sharp lens, Photography Blog)

Sigma 105mm F1.4

Sigma 105mm f1.4 DG HSM Art at a glance:

  • EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/16
  • Three FLD Elements, Two SLD Elements
  • One Aspherical Element
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor, Manual Override
  • Weather-Sealed, Protective Front Coating
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • Removable Rotating Arca-Type Tripod Foot
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

Photography Blog reviewed the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM lens, the “bokeh master”. Sigma has landed another winner with this lens

From the conclusion:

Weighing in at well over 1.5kg and sporting a huge 105mm front element, the Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM is a monster of a lens, but thankfully it delivers in the image quality department. Sigma have gone all out to make this the ultimate lens for bokeh lovers, and you certainly won’t be disappointed if that description fits you.

The Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM is a tack-sharp lens, both in the centre and at the edges of the frame, with little evidence of chromatic aberrations and virtually no distortion. Vignetting at wide-open apertures is the only real optical issue of note, something that similarly fast lenses also suffer from, although stopping down to f/4 solves this problem altogether.

As with other recent Sigma lenses that we’ve reviewed, the build quality of the 105mm F1.4 DG HSM is fantastic, with the brass lens mount and sober all-black design adding to the high-quality feel. Read the review at Photography Blog.

More Sigma 105mm f1.4 DG HSM Art coverage is listed here.

The Sigma 105mm f1.4 DG HSM Art sells at $1,599: B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon

Canon Advanced Image Sensors Now Available For Industrial Application

35MMFHDXSCA Image Sensors

Canon’s advanced and super specialised image sensors are going to be available to businesses for all sort of applications, the sensor that can see in the dark inclusive. Canon’s advanced sensor technology is quite impressive.

Press release:

Canon Announces a New CMOS Sensor Business Platform

Patented Sensor Technology Now Available for Industrial Vision Applications

MELVILLE, N.Y., November 1, 2018 – Image sensors are an important driving force behind many of today’s successful brands, ranging from consumer products to industrial solutions. Today, Canon U.S.A, a leader in digital imaging solutions, announces that it is now offering select CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductors) sensor products for sale to the industrial marketplace. Manufacturers, solutions providers and integrators who are searching for advanced components to create their own unique products and solutions can now utilize Canon’s patented technology to help them create these products and solutions and expand their business potential.

“For several decades, Canon has been a leader in developing and manufacturing advanced CMOS sensors with state-of-the-art technologies, which until now, were for exclusive use in Canon products,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “It was a natural evolution to expand into a new business platform that leverages our expertise in sensor manufacturing to target the growing market demands for high-quality industrial imaging solutions.”

Launching this new business, Canon will be showcasing its CMOS sensors at VISION, the world’s leading trade fair for machine vision, on Tuesday, November 6 through Thursday, November 8, 2018, in Stuttgart, Germany. Attendees are invited to visit Hall 1 – Stand 1G74 to explore Canon’s CMOS sensor products and the variety of applications that can potentially be enhanced, including machine vision, inspection, surveillance, drones, traffic-monitoring systems and other industrial applications.

Canon sensors on display include:

  • 3U5MGXS CMOS Sensor – with an electronic global shutter, and an all pixel progressive reading at 120fps, the Canon 3U5MGXS CMOS 5MP sensor offers fast image capture with low power consumption. This helps to accurately capture images of subjects moving at high speeds without distortion to meet such industrial needs as medical imaging and inspecting parts during the manufacturing process. The Canon 3U5MGXS is now available.
  • 35MMFHDXSCA CMOS Sensor – featuring an enormous 19um pixel pitch, the 35MMFHDXSCA CMOS sensor is capable of capturing color images in exceptionally low-light environments where the naked eye struggles to distinguish objects.  Using new pixel and readout circuitry technologies that deliver a 2.76 megapixel resolution, these sensors can support a wide range of applications which require ultra-high sensitivity image capture, including defense, astronomy, surveillance and industrial operations. The Canon 35MMFHDXSCA is now available.
  • 120MXS CMOS Sensor – by incorporating close to the same number of pixels as photoreceptors in the human eye, the Canon 120MXS CMOS sensor delivers ultra-high 120 MP resolution at 9.4fps in a compact APS-H format. This sensor targets the needs of the inspection, aerial mapping, life sciences, digital archiving and transportation industries. The Canon 120MXS is now available.
  • 2U250MRXS CMOS Sensor – with a readout speed of 1.25 billion pixels per second, the prototype 2U250MRXS CMOS sensor, delivers ultra-high 250MP resolution in a compact APS-H format. Through advancements in circuit miniaturization and enhanced signal processing, this sensor delivers high resolution with incredible sensitivity and low noise.

For more information on Canon sensors, please visit canon-cmos-sensors.com.

Is The Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS The Best Kit Lens On The Market?

Canon RF 24-105mm F/4L IS Review Canon EOS R

Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS at a glance:

  • RF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/4 to f/22
  • Super Spectra Coating
  • Nano USM AF System
  • Optical Image Stabilizer
  • Customizable Control Ring
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

Tony & Chelsea Northrup posted a 9 minutes review of the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS lens for the EOS R full frame camera system.

A interchangeable camera system’s appeal depends largely by the its lens ecosystem. Something Fujifilm understood early and did right, and Canon didn’t apparently are too much with their APS-C mirrorless system, the EOS M.

Canon seems to have reminded how important the lens ecosystem is for a new camera system when they introduced the EOS R. While the RF 28-70 mm F/2L and especially the RF 50mm F/1.2L are the lenses that showcase the capabilities of the new RF mount,  the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS is the kit lens for the EOS R. A pretty good kit lens it appears.

We’ve now taken over 1,600 photos with the Canon EOS R and the 24-105 f/4 lens… and it’s a pretty fantastic combination for general, do-it-all consumer photography. The RF 24-105 f4 L IS is sharper than other kit lenses we’ve tested, including the Sigma 24-105 f4 and the Canon EF 24-105 f4 L IS. It’s almost as sharp as the Canon 24-70 f/2.8, but not quite (and of course, it’s a stop slower). While it’s not a professional-grade lens, it’s well-built, fairly compact, and extremely versatile.

Well, engineering lenses is something Canon does very good.


The Canon EOS R and RF lenses are in stock and ready to ship

Please use the links below to put your order (international shipping available).

Order the Canon EOS R in the USA: B&H Photo | Adorama | Canon USA | Amazon

Order the Canon RF mount lenses in the USA: B&H Photo | Adorama | Canon USA | Amazon

Availability should be given also at major retailers in Europe and around the world (you have to check for your country). Please use the links below.

Canon EOS R world-wide order links:

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

Canon RF mount lenses world-wide order links:

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

Nikon Z7 Teardown, Best Build Mirrorless FF Camera Ever Seen Says Lens Rentals

Nikon Z7

All images © lensrentals.com, used with permission.

Roger Cicala of Lens Rentals tore down a Nikon Z7, and was very impressed with the build quality.

Impressing Mr. Cicala doesn’t seem to be an easy task. He was impressed with the overall build quality, and praises the weather sealing of the Nikon Z7. From the the conclusion:

This is not marketing department weather resistance. This is engineering department weather resistance. Anything that can be sealed has been sealed. I’m impressed, and I will say for future cut-and-paste blurbs: this is as robustly weather sealed a camera as we’ve ever disassembled.

[…]

I’m impressed by the very solid construction of the chassis and IBIS unit. I’m impressed with the neat, modern engineering of the electrical connections. Yes, I’m aware that soldered wires carry electricity just fine, but to me, there’s something reassuring about seeing neat, well thought out, 2018 level engineering.

I’m not here to tell you which camera is best to use or has the best performance. I’m just here to say this is a damn well-built camera, the best built mirrorless full-frame camera we’ve taken apart. (For the record, I haven’t torn down a Leica SL.)

Roger Cicala’s teardown is documented step by step with pictures and descriptions.

The teardown of the Canon EOS R is featured here. Another EOS R teardown is here. Nothing to argue here, the Nikon Z7 is the better buld camera. As Mr Cicala points out, the Nikon Z7 is the flagship camera in Nikon’s Z system. When Canon will release their flagship mirrorless full frame camera, we’ll see if the build quality holds up with the Z7.

Nikon Z7B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon

Here Is Another Canon EOS R Real World Review (by FroKnowsPhoto)

Canon Eos R With Aps-c

Jared Polin (aka FroKnowsPhoto) posted a 50 minutes, real world review of the new Canon EOS R.

He wonders if it’s time to switch to the Sony a7 III, or to get a Canon EOS 6D Mark II instead, or should you get an EOS 5D Mark IV?


Canon EOS R at a glance:

  • 30.3MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 8 Image Processor
  • UHD 4K30 Video; C-Log & 10-Bit HDMI Out
  • Dual Pixel CMOS AF, 5655 AF Points
  • 3.69m-Dot OLED Electronic Viewfinder
  • 3.15″ 2.1m-Dot Swivel Touchscreen LCD
  • Expanded ISO 50-102400, 8 fps Shooting
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, SD UHS-II Card Slot
  • Multi-Function Bar, Dual Pixel RAW

The Canon EOS R and RF lenses are in stock and ready to ship

Please use the links below to put your order (international shipping available).

Order the Canon EOS R in the USA: B&H Photo | Adorama | Canon USA | Amazon

Order the Canon RF mount lenses in the USA: B&H Photo | Adorama | Canon USA | Amazon

Availability should be given also at major retailers in Europe and around the world (you have to check for your country). Please use the links below.

Canon EOS R world-wide order links:

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

Canon RF mount lenses world-wide order links:

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

Deal of the Day: Canon EOS M5 – $479, EOS M6 – $379 (refurbished at Canon Store)

Canon Eos M5 Mark Ii Mirrorless

The Canon Store has refurbished Canon EOS M5 and EOS M6 cameras on sale at a very hot price. Refurbished gear from the Canon Store is certified by Canon and comes with 1 year Canon USA warranty.

Both cameras are expected to be replaced in 2019, as we reported.

Always check the refurbished gear listings at the Canon Store. This is the place where the best deals on Canon gear are hiding, and waiting to be found. Please note: stock availability comes and goes. What’s not in stock today may be tomorrow.