Indholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2018 i Camera

WITH THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM both Nikon and Canon coming just a few weeks out from this year’s Photokina, you might think a bit of the gloss would have been taken off the show, which was being held for the last time in its traditional autumn-in-Germany dates. Not a bit of it, and I’m not the only photo mag journalist who reckoned that this was the most exciting Photokina for years… some even said for a couple of decades. The tone was set with the very first press conference on Press Day – which was the best organised for ages too – with the stage being technically Leica’s, but also shared with Sigma and Panasonic. Hello? Something big is going on here, we were all thinking as we trooped into…

THE VERY FIRST digital camera from Zeiss has a full-35mm format CMOS sensor, but it’s not a mirrorless design or, indeed, a D-SLR. Instead, the Zeiss ZX1 has a fixed Distagon T* 35mm f2.0 wide-angle prime which, of course, is very precisely matched optically to the sensor. OK, so technically it is a mirrorless camera, but you know what we mean. There are some other unusual things about the ZX1 too… for starters, it has a massive 512 GB of internal memory which is enough for around 6800 RAW files (in the Adobe DNG format) or over 50,000 best-quality JPEGs. The big internal memory means that there’s no memory card slot and Zeiss is emphasising image sharing via WiFi (with NFC), Bluetooth or the camera’s USB-C connection (the camera’s only…

YOU CAN READ our full review of Nikon’s new flagship full-35mm mirrorless camera, the Z 7, elsewhere in this issue, but here’s an overview of the Z System on which the company is building its future in interchangeable lens cameras. It’s based on the Z mount, which has a flange back distance of 16 mm and an inner diameter of 55 mm, which is wide enough to allow for the development of larger aperture lenses such as the 58mm f0.95. It’s a four-bayonet claw fitting with a total of 11 electronic contacts, and the first time that Nikon has departed from the F mount which started it all back in 1959.The Z-to-F mount adaptor – called the FTZ – maintains full functionality with the camera bodies, including three-axis IBIS which…

DIGITAL STORAGE EXPERTS Seagate and drone manufacturer DJI have collaborated to develop the LaCie DJI Copilot, which is designed to allow the easier management and back-up of image files and video clips while flying on location. LaCie DJI Copilot enables drone users to quickly ingest and review their content in full resolution without a PC. This includes the playback, copying and managing of drone footage from the Copilot BOSS (Back-up On-Set Solution) app by LaCie on a mobile device without the need to leave the field or boot up a computer. Users can also quickly connect and reference the built-in screen to initiate direct file transfer from an SD memory card to LaCie DJI Copilot – without the need of a laptop or a mobile network. The built-in power bank…

IN GENERAL,THIS CATEGORY recognises the video capabilities of cameras that are also designed for still photography, although we have occasionally strayed outside this brief when something warranted it. Of course, video is now an integral part of most mirrorless cameras and a growing number of frame-grab functions are further blurring the boundaries between stills and video… for example, 8K video (coming whether you’re ready or not) yields 19 megapixels stills. Panasonic is celebrating ten years of its Lumix G mirrorless system this year, and it’s in the video world where the Micro Four Thirds sensor will continue to make a lot of sense even after the full-35mm Lumix S system arrives in mid-2019. The balance of sensor size and camera size along with the wide choice of lenses from both…

ONCE IN A WHILE a product comes along that just seems to get everything absolutely spot-on. From the moment it’s taken out of the box, it delivers on expectations, often even exceeds them. So it was with Tamron’s 100-400mm telezoom which wowed us from the off. Well, of course, at first it was all about creating impressions… a very versatile focal range – especially for sports and wildlife – in a nicely manageable and well-built package. The weather-proofed barrel construction is great for shooting in the great outdoors as is the fluorine coating on the exposed surface of the front element which makes it easier to clean. The optical image stabiliser – which has its own dedicated high-speed microprocessor to enhance response times – gives up to four stops of…

Print times for an average postcard, A4 and A3+ using the Standard quality setting with High Speed switched on and the High quality setting with High Speed switched off settings are listed below. The Best quality setting only relates to the Epson Ultra Glossy papers and is not included. Timing starts from the commencement of print head activity. It’s obviously up to the individual to make an assessment of the print quality at different settings. Some will opt for the maximum quality settings regardless of the print times involved and the extra ink used while others will place more emphasis on achieving faster print times.…

OVER THE LAST YEAR WE’VE BEEN searching for Australia’s most talented teenage photographers. If you were aged between 13 and 19, you were eligible to enter the 2018 competition and show off your camera skills… and plenty of you did. Now we’ve picked a winner. To enter the Australian Teenage Photographer Of The Year competition, you had to submit a portfolio of six images and we had a range of entrants aged between 14 and 18. Four of these portfolios warranted publication in Camera magazine over the last 12 months and from these we’ve selected an overall winner. By coincidence, this year’s winner was also the youngest entrant, aged 14, yet the judges felt this portfolio exhibited a wide range of technical skills as well a clearly-developing creative eye. So,…

The last of the biennial format Photokinas was historic in a number of ways, particularly as it moves from its traditional autumn date to late spring (in the northern hemisphere). Given the slow diminishing of the show’s size over the last decade (this year down to five halls and four days), there has to be a bit of a question mark over whether everybody will be prepared to turn up again in just eight months’ time for the planned 2019 event. Regardless, Photokina 2018 was definitely more about quality than quantity, and indeed it will be remembered as another turning point in the history of photography. The die was already cast a few weeks before the show opened, as both Nikon and Canon launched their full-35mm mirrorless camera systems in…

WHILE THE L MOUNT ALLIANCE was the headline news from Leica at Photokina, it continued a busy year with a number of new product announcements, including a silver version of its CL ‘APS-C’ mirrorless camera (and already a member of the L mount family) and a black version of the Sofort instant camera which is based on Fujifilm’s Instax Mini format. However, the most interest was created by the S3, the latest version of Leica’s medium format D-SLR. It has a restyled bodyshell (which, incidentally, is starting to look a lot like the old R8/R9 35mm SLRs), but the big news is on the side where there’s an all-new and exclusive 64 mega-pixels version of the 30.0x45.0 mm CMOS sensor (up from 37.5 MP in the previous Type 007 model).…

HERALDED AS THE fourth-generation X mount mirrorless camera, Fujifilm’s X-T3 steps up to an all-new sensor and significantly expanded video capabilities matching those of Panasonic’s Lumix GH5/5S. Sharing similar styling and sizing to the X-T2, the X-T3 offers quite a bit more than its predecessor, starting with Fujifilm’s first backside-illuminated ‘APS-C’ CMOS sensor. The new X-Trans CMOS 4’ sensor subsequently gets a small increase in effective resolution to 26.1 megapixels and the sensitivity range is equivalent to ISO 160 to 12,800 with expansions either side to ISO 80 and 51,200. There’s a new quad-core ‘X Processor 4’ imaging engine which is claimed to be three times faster than the previous ‘X Processor Pro’. The sensor also has a four-fold increase in the number of pixels devoted to phase-difference detection autofocusing…

IT’S A FUNNY OLD world, isn’t it? Suddenly consumer-level D-SLRs have taken on a new importance as the affordable entry-points to an interchangeable lens camera (ILC) system. In fact, this is now probably the most interesting of the D-SLR categories given the diminishing of activity in the other two. All three finalists here represent a lot of camera for your money even if they may no longer be cutting edge in technological terms. Of course, production costs have long since been amortised which helps with the keener pricing versus a comparable mirrorless model, but the D3500 is still a very capable camera, especially for somebody who has decided to get a bit more serious about their photography. It’s also as compact as an ‘APS-C’ D-SLR can go, and you’re not…

MOST ATTENTION HAS been focused on Fujifilm’s higher-end X mount cameras as the company intensifies its campaign for the hearts and minds of pro D-SLR users, but there’s good stuff going on in the lower ranks too. The X-T100 is a deliberate attempt to woo smartphone users away from the dark side, so it’s more affordable than the X-T20 and has a feature set closer to the X-A5, but the result is a very appealing combination of compactness and capabilities. And, as we noted in our review, the value proposition is very hard to ignore. Given the target audience, the X-T100 isn’t quite as ‘hard core’ traditionalist as the other X-T series models, although the external control layout is still essentially dial-based so there’s still a ‘real camera’ experience to…

THE PHOTO PRINTER MARKET has changed out of all recognition from when we first introduced this award category. As the technology has matured, the life cycles of models have steadily increased and the imperative to upgrade on a regular basis has steadily diminished. Any breakthroughs are incremental (although Epson’s ‘EcoTank’ concept was definitely a big bang) and it’s now more likely that your photo printer will break mechanically before you’ll find any technological or performance-related reasons to replace it. It’s now more about tweaking the combination of capabilities, performance, economies and pricing, which is exactly what Epson has done with the Expression Photo HD XP-15000. It’s a dedicated A3+ photo printer and it uses Epson’s Claria dye-based inks rather than the more trendy pigments. Contrary to popular belief, there are…

If you’re in the market for a full-35mm format mirrorless camera, you’re suddenly spoilt for choice. By mid-2019 there’ll be five major manufacturers all competing for your business. Here’s what Canon’s EOS R system has to offer… BODYSHELL: Magnesium alloy covers with weather sealing over a magnesium alloy chassis. The control layout is basically a new arrangement with a much greater reliance on customisable multi-function controls and only a few similarities with the higher-end D-SLR control layouts. As on the Nikon Z cameras, the top deck info screen is an OLED-type panel. However, the handgrip is deliberately more D-SLR-like in size and function. Curiously though, there’s no joystick-type controller for faster AF point selection, but this can be done from the touchscreen. Completely new – and pretty neat too –…

The grand prize in the 2018 Australian Teenage Photographer Of The Year competition is a camera to aspire to. Olympus Australia has generously donated an OM-D E-M5 Mark II along with the M.Zuiko Digital 12-40mm f2.8 PRO zoom lens. This kit is valued at $1999. The E-M5 Mark II embodies all the physical advantages of the mirrorless design in its compact and lightweight body – which is fully weather-proofed – along with many technological advantages such as five-axis image stabilisation, continuous shooting at up to ten frames per second, a high resolution electronic viewfinder and a huge selection of Art Filter special effects. There are numerous creative features such as an intervalometer, HDR capture and a High-Res Shot mode (which produces 40 megapixels images).…

UNDOUBTEDLY THE BIGGEST news at Photokina 2018 was the formation of a new strategic partnership between three major brands to develop and promote a full-35mm mirrorless camera system. The “L Mount Alliance” comprises Leica, Panasonic and Sigma – a pretty powerful trio – and it consolidates what is going to be a very significant component of the higher-end camera business over the coming years. Given how much leaking went on ahead of both Nikon and Canon’s pre-show mirrorless announcements, the L Mount Alliance was a very well-kept secret, with only scant details of Panasonic’s possible plans appearing ahead of the official announcement. The alliance continues Leica’s close relationship with Panasonic (which has existed since 2001), but now involves Sigma in a joint program based on Leica’s L mount, which was…

AFTER WE’VE WAITED for at least a couple of years for Canon and Nikon to get their acts together with full-35mm format mirrorless camera systems, both have launched within a couple of weeks of each other… emphatically ending Sony’s long honeymoon in this sector. Nikon was first with its Z series and, just 15 days later, Canon unleashed its EOS R system. EOS R is based around an all-new RF mount which has an inner diameter of 54 millimetres and a flange back distance of 20 millimetres. It’s a three-claw bayonet fitting with 12 contact pins. The system launches with one camera body and four lenses, with the emphasis on pro and enthusiast-level users (which makes sense given Canon already has consumer-level ‘APS-C’ M mirrorless cameras). There are more “f2.8…

DESPITE THE AVAILABILITY of a full-function adapter for fitting F mount lenses to the new Z series mirrorless camera bodies, Nikon’s challenge will be to deliver as many new Z mount lenses as it possibly can and as quickly as it can… especially if it’s to match Sony’s recent efforts. Three lenses have been launched with the system to cover the basics, and the published roadmap will expand the range to 12 lenses by 2020, but it’s missing something that’s important to many of Nikon’s pro D-SLR users – fast prime telephotos. The Z mount lenses have been christened “S Line” which signifies a particular standard of optical performance (it’s not clear whether there will be non-S Line Z mount lenses down the track). The launch trio comprise a 24-70mm…

THERE ARE BASICALLY two types of Leica user… the flaunt-it-if-you’vegot-it show-offs (well, frankly, why not?) and those who like to be a bit more discreet. The new M10-P is aimed at the latter so it does away with the very recognisable ‘red dot’ logo on its front panel in favour of simple ‘Leica’ script engraved on the top cover. But this model is not just about cosmetics, Leica claims it has the quietest shutter release of any M series rangefinder camera ever. Given how quiet they all are (thanks to the absence of a reflex mirror), this is quite a claim. Leica says its operation is “almost inaudible”. There’s also a metal hotshoe mount cover which is flush-fitting to smooth off the top panel aesthetic. There are a number of…

THERE MAY HAVE BEEN no contest here, but the K-1 Mark II has the potential to take on any challenger given it represents the peak of D-SLR technology as we know it now. Just what parent company Ricoh has planned for Pentax down the track isn’t immediately clear, but the K-1 II admirably holds its own against the previous winners of this category that are still currently available. Let’s hope something interesting in mirrorless cameras is coming from this venerable brand in the not too distant future. While the Mark II model represents a fairly modest upgrade on its predecessor, it’s a very interesting package overall, starting with the advances made to its pixel shifting capability. Pentax was an earlier adopter of this technique for creating higher resolution images by…

WHILE SONY IS FACING stiffer competition in a market segment it has had largely all to itself for quite a while, the A7 III shows why it’s the newcomers who will need to be on their game. For starters, Sony is still packaging the full-35mm format sensor in the smallest and lightest body, which obviously still has benefits even when using the bigger FE mount lenses. And let’s talk lenses for a minute because Sony has done a herculean job building up its FE mount line-up in a comparatively short time, plus there’s now a growing number of models from many of the independents, including Sigma’s exceptional Art models. Additionally, Sony’s own ‘G Master’ lenses offer superlative optical performance, matching the best from either Canon or Nikon… so this is…

IT’S BONKERS, BUT it’s also brilliant. And regardless of what you shoot with regularly, you’re going to find the Coolpix P1000 very hard to resist. It does stuff that there’s no other way of doing without spending a fortune (and probably doing your back in from carrying a tonne of gear around). The superzoom camera segment is a little ecosystem of its own, built almost entirely around the proposition that mine-is-longer-than-yours. The P1000 current tops everybody with a zoom lens that spans the equivalent of 24-3000mm – a zooming range of 125x – with a maximum aperture of f2.8-8.0 and macro focusing down to just one centimetre. If 3000mm isn’t long enough for you, 6000mm is available via a ‘Dynamic Fine Zoom’ function, although this is essentially a digital zoom…

SUCH IS THE AMOUNT of activity happening in interchangeable lenses that, as with last year, both our lens categories are again the most hotly contested of any in these awards. It was a challenge to even get down to a workable shortlist… which, inevitably, again included a Sigma Art lens. And when one of these is in contention, things get very harder for everybody else, such are the exceptionally high standard set for both optical performance, mechanical durability, enhanced by the comparative affordability. So this year… yes, another Sigma Art lens wins and, as it happens, it’s perhaps one of the best yet. The 105mm f1.4 combines a surprisingly versatile focal length with a super-fast maximum aperture, making it the ideal lens for applications such as portraiture and astrophotography. The…

Now that we’ve all heaved a collective sigh of relief following the arrival of the full-35mm mirrorless camera systems from both Nikon and Canon, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of seeing exactly what’s on offer. Of course, Sony has been in this space previously with its FE mount cameras and also Leica with its pricey SL, but both Nikon Z and Canon EOS R are quite different animals, primarily as they’re significantly influenced by the respective D-SLR systems. Makes sense because it’s undoubtedly these audiences that Nikon and Canon are primarily appealing to, at least initially. But they’re also different for another more profound reason – Sony thinks like an electronics company, both Canon and Nikon think like photographic companies or, perhaps even more influentially, camera makers…

When it comes to making long-lasting, durable and saleable prints the emphasis has always been on pigment printers. The Epson Artisan 1430 (reviewed back in 2012) has been a notable exception because of its Claria dye-based ink set. Wilhelm Research has ratings for the Claria inks of 98 years of display life under glass and greater than 200 years when in dark storage (these rating relate to the Epson Ultra and Premium gloss papers). In a nutshell, what this means is equality with pigment ink ratings. However, there is much more to it than longevity ratings, as dyes on gloss and semi-gloss media have a perfect surface, unlike the gloss differential and bronzing characteristics associated with using pigment inks. Although the new XP-15000 might be described as “entry-level”, it goes…

2018 FUJIFILM SHOWCASE GRAND PRIZE WINNER We loved this picture when we first saw it back in the May/June issue and it still resonated with all our judges when it came to picking this year’s grand prize winner. A brief moment is captured beautifully by David Edwards who took this image with a Pentax MX1. David will soon be the proud owner of a Fujifilm X-Pro2 Graphite Edition mirrorless camera complete with a matching XF 23mm f2.0 R WR prime lens. This kit is valued at $3699 and has been generously donated, of course, by Fujifilm Australia. 2019 FUJIFILM SHOWCASE FIRST ROUND WINNER Kicking off our 2019 Fujifilm Showcase is this very atmospheric panorama by Marc Savy. You can almost feel the chill and the curve of the breakwater leads…