Lens Rentals: Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM Tear Down

By Louis Ferreira | Published: August 10, 2019


Lens Rentals has a Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM fail while it was in a clients hands, so when they received it back they decided to disassemble it to see what they found. This is the same lens that set records in their MTF testing so I’m sure it’s a popular one. Below are excerpts from the larger article with photos which you can see here:

  • The filter ring is well-engineered for cheap replacement in the even that the filter ring get dented and is heald in place with screws and slots that take a 1/8th turn to disengage.
  • The front also has a thick gasket, but they found out the back was the way to take the lens apart not from the front when they got to the gasket
  • The back has good weather sealing, but Lens Rentals has already had issues with dust inside multiple lenses
  • When they got the lens open they determined it was laid out logically and modularly, plus the build quality was robust
  • The focusing groups have a long travel distance that allows for precision and reduces aberrations
  • The first issue they found when disassembling the lense was that the front element of the front focusing group seemed to be poking up a little bit on one side, which could cause the lens to malfunction
  • The aperture blades are nice and smoothly circular
  • There is more weather sealing inside the lens beyond the front and back
  • When disassembling a lens everything has to be put back exactly where it came from so Lens rentals generally has to mark a lot, but the 135mm is assembled with these markings in place
  • The front element had the light shield pushed out of place in the end
  • The light shield caused a millimeter of tilt where 0.1mm would have been catastrophic
  • They were unable to fix the lens in this instance because it would take the removal of all the glue from the element and the repotting of the front element to fix
  • This was a one-off but other lenses have had dust issues
  • This is nothing to be concerned about and the failure was a wtf is happening kind of moment
  • This is a well-made lens with IS built like a tank and a robust magnesium alloy barrel that has lots of long thick screws holding it all together with nothing flimsy to be seen
  • The electromagnetic focusing motor is improved over the design a few years ago and is now built like a tank
  • Lots of care was taken engineering this lens and it shows from the layout to the materials used
  • The optical design is also well built too.

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Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

 

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Amateur Photographer: Sony a7RIV Interview – New IBIS Algorithm, BSI, Megapixel Limits, and More

By Louis Ferreira | Published: August 9, 2019


Amateur Photographer interviewed Ben Pilling the Technical Marketing Manager for Sony’s Alpha 7R IV camera. Below are excerpts from the interview

  • Sony won’t talk about if full-frame is maxed out without losing dynamic range, but do mention they can still work on their BSI to improve sensors, which could be used to add more pixels to full-frame later
  • The Sony a7RII was the first camera to have BSI and they have improved BSI performance since then so that dynamic range isn’t compromised with low light
  • 10fpscontinues shooting with 61MP is also impressive, but people would like to see more so that’s an area they can improve
  • IBIS uses a new algorithm and software tailored for the a7RIV
  • There is a new low-vibration shutter too that is cushioned against the camera’s magnesium alloy body
  • Both make it easier to fully utilize the a7RIV’s 61MP
  • Sony will run a lot of hands-on events so that they can try the a7RIV
  • Sony will continue producing all their R cameras
  • The screen only tilts up and down at this time because they are trying to keep the camera compact and Sony prioritizes the design of the screen along the optical axis
  • The new external mic was designed to make the a7RIV fit more consumers needs
  •  If there is a market for an f/1.2 lens Sony will certainly consider making some

via amateurphotographer

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Sony a7RIV: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

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Photographer’s Guide to the Sony a6400: Getting the Most from Sony’s Advanced Mirrorless Camera

By Louis Ferreira | Published: August 9, 2019


The Photographer’s Guide to the Sony a6400: Getting the Most from Sony’s Advanced Mirrorless Camera is available on Amazon for those looking for help with their Sony a6400 or as a gift. It is currently only available digitally, but it paperback will be available soon.

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Book Description
With this book, author Alexander S. White provides users of the a6400 with a manual covering all aspects of the camera’s operation. Using a tutorial-like approach, the book shows beginning and intermediate photographers how to accomplish things with the a6400, and explains when and why to use the camera’s many features.

The book provides details about the camera’s shooting modes as well as its menu options for shooting, playback, setup, video, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and special effects. The book covers the a6400’s ability to use its touch screen for focusing and enlarging images in some situations, its upgraded autofocus system, which includes automatic focusing on the eyes of humans or animals, and the camera’s wide range of options for assigning its control buttons, dial, and wheel to carry out photographic functions.

The book includes more than 450 color photographs that illustrate the camera’s controls, display screens, and menus. The images include photographs taken using the a6400’s Scene mode, with settings optimized for subjects such as landscapes, sunsets, portraits, and action shots; and its Creative Style and Picture Effect menu options, with settings that alter the appearance of images. Read More »

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Sony RX100VIII/RX100VII Lensmate Quick Change Filter Adapter Kit

By Louis Ferreira | Published: August 8, 2019

Many are using the latest Sony RX100 cameras for vlogging and photography, but to get the correct frame rate for filming you will need an ND filter during most days. That’s where the Lensmate Quick Change Filter Adapter Kit comes in. DC.Watch confirmed that the Lensmate Quick Change Filter Adapter Kit for RX100VI will fit the RX100VII so feel free to give one a try.

The Lensmate Quick Change Filter Adapter Kit attaches to the front of the RX100 with 3M dual-sided adhesive film that will hold the 52mm adapter securely, but come off without leaving a residue. There is no vignetting at any focal length and you can even stack a UV and ND filter or even use 2 ND filters. The use of a low profile polarizing filter is also possible with no vignetting

You can find 52mm filters and the Lensmate Quick Change Filter Adapter Kit on Amazon

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Sony RX100VIII: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

 

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Sony α7R IV Conference Interview: Sony a7SIII is Coming and a New Focus on High-Resolution

By Louis Ferreira | Published: August 7, 2019


Fengniao attended a launch event for the Sony a7RIV launch in mainland China and conducted an in-depth interview with Sony (China) Co., Ltd. Sony Group Senior Vice President Gao Qiaoyang, Sony (China) Co., Ltd. President of Consumer Electronics Business Division Xie Wei, Sony Corporation Digital Imaging Group Marketing Department Senior General Manager Aoki Aoki and Senior Manager of the Digital Imaging Group’s Marketing Department of Sony Corporation, and Mr. Kang Jiayi. Below are excerpts from the interview (warning the translation is rough):

  • Right now Imaging Edge Edge has the best support for the a7RIV, but Sony working with other software manufacturers
  • The a7R cameras transfer a lot of data, so the max fps did not improve on the a7RIV over the a7RIII
  • The Sony a7SIII is still under development, but the a7RIV has a ton of pixels to work with, which bring many different advantages for shooting video
  • High megapixel cameras are difficult because Sony doesn’t want to sacrifice sensitivity
  • It also allows for high-resolution crops that will match the Sony a6400
  • Higher megapixel sensors also push lenses closer to their limits and push designers to create better glass
  • Sony thinks higher resolution is part of the future
  • The exposure compensation lock button was added because photographers bumped it a lot
  • Sony is studying what others are doing with their high megapixel video, but will not talk about their future plans at this time
  • Sony’s recent reorganization did not lead to new products being developed, but it makes each division more independent financially and R&D wise, which could lead to new space between TV, video, camera, mobile phones, etc…
  • Higher megapixel cameras consumer more power, but Sony engineers were able to reduce overall power draw to extend battery life in the a7RIV
  • Eye AF is different in video than for stills and in the future, Sony will increase eye AF performance for animals in addition to other areas

So overall it sounds like the Sony a7SIII is still being worked on and should equal or surpass its peers. It also sounds like Sony is getting ready for a resolution war across the board with their cameras so maybe 24MP won’t be the standard for much longer. I wish we got a little more information about Sony’s reorganization though and the Sony a7RIV is still a beast of a camera.

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via Fengniao

 

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Samyang 85mm f/1.4 AF Continues to Impress

By Louis Ferreira | Published: August 6, 2019


The Samyang 85mm f/1.4 AF Continues to Impress after the ephotozine review. This lens is on my shortlist for lenses to purchase in the near future, but I have been putting a lot of money into shooting wide since it’s astrophotography season.

The latest review by Lenstips is simply glowing saying:

I think we don’t even have to write a very lengthy summary in this case. If a lens of an independent producer three times cheaper than its well-done brand name rival fares in most categories better than the said brand name lens, you really don’t have to be verbose.

We should be grateful to independent producers for their good quality lenses which are sold at normal prices. While developping new systems, brand name manufacturers are climbing new heights of absurdity with pricing new lenses launched on the market…

along with their lengthy list of Pros

Pros:

  • sensational image quality in the frame centre,
  • good image quality on the edge of APS-C,
  • moderate longitudinal chromatic aberration,
  • negligible lateral chromatic aberration,
  • practically zero distortion,
  • sensible coma correction,
  • very low astigmatism,
  • slight vignetting on APS-C sensor,
  • silent and sensibly accurate autofocus,
  • good price/performance ratio.

Cons:

  • a bit of problems related to spherical aberration,
  • weak performance against bright light,
  • huge vignetting on full frame.

If you need more information or want to see the testing check out the full review on Lenstips it’s a good one.

Samyang 85mm f/1.4 AF: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

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