Laowa Launches the small 180mm f/4.5 1.5X Ultra Macro APO Lens

Laowa has launched a new 180mm F4.5 1.5x Macro lens that they deem APO. What does APO mean, and why does Richard think it’s important? It means that there are little, if any, achromatic aberrations. According to Leica, who know a thing or two about lenses, they state this; Stands for ‘apochromatically corrected’. In normal […]

See full article...

SIGMA Announces Four New Lenses – None for RF

There is an interesting post on FStoppers for those interested in another opinion about Canon’s strategy to keep the RF (FF) mount closed. The title is “The Genius of Canon's RF Mount Lens Lockdown”.

A quote from the conclusion (emphasis is mine): “Canon was accused of walling off the garden when they began controlling RF mount access. Critics predicted market share losses, user defection, and ecosystem stagnation. Photography influencers proclaimed Sony's third-party friendly approach the obvious future. The consensus was clear: Canon had made a strategic error that would cost them dearly.

In hindsight, it may have been the construction of a remarkably profitable fortress. With minimal competition for their high-margin premium glass and a comprehensive stable of budget lenses that preempted third-party alternatives, Canon transformed a widely reviled approach into one of the most successful plays of the mirrorless era. The company didn't just survive the transition from DSLR to mirrorless; they maintained strong profitability while commanding premium pricing across their lens lineup.”

See: https://fstoppers.com/business/genius-canons-rf-mount-lens-lockdown-711104
Upvote 0

Canon Still in Deep Research of Canon EF Cinema Lenses

These lenses raise a question. Why can't/don't still zoom lenses hold the larger aperture for as much of the zoom range as possible. For example, a 300 f/2.8 lens requires a front element of about 107mm. Now consider a 100-300 f/2-2.8. That 107mm should allow that f/2 to be maintained out to 214mm. So why doesn't it? My fantasy lens would be a 200-500 f/2.8-4 with a selectable 1.4x TC. Update: It would hold f/2.8 out to 350 mm.
Take a look at a zoom lens and you will see a chassis to carry the aperture blades down the barrel, and as the chassis moves down the barrel, you no longer have a 107mm opening. The opening is now down the barrel, not the opening at the end of the lens. That's how it seems to me, anyway and why these types of variable apertures would require a much larger front element and be much larger and heavier than people think. Maybe not even possible to design.
Upvote 0

The Canon EOS R7 Mark II is Getting Closer

I would rather have 36mp than have diffraction kick in at f5.6.
Not sure what you mean by "kick in", but there is ALWAYS diffraction, at all apertures. The "diffraction limit" is not a limit. It is a calculation assuming some things about the Airy disk. The resolution of a photo, at the focal plane, is determined by pixel pitch, diffraction, motion, and aberrations. Slightly away from the focal plane, resolution improves by stopping down way narrower than f/5.6. Many of us routinely select f/11 or 13 as the best compromise when shooting macro on an APSC sensor.

Also remember that it's the lens that creates diffraction, not the sensor. Having more pixels doesn't increase diffraction. But you can see its effects better by pixel-peeping. :)

As long as I can remember (which for me goes back to 8 mpx cameras), there have been fears about noise and diffraction with higher pixel count cameras. Sensors now have an order of magnitude more pixels, yet IQ keeps on improving.

So it seems the camera manufacturers know what they are doing.

I'll be one of the first in line for the R7 II if it has the rumored improvements, and for me, the more pixels the better.
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Upvote 0

Canon EOS R7 Mark II is Reportedly in the Wild

Is the slit vertical traveling horizontally or horizontal traveling vertically? Your reply assumes the latter. I believe the EOS-3 and other film cameras moved horizontally. The effect should be to lengthen the car or motorcycle in the picture.

Since the DSLR days Canon's mechanical shutter moves up&down(horizontal travel vertically). I'm not expert in older SLR, and my 1V's mechanical shutter is no different to modern cameras. I don't know Canon did something different for 3.

As @DhlcadR6 writes, modern DSLRs travel vertically because it is quicker to traverse 24mm than 36mm.

All EOS SLRs, both film and digital, have had electronically controlled vertically traveling blade shutters.

The AE-1, AE-1P, New F1, and most other late FD mount bodies in the A-Series and F-Series had horizontally travelling one-piece cloth shutter curtains. This made camera design simpler so that the same mechanical motion from the film advance lever also cocked the shutter curtains. The final FD mount bodies, the T-Series introduced in 1983, had vertical shutters. There were also a limited number, reportedly less than 100, of New F-1 bodies made for use by press photographers at the 1984 Summer Olympics with vertical blade shutters, enhanced motor drives, and pellicle mirrors that could shoot at a then record 14 fps.

The tipping point for going from horizontal to vertical shutter curtains was the elimination of manual film advance levers as 35mm film cameras were introduced with automated film advance built into the body. The shorter transit distance across the short dimension of the frame and blade curtains driven by electronic motors rather than cloth curtains resulted in shorter X-sync timings. Instead of 1/60-1/90 X-sync Tv, cameras quickly went to 1/120-1/180 X-sync for flash photography. The T-90 had an X-sync of 1/250! The professional New F-1 with horizontal cloth shutter was limited to 1/90 X-sync.

For what it's worth, my Konica FS-1 has a built-in 2.5 fps motor drive and a vertically travelling electronically controlled blade shutter. It was introduced in 1979, about four years before the 1.5 fps Canon T-50.
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Upvote 0

Blackmagic Design Announces Customizable Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K Body

Fremont, CA, USA – Thursday, January 30, 2025 – Blackmagic Design today announced Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Body which is a version of the camera that has all the quality and features of the URSA Cine 12K but excludes many of the accessories. This body only model is perfect for experienced cinematographers and rental houses who already […]

See full article...

Fujifilm announces the GFX Eterna 55

Today, Fujifilm announced its first digital camera dedicated to cinema filmmaking, the GFX Eterna 55. Over the last year, we’ve heard that this camera was coming, based upon the 100MP sensor found in it’s GFXC 100 II cameras. This camera uses the same spectacular sensor found in the GFX 100, a 44x33mm sensor. The sensor […]

See full article...

Canon Announces the CINI-SERVO 11-55 T2.95-T3.95 Cinema Lens

I wish Amsterdam hotels weren't a billion dollars now. No last minute trip to IBC.
The RAI has its own train station and 2 subway stations, so taking a hotel further away and commuting is a feasible option. I did something similar, home to RAI two weeks ago for a full week and that went 'OK'. Next time I will take a hotel for at least a few nights, especially when having dinner with other people.
Upvote 0

Filter

Forum statistics

Threads
37,263
Messages
966,773
Members
24,628
Latest member
Brian Hinde

Gallery statistics

Categories
1
Albums
29
Uploaded media
353
Embedded media
1
Comments
25
Disk usage
982.4 MB