Industry News: Sony teases a major alpha mirrorless announcement

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Sony may not be producing much in the way light-drinking lenses like the f/1.2s, but the best lens on Sony right now is the Sigma 35mm f/1.2. I shoot an R5 now, but I'd give two of my RF primes for that one Sigma. Yeah, I think it's more difficult to make that sort of thing with the e-mount, but it's certainly not impossible. If that system had a 35mm (which it does), a 50mm and an 85mm f/1.2, then I think the issue is a bit mute.

Just on the Sigma 35mm f/1.2, the Sony GM 35mm f/1.4 is sharper. There are Canon EF f/1.2 lenses, but these are rather rubbish on the sharpness and Canon had to make the newest EF 85mm f/1.4. Like the Nikon S f/1.8 lenses are all sharp, the Z 50 f/1.2 is sharp wide open, the RF 50 and 85's f/1.2's are all sharp and near optically perfect. I do think Sony can still make f/1.2 lenses, but I think they'll always have a compromise of some sort on the Sony side.
 
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Hector1970

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Mar 22, 2012
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You bring up a good point - this could be a mistake by Sony. Historically, as it has been reported anyway, the PJ/sports crowd that buys these cameras in bulk have asked for a lower MP count, in order to limit bandwidth usage at events or via cellular hot spotting where they need to transmit images back to home base in near real time. When hundreds of folks are doing this at the same time, it makes for a bogged down network. Particularly when the vast majority of images taken are shared only digitally the extra MP don't mean much.

perhaps its really and R5 competitor in a pro body with the extra space used to help with heat dissipation. Or perhaps they'll have a second body with a more desirable mp count for the usual pro body audience. Or perhaps they just don't quite know the pro body game as well as Canon and Nikon, as they haven't fully played in that space before (not that they didn't have other capable cameras).

Its fun to speculate.

-Brian
Yes this came up when the 1DXIII that agency's were asked what they wanted and they wanted 20MP. I'd love to know roughly in the case of 1DXIII what % of total sales are agencies. It seems a very limiting limit. To me the 1DXIII processors are so fast it could have handled 30MP no problem. I'd have thought it would be better to have a camera that's 30MP but that you could have a format that sends files 20MP size without too much loss of detail. If you start with a 20MP sensor you are reducing your options immediately. I own a 1DXIII and after coming from a 5DSR and 5DIV you really notice this loss of MP. I've always thought 30MP would have been a better sweet point. The 1DXIII is a fine camera but it would have been a better birding camera if it had those 10 extra MP's.
It will be interesting what the Sony Camera brings. I think an R1 will be far more expensive.
 
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Jan 29, 2011
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Yes this came up when the 1DXIII that agency's were asked what they wanted and they wanted 20MP. I'd love to know roughly in the case of 1DXIII what % of total sales are agencies. It seems a very limiting limit. To me the 1DXIII processors are so fast it could have handled 30MP no problem. I'd have thought it would be better to have a camera that's 30MP but that you could have a format that sends files 20MP size without too much loss of detail. If you start with a 20MP sensor you are reducing your options immediately. I own a 1DXIII and after coming from a 5DSR and 5DIV you really notice this loss of MP. I've always thought 30MP would have been a better sweet point. The 1DXIII is a fine camera but it would have been a better birding camera if it had those 10 extra MP's.
It will be interesting what the Sony Camera brings. I think an R1 will be far more expensive.
I know three 1DX III owners, as far as I know none of them have ever taken a picture of a bird.
 
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I know three 1DX III owners, as far as I know none of them have ever taken a picture of a bird.

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"....We've got more than a few of the 1Dx3's (over 60 of the them!) and while the birds we take high speed flash photos of tend to be rather dead as part of frozen bird engine ingest and hull impact tests, they are still birds......"

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The 1Dx3 is actually quite an excellent wildlife/action cam. I've taken one out to get images of hummingbirds and the odd eagle looking for salmon. I do must admit Canon sure has got it's colours correct MUCH BETTER than the Sony A92!

Using ISO-1600 at 1/400th of a second shutter speed (You still want a BIT of motion blur so leave it at 1/400th of a second and NOT 1/1000th+ of a second!), you get some VERY NICE photos at 20 megapixels that have little noise and great colours. You can print the 1Dx3's images as large as 13x19 inches at 2400 dpi with error diffusion ON and STILL have great looking imagery suitable for sellable art-house prints.

As a DSLR, you can force the Canon 1Dx3 to keep its mirror UP in high speed mode, which makes it a VERY VERY CAPABLE 20 fps Burst Rate Mirrorless camera! When the R1 goes on sale, I can see that in about two years afterwards that prices on used 1dx3's will be such that I personally think it would be a VERY GOOD IDEA to pick one up on the used market for about $2200-to-3500 depending on shutter count! Just get Canon to replace the mirror assembly for about $500 as soon as you buy it along with some NEW batteries and you will have yourself a PRO-level mirrorless weather-resistant workhorse camera that will last you a full 5 to 10 years if you use Mirror-Up mode for the 20 fps burst rate modes!

AND if you don't already have Canon L-series glass, then I ALSO do suggest you buy on the used market, the SIGMA Art Series lenses such as the 14mm, the 20mm, the 24mm, the 28mm, the 35mm f/1.2 which is GREAT for Nocto/Astro-photography, the 50mm f/1.4, the 70mm f/2.8 MACRO, the 85 mm f/1.4, the 135mm f/1.8 and as your primary sports/action/wildlife zoom lens, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens and the Sigma 2x Extender to turn it into a 1200mm zoom lens and your primes into double the focal length! The Sigma lenses are VERY VERY SHARP and are a LOT cheaper (30% or more!) than the Canon L-series lenses on the used market!

For some artistic specialty lenses, I would also suggest the the Canon Tilt-Shift lens TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro and the Sigma 8mm f/3.5 EX DG Circular Canon EF for your fish-eye imagery and the Lomography Petzval 85mm for your swirly art-house looking outdoor portraiture bokeh!

For your night shots and super-surround-view panoramas, I also suggest getting a high-quality slider for super smooth camera movement such as a gently-used iFootage Carbon Fiber Shark Slider. That one offers the best bang-for-the-buck in terms of super-smooth camera movement and outdoor location carry-ability!

Bought on the used market, you can save BIG BUCKS with the above lenses and when those lenses are mated to a used 1Dx3, you will be SAILING into luxury sports/action/wildlife/portraiture photography heaven!

V
 
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slclick

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Dec 17, 2013
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I'm looking for an honest answer here. I know part of the answer will be subjective, but I want to see if it's just me. I think the answer is Nikon, but I'm looking for new perspectives. Which camera produces better pictures straight out of the camera Sony or Nikon?
If it's about skintones, Sony color science always loses. So many variables affect your question.
 
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"....We've got more than a few of the 1Dx3's (over 60 of the them!) and while the birds we take high speed flash photos of tend to be rather dead as part of frozen bird engine ingest and hull impact tests, they are still birds......"

-

The 1Dx3 is actually quite an excellent wildlife/action cam. I've taken one out to get images of hummingbirds and the odd eagle looking for salmon. I do must admit Canon sure has got it's colours correct MUCH BETTER than the Sony A92!

Using ISO-1600 at 1/400th of a second shutter speed (You still want a BIT of motion blur so leave it at 1/400th of a second and NOT 1/1000th+ of a second!), you get some VERY NICE photos at 20 megapixels that have little noise and great colours. You can print the 1Dx3's images as large as 13x19 inches at 2400 dpi with error diffusion ON and STILL have great looking imagery suitable for sellable art-house prints.

As a DSLR, you can force the Canon 1Dx3 to keep its mirror UP in high speed mode, which makes it a VERY VERY CAPABLE 20 fps Burst Rate Mirrorless camera! When the R1 goes on sale, I can see that in about two years afterwards that prices on used 1dx3's will be such that I personally think it would be a VERY GOOD IDEA to pick one up on the used market for about $2200-to-3500 depending on shutter count! Just get Canon to replace the mirror assembly for about $500 as soon as you buy it along with some NEW batteries and you will have yourself a PRO-level mirrorless weather-resistant workhorse camera that will last you a full 5 to 10 years if you use Mirror-Up mode for the 20 fps burst rate modes!

AND if you don't already have Canon L-series glass, then I ALSO do suggest you buy on the used market, the SIGMA Art Series lenses such as the 14mm, the 20mm, the 24mm, the 28mm, the 35mm f/1.2 which is GREAT for Nocto/Astro-photography, the 50mm f/1.4, the 70mm f/2.8 MACRO, the 85 mm f/1.4, the 135mm f/1.8 and as your primary sports/action/wildlife zoom lens, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports Lens and the Sigma 2x Extender to turn it into a 1200mm zoom lens and your primes into double the focal length! The Sigma lenses are VERY VERY SHARP and are a LOT cheaper (30% or more!) than the Canon L-series lenses on the used market!

For some artistic specialty lenses, I would also suggest the the Canon Tilt-Shift lens TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro and the Sigma 8mm f/3.5 EX DG Circular Canon EF for your fish-eye imagery and the Lomography Petzval 85mm for your swirly art-house looking outdoor portraiture bokeh!

For your night shots and super-surround-view panoramas, I also suggest getting a high-quality slider for super smooth camera movement such as a gently-used iFootage Carbon Fiber Shark Slider. That one offers the best bang-for-the-buck in terms of super-smooth camera movement and outdoor location carry-ability!

Bought on the used market, you can save BIG BUCKS with the above lenses and when those lenses are mated to a used 1Dx3, you will be SAILING into luxury sports/action/wildlife/portraiture photography heaven!

V
You know most of this is BS? You can’t use TC’s on any of the Sigma lenses you mentioned other than the 150-600! Shooting BIF at 20 FPS with mirror locked up viewing the rear display holding the camera in front of your face does not make it a mirrorless camera and sounds awful. Buying a less sharp Sigma lens like the 150-600 to go along with the lowest resolution option possible for wildlife is not the way to go and no one is buying this garbage. Why do you think so many wildlife and specifically bird shooters are going with the R5? The answer is because it is better tool and 20MP isn’t enough. A few years from now shooting a camera for wildlife without animal eye AF and subject detection is not going to be sailing in luxury it’ll be rowing up a waterfall using a spoon as a paddle.
 
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I know three 1DX III owners, as far as I know none of them have ever taken a picture of a bird.
I know 2 people with 1dX3s that shoot mostly birds. One of those 1dX3s is collecting dust cause the R5 is so good. I’m glad Canon and Sony understand the value of the wildlife shooters that you obviously don’t get. There must be a reason Sony and then can came out with animal eye AF. There are plenty of enthusiasts who will buy the last’s gear and spend many many thousands of dollars a year if it serves the purpose and they aren’t making money with it.
 
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Jan 29, 2011
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I know 2 people with 1dX3s that shoot mostly birds. One of those 1dX3s is collecting dust cause the R5 is so good. I’m glad Canon and Sony understand the value of the wildlife shooters that you obviously don’t get. There must be a reason Sony and then can came out with animal eye AF. There are plenty of enthusiasts who will buy the last’s gear and spend many many thousands of dollars a year if it serves the purpose and they aren’t making money with it.
Clearly you don’t get me.

My point wasn’t that there aren’t a lot of people who take pictures of birds, it was simply the 1DX III isn’t the best camera for that application, even amongst the ones Canon make.
 
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Hector1970

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Mar 22, 2012
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I know three 1DX III owners, as far as I know none of them have ever taken a picture of a bird.
They don’t know what they are missing. With its frame rate and tracking it is a good camera for birding but more MP would have made it more attractive to that segment. Birds and animals are quite a popular use for high end cameras and they really push the cameras to the limit. You’d probably be better off investing in an R5 for birding.
 
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You know most of this is BS? You can’t use TC’s on any of the Sigma lenses you mentioned other than the 150-600! Shooting BIF at 20 FPS with mirror locked up viewing the rear display holding the camera in front of your face does not make it a mirrorless camera and sounds awful. Buying a less sharp Sigma lens like the 150-600 to go along with the lowest resolution option possible for wildlife is not the way to go and no one is buying this garbage. Why do you think so many wildlife and specifically bird shooters are going with the R5? The answer is because it is better tool and 20MP isn’t enough. A few years from now shooting a camera for wildlife without animal eye AF and subject detection is not going to be sailing in luxury it’ll be rowing up a waterfall using a spoon as a paddle.

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I've used extenders on the SIGMA primes quite often when in a pinch. I did have our in-house engineers make a slight mount modification which is not a great solution on the primes BUT its workable to turn the 135 into a semi-equivalent of a 270mm! Just don't open your iris to full aperture -- simply stop down and up your ISO instead so vignetting is not an issue!

I should also note that I REALLY REALLY REALLY LIKE the 150 to 600mm Sports Zoom as it is the best-bang-for-the-buck zoom lens out there! See Jared Polin's review of the lower end "Contemporary" version of the Sports Zoom:


And since the 1Dx, 1Dx2 and 1Dx3 are actually very very very good with auto-focus, I have had no issues AT ALL with following wildlife (i.e. Eagles or humming birds) when I am shooting 1/400ths of a second shutter speed at ISO-1600 on fairly cloudy days. It's all about ANTICIPATING your subject matter on live-view modes and taking into account the one to 3 frames of lag you normally get on a 1dx3 live-view mode, so with 25+ years of experience of USUALLY all-manual shooting on Cinema, ENG and Still Photo camera gear, I think I've got that down pat! Since I also use a modded Zacuto viewfinder from the old 5D3 on the back of the 1Dx3 camera, YES it DOES make it a mirrorless-like camera. You ANTICIPATE your framing and let your subject come into then frame and then do a burst and at least 3 to 6 of your shots will be usable for mounting at 8x10 or 13x19!

For processing, I am doing my basic luminance band enhancements (shadows, midtones and highlights) plus some saturation addition and then a final UnSharp Mask so I would say my images are decent enough for wall mount.

Here is one older well-processed panorama that used BOTH a Sony xPeria Smartphone and a 1Dx2 -- which side is which?

(Note: On this day I had multiple smartphones, cameras for gear testing purposes so I have already shown this photo on this site multiple times BUT this specific version is taken as a composite of two different cameras so it is DIFFERENT than the ones shown earlier!)

The second photo is ALSO a processed image indicating that MULTIPLE cameras CAN be reasonably made to look at a decent enough quality level for display at whatever resolution you want. This version is the 2K resolution but normally it is a full 4K and 8K resolution image used for video testing purposes.

Sooooooo, don't say you cannot use extenders on primes and don't say you cannot use smartphones OR 1Dx-series cameras to take decent photos!


V
 

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