Almost certainly the most important camera of 2020 – who’ll release the most important camera of 2021? 2020 was a relatively slow year for cameras, with the (very) notable exception of Canon’s EOS-R5 and R6. We had a couple of small and light cameras for their sensor size, neither perfect, but both pointing in interesting directions. We had a couple of cameras adding … [Read more...]
Early September News and the start of the Great Luminous Landscape Lens Test
Out testing lenses – Sept 5, 2020. Peaceful Lewis Creek with the A7r IV and Sigma 24-70mm f2.8. There was an important court case decided recently, one that holds substantial ramifications for photographic gear, especially cheap third-party batteries, but also other items that are frequently cloned. In Bolger v. Amazon, a California appeals court ruled that Amazon is liable … [Read more...]
Design choices – Why do cameras look the way they do – More cameras announced…
A surprising amount of why today’s cameras look and handle the way they do traces back to early Leicas (here, a Leica II). We have three important new announcements since the last roundup, two of them video-related. The mirrorless market for serious photographers has matured to the point where there are five distinct “niches”. One manufacturer, Sony, makes this especially … [Read more...]
Large-caliber Canons – two bodies, four lenses, two teleconverters and a printer.
Some very large cannon on the battleship Massachusetts – oh, you wanted Canon with ONE n? How about this brand-new EOS-R5? The 800-pound gorilla finally chose where to sit! Initial specifications of Canon’s new EOS R5 have been floating around online for a couple of months now, some from Canon development releases, others from leaks, and they have looked very interesting … [Read more...]
How large is your printer? (does the difference between 45 and 60 MP really matter)
A 44” Epson 9570 – it weighs about 250 lbs/115 kg, and it is wider and deeper than an upright piano. If you don’t have access to one of these (or its Canon equivalent), camera resolution has reached what you can use. There have been many breathless articles in the technology press lately about how the Sony A7r IV is the “best camera for this or that purpose”, due … [Read more...]