Fujifilm is no stranger to the vlogging and content creation sphere. The company has recently found a niche among content creators and vloggers thanks to its refined approach to mirrorless cameras. This approach is being refreshed again in its most compact and portable form with the Fujifilm X-M5.
The new Fujifilm X-M5 continues Fujifilm’s signature design that mimics classic cameras. With a textured surface that mimics the feel of leather and a coloured accent to complete the look, the X-M5 completes your kit with a little style and flair. The X-M5 is available in Silver or Black. It’s also the lightest entry into the X series coming in at only 355g. The camera achieves this by keeping all the essentials and doing away with components that may add bulk – like the viewfinder. However, they’ve ensured easy visibility with a flip-out digital display that can rotate to face the front making content creation alone a non-issue.
That said, it’s not just about style and design with the Fujifilm X-M5. The new compact camera comes with the X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor. The 26.1-megapixel sensor allows it to shoot detailed pictures and even supports high-resolution video. It supports video shooting at 6.2K resolution at 30p. This is complemented by the X-processor 5 high-speed image processing engine that not only enables high-quality image and video capture but also enables an AI-augmented autofocus that allows you to shoot high-speed objects with ease.
The Fujifilm X-M5 also comes with a film simulation mode that allows it to simulate shooting with different film types. This mode will enable you to simulate up to 20 different looks. It’s one of the cornerstone features of the camera with a dedicated dial on the camera’s body. In addition, the X-M5 also comes with a powerful digital stabilizer that allows you to shoot steady images and video even in shaky conditions.
The camera is also compatible with Fujifilm’s X mount. This opens the doors to exploring more complex shooting experiences with Fujifilm’s wide selection of Fujinon lenses which are also compatible with other X series cameras. However, keeping in line with the thin and compact feel of the Fujifilm X-M5, there are also compact pancake lenses that are also available for the X-M5.
Pricing & Availability
The FujiFilm X-M5 is available in Black and Silver. It will be available for pre-order until 14 November 2024. During the pre-order period, purchases of the camera will come with freebies worth RM1,178 including a 128GB memory card, an LED light and more.
The Fujifilm X-M5 body will be retailing for RM3,948. The kit with an XC15-45mm kit lens will be retailing for RM4,398.
Sony Alpha series of cameras are one of the most prolific when it comes to mirrorless cameras. The lineup has been taking both photography and videography worlds by storm and is responsible for creating a new standard for cameras in its wake. The α9 has been one of the hallmarks of the series supplementing the α7 with a more professional take on the full-frame mirrorless camera. This year, Sony is upping the ante by bringing game-changing features to the α9 III.
A Revolutionary Camera Imbued with Speed and AI
The new Sony α9 III comes equipped with a stacked CMOS image sensor with approximately 24.6-megapixels and built-in memory. The camera is also the first in the world to feature a global shutter on this sensor. This allows the camera to shoot up to 120 frames per second continuously with AF/AE tracking. The sensor is complemented with the latest BIONZ XR image processing engine and a designated AI processing unit. This combination allows the camera to recognise a wide variety of subjects. These features together allow seasoned photographers to take photographs that were not possible before.
The camera is able to hit shutter speeds of up to 1/80000 second or 1/16000 second in continuous shooting. Sony’s signature eye recognition complete real-time recognition autofocus and real-time tracking are also featured on the new α9 III. It also has 8.0 stops of optical 5-axis in-body image stabilization. Sony is also introducing a pre-capture feature that allows users to go back up to 1 second and record the moment before shooting. Together with the large buffer memory and increased overall system speed, the α9 III can capture approximately 390 Fine JPEG images in one continuous 30fps burst.
No Crop 4K 120p Video with 6K Oversampling
The α9 III has enough speed that it’s able to shoot 4K footage in 120p. The best part? This is done without the crop that we’ve seen in other cameras. This allows videographers to capture what they see exactly. It’s also possible to shoot 4K 60p high-resolution videos with 6K oversampling.
The S-Cinetone image creation process on the α9 III is created through the development of the VENICE digital cinema camera for video production. This shooting profile allows human skin tones and subjects to stand out. However, if accuracy is what you’re looking for, the camera can shoot videos in S-Log3 in its Log shooting mode. It can also reflect and display the user’s favourite LUT. The α9 III is compatible with Sony’s “Monitor & Control” mobile app.
The G Master Telephoto Lens
Together with the Sony α9 III, Sony Malaysia also announced the availability of the SEL300F28GM telephoto lens. The new G master telephoto lens is only 1470g making it lightweight and balanced for better handling and less shakiness and fatigue when shooting without a tripod. It’s designed to have better weight distribution.
The SEL300F28GM comes with the detailed G master resolution. The lens’s optical design includes three Super ED (extra-low dispersion) glass elements and an additional ED glass that helps subdue chromatic aberrations. It helps capture pictures with creamy bokeh and consistent contrast.
Pricing & Availability
The Sony α9 III will be retailing for RM29,299 and is available for pre-order now. Of course, this price is only for the camera’s body. Early purchasers in Malaysia will get a free 80GB Sony CEA-80T memory card worth RM989 and an additional NP-FZ100 battery for the camera worth RM402.
The SEL300F28GM is available for pre-order and will be retailing for RM29,899. Early purchasers who purchase the lens with a Sony α7c will be entitled to a free 160GB CF Express Type Card A worth RM1889.
Canon has announced quietly that they are going to be focusing more on the mirrorless market segment than the traditional DSLR. While this does not mean that the DSLR format is dead, it is a significant sign that the photography and film making industry is moving forward and championing mirrorless technology, after many years in the making that is. It is also quite hard to believe that Canon, the largest camera brand that has championed DSLR and made countless lenses for the market, would move to mirrorless systems completely. The newly launched Canon EOS R100 should make you believe that Canon is really moving toward the mirrorless direction.
Unlike their higher end EOS R series of cameras, the EOS R100 is an APS-C format camera and is meant to be one of the more compact options in their mirrorless line-up. It is, in effect, Canon’s lightest camera at merely 356g (body only). Unlike their old M-series of mirrorless cameras, the EOS R100 is compatible with Canon’s latest RF and RF-S lenses, which also means that this camera will have plenty of future support still. Of course, you can still adapt it to older EF lenses with the EF-EOS R mount adapter if you already have some EF mount lenses on hand.
Source: Canon
The APS-C CMOS sensor found in the EOS R100 is a 24.2-Megapixel unit that is also capable of shooting videos at 4K (24p) resolution and up to 120p Full HD high speed videos. The new EOS R100 also offers Eye and Face Detection even in video recording mode to ensure that your subject is always in focus. With compatible lenses, you also get the highly acclaimed in-body stabilization features for both your videos and photos. While there is a high-resolution EVF and a 1.04 million dot LCD for you to work with, the built-in LCD display is fixed in its place, meaning that you might want to think about getting a secondary monitor when it comes to video work. It is also not a touch sensitive display, which means you do not get touch focus functions here.
Content creators might enjoy the EOS R100 still though. There is a Hybrid Auto mode that puts together a bunch of your phones and video snippets into an easy to digest movie of the day of some sorts. There is also a 4K Timelapse video mode for you to quickly and easily shoot a timelapse video with pre-determined intervals for a smooth looking, high-resolution timelapse video that usually takes hours to stitch together. On top of all of that, the camera offers plenty of Creative Assist modes that offers you things like ‘background blur’ for that desired portrait effect. You can even quickly change your ‘brightness’ and ‘saturation’ settings without messing about with things like ISO, shutter speeds, and aperture; the camera does it for you. If not, there is Scene modes and Scene Intelligent Auto that automatically adjusts your camera to whatever it thinks is best for your frame. To complete the look, there are Creative filters for you to play around with too.
Price and Availability
Currently, at US$ 480 (MYR 2,379*) onward, the Canon EOS R100 is Canon’s most affordable mirrorless EOS R series to date. There are no mentions of any other colour option currently except for black, as usual. They are also no mentions of the official arrival of the camera in Malaysia currently. Based on the quoted official price in Malaysia though, we can expect the camera to be coming to Malaysia soon. More on the Canon EOS R100 can be found on their website.
For years, imaging companies have been avoiding mirrorless technologies in their consumer or prosumer grade cameras. Canon, Nikon, and even Hasselblad has fallen on the same boat for years since their inception. While they are not in the same playing field, they recognise the benefits of a DSLR, a camera with a single reflex mirror sitting in front of their sensors. The system was simple, and rather accurate, since you are looking at a mirror, not a digital representation of images. You are not looking into a pixelated display that offers subpar image qualities and resolutions to frame your images. Once you are ready, the shutter button pulls a lever that lifts the mirror mechanism up to reveal the sensor to your desired frame and captures your image.
Technology of mirrorless cameras have progressed plenty though. Sony’s Alpha division have championed the mirrorless camera technology for far longer than any major camera manufacturer and made it their brand. With every iteration, the mirrorless camera takes not only a new form, but also some kind of major evolution. The mirrorless camera from Sony has proven to be some of the most versatile and reliable cameras on the planet. Major news outlets have also started to adopt mirrorless cameras as their sole go to when it comes to imaging purposes. Even Canon and Nikon had to admit defeat by introducing their EOS R and Z series cameras and lenses, and then announcing last year that they are going to focus on mirrorless cameras instead of developing new DLSRs.
Source: Hasselblad
Hasselblad is the latest to join the band of camera makers that is abandoning the DSLR. They are not the only medium-format camera maker to go mirrorless exclusive though. Fujifilm has also championed mirrorless cameras, especially with their GFX medium-format cameras which has proved to not only be the more affordable option for that time of camera, but also more popular amongst photographers.
For Hasselblad, they have announced (not directly) that the latest Hasselblad H system will be the last of their DSLR product. According to the third-party announcement, Hasselblad will not take any more orders for the H system. They also mentioned that the H system line-up or products has officially all sold out and will not be replaced. The third-party vendor that pushed the announcement even mentioned that they cannot even replace their old malfunctioning parts. That also means that Hasselblad is completely and decisively abandoning the entire H series and its user base.
Source: Hasselblad
So, what if you want a Hasselblad for your studio? They have the X2D system. It is not like the H series camera though, at least not in modularity. For the X2D system, you go back to the camera body complete with its grip and sensor built-in and choose a lens for it. You get to choose between the 100C or 50C; either 100-Megapixel sensor, or 50-Megapixel sensor. The biggest upside to this and mirrorless camera is the reduction in camera size. The Hasselblad X2D series of cameras look more like a normal full-frame camera instead of a behemoth sized rig. While the sensor size prevents the camera from getting smaller, the Hasselblad X2D cameras are a lot more portable and simpler to handle. That means that you can technically take it out to the field for some stunning and highly detailed images on-the-go. It is still bulkier than modern mirrorless cameras from the likes of Canon and Nikon though, so you want to keep that in mind.
You might think that the X2D system might be more affordable. You would be right if you compare it to the H system. It is still EUR€ 8,699 (MYR 42,592*) for one X2D 100C though, which is not exactly a small amount of money, considering. The X2D 50C starts at EUR€ 6,000 (MYR 29,377*), which is slightly more affordable than the 100C, but still not what you want to call cheap. Then there are the lenses which starts off at EUR€ 1,199 (MYR 5,870*) at the very least. Still, better than paying EUR€ 34,680 (MYR 168,785*) for just a camera body. More information on Hasselblad’s latest products can be found on their website.
*approximately based on the exchange rate of EUR€ 1 = MYR 4.90 as of 16/05/2023 on xe.com
Sony is no longer the only choice in mirrorless cameras. While the Japanese electronics manufacturer have been at it for a long time, its compatriots have also started betting into the technology in recent years. Canon, for one, has been rather active in pushing out new mirrorless cameras and lenses in the recent years to not just compete against Sony. They want their throne as the largest camera manufacturer in the world, and they want the top spot in mirrorless cameras too.
To unseat the current king of mirrorless cameras though, Canon needs to offer more than just a few cameras and select popular lenses. They need to cater to a much larger market. They need to create a larger support system for their EOS R line-up of products. That is why they have introduced their new RF24mm f/1.8 MACRO IS STM and RF15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lenses.
While it is only two lenses that they are introducing currently, they now have 30 lenses in their collection of lenses for the EOS R system. The RF lenses, in numbers, still pale in comparison to Sony’s current offerings. Canon is catching up fast though, at this rate anyway.
RF24mm f/1.8 MACRO IS STM
Source: Canon
As its single focal length suggests, it is another prime lens made for the EOS R series mirrorless cameras from Canon. It completes the range of affordable prime lens collection in Canon’s RF stables. The 24mm adds to Canon’s current 16mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm prime lenses. It is not just a regular wide-angle prime lens though.
Canon says that this is a sort of dual-purpose prime lens. It is still a wide-angle lens at 24mm, at which focal length, is perfect for landscape shots and even close-up portraits if you like. But it is also developed as a macro lens with only 0.14m in focusing distance from your selected subject. The ultra-short focusing distance will allow you to capture things like food, flowers, small animals, and even toys in rather immaculate detail up-close. At f/1.8 aperture too, you can capture all of these and even portraits with beautiful bokeh on your photos.
The 24mm is also not a very hefty lens to carry around, making it the perfect lens for travelling. At 270g, the prime lens is not what you would call back breaking. Yet, it still packs Canon’s rather clever Image Stabilisation hardware with up to 6.5 stops to ensure that you are capturing the best possible photos without wobbles. It contains 9 aperture blades so that your bokeh comes as round as they can be.
RF15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
Source: Canon
If you need versatility from your lens, a zoom lens should always be the preferred option. Zoom lenses give you a sort of flexibility no prime lenses can give you. If you need one lens to do it all, you want to go for a Zoom lens.
The RF15-30mm with f/4.5-6.3mm is a budget lens. With aperture as high as f/6.3mm, you may not get depth effect as good as the one you get on the prime lens. It is a small trade-off for the versatility in range you get from 15mm to 30mm though. At 15mm, you get a wider angle from the 24mm to capture more landscape goodness in your travels. At 30mm, you can just zoom in enough to cut out whatever you might not want in your photo but still get a good wide-angle shot anyway. At 30mm too, you are getting a rather natural perspective, very close to what you can see with your natural human eyes.
While it is not exactly a macro lens, its 0.28m focal distance puts it close enough for you to work with if you still want to capture macro images. Of course, to get even more detail on your subject, you want to get a good zoom in. It sacrifices some of the lens opening with up to f/6.3 aperture, but with good enough lighting, you should be able to come up with something beautiful still.
At 390g, it is heavier than the budget prime lens Canon introduced alongside this lens. It is also slightly bulkier than the prime lens, which is sort of a given with more elements introduced for the lens to zoom in and out. It still packs Canon’s legendary image stabilization at 7 stops for ultra-steady and crisp images out-of-the-box. It features 7 aperture blades, 2 less than the prime lens. But you can still capture rather interesting photos with the RF zoom lens.
Availability
There are no confirmations on when the new RF lenses will make it to Malaysia. Although, you can already find more information on the new lenses on their website. If you do head over there, you would have noticed that there is no pricing just yet too. There are no clear indications how much Canon would be pricing both these budget lenses. Based on what we have seen on the market though, the 24mmm lens should set you back anywhere between MYR 2,000 to MYR 3,000. The zoom 15mm-35mm should go anywhere between MYR 2,500-3,500. Take it with a pinch of salt though, we could be wrong.
Whenever you go about choosing a camera system to buy for yourself. You are always stuck in a dilemma of some sorts. You must choose between the full frame format or the APS-C cropped sensor format. Generally, cropped sensor cameras are way cheaper because the sensor is smaller (hence, cropped sensor), and therefore the materials required to cocoon the sensors are less. There are differences and compromises for both APS-C sensors and full frame sensors, obviously, but we are not going to get into that for today.
There is plenty of reason why you want to go for an APS-C sensor other than its cost. Because they tend to be smaller and more compact, they are more versatile in different conditions. Even their lenses can be made smaller and more compact because APS-C sensors technically capture less light than full frame sensors. Thanks to that, APS-C specific lenses are cheaper to make and purchase as well. Of course, if you are into film making, the APS-C sensor size is perfect for Super 35mm film format.
There is a problem, however. Because everyone is so focused on bringing in more lenses for the full frame format option, the APS-C cameras get a little less attention. Sure, you can technically use full frame lenses with APS-C cameras, but they tend to get a little expensive. Sony has not forgotten that they offer a variety of APS-C mirrorless cameras too, thankfully. They have just announced three APS-C lenses that videographers and landscape photographers can enjoy.
E PZ 10-20mm F4 G
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Yes, it is a G Lens. How do you tell? There is a ‘G’ behind the name, obviously.
It is a very short lens though at 10mm-20mm. For photographers, this is quite perfect for wide-angle photography. It allows you to capture more in an environment than regular lenses, perfect for landscape photography. Sure, you can capture portraits too, you do have to move rather close to the subject though. That said, a good selfie never hurts anyone.
At 35mm, the lens becomes a sort of 15-30mm lens, which is still rather short and wide. For video work, this is the perfect lens when space is a constraint, and you need to move rather close to your subjects. It is also a perfect vlogger camera in a lot of sense. The short focal distance allows you to use the camera at an arm’s length and you still get to capture the large canvas behind you.
It is also the lightest lens of its kind in its class. It weighs just 178 grams, 20% lighter than the SEL1018 lens it replaced. Thanks to internal zoom and focus mechanisms, there should not be any focus breathing while the camera changes its focus too.
E 15mm F1.4 G
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
The F4 offered by the 10-20mm zoom lens may not offer very deep ‘bokeh’ for your photos and videos. For that, you need a fast lens with large aperture. You need a 15mm F1.4 G lens.
Wide lenses are known to have some distortions on the outer edges of the images they capture. Sony’s know how in lens making though effectively compensates the distortion. At the same time, the three aspherical elements in their optics also allow the corners to be captured in detail reducing blurs and resolution loss at the corners.
Of course, F1.4 aperture allows photos to be taken with beautiful ‘bokeh’ in the background, especially in low-light photography or film making. With a focusing distance at just 170mm away from the subject, your ‘bokeh’ can really shine.
For video work, it is important that the focal length does not change even when the camera is focus hunting. Like the zoom lens, the internal focus mechanism allows the 15mm lens to focus hunt while eliminating focus breathing effects.
It is a heavier prime lens over the zoom 10-20mm. It weighs in at 219g, which is still technically not a lot of weight. It is still perfect for vlogging if you just want one focal length and be done with it. It is also wide enough for you to capture most of what you see in the background as well, so your vlogs get a little more flavour from the background.
E 11mm F1.8
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
If 15mm is not wide enough for you though, you can get your hands on an 11mm lens instead. It features all the same construction feature as the 15mm, which also means you get less focus breathing. The same aspherical elements also eliminate distortion and improve resolution in the corners of the photos taken with the 11mm lens.
At 35mm, you are shooting at 16.5mm focal length, which is still quite a perfect distance as a vlogging lens. At the same time, it is the perfect lens when space is an even bigger constraint in shoot locations. It is lighter than the 15mm as well at 181g, perfect for a quick ‘run-and-gun’ shoot condition.
While the aperture is not as large as the 15mm lens at F1.8, it is still quite a significant opening. The large opening allows the lens to capture plenty of light in low-light conditions and still produce beautiful looking ‘bokeh’. You can go even closer to your subject too at a minimal focus distance of 120mm.
Price and Availability
The three lenses that Sony has just announced are now available in Malaysia via Sony’s authorised retailers and concept stores nationwide. The E PZ 10-20mm F4 G will set you back MYR 3,299, the E 15mm F1.4 G will set you back MYR 3,299, while the E 11mm F1.8 will set you back MYR 2,399). More information on the new Sony lenses can be found on their website.
While the Panasonic Lumix line-up cameras may not be a popular choice for photographers, it is a well-known name in the content creation industry still. That was all thanks to the Panasonic GH4, their first micro four thirds camera with 4K resolution video recording. It was so popular even larger scale production would use the GH4 as a B Camera or stick it in places where space is a premium. We know that BBC were using the GH4 to get certain footages in one of their most popular motoring show, Top Gear.
The compact, high-resolution video capable camera was then replaced with the Panasonic Lumix GH5 which also proved popular among content creators. It packed more resolution than before at 20.3-Megapixel versus the original 16. It still shot at 4K resolution, but now it shoots at 4:2:2 10-bit colours internally, a feature most professional videographers would appreciate. It packs some new features like a speedier auto focus mechanism to make it a better all-around camera than before.
Today, there is a follow up to the GH5. Meet the Panasonic Lumix GH6, the new standard in compact DSLRs.
Source: Panasonic
Like its predecessors, the Panasonic Lumix GH6 packs a micro four thirds sensor. If you have not known yet, micro four thirds sensor are smaller than APS-C sensors developed by Olympus. But it also packs more resolution than before at 25.2-Megapixel over the older 20. Like before as well, it is a mirrorless camera. There are a few new things on this new camera that might you consider swapping your GH5 for one of these too.
Aside from the higher Megapixel count, the video recording capabilities also got a massive upgrade. The sensor now can shoot videos at a maximum resolution of 5.7K at up to 60p. It still shoots at 4K if you want it to, but now at up to 120p for those satisfying slow-motion videos. Of course, you can record your videos if you want with unlimited video recording on the GH6, like its predecessors. You also get 4:2:2 10-bit colours like before, which is always a big welcome when colour contrast is important. You can even record at Apple ProRes HQ codec, important for the professional workflow these days.
Shooting videos without a gimbal or some form of stabiliser is usually frowned upon, even with the stellar video stabilisation mechanism built into cameras these days. That may not be a problem with the GH6 since it features 7.5-stops in their lens correction and stabilisation mechanism. With enough practice, you might just be okay leaving the gimbal behind.
Source: Panasonic
You might be thinking of packing even lighter without your external monitor too since the rotating monitor now features tilt function to make it even more versatile. This allows your monitor to swing around freely even if an HDMI or USB cable is attached to the side of the camera. On that subject, this takes on a full HDMI TypeA cable and a USB Type-C cable for external recording or monitors.
A powerful video camera needs to record on a speedy medium. For that, the Panasonic GH6 can take on a CFExpress Type B memory card and a regular SD card. You can program the videos to shoot on the faster medium while photos can be stored in the regular SD card for example. If photos are not your thing, your SD card can work as a redundancy for your videos too. It is always good to have backups.
All of these will not work though if you do not have a powerful enough processor. For that, Panasonic introduced the Venus engine. Because this is a video first camera, the Venus is made with improved video capabilities like Intelligent Detail Processing and 3D Noise Reduction. It also offers better video output, hence the 5.7K capability.
The Panasonic Lumix GH6 is now available in select regions. There are no confirmations on when the Panasonic Lumix GH6 will come to Malaysia just yet. Currently, the Panasonic Lumix GH6 body retails for AU$ 3,699 (MYR 11,127*), more than some of the full-frame cameras you can get your hands on today. It is a piece of kit that even professionals stand by though. more information on the Panasonic Lumix GH6 can be found on their website.
*Approximately based on the conversion rate of AU$ 1 = MYR 3.01 as of 22/02/2022 on xe.com
The Sony ALPHA 7, or rather the α7 marks Sony’s first foray into the high-end camera market with a full-frame DSLR that is a lot smaller and lighter than regular DSLR devices. While it is smaller and lighter than the regular full-frame body, it comes with its own sets of limitations, one of them is battery life. Ergonomics for the first α7 was not the best either with Sony placing more focus on making the camera as compact as possible. Because there is less space on the body for buttons, there is only so much Sony can do to give users a sense of finer control with physical knob and buttons.
The ALPHA 7 platform is a popular choice among content creators though. The third iteration was everything you could ever need from a mirrorless camera. It had sophisticated Autofocus system that was a lot more reliable than before, it had features that reduces the rolling shutter effect that plagued previous Sony α7 cameras, it was also bigger than the first iteration with better ergonomics and much longer battery life.
Sony just announced a replacement model though, its fourth iteration of the ‘Basic’ full-frame mirrorless camera. If you know Sony’s existing line-up of ALPHA 7 cameras though, you will not call them ‘basic’. The new one is even better.
The New ‘Basic’
Source: Sony
The ALPHA 7 IV, as they know it, is Sony’s interpretation to what the new ‘basic’ standard is for an entry-level full-frame camera. Apparently ‘basic’ means 33-Megapixel on the Exmor R CMOS full-frame sensor. That 33-Megapixel sensor packs sensitivity of up to ISO 204800 at its highest and ISO 50 at its lowest for 15-stops in dynamic range. That should mean that the Sony ALPHA 7 IV is an admirable performer in low-light conditions.
BIONZ XR Advantage
The impressive new sensor is assisted by a Sony’s latest BIONZ XR imaging chip, the same one you find on Sony’s range topping ALPHA 1 mirrorless camera. It allows the Sony ALPHA 7 IV to shoot at up to 10fps with AF/AE tracking. Thanks to BIONZ XR as well the camera has up to 759 phase-detection Autofocus (AF) points that covers up to 94% of the image area and tracks subjects in Real-Time Tracking as accurately as you can get cameras to track subjects. Of course, there is Real-time Eye AF function as well that now tracks birds and animal eyes in both photo and movie modes.
The Hybrid Cinematic and Still Shooter
Source: Sony
They call this a hybrid camera, a still and movie camera packed in one compact body. The ALPHA 7 IV now has S-Cinetone colour profile, something that was only reserved for Sony’s very famous Cinema cameras. That means you now get 10-bit 4:2:2 colour sampling for even better colours than before. It records at up to 4K 60 fps in Super 35mm mode, and up to 4K 30fps with 7K oversampling in full-frame mode. For the first time ever as well, the Sony ALPHA 7 IV features a new Focus Map that helps you with finding the right focus point while shooting videos. It also now features a Breathing Compensation feature to eliminate focus breathing and maintain a smooth, consistent focus change. You can turn off that feature too in case you want some focus breathing for creative contexts.
You still get Sony’s very famous 5-axis stabiliser built into the body of the compact mirrorless. The stabiliser allows for the camera to have up to 5.5 steps in shutter speed advantage. At the same time, the viewfinder is an even higher resolution one as well with 3.68 million dots compared to the ALPHA 7 III. For videos, content creators will appreciate the 3.0-inch vari-angle display.
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
On its body as well, the Sony ALPHA 7 IV features a clever dual layer mode dial to allow you to quickly switch from pure photo mode to movie recording mode, and S& Q mode. The top layer is now reserved to Auto/P/A/S/M and Memory Recall mode. It records to either a CFexpress Type A card, or a regular SDXC card too for ultimate convenience in recording medium.
Better Workflow
Source: Sony
The new camera is also much easier to work with than before. It now has 5GHz Wi-Fi for super-fast data transfers between the camera and your smartphone via Imaging Edge Mobile. You can even use Bluetooth for remote access this time. You can now use the Sony ALPHA 7 IV seamlessly with your PC as well as a Live Stream camera or use the PC as a remote. All these is done without using an additional software now and simply by connecting the ALPHA 7 IV via USB Type-C cable. In that case you can even make video calls with up to 4K 15p resolution, or even use the ALPHA 7 IV as an audio interface.
Pricing and Availability
Sony’s ALPHA 7 IV will be available in December 2021 onward. It will retail for about EUR€ 2,800 for its body only. If you opt for an ALPHA 7 IV with a kit lens, it will set you back EUR€ 3,000. It is not a bad kit lens though; it is a 28-70mm (SEL2870) lens. We can only speculate its pricing too at this point. More information on the Sony ALPHA 7 IV (α7 IV) can be found on Sony’s website.
Canon launched the Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6 some time ago. Those two cameras came highly acclaimed by Canon to be the future in photography. It also marks Canon’s shift in their product direction. The EOS R5 was the first full-frame photography camera from Canon that shot videos at 8K resolutions. They were not Canon’s first ever mirrorless cameras though. For that honour, you have to look back at Canon’s EOS R launched a year before the Canon EOS R5 and R6 launched.
With the introduction of Canon’s EOS R series cameras, they also introduced their new lenses made for mirrorless cameras. Canon claims that because the flange is bigger, and that it can be placed closer to the sensor, the lenses can be made with higher quality materials with even bigger elements and bigger lens opening. It basically opens whole new possibilities for photographers and even film makers around the world.
Professionals could opt for the Canon EOS R5. It packs 45-Megapixel within its full frame sensor. It could shoot videos at 8K. It could even take burst photos at up to 20 frames a second. That is 20 45-Megapixel photos every second. It is as high end as a camera as it can be.
The thing is, there are photographers that shoots on the Canon EOS 1DX platform. The 1DX is technically Canon’s flagship full frame camera meant for professionals. It is the camera that shoots most of the photos in a football pitch. It is the camera of choice for plenty of photographers who are hired to take photos of the president of the United States in the White House. It is also the platform of choice for plenty of Formula 1 photographers, which says a lot on the Canon EOS 1DX’s pedigree.
The Canon EOS 1DX platform is an aging platform though, despite its prowess. Fans are now asking for a mirrorless platform too. A full frame mirrorless platform like the Canon EOS R5 has proven to be more versatile piece of kit without the heft and weight of a regular DSLR.
The Canon EOS R3 – The Replacement
Source: Canon
Source: Canon
Canon has answered though with the Canon EOS R3 that was just launched in Malaysia today. The Canon EOS R3 is the sum of Canon’s know how in the EOS R mirrorless technology. It is about combining the full power of high-resolution photography with speeds known only to the 1DX platform. It is built for the next-generation sports photography.
The Canon EOS R3 packs 24.1-Megapixel, half of the EOS R5. That allows the Canon EOS 1DX to be a better low-light shooter though. It still packs 20% more pixels than the EOS 1DX Mark III it replaces though. It shoots at a native ISO range of 100 to 102,400 and is expandable to up to 204,800. For videos, the ISO range is lower at 100 to 25,600. You still can extend that range to 102,400 though.
Speed is Everything
Source: Canon
Source: Canon
Speed is everything in sports photography. With the new DIGIC X engine, the Canon EOS R3 is an even faster shooter than the Canon EOS R5 too. It can shoot at up to 30fps with its silent electronic shutter. Even using the mechanical shutter, it shoots at up to 12 frames a second. Shutter speed can be as fast as 1/64,000 with electronic shutter for that ultra-sharp and highly detailed sports photo. You write all your photos into a super-high-speed CF-Express Type-B card too. For redundancy, there is an SD card slot capable of UHS-II speeds.
The Canon EOS R3 is an even cleverer shooter than its predecessors. It comes with the highly acclaimed Eye Control autofocus that tracks and focuses to the eye of your subjects. The function helps photographers shift focus even faster and even more seamlessly when the need arises. It is even more powerful than before with deep-learning technology allowing the camera to focus on the subject’s eye even if the face is partially covered or masked.
While they have also improved head tracking to ensure that athletes are tracked properly while wearing helmets, masks, or goggles, the most welcome autofocus feature that photographers might appreciate is Vehicle Priority AF mode. Automobiles and motorcycles are hard to photograph due to their high-speed nature. A quick and clever autofocus system would be required to take close-up shots of a speeding vehicle on the track. The new autofocus system is fast enough that it can even track the driver or rider’s head with Spot Detection enabled.
A Reliable Platform
Source: Canon
Source: Canon
The In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) on the Canon EOS R series has been touted as some of the best the camera world has ever seen. That same IBIS implementation is back in the Canon EOS R3. That also means that you can shoot impressive long-exposure photos even without the help of a tripod.
The IBIS also benefits in terms of free-handed video shots. On that front, the EOS R3 is capable of shooting videos at up to 6K resolution (60p). It does not have quite as much resolution as the 45-Megapixel R5. It is also still capable of shooting 4K videos at 120p and 10-bit colours though. If you must shoot at the very best quality, the EOS R3 is capable of oversampling 6K videos into 4K 60p videos. You want to use Canon Log 3 and HDR PQ with those settings for the best possible results on your videos.
Photographers will also appreciate that the Canon EOS R3 comes with a slew of networking options for seamless file transfers and even synchronisation options. It packs the usual Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. There is also a standard GPS mode for even more convenience. It packs a full-sized LAN port though for an even faster data transfer speed without requiring additional accessories. For a quick mobile transfer, you can use a USB Type-C cable to connect your smartphones to the EOS R3. The USB Type-C port can also act as a charging port (via USB Power Adapter PD-E1) for the EOS R3 in case you need extra juice.
Availability
The Canon EOS R3 will be available in Malaysia November 2021 onward. Alongside the new Canon EOS R3 flagship camera, Canon also launches two new RF100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM lens and RF16mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens for the EOS R platform. Their prices are yet to be mentioned and should be announced closer to its availability dates. More information on the Canon EOS R3 and the new RF lenses can be found on their website.
Smartphone cameras have been on a roll in the past two years. OnePlus launches their OnePlus 9 flagship series in partnership with Hasselblad, OPPO’s Find X3 Pro comes with a microscopic lens, Samsung pushing technology with 108-Megapixel sensors, Sony even pushing the limits of their 12-Megapixel sensors with their Alpha camera knowhow. These are nothing new, to be fair. Co-branding smartphone cameras with big camera brand names started with Nokia and Zeiss. The phenomenon hit the main stage with HUAWEI and Leica’s big partnership since the HUAWEI P9.
With the advancement in camera technology on smartphones though, has these brands made proper cameras obsolete? While nothing bigger sensor still has its own advantages in terms of low-light performance and detail, smartphone cameras have progressed so much with the software that they are paired with that even low-light photography is a breeze with a smartphone. The advancement of smartphone technology also made it easier for you to get the shots you want in less time and less work than a DSLR or mirrorless.
What does this mean for dedicated cameras though? Does this mean we can replace these kinds of stuff with the small slate in our pockets? Or, should you still spend your hard-earned money on a proper camera that could set you back anywhere between half the price of a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra to multiple flagship smartphones? We discuss this in this episode of Tech & Tonic.
