Thursday 25 August 2016

News and Rumours: Canon, Fuji, Panasonic, Olympus, Tamron, Benro, Spyder and Think Tank

In this week's summary:

  • It's here, the Canon 5D Mark IV. Does it live up to expectations?
  • Fuji announce the X-A3 and a new lens.
  • Panasonic and Olympus will be making announcements at Photokina.
  • Tamron announces their 90mm macro will be released for Sony A mount.
  • Some Benro tripods will no longer be available for sale in the USA.
  • Spyder has a new all in one calibration kit, but should you buy?
  • Think Tank releases a new highly requested back-back.





Canon

The Canon 5D Mark IV is announced, and DPReview have given their first impressions.

I think it's a solid iteration over the 5D Mark 3, particularly with stills, but I think they've shot themselves a bit in the foot when it comes to video.

Although they've managed to implement a reportedly excellent dual-pixel AF model with accurate and fast tracking, but they're sticking with Moption JPEG for 4K recording.
Specifically, Canon told us that one of the primary target groups for this camera is filmmakers, yet Motion JPEG remains the only 4K recording option... Additionally, there's still no option for a flat or log gamma profile nor any tools to assess exposure. From a historical perspective it's easy to understand why earlier 5D models may not have had these, however they're fairly common features on video-oriented cameras today, and certainly ones that many serious filmmakers care about.
So, with no flat/log profiles, no zebra assist, no clean 4K HDMI output and just MJPEG for 4K recording, I can't see why any serious video maker would choose this over a Sony a7S Mark II.

One can only assume Canon doesn't want to hurt their own dedicated cinema camera series. However, to quote Steve Jobs, "If you don't cannibalise yourself, someone else will."

In addition to the 5D Mark IV, Canon announced updated versions of the EF 16-35mm F2.8L III USM and EF 24-105mm F4L IS II USM.

Finally, the EyeFi like wi-fi adapter for the 7D Mark II and 5DS/R was also announced. Interestingly, the card has no storage and is only designed to be used with the images being stored on the CF card.

Fuji


Fuji have announced the new X-A3 camera, and the new 23mm f2 lens. The X-A3 uses a 24mp sensor, but not using their X-Trans colour filter,

Panasonic/Olympus

According to 43 rumours, Panasonic and Olympus are expected to make the following announcements at Photokina.

Panasonic on September 19 at 12:30
– Panasonic G8[0-9] (final name unconfirmed. Could be region dependent.)

Olympus on September 19 at 18:00
– Olympus E-M1 Mark II
– Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 PRO lens
– Olympus 25mm f/1.2 PRO lens
– Olympus 30mm f/3.5 macro

Tamron

Tamron has announced their 90mm f2.8 macro will be made available for Sony A-Mount, including a tap in console for updating firmware and adjusting autofocus.

Their is also some interest in a patent they filed for a 115mm f1.4 lens, which could potentially give the Nikon 105mm f1.4 a run for its money.

Benro

Due to a legal dispute with Manfrotto, Benro has agreed to stop selling their GoClassic and GoTravel tripods in the USA. If you're in the USA and were after one of these tripods (which feature the ability to hold the center column at a 90 degree angle), you might want to get in quick.

Spyder

Spyder have announced a camera calibration kit.
The kit includes the maker’s SpyderLENSCAL, SpyderCHECKR, SpyderCUBE and Spyder5ELITE to cover all the aspects of camera calibration, including autofocus, display, colors, contrast and white balance.... According to Datacolor, the Spyder5CAPTURE PRO kit brings more than 30% savings versus buying the items individually. At launch, the bundle is priced at $269.99 USD, though that rate will increase to $369.99 USD after September 30.
However, before you consider Spyder for your monitor calibration, you might want to consider this information posted on a Luminous Landscape forum. The information posted suggests that Spyder colour calibration is somewhat inaccurate compared to its iDisplay peers, with high variability between units.

Think Tank



Think Tank have announced new iterations of their Think Tank Shape Shifter bag, including a smaller option for a 15 inch laptop (original is 17 inch) and a new naked variant. The Naked Shape Shifter has no pouches or dividers internally, instead offering straps for use with Think Tank modular lens pouches etc.

For users of the Think Tank Modular belt system, this enables a convenient way to transport gear to and from location, where, on site, items can be attached to the modular belt.


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