No strangers to medium format, Fuji’s heritage lies with iconic cameras such as the GS645, G617 and the first AF medium format, the GA645.
While the design and technology are distinctly modern, the camera follows Fuji’s philosophy of portability and size, resembling a larger X-series camera. Despite boasting a medium format 50MP sensor – almost 70% larger than a full-frame DSLR – the camera itself is comparable in size to a D810, albeit slightly deeper.
Menu navigation and operation on the GFX is similar to its smaller stablemate, the X-T2 and existing Fuji users will feel at home with the controls.
The initial lens lineup comprises six lenses ranging from a superwide 23mm ƒ/4 (18mm equivalent in 35mm) to a 120mm ƒ/4 Macro (95mm equivalent), although not all lenses will be shipping immediately.
On October 19th Nikon Announced an update to their workhorse telephoto zoom: the AFS 70-200mm fƒ/2.8 FL. Lighter and sharper than any before.
The versatile focal range and bright, constant fƒ/2.8 aperture has made the 70-200mm a go-to lens for anyone shooting sports, wedding, press and more. Here are the highlights of the new design:
Flourite Elements
Optical elements made from Flourite effectively block the secondary spectrum which is a major cause of chromatic aberrations. The FL element is towards the front of the lens, Flourite is lighter than optical glass so this brings the centre of gravity back towards the camera body for easier handling.
Lighter Components
Nikon has used Flourite, above, and magnesium alloy parts to keep the lens weight as low as possible. This new release is 110g lighter than the previous model.
Zoom Control
The zoom ring has moved to the front of the lens, spreading your grip from the camera to the end of the lens offering better balance and stability. This layout keeps the zoom control in-hand while placing your hand as far forward as possible for smooth tracking and panning of moving subjects.
Electronic Aperture
The new electromagnetic aperture design, as seen in Nikon’s recent super-telephoto lens releases, responds faster and more consistently than the older aperture lever design. This will give better exposure consistency when shooting high speed bursts (ideal for sports and weddings) and allow for smoother aperture changes when shooting video.
We hope to see the first shipment of lenses in November. Call our sales team on 0207 582 3294 or email sales@www.fixationuk.com for the latest availability news and to add your name to our order book.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV arrives with a new 30.4MP sensor and 4K video
Canon has refreshed its successful EOS 5D DSLR line with the EOS 5D Mark IV.
Basic feature updates
The new model is a direct successor to the popular EOS 5D Mark III and whilst it shares that model’s form and build, Canon has furnished the new body with a wealth of new and expanded features – some seen in the recent flagship EOS-1D X Mark II.
The EOS 5D Mark IV debuts a 30.4MP full-frame CMOS sensor, which Canon claims has a wide exposure latitude. This works across a native sensitivity range of ISO 100-32,000, with extended settings either side to ISO 50- and ISO 102,400-equivalent options respectively. This is paired with Canon’s DIGIC 6+ processing engine, whose noise reduction algorithm has been enhanced over previous engines for better image quality.
Auto Focus and Metering
Perhaps the most interesting new addition is a Dual Pixel Raw mode. This uses the same technology behind the Dual Pixel CMOS AF feature (also included) to allow the photographer to adjust the point of sharpness after the images have been captured. It’s also possible to shift out-of-focus highlights and to reduce ghosting effects when using Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software program.
As with the EOS 5D Mark III, the camera features a 61-point AF system (above, bottom right) that includes 41 cross-type points, with five of these dual cross-type with a sensitivity of fƒ/2.8. The points themselves are said to occupy a broader area of the frame than before, with sensitivity down to -3EV as standard and -4EV when using live view. 21 of these remain cross-type at f/8, which means they are still as effective when using certain telephoto lenses in conjunction with Canon’s Extenders.
A 150k-pixel RGB+IR metering sensor, which appears similar to the version included in the EOS 5DS and 5DSR but works with its own DIGIC 6 processing engine, has also been included. This uses 252 separate zones for scene analysis and is said to help the camera better detect subjects and track them more effectively as they move around the frame.
Video
The 5D mark IV is the third Canon EOS DSLR to date to offer 4K video recording, after the EOS-1D X Mark II announced earlier in the year and the EOS 1DC which was built on a 1DX chassis and part of the Cinema EOS lineup. This release makes 4K from a Canon system much more affordable, in a lighter body, than any previously available from Canon.
The 5D mark IV records DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) footage at frame rates of 24, 25 and 30fps, with 4:2:2 chroma subsampling and 4:2:0 subsampling when recording in one of the camera’s HD formats (which record at up to 120fps). It’s also possible to output uncompressed footage through the camera’s HDMI mini port, although only at a full HD resolution, while individual frames at an 8.8MP resolution can also be extracted from 4K footage.
Display & Controls
Canon has upgraded the camera’s rear LCD from the 3.2in, 1.04million-dot version found on the EOS 5D Mark III. While the display maintains the same dimensions as before, it sees its resolution jump to 1.62million dots. Not only that, but touchscreen functionality has also been incorporated to facilitate focus-point selection and more.
As with previous models, the user is also able to customise the Quick Control Screen to their liking, and it’s also now possible to adjust the tone of the LCD in addition to its brightness.
The pentaprism viewfinder, meanwhile, has been left unchanged from the EOS 5D Mark III, with frame coverage of approximately 100% and a 0.71x magnification, together with an eyepoint of 21mm.
Build and Connectivity
The camera, which has been constructed principally from magnesium alloy and polycarbonate, boasts dust and moisture protection and is equipped with two memory card slots, one for CompactFlash cards and the other for SD, SDHC and SDXC media. Wi-Fi and NFC has also now been included, as has a GPS system that records longitude, latitude and elevation. Canon has also now made it possible to embed IPTC metadata into images.
The EOS 5D Mark IV has been designed with a USB 3.0 port at its side, together with HDMI mini and flash-sync ports, while sockets for headphones and microphone are also included alongside. The remote port, which was previously included among these, has now been repositioned to the camera’s front plate.
Two new lenses have also been announced alongside the new model. The EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM is a second-generation version of the existing EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, with a four-stop Image Stabiliser on board and a weather-resistant construction, while the EF 16-35mm fƒ/2.8L III USM updates the nine-year-old 16-35mm fƒ/2.8L II USM. Additionally, Canon has announced the BG-20 battery grip. This has been constructed with the same level of weatherproofing as the camera, with duplicate vertical shooting controls and space for an additional LP-E6N or LP-E6 battery.
Fixation is proud to announce its official status as the sole repairer of AquaTech products in Europe
For those who shoot in wet, windy and challenging environments, AquaTech products are an essential. The range includes underwater sport housings that allow cameras to be submerged; soft blimps that minimise background noise for shooting video on location, and soft covers that protect delicate gear from the worst of the weather – all a must for the intrepid photographer and videographer.
Even gear as rugged as AquaTech’s will need a tune-up once in a while. And that’s where Fixation can help. We’re hugely pleased to announce that Fixation has been appointed as the only official European service centre for AquaTech products.
How Fixation partnered with AquaTech
AquaTech cares deeply about maintaining the quality of its products, and becoming the official service centre with access to parts and products is a serious matter. Fortunately, Fixation had an advantage in the form of workshop manager and qualified diver, Mick Edwards.
‘I sent them an email explaining I’m a diver and therefore have a good understanding of the specifications involved,’ Mick says. ‘We chatted on FaceTime and it escalated from there.’
After further discussions Mick was invited to California to experience the AquaTech organisation in action and thus start Fixation on the road to becoming the official european agent.
‘They put me on the production line which was hugely insightful,’ Mick says. ‘The easiest way to show somebody how to do something is throw them in at the deep end – no pun intended! It was full-on though, definitely not a holiday!’
Mick (centre-left) with the AquaTech team in California
It may not have been relaxing, but it was time well spent – following Mick’s trip, Fixation is officially AquaTech-certified.
AquaTech at Fixation
While sound blimps are popular in the UK and are frequently spotted on film sets (Fixation has serviced three in the past couple of weeks alone), the housings are often used in the kind of wind and kite-surfing photography popular in Europe, so these are sent to us too.
Fixation is fully equipped to deal with the complete range of AquaTech products – from the housings to flash domes and sound blimps. We maintain a good stock of common spare parts and have a pressure tank to ensure equipment will be water-tight at depth.
It’s an exciting world and we’re thrilled to be part of it.
For more about AquaTech, visit their website: aquatech.net.
Fujifilm’s new X-T2 offers super-fast autofocus, a weather-sealed body and exceptional image quality. Is this the moment to switch to mirrorless?
This morning Fujifilm officially announces its new flagship, the X-T2, which sees the mirrorless X brand gunning for a slice of the pro market.
Closely resembling 2014’s X-T1 in design and build, the Fujifilm X-T2 has been upgraded with new imaging and processing technologies to deliver faster operational speeds.
It delivers a 24.3MP X-Trans CMOS III sensor, shoots 4K video with a Clean HDMI output and dramatically improves AF performance from previous models.
Whereas older X-series cameras utilised 49 AF points, the X-T2 ups this to 91. Approximately 40% of the imaging area is covered with phase detection pixels, allowing for fast and precise AF acquisition.
Fujifilm says that in real terms, this enhances the X-T2’s ability to automatically focus on points of light, low-contrast objects and subjects with fine and delicate textures. This addresses previous weaknesses of phase-detection autofocus systems.
The EVF on the X-T2 has been further improved on the preceding camera. It’s a 2.36-million-dot high-resolution organic EL electronic viewfinder with a time lag delay of 0.005 seconds. Its maximum brightness is double that of previous models and it features Automatic Brightness Adjustment functionality which makes it easy to use even in strong backlighting. The EVF can refresh at a rate of 60fps, or 100fps in Boost mode (more on Boost mode below).
The body of the Fujifilm X-T2 is made entirely from magnesium alloy, meaning it is solid and durable without sacrificing lightweight portability.
Body-only, the Fujifilm X-T2 weighs around 500g. That’s about a third of the weight of a recent pro DSLR. And this is with weather-sealing at 63 points, making the X-T2 well-suited for rough outdoor work.
A new battery grip, named the Vertical Power Booster Grip or VPB-XT2, is to be released simultaneously and further cements the XT-2’s status as a serious option for the pro.
Packing in two extra batteries, the VPB-XT2 increases the Fujifilm X-T2’s shooting capacity to approximately 1,000 shots per charge, and its 4K recording duration to a maximum of thirty minutes.
The grip also features a selection of buttons (including shutter release, focus lever E-L button, AF-L button, command dials, Q button and Fn button) designed to make the X-T2 as easy to operate vertically as it is horizontally. The grip also features the same extent of weather-sealing as the X-T2 itself.
With the grip attached, the photographer can activate the previously mentioned ‘Boost’ mode. This uses the extra power from the additional batteries to improve the X-T2’s overall performance. In real terms this means faster continuous shooting and shorter shooting interval (up to 11fps with the mechanical shutter; 14fps with the electronic shutter), shorter shutter release time lag and blackout time.
For more details, or to place an order, contact Fixation sales on 020 7582 3294, or by email at sales@www.fixationuk.com.
What’s your view? If you’re a DSLR user, does the X-T2’s spec sheet tempt you to start looking at mirrorless? Let us know in the comments.
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