Fujifilm has announced two new cameras: the GFX 100S medium format mirrorless camera, and the X-E4 an X series mirrorless APS-C sensor camera body. Both have an impressive specification seen in flagship models, squeezed into a smaller build. The full feature set of the GFX100 has been re-engineered to fit within the smaller, lighter body of the new GFX 100S. In a similar fashion the X-E4 has the same sensor and processor as the flagship X-Pro3, again in a more compact design.
Both camera bodies are more affordable then their flagship counterparts making them lighter on the wallet as well as lighter in your camera bag.
New Fujifilm camera bodies: GFX100S (left), X-E4 (right)
Fujifilm GFX100S Features
The GFX100S has at its heart a 102 megapixel medium format sensor. The sensors in the Fujifilm GFX series are 1.7x larger than the full-frame 35mm sensor seen in Canon, Sony and Nikon flagship bodies. Medium format digital sensors offer a different quality of image closer to that achieved with medium format analogue camera bodies such as the film cameras from Hasselblad, Mamiya and Fujifilm in the past. A large lens mount is needed for such a large sensor and the GFX100S has a reinforced chassis which is 1mm thicker around the mount while the camera is overall 500g lighter than the GFX100. The increased density at the lens mount gives greater support for larger GF lenses.
X-Processor 4 is the engine behind the impressive 102 megapixel sensor. It powers the on-sensor phase detection auto-focus making this camera versatile, accurate and very fast. The shutter unit has been re-designed and the in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) unit is a new design which is 20% smaller and 10% lighter than the IBIS in the GFX100 while delivering 6 stops of image stabilisation.
The large sensor is also capable of recording 4k30p video at 16:9 or 17:9 aspect ratios, and can record 10 bit F-Log to an internal SD card or output 12bit ProRes RAW via the HDMI port to an external recorder. 12 bit RAW footage can be output via HDMI to an Atomos Ninja V recorder to eliminate in-camera image processing and offer you freedom to make decision in post.
Fujifilm X-E4 Features
The Fujifilm X-E4 is a lightweight, rangefinder-styled camera built around the latest X-Trans 26.1MP CMOS 4 sensor and the X-Processor 4. With Fujifilm’s latest sensor and processor combined the X-E4 inherits features from the most recent Fujifilm cameras, including an updated AF system, 4K video recording and fast burst shooting rates. If you shoot to JPEG, there are now eighteen of Fujifilm’s film simulation modes to choose from.
The X-E4 has a tilting LCD screen which can be flipped to 180 degrees for forward facing monitoring. The AF system can achieve focus in 0.02 seconds and uses an advanced tracking algorithm to hold focus on moving subjects.
When recording video the X-E4 oversamples 6k footage to record 4k30p 4:2:0 8-bit in camera, or to output 4k30p 4:2:2 10-bit via HDMI.
The Sony A1 is a high resolution, high speed, mirrorless camera body with some impressive headline specifications and some remarkable technology under the bonnet. Built for professional photographers and videographers the A1 has something to suit photographers covering everything from weddings to wildlife via sports, portraits and news. Whether used for stills, video or both, there are features that will appeal to everyone.
Sony A1 Features
The Sony A1 specification exceeds any expectation of what a flagship camera body can offer. Sony has thrown out the notion of a trade off between shooting speed and resolution by combining a 50 megapixel sensor and a burst rate of 30 frames per second.
50.1 Megapixel Sensor
The high resolution sensor allows photographers to crop into their images without sacrificing detail. The sensor feeds in to an upgraded BIONZ XR image processor with eight times the processing power of the BIONZ X engines in previous Sony bodies. The 50.1 megapixel sensor exceeds the requirement for 8k video recording (which is 33.1 megapixels in photography-talk).
30 frames per second blackout-free continuous shooting
The impressive processing power of the camera is able to record 50 megapixel images at 30 frames per second while delivering a constant feed of image information to the electronic viewfinder so that you can view your composition throughout shooting. With the capacity to record high resolution still images at 30fps the Sony A1 can also record 8K 30p video and lower resolution 4K 120p for slow-motion.
Fast sensor readout for high speed AF and AE
The new sensor and processor enables 120 AF/AE calculations per second even while recording images at 30 frames per second. This means the Sony A1 will continuously track subjects and can adjust for flickering artificial lighting steadily, while taking a burst of photographs. To put this in context this is twice as responsive as the Sony A9 II camera body, the high speed camera lunched by Sony at the end of 2019. The Real-time Eye AF for humans and animals is improved, and a new Realtime Eye AF for birds has been added to the AF system.
High speed electronic and mechanical shutter
Sony have improved features in both their mechanical and electronic shutter systems. The electronic shutter provides silent and vibration-free shooting. Both the electronic and mechanical shutter offer anti-flicker shooting. For the first time in the Sony Alpha series the electronic shutter is compatible with flash synchronisation up to a sync speed of 1/200th sec. The mechanical shutter synchronises up to 1/400th sec, faster than any other full-frame digital camera.
Connectivity: Wi Fi, Ethernet and SuperSpeed USB
Filing your images, or transmitting footage is fast with a variety of connection options. Sports photographers working in press centres can file images via 1000BASE-T Ethernet LAN connection direct from camera. If you are on the move you can use built-in WiFi to send files from the camera. High Speed USB Type-C connection allows tethered shooting to a PC for smooth transfer of large files.
The long awaited Sony A7S III Digital Camera Body was announced five years after the launch of the immensely popular A7S II. It is equipped with a newly designed BIONZ XR Processing engine which provides up to an 8x faster performance over previous models. It has an AF system with an incredible 759 on-sensor phase decision points which is capable of real-time eye tracking of both humans and animals when shooting both video, and stills. This camera demonstrates Sony’s ability to deliver stunning imaging quality and professional performance in one body.
Recording Capabilities
The Sony A7s III is designed for complete video flexibility and it is packed with features that allow for this. The camera is capable of capturing 4k video without any crop, All-I, up to 120p with 4:2:2 10-Bit codec in H.264. The HD 1080p video is just as impressive, recording up to 240fps internally. The camera is capable of 16 Bit RAW transfer via HDMI for use with external recorders. Sony has introduced new colour science: S-Log Fx9 colour matching, as well as new codecs including XAVC S, H264(AVC), nXAVC HS and H265(HEVC). These features allow you to capture and produce extremely high-quality and professional-grade footage.
For photography the improved colour reproduction and support for HEIF still format further increases the creative scope of this camera. HEIF support, however, does require software/a working environment that supports HEIF for display and editing.
BSI Sensor and BINOZ XR Processor
Two key components that the Sony A7s III possesses must be discussed. These are the newly developed BINOZ XR Image Processor and the 12MP BSI Exmor R Imaging Sensor.
The BINOZ XR processing engine provides approximately 8x faster performance than previous models for fast, efficient video and still image recording. The 8x faster processing combined with the 2x faster sensor read-out speed makes recording 4K video at such high quality possible.
12MP BSI Exmor R Imaging Sensor
The goal of the A7S series is to demonstrate Sony’s mastery of sensitivity. The sensor is a 12 megapixel full-frame back-illuminated sensor. Twelve megapixels on a full frame sensor is not, by 2020 standards, a super-high resolution sensor. However each pixel takes up space on a sensor so a 12 megapixel camera can have a larger surface area per pixel for more light-gathering potential.
Back-illumination is a sensor construction technology that puts the wiring of each pixel behind the pixels so that the front surface can gather light with no obstructions. It may seem counter-intuitive but a lot of CMOS sensors have their (microscopic) wiring on the face of the sensor which obstructs some of the light, removing this wiring from the sensor surface dramatically improves light gathering power of a sensor.
In the A7S III the sensor has an incredible ISO range from 80 to 102400, expandable from 40 to 409600. This is a huge range and allows for comfortable shooting of a vast range of lighting conditions. The camera also has an impressive 15-Stop Dynamic range. The new sensor unit has a 2x faster readout speed, provides impressively fast and responsive operation.
All-Improved AF
Fast Hybrid Autofocus the Sony A7S III, is a first for the Sony A7S Series of cameras. It is available in all recording formats and works with over 50 native Sony E-Mount lenses. The AF system also boasts Real-time Eye and Tracking AF. Real-time eye tracking has a 30% recognition improvement for noticeably improved eye tracking. The vari angle LCD screen enables useful touch-tracking.
The improved AF system provides 92% AF coverage across the sensor thanks to 759 phase-detection points and 425 contrast-detection points when shooting still images (shooting mode dependant). To compliment the excellent low-light performance of this camera, the EV performance of the autofocus has been improved to allows effective AF down to EV-6. Another upgrade, is the ability to capture 10fps continuous burst capture with accurate tracking (AF-C) and AF-S focus.
Stable Shooting
To accompany the improvements to autofocus and recording spec of the Sony A7S III, Sony has incorporated a 5-Axis optical in-body image stabilisation system providing up to 5.5 stops of stabilisation. In addition users can enable the electronic stabilisation within the camera’s intelligent active mode for additional digital stabilisation, this mode runs with a x1.1 crop.
9.44 Million dot QXGA OLED Tru-Finder + Vari-Angle LCD
The articulating touch-screen LCD is a welcome addition which offers more flexibility when shooting handheld, for reaching over crowds or composing a low angle shot. The menu has been re-designed for easier access to video and stills settings, and is touch screen compatible for fast control changes and touch-focus tracking. The viewfinder is a 9.44 Million dot QXGA OLED Tru-Finder which offers the highest resolution EVF in the Sony Alpha camera line-up, providing crystal clear images for live shooting or checking through your footage.
High-Speed
The A7s III is fast. The camera can shoot stills at 10fps with full AF-C/AF-S operation. It can store 1000+ uncompressed RAW files, directly onto UHS II SD cards, the dual memory card slots are compatible with new CFexpress Type-A cards for even faster read and write speeds. The high speed media available indicates the true processing power of the camera. The impressive processing enables high speed image and video capture, and powers the remarkable auto focus engine.
Heat Management
Recording at such a high quality and speed can heat up camera as the systems and components are working at full capacity. The Sony A7S III, however, is equipped with a re-engineered heat management construction to enable up to hour-long 4K 60p recordings. The optimised heat dissipation structure is 5 times more effective than earlier models!
Colour Profiles
The Sony A7s III features 10 colour profiles, including 4 new options:
FL (film-like tone)
IN (Instant Camera Tone)
VV2 (Vivid & Bright Colour)
SH (Soft & Highkey)
These options are accompanied by 8 parameter image controls which include: saturation, contrast, shadow, highlight, fade, sharpness, sharpness range and clarity. The profiles and parameter controls allow for complete creative control when shooting.
To place an order, or to find out more about the kit, contact our sales team on 020 7582 3294 or email sales@fixationuk.com
Nikon has announced a new camera body in its Z series Mirrorless range. The Nikon Z5 is a full frame 24.3 megapixel camera with two SD card slots for more shots or for a secure backup on important shoots. The Nikon Z5 is positioned below the Z6 and Z7 in the Z series lineup, but it is a powerful camera, and an ideal first full-frame body.
Nikon Z5
Nikon has put the most important mirrorless technologies in this small, light, but tough, camera body. The 24.3 megapixel CMOS sensor has ample resolution for stills and video recording up to 4K. Here are the features in detail.
Five Axis VR CMOS Sensor
The full-frame 24.3 megapixel CMOS sensor in the Nikon Z5 is mounted on a 5-axis VR system for in body image stabilisation. With any Nikkor Z lens your stills stay sharp and your video will stay steady. The sensor has an ISO range of 100-51,200 to cope with any lighting conditions, with excellent low-noise performance at higher ISO levels.
Small, Light, Solid
To keep out dust and moisture, the Z5 has a magnesium alloy body with weather sealing around seams, moving dials and buttons. The body is compact and weighs only 680g with the battery. The Nikkor Z 24-50mm f4-6.3 kit lens that comes with the camera is the smallest, lightest full frame zoom available on the market. It is admittedly not the brightest lens, however it is a handy wide to standard zoom that will perform well in good shooting conditions. The body has sensor stabilization which will help produce steadier shots at longer shutter speeds which may be needed with a smaller aperture lens.
Ultra-Sharp AF
The Z5 focus system has 273 AF points on the imaging sensor and includes Eye-Detect AF and Animal-Detect AF focus modes to lock on to a wide range of subjects. The Nikon AF algorithm will lock on to your subject quickly and track moving subjects for crisp action shots.
Dual SD card slots
Record onto fast UHS II SD memory cards and easily shoot to one with a backup saved to the second card. Or use one card for stills and a higher capacity card for video to make sure you never run out of space.
Best in class EVF
The electronic viewfinder in the Nikon Z5 has a 3690k-dot display which shows exposure, ISO and white balance settings in real-time.
To place an order, or to find out more about the kit, contact our sales team on 020 7582 3294 or email sales@fixationuk.com
Fujifilm has pumped its latest technology into its new X-Pro3 rangefinder digital body. This latest release features higher resolution, improved AF and is the most durable Fujifilm body yet. With an unusual rear LCD design Fujifilm prove that, as ever, they are brave enough to be different with a design that pays homage to the company’s analogue photography heritage.
The camera has launched in 3 colour variations Black , Dura Black and Dura Silver – more on the coatings below.
Coating variations for the X-Pro3 pictured left to right: Black, Dura Black and Dura Silver.
The Fujifilm X-Pro3 is the third generation of the X-Pro rangefinder-style digital mirrorless camera from Fujifilm. In 2012 the original Fujifilm X-Pro1 launched the X-Series interchangeable lens system. Since then the compact and portable system has been adopted by many documentary and street photographers. The new X-Pro3 has improved on its predecessor the X-Pro2 with: the latest generation sensor and processor, vastly improved AF sensitivity, a new film simulation mode, and an improved viewfinder. We dive into the details below.
4th Generation Sensor & Image Processor
The X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor is combined with the X-Processor 4 image processing engine for flagship image quality and recording performance. This technology was first seen in the Fujifilm X-T3 body and later the X-T30. The X-Pro3 has 26.1 megapixels with phase detection AF pixels built into the sensor. The processor can combine in-camera continuously shot images for HDR rendering and up to 9 frames for multiple exposures in different combination modes. The processor can handle high data-rates for 4k video recording for up to 15 minutes.
Enhanced Build and Durability
The X-Pro3 is built to withstand professional use with improved coatings, build materials and weather sealing
External body covers of the X-Pro3 are made from Titanium which is strong, corrosion resistant and light.
The X-Pro3 internal chassis is magnesium alloy for even more weight saving.
Surface-hardening technology Duratect protects the X-Pro3 from scratches and gives a nice metallic finish applied to Dura Black and Dura Silver versions.
Weather sealing applied at 70 points for enhanced moisture and dust resistance.
Improved Auto-Focus
Fujifilm have improved their AF algorithm which will enable auto-focus in lighting conditions of -6EV which is the light cast by a quarter-moon! The new firmware released with the X-Pro3 features an AF range limiter function to increase speed of AF lock-on with any lens. You can use these settings to dial in a focus preset point with any X-series lens.
The Viewfinder
The rangefinder style viewfinder gives you the option of an optical viewfinder or an electronic viewfinder. This lets you choose between a constant view of your subject or a display that represents your exposure and can play back your last shot all within a clear bright viewfinder so that you can keep your eye to the camera.
Optical viewfinder responds at the speed of light
OVF can be augmented with a smaller EVF window to display exposure simulation, enlarged focus area or pictures taken
EVF covers 97% of sRGB colour space for accurate colour reproduction
EVF boost mode increases apparent viewfinder smoothness to approx. 200fps
EVF delivered by a 3.69 million dot organic EL panel that delivers high contrast and fine detail.
Retro rear LCD panel
The rear LCD monitor on the X-Pro3 hinges down from the back of the camera 180 degrees. When flipped up, see the image below, the screen is closed into the camera. The LCD screen is designed for use when waist-level shooting, shooting overhead, and for accessing the menu and adjusting camera settings. When the LCD closes, on the rear of the camera there is a small square memory LCD screen that is always on and displays shooting settings such as frames remaining and, ISO and shutter speed. Or it can display the film simulation selected with ISO and white balance. This represents the film windows used to store box-ends on classic analogue cameras to remind photographers what film they had loaded.
The Fujifilm X-Pro range and all other X series cameras are based exclusively around the APS-C sensor size. This commitment to a single sensor dimension means that unlike Canon, Nikon and Sony systems the Fujifilm X-Series lenses are much smaller and lighter as they have never been required to project an image circle that covers a full frame sensor.
Fujifilm state that the X-Pro3 in Black will become from the 28th November and the Dura Black and Dura Silver versions will be available from mid-December.
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