Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
When Yongnuo teased a new mirrorless camera the other day, there wasn’t really any information to go along with it. Pretty much the only thing we new for sure was that it had 4G capability. But we could make a few assumptions based on what we saw and prior Yongnuo history.
Now, some of those assumptions have been confirmed as Yongnuo has released the specs for the yet-to-be-named new camera, which currently bears the code YN450. And there are a couple of surprises…
Should you switch from APS-C to full-frame? Or perhaps shoot large format? Does it matter? What will it change? Ah, so many questions. In this video, Jay P. Morgan and Kenneth Meryl have decided to test four sensor sizes side by side and give you the answers. They shot with a large format, a full-frame, an APS-C and a micro 4/3 camera. Here you can compare the images side-by-side and see for yourself how much of a difference there is.
The entry-level Olympus PEN E-PL9 has received the “special edition” treatment. What’s so special about it? Well, it’s blue. Oh yes. But, the E-PL9 won’t leave you feeling blue after you use it. For an entry-level camera, it’s pretty capable. It houses a 16.1MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor that’s capable of shooting 4K UHD video at 30fps and stills at up to 8.5fps.
We had the chance to check them out at The Photography Show a couple of months ago, although we did get a little distracted by shiny new lenses. It’s not a bad little performer, and Olympus claim it’s rapidly becoming a favourite for bloggers who want to pack light.
The hähnel Modus 600RT speedlight for Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fuji has proven to be fairly popular. Not quite as popular as Godox, perhaps, but popular enough that hähnel have seen fit to release one for Olympus and Panasonic Micro Four Thirds systems, too.
As is the trend these days, the Modus 600RT is a lithium-ion battery powered flash. And as such, it boasts longer life and faster recycle times than traditional AA powered speedlights. It supports TTL, High Speed Sync, repeat flash and full manual control. But is it worth $250?
As well as the recent announcement of a new 60mm f/2 macro lens, Yongnuo have a new listing on their website for a YN43 camera module. But it’s a strange looking little unit. There’s no specifications listed on the Yongnuo website yet, but it appears to contain a Micro Four Thirds sensor. The name “YN43” would also suggest a Micro Four Thirds sensor.
It’s shown in one product photo with an iPhone mounted to one side of it. But what makes it odd is what’s mounted on the other side. A Canon EF mount Yongnuo 14mm f/2.8 wide angle lens. The lens mount surrounding the sensor also appears to be a Canon mount, compatible with both EF and EF-S lenses.
When I do macro photography, I do it mostly freehand, outdoors, and when possible, in natural light. I love my Sony A7 and the abundance of affordable macro lenses available for it via adapters. But one thing that I often struggle with, and sometimes damn my full frame sensor for, is the minuscule depth of field.
So one day, I got the idea to pick up a macro lens for my newly purchased Micro Four Thirds camera: The Panasonic Lumix G80 (known as G85 in the United States). In this article, I want to briefly go through some important aspects to consider when you pick between full frame and crop sensor for macro photography.
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Aimed squarely at the beginning photographer, the Olympus PEN E-PL9 packs a lot of punch. It contains a 16.1MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor capable of shooting 4K UHD video. The PEN E-PL9 also features 3-axis sensor shift IBIS with 121 autofocus points, 8.6fps continuous shooting and a top shutter speed of 1/16000th of a second.
We had the chance to have a look at one during The Photography Show, but what was really special were the 17mm f/1.2, 25mm f/1.2 and 45mm f/1.2 Pro prime lenses. Designed to counter the smaller sensor of Micro Four Thirds cameras and bring back a shallower depth of field, they’re a welcome addition to the MFT lens lineup.
It’s not often that you see a small company challenge the likes of Zeiss. It’s even less common to see one actually beat them in comparative tests. But that’s exactly what Veydra have done in some new tests from the folks at LensRentals. For those unfamiliar with Veydra, it was only just over three years ago that they were seeking funding on Kickstarter for their new line of compact Micro Four Thirds cinema lenses.
The prices for Kickstarter backers were very low considering the quality people hoped for. Even now that they’re on general sale, they’re still substantially cheaper than Zeiss CP.2 series lenses. Now also available in Sony APS-C E Mount, these small, less expensive lenses seem to be the way for many video shooters to go.
One of the things that’s put a lot of people off making the switch to mirrorless is a lack of lenses. The lack of lenses isn’t much of a surprise. How can new system like Sony’s E Mount or Micro Four Thirds really compete with the decades old Nikon and Canon systems where every lens has been made and revised half a dozen times or more?
That’ll change a little for Sony users with Sigma’s new E Mount lenses, but there are other options. Lens mounts are available for both Sony and Micro Four Thirds systems that allow you to utilise Nikon and Canon lenses on those systems. In this video, Chris Niccolls from The Camera Store TV walks us through the range and capabilities of current adapters in 2018.
We all assume that a mirrorless or DSLR camera is going to pulverise an iPhone concerning image quality, but, there are degrees of pulverisation. Questions my dear reader come into play, like…
Are we talking about shooting in good light or poor light? Are we comparing a fixed focal length lens to the equivalent on the iPhone X? How big are we going to print? ……and so on. It’s not a straightforward comparison to make.
You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.
To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.
JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.
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