Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
There’s been a lot of buzz around the new real-time Eye AF and AF tracking on the recently announced Sony A6400. Even more exciting, though, is that this system is also coming to the Sony A9, A7III and A7RIII full-frame mirrorless cameras in a future firmware update.
Photographer Patrick Murphy-Racey recently got the chance to try out the new real-time autofocus tracking with version 5.0 of the firmware for the Sony A9 in Los Angeles. And, fortunately, he filmed it for the rest of us to see.
It looks like Sony are taking a leaf out of the Fuji playbook by introducing new substantial features through firmware updates rather than entirely new bodies. The Sony A9, A7RIII and A7III are about to get quite a significant feature upgrade with new firmware updates coming out over the next few months.
The first firmware update for the Sony A9 is due in March bringing the realtime Eye AF performance expected in the newly announced Sony A6400. The Sony A9 will see Animal Eye AF added in a second update coming in summer. The A7RIII and A7III will also receive these updates in a single firmware in April.
We know that you are constantly hitting refresh to see if the new Sony a6400 has been announced yet. It has!
Here is the executive brief, but hit the jump for the full scope:
Sony recently pulled Firmware v2.0 for the Sony A7III and A7RIII that was released in October due to the discovery of two fairly major bugs. These bugs would cause photographers to lose RAW images they’d shot along with random lockups of the camera.
Well, now, Sony has released firmware v2.1 to resolve these issues. It also seems to fix a compatibility problem with certain memory cards. They don’t call SanDisk out by name, but they do cite “specific third-party memory cards”. So, presumably, that’s this issue, reported shortly after the V2.0 release.
After a recent leak over new 8K full frame Sony sensors, as well as the spec sheet for one of them, now we’re seeing information about Sony’s new “XEVC” codec, which offers 8K 12-Bit RAW 24fps video at up to 240Mbps and 1080p 10-Bit video up to 240 frames per second.
Leaked through both Sony Alpha Rumors and EOSHD, the XEVC codec seems to be based around H.265 (HEVC) Version 2. It supports Bayer RAW encoding, 8K and 4K resolution at bitrates low enough for even today’s current SD cards. You might not even need UHS-II.
I first saw Zhiyun’s Weebill LAB gimbal at IBC 2018 and then two weeks later in Photokina. When I saw it first, it was alongside the Crane 3 LAB, and I thought that the two shared a pretty weird design. I asked Zhiyun if I can review a kit, they kindly agreed. I was blown away.
So before diving into the specs and features, there is a funny misunderstanding to share. The WEEBILL was standing alongside the bigger brother Crane 3, and at first, I thought that the exhibitor was trying to explain that the smaller gimbal costs less than the Crane 3, resulting in a Wee Bill. ($599 vs. $899) Boy, do I feel stupid now. Anyways, turns out that the Weebill is Australia’s smallest bird, a name that was chosen to emphasize the gimbal’s small dimensions and lightweight. LAB, stands for Zhiyun’s premium line, hence the combination WEEBILL LAB. Read on for a full review.
It’s that time of year again! Black Friday and Christmas are on the way, which means it’s time for our annual gift guides. Maybe you’re buying something for a friend or loved one. Perhaps you’re just treating yourself. But let’s take a look at some of the cool, new toys from the last year.
First up, cameras. This year really has been the year for mirrorless, hasn’t it? Panasonic, Sony, Nikon, Canon have all released some rather impressive cameras this year. A couple have stirred a little controversy, too. But they’re not all that’s been announced this year!
A leaked data sheet for a new Sony IMX435 sensor, one of the two 8K Sony sensors mentioned a few days ago has come out. It appears to be the 36-megapixel one, potentially offering 8K video at 60fps and a strange super ultra wide 4K (3840×1080) at up to 480 frames per second. It’s suspected that this might be the sensor that will reside in the much anticipated Sony A7SIII.
After statements by Leica that the Sony E mount wasn’t designed for full frame and Nikon’s claim of theoretical f/0.65 lenses with their new Z mount, Sony is now fighting back.
In an interview with Amateur Photographer, Senior General Manager of Sony’s Digital Iimaging Business group, Kenji Tanaka states that mount diameter doesn’t matter and that they could produce an f/1.0 lens. But they just don’t think it’s worth the hassle.
With the flood of new mirrorless cameras on the market offering 10-bit video, and those expected in the new year, it looks like Sony is taking no prisoners. Sony Alpha Rumors is reporting that Sony is about to announce two 36-megapixel and 60-megapixel sensors capable of shooting 8K video at up to 6o frames per second. And they may even offer 16-bit RAW stills.
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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