DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

Search

Submit A Story

zeiss

The $6,000 Android-powered Zeiss ZX-1 camera has been discontinued

by Add Comment

Android cameras have had a bit of a funny history. Every so often, a new one randomly pops up, people get excited, and then it just seems to go nowhere. Samsung’s Android-powered cameras all disappeared – to much dismay – then Yongnuo released one a few years ago that apparently didn’t leave China, although Linus Tech Tips got their hands on one, and then in 2018, Zeiss announced the ZX1.

Between the Photokina 2018 announcement and actually releasing the camera took two years. The camera didn’t become available to order until October 2020. With a price tag of $6,000, it was never going to be super popular, but it appears Zeiss hasn’t sold enough to justify continuing it. While Zeiss has not yet made an official announcement about its demise, it’s already disappearing from retailer websites.

[Read More…]

The Vivo X90 and X90 Pro smartphones with Zeiss 50MP 1-Inch camera launch globally

by Add Comment

Vivo’s X90 and X90 Pro have been out in China for a little while now, but today sees their global international launch. Both smartphones feature Zeiss cameras, with the X90 Pro sporting a large 1-inch sensor. Both smartphones feature 50-megapixel Zeiss camera modules, with the non-Pro model also sporting 12-megapixel telephoto and wide-angle cameras. The X90 Pro, on the other hand, features 50-megapixel wide and 12-megapixel telephoto cameras.

With Zeiss optics in both devices, featuring Zeiss’s T* lens coatings, pixel shift, dual-tone LED flash, HDR and panorama modes, the expectations are high for this one. The X90’s 50-megapixel 1/1.49″ sensor offers 4K video at up to 60fps, while the X90 Pro’s 50-megapixel 1-inch sensor lets you record up to 8K at 60fps. Both devices also include a 32-megapixel selfie camera that shoots up to 4K 30p.

[Read More…]

Which lens is right for your Milky Way photos? Watch this 20-28mm f/1.4 shootout to find out

by Add Comment

Last week, Sigma announced two new 20mm f/1.4 DG DN and 24mm f/1.4 DG DN Art series lenses. While the latter was also targeted towards photographers in general, both have a heavy lean toward astrophotography. But how well do they really perform? In this video, Nico at Nebula Photos puts seven 20-28mm prime lenses to the test including the two new Sigma lenses to try to figure that out.

As well as the two new Sigma lenses for mirrorless cameras, he also includes Sigma’s predecessors, designed for DSLRs, as well as others from Rokinon (Samyang) and Zeiss. It’s a pretty in-depth comparison, running a hair under 40 minutes, but includes a lot of detail in each lens with some fantastic comparisons of all seven lenses shot side-by-side using the Sigma fp L mirrorless camera.

[Read More…]

Rare Zeiss lens from Apollo mission up for an auction, expected to reach $146,000

by Add Comment

How cool it would be to own a lens that traveled to the moon? Well, it’s possible now as a rare Zeiss Planar 50mm f/0.7 is up for an auction. It’s one of only ten of these lenses in the world, responsible for some iconic shots: photos from the Apollo missions, as well as iconic footage from Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon.

[Read More…]

Fun fact: Zeiss lens families are named after bird families

by Add Comment

If you use Zeiss lenses, love birds, or both, here’s something you’ll find really interesting. Zeiss lens families all have names like Milvus, Batis, Touit, and so on. And have you ever wondered how they’re named? Well, Zeiss’s five lens families carry the same names as families of birds.

[Read More…]

Zeiss adds 18mm, 40mm, 65m, and 135mm primes to its Prime cine lenses line

by Add Comment

Zeiss is adding another four prime lenses to its popular cinema line. From now on, Supreme Prime Radiance Lenses will be available in 18mm, 40mm, 65m, and 135mm focal lengths, but there are also some changes and improvements aimed at making your footage even better.

[Read More…]

Sony’s Xperia 1 III and 5 III smartphones sport a 70-105mm equivalent periscope zoom lens

by 1 Comment

Sony has announced its two newest smartphones, the Xperia 1 III and the Xperia 5 III, both of which contain a triple-rear camera setup with a hybrid zoom lens offering the equivalent field of view to that of a 70-105mm focal length range on a full-frame body at its extremes. It also contains the usual standard 24mm and ultra-wide 16mm equivalent field of view cameras.

The variable focal length of the “hybrid” zoom system is thanks to a periscope system built into the camera module which physically moves the elements closer to or further away from the sensor. It seems to offer minimum and maximum focal lengths on the zoom, but nothing in between – for which it reverts to digital processes.

[Read More…]

VIVO launches its X60 smartphone series internationally with Zeiss cameras

by Add Comment

Well, it looks like it’s Leica vs Hasselblad vs Zeiss now in the smartphone camera market. VIVO has just unleashed their new X60 series smartphones on the world, including the X60, X60 Pro and X60 Pro+. The X60 and X60Pro launched in China in December of last year, but now they’re going global. The X60 Pro+ is only launching in India and China (at least for now), so we’re not going to talk about that one here (although it has an extra camera).

While there are some differences between the X60 and X60 Pro, both contain the same set of cameras. But the big difference is that the main camera on the X60 Pro is gimbal stabilised, as it was in last year’s VIVO X50 Pro/X51 5G. And both come in at a significantly lower price than the recently announced OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro.

[Read More…]

Vivo teams up with Zeiss for upcoming X60 Pro+ smartphone cameras

by Add Comment

Well, it looks like Huawei’s not the only one with high photographic sights as smartphone manufacturer Vivo has also announced a partnership with Zeiss for camera development in their new X60 series. There will be three models in the X60 series – the regular X60, the X60 Pro and the X60 Pro+.

The first two smartphones have already made their public debut, but the third has not. Allegedly leaked renders found online, however, suggest that the X60 Pro+ may feature a quad-camera unit, bearing that famous Zeiss logo.

[Read More…]

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts