It’s Common Knowledge: Sigma Lenses Are Total Crap
I wrote in an earlier post how camera reviewers are often blamed for inaccuracies or omissions in their coverage, whereas it is often readers who value features and specs over image quality, reliability and usability who are to blame. For example, video-oriented cameras with exceptional IQ but lacking IBIS are categorically dismissed as absolute failures by... Continue Reading →
Seeing Is Not Believing
I guess seeing is not believing... I just finished watching a comparison between the Lumix GX85 and the Sony a6300, concerning rolling shutter, high ISO performance, dynamic range, 1080p, and continuous autofocus - and I thought the a6300 just killed it in practically every category, leaving the Panasonic in the dust in all but IBIS (the a6300 didn't have... Continue Reading →
Fuji X-T2 Low Light Test: ISO 6400
Here's a smattering of clips shot in the late afternoon in the lobby of my hotel in Penang. At ISO 6400, the Fuji holds up quite well, and I probably wouldn't bother de-noising the footage even if it were going to end up being used in a project. I exposed for the shadows, and there... Continue Reading →
Field Test: Fuji XF 50-140mm f/2.8
As usual, all shots were taken around Book Street in District 1, Saigon. The build quality of this monster is on par with Zeiss. The focus, zoom and aperture rings are dampened to high hell, which I happen to love. Autofocus is fast and completely, utterly silent. The 16-55mm f/2.8 amazed me, the 35mm f/2 astounded... Continue Reading →
Field Test: Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 WR
I'll make this one brief. The Fuji 35mm f/2 is a must-have lens. It is compact, beautifully designed, and the optics are superb for such a small instrument. https://youtu.be/NkFAsUnvz2Y Free background music from JewelBeat.com
Field Test: Fujinon XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
https://youtu.be/S0_ODY-GRFo The Fuji 16-35mm f/2.8 is a monstrous lens: it's got 17 elements and weighs 655 grams. One thing it is not is a lens you'd want to take with you on vacation. It's not the perfect all-rounder you want to keep on your camera either, like Panasonic's 12-35mm f/2.8. It's too unwieldy to carry... Continue Reading →
Benro S8 Fluid Head
I'd already ordered a Manfrotto 504 HD fluid head from B&H, but while it was trapped in Vietnam customs hell, I decided to go ahead and purchase the Benro S8 with a 75mm flat base from a dealer here in Saigon for just $181.00. My minimum requirements were a head with a counterbalance that could... Continue Reading →
Review: Fuji X-T2
After my rant last night about the lack of meaningful exposure aids on the Fuji X-T2, I've settled down a little, and had my first opportunity to actually go out and grab a few clips with it, along with the Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8 lens. It's been drizzling all day, so I couldn't do much shooting.... Continue Reading →
One Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Thanks to Nesster at Flickr. Creative Commons. My very first camera was actually a Konica Auto S2 rangefinder.
Fuji X-T2: Creative Perfection?
I just picked up the Fuji X-T2 and a 16-55mm f/2.8 lens yesterday afternoon and, while setting up the camera, I happened to notice that in movie mode, there are virtually no exposure aids: no histogram, no waveform monitor, no zebras, just an impossibly tiny EV meter. I thought I must be mistaken, since I'd... Continue Reading →
More Tests On The Way
Following up on my field tests of the Leica Nocticron and Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN, I'm currently in the process of shooting with the Nokton 17.5mm f/0.95. Even at a distance of a few feet, shooting at f/2-f/2.8, the depth of field is razor thin, so, of the lenses I own, it's going to... Continue Reading →
Zhiyun Crane Jitter Problem Addressed
In previous posts, I wrote that my gimbal was experiencing serious shake, even after the stabilizer had been properly balanced and calibrated. This effectively meant that I was without a camera for the whole of my two-week trip to George Town and Langkawi, Malaysia. Every single clip was ruined with jitter issues, which I posted... Continue Reading →
Gimbal Issues
A distraught forum member over at EOSHD, who has already purchased two Zhiyun Cranes, posted this video, saying the gimbal isn't operating normally when in inverted mode. I suggested he hold the stabilizer by the handle, not by the pan motor! 🙂 https://youtu.be/gtB8F_C5T8g
Zhiyun Assistant App Gets Snazzy New Look
The Zhiyun Assistant App interface has gotten a fresh new look, and it isn't all purely cosmetic. The app now shows remaining battery life in a large, easy-to-read dial. The buttons to access calibration, firmware upgrades, stabilizer settings and remote control functions are all there, but they are now larger and grouped conveniently together at... Continue Reading →
After Installing Firmware v1.51, Crane Still Unstable
I wrote yesterday that installing firmware update v1.50 to increase gimbal payload capacity to 1,800 grams made using the Crane unusable for camera/lens combinations weighing under 1,500 grams. Zhiyun Tech responded quickly, recommending I reinstall firmware v1.51. I installed the firmware this morning and shot a little video, and the shakiness is still there. Apparently,... Continue Reading →
To GH4 Owners: Do Not Update Zhiyun Crane to Firmware v1.50 5D RC2!
Almost three weeks ago, an acquaintance of mine, a filmmaker, sent me an urgent text, informing me that Zhiyun had just posted a firmware update for the Crane enabling camera/lens combinations weighing up to 1,800 grams, and requested that I download it immediately so he could try it out with his Canon 5D. I went... Continue Reading →
Zhiyun Crane Brushless Gimbal Stabilizer: Sample Footage
There's not a whole lot I can really add to the hundreds of glowing online reviews of the Zhiyun Crane since it was first introduced around four months ago, so I decided to just post some sample clips using a variety of lenses on the Lumix GH4. There are situations where using a small stabilizer... Continue Reading →
Field Test II: Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN for MFT
Just as in my previous tests, this clip was shot on Book Street, near the Saigon Central Post Office in Vietnam. This time, half the shots were made with the Zhiyun Crane brushless gimbal stabilizer, the rest with the camera mounted on the Edelkrone Slider Plus Small and iFootage Wild Bull T7 carbon fiber tripod.... Continue Reading →
Field Test II: Panasonic Leica 42.5mm f/1.2 DG Nocticron
Many photographers and filmmakers balk at spending more on a lens than they paid for their camera. But there is no reason not to purchase the best glass for your Lumix camera, even if the body cost only $500, because your camera is only as good as the lens. https://youtu.be/dOToESitZd4 Free Background Music from JewelBeat.com
The Daejeon Chronicles 