The Sony NEX F3 has been leaked across the internet before when someone accidentally published their story. Images of the camera spilled out across the web. Well believe it or not, the camera is real. And we’ve known about it for quite a while and also were able to get our hands on it for some play time.

So how did it perform?

Editor’s Note: Don’t call this a review at all. However, Sony has told us that the image quality that we got from the units at the event was final, though the camera’s firmware was not.

UPDATE: The NEX F3 is available at B&H Photo in Silver and Black

Tech Specs

- 16.1 MP same as A37

- Latest Bionz processor

- ISO 100 to 16,000

- 1080p HD at 24p or 60i

- The option of recording at an MP4 Codec in 3:2 mode

- Auto Portrait Framing (a very gimmicky feature that essentially just crops your image.)

- 180 degree LCD for easier self portraits, but unfortunately no touchscreen built in.

- Built in flash that can be pulled back a bit to function like a bounce flash, but it won’t lock into place.

- Improved battery performance to 470 images per charge

- Charge on the go via USB to PC if you’d like. That’s perfect for vacations

- Accessory terminal for you to add the trufinder or the microphone

- Ergonomic grip addition like the 5n.

- 3fps

- Silver, black and white.

- Shipping in June $599 with kit lens

Ergonomics

The Sony NEX F3 feels very much like the NEX 5N: and is therefore really quite awesome. We reviewed the 5N and fell it love with it. There is a full grip just like on the 5N and there is also a screen that flips up. In the case of the F3 though, the screen flips all the way up: and that is designed for people that want to take portraits of themselves.

More importantly, I see it being useful to bloggers that want to record videos of themselves similar to what they do on their webcam.

The top of the camera is characterized by the shutter button, on/off switch, Behind that is the one touch-video record button, which my thumb hit at times accidentally. Plus there is the accessory port/shoe and the pop-up flash.

The back of the camera sports a little textured area for better grip, a playback button, a button to pop the flash up, a dial with four way controls, and two function buttons.

Autofocus

Something that impressed me quite a bit was the fact that the Sony NEX F3 was able to target the subjects that I actually wanted in focus without much of a hassle. Previous NEX models have not been able to do that: they would instead focus on something totally different and would then force me to switch to the center point, focus, and recompose if I could. But there is an inherent problem with the plane of focus then being thrown off.

During my testing period, I found the NEX F3 to be spot on when it came to single focus selection. It didn’t track that quickly though. In fact, I still believe that phase detection is still the best method when it comes to tracking moving objects: contrast AF just isn’t there yet.

Image Quality

The images in this post are JPEGs from the camera resized for the web to 150DPI. There wasn’t much editing done except for some sharpening, color edits, boost to contrast, and giving the images a slight bump in clarity.

Speaking humbly, the F3′s image quality floored me when in the right lighting conditions. Other files would obviously need much more editing, but when you’re in the right situation and environment, you’ll walk away in absolute love of your images.

Sony took other journalists and I along to Chelsea Piers to photograph figure skaters, Carnival folk, and along New York City’s High Line: a place I frequent in order to review the cameras that come in and out of my hands.

Though I am no sports photographer, I can say that the image quality from the camera’s JPEGs wasn’t too shabby. I did start to see some apparent noise at 1600, but I am not able to process the RAW files at the time of writing this post. I do have them though, and that will change soon.

This camera is targeted towards consumers who know nothing about cameras. Everyday someone comes up to me and says, “I want to buy a DSLR and I want to take great pictures but I know nothing about cameras and don’t want to learn a thing about them.”

First off, what I often say is that you need to have a creative vision first. Second, I often recommend the NEX C3, which we’ve also reviewed here on the site. With the F3 now replacing the C3, there does indeed seem to be more consumer friendly features such as the new tilting screen and the awesome image quality. Those people will also typically only shoot JPEGs, and the images from this camera will be more than good enough for them.

These days, my work is more in the portraiture space. The colors that this camera rendered were breath-taking and it has a lot going for it including a bounce flash to aid with tricky lighting situations. I have to really give it to Sony when it comes to skin tones.

Here are some more image samples from my day with the camera.

This photo was taken with direct flash

This is the flash bounced towards the ceiling

Another with Bounce flash

Same photo instead with natural light

First Impressions

So far, the Sony NEX F3 seems like an excellent camera when paired with the TruFinder. The fact that it features a bounce flash is something that also makes it extremely tempting. For the audience that it is targeted toward, it may perhaps become an extremely hot camera; the only downside is the fact that it isn’t so pocketable anymore due to the grip. But if you put the camera in a nice leather half case, you’ll have a winner.

More will come once we get our hands on an actual review unit.

Please Support The Phoblographer

We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.

Sony’s A35 is today being replaced with the A37 DSLR. Being their new entry-level kid, it also sports many features that make it seem very entry level, but also make it extremely versatile for different types of users. Due to just how much power is really packed into here, it could very well win over the hearts of various Nikon and Canon users.

Take a look at how our hands on experience with the Sony A37 went.

Editor’s Note: Don’t call this a review at all. However, Sony has told us that the image quality that we got from the units at the event was final, though the camera’s firmware was not.

Update: B&H Photo has the A37 listed with the 18-135mm and 18-55mm lenses.

Tech Specs

- 16.1 MP sensor

- ISO from 100-16,000

- Steadyshot offers 2 and a half  to 4 stops of stabilization

- 7fps

- 15 pt autofocus system with 3 cross sensors

- Quick AF Full HD Movie mode

- Auto Portrait Framing (from the A57) takes a landscape photo and crops it.

- Tiltable LCD

- Tru-finder = 100% coverage

- 1080 24p HD video with face detection plus there is also 60i

- Available in June  $599 with 18-55mm $799 with the 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 SAM. $500 for Body Only.

But Wait, There’s More!

The 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 SAM is also coming

Ergonomics

The Sony A37 is Sony’s latest addition to Sony’s entry into the world of consumer-targeted DSLR cameras. Holding true to their recent shifts, the camera features a translucent mirror and therefore gives the camera an electronic TruFinder.

The top of the camera is characterized by an on/off switch right around the shutter release. Not too far back, you’ll notice various buttons on the right side with the mode dial on the left side of the top of the camera. In between all the buttons and dials is Sony’ proprietary hot shoe for accessories and their flashes. Those buttons up top are designated controls for the digital zoom functionality and a toggle between the LCD screen and the viewfinder.

The back of the camera features a full LCD screen that tilts and swivels. But that’s not all, there is also a menu button, movie mode recording function, exposure adjustment button and an auto exposure lock button. Further back are all the control buttons that one would expect, a function and info/delete button.

Autofocus

Sony’s A37 was tested alongside their also announced F3. For the most part, the A37′s autofocusing kept up with fast moving objects such as skaters. In fact, it blew the pants off of the F3: once again proving that phase detection is much better than contrast detection.

The focusing overall was pretty darn quick when I used some of Sony’s zoom lenses and their 16-50mm f2.8 lens.

I would go as far as to say that I would use the new autofocus system with any professional sports I may shoot. The burst rate however, that’s a different story. The card and processor could not keep up with writing all the information needed for me to keep shooting without having the camera need to stop for a bit.

For the dad photographing his teenager in high school basketball, that can be an issue.

It was also pretty at figuring out what I was trying to focus on; though when it came to tracking the camera needed to readjust itself at times to ensure that it was locking onto the subject.

Image Quality

The A37 and F3 have the same sensor: and therefore the image quality is really quite excellent and gets even better when paired with fast glass. In fact, I would only shoot this camera with fast glass to get the absolute most of the sensor. The colors in the images seemed to really pop more with fast glass vs consumer-grade zooms.

I’m going to let my image samples speak for themselves in this case.

Here's a demo of the crop portrait feature at full size

Here is the crop it gave me

First Impressions

Though the A37 seems like it is an extremely capable DSLR, I have yet to put it through its full paces. For me personally, I wasn’t a fan of the ergonomic build and at this point, I’m also personally getting a bit sick of DSLRs over mirrorless cameras. However, this camera seems more than capable enough for its intended target audience. Also consider the fantastic image quality one gets from it.

We will have to save our final judgements for the official test unit to come in with a couple of their best lenses.

Please Support The Phoblographer

We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.

There is something special brewing with Sony. If you haven’t looked or if you are only paying attention to the big two (Nikon and Canon) then you should take a look at what I have to say.

Sony is a big name in electronics but is only a rising star in the camera market. They aren’t putting their feet up and relaxing, they are making big moves and just doing some honest listening to what their customers want.

With an introduction like that you are probably expecting me to spill the beans on some unreleased full frame camera goodness but this is quite the opposite. I am here to talk about the brand new entry level camera from Sony, the A37. I had a few hours with Sony’s new release and I wanted to share with you my honest opinion on it.

I drove up to Santa Monica for the day to have a meeting with Sony. Here I had the opportunity to speak with the people who directly work with the Alpha and Nex teams. We had the meeting and before I headed out with the new camera onto the open streets with the public I asked if they wanted me to cover the camera or hide it from people. They guys at Sony said “no worries its fine, we’re the new cool Sony”.

Tech Specs

- 16.1 MP sensor

- ISO from 100-16,000

- Steadyshot offers 2 and a half  to 4 stops of stabilization

- 7fps

- 15 pt autofocus system with 3 cross sensors

- Quick AF Full HD Movie mode

- Auto Portrait Framing (from the A57) takes a landscape photo and crops it.

- Tiltable LCD

- Tru-finder = 100% coverage

- 1080 24p HD video with face detection plus there is also 60i

- Available in June  $599 with 18-55mm $799 with the 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 SAM. $500 for Body Only.

Image quality

I am going to say upfront that Sony has out spec’d all of the competing entry level cameras out there. At this price point you get more where it counts. The Sony A37 has kept the pixel count nice and lean at 16MP unlike Nikon. I love Nikon but at the consumer level there is no need for a higher pixel count, the images probably won’t make it further than social sharing. The tests have been in on this sensor and I’ve been told that it is the same sensor as the Nex-5n. This sensor has been tried and tested, the result is outstanding image quality. The camera supports from ISO 100 all the way up to 16,000. Even at high ISOs the camera performs very well which will be much more useful for its intended target.

With 2x Clear Image Zoom

Without 2x Clear Image Zoom

The 2x Clear Image Zoom feature to me looked like a gimmick right off the bat, I thought I would never use that feature. The camera instead of doing a digital zoom and cropping your image it interpolates the zoomed photo up to the set pixel count. As a testament for how serious the feature is I had to remember that the image which was closer than the other was the interpolated zoomed image. I wouldn’t consider it as a last ditch effort to capture a closer shot, I would instead capture it routinely along with my other images.

EVF

Adding to its arsenal of features and one of its largest guns is the electronic viewfinder or EVF. There are a couple basic reasons why this is a crucial feature and advantage over the competition. First off looking through the other cameras looks as if you have tunnel vision. You see a small square image at the end of the dark viewfinder.

The Sony EVF image is very clear and has been compared to the viewfinder on full frame cameras. Your eye is less strained and it is free to focus on the scene much easier. As a full frame Nikon user, in my opinion the EVF kicks out a leg of the chair that holds full frame cameras higher than APS-C sensor cameras. The viewfinder is the only one in it’s class that offers 100% coverage with the other cameras having about 95%. With 100% coverage there is no guessing the surrounding pixels, you see the exact framed image that you will get. The second main advantage of the electronic viewfinder is that the little LCD for your eye will show the exact exposure you are going to get. In manual modes you will see the changes live as you change aperture, shutter, ISO rating or other settings. This will get you more captured scenes the way you want them and less “how to I capture this how my eye sees it?!”.

When I turned over the camera back to Sony this is the feature that I missed the most. The only problem with the EVF is that it didn’t see my eye coming for it. Meaning it only senses your eye when it is pressed against the proximity sensor. There isn’t a lot of lag but when activated the EVF does power on quickly.

The question I have to ask is will this half second lag cause a future owner to miss a shot?

Yes, I do but I don’t see this being a deal breaker.

In the moment I suppose you could always use the LCD screen since its already activated and ready to go. It’s just hard for me as a pro user to picture myself using live view for pictures. This is of course coming from Nikon’s implementation which is very slow compared to Sony.

Handling

With the thought in mind that it is an entry level camera the grip feel is familiar. It is a smaller grip as the camera is aimed at being the smallest in its class. It is lighter than the competition but that doesn’t make it feel any different in your hands. I quickly accustomed myself to the layout of the camera with no major complaints. When it comes to handling everyone has their own opinion, its either comfortable or not. If someone asks me ”what camera should I get?” I always respond with go ahead and pickup each of the cameras. If you like the feel of the camera and I then tell you to imagine yourself holding it all day. Its just one of the few personal choices you have to make and it’s different user to user. The body is made of hard plastic it felt very solid in my hands. The weight of the camera even with the new Sony 18-135 zoom felt very even and well distributed to me.

Autofocus

If you have shot with a Sony translucent camera then you are familiar with the speed. Spoiler: it’s fast! This camera may only have 11 focus points but the speed is very comparable to the A77 with static subjects. Focus was quick and there was an instance where I took a photo which I think I would have missed on another camera.

A man was walking below me to my right, I turned, pulled the camera up to my eye, waited for the lag and then fired a few shots off. This right here is where I stopped, checked focus and then formed a large smile on my face. New technology really excites me and even more when I get to use it as its advertised. Is the autofocus enough for those consumers who are going to buy this camera? Does the fact that I want to buy the camera mean anything to you? The answer is a solid yes.

Sony DT 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 SAM

The Sony DT 18-135mm SAM Lens on The A57

I wanted to share a few notes and impressions on the new Sony “kit lens”. In my opinion it may be sold as a kit lens but it is quite a good lens. My first response to the lens was the build and heft of it. I told the Sony reps how it reminded me of the 16-50mm f2.8 lens that comes with the A77, they told me that the same team designed the lens! It zooms smoothly and doesn’t feel cheap at all. All the images above where taken with the lens usually around f/10.

Samples

Image from the Sony A37

100% Crop From the Above Image

Sample Image From the Sony A37

Sample Image From the Sony A37

Conclusion

I know it seems like I’m “Mr. Sony is perfect” but honestly there is very little not to like about this camera at its price point. It is so exciting to watch Sony announce cameras that trounce the competition. Canon and Nikon have needed a competitor like this and for the longest time there have been expectations that have been set for what you get for blank amount of money. Now a reputable company is innovating beyond the others and selling for less. In my opinion Sony is the best thing that has happened to the DSLR market for as long as I can remember.

Keep disrupting the status quo Sony, I am with you.

Please Support The Phoblographer

We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.

I was honored that Sony let me join them in Santa Monica to be a part of the release of their new cameras. Here are my first impressions and overall states on what I deem as the most important features of the camera.

Tech Specs

- 16.1 MP same as A37

- Latest Bionz processor

- ISO 100 to 16,000

- 1080p HD at 24p or 60i

- The option of recording at an MP4 Codec in 3:2 mode

- Auto Portrait Framing

- 3.0″ 180 degree rotating LCD for easier self portraits

- Built in guide number 6 flash

- Improved battery performance to 470 images per charge

- Charge on the go via USB to PC if you’d like

- Accessory terminal for you to add the trufinder or the microphone

- 5.5 fps in speed priority mode

-Auto HDR

-Sweep Panorama including 3D

- Silver, black and white.

- Shipping in June $599 with 18-55mm kit lens

Handling

The first thing I want to talk about is the newly designed body of the NEX-F3. The grip is larger than the C3 and the main reason for that is the new battery inside of the grip. This expanded battery is now capable of 470 photos per charge. The next design feature is the bridge behind the shutter button. When I first saw this in person I was a bit thrown off but as soon as I held it I saw why it was built that way. The bridge gives the camera an excellent grip and stabilization when using heavier lenses. I suggest feeling the camera for yourself.

Image Quality

This is the first NEX that I was able to use for an extended period of time although I have had my hands on all of the models. The image quality is surprisingly close to the larger A37 or A57 but the difference is probably due to glass. The camera offers the same 2x Clear Image Zoom as the other entry models and HDR modes.

HDR Sample From The NEX-F3

The HDR mode on this model works very well. There are options for bracketing, adjust DRO (Dynamic Range Optimization) and steps for various levels of HDR or auto. In auto HDR mode the camera creates an even scene with no blown highlights that has a really nice depth to it.

Display

The display as you may have read is a 3” display with 921,000 pixels that has the ability to flip up and around 180 degrees. This makes for simple portraits because Sony has thought the entire process through. First you simply flip the screen around and you will notice that the displays image flips as if you are looking into a mirror. Second, all you have to do is press the shutter because an automatic 3 second timer is enabled so you can get comfortable and frame the shot. For a lot of people the reason for a camera like this, even in a pro users bag is to capture memories. A screen like this will make these moments easier to capture.

USB Charging

The camera is the first camera that can be charged over a usb cable. By this I mean you can plug the camera into your computer or existing phone or iPad chargers have the ability to charge in more areas.

Autofocus

The camera was no faster or slower than any of the other NEX cameras that I have tested. I never had a moment where it didn’t acquire focus or saw any apparent negatives. In my limited experience the camera focussed quickly and worked as expected.

Samples

Conclusion

I was never interested in the NEX-C3 because of the grip that was on the camera, holding it was uncomfortable for me. With the newly revised grip on the NEX-F3 it is much more comfortable to hold especially with larger lenses. Battery life and the 180 degree screen sell me on the product as a camera I want to pickup when I don’t want to carry my larger bodies around. Sony has armed the entry level with strong and useful features, its becoming tough to foresee what they will add in the future.

Lomography is a company who is keeping the analog lifestyle alive. Today they announced that they are bringing back 110 film starting with a limited run of 5000 units. Lomography is calling their first 110 film Orca and it will be ISO 100 black and white film.

The manufacturing of 110 film was halted completely in 2009 and all of the people who pretended to be 007 with their small cameras had to retire them for good. These cameras are already available out there and and are usually close to pocket size since the 110 cartridge is so small. A good example is the Pentax Auto 110 SLR which can be seen here is just adorable and if you don’t smile then you don’t like anything fluffy.

This is the kind of film you put into a camera, keep the camera with you and use the frames on memories that will take a few months to finish. In the end when you finish the roll you will smile and remember the images you took on the first frames awhile back. It usually takes me a 2-3 months to go through my 35mm rolls and its such a pleasant surprise when you see the images.

The film with 24 frames will run you $7.90 and will be available on their site. The film is currently a pre-order but is expected to ship on May 23rd.

The Leica 21mm f/2.8 Elmarit ASPH was, for a long time, one of the best ways to get into a super wide angle lens for your Leica M system, but in June 2011, Leica announced a replacement for the aging Elmarit: the new 21mm f/3.4 Super Elmar. I’ve been testing it for a couple weeks now with a Leica M9-P, and I think it’s fantastic.

Items used in this review

Ergonomics and Build Quality

This lens is build just as you’d expect any Leica lens to be built: solidly. Constructed entirely of brass, it has a wonderfully hefty weight to it, and of course the buttery smooth focus ring and aperture control are an absolute joy to use. The size of this lens is pretty similar to the 50mm Summicron, which is to say it’s fairly small. Smaller than the older 21mm Elmarit, and significantly smaller than the rather hefty 21mm Summilux. The Super Elmar also comes with a standard rectangular screw-on lens hood, which when attached, doesn’t present any significant viewfinder blockage at all.

One thing to note: when you use a 21mm lens on an M-series camera, you need to use an external hot-shoe mounted viewfinder to frame your shots. Leica included their 21mm brightline viewfinder with this lens for review, and it works just as you’d expect. Framing lines are clear and bright, and build quality feels fantastic. Even the small leather case it comes in feels nice, and includes a small pull-tab to aid in removing the viewfinder from the leather case. Nice touch, but you’d hope that they would include things like this for the hefty $759.95 price tag. There are less expensive options from Voigtlander or Zeiss, but you know what to expect from the official Leica viewfinder.

I always prefer Leica lenses with the focusing tab, and I’m happy to say that this one includes it. I have relatively small fingers, and focusing is significantly easier for me when I use my index finger with a focusing tab. I’ve gotten pretty quick with rangefinder focusing, and the focusing tab makes a huge difference for me.

Usage & Image Quality

To put it simply: this lens is fantastic.

There isn’t really any reason to expect anything different from Leica, but really, it’s a very impressive lens. It is razor sharp in the center, and that sharpness continues all the way out to the edges, where many super wide angle lenses begin to fall apart. There is, of course, some very minor stretching towards the edges, but the image remains sharp and crisp, and shows very little distortion overall.

Contrast and colors, like most Leica lenses, are fantastic, and when paired with the M9-P, it produces beautiful punchy files, and even demonstrates some of the famous Leica “3D pop” that they’ve become famous for.

There is some slight chromatic abberation at f/3.4 in very high contrast situations, but it certainly isn’t severe, and disappears completely by f/4.5. Leica does also mention that this lens can be subject to flare, and recommends using the lens hood at all times to prevent it. I, however, wasn’t able to get the lens to flare with or without the hood attached. Vignetting is a non-issue completely, and I wasn’t able to find any issues at any apertures. In fact, I ended up adding vignette to many of my images in post-processing because this lens exhibits so little light falloff.

This is not an ultra fast lens, with a maximum aperture of f/3.4, but it is as sharp at f/3.4 as it is at f/8, which is an impressive accomplishment. I couldn’t really find an aperture that didn’t work well with this lens, and had absolutely no trouble from f/3.4 all the way to f/22, with my favorite results coming from between f/3.4 and f/8.

With a 21mm f/3.4 lens, particularly a rangefinder lens, you’re going to have a very difficult time finding anything in the way of bokeh. Leica lenses traditionally do not focus very closely, which would be your only hope of finding bokeh with such a wide angle. The minimum focus distance of this lens is 0.7 meters, and it’s simply not enough to get much of anything out of focus. That being said, what is out of focus is just fine, but it’s never enough out of focus to show either particularly pleasing or offensive bokeh.

My copy of this lens was perfectly calibrated, and I had absolutely no issues with focus shift at all (although it would be difficult to tell, as your depth of field is quite large, even at f/3.4). I’ve been told that some of the first-run copies were recalled due to focusing issues, but this doesn’t seen to be an issue at all anymore.

The only issue I have with this lens is not specific to this lens at all, but has to do with shooting super wide angle lenses on a rangefinder camera. The problem is that the viewfinder on the Leica M9 doesn’t cover the viewing angle of a 21mm lens, which means you need to use an external viewfinder to frame your shot. So you need to focus your shot using the standard rangefinder, and then frame your shot with the external viewfinder. It adds an extra step to your shooting, and can be slightly jarring at first. Towards the end of my time with this lens, I began to become accustomed to it, and found I was using zone focusing more and more to avoid needing to use the rangefinder viewfinder.

Conclusion

I’ll say it again, this is an absolutely fantastic lens. If you’re looking for a super wide angle for your Leica M and aren’t wanting to shell out well over $6,500 for the 21mm Summilux, this is the lens for you. It’s not the fastest wide angle in town, but it does what it’s meant to do, and it does it very well. I’m not sure I’ve ever shot with a lens that produces images this sharp edge to edge, let alone wide open!

This, to me, is the perfect wide angle to round out any Leica M system, and was an absolute joy to shoot with on the M9-P.

Leica 21mm f/3.4 Super Elmar M on Amazon or B&H
Leica M9-P on Amazon or B&H

Please Support The Phoblographer

We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.

Our very good buddy Mitch Aunger of Planet5D teamed up with Barry Anderson (who literally wrote the handbook on DSLR filmmaking) to create a narrative film. The new short films (embedded above) is said to be one of the first short films shot on the Canon 5D Mk III. Mitch also adds in that the entire film was targeted towards those working with low budgets since all of the bigger names out there seem to be moving towards camcorders like the C300 and above.

Mitch also recruited quite a cast and also had a good crew working with him. In the end, that is what any filmmaker will really want in order for the dynamics to flow smoothly.

If you’re looking for more videos shot with the 5D Mk III, check out this roundup of videos I found on Vimeo shot in NYC.

I’ve been using the Sigma 30mm f2.8 EX lens for Micro Four Thirds for almost a month. Like its brother, the 19mm f2.8 EX, it heralds as one of the most important announcements in the recent history of the system due to the fact that it is the first time that a major third party manufacturer has stepped into lens development for the newer mirrorless systems.

Its use has been one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had as a reviewer. To catch up to speed, check out our hands on review and our preview video.

Gear Used

Sigma 30mm f2.8 EX

Olympus EPM1

Olympus EP2

Tech Specs

Specs borrowed from the B&H Photo listing of the lens.

Demo Video

Ergonomics

The Sigma 30mm f2.8 EX isn’t the smallest of lenses, but it also is not the largest of lenses out there. It is much smaller than any Micro Four Thirds zoom, but this is understandable by the fact that it is both a 30mm prime lens and also an f2.8. If it were any faster, it potentially would be larger.

The lens is characterized by a smooth finish and a large focusing ring that proves to be an excellent place to grip onto during shooting.

On a camera like a Micro Four Thirds, the user ends up getting a 60mm field of view due to the crop factor. This is a bit more beyond the normal field of view (around 50mm) and a little wider than portrait focal lengths.

To be very honest, this makes the lens a little bit of an odd man out.

Autofocusing

As I’ve stated in previous posts on this lens, it focuses very quickly and very accurately. The photo above is out of focus because of my negligence to switch the camera into tracking AF mode. But otherwise, it is a super fast performer along with its brother, the 19mm f2.8. Granted, neither lens can catch up to Olympus’s MSC lenses.

During my review period, I experienced a critical problem that could not be rectified. I would often try to focus on an area and then not take a photo because the lens didn’t focus on the particular area that I wanted. So I would need to refocus. After repeating this over and over, the lens would not allow the camera to fire.

I would then turn the camera off and turn it back on and would get a lens error message.

Then I would take the lens off, put it back on, turn the camera back on, and still get the message.

The only way that I corrected the issue was by shaking the lens: which then resulted in my hearing the elements move around quite a bit. This effectively seemed to reset the lens.

Granted, no lens should ever suffer from this issue.

Color Rendition

Of any Micro Four Thirds lens that I’ve used, I need to give it to this one. The 30mm f2.8 EX renders skin tones even better than the 45mm f1.8. The tones are warmer and the lens is pretty much on par with the sharpness of the 45mm as well. Once again, like its brother the 19mm f2.8 EX, images tend to be rendered much like well developed Kodak Portra and they don’t often need much color correction at all.

Indeed, of any lens that I’ve reviewed so far, the 30mm f2.8 EX trumps all when it comes to skin tones.

That isn’t all though: the overall quality of the lens is just spectacular as well. All colors tend to be rendered very well.

Image Quality

Of the two Sigma lenses, this one renders perhaps some of the best bokeh I’ve seen of any Micro Four Thirds lens. In fact, it even seems like Sigma might have added a bit of micro-contrast into the lens.

Here are some other shots featuring bokeh, which were mostly out of focus due to the lens trying to focus instead on rain droplets. Despite the fact that they were out of focus, the images it created were absolutely beautiful.

And that’s what photography is about at the end of the day: beautiful images. Not pixel peeping.

In the end, everyone will remember the image; not the way you shot it or how you chose your settings.

Sharpness

A factor that needs to absolutely be stated: this lens is tack sharp. It is about on par with its 19mm sibling. However, it is more emphasized due to the longer focal length.

Mix the fact that this lens can also focus super closely and you’ll have yourself a portrait and bokehlicious winner.

Ease of Use

30mm f2.8

There really isn’t much to this lens besides literally pointing and shooting it. There are no switches on it for one to change it from AF to MF modes, so you’ll need to do that in the camera.

As long as you don’t need to focus over and over again, you’ll have no problems using this lens. Otherwise, you’ll run into the same errors that I did.

Conclusion

This lens has so much going for it. It is super sharp, has excellent color rendition, focuses quickly, and is a fun focal length to use providing you can get used to it. But there are issues with it: such as the fact that it slows down the camera’s start up time and also has focusing issues at times.

Because of this, I can’t recommend it yet. If Sigma releases a firmware update to correct the issue, then we’ll have a no-brainer winner.

Please Support The Phoblographer

We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.

The Lowepro Event Messenger 250 is the biggest bag of Lowepro’s Event Messenger series. Like its smaller sibling, the Event Messenger 150, it’s built to be robust, versatile and comfortable to carry. In this video, I give you a quick first look at the bag and will show you what it looks like, how much space it has, and assess whether it will hold my travel kit for my upcoming NYC trip.

You will get my full review of the bag once I’m back from my trip. In the meanwhile, here are the Event Messenger 250′s specifications (copy-and-pasted from B&H’s product description).

Lowepro Event Messenger 250 Specifications (from B&H)

The Lowepro Event Messenger 250 is a lightweight yet durable messenger-style bag that holds a DSLR or mirrorless system camera with a lens, a laptop, and accessories. The bag features an easily accessible main compartment, adjustable dividers, a front flap, as well as an additional zippered closure for the main compartment.

• Modern messenger-style bag offers grab-and-go access to your complete camera kit, plus extras
• Wide access to main compartment
• Dedicated padded pocket for laptop with up to a 13.0″ screen
• Padded divider system
• Dual-Mode Flap design can switch from maximum security mode to quiet working mode

Purchase the Lowepro Event Messenger 250 bag from B&H Photo

Please Support The Phoblographer

We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.

If you’re like me, you’re always on the hunt for the ultimate travel bag. I recently purchased a small laptop (11.6″) for school and photo editing when on the go. Because of this new purchase, I wanted a compact bag that could carry my new laptop along with my photography essential gear. While I don’t necessarily shoot a lot of video, the Lowepro DSLR Video Fastpack 150 AW hit all of the requirements on my list. So, is this the new holy grail of travel bags? My wife hopes so because, according to her, I have WAY too many bags. Anyway, on to the review!

Video Review

Capacity

These are the different kits that I used with the Lowepro DSLR Video Fastpack 150 AW. One thing I wanted to mention is this bag will also accept a 13″ laptop. I tried the bag with my wife’s 13″ Macbook and it fit but it is very snug.

Kit #1

• Canon 5D
• Canon 17-40mm f/4L
• Canon 50mm f/1.8
• Canon 580 EXII
• 11.6″ laptop and assorted cables/accessories
• Think Tank Photo PeeWee Pixel Pocket Rocket
• A snack, including a water bottle in the side pocket
• Other photo accessories (X-Rite Colorchecker Passport, lens cloth, extra batteries, filters, etc.)

Kit #2

• Pentax K-5
• Pentax FA 31mm f/1.8 Limited
• Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited
• Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited
• 11.6″ laptop and assorted cables/accessories
• Think Tank Photo PeeWee Pixel Pocket Rocket
• A snack, including a water bottle in the side pocket
• Other photo accessories (X-Rite Colorchecker Passport, lens cloth, extra batteries, filters, etc.)

If you have a small kit (like the Pentax K-5 kit list above) or use mostly primes, the Fastpack 150 AW will probably be a great bag for you.

Below is straight from Lowepro’s site:

Pro DSLR (without grip) with attached lens (up to 17-55mm f/2.8); 1 extra lens; 1 flash or LED light; headphones; microphone; audio transmitter/receiver set; voice recorder; sound mixer; cables and cords; 13″ laptop; tripod or DSLR video rig; extra accessories

Other Options from Lowepro

As I stated in the video, I also have a Lowepro Versapack 200 AW that I absolutely LOVE. This bag has been to seven different countries and has accrued hundreds of hours out in the field. It is similar in size to the Video Fastpack 150 AW but it forgoes all of the super stiff structure and padding that is found in the Fastpack series. This lack of padding/structure means the Versapack bag is very light and it takes the shape of your back. Because of this, the bag feels more like a part of you rather than a large block of padding strapped to your back. Check out my review of the Versapack 200 AW if you’re interested. Fair warning, I wrote this review before I had a camera with HD video recording abilities. Also, I was not a part of the Phoblographer at this point so please do not associate my shoddy video work with the site.

Please Support The Phoblographer

We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.