In this video, I'll be sharing my first impressions of the GFX 100 II medium format camera. If you're considering investing in this powerhouse of a camera, you've come to the right place. I'll be diving into the technical specifications, design and ergonomics, ease of use and handling, and ultimately, who this camera is best suited for. Stick around until the end for my conclusion!
Read MoreFuji GFX100S - First Impressions
I have been looking for a proper and modern but relatively affordable replacement for my Hasselblad H4D-40 Camera system for high resolution landscape and fine art portrait photography work for quite some time. From seeing some of the initial promos and reviews of the GFX 100S I felt this might finally be the camera Ive been waiting for.
Read MorePanasonic Lumix S1 R and 70-200mm F4 Lens Short Term Review
Its been about a year since I wrote about my initial impressions of Panasonic’s first high resolution full frame mirrorless camera and its sibling the lower resolution yielding S1.
The cameras are now in stock with dealers here in India and the cameras have started selling in limited numbers to discerning photographers.
Thanks to the good folks at Foto Trade and Panasonic India I was able to get my hands on the S1R and a 70-200MM F4 lens to try out and review.
Read MoreFuji XT-3 Short Term Review
The Photographer’s search for the best camera gear is never done. As mirrorless technology and cameras develop there are now very good APS-C Cameras available. Specially from Fujifilm which has led the charge on development of APS-C cameras with their XT and XH range of cameras. The latest flagship APS-C camera from Fujifilm The X-T3 claims to improve in all aspects from the X-T2 which has already gotten great reviews from the supporters of smaller sensor cameras.
Read MoreMy Thoughts on the Canon EOS R and RF Lenses - Canon's Foray into Full Frame Mirrorless
But the specs of the EOS R were definitely disappointing for me. After such a delayed entry into full frame Canon released a camera with specs inferior to even the 3 year old 5D Mark 4. So this seemed to be aimed at the 6D users. Why? The camera just isn’t interesting enough to look at as an upgrade from either of my current cameras. So now the wait and search continues for alternate camera systems.
Read MoreNikon Enters the Full Frame Mirrorless Market with a Bang. introducing the Z7 and Z6 !
Nikon has finally entered the Full Frame mirrorless camera market with the Z7 and the Z6 and three lenses and a 4th in development.
Read MoreArca Swiss C1 Cube Geared Tripod Head
I love this head and try to use it as often as I can specially when capturing special landscapes and panoramas. But the truth is I keep grabbing for my lighter and quicker to setup B1 ball head if I'm travelling or hiking to save on weight as I can pair those with a lighter tripod.
But I highly recommend the C1 for the dedicated Landscape photographer or wherever precision compositions are required.
Read MoreMindshift Gear Backlight 26 L Backpack
The BackLight 26L, with a rear-panel compartment for photo gear, allows you to access your gear without taking off the backpack.
You can change lenses or just snap a quick photo by simply by spinning the bag to the front of your body while the waist belt is still secured.
Read MoreCanon 5DS-R Long term review
I believe the 5DS R represents good value for money specially now in 2018 if you can get hold of one the price is now considerable lower than it was a time of release.considering all that it offers. Sure there are competitors that may outperform it in specific areas but the 5DSR is a terrific CAMERA for High Resolution work such as landscape photography and for studio work requiring fine details. Well built to last a long time and to bear the rigours of professional use. It does a lot of thing very well and for canon users who will be shooting primarily portraits, events, weddings, landscapes, this is a good overall choice available now as long as the increased file size does not effect your workflow too much
Read MoreSigma 20mm f1.4 Art Lens Review
Quick Facts
Retail : INR 91,500- INR 103,000
Date introduced : May 2016
Maximum format size : 35mm full frame
Focal length : 20mm
35mm equivalent focal length (APS-C) : 32 mm
Weight : 953 gms
The Press Release
The Sigma 20mm 1.4 DG HSM Art is a state of the art wide-angle prime lens designed for Full Frame cameras but will work with APS-C sensors as well. Using over 50 years of lens making experience, particularly the knowledge gained from the 35mm 1.4 Art and the 24mm 1.4 Art, the 20mm 1.4 Art is the widest large aperture Art lens to date. The latest optical design allows for the utmost in image quality with careful attention paid to edge to edge performance.
Through decades of experience in lens design and Sigma Global Vision lens manufacturing, the 20mm incorporates both “F” Low Dispersion (FLD) glass, and five Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass in a design of 15 elements in 11 groups. The combination of advanced optics and optimized lens power distribution minimizes spherical aberration, axial chromatic aberration and field curvature, producing outstanding image quality. With class leading performance, this lens is ideal for landscape photography, videography, astrophotography, lowlight/indoor photography and event photography.
As with all Global Vision lines, the 20mm will be tested using the proprietary “A1” measuring system ensuring the highest standard of operation. The Sigma 20mm Art is compatible with the USB dock to update and customize and is also compatible with the Mount Conversion Service. A staple procedure for the Global Vision lines, every lens will be tested using the proprietary “A1” measuring system.
Auto Focusing Performance 7/10
in AF mode the Sigma 20mm f1.4 Art is moderatley quick and accurate in acquiring focus in normal available light situations and studio conditions and works well even less than ideal conditions.The Autofocus performance of this lens is among the best in class when compared to other wide angle f1.4 AF lenses. Such lenses when used in a landscape application are anyway used in manual focus mode so the auto focusing is not used as often as in a portrait lens.
Sharpness 9/10
This lens produces sharp images even from wide open at f1.4. And not surprisingly is very sharp between f5.6 and f8.0 the sweet spot for most lenses. Stopping down beyond f8 does not given any increase in sharpness. The image contrast and colour rendition are also very good.
Bokeh 8/10
The wide f1.4 Aperture allows one to create smooth background blur(BOKEH) on a full frame camera. I find the bokeh to be very nice and pleasing . I am beginning to appreciate the use if wide angle lenses with large apertures to create pleasing environmental portraits.
Build Quality 8/10
The 20mm f1.4 Art lens seems to be built solidly and designed for the rigours of professional use.But only time will tell. This is a big heavy lens but balances fairly well with my Canon 5D IV body. The lens gives me the confidence to use it as a workhorse in landscape shoots and also environmental portraits. But the huge size and weight does make it a little difficult to carry around but if you make the effort it gives great results. I shot a lot with this lens during my trip to lapland.
Value for Money 8/10
At INR 91,000 retail this lens might feel expensive But is still cheaper compared to the equivalent canon lens. The Image quality, performance and build quality along with the added light capturing ability at f1.4 makes this a solid choice for amateur or professional landscape photography.
SAMPLE IMAGES FROM SIGMA 20MM ART F1.4
You can use the quick link below to shop for this lens.
Canon 5D Mark 4 initial impressions
Quick Facts
MRP : INR 2,54,998
Retail : INR 2,20,000
Date introduced : September 2016
Maximum format size : 35mm full frame
Sensor and Resolution : CMOS 30.4 Megapixels
Lens Compatibility : Canon EF Mount
The CANON 5D MARK IV..one of the most awaited cameras by Canon users who were looking to upgrade from the venerable but aging 5D Mark iii was finally released in September 2016. I had my very own piece in hand by October when it was became available in India. Canon has done a great job of improving the handling and functionality while still keeping the layouts and menus familiar to 5D III users.
Build Quality 8/10
Build Quality is good and consistent with the trend set by its predecessors in the 5D Series. It is noticeably lighter than the 5D Mark iii and that is a welcome improvement. The weather sealing has been upgraded to make it more of an all weather companion.
Ergonomics 8/10
If you are already familiar with the 5D,5D Mark ii or 5D Mark iii then this camera will feel familiar to you. Even otherwise I think Canon has got its camera ergonomics down pat and a user can quickly get comfortable with the layout of the controls. There are a few additional ,tweaks compared to the mark iii but one get can used to them pretty quick. The Menu has expanded further with more options for tuning the setting as per your needs but will increase the learning curve for those new to a professional full frame camera. A good book or class for orientation of this camera would be useful to cut short the learning curve and getting the most out of the camera which has a lot to offer.
Features
- New 30.4MP CMOS full-frame sensor with Dual Pixel AF
- DCI 4K 30/24p video using Motion JPEG + 4K Frame Grab
- 61-point AF system with 41 cross-type sensors (center point sensitive to -3 EV)
- Dual Pixel AF (sensitive to -4EV) for continuous Servo AF in stills (first for a full-frame Canon camera) and video
- ISO 100-32000 (expandable to 102400)
- 7 fps continuous shooting
- Dual Pixel Raw (image microadjustment, bokeh shift, ghosting reduction)
- 150,000-pixel RGB+IR metering sensor
- 1.62M-dot 3.2" full-time touchscreen
- Wi-Fi w/ NFC + GPS
- Built-in bulb timer interval timers
- Improved weather-sealing
Autofocus Performance 8/10
The 5D Mark iv has the Focusing system from the 1DX Mark 2. With 61 AF points of which 41 are cross type(meaning more compatible with slower lens/TC combinations) the 5D 4 should perform better than the 5D3 which was no slouch. I haven't had a chance to shoot too many moving subjects with this camera yet. Will have more details on that in my mid term review of the camera. For still subjects in normal light the AF is smooth and Fast.The low light performance is also quick and doesn't hunt as much as the 5D iii.
The Dual Pixel AF also means improved AF during video. More about this in my midterm review of the camera.
Burst Rate 7/10
The Burst rate has been increased to 7 Frames per second from 5 FPS for the 5D iii. This improvement makes the camera that much more viable for wildlife and action photography while still not being on par with a 7D mark ii or 1DX Mark ii or for that matter a D500 or D5 from the Nikon stable. Will be taking this camera out for some birds in flight photography and share my observation in the midterm review..
High ISO Performance 9/10
This is an area where this camera shines. It's high ISO performance is a marked improvement from the Mark iii and almost on par with the 1D Mark ii in this area. I have shot images at ISO 1000 which were as clean as the images shot at ISO 640 on the 5D Mark iii. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot at ISO 1600 or even ISO 3200 in some situations now. I haven't come close to pushing this camera to its limits in terms of high ISO performance but with some Astro photography in the plans should be able to really test this camera.
Image Quality 8/10
There are a number of parameters that can be used to define image quality. What I am referring to here is the look of the image which is largely determined by Colour Accuracy, Contrast, Resolution, focus accuracy. I still feel the benchmark for image quality are the Leica cameras. And the Hasselblad medium format image has the feel of film which has more feel and drama compared to any of the 35mm DSLRs and this is no exception. Landscape images need some tuning in Lightroom or other image editing software to get the best out of the scene. Portraits are neutral enough and the increased red in skin tones which was the bane of most canon DSLRs is not longer a problem. Will post some images straight out of camera here and you can make your own judgement.
Value for Money 9/10
I believe the 5D 4 represents good value for money considering all that it offers. Sure there are competitors that may outperform it in specific areas but the 5D4 is a terrific all rounder. Well built to last a long time and to bear the rigours of professional use. It does a lot of thing very well and for canon users who will be shooting primarily portraits, events, weddings, landscapes, astrophotography, this is the best overall choice available now.
Interested? Here is a link to shop for the camera.
Sample images
Canon 70-200 mm f2.8 L IS USM II Accomplished All rounder
Review of the professional's work horse the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L IS II.
Read MoreSigma 35mm F1.4 Art Lens- Is it as good as the hype?
Review of the Sigma 35mm F 1.4 Art Lens. From the new Art Range of Lenses from Sigma this lens has been receiving very good initial reviews from photographers. Kamal Chilaka puts this lens to a real world test.
Read MoreZeiss Otus 55mm F1.4 ,the pinnacle of Optical Performance?
Review of Zeiss Otus 55mm F 1.4 Lens. Read a real world use based review of this remarkable lens from Zeiss. Travel and Landscape Photographer Kamal Chilaka shares his experiences with the lens after using the lens for a variety of images over a period of a year.
Read MoreThe Canon 50mm f1.4 USM A Capable Allrounder
Review of the Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM.
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