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 MoreBest Cameras for Intermediate Level or Amateur Photographers - 2021
So you have been using an Entry level DSLR or Mirrorless Camera with a kit lens for a while now and you have the basics down pat. You are ready to take your photography to the next level and want to get a more capable camera and lens combination. This guide is for you. I have listed here the best value for money cameras in the ₹ 65,000 (roughly 900$ USD) to ₹ 1,50,000 ($USD 2000) price range for camera body plus one non kit lens.
Read MoreBest Cameras for Beginners - A Buying Guide 2021
I frequently get asked this question by friends and family. The question being which camera do you recommend for beginners? I decided to compile this quick reference guide to help this who are looking to buy their first camera with manual contols. Below is a quick reference guide to the currently available cameras with their MRP or Street Prices here in India.
Read MoreCanon finally launches the high resolution R5 and here are my initial thoughts
Like many other Canon Camera users I have been waiting with bated breath for the high resolution mirrorless replacement for the 5DS-R to be available. It has been close to 2 years since the launch of the uninspiring EOS R and over 4 years since the launch of the Canon 5D IV.
And finally now in 2020 in the middle of a Pandemic Canon has come out with some good news in the form of the Canon R5 and R6.
I watched the global online launch on the 9th of July and found myself beaming with pride for Canon when the specs were revealed for the R5 and R6 .
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 MorePanasonic Lumix S1 and S1R - Mirrorless has finally matured!
One of the most interesting announcements at Photokina 2018 was by Panasonic when they announced the S1 and S1R Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras.Now after months of teasing and rumours the cameras are now ready for preorder and according to Panasonic will be ready for shipping by the end of March 2019.
These are my initial impressions on the Cameras based on the specs, images and videos I have seen on the web. I will come out with a proper review once i’ve had a chance to shoot with the camera.
I am truly excited about this camera specially the S1R. More so than any other mirrorless camera that have been announced over the last year or so.
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 MoreCanon 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
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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.
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