Full Frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera

At this year’s PhotoPlus Expo, I made it a point to visit Sony’s booth to have a quick hands on their newly announced Alpha 7 camera. But first, here’s a little background that may help to explain why I take such an interest in the a7.

In 2010, Sony introduced the Alpha A55 with its unique translucent mirror. The non-movable mirror enables Sony to pack many innovative features into a space-saving SLT body that are missing from conventional DLSR cameras – accurate and continuous autofocus, real time electronic viewfinder, sweep panorama, multi-frame noise reduction, more. Since then I’ve been a user of two models – the A55 and a more advanced A65. Both produce excellent images. And since they are considerably smaller and lighter than the competitor’s equivalent models, they are less burdensome in the field.

These two SLTs cultivated my fondness for lightweight equipment. So I was very intrigued when I learned about Sony’s NEX series of compact camera. With an APS-C sensor, a NEX camera body is half the size of a DLSR yet accommodates interchangeable lenses owing to its mirrorless design. I soon acquired a lower-end NEX 5 to see if it met my requirements. I found it has image quality but I was not comfortable using the LCD finder with longer lenses. I then purchased the NEX 7 that sports an electronic viewfinder. Since then this has been my camera of choice owing to its excellent image quality, innovative feature set, compact lens size in an extremely lightweight package.

Several weeks preceding the PhotoPlus Expo, Sony announced the Alpha 7. It’s a direct descendent of the NEX series. Yes, it has a full frame sensor but its mirrorless design has been proven by several generations of the APS-C size NEX cameras. You can see the thinness of the camera body with 35mm lens attached. Specs: 24MP sensor, hybrid phase detection/contrast-detection autofocus, bright 2.4MP electronic viewfinder, articulated LCD, full HD video, Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity, E-mount and full E-mount lens compatibility.

the a7 with Carl Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 lens attached	dedicated mode and exposure compensation dials

I asked Meagan, the Sony rep, if the very compact E-mount lenses are compatible with the a7. She told me that they can be used but the view is shrunk to cover only the central 16MP of the sensor. For the a7’s larger sensor you’ll have to use one of the new Full E-mount lenses: FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6; Sonnar 35mm f/2.8; Sonnar 55mm f/1.8 and Vario-Tessar 24-70mm F4. Also coming is a Sony 70-200mm G f/4 lens for early 2014. Meagan says that delivery of the a7 begins December 1. Price is $1699 for body only and $1999 with the 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.

 

 

I am impressed with the small size of the a7. With the 28-70mm lens attached, the package is amazingly small and lightweight. While I wasn’t able to examine my test shots in detail, I’m confident that the full-frame sensor will delivery excellent images. In fact, I understand that Sony supplies this same sensor for use in Nikon’s D600 full frame DSLR.

So I remain in a quandary. Should I move from my very comfortable NEX 7 to this new full-frame a7?

 

 

Written by: Arnie Lee

 

 

 

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Sports Camera with Interchangeable Lens

I’ve owned three or four different sports cameras in the past 10 years. These were all point-and-shoot varieties built well enough to survive if they were dropped, withstand the inclement weather and capture photos underwater.

My main reason for buying a sports camera was to use it at the sandy beach, in and around the swimming pool and at the ocean for underwater photography. All of the cameras produce decent photos above water but picture quality underwater is just passible from the earlier cameras and average from the more recent models.

For highest quality, serious picture takers usually rely on an underwater housing matched to a specific DSLR. The best housing often costs more than the camera itself. Add an underwater flash and you’re talking real money.

It’s with this high cost in mind that my ears perked up a few weeks ago after hearing an announcement about an interchangeable lens sports camera from Nikon. I made it a point that the Nikon 1 AW1 was a “must-see” at PhotoPlus Expo.

The AW1 is based on Nikon’s mirrorless interchangeable lens “1” series. It has a 14 MP sensor, fast hybrid autofocus and also takes HD video. In addition to the waterproof body, there are two lenses specifically for underwater use: 10mm f/2.8 and 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6

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Accessories include a rubberized jacket for the camera body and the lens. These make the AW1 easier to handle underwater.	With the lens removed and with no mirror, you can see the sensor and the light blue O-ring which keeps the water out at depths to 50 feet.
As the Nikon rep Brian is demonstrating the the use of the AW1, you can’t help but notice the compact size of the equipment. In addition to its underwater performance, the AW1 is shockproof to withstand a 6 ft. drop and operates at temperature as low as 14 degrees. The built-in flash is also waterproof. The AW1 with 11-27.5mm lens sells for $795. The AW1 with both a 11-27.5mm and 10mm lens sells for $995. It’s available in black, white and silver. Brian mentioned that there are 7 other Series 1 lenses that are compatible with the AW1, although they are not for underwater use.

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To be honest, I’m quite interested in this innovative camera. Currently, it’s available only with the 11-27.5mm lens. But when the dual lens kit (with 10mm f/2.8) is available, I think I’m going to jump in to buy one. If so, I’ll have a review in an upcoming article.

 

 

Written by Arnie Lee

 

 

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Polaroid Redux

If you’re old enough to remember the phrase instant photography then you’ll know Polaroid. For several decades beginning in the 1950’s you would often see picture takers peeling the negative backing from their print to reveal a magical photograph.

 

Last week I traveled to New York to attend the PhotoPlus Expo, a yearly gathering where major manufacturers of photographic equipment and accessories exhibit their wares and providers of services and training hold sessions and demonstrations for both professionals and the interested public. I’m told that some 22,000 of the photographically inclined attended the expo over the three days. PPE which just celebrated its 30th anniversary, is held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. In coming articles, I’ll have several reports on some of the new equipment and accessories that I found interesting at this year’s PPE.

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I’ll start this short series of articles with a piece of equipment which is a throwback to a much earlier time. Those of you who recall Polaroid are familiar with the concept of “instant” photography. With a Polaroid camera, after you press the shutter, a stiff sheet of shiny paper is ejected from its side and after 60 seconds (not quite instantly) the image magically develops on the paper.

 

For several years now, Fuji has been selling a replacement for the defunct Polaroid system. Their newest model, the Instax Mini 90, uses a 10 exposure ‘print pack’. The Mini 90 is a solidly built and very retro black. The white, blue and pink models are from their previous Mini 8 and Mini 25 series. Print pack pricing breaks down at a cost of about $1 each.

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The film packs are either with white background or “rainbow” with a variety of background colors. The Fuji representative captured my face using one of the Mini 90 cameras to prove to me that it was real! The image takes about 10 seconds to appear and the coloring is quite good.

 

I have seen these cameras being used a weddings, showers and other gatherings and the Fuji rep confirmed their popularity. If you have need for quick prints, this is certainly a foolproof and affordable way to get them.

You can find out more about the Mini 90 at Fuji Instant Photo System.
Written by: Arnie Lee

 

 

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