fotovolo

Photography news and reviews

Sony

Sony started out in digital imaging some years back with a raft of low-cost, compact 'snapshot' cameras and some more advanced models for enthusiasts. After a couple of false starts in the interchangeable lens camera market, it's now found a winning formula – and how – with its full frame Sony A7 series and A9 mirrorless cameras. These have made it a major force in the pro photography and video market.

Sony announces new A6400 APS-C mirrorless camera

by

The A6400 revives Sony’s APS-C camera range, bringing powerful video tools and upgraded image processing to tempt both stills photographers and videographers with a camera that looks perfect for independent content creators.

For a while it looked like Sony’s APS-C mirrorless camera range was in the doldrums. The last new model launched was the A6500 way back in 2016, quickly superseding the A6300 which was launched just a few months earlier. And yet both cameras remained on sale to the present day, plus the ageing A6000 and A5100, both launched way back in 2014. It felt like Sony was just treading water until it finally pulled the plug on its APS-C camera range.

Officially, the A6400 replaces the A6300, but with no word from Sony on the A6000 and A6500, it looks like these will remain on sale. The A6400’s powerful new features and competitive pricing will put pressure on the older A6500 above it in the range, though this camera does have in-body image stabilisation, which the A6400 does not.

Sony A6400 main specs

The A6400 keeps the same 24-megapixel sensor of the existing A6000-series models, but it’s boosted by the BIONX X processor and advanced autofocus know-how from Sony’s top-end full frame mirrorless cameras.

It boasts a powerful hybrid AF system with 425 phase detection AF points and 425 contrast AF points covering 84% of the screen, and offers real-time subject-tracking and eye AF, boosted by AI (artificial intelligence) and the ability to track both human and animal eyes. Sony claims the world’s fastest AF time of 0.02sec, though in real-world shooting this will obviously depend on the subject, the conditions and the lens used.

The more advanced processing also brings better skintones and better high-ISO image quality. The A6400’s ISO range tops out at ISO 32,000 for stills and movies, but can be expanded to ISO 102,400 for stills.

The continuous shooting speed stays at 11fps and 8fps with live view, but the silent shutter mode gets a boost to 8fps. The buffer capacity has been increased to 116 JPEGs or 46 compressed raw files, but the A6500 still has a big advantage here, offering much longer continuous shooting bursts.

Videographers get 6K oversampled image capture, downsampled to 4K, to produce the sharpest possible footage, plus Sony’s SLog2, Slog3 and HLG modes built in. The new 180-degree rear screen makes selfies simple but should also be good for vloggers presenting to camera. The A6400 keeps the electronic viewfinder of the other A6000 series models too.

Many were expecting the announcement of a new high-end APS-C model, so were surprised by the mid-range A6400. A new flagship APS-C camera announcement is still expected, though, probably in February 2019.

Available: February 2019
Price: £950 body only, about £1,000 with 16-50mm PZ lens or approximately £1,300 with 18-135mm lens
More information: α6400 E-mount camera with APS-C Sensor | Sony UK

Manfrotto launches Befree GT carbon tripod specifically for the Sony a7 and a9

by

Manfrotto has announced a special Sony-specific version of its “top performing” Before GT carbon travel tripod.

How can you have a tripod specific to a single brand (you ask)? It’s all in the custom-made version of the Manfrotto 200PL-PRO camera plate, apparently.

This is the plate that screws to the bottom of the camera and then clips into the tripod head. The new plate is specifically designed for the Sony a7 and a9 to offer maximum grip, performance and stability at all shooting angles. Like the one in our picture, for example.

That’s not the only Sony customisation. There’s also an “exclusive” tube graphic to match the Sony design and colour scheme.

This is actually the second Sony branded product from Manfrotto, following a collaboration first announced in September 2017.

So if you’ve got a Sony a7 or a9, you want to flaunt it and you think the specially designed plate might be worth a shot (these are cameras you DO NOT want to slip and slide), you can take a closer look via the link below.

We’re told the Befree GT carbon’s legs are brand new for rmaximum lightness and sturdiness, and the tripod has a maximum payload of 10kg.

Available: now
Price: £399.95 (UK)
More information: https://www.manfrotto.co.uk/befree-gt-carbon-fibre-designed-for-cameras-from-sony

New Sony FE 400mm F2.8 supertelephoto is so exclusive you’ll have to get one made

by

Sony has officially announced its long-awaited 400mm f/2.8 G Master lens for its full frame mirrorless A7 and A9 cameras. These cameras offer high continuous shooting speeds and powerful autofocus systems, but until now there haven’t really been the kind of super-telephoto lenses that pro sports and wildlife photographers would need. The FE 400mm f/2.8 should fix that… but at a price.

It will cost over £10,000 in the UK, it will not be available until September 2018 and it will also be made to order – which we take to mean that you won’t simply be able to buy it off the shelf.

It does, however, have a number of interesting features. It costs as much as rival lenses from Canon and Nikon, but weighs a good deal less. It also has less weight at the front of the lens, which should make it easier to turn and ‘pan’ quickly. Sony has also paid great attention to the optical quality and autofocus performance, and is promising great things.

To find out more, read the full story on Digital Camera World.

Price: £10,500
Availability: September 2018
More information: Sony website

What’s the point of the Sony RX100 VI?

by

The new Sony RX100 VI looks brilliant in every way, but I can’t think of a single reason why I’d buy one.

On paper, this camera ticks more boxes than we even knew were boxes. It’s a camera small enough to fit in your pocket, yet has a 24-200mm equivalent zoom. It shoots 4K video, it shoots stills at 24 frames per second with a buffer capacity that’s bigger than ever, so what’s to complain about?

Well, here’s just a couple of observations:

  • It’s got a 20-megapixel 1-inch sensor. Make no mistake, that’s good for a pocket-sized compact camera. It is not, however, unique, because Canon and Panasonic make these too.
  • It’s now got a 24-200mm zoom. Well, that’s great, but the Panasonic TZ200 got there first with a bigger zoom in a camera that’s the same size but costs less.
  • It shoots 4K video. Good, well, so do other pocket-sized cameras. And your phone.
  • It can shoot extended stills bursts at 24fps. This is the part I have most trouble with. If I want to shoot something at 24fps it’s probably something important that I’ll want to capture with a bigger-sensor camera and a proper telephoto lens, not a pint-sized superzoom compact.
  • At launch it costs £1,149 in the UK and $1,198 in the US. Whaaaat?

The RX100 series seems to be the darling of reviewers everywhere, but while the early models were probably great (I’ve never really warmed to them), these latest models seem to heading in a weird (and expensive) direction. The longer zoom is good but the high-powered stacked sensor arrangement seems unnecessary and the price has just gone through the roof.

If money is no object this looks a decent enough travel camera, as long as you don’t know about the Panasonic TZ200, but it really hard to see where Sony is going with this.

The problem for camera reviewers, of course, is that if you gave an earlier version a great review and the new camera is demonstrably better still, you don’t have much choice but to give it the same rating or higher, do you?

I might change my mind if I ever spend any time with an RX100 VI, but that doesn’t look likely any time soon.