Samyang Announces 2 Auto-Focus Lenses for Sony FE Mount!

Photocredit (http://www.syopt.com)Samyang (Also branded Rokinon, Vivitar, Bower etc) are a brand that we really like, they've been delivering optically fantastic lenses at incredible prices with one large tradeoff - they've always been manual focus.The current 14mm is our pick for "Best Budget Lens for Stars"  see our review hereNow Samyang has announced two Full Frame Sony E Mount lenses - an Ultra Wide-Angle 14mm F2.8 and a 50mm F1.4.We're very excited about these lenses, if they've managed to produce lenses that have good auto-focus on Sony bodies, with the existing high level of optical quality AND keep the prices reasonable - these are going fly off the shelves.Below is the full press release - we of course are hopign to get our hands on one to test for you.Press Release from Samyang's website"May 3rd, 2016, Seoul, Korea – The global optics brand, Samyang Optics (http://www.samyanglensglobal.com) today announced the long-awaited launch of two autofocus lenses: 14mm F2.8 and 50mm F1.4 lenses for Sony E mount Mirrorless cameras with full frame sensor size. The new 14mm and 50mm are the widest and brightest lenses in their classand offer superb quality images to photographers. This launching expands the boundaries of Samyang Optics photo lens line-up from manual focus only, to now include autofocus lenses. Optimised Optical Design as Full Frame Mirrorless Camera LensBoth 14mm F2.8 ED AS IF UMC and 50mm F1.4 AS IF UMC are specifically designed to work in harmony with full frame mirrorless cameras in Sony E mount. The flow of light is devised based on the uniqueness of the distance from glass to sensor in mirrorless cameras to create optimal performance. Along with portability of mirrorless lenses, the 14mm F2.8 and 50mm F1.4 are compatible with full frame sensors to deliver the wideness and sharpnessof image to photographers.The 67mm filter diameter brings the maximum amount of light into the lens to create the best work of light in photography. The 14mm F2.8 is the widest angle available in the market and the F1.4 of 50mm and F2.8 of 14mm apertures are by far the brightest of full frame mirrorless lenses, offeringa beautiful bokeh effect and the best quality images under various exposure conditions.Based on Samyang Optics’ exceptional optical technology, aspherical lenses have been included in both lenses to minimise aberration and unnecessary light dispersion, delivering high resolution from the centre to the corners of the image.AF Performance and Ergonomic Design Based on Class-Leading TechnologyThese new products will be the first autofocus lenses in over 40 years of Samyang’s class-leading core optics technologies. Samyang has captured the essence of world leading image technology with their manual focus lenses and reinterpreted it into autofocus lenses. Photographers now can enjoy the prime manual lens image quality and autofocus lens. These new 14mm F2.8 and 50mm F1.4 are compatible with both phase detect and contrast detect sensors to operate fast and accurate focus detection.The 67mm filter diameter is also the result of years of R&D for best handling, by adding stability to the photo-taking experience. Also the minimal and sleek design and metal-housing solidify the build quality with the internal focus system.These two new autofocus lenses from Samyang Optics will be exhibited at the Photo & Imaging 2016Show in Seoul, South Korea. The lenses will be globally available from July 2016. Further details, pricing and availability will follow.More information will be released soon onSamyang Optics official website (http://www.samyanglensglobal.com), Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/samyanglensglobal) andInstagram (http://www.instagram.com /samyanglensglobal)."

Sony a6300 Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEkuc8X39kQ For the last few months I have been shooting with the a6300 and I am now ready to share my thoughts on this camera. How does it compare vs a traditional DSLR like the Canon T6s/T6i, What does low light image quality look like and is it worth it to upgrade from the a6000?Support our work- use these links for purchasea6300 from B&H PhotoRecommended LensesSony 16 -70 (fantastic all around lens)Sony 50mm f/1.8 OSS (great headshots)Sigma 30mm f/1.4 (perfect portraits)Sony 35mm Macro (affordable macro)Recommended AccessoriesFast SD Card 64GBSample images
  

Instagram Winners - Red

From Roy's Shooting Red's article we get #PRTV_red, this weeks challenge. Shooting red can be tricky as it's the first to blow out in the camera making it a good test of your skill.  With Toby back this week he and Scott were seeing red and chose the winners in this weeks colorful challenge.You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_nostalgia. Like always to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_nostalgia.You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIIIToby's Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BEcOZiJJVIK/Toby's Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BAnBT0ZEpaS/https://www.instagram.com/p/BEiFPUvh6ZH/Scott's Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BEtA3loAsC5/Scott's Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BEcl3QXrb1t/https://www.instagram.com/p/BEi2xpLBVDg/

Instagram Winners - Collage

Story part two in a way. Inspired by last weeks posts of collages in #PRTV_story this weeks challenge #PRTV_collage upped the difficulty.  Both myself and Scott chose the best that followed that theme and it was challenging for us to pick. Like always you guys proved your skill!You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_red. Like always to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_red.For tips shooting reds check out Roy's article below:http://photorec.tv/2016/04/shooting-reds/ You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIIIScott's Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BEWxUp8EnG-/?hl=enScott's Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BEYjmC3i03f/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BEQdbG1LJjE/?hl=enRoy’s Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BEWxUp8EnG-/Roy’s Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BEYjmC3i03f/https://www.instagram.com/p/9grczLLcbG/

Photo Mish Mash 95 - Attacked By Bears

Instagram Winners - Story

I always say a picture is worth a thousand words, it takes a good one for a story. #PRTV_story is a hard challenge to pull off and even harder to pull off well. Picking a winner was a difficult choice as you guys posted some great photos.You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_collage. Like always to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_collage.Next week's challenge was inspired by i.am.cameron.baldwin and davidestahl.You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIIIAnd Guest Host Steve Holmes from Steve Holmes Photography Toby’s Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BDzcheijwCA/Toby’s Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/-mL-vnGtDp/https://www.instagram.com/p/2q5s0ZEul5/https://www.instagram.com/p/BD_xkD1q177/Steve’s Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BCeCA3hG37a/?tagged=prtv_storySteve's Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BEALfdGjg-E/?tagged=prtv_storyhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BD-m_vvjT19/?tagged=prtv_story 

Shooting Reds

featuredIf you're shooting there’s a hidden little guide most people skip called the histogram. This tool while a bit scary looking provides a lot of information on light levels in your photo. Toby’s already covered this much in a helpful video you can watch below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljX6FwFTA-QIMG_6259So with the histogram you have what’s called clipping. This is where the camera has maxed out the sensor and that area is a solid color with no data. As with the eagle to the right if exposing to what the camera thinks is a decent exposure due to the dark wings the head will end up clipped and solid white (red is the highlight clipping warning from Lightroom). canonAs an example using Canon’s live view and pressing info you can get a live detail of your histogram and where your photo is currently standing. In the case of a lot of contrast such as baby Groot to the right the histogram is showing that the highlights are blown out. On the right side of the histogram it has spiked at the end due to the light coming in from the window. While purposeful in this case for the most part it's what we're trying to avoid if that happened to be the subject of the photo. Most today's camera's have a clipping notification in review that you can turn on as well for a quick warning. A good way to practice shooting without clipping highlights is to photograph the color red. Typically a DSLR the red channel is the most sensitive and the first to be blown out by the camera. Since that's the case it's also the best to practice with to avoid clipping highlights. Anything red will work but the brighter it is the worse it will photograph, actually useful in this case. It’s a bit of a preference but many cameras allow a RGB histogram in the settings. For shooting red switching to this setting allows for seeing clipping in the three channels vs an overall representation via luminosity. For shooting red this is going to be quite useful if you set your camera to this mode this way you can follow the individual color channels to see where red is peaking.ExposureTypically the camera is going to know what to shoot and you can follow the meter. Which can be true for reds, but it can be wrong, by a lot in certain situations. Reviewing your photos at points while shooting is a good habit to do just to make sure you're not losing a shot. Typically for a brilliant red this is going to end up underexposing a photo from what the meter is displaying to keep detail loss from clipping to a minimum. In reality though, you're not underexposing as it’s a correct exposure of your photo. Alternatively your other options could involve bracketing or a blue (cyan) filter. While bracketing would work we’re trying to go for a correct exposure so for the most part it’d be cheating. A blue filter would work by shifting your white balance then correcting, shifting red to a point it would be easier to photograph. While a cyan filter does work it’s better to know how to do this without more gear and effort. IMG_6411 IMG_6430-Edit 

So with that a good setup for me is tabletop photography in practice. It eliminates clutter and gives you a blank canvas to test photography skills. As you might have seen the sneak peek of me at the flower shop cut flowers are a good subject to shoot and they don’t seem to complain. Most flower shops if you ask nicely will sell individual flowers and let you pick them out yourself for the camera worthy ones. You can always use something around the house but overall a few flowers are an easy subject and not horribly expensive.

As you can see above I opted for a black background and flash lighting but the setup is up to you we’re just focusing on reds. If you have one available setup your camera on a tripod as it helps keep you focused on exposure since the composition is locked in already. At this point use your camera meter for exposure and take a photo like normal. Review the image and look at the histogram’s exposure. Typically the photo will look exposed correctly but the red’s will be bright or blown out. To fix this just underexpose from your first photo and try again, there’s no rush to get this right the first time.Exposure to a big degree is going to go by eye and histogram rather than the meter. After you take your first photo and adjust try again and judge the look. If you did listen and shoot in RAW there is going to be enough wiggle room that you don't have to get it spot on your first try. Take a few attempts at it then review on the computer as your subject's not going anywhere. You don't need to underexpose by a large amount, just enough to avoid clipping, once you've reached that point you can work as normal.IMG_6409-EditHaving a computer nearby or even tethered makes reviewing your images easier. As we’re not running around outside you can have it close for a quick edit to see if the photo will work. Dropping red saturation by a small amount in post for brightly lit subjects also helps nullify some of the highlights without having to underexpose as much. Then fine tune your exposure on your test images and see what you think. If the histogram is still showing it's too bright you might want to try lowering or softening the lighting hitting it for an easier time. Quick tip for small tabletop projects, one part glycerin mixed with two to three parts water for “wet” photos.  The glycerin mixed with the water and sprayed on your subject will freeze water droplets in place. Water would work obviously but this method keeps every drop in the same exact spot while you're shooting. Now take if we take it outside, cut roses or whatever your shooting with still photographs outdoors and you get nice bright light. Albeit quality of light is just as important as a portrait shooting red subjects. Just as with a portrait bright sun on red will leave harsh shadows and overly bright colors. Which to be fair still can work, but it’s then about what style of photo you're going for at that point. Just remember you are working with the wind now so smaller objects will be harder to shoot.IMG_6527 IMG_6554

Beyond that, have fun with it! Try other items beyond flowers there’s a ton of red to photograph out there.

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The Most Endearing - Instagram Winners

If you watched Episode 90 of the Photo Mish Mash you would know that I needed some cheering up! You all responded with your #PRTV_endearing pics and they were fantastic!You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_old. Like always, to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_old.You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIII Toby’s Winner: https://www.instagram.com/p/BDhn6fRy1nN/ Toby’s Honorable Mentions https://www.instagram.com/p/BDZ5hRIAtZs/https://www.instagram.com/p/BDhCZTDB-mS/Scott’s Winner: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCQDI-vkcSe/  Scott’s Honorable mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BDhoAPtS1nS/  https://www.instagram.com/p/BCRimUoixbX/     

Photo Mish Mash 91 - International Edition

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On5pWgpytls

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ADORAMAPIX! Best place to get your pictures printed -  http://www.adoramapix.com/PXPRTVMTL25 25% off metal prints ends Sunday April 3, 11:59 pm ESTYOU!  Learn more at http://photorec.tv/supportJoin us in Alaska!!! Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights Trip, Yellowstone(winter) or Iceland

Gear On The Table:

 BIG LENSES, little lenses, a6300...

NEWS:

Instagram is going Algorithmic followup #2 - poll resultshttps://www.change.org/p/keep-instagram-chronologicalInstagram’s Site Now Has a Facebook-style Notifications TabInstagram for Web Adds Explore Tab to Help You Find Your Friends More News From Instagram: Longer Videos for UsersIt Looks Like Flickr is Now For Salehttp://www.theverge.com/2016/3/29/11323884/google-photos-android-undo-editing-non-destructiveDJI Inspire 1 Raw Edition with Zenmuse X5R 4K MFT camera starts shipping March 28Sony 50mm f1.8, 70-300, and x10 mk3 (I see the 50mm as an extremely important lens in Sony’s full frame line up. If they price it reasonably, and it seems like they should since there is already a premium 55 f1.8, the barrier to entry in the FE system will be much more competitive.) Sigma 24-70 ART A Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Art Lens is Likely on the WayNew Gear: Sony Announces the RX10 III Camera With a 24–600mm Equivalent LensCanon to Release Super Telephoto Zoom in 2016 [CR2] Photos from Space -  The International Space Station Experiments With Long Exposure Photography 

New Sony Lenses - 70-300 OSS and 50mm f/1.8

What you need to know - Sony has announced two new FE lenses - FE lenses mount on the a6000/6300 and A7 series.    The 50mm f/1.8 will be affordable and lightweight at $250. The 70-300 is G series and likely optically excellent and expensive at $1200. Available in May.   Read on for more details -Preorder Links from B&H PhotoFE 50mm f/1.8 at B&H PhotoFE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS at B&H PhotoOne of the common complaints I hear about the Sony system is the lack of lenses!  Sony is clearly very aware of this and has been working hard to round out their lens offerings - The Sony 70-300 OSS and 50mm f/1.8 were just announced - giving sony photographers greater zoom with the 70-300 and a cheaper prime with the 50mm f/1.8.   The 50mm f/1.8 at $250 is competitive with other cheap primes from Canon and Nikon. The 70-300 seems expensive but the G series of lenses have been optically excellent and I suspect this 70-300 will match or beat Canon's 70-300 L series lens.FE50F18 A FE50F18 B70-300_2 70-300Preorder Links from B&H PhotoFE 50mm f/1.8 at B&H PhotoFE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS at B&H PhotoYour use of our links supports what we do here at Photorec.tv and costs you nothing extra. 

Sony Bolsters Full-Frame FE Lens Lineup with New 70-300mm High-Resolution Zoom and 50mm F1.8 Prime LensesNew FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS Telephoto Zoom and 50mm F1.8 Prime Lens Extend Sony α Shooting Possibilities

SAN FRANCISCO, Mar. 29, 2016 – Sony Electronics, a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer, has today introduced two new full-frame lenses for their E-mount camera system, the FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS telephoto zoom and 50mm F1.8 prime lens.The new FE 70-300mm F4.5-F5.6 G OSS zoom lens represents the first Sony α E-mount lens to reach a 300mm focal length, featuring high resolution and excellent overall optical performance throughout the entirety of its range. The new 50mm F1.8 prime lens is extremely compact, lightweight and affordably priced, making it an ideal choice for those looking to explore the benefits of a large aperture prime lens at a reasonable cost.“We’re continuing to build out our FE lens lineup, offering more variety than ever for today’s imaging enthusiasts,” said Neal Manowitz, Vice President of Digital Imaging at Sony Electronics. “Representing two of the most requested focal lengths by our customers, the new 70-300mm zoom and 50 F1.8mm prime become ideal choices for those looking to expand and enhance their Sony α kits.New FE 70-300mm F4.5 – 5.6 G OSS Telephoto Zoom LensSony’s longest reaching E-mount lens to date, the new FE 70-300mm F4.5 – 5.6 G OSS telephoto zoom lens (model SEL70300G) features a state-of-the-art optical design including four aspherical glass elements, two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements and Sony’s Nano AR coating, which all work together to effectively suppress spherical aberration, distortion, and chromatic aberration. This ensures beautiful high-resolution results for both still and video shooting.The new telephoto zoom lens also features class-leading close-up performance, with a minimum focusing distance of less than 3 feet (0.9m) and a maximum magnification of 0.31x, making it an ideal choice for tele-macro photography. This outstanding close-up performance also factors into the lens’ excellent corner-to-corner sharpness.The versatile zoom lens includes built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilization that helps to reduce camera shake, making it easier to capture clear images when shooting handheld. Additionally, the new SEL70300G model has a linear actuator that allows it to achieve fast, smooth and quiet autofocus and is also dust and moisture resistant1 to ensure reliable operation in harsh outdoor conditions.New FE 50mm F1.8 Prime LensWeighing in at less than 7 oz (192 g), the new lightweight FE 50mm F1.8 “normal” prime lens (model SEL50F18F) delivers an outstanding blend of performance, compactness and value, making it a perfect choice for hobbyist photographers and videographers looking to experience the benefits of a wide aperture prime lens at an attainable cost.The lens features a new optical design with an aspherical element that effectively compensates for all forms of aberration, resulting in beautiful, crisp imagery. Additionally, it has a circular aperture with a maximum of F1.8, producing beautiful ‘bokeh’ in images that allows the subject to stand out against a smoothly defocused background. For extended durability, the new prime lens is built with a solid metal mount.Pricing and AvailabilityThe new FE 70-300mm F4.5 – 5.6 G OSS telephoto zoom lens will be available in May for about $1,200 US and $1,700 CA, respectively.The new FE 50mm F1.8 prime lens will also be available in May for about $250 US and $350 CA, respectively.Both of the new FE interchangeable lenses will be sold at a variety of Sony authorized dealers throughout North America.

Sony 70-200 f4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQNEd7tJaksWhile we wait for the Sony 70-200 f/2.8 G from Sony I share my thoughts on the f/4 version which I have found to be an excellent all around lens for Sony's full frame cameras.Follow me on instagramBuy the Sony 70-200 F/4 from B&H Photo $1498Buy the Canon 70-200 F/4 from B&H Photo $599Buy the Metabones T EF to FE Mount Adapter $399Support our work- buy from B&H Photo 

Sample Sony 70-200 F/4 Shots

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70-200 Bokeh differences at F/4 vs F/2.8

200mm at f/4200mm f/2.8 Follow me on instagramBuy the Sony 70-200 F/4 from B&H Photo $1498Buy the Canon 70-200 F/4 from B&H Photo $599Buy the Metabones T EF to FE Mount Adapter $399Support our work- buy from B&H Photo

The Nik Collection is now FREE!

I paid $134.25 for this a few years ago! The collection includes- Analog Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, Viveza, HDR Efex Pro, Sharpener Pro and Dfine.I use the Silver Efex Pro for excellent B&W conversions, I feel it offers better results and is easier to work with than Lightrooms own B&W options/presets.Silver Efex Pro A recent instagram shot I used Nik Silver Efex Pro to editDSC09528-Edit15.0 sec at f - 11ISO 400The rest of the set is pretty handy too - Go grab it for free now.  Google Nik Collection.  I do worry that this means we won't see much development on this in the future now that it is free.  It would be interesting to see more of these tools be bundled into Google Photos.   If you did buy Nik this year Google will be refunding your money.The Complete Collection is now Free

Instagram Winners - Freelens

#PRTV_freelens, was a bit challenging, and hard if you've never shot with your lens not connected. Winners were tricky this week as its hard to get the effect just right but you guys managed to pull it off! Winners are listed below along with some awesome honorable mentions.You can find all the past challenges on the PRTV page along with next week’s challenge #prtv_endearing. Like always to enter post your photos on Instagram before noon next Wednesday with the tags #prtv and #prtv_endearing.Freelensing How-to & tips! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjUQW4BuCxkPatreon winner's will be a returning feature from now on as a perk for membership.Join today at http://photorec.tv/support/You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram!Toby - Photorectoby Scott - photoscott88 Roy - RoyMcKeeIIIToby’s Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BDK9mzom-ER/Patreon Winner:https://www.instagram.com/p/BDPlsS_SROR/Toby’s Honorable Mentions:https://www.instagram.com/p/BDG_pyhKK9a/https://www.instagram.com/p/BDQV_7fHMY1/