The Phoblographer

On this week’s episode of Inside The Photographer’s Mind, we’re joined by Canadian photographer Cath Simard.

Over the course of an hour, we discuss her success with photography NFTs, being a Sony Ambassador, and why she only creates up to nine photographers per year! All that and more!

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Links:

https://www.thephoblographer.com/

Cath Simard:

https://www.cathsimard.com/

https://www.instagram.com/cathsimard/

https://twitter.com/cathsimard_

In a way, the staff and I are all spoiled. We’re photographers who work to get the looks in-camera that you do in post-production. It’s a lot of extra work, but to us, it’s always worth it. And for that reason, we tend to stay away from presets. But, the Jared Platt Lightroom Profiles and Curves package is pretty awesome. It’s part of the 2021 5 Day Deal package. And if I were still using Lightroom often, I’d be addicted to these. They’re fun, and if you’re going for the trendy, super redscale look, then you’ll love these.

Too Long, Didn’t Read

The Jared Platt Lightroom Profiles and Curves package includes presets and curves for photographers to play around a lot. They say some of the looks are based on film, but we know better. However, that doesn’t discount the fact that, at times, the looks they deliver are genuinely exceptional. Still, you’ll have to work with them and adjust the look to exactly what you want. But they provide a pretty solid base.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Simple to use

Gives a lot of variety when it comes to looks

Cons

I wish people would stop saying that looks are inspired by film. Sometimes it’s clear they’ve never shot a roll of film in their lives. Jared’s looks are nice, but the naming is confusing.

Gear Used

We edited these photos in Adobe Lightroom Classic CC. The images are from Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Leica cameras. If you’re a Fujifilm user, you don’t need these: you’ve got the goodness baked right in.

Main Features

Platt’s website says the following:

“Contrast and tone are a key elements of beautiful photography. Don’t believe me? Choose one of your best images, click on a few of my Curve Presets and watch the magic happen. These stylistic film curves mimic the feeling of film and include masterfully designed point curves that range from cool, to neutral, to warm and even include beautiful and edgy cross processed looks. Not only that, companion Develop Presets take your images even further by adding film grain, contrast, vignetting, and tone for the ultimate control of the style of your image.”

Essentially, you’re getting a few folders of presets. There are three dedicated to portraits: deep skin, medium skin, and light skin. Then there are three styles: cinematic, futuristic, and vintage. Finally, there’s a folder dedicated just to travel. After that, there’s a bunch of curves you can use. If you’re newer to photography, you’re probably going to mess around until you get something you like. But if you’re more experienced, then you’ll likely apply one thing and edit from there. That’s what I ended up doing.

Ease of Use

Importing these presets and curves into Lightroom is simple. The presets themselves are imported easily as their own folders. But the curves were imported under User Presets, and I had to rename the folder. That’s fine and easy enough, but it can be annoying if you’ve got a lot of presets. Lightroom Classic thankfully makes using the Jared Platt Lightroom Profiles and Curves package simple. Hover over the looks, and it will preview. Then, you can click to apply.

Platt’s presets really depend on your white balance. I know that’s standard for every photo, but it really hits home here because of how contrast and all are dialed in.

If anything, the most challenging thing is trying to figure out how to use them. You’d think that the vintage presets would give a vintage look. But that’s not always the case. It’s safe to say that sometimes they don’t at all look vintage. The same applies to the cinematic looks. And where it’s really confusing is with the travel looks. So what would I say otherwise? Honestly, I’m not sure. I can’t put my finger on it. But nothing in the cinematic presets resembles some of the most beautiful movies you’ve seen. Similarly, the vintage looks are more associated with significantly toned-down alternative processes. One can look like a bleach bypass.

Where things start to really make sense are with the curves. In fact, the curves are my favorite part of all this....

Vintage lenses on digital cameras render a beautiful look.

Fact: Vintage lenses are superior to modern lenses in most ways. Modern post-production is so good that it can remove any flaws in a photo. However, if you want to engineer them back in, it becomes more expensive and annoying. Indeed, vintage lenses give you a look you can’t get with modern lenses anymore. And because of that, we’re giving you tips on how to make the most of them.

Use a Lower Megapixel Camera Body

For this tip, I want to harken back to something Nikon did many years ago. Once they released higher megapixel cameras, they gave a list of lenses that would resolve the sensor. Of course, many of the older lenses couldn’t do it. And that’s the case with lots of older lenses. Some will resolve on a 42MP camera sensor just fine, while others might struggle a bit. (And of course, there are outliers.) Pretty much any Contax G series lens will likely be fine to go for the 60-megapixel count. The same applies to some Leica M lenses. The famous 40mm f2 they made with Minolta is just one of those great lenses.

In general, though, most will probably work best below the 42MP range.

Imagine having vision problems and using non-prescription protective eyewear vs. prescription protective eyewear. Of course, you’ll be able to see a lot more clearly with the lenses that have coatings, were shaped, etc. The point still is that older lenses weren’t really designed for digital. To that end, film was dominant for most of photography’s history. 35mm film has around maybe 36 Megapixels of resolution to it. Any higher than that, and you’ll begin to see technical flaws.

However, the beauty of digital is that we can embrace those flaws. If you have a problem with them, you can fix them in post-production. It’s much easier to get rid of them in post-production than it is to put them in.

Focus Peaking and Magnification

Lots of photographers think focus peaking works perfectly fine until they magnify their images. The truth is that most focus peaking systems these days are pretty awful. The exception is Canon’s rangefinder system built into the RF cameras. If you’re going to use a vintage lens, you have to use a combination of methods. Here are some essential tips:

Turn focus peaking to low

Choose a color that contrasts with your scene

Set a button to magnify an area of the scene

Always magnify the scene and then focus the lens

When the focus peaking is around the magnified subject, then you’re set.

Years of missed shots have taught us that this is really the best way to use manual focus, vintage lenses. The problem with modern focus peaking is it relies a whole lot on contrast. But vintage lenses don’t have much contrast. So focus peaking is pretty difficult to do unless the lens has autofocus contacts. Unfortunately, most don’t, and the adapters don’t help.

Get the Right Adapter for Your Vintage Lenses

That brings us to our last tip: get the right adapter. Many adapters are cheap, impulse buys. But they don’t bring the lens the correct distance from the sensor. They also end up being very wobbly. This can cause major issues with the image quality. It’s often worth it to spend more money and get the right one.

Sony’s well-loved 70-200mm f2.8 workhorse lens is getting a makeover. Announced on Oct. 13, the Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II has a number of improvements, including upgraded autofocus, an aperture ring, and improved optics. But, Sony says that the original lens isn’t going anywhere, at least not yet. So what’s the difference between the two lenses? Is the Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II worth the higher price point?

I spent a week with these two lenses on the Sony a1. The new optic is impressively fast and sharp. But, for the right price, the original Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS isn’t necessarily a bad buy.

Table of Contents

Design: Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II Vs. Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS

At first glance, the lenses both seem very similar until you pick them up. The new lens is almost 30 percent lighter and weighs about 36 ounces. While a few ounces is hard to tell, it’s a significant enough weight loss to notice while out shooting. Sony even says it’s the lightest full-frame f2.8 70-200mm. Of course, it’s still a workhorse zoom, so it’s not light, but it’s not quite the beast of the earlier version.

The other major design change is the addition of an aperture ring. The click to the ring can be turned on and off. There’s an Iris Lock switch that will prevent the lens from leaving the A or Auto position, while also preventing accidentally spinning the aperture to A as well.

The new lens also has a Full-Time DMF switch. This allows you to use the manual focus ring to adjust what the autofocus has selected. If the autofocus isn’t quite right, using DMF may be easier than using manual focus from scratch. The previous lens still has that capability, but there’s no on-off switch for it on the lens.

Autofocus: Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II Vs. Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS

Mounted on the Sony a1, there’s a significant difference in the autofocus performance between the two lenses. The new version of the lens has four XD linear autofocus motors. The Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II had just a five percent miss rate with a toddler running straight at the camera. The older version of the lens had a ten percent miss rate. It’s minor enough that the difference on Sony’s more basic model bodies won’t be as noticeable. But, the older lens still missed twice as much.

Another major change is that the lens can focus much closer. The new lens focuses on objects as close as about 1.4 feet away. The older version of the lens needs more than three feet. I noticed a significant difference in my ability to get in close to subjects with the new lens. And, getting in closer is also going to create smoother backgrounds than the 200mm and f2.8 alone.

The autofocus is also noticeably quieter on the new lens. There are sometimes a few clicks. But comparatively speaking, the older lens made a lot more grinding noises.

Image Quality: Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II Vs. Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS

During my week with these two lenses, I didn’t notice major differences in color, flare, or aberrations. What I noticed was sharpness. The newer lens is sharper for more of the frame. The Mark II has some slight softness in the corners and around the edges — about 10 percent in. The softness on the original version of the lens was probably twice that. The softer edges started much sooner on the older lens. The standards for what sharp looks like have improved over the last five years, and the Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II has sharper images.

That’s not to say that the original version is bad. But, you want to avoid putting details on the edges of the frame with the original more so than the Mark II.

Is the New Lens Actually Worth It?

If you shoot action and have a newer, faster Sony body, the 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II is going to deliver the best autofocus. But, besides speed, the newer lens focuses closer. It’s sharper for more of the image. And, of course, there’s that beautiful aperture ring and the lighter design. It’s also going to be more future-proof. If, say, a photographer...

As other manufacturers have only recently introduced their first 70-200mm mirrorless workhorses, Sony is upgrading the five-year-old 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS. And Sony-tographers are going to be pleased. The Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II has a Mark II in the name, but many of the updates feel more significant than that. The lens is significantly lighter and the autofocus now has four motors and a lower close-up limit. Oh, and there’s a dedicated aperture ring too.

As a workhorse lens, however, the lens is going to be pricey. And the original will remain available, at least for now. So what do photographers get with the Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II?

Too Long, Didn’t Read

The Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II has quite a few upgrades from the original. The autofocus is faster, and also works much better on close-up subjects. The sharpness has improved and the lens significantly lighter, yet Sony still managed to add a dedicated aperture ring. It’s a lens with a lot of technical greatness.

Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II Pros and Cons

Pros

Lightweight

Excellent autofocus

Dedicated aperture ring

Excellent sharpness and colors

Solid stabilization

Cons

The $2,799.99 price tag

Technical greatness limits character

Gear Used

I used the Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II with the Sony a1. I also used the old version of the lens alongside the new one to note the differences.

Innovations

As a Mark II lens, the innovations to the Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II are subtle but noticeable. The lens is nearly 30 percent lighter, which even slides it a few grams under Canon’s mirrorless 70-200mm. It’s the lightest, bright aperture, autofocusing 70-200mm, Sony says. The lens uses a new autofocus design with four XD linear motors. Sony says that focusing speed is up to four times faster and tracking is up to 30 percent more accurate.

Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II Tech Specs

Sony provided the following details for the Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II during a press conference:

Constant f2.8 aperture

Stabilization

Includes the following coatings: XA, ED Asph., Aspherical, Super ED, Nano AR II, F coating

Updated circular 11 blade aperture

4 XD linear autofocus motors

.4m minimum focusing distance

Constructed from 14 groups and 17 elements

Floating and internal focusing

Compatible with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters

Weighs about 1,042g or 36 ounces

Ergonomics

In looks and size, the Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II appears very similar to the previous lens at first glance. But, there are a few welcome refinements. The first one is noticeable as soon as you pick up the lens: it’s nearly 30 percent lighter than the original. The Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II weighs about 36 ounces. That’s light considering the wide aperture and telephoto capabilities. The size, however, hasn’t changed much. It measures roughly eight inches long.

Dressed in Sony’s off-white color, the lens uses a tripod collar close to the mount. The handle portion of the collar is removable, while the ring itself remains on the lens. The handle has three different sized tripod screws at the bottom.

Just after the tripod collar is a bank of controls on the left side of the lens. From top to bottom, those controls are the AF-MF switch, Full-Time DMF On/Off, the focus limiter, OSS on/off, the OSS mode (1, 2, and 3), and Iris Lock. That last control is further down the lens, nearly hidden underneath the handle of the tripod collar. The Iris Lock can be used to keep the aperture ring in the auto position, or to prevent the ring from entering the auto position.

After the row of switches, the Sony 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II houses a dedicated aperture ring. Ergonomically, this is the biggest difference between the original and the II. I prefer adjusting the aperture on the lens itself over the control dials on the bottom of the camera. On the right-hand side, there’s a switch to turn the click on and off. This allows you to choose if you want that satisfying click with every setting change, which also prevents accidental bumps....

Nostalgic and fun? Yes, please! Fujifilm is back with another instant film printer, and it’s sure to be a hit. The Fujifilm Instax Link Wide printer is lightweight and ultra-portable. Its iOS app is simple to use and offers a lot of personalization. As a photographer, I’m most excited about how this will allow me to offer an even better experience for my clients. Keep reading to find out why.

Table of Contents

Too Long Didn’t Read

Fujifilm’s Instax Link Wide instant film printer is easy to use and so much fun. It’s ultra-portable, and the app is user-friendly. People of all ages will enjoy this printer.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Not much bigger than a CD case

Easy to use

A great option for mail marketing

QR code to send personal messages, sounds, or a link to your portfolio

The iOS app has a simple interface

So much fun

Cons

Sketching on a small screen can be challenging

Patience is required when adding a lot of stickers and placing them as desired

Gear Used

I used the Instax Link Wide printer with my iPhone 11. It prints on Instax Wide film. I tested it with images created with a Canon 5D Mark III, Leica SL2-s, Fujifilm GFX100s, Fujifilm GFX50s II, and Fujifilm X-T4.

Tech Specs

All specifications are from the manufacturer.

Recording method: 3-color exposure with OLED

Film used: FUJIFILM INSTAX WIDE Instant Film (sold separately)

Number of images: 10 images/pack

Image size: 2.4 in. x 3.9 in. / 62 mm x 99 mm

Supported image size: 800 x 1260 dots

Printing resolution: 12.5 dots/mm (318 dpi) The image size may affect the sharpness of the finished print Smartphone type and shooting conditions may affect finished print color tone and quality Finished print quality may vary from Smartphone image display.

Printing levels: 256 levels per color (RGB)

Interface: Standard compliance: Bluetooth Ver. 4.2 (BLE)

Supported image format: JPEG, PNG, HEIF, DNG

Printing time: Image recording – photo output (fed out): Approximately 12 seconds plus 90 second development time Printing time may vary with file size and Smartphone type

Approximate printing capacity: Approximately 100 prints from full charge (number of prints depends on the usage conditions)

Power supply: Lithium ion battery (internal type: not removable)

Charging time: Approximately 80 to 120 minutes. (Charging time depends on the temperature and battery remaining level)

Power consumption: Approximately 3 W

Operating environment: Temperature: +41°F to +104°F. Humidity: 20% to 80% (no condensation)

Main unit dimensions: 5.5 in. x 5 in x 1.3 in. 139 mm x 127.5 mm x 33.7mm (excluding projecting parts)

Supplied accessory: Micro USB cable

Available colors: Ash White and Mocha Gray

Retail Price: $149.95

Ergonomics

The Fujifilm Link Wide smartphone printer is about the size of a cd case and under two inches wide. It is very lightweight and portable. It ships with a small printer stand and USB cable for charging.

There is a Fujifilm light on the front that flashes an array of colors when in use.

Insert the Instax wide film through the back of the printer. A USB-C port is located on the bottom of the printer.

The top is where the film comes out.

Build Quality

The Link Wide smartphone printer is made of plastic. It is thick enough that it is durable and withstands subtle bumps and bruises. The plastic is also very lightweight and easy to clean if it gets dirty. The battery takes about 80 minutes to fully charge while connected to your computer and lasts for about 100 prints.

Ease of Use

Initial Setup

The Instax Link Wide printer is a wireless printer that links to your mobile device. I tested the pre-production model on an iPhone app. It should also be accessible through Mac OX 12 as well as an Apple TV.

To set up the printer, connect it to your computer to charge and turn it on. Then load the pack of film and pair it with your iOS device. The printer will operate while charging. The color of the Power On button can even be personalized from the Setting screen within the app.

Simple Prints

The Link W...

Hey, you! You with the shaky hands and the butterfingers! You who refuse to abide by proper handholding camera techniques and who shoots in the most physically awkward ways: this is for you. Nikon is announcing today their brand new Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f3.5-6.3 VR. And It has five stops of image stabilization because they know most people can’t control their own breathing. If anything, it can be the only zoom lens you need.

Well, actually, that’s sort of a lie. You still need bright prime lenses for bokeh, because bokeh is beautiful and life is nothing without bokeh. But at the telephoto end, you’ll have a little bit more than 200mm of equivalence.

Here are some important details about the new Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f3.5-6.3 VR.

Primary features of the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f3.5-6.3 VR

Covers a focal-length range of 18mm to 140mm (27mm-210mm, 35mm angle of view equivalent), convenient for capturing stills and videos of a wide variety of subjects, from landscapes to portraits.

The short minimum focus distance of 0.2m (at max wide-angle) is optimum for close-up shots.

The maximum reproduction ratio of 0.33x at the maximum telephoto position enables rendering of subjects in large size.

Equipped with an optical VR mechanism that provides camera shake compensation equivalent to a 5.0-stop increase in shutter speed.

High resolution achieved consistently across the entire zoom range, from maximum aperture.

Ideal for shooting video, with effective reduction of shifting of focus when zooming in/out and shifting of angle of view when adjusting focus.

Select functions can be assigned to the control ring for stills and video.

Fast, precise and quiet AF operation is attained with the employment of an STM (stepping motor).

Designed with consideration of dust- and drip-resistant performance.

Pricing and Availability:

The NIKKOR Z DX 18-140mm f3.5-6.3 VR telephoto zoom lens will be available starting in November (US) for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $599.95.

Is the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f3.5-6.3 VR for a Mirrorless Nikon D500?

This is a bit of a headscratcher. For the record, I’m sure it will be a good lens optically speaking. My primary concern, if any, is the build quality and weather resistance. I’ve been waiting for a Nikon ZFC to get to me for review, and I can’t really imagine this lens on that camera. The Z50 might make a bit more sense, as it has fantastic high ISO output. But even so, Nikon’s APS-C camera lineup isn’t all that fleshed out yet. However, I’m wondering if it could hint at a higher-end Nikon APS-C camera to come.

Remember the old Nikon D500? It was seriously the last good APS-C DSLR that was made. A lens like the new Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f3.5-6.3 VR sort of hints to me that a camera like this might exist in the near future. It would mean that eventually, Nikon will really try to take on both Sony and Fujifilm in the APS-C world. All this is fascinating. I remember two years ago, we had reps telling us that the APS-C camera market was shrinking. And yet now, there are so many hints at the APS-C camera world continuing to thrive.

If a camera like this does indeed exist, I wonder if it will be called the Nikon Z600 or the Nikon Z60. And if anything, the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f3.5-6.3 VR would probably be the perfect kit lens for it.

What do you think? Do you think I’m just speculating a bit too much? Nikon really seems to be trying to recreate their DSLR line in the mirrorless world for sure.

LED lights can be very fun, but we’re still not quite convinced that they can outdo flashes and strobes. However, Rotolight is currently funding something incredibly intriguing on Kickstarter. The new Rotolight NEO 3 and Rotolight AEOS 2 are brand new LED lighting products. They’re making the pitch to both photographers and filmmakers. But what’s really making our eyes sparkle is the promise of a high-speed sync light. This has been one of the many shortcomings for LEDs over the years. But did Rotolight finally get it right?

Rotolight NEO 3 Tech Specs

Zero recycle time promise

USB charging battery

Integrated flash receiver via Elinchrom

354 grams

Rotolight AEOS 2 Tech Specs

16.7 Million colors or 2,500 digital filters

Touchscreen

High speed sync flash, though there aren’t many details on this

Integrated flash receiver

Bluetooth and Wifi

F-stop dimming

1.4kg

120 watts of light, no word on watt second output

3,000 – 10,000 kelvin

Can it Replace Your Flash and Your Studio Strobe?

I’m really scratching my head on the Rotolight AEOS 2 and the Rotolight NEO 3. Rotolight, in their press packet, is comparing these lights to LEDs and not to flashes. That immediately tells me that it’s probably not going to outdo what a studio strobe can do. There’s also no major information regarding the high-speed sync capabilities. Further, there’s no word on the flash duration or watt-seconds. However, a lot of the promotional imagery shows the lights being used on-camera. For a photographer, those seem pretty unwieldy. Let alone, I’m not sure which self-respecting photographer would shoot an event with an LED shining in someone’s face. I’ve had that done to me, and I hated it.

If you’re putting the light off-camera, they’re a bit limited. What if you wanted to put it in a beauty dish, softbox, or something else? You’d need a pretty crazy light modifier setup.

The biggest problems with LEDs are still the following:

Flash duration: this stops fast motion at slower shutter speeds. So you don’t need to go into the nuclear high ISO zone. Plus, it can act as a second shutter speed at times.

High Speed sync: Rotolight is claiming that they can do this, but we don’t have a lot of details on it.

Power: I seriously don’t want to raise my ISO levels up if I don’t have to.

Compared to the power output of a flash or studio strobe, LEDs just don’t seem to make sense all the time. Further, strobes and flashes often have LED modeling lights built into them. Those are usually strong enough for most situations.

Without testing the Rotolight AEOS 2 and the Rotolight NEO 3, I’m still not totally sure. In my eyes, LED lights and all that they do still encourage a world where you have to do endless post-production to a still image. But flashes and strobes really encourage you to get it right in camera. Yes, LEDs are easier to work with for sure. But they’re also never powerful enough.

Lastly, I’m also hoping that Rotolight gets its ethics in line. The photo industry has started to change for the better, and we’re pretty firm on ensuring that it keeps evolving. The lights are being funded via Kickstarter. So go check it out if you’re interested.

Conformity is boring. I embrace leaning into what makes you tick, especially if that means living outside of that proverbial box. This was a mantra that I believed wholeheartedly to the point that I almost flunked out of art school for refusing to conform. I think that’s why I love fashion photography so much. It’s all about finding your own voice, embracing the unconventional, and reaching for the stars. Combining beautiful clothing with the capabilities of the Leica SL2-S makes breaking the rules all the more fun.

The look created by Leica brings the wow factor, a little Je ne sais quoi, if you will. The auto white balance of the SL2-S is ideal for almost every lighting scenario. The sensor size and resolution are large enough to capture full-body images and crop them down significantly with plenty of detail. This is paramount for marketing and ad campaigns. The colors produced by the auto white balance are beautiful and the dynamic range makes it difficult to completely mess up an image. This is a winning combination for creative photoshoots, especially if you are looking to progress and enhance your skills.

There is no right or wrong way to shoot fashion. Tack sharp, motion blur, weird angles, color pop, cool light, and unique locations are all encouraged. Although, there are ways of harnessing the Leica SL2-S to achieve the desired result more efficiently. I paired it with the Leica 28mm f2 SL lens to photograph the lovely Rachelle Kathleen. The wide-angle captured the beautiful fashion in the environment and inspired me to experiment with my angles and perspective for more artistic movements.

Below are a few tips to help you unleash your creativity.

My Favorite Fashion Settings On The Leica SL2-S

Highlight weighted metering in backlight using a monolight as fill

Face/body detection

Children/pets and running autofocus profiles, depending on the speed of movement

Intelligent autofocus with more drastic movements at about 1/100th of a second for artistic movement and details where it counts

Full manual mode with no face/body detection and shutter speeds of 1/30th of a second or slower for intentional blur

Manipulate Natural Light

Opt for highlight-weighted metering when working in backlit scenarios to keep from clipping your highlights. Even though the dynamic range of the SL2-S is perfect if you need to bump your shadows, I prefer to utilize my monolight. A low-power setting gently adds fill light without it looking fake. This also significantly cuts down on editing time to get back out there shooting.

Maximize the potential of those fleeting moments of incredible light when the sun meets the horizon. Meter for the skin tone and take advantage of the exposure compensation to capture the pastel colors of the sky. If you accidentally underexpose, have no fear. The dynamic range of this sensor is very forgiving. Aperture priority is a winning contender when shooting outdoors in fast-changing lighting conditions. Pick your desired aperture and color mode and go. It’s very dependable.

Play With Motion

A single focusing point in AF-S mode is more than sufficient for slower static posing. Turn on the face/body detection for increased sharpness when the details of the clothing or skin matter. Be forewarned that it is really sharp for portrait images.

I prefer to use face/body detection for any movement where I want pivotal details to focus and useAF-S mode to lock focus as needed. The Children/pets autofocus profile is excellent for slower movements and capturing single images. I change the speed as the movements of my model become more dramatic. The Runner autofocus profile is advantageous, and you will rarely need more than that. You can also change it to AF-C mode and shoot continuously if you need it.

One of my favorite ways to capture motion with the Leica SL2-S is to switch to Intelligent autofocus. Pairing it with a slower shutter speed of about 1/100th of a second with face detection is wonderful. The model and focal de...

Buying a camera is a little like dating. Every camera has its annoyances — you just have to choose the one whose weird quirks are either endearing or ignorable. As the Reviews Editor at The Phoblographer, I test cameras for a living. Yet, when I decided I was done with my DSLR, I wasn’t quite sure in which direction I wanted to head next. To continue the dating analogy, I hadn’t had the this-is-the-one moment. I hadn’t yet fallen in love. I hadn’t found the top mirrorless camera for me.

This test was made possible by the folks over at Lensrentals. Can’t find the gear you want? You should take a look at the Lensrentals Keeper Test-Drive Program. You can rent it and then if you want to purchase it, they’ll give you a price quote. Go take a look! This is not a sponsored post, but if you click the links and make a purchase, we may receive affiliate revenue to help keep the staff paid and the server running.

I decided to take my own advice: try before you buy. I tested five cameras, all from different manufacturers, paired with their best portrait lens. I rented gear from Lensrentals, which offers a Keeper Test Drive program that allows you to buy your rental. With Lens Keeper, what you already paid for the rental is subtracted from the final price. (I also rented some of this gear from their respective companies.)

The camera is only half the equation, and while I had used these cameras in the past, most of the lenses I haven’t tried. I wanted to compare each one side-by-side. I tested the following combinations to see which is the top mirrorless camera:

Canon EOS R6 with the RF 85mm f1.2L USM

Nikon Z6 II with the Nikkor Z 50mm f1.2 S

Panasonic S5 with the Lumix S 85mm f1.8

Sony a7 III with the FE 85mm f1.2 GM

Why I Ditched the DSLR — and What I Want in My Next Camera

My current — err, previous — camera is the Nikon D850. To be clear, I still like my D850. But, I needed to upgrade some of my lenses, and it didn’t make much sense for me to invest in DSLR glass. I want the in-body stabilization of mirrorless. I want an electronic viewfinder with autofocus points that go all the way to the edge of the frame. I want eye AF.

As a wedding and portrait photographer, I don’t need the fastest camera out there. I need great image quality and good low-light autofocus. Weddings involve editing a few hundred photos, so great images right out of the camera is a plus. And, with many of my weddings being a 10- to 12-hour day, I wanted something lighter than my D850 with a comfortable grip. Switching to an entirely new system isn’t cheap, so cost was also a big consideration.

My clients have no idea what bokeh even is. But, they’ll notice when their skin looks seasickness green, washed-out pale, or tomato red.

I could have successfully shot weddings with any of the five cameras I tested. But, I found one option that hit the most things on my wish list. One whose quirks mesh well with my own. Here’s how each system compared.

Nikon Z6 II with the Z 50mm f1.2 S

The lenses are super sharp.

The grip and controls are ergonomic, and easy for me to transition to from the D850.

I already own Nikon flashes, batteries, and QXD cards.

The low light autofocus is behind the others.

The colors are a bit too green.

The Z system doesn’t have an 85mm f1.2 yet.

Read the full Nikon Z6 II Review

Z lenses are what sparked my search for the next camera system in the first place. The lenses are very sharp; there’s no need to stop down. There isn’t even a need to keep the subject towards the center of the frame. But, the best thing about the Z6 II is the lenses, which means I would still be updating my lenses. And I would save some money by reusing my current flashes, batteries, and XQD cards.

Coming from the D850, the Z6 II is comfortable. I have Nikon ingrained into my muscle memory. The Z6 II requires the least amount of practice to get familiar with. The grip was also one of my favorites. It’s comfortable, yet the camera is smaller than my D850 and also smaller than...