The Phoblographer

The L-Mount Alliance may gain new partners and that could be amazing.

The L-mount Alliance appears to have been a great idea. Panasonic got a boost joining the Full-Frame Mirrorless game that Nikon and Canon didn’t. Sigma has been pumping out new lenses lately with no sign of slowing. Of course, Leica has beautiful lenses for the mount. However, third-party manufacturers could quickly enhance lens selection to even greater heights. Read on to find out more about all of the exciting possibilities.

L-Mount May Be Welcoming New Partners

According to L-Rumors, the L-Mount Alliance has mentioned possible new partners. This could be great for lens choice. Micro Four-Thirds has seen the benefit of this. As a result, in that system, there are tons of choices. Also, Laowa recently joined the Micro Four-Thirds alliance. Could that hint at possibilities for L-mount? Looking at all of the options there makes me excited for the future. I would love to see more non-standard lens options for the Full-Frame mount.

With today’s Mirrorless cameras, lenses can be so diverse. Having some of these manufacturers join the alliance could be great. We could see more autofocus lenses. Manual lenses would likely have electrical contacts. As a result, the bodies would be able to identify the lenses. No more worrying if you set your IBIS properly. Also, metadata for the lens could then be included.

Modern Lenses With Vintage Rendering

It has been great to see third-party lens companies embracing vintage character. Eastern brands like TTArtisan and 7Artisans really go big here. They aren’t alone, however. Voigtlander has been a big player in this arena. Also, Lomography has really been jumping into the Mirrorless lens segment lately. These brands have supported other mounts. However, they could certainly benefit L-mount as well. Many people in the video world have loved this type of lens for their work. It would be great to see some cinema-housed lenses of this type. Also, the Panasonic bodies and the Sigma FP are perfect platforms for this. The vintage rendering would also pair well with Leica’s famous color.

The Benefits of More L-Mount Partners

There could be awesome benefits if the L-Mount Alliance welcomes more partners. Sure, L-Mount already has a lot of great lenses. However, it would be outstanding to see what more lens makers could create. Official partners would have access to things like autofocus algorithms. As a result, they would be able to build lenses that transfer metadata. This could also give third-party manufacturers a leg up on new lens designs.

Viltrox has been showing what inexpensive autofocus lenses can do. Their Fuji lenses have been hugely popular. Samyang’s latest autofocus lenses for Sony are buzzing online. Imagine what these lens makers could achieve without having to reverse engineer algorithms. The value proposition of L-Mount cameras could go way up. Not only would we have access to great native lenses, but also inexpensive alternatives. Better yet, these alternatives would likely work super well.

Lenses I’d Love to See Made

With all of these exciting possibilities, what would I like to see? As mentioned before, L-mount is a great platform for video. Sirui makes interesting anamorphic lenses at great prices. They already exist for Micro Four-Thirds. I’d love to see them bring their expertise to L-Mount also. It would also be exciting to see more vintage-based lenses make their way over. Kipon and Meyer-Optik Gorlitz have already started on that. Also, 7Artisans and TTArtisan are on board. I’d love to see Voigtlander join the party. It would be too cool to see a trio like Pentax’s Limited primes.

As far as more standard lenses go, more competition can’t hurt. Viltrox and Samyang would be great candidates to jump in. It would be great to see them enter with small, inexpensive primes. Laowa has already added some of their excellent wide primes to the mount. However, I’d love to see their full lens line-up make its way over...

Sturdy tripods are a must-have for landscape photography, and these ones will help you create stunning shots with ease.

When it comes to landscape photography, you need great compositions to be able to tell the story. You also need to capture as much detail as possible. This, my friends, is where tripods come into play. When it comes to tripods, we often short-change ourselves. For whatever reason, a lot of photographers don’t spend much money on stable, sturdy tripods. They would rather opt for a ‘big box special.’ This is not a good idea for several reasons. Cheap build quality, questionable parts, flimsy legs, I could go on. Why would you put your camera and lenses, which have a combined value of thousands of dollars, on a tripod that costs $60? So, If you’re in the market for sturdy tripods that will help elevate your landscape photography game, check out the five options after the break.

3 Legged Thing Ray Tripod

“Overall, I have to say that the 3 Legged Thing Ray tripod and Airhed VU ball head have been a delight to use. I’m a big fan, so much so that I will start carrying a tripod around with me again on my adventures. The 3 Legged Thing Ray is stylish, easy to use, lightweight, and folds down into a beautiful compact unit that is easy to carry around.”

Buy now: $429.99

Vanguard VEO2 235CB

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

“What I seriously enjoy about the Vanguard VEO 2 235CB is not only its solid build quality but how simple it is to use. Vanguard gives you a head that just works without any fuss, legs that are quick to deploy, and a tripod slim enough to fit onto the bottom or side of most photo backpacks.”

Buy now: $201

Pro Tip: Landscape photography is one of the most rewarding genres, but there is more to it than just pointing and shooting. Learning how to compose your image and understanding why you should include foreground elements is vital. If you’re new to landscape photography and want to create some stunning landscape images, check out this affordable tutorial. You’ll be making beautiful images in no time.

Gitzo Légende Tripod

“If you’re in the market for a new tripod, the Gitzo Légende tripod is a solid choice. The design is minimalistic. The silver and black color scheme looks nice. The controls are all well placed and easy to use. The legs feel nice and sturdy, even on uneven ground. The included ball head can carry a big load. I never had any issues with it in regards to stability. I love the friction control, which enables you to make precise movements. This is something that’s often overlooked. The eco-friendly synthetic leather carry strap is nice as well. While nothing really screams to make this tripod stand out, it does its job, and it does it very well.”

Buy now: On Indiegogo

3 Legged Thing Bucky Tripod

“The 3 Legged Thing Bucky tripod and the AirHed Vu ball head combo handled every challenge we threw at it without breaking a sweat. It’s been quite some time since we were this impressed with a travel tripod. It’s compact, lightweight, and has a fun design that gives it a bit of character.”

Buy now: $499.99

Fotopro EGL-65 Carbon Eagle Series Tripod

In our review, we said:

Brett Day – Gear Editor

“Loosen up the head, and you will be able to pan and track objects with ease. This Fotopro Eagle Series tripod will make a wonderful tool for serious landscape photographers who demand the best in terms of build quality and sturdiness. It will delight wildlife and some sports photographers too.”

Buy now: $1,099.99

YouTube is a great platform for photographers, but there’s a problem.

YouTube has certainly opened the door for content creators. The platform is now flooded with channels dedicated to photography. Too flooded, some may say. And while there’s certainly some good photography content on YouTube, many creators are making the same stuff. There’s a reason for this – let’s take a look.

Playing YouTube’s game is more like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, rather than designing your own infrastructure.

The Problem With YouTube And Photography

First of all, I’m not going to focus on poorly made content. Sure, bad content is an issue, but it’s not the main problem I have with photographers on YouTube. Many well shot, edited, and presented photography videos still have the same issue – a lack of originality.

Search for a particular camera, and you’ll be sure to read titles like this:

5 Things You Didn’t Know About The Fujifilm X-T4

I used the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 in 2021 (Was it Good?)

Secret Editing Tips You Never Knew Existed

None of the above concepts are bad ideas for videos. But when so many YouTubers are doing the same thing, it shows a total lack of innovation. But, it’s not their fault.

Playing YouTube’s Game

Most YouTubers are likely using a programme like TubeBuddy (a channel growth tool). The software allows you to research what people are looking for, identify what’s popular, and make content that revolves around it.

Creators then make the content that’s popular and hope that YouTube puts them at the top (or close enough) of the searches people make. Playing YouTube’s game is more like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, rather than designing your own infrastructure.

For those that succeed with YouTube’s algorithm, the platform can be rather lucrative. But for those that don’t, well, they’re left with unoriginal content that’s not going to stand out, should people come across it.

People Don’t Want to be Different: They Want to be Known

I think another issue we have is that few people care about being innovative. Instead, they see someone being successful on YouTube and think, “I want to be popular like them.” So they copy and paste what they see successful YouTubers are doing, hoping the blueprint takes them to fame and glory.

Don’t be just another person void of personal identity churning out the same stuff as everyone else – where’s the fun in that?

They also want to reach fame as quickly as possible and create content that they think will help them achieve that. This approach is why it feels like YouTubers are created in a special factory, all made from the same ingredients, and all doing the same thing.

Instead of thinking about creating a unique brand identity, they rip off the content made by others. It’s truly sad to see. And in my opinion, it stops the quality of content from progressing.

Thinking About Starting a Channel?

If you’re thinking about starting a photography YouTube channel, try and think about the long game. Most people who try the “get famous quickly” approach fail anyway.

Take your time in terms of brainstorming your content stream. Think about how you can really tap into ideas and offer the viewer something they have never (or rarely) seen before. Don’t be just another person void of personal identity churning out the same stuff as everyone else – where’s the fun in that?

Being original may mean it takes you longer to be known when comparing it to playing the algorithm game. But people are always thirsty for something fresh, and when it reaches them, it stays in their mind far longer than, “look what’s in my bag”.

YouTube is a wonderful platform that offers a voice to everyone. Make sure your voice is heard and that it’s truly unique!

Lead photo is a screenshot.

This Fujifilm 24mm f1.9 Natura was removed from the camera and rehoused in Leica M mount.

You could say this is a one-of-a-kind, and you’d be totally right! The lens in the Fujifilm Natura S is legendary. We’ve even featured photographers who’ve used and loved the camera. Besides the great metering, the small size and the fun colors, the main appeal is the lens. At the heart of the small point and shoot is a Fujifilm 24mm f1.9. This is the smallest variant of the lens perhaps ever made. That’s what makes this very rare eBay find every more fascinating.

This Fujifilm 24mm f1.9 Natura lens was rehoused within the body of a Canon 50mm f1.2 for Leica M mount. It’s also currently only bidding at $600. Seriously, it’s a one-of-a-kind. According to the seller nmpearso:

“As street photographers know, full-frame wide angle lenses tend to be either bulky…or slow (narrow-aperture). Fast, tiny wides prove incredibly rare and tough to come by.Enter this unique Leica-mount 24mm f1.9 lens, a one-of-a-kind tiny fast LTM wide rescued and adapted from Fuji’s legendary Natura S film camera, which put this unsurpassed fast, tiny full-frame 24mm in a pocketable point-and-shoot body.This one was expertly adapted by Ken Ruth (of Bald Mountain, back in the day), into the rangefinder-coupled tiny barrel of a Canon 50mm f/1.2 LTM rangefinder lens, with its own new custom distance scale applied, and a nice infinity lock for secure stowage.

It makes for a tremendously compact, rf-coupled pancake wide that mounts readily on a Leica M3 (see attached pic); later Leica bodies may have metering parts jutting into the mount that preclude mounting this lens.And awesomely for modern shooters, I have also checked and found that it mounts and shoots fine(!) on Fuji’s new medium format digital GF mount (GFX100s); just make sure to use electronic shutter, to leave safe distance from the rear element glass.Moreover, it -may- adapt readily to other modern short-register, wide-mouth digital mounts (such as Sigma/Leica/Panasonic L, Nikon Z, etc.), though I haven’t tried those directly.”

In case you weren’t aware, the Leica M mount is incredibly adaptable and versatile. Pretty much all their lenses can be mounted onto any modern mirrorless camera mount. But as the seller states, you might want to be a bit cautious about it. To that end, it’s not perfect.

But if you happen to get your hands on it, you’ll be very happy with the results from the Fujifilm 24mm f1.9. It’s incredibly sharp. And if you use it with a flash, you’ll realize just how sharp it really is. Here’s what we said in our review:

“I’m absolutely in love with the Fujifilm Natura S. It’s small, lightweight, inconspicuous, can deliver great images, and will give you more keeper shots on a roll than you’ve probably gotten before. With a 24mm f1.9 lens attached and automatic modes that you can actually trust, there is nothing to complain about here.”

In fact, this is one of the last film cameras I own personally. I encourage you to go take a look at the listing. Put in a bid, and give that lens a great home. It’s bound to give you image quality that you’ll enjoy. More importantly, there is nothing as awesome as owning a very rare lens.

All product images taken from the listing by seller nmpearso

Affordable, sharp, easy to use, and they produce magnificent bokeh; these portrait lenses are keepers.

We recently took a look at some premium 85mm lenses that blew our minds when we reviewed them. Following on from that, today, we’re looking at four 85mm prime portrait lenses that get our seal of approval. Honestly, these lenses are so good that any portrait photographer could use them and easily achieve incredible results. If you’re stepping into the world of portraits and you don’t want to break the bank buying portrait lenses, these options might be for you.

Canon RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM

Hillary Grigonis – Reviews Editor

“The f2 aperture, full-frame mount, longer focal length, and macro capabilities make distractions melt into the background. Images are sharp at the center, and the colors are excellent. Stabilization makes it possible to shoot the longer focal length at slower shutter speeds handheld.”

Buy now: $599

Samyang 50mm f1.2

“This lens is razor-sharp, has a decent build quality, a very smooth focusing ring, gorgeous bokeh, and has a fantastic price attached to it. If you’re an APS-C camera user, then you’ll be hard pressed to find something better for portraits.”

Buy now Fujifilm X Mount: $390.55

These 85mm primes will certainly help you create fantastic images, but having great gear is only half the story. If you truly want to create a gorgeous portrait, you need to know the secrets of posing. Have your subject relax. Ask them to just be themselves. Give them a gentle pointers and build upon that. If you control every aspect of their pose, you’ll end up with an unnatural-looking image. Communicate your idea, and have your subject play around with it. You’ll find that you’ll get much more natural, organic captures this way.

Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary (85mm Equivalent on APS-C)

“Images produced by the Sigma 56mm f1.4 are some of the sharpest we’ve seen out of all the lenses designed for APS-C Sony E Mount cameras. In focus areas are razor-sharp and pack a ton of details.

Buy now: $396.99

Lensbaby Velvet 85mm f1.8

In our review, we said:

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

“The Lensbaby Velvet 85mm f1.8 is a great lens in so many ways. It’s surely an improvement over the previous offering and it fantastic for portrait photographers. If you’re a fan of the classic lenses in terms of build quality and image quality, it’s going to be very difficult to get something better than this.”

Buy now Fujifilm: $499.95

Get yours now M4/3: $499.95

Buy now Sony E: $499.95

A Full-Frame Mirrorless camera with a Foveon sensor makes more sense than the new Sigma FP-L.

The Sigma FP-L is a confusing camera. Its pricing is a bit high. It has presumably the same sensor as the Sony A7RIV. The original FP is a much better cinema camera. Also, the aforementioned Sony is a much better stills camera. I believe a Full-Frame Foveon Sensor camera in L-mount would make much more sense. Read on after the break to find out why.

The Foveon Sensor Is Great for Landscape and Studio Work

Foveon X3 sensor

I feel that Sigma should introduce a camera with more direction. The new Sigma FP-L is a jack of many trades but a master of none. A Foveon Sensor in a Mirrorless camera aimed at landscape and studio use makes sense. Foveon sensors forgo the traditional Bayer array. They instead use a verticle stack of photodiodes. Each layer in this stack corresponds with a different RGB color. As a result, this produces unmatched color reproduction. Some say that these cameras produce the most film-like images around. A Foveon sensor also typically provides a higher resolution. It’s possible that this camera could produce a higher resolution than the Sony A7RIV. To sum up, these traits mesh together to produce an awesome landscape or studio camera. What photographer isn’t chasing perfect color? This sensor could go a long way towards reaching that landmark.

A More Focused Camera Would Fit Nicely in the L-Mount Alliance

Bringing the Foveon sensor to Full-Frame would shake things up a bit. Most existing Full-Frame cameras use similar sensors. I’d love to see more variance in choice out there. Furthermore, this new camera would pair well with the FP or perhaps a Panasonic body. The FP-L fell short of being an excellent hybrid camera. A focused photo-centric camera in L-mount makes sense here. If paired with something like a Lumix S5, there is little that one would be lacking. Being in the L-mount alliance would make using two cameras less painful. Also, the ability to share lenses between bodies would go a long way. For the hybrid photographer, I feel this solution is more sensible than the FP-L.

Sigma Needs to Get the Ergonomics Right

Sigma has a history of designing quirky cameras. The ergonomics in all of their Mirrorless models leave something to be desired. However, Sigma did produce a DSLR called the Merrill. That camera was much more traditional. Sigma should either look back to that camera or something like the EOS R6 when designing their next body. Foveon cameras of the past have been slower to work with. Keeping that in mind, a slightly bigger body would be okay. A camera that spends a lot of time on a tripod doesn’t need to be tiny. Give us good customizable controls. Give us a comfortable grip. Some type of articulating screen would be great. Just please, Sigma, don’t give us another small box with a smaller grip. I’m looking at you, sd Quattro.

New Tech Could Make a Full-Frame Foveon Sensor Camera Amazing

Former Foveon Mirrorless cameras had a reputation for being slow and clunky. The autofocus was rather slow and simple. They weren’t blazing fast in terms of fps. You bought one of them for the sensor. However, there have been leaps in technology since the Quattro H was introduced. Also, Sigma being in the L-mount alliance could prove helpful. Perhaps they could use more tech from their partners. Imagine those beautiful Foveon sensor colors used for sports and wildlife. It would be amazing if Sigma could stuff good autofocus, reasonable fps, and better ISO performance into this camera. It’s also worth noting that Sigma has had a lot of time to perfect this camera. In a statement by Sigma, they mention it has been in development since 2018. Hopefully, they haven’t been resting on their laurels in the time since.

In Conclusion

Sigma could have a real winner on their hands. A Full-Frame Foveon sensor camera could be just the niche to fill. This camera could satisfy a photographer looking for ultimate image quality. Partic...

Large corporations, publications, and photographers have long used Photoshop to manipulate the human form – people are fighting against it.

First of all, Photoshop isn’t at all a bad piece of software. It has been the foundation of photo editing for such a long time. And if used well, it can help creators blend imagery and imagination, making some interesting work in the process. But it’s also used in ways that I believe are unhealthy – especially when it comes to body identity.

The Photoshop Era

“Can you use Photoshop to change how I look?” It’s a question most photographers have heard – either directly or indirectly. Once word got out that software like Photoshop existed, people were happy to share their insecurities, and ask photographers to fix them in post.

Before reaching the masses, the idea of changing a persons body came from large brands and publications. Skin softening, waist tightening, and hip expanding became normal to the point it was widely accepted. A micro extension of that is the social media filter. Companies like Instagram and Snapchat realized people wanted to change how they looked, so they created a simple, one-click solution that allowed people to manipulate their appearance – without complex tools like Photoshop.

Of course, we know the consequence of this. Low self-esteem, jealousy, comparing oneself to fake body standards. All of this can lead to anxiety and depression – it’s a sad state for people to be in.

Computer Scientists Fight Back

So when a team of computer scientists came together, they had one mission – to call out image manipulation. On Cornell University’s website, they wrote:

“Most malicious photo manipulations are created using standard image editing tools, such as Adobe Photoshop. We present a method for detecting one very popular Photoshop manipulation — image warping applied to human faces — using a model trained entirely using fake images that were automatically generated by scripting Photoshop itself.”

“We show that our model outperforms humans at the task of recognizing manipulated images, can predict the specific location of edits, and in some cases can be used to “undo” a manipulation to reconstruct the original, unedited image. We demonstrate that the system can be successfully applied to real, artist-created image manipulations.”

Ironically, Adobe – the company behind Photoshop – teamed up with the group to help launch the software on a mainstream scale. Adobe announced it was coming back in 2019, but it’s yet to materialize fully. Likely because these things take time and, of course, because of the pandemic.

I was recently reminded of this software, and it got me thinking: how would it be used on a grand scale?

Freedom to create

I’ve long been on the side of freedom of speech. With that should be the freedom to create art and content. But the older I get, and the more I see what a mess society is in at times, I begin to think we should control certain things.

For example, a profitable business that uses models should not be able to manipulate the shape of an individual. And tabloids shouldn’t be allowed to do any photo editing at all of candid photos. Celebrating a fake body is harmful, and I believe we should try to eradicate it from society.

Tools like the one mentioned above can help keep corporations and publications remain accountable. The “Can you use Photoshop to change how I look?” era needs to die – quickly. As does the silly filters people put on their photos – which they then publish to dating apps and other social platforms.

Humans are beautiful, and we should celebrate that. If stronger regulations and image manipulation detection can help us do that, then I’m all for it!

Photoshop wasn’t used for the editing of the lead image.

The 2021 World Press Photo Category Winners have been announced. And here’s a look at the gear they used to get the work done!

Today, the 2021 World Press Photo Category winners are being announced. These journalists risked their lives in a pandemic to tell lots of different stories. Some of them are pandemic-related. But depending on where you are in the world, you probably haven’t seen these images. I know here in America that much of these photos haven’t made the rounds. And that’s part of what makes this even more fascinating.

A Quick Analysis of the 2021 World Press Photo Category Winners

Last year, we did a fuller analysis of the overall winners. And right now, we’re looking at category winners. This seems to be a much more narrow selection, but still an important one. So this is sort of an Apples to Oranges comparison. In contrast to last year’s winners, there are more phones for sure. This could be a sign of the times. I’m not sure if phones are just getting better, or they’re becoming more accepted. The winners who used their phones aren’t using the latest and greatest. And of course, we shouldn’t forget about the photojournalistic stance on no-editing.

First and foremost, these folks deserve major congratulations. No matter the gear that they used, they’re risking their lives. As I went through the images, I found myself screaming, “Jeez!” It probably upset my neighbors who think I’m a crazy man at 8AM EST when I’m writing this. But one must consider that we are privileged enough to be able to see these experiences. We’re shielded behind a screen and fiberwire. Then there is the culling process that both the photographers and editors did. To my knowledge, no one is using AI yet to make edits. And no AI I think can replace or replicate the human reaction. When a robot can genuinely react as if its heart is racing or let out a sincere gasp, I think we’ll change a bit.

And overall, the point of this is to remind folks that cameras of all types can do great things in anyone’s hands. So here are some major points:

Canon DSLRs remain great tools. So too do Nikon DSLRs.

The Leica M mount system should absolutely never be discredited. Lots of reviewers like to scoff at it. So too do photographers. But the images it can create are fascinating.

DJI’s drones are powerful tools.

The Fujifilm GFX series is gaining ground. I personally never thought that it was fast enough for photojournalism, but that’s changing with firmware updates. X series is also still strong.

Not a single Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, or Pentax camera is on this list.

Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras weren’t in much use. Fujifilm, Canon, and Leica remain top dogs there despite sales numbers.

Adapting lenses is still sort of popular.

As far as lenses go, folks tend to like the first party gear. However, Sigma was used in one instance.

The Nikon D700 is a camera that’s over a decade old, and still does a great job.

Now here’s a list of the cameras used. We’re using this section to link back to our previous reviews of these cameras for your further research.:

Fujifilm XT1

Fujifilm XT2

Fujifilm X100F

Canon 5D Mk IV

Nikon D850

Nikon D700 (this camera came out even before I started The Phoblographer over 11 years ago.)

Leica M

Leica M10

Fujifilm GFX 50R

Fujifilm GFX 50S

Iphone 6s

Now, let’s take a deeper look at the photos and the gear used!

Pablo Tosco (No Camera Information Shown)

Nahed (no quiere dar su nombre completo): tiene 9 hijos (6 niñas y 3 niños) y se dedica a la pesca como medio de vida. Tiene una embarcación que pudo comprar gracias a que tuvo ingresos vendiendo su pescado. Gracias a Oxfam pudo comprar las herramientas para trabajar en el mar (una red, boyas, etc). Sale todas las mañanas a pescar, se levanta sobre las 3 de la madrugada y sale al mar, a veces va sola porque prefiere que sus hijos se queden a hacer otras actividades durante la mañana. Es una mujer fuerte pero a veces cuando el mar está agitado o hay tormenta siente miedo. Cuenta ...

The DJI Air 2S is going to be the one that makes photographers want to really pay attention.

If I were to think about all the things I want from a drone, then the DJI Air 2S would come closest to the perfect one. What’s perfect? RAW shooting capabilities is high on the priority list. Same with a large sensor of at least 1-inch in size. And of course, the drone needs to be lightweight. And for photographers, the DJI Air 2S is ticking off all those boxes. If you’ve ever wanted a small, lightweight drone that did all that, then this is it. What’s more, you can use it with the new FPV system.

Too Long, Didn’t Read

The DJI Air 2s is a fantastic drone that honestly does everything most photographers would need. They’re targeting it at consumers and passionate photographers that want RAW. They’re also giving you a large 1-inch sensor that’s probably the same as in Sony’s cameras. The DNG raw files make a huge difference later on. It’s not under 249 grams, so you’ll need to register it. But that’s a small inconvenience for what’s otherwise an incredibly fun experience.

Pros and Cons

Pros

RAW shooting capabilities

Manual exposure; or just about as manual as a phone allows you

Image stabilization

Beautiful colors

Easy to use and get started with

FPV capabilities are coming after launch

Cons

It’s over 249 grams, so you have to register it

Innovations

There’s nothing seriously, amazingly innovative about this experience. But it’s the first drone with a 1-inch sensor that lets you fly FPV style. It’s also DJI’s latest drone with a 1-inch sensor and RAW.

Tech Specs

20MP 1-inch sensor

5.4k video

RAW photo shooting

31 minutes of flight time

APAS 4.0 lets it be more or less autonomous

The latest iteration of Ocusync for transmission

Timed Photos mode

Panoramic mode

Ergonomics

The DJI Air 2s is more or less an upgrade from the Mavic Air 2. But they’re totally changing the naming structure. And it’s also not super lightweight. It’s more than light enough to go flying. Like most other drones, it’s got four arms. There’s also the camera on the front. Additionally, DJI put sensors up top that look sort of like eyes.

On the underside of the drone, you’ll find the very standard things about a DJI drone. Once you’ve seen one, you’ve more or less seen them all. The battery compartment is up top, and a few sensors are on the bottom.

The sides of the DJI Air 2s have small ports. You can access the internal contents via USB-C. There’s also a slot for a mini SD card.

There are lights all around the drone that help you see it a bit better in the dark or even in the day. There are also rear sensors that help with avoiding collissions.

Here’s a closer look at the camera mechanism. There’s a 1-inch sensor here.

When the drone lands, here’s what it looks like. The propellers are all detachable. During our testing, none of them broke.

Here’s what the DJI Air 2s looks like when it’s all folded up.

Build Quality

The DJI Air 2s is a lightweight, plastic drone. It needs to be for it to be able to fly. With that said, it’s not weather resistant. And I’d never recommend you taking it into inclement weather to fly. But the drone is light and built pretty well. However, expect to have propellors broken just as time goes on.

Autofocus

Let’s be real here, this is a drone! Autofocus doesn’t really matter, but DJI discusses it a bit in their press release. If you’re shooting and using a drone like you should, then this isn’t going to be any worry for you. If you’re using it as a glorified selfie stick, then scene recognition will kick in a bit. Either way, you don’t really have to worry about autofocus here.

Ease of Use

We played with an early version of the DJI Air 2s. If you’re experienced in the drone world, it’s the same as always. You download the app, connect your phone to the remote, activate the remote, turn on the drone, and go! When you’re doing everything legally, it shouldn’t be any sort of issue. But there are surely times you’ll probably end up deactivating...

The Fujifilm GFX100S can do a little of everything at a price that will please.

Let me start by saying that $5,999 is a lot of money for a camera, so it may not please everyone. However, there are many cameras around this price point that can do one thing really well, and that’s it. The Fujifilm GFX100S is different. Fujifilm has been innovating in the ‘larger than Full-Frame’ space for a while now. The Fujifilm GFX100S is a continuation of the fine work they have done thus far. If you’re deciding between high megapixel cameras and have around $6,000 to spend, you owe it to yourself to read our full review. Go on. You know you want to.

Too Long, Didn’t Read

The Fujifilm GFX100S is a fantastic camera loaded with features, including a 102 Megapixel sensor. With a new IBIS system, this Medium Format camera is just as comfortable on the streets as it is in a studio. Images are gorgeous, the ergonomics are great, and build quality is much improved over older models. It’s well priced at $5,999 and will appeal to many photographers.

Pros and Cons

Pros

The build quality is much better than the GFX100

Weather sealing

The new IBIS system is excellent

Good autofocus in good light

More detail in images than anyone could ever want

Great performance up to ISO 6400

The film sims are great as always. Nostalgic Neg is a nice inclusion

Nice grip and a well-placed thumb rest round out great ergonomics

Excellent price point for a ‘more than Full-frame’ camera (it’s $5,999)

Cons

Still no touchscreen menu system

Mediocre battery life

400MP Hi-Res image mode is meh

While the EVF is nice, it’s a step back from the GFX100

Gear Used

We used the Fujifilm GFX 100S with the Fujifilm GF80mm f1.7 R WR.

Tech Specs

All technical specifications have been taken directly from the official Fujifilm website:

102 megapixels 43.8×32.9mm CMOS Sensor

X processor 4 (4:2:0 10bit / 12bit ProRes Raw 4K/30p)

5.0fps Continuous Shooting with AF-C / 64Gb DRAM

New Smaller Shutter & IBIS in smaller & Lighter weight body

Up to 6.0 stops Sync. Lens/IBIS / 4K30p non-crop recording

100% Phase Detection AF up to -5.5EV @ F1.7/ F13~16

All of the features from X-T4 and GFX100

DIS for Movie / ProRes Raw 12bit Output

400 Megapixel Multiple Shot, Drone & Gimbal support

GFX S (shooting) style Body H150 x V104 x D44mm

New Battery NP-W235 in grip makes the body thinner

Weather and Dust resistant, Freeze Proof to -10°C

Initial Shipment: Feb/Mar 2021

Launch Price: US $5,999

FujiFilm GFX100S – Innovations

The Fujifilm GFX100s surprisingly doesn’t have many innovations to talk about. The sensor is great, but it’s not new. The new IBIS system is a leap forward for Medium Format cameras for sure; it’s much better than the IBIS in the GFX100. The GFX100S is smaller than the GFX100, but it’s about as big as a late model DSLR and roughly the same size as the GFX50S. Is it impressive? Yes, of course. New innovations over other models? Not so much. It doesn’t do anything differently other than having a ‘more than full-frame’ sensor with improved IBIS.

Fujifilm GFX100S – Ergonomics

Parts of the Ergonomics section have been taken from our First Impressions article.

This is the Fujifilm GFX100S in all its beautiful glory. Here’s the front of the camera. The grip is nice and pronounced. There is also a custom function button and the lens release here. Of course, most of this area is dominated by the giant mount.

Top Panel

First up on our journey is the top of the camera. There is a giant LCD screen on the right side. Along here are two programmable buttons, the exposure controls, the on/off switch, the shutter button, and an illumination button. On the other side is a mode dial. The latter will be welcome to many a photographer. In the middle of all this is the viewfinder. It doesn’t flip up, and it’s not removable.

Back Panel

Turn to the back of the camera, and you’ll find buttons and dials. Fujifilm kept the back very clean. You’ll find five controls in total along the back of the top panel and anoth...