Olympus E-PL3 with 14-42 Lens $199; Moving from Nikon to MFT?

I saw on 43rumors.com that the Olympus E-PL3 was being sold at Newegg for just $199 with the 14-42 kit lens included.  I checked it out and it was real.

The E-PL3 has been out since 2011.  It has a 12mp Micro 4/3 sensor.  DXO scored it only 499 for high ISO, just around one third of a stop better than the Sony RX100 (which measured 390), and about the same as the RX100 II (483).  Nothing to write home about for an MFT sensor.

 

However, note that the E-PL3 has a tilting LCD, built-in image stabilization, and face- and eye-detection autofocus.  It also has a hotshoe, though the sync speed is a miserable 1/160.

 

I've been curious abut the eye-detection AF of the E-M5 as reported by my friend MShafik, particularly in combination with a tilting LCD (as a waist-level finder) for street shooting.  At this price, this kit was just as inexpensive as a typical compact camera, so I figured in the worst case scenario it would be like a reasonably-priced compact camera with better high ISO capability than most compacts, albeit too large to be pocketable.  So yes I ordered one!  Will I end up migrating from full frame to MFT as MShafik did?  We'll see...

 

BTW I've bought from Newegg before, including two Fuji W3 cameras (one for myself and the other I gave to my brother) and I have no complaints about them.

 

Newegg's price is available only for the black color.  If you want the other colors, they are more expensive at Newegg.  OTOH Amazon has red or silver for around $250 (at least for now).  The white one's around $300.

 

FYI I'm not affiliated with Newegg and receive no commissions from them.  For the Amazon links here, we would receive a small commission at no cost to you.  As always, 100% of what we get will be donated to charity.  Thank you for your support.

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Sigma 18-35 1.8 Revisited; Where to Get It

Back in April of this year, Sigma surprised everyone by announcing the Sigma 18-35 f/1.8, the first zoom lens for a large sensor that had such a wide constant f/1.8 aperture.  Some even thought it was a late April Fool's announcement.  But it was real. 

 

Then people wondered what kind of image quality compromises we would have to put up with to get such a fast lens.  When DXO tested the lens in September, everyone was astounded that not only was the Sigma 18-35 the fastest zoom lens, it was also the sharpest APS-C zoom ever.  In fact, at its least sharp focal length, 35mm, it was almost as sharp as the legendary Sigma 35 1.4.

 

But at the end of the day, I decided not to get one.  The Sigma 18-35 1.8 on APS-C has a depth of field that is like a 24-50 f/2.8 on full frame, and I already had the excellent Nikon 28-70 f/2.8, plus the Sigma 35 1.4, and I would prefer either one to a 24-50 2.8 full frame lens.  So I passed on it.

 

Meanwhile I still enjoyed the Sigma 35 1.4.  It's super sharp at any aperture, has a distinctively shallow DOF, has gorgeous bokeh, and has a very versatile and useful focal length.  It's my second-favorite full frame lens (behind the Nikon 85 1.8G), only because the autofocus was inconsistent (sometimes accurate, sometimes not).  It didn't help that the Nikon D600 has a small AF area.  At the same time, using the 35 1.4 on the D600 precluded me from using the 85 1.8 on it at the same time.  So I started looking for other alternatives that would solve both autofocus issues, such as the Sony RX1 (which has 35mm f/2.0) or perhaps the Sony A7 or A7R (if they could get Sigma's support).

 

Enter the Sigma 18-35 1.8.

 

Apparently, the Sigma 18-35 has a trick:  it can be used on full frame at 35mm.  I've had APS-C lenses that were usable on full frame at longer focal lengths, such as the Tokina 11-16 2.8 and the Tokina 10-17.  I haven't seen that with any of my previous Sigma lenses, such as the Sigma 10-20, or 50-150 non-OS.  But someone posted a sample of the 18-35 @ 35mm on full frame (a Canon 5D2): http://www.flickr.com/photos/srontgorrth/9254611601/  

 

It looks pretty good!  If the Sigma 18-35 is usable on full frame, then I could use it by itself on the D600 if I want to use just 35mm, and its aperture would almost be as wide as the 35 1.4, and if I want a 2-lens setup, I could use the 85 1.8G on the D600 and the 18-35 on the D7000. :)  No I wouldn't get the same amount of background blur at 24mm f/1.8 on the D7000 as the 35 1.4 on full frame, but at least if I really wanted to have a blurred background I could use the 18-35 at 35mm f/1.8 on the D7000 (with a change in perspective).

 

My concern is how the corners look at 35mm on full frame.  On the Tokina 11-16, the corners were very soft on full frame.  On the Tokina 10-17 fisheye, the corners were marginal.  With the 18-35, the corners look at least usable at laptop viewing sizes (see the tire on the bottom right corner of the sample).  So this solution might actually work for me.

EDIT: saw this comparison of vignetting (the 28mm and 35mm no-hood look like they might be mixed up) http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Comparisons/Sigma-18-35mm-f-1.8-DC-HSM-Lens.aspx#FULLFRAME  Also, I couldn't evaluate the corner sharpness from these samples.

 

WHERE YOU CAN GET IT

 

The Canon mount of the Sigma 18-35 is readily available but the Nikon mount is hard to find right now.  It's available online but only gray market (therefore no support), or at significant premiums.  Meanwhile if you're interested in this lens you might check your local camera store.  In Los Angeles, Samys has it for the MSRP of $799 (plus tax).  Other local stores might have it as well.  I sold my Nikon 28-70 2.8 and actually placed a deposit on the 18-35, but I think I'm going to have to wait due to many big expenses (including property taxes).  When I can sell more of my stuff perhaps I will try it out.

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Speedlight Modifiers - 50% discount at Fotodiox

Fotodiox has a deal on speedlight modifiers, just for today.  The kit includes:

 

1x 18" Beauty Dish

1x 14" Hexagon Softbox

1x 6"x8" Diffuser Softbox

1x 6"x8" 50 Degree Light Grid

1x 10 Degree Snoot

1x 20 Degree Snoot

1x Popup Flash Diffuser

 

For today (12/5/13), the kit is $67.48, half off its regular price of $134.95.

 

I haven't tested any of them myself, but they seem similar to the Speedlight Pro Kit, which has been out for a few years now and does have samples, and was even tested by David Hobby.  There's also a more detailed review here.  Again, this Fotodiox kit is not Speedlight Pro Kit but looks pretty similar, so I think they probably function similarly.

 

Note: We're not affiliated with Fotodiox and receive no compensation for the links here.

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Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 Mini Review

 

My iPad is back, hurrah, now I can use the brilliant Blogsy app and post more frequently. It's a silver iPad Air with the handsome looking iOS 7 (although some apps still look old fashioned, and uses the old keyboard, hmm, like Blogsy for example).

 

Today I will show you a few of my favorite pictures taken with the Olympus 45 1.8, one of the best lenses you could ever get for your MFT camera. Hit the jump for the full post.

David & Goliath

 

When I first bought into the MFT system, I bought two primes, the Panaleica 25 1.4 as my all-round 50mm equivalent lens, and the Olympus 45 1.8 as my portrait lens, and to have some background blur when needed. I love longer lenses because of the compression they do, add a fast aperture for some background blur and you get some nice portraits. The lens cost me $399 new, while the famous 75 1.8 cost $900. I decided to get the cheaper one.

 

From left: 12-50, 40-150, 25 1.4, 45 1.8

 

P.S. Excuse the mediocre quality of the product shots, I took them a very long time ago and I am too lazy to go take better ones. Here's one last product picture.

Compared to the RX100

 

As you can see, the lens is extremely tiny, one of the many reasons I like it. It has a 37mm filter thread, that's the same size as a large coin. It is made of high quality plastic, and has a metal mount, it feels solid enough. The focusing of this lens is blistering quick, it never hesitates or hunts, ever.

 

Now let us talk about images, the lens is very sharp wide open with almost no chromatic aberrations except in the most extreme situations. It doesn't ship with a lens hood, and it can lose some contrast when shooting directly into the sun, but what lens doesn't. The most impressive factor about this lens is it's background rendition, it has some of the nicest background blurs I've ever seen, in any situation. It reminds me of my Canon 100L f/2.8 Macro, just smooth pleasing backgrounds.

 

Wide open, background was less than one meter behind the subject

 

I don't know what to say else about the lens other than that it is an exceptional lens, sold for an exceptional price, and it is a must for any MFT user shooting such a focal length.

 

Now I will leave you with some images, I apologize for the lack of different subjects, but 80% of the images shot with this lens are of my family, and most of them are personal and can't be posted here. I hope these will do.

 

Street portrait, f1.8, 1/15 sec, ISO 5000, hand held

 

Drinking juice, wide open

 

Cold, wide open

 

Party, wide open, bounce flash

 

Polish plant, wide open

 

Cinematic, wide open

 

Swing, wide open

 

Wondering look

 

Nail polish

 

Fountain portrait

 

Trip computer

 

I hope you enjoyed the images, and I hope I will be posting more, now that I have an iPad once more.

 

Posted with Blogsy

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Evening Portraits with Flash

I hope you're having a great Thanksgiving weekend.  My parents came to visit and we had dinner at a resort called Terranea in a suburb of Los Angeles.  I took a few shots, and this time I used flash.  I'll discuss the approaches I used for three scenarios: sunset, an outdoor dinner, and a fireplace.


SUNSET

To ensure that the colors of the sunset would be captured, I exposed for the highlights (in this case, by selecting Active D-Lighting to Extra High).  I used aperture priority with Auto ISO on.  I chose an aperture of f/2.8 to get a little more depth of field for our group shot.  The shutter speed was 1/160 (should have been 1/200, the sync speed - oh well).  With Active D-Lighting on Extra High, the D600 would make sure that all relevant highlights would be preserved.

Because I exposed for the highlights, the subjects and foreground would be seriously underexposed:

Moreover, to bring out the colors of the sky, I needed to bring down the exposure which would further underexpose the subjects and foreground.  In the all-ambient shot above, that's what I did (-1.91 EV), then I just maxed out the shadow slider in Lightroom:

Unfortunately a large part of the sky is blown out.  I guess the ISO was too high (ISO 2000) which reduced the dynamic range and clipped some highlights. The perils of Auto ISO...

For the next shot I used flash, to bring up the exposure of the subjects and foreground.  I bounced to a wall about 15 feet behind me using my SB-800.  I would have preferred to bounce to camera left or right which would make more sense based on the direction of the sun, but there were no bounce surfaces there.  (There was a window to camera right, but that would have just looked like the direct light of the flash rather than bounced flash.)

With respect to exposure, aperture was still f/2.8, shutter still 1/160.  This time the ISO was 800. Perhaps the camera figured that because I was using flash, it didn't need to use such a high ISO to maintain shadow detail  (actually, because of the D600's excellent shadow recovery, I could have used ISO 800 in the previous shot and still retained all the shadow detail while also maintaining highlight detail).  Here was the result.

Much too bright, but all the highlight and shadow detail is there.  In post, I decreased the exposure to bring out the color of the sunset.  The flash was too white, so I warmed up the color temperature to make it look more like the light of sunset.

I used a similar approach in the next two shots, although this time I decreased the exposure by -0.7 EV and the flash by -1.3 FEC, and -2.3 FEC in the second shot:

BTW my wife went back to school, so I don't have time for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu anymore, that's why my belly came back. :(

DINNER

We had dinner at an outdoor patio of the restaurant.  With the f/1.4 aperture of the Sigma 35, there was actually no need for flash even in the dim light.

Marcus Tyson.  f/1.4, 1/160, ISO 6400.

f/1.4, 1/160, ISO 8063

Nonetheless I was curious to see if I would be able to use flash.  I sat across my mom, and behind her was the only wall I could bounce off from, which would not have illuminated her face.

Here, I bounced to the tree behind me.  Surprisingly I got ample light:

f/1.4, 1/160, ISO 400 +1.3EV

Check out the window which shows the flash bouncing from the tree.  The bounced light was greenish but could be adjusted in post.  I also had to adjust the exposure by 1.3EV but the result was quite usable.

There were also heaters beside the table, and I also tried bouncing from the upper part of a heater to camera left:

f/1.4, 1/160, ISO 400 +3EV

I got much less light this time, needing +3EV in post, but the flash definitely contributed light.  Here is an all-ambient shot for comparison:

f/1.4, 1/160, ISO 2800 +3EV

I'm not suggesting you use flash for the sake of using flash. But it's good to know you have that option even in unlikely places.  At the same time, we should be aware of situations when all-ambient is just fine.

FIREPLACE

After dinner, we took some shots beside some outdoor fireplaces.  For this next shot, I used manual exposure.

I set the aperture at f/2.8 for depth of field. If I had been using a longer lens I probably would use a narrower aperture but at 35mm focal length, at a full body distance from the subjects, and at laptop viewing sizes, f/2.8 was adequate.  I set the shutter speed at 1/125. Slower than that could result in blur if the subjects are illuminated with a mix of ambient and flash.  I turned off Auto ISO then adjusted it until the ambient was just slightly underexposed (-0.3 or -0.7). I set it to 1100 ISO.  I bounced the flash off a wall about 20 feet above and behind, on camera right.  Because I didn't want the flash to look too conspicuous, I reduced it by -2 FEC.  I used the D600 self-timer to fire off 9 shots.  On some shots, the SB-800 could not recycle fast enough, so in the next shots I increased the ISO to 3200.

In post, I increased the exposure +0.6 EV (+0.48 EV in the latter shot), and I warmed up the cold light of the flash to make it look like firelight.

I used the same approach and settings for the following shot.

This time I bounced on a wall about 20 ft. above, about 10 ft. behind me, camera left.  Note that dark "shadow" above the fireplace is soot, not a shadow. :)

That's pretty much all there is to it.  Thanks for dropping by and Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.

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Nikon J1 $199; Other Best Camera Deals for Black Friday Weekend

Nikon J1 with 10-30 lens $199 at B&H. Recall that the J1 has a 1-inch sensor like the RX100, so this might be a compact alternative with great high ISO performance (though it's not as pocketable).  DPReview says the high ISO performance is about as good as 12mp m4/3 sensor, and I would agree based on DPR's studio scene test.  Other interesting features: fast and accurate hybrid AF; 60fps raw burst.  Here is the DPR review.

I'll continually update this space with other deals that I find for this Black Friday weekend.

Sandisk Extreme 45mbps.  16GB SDHC $16.99 or 32GB SDHC $24.99 at Amazon.

Pentax WG-10 (shockproof and waterproof) $119 at Target.  14mp BSI sensor.  I'm thinking of buying one for my kids.  Another possible candidate is the Olympus TG-630 (I like the colors better underwater; 12mp BSI).

Nikon S100 (gold). $89 at B&H with free shipping.  This might be a good gift for someone who's not a photographer and just wants the slimmest camera.  Features a touchscreen.

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Price drops!!! Olympus XZ-2, Pentax MX-1. And about the Casio EX-10

I just noticed a huge price drop on the Olympus XZ-2 (previously $500 now under $400) and Pentax MX-1 (previously $500 now under $300).  Perhaps it is not entirely a coincidence but Casio recently announced a new camera, the EX-10, which appears to share the same sensor and the same lens with the XZ-2 and MX-1: a 12mp 1/1.7" BSI (backside illumination) CMOS sensor, and a fast 28-112 equivalent f/1.8-2.5 lens.

Even before the price drop, I had been interested in the XZ-2 and MX-1 for reasons discussed below.
I'm interested in the Casio as well and I'll tell you why.




As I mentioned, I had been interested in the XZ-2 and MX-1.  Both of them have a larger-than-average sensor that is also backside-illuminated.  Backside-illuminated sensors are able to collect more light.  For example the Sony RX100 and RX100 II have similar-sized sensors except that the RX100 II sensor is backside illuminated, and is claimed to have 40% improvement in low-light sensitivity.  As for the XZ-2 and MX-1, I used the DPR comparison tool and the raw files seem almost 1 stop better than those of the Lumix LX7 and XZ-1 which have similar-sized sensors.

Moreover, the XZ-2 and MX-1 have a pretty fast f/1.8-2.5 zoom lens.  With the slightly larger sensor and fast aperture, they compare favorably against other compact cameras, providing essentially the same effective aperture as the Fuji X20 with its larger 2/3" inch sensor.

Speaking of the lens, DPReview found the lenses to be sharp, and the Pentax MX-1 has earned a silver award from DPR in its full review.  (The XZ-2 hasn't been fully reviewed yet but was noted for having very similar image quality in a studio comparison.)

Besides probably sharing the same sensor and the lens, the three cameras also have a tilting LCD, which I think is very useful for street photography (similar to a waist-level finder) and for capturing more candid expressions in family photos.

Although they share many things in common, there are important differences between the three cameras.

PENTAX MX-1
The Pentax MX-1 is in my opinion the most stylish of the three.  It also has a genuine brass upper and bottom plate that will wear more gracefully.

The MX-1 has a green button like some Pentax DSLRs.  The green button has some useful functions.  If you use Program shift, pressing the green button resets to the normal Program mode.  When spot metering in manual mode, pressing the green button will give you a normal exposure for the spot-metered target.

One disadvantage of the MX-1 is that it only has one command dial.  The XZ-2 and EX-10 also have a single command dial but they also have a control ring / function ring that works like a second command dial.

Here is DPReview's review of the MX-1.

OLYMPUS XZ-2
The Olympus is unique in having a touchscreen with a Tap to Focus and Shoot function (like the E-M5).  See this video.  I think the value of having such a function is in being able to choose the focus point much more quickly.

The XZ-2 also has a hotshoe.  Although some people think a hotshoe is overkill for a small camera, I personally think a hotshoe is quite useful for a pocket camera like the XZ-2 because of the unlimited sync speed.  (I have an LX5 and found the hotshoe useful.  See here).

Among the three cameras, the XZ-2 is also the only one to allow a viewfinder accessory (but it's not cheap).  It could be handy when shooting in very bright conditions.

As mentioned above, the XZ-2 has only command dial (rear) but it has a control ring that can be used to change the aperture or other functions.

CASIO EX-10
Finally we come to the Casio, a new player in the enthusiast camera segment.

My very first digital camera (around 2004) was a Casio, and I still have the Casio EX-V7 which I got in 2007, and it still works today.  What I like about Casio is that they usually have innovative features.  For example, the EX-V7 (and many other Casio cameras) have a function called "Past Movie".  When you use this, it starts the video recording 5 seconds before you press the shutter (it's actually continuously recording and overwriting a buffer).  Some Casios have a similar function for continuous shooting where you can choose a shot before you press the shutter, called Prerecord Continuous Shutter.

What I didn't like about Casio is that the high ISO performance was just average, and the lenses had small apertures. Therefore it was mediocre for low light.  However, the EX-10 now addresses the sensor and lens issues.

Fortunately at least some of Casio's innovative features (including the Prerecord Continuous Shutter) will be included in the EX-10. Other interesting modes include a simulated wide angle (where you can 'paint' a larger field of view), all-in-focus macro (automatic focus stacking), and simulated background blur for portraits (regarding this latter feature, here is a sample - not perfect, but good enough for casual shots; another sample here).

In addition to having some interesting modes, the EX-10 is one of Casio's "HS" (high-speed) cameras. The HS cameras are supposed to have very fast startup time.  It also has up to 1000fps video for super slow motion.

The EX-10 may have a shutter speed as slow as 250 seconds (compared to 60 seconds for the XZ-2 and 30 seconds for the MX-1) in manual exposure mode.  See here.  It also has a bracketing mode that can change two variables over 9 frames (such as white balance and exposure).

In terms of control, the EX-10 features a rear command dial and a function ring (like the XZ-2).  For street photography, there is a button on the front that can facilitate taking waist-level photos with the tilting LCD (or can be assigned to other functions).  Speaking of which, the XZ-2's LCD can flip up to 180 degrees (for selfies).  When flipped to 180 degrees, the XZ-2 has a built-in stand that can support the camera vertically, with the shutter triggered by a gesture.

EPILOGUE
So if you're in the market for a compact camera for those times when an interchangeable-lens camera is just too large, then you may want to consider these three cameras.  At the time of this writing, the XZ-2 is available for $388 and the MX-1 is available for $289 (black) or $249 (silver).  The EX-10 is available only in Japan and we don't know yet if it will be sold in the US.  Please note that these links are for our Amazon Affiliate account, which allows you to support our blog without any cost to you.  100% of proceeds will be donated to charity.  For December 2013 we'll donate everything we get to the Red Cross for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan.  Thank you for your support!

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