Anthony Morganti tested the new Luminar AI (preorder here). The software is made for full AI and will be released soon.

Preorders: BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon, FocusCamera. Calumet DE. Foto-erhardt DE. Fotokoch DE. Wex UK. Park UK.

Dpreview tested the new Sony A7c and concluded:

The Sony a7C is gives up very little in the way of features in order to achieve its small size. Its image quality is very good and its AF is excellent, but its small viewfinder takes away from the experience a little. Its video and menus aren’t as polished as its rivals but its size and battery life make for a powerful combination.

The a7C’s appeal can really be summed-up in a single phrase: ‘full-frame image quality in a compact body’. When using the a7C it’s easy to forget the size of the sensor that Sony has packed inside it, and while there are frustrations (the viewfinder experience is adequate but not amazing, and I wish there was a front control dial) having this kind of quality in a genuinely small camera is extremely attractive.

Skylum posted this new video showing how their new Landscape AI edits your images automatically on the new Luminar AI (preorder here).

Useful links
LuminarAI homepage – https://skylum.com/luminar-ai
Frequently Asked Questions – https://skylum.com/luminar-faq/ai/general
Preorder – https://skylum.com/checkout/luminar-ai/nu

Opticallimits tested the Samyang AF 18mm f/2.8 FE and concluded:

The Samyang AF 18mm f/2.8 FE isn’t the silver bullet in its segment but given its size and also price tag this can’t be expected anyway. If you are aware of its limitations, it can still be an excellent tool. While it isn’t the last word on corner sharpness at f/2.8, the question is whether it’s required for on your usage pattern. It’s not ideal for astro photography but sharp corners aren’t really needed for shallow depth-of-field photography. Stopped down, the image quality is actually very decent across the image frame so applications such as landscape photography or city scenes are certainly possible with pretty impressive results. The amount of lateral CAs is about average but can easily be corrected in post. Image distortions are moderate for such a lens even in RAW format. An unsurprising weakness – given the small front element – is vignetting. It’s very heavy at f/2.8 and not brilliant at medium aperture settings either. Auto-correction reduces this a bit but some light falloff remains. We didn’t run our formalized bokeh tests but based on the field images, the quality is in line with other ultra-wide lenses – meaning that it can be a bit on the rough side.

We aren’t totally convinced by the build quality of this little Samyang lens. Formally there’s nothing wrong with it. There’s nothing shaky about it and it doesn’t change size during focusing. The focus ring is smooth, too. It just feels a little … cheap. The AF speed is Ok for such a lens but it takes a while before it finally settles.

It has to be pointed out that the Samyang AF 18mm f/2.8 FE is – by far – the most affordable option ultra-wide AF lens in Sony E mount. And it’s not only affordable but it also represents a great value proposition.

Samyang 18mm f/2.8 FE lens at BHphoto, Adorama.

Skylum is showcasing some of the new features on their Luminar AI page (test their effect sliders here). You also save 10 Dollars/Euro on your Luminar AI preorder.

Here are two new videos:

To use MFT lenses on a Sony Full Frame camera you can get this Fotodiox Micro 4/3 to Sony E-mount Adapter on BHphoto.

Here is how it works:

The Slanted Lens:

Does Pixel Shifting really work? Can the Pixel Shifting on the Olympus E-M1 Mark 3 Micro Four Thirds or the Sony a7R4 Full Frame match a Fujifilm GFX 100 Medium Format? Does Pixel Shifting make them comparable? See how the Fujifilm GFX 100, the Sony a7R IV and the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III stack up in this camera comparison.