Samyang 12mm f/2 NCS CS lens review with samples

8 Lessons Learned When I Photographed a Total Solar Eclipse (Explora).
A week in switzerland (SonyAlphaForum).
photographing parkour with the Sony a9 (Dpreview).
Sony 16-35mm GM test at SonyAlphaLab.
Phillip Reeve rolling review of the Voigtlander 65mm FE lens.
How to Piss Off a Photographer (Lok)

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You can finally preorder the new Aurora HDR which comes for both Mac and Windows at Macphun (Click here). This is the first time you get the software for windows too. A big step towards Adobe independency :)

Here is the press text:

About Aurora HDR:

Aurora HDR is not just a tool for merging bracketed images, it also provides numerous tools and countless options to create perfect HDR photos for every taste – from one-click presets and advanced tone-mapping, to layers, noise reduction and powerful luminosity masking controls.

Offer Availability:

Aurora HDR 2018 will be availabe for pre-order on September 12, and released on September 28.

Pre-Order Pricing:

• Current users of Aurora HDR may upgrade at a special pre-order price of $49 ($59 MSRP)
• New users can purchase Aurora HDR 2018 at a special pre-order price of $89 ($99 MSRP)
• A collection of bonuses will also be included with every purchase.

Pre-Order Bonuses:

• Trey Ratcliff Deep Dive video
• Travel Photography Tutorial by Matt Granger
• Source Brackets
• 3-month Zenfolio Pro website, including a complementary design consultation. $60 value.

What’s new in Aurora HDR 2018:

NEW YORK, September 12, 2017 – Sony Electronics, a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer, has today announced several updates related to their Sony Imaging PRO Support organization.

Sony’s organization to support working professional photographers and videographers now features a domestic 24/7 call center and new walk-in service centers in New York City and Los Angeles. Additionally, Sony Imaging PRO Support has launched a full in-the-field technical team to support professionals across all of North America. The team is providing in-the-field service and on-site depot support at major sporting events such as the U.S. Open and PGA Championship, media events and shows across North America, offering camera cleanings, evaluation loaners, education and seminars.

Also announced today is the launch of Sony Imaging PRO Support Canada, offering all of the benefits of the program to pros throughout the Canadian market.

Membership to Sony’s Imaging PRO Support organization has grown over 40% year over year in North America, while consistently striving to minimize customer costs and maximize efficiency and turnaround time for all repairs and services.

“Our team is fully committed to building an ecosystem that supports the needs of digital imaging professionals today and tomorrow,” says Sony VP Neal Manowitz. “We are focused on reducing downtime, removing costs and improving overall satisfaction. New walk-in locations, a 24/7 domestic hotline and a field team supporting event depots are just a few of the many steps we are taking to provide the best-in-class solutions for professionals.”

These updates come on the heels of the introduction of Sony’s new flagship α9 camera earlier this year. Featuring the world’s first1 full-frame stacked CMOS sensor with 24.2MP2 of resolution, blackout free, completely silent shooting3 at up to 20 fps4 with full autofocus, a 693 point focal plane phase detection AF system and more, the α9 is revolutionizing the professional imaging market.

Existing benefits of the Pro Support program including dedicated email and call support, expedited three-day repair turnaround time, evaluation loaners, up to three free camera and lens maintenance services per year, complimentary shipping fees for repairs and access to a variety of exclusive members only events held throughout the year.

Those interested in joining Sony’s premium care program can visit www.alphauniverse.com/prosupport to apply. After the online membership form is submitted and approved, a member of the Sony Imaging PRO Support team will contact applicants directly to discuss the program’s benefits in detail.

Those interested in visiting a walk-in Sony Imaging PRO Support center can visit the Los Angeles location at 2706 Media Center Drive, Ste. 130, Los Angeles, CA 90065, phone (323) 352-5007, or the New York location at Photo Tech, 360 W 36th Street, New York, NY 10018, phone (212) 673-8400.

Notes:
1, As of September 2017
2, Approx. effective
3, Electronic shutter mode. At apertures smaller than F11 (F-numbers higher than F11), focus will not track the subject and focus points will be fixed on the first frame. Display updating will be slower at slow shutter speeds.
4, “Hi” continuous shooting mode. The maximum frame rate will depend on the shooting mode and lens used. Visit Sony’s support web page for lens compatibility information.

Thanks “Donotunplug”…I will not yet :)

Phase One worked with Sony to create this custom-made new Trichromatic 100MP digital back. Phase One says it is “designed to capture color as perceived by the human eye“. What’s also cool is that it has an impressive Low ISO of 35!

Our reader Conurus explained what’s so special with this:

This is Bayer with better color filtration. The red channel is only red with little green mixed in, ditto for the green, blue channels.
Anyone with experience with color filter in the good old days of black and white film photography knows that you can make the color filter be “purer” and does a better job of rejecting unwanted colors, but this will result in greater light loss. Applied to digital sensors this means you can always sacrifice high-ISO performance in return for better color fidelity. For the clientèle of a medium format system like this, this trade-off makes perfect sense.

Press text:

Introducing the Phase One IQ3 100MP

Trichromatic Digital Back
The art of expression. The science of color.

COPENHAGEN, September 13, 2017 – Phase One today announced the Phase One IQ3 100MP Trichromatic Digital Back, based on a new CMOS sensor designed to capture color as perceived by the human eye. The new sensor technology in the IQ3 100MP Trichromatic Digital Back is the brainchild of a longstanding collaboration between Sony and Phase One. The result is astonishing color definition – with which champions of photography are able to create and express their artistic visions more accurately than ever before.

In this way, Phase One’s latest product brings unsurpassed color quality to the hands of the finest photographers across the globe.

The 100MP CMOS sensor in the IQ3 100MP Trichromatic Digital Back incorporates new Bayer Filter color technology, the result of Phase One’s close working relationship with Sony. Available exclusively through Phase One, this new technology transforms digital color capabilities to render color more authentically than ever – giving the world’s foremost photographers 101-megapixels of unprecedented creativity.

Click on the following link to learn more about the Phase One IQ3 100MP Trichromatic Digital Back: www.phaseone.com/trichromatic

“As a photographer, one of the things that excites me the most is having the opportunity to use color to evoke emotion. The Trichromatic Camera System itself becomes a true extension of my vision, and what my eye sees and what my eye wants to express – the camera delivers.” – Tony Hewitt, Fine Art Photographer

This pioneering sensor design has also established the lowest and therefore cleanest base ISO of any medium format CMOS sensor. At an impressive ISO 35, the results of the IQ3 100MP Trichromatic are crisp and clean, providing the absolute lowest digital noise for any CMOS system of its size.

“The ability to capture an image that reflects exactly what you see the moment you press the shutter button, with little interpretation or conjecture, is a fantastic leap for photography and more importantly, for the integrity of image quality,” said Niels Knudsen, Phase One Image Quality Professor.

Availability and Pricing:

The IQ3 100MP Trichromatic Digital Back is available now through Phase One Partners: www.phaseone.com/partners. Contact your local Phase One Partner to arrange a demo.
The Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price for the IQ3 100MP Trichromatic Digital Back is $44,990 USD.
The Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price for the XF IQ3 100MP Trichromatic Camera System, including XF Camera Body, free Prime Lens choice and a 5-year warranty is $49,990 USD.
All Phase One XF IQ3 Camera Systems are supplied with a free lens of choice from the Schneider Kreuznach Blue Ring Prime Lens range, valued up to $6,990 USD.
Phase One also announced their Feature Update #4 today, which is available immediately for downloaded free of charge for all XF Camera System owners at www.phaseone.com/Feature-Update-4
For more details, please go to: http://www.phaseone.com or book a demo on: www.phaseone.com/DemoSignup