Συλλέκτης ροής

Radical amphibious camper voyages to wilds no other RV can reach

Gizmag news -

Fully-equipped overland rigs will get you past all manners of earthen obstacle to beautiful, rarely-seen patches of terra firma, but any large body of water will stop them dead in their tracks. On the other hand, the water's edge is where the fun gets started for the StabiX 250, an amphibian purpose-built for plunging forward on land-sea adventures and turning unpeopled islands into private base camps. Part boat, part all-terrain terrestrial rover and part camper, the innovative 250 supports adventures like few to no other vessels ever conceived. Off-roading becomes off-landing, and overlanding turns over-watering.

Continue Reading

Category: Marine, Transport

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Settings to change on your new Sony camera

Digital Photography Review news -

Modern cameras are complex and they all benefit from some degree of setup and customization. We've already taken a look at some of the basic things you might want to do immediately, but here we're going to dig a little deeper and describe the settings we always change when we use Sony cameras.

Sony changed the menu system on most of its cameras starting with the a7S III in 2020. All our screengrabs represent the newer menu layout but we've also described where the comparable options live in the old menu structure if you're using a camera with the tabs arranged along the top of the menu screen, rather than down the left-hand side.

Engaging AF-C

Sony cameras are set to AF-A mode, when you first start them up. This is a mode that automatically switches between single AF acquisition and continuous attempts to refocus, if it detects subject motion. Which sounds clever but prevents you from using one of your camera's best features: its autofocus tracking.

Focus Mode is found at the beginning of the AF/MF section of the menu and often in the Fn Menu. Once you've selected AF-C, you'll find that, at the bottom of the list of AF area types and shapes, you now have one with an arrow pointing to a button, at the lower right of the icon. This is a subject tracking version of the AF area represented, and you'll find that you have a tracking version of each of the camera's AF areas. Now, when you half-press the shutter or press AF-On to initiate focus, the camera will continue to follow and focus on the subject under the AF target, even if it moves or you move the camera.

AF-C generally works very well on Sony cameras, so it'll be rare that you have to switch to AF-S. The tracking is useful both for following moving subject and for letting you choose a subject to focus on before recomposing your shot.

Limiting the number of AF areas

Sony's approach to tracking is to create a separate, tracking instance of each of the camera's AF area modes, meaning your choice of AF areas typically jumps from 12 to 24, as soon as you engage AF-C.

Sony cameras with the newer menu system have an option to let you limit which AF areas you can access, so that you don't have to scroll through lots, each time you want to switch. We'd suggest using the camera for a bit, getting a feel for which AF area sizes and shapes work for you and your shooting, then limiting the camera to only show the ones you use, it makes everything cleaner and quicker to use.

You can find this in the AF/MF tab, in an option called "Focus Area Limit."

Electronic first curtain shutter

By default, most Sony cameras use an electronic first curtain shutter, turning the sensor on one row at a time, to initiate the exposure, then using a mechanical shutter to end it. Some models, such as the a7C series, don't have a set of mechanical shutter blades for starting exposures, so always use this mode.

This is generally a sensible approach, and helps make the camera a little more responsive. However, if you shoot very short exposures when using a lens set to a very wide aperture, it can cause the out-of-focus highlights to become chopped off. If you find yourself shooting wide-aperture photos outdoors, it's worth knowing how to engage the mechanical first curtain, if you camera has one. This can be found in the Shutter/Silent section of the camera menu on newer models or the Camera Settings 2 tab on older ones.

Setting the Auto ISO Minimum Shutter speed

Auto ISO can be a very useful way of shooting, but key to getting the most out of it, particularly in P or A exposure modes, is telling the camera what the slowest shutter speed you can tolerate is, so that it doesn't bump up the ISO sooner than it needs to.

ISO AUTO Min. SS can be found either in the Exposure tab on newer cameras or the Camera Settings 1 section of older ones. If you frequently use auto ISO, we recommend assigning the setting to a button or putting it in the FN menu for easy access.

You have two options: you can either select a specific shutter speed, which can be useful if you're trying to maintain a fast enough shutter speed to prevent your subject's movement being blurred. Or you can set an 'Auto' value, which sets a shutter speed limit based on your focal length. This is the best choice if your primary concern is camera shake, but remember to reset it afterwards to avoid unnecessarily limiting your camera's exposure speed.

The 'Std' setting will increase the ISO to maintain a shutter speed of 1/equivalent focal length (ie: 1/50 seconds if you're using a 50mm equiv lens). For steady shooters, there are Slow and Slower options, which will reduce the shutter speed by one or two stops compared to the standard setting. The Fast and Faster options will raise ISO to maintain a shutter speed that's one or two stops faster than standard, which we typically wouldn't recommend, as the camera may end up choosing exposures that are too fast with telephoto lenses, or too slow with wide ones.

Turning on Raw shooting

We'd generally recommend shooting Raw, because it gives you more editing flexibility later, if you want it. Sony is the only major brand that doesn't let you process its Raw files in the camera, so we'd suggest shooting Raw + JPEG. This can be set using the File Format setting: in the Camera tab on new cameras and Camera Settings 1 on older models.

Once this is set, there's a separate menu setting [RAW File Type] directly below File Format to choose what type of Raw file your camera shoots.

On older models, you'll typically have the following choices:

  • Uncompressed
  • Compressed

The Compressed option is much smaller, but uses a lossy compression system. The limitations of this system only become apparent at high-contrast edges if you make quite significant tonal adjustments. For most types of shooting, this won't particularly matter, but it's worth being aware of: if your photography involves really exploiting the camera's full dynamic range, you may wish to consider using the Uncompressed mode for shots you expect to have to process heavily.

Newer models have a Lossless compression option, which we'd recommend. These files aren't quite as small as the Compressed ones, but you won't encounter any nasty surprises, even if you push your files extensively. The only benefit to the Compressed mode is that your camera may be able to shoot faster bursts in this mode.

The very newest models have a different set of options:

  • Lossless
  • Compressed HQ
  • Compressed

We've not had time to test the new compression modes yet. As before, the Compressed option lets you shoot longer bursts, while the HQ version maintains greater quality. These two new compression options aren't widely supported by Raw conversion software yet, so we'd recommend using Lossless compression for now.

It's also worth noting that, while you can shoot Raw files alongside the newer HEIF format, if you want something with 10-bit color and more efficient than JPEG, you can't capture high dynamic range HEIFs and Raws simultaneously. The much more widespread support for JPEG means we'd stick with this.

Selecting which settings carry over from stills to video

Newer Sony cameras let you specify which settings carry over from stills to video shooting and which are configured independently. If you're using your camera to shoot both stills and video in the same sessions, we'd strongly consider adjusting these to make sure you don't accidentally shoot a load of stills at 1/50 sec shutter speeds or find yourself trying to color-correct clips in which Auto White Balance was constantly adjusting.

The option "Different Set for Still/Mv" can be found in the Setup / Operation Customize section of cameras with the newer, left-tabbed menus.

Customizing the camera to your needs

Sony is good at allowing lots of buttons to be customized and typically allows most of its menu options to be assigned to most buttons, rather than giving you a restricted option.

Older cameras let you customize the buttons using a menu option called "Custom Key" in the Camera Settings 2 section of the menu. You can set different settings for stills shooting, movie shooting and playback modes. In the new menu system, there are separate "Custom Key/Dial Set." menu items for stills, movie and playback modes. These live in the Setup / Operation Customize section.

The latest Sony cameras let you define different Fn menu layouts for stills and video shooting.

The Fn menu of the camera can be completely customized, with your choice of 12 functions that you use most often.

On older models this option [Function Menu Set.] can be found towards the end of the Camera Settings 2 section.

Newer cameras with the left-tabbed menus place it in Setup / Operation Customize. On these models it's called Fn Menu Settings and has the stills and movie icons next to it. On these cameras you can select define different Fn menus for stills and video shooting.

Extraordinary 4x4 micro-camper leaves off-road camper vans in its dust

Gizmag news -

Since the Ineos Grenadier launched in 2021, the overland aftermarket has been slowly building it into the competent all-terrain micro-camper its spiritual successor, the original Land Rover Defender, once was. But no one has done it quite like Storyteller Overland. The company puts to work the adventure RV craftsmanship it's honed on larger off-road camper vans and expedition trucks, but on a smaller scale. The Grand Bohemian arrives as a compact, go-anywhere micro-camper so versatile and purpose-focused, you wouldn't be wrong in describing a Swiss Army knife or Leatherman as "the Grand Bohemian of pocket tools."

Continue Reading

Category: RVs and Motorhomes, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: , , , , , ,

Tamron 35-100mm F2.8 Di III VXD sample gallery and impressions

Digital Photography Review news -

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Sony a7R V | Tamron 35-100m F2.8 | 35mm | F8 | 1/100 sec | ISO 100
Photo: Mitchell Clark

Last month, Tamron announced the 35-100mm F2.8 Di III VXD, a full-frame zoom lens that focused on offering a fair amount of reach and a fast aperture while still being compact and lightweight. We've had the chance to shoot with it a bit to get a feel for what it's like to use and how it performs.

The first thing that stands out about this lens is the weight. If you're used to shooting with a 24-70mm F2.8, this lens is noticeably smaller and lighter than most full-frame options. That's not to say that the focal length ranges are particularly comparable – they're not, especially on the wide end – but it's a good frame of reference.

The lens is quite small and light, which would make it a good pairing for some of the more compact full-frame bodies. It also includes a customizable mode switch and function button.

Despite the light weight, the lens feels solidly built. To my hands, the materials and design of the zoom and focus rings actually feel a touch nicer than other recent Tamron lenses that I've tried. While most wouldn't consider a $900 to be cheap by any stretch, it feels more premium than its price tag might suggest.

Paired with an a7R V, the autofocus was very snappy, and it never felt like the lens was holding back the camera.

The lens extends a bit when zooming in, but not enough to throw off the balance or meaningfully change the center of gravity.

While this isn't a full review of its optical quality, I was pleased with how sharp the samples I got with this lens were, even when I was shooting wide-open. As we've seen with many recent F2.8 zooms, especially ones that focus on size, it has a fair amount of vignetting at F2.8 and even still some at F4, but it largely clears up by F5.6. I also find the out-of-focus rendering to be perfectly fine; it's not distracting, and the falloff is pleasant enough, though if you inspect the specular highlights in the bokeh, there is some cats-eye effect.

Toward the edges of the frame, you'll start to see some cat's-eye bokeh. (Note that the lights on the left edge of the frame aren't being distorted by the glass cups.)
Sony a7R V | Tamron 35-100mm F2.8 | 100mm | F2.8 | 1/100 sec | ISO 500

In the past few years, we've seen companies playing focal length ranges, such as Sony's 20-70mm F4 and 24-50mm F2.8, so it's interesting to see someone experimenting in the other direction. However, we suspect many people who learned photography after the era of the 35-70mm might feel restricted by a lens that only barely dips its toe into the wide-angle range, especially if they were trying to use it as an all-around standard zoom.

However, I found I really enjoyed working with this zoom range, especially given the size and weight of the lens. I could easily see being happy with just it and a wide (or maybe even ultrawide) prime, though your mileage may definitely vary, especially if you're someone who often finds themselves wishing they could go wider than 24mm, rather than someone like me who often wishes they could reach past 70mm. In that respect, I prefer this to Tamron's own 28-75mm F2.8, as it feels like I get more for giving up something on the wide end (though obviously it's a greater sacrifice).

For most people, though, this lens might make more sense as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, a standard zoom, especially if their standard zoom is a variable-aperture kit option. It offers F2.8 and some of the most popular portrait focal lengths with more flexibility than a prime, and without the need to carry around a giant piece of glass like a 70-200mm.

Buy now:

Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing; we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.

Thank you to LensRentals for loaning us a Sony a7R V to shoot this lens gallery, and to Tamron for loaning us the lens. All images were processed using our standard lens workflow in Capture One, with the manufacturer's distortion correction applied but no vignetting correction. Before correction, the images have some minor pincushion distortion, but we wouldn't consider the profile to be an essential part of the lens design if you prefer not to use it, or your preferred software does not support lens corrections.

The wild side of nature with DPReview reader, Jagdeep Rajput

Digital Photography Review news -

A Playfight with two Asian Elephants

Canon EOS 400D w/ EF70-200mm f/2.8L USM @ 200mm | F2.8 | 1/400 sec | ISO 400
Photo: Jagdeep Rajput

DPReview community member Jagdeep Rajput, known as J Rajput in the wider community, is our latest spotlight in this series about what's in your camera bag. This series explores the gear our community members bring along on their photography journeys and shares the stories behind how that equipment helps them capture memorable moments.

Culminating from more than three decades of wildlife photography, below is Jagdeep's amazing story and photos, along with the gear used to capture them.

Submit your photos and story to be featured in 'What's in your bag?'

Meet Jagdeep Rajput (J Rajput)

Fujifilm X-T4 w/ XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR @ 100mm | F8 | 1/340 sec | ISO 320
Photo: Jagdeep Rajput

Home base: Delhi, India

Favorite camera and lens: Canon EOS R5 II paired with the EF 500mm F4 IS II – a powerful combination Jagdeep relies on for capturing distant wildlife and dramatic animal behavior in the field.

Typical photo scenes: Wildlife photography, especially large mammals and wetland birds in national parks and open natural habitats.

"I started photographing in the early 1980s, and over the years it has grown into a lifelong passion for observing and documenting wildlife."

Jagdeep is a wildlife photographer who enjoys working with small groups of like-minded friends. Most of his photography takes place in India’s national parks, where he spends a lot of time sitting still, patiently watching and waiting for the right behavior or interaction with animals to unfold.

Fight during courtship season

Canon EOS R5 w/ EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4x III | 700mm | F5.6 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 1250
Photo: Jagdeep Rajput

What's in Jagdeep's bag
  • Primary cameras: Two Canon EOS R5 II bodies
  • Lenses: RF 24–105mm F4 for versatility, RF 70–200mm F2.8 VCM for action and medium telephoto work, and a 100–400mm F5.6 for additional reach. For distant wildlife, Jagdeep relies on the EF 500mm F4 IS II, often paired with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters.
  • Support and accessories: A beanbag is an essential part of his kit, especially when shooting from vehicles in wildlife reserves. He also carries a close-focusing tube to allow tighter framing when subjects approach closer than expected.
  • Camera bags: Jagdeep prefers backpack-style camera bags, typically from Lowepro, Tamrac or Think Tank. For bird sanctuaries and longer walks, he uses a larger Tamrac backpack along with a tripod and gimbal head to support long lenses. When photographing from a vehicle, he relies on a beanbag for stability.
  • Other Essentials: A sun hat is always packed for field protection, and gloves come along during the cooler winter months.
Photo: Jagdeep Rajput What other gear makes a difference?

"I like to keep my setup fairly simple in the field, but a few accessories are always important. A beanbag is something I rely on often, especially when photographing wildlife from a vehicle, as it provides quick and stable support for long lenses. I also carry a close-focusing tube, which allows me to get tighter shots when an animal or bird comes closer than expected.

Other than that, I usually pack a sun hat to deal with the intense sunlight during long hours, and gloves during the winter months when mornings in the field can be quite cold."

Mock Charge of an Asian Elephant

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV w/EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 117mm | F5 | 1/400 sec | ISO 500
Photo: Jagdeep Rajput

What has been one of your most amazing moments out in the field?

While India remains his primary shooting ground, Jagdeep also travels to Africa, photographing wildlife in places like the Masai Mara, Amboseli and Tsavo. One of his most memorable moments occurred at Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur.

"Once, I went to Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, India, to photograph a nesting Sarus Crane. A Bluebull happened to venture close to Sarus's nest, the crane opened its huge wings and attacked the bull from behind. Since I liked to shoot animal behaviour, I pressed my continuous shutter, and the image I captured was unbelievable; it was 'Pegasus'."

A Territorial Call of Indian Sarus Crane

Canon EOS 5D Mark III w/ EF500mm f/4L IS USM| 500mm | F5.6 | 1/640 sec | ISO 160
Photo: Jagdeep Rajput

Jagdeep's advice for other photographers

"Good subjects are hard to find. If you come across one, don't give up easily. Go for a couple of exceptional frames rather than hundreds of good frames."

Discuss with Jagdeep his photography and gear in the forums.

If you’d like to share your photography setup, tell us about your main camera, lens choices, key settings and strategies. Your photos and story could be featured in the next article!

Editor's note: This article continues a series, 'What's in your bag?', highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself and your photography by filling out this form. If you're selected for a feature, we'll be in touch with next steps.

Submit your photos and story to be featured in 'What's in your bag?'

Σελίδες

Subscribe to ΠΛΗΡΟΦΟΡΙΚΗ συλλέκτης