This week, Sara Kempner gave us an introduction into using Auto ISO. Then, Bryan Esler told us why the Sony a7 III is still relevant in 2020.
Levi Sim reviewed the WANDRD FERNWEH backpack, while Darren Miles told us about the most criminally overlooked camera of 2020. Finally, Joy Celine Asto told us about a portrait project that captures the beauty of age, by Laura Zalenga.
Is the Sony a7 III still relevant in 2020? - 2020 has introduced us to several new mirrorless cameras. On the Sony side, there were tons of rumors over a successor to the popular a7 III camera. With the camera now over two years old, is it still a good buy? In a short word, yes. The a7 III is still a magnificent camera for pros and enthusiasts alike. Even with newer cameras on the market, the a7 III holds its own in a lot of different ways. Sony adopted mirrorless before the big guys (Canon and Nikon) really put effort into it, and it certainly shows. So what puts the a7 III over the top? Amazing autofocus This goes without saying. If you think your camera has great autofocus, you simply haven’t experienced Sony’s Eye AF system, which now works on animals as well as humans. It’s great when you’re trying to track a fast-moving subject, or one that’s unpredictable. Simply put, it’s allowed me to get photos I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to get before. Not only that — it ensures my portrait subjects are tack sharp, meaning that I don’t accidentally focus on their nose or forehead. Fast continuous shooting speeds One of the biggest things I look for in a camera is its shooting rate. As someone who shoots a plethora of genres, I often find myself needing to photograph in high bursts, with everything from theatre to bike races. The a7 III’s 10fps shooting rate is more than enough for what I need no matter the situation. Impressive low-light performance Hands down, the biggest reason why I purchased the a7 III was I wanted the ability to crank up my ISO in certain situations. When COVID-19 started impacting events, I knew a lot of the events I’d cover would need to be held outside. At night. Which meant I needed a solution to photographing in pitch-black conditions. With the larger full-frame sensor I can safely crank up my ISO to 10,000 or even greater, and feel comfortable with it. Sure, there’s noise in my image, but it means that I don’t have to blast away a performer with a flash. The image quality is still pretty good, and I feel more than comfortable handing these into my clients (after a little noise reduction, of course). A plethora of lenses One thing that put me over the top in choosing Sony was its plethora of lenses. Not only does Sony have a great range of native lenses, but it has support from third-party manufacturers, too. Sigma, and more recently Tamron, have invested heavily into lenses for the Sony system. They’ve advanced their technology so much that they often match (and sometimes even exceed) what Sony lenses can offer in terms of performance. Plus, it means you can get great lenses at a significantly reduced cost. Mirrorless systems from Canon and Nikon don’t have this advantage (yet), and so you’re stuck either buying native lenses or using adapters for your old glass — something I didn’t want to deal with. What can be improved? What I talked about above is great, sure, but that doesn’t mean the a7 III is perfect. There are four main things I’m looking for when the a7 IV comes out. Better dust reduction I find myself having to clean my camera’s sensor on a weekly basis. That’s anything but impressive. With my Olympus cameras, I’ve literally never had to clean them. And my oldest Olympus is over two years old. Improved weather and moisture resistance While I haven’t been out in the snow or in a downpour with the a7 III yet, I’ve read the reviews. The weather sealing isn’t exactly something to write home about. And again, with my Olympus, I felt comfortable being out in any conditions with it (and it’s why I’m keeping some of my Olympus gear). Better image stabilization I can comfortably shoot at 1/60s with my a7 III, but with my Olympus OM-D E-M1X, I can handhold for a few seconds (and then some). While I’m not asking to handhold for 15 seconds like I can do with the E-M1X, getting 1-2 seconds is something that should really be expected of cameras these days. A flippy screen I sometimes find myself having to put my camera at weird angles, and having a flippy screen for the past few years with Olympus has been a blessing. But if you can get beyond those points, the a7 III is a remarkable camera to use. It feels great in the hands, and the quality I’ve experienced is absolutely stunning. Plus … it’s at its lowest price ever right now!
FERNWEH backpack the perfect carrier for outdoor explorers - WANDRD is becoming known for their thoughtfully designed camera carry systems. They make packs that help you travel well, not just packs that copy the designs everyone has copied for decades. I recently reviewed their DUO Daypack and this new FERNWEH backpack carries on with the innovations in a size and style that will appeal to those looking for a bigger bag to join them on all kinds of adventures, including overnights in the mountains. The FERNWEH was just launched on WANDRD’s website, so see why this is one of my favorite bags to explore the great outdoors with! Summary: It’s a fine backpack well worth its cost As I say in the following video, if I had bought this backpack during the Kickstarter, I would be pleased with my purchase. Check out the video for a dynamic view, and see all the still photos below. It’s great for travel/backpacking, and if you add the WANDRD camera cubes, it’s great for carrying camera gear, too. Editor’s Note: The FERNWEH was previously available via Indiegogo at a special price of $299. It’s now available on WANDRD’s website for a retail price of $349. My favorite thing This backpack is comfortable and well-ventilated and easily-accessed and very well-built. But my favorite thing about it is that it is available in not-black. Gobi Tan is a flat dark Earth-like color and I think it makes a bag look less like a technology bag when I’m traveling in cities, and it makes it less dense-looking when I’m in the wilderness. To me, part of Leave-No-Trace ethics is blending with my surroundings so that other people can’t see me as easily during their wildness experience, and the tan version makes that more possible. The thing I (kinda) wish it had I’m divided on this one. The bag doesn’t have any open stash pockets on the side that you can reach while hiking. I often pick up trash and interesting rocks and the stash pockets are where I drop them. I also like to use it for a water bottle. On the other hand, I like that the exterior is sleek and trim and there’s nothing to snag on branches or collect pine needles — as stash pockets often do. Detail pictures
The most criminally overlooked camera of 2020 - It’s understandable why Canon and Sony have sucked all the oxygen out of the room in 2020. The Canon R5 and R6 were groundbreaking cameras that told the photography community that Canon finally “gets it.” The Sony a7s III was finally released and continued Sony’s push to expand the boundaries of what’s possible in a hybrid camera. But there’s one camera that’s been completely lost in the shuffle, introduced with little fanfare and few reviews. That’s a shame, because it’s proven to be a truly excellent photographer’s camera in my experience. What is that camera? Read on! We are in an era of photography where we expect a camera to do everything We’ve heard it before. “I need 60fps in 4K!” “It’s gotta have dual native ISO in pics and video!” “I need two memory card slots!” “It needs eye detect AF!” “I need animal eye AF too!” “It needs to be clean all the way to ISO 400,000!” As photographers, we’re a spoiled bunch these days, but can you blame them? I don’t. When I look around at the current photography/hybrid landscape, it’s obvious camera companies are trying very hard to give their customers one camera that can literally do everything. What’s usually ended up happening is we have cameras with a lot of compromises as result. What I mean is, you’ll have a mirrorless camera that’s great at video, but is only “meh” at photos. Or you’ll have an excellent stills camera that’s only so-so at video. Maybe the autofocus is only contrast detect instead of phase detect, etc. There’s no perfect camera, but if you want a photographer’s camera, consider this one I’m a photographer first. Though it is true, I’ve been expanding into video out of competitive necessity. But when I really need a stills camera, I want a camera that is ergonomically simple and doesn’t get in my way of taking pictures. For me, that camera is the Nikon Z 5. I’ve been a fan of the aging Nikon D750 since it was introduced in 2014, and it was time for a replacement. The Z 5 (B&H | Amazon) is everything I loved about the D750, but in mirrorless form. Ergonomically speaking, everything is in the right place. The viewfinder is bright and clear, and rear screen is large and has some touch screen functions. There’s also a joystick which makes the Z 5 a joy to use. Nikon’s FTZ adapter (B&H | Amazon) allows me to use legacy Nikon DSLR glass and third-party lenses seamlessly. The on-sensor phase detect AF is startlingly accurate, even with adapted lenses — native and third-party — and wide-open at f/1.4 or f/2 depending on the lens. Most importantly image quality from the Z 5 is simply sublime! It’s been a full blown love affair! The important stuff I’ll save the best part of the Z 5 for last — the price. It’s a steal! With Black Friday deals just around the corner, if you want an outstanding stills camera at an insanely great value price, then get a Z 5! Sample images
Portrait photography puts the spotlight on the beauty of age - Exploring the subject of beauty has been a popular pursuit in creative disciplines like portrait photography, and we see it portrayed in many different ways. We see it a lot in themes and subjects like fashion, the human body, landscapes and nature. We seek to have beauty in our lives and appreciate seeing it in our surroundings. It is given attention on social media and we strive to show the world how we create and capture it. For Rotterdam-based portrait photographer Laura Zalenga, however, it’s not only found in the youthful faces that grace many magazine covers and dominate screens of all kinds. This idea inspired her to do a portrait photography project to show beauty that is only visible on faces carved by life and the passing of time. Faces that tell about life “During my year as an Adobe Creative Resident, I explored the beauty of age, caused by wondering why our beauty ideal still tends to circle around young, smooth skin instead of faces that already tell some life,” Zalenga said in her project statement. “The project seeks to inspire people to show interest in age, to learn about its beauty, to meet elderly people and have conversations and friendships with them.” For this visual exploration, she created some beautiful and powerful portraits of two women in their 70s at the time. She also picked some simple but also graceful settings that proved effective not only in highlighting their features but also in portraying them as strong and elegant women. “To me there is something so magical about these two women who are both living on this planet for more than 70 years.” The poignant project saw Zalenga featuring more faces to showcase what she considered to be the invisible beauty of age, one that has no expiry date and becomes more interesting in time. While she was not the first to find interesting characters and stories in the elderly to photograph, I think she is one of the first to do so with a unique approach to depicting beauty. A solemn mood to match For me, this selection stands out compared to the rest of the photos in the project because it has a solemn atmosphere that matches how the women share a timeless grace with nature. It reminds us that the essence of their beauty doesn’t really fade even with the passing of time or physical change. I also like how the settings allow the subjects to interact or connect with their surroundings to create a dynamic and emotive image. The mostly neutral color palette is also fitting of the elegance that the subjects exude in their respective portraits. Overall, I think this project is a great initiative that encourages us to look at beauty and aging differently in contrast to what we’ve been conditioned to. Don’t forget to visit Laura Zalenga’s website and Behance portfolio to see more of portrait photography, as well as the Beauty of Age website and Instagram to learn more about the project. All photos by Laura Zalenga. Used with Creative Commons permission.
Photography 101: Using Auto ISO - In its simplest terms, ISO is your camera sensor’s sensitivity to light. As ISO numbers increase, so does the camera’s ability to capture more light. In bright, daylight conditions, you can use a low ISO value. For darker scenarios, you can up the ISO to increase the amount of light being recorded in your image. Together with aperture and shutter speed, ISO completes the exposure triangle that all photographers must learn in order to properly expose images. Drawbacks of high ISO These days, ISO can be controlled manually on any brand of camera. ISO can range anywhere from ISO 50 to ISO 12,800 or beyond. While it may seem like a simple solution to crank up your ISO in low light situations, it’s good to be aware of the downsides of doing so. The higher ISO you use, the more noise you will record in your image. Noise can obscure details, lower the color quality and make images look less sharp. Some describe noise as making an image look grainy, like old film pictures. High ISO can reduce image quality by lowering the dynamic range recorded in the photo. For these reasons, most people try to use as low of an ISO as possible. Why use Auto ISO? While you can set your ISO value manually for each shot you take, you can also set your camera to Auto ISO. But when would you want to do this? Auto ISO can come in handy when you’re shooting in environments with varied, changing or low light levels. A few examples of such shooting situations might be: Trying to capture action sports in a gymnasium with poor light Shooting a concert with changing lights on stage and low ambient light Photographing a child or pet playing outside alternating between sun and shade Shooting mountain biking in a forest with dappled light In situations like these, Auto ISO allows you to concentrate on setting your shutter speed and aperture while your camera determines the best ISO to complete your exposure. Setting up Auto ISO To set up Auto ISO, you’ll need to go into your camera’s menu and find the corresponding settings. Once you’ve located the setting options in the menu, you should be able to do the following: 1. Enable Auto ISO This can often be done with the ISO button on the back of your camera. When you turn on Auto ISO, you are allowing the camera to determine the ISO value while you control aperture and shutter speed. Auto ISO can also be used in aperture priority or shutter priority modes. 2. Choose a maximum ISO value Different cameras will have different ISO capabilities. Personally, I know that my camera performs pretty well up to ISO 3200, so I have my maximum set there for most situations. Setting your maximum ISO is a subjective choice, so it’s a good idea to become familiar with how your camera performs at different ISO levels. Just remember, the higher the ISO level, the “noisier” your image will be. 3. Choose a minimum shutter speed This stops your camera from dropping your shutter speed lower than you want before starting to increase the ISO. You will want to set your minimum shutter speed so that your subject stays sharp in all of your exposures. Keep an eye on your exposures Once you start using Auto ISO, keep an eye on your images to make sure they’re properly exposed. You can use exposure compensation to intentionally under or overexpose your images as desired. If you don’t have a lot of light and max out your highest ISO and your minimum shutter speed, your images might be underexposed. While Auto ISO technology is pretty reliable, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your histogram to ensure a properly exposed image. Using Auto ISO can come in really handy in the right situations with low or changing light levels. While you may feel like you’re giving up a bit of control, you’re also gaining the freedom to focus on your subjects and get the right compositions in those tricky shooting conditions.Did you miss this week’s webinars?
This week we hosted two free, live webinars. If you missed them, be sure to watch the replays below!
