This past week, the PetaPixel team came across an opinion on a photography blog that we didn't think was fair. In short, it argued that all "small sensor cameras suck," which is just not true.
Last week was a big one for some of the biggest names in the camera industry including Fujifilm, Sigma, and Panasonic. Tons of announcements hit thanks to the CP+ camera exhibition in Japan that we needed a whole episode to talk about them all!
Viltrox is bringing the AF 27mm f/1.2 Pro lens, the second in its ultra-large aperture prime lens Pro series of optics that aims to combine ultra-high resolution and super large aperture that produces "pleasant" bokeh, to Sony and Nikon APS-C cameras.
Last month, Sony announced the PDT-FP1 portable data transmitter in Japan. The company has now revealed it in other regions, including North America.
When it comes to general-purpose standard zooms, Sony has you covered. With some classic choices like 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II and 24-105mm f/4 G or the unique Sony FE 20-70mm f/4, there is something for everyone. However, Sony decided to go even further and add the brand new FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G to its growing collection. The idea is to have a more affordable and compact lens alternative to the expensive 24-70mm GM while still having a fast f/2.8 aperture, albeit with a reduced zoom range. I got my hands on one to try, and here is what I found.
Novel and non-traditional focal length and aperture combinations are becoming significantly more common among mirrorless system lenses. Sony is no stranger to different sorts of lenses, having launched the 20-70mm f/4 G last year. Sony is channeling a similar spirit with its newest E-mount lens, the FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G.
Sony will finally set PlayMemories out to pasture this month. The company stopped new uploads to the service last September but on February 29 -- nearly 12 years after it launched -- Sony will terminate the service entirely.
Angelbird has discontinued its massive 1TB capacity CFexpress Type A card. The $500 card was not only cheap, it promised full compatibility with Sony cameras. That might be the source to the "why" it has been taken off store shelves.
Last week, Canon claimed victory as the number one mirrorless camera brand by unit sales in the United States. While impressive, Sony says it has data from the same agency Canon used that contests the position.
Sony was a major player in the massive record-setting broadcast production of Super Bowl LVIII but its support of image capture at the event didn't end there. More than 50 a9 III cameras and 145 lenses were available for photographers and Sony Pro Support was on hand, too.
Ahead of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas, PetaPixel chatted with Mike Francis, CBS Sports' Vice President of Engineering and Technology, about the camera technology that underpins not just the broadcast on CBS and Paramount+, but the cameras that help the refs make the correct calls.
Last August, Gordon Laing of Camera Labs looked at one of his favorite vintage digital cameras, the Sony Cyber-shot F707. Now Laing looks at its successor, 2002's Sony Cyber-shot F717.
Sony announced the PDT-FP1 portable data transmitter for Alpha cameras in Japan. Promising high-speed and low-latency video transmission using 5G wireless communications, the PDT-FP1 transfers data directly from a camera to an FTP server. The PDT-FP1 reduces the time required for data transfer, speeding up various content workflows.
No camera is as exciting or interesting as the Sony a9 III. Since Sony announced it in early November, the a9 III has occupied considerable space in my mind. Many questions have swirled since, and the answers to each have proved mercurial.
Earlier this week, OnePlus fully revealed its latest flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 12. While PetaPixel continues to work on a full review, which will deliver a deep dive into the phone's photo features, it is worth taking a closer look at the Hasselblad-branded camera system.
Sony, who has long been accused of not adding new features to existing cameras, will release firmware updates for the FX30, FX3, and FX6 cameras later this year that bring multiple new functions.
The last year was huge for the camera industry and saw a swath of new products from just about every manufacturer in support of basically every mount. But narrowing the focus, The PetaPixel Podcast team grades the 2023 performance of every camera maker.
World-renowned conservation photographers Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen have teamed up with Academy Award-winning cinematographer Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki to create a new short film, The Knowing.
CES is in full swing, with announcements popping out right and left. A regular participant at CES, Sony has announced a mixed-reality headset explicitly built for spatial content creators.
Dutch visual storytellers and travelers Krista and Ties, known as Bluehill_Stories on Instagram and YouTube, are currently on an adventure in New Zealand and have run into an unusual problem with their Sony camera -- a spider decided to move in.
Following DPReview publising its Sony a9 III studio test shots, PetaPixel wrote about our hands-on experience with the a9 III's image quality. We wanted to add more context to that discussion, even if it spoils parts of our impending review.
While PetaPixel is currently deep in its real-world test of the upcoming Sony a9 III (expect that review in the next couple of weeks), Richard Butler from DPReview just published a studio test that highlights a very real issue with the global shutter: noise.
Following yesterday's coverage of Map Camera's best-selling lenses of 2023 roundup, the popular Japanese camera retailer has also published a breakdown of last year's 10 most popular new and used cameras.
Nikon, Sony, and Canon will all reportedly bring out support for the Content Authenticity Initiative's (CAI) C2PA digital signature system in 2024 as the CAI pivots its messaging as a way to combat AI.
Map Camera, one of the largest photography retailers in Japan, has published its list of the 10 best-selling lenses of 2023 and the results are somewhat surprising.
This year has been a fascinating one in the world of photography, and like every year, it was full of incredible highs, devastating lows, and everything in between.
It was a busy year for new cameras and lenses, and few companies were anywhere near as prolific as Sony.
Sony's expensive Airpeak S1 drone has been regularly improved since its disappointing launch. Sony released an enhanced battery and better gimbal earlier this year, and has today released a new firmware update that adds advanced mapping, new safety protocols, and better compatibility.
The Japan-based memory manufacturer Nextorage released the fastest CFexpress Type A card made yet, promising read and write speeds of up to 950 MB/s.
Every year, Lensrentals publishes a list of the most popular photo and video gear and Canon remains at the top.
Reports suggest that the Sony Vario-Tessar T* 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS lens for APS-C Sony E-mount cameras has been discontinued.
Now in its third year, PetaPixel has gathered its team together to guess the things they just know are going to take place over the next calendar year. All of us are, as usual, ready to be very, very wrong.
Photographers who use any of Sony's most recent cameras are no doubt familiar with CFexpress Type A cards. As Sony is the only manufacturer to use the format, the cards are usually expensive. There are some cheap options out there, but unfortunately, they still come with a cost.
The upcoming Sony a9 III brings with it many incredible new features, including a novel global shutter system that will enable the camera to shoot at up to 120 frames per second, use shutter speeds as fast as 1/80,000s, and, perhaps most impressively, sync with a flash at any shutter speed.
Like most photographers, I’ve never reviewed a piece of gear before. Also like most photographers, I tend to voraciously read reviews each time I consider upgrading. Many of these reviews parse through micro-level analysis of pixel detail, noise levels, and test charts but to me fail to answer the simple question: “will this help me get the shot?”
Hearing the calls from desperate photographers asking for meaningful firmware updates, Sony has obliged with the option for Sony a7 IV users to add up to four custom gridlines to their cameras for a $150 fee.
I have always admired Sigma. It wasn’t regarded in the same league as it is today for its lenses until the Art series came out, but Sigma’s digital cameras have always been singular in design and purpose. The family-owned company has never been afraid to try something new, and honestly, that’s something we need to see a lot more of in the photography world.
The Sony a9 III is not officially launching until next spring, but that doesn't mean there isn't more exciting information to discuss.
Sony and the Associated Press (AP) have completed testing of advanced in-camera authenticity technology, promising to stem the tide of fake images and provide photographers and consumers the tools they need to verify photos.
Sirui has announced its new budget-friendly trio of autofocus f/1.2 prime lenses for APS-C systems. The new Sniper Series 23mm, 33mm, and 56mm prime lenses are available for $299 each or $849 for the whole set.