This is The Digital Story Podcast #607, Oct. 31, 2017. Today's theme is "The Thrill of Fast Primes." I'm Derrick Story.
Opening Monologue
The best news to come out of Photo Plus Expo for me was the announcement of the new Olympus PRO f/1.2 primes. But Olympus isn't the only one pushing the wide aperture envelope. Fast primes by Fujifilm and other mirrorless camera makers are boosting not only capability, but price and bulk as well. And they are to subject of today's podcast.
The Thrill of Fast Primes
Bigger optics with hefty price tags are the current trend in mirrorless cameras. In many ways, I view these new offerings as the maturation of this product category, not only for Olympus, but Sony, Fujifilm, and Panasonic too. Pros and enthusiasts alike can use these cameras and lenses for their work. Mirrorless has grown up.
What this means for me as a fan of micro four thirds, is that I have tantalizing options for lens selection. I can go compact with modest f/1.8 maximum apertures, or go super fast at f/1.2. So how do I choose? Well first let's take a look at five of these tempting lenses by our favorite manufacturers.
- Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R Lens ($899) - 85mm (35mm Equivalent), f/1.2 to f/16, 14.29 oz (405 g).
- Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM Lens ($1,798) - f/1.4 to f/16, 1.80 lb (820 g).
- Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. len ($1,597.99) - 85mm (35mm Equivalent), Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16, 14.99 oz (425 g)
- Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 PRO lens ($1,199.00) Will be available in late Nov. 90mm (35mm Equivalent), Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16, 14.46 oz (410 g)
- Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 PRO lens ($1,199.00) Will be available in Jan. 2018, 34mm (35mm Equivalent), Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16, 13.76 oz (390 g)
So now, just by way of comparison, let's pick the fast optic that I'm most interested in, the 45mm f/1.2. It measures 2.76 x 3.34" (70 x 84.9 mm) and weighs 14.46 oz (410 g). It has a 9 blade aperture. The smaller Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8 lens has a seven blade aperture, costs only $399, weighs in at 4.09 oz (116 g), and measures 2.20 x 1.81" (56 x 46 mm). That's quite a difference.
The bottom line is this, regardless if you're a nimble photographer or pro who needs the very best, mirrorless now provides options for both.
A Review of the TDS Wine Country Photography Workshop
Beautiful weather, friendly world class wineries, and amazing photographers combine for a fabulous 3-day event in Sonoma County. Here are a few of my impressions.
The Digital Story - Digital Photography Public Group on Flickr
We have more than 3,000 members and 73,000 photos on TDS Flickr Public Group. This is the gallery that I peruse on a daily basis. It's also the source for The TDS Member Photo of the Day on our Facebook page and displayed in the Member Gallery on the TDS site.
Share your favorite images there so others in our community can see them. Plus, you never know, you may be selected for the TDS Member Photo of the Day!
Updates and Such
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And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.
Texas-based Red River Paper recently announced a new fine art paper, Palo Duro Etching. The new paper is a 100 percent cotton rag paper and is free of optical brightener additives. The paper is designed to offer warm white tones, deep blacks and a subtle texture to accurately recreate traditional darkroom fine art prints.
See you next week!
More Ways to Participate
Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.
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