Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Ward
Ah...come on Greg...be a little more terse with your "snapshot reviews"
It doesn't look like this exposure had any tracking/guiding/polar alignment....so I'm guessing it's a straight tripod shot.
The optics might be the best since sliced bread...but...sorry... that image just doesn't show it.
How about a link to a full-res RAW frame? i.e. no in dark rings from in-camera sharpening ( It's OK .. we have cable-internet in the Shire  )
I like the fact you post this stuff...but as presented, it's hard to get a handle on just how good/bad the new toys might be.  |
No camera sharpening as this was RAW and I usually shoot in RAW.Perhaps a tad in post processing. It does not really need sharpening in this type of shot as it does not have an AA filter and is already pretty sharp usually.
It really was just a quick test image and yes no Polarie. Most of the improvements are more for daylight imaging but some affect nightscapes. Like the best EVF out now that would make hardened optical viewfinder only enthusiasts tend to change their mind. Advanced manual focusing aids like a picture in a picture with magnified view, or focus peaking or a split digital image making manual focusing much easier. A tilt screen is always handy for nightscapes, advanced wi-fi and smartphone app control that is very good is another good thing. A built in intervalometer also helps but a wired remote is still needed for 30+ seconds but the intervalometer will be good for time lapse with the optional grip for extra battery life.
Tracking AF at 8 fps each individually AF is amazing in daylight and a new level of AF for mirrorless that is finally closer to DSLR standards.
All in a compact form with lots and lots of external dials and knobs (a dial for ISO for example).
For astro there has been an improvement in high ISO noise performance, a much faster dual core CPU,14 bit processing. ISO should be useable up to ISO12800 or even ISO25600 (dynamic range though is likely to suffer beyond ISO6400). Fuji overstates their ISO by about 1/3rd of a stop or more so ISO6400 is more like ISO4000 on the Sony.
Auto white balance has always been one of the best.
The Fuji 14mm is a rare lens. Hardly any widefield lenses are good for astro nightscapes and they are usually large, heavy and expensive. This one is small, metal, has an aperture ring (how rare is that now?) no distortion, no chromatic aberration. There is a very small section of the view in the top corner where the correction stops but if doing a pano this gets lost in the overlaps. A locking manual focus ring is a nice touch as well, so you don't knock focus in the dark once set. All in a light, well built weather sealed magnesium alloy body. This and the Sony A7r are the 2 top mirrorless cameras at present in my opinion. They are similar in IQ (neither have an AA filter) with the A7r a bit better and more pop and zing is possible (I did a shoot yesterday with A7r and Canon 70-200 F4L and some shots really had a great 3D pop to them). The LCD screen images are also the best I have seen on a camera - very clear and sharp with excellent colours. Fuji also has film simulations that can add some additional effects which are pleasant like Velvia to emulate Fuji Velvia film (more vivid) or Provia which is standard and others for softer, or black and white.
A big plus is all this weighs well within the weight capacity of a Polarie which does still work overloaded (with a Canon or Nikon DSLR).
For some comparison images between Sony A7r with Canon 70-200 F4L and Fuji XT1 with Fuji 55-200mm lens see this thread I started:
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/53271594
The advantage of the Sony for Canon shooters is you get that hi rez Sony 36mp sensor and use your L glass too for landscapes. There is a Metabones adapter that gives very laggy but accurate AF for the Sony. For Fuji there are plenty of dumb adapters for Canon and every other lens.
Greg.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dutch2
Lovely image Greg. The star colours are incredible. |
Thank for that.
