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Sony a7ii with 5-Axis Image Stabilization Announced

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Sony a7ii with 5-Axis SteadyShot (Image Stabilization) Video Here is the new Sony a7ii with a 5-axis SteadyShot Inside, which means that the sensor can compensate for movement in the pitch, yaw, roll, x-axis, and y-axis. The technology comes from Olympus which Sony has an alliance with after a large investment. The a7ii is about $500 more than the standard a7 . The a7ii will be available next month. New C1 / C2 Buttons Above shows the added customizable button next to the shutter. There are now 4 customizable buttons instead of 3 on the a7, a7r, and a7s. The body panels of the a7ii looks to be textured compared to the smooth body of the previous a7 cameras. The shutter button moves from the top plate to the grip. The front and rear wheel have a slimmer form factor. There is now a 45° ledge for the Menu and C button on the rear. Images of the new Sony a7ii

Sony a7 Clear Image Zoom Test

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Sony a7r Clear Image Zoom Candidate #1 Here are four images from the Sony a7r and the Contaz Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 Planar. The four shots are full frame, 1.5x clear image zoom to match APS-C, a7r in APS-C mode, and 2X clear image zoom in APS-C mode. The images were then cropped to match a 2X clear image zoom in APS-C mode. The 50mm lens now provides a field of view of 150mm with 2X clear image zoom APS-C mode on the a7r.  See the images below and determine if CIZ is something you should try.  Please rank the images from best to worst. What is Clear Image Zoom? from Sony: Clear Image Zoom is a function that uses the Sony® exclusive By Pixel Super Resolution Technology. It allows you to enlarge the image with close to the original image quality when shooting still images. The camera first zooms optically to the maximum optical magnification, then uses Clear Image Zoom technology to enlarge the image an additional 2x, producing sharp, clear images despite the increased zoom ratio.

Save $1200 on Sony a7r with Vertical Grip

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Now is the time to buy the Sony a7r . Save almost 50% on the cost of the a7r with the Sony VG-C1EM vertical grip. The MSRP is $2637 while the current deal sells the combo for $1396 . Run.

Meike Vertical Grip for the Sony A7 Cameras

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3rd Party Vertical Grip for the Sony a7 Cameras Here is a third-party version of Sony's VG-C1EM Vertical A7-Series Camera Grip by Meike. Their model designation is MK-AR7. It duplicates the front and rear dials, shutter button, and the C1 button for use in a vertical shooting orientation. It provides room for a 2nd battery to extend shooting. It also has a receiver for a wireless remote with timer for time lapse photography. We have not used this Meike MK-AR7 ourselves but the price is very tempting. The added battery is a plus but we always carry extra. The support provided by the grip is the major feature of this grip. We always have to warn people that 3rd party accessories causing damage to your Sony a7 will not be covered by warranty. See the video and data sheet below to see if the MK-AR7 will work for you.

Hands On with Zeiss 35mm Distagon on Sony a7r at Photo Plus

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Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon on the a7r Here is the newest Zeiss lens for the Leica M system. It is a Distagon 1.4/35mm ZM lens - Carl Zeiss' fastest lens for rangefinder cameras. We stopped by the Zeiss booth at Photo Plus and tried it out on the Sony a7r with a close-focus adapter. Voigtlander makes a better version of the adapter but this one works for us. The 35mm Distagon ZM feels like a fine piece of machinery. The aperture from f/1.4 to f/18 have soft click stops. The focus ring is smooth, well damped, and pleasing to use - we prefer it to the Otus' ring . The lens is dense and heavy for such a small size thanks to the all metal construction. The 35mm Distagon ZM is deceptively heavy as the 85mm Otus ZE is deceptively light.

Zeiss 16-35mm Lens Review by Mobile01

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Zeiss Vario-Tessar 16-35mm FE OSS lens Barrel Extension Here are some corner samples of the new Zeiss Vario-Tessar 16-35mm FE OSS lens from mobile01.com . The samples compare the center sharpness against the extreme corner of 16-35mm for the Sony A7 cameras at 16mm and 35mm at all apertures. Check out more Zeiss 16-35mm Vario-Tessar high resolution samples and the full review at mobile01.com . Pre-order the Zeiss Vario-Tessar 16-35mm FE OSS lens for a mid-November ship date.

Faces with Sony A6000 by Craig Martin

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ISO: 100 Aperture: f/2.2 Shutter speed: 1/3200 Here are some images created with the sony a6000 and the 50mm f/1.8 OSS lens by Craig Martin. ISO: 100 Aperture: f/2.2 Shutter speed: 1/500