Lots of big announcements this week, including new releases from Sony and LightPix Labs that should definitely appeal to hybrid shooters. Elsewhere, Aputure expanded its STORM series with two new LED monolights.
Sony Unveils New Flagship Camera
The biggest news this week was Sony’s unveiling of the a1 II, an upgrade of the original Alpha 1 flagship with some impressive new features and enhancements. The second generation mirrorless camera takes a lot of the a1’s well-rounded features, places them into the a9 III body, and adds AF and IBIS technologies from the a7R V for a perfect marriage of tech any hybrid shooter would enjoy. Whether you’re shooting in the studio or out in the bush, the a1 II has got you covered.
Like its predecessor, the a1 II boasts a full frame 50MP stacked BSI CMOS sensor but this time with upgraded BIONZ XR processing. This mixes high resolution capture with the speed and reduced rolling shutter of the stacked sensor for studio applications. Postproduction workflows remain flexible thanks to 15 stops of dynamic range. Render precise details and blow up your images using the sensor in tandem with Pixel Shift Multi Shooting mode, creating a composite 199MP image.
AI processing is also being introduced with the a1 II for improved autofocus capable of intelligent subject tracking and detection of humans, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains, and airplanes. The camera can also use human pose estimation to track the body and head positions of your subject, distinguish between multiple subjects, and ensure accurate focus. Use Direct Manual Focus to adjust the focus ring even when AF is turned on. Focus bracketing records up to 299 frames to create composite images in post.
On top of this, the a1 II has a high maximum sync speed of 1/400 second when using the mechanical shutter. Mount a compatible flash or trigger to the Multi Interface Shoe or secure a wired flash sync to the PC sync terminal. Toggle the new live view setting to maintain the ambient exposure of the live view even when the flash is attached to your camera. Other features have been added to the a1 II to make it excel in studio environments, such as increased customization options, upgraded 2.5GBASE-T LAN port, and support for the optional Capture One software. The LCD has been traded for a 4-axis vari-angle 3.2” touchscreen with a 2.1m-dot resolution like those seen on the a7R V and a9 III.
The features don’t stop when you leave the studio. A fast 30 fps captures wildlife in a snap. Pre-Capture and Speed Boost functions add an extra level of reassurance, whether it be shooting 1 second prior to pressing the shutter and varying your shooting speed mid-burst, respectively. All of this while maintaining autofocus and auto-exposure functionality.
Animal detection has been given an upgrade with special considerations added for birds and insects, as well as 50% faster animal eye detection. Phase-detection AF consisting of 759 points ensures virtually any subject remains in focus. Integrated image stabilization gives the a1 II 8.5 stops of compensation in the center of the frame for more forgiving exposure in low-light or telephoto applications.
Don’t worry, the a1 II does not neglect the video side of things. It has the same 8.6K 30p and 4K 120p shooting capabilities as the original model, as well as added Dynamic Area Stabilization, Framing Stabilizer, Breathing Compensation, and support for 24.00 frame rates.
Along with the physical camera, the release of the a1 II has also heralded a new lens: the FE 28-70mm f/2 GM Lens. Its 28-70mm range covers most of your frequently used focal lengths for maximum versatility. A fast autofocus ensures the lens excels in both video and photo applications like news, event, and wedding coverage. Four XD linear motors ensure the autofocus remains speedy and responsive even up to 240 fps while also adding an extra stop of light. You can even use the lens on a gimbal thanks to its short-throw 0.7” zoom when transitioning from the extremes of its focal range.
Sony enthusiasts will be excited to see a new Alpha series model, especially given that they’ve waited three years since the first a1 was announced. Clearly the improvements to the second-generation model have both commercial and run-and-gun shooters in mind.
LightPix Labs Releases Third-Generation Flash
Part of the reliable FlashQ Q20 series of manual flashes, the Q20III from LightPix Labs maintains a compact and lightweight form factor but with improved features. The third-generation flash features an upgraded color gel holder for intuitive swapping of the seven included gels to achieve the light color you desire. A diffuser panel has been added to the body of the flash as well for the option to soften your light output. Its interface has also been upgraded to a USB-C port to allow charging from standard USB power sources.
The Q20III has a guide number of 65.6’ at ISO 100 and manual power selection range from 1/64 to full power. An RF transmitter is built into its removeable foot and a receiver is built into the body of the unit for wireless operation. Simply detach the transmitter and mount the flash head remotely to a light stand to adjust power and trigger operation from up to 33’ away. The light has a 5500K output with seven adjustable levels and a high 95 CRI rating for use as a modeling light or video light.
Onboard controls, including additional lamp indicators for flash and video modes, make using the Q20III in a wide variety of applications more intuitive. The Q20II is compatible with other FlashQ triggers and flashes, including previous Q20 models. The USB-C ports on the flash body and transmitter support sync cord connection. LightPix Lab flashes have always been a popular addition to FUJIFILM shooter’s gear configurations. Its versatility and performance improvements will make a huge difference for street and studio photographers alike.
Aputure Expands the STORM Lineup
Aputure added two new LED monolights to its STORM lineup with the STORM 80c and the STORM 1000c. Both lights feature BLAIR-CG chipsets with blue, lime, amber, indigo, and red LEDs which deliver high brightness and color accuracy levels. Advanced white-point control, secure accessory mounting, and IP65-rated construction make for versatile point-source lighting sources.
Both lights boast a CCT range of 1800 to 20,000K. You can tweak the output to eliminate casts using each light’s full ASC MITC 100%+/- green control range. The colors output by the lights are rich and saturated which is possible using 90% of the Rec2020 color space. A calibrated indigo emitter produces a white light that matches both daylight and tungsten lights. The 80c light is rated 97 in CRI and 99 in TLCI standards with an 88 SSI rating at 3200 and 84 SSI rating at 5600K, while the 1000c is rated 97 for both CRI and TLCI standards with an 88 SSI rating at 3200 and 86 SSI rating at 5600K, ensuring both achieve reliable color reproduction.
When it comes to control options, the lights slightly differ. The 80c has a more simplified onboard interface with four dimming curves, while the 1000c comes with a controller for more advanced functions. Both lights have wired and wireless control options with support for DMX and LumenRadio CRMX. The 1000c model includes support for Art-Net and sACN Ethernet protocols. Control the lights via Sidus Link and Sidus Link Pro app using Bluetooth connectivity for integration with professional lighting workflows.
Outside of some of these advanced control options, choosing between the two lights really comes down to portability and mounting needs. The 80c is more compact and lightweight for travel to set. It also has the option to add a handheld grip via 3/8”-16 thread as well as a mini ProLock Bowens mount for modifiers. The 1000c, on the other hand, has a full-sized ProLock Bowens mount and larger overall size. In any case, the new STORM options offer some other sizes to choose from, maintaining reliable performance and widening the line’s use case scenarios.
In other news…
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Sigma added four new Canon RF lenses to its Contemporary lineup: 16mm f/1.4 DC DN, 23mm f/1.4 DC DN, 30mm f/1.4 DC DN, and 56mm f/1.4 DC DN. The four lenses were originally announced back in June, but are now available for purchase.
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Moment came out with new Everything Sling bags, which are available in two size options and four different colorways. The bags can be worn either around your waist or cross-body and accommodate mirrorless cameras and other essentials with ease.
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Angelbird released new AV PRO CFexpress 4.0 Type A Cards that capable of supporting up to 8K+ raw video. These high performance cards, along with dedicated CFexpress 2.0 Type-A, Type-B, and UHS-II SDXC Card Readers, help support large workflows without slowing you down.
And that wraps up this week’s news! Catch us next week for more releases.
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