Metz Mecablitz 52 AF-1 Digital Flash for the Sony Multi-Interface Shoe
Introduction
The Metz Mecablitz 52 AF-1Digital for the Sony multi-interface shoe is a mid-range flashgun from German manufacturer Metz. It has a maximum guide number of 52 at ISO 100 and supports Sony’s TTL (Through The Lens metering), ADI (Advanced Distance Integration) for automatic power zoom with compatible lenses, 1st or 2nd curtain synchronisation, and HSS (High Speed Sync).
It has a USB port which allows for future firmware updates, a flash head that tilts and rotates and a touchscreen display for easy access to controls.
Build and Features
The Mecablitz 52 AF-1 Digital has a sleek design made from durable plastics. It is not unlike Metz’s flagship 64 AF-1 and is similar in both form and functionality. It runs on 4 AA batteries, good for around 200 flashes, and I have not experienced any overheating issues during use.
Metz is the first company to incorporate a touch screen interface. Don’t expect too much from this however, as it is limited to a simple tap and has a sluggish response, but still makes for a more intuitive interface once you get used to it.
Metz have incorporated a USB port in all their flashes, allowing for firmware update with possibly new features or extended compatibility in the future.
Flash Modes
the Mecablitz range has been around for years, and they certainly do know how to make a useable flash. All functionality like TTL, Auto and Full Manual are available. It also has a focus beam to help the camera with auto-focus and a modelling light.
It exceeds in it’s wireless capabilities:
Wireless mode: The Mecablitz 52 AF-1 Digital has a Master wireless mode. It can be remotely controlled by other flashes, and can be a master flash itself. It supports control of multiple wireless groups and TTL metering with multiple flashes.
Servo mode (optical slave): Servo mode allows this flash to be triggered remotely by a burst of light coming from a flash not designed for the same system.
Spot zoom mode: Extended zoom mode is a Metz designed function and enables you to set the flash zoom wider than the lens zoom, where light can be bounced off of the walls to slightly fill in the shadows.
Other Creative Modes:
Rear-Curtain Sync: New Sony cameras include the ability to fire the flash just before the closing of the shutter, so that moving objects will show a streak where they came from and a sharp image where they were at the end of the exposure, useful for moving objects to convey a sense of speed.
HSS: High-speed sync makes it possible to use flash with up to the highest shutter speed provided by the camera. This allows you to increase the aperture as needed to create a narrow depth of field that keeps your subject in perfect focus while the background dissolves into smooth, beautiful blur.
Conclusion
The Metz Mecablitz 52 AF-1 Digital should definitely be on you list of possible flashes for the Sony Multi Interface Shoe cameras. It works well and gives a good exposure with the Sony A7r, A77 II and A6000.
The touch screen interface is something you’ll either love or hate, I don’t like it personally as I find it difficult to quickly change settings using their limited controls. This is something you might get used to after a few months though, but I find the responsiveness of the touchscreen slow.
All Multi-Interface Shoe flashes offer more-or-less the same functionality nowadays, so much will depend on how powerful you need your flash to be, and what kind of control system you prefer. The Nissin i40 offers a more hands-on approach with no screen and just two buttons, while the Sony HVL-F43M does feature an LCD screen but using buttons to access the menu system.
I would suggest giving the Metz Mecablitz 52 AF-1 digital a trial run first before actually buying it. It you can get along with the touchscreen controls, you’ll love this flash, if not, you might want to look into other brands.
The Sony HVL-F43M is a multi-interface shoe (MIS) flash with a guide number of 43 (105 mm position, ISO 100). This flashgun can be used with compatible lenses to enable ADI (Advanced Distance Integration), and TTL (through the lens) flash metering, which is not affected by the reflection rate of the background or subject.
High-speed sync (HSS) makes it possible to use flash with up to the highest shutter speed provided by the camera. This allows you to increase the aperture as needed to create a narrow depth of field that keeps your subject in perfect focus while the background dissolves into a smooth blur.
It is Runs on 4 AA batteries, good for about 200 flashes.
Build and Features
The Sony HVL-F43M is constructed from high-quality impact resistant plastics. It is weather-sealed (though not fully weather proofed) at the joints of outer components, including body, LCD panel and mounting foot included), as well as around moving parts. A handy carrying pouch is also included.
The flash head pivots 90° left and right, allowing for horizontal light distribution even when shooting in portrait mode. It also tilts down 8° (for macro photography) and up/back 150° for flash bouncing techniques. Keep in mind that TTL metering does not work when the flash is tilted.
It has high power LED light for video with brightness adjustable to 10 levels. Be warned though that this does not work on the Sony A7 series cameras.
This flash unit automatically switches Optimum flash coverage (zoom flash coverage) to cover a range of focal lengths from 24 mm to 105 mm when photographing (this is called auto zoom).
This flashgun has the usual flash features like a built-in bounce sheet and a built-in wide panel that supports coverage to a focal length of 15 mm. It auto-corrects the white balance automatically using the colour temperature information when the flash unit fires.
Control panel
The control Panel has a large LCD screen that can be illuminated. It features clear indicators via pictograms of battery life, current flash mode and zoom range. Buttons are used to change and switch modes, and a 4-way controller allows for easy navigation of submenus.
These Flash Modes available are:
Fill-flash mode: The flash unit always fires.
AUTO (Auto flash mode): The flash unit is set to this mode when the camera is set to auto flash.
WL (Wireless Flash mode): This method is used during wireless flash photography. :
[A] Wireless flash photography (HVL-F43M: off-camera flash): The camera’s built-in flash is the controller (the flash that emits control light) and the HVL-F43M is the off-camera flash (the flash that is away from the camera).
[B] Wireless flash photography (HVL-F43M: controller): The HVL-F43M is the controller, and another flash is the off-camera flash.
[C] Multiple wireless flash photography with lighting ratio control: Using the HVL-F43M as the controller, a camera that supports lighting ratio control can group a number of off-camera flashes and control the lighting ratio.
Manual Mode: Manual flash can only be used when the camera is set to M (Manual) mode. In other modes, TTL measuring is selected automatically.
HSS (High-Speed Sync): High-speed sync eliminates the restrictions of flash sync speed and enables the flash to be used through the entire shutter speed range of the camera. Your Sony camera should be set to A or M mode in order to use HSS.
Conclusion
In my opinion, the Sony HVL-F43M is still one of the best Multi Interface Shoe flashguns to get. It has a decent power output, which allows for a bit more than just close-up flash usage, so it makes for an ideal flash companion for wedding and events. It is weatherproofed, so you can use it without worries on a similarly weather resistant body like the Sony A7 range or the Sony A77 II. I wouldn’t call it a compact flash, but as its not that heavy (355 gr without batteries) but it’s still usable on the A6000. If you need more power, I’d suggest looking at the Metz Mecablitz 64 AF-1, which is also weatherproofed and has the same functionality.
This flash tilts and swivels in all directions so you have a range of techniques at your disposal like bouncing off walls and ceilings and the power to do this. Construction feels sturdy, and all controls are easily accessible via the back buttons. Wireless triggering in multiple groups is also supported and works well so getting a couple of these would make an excellent start for a small, multiple flash studio setup. The only stumble-block might be the price, but as the HVL-F43M has been in stores for over a year now, you can often find it at a price comparable to third-party flashguns.
The Nissin i40 for Sony Flash is one of the latest third-party flash guns for Sony’s Multi-Interface Shoe (MIS). The MIS is used on all Sony cameras released after September 2012, when it became their standard accessory shoe.
The i40 has a guide number of 40 (ISO 100, 105mm zoom), quite impressive for a flash this size. It uses 4 AA batteries, good for about 3 hours of flash use.
TTL, ADI and HSS
All modern-day Sony Alpha camera functions are supported:
Sony Alpha P-TTL (Pre-Flash Through The Lens metering) is a system where light is metered through the lens and all other optical elements (like filters) that influence exposure.
ADI (Advanced Digital Integration) relays focussing distance information from the lens back to the camera’s exposure computation system. An ADI flash will automatically adjust power output according to the distance transmitted from the lens.
HSS (high speed sync) is the ability to use a flash at shutter speeds faster than the camera’s native sync. Most cameras have a native sync of 1/250th of a second, and anything faster than that is beyond the camera’s ability to sync the shutter with the flash. HSS is mainly used for using flashes at large apertures in daylight.
Build and Features
The Nissin i40 has an unmistakably retro look and looks great on the Sony A7 series. This small-form-factor flash has a metal shoe with a plastic body and seems quite sturdy.
It swivels 360 degrees and tilts 90 degrees, giving you full control over flash bouncing techniques or portrait mode shooting.
Controlling the flash is done with 2 responsive dials called Function Dial and Power Dial, so no LCD screen on this flash. I have to say this simplified approach works well and I personally prefer this to a touch screen LCD like the Metz flashes use.
The Nissin i40 also features a video light with a 9 step power control.
If you are considering this flash for the A6000, look elsewhere as it protrudes slightly backwards blocking access slightly to the viewfinder. No problems on the A7 series or A77II though.
Another issue might be the lack of any weather proofing. If’ you need to be able to use your flash in rain or humid conditions, look at the Sony HVL-F32M, HVL-F43M or Metz Mecablitz 64 AF-1 for the MIS.
Operating Modes
You’ll be able to access all the operating modes via the Function Dial.
Modes available:
LED Video Light: acceses the video light function, use the Power Dial to adjust the output level.
Sf (Slave Film): synchronizes to the traditional single flash system often called Optic Slave Mode.
SD (Slave Digital): This is Digital Optic Slave Mode, which ignores TTL pre-flashes.
M (Manual): Manual Flash Power level, adjust the power settings from 1/1 (full) to 1/250. The white LED light illuminates for both dials to indicate the parameters being adjusted.
A (Auto): Automatic sensor flash metering
TTL: Through the lens auto TTL metering, adjustable through the Power Dial.
A, B and C Optic Wireless Mode: Set the Mode dial to the group you want to use for wireless flash, then control the unit from the menu on you Sony MIS camera.
Optic – For off-camera flash users the i40 has an S1 & S2 optical slave, as well as an optic wireless slave mode for other optic wireless systems.
Manual zoom (M zoom)
Although the Nissin i40 can auto follow the zoom (24-105mm) length of the lens, it can also be manually selected by pressing the ON button for 3 seconds. Manual Zoom is available in M, SD, SF and Wireless mode. The manual setting you selected is memorised and remains unchanged when power on.
Conclusion
The Nissin i40 currently packs a lot of features into a very compact flash of this size. Street- and travel photographers who need a lightweight and small yet powerful flash will find the ideal companion for their Sony camera in the Nissin i40.
This little flash exposes well, although you’ll need to enable the diffusor panel in order to avoid vignetting with wide-angle lenses and GN40 means it is best used for close-up photography. It has decent recycle times: Recycle times were good: at 1/4 power or lower: being instantaneous at 1/4 power, 3 seconds at half power and 8 seconds at full power.
Overall, the Nissin i40 Compact Flash is an excellent choice for Sony MIS cameras if you don’t need any weather proofing.
Snap Art 4 is the latest version of what developer Alien Skin calls an “artistic natural media application” for photographers. It can change your pictures into a variety of seemingly hand-made pieces of art. Snap Art has a beautiful range of mimicked techniques like oil paint, pencil sketch, watercolor, and crayon.
The latest version 4 has a redesigned user interface and improved speed, meaning faster rendering of previews and an overall smoother user experience. It is available as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop CS6 and CC, Elements 12, Lightroom, Aperture and also as a standalone application.
Interface
If you are familiar with Alien Skin Exposure 6 or any other image editor, you’ll find your way around Snap Art 4 in no time.
You’ll see the preset bar on the left with a selection of drawing and painting styles.
The middle section is reserved for a large view of your image with various ways of comparing your applied effect to your original image.
On the right editor tab, you can find all settings to either tweak presets or start from scratch.
Presets tab
Presets Tab
The Presets tab has a handy search function that allows you to quickly find any favourites or any style you have in mind. Preferences and recently used styles are also saved and accessible with an easy press of a button. You can also make your own presets which are available through the User presets.
A range of presets by style are available:
Color Pencil: Colored pencils, as a medium, are a popular choice for many artists. Different textured are created by using techniques like hatching (lines with blank spacing), cross hatching, directional strokes and Circulism.
Comics: Thick, thin, dark and light points and pencil strokes are used to create a more abstract image while still remaining recognisable.
Crayon: The simple technique using wax-based pencils, results in an eye-catching image that looks like a quick and confident recording of ideas on paper.
Impasto: a technique used in painting, where paint is laid on the canvas very thickly so that the brush or painting-knife strokes are visible.
Oil Paint uses an oil-based paint with often quite visible brush strokes
Pastel: Pastels, a stick made of pure powdered pigment used by artists since the Renaissance and gained considerable popularity in the 18th century, when a number of notable artists made pastel their primary medium.
Pen & Ink: This black and white drawing describes the process of using pens to apply ink to a surface.
Pencil Sketch: A rapidly executed freehand black and white technique.
Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image
Watercolor: Water is an active and complex partner in the watercolor painting process, changing both the absorbency and shape of the paper when it is wet and the outlines and appearance of the paint as it dries.
Editor tab
You’ll find all the tools necessary for complete customisation of the presets in the Editor Tab.
Navigator
The navigator shows you a full view of your selected image and allows for easy navigation when zooming on a particular part for detailed editing. This is especially useful when using the Masking Tool, but we’ll get to that later.
Artistic Style
You can choose between the ten artistic effect methods supplied. This allows you to change the Artistic Style of the preset you’re working with, or you can start from scratch if you want to.
Background tab
The background editor functions will depend on the particular artistic style you’ve chosen. This tab allows for a high customisation of your selected Artistic Style, so you can fully translate your digital photo to an artwork according to your vision
Brush Size, Photorealism (how close to the original image you’d like your artwork to be) and coverage (amount of paint on covering your canvas) are available with most Creative Styles.
Another functionality is dependent on what type of brush or pencil is used for that particular Artistic Style. Pen & Ink, for instance, will have Pen Width, Tone, Edge detail and Stroke Length and Stroke Direction available. Impasto will have Stroke Curvature, Length, Thickness, Brush Style and Color Variation sliders.
Detail Masking
Snap Art 4 editor
The masking tool allows you to add or remove detail from a particular section of the image. You can paint an area with the tool and then adjust the level of detail in the detail masking panel. The Mask Tool size can be altered/resized, and the mask will show as a red area on the screen when selected. Use the Navigator to zoom-in on the section of your image where you want to add or remove detail.
Colors
Since you’re working with a digital picture of a scene to start with, it’s often necessary to change brightness, contrast, saturation and temperature to suit the Artistic Style you’ve selected. This can be done in the colours menu where these functions are accessible via easy-to use-sliders.
Lighting
A graphic artist has more creative freedom when it comes to the lighting in a scene than you have with a camera. Anything the artist envisions in his head can be transferred to canvas or paper. As you get further into changing your digital picture into a painting or drawing, you might want to go beyond the boundaries of image you’ve captured. This is where the Lighting editor comes in.
You can change the lighting of your scene via presets which are customisable in regards to direction and angle of how it is lit. A vignetting option is also available if you wish to draw the viewers’ attention to a particular part of the image.
Canvas
The choice of canvas, i.e. what you are using as a medium for your artwork is just as important as the pencil or colour palette you use. It adds structure to your artwork and will partially determine the final look. You can select all traditional types of canvasses via the drop down menu and further edit thickness and zoom. Some work better than others and are more convincing, but this can depend on your subject material.
Conclusion
Snap Art 4 is easy to use from your favourite editor as it integrates with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Apple Aperture as a plug-in. Their redesigned interface is easy to the eyes, and previews and alterations generate very fast, just like they do in Alien Skin’s latest version of Exposure 6.
Adobe Photoshop does have some similar functionality to Snap Art, but is in no way as advances and customisable. I would have preferred a few more 20th century abstract/modernist styles although I can image it must be a very difficult to change a photo to say a Picasso, as you’d need to deconstruct and scramble parts of your scene in a way currently only the human brain can do.
Snap Art 4’s photo to graphic art piece software can be very convincing, even straight from the presets, if you subject is suitable to your chosen Artistic Style. It’s the only piece of software that I know which can do this so convincingly and easily, so if’ you’re in the market for something that does this, I’d highly recommend it.
Snap Art 4 is now available through their website for $99 USD. There is an upgrade path for owners of earlier versions for $69 USD.
JPEGmini is an image optimisation technology that reduces the file size of JPEG photos by up to 5 times. It preserves the resolution and quality of the original photos. Per example, 300 dpi will stay 300 dpi and dimensions will remain unchanged.
The technology works at the JPEG baseline, so files are fully compatible with any browser, photo software or device that support the JPEG format. The JPEGmini algorithm imitates how the human eye and brain work together, so each picture is compressed to the maximum extent possible by removing redundancies, without creating any visual artifacts in the process.
Their tests have shown that the original JPEG photo and the recompressed JPEGmini photo cannot be distinguished by average users when displayed at 100% zoom on a computer monitor. Or even when printed at 200 DPI on photo paper.
Image compression software like this has always made sense to me, especially for online sharing. As we all know there is a lot of information stored in digital files, most of which is redundant in the final image. Good think about JPEGmini is that it’s specially designed for compressing images.
How the JPEGmini software works
The process works in 2 steps:
Firstly the software scans your image like the human visual system would and determines what amount of compression is possible for that particular photo without causing visible artefacts
Secondly, the JPEG encoder goes to work that adapts the encoding process to the original photos, creating the most compact representation of the pictures that is possible under the JPEG standard.
How much compression is possible depends on the quality (size) of the original JPEG? An image of 8MP and higher will get a 50-80% reduction while a small 1MP image will only get squashed 30-50%.
JPEGmini different versions
There are currently four different ways of using this picture compression software, ranging from a free online version of a premium server application.
JPEGmini free online compression
You can upload your images on a file-by-file basis to their website and have them automatically apply their algorithms. The compression works in the same way as the paid version but is only useful for a couple of images, as uploading large sizes will take a lot of time.
JPEGmini basic version
This is an application for both Mac (OS X 10.6.8 or higher) and PC (Windows XP SP3, Vista, 7 or 8) which uses a simple drag-and-drop interface. You can select an output folder or let this JPEGmini application replace your original file after compression. Quite easy to use and only costs $19.99, making it the cheapest way to compress the jpeg library efficiently on your computer.
JPEGmini Pro
The Pro version includes the basic app and an Adobe Lightroom plug-in. This edition lets you export images directly from Lightroom with their patent-pending compression. Once it’s a part of your workflow, you’ll soon be exporting all your jpegs in this way. It will set you back $149.00, but worth it.
How to install the JPEGmini Pro Lightroom Plug-in:
Purchase and download the plugin from their website.
Open the Export window in Lightroom (right-click on an image and select export)
On the bottom left of that window press the plug-in manager button:
Press “Add” a plugin and direct the browser to where you’ve downloaded the plug-in
Paste your authorization code and press “Done.”
Insert the plug-in into your processing chain as a Post-Process Action
JPEGmini server
This variant is a server application that will allow you to compress all uploaded images automatically using this compression. It supports all major versions of Linux and is a simple command-line application. This solution is mostly used by large corporations like Netflix as it costs $199 per month.
If you’re a WordPress user and would like to compress your entire online image library, there is a cheaper solution that allows you to use JPEGmini image compression software. Look for the EWWW image optimizer plug-in on WordPress, they have a paid server option that costs 10$ per month and allows you to optimise 25000 images per month using their server running the JPEGmini server app. You can cancel at any time.
JPEGmini compression quality
The company claims that their compressed images are indistinguishable from the original, even at a 100% crop. I’ve been using JPEGmini as a Lightroom plug-in for three months now and used it on all image for the web. I have not experienced any quality deterioration, loss of sharpness or any other problems. (right-click and open in a new window for full-size image)
Full-size Sony A7s image with JPEGmini Pro (366kb)Full-size Sony A7s image without JPEGmini (1MB)
Even at 100% crop there is no difference between compressed and uncompressed images. (right-click and open in a new window for full-size image)
Original image from the Sony A7r 36MP (compressed with JPEGmini)around 100% crop from the original picture (without any compression)around 100% crop from original image (withJPEGmini)
Conclusion
Faster does mean better on the internet, but for photographers who want to present their work in decent quality, resizing and compressing your photographs with standard compression tools has always been an issue.
The JPEGmini compression technology is currently the best solution for website image optimisation or jpeg backup solutions. After extensive testing over the last few months, I could not find any image that seemed to have any apparent loss in quality after compression. The great thing is that you can keep a large size and quality image while still reducing the overall size of the file.
I shoot in RAW format, but I would not hesitate compressing my entire jpeg library with JPEGmini if I used .jpg. For print, the company states that up to 200dpi will have no loss in quality, so this mostly depends on what camera model you use and how large your saved jpegs are.
Which one of their solutions is right for you will depend on your personal use.
There is no question that their JPEGmini server solution is the most flexible, as it allows you to upload your images from anywhere (even mobile devices) while still taking advantage of their compression. But this is quite expensive and probably only large corporations can afford their $199 dollar per month fee. A workaround could be to use EWWW’s image optimiser $10 per month plan which allows you to compress up to 25000 during upload via their own server.
I rarely found use for the JPEGmini basic app ($19.99), although it could be a good solution if you have a large jpg library that you wanted to shrink without quality loss.
Finally, their JPEGmini Lightroom app ($149.00) is a must-have for all professional photographers who frequently need their images exported for the web or email. You have the flexibility of keeping your RAW files untouched in the library and a small yet high quality jpeg ready for your clients or website.
They currently offer a free trial for all JPEGmini solutions, and discounts are available for multiple licences. You can purchase directly from their website.
Win a JPEGmini Pro licence
I have 2 JPEGmini Pro licences to give away (including the lightroom plug-in), here is what you have to do to win:
Leave a comment with your name or nickname under this post.
Either Tweet this post and mention @jpegmini and @wimarys or share this post on Facebook.
This contest ends Monday October 20th 2014 at midnight. I”ll be using the “comment contest” plugin to randomly select 2 winners from all comments. We’ll be announcing the winners on October 21st via our twitter and Facebook pages.
The Multi-Interface Shoe (MI Shoe/MIS) was introduced by Sony late 2012. It replaced a range of other hot shoes including the Minolta legacy Auto-lock Accessory Shoe (AAS), the NEX range Smart Accessory Terminals (SAT, SAT2), the Cyber-shot hot shoe, Intelligent Accessory Shoe (IAS) and Active Interface Shoe (AIS). This Multi-Interface Shoe has the same middle contact and frame as a standard ISO 518 hot shoe, but additional electrical connections are hidden under the front.
This ISO compliance means it is mechanically compatible with any ISO 518-based equipment, and all ISO-based flashes can be triggered, although no other functionality is supported. A range of adapters is available, including Sony’s ADP-MAA, which allows accessories that are compatible with an auto-lock shoe to be used with the camera’s new multi-interface shoe.
Before 2014, Sony released 4 Multi-Interface shoe flashes (HVL-F20M, HVL-F43M, HVL-F-60M and the HVL-RL1), but as of late this year there is also a new HVL-F32M available. This flashgun was specially designed for their A7 range cameras. You can easily find compatible flashes by looking at the product name: “AM” are earlier versions (fit when using an adapter), “M” are Multi-Interface Shoe products
German manufacturer Metz also updated 2 of their Mecablitz flashes, the 44 AF-1 and 52 AF-1 digital with the Multi-Interface shoe and a third one, the very powerful Mecablitz 64 AF-1 digital will be available soon.
Lastly, Japanese company Nissin released a compatible version of their small i40, making a total of 8 flashes available for current Sony cameras.
Glossary Of Terms
Before going over all the specifications of compatible flashes, it might be useful to start with some abbreviations of functionality I will be using.
Guide number (GN)
The guide number for an electronic flash measures its ability to light a subject at your selected sensor sensitivity. For example, doubling the guide number means the flash can light an object at twice the distance. A higher guide number indicates a more powerful flash.
Through The Lens metering (TTL)
This TTL process of calculating the correct amount of flash light (power) to be used. Both flash light and ambient light are measured through the lens, and flash power required is calculated.
Advanced Distance Integration (ADI)
Modern lenses have encoders within the glass hardware to send actual focusing distance of the subject back to the camera’s exposure computation system. This information is then used by the camera to compute the real flash power that it is required to ensure that enough flash is fired to provide the right illumination of the subject at that distance.
High-speed sync flash (HSS)
This HSS is the ability to use a flash at shutter speeds faster than your camera’s native sync. Most cameras have a native sync of 1/250th of a second, and anything faster than that is beyond the camera’s ability to synchronize the shutter with the flash. HSS is used in situations that require faster shutter speeds to capture the action adequately. When you want a fill light in bright daylight (to lighten shadows) or when you’re using a flash at wide apertures (where you’d normally over-expose your image).
All Multi-Interface Shoe flashguns available
Sony
Sony’s multi-interface shoe flashes might look expensive on paper, but they do offer the most features. All models listed are capable of remote controlling other flashes and all (except the HVL-F20M) are dust- and moisture-resistant. You’ll often find them at a significantly reduced street price, try Amazon.
HVL-F20M
The HVL-F20M is their smallest Multi-Interface Hotshoe flash and will give you a bit more power than a built-in flash. There’s no LCD screen, but controls are easy and straightforward to use. It’s also possible to use it as a remote controller for external flashes, an excellent feature at this price.
GN: 20
TTL
ADI
Can Be Used as Wireless Controller
Bounce Head
Built-In Diffuser
Wide and Tele Flash Settings
Compact, Flat-Folding Design
Runs on 2 AA Batteries
HVL-F32M
The latest Sony flash was designed especially for the A7 range of cameras. Keeping in line with the philosophy behind that range, it’s meant to give you the maximum possible quality in a small unit. This one is also capable of using HSS, and is weather and moisture resistant just like all products in the A7 range. Remember that you can use all Multi-interface flashes can be used with the A7 range.
GN: 32
TTL
ADI
HSS
Auto Power Zoom Range: 24-105mm (16mm with Panel)
Wireless Control
Dust and Moisture Resistant
Built-In Bounce Sheet
Runs on 2 AA Batteries
HVL-F43M
The HVL-F43M is my personal favourite of all the Sony flashes, as it does give you a decent amount of power with advanced functionality, but is still quite portable.
GN: 43
TTL
ADI
HSS
Auto Power Zoom Range: 24-105mm (15mm with Panel)
Wireless Control for up to 3 Flash Groups
Dust and Moisture Resistant
Pivot 90° L/R
Built-in Bounce Sheet
Retractable 15mm Wide-Angle Panel
Runs on 4 AA Batteries
Mini Stand and Case Included
HVL-F60M
The HVL-F60M is a seriously powerful flash for professional use but suffers from fast overheating issues. There is no sign that Sony will be updating it soon, so if you need a flash of this calibre, I’d suggest going with the Mecablitz 64 AF-1 Digital.
Update: Sony just released a firmware update that would resolve the overheating issues, though with a longer recycling time.
GN: 60
TTL
ADI
HSS
Auto Power Zoom Range: 24-105mm (15mm with Panel)
Wireless Control for up to 3 Flash Groups
Dust and Moisture Resistant
Dedicated Flash and Video Light
Quick Navi and Large Dot Matrix LCD
Stroboscopic Lighting Control
Metz Mecablitz Flashes
German consumer electronics manufacturer Metz makes a range of semi-pro and pro flashes called Mecablitz. These are often quite a bit cheaper and offer equal performance and functionality as their Sony counterparts, except for weather proofing and wireless control for external flashes. Their flagship 64 AF-1 Digital is an exception to this, as it is dust/moisture resistant and has wireless Master functionality.
Mecablitz 26 AF-1 digital
Despite its compact size – it even fits in a shirt pocket – the new mecablitz 26 AF-1 digital boasts comprehensive features. The flash output impresses with a guide number of 26 for ISO 100/21° and 85mm and outperforms integrated flashes. It’s handy format makes it the ideal holiday companion, particularly suited to compact cameras with flash shoes. Adjustments can be set using the function keys – ideal for flash novices who expect nothing less than perfect illumination. The ingenious design enables the reflector to be rotated for an indirect flash. Together with the integrated wide-angle diffuser, the mecablitz 26 AF-1 digital allows sufficiently creative scope for inventive illumination – for shooting videos, too. Because an additional two-level adjustable high output LED permanent light with up to 30 Lux lights up even motion picture photography.
GN: 26
90° vertical bounce facility
Simple operating concept
Integrated wide-angle diff user for 24 mm illumination
Flash readiness indicator and correct exposure display on unit and on camera ***
Status LED
AF-assist light on Video LED
Automatic unit shut-off ( flash mode)
Metal base* with quick lock
Mecablitz 44 AF-1 Digital
The 44 AF-1 is their smallest available for the MIS, and does not support HSS. It is quite cheap though and offers a more powerful alternative the Sony HVL-F20M (although it’s bigger).
GN: 44
TTL
ADI
no HSS
Auto Power Zoom Range: 24-105mm (12mm with Panel)
wireless slave mode only (TTL)
No weather sealing
Modelling Light for Checking Shadows
Tilts Upward 90° & Rotates 300°
USB Port for Firmware Updates
1st & 2nd Curtain Sync
Runs on 4 AA Batteries
The Metz Mecablitz 52 AF-1
The Metz Mecablitz 52 AF-1 is an almost a fully featured TTL, and HSS flash with auto zoom functionality and an illuminated rear touchscreen with swivel. A great buy if weather proofing is not important to you.
GN: 52
TTL
ADI
HSS
Auto Power Zoom Range: 24-105mm (12mm with Panel)
wireless controller
No weather sealing
Modelling Light for Checking Shadows
Tilts Upward 90° & Rotates 300°
Manual from 1/1 to 1/128 in 1/3 Steps
Illuminated Rear Touchscreen with Swivel
USB Port for Firmware Updates
High-Speed, 1st & 2nd Curtain Sync
Runs on 4 AA Batteries
Mecablitz 64 AF-1 Digital
This is their top-of-the-line flash featuring an exceptional build and all possible functionality. It’s currently the only useable flash option for professional use.
GN: 64
TTL
ADI
HSS
Auto Power Zoom Range: 24-1200mm!! (12mm with Panel)
Secondary Reflector with 2 Output Levels
Only Mecablitz which is weather sealed
Wireless Master & Slave Functionality
Tilts -9 to +90° & Rotates 300°
Color LCD Touchscreen & Modeling Light
Strobe & Servo Flash Modes
High-Speed,1st & 2nd Curtain Sync
Sync, Power, and USB Ports
runs on 4 AA Batteries
Nissin
Nissin is a Japanese company that has been making flashes for over 50 years. The currently have three lashes available for the Multi-Interface Shoe: the i40, Di600 and Di700.
Nissin i40
This small flash uses dials instead of the standard LCD screen. It offers full functionality; the only caveat being that it is not dust and moisture resistant.
GN: 40
TTL
ADI
HSS
Zoom Range: 24-105mm (16mm with Panel)
LED Video Light with 9 Output Levels
Tilts Upward 90°
Rotates Left & Right 180°
Wireless Slave TTL Functionality
Recycle Time: 0.1-4 Seconds
Slow, High-Speed,1st & 2nd Curtain Sync
Runs on 4 AA Batteries
Nissin Di600
The Nissin Di600 Digital TTL flash for Sony MIS covers a focal Length range of 35-105mm, has a GN rating of 32 at 35mm/GN44 at 105mm. It is TTL/wireless TTL capable.
GN 32 at 35mm/GN44 at 105mm
TTL
ADI
Auto Zoom Range: 35-105mm
AF assist beam
Energy saving system
Wireless TTL mode
Rear Curtain Sync
Nissin Di700
The Nissin Di700 Air advanced flash for Sony MIS covers a focal Length range of 24-200mm. It has a GN rating of 54 at 200mm/GN48 at 105mm, fully rotating flash head, is HSS/TTL/wireless TTL capable and features a LED control panel.
GN 54 at 200mm/GN48 at 105mm
TTL
ADI
HSS
Zoom Range: 24-200mm
LED control panel and selector dial
Head rotates horizontally 180° to right and left, tilts up to 90°and expanded 7°of downward tilt
Wireless TTL mode
External power socket for Nissin Power Pack PS 8
PC terminal socket for flash sync
Phottix
Phottix is a rapidly developing company that specializes in manufacturing photographic accessories.
Phottix Mitros and Mitros+ TTL for Sony MIS
Phottix just released versions of their Mitros, and Mitros+ TTL flash units for the Sony multi-interface hot shoe. The Mitros+ has remote radio flash control with built-in Phottix Odin and Strato II receivers, and both can be triggered remotely or used to trigger off-camera flash units. These flash units provide a guide number of 58, with 180° rotation and tilt by 97°.The Phottix Mitros and Mitros+ are available now for $299 and $399.
GN: 58
TTL, M, Multi (Stroboscopic) modes
Auto/Manual Flash Head Zoom with 180 degree rotation and 97 degree tilt
High Speed Sync and Rear Curtain Sync
Flash Exposure Compensation: Manual
Quick Flash Mode: with 0.1-2.5 sec. recharge times
USB port for upgrades
3.5mm Sync port
IR Wireless Triggering with Master and Slave mode
Optical Slave Sync Mode
4 AA batteries
Port for external battery pack
Compatible with Phottix Odin TTL Flash Triggers
Conclusion
With now 13 flashes available for the Multi Interface Shoe, you are not limited the Sony flashes anymore. Which one is best for you depends on your usage and how much power you actually need.
Two features to keep in mind are whether you need dust and moisture resistance and the ability to use HSS, as this will limit your options. I’d recommend keeping your flash as small as possible and upgrading as you need more power.
Two new arrivals are very interesting in particular: the small, inexpensive but feature-rich Nissin i40 and the pro Mecablitz 64 AF-1 Digital. The latter will particularly appeal to users unsatisfied with the HVL-F60M’s overheating issues.
The HVL-43-M is my personal flash of choice for both the A7r and A77 II, as it is still portable whilst having both HSS and weather proofing. It’s been on the market for over a year now and prices have dropped significantly.
Alien Skin Exposure 6: new features and redesigned user interface
Introduction
Exposure 6 is the latest version of Alien Skin’s film emulation software. Although you can use it in stand-alone mode, most photographers use it as a plug-in in Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop. The idea is that you do some basic editing in Lightroom and then find the final ‘look’ of your image in Exposure.
Getting that look that suits your particular image is always a challenge for many photographers, and this software makes it easy by providing loads of film emulations presets as a starting point.
The film types offered range from B&W to colour and darkroom developing techniques.
New Features in Alien Skin Exposure 6
Exposure 6 now has their creative focus and lens simulation program, Bokeh. It features simulations of fast lenses like the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L, Nikon 300mm f/2.8, Sony 24-70 f/2.8 and also tilt/shift and motion blur looks.
Automatically displays full-sized instant previews as you mouse over to help you quickly check presets on your images.
An updated user interface with a cleaner layout for quicker navigation.
Preset browser now also offers a list view as well as optional thumbnails for a more visual experience.
New primary control panel, containing sliders to tweak exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, clarity, vibrance and saturation for faster editing.
New lighting effects like a sun flare, vintage borders from the archives and you can now import your custom borders and textures and share them across multiple computers.
Now supportsApple retina displays.
Layout
All software editing and effects suites look quite similar. The image you’re working on is displayed in the centre, presets on the left and other control tabs on the right. In Exposure 6, you can quickly drag and resize all tabs to get the experience that suits you.
Preset Tab
presets tab
Exposure 6 has some of the best presets, and most users use them as a starting point. There is now a redesigned search function that works very well, always handy if you know the type of film you’re after. You can also find Tabs per category, which makes for a less cluttered preset browsing experience. Once you open up any of the preset folders, previews will start generating. These are significant improvements over Exposure 5, and helps with a faster workflow. We’ll go over some of the presets later.
The right-hand tab
The right-hand tab gives you total control over all the modules used in the presets, and you’ll be able to add unused modules too.
The Basic tab
The basic tab is a new feature, allowing for more independent use of the software. You can now tweak basic settings here, something that you had to do in Lightroom first before exporting in previous versions. All necessary functionality is available: Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Clarity, Vibrance and satiation in either Color or Black and White.
Basic tab
The Color tab
The colour filters will add tones to an image, just like placing a coloured filter in front of your lens. Filter behaviour affects damages differently in black & white and colour films.
In black & white images, colour filters influence the conversion of images tones. A red or orange filter can smoothen skin tones, reducing the appearance of blemishes. Blue filters, on the other hand, are very efficient at darkening the image and enhancing the appearance of haze and mist.
In colour photography, these filters will add the specified colour tone across the entire picture.
The Preserve Luminosity checkbox prevents radical changes in brightness of your image.
Color tab
The Tone Curve tab
Toning is a processing technique from the dark room development days. Using chemicals, the coloration of an image is changed. Split toning uses multiple tones in this development process. It’s an easy way to add colour to your pictures.
Tone Curve tab
The Focus tab
You can apply sharpening or soft focus here. I’m not a big fan of sharpening it this way, I prefer directly boosting micro-contrast, but it might work for you.
The Lens Warp simulates the distortion caused by lenses at the edges of the image. It’s used in the Exposure presets to imitate the soft look created by using toy cameras with plastic lenses.
Focus tab
The Grain tab
Modern cameras use higher ISO values for increased sensitivity to light, introducing different kinds of (ugly) digital noise. Analogue film did the same, but (as it is analogue) added more eye-pleasing grain. Since we are used to seeing this in images, some photographers prefer adding some texture to their images for a more analogue look.
Grain tab
Infrared (IR) tab
This tab lets you imitate the look created by using monochrome infrared film. Not my cup of tea, but it’s there.
IR tab
The Vignette tab
Vignetting is an excellent way to draw the spectators’ eye towards your subject. Image corners are darkened in various ways, and although you’ll find this in many RAW editors, Exposure adds a lot more customizability. This customization includes control over Distortion and Lump Size that modify the shape of the vignette.
Vignette tab
The Overlays tab
You can add borders, light leak effects, or dust and scratches here I’m not a big fan of their borders (I prefer mine simple). But all are very customizable, and you can now even import your own.
Light leaks and texture effects do look beautiful, very realistic.
Overlays tab
The Bokeh tab
Bokeh is a new feature, first introduced in Alien Skins’ Bokeh software. You can select focus region, different emulated lenses, amount, zoom. This effect can look fantastic, and (I’ll explain later) I often use it as an alternative to vignetting.
Bokeh tab
Presets
You’ll find the presets tab on the right-hand side. It’s resizable by dragging the tab to your left for easy auditioning of all the presets. The live preview for each film render very fast (much more quickly than in Exposure 5). You can select what preset category you wish to audition on the top of the tab, as well view your custom made and recently used presets.
There is a search function that allows you to find specific film emulations and can be further refined by clicking B&W or color tabs.
presets tab
These are examples of images with the preset film emulations applied. Higher numbers in the preset names indicate higher ISO analog film emulated. Remember that noise appeared much faster in analogue film than it does with the same ISO values in modern-day cameras.
Color Films
The major strength of Exposure 6 is the vast amount of presets, that use a combination of the softwares’ modules. These can easily be tweaked to your liking in the appropriate module tab , although Alien Skin does make very useable presets.
Presets are divided into 2 basic categories: Colour and Black & White. I’ll go through all the presets with you, and show some examples of what this software is can do straight out of the box.
Color Fading
These presets offer various faded effects, including simulation of old film types like Kodachrome and Ektachrome.
Unsurprisingly, these simulate the look of colour polaroid films, including Polachrome and Fuji FP. The polaroid look is something we all know, and Exposure 6 is especially good at these.
Time-Zero Film (Dust scratches)600 Faded669 yellowedFuji FP-100CPolachrome (no grain)SX-70 Blend Film
Print
Print emulates colour negative films from Fujifilm to Kodak. Passing your images through one of these presets after basic editing in Lightroom can give them a more finished look, without looking overly processed. Another new feature is that Exposure 6 now adaptively changes the noise levels according to your settings and tweaks. This makes the emulations look less like an effect and a more accurate emulation.
Fuji Pro 160CFuji Pro 160SFuji Pro 400HFuji RealaKODAK EKTAR 100KODAK Portra 160NCKODAK Portra VC
Vintage
If you like the vintage look, these presets will be your cup of tea. There are lots of old films emulated, just remember where the noise tab is to tweak these levels.
Agfachrome 1000 RSAgfa RSX II 100Fuji Astia 100FFuji-Provia-100FFuji-Provia-400FFuji-Velvia-50Fuji-Velvia-100FGAF 500Kodak-Ektachrome-100GKodak-Ektachrome-100GXKodak Ektachrome 100VSKodak Ektachrome mid 1970Agfa RSX II 100
Infrared
Infrared emulates the use of infrared film. Not my type of photography, although I am looking to mod one of my camera sensors for infrared, but this yields totally different results.
Kodak-Ektachrome-EIR
Lo-Fi and Lo-Fi Cross Processed
Lo-Fi offers more artistic effects, with heavy usage of light effects, textures, vignetting and scratches. I like these too sometimes.
Besides Colour film, lots of Black and White Film emulations are available. These presets have more-or-less the same grouping as the colour presets.
B&W Films Basic
You’ll find most (if not all) of the highly regarded Black and White films here. From the Ilford Delta to the Kodak Tri-X, they have all been emulated to a high degree of precision.
AGFA APX 25AGFA SCALA 200Fuji Neopan 1600Ilford Delta 100Ilford HP5 Plus-400Kodak Pantomic X Pushed 1 stopKodak Plus X 125Kodak T-MAX 100Kodak Technical Pan TechnidolKodak TRi-X 400Kodalith
Polapan
Polapan is an instant black and white slide film made by Polaroid.
Polapan Dust and scratchesPolapan no grain
Polaroid 55
Polaroid 55 is an instant film that peels apart to give both a monochrome print and a black and white negative. You’ll notice that the emulations have the distinctive border where the two parts of the film are stuck together.
Polaroid-55-BluePolaroid 55
Vintage
You’ll find photographic processes such as Calotype, Cyanotype, Daguerreotype and Wet Plate here
Calotype Sepia no grain
Infrared
Infra-red Black And White film like the Ilford SFX200.
Ilford SFX 200
Lo-Fi
The Lo-Fi presets imitate the type of look you would get if you used a toy camera such as a Holga, Lomo or Diana. Some have scotches and ageing applied in a quite convincing way.
Agfa-APX-400
Bokeh
One of the major new features in Exposure 6 is the inclusion of their lens simulation program, Bokeh. It features simulations of fast lenses like the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L, Nikon 300mm f/2.8, Sony 24-70 f/2.8,…
Bokeh effects draw the viewers’ attention to a specific area, by blurring the rest of the image. Although a simulation like this can never replace a true Bokeh shot with a lens and large aperture, as an add-on effect, it can work in the same way you’d normally use vignetting.
The out-of-focus parts do look creamy and smooth.
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Bokeh
Conclusion
The updated Alien Skin Exposure 6 offers new functionality (like the Bokeh software now included), nice improvements and a faster and more useable interface.
I’ve tried most film emulation software, and they all seem to offer something different. You might find that’s it’s easier to use VSCO and RNI film packs, as they come as presets in Lightroom, while you’ll have to export your images to use the Exposure emulations. The external editor approach does offer advanced functionality and tweak-ability which you won’t find in the Lightroom preset variety.
Exposure 6 has some of the best colour film simulations out there, and I’m thinking especially of the Polaroid and Vintage film presets. I also love the fact that Dust and Scratches can be applied while still looking realistic, and it’s my go-to app when I want to make an image realistically look old and deteriorated.
I’m not as fond of their Black & White emulations, but that might be a personal preference as I like a more modern approach to B&W conversion. Although their border collection is large, I’m still missing some basics like a simple white or black square, although you can now import your own.
Another improvement I really like is that it now renders grain accurately across the full dynamic range of your image, a feature I have not seen anywhere else. Other film emulations just seem to indiscriminately pepper it across your image, whilst here you actually see it adapt to changes in the global settings here. This makes for a more realistic film grain where it’s more pronounced in the mid-tones.
I find the now-included Bokeh module quite useful as an alternative to vignetting, so basically a way of drawing attention to a part of your image. I own a few of the lenses emulated, and the out-of-focus area does look similar, although it’s no substitute for actually shooting at large aperture with a high quality lens. You can never really get the edges and transition to match the real deal. But it’s a nice added feature, and gives you more creative freedom during post processing.
You can purchase Exposure 6 on their website, upgrading costs $69, full version $149.
Really Nice Images, RNI, in short, make film and Instagram inspired presets for Adobe Lightroom. They currently offer two vintage film preset collections for professional use and four bundles with emulations the based on the Instagram application for mobile devices. The main difference is that the pro Iconic films 2.1 and Faded Films 2.1 offer high-resolution support, limited only by your camera’s max RAW resolution, whilst the Instagram based presets are meant mainly for used on jpeg’s.
None of the RNI film presets are expensive: the Pro bundles cost $39,99 each ($68,98 when you purchase them together), the Instant $19,99 or $29,98 bundled. I’d say they are worth the money, my preference going to the Iconic Films 2.1 packages, which presets look very close to the original emulated films. Let’s take a look at all the bundles I’ve tested. I started from basic RAW images from the Sony A7r for all of them.
Iconic Films 2.1
A collection of 66 films presets representing the most recognised films from all major brands like Fuji, Agfa, Ilford and Kodak. RNI precisely analysed the real original films for this collection to give you a superior professional tool to simulate look and feel of your favourite films in Lightroom just in one click.
This bundle is inspired by photographic films and prints. Nostalgic, warm, faded, under- and over processed, with grain and beautiful colour deviations. This collection of presets is based on their long study of vast amount of real archive samples, the study of pieces of personal history and the study of human beings, their memories, their feelings, their love.
Film Presets
ABERDEENABBEYROAD711AndoBARNESBRIDGEBROCK-02BROCK-03CHESTERDECEMBER 1974FADEDFLOWERFADEDFLOWER COLDFADEDFLOWER HCHERST&ANNAINTERSTATE 76LIMBO MONOCHROMELOMO CROSSLOMO CROSS 2LOMO CROSS 3LOMO CROSS 4LOMO CROSS 5MANOR HOUSE 92MANOR HOUSE 93MANOR HOUSE 96MANOR HOUSE 98MANOR HOUSE 99NEENANIAGARA87NIAGARA88NIAGARA88 coolNIAGARA88 cool HCNIAGARA88 coolerNIAGARA88 fadeNIAGARA88 greenSANDYSCHNEIDERS ARCHIVESOLARISSVEMAUTAH MONOCHROMEWILLOWWINDCLIFFE
Instagram Presets For Lightroom
INSTA 1 bundle
This is a package of presets designed to emulate filters of the first versions of Instagram app. It is a collection of 16 creative Lightroom presets emulating look & feel of the earliest filters of Instagram version 1. All the presets are developed by digital imaging experts using GretagMacbeth colour matching techniques and optimised for using in sRGB colour space to give you the best possible result.
Lord Kelvin1977GothamNashvillePoprocketApolloHefeWaldenInkwellBrananToasterLilySutroEarlybirdLomo-fiX-Pro II
INSTA 3 preset bundle
This package is designed to emulate filters of the latest versions of Instagram app. There are 19 creative Lightroom presets emulating look & feel of Instagram 3.x filters. All the presets are developed by digital imaging experts using GretagMacbeth colour matching techniques and optimised for using in sRGB colour space to give you the best possible result.
As you can see by looking at these examples, RNI film presets can be very convincing in emulating 20th-century films. The best thing is that they work directly in Lightroom, so you don’t need to go to an external editor to get the look and feel of vintage film. All the presets are also fully editable and customizable, so you can tweak your pictures to have exactly the look you want.
As I mentioned before, I especially like the Icon Films 2.1 package, as this seems as close to vintage film as I’ve seen in any other preset collection like VSCO or Exposure. Although I think it is not possible to directly compare any of them, as they each have a unique flavour and different usage for me anyway. I’d go for RNI film presets if I need a fast and very accurate film emulation though.
I like to take long exposures, and usually you’d need an ND filter for this. An ND filter allows you to use longer shutter speeds in daylight, and this can give you that smooth water flow effect.
I noticed that Sony has a PlayMemories Smooth Reflection app in their store, allowing you to take long exposures without the need for such an ND filter, and I just had to try it out. I’m guessing the developers use a similar technique to the one used in HDR photography, where you layer different images on top of each other. The part of the picture where the motion is gets processed with some algorithm to allow for a smoothing of subjects like water while the rest of the image stays perfectly in-focus.
The new advanced processing power of the latest Bionz X processor is needed to do this processing, as only cameras that have it support this app. (The ILCE-7, ILCE-7R, ILCE-5000, DSC-HX400V, DSC-HX60V, ILCE-6000, DSC-RX100M3 and ILCE-7S)
You’ll naturally need a tripod or at least an even surface in order to use this, as you only want part of the image to reflect the motion. After this is set-up, operation is simple: just launch the app and choose from 5 presets or customise your own and wait until the sequence of images is captured.
It will take as much time to process the picture as it did to capture, so you’ll need to take some time to do this.
A nice feature is that you can save as RAW as well as the different qualities of jpeg, giving you some more information to work with in Lightroom or any other software of your choice.
The Menu system
The usual Sony PlayMemories 5-page menu system is in place. You can always access this by pressing the MENU button and then navigating with the multi-button. You’ll find the most important functions on page 1:
Exit application: go back to normal camera operation
Application: will bring you to the five preset page (plus one custom)
Smoothing that allows you control over the amount of smoothing the in-motion areas in your image. Three levels are available: Lo, MID and HI
Self-timer: handy if you don’t want to use a remote and want to eliminate shake
Set image size/quality (jpeg in different qualities and RAW) and aspect ratio.
change Focus Mode, Area, exposure comp and ISO
Set metering mode, white balance, creative styles and fx
set the area for focus magnification when using MF
In general, greyed out functions can’t be changed, depending on the camera you are using and theme you are in.
If you want to abort your capture at any time, press the shutter button again or press MENU. A still image will be saved and shooting ends.
The five presets:
Twilight Reflection
Shooting neon lights at night reflected on a water surface; PlayMemories Smooth Reflection will smooth out the water for a cityscape surface reflection effect.
Water Flow
For smooth water effects, the camera averages out the water splashing.
Silent
For shooting still waters the camera averages the ripples and swells for a calm, smooth water surface effect.
Smoke Haze
Mainly for seashores, the camera averages the portion of waves and sea spray to reproduce a soft water surface effect.
Monotone
The camera shoots an image in monotone to reproduce a smooth, fantastic atmosphere. You can select B/W, Sepia, Warm, or Green as the monotone colour.
Custom
Custom is similar to manual mode on your camera, allowing you to take full control over settings for aperture and shutter time per image captured.
Is it any good?
I’ve been playing around with the PlayMemories Smooth Reflection for about a month now on the A7r, A7s and A6000. Although it’s fun to use, it doesn’t replace a traditional ND filter. I’d say you get an effect like what you’d get with a proper long exposure setup, but the flowing motion looks more like a cut-out than the real thing. The quality of the images (even in RAW) aren’t comparable to what you’d get with an ND filter. The Bionz X processor probably has to apply lots of aggressive noise reduction in order to keep noise under control and although the result looks quite clean, it reduces clarity and micro-contrast to a degree that the images don’t do the camera justice.
But it’s still a fun app to use, perhaps for anyone wanting to get into long exposures but doesn’t wish to spend the extra cash on a proper ND filter, the 5 dollar spent here might help you figure out if it is a technique that you’d like to learn more about.
The Sony A7s has been supported by DXO Optics Pro since last week, so I thought it was time to see how it performs with DXO’s PRIME noise reduction at high ISO.
First some general thoughts on this new camera after a few weeks of usage:
As we all know by now, the Sony A7s native ISO performance is about 4 stops better than the A7r
Although ISO can go up to 5 stops higher than the sensible max ISO Auto of 12800, in real life you’ll rarely step up above that number
AF does feel faster in general, and now performs as well in low light as the A7r did in daylight
Two types of photographers I would recommend the Sony A7s to:
wedding photographers, who can now finally take some decent pictures at dimly lit receptions and banquets without using their flash all night
concert photographers who will feel liberated shooting at these high ISO’s
Sony A7s with the Touit, just because it looks good!
Don’t expect any miracles though… 12MP compared to 36MP is a big difference resolution wise. You’d need both A7(r) and A7s if you’re a serious working professional, going for the latter only when needed and sticking to the former in normal light conditions.
So now you’re thinking that this is getting ridiculously expensive right? Around the price of a Nikon D4s or Canon EOS 1D, that professionals have been using with great success for years in difficult conditions and have a vast range of lenses (not just 4). I’m starting to get frustrated with Sony releasing these different incarnations of the same model for various uses. But I might be in a very critical state of mind this week. Perhaps Mars is rising in my sign or something.
OK, back to the Sony A7s and Optics Pro combo. I’m a recent DXO convertee, and now often use as a standalone app (instead of going back and forth from Lightroom). It has saved me on many occasions for paid work, and I like the PRIME noise reduction feature. As I mentioned before, ISO 12800 is still perfectly useable on the Sony ICLE-A7S, and processing it through Optics Pro’s NR gives quite useable results.
First image is the RAW file imported in Lightroom and exported as jpeg, without any corrections.
Sony A7s ISO 12800 no noise reduction
Already looks quite decent, now let’s apply some DXO Prime NR
Sony A7s ISO12800 DXO Prime NR
Just a little bit of detail is lost in favour of a cleaner image. If you’d try to do anything like this in Lightroom, you’d end up with something that resembles a painting, trust me.
This brings me back to the night that I was shooting this. I was using the FE 70-200 F4, a fantastic lens by the way, and my girlfriend was using my Olympus PEN EP-5, with the 75mm 1.8. I was all excited about the A7s low light performance and then she showed me what she did with the PEN… Similar images, fudge! I know it’s an unfair comparison, as it’s a way faster lens, FF vs. MFT, and of course she was not at 12800 but at 3200, but still, it’s possible to capture decent images in low light with other (cheaper) combinations. It kind of put things in perspective for me.
Her’s another one, a crop this time so you can clearly see noise and NR applied at 12800:
no NRDXO Prime NR
Perhaps I should have stepped down the NR a bit to find the best balance between sharpness and noise, but you get the basic idea.
So I’m on the fence about the Sony A7s… On one hand, I like the high ISO performance and images it generates, on the contrary, I feel it is too expensive for its limited use. Sure, it shines in the darkness, but it’s not the only camera that lends itself well to this kind of work. If you’re looking for a general all-rounder, I think you will find better capable cameras out there.
Adorama is offering a deal on DXO Optics Pro Elite (that supports the A7s). Until Aug 8th you can get it at a discounted price of $179,95 (regular price is $299), you can buy it here.
