Our favourite raw image file processing software DxO PhotoLab Elite has now gained the ability to support .RAF files from Fuijfilm’s X-H2S, X-H2 and X-T5 APS-C cameras and support for Panasonic’s Lumix S5II is coming in March 2023.
At the moment, in mid-February 2023, we’re still waiting for the DeepPRIME XD demosaicing and denoising function to support Fujifilm X-Trans raw files but Fujifilm Bayer raw files from the original Fujifilm Finepix X100 are supported as well as, we believe, Bayer raw files from Fujifilm GFX cameras.
We took one of our oldest Panasonic Lumix camera and lens combinations out for a walk today – a Lumix GH4 and Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspheric Mega OIS standard zoom lens – and it worked fine when minimally processed in the current latest version of DxO PhotoLab Elite.
Lumix GH4 and Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspheric Mega OIS Bayer raw file in DxO PhotoLab Elite 6.3
We’re not street photographers but this image is an apt document of aspects of life in this cluster of suburbs where Edward Hopper’s paintings of American urban living can be an appropriate comparison.
One of the many things we love about DxO PhotoLab and its companions-cum-plugins DxO FilmPack and DxO ViewPoint is that these applications inject new life into old digital images even when made with lower specced cameras and lenses.
On another note, as soon as DeepPRIME XD for Fujifilm X-Trans comes to DxO PhotoLab then we’ll be shouting it from the rooftops.
Links
B&H Affiliate Link – click here to research and purchase or pre-order your choice of cameras, lenses and accessories for stills photography and video production whatever your genre and subject matter.
DxO – Supported Cameras & Lenses – At the time of writing in mid-February 2023, DxO PhotoLab Elite 6.3 supports Fujifilm X-H2, X-H2S and X-T5 and Panasonic Lumix GH6 with support for the Panasonic Lumix S5II coming in March 2023.
“After a decade of inaction by the Coalition, Labor is set to put the NBN back on track….
The overarching policy at that stage was to build an NBN that would benefit Australian society and the economy. The focus was on families, communities and businesses — 94 per cent of the population would be linked to a first-class fibre-to-the-home network. This would provide people across Australia, in cities, towns and most rural areas with the same level of quality broadband….”
Commentary
Will Labor rebuild Australia’s shameful travesty of fraudband aka the National Broadband Network so it actually does what it says on the tin?
Only time will tell.
Links
B&H Affiliate Link – click here to research and purchase or pre-order your choice of cameras, lenses and accessories for stills photography and video production whatever your genre and subject matter.
“Venture into the video and photo sides of creative storytelling with the powerful, new hybrid mirrorless camera offerings from Panasonic, the Lumix S5II and Lumix S5IIx full-frame mirrorless cameras. The new releases include the Lumix S5II and Lumix S5IIx camera bodies, kits with the S5II and S5IIx cameras and a 20-60mm zoom lens, and a new 14-28mm ultra-wide L-mount half-macro zoom lens, perfect for those in search of a camera with photo and video applications….”
Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens. Image courtesy of Panasonic Australia.
Panasonic Lumix S 14-28mm f/4.0-5.6 Macro wide-angle zoom lens. Image courtesy of Panasonic Australia.
Panasonic Lumix S Pro and S 35mm aka “Full Frame” lens roadmap as of January 4, 2023. Image courtesy of Panasonic Global.
Panasonic Lumix S5II. Image courtesy of B&H.
Panasonic Lumix S5IIX. Image courtesy of B&H.
Commentary
The announcement of the S5 II, S5IIX, 14-28mm zoom and the reminder about the previously released 20-60mm zoom lens has come as welcome news indeed and we’re looking forward to watching and reading up about each of them over the coming days.
Both cameras have begun to turn our heads, as it were, when it comes to self-funded independent documentary video production given Panasonic’s excellent color science and years of producing great video and cinema cameras and lenses.
Even better, Panasonic knows the necessity of great manual focusing capability as well as excellent autofocusing and we’re hoping that both are well catered for in these two exciting new 35mm sensor-equipped hybrid mirrorless cameras.
Plenty more content on these cameras and lenses will be coming here soon.
Links
B&H Affiliate Link – click here to research and purchase or pre-order your choice of cameras, lenses and accessories for stills photography and video production whatever your genre and subject matter.
Just the other day I was daydreaming about which types of lenses one might want to use for a documentary on the late, great Australian feature film cinematographer Robert Krasker.
I found myself wondering whether Fujifilm’s Fujinon broadcast and cinema lens division, makers of the highly-regarded HK Premier, MK, Premista, XK Cabrio and ZK Cabrio cinema zoom lenses series and co-designers of Fujifilm’s Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR stills and movie zoom lens, might be persuaded to consider designing and making a series of matched-colour and size cinema prime lenses for Fujifilm X-mount cameras including the Fujifilm X-H2, X-H2S and X-T5.
Would such a Fujinon X-Mount cinema prime lens series be manual focus-only or would it have autofocus and a manual focusing mechanism superior to that in Fujifilm’s current XF prime and zoom lens line-up, Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 aside?
And why did Fujifilm stop using the excellent manual clutch focus mechanism in its Fujinon XF 14mm f/2.8 R, XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR and XF 23mm f/1.4 R prime lenses and that works so well for video?
Then I came across this video by ProAV TV:
ProAV TV: Autofocus Cinema Lenses, but what does that mean? – Samyang V-AF Primes
“Samyang’s new V-AF range, a new set of affordable cinema primes to sit alongside their popular VDSLR range but these ones have autofocus. In fact Samyang say[s] this is the world’s first cinema lens lineup with autofocus.”
Samyang Cine AF 75mm T1.9 FE Sony E-Mount autofocus cinema prime lens
Samyang Cine AF 75mm T1.9 FE Sony E-Mount autofocus cinema prime lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Samyang Cine AF 75mm T1.9 FE Sony E-Mount autofocus cinema prime lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Samyang Cine AF 75mm T1.9 FE Sony E-Mount autofocus cinema prime lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Samyang Cine AF 75mm T1.9 FE Sony E-Mount autofocus cinema prime lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Samyang Cine AF 75mm T1.9 FE Sony E-Mount autofocus cinema prime lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Links
B&H Affiliate Link – click here to research and purchase or pre-order your choice of cameras, lenses and accessories for stills photography and video production whatever your genre and subject matter.
ePHOTOzine – Samyang V-AF 75mm T1.9 Lens Review – “John Riley has been putting the Samyang V-AF 75mm T1.9 video lens through its paces on the Sony A7R III camera.”
Samyang – V-AF T1.9: The World’s First Cine AF – 75mm, 35mm, 24mm, 45mm and 20mm T1.9 autofocus cinema prime lenses, to be released from 2022 Quarter 3 through to 2023 Quarter 4 in FE Sony E-Mount versions. Will they be released in other lens mounts including Fujifilm X?
Although we use raw processing and image editing software by other makers, our core raw and image processing and editing applications are made by DxO.
We’ve been relying on DxO software ever since getting back into photography during the early part of the digital era and our images have always benefited from DxO’s practice of profiling combinations of sensors and lenses to determine optimum automatic image processing before users we refine our choice of film simulation, colour grading, exposure compensation and other manual settings.
It’s gratifying to learn that DxO has just added camera and lens profiles for the Fujifilm X-H2 to its existing X-H2S combinations and that profiles for the X-T5 and various lenses will be coming sometime in January 2023.
We made these images at the opening of the Fujifilm House of Photography in Sydney in July 2022, and chose DxO’s Astia film simulation for its excellent rendering of skin tones.
We’ve been reading a wide variety of opinions about Fujifilm’s Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR lens for cinematography and photography and found it fast and easy to use on our Fujifilm X-Pro2 digital rangefinder camera despite it not having firmware updated specifically for the lens.
We haven’t had the pleasure of using the lens on Fujifilm’s X-H2, X-H2S or X-T5 yet but given their firmware has been updated to support the unique features of the XF 18-120mm f/4.0 zoom, the experience of using it with any of them should be impressive.
Links
B&H Affiliate Link – click here to research and purchase or pre-order your choice of cameras, lenses and accessories for stills photography and video production whatever your genre and subject matter.
We always make a beeline to camera manufacturer’s websites when it’s announced that they have released their camera manuals in HTML and PDF formats.
The days when you could figure all the features of any new camera out by simply turning it on and making a few shots are long gone and a good read of the user manual in print, HTML as a website or as a downloadable PDF document is a necessity nowadays.
Aspect ratios from Fujifilm X-T5 User Manual.
We’re not the only ones who’ve been asking, nay begging, Fujifilm to add the 4:3 and 5:4 aspect ratios to all its cameras regardless of their sensor size.
The 4:3 aspect ratio, 3:4 in vertical portrait orientation, is a much easier one to work with in general compared to Fujifilm XF cameras’ too-narrow 2:3 default aspect ratio which we’ve always found a little too in-between 1: 1 and 16:9 with none of the image design virtues of either.
We learned to design images of all kinds by studying paintings of all eras via postcards, books and eventually in real life at art galleries and museums in the northern hemisphere.
If so many superb artists and photographers of the past and present found 4:3 and 5:4 more appropriate for their work whether in vertical or horizontal orientation then they clearly have their virtues.
Links
B&H Affiliate Link – click here to research and purchase or pre-order your choice of camera, lens and accessories from this article. We recommend the X-T5 in combination with the 30mm f/2.8 Macro lens and MHG-XT5 hand grip as an excellent prime lens-oriented starter kit for photography or with the 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR zoom lens for videography.
So far we know from Patrick DiVino at ‘Fuji Rumors’ that this event will include the announcement of the Fujifilm X-T5 DSLR-style APS-C and Super 35 mirrorless hybrid camera and the Fujinon XF 30mm f/2.8 Macro lens but there may well be at least one “one more thing…”.
Fujifilm, please announce plenty more “movie+stills” prime and zoom lenses that are equally suitable for video production as they are for stills photography.
Right out of the blue, Australian video monitor and monitor/recorder maker Atomos has announced that “it has completed development of a world class 8K video sensor to allow video cameras to record in 8K ultra high resolution.”
So far all we have is the announcement below from the Atomos Investor Centre and from an email sent to us as investors in Atomos shares.
At time of writing Atomos has not issued a press release about this.
Screenshot of Atomos ASX announcement, “Atomos completes development of world class 8K video sensor and is exploring commercialisation”, October 6 2022.
Atomos completes development of world class 8K video sensor and is exploring commercialisation
Highlights:
Atomos announces that it has completed development of a world class 8K video sensor to allow video cameras to record in 8K ultra high resolution.
8K Ultra HD televisions are already in the market from Samsung, Sony and LG but 8K content has been lagging.
The Company is exploring opportunities to commercialise its unique IP and is in discussion with several camera makersAtomos Limited (‘ASX:AMS’, ‘Atomos’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce that it has completed development of a world class 8K video sensor which allows cameras to record in 8K ultra high definition.
Atomos Limited (‘ASX:AMS’, ‘Atomos’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce that it has completed development of a world class 8K video sensor which allows cameras to record in 8K ultra high definition.
Atomos acquired the intellectual property rights and technical team from broadcast equipment firm, Grass Valley[,] five years ago to develop a leading-edge 8K video sensor.
8K video has four times the resolution of 4K video and allows video creators much greater flexibility when zooming in or cropping their shots during editing, as the resulting shot maintains sharp resolution.
There are several 8K televisions already in the market from Samsung, Sony and LG and 8K gaming consoles are expected soon. 8K content however has been lagging because, outside of big camera makers such as Sony, owning 8K sensor technology is extremely rare.
Development of Atomos’ 8K sensor is now complete. The Company is actively exploring opportunities for commercialisation and is in discussion with several camera makers who are showing great interest.
Authorised for ASX release by the Atomos Board of Directors.
Our investor hub is an interactive location to engage with the Atomos team on our announcements and updates. Please go to the Atomos Investor Hub for all market announcements and other news https://announcements.atomos.com.
We welcome investors to ask questions and add comments to which our team can respond where possible.
About Atomos:
Atomos is a global video technology company delivering award-winning, simple to use monitor-recorder content creation products. These products give content creators across the rapidly growing social, pro-video and entertainment markets a faster, higher quality and more affordable production system.
Atomos’ range of products take images directly from the sensor of all major camera manufacturers, then enhance, record and distribute them in high-quality formats for content creation using the major video editing software programs. Since being founded in 2010, Atomos has established strategic relationships with key technology providers within the ecosystem including Apple, Adobe, Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Nikon and JVC Kenwood.
Atomos is based in Australia with offices in the USA, UK, Germany, China and Japan and has a worldwide distribution partner network.
We at Unititled.Net are investors in Atomos stock.
Commentary
This is remarkable news given that, as this announcement states, “outside of big camera makers such as Sony, owning 8K sensor technology is extremely rare” despite 8K televisions by brands like LG, Samsung and Sony being available at local and global retailers for some time now.
We confirmed that for ourselves earlier today when at several of those retailers in the largest local shopping centre where 8K is so common it appears to be the default now.
We’re looking forward to further details and are especially keen to learn whether Atomos’ 8K sensor has a global shutter.
Links
B&H Affiliate Link – click here to help us with costs for creating this website and its contents by pre-ordering and purchasing items from B&H.
Panasonic has released Firmware Version 2.2 for the Panasonic Lumix GH6 video-oriented mirrorless hybrid camera and its main feature is the ability to record to external SSD (external solid state drives) up to and including 2TB capacity.
So far only a subset of portable SSDs from two brands, Samsung and SanDisk, have been tested by Panasonic staff.
Of those, Samsung Portable SSD T5 drives have reportedly become unavailable in many locations and Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield drives are currently going through Panasonic’s verification process.
Panasonic has verified SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD drives and SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD drives up to and including 2TB capacity.
SSDs supported by Firmware Version 2.2 for Panasonic Lumix GH6 video hybrid mirrorless camera as of September 27, 2022.
Firmware Version 2.2, Release Date 2022/09/27
1. Support for SSD recording over USB
– Pictures and videos can now be recorded and played back with a commercially available external SSD connected to the USB port.
*Note beforehand that this is not a guarantee of operation on all devices.
*It is not supported in some video recording modes.
*We recommend using an external SSD whose operation has been confirmed by Panasonic.
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD, available in sizes from 500GB to 4TB. Image courtesy of B&H.
SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2, available in sizes from 1TB to 4TB. Image courtesy of B&H.
Samsung T7 Shield Portable SSD, available in 1Tb and 2TB capacities and your choice of beige, black or blue. Image courtesy of B&H.
Installing and setting up the SSD firmware update is not a straightforward process so I recommend reading Panasonic’s instructions as well as watching some of the videos we’ve shared in this article:
Other considerations include the best cables for connecting your SSDs as many come with cables that are too short, as well as how best to mount your SSDs on your camera’s hotshoe or cage.
I’ve included some recommended USB Type-C cables in the list below as well as a SmallRig universal SSD holder with hotshoe mount that may do the job well.
So far as we know right now, however, this SSD holder has not been tested with Samsung’s T7 Shield SSDs, so I’ll keep looking and will share my results here soon.
Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6 Operating Instructions, HTML, Firmware Version 2.2.
Meanwhile Panasonic has added information about the 2.2 firmware update to its DC-GH6 Operating Instructions which are available in a range of languages as HTML and PDFs:
The September 2022 issue of the number one most essential bimonthly film and digital movie production publication, ‘Film and Digital Times’, by cinematographer Jon Fauer, ASC, is out now to read online, download as a PDF or obtain in its printed version.
We’ve already skimmed through it as a PDF and several products, news and interview articles immediately caught our eye:
Claudio Miranda, ASC on Top Gun: Maverick
Sam Nicholson, ASC on Our Flag Means Death
SmallHD Monitors for Focus Pullers and Everyone Else
EL Zone & SmallHD Monitors with PageOS
SmallHD Cine 5 Series
SmallHD Cine 5, 7, 13, 18, 24, OLED 27
Links
Fujifilm X-H2S
Atlas Mercury Anamorphic Lenses
SIGMA 65mm Cine Primes
… and plenty more.
It’s great to see a professional publication of FD Times’ stature taking the Fujifilm X-H2 seriously.
Even better is that the EL Zone System as developed for cinematography by DoP Ed Lachman, ASC, from Ansel Adams’ Zone System that was originally for analog film photography has now been integrated into SmallHD’s PageOS 5 and thus into SmallHD’s latest generation of monitors some of which have displays rated at 2,000 nits and thus are well-suited to shooting outdoors in Australia’s laser beam sunlight.
Except we rarely see that anymore with the third La Niña spring and summer in a row.
A rating of at least 2,000 nits is also good for working under the glaring lightbox skies that appear during miserable, cold and rainy days like today.
The unexpected but welcome appearance of EL Zone System in SmallHD’s operating system is a wake-up call for Australian video assist and monitor/recorder makers Atomos and Blackmagic Design and they must commence work to integrate it into their own offerings immediately.
The same applies to flagship hybrid mirrorless stills/video cameras like Fujifilm’s X-H2S and X-H2, Panasonic’s Lumix GH6 and many, many more by other camera makers as well.
As reported in an earlier article here, Panasonic’s VariCam cinema camera line has already received its EL Zone System-inclusive firmware update.
For those who believe that the EL Zone System is nothing more than “just another false colour” preset, please do your research.
We were working on a second article on Ed Lachman’s EL Zone System when a bout of severe cold virus infections felled both of us here but we’re doing our best to get through the backlog even though still ill.
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