Tag: Zeiss

DxO Updates PhotoLab 5 & 6, PureRAW 2, FilmPack 6, ViewPoint 4, Nik 5 to Support Fujifilm X-H2, Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR, XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR & Many More

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. 

Fujifilm X-H2, X-H2S, X-T5, Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 LM PZ WR, 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro & 56mm f/1.2 R WR

Fujifilm X-T5 with Fujinon XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR prime lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm MHG-XT5 Metal Hand Grip for Fujifilm X-T5. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-T5. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-H2. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm X-H2S with Fujinon XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro prime lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm X-H2S with Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 R LM PZ WR stills + video zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.
Fujifilm X-H2 with VG-XH vertical battery grip and Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR zoom lens. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Global.

DxO PhotoLab – New Optic Modules released and Cameras & Lenses support (7 December 2022 update)

In 7th December 2022 we add support of new cameras and lenses for all of our products: PhotoLab 5 and 6, PureRAW 2, FilmPack 6, ViewPoint 4 and Nik 5.

See DxO Supported Cameras & Lenses 5 for compatibility of Optic modules with PhotoLab and PureRAW.

Cameras newly supported are:

  • Fuji[film] X-H2
  • Nikon D100
  • Sony FX30

Lenses newly supported are:

  • Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
  • Fuji[non] GF 20-35mmF4 R WR
  • Fuji[non] XF 18-120mm F4 LM PZ WR
  • Fuji[non] XF 30mm F2.8 R LM WR
  • HD Pentax- DA* 16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW
  • M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO with TC x1.4 Zuiko (for Olympus, Panasonic modules will come in January)
  • M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO with TC x2.0 Zuiko (for Olympus, Panasonic modules will come in January)
  • Panasonic Lumix S 18mm F1.8
  • Tamron 20-40mm F2.8 Di III VXD (A062) – Sony FE
  • Tamron 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD (A067) – Sony FE
  • Tamron 70-300mm F4.5-6.3 Di III RXD (A047) – Nikon Z
  • Tamron 150-500mm F5-6.7 Di III VC VXD (A057X) – Fuji[film] X
  • Zeiss Milvus 15mm F2.8 ZE and ZF.2
  • Zeiss Milvus 18mm F2.8 ZE and ZF.
  • Zeiss Milvus 135mm F2 ZE and ZF.2

For January update we are working on 4 cameras:

  • Canon EOS R6 Mark II
  • Fuji[film] X-T5
  • OM System OM-5
  • Sony A7R V

And some lenses:

  • Nikkor Z 17-28mm F2.8
  • Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | C – L-mount
  • Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN | C – Sony FE
  • Sigma 65mm F2 DG DN | C – Sony FE and L-mount
  • Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS S – Sony FE
  • Tokina ATX-M 11-18mm F2.8 – Sony E

Made with Fujifilm’s Fujinon XF 18-120mm f/4.0 R LM PZ WR zoom stills + video zoom lens, processed with DxO PhotoLab Elite 6, DxO FilmPack Elite 6 & DxO ViewPoint 4

Photograph © copyright Karin Gottschalk 2022. All rights reserved.
Photograph © copyright Karin Gottschalk 2022. All rights reserved.
Photograph © copyright Karin Gottschalk 2022. All rights reserved.

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

Zeiss ZF.2 Classic SLR Nikon F-Mount Lens Kit (21mm/28mm/ 35mm/50mm/85mm) Spotted On Ebay

With all the constant chatter, fuss and bother online about how well or how poorly autofocus works with various hybrid camera systems and lenses, one might be forgiven for throwing one’s hand up and swearing off autofocusing altogether and swapping over to lenses that were designed and manufactured for manual focusing only. 

zeiss_zf_lens_set_02_1920px
Zeiss SLR Classic ZF.2 Nikon F-mount manual-focus lenses, introduced in 2009 and discontinued in 2017. Designed by Zeiss and manufactured by Cosina. Image courtesy of Cosina.

Using manual focus lenses on Canon and Nikon DSLRs is fraught with problems although Live View can be useful provided your camera is tripod-mounted, it is not too sunny out or you are shooting at high enough shutter speeds that you can get away with handholding and squinting into your camera’s monitor.

Manual focusing on EVF cameras is a much more viable alternative and one that is becoming more common now that even Canikon has begun making pro-quality mirrorless cameras.

But what manual focus-only lenses and matched lens sets are available and affordable nowadays?

Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4 ZF.2 classic ‘normal’ aka ‘standard’ lens in Nikon F-Mount version with manual focussing and aperture ring.
Zeiss Distagon T* 18mm f/3.5 ZF.2 super wide angle prime lens for Nikon F-Mount cameras. Image courtesy of Zeiss.
Zeiss Distagon 18mm f/4.0 ZM prime lens for Leica M-mount. Image courtesy of Zeiss.
Contax Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 18mm f/4.0 Contax/Yashica-mount manual prime lens, now long-discontinued but in high demand secondhand. Image found on eBay.
Zeiss Contax T* 28mm f/2.0 ‘Hollywood 28’ prime lens with Contax/Yashica lens mount, based on the famous Zeiss cinema lens designed by Dr Erhard Glatzel, one of the 20th century’s greatest lens designers. The lens with its 9 elements in 8 groups is loved for its aesthetically pleasing imperfections. Clones based on its optics were also made for Nikon, Pentax and the Rollei SL35 system. In Super 35/APS-C format this lens is equivalent to 40mm. Zeiss makes two versions of this lens, the Zeiss T* Distagon 28mm f/2.0 ZF and Zeiss T* Distagon 28mm f/2.0 ZE.

Before 2017 I would have recommended taking a look at the superb ZM, ZE or ZF and ZF.2 manual lenses then still made by Cosina under the Zeiss brand, with optics designed by Zeiss and top quality manufacturing in Japan.

Of the Canon EF-mount ZE lenses and the Nikon F-mount ZF.2 lenses, I would have recommended the ZF.2 line due to the lenses’ manual aperture that can be de-clicked with the turn of a key, and that can be adapted to almost any contemporary lens mount.

Sadly, those lens lines are no longer available and Cosina has replaced its Zeiss Classic ZF.2 line with the costlier Zeiss Milvus range.

Secondhand Zeiss Classic ZF.2 lenses appear online every so often but at steadily increasing prices, as appears to be occurring with all brands of classic manual focus lenses now including the very desirable Leica R-Series R-mount lenses and Zeiss Contax lenses with their Contax/Yashica lens mounts.

So it was with quite some surprise that I spotted a five-lens Zeiss ZF.2 lens kit this morning at ebay at the link below.

If I had the cash I would snap it up instantly, and the constant problem of which design-compromised autofocus lenses to invest in and this whole focusing question would simply no longer exist.

Links