Nikon Releases New Nikkor Z Series 14-30 F/4 S Ultra Wide Zoom Lens
Nikon releases the ultra-wide-angle NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens compatible with the Nikon Z mount system.
The NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S is an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens that covers a 14 mm to 30 mm range of focal lengths with a constant maximum aperture of f/4 throughout the range.
Nikon introduced the new Nikorr Z series 14-30 F/4 S ultra wide zoom lens on the first day at CES 2019.
The 14-30MM f/4 weighs up to 485 grams which if we compare it to the old 14-24MM f/2.8 (which is almost 10 years old) weighs at a 1,000 grams. This 14MM is the first full-frame FX lens that will allow the photographers to attach various types of screw-on filters (82MM) to the front of this ultra-wide lens. This will in-turn will expand creative possibilities for photographers and cinematographers, infinitely.
“A compact 14 to 30mm zoom range with a fixed f/4 aperture and outstanding image quality. Experience edge-to-edge sharpness even when shooting wide open. Shoot stills or video in near-silence. This is an essential lens for travel, adventure, events, video and everything in between.”
-Nikon Global
The 14-30 mm is one of the most anticipated lens from Nikon in 2019.
According to the road map Nikon released last year, there are a few lenses due for this year which shall be released soon:
NIKKOR Z 58MM F/0.95 S Noct (2019)
NIKKOR Z 20MM F/1.8 (2019)
NIKKOR Z 85MM F/1.8 (2019)
NIKKOR Z 24-70MM F/2.8 (2019)
NIKKOR Z 70-200MM F/2.8 (2019)
NIKKOR Z 50MM F/1.2 (2020)
NIKKOR Z 24MM F/1.8 (2020)
NIKKOR Z 14-24MM F.2.8 (2020)
Source: Nikon Global
According to Nikon, the lens is part of the S-Line, a newly designated grade of NIKKOR Z lenses that adhere to a new benchmark in optical performance, creating new definitions of design principles and quality control. Nikon chose to start their year by releasing this lens which is a F/4.0 lens, instead of bringing out the big guns like; 85MM F/1.8 or the 70-200MM f/2.8.
For us, we don’t believe it is a professional lens, like Nikon promised us it would be.
Are you excited about the new 14-30MM f/4 lens?
Let us know your thoughts below.
Lexar announces 1TB Memory card
The 1TB card is here!
Having memory or storage problems?
Lexar announced a 1 TB 1TB 633x SDXC™ UHS-I card to end your sorrow.
The main features are:
Leverages Class 10 UHS-I (U3, V30) technology for a read transfer speed up to 95MB/s (633x)*
Capture high quality images and extended lengths of stunning 1080p full-HD, 3D, and 4K video**
Enjoy shooting longer without changing cards with this high-capacity 1TB memory card
High-speed file transfer from card to computer to dramatically accelerate workflow
“Almost fifteen years ago, Lexar announced a 1GB SD™ card. Today, we are excited to announce 1TB of storage capacity in the same convenient form factor. As consumers continue to demand greater storage for their cameras, the combination of high-speed performance with a 1TB option now offers a solution for content creators who shoot large volumes of high-resolution images and 4K video,” said Joey Lopez, Senior Marketing Manager.
The 1TB Lexar® Professional 633x SDXC™ UHS-I card is available now at an MSRP of $499.99.
Would you buy it?
DJI Smart Controller for Drones
DJI has announced a new smart controller for drones.
DJI has introduced a smart controller for some of the drones it makes. By some we mean the latest drones like the Mavic 2 Zoom and the Mavic 2 Pro.
DJI Smart Controller in the field.
The main features are:
5.5 inch 1080p screen
Ultra bright built- in screen at 1000 cd/m2
Ocusync 2.0 transmission
Video feed upto 8kms distance
Super fast setup speed of 30 seconds
Real time auto switching between 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz
4K 60p output via HDMI
Stable operation in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 40°C.
The 5000mAh battery gets fully charged in 2 hours and you can use it for up to 2.5 hours
Detachable control sticks
Also, the DJI Smart Controller comes with a built-in microphone and speaker for “expanded options” such as live streaming. It can also playback video through the HDMI output port at 4K with H.264 or H.265. Of course, wi-fi is required for live streaming.
The price of the Smart Controller is USD 649.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
According to DJI:
The DJI Smart Controller expands the ecosystem of accessories built around DJI's industry leading drone technology. Using a crisp 5.5” screen built into the controller itself, the Smart Controller allows pilots to quickly get their drone in the air without the need to connect a mobile device. It can be paired with DJI's newest drones including Mavic 2 Zoom and Mavic 2 Pro which use DJI's OcuSync 2.0 video transmission system, displaying vivid images in Full HD resolution. Drone pilots can take advantage of its compact, highly portable design that has been optimized for use in direct sunlight. It features an ultra-bright display with an output of 1000 cd/m2, twice the brightness of standard smart phones. A customizable Android dashboard supports DJI GO 4, DJI Pilot[2], along with various third-party apps such as editing programs. The DJI GO 4 app also touts several new features including SkyTalk, that allows pilots to livestream the drone’s camera feed to social channels including Facebook, Instagram and WeChat so that anyone can experience the thrill of flying a drone. Another new feature is DJI GO-Share which easily transfers imagery from the Controller to your mobile device. The DJI Smart Controller brings a new level of reliability when flying, with 2.5 hours of battery life and the ability to operate in adverse temperatures as cold as -4° Fahrenheit and as hot as 104° Fahrenheit.
Nikon Firmware Update Enables Raw Video, Eye AF And CF Express Cards On Z7 And Z6
Nikon just dropped this news. This is going to change the mirrorless game.
Nikon has announced a firmware update that will enable raw video output to an external recorder, Eye AF and CF Express card compatibility.
Apple ProsRes RAW Output
On the second day of the CES 2019, Atomos’ CEO Jeromy Young announced that the new Atomos Ninja V is compatible to record ProRes RAW with the new Nikon Z6 and Nikon Z7.
“Atomos is excited to work with Nikon on the development of ProRes RAW recording from Nikon’s Z series. This expands ProRes RAW to Ninja V and is the world’s first true full frame mirrorless to give raw video output. The combination will enhance content creation at all levels, from Social, through Pro Video and into Entertainment.”
- Atomos Global
According to Atomos, the Nikon Z6 and the Nikon Z7 output a stream of RAW data via a HDMi cable to the Ninja V. Capturing Apple ProsRes RAW with the Ninja V will unlock wider and complete control of the video image at highest quality possible.
Some believe that Atomos is using a closed loop protocol with-in the HDMi, which basically means that they are taking all the pixels and rearranging them.
Nikon’s new mirrorless cameras, the Z6 and Z7 will be more than capable of outputting a RAW signal to the Atomos Ninja V, it’s not unrealistic to expect that more cameras will be capable of doing this in the near future. We wouldn’t expect that we are likely to see either Canon or Sony enable a RAW output to be recorded from their cameras.
Eye AF
With this new firmware update Nikon intends to announce its long awaited Eye auto-focus feature in their mirrorless cameras like the Z6 and the Z7. The Eye AF is a very good helping-hand when it comes to taking pictures such as portraits, event or street photography scenario.
“Our much-anticipated Eye AF function that is currently in development for the Z7 and Z6 can effectively detect your subject’s eyes, making focusing so much easier! You’ll capture stunning shots where focus has been clearly acquired on the subject's eyes - good news for portrait and streetphotographers!”
-Nikon Global
According to Nikon, the technology/feature is in its last and final implementation phase. In the demonstration video below, you can see it acquires the eye as fast as a Sony/Fujifilm has been able to do with their mirrorless technology. The only difference being that the area of the box seems to be much larger than that of Sony’s or Fujifilm’s Eye AF.
Source: Nikon Europe YouTube Channel
It will be possible to select which eye to focus on if there are multiple subjects in the frame, in which case, this makes it easier for the shooter to prioritise the particular subject.
We expect the Nikon’s Eye AF to be as efficient as Sony’s or Fujifilm’s.
As of now, Nikon has not released an official date about when we can expect this new firmware upgrade, but we believe it will be soon.
If you would like to know further please visit:
CF Express Card
Nikon has also announced that their new mirrorless cameras will be compatible with the new CF express cards after the firmware update. These cards use the same form-factors as the XQD cards which are the only data transfer interface used in the Z6 and Z7.
What’s really surprising is that Sony was the first one to introduce XQD cards and yet they have not incorporated the technology to any of their camera devices.
In a recent statement given by Pro Grade Digital states that they will be introducing a 1 terabyte CF Express card demonstrated 1,400 MB/s read speed and over 700 MB/s burst write speed.
Source: ProGrade Digital Website
“ProGrade Digital is delighted to be participating in this exciting technology demonstration highlighting the speed of the ProGrade Digital 1TB CFexpress card and Thunderbolt™ 3.0 in the digital workflow,”
-Wes Brewer, founder and CEO of ProGrade Digital.
“With read speeds up to 1400MB/s, this technology provides peak performance for offloading cinema-quality, video and still image files at speeds that are at least three times faster than ever before.”
- ProGrade Digital Global
If you would like to know further, please visit:
https://progradedigital.com/2019/01/08/prograde-digital-cfexpress-1-0-demonstrated-at-ces-show/
