Stories

Sony FE 20mm 1.8 G: A great lens for astrophotography and more

I own two A7 bodies (A7 III and A7R III) that I keep mainly for review and comparison purposes, but occasionally, my wife and I use them to cover events with a set of 1.8 prime lenses. (We like to keep our kit as compact as possible.)

What was missing from this set-up was a nice wide angle lens not only to take wide shots indoors but also to capture landscapes and astro photos for my articles. Up until recently, I struggled to settle on a lens, despite there already being a good selection. They were either too expensive, too big, not fast enough or a bit too small and cheap. (I know, I can be picky!)

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Fujifilm X-T4 and Birds in Flight Review

I’ve tested most of the high-end Fujifilm cameras for birds in flight, from the original X-T1 to the surprising X-Pro2. The X-T4, released in 2020, is not all that different from its predecessor in terms of its specifications, but it represents the best performance Fujifilm has to offer thanks mostly to an improved AF algorithm.

To find out if the X-T4 is a significant upgrade, I put it through its paces with the subject I love the most: red kites in rural Wales! The feeding station I regularly visit is still closed, so I had to wait for other sites to re-open to finally test the camera.

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Olympus OM-D E-M1 III Starry Sky AF – A Quick Look

I admit I was rather skeptical when I was first told about Starry Sky AF during the launch of the E-M1 III. It sounded a bit of a gimmick, one of those extra features that you’d never end up using because it either doesn’t work as it is supposed too, or is simply unnecessary.

But there is no point criticising something without trying it first. So when a clear night sky presented itself, I decided to go out and test this new functionality. What I found is that my skepticism was misplaced.

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How to use your Canon EOS / EOS M / EOS R / RP as a Webcam

Canon has released a beta software that allows you to use a number of DSLR and mirrorless cameras as a webcam with just the USB cable.

This release came as a pleasant surprise. I’ve wondered for years why the manufacturer didn’t make this feature a default on all their cameras. With the Covid-19 pandemic and many people forced to stay home, Canon decided it was time to finally enable the functionality to support its customers.

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