In Depth

Olympus Pen F – Using the Creative Monochrome and Color Profiles

22/04/2016 By Mathieu 20 Comments

One of the most common topics you can find on photography forums or Facebook groups is the never-ending “RAW or JPG?” debate. There are those who praise the RAW file for the ultimate quality it delivers, and those who like the more “spontaneous” results straight out of the camera. There also those who happily use both.

A fun experiment: Using the Fuji X-Pro2 OVF and XF 100-400mm for birds in flight

30/03/2016 By Mathieu 22 Comments

Don’t worry, there isn’t a typo in the title. I did indeed write OVF (a.k.a. optical viewfinder)!

Now you might think I’ve had too many pints or have a serious headache but rest assured, I am 100% healthy and yes, I am going to talk about shooting birds in flight with a telephoto lens using the optical rangefinder of the Fujifilm X-Pro2.

Shooting slow motion with the Sony RX10 II and RX100 IV

19/02/2016 By Mathieu 4 Comments

One of the most exciting advances in camera technology seen in the last year can be found on the Sony RX10 II and RX100 IV. And the improved performance has nothing to do with resolution, high ISO performance or dynamic range. Rather, it’s all to do with stacking a RAM memory behind the image sensor to process more data.

Aperture, depth of field and sensor size – Or: how I learned to love smaller sensors as much as larger sensors

08/02/2016 By Mathieu 31 Comments

A few weeks ago I wrote an article explaining why the angle of view is more helpful than the focal length when comparing lenses of different camera systems. I also pointed out why there is the need for a reference and why the 35mm format (36x24mm, also called “full frame”) is the one we tend to use. If you haven’t read it, I invite you to check it out!

This time I want to talk about another topic that often causes confusion and triggers fierce discussions when comparing camera systems: aperture equivalence.

Angles of view and Points of view

08/01/2016 By Mathieu 34 Comments

Reviewing camera equipment often requires us to compare specifications because each system is different, beginning with the sensor size. One of the most common comparisons involves focal length equivalence, a topic that often generates some confusion. The most recent example we’ve encountered concerns the new Olympus 300mm f/4 Pro (see our review here) that gives the equivalent focal length of 600mm on a full-frame camera. Not only have I read many discussions, but I’ve also received a few comments stating that this comparison is not fair and that a 300mm is a 300mm lens regardless of the sensor that resides behind it.

Is it correct to compare the M.Zuiko 300mm to a 600mm lens designed for a full-frame system?