Category: News

Fujfilm GFX100RF 102MP medium format rangefinder style fixed lens available from April 7th

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Anyone remember the Fujfilm GS645W, that robust go-anywhere 120 rollfilm leaf shutter rangefinder with a 45mm f/5.6 wide-angle lens, or its electronic GA645W with faster f/4? Well, in a slightly different body form the medium format digital GFX series is revisiting this amazingly popular minority choice for landscape, travel and everyday use.

The GFX100RF is the first fixed-lens digital camera in the GFX Series, equipped with the 102-megapixel high-speed sensor ‘GFX 102MP CMOS II’ and the latest high-speed image processing engine ‘X-Processor 5.’ By thoroughly reviewing the design of both the lens and the body, it achieves a weight of approximately 735g making it the lightest in the GFX Series despite being a fixed-lens camera. 

  

• Achieving the lightest weight in the history of the GFX Series, the GFX100RF weighs approximately 735g. To achieve significant reduction in size and weight, Fujifilm developed a new lens and thoroughly revised and optimized the internal structure of the camera body. As a result, despite being a fixed-lens digital camera, it is significantly lighter than the previous lightest model in the GFX Series, the GFX50R, which weighs 775g (body only).

• The GFX100RF is equipped with a 102-megapixel large format sensor and high-speed image processing engine. With a newly developed lens and advanced color reproduction technology, it achieves the exceptional image quality that the GFX Series is known for. The ‘GFX 102MP CMOS II’ sensor, with improved pixel structure and microlenses, offers a wide dynamic range, low-noise shooting, enhanced edge quality, and improved AF accuracy, allowing you to enjoy the extraordinary high image quality that the GFX Series proudly delivers.

• For the first time in our digital cameras, the top plate of the camera is manufactured using precision-machined aluminium. This meticulous machining extends to the lens ring, dials, bottom plate, and other details, enhancing the feel of the metal and unifying the design. This results in a sophisticated design that highlights the presence of the camera body and dials, befitting a premium model.

 

• The camera features a first-ever Aspect Ratio Dial on the top rear. This allows for easy switching between nine aspect ratios for stills and video including new ‘3:4′ and ’17:6’ ratios.



• To make the digital teleconverter function, which utilizes the 102-megapixel high-resolution sensor, even more user-friendly, a Digital Teleconverter Lever is mounted on the front of the camera. This lever allows you to quickly and intuitively select the desired angle of view. Designed with a 35mm focal length (equivalent to 28mm in 35mm format), it can be switched in three field of view to 45mm (equivalent to 36mm in 35mm format), 63mm (equivalent to 50mm in 35mm format), and 80mm (equivalent to 63mm in 35mm format), providing flexibility to accommodate various shooting scenes.

• A new 3.15-inch, 2.1 million-dot, two-axis tilt LCD monitor features a new user interface (UI) that optimally aligns shooting icons to match the monitor’s 3:2 aspect ratio. A new surround view function has been added, displaying areas outside the shooting frame in a semi-transparent or line format according to the aspect ratio. This function can be easily switched using a lever while looking through the viewfinder, providing an OVF-like experience even with an EVF, allowing you to be aware of what’s happening outside the frame.



• Fujifilm have newly developed a dedicated 35mm f/4 lens for the GFX100RF. A leaf shutter instead of focal-plane has allowed shortened the back focus and extra space for the advanced lens design without making it very deep.

• The 35mm focal length (equivalent to 28mm in 35mm format) is suitable for a wide range of scenes, including landscapes, travel, snapshots, and portraits. The 102MP sensor allows a wide range of crops from the frame, with just 1/10th of the image area being needed for the best quality A4 repro.

• The 10 elements in 8 groups lens configuration, which includes two aspherical lenses, reduces spherical aberration and field curvature, delivering high resolution performance. A newly developed Nano GI coating, optimized for lenses with significant curvature, suppresses light reflection even at the periphery of the lens. This ensures the exceptional resolution performance worthy of the GFX Series.

• Focusing is to just 20 cm from the lens front. Despite being a large format camera, its compact and lightweight body design allows you to get close to your subject and enjoy photography freely.

• For the first time in the GFX Series, the camera is equipped with a built-in 4-stop ND filter. This is useful for shooting with a wide aperture in bright environments or for slow shutter speed photography.

• The leaf shutter up to 1/4000s allows flash photography at any shutter speed, providing greater flexibility in shutter speed and expanding creative possibilities, even for outdoor daytime shooting.

• With high-speed, high-precision autofocus and 4K/30P video capability, GFX100RF delivers outstanding performance across a wide range of scenarios.

• GFX100RF features an evolved AF prediction function and face/eye detection AF thanks to an improved algorithm. Additionally, the AI subject detection AF uses deep learning technology to recognize a wide variety of subjects including animals, vehicles, birds, and airplanes. For video recording, the tracking AF function has been enhanced, allowing easy subject tracking with touch operation. Whether for still images or videos, GFX100RF delivers high-tracking performance, ensuring a comfortable shooting experience.

• GFX100RF incorporates a 0.84x magnification and 5.76 million-dot high-resolution EVF. When using the viewfinder, it minimises image blurring and distortion caused by eye misalignment, ensuring high visibility.

• GFX100RF supports smooth 4K/30P 4:2:2 10-bit video recording. With a standard ISO setting of 100, it allows for wide dynamic range and low-noise shooting. The ‘F-Log2’ with over 13 stops provides rich gradation expression and high flexibility in post-production.

• Compatible with the Frame.io Camera to Cloud service. Video and still image files can be uploaded directly to Frame.io, dramatically speeding up the workflow from shooting to editing.5)Bundled accessories that combine practicality with sophisticated design, further enhancing the product’s appeal.



• The package includes a protector filter PRF-49 and a precision-machined aluminium lens hood with dedicated adapter ring, and a rope-type shoulder strap.
..
Further product information can be found at: https://fujifilm-x.com/en-gb/products/x-series/ 
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Cameras (DSLR), News, Press Releases, Technology

Sony fights back! 400-800mm G and 16mm f/1.8

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Well, a couple of days after Sigma announced their new 300-600mm f/4 to much acclaim Sony has pulled the rug slightly from their feet with a £2,549 400-800mm ƒ6.3-8 G OSS supertele zoom. Like Canon, they have realised current mirrorless sensors can focus easily with small apertures on long lenses

The saving in cost is matched by a saving in weight – 2.4kg is good for a big white lens in this class, rugged and weather-sealed (they claim ‘fully’) and with optical stabilisation to take over from I.B.I.S. which would be at the limits of movement at 800mm. As adding converters… it works with both 1.4X and 2X.

Main points:

400-800mm OSS lens with G optics
Sony’s first E-mount super-telephoto zoom lens to extend to 800mm
27 elements in 19 groups, with six ED glass elements
f/6.3-8 aperture with an 11-blade diaphragm
Fast, silent AF from Two XD Linear Motors
Internal zoom mechanism does not extend barrel
Optical SteadyShot (OSS) stabilisation with three modes
Focus down to 1.7m (400mm) / 3.5m (800mm)
0.23x macro scale
Compatible with 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters, extending reach to 1600mm
Focus range limiter
Full-time DMF
Detachable tripod collar
Weather-sealed with silicone gaskets
Fluorine-coated front element repels water, oil, and fingerprints
Lens hood features with filter window for rotating polariser

Viltrox inspiration?

The new 16mm f/1.8 is hardly surprising when Viltrox in China has made such a groundbreaking lens and taken the market by storm. Sony’s G response even fairly priced by its standards at £849 RRP, and at 304g it’s a striking 246g lighter than a bigger Viltrox. It’s also much smaller but still a full-frame f/1.8. It focuses down to 13cm and has a declickable aperture ring with an unusual iris lock switch to prevent change of setting. It takes 72mm filters. It lacks the A-B focus change movie function or clever (fault prone?) LED display of the Viltrox, but has a regular multi-function button. At £300 more than its independent predecessor it should become a standard addition to pro and enthusiast kits alike.

Order now from Amazon UK

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Lenses - E mount, News

Portrait Pro discount boosted

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For those who must keep family or paying clients happy, in this era of completely modified selfies and altered perceptions of what a portrait should be, the latest AI version of Portrait Pro has real value. The discount has been increased pre-Christmas 2025 to 50% plus and extra 25% instead of 10% when using our new code F2BF24.

If badly out of focus faces within a group can be recovered, reflections removed from glasses, and smiles improved without the £10k my dentist suggests is necessary to replace teeth you can’t even see… take a look at this full info. – David Kilpatrick

  • Key New Features
  • Mouth Inpainting & Teeth Replacer
  • Glasses Reflection Remover
  • Face Recovery
  • Skin and Hair masks
  • Improved workflow
  • New gender and age detector

This is Face Recovery, though the lass has become a bit long in the tooth – the AI teeth are more realistic than any amount of focus retrieval and sharpening plus retouching could achieve in a few minutes.

This is Mouth Inpainting.

And this is Glasses Reflection removal, which again is a task not to be relished in Photoshop, and the top end version of PortraitPro (Studio Max) can handle in groups, in a series of shots where it’s having a similar effect.

This pair shows a cumulative but very subtle effect from the improved workflow, and it clearly compensates for failings in the colour management and lighting. It’s impressive to note that PortraitPro started life being a very obvious process, and our advice was always to turn the default sliders down rather than up. It has matured considerably. The new workflow has improved gender and age detection, and Studio Max is well-tuned to Apple Silicon to make optimum use of CPU, GPU and RAM.

PortraitPro 24 Editions

PortraitPro Standard is standalone software for photographers working with JPG or 24-bit TIFF files.

PortraitPro Studio is for photographers who work directly with RAW files or want the higher quality of 48-bit colour files, supports conversion between different color spaces, and provides JPEG/TIFF embedded color profile support. Offers Batch Dialog.  

PortraitPro Studio Max For professional photographers or those working with a large number of images. Full Batch Mode to speed workflow greatly.

Compare the different editions: anthropics.com/portraitpro/editions

Availability and Pricing

PortraitPro 24 editions are available from: anthropics.com/portraitpro

Remember to use Cameracraft’s latest code F2BF24 for maximum discount! This can also be used for PortraitPro Body, Landscape Pro and the user-recipe Smart Photo Editor.

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Offers, Press Releases, software, Studio, Technology, Trade News

Sigma launch world first 28-45mm f/1.8 full frame zoom

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Today Sigma announced their latest E and L mount DG DN Art series wide to standard zoom with a constant maximum aperture of f/1.8. The focal length range from 28 to 45mm on 24 x 36mm full frame covers 75° to 51°.

It’s a large lens taking 82mm filters as does the new 24-70mm f/2.8. It is six inches/151mm long and and does not extend during zooming. It weighs 950g (E-mount) and focuses down to 30cm for quarter life size 1:4 close-ups at 45mm. It has 18 elements in 15 groups, with three aspherical and five super-low dispersion.

No previous mirrorless lens from Sigma has been similar but two have a good reputation in DSLR fit, from 2015. The 24-35mm ƒ2 DG HSM Art weighs only 20g less, takes the same filter size and is smaller by the difference between mirrorless and DSLR body depth. The 18-35mm ƒ1.8 DC HSM Art is for crop format (1.5-1.6X) not full frame.

The 28-45mm comes with a new type lens hood, front and rear caps and a padded zip case. It goes on sale on June 20th for £1299 inc. VAT, UK retail. Sigma claim ‘sharpness and clarity comparable to that of a prime lens throughout its entire zoom range’. A de-clickable physical aperture ring stops the 11-blade rounded diaphragm down to f/16. A function button, AF-MF switch and zoom lock complete the controls.

Our review of the 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art will appear in the July/August edition of Cameracraft, it’s being tested right now. First impressions: crystal clear images, good handling for a large zoom, usual top-grade Sigma case/strap/new-type hood and excellent value. We expect the 28-45mm to appear in a later issue.

See: https://www.sigmauk.com

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Lenses - E mount, News

Sony release A7C upgrades to II and R versions, new 16-35mm GM

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Sony has announced the launch of its two new Alpha 7C compact full frame cameras, and version II of the ƒ2.8 wide-angle G-master 16-35mm zoom. But the cameras do look good with the 50mm f/1.2 G Master – a bit of a classic photojournalist’s combo.

Alpha 7C II key features: 

  • Full-frame back-illuminated Exmor R® CMOS sensor similar to A7IV, with approximately 33.0 effective megapixels
  • ISO sensitivity from 100 to 51200 for both still images and movies (expanded ISO 50 to 204800 for still images)
  • Same AI-processing unit as the A7R V

Alpha 7C R key features

  • Full frame image sensor with approximately 61.0 effective megapixels similar to A7RIV, IVa and V
  • Same AI-processing unit as the A7R V

Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II key features: 

  • World’s smallest and lightest high-resolution f2.8 wide-angle zoom lens 
  • Fast and precise AF that brings out the best in advanced bodies 

The new products will be available to purchase from September 2023 at a variety of Sony’ authorised dealers throughout Europe, for an estimated retail price of: 

  • Alpha 7C R: £3,200 / €3,732
  • Alpha 7C II: £2,100 / €2,449
  • FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II: £2,400/ €2,799

Our comments before handling and using these: first of all, they are welcome and affordable specifications though the full A7 body is better ergonomically and in controls. The A7CR has seven-stop Steady Shot Inside as does the II, but also Pixel Shift Multi Shooting, something unexpected in the smaller body. Having said this, these bodies have only a single SDXC UHS-II card slot and both feature the same small (0.70X with 50mm) 2.35 million pixel OLED EVFs – far lower resolution, less tolerant eyepoint and apparently smaller size compared to the mainstream A7IV/RIV+ models. If the eyepiece (ocular) glass design is similar to the A7C, it’s also likely to be zonally unsharp and demand very accurate centering of the eye.

Sony’s current emphasis on video and vlogging, fortunately not emphasised in the press info which major instead on the travel friendly aspect of these bodies for still shooting, does mean they have microphone and headphone jack sockets as well as the audio functions found in the Multi Interface shoe.

As for the 16-35mm GM II, it may be the claimed smallest and lightest but taking 82mm filters makes it about as kit-friendly as any larger lens if you use a filter system, and even screw-in filters like a convenient polariser end up taking loads of space in typical 82mm size packaging or keepers. Perhaps a 16-35mm f/4 G or even GM series II might be on the way. Maybe the qualification of the claim with the words ‘high resolution’ is s clue – there may be smaller and lighter competitors which Sony believes they can prove to be lower in resolution, and they must have tested every single one of them to make this claim! The A7C II body is offered as a kit with the 28-60mm collapsible lens, slow but useful for travel – the A7CR does not come as a kit, perhaps an indicator of Sony’s own view about using this budget lens on 61 megapixels.

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Lenses - E mount, News, Sony Digital Cameras

Sony 20-70mm f/4 G – a new type of lens

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The 20-70mm f4 Sony G looks interesting though the UK price of £1400 is a bit over the top (under $1100 in the USA) – maybe allowing for further losses pounds vs dollar. It’s over twice the price of the Panasonic 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 – maybe not comparable but the Lumix lens is regularly discounted by 25% or more, and partly due to being sold as a kit lens with full frame body some white box new lenses have been at 40-50% discount. It’s unlikely the Sony will be bundled as a kit lens. Even at the UK price, it looks attractive for anyone like me who might consider working with just a two-kens kit, this and the 70-300mm G. At the moment I use 17-28mm and 28-75mm f/2.8 Tamron lenses to cover the practical range this one lens almost manages, though there’s a fair gap between 17mm and 20mm.



In the specification there’s one oddity – the stated minimum focus distance and magnifications. Most wide to portrait zooms focus closer at the wide angle end. Apparently this one does the reverse, and the 0.39X close-up image scale is based on 25cm at 70mm (it’s a mystery why the specs bother to say AF and MF distances, when there’s no difference – 25cm either way!). Here’s from the spec:

MINIMUM FOCUS DISTANCEWide: 0.30 m / Tele: 0.25 m (AF), 0.25 m (MF) (Wide: 0.99 ft / Tele: 0.82 ft (AF), 0.82 ft (MF))MAXIMUM MAGNIFICATION RATIO (X)0.39

Well, 30cm at 20mm focal length is just OK; my yardstick for min focus is that I like to see it just less than 10X focal length, so for an 85mm lens I want to get 0.85m if possible, like having anything closer and don’t like ones which only manage 1m. With a 20mm focal length 20cm close focus is desirable. The Tamron 17-28mm as an example manages 19cm at 17mm, it’s just OK, but can’t shoot any real close-ups as the largest c/u scale in 1:5.2 or 0.19X. The Sony 20-70mm manages 1:2.56, getting on for half life size, by focusing closer at 70mm than it does at 20mm.

This is such an unusual overall mix of zoom/focus behaviours that I really do want to try this lens and understand how.

The other unusual statement about the lens is that the zoom and focus design minimises breathing (desirable) and axial shift – well, I’ve not seen a zoom with axial shift, image wandering off centre when you zoom or focus, since the days of pioneering 1970s consumer glassware. Especially not a non-stabilised zoom, like this. Stabilisation has been the main reason any lens shifts off axis.

The lens weighs 488g which is great, takes 72mm filters which is not great but matches some other Sony lenses, and the size as you can see from the images here is convenient though not a single PR image sent to me shows it with a lens hood which could have some impact on bag/pocket ability. One thing’s for sure, if the dual linear motor focusing is as good as claimed, f/4 will not be a big loss over f/2.8 and carrying one lens in place of two will make this a winner for travel, landscape and urban shooting. It’s due to be in UK stores from March 3rd.

– David Kilpatrick

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Lenses - E mount, News, NEX System

Download or read through our July-August edition free

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Cameracraft is received exclusively by subscribers and members of The Guild of Photographers. It’s easy to get single copies or subscriptions from this site, and in addition to the printed magazine digital delivery is an eco-friendly low cost alternative which fully supports our unique magazine.

After our subscribers receive their copies whether digital or printed, we wait a couple of weeks before releasing this viewable and downloadable PDF version. It’s a good quality too with the PDF created at Retina screen resolution so you can zoom in or use a large screen. To download and keep you may need to right-click if the PDF opens in a browser window – it’s normal now to have an extension installed which does this. You will however get a better choice of view modes by saving an opening using Adobe Acrobat. Select Two Page view to see the spreads properly, and expand your window to fill your screen. Don’t select ‘Full Screen’ mode as for some reason Adobe make this disable the two-page view!

Your downloaded PDF will include all email and URL links from the text on the pages.

[pdf-embedder URL=”https://cameracraft.online/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/CCJulAug2022.pdf”]

https://cameracraft.online/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/CCJulAug2022.pdf
Read here using the navigation tools. Download using the link below the embedded version.
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Landscape, Magazines, Photo Techniques, Subscriptions, Trade News

Luminar Neo’s new portrait background removal

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Luminar Neo has gained a new tool – Portrait Background Removal, enabling the background behind a subject to be made transparent in one click. Careful hair-by-hair selections are done by trained neural networks.

Portrait Background Removal tool can be found in the Luminar Neo Layer masking options. 

It offfers:

  • Remove Background without Layering. Just open Luminar Neo, load an image, and select Portrait Background Removal.
  • Get clean assets for composing. Any portrait you edit can be exported as a PNG with a transparent background, a great base for seamless photo composing.
  • Create realistic portraits with AI that’s precisely trained on people. AI scans the image to find and select human figures as accurately as possible. Luminar Neo has an option to edit several images in a click with custom saved Presets, so editing event portraits becomes faster.
  • Achieve precise selections without extreme effort. The portrait and the background are highlighted in different colours. A Transition Brush refines the edges by removing unnecessary elements where the portrait and background touch. The Object Brush revives portrait details that may have been eliminated by the neural network, while the Background Brush helps to additionally remove parts that aren’t detected by the AI. 

Luminar Neo is available as a one-time purchase or as a subscription. The new architecture is flexible, so it can be easily updated in the future. Luminar Neo is available in both the Microsoft Store and the macOS App Store. Luminar Neo works as a plugin, so you can keep your images in your preferred photo editor while still benefiting from its powerful AI tools.

Additionally, the brand-new Luminar Share mobile app allows you to quickly and seamlessly transfer images from your phone to your computer. Take a photo, edit it, and post it to social media without third-party programs that reduce quality. Luminar Share is available on the Google Play Store and the macOS App Store.​​

To learn more about Luminar Neo and sign up for updates, visit http://skylum.com/luminar-neo. 

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News, software

Sigma 16-28mm f2.8 E and L mount

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The companion for Sigma’s highly regarded 28-70mm f/2.8 compact zoom adds an unbroken range down to 16mm while retaining a small c. 77x100mm size, 72mm filter fit, and 450g weight. It is announced today and will be available to buy from June 17th for £749.99 (UK SRP) or $899 (US retail before tax).

The new 16-28mm seen fitted to Sony’s compact A7C, with the companion 28-70mm left. The two lenses together weigh only 920g.

The full-frame Sigma 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary offers a promise of exceptional optical quality with a faster constant maximum aperture in barrel size similar to existing f/4 16-35mm designs. Special attention has been given to field curvature correction for edge-to-edge sharpness, important in wide-angle views – this is enabled through the use of a built-in lens profile, correcting distortion and vignetting in-camera or during raw image processing. 

It uses five FLD (fluorite-like glass) elements and four aspherics to minimise chromatic and off-axis aberrations. The lens has an inner zoom mechanism that keeps overall length and the centre of balance constant, improving performance when zooming during a gimbal take. The 72mm filter thread is larger than the 67mm of the similarly light and small 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary.. At just 100.6mm long (L-mount version) and 450g it’s appealing for outdoor, social, street and travel photographers who want a lightweight outfit for day-long use.

The lens is constructed using aluminium and thermally stable polycarbonate, performing well in temperatures from the arctic to the equator, and has a dust and splash resistant mount. AF uses a proven stepper motor compatible with high-speed AF, DMF and AF or MF modes with an MF switch on the side. It focuses down to 25cm with a maximum image scale of 1:5.6, 0.17X and has a nine-blade rounded aperture. On the L-mount version only, linear and non-linear focus ring behaviour can be set using the USB Dock UD-11.

The lens is supplied with front and rear caps and a bayonet mounted petal lens hood. Sigma WR or WR Ceramic,WR UV and WR Circular Polarising 72mm filters are optional extras.

Sigma UK – https://sigma-imaging-uk.com

Product information – https://sigma-global.com/jp/lenses/c022_16_28_28

Lenses - E mount, News

Get the latest Cameracraft issue from Pocketmags now!

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We popped printed January/February 2021 issues in the mail on December 30th for everyone – UK and worldwide – and now the edition can be found on Apple, Android, Kindle, Windows, PDF download here:

https://pocketmags.com/quickbuy/f2-cameracraft-magazine/janfeb-2021

We kick off the year with a fascinating UV-flash hair fashion cover and portfolio, meet the homeless of the Home Counties, examine the case (or not) for bothering to shoot stock photos, see flowers frozen in time, profile the Camera Crazy lady, test the new Sigma 105mm macro and Tamron 28-200mm and the Sony A7C.

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Magazines, News
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