RX10 IV: One Amazing Incredible Camera (Except...)

RX-10 I
The first time I picked up the original RX-10 was in a Sony store (that should give you an idea of just how long ago that was).  I knew that it was just an RX-100 (the world's best point-and-shoot) with a bigger 24-200mm f/2.8 lens, but after 10 seconds I dismissed it.  "Takes too long to turn on.  Takes too long to zoom", I said.  I put it down.

RX-10 II
Time passed. When it came time to write a book on the RX-100 IV, the RX-10 II was available also, and I decided to write the book about both cameras since the two were basically the same: Same sensor, same CPU and compute engine, extremely similar menu structure… it would only be 20% more work.  I took both cameras with me on a family vacation to Hawaii, which stressed me out a little.

Air Shows in RBL (Really Bad Light)

Also in this issue:

• The best Sony cameras So Far (video)
• I'll speak to your camera club - for FREE!
• New Facebook Group for Portrait Photographers of all levels
• RX-10 IV ebook coming 
• And more...

Let's start with the announcements first.

I Know What I Did Last Summer

Also these quick subjects:

• New Titles
• Skype with me!
• Next Cameracraft 
• Next Seminars
• Myanmar Photo Workshop
• Update to Last Month's Post
• Need your Help

Let's do the quick things first.

My Personal Workflow (and why I don't use Lightroom Mobile)

In This Issue

• My personal workflow 
• Why I don’t use Lightroom Mobile
• Acid Test for Autofocus
• Better High ISO .jpgs

My personal workflow

I get a lot of emails asking what my personal workflow is when it comes to processing hundreds of images from an event.  So here it is.

Standard Disclaimer: Just because I do it this way doesn't mean it's the best way or that it's the right way for you.  Just as there's no "best" way to configure your camera, there's no "best" way to process a ton of images.

Despite Adobe doing everything in their power to annoy me off their platform (slow software, can't do anything else while it starts, constantly changing UI behavior, subscription model, still not knowing how to handle rendering the workspace in Windows 10's high-resolution screen), I still use Lightroom for processing large batches of images, and Photoshop for tweaking images and doing special things that Lightroom can't do.

5 Lessons from the UK

We just returned from a month of travel, first giving 2 seminars in the UK (England and Scotland), and then vacationing in Southern Ireland (EU, not UK).  The light was poor to average; it rained a lot, and I did the best I could with the six total minutes of good light I had. :-)  

Lots of pictures to share and lessons regarding those pictures.  I'll be as brief as I can.

Mirrorless means Accurate AF, right?

This month features guest blogger Brian Ramage, whose dance photography was so impressive I wrote an article about him in an earlier issue of f2 Cameracraft (which you can read here for free - the article begins on page 25).  Brian wanted to know which of four different 85mm lenses for the Sony FE mount would give him the best real-world results for his portraiture work, and so he got his hands on them, examined the results, and was just a little annoyed at what he found.  His full article appears below after a few announcements.

5 Types of Outdoor Portrait Lighting

Also in this issue:

• What's wrong with the Industry
• 3 new ebooks out!
• Seminar Schedule
• Product lighting

5 Types of Outdoor Portrait Lighting

Today I'm taking pictures of a 1-year-old.  And just to add to the unpredictability, I'm going to light him 5 different ways.

Full-Frame vs. Small Sensor (don't laugh...)

So here I was, on my way back from Las Vegas, and I came across a run-down old building that has a certain "character".  I pulled over and took a few pictures with my A99 II and Zeiss 24-70 f/2.8, then started to head back to the car.  Then I hesitated.

"These conditions are pretty good.  Strong light, so I can shoot at a low ISO with a small f/stop.  I wonder how the RX-100 V compares in these ideal conditions?".  I went back to the car and tried to duplicate the shots I just took using a small-sensor point-and-shoot.  Then I drove home.

The subject matter and the lighting were so good that I suspected enlargements from the two cameras would be indistinguishable.  (Click on any image to see a larger version.)

Turn your iPad into a High-Resolution Film Scanner

(Okay, that's a misleading headline, since you also need a camera and a macro lens as well.  But it works and the results are great!)  

  

This method works much better than the dedicated film scanners that were once available: Using a 24 megapixel camera, you get a larger file size: 6000 x 4000 pixels versus 3779 x 2522 of the Nikon Coolscan LS-2000 (which continues to gather dust under my desk).  If you use an even higher megapixel camera, you can easily see just how unsharp your old film lenses were.


Here's what you need: