MasHD Blog

Unless you have been living under a rock, its no secret that mirrorless cameras have basically ended the era of DSLR's, but if you were a working professional who shot sports-action-wildlife chances are that, though compelling, Mirrorless cameras looked and felt fragile when compared to workhorse cameras such as the 1DX or Nikon's D5 and didn't have the same endurance or ergonomics of the top tier DSLR's. Canon being a brand which has taken a different approach to Mirrorless (unlike Sony and their angular/flat design language) has now basically made a compelling offering to those who would otherwise have not considered switching to mirrorless with the announcement of the new EOS R3 - a model that sits above the current EOS R5 and is almost en par with the status held by the EOS 1DX Mk3 but Canon does say the R3 is a tier below the 1DX and therefore we can expect a proper flagship someday in the future (EOS R1?). The camera, unlike the top tier 1DX Mk3 is lighter than th...

Apart from the Fuji GFX-50S II, Fujifilm has also announced their latest update to their X-T30 - the new X-T30II. The new camera, which has some minor improvements over the outgoing model - features a 26mp APS-C sensor and it has ISO 160-12800 (80-51200) with 1/4000 max shutter speed or 1/32000 on electronic shuttter (30fps shutter). The camera has Contract Detect AF and has 425 AF points  Video features on the camera include 4K(24/30) and 1080p (60fps) and there is tilting 3" 1 million dot display as well as a 2.3 million dot EVF. Rest of the specs include a USB C charging, UHS1 capable SD card slot, and 380 shots (CIPA rated) thanks to a NP-W1265S battery. Pricing starts at $899 (body only) and $999 with a 15-45mm f3.5-5.6 Kit lens or $1299 for a 18-55 f2.8-4mm Kit lens Fujifilm also announced a "new" variant of the X-T3 named the X-T3 WW (Worldwide) this is basically the same camera as the standard XT3 and it will be sold at $100 lower than the standard price as Fuji ...

Fuji has announced their most "affordable" medium format camera to date - the GFX 50S II (or lets say Mark 2). The camera, built as a replacement for the GFX 50S - starts at $3999 for the  body only and for that you get a  51 megapixel 44x33mm Medium format sensor which sports 425 AF points (Contrast detection) , a mechanical shutter speed of 1/4000 (3fps) and 1/16000 for the electronic shutter as well as sensor-shift technology and sensor stabilization up-to 6.5 stops. Apart from the massive sensor, the 50S II offers little in the way of video production as it is limited to 1080p(30/24) and records to MPEG 4. Considering that Medium format is dedicated to studio portraiture video prowess is mostly not necessary - but if some Log and 4K was added to the camera it would have made it a unique option (better low light capability, more background blur - bokeh) considering that almost all consumer grade video camera equipment are made to full frame equivalence.  Rest of the sp...

RED cinema has announced their latest flagship camera - the V-Raptor ST 8K VV. The camera, based around RED's Large format sensor packs a 35MP resolution and it can shoot 8K at 120fps max /7K 175fps/6K at 200 fps and 2K at 600 fps. The camera also has 17+ stops of Dynamix range and thanks to the RF mount, newer - cinema ready lenses could be adapted. The rest of the specs include multiple output for external monitors and recording devices and the camera can output CF express. And considering that Red cameras sell as body only, compatible external monitor/viewfinder grips and battery packs are sold separately.  Pricing starts at $24500 for the body and $29,579 for a kit which includes a V mount battery kit, DSMC3 compatible display, CF slot and other accessories to start with. Source - ymcinema

Vision Research has announced their latest super-slow motion camera in the Phantom lineup - the new Phantom TMX 5010 aims to be a slightly "entry level" option with 1.16 million FPS at a potato quality of 640x64 or 50,725 FPS at a more usable 1280x800 resolution or if you don't mind 640p, you can shoot at around 200,000 FPS (Varies according to resolution). The camera, designed around a  custom 1MP 23.7 mm x 14.8 mm; 27.94mm sensor has this insane recording capacity thanks to its high processing prowess (thanks to 512GB of RAM and a custom APU) and the global electronic shutter. Of course, this pales in comparison to its more -advanced brethren that can go beyond the 1.5million mark but they are mostly out of reach of any rental houses who may actually have this camera for rent (This will cost around 50-80k USD estimated) - this camera therefore is designed for special scientific work and is certainly not designed to be used to express art (unless you are the Slo-Mo Guys)...

Yongnuo is usually known for producing affordable camera gear - ranging from lenses to lights, but occasionally they do dip their toes into the lucrative camera market with models usually based around M4/3 (micro four thirds) sensors and mounts and a few have been released over the years, their latest model - the YN 455 is also another such attempt and now it has a more refined body and the power of Android 10 behind it. First off, the new design of the 455 is certainly more appealing than previous attempts and follows a minimalistic design with the only exception being the flip ready 5" touchscreen display and a single shutter release button above it (it's so minimal that you don't even get a hotshoe mount)- but you do get  USB C ports - a mic and headphone port a small LED front flash and even a 4G ready Nano Sim port - which lets you geotag and share photos or even stream live in - camera thanks to Android. The camera specs on this model consists of a 20MP M4/3 sensor w...

Sony A6600 (Placeholder)  According to new rumors, Sony is preparing to launch a new "Pro" APS-C Camera with features aimed at Professional APS-C photographers. Although rumors of such a device existed for quite some time, and the definition of "Pro" is not quite clear, the new camera - at least according to Tony Northrup is said to bring features aimed at wildlife and sport segments where a high burst rate and a decent amount of megapixels - 30 in this case is adequate for most instances. The rumored camera specs are said to be as follows -  30MP Sensor without Low-pass filter  Continuous shooting (Possibly electronic and or Mechanical) 20-30FPS Low Rolling Shutter / Flicker Animal Eye AF 4k/60p Single CFX-A MSRP $1,999 To be anounced in May (2021)  Source - Thenewcamera.

Blackmagic has officially announced a new successor to their original Pocket cinema camera (BMPCC), Introducing the new Blackmagic pocket cinema camera 4K (BMPCC 4K) - with upgraded features and a more usable body design , the camera aims to address all the shortcomings of the first generation product and bring something new to the table . The BMPCC 4K , as the name suggests , shoots 4K Cinema RAW  in either UHD or DCI (Cinema 4K) at 60fps and it can also shoot HD 1080 at 120fps . The camera's MFT (Micro 4/3) sensor (Which is now a full size MFT sensor -unlike the previous model which was cropped to Super16 ) also features a native  ISO  of 25600 ,and it has 13 stops of dynamic range and there is support for HDR . The body of the camera is somewhat inspired by the URSA line, although its no longer "pocketable" the camera is still small enough for gimbals and rigs. The 90's style body (which is made out of CFRP) features a large 5" 1080p resolution touc...

Sony has officially announced the new FS5 II , Building upon the foundation laid by the Sony FS5 , the new camera features incremental improvements such as a new color science , Instant HDR and dual card slots, while keeping the core FS5 features mostly intact. The new FS5 II at first glance, looks quite similar to the older model, the camera features a Bayonet style camcorder layout with top handle accessories and a rear EVF , although it looks similar to the older model externally , the camera does pack some improvements in the sensor department as the new module is tuned for high frame-rate recording to an external recorder , therefore the FS5 II can output DCI 4K RAW in 60fps and shoot 4K RAW at 120fps for a short sequence , the camera is also capable of shooting 2K RAW at 240fps. Internally the FS5 II is limited to 4K 30fps ,2K 30fps and 1080p at 120fps continuous  , the camera can also record 1080p RAW in 4:2:2 10bit quality for about 8 seconds at 240fps and the same ...

Canon has officially announced their first Full Frame cinema camera - the C700 FF .  The camera , which sits at the top of Canon's cinema lineup ,  offers a 35mm (38.1 x 20.1mm) which can be used in either 35mm , Super 35 (APS-H) or Super 16 modes,making the camera more adaptable than the "Older" C700 model which comes with a Super35 sensor . Set to capture 5.9K at 60fps in RAW , the camera is quite capable as it can even shoot 4K at 72fps with a slight crop in either ProRES or XF AVC , other recording options include 2K at 168fps .The sensor also features Canon's industry leading Dual Pixel AF if you plan to use the camera on autofocus or subject tracking. The sensor boasts 15 stops of dynamic range and it also supports Anamorphic de-squeezing. The camera body , which comes with 2x CFast cards for recording , is also capable of directly recording to an external recorder such as the Canon CDX 36150 recorder as well . The EF lens mount , which can be changed to a...

Sony has been on a roll recently , the A9 , launched as a Nikon D5/Canon 1DX rival has so far been the darling of many reviewers and professionals alike , and on the other hand , we have the recently announced Sony A7RIII which has also been making headlines as it changed the playing field which otherwise would have been mostly a duopoly between the Nikon D850 and the Canon 5DMk4 . With Mirrorless sales slowing chipping off DSLR sales ,its quite evident that Sony will release more Full frame cameras in time to come , the rumor mill , which so far consisted of only the upcoming A7SIII suddenly went into overdrive as news of a successor to the "Basic model" A7II were leaked , the camera ,which was initially thought to be a watered down version of the A9- with one SD slot and no rear joystick are all "fake news" as they are all present in the new A7III. The camera , designed around a new 24MP - Full frame BSI image sensor with 5 Axis IBIS image stability ,f...

Canon has officially announced the cheapest DSLR ever produced – the EOS 4000D . The camera , aimed at beginners and bargain hunters who want a reliable starter kit ,feature an easy to use interface , an almost basic button layout and a bargain price of GBP 330 ($385) . The camera , designed with polycarbonate/ABS plastic – including the lens mount (strangely) is durable and mostly resistant to the knocks and scratches most beginner users may subject this to . The camera is , like most Canon bargain bin offerings , feature mostly obsolete hardware including the 18mp sensor technology from the 9 year old EOS 7D and the Digic 4+ processor from 2014 , this list also includes the 2.7” LCD which was last seen on Canon entry level cameras from 2011 , although the camera is mostly assembled from the parts bin , there will be an audience – especially beginners who may enjoy using the camera to its highest potential . Video features include 1080p recording and don’t expect any Dual Pixel...

Canon has officially announced a speedlight with brains – the new Canon 470EX-AI . The new speedlight , designed for both beginners and professionals , determines the distance to the subject and the ceiling by measuring reading based on a pre flash , then based upon the reading , the flash will automatically reposition itself to the best suitable position for bounce flash . The flash also has a orientation sensor which can detect whether the user has shifted from portrait to landscape orientation , once the orientation of the camera is changed , all the user has to do is double tap the shutter button to allow the flash to position itself to its previous bounce setting . The flash also has a memory setting where you can automatically set the flash to a pre-set position set manually . The flash also supports manual override so if you want to bounce it manually , all you have to do it turn the head . The flash , which is expected to go on sale for $400 (in April 2018) has a gu...

Canon has finally decided to include 4k in one of their entry level cameras , the new M50 , a spiritual successor to the EOS M5 from last year is now the latest Canon mirrorless camera (and the only one currently) to shoot the much requested video format . The camera , on the outside , looks similar to previous EOS M cameras as It has a 3” vari-angle LCD with 1.04 million dots and a 2.36 million dot EVF similar to most EOS-M’s of the past , but this time , the camera features 4K UHD (with a 1.6x crop) and 1080p at 120fps thanks to the new Digic 8 processor. The rest of the camera specs include Canon’s trusty 24MP APS-C sensor with 143 AF points , the camera also supports EF/and EFS lenses with Canon’s proprietary adapter , which will allow you to have almost perfect autofocus capability even with glass made for DSLR’s . Pricing for the EOS M50 starts at $780 body only , this , with the EF-M 15-45mm f3.5-6.3 IS STM lens will go on sale for $900 or $1250 for the 15-45 kitle...