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The Latest News:
Viltrox’s New 85mm f/2.0 Lens For E-Mount
credits: Viltrox
Viltrox has officially released the AF 85mm f/2.0 EVO for E-mount, a compact full-frame portrait prime that weighs 340 grams and uses a 58mm filter thread. Internally, it is built around 10 elements in 8 groups, including two extra-low-dispersion elements to limit axial chromatic aberration and two high-refractive elements to help control field curvature and maintain edge-to-edge sharpness. The new version also adds a USB-C port on the lens mount for firmware updates.
The AF 85mm f/2.0 EVO focuses down to 0.74 meters, which isn’t macro territory but gives enough room for tighter portraits or detail shots without losing sharpness. Autofocus is handled by an STM motor, and in real use this tends to mean smoother transitions for video and quieter operation compared to older Viltrox drives. The lens supports eye- and face-detection AF on Sony bodies, and the aperture stays at f/2 throughout the range.
Externally, the lens picks up the newer control layout seen on recent Viltrox releases, an Fn button, a click/de-click switch for the aperture ring, and a physical AF/MF switch. The front element also has anti-smudge and water-repellent coatings, and the mount uses a rubber gasket for light weather protection. Pricing is at $290 / 252€.
You can see full details and sample shots on Viltrox’s website here
The Sony A7 V Is Here
credits: Sony
The Sony a7 V is finally here, arriving just over four years after the a7 IV. The new model adopts a partially stacked 33-megapixel BSI sensor, marking a major shift from the older non-stacked design and enabling significantly faster readout speeds. Paired with Sony’s brand-new BIONZ XR2 processor (the first time this chip has appeared in any Alpha camera) the a7 V now delivers blackout-free shooting at up to 30 frames per second with the electronic shutter, while still offering 10 fps mechanically. The camera also inherits the a7R V’s improved grip, upgraded 3.2-inch four-axis LCD with DCI-P3 support, and a familiar 3.68-million-dot EVF.
In terms of image quality and performance, Sony says the new sensor allows for up to 16 stops of dynamic range and much better rolling-shutter behavior, dropping from 67 ms on the a7 IV to just over 12 ms. The a7 V adds composite RAW shooting for 199-megapixel images, multi-shot noise reduction, and a new pre-capture feature that stores up to one second of RAW or JPEG frames before the shutter is fully pressed. Autofocus also sees a substantial bump, with 759 phase-detect points covering about 94% of the frame, improved tracking down to –4 EV, expanded subject detection (including insects and vehicles), and AI-driven enhancements such as refined white balance and body-pose estimation.
Video performance gets an equally significant overhaul. The a7 V records 7K-oversampled 4K60 using the full sensor width and offers 4K120 in a Super35 crop, supported by improved IBIS rated at up to 7.5 stops. The camera includes S-Log3, S-Gamut3, breathing compensation, imported LUTs, Dynamic Active stabilization, and four-channel 24-bit audio. Battery life is stronger than before, cooling is improved thanks to a graphite heat sink built into the IBIS unit, and dual card slots (CFexpress Type A + SD UHS-II) remain. The only notable omissions are internal RAW and open-gate video. The Sony a7 V will be available later this month for $2,899. A much closer look at the new Sony a7 V will follow in this week’s Sunday magazine issue ;)
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Photographer Spotlight
Discover amazing photographers
This time in the Spotlight: Juan Solis
You can find him on Instagram as: @juansolisphoto
A few photos of his:
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