DPReviewTV published a video about their favorite camera and lens combinations for portraits at different price points.
Before we go to their top picks, a few thoughts.
In all combos below $3,000, DPRTV picked third party AF lenses to couple with Sony, Canon or Panasonic bodies. This just shows how precious third party autofocus lenses for a system are, as they help to keep the overall costs down by offering at the same time a good image quality.
Only for Fujifilm, who won the sub 2K category, DPRTV went with the Fujifilm X-S10 and native Fujinon lens: the XF56mmF1.2 (which according to our sources will get a refresh in 2022). Btw, that lens was one of my reliable and trusted workhorses at the recent wedding I shot.
Overall this denotes that Fujifilm just made a terrific error to close their mount for so long. An error, that they finally fixed. Better late than never.
Also, APS-C dominates the sub 2K segment, showing that this sensor size (and lenses) just offers a terrific value for money.
And if money was no issue at all, they’d still get the GFX. It’s simply the best of the best, if you value also features like autofocus, eye detection and other advantages a modern digital camera can offer.
Fujifilm GFX100S with GF110mm f/2: Awesome choice, favorite portrait lens. The camera is light and compact and has all the image quality you could ever ask for
For most users of X-Series cameras, do-it-yourself sensor cleaning with blowers, sticky sticks or swabs is a matter of course. However, things can get a little bit tricky if your camera has IBIS.
Sooner or later, cameras with interchangeable lenses get dust or dirt on the sensor. When the built-in sensor-cleaning function (SET UP > USER SETTING > SENSOR CLEANING > OK) doesn’t help, you can clean the sensor by yourself.
If you leave your camera’s sensor exposed, it will soon collect dust and spots from dried fluids.
Popular Sensor Cleaning Options
Touchless cleaning involves using a blower, like the Giottos Rocket Air Blaster, to rid the sensor of dust particles. A key feature of such devices is a filter in the intake valve that prevents contaminated (dusty) air from being blown against the sensor.
Caution! Don’t use compressed air from aerosol cans that contain propellants. Particles could hit the sensor like tiny projectiles and damage the protective surface!
Tough sensor dirt (like water or oil stains) requires wet cleaning with a sensor swab. They consist of wipers that are wetted with special cleaning fluids. Wipe one side of the swab from left to right over the full width of the sensor, and then from right to left with the other side of the swab. Your X-mount camera requires swabs that match APS-C-sized sensors.
EISA has assigned awards to everybody making up categories that are hard to distinguish, so that lots of companies will pay lots of money for their EISA logo license to be used in future.
And if they don’t pay, next year those companies will be “punished” by not receiving awards, leading to tons of negative press.
Fujifilm once refused to pay for the TIPA logo license and they were punished the following year by not receiving any award for their digital cameras. That lead to tons of negative press, so Fujifilm decided to pay TIPA again lots of money.
How much?
For example, using the RedDot award logo for one product and one year costs up to $6,000. I can’t think at an easier way to make money than selling awards.
After this reality check, let’s see who “won” this year.