After the mega news that was the Canon EOS R1 and R5 Mark II, things have slowed down a bit. That doesn't mean there isn't anything new to share. The biggest bits of news from the past couple weeks come from Tamron and Atomos—both well-known and highly-regarded companies that make products for everyday photographers and videographers and not just pros.
Tamron is truly aiming for everyone with their lens release: a 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD Lens for Sony E. This could be the kit lens upgrade that many people will pop on their camera and never take off. Atomos is also heading back to their more affordable offerings after a whole line refresh a little while back with the Shinobi II, a revision of their entry-level monitor that brings added brightness and camera control in a slimmed-down package.
Tamron 28-300mm lens is the all-in-one zoom for everyone
Even with the benefit of interchangeable lenses and large sensors in mirrorless cameras, sometimes photographers just want one lens that can do everything they need. Tamron is aiming to deliver just that lens with the 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. Tamron has a history of all-in-one zooms and it nice to see them continue down that road today.
Travel, everyday shooting, hiking—that's where the all-in-one zoom comes in handy since you don't need to carry more lenses in your bag and can switch from landscapes to wildlife with a twist of the wrist. Starting at 28mm will make it great for everyday street photography, landscapes, and even selfies, while that extended 300mm reach will ensure it is just as capable for capturing your kid's sporting events, the occasional bird, and wildlife. It'll also cover macro with its 7.5" minimum focus distance.
Tamron did opt for a somewhat slow f/4-7.1 maximum aperture range, but that was to keep the overall size of the lens to a minimum—critically important for the lens you always want to have on you. It weighs in at 1.3 lb and is just 5" in length at its smallest.
Modern optics and technology should ensure excellent image quality and performance throughout the zoom range. Tamron packed in their XLD and LD elements to control aberrations along with the BBAR-G2 anti-reflection coating for ghosting and flare. It also uses the VXD autofocus motor for fast, smooth performance and Vibration Compensation (VC) to minimize blur from camera shake at the longest telephoto settings.
The Tamron 28-300mm looks to be the next evolution of the all-in-one zoom and for many shooters it many be the only lens you'll ever need.
Atomos Shinobi II is brighter, slimmer, and adds camera control
Within Atomos' capable lineup of on-camera monitors, the Shinobi shined as the smallest, lightest, and most affordable option. The Shinobi II revamps this offering by making it slimmer, brighter, and, in a first for Atomos, adds camera control capabilities through a USB-C port.
When it comes to on-camera monitors there are two things that make a difference: the size and the quality of the display. Both aspects improve with the 5" Shinobi II. The design is 30% thinner than the predecessor and makes the Shinobi II the smallest option in Atomos' lineup. Even though the weight is basically the same, that smaller size makes it feel better on smaller mirrorless rigs and compact cinema cameras.
As for the display, the Shinobi II boasts 50% greater brightness, which should help with HDR viewing. The new 1500-nit Full HD screen is going to help get a clear view of all footage up to 4K 30p. Another quality-of-life improvement is that the HDMI and USB-C ports—which are now located on the back of the monitor—are both able to work with locking cables to ensure no accidental disconnects during shooting.
Speaking of ports, that USB-C port is now a lot more powerful. It will both send power out, keeping your camera juiced up from the monitor's larger battery pack, or take power in, allowing you to power up the Shinobi II from a more serious power management solution. In addition to power, the USB-C port will allow for camera control directly from the Shinobi II's display. This is a first for Atomos and will work with many Canon, Panasonic, and Sony mirrorless cameras. Z CAM E2 cameras will work via the LANC connection and FUJIFILM, Nikon, OM System, and Sigma support will come at a future date.
Loaded up with AtomOS, the Shinobi II offers all the monitoring tools you have come to expect from professional monitors. This includes zoom, zebra, false color, frame guides, SMPTE safe area, grid markers, waveforms, vectorscope, multi-view analysis, LUT support, anamorphic de-squeeze, and more.
This is an impressive offering for what is supposed to be the company's entry-level monitor.
In other news…
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Hobolite, a newer lighting brand known for creating stylish as well as capable lights, has announced the Avant Max and Mini Max LED lights.
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Hollyland is expanding their Pyro series of wireless video transmitters with the Pyro 7 Transceiver Monitor.
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Let AI take the wheel for your next smartphone shoot with the Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI Gimbal with dedicated AI tracker module.
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Moog expands lineup with the Muse, an analog bi-timbral polyphonic synthesizer.
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Last up, with all the monitor news in the past couple weeks, it feels appropriate to also throw in our hands-on review of the SmallHD Ultra 7.
See you again soon!
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