W♥M: Sony

11/21/2024

Weekend Gamer: Legion Go 2, Nitro Blaze 7, and Xbox Handheld

Lenovo Legion Go

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You know I’ve been interested in the Lenovo Legion Go since August 2023, and now, in November 2023, the Legion Go is out now. In my original writeup, I said that Lenovo is somewhat late to the game …

As you know, I recently purchased the Lenovo Legion Go, and I’ve been enjoying it. Of course, as soon as I bought it, there’s already rumors of a Legion Go 2, which may come out in 2025. The biggest feature will likely be a new AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme CPU (all the current AMD-based handhelds are using the Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip). Only the MSI Claw uses an Intel chip.

If the Z2 Extreme chip becomes available, you bet Asus will be releasing their ROG Ally 2 in competition. Right now, their ROG Ally X is only a small improvement over the original ROG Ally. I do own the original Ally, so I never bought the X, even though I did want it for the USB4 and massive battery.

For the Legion Go 2, I’m sure it’ll match the 24GB Ram and storage option. I hope they decide to stick with the large 8.8 screen (perhaps go OLED?), as the 1600p screen is the Legion Go’s biggest advantage over all the handhelds. I honestly don’t care for the detachable controllers, but I would love for Lenovo to introduce new and different controller styles. Perhaps open it to third-party accessory makers. May also give us a fingerprint reader for faster login, or face ID (but that would mean putting in a camera and that might be too much).

Lenovo Product Listing

So why are we so sure that a Legion Go 2 is in the works? It’s because Lenovo Product Listing for their official USB-C Dock lists Legion Go Gen 2 and Legion Go Lite. The rumor for the Lite version is that it’s a smaller device and you can’t remove the controllers. It’s also supposed to be cheaper, given the smaller screen… Either way, now that I own a Legion Go and the Legion Go Deck, I’m looking forward to the new Legion Go 2 version.

Speaking of Xbox, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, he has confirmed the company’s plan to release an Xbox handheld. Xbox Handheld? Let’s goooo!

If Xbox gets in the game, pardon the pun, they will likely develop a “light” version of Windows. You know, something like what the Xbox is currently using, but designed for a small screen? That would mean that the Xbox will have a massive advantage over all the current handhelds right now. The number one issues people have with PC gaming handhelds is Windows 11 wasn’t designed for small screen. You often need a physical keyboard and mouse.

Acer Nitro Blaze 7

In other PC handheld news, Acer has also entered the crowded handheld market with the announcement of the Acer Nitro Blaze 7, via their website.

There’s nothing really new or interesting here, it’s a 7” inch device with a 144Hz 1080p display with an AMD Radeon™ 780M Graphics. The other thing is that Acer didn’t create the device, they’re just putting their name on it and re-selling it to the American market. Extreme Tech mentioned that, “It turns out this device is a rebranded Terrans Force product.”

Right now, they didn’t announce a price, but since they saved so much money just re-branding the Terrans Force Handle 7, I wonder if they can price this at $500 or less and they can really be a true competitor to the Steam Deck. Remember, that stupid White Steam Deck is nearly $700.

Anyway, below is a breakdown of the ROG Ally vs the Legion Go specs, with yellow highlights for the pros. I hope that Lenovo will keep the price to less than $700, but inflation prices and bigger upgrades, I suspect it will likely be $800 or more. I hope not, because I already called Sony greedy for asking $700 for PS5 Pro (and not throw in a disc drive or a vertical stand!)

Guess what? The Legion Go and ROG Ally can play PlayStation games (via Steam).

Specs	ROG Ally	Legion Go	ROG Ally X
Image
Colors	White	Black	Black
Processor	AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme	AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme	AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme
RAM	16GB DDR5	16GB LPDDR5X	24GB DDR5
eGPU	RG Mobile	USB4 (2x)	USB4 (1)
Storage	512GB m.2 2230	512GB m.2 2242	1TB m.2 2280
Display	7” 1080p VRR	8.8″ QHD (2560 x 1600) 144Hz	7” 1080p VRR
Battery	40 Wh	49.2 Wh	80 Wh
O/S	Windows 11	Windows 11	Windows 11
Price	$700	$700	$800
Date	June 2023	Oct 2023	June 2024

Yours,

Weekend Gamer
[email protected]

09/10/2024

Weekend Gamer: PS5 Pro

PS5 Pro

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Sony

Still, you know I’m still somewhat interested in seeing the next generation of gaming consoles… and today, Sony showed up what the upcoming PS5 will look like. And holy crap, it is so ugly. …

I’ve made it known in the past that I find that Sony is greedy, especially in their PlayStation department. Here is the latest proof: PlayStation 5 Pro for $700, a $200 markup from the PS5 Slim that was released in Nov 2024.

The $700 Pro doesn’t even have a disc drive, which comes standard in the Xbox Series X (for $500). You’ll have to spend another $80. The Pro doesn’t even come with a vertical stand, that’s going to cost another $30. If you want another controller, that’s going to cost you (now) $75, due to a $5 increase in prices. Remember, PS5 new games costs $70. Maybe get PS Plus for $18 a month… All in all, it’s going to cost you about $1,000 (including taxes).

If you do a similar breakdown of Xbox’s ecosystem: Xbox Series X for $500, disc drive for $0, stand for $0, controller for $60, one game for $70, Game pass for $12… so you’re looking at about $650.

I think for that $1,000 for the PS ecosystem, why not just get a really nice PC? I’m not saying get the ROG Ally X, but even that priced at a hefty $800, that will run any PC games (including some PS5 games that are sold through Steam and GOG). Plus, it’s a PC, so it opens up to more possibilities, such as using it as a desktop computer, running Office Suite or photo/video editing software… whatever you can do on Windows, it’s possible on the ROG Ally X.

I even bought (and still using) my Lenovo Legion PC with Nvidia 3060 for $850. I’m sure by now, you can even get that computer for cheaper than the PS5 Pro.

I guess as someone who has access to PS games via my PC, I’m definitely not interested in paying that much money for a PS5 Pro (or even a regular PS5). If I want that console experience, I also have an Xbox Series X (and S), which I think has better value over the PlayStation.

Compare	PS5 Pro	Xbox Series X	ROG Ally X
Price:	$700	$500	$800
Release Date:	07 Nov 2024	10 Nov 2020	22 Jul 2024
Optical Disc	No, but can be added on for $80	Yes, 4K disc player	No, but is supported for external drives for $50
CPU/GPU	AMD 8-core Zen 2 CPU; 4GHz, RDNA 3 GPU	AMD 8-core Zen 2; 3.8 GHz, 3.6 GHz with SMT	AMD Ryzen™ Z1 Extreme Processor
Memory	16GB of GDDR6	16GB of GDDR6	24 GB LPDDR5-6500
Storage	2TB of SSD storage	1 TB NVMe SSD (with Storage Expansion Card option)	1 TB SSD (with SD card expansion)
Resolution	4K	4K	1080p
Backward Compatible	Games (limited), works with previous controllers and accessories	Games, works with previous controllers and accessories	Games, works with most Windows Games

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

08/17/2024

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

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Dragon Age

Anyway, I am really enjoying Dragon Age: Inquisition at the moment. Even if the game is not my all-time favorite game, it is certainly my favorite game of 2014! Dragon Age: Inquisition is currently on sale on EA's Origins system for $39.99 …

I previously mentioned that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf coming out in early 2025…. Well, there’s a couple of changes since then. Electronic Arts (EA) announced that the name is now called Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and it is coming out October 31, 2024.

After watching the game trailer, I can’t say that I’m excited about the game or the name change. “Dreadwolf” sounds so cool, while “Veilguard” sounds boring. Also, the art style looks cartoony, like something like World of Warcraft, which I personally do not find appealing.

Of course, I’ll still give it a chance, but given that it’ll cost $70 on launch, I might wait for the reviews before pulling the trigger. Traditionally, I would wait for a sale, which may happen six months or one year after launch. I can (and will) wait, because I find the new “standard” pricing of $70 is just too much for the asking.

When I bought Dragon: Inquisition in 2014, it was $40. In just a decade, the gaming inflation price has nearly double. The more it costs, the less I’m likely to buy. After all, I have years and years of video games (over 1,600 games) that I can always go back and re-visit… including re-playing Dragon: Inquisition, now with all the bugs stamped out with all the DLC.

Speaking of pricing and costs of games… check it out: Epic Games is giving away The Callisto Protocol for free on August 22. This game is actually very good, despite the clear and obvious Dead Space influence.

The story behind this game, as I understand it, was that EA was not going to make a Dead Space 4, so the Dead Space series creator, Glen Schofield and his team formed a new studio and worked on The Callisto Protocol.

Gigantic: Rampage Edition and The Callisto Protocol free on Epic Games

Unfortunately, EA decided they were going to remake the original Dead Space game around the same time. Both The Callisto Protocol (Dec 2022) and Dead Space (Jan 2023), came out around the same time and I read that basically no one bought The Callisto Protocol.

In fact, I didn’t buy The Callisto Protocol until December 2023, because it was on sale on Steam, and I thought it was pretty decent. I didn’t understand why no one liked the game. I thought it was a hard game… and maybe it was a little too much like Dead Space, that perhaps they could have gone in a different direction. Also, I didn’t like the name, I had a hard time remembering what it was called, and may have referred to the game as “the Dead Space knockoff game.”

Anyway, for the price of $0.00 on August 22, I wholly recommend checking it out.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

07/29/2024

Sony RX100 VII

Sony RX100 VII

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Sony

What I am eyeing, is the rather expensive Sony 70-200mm G-Master Lens. It retails for $2,500, but I have seen it as low as $2,000 during the Black Friday/Christmas sale. I know the price is way more expensive than the …

The Sony RX100 cameras are a series of very high-end compact “Point and Shoot” cameras. They are designed for people who demands high quality stills and videos, but need the camera to be portable.

There is a saying, the best camera is the one you have on you. While that statement is meant for your phone’s camera, it also meant to say that although you might not have the best image quality, it’s still better than nothing. Now you don’t have to make that sacrifice, if you have the RX100 in your pocket!

I recently had a need to purchase the latest version of Sony RX100 (the 7th version), so I can produce some great stills from the recent Minnesota Yacht Club Festival. Most music festivals or music venues won’t allow you to bring in large cameras with lens attachments, but will make exception for “Point and Shoot” style cameras. Not all venues will allow pocket cameras, so be sure to find out what is prohibited and what is allowed to be brought into the venue.

The truth is, I’ve been looking into these pocket-sized cameras for a while now. Recently it came up when I went to A Taste of Minnesota and was somewhat disappointed in the photos coming from my iPhone 15 Pro. The image quality just wasn’t there, especially from the 5x (120mm) camera.

June McDoom (A7IV vs RX100 VII)

Now that I have been putting the Sony RX100 VII through its paces from heavy usage in the last four days, I can tell you what I think. For its small size it can produces some great images and videos… but, of course, it is not going to compare to a full-sized Sony camera. It’s not possible, because the RX100’s one-inch 20MP image sensor won’t compare to a full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor. Comparing the same photo taken at the same focal length (200mm) with the same lighting condition and same manual setting… looking closely at the faces, you do lose some details. There’s also a little more noise, but you only see these things if you look very closely at it - pulling back, the two images do look similar.

Still, what we have to work with, the smaller sensor, it is still much better than what you will find in a high-end smart phone. Also, what you will find is that the latest RX’s ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* optical lens can reach up 200mm (with an f/4.5 at the maximum), which is sometime that most phones can’t compete with. The advantage that the iPhone and Pixel phones has over the RX is that they do post-processing of the images, make for better low-light images. I have compared images, but do not look natural or real compared to what the RX can produce.

I can go on about the camera’s capabilities, such as the “unlimited” 4k video recording, the cool pop-up view finder, the 180-degree flip touch screen (for “vlogging”), the fast real-time eye auto focus, the pop-out built-in flash is a nice feature, the mic-in jack is a must for people who need high quality audio recording, the blackout-free burst shooting (this is pretty amazing), etc. You can read all the perks on any tech specs, so instead I’ll just address some of the things I don’t like about the camera.

Auto-Focusing: The camera struggles at night time/low light. It often picks the subject closer to you - so trying to focus on the person behind was hard for me. You can play around with the AF area, I had it set to Zone and sometime Center, if I absolutely need the center subject in focus.

Price: As usual with all Sony products, you are paying a premium. Is it worth $1,300? I would say no, but since there are never sales or discounts, it’s just the price of admission. If you don’t have a need for this small, compact camera, I would say use that money to buy a full-frame entry body, such as a the a7c (which you can get for not much more).

Physical Buttons: With a smaller body, there are fewer physical buttons. I couldn’t figure out a physical way of changing the ISO, so I had to go into settings to change ISO … it’s a pain in the butt. I think Sony wants you to set it to AUTO, but that’s not for me. Changing the F can be done via the ring on the lens, I only discover that accidentally. I’m so happy Sony added that physical ring (this was absent in previous version of the RX series).

Grip: The camera is small. There is not enough room to really grip the camera. I often think I am going to drop the camera by accident. I have ordered a third-party L-mount to add a wooden bump so I can hold it with comfort, so hopefully this extension will solve the problem.

Battery: Again, you’re going to make sacrifices when the camera is so small… so the battery is tiny. If you shoot 4k video, your battery is going to be depleted very quickly. The battery will not last you a full day of shooting, so you are going to have to buy extra batteries to keep a spare with you. I also recommend carrying an extra SD card.

Micro-USB: I know the camera came out in Jun 2019, but man, I wish this camera had USB-C instead. You have to use the Micro-USB cord to charge your camera. It’s very annoying, so I recommend just buying a cheap external charger (which is one of the first thing I did with two additional batteries).

You just have to accept the limitations of a small camera. Since you can take these pocket cameras anywhere, they are perfect for taking some high-quality concert photos with a 200mm reach. Once you understand this, then the trade-off is well worth it.

06/27/2024

CFexpress Type A

CFExpress Type A

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Sony

I’m so happy, I just bought my first CFexpress Type A card. Normally these cards are really expensive. Go ahead, do a quick search for those Type A cards, you’ll see that prices are about $300 to $900.

When I first saw Nextorage’s prices (starting at $150 for 80GB to $600 for 1TB), I couldn’t believe it. I honestly thought it was a scam! After researching the company, I found out that these new Type A cards from Nextorage recently came out on May 9, 2024, so there weren’t any reviews out there.

If you’re wondering what the heck is a CFexpress card, it’s basically the next evolution in micro “CompactFlash” storage. It uses NVMExpress protocol over PCIe 3.0 to transfer up to 1 GB/s of data (per lane). That’s much faster than SD cards, which averages about 100 MB/s up to 300 MB/s (for the fastest UHS-II standard).

Why would you want faster speed? For recording high resolution videos, of course. Also, if you shoot burst photos, like sports or fast-moving objects, you want the fastest write speed.

The company makes two types of Type A cards: Pro and SE. The only differences between these two are the PRO series are rated at VPG 400, which is a guarantee speed of write of 400 m/s for recording video - ideal for 8k video capture. For most people, like me, the SE line is just fine with VPG 200 (perfect for 4k recording). I’m actually not even sure if my Sony A74 can record in 8k, so it’s not even applicable to most people. Save yourself a few dollars and stick to the SE line.

I took out my Sony A7IV camera for a test run at the Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley and did some burst shots and video footage. I’m quite happy to report that I experienced NO BUFFERING. If there was a blip of a buffer, I did not notice it. As far as I can tell, the moment I took a massive burst (in RAW+JPEG), there was no buffer bar. I couldn’t believe it. On my old SD card, I would have to wait until the buffer clear before I can do anything.

The card I got was a 480GB card for $200. As of this writing, I believe this is the cheapest price you will find for this CFexpress Type A card.

Currently these are the Sony cameras that supports CFe cards: Sony A1 / A9 III / A7s III / 7 IV / A7R V / FX3 / FX6 / FX30.

11/14/2023

Weekend Gamer: Sony

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Sony

Last month, Sony announced a pair of new cameras: Sony a7c II (33MP) and Sony a7cR (62MP). These two cameras are an evolution of the original Sony a7c, which was the best (and cheapest) way for people to get into full frame photography. …

Sony a9 III
sony.com

Sony did it again… they’ve introduced the world’s first full-frame global shutter camera with their upcoming Alpha 9 III camera. As you know the a9 cameras are geared towards sports photography. Of course, being a professional gear, Sony wants to charge $6,000 for this new a9 camera.

It’s a little too much money, for my needs, but, of course, I want the latest and greatest… so I am somewhat putting some money away to buy this camera. I am hoping that Sony will bring their global shutter to their prosumer buyers, perhaps put it in the upcoming Sony a7s IV, which desperately needs an update.

Light banding

Let’s back up a little, maybe you know about light banding. Let me explain, current digital cameras read light line by line. If you are shooting at a very fast shutter speed, the camera can pick up lines of light from flickering lights from bad LED or fluorescent lights. These lines are called “banding” and can ruin photos.

Some higher end cameras do have an option to combat this by a feature called Anti-Flickering, which needs to be turned on. Once the camera detects flickering, it would try to match the flickering speed by adjusting the shutter speed. It works for the most part, but it’s not perfect.

With global shutter, the camera reads the entire image instantly, instead of reading the information line by line. This changes everything, it means that the camera can capture and processes images much faster. We are talking about 120 frames per seconds, in their burst mode. That’s insane! To put it in perspective, my current Sony a7 IV camera can only achieve 10 frames per seconds.

So, yes, of course, I want the Sony a9 III for this new technology.

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PlayStation

For the lowest priced, PS+ Essential, you only get three or four “free” monthly games… and the ability to play online games, just like the original PlayStation Plus. For $3 more, you can get PS+ Extra, which includes the monthly “free” games …

PlayStation 5 Slim
playstation.com

For years and years, you could not get a PlayStation 5. Now, three years later, you can finally get a PS5 at Target or Walmart. At $500, it’s a massive device. For Holiday 2023 (which is available now in November), Sony released a “Slim” version.

The new Slim version isn’t that much smaller, it’s still rather massive (and ugly). You can buy a disc-less version, and upgrade with a $80 bluray player. A vertical stand will set you back another $40. Plus, with $70 games, buying into the PlayStation 5 echosystem is very, very expensive. No one said being a weekend gamer was easy. If you want to save money, don’t go down the PlayStation path.

I would recommend just buying a ROG Ally or Steam Deck and keeping all your PC games. Some PlayStation games, such as The Last of Us Part 1 is available now on the PC. The problem with the PS echosystem is that when the PS6 comes out, your PS5 may not work on the new system. With a PC, that game you bought on the ROG Ally will work on your desktop or will work on a future Steam Deck 10 or something.

I guess I’m just mad that my PS3 games won’t play on PS5.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

10/14/2023

Sony Camera News (October 2023)

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Sigma

However, I am eyeing on the Sigma lens… which is available as “Art” ($1,100) and the budget “Contemporary” lens ($900). The main difference is the Art lens has higher quality optics and starts at 24mm while the Contemporary version starts at 28mm. ....

Sigma
sigma-global.com

According to dpreview.com, Sigma has announced that it is developing a 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS for Sony full-frame cameras. The lens will be available in December 2023.

The F2.8 lens will be part of their Sports line (with superior weather resistance), and is the second lens to use their “HLA” (high response linear actuator). The lens will also include Sigma’s own optical stabilizer with the latest algorithm “OS2”.

While not prices have been announced, I feel Sigma needs make it affordable to be competitive in this space. I am predicting about $1,700 or less. Anything more, it would just make sense to jump to the Sony G-Master series. The Tamron version of 70-150mm F2.8 is $1,100, but does not have stabilization and falls short of 20mm. You can find the Tamron version used for as little as $900, so that is another option. However, from my experience, images look better on the Sony G-Master lens due to the high-quality glass and stabilization.

As you know, my main concert lens is the Sony G-Master 70-200mm F2.8 FE lens, which is basically the best of the best for sports and low-light. Unfortunately, that also comes at a high cost - currently the Gen II lens retails $2,800. Again, if Sigma can come through on their price, I can see more camera enthusiasts using the Sigma lens (especially if it offers the same or similar performances as the Sony G-Master).

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Sony

Right now, the one lens I am using is the Sony 70-200mm F2.8 GM and it’s an amazing lens. However, it’s missing some key focal range of 24, 35, and 50 (the “nifty fifty”). This is why I’ve been looking at the 24-70mm … and now the 35-150mm F2-2.8 lens. …

Sony
sony.com

Last month, Sony announced a pair of new cameras: Sony a7c II (33MP) and Sony a7cR (62MP).

These two cameras are an evolution of the original Sony a7c, which was the best (and cheapest) way for people to get into full frame photography. Originally released in September 2020 for $1,800, it was my first full frame camera.

As much as I like the compact / small design, it was missing some features that I wanted, such as a faster processor or a double SD card reader… which was what led me to buying Sony a7 IV.

So, what is new with the Sony a7c II and Sony a7cR? From my understanding, the a7c II is basically a compact version of the Sony a7 IV, while the a7cR is a compact version of the Sony a7R IV.

I think the main problem are the prices. The a7c II is $2,200 with less features than the a7 IV, which I’m sure you can get used for about the same price. For the a7cR, it’s $3,000… which is basically the price of the Sony a7R IV. Again, because of the compact nature of the camera, you’re losing buttons and extra SD card slots… but you’re paying the same price (for less).

The only new features you’re getting are the new BIONZ X processor and new Autofocus… so that leaves me to believe that what you’re actually paying for is the smaller sized (and lighter) camera. To me, if they were the same price as the bigger version, why not just buy the bigger body and get more buttons and options? To be fair, some people just wants a smaller form factor, and I can understand that.

There are not enough new features in the a7c II, that I may actually recommend getting the original a7c, if you can find it for a good price.

09/04/2023

Weekend Gamer Update: Labor Day

Weekend Gamer Update:

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Games

Can you believe it? Baldur’s Gate 3 is out now on the PC. I paid full price ($60) for this game in Oct 2020, and have played a demo or early access of the game. I maxed out my character, and have patiently waited for the full …

Baldur’s Gate 3

After over 60 hours, I finally made it to Act II. There are three acts in the game, and each Act, I felt could have been sold as three different games.

Act I set up the story and throws you in the outskirts Baldur’s Gate. All signs points to Baldur’s Gate, so the goal is to travel there… but getting there is harder than it looks. Act I basically is a giant tutorial on how to play the game. You have to solve the goblin crisis, the grove, and help inhabitants along the way. I tried to complete everything in the first part: killing the hag, killing the giant spider, saving Halsin … and murdering every goblin!

Act II, you are given several choices to get to Baldur’s Gate 3. You can travel through the underdark, you can try to go through Githyanki, and finally through the cursed land. Your companions’ stories also unfolds, with Lae’zel’s story the most compelling to me. Her entire belief turned upside-down… and even her god, the undying queen, is out to kill her.

Shadowheart’s story is no slack either… you have to make some hard decisions to keep her in your party, because fighting her will result in her leaving your party. You’re given an impossible decision to save both Shadowheart and the Nightsong… and, there is a way to save both of them! My first play, Shadowheart kills Nightsong. After reloading the previous save, I confronted Shadowheart and she got angry and left! I’m sorry, we can’t have that, because she’s my only cleric and a useful one at that! Finally, after various choices, I was able to reason with Shadowheart and as a result, save both of them! It’s the best scenario… however, I know most players will just “go with the flow” and continue the game.

Anyway, currently, I’m about 100 hours into the game… and I finally got to Act III! It’s been a long journey, and I have a feeling that it’ll end up being 150 hours when I finally finish the game. And when I see the credits roll… the first thing I want to do is start another game, with a different character build!

For those who are interested in checking out the game, I wholly recommend it.

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PlayStation

PlayStation

With the extra-long Labor Day weekend, that means more weekend gaming for me. Originally, my plans were to see Soul Asylum at the Minnesota State Fair, but having walked about 10 miles on the Second Day of the Fair and seeing that this weekend is going to be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit… I think it’s probably in my best interest to stay indoors and keep cool.

With the Labor Day weekend here, there’s actually a lot of sales going on right now. GOG is having an Autumn 2023 Sale, which includes the original Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2, Cyberpunk, The Witcher, etc. A good sale, unfortunately, I own all those great games, so there’s not much for me… but if you are interested in those games, get it on sale and try them out.

Steam has a PlayStation sale… including, for the first time, a sale on The Last of Us Part 1. The game launched poorly on PC, and I wasn’t really didn’t love the television show… so I haven’t exactly been excited to re-play the game again. I bought the game when it was on the PS3, and re-bought the game for PS4. Do I really want to get it again for the PC? I probably will get it… but who knows.

Speaking of Sony, they recently announced a huge price hike in their PlayStation Plus subscription, with their premium plan going from $120 to $160. What do you get for the extra $40? Absolutely nothing.

On top of that, with the recent useless $200 PlayStation Portal (a tiny screen to stream games locally from your PlayStation 5), I’m not a PlayStation fan at the moment. I’m glad I never bought a PlayStation 5, instead going with Xbox for this (and next) generation.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

08/20/2023

Rokinon / Samyang AF 35-150mm F2-2.8 FE

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Tamron

Maybe Tamron heard me, and announced that they are working on the Tamron 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD (Model A067) on July 28, 2022. The new lens will be coming out Fall 2022 …

As I previously mentioned, I have been looking at the Tamron 35-150mm lens at the Springbrook Nature photo shoot. I mentioned it was also very expensive, at $1,899 …

Now, there is an exact same lens made by Rokinon (rokinon.com) or Samyang (samyanglens.com), released in April 2023 for $1,299 (Rokinon) and $1,399 (Samyang).

Although there are two different names and branding, they are exactly the same lens. Rokinon’s branding is meant (and marketed) for the USA region, so it’s actually cheaper than the international branding, Samyang. I suggest saving that extra $100 by buying the US branding.

Samyang lists the AF 35-150mm F2-2.8 FE as the fastest “all-rounder”, which starts with a maximum aperture of F2 at its widest and F2.8 at the telephoto end. The lens brings together the five main focal lengths of 35, 50, 85, 135, and 150, making it the “one lens to rule them all”.

I’m very interested in something like this, because I find that swapping out lens in a middle of a shoot is time consuming … and you may end up missing a crucial moment. In the past, I thought about carrying two or three cameras, each set with a particular focal range, so I can quickly grab my shot… but the reality is that I only want to carry one camera with one lens.

Right now, the one lens I am using is the Sony 70-200mm F2.8 GM and it’s an amazing lens. However, it’s missing some key focal range of 24, 35, and 50 (the “nifty fifty”). This is why I’ve been looking at the 24-70mm … and now the 35-150mm F2-2.8 lens.

The first to market for this 35-150mm F2-2.8 lens is by Tamron, who released it in October 2021, to high praises. It is Tamron’s most expensive lens at $1,899… so Samyang is undercutting their competitor by $600. The Samyang/Rokinon is still relatively new (only two months old), so there aren’t many reviews out there. Reading customer’s feedback, people don’t like the image quality, so that is something to consider.

I did look over the image comparison, and, to me, the differences aren’t that terrible… at least not a $600 terrible. I can live with some not-sharp area (mostly at the edges or it couldn’t handle sun flares). I suppose if image quality is important to you, I would just recommend just buying native Sony GM lens.

Anyway, it’s still up in the air for me… I’ll wait to see if there is a sale, but as of this writing, I’m really leaning towards the $1,299 price of the Rokinon 35-150mm.

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Posted at 10:34 PM in Samyang, Site Update, Sony, Tamron, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

07/22/2023

Sony 70-200mm GM F2.8 lens at Springbrook Nature Center, Fridley (21 July 2023)

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Sony

I’ve had my Sony 70-200mm GM F2.8 OSS lens since March 2023 and had wanted to do a photo shoot at the Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley when I first got it. Unfortunately, Minnesota suffered from one of the worst and longest winter this year that I had to delay my semi-annual trip to the park until now.

While this was a nice nature photo shoot, it was extremely hot on this day (80°F) and I wasn’t really prepared for the heat… so I attempted to head back to my car half-way into my hike. This was a disastrous decision, as I ended up accidentally going on a long loop off the map.

Also, there were mosquitos eating me alive, making it miserable. I’ll remember to bring bug spray the next time.

The Sony A7 IV has three autofocus subjects: humans, animals, and birds. I set the camera to birds for the most part and I find that the autofocusing is still not that great on animals. I feel like the camera should be smart enough to switch from humans to birds, without my interaction.

On the lens side, the weight of the lens does hurt a little, since I’m hand-holding it throughout the hike. Is it worth the extra $700 to buy a lighter version of the 70-200mm F2.8? I don’t think so, I would rather suffer a little and save that money.

I love this G-Master lens, despite the weight. One of the best features of the lens is that it has optic stabilization in the lens. While most current cameras have body built-in stabilization, it works even better when the lens is also compensating as well. This works best for video, if that is important to you.

I also used the manual focusing ring today. While 99% of the time, the autofocus works in the center… sometime, it focused on the wrong thing. So, with the manual focusing ring on the lens, you can help guide the camera to the right focus subject. This works best when there are subject in the foreground, but what you’re really interested in is in the background.

In my opinion, the 70-200mm GM lens is the best of the best. It’s very sharp, and it’s very fast. It’s the best lens I’ve ever own.

I’ve previously mentioned before that I wish the lens started at 24mm or wider, so I was in the market for something in the 24-70mm range. I did the research for lens in this class, but I’m currently on pause on buying until I have a need for it (most of my shoots are in the 70-200 range - as I don’t do close up photos).

I am also eyeing on another lens, the Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD for Sony E-Mount Full Frame, but at $1,900 … it’s a tough pill to swallow.