Tamron has announced ‘Lens Utility Mobile’ for Android

[Canon Rumors]

Tamron Co., Ltd. (President: Shiro Ajisaka; Headquarters: Saitama City) has developed an Android™ *1) operating system that improves convenience at the shooting site and expands the possibilities of photography and video shooting. TAMRON Lens Utility Mobile™, an application dedicated to smartphones/tablets, will be released on November 29, 2022. This application is the mobile version of the computer software

See full article...

 

[pahountisg]

without 3rd party lens support , what do we care?

 

[neuroanatomist]

without 3rd party lens support , what do we care?

Have you heard of the EF-EOS R Mount Adapter? Have you heard of DSLRs? Asking for a friend...

 

[pahountisg]

Have you heard of the EF-EOS R Mount Adapter? Have you heard of DSLRs? Asking for a friend...

As far as I know all current tampron lenses are not ef. Unless I m missing something

 

[neuroanatomist]

As far as I know all current tampron lenses are not ef. Unless I m missing something

Good point, thanks! Seems this utility is compatible with just five Tamron lenses. That really puts the U in utility.

 

[pahountisg]

Good point, thanks! Seems this utility is compatible with just five Tamron lenses. That really puts the U in utility.

that is why I sounded bitter! ( I m a canon user my self )

 

[Chaitanya]

This should have been under Industry news rather than 3rd party lenses.

Have you heard of the EF-EOS R Mount Adapter? Have you heard of DSLRs? Asking for a friend...

This utility only works with 3 FE mount lenses which have USB port built in the lens itself instead of old method of having separate dock.

 

[entoman]

It would be nice if *Canon* had put a custom button on the RF100-500 so users could preset a focus distance. This would be a huge aid for wildlife and sports photography, but AFAIK (neuro will correct me if I'm wrong ) it's only the hugely expensive big white primes that have this function. It really surprised me that Canon didn't put one on the 100-500mm...

 

[neuroanatomist]

AFAIK (neuro will correct me if I'm wrong ) it's only the hugely expensive big white primes that have this function.

Also the hugely expensive big white 200-400/4 zoom.

 

[neuroanatomist]

It would be nice if *Canon* had put a custom button on the RF100-500 so users could preset a focus distance. … It really surprised me that Canon didn't put one on the 100-500mm...

Canon’s implementation on the great whites uses a ring, a switch, and the IS stop button. I use it in some situations with my 600/4.

Agree it would be handy on the 100-500 as well, but while a single-button implementation would be possible it would differ from the superteles and that would not be ideal, IMO.

Since the 100-500 is ‘affordable’ (relative to the great whites) perhaps adding the regular focus preeet hardware would have added too much to the cost.

 

[entoman]

Canon’s implementation on the great whites uses a ring, a switch, and the IS stop button. I use it in some situations with my 600/4.

Agree it would be handy on the 100-500 as well, but while a single-button implementation would be possible it would differ from the superteles and that would not be ideal, IMO.

Since the 100-500 is ‘affordable’ (relative to the great whites) perhaps adding the regular focus preeet hardware would have added too much to the cost.

Yes, it would cost a bit more to manufacture, especially if implemented as on the big whites, but possibly that would be compensated by additional sales, and hence only a minor increase in cost to the consumer.

I think I'm correct (haven't checked) in stating that Sony, Nikon, Tamron and Sigma all have custom buttons on several of their lenses, which cost far less than the 100-500, so I do feel that Canon have let themselves and their customers down by excluding it. I could sure make good use of a custom button if they provided one.

I assume a single button implementation could work by focusing at the required distance, double-tapping the button to lock it into the memory, and that the lens could be refocused again by holding down the button for the duration of the shot? I have no idea how it's implemented on Sony, Nikon, Tamron and Sigma lenses.

Edit: Actually, come to think of it, it could even be possible (although it won't happen) to preset a focus point via a firmware upgrade that allowed the function to be assigned to a back button on the camera, as the distance data is already transmitted from RF lenses to the camera....

 

[scyrene]

Canon’s implementation on the great whites uses a ring, a switch, and the IS stop button. I use it in some situations with my 600/4.

Agree it would be handy on the 100-500 as well, but while a single-button implementation would be possible it would differ from the superteles and that would not be ideal, IMO.

Since the 100-500 is ‘affordable’ (relative to the great whites) perhaps adding the regular focus preeet hardware would have added too much to the cost.

Do you guys use the focus present button(s)? I had the 500 f/4 II for nearly ten years and aside from checking it worked, never used it.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Do you guys use the focus present button(s)? I had the 500 f/4 II for nearly ten years and aside from checking it worked, never used it.

I do, on occasion. For example, with bird nests (owls, eagles, heron rookeries) I set a focus preset. Then I can track birds flying around the area but immediately return to focus on the nest when needed. Here's an example from one of those sessions:

 

[Chaitanya]

Also the hugely expensive big white 200-400/4 zoom.

And upcoming 135mm L also gets Focus preset buttons.

 

[neuroanatomist]

And upcoming 135mm L also gets Focus preset buttons.

Does it? On supertele lenses, there are programmable 'AF Stop' buttons, but they are not involved in the focus preset function.

Bryan/TDP did not list focus preset as one of the assignable functions for those buttons on the RF 135/1.8L

Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM Lens Review

Is the Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM Lens right for you? Learn all you need to know in The-Digital-Picture.com's review!

www.the-digital-picture.com

He does say, "Many more...," but given that he is an avid user of Canon's supertele lenses I'd think he would have mentioned the focus preset feature if it could be assigned to the programmable buttons.

 

[Chaitanya]

Does it? On supertele lenses, there are programmable 'AF Stop' buttons, but they are not involved in the focus preset function.

Bryan/TDP did not list focus preset as one of the assignable functions for those buttons on the RF 135/1.8L

Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM Lens Review

Is the Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM Lens right for you? Learn all you need to know in The-Digital-Picture.com's review!

www.the-digital-picture.com

He does say, "Many more...," but given that he is an avid user of Canon's supertele lenses I'd think he would have mentioned the focus preset feature if it could be assigned to the programmable buttons.

provide an AF stop function, locking focus at the currently selected focus distance, permitting a focus and recompose technique. However, they can be programmed to numerous other functions.

Seems like that lens does have focus preset function from Bryans preview. I know trackside photographers use those focus preset functions a lot along with birders who sit at birding setups.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Seems like that lens does have focus preset function from Bryans preview.

Seems like you don’t understand AF Stop versus Focus Preset – they are not the same thing. Have you ever used a great white lens? They have both of those functions.

AF Stop simply locks the focus when you hold down the button, at whatever distance the lens happens to be focused. When you release the button, focusing resumes. It’s only useful with focus assigned to the shutter button, it’s useless when using back button focus (which is why I have the AF Stop buttons on my 600/4 II assigned to another function, focus peaking, on my R3).

Focus Preset saves the focus distance in memory. With a preset saved, you can focus elsewhere and shoot, but activating the preset focuses at the previously saved distance. An example is focusing on the hoop at a basketball game. You can set the preset for that distance from your position, then track players around the court taking pictures. But when one shoots a goal or runs in for a layup, you point the lens toward the backboard and twist the preset ring, and the focus instantly snaps to the hoop.

As I stated, Bryan says nothing about the RF 135L having a focus preset function. Unless you have confirmation from some other source, I suspect it doesn’t or Bryan would have mentioned it (particularly since the UI would need to be significantly re-worked to collapse the functionality of a switch+ring+button to just a single button).

 

[binary]

Very useful! I’ll use it for all my Tamron RF lenses….

 

[Bonich]

And upcoming 135mm L also gets Focus preset buttons.

The RF 135 gets a set of function buttons, never mix up function buttons with focus preset!

Big whites do have
- a set of function buttons, the function can be customized by using the body's menu (same as the buttons in the RF135)
- a switch enabling/disabling focus preset
- a button dedicated to register the engaged focus distance as new focus preset distance
- a functional focus ring to be used to trigger the lens focussing to the preset distance or to engage power focus (video work)
- the AF with gives the options for MF, AF, and PF to make this functional focus ring work as requested.

I do not think such a nice focus preset/ power focus setup ever to happen in an ultralight telephoto lens like the RF100-500.

Yes, Big White users take advantage from this setup!

 

[scyrene]

I do, on occasion. For example, with bird nests (owls, eagles, heron rookeries) I set a focus preset. Then I can track birds flying around the area but immediately return to focus on the nest when needed. Here's an example from one of those sessions:

View attachment 206544

Thanks, makes sense!