Photography News: First Laowa AF Lens, Tradeoffs of a Global Shutter

The first week of the year is over, and I completely forgot to make any New Year’s resolutions. But as they say: better late than never. So, I grabbed a pen and paper and wrote them down. “Lose a few kilos, photograph a Black-breasted Puffleg, and write more lens and camera reviews than I did last year.” So that’s that. Well, looking at this list, the reviews have the best chance of success. By the way, before you read this week’s Photography News, the photo below will give you a clue as to which review I’m working on right now.

Recent Announcements

• Laowa FF II 10mm f/2.8 C&D Dreamer: The first AF lens from Venus Optics. It will be available for full frame cameras with Nikon Z, Canon RF, Sony E and L mounts (however, it seems that AF will only be available for Z and E mounts). This ultra-wide lens will weigh 420g / 0.93 lbs. and have 15 elements in 9 groups (including extra-low dispersion and ultra-high refraction elements). The minimum focusing distance is only 0.12m / 4.7 inches, making it an interesting lens for wide-angle close-ups. The lens belongs to the “Zero-D” family, which means that it should offer zero distortion despite its focal length. The price and release date are not yet known.
• LaCie Rugged Mini SSD: As long as this drive isn’t stolen for you, it should be really safe. According to LaCie, the drive can withstand being dropped from 3 meters and being run over by a 1-ton car, and it’s also IP54-rated to withstand rain and dust (although not an underwater dunking). LaCie lists read speeds of up to 2000MB/s, a USB 3.2 gen 2×2 interface (compatible with USB 40Gbps, USB 10Gps, Thunderbolt 4 and 3), and compatibility with Windows, MacOS, and iPadOS. Prices are $79.99 (500GB), $119.99 (1TB), $189.99 (2TB), and $349.99 (4TB).

The Rumor Mill

Panasonic Lumix S1 II: Waiting for the Beast

It’s been almost 5 years since the original S1 was introduced, so it’s no wonder that rumors of its successor are starting to spread. Unless it’s just the wishful thinking of Panasonic fans, we should have something to look forward to.

According to the rumors, the S1 II will have a 34MP stacked CMOS sensor, which will take the camera to a whole new speed level. The camera is expected to have a slim, weather-sealed magnesium body with a built-in fan and ND filter. The camera should have 6K video from the whole sensor with a frame rate up to 120fps. Add longer battery life, improved IBIS, and better dynamic range to the rumored feature set. The price is rumored to be around $3000.

Via The New Camera

New Pentax camera in prototype testing phase

As we informed you earlier, Pentax is about to take a bold step – introducing a brand new camera for 35mm film. It may sound like a nonsensical move these days, but Pentax seems to believe in its project. After all, there is still a niche of photographers who refuse to abandon celluloid film. This upcoming camera from Pentax will be relatively compact and is covered by a warranty and the assurance of long serviceability. Actually, why not?

Via Digital Camera World

What’s next for Leica?

That’s the headline on Leica Rumors, which sums up what we can expect from the German manufacturer this year. Those who have always wanted a Leica but found it too expensive may finally get one that works for them. According to the rumors, Leica is expected to introduce the entry-level camera Q-E, which should essentially be a “facelifted” version of the Q2. Meanwhile, the third generation of the L-mount SL camera should be introduced soon, potentially with some premium specs: a 60MP sensor, 6.5 stops IBIS, phase detection AF, 9fps continuous shooting, and 8K/30p. Finally, there’s the possibility of a camera that will sound like a sin to some Leica fans: an M-mount camera with an electronic viewfinder instead of a traditional rangefinder.

Via Leica Rumors

Good Deals and New Sales

The period of the biggest discounts is over for a while, but some interesting pieces remained on the shelves even after the holidays. I took a look and picked up a few remaining ones at interesting prices.

Lenses

• Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2 (was $800, now $400)
• Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 PRO (was $1,400, now $1,200)
• Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO (was $1,400, now $1,200)
• Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 (was $1,197, now $997)
• Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM (was $1,199, now $999)
• Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM (was $1,399, now $1,199)
• Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM (was $2,399, now $2,099)
• Canon RF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM (was $1,599, now $1,399)
• Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM (was $2,899, now $2,599)

Tripods

• Manfrotto MT190CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber Tripod (was $475, now $300)
• Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 Carbon Fiber Tripod (was $620, now $450)
• Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber Tripod (was $690, now $500)

Bags and Straps

• BlackRapid Curve Breathe Bundle (was $130, now $100)
• Gitzo Adventury Backpack (was $326, now $200)
• Shimoda Designs Explore v2 30 Backpack Photo Starter Kit (was $385, now $289)
• Shimoda Designs Explore 60 Backpack (was $320, now $200)

Other Pages of Interest

A look at the list of best-selling cameras of 2023 at Japan’s largest camera store, Map Camera, reveals a surprising fact. Gone are the days when cheap “family” cameras made the most money. They are now on the brink of extinction. Today’s best-selling cameras are mostly in the $2,000+ category. Which cameras and which lenses have been disappearing from Map Camera’s shelves the most? The winner was the Nikon Z8. You can take a look at the rest here.

The Sony a9 III caused quite a sensation with its global shutter. The 120fps continuous shooting speed, the extremely fast shutter speed, and the flash sync speed of 1/80,000 second are exciting, but they’ve also taken a toll. The different layout and size of the photodiodes on the a9 III’s sensor is responsible not only for the higher base ISO, but more importantly, for the higher noise than its predecessor. You can read the details of this issue here.

I recently came across the work of Czech astrophysicist, traveler, and writer Petr Horálek. This night sky photographer has gradually established himself as one of the world’s absolute elite in his field. More than forty of his images have been selected by NASA as Astronomy Picture of the Day. His portfolio includes images from all over the world, and you can view them here for some inspiration.

Photo Theme Challenge, Week #31

Last week’s theme was silhouette, and you can see the results in this thread. Thank you to everyone for your submissions! This week’s theme is glass, and you can submit your results in this thread by Friday, January 13!

Week #30 Results

Let’s check out some of the silhouette results! Ircut sent this photo:

What a great example of how a silhouette can communicate everything that is happening in a scene!

rjbfoto submitted this beautiful silhouetted scene:

That would be my first inclination with a scene like this too, to take a picture!

Tom Pazol’s silhouetted skyline also caught my eye:

The silhouettes are partly broken by the handful of office lights already on so early in the morning, adding some extra interest to the frame.

Thanks everyone for submitting their shots and we hope to see many submissions for the glass theme next week!