What can focus on its prey better – the American Harris’s Hawk, the European Golden Eagle, or the Japanese Nikon D6? And how does the new Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 perform in the field? I sought answers to these and other questions while photographing birds of prey yesterday. I’ll share my findings with you soon. In the meantime, here is a small sample photo, and, most importantly, another weekly roundup of photography news.
Recent Announcements
- Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 70-200mm f/2.8 ASPH.: The last missing piece of Leica’s trio of f/2.8 lenses was announced together with the Leica Extender L 2.0x (the L 1.4x was introduced earlier). The optical construction of the lens consists of 20 elements arranged in 15 groups. It has dust and splash proofing, and a nice detail is the removable Arca-Swiss compatible tripod foot. The minimum focusing distance is 0.65m (1:5.1 magnification). With a weight of 1540g, it is on the heavier side thanks to the all-metal tube. The same goes for the price, which is $3,295. The big downside? This has the same optics as the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 Sport, which sells for $1500 in the same mount.
- Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8 DG DN Art: An f/2.8 zoom with an impressive range – available for Sony E and Leica L mounts, but harkening to Canon’s RF 24-105mm f/2.8. (The new Sigma is not quite as wide as the Canon, but it costs half the price and is 310 grams lighter.) The magnesium barrel extends when zooming, and is equipped with a zoom lock switch. There is a de-clickable aperture ring and two programmable buttons. The lens design is dust and splash resistant. The minimum focusing distance is an impressive 0.45m (1:3.1 magnification). Price is $1,499.
- Peak Design Outdoor Line: Peak Design has announced a new line on Kickstarter that includes two new backpacks (45L and 25L), two Outdoor Slings (7L and 2L) and Ultralight (Mesh) Packing Cubes (sizes from 12L to 1L). If I focus on the main differences of the 45L pack compared to the existing Travel Backpack 45L, they are: Top access to the pack with expandable flex space, a cord hook carry system, redesigned buckles, anatomically shaped shoulder straps with large pockets, load lifters with ladder system for strap fitment, four side flex pockets, water bladder compatibility, and a host of other details. The stowable hip belt and of course camera cube compatibility (XS to L) have been retained. Available in January 2025.
- GoPro HERO13 Black: It has the same sensor (5.3K60/4K120/2.7K240 video, 27MP photos) as the previous generation, but there are a number of other improvements. Video can now be shot in Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) HDR. Perhaps the biggest hardware innovation is the ability to change the field of view with three lenses (Ultra Wide, Macro and Anamorphic). Also new are four ND filters with ND factors of 4, 8, 16 and 32x. The optional “Contacto Magnetic Door and Power Cable Kit” allows the camera to be powered by an external power supply. Integrated GPS returns to the Hero 13, and the battery capacity is 10% greater. The price is $400. GoPro also announced a miniature brother of the 13, the GoPro HERO Compact, for $200.
The Rumor Mill
Leica to announce the M11-D
After a long wait, it looks like next week Leica will announce the new generation of its minimalistic model, the M11-D. We can expect that it will get a 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor like the other M11s. However, the list of other features will be rather short. If you have a second, let’s list them all: Aperture, shutter speed, ISO and focus (manual of course). So, that’s it. One of the basic characteristics of the camera is that it is 100% chimping-proof, as it has no rear display. Instead, it will have a nice analog wheel to set the ISO. It will also make it very easy for users to choose the image format, as the only option will be DNG (raw). What more could a photographer want for an estimated €9,350?
Via Leica Rumors
Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 soon available for Canon
The Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary is not new under the sun. In fact, it was announced almost a year ago. At that time, it was only for cameras with L-mount, Sony E-mount, and Fuji X-mount. However, on September 26, a version for Canon cameras will be released. Canon already has a lens with the same range and sells it for a reasonable $299. So why would anyone want to buy a third-party lens that costs more than twice as much? The answer is the f/2.8 aperture. Though it lacks the image stabilization of Canon’s RF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6.
Via Sigma
Fujifilm X-Pro: The Legend Continues?
It’s been almost five years since Fujifilm announced the X-Pro3 – a camera whose design was a bit like the Contax G2 film camera, a bit like the Leica M-series cameras, and a bit like its own highly successful X-100 series. The X-Pros were (I use the past tense because you can’t get new ones anymore) APS-C rangefinder cameras with interchangeable lenses. It looks like Fujifilm, which is now firmly established in the niche of retro cameras, is about to roll out a new generation of this camera. So far, only information about a better hybrid viewfinder has been leaked. Senior product/training Manager Billy Luong (Fuji Guy) said some time ago that the new X-Pro “needs to stand out a bit” and that it needs to have “something special.” What special Fujifilm will come up with, we can only guess at the moment.
Via Fuji Rumors
Good Deals and New Sales
Nostalgia for the fading summer might be eased by Nikon’s end-of-summer deals, which can save you up to $4800 on a new lens or $1000 on a new camera. Personally, I’m looking forward to when the temperatures drop and the leaves start to change their colors. Maybe some new gear will come in handy for the upcoming photographic harvest. Which of Nikon’s sales caught my eye the most?
Cameras
Is the Z9 too big and expensive, but don’t want to compromise on AF speed or sensor quality? The answer is the Nikon Z8 for $3,697 (was $3,997). For the money you save, buy two or three batteries and you basically get a Z9 in a small body.
The Nikon Z7 II for $1,997 (was $2,997) is a good choice for those photographers for whom image quality and high resolution are paramount. Landscape, architecture, macro – these are the genres in which this camera excels. If you’re a bird photographer, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere. But a $1000 sale is pretty tempting if you don’t photograph fast movement.
The Nikon Z6 II for $1,497 (was $1,997) is a great all-around camera that handles a variety of photographic genres, though it also wouldn’t be my first choice for something like wildlife photography. Instead, its excellent low-light performance makes it perfect for street, reportage, portrait, and travel photography. It’s also a great camera for shooting video.
The Nikon Z5 for $997 (was $1,397) is Nikon’s cheapest full-frame camera, but it is no slouch. It doesn’t love high-speed wildlife or sports photography. Video isn’t its strongest point either. However, if you want an inexpensive full-frame camera to get great low-light performance and shallow depth of field, there is a lot to like.
Lenses
This is probably one of the last opportunities to buy new supertelephoto lenses for Nikon’s F mount (although used ones will be available for much longer). At these discounts, however, the prices on some of these DSLR lenses are comparable to what you’d find on a “like new” used version. Here you can see the full range of discounted lenses. Below is my personal selection of the best deals, including both F and Z mounts.
- Nikon AF-S 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR (was $16,297, now $11,497)
- Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4E FL ED VR (was $12,297, now $8,697)
- Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR (was $11,197, now $7,897)
- Nikon AF-S 500mm f/4E FL ED VR (was $10,297, now $7,297)
- Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S (was $4,797, now $4,297)
- Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S (was $3,247, now $2,997)
- Nikon AF-S 28mm f/1.4E ED (was $1,997, now $1,397)
- Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S (was $2,497, now $2,097)
- Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S (was $1,347, now $1,147)
- Nikon Z 17-28mm f/2.8 (was $1,197, now $997)
Other Pages of Interest
David Tipling is the author of 22 books on birds and bird photography. Two weeks ago, on this site I told you about Tomas Grim’s upcoming book full of amazing stories from the world of feathered creatures. If you like both the stories and the photography, Tipling’s book A Bird Photographer’s Diary will captivate you not only with its amazing images, but also with the accompanying text. Enjoy reading it.
Everyone likes butterflies, right? But what if we magnified them 40x, 1500x, or even 3700x? If you did, an average-sized butterfly could easily cover two football fields with its wings. A bit scary, but on the other hand, it would allow us to observe the delicate structures that are responsible for most of the butterfly’s colors. If you are interested in this topic, check out Peter Jan Juracka’s photos for his article Electron Microscope Stories 4: The Beauty of Butterfly Wings.
Photo Theme Challenge, Week #65
Last week’s theme was mist, and you can see the results in this thread. Thank you to everyone for your submissions! This week’s theme is sun, and you can submit your results in this thread by Saturday, September 14, 2024!
Week #65 Results
Let’s check out some of the shots we received for the “mist” theme, starting with rjbfoto’s photo:
Here, we have a beautiful illustration of the softening effect of mist. A simple scene is made even simpler, keeping only the barest essentials.
Next, let’s look at dave’s photo:
Now, we have a less misty scene, which still shows more detail and adds nice sunbeams to a calm forest scene.
Finally, let’s take a look at John Graybosch’s photo:
The blue and purple tones blend beautifully together, and the discernible outlines of the wisps of mist complement the scene with the motion of evaporation. Nice!
Thanks everyone for submitting their photos in the challenge, and we hope to see more next week in the sun theme.