Photography News: Leica SL3 Announced, Memory Card Deals

Libor Vaicenbacher

Last week, after a long time, I picked up the classic Nikon D850 DLR camera. Why did I do that? Well, to digitize the photos I took with even more classic cameras like the Nikon FM 3a. I didn’t stop with this relatively recent history and started digitizing some of my parents’ old slides as well. You will soon be able to read about how this can be done easily and without a special scanner. But before that, you can read about the latest news from the world of photography.

Man with plow and horse
Pentax Super A @ 28mm, Ilford PAN 400

Recent Announcements

Leica SL3: The anticipated successor to the SL2 is here. What’s new? Ergonomically, it’s mainly the tilting display and the relocation of the Play, Fn and Menu buttons to the right side. But the most important thing has happened under the hood: The resolution of the CMOS sensor has increased to 60.3MP (36 and 18MP are also available) and is now Back Side Illuminated (BSI). However, the continuous shooting speed with electronic shutter has dropped from 20 FPS to 15 FPS. The previous contrast-detection AF has been updated with phase detection AF. When it comes to video, the SL3 can shoot 4K 60p and even 8K (h.265), but only with a 1.3x crop factor. The price remains the same as its predecessor at $6,995.

DxO PureRaw 4: One of the best programs for removing noise and correcting lens aberrations is now in its fourth generation (PureRaw 2 reviewed here). What are the improvements over PureRaw 3? The denoising algorithm (Deep Prime XD2) has been improved and should now produce more natural results. The user interface has also been changed. It is now possible to set individual settings for each image in a batch and preview the effect before processing. The ability to fine-tune the level of noise reduction using the Luminance and Force detail sliders has been added. The price is $119 for new users, $79 for upgrades.

The Rumor Mill

Third-party lens manufacturers and Canon find a way to coexist

Until now, Canon has jealously guarded its RF-mount from third-party lens manufacturers. But now it looks like they might get the green light. Canon’s Imaging Division Chief Executive Mr. Tokura stated in an interview for MyNavi that “Canon is communicating with third-party manufacturers regarding RF-mount lenses” and “there are no restrictions.” After reading the article on Canon Rumors, my conclusion is that RF-mount lenses from third-party manufacturers will increase in number, but Canon will make sure that the process is under its control. We shall see.

Canon EOS R5 Mark II Rumored Specifications

The most important question hanging in the air for Canon is when the EOS R5 Mark II will be introduced. So far it looks like the most likely answer is the end of April. What about the specs that Canon Rumors has pieced together from various sources? As mentioned before, it looks like the resolution will stay at 45MP. However, the new sensor should be BSI and most likely stacked (similar to the Nikon Z9 or Sony a1). The faster sensor readout should result in an all-electronic shutter and a continuous shooting speed of up to 60 FPS. A newer processor should translate into new AI autofocus features (discussed here). As for video, the maximum should be the current 8K, but at a higher frame rate. Slow-motion recording at 120 FPS should be possible up to 4K.

Good Deals and New Sales

Until March 12, you have a great chance to save when buying one of the best photo editing programs, Capture One Pro. Compared to the regular price of $299, B&H Photo is offering a perpetual license for only $179.

One of the fastest UHS-II SDXC memory cards I’ve tested so far, the ProGrade Digital Cobalt, is now available at an interesting price.

If you’re shooting subjects where speed doesn’t really matter, and you have a camera that uses CFexpress B cards, the SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Card Type B is a reliable companion. Moreover, the current price, valid until March 12, is very good indeed.

And now a deal from the computer world. Apple isn’t just about portable models like the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. If you prefer a desktop option, there’s the Mac Studio. These are now available in some configurations at interesting prices.

Other Pages of Interest

Sometimes it is nice to look back again at the wisdom of older articles rather than chasing the newest information. This was my takeaway after finding an interview with photography legend Sebastião Salgado, on who else’s website but our own! On Photography Life, you can find out why Salgado shoots exclusively with a closed aperture, why he uses zooms instead of prime lenses, and why he prefers Canon to Nikon.

The famous “non-consensual” VJ Day kiss is spared from a US government ban. That’s the according to a Telegraph article concerning one of the most famous photographs of the 20th Century. The image, by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt, shows US sailor George Mendonsa grabbing nurse Greta Friedman on his return from a mission in the Pacific and giving her a joyful kiss. A photograph full of joy that the war is over, but with more to the story than meets the eye. In any case, common sense prevails.

With their huge wingspans, albatrosses are iconic birds that cross the world’s oceans as if they were puddles. It is estimated that in search of food, they travel up to 120,000 km (75,000 mi) each year. If they can escape the deadly traps of plastic debris, which they increasingly mistake for their natural food, they have a chance at a truly long life. The oldest known albatross, and indeed the oldest wild bird, is a female Laysan albatross named Wisdom. With a red “Z333” ring to distinguish her from other albatrosses, she has been soaring the skies for at least 73 years. And now, at this truly grandmotherly age, she has returned to her nesting grounds at Midway Atoll to give birth to the next generation.

Photo Theme Challenge, Week #40

Last week’s theme was early morning, and you can see the results in this thread. Thank you to everyone for your submissions! This week’s theme is everything in focus, and you can submit your results in this thread by Saturday, March 16, 2024!

Week #39 Results

Let’s check out some of the shots we received for the “early morning” theme, starting with AndrewGusew’s photo:

This photo illustrates the idea that truly amazing colors can be found in the morning. I’m always impressed by the variety of beautiful colors close to sunrise and sunset. What a nice purple!

Now let’s look at CoreyB’s photo:

There’s definitely a sense of early morning here, and I like the three birds in the sky.

Finally, let’s take a look at sergiy_melnychenko’s shot:

The collection of tall trees with the sun is a very interesting contrast. Seems like a very peaceful place! Thanks everyone for submitting their photos in the challenge, and we hope to see more next week in the ”everything in focus” theme.

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