If you watched the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards on Tuesday, you may have recognized the name of the winner in the Natural Artistry category. Talented wildlife photographer Jiří Hřebíček took home the prize with his image The Artful Crow. A common and overlooked bird captured in a city park brought him extraordinary success. Jiří has shared his winning photo with us. Enjoy it along with a recap of this week’s photography news.
Recent Announcements
- Nikon STABILIZED 10×25 and 12×25: Nikon has announced two new binoculars that may catch the eye of wildlife photographers. They’re not Nikon’s brightest binoculars, but photographers already burdened with large telephoto lenses will appreciate the compact size (L:100 x W:85 x D:65mm) and weight (395g). The main selling point, though, is that these binoculars have optical stabilization. Nikon claims that they reduce vibrations caused by hand movements by around 80%. The stabilization is powered by two AA batteries, which should last for around 12 hours. The binoculars will be available starting in November and can be pre-ordered at a price of $640 (10×25 S) and $650 (12×25 S).
- Panasonic S9 with 18-40mm f/4.5-6.3: The Panasonic S9 has been on the market since May 2024. If you’ve been hesitating to buy one because it wasn’t available in pink or mint green, I’ve got good news for you! And in addition to these new colors, the S9 has also received a few software improvements (via a new firmware update). The Phase Hybrid AF system has been enhanced with airplane and train detection, as well as detection of specific parts of cars and motorcycles. Up to three frame markers can now be displayed simultaneously when composing your shot with Open Gate. And finally, the S9 is no longer as sensitive to overheating during video recording, and the Video Record Limit can now be turned off. You can buy the full-frame S9 with a new “wide-standard” lens, a 18-40mm f/4.5-6.3. Its compact dimensions (67.9 x 40.9 mm) and lightweight design (155g) make it a great choice for landscape or street photography while traveling. The price for the set is $1,798.
The Rumor Mill
Go Further, Red Badge!
Fujifilm’s X Summit is just around the corner, and the outlines of what’s to come are starting to emerge. In addition to an anticipated X-M5 camera, two new lenses are expected to make their debut. Fujifilm’s teaser has shown their silhouettes with the captions “The lightest Red Badge” and “Go further.” The first is likely to be the second generation of the Fujinon XF 16-55mm f/2.8, and the second should be the Fujinon XF 500mm f/5.6. The X Summit kicks off on October 14, so we’ll know more soon.
Via Fuji Addict
New line of Meike primes
Meike, the Hong Kong-based third-party lens manufacturer, is expected to announce a 55mm prime lens, probably on October 17th. According to leaked information, the lens will weigh 365g, have a minimum focusing distance of 0.55m, and sport a filter size of 58mm. Following the release of the 85mm and 55mm lenses, Meike’s roadmap indicates that 35mm, 24mm and 15mm lenses will be next, all with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 and available for Sony E, Nikon Z and Leica L mounts.
Via Photo Rumors
Good Deals and New Sales
Laowa has several unique macro lenses in its portfolio. One of the most notable is the Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe (was $1,449, now $999). The lens, which at first glance resembles a human endoscope, is actually a macro lens capable of magnification up to 2:1, at a focusing distance of 47 cm. A unique feature is the ability to submerge the front barrel of the lens in water. The slow lens speed is compensated by a ring of LEDs arranged around the front lens to make focusing easier. You’ll still want to use it with a flash, though.
It’s not just Nikon’s F-mount super-telephoto lenses that are selling out at great prices. Some Z-mount super-telephoto lenses are now significantly cheaper too. You can save a considerable $1,000 on the Nikon Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S (now $14,497). For $800 off, you can get the Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S (now $5,697). Finally, you can buy the Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S (now $4,297) for $500 off its original price.
A two-pack of the fast Lexar 256GB Professional 1800x UHS-II SDXC memory card is available for a very brief time at a discount of $110 (regular price $200). In case you missed that discount, here are a few other high-end UHS-II SD cards selling for significantly less money than when they were released.
- Sony 256GB SF-G TOUGH Series UHS-II SDXC (was $398, now $298)
- Nextorage 256GB NX-F2PRO Series UHS-II SDXC (was $250, now $190)
- SanDisk 512GB Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC (was $600, now $540)
Other Pages of Interest
Kolari, known for modifying existing cameras for infrared or astrophotography, often digs deep into the construction of these devices. Recently, Kolari published a teardown of the Canon R5 Mark II, showing how Canon’s latest model handles heat dissipation. One interesting feature is that the HDMI port has been moved to a separate circuit board, making repairs a lot cheaper (anyone who’s ever walked away with a connected camera knows what I’m talking about). The sensor mount has also been redesigned, making focus calibration easier than before.
Photos released in the First Look at Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60 fueled expectations that the winning image would feature a rare animal. However, the opposite is true. The overall winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 is Canadian marine conservation journalist Shane Gross, with his photograph The Swarm of Life. You can hear the story behind how his underwater image of tadpoles came to be on the Natural History Museum’s YouTube channel.
Island ecosystems are incredibly fragile. The more remote and isolated the island, the more sensitive it becomes to external influences. On Nightingale Island, part of the Tristan da Cunha group, a small population of just a few hundred Wilkins’ Buntings was on the verge of extinction. The accidental introduction of an invasive sap-sucking insect started killing the last trees on which this songbird heavily relies. It seemed that the birds’ fate was sealed. However, help came from an unexpected source. Conservationists introduced a small parasitic wasp that prevents the invasive insects from breeding. You can read the full story and view a photo of one of the rarest songbirds in the world in an article on The Guardian.
Photo Theme Challenge, Week #71
Last week’s theme was from above, and you can see the results in this thread. Thank you to everyone for your submissions! This week’s theme is a different genre, and you can submit your photos in this thread by Saturday, October 19, 2024!
Week #70 Results
Let’s take a look at what we can see from above. We’ll start with a photo from Tom Pazol:
The fairytale-like landscape as cut out of the imaginary world of dolls from children’s bedrooms reminded me of the movie Barbie.
Next, let’s look at a photo by John Kulung:
A beautiful stone fan of shades of grey. What comes after the lightest step? A chapel, or a wine cellar?
Dave’s photo takes us “Down into underwater darkness”:
I like the bold diagonals and shades of blue reminiscent of an oil painting. Like a blue pyramid being eaten by the ravages of time.
Thanks everyone for submitting their photos in the challenge, and we hope to see more next week for the theme a different genre.