When I first thought about the intro to today’s Photography News, I wanted to write something about how gloomy, dark, and cold it is outside all day. This morning, my hand literally froze to the door handle. But your perception of the world is likely to be quite different from mine. Am I right, dear Australians and South Africans, and all you people out there in the tropical heat right now?
So I’d better start in a different way. I’ll ask instead, what interesting things has life put in front of your lens this week? As for myself, I was very pleased to meet a wintering Long-Eared Owl the other day. Its eyes shone beautifully and complemented the color of the brown leaves in the tree.
Recent Announcements
- Pergear 14mm f/2.8 Ultra-Wide Angle Manual Lens: This 500g lens has an all-metal construction with 13 Elements in 9 Groups. The lens accepts conventional 82mm diameter filters. For Canon EOS-R, Sony E, Nikon Z, and L-Mount cameras. Early bird price with 10% discount is now $269.
- AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 Autofocus Lens: A new portrait lens for Sony E-mount. The optical design includes nine elements in eight groups covered with multi-layer coatings. The aperture has nine blades, and the minimum focusing distance is 0.8m. Priced at $276.
- Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-35mm f/2.8 ASPH Power OIS: A Micro Four Thirds zoom with a 24-70mm full-frame equivalent range. Optical design includes 14 elements in 9 groups. Lens surfaces are coated with Nano Surface Coating. The lens is stabilized and water/dust resistant. The weight is 306 g, and the filter diameter is 58mm. Pre-order at B&H for $899.
- Laowa 19mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens: Manual lens with minimal distortion, 110° angle of view (15mm full-frame equivalent), designed for Fujifilm GFX camera systems. Includes 12 elements in 10 groups. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.18m, a 77mm filter diameter, an unusual five-blade aperture diaphragm, and a weight of 546 g. Priced at $999.
The Rumor Mill
The long-awaited Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S lens is coming
It seems that the lens itself has not been released yet – but its warranty cards have been. On Nikon Rumors, cases are starting to appear that a customer bought a 35mm lens but got a warranty card for it marked as “Z 85/1.2 S”. A truly original way to stir up the stagnant waters of the internet. For reference, the existing Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S was $2096.95 at the time of its launch. I’m going to stake my prediction at $2336.95 for this one.
Canon has patented a 200-500mm f/4 zoom with built-in 1.4x extender
Canon, along with Nikon and Olympus, already has a lens with a built-in teleconverter – namely, the Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x. However, it’s an EF-mount lens. If this patent ever becomes reality (and they often don’t), that lens’s RF-mount successor may get an additional 100mm at the long end.
Via Canon Rumors
New 19MP full-frame sensor with global shutter from Canon
At the moment, this sensor is only expected to be used in industrial or security applications. But development is moving forward, and fast action photographers would surely be fans of a global shutter, even with a relatively low 19 MP resolution.
What are the benefits of a global shutter sensor? Since the sensor reads an entire image area in one short instant, rolling shutter is eliminated. Likewise, the shutter synchronisation time for flash photography can be forgotten. Finally, it would be possible to forget about the mechanical shutter completely, as with the Nikon Z9. It looks like a global shutter sensor is a thing of the near future.
Via PetaPixel
Photo Contest Corner
- Topic: portrait, people, nudes, black and white, fashion, fine art, self-portrait
- Fees: 1 image: $24.50 (discounts for multiple entries)
- Prize: Vacation in Cappadocia and Turkish Riviera, cash from $200 to $500 and other prices.
- Deadline: December 28
The Antwerp University & Panathlon International Photo Contest
- Topic: Sports
- Fees: Free
- Prize: First place € 500, second place € 200, third place € 100
- Deadline: December 31
- Topic: Nudes
- Fees: €45 (3 images) to €75 (12 images)
- Prize: The winner of the competition will receive the title of Photographer of the Year and a cash prize
- Deadline: December 31
Good Deals and New Sales
In many places around the world, the Christmas holidays will culminate next week. If you’re waiting until the last minute to buy gifts, you can find inspiration from Spencer’s article The Best Gifts for Photographers.
A few things caught my eye from the current selection of photography deals, so maybe I’ll inspire you, too. For $2,099 (was $2,499), you can now get the Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless Camera, optionally also in a kit with the 24-105mm f/4-7.1 or 24-105mm f/4 lenses.
Sticking with Canon, the EOS R10 is currently available for $200 less than usual for the first time. That puts the price at a very reasonable $779.
Do you know what the best tripod is? The one you have with you. (Or a RRS/Gitzo/etc. carbon fiber beast.) Anyway, this 1.06 kg Gitzo Traveler Series 1 Carbon Fiber won’t slow you down, and its stability is enough for shooting with lenses of common focal lengths. Now $130 off at $400.
Don’t forget, the best gift is an experience! Give yourself, or someone you love, a photography workshop through Photography Life (yes, a bit of self-promotion today :). We offer destinations with a taste of adventure – one in Jordan, and one in Ecaudor/The Galapagos Islands! Both workshops are limited to five participants each, and we’ve already had a few signups, so they’ll be gone soon.
Other Pages of Interest
Have you ever tried to change the lens on your Nikon Z9 and it didn’t work? The fault may not have been in your skill, but in the locking mechanism of the lens mount. On this page, you can check by serial number to see if you are eligible for a free repair at an authorized service center.
Nowadays, the vast majority of all animals on Earth are raised by humans. Over 70% of the birds on this planet are chickens. Over 60% of mammals are human-raised livestock. It might seem that there’s a great coexistence between people and animals. The documentary photographs by Jo-Anne McArthur will surely take you out of this illusion.
Finally, let’s take a look at the beautiful, but vanishing, world of wild nature. The winning images are stunning from this year’s Nature Photographer of the Year competition. Looking at them makes me want to go out with my camera in hand. Here in the northern hemisphere, the daylight will be increasing starting next week. I hope that for you, that light – whether it’s about to increase or decrease – will be beautiful!