Photography News: New Tripods, Major Used Gear Sale

When I get the chance, I like to have fun looking for biological nonsense in movies. Like when a Harris’s Hawk sits on the shoulder of a falconer in King Arthur’s retinue, or when an American Turkey Vulture circles in the first seconds of The Bridge on the River Kwai. I was similarly amused by the voices of South American antbirds singing in the Laotian jungle in Herzog’s Rescue Dawn. So I won’t pull your leg and confess that I took the following photo of Chamois not in their original habitat, the Alps, but on Studenec Hill in northern Bohemia. They were introduced there over a hundred years ago, and as you can see, they are reproducing successfully. What about the photography world? It seems that this week, tripods are reproducing successfully as well. Let’s take a look at them and some other photography news.

Recent Announcements

• Tilta VT05 Fluid Head and Carbon Fiber Tripod: A relatively lightweight (2 kg / 4.4 lbs) and compact combination of carbon fiber legs and a fluid head for videography. Of course, it also works for photography if you like this type of tripod head. The center column is detachable, making it possible to shoot low to the ground. On the other hand, the working height with the center column fully extended is 160 cm (63 inches). The Arca-swiss compatible fluid head includes a leveling bowl. The price is $299.
• Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS Travel Tripod: This new twist-lock tripod comes in two versions – lighter but more expensive carbon fiber legs (1.3 kg / 2.9 lbs) along with heavier and cheaper aluminum legs (1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs). Both tripods have a maximum working height of 150 cm (59 inches). For travel, the legs fold in reverse over the head, giving a highly portable 40 cm (15.7 inch) transport height. The price is $290 for the carbon fiber version and $200 for the aluminum version, and a tripod head is included.
• Ulanzi Zero F38 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod with Ball Head: Similar in design to a similar tripod by Peak Design, with which it competes both in price and in some functional details. On one hand, it has slightly easier support for vertical camera mounting. On the other hand, the included center column, which allows the use of any head, cannot be detached, which makes it difficult to use low to the ground. The maximum working height of the tripod is 159 cm (62.6 inches) and the weight is just 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs). The price is $370.
• AstrHori 120mm f/2.8 Full-frame Macro Lens: A manual focus lens for Sony E, Canon R, Nikon Z, and Panasonic L mounts. It features a 2x magnification for macro photography. The optical construction consists of 14 elements (4 low dispersion and 3 high refractive) in 9 groups. The minimum focusing distance is 0.3 meters, giving you a working distance in front of the lens of approximately 12 cm (4.7 inches). The price of the lens is $369.

The Rumor Mill

A new hero is coming

No, this is not another blockbuster from a Hollywood production, but the anticipated launch of the new GoPro Hero. The one with the GoPro Hero 13 should be announced soon. The 12 is now selling for $100 less, too. And what will the new Hero look like? The leaked pictures raise some interesting questions. First, where is the front display? Second, and more interesting, will it really have interchangeable lenses? And if so, how will the waterproofing be ensured?

Via Photo Rumors

Up in the air with DJI Neo

DJI, the popular manufacturer of drones (among other products), is expected to announce the DJI Neo drone on August 20. With an expected price of $329 for the Fly More Combo, it will be the least expensive option in DJI’s lineup. Some of the leaked specs include: weight 135 grams, 14mm equivalent lens, 12 MP 1/2-inch image sensor, JPG/MP4 only, AI subject tracking, 4K ultra stabilization, and up to 18 minutes in the air.

Via Drone XL

Canon is trying to complete a power trinity

Although there is already a trio of classic f/2.8 zooms for Canon’s RF cameras (15-35mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8), Canon is now working on another f/2.8 trio: power zooming lenses. So far, only the RF 24-105mm f/2.8L includes this capability. But another that should be announced soon is the RF 70-200mm f/2.8L Z – and sometime early next year, the RF 12-24mm f/2.8L Z (or similar). From the leaked image of the 70-200mm f/2.8L Z, it looks like the physical dimensions will mimic that of the RF 24-105mm f/2.8L Z.

Via Canon Rumors

Good Deals and New Sales

The used camera gear website KEH is having a rare sale right now, and it’s a big one – 20% off all their overstock products, which encompasses camera equipment from every major brand. If you’ve been thinking about a used camera, lens, tripod, or other accessory, these are likely the lowest prices you’ll find, short of a lucky eBay auction. The sale lasts until August 23rd, and you have to add the code ES20 at checkout. You can check out the full list of products here (over 2500 of them) or go directly to some of my favorites that are included in the sale:

• Nikon D850
• Nikon D500
• Nikon Zf
• Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena
• Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 S
• Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6 PF (also with RRS tripod foot or with Kirk tripod foot)
• Canon 5D Mark IV
• Canon EOS R7
• Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L
• Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II
• Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 Sport for Canon EF
• Sony a7 III
• Sony a7R IVa
• Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM
• Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 Macro G
• Sony FE 50mm f/1.2 GM
• Fuji X-Pro2
• Fuji X-T4
• Leica M (Type 240)
• Leica M11
• Olympus EM-1 Mark III

Double check that you’re adding the code at checkout or the discount won’t apply.

Finally, this was a big week for new tripods, but what about heads? If you need a tripod head, some good ones are on sale this week. When was the last time I used a tripod? This morning. It was when I was waist deep in water photographing dragonflies. For this and similar purposes, a gimbal head is best. For landscapes, a ball head is better. That’s why I’ve listed some of both:

Ball Heads

• Gitzo GH1382QD Series 1 Center Ball Head (was $481, now $380)
• Robus RTH-1050 Triple Action Ball Head (was $350, now $280)
• Robus RTH-1030 Triple Action Ball Head (was $280, now $220)
• Sirui KS-40 Low Gravity QR Ball Head with Panning Arca-Type Plate (was $149, now $119)
• Sirui KS-30 Low Gravity QR Ball Head with Panning Arca-Type Plate (was $129, now $103)

Gimbal Heads

• Sirui PH-30 Carbon Fiber Gimbal Head (was $399, now $319)
• Sirui PH-20 Gimbal Head (was $299, now $239)
• Sirui PH-10 Carbon Fiber Gimbal Head (was $249, now $199)

Other Pages of Interest

The Olympics is over, but what about a contest for measuring cameras? At the EISA Awards, Nikon won five awards, including Best Full-Frame Camera (Nikon Zf) and Best Advanced Full-Frame Camera (Nikon Z6 III). Camera of the Year went to the Sony Alpha 9 III. The best lens of the year was the Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN Art. You can see the full results on the EISA Awards 2024-2025 Photography website.

The Photons to Photos website has added the new Canon EOS R5 Mark II to its database. In the chart you will see when you click on this link, I have set up an interesting comparison of the Canon R5 Mark II with the current “Z” cameras (Z6 III, Zf, Z9) and the ageless legend D850. And which camera has the greatest dynamic range according to this test? See for yourself.

Some time ago, I told you about photographer Joel Sartore’s epic Photo Ark project. To recap, Sartore set himself a very challenging goal – to photograph each of the 25,000 animal species kept in zoos around the world. The goal of the project is to draw attention to the immense diversity and fragility of wildlife and to support its conservation through the sale of books, fine art prints, or charitable contributions. Sartore began the project in 2005, and eighteen years later, it is at number 16,000. Here you can read the story of the species behind this milestone number, the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander.

Photo Theme Challenge, Week #63

Last week’s theme was contrasting shapes, and you can see the results in this thread. Thank you to everyone for your submissions! This week’s theme is wind, and you can submit your results in this thread by Saturday, August 24, 2024!

Week #62 Results

Let’s check out some of the shots we received for the “contrasting shapes” theme, starting with rjbfoto’s photo:

Here we’ve got such a direct interpretation of the theme: curves and lines against a clean background. The very embodiment of ‘contrasting shapes’!

Next, let’s look at Mark Fulton’s shot:

What’s interesting here is that the contrast is made by a large number of repeating lines of grass against a darker ground. These straight lines repeat so many times that the contrast between the slightly curved leaves is accentuated. Very interesting!

Finally, we’ve got DL84’s photo:

Here, the darkness enhances the contrast, since the light gives you just the essence of each individual shape. The moon contrasts with the lines of the cars in the road, making for a dramatic photo.

Thanks everyone for submitting their photos in the challenge, and we hope to see more next week in the wind theme!