This has been an eventful week. Some of it was expected, and some was sudden and without warning, like a bolt from the clear sky. I invite you to take a moment to relax and take a cooling dip with this Mute Swan. The memory of the chill that pervaded me when I took this photo was pleasantly refreshing, and I hope it will be for you as well.
Recent Announcements
I guess you all noticed the big splash caused by the announcement of a pair of new Canon cameras? We covered it extensively in our articles on the Canon EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II announcement, plus a series of articles to compare the two cameras against their closest competitors. What about other manufacturers? Did anyone dare to announce something new during the Canon tsunami? Only a handful of companies were brave enough.
- 7Artisans HOPE Prime Cinema Lenses (10/16/25/35/50/85mm T2.1): These six lenses are actually a whole line of APS-C cinema lenses compatible with Sony E, Fujifilm X, Canon RF-S, and MFT mounts. As is usual with cinematography lenses, the entire line has a unified design that allows for seamless swapping of lenses with any of your accessories. The lenses have focusing rings with 260° turn, and they promise minimal focus breathing. The weight of the lenses ranges from 0.6 to 0.8 kg. Individual lens prices start at $369 (25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm), going up to $399 (16mm) and $489 (10mm).
- 7Artisans 85mm F1.8: A full-frame autofocus lens compatible with Sony E cameras. The optical design of the 438 gram lens consists of 10 elements (2 extra-low dispersion, 2 high-index) in 7 groups. There is a programmable function button and a USB-C port for possible future firmware updates. The lens accepts 62mm diameter filters. Priced at $299.
- SG-image 50mm f/1.8: A newcomer to the lens market has introduced a rather crazy lens for the Sony E mount. Their 50mm lens has a dedicated ring that can be used to change the bokeh. However, the bokeh ring doesn’t adjust the character of objects out of depth of field like, say, Nikon’s defocus image control. Instead, it creates shapes such as a heart, star, flower, or even a snowflake from point sources of light. You can watch the video here to get a better idea.
The Rumor Mill
New generation of DJI Osmo Action
The big discount on the DJO Osmo 4 may be hinting at an Osmo 5 coming soon. Recently, there have been discussions about the fifth generation of the popular action camera getting a larger 1-inch sensor. However, according to a leaked image (if it’s real), it looks like the sensor and lens will remain the same – that is, a 1/1.3-inch sensor and an f/2.8 lens with 155˚ FOV. So what is it that we can expect on the successor? Will it be higher video resolution, a better battery (as the post on Photorumors suggests), or faster Wi-Fi? Hopefully we’ll know before long.
LIT DUO 1: evolution in light meters
Although light meters are an integral part of modern cameras, there is still room for external devices. But to justify their existence, they need to do more than just measure light for correct exposure. Sweden’s LIT DUO 1 on Kickstarter promises “six essential tools inside an insanely intuitive pocket-sized device.” The light meter, supported by 1,250 backers who raised more than $713,000, can measure color, exposure, flash, illuminance, spectrum and flicker. Kickstarter products could always fail before they reach the market, but this one seems to have a solid level of backing behind it.
Via Kickstarter
Good Deals and New Sales
In northern Europe they say “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” This applies not only to the person (in our case, the photographer) but also to the camera. At my last workshop in Ecuador, two photographers were only able to observe birds for a few hours before moisture got inside of their (professional) lenses. There are countless different camera & lens covers out there, but if you want to save some money, this simple RucPac Camera Rain Cover is discounted to $20 (was $40) until Monday.
The announcement of a new camera brings with it a number of positive things for customers. Those who have been waiting for a new model with new features finally got it (now we just have to wait a few months before it actually hits the shelves). But older cameras, and even cameras from other brands, often get steep discounts along the way. I’ve picked some of them that are still worth buying today.
- Nikon Z7 II (was $2,997, now $2,297)
- Nikon Z6 II (was $1,997, now $1,597)
- Canon EOS R5 (was $3,399, now $2,999)
- Canon EOS R6 Mark II (was $2,499, now $1,999)
- Sony a7R V (was $3,898, now $3,498)
- Sony a7 IV (was $2,498, now $2,298)
- Sony a7R IVA (was $3,198, now $2,998)
- Sony a7R IIIA (was $2,198, now $1,998)
Other Pages of Interest
Survival International published some disturbing images last week. Namely, the aerial footage shows more than 50 people from what is believed to be the world’s largest uncontacted tribe, the Mashco Piro. It seems the reason they left the sanctuary of the tropical forest is because of pressure from logging companies. These companies have acquired concessions to log exotic timber in close proximity to the Mashco Piro’s territory. Loggers have already built roads into the previously isolated area in the province of Madre de Dios. That usually means the beginning of the end for tropical ecosystems. Nearby is the famous Tambopata National Park, one of the world’s most important wildlife hotspots.
Understandably, the most discussed event this week was neither the announcement of new Canon cameras nor the destruction of Amazon, but the assassination attempt on presidential candidate Donald Trump. We’re not a political website, so let’s focus on the unprecedented photographic aspects. Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Mills is the author of some powerful photos from the dramatic seconds surrounding the assassination attempt. In this video, he explains to CNN how he got them.
The carcass of a Spade-toothed Whale has been found on the beach of Otago, New Zealand. It is one of the most poorly-known large mammals in the world. This whale has never been seen alive and has only been known from 6 specimens since 1800. You can read more about this important find on the Department of Conservation website.
Photo Theme Challenge, Week #59
Last week’s theme was words, and you can see the results in this thread. Thank you to everyone for your submissions! This week’s theme is intersecting lines, and you can submit your results in this thread by Saturday, July 27, 2024!
Week #58 Results
Let’s check out some of the shots we received for the “words” theme. In the next photos, we will see three different ways words are shown against reality. Let’s start with rjbfoto’s photo.
To me, this is a great superimposition of reality with the abstract, showing the words whose primary content is informational against the distinctly physical nature of human beings.
Now let’s take a look at vidmarko’s photo:
Here we have the words dominating the photo surrounded by shadows of reality!
Finally, let’s take a look at Tom Pazol’s shot:
This photo shows words being subservient to reality. Our eyes go to words before almost anything else in a photo, and the words here give a sense of context to this beautiful street photo.
Thanks everyone for submitting their photos in the challenge, and we hope to see more next week in the intersecting lines theme.