When photographers talk about “natural light” in photography, we’re usually referring to the sun. But the gift of light has also been given to some fascinating organisms that inhabit the planet. In the south of Europe, in Croatia, I encountered one of them a few days ago. The female glow-worm shown below was using her glowing abdomen to attract males.
With admittedly less elegance than a glow-worm, today I’d like to enlighten you about the interesting news in the photography world this week.
Recent Announcements
Brace for it – lots of lenses this week!
- Canon RF 24mm F1.8 Macro IS STM: A wide-angle macro lens with minimum focusing distance of 14cm (5.5″), 11 elements in nine groups (1 ultra-low dispersion and 1 ASPH element), a 52mm filter thread, and 1:2 magnification (for $599).
- Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM: Ultra-wide zoom for general use. Also interesting for close-up photography, with a maximum magnification of 1:2 at 15mm (although only 1:6 at 30mm). Optical design includes 2 ultra-low dispersion and 1 ASPH glass elements (for $549).
- Voigtlander MACRO APO-ULTRON 35mm f/2: Manually focused f/2 macro lens (transmits exif data to camera) with magnification up to 1:2 (0.163m) exclusively for Fujifilm X mount.
- TTArtisan 35mm f/2 APO ASPH for Leica M-mount: A Leica lens for a TTArtisan price ($468). Lens design includes 12 elements in 9 groups, including 3 ED lenses and 1 ASPH.
- TTArtisan 50mm f/2: Manual focus 200g pancake lens for Fuji, Sony, MFT, Canon, and Nikon cameras. Notable in part because the price is extremely low ($69).
- XT-Rodenstock HR Digaron-W 4/40mm Tilt: A 24mm-equivalent tilt lens (-3 to 3 degrees) for Phase One XT cameras. Notable in part because the price is extremely high ($11990).
And a couple of non-lenses:
- Sony ECM-G1 Shotgun Microphone: A microphone geared for vloggers or videographers on the go. It’s small and weighs just 34 grams, with a wind screen and ambient sound suppression.
- Godox Lux Senior: A flash for lovers of retro design and retro control. It’ll look good with the Nikon Zfc and Fujifilm cameras, but it’s compatible with any Fuji, Canon, Nikon, Olympus, and Sony cameras. Manual & auto modes, guide number 14 (in meters), focal length 28mm.
The Rumor Mill
Tamron will announce a new long-range zoom soon
Sony mirrorless users who like to travel with a minimum of lenses may welcome Tamron’s upcoming full-frame 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD lens. The lens doesn’t have a very wide maximum aperture, but it looks like it will be extremely versatile. 50mm is a famously useful focal length on the wide end, and 400mm at f/6.3 will be sufficient for casual wildlife photography.
Via: Photo Rumors
Ultra-wide Tokina lens for Sony E-mount expected in September
I’ve been using the Tokina AT-X 11-16mm f/2.8 PRO DX II lens for landscape and wide-angle wildlife shots on my APS-C Nikon bodies for a long time. But it’s been ten years since it was introduced. Rumors now say that a Tokina 11-18mm f/2.8 is on the horizon for Sony E-mount users, and that it will be smaller and lighter than the previous version. The filter thread is expected to be around 67mm. Hopefully other mounts will follow if the lens is a success.
Via: Sony Alpha Rumors
Photo Contest Corner
- Topic: Contemporary urban, natural, and conceptual landscape photography
- Fees: $55 General entry and $35 Student entry (up to 3 images per entry)
- Prize: $3000 for the overall winner ($1000 student prize and $500 judges commendation)
- Deadline: July 20
Mangrove Photography Awards 2022
- Topic: Mangroves & six categories
- Fees: Free
- Prize: $500 grand prize
- Deadline: July 22
- Topic: Fine Art
- Fees: $35.00 for submission set of 5 images
- Prize: Exhibition and book
- Deadline: July 31
Good Deals and New Sales
Nikon has recently introduced a few interesting telephoto lenses. But that doesn’t take anything away from the quality of the top-notch and (for a 500mm lens) super-compact Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR. It also works great on the new Z bodies. It’s currently on sale at B&H Photo for $3,296.95 (was $3,596.95).
Let’s stick with another telephoto lens deal. Sony’s excellent yet relatively affordable FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS zoom telephoto lens is a further $100 cheaper at B&H Photo. It is currently on sale for $1,898.00.
Full-frame cameras don’t always need to be big and heavy. That’s proven by the 350 gram (0.77 lbs) Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. With a current discount of $500 (for $1,797.99 with 20-60mm lens), this camera may be a good choice to enter the world of full-frame mirrorless cameras without breaking your back.
Other Pages of Interest
- Did you make time during the week to take a picture of the supermoon? If you didn’t, or if the clouds were blocking your view of the moon, you can check out the images of those who were luckier.
- I already alerted you last week to the fact that NASA would be releasing a series of images from the James Webb Space Telescope. The first of those images have been released, and they’re stunning! The original high resolution composite images, made up of nearly a thousand individual photos, shocked even the professional community with their incredible amount of detail.
- Going back to Earth (or at least not far above the ground), Audubon recently announced the winners of the 2022 Audubon Photography Awards. Check out the winning and top-rated bird photos from around the world.