Photography News: Fuji X Half, Nikon Price Increases

While Libor travels in Ecuador, I’ll be bringing you the weekly news – and this was a big week in the photography world. It was also a big week for one of the projects I’ve been working on: an upcoming YouTube video (our first in more than a year!) where I show the process of printing 100 photos in the darkroom. You’ll hear more about that soon, but first, let’s take a look at the major photography news of the week.

Recent Announcements

• Fuji X Half: The Fuji Half-Baked is an $850 camera with a vertical image sensor slightly smaller than a 1-inch type sensor. The camera features a fixed 11mm f/2.8 lens, which is equivalent to a full-frame 32mm f/8.2. It’s designed to mimic some of the features of a film camera – for example, a mode with 36, 54, or 72 photos per digital “roll” that locks you into your choice of film simulation and disables the rear LCD. I’d rather just shoot some film, or alternatively, get a proper M4/3 or APS-C camera for less money…
• Ricoh GR IV: In a development announcement earlier this week, Ricoh has said that the GR IV will be released in Autumn this year. The GR IV is expected to have a new 26 megapixel sensor and a newly-designed 18mm f/2.8 lens (28mm f/4.2 full-frame equivalent). For reference, the current GR III has a 24 megapixel sensor and also sports an 18mm f/2.8. The GR IV will improve upon the internal storage of the GR III (boosting it from 2 GB to 53GB) as well as improving the 3-axis IBIS system to a 5-axis system. Also, it will be possible to buy the GR IV in a “highlight diffusion” variant that has a built-in diffusion filter.
• Voigtlander Portrait Heliar 75mm f/1.8: An interesting announcement from Voigtlander: a lens with a ring to control spherical aberration, AKA, a lens with adjustable background and foreground blur! For bokeh aficionados, it looks like a very nice choice. Of course, I’m reminded of similar concepts like the famous Nikon “DC” (defocus control) lenses, the 135mm f/2 DC and 105mm f/2 DC. For now, the Voigtlander Portrait Helier 75mm f/1.8 will only be available for Sony E mount. Oddly, if Voigtlander’s press release is to be believed, the aperture range of this lens is only f/1.8 to f/11 – so if the word “portrait” in the name hadn’t already convinced you, just be aware that it’s clearly not meant as a landscape lens.

The Rumor Mill

Will we see a Sony FX2 later this week?

A new full-frame Sony appears to be imminent, with rumors suggesting that the FX2 will be announced on Wednesday. This camera is rumored to have a 33 megapixel full-frame sensor, a tilting electronic viewfinder, active ventilation, and an AI focus chip. As with the current FX3, this will mostly be geared toward videographers, although a higher resolution of 33 MP rather than 12 MP would certainly make it a more versatile option for stills as well. The price is said to be around $3500.

Via Tech Radar

Fuji’s next X expected

Mark your calendars for June 12th – that’s when Fuji’s next X Summit will be taking place. This is always a big event for Fuji lovers, and so far, a new X-E5 camera is rumored to be revealed. The rumors are slim on details, but you shouldn’t have to wait long to learn more!

Via Photo Rumors

Three rumored Sigmas on the way

Sony E and L-mount photographers have a few new lenses to look forward to from Sigma: a 200mm f/2 as well as two APS-C lenses coming soon. Rumors suggest that the lenses will be announced before mid-June. However, no further details are yet known about the focal length or maximum aperture of the possible APS-C glass.

Via Sony Alpha Rumors

Good Deals and New Sales

One of the biggest pieces of news this week is that Nikon’s rumored price increases are confirmed to happen, specifically on June 23rd. I’m putting this news in the “Good Deals and New Sales” section because the prices today are likely the best that you’ll see on most of these products any time soon. Below is all the Nikon Z equipment that will receive a price increase in the United States due to the new tariffs:

• Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3: $310 to $330
• Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3: $640 to $680
• Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7: $280 to $300
• Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3: $380 to $410
• Nikon Z 17-28mm f/2.8: $1200 to $1300
• Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S: $1,050 to $1150
• Nikon Z 24mm f/1.8 S: $1000 to $1100
• Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3: $400 to $450
• Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 Special Edition: $310 to $330
• Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ: $2600 to $2800
• Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8: $1300 to $1400
• Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S: $2800 to $3000
• Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4: $600 to $650
• Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S: $850 to $900
• Nikon Z 40mm f/2 Special Edition: $310 to $330
• Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8: $650 to $700
• Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct: $8000 to $8700
• Nikon Z 70-180mm f/2.8: $1250 to $1350
• Nikon Z 85mm f/1.2 S: $2800 to $3000
• Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S: $800 to $850
• Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3: $1900 to $2050
• Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 S: $3250 to $3500
• Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 S: $4800 to $5200
• Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 S: $6500 to $7000
• TC-1.4x Teleconverter: $550 to $590
• TC-2.0x Teleconverter: $600 to $650
• FTZ II Adapter: $250 to $270

It may not come as a surprise, but not a single one of these products is among the various equipment that Nikon is selling in their ongoing Spring sale. When that sale ends, and then when the price increases kick in, nearly every piece of Nikon Z gear will go up in price.

Other Pages of Interest

Yesterday, the popular engineer and YouTube creator Mark Rober posted a video announcing the successful launch and deployment of a new satellite – one that may interest photographers. The SAT GUS satellite allows you to send one of your photos to space, to be photographed with the Earth in the background. The whole thing is free, so of course, I already beamed it one of my most important photos: a cute picture of my cat. You can send your own photo here. (It may be hard, but try to ignore that they conflate every photo with a “selfie.”)

The World Food Photography Awards have announced their winners, and I was surprised at the sheer variety. Most of the photos are not pictures of plated food – instead, the winning images show farmers harvesting crops, food delivery drivers, wedding celebrations, and more. It really makes you think about food in a different way. You can see the winning images here.

Lastly, the saddest and most important news of the week. Legendary photographer Sebastião Salgado died on Friday, May 23 at the age of 81. His stunning black and white documentary photos had no contemporary peer – they revealed a world of environmental and social upheaval in a way that only he could capture. He will be greatly missed.

Photo Theme Challenge, Week #103

Last week’s theme was sun in the frame, and you can see the results in this thread. Thank you to everyone for your submissions! This week’s theme is rocks, and you can submit your results in this thread by Saturday, May 31, 2025.

Week #102 Results

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

What could go better together than the desert and the sun? It looks hot! Nice sunstar, by the way – an interesting, subtle touch that takes the photo to the next level for me.

Tom Pazol’s photo:

I like how the sun really feels like the center of the warmth in this one. Great choice of composition to emphasize that fact!

And lastly, Mauro70’s photo:

I love how there’s just a hint of sun on the horizon. Nice timing!

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