The mongoose in the picture below is not wild, but was taken in the Prague Zoo. I didn’t even take it with any new, interesting equipment. So what makes this photo so valuable to me? It’s the first photo I took after a three-week photographic absence enforced by six broken ribs. It proves that I will be able to hold a camera in a week when I visit Ecuador. Hooray! I’ll have more stories for you soon, straight from the tropics. For now, here’s the latest photography news from the temperate zone.
Recent Announcements
- Panasonic Lumix S9: The Lumix S9 is a full-frame camera for the L-Mount system, based around a stabilized 24.2 megapixel sensor. Despite the sensor size, the camera is very compact (12.6 x 7.39 x 4.67 cm) and lightweight (486 g with battery and memory card). While this is not really a wildlife camera – it doesn’t have a viewfinder or extensive dials/buttons – it still allows up to 30 FPS continuous photography, pre-burst shooting, and hybrid AF that can detect people, animals, cars, and motorcycles. The camera’s main focus is for on-the-go videography; it can capture up to 6K video from the full width of the sensor, and there’s even a dedicated lookup table (LUT) button on the back of the camera. The price is $1,498.
- Panasonic Lumix S 26mm f/8: This pancake wide-angle lens was announced alongside the Lumix S9. Together, they make a truly pocketable full-frame combo for traveling and videography on the go. The compromise that comes from the flat design (only 18 mm / 0.71 inches long) and light weight (58 g / 0.13 lbs) is the lack of autofocus and the maximum – and only – aperture of f/8. The price is $198.
- Leica D-Lux 8: The eighth generation of Leica’s compact camera is based on a 21MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor and a built-in Leica 10.9-34mm f/1.7-2.8 lens. The lens doesn’t cover the entire sensor area, so the resulting resolution is 17MP, and the lens is equivalent to a 24-75mm on full-frame. Although the full specs are not yet known, a look at the top of the camera suggests that the D-Lux 8 has lost the 1/4000s shutter speed and also the “T” (for long exposures), which is definitely a downgrade. A feature that may not be appreciated by the typical point-and-shoot photographer, but which I personally consider a major improvement over previous generations, is the ability to shoot in DNG (RAW). The price is set at $1,595.
The Rumor Mill
Pentax returns to its roots
I’ve already informed you several times in my weekly news that Pentax is developing a brand new 35mm film camera. At first, I expected some kind of reincarnation of a previously popular model like the K1000, Super A, or even the LX. According to the latest information and a new teaser that appeared on RICOH’s YouTube channel, that likely will not be the case.
The new camera is said to have a fixed lens, manual film rewind and, most surprisingly, it will shoot in half-frame format. The number 17, which appears at the end of the teaser and some short shots, likely refers to the half-frame size of 17 x 24mm, which is roughly equivalent to an APS-C sensor in area (23.5 x 15.7mm). The advantage is obvious; you can fit twice as many photos per roll of film. But half-frame cameras were not particularly popular back in the day, and they are less standard than traditional 35mm film. We’ll find out how Pentax’s “new-old” camera will look soon, perhaps as early as this summer.
Canon is like a volcano about to erupt
Over the past few weeks, the crater has begun to smoke heavily, the first pyroclasts have erupted in the form of the EOS R1 development announcement, and the first lava has begun to leak from the cracks on the side of the volcano in the form of rumored specifications for the EOS R5 Mark II. As this lava solidifies, new facts are crystallizing.
The EOS R5 Mark II is said to have a 30% improvement in rolling shutter compared to the EOS R3. In practice, this would mean that there wouldn’t be much reason to use a mechanical shutter (12 FPS) when a silent electronic shutter can go up to 30 FPS. The Mark II will not have the company’s touch-sensitive Smart Controller button (found on the EOS R3 and 1DX Mark III). However, it most likely will have Eye-Controlled AF. What about the flagship EOS R1? It was spotted being tested at the Monaco Grand Prix last weekend.
Panasonic updated its Lumix S lens roadmap
I just told you about the 26mm pancake lens that Panasonic just announced for the S9. It will soon be followed by another compact lens, this time with a variable focal length – the 18-40mm f/4.5-6.3. Panasonic’s updated roadmap also revealed plans for a standard zoom lens and a supertelephoto zoom lens.
Good Deals and New Sales
If your primary interest is making videos, watch out. After a massive $1,020 discount, the Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera 6K (now $1,575) is an excellent deal today. This full-frame camera can shoot internal 6K Blackmagic RAW video. The camera is compatible with L-mount lenses.
You can now get SSDs from Samsung for very interesting prices. Definitely the best price/capacity ratio has the largest 4TB variant (was $500, now $300). However, it is better not to put all your eggs in one basket. For a monthly expedition with a high-resolution camera (like the Nikon Z7/8/9), I recommend two 2TB drives (was $285, now $200). If you shoot with a 24 MP camera and don’t do much video, a pair of 1TB SSDs (was $120, now $170) should be enough for any trip.
Nikon has discounted a number of its lenses, including some of their F-mount glass. The biggest price reduction is seen in the telephoto lenses, where you can save up to $500. Here they are:
- Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR (was $3,597, now $3,297)
- Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR (was $1,397, now $1,057)
- Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S (was $6,497, now $5,997)
- Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S (was $4,797, now $4,297)
- Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S (was $2,697, now $2,297)
- Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S (was $3,247, now $2,997)
- Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S (was $2,697, now $2,497)
Other Pages of Interest
ESA’s Euclid mission was launched on July 1 last year. Its purpose is to create a three-dimensional map of the universe that will include about two billion galaxies, representing about one-third of the sky. With this map, experts hope to detect traces of dark matter and dark energy, the most mysterious components of the universe. Unlike the James Webb Space Telescope, which has a narrower field of view and longer range, Euclid was built to capture vast scenes in a single image. In this article, you can see five stunning images from the new telescope and read interesting details about them.
This week, I watched the first episode of an interesting documentary called Endangered Amazonia by Jan Dungel. It was great to see familiar places that I will be visiting with my camera in a week. But even more interesting is the author of this documentary. Jan Dungel is not only a photographer, but first of all a painter. He paints the objects of his interest directly in the field, based on the real wildlife in front of him. On his website you can see what pictures of birds can look like when a brush and paints are used instead of a camera.
Photo Theme Challenge, Week #51
Last week’s theme was smooth, 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, June 1, 2024!
Week #50 Results
Let’s check out some of the shots we received for the “smooth” theme, starting with Tom Pazol’s photo:
Sometimes when there is smoothness, like in the distant reflection here, you need some texture to contrast it. I think it’s done very nicely in this photo.
Next, let’s see Cory B’s take on the theme:
I love the smoothness of the water and the rocks here – it’s a very peaceful and compelling scene.
Finally, we have Darin Marcus’s shot:
I love the different approach here on making something smooth, very literal this time!
Thanks everyone for submitting their photos in the challenge, and we hope to see more next week in the rocks theme!