Would you believe that even in the urban jungle of one of the world’s oldest cities, you can take photos as if you were in the tropics of Asia or South America? Soon, I will give you the proof in an upcoming article about photographing urban wildlife in Rome. But for now, let’s see what new and interesting things have appeared in the photography world this week.
Recent Announcements
- Hasselblad CFV 100C: The new digital back, which will be sold with the 907X (announced in 2019), has a resolution of 100MP and a medium format BSI CMOS sensor measuring 43.8 x 32.9 millimeters. Shooting at base ISO64 and in 16-bit RAW, the digital back will offer a dynamic range of up to 15 stops. Images can be stored on 1TB of internal memory or on CFexpress type B cards. The entire system weighs only 620 grams. The price of the kit is $8,199.
- Samyang V-AF 100mm T2.3: This is the longest of Samyang’s autofocus V-AF cinema lenses compatible with Sony E-mount cameras. The line currently includes six lenses starting at 20mm. All lenses have a consistent form factor for easier gimbal work or sharing of optional accessories such as the manual focus adapter. All have a common weight of 0.28kg. The 100mm T2.3 is available in March 2024 for $699.
- Zyhongyi Optics Speedmaster 20mm f/0.95 ASPH: A Chinese lens to fill the demand for fast APS-C primes. This manual-focus lens, with an aperture as wide as the caldera of Yellowstone, is designed for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, and Fujifilm X mounts. Inside the metal barrel are 13 elements in 8 groups (1 ASPH, 1 ED, 4 ultra-high index lenses). The lens accepts 72mm filters and allows focusing to a minimum distance of 0.3m. It is currently available only on Amazon Japan at a price equivalent to about $430.
The Rumor Mill
Fujifilm X100VI will have IBIS
The successor of the very popular Fujifilm X100V, with its 23mm f/2 lens (35mm equivalent), will indeed get image stabilization. Considering that the X100VI will have a sensor with a whopping 40MP resolution, I would see the lack of stabilization as a limiting factor. As a nice bonus, the small size of the camera should not be affected by the addition of stabilization. With this in mind, I would put the Fujifilm X100VI back on my wish list as a camera for everyday use.
Via Fuji Rumors
OM System to upgrade its flagship
For a long time, OM System has managed to keep any information about the upcoming successor of the OM-1 under wraps. This is despite the fact that selected testers of the brand have been using the new product in the field for several months. According to the information that has finally leaked out, it looks like the OM-1 Mark II will not have a built-in grip like the former Olympus E-M1X and will basically keep the external appearance of its predecessor.
So, how is OM System’s new flagship supposed to differ from the old one? The image stabilization performance should be improved to 8.5 stops (0.5 stops difference). The buffer is also likely to be improved, with twice as much depth in the OM-1 II as that of its predecessor. And finally, the AF and ergonomics of the camera should also be improved.
One could almost say that many of these changes are geared toward wildlife photographers. Well, let’s wait until the end of the month, when the Mark II will be officially announced, for a better-informed opinion.
Via 4/3 Rumors
“New” Super-Telephoto Zoom for OM System
Along with the OM-1 Mark II, a new supertelephoto zoom is expected to be announced at the end of the month: a 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3. Taking into account the crop factor, which is 2X for Micro Four Thirds cameras, we get the full-frame equivalent of 300-1200mm! Unfortunately, the narrow maximum aperture of f/5-6.3 will limit this lens to well-lit environments.
The external and optical design shows strong inspiration from the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports lens. Nothing against it. It’s a nice lens, and the small sensor will cut the best (middle) part out of it. So, maybe the only reason to complain is the larger size and weight of a full-frame lens, which somewhat negates the advantages of a MFT camera.
Via 4/3 Rumors
Good Deals and New Sales
Phil Collins sings “I see your true colors, and that’s why I love you” in his version of True Colors. You can sing a similar song about your monitor when you calibrate it. With what? Well, the Datacolor Spyder X2 Elite colorimeter is currently selling for $170 (was $270).
In case you missed it last week, the Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens is not only currently in stock, but can be purchased for a discounted price of $5,997 (was $6,497). You can read our review of this lens here.
Another discounted supertelephoto lens, this time for Fujifilm cameras: the Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR is the longest telephoto lens for the cameras of this brand. If you don’t mind the f/8 aperture, you’ll get a good value for your $1,599 (was $1,999). If you want something faster, I’d recommend waiting. You’ll be able to read more of my thoughts on Fujifilm’s system for wildlife photography soon.
SanDisk’s SSDs took a big hit to their reputation last year when some models suffered data loss. But not all drives from the brand were affected. For example, the durable and super-fast SanDisk Professional 2TB PRO-G40 Thunderbolt 3 Portable SSD remained unaffected. What has changed, however, is its price. It is now a reasonable $250 (was $450). Our review is here.
Other Pages of Interest
It’s interesting to see which cameras are most popular in the country where most of them are designed, Japan. According to BCN Retail, somewhat surprisingly, only one camera with a full-frame sensor made it into the top ten. Specifically, the Sony a7 IV. The top two spots were taken by Sony’s APS-C cameras, followed by a trio of APS-C Canons. It seems that Japan loves small cameras, as evidenced by the fact that three Olympus models made it into the top ten. Squeezed in between them at number seven was the Nikon Zfc.
It’s interesting that when we talk to someone about colors, we usually agree that grass is green, tomatoes are red, and the sky is blue. But it’s quite possible that each of us perceives the colors a little differently. And we know this to be true about different members of the animal kingdom. Some animals perceive UV light, while others are sensitive to waves in the IR range. In the article in Plos Biology, you will see how animals see the world and how we can translate their perceptions for our senses.
And before our Photo Challenges, a little inspiration from the world of photo contests. Travel and photography go together. The Travel Photographer of the Year 2023 contest has already announced its winners for 2023, so you can enjoy their photos from faraway lands. And now, hold your breath and dive into the best underwater photos from the Ocean Art 2023 competition.
Photo Theme Challenge, Week #34
Last week’s theme was transparent, and you can see the results in this thread. Thank you to everyone for your submissions! This week’s theme is “surprise!” and you can submit your results in this thread by Saturday, February 3.
Week #33 Results
There were so many good photos this week, it was hard to narrow them down! Let’s start with this photo from John Graybosch that shows multiple different types of glass:
Now we have an evocative photo from PRG Lagarde. I love the cinematic look to this image:
Finally, an image from rjbfoto showing the power of windows in photography as an element of composition:
Thank you to everyone who submitted photos for this week’s “transparent” theme! You can submit your photographic surprises to next week’s thread here.