If you’re reading this Weekly News, it means you made it through Friday the 13th. By the way, did you know that in Latin America, the unlucky day is Tuesday the 13th? So watch out for September, damas y caballeros. But let’s see what interesting news this week has brought. New products from Canon, Fuji, DJI and Leica are knocking on the door. The software developers haven’t been idle either and we’ve got a few contest picks, so let’s go for it.
Recent Announcements
- May Photoshop update (improved Sky Replacement tool)
- SONY Xperia IV – A smartphone with optical zoom (85mm to 125mm range)
- World’s Fastest UHS-I SD Card (Owners of cameras supporting the slower UHS-I standard beware. This might be of interest to you!)
- DJI Mini 3 Pro (small but powerful; perhaps the best drone for travel droning. Alex has already tested it and approves!)
- New Leica SL2-S Firmware for filmmakers (Cinema 4K 12-bit RAW with up to 60 to an external recorder)
- Luminar Neo 1.0.6 announced (Adds AI masking to detect people, skies, water, mountains, and five other subjects)
The Rumor Mill
New king of APS-C from Fujifilm coming soon
There are rumors of an X-H2 and X-H2s from Fuji. These two APS-C cameras are said to differ in resolution (40 MP and 26 MP respectively) and video specs (8K and 6K recording capabilities). Will the X-H2s have animal/object tracking AF? That’s what the newest rumor says. If so, it could be a big step up and potentially turn the X-H2s into the best aps-c mirrorless camera for autofocus on the market. Via Fuji Rumors.
What’s new from Canon?
Two new Canon bodies and two new lenses are waiting behind the curtain. Last week, I mentioned the EOS R7, a potential mirrorless successor to the 7D Mark II. Now there are rumors that a successor to its cheaper sibling, the Canon 90D, will also see the light of day very soon. If it does appear, it’s likely to be called the EOS R10. Along with this pair of bodies, Canon will also introduce a pair of lenses suitable for the APS-C sensor – the RF-S 18-45mm f/3.5-5.6 and the RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3. Both cameras and both lenses are said to be announced on May 24, 2022. Via Canon Rumors.
Leica DG SUMMILUX 9mm f/1.7 ASPH
This lens is likely to interest owners of 4/3 system cameras who enjoy night sky and landscape photography. Rumoured features include 12 elements in 9 groups, 7 aperture blades, a close focusing distance of 9.5cm (0.25x magnification), filter diameter 55mm, weight 130g, and resistance against splashes and dust. The lens is rumored to be introduced in the next few months at a price of $479. Via 4/3 rumors.
Photo Contest Corner
RPS International Photography Exhibition 164
- Topic: There are no predefined categories (single images or series), allowing for a completely open submission.
- Fees: One image for free (four images: £30 per person)
- Prize: £1,000 to £1,500 per category
- Deadline: May 17
8th Jalón Ángel Photography Awards 2022
- Topic: Portrait and Travel
- Fees: Free
- Prize: 1,000€ per category winner
- Deadline: May 19
- Topic: Nature, Wildlife and Landscape
- Fees: Free
- Prize: 500€ per category winner
- Deadline: May 22
- Topic: Photographs that capture the human endeavour for a peaceful world and the quest for beauty and goodness in our lives.
- Fees: Free
- Prize: 10,000€ for the winning photograph
- Deadline: May 22
Good Deals and New Sales
The discount on Nikon products is still going on. Spencer covered the best and worst deals here. These are pretty substantial sales, and even the trinity of f/2.8 zooms is available at a $200-300 off.
There are also some good Sigma lens offers at the moment. There’s a three-prime-lens bundle for APS-C shooters of Micro Four Thirds, Leica L, and Sony E. Meanwhile, landscape photographers may welcome a $100 discount on the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art Lens. Wildlife photographers who use the other end of the focal length spectrum may be interested in the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary for $900, which is $190 less than the usual price.
If none of that hit your tastes, you might want to choose for yourself among the many discounts running at B&H during National Photo Month.
Other Pages of Interest
- For his series of photographs documenting the U.S. departure from Afghanistan, Marcus Yam of the Los Angeles Times received the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography. For two months, Yam documented the dramatic moments of the takeover, during which the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan. Adnan Abidi, Sanna Irshad Mattoo, Amit Dave and the late Danish Siddiqui of Reuters won the Pulitzer Prize in the Feature Photography category. The award-winning photographs document the toll that COVID-19 disease has taken in India.
- Ecuador’s cloud forest, which lies on the Pacific side of the Andes, is a gem of biodiversity. Unfortunately, it is under severe threat from deforestation and subsequent conversion to cattle pastures. This is the only place where you can photograph the endangered Giant Antpitta that I showed you at the beginning of this article. The current owners, the Angel Paz family, are trying to preserve the forest in its natural state and save one of the most precious corners of this planet. You can read their story and help them out here.