It looks like September 14, 2021 is going to be a busy day. First, Apple announced it will be hosting a livestream event. Now, Canon has announced that it too will be hosting a livestreamed event on YouTube at 12pm CEST (+2 UTC).
Canon doesn’t say what we can expect to see at the event, but the animated graphic in the teaser video shows an illustration of an RF camera mount. Make of that what you will.
You can click through on the video to set a reminder on YouTube to be notified when the event goes live.
The post The Sony a7 IV Will Launch in October With a 33 MP Sensor appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The long-awaited Sony a7 IV will likely debut in October, boasting a brand-new sensor, improved in-body image stabilization, and more.
This comes from Sony Alpha Rumors, who recently reported on an a7 IV announcement delay; thanks to a chip shortage, the a7 IV’s original September 2021 announcement date has been pushed to October. Unfortunately, the shortage will affect a7 IV availability, and you can expect “that supplies will be limited during the first months” of a7 IV shipments.
While few a7 IV specs have been released – and none have been unveiled directly by Sony – Sony Alpha Rumors has managed to paint a picture of the upcoming camera. Most notably, the a7 IV will include a new 33 MP sensor, not a redesign of the standard 24 MP sensor found in the a7 III. This will offer users enhanced cropping and printing capabilities over previous a7 models, and will undoubtedly appeal to the “do-everything” camera crowd, who require a camera that can handle action, detail work (e.g., landscapes, product photography), and more.
A 33 MP sensor would also push the a7 IV past the 30 MP Canon EOS R and far beyond the 20 MP EOS R6. Sony Alpha Rumors claims that “Sony’s goal with the a7 IV is to really fight back with Canon,” and that you can expect the new camera “to be more than an ‘updated’ Sony a7 III.”
What else will the a7 IV offer? The new camera will feature slightly improved in-body image stabilization over its predecessor (5.5 stops versus 5 stops). And older rumors hint at an updated electronic viewfinder – 3.69M-dot resolution versus the a7 III’s 2.36M dots. While the a7 III’s EVF was respectable for its time, a resolution boost is certainly in order, though no doubt some Sony fans will wish for a 5.76M-dot viewfinder to match the a7R IV and the Canon EOS R5.
And you can also expect 4K/60p video, “top-notch” autofocus and image quality, plus improved sensor readout speeds.
As for the price: Back in late 2020, Sony Alpha Rumors suggested a $ 2499 USD tag – $ 500 USD more than the a7 III at the time of launch, yes, but given Sony’s aims for the a7 line, the price seems plausible.
Regardless, if you’ve been waiting for the a7 IV, it won’t be long now. So keep an eye out for the official announcement!
Now over to you:
What do you think of the rumored a7 IV specifications? Are you pleased? Frustrated? What do you hope to see in an a7 IV? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post The Sony a7 IV Will Launch in October With a 33 MP Sensor appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The European Space Agency (ESA) recently published a stunning time-lapse of the star-filled night sky at the ESA’s Ariane 6 launch site in French Guiana, South America. Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana is preparing for the arrival of Ariane 6, ‘Europe’s next-generation launch vehicle.’
The Ariana 6 rocket will come in two versions depending on mission requirements. The A62 has two strap-on boosters, while the A64 has four. The Ariane 6 is 207′ (63m) tall with a diameter of 18′ (5.4m). The mass of the rocket ranges from 1,170,000-1,900,000 lbs (530,000-860,000kg). Replacing the Ariane 6 launch vehicle, the Ariane 6’s maiden test flight is scheduled for 2022 following several delays.
You can see what a typical Ariane 6 mission might look like in the ESA’s video below. Ariane 62 can launch payloads of approximately 9,920 lbs (4,500kg) into a geostationary orbit and 22,700 lbs (10,300kg) into low Earth orbit. By strapping on an additional two boosters, Ariane 64 can launch payloads of around 25,350 lbs (11,500kg) into geostationary orbit and 45,400 lbs (20,600kg) into low Earth orbit. With a full payload, Ariane 6 weighs about the same as one and a half Airbus A380 passenger airplanes.
The development of Ariane 6 has comprised an industrial network of more than 600 companies in 13 European countries, including 350 small- and medium-sized companies. The development is led by prime contractor ArianeGroup. The Ariane 6 launch facilities in French Guiana, seen in the time-lapse video above, are being prepared by France’s space agency, CNES.
Artist’s rendition of the two configurations of Ariane 6, the two-booster A62 and the four-booster A64. Image credit: ESA
The modular design of Ariane 6 means that it will be suitable for a wide range of missions, including Earth observation, telecommunications, meteorology, science and navigation. Adapters have been developed to allow Ariane 6 to carry multiple small satellites at once, allowing small companies more cost-effective access to the space industry. For more information on Ariane 6, click here.
Smartphone manufacturer OnePlus has announced it’s partnering with Swedish camera manufacturer Hasselblad to ‘co-develop the next generation of smartphone camera systems’ inside OnePlus’ mobile devices, including the new OnePlus 9 Series, which will launch on March 23.
The partnership is a three-year deal that will see Hasselblad work alongside OnePlus to improve the camera technology inside its flagship smartphones. OnePlus says the partnership will start ‘with software improvements including color tuning and sensor calibration, and extending to more dimensions in the future.’
OnePlus says the first fruits of the partnership is a new color science technology it calls ‘Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad.’ OnePlus says it’s worked for months with Hasselblad to fine-tune the color science of its smartphone images to deliver more perceptually-accurate and natural-looking colors to images taken with flagship OnePlus devices.
Another improvement already in the works is a revamp of the camera interface in OnePlus devices. New OnePlus smartphones will eschew the previous first-party camera app design for a new experience called ‘Hasselblad Camera for Mobile,’ which ‘allows for an unprecedented amount of control for professional photographers to fine-tune their photos, with the ability to adjust ISO, focus, exposure times, white balance, and more,’ according to OnePlus.
Within the new Hasselblad Camera for Mobil will be ‘Hasselblad Pro Mode, which is effectively a 12-bit Raw capture mode. It’s unknown at this time whether this will be a standard Raw capture or a more AI-powered approach akin to Apple’s ProRAW technology.
OnePlus isn’t the first smartphone manufacturer Hasselblad has teamed up with over the years. Unfortunately though, despite Hasselblad’s impressive legacy as a camera manufacturer, its mobile partnerships haven’t resulted in any ground-breaking technology — although its True Zoom Moto Mod was a unique offering.
OnePlus hasn’t revealed all the specifications of its forthcoming 9 Series devices, but has confirmed it will use a customized variant of Sony’s IMX789 sensor, which OnePlus calls ‘the largest and most advanced main camera sensor ever on a OnePlus device.’ The first 9 Series devices will be announced on March 23 at 10am ET on OnePlus’ launch website.
The post The Pentax K-3 Mark III Will Not Launch Next Week appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The Pentax K-3 Mark III will not launch at next week’s CP+ imaging show as was initially promised, but will instead be delayed for the foreseeable future.
Back in October 2020, Pentax officially announced its long-awaited APS-C DSLR, the K-3 Mark III. The company released a camera spec list, and stated that “the launch target is around the period of the CP+ camera exhibition, which will be held from February 25 to 28 in 2021.”
But now, just days before the CP+ exhibition, Pentax released a statement acknowledging a hold-up; specifically, “some of the product parts are delayed, and [Pentax has] determined that development will require a greater amount of time for [the company] to achieve the exceptional performance and finest quality that is the hallmark of next [sic] APS-C flagship model.”
Pentax did not offer a new expected launch date, but promised to “inform [consumers] again in the near future.”
According to the original announcement, the K-3 Mark III will pack 26 MP of resolution, a sensor that can shoot up to an astonishing ISO 1,600,000, plus in-body image stabilization, 12 frames per second continuous shooting, dual card slots, and more.
Fans who have waited for the K-3 Mark III will no doubt be aggravated by this delay, especially because Pentax had originally teased a K-3 Mark III launch for the end of 2020. And the announcement comes at an unfortunate time; the mirrorless market seems to solidify further with every passing day, and the relative success of mirrorless threatens to leave Pentax, a DSLR-focused brand, in the dust.
In other words:
Pentax needs a win, and this delay suggests they won’t get it.
So if you were anticipating the release of the K-3 Mark III, you’ll have to hunker down yet again. While the camera will likely debut eventually, there’s no telling when that day will come.
Now over to you:
What do you think of this Pentax delay? Are you interested in the K-3 Mark III? Do you think the camera will ever come out? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post The Pentax K-3 Mark III Will Not Launch Next Week appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The post The Sony a7 IV Will Launch in 2021, With a 30+ MP Sensor and 4K/60p Recording appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The Sony a7 IV will likely be the next a7 model to launch, around a year after the a7S III (pictured above).
It’s been over two years since the release of the Sony a7 III, but it seems like we’re finally getting close to its successor.
According to Sony Alpha Rumors, the a7 IV will debut midway through 2021. And while the camera won’t offer any truly groundbreaking features, SAR’s “usually very good source” suggests a suite of intriguing specs.
First, the sensor will no longer fit Sony’s 24 MP mold. Instead, we’ll be treated to a megapixel upgrade, something in the “30-32 MP region.” If this is true, the Sony a7 IV resolution will offer a meaningful boost over the 24 MP a7 III and a7C, without reachingthe storage-hogging heights of the a7R series. Personally, I’m a big fan of this megapixel “middle ground” – it guarantees some additional pixels without significantly affecting high-ISO noise performance (and you can bet that Sony’s done a good job with the sensor, which means that it’ll offer a noise performance at least comparable to the excellent a7 III).
One of the few areas where the a7 III has lagged behind the competition is with the electronic viewfinder, which comes in at 2.36M-dots, compared to the Canon EOS R’s and the Nikon Z6’s 3.69M-dot resolution. But while the a7 IV won’t compete with its 5.76M-dot sibling, the a7R IV, SAR claims the a7 IV should offer a 3.69M-dot EVF, which puts it in a “professional” range and should improve the overall a7 IV shooting experience.
Sony Alpha Rumors also claims that, despite a “cheap” LCD, the “image quality and AF will be top-notch.” While I wouldn’t expect anything less from an a7 III successor, it’s nice to hear it from a source.
As for video:
The a7 IV will offer (unsurprisingly) 4K/60p recording, which should be enough for most videographers, though it certainly won’t turn heads like the a7S III with its 4K/120p capabilities, or the Canon EOS R5 with its 8K option.
Finally, you can expect a price of around $ 2500 USD, which is expensive without heading into that “niche professional” category.
We’re a long way off from an announcement, but make sure to check back on dPS for any relevant updates!
The post The Sony a7 IV Will Launch in 2021, With a 30+ MP Sensor and 4K/60p Recording appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The Panasonic Lumix DC-BGH1 is a highly modular camera, aimed at videographers, and built around a 10.2MP Live MOS sensor.
Starting at 8:45am PT/11:45am ET/15:45 GMT, join our DPReview livestream on YouTube to learn more about Panasonic’s latest camera. Chris and Jordan will talk about the BGH1, cover Panasonic’s own livestream, and answer questions from viewers.
The post Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II to Launch on October 14th appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Almost exactly two years after the launch of Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless system, it’s time for an update:
The Z6 II and the Z7 II, officially launching on October 14th.
If you want to know precisely when the new models will be announced, you can view a countdown on the Nikon USA website, here.
Unfortunately, Nikon didn’t release any product specifications or extra information to go along with the announcement, other than the title, “The Next Chapter.” But Nikon Rumors has been publishing on Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II specifications for months, which is why we know a lot more about these two cameras than you might expect.
First, as is now clear from the titles, the Z6 II and the Z7 II will offer enhancements on the existing Z6 and Z7 models, Nikon’s first two mirrorless cameras. Both the Z6 and Z7 debuted back in late 2018 to general praise, which means that the Z6 II and the Z7 II, regardless of any major upgrades or innovations, should be formidable cameras.
In fact, it’s looking like Nikon will take a relatively laid-back approach to these successor models.
Nikon Rumors reports that the new cameras will be an “incremental update to the current Z6/Z7 models;” they’ll feature the same sensors as their predecessors (24 MP and 45.7 MP, respectively), the same electronic viewfinder resolution (3.69M-dot), and similar designs.
On the other hand, the Z6 II and the Z7 II should come with plenty of useful upgrades, including:
Dual card slots
4K/60p video capabilities
Next-level autofocus
Enhanced continuous shooting capabilities (with a larger buffer and speedier shooting)
Interestingly, Nikon Rumors also claims that the Z6 II will be “the last Nikon camera with a 24 MP sensor.” Assuming this rumor is correct, it begs the question: Where does Nikon plan to go after this? Perhaps we’ll see a shift to 26 MP sensors, 30 MP sensors, or even a drop back to 20 MP sensors, but I have a hard time believing the change will be any more drastic.
After all, there are several reasons that camera manufacturers stick with lower megapixel counts on some of their cameras (despite their ability to manufacturer 50+ megapixel sensors). For instance, a 45 MP camera will struggle to go toe-to-toe with a 24 MP camera in low light, which is why we’re still getting a 12 MP sensor on the Sony a7S III and a 20 MP sensor on the Canon 1D X Mark III.
Like the Nikon Z6 and Z7, you can expect that the Z6 II and Z7 II will cater to professionals and other experienced photographers. So if you’re interested in a top-notch full-frame camera, one with dual card slots and plenty of other great features, then take a look at these new models!
Now over to you:
What do you think of the Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II? Were you hoping for more significant upgrades? Or are you looking forward to these new models? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The post Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II to Launch on October 14th appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The front of modern smartphones is almost entirely occupied by the display which makes integrating the selfie camera an ever more difficult task for designers and engineers. We’ve seen solutions using camera notches, hole-punch cameras and pop-up mechanisms but none look as elegant and inconspicuous as a camera that is hidden under the display.
Some under-display prototypes have already been making the rounds but now we’ll finally have a working production model to play with. Chinese manufacturer ZTE has just announced it will launch the world’s first smartphone with under-display front camera on September 1st. The company says the ZTE Axon 20 5G ‘will be the world’s first mass-produced 5G smartphone featuring under-display camera, marking another milestone in ZTE’s exploration of the true full display smartphone.’
Xiaomi prototype with under-display camera next to a device with front camera notch
Unfortunately no other specs or pricing information has been released at this point but XDA-Developers has discovered a recent database entry by Chinese regulator TENAA that lists the Axon 20 5G as a device with 32MP front camera and a quad-rear-camera setup with 64, 8 and a pair of 2MP modules. Other rumored specs include 6.92-inch HD OLED display and up to 12GB of RAM.
Previously manufacturers Xiaomi and Oppo were the first to demonstrate technology allowing for the front camera to be placed under and capture images information through the display. Prototype devices made an appearance but in January 2020 Xiaomi VP Lu Weibing said there were still too many technological challenged to overcome and a production devices should not be expected any time soon, mainly because the high pixel-density of modern smartphone displays blocked too much of the incoming light from the camera lens and sensor.
Here is it in action. Thanks to @sisasaid for modeling the feature! pic.twitter.com/Wv2tU9yqlf
— David ImeI (@DurvidImel) December 10, 2019
However, not too long after this statement was made OLED manufacturer Visionox announced it was ready to start mass production of displays with under-screen cameras. The company claimed it had been successful at increasing light transmission by using different organic and non-organic film materials that offer higher transparency. It also developed a new software for correcting brightness and color casts as well as viewing angle issues to work in conjunction with the new type of display.
In addition the pixel density on the portion of the display covering the camera lens has been modified to allow for better light transmission by reducing the display resolution in the specific area where the camera is located.
At this point it is unknown if the ZTE Axon 20 5G is using the VIsionox solution or a similar approach. However, we should know more and find out what kind of image quality the first under-display front camera can deliver on September 1st.
Sony has announced, via a teaser on its website, it will be holding an ‘Imagination in Motion’ launch event for its forthcoming a7S III camera on July 28 at 10am EDT (-4 UTC).
Confirmation of the a7S III’s existence was confirmed just over two weeks ago in an exclusive interview with DPReview wherein Kenji Tanaka, VP and Senior General Manager of Sony’s Digital Imaging Group, shared the news that an a7S II successor would be announced ‘later this summer.’
Sony doesn’t divulge any new details of the a7S III in the teaser, but we know from our interview the camera will be ‘a complete redesign of the whole system,’ complete with a new sensor.
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