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The Nikon Z 24mm F1.8 was formally announced late in the year, and as 2019 comes to a close it has made its way into our hands. We tried it out on the full-frame Z7 as well as on the DX-format Z50 where it serves as a nearly-35mm equivalent.
See our Nikon Z 24mm F1.8 S
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This week DPReview TV tested the Hasselblad XCD 30mm F3.5 wide angle lens for medium format. Here’s a gallery of full resolution images from this episode, shot on the Hasselblad X1D II.
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Astronomik has announced the release of its Clip-Filter system filters for the Canon EOS R and RP full-frame cameras. As with the company’s other Clip-Filter products, users can install the new model using their fingers, making it a simple task that can be performed quickly when needed.
Astronomik’s Clip-Filter system filters are made from laser-cut black anodized aluminum. Each filter is designed to fit within the camera body where it acts as a dust shield. Unlike with filter holders that are sandwiched between the camera body and lens, Astronomik says its Clip-Filters allow photographers to use all of the lens functions.
Additionally, the company points out that this type of filter design is cheaper than the larger filters that would otherwise be used on large camera lenses. The entire range of Clip-Filters can now be purchased for the EOS R and RP cameras in addition to the large list of other Canon camera models compatible with the filter system.
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Leica has teamed up with New York-based horology company HODINKEE to launch the Leica M10-P ‘Ghost Edition’ camera styled after the vintage timepiece owned by Ben Clymer, founder and CEO of HODINKEE. The ‘Ghost Edition’ version of the M10-P includes a Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 ASPH lens with the same style.
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The natural wear and tear on a wristwatch bezel results in a ‘ghosting’ aesthetic that inspired the M10-P ‘Ghost Edition’ design, according to Leica. This special edition camera doesn’t feature the company’s iconic red dot logo; its body and included lens sport a matte gray finish alongside silver and white accents. Gray cowhide leather and white enamel-filled engravings round out the ghosted aesthetic.
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The Leica M10-P ‘Ghost Edition’ retains the same specs as the regular model. Leica is limiting this special edition to 250 camera sets globally with availability starting today. Each set features a serial number, a certificate of authenticity and a gray rope strap with black leather accents. The set is priced at $ 14,995 through HODINKEE.
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Joining the special edition camera set is Leica’s new Summilux-M 90mm F1.5, an extremely fast telephoto prime lens designed for portrait photography. Leica describes this new lens, which has the longest focal length in the Summilux-M lineup, as offering ‘a breathtakingly shallow depth of field.’
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The Summilux-M 90mm F1.5 lens features eight elements in six groups, including two aspherical elements made from specialized glass and a floating lens element. The company says that its lens design nearly eliminates the distortion and vignetting associated with fast lenses and that the lens hood helps cut down on reflections and unwanted light.
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Leica customers familiar with the Noctilux-M 50mm F0.95 ASPH lens will find the new offering very similar in terms of design, build and depth of field, according to the company. The Summilux-M 90mm F1.5 ASPH lens is now available from Leica’s stores, boutiques and dealers for $ 12,995. The lens can be used with the Leica SL and SL2 cameras using the M-Adapter L.
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Twitter has updated its platform with two new useful features for photographers: iOS Live Photos support and better JPEG quality. Both changes are live now.
Live Photos are a type of image that can be captured using an iPhone or iPad; in addition to the image, Live Photos include the 1.5 seconds of action that happened before and after the photo was snapped. In order to make it possible to share these images, Twitter is first converting them into GIFs.
To share a Live Photo, iPhone users must launch the Twitter mobile app and select the image from their Camera Roll. Once the Live Photo is selected, the user can tap the new ‘GIF’ option located in the bottom left corner of the image. This will result in Twitter converting and sharing the Live Photo as a GIF.
Starting today, Twitter will preserve JPEGs as they are encoded for upload on Twitter for Web. (Caveat, cannot have EXIF orientation)
For example: the attached photo is actually a guetzli encoded JPEG at 97% quality with no chroma subsampling.https://t.co/1u37vTopkY pic.twitter.com/Eyq67nfM0E
— Nolan O’Brien (@NolanOBrien) December 11, 2019
Converting Live Photos into GIFs has been the primary method used to share the video versions of these images. Lack of direct support on many platforms has forced many iPhone users to turn to apps like Lively. Twitter’s new support merely removes this time-consuming manual conversion process, enabling iPhone users to rapidly share their Live Photos with followers.
In addition to the new direct Live Photos to GIF conversion feature, Twitter is also now publishing JPEGs with their original encoding, according to company engineer Nolan O’Brien.This eliminates the transcoding and compression that obliterates image quality when viewed in full size. O’Brien notes that the thumbnail version of JPEGs will still be transcoded to cut down on file size and that only the bitmap encoding is preserved, not the metadata. As well, the new encoding preservation is only live for images uploaded using Twitter for Web.
Steps to check:
1) if it has orientation set to rotate the image, we will transcode
2) if it is over 4096 in any dimension, we will transcode
3) if it is over 5 MBs, we will transcode
4) if the compression is very inefficient (worse than 1 pixel per byte), we will transcode— Nolan O’Brien (@NolanOBrien) December 11, 2019
Twitter for Web has supported 4096 x 4096 image uploads since last year, according to O’Brien, who details some upload scenarios in which the platform will still encode images:
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Back in June Chinese smartphone maker OPPO announced a device with an under-display front camera at MWC Shanghai. This allows for the design of display without a ‘notch’ or front camera ‘pinhole’ but also means that incoming light has to first travel through the display before it hits the camera lens.
To make this possible the display section above the camera is made of a highly-transparent material and comes with a redesigned pixel structure that is optimized for the transmittance of light. In addition, the camera comes with a bigger than usual sensor to further make up for any loss of light and white balance and HDR algorithms have been customized to reduce the transparent display’s impact.
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This week, Oppo now finally shared prototypes of devices with the new in-display camera with press and media and thanks to a Twitter post by David Imel from Android Authority we can see the new design fully in action.
The new under-display camera system is hardly visible on the front of the device and only becomes slightly visible when viewing the phone at certain angles. Of course, it’s way too early to make any judgments on image quality but in terms of usability, the new system appears to work just like any other smartphone front camera.
Here is it in action. Thanks to @sisasaid for modeling the feature! pic.twitter.com/Wv2tU9yqlf
— David ImeI (@DurvidImel) December 10, 2019
Just like their rear counterparts, front cameras have taken huge steps forward in terms of image quality over the last couple of years or so. However, manufacturers have not only been focused on image output but also the integration into the device. We’ve seen notches and pinholes as well as motorized pop-up and flip-up front cameras. If Oppo’s concept catches on 2020 might well be the year of the under-display front camera.
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| Left to right, the Vimble 2A, the G6 Max and the AK2000S |
Chinese gimbal manufacturer FeiyuTech has released details of four new devices aimed at a range of photographers using smartphones, mirrorless cameras, DSLRs and those wanting to shoot timelapse sequences. The four are the Feiyu AK2000S, the Feiyu QING, the Feiyu G6 Max and the Feiyu Vimble 2.
The Vimble V2 is a lightweight gimbal that comes in two versions, the 2A for action cams and the 2S for smartphones. The 2S is an update of an existing gimbal, but the Vimble 2A is completely new. It has an extendable handle that contains a telescopic section to increase the length of the handle by 18cm. The device weighs 277g, which the company says makes it the lightest action cam gimbal on the market. Controlled via the handle or a smartphone app, the Vimble 2A is designed to work with the GoPro5, 6 and 7 models and offers users a quick release clamp for these cameras.
Those with mid-sized mirrorless cameras are the target of the Feiyu G6 Max, with its 1.2kg capacity. A system of flexible heads allow the G6 Max to also be used with action cams, compacts and smartphones, and a new design means the gimbal is both smaller and lighter than the previous G6 Plus. Each arm on the new model has a motor lock, the device’s LCD screen is enlarged and the 9 shooting modes can be controlled directly from the handle as well as via the app.
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The Feiyu AK2000S is designed for camera kits weighing up to 2.2kg/4.85lb and can control and power certain guest cameras. It uses 16.8v high torsion brushless motors to deal with the weight and now offers quicker and smoother response to instructions. The company claims motor performance is improved by 400%, and that a single charge will deliver 14 hours of operation.
The biggest of the new gimbals is the QING, which is really designed to sit on a tripod or slider to function as a complex timelapse and panoramic controller. Feiyu calls it a Motion Control Device and it can handle up to 3.5kg of kit and weighs 1.3kg itself. A detectable handle can be used as a remote controller but can also attach to the base of the QING so that it can be used as a regular gimbal. The QING comes with a 2200mAh battery to allow it to operate over long periods during timelapse sequences.
The QING costs $ 900, the AK2000S is $ 450, the G6 Max is $ 360 and the Vimble 2A and 2S are $ 127. For more information see the FeiyuTech website.
The XCD 30mm F3.5 is a wide angle prime lens for Hasselblad medium format cameras, and with a price tag close to $ 4000 you expect it to be good. As Chris and Jordan discover, it’s an outstanding optic – with interesting bokeh.
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The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is a 20MP Micro Four Thirds camera aimed at enthusiast photographers, but could be a good option for beginners that want a system to grow into. It features the same sensor, AF system and 4K video capture as the flagship E-M1 II and E-M1 X, in a considerably smaller, lighter package.
It’s the first in the E-M5 line to offer on-sensor phase detect autofocus, which includes both face and eye detection modes. The updated AF system is complemented by a 10 fps max burst rate in AF-C. The camera also gets a new image stabilization system, an updated EVF and some small ergonomic improvements.
The E-M5 III will be available at the end of November for a body-only price of $ 1,199.99, CAN $ 1,499.99 in either black or silver. It will also be available kitted with the weather-sealed Olympus 14-150mm F4-5.6 II for $ 1,799.99, CAN $ 2,249.99.
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The E-M5 III is Olympus’s smallest, lightest 20MP camera. Here’s what else is new and how it stacks up against its peers. Read more |
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The rear of the E-M5 III is largely unchanged, but some significant changes have been made to both the camera’s top plate and the EVF. Read more |
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Photo editor Dan Bracaglia spent 48 hours shooting in the deserts of Southern, Utah, E-M5 III in hand. Read more |
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The E-M5 III is capable of some excellent image quality, up there with the best that Micro Four Thirds can produce today. Read more |
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While the E-M5 III comes with an autofocus system that shares its spec with higher-end models, we were a bit disappointed with its performance. Read more |
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With incredible stabilization, a mic input, an articulating touchscreen and good quality files, the E-M5 III is a good candidate for video shooting. Read more |
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We find the E-M5 III to be a fantastic companion for travel and general photography, producing excellent images under a wide range of scenarios. Read more |
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Curious what kind of files the E-M5 III produces? Have a look at our vast sample gallery. Read more |
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A new report claims on behalf of three former Facebook employees that Instagram is hiding ‘likes’ as an experiment to determine whether doing so will get users to post more content. The theory, according to CNBC, is that users who receive few likes on their content may not post as often out of a sense of embarrassment. By hiding likes, Instagram may remove the psychological barrier preventing many users from frequently posting.
Over the course of its test this year, Instagram repeatedly presented its decision to hide likes as an effort to ‘depressurize’ the platform, reduce cyberbullying, and help users focus on the subjects and people who interest them. By hiding likes, the company has said, Instagram will feel less like a popularity contest.
The anonymous sources speaking to CNBC claim that it was parent company Facebook’s research that spurred the hidden likes test. The social media company allegedly found that removing public like counts resulted in Instagram users posting more often.
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One source claims that Facebook’s research showed users were deleting or hiding posts that didn’t receive many likes, among other things. Whereas the lack of publicly visible likes helps users feel less self-conscious when their content doesn’t get much attention, the delivery of like and comment notifications to these same users may provide an incentive for them to post more often.
Instagram is allegedly aware of the fact that hidden ‘likes’ may have a negative impact on influencers by reducing the amount of engagement on their posts, but the sources claim that Facebook isn’t terribly concerned due to the lack of adequate competing services these influencers have available to them. This may not matter for the company in the long run if enough users start posting often enough to noticeably boost ad revenue, potentially making up for any negative effects on influencers.
The question remains over whether the ‘depressurized’ nature of a publicly like-free Instagram will lead to the more habitual use of the platform among some users, potentially paving the way for an uptick in ‘Instagram addiction’ cases. If a sense of peer pressure is causing many users to inherently moderate their use of the platform, removing that psychological barrier may have some unwanted consequences.