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We're still waiting to get a long-enough loan from Leica to finalize our review of the D-Lux 8, but in the meantime we wanted to share the sample images we've shot so far.

It's been several years since we saw a new enthusiast compact, so we were keen to go our shooting with it, even if it's not as updated as we might have hoped.

Buy now:

$1595 at B&H Photo$1595 at Adorama

You can read more about the D-Lux 8 in our initial review.

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing; we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Please open this article's permalink in a browser to view this content. Product photos: Richard Butler

The Sony ZV-E10 II is the company's second-generation APS-C vlogging ILC. It brings a new sensor and larger battery, along with improved video specs.

Key features:

• 26MP APS-C BSI CMOS sensor
• Full-width 4K at up to 30p
• 4K/60p from a 1.1x crop (5.6K capture)
• 10-bit video capture
• S-Cinetone color mode and 'Creative Look' options
• Imports LUTs for previewing, embedding or applying to S-Log3 footage
• Three-capsule mic with automatic directional focus option
• No mechanical shutter

The Sony ZV-E10 II will be available from early August at a recommended price of $999 body-only or $1099 with an updated 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II retracting power zoom. These prices represent a $300 increase over the original version. The ZV-E10 II will be available in black or white. The white version will come with a silver version of the 16-50mm PZ that won't be sold separately.

Buy now:

$1098 w/ 16-50 at B&H Photo$1098 w/ 16-50 at Adorama Index:

• What's new
• How it compares
• Body & handling
• Initial impressions vlogging video
• Specifications
• Press Release

What's new New sensor

The ZV-E10 II uses the same 26MP BSI CMOS sensor we've seen in the a6700 (and the pro-video FX-30). It's a much faster sensor than the one in the previous version of the camera, and is able to deliver 4K video at up to 60 frames a second, where the previous version had to crop-in to shoot at 30fps, meaning it showed significant rolling shutter in its 4K modes.

10-bit video

The ZV-E10 II also gains a newer processor, allowing the camera to capture 10-bit video. This allows it to record Log footage with plenty of precision, which allows greater flexibility when grading color and tone. It also means the camera can capture true HDR footage for playback on HDR phones and TVs.

All the camera's 4K modes are taken from oversampled capture: 6K for modes up to 30p and 5.6K (with a 1.1x crop) for the 50 and 60p modes. There's no in-body stabilization in the camera, so digital stabilization applies a further 1.33x crop, meaning the 16-50mm kit lens ends up giving a 32mm equiv field of view, at its widest, if you want to use more than just the lenses' optical shake correction, and 35mm equiv in the high framerate modes.

Updated features The ZV-E10 II has the newer Bionz XR processor, rather than the 'X' of its predecessor. As part of this update it gains a UHS-II compatible SD card slot.

The ZV-E10 II doesn't include Sony's 'AI processing unit' but includes some of the latest subject-recognition algorithms, we're told. It also gains the focus breathing compensation function that, with recognized Sony lenses, crops in to the narrowest effective field of view then progressively adjusts the crop and scaling to maintain consistent framing as the focus distance changes.

The ZV-E10 II also has the CineVlog mode from the ZV-1 Mark II, which gives a widescreen 2.35:1 look with black bars top and bottom and shoots at 24p. Onto this various 'Looks' and 'Moods' can be applied, to give a stylized appearance to your footage.

There's no sign of Sony's Auto Framing modes, though, so you can't set the camera on a tripod and let it crop-in and follow your subject around the scene, nor set a subject's position in the frame and have it crop to maintain that positioning, as you're filming yourself at arm's length.

Larger battery

The ZV-E10 II now uses Sony's larger NP-FZ100 battery, allowing it to record for much longer. Sony did not disclose battery figures prior to launch, but the FZ100 has always made cameras much more usable than the smaller FZ50 used by the original ZV-E10.

Updated kit zoom

The ZV-E10 II typically comes bundled with the Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II, a refreshed version of its compact, retractable power zoom. The version II gains the ability to focus while zooming, helping to keep your subject in focus if you change the focal length while recording, and also communicates information to help the camera's stabilization efforts.

In principle, the lens can focus fast enough to work with 120fps shooting, in the unlikely event anyone ever attaches it to an a9 III. However, Sony has not made any changes to the optical design of the lens, which we've never been particularly impressed by.

How it compares

We've chosen to compare the ZV-E10 II to its predecessor, Nikon's Z30 that aims to offer something very similar, and to the a6700, to see what differences exist between Sony's vlogging model and its enthusiast stills/video option. The other obvious competitor in this space is Panasonic's DC-G100, which again offers a clever mic setup and front-facing screen for vlogging. However, its substantial crop in 4K mode makes it less well suited to high-res vlogging than the other cameras listed here, so that's the one we've omitted for reasons of space in the comparison table.

Sony ZV-E10 II Nikon Z30 Sony ZV-E10 Sony a6700 MSRP $1099 w/ 16-50mm OSS II $849 w/ 16-50mm VR $799 w/ 16-50mm OSS $1499 w/ 16-50mm OSS Resolution 26MP 21MP 24MP 26MP Mech shutter No Yes Yes Yes Image stabilization Digital only Digital only Digital only IBIS rated to 5.0 EV 4K video rates
(crop factor) UHD/60 (1.1x)
UHD/30
UHD/24 UHD/30
UHD/24 UHD/30 (1.23x)
UHD/24 UHD/120 (1.58x)
UHD/60 full-width
UHD/30 full-width Video bit-depth 10-bit 8-bit 8-bit 10-bit Rear screen 1.04M dots fully articulated 1.04M dots fully articulated 0.92M dots fully articulated 1.04M dots fully articulated Viewfinder None None None 2.36M dot
0.7x mag Number of dials 1 main, 1 rear 2 main 1 main, 1 rear 2 main, 1 rear Mic / Headphone sockets Yes / Yes Yes / No Yes / Yes Yes / Yes USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) SD slots 1x UHS II (side) 1x UHS-I (base) 1x UHS-I (side) 1x UHS-II (side) Video battery life, CIPA, min
Cont. / Actual 195 / 130 85 / 125 / 80 185 / 100 Dimensions 121 x 68 x 54mm 128 x 74 x 60mm 115 x 64 x 45mm 122 x 69 x 75mm Weight 377g 405g 343g 493g

Perhaps the biggest benefit of the ZV-E10 II over the original is the faster readout of its sensor. The mark 1 exhibited a lot of rolling shutter in 4K/24 mode and had to crop in to deliver 4K/30; by contrast, the new camera can shoot at 4K/60 using most of the sensor, meaning it's over twice as quick as its predecessor.

It's worth noting the differences, compared with the more expensive a6700, too. The a6700 has a viewfinder, in-body stabilization, twin control dials on its top plate and a mechanical shutter, and is able to shoot 4K/120 if you can live with a substantial 1.58x crop. These are all omitted from the less expensive, more influencer-focused ZV-E10 II.

Body and handling

The ZV-E10 II's body is impressively small: it looks like an early Sony NEX model and is recognizably more compact than the a6700.

The downside of this is that the controls and operation also feel more like an NEX model, rather than one of Sony's latest cameras, if you attempt to shoot stills with it. Unlike the twin dial a6700, there's only a single top-plate dial on the ZV-E10 II and an awkward, fiddly rear-face dial that we've been trying to avoid having to use on Sony cameras for more than a decade, now.

The interface is primarily touchscreen-based, allowing direct operation while you're holding the camera to face you. There are also dedicated buttons both for Bokeh mode (which opens the aperture up to a value that can be adjusted in the menu) and Product Showcase mode that tells the camera to prioritize nearby objects over face detection. Both buttons can be customized to perform other functions, if you prefer.

The ZV-E10 II is the first Sony to rotate its interface display when you rotate the camera, to make vertical video capture easier.

The ZV-E10 II has both headphone and mic sockets, along with a 5Gbps USB-C port that can be used to stream up to 4K/30 video when acting as a webcam. There's also a micro HDMI slot.

We didn't find the ZV-E10 II the easiest camera to hold, if we were facing towards it, to vlog, so we suspect the optional vlogging handle/table tripod with its Bluetooth-connected controls, will be really valuable. Trying to hold the camera at arm's length without it just meant constantly nudging the zoom rocker on the lens and not being able to reverse the effect without stopping recording and bringing the camera back into two hands to push the zoom back out to wide-angle.

Battery

The use of the larger NP-FZ100 battery sees the battery life rating jump from the 440 shot-per-charge rating of its predecessor to 610 shots, using the standard CIPA testing methods. As always, these numbers underestimate the number of shots many people get, so double this number is entirely plausible.

For a vlogging camera, we'll also quote the CIPA video figures, which are 195 minutes of recording if just left to run (assuming you don't run out of card space or overheat before then), and 130 minutes using the CIPA "Actual" shooting duration test, which involves more stop/start recording, zooming of the lens and turning the camera on and off. Both are based on FullHD capture, not 4K.

The a6700 tends to overheat relatively quickly in its higher frame-rate 4K modes, so we'll have to test the small, uncooled ZV-E10 II more once we get a production unit.

Initial impressions vlog

Rather than write my impressions of the ZV-E10 II, I used it as intended: vlogging my thoughts to camera. All sound was captured using the camera's internal mics.

Buy now:

$1098 w/ 16-50 at B&H Photo$1098 w/ 16-50 at Adorama

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.

Sony has released the E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II, a slightly revised version of its compact, retractable kit zoom.

The new version has an updated control chip that allows it to focus while zooming and makes it compatible with the company's latest AF standards. This means it can autofocus at up to 120fps for stills or high frame-rate video.

The new version also communicates gyro information from its stabilization system to the camera body, allowing better coordination between the two.

The move from a metal lens mount to a plastic one helps reduce the weight from 116g to 107g (3.8oz)

Sadly the optical formula of the lens is unchanged, meaning you shouldn't expect any improvement in image quality. And while the 16-50mm PZ is one of the more compact kit zooms and more responsive power zooms, we've never been particularly impressed with the IQ consistency of the copies we've encountered.

The 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II will be available from August at a price of $299 if bought separately. It typically adds $100 to the cost of a camera and lens kit, so ex-kit versions are likely to become available. Bought separately, the lens is only available in black. A silver version is kitted with some cameras but not available separately.

Raw file edited in Adobe Camera Raw with Content Credentials appended

Photo: Richard Butler

Adobe is in the process of adding the ability to provide CAI-compliant Content Credentials with the images you create. Options are being added Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom and Photoshop itself, but there are some significant differences in the implementations, at present.

The system is intended to provide an industry-standard means of providing transparency about an image's source, its edits and whether any AI elements have been added.

ACR / Lightroom

In Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom, the Content Credentials feature (that we won't refer to as 'CC' to avoid confusion with Adobe's 'Creative Cloud' branding) is described as being an 'Early Access' feature. A spokesperson says the intention is "to get feedback from the photography community."

The feature, which can currently only be applied to JPEG output, keeps track of the edits you've made, and either embeds the details alongside your image or uploads them to a central database, allowing people further down the workflow to be able to check the authenticity of the image. There's also the option to both embed and upload the data, to maximize the likelihood of the workflow being traceable.

As well as the option of whether to include your name as the creator, you can also embed details of your social media accounts, such as your Instagram handle, to help prove authorship. Adobe tells us: "We will be expanding to support more file formats."

Photoshop

The option in Photoshop is described as a beta. To enable the feature, you currently need to engage it for each image as you open it, before you make any edits. The CAI metadata about the types of editing you've made is then added to the file if you use Photoshop's Export dialogue.

The Content Credentials palette can be found under the Windows menu in Photoshop. Once you press the 'Enable' button, you can choose which settings are shared, and how (middle tab), and preview the metadata that will be associated with your file (right-hand tab).

Unlike the ACR implementation, Photoshop can add metadata to JPEG or PNG images, but you only have to option to embed or upload the metadata, not both.

In practice

Raw file edited in Adobe Camera Raw with Content Credentials appended.

Photo: Richard Butler

We tried adding content credentials to a Raw conversion made from a recent sample gallery and, in this instance, it added 132K to the file, representing a 0.5% increase in size on a 26.7MB photo. The history of this and the story's lead image, can now be examined using the Content Authenticity Initiative's 'Verify' tool, by dragging and dropping the file.

However, as things stand, ACR and Lightroom do not pass details of their edits across to Photoshop, if your workflow involves making edits in both. So we can save an image with details of the changes made in ACR or we can export from Photoshop with information about its edits, but with no knowledge of what was done at the Raw-conversion stage.

The only way to build and maintain a complete history of the workflow would be to save a JPEG from ACR or Lightroom and use that as the starting-point for your work in Photoshop.

Needless to say, this idea of using a lossily-compressed intermediate step in your workflow isn't the long-term intention. "As we expand support for Content Credentials, we’re exploring support for interoperable workflows such as editing in ACR, Lightroom and Photoshop," the company says.

In future

Camera makers are already working to offer cameras that create cryptographically-signed Content Credentials at the point that the image is created, so it should soon be possible to provide evidence that the image derives from an original photo and then show what adjustments have been made to the image in ACR, Lightroom or Photoshop, and whether generative AI has been used.

We will continue to monitor the development of Content Credentials options over the coming months, to see whether we can incorporate it into our review workflows, so that you can always check how the file has been handled between us taking the photo and presenting it on the site.

Given DPReview.com's core mission to provide a trustworthy means of assessing cameras' output, we like the idea of being able to include evidence of the extent of the editing applied to those test files that aren't straight-out-of-camera JPEGS.

Image: Affinity

Software maker Affinity has announced a six-month free trial for its image editing application, Affinity Photo. The offer also extends to the company's vector graphics software, Affinity Designer, and its page layout software, Affinity Publisher.

Affinity says it is providing the extended trial so that users have more time to evaluate it alongside their current software and to provide an extended window to migrate to Affinity's apps if they decide to do so.

Affinity Photo has been a popular alternative to Adobe Photoshop due to its one-time-purchase model.

Image: Affinity

Affinity Photo has been a popular alternative to Adobe's Photoshop for many photographers, particularly because it uses a one-time-purchase model rather than subscription-based pricing. Affinity says the six-month window is a true no-obligation trial period and that the company will not require payment information to participate.

The desktop versions of Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher retail for $70 each, or $165 for the entire suite, and run on both MacOS and Windows. The iPad versions retail for $18.50 each. The company is currently offering a 50% discount on all of the above apps until August 15.

Affinity developer Serif was acquired by graphic design platform Canva in March of this year.

Image: Lomagraphy

Lomography has announced LomoChrome '92 Sun-kissed, an ISO 400 film intended to evoke nostalgia for the film look of the 1990s.

Lomography says the new film, featuring soft orange and yellow hues, is designed to capture the essence of the golden-hour glow. According to the company, the latest film is a follow-up to its LomoChrome Color '92 film stock introduced last year.

"The gentle crackle of a beloved mixtape fills the air, mingling in the sweet, languid embrace of a carefree summer's afternoon," reads Lomography's marketing copy. It goes on to state that the film offers cinematic blues and oranges under bright skies and vivid reds in shadier conditions.

Like all LomoChrome films, Lomography says that each production run is unique, with no two emulsions ever being the same.

LomoChrome '92 Sun-kissed is available in 35mm, 120 and 110 formats and requires C-41 processing. It's available for pre-order on the Lomography website; a 36-exposure roll in 35mm format retails for $12.90, while the 120 version sells for $11.90 and a 24-exposure 110 cartridge sells for $8.90.

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab. Sample images provided by Lomography

Three's a crowd

The Comedy Wildlife Awards has released ten of the best entries it's received so far, with less than a month left, if you think you've shot something better.

Deena Sveinsson / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Laughing out loud

Now in its tenth year, the awards give photographers the chance to celebrate an entertaining split-second capture and anthropomorphize to their heart's content.

Ingo Hamann / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Holding on for a ride

There are ten categories to the competition, including separate awards for mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, fish and other aquatic species, and insects.

Alexander Fine / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Three heads are better than one

There's also a junior category, for photographers aged up to 16 years old, and a "young photographer" category, for photographers under 25.

John Mullineux / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Not a good idea

The awards also have a category for best video, for those of you that sometimes hit the red button on your camera.

Anton Pretorius / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Watch out for that tree

And, after the finalists have been announced, there's a People's Choice award, voted for by the public and sponsored by Affinity Photo.

Mark Koster / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Peak a boo!

Prizes include a Nikon Z30 for the winner of the junior category, or a Z8 kit and iPad with Affinity Photo for the young photographer category.

Tilan Weerasinghe / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Slow hands

All the other category winners will receive a Think Tank backpack, and will compete for the overall prize of a guided photo safari in Kenya.

Harry Collins / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Did you hear the one about the...?

The winning images will be announced later this year, and displayed in an exhibition at London's Oxo Tower in December.

Wendy-Kaveney / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Pick me pick meeeeee

The closing date for entries in July 31st, 2024, so now's your last chance to look back through your recent captures or head back out into the wilds.

Thomas van Puymbroeck / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Image: Pixii

French camera maker Pixii has announced the Pixii Max, a 24MP full-frame rangefinder camera that accepts Leica M-mount lenses.

The Pixii Max (Model A3410) is the company's fifth camera and the first to move from an APS-C sensor to full frame. Like the previous, 26MP A2572+ and A2572 models, the Max uses a fully 64-bit processing pipeline, allowing fine-precision manipulation of the sensor's 14-bit output.

Also like its predecessors, the camera's true rangefinder viewfinder has framelines projected into it (35mm in this instance), meaning they can correct for parallax as you focus to closer distances. The outer limits of the finder represent a 28mm angle of view. The camera's core exposure settings are also projected into the viewfinder.

Photo: Pixii

It also has a mono option that takes into account the relative perceptual lightness of its sensor's Red, Green and Blue filters, to create a monochrome DNG Raw file. This should give the sharpness benefit of not having to demosaic the results, but won't gain the ∼1EV improvement at any given ISO that completely removing the filter array would bring.

The Pixii Max is available for pre-order from July 5th at a cost of €3999, without taxes (approx $4325 at current exchange rates) for the version with 32GB of internal memory or €4249 (∼$4595). As before, the company says there are options to upgrade previous models to the latest specifications. We've asked the company for more details of this upgrade path.

Press Release:

Pixii SAS announces Pixii Max, its first full-frame camera with a high-performance 24.5MP sensor, wide-angle optical viewfinder and a seamless upgrade option for existing Pixii owners. Available for pre-order on July 5, with a launch price of 3999 euros w/o taxes.

Pixii SAS, the rising French startup, unveils Pixii Max today, its first full-frame digital rangefinder camera.

Building on the success of its predecessors, Pixii Max marks a significant leap forward with exciting new features:

New 24.5MP full-frame sensor: The carefully selected, high-resolution 24.5MP full-frame sensor, builds on the strength of its pixel technology to deliver outstanding image quality, with exceptional dynamic range surpassing even its top-ranked predecessors. Photographers will appreciate the familiar feel of the 24x36 sensor paired with their rangefinder lenses of choice.

Wide-Angle Viewfinder: The new optical viewfinder complements the sensor capabilities, with high-index optical glass and fully multi-coated anti-reflective surfaces, to offer unmatched clarity and a wider field of view. The new design features comfortable frame lines for 35mm lenses, while offering an ultra-wide field of view, up to 28mm.

Upgrade option: Pixii Max isn't just a new camera; it's also another new upgrade path for existing Pixii camera owners. It packs all the power of Pixii Max into the existing compact form factor, with even a slight reduction in overall depth. The new upgrade confirms Pixii's commitment to preserving the investment made by photographers in their cameras.

Additional Key Features of Pixii Max:

Modern 64-bit Platform, shared with the current Pixii cameras models, providing exceptional performances, connectivity and seamless over-the-air software upgrades.

Native Monochrome, Pixii's exclusive feature to capture true B&W digital negatives with a bayer sensor. Pixii Max is also fully capable of producing native monochrome files.

Interactive Rangefinder Viewfinder, another Pixii exclusive feature providing real-time controls and indicators right inside the optical viewfinder, for a truly modern and immersive experience.

The Pixii Max joins the Pixii camera family, offering photographers a new option for rangefinder photography. Pixii remains committed to producing and developing the well-loved APS-C model, proposing two exceptional cameras to choose from for photographers with different needs.

Pricing and Availability

Pixii Max (Model A3410) will offer photographers a new entry point into the world of full-frame digital rangefinders, with special introductory prices:

• Pixii Max (32GB): 3999 EUR w/o taxes.
• Pixii Max (128GB): 4249 EUR w/o taxes.

Pixii Max will be available for pre-order on July 5.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Photo: Richard Butler

Results published by Bill Claff and forum regular Horshack both point to the Nikon Z6 III having appreciably lower dynamic range than the previous generation of 24MP sensors.

Faster sensor readout is often associated with higher levels of read noise, and this appears to be the case with what Nikon is calling the "Partially Stacked" sensor in the Z6III. Bill Claff's photons to photos site reports a maximum dynamic range of 10.4EV, using his own "photographic DR" metric. This compares to a figure of 11.3EV for the Z6 II.

It's important to stress that dynamic range is not the same thing as image quality: two cameras can demonstrate the same dynamic range cut-off even while one exhibits much better tonal quality across much of the brightness range of its images. So it's not safe to make assumptions about the Z6III's overall image quality in relation to other cameras' DR numbers.

However, after a long period in which most cameras showed extremely low levels of read noise, allowing the deep shadows of images to be brightened and incorporated into images, it's definitely noteworthy that the Z6III will have noisier shadows than its predecessor and the Nikon Zf. The trade-off for this reduction in shadow performance is the high-speed shooting modes, the improved rolling shutter in both video and e-shutter stills, and any AF performance advantage shown over the Zf.

The Z6III's sensor has a dual conversion gain design, and the higher gain step is sufficient to overcome the read noise difference seen at lower ISOs, bringing the Z6III back into line with the Z6 II, but it's the peak dynamic range figures (typically for base ISO) that are most meaningful.

We have not yet received a testable camera so cannot corroborate the results, but the findings of lower dynamic range by experienced and knowledgeable users makes us feel confident enough to report them. We'll be testing the Z6 III and showing how photographically meaningful these differences are or aren't, as soon as we receive a camera.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Panasonic

Panasonic has released the Lumix DC-FZ80D, an updated version of its 60x superzoom from 2017. It will be sold as the FZ82D in Europe and the FZ85D in Japan.

The 'D' variants get a USB-C socket (with charging) to bring them into line with European regulations, and see the panels in both the rear screen and viewfinder brought up to more modern specifications. The fixed rear screen moves from 1.04M dots to 1.84M, meaning a resolution jump from 720 x 480px to 960 x 640px.

Buy now:

$479 at Amazon.com$478 at B&H Photo$478 at Adorama

More intriguingly, the viewfinder moves from a 1.17M dot equivalent field sequential panel with 0.46x magnification to a 2.36M dot OLED display with 0.74x magnification. That's much larger, much higher resolution and won't exhibit the rainbow effect that field-sequential displays are prone to. The thing that makes it interesting is that those are the same specs as the finder that's been added to the new Leica D-Lux 8. We haven't been able to find an eyepoint figure for the Panasonic but the resolution, magnification and degree of dioptre adjustment are all match, strongly suggesting it's the same unit.

The FZ80D is still built around the same 18MP Type 1/2.3 (6.2 x 4.6 mm) sensor and 3.58-215mm F2.8-5.9 zoom, giving 20-1200mm equivalent angles of view. It will be available at a recommended price of $479, up from the $399 of its predecessor.

Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80D specifications PriceMSRP$478Body typeBody typeSLR-like (bridge)SensorMax resolution4896 x 3672Image ratio w:h4:3Effective pixels18 megapixelsSensor photo detectors19 megapixelsSensor size1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm)Sensor typeBSI-CMOSProcessorVenus EngineColor spacesRGBColor filter arrayPrimary color filterImageISOAuto, 80-3200 (expands to 6400)Boosted ISO (maximum)6400White balance presets5Custom white balanceYes (4 slots)Image stabilizationOpticalUncompressed formatRAWFile format

• JPEG (Exif v2.3)
• Raw (Panasonic RW2)

Optics & FocusFocal length (equiv.)20–1200 mmOptical zoom60×Maximum apertureF2.8–5.9Autofocus

• Contrast Detect (sensor)
• Multi-area
• Center
• Selective single-point
• Tracking
• Single
• Continuous
• Touch
• Face Detection
• Live View

Autofocus assist lampYesDigital zoomYes (4x)Manual focusYesNormal focus range30 cm (11.81″)Macro focus range1 cm (0.39″)Number of focus points49Screen / viewfinderArticulated LCDFixedScreen size3″Screen dots1,840,000Touch screenYesScreen typeTFT LCDLive viewYesViewfinder typeElectronicViewfinder coverage100%Viewfinder magnification0.74×Viewfinder resolution2,360,000Photography featuresMinimum shutter speed4 secMaximum shutter speed1/2000 secMaximum shutter speed (electronic)1/16000 secExposure modes

• Intelligent Auto
• Program
• Aperture priority
• Shutter priority
• Manual

Scene modes

• Clear Portrait
• Silky Skin
• Backlit Softness
• Clear in Backlight
• Relaxing Tone
• Sweet Child's Face
• Distinct Scenery
• Bright Blue Sky
• Romantic Sunset Glow
• Vivid Sunset Glow
• Glistening Water
• Clear Nightscape
• Cool Night Sky
• Warm Glowing Nightscape
• Artistic Nightscape
• Glittering Illuminations
• Handheld Night Shot
• Clear Night Portrait
• Soft Image of a Flower
• Appetizing Food
• Cute Dessert
• Freeze Animal Motion
• Clear Sports Shot
• Monochrome

Built-in flashYesFlash range14.10 m (at Auto ISO)External flashYesFlash modesAuto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off, Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync, Slow Sync/Red-eye Reduction, 1st Curtain Sync, 2nd Curtain SyncSelf-timerYes (2 or 10 secs, 3 images x 10 secs)Metering modes

• Multi
• Center-weighted
• Spot

Exposure compensation±5 (at 1/3 EV steps)AE Bracketing±3 (3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps)WB BracketingYesVideography featuresFormatMPEG-4, AVCHDModes

• 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC
• 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 28 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC
• 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 28 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital
• 1920 x 1080 @ 60i / 24 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital
• 1920 x 1080 @ 60i / 17 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital
• 1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 20 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC
• 1280 x 720 @ 30p / 10 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC

MicrophoneStereoSpeakerMonoStorageStorage typesSD/SDHC/SDXC cardConnectivityUSB USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)HDMIYes (micro-HDMI)Microphone portNoHeadphone portNoWirelessBuilt-InWireless notes802.11b/g/nRemote controlYes (via smartphone)PhysicalEnvironmentally sealedNoBatteryBattery PackBattery Life (CIPA)330Weight (inc. batteries)616 g (1.36 lb / 21.73 oz)Dimensions130 x 94 x 119 mm (5.12 x 3.7 x 4.69″)Other featuresOrientation sensorYesGPSNone

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The Leica D-Lux 8 is an updated 17MP enthusiast zoom compact camera that uses a series of crops of a Four Thirds sized sensor to give multiple aspect ratios. It's a gentle update of the D-Lux 7 with refreshed look, revised interface and a much-improved viewfinder.

Key Specifications

• Up to 17MP images from a 22MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13mm) CMOS sensor
• 24-75mm equiv. 10.9-34mm F1.7-2.8 stabilized lens
• 2fps shooting with AF, 17fps without
• Captures DNG Raw files
• Larger, 2.36M dot OLED viewfinder
• 1.84M dot rear touchscreen
• Updated user interface
• UHS-II card compatibility
• 5Gbps USB-C port

The D-Lux 8 is one of the only enthusiast compacts on the market, but follows on from some of the best of their type. It combines a relatively large sensor, a bright F1.7-2.8 zoom and a high level of direct control for shutter speed, aperture value and ISO or exposure compensation. In many respects it's conceptually similar to Fujifilm's X100 series, but with a zoom.

The Leica D-Lux8 is available from July 2 at a recommended price of $1595, a $400 premium over the previous model.

Buy now:

$1595 at B&H Photo$1595 at Adorama Index:

• What's new?
• How it compares
• Body and controls
• Initial impressions
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

What's new

The D-Lux8 is a relatively subtle update of the 2018 D-Lux 7, with much of the underlying hardware unchanged. The body has been redesigned and there are some changes to the controls and interface but the sensor and lens are the same as those used in the D-Lux7 and the Panasonic LX100 II.

4:3

3:2

16:9

1:1

This sees it use the same arrangement by which the entire sensor region is never used but instead a choice of three aspect ratios that have the same diagonal angle-of-view is offered. So you can switch between 4:3, 3:2 or 16:9 and maintain the same 24mm equiv. widest angle from the lens. The 1:1 setting is handled more like the majority of cameras and simply crops in from the default sensor region.

OLED viewfinder

The most significant change is the use of a standard OLED viewfinder. Previous models used field-sequential displays that would display their red, green and blue components one after the other. For some users this can give distracting red/green/blue fringing artefacts when their eye moves around the frame or they engage the menus because they become aware that the three colors haven't updated to the same degree.

So although the viewfinder spec looks like a downgrade on paper, in practice its 2.36M dots (1024 x 768 px) can give a more pleasant experience than the 2.76M dot-equivalent finder in the D-Lux 7.

The D-Lux 8's finder is also larger, with a magnification equivalent to 0.74x, rather than 0.7x in the previous camera. Again it sounds like a small change but it results in a much nicer experience.

The rear screen also sees a resolution boost, moving to 1.84M dots (960 x 640 px), rather than the 1.24M (∼786 x 524px) of the older model.

DNG capture

The other significant specification change in the D-Lux8 is that it can now capture its Raw data in the standard DNG format, rather than Panasonic's RW2 files that the D-Lux 7 shot.

The D-Lux 8 also adopts a USB-C connector, rather than the Micro B type connection on the previous model. Likewise the camera's Bluetooth capabilities have been brought up to the newer 5.0 LE standard, rather than 4.2, but the Wi-Fi is still a relatively basic 2.4Mhz connection.

Beyond this, much of what sets the D-Lux 8 apart from its predecessor is its revised body and interface. Leica has made an effort to bring it into line with the Q3 full-sensor fixed lens camera, generally for the better.

How it compares

As mentioned at the start of the article, the D-Lux 8 enters a much-reduced enthusiast compact space, compared with the one its predecessor competed in. But there are still small cameras offering good image quality and photographer-friendly levels of direct control, even as most of the market retreats to the higher profit margins of interchangeable lens cameras.

Sony's RX100 Va is still a current model, offering a similar short, bright zoom and, of course, there's perhaps the most visible small camera for photographers, the Fujifilm X100 VI.

Leica D-Lux 8 Sony DSC-RX100 VA Fujifilm X100 VI Ricoh GR III MSRP $1595 $999 $1599 $899 Sensor size
(Crop factor) 183mm²
(2.21x) 115mm²
(2.74x) 369mm²
(1.53x) 367mm²
(1.53x) Resolution 17MP (4:3) 20MP 40MP 24MP Zoom range
(FF Equiv) 24-75mm 24-70mm 35mm 24mm Max aperture
(Equivalent range) F1.7-2.8
(F3.8-6.2) F1.8-2.8
(F4.9-7.7) F2
(F3.1) F2.8
(F4.3) Viewfinder OLED
2.36M dots
0.74x mag Pop-up OLED
2.36M dots
0.59x mag Hybrid Optical/Electronic
2.39M dots
0.66x mag None Rear screen 1.86M dot fixed 1.22M dot tilting 1.62M dot tilting 1.04M dot fixed File formats

• JPEG
• DNG

• JPEG
• ARW

• JPEG
• HEIF
• RAF

• JPEG
• DNG
• PEF

USB connection USB-C
5 Gbps USB-B (Micro)
480 MBPS USB-C
10 Gbps USB-C
5 Gbps Mic / Headphone socket No / No Yes / No Yes / via adapter No / No Memory card type UHS-II UHS-I SD
Memory Stick UHS-I UHS-I Weight 397g 299g 521g 257g

The updates to the D-Lux 8 means it has one of the best viewfinders in the class, and becomes one of the only options to use the faster UHS-II SD cards (not that these stills-focused cameras especially need it). Its sensor size means it's a larger camera than the Sony but can offer a zoom, whereas you need to move to a prime lens if you want a larger sensor in a compact camera.

Body and Handling

The D-Lux 8 has a significantly simplified body and interface compared with the D-Lux 7.

The top plate of the camera now has a power button, rather than the on-off switch of its predecessor. The dedicated exposure comp dial has been replaced by a command dial with a custom button at its center, which itself replaces the 'A' button that was present on the D-Lux 7.

This custom button and the two just below the shutter speed dial and the button at the center of the four-way controller can be configured to control any of 38 options, from Exposure Comp and ISO Shutter Speed Limit to switching between the video and stills modes. You can reconfigure the function of a button by simply holding the button down for two seconds.

The command dial on the corner of the camera has four possible settings: Exposure Comp, ISO, Off or Auto. The Auto setting sees the dial's function change depending on the position of the aperture ring and shutter speed dial.

Shutter speed dial Aperture ring setting Exposure mode Command dial function (Auto) A F-no Aperture priority Exposure Comp. Time value A Shutter priority 1/3EV shutter adj A A Flexible Program F-no Time value F-no Manual Exposure 1/3EV shutter adj Interface

There have been big changes to the D-Lux's interface, too, giving it a close resemblance to that of the Q3 (it hasn't gained the red/yellow indication for stills/video shooting that we saw on the SL3).

Pressing the menu button takes you to a settings panel screen, from which you can adjust any exposure value that isn't being set by the specific position of one of the dials (you can't over-rule the aperture or shutter speed controls). Below this are a series of icons that can be tapped or navigated to, to change various camera settings.

To get to the main menu you need to press the menu button a second time or tap the icon with three lines at the lower right of the settings panel. This takes you into a five page, 29-option menu.

Within the menu, scrolling up and down also scrolls between its five pages. Pressing right changes the current option or takes you into a sub-menu, where required. Pressing left takes you back out of the sub-menus and back up to the main menu level.

There is one minor oddity, though: pressing left from the top level of the menu jumps you one page to the left. But you press the Menu button to jump a page to the right. This is slightly unusual behavior as it's more common for left/right or up/down button combinations to deliver opposing actions. The left/Menu combination requires a little more conscious thought.

Most of key options are in the settings screen, and the ability to quickly reconfigure the camera's four customizable buttons means you can gain quick or semi-quick access to all the photographic parameters you're likely to need. Like the Q3 and other recent Leica cameras, the D-Lux 8 ends up being an impressively photo-focused camera: you have direct access to shutter speed, aperture and either exposure comp or ISO, and then quick access to the other. Everything else is somewhat secondary to this, meaning you can focus on your photos, not the camera's other functions.

Battery

The D-Lux 8 uses the same BP-DC15 battery as its predecessor. This is a benefit in terms of compatibility with wide availability. But it also means it's still dependent on a relatively small 7.4Wh battery. Leica doesn't specify a CIPA-standard battery figure but we'd guess at a number somewhere in the sub-300 shot-per-charge region. It's certainly small enough that you'll want to keep track of where your USB-C lead is.

Initial impressions Side-by-side with the Panasonic LX100 II you can see the camera has grown a little larger but exhibits a much cleaner, more focused design.

The D-Lux 8 is, in many respects, a D-Lux 7 with a belated facelift and a 2024 price tag to match. In spite of this, I found myself rather liking it.

For a start, I'm delighted to see anyone still committed to making enthusiast compacts. The D-Lux 8 is pricey but if any manufacturer knows how to survive in a niche market, I'd be inclined not to bet against Leica. And the D-Lux 8 is a genuinely better camera than the 7, even if many of the updates simply bring the connections and card compatibility up to more recent standards.

I found the move to a conventional OLED viewfinder made a big difference, as I'm generally rather sensitive to the rainbow tearing effect seen in field-sequential displays. The D-Lux 7's finder refreshed quickly enough that it wasn't too distracting, but eliminating the effect entirely is certainly welcome. The 8's autofocus is also improved, with the AF tracking showing impressive tenacity, which again makes the camera nicer to use.

But it's the move to the new, stripped-down interface that impressed me most. The D-Lux 8 puts the key photographic parameters right at my fingertips such that I could just focus on photography, rather than thinking about what bells and whistles the camera might contain.

Even after a week with the camera I found it difficult to adapt to the combination of the left and Menu buttons to move left and right through the menu tabs, but thankfully it's not necessary to delve into the main menu very often.

At the end of my week with the camera, I found myself hit with an enthusiast-camera conundrum: 'given the similarity of its control layout, why didn't I enjoy it as much as I do the X100 models?' And I'm genuinely not certain. In many respects the Leica has a more focused interface than the latest Fujifilms, which is definitely a bonus. It's also appreciably more compact, which is a plus for a small camera. So why doesn't it feel as special?

I have three theories: is it that the motor-driven zoom induces a lag, and being a zoom requires a little more thought about the framing options in front of me? Is it that I know the D-Lux 8 won't quite deliver the image quality that the larger sensor and prime lens of an X100 can? Or is it, as a insightful friend suggested, that it doesn't share the Fujifilm's attractive color modes, such that the EVF doesn't hold the same promise that its photos will look really good?

I don't know for sure. But I liked the D-Lux 8 enough that I can't wait to get hold of one again to see if it will find a similar place in my heart.

Buy now:

$1595 at B&H Photo$1595 at Adorama Sample gallery

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Image: Sony

Sony's PDT-FP1 tethered 5G transmitter module is available now at a price of $1095. It was originally announced in early 2024 but was announced with an availability date of "Summer 2024."

Conceptually the Portable Data Transmitter is essentially a 5G Xperia phone that can only send and receive data, rather than making phone calls. In practice it's a little more complex than that: adding direct HDMI and LAN inputs and dual USB-C sockets so that it can stream data and video directly from cameras to the internet using its 5G cellular connection.

With compatible cameras it will automatically launch the correct Sony app and make a wired connection, avoiding the need to launch and configure a connectivity app.

The PDT-FP1 also has a fan, meaning it can keep operating for long periods, even in warm environments. Its dual USB-C sockets mean it can be connected to a power source at the same time as using the other socket to receive data. Sony stresses that the unit, which has a more substantial case than a typical smartphone, has "optimized antenna" for reliable 5G connection and the option of automatic switching between its nano SIM and eSIM to allow it to constantly connect to the strongest available network.

The PDT-FP1 is designed for use in professional environments with the company's pro-focused stills and video cameras.

Press Release:

Now Available: Sony Electronics’ PDT-FP1 5G Portable Data Transmitter

New Device Supports Sustained High-Speed Still and Video Transmission from Sony Cameras, Providing a Competitive Advantage for Live Event Photographers and Broadcast Professionals

SAN DIEGO – July 1, 2024 – Sony Electronics is furthering its commitment to live content creators with today’s launch of the PDT-FP1 portable data transmitter. The previously announced device, which enables high-speed, stable still image and video transport over 5G networks, provides efficiencies for news agencies, photojournalists, corporate and event photographers, and broadcast professionals, among others. It is now available to purchase for a suggested price of $1,099.99 USD: https://electronics.sony.com/mobile/5g-iot-devices/portable-data-transmitter/p/pdtfp1.

Highlights of the new PDT-FP1 include the ability to capture and transmit content from virtually anywhere; simple operation; optimized battery efficiency; reliable heat dissipation; wireless livestreaming capabilities; versatile input interfaces; support for broadcasting high-quality, low-latency video; and real-time, off-site network monitoring during data transfer.

The PDT-FP1 has already been tested for precise, real-time photo and video transmission by broadcasters and individuals, benefiting a range of high-profile events and clients. Award-winning photographer and photojournalist Nick Didlick used the new device for his worldwide travels and provided critical input that helped shape its usability. He called the PDT-FP1 “one of the most significant developments in mobile communications in the last decade,” and noted its agility and cost-effectiveness. Didlick added, “The PDT-FP1 allows me to transmit from where I am shooting rather than having to return to a media center. It worked flawlessly, allowing me to connect and upload images in real-time from various venues.”

The latest industry figures from trade body CIPA show more cameras were shipped between January and May 2024 than in the same periods of 2022 or 2023.

The figures, published today, show 2.3M interchangeable lens cameras were shipped: a 9.8% rise over the same period of 2023, and 11.9% up on 2022. Meanwhile, cameras with built-in lenses were up 7% compared with the same period of last year, leaving them 4.2% lower than 2022.

The value of ILC sales grew 28.6% compared with last year, to ¥251.8B ($1.6B), aided in part by the weak Yen boosting the value received from overseas sales. Meanwhile, the value of fixed-lens camera sales rocketed by 34.7%, to ¥37.6B ($233M) which suggests that at least some of the growth in the compact market is being driven by high-value cameras such as Fujifilm's X100 VI.

Unsurprisingly, the shift from DSLR to mirrorless continued, with mirrorless cameras making up 83.7% of ILC shipments by volume and 92.9% by value. This compares with mirrorless making up 78.4% of volumes and 90.7% by value, for the same period in 2023. With the majority of camera makers focusing their efforts on mirrorless, this trend seems likely to continue.

In its annual results, posted in May, Nikon upped its prediction of the size of the ILC market from 6.1M cameras to 6.2M cameras for the current financial year, which would represent a 6.7% increase over the 2023/24 figures.

Previously in this series, I talked about my visits to Andasibe NP, where I shot lemurs and chameleons, and to Tsingy Rouge NP, where I shot beautiful formations made by erosion. I also talked about shooting sifaka lemurs and baobab trees in Kirindy Forest reserve and about visiting several secluded stops on my way to the southern part of Madagascar. This time, I'll talk about two short but fruitful visits: one to Isalo National Park and the other to Ranomafana National Park.

Isalo is a National Park in the Ihorombe region of Madagascar. It is a sandstone landscape dissected by wind and water erosion into rocky outcrops, plateaus, extensive plains and up to 200 m (660 ft) deep canyons. The park was created in 1962 and has been administered by the Madagascar National Parks authority since 1997. It includes landscapes considered part of the subhumid forests ecoregion. This ecoregion is home to numerous endemic species and has been given Critical/Endangered status because only small areas of native habitat remain, and most of those are highly fragmented.

As you've seen in previous articles, this fragmentation of ecosystems and, thus, the endangerment and rapid decline of endemic species is, unfortunately, very typical of Madagascar. Ecotourism is thus a most powerful and important tool to preserve what's left of the fragile habitats and beautiful species of this poor country.

Isalo might not have infinite landscape photography attractions, but it does have some nice locations with fantastic rock formations, the principal of which is the famous rock arch. As with many locations in Madagascar, this arch is very crowded at sunset with tourist groups and locals but surprisingly empty during sunrise.

The arch can be photographed from both sides. The easier eastern side is basically connected to the road and is thus harder to shoot when it's crowded, but getting to the shooting spot on the western side requires some agility and a bit of climbing and is thus much emptier, even during sunset. Thus, I chose to shoot the arch from the west during sunset and from the east during sunrise.

The eastern side of the rock arch during a cloudy sunrise.

Canon 5D4, Canon 11-24mm F4
11mm | F13 | 4 sec | ISO 200

The western side a few minutes after sunset, under a strong post-sunset glow. This phenomenon happens when the western horizon is clear of clouds. The glow is surprisingly red and reflects beautifully off of brighter surfaces such as the rock arch.

Canon 5D4, Canon 11-24mm F4
13mm | F13 | 8 sec | ISO 200

Apart from the arch, there are eroded rock formations nearby, surrounded by fields where termites build huge mounds, which can serve as nice foregrounds.

A termite mound under post-sunset glow. I took this shot right after the arch shot since it was located just two minutes away.

Canon 5D4, Canon 11-24mm F4
13mm | F13 | 4 sec | ISO 200

As for wildlife, Isalo has a small variety, including the sportive lemur and the red-fronted brown lemur, which I had already seen and photographed. It also has a decent-sized population of the ring-tailed lemur, perhaps the most famous of this primate family.

Getting to the ring-tailed lemurs was a bit of a challenge, and it took some precarious rock climbing to get to the point where they were hanging out. Still, nothing extreme. Upon getting to the lemur group, I got plenty of interesting poses by the lemurs, which were super cute and fun to shoot.

"Why hello there!" It seems like this lemur was a top model in a previous life!

Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm F4.5-6.3
238mm | F8 | 1/1600 sec | ISO 400

I intentionally left some negative space on top of the frame since that's where the lemur is looking.

Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm F4.5-6.3
150mm | F5 | 1/1600 sec | ISO 200

I will talk about ring-tailed lemurs much more extensively in the next article, but for now, I will say that it's not only their beauty but their wonderful behaviors that make them a joy to shoot. One such behavior is licking the branches for a taste of pheromones. Both male and female ring-tailed lemurs have scent glands that secrete pungent substances, which some lemurs find irresistible!

Like other lemurs, this species relies strongly on their sense of smell and territorial marking with scent glands, providing communication signals throughout a group’s home range. The males will participate in stink fights by dousing their tails with their pheromones and ‘wafting’ them at opponents. Additionally, lemurs of both sexes will scent-mark trees, rocks or other objects by simply rubbing their faces and bodies onto it. I guess the eyes say it all.

Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm F4.5-6.3
421mm | F6.3 | 1/640 sec | ISO 800

What I'll talk about next wasn't the next stop in my trip after Isalo. That stop deserves its own article, so for now, I'll skip it and talk about the very last stop - Ranomafana NP. The park protects more than 41,600 hectares (161 square miles) of tropical rainforest at elevations ranging from 800 to 1,200 m (2,645 to 3,937 ft) and is home to several rare species of plants and animals. Out of these species, I had a really good time shooting the golden bamboo lemur, a medium-sized lemur endemic to the area.

Golden bamboo lemur. These guys are super fast and jump around constantly, but once in a while, they'll stop and allow a shot or two. I think they're absolutely beautiful!

Canon 5D4, Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6
300mm | F5.6 | 1/160 sec | ISO 800

This was the second bamboo lemur I shot (the first was the gray bamboo lemur in Andasibe (see the first article in the series), but it was the most photogenic, and by far the harder one to shoot. I had to run across narrow trails through thick vegetation, sometimes only to find out the lemur had already gone away. But I was very happy with this final shot: a golden bamboo lemur inside a heart-shaped leafy frame.

It's hard to beat cuteness in a heart-shaped frame. This was a difficult shot technically, as it was very dark inside the thick vegetation, and my camera found it hard to focus. Only a few shots turned out good, and this is my favorite. You may remember framing as one of the methods I discussed in my landscape composition series—I would say it's even more useful in wildlife photography!

Canon 5D4, Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6
300mm | F5.6 | 1/250 sec | ISO 2000

In the next, final article in this series, I'll talk about the crown jewel of my Madagascar visit: Anja Reserve.

Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveller based in Israel. You can follow Erez's work on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates and to his YouTube channel.

If you'd like to experience and shoot some of the world's most fascinating landscapes and wildlife with Erez as your guide, take a look at his unique photography workshops in Madagascar, Greenland, the Lofoten Islands, Namibia and Vietnam.

Erez also offers video tutorials discussing his images and explaining how he achieved them.

More in this Series:

• Part 1: Andasibe
• Part 2: Red Tsingy
• Part 3: Kirindy Forest
• Part 4: The Long Way to Isalo

Selected Articles by Erez Marom:

• Landscape Composition - Balancing the weights
• Lava Frenzy: Shooting Fagradalsfjall Volcano
• Landscape Composition - Separation of Elements
• Parallelism in Landscape Photography
• Black Hole Sun: Shooting the Total Solar Eclipse in Argentina
• Winds of Change: Shooting Changing landscapes
• Landscape Composition - Negative space
• Shooting Kīlauea Volcano, Part 1: How to Melt a Drone
• Whatever It Doesn't Take

Overall Gold - Eric T’Kindt

Belgian photographer Eric T’Kindt photo was awarded the overall Gold prize at this year's World Sports Photography Awards. The photo of Japanese gymnast Daiki Hashimoto was shot at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, Antwerp, Belgium.

T'Kindt's photo took the overall prize having been awarded Gold in the Gymnastics category.

• Nikon Z9 with Nikkor VR 70-200mm F2.8G

Overall Silver - Isaac Julián Morillas Sánchez

The Silver award went to Spanish photographer Isaac Julián Morillas Sánchez, with a photo called "A new superhero? The perfect match between a spotlight and a head." The photo won Gold in the "Other" category.

• Sony a9 II with FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS

Overall Bronze - Ryan Pierse

The overall Bronze award went to Australian photographer Ryan Pierse for their image "Duck Dive," which came top in the "Aquatics" section of the competition.

• Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with EF15mm F2.8 Fisheye

American Football Gold - Kevin Sabitus

The World Sports Photography Awards recognize images taken across 24 disciplines, from American Football to Cricket. Kevin Sabitu's image "Dobbsanity" won the American Football category.

• Canon EOS R3 with RF135mm F1.8

Athletics

More than 1400 professional photographers from around the world submitted images to this year's competition. Tetsu Lee "The Sprint" took Gold in the Athletics category.

Baseball - Lindsey Wasson

Seattle photographer Lindsey Wasson took the Gold in the baseball category with the photo "Dunk."

• Sony a9 II with FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS

Basketball - Steph Chambers

There were more than 9000 images submitted. Steph Chambers' image, "Rainbow Hair" took Gold amongst the Basketball photos.

• Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with EF24-70mm F2.8 L II USM

Boxing - Andrew Moss

Ten images were selected in each of the 24 categories. Andrew Moss's "The Dynamic Duo" tool Gold in the Boxing arena.

• Nikon Z7 II with Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4

Cricket - Darrian Traynor

Darrian Traynor's "So Close" captures a critical moment in Australia's game against New Zealand in the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India.

• Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with EF600mm F4L IS II USM

Cycling - James Startt

James Startt took a wider view on the action to take this photo of the Strade Bianchi race in Tuscany, creating a Gold-winning image that captures the essence of the race.

• Nikon Z7 with Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8

Equestrian - David Davies

Bronze, Silver and Gold winners were then selected from ten leading images in each category of the competition. David Davies' "Glorious Mud" took Gold in the Equestrian category.

• Sony a9 II with FE 70-200mm GM II OSS

Football (Soccer) - Marcelo Guelber Goes

The three overall winners were then selected from the Gold position in each category. Maecelo Guelber Goes' image of Portugese striker Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded Gold in the Football section of the competition.

• Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with EF300m F2.8L IS USM

Formula 1 - Cristiano Barni

22 of the 24 Gold-winning images include camera data. Cristiano Barni's dynamic shot that won Gold in the Formula 1 category was taken with a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, for instance.

• Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with EF11-24mm F4 USM

Golf - Octávio Passos

Octávio Passos's winner of the Golf category was shot using a Nikon Zf c, the only APS-C camera used by any of the winners.

• Nikon Zf c with Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4 S

Ice Hockey - Bruce Bennett

The most common camera brand amongst the winners was Canon, perhaps unsurprisingly, given the company's historic dominance of the pro sports field. Bruce Bennett used a Canon EOS R5 for his winning Ice Hockey image, "50th Anniversary Score."

• Canon EOS R5 with EF15mm F2.8 Fisheye

Martial Arts - Victor Joly

Half of the winning images shot using Canon cameras were taken with EOS-1D X series DSLRs. The only other winning image to be shot with a DSLR was Victor Joly's "Upside Down - Judo Paris Grand Slam," shot with a Nikon D5.

• Nikon D5 with 70-200mm F2.8

Motor Sports - Pavol Tomaskin

Nikon was the second most used brand among winners, with six entries using Z or D series bodies. Pavol Tomaskin used a Z9 for his image of Argentina motorcyclist Luciano Benavides, which won in the Motor Sports category.

Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR S

Racquet Sports - Benjamin Lau

Benjamin Lau won the Racquet Sports category. The increased professional use of mirrorless can be seen in the winners, with just seven of the twenty two images with camera data being shot with DSLRs.

• Canon EOS R6 - RF70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM

Rugby - Morgan Treacy

Morgan Treacy won Gold in the Rugby category with their image "maul," shot during England's encounter with Ireland at the Six Nations Championship.

• Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with EF500mm f/4L IS II USM

Swimming & diving - Sean M Haffey

Sean M Haffey won the Swimming & diving Gold for his image "Submerged" of British swimmer Alicia Wilson.

Tennis - Marc Aspland

Marc Aspland's photo of Novak Djokovic won the Tennis section of the competition.

• Canon EOS R3 with EF200-400mm f/4L IS USM

Urban & Extreme - Volodya Voronon

Sony was the third most common, with three winning images shot using a9 IIs and Volodya Voronon's image "Reflection," which won the Urban & Extreme category using an a7 IV.

• Sony a7 IV with FE 50mm F2.8 Macro

Venues and views - Brett Phibbs

The awards also include a Venues and Views category, expanding beyond a focus simply on the action itself. New Zealand photographer Brett Phibbs took the award for his photo of a football pitch a world away from, but every bit as dramatic as the Maracanā or Camp Nou.

• Canon EOS R5 with 28-70mm F2L USM

Winter Sports - Alexander Hassenstein

German photographer Alexander Hassenstein rounds-out the competition with some flare, with his image "Mikaela's World," taken of USA skier Mikaela Shiffrin at the Ski World Cup at Sölden, Austria.

• Canon EOS R3 with RF70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM

Our congratulations to all the winners.

Yusuke Adachi
Section Manager, UX Strategy Section, UX Planning Department, Imaging Business Unit

Photo: Dale Baskin

"State-of-the-art technology needs to be embedded in our products because that’s what customers expect." says Yusuke Adachi, Nikon's Section Manager for UX Strategy and Planning at Nikon's Imaging Business Unit.

Adachi was speaking to us at Nikon headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, shortly after this year's CP+ Expo. In an exclusive interview, he addressed a range of topics, including the current state of the camera market, the impact of AI on photography, and the importance of video.

State of the market

"The 2023 global market for digital cameras has been back in the recovery phase from the pandemic," Adachi tells us. "This has allowed more people to go out and enjoy taking photos. During this period, more younger users chose Nikon as their creative work. So, all these contributed to an increase in shipments of our products, and it's almost coming back to the same level as pre-covid."

He calls out two specific product areas that are driving this growth. "Specifically, we have seen success with the Z8, which we rolled out last year. On top of that, Nikkor Z lenses have performed very well. When it comes to the lens lineup, the large-diameter lens mount and lenses like the Plena and super telephoto lenses have been received very well."

Looking to the future, we ask Adachi what types of customers he expects will have the most significant influence on the camera market over the next five years.

Adachi credits the Z8 for helping drive Nikon's recent success, along with strong performance from Z-mount lenses.

"I believe there are two types of customers," he says. "The first is small groups or individual content or image creators. Often, these customers operate and shoot videos of themselves or with a small team. They want to have downsized, compact systems or cameras. These customers have become very discerning thanks to video streaming platforms such as Netflix or Amazon Prime, where they see beautiful content and want to live up to that high level of expectation. Such customers want to have better capability to create high-quality and impressive imaging."

"The second type," he explains, "is the younger generation. Those people are not only looking for quality but also for design capability. They would like to capture images in a more emotional way and are looking for a camera that enables them to do that. For us, these are cameras like the Zf and Z fc. This lineup is considered the heritage of the company, and we would like to have customers who can relate themselves to our heritage."

"Customers have become very discerning thanks to video streaming platforms such as Netflix or Amazon Prime, where they see beautiful content and want to live up to that high level..."

Are there customers who are being underserved by the industry today? we ask.

"Yes, of course. We have been expanding our lineup of high-spec cameras and lenses for customers who are seeking to pursue imaging expression. But maybe one underserved group is first-time camera purchasers. Maybe we haven’t been able to offer the [right] options to them. We can’t share information about our product development, but one of the factors we consider very important for this underserved but significant group of people is connectivity."

AI in photography

As our conversation shifts toward other market changes, we wanted to know what Mr Adachi thinks was the most important trend in imaging over the past year.

"The key word would be generative AI," he says. "We believe that generative AI can leave a positive impact on both cameras and the industry as a whole, but at the same time, it’s been causing issues such as fake images or fraudulent use of images, which leads to the issue of credibility and confidence. So, in order to grapple with these issues, we’ve been working on technology to record histories of captured images [ie Content Authenticity Initiative]. Right now, we’re in the demonstration phase to verify and validate the efficacy of these functions we’re trying to deploy together with AFP (Agence France-Presse)."

Continuing down the AI path, we discuss the importance of AI and machine learning in camera development. Mr Adachi believes customers are pleased with the advancements these technologies have delivered, particularly for subject recognition and tracking, but tells us there are more opportunities ahead.

Adachi cites the Auto Capture feature on the Z9 (and Z8) as an example of leveraging AI and machine learning technologies to deliver more benefits to customers.

"I believe there is further room for improvement or evolution using AI or computer vision. The point is that, of course, state-of-the-art technology needs to be embedded in our products because that’s what customers expect. For us, it’s very important to consider what benefit we can provide to our customers and what expectations they place on us."

He cites the Auto Capture feature on the Z8 and Z9, which can take a photo or video when one or more specified criteria, such as distance, motion and subject detection, are met, as one example of a benefit Nikon can provide through technology.

"That means that if you’re a solo photographer at a scene, you can set a remote, fixed camera somewhere else. So, if you’re a solo photographer, you can capture one scene from multiple angles, which could lead to new types of imaging experiences for our audience. AI machine learning has been the enabler for us to make the auto-identification of objects or subjects or the auto-identification of scenes themselves."

Smartphones and computational photography

Photographers frequently ask about the possibility of porting computational photography features, like those found on smartphones, to cameras. We ask Mr Adachi if that's the right question or if the role of computational photography is different on a device where a photographer wants complete control of the creative process.

"When it comes to computational photography, smartphones and cameras are different in terms of the applications of this technology. I can’t share the details of the development we’re doing right now, but maybe what I could say is that we are actively engaged in technology development to not only prevent customers from making mistakes but also to expand the possibilities of expression in latest imaging, such as Nikon Creates."

"When it comes to the latest in imaging, what the camera can render is very different from smartphone rendering using computational photography technology."

"When it comes to the latest in imaging, what the camera can render is very different from smartphone rendering using computational photography technology."

Of course, virtually every camera user is also a smartphone user, and consumers have come to expect integration between the two devices. What, we wonder, are the workflow challenges that need to be addressed to allow better integration between these devices?

"There are actually several factors," Adachi explains. "One of the pain points for customers is the workflow of sharing a photo they take with a camera and loading it onto their social media accounts. There are multiple steps that a customer needs to go through: taking a photo, sending it to the smartphone, and then handing it off to a social media account are too many steps for them."

"That’s the area where we can actually make an improvement and where we should make an improvement. And that’s just one example of a pain point customers have. We should really think about how we can improve the customer’s experience based on such use cases and identify what needs they have."

The importance of video

When we interviewed Nikon executives in 2023, they told us video was vital to the company's future, so we asked Mr Adachi about how this might impact the continued evolution of mirrorless cameras.

"When we interviewed Nikon executives in 2023, they told us video was vital to the company's future."

"When we talk about video, there are so many different types of customers – the Z30 for vlog and general customers, but the Z9 has been very well received even by broadcast stations. So, our customer base is really broad, and we should be able to appeal to a wide range of customers while incorporating the necessary evolution on the product side to catch up with the needs of this broader range of customers."

"What kind of impact will video have on the camera itself? It’s hard to comment on that, but video has had a significant impact on still image functions like high-speed capture and high frame rates, so video functions can be leveraged for imaging solutions."

As he points out, there is a wide range of video users, some of whom rely heavily on smartphones for video today. He identifies one improvement mirrorless camera makers could make to encourage more people to use their cameras for video.

Just a few days after our interview, Nikon announced its acquisition of RED Digital Cinema, reinforcing the importance of video to the company's future.*

"We often receive feedback from customers who say that video takes more time for them to edit compared to pictures. So, we should make the entire video editing procedure much easier and a more casual thing for them. Otherwise, people won’t use their cameras for video."

He also acknowledges that smartphones play a valuable role for video, albeit with limitations. "One of the major reasons for using smartphone video is to record everyday life," he says. "But there is another reason for people to shoot video, and that is to render something creative through filming. If they want to do that, the smartphone has limitations. So, that’s the place where we can go further with a camera. What we can do is open up and expand our customer base and focus on customers who have a desire to pursue imaging expression so that people can render something unique and impressive with a mirrorless solution."

*Editors note: This interview occurred a few days before Nikon announced its acquisition of RED Digital Cinema, a leading manufacturer of professional cinema cameras. We look forward to asking Nikon representatives more about this significant development in a future interview.

Hasselblad Masters 2023 winners

Hasselblad has announced the category winners of its Hasselblad Masters 2023 photo contest. The six categories are Landscape, Architecture, Portrait, Art, Street and Project//21, a category for photographers under age 21.

Each photographer entered a series of photos around a unified theme, and Hasselblad says photographers submitted over 85,000 images to the biannual competition. Winners were judged on their photographic ability, creativity, and technique by a combination of public voting and a professional grand jury.

Winners receive the title of 'Hasselblad Master' and receive a Hasselblad 100MP mirrorless camera, two XCD series lenses and a creative fund of €5000. Additionally, they will be able to participate in a collaborative project with Hasselblad.

Landscape: Weimin Chu (China)

Photographer name: Weimin Chu (China)

Photo series name: Tibetan Landscape from the Train Window

Caption: The images by Weimin Chu capture traditional landscapes integrated with modern developments in China. Chu creates a frame within a frame, connecting the carriage interior with the outside landscape, inviting us to journey alongside the photographer through landscapes and time.

Copyright: ©Weimin Chu

Landscape: Weimin Chu (China)

This series of works was shot in the trains of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the Lalin Railway. Through the train windows, the traditional natural landscapes and the social landscape photography of the times are combined.

On the way to Tibet by train, I was inspired by Chinese photographer Wang Fuchun's "Chinese on the Train" and American photographer Lee Friedlander's "America by Car," and I came up with the idea of ​​using trains, a large-scale means of transportation in China.

Copyright: ©Weimin Chu

Landscape: Weimin Chu (China)

At representative locations along the way, the idea of ​​​​showing China's contemporary scenery through the train windows. Outside the car window, there are not only the shocking Gobi, lakes, snow-capped mountains, but also contemporary man-made landscapes such as high-voltage power towers, sand-proof walls, plateau highways, etc.

At the same time, I also took in some characters or objects in the train to present their identities and the style of the times through some indirect methods. These photos are the three most representative ones among the hundreds of thousands of train window photos I took more than 30 times in the past few years.

Copyright: ©Weimin Chu

Architecture: Tiina Itkonen (Finland)

Photographer name: Tiina Itkonen (Finland)

Photo series name: Home

Caption: Tiina Itkonen's series documents the traditional lives of Inuit hunters and their families, who live in small wooden houses in remote parts of East and North West Greenland. Her images exemplify resilience and ingenuity in extreme conditions.

Copyright: ©Tiina Itkonen

Architecture: Tiina Itkonen (Finland)

Since 1995 Itkonen has traveled regularly to Greenland to photograph the polar landscape and its people. She has traveled more than 1500 kilometers along the west coast of Greenland by dogsled, fishing scow, sailboat, helicopter, small plane, cargo ship and oil tanker and along the way spending time in small villages and coming to know the Greenlandic people.

Copyright: ©Tiina Itkonen

Architecture: Tiina Itkonen (Finland)

Since 2017 Itkonen has been documenting the traditional life of the Inuit subsistence hunters and their families to understand how they are affected by climate change.

Copyright: ©Tiina Itkonen

Portrait: Panji Indra Permana (Indonesia)

Photographer name: Panji Indra Permana (Indonesia)

Photo series name: Bicycle Street Sellers of Jakarta

Caption: Panji Indra Permana's project, 'The Cyclist Portrait,' began in 2020, documenting Indonesia's cycling trend during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially focused on lifestyle portraits, it evolved to highlight those who rely on bicycles for their livelihoods and those who sell them. Historically, bikes in Indonesia were a symbol of privilege, owned by officials, aristocrats and wealthy merchants. Through his work, Permana promotes a healthier lifestyle and a greener planet.

Copyright: ©Panji Indra Permana

Portrait: Panji Indra Permana (Indonesia)

Bicycles are clearly not new to Indonesians. They have been part of the archipelago since Indonesia was still called the Dutch East Indies, under Dutch colonial rule. Ownership of bicycles in the Dutch East Indies at that time was limited. Only certain groups, such as colonial officials, aristocrats, missionaries, and wealthy merchants, owned bicycles. Ownership of bicycles is a prestigious title among local people.

COVID-19 gives many of us a new hobby, cycling. Not different from the rest of the world, Indonesia also feels the same euphoric trend. We can see a lot of people buying bicycles as a means for sports or recreation. It is nice to see a lot of people dressed so nicely to ride a bike, especially on the weekend.

Copyright: ©Panji Indra Permana

Portrait: Panji Indra Permana (Indonesia)

I have started a portrait photography project to document these phenomena, to shoot people with their bikes. It started as a lifestyle portrait project in 2020. The project is called The Cyclist Portrait (Instagram: @thecyclistportrait).

But as time passed, I see something that is usually missed by people, that is the people who make a living with bicycles as their means of transportation. Therefore, I also collect photographs of these bicycle sellers. I want to encourage people to start cycling, to promote a healthier life and a healthier planet. That’s why I use a bicycle to carry all the gear while hunting for these portraits.

Copyright: ©Panji Indra Permana

Art: Jan Pypers (Belgium)

Photographer name: Jan Pypers (Belgium)

Photo series name: Diorama

Caption: Jan Pypers’ series explores humans' lost bond with nature, inspired by traditional dioramas and modern representation. By blending reality with surrealism, Pypers creates images that evoke curiosity and intrigue. It urges reconnection with and respect for the natural world.

Copyright: ©Jan Pypers

Art: Jan Pypers (Belgium)

The series explores our lost bond with nature, inspired by traditional dioramas and modern digital representations. It urges reconnection and respect with nature. I used Photoshop to merge several photos. Contrary to what many think, I do not use 3D or artificial intelligence, but old film techniques such as scale models and forced perspective.

Copyright: ©Jan Pypers

Art: Jan Pypers (Belgium)

Copyright: ©Jan Pypers

Street: Tom Pitts (United Kingdom)

Photographer name: Tom Pitts (United Kingdom)

Photo series name: The Commute

Caption: Tom Pitts’ series captures the unspoken emotions of strangers in transit, photographed at bus stops in England. “I wanted to capture and share the stories and moments that take place every day during people's commutes, and the underlying beauty that passes us by," says Pitts.

Copyright: ©Tom Pitts

Street: Tom Pitts (United Kingdom)

This work was taken at bus stops in my home town of Cheltenham and in London during the course of 2023. I wanted to capture and share the stories and moments that take place every day during people's commutes, and the underlying beauty that passes us by.

Copyright: ©Tom Pitts

Street: Tom Pitts (United Kingdom)

The apparent sorrow and loneliness of an isolated figure against the rain on the bus, the woman who is holding her head at the end of a long working day perhaps in reaction to what she has just experienced, and finally the man carrying roses with a surgical mask pulled down looking at the women who is oblivious to him at the bus stop - is that who the flowers were for? The love he lost.

Copyright: ©Tom Pitts

Project//21: Efraïm Baaijens (Netherlands)

Photographer name: Efraïm Baaijens (Netherlands)

Photo series name: Tiny Titans

Caption: Efraïm Baaijens' micro images capture the extraordinary beauty and detail of the insect world. “Let's marvel at these tiny faces and remember to respect all life forms, no matter how small. Insects are vital to our ecosystem, pollinating plants and maintaining balance in nature. You don't have to travel far to witness nature's wonders—just step outside and look closely," says Baaijens.

Copyright: ©Efraïm Baaijens

Project//21: Efraïm Baaijens (Netherlands)

Discover the magic of our world. These insect portraits may seem like they're from distant lands, but they were all taken right here, in my city. Let's marvel at these tiny faces and remember to respect all life forms, no matter how small. Insects are vital to our ecosystem, pollinating plants and maintaining balance in nature.

Copyright: ©Efraïm Baaijens

Project//21: Efraïm Baaijens (Netherlands)

You don't have to travel far to witness nature's wonders—just step outside and look closely. Respect for insects enriches our connection to the world around us.

Copyright: ©Efraïm Baaijens

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Nikon

Nikon has announced the Nikkor Z 35mm F1.4, its first F1.4 lens for its Z-mount mirrorless system. Until now most of the company's prime lenses have been F1.2, F1.8 or F2.8.

Interestingly, the Z 35mm F1.4 is not part of the company's premium 'S' line of lenses, and is priced lower than the 35mm F1.8 S, coming to market with a recommended price of $599, rather than the $849 originally asked for the F1.8. We understand this is not the 'S' line lens that previously appeared on Nikon's lens roadmap.

The lens is constructed with eleven elements arranged in nine groups. with two of these being aspherical elements. This doesn't correspond with any other lenses we could find, which suggests it isn't an existing lens being re-bodied and re-badged for Nikon, which might have explained the pricing.

The lens uses a stepper motor to drive its autofocus, as most Z-mount lenses do and includes a control ring that can customized to operate a range of functions.

The 35mm can be used as a slight wide-angle lens on full-frame cameras or as a roughly 53mm equiv with one of Nikon's 'DX' APS-C cameras.

The 415g (14.7oz) lens is 75 x 87mm (3.0 x 3.4") and accepts 62mm filters. Nikon says it will be available in mid July at a recommended price of $599.95.

Press Release:

Fast and affordable: Nikon releases the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4, a natural wide-angle lens for the Nikon Z mount


Elevate Your Artistry with the Latest NIKKOR Z Prime Lens

MELVILLE, NY (June 26, 2024) - Today Nikon announced the release of the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4, a wide-angle prime lens that is compatible with Z mount full-frame/FX format mirrorless cameras. This fast, versatile lens offers a natural angle of view, popular among street and portrait photographers, with the creative freedom provided by a bright maximum aperture of f/1.4–all at an affordable price.

Not only does the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 allow users to enjoy beautiful soft bokeh and three-dimensional rendering at wide apertures, its versatile 35mm focal length and short minimum focus distance of 10.6 in. (0.27 m) make it ideal for capturing a wide variety of scenes and subjects. From landscapes and street photography to portraits and photos of flowers and pets, photographers and filmmakers will enjoy outstanding sharpness, beautifully-blurred backgrounds and exceptional versatility in low light.

Despite its large f/1.4 maximum aperture the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 is a great “carry everywhere” lens for day-to-day shooting, weighing just 14.6 oz (415 g) and measuring only 3.4 in. (86.5mm)1 in length.

The superior optical performance unique to NIKKOR Z lenses allows for clear images with outstanding clarity including close-up portraits that emphasize the subject with a pleasant background blur. Stopping down the aperture when photographing landscapes realizes incredible sharpness. As a wide-angle prime lens with superior cost performance, the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 supports the capture of a wide variety of scenes and subjects, and will appeal to a wide variety of enthusiast creators.

Primary features of the Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4:

• Beautiful bokeh: Max aperture of f/1.4 allows photographers and filmmakers to achieve smooth, creamy out of focus backgrounds while precisely controlling depth-of-field for ideal subject and background separation.
• Versatile focal length: The 35mm focal length is close to that of human vision, making it ideal for capturing a wide range of scenes and subjects. On DX format Z cameras, the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 becomes a 52mm equivalent prime lens, close to the classic “standard” 50mm.
• Close minimum focus: Close focus of just 10.6 in (0.27 m) is ideal for capturing details in food and flowers with a beautifully blurred background.
• Compact and well-balanced: The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 weighs just 14.6 oz (415 g), making it is easy to carry and comfortable to use for hand-held shooting.
• Fast and quiet autofocus: The use of a stepping motor (STM) for autofocus ensures fast and quiet autofocus for both stills and video.
• Clickless control ring: Easily control key exposure settings including aperture, ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation.
• Suppressed focus breathing: Advanced optical design means the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4’s focal length stays consistent during focusing, which is ideal when recording video.2
• Dust and drip-resistant: Seals throughout the design help prevent dust and water droplets from entering the lens.3

Price and Availability

The new Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 lens will be available in mid July 2024 for a suggested retail price of $599.95.* For more information about the latest Nikon products, including the extensive lineup of NIKKOR Z lenses and the entire range of Z series cameras, please visit Nikonusa.com.

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

1. Distance to end of lens from camera lens mount flange.
2. Focus breathing may be noticeable depending on the distance between the lens and the subject due to the characteristics of the lens.
3. Thorough dust- and drip-resistance is not guaranteed in all situations or under all conditions.

Nikon Nikkor 35mm F1.4 specifications Principal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length35 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountNikon ZApertureMaximum apertureF1.4Minimum apertureF16Aperture ringNoNumber of diaphragm blades9OpticsElements11Groups9Special elements / coatings2 aspherical elementsFocusMinimum focus0.27 m (10.63″)Maximum magnification0.18×AutofocusYesMotor typeStepper motorFull time manualNoFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight415 g (0.91 lb)Diameter75 mm (2.95″)Length87 mm (3.43″)SealingYesFilter thread62 mmHood suppliedYes

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The Pentax 17 is the first Pentax film camera in two decades. It's a half-frame camera, meaning it captures two vertical images instead of a single horizontal one on each frame of film. The number '17' in the name refers to the width of the 17 x 24mm frame that it captures on standard 35mm film.

Key features and specifications

• Half-frame image capture (17 x 24mm)
• 37mm (equiv) FOV F3.5 lens
• Zone focusing system with 6 zones
• Circular leaf shutter (F3.5-16)
• Built-in flash (6m/20ft at ISO100)
• Optical tunnel viewfinder with frame lines
• Exposure from 1/350 sec to 4 sec (+ Bulb)
• Supports films from ISO 50 to ISO 3200

The Pentax 17 will be available in late June at a suggested retail price of $499. A bundle that includes one roll of Ilford HP5 Plus 400 B&W film, one roll of Kodak UltraMax 400 color film, two film processing coupons and a two-year extended warranty (for a total of three years) will sell for $599.

Buy now:

$499 at B&H Photo$499 at Adorama Who it's for

Before discussing the camera's features and performance, it's worth examining who the Pentax 17 is aimed at. Ricoh says it's seen a renewed interest in film, particularly among young people, an important demographic for any manufacturer. It believes many photographers who take pictures with smartphones want to do something more creative. This includes people who haven't shot film before and some who haven't shot film in a long time.

With that context in mind, Ricoh tells us it chose the half-frame format for two important reasons. The first is to mitigate costs; film may be experiencing a resurgence, but prices remain high, particularly when you include both film and processing. By doubling the number of frames on each roll of film, it effectively cuts the cost-per-frame in half.

"Pentax says it wants to keep the camera's learning curve relatively simple, making it easier for first-time film shooters to get the desired results without requiring much experience."

The second is that the vertical format more closely aligns with the shooting style many people have adopted for sharing photos on social media platforms.

Additionally, Ricoh says it wants to keep the camera's learning curve relatively simple, making it easier for first-time film shooters to get the desired results without requiring much experience. As a result, the camera uses programmed exposure modes rather than offering a fully manual shooting experience.

That's maybe a roundabout way of saying that if you're looking for a fully manual, full-frame 35mm film camera, the Pentax 17 isn't it. However, that doesn't mean you can't have a lot of fun shooting it.

Body and design

The Pentax 17 is essentially a modern point-and-shoot camera, though it's a well-built one. It weighs 290g (10.2 oz) without film or battery, and the top and bottom plates are made of magnesium alloy. Much of the middle is made of plastic. Consistent with the camera's compact style, the grip is relatively small.

In an homage to previous Pentax cameras, the Pentax 17 includes several features borrowed from, or inspired by, earlier Pentax models, one of which is visible on the front: the number 17 in the camera's logo uses the same font for the digits as Pentax 6x7 cameras from years past.

Another throwback is visible on the top of the viewfinder, with the Asahi Optical Company logo appearing above the Pentax branding. You'll also find the film plane indicator and the words 'Film Camera' here.

The camera's mode dial is divided into three color-coded sections: blue, white and gold. The blue section has a single Auto mode, in which the camera will make all exposure decisions, including whether or not to fire the flash. The white section includes Program, Slow-speed, bulb modes, and a Bokeh mode that forces the leaf shutter to remain at its widest possible aperture. Selecting any of the modes in the white section turns off the flash.

In contrast, selecting any mode in the gold section will force the flash to fire. It includes a standard Program mode (with flash sync) and a Slow-speed sync mode that allows the shutter to remain open long enough for ambient light conditions.

An exposure compensation dial with a range of ±2EV in 1/3 stop increments provides an added degree of control in situations that could fool the camera's auto exposure metering, such as taking photos in the snow.

The camera's shutter button, which is based on the one from the Pentax KP DSLR, is surrounded by the on/off switch. Alongside it, you'll find the film advance lever and frame counter. We're told the film winding mechanism is based on the one from the Pentax Auto 110, and the frame counter goes all the way to 72, the maximum number of photos you can take using a roll of 36-exposure film.

The built-in flash also comes from the Pentax KP, though it's mounted in front instead of using a pop-up mechanism. It's rated for 6m (20ft) at ISO 100.

When loading film, you'll need to set the ISO using the ISO dial, which is released by a small black button to the right of the dial. The camera supports films within the ISO range of 50-3200.

Inside the ISO dial is the film rewind crank, another throwback: It's based on the crank from the Pentax LX, an SLR released in 1980, and we're told the white arrow markings on the crank are designed to mimic the Pentax Spotmatic SP.

The back of the camera includes a 2.5mm jack that works with the Pentax CS-205 cable release. To enhance the film experience, there's even a frame to hold the top flap of the film box to remind you of what film is in the camera. Finally, the bottom of the camera has a tripod socket and the film rewind release button.

Lens

The Pentax 17 uses a 25mm F3.5 lens with a leaf shutter, but owning to the camera's half-frame format, it has an effective 37mm focal length in equivalent terms. It's supposed to be based on the lens in the Pentax Espio Mini from 1994, and like that camera, it uses a triplet design that features three elements in three groups. It has been updated to include Pentax's modern HD coating. The smallest aperture is F16.

The lens employs a zone focus system with six available presets: 0.25m, 0.5m, 1.2m, 1.7m, 3m (0.82ft, 1.7ft, 4ft, 5.6ft, 10ft) and infinity. Zones are selected using icons along the top of the lens, with index marks in meters and feet also available below the lens.

The lens includes a 40.5mm filter thread, and since the light meter is located on the front of the lens, it should meter accurately even with a filter attached.

Viewfinder

The most obvious thing you'll notice when looking through the viewfinder is that it's vertical, owing to the camera's half-frame design.

The viewfinder is a simple optical tunnel design. It includes two sets of frame etchings, one for regular photos and one for shooting in macro mode, which corrects for parallax when the camera is close to the subject.

A pair of LED lights sits to the right of the viewfinder to indicate conditions such as insufficient light (which could also indicate that the lens cap is still attached), that the film lever needs to be wound before you can shoot the next frame, or to remind you that you're in macro mode.

"The most obvious thing you'll notice when looking through the viewfinder is that it's vertical, owing to the camera's half-frame design."

Helpfully, a pass-through in the viewfinder allows you to see which zone focus icon is currently selected. This allows you to select the focus zone without removing the camera from your eye.

Battery

The Pentax 17 may be the first Pentax camera introduced in quite some time not to include a rechargeable battery, opting for a 3V CR2 lithium battery instead.

According to the spec sheet, a battery should last through 10 rolls of 36-exposure film when using flash for 50% of the photos. However, a Ricoh representative told us that, in practice, most users will likely get double this number if they do not use the flash so frequently.

In use

In many ways, shooting the Pentax 17 is reminiscent of using an old point-and-shoot film camera. But not quite.

Many point-and-shoot film cameras from the last couple of decades of the film era did as much as possible to get film out of users' way: features like auto-winding to the first frame, automatic film advance between frames, and auto rewind at the end of a roll of film were commonplace. And, of course, most were autofocus. In essence, in an era where every camera shot film, most point-and-shoot cameras aimed to make it possible for people just to point and shoot.

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab. Pentax 17 sample gallery

Photos captured using Kodak Ektar 100 film and processed by The Darkroom with 'Enhanced' scanning [2048 x 2905 resolution)

The Pentax 17 takes a hybrid approach. It feels like a point-and-shoot but provides enough tactile cues to ensure that you engage with the film experience. Manually advancing the film to the first frame, cranking the film advance lever between shots, and manually rewinding at the end of the roll are all part of the process. I rather enjoyed the simple action of cranking the film advance lever and using it to anchor my thumb when shooting. As a former film shooter, it felt very natural.

Similarly, zone focusing requires you to stop and evaluate the scene. It's been a while since I've shot using zone focusing, and it took me a little time to get into the groove, but it provided an enjoyable balance between needing to stop to think about my settings and a casual point-and-shoot experience. Zone focusing is pretty simple, and I expect most users will get pretty good at it after shooting a couple of rolls of film.

Kodak Ektar 100

Photo: Dale Baskin

The thing that's going to jump out to many experienced photographers will be the vertical viewfinder. This can be a bit jarring in a world where most cameras default to landscape view, but I mostly forgot about it within a few minutes and just enjoyed shooting. Pentax anticipates selling many of these cameras to people who came of age shooting on smartphones, and I expect many of those users will feel right at home with the vertical arrangement.

Overall, the camera handles well. The small grip provides a good balance between handling and appearance, and the controls are logical and comfortably laid out. Turning the focus ring on the lens feels less precise than I'd like – I wish it would more definitively click into place when switching between zones – but it's not a showstopper.

The half-frame approach has one very tangible benefit: with up to 72 exposures on a roll of film, you're likely to spend less time watching the film counter and more time enjoying the photography experience.

Image quality

Considering the Pentax 17's half-frame format, it shouldn't come as a surprise that it doesn't deliver the same image quality as the larger negatives from a standard 35mm camera (similar to what we see with different sizes of digital sensors). Let's stipulate that the Pentax 17 isn't a camera you're going to buy if absolute image quality is your top priority. Instead, it's a camera you buy because you're looking for a particular type of shooting experience.

Overall, image quality met my expectations. The lens isn't as tack-sharp as the more modern designs found on recent digital cameras, but even if it were, chances are pretty good it would out-resolve most of the film you're likely to put in the camera. Generally speaking, image quality reminds me of the results you would get from a typical point-and-shoot film camera, which isn't too surprising considering the lens' heritage.

Kodak Ektar 100

Photo: Dale Baskin

One of the biggest factors that will impact image quality isn't the camera itself but the film you use. During my test period with the camera, I used Kodak Ektar 100 film, which produces relatively high contrast and vivid colors. In retrospect, it probably wasn't the best film stock for a sunny summer day with a lot of contrast, but that's what I put in the camera. As a result, some of my photos include blown highlights and dark shadows that likely wouldn't have occurred had I used a film with less contrast.

However, that's part of the film photography experience: sometimes, you just have to shoot whatever film happens to be in your camera.

How the film is developed can also be a factor. Our film was processed and scanned by a commercial lab, The Darkroom, and included 'Enhanced' scans that measure 2905 x 2048 pixels.

I expect most people who seek out the Pentax 17 will do so to share images on social media or make small prints rather than ordering huge enlargements to hang over the fireplace. For those uses, image quality is acceptable. What's probably more important to these users is the ability to create images with a distinct look different from the highly processed smartphone images most people are used to seeing.

Conclusion

When considering the Pentax 17, it's essential to manage expectations. Understandably, some design choices, particularly the decision to go with a vertical-first, half-frame format, have been polarizing within the photography community, especially among long-time photographers. In this case, it's important to consider the product's target audience.

Film continues to sell, in part due to younger photographers who want to experiment with film photography. It's a logical demographic for Pentax to go after, and it allows the company to start building relationships with a different generation of users. In that context, a half-frame camera that defaults to vertical shooting makes some sense.

Kodak Ektar 100

Photo: Dale Baskin

However, don't be misled into thinking the Pentax 17 is only for the Instagram crowd. Sometimes, photography is simply about having fun, and I had a lot of fun using the camera. In fact, one of the things I enjoyed most was the half-frame format. Anyone who has shot film knows that part of the experience is that brief moment of anxiety you experience every time you press the shutter button, hoping each photo is worth the incremental expense. Watching the frame counter tick up and knowing you can go all the way to 72 removes some of that stress.

And those expenses are real. The Darkroom, the commercial lab that processed and scanned our photos, charges around $20 to process and scan a roll of 35mm film from a half-frame camera, which includes online delivery of the scans and negatives returned by post. Adding a set of prints increases that cost by around $10. Prices will vary between labs, but this gives you a ballpark idea of the costs.

At $499, the Pentax 17 will be more than an impulse buy for most people. However, some used point-and-shoots, including the Pentax Espio Mini, routinely sell on the used market for around $250. From that perspective, a new camera with a warranty and a company to back it up could be attractive to buyers who prefer not to roll the dice on used gear.

Should you buy it? If you're the type of person who hasn't shot film before, or maybe not in a long time, the Pentax 17 is a good entry point to get the film shooting experience. However, there are a lot of great point-and-shoot film cameras available on the used market, too, though it's worth noting that many of these have seen their value increase in recent years and may not be the bargain they once were. But, if the idea of a half-frame, semi-manual camera appeals to you, and your expectations for image quality are reasonable, the Pentax 17 is a good option.

What we like

• Classic looking design
• Good controls and handling
• Good balance between manual and automatic control

What we'd like to see improved

• Some plastic parts don't live up to overall build quality
• More precise zone-focus ring
• Price

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Sigma

Sigma has announced the pricing of its 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | C lens for APS-C RF-mount Canon cameras.

The RF version will be on sale from mid July 2024 with a recommended retail price of $599, which is a $50 premium compared with the launch prices of the existing versions for Sony E mount, Fujifilm X mount and Nikon Z mount. We'll have to wait to see whether this trend continues before we can make assumptions about the cost of Canon's RF-mount licensing.

Sigma says the 18-50mm F2.8 is part of its mount conversion program, so you can arrange to get your existing lenses modified for RF-mount, if you have them. It'll be interesting to see whether the same is true for the other DC DN primes Sigma has promised, as it may offer a mechanism for owners of EF-M versions to carry their lenses over to the newer Canon mount.

With dimensions of 69 x 75mm (2.7 x 2.9"), the Canon version is around 4mm wider than the original Sony E-mount version and, at 300g (10.6oz), is 10g heavier.

We're currently in the process of shooting a gallery with the 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN on the Canon EOS R7 and will publish it in the coming weeks.

Launch schedule of SIGMA 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary for Canon RF Mount

SIGMA Corporation is pleased to announce the launch schedule of SIGMA 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN｜Contemporary for Canon RF Mount.

A large F2.8 aperture zoom lens that need never leave your camera.
This exceptionally light, bright, and sharp standard zoom for crop-sensor mirrorless cameras is the ultimate workhorse lens.

【Long-awaited Canon RF Mount addition】

SIGMA's first APS-C size mirrorless dedicated zoom lens, the SIGMA 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary, will now be available for the Canon RF Mount. This addition allows users to enjoy high-performance, and high-quality SIGMA zoom lenses in native mount on their Canon RF Mount system.

A control algorithm including AF drive and communication speed optimization has been developed specifically for Canon RF Mount interchangeable lenses. In addition to realizing high-speed AF, the lens also supports Servo AF and in-camera aberration correction*1. The mount is rubber-sealed to cater for use in a variety of environments.

Mount Conversion Service is available to convert other mounts of SIGMA 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN｜Contemporary to Canon RF Mount.

【Features】 1. Large F2.8 aperture and superb image quality

The compact body offers a versatile full-frame equivalent zoom range of 28.8mm to 80mm, a wide aperture of F2.8 throughout the entire zoom range that allows you to enjoy bokeh expressions, and sharp images achieved by the latest optical design technology. With a minimum focusing distance of 12.1cm and a maximum magnification of 1:2.8*2, it allows photographers to take advantage of the compact shooting system, such as shooting close-ups of your subject.

２. Exceptionally compact and lightweight body ideal for mirrorless cameras

The main feature of the SIGMA 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary is its overwhelmingly compact and lightweight body that maximizes the excellent portability and advantages of an APS-C mirrorless camera. Despite its large aperture of F2.8, it is the smallest and lightest in its class*3 boasting a maximum diameter of φ69.2mm, a length of 74.5mm and weight of 300g.*4 This makes the large-aperture standard zoom easy to carry around in daily life.

*1 Available on supported cameras only.
*2 The minimum focusing distance and maximum magnification ratio are both values at the wide end.
*3 As an AF compatible, F2.8 constant aperture standard zoom lens for APS-C (as of June 2024, by SIGMA).
*4 Size and weight measurements given for Canon RF Mount version.