Latest From The Phoblographer

Will We See a Sony 28mm F1.8 Lens This Year? Or a G Master?

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There aren’t a lot of 28mm lenses on the market right now. But if you were to make any sort of predictions, a Sony 28mm f1.8 lens would be next up. Alternatively, one might consider a 28mm f1.4 G Master. Something like this would add to the stunning collection of lenses Sony already has. Years ago, I was saying that companies need to offer lots of variations to their lenses. And I still believe that to be the case. But with so many mirrorless options out there, these lenses need to stand out from the pack. So how could another Sony 28mm lens stand out?

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Does The Nikon 24-120mm F4 Need to Make a Comeback?

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Years ago, Nikon had a wonderful lens. the Nikon 24-120mm f4. It offered a massive zoom range and a ton of convenience. No one else created anything like it. Indeed, every other camera manufacturer has focused on the 24-105mm and 24-70mm ideas. But in truth, a 24-120mm f4 would be more useful. We wonder why it won’t return. Here’s why I think it needs a comeback, but in a much bigger way.

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The Sony Airpeak S1 Misses Out on a Huge Opportunity

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If you’ve complained about how drones need bigger sensors, the new Sony AirPeak S1 might make you feel differently. A while back, the company had let the world know it was making a drone. And the Sony AirPeak S1 is exactly that drone. It’s designed to carry Sony’s high-end interchangeable lens cameras, but it doesn’t have to. In fact, it has a bunch of cameras all around it, and you’ll have to buy the basket for the camera anyway. Those cameras, though, all have small sensors.

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The Olympus EP7 Is the Most Beautiful Camera They’ve Made in a While

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Look at this thing! Look at it! Acknowledge the fact that your heart beats just a little faster when you look at the Olympus EP7. Ergonomically speaking, Olympus has always gotten it right. And when they really want to be retro, they produce some of the most beautiful digital cameras ever made. Visually, the Olympus EP7 is the first camera from the brand to excite me since the Pen F. We’ve waxed poetically about the Olympus Pen F many times. In the years to come, the Olympus EP7 might be similar. But trust me, it’s not all just looks.

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Will The Sony A7 IV Be A Massive Upgrade? It Needs To Be!

In terms of specs, the Sony a7 III is probably the best all round Full-Frame mirrorless or DSLR camera today.

When mirrorless cameras became mainstream by about 2014 or so, I observed two kinds of photographers who moved over to this system from other brands’ DSLRs. Those who weren’t too worried about sensor size, and loved film emulations switched to the Fuji X Series. Others who stood firm about a larger sensor requirement moved to the Sony offerings. Many DSLR users of Nikon and Canon who got tired of waiting for them to bring out competing models, eventually moved to one of the aforementioned mirrorless brands. Even Olympus managed to win over older photographers who got tired of lugging around heavy DSLRs and lenses.

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Why The Sony 24-70mm F2.8 G Master II Needs to Be That Great

It’s apparent the world moved on from what this Sony lens can do, and they need to supersede everyone else!

The Sony system is currently the best choice for a professional photographer, working journalist, or creative. There are lots of third-party lens options and fantastic flash/lighting support that are lightweight, small, and reliable enough. Durability aside, the system can reliably do anything you really need it to. No other camera system can say that at the moment. But where the rest have pulled ahead is with lenses. One lens of particular contention is the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 G Master. These days, it’s questionable whether or not you’d buy it, but if Sony really wants to pull ahead of the pack, the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 G Master II needs to be fantastic.

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New Nikon Z Macro Lenses Fill Major Gap. And They’re Priced Right

The Nikon MC 105mm f2.8 VR S and Nikon MC 50mm f2.8 lenses are the first Z mount macro optics.

The Nikon Z system is continuing to shape to look more attractive to professional photographers. The latest news furthering their progress is for two new Macro lenses. Today, they’re announcing the Nikon Z MC 105mm f2.8 VR S and Nikon Z MC 50mm f2.8 macro lenses. The announcement fills in a gap in the young series lens coverage as the first lenses to offer macro capabilities for the Z series bodies without using an F-mount adapter.

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Canon EOS R3 Teases Remarkable AF. But What About the Sensor?

Canon is being a tease — the company just shared their second peek on what features the upcoming EOS R3 will offer.

The upcoming Canon EOS R3 will be able to focus in the moonlight, maybe even without a tripod. That’s what the latest specs on the still-under development camera seem to suggest. Canon teased a handful of new details on the upcoming Canon EOS R3. It’s a high-end mirrorless that mixes the R5 and 1D X Mark III DSLR features. The key details coming from today’s announcement shed light on the camera’s autofocus and image stabilization system, but raise questions about who exactly is making the camera’s sensor.

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KONO Releases 3 Beautiful New Film Emulsions You’ll Want to See

KONO is at it again with three brand new film emulsions and one is unlike anything we’ve seen.

KONO is a brand we’ve known and loved for several years. They create some cool, quirky film we’ve only truly appreciated after we looked around at the entire landscape. Digital photography is capable of so much. It even emulates the look of many films. So to get something unique, film manufacturers have to create a look you can’t get digitally. And that’s what KONO is doing with some of their new films announced today. Later today, you’ll be able to pick up emulsions like KONO Delite Art 100 at Freestyle Photographic or on KONO’s website directly.

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New Wandrd ROAM is a Compact Sling That Cleverly Cradles a Laptop

The WANDRD ROAM sling is the first one that’s accommodating to a laptop, but why don’t they just make a messenger bag?

Gear bag brand Wandrd is back on Kickstarter with a new bag — and this time, it’s not a backpack. The Wandrd ROAM Sling is a quick-access camera bag that can be worn over either shoulder, the back or front, or even as a fanny pack. But, it’s also a rare sling in that it offers the option to carry a 16-inch laptop and a tripod. This is one of its biggest innovations. The bag just launched on Kickstarter today, May 26.

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Opinion: A Nikon Retro Mirrorless Camera is Everything We Want

If NikonRumors gets this one right (and they have a high success rate of doing so), then a film SLR styled Mirrorless body could be coming to Nikon’s lineup soon.

Whether it’s Leica’s M and Q cameras, Fuji’s X series, or the Olympus OM-D and PEN collection, there’s always been something appealing about digital cameras housed in a vintage body. I don’t own cameras from either of these brands. But to me, they represent some of the most beautifully designed digital cameras made. I agree with the views of our EIC Chris when he speaks about the beauty in the design of the Olympus PEN-F (a camera that’s long overdue for an update now). For the most part today, camera brands tend to match each other in specifications such as megapixels, frames per second, high ISO values and noise handling. But where is Nikon?

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The Panasonic GH5 II Is Basically Daring You to Drink More Coffee

Today, Panasonic is announcing the new Panasonic GH6 development and the Panasonic GH5 II.

Most of my briefing on the new Panasonic GH5 II and the Pansonic GH6 had to do with many video features. Indeed, Panasonic has always leaned more towards video with Micro Four Thirds. OM Digital Solutions always leaned more towards photos and stills. So rumors started to circulate about the Panasonic GH6 and the Panasonic GH5 II. Well, they’re both coming, and they’re both going to do different things. More importantly, they’re both going to be flagship cameras.

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Is Canon’s 3D Lens Patent Something That the Industry Needs Now?

3D lenses and cameras sound intriguing, but how relevant are they to consumer photography?

Looking into the patents registered by camera manufacturers can be a double-edged sword. On one side, you have the excitement and hope of an upcoming product release. On the other, complete confusion over why a company would file a patent for something which isn’t in demand. Patents also aren’t a strong indicator of release dates and more often than not, a patent remains in limbo forever. Canon’s latest patent for a 3D lens system has me a little confused

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The Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L Has to Address a Big Problem

Word on the street is that the Canon RF 35mm f1.4 L lens will be coming this year.

“That’s a camera I bring out when I need to work, not just for fun,” is what a buddy told me the other night at dinner. We were discussing camera systems. He owns the Canon EOS R5 and the Canon RF 50mm f1.2 L USM. It’s an excellent combo and probably one of the best on the market today. But like me, he complained about the weight and size. I think we can all agree that Canon is one of the most innovative lens manufacturers around. That’s not even a question. But there is a huge problem with just how big and heavy their lenses are. So if the Canon RF 35mm f1.4 L is coming this year as reported, Canon needs to fix this.

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Canon EOS R3: Horrible News if This Happens

This would be a huge risk for the Canon EOS R3.

Canon has long been one of the few camera brands that produce their own sensors. Their latest creations have really pushed them back to the front of the pack. The EOS R5 and EOS R6 have proven Canon still makes great sensors. Canon fans are excited at the announcement that the Canon EOS R3 is coming. It’s going to be a first of its kind if they beat Nikon’s Z9 to market. A Full-Frame Mirrorless flagship of sorts. It will feature an integrated grip and mind-blowing specs. However, there’s a potential problem being theorized about this camera. It may not feature a Canon-made sensor. Read on below for more.

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Fujifilm 18mm f1.4: Is a Megapixel War Looming on the Horizon?

Fuji may be building the 18mm f1.4 to handle high resolution sensors.

Word on the Internet is that a Fujifilm 18mm f1.4 lens is super sharp. We tested a pre-production version. There has also been speculation about an X-H2 coming soon. The talk surrounding both of these subjects revolves around resolution. It sounds like Fuji may be preparing themselves for an 8k capable future. With Canon having jumped in already and Nikon following suit with the Z9, it wouldn’t be surprising. Not into video? Well, 8k will have an impact on you as well. Having an 8k camera means having a higher megapixel sensor. Will APSC be joining the 40 megapixels-and-over club now? Read on after the break for more.

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Our Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 Art Review Got an Important Update

We’re still scratching our head a bit, but our Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 Art Review has been updated.

Our initial Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 Art Review gave the lens very high marks. It has 11 aperture blades, great image quality, and it’s weather sealed. Considering the price, it seems like an obvious purchase for most users. But there’s a very different story to be told when actually using the lens. When we first reviewed it, we tested it on the Sony E mount system. I purposely chose the Sony a7r III because the autofocus and resolution combo made the most sense. But, I now own the Leica SL2s and bought the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8. Earlier this year, the combo frustrated me in low light. After the recent Leica SL2s firmware update, though, things have changed.

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We Love and Need Lens Innovation Like This Patent From Canon

Canon has been working hard to bring us unique lenses, we need more from others!

Canon has really put in the effort to make their RF lenses great. They’ve given us some real lens innovation. The RF 28-70 f2 took a lot of us off guard. Canon boldly released this lens early in their Mirrorless career. No one else has done anything quite like it before or since. However, Canon kept up throwing the punches. They released the RF 50mm f1.2. Less innovative, perhaps, but a fan favorite. Following up those, Canon announced the innovative RF 600mm and RF 800mm f11 lenses. These are the smallest and lightest lenses for Full-Frame in that focal length yet. Read on after the break to see what else we could be looking forward to.

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The Panasonic 16-35mm F4 Lens Focuses Crazy Fast Now

The Panasonic 16-35mm f4 lens review has been updated to reflect recent changes.

For a while, the Panasonic 16-35mm f4 Lumix S Pro was one of the L Mount’s fastest focusing lenses. Then that changed with the introduction of a few primes. But with the recent Leica SL2s firmware update, we’re updating our 16-35mm f4 review. The lens is even faster than it was before, and we’re not honestly surprised by this. Technically, it means that this lens is an absolute cheetah when autofocusing. In practice, that’s indeed true. Also true is the fact that people don’t really need super-fast autofocusing motors when using wide-angle lenses. It matters a lot more with telephoto lenses. 

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The HP ZBook Studio G8 Targets On-The-Go Photographers

The New HP ZBook Studio G8 is tempting with its ethical manufacturing and the Emmy award.

If photographers were to choose a computer besides Apple, many would reach for HP. And during the pandemic, they won an Emmy with ZCentral Remote Boost software, which basically boosts performance. I can’t see most photographers needing this though. What they’d need instead are the SD card ports, security enhancements, a screen that’s dependable, and performance. That’s what the new HPZBook Studio G8 is offering to photographers. There’s also even more power offered with the new Fury lineup. And honestly, they’re incredibly tempting since Apple just keeps letting us down.

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