Category: Links

25 years of DPReview: The rise and fall of the compact camera

DPReview is 25 and and goes down the memory lane with The rise and fall of the compact camera.

Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, and, along with some help from Samsung and other manufacturers, it would change photography forever. However, iPhone sales didn’t really take off until around 2012, and, what do you know, that’s when the compact camera crash began.

The author isn’t enthusiastic on point and shoot cameras making a comeback. Charts show the very steep decline in the number of models released and the steep rise (and mostly plateau-ed) number of smartphones sold.

As I previously linked manufacturers were unprepared for the point and shoot camera revival when some demand for advanced compact camera came following some influencers, and it might be that we’ll only get these more costly compact camera. The Fujifilm X100VI is basically unobtainium and the already few years old Canon G7X MkIII is even worse. The Ricoh GR III availability is trending that way too, while Leica has the D-Lux 8, a rebadged Panasonic that cost as much as the Fujifilm. As for Sony, it seems that their focus seems to be on the ZV series that are geared towards video, this being stripped down version of the RX100 that hasn’t an update for a while. The only not too pricey segment that seems to exist is the rugged cameras, combination of tough and underwater resistance for which both Ricoh and Olympus have updated model.

Link: Fujifilm once struggled to sell cameras…

Reuters: Fujifilm once struggled to sell cameras. Now, it can’t keep up with demand

After it sold out last year, the company increased production in China to double the launch volume for the VI that debuted in March,

The X100 VI is still not available anywhere as I’m pondering a Fujifilm upgrade. They claim to have manufactured even more.

But the long waitlists and steep prices may drive customers to competitors, such as Canon’s G7X

Pardon? Can someone tell me where the G7X MkIII is available? I can’t find it anywhere from B&H to my local camera stores. And don’t mention the scalpers on Amazon.

Anyway good on Fujifilm with their success. I love my X series not everybody like Sony.

Link: why i love hong kong

Winnie Lim: why i love hong kong

I have only seen Hong Kong through the lens of other, a lot because of the Kai and Lok era of Digital Rev TV. It feel like a very photogenic place, probably because of its contrast of style and urbanism.

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Link: Pentax film renaissance

DPReview has an interview with the team behind Pentax upcoming film camera:

Everything analog is suddenly cool again, and photography is no exception: There’s an incredible renaissance happening in film photography, led by a generation who grew up never knowing anything other than digital cameras.

Yes. There is room for a few new film cameras that produce quality images (that’s a stab a Lomography). While things are moving in the world of film supplies, not always to the taste of aficionados, the stock of used film camera is just getting older. And older mean breakage, difficult to repair.

The first announcement came in December 2022, but in April 2024, the publication date of the interview, we have a bit more detail. It will be a half frame 35mm camera, vertical, in a compact format. But every other details remain elusive, including exposure modes.

To be continued…

Link: Two-Thirds of the Limited Edition X100VI Sales in the U.S. Were Fraudulent

Petapixel reports Two-Thirds of the Limited Edition X100VI Sales in the U.S. Were Fraudulent.

Scalpers are enabled by ebay and Amazon. But then I see no purpose of “limited edition” items either. Such a camera is meant to be used.

To be fair, I’d like a Fujifilm X100VI, but the regular one, as it will take the same images than the limited edition but definitely cost less.

Hasselblad X-Pan

Beau Photo tells us Hasselblad “The Holy Grail” XPan – Is it worth it?:

I’ve shot with the XPan numerous times, and each time I would put my clown mask on and tell myself that this camera will be mine someday. After a year of using this camera, I believe the XPan is worth it.

I remember more than 20 years ago hearing about the Hasselblad XPan, or its Japanese original, the Fujifilm TX-1 (the Hasselblad is actually just a rebadged Fujifilm). It was expensive, its lenses were expensive.

But what is it? It is a rangefinder film camera that could shoot in panoramic format, 24x65mm on a 35mm film (135) as well as the standard 24x36mm. It was pretty much the only option for panoramic photography without using a rotating lens like the Horizon or Widelux cameras, or without getting an expensive Mamiya 7 with the adapter to use 135 film instead of the 6×7 120 film frames.

I remember reading an article where the photographer used the XPan to cover a bicycle race. And vertically framed pictures showed us how unique this camera could be.

Too bad it is even more expensive now.