I recently talked about the demise of Tetenal, an essential supplier for film photogrpahy.
Good news! Tetenal is being bought by an employee initiative, or to be more accurate, most of the assets to produce and sell again.
Category: News
News (industry, events)
Fuji X-T30
Fujifilm just announced the Fujifilm X-T30, the less expensive version of the X-T3. A few notable differences are for example 4K video being limited to 30fps (60 on the X-T3), the rear screen that just tilt up and down. For USD 900, it looks like a very good alternative if you don’t have the budget for the X-T3.
They also announced the XF 16mm f/2.8 WR. At USD 400, it is a much more affordable and compact wide angle than the 16m f/1.4. Dpreview has a sample gallery. To be available in March 2019.
Canon EOS RP
Canon is doubling down on full-frame mirrorless and just announced the Canon EOS RP, a smaller and less expensive RF mount body to be available end of February. Probably the cheapest full frame mirrorless camera on the market. With the 6D MkII sensor it is a lower resolution as the EOS R. There is also an optional extension grip. In video, it still is a cropped 4K mode. In short it is really a less expensive version of the EOS R, a bit like when Canon released the first Digital Rebel (300D) as a cheaper version of the 10D. The price will be USD 1300.
But, and there is a but, it doesn’t come in a kit with a less expensive RF mount lens. The kit options are either the EF 24-105mm F3.5-5.6 IS STM with the EF adapter, or the RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM. The premium for the kits are respectively USD 700 or USD 1100. Mindboggling.
DPReview experience is better than they were expecting.
Also¸ Canon announced 6 new RF lenses due later in 2019. No price yet.
- RF 85mm F1.2 L USM
- RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS
- RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM
- RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM
- RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM
- RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM
The 70-200 is supposed to be super compact (short). And there don’t seem to be less expensive lenses that would match the EOS RP, unlike 15 years ago when the 300D was released.
Panasonic S1
The now anticipated full frame mirrorless Panasonic S1 and S1R cameras, whose L-mount is shared with Leica, have been unveiled:
- S1R: USD 3,699
- S1: USD 2,499
Also some new lenses with the label “S Pro”:
- 50mm f/1.4: USD 2,299
- 70-200mm f/4 OIS: USD 1,699
- 24-105mm f/4 Macro OIS: USD 1,299
Panasonic says it’s planning to design and develop at least 10 S PRO lenses by 2020 to expand the S Series lens lineup.
X-T3 firmware updates
Two more firmware updates are planned for the Fujifilm X-T3.
A minor update, 2.10, is already available that allow recording video files bigger than 4GB on XDHC cards.
And in April, Firmware 3.0 will improve Eye-AF, fast tracking and face detect.
This has been Fujifilm’s forte in the X-series: improvements with firmware updates.
CineStill powdered film developer
CineStill has announced a powdered version of their film developers, one for Black & White and one for colour C-41.
Beyond saving on shipping, the price of the kits themselves are more affordable. The Df96 monochrome development kit costs $16.99, while the Cs41 color development kit costs $24.99, $3 and $1 cheaper than the liquid versions, respectively.
The price difference is small, but Living in Canada I can’t easily order liquid film chemistry from US retailers. So should make it easier to ship.
Nikon Z lenses roadmap
Petapixel is reporting two Nikon Z related news.
- Nikon Unveils the Ultra-Wide 14-30mm f/4 S Lens for the Nikon Z, serious ultra-wide zoom lens that is smaller and lighter than the SLR equivalent (and wider). For spring 2019 at a cost of USD1300.
- Nikon’s Updated Mirrorless Lens Roadmap, including a few fast primes for this year. The 50mm is only scheduled for 2020. A small change from the previous roadmap is the 20mm and 24mm release have been swapped: the 24mm will ship this year.
Leica M-10D
Leica just announced the M10-D a M-mount rangefinder digital camera, that doesn’t have a screen or other controls at the back. Sounds familiar? It seems the timing is in sync with the Pixii I talked about yesterday. Similarly, to control anything but aperture, shutter speed and exposure compensation, you have to use the companion smartphone app.
The Leica M10-D is a stripped down version of the M10-P. Is it cheaper? No. Both have an advertised street price of USD$8,000.
Pixii
It is not everyday that there is a new rangefinder camera not made by Leica.
The French startup Pixii announced their camera.
The Pixii is a rangefinder digital camera (yes, an actual rangefinder) with an M mount for the lenses. Of course M39 screw mount lenses can be used with an adapter. There is not much known about the specs, neither the sensor size, nor the price. One of its key features is that it doesn’t have a screen, but rather just have connectivity to a smartphone.
From PetaPixel:
No word yet on pricing or availability. PIXII says those details will be announced in the coming weeks.
To be continued…
Fujifilm GFX 50R, GFX 100 and f/1.0 lens
Also at Photokina, Fujifilm announced a new camera in their GFX series: the GFX 50R. The GFX 50R is to the GFX 50S what the X-E1 was to the X-Pro1: a more compact version of the 50 megapixel medium format mirrorless, in what they call a “rangefinder style” body (it is not a rangefinder camera). The GFX 50R also has a dual SD card slot. Available in November (2018) for US$4,500. DPReview has the details.
And to double it up, the announcement included news of the development of the GFX 100, a 100 Megapixel successor of the GFX 50S, to be released sometime in 2019, featuring phase detect auto-focus and in-body image stabilisation, as well as 4K video ! But will they solve the problems with such a large sensor? The price is speculated to be around US$10,000.
One more thing. According to The Verge, Fujifilm showed a XF 33mm f/1.0 R lens. F ONE POINT ZERO ! Coming in 2020.
(Updated 2018/09/26: added links to specifications)