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Nikon releases new firmware for the Z6 & Z7 – But not the one with RAW video and CFexpress support

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Nikon has released new firmware updates for both the Nikon Z6 and Nikon Z7 mirrorless cameras. Both firmwares are marked as version 2.10, and are fundamentally identical in features and fixes. They add support for the two new Z mount lenses, change the way a couple of things work and fix a few bugs.

What they don’t do is add CFexpress support or RAW output over HDMI, the latter of which is something that Z6 Filmmaker’s Kit owners have already been waiting for for quite a long time. Panasonic has introduced CFexpress support through new firmware recently, and with quite a number of CFexpress manufacturers out there now including SanDisk, Sony, Angelbird and ProGrade, I’m surprised it’s taking Nikon this long.

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Sigma rumoured to be working on RF lens roadmap with announcement expected in early 2020

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Canon Rumors is reporting that distributors have received some early information about Sigma’s plans for RF mount lenses for the Canon EOS R system. Beyond that, there isn’t really any more information, except that CR expects there might be an announcement ahead of CP+ in February. They don’t name their source, but they have ranked it as “CR2”, which sits somewhere around the “Ok, you have my attention, but let’s see how it pans out” level.

But it makes sense for Sigma to be pursuing the RF mount. It’s become quite popular, especially in Japan, where both Canon and Sigma are based and it’s also the mount that’s coming on the RED Komodo cinema camera.

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This crowdsourced NYC hyperlapse was made from 1,272 photos found on Instagram

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We’re getting to a point where it feels like just about everywhere on earth has been photographed from every angle. And then posted to Instagram. That certainly seems to be becoming true for New York City, at least. And while we may feel like all photos start to look kind of the same, there are slight differences between each of the images.

These differences have allowed people like art director, Sam Morrison to create this 57-second Hyperlapse through NYC made entirely from 1,272 crowdsourced photos he found on Instagram.

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RED confirms the Komodo will have a 6K global shutter sensor and anamorphic lens support

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The RED Komodo 6K rumour mill is starting to get some confirmations as it gets closer to production. RED President, Jarred Land, now has a “Stormtrooper” Komodo 6K in his hands, the white colour typically denoting a pre-production unit, and has let loose a few more specs, including the fact that it uses a global shutter sensor.

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Panasonic releases a whole boatload of firmware updates for full-frame and MFT mirrorless and compacts

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Panasonic announced a small handful of firmware updates a couple of weeks ago for the Panasonic G9, GH5, GH5S, S1 and S1R mirrorless cameras. The biggest changes were noted for the Panasonic G9, which gives it pretty much all of the video capabilities of the somewhat legendary GH5. Now, those firmware updates have been released, but Panasonic has added updates for a few more cameras to the list, too.

The updates add new features, new compatibility, and bug fixes for various models of full-frame and Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras, as well as some of Panasonic’s compact cameras.

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Google’s room-sized light dome uses 100 cameras to captures 3D models of the people inside it

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3D scanning has started to become a more integral part of photography and video for many people. Whether it’s to scan real-world objects to render on a computer and drop into the scene in post or to be able to produce physical 3d printed models to include as part of the set, its use has started to increase over the last few years.

It’s something that Google’s been working on for years, but this latest iteration uses what they call “volumetric capture” made up of 100 12-megapixel cameras and 331 LED lighting modules in a 360° setup to see all around an object to create a photorealistic 3D representation of the subject. This lets them capture every single detail, drop them into any scene they like, and relight the subject in post.

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Samsung Galaxy S11 code suggests it can shoot 8K 30fps video

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It looks like the race is on. After Xiaomi’s code was torn apart recently, suggesting that they’re working on a phone capable of shooting 8K 30fps video, it looks like Samsung’s S11 may be capable of the same. The team at XDA Developers, the same team that delved into the Xiaomi, has found hints that the S11 will bring 8K video after looking at the latest Samsung Camera App (presumably one that fixes this problem, too).

They do stress that just because evidence may exist in an Android Package (APK) file does not mean that it will necessarily come, as these features are currently unimplemented and may be pulled at any point in the future. But that it’s appeared now in two major competing manufacturers smartphones does seem to suggest that it’s on the way at some point.

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Google and Samsung confirm massive Android Camera exploit affecting “hundreds of millions” of users

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There’s been constant paranoia about the cameras in smartphones for as long as smartphones have had cameras. Can somebody hack into your phone, turn on your camera and watch? Or record? Well, it turns out that yes, they can. At least, they can if you’re one of the potentially “hundreds of millions” of Android users on a Google or Samsung smartphone.

The issue was first discovered (at least, publicly) by the security research team at Checkmarx. They say that after a detailed analysis of the Google Camera app in the Pixel 3, they found a way to manipulate certain code to take control of the camera to shoot photos or record videos, even when the phone was locked with the screen off, and without the user knowing.

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Rode gives on-camera shotgun mics a high end makeover with the new VideoMic NTG

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When it comes to on-camera microphones, the Rode VideoMic series is way up there when it comes to recommendations. Their flagship VideoMic Pro Plus is one of the best solutions out there for an all-in-one on-camera microphone. Specifically, one that plugs into your camera’s 3.5mm microphone socket. But they’ve just announced a new contender. The Rode VideoMic NTG.

As the name would suggest, it follows the design principles of Rode’s NTG series shotgun microphones. In this case, specifically, the new Rode NTG5 short shotgun broadcast microphone. This is certainly not your usual on-camera mic, though. It also features USB output to plug it straight into a phone or your desktop.

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How to create a Mandalorian light blaster effect in After Effects

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The whole web seems to be buzzing with talk about The Mandalorian right now. After finally watching it, and realising it wasn’t a show about a “Half man, half Delorean“, I can see why. I’m not going to post any spoilers here, but if you haven’t seen it, and you’re at all a fan of Star Wars, you should. It’s probably the best thing they’ve done with it in a while.

One effect of Star Wars, that’s pretty much as old as the Star Wars franchise itself is the iconic blaster. They’ve been shot by everybody over the years, so it’s no surprise they show up in The Mandalorian, too. In this video, Yannick at Cinecom shows us how to easily make them in Adobe After Effects.

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