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Sony A9 III boats world’s first full-frame global shutter CMOS sensor

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This is a camera that Sony shooters have wanted for a long time, but now it’s finally here. Sony has announced the new Sony Alpha A9 III (buy here). While its resolution stays relatively low, by today’s standards, its sensor features a global CMOS shutter.

Global shutters are something that camera users from all brands have wanted ever since cameras ditched CCD sensors. The Sony A9 III has beaten everybody to the punch on bringing global shutters back, but that’s not the only trick up its sleeve.

Yashica teams up with I’m Back to resurrect its “digital film” dreams

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In an unexpected – but not illogical – announcement, Yashica and I’m Back have announced they’re entering a new partnership. Exactly what this partnership will offer has not yet really been revealed, but we can make some educated guesses.

Yashica is a pretty legendary name in the world of photography with a long history, especially when it comes to film. I’m Back, on the other hand, is a relatively new company creating digital backs for older 35mm film cameras.

Are your SSDs ready for iPhone 15 video? OWC’s new free app will tell you

It’s been a couple of months since Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 (buy here), and they’ve not stopped boasting about its video capabilities. Last month, Blackmagic also announced their new camera app for the iPhone, the imaginatively titled Blackmagic Camera.

It’s becoming clear the iPhone 15 is intended for shooting serious video. It even supports USB-C SSDs (finally!). But are yours fast enough? OWC’s new free OWC Drive Speed app will tell you.

LumiCard is an affordable wireless pocket light for your phone

Blind Spot Gear, creator of the Power Junkie (buy here), has announced its newest product, the LumiCard (buy here), a small colour-accurate LED panel that attaches to your smartphone magnetically and is powered wirelessly.

As usual, the company has taken to Kickstarter to launch the new product. It’s already raised more than 5x its modest goal and there are still 20 days to go on the campaign.

ValiDrive: Spotting fake memory cards made easy

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Fake storage devices are rife these days. We can go search sites like AliExpress, eBay and even Amazon and find many obvious fakes. Some, however, are not so obvious, mimicking well-known brands like SanDisk, Lexar and others.

Fortunately, Amazon will cover fake cards (if they shipped them) and replace them, but how do you know if you’ve got one? Well, a new free software tool called ValiDrive will check it out and tell you.

Viltrox AF 20mm F2.8 FE ultra-low-budget full-frame lens for Sony E

Viltrox has announced the new Viltrox AF 20mm F2.8 FE (buy here). As an FE lens, it’s a full-frame lens designed for Sony E mount cameras. It’s also an ultra-lightweight autofocus lens and comes at a very low price point.

With a focal length of 20mm, this is a very wide angle lens on full-frame, offering about 91.6º field of view. And with a weight of only 157g, it’s an ideal walkabout landscape lens or even for vlogging.

Panasonic S5II/S5IIX firmware adds long exposure handheld high-res photo mode

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Panasonic has announced new firmware for the Panasonic S5II (buy here) and Panasonic S5IIX (buy here). The new firmware adds a handful of new features, but probably the biggest is that long exposures have been enabled for High Resolution Mode.

An AF-Point Scope mode has also been added, which magnifies the focus point during autofocus. You’re also now able to zoom in up to 20x with manual focus lenses to really ensure you’ve nailed focus.

How to use AI vision cameras to deter garden pests

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When I first saw this project, I had mixed reactions to it. On the one hand, badgers are awesome. But on the other, they can cause absolute mayhem on your property if left unchecked. Many consider them to be a pest.

Lots of people resort to unscrupulous means to rid their gardens of mammalian pests, but James Milward decided to take a more friendly 21st-century approach. He used a Ring camera and vision AI on a Raspberry Pi to spot badgers and foxes in his garden and then scare them away safely.

Ulanzi VideoGo carbon fibre travel tripod has a secret in its handle

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Once known primarily for its smartphone and small camera accessories, Ulanzi has been getting into tripods lately. And the new Ulanzi TT09 VideoGo Carbon Fibre Travel Tripod (buy here) looks to offer some great features for photographers and filmmakers.

As you might have already figured out, its legs are made from carbon fibre, with quick-release flip locks. Its centre column features a levelling base at the top, and its handle comes off completely to reveal some useful tools.

7Artisans just released an ultra-wide full-frame 9mm f/5.6 rectilinear lens

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7Artisans has just released a new ultra-wide 9mm F5.6 lens (buy here) for full-frame mirrorless cameras. The manual focus lens is available in each of the four major mounts – Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and Leica L – and it’s rectilinear, not a fisheye.

It has a clicked aperture ring that stops down to f/22, with a minimum focus distance of only 20cm. It’s a compact and light lens, measuring 80 x 86mm and weighing only 463g.

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