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Insta360 has announced its newest teeny tiny wearable action camera, the Insta360 GO 3 (buy here). The camera itself is quite similar to its predecessor but comes with a new case (the “Action Pod”) and significant usability improvements.
The Insta360 GO 3 retains its small form factor, although it is slightly different from the Insta360 GO 2 (buy here) and the original Inst360 GO. But it sports a new mounting system that makes it much easier to slot into your workflow.
The Fujifilm X-S10 was one of my favorite Fuji cameras of the previous generation. I gave it a positive review when it was released roughly 2.5 years ago as I liked the balance of bringing some of the best features of the X-T series into a smaller, cheaper package. A lot of Fuji cameras occupy the premium end of the APS-C space, and the X-S10 provided a strong camera at the roughly $1000 USD price point that largely had superior specs to alternatives from other brands. The Fujifilm X-S20 is the successor to the X-S10, and, as always, there’s some pros and cons. On the plus side, there are a number of core improvements (particularly on the video side), but, in the negative column there is a jump in price from the $1000 range up to $1300. There was nearly a $700 gap between the X-S10 and the X-T4; the gap between the X-S20 and the X-T5 is only $400, which will certainly leave a few buyers strongly considering that camera instead.
Midjourney has just launched its new version, 5.2, and it’s a game-changer! There are several new features in the new update, but the hottest one is the “Zoom Out” feature, which creates a wider view of your image and automatically fills in the rest. I played with it to test it out, and while there are still some hiccups – it’s pretty impressive overall. So, let’s dive right in and see how it works.
Camera companies are in a race for smaller, more compact cameras. Just compare the good old Nikon D4 to the recently launched ZV-E1 II – it’s mini! But there’s always a trade-off, isn’t it? You start with a smaller sensor, a tinier battery, and fewer buttons – all to make the camera smaller. One of the features that is left behind for the small form factor is the hand grip. Some companies like Fuji and Leica have ditched the hand grip altogether for some models. Just take a look at the Leica M11. Zero hand-grip! For some, this is okay, but for me, I’m torn between needing a comfy grip and wanting a more compact camera. Now, Peak Design’s new Micro Clutch might just be the solution.
The Micro Clutch is a small strap that goes from the bottom of your camera and connects to the top corner, creating a “loop” around your shooting hand. This creates a better holding experience and less chance of your camera falling off your hands.
The Micro Clutch is currently on Kickstarter, and is sold at an early bird price of $50. But if you are coveting some other Peak Design, there are heavy discounts on a lot of other Peak Design gear bundles.
Thanks to Fowa, the folks who bring Pentax cameras to Italy, I got a chance to try out the Pentax K3 MkIII monochrome (buy here) for a few weeks. If I were to sum up how I feel about this camera, it would be this: I’m in love.
I’m a fan of black and white photography, both in film and digital. This is the first time I’ve used a digital camera where I felt like the camera is just helping me create my art instead of being a complicated gadget that I had to wrestle with.
Saramonic recently announced the new Saramonic BlinkMe (buy here) wireless microphone system. Like many small wireless microphone systems before it, it operates on public 2.4 GHz frequencies, and is designed to attach to clothing to pick up your voice and send it to a camera or other recording device.
Saramonic BlinkMe has a trick or two up its sleeve, though, with a couple of nice features that the competition are lacking. It’s by no means perfect, but it’s the first wireless microphone I’ve seen in a long time that showed any kind of original thinking. I’ve had one for a couple of weeks now, so let’s take a look at it in more detail and hear how it sounds.
Talk about ratcheting up the complexity! I’ve reviewed a number of TTArtisan lenses before, and they have mostly fallen into the categories that are filled by a lot of what I call “Boutique Third Parties”. These include various manual everything prime lenses with varying maximum aperture sizes. While engineering for larger apertures (like their F0.95 lenses) are more challenging, their newest lens adds a LOT of new moving parts. That lens is the TTArtisan 100mm F2.8 2X Macro Tilt/Shift (we’ll shorten that to TTA100M for this review).
Last month, I spent two weeks on the frozen sea ice along the coast of Baffin Island, Canada, searching for female polar bears who had just emerged from their dens with their newborn cubs. Knowing that encounters would likely not be closer than 100 meters, I decided the new Nikkor Z 600/4.0 TC VR S would be the perfect lens for this project. Luckily, Nikon was able to provide me with one, and they gave me the new Nikkor Z 400/4.5 VR S lens to try out — the smallest and lightest 400mm prime in its class.
When I arrived at Nikon HQ to collect the lenses, a surprise awaited: a prototype of the new Nikon Z8 to test in the high Arctic. Needless to say, I was excited to try it out. This has been an eagerly awaited addition to the Nikon mirrorless lineup, and all I knew were the many online rumors. None as outrageous as my April Fools Z9 Field Report spoof, but still just rumors.
This field report is about my initial impressions of the Z8 and my experiences in the field. I will also write about my experiences with the 600 and the 400, but I will do that in a separate article.
It has been four years since I last reviewed a premium Sigma DN prime lens designed specifically for APS-C. The last one that I tested was the Sigma 56mm F1.4 DN, which impressed me as a portrait/short telephoto lens that was extremely sharp (one of the sharpest APS-C lenses that I’ve tested). Sigma is finally back with a new entry in the line-up, and this one covers the incredibly important full frame equivalent 35mm focal length. The Sigma 23mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary is (according to Sigma) the APS-C equivalent of their 35mm F1.4 DN ART lens, though, as we’ll see, Sigma’s design brief for the APS-C series follows a different formula than their full frame lenses. Here’s a look at the DC (APS-C) DN (mirrorless) lineup thus far.
If I remember correctly, I briefly held this lens in Sydney 2011 Photokina. Good old days when there weren’t too many product releases, and each excited you. Noctilux is like Mount Everest for every Leica lover, the holy grail. We climbers reach the base camp with the Summilux, and we are all waiting for the right moment to climb the top without a sherpa. You have to try it once to feel the power. You don’t have to buy it, just bring your wife or girlfriend to a local dealer and try this lens. Show them the picture. I am confident they will like it.
50mm is my favourite focal length. I almost bought this lens by trading in the Noctilux 50mm f/1.2 ASPH reissue to a local dealer. But I walked out of the store without a 0.95 because that copy suffered a front-focusing issue. I kept searching for another copy in Hong Kong; a copy that focuses accurately will suffice. Thanks to my good friend Andrew for letting me try his lens. Now I know what’s so magical about this lens.
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.
John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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