The Canon RF 5.2mm F2.8 Dual Fisheye Lens is the 1st Canon lens specifically built for filming 8K 180° VR content. We then have new accessories from Manfrotto, and much more!
Here’s the best news I’ve selected for “The Photography News Show”!

LENS NEWS

Canon RF 5.2mm f/2.8 L Dual Fisheye Announced

Canon has announced a very particular lens, the Canon RF 5.2mm F2.8 Dual Fisheye, the world’s first lens that makes it possible to shoot 180° VR with one camera to a single sensor.

Until this point, to create high-quality videos for VR you needed a dedicated VR camera, custom rigs, and more, while now you can simply mount this lens on your Canon EOS R5 and film 8K VR videos. The dual fisheye lenses have an ultra-wide field of view of 190-degree, and the great advantage is that the image is internally recorded to a single full-frame sensor so that you won’t have to go crazy with syncing and stitching footage in post. You can control focus with the focus wheel, and there’s also a dedicated dial to further refine your focus. It features a gel holder across the rear elements, while also having fluorine-coated lenses and dust & water-resistant sealing.

To allow you to easily work on your files, Canon has developed the EOS VR Utility software to convert clips from dual to equirectangular, which is also available as a Premiere Pro plugin so that you can import the footage and start working on it right away.

It comes at $2,000 and together with the Canon EOS R5, it can be all you need to start creating high-quality VR content.

CAMERA NEWS

The Nikon Z9 Will Have a Tiltable Screen

2021 seems to be like an interesting year in terms of flagship cameras: Sony released the incredible Alpha 1, Canon recently launched the EOS R3, and Nikon is going to respond soon with the Z9 This week, Nikon has, in fact, published a short video about it, from which we can understand that the screen will be tiltable also inwards, something that I wish more camera manufacturers would implement. The Z9 will have a 45-megapixel sensor, with a burst rate of up to 160 FPS.

ACCESSORY NEWS

Manfrotto MOVE Ecosystem

This week Manfrotto has introduced the MOVE Ecosystem, a new line of products specifically made for content creators that need to change between tripods, sliders, and gimbals very quickly. The accessories at its foundation are the Quick Release Catcher and the Quick Release Plate, which is a unique circular quick release system where you just need to drop the plate in, from any direction, and start shooting.

It doesn’t need to be tightened, but if you do, you will increase its load capacity up to 44 lb. To make this system truly powerful, you would need to get several kits, one for each tripod, slider, etc, so that you can quickly swap your cameras and accessories between them all. Each set costs 100 bucks, and it can be very useful for run & gun filming.

Manfrotto MVG300XM Gimbal

Manfrotto has also launched the 300XM gimbal, which has a detachable handle that you can use as a remote control. This gimbal can also be used with Manfrotto’s Gimboom so that you can have stabilized support with a long reach, which will expand your filming possibilities.

LowePro PhotoSport Pro Backpack 55L & 70L

LowePro has launched a new backpack specifically designed for multi-day hiking, the PhotoSport Pro. It’s available in two sizes, 55 and 70 liters, and it’s designed to carry both photography equipment & all the hiking essentials you need for your adventures. Your gear is put inside the camera bag organizer, that can hold a gripped camera with a 70-200mm F2.8 lens attached, and two extra lenses or a drone. The space for your gear is the same for both sizes, so what changes is the space you have for your hiking equipment.

Price-wise, the 55L version comes at $470 and the 70L at $500. As always, you can find every link in the description.

APP NEWS

Halide App Brings Macro Photography to All iPhones

Macro photography is a very interesting genre, and some of the latest smartphones, such as the iPhone 13 Pro come with a macro lens. What if you have an older iPhone and you would like to practice some mobile macro photography?

An app called Halide promises to bring macro photography to all iPhones, from the 8 onwards, without any accessory.

This app relies on Apple’s Neural Engine to enhance details and pulling out as much data as possible from the image. The results are quite interesting, as you can take shots that you wouldn’t normally take with your phone. And if you use this app on the iPhone 13 Pro, you will be able to zoom even closer than you would with the standard camera app.

If you want to give it a try, you can find the link to the app in the description.

WEIRD NEWS

A Danish Artist Got Paid $83,000 for an Empty Canvas

The imaging world can be at times weird! This week have a famous Danish artist who got paid $83,000 for a blank canvas. He pitched the museum with the awesome idea of attaching money to the frame, specifically, the average Danish Annual Income. He decided to deliver an empty canvas and title his work of art as “Take the Money and Run”. True story.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Turn Off the Plastic

In this segment, I feature the most interesting pictures I’ve seen on the web!

This week we have a project called “Turn Off the Plastic Tap” by photographer Benjamin Von Wong. He built a gigantic floating faucet and created a somewhat portable installation to raise awareness on plastic use. The work that goes behind building something like this is truly impressive, and I think the strong visual representation can help all of us to be more mindful of plastic and its impact on the planet.