Last week was an interesting one with Sony Airpeak drone updates, rumors about the implementation of eye control autofocus in the upcoming Canon EOS R3, new lenses, and much more. Here’s the best news I’ve selected for “The Photography News Show”!
Sony Airpeak Drone Updates
Back in January, Sony announced that they were working on the Airpeak, a drone intended to be used with Sony Alpha cameras. The project is still under development and Sony is testing the drone extensively. Last month they shared a wind resistance test, while this week Sony shared the footage captured with the Airpeak in Okinawa, Japan.
It’s a short video that shows the drone being used in pretty challenging conditions!
The cameras used for the test are the Sony FX3 (which is a portable, super-capable cinema camera), and the A7S III, another incredible piece of technology, while the lens used in the test is the Sony FE 14mm F1.8 GM.
I’m really excited to see the final version of this drone, and I’m sure it’ll bring a lot of innovation and it will be a great addition for those that have already a Sony Alpha kit.
Canon Eye-Controlled Autofocus (EOS R3)
It looks like a patent from Canon, which describes how to build an eye control autofocus integrated into the viewfinder be implemented into the upcoming EOS R3.
There is no info on how the technology will perform, but given that the R3 will be a very high-end camera, I would expect this feature to be kinda revolutionary!
TIPA World Awards 2021
The Technical Image Press Association has announced the winners of the TIPA World Awards 2021, which awards the best imaging products of the year (released until this point).
Here’s the list of the winning cameras!
- Best APS-C Camera Entry-Level: Canon EOS M50 Mark II
- Best APS-C Camera Advanced: FUJIFILM X-S10
- Best APS-C Camera Expert: PENTAX K-3 Mark III
- Best Full Frame Camera Advanced: Nikon Z 6II
- Best Full Frame Camera Expert: Nikon Z 7II
- Best Full Frame Professional Camera: Sony Alpha 1
- Best Photo/Video Camera Advanced: SIGMA fp L
- Best Photo/Video Camera Expert: Sony Alpha 7S III
- Best Professional Video Camera: Panasonic Lumix DC-BGH1
- Best Medium Format Camera: FUJIFILM GFX100S
- Best Vlogger Camera: Sony ZV-1
And here’s the list of the winning lenses:
- Best Prime Wide Angle Lens: Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift
- Best Prime Standard Lens: Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM
- Best Prime Telephoto Lens: Canon RF600mm f/11 IS STM
- Best Wide Angle Zoom Lens: Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8S
- Best Standard Zoom Lens: Tamron 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
- Best Telephoto Zoom Lens: Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD
- Best Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens: SIGMA 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Contemporary
- Best Portrait Lens: Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art
- Best Macro Lens: SIGMA 105mm F2.8 DG DN MACRO Art
New Zenit Prime Lenses
Russian manufacturer Zenit has launched 4 new full-frame prime lenses for multiple mounts.
Sony E Mount:
- Zenitar 35mm f/2
- Zenitar 50mm f/1.5
Canon EF and Nikon F Mount:
- Selena 58mm f/1.8
- Zenitar 60mm f/2.8 Macro
NiSi Circular Black Mist
NiSi has released a new very particular filter, the Circular Black Mist.
It’s a diffusion filter that reduces highlights and lowers contrast, with the natural consequence of softening the skin and creating a soft, pastel-like quality of light.
It’s designed for photographers and filmmakers that are searching for a particular look, and it’s available in three different versions with different strength levels: 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8.
New Sony ZV E-Mount Camera
About 1 year ago, Sony released the ZV-1, which is a camera mainly designed for vlogging. It’s a very interesting product for those who need something easy to create vlogs with, but one of the big downsides is that it has a fixed lens, so it kinda limits your creative possibilities.
The latest rumors talk about a soon-to-be-launched ZV e-mount camera that will come at about $899.
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