The new Ricoh WG-50 camera just got announced and is now available for preorder at BHphoto, Adorama and Amazon.

DJI announced their new entry level and super tiny Spark Drone. You can preorder it now at Bhphoto, Adorama and Amazon. Now, to learn what it is and how it works (it has gesture control!) just watch those videos from Kai and Casey Neistat:

Anhui China, May 23, 2017 – Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer who had previously launched a number of unique Laowa camera lenses, is proud to announce the Laowa Magic Format Converter (MFC), the world’s first Fujifilm GFX adapter with optics for Canon/Nikon Full Frame lenses. The patented optics system inside the MFC will enlarge the image circle of any full frame lenses and fit it onto the relatively larger Fujifilm GFX- 50s camera sensors. It has a focal length multiplier of 1.4x and reduces the maximum aperture by 1-stop.

The Laowa Magic Format Converter (MFC) is different from the simple GFX adapter existing in the market. The GFX adapter currently available in the market simply adapts the Canon/Nikon lenses onto the Fujifilm G-mount body with no resizing on the image circle. However, due to the relatively smaller image circle of Canon/Nikon full frame lenses, most of the them are not able to completely fill the Fujifilm GFX sensors, resulting in a vignetting (Dark Corners) or heavily degraded peripheral sharpness in the images.

Our Magic Format Converter (MFC) took advantage of the short flange distance of mirrorless cameras and incorporated a patented optics system to expand the image circle of the lens without compromising the image quality. The enlarged image also corrects the vignetting and maintains the optical performance of your lens in the medium format system.

The Magic Format Converter (MFC) is particularly useful for ultra-wide angle lenses. Vignetting tends to be stronger when we adapt an ultra-wide angle full frame lenses onto the GFX sensors. By using the MFC, GFX users will be able to enjoy an ultra-wide angle of view without the need to crop away all unusable corners of the images. When the MFC is used with our Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens, it will become a roughly 17mm f/4 lens in GFX-50S. The angle of view will be around 116° (equivalent to appr. 13mm lens in 35mm format), making it one of the widest lens available for the GFX system. The MFC opens up a lot more ultra-wide angle lens options for the new Fujifilm GFX camera and increases the compatibility of full frame lenses to the Medium Format cameras.

The 2nd member of the Laowa Magic Converters line-up

The Magic Format Converter is the second member of the Laowa Magic Converter line-up. Venus Optics had announced the Magic Shift Converter (MSC) last year and the MSC shares the same patented optics system as the MFC. The MSC can expand the image circle of full frame lens and convert the lens into a shift lens for using in the Sony Full Frame E-mount cameras. The MSC is expected to be ready to ship in June.

This is somehow a surprise: The Photokina team just announced that it will now take place annually as of 2018. One year the event will take place in September and the year after in May. Then again September and then May. So forth so forth…

I am surprised by that move because the photo camera industry slowed down their release circles. Photokina also said that “the entire range of products, applications and services of relevance for imaging shall in future be presented in Cologne”. So maybe the May event will be focused more on “non conventional” photographic tools (virtual reality and so forth).

This is the official press text:

Photokina takes the next step and will take place annually as of 2018. It will in future thus optimally reflect the fast-paced nature and the ever briefer innovation cycles of an increasingly digitalised industry. As of 2019 the trade fair will also have a new date in May. In addition to innovations from the core areas of the imaging workflow, the entire range of products, applications and services of relevance for imaging shall in future be presented in Cologne.

For the 2018 event, only the series of days is changing: it will take place from Wednesday, 26.09. to Saturday, 29.09, and thus enables a more compact, more intensive trade fair experience.

You will learn everything more around the next step of photokina in the recent press release (.pdf) .

Today Hasselblad announced a “Mirrorless” version of thier H6D 100 megapixel camera. It’s named “A6D-100c” and it’s meant to be used as an Aerial Camera System.

Here is the full press text:

2017-05-17

Hasselblad Introduces a 100 Megapixel Aerial Camera System

Aerial photography delivers better results today than ever before and Hasselblad continues to grow its presence in the market, introducing more advanced products and applications for the aerial photographic industry. This is reflected in the Hasselblad A6D-100c, the latest evolution of Hasselblad aerial cameras.

Hasselblad cameras are developed by building on the shoulders of the previous generation of models which enables all of the prior advancements and branch-demanding features to be automatically included. This process allows Hasselblad to continually enhance and develop models. The A6D heralds a technological improvement that is noticeably greater than earlier generations.

The A6D Aerial camera includes a feature that allows up to eight cameras to be synchronized within 20 ?s. A simple bus-type cable connection is required between all cameras in the set-up. This feature completely eliminates any issues in post-production caused by un-synchronized exposures.

Product Manager Bjarne Hjörlund commented, “Available in 100 megapixel resolutions, the A6D camera combines the world’s best optics and sensors with a modern, compact design, resulting in a system that will ensure you attain the highest possible image quality. Hasselblad aerial cameras provide a range of important features that help deliver your imaging requirements”.

Nine H System lenses are available in aerial versions with secure locking mounts to minimize vibration and flexing which guarantees the image plane and sensor stay parallel at all times. These units ship with their focus precisely adjusted and fixed at infinity. The focal length range from 24 to 300mm of these lenses results in a horizontal AFOV of 96° to 10.2° covering most applications. The new generation of leaf shutters for the H lenses has an extended lifetime, which ensures reliability during flight.

In addition, the exposure time for the aerial lenses has been improved up to 1/4000 of a second, for sharp and crisp images. Traditionally, FMC systems typically only compensate for movement in a single direction, but the fast leaf shutter-based exposure time can both compensate for ground speed and the roll and pitch of the plane.

Near Infra-Red Photography

The A6D camera is available with or without Infra-Red filter for infra-red captures from 750nm to 1000nm to serve the needs of aerial analysis, such as environment surveying and crop management. NDVI, CIR and NIR imaging is possible with third party software.

Phocus SDK by Hasselblad

To facilitate the development of user specific software, Hasselblad offers a complete Software Developers Kit (SDK) which allows full control of camera and image processing from the user’s own software. To quickly get started using the A6D aerial cameras for photography, Hasselblad has created a simple but effective PC sample application which can capture and store RAW files coming from the camera. All source code for this application is supplied to allow the user to adapt to special individual requirements.

Technical Data Sheet:

Key Features

• Medium format 100 Megapixel resolution
• The A6D Aerial includes a feature that allows up to 8 cameras to be synchronized within 20 ?s.
• 9 of the H System lenses are available in aerial versions
• The exposure time for the aerial lenses is increased up to 1/4000 of a second
• The A6D camera is available with or without Infra-Red filter to allow infra-red captures from 750nm to 1000nm

Additional Features

• Reduced foot print designed to fit existing POD mountings
• Up to 15 stops Dynamic
• Improved external connectivity via stable LEMO connections
• Fits plane power with a power requirement of 12 – 24 volt DC
• FMS and multiple camera synchronization
• Secure camera mounting via 4 x M4 screws
• Lens locking mechanism with additional lens protector
• Onboard fast 500+ Mbytes/sec CFast2.0 storage with a capacity of up to 512 GByte
• External storage interface via locked USB3.0 type C-connection
• Fully mechanically fixed system to minimize effects of vibrations

For more information and sample images click here

Sony made us the pleasant surprise to not only announce one…but two wide angle zooms! Here they are:
Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM at Bhphoto, Adorama and Amazon. In Eu at Park UK.
Sony 12-24mm f/4.0 at Bhphoto, Adorama, and Amazon. In Eu at Park UK.

It has to be mentioned that the new Sony 12-24mm is particularly interesting as it weights only half the Sigma 12-24mm. If the Quality is there with the Sigma this sure can become a winner for Sony!

And this is the full press text from Sony:

Sony Introduces Two New Wide-Angle Full-Frame E-Mount Lenses

Ah finally! Being a 6×7 shooter (yes I still shoot on film cameras) I really do love that new project on Kickstarter. Just watch the video above and you will agree with me that this is a genius idea!