Nikon latest financial report (PDF here) is out and discloses some worrying info. During the last quarter Nikon sold -8,3% cameras and -8,7% lenses. Forecast has been revised too with less cameras that will be sold til March 2016. But Nikon hopes the weak YEN will help them to gain some revenue at the end of the year.

A half miracle happened at Olympus. For the first time after six years(!) they are not loosing money in the imaging business (PDF report here). Strong OMD and PEn sales in Europe and Japan helped to achieve those results. And of course again the weak YEN is helping japanese companies to “hide” some of the losses.

The biggest Norwegian photo camera store Japanphoto just launched a sell out of Samsung products. They say: “now its the end with Samsung, we dump pricing”.

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Thanks Lars for finding and sharing this!

What you see here on the image on top is neither a new fancy hotel in Dubai nor a hypermodern basket to feed your birds. It’s a new Light Field virtual reality camera! It has just been announced by Lytro (website here). All details about how it works can be seen on the video below:

Damn I like that thing even if I don’t really get it how it works and why I should need this :)

What do a medium format company and a DJI drone company have in common? Nothing at all. And that’s why it’s curious to learn that today Hasselblad and DJI announced a partnership!  Where that new adventure will elad is completely unclear.

Here is the official press text from Hasselblads website:

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Hasselblad Group, the leader in high-quality professional cameras, and DJI, the world’s most-innovative aerial technology company, today announced a corporate partnership through DJI’s acquisition of a strategic minority stake in Hasselblad.

The partnership will allow opportunities and new ways of combining the technical knowledge and inventive spirit of the two industry leaders in their respective fields.

“We are honored to be partnering with DJI, the clear technology and market leader in its segment,” said Perry Oosting, Hasselblad’s CEO. “DJI and Hasselblad are equally enthusiastic about creativity and excellence, and we are looking forward to sharing technical expertise and paving the way for future innovations.”

“Hasselblad and DJI share a passion to provide creative people with cutting-edge, inventive technology to help them take visual storytelling to the next level,” said Frank Wang, DJI’s Founder and CEO. “With this partnership, we combine our strengths to further push the borders of what’s possible in imaging technology.”

Hasselblad and DJI will each focus on their individual strategic directions and related growth opportunities, with marketing and branding platforms continuing to delineate the two companies. Hasselblad cameras and equipment will continue to be handmade in Sweden, and DJI will continue to make products in Shenzhen, China. The partnership further establishes DJI’s leadership in the professional camera technology space.

DJI recently launched the modular Zenmuse camera system, including the Zenmuse X5 Pro and the Zenmuse X5 Raw – the world’s first Micro-Four-Thirds camera optimized for moving in space.

Hasselblad has a history of aerial photography, with its technology used in space on several NASA missions, including the first landing on the moon and several of the Apollo missions. Over the course of the company’s 75-year long history, the majority of Hasselblad’s business has focused on traditional medium-format cameras and photography equipment. In recent years, the company has made meaningful investments and announced significant product launches within the aerial arena, making a partnership with DJI a natural progression of the business.

About DJI

DJI is a global leader in developing and manufacturing innovative camera technology for commercial and recreational use. The company is dedicated to making aerial photography and filmmaking more reliable and easier to use for creators and innovators around the world. DJI’s global operations currently span North America, Europe and Asia, and its revolutionary products and solutions have been chosen by customers in over 100 countries; for applications in film, advertising, construction, fire-fighting, farming, and many other industries.

For more information, visit DJI online: www.dji.com
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DJIGlobal
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DJIGlobal
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/DJI

About Hasselblad

Founded in 1941, Hasselblad is the leading manufacturer of medium format cameras and lenses. Handmade in Sweden, Hasselblad cameras are renowned for their iconic ergonomic design, uncompromising image quality, Swedish craftsmanship and high performance. For over half a century Hasselblad cameras have captured some of the world’s most iconic images – including the first landing on the moon – and helped shape the way we look at the world through genuine photographic artistry. Trusted by NASA and used by the greatest photographers in the world, Hasselblad continues to create products with uncompromising image quality that inspire.

The Hasselblad H Camera System with its professional lens family and unique advancements is widely acknowledged as the most comprehensive digital camera system of its kind available today. Recently Hasselblad was the first to launch the fully integrated medium format camera system incorporating the latest in CMOS sensor technology: the H5D-50c. The latest CMOS-based product launches also include the CFV-50c digital back for V System photographers and a 200 Mpix Multi-Shot camera H5D-200c MS.

Headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, where the cameras are handmade, Hasselblad is a global brand with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Paris, Copenhagen and Hamburg with distributors throughout the world.

For more information, visit Hasselblad online: www.hasselblad.com
Follow Hasselblad on Instagram: www.instagram.com/hasselblad_official
Follow Hasselblad on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hasselblad.official
Follow Hasselblad on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Hasselblad
Follow Hasselblad on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/hasselblad

Tokina will offer the 100mm Cine lens also in native E-mount and MFT mount version. Tokina writes:

“The newly designed Tokina Cinema AT-X 100mm T/2.9 macro telephoto is a true 35mm, full-frame, 1:1 macro close-up lens. Sporting a new look and design, the lens achieves maximum magnification at a working distance of 11.8 inches (0.3 meters). This allows enough space for lighting, the camera operator, and the subject to work comfortably.
The 100mm macro’s optical design is 4K ready, super sharp, high contrast, and exhibits very low distortion or chromatic aberrations. Focus breathing is incredibly well controlled and the lens has a de-clicked, 9-bladed, curved iris for beautiful bokeh and precise exposure control. The wide T-stop range, from T2.9 to T32, allows for maximum control of exposure and depth-of-field which is critical when working so close to your subject.”

Latest CIPA data show that the 3 year long camera market collapsing may have reached the bottom of the bottle. So is there now some hope to see some growth again? The Mayflower agency analyzed the data and writes:

Using so-called 12 month rolling data* there seems to be at first sight a reassurance of the market. However, unfortunately, this is a misleading interpretation of reality. After transferring the CIPA data into local currencies using historical exchange rates , it becomes clear that the camera makers at best achieve stable average prices .

Damn, doesnt sound good if true!

More info: Maryflower.

Aperture, F/stop & Depth-of-field: Beginner’s Essentials & Expert’s Misconceptions

40 Things You Didn’t Know You Needed in Your Camera Bag (Explora).
Leica SL vs Sony a7R II (Bokeh).
Sebastian vettel is the first Leica SL owner (SonyAlphaForum).
Cinema Cameras: What Filmmakers need to Know (Explora).
Studio tests: Leica SL (Dpreview).
9 Alternative Camera Supports (Explora).