Breaking news: Viltrox could soon make their own new mirrorless camera system!

ThePhoBlographer chatted with the Viltrox management. And when the editor asked about a possible Viltrox camera this is the answer they gave:

As for cameras, while our current focus remains firmly on lens development, we are actively exploring adjacent technologies that enhance the photographic experience. Our commitment is to create a seamless and responsive ecosystem for creators—and we will continue to innovate with that mission in mind.

I think it’s only a matter of time before Viltrox and other Chinese companies start producing their own mirrorless cameras. And that would be great news for us, because I expect them to bring lots of affordable innovations!

When asked about making lenses for other mount systems this is what they said:

We are continuously evaluating opportunities to expand lens mount compatibility, including potential collaborations with the L-Mount Alliance and Fujifilm’s GF medium format system. Our R&D team is actively conducting in-depth technical research and feasibility assessments, while maintaining open communication with relevant partners.
As for the L-mount system, we expect to have a clearer update on our progress within this year. Looking ahead, we aim to bring Viltrox lens solutions to more camera systems and serve a broader community of photographers worldwide.

Full Ricoh GRIV presentation leaked in China!

The new Ricoh GRIV has been presented at a chinese press event and someone leaked out all the info. We now have full images and specs to share:

  • Model: Ricoh GR IV
  • Sensor: APS-C BSI CMOS, 25.73MP effective resolution
  • Processor: GR Engine 7
  • Lens: 18.3mm f/2.8 (28mm equivalent), 7 elements in 5 groups (2 aspherical)
  • Image Stabilization: 5-axis in-body IS, up to 6 stops
  • Max Resolution: 6192 × 4128
  • Bit Depth: 14-bit RAW
  • ISO Range: ISO 100–102,400 (expandable to ISO 204,800)
  • Shutter Speed: 300s to 1/4000s mechanical, up to 1/16000s electronic
  • ND Filter: Built-in 2-stop ND
  • Continuous Shooting: Up to ~12 fps
  • Video: 4K 30p, Full HD 24p/30p/60p
  • Autofocus: Hybrid phase + contrast detection AF
  • Face/Eye Detection: Yes
  • Subject Detection: Human, Animal, Vehicle (AI-based)
  • Touch Focus & Tracking: Yes
  • White Balance: Auto WB (Normal / White Priority / Warm)
  • Scene Recognition: Yes
  • AI Exposure & Skin Tone: Improved rendering with AI processing
  • Screen: 3.0″ LCD, 1.84M dots, fixed position, touchscreen
  • Viewfinder: None
  • Body: Magnesium alloy
  • Dimensions: 109.4 × 61.0 × 33.4 mm
  • Weight: ~275g with battery
  • Battery Life: ~290 shots (CIPA)
  • Charging: USB-C charging supported
  • Storage: Single SD card slot (UHS-I) and 53GB of internal storage
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C (data & charging)
  • Film Effects: Positive Film, Bleach Bypass, Monochrome, Soft Monotone, etc. (10+ total)
  • Snap Focus / Zone Focus: Supported
  • Interval Shooting / Multi-Exposure: Yes
  • USB Streaming: No
  • Remote Control: Via smartphone app
  • Expected Price (Japan): ¥149,800
  • Expected Launch: Autumn 2025

Improvements over the GRIII:

  • Improved sharpness from the center to the edges of the screen
  • The lens unit is made thinner by appropriately arranging high-refractive-index, low-dispersion glass and glass aspherical lenses.
  • Thanks to the revamped telescope barrel mechanism, the GRIV has a shorter startup time than the previous model.
  • Autofocus speed improvement
  • Exposure compensation has been changed to button operation, allowing for more intuitive and quick adjustments.
  • Image Control “Cinema” –
  • A new function that references the color tones of past films
  • AUTO option for automatically adjusting the brightness of the LCD monitor
  • New anti-fouling and anti-static coating on UV/IR filters
  • 53GB of internal storage
  • High-capacity 1800mAh DB-120 battery
  • The fastest startup time in GR history: 0.6 seconds
  • Granular “size” and “strength” can be selected
  • Newly developed GR ENGINE 7
  • 5-axis 6-step image stabilization
  • Added “Auto WB (White Priority)” option

 

PetaPixel doesn’t believe DJI will make a Full Frame mirrorless camera…but they think they should

PetaPixel wrote an article about DJI’s possibility of making a new FF mirrorless cameras:

We do not think DJI is developing a full-frame interchangeable lens mirrorless camera that will directly compete with Sony, Canon, or Nikon, which is what most of the rumors suggest.

However, that isn’t to say there isn’t room in the industry for innovation. There certainly is, especially in highly specialized segments of the camera industry. Although rumor sites and excitable photographers are clamoring for a groundbreaking camera to come along and disrupt the entire industry and take on the photo giants, perhaps instead, people should eye the fringes of the camera industry to find an area where fresh blood, whoever it is, could strike gold.

Consider the cinema-specific camera space. While all the major players, including Panasonic in the L-Mount Alliance, make high-end full-frame cameras that are well-suited for hybrid creators and even sometimes video-first users, the video-only space is significantly less crowded. There’s Nikon-owned RED, of course, and Blackmagic Design, but other high-end video camera systems are often large, bulky, and prohibitively expensive. DJI has plenty of excellent stabilization tech, impressive autofocus systems, and computational photography chops to do something interesting. DJI has already been a transformative presence in the cinema space, thanks to its Ronin products and drones. Perhaps the company could find a low-risk entry point into yet another filmmaking product class.

Perhaps. But probably not.

Canon R6III to be announced in Q4 with new Higher resolution sensor

In his latest video Jan Wegener shared two insights about the new Canon R6III:

Jan has been proven to be very reliable in the past so I think he will be right on this one too. With this new sensor the Canon R6III would compete with the 33MP Sony A7IV. But at the same time also Sony is rumored to launch a new A7V this autumn!

Canon says they will not make a High-Resolution Version of the Canon R1

PetaPixel had a short chat with Canon manager Go Tokura. He made it clear that there is no high resolution version of the Canon R1 on their roadmap:

“We consider the flagship to basically be at the pinnacle of our lineup, which means we’re not going to have two flagship models because we’ve basically put everything that we have — the best performance and the best trust — into the EOS R1. So I would say that we would probably never consider developing another model using the same body as the EOS R1.

For example, if we have higher resolution, then we know that that will skew the balance and the sensitivity will be lower. That is a physical mechanism. So in a flagship, we would never focus on just one aspect of the performance that would destroy the balance. I believe our current strategy is to have the 5-series be responsible for the high resolution quality

Nikon patented the design of a never seen before 85-135mm f/1.8-2.8 Full Frame lens!

Nikon patented the design of a never seen before 85-135mm f/1.8-2.8 Full Frame lens. Nikon Japan writes:

Conventionally, variable magnification optical systems suitable for photo cameras, electronic still cameras, video cameras, etc. have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such variable magnification optical systems, it is difficult to obtain bright and good optical performance while making them compact.

So basically Nikon’s goal here is to offer an ultimate portrait zoom lens that still has reasonable size. In this design the lens of the length is 119.454mm up to 149.236mm when fully extended. That’s truly compact if you consider the 135mm f/1.8 S Plena Lens is 139.5mm long!

Of course, this is a patent and there is no guarantee that they will ever make this lens. But damn… I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this beast will be made!

via Asobinet