Sony Launches 12-24mm G Master

Sony

has announced a new addition to its full-frame lens line-up with the introduction of the FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM (model SEL1224GM) large-aperture ultrawide zoom lens. The introduction of the zoom lens extends the f/2.8 range of Sony’s G Master series zoom lenses, all the way from 12mm to 200mm.

The lens features three precise XA (extreme aspherical) elements, that effectively suppress astigmatism, coma and field curvature right out to the image edges. It also features three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements and two Super ED glass elements that control chromatic aberration and combine to deliver corner-to-corner clarity with minimised colour fringing. The focus mechanism divides the lens’s focus group into two independently controllable groups, which help realise a constant 28 cm minimum focussing distance throughout the zoom range. The signature bokeh effects of Sony’s G Master series lens are achieved through the fine tuning of the lens’s spherical aberration characteristics during both the design and manufacturing process. At the same time, the high surface precision of the lens’s XA elements effectively suppresses spherical aberration and, in combination with a 9-blade circular aperture, further enhances its exquisite bokeh.

Its key features include four original high-speed, high-thrust XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors for speed compatibility with current and future camera bodies and Nano AR Coating II for suppressing internal reflections and minimising ghosting and flare. The lens weighs 847g and offers professional control features such as customisable focus-hold button, focus-mode switch, zooming ring and focussing ring. It is dust and moisture resistant and the front lens element features a fluorine coating that repels water, oil, and other contaminants. The rear filter holder accommodates standard sheet-type ND, colour correction and other filters for expanded capability. The FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM is available for a suggested retail price of USD 2,999.99.

has announced the launch of Fujinon GF 30mm f/3.5 R WR, a wide-angle prime lens with a focal length equivalent of 24mm (in the 35mm film format) for the Fujifilm GFX System of large format digital cameras.

The lens consists of thirteen lens elements in ten groups, including two aspherical elements and two extra-low dispersion (ED) elements. The highperformance lens groups are positioned to control various aberrations, especially distortion, to which wide- angle lenses are prone. The lens is compatible with 100MP sensors, weighs approximately 510g and measures 99.4mm with a maximum diameter of 84mm. The lens uses an internal focussing system that reportedly offers fast and quiet autofocus (AF). Focus breathing is 0.05%, making it suitable for recording video. The 30 mm incorporates Fujifilm’s optical design and production technology processes, making it compatible with the GFX 50S and GFX 50R mirrorless digital cameras, as well as the 100MP image sensor of the GFX 100. The lens is sealed at nine locations to make it dust and weather-resistant and can also be used in temperatures as low as -10°C.

The GF 30 mm f/3.5 R WR lens will be available in late July or early August in the U.S. and Canada for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of USD 1699.95.

World Photography Organisation has announced the submissions for the fourteenth edition of the Sony World Photography Awards from July 1, 2020. Entry to the Awards is completely free and photographers will be judged anonymously by a panel of industry leading judges. Photographers can register themselves in the competition using their Facebook, Weibo or Google accounts and upload images via their Instagram accounts. Photographers worldwide have been invited to participate in the 4 categories, namely, Professional, Open, Youth and Student. The Awards programme will also reward local photographic talent.

The organisation has introduced new categories across the Professional, Youth and Open categories and a refreshed theme for the Student competition. In the Professional competition, a new category for single images has been introduced, titled Portfolio, in which, photographers are requested to submit 5-10 images not related to each other in subject matter or narrative but depicts the photographer’s quality and technical skills. The Architecture category has been expanded to include Design, giving photographers the option to showcase exteriors and urban landscapes alongside interiors. The Open competition will feature two new categories, i.e. Lifestyle and Object. While the ‘Lifestyle’ category will feature editorial, fashion or family images, the ‘Object’ category will present images depicting inanimate subject matters.

The Youth competition monthly themes have also been updated and now includes themes such as ‘Composition and Design’ for the month of July, ‘Culture’ for August, ‘Natural World & Wildlife’ for September, ‘Street Life’ for October, ‘People’ for November and ‘Show Us Your World’ for December. As for the first brief in the Student competition, entrants will be asked to submit images under the theme of ‘Building a Better Future’, showcasing stories of people working towards creating a better future for all. The deadlines for submission for the 4 competitions are given as January 14, 2021(professional category), January 7, 2021 (open category), July 1- December 31, 2021 (youth), November 30, 2020 (Student-first brief). All the winners from the Professional, Open, Youth and Student competitions will receive digital imaging equipment from Sony. Additionally, cash prizes of US $25,000 will be presented to the Photographer of the Year and US $5,000 to the Open Photographer of the Year. The winning and shortlisted photographers’ works will be exhibited at the annual Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition in London, which, will then be toured internationally. The winning images will also be published in the annual Awards’ book.

Optics (ZY Optics) has released the new Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 for Canon EF mount cameras. The 50mm has a different optical design from its mirrorless version and is reportedly, the world’s only f/0.95 lens designed for D-SLR cameras. Due to the large size of the rear element, the lens cannot be made for a Nikon. It comes with an ultra-fast f/0.95 maximum aperture and is a compact prime making it suitable for low-light conditions.

The lens boasts of a controlled depthof-field for isolating subjects from the background and producing selective focus effects.

It is designed with 12 elements in 6 groups optic system with 1 HRI (High Refractive Index) element and 5 UD (Ultralow dispersion) elements for minimising chromatic aberrations.

It also sports an eleven-blade diaphragm that helps to produce a softly diffused out-of-focus rendering (bokeh). The enclosure of the lens is made of metal to strengthen its durability and comes with a 82mm filter thread for mounting screw-in filters. The Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 Canon EF is now available for purchase on ZY Optics official website at a recommended retail price (before tax) of USD 799.

has introduced a new high-resolution version of the company’s rangefinder camera. With a 40 megapixel colour sensor, the new flagship expands the M10 family, which includes the M10, M10-P, M10-D and M10 Monochrome.

The sensitivity range of this new sensor ranges from ISO 100 to 50,000. The base ISO of 100 allows bright light photos where the aperture can be kept wide-open for better background blur and bokeh, while on the other side of the spectrum, the maximum exposure time has been increased to 16 minutes for more creative freedom with long exposures in the dark light. The M10-R comes with a quiet mechanical shutter, inherited from the M10-P.

The construction of the M10-R reportedly involves a large amount of hand assembling, utilising quality materials by highly trained specialists, carried out at the company’s production plant in Wetzlar, Germany. This ensures that the large number of components, such as the complex rangefinder mechanism, perform with precision and are long-lasting. According to Leica, the M10-R works best with Leica M lenses such as the APO-Summicron-M 50 f/2 ASPH to capture photographs of ‘exceptional’ quality. The M10-R will be available for purchase at Leica stores, boutiques and dealers at a price of US $8,295 in black chrome and silver chrome finishes.

has announced the sales release of SZX Super Tele 400mm f/8 Reflex MF lens from August 7, 2020 onwards. The 400mm incorporates a catadioptric type optical design, with a constant f/8 aperture. The lens offers compact alternative to standard tele photo lenses. It is designed for active travel photographers seeking to shoot outdoor landscapes or wildlife. The lens features 1:2.5 magnification for macro photography, donut-shaped bokeh, compression effect and a versatile mount system for 5 camera mounts (including 3 mirrorless mounts). The lens adopts 0.75mm pitch and 42mm thread mount standard, which allows the lens to be attached to any camera by using different mount adaptors. Tokina is also selling lens versions with included adaptors for Canon EF, Nikon

F, Sony E, Fujifilm X and Micro Four Thirds camera systems. The company has not revealed any pricing related information for now, on its official website.

a shareholder of Berkeley Lights, Inc., has released a notice that it is expecting to record valuation gains on investment securities of approximately JPY 5.8 billion in the consolidated financial results for the half year ending March 31, 2021. The valuation gains are expected has announced the establishment of the Sony Global Relief Fund for COVID-19, a USD 100 million fund to support those around the world affected by the COVID-19 virus.

Through this fund, Sony is providing support in three areas i.e. assistance for to be recorded in “Finance income” in the consolidated statement of profit or loss. The consolidated financial forecast for the year ending March 31, 2021 is yet to be determined, due to the spread of COVID-19. The Company says that it will announce the consolidated financial forecast soon. those individuals engaged in frontline medical and first responder efforts to fight the virus, support for children and educators who must now work remotely, and support for members of the creative community in the entertainment industry, which has been greatly impacted by the spread of the virus.

is reportedly making a donation of JPY 10 million in total to Kumamoto Prefecture for the people affected by heavy rainfall in the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, in July, 2020. Additionally, Fujifilm will donate 1,000 bottles of its hand sanitiser gel in order to prevent infectious diseases at evacuation sites. The company says that it will continue to provide support the affected families by collecting donation from its group employees.

has unveiled its muchanticipated full-frame mirrorless cameras, the EOS R5 and EOS R6.

With the addition of the EOS R5 and EOS R6 to its line-up, Canon aims to strengthen its EOS R System by providing its users with an imaging system that delivers higher image quality and greater ease-of-use.

Both the cameras are equipped with Canon’s advanced Digic X imaging processor and in-body image stabiliser. The EOS R5 comes with 45 megapixels full-frame CMOS sensor while the EOS R6 is equipped with a 20.1 megapixels full-frame CMOS sensor, inherited from the EOS-1DX Mark III. The cameras come with continuous shooting speed of up to 20fps at full resolution using the electronic shutter and with full AF and AE tracking. In case of mechanical shutter, 12fps can be achieved. The Digic

X imaging processor also opens up more possibilities in terms of noise handling and can go up to an ISO of 51200, with the option to expand to ISO 102400.

The cameras feature Dual Pixel CMOS AF II that allows AF coverage area to expand and cover the entire sensor (100% x 100%). Other features include dual card slots, in-camera 8K raw video recording and wireless connectivity. The EOS R5 supports 5GHz and 2.4GHz wireless LAN as well as FTP and FTPS whereas EOS R6 only supports the 2.4GHz band but retains the FTP and FTPS functionality; both cameras support Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Wi-Fi. The EOS R5 comes with a magnesium alloy body and EOS R6 in polycarbonate, with dust and moisture resistance support on both models. The R5 has 5,00,000 cycles shutter durability while the R6 offers 3,00,000 cycles. Additionally, the R5 sports a top LCD panel while the

R6 has a Mode Dial and both cameras have the Vari-angle LCD and full touch screen convenience during AF and menu selections.

Alongside the EOS R5 and EOS R6 cameras, Canon has also launched a series of lenses including the RF85mm f/2 Macro IS STM, RF 600mm f/11 IS STM, RF 800mm f/11 IS STM, RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM, Extender RF1.4X and RF2X along with other accessories. The EOS R System reportedly offers more liberty in lens design with in-body image stabilisation owing to its wider lens mount diameter and high speed communication pins.

Priced at an MRP of Rs. 3,39 995 (inclusive of all taxes) and Rs. 2,15 995 (inclusive of all taxes) respectively, the EOS R5 and EOS R6 will be available from August at Canon Image Squares and authorised retailers.

has launched its long awaited XPS series with the XPS 13 9300 and XPS 15 9500. While these new additions to the XPS series boast of beautiful new designs and latest premium computing innovations, Dell claims, that there is much more to XPS than meets the eye.

The XPS series feature expansive display, edge-to-edge keyboard, a large touchpad, one-handed opening and the Intel 10th Generation processors that gives its users a premium experience.

The XPS 13 and XPS 15 are ‘slick, functional and stylish’ devices that come with a four-sided, virtually borderless Infinity-Edge screen display. The XPS 15 offers 4K resolution while XPS 13 offers HDR display. The XPS 15 speakers include Waves Nx 3D audio with headtracking to align the direction of sound to your visual point-of-view. Both series are crafted from machined aluminium and aerospace-inspired carbon fibre and are reportedly lightweight, strong, durable and comfortably heat-resistant. The devices also features Dell’s smallest ever HD webcam which is positioned at the top of the display. Dell has eliminated foam and single-use plastic bags with the new XPS series in an attempt to deliver sustainable packaging, by using materials such as recycled oceanbound plastics, locally recycled plastic, sustainable materials and recycled corrugate. The XPS 13 and XPS 15 are available for purchase, at prices starting from Rs. 1,44,807 and Rs. 1,86,072 respectively.

has announced the launch of the new Precision 5550 mobile workstation in India. It is developed for professional creators and engineers and features up to HDR400, 4-sided Infinity-Edge 16:10 aspect ratio display and a top bezel infrared camera for maximum screen real estate. With the latest 10th Gen Intel Core and Xeon (up to 8-cores) processors combined with up to NVIDIA Quadro T2000 (4GB) graphics, the Precision 5550 workstation can handle applications for 3D design and modelling, simulation and analysis, rendering etc. It comes with the Dell Optimiser software, an AI-based software that automatically tunes the workstation and delivers faster response for optimised application performance and faster battery charging. The key features of the Precision 5550 include a 39.6 cm frame, weighing 1.84 kg, with a 92% display/body ratio, 105% larger touchpad (as compared to the previous generation), an IR camera at the top of the bezel and blue light sensor. It also comes with Independent Software Vendor (ISV) certification, advanced thermal cooling, 2 Type-C Thunderbolt ports and enhanced camera security features that allow the users to open or close the camera shutter. Its builtin AI platform supports features like ExpressResponse, ExpressCharge and Intelligent Audio. Another feature that compliments the Precison workstation series is Reliable Memory Technology (RMT) Pro which protects the PC from potential crashes. The technology works in conjunction with error-correcting code (ECC) memory to detect and correct memory errors in real-time.

The workstation series boasts of increased performance and professional graphics making it suitable for running complex applications such as interactive design and analysis, data sciences, AI and VR/AR. The Precision 5550 retails at a price of Rs.1,29,999 (excluding GST).

August 2020

has launched the new Nikon Z5 camera with Nikkor Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens, a compact and light-weight solution for social media content creators.

The Z 5 is compact and lightweight camera, weighing approximately 675g. It comes with 5-axis in-camera Vibration Reduction (VR) of up to 5.0 stops and users choose between Normal mode (still subjects) and Sport mode (moving subjects). Additionally, the VR unit is designed with a lock structure feature that prevents the image sensor from damage caused by shaking. The camera features a touch screen with a customisable “i-Menu” that provides shortcuts for accessing frequently used settings. It also features double SD

has unveiled the X50 and X50 Pro in its new X50 series of flagship smartphones for professional photography. The X50 Pro supports 5G connectivity and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor. Both smartphones feature flexible screens that are slim, light and durable. The X50 is sleek (7.49mm) and features HDR 10+ technology. The devices are integrated with a built-in gimbal module that moves in the opposite direction of the shaking motions and widens the rotation angle and anti-shake area, making it suitable for capturing images and videos while in motion. The gimbal UI, an on-screen animated dot within a circle (which reflects the gimbal’s movement), lets users know when the frame is stable. The X50 Pro has one front camera and four rear cameras. It features a periscope lens that supports 5x Optical zoom and 60x Hyper Zoom. The series come with Super Night mode 3.0, Extreme Night Vision, Astro mode, Portrait mode, Super Wide-Angle and Super Macro functions, delivering a range of refined images. Vivo has also launched the TWS Earphone Neo along with the X50 series.

The wireless earphone has a customised 14.2mm ultra-large driver unit along with a bio-fibre composite diaphragm to enhance audio. The earphone also features AI noise cancelling for clearer phone calls and several voice-activated smart controls. It is powered by Qualcomm’s 4th-Generation TWS platform-QCC3046 and comes with Bluetooth 5.2 technology with a maximum range of 10m.

The X50 Pro is available in Alpha Grey colour whereas X50 is available in two colour options i.e. Glaze Black and Frost Blue. Priced at Rs. 49,990 (X50 Pro 8+256GB), Rs. 34,990 (X50 8+128GB) and Rs. 37,990 (X50 8+256GB), both devices are available for sale in Reliance, Croma, Vijay Sales and other offline partner retail stores across India. For online buyers, the X50 Series is available on Vivo India E-store, Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm Mall, Tata Cliq and other major e-commerce websites. The TWS Neo Earphones are available in two colours i.e. Moonlight White and Starry Blue for Rs. 5,990.

August 2020