A VERY GOOD YEAR
HERE WE ARE AT THE START OF ANOTHER
new year, fresh out of the wrapper and ready for whatever the next 12 months might bring. As far as the photography industry is concerned, it looks like it’s going to be a good one with, already, plenty to look forward to. Looking deep into my crystal ball I see new camera or lens purchases for quite a few of us (yep, I’ve definitely got my eye on something).
In the next few months we’ll see most of what was promised at last year’s Photokina arriving on the shelves, including Panasonic’s all-new Lumix S system (both camera bodies and lenses), Fujifilm’s very appealing GFX 50R and the intriguing Zeiss ZX1. Then there’s another Photokina in May – the first of the annual shows – and Japan’s CP+ at the end of February. While it’s hard to see this year’s Photokina being quite as momentous as the show back in September (one of the most exciting in my experience), CP+ in Yokohama always delivers something interesting, being ‘home turf’ for most of the major camera makers.
And which of these brands has been a bit quiet of late? I think we’ll see Olympus back on form soon, probably about the same time that Panasonic’s S1 and S1R full-35mm mirrorless cameras hit the market. Olympus is going to continue to leverage the benefits of the M34 format, but there’s going to be plenty of emphasis on the bigger sensor systems this year… remember, for instance, Nikon has promised us six more Nikkor Z lenses for 2019, starting with the yummy 58mm f0.95 S Noct. You can expect Canon to be busy with more RF mount lenses too, plus there’s almost certainly a higher-end EOS R body coming too (most likely at CP+). In addition to the Lumix S system products, the other L Mount Alliance partners – Leica and Sigma – will be making their contributions to the cause as well. Given Leica’s busy new model program in 2018 (M10-P, M10-D, Q-P, C-Lux and D-Lux 7 plus numerous limited editions), it’s likely there’s plenty more to come, starting with the new S3 medium format D-SLR which was announced at last year’s Photokina.
Sony was very busy in 2018 too, and only the A7S II awaits the Mark III upgrade (although there could also be an A9R coming too), but now facing a lot more competition, it’s going to move up a gear or two in terms of new FE mount lenses… which is where it still has an important advantage over the newcomers in the full-35mm mirrorless space. At Photokina 2018 Sony revealed it has a total of 12 new FE mount lenses in the pipeline with most of them scheduled to arrive this year (and, of course, this doesn’t include any new models from the likes of Sigma, Tamron, Samyang or Voigtländer). However, given its vast R&D resources, don’t be surprised if there are further interesting developments in new A series cameras along the way as well. Sony has already stated that it’s exploring how artificial intelligence technologies can be applied to camera control systems.
Advances in optical technologies have already been creating plenty of excitement in lens designs and this is going to continue, especially with the mirrorless camera systems where the shorter flange back distances and wider mount diameters open up all sorts of possibilities. For example, it’s already been reported that Nikon’s Z mount could potentially allow for a maximum aperture of f0.65… and with autofocusing!
Twenty-nineteen is a big year for this magazine too, as we’ll be celebrating our 40th birthday. The first issue – then titled Camera Craft – appeared in June 1979 when the worlds of both photography and magazine publishing were very different places. However, despite all the upheavals elsewhere in print media, special interest magazines are still going strong (Camera owner nextmedia has a whole stable of them, covering everything from classic motorbikes to gardening) and, while the practice of photography has changed both fundamentally and comprehensively over the last four decades, it’s still primarily about taking pictures and dealing with all the associated technical and creative challenges. Today’s tech just gives us more solutions for both, but vision remains at the heart of any great photograph.
We’re planning a few birthday celebrations for our May/June 2019 issue so stay tuned, but in the meantime strap in for what looks very likely to be a thrilling ride over the coming months.