NEWS ROUND-UP

The week in brief, edited by Geoff Harris

It’s very black & white for The Societies

A striking image of the Golden Gate Bridge in mist has won an all-monochrome photography competition organised by The Societies throughout September, October and November. Eric Browett beat over 800 other entries and his prizes include an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II with 12-40mm PRO lens.

New Nokia smartphone for January

Nokia has rolled out its 8.1 smartphone featuring Zeiss optics and optical image stabilisation. The 12MP main camera has a 1/2.55in sensor with large 1.4 micron pixels ‘ for precise light capture, delivering exceptionally detailed images’, the company claims. The Nokia 8.1 comes in three colour combos (Blue/Silver, Steel/ Copper, Iron/Steel) and goes on sale from 14 January for an average price of £379.99.

Lightweight Velbon travel tripod

Velbon has released the UT-3AR travel tripod which the company claims can support up to 3kg of mirrorless or DSLR cameras and lenses, despite only weighing 787g. It extends to 135.5cm in height and the 5-section legs feature Velbon’s ‘Ultra’ fast twist-locking system; the ball and socket head is also Arca Swisscompatible. Available now for £ 79.99.

VSCO to go mobile only

Despite being one of the biggest name in filmsimulation presets for Lightroom and other editing software, VSCO has announced it will stop selling and supporting its presets for desktop computers from 1 March 2019. The company has raised $70 million in funding to develop its mobile photo community based around the VSCO Cam app. Full details at bit.ly/ vsconews.

Third-party Nikon Z and Canon R lenses

Kipon claims it is the world’s first third-party manufacturer to release full-frame lenses for the Nikon Z and Canon EOS R mirrorless range. Marketed under its Elegant range, the f/2.4 lenses currently comprise a 24mm (US$499), 35mm (US$468), 50mm (US$325), 75mm (US$355) and 90mm (US$386).