Innehållsförteckning för V74 issue 2 från Pro Photo

OLYMPUS has released major firmware upgrades for its OM-D E-M1 Mark II and E-M5 Mark II models plus the PEN-F. The upgrades add a number of new features with all three models gaining a new Bleach Bypass ‘Art Filter’ effect and support for the newly available Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm f2.8 telephoto lens. Additionally, the E-M1 II gets improved functionality in the Pro Capture modes, support for focus stacking with Olympus’s 12-100mm PRO lens, a ‘Small AF Target’ option with single-point operation and in-camera fish-eye correction when using the 8.0mm f1.8 PRO lens. The E-M5 II also gets a focus stacking function and, for the PEN-F, the Monochrome and Colour Profiles image settings can be saved back onto the camera via a computer. Additionally, the Shading Effect adjustment in…

Panasonic has announced another new telephoto lens which makes the most of the Micro Four Thirds sensor size to optimise its compact dimensions and lighter weight. The new Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 50-200mm f2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS model – which has an effective focal range of 100-400mm – is only 132 millimetres in length and weighs a very manageable 655 grams. It has a fully weather-proofed external construction (including insulation for shooting in sub-zero temperatures down to -10 degrees Celsius) which uses metal barrel tubes. On the inside the optical construction comprises 21 elements in 15 groups, including seven special types – two aspherical elements, four with extra-low dispersion characteristics and one with an ultra-high refractive index. Collectively, these special elements correct for chromatic aberrations and distortion to optimise both sharpness…

Despite the mirrorless camera hordes massing on its borders, the D-SLR world continues to hold out with healthy sales overall and continued dominance of the professional sector, especially at the top end. Undoubtedly one reason is that Canon and Nikon have established long traditions – and deserved reputations – for building high performance D-SLRs for pros which are rugged and reliable. They get the job done every time. Behind them are extensive systems of lenses – still far bigger than any mirrorless mount so far – and, perhaps more significantly, many photographers with extensive inventories of expensive lenses (such as big telephotos). Both the tradition and the expense are very good reasons for not changing camera systems even if the mirrorless technologies – such as electronic viewfinders – have now…

Fujifilm is targeting film-makers as well as photographers with its new X-H1 X mount ‘APS-C’ mirrorless camera, which it’s describing as “the highest performing model in the X Series range”. The ‘H’ stands for hybrid. Similar in styling to the X-T2, the X-H1 has an all-new ruggedised and weather-sealed bodyshell that’s slightly larger and is made from magnesium alloy that’s 25 percent thicker and has a durable scratch-resistant costing. In ergonomic terms, the control layout is actually quite similar to the medium format GFX 50s, including a top panel readout screen and big lockable dials for setting shutter speeds and exposure compensation. The EVF has a resolution of 3.69 megadots and the 7.62 cm monitor screen features the same three-way tilting arrangement as on both the X-T2 and GFX 50S.…

If that recently-announced red M262 is a bit much for you, how about the even-more-exclusive Australia Edition of the Leica Q? Only 30 examples of this limited edition are available, and the fixed-lens full-35mm camera is finished in a very smart combination of silver and cement grey with a matching hand strap and neck strap. You also get a limited edition slip-cased book by Melbourne photographer Jesse Marlow, titled Anything Can Happen And Probably Will. Additionally, the $7000 purchase price includes a one-day street photography experience with Jesse in Sydney. The Leica Q has a fixed Summilux 28mm f1.7 ASPH lens matched to a 26.3 megapixels CMOS sensor. While it’s styled to look very much like the classic M rangefinder models, the Q has an electronic viewfinder (with 3.68 megadots…

Following the introduction of its new SLR-style Lumix G flagship, Panasonic has launched its next RF-style Lumix GX flagship. Plus, incidentally, Panasonic is celebrating ten years of its Lumix Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera system, the original G1 model being launched in 2008. The Lumix DC-GX9 – which is model number 28 since the G1 – keeps essentially the same rangefinder camera styling as its predecessor, but is marginally smaller and lighter. Curiously though, the magnesium alloy bodyshell is no longer weather sealed. The new model steps up to the same 21.77 million (total) pixels Live MOS sensor that’s used in the G9. The effective pixel count is 20.3 million and, as on the G9, the GX9’s sensor also goes without an optical low-pass filter to optimise the resolution and…

While most of Tamron’s recently-launched new lenses have been for D-SLRs, the company has revealed it’s planning a 28-75mm f2.8 zoom for Sony’s FE mount, scheduled for mid-2018. The new Di III series lens (Tamron’s designation for lenses for full-35mm mirror-less cameras) employs a new autofocusing drive called ‘RXD’ which stands for Rapid eXtra-Silent Stepping Drive. Stepping motors are becoming more frequently used for auto-focusing systems because they’re not only very quiet, but provide the smoothness which is especially important when shooting video. The lens supports Sony’s ‘DMF’ (Direct Manual Focus) function which provides a full-time manual override of the autofocusing. According to Tamron’s preliminary specs, the zoom has a minimum focusing distance of 19 centimetres at 28mm and 39 centimetres at 75mm. It measures 117.8 mm and weighs in…

Current to 24 June: Exhibition. Waves & Water – Australian Beach Photography. Images depicting Australian beach culture from the 1880s, including works by Harold Cazneaux Max Dupain, Ray Leighton, Jeff Carter, Roger Scott, Ian Lever, Narelle Autio, Anne Zahalka, and Michael Cook. At the Australian National Maritime Museum, 2 Murray Street, Darling Harbour, Sydney, NSW 2000. Entry is free. Museum hours are 9.30am to 5.00pm daily. For more information telephone (02) 9298 3777 or visit www.anmm.gov.au Current to 8 October: Exhibition. Wildlife Photographer Of The Year. One hundred images from the finalists and winners in the 2017 edition of the world’s biggest wildlife photography competition. At the Australian National Maritime Museum, 2 Murray Street, Darling Harbour, Sydney, NSW 2000. Entry is $20 which includes admission to the museum’s permanent galleries.…

Sony’s current program of upgrades for its A7 series of full-35mm mirrorless cameras continues with the introduction of the A7 III, which joins the A7R III announced a few months ago. The A7 III is built around a new ‘Exmor R’ back-illuminated CMOS sensor with an imaging area of 35.6x23.8 mm and a total pixel count of 25.3 million (24.2 MP effective). It has a sensitivity range equivalent to ISO 100 to 51,200 (expandable to ISO 50 and 204,800) and Sony is claiming an impressive 15 stops of dynamic range. The new sensor is coupled to Sony’s latest ‘Bionz X’ high-speed processor which enables continuous shooting at up to 10 fps – with frame-by-frame autofocusing adjustment – and, of course, 4K video in the Ultra HD resolution of 3840x2160 pixels…

The death of one’s parents is perhaps one of the greatest emotional hurdles in life, and documenting their demise adds another layer of intensity. When American photographer Nancy Borowick’s mother and father were dying from cancer at the same time, she turned to photography as a way of navigating the emotional storm. A Life In Death is the extraordinary result, a body of work that captures the journey of her parents as they underwent treatment for stage-four cancer together. It’s a story, she says, “…about life and love more than cancer and death”, a story that is both heartbreaking and heart-warming. A Life In Death is one of several internationally-acclaimed documentary photography exhibitions showing at the 2018 outing of Head On Photo Festival, which is now well-established as Australia’s premier…