Just a day after I posted some rumored photos of the upcoming new Fuji camera has been referenced in an article on the Wells Fargo investment website, including information on the three lenses that will be available for it.
Just a few days before CES 2012 and the specs for the Nikon D4 have been accidentally leaked on a website (reported but not named by Nikon Rumors). They also published a photo of the new Nikon D4. Given that we already know all about the Canon 1D X we can now take a proper look at latest and greatest from the big two. While the D4 will be the second of the two to be unveiled, it will in fact be available in stores in February compared to late March for the 1D X. Amazon actually has the D4 up for pre order already, if you’re looking to pick one up then you might want to get in line.
Not every single item on the D4 spec list has been released yet so I will be upgrading this as they are unveiled.
Is this real ? That is the question. It certainly looks like the previously leaked images and this image appeared linked to from the website Mirrorless Rumors earlier today but has since been removed…
Update: The image seems to have come from the Hong Kong forum Omuser
Update 2: So it turns out this is a mockup done by Flickr user Jonker Burger. I have to say that it’s probably the most convincing mockup I’ve seen. Even details that were revealed in the second photo just within the last day seem to match up to the mockup pretty well. There is an LED missing in the photo though which is the biggest clue. Plus the MCS focus switch appears to be more recessed into the camera body than in Jonker’s mockup version. However the overall look and general shape of the top plate and rubber grip do appear to be spot on. Only a few days though until the real thing is revealed and I will be at CES myself to take a look and report back !
After the incredible success of the Fuji X100 (previously reviewed here) and then the Fuji X10 compact there have been rumors floating around about a new camera that will take things one step further and feature a new selection of interchangeable lenses. Today the first leaked image of the whole camera has hit the internet and WOW, what a looker it is! I’m in love with my little x100, both in terms of the images it produces and the look and feel of it. This new , as-yet-unnamed camera takes it to the next level though. So far we don’t really have any other specs on it though there is strong speculation that it will feature the very first Organic Image Sensor as Fuji recently applied for a patent for it.
The camera is rumored to be called the LX10 , or possibly the X PRO 1.
Via The Digital Picture these lenses are now expected to be available in April. Originally they were scheduled for “before the end of 2011″ but things slipped. I have my eye on picking up the 500mm myself so I’m really waiting for this one. Hopefully I get to have a hands-on look at one during CES next week in Las Vegas.
Getting around the deficient audio in DSLR video production is always a tricky problem for one reason or another. There are several ways to do it , depending on which camera you are using but it also depends on whether you want to shoot separate audio tracks and sync in post using Plural Eyes , or whether you want to record straight into the video track on camera. The latter route will never be as high quality but sometimes you just don’t have time for the extra step in post of syncing and managing the audio files. Of course the first step to better audio is just to use better microphones and those all have XLR outputs on them so you need a way of connecting XLR’s to your camera. A popular solution has been the ZOOM H4N and it’s been good at that price point though it was never really designed for this use. The H4N is several years old now, predating the so-called DSLR revolution in fact, and was designed to record music, both live and at line level through 1/4″ plugs from guitars. One of the problems with it is the sensitivity of the 1/4″ line in signal is not at a typical line in level so inline pads are required as well as xlr-1/4″ TRS conversion of you want to record a line level signal and bypass the pre amps in the H4N. For me, no line level XLR input on the H4N is a big shortcoming for the flexibility of it’s usage.
The Tascam DR-100 was also used by quite a few people instead of the H4N but the original version also lacked the line level input that I would like to see. Tascam has just recently started to ship two new recorders though that BOTH feature mic and line level XLR inputs. The updated MKII version of the DR-100 and the brand new DR-40 which now takes over from the H4N as the most affordable XLR recorder on the market at around $200. Let’s take a look at their main features:
Amazon deal of the day is a ridiculous 70% off Lexar Pro 32GB SDHC cards.
Having broken my tripod recently I decided to look at what the high end of the market has to offer. A cheap tripod rarely does you any favors and whilst my previous one wasn’t exactly cheap, I’d often wanted a bit more stability and a generally nicer feel to things. I did a lot of research, read a lot of reviews, blog posts and forum threads and narrowed things quickly down to Gitzo and Really Right Stuff.
TVC-33s with TA-3-LC HK
I’m a big fan of Really Right Stuff products in general and I use their BH-40 ballhead as well as an MH-01 on my monopod so I was interested to watch their development of a tripod lineup over the last couple of years. Initially they launched the TVC-33 which promised the support capacity of a Gitzo 5-series but in a size and weight that was closer to a Gitzo 3-series. Those that have ever handled anything made by RRS will know that they are second to none when it comes to quality of machining and construction. The new carbon fiber tripods are no different but it comes at a price of course.
Shortly after the launch of the Canon C300 I interviewed one of Canon’s technical staff about the camera. At the time he mentioned to me that on top of the announced 3 EOS Cine prime lenses there were also two more in development. One wider and one longer. I now have a photo of these two prototype lenses, see below. It’s rare that unannounced lenses are shown so I thought it well worth a mention. No focal length is known at the moment, if I had to guess I would say 100mm or 135mm and 18mm?
On top of these primes, it would seem that there are also two new Cine zooms in development on top of the two that were officially announced announced alongside the C300. The 14-60 and the 30-300 that were announced, are MASSIVE lenses and they don’t really fit the C300 form factor for those who want lightweight rigs. There’s no way they could be handheld or used on Steadicam rigs but here are two NEW Cine zooms that are much much smaller and would seem to target the more portable market. I’d imagine these will be comparable in spec to the Angenieux 16-42 and 30-80 that are so popular in 3d rigs and Steadicam rigs at the moment though potentially one could offer a longer range like a 70-200 which is a popular lens for DSLR shooters.
When will we see these lenses ? Perhaps more info at NAB in the spring of 2012 but given the EF Cine primes that we do know about are not due until next summer I wouldn’t count on seeing any of these new ones on shelves until 2013.
The Kenti is the latest addition to the popular Mountain Series of bags from F-Stop, designed specifically with outdoor, nature and adventure photographers in mind. The Kenti brings some very different design features with it though that set it apart from the other bags in the series. It is (at time of writing) the only camera backpack that I am aware of that features zippered access on both sides of the bag. Two camera bodies with lenses already attached can be quickly reached and stowed away again in record time, if speed is of the essence in your photography then you should definitely read on.
The pack is constructed from Nylon 330 Denier Double Ripstop PU 1500mm DWR. In other words is damn tough and pretty waterproof !
Started by world renowned wildlife photographer Andy Biggs, Gura Gear has gathered a strong following from nature and wildlife photographers in the last couple of years with their Kiboko 30L backpack. The Kiboko was designed by Andy specifically to hold large super telephoto lenses during travel and in the field. It’s take a few years but this past Autumn, Gura Gear expanded their lineup to include two new bags; Kiboko 22l and Chobe 19-24L. We’ll be taking a closer look at the new 22L Kiboko in the coming weeks but today I want to give you my thoughts on the new Chobe shoulder bag.
Gura Gear Chobe can be purchased from Outdoor Photo Gear.
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