Viltrox has a patent for what appears to be a new 28mm pancake autofocus full-frame lens. The patent number is CN308440949S - it was filed on July 20, 2023, and it was published on January 26, 2024:
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I have been covering the AI-powered Micro Four Thirds Alice Camera for 4 years now, and it is good to see that they are finally starting to ship to customers.
There is currently a new similar project on Kickstarter called "SwitchLens" that can turn any smartphone into a Micro Four Thirds camera:
New on Kickstarter: SwitchLens turns any smartphone into a Micro Four Thirds camera
Here are the details on the Alice Camera shipping:
Alice Camera, a novel AI-powered Micro Four Thirds camera, Prepares for Delivery
London, UK – June, 2024 – After three years of dedicated development, Photogram is thrilled to announce that the Alice Camera, a novel AI-powered Micro Four Thirds camera that attaches to iOS and Android smartphones, will begin shipping to pre-order customers from 15th July 2024 (see proposed delivery dates below). Designed to streamline high-quality social media content creation for creators, businesses and everyday users, Alice Camera aims to bridge the gap between mirrorless cameras and smartphones. Users will be able to capture content with interchangeable lenses, a smartphone-like user experience and on-camera AI-driven computational photography.
As an official Micro Four Thirds system partner, Photogram has built the Alice Camera to meet the standard's specifications and requirements. Alice Camera utilises the Micro Four Thirds lens mount and a Sony 4/3" HDR, dual-native ISO CMOS sensor. However, what sets Alice Camera apart from other mirrorless cameras is its use of a Qualcomm Snapdragon and Google Edge TPU chips as its primary processing units. These processors accelerate the calculations necessary for running Photogram’s proprietary AI-driven computational photography algorithms and software-based image signal processing (ISP) pipeline directly on the camera. Unlike hardware-based ISPs in traditional mirrorless cameras, Photogram's AI-driven software-based ISP is an innovative approach as it enables additional AI features and improvements to be brought to their existing cameras over time. In 2023, Photogram joined Google Cloud’s program for AI startups in London, where they received credits and mentorship to further train and develop their pipeline, which automates essential functions like white balance, exposure and colour grading.
Alice Camera's smartphone app offers an intuitive design for camera control, file management, and content sharing. Alice Camera OS, a Linux-based camera-specific operating system, allows for over-the-air software updates and open-access development, opening up new creative possibilities. Developers and businesses interested in building their own AI algorithms and custom apps on the Alice Camera platform are encouraged to contact the team.
"We're incredibly excited to finally bring the Alice Camera to the world," said Vishal Kumar, CEO at Photogram.
"We set out to build the Alice Camera because we wanted to offer our customers a new type of mirrorless camera built specifically for a new era of content. We’ve developed a fundamentally new engineering paradigm for mirrorless cameras, with significantly novel implementations on hardware, software and with AI algorithms. Alice Camera represents an innovative step forward in how mirrorless cameras are designed and how our users will process, capture and share their experiences. We can't wait to see the amazing content created with the Alice Camera."
The journey to launch was not without its challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic and global lockdowns in 2021 and 2022 caused severe chip shortages impacting Alice Camera’s manufacturing. Further delays arose in 2023 as the product underwent rigorous consumer electronics regulatory testing. Despite these hurdles, Photogram persevered, thanks to the support of its backers and investors. "We are deeply grateful for the belief and patience our community has shown throughout this journey," added Vishal Kumar. "As a new entrant in the camera industry, we hope to bring fresh perspectives. All the difficult development work over the last three years is now done. Now, we’re ready to deliver and start to scale manufacturing. Our journey begins from today… We’re just getting started."
PROPOSED DELIVERY DATES
About Photogram
Founded in London by a team of data scientists, engineers, content creators and camera enthusiasts, Photogram is a London-based computational photography startup with a mission to empower creators, business and everyday users with a camera more suited for a new era of content. By combining Micro Four Thirds optics with AI-accelerated hardware and computational photography algorithms driven by AI the team is offering a device more suited to a fast-paced content lifestyle. Alice Camera’s USP is to leverage a proprietary AI pipeline on-device; instead of doing post-processing on a laptop, editing can be done in real-time on the camera, drastically streamlining workflows.
In 2021 the team raised a $235,000 grant from Innovate UK, the UK government’s innovation agency, and $200,000 from backers on Indiegogo to develop Alice Camera. Then, in 2022 the team secured $1,300,000 in venture capital funding from Ascension Ventures, Cur8 Capital and 7pc ventures. In March 2023 the team was selected to pitch on stage at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, and was recently selected by the British Government to display at the inaugural CogX, Festival of AI, in Los Angeles in May 2024. Alice Camera is one of the first mirrorless cameras to be designed and released from London and/or the United Kingdom in the last two decades. Read more about the company, its co-founders and their story.
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Pixii is rumored to announce a new camera based on this screenshot from their website that shows a new model A3410:
Some of the speculations online have been for a new Monochrome or maybe even a full-frame version of the current rangefinder-styled camera with APS-C sensor and Leica M-mount:
The new Pixii+ rangefinder camera is now available for sale in the US
New Pixii camera model A3410 with Leica M-mount coming soon?
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To commemorate their 20th anniversary, DxO announced a new promotional offer where you can get a 20% discount on all products for the next 20 days (starting today until Sunday, July 7, 2024):
You can read about the 20 years' history of the company here.
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Fujifilm announced a new INSTAX WIDE 400 camera and three new colors for Hybrid MINI:
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The previously reported ON1 Photo RAW 2024.5 is now officially released:
Key features
Price and Availability
version 2024.5 will be a free update for all 2024 owners and subscribers. They will be notified via the in-app update when it is available. New customers and those upgrading from previous ON1 versions can get ON1 Photo RAW MAX 2024.3 or Photo RAW 2024.3 at a discount today and will receive version 2024.5 for free once it is available. Anyone can order a non-subscription license or subscribe. ON1 Photo RAW MAX 2024 is also available in the ON1 Everything Subscription Plans.
Additional information
ON1, the leading provider of innovative photo editing software applications, is excited to announce the upcoming release of ON1 Photo RAW 2024.5, a new update with huge performance gains and precision masking tools. This exciting update unleashes powerful new features designed to elevate the photo editing experience for photography professionals and enthusiasts.
“We strive to improve performance with every release. Usually, we can eke out a boost here and there which positively impacts your workflow. However, this update is the big one. It is the most pervasive performance boost we’ve had. You will feel it almost everywhere in Edit. Opening photos is faster, brushing is faster, and zooming is faster. If you work with many layers and filters, you will feel the difference,” says Dan Harachler, VP of product.
ON1 Photo RAW 2024.5 underscores ON1’s commitment to developing cutting-edge technologies that support photographers without compromising their creative vision and control.
WHAT'S NEW IN PHOTO RAW 2024.5
New and Improved Super Select AI – Our innovative point, click, and edit tool just got better. The enhanced Super Select AI tool can now identify and select any object, not just those it recognizes. This makes adjustments to areas like clothing, hair, skin, and individual flowers much faster. Simply click on an object or region, select an adjustment, and you're done. No more creating layers and adding filters and masks.
New and Improved Quick Mask AI Tool – Similar to the Super Select AI tool, the upgraded Quick Mask AI tool offers point-and-click editing for masks, simplifying the blending of layers and filters.
Optimized Performance – This update brings the most significant performance boosts yet! Almost everything in Edit feels faster. Opening raw files is now up to twice as fast, making it almost instantaneous. Opening .ONPhoto files (your creations from HDR, Pano, or multiple layers) is over twice as fast. Zooming, panning, and brushing are now buttery smooth, even on complex photos with many layers and filters. These improvements result from innovative methods we've developed to utilize the GPU and reduce memory usage.
Smaller Installer and More Frequent Updates – This release also includes a re-engineered app and update delivery method. The product installer is now much smaller, making it faster to download and install. Upon launching the app, it automatically checks for updates and downloads any missing or updated components. This allows us to update camera support, AI models, and extra content more frequently, making updates much smaller.
Added Camera and Lens Support – As with all updates, support for new raw formats and profiles for the latest cameras and lenses.
The post ON1 Photo RAW 2024.5 officially released appeared first on Photo Rumors.
The Pentax 17 half-frame film camera with 25mm f/3.5 lens is now officially announced and available for pre-order
Pentax 17 film camera officially announced, available for pre-order
Overview:
New PENTAX 17 compact film camera. The PENTAX 17 is a half-frame camera, capturing two 17mm x 24mm pictures within in a single 35mmformat (36mm x 24mm) film frame. It produces vertical-format pictures, with similar ratios to those captured by smartphones.
In addition to the distinctive image quality created only by a film camera, the design of the PENTAX 17 incorporates manual operations unique to film photography — a selectable zone-focus system, manual film winding, manual film advance lever, and exposure compensation and ISO sensitivity adjustments, each With their own dials. It has a retro-inspired design, with the top and bottom covers made of a solid but lightweight magnesium alloy to optimize the camera body’s rigidity.
The PENTAX 17 features a newly developed 25mm F3.5 lens (equivalent to a 37mm lens in the 35mm format). The lens is treated with HD (High Definition) coating to optimize clarity and sharpness. The optical viewfinder features an Albada-type bright frame finder and has a close-up visual field compensation frame to help compose close-up images more easily. The camera has seven shooting modes to accommodate different applications and scenarios. It automatically adjusts exposure settings based on lighting data collected by its metering sensor. It is an ideal model not only for film camera enthusiasts who have enjoyed film photography for years, but also for photographers who are excited about trying film photography for the first time
Features:
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From Gizmodo:
"The U.S. government sued Adobe on Monday for allegedly “trapping” customers in its default, most lucrative subscription plan. In a complaint, the Department of Justice (DOJ) writes that Adobe locks customers into a year-long agreement that’s not effectively disclosed as such, and “ambushing” users with hefty hidden fees when they try to cancel."
More on ftc.gov: "Adobe used hidden fee to trap people into paying for subscription plans".
Case description:
This will put a smile on many readers!
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Related posts:
The new Pentax 17 film camera is already listed online in Germany and is available for order. The full details can be found at PentaxRumors: (the official announcement is today at 4 pm):
Pentax 17 film camera listed online, available for pre-order
Via PentaxRumors
The post Pentax 17 film camera listed online, available for pre-order appeared first on Photo Rumors.
The Pentax 17 half-frame film camera with 25mm f/3.5 lens leaked online hours before the official announcement (the official announcement is today at 4 pm):
Rioch registered the “17” trademark for the upcoming Pentax film camera
Via PentaxRumors
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The Nikon Z6 III camera is now officially announced and available for pre-order (see full coverage at NikonRumors):
Key specs of the Nikon Z6III:
Overview:
At the heart of the Z6III is Nikon’s first partially-stacked 24.5MP CMOS sensor and EXPEED 7 processor. This powerful combination offers advanced multi-subject detection autofocus inherited from Nikon’s flagship models, extraordinary low-light focus detection and a blazing fast electronic shutter capable of continuous shooting up to 120 fps. A bright, high-resolution, wide color gamut EVF supports comfortable viewing even with fast frame rates. Video features include 6K/60p internal RAW and Full HD/240p capture for 10X slow motion.
Features:
Join the Nikon ℤ6 III Facebook Group
The post Nikon Z6 III camera officially announced with a partially-stacked CMOS sensor appeared first on Photo Rumors.
The latest Nikon Z6 III rumors:
Here are the Nikon Z6 III camera pre-order links (please support our sponsors):
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From NikonRumors:
"The Nikon Z6 III is rumored to have a stacked sensor (or partially stacked?) from Sony. That same sensor is expected to be used in the upcoming Sony a7S IV, rumored to be announced later this year. I was told that Nikon got a special and exclusive contract with Sony and only Nikon and Sony will use this specific sensor. Nikon had to buy a lot of them in order for Sony to agree on exclusivity. This explains the rumored high price of the Z6 III."
Join the Nikon ℤ6 III Facebook Group
The post The Nikon Z6 III is rumored to have a stacked sensor (or partially stacked) that is expected to be in the upcoming Sony A7S IV appeared first on Photo Rumors.
7Artisans is teasing a new 35mm f/1.7 lens for Leica M-mount to be announced on June 18th:
7Artisans already has several different lenses for Leica M-mount (check also their Amazon store).
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Related posts:
The new SIRUI Sniper lenses will start shipping on June 19th (check Amazon and B&H Photo):
The new Thypoch Eureka 50mm f/2 lens for Leica M-mount is now shipping and is currently in stock:
The post Starting to ship: the new SIRUI Sniper and Thypoch Eureka lenses appeared first on Photo Rumors.
Sigma has no plans to release full-frame lenses for Canon RF-mount
Additional coverage of the new Canon RF-S 3.9mm f/3.5 STM Dual Fisheye lens for Apple Vision Pro
Canon Patents For Inner Zoom 15-60mm F2.8 and 22-80mm F2.8 Found
MAP Camera May Sales Rankings – Fujifilm X100VI is Back Ontop And X-T5 Makes The List
The post What else is new? appeared first on Photo Rumors.
Mr. Ding released a brass limited edition of their 35mm f/1.8 full-frame lens for Leica M-mount:
The lens already exists in silver and black - see the details here:
Announced: Mr.Ding 35mm f/1.8 full-frame lens for Leica M-mount
The post Mr. Ding released a brass limited edition of their 35mm f/1.8 full-frame lens for Leica M-mount appeared first on Photo Rumors.
The first DJI Mavic 4 rumors are already circulating online for a potential August 1st official announcement:
Public beta tester left his #mavic4 on the streets to be caught on video by a bystander. We see a air 3 like design but with a larger camera we recognize from the Mavic 3 pro. Could this be the widely desired 1 inch? I'll take a long shot: August 1st pic.twitter.com/OikebTGbMK
— Jasper Ellens | X27 (@JasperEllens) June 12, 2024
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SwitchLens is a new project listed for funding on Kickstarter that turns any smartphone into a Micro Four Thirds camera. Here are the specs:
The post New on Kickstarter: SwitchLens turns any smartphone into a Micro Four Thirds camera appeared first on Photo Rumors.
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