7Artisans will officially announce the previously rumored/reported AF 85mm f/1.8 full-frame autofocus lens next week (on July 5th). The lens will be initially released for Sony E cameras with other mounts to follow later.
FujiAddict spotted a new Fujifilm FF240002 camera registration:
"Hopefully, it will be the Fujifilm X-E5 because it is one of my favorite form factors, but it could also be a Fujifilm X-Pro5 (will probably skip XPro4 like XT40) since the X-Pro hasn’t been updated yet."
Previously in this series, I talked about my visits to Andasibe NP, where I shot lemurs and chameleons, and to Tsingy Rouge NP, where I shot beautiful formations made by erosion. I also talked about shooting sifaka lemurs and baobab trees in Kirindy Forest reserve and about visiting several secluded stops on my way to the southern part of Madagascar. This time, I'll talk about two short but fruitful visits: one to Isalo National Park and the other to Ranomafana National Park.
Isalo is a National Park in the Ihorombe region of Madagascar. It is a sandstone landscape dissected by wind and water erosion into rocky outcrops, plateaus, extensive plains and up to 200 m (660 ft) deep canyons. The park was created in 1962 and has been administered by the Madagascar National Parks authority since 1997. It includes landscapes considered part of the subhumid forests ecoregion. This ecoregion is home to numerous endemic species and has been given Critical/Endangered status because only small areas of native habitat remain, and most of those are highly fragmented.
As you've seen in previous articles, this fragmentation of ecosystems and, thus, the endangerment and rapid decline of endemic species is, unfortunately, very typical of Madagascar. Ecotourism is thus a most powerful and important tool to preserve what's left of the fragile habitats and beautiful species of this poor country.
Isalo might not have infinite landscape photography attractions, but it does have some nice locations with fantastic rock formations, the principal of which is the famous rock arch. As with many locations in Madagascar, this arch is very crowded at sunset with tourist groups and locals but surprisingly empty during sunrise.
The arch can be photographed from both sides. The easier eastern side is basically connected to the road and is thus harder to shoot when it's crowded, but getting to the shooting spot on the western side requires some agility and a bit of climbing and is thus much emptier, even during sunset. Thus, I chose to shoot the arch from the west during sunset and from the east during sunrise.
The eastern side of the rock arch during a cloudy sunrise.
The western side a few minutes after sunset, under a strong post-sunset glow. This phenomenon happens when the western horizon is clear of clouds. The glow is surprisingly red and reflects beautifully off of brighter surfaces such as the rock arch.
Apart from the arch, there are eroded rock formations nearby, surrounded by fields where termites build huge mounds, which can serve as nice foregrounds.
A termite mound under post-sunset glow. I took this shot right after the arch shot since it was located just two minutes away.
As for wildlife, Isalo has a small variety, including the sportive lemur and the red-fronted brown lemur, which I had already seen and photographed. It also has a decent-sized population of the ring-tailed lemur, perhaps the most famous of this primate family.
Getting to the ring-tailed lemurs was a bit of a challenge, and it took some precarious rock climbing to get to the point where they were hanging out. Still, nothing extreme. Upon getting to the lemur group, I got plenty of interesting poses by the lemurs, which were super cute and fun to shoot.
"Why hello there!" It seems like this lemur was a top model in a previous life!
I will talk about ring-tailed lemurs much more extensively in the next article, but for now, I will say that it's not only their beauty but their wonderful behaviors that make them a joy to shoot. One such behavior is licking the branches for a taste of pheromones. Both male and female ring-tailed lemurs have scent glands that secrete pungent substances, which some lemurs find irresistible!
Like other lemurs, this species relies strongly on their sense of smell and territorial marking with scent glands, providing communication signals throughout a group’s home range. The males will participate in stink fights by dousing their tails with their pheromones and ‘wafting’ them at opponents. Additionally, lemurs of both sexes will scent-mark trees, rocks or other objects by simply rubbing their faces and bodies onto it. I guess the eyes say it all.
What I'll talk about next wasn't the next stop in my trip after Isalo. That stop deserves its own article, so for now, I'll skip it and talk about the very last stop - Ranomafana NP. The park protects more than 41,600 hectares (161 square miles) of tropical rainforest at elevations ranging from 800 to 1,200 m (2,645 to 3,937 ft) and is home to several rare species of plants and animals. Out of these species, I had a really good time shooting the golden bamboo lemur, a medium-sized lemur endemic to the area.
Golden bamboo lemur. These guys are super fast and jump around constantly, but once in a while, they'll stop and allow a shot or two. I think they're absolutely beautiful!
This was the second bamboo lemur I shot (the first was the gray bamboo lemur in Andasibe (see the first article in the series), but it was the most photogenic, and by far the harder one to shoot. I had to run across narrow trails through thick vegetation, sometimes only to find out the lemur had already gone away. But I was very happy with this final shot: a golden bamboo lemur inside a heart-shaped leafy frame.
It's hard to beat cuteness in a heart-shaped frame. This was a difficult shot technically, as it was very dark inside the thick vegetation, and my camera found it hard to focus. Only a few shots turned out good, and this is my favorite. You may remember framing as one of the methods I discussed in my landscape composition series—I would say it's even more useful in wildlife photography!
In the next, final article in this series, I'll talk about the crown jewel of my Madagascar visit: Anja Reserve.
Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveller based in Israel. You can follow Erez's work on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates and to his YouTube channel.
Recognising the increasing demand for time-saving tools in portrait photography, we collaborated with the renowned portrait photographer Julia Trotti to bring a revolutionary new software solution to the market, that will help portrait photographers edit faster and more accurately.
Set for release in September 2024, Aperty is designed to empower photographers by automating routine face retouching processes through an efficient, AI-optimized workflow that runs locally on the user’s device.
Aperty will make retouching as easy as applying presets, saving valuable time for professional and semi-professional photographers alike. A great tool for portrait photographers and especially wedding photographers.
Why Choose Aperty?
High-Quality Results with an Easy-to-Use Editor: Aperty has been developed with insights from professional photographers to ensure exceptional quality and user-friendly operation.
Expert Collaboration: We have partnered with renowned photographer Julia Trotti, incorporating her expertise to refine the software’s design and guarantee top-notch results.
Retouching Automation: Our software streamlines the editing workflow, reducing the number of steps required to achieve professional-quality results.
Time-Saving Technology: Aperty’s advanced algorithms allow users to complete their editing tasks in a fraction of the time compared to traditional editors.
Batch Editing: Effortlessly group and edit multiple photos simultaneously, applying consistent changes across your entire collection.
We now have the first teaser for the upcoming camera:
As I already mentioned on LeicaRumors, this could be a new monochrome camera or a new full-frame camera with Leica M-mount (less likely). What do you think?
Belgian photographer Eric T’Kindt photo was awarded the overall Gold prize at this year's World Sports Photography Awards. The photo of Japanese gymnast Daiki Hashimoto was shot at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, Antwerp, Belgium.
T'Kindt's photo took the overall prize having been awarded Gold in the Gymnastics category.
Nikon Z9 with Nikkor VR 70-200mm F2.8G
Overall Silver - Isaac Julián Morillas Sánchez
The Silver award went to Spanish photographer Isaac Julián Morillas Sánchez, with a photo called "A new superhero? The perfect match between a spotlight and a head." The photo won Gold in the "Other" category.
Sony a9 II with FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS
Overall Bronze - Ryan Pierse
The overall Bronze award went to Australian photographer Ryan Pierse for their image "Duck Dive," which came top in the "Aquatics" section of the competition.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with EF15mm F2.8 Fisheye
American Football Gold - Kevin Sabitus
The World Sports Photography Awards recognize images taken across 24 disciplines, from American Football to Cricket. Kevin Sabitu's image "Dobbsanity" won the American Football category.
Canon EOS R3 with RF135mm F1.8
Athletics
More than 1400 professional photographers from around the world submitted images to this year's competition. Tetsu Lee "The Sprint" took Gold in the Athletics category.
Baseball - Lindsey Wasson
Seattle photographer Lindsey Wasson took the Gold in the baseball category with the photo "Dunk."
Sony a9 II with FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS
Basketball - Steph Chambers
There were more than 9000 images submitted. Steph Chambers' image, "Rainbow Hair" took Gold amongst the Basketball photos.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with EF24-70mm F2.8 L II USM
Boxing - Andrew Moss
Ten images were selected in each of the 24 categories. Andrew Moss's "The Dynamic Duo" tool Gold in the Boxing arena.
Nikon Z7 II with Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4
Cricket - Darrian Traynor
Darrian Traynor's "So Close" captures a critical moment in Australia's game against New Zealand in the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with EF600mm F4L IS II USM
Cycling - James Startt
James Startt took a wider view on the action to take this photo of the Strade Bianchi race in Tuscany, creating a Gold-winning image that captures the essence of the race.
Nikon Z7 with Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8
Equestrian - David Davies
Bronze, Silver and Gold winners were then selected from ten leading images in each category of the competition. David Davies' "Glorious Mud" took Gold in the Equestrian category.
Sony a9 II with FE 70-200mm GM II OSS
Football (Soccer) - Marcelo Guelber Goes
The three overall winners were then selected from the Gold position in each category. Marcelo Guelber Goes' image of Portugese striker Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded Gold in the Football section of the competition.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with EF300m F2.8L IS USM
Formula 1 - Cristiano Barni
22 of the 24 Gold-winning images include camera data. Cristiano Barni's dynamic shot that won Gold in the Formula 1 category was taken with a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, for instance.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with EF11-24mm F4 USM
Golf - Octávio Passos
Octávio Passos's winner of the Golf category was shot using a Nikon Zf c, the only APS-C camera used by any of the winners.
Nikon Zf c with Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4 S
Ice Hockey - Bruce Bennett
The most common camera brand amongst the winners was Canon, perhaps unsurprisingly, given the company's historic dominance of the pro sports field. Bruce Bennett used a Canon EOS R5 for his winning Ice Hockey image, "50th Anniversary Score."
Canon EOS R5 with EF15mm F2.8 Fisheye
Martial Arts - Victor Joly
Half of the winning images shot using Canon cameras were taken with EOS-1D X series DSLRs. The only other winning image to be shot with a DSLR was Victor Joly's "Upside Down - Judo Paris Grand Slam," shot with a Nikon D5.
Nikon D5 with 70-200mm F2.8
Motor Sports - Pavol Tomaskin
Nikon was the second most used brand among winners, with six entries using Z or D series bodies. Pavol Tomaskin used a Z9 for his image of Argentina motorcyclist Luciano Benavides, which won in the Motor Sports category.
Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR S
Racquet Sports - Benjamin Lau
Benjamin Lau won the Racquet Sports category. The increased professional use of mirrorless can be seen in the winners, with just seven of the twenty two images with camera data being shot with DSLRs.
Canon EOS R6 - RF70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM
Rugby - Morgan Treacy
Morgan Treacy won Gold in the Rugby category with their image "maul," shot during England's encounter with Ireland at the Six Nations Championship.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with EF500mm f/4L IS II USM
Swimming & diving - Sean M Haffey
Sean M Haffey won the Swimming & diving Gold for his image "Submerged" of British swimmer Alicia Wilson.
Tennis - Marc Aspland
Marc Aspland's photo of Novak Djokovic won the Tennis section of the competition.
Canon EOS R3 with EF200-400mm f/4L IS USM
Urban & Extreme - Volodya Voronon
Sony was the third most common, with three winning images shot using a9 IIs and Volodya Voronon's image "Reflection," which won the Urban & Extreme category using an a7 IV.
Sony a7 IV with FE 50mm F2.8 Macro
Venues and views - Brett Phibbs
The awards also include a Venues and Views category, expanding beyond a focus simply on the action itself. New Zealand photographer Brett Phibbs took the award for his photo of a football pitch a world away from, but every bit as dramatic as the Maracanā or Camp Nou.
Canon EOS R5 with 28-70mm F2L USM
Winter Sports - Alexander Hassenstein
German photographer Alexander Hassenstein rounds-out the competition with some flare, with his image "Mikaela's World," taken of USA skier Mikaela Shiffrin at the Ski World Cup at Sölden, Austria.
Yusuke Adachi Section Manager, UX Strategy Section, UX Planning Department, Imaging Business Unit
Photo: Dale Baskin
"State-of-the-art technology needs to be embedded in our products because that’s what customers expect." says Yusuke Adachi, Nikon's Section Manager for UX Strategy and Planning at Nikon's Imaging Business Unit.
Adachi was speaking to us at Nikon headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, shortly after this year's CP+ Expo. In an exclusive interview, he addressed a range of topics, including the current state of the camera market, the impact of AI on photography, and the importance of video.
State of the market
"The 2023 global market for digital cameras has been back in the recovery phase from the pandemic," Adachi tells us. "This has allowed more people to go out and enjoy taking photos. During this period, more younger users chose Nikon as their creative work. So, all these contributed to an increase in shipments of our products, and it's almost coming back to the same level as pre-covid."
He calls out two specific product areas that are driving this growth. "Specifically, we have seen success with the Z8, which we rolled out last year. On top of that, Nikkor Z lenses have performed very well. When it comes to the lens lineup, the large-diameter lens mount and lenses like the Plena and super telephoto lenses have been received very well."
Looking to the future, we ask Adachi what types of customers he expects will have the most significant influence on the camera market over the next five years.
Adachi credits the Z8 for helping drive Nikon's recent success, along with strong performance from Z-mount lenses.
"I believe there are two types of customers," he says. "The first is small groups or individual content or image creators. Often, these customers operate and shoot videos of themselves or with a small team. They want to have downsized, compact systems or cameras. These customers have become very discerning thanks to video streaming platforms such as Netflix or Amazon Prime, where they see beautiful content and want to live up to that high level of expectation. Such customers want to have better capability to create high-quality and impressive imaging."
"The second type," he explains, "is the younger generation. Those people are not only looking for quality but also for design capability. They would like to capture images in a more emotional way and are looking for a camera that enables them to do that. For us, these are cameras like the Zf and Z fc. This lineup is considered the heritage of the company, and we would like to have customers who can relate themselves to our heritage."
"Customers have become very discerning thanks to video streaming platforms such as Netflix or Amazon Prime, where they see beautiful content and want to live up to that high level..."
Are there customers who are being underserved by the industry today? we ask.
"Yes, of course. We have been expanding our lineup of high-spec cameras and lenses for customers who are seeking to pursue imaging expression. But maybe one underserved group is first-time camera purchasers. Maybe we haven’t been able to offer the [right] options to them. We can’t share information about our product development, but one of the factors we consider very important for this underserved but significant group of people is connectivity."
AI in photography
As our conversation shifts toward other market changes, we wanted to know what Mr Adachi thinks was the most important trend in imaging over the past year.
"The key word would be generative AI," he says. "We believe that generative AI can leave a positive impact on both cameras and the industry as a whole, but at the same time, it’s been causing issues such as fake images or fraudulent use of images, which leads to the issue of credibility and confidence. So, in order to grapple with these issues, we’ve been working on technology to record histories of captured images [ie Content Authenticity Initiative]. Right now, we’re in the demonstration phase to verify and validate the efficacy of these functions we’re trying to deploy together with AFP (Agence France-Presse)."
Continuing down the AI path, we discuss the importance of AI and machine learning in camera development. Mr Adachi believes customers are pleased with the advancements these technologies have delivered, particularly for subject recognition and tracking, but tells us there are more opportunities ahead.
Adachi cites the Auto Capture feature on the Z9 (and Z8) as an example of leveraging AI and machine learning technologies to deliver more benefits to customers.
"I believe there is further room for improvement or evolution using AI or computer vision. The point is that, of course, state-of-the-art technology needs to be embedded in our products because that’s what customers expect. For us, it’s very important to consider what benefit we can provide to our customers and what expectations they place on us."
He cites the Auto Capture feature on the Z8 and Z9, which can take a photo or video when one or more specified criteria, such as distance, motion and subject detection, are met, as one example of a benefit Nikon can provide through technology.
"That means that if you’re a solo photographer at a scene, you can set a remote, fixed camera somewhere else. So, if you’re a solo photographer, you can capture one scene from multiple angles, which could lead to new types of imaging experiences for our audience. AI machine learning has been the enabler for us to make the auto-identification of objects or subjects or the auto-identification of scenes themselves."
Smartphones and computational photography
Photographers frequently ask about the possibility of porting computational photography features, like those found on smartphones, to cameras. We ask Mr Adachi if that's the right question or if the role of computational photography is different on a device where a photographer wants complete control of the creative process.
"When it comes to computational photography, smartphones and cameras are different in terms of the applications of this technology. I can’t share the details of the development we’re doing right now, but maybe what I could say is that we are actively engaged in technology development to not only prevent customers from making mistakes but also to expand the possibilities of expression in latest imaging, such as Nikon Creates."
"When it comes to the latest in imaging, what the camera can render is very different from smartphone rendering using computational photography technology."
"When it comes to the latest in imaging, what the camera can render is very different from smartphone rendering using computational photography technology."
Of course, virtually every camera user is also a smartphone user, and consumers have come to expect integration between the two devices. What, we wonder, are the workflow challenges that need to be addressed to allow better integration between these devices?
"There are actually several factors," Adachi explains. "One of the pain points for customers is the workflow of sharing a photo they take with a camera and loading it onto their social media accounts. There are multiple steps that a customer needs to go through: taking a photo, sending it to the smartphone, and then handing it off to a social media account are too many steps for them."
"That’s the area where we can actually make an improvement and where we should make an improvement. And that’s just one example of a pain point customers have. We should really think about how we can improve the customer’s experience based on such use cases and identify what needs they have."
The importance of video
When we interviewed Nikon executives in 2023, they told us video was vital to the company's future, so we asked Mr Adachi about how this might impact the continued evolution of mirrorless cameras.
"When we interviewed Nikon executives in 2023, they told us video was vital to the company's future."
"When we talk about video, there are so many different types of customers – the Z30 for vlog and general customers, but the Z9 has been very well received even by broadcast stations. So, our customer base is really broad, and we should be able to appeal to a wide range of customers while incorporating the necessary evolution on the product side to catch up with the needs of this broader range of customers."
"What kind of impact will video have on the camera itself? It’s hard to comment on that, but video has had a significant impact on still image functions like high-speed capture and high frame rates, so video functions can be leveraged for imaging solutions."
As he points out, there is a wide range of video users, some of whom rely heavily on smartphones for video today. He identifies one improvement mirrorless camera makers could make to encourage more people to use their cameras for video.
Just a few days after our interview, Nikon announced its acquisition of RED Digital Cinema, reinforcing the importance of video to the company's future.*
"We often receive feedback from customers who say that video takes more time for them to edit compared to pictures. So, we should make the entire video editing procedure much easier and a more casual thing for them. Otherwise, people won’t use their cameras for video."
He also acknowledges that smartphones play a valuable role for video, albeit with limitations. "One of the major reasons for using smartphone video is to record everyday life," he says. "But there is another reason for people to shoot video, and that is to render something creative through filming. If they want to do that, the smartphone has limitations. So, that’s the place where we can go further with a camera. What we can do is open up and expand our customer base and focus on customers who have a desire to pursue imaging expression so that people can render something unique and impressive with a mirrorless solution."
*Editors note: This interview occurred a few days before Nikon announced its acquisition of RED Digital Cinema, a leading manufacturer of professional cinema cameras. We look forward to asking Nikon representatives more about this significant development in a future interview.
Hasselblad has announced the category winners of its Hasselblad Masters 2023 photo contest. The six categories are Landscape, Architecture, Portrait, Art, Street and Project//21, a category for photographers under age 21.
To enter, photographers were asked to submit a series of three photos with a unified theme and visual style. Winners were judged on their photographic ability, creativity, and technique by a combination of public voting and a professional grand jury.
Winners receive the title of 'Hasselblad Master' and receive a Hasselblad 100MP mirrorless camera, two XCD series lenses and a creative fund of €5000. Additionally, they will be able to participate in a collaborative project with Hasselblad.
Landscape: Weimin Chu (China)
Photographer name: Weimin Chu (China)
Photo series name: Tibetan Landscape from the Train Window
Caption: The images by Weimin Chu capture traditional landscapes integrated with modern developments in China. Chu creates a frame within a frame, connecting the carriage interior with the outside landscape, inviting us to journey alongside the photographer through landscapes and time.
This series of works was shot in the trains of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the Lalin Railway. Through the train windows, the traditional natural landscapes and the social landscape photography of the times are combined.
On the way to Tibet by train, I was inspired by Chinese photographer Wang Fuchun's "Chinese on the Train" and American photographer Lee Friedlander's "America by Car," and I came up with the idea of using trains, a large-scale means of transportation in China.
At representative locations along the way, the idea of showing China's contemporary scenery through the train windows. Outside the car window, there are not only the shocking Gobi, lakes, snow-capped mountains, but also contemporary man-made landscapes such as high-voltage power towers, sand-proof walls, plateau highways, etc.
At the same time, I also took in some characters or objects in the train to present their identities and the style of the times through some indirect methods. These photos are the three most representative ones among the hundreds of thousands of train window photos I took more than 30 times in the past few years.
Caption: Tiina Itkonen's series documents the traditional lives of Inuit hunters and their families, who live in small wooden houses in remote parts of East and North West Greenland. Her images exemplify resilience and ingenuity in extreme conditions.
Since 1995 Itkonen has traveled regularly to Greenland to photograph the polar landscape and its people. She has traveled more than 1500 kilometers along the west coast of Greenland by dogsled, fishing scow, sailboat, helicopter, small plane, cargo ship and oil tanker and along the way spending time in small villages and coming to know the Greenlandic people.
Since 2017 Itkonen has been documenting the traditional life of the Inuit subsistence hunters and their families to understand how they are affected by climate change.
Photo series name: Bicycle Street Sellers of Jakarta
Caption: Panji Indra Permana's project, 'The Cyclist Portrait,' began in 2020, documenting Indonesia's cycling trend during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially focused on lifestyle portraits, it evolved to highlight those who rely on bicycles for their livelihoods and those who sell them. Historically, bikes in Indonesia were a symbol of privilege, owned by officials, aristocrats and wealthy merchants. Through his work, Permana promotes a healthier lifestyle and a greener planet.
Bicycles are clearly not new to Indonesians. They have been part of the archipelago since Indonesia was still called the Dutch East Indies, under Dutch colonial rule. Ownership of bicycles in the Dutch East Indies at that time was limited. Only certain groups, such as colonial officials, aristocrats, missionaries, and wealthy merchants, owned bicycles. Ownership of bicycles is a prestigious title among local people.
COVID-19 gives many of us a new hobby, cycling. Not different from the rest of the world, Indonesia also feels the same euphoric trend. We can see a lot of people buying bicycles as a means for sports or recreation. It is nice to see a lot of people dressed so nicely to ride a bike, especially on the weekend.
I have started a portrait photography project to document these phenomena, to shoot people with their bikes. It started as a lifestyle portrait project in 2020. The project is called The Cyclist Portrait (Instagram: @thecyclistportrait).
But as time passed, I see something that is usually missed by people, that is the people who make a living with bicycles as their means of transportation. Therefore, I also collect photographs of these bicycle sellers. I want to encourage people to start cycling, to promote a healthier life and a healthier planet. That’s why I use a bicycle to carry all the gear while hunting for these portraits.
Caption: Jan Pypers’ series explores humans' lost bond with nature, inspired by traditional dioramas and modern representation. By blending reality with surrealism, Pypers creates images that evoke curiosity and intrigue. It urges reconnection with and respect for the natural world.
The series explores our lost bond with nature, inspired by traditional dioramas and modern digital representations. It urges reconnection and respect with nature. I used Photoshop to merge several photos. Contrary to what many think, I do not use 3D or artificial intelligence, but old film techniques such as scale models and forced perspective.
Caption: Tom Pitts’ series captures the unspoken emotions of strangers in transit, photographed at bus stops in England. “I wanted to capture and share the stories and moments that take place every day during people's commutes, and the underlying beauty that passes us by," says Pitts.
This work was taken at bus stops in my home town of Cheltenham and in London during the course of 2023. I wanted to capture and share the stories and moments that take place every day during people's commutes, and the underlying beauty that passes us by.
The apparent sorrow and loneliness of an isolated figure against the rain on the bus, the woman who is holding her head at the end of a long working day perhaps in reaction to what she has just experienced, and finally the man carrying roses with a surgical mask pulled down looking at the women who is oblivious to him at the bus stop - is that who the flowers were for? The love he lost.
Caption: Efraïm Baaijens' micro images capture the extraordinary beauty and detail of the insect world. “Let's marvel at these tiny faces and remember to respect all life forms, no matter how small. Insects are vital to our ecosystem, pollinating plants and maintaining balance in nature. You don't have to travel far to witness nature's wonders—just step outside and look closely," says Baaijens.
Discover the magic of our world. These insect portraits may seem like they're from distant lands, but they were all taken right here, in my city. Let's marvel at these tiny faces and remember to respect all life forms, no matter how small. Insects are vital to our ecosystem, pollinating plants and maintaining balance in nature.
You don't have to travel far to witness nature's wonders—just step outside and look closely. Respect for insects enriches our connection to the world around us.
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Image: Nikon
Nikon has announced the Nikkor Z 35mm F1.4, its first F1.4 lens for its Z-mount mirrorless system. Until now most of the company's prime lenses have been F1.2, F1.8 or F2.8.
Interestingly, the Z 35mm F1.4 is not part of the company's premium 'S' line of lenses, and is priced lower than the 35mm F1.8 S, coming to market with a recommended price of $599, rather than the $849 originally asked for the F1.8. We understand this is not the 'S' line lens that previously appeared on Nikon's lens roadmap.
The lens is constructed with eleven elements arranged in nine groups, with two of these being aspherical elements. These basic specs align with Samyang's lens for Sony FE mount but the optical formulae and published MTF charts are very different. This suggests it isn't an existing lens being re-bodied and re-badged for Nikon, which might otherwise have explained the pricing.
The lens uses a stepper motor to drive its autofocus, as most Z-mount lenses do, and includes a control ring that can customized to operate a range of functions.
The 35mm can be used as a slight wide-angle lens on full-frame cameras or as a roughly 53mm equiv. with one of Nikon's 'DX' APS-C cameras.
The 415g (14.7oz) lens is 75 x 87mm (3.0 x 3.4") and accepts 62mm filters. Nikon says it will be available in mid July at a recommended price of $599.95.
Fast and affordable: Nikon releases the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4, a natural wide-angle lens for the Nikon Z mount
Elevate Your Artistry with the Latest NIKKOR Z Prime Lens
MELVILLE, NY (June 26, 2024) - Today Nikon announced the release of the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4, a wide-angle prime lens that is compatible with Z mount full-frame/FX format mirrorless cameras. This fast, versatile lens offers a natural angle of view, popular among street and portrait photographers, with the creative freedom provided by a bright maximum aperture of f/1.4–all at an affordable price.
Not only does the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 allow users to enjoy beautiful soft bokeh and three-dimensional rendering at wide apertures, its versatile 35mm focal length and short minimum focus distance of 10.6 in. (0.27 m) make it ideal for capturing a wide variety of scenes and subjects. From landscapes and street photography to portraits and photos of flowers and pets, photographers and filmmakers will enjoy outstanding sharpness, beautifully-blurred backgrounds and exceptional versatility in low light.
Despite its large f/1.4 maximum aperture the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 is a great “carry everywhere” lens for day-to-day shooting, weighing just 14.6 oz (415 g) and measuring only 3.4 in. (86.5mm)1 in length.
The superior optical performance unique to NIKKOR Z lenses allows for clear images with outstanding clarity including close-up portraits that emphasize the subject with a pleasant background blur. Stopping down the aperture when photographing landscapes realizes incredible sharpness. As a wide-angle prime lens with superior cost performance, the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 supports the capture of a wide variety of scenes and subjects, and will appeal to a wide variety of enthusiast creators.
Primary features of the Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4:
Beautiful bokeh: Max aperture of f/1.4 allows photographers and filmmakers to achieve smooth, creamy out of focus backgrounds while precisely controlling depth-of-field for ideal subject and background separation.
Versatile focal length: The 35mm focal length is close to that of human vision, making it ideal for capturing a wide range of scenes and subjects. On DX format Z cameras, the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 becomes a 52mm equivalent prime lens, close to the classic “standard” 50mm.
Close minimum focus: Close focus of just 10.6 in (0.27 m) is ideal for capturing details in food and flowers with a beautifully blurred background.
Compact and well-balanced: The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 weighs just 14.6 oz (415 g), making it is easy to carry and comfortable to use for hand-held shooting.
Fast and quiet autofocus: The use of a stepping motor (STM) for autofocus ensures fast and quiet autofocus for both stills and video.
Clickless control ring: Easily control key exposure settings including aperture, ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation.
Suppressed focus breathing: Advanced optical design means the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4’s focal length stays consistent during focusing, which is ideal when recording video.2
Dust and drip-resistant: Seals throughout the design help prevent dust and water droplets from entering the lens.3
Price and Availability
The new Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 lens will be available in mid July 2024 for a suggested retail price of $599.95.* For more information about the latest Nikon products, including the extensive lineup of NIKKOR Z lenses and the entire range of Z series cameras, please visit Nikonusa.com.
*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.
1. Distance to end of lens from camera lens mount flange. 2. Focus breathing may be noticeable depending on the distance between the lens and the subject due to the characteristics of the lens. 3. Thorough dust- and drip-resistance is not guaranteed in all situations or under all conditions.
Topaz Photo AI is now $20 off until July 2. Topaz recently released Photo AI version 3.0.4 with bug fixes and UI updates (this is the first price drop on the new version):
Updated status indicator
Other UI/X tweaks
Fix crop, upscale to specific pixel dimensions, and face recovery causing disjointed face output
Fix crop and upscale causing preview area to shrink
Added version number to the title bar
New frameless window implementation on Windows to fix black window area issue and allow hovering over the maximize button to show the snap options
Connexion
Here's the video 
