Kitamura Camera has about 600 locations "from Okinawa to Hokkaido" (all over Japan). I visited their stunning flagship store in Shinjuku, located just East of Shinjuku Station. They offer a full range of both new and used photo gear, film and services, including an extensive repair department, even handling Apple repair on the basement level. Photo: Kitamura Camera

I always extend my business trips to Japan beyond the bare minimum needed for business, because I can never get enough of the country, its people and its culture. Most recently, I stayed on a couple of weeks past the end of the CP+ 2024 photo trade show, using part of the time to explore the world of used cameras in Tokyo. There are used-camera shops spread all across the city, but the largest concentration is in the Shinjuku neighborhood, within blocks of the massive Shinjuku train station.

Shinjuku’s used-camera scene is amazing; a true Mecca for film-camera enthusiasts, with offerings at every price point from a couple of dollars for a 'maybe it will work' point-and-shoot to hundreds of thousands of dollars for ultra-rare collector’s items.

Time permitting, I hope to write another story that will serve as a guide to buying a used camera in Tokyo, which is arguably the best place in the world to do so.

Hiroyuki Mizutani is the Concierge of Kitamura Camera’s vintage-camera business, focusing on collectible Leica bodies and lenses including some incredibly rare and valuable models. The camera he’s holding is one of the extremely rare olive-green "Bundeseigentum" M3 models made for the German government. (Note the black gloves, a hallmark of the Vintage Salon.) Photo: Azusa Kumei, Kitamura Camera

This story, though, is about my introduction to the world of ultra-rare collector’s items when I visited Kitamura Camera’s flagship store just east of Shinjuku Station, and a conversation I had with the surprisingly young Concierge of that department, Mr. Hiroyuki Mizutani.

Kitamura Camera operates a chain of approximately 600 camera stores all across Japan, from Okinawa to Hokkaido, as the Japanese expression goes. (The phrase is similar to 'from east to west' in the US.) They built a massive and luxurious flagship store in a prime Shinjuku location in 2020, timed for the 2020 Olympics.)

This pair of Leica Summilux 50mm F1.4 lenses was my first hint of what awaited in Kitamura’s Vintage Salon. These were on the more prosaic 4th floor, but at the then-current exchange rate, they were priced at $15,900 and $36,700 respectively. The more expensive model is the original version, produced for only 2 years from 1959-1961 before being supplanted by the other one, which was sold with only cosmetic changes from 1961-2004 when it was finally replaced by the ASPH model.

I was amazed by the range and quality of used cameras they had on display on the 4th floor of the building (they have nearly 3,500 items in their inventory), including what seemed like some very high-priced items. After seeing a Leica 50mm F1.4 lens priced at 5,500,000 ¥ ($36,700 at the time), I remarked to an employee about these prices, and he replied, "Oh, this is nothing; you should see the 6th floor!"

It turns out the 6th floor houses Kitamura Camera’s "Vintage Salon," dedicated to truly rare and valuable collector’s items. I was blown away when I saw an early Leica built for the German Army bearing a price tag of 40,000,000 Yen, or more than $250,000 USD at the then-current all-time high exchange rate. It turned out that wasn’t even the most valuable model on offer.

I asked Mizutani-san if he’d be willing to be interviewed about his experience and the world of ultra-high-end camera collectors, and he agreed.

The "Vintage Salon" on the 6th floor exudes understated elegance. The far wall showcases particularly rare items, and the low flat cases display featured models. A vertical display case and the wall behind it holding larger numbers of less-rare collectibles are off-camera to the left, while the wall off-camera to the right holds more recent models. I wouldn’t venture a guess on the total value of the gear in this one room, but it’s easily in the millions of US dollars.

Mizutani-san was very patient with my lack of Japanese and the resulting inconvenience of passing both sides of the conversation back and forth through our phones. AI transcription software and my hand-tuned translator GPT helped me turn our words into the story below, but the AIs had a lot of difficulty with the choppy dialogue and the repetition in two languages as our phones echoed our words.

As a result, while I’ve written this up as if it were a continuous conversation, it’s, in fact, heavily edited for continuity; I asked Mizutani-san to look over a carefully translated version in Japanese to make sure I didn’t misrepresent anything he said, but any mistakes here are entirely my fault.

It was interesting to hear about Mizutani-san’s journey from a barista at a photo cafe to the "Concierge" of one of the largest vintage camera businesses in Japan. I hope you’ll find it as interesting as I did!

The beginning of the journey

Dave Etchells: How old were you when you first became interested in photography? What sparked your interest? What was your first camera?

Hiroyuki Mizutani: The trigger for my interest in photography really came when I began working here. It was actually after I started working at Kitamura Camera that I became interested in photography itself. If anything, I was initially more interested in the manual, mechanical cameras themselves, and it was because Kitamura Camera dealt with such cameras that I joined the company; from there, I started to engage in photography.

Dave Etchells: Was this your job after college? Did you start part- or full-time?

Hiroyuki Mizutani: I started with a part-time job. It wasn't at a university, but after graduating from high school, I began working at Camera Kitamura while I was attending a vocational school. I think I started in the middle of the school year, I was studying film and theater at the time.

Here’s a lovely pair of Leica Noctilux 50mm F1.2s, highly prized as the first Leica lens to use an aspheric element (a double-sided one at that), and also due to only around 1,700 of them having been produced (volume estimates vary). They were fiendishly difficult to make and Leica had no way of testing them until they were completely assembled, with the result that only about 50% of them ended up good enough to sell. The result is the kind of value you see here; the Spring Sale pricing is $74,400 and $52,800, respectively. (The version with the "feet" scale in red is even more rare, hence the higher value.) Photo: Azusa Kumei, Kitamura Camera

Dave Etchells: How did you end up selling cameras, what was the connection to Kitamura?

Hiroyuki Mizutani: Before joining Camera Kitamura, I worked for a while at a photo café, where you could order photos while enjoying a coffee. I was working as a barista, on the coffee-making side of things, and someone I met there introduced me to Camera Kitamura. That was the trigger for me ending up at Kitamura.

Dave Etchells: You currently manage the Leica business for Kitamura; how did you initially become involved with Leicas? What was behind your interest in them?

Hiroyuki Mizutani: Originally, I was involved in various aspects, selling many different types of film cameras and even visiting customers' homes for camera purchases, dealing with both sales and acquisition of various cameras. Being acknowledged for these efforts and having a background working with manual and film cameras at Kitamura Camera were both significant factors. Additionally, the previous manager, Maruyama-san, with whom I had worked at the first store, played a part in me being assigned here. It's partly due to these factors – my track record and the connection with Maruyama – that I came to be part of this department.

Kitamura Camera’s two Shinjuku locations are on the east and west sides of the massive, sprawling Shinjuku Station. Shinjuku Station is bewilderingly complex, as hinted at by all the red-tinted areas showing underground passageways and malls. Google Maps suggests the quickest route between the two stores is to pass through the station. Don’t believe it, stick to surface travel! Even Tokyo locals often get lost in Shinjuku station. (If arriving by train, look for signs to the main East or West exits and then navigate to the stores on the surface from there.)

Dave Etchells: So you worked as a kind of apprentice to Maruyama-san, as you learned the business of buying and selling cameras, how to set prices, make offers, etc?

Hiroyuki Mizutani: Actually, it was a little bit different. Kitamura Camera has about 600 stores nationwide, and I worked with film cameras at some of the other stores as well. I lived in Kanagawa Prefecture. Initially, I worked in Shinjuku, then moved to Tachikawa in the west of Tokyo, and after that, I worked in Osaka for several years. I worked together with Mr. Maruyama at the Shinjuku store over by the West Gate. That store is called Camera no Kitamura, the Shinjuku Nishiguchi shop. The store was located at the West Exit. [Nishiguchi means "west entrance"]

[Editor's note: The Camera no Kitagura store still exists, just a block or so from the West Exit of the massive Shinjuku train station. It stocks a full range of photo products, both new and used. Travelers should take note of their 1-hour sensor cleaning service, available for most interchangeable-lens cameras at both locations.]

Dave Etchells: Who was Maruyama-san, was he an owner of the business or just an experienced employee?

Hiroyuki Mizutani: Mr. Maruyama oversees the Leica department at this store. The store we worked at together previously was called Camera no Kitamura. This Shinjuku Kitamura Camera store that we’re in today is the flagship store of the entire nationwide 600-store Kitamura Camera chain.

Tracking the global market

Dave Etchells: How do you manage to keep up with everything that’s going on in the Leica world? I'm sure it’s a global business, and it must be hard to keep track of what products are out there, what prices they’re selling for, etc.

Hiroyuki Mizutani: Yes, that’s right. It's quite difficult. As I’ve been running this store for several years though, customers have told me about a lot of things that the public doesn’t get to hear about, and I’ve managed to gather information from around the world. After doing this for several years now, I feel like I’m finally getting a good picture of what’s really going on in the market vs. just what happens in public auctions.

Loads of Leicas: This is just a small selection of the rare Leicas in the Vintage Salon. There seemed to be four tiers: The most exceptional ones are showcased on the left wall, very rare ones are in these low, flat cases, more ordinary collectibles are in a tall vertical case and wall on the immediate left as you enter, and more modern collectibles displayed along the wall to the right. It’s a must-visit shop for Leica collectors, regardless of their level.

Dave Etchells: Do you spend time online, seeing what's going on in other countries, what the models are … Is there some sort of organization or a group of top-level collectors and dealers you interact with? I'm curious about your sources of information.

Hiroyuki Mizutani: I think there are horizontal connections among customers, but I don't have a good grasp of what those groups are. Nevertheless, we participate in online sales and famous worldwide auctions, and of course, we are watching the auction prices everywhere.

Dave Etchells: So, many cameras at this level are sold around the world, at auctions in different countries?

Hiroyuki Mizutani: Yes, cameras of this level are sold in great numbers at auctions in various countries. That's still the case now; it's challenging. Some items rarely appear or appear only very occasionally, which can make pricing them more difficult.

Lest you think the Vintage Salon stocks only ancient, world-weary cameras and lenses, the wall on your right as you enter the room has a lovely array of newer models in pristine condition.

Finding cameras

Dave Etchells: We’ve talked about auctions. Are there other ways you find the cameras to sell? You mentioned going to people’s homes. Do you hear about them somehow, or do people bring their cameras here at the flagship store because the company is so well known? Perhaps not just big collectors, but ordinary people who happen to own these cameras.

Hiroyuki Mizutani: Yes, we also purchase cameras from people who come directly here. I mentioned earlier that there are about 600 stores in the Kitamura Camera network; all of these shops serve as purchasing points for us. If a local store isn't knowledgeable about a particular model, they can contact us here [at headquarters], and we can tell them the correct price. I think this helps customers feel confident about selling to us.

"I can say for sure that there are a lot of very successful people who are interested in photography. Of course, there are also some celebrities, but again, I can't share any names"

Dave Etchells: I'm curious, who are the collectors who can buy cameras like the ones you have here on the 6th floor? Are they celebrities? Are they business people? Are they investors? What do your customers look like, and what kind of people are they that come through?

Hiroyuki Mizutani: Well, of course, I can’t share any details because that would be private customer information. While I can’t give any specifics, I can say for sure that there are a lot of very successful people who are interested in photography. Of course, there are also some celebrities, but again, I can't share any names.

The two most rare specimens in the main Vintage Salon showroom are this pair of olive-green M3 Bundeseigentum ("federal property") models made for the German government. The one on the left is from the first production batch, and the one on the right is from the third. These green M3s are exceptionally rare, as only 300 or so were manufactured, and it’s estimated that only 142 remain. Prices will vary with the market, but if you're looking for a first-batch Bundeseigentum in good condition, you should have at least $250,000 in your checking account. Photo: Azusa Kumei, Kitamura Camera

Dave Etchells: I keep coming back to the question of how you decide what prices to put on the cameras. That must be especially challenging in the case of very rare cameras, that don’t appear on the market very often.

Hiroyuki Mizutani: Yes, it’s certainly tricky, but it’s the same basic answer: We monitor auction prices around the world, note what similar cameras have sold for, and adjust the price as appropriate given the direction of the market (which is generally upward). For very rare cameras, they may not change hands very often, so it requires a deep understanding of the market to know how demand might have changed since the last sale of something similar.

One-in-a-million finds

Dave Etchells: I imagine that you have stories about some particularly exciting acquisitions or sales. Can you share any of them?

Hidden away from the main showroom, the Vintage Salon's "VIP room" has the rarest of the rare models on display and locked in cupboards, for exclusive viewing by top-tier collectors. Mizutani-san asked that I not reveal details to the general public, but if $75,000 for a Nocticron 50mm F1.2 or $250,000 for a well-used Bundeseigentum M3 amounts to mere pocket change for you, you might find something more to your taste and budget here.

Hiroyuki Mizutani: Well, I actually think selling every camera is exciting. Especially when customers use the camera to take photos and are pleased with it, that’s when I feel really glad to be doing this job. When they bring photos they’ve taken into the store, taken with a camera that I sold to them and show them to me, that makes me very happy.

Dave Etchells: I can imagine that’s rewarding, feeling that you’ve contributed to someone’s enjoyment of photography. Were there moments when you were surprised by what someone brought in to sell, though?

"I never imagined that something so extremely rare would just show up at one of our stores"

Hiroyuki Mizutani: Oh yes, one time I was very surprised. I got a question from one of our stores about a camera someone had brought in that was extremely rare. It was so rare that I had only ever seen it mentioned in magazines and books, never actually for sale anywhere in the world. I unfortunately can’t name the camera because it became part of a private collection, and the owner requires strict confidentiality, but it was a very rare model indeed. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more about it, but I never imagined that something so extremely rare would just show up at one of our stores. I have also had very rare cameras brought into this store here as well.

Kitamura Camera’s flagship store is a great place to buy a full range of used cameras, both film and digital, with upwards of 3,500 products in stock on their 4th floor. Unlike most used camera stores I visited in Shinjuku, Kitamura offers a full 6-month warranty on the used gear they sell. The prices are a bit higher as a result, but I personally think the assurance is well worth it.

Business is booming

Dave Etchells: How is the used-camera market in general going these days? If you had to guess, how much more used film camera volume is Kitamura Camera seeing now compared to, say, 2019, before the pandemic?

Hiroyuki Mizutani: Comparing the used film camera market to 2019 before the pandemic, basically, the quantity of goods and the number of items available has been decreasing year by year. However, I believe the rarity of these items has been increasing. Absolutely, yes; since I started working, I think the number of people using film cameras has greatly increased, and I find this to be very pleasing.

The Panon Camera Shoko company (very loosely "Panon Camera Specialists") is best known for its line of Widelux 35mm panoramic cameras with rotating lens assemblies. They began with medium-format panoramic models though, starting with the Panon 50A in 1952. This is an AIII model, introduced in 1953; a 50mm lens rotates to capture a total field of view of 140 degrees.

Dave Etchells: What do you see for the future of the collector's market? Is it growing, holding steady or declining? Do you see younger people coming into the Leica market, albeit perhaps not yet customers for the Vintage Salon?

Hiroyuki Mizutani: I think this is an unknown world, even for us. We’re glad to see many different kinds of customers come, including young, affluent ones. I think that many of the young people who are buying used film cameras today are just getting started in their lives. After they have made more money, perhaps some of them will become collectors.

It happens that I'm in charge of this floor, but fundamentally, I've always liked the cameras on the fourth floor as well. Therefore, I introduce them to various people and engage in selling them as well. I think it would be great if I could lead the flow of people in that way, getting them interested in cameras on the 4th floor and then later getting them interested in vintage cameras. I hope that the vintage world will become more and more exciting as time goes on.

Conclusion

Seeing Kitamura Camera's Vintage Salon and talking with Mizutani-san was a fascinating glimpse into the world of ultra-wealthy Leica collectors. Considering the prices new Leica bodies and lenses sell for, I had always assumed that Leica collecting would be a pricey pastime, but I had no idea just how pricey. It's hard for me to wrap my head around the sort of wealth it would take to consider spending the price of a modest house just to fill a gap in your collection of rare cameras.

What really brought it home for me, though, was the sheer number of cameras and lenses that Kitamura Camera has in this category. It seemed that a price tag of $20-30,000 was just the starting point in a room with a hundred or more items on display, and even more valuable ones tucked away and shown only to VIP customers.

Even more than the volume of vintage gear Kitamura Camera themselves have on display, talking with Mizutani-san made me realize just how deep the vintage Leica waters run. For a serious player, it's not just a matter of owning a 50mm F1.2 Noctilux, but whether they have both the red- and yellow-lettered versions in their collection. For some M3 bodies, the difference between having a white or black frame-counter dial can mean another $50,000 - $100,000 on the price, and of course, what collection could be complete without both versions?

"Talking with Mizutani-san made me realize just how deep the vintage Leica waters run"

I was intrigued by Mizutani-san's own story, too, a path that led from pulling espresso shots at a coffee/photo cafe to managing one of the premier vintage camera businesses in Japan and perhaps the world.

Beyond all this, though, Kitamura Camera's flagship store was just a fun place to visit. The Vintage Salon is worth the trip just for the experience of seeing row after row of rare cameras and lenses with stratospheric prices. For me, though, the 4th floor was even more interesting, with its rows of crisp wood and glass showcases filled with old but functioning film cameras of every kind imaginable. (They have a lot of used digital gear, too; it's just that I was more interested in the film side of things.)

For a photo-tourist on a shopping expedition, Kitamura Camera has a lot to offer; their prices for used gear are a bit higher than you'll find in many of the other shops around Shinjuku. However, there's a crucial difference in that Kitamura guarantees its used gear for 6 months, while most of the competing stores work on a consignment basis, which means they famously have "20-20" warrantees (20 seconds or 20 paces, whichever comes first).

As much as I enjoyed visiting Kitamura Camera's flagship store, though, I have to say I'm glad I don't live anywhere near it: My bank account would too quickly turn into piles of old photo gear that were just too interesting to pass up :-)

Image: Canon

Canon has announced the new RF-S 3.9mm F3.5 STM Dual Fisheye, an APS-C lens for VR (virtual reality) content production.

The compact, stereoscopic lens captures a 144º field of view and is the first non-L series lens to feature Canon's Air Sphere Coating. Its optical formula consists of 11 elements in eight groups, including two UD glass elements. The interpupillary distance (the distance between the left and right lens centers) is 60mm, which approximates human vision.

This is the second VR lens for the RF mount. Canon previously announced the RF 5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye, a VR mount for full-frame cameras. The new 3.9mm lens appears to be aimed primarily at social media creators, with Canon emphasizing the lens' affordability and usability for creating vlog-style VR content.

The new lens works with the EOS R7, though a firmware update will be required. Image: Canon

Canon has previously indicated its interest in the VR, AR (augmented reality) and XR (extended reality) markets. In fact, during an exclusive interview earlier this year in Japan, Canon executives told us they believe the company is uniquely positioned to provide production tools for these markets.

The APS-C lens is compatible with the Canon EOS R7 camera, though a firmware update will be required for compatibility with the new lens.

Pricing and availability

The RF-S 3.9mm F3.5 STM Dual Fisheye has a suggested retail price of $1,099 and will be available in June

Press release:

Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art specifications

Nikon has released a teaser, promoting the upcoming launch of the Nikon Z6 III. A countdown indicates that the new camera will be revealed on Monday 17th June.

The name implies the long-awaited successor to the Z6 II, itself a relatively minor refresh of the company's original mid-level full-frame mirrorless camera.

Click here to see the Nikon USA teaser

There are plenty of rumors swirling around, promising impressive specs, particularly on the video side of things, but at least we now know for sure that we've only got a week to wait. We'll bring you all the details as soon as we can.

In the last three articles 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 the Kirindy Forest reserve. This time, instead of discussing one spot, I'll present a series of locations I briefly visited on my way along the west coast of Madagascar.

Once finished in Kirindy, I took an extremely bumpy ride north to the famous Tsingy De Bemaraha National Park. Unfortunately, I didn't have too much time to stick around and explore the vast expanses of karstic formations in the park, but I did devote some hours to shooting some more beautiful lemur species in the forest next to those formations.

Female red-fronted brown lemur at Tsingy De Bemaraha National Park. These medium-sized lemurs with reddish-brown fur are commonly found in the forested areas of the reserve. They are very agile, but when relaxed, they're comfortable resting on branches for long periods, making them relatively easy to shoot. Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 293mm | 1/200 sec | 5.6 | ISO 800

This sportive lemur was looking (and acting) like a truck driver when looking down at me from its tree house. Talk about crazy eyes! Canon 5D4, Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6 300mm | 1/125 sec | F5.6 | ISO 800

Red-fronted lemurs are sexually dichromatic, meaning that males and females have different fur patterns; males are gray to gray-brown, and females are reddish brown. In this shot, you can see the limitations of high-ISO photography, as the quality isn't as good as one would hope. Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 388mm | 1/160 sec | F8 | ISO 3200

My favorite lemur family is the Sifakas. After shooting the Diademed sifakas in Andasibe and the Verreaux sifaka in Kirindy, I was keen to shoot another species in the family: the beautiful Decken's sifaka. This species is especially fluffy and features all-creamy-white fur, which accentuates its red eyes.

The Y-shaped branch contributed a great deal to the composition. I don't even hate the fact that the background is blue sky - I think it compliments the sifaka's creamy-white fur. Canon 5D4, Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 275mm | 1/640 sec | F5.6 | ISO 400

I spent one afternoon shooting the Tsingy themselves, but felt unable to achieve many good compositions. Movement is extremely slow and difficult on these sharp formations, and one often needs to wear a harness and climb to get to the viewing platforms. The view is astounding for sure, and I wished I spent more time exploring the area. Leaving after one afternoon was an unfortunate scheduling necessity.

Backlit trees and rock formations in Tsingy De Bemaraha. Canon 5D4, Canon 11-24mm F4 18mm | F1/125 sec | F13 | ISO 400

After Tsingy De Bemaraha NP, I returned to the city of Morondava and, before starting a long drive south, stopped by the famous Baobab Alley. This is an over-crowded location, as I quickly found out on an afternoon visit, but it's both empty of people and often foggy during sunrise. It's a nice place, but honestly, it's way overshot. There are beautiful baobabs all over Madagascar (as you saw in the article about Kirindy), where you can get more original compositions and avoid the masses.

Baobab Alley. I would only go there to shoot if it's on your way and if you can go at sunrise. If you do go, make sure you try the baobab fruit juice in the cafe! Canon 5D4, Tamron 24-70mm F2.8 24mm | 1/40 sec | F7.1 | ISO 400

Then began the long, long journey south – a two-day drive that I didn't know whether it was more boring or more grueling. The worst dirt roads you can imagine had us going at a snail's pace. We did stop at a few locations along the way, and I took a few shots of less-photographed subjects. One of those was the forest of fat baobabs close to Andavadoaka, a beautiful place in its own right but also one that is way off the tourist path.

The fat baobabs are shorter than the famous ones you have in mind, but in my opinion, they are much more interesting photographically. They are also usually grouped close together, which, while making them harder to shoot, also allows for more interesting compositions. They also kinda look like turnips, don't they?

Post-sunset glow is the perfect time to shoot the fat baobabs. The red light accentuates their natural reddish hues against the purple sky. The close grouping of the trees allowed me to create a more interesting near-far composition. Canon 5D4, Canon 11-24mm F4 15mm | 6 sec | F13 | ISO 100

To shoot this image, I had to focus stack three images to get both the closer and more distant trees in focus (the camera was positioned only tens of cm from the tree on the left). Canon 5D4, Canon 11-24mm F4 11mm | 5 sec | F8 | ISO 400

Fat baobabs also have a type of fungus growing on them that creates absolutely astonishing natural patterns. By the way, if you do visit them, make sure you put on lots and lots of mosquito spray. I was viciously attacked when I first arrived and had to retreat to the car for a proper slather.

Fungus patterns on a fat baobab. Canon 5D4, Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6 300mm | 1/40 sec | F5.6 | ISO 1600

Canon 5D4, Canon 70-300mm F4-5.6 221mm | 1/80 sec | F11 | ISO 200

The most fungus-ridden baobab I saw was further south. It was completely covered in amazing patterns that looked like they were painted by graffiti artists.

The sun star sparkles through the branches of a fungus-ridden baobab. Canon 5D4, Canon 11-24mm F4 11mm | 1/160 sec | F14 | ISO 200

We continued our two-day drive, passing beautiful views of the Mozambique Channel. The whitest sands I've ever seen were washed by resplendent turquoise waters when we had to turn east, inland, toward Isalo National Park – the subject of the next article in this series.

Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveler 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.

If you'd like to experience and shoot some of the world's most fascinating landscapes and wildlife with Erez as your guide, take a look at his unique photography workshops in Madagascar, Greenland, the Lofoten Islands, Namibia and Vietnam.

Erez also offers video tutorials discussing his images and explaining how he achieved them.

More in this Series:

• Part 1: Andasibe
• Part 2: Red Tsingy
• Part 3: Kirindy Forest

Selected Articles by Erez Marom:

• Landscape Composition - Balancing the weights
• Lava Frenzy: Shooting Fagradalsfjall Volcano
• Landscape Composition - Separation of Elements
• Parallelism in Landscape Photography
• Black Hole Sun: Shooting the Total Solar Eclipse in Argentina
• Winds of Change: Shooting Changing landscapes
• Landscape Composition - Negative space
• Shooting Kīlauea Volcano, Part 1: How to Melt a Drone
• Whatever It Doesn't Take

Photo: Tucker Bowe

Leica has launched a new LUX app for iOS that's ostensibly intended to reach longstanding fans of the brand and endear a new generation of shooters to the photographic aesthetic of the iconic German camera company – or at least a digital approximation of it.

The app's proprietary image processing engine can apply film emulation presets to existing photos in a similar fashion to Fujifilm's popular offerings. Eleven so-called "Leica Looks" are included in the app at launch, such as Leica Standard, Leica Classic, Leica Contemporary, and Leica Black and White. However, the company says that new looks will be added every month.

Though now available to a much broader potential set of consumers, Leica Look filters technically aren't new for the brand. The feature initially appeared in the company's Fotos app for owners of newer Leica digital cameras.

Like other fully-featured third-party camera apps such as Halide, iPhone photographers can also use the LUX app's automatic mode, "Aperture Mode," and manual control modes to capture photos.

Photo: Leica

Aperture Mode is the most unique selling point of the new app. Seemingly like Apple's own Portrait Mode on steroids, the feature leverages Leica's image engine to emulate the bokeh and color of the brand's iconic – and for many, unobtainable – premier lenses, such as the Leica Summilux-M 28mm F1.4 ASPH, Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 ASPH, and Noctilux-M 50mm F1.2 ASPH. iPhone 15 Pro (Max) users can also access an APO-Telyt-M 135mm F3.4 emulation thanks to the phone's telephoto lens.

There's also a pro manual mode, which allows advanced users to control settings, including exposure compensation, shutter speeds, ISO, white balance, manual focus, and Raw/ProRaw capture settings. You can also see a live histogram.

While we haven't tested the app yet ourselves, at least some journalists, such as Antonia G. Di Benedetto at The Verge, who have had access to early beta versions, describe the app's processing features as hit-or-miss and the color filters in some cases as heavy-handed, at least for now. Like the built-in portrait modes on many premium smartphones, Leica's efforts to simulate bokeh and depth of field via software seem to struggle to produce realistic results under certain conditions.

A free version of Leica’s LUX App is available from the Apple App Store with limited features, including access to five looks. Paying a monthly subscription fee of $6.99 or an annual fee of $69.99 unlocks all of the app's capabilities. Leica recommends using the app with an iPhone Pro 12 or newer.

Image: Canon

Canon has announced the RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM lens, the first release in what the company says will become a full series of fixed-focal-length RF lenses with a hybrid design for stills and video, which are intended to work with both EOS photo and Cinema EOS cameras.

The RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM becomes the widest prime lens in Canon's L-series. Its optical formula consists of 14 elements in 11 groups, including two specialized aspherical lens elements and two ultra-low Dispersion glass elements.

The lens also benefits from Canon's Super Spectra Coating, Air Sphere Coating, and fluorine coating. It has 11 aperture blades. Autofocus is driven by a voice coil motor (VCM), a type of linear motor, for quick, precise focusing.

Size-wise, the lens is 100mm (3.9") long and has a diameter of 77mm (3.0"), making it both shorter and skinnier than Canon's EF 35mm F1.4L II USM, and it weighs in much lighter at 555g (20 oz) compared to 760g (27 oz) for the EF version.

Image: Canon

Like the RF 24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z announced last fall, Canon says it specifically designed the RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM to be a true hybrid stills/video lens in acknowledgment of the new multimedia production demands many professional creatives face today.

As such, the new 35mm prime also features a manual aperture ring, similar to the F 24-105mm F2.8 L, which allows for stepless control of the aperture/iris. Additionally, the lens is designed to minimize focus breathing. It's also compatible with Canon's newly announced, native RF-mouth EOS C400 cinema camera.

Pricing and availability

The Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM is expected to be available in June at an estimated retail price of $1,499. It includes a case, lens cap, dust cap and lens hood.

Press release:

The Pentax WG-8 "Adventure Proof" compact Image: Ricoh

Ricoh has announced two new Pentax WG waterproof compacts: the range-topping WG-8 and the entry-level WG-1000.

The WG-8 replaces the Pentax WG-6 (and the Ricoh-branded WG-6 that came before it) at the top of the lineup. It's a 20MP camera with a Type 1/2.3 sensor (6.2x4.6mm) that's waterproof to a depth of 20m (65.6ft) for two hours: the deepest yet offered by the range. Ricoh says this is equivalent to an IPX8 or JIS Class 8 rating.

It's also shockproof from 2.1m (6.5ft), able to withstand 100kg force (220lb of force) and can withstand temperatures as low as -10°C (14°F). It has a 3.0" 1.04M dot (720 x 480px) rear LCD.

The WG-8 has a 28-140mm equivalent zoom lens with an F3.5-5.5 maximum aperture and a six LED ringlight around the lens. It can shoot up to 4K/30 video and can act as a webcam. It includes GPS and compass.

Pentax WG-1000 Image: Ricoh

The less expensive WG-1000 has a 16MP sensor and a 27-108mm equiv zoom. This has a maximum aperture of F3.0-6.6. It makes do with a 2.7" 230k dot (320 x 240px) rear display. It can only shoot video up to 1080/30.

Its durability specs are also lower, with waterproofing rated to 15m (49.2ft), shockproof from 2m (6.5ft). It also lacks its more expensive sibling's GPS and compass features. Neither model can cature Raw data.

The WG-8 will be available in late July at a recommended price of $399.95. The WG-1000 will arrive in mid July, costing around $229.95.

The Panasonic Lumix DC-GH7 is the latest in Panasonic's line of high-end cameras historically aimed at video shooters. We say 'historically' because the GH7 makes a strong case for being a true photo-video hybrid. It includes flagship video features like internal ProRes RAW recording, 32-bit float audio, and 4K/120p capture, along with all the photography features found on Panasonic's more recent G9 II model.

Key specifications

• 25.2MP BSI CMOS sensor with parallel readouts
• Phase hybrid autofocus
• ProRes RAW and ProRes RAW HQ internal recording
• 32-bit Float audio capture
• Arri LogC3 gamma profile (optional paid upgrade - see below)
• UHD or DCI 4K in 10-bit 4:2:2 at up to 60p
• Slow-mo UHD or DCI 4K in 10-bit 4:2:0 at up to 120 fps
• 5.7K full-width capture at up to 60p
• 5.8K Full-sensor 'open gate'/anamorphic capture at up to 30p
• 60 fps burst shooting with AF and pre-capture
• External SSD recording
• Real-time LUT support for photos and video
• Lumix Lab app integration
• 1 x CFexpress Type B, 1 x UHS-II SD slot
• Tilting/fully-articulating rear screen
• Built-in fan for unlimited recording

The Panasonic Lumix DC-GH7 has a suggested retail price of $2199, the same as the GH6 at launch in 2022. It is expected to ship in July 2024.

Additionally, Panasonic has partnered with Arri, a leading manufacturer of digital cinema cameras, to bring Arri's LogC3 profile to the GH7. LogC3 provides access to Arri color science and the ability to use LUTs designed for Arri cameras. Since enabling this feature requires paying a license to Arri, LogC3 is an optional $200 upgrade, and can be installed by purchasing Panasonic's DMW-SFU3A software upgrade key.

Index:

• What's new?
• How it compares
• Body and controls
• How it compares
• Initial impressions
• Specifications

What's new:

Sensor

The GH7 is built around a different sensor than the GH6. Although the two cameras share the same resolution, the GH7 uses the same 25.2MP BSI CMOS sensor found in the more recent Lumix G9 II, which gives it the updated capabilities of that camera.

The most notable is support for Panasonic's 'Phase Hybrid' phase-detection autofocus system. This promises to be a boon for video shooters as it enables the camera to interpret distance and depth in a scene and can acquire focus on a desired subject without overshooting or creating a pulsing effect while trying to hold focus on a relatively static subject.

The sensor is also pretty fast, and our readout speed tests show that its performance is almost identical to the GH6. We don't expect the rolling shutter to be a problem in most situations.

The other benefit of the new sensor is the improved version of the camera's dual output gain system. In a nutshell, the sensor employs two parallel readout paths with different gain levels: a low-gain path to capture highlights and a high-gain path to capture cleaner shadows. The data from both paths is combined as a 16-bit Raw file, allowing enough room to encode the wider dynamic range.

On the GH6, the high gain (shadow) path was only used at ISO settings three stops above base ISO (ISO 800 in standard color modes / ISO 2000 in V-Log) when using Dynamic Range Boost mode. On the GH7, however, Panasonic has reduced the lowest step used by the high-gain path, and it now works beginning at base ISO.

Find out more about dual conversion gain, dual output gain and how they work

However, it's worth noting that the GH6's base ISOs were 100 for standard color modes and 250 for V-Log. On the GH7, they're 100 and 500, respectively. The one-stop jump in base ISO in V-Log mode suggests the high-gain path is applying one stop more gain than the low path in its base state (rather than the 3-stop difference required for DR Boost on the GH6). This doesn't explain how Panasonic can offer a mode that includes a high-gain component while maintaining the same ISO 100 rating for standard gamma. It's interesting to note that when you exceed 60fps (where the Dual Output mode can't operate), the minimum ISO in V-Log drops to 250, suggesting this might still be the true 'base' state.

32-bit float audio

The optional DMW-XLR2 adapter has two XLR and one 3.5mm mic input, and three dials to control the gain of each input. It can power mics that accept 48V phantom power.

While it's become common for rivals to offer 4-channel audio if you attach a module to connect XLR mics, the GH7 becomes the first camera to cross our desks that offers 32-bit Float audio capture.

32-bit Float audio doesn't encode its data directly as numerical values but instead captures them as scientific notation, with most of the bits encoding the value but the last few describing the magnitude (i.e: how many zeros there should be after the value). This enables a much wider range of values to be encoded than just using all 32 bits to record the number directly.

To make use of this extra capacity, you'll need the new DMW-XLR2 microphone adapter ($499). It features two analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), one with amplification applied to boost the quiet sounds and the other with no gain to protect much louder sounds. It's still possible to clip loud sounds if you exceed the capacity of your microphones, but the system should accurately capture everything that's fed into it.

This means you don't need to worry nearly as much about capture levels and can fit it down into a narrower dynamic range for playback, during the edit.

When recording 4-channel audio, this display allows you to view all four channels' input levels at once, though only two can be monitored live. When recording 32-bit float audio, the meters will always be green.

With the DMW-XLR2 you can record up to four channels of 32-bit Float audio so long as all your audio is routed through the adapter: if you use the camera's mic input, everything drops down to conventional 24-bit capture.

There's a display for setting all four channels' input levels, but only two can be monitored live during recording. If you're in 32-bit Float capture, the VU meters will always appear green, no matter how high they peak.

Video

The GH7's headline video feature is support for internal ProRes RAW recording, including both ProRes RAW and ProRes RAW HQ, using the camera's CFexpress card (or a USB-C SSD). ProRes RAW provides extra flexibility in post-processing, including the ability to adjust white balance and exposure offsets.

ProRes RAW can be captured at either 5.7K resolution in a 17:9 aspect ratio using the entire width of the sensor or at the standard DCI 4K resolution (4096 x 2160) up to 60p, which results in a 1.41x crop.

The GH7 also gains the ability to record proxy files, which are lower resolution, lower bit rate versions of each video clip captured by the camera. You can optionally apply a LUT to proxy files as they're recorded for a more finished look while saving your full-resolution footage in ungraded V-Log. This can be handy for projects requiring a rapid turnaround.

The GH7 retains all of the video modes present on the GH6, including 4K/120p, 5.7K up to 60p, 1080 at up to 240p in 10-bit mode, 1080 up to 300p in Variable Frame Rate mode (without AF or audio), open gate recording and anamorphic lens support. Except for the most basic MP4 modes, the GH7's video modes are all 10-bit, and it can shoot 4K 4:2:2 at up to 60p and 4K 4:2:0 at up to 120p.

In an improvement we've been requesting for years, it's now possible to magnify the on-screen image while recording video to check focus. In a nod to social media shooters, the camera's gyro will also detect when a video is shot in vertical format.

Subject recognition AF

In addition to gaining phase-detect autofocus, the GH7 inherits the subject recognition modes found on the G9 II and S5II (with firmware 3.0) and adds some new bells and whistles of its own. Like those cameras, it can detect humans, animals, cars and motorcycles, but it adds two new subject types to the menu: trains and airplanes.

Yes, the GH7 has a true 'trains, planes and automobiles' subject recognition system.

Human detection can identify eyes, face and body (prioritized in that order) or just eyes and face; similarly, animal detection can identify eyes and body, or just bodies. For other subject types, the GH7 lets you specify your preferred target: when shooting trains, planes, and motor vehicles, you can specify whether you want to prioritize focus on the front of the vehicle or the entire vehicle; when using front-of-vehicle priority for cars and motorcycles, the camera will prioritize focus on a driver/rider's helmet if it can identify one.

Subject recognition works in both still and video modes.

Photography features

While initial attention on the GH7 will likely focus on video, Panasonic has ensured that the camera is also a photography powerhouse. In fact, the GH7 includes all the photography features found on its sibling, the G9 II, and matches its performance to boot. This includes 10 fps burst shooting with mechanical shutter, 60 fps with continuous autofocus with electronic shutter, or 75 fps with single AF. You can also pre-capture up to 1.5 seconds at those same frame rates.

Other features that carry over from the G9 II include Panasonic's handheld high-res mode, which captures 50.5MP or 100MP images in either Raw or JPEG format, and Live Composite mode, a multi-exposure mode that only captures areas of the frame that change in brightness with each exposure.

The GH7 also gets Panasonic's real-time LUT system and integration with the new Lumix Lab smartphone app. Real-time LUTs allow you to instantly apply a LUT to a photo (or video) as it's captured, providing a finished look straight out of the camera. The Lumix Lab app has numerous LUTs available for download and also makes it easy to create your own; you can transfer your favorite LUTs to the camera so they are available at any time. The GH7 includes 39 memory banks for custom LUTs.

This image, captured on the Lumix S9, illustrates how Panasonic's real-time LUT system allows you to generate your own custom looks straight out of camera. Photo by Dale Baskin

We explored real-time LUTs and the Lumix Lab app in detail as part of our Panasonic S9 initial review, so we recommend giving those sections a read if you want to learn more.

Other improvements

Image stabilization on the GH7 is rated at 7.5 stops per CIPA standard, both for in-body stabilization and when using Dual I.S. 2, which helps maintain this performance with longer lenses. It also includes Boost I.S., which tries to cancel all movement for a tripod-like look, and E.I.S., which is meant to correct distortion that occurs during video shooting. New to the camera is Panasonic's Active I.S., a more aggressive stabilization mode that's intended to provide stabilization for situations like running with the camera.

Like other recent Lumix cameras, the GH7 incorporates Frame.io camera-to-cloud functionality, which automatically uploads video proxy files or images to Adobe's Frame.io service.

How it compares

The GH7 sits at the high end of the Micro Four Thirds market, though in the video space, it's highly competitive with the best video-oriented APS-C cameras. The GH series has enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for excellence in video. Still, the competition in this category has become fierce, with rivals now offering compelling video-oriented of their own.

Can the GH7 stand out among the crowd? We compare it to other video-centric models, including the Sony FX30, Fujifilm X-H2S, and another member of the Lumix family, the G9 II.

From a specs standpoint, the GH7's main advantages are ProRes RAW and 32-bit Float audio, as well as the ability to add Arri's LogC3 gamma profile (as a paid upgrade). However, the X-H2S pulls ahead in the rolling shutter race, thanks to its stacked sensor. Fortunately, all of these cameras have relatively fast sensors, so you're unlikely to see much rolling shutter in most situations.

Other than those callouts, the cameras are well-matched on paper, but we don't use them on paper; we use them in the real world, where other design considerations can be as critical as specs. The Sony FX30 stands out in that respect, designed with multiple 1/4"-20 mounting points so you can build the exact rig you want. On the flip side, it's the one camera in the cohort that's primarily focused on video and might not be a good choice as a hybrid camera.

The G9 II is an interesting comparison as it shares most of the GH7's video features. If you like Panasonic cameras and don't need the GH7's most advanced video features, it could be a viable choice, particularly if you plan to use it mainly for photos or prefer its body style.

Body and controls

The GH7's body is essentially unchanged from the GH6. It's built on the same chassis, has the same dimensions, and all buttons and ports are in the same locations. Actually, there is one very minor change, but it isn't visible when looking at the camera. We'll get to that in a moment.

There's a certain logic to this approach. Serious video shooters tend to use a lot of accessories, including camera cages, off-camera recorders, microphones, and maybe even rails, matte boxes, or a follow focus. Keeping the same body from one generation to the next makes it easier for users to upgrade, knowing their existing accessories will continue to work.

EVF and rear screen

Remember that one minor change we mentioned? This is where you'll find it. The GH7's electronic viewfinder (EVF) receives a very minor update: it still uses the same 3.68M-dot OLED (1280 x960px) screen, but the viewfinder's magnification has increased from 0.76x to 0.8x (in equivalent terms). This doesn't impact the size or shape of the body, but it makes the EVF just a bit nicer to use.

The GH7 features the same 1.84M-dot (960 x 640px), 3" rear touchscreen mounted on a hybrid tilt/articulated hinge. This allows you to extend the screen out from the back of the camera and tilt it up about 45 degrees, flip it out to the side, or both. The latter has the advantage of keeping the screen clear of the camera's ports so that it doesn't interfere with any cables.

Audio button and 32-bit Float audio

The GH7 includes a dedicated button that provides direct access to the camera's audio settings, which frequent video shooters will appreciate. Out of the box, the camera captures 48kHz, 24-bit audio using its internal mics and up to 96kHz, 24-bit audio from an external mic connected to the camera.

As mentioned above, the GH7 can also capture 4-channel 32-bit Float audio. This requires the optional DMW-XLR2 adapter, which includes two XLR inputs and one 3.5mm input. You must run all audio sources through the XLR2 adapter to use 32-bit float recording.

All four audio channels are output over HDMI.

Fan

The GH7 includes the same built-in fan as the GH6 to keep the camera cool while shooting video, with the fan located outside the camera's sealing. With its standard settings, the fan allows for unlimited recording at resolutions and frame rates up to DCI 4K/60p.

Panasonic tells us the GH7 can provide unlimited recording at all resolutions and frame rates. However, in some of the more demanding modes, opening the Thermal Management menu and changing the setting from standard to high may be necessary.

"The GH7 can provide unlimited recording at all resolutions and frame rates"

The fan can be configured to run continuously at a set speed or in one of two auto modes: one that prioritizes keeping the body cool and the other that only engages when absolutely necessary.

Battery

The GH7 uses the same DMW-BLK22 battery found on other recent Lumix models. When used with SD cards and the Panasonic 12-60mm F2.8-4 lens, it can power the camera to a CIPA rating of 380 shots or 100 minutes of continuous video; using CFexpress cards reduces this by about 10%. This is essentially the same performance as the GH6.

The battery does have one notable limitation: When recording files to an external SSD, it's only possible to record at frame rates up to 60p, no matter what codec or resolution you're using. This is due to the extra power required to operate the SSD. Since the SSD occupies the camera's USB-C port, connecting the camera directly to an external power source simultaneously isn't an option.

To circumvent this, Panasonic has introduced the DMW-DCC18, a dummy battery with a USB-C port that can be connected to external power or a battery pack. When used, it will allow you to record to SSDs using any frame rate as long as you have a PD-rated power source that can deliver 9V, 3A.

Initial impressions

By Dale Baskin

As someone who has used GH cameras since the GH1, I'm always excited to see a new model released – not just because I work at DPReview, but because I'm genuinely curious to see how Panasonic continues to evolve the product line.

And it's been a rather interesting evolution over the years. If you're curious, check out this article Richard and I wrote a few years back that looks back at every model from the GH1 through the GH6 and the new features that arrived with each. (Quiz: How many GH models have there been, including the GH7? If you guessed seven, you would be wrong. Better read that article!)

To me, the real innovation on the GH7 is the addition of 32-bit Float audio, not only because it's the first mirrorless camera to include it but because it's so helpful for the type of shooters who often use a camera like the GH7: small teams or individuals working on a budget.

Much of my own video work falls into that category, and I know from experience how easy it is to screw up audio. When you're shooting solo, you're wearing a lot of hats. It's easy to miss a detail here or there, but when that detail is related to audio, the impact can be disastrous.

32-bit Float audio could be a very helpful tool for individual or small teams who do a lot of multitasking while shooting.

Of course, 32-bit Float audio only solves some audio problems: it won't eliminate the sound of a jacket rubbing against a poorly positioned mic or the rumble of a plane flying overhead. But it does give you one less thing to worry about and one less mistake to make.

The addition of internal ProRes RAW recording is a logical one, though it's not the first mirrorless camera to get internal ProRes RAW (The Nikon Z8 and Z9 already support it). There was a time when you could count on the GH series to be first across the line with new features like this, but the rest of the market is catching up.

And that's OK. I don't think the GH series needs to be first to market with every new video feature to be successful. There was a time when that mattered more, but mirrorless cameras have become so good at video in recent years that new features often count more as refinements than game changers. It's a sign of a maturing market and a maturing GH line.

I'm also glad to see the GH7 receive expanded access to Panasonic's real-time LUT system and integration with the Lumix Lab app. As a camera reviewer, I don't think I fully appreciated the value of real-time LUTs until I started using them on the Lumix S9, where they're a core part of the camera's experience.

"I don't think the GH series needs to be first to market with every new video feature to be successful."

Once I started using them for photography, I really enjoyed the experience. It's a bit like using film simulations on a Fujifilm camera, except that I can create my own simulations, and the Lumix Lab app makes it ridiculously easy to do so. While I've mostly focused on using LUTs for photos, there's a lot of value in them for videography, too, especially the ability to apply LUTs to proxy files as they're generated.

As I alluded to a moment ago, the GH series has matured a lot over the years, with improvements counting as refinements rather than revolutionary updates, and that may be the most important thing to recognize. To me, the real sign that the GH series has reached a new level of maturity is that, in many ways, the GH7 is relatively unchanged from its predecessor. Sure, there's some meaningful new technology under the hood, but at this point, it's a matter of making a really good product even better and creating a consistent platform for users to work from, and that consistency of form factor and user experience makes the move from the GH6 to the GH7 about as seamless as possible.

The Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN is a wide-to-medium zoom lens for E-mount and L-mount cameras. According to Sigma, it's the spiritual successor to its popular 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM lens for APS-C DSLRs and the first constant aperture F1.8 lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras.

Sigma is making big claims about the quality of this lens, stating that the image quality is comparable to prime lenses and that it exceeds the performance of its own 24mm F1.4 and 50mm F1.4 DG DN primes. We took the lens to the UK as a travel companion and captured images from the bustle of downtown London to the serene countryside. Check out our gallery, and let us know if you think this lens lives up to expectations.

Click here to see our Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 sample gallery

Image: Sigma

Sigma has announced its newest optic, the 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art lens for E-mount and L-mount cameras. The lens covers a wide-to-standard focal range, and Sigma claims it's the first constant aperture F1.8 zoom lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras.

Sigma is setting high expectations for this lens, claiming that it achieves image quality comparable to prime lenses and that it exceeds the performance of its own 24mm F1.4 DG DN and 50mm F1.4 DG DN Art lenses.

To do this, the 28-45mm F1.8 has an optical formula that includes three aspherical and five SLD (super-low dispersion) elements in front of an 11-bladed aperture. Sigma says the lens will deliver excellent performance wide open and is specifically designed to suppress longitudinal chromatic aberration.

The tradeoff for the fast aperture is size and weight: The lens is 151mm (6") long with a diameter of 88mm (3.5") and weighs 960g (33.9 oz).

Image: Sigma

Sigma is targeting video users in addition to still photographers. The lens's autofocus is driven by an HLA (high-response linear actuator) motor to provide quick and fast AF, and Sigma says the optics are designed to minimize breathing when focusing. An internal zoom design should make it easier to use on gimbals.

Other features include a lockable aperture ring, a click/de-click switch allowing for clickless aperture changes and two customizable buttons. The minimum focus distance is 30cm (11.8") across the entire zoom range, and the lens has a maximum magnification of 1:4. It uses an 82mm filter thread, and Sigma says the lens is dust and splash-resistant.

Pricing and availability

The Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art lens has a suggested retail price of $1349, which includes a case and lens hood. It's expected to be available for purchase on June 20.

Click to see our 28-45mm F1.8 DN DG Art sample gallery

Press release:

Sigma 28-45mm F1.8 DG DN Art specifications

Now that we've had some more time with the Panasonic S9, we've updated our sample gallery to include examples of Panasonic's Real Time LUTs as well as some Raw conversions, including one image designed to push the camera's dynamic range.

View the updated Panasonic S9 sample gallery

Note: Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Image: Leica

I found it interesting to see Leica launch a new D-Lux camera last week, as I'd been thinking about a previous model (or, at least, about its Panasonic sister model) just recently.

Panasonic's LX series taught me two important lessons about cameras and how to review them. The first, which I've written about before, was how much difference a larger sensor and a brighter lens can make. The other was that the value of a feature can be greatly enhanced by making it easy to access. And there's no easier way to change a setting than with a dedicated, marked control point.

The main line of LX cameras and their Leica variants have dedicated switches on the top of their lenses, which not only make it easy to switch between the different framing modes but also serve as a constant reminder that the feature is available.

This makes sense: from the LX3 onwards, the cameras have had multi-aspect sensors, i.e. sensors that are larger than the lens' coverage. This means the different crops push all the way out to the limit of the imaging circle projected by the lens so that they maintain the same diagonal angle of view. This is a big difference from most cameras, which simply crop in further and further from their sensor's native shape, meaning 16:9 isn't really as wide as you might hope.

The Panasonic LX3 was the first Panasonic model to include an aspect ratio switch on top of the lens. It not only made it easy to switch between modes, but served as a constant reminder that this feature was available.

It's a stand-out feature (albeit one where you never get to use the full sensor size you've paid for), and it makes sense to literally put it front and center on the camera. That prominent, dedicated switch reminds you to play with image format every time you look down at the camera, meaning you're more likely to take advantage of the multi-aspect design.

This experience was front-of-mind when I unpacked the Fujifilm X-T50 and saw its dedicated Film Simulation dial. I think it's a very smart move on Fujifilm's part. Film Simulations, along with a broad selection of lenses designed for APS-C, are one of the distinctive benefits of its X-series cameras. It makes sense to draw attention to it and encourage its use.

"That prominent, dedicated switch reminds you to play with image format every time you look down at the camera"

It also sends out a strong signal about who the camera is for. The double-digit X-T models have always been aimed at people getting into photography, not existing enthusiasts. These are often people who buy a camera for an event or because they want to try their hand at photography and are perhaps most at risk of falling back to the ease of use and sharability of smartphone images, leaving their cameras to accumulate dust. Providing a constant reminder and easy access to one of the key features that sets the camera apart could be a really powerful way to maintain their engagement.

The Fujifilm X-T50 includes a dedicated dial for switching between film simulations.

On such a small camera, each control comes at the expense of another, and to me, it makes a lot of sense to privilege Film Sims over the drive mode dial. Which control will the target user want to change most often? To me, it seems self-evident that Film Simulation is a setting you might wish to change literally every other shot, whereas drive mode is something to change each time you go out to shoot a different subject type. And every camera has drive modes: it makes sense for Fujifilm to pull its differentiating feature to the fore.

I agree with the commenters who point out that it would be better if the custom positions on the dial could be modified to have parameters such as highlights, shadows and color chrome effect baked in as recipes, and I'd love to see this in future firmware.

"On such a small camera, each control comes at the expense of another, and to me, it makes a lot of sense to privilege Film Sims over the drive mode dial."

But to those people objecting to the change, saying, "Without the mode dial, I'd be better off buying an X-T5," I'd suggest this isn't the criticism they might think it is. The X-T50 isn't supposed to be a smaller, less expensive X-T5; it's meant to be tailored to a different type of user, not enthusiasts on a tighter budget.

So, to my eye, the Film Simulation dial isn't a dumbing-down but an astute move to encourage the target user to discover and use one of its most compelling features. Other than the Film Sim dial, a lot else has changed between the X-T30 II and X-T50, including the addition of image stabilization, a higher resolution sensor and an eye-watering 55% price hike. But in terms of the Film Simulation control, I think the series has taken a turn for the better.

June is packed with multiple days celebrating Mother Nature. Get out there and touch grass; we want to see your best nature photos. Image credit: Shaminder Dulai

June is packed with multiple days devoted to celebrating nature. We kick it off on June 5 with World Environment Day, continue on June 8 with World Oceans Day and June 22 brings us World Rainforest Day. So let's get outside. We want to see your best nature images! Take part in the official DPReview Editor's Challenges for your chance to have your work featured on our homepage, in articles and galleries. We may even reach out to interview you about your work!

You don't need to take your pictures on the world recognition days. Anytime starting today is okay. Just be sure to submit your best work by June 13.

DPReview editors will review every photo you upload to an Editors' Challenge. We'll publish our favorites in a gallery and celebrate your work with our peers.

If you miss participating in this one, please look out for our next editors' challenge.

How to submit your photos

Enter your photos and read all the rules

Processing rules:

Image: Leica

I found it interesting to see Leica launch a new D-Lux camera last week, as I'd been thinking about a previous model (or, at least, about its Panasonic sister model) just recently.

Panasonic's LX series taught me two important lessons about cameras and how to review them. The first, which I've written about before, was how much difference a larger sensor and a brighter lens can make. The other was that the value of a feature can be greatly enhanced by making it easy to access. And there's no easier way to change a setting than with a dedicated, marked control point.

The main line of LX cameras and their Leica variants have dedicated switches on the top of their lenses, which not only make it easy to switch between the different framing modes but also serve as a constant reminder that the feature is available.

This makes sense: from the LX3 onwards, the cameras have had multi-aspect sensors, i.e. sensors that are larger than the lens' coverage. This means the different crops push all the way out to the limit of the imaging circle projected by the lens so that they maintain the same diagonal angle of view. This is a big difference from most cameras, which simply crop in further and further from their sensor's native shape, meaning 16:9 isn't really as wide as you might hope.

The Panasonic LX3 was the first Panasonic model to include a multi aspect sensor and the dedicated switch made the most of this. It not only made it easy to switch between modes, but served as a constant reminder that this feature was available.

It's a stand-out feature (albeit one where you never get to use the full sensor size you've paid for), and it makes sense to literally put it front and center on the camera. That prominent, dedicated switch reminds you to play with image format every time you look down at the camera, meaning you're more likely to take advantage of the multi-aspect design.

This experience was front-of-mind when I unpacked the Fujifilm X-T50 and saw its dedicated Film Simulation dial. I think it's a very smart move on Fujifilm's part. Film Simulations, along with a broad selection of lenses designed for APS-C, are one of the distinctive benefits of its X-series cameras. It makes sense to draw attention to it and encourage its use.

"That prominent, dedicated switch reminds you to play with image format every time you look down at the camera"

It also sends out a strong signal about who the camera is for. The double-digit X-T models have always been aimed at people getting into photography, not existing enthusiasts. These are often people who buy a camera for an event or because they want to try their hand at photography and are perhaps most at risk of falling back to the ease of use and sharability of smartphone images, leaving their cameras to accumulate dust. Providing a constant reminder and easy access to one of the key features that sets the camera apart could be a really powerful way to maintain their engagement.

The Fujifilm X-T50 includes a dedicated dial for switching between film simulations.

On such a small camera, each control comes at the expense of another, and to me, it makes a lot of sense to privilege Film Sims over the drive mode dial. Which control will the target user want to change most often? To me, it seems self-evident that Film Simulation is a setting you might wish to change literally every other shot, whereas drive mode is something to change each time you go out to shoot a different subject type. And every camera has drive modes: it makes sense for Fujifilm to pull its differentiating feature to the fore.

I agree with the commenters who point out that it would be better if the custom positions on the dial could be modified to have parameters such as highlights, shadows and color chrome effect baked in as recipes, and I'd love to see this in future firmware.

"On such a small camera, each control comes at the expense of another, and to me, it makes a lot of sense to privilege Film Sims over the drive mode dial."

But to those people objecting to the change, saying, "Without the mode dial, I'd be better off buying an X-T5," I'd suggest this isn't the criticism they might think it is. The X-T50 isn't supposed to be a smaller, less expensive X-T5; it's meant to be tailored to a different type of user, not enthusiasts on a tighter budget.

So, to my eye, the Film Simulation dial isn't a dumbing-down but an astute move to encourage the target user to discover and use one of its most compelling features. Other than the Film Sim dial, a lot else has changed between the X-T30 II and X-T50, including the addition of image stabilization, a higher resolution sensor and an eye-watering 55% price hike. But in terms of the Film Simulation control, I think the series has taken a turn for the better.

June is packed with multiple days celebrating Mother Nature. Get out there and touch grass; we want to see your best nature photos. Image credit: Shaminder Dulai

June is packed with multiple days devoted to celebrating nature. We kick it off on June 5 with World Environment Day, continue on June 8 with World Oceans Day and June 22 brings us World Rainforest Day. So let's get outside. We want to see your best nature images! Take part in the official DPReview Editor's Challenges for your chance to have your work featured on our homepage, in articles and galleries. We may even reach out to interview you about your work!

You don't need to take your pictures on the world recognition days. Anytime starting today is okay. Just be sure to submit your best work by June 13.

DPReview editors will review every photo you upload to an Editors' Challenge. We'll publish our favorites in a gallery and celebrate your work with our peers.

If you miss participating in this one, please look out for our next editors' challenge.

How to submit your photos

Enter your photos and read all the rules

Processing rules:

Lux, the team behind the Apple Design Award-winning photography app Halide, has announced Kino, an app that it claims will bring pro-level video tools to iPhone users.

The developers state that Kino is intended to give users complete control in both automatic and manual shooting modes based on some clever built-in logic. The app includes a feature called AutoMotion, which automatically sets a 180º shutter angle in order to create cinematic motion blur. An 'Auto' label turns green when the settings are just right, letting you know you're good to go. If the camera can't achieve a 180º shutter, such as when shooting outdoors in bright light, you may need to add an ND filter to allow the shutter to lock onto the correct angle.

Another headline feature is Instant Grade, which takes advantage of Apple Log, available on the newest iPhone 15 Pro models. Apple's camera app records Log footage in ProRes format, which creates large files and requires editing to finalize color; Instant Grade will allow users to apply color presets directly to Apple Log footage as it's being captured and saves the recordings in the more efficient HEVC format, allowing for cinematic video straight out of camera. The app includes color presets from pro colorists, but users can import their own LUTs into the app as well.

The app also includes advanced features, such as the ability to save files into either Apple's Photos app or to a specific file location, composition guides, audio levels, USB-C storage compatibility, RGB waveform, manual focus with peaking, WB/AE lock, exposure compensation and a lockable user interface.

For beginners who may not be as familiar with a video-first workflow, the app will include free lessons on the basics of shooting video.

Kino is available beginning today at a promotional price of $9.99, though the company indicated that the price will increase to $19.99 "a few days after launch."

Buy now:

Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki Photo: Richard Butler

"All camera and lens manufacturers have to be innovative," says Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki, but "technology competition among manufacturers may not always be beneficial to customers... Easier to use interfaces, compact and lightweight bodies for enhanced portability, or some other specifications might be more important."

In the second part of a wide-ranging interview conducted at the CP+ show in Yokohama in late February, Yamaki talked about current state of the market, the need for innovation and the challenges of delivering that innovation.

State of the market

"Last year was not so bad," he says, when asked about the state of the market: "It looks like the trend of the shrinking market has hit the bottom." But he suggests this may not continue: "For the time being, many photographers are now switching from DSLR to mirrorless, which will sustain the market. However, after they switch to mirrorless cameras, I worry that the market could shrink in the coming years."

"One reason for my concern is the increasing average price of cameras and lenses. I truly appreciate the passion of the customers who are still spending so much money on cameras and lenses. However, I’m afraid that not so many customers can afford such high-priced cameras and lenses, so we’re still trying hard to keep the retail price reasonable."

"I’m afraid that not so many customers can afford such high-priced cameras and lenses"

"Especially these days, the younger generation takes huge amounts of photos with smartphones. While we can expect some of them to switch from a smartphone to a camera, many may find the price gap too wide, and challenging to make the switch."

Yamaki also expresses concern about some of the tech trends he's seeing: "Investing in the development of more advanced technology is crucial. However, it’s equally important to focus on our customers."

"We've seen some cameras with very technically impressive specifications, but I worry that they're not always capabilities that many photographers really need. Moving forward, I speculate that more user-friendly specifications might mean more to customers. Easier to use interfaces, a compact and lightweight body for enhanced portability, or some other specifications might be more important."

The challenges of innovation

Sigma has launched some ambitious and unusual lenses in recent years, including the 14mm F1.4 DG DN. Yamaki describes astrophotography, for which it's designed, as the most challenging subject. Image: Sigma

He uses the recently announced 500mm F5.6 as an example of customer-focused innovation. “Canon and Nikon had similar lenses for DSLRs. They achieved it by using diffractive lens elements," he explains: "Instead of using one powerful diffractive element, we used multiple special low-dispersion [SLD] glass. We used one SLD and three FLD elements. By using multiple special lenses, we could achieve a similar effect. That’s how we can make it so compact and lightweight."

But this approach isn't simple, he says: "It requires lots of very high manufacturing technology and skill, but because we have a very good factory and our optical designers trust the capability of our factory, we were able to go for this design.”

"In most cases, we are the first to use new types of glass, and once they see Sigma use that lens element, they start using it."

"This trust is really, really important," he explains: "Lens polishing is still a unique process that has a lower yield. Normally, in something like electronics, the yield ratio is something like 99.99996 percent, or something like that. But when it comes to lenses, for example, in our case, because our yield is so high, our yield ratio from the start of the process to the end is close to 90%. So if we plan to build 1,000 units of a specific lens, we have to start polishing 1,100 pieces, and during the process, about 10% of the lens elements will fail and have to be scrapped.”

A question of trust

"That’s the reason why other companies hesitate to use new glass elements. They are uncertain about the yield ratio. In most cases, we are the first to use a new type of element, and once they see Sigma use that lens element, they start using it. I’m very happy to play such a role. Sigma is kind of the guinea pig in the lens industry: they use Sigma as an experiment, and if we prove it, they use it."

This commitment to pushing the use of new glass types reflects Yamaki's wider vision of the company's role. This can be seen in the ambitious lenses it's recently introduced aimed at astrophotography, he says.

"First of all, I believe it’s one of Sigma's missions to create niche products. If we only concentrate on standard products and release lower-priced versions, it’s not good: we would not be able to contribute to the development of the photography culture. As a lens manufacturer it’s our mission to develop such niche lenses that satisfy a specific target group."

"Secondly, most lenses are so good, maybe much better than people’s expectations. But only astrophotographers are never satisfied: they’re so keen for quality! They’re looking at the shape of stars in the corners. Star images are the toughest, most challenging subject, or let’s say, the most nasty lens chart. You can see all kinds of aberrations in star images. That’s why we want to show what we can do with our capability. So lenses for astrophotography is my personal strong passion to show the capability of Sigma's technology."

The future of APS-C

Yamaki says the audience for its I-series of full-frame lenses, such as the 17mm F4 DG DN pictured, is similar to that for the DC DN range of APS-C primes. However, it doesn't sound like there are plans for I-series-style versions of the DC lenses. Image: Sigma

With all this talk of niches, we steered the conversation towards the DC DN primes. We wanted to know whether he sees the users of these lenses as distinct from those of the mid-priced i-Series full-frame primes, which feature metal bodies and aperture rings.

"I see they are very similar customers: those who value compactness and image quality. These customers often live in big cities and use public transportation a lot. So they cannot carry around big, heavy equipment in the car. They have to carry it around in their bags."

Despite this, it doesn't sound like there are any plans to refresh the DC DNs with more i-Series-like designs: "Those who want full-frame can use the I series lenses, while those who are happy with APS-C cameras can use the many lightweight DC DN lenses," he says.

But, while we won't expect APS-C primes with aperture rings for X-mount or the Nikon Z fc any time soon, Yamaki's comments about his commitment to APS-C bode well, given the announcement that it'll make lenses for both Nikon's Z mount and Canon's RF system:

"Our plan is to have a relatively complete range of lenses for APS-C sized sensors."

This article was based on an interview conducted by Dale Baskin and Richard Butler at the CP+ show in Yokohama, Japan.

Every week, we ask newsletter subscribers a question about gear, creativity or life. We recently asked readers: If you could go back to your 20-year-old self, what camera-related advice would you give yourself?

Subsequently, the DPReview editors also got in on the act:

1. Shaminder Dulai

Start organizing your photo and video archive and making it searchable. Make sure to save local versions of client work; websites will disappear and take your work with them. A good archival system makes it possible to earn a passive income from these photos and videos in the future and curate your work for grant applications and shows.

Don't get caught up in the gear; there will always be something better that comes along. Make things. Whatever you can get your hands on, just use it and make stuff. The more you practice and embrace the failures, the more you'll learn and improve.

There will be people who will try to discourage you; they'll tell you you don't have the right gear, the right skills, or the right name, and some will even steal your ideas and pass them off as their own. These will be hard lessons, and you'll need to learn to put yourself before others. It won't be easy.

Also, buy as much Apple stock as you can afford and spend more time with your parents. Ask them the questions you always were too afraid to ask.

2. Dale Baskin

I'd probably give the same advice I would give a 20-year-old today: Don’t obsess about having fancy gear or the newest camera. Buy something used in good condition and save some money, then spend the money you save on fun experiences that allow you to focus on learning the art of photography.

3. Richard Butler

I'd tell myself to think more carefully about lenses. To try to work out which are the focal lengths I'd actually use. I'd recommend going back through the photos I'd taken to see what you're trying to capture (and would have found I was typically trying to shoot wider, not longer than my kit zoom would go). I'd advise myself to consider whether the discipline (and compactness) of a prime would be better in the long-run than the seemingly obvious F2.8 zoom. With this advice I'd have avoided a fair few dead-ends, avoided the cost of some under-use lenses and probably have learned more about how to shoot, sooner.

What's your take? Let us know in the comments.

If you want to participate in the next question, sign up for the newsletter. It's the best photography, camera and gear news, delivered right to your inbox.

Sign up for the free DPReview Newsletter

And we don't just stop at the news. Newsletter subscriber benefits include behind-the-scenes articles, letters to the editor, exclusive contests, sneak peeks on what we're working on, ways to share feedback directly with DPReview editors to help us shape future stories and more! There is no AI here, only real people writing the newsletters and reading your feedback (me!)

We had a chance to shoot with the Fujifilm X-T50 for quite a while, so we put together a first-look video, outlining what it can offer, as well as shooting a sample gallery using a variety of Film Simulations.

As always, all the Raw files are available to download if you wish to see how your preferred software handles them.

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.