→ Lexar announced new Rugged Series SD memory cards: ARMOR GOLD SD UHS-II V60 and ARMOR SILVER PRO SD UHS-II V60 (coming soon to the Amazon Lexar store). The full list of new products can be found here and here.
DxO also released 1401 new Optics Modules with support for the latest cameras and lenses. The new modules are available across DxO’s full range of software:
Here are some quotes from a recent interview with Sigma's CEO Kazuto Yamaki on the latest Foveon sensor development:
"Unfortunately, we have not made any significant progress since last year"
"We made a prototype sensor but found some design errors. It worked but there are some issues, so we re-wrote the schematics and submitted them to the manufacturer and are waiting for the next generation of prototypes."
"We are still in the design phase for the image sensor"
"When it comes to the sensor, the manufacturing process is very important: we need to develop a new manufacturing process for the new sensor. But as far as that’s concerned, we’re still doing the research. So it may require additional time to complete the development of the new sensor."
Meet Insta360 X4: Delivering 8K 360 for Unmatched Creative Possibility
Insta360 is excited to announce its new, groundbreaking flagship camera: Insta360 X4. Much-anticipated 8K 360° video, plus 5.7K60fps and 4K100fps, add unparalleled image quality to the endless creative possibilities of 360° capture, including the ability to "shoot first, point later" and the Invisible Selfie Stick effect. X4 also doubles as a traditional action cam, with its Single-Lens Mode now upgraded to smooth, ultra-wide 4K60fps.
This premium imaging arsenal is supported by a powerful 5nm AI chip, a smart control system with features such as Voice and Gesture Control, and vastly improved battery performance with a 135-minute run time. A host of AI-powered shooting and editing features make it easy to capture and share unique, creative shots. New, removable lens guards for X4 will also be a very welcome addition, providing convenient, robust protection and peace of mind.
All of this in a tough, pocket-sized device makes X4 the new, essential tool for action enthusiasts, casual creators, and professionals alike.
“8K will be transformative for creators as reframed video now holds its own alongside footage shot on regular cameras. But X4 isn't just about image quality, it's designed to be the most robust, easy-to-use 360° camera ever, no matter your experience. This idea was at the heart of a lot of the changes we made," JK Liu, founder of Insta360 explained.
Incredible third-person views in 8K and high-res slow motion.
It's finally here! 8K30fps is our highest resolution ever for a 360° action cam and it looks incredible! With 360° video, creators can choose any angle after filming (known as reframing), like going back in time and pointing the camera! This makes X4's 8K resolution a real game-changer because the footage remains incredibly detailed and sharp, even after reframing– perfect as high-quality, standalone clips or for seamless integration into any edit.
And the upgrades don't stop there. For action shots or slow motion, 60fps 360° video is now available at 5.7K for smoother, sharper images. There's also a new 4K100fps setting for glorious, cinematic shots at 4x slow-mo.
Whatever the resolution or frame rate, 360° shooting with X4 offers unique benefits like the Invisible Selfie Stick effect, creating impossible third-person views that look like they were shot on a drone or with a personal camera crew! That extends to photos too, with X4 capable of 72MP 360° photos, now with built-in AI denoising.
With Me Mode, X4 can even automatically frame the subject in the shot, while keeping the selfie stick invisible. Now at a whopping 4K30fps (up from 1080p with X3) or 2.7K120fps, that means ready-to-share flat video clips with zero reframing!
Get two cameras in one.
That's right! X4 doubles as both a 360° camera and a regular wide-angle action cam. When you know exactly what you want to shoot, like a first-person POV from a chest-mounted position, simply switch to Single-Lens Mode for an immersive, wide-angle video.
This has been souped up for X4 with super smooth 4K60fps, and an ultra wide 170° view with MaxView at an upgraded 4K30fps.
A true action specialist.
X4 doesn't just withstand the rough and tumble of adventure, it embraces it! How's this for some action credentials?
Removable Lens Guards: A key upgrade for X4. Easy to apply and remove at a moment's notice. Two options include Standard Lens Guards (free with the camera) or the Premium Lens Guards, made with tough, scratch-resistant, tempered glass for action-ready ruggedness.
2.5" Corning® Gorilla Glass® Touchscreen - Bigger, tougher, and super responsive for on-the-go use.
FlowState Stabilization & 360° Horizon Lock - X4 delivers smooth, level shots, no matter how intense the action.
135-Minute Run Time at 5.7K30fps - A huge new 2290 mAh battery offers genuinely impressive 67% longer run time than X3!
Seriously Waterproof - Take X4 down to 33ft right out of the box, or for seamless 360° underwater stitching, try the Invisible Dive Case for shooting to 164ft.
Cold-Weather Resistant - Handles temperatures as low as -4ºF (-20ºC) with ease.
Creativity made easy.
No matter what you're into, X4 makes it simpler than ever to capture incredible footage!
Got the camera mounted out of reach? No problem! Use hand gestures to start/stop shooting or take a photo (known as Gesture Control), or use voice commands courtesy of Voice Control 2.0.
Timed Capture lets you schedule X4 to power on, record, and shut itself off automatically. Perfect for capturing a sunrise without having to wake up!
X4's creative shooting modes have also had some major upgrades:
Bullet Time - our signature Matrix-like slow-mo shot, now up to 5.7K120fps or 3K240fps.
8K TimeShift - a mind-bending hyperlapse in sensational 8K resolution.
11K Timelapse - watch time fly and capture the magic in between moments.
Other fun tools to try with X4 include the Motion ND effect, for adding cinematic motion blur without an ND filter. For runners and riders, try overlaying data like GPS, speed, and power from your Garmin device or Apple Watch in your video, with a choice of interactive stats dashboards (applied in the Insta360 app).
Smart, AI-powered editing.
The Insta360 editing suite has options for creators of all levels, from one-tap, zero-effort AI edits, to fully customized manual editing.
Reframing in the Insta360 app has two upgraded options. With Quick Edit (formerly known as Snap Wizard), simply move your phone or use the virtual joystick to point the camera. Editing your 360° video is now easier than playing a video game and just as fun! The reframed clips are immediately saved and ready to share!
For a fully hands-off approach, try AI Edit. Insta360's algorithm handles the entire reframing process, now faster with improved subject detection. The Insta360 app also has Shot Lab, where creators can find 30+ viral-worthy effects that can be edited in just a few taps.
For creators who prefer a desktop workflow, the recently updated Insta360 Studio is a highly flexible editing tool for seriously clean, ready-to-share edits at maximized resolution, compatible with both 360° footage and regular flat images.
Both the mobile app and desktop software are also free to use, no subscription required!
Besides this, Insta360 has just launched Insta360 Reframe, their own plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro! Creators can reframe 360° files shot on X4 directly in Premiere Pro for a smoother workflow with minimal exporting and maximum image quality.
Presets: Save your commonly used filter combinations into a single stack, including the filter settings and selections. Presets will then appear in the enhancement menu so that you can reuse your favorite settings and selections across any of your photos with a single click. This will speed up the process of editing large batches of hundreds or thousands of photos at a time. You can also delete old presets by hovering over them in the enhancement menu.
Docking & Collapsing: You can now dock the floating control panel on the right side of the viewport for easy access, or undock it and move it to where you need on top of your working preview area. The right panel is also now collapsible, making more space for viewing your image while editing. For maximum space, try undocking the control panel while in collapsible mode.
Reordering: You can now re-order and combine your enhancements in any order on the right panel, allowing you to more dynamically chain effects together. For example, you can now sharpen the entire image first before denoising the background and then sharpening again with just the subject. Changing the order of the filters will affect the way the output is processed, and this freedom will allow you to achieve results that otherwise were not possible within Photo AI.
RAW Balance Color & Adjust Lighting: On top of RAW Denoise, you are now able to adjust the color balance and lighting for RAW files inside Topaz Photo AI using our AI-based filters. This allows you to get the best quality possible out of your image straight from the camera and inside the application without having to make these adjustments in an external application even for RAW files.
Changelog:
Refreshed user interface with Topaz UI style
Implemented drag and reorder enhancements
Implemented basic preset functionality
Implemented docking and undocking feature
Enabled Text Recovery to be added multiple times
Enabled Face Recovery to be added multiple times
Enabled Adjust lighting for RAW images
Enabled Balance color for RAW images
Fixed Adjust lighting crash on M3 with macOS 14.4 and above
Fixed switching models on Denoise not updating the preview
Fixed export output suffix not matching enhancements order
Added preference for RAW Adjust lighting strength
Added camera profile for Panasonic G9M2
Added noise profile for Sony ILCE-6700
Luminar Neo Spring update 1.19.0 will be released on April 25, 2024 (see pricing) with new technologies like Water Enhancer AI, Twilight Enhancer AI, new masking tools for Luminosity and Object Selection, Batch processing in HDR Merge, and a brand new interface:
Water EnhancerAI: Adjust and refine watercolors with a standalone feature that automates the process.
Batch HDR: Speed up your workflow with batch processing for HDR Merge.
Twilight EnhancerAI: Mimic the enchanting hues of the magic hour with precision and ease.
Enhanced Waiting Statuses: See informative animations when loading and processing for real-time updates on actions in progress.
Experience the new look and feel in the updated Luminar Neo: A fresh look and feel for both Luminar Neo and our website, with a brand-new logo, a distinctive color palette, and stylistic updates. Possibility to turn off Dynamic Background for the app (solid color for the background instead of blurred image for the full app) - On/Off switcher is located in Settings
New Landscape category in Tools - now you can easily find all your favorite Landscape tools in the Landscape Category
The upcoming Insta360 X4 8K camera pictures and specifications leaked online ahead of the official announcement next week (see the camera teaser here):
Aperture: f/1.9 (equivalent for 35mm format: 6.7 mm)
Vintage-inspired design and a distinct all-white finish
Simple dial correlates power levels with the scene you intend to shoot.
Built-in rechargeable battery offers up to 400 flashes on a full charge and comes with a USB-C to USB-A charging cable.
Control features include an Optical Mode that offers S1 and S2 settings. In S1 the flash will fire in response to another manual or TTL flash, while in S2 the Retro Flash will respond similarly, but ignore the initial flash.
The unit also features a sync hole for connecting an optional sync cable
Hasselblad will soon announce a new XCD 24mm f/2.5 medium format mirrorless lens - here is the first leaked picture:
Just a reminder that the latest Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/2.5 V lens was officially released in August last year (2023) and it is still not available (check availability at Adorama and B&H Photo):
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