Heather

Will 2014 be the year of the Full Frame mirrorless camera?

18/05/2013 By Heather

If 2013 was the year of powerful fixed-lens compacts such as the Fuji x100s, Nikon Coolpix A, and the Ricoh GR, 2014 will most certainly be the year of the Full Frame mirrorless camera.

So far, the only Full Frame mirrorless cameras in existence are the Leica digital M series (except the M8) and Sony RX1, whose mix of incredible image quality and compactness make them every photographer’s dream companion for the streets and travel. However, it is hard to ignore the price. Whereas the above-mentioned fixed-lens mirrorless cameras all cost around $1000, the new Leica M costs around $7000 (body only), and the Rx1 will eat away at two month’s salary at just below $3000 – a difficult expense to justify!

A New Nikon 1 Portrait Lens: the 32mm f/1.2

14/05/2013 By Heather

The fastest autofocus lens out of all digital mirrorless system lenses has just been announced by Nikon. It is a fixed focal length 32mm f/1.2 (or 86mm in 35mm format) designed for the Nikon 1 system. With an aperture of f/1.2, it is every Nikon 1 owner’s dream portrait lens.

The 32mm is the very first lens in the Nikon 1 system to employ Nikon’s trademark Nano Crystal Coat for reduction of ghost and flare. It comes with a Silent Wave Motor that utilizes the close-range correction system for focus drive to produce high-resolution and realistic textures, while reducing aberration.

‘Mirrorless Monday’ with Colin Franks & the Panasonic G3

13/05/2013 By Heather

A few weeks ago, Colin Franks shared an image of a grazing cow with us taken near his home for Mirrorless Monday. This time, he’s put us on a plane to Cuba where he took the following shot with his Panasonic G3:

Parco Europa in the Sun: A Sony NEX-5K Gallery

12/05/2013 By Heather

As many of our readers know, it has been raining for weeks on end here in Turin. In fact, considering all the days between Easter and now, you can hardly count the sunny days on one hand.

What a relief it was, then, when the forecast predicted a week – yes, a full week – of hot balmy weather. Since Mat was out on a job, I decided to take a walk to the nearby Parco Europa near the small town of Cavoretto, up in the Torinese hills. In the five years I’ve lived here, I’ve never visited the park, mainly because it is in the opposite direction to the centre of the city and where I work, so it was a pleasure to wander around the gardens, hunting down butterflies, eating ‘gelato’ and watching humanity at its most relaxed.

The official Olympus announcement on May 10th 2013

10/05/2013 By Heather

Leaks have already told us almost everything we need to know about the new Olympus PEN E-P5 – it’s fast, fun, retro-style and packed with the latest Olympus technology, some of which even surpasses that of the OM-D E-M5, the camera company’s flagship. As such, there were no surprises when Olympus announced its upcoming release in June early this morning. Perhaps the only thing that made us blink twice was the price – $1000 for the body alone. Olympus also confirmed that ‘premium models’ with a unique wooden grip will be available in limited quantities.