Trying To Keep Up With Photography News? We Have You Covered

Keeping it up with all the ton of photography related news is hard; but don't worry, we are doing the hard work for you! Welcome to your highlights from the fantastic world of Photography.

HARDWARE & GEAR

New Macro Lens for Fujifilm Cameras

Fujinon lenses are great and are built with a pretty rigorous quality standard, but there are many other brands that make the photographic experience more creative and broader.

We noticed at Fuji Rumors that a group of camera enthusiasts has built a 60mm f/2.8 Macro (1:1) lens for Fuji cameras. It is expected to be a pretty sharp lens, but you can't order it yet (it will become available until May 2019). The price is expected to be near $225.00.

Distortion Free 10mm Lens

There are many lenses claiming to be the widest out there, but most of them have a huge distortion that ends up falling in the “fisheye” category even without stating it on the box. Samyang has been making some interesting contributions to the world of photography optics in the last few years, and this last lens, the XP 10mm f/3.5 promises to be the widest distortion-free lens ever made for DSLR cameras. I've seen some sample images and wow, it is really something worth considering. The applications for this lens could be various considering it's 130° angle of view.

Zeiss ZX1 Got Finally Reviewed

Last year we defined this camera as a mad project, and we still think it is. We all are familiar with Zeiss' prestige as a lens manufacturing company, but last year they went nuts and announced a full-frame compact camera with a fixed 35mm f/2 lens and a  37.4 megapixels sensor. Last week the awesome folks over at DPreview got the chance to review it.

New Leica Lens

It is still a coming soon, but there is a new 35mm Leica lens for their Full-frame L-mounts. This new lens (which looks massive) is called “Leica APO-Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH Prime Lens”, and can be yours for $4,595.00. The expected availability for the lens is Apr 5, 2019.

Bad News for Heavy Travelling Photographers

It was just a matter of time before the US started banning the presence of lithium-ion batteries in checked luggage. For lightweight fellows like me, this isn't a problem, but there are many photographers traveling abroad for serious productions, and this will be extremely counterproductive for them. Here is a video from ABC News explaining the whole thing.

GFX 50R on the Streets

Despite its compact size, some people still think that having a medium format camera on the streets isn't exactly what street photography is all about. This is a shame since street photography has proven to be more about the vision of the photographer producing it rather than the camera, but if you are still skeptical about using a medium format on the streets, you should definitely read this column by James Maher on using a Fuji GFX 50R on the streets.

14-21mm f/1.4 RF Lens

Last year Canon presented a patent application for a lens that is expected to be a 14-21 ultra-wide zoom lens with a fixed f/1.4 aperture for their mirrorless system. Here is the paperwork, but it is for the extremely well studied only. This makes a true statement for Canon as a powerful lens crafter despite their controversial performance in the last few years about their mirrorless and even some DSLR cameras.

For Geeks Only

And speaking of geekiness, behold the Fujinon GF 110mm f/2 Autofocus Motor in Action thanks to Yamakawa.

SOME STORIES

Gabriele Micalizzi Had it Close

Milanese photojournalist Gabriele Micalizzi was hit by a rocket in Syria. His Leica camera protected him. And he says: “The Kurdish fighter in front of me was taken in full, I saw him explode into a thousand pieces”. Here you can read more about the event and aftermath. Gabriele was hit by shrapnel from an RPG. He was hit in his head, left eye, ear, and different parts of his body. He required multiple surgeries but overall he is recovering.

Aquaman got some Leicas

Last week we noticed that Jason Momoa (the actor that personified Aquaman in 2018) is a huge fan of Leica cameras, and he got quite a pack of them. Just look at him going super excited about his cameras! I'm really excited to see what this project is all about, but for now, we'll just have to wait.

THE BOOKSHELF

Michael Danner – Migration as Avant-garde

In this monograph, Danner explores and describes through photography how migrants are pursuing their hope for a better life in the last decade. It is an ongoing project that started in 2008 and is aimed at Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Germany, Romania, Greece and Turkey. As defined by Bourdieu, “avant-garde” is the social state in which people break with a current field in order to construct a new one in which they can fit better. Migration as Avant-Garde is a fruit of the 2018 Kassel Dummy Award. Here he shares an excerpt from Hannah Arendt on refugees.

BAGS, STRAPS & BEYOND

Raven Mirrorless Bag from Hex

You can never have enough bags, and this small inconspicuous camera bag looks like quite a deal. It can hold up to 3 lenses (depending on their size of course), and it has the perfect amount of divisions for every day while traveling.

IN IMAGES

Know The Women Who Are Clearing the Minefields in Sri Lanka

Land-mines have been a serious problem in many countries, and in Sri Lanka, there is a group of extremely brave women clearing the terrain of these artifacts of war. Here are some photos of the women helping Sri Lanka become a safer place, especially for children, who are often the major land-mine victims worldwide.