Latest photography news
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Pentax’s latest DSLR, the K-S2 (£549.99 body only), has been developed with the adventurous in mind. It’s the smallest dust proof and weather-resistant camera of its kind and includes an AA (anti-aliasing) filter simulator that works to reduce moiré as well an optical viewfinder with nearly 100% field of view. A perfect pairing with the K-S2 is the newly developed HD Pentax-DA 18-50mm f/4- 5.6 DC WR RE standard zoom lens, which also has a weatherproof construction and is retailing at £229.99, or £649.99 with the K-S2. Anadventure- ready Pentax
Out of this world photography Nikon’s launches first-ever full-frame astro camera
NEWS INBRIEF HOLSTER YOUR CAMERA It might not be the most fashion-forward solution to keeping your camera safe, but a holster certainly is practical. CPtech has designed a camera holster for mirrorless, bridge and compact cameras, the UNO (£36.95). It has a quick-release plate and can be securely fixed to belts, bags and backpacks. www.camera clean.co.uk LIGHT IMPROVEMENTS ExpoImaging has revamped its range of lighting accessories, including the Rogue FlashBender 2 lighter and comes with improved attachments and new softer fabrics. The FlashBender 2 XL Pro reflector is also lighter and includes a stop grid diffuser. www.color confidence.com FUJI ROADMAP UPDATED X-mount shooters have a lot to look forward to with a number of new releases planned over the next year or so. Amongst those is the XF 120mm f/2.8 R Macro f/1; the XF 35mm f/2 R; and the 1.4x teleconverter for XF 50-140mm, XF 120mm, and XF 100mm lenses. www.fujifilm.eu NEXT ISSUE Issue 18 of PN goes on sale w/c 16 March – just in time for The Photography Show. See you there! Reflector, which is now considerably
The new AF201FG flash (£129.99) is dust proof and weather-resistant
so also makes a fine match with the K-S2. In the compact range, the hardy WG-5 GPS (£259.99) has a bright f/2 lens and back-illuminated sensor, plus it’ll keep shooting down to 14m underwater.
π To find out more, go to www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk.
String of releases fromSigma
Coralie
Smith,
senior
product
You know the old saying, you wait for a new Nikon release and they all arrive at once. Well that’s exactly the story here, as the photo firm announces eight new cameras. The launch that’s made the most noise is a specially modified version of the much-loved D810, the D810A (£2999.99 body only). The A in its name is a hint at the camera’s newly incorporated technological talents, it’s been modified especially for astrophotography. Come the end of May, you’ll be able to take 36.3-megapixel photos of the cosmos with this DSLR. Tweaks include a modified optical filter to enable the true red colour of particular nebulae to be captured on camera, it’ll also improve shots of star fields and star landscapes. Shoot for up to 900 seconds with the new Long Exposure Manual mode whilst keeping vibrations to a minimum by activating the camera’s electronic front-curtain shutter. The COOLPIX S9900 (£279.99) and S7000 (£169.99) are big zoom compacts; the S9900 featuring a vari-angle LCD screen and a 30x optical zoom compared to the S7000’s slimline build and 20x optical zoom. Also boasting big on the zoom power are the COOLPIX P610 (£339.99) with 60x optical zoom; the L840 (£209.99) featuring a 38x optical zoom lens; and the L340 (Argos exclusive) with a 28x optical zoom – all released this month. The 16-megapixel AW130 (£279.99) adventure cam will be on sale as of 26 February. It’ll keep shooting down to 30m underwater and it has built-in Wi-Fi. The new S33 (£89.99) is also happy to take a dip, down to 10m, and it can operate down to -10°. It’ll be released as of 5 March.
manager for Coolpix andNikon 1 “Connectivity is one of the key messages that we want to put across with these new cameras. Many of them now come with NFC, Wi-Fi, GPS and World Maps, and that’s something we know that our audience is asking for. It also likes cameras that come in more than one shade, which is why many of the models we’re announcing come in a choice of colours, the most popular being black, red and plum. “Nikon has seen phenomenal success in the bridge camera sector, and we currently account for 23% of all sales in this area in the UK and are the number one brand. The new top of the range model is the Coolpix P610, and its key features are a 60x zoom and a five-stop VR, so that you can still hand-hold the camera even when it’s at full stretch. The built-in tilt screen is also designed to make it easy to use. “Superzooms meanwhile make up one of the most important parts of the Nikon compact range, and our models now account for 21% of the UK market. As a brand manager I’m not supposed to have favourites, but I’ve taken a particular shine to the S9900. It feels solid and well made, but although it’s still really beautiful and small, it’s got the ability to optically zoom 30x, this extends to 60x using Dynamic Fine Zoom, which is quite incredible.”
Sigma has unveiled the wide-angle 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM lens (part of the Art line), which claims to have the highest optical performance in its class with almost no aberration or distortion. Right at the other end of the scale, the 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens joins the Contemporary range, providing enhanced functionality with a lighter weight construction and improved optical performance with the inclusion of one FLD and three SLD glass elements. Adding to its range of compact cameras, the dp0 Quattro and the dp3 Quattro, each incorporate a newly developed Foveon X3 direct image sensor. Release dates and prices are to be announced.
π To find out more, go to www.sigma-global.com.
π To find out more, go to .
π To find out more, go to www.nikon.co.uk.
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Issue 17 | Photography News
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