Photography News issue 21

Latest photography news

With 4K being the next big thing, it was only a matter of time before Panasonic’s Lumix range got the mega-detailed video treatment. It comes in the form of the Lumix G7 CSC, which along with 4K video recording capabilities, also allows photographing whilst recording in 4K. With the 4K photo function, you can extract single eight-megapixel still frames as well as shoot in 4K burst mode to help crop the frame you want out of your video, whilst a Pre Burst mode automatically records 30 frames-per-second before you start shooting. Aside from 4K, the G7 can capture 16-megapixel stills using its Digital Live MOS sensor and with a quad-core processor it captures continuously at up to 8fps. The new noise reduction system inside this latest Lumix model enables an ISO range up to 25,600. As with all Lumix G cameras, this one too has a Contrast AF system that delivers smooth and quick autofocusing, but in the G7 the focusing time has been decreased even further. There’s a Low Light AF mode as well, but new in this particular model is the Starlight AF function that allows you to capture individual stars and constellations. Panasonic’s 4Koffering

NEWS INBRIEF TEST ANDWOW Take an Olympus CSC out for a three-day test drive before you commit to buying in Olympus’s free- to-use Test & Wow programme. Choose from the OM-D or PEN series, which even includes the new OM-D E-M5 Mark II, of course, in combo with one or more M.Zuiko lenses. www.olympus.co.uk

π To find out more about the Lumix G7, go to www.panasonic.com/uk.

Faster, smaller andmore

Flash your light

You can now get your hands on the Nissin Di700A and Commander Air flash kit, and it comes in both Canon and Nikon fittings with the Sony fit to follow shortly. Link up to 21 Nissin Air System flashguns using this brand-new flash kit, which has 2.6GHz wireless transmission capabilities that’ll let you fire multiple guns simultaneously at various distances without the need for wires. The full kit is being sold for £239.94, with the Di700A flashgun costing £209.94 and the Commander Air1 £59.94 to buy separately.

SanDisk has outdone itself again, releasing a whole string of small, quick and high capacity storage solutions, including two new USB 3.0 flash drives: theworld’s smallest flashdrive, the 128GB Ultra Fit (£61.99); and SanDisk’s highest capacity flash drive, the whopper that is the 256GB Ultra (£115.99). Dipping a toe into the external storage market, SanDisk has unveiled its first portable SSD range which it claims is theworld’s highest performing. The Extreme 900 has speeds up to nine times faster than a portable hard drive, whilst the Extreme 500 drives Canon has added two bigmagnification binoculars to its range. The 12x36 IS III and 10x30 IS II not only get you up closer, but they make the view even clearer with Porro II prism-based optics and Super Spectra Coating, which renders colour exceptionally accurately to help you pick out those little nuances in the scene – you’ll be telling your chiffchaffs apart from your garden warblers in no time. Doublet field-flattener lenses give edge-to-edge sharpness, a high res view and ultra- low distortion. THEBEST VIEW π To find out more, go to www.sandisk.com.

Whether you’re already a fully fledged film- maker or just contemplating hitting that little record button, don’t miss this opportunity to up your skills. Our sister magazine Pro Moviemaker has launched a shiny new website packed with daily gear news, interviews, kit tests and how tos covering everything from pre-production and business advice to the shoot itself and editing. To celebrate they’re giving away the digital version of their latest issue absolutely free. Simply enter your email address at www. promoviemaker. net to get your free 132-page mag!

π To find out more, go to www.nissindigital.com.

compete with speeds up to four times faster. The 500 Portable SSDs come in 120GB (£65), 240GB (£98) and 480GB (£156) capacities, with the 900 SSDs available in 480GB (£261), 960GB (£392) and 1.92TB (£654) sizes.

Carry in style

Both binos have inbuilt image stabilisation that will keep your view shake free. It’s activated with the simple press of a button. Smooth panning will get bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts excited, helping you keep track of your subject in perfect clarity. These binos are lightweight too, with the 12x36 weighing in at 660g and the 10x30 at just 600g. These binoculars will be available in August costing £699.99 for the 12x36 model and £479.99 for the 10x30 version.

Made for mirrorless cameras, Tenba’s latest offering in the field of camera bags is the Switch range. Smaller, or at least more space efficient, than your usual gear bag, the Switch bags come in three sizes (7, 8 and 10) with the smallest able to accommodate a mirrorless camera with up to five lenses or a DSLR and up to four lenses. The largest can carry up to five lenses and a CSC, or a DSLR with three lenses, plus a tripod. All bags are designed with quick access top zips and to keep your kit protected and there’s an abrasion-resistant body armour base panel, whilst a reversible rain cover keeps out the wet but does cost extra (prices start at £15). The Switch bags come in a whole range of colours, from Blue or Pink Melange to Brick Red Faux Leather and are priced from £75 up to £95.

π To find out more about binoculars, go to www.canon.co.uk.

π To find out more about Switch bags, go to www.tenba.com.

Photography News | Issue 21