Photography news and reviews
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This is a replacement for the 2014 G800 and the continuation of a rugged compact camera series specially adapted for the tough and often security-conscious environment of industrial imaging on worksites and in disaster relief areas, for example.
Read more on Digital Camera World: Ricoh launches heavy-duty G900 compact for industrial use
Ricoh has replaced its popular but specialised GR II pocket compact with a new, improved, higher-resolution GR III. Like its predecessor, it’s a small camera with a big APS-C sensor and a fixed 18.3mm (28mm equivalent) f/2.8 prime lens.
The most obvious change is the sensor resolution, which increases from the old camera’s 16 megapixels right up to 24.4 megapixels. That’s not all, as the GR III’s ISO range is increased substantially and now goes from ISO 100-102,400. The all-round image quality is further improved by 14-bit RAW capture (the GR II captured 12-bit RAW files), and the new GR III also offers in-camera RAW processing.
It’s been a long time coming (the Ricoh GR III was first previewed at Photokina 2018), but although the new model looks very similar on the outside to the one it replaces, there have been quite a few changes under the skin.
The GR III gets a newly-designed lens, for example, that has the same basic specifications as the camera it replaces, but has been redesigned with five elements in four groups (the old lens had seven elements in five groups) to produce a shorter lens barrel. The camera also gets a three-axis Shake Reduction system for sharper shots in low light, and a new, faster hybrid phase detection and contrast AF autofocus system.
The Ricoh GR III loses the pop-up flash built into the old GR II, but the increased ISO range and anti-shake system make up for that. And round the back its 3-inch screen is now touch-sensitive.
This is not really a camera for videographers. Ricoh is still a little behind the curve in video technology and while it can capture full HD video at up to 60fps, it doesn’t offer 4K.
The GR III’s technology is pretty conventional in most ways and the lack of 4K video does betray Pentax’s general lack of progress in this area, but the GR III is still strikingly small for an APS-C camera, rather well made and still likely to appeal to a discerning and specialised photographic audience.
Available: end March 2019
Price: £799.99/$899
More information: GR III | RICOH IMAGING
Read more: Camera news and reviews | Ricoh news and reviews
Fujifilm has updated its compact X-mount mirrorless camera with the company’s latest X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor, powerful autofocus capabilities inherited from the X-T3 further up in the Fujifilm range and some external design tweaks to make it easier to grip and use with larger lenses.
The X-T30 is like a pocket-size version of the X-T3. The X-T3 still boasts the best features in the range and was the first of Fujifilm’s cameras to adopt its new 26.1-megapixel APS-C sensor, but the new X-T30 now offers many of the same features in a smaller and less expensive body.
Fujifilm says it’s designed for all photographers, from beginner to advanced, and “sets new standards in compact and lightweight mirrorless cameras.” It’s available in black and silver versions initially, with a new charcoal silver finish to arrive two months later in May 2019.
The 26-megapixel sensor brings a modest increase in resolution over the 24 megapixels of the previous X-T20, but the new sensor brings a huge 4x increase in phase detection autofocus points, which now number 2.16 million and cover 100% of the image area.
As well as offering much wider AF coverage than its predecessor, the lower light limit for the X-T30’s autofocus has been reduced from +0.5EV to -3EV, allowing it to work in much dimmer lighting. Fujifilm says the AF system now offers enhanced face/eye detection accuracy and a new Face Selection function for giving priority to selected subjects in both still and video modes.
The AF improvements aren’t just inside the camera. Fujifilm has dropped the four-way Selector Buttons on the back of the X-T20 in favour of a small Focus Lever for changing the AF point quickly and easily.
The Focus Lever gives a better ‘grip space’ on the back off the camera ands Fujifilm says the X-30, small as it is, now gives better ‘holding stability’ and more comfortable shooting with larger lenses.
The X-T30 also has a slimmer touchscreen display (by 1.3mm) with improved response, and the body remains impressively light at just 383g.
The larger and more expensive X-T3 still offers more powerful professional video features, but the X-T30 closes the gap considerably. It captures 4K UHD video as ‘oversampled’ 6K data to maximise the definition and image quality, and while footage is recording internally with regular 4:2:0 8-bit colour sampling, if you use an external recorder connected to its HDMI port, the X-T30 can capture 4:2:2 10-bit video, with the option of Fujifilm’s F-Log recording. The X-T30 also supports the slightly wider 17:9 DCI format.
Available: March 20 2019
Price: Body only £849, with XC15-45mm lens £899, with 18-55mm lens £1,199
More information: X-T30 | Fujifilm United Kingdom
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Panasonic has decided to hit the full-frame mirrorless camera market hard with its Lumix S cameras and the promise of 42 lenses by the end of 2020. Find out what the camera is like in this hands on review of the Panasonic Lumix S1 written for Digital Camera World.
We’ve known these cameras were coming since Photokina (September 2018) but this is the first sight we have of the full specs for the new cameras. Panasonic showed off pre-production versions of its new models at a global press event in Barcelona on January 31 2019, together with the three new lenses which are going to kickstart the Lumix S full frame mirrorless camera system.
This is the cheaper of the two new cameras and comes with a 24-megapixel CMOS sensor (the Lumix S1R has almost double the resolution at 47 megapixels). In practically every other respect the two new models are practically identical.
Key features included a Dual I.S. image stabilisation system, with a 5-axis Body I.S. stabiliser offering up to 5.5 stops of shake compensation working in conjunction with a 2-axis O.I.S system in the Lumix S lenses. This offers combined shake compensation of up to 6 stops.
The S1 also has the world’s highest-resolution EVF to date, with 5.76 million dots, and a 2.1 million dot 3.2-inch tri-axial rear touchscreen that can flip sideways as well as up and down.
As you’d expect from Panasonic, video takes a front seat, and both cameras can capture 4K video at up to 60/50p. The Lumix S1 can record 4:2:0 8-bit video internally to a memory card or 4:2:2 video to an external recorder via HDMI. A software upgrade will follow to allow 4:2:2 10-bit recording internally at 30p/25p/24p and 4:2:2 10-bit at 60/50p externally. The upgrade will also add Panasonic’s V Log mode for extended dynamic range.
Available: March 18 2019
Price: £2,199.99 (body only)
More information: DC-S1 LUMIX S Full Frame Cameras – Panasonic UK & Ireland
The sensor resolution is the chief difference between the Lumix S1 and S1R. The S1R has almost twice the resolution and should appeal to commercial stills photographers, where the S1 may prove marginally more appealing to videographers.
Both cameras have a High Resolution mode which combines eight images with microscopic sensor shifts between each to produce images with approximately four times the native sensor resolution. On the S1R, this means huge 187-megapixel images measuring more than 16,000 pixels across, though this mode is designed for tripod use rather than handheld shooting, and if the camera detects subject movement between frames it may drop the affected frame(s) and produce a lower resolution result.
The S1 and S1R have robust die-cast magnesium alloy bodies, full weather sealing and a shutter life rated at 400,000 shots. They feel noticeably larger than rival full frame mirrorless cameras from Sony, Nikon and Canon, but this gives them good balance with larger lenses and more space for controls. These include dedicated external drive mode dials, focus mode dials and focus levers.
Interestingly, Panasonic has stuck with its DFD (Depth From Defocus) focus system rather than using the on-sensor phase detection systems of other makers, saying for now that its performance is fine for this application.
Available: March 18 2019
Price: £3,399.99 (body only)
More information: DC-S1R LUMIX S Full Frame Cameras – Panasonic UK & Ireland
At the time of launch Panasonic has three Lumix S lenses: the LUMIX S 24-105mm F4 MACRO O.I.S. standard zoom (£1,299.99), LUMIX S PRO 70-200mm F4 O.I.S. telephoto zoom (£1,749.99) and the LUMIX S PRO 50mm F1.4 fast prime (£2,299.99). It says it will have a further ten lenses by the end of 2020 and says there will be 18 L-mount lenses from Leica and 14 from Sigma by the end of that period too.
While the price for the Lumix S bodies is in line with comparable models from Sony and Nikon, those lens prices look expensive. Panasonic is pitching the Lumix S firmly at the professional market, where users will make their buying decision from a business point of view, but amateurs and enthusiasts may be put off.
We suspect Leica owners fall into three groups; those who appreciate fine engineering, photographic heritage and the unique handling experience of the Leica M rangefinder camera, those looking for a bit of a statement of status or an expensive bit of male adornment, and collectors trying to gather together every edition of every Leica ever made.
But the Safari edition Leica M10-P does look good, with a dark green satin finish that tones in beautifully with its tan leather strap. Apparently, it’s inspired by adventure and the great outdoors, and exclusivity is guaranteed by the fact Leica is only making 1,500.
It’s going to be teamed up with a Leica Summicron-M 50mm f/2 lens, also in green, and we’re told this camera/lens combo has been inspired by rugged and reliable Leica cameras designed specifically for the armed forces in the 1960s.
The Leica M10-P has a 24-megapixel full frame sensor and takes regular Leica bayonet lenses the same as those used on legendary Leica rangefinder cameras.
In fact, the M10-P still uses rangefinder manual focusing, just like Leica’s analog film cameras. There’s no autofocus system on these cameras; instead, you focus manually by turning the focus ring or focus lever on the lens to line up a ghost image of the subject in your viewfinder.
Leica experts swear by this system’s speed and instinctiveness but if you’re used to a regular digital camera you’re going to find it has a pretty steep learning curve. The direct vision viewfinder on Leica M models is separate to the camera lens, so you don’t get a through-the-lens view of the scene. This means it relies on ‘bright line’ frames to show you the angle of view for different lenses. This might bother people who like tight, precise framing, but it does offer an exceptionally bright and clear viewfinder that also shows you what’s happening around and outside the frame.
Damn, but that Leica M10-P Safari does look good, though.
Available: from February 15th
Price: Body £6,900, lens £2,300
More information: Official Leica Store | UK
Olympus has launched a new flagship wildlife, documentary and sports camera using much of the tech in the existing OM-D E-M1 II but in a bigger, tougher body with some significant enhancements.
The OM-D E-M1X uses a 20.4-megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor, so it’s a bold move for Olympus to pitch it up against pro models with full frame sensors four times larger.
On the other hand, the smaller format means a lighter system overall, the new camera is cheaper than full frame pro equivalents and Olympus has steadily built up an impressive range of professional lenses.
The E-M1X body has an integrated grip and duplicated controls for both horizontal and vertical shooting. It’s dust, splash and freezeproof, and with two BLH-1 batteries installed (the same type as the E-M1 II) it can capture up to 2,580 shots on a single charge. These can be recharged via USB, and if you have a sufficiently powerful charger (it can go up to 100W) both batteries can be charged in as little as two hours.
The E-M1X’s party trick is its 60fps burst mode, which it inherits from the E-M1 II. It also has a Pro Capture mode which buffers the last 35 frames continuously while the shutter release is half-pressed and stores them when the shutter button is pressed fully for ‘retroactive’ capture. The 60fps frame rate is with the focus locked on the first frame, though, and the maximum speed with AF/AE tracking enabled is 18fps.
The autofocus system keeps the same 121 on-sensor AF points as before but Olympus has ‘redeveloped’ its algorithms for much better performance. It now uses focus information from recorded images to help track erratically moving subjects and now comes with different AF target modes using groups of up to 25 AF points, custom AF settings for horizontal and vertical shooting and new ‘intelligent subject detection’ for motorsports subjects, aircraft and trains.
Images are stored via twin UHS II card slots, made possible by the camera’s dual TruePic VIII image processors, which also improve the overall responsiveness, startup and ‘wake’ times. Olympus has extended its High Res Shot mode options so that the 80MP tripod mode is joined by a 50MP handheld mode (made possible by the dual processors) which should allow high-res image capture without a camera support.
There’s also a new gyro sensor which improves its in-body image stabilisation system and offers up to 7.5 stops of compensation when using the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO, which has its own in-built stabiliser acting in unison.
Other features include in-built GPS plus temperature, pressure and compass sensors, a live ND filter simulator which offers 5 strength levels and shows long exposures building ‘live’ on the screen.
The movie features are similar to those in the E-M1 II, and while the E-M1X can shoot Cinema 4K and 4K UHD, it tops out at 30p and can’t match the 60/50p capabilities of some Panasonic models. It does now come with an Olympus OM-Log400 mode, however, and can capture full HD at up to 120fps.
Will the OM-D E-M1X succeed? It will certainly appeal to pros already committed to the Olympus system, but it’s going to be a pretty hard sell against full frame rivals from the other big makers.
Available: Late February 2019
Price: £2799.99 body only
More information: Olympus website