Friday, March 1, 2024 Welcome back for another weekly download on what's happening in the world of cameras. We just returned from the CP+ Expo in Japan and we're still talking about what we saw and what we wish we saw. We also took some time to answer your reader questions. Thank you for sending them in; I personally read every single one and love hearing from you. So, thank you. We have some answers below, but before you scroll down, please take a moment to fill out this short newsletter preferences survey.
— Shaminder |
| |  | | The arrival of the Fujifilm X100VI reignites the debate on what it means for its most direct competitor, the 40mm equiv. Ricoh GR IIIx. Which is the better photographer's compact? We think there's an obvious answer, but you'll have to find out for yourself which it is. | |  | | The 2024 CP+ Expo is officially over, and while our coverage will continue with interviews rolling out in the coming weeks, the avalanche of product announcements is finished. Here's the gist. | |  | | An overall winner for Photographer of the Year 2024 winner will be chosen from the professional finalists and announced in April, where they'll be awarded $25,000, Sony equipment and a solo presentation of their work as part of next year's awards exhibition. | | | Nikon and NASA announced that the former's Z9 pro mirrorless camera will be traveling to the moon as part of the Artemis III mission set to launch in 2026. The camera will be modified to handle the rigors of space and the surface of the moon. | | | | We look back at the progress made by Fujifilm's X100 series of large-sensor compacts. From the original 12MP model through to the latest 40MP X100VI. | | | | Reader Question of the Week
Do you have a question you'd like to see in this section? Email me.
Our trip to the CP+ Expo in Japan was a blur, but now we're back, jetlagged and ready to answer some of your questions. Let's get to it.
- "Can you pry some info from <inset camera brand> on when their next <ineset camera body, firmware update, feature request> will arrive?"
We received many many MANY questions that hit this general motus. And the answer is always the same: companies will not discuss future unreleased products with the press.
- "Are other manufacturers making rangefinder-style cameras?"
By 'other' we assume you mean 'other than Fujifilm.' The answer is yes. Leica continues to make real rangefinder cameras and PIXII makes a rangefinder as well. CP+ is mostly a show for the Japanese camera industry and we didn't notice any that fit the bill.
- "What's next in autofocus and subject tracking?"
The trend seems to be more machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to increase speed and recognize a wider variety of subjects. Hand in hand, there will be a need to improve lens technology, like the speed and precision of focus motors. An AF system can only go as fast as the lens it's trying to focus.
- "Are you seeing any ramp-up in film photography production or investment? Something that may help stock be easier to find and the prices come down a little."
Nothing that we saw firsthand. Film manufacturers don't seem to attend CP+ outside a few very small boutique companies, so there is little to report in this area.
- "What camera did you see CP+ attendees carrying around most?"
It was a mix of all brands with no clear front-runner. One unexpected surprise our team noticed was at least three people carrying around a Sigma fP camera. - Shaminder
Here's our next question of the week: What is your hottest photo world debate? Team Prime or Team Zoom? DSLR or mirrorless? Throw out your debate topics and we'll pose it to the community all month long in March.
| | | | Why is it called an F-stop? How does a flash work? What is the oldest camera in history? No question is too big or too small. What do you wonder about photography, video, history, culture, gear or creating? Submit your questions to our survey and we'll investigate the answers in upcoming articles! | | | | Sora is a text prompt-driven AI video generator capable of creating photo-realistic videos of humans, animals, landscapes and more. It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn close to being indistinguishable from reality and ushering in a near future of subjective truths. | | | | An extra long February is drawing to a close and brought us a wealth of new cameras and lenses during CP+ 2024. Here's a list of the biggest releases and announcements of the year so far, updated for February 2024. | | | | | |
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