Here’s a round up of all the latest and greatest in cameras and lenses from this year’s Photokina in Germany — read on to see what FujiFilm, Olympus, Nikon and Panasonic have announced so far.
FujiFilm GFX
FujiFilm announced the mirrorless digital camera GFX 50S, the “latest and the most advanced” addition to FujiFilm’s X series of cameras. The medium-format GFX uses the new large-diameter “G Mount” and incorporates a large 43.8×32.9mm CMOS sensor. The sensor’s 51.4 megapixels can be adapted to various aspect ratios, including 4:3 (default), 3:2, 1:1, 4:5, 6:7 and 6:17. The camera also features the X-Processor Pro.
FujiFilm promises the GFX is lighter and more compact than most conventional medium-format digital SLR cameras, and is designed with an ergonomic grip, “shaped carefully and optimised for the camera body and lenses”. It’s got all the buttons and dials you’d expect from an X Series camera.
There’s an optional adapter so you can fit the viewfinder on any angle, or take it off completely while using an external monitor. This is the first of FujiFilm’s cameras to offer this feature. A Vertical Battery Grip will also be available as an optional extra to help make portraiture easier. Tethered shooting is supported, and will be compatible with a range of RAW conversion software.
There’s a new lineup of FujiNon GF lenses designed specifically for the GFX, supporting the new G Mount. Taking advantage of the mirrorless system’s structure, the G Mount has a short flange back distance of 26.7mm, aiming to shorten the back focus distance as much as possible.
The initial lineup on launch is to include the standard prime GF63mmF2.8 R WR (equivalent to 50mm in the 35mm format), wide-angle standard zoom GF32-64mmF4 R LM WR (equivalent to 25-51mm in the 35mm format), mid-telephoto macro 1:0.5 GF120mmF4 Macro R LM OIS WR (equivalent to 95mm in the 35mm format), fast aperture mid-telephoto GF110mmF2 R LM WR (equivalent to 87mm in the 35mm format), ultra wide GF23mmF4 R LM WR (equivalent to 18mm in the 35mm format) and wide GF45mmF2.8 R WR (equivalent to 35mm in the 35mm format).
The lenses feature an aperture ring, a popular feature in the X Series, and have the new C (Command) Position on the ring so you can make aperture adjustments with the Command Dial on the camera body. All the lenses are dust and weather resistant and withstands temperatures as low as minus 10 degrees Celsius.
Olympus
Olympus PEN E-PL8 micro Four Thirds Camera
Olympus’ new Micro Four Thirds System standard Compact System Camera, Olympus PEN E-PL8, features a “sophisticated design”, selfie functions, smartphone connectivity, and a wide range of shooting functions that promises to “expand the possibility of photographic expressions”.
Olympus m.ZUIKO 35mm f3.5 Macro Lens
The M.Zuiko Digital ED 30mm f3.5 Macro (35mm equivalent: 60mm) conforms to the Micro Four Thirds System standard with a maximum image magnification of 2.5x (35mm equivalent).
Olympus m.ZUIKO 12-100mm f4.0 PRO Lens
The M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f4.0 IS PRO (35mm equivalent: 24-200mm) promises to be a compact, lightweight, high-performance, high-magnification professional zoom lens featuring a dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof (-10°) construction along with an image stabilisation mechanism.
Conforming to the Micro Four Thirds System standard Olympus says the lens provides “amazing mobility and portability”. When combined with a compatible camera body, 5-axis sync IS is supported, enabling 6.5 shutter speed steps of compensation performance, expanding the range of hand-held shooting scenes.
Olympus m.ZUIKO 25mm f1.2 PRO Lens
The M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f1.2 PRO (35mm equivalent: 50mm) is touted as Olympus’ high-performance standard lens, conforming to the Micro Four Thirds System standard, and featuring a dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof construction with “excellent resolution performance and beautiful defocusing effects” from the widest aperture setting of f1.2.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II micro Four Thirds Camera
Olympus also announced it is working on the development of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, a Micro Four Thirds System Camera achieving a maximum 18 fps high-speed sequential shooting in AF/AE tracking. It features a newly developed TruePic VIII image processor, 20.4 Megapixel Live MOS sensor equipped with the new 121-point all cross-type On-chip Phase Detection AF sensor, and advanced 5-axis Image Stabilisation.
Nikon
Earlier this year, Nikon announced the KeyMission 360 — a tough, wearable action camera capable of recording true 360 degree video in 4K UHD. Nikon has announced two more cameras in its action series, the KeyMission 170 and KeyMission 80, which will be available in October 2016.
The KeyMission 170, which is shockproof and waterproof, captures dynamic 170 degree wide-angle 4K UHD videos and images. Promising intuitive interfaces and simple controls, Nikon says even first-time action camera users can record adventures “effortlessly”. Versatile shooting modes like Add Slow Motion, Superlapse Movie and Time-lapse Movie are available “for creating dramatic scenes for any adventure”.
The ultra-slim KeyMission 80 is described as a “tough wearable camera” designed for quick shooting of stills and movies. It features an exclusively designed small Nikkor lens, and is equipped with a second camera with 4.9 million effective pixels and a LCD monitor “for easy selfies”.
There’s also a SnapBridge 360/170 app exclusive to KeyMission 360 and KeyMission 170, which enables camera remote shooting and movie editing, while KeyMission 80 supports the SnapBridge app. Both SnapBridge apps allow the camera to be constantly connected to a smart device, to make the transfer of images easier.
KeyMission 360
Capable of recording of realistic, 360 degree 4K UHD/24p movies that capture the entire scene in both the horizontal and vertical directions, the Keymission 360 responds to extreme conditions with waterproof capabilities to 30m, shockproof to 2.0m, coldproof to −10° Celsius and dustproofing.
You’ll get powerful support for recording activities and editing content, with SnapBridge 360/170 app (for smartphones and tablets) compatability and KeyMission 360/170 Utility (for computers).
Nikon promises a “rich” line-up of dedicated accessories and a ortability that les you focus on your activities, even while recording.
KeyMission 170
Equipped with an electric VR function and supporting 4K UHD/30p recording of 170° ultra wide-angle movies, the Keymission 170 promises a tough body that is waterproof to 10m, shockproof to 2.0m, coldproof to −10° Celsius and dustproof. If you add the WP-AA1 Waterproof Case (available separately), the camera is waterproof to depths of 40m.
It’s also compatible with the same apps as the 360. The shooting/recording modes include Add Slow Motion, Movie + Photo, Superlapse Movie, Loop Recording and Time-lapse Movie. And apparently it’s super easy to use.
KeyMission 80
The KeyMission 80 boasts “great agility” which basically means you can record with one hand. It’s waterproof to 1m, shockproof to 1.5m, coldproof to −10° Celsius and it is dustproof. There are specially designed Nikkor lenses, including one just for selfies. It is also compatable with the SnapBridge app, which enables connection to a smartphone or tablet.
There’s a bunch of shooting and recording modes, including Time-lapse Movie for recording changes that occur over time, and Route Shooting for capturing a journey with photos or movies.
Panasonic
Lumix GH5
Panasonic says its new digital single lens mirrorless (DSLM) Camera — the Lumix GH5 — is capable of recording at high-precision 4K 60p/50p or 4:2:2 10-bit 4K 30p video “for the first time in the world”. It also features 6K photo, which extracts 18-megapixel still images from ultra high-quality video with 9 times the pixel count of Full-HD. 8-megapixel 4K Photo images can be captured at 60 fps, too. It will be available in early 2017.
Lumix DMC-FZ2500
Panasonic’s digital compact Lumix DMC-FZ2500 features a 20x optical zoom Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens (35mm camera equivalent 24-480mm), a 1-inch 20.1 megapixel MOS sensor, Cinema 4K and professional-style video capabilities.
The DMC-FZ2500 has built-in ND filters with four settings: (-2EV (1/4), -4EV (1/16), -6EV (1/64) and AUTOi), adjusted via a switch on the lens barrel. Basically this means you can shoot video at a fixed shutter speed or in very bright conditions, with a maximum open aperture. The camera has a coreless DC motor with image shift suppressed by 80 per centcompared to the DMC-FZ1000, and it promises improved focus tracking, too.
There’s 4K video recording in Cinema 4K resolution (4096 x 2160), at 24fps or 4K resolution (3840 x 2160) at up to 30fps in MOV/MP4; and Full HD at an ultra-high bit rate of 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) or 100 Mbps (IPB) with no limit on recording durationii. Videos can be recorded in the MOV, MP4 and AVCHD file formats and you can switch recording frequencies between 50Hz, 60Hz and 24Hz. The camera also provides live image output to an external monitor in up to 4:2:2/10-bitiii via an optional micro HDMI cable.
VFR (variable frame rate) recording lets you use overcranking for slow-motion and undercranking for quick-motion, all in Full HDiv. Slow or Quick motion is operated at a press of a button, with 50 per cent slow motion (120 fps) or 200 per cent quick motion (30 fps) while recording at 60 fps. Dolly Zoom offers the classic unsettling dramatic effect of pulling the camera angle away from the subject while the lens zooms in or vice versa. Time Lapse/Stop Motion Animation video is also available in-camera.
The lens barrel includes focus and zoom rings, three customisable Fn buttons and easy access to the four ND filter modes. Shutter speed and aperture can be set using either the front or rear dial. The SD Card slot is located at the side of the camera, so you can access it when tripod-mounted.
The OLED Live View Finder (2360K-dot) has an increased magnification of 0.74x (35mm camera equivalent). The high-speed OLED technology delivers a time lag of less than 0.01 sec and a 10,000:1 contrast ratio. An eyepoint distance of 20mm improves visibility for glasses wearers, and the 3-inch 1040K-dot touch-control rear monitor has a versatile tilting design.
Going for $1699, the DMC-FZ2500 will be in Australia in November.