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Panasonic Lumix S5II: The only L-Mount camera you might ever need

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If you have been following developments in the L-Mount world, you have probably heard of the Lumix S5II. Commentators often refer to it as a stepping stone to the more prestigious, and much more expensive, Leica SL-cameras. But, increasingly, the camera is being viewed as an outstanding performer in its own right. In fact, if you were to buy one of these puppies, why would you ever need that Leica upgrade? Let’s have a closer look at this superb piece of kit.

Jason’s Newsround: Film buffs want scans, not negatives

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Sales of photographic film are booming. But, despite shelling out big money on the film itself, it looks like the new cadre of film shooters have some new ideas. Film buffs want scans, not negatives. We take a look at this new and rather perverse trend in this week’s Newsround. We also report on a whopping price paid for a 1958 MP2 Pro camera and discuss the massive range of L-Mount lenses. News comes that a new full-frame camera is already on backorder, while Leica’s new Lux Pro iPhone application is making converts. Furthermore, we review the current stable of gear at Macfilos Towers and drop the bombshell that we’ve ordered something new. Finally, we have a glimpse of one of our most prolific writers and photographers, John Shingleton, on his first return visit to England in several decades. Editor Mike took him walkabouts at the Brooklands Museum, south-west of London. 

Pentax 17: New film camera is received with mixed views

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Product image shows Pentax 17 half frame film camera

It’s a fact: Ricoh launched a new film camera, Pentax branded, half-frame and with a price tag of $500. The Pentax 17, as it is called because of the 17mm-wide negatives, is already available. The first reactions are mixed — from euphoria to disappointment, pretty much everything seems to be in the package.

My decision is final: We will take the risk — Ernst Leitz II in June 1924

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Thus, legend says, Ernst Leitz II spoke at the meeting 100 years ago in June 1924. It was decided that Barnack’s 35mm camera would be produced by his employer, the firm of Ernst Leitz based in Wetzlar. This meeting was the stuff of legend, and no formal records of the exist today. Indeed, we do not know the exact day the meeting took place, but it was probably before the patent application for the camera was made on either 16 or 17 June 1924. Legend has it that the meeting ended at 12.30pm because it was lunchtime for Ernst Leitz, of which more anon.

Leica Q3: A one-year review, photographing the people of Skye by night

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Now that my Leica Q3 is one year old, and well-used, it’s a good time to do a comprehensive review of this little camera. It’s only once you’ve used a camera in real-world, highly stressed situations that you get a true understanding of its capabilities. I’ve had plenty of those situations in the past twelve months! And here’s what I think.

The Museum für Fotografie Berlin: Helmut Newton and beyond

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Museum für Fotografie Berlin, inside photo
Helmut Newton wherever you look: Significant parts of estate has been bequeathed to his home town, Berlin. 20 years after his death, he is still controversial.

Among Berlin’s world-famous museums, the Museum für Fotografie remains a bit in the background. One more reason for a visit and an encounter with one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century.

USB-C: The standard that makes reliable in-camera charging a reality

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What does USB-C mean to you? Convenience, fewer cables, lower cost, in-camera charging? The latest connector, which is now virtually universal, is all these things. But in the photographic world there is still controversy. It seems the new standard has encouraged manufacturers to concentrate on in-camera charging and remove external charging options. Not everyone welcomes this.

Rangefinder Photography: The magnificent Monterey Peninsula with a Leica-M kit

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It’s the perennial puzzle for travelling photographers: what gear should I take on my next trip? On this occasion, I had no problem selecting a kit for a visit to a photographer’s dream location. I was off to the Monterey Peninsula, one of the most scenic locations in a spectacularly scenic state – California. And, it seemed the perfect opportunity to put my developing rangefinder photography skills to the test. So, off I went, with a Leica-M kit and no safety net.

Leica acquires Fjorden and launches new Leica Lux smartphone application to mimic M lenses

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In a surprise move, Leica today announced the acquisition of Fjorden Electra SA, the Norwegian iPhone developer. Simultaneously, Leica launched a new Leica Lux application in the Apple App Store. This represents the first product of the new partnership. Fjorden was founded by Dr Victor Henning in Oslo in 2020 with the aim of developing iPhone apps and accessories for the global market. In 2022, the company’s innovative Fjorden Grip for the iPhone won the iF Design Award. Fjorden has sold 15,000 grips since the launch.

Panasonic Lumix GH7 camera is aimed at the videographer

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The new flagship Lumix GH7 is claimed to deliver outstanding video performance with a wide dynamic range, a newly developed 25.2MP BSI CMOS sensor. It also includes phase-detect autofocus, which has previously been seen on the company’s S5II full-frame cameras. Panasonic has an enviable reputation among videographers, and this camera is designed to support the efficient workflow required in professional production environments. It is equipped with Apple ProRes RAW internal recording and the world’s first 32-bit float recording, which eliminates the need to adjust sound recording levels during shooting.

Jason’s Newsround: Third-party lenses, a photographer’s best friends

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If you own an interchangeable-lens camera, chances are you own a few ‘third-party lenses’. They can often deliver high optical performance at a much lower cost than a comparable one from your camera’s manufacturer. This week, we have a few stories from the world of third-party lenses. We learn something of Sigma’s lens-design philosophy, and a new entrant to the L-Mount ecosystem. And for you M-shooters out there, we have news of a nifty device for 6-bit coding your third-party M-lenses. OK, time to focus.

Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN | Art: World’s first constant f/1.8 full-frame mirrorless zoom

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The new Sigma 28-45mm f/1.8 DG DN | Art is claimed to be the first full-frame zoom lens with a constant maximum aperture of f/1.8. Sigma says that this fast zoom delivers sharpness and clarity comparable to that of a prime lens throughout the range. Sigma has already pioneered fast zooms with the 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM and the 25-35 f/2 DG HSM. The DN (digital native) 28-45mm f/1.8 adds to this impressive line up to join the latest lenses designed expressly for mirrorless cameras.

Street Photography: My pocketable, relatively affordable, extremely stylish Leica companion

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The debate rages on. Which camera is the killer street photography tool? Is it the unobtrusive Ricoh GRIII, the unobtainable Fuji XR100VI, or for many, the unaffordable Leica Q3? My choice also wears the Leica red dot. It (almost) shares the 28mm field of view of the Q3 and Ricoh, and an APS-C sensor like the Fuji. But, it’s cooler than all of them. It’s a Leica TL2.

Jason’s Newsround: The trickle becomes a flood — it’s raining new M-lenses from China

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What do you think about Chinese-manufactured lenses? At Macfilos we find ourselves paying more attention to M-Mount variants from China. New ones are appearing at quite a clip, some even tempting die-hard Leica and Voigländer fans. And speaking of temptation, if you are hankering after a return to film photography, there might be some new camera options coming your way. Back in the digital world, surely we are not still talking about the Panasonic Lumix S9, are we? Moving on from new camera and lens options, we also have some news about older Sony and Nikon cameras you might find interesting.

Marvel in the sky with diamonds, and a touch of artificial intelligence

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Marvel, my ginger cat, was delighted. She welcomed Virgin Australia’s announcement that domestic animals could accompany their owners and travel in the passenger cabin with an enthusiastic purr. She could not wait to climb aboard a Virgin 737. So when she heard that we were off to Tasmania a few weeks ago and travelling with Virgin, it was a no-brainer for her. Here she is comfortably seated in her business class seat and CATching up on the news.