www.stelioskritikakis.com

Legendary civil rights photographer Steve Schapiro passes away at 87

Photo by Плотников Александр, used under Creative Commons CC0 1.0

Legendary photographer Steve Schapiro passed away in his home on Saturday night, at age 87, from pancreatic cancer. Shapiro is best known for capturing pivotal moments during the US civil rights movement of the 1960s. He also produced promotional materials for classic films including 'The Godfather' and 'Taxi Driver.'

Born in 1934, Steve first picked up a Kodak 127 format film camera at the tender age of 9 and immediately began shooting images of his birthplace – New York City. Shapiro's first big break came from convincing a Catholic magazine, Jubilee, to publish images and a story about the plight of migrant workers in Arkansas. He wasn't compensated but The New York Times Magazine ran one of the images on their cover.

It was living with and being mentored by another legendary photojournalist, Eugene W. Smith, that inspired him to create images that were published in major publications including Time, Newsweek, LIFE, RollingStone, People and Vanity Fair.

'I learnt a feeling for humanity from him (Smith) and tricks of the trade, such as often a picture works best if there are two points of interest in it. So, it‘s not just a portrait of someone but you see something else that really shows you more about them or interests you so your eye goes back and forth between the two. It becomes a more satisfying experience and you stay with the photograph longer,' Schapiro told Amateur Photographer magazine in 2018.

Reading an essay that eventually morphed into The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin would inspire Schapiro most memorable work. Armed with Nikon Rangefinder cameras, he pitched an on-the-road photo essay with Baldwin to LIFE magazine. These travels introduced him to many of the key civil rights leaders including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He captured the March on Washington in 1963, King and the aftermath of his assassination, plus Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1968.

In the 1970s, Schapiro transitioned to the entertainment world. He shot stills, posters and advertising materials for classic films including 'Midnight Cowboy,' 'Risky Business,' 'The Godfather,' and 'Taxi Driver.' He also dabbled in music, shooting album covers for stars such as Barbara Streisand and David Bowie.

Books including 'American Edge' and 'Schapiro's Heroes' profile many luminaries the photographer got the opportunity to capture including Muhammed Ali, Andy Warhol, Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ray Charles and Truman Capote. The Metropolitan Museum's 1969 exhibit 'Harlem on My Mind' featured his work and in 2017, he received the Lucie Award for Achievement in Photojournalism.

Schapiro leaves behind his wife of 39 years, Maura Smith, two sons, Theophilus Donoghue and Adam Schapiro, along with daughters Elle Harvey and Taylor Schapiro. Anyone wishing to honor his memory can donate to Chicago’s St. Sabina Church, where the late legend regularly attended services.

Canon is shutting down its Zhuhai factory in south China, citing low compact camera demand and chip shortages

DPReview has confirmed Canon is in the process of shutting down its Zhuhai manufacturing facility in south China.

On January 14, South China Morning Post reported Canon was planning on shutting down ‘part’ of its production line in its Zhuhai factory in southern China, where it manufactures many of its compact cameras. The move, according to a Canon China public relations representative, was being considered due to the shrinking demand for compact camera systems, problems from the pandemic and the ongoing chip shortage.

Later that day, Reuters shared a similar report, but suggested Canon was considering shutting down the entire factory, not just ‘part’ of the production line. After speaking with a Canon representative, DPReview can now confirm Canon is in the process of shutting down the Zhuhai plant in its entirety.

In a statement to DPReview, Canon Inc. said:

‘It is true that we are planning to cease manufacturing at Canon Zhuhai. With the guidance of the Zhuhai city government and High-Tech Zone authorities, discussions are currently underway with Canon Zhuhai employees, suppliers, and other affiliated parties. As these discussions are currently in progress, we cannot yet disclose any information. Further announcements will be made if and when deemed necessary.’

The ‘High-Tech Zone authorities Canon is referring to are government officials in charge of the Zhuhai National High-Tech Industrial Development District, which is a 9.8 square kilometer (3.8 square mile) district consisting of four industrial parks: Baijiao, Nanping, Sanzao and Zinqing.

A screenshot from Canon Asia's website showing a summary of the Canon Zhuhai factory.

According to Canon Asia’s website, 1,325 employees work at the factory, which was built in 1990. Canon Asia says the facility produces digital cameras, digital video cameras and lenses, although the specific models manufactured at this facility are unclear, even after inquiring with a Canon representative.

As Canon’s statement to DPReview notes, discussions are still ongoing and no definitive timeframes have been laid out. We will update this article accordingly when Canon releases any further news on the shuttering of its Zhuhai factory.

DPReview TV: What we know (and think) about the Canon EOS R5C

Jordan from DPReview TV was pretty stoked to learn about the EOS R5C, a Cinema EOS motion picture camera and an EOS R5 stills camera all in one. Find out what he thinks of this new hybrid model based on what we know so far.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

• Introduction
• Ergonomic changes
• Separate video/photo interface
• Lack of IBIS
• Recording modes
• Fan modes
• Ports
• Multi-function shoe
• Power limitations
• 'Are You F###ed?' quiz
• Price
• The wrap

Canon EOS R5C vs EOS R5: what's the same, what's different?

Introduction

'The EOS R5C is more than just an EOS R5 with a fan' is the message Canon seems keen to convey. And the differences between the two cameras start to stack-up, the closer you look. But to me, it looks like some of the shared hardware ends up being both the EOS R5C's greatest shortcoming while underpinning its main strength.

In this article we'll take a look at what the EOS R5C gains and loses, compared with the regular EOS R5.

Plus fan, minus IBIS

At a hardware level, the most obvious difference between the EOS R5 and the R5C is the inclusion of a cooling fan on the back of the Cinema version of the camera. This is a standard feature of most Cinema EOS cameras and allows the R5C to record for unlimited duration in all its video modes. You can choose between always-on and auto (which turns the fan off when the camera is rolling, unless absolutely necessary).

The other notable difference is that the EOS R5C does not include an in-body stabilization mechanism. Canon didn't explain this decision, but points out that the R5C can co-ordinate its digital stabilization with the stabilizing action of any IS lens you mount. This digital correction comes with a 1.1x crop, but means you're not entirely dependent on external stabilization for video work.

In its GH5S, Panasonic said it had omitted in-body stabilization because it can interact badly with some types of movement and stabilization systems (though also: the GH5S’s oversized sensor leaves little room for maneuver within the Micro Four Thirds imaging circle). In the case of the R5C, it’s worth noting that it’s easier to thermally couple the sensor to the cooling system if it’s directly attached to it.

What they share

In most other respects, the EOS R5C and EOS R5 share an awful lot in common. Crucially, they share the same 45MP Dual Pixel AF CMOS sensor, which Canon (perhaps optimistically) describes as delivering around 15EV of dynamic range. They also have the same 5.76M dot electronic viewfinders and fully articulating 2.1M-dot rear touchscreens.

The hand-grips are the same, as are the batteries contained within them. Both have the same function buttons positioned in the same locations, but on the EOS R5C each button has indicators in grey to denote the default behavior in stills mode and a white label alongside the button giving its video function (or Fn button number).

Both cameras offer a single CFexpress slot and a UHS-II SD card slot. And, while both cameras have both headphone and mic sockets, they also both have Type D 'Micro' HDMI ports, despite the R5C's more explicit focus on video work.

The EOS R5C also gains the R5's eye/head/person detection autofocus, even in video mode, along with the motorsports recognition AF mode introduced in the EOS R3.

Separate video and stills modes

It's become increasingly common for cameras to let you choose which settings carry over from stills to video shooting, and for video mode to show a series of different menu options. But we've never seen a separation quite as stark as on the EOS R5C.

A three position switch replaces the EOS R5's on/off control, and lets you select photo or movie mode. Turn the switch to 'Photo' and you'll encounter an interface that's identical in every way to the one on the EOS R5: the same menus and the same on-screen displays. Flip the switch the other direction, though, and you'll encounter an interface and menu system that's borrowed directly from the Cinema EOS line. Every on-screen display and menu option has been designed with film-makers, rather than photographers in mind.

Additional video modes

The EOS R5 already had an impressive selection of video specs, with 8K capture up to 30p in a choice of 8-bit H.264, 10-bit H.265 or 12-bit Canon RAW. The EOS R5C takes this further, offering 12-bit Cinema RAW Light (as used on other Cinema EOS cameras) at up to 8K/60p.

Cinema RAW Light includes three compression quality levels: HQ, Std and LT. For comparison, at 8K/30, Cinema RAW Light (Std) takes up around 2.0 Gbps, whereas the R5's Canon RAW mode requires 2.6 Gbps and its Canon RAW Light option generates 1.7 Gbps of data.

The EOS R5C can also shoot 5.9K Raw video from a Super 35 crop or 2.9K capture from a Super 16 region of the sensor.

When not shooting Raw video, the EOS R5C can shoot XF-AVC footage (a professional 422 10-bit format with MXF-wrapped H.264 AVC file with metadata), at up to 4K/120 in a choice of Long GOP or ALL-I modes. The alternative is MP4 files, primarily using H.265 Long GOP compression, these allow for up to 8K/30 capture.

Additional video features

In addition to the more sophisticated video modes, the EOS R5C gains a series of additional video features, perhaps the most widely valued being the addition of wave form monitor displays. The wave form lets you assess exposure and see where in the scene different brightness values are occurring, making it a much more sophisticated tool than the histogram used in stills mode. There's also a false colour overlay to help assess exposure.

The EOS R5C also gains a Timecode socket through which it can synchronize with other devices, to line-up the footage and audio captured with different devices.

The R5C also includes the option to capture HDR footage in the Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) broadcast standard. This provides an alternative to the PQ HDR footage that both the R5 and R5C can capture.

Other option include the ability to show a 'desqueezed' preview of footage shot with anamorphic lenses (though there's no option to record using a taller region of the sensor), and the option to overlay a range of aspect ratio guides, for if you're planning to output something other than 1.89:1 DCI or 16:9 UHD footage.

Battery limitations

The EOS R5C is based around the same LP-E6NH batteries used by the conventional EOS R5, with the same degree of backward compatibility to the E6N and E6 units, and the option to add the BG-R10 battery grip to boost battery life. But this creates an unusual limitation.

When recording at its fastest data rates, the internal battery doesn't have enough power to operate the lens mount. This is no problem if you're using manual focus, manual iris cine lenses, but means you lose autofocus and iris control of RF and EF-mount lenses, in the most challenging video modes.

You can overcome this limitation by using an external power source, such as the PD-E1 USB power supply, the new DR-E6C (a DC-power dummy battery) with a suitably powerful DC power source, or external USB power banks such as the Anker Powercore 26800 PD which, critically, can deliver 9V, 3A power. The 7.4V of the LP-E6NH isn't sufficient, even if you use two by adding a battery grip.

Card limitations

Canon has done its best to squeeze the most out of the card configuration carried over from the EOS R5. The R5C provides lots of options for using its Compact Flash express and SD slots, for example:

Which is great for proxy recording, but it's hard not to think that the simultaneous redundant recording and relay recording (record to slot 2 when slot 1 is full) options would have benefited from a pair of CFe slots, especially if you consider the vast data rates of Cinema RAW Light capture (only a few Super 16 2.9K modes are small enough fit on a V90 card).

Does the R5C indicate that Canon held back features from the R5?

Do we think the R5's video was held back, in order to leave room for the R5C? No, not even at our most cynical. For a start, it would be madness to willfully hamstring one of your reputation-burnishing models.

Canon acknowledged, prior to launch, that the R5 couldn't sustain shooting for long in its most intensive video modes. but almost immediately rewrote its cool-down/protection logic in response to the overheat PR disaster that unfolded, to squeeze as much out of the camera as it could. Those aren't the actions of a company trying to intentionally hold its camera back.

Equally, look at the relationship between Panasonic's S1 and S1H cameras. The S1 can record video for extended periods of time, without a fan, but Panasonic still offers an actively cooled variant to ensure that video professionals can rely utterly on their camera. From what we hear, the S1H sells quite comfortably, with little evidence of the S1 being held back. The R5C provides things that videographers might need, but that couldn't have been included in the R5 without essentially making it into an R5C, and making stills shooters pay the cost of that. It's a different camera for a different set of users that couldn't comfortably be addressed with a single model.

Out of adversity

We suspect the limitations of card slot and battery power will be widely discussed, despite them only applying in very specific circumstances and affecting a fairly limited number of users (generally Raw video shooters, particularly those using the fastest modes). And it's probably the case that these limitations wouldn't have existed if Canon had designed the R5C from a blank piece of paper, rather than relying so heavily on EOS R5 hardware.

However, the benefit of building on a comparatively mass market model is that it keeps the EOS R5C comparatively affordable. Essentially the EOS R5C gives you a credible Cinema EOS camera with a couple of (pre-disclosed) limitations, for a $600 premium over the regular R5. Given how common it is for cinema camera price tags to stretch to five digits, a launch price of $4500 helps put those restrictions into perspective.

Though we're still not happy about that Micro HDMI port.

Canon announces the EOS R5C, a Cinema EOS and a stills camera all in one body

Canon has announced the EOS R5C, a full frame mirrorless camera that effectively combines the EOS R5 with a Cinema EOS motion picture camera, all in a single body. It's physically similar to the EOS R5 with the notable additions of a bulge on the rear of the camera to accommodate a fan, and a red shutter button on the front.

The power switch on top of the EOS R5C provides the option to start the camera in either photo or video mode. What sets the EOS R5C apart is that each mode provides a completely different, and use-case specific, user experience.

When powered on in photo mode, the camera operates the same as the standard EOS R5 and provides all the capabilities of that camera. It uses the same 45MP CMOS sensor with dual pixel autofocus, the same battery, and delivers the same 12 fps mechanical or 20 fps electronic burst shooting. The only omission is that the R5C doesn't include in-body image stabilization.

When powered on in video mode, the camera essentially operates as a Cinema EOS camera, including the Cinema EOS menu system and all the standard options found on professional Cinema EOS motion picture cameras. Video mode on the R5C also delivers a number of features not found on the standard EOS R5.

The EOS R5C can deliver unlimited recording time in any mode up to 8K/60p, thanks to its internal active cooling system. It can also capture high frame rates up to 4K/120p in 4:2:2 10-bit color, without a sensor crop, while maintaining full autofocus operation.

It's also the first Canon camera to provide internal 8K/60p recording using Cinema Raw Light, a Raw recording format found on Canon's other recent Cinema EOS cameras such as the C300 Mark III, and which provides more manageable file sizes than Canon's Cinema Raw. New on the R5C, Cinema Raw Light now includes a choice of three quality settings, HQ (high quality), ST (standard quality), and LT (light recording). All three modes capture 12-bit data regardless of which frame rate rate is used.

Other video-specific features include 8K HDR recording in either HLG or PQ formats (the R5 only supports PQ), simultaneous recording of proxy files to the internal SD card, Canon's XF-AVC codec, Canon Log 3 gamma, a timecode terminal, ProRes Raw video output via HDMI up to 8K/30p, and Canon's multi-function shoe, which is compatible with the optional Tascam CA-XLR2d-C microphone adapter for up to 4-channel audio.

The multi-function shoe on the EOS R5C supports the optional Tascam CA-XLR2d-C microphone adapter with XLR inputs and up to 4-channel audio.

To assist with operation in either mode, each function button on the camera includes two labels – one in grey to denote stills functions and the other in white to denote video functions.

With the omission of mechanical in-body image stabilization (IBIS), the R5C instead can combine electronic stabilization with lens-based stabilization to provide a more stabilized shooting experience, albeit with a minor 1.1x crop.

The EOS R5C is expected to be available in March, 2022, at a retail price of $4499.

Press Release:

Nikon announces Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S sports prime lens

Nikon has officially announced the Nikkor Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S – a new telephoto lens for the mirrorless Z mount. Originally teased alongside the Z9 announcement in October, the Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S is Nikon's first pro telephoto lens designed from scratch for mirrorless, and offers several enhancements compared to its F-mount, AF-S equivalent.

The most obvious new feature is a built-in teleconverter, which increases the effective focal length of the new lens on-demand to 560mm at the expense of a decrease in maximum aperture to F4. Other enhancements include a 20% weight reduction relative to the older AF-S, and 5.5EV of vibration reduction, which increases to ~6EV when the new lens is paired with the Z9.

The Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S debuts a brand new coating. Nikon claims that the new Meso Amorphous Coat

Other features include the use of a 'voice coil' AF motor of a kind first seen in Nikon's 1-series lenses, way back when. Nikon is branding this 'Silky Swift Voice Coil Motor' and promises it will deliver fast, silent and very smooth autofocus. This is aided by a new guide mechanism and built-in 'ABS' encoder to ensure accurate measurement of the position of the focus elements. In voice coil motors (VCMs), autofocus is driven using a powerful magnetic field. How powerful? Well, this is the first press release that we can remember seeing which warns against use of the product by anyone with a pacemaker.

Meanwhile, the Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S debuts a brand new coating. Nikon claims that the new Meso Amorphous Coat offers the best anti-reflection performance of any such coating in Nikon's history, and should out-perform competitors when it comes to resistance to flare and ghosting. The 400mm uses a mixture of Meso Amorphous and Arneo coatings on different elements.

The lens incorporates 25 elements in 19 groups, and includes two ED glass elements, one Super ED element, two Fluorite elements and an SR (Short Wavelength refractive) element that bends blue light rays more than red and green, to help correct chromatic aberrations.

The Nikon Nikkor Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S will be available in late February at an MSRP of $13,999.95.

Nikon Nikkor Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S Sample images (Nikon official)

Press Release:

Leica M11 pre-production sample gallery

Sunshine, showers, fog and a civil rights march - it must be January in Seattle. Since it was launched last week we've been out and about with the Leica M11 as much as possible, and we've prepared a gallery of samples from our pre-production camera. Click through to check them out.

Please note that because of the way Leica digital rangefinders write aperture information into EXIF, reported apertures in this gallery should be regarded as 'ballpark' figures.

View our gallery of samples from a pre-production Leica M11

Capture One ends its brand-specific versions for Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony cameras

Capture One has announced that it has stopped offering branded software versions. Starting today, Capture One (for Sony), Capture One for Fujifilm and Capture One for Nikon are no longer available for purchase.

Capture One says that the change is due to 'preparation for the launch of new and existing products, including a powerful new way to collaborate with Capture One Live, and the brand's first iOS app with Capture One for iPad.'

The good news is that users of the branded version of Capture One are not being left out in the cold. Perpetual license users on the latest version of Capture One for Sony / Nikon / Fujifilm (version 22) will receive a free upgrade to Capture One Pro on April 5, 2022. Additional information will be sent to affected customers closer to that date. If you're a subscriber, you will continue to pay the same price you do now for as long as you remain a subscriber. In April, subscribers will be able to update to the latest version of Capture One Pro. You may continue to use the branded versions if you want, although it's not recommended.

Users of older versions (versions 21 and older) will be able to upgrade to the latest version of Capture One Pro at the same lower price they would pay to upgrade to a new version of a branded version of Capture One, which is a 25% discount. This offer ends in three months, on April 18, 2022.

The branded versions of Capture One will continue to be updated until the next major release of Capture One comes out, which is standard practice. Additional bug fixes will be made available for an additional year after that.

These are the current Capture One 22 purchasing options. As of today, you can no longer make new purchases of branded versions of Capture One.

Capture One is doing a lot to ease the transition for existing customers. However, for brand new customers with Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony cameras, the loss of the branded versions means they must pay more for Capture One. The full version of Capture One 22 is $299 for a new license or $199 for an upgrade. Subscriptions start at $24/month or $179 per year. Previously, the branded versions were available for $199 ($149 upgrade) or $19 per month. For additional information about Capture One, visit its website. Visit this support page for more information about today's change to Capture One's product offerings.

Slideshow: Student and Youth Shortlist for the annual Sony World Photography Awards

Student and Youth Shortlist for the annual Sony World Photography Awards

Yesterday, Sony and the World Photography Organization announced the shortlist for their Student & Youth competitions. Works from 10 photographers attending higher education institutions (college) around the world were selected for the Student competition and another 10 teenagers were selected for Youth.

Connections to culture, identity, the present and past were themes explored with this competition. Winners of Student Photographer of the Year and Youth Photographer of the Year will be announced on April 12th and their work will be displayed at Somerset House in London. More info on this and other Sony World Photography competitions can be found at www.worldphoto.org.

2022 Youth competition - Portraiture, Monthly Winner: 'Under the Moonlight' by Tri Nguyen

Image Description: This photo is part of a series that investigates self-reflection and a yearning to break the mold. Rather than appreciating only beautiful and perfect things, it is a world untainted by societal judgment, a celebration of imperfection. The photograph depicts a young man basking in artificial moonlight as he feels himself resonating with the derelict, messy background. The moonlight symbolises a spotlight shining on the young man, and his longing to accept his flaws.

Youth competition - Open Call, Shortlist, 2022: 'En Garde' by Benjamin Joel

Image Description: I took this image of a fencing champion in December 2021. The subject is a national champion and this photo conveys her strength and determination as a competitor.

2022 Youth competition - Street Photography: 'What Fashion is Like' Zinou Shi

Image Description: In a random local market, two aunties were standing near an upside-down advertisement poster from the 00s of a caucasian woman wearing glasses. I thought this might be their idea of what current fashion is like – or not.

2022 Youth competition - Landscape, Shortlist: 'Lake Helen McKenzie on the 6th of January, 2021' by Emery Sanderson

Image Description: This image was taken during a snowshoeing trek in Strathcona Park, the largest park on Vancouver Island.

2022 Youth competition - Culture & Travel, Shortlist: 'Surfers Paradise' by Cameron Borg

Image Description: The classic Australian weekend tradition of surfing these huge waves.

Student competition, Connections, Finalist, 2021: 'Cariño' by Chris Rosas Vargas

Image Description: For the past couple of months I have developed a series of sentimental portraits of my communities in both the Bronx and Harlem. This project explores the sentimental and tender relationship between myself and the urban landscape. Photographs included consist of environmental portraits of found objects.

As opposed to following the traditional photojournalistic style, I explore a more nuanced and nostalgic approach to making photographs that deeply resonate with notions of home. Through the use of color and composition I construct a warm and familiar environment which at times did not exist and would cast me out as a queer person of color.

Student competition, Connections, Finalist: 'Disconnected' by Oriel Naxhielly Martins

Image Description: As someone who frequently ran away from their parent´s house, it's easy for me to find a home through intimacy with others. The foundations of my identity were built from the relationship with my peers. The isolation caused by the pandemic made me go through really hard times. Feeling so disconnected blurred the reflection of my self-perception, and being incapable of meeting people increased my anxiety and unnecessary self-awareness. But being able to portray myself and my environment, made the introspective process less painful.

Photography allowed me to create a personal document which, voiced in tangible images, eased the burden. Just like a picture, I'm not completed until other eyes see me. As the restrictions adopted to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 decrease, I’m finding chances to reunite with my loved ones to hopefully start feeling whole again.

Student competition, Connections, Finalist: 'Becoming South African' by Aidan Murgatroyd

Image Description: As a third culture kid born and raised in various regions of the world and spending more time outside South Africa than in it, I've always desired to explore, understand and connect with what it means to be South African. As a child of mixed cultural background with one English and one Afrikaans parent, even in the midst of family gatherings, I felt a sense of otherness.

As a result upon my return to South Africa in 2017, and the rapid onset of covid thereafter, I had not had the necessary freedom in order to travel, connect and interact with the people, places and spaces that make up the South African experience. Thus at the first chance available, I undertook a countrywide road trip over 5 months. The goal? To ascertain what it means to be South African, especially in a nation which encompasses so many cultures/languages/identities. Who are we?

Student competition, Connections, Finalist: 'The Butcher' by Dennis Mubanga Kabwe

Image Description: The photograph was taken on 24th June, 2021 at Chilenje Market in Lusaka, Zambia. The photograph goes into the life of Mr. Banda a butcher who is passionate about what he does. I shot the image with the Canon 5D Mark IV with a 24-105mm Lens with two point lighting.

Student competition, Connections, Finalist: 'Tiramisu' by Alexander Komenda

Image Description: The term Tiramisu can be understood as a pick-me up or cheer me up. Visual stanzas gathered into a multi-narrative piece that’s a testament to connecting with those closest to our living space, and what can be accomplished as a team between wit, spontaneity and action. Friends, roommates and neighbours. What’s closest to home, the opposite of the photographer’s obsession to exoticize - fellow foreigners that convene in the familiar feeling of being somewhere new. Covid-19 and the stark winter darkness of the 60th degree.

Exploring via dialectic, with emphasis on the collaborative process where the subjects provide ideas on where and how to be photographed; casting aside the dictatorial picture-maker; a wolf leading from behind. Members of the Chinese student community in Espoo, Finland, aiming at subverting stereotypical categorizations of what’s typically viewed in the media and a chance at writing their own tale. The undertaking itself as a healthy social support system that culminates into a document that’s situated between fact and fiction - sporadically implementing a collective imagination that shapes experience, interconnectivity and memory. A familiar life ritual at a crossroads of larger global phenomena.

An opportunity to knock at the neighbour’s room and showcase the thrill of togetherness; a simplicity slowly dissipating via virtual hyperconnectivity. A chance to reimagine quotidian surroundings, the stairs used weekly to do the laundry, the bed that’s slept on, the expressions that are manifested after a profound statement or an embarrassing instant. Sitting at the common room table, sharing home-cooked meals, continuing the evenings’ gathering by placing the mirror uncannily in an attempt to reveal something new.

Student competition, Connections, Finalist: 'Self- Portrait #5' by Angela Stoll

Image Description: For me, finding a way of connecting to the world and feeling grounded during this difficult time is through dance. Dancing is a way of connecting with my environment, by being present within the space and allowing the movement to direct me around my surroundings. By dancing in an abandoned building enables me to not only freely express how I feel, but to develop a connection with an empty environment that has now been forgotten.

Therefore, movement is a passage of time that provides a visual form of how one got from beginning to end. Exploring the relationship between time and movement through dance, reveals a narrative showcasing how the body remembers what the mind has forgotten within this emerging world.

Student competition, Connections, Finalist: 'Memories of Family' by Xu Han

Image Description: Series Description: When I entered college, I began to think about my relationship with my family. This group of works metaphors my feelings for my father and mother, which are intimate but separated. Finally, I chose to use paint to express my melancholy and hesitation. This group of works was shot in June 2021 and completed in Nanjing Academy of art.

Student competition, Connections, Finalist: 'The Identity of Holland' by Ezra Bohm

Image Description: In this series I photograph the last people wearing the traditional costumes of the Holland. This work is intended to celebrate and cherish the old culture of the Netherlands. These groups have something in common that we often miss in modern society: solidarity, geniality and collective pride. modern citizens ofter are disconnected to their own roots, which I think is very important to form your identity with. I romanticize a world that I want to be a part of. The people in the picture are my superheroes, they have to inspire people to look back at our origins and learn from the past.

Sony’s flagship a1 camera appears to be using an exclusive IMX610 image sensor

Japanese photography site, DC Life, has pinned down the sensor Sony is using inside its flagship a1 camera system. In searching through the Tech Insights database, DC Life discovered the Sony a1 is using the IMX610, a sensor that appears to be exclusive to Sony for its flagship camera system.

According to Tech Insight’s data, the details of the IMX610 were first released back on July 15, 2021. Since then, two more entries for the 50MP backside-illuminated CMOS sensor have been added with additional details. As it does with other sensors, processors and other tech components, Tech Insights' data on the IMX610 can be purchased by competitors or others in the industry to get a better idea of what Sony is offering.

Tech Insights' ‘Device Essentials’ package includes ‘a one to three page summary of observed device metrics and salient features’ as well as detailed images of the sensor. Tech Insights says the following images are included in the kit:

• Downstream product teardown
• Package X-rays, die photograph, non-invasive optical photos of die features
• SEM imaging of the pixel array delayered to the metal, transistor, and diffusion levels
• Exploratory cross-section SEM imaging of the general pixel array and peripheral structures

As DC Life points out, the IMX610 isn’t listed anywhere on Sony Semiconductor Solutions' website, suggesting it’s not available for other companies to purchase and exclusively being used by Sony’s a1 camera at this time.

NVIDIA researchers' landmark achievement in machine learning uses multiresolution hash encoding

Researchers from NVIDIA have developed a method for very quickly training neural graphics primitives using a single GPU. Neural graphic primitives have traditionally required multiple, fully connected neural networks and are challenging, time-consuming and expensive to train and evaluate.

The research team, comprised of Thomas Müller, Alex Evans, Christoph Schied, and Alexander Keller, has created a new input encoding method that significantly reduces the number of floating point and memory access operations. Further, the team has augmented its small neural network using a multiresolution hash table, which simplifies the overall architecture and leads to significant optimizations. The training method allows for high-quality neural graphics primitives to be trained in mere seconds and require less-powerful individual devices, rather than expansive networks comprised of many expensive computers. This means super-resolution style upscaling for photos and other images can be done quickly, on-the-fly, without the need for racks of computer systems and GPUs.

There are a lot of complicated terms and ideas at play, but the general idea is that by reducing the number of parameters required for the parametric encoding technique being used, and making the data structure itself easier for GPUs to handle, neural network training is made significantly faster. The authors write, 'We reduce this cost with a versatile new input encoding that permits the use of a smaller network without sacrificing quality, thus significantly reducing the number of floating point and memory access operations: a small neural network is augmented by a multiresolution hash table of trainable feature vectors whose values are optimized through stochastic gradient descent. The multiresolution structure allows the network to disambiguate hash collisions, making for a simple architecture that is trivial to parallelize on modern GPUs.' The GPU being used for the work is an NVIDIA RTX 3090, which while not inexpensive at $1,500, is within the reach of many.

'Fig. 1. We demonstrate instant training of neural graphics primitives on a single GPU for multiple tasks. In Gigapixel image we represent a gigapixel image by a neural network. SDF learns a signed distance function in 3D space whose zero level-set represents a 2D surface. Neural radiance caching (NRC) [Müller et al. 2021] employs a neural network that is trained in real-time to cache costly lighting calculations. Lastly, NeRF [Mildenhall et al. 2020] uses 2D images and their camera poses to reconstruct a volumetric radiance-and-density field that is visualized using ray marching. In all tasks, our encoding and its efficient implementation provide clear benefits: rapid training, high quality, and simplicity. Our encoding is task-agnostic: we use the same implementation and hyperparameters across all tasks and only vary the hash table size which trades off quality and performance. Photograph ©Trevor Dobson (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)' Figure and caption credit: Müller, Evans, Schied, and Keller. Click to enlarge.

Graphics primitives are 'represented by mathematical functions that parameterize appearance.' The goal is to have high-quality, detailed graphics that are also fast and compact. The finer a grid of data, the more detailed the resulting graphics. However, the finer a grid of data, the more costly. 'Functions represented by multi-layer perceptrons (MLPs), used as neural graphics primitives, have been shown to match these criteria (to varying degree), for example as representations of shape [Martel et al. 2021; Park et al. 2019] and radiance fields [Liu et al. 2020; Mildenhall et al. 2020; Müller et al. 2020, 2021],' says the new research paper.

The potential issue with MLPs is that these data structures can require structural modifications, like pruning, splitting or merging, which can make the training process more resource- and time-intensive. The team has addressed these concerns through its multiresolution hash encoding. The multiresolution hash encoding is highly adaptable and it's configured by only two values, the number of parameters and the desired finest resolution. Part of what makes the multiresolution hash encoding method particularly fast and impressive is that the hash table, which is a data structure that stores data using association in an array format, can be queried across all resolutions in parallel. The neural network teaches itself in an iterative fashion across multiple resolutions at the same time.

Hash tables allow for fast search operations regardless of the size of the data because each data value has a unique index value. If you know the index of the data you wish to retrieve, the operation is very fast. When performing training operations, no structural updates to the data structures are required. Further, the hash tables automatically prioritize 'the sparse areas with the most important fine scale detail.'

Placeholder

This is important because you don't want to spend time and computational resources on empty spaces or spaces with less detail. For example, an area of an image with coarser detail will not be queried repeatedly across unnecessarily fine resolutions, resulting in more efficient and faster training and rendering. It's also important to encode an input at multiple resolutions because doing so ensures that a neural network is not just trained faster and more efficiently, but that in areas of a 2D or 3D graphic that include high levels of detail, the appropriate level of detail are learned and you achieve high-quality results.

There are massive performance gains realized with the new input encoding method. The research paper shows that a NeRF, or Neural Radiance Field, can be trained in just five seconds. Per this Reddit thread, training a NeRF used to require up to 12 hours to train a single scene just a couple of years ago. That the new multiresolution hash encoding algorithm has reduced this to five seconds to not just train a scene, but to deliver real-time rendering. Not only is the iterative, adaptive encoding method significantly faster, but it can also be performed on a single high-end GPU that can be purchased by anyone, rather than an expensive network of super-powerful computers.

'Fig. 6. Approximating an RGB image of resolution 20,000 x 23,466 (469M RGB pixels) with our multiresolution has encoding' with different table sizes. The painting is 'Girl With a Pearl Earring' renovation by Koorosh Orooj (CC BY-SA 4.0). Click to enlarge.

The full research paper includes numerous experimental examples of the multiresolution hash encoding method being used. For example, a neural network was used to approximate an RGB image with a resolution of 20,000 x 23,466 (469M RGB pixels). With a hash table size of T = 2^22, the neural network was trained for 2.5 minutes and achieves similar peak signal-to-noise ratio as ACORN (Adaptive Coordinate Networks for Neural Scene Representation) achieved after 36.9 hours of training.

The consequences of the new research may be huge. In technology, advancements often focus on speed or quality, but rarely are both achieved simultaneously in a way that also reduces the required computational overhead. Considering the hardware this new research was run on, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that we could see similar tech used in post-processing programs in the near future that would open up a whole new world of image enhancement technologies. To read about the process in extensive detail, read the full research paper.

Video: Watch a potato, a roll of toilet paper and a shoe get turned into pinhole camera 'lenses'

When someone asks whether you’ve shot a photograph ‘with a potato,’ they’re usually making a cheeky comment about the quality of the image. In the case of Simon Meyer, though, shooting with a potato — and plenty of other strange objects — is more a statement of fact than a jape about the quality of his images.

Simon Meyer is a German film director and photographer who’s using his TikTok account to showcase a selection of wacky camera ‘lenses’ he makes and retrofits to his Sony a7 III through various means. So far, he’s managed to turn a potato, a shoe, a roll of toilet paper and even an Elmo stuffed animal into pinhole lenses of sorts to capture the world around him through very unconventional — not to mention uncomfortable — means.

Below are the four TikTok videos Meyer has so far shared:

Potato

Shoe

Toilet Paper Roll

Elmo

Warning: You might not want to watch this if you have children around. It might traumatize them to watch their Sesame Street friend get lobotomized.

Meyer is taking requests for future lenses, so if you’re interested in seeing what can be turned into a camera lens, head on over to his TikTok profile and suggest the object.

Video: Mesmerizing clip shows nighttime hyperlapse light painting made with Mavic 2 Pro and 3 Cine drones

Greek creative duo Inva + Sla managed to capture a timelapse, plus a hyperlapse, with light painting, using a camera along with Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 3 Cine drones. This is the first-ever drone light painting animation to be minted on Foundation's marketplace as a non-fungible token (NFT) and one of the first nighttime hyperlapses to emerge from the Mavic 3 series now that the feature is finally available.

A Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 camera with a Lumix 14-140mm lens was used to shoot the light painting timelapse on the ground. Additionally, the Mavic 3 Cine was launched and hyperlapse mode was activated to document the entire process.

'Inspiration came initially from both traditional light painters, 3D artists and physical light art installations. There is a community of drone light painters and figures like Russell Klimas and the legend Reuben Wu that showed what can be done. We wanted to take further steps from that. So we not only shot a light painting with the help of a traditional camera, but also documented it with drone timelapse. Mavic 3 has excellent performance shooting long exposure photos in low light. We tested the limits of that by shooting in total darkness,' Inva + Sla's Athanasia Lykoudi tells DPReview.

A Godox 64LED light was mounted on the Mavic 2 and Lykoudi flew the drone in triangular formations above Triadi lake in Thessaloniki, Greece. The clip below illustrates how the Mavic 3 Cine performs well in low-light scenarios. The slowest shutter speed the drone offers is up to 8" but the duo used a 6" speed with 7 second intervals for this project.

Post-processing was completed with Adobe's Lightroom, Photoshop and After Effects software. The clip inspired Alex Retsis to create the soundtrack that accompanies the video. You can view Inva + Sla's body of work on their official website where they often experiment with new imaging technologies as they are released.

This full-sized wooden Nikon F replica, complete with interchangeable lens, can be yours for $149

We’ve shared a fair number of wooden replica cameras over the year, including a wooden Leica M3 and a wooden Olympus OM-1. Now, we have another to add to the list, a wooden 1:1 replica of Nikon’s first SLR, the Nikon F.

As spotted by Nikon Rumors, this replica Nikon F is made entirely of wood, aside from a small sheet of plexiglass standing in as the mirror inside of the body. The kit even includes a wooden body cap and an interchangeable 55mm F1.2 lens with a piece of plastic acting as the front-most lens element.

The Etsy creator selling this model, CameraTins, says each replica model is unique in its patterns and coloring. No mention is made regarding how the wood components are cut to shape and size, but based on the burnt edges of the various pieces, it appears as though the various elements were laser cut and pieced together with adhesive.

The wooden Nikon F replica can be yours for $149, which is half as much as fully functioning Nikon F cameras are going for on eBay ($250–400). You can find it and other camera replicas on CameraTins’ Etsy shop.

Leica's M11 risks rendering the rangefinder obsolete

How do you design a camera when its performance as a camera is arguably incidental to its appeal? And how do you manage your relationship with the latest technology when one of your products' selling points is history and a shooting experience untouched by time?

The Leica M11 is a fascinating attempt to resolve these tensions, but one that I believe ends up drawing attention to them.

It's not exactly a searing insight to point out that the M cameras are luxury goods, perhaps even Veblen goods, where the very price and exclusivity is part of what makes them desirable. To a degree this means their performance as cameras isn't as critical to their appeal as might otherwise be the case. This doesn't mean they're not good cameras, but it takes pressure off the need to make each model overwhelmingly more capable than the one that precedes it.

It would perhaps even be unhelpful to be a dramatic a departure from its predecessor. If Leica were to constantly introduce cameras that made existing users feel they had to upgrade, it would undermine the idea that an M is a long-term purchase. Not only would the older model be devalued, but the very idea of paying so much for an M would be damaged if they were frequently, overtly rendered obsolete.

But Leica appears to recognize that the best way of maintaining its brands' status is to commit to the photographic capabilities of its cameras.

A platform for M lenses

The M11's BSI sensor and thin IR/UV filter promise to make it the best digital platform for M-mount glass both new and old.

With the M11, Leica appears to have spent a lot of time trying to address the M's greatest photographic requirement: to create the best possible platform for its other brand-defining products: the M-mount lens range.

Right back to the earliest digital M, Leica has adopted offset microlenses, to ensure that the pixels near the edge of the sensor can cope with light rays approaching the sensor at a very shallow angle. This is a particular challenge for lenses that mount very close to the sensor, especially when some of these optics were designed with film in mind.

The M11 makes two significant steps further in this regard. The first is the adoption of a BSI CMOS sensor for the first time in the M range. This puts the light-sensitive part of each pixel closer to the front of the sensor, improving the angles from which the sensor can accept incoming light, which takes some pressure off the microlenses, as the light doesn't need to be channeled down into the sensor to the same degree.

On top of this, Leica's super-thin cemented two-layer filter promises to provide precise UV/IR filtering, even with low-angle light rays. The thinness of the filter again reduces the risk of shallow-angle light rays being reflected or refracted too far as they pass through.

In terms of what's promised, the M11 should be the best digital camera that M lenses can be mounted on.

Growing importance of live view

The M11's shutter sits open most of the time, allowing more sophisticated light metering, straight off the sensor. It also means there's no real delay to just jumping into live view to shoot.

And yet, while Leica has done a lot to make the M11 a great platform for M lenses, the other work its done may have chipped away at another leg on which the M legend stands: the classic rangefinder shooting experience.

Part of what's pushing this is the move to 60MP. Higher resolution doesn't demand greater focusing precision, per se, but it makes you much more aware of any imprecision. And, especially with fast glass and shallow depth-of-field and the fact that the rangefinder overlay only covers the center of the scene, the range of circumstances in which the rangefinder can deliver maximum detail becomes narrower.

At the same time, the M11 gains digitally stabilized live view and automatically magnifies that view as you turn the focus ring, along with a focus scale that can cope with closer distances than the rangefinder mechanism allows.

The M series has thrived in part because it continues to offer a shooting experience much like that of the original M3

These changes encourage the more frequent use of live view on the M11 than before. Every member of our team to use the camera so far has expressed disappointment that the Visoflex 2 wasn't available, to allow through-the-viewfinder live view shooting.

And this risks sidelining the thing that makes the M series so special: the experience of shooting through a rangefinder. The M series has thrived in part because it continues to offer a shooting experience much like that of the original M3, decades after the rest of the market moved to single lens reflex designs and then on to live-view-driven mirrorless.

We've always resisted retroactively redefining rangefinders as mirrorless cameras because the shooting experience and mode of operating is so different. But this distinction becomes blurry once you turn away from the rangefinder mechanism that makes them distinctive and use live view: you risk effectively turning the M11 into a mirrorless camera with really rather disappointing autofocus.

The accidental radical

The M11 still offers the classic rangefinder shooting experience and should make the most of the M mount lenses, but the increasingly refined live view experience raises some interesting questions about the M line's future.

The M11 doesn't look like a radical camera. Beyond a few physical and firmware tweaks, it could almost be seen as an M10-R with a new sensor. And to an extent, that's what all M series are destined to be. But, each small step that makes live view more central to the shooting experience muddies the waters.

For me, it brings to mind Fujifilm's X-Pro cameras (perhaps ironically, given the degree to which those camera look like Leicas but, critically, can't deliver a true rangefinder experience). The X-Pro3 is a lovely camera, but one that only really makes sense if you fit short prime lenses and commit yourself to using the optical mode of the hybrid viewfinder, fall back on live view too much and you're essentially using a more expensive, rather more clumsy X-T4.

I'll acknowledge this isn't an easy puzzle to solve. Perhaps enough phase-detection elements near the middle of the sensor to provide a secondary focus confirmation, or something like Pentax's 'Catch-in-focus' that fires the shutter when focus is achieved: something that encourages the use of the rangefinder but with greater focus confidence.

As it stands, though, while the M11 promises to have bolstered the M's role as a platform for M-mount lenses, it's also begun to sow doubts about how critical the rangefinder mechanism is to that role.

Hands-on with the new Leica M11

Hands-on with the new Leica M11

The Leica M11 is the latest in a series of rangefinders from the venerable German company going back to the early years of the 20th Century. In terms of general design, the M11 can trace its lineage back to the M3 of the mid 1950s, but offers technology that 20th Century film photographers could never have imagined.

Click through this article for a closer look at the M11.

New sensor

The most important update in the M11 is a new sensor, capable of fully electronic (silent) shooting at up to 1/16,000sec. Not only does the M11 offer greater potential resolution than any previous digital M-series camera, at 60MP, but the BSI-CMOS, dual-gain architecture promises better image quality and better efficiency.

Previous sensors in the M10 and its several variants were very good, but the chip in the M11 is the most modern that Leica has used yet (and could well end up, in modified form, inside future Q and SL-series cameras). Digital Leica rangefinders have never really been 'instant on' but some photographers may be disappointed by the M11's ~2 second startup time. We don't know if this is a consequence of how the sensor is integrated into the camera's operation, but this is something we want to investigate further.

New sensor ('cont)

Unlike previous digital M-series rangefinders, the M11's sensor is activated (and uncovered) as soon as the camera is turned on, even if you're not in live view mode. This might seem like a potential waste of energy, but it's not at all – in this way, the chip can act as a multi-pattern metering and white balance sensor, capable of far greater precision and flexibility than the simple center-weighted metering cell found tucked inside the lens mount of previous digital M-series cameras.

What this means practically is that metering and white balance should both be a little more reliable when shooting in optical rangefinder mode but there may be a learning curve for experienced Leica shooters, used to a simpler metering system.

Controls and operation

In terms of operation, the M11 is (no surprise) very similar to the major M10 variants that precede it. On the extreme left of the top-plate is a dedicated ISO dial, with manual ISO sensitivity settings from 64 (a new base ISO, courtesy of the new sensor) to 6400. There's also an 'A' setting and higher ISO sensitivity settings are available via the in-camera menu system up to a maximum of ISO 50,000.

Controls and operation (con't)

On the upper right of the top plate is a shutter speed dial, which spans the range of speeds available to the M11 in mechanical shutter mode, including an 'A' setting. The minimum exposure time in electronic shutter speed mode is 1/16,000sec, which should appeal to fans of wide aperture bright light shooting. Meanwhile, the maximum exposure time has been extended to an hour.

Obscured in this photo (but visible in the previous slide) is a standard Leica on/lock switch to power the camera up or down, with a threaded shutter release at its hub. Alongside this is a custom button, which has moved from its position in the M10, on the front of the camera, back to the top again (where it was in the older M Typ 240).

Controls and operation (con't)

Anyone coming from the M10 or its variants will be immediately at home with the M11, but Leica has made some welcome changes. One of my favorites is a more versatile rear dial (upper right of the rear plate). A long inwards press of the dial allows you to quickly customize the dial for various functions, including direct control over ISO (if the locking top dial proves too fiddly). Meanwhile, a simple scroll of the dial can still provide direct access to (for example) exposure compensation.

The high-resolution LCD on the rear of the M11 is touch-sensitive, which provides a nice quick way of zooming into images (either in playback or in live view mode) and scrolling through pictures after a long day of shooting for National Geographic Facebook.

Note the electrical contacts built into the M11's hotshoe – these are for the optional Visoflex II, a 3.68M-dot tilting electronic viewfinder (sadly not yet available for journalists to try out). In a very welcome update, manual focus magnification in live view is now automatic, and the magnified focus view is digitally stabilized.

Build quality

As you would expect from a camera costing almost $9,000, the M11 looks and feels amazing, and every control moves with luxurious smoothness. Everything clicky is clicky in a really good way and nothing clicks that shouldn't. Credit to Leica – the M11 really does feel like a camera made partly by hand, and in limited numbers.

The black version of the M11 (shown in most of the images in this article) features an aluminum top-plate, compared to brass in the silver version. As such, the silver M11 is heavier, by about 110g (3.9oz). They're priced identically.

New baseplate

Normally we don't pay much attention to the bottom of cameras, but in a major break from the past, the M11 is the first Leica rangefinder (like, ever, going right back to the 1920s) where you don't have to remove the entire base of the camera to get access to its storage media (film, or more recently, an SD card). Instead, the M11 adopts a more Q-series style catch, which unlocks the integrated battery/cover and...

New battery and storage

....reveals the memory card bay. The new BP-SCL7 battery itself offers a substantial 64% increase in capacity over the SCL5 used in the M10-series models, which helps it achieve a CIPA figure for battery life of 700 shots. In use, we've found that (as usual) this number proves to be rather conservative, which is great news – the M11 is the first Leica digital rangefinder for which we don't feel we have to recommend the purchase of a spare battery. And with 64GB of inbuilt memory, you might even be able to skip the purchase of an SD card.

Note the exposed USB-C (3.1 Gen 1) socket adjacent to the battery door. This allows the M11 to be charged or powered via portable power, as well as facilitating image transfer if you don't have a card reader handy (or a memory card – see point above). Leica also includes a USB-C to Lightning cable for iPhone users who want to connect their phone to the camera for image transfer.

The USB-C cable might also come in handy to solve a perennial problem with the digital M-series: There's no way to remove the battery or access the SD media when a conventional tripod plate is mounted to the base of the camera.

DPReview TV: 7Artisans 55mm F1.4 Mark II review - Can a $125 lens be any good

Can you get a great lens for $125? We tested the 7Artisans 55mm F1.4 to find out. How does this budget friendly lens compare to the medium- and high-end lenses we usually review?

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

• Introduction
• Sample images
• Build quality and design
• Close-up performance
• Limitations of no electronics
• Video performance
• Flare and aberrations
• Bokeh
• Sharpness
• Who should buy one?

7Artisan 55mm F1.4 sample gallery from this episode

7Artisans 55mm F1.4 Mark II sample gallery (DPReview TV)

This week our team at DPReview TV tested the 7Artisans 55mm F1.4 Mark II, a budget APS-C lens. Check out their sample gallery to see how how it performs.

Did you miss their review of the Leica M11? If so, you can watch it here.

View the 7Artisans 55mm F1.4 sample gallery from DPReview TV

Video: The Canon Tsuzuri Project combines Canon's state-of-the-art technologies to recreate Japanese masterpieces

Through the Tsuzuri Project, Canon preserves Japanese culture's beauty and historical significance. Canon makes high-quality, high-resolution recreations of important Japanese works of art, including screens, paintings, illustrations and more. Since 2007, Canon has been working on the project, ensuring that Japanese cultural assets, both within Japan and abroad, are preserved and shared.

In 2018, Canon and the National Center for the Promotion of Cultural Properties (CPCP) launched a research project to create and utilize high-resolution facsimiles of cultural properties. These high-resolution facsimiles of Japanese masterpieces use the same technology as the ongoing Tsuzuri Project.

But why are we talking about this today? Last week, Canon released a video from its Tsuzuri Project showing a stunning, famous painting, 'Wind God and Thunder God,' by Tawaraya Sōtatsu. The painting, which is on a pair of two-fold screens, was created using ink and color on gold-foiled paper. It's unclear precisely when the work was created, although Sōtatsu lived from 1570 to 1640. The painting depicts Raijin and Fūjin, two gods in the Shinto religion. Raijin is the god of lightning, thunder, and storms, and Fūjin is the god of wind.

Canon has produced a 4.2 billion pixel high-resolution facsimile of the work using state-of-the-art image capture, processing and printing technology. What separates the Tsuzuri Project from other digital cataloging efforts is that Canon not only captures high-resolution data of art, the company processes, prints and finishes works to create real-life, physical facsimiles.

The image capture work is done by a Canon EOS R5 camera using an automatic pan-tilt head to create large panoramic images. For 'The Wind and Thunder Gods,' each screen was photographed 168 times. Each frame has 12 times the resolution of Full HD. The frames are corrected for distortion and then automatically combined.

To ensure accurate color matching, the Tsuzuri Project extracts information from the original work to create a precise, unique color profile. The color matching technology allows for more accurate colors, which are then compared using test prints against the genuine work.

Canon uses its high-quality, professional printers to reproduce the work. Artisans then provide the finishing touches to works in the Tsuzuri Project, ensuring that finer details are accurately represented. The goal is to create facsimiles that are close as possible to the original works. And they do a remarkable job, as you can see in the video above. If you'd like to learn more about the Tsuzuri Project, enjoy the video below.

You can see many of the works recreated by the Tsuzuri Project by visiting Canon's dedicated website.

Rockstar's new budget-friendly 10mm F8 fisheye and 27mm F2.8 lenses cost less than $80

Chinese optics manufacturer Rockstar has released a new pair of prime lenses for APS-C camera systems: a 10mm F8 fisheye lens and a 27mm F2.8 lens.

10mm F8

Starting with the wider of the two, the 10mm F8 fisheye lens offers a _16mm full-frame equivalent focal length on most APS-C cameras (20mm on MFT) and is constructed of five elements in four groups, including three extra-low dispersion elements. It has a fixed F8 aperture with pentagonal aperture blades, has a 30cm (_12”) minimum focusing distance and is entirely manual with no contacts for transferring EXIF data.

Below is a small collection of low-res sample images captured with the lens:

The lens is available for Canon EOS-M, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z and Sony E mount camera systems. It measures 58mm (2.3”) in diameter, 11mm (.43”) thick and weighs just 79.5g (2.8oz). It is available to purchase on eBay for between $65 and $75, based on the seller you choose to go with.

28mm F2.8

If fisheye lenses aren’t your ‘thing,’ Rockstar has also released a new 27mm F2.8 lens for APS-C camera systems. The fully-manual lens offers a _43mm full-frame equivalent focal length on most APS-C camera systems (52mm on MFT) and is constructed of six elements in five groups. It has a 25cm (9.9”) minimum focusing distance, has a fixed F2.9 aperture and uses a 55mm front filter thread.

The Rockstar 27mm F2.8 lens attached to a Sony a6300 camera.

This lens is also available for Canon EOS-M, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z and Sony E mount camera systems and is currently listed by multiple sellers on eBay for around $59, give or take a few based on the seller and accessories included.

Neither of these lenses are likely to impress in the image quality department, but if you want an ultra-budget option to see if you like the fisheye look or to test out the 27mm F2.8 lens, it’s a no-brainer for the low prices these lenses are being sold for.