Big cameras and rivalries occupy top spot at Photokina – TechCrunch



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Photokina is underway in London and the theme of the show is "wide". Exceptionally for an industry that turns to the compact, the cameras on stage have big sensors, big lenses and big prices. But even if they are not for the average shooter, these cameras are impressive hardware elements that suggest things to come for the industry as a whole.

Perhaps the most exciting announcement is that of Panasonic, which surprised everyone with the S1 and S1R, a pair of non-final cameras that seek to steal the thunder of Canon's and Nikon's entries into the full-screen mirrorless world.

Panasonic's cameras generally have impressive video performance, and these are no exception. They will shoot in 4K at 60 FPS, which in a compact body like this will be extremely valuable for videographers. Meanwhile, the S1R, with 47 megapixels for the S1, will be optimized for still images. Both will have slots for two cards (which Canon and Nikon have refused to add to their new equipment), a weather seal and a stabilization of the image in the body.

The timing and inclusion of so many desired features indicate that Panasonic was fully aware of what photographers had wanted from the beginning, or that they were waiting for other players to move and promise them things that their competitors did not have. could or could not do. Whatever the case may be, the S1 and S1R will be sure to make a splash, regardless of their price.

Panasonic also participated in an announcement that could have more important long-term implications: a goal-setting collaboration with Leica and Sigma aims for maximum flexibility for the emerging full screen and medium format mirrorless market. L-mount lenses will work on any device in the group (including S1 and S1R) and should help promote usage at all levels.

Leica, for its part, has announced the S3, a new version of its medium-sized S-series that switches to the L-mount system and some specifications. No price yet but if you have to ask, you probably can not afford it.

Sigma did not have a camera to show, but announced that he was going to take his entire Foveon sensor technology and that future bodies would also use the L mount.

This Fuji is small here, but it's not lightweight. This is only small compared to previous devices.

Fujifilm has made its own breakthrough on the front of the medium format with the new GFX 50R, which captures a sound larger than the full frame format (but smaller than the "traditional" average format) in an incredibly small body. That's not to say it's not substantial: Fuji's cameras are usually quite heavy, and the 50R is no exception, but it's much smaller and lighter than its predecessor and costs a staggering $ 2,000. less to $ 4,499 for the body.

As you can see, the theme is big and expensive. But the subtext is that these cameras are not only able to imagine extraordinary images, but they do not need to be huge to do it. This combination of versatility and portability is one of the strengths of the latest generation of cameras, and it is clear that Fuji, Panasonic and Leica want to show that they are aimed at professionals of several thousand dollars as well. only to consumers and enthusiasts. s & # 39; align.

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