The undisputable theme at Photokina 2018 is the coming of age of mirrorless system cameras and, more precisely, full frame mirrorless. We attended all the big-camera manufacturer Photokina 2018 press conferences and here is what we found.
Press release issued by HumanEyes Technologies:
HUMANEYES TECHNOLOGIES LAUNCHES THE VUZE XR DUAL 360° & VR180 5.7K CAMERA
Available for pre-order for £399, the Vuze XR Camera makes extraordinary content creation possible in 360° and VR180 with easy and fun effects, quick sharing to social media, and live streaming with a mobile phone.
(NEW YORK CITY & COLOGNE – Sept. 25, 2018) Building on its aim to make 360 degree and VR photo and video content creation accessible to all, HumanEyes Technologies announced today at Photokina the full product details for its Vuze XR Camera, which is now available for pre-order at VuzeXR.com for £399. For a limited time, pre-order customers will receive a free bundle that includes a 360° underwater case, a micro SD card, and free worldwide shipping. Offer is valid until November 4th.
Shipping in late November, the Vuze XR Camera enables consumers and prosumers to create and share exciting experiences in both 5.7K 360° (2D) or VR180 (3D) formats. The camera includes a mobile app, for iOS and Android, and desktop editing software, for Mac and Windows. Customers can create immersive experiences, popular 360° panoramas like Tiny Planet, adding stickers, and can share it now with live streaming or later on social media. Vuze XR customers can make their content even more interactive by creating their own VR website with the HumanEyes Zone.
Click here to see XR footage! VR180 3D video and 360 2D video
“People want to bring their content to life and they want to share their experiences for others to enjoy. We created a dual 360° and VR180 camera, along with a companion mobile app, giving them the ability to capture high quality immersive experiences that can be shared in the moment. The Vuze XR makes it easy and fun to share all the moments from every angle,” said Shahar Bin-Nun, CEO of HumanEyes Technologies.
Available in black or white, the unique dual-camera design of the Vuze XR Camera seamlessly combines two advanced capture systems into one pocketable device. Portable and simple-to-use, the camera gives everyone the power and convenience to record and live stream, or share, from their mobile phone or computer.
Vuze XR Camera features:
The camera gives content creators a suite of tools and accessories to make it easy to edit and share 360° and VR180 content, including:
Photokina attendees can be among the first to see a demo and experience the power of the new Vuze XR Camera at the HumanEyes booth H-015 in Hall 5.2 from September 26-29.
The HumanEyes Vuze XR Camera is the latest innovation from the company’s award-winning 360° and VR camera line, which includes the Vuze and Vuze+ VR cameras. To see the Vuze XR Camera in action, view more product specifications and pre-order, visit VuzeXR.com. For hi-res images, please see here. To see the XR in person, please visit the booth at Photokina.
About HumanEyes Technologies:
Founded in 2000, HumanEyes Technologies is a veteran in 3D and animated content creation and has over 70 patents covering relevant technologies and processes across the market. Recognizing the growth potential in VR, HumanEyes has focused its longstanding experience in the space to provide end-to-end VR video solutions that make the creation of virtual and augmented reality content easy and accessible to everyone from professionals to consumers. As the vibrant VR and AR market segments develop, HumanEyes is helping define the innovation standards that will drive mass appeal, with the Vuze, Vuze +, and Vuze XR VR Cameras. HumanEyes’ multi-patented computer vision technologies inside the world’s first affordable VR camera are enabling the bustling ecosystem of creation, production and publishing of unprecedented immersive VR experiences.
HumanEyes is headquartered in Israel with offices in the U.S. For more information on HumanEyes, go to http://www.humaneyes.com. For more information on the Vuze XR Camera, please visit www.Vuze.camera
Panasonic have announced the development of the world’s first constant-aperture f/1.7 zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds.
Press release issued by Panasonic
Panasonic develops fast wide-angle LEICA zoom-lens
Professional LEICA DG 10-25mm zoom lens
(35mm camera equivalent: 20-50mm)
The World’s First Full-range F1.7 Wide Zoom Lens as of September 25, 2018
Aiming to be the ultimate photo/video-hybrid digital interchangeable lens
Constant aperture ensures harmonic depth of field while zooming
Cologne, Germany, 2018-09-25 – Panasonic Corporation announces that it is developing the LEICA DG VARIO-SUMMILUX 10-25mm / F1.7 wide zoom digital interchangeable lens (35mm camera equivalent: 20-50mm). It is the world’s first* F1.7 wide-angle zoom lens for the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system.
Taking full advantage of the MFT system standard, the new LEICA DG VARIO-SUMMILUX 10-25mm / F1.7 lens is both: bright and compact. It is the first interchangeable lens to be introduced to the market featuring a full-range F1.7 high-speed aperture.
Integrating a click-less aperture ring that provides seamless aperture control, the new LEICA DG VARIO-SUMMILUX 10-25mm / F1.7 lens aims to be the ultimate photo/video-hybrid digital interchangeable lens.
The zoom range of the VARIO-SUMMILUX covers 10-25 mm: Starting from a wide angle and reaching to the natural perspective of human vision. It is designed and developed to fully support photography as well as video recording on a professional level.
LEICA DG lenses are designed to exceed the stringent LEICA quality standards to boast excellent optical performance. The new LEICA DG VARIO-SUMMILUX 10-25mm / F1.7 achieves exceptional imaging performance over the entire zoom range, empowering users to capture precise details and expressions.
Panasonic is committed to further expand the camera and lens line-up for the MFT system to meet customer demands and needs.
* As of September 25, 2018
•Details of the product specifications, the date of release and the price are yet to be advised.
•Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.
•SUMMILUX is a registered trademark of Leica Camera.
Press release issued by ProGrade Digital:
microSDXC™ UHS-II, U3, Class 10, V60 Memory Cards Support Maximum Read Speed of up to 200MB/s and Maximum Write Speed of up to 80MB/s
Company Expands USB 3.1, Gen. 2 Card Reader Line to Add microSD™ Dual-Slot Card Reader, Plus CompactFlash™ & SD™ Dual-Slot Card Reader
COLOGNE, Germany, Photokina, Sept. 25, 2018, 7:00 am PDT – ProGrade Digital, founded with a mission to provide the highest quality professional grade memory cards and workflow solutions, has expanded its product range with the introduction of professional grade microSDXC™ memory cards, plus two additional USB 3.1, Gen. 2 dual-slot workflow readers. The new ProGrade Digital microSDXC UHS-II, U3, Class 10, V60 card delivers a maximum read speed of up to 200MB/s and maximum write speed of up to 80MB/s. Video Speed Class V60 tested and certified, the card’s sustained write speed will not dip below 60MB/s, which ensures that dropped frames do not occur during video recording. Building upon the company’s line of latest generation USB workflow products is the addition of a microSD™ Dual-Slot Card Reader, plus CompactFlash™ & SD™ Dual-Slot Card Reader. Both readers support USB 3.1, Gen 2 protocols and offer data transfer rates of up to 10Gb/s (1.25GB/s).
ProGrade Digital microSDXC UHS-II, V60 memory cards in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB capacities, priced $49.99, $74.99, $114.99 respectively, will be available in Q4 on www.progradedigital.com. These cards will be available on partner sites, such as Amazon.com and B&H Photo and Video, in Q4. The CompactFlash & SD Dual-Slot Card Reader (PG06), $79.99, and microSD Dual-Slot Card Reader (PG07), $79.99, will be available on www.progradedigital.com plus Amazon and B&H Photo and Video websites in Q4. ProGrade Digital products are now shipping to 27 European countries via Amazon and Amazon Prime.
“ProGrade Digital is pleased to announce the expansion of our professional line to include a range of V60, UHS II microSDXC cards. With this announcement, ProGrade Digital becomes one of the only companies to offer a microSDXC with a certified video speed class rating of V60–which is critical for uninterrupted video capture by many professional and mirrorless cameras from companies such as Sony™, Canon™, and Panasonic™,” said Wes Brewer, founder and CEO of ProGrade Digital. “As more and more professionals add drones plus smaller action and point-of-view cams to their workflows to produce broadcast, sport, travel and documentary footage, the need for high performance, high-quality microSD cards is increasing. The ProGrade Digital microSDXC memory cards bring extra versatility, when paired with the included SD UHS-II adapter, by also allowing professionals to record footage created by DSLR and mirrorless cameras with full-size SD card slots.”
The company also introduced two workflow readers. Mark Lewis, VP of Marketing for ProGrade Digital, said, “Our new dual-slot readers support the USB 3.1, Gen. 2 protocol. This protocol renders a data transfer rate of up to 10Gb/s. At that speed, envision the time to be saved when transferring files, especially from today’s data-intensive cameras. Insert a memory card into each slot and get a concurrent maximum speed of transfer.”
| Card Format | Speed | Capacities | Pricing |
| microSDXC UHS-II, U3, Class 10, V60 | 200MB/s read speed80MB/s write speed | 32GB, 64GB, 128GB | $49.99, $74.99, $114.99 USD |
| Reader | Supported Media | Interface | Speed | Pricing |
| Dual-Slot CompactFlash & SD Workflow Reader (PG06) | CompactFlash & SD cards | USB 3.1 Gen. 2 | Up to 10Gb/s (1.25GB/s) | $79.99 USD |
| Dual-Slot microSD Workflow Reader (PG07) | Two microSD cards | USB 3.1 Gen. 2 | Up to 10Gb/s (1.25GB/s) | $79.99 USD |
About ProGrade Digital, Inc.
ProGrade Digital focuses exclusively on the design and marketing of digital memory cards, card readers and workflow software required by imaging professionals. Flagship products include ProGrade Digital CFast 2.0 and ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II memory cards offered in a range of capacities and optimized to render maximum performance when paired with high-end DSLR, mirrorless, camcorder, drone and digital cinema cameras from Canon™, Nikon™, Panasonic™, Sony®, Blackmagic™, GoPro™, DJI and more. ProGrade Digital memory cards and workflow solutions are available for purchase by global customers on www.progradedigital.com and the B&H Photo and Video website. Customers in North America and 27 European countries may also shop on the Amazon website. ProGrade Digital memory cards expand the creative visions of cinema and photography professionals around the world.
Press release issued by Sense-Tech Innovation Company:
Following the recent announcement of STC’s award-winning products becoming available across Europe via InfinityX Distribution, we are pleased to announce a number of new products to be showcased during Photokina 2018
Sense-Tech Innovation Company, (STC), the Taiwanese optical manufacturer with an enviable heritage of producing precision optical products for serious image-makers and content creators, since 2010.
STC Introduce World’s First Sapphire UV Filter
Award-winning Taiwanese manufacturer of optical products, Sense-Tech Innovation Company, (STC) is proud to introduce a brand-new filter series during Photokina 2018.
Visitors to the pan-European imaging event, which takes place between Wednesday 25th to Saturday 29th September, will witness the world premiere of STC’s Sapphire UV Filter.
This innovative Sapphire UV Filter from STC offers users the benefit of the minimum optical path difference, reducing diffraction in the glass and therefore reducing flare and ghosting. The superior optical coating technology also corrects colour casting by suppressing ultraviolet light before 380nm, and the transmittance of visible light registers at a staggering 99.5%.
STC has adopted the use of the world’s thinnest single-crystal Taiwan-made semiconductor glass, which is naturally strong and structured by the chemically strengthened 800Mpa glass, which will provide users with the most reliable protection for both lens and images.
World Leaders in Compatible Clip-in Filters
As the world-leading brand of clip-in filters, STC presents new and patented clip-filters for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Fujifilm full-frame and APS-C DSLRs and Olympus micro-four-thirds cameras.
Along with these, visitors to Photokina 2018 can also expect to see a number of new customised clip-in filters for use with drones, including ND, and clip-in filters for use with Panasonic camera models, along with colour-correction coated gelatin filter for a number of Canon and Sigma lenses.
STC’s filter series ranges from Astro to Infrared, Infrared Cut and Neutral Density.
Astrophotography
For enthusiasts of astrophotography, STC will also present the brand’s Nightscape Filter, which cuts light pollution, retaining original colour of cityscapes and landscapes.
Designed for simple use, even for beginners, STC’s Nightscape Filter utilises the same superior colour coating design as the brand’s Astro Multispectra Filter but with the allowance of 40% mercury and sodium light transmittance for optimum results.
STC’s excellent Astro Duo-Narrowband Filter captures the specific wavelengths of gaseous and planetary nebulae, Hα and OIII, realising the vision of many deep-sky astrophotographers, allowing users to shoot with less time, whilst still achieving detailed, superior images.
Olympus PEN-F Grip
Not only do STC produce world-leading optical products, as outlined above, but the brand also manufactures a number of exceptional accessories for brands, such as Nintendo, Hasbro, Garmin and Fisher Price, as well as many well-known imaging brands.
Adding to this long list of successful partnerships, STC present a brand new hand grip for the popular Olympus PEN-F camera.
Mobile Phone Filters
During Photokina 2018, STC will present its new filter kit for use with mobile phones. These exceptional new products remove unwanted reflection light, reducing the brightness for motion blur and changing colour temperature without lowering the image resolution.
Photokina 2018
STC will be present during Photokina 2018 in Hall 3.1, stand C60, where visitors can see a broad range of products from the brand.
On their stand throughout Photokina 2018, STC will have a spectrometer to hand, to demonstrate the optical excellence of their wide range of filters.
Press release issued by Canon:
United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Thursday 20th September 2018 – Canon Europe announces the launch of the PowerShot SX70 HS, a bridge camera with a powerful 65x optical fixed lens zoom, equivalent to a 21-1365mm focal length. Featuring DSLR-style looks and handling, a 7.5 Vari-Angle LCD screen, 20.3 Megapixel sensor and 4K Ultra High Definition video, the Canon PowerShot SX70 HS is an ideal all-in-one camera, capable of handling all types of shooting scenario, without the need to carry multiple lenses.
Featuring cutting-edge technology to produce high-resolution images and 4K Ultra HD video
The PowerShot SX70 HS’s 65x zoom extends to an impressive 2730mm equivalent focal length with Canon’s ZoomPlus functionality, ideal for capturing distant scenes from afar. With a focal length of this strength, the camera is well equipped to capture everything from a concert, graduation ceremony or even the details on a distant plane. The 0cm macro mode enables users to focus on objects that are virtually touching the lens, ideal for capturing the intricate detail of a watch face, plate of food or wild flowers in bloom. The Zoom Frame Assist Lock function helps maintain framing when taking super-telephoto images, suitable for capturing fast-moving sports or wildlife.
The classic DSLR-style ergonomics of the camera and its high-resolution OLED electronic viewfinder delivers sturdy handling and control when composing photographs, particularly helpful at popular tourist attractions or while on the move.
The power of the Canon PowerShot SX70 HS lays with the cutting-edge and superfast DIGIC 8 processor, which produces high resolution images, 4K Ultra High Definition video and a continuous shooting speed of 10 fps (frames per second). The autofocus is highly responsive and adaptive, even in low-light and continuous autofocus is possible when shooting at 5.7 fps, allowing spontaneous moments to be captured with ease.
The DIGIC 8 processor also powers the cameras 4K Ultra HD video capabilities, including 4K time-lapse and 4K frame grabs, so stunning landscapes or special memories can be captured and preserved in the highest of resolutions.
The camera’s enhanced 20.3MP 1/2.3-type CMOS sensor delivers a 25 per cent increase in resolution, compared to the Canon PowerShot SX70 HS predecessor, the SX60 HS at 16.1MP, bringing a new level of detail and vividness to images. This sensor upgrade also means that large photo prints look beautiful when taken on the camera, doing justice to precious family memories as they take pride-of-place on the wall.
In addition to sharp JPEGs, the Canon PowerShot SX70 HS can capture images in RAW or compact RAW format, opening a world of professional post-production techniques, providing limitless ways to impress with optimised photographs.
It has never been easier to sync images or videos to a smart device, PC or Mac1 via the Auto Image Sync and Transfer mode using the Canon Camera Connect app (iOS/Android), or Image Transfer Utility 2 for PC and Mac. The PowerShot SX70 HS also features Remote Live View, which enables images to be taken remotely via a smartphone2, meaning no-one is ever left out of a family portrait.
Canon’s new premium bridge camera delivers a truly portable and versatile shooting experience, capable of capturing everything from a vlog to wildlife on the African Savanna or a portrait of a loved one at a family occasion. This multi-purpose camera will get users closer to the action, when it matters.
The Canon PowerShot SX70 HS will be available to purchase from November 2018
For more information, please visit: https://www.canon.co.uk/cameras/powershot-sx70-hs/
Pricing and availability:
The Canon PowerShot SX70 HS will be available to purchase from November 2018 with a RSP of £519.99/€599.99
Key Benefits:
What’s in the box:
1 Computers: Mac and PC running Canon Image Transfer Utility 2, see specifications for details
2 Mobiles: Compatible iOS and Android devices with the Canon Camera Connect app, see specifications for details
Press release issued by Lexar:
Lexar Announces New NS100 and NS200 2.5” SATA III (6GB/s) Solid-State Drive (SSD)
The Easy Upgrade to Boost Your Computers Performance
San Jose, CA, September 18, 2018 – Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, today announced two new internal solid-state drive solutions to rejuvenate old laptops or PCs. The new Lexar® NS100 2.5” SATA III (6GB/s) solid-state drive (SSD) and Lexar® NS200 2.5” SATA III (6GB/s) solid-state drive (SSD).
The entry-level NS100 SSD is an affordable upgrade for casual users who want more performance than their hard-disk drives (HDD) can provide. It provides faster boot-ups, application load times, and data transfers – turning your old computer from dinosaur to dynamo with sequential read speeds of up to 550MB/s. 1 The NS200 SSD is ready for gamers and professionals looking to refresh their system with a quicker internal drive solution, giving the speed needed to take multitasking on an old PC or laptop to the next level. Users will be able to power through the day with sequential read speed of up to 550MB/sand sequential read of up to 510MB/s1, faster app response times and better overall performance for gaming, photo, and video editing, or other multimedia applications. Both Lexar NS100 and NS200 are shock and vibration resistant4, making them more reliable and durable than typical HDD, plus they also feature SSD Dash management so the user can monitor their drive and make sure their applications maintain exceptional performance. 3
“The outlook for the solid-state drive industry remains strong and continues on a path to become more broadly used. We’re excited about adding an internal SSD category to our product portfolio as we continue our commitment on delivering innovative and fast-performing storage solutions. The NS100 and NS200 SSD delivers Lexar quality to accelerate your computer’s performance with optimized speed and reliability,” said Joel Boquiren, Director of Global Marketing.
The Lexar NS100 2.5” SATA III (6GB/s) solid-state drive will be offered in 120GB, 240GB, 480GB capacities, and the Lexar NS200 2.5” SATA III (6GB/s) solid-state drive in 240GB, 480GB capacities, with a three-year limited warranty. The new NS100 is available mid-September at MSRP $29.99 USD (120GB), $49.99 USD (240GB), $89.99 USD (480GB), and the NS200 is available mid-September at MSRP $79.99 USD (240GB), $109.99 USD (480GB). For more information visit www.lexar.com
This product announcement confirms that Lexar is returning to the high-performance storage market, and will continue to produce, develop, and strengthen the portfolio of memory solutions centered on performance, quality, and reliability.
Lexar will be exhibiting at this year’s Photokina, in Cologne, Germany September 26th – 29th, with new product announcements, focused around one of the most exciting shows in the professional photographers’ calendar.
