The Phoblographer

The Leica 50mm f1.2 Noctilux is a reissue of the classic vintage offering from Leica that was super hard to make.

Good news: the Leica 50mm f1.2 Noctilux is back! Today the company is announcing a reissue of the classic and much-loved lens. That, and the original is incredibly hard to get your hands on. The cool thing about the luxury world and the vintage world is that everyone is on the hunt. How many folks on eBay snipe the Contax T2? It’s why Rolex brought back the Submariner in the Tudor Black Bay. It’s also probably why Apple brought back the feel of their older devices. And the Leica 50mm f1.2 Noctilux manages to do a few things that modern lenses don’t.

Leica 50mm f1.2 Noctilux Tech Specs

6 elements in 4 groups

2 aspherical elements

1-meter close focusing

16 aperture blades

Leica M mount

49mm filter thread

Vignettes wide open and mostly disappears by f2.8. True to classic lenses.

Rare silver edition limited to 100 units

$7,695

16 Aperture Blades and That Classic Look

Yes, the Leica 50mm f1.2 Noctilux has 16 aperture blades. Comparatively speaking, the Sony G Master lens lineup has 11 aperture blades. The 7Artisans 50mm f1.1 has 13 aperture blades. But this Leica lens will have the smoothest bokeh and by far the most character. For the passionate photographer with over $7,000 to burn, you’ll enjoy great portraits. In fact, I’d probably argue that this could be their best portrait lens. Leica also has the 75mm f1.25 Noctilux. But that’s not as versatile as a 50mm lens.

16 aperture blades in this lens translates to super-smooth bokeh. And with the M10, you’ll get that with great high ISO output. With the Leica M10R, you’ll get more details. However, I’d probably want to shoot this with the M10 Monochrom. That classic look combined with what’s essentially digital Kodak Tri-X speaks to me so much. Or better yet, the Leica M10-D for the best experience overall!

Best yet, this is a look you can’t get with post-production. There’s vignetting wide open. And you can add something like that in post-production if you wish. But compare it to something like the Canon RF 50mm f1.2 L USM. The Canon has a very medium format 80mm look to it. And it’s amazingly sharp. The Leica 50mm f1.2 Noctilux will have some sharpness wide open. But the true sharpness will come stopped down. It’s part of the classic experience. To boot, lots of us want to spend less time in front of our computers. So you won’t need to sit and do tons of post-production to get the photos.

Could you go for the original vintage lens? Sure. But they’re very hard to get your hands on. And if anything, Leica’s brilliant move here will drive the second-hand market price up. As it is, it sometimes sells for around $63,000. With that said, you’re better off buying the newer one at less than a tenth of that price.

On top of that, you’re getting Leica’s build quality. Leica lenses are made of metal through and through. We’ve heard about and seen just how durable their lenses really are. But Leica refuses to attach any sort of official weather sealing statement to them. They argue that if they weather-sealed their M-mount lenses, they’d need to go back and do that with all their glass. But if that’s the case, then the M5 would’ve never been created with that logic. Nor would lens coding have happened!

Sample Images

Here are some sample images provided by Leica.

The Lenovo Yoga 9i offers a lot of promise for photographers but falls flat in some ways.

When it was announced, I wondered how the Lenovo Yoga 9i would do for photographers. Like many of you, I still own a 2015 13-inch MacBook Pro. That, for us, was the best laptop you could get your hands on for photography. But we’re now six years later. And PCs have come a long way. Unfortunately, they’re not all still appealing to photographers. The Lenovo Yoga 9i is targeted at both gamers and creatives. Lenovo got a whole lot right about this laptop. But they also did some things that made me not want to use it at all.

Editor’s Note: We’re in the process of revamping our computer reviews for photography audiences. We used to include things like benchmark tests, but we got rid of them. You can get that anywhere and everywhere else. Instead, we’re focusing on using it with the apps you care about and the overall experience. We’d love to feedback from you in the comments if you’d be so kind to provide it for us.

Pros and Cons

Pros

The screen is nice

Why can’t Apple make a proper touchscreen laptop anywhere as nice as this is?

With a touchscreen this wonderful. you don’t really need the trackpad

The screen isn’t as bright as I’d like it to be in bright light.

The stylus is a nice addition but not the best I’ve used.

Incredibly fast importing into Lightroom Classic.

Cons

It’s so weird to have a keypad again. They need to move it to attract Mac users.

It feels almost as if I can operate on the entire screen, but I need to squish myself to the left because of the keyboard layout.

This keyboard backlight illuminate function totally threw me off.

These fans get really loud when editing in Lightroom Classic and Capture One 21

When editing with the laptop in your lap, it’s easy to block the fan airflow.

When I shut the screen down, the computer doesn’t go to sleep, and the fans go into hyperdrive.

The lack of an SD card slot is annoying.

Unfortunately, it could use more USB type A ports.

Switching your devices over to Windows isn’t the easiest to do.

Gear Used with the Lenovo Yoga 9i

We tested the Lenovo Yoga 9i by itself. At times we used the Drobo 8D. Sony SD/XQD card readers and SanDisk SSD drives.

Lenovo Yoga 9i Tech Specs

Specs are taken from the official Lenovo listing:

10th Gen Intel® CoreTM H series processors offer commanding performance

Create, game & entertain with enhanced graphics from NVIDIA®

Vibrant 15.6 inch DisplayHDR 400 visuals with up to 4K resolution

Stay productive & recharge quickly with Rapid Charge Express

Flagship 2 in 1 design that includes garaged pen & Dolby Atmos® Speaker System

Ergonomics

The Lenovo Yoga 9i is one of the company’s entries targeting the photography market. Opened up, it looks like almost any standard laptop. If you’re an Apple user, a few things will throw you off. There’s a keypad to the right. Additionally, the touchpad isn’t centered. There’s also a fingerprint reader. Again, if you’re an Apple user, it all just looks odd.

There’s a nice 15-inch screen with barely a bezel. You can flip it all the way back to work in tablet mode.

On this side, the laptop has a few connections. There are two USB C ports, a headphone jack, and a power jack. That’s it.

The other side has a classic USB port and a slot for the stylus. Unfortunately, Lenovo didn’t think to give this laptop an SD card reader. It’s infuriating.

There’s also a webcam built into the screen. I seldom use provided webcams anymore. Almost every camera you use can be turned into one with free manufacturer software.

Build Quality on the Lenovo Yoga 9i

The Lenovo Yoga 9i is a pretty big laptop. I’m used to working with 13-inch devices for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, I’m a journalist that needs to do a lot of work around photos. I mostly work on my iMac in my office. But when I’m on location, I use my MacBook instead. Portability is important to me. So too is ...

Carry your gear around (and protect it) in style with these luxurious camera bags.

There are lots of camera bags on the market that offer various levels of fit and finish. We published a roundup of quality, affordable camera bags not too long ago. Today, though, we’re going to focus on luxurious camera bags that will not only look fantastic with whatever you wear, they’ll also protect your cameras and lenses too. So, if you’re a photographer who likes the finer things in life and you love the feel and smell of leather, these luxurious camera bags could be for you. We’ve rounded up options that range in price from under $250 to over $400. Check out our top picks for luxurious camera bags after the break.

ONA Leather Prince

In our review, we said:

“In our two weeks of testing, we found the bag to be sturdy and resilient to the elements. It was bumped around the NYC subway system by commuters while attached to my body, and protected the gear thanks to the padding that ONA supplies in the dividers.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $409

Billingham Hadley Pro 2020

In our review, we said:

“I really like the Billingham Hadley Pro 2020. In fact, I have to call this bag the best messenger bag that I’ve ever tested. It’s comfortable, lets you carry a ton of gear, is expandable, weather-sealed, and stylish. I’ll surely bring it on future trips and even to meetings. It’s great for both work and play.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $298

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to fill your bag with must-have extras like some SD Cards, camera cleaning kits, and weatherproof camera and lens covers. These items are also essential. With a camera bag, you can carry all these items and more with ease. There’s no reason to be caught off guard anymore.

Billingham Hadley One

In our review, we said:

“The Billingham Hadley One is a substantial bag. You’re paying the price for something that’s not made in China but instead made in the UK. You’re also getting quality materials and simple beauty.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $399

ONA Monterey

In our review, we said:

“If there is one thing that I can’t complain about after one month with the bag, it’s the build quality of the ONA Monteray. It’s stood up to being tossed around in cars, the subway, and even on the sands of Coney Island. But in addition to that, every part of it has held up.”

Chris Gampat – Editor In Chief

Buy now: $365

Billingham Hadley Small Pro

In our review, we said:

“Handsome isn’t an adjective often used to describe a camera bag, but that’s precisely what the Billingham Hadley Small Pro is. On top of its good looks, it’s comfortable to wear, can accommodate just the right amount of gear, has a well-padded interior, and is weather sealed. For photographers that prefer to shoot with a minimal kit, the Billingham Hadley Small Pro ticks all the right boxes.”

Buy now: $248

Holding the Fujifilm GFX 100S gave me a lot of hope for the future of cameras.

Cameras these days are boring. Well, most of them are at least. Everyone is making a good camera. But few are exceptional. In the little time I’ve used it, the Fujifilm GFX 100S seems exceptional. In fact, it’s the first camera I’ve held in a long time to get me excited. Think of it as the big brother to the Fujifilm XH1. If you took that camera, made it medium format, a bit bigger, and changed a few things, this would be it. Fujifilm took their prized winning 100MP GF format sensor and stuffed it into here. Plus, they’re giving us the new Nostalgic Negative film simulation. What’s most impressive, though, is the autofocus. All of this for under the cost of the Sony a1. But of course, those are different cameras. But the Fujifilm GFX100s is showing me that medium format is truly their future.

Editor’s Note: This is not our review. It is our first impressions with the camera on having it for a few hours. Our full review is in the works. But we did this post using a pre-production version of the camera. We need to explicitly say this to clear up any confusion.

Tech Specs

102 megapixels 43.8×32.9mm CMOS Sensor

X processor 4 (4:2:0 10bit / 12bit ProRes Raw 4K/30p)

5.0fps Continuous Shooting with AF-C / 64Gb DRAM

New Smaller Shutter & IBIS in smaller & Lighter weight body

Up to 6.0 stops Sync. Lens/IBIS / 4K30p non-crop recording

100% Phase Detection AF up to -5.5EV @ F1.7/ F13~16

All of the features from X-T4 and GFX100

DIS for Movie / ProRes Raw 12bit Output

400 Megapixel Multiple Shot, Drone & Gimbal support

GFX S (shooting) style Body H150 x V104 x D44mm

New Battery NP-W235 in grip makes the body thinner

Weather and Dust resistant, Freeze Proof to -10°C

Initial Shipment: Feb/Mar 2021

Launch Price: US $5,999

Ergonomics

This is the Fujifilm GFX 100s in all its beautiful glory. It looks a lot like the XH1 but super up. Of course, when you get closer, you realize that’s not the case. Let’s dive into the ergonomics of this camera together!

First up on our journey is the top of the camera. There is a giant LCD screen on the right side. Along here are two programmable buttons, the exposure controls, the on/off switch, the shutter button, and an illumination button. On the other side is a mode dial. The latter will be welcome to many a photographer.

In the middle of all this is the viewfinder. It doesn’t flip up, and it’s not removable. I’m thrilled with that.

Here’s the front of the camera. The grip is nice and pronounced. There is also a custom function button and the lens release here. Of course, most of this area is dominated by the giant mount.

Turn to the back of the camera, and you’ll find buttons and dials. In my mind, they’re all placed in spots where I’ll need to get used to. But with time, they’ll be just fine. Fujifilm kept the back very clean. And I’m delighted with that.

What I’m not liking is the lack of touch functionality. I really wanted this to be a full touchscreen. But I couldn’t even find that option in the settings. Maybe it’s because it’s a pre-production unit pictured here. But if Fujifilm fully removed the touchscreen interface, I’m very sad.

As far as ports go, Fujifilm isn’t playing around this time. Both the headphone jack and the microphone jack are useful slots. Then there’s a PC Sync port. Plus, there’s HDMI and USB-C. Best of all, it charges via USB-C. That’s a major upgrade!!!

Lastly, the LCD screen tilts and pivots just like the XH1. I’m again pleased about this.

Build Quality

The Fujifilm GFX 100s is touted to have weather and dust resistance. And, of course, it should. This is one of Fujifilm’s best and highest-end cameras. There are tons of weather sealing points. But the big advantage this has over the GFX 100 is the viewfinder. With the GFX 100s, it’s a fixed viewfinder. It isn’t removable. That’s a big one!

In the hand, I’m super impressed. Luckily, I’ve sti...

The Fujifilm 27mm f2.8 R WR will pair well with the Fujifilm X-E4.

The new carry-combo for photographers may be what Fujifilm is announcing today. The company put forth their new Fujifilm XE4 and their 27mm f2.8 R WR. The latter is a refresh on the much-adored pancake lens from the company. And the XE4 is a refresh on a model that honestly we didn’t care much more. But if you want the rangefinder-style body at a lower price, then it’s what you reach for.

Most curious about this all though, is the bundle option. This is one of the few times that you can bundle a fixed prime lens with the camera. Fujifilm is one of the few manufacturers to do this. Everyone else does kit zoom lenses. But that’s not the case here. Perhaps Fujifilm is going for a more premium response with the XE4?

Fujifilm 27mm f2.8 R WR Specs

Weather resistance

“A” position on the aperture ring for automatic control

f2.8 – f16

39mm filter thread

34cm close focusing

84 grams in weight

Includes metal hood

With the Fujifilm X-T4, you’ll get 6.5 stops of image stabilization

Same optical quality as the original 27mm lens

$399.95 price point, check Amazon for order info.

This sounds pretty awesome overall! You’re getting better build quality and weather sealing in this lens body. But my only concern is the image quality. The original lens was awesome. However, it was introduced back in 2013. The world and optics have changed a lot since then. Will the optics be able to resolve new sensors? I really hope so.

If I’m going by what history tells us, though, I feel those optics won’t last long. When Fujifilm introduced the X100, they said that the lens was designed to resolve higher resolution sensors. That didn’t last long. They eventually needed to revamp it. The original 27mm f2.8 was introduced in a day when the 16MP sensor dominated APS-C bodies. We’re at almost double that resolution now.

On the flip side, softer lenses can be enjoyable to play with. And modern Fujifilm bodies have clarity adjustments that you can build into the image quality. What’s more, it gets applied to the RAW files. So theoretically, the Fujifilm 27mm f2.8 R WR could be incredibly versatile. But it could also be a bit perplexing for newer users.

Fujifilm XE4 Specs

Fujifilm is saying that it’s basically an interchangeable lens X100 camera. But that’s not really the case. There is no stacked ISO dial.

X Processor 4

2.36 million dot EVF

3-inch touchscreen

26.1 Megapixel X Trans 4 sensor

Shutter speed dial with a program function. No more auto mode.

180-degree tilting LCD screen

Fujifilm is claiming it can fit into thin pockets

18 film simulations.

8fps burst in the mechanical shutter.

20fps burst in electronic shutter

With the 27mm f2.8 R WR, it will cost $1,049.95. Body only will be $849.95.

Black and silver variants.

What to Make of All This?

This is very cool! It’s more or less an interchangeable lens X100 with a slower kit lens option with better weather sealing. But the XE4 doesn’t have weather sealing. If it’s anything like the XS10, though, we’re going to be very perplexed on that statement. That camera survived some major torture that we’d never even put a camera through.

We have yet to test either of these products. But we’re excited to do so. The XE4 is probably going to be a fun option with not a lot of changes to it. And the 27mm I’m sure will be the star here. We’ve reviewed every single Fujifilm XF lens, but we haven’t touched the XC lenses. You can check them all out in our guide right here.

The Fujifilm 70-300mm packs big performance into a compact body.

The Fujifilm 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 is a great lens. Still, when I was invested in the system, that lens always left me wanting just a little bit more. A little more reach. More sharpness. A little more, well, everything. I think many photographers felt the same way. Well, good news, people. Fujifilm has just announced the new Fujifilm 70-300mm f4-5.6 R LM OIS WR. Yes, it has a mouthful of a name, but it also packs more reach, weather-sealing, image stabilization, and more. Over the last week, I’ve been able to put a pre-production version of the new lens to the test in multiple situations. Will it do enough to make hobbyist birders and wildlife photographers drop $799.95 on it when it launches in March? Read our first impressions and see if this could be the X mount telephoto lens for you.

Note: This article represents our first impressions of this pre-production lens. It is not our full review. In the interest of transparency, we mention statements like this to build trust with our audience, as we have for the past 11 years. Our full review of this lens will be coming later when we have our hands on a full production model.

Technical Specifications

All of the tech specs listed here were provided by Fujifilm:

107-457mm (35mm Equiv)

Weather Resistant

“A” Position Lock

Fast Auto Focus with Linear Motor

Filter Size: (67mm)

Minimum Focus: 83cm

Weight: 1.27lbs (580g)

5.5 Stops O.I.S.

Compatible with Tele Converter (1.4x, 2x)

Magnification: 0.5x Magnification (Half Macro) for 35mm Format

Gear Used

We used the Fujifilm XF70-300mm f4-5.6 R LM OIS WR with the Fujifilm X-T4.

Ergonomics

Any photographer who has used the Fujifilm 55-200mm f3.5-4.8 will feel right at home with the new Fujifilm 70-300mm f4-5.6. To me, the two lenses feel pretty identical in hand. The new 70-300mm f4-5.6 is roughly 5.5-inches when at 70mm. When zoomed out to 300mm, the lens is just under 8.5-inches in length. This lens is incredibly small for a lens with a 35mm equivalent zoom range of 107mm to 457mm. On top of that, it’s also nice and light. Weighing in at just 1.27lbs, the Fujifilm 70-300mm f4-5.6 is easy to carry around for extended periods.

The lens has the usual look and feel of Fujifilm lenses. The Fujifilm 70-300 f4-5.6 has the fantastic aperture control ring we all love. Move down the lens just a hair, and you’ll find a large zoom ring and a small yet still easy to use manual focus ring. There is no autofocus to manual focus switch on the lens. In fact, there aren’t many controls on this lens at all.

Here you can see that there is a lock switch, which will hold the lens in place at 70mm. It’s probably there because the Fujifilm 55-200mm used to suffer from horrendous lens creep. However, even when unlocked, I have not seen any lens creep with the new Fujifilm 70-300mm f4-5.6. You’ll also find a handy zoom limiter switch and the aperture control switch.

Around the business end of the lens, you’ll find a front element that has a filter thread size of 67mm. If you like to use filters on your lenses, keep that in mind. Overall the Fujifilm XF70-300mm f4-5.6 R LM OIS WR is a small telephoto lens that feels great when attached to the Fujifilm X-T4. The large zoom ring provides a nice place for your hand to rest when in use. From an ergonomics standpoint, the Fujifilm XF70-300mm f4-5.6 is very good.

Build Quality

I spent a week with the Fujifilm 70-300mm f4-5.6, and I have to say that the build quality has impressed me. Initially, when I unboxed the lens, I wasn’t blown away, and I had a feeling that it would be just another plastic fantastic like the 55-200mm. Now, though, I am sold. Yes, it’s an all-plastic build (apart from the metal mount), but the plastic doesn’t feel cheap. All of the switches feel nice and solid, and they move into place with a solid click. The zoom and manual focus rings are covered in a nice textured rubber. The aperture ri...

The GFX100S is smaller than the GFX50S, has double the Megapixels, and has dual IBIS tech for $5,999.

Fujifilm has revolutionized the Medium Format market. There are no two ways about that. Since the introduction of the original GFX50, Fujifilm has taken several giant strides forward with its Medium Format tech. Today, Fujifilm continues with its mission by announcing the 102 Megapixel GFX100S. On top of this new camera, Fujifilm has also announced a new lens – the GF 80mm f1.7 R WR, which is now the fastest Medium Format lens on the market. To top it off, these two new products’ prices are inching ever closer to Full-Frame territory. Find out all of the juicy deets about these new Fujifilm products after the break.

Fujifilm has really done a great job fleshing out its Medium Format lineup. The GFX50S and 50R are still selling like hotcakes. The GFX100 is still at the top of its game too. So, where does the new GFX100S fit in? Let’s take a closer look.

The Fujifilm GFX100S

As you can imagine, the Fujifilm GFX100S is packing a lot of high-end specs. Let’s take a closer look at them:

102M pixels 43.8×32.9mm CMOS Sensor

X processor 4 (4:2:0 10bit / 12bit ProRes Raw 4K/30p)

5.0fps Continuous Shooting with AF-C / 64Gb DRAM

New Smaller Shutter & IBIS in smaller & Lighter weight body

Up to 6.0 stops Sync. Lens/IBIS / 4K30p non-crop recording

100% Phase Detection AF up to [email protected]/ F13~16

All of the features from X-T4 and GFX100

DIS for Movie / ProRes Raw 12bit Output

400 Megapixel Multiple Shot, Drone & Gimbal support

GFX S (shooting) style Body H150 x V104 x D44mm

New Battery NP-W235 in grip makes the body thinner

Weather and Dust resistant, Freeze Proof to -10°C

Initial Shipment: Feb/Mar 2021

Launch Price: US $5,999

Okay, that’s quite a bit to take in. Essentially the GFX100S brings the 102 Megapixel sensor from the GFX100S and puts it into a body that is smaller in volume than the original GFX50S. In addition to this, Fujifilm has figured out a way to not only shrink their IBIS system but also improve upon it. The Fujifilm GFX100S IBIS system will now work in conjunction with lens stabilization. This means that you can now get up to six stops of stabilization. This is a number that’s great for APS-C and Full-Frame cameras. The fact that Fujifilm can get this level of performance out of a Medium Format camera system is quite amazing.

The Fujifilm GFX100S Is a Bargain

So, who is the Fujifilm GFX100S for? This camera is for the serious landscape and cityscape photographer. The Fujifilm GFX100 is ideal for those who like to shoot fashion and portraiture due to the extra grip and vertical controls. So, grab that model if you focus on those genres. However, at just 1.9lbs (compared to the 3lbs the GFX100 weighs), the GFX100S makes it the ideal Medium Format camera to take with you on hikes. The camera also introduced a new film simulation too. Owners of the Fujifilm GFX100S will be able to play with Nostalgic Neg. The film simulation, which features cyan sky, vermillion reds, and overall soft tonalities, will be the 19th film simulation Fujifilm has introduced.

Amazingly, the GFX100S costs just $5,999! Still, that’s a lot of money for anyone. However, it’s not too far off the price of top-of-the-line Full-Frame cameras, and it’s a full $4,000 cheaper than the OG GFX100. This, my friends, makes the Fujifilm GFX100S a bargain. Will Medium Format become the new normal format? Time will tell, but if these cameras’ prices continue to fall, then I don’t see why not. Fujifilm has probably got quite a few manufacturers looking over their shoulders right now. Of course, we will bring you a review as soon as we get our hands on a review copy.

The Fujifilm GF80mm f1.7 R WR

Fujifilm has been steadily increasing the size of its Medium Format lens lineup too. Like their cameras, the GF lenses have been breaking ground with their designs and price points. The new GF80mm f1.7 R WR is no exception. H...

Everybody deserves to see their images printed and hung in their home, and FUJIFILM Wonder Photo Shop can help make that happen affordably.

The digital age has brought the world of photography many wonderful things. The instant gratification of seeing our images on the back of our cameras and being able to share images online in a snap are both great. Unfortunately, though, the digital times have seen us step further away from printing our images, and that’s a huge shame. Honestly, there’s nothing better than seeing your images in physical form. The great news is that now, it’s easier than ever to get your images printed and looking their best in your home, thanks to FUJIFILM Wonder Photo Shop. And we’re here to help you get your images print-ready.

Editor’s Note: This post is presented by FUJIFILM. FUJIFILM Wonder Photo Shop believes your images are meant for more. Read on to find out how to get your images ready for printing and how you can save 20% on your order from FUJIFILM Wonder Photo Shop*.

When was the last time you printed an image? If it has been a while or you’ve never had an image printed, you’re missing out on a truly wonderful experience. Nothing tops the feeling of seeing your images on gorgeous matte and glossy papers or on metal, wood, acrylic, and canvas mediums around your home. The sense of joy you get from a printed image is truly unmatched. Not to mention that they make fantastic conversation pieces. How do you get your images from your camera to canvas easily, though? Let’s find out.

Getting Your Images Ready For Print

The most important thing you can do to get your image ready to print is the editing process. First, make sure your computer monitor is warmed for at least 30 minutes. Then edit your images, and export at the highest possible JPEG and 300dpi. Of course, if you’re happy with the way a JPEG looks straight out of your camera, you can skip these steps. You’re now ready to get your files over to FUJIFILM Wonder Photo Shop.

The Wonder Photo Shop Brings Images To Life

Your images are meant for so much more than a social media post. They’re not just supposed to take up hard drive space and die there. They’re meant to be seen and enjoyed by everyone in all of their glory. Decorating your home with your own artwork is incredibly fulfilling. You work hard for your images, and you deserve to see and enjoy them.

At FUJIFILM Wonder Photo Shop, you can choose from a myriad of printing mediums including a timeless gallery wrapped or framed canvas. We recommend those because of their versatility. If you want an image with a bit of an artistic grainy appearance, opt for an acrylic print. If you have a more natural or rustic theme in mind then use wood. If your home has a more modern feel and you like bold colors, opt for a metal print. But you also can’t really go wrong with classic print with a mat and a frame.

The joy of printing your images and bringing them to life is that all of these choices are entirely yours. You can make your images stand out in your home in any way that you want, and it’s incredibly easy to do. The online customization tool at the Wonder Photo Shop is incredibly easy to use. Simply upload, follow the onscreen prompts, choose your options, and add it to your cart. Your images will be hanging on your wall in no time at all.

Save 20% Between Now and March 31st, 2021*

Whether you’re looking to fill wall space in your home, or if you want to give gifts to a loved one or friends, the FUJIFILM Wonder Photo Shop has you covered. If you’ve never had your images printed before, we highly recommend that you do. The difference between seeing your images online and hanging in your home is staggering. The best part is that between now and March 31st, 2021, you can save 20% on your order from FUJIFILM Wonder Photo Shop using the code WPSPhoblog20 at checkout*.

Editor’s Note: This post is presented by FUJIFILM. FUJIFILM Wonder Photo Shop believes your images are meant f...

The new Sony A1 seems like a serious camera for the pros who need it!

I was waiting for a day like this. For a long time, I never thought that companies could make a 50MP camera that can shoot at 30 fps. But the new Sony a1 is smashing that idea. Today the company announced the majorly innovative camera. In many ways, it’s a response to the Canon EOS R5 that blew us away last year. There’s a 50 Megapixel full frame sensor. It can shoot 8k video at 30p. It can shoot 50 megapixel images at 30 frames a second. More details are below.

This is a story that’s been updated.

Sony a1 Tech Specs

These specs are abridged from the press release found at Sony Alpha Rumors.

A 50.1 Megapixel stacked CMOS Sensor with an upgraded BIONZ XR processor.

30 fps shooting without blackout. The Sony a9 II can only do 20p.

120 autofocus calculations per second. This is double the speed of the a9 II.

ISO 102,000 at the high. ISO 50 at the low.

199 MP composite image option

21MP APS-C crop mode

Bright and large 0.64-type 9.44 million-dot (approx.) OLED Quad-XGA electronic viewfinder with a refresh rate of 240 fps.

Silent, vibration-free electronic shutter

Anti-flicker shooting with electronic and mechanical shutters

Electronic shutter flash sync up to 1/200 sec. Mechanical shutter flash sync to 1/400th

8K 30p 10-bit 4:2:0 XAVC HS video recording with 8.6K oversampling for extraordinary detail

4K 120p 10-bit 4:2:2 movie shooting capabilities

Wide dynamic range of 15 stops for stills

Real-time eye af with humans and birds.

Tracking with an f22 aperture

You can cancel real time tracking

5-axis optical in-body image stabilization for a 5.5-step shutter speed advantage

Dual CF express cards, but also SDXC

Professional workflow support with the industry’s fastest built-in Wi-Fi, SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps, 1000BASE-T Ethernet, and more

Is the Sony a1 Enough for Photographers?

Of course, this is an incredibly exciting offer from Sony. It’s not offering the image stabilization that Canon does. But it’s offering more megapixels and a faster frame rate. Plus, there’s an electronic shutter with flash sync and a faster mechanical flash sync. This camera also has dual CF express card slots that double to work with SDXC.

We’re still very curious about a few things such as a full touchscreen menu, build quality, multiple exposure mode, and other things that Sony has really been lacking on for a while. We’ll wait for a review unit to give more of our thoughts though.

I have so many feelings about transparency in the photography world that have built up, and I need to get it out.

If you’re not one yourself, there are tons of photographers who aren’t transparent with the people they work with. It’s a wound that runs deep, turns into a scar, and affects you for the rest of your life in some way. And I think that honesty is the best policy. In a world of influencers, shady models/agents, and Instagram algorithms, we need to be upfront with one another. Once you’re found out to be a sham, it won’t look good for you. And it’s rampant in every part of the industry. This blog post is one that’s going to address it in a few areas of the photography world. But there’s a lot to talk about.

Photography Rates and Gigs

Some of this goes both ways. Photographers should be upfront and honest with what a client is getting. This should be spelled out in a contract or in one single record. To cover your own livelihood, you should do this via email. At the Phoblographer, we typically don’t answer Facebook or Instagram messages when we start to talk business. We direct people to email us. Why? We want the records on our own servers. If Facebook goes down, or Instagram goes down, or our accounts get banned or deleted for some odd reason, we need records of everything. It can prevent possible lawsuits. But we also combine this with transparent and honest communication.

In gigs that I’ve done, I’ve spelled these things out in contracts. I even do so with my contributors and staff. Things change and evolve, but both of us have records of it all. I prefer to not do something over the phone or on Zoom, either. If you have it in email, you can quite literally keyword the messages and quickly find them. The hassle is so much less.

Conversely, it also means that you should sometimes explain your Photography rates. We, as photographers, need to do a lot of educating around this because it’s a service that people don’t understand. Clients think that you’re just pressing a button. But you have to spell it out so that they know. And this goes into so many complicated territories. For example, would you rather have $2,000 for three hours of work paid to you in one gig or $2,000 for 18 hours of work paid to you in one gig? I’m sure most folks would go for the former. If you went with the former, you’re probably doing less post-production work and more work in-camera to get the shot. So overall, it means that you benefit more and you can spend more time doing other things–like getting other gigs. When people realize that they’re paying for that level of skill from a photographer that couldn’t be done otherwise, they change their tune.

Working With Models

This is a two-fold problem. Some models do the equivalent of cat-fishing. They show off what they used to look like. But when you get to actually shoot with them in person, they’re nothing like what they’ve posted on their accounts. There’s a whole subreddit for this. It gives the photographer so many extra problems with photoshopping. Otherwise, the model photoshops the images themselves. Quite honestly, very few things annoy me more.

With photographers, I’m going to argue that it’s much more sinister at times. I used to know a guy who had a lot of money, lived in a massive Brooklyn loft, owned property, and had a good finance job. He’d call models over, shoot with them, and then end up sleeping with them. That’s sleazy. It’s also a mark against the rest of us who actually do this for a living. I’m not saying that genuine chemistry can’t happen. But doing it under the guise of photography is predatory. There have been photographers that we’ve reported on that do this. But other sites don’t because they don’t want to stir the pot. And that brings us to our next subject.

We Have Problems with Whistle Blowing

We, as a photography community, need to be more responsible for cleaning up our own industry. There are lots of things that happen that we know are ...