Meike AF 35mm f/1.8 Announced, Nicholas Hess Awarded!

From time to time, it’s good to step out of your consolation zone and take a look at one thing in images that you recognize nearly nothing about. Not solely are you able to be taught one thing new, however you may additionally have numerous enjoyable doing it! I lately had the prospect to shoot some BIF. Usually, that stands for “bird in flight,” however on this case, the “B” was a beetle. A chicken or a beetle – what’s the distinction, proper? From a images perspective, not a lot, actually.

In just a few weeks, although, I’ll be photographing one thing utterly completely different. I’ve already began brushing up on use a grigri, jumar, and daisy chain. If you recognize what these are, then you definately may need an concept of the type of beasts I’m aiming to seize this time. I want you a summer season stuffed with thrilling discoveries, whether or not in your yard or someplace distant. And perhaps one of many following new releases within the images world will enable you to get there.

Recent Announcements

• Meike 35mm f/1.8 Pro Full Frame Auto Focus STM: Compatible with Nikon Z, Leica L, and (beginning August sixteenth) additionally Sony E mount. At 400g, it’s barely heavier than Nikon’s equal, however at $379, it prices lower than half as a lot. Features embrace an aperture ring, focus mode change, and USB-C port for firmware updates. The producer claims minimal focus respiration. The lens is weather-sealed. Filter thread: 58mm.
• Lomography Joseph Petzval Focus-coupled Bokeh Control Art Lens Series: A collection of 5 guide full-frame lenses with very distinctive swirling bokeh, the design of which roots again to 1840. Compatible with Sony E, Canon RF, and Nikon Z mounts. Built with video in thoughts, they characteristic uniform gear positions and follow-focus compatibility. A devoted stopless bokeh management ring adjusts swirl depth, with bokeh character linked to focus distance for smoother transitions. Currently accessible: 35mm f/2, 55mm f/1.7, and 80.5mm f/1.9. A 27mm f/2 and 135mm f/2.8 will comply with. Priced at $499 every or $1,272 for a bundle of three.
• Godox iT20 and Godox iT22: Two ultra-compact price range flashes designed for Sony, Nikon, Fuji, OM System, Panasonic and Canon cameras. Nearly an identical apart from their form and the slight distinction in flash-to-lens axis distance. Both provide TTL and guide energy management with 6 output ranges (1/32 to 1/1). A built-in USB-C rechargeable battery delivers as much as 700 full-power flashes with a 1.5-second recycle time. Each flash comes bundled with two magnetic coloration filters and a diffuser; a further filter and modifier set is offered individually. Both are priced identically at $45.

The Rumor Mill

Insta360 will quickly launch its Antigravity drone

Last week, rumors surfaced that DJI was planning to invade Insta360’s territory by releasing a competing 360-degree digicam. Now, plainly Insta360 is able to strike again by getting into DJI’s house discipline. According to early leaks, Insta360 is engaged on a drone known as the Antigravity that may, after all, shoot in full 360 levels. This ought to be potential by means of an adjunct known as the Insta360 Sphere, a mounting system designed to connect a 360-degree digicam on to the drone.

Via Photo Rumors

Canon is ready to increase its assortment of VCM prime lenses

So far, Canon has launched 4 lenses that share an identical measurement, a most aperture of f/1.4, a voice coil motor (VCM), no optical picture stabilization, and a guide aperture ring. The lenses of 20mm, 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm focal lengths had been all designed with a robust concentrate on video use. Very quickly, this quartet is anticipated to develop with the addition of a brand new member – a Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM.

Via Canon Rumors

Sigma patent for astrophotography lovers

If this 15mm f/1.2 patent ever makes it from the drafting board to manufacturing, it could possibly be a dream come true for night time sky photographers. An ultra-wide 15mm lens with a most aperture of f/1.2 would act like a real magnet for photons from nearly any route. Surprisingly, its dimensions wouldn’t be all that large in keeping with the patent, measuring 16.3 cm in size (about 6.4 inches). And this may be a rectilinear lens, making it much more versatile than its extremely specialised fisheye sibling.

Via Sony Alpha Rumors

Good Deals and New Sales

It seems to be like Peak Design is making room for its new tripod trio by providing 10% off its Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod, which is now accessible for $540 (was $600).

If you’re on the lookout for a multiday mountaineering pack that additionally accommodates your images gear, the Lowepro PhotoSport PRO BP 55L AW III (was $660, now $400) is likely to be price contemplating given as we speak’s low cost. It seems to be like a basic trekking backpack, nevertheless it’s constructed with photographers in thoughts. It comes with the GearUp PRO XL digicam insert, which might maintain a digicam with an hooked up 70–200mm f/2.8 lens.

The Ruggard Alpine 600 Lens Backpack comfortably matches a digicam with a mounted 600mm or 800mm telephoto lens, in addition to equipment, a tripod, snacks, a water bottle, and a light-weight jacket in case it will get chilly. If that’s all you want for a time out within the discipline, this $120 pack (was $170) is likely to be simply best for you.

MindShift has a fame for making comfy, well-designed digicam backpacks and judging by the five-star opinions, the Gear BackLight 36L Backpack (was $300, now $250) is not any exception. If your package features a digicam and 4 to six lenses, and also you just like the Woodland Green coloration, this is likely to be the pack for you.

Other Pages of Interest

An enormous congratulations to Photography Life crew member Nicholas Hess for his success on this yr’s Mangrove Photography Awards! Nicholas took house the highest prize within the Young Photographer of the Year class along with his picture of crocodiles below the Milky Way. The identical picture was extremely counseled within the Other Animals class, and a second picture of Nicholas’s was extremely counseled within the Birds class. A really spectacular exhibiting from a really expert photographer! You can see Nicholas’s photos, and all of the successful photographs, on the Mangrove Photography Awards website.

Czech President Petr Pavel is a passionate fan of bikes and motorsports usually. Much to the “delight” of his safety crew, he sometimes rides his BMW F900GS to official occasions, and earlier final yr, he took half in one of many world’s hardest rallies, Dakar 2024. Not as a rider, however as a photographer. His images from Saudi Arabia had been even exhibited on the National Technical Museum in Prague. Last week, he was spotted again—this time across the Brno Circuit through the Moto Grand Prix. Wondering what digicam the Czech president shoots with? See for your self.

Petr Horálek is among the most achieved astrophotographers on the market. His photos have been featured as NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day a powerful 49 occasions, along with receiving quite a few different awards. If you’ve ever thought that persistence and perseverance had been traits reserved primarily for wildlife photographers, it is likely to be time to rethink. Astrophotographers play the persistence recreation in a wholly completely different league, as you’ll see within the article “Twelve Years of Kappa Cygnids,” which chronicles Horálek’s journey to seize a singular picture of the Kappa Cygnids meteor bathe. Horálek additionally shares the technical particulars behind the shot, so if the night time sky is your playground, put together to be impressed.

A tiny island on the jap fringe of the Caribbean is house to the world’s smallest snake, the Barbados Threadsnake (Tetracheilostoma carlae). Blind, spaghetti-thin, not than ten centimeters, and weighing about half a gram, it’s a creature that’s almost not possible to seek out, particularly contemplating that solely 2% of Barbados’s unique forest stays. But twenty years after its discovery and seventeen years after its official scientific description, an expedition led by Justin Springer has succeeded: the Barbados threadsnake (nonetheless) exists, and now you may see photographs here of this critically endangered species.

Photo Theme Challenge, Week #113

Last week’s theme was timber, and you’ll see the outcomes on this thread. Thank you to everybody in your submissions! This week’s theme is rain, and you’ll submit your outcomes on this thread by Saturday, August 2, 2025!

Week #112 Results

Let’s try a number of the pictures we obtained for the “trees” theme, beginning with Danny’s picture:

It’s surprisingly laborious to isolate timber from their environment and actually showcase the form of a tree, and I believe this picture does it very effectively.

AndrewGusew’s picture:

Andrew provides us a more in-depth view of timber by means of a sequence of them, targeted on their fractal department construction. Very cool perspective!

Finally, Mauro70’s picture:

Now we get a extra zoomed-out look exhibiting a lovely “colony” of timber in a peaceable panorama. Nice!

Thanks everybody for submitting their photographs within the problem, and we hope to see extra subsequent week within the rain theme.