There’s so much happening in the photography world currently and genuinely, most feel overwhelmed by it all. It’s that time of the year when most companies announce new gear just in time for the holiday season for you to gift your loved ones the latest cameras or gift yourself should you be lacking in the loved ones’ department. So without forward ado, let’s dive into the whirlwind of announcements and new releases;
- DJI MAVIC 3 CLASSIC;
A couple of days shy of a year when the original DJI Mavic 3 Pro and Cine was announced, the company released a new, streamlined drone in the Mavic series. The new Mavic 3 Classic is all the goodness of the original Mavic 3; 43 minutes flight time, 5.1K RAW Video, Micro Four Thirds (4/3) sensor, variable aperture, 15KM Transmission Range and a new feature called Cruise Control where the drone maintains a certain flight path even when you’ve let go of the control sticks (something common in fpv drone controls) but with a price cut. This is due to the removal of the telephoto lens available on the DJI Mavic 3 Pro/Cine.
The new Mavic 3 Classic starts at $1,599 (Mavic 3 Pro starts at $2,099) and you can pre-order yours here.
- SONY A7R V;
Two Years later and the Alpha 7R V (Mark Five) is here and Sony is still pioneering new tech in the mirrorless community. The new a7R V is equipped with the same 61-megapixel sensor as its predecessor but bundled with a whole new set of features of which, top on the list is a new artificial intelligence chip that is set to revolutionize focusing and colour rendition on the a7R V. Its no news that Sony’s colour science isn’t the best but Sony claims that the new A.I chip in this camera will sample correct colours down to the models’ skin tones in any given environment whilst greatly improving the auto-focus accuracy of the camera and I don’t see how Sony’s focusing could get any better being that they have the best auto focusing system currently in the market. The a7R V also comes with the best four-way articulating screen available on any camera (And I say this as a Canon fanboy). the touch screen tilts and flips out, bringing the best of both worlds together.
The new Sony a7R V shoots 8K video at 24fps and 4K at 60fps and it costs $3,899. You can learn more and currently pre-order the camera here.
- CANON EOS R6 MARK II;
I’ve been a big fan of EOS R6 since it was initially released in 2020 (the year of the Pandemic!!! LOL). The fact that it was almost everything the EOS R5 was and yet different meant that it was just enough camera for someone like me. 2 years later and we’re here with the EOS R6 Mark II and boy does it deliver. Oversampled 4K/60fps (Oversampled from 6K to 4K so you know you’re getting crisp detail and richer colours). 40 fps burst mode when shooting electronic shutter with very minimal rolling shutter effect on the image. A new 24-megapixel sensor, dedicated knob to switch between photo and video modes and in video mode; Updated recording time from 30 minutes to 6 hours (Lord, Finally!!! Canon shooters understand the struggle). The R6 MKII is just an al round great camera and with a price tag of $2,499, it’s bound to be a hit when it hits shelves in the coming weeks.
P.S
Canon also released a new 135mm f/1.8. The master portrait lens. I talk about the 135mm focal length a lot with my friends because it’s just the right everything; Not too punched in but beyond the standard 85mm look. The new RF 135mm costs $2,099 so it is a high-end lens but if you can afford it… It’d be worth every moment.
- FUJIFILM X-T5;
Fujifilm has released the successor to the widely popular X-T4; The X-T5. The new camera features a new 40-megapixel camera and a completely redesigned look with Fujifilm sort of taking back to basics with the classic knobs design where all the primary controls have knob switches on the top of the camera. It features a 7-stop IBIS system and a new processor that promises double the performance than that on the X-T4.
The X-T5 is built primarily for photographers but for those who’d like to use it for video, it does shoot 6K/24fps with a bit of crop into the sensor. The X-T5 will cost $1,699. To learn more about the X-T5, click here.
