Afraid of missing out on the latest photo industry news while you’re out, well, actually taking pictures? Photo FOMO is all the news you might have missed this week, published on the weekends. Alongside the biggest stories of the week, like a Bluetooth-enabled instant film camera, Nikon’s new beginner DSLR, and Phase One’s 150-megapixel behemoth, find briefs on the latest in accessories and photo industry news from this week with Photo FOMO.
Go ahead, drop, bend or submerge Sony’s newest SD cards
SD cards can sometimes take a beating (or go through the washing machine and dryer inside a pocket) — but with Sony’s latest options, that’s OK. The new Sony SF-G series Tough USH-II SD cards are 18 times stronger than the typical card, the company says. The Tough line mixes the fastest SD read and write speeds yet with a design that’s drop, bend, dust, and waterproof.
To reach those specs though, Sony ditched the write protection switch that’s at the side of most cards. Eliminating that side switch allowed Sony to develop a one-piece sealed casing to house all the hardware, compared to the usual three-piece. The cards boast a 299 MB/s write speed and a 300 MB/s read speed. The cards are slated for release in October — expected retail price is about $73 for a 32GB, $132 for a 64GB and $275 for a 128 GB.
Apple will teach you how to edit photos with a phone call
Apple wants to help you learn how to edit photos with a phone call. Apple’s Support Page recently added an option inviting MacOS and iOS users to a 30-minute coaching session on using the company’s Photos app.
Apple says the phone sessions are one-on-one, with the call tailored to your skill level. The company says the 30-minute call can cover all the editing tools inside Photos, which span from a one-click Auto Enhance to specific changes to light and color.
Apple suggests updating the Photos app, marking favorite photos and noting some specific questions ahead of the call, which can be scheduled online if you don’t want to wait on hold. The option is only available in the U.S.
Rokinon’s upcoming 85mm f/1.8 will cost a cool $399
The 85mm lens is a favorite among portrait photographers, and now APS-C mirrorless users will have another affordable option. The Rokinon 85mm f/1.8 is slated for arrival sometime next month for about $400. The lens will be available in Sony E, Fujifilm X, Canon M and Micro Four Thirds mounts. The lens, produced by parent company Samyang, is designed from nine elements in seven groups with a nine-blade aperture. The catch? It’s a manual focus lens only.
SliderMini promises big camera moves
Camera sliders create cinematic effects, but they tend to be big and bulky. The China-based Smart View International is promising big features with a new lightweight travel slider. The SliderMini, launching on Indiegogo, offers eight inches of camera movement in a slider that weights 1.26 pounds but handles up to 33 pounds of gear.
The SliderMini app can be manually controlled with different speed settings as well as time-lapse and stop motion. The slider can also be set to inclines and angles. The SliderMini is fully funded on Indiegogo (though that doesn’t negate all the risks) and is listing at $259 for early backers.
The Fujifilm X-A5 and X-T100 get new filters, improved autofocus
Fujifilm’s mirrorless X-A5 and X-T100 have a few new features, thanks to a firmware update. For both cameras, the firmware adds two filters, a square aspect ratio and improved accuracy for continuous autofocus, as well as bug fixes.
The new filters include a Monochrome [NIR] mode that mimics the look of shooting with a near-infrared camera. The Rich and Fine filter’s added color and shadows are designed for food and tabletop photography, Fujifilm says. Both updates launched on Thursday, August 30, and are available from Fujifilm, as version 1.20 for the X-A5 and version 1.10 for the X-T100.
