Skip to main content

Photography News: This budget brand is developing a 4G mirrorless camera

Afraid of missing out on the latest photo industry news while you’re out, well, actually taking pictures? Photography News of the Week is all the news you might have missed this week, published on the weekends. Alongside the biggest stories of the week, like Flickr’s big changes, Panasonic’s organic sensor camera, and a one-handed Photoshop and Lightroom editing console, find briefs on the latest in accessories and photography news from this week.

Budget brand Yongnuo has a “4G” mirrorless camera under development

Yongnuo, the China-based budget lens and flash brand, appears to be developing a new mirrorless camera. The company launched a naming contest, displaying an image of what looks to be a slim interchangeable lens camera with a smartphone-like interface at the back. And if the image isn’t enough evidence, the two names Yongnuo suggests fans should vote on are the 4G Camera and Smart Camera — that or submitting an entirely new suggestion.

The company says that the official name will be announced in January, along with giving away 100 YN50mm f/1.8C/N lenses with the naming contest. While the company hasn’t shared details about the camera, the suggestions for Smart Camera and 4G camera offer a pretty good hint.

Olympus rewraps lens technology into high-end binoculars

Olympus

The latest product from Olympus isn’t a camera but it does incorporate the company’s lens technology. This week, Olympus launched the new 8 x 42 PRO and 10 x 42 Pro binoculars, designed for nature and sporting enthusiasts as well as assisting wildlife photographers in finding their subject.

The binoculars use the Zukio Extra-Low Reflection Optical anti-reflection coating used on M.Zukio Premium and Pro lenses to reduce ghosting along with helping to protect the surface of the lens. The binoculars also incorporate the Extra-Low Dispersion glass to reduce chromatic aberration or colored fringing. The binoculars are both housed in an ergonomic, weatherproof design with fog resistance. The binoculars list for $470 and $570 and include a case, strap, and caps.

IGTV gets Stories sharing

Instagram’s stand-alone vertical video platform now has one more integration with Instagram itself: Stories. IGTV users can now also share videos inside Stories. The feature is accessed by tapping the send or paper airplane icon and selecting the new option to add to Stories.

Because IGTV videos can be longer than the typical Stories format, sharing in Stories doesn’t use the entire video. Instead, users see a thumbnail preview of the video with the title and length of the video. Previously, an option to share IGTV to Stories was only part of business accounts.

These copper cameras are set to take a 1,000-year exposure to document environmental change

How much changes over the course of 1,000 years? Experimental photographer Jonathon Keats hopes to find out — by creating a long exposure image that won’t be finished until 3018. The photographer recently placed four Millennium Cameras (a design he’s shared in the past for extreme long exposures) around the Lake Tahoe Basin as part of a project called Tahoe Timescape.

The cameras use a tiny pinhole from a plate of 24-karat gold to expose the image inside a copper camera body. Keats’ hope is that the cameras will document environmental change in the area in a single image, though the photographer admits that those same changes could potentially damage the camera or the image inside. He’s already arranged to exhibit the images in 3018 for future generations to see at Sierra Nevada College.

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
Prime Day drone deals: budget drones as cheap as $27
Best Prime Day Deals

Prime Day deals are bringing discounts on almost every kind of tech into play, and while there are a lot of GoPro Prime Day deals worth taking a look at, sometimes you just need to take to the skies. If you're a photographer looking to do so, or if you simply want something to fly around for fun, we've tracked down some impressive Prime Day drone deals. While drones are often thought of as being too expensive for a hobbyist to consider, prices are starting incredibly low with these Prime Day drone deals. So suit up and read onward if saving big on a drone sounds good to you this Prime Day. And be sure to grab a deal while you can if you see something you like, as inventory is likely dwindling and these Prime Day drone deals can end without notice.

Best Prime Day drone deals

Read more
Stargazers, this Celestron smart telescope is $48 off for Prime Day
The Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ telescope on a white background.

Look at the stars in the night sky with the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ telescope, which is still available from this year's Prime Day telescope deals for a cheaper-than-usual price of $182. The $48 discount on its original price of $230 is found on Amazon, but we're no sure how much time you've got left to take advantage of this offer. It's not a good idea to wait until the last minute of the shopping event as stocks may be gone by then, so if you want this telescope, you're going to have to proceed with the transaction immediately.

Why you should buy the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ telescope
The Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ telescope is our pick for the best all-around telescope in our roundup of the best telescopes for beginners, partly because of the benefits that you'll gain from the Starsense Explorer app. Once you launch the app, it will generate a list of celestial objects that you can view through the telescope depending on your exact location and the time. You'll be able to observe stars, planets, and even galaxies through the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ telescope with the help of this app.

Read more
Best Prime Day camera deals: Canon, Sony, Nikon
Nikon Z5 Review

Camera bodies and camera lenses can get quite expensive, especially if you're trying to experiment with new styles or techniques. Prime Day was the perfect opportunity to grab yourself something new, but even though Prime Day is over, there are still quite a few great Prime Day deals on cameras and lenses that you can take advantage of. We've collected a few of our favorites from the big companies below, but you may also want to check out the remaining Prime Day smartphone deals for some higher-end smartphones that can also act as a camera.

Best Prime Day Canon camera deals

Read more