Pixel Weekly Roundup - 25th July 2014

ISSUE NO. 921

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25th July 2014

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Pentax launches 52x zoom bridge, new video tripod from manfrotto, new xiaomi smartphone, Lg’s downgraded g3 and much more...

New Protective DSLR Skins from Delkin Stocking relative accessories is a great way for retailers to make extra profit on the sale of a camera. Now, designers at Delkin have released three new ‘Snug-It Protective Skins’ for Nikon and Canon DSLRs – a good opportunity for any retailers already stocking the Nikon D4s, D3300 and Canon EOS 1200D. The Snug-It skins are made from tackless silicone, which is designed to fit like a glove and act as a barrier against any scratches, bumps and grazes to the body of the DSLR. It can also repel dust and moisture, making it ideal for outdoor photographers. http://delkin.com/

Fujifilm releases 2015 plans for X mount lenses Fujifilm Corporation has released an updated road map for X mount interchangeable lenses, which includes a large-diameter medium telephoto lens, the XF90mm F2.0R. The company has also revealed that the ‘high speed wide angle lens’ the announced recently will be the “XF16mmF1.4 R” with a guide launch date of mid 2015.

The availability date of the XF1655mmF2.8 WR lens is now planned as spring 2015 and the Super Tele-Photo Zoom lens as winter 2015.

The next available lens will be the XF50-140mm F2.8 R OIS WR at the end of the year. Following on from the XF18-135mm lens, this will be Fujifilm’s second weather resistant lens designed to partner its X-T1 camera.

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Nikon D810 – ‘best ever stills images’ from Nikon?

Camera giant claims new high-end DSLR is its best camera yet In its latest bid to storm the higher end of the UK DSLR market, Nikon has launched the D810 – the almost identical-looking successor to the D800 and D800E that, as Jeremy Gilbert (Marketing Manager at Nikon) told us, the ‘best ever stills image from a Nikon camera’, with ‘sublime’ movie recording. The D810 might look just like its predecessors, but some significant upgrades have had the industry talking.

Low ISO This is the first DSLR in Nikon’s history to offer a minimum ISO 64, enabled by the new FXformat CMOS sensor and by increasing the volume of light information that can be accumulated.

According to Nikon: “This enables suppression of loss of detail in highlights (blown highlights) and beautiful rendering of subjects with rich tones, even when a fast lens is used in bright surroundings.”

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Precise AF and vibration suppression The 51-point AF system has been increased with adoption of the Advanced Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus sensor module to make the most of the

“system capable of maximizing the superior rendering performance of NIKKOR lenses and the superior definition of the D810’s CMOS sensor.”

In a recent opinion piece for DP Review, Pixel’s Editorial Consultant Damian Demolder wrote: “While there are no fireworks and marching bands, the adjustments that Nikon has made are genuinely useful and will enhance the life of the user. This is the finished and polished D800E” He also commented on the fact that while Nikon may not have jumped on the 4K bandwagon with this model, emphasis is on the sensor quality, not its filming capabilities.

“So there’s no 4K video, but perhaps Nikon would have had to have used a different sensor, and a sensor more tuned to movies than to stills.

The D810 is, after all, primarily a stills camera. At this end of the pixelpeeping market, Nikon needs to take that stills role very seriously indeed.”

In our monthly print edition of Pixel, we will be publishing a ‘Retailers Guide’ to the Nikon D810, with selling tips and compatible accessories.

“The Flat setting prevents loss of detail in highlights and shadows, as well as over-saturation of colours, enabling adjustment of image quality”

New processing functions A new “Flat” Picture Control option has been added, which applies less in-camera processing to images captured than to those captured at a setting of “Neutral”, enabling maximisation of the amount of subject information acquired.

Nikon said: “The Flat setting prevents loss of detail in highlights and shadows, as well as over-saturation of colours, enabling adjustment of image video

quality and post-processing for richer tone characteristics, including contrast and colours. “

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36.3-million effective pixels. Nikon has also made improvements to the focusing algorithm, ensuring exact autofocus acquisition on the intended portion of a still subject. In addition, mechanical operation of components such as the mirror and shutter has been improved for significant reduction in the amount of internal vibration generated. According to Nikon, this combines to produce a -

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Available from 17th July Priced at £2,699.99.

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Welcome To Pixel Magazine As you know, in England the sun only comes out on workdays. This week has been particularly sunny and gloriously hot – or so I’ve been told, and despite the heat, the sweat, and the desk detritus I’ve been unwittingly collecting on my sticky forearm, we’ve still managed to collate some of the top imaging industry news from the past seven days.

Highlights include some interesting findings from our analyst friends at GfK about premium compact cameras, a new bridge camera from Pentax with a super 52x zoom and a bid from medium format experts Hasselblad to breathe new life into their classic cameras.

Smartphones are becoming an increasing player in the imaging industry so we’ve squeezed in some of the top mobile news too, most notable a premium device from Xiaomi that has an innovative way of improving exposure on its images.

Now it’s finally Friday and we look forward to a brand new

week of industry changes and launches. Next week we’ll be publishing our first monthly print edition so watch out for that in the post. And if you are working this weekend – don’t worry too much, because it’s probably going to rain.

Say hi @pixelmagazine

Pentax Launches 52x Zoom Bridge

The new PENTAX XG-1 offers a relatively low-cost solution for customers who want better quality images but perhaps don’t feel ready to invest in an expensive DSLR An impressive-souding 52x optical zoom lens with 24mm ultra-wide angle enables users to capture a wide variety of subjects and situations without having to lug around different lenses for a DSLR. The 16mp CMOS sensor also allows for good quality high definition images that can easily be viewed on the 3.0-inch LCD monitor.

Customers interested in nature and wildlife will enjoy the 1cm Macro Mode, which

LG Launches ‘Downgraded’ Version of G3 The new LG ‘G3 Beat’, or G3s as it will be known in Europe, is a smaller, downgraded and ultimately cheaper version of the company’s flagship G3 The G3s’ screen is only half an inch smaller than its flagship predecessor’s – which explains why LG hasn’t named it the ‘G3 Mini’.

However, the downgraded specifications put this model well and truly in the mid-range market. The primary camera is 8mp instead of 16mp, but it still comes with the same laser-AF system providing faster and more precise focusing. It also boasts the same Touch & Shoot function found on more high-end devices. The 1.3mp Selfie Cam is a cut above the rest, due to its gesture recognition function,

which means users can make a fist in front of the screen to trigger a 3-second timer.

Internal storage has been reduced from 16GB to just 8GB, but the phone does have an SD card slot for users who need more memory for music, photos, videos and apps.

The G3s is a design replica of its bigger brother, with the same ‘floating arc’ look and thin bezels.

The G3 Beat will be available in Europe from August for €349.

New Xiaomi Smartphone New high-end Xiaomi smartphone with interesting camera features Chinese manufacturer Xiami has recently unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the iPhoneesque Mi 4.

The main camera is 13mp, with the frontfacing selfie camera offering 8mp. The phone comes with a number of original camera modes, including a ‘Smart Flash’ that captures two images in quick succession – one with flash and one without, and then blends the two for better exposure.

The camera also offers a tracking feature, to lock the autofocus onto

enables them to take closeup photographs from just one centimetre away.

Families with young children in particular should like this light, durable camera, as it has super high speed continuous shooting mode with a maximum speed of (approx) 60 images per second, as well as another mode with (approx) 30 images per second. Teamed with the Auto Tracking AF function, users should find it easy to keep fastmoving subjects in focus – ideal for pets and children.

With more and more people using their cameras for shooting video

moving subjects, plus a selective focus feature that takes a series of pictures with different focus settings before merging them.

Another nifty feature is the touchscreen, which features a fingerprint-resistant coating that can be used with gloves, making it easier for customers to take pictures in cold weather.

now, it comes as no surprise to hear that the XG-1 has a HD movie recording mode with a choice of eight digital features (such as black and white and sepia), plus ten shooting modes for extra creativity.

And Ricoh Imaging hasn’t missed the boat on the connectivity front: the new bridge comes fully equipped with Eye-Fi wireless LAN SD memory cards for instant sharing online.

Price: £249.99 Available: Mid-August 2014

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Hasselblad Breathes Life into Old Cameras Hasselblad has announced the launch of a new ‘back to the future’ CMOS sensorbased digital back, targeting its legions of dedicated V-System photographers worldwide.

The new CFV-50c, which will have an €11,000 price tag, is engineered to work on almost every V-camera made by the company since 1957.

The back will have the same functionality and performance level as the acclaimed H5D-50c camera, providing V-System users with an opportunity to benefit from latest digital capture technology, including improved ISO capability.

The announcement comes as Hasselblad underpins its sharp focus on core customers in the medium format sector.

Ian Rawcliffe, Hasselblad CEO said: “We have experienced a substantial resurgence of interest in our iconic V cameras – users love the traditional ergonomics and the unique appearance.

Our research has shown that although we no longer manufacture V models, there is a big demand from our dedicated V-System users who want to be able to continue to use their classic cameras but also desire access to our latest technology.

New Video Tripod from Manfrotto The big-brand photography equipment provider has released a new product Manfrotto has unveiled the MTV535AQ – a single-tube leg aluminum tripod for videographers who want a sturdy, compact and portable tripod for their work.

According to the press release, the new product has: “Single-tube legs for faster setup, angle selectors for versatile operating heights and

very competitive pricing.”

The legs compact into four sections to make it as small and portable as possible, while a 75mm half bowl (60mm with the MVA060T adapter) allows for quick levelling.

The new 535-aluminum tripod is also available combined with the 500, 502 and 504 Bridging Video

Heads. This solution allows users to avoid buying or carrying extra video heads so they can use the heads with other products such as a slider or a jib.

With this configuration, videographers and photographers can detach the head from the half ball on top of the tripod, and attach to a standard photo tripod.

RRP £269.95. www.manfrotto.co.uk

The Last Survivor: Premium Compacts Prove Popular in a Dying Market

The ‘premium compact camera’ market is growing, according to data collected by gfk analysts Despite a 25% value decline in the digital camera market in the first six months of 2014 compared to the previous year, one category of fixed lens cameras is reigning strong: those with large sensors. In fact, premium digital cameras are enjoying a 6% value growth year on year according to Gfk Senior Account Manager Aline Marchal.

So why are customers being drawn to the more high end models? The researchers came up with three main reasons: 1. Choice: More products are available in the compact premium category than before.

2. Affordability: The average

selling price is 10% lower between January and June 2014 than in the first 6 months of 2013 3. An interest in high quality pictures which are not possible with a smartphone at the moment gfk said: “Furthermore, the compact premium market is still driven by innovation and new product launches. This category

is appealing for enthusiast photographers who are looking for compact camera with higher end features. There is also a large range of size of camera available in this market, from a very compact one, similar to a standard fixed lens camera, to a those more akin to changeable lens or bridge formats. So the enthusiast photographer looking for a high end fixed lens camera has the choice of format that suits them.

“Looking ahead we expect the category to keep outperforming the other fixed lens cameras category as it keeps the blue water between it and the cannibalising smartphone.”

Online Retailers Should Answer Their Phones More A study has revealed that customers convert more quickly after a phone call

Call tracking software company Mediahawk tracked online retailers’ phone calls and website visitors for three months, and found a number of interesting insights into purchasing behaviour.

One conclusion drawn was that callers who talk for longer are more likely to make a purchase.

According to the data, those who called and then went on to buy something spent five times longer on the phone than those who didn’t go on to buy anything.

Callers also looked at 30% more

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pages on the retailers’ sites than those who didn’t phone.

Researchers also found that 60% of callers who went on to make a purchase called either on Thursday or Friday, making up a third of overall sales. While it may be tempting to shut up shop early on Friday – this could be prime sale time. In fact, the data suggested that while website visitors are more engaged in the late evening (8pm to midnight), calls drop off dramatically after 5pm, suggesting that retailers should be offering telephone support in the evening to

encourage sales.

Mike Morrell, Mediahawk’s Managing Director said: “Phone calls provide the most valuable leads for the majority of businesses, but they’re especially important for the online retail sector because consumers want to be able to

discuss a product with a human being before parting with their cash. If retailers are able to provide tracked telephone support they’ll almost immediately boost sales, but they’ll also collect just as much valuable insight about their audience as this group of online retailers did.”

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