Sony has taken off the cover of its fourth-generation high-resolution full-frame mirrorless camera range, the a7R. Expectedly named the Sony a7R IV, the biggest detail of the camera is its gigantic sensor, which moves the 42.4-megapixel full-frame sensor to a 61-megapixel. This automatically makes it the highest resolution full-frame camera in Sony Full Frame Camera, which is what the a7R lineup is famous for.

The Sony a7R range has always been target at professional photographers who needs ultra-high resolution results for large photo print outputs. Sony maintains that as always, the back-illumination of the sensor helps increase sensitivity and maintain reduced noise levels in low light conditions, which can be critical for extreme photography situatuion.

Other photography specifications consists of an better autofocus system, something that Sony has perpetually improved over the years. The camera now features a hybrid AF system with 567 phase detection AF points that cover 74 percent of the frame, in combination with an additional 425 contrast AF points that cover the rest of the frame. There is also a new real-time eye autofocus mode that can keep the focus locked to a subject’s eyes even when it is in motion, and this applies to video shooting as well.

Continuous shooting is rated at 10fps with continuous AF/AE tracking for 7 seconds in the full resolution, 61-megapixel mode, and up to 21 seconds when shooting in 26.2-megapixel crop mode. In terms of videography, the Sony a7R IV features no-crop 4K full-frame video recording, with full pixel readout in the Super 35mm video shooting mode. It also includes the Sony S-Log 2 and S-Log 3 colour grading logs with up to 14-stop dynamic range, as well as HLG logging for HDR workflow on the edit table.

The other element that has received a sincere upgrade is the electronic viewfinder, which now has a new, 5.76 million-dot UXGA OLED module. The new viewfinder is said to be 1.6x crisper than the one on the a7R III, and comes in two modes standard for 60fps refresh rate, and a high quality mode that presumably consumes more battery but lends 120fps refresh rates to the viewfinder for ultra-fine clarity. Among other new features include a tilting touch display, two UHS-II storage slots, a new digital audio interface to the hot shoe, dual-band Wi-Fi support, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port for high bandwidth data transfer, and claimed improvements in weather sealing of an already excellent chassis. The Sony a7R IV is CIPA-rated for 670 still images in a full battery life cycle, and also has an optional battery grip accessory that can hold two additional battery modules for those who need it. Given Sony’s treatment of India as a prime photography and videography market, we expect it to come to the country soon. However, as of now, we only know that the camera will be available starting this September in USA, at a price of Rs 2,40,000. The local pricing, however, may vary.

Xiaomi Redmi K20 series has been launched in India with new phones – Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro. The Pro variant comes with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and the price starts at Rs 27,999 for the base storage model. The premium phone will compete with OnePlus 7 series and Asus 6Z.

In terms of camera, the Redmi K20 Pro has triple rear cameras which consist of a 48 MP primary sensor + 13 MP ultra-wide sensor + 8 MP telephoto lens with 2X optical zoom. The pop-out camera on the phone has a 20 MP sensor. In terms of video shooting capabilities, the device has a 960 fps slo-mo feature along with 4K @ 30 fps recording. The phone has a 4,000 mAh battery which supports 27 W fast-charging capabilities. Redmi claims this can charge the phone 58 percent in 30 minutes and completely fill the power cell in 74 minutes. Apart from that Redmi has also added a Game Turbo 2.0 feature that allocates more resources for gaming. Redmi K20 packs in the Snapdragon 730 and also has the Sony IMX582 sensor instead of Redmi K20 Pro’s IMX586. Rest, all other specs remain the same except for an 18W fast charging support instead of 27W. Since Xiaomi has been calling this Flagship Killer 2.0, and its competing One Plus series. The Redmi K20 is priced at Rs 21,999, competing for One Plus 7 and the Redmi K20 Pro priced at Rs 27,999 in India, competing for OnePlus 7 Pro.

Fujifilm launched the Fujifilm GFX100 mirrorless digital camera united with an image sensor with the highest 102 million pixels resolution and color reproduction technology to attain the world-leading image quality. The event had the presence of Mr. Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India Pvt Ltd., Mr. Dabboo Ratnani, Celebrity and Fashion Photographer and International Editorial, Commercial and Corporate Photographer Mr. Zack Arias. 

The GFX100 is a model of the GFX Series of mirrorless digital cameras. Among digital cameras equipped with a sensor larger than the 35mm full-frame format, this model offers (1) a back-illuminated sensor with phase detection pixels, (2) in-body image stabilization (IBIS) mechanism and (3) 4K/30P video recording capability. Launched in India on 16th July, 2019, the camera will be available at a price of INR 7,86,999/-.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India Pvt Ltd. Said that this is indeed a gratifying moment for them and they are excited to announce the launch of the world’s highest 102 million pixels mirrorless camera – GFX100 in India. In Fujifilm India, their endeavour has always been to bind innovation together with service that enhances customer delight. With the launch of GFX100, they have achieved a great milestone in our digital camera business. The launch will further enhance our presence in India and they will continue introducing cameras that deliver an unparalleled standard of optical brilliance that is sure to delight a photographer’s fantasy.

Present at the event and Brand Ambassador for Fujifilm GFX range, Mr. Dabboo Ratnani said that it is a matter of great pride for him to be associated with a cult brand like Fujifilm. The new GFX100 camera embodies a new standard of optical excellence with technological brilliance in new mount and optics; retaining Fujifilm’s renowned legacy. Packed with powerful features, the camera displays Fujifilm’s legendary artistry that will empower users to expand the realm of photographic capabilities. With this association, we look forward to an advanced mirrorless camera experience and witness a shift in the existing imaging industry to newer heights.

On this occasion, the Optical Devices Division of Fujifilm also unveiled the new “Premista” series of cinema zoom lenses. These lenses support large-format sensors and deliver high resolution, beautiful bokeh and rich gradation with HDR (high dynamic range). The Premista Series brings out the maximum capability of large format sensors, which is increasingly being adopted into cinema camera, to provide robust support for high-quality video production. The Premista 28-100mm T2.9 will be available in August 2019 and the Premista 80-250mm T2.9-3.5 will be available later this year at a price of 32 Lakhs approx.

Asian Photography Photowalk

Another Milestone for the Magazine

As a magazine Asian Photography has always been known to innovative and do new things. And as a first this year, the magazine started something new and unique and it was a runaway hit. From ideas on paper in the editorial meet to the execution of the same, everything at the Photowalk inititiave was different this time.

How was it unique?

The idea of a Photowalk wasn’t unique to the magazine as such initiatives had already been taken a few times in Kolkata during Artistique. But with this initiative the magazine wanted to do something different. How do we do something that has never been done before, we asked ourselves? After a lot of brainstorming, we figured out that Fashion photography classes have always been limited to the studio. Why is that? Why can’t we practically impart knowledge to people by actually shooting and teaching it?

The first step in conducting a photowalk is to understand its purpose. Why are we conducting a photowalk? Is it just publicity or do we have a different motive behind it? We decided it should be a knowledge sharing platform and the attendees should learn something from it. We needed a professional photographer who would impart them with knowledge. We zeroed in on one of the best fashion and lifestyle (two of the many feathers in his cap) photographer, Ritam Banerjee. He has shot everything from advertising, automobile, portraits, fashion, corporate, architecture & interiors, products, travel, industrial, photojournalism, food and more.

A review session for the Photowalk

As most photowalks go, people meet at a particular place, take photos from point A to point B and leave once the walk is over. We weren’t convinced with this idea. This is where the idea for a review session came in. What good are pictures and walks if you don’t get an idea on how you can improve and learn for the future? The review sessions were conducted at the Udaan School of Photography with the location figured to be in Bandra.

The Prizes

In order to encourage the participants, we decided to have some prizes for the best pictures of the walk. Sandisk and Golla were kind enough to lend us a helping hand to encourage the budding photographers with 128 GB SD cards and Designer Camera Bags respectively .

Any fashion shoot is incomplete without models. We were lucky enough to get three beautiful women for the walk. Tania Jena, Komal Rane and Neha Dinesh Anand agreed to join us for the walk. They were extremely professional and helped the budding photographers with their inputs as well! Even though the unforgiving Mumbai sun was posing problems, the models helped the photographers with their shoot.

The photowalk began just as any other with the photographers gathered at the starting point and we introduced Ritam Banerjee to them. Ritam asked the participants to first gel with the models. The photographers were a bit hesitant at first and it was the first step of the shoot. Any fashion shoot, Ritam explained, begins with getting to know the model well. Then the photographers were divided into three groups and asked to take one model each, along with them. They were given a time of 15 minutes and they had to shoot some beautiful pictures within that given time and meet Ritam about 200 meters away where the models would exchange groups and shoot with a new group. This went on till all the groups had shot with all the models. We were halfway on our route of the walk. Everyone gathered around Ritam and he explained that he noticed a lack of group coordination in the participants. So he decided to give another exercise. Each group got to shoot with one model and each member of the group would have 5 minutes to shoot the model while the others helped in the shoot. This continued for 20 minutes. At around 10:00 AM the photowalk came to an end with a group photo.

Now the next step was that the photographers had to reach Udaan School of Photography and submit three of their best images taken on that day before 11:00 AM which would be reviewed. The participants reached the premises where they were greeted in by Asian Photography team members.

“A big thank you to Asian Photography for the wonderful initiative and for taking photography and photographers to explore, express and experience the joy of shooting even more” – Ritam Banerjee

The Editor of Asian Photography, Bhavya Desai joined in on the review session along with Ritam Banerjee who shared their expertise to help the photographers through the session. Bhavya explained how the inception of the photowalk idea began and also announced that each participant would receive one complete year’s e-subscription of the magazine! Ritam further spoke about the nuances of fashion photography, importance of teamwork and so on while the participants listened attentively. The participants got a chance to ask questions and the models joined in too!

At the end of the session the winning participants were chosen by Bhavya Desai and Ritam Banerjee. The winners then received the goodies and were given a chance to speak in front of the other participants. The photographers who received prizes were Sudhanshu Sawate, Kinjal Padaya, Garv Srivastav, Mohit Shigvan, Suryansh Tripathi and Bhavika Doulatani.

The day came to an end with all participants having learned a lot from the event while taking back memories and a whole lot of enthusiasm expressing their intent to join in on the next photowalk that the magazine organizes.

Tamron Co., Ltd. a leading manufacturer of optics for diverse applications, launched the 17-28mm F/2.8 Di III RXD (Model A046) on June 28, 2019 in Saitama, Japan. A large aperture, ultra wide-angle lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras. The Model A046 features a filter diameter of 67mm with an light weight of 420g and length of 99mm. The compact size supplies great balance on the small profile mirrorless cameras and is easy to carry. It also offers a large F/2.8 aperture throughout the entire zoom range and results a high-resolution and contrast. The mixture of ultra wide-angle focal length, large constant F/2.8 aperture and an closer focus ditance of 0.19m (7.5 in) at the wide-angle end will results in great photography in a multitude of scenarios. The new 17-28mm zoom’s AF drive system is powered by the RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) stepping motor unit that enables it to deliver high-speed, high-precision and superbly quiet operation and making it suitable for shooting virtually noise-free video as well as still photographs.

In addition, the new zoom lens features Moisture-Resistant Construction and a hydrophobic Fluorine Coating that repels fingerprints and dirt. Plus, the Model A046 is fully compatible with various camera-specific features including Fast Hybrid AF and Eye AF. High performance, combined with portability, makes the 17-28mm zoom ideal for daily use.

The Asus 6z is the company’s latest flagship offering or the Indian market starting at Rs 31,999. The standout feature of the 6z is its Flip Camera system and a massive 5000mAh battery.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The base variant of the Asus 6z comes at Rs 31,999 with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage.

• The top-end variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage is priced at Rs 39,999.

• The Asus 6z will be available exclusively on Flipkart.

After almost a month of its global launch, Asus has finally released the Asus 6z in India. Globally known as the ZenFone 6, the phone has been renamed after legal restrictions in India. The phone has been grabbing attention with its unique motorised Flip Camera and a massive 5000mAh battery. The Asus 6z starts from Rs 31,999 for the base variant in India, thereby going up against the OnePlus 7 series phones in the Indian market.

The Asus 6z starts in India from Rs 31,999 for the base variant with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. For the variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, the price stands at Rs 34,999. The top-end variant comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, which costs Rs 39,999. The phone will available exclusively on Flipkart and sale will start from June 26. Consumers will also be able to get the Flipkart Mobile Protection Plan for Rs 99.

Asus 6z specifications

The Asus 6z is primarily known for its Flip Camera module that helps Asus eliminate the display notch. There’s a 48-megapixel primary camera with the Sony IMX586 sensor and a secondary 13-megapixel wide-angle camera to care of the imaging duties. When required, the Flip module lets the user utilise the rear cameras for selfies and video calls. Therefore, you can take selfies with a highly capable 48-megapixel camera. The module uses a Stepper motor that can change angles at a minimum of 2 degrees.

DxOMark has awarded the Asus 6z a very high score of 96 for selfie camera performance. User can also manually adjust the Flip Camera angles manually. Asus has even opened up the Camera2 API, which allows users to use the GCam mod. Do note that the phone doesn’t have OIS assistance and only relies on EIS. The Flip Camera module uses Liquid Metal to ensure the durability of the module. Asus has also built safety mechanisms – the module goes in when it detects a drop.

The Flip Camera makes for a notch-less narrow-bezel display with a slim chin. The phone sports a 6.3-inch IPS LCD panel with Full HD+ resolution. There’s a capacitive fingerprint sensor at the back. Like all 2019 flagships, the phone is equipped with a Snapdragon 855 chipset that comes with a choice or 6GB or 8GB RAM and 64GB, 128GB or 256GB storage. Asus is designed ZenUI 6 from scratch and based n user feedback, it adopts a very stock Android like interface. Asus has retained some of the smart features from previous ZenUI versions but it ensures a clean boat-free interface.

The phone also offers a triple card slot that can accommodate two SIM cards and a micro SD card at the same time. To keep the phone alive, it uses a 5000mAh battery with support Quick Charge 4.0. It also comes with a Smart Key that can be customised either to launch the Google Assistant or custom functions. and it’s one

A student of Jamia Millia Islamia, Mohsin Javed, has caught all the eye balls with his photograph of world heritage monument Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. The picture has been selected for International Photo contest “Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads” organized by UNESCO’s Silk Road Project. student of Jamia Millia Islamia, Mohsin Javed, has caught all the eye balls with his photograph of world heritage monument Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. The picture has been selected for International Photo contest “Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads” organized by UNESCO’s Silk Road Project. The international selection committee chose the picture among 6625 entries taking into consideration its quality and creativity. Sixty of the best images, including Mohsin’s picture, have been selected to be part of a travelling exhibition, which has been displayed so far in China, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Oman, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan and at UNSECO Headquarters in Paris, France. The exhibition will continue to tour in other countries.

Moreover, the selected photographs have been also presented in a professionally bound photo album, “Youth Lens on the Silk Roads”, which reflect youth’s visions and understanding of the Silk Roads common heritage. A copy of the album has been sent to Mohsin by the UNESCO.

Mohsin, 18, developed his passion for photography when he was in class 8th and took it seriously after 10th class. His pictures have been widely carried by many national and international agencies and publications including international photo agency Getty Images, Germany’s Public International Broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) website and various magazines in India. Mohsin says he wants to pursue his career in photography.

Huawei’s sub-brand launched Honor 20 series smartphones in India on 11th June, 2019 at an event in New Delhi. The Honor 20 series phones include Honor 20 Pro, Honor 20 and Honor 20i. The Chinese company had launched Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro in May at an event in London. Honor 20i was also launched in China in April. All the three models will be available in India on Flipkart and also on the company’s own eStore.

According to Honor, Flipkart will begin selling Honor 20 from June 25. On the other hand, the Honor 20i will be made available from June 18 via Flipkart and other offline retailers. However, Honor hasn’t said much about the availability of Honor 20 Pro and has just said that the phone will be available “very soon.”

As far as pricing is concerned, Honor 20 is priced at Rs 32,999 for the 6GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant. The Honor 20 Pro will retail in India at Rs 39,999 for thethe 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage option. The cheapest Honor device, however, will be the Honor 20i and will take on Redmi series devices in India. The Honor 20i is priced at Rs 14,999 for the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage variant.

Honor 20 Pro will be made available in the sole Phantom Blue colour in India. The Honor 20 will be available  in Midnight Black and Sapphire Blue colours. Colours like Gradient Red, Gradient Blue, and Magic Night Black colours will come with Honor 20i.

As for the specifications, Honor 20 Pro is powered by the 7nm Kirin 980 processor with dual-NPU and up to 8GB of RAM. Inbuilt storage is offered up to 256GB. The regular Honor 20 also runs on a HiSilicon Kirin 980 SoC, paired with dual-NPU, GPU Turbo 3.0, and 6GB of RAM. The Honor 20i, on the other hand, is powered by the octa-core Kirin 710F SoC paired with the Mali G51MP4 GPU, up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

Design wise, there isn’t much difference between Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro. Both the models have a 6.26-inch “All-view” IPS LCD with a 4.5mm hole punch in the top-left corner for selfies. Honor had bragged about having the smallest punch-hole in the category with a screen-tobody ratio of 91.6%. The punch-hole display of both Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro holds the 32MP selfie sensor. At the back, Honor 20 Series comes with a V-shaped color gradient with a gleaming effect. The company is calling the design on the back their “Dynamic Holographic Design”.

For Optics, Honor 20 Pro and Honor 20 have a quad camera setup. Honor 20 Pro comes with a primary 48-MP Sony IMX586 sensor. The secondary 16-MP super-wide-angle camera comes with f/2.2 aperture and a 117-degree angle lens. There is also an 8-MP telephoto camera. For selfies, there is a 32-MP selfie snapper. The budget Honor 20i comes with a triple rear camera setup that houses a 24-MP main camera, 8-MP ultra-wide camera and another 2-MP depth sensor. On the front, there is a 32-MP camera with support for HDR, portrait mode, and face unlock for authentication.

HMD launched the Nokia 2.2 in India on Thursday as the most affordable Android One device. The Nokia 2.2 succeeds last year’s Nokia 2.1, which was an Android Go smartphone running on a trimmed down version of Android Oreo. Not only does the Nokia 2.2 get an upgraded software, but it also comes with a new design as well as a few AI features.

Some of the biggest highlights of the Nokia 2.2 are AI-related such as the dedicated Google Assistant button and AI low-light photography. These features give the Nokia 2.2 a pretty good edge over the competition in the budget segment.

Nokia 2.2 specifications

• Display: The Nokia 2.2 sports a 5.71-inch HD+ display with a 19:9 aspect ratio and 400 nits brightness.

• Processor: It is powered by a 2GHz MediaTek Helio A22 chipset.

• RAM: The Nokia 2.2 comes with 2GB and 3GB of RAM.

• Internal storage: The 2GB RAM variant comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage, while the 3GB version offers 32GB storage.

• Rear camera: The phone gets a 13MP f/2.2 primary camera with LED flash.

• Front camera: It comes with a 5MP selfie camera.

• Battery: The Nokia 2.2 houses a 3,000mAh battery.

• Software: That Android One phone runs on stock Android Pie.

Nokia 2.2 features

• The Nokia 2.2 brings an updated design over the Nokia 2.1. The biggest change comes to the display, which sees thinner bezels all around to bring a 19:9 aspect ratio as opposed to the Nokia 2.1 that was bezel-full and offered a 16:9 display. The Nokia 2.2 gets a waterdrop notch on top of the display to house the selfie camera. Overall, the front of the Nokia 2.2 bares a lot of similarities with the Nokia 4.2 and Nokia 3.2.

• The rear panel is a unibody plastic shell in a glossy finish. It comes in Steel and Tungsten Black colours, but the rear cover can be interchanged for Xpress-On covers that come in Pink Sand, Green and Ice Blue colours.

• The Nokia 2.2 also gets a Google Assistant button like the Nokia 3.2 and Nokia 4.2. The button on the side of the frame will allow users to quickly launch the AI with a tap. Users will also be able to double tap the button to bring up relevant information for the day, or long press the button to make longer requests.

• Software has been upgraded as well compared to the Nokia 2.1. While last year’s Nokia 2.1 was an Android Go phone running on Android Oreo (Go edition), the Nokia 2.2 is now an Android One device which runs a full-fledged stock Android Pie software. This means you get a full stock Android experience along with features like Adaptive Battery, Adaptive Brightness, new navigation gesture and Digital Wellbeing. It also means the Nokia 2.2 will get two major Android updates and at least three years of monthly security updates.

• An interesting feature that comes with this budget smartphone is what the company calls AI powered low light fusion which is essentially a long exposure mode that works for both the rear and front cameras. The night mode will use AI to detect low-light scenarios and will stitch multiple simultaneous shots to offer a brighter low-light photo.

Nokia 2.2 price in India and availability

The Nokia 2.2 has been launched in India starting at Rs 6,999, which makes it the most affordable Android One device in the market right now. This is the price for the 2GB + 16GB variant, while the 3GB + 32GB version costs Rs 7,999. These are introductory prices that will last for a limited time.

After the limited period offer, the Nokia 2.2 will cost Rs 7,699 and Rs 8,699 for the two variants. The Nokia 2.2 is already up for pre-orders on the Nokia online store and will go on sale starting June 11 via offline retail markets across India, Nokia online shop and Flipkart. Jio subscribers on Nokia 2.2 will get instant Cashback of Rs 2,200 along with 100GB additional data which will be applicable on recharges of Rs 198 and Rs 299. The cashback will be offered in the form of 44 coupons worth Rs 50 each.