This is our very own version of the YouTube rewind and if you want to see what we were up to last year in one single video then this is it. The video features some of the best things we did and also bloopers and funny comments that our readers have done in the year 2020. So hope you enjoy it.

HERO9 Black’s new v1.5 firmware includes:

• Up to 30% faster wireless transfer of content from the action camera to the GoPro app

• Developed HyperSmooth 3.0 performance in cold temperatures

• A slo-mo shortcut slider button

• Better GPS accuracy

• Support for live streaming with the Max Lens Mod, bringing Max HyperSmooth and SuperView plus in-camera horizon-lock to live streaming

• Pro 3.5mm Mic Adapter support for users who want to use external mics in the Media Mod for HERO9 Black
  
  

Firmware updates are also available for HERO8 Black and GoPro MAX that increase wireless transfer speeds by up to 15% and 20%, respectively, and provide compatibility with GoPro’s new The Remote.

The Remote is a smartwatch-size accessory that can be fixed on anything from a user’s wrist to a gear strap, handlebar or rollbar. It is rugged and waterproof to 16 feet, features a large status display and glove-friendly buttons. The Remote enables convenient control of the most used camera functions, including powering on and off, mode changing and shutter button control.

The Remote can control up to five GoPro cameras simultaneously from 200 feet away. And it uses Bluetooth Low Energy for maximum battery life and easy pairing with your GoPro.

The Remote is compatible with HERO9 Black, HERO8 Black and MAX and is available on GoPro.com for $79.99, or at a 30% discount for GoPro Subscribers. It is currently available in North America only with a worldwide release coming in February 2021.

The HERO9 Black, HERO8 Black and MAX firmware updates are available on GoPro.com and via the GoPro app.

Apart from being one of the leading Wildlife Photographers globally, over the years Ami Vitale has also taken monumental steps towards wildlife conservation. And with 2020 turning for the worst, she along with her friend Eileen Mignoni decided to start a new initiative ‘Prints for Nature’ to help those who are pushing boundaries in the frontline of the pandemic to help conservation. Bhavya Desai spoke to her to learn more. Excerpts:

What is the ‘Prints for Nature’ initiative and what was the objective behind it?

‘Prints for Nature’is a fine art photographic print sale, offering collectors the chance to own work from some of the most impactful names in the photography industry and contribute to conservation. This is an independent initiative that includes over 85 renowned Fine Art and Nature Photographers who have generously donated prints for this cause. All of the net proceeds will go directly to support Conservation International’s core initiatives. I saw the need to support communities protecting wild lands and our most vulnerable species, at a time of critical need. The Covid-19 pandemic is devastating conservation efforts globally as tourism and economies have collapsed creating increasing pressure on nature. Driven by this desperation, poaching and deforestation is on the rise,I believed that by coming together, we could make an immediate impact.

In the early days of the pandemic, we were hearing heart-warming stories. It seemed that wildlife was getting a much needed break from humans and that they were thriving in the era of lockdowns. Finally, they were able to roam freely in cities and national parks! Unfortunately, the reality was much different. Tourism has been what has funded major conservation projects around the world, helping to protect wildlife, restore habitats and create awareness. When tourism crashed, so did the much needed protection for the animals and ecosystems. Contrary to popular belief, an empty national park is not a good thing for wildlife. Tourists fund conservation and they also keep poachers away.

Image by Anand Varma

How is this initiative different from your previous efforts?

In the past, I have worked on fundraising efforts on a smaller scale,but this is the first time I’ve organised a group collaborative effort with so many incredibly talented photographers. It’s been a beautiful labour of love. My dear friend and colleague Eileen Mignoni and I have been doing everything from getting sponsorships to reaching out to the photographers, curating the gallery, building the website, working out the kinks, handling customer service, answering all questions that come in and media outreach. I chose Paper and Ink Studio to do all the printing because of the impeccable quality of their work.

How important is wildlife conservation for nature and for you personally as well?

Planet Earth is the only home we have and together we have poked some holes in our shared little life raft. I want everyone to experience and benefit from the diversity of habitat and life we have today in all of its forms – from glaciers to deserts, elephants to the tiniest of ants that inhabit the earth. We must not condemn future generations to a world bereft of these experiences.What happens next is in all of our hands. Nature is resilient if we give it a chance – if we give it our time. We all have the capacity to get engaged and use our voices to make a difference. The messenger matters just as much as the message itself. Each of us will be a much more powerful voice when speaking to the people in our lives.

Image by Charlie Hamilton James

Apart from being such an inspiration to many, you’ve been constantly pushing the conservation boundaries. Where does that innate drive come from?

I believe we must first fall in love with the world around us. Love gives us the courage to make a difference. But I know it’s not just about loving this planet. Infact, that’s not going to save us. What’s going to save us is believing in the wonder of this world. Wonder allows us to go beyond the routine ways of thinking and to reimagine our future together, to reimagine a world graced by all the species that are on the edge of extinction right now.

Wonder shows us how deeply connected we are to one another and that our choices are profound in their impact. We all need to do all we can to care for the plants and critters that inhabit the earth. They are fellow travellers, and our only friends, in this cold dark universe. Our future happiness depends on them. Once you take that brave first step and allow yourself to fall in love, you open yourself to the experience of wonder. It is inexplicable and it changes everything.

Image by Sudhir Shivaram

Do you feel we are doing enough in this direction or there is still a long road ahead?

Nature sent us a strong message with this pandemic and reminded us of just how small and deeply interconnected our world is. It is a powerful moment to reimagine our relationship to nature and to one another. We need to reduce human encroachment on wildlife. If we do, we can minimise the opportunity for viruses to cross from one species to another; from animals to humans.

Today, nearly 1 million species are in danger of extinction. Our own health and destiny are intricately connected to the natural world and impacted by the loss of species. My hope is that this pandemic inspires every human being to understand this important connection.

What is your lasting message to all the people who read this?

I think what people need to understand is that tourism is what keeps wildlife alive in many places. When people begin travelling again, we should be travelling responsibly, to destinations that act to sustain wildlife areas, and choosing companies that put money back and are not wholly extractive.

Personally, I believe the pandemic has forced us to see how interconnected we are. While this revelation has been devastating, it’s also shown us how we are able to unite and act as individuals for the collective good. This is a moment when we can look outside ourselves and take individual action for the good of the planet. I am personally thinking about a different approach to my own work and my travel.

Travel is important, but I know that we must change how we travel. We can alleviate some of the environmental stress of travel simply by keeping more of our adventures local. If you do go abroad, rather than trying to see it all, slow down and engage with one place at a time. Instead of travelling to many countries, think about spending time in one place in that same time frame. When we take the time to slow down and truly build real relationships with people and places, an authentic connection is created.

Canon recently announced the launch of EOS M50 Mark II mirrorless camera, designed for photography enthusiasts who are also keen to do videos and live stream. Whether you are a parent looking to capture fleeting moments of your child’s milestones or a frequent traveler looking for a compact and fuss-free shooting experience or someone hoping to start your own YouTube channel then the EOS M50 Mark II is designed to help create captivating photos and videos with ease.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi, President & CEO, Canon India said,“At Canon, it has been our consistent effort to bring the latest technologies to our customers that not only enhance their photography and videography experience but also allow them to innovate and experiment with the content they create. We are delighted to launch EOS M50 Mark II, the mirrorless camera that helps you master the art of both stills and video. The camera is packed with a wide range of features that are sure to augment your movie shooting experience manifolds.”

Commenting on the product, Mr. C Sukumaran, Director, Consumer System Products & Imaging Communication Productssaid, “Over the past few years, Vlogging has emerged as a new form of content creation and it is gaining popularity and becoming a new trend too. Keeping the same in mind, we have launched the multifaceted EOS M50 Mark II. It allows vloggers to live-stream directly to YouTube by connecting to Wi-Fi as well as enables users to create 4K quality videos seamlessly in various scenarios. The newly launched camera is a perfect successor to its predecessor EOS M50, which gained massive popularity and was widely accepted by the ‘Vlogger’ community. With multiple innovative, best-in-class features and a user-friendly interface, we are confident that the EOS M50 Mark II will be received well by the audience and will support them in creating engaging content and further fuel their passion.”

Capture Beautiful Portraits and Vivid Action Shots

The EOS M50 Mark II features an enhanced Eye Detection AF, which is able to detect and focus on a subject’s eye even when the person is far away. This will ensure the eye will always stay in focus, making it possible to use Eye Detection AF for full body shots in addition to the common upper body portrait shot. Users can capture subjects quickly and accurately when they are approaching from a distance, making it great for candid shots as well. Eye detection AF is also available with Servo AF when shooting still images and Movie Servo AF when shooting video, so you will always be able to capture your subject’s natural expressions even when they are in motion. The EOS M50 Mark II has a continuous shooting speed of up to 7.4fps with servo AF so users can capture multiple shots of moving subjects such as children or pets. Its built-in high-resolution electronic viewfinder (EVF) makes for easy viewing even when shooting in the bright outdoors. The AF frame display in EVF or LCD screen of the EOS M50 Mark II, which shows which part of the picture the camera is focusing on, has also been improved. It is now faster and tracks the subject more smoothly, so users will always know which part of the picture will be in focus without experiencing any on-screen lag. Display speed on the AF frame display in the viewfinder or LCD screen has also been improved on the EOS M50 Mark II, allowing for a better visualisation of the tracking. An EOS first, the EOS M50 Mark II makes full use of its touch-sensitive display with the new Tap AF feature where users can instantly switch focus from one person to another by just tapping on the screen, which is especially useful in group shots. This is in addition to the Touch & Drag AF, where users can move the AF frame by dragging their finger on the screen while shooting through the EVF

Enhanced Movie Shooting Experience

On the EOS M50 Mark II, Eye Detection AF works with Movie Servo AF shooting. By simply keeping the subject within the frame while shooting, it will track the subject smoothly. Users can thus focus on the composition of the video while leaving the tracking of the subject to the camera. With an improved contrast AF algorithm, users can also expect enhanced AF stability during 4K movies shooting with EF-M lenses. This will enable smooth movie recording, with reduced wobbling. EOS M50 Mark II supports movie digital zoom (approx. 3-10x) at the central part of the screen during shooting, which can be combined with optical zoom on a zoom lens to achieve magnified shooting with up-close shots.With existing cameras, movies shot vertically are displayed smaller in a horizontal position when users play back the movie on a smart device. On the EOS M50 Mark II, an “add rotate info” option enables automatic vertical playback on smart devices, PCs and compatible social media, which enables a better viewing experience. For video bloggers, they could even live-stream directly to YouTube directly from EOS M50 Mark II by connecting to Wi-Fi without using a streaming unit. The EOS M50 Mark II also supports the Canon’s new image.canon cloud platform and registered users of the platform can upload, store, download and transfer images smoothly between various devices. Equipped with a Vari-angle LCD monitor and features such as touch screen recording, movie self-timer and an external microphone jack, the EOS M50 Mark II makes intuitive and easy for Vloggers to record videos and do live streaming.

The sales for the newly launched EOS M50 Mark II will be starting from December and it will be priced at an MRP of Rs. 58 995.00/U (inclusive of all taxes).

Taking forward the legacy of the full-frame mirrorless Lumix S Series, Panasonic launched its Lumix S5 model in India today. The S5 is priced at Rs. 1,64,900 for body only and Rs. 1,89,900 with kit and is available at stores across India.

A hybrid camera that according to the manufacturer has been made for creators – people passionate about creating content as well as professional photographers uses the L-Mount albeit one key difference. Panasonic has taken extra care to ensure that the camera is really compact in terms of its body size. The S5 features a 24-megapixel full-frame sensor and also offers in-built 5-axis image stabilization, which can decrease shake upto 6.5 stops with compatible lenses. 

Although compact, the photo and video quality offered by the camera is similar to that of the previous models in the S series – S1 and S1H. The S5 uses the same 24-megapixel sensor used in S1 and the Dual Native ISO of S1H, which helps its deliver good low-light sensitivity and a wide dynamic range in various lighting conditions

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Stay tuned for a review of the camera on our website and magazine. The full list of basic specs are below:

Sennheiser has introduced its new MKE 200 directional mic in India as part of its portfolio for audio-for-video microphones. The mini-microphone is designed for easy on-camera use with DSLRs and mirrorless cameras as well as mobile devices.

The MKE 200 will be made available exclusively at Amazon.com from 28 September 2020 at a price tag for Rs. 8,490. The MKE 200 is the budget offering for amateurs and newbies that are looking to shoot and record video content using their cameras and smartdevices.

“We are thrilled to launch of Sennheiser MKE 200 on camera microphone in India. Over the past few years, we have witnessed a significant rise of content creators in India. Due to this, Audio for Video segment has seen a growing demand for wireless audio devices. Capturing high quality sound is imperative to garner subscribers and followers,” said Vipin Pungalia, Director, Professional Segment, Sennheiser India.

The MKE 200 features a directional design that captures the sound of your subject. The microphone is fitted with an clever internal shock-mount which acoustically decouples the capsule from the housing. To protect from wind noise, Sennheiser has designed the MKE 200 with an integrated layer of protective mesh inside the housing. This protection is further enhanced by using the included furry windshield when filming outdoors.

Visit our YouTube channel for full review

Fujifilm launched the instax SQUARE SQ1 Instant camera today, which is its new addition is an analog, square camera and creates square format instant prints at 1.5 times the size of its instax mini counterparts. One of the key features of the new addition to this Instax range is its automatic exposure. This function automatically senses the level of ambient light when the shutter button is pressed, and optimizes the shutter speed and flash output according to lighting conditions.

Apart from the camera the brand has also introduced two new instant film varieties; the Square Rainbow film and the Square Monochrome film. The SQUARE SQ1 will be available in three colours Terracotta Orange, Glacier Blue and Chalk White with bookings available from 24th September on Amazon and Flipkart, at an MRP of 10,999.

Instax Square Rainbow Film

Instax Square Monochrome Film

Masaki Zenko, Head of Instax division and Senior manager of Photo Imaging division, Fujifilm India said, “The instax SQUARE SQ1 will fit right in with our creative, expressive user base and allow them to create compelling new instant prints.”

The camera is a perfect amalgamation of the olden days nostalgia with respect to its films and the new age sleek design,” added Kunal Girotra, National Business Manager Instax Division, Fujifilm India. 

Pic: Sony A7C

If you are a fan of the Alpha series cameras and compact light bodies then there is some exciting news that come from Sony. They just announced that the A7C model, which is expected to be the smallest and lightest Alpha range camera built yet. 

In terms of look the A7C looks similar to their APS-C line up of cameras and it will be interesting to see how they’ve managed to fit a full-frame sensor into that tiny body. The camera measures 124.0mm x 71.1mm x 59.7mm and weighs 509g. 

It features a 24.2-megapixel full-frame sensor with in-body image stabilization and a standard ISO range of up to 51,200. The camera is capable of shooting up to 10fps with autoexposure can also shoot 4k videos at 30 fps and 1080p/120fps video. It will be interesting to see if there will be any limitations on the recording time or if the camera heats up while shooting 4k. The body has USB-C, Wi-Fi, and a vari-angle 3-inch 921,000-dot LCD. The Alpha 7C also supports 16-bit processing and 14-bit RAW output for natural gradations.

Apart from the camera Sony has also developed a new kit lens to pair with the A7C. It’s a 28-60mm f4-5.6 zoom that’s just 45mm long when retracted. The price of the body only is at $1,799 and the price for India might be announced soon. The camera is almost $200 lesser than the A7 III.