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. 

Electro-Chromic Glass will be the future

As a brand OnePlus has always been committed to its community, and if you’ve followed their journey then you would know what an important role they’ve played. Last year OnePlus introduced their Shot On OnePlus (SOOP) campaign with its second edition starting this year. Bhavya Desai spoke to Siddhant Narayan, Head of marketing – India, OnePlus on the story of the second campaign and more. Excerpts:

What was the objective behind initiating SOOP?

At OnePlus, our community has played an essential role in our journey in India. They have been instrumental in shaping our identity across several aspects. Our strong and diverse community of 5-million Indians are tied together by their passion for great technology. With a powerful smartphone camera in hand, we wanted to empower our community to capture images like a professional and also provide a platform to share their photos. 

How is the 2nd campaign unique and different from the previous edition?

The current campaign is about how crucial every second is to the pursuit of greatness and how OnePlus cameras help you gain an edge over the others with its features. The current campaign is designed around 3 professionals from various disciplines and entails the decisiveness of a single second and how it tells a story. It completely depends on every individual on how they want to utilise it as, and with a OnePlus by their side, it gives them the added advantage to hold every second and utilise it to the core. 

While having the 3 professionals chosen for the 2nd campaign is great, do you feel if pushing the boundaries of photography was the objective with SOOP then a photographer would’ve been the more logical/natural choice?

The Story of a Second campaign is not limited by profession, we wanted to showcase achievers in diverse fields to really bring the campaign to life and resonate with a wider trajectory of people. The pursuit of greatness in any profession demands years of hardwork and perseverance. The culmination of this hard work and passion through the years can often be narrowed down to some of the most crucial moments that sets apart true achievers from the rest.  The entire story and the journey of success can be attributed to that one decisive second in the life of an athlete, a musician, a gamer – This is the story of that second. By showcasing the stories of these 3 different people, in 3 completely diverse professions, we could best highlight the importance of a second. 

While these professions are different from photographers, however, they also use their smartphone cameras to click their special moments and couple as photographs which eventually are used for professional purposes. 

The Three Achievers featured this year:

The film describes how a gamer – Zara Rebello – uses the OnePlus 8 Pro and its 90 FPS feature to better her skills, while the drummer – Tom Liben – uses the OIS feature to record his videos while drumming which captures every beat, whereas Bharath Pereira – the climber – has his profession inclined towards how he times his journey to the top using every inch of muscle and energy at the right time. 

With the cameras of smart devices becoming increasingly important and one of the key USPs for customers, what is the weightage in terms of importance given to the camera while developing new devices?

Community feedback has always been at the crux of all OnePlus offerings as well the features that we improve and develop on. The camera on our devices has been a key focus area for two reasons, its significance to our community and its importance in elevating the overall user experience. For this reason, The India R&D team has a dedicated camera software team that has diligently worked towards creating unique, customized tuning for specific scenarios for the Indian customer base. 

According to CIPA, a Japan-based industry group, worldwide camera shipments dropped by 84 percent between 2010 and 2018. The single most important factor to have triggered the slump is the rise of the smartphone camera. Also, as per a research by GWI, top frustrations with the current mid-range smartphone segment has been the camera quality (16%) and with the most recent launch of the OnePlus Nord, we wanted to address current user frustrations with mid-range smartphones, especially in terms of the camera. 

Our growing community of users, that had shown a strong desire for a more affordable smartphone that incorporates OnePlus’ flagship-level product and user experience standards, and that is what we gave them with the OnePlus Nord. Hence, providing the best possible camera at an affordable price was a focus for us as per the requirements we gauged from our community. While our flagship series – the OnePlus 8 series – and our legacy devices share the same philosophy of providing the possible camera experience, the need to further enhance our offerings in line with our community feedback has been integral to the growth of OnePlus. 

Even though the OnePlus Nord fits within the affordable segment, it was the first OnePlus device to offer a front ultra-wide selfie. The R&D team worked tirelessly towards developing software solutions that effectively utilized camera sensors to their highest capacity, thereby helping acquire great quality selfies for larger groups. Another example of delivering a supreme camera experience to our users would be the focus on optical image stabilization on the OnePlus Nord. The Nord is one of the only devices equipped with OIS at a similar price point as it’s competitors. 

Our team of specialists at the India R&D facility have and continue to be committed to conceptualizing  breakthrough developments in terms of camera technology with the aim building on our inherent promise  of a burdenless user experience.

While OnePlus is extremely appreciated by the community and customers, there still seems to be some room for improvement when it comes to the camera performance. What are your thoughts on the same?

The camera will always be a key focus area for us at OnePlus given its importance to our community. Our aim is to improve on every feature and aspect of our device with the launch of new generations. We work very closely with enthusiastic community members by hosting focus group sessions as well as try to engage with several of them individually in order to acquire valuable feedback on how to improve, further innovate and enhance our user experience. 

For our recently launched flagship series, the OnePlus 8 Pro was equipped with the company’s first quad-camera system to cater to the needs of even the most demanding photographers and videographers. Also, the OnePlus 8 equipped with a Spectra 480 Image Signal Processor, which processes four times more pixels than before, the OnePlus 8 can take even clearer shots with advanced image processing like HDR. 

And our latest offering, the OnePlus Nord, we worked towards providing the Optimal Image Stabilisation (OIS) feature which makes the video feel it had been shot with a gimbal, reducing the stutters and recording 4K video at 60 FPS, a feature only available on the OnePlus device in the price segment.

OnePlus 8 series in different colours

How has the response been thus far for the 8 series and the Nord?

We are excited with the response we have received for the OnePlus 8 series as well as the recently launched, Nord. Targeted towards the premium and ultra-premium smartphone market where users opt for devices with the best of technology, the launch of 8 series helped OnePlus claim the top spot in India’s premium smartphone segment Q2 of 2020.

The Nord on the other hand targets OnePlus enthusiasts and value shoppers who are not as focused on specs but prefer a smartphone that fulfills their essential daily needs. Living up to this promise, the Nord continues to receive extremely positive feedback from not just our community members, but also from users, outside our customer base.

OnePlus Nord, the newest entrant to the affordable segment

What would be the next stage of features according to you that cameras in smart devices can offer?

As we showcased during the launch of the OnePlus Concept One, that the future of the camera will be the electro-chromic glass which enables the camera setup to be hidden until the camera is not in use. Also, during this period, we received a lot of feedback for the ND filter and have some great ideas coming up for the same as our R&D teams continue to explore possibilities for it. 

We at OnePlus are most excited, passionate and most inspired by the pursuit of making better products. As a company, users should be paramount and based on the products and services that you create, users have an impression and association with the company. Keeping that as our focus, we will keep striving towards creating something more unique and interesting to engage the community together, and that’s really the spirit of it.

Fujifilm is known for its imaging and healthcare technologies, in line with its ‘Don’t Just Take, Give’ motto has engaged to spread positivity and joy in these pandemic with its new campaign ‘Connecting Hearts’, a CSR initiative to help improve the disconnect between patients and doctors. To cut down the anxiousness among patients and help them combat COVID with congeniality and affection, Fujifilm has introduced a unique patient-focused program by sharing instax cameras and films at hospitals to spread smiles across doctors and nurses working on the frontline during these tough times.

The digital film titled ‘Connecting Hearts’ dives into how the healthcare heroes treating COVID-19 patients are required to wear a significant amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) to safeguard themselves from the threat of the disease. The film conceptualized in association with m/SIX India, highlights that in many cases, doctors and nurses treating patients have to obscure everything but their eyes, which in turn results in not being able to form a proper connection with their patients. The video iterates how healthcare professionals all over have been trying to find ways to connect better with patients in order to lessen the anxiety and stress induced by the disease.

With Fujifilm stepping up in providing instax cameras and films, this initiative lets the doctors use the simplicity and accessibility of instax instant photography to help easily distinguish themselves on their PPE. With Instant cameras, doctors or nurses can now effortlessly take a photograph and quickly attach a credit card-sized instant photo print of themselves to their medical gowns.

Commenting on this, Mr. Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India Pvt. Ltd. said, “In line with our initiative to spread joy with our Instax range of cameras, this program is our subtle way of releasing stress in these unprecedented times. While photography may not be able to help in curing patients or protect healthcare staff, at Fujifilm, we believe it may actually cultivate a closer engagement between doctors and nurses and the patients they are treating. With this, we can share friendly faces of our health warriors from behind their PPE and remind them that there is a human on the other side of the gown, gloves, goggles and N95 mask.”

Adding to this Mr. Tribhuwan Joshi, Lead Brand Communication, Public Relations & CSR said, “With our campaign ‘Connecting Hearts’ we wish to pay our salute to the healthcare professionals all over India fighting the battle at the frontlines to minimize the growing nervousness for COVID-19. With our initiative quickly revealing the happy and comforting face behind the PPE, healthcare staff and patients have noticed a sense of calmness, relaxation & empathy in the most challenging of circumstances that these patients are currently facing. With this we aim to take our motto, ‘Never Stop, believing in Smiles’ forward and spread a ray of positivity and hope among the people combatting each day with the unparalleled disease.”

Speaking on the campaign, Saket Sinha, Senior Vice President and Head of m/SIX India said, “The last few months have been very challenging and overwhelming for every individual globally. We are all coping with the ‘new normal’ and adapting to a ‘masked’ life together. We had the opportunity to work with Fujifilm India and as part of this collaboration our teams reached out to multi-specialty hospitals across Delhi & Bangalore and connected with the health workers. Our team along with Fujifilm did a stellar job in capturing the happy faces of the health workers just to put a smile on their faces when they needed it the most. Amongst us all, they are the ones who are fighting at the frontlines to save people’s lives. The m/SIX content plus team and Fujifilm with this small video, shed light on our warriors through this great initiative and proved that humanity can still be alive while facing a pandemic.”

The instax products offered so far have been prioritized to healthcare teams working in intensive care units and care on the Coronavirus frontline. Till date, approximately 20 instax cameras and 400 instax prints have been shared with hospitals in Delhi and Bangalore, and there are plans on extending this number further. Fortis, Vasant Kunj, Hindu Rao hospital, Sarvodaya Hospital, Faridabad and Maharaja Agrasen hospital are some on the hospitals in Delhi and Medirad diagnostic, Whitefield, Chinmaya mission hospital, St. Martha’s hospital are some of the hospitals in Bangalore where Instax cameras and prints have been contributed, among other reputed hospitals.

With this film, Fujifilm aims to spread positivity across fearful & negatively filtered digital mediums, and spread optimism with such campaign.

“These worlds in space are as countless as all the grains of sand on all of the beaches of the Earth” – Carl Sagan. Only a few things are as beautiful as the sight of a clear star-studded night sky. What is even better is to be able to see celestial bodies which are otherwise impossible to witness with our naked eyes. Thanks to technology, astro photographers over the years have been able to capture detailed images of deep space objects adding to our limited idea of the universe.

Motorcycling as a genre has powerful synergy with Photography. At Royal Enfield, they understand and hence, they curated Astral Ride – a seven day excursion for photography enthusiasts. In the first edition of Astral Ride which happened in October 2019, aspiring photographers from around the country rode across the Himalayas to the Indian Astrological Observatory at Hanle in Ladakh riding their #REHimalayan to learn the meaning of astro photography. With professional guidance provided to amateurs that ride Royal Enfields, this ride has been perfect for expanding the scope of knowledge of photography, especially Astro photography. Like the Himalayan Odyssey, Astral Ride is Royal Enfield’s way of organising a riding experience which was infused with life-changing photography destinations and a classroom full of throttle riders learning how to capture the night sky.

Having said that, Royal Enfield has been endlessly encouraging its community of riders to explore different aspect of motorcycling and curate experiences that last for a lifetime.

Photo Credits – Royal Enfield 

It is appropriately said that passion is food for the soul. Being passionate keeps everyone energised and helps them become the best version of themselves. So how would you best find a way to express your love towards your passion? Well, Ravi Hongal a photographer from Belgaum, Karnataka built a camera-shaped home and not only that, he has even named his three sons, Canon, Nikon and Epson. If this is not love for passion, then we surely wonder what is!

Ravi Hongal who stays in Belgaum, Karnataka is a photographer by passion. Since childhood, photography was his passion and his love for cameras increased as he grew up. He would carry his ‘Pentax’ camera out to the nearby rural areas to capture images back then. Soon, photography became his passion and after that, he started a business into it.  

By building a camera house, Ravi has made the biggest attraction in Belgaum which is worth over ₹70 lakhs. His whole house is designed as a camera. While the front exterior is made with a lens, flash, reel, a memory card, and a viewfinder, the interiors have ceilings and walls designed as various parts of a camera. The lens of the camera-shaped home is a window. And Ravi named his house as ‘Click’.

Ravi Hongal from Karnataka showed his love for photography through his camera-shaped house. And now his house has become a leading attraction in Belgaum City. During the day time, it stands tall and takes a lot of attention. And during the night time, the yellow and white lights make it unique and beautiful.

Image Source: The News Minute