The manufacturer which always has big launches, Sony surprised everyone with a hush-hush presence at Photokina 2014, with no camera launch. However, the manufacturer is showcasing two new lenses at the event.

Sony unveiled the FE PZ 28-135mm F4 G OSS, a lens specially designed and optimised for video. The new lens is a full-frame E-mount lens, with a power zoom, and three separate rings with ridges for zoom, manual control and aperture

According to Sony, what’s special about the lens is that it maintains its focus when the focal length is changed, thus helpful when closing in on a subject or zooming out.

With a weather-sealed body, the lens features a tripod collar mount. It will be priced at about $2500, and will be available by the end of december.

At the event, Sony also launched the Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS. Another full-frame, E-mount lens, the Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS is an ultra-wide zoom. 

It features a weather-sealed body to protect it from moisture and dust. The lens also features optical image stabilisation. The wide-zoom will be available mid-November and will be priced at $1350.

While there are a lot of cameras that have been launched at the show, by far one of the most innovative technologies that we have seen at the show is by Fujifilm. Its new X100T which is the newer version of the X100S. But what makes this camera stand out from the other cameras in the segment is its viewfinder.

It is by far the coolest viewfinder that we have seen, and that alone makes this a toy that people will fancy. While everyone knows that Fuji’s technology works on the concept of the hybrid viewfinder, which is not always as accurate as the traditional method. So in the newly launched X100T, the company offers a more traditional rangefinder which overlays a zoomed-in display of the focus area in the viewfinder. If that didn’t make sense then take a look at the picture that we have shown here, which shows you the display when you stick your eye in the X100T’s viewfinder. 

The idea is to give you a better information about the exact area that the camera is focusing on. And if you find that too much, then there is always an option of switching over to the regular display.

We used the camera and found it to be working well. If technology like this picks up, then it is only time that versions of these will be adopted by manufacturers soon into the cameras. Other notable features include a 16-megapixel APS-C X-Trans II sensor, minor changes to the body and look, the exposure compensation dial goes up to +3 and -3, inbuilt wifi for the first time, and an upgraded screen size of 3-inch. The camera is expected to the hit the stores in November for about $1300.

Also showcased was the new version of its X-T1 flagship mirrorless camera. Though similar to the regular model, the Graphite Silver edition offers a metallic finish and a retro looks, with some additional features. The camera has an electronic shutter (maximum speed 1/32000), a ‘natural live view’ mode, and the Classic Chrome film simulation.

Fujifilm informed that the Graphite Silver X-T1 will be out in November for $1499.95 (body only).

Panasonic announced a new firmware update for the Lumix DMC-GH4 at Photokina 2014. The new firmware update adds tethered, remote control shooting, and will enable 4K Photo Mode. 

The new 4K Photo Mode will basically enable users to take still images from 4K videos. The camera will automatically set optimum parameters for shooting. Moreover, 4K video can be recorded continuously with Loop Rec function which keeps saving the 5 newest 2-minute video files. Users can then wait for the perfect photo opportunity to come as long as they want keep the camera recording without worrying about the capacity of the SDXC/SDHC Memory Card.

Other functional upgrades include the addition of 4K video recording in 23.98p (MP4, AAC) and enhancement of controllability over ISO setting or the amount of flash emission. 

For everyone who thought that Samsung is not doing enough when it comes to cameras, and concentrating much on smartphones these days, Samsung is proving them wrong. Samsung has made some major announcements at Photokina 2014, and as promised, we are bringing you the latest from the show. We at Asian Photography have always been big fans of the NX series right from its earlier days. But Samsung finally seems to have come of age with the launch of their NX1 Smart Camera and high-end 50-150mm F/2.8 lens.

From the looks of it, the camera does seem tiny but it packs a mean punch. But wait till you hear the price. It’s approximately $1499. Yes, you heard that right. A whopping $1499! And what does this buy you? High speed and performance, featuring an all-new 205-point autofocus system, a shooting mode that offers 15fps continuous shooting and 4K video recording. 

The camera cover approximately 90% of the frame, and the phase-detect AF system is also available to use during video recording. If we are to assume correctly then the lens alone costs $1,599. The camera also features a built-in flash, an OLED electronic viewfinder, and a 3-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen. 

What got us going was the NX1’s design. It looks clean, simple and yet powerful. What is really amazing is the LCD display on the mirrorless camera which shows you a lot of information, a first for a camera in that segment, we suppose. The camera uses a new 28-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS sensor and the touchscreen is as responsive as any other smartphone from Samsung.

Although the availability is still a factor, we don’t yet know when it will come to India, but company representatives mentioned that it should be available in the global markets by the end of October 2014.

Here is the official commercial:

Canon has launched the much-awaited successor to their 7D, the Canon 7D Mark II at Photokina. The 7D was launched about five years ago, and the newly launched 7D Mark II expands Canon’s mid-range series, and is said to be Canon’s best DSLR yet which is not a full-frame.

The camera features 20.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, with a DIGIC 6 image processor, and a major upgrade from its predecessor, a 65-point autofocus system. The camera also features an updated version of the Dual Pixel AF that first featured on the 70D. The 7D Mark II features a continuous shooting drive of 10fps.

The camera has a 1.4 million-dot, 3-inch LCD screen, however, not articulated. While the base ISO of the camera maxes out at 16000, it’s expandable to 51200. The camera features dual memory card slots, for SD/SDHC/SDXC and CF format cards. When it comes to its videography features, the camera shoots full-HD video as MP4 or MOV formats, with a frame rate of 59.94fps.

The camera is set to hit the stores by November and will be priced about $1800 (body only), or with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM for $2150. 

Canon also launched the Powershot G7X, and it is the first Canon camera with the 1-inch sensor. The large-sensor compact camera features Canon’s DIGIC 6 processor, with a 20.2 megapixel BSI-CMOS sensor. 

With an equivalent focal length of 24-100mm, the camera 31 focus points, with 6.5fps, and has an ISO range of 125-12800. It features an articulated, tilting 3-inch LCD touchscreen that can be moved 180-degrees upwards. When it comes to video, the camera can record full HD videos at 60fps. The camera also has in-built wi-fi, for image and video sharing. The G7X is set to be available in the US market by October this year, and will be priced at around $700.