Category Archives: news

Tamron showcases the first ultra-wide zoom lens to offer stabilisation : Photokina 2014

Tamron has announced a new lens, the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 DI VC USD ultra-wide zoom lens. The company showcasesd a prototype of the lens at Photokina 2014. According to Tamron, it’s the first ultra-wide f/2.8 zoom to offer image stabilisation. The lens is designed for full-format DSLRs. It has a 9-blade diaphragm and an ultra-sonic focussing motor.

The lens weighs about 2.4pounds (1.1kg), and it is 5.7 inches long (145mm).

The company informed that it will be available in Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts, and have yet not announced the pricing and availability.

One of a kind viewfinder: Fujifilm X100T at Photokina 2014

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).

Motion control technology at Photokina 2014

In many ways Photokina is basically a show where all manufacturers put their best foot forward, and Nikon did exactly that at this year’s show. We stumbled upon this technology and it was just too good to pass up. Nikon along with Mark Roberts Motion Control has worked upon a motion control system that is widely used for number of applications.

Displayed right in the middle of the booth, this technology was just demanding attention. Mounted with a Nikon D810 on the robot, the system mapped certain points which are pre-programed to provide a flawless motion while shooting a video. The idea is to give it a very human feel, so that it’s seamless and fluid.

If you are at Photokina 2014, and are looking for some interesting technology, then this is something you should surely check out. 



Olympus at Photokina 2014

Olympus announced the launch of a major firmware update of its flagship camera, the OM-D E-M1 at Photokina 2014. This firmware upgrade includes, USB tethered shooting capabilities, ideal integration in the workflow for studio photographers, utilizing Olympus’ new Olympus Capture studio tethering application where the E-M1 connects to a computer via a USB cable, and the free Olympus Capture software mirrors the camera’s Live View on the computer monitor, enabling easier, stress-free collaboration and sharing with other parties involved in a photo shoot. Other inclusions of the firmware also include in-camera Digital Shift, or Keystone Compensation which allows the user to correct the converging lines of trapezoidal distortion in Live View, without the need for a shift lens or post-processing and Live Composite Mode is a tool that offers previews of long exposures in Live View. Along with the firmware upgrade 2.0, Olympus also announced the firmwares’ availability on a silver version of the previously only-available-in-black E-M1.
Olympus also announced the M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro lens (equivalent to 80-300mm). The lens is the first telephoto in the M.ZUIKO PRO series that features a dust, splash and freezeproof construction, durable enough to withstand the rigors of professional shooting. It uses a dual-linear motor to power focusing of two high-grade lens elements, and provides an internal zoom construction to maintain the same overall length as it’s zoomed. The M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm f2.8 PRO Lens will be available in November, 2014.
Olympus also showcased its previously announced PEN E-PL7 which offers a 16MP CMOS sensor, 3-axis image stabilization system borrowed from the OM-D E-M10, 8 fps continuous shooting and built-in Wi-Fi. The E-PL7 provides an articulated 3″ touch LCD, capable of flipping downward by 180°, apt for selfies. Along with the E-PL7, Olympus has also announced an update to its OI.Share app as well as a black version of its M.Zuiko 12mm F2.0 prime.

Firmware upgrades for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 allow 4K Photo and tethering: Photokina 2014

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. 

4K video, 28-megapixel and a whopping price: the Samsung NX1 is here

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 launches the power-packed 7D Mark II and new compact G7X

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. 

Nikon announces the D750

Nikon India has announced the launch of the new D750, the smallest and lightest FX-format (full-frame) digital SLR camera. The D750 features built-in Wi-Fi, tilting monitor, 24.3 megapixels, 91K-pixel RGB sensor, and high-speed continuous shooting rate of approximately 6.5 frames per second for both FX- and DX-format.
According to Nikon, the D750 is set to challenge the common assumption that the higher a D-SLR’s specifications, the bulkier it becomes. The D750 includes technologies designed to offer a strong, lightweight camera without compromising image quality. Its FX-format (full-frame) CMOS sensor and EXPEED 4 image-processing engine are packed into a monocoque structure, framed by carbon-fiber, reinforced thermoplastics (LFT) and magnesium alloy to provide durability. 
“With the addition of Nikon D750, we aim to strengthen our foothold in the world of photography. As the Indian photography market matures, we are witnessing strong growth for the D-SLR category. With this launch, we are aiming to provide the photographer more choices and we believe this product will strongly appeal to photo enthusiasts and serious hobbyists who are aspiring to escalate their photography experience with a portable FX-format (full-frame) D-SLR,” said Mr. Hiroshi Takashina, Managing Director, Nikon India.
“The revolutionary Nikon D750 is a stunning camera packed with incredible features like 24.3 megapixel FX-format (full-frame) CMOS sensor, built in Wi-Fi complemented with cutting-edge engineering and superior manoeuvrability. The minimal weight and frame of this perfectly crafted FX-format (full-frame) camera allows a close ‘true-to-life’ imaging experience to photographers and offers them everything they need to capture and share incredible images in a single device,” said Mr. Sajjan Kumar, Vice President-Imaging, Nikon India.

Making of the Artistique 2014 exhibition


Well the stage is set and the exhibit has been put up starting today so its time for you also to be part of the visual treat. We have made a video of how the exhibit has been put up to give a sneak preview of what you are missing. So click on this video and check it out.

An artistic medium – Photography

“For the longest time photography in India has been considered as a ‘profession’ to make ends meet. While the changing times have broadened the viewer’s acceptance of art forms like painting, sculpting, movies among other things, photography seems to have been stuck in a timeless cycle. In a stark contrast, the visual medium of picture-making is considered and perceived as an art form internationally. Then why should India be any different? Hence, we have entered into a journey with our initiative Artistique to push photography as an art form,”
Bhavya Desai, Editor and Group Head, Asian Photography and SAP Magazines 

The word photography comes from two ancient Greek words: photo, for “light,” and graph, for “drawing.” “Drawing with light” is a way of describing photography. When a photograph is made, light or some other form of radiant energy is used to record a picture of an object or scene on a light-sensitive surface. Early photographs were called sun pictures, because sunlight itself was used to create the image.    Mankind has been creating images at least since the cave paintings about 20,000 years ago. With the invention of photography, a realistic image that would have taken a skilled artist hours or even days to draw could be recorded in exact detail within a fraction of a second.
Photography is widely recognised as a fine art. Photographs are displayed in art museums, prized by collectors, discussed by critics, and studied in art history courses. Because of the special nature of photography, however, this was not always the case. Today, photography is one of the strongest means of communication and a mode of visual expression that touches life in many ways. Photography has become popular more than just a means of capturing memories.  Every genre of photography is growing with every moment. However, this is about the rest of the world. In India, the first reaction you get when you tell someone you are a photographer is “So you shoot weddings?” or “So, you meet nice models?” Sorry to disappoint, guys, but photography is not just about these two. There is more. 
Photographs are used extensively by newspapers, magazines, books, and television to convey information and advertise products and services.    Practical applications of photography are found in nearly every human endeavour from astronomy to medical diagnosis to industrial quality control. Photography extends human vision into the realm of objects that are invisible because they are too small or too distant, or events that occur too rapidly for the naked eye to detect. A camera can be used in locations too dangerous for humans. Photographs can also be objects of art that explore the human condition and provide aesthetic pleasure. For millions of people, photography is a satisfying hobby or a rewarding career. 
At this point, we need to pause before we get carried away; we haven’t even answered the really important question here: what is art? Well, it’s a subjectively biased interpretation of something – whether that something is an event, a place, a person, or a thing, is irrelevant. It’s the bias that makes it interesting: Van Gogh’s “Starry Nights” is interesting because he show us his unique interpretation of the scene, according to the impressionists – which is yet another subjective way of looking at the world. Picasso’s works are interesting because they show us his interpretation of the world. In both cases, the interpretations present us with such a unique – unprecedented – result, that we are forced to stop, look, and think. The value here is in the uniqueness of the interpretation: what the artists see is so far beyond the normal realm of comprehension, for most, that it becomes akin to visual magic. It’s also worth remembering that seeing is but half of the puzzle; execution is just as important.
In different ways, the work of all of these artists is about the nature of photography – the making of the images, rather than the taking of a photograph. Here, as with much conceptual art, the process seems to be as important as the end result. How cruelly ironic, then, that we are simultaneously witnessing the sudden death of the process that has defined photography for so long, a procedure that began with the insertion of a roll of film into a mechanical camera and ended, via the contact sheet, the dark room and a tray of chemicals, with the printing of a single image on photographic paper.
In the early history of photography, it was perceived as a medium, in poor relation to the older, established visual arts, such as drawing and painting. The arguments started from the fact that a camera is a mechanical instrument. Because the mechanical procedure of taking a picture is automatic, detractors claimed that photography required no coordination of hand and eye and none of the manual skills essential to drawing and painting. They also argued that photography required no creativity or imagination because the photographic subject was “ready-made” and did not require manipulation or control by the photographer.  
The point to argue here is if photography is really considered as an art-form in India. In a new trend of surrealism and exploration, more and more artists are looking to photorealism as one of their options to vent their creativity. Photography has an interesting history in India. The British brought it with them, and passed it on. Some of the Maharajas became very famous for the photographs they took. Until very recently, there was not much exposure for photography other than its commercial use for weddings and advertisement. Photographers need a platform; they need exposure and guidance to show their work. I think the turn today is about people paying more attention to image making. Photo-artists have always existed, but they have not had much commercial exposure. I have always wanted to do personal work rather than commissioned work (commercial work like advertising, for example). But, until now, one could not sustain oneself just doing personal projects. Most definitely, because photography isn’t only about taking a picture, it’s so much more than that for many people. People who pay attention to detail, composition, and how they develop the film itself, colour or black and white, attention to focus; every photographer is different when it comes to this art form.
In order to propagate photography as an artistic medium in India, Asian Photography started an initiative called “Artistique” in the year 2013. We came up with this idea to not only celebrate World Photography Day, but also to promote the culture of photography, as it’s high time it gets the respect it deserves. The initiative highlights an exhibition of photographic art and a contest on its sidelines. This year, starting World Photography Day, for ten days, we will have two remarkable photographers, Sudhir Shivaraman and Martin Prihoda, exhibiting their work under the category “Beauty”. With them, we will have the winning entries of the contest with each category, and honorary mentions from the Jury, being displayed.
While we were travelling around talking to students from different colleges, promoting Artistique, we asked all of them to tell us “Why should photography be promoted as an art-form”. You have seen most of the quotes from people while reading the article. But here is the most elaborate point answer that we received from Snehi Singh, a second year student from Symbiosis School of Photography, Pune:
“Photography is made up of two words, “photo” and “graphy” which literally means painting. To most people in India, photography is about clicking the button and capturing the moment. This is true. Of Course! We do that that and it is about that. But does it end here? I think not. Like any other respected art form, photography demands a vision, a background, an understanding of your subject, of lights, of colours, the textures and all the other elements of visual art. A photographer is also an artist who controls and decides everything. He evokes emotions and expresses what cannot be expressed through mere words. Thus, it’s high time photography gets its due.”
Show Details:
Artistique- A photography exhibition and contest
Date: 16th August – 26th August
Venue: Piramal Gallery, NCPA