Tag Archives: photography news

Leica India Introduces Chef Ranveer Brar as its Ambassador And Unveils The New Leica Q3 43

Leica India, a premium cameras and sports optics brand, recently hosted an exclusive evening to introduce Chef Ranveer Brar as the new face of the brand. The event also unveiled the Leica Q3 43, the latest masterpiece in Leica’s distinguished portfolio. Held at Taj Lands End in Bandra, Mumbai, recently, the event brought together a select gathering of renowned personalities in celebration of Leica’s legendary craftsmanship.

The evening’s highlight was the introduction of Chef Ranveer Brar as Leica’s ambassador. The brand finds a natural synergy with the chef, whose creativity transcends the kitchen. A storyteller through both food and photography, Brar’s partnership with Leica amplifies his vision to tell authentic visual stories while showcasing the brand’s premium offerings to Indian photographers. Together, they seek to inspire audiences to appreciate the authenticity inherent in both culinary and visual arts and capture life’s most iconic moments with unmatched precision and clarity.

Additionally, the brand’s newest state-of-the-art camera, the Leica Q3 43, was also unveiled at the event. Prominent names like Latika Nath, Ashraf Abbas, Amit Asher, Larissa D’sa, Siddharth Kerkar, and Sooni Taraporevala, were invited to experience Leica’s legendary German craftsmanship first-hand. 

Leica Q3 43

Leica Camera AG launched the Q-Series in 2015. Its success can be attributed to unrivalled design standards, workmanship, image quality and operation, and close dialogue with its users. Belonging to this Q-Family, the new Leica Q3 43 priced at ₹6,55,000 features the specially developed APO-Summicron 43 f/2 ASPH. lens. part of the legendary Leica APO lenses, which rank among the best in the world. The lens stands out in the current Leica portfolio as it mirrors the natural perception of the human eye, allowing for distortion-free realistic composition of motifs. It creates extraordinarily sharp, high-contrast images in any lighting condition.

The Leica Q3 43 differs visually from its sister model. Its new grey leather stands out elegantly against the black camera body. The camera maintains its compact, lightweight form even with the complex construction of the apochromatically corrected lens with four aspherical lenses. Furthermore, its tiltable 3-inch high-resolution touchscreen offers exceptional flexibility for photography and filming in extremely compact form, making it perfect for capturing your unique perspective. Whether shooting in 8K resolution or taking stunning photos, it seamlessly integrates into your daily creative routine.

While talking about the collaboration, Chef Ranveer Brar, Brand Ambassador of Leica India, said, “One may not realise it, but culinary and visual arts share an intrinsic quality – both are means of telling stories and preserving the essence of one’s experiences. Whether I am cooking or capturing photographs, my creative process is rooted in honesty and authenticity. And these values are reflected in Leica as a brand. My journey with Leica is as old as my fascination with visual storytelling. Its cameras allow me to capture images with remarkable authenticity and emotional depth. I am thrilled to partner with a brand that shares my creative vision!”

Sunil Kaul, Managing Director at Leica Camera Asia Pacific added, “In a culturally rich country like India, we wanted to connect with audiences through a language they know best – food and their favourite chef, Chef Ranveer Brar. His passion for food and love for Leica are in alignment as Chef Ranveer dedicates attention to detail in his creations as to his appreciation of the hand-crafted products manufactured by Leica. Ranveer’s appreciation for visual storytelling allows him to connect and inspire others through photography, making him the perfect new family member for Leica India. We are excited to partner with him and take a step further in our commitment to advancing the art of photography in the land of diversity.”

Leica India – Manisha Nichani, Chef Ranveer Brar, & Sunil Kaul

He added, “The launch of the Leica Q3 43 at the event marks another milestone in our dedication to pushing boundaries and nurturing a global community of visual artists. With its 43mm focal length, this camera captures moments just as the human eye sees them, preserving the authenticity and emotion of each scene in the most natural and unadulterated way. We are excited to see how this new innovation inspires the next generation of photographers to push creative boundaries and explore new ways of seeing the world.”

The brand’s foray into India was facilitated by FCE Lifestyles Pvt Ltd, which plays a pivotal role in managing Leica’s operations in India, with Mr. Manish Nichani serving as the Managing Director. Through the Leica Store India in the iconic Connaught Place, New Delhi, FCE Lifestyles offers photography enthusiasts a world-class experience beyond retail, serving as a hub for the photography community.

Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm F1.4

Nikon India Announces NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4 at ₹79,995

Nikon India Pvt. Ltd. introduces the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4, a full-frame, FX-format compatible Z mount lens with a 55 mm diameter mount that provides abundant light and great flexibility of expression. Weighing 420 g and with a minimum focus distance of 0.37 m, it is designed for users who wish to expand their range of expression while wanting a lens compact enough to remain mobile on a budget.

“At Nikon India, we are committed to offering innovative solutions that empower photographers and videographers to push their creative boundaries. The NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4 is a stellar new addition to our expanding NIKKOR Z line-up, offering a perfect blend of portability and performance. With its outstanding sharpness for both stills and video, along with the ability to produce beautifully smooth background blur, the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4 opens up new possibilities for capturing stunning imagery, whether you’re shooting stills or video, ensuring that every shot reflects the brilliance and precision unique to Nikon’s Z series,” said Mr. Sajjan Kumar, Managing Director of Nikon India Pvt. Ltd.

With a maximum aperture of f/1.4 and a minimum focus distance of 0.37 m, the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4 is perfect for capturing flowers and decorations indoors with bright and beautiful large bokeh to further emphasize subjects. This lens enables users to capture stills with outstanding three-dimensional rendering and large bokeh, offering soft, ethereal expressions. This rendering is achieved by taking advantage of the lens’s shallow depth of field. The lens is also reliable for shooting indoors or in low-light environments. Increasing shutter speeds reduces blurriness, letting users easily obtain cleaner images at low ISO sensitivity.

This len’s angle of view allows you to narrow the aperture, step back, and capture breathtaking landscapes and portraits. The lens accurately depicts depth, helping capture subjects with a striking presence. Meanwhile, the lens’ maximum aperture allows impressive capture of subjects with soft rendering and shallow depth of field.

The NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4 is is designed to suppress focus breathing, providing a natural-looking image with a constant angle of view even while adjusting focus. Adopting a stepping motor (STM) enables fast and quiet AF operations, even while recording in quiet environments. This is ideal for shooting on a gimbal, maintaining balance with minimal shifting to the centre of gravity. While recording, the focus moves consistently relative to the focus or control ring’s speed, ensuring precision in focus.

This is the second non-S-Line NIKKOR lens to adopt the metal filter ring cover, delivering high quality and a sophisticated texture; Different knurling shapes for focus and control rings, helping users easily distinguish focus and control even while looking through the viewfinder; Designed to widen gradually from base to tip for stable camera holding during shooting; Superior dust and drip resistant performance, with sealing on various portions, including movable parts of the lens barrel, to effectively prevent dust or water droplets from entering the lens.

The NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4  will be available by last week of September 2024 at MRP. ₹79,995 across India at Nikon outlets.

Sony 85mm F1.4 GM II

Sony India Announces FE 85mm F1.4 GM II at ₹180,990


Sony India announced the FE 85mm F1.4 GM II – a premium lens offering a supreme
blend of high resolution and stunning bokeh with fast autofocus (AF) in a compact body. This is a
second-generation lens that inherits the optical design that achieved a high-level fusion of bokeh
and resolution that was highly praised in the first-generation model, and generously incorporates
the latest technology. When paired with the latest Sony’s Alpha series cameras, it is an ideal option
for a wide variety of creative uses in both photography and videography, including portraiture,
wedding, travel, and cinematic video.
The advanced and refined optical design and elements of the FE 85mm F1.4 GM II brings together
appealing bokeh and enhanced high resolution, making it ideal for portrait photography. Packed
with two XA (extreme aspherical) and two ED (extra-low dispersion) lenses, the state-of-the-art
optical design effectively suppresses aberrations. This combination offers corner-to-corner
resolution and rendering, resulting in outstanding image quality. Moreover, Sony’s original Nano AR
Coating II technology effectively subdues flare and ghosting for clear, crisp images. The 11-blade
circular aperture and optimization of spherical aberration during the design and manufacturing
process provide the beautiful, soft bokeh that is the hallmark of G Master lenses.
The FE 85mm F1.4 GM II’s AF is agile, maximizing the speed advantage of advanced camera bodies.
For stills, it is up to three times faster compared to the previous model, tracking moving subjects
with high precision. It keeps up flawlessly with the Alpha 9 III’s 120fps continuous shooting, and
subject tracking performance is improved by as much as 7 times.
Compared to the current 85mm F1.4 GM1, the weight of the FE 85mm F1.4 GM II (642 grams) is approximately 20% lighter and 13% smaller in volume, which is achieved through the latest mechanical technology and optical design. The FE 85mm F1.4 GM II has a filter diameter of φ77 mm, diameter of 84.7 mm and length of 107.3 mm.
For smooth movie creation at F1.4, the FE 85mm F1.4 GM II has an XD linear motor. Focus breathing
is minimal, and in-body focus breathing compensation is supported. It has two customizable focus
hold buttons and an AF/MF switch offer flexible operability, while an independent aperture ring and
Linear Response MF focus control provide the kind of intuitive control that creative shooting
demands.
The front lens element features a fluorine coating, which makes it easy to remove fingerprints, dust,
oil, and other contaminants from the lens surface. The dust and moisture resistant design provides
extra reliability for outdoor use in challenging conditions.
The FE 85mm F1.4 GM II will be available across all Sony Centers, Alpha Flagship stores, Sony
authorized dealers, ecommerce websites (Amazon and Flipkart) and major electronic stores across
India from 6th September 2024 onwards at a price of ₹ 180,990.

Product Image of Sony ZV E10 II

Sony India launches ZV-E10 II camera at ₹94,990

Sony India has launched the ZV-E10 II, the successor to its popular ZV-E10 camera, aimed at content creators, vloggers, and photographers. The new model retains the beloved features of its predecessor, such as Creative Looks, Product Showcase Setting, Background Defocus, and a vari-angle flip screen, while introducing enhancements that make it even more sophisticated and user-friendly.

The ZV-E10 II is equipped with a new 26-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor and Sony’s latest BIONZ XR image processing engine, delivering improved image quality and performance. Notable upgrades include advanced autofocus capabilities, a Cinematic Vlog Setting for easy cinematic video creation, and a new vertical format user interface (UI) for streamlined content creation in vertical orientation.

Weighing approximately 377 grams, the camera remains compact and lightweight, making it ideal for on-the-go creators. Additionally, the ZV-E10 II offers enhanced connectivity options, including easy live streaming and data transfer, supported by a USB 3.2 Type-C port and 5 GHz Wi-Fi connectivity.

The ZV-E10 II introduces new tools to elevate content creation, including the Cinematic Vlog Setting, which adjusts aspect ratio, frame rate, and autofocus settings for cinematic video capture. Users can also choose from ten Creative Look options and customize them with eight parameters, saving up to six personalized styles for quick access.

For photographers and videographers, the camera offers 759-point Focal Plane Phase-detection autofocus with Real-time Eye AF for humans, animals, and birds, and Real-time Tracking. It supports high-speed 4K video recording with 5.6K oversampling and advanced image stabilization, ensuring smooth, high-quality footage.

Sony has also focused on sustainability with the ZV-E10 II. The camera body is made from recycled materials, including SORPLAS, and the packaging uses Sony’s eco-friendly “Original Blended Material.” This aligns with Sony’s ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental impact.

Alongside the camera, Sony is launching the E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II lens, available separately or as part of a lens kit. The lens features improved autofocus and video performance, making it an ideal companion for the ZV-E10 II.

The ZV-E10 II camera and lens kit will be available from August 27, 2024, at Sony Centers, Alpha Flagship stores, and online platforms. The camera body is priced at ₹94,990, with the lens kit pricing to be announced later.

Sony is offering special promotions, including an extended 3-year warranty, a complimentary SD card, and a carry bag, along with easy financing options.