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Announcements from Photokina!

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Wowza!  Photokina has kicked off in high gear with some big product announcements from some of the biggest and forward thinking brands in the industry.  There were A LOT of new products, so bear with me.  Here is my recap on the big news from yesterday!   And of course you can pre-order most of these bad boys here at Roberts (the Sony a99 II will not be available for pre-order until 9/21 and the Olympus E-M1 Mark II will be available TBD).

Let’s start with Panasonic’s exciting kickoff as they unveiled three new models to their camera line-up, the FZ2500, the LX10 and the G85!  And they put some teasers out on the “development” of the GH5 that is due to hopefully be announced later this year!  The rumor is that the GH5 will offer 6K photo mode that will allow you to extract 18MP images from the photo burst mode or 8MP stills from 4K clips – what?!?

 

The Lumix DMC-FZ2500 features Panasonic’s pro-quality cinema 4K video, a large 1″ 20.1 mp sensor and a 20x zoom Leica lens.  This superzoom camera is likely to be a video producer’s dream camera! When it becomes available, this camera will retail for $1199.99

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The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G85 is weather sealed, features 4K recording and has 5 axis image stabilization and a 16MP four thirds sensor.  The G85 will be available in body only for $899.99 as well as in a kit with 12-60mm lens for $999.99

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The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10 provides DSLR-like control in a compact point and shoot.  With a 1″ sensor, 3x Leica zoom and super bright f/1.4-2.8 aperture – this camera packs a punch.  While this camera appears to be catering to the enthusiast, it is a VERY capable point and shoot camera that will have Panasonic’s video skills built in as well!lx10_lx15k_front

Sony may have had the most interesting announcement in terms of being “out of left field.”  Sony has made such a huge impact and converted so many people with their a7 series, that I was surprised to see them switch gears and bring the focus back to their DSLR line with the a99 II!  As our sales manager so kindly put it, this will be the most killer DSLR that no one will buy.  But anyway – on to the details!  The Sony a99 II is the new flagship A-mount camera.  Let me say that again…this is an A-MOUNT system.  This is the first full frame camera to feature Sony’s acclaimed ultra fast 4D Focus system. It boasts 79 hybrid cross AF points1 plus 12 fps continuous shooting2, High Resolution 42.4 MP Exmor R® CMOS sensor, 5-axis in-body image stabilization and more.  This camera is set to hit shelves in November and retail for $3199.99.

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Olympus has had quite an entrance into Photokina with the announcement of the new PEN E-PL8, THREE new lenses and the “development” of the much anticipated EM-1 Mark II!

Let’s start with the big guns!  Olympus has indicated that they are working on the new flagship E-M1 Mark II and it should be officially out before the end of the year!  The OM-D E-M1 Mark II will be equipped with the newly-developed high-speed TruePic VIII Image Processor which is 3.5 times faster than previous TruePic processors and a new 20.4 megapixel Live MOS sensor equipped with 121 points of cross-type on-chip phase detection and contrast detection AF. These technologies will work with the camera’s electronic shutter to provide full resolution images at up to an unprecedented 60 frames per second in AF and AE lock, and up to 18 frames per second with continuous AF and AE tracking!!  Woohooo!  Between 4K video, dual memory slots, weatherproof, dust proof, freeze proof and improved battery capacity – this camera is set to blow photographer’s minds!!  Price and availability are TBD.

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Olympus is also bringing out an upgrade to their PEN line in the new E-PL8.  This obviously replaces their E-PL7 and is designed with the sleek consumer in mind.  It especially goes after that generation that might be looking to transition from their camera phone.  While this might be a bridge camera, it still has Olympus’s smart technology and image quality.  It also keeps the rotating screen and has enhanced the touch screen to make it even more “selfie” friendly.  They E-PL8 with 14-42 is available for pre-order for $649.99!

OLY e-pl8_group-0137AND, Olympus announced 3 new lenses to their line-up.  Two of those fall under their fantastic PRO line targeted towards the professional in-the-field with their light weight and compact design.  You will want to check out the 12-100mm f/4.0 IS PRO.  The image stabilization in this lens works with the in-body 5 axis image stabilization of compatible OMD and PEN cameras to give you the “world’s most powerful image stabilization system.”  The 12-100mm will retail for $1299.99 when it becomes available! The 25mm f/1.2 PRO is going for the perfect balance between high resolution and bokeh to create a beautiful dimensional image and will retail for $1199.99.  And you must check out the new 30mm f/3.5 Macro that is expected to retail for only $299.99!  All of these solidify Olympus’s commitment to creating a robust lens line-up for their cameras.

Sigma announced three new full frame lenses to it’s Global Vision Line!

I have to say, one of the comments we hear frequently around the store is “When is Sigma going to come out with an 85mm Art lens?!”  Well, Sigma has been listening! Today they announced the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens.  Portrait photographers will love this lens as it has been designed with Bokeh and resolution in mind. Sigma claims that the bokeh effect is so precise that you can focus on the pupil of the subject’s eye while blurring the eyelashes!  We look forward to putting this one to the test.  Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts are supposed to start shipping in late October and this will retail for $1199!

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Sigma announces the new flagship lens of their sports line, the Sigma 500mm f/4 DG OS HSM.  This hyper telephoto lens is light weight and will provide top-level optical performance with functionality for challenging shoots.  The enhanced dust/splash proof construction is designed for shooters in tough conditions.  The front lens features a water and oil repellent coating that allows water to be easily wiped away and helps prevent oil from sticking to the surface…very cool and useful!  This lens will be available in Canon and Sigma mounts at the end of October and the Nikon mount will start shipping late November.  All mounts will be available for $5999 retail.

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The Sigma 12-24mm F4 DG HSM | Art lens is an ultra wide zoom lens with edge to edge sharpness and brightness.  This lens is designed for the landscape pro, architectural specialist and documentarian in mind.  MAP is $1599. Canon, Nikon and Sigma mount are scheduled to start shipping in late October.

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Nikon is on a mission with their new KeyMission line up of three waterproof, shockproof action cameras!

Although announced in January during CES, the Nikon KeyMission 360 will finally be shipping soon!  This action cam provides you with dual lenses to record your entire field of view and lets you create these 360 videos in 4K UHD right in the camera.  The KeyMission 360 will retail for $499.95.

Nikon’s KeyMission 170 allows you to capture 170 degrees of video and stills in ultra slow motion and the KeyMission 80 is a lightweight and compact camera that is actually intended to be used in the vertical sense and has a rear selfie camera as well as touch screen.  The KeyMission 170 will retail for $399.95 and the KeyMission 80 will retail for $279.95 when released.

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There will continue to be more exciting announcements throughout the week and there were additional announcements that we did not even have time to go into detail on, like GoPro’s new Hero 5, Leica’s instant camera, the Sofort, Olympus’s weather sealed flash and more!  If  you are looking for the down and dirty details on each and everyone of these new products, you can find the full press releases in the ‘News’ section of our blog.  We will keep the info coming as more exciting announcements are made this week!

The post Announcements from Photokina! appeared first on Roberts Blog: Cameras, Photography, Tips, and Over 55 Years Experience.


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