In Other News: Laowa lenses in new mounts, 4K/1000fps Nikon sensor, tutorials, and much more

 

 

In this latest edition of 'In Other News,' we will feature Laowa lens news, Nikon sensor developments, tips and techniques, and much more. The photographer you should check out this week is Kesha Lambert, a portrait and wedding photographer and the latest participant in B&H's '21 Questions' video series. There's a lot of ground to cover this week, so without further ado, let's go.

Laowa announces pair of lenses in new mounts

Venus Optics, makers of Laowa lenses, has announced that it now offers more variants to two of its popular lenses. The Laowa 11mm f/4.5 FF RL lens is now offered in Canon RF mount. The Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro APO (APS-C) lens is now available in Z mount, working well with the Nikon Z50 APS-C mirrorless camera.

 

 

 

Image credit: Shao Weiwei

The Laowa 11mm f/4.5 FF RL lens is a compact wide-angle lens for full-frame cameras. It offers a 126° angle of view. The lens is also available in Leica M, Sony FE, Nikon Z, and L mount, in addition to the new RF mount offering. The lens costs $699. You can learn more here.

 

 

The 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra-Macro APO lens can produce 2x life-size images on APS-C cameras thanks to its 6.7" (17cm) minimum focus distance. The lens is available in Canon EF-M, Fuji X, Sony E, and Nikon Z mounts. The lens costs $399. For additional information, visit Venus Lens.

 

Image credit: Sui Yuan

Nikon announces development of new 1-inch stacked sensor capable of 4K video, 1000 frames per second

At the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in San Francisco, Nikon announced the development of a new 1-inch type image sensor. The stacked CMOS image sensor has a pixel count of approximately 17.84MP and can record video at up to 1,000 frames per second. The 4K sensor also promises impressive HDR capabilities. Nikon states that the 110 dB HDR characteristics at 1,000 fps are the highest in the industry for this type of sensor. The HDR capabilities are due in part to the exposure being controllable across different areas of the chip. At 60fps, the dynamic range is an even higher 134 dB. You can read more about the sensor here. We first heard about the new development at Nikon Rumors.

 

 

 

Caption is translated from Japanese

How to photograph snowflakes

It's been a cold and wintry week for many in the United States. While power outages and treacherous roads are terrible, of course, snowflakes do at least make for an excellent macro subject. Photographer Jens Heidler posted a great tutorial for capturing close-ups of snowflakes to his YouTube channel. We first saw this tutorial at PetaPixel.

Black and white photography tips

For fans of black and white photography, a couple of awesome videos went live this week. First, photographer Adam Gibbs shared a video of him processing an image he shot in the Gobi desert from color to black and white. He has many excellent videos on his YouTube channel, so be sure to check that out.

Also going live this week was a new advanced tips and techniques video for Silver Efex Pro. The video is from Nik Collection by DxO. If you'd like to learn more about Silver Efex Pro, click here.

Odd optics: Shooting with a Soviet sniper lens

Photographer Mathieu Stern loves strange lenses. The latest odd optic he adapted to his Sony A7 III is a Soviet-era 'sniper lens.' In the video below, Stern shares the history of the lens and does a review. For more wacky lenses, visit his YouTube channel.

Five photos, five edits in Capture One 21

The Capture One team is very active online, doing various live streams and sharing video tutorials. One of its most popular live videos is 'Five Photos, Five Edits.' A new episode was streamed this week, and, as the title suggests, viewers follow along as five photos are edited using Capture One. It's a great way to see what Capture One can do and learn new photo editing techniques. To learn more about Capture One and to download a free trial, click here. For other Capture One videos, check out its YouTube channel.

Business strategies with Sony Artisan Colby Brown

Sony Alpha Universe published a new video with Sony Artisan Colby Brown. In the video, Brown talks with photographers Erin Sullivan and Omer Khan and discusses different business strategies photographers can use to adapt their business for success in an ever-changing world. It's an interesting watch for working photographers and may also prove helpful for anyone considering turning their passion into their profession.

Photographer you should check out: Kesha Lambert

This week, I wanted to share a great video with portrait and wedding photographer Kesha Lambert. She's the featured photographer in B&H's latest '21 Questions' video. In the interview below, Lambert discusses her career transition from being a lawyer to being a photographer. She also talks about the Sony Alpha 1, the importance of community, the role of education, and more. You can see more of her work by following Lambert on Instagram.

Kesha Lambert will be speaking at B&H Depth of Field 2021. The 4th annual conference takes place online from March 7-8. The event includes various challenges for participants, image critiques, lectures, specials, and more. You can register now by visiting B&H.