credits: 7Artisans 7Artisans has officially announced its new MF 50mm f/1.2 APS-C prime for Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, and Micro Four Thirds mounts. Designed purely as a mechanical lens, it targets photographers who value fast apertures and hands-on control over autofocus or electronic communication. On APS-C sensors, the 50mm focal length translates to a short-telephoto field of view, while on Micro Four Thirds it behaves more like a classic portrait lens. From an optical standpoint, the lens uses a relatively simple 7-element, 5-group construction that includes ED and aspherical elements to help manage chromatic aberration and distortion, especially wide open at f/1.2. The aperture ranges from f/1.2 to f/16 and uses an 11-blade diaphragm, which should help preserve smoother highlight rendering as the lens is stopped down. Focusing, as mentioned, is fully manual, with a minimum focus distance of 0.7 meters. The aperture ring is clicked, so changes happen in clear, defined steps instead of smoothly and steplessly. Physically, the lens is built entirely from metal, weighs approximately 410 grams in the E-mount version and accepts 55mm front filters. A built-in sliding lens hood is integrated into the barrel, reducing flare without adding bulk or requiring accessories. The lens markings are coated with glow-in-the-dark paint, improving visibility in low-light environments, which is commonly done with manual only lenses. 7Artisans new 50mm f/1.2 APS-C prime is priced at $99 USD across all mounts. You can see full details and sample shots on 7Artisans’ website here

credits: Brightin Star Brightin Star just added a new wide-angle option to its autofocus lineup with the AF 24mm f/1.8, available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts. It is a full-frame lens meant for everyday shooting, covering a focal length that works well for street photography, travel, environmental portraits, and general wide-angle use. With a minimum focusing distance of about 32 cm, it lets you get fairly close to a subject while still keeping a good amount of context in the frame, which is often where a 24mm lens makes the most sense. Physically, the lens sits in a fairly compact middle ground for a fast wide-angle prime. It weighs around 444 g and measures roughly 75 mm in diameter and 88 mm in length, so it shouldn’t feel front-heavy on most mirrorless bodies. The optical design consists of 14 elements in 11 groups, including ED and aspherical elements to control distortion and maintain sharpness across the frame. One standout detail on paper is the 14-blade aperture, which should help keep out-of-focus highlights round and consistent, even when the lens is stopped down slightly. Autofocus is handled by an STM motor, which Brightin Star says is tuned for both stills and video. The company also notes minimal focus breathing, something videographers tend to care about when pulling focus. A USB-C port built into the lens allows for firmware updates without needing a dock or camera-based update process. The Brightin Star AF 24mm f/1.8 is available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts, priced at $309.99. You can see full details and sample shots on Brightin Star’s website here

credits: Leica/Capture One Leica Camera AG and Capture One have announced a new partnership, with the aim of improving tethered shooting and editing workflows for Leica photographers. The focus is on tighter integration between Leica cameras and Capture One’s software, with an emphasis on stable connections, faster image transfer, and more dependable Live View performance. According to both companies, the goal is to make tethered shooting smoother and more predictable, whether photographers are working in a studio setup or on location. Capture One has long been a popular choice for tethered workflows, but the collaboration also leans heavily into colour handling. Leica and Capture One say the partnership includes camera-specific profiles designed for Leica files, with adjustments tuned for tonal response and colour behaviour. In practical terms, this should mean fewer workarounds when editing Leica images and more consistent results straight out of import. The integration is positioned as a refinement of an existing relationship rather than a brand-new technical direction, but Leica suggests reliability and responsiveness are key areas of improvement. Alongside the announcement, the two companies are offering a three-month trial of Capture One’s All-in-One plan to Leica camera owners. This plan normally includes desktop and mobile apps, cloud-based collaboration tools, and access to Capture One’s broader ecosystem. Leica users can activate the trial through Club Leica. The timing also lines up with recent changes at Capture One, which introduced new branding earlier this year and continues to expand features and camera support.

photo by: @laura.gzo Let’s Analyse this Image: Composition & Framing What works well: The natural corridor created by the buildings on each side is pretty great. It funnels your eye straight toward the man and then continues upward to the dome, all of that creates a strong sense of depth and a nice 3D effect. There are leading lines here, but they are subtle, especially the two yellow stripes on the ground. The car headlights behind the man, in a way, also count as leading lines/an attention magnet. Not only do they create a strong spotlight effect that separates him nicely from the background, but also —> your eye naturally goes straight to that bright area first (because your eyes always seek out light naturally). The layering is really strong, we have the foreground wet street, then the man, then the car and headlights, and finally the dome in the distance. It all stacks nicely and again gives the image a lot of depth. What could be better: The leading lines (those two yellow lines) could have been pushed a bit further. A slightly different shooting position/perspective right then and there could have exaggerated those lines more. Or even in post, boosting the saturation or brightness of the yellow lines just a little could have helped strengthen their guiding effect. The dome is very prominent and well-lit, which almost makes it a second subject. If the intention was for the man with the umbrella to be the only subject, slightly darkening the dome could have reduced that competition. (So, as ever so often it entirely depends on what you are going for) Light & Atmosphere What works well: The atmosphere is, I would say probably the strongest part of this image. The rain, the wet ground, the colours, the scene itself set the mood and give it a very cinematic type of vibe Again the background separation (because of those bright lights) is very nice, the man is dressed quite dark so without those lights he would probably disappear a lot more into the background → we can really see that with the umbrella → since it is nor really in the headlights it immediately fades more into the background Those rain streaks and reflections on the ground add nice texture and movement, making the scene feel more alive instead of static. What could be better: The lamp on the left building is a bit bright and slightly pulls attention away from the main subject. Darkening it just a touch would help keep the focus more centred (overall it is not that bad though). Some of the shadows are pretty deep, especially in the lower corners, which causes detail and texture to disappear a bit. Lifting them slightly could help without ruining the mood. Emotion & Story What works well: The man standing alone in the rain immediately suggests solitude and introspection. It feels quiet, calm, and slightly melancholic. The scale difference between the man and the massive dome reinforces that classic “small human in a big city” kind of feeling. What could be better: We don’t really get to see the man clearly, his face, clothing details, or expression are hidden. That keeps the story very open but also limits emotional connection. Without knowing what he is wearing (a suit, a coat, a backpack), it is hard to guess for example where he is coming from or going to. Colour & Tone

credits:Viltrox Viltrox has announced two new conversion lenses for Fujifilm’s X100-series cameras: the WCL-X100VI wide conversion lens and the TCL-X100VI telephoto conversion lens. Both are designed to mount directly to the fixed 23mm f/2 lens used across the X100 lineup, including the latest X100VI, and are intended to expand the camera’s effective focal length options without changing the core shooting experience of the system. All X100 cameras use the same built-in 23mm f/2 lens, which produces a 35mm-equivalent field of view due to the APS-C sensor’s 1.5× crop factor. This focal length has long been a defining part of the X100’s identity, offering a natural perspective suited to street, documentary, and just everyday photography. However, for photographers who want either a wider or tighter framing without resorting to digital crops, conversion lenses have historically been the only way to do so optically. Fujifilm introduced its own wide and tele conversion lenses years ago, with the most recent updates arriving alongside the X100F in early 2017. The Viltrox WCL-X100VI is a wide-angle conversion lens that applies a 0.8× multiplier to the built-in lens, reducing the effective focal length from 35mm equivalent to 28mm equivalent. This change increases the diagonal angle of view from approximately 64 degrees to roughly 75 degrees, bringing the perspective closer to a classic wide-angle prime. The lens is designed to maintain autofocus performance and metering behaviour identical to the native lens, with no need for manual adjustments. On fourth-generation and newer X100 models (including the X100F, X100V, and X100VI) the camera automatically detects the wide conversion lens and applies built-in distortion correction and vignetting compensation. From an optical standpoint, the WCL-X100VI consists of five elements arranged in four groups. Two of these elements use high-refractive-index glass, which helps control distortion and maintain edge sharpness when expanding the field of view. Viltrox states that the design aims to minimise degradation in contrast and resolution, particularly toward the edges of the frame, which is a common challenge with wide conversion optics. The front element features a coating intended to reduce flare while also repelling water and dust. Physically, the lens adds approximately 36.6mm (1.44 inches) of length to the camera and includes a 49mm front filter thread, matching the filter size commonly used on the X100 series when paired with Fujifilm’s adapter ring. In parallel, Viltrox has released the TCL-X100VI telephoto conversion lens, which applies a 1.4× magnification factor to the built-in 23mm lens. This results in a 50mm-equivalent field of view, providing a tighter, more traditional short-telephoto perspective. As with the wide converter, the telephoto lens is compatible with all X100 models and is automatically recognized by newer cameras for correction profiles. This ensures that distortion and light falloff are addressed in-camera without requiring post-processing intervention. The TCL-X100VI also uses a five-element, four-group optical design, but with a slightly different material mix. In addition to two high-refractive-index elements, the telephoto converter incorporates an extra-low dispersion element to help control chromatic aberration, particularly along high-contrast edges. The telephoto unit is larger and heavier than the wide converter, weighing 230 grams (8.1 ounces), and increases the overall length of the camera by approximately 45mm (1.8 inches). Unlike the wide converter, it uses a 67mm front filter thread, which allows for larger filters but also represents a step up from the X100’s native 49mm size. One aspect worth considering is how the TCL-X100VI interacts with the X100VI’s updated digital teleconverter modes. The X100VI’s 40-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor enables in-camera crops that simulate 50mm and 70mm equivalent focal lengths at 20MP and 10MP resolutions, respectively. When the 1.4× telephoto conversion lens is attached, these digital teleconverter modes extend further, effectively providing 70mm and approximately 100mm equivalent fields of view while maintaining the same output resolutions. This combination offers a broader range of focal lengths without additional optical changes, though image quality will still depend on both the optical converter and the digital crop. Both the Viltrox WCL-X100VI and TCL-X100VI are available in black and silver finishes to match the aesthetic of the X100 cameras. The WCL-X100VI wide conversion lens is priced at $159, while the TCL-X100VI telephoto conversion lens is priced at $189.

credits: Darkroom Darkroom has rolled out version 7, and it is one of the most substantial updates the app has seen in its decade of existence. The company rebuilt the entire rendering engine to better handle today’s big RAW files, high-resolution photos, and increasingly heavy video formats. The app still looks familiar, but navigation is smoother, edits respond faster, and everything just feels more stable. Darkroom also says that the overhaul isn’t just about fixing current bottlenecks, but meant to set the stage for whatever features they want to build over the next several years. On the surface, there are a few obvious additions. Two new analog-inspired effects, Bloom and Halation, which bring glow and film-like colour bleed to edges. Video editing gets a noticeable upgrade with smoother scrubbing, cleaner playback, time coded navigation, and a real-time histogram that updates instantly as you adjust footage. Highlight and shadow recovery has been reworked thanks to the move to a linear colour space, giving you more room to pull detail from tricky lighting situations. Viewing controls are more flexible now as well, letting you zoom far beyond the image frame or dive down to pixel level, while previews load at consistently higher quality. A lot of the improvements show up in everyday use. Sliders behave more responsively, masking feels more precise, and the crop tool now works the same on iOS as it does on macOS. Darkroom also refreshed its app icon and introduced alternate designs for subscribers. One notable change, version 7 drops support for Intel Macs, since the new engine depends on Apple Silicon’s hardware acceleration. The update is free (as is most of the app) and rolling out gradually, though exporting edits that use Bloom or Halation requires a Darkroom+ subscription at $9.99 per month or $39.99 per year. You can see full details on Darkroom’s website here

credits: Rewindpix Rewindpix is a new digital camera project from photographer and designer Xiao Liu, built around the idea that digital shooting has gotten a bit ‘too fast’ and ‘too screen-heavy’. After trying cameras like the Camp Snap and FlashBack One, Liu felt they still didn’t capture the feeling of the compact film cameras many people grew up with. So Rewindpix, with its upcoming camera goes in the opposite direction, a big, bright optical viewfinder, a mechanical winder, a physical shutter, and only a tiny rear display that shows basic info. The design takes inspiration from classic Agfa compacts, complete with a Xenon flash and boxy shape, but it is still very much a digital camera underneath. The shooting experience is built around two modes. Camera mode is the simpler one, you pick from three built-in looks (Sunny Warm, Breezy Cool, or Simply Mono) and just shoot. The camera stores over 1,200 photos and gets roughly 300 shots on a charge. Film mode slows things down even more, once you pick a look, you are locked into it for 36 frames, like a digital roll of film. Through the app, you can load more than 20 film-inspired profiles or create your own, including stocks modeled after Portra or colour palettes inspired by specific filmmakers. Hardware-wise, it uses a 13MP 1/3-inch sensor and an f/2.2 glass lens, plus a front filter thread and swappable shutter buttons. According to the Rewindpix team, the whole project is meant to bring back a bit of the anticipation and physical interaction that film shooters miss, without giving up the convenience of digital. There is no image playback, so you don’t fall into the usual shoot-check-delete loop. A large optical viewfinder and mechanical controls do most of the work. The camera is expected to ship in 2026 and will debut on Kickstarter, where a pre-launch page is already live. Pricing details are still to come. You can see full details on Rewindpix’s Kickstarter page here

Photo by: @petewan ds Let’s Analyse this Image: Composition & Framing What works well: The S-shaped leading line is, in my opinion, the star of the composition. It is one of those rare cases where the environment naturally carves out a perfect visual path for us photographers to use. There are actually two main leading lines, the row of concrete bollards and the faint reflective lines in the ground beside them (the fact that it rained before really plays into the cards of the photographer here because the shimmer exaggerates the lines beautifully). Together, these lines guide your eye smoothly toward the relatively small silhouette (more on that below) in the fog, creating a strong sense of depth, 3D effect and because of that S shape a really nice flow. What could be better: As always with leading lines, a slightly lower shooting angle could have exaggerated the S-curve even more and made the leading lines even stronger (of course there is a limit to how low you want to get depending on several factors, for example you don’t want to get so low that it would hurt the sense of depth). The person is quite small and not very distinguishable, especially the person’s light pants which blend a little too much with the fog behind them. The jacket, though, separates fairly well from the background, but the overall silhouette doesn’t anchor the frame as strongly as it could. The bright blue sign on the first left building in the foreground is a bit distracting, it pulls the eye away from the flow of the composition and could have been avoided simply by a slight shift in framing (or you could edit it out of course (controversial option, I know). Light & Atmosphere What works well: The atmosphere is pretty great, we have that thick, milky fog softening everything in the background and giving the scene this dreamy, cinematic look. The streetlights glowing through the haze create beautiful halos and make the whole upper part of the image feel pretty surreal and ghostly (in a good way). As mentioned before, the faint shimmer on the wet ground nicely reflects the streetlights, and the glow is part of what strengthens the leading lines. What could be better: The first lamp on the left emits a strong blue light that feels a little inconsistent with the otherwise muted palette + it also pulls a bit too much attention (the ‘‘problem’’ is mostly that it’s only one blue light really and that it is COMPARATIVELY bright). A few of the highlights blow out in the upper fog area, causing detail to disappear. Slight highlight recovery could help. Some shadows are slightly crushed which removes potential texture that could have enriched the scene. Emotion & Story What works well: The lone person walking through the fog immediately communicates solitude, introspection, and a sense of quiet nighttime stillness. The soft glow of the streetlights reinforce a mood that feels both eerie and peaceful at the same time. All things combined, so the fog, empty street, and long distance between viewer and subject all evoke a very late-night atmosphere (so the atmosphere itself helps immensely with storytelling here). What could be better: The person is simply a little too far away to read any real detail or gesture, we can’t see whether they are on the phone, holding something, dressed formally or casually, etc. Without readable details, storytelling becomes pretty limited. The only clue is the maybe the jacket and posture, which implies cold weather. Colour & Tone

credits: Viltrox Viltrox has had a busy December, and on top of its new X100-series conversion lenses (which we will take a closer look at in this week’s Sunday issue), the company has also rolled out a 2x teleconverter for Sony E-mount. The new converter is already listed at B&H, and Viltrox says it works with the same Sony telephoto lenses supported by Sony’s own 2x converter. That includes the Sony 70–200mm f/2.8 GM and GM II, the 100–400mm, 200–600mm, and 400–800mm zooms, plus Sony’s big primes like the 300mm f/2.8 GM, 400mm f/2.8 GM, and 600mm f/4 GM. Viltrox also adds compatibility with its own 135mm f/1.8, giving that portrait lens a much longer, more unusual reach option. While compatibility mirrors Sony’s lineup, pricing certainly doesn’t. Sony’s FE 2x Teleconverter comes in at $598, and Viltrox is positioning its version at $280, so about half the cost. The company claims comparable optical performance, and the usual trade-offs of using a teleconverter apply regardless of the brand. A 2x converter doubles the focal length of whatever lens it’s attached to, so a 400–800mm zoom becomes an 800–1600mm lens. But maximum aperture also drops by two stops, meaning a constant f/2.8 zoom becomes an f/5.6, and slower super-telephoto zooms (like the 400–800mm f/6.3–8) can hit f/16 at the long end. That makes reach the main selling point here, with the teleconverter giving photographers a way to push their Sony telephotos into far longer territory without buying a dedicated super-tele lens. The downside of course is the expected loss in light and potential autofocus limitations, especially at very small apertures. The Viltrox 2x Teleconverter for Sony E-mount is available to order for $280, with B&H estimating availability within the next couple of weeks. You can see full details on B&H’s website here

credits: 7Artisans 7Artisans started teasing its next lens, posting a silhouetted shot of it along with three clues: 1. large aperture for stunning bokeh, 2. portrait focal length for beautiful detail, 3. precision focus for total creative control. Taken together, the hints point toward a classic portrait prime, most likely something in the 85mm range if it is full-frame, paired with an aperture faster than f/1.8. An f/1.4 (or even wider) which would match the kind of shallow-depth-of-field look the company is hinting at. To stir the pot even more, 7Artisans also turned the reveal into a small guessing game on Instagram, where people can try to identify the lens based on the clues and teaser photo. Four lucky participants will be picked at random to receive some exclusive merch, with winners announced on December 16th. The phrasing around ‘precision focus’ suggests this might be a manual-focus lens, especially if 7Artisans plans to release it across multiple mounts. Fast primes are harder and more expensive to engineer with autofocus, so going manual would make sense and would also separate the lens from the brand’s existing AF 85mm f/1.8 for Sony E-mount. That lens already covers the budget autofocus portrait niche, but its f/1.8 aperture leaves a gap for something faster and more character-driven. Past that, 7Artisans hasn’t shared any specific specs, no optical diagram, no mount list, not even a release window. You can see the teaser/guessing game on 7Artisans’ Instagram page here

credits: Godox Godox has unveiled the AD300Pro II, a refreshed version of its popular 300Ws outdoor flash arriving about five years after the original. On paper, the core specs haven’t changed much, it still outputs 300Ws, delivers around 350 flashes per charge, and recycles anywhere between 0.01 and 1.5 seconds depending on power level. Physically, the unit remains relatively compact at about 18.7 × 10 × 9 cm and weighs roughly 1.2 kg with the battery installed. One big new addition is a one-tap wireless sync feature, which pairs instantly with the X3 and X3Pro triggers without manually sorting out channels or groups. The flash remains compatible with the rest of the Godox X ecosystem and also offers 3.5mm sync and USB-C for wired setups. Power control has been expanded from nine stops to ten, giving slightly finer exposure control. The AD300Pro II also pushes into faster-shutter territory for photographers using cameras with extreme electronic shutter speeds, especially global-shutter bodies like Sony’s a9 III. Its flash duration can now drop as low as 1/24,390s, a noticeable improvement over the previous model’s 1/10,200s. Despite the boost, Godox says colour stability stays within a 100K drift. The modeling light sees an upgrade too. It is still a 12W LED, but now supports adjustable colour temperature between 2800K and 6000K, whereas the original lacked any CCT control. The main flash tube remains rated at 5800K ± 200K. Modifier compatibility is unchanged, with Godox’s native ecosystem supported by default and Bowens, Broncolor, Profoto, and Elinchrom options available via adapters like the S3 bracket or AD-AB. Full TTL support extends across major camera brands, including Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Leica, Panasonic, OM System, and Pentax. The AD300Pro II is priced at $499. You can see full details on Godox’s website here

credits: Leica At the moment, two big rumours are swirling around the photography world, one from Leica and one from Pentax. On the Leica side, the talk centers on a new SL-series body said to sit between the 60MP SL3 and the 24MP SL2-S, giving Leica a middle-resolution option that the lineup currently lacks. The camera will reportedly use a 44.3MP sensor, allegedly related to the one in the Panasonic S1R II, which would make sense given prior sensor-sharing across the L-mount alliance. Autofocus is also rumoured to be noticeably improved, supposedly even ahead of the upcoming SL3-S, though video features may end up slightly trimmed compared to the other SL3 variations. In terms of timing, most rumours are pointing toward an announcement around May 2026. On the Pentax side, the story is pretty much the opposite, instead of refining a mirrorless camera, they are continuing their foray back into analog. The latest tip suggests the next film model could be a new Pentax ESPIO 140, a compact point-and-shoot revival that lines up well with Ricoh/Pentax’s 2022 roadmap for three new film cameras. They have already checked the first box with the Pentax 17, and the ESPIO-style camera would fill the slot of a higher-end compact before they move on to the third target, a brand-new film SLR.