credits: Viltrox Viltrox has kicked off a new series of fast and affordable full-frame prime lenses called Evo, starting with the AF 85mm f/2 Evo for Sony E-mount cameras. The company describes the new lens as a reimagining of the classic portrait focal length. Inside, it features 10 elements in 8 groups, including two extra-low dispersion and two high-refractive index elements to reduce chromatic aberration and maintain sharpness across the frame. The nine-blade aperture and f/2 maximum aperture should deliver smooth background blur while still keeping enough depth for versatile portrait shooting. At 340 grams and 76 millimeters long, the 85mm f/2 Evo is considerably lighter and smaller than Viltrox’s other 85mm options, such as the f/1.4 Pro (800 grams) or f/1.8 II (484 grams). The trade-off is a slightly slower aperture, but the compact size makes it easier to carry around of course. The lens includes a rubber-sealed mount for basic weather resistance, along with an AF/MF switch, an aperture control ring, and a customisable function button. Build quality appears solid, continuing Viltrox’s trend of offering full metal-bodied lenses. Autofocus is handled by an STM motor that promises quick and quiet focusing for both photo and video use, with full support for Sony’s eye- and face-detection systems. The minimum focusing distance is 0.74 meters, giving a maximum magnification of 0.13x, about what you would expect for an 85mm portrait lens. The Viltrox AF 85mm f/2 Evo is available for Sony full-frame E-mount cameras at a price of $275. You can see full details and sample shots on Viltrox’s website here

credits: Panasonic Panasonic just announced an optional firmware update for the Lumix S5 II and S5 IIX that adds a range of tools for photographers who work in high-volume environments, like school portraits, team photos, or other bulk photography setups. The company first introduced its volume photography system last year, which added support for Opticon Bluetooth barcode and QR code scanners to embed subject IDs directly into image files. This new update builds on that foundation, offering even more customisation and control. The firmware, (version 3.4 for the S5 II and 2.4 for the S5 IIX), adds the ability to upload custom masks and grids, assign multiple barcodes or QR codes to a single photo, and even lock the camera so it won’t fire until a barcode has been scanned. There are now nine built-in portrait mask sizes, and photographers can upload up to ten of their own custom 960x640-pixel masks for use in the field. Panasonic has also added a menu for saving combinations of up to ten grid lines and masks, along with a shortcut key option. Barcode scanning functionality is also getting smarter. Multiple barcodes can now be linked to a single image, which could help when tagging group photos, team rosters, or pre-order package data. For example, photographers can scan student IDs followed by package codes, or log multiple names in the same image up to a total of 248 characters. These new tools require Panasonic’s Lumix Volume Photography Key, which costs $199.99. The update is already available for download. You can see full details on Panasonic’s website here

credits: TTArtisan TTArtisan has released a new silver version of its AF 75mm f/2 full-frame lens, available for Sony E, Nikon Z, and L-mount cameras. It is the same lens as the original black version, just with a fresh silver finish that pairs nicely with retro-style mirrorless bodies. The 75mm focal length has long been a favourite for portraits, offering flattering compression and natural perspective, and with an f/2 aperture, it is capable of nice subject separation. Inside, the AF 75mm f/2 uses an optical formula of 10 elements in 7 groups, including one extra-low dispersion element and four high-index elements. This setup helps control colour fringing and chromatic aberration, delivering clean detail and contrast even at wider apertures. The minimum focusing distance is 0.75 meters, which is fairly standard for this type of lens. Autofocus is driven by a lead screw stepper motor that is designed to be fast and quiet, with support for eye, animal, and vehicle detection AF depending on your camera. The lens weighs around 330 grams, includes a clicked aperture and features an all-metal construction with a 62mm front filter thread. One small but clever touch is the built-in USB-C interface for firmware updates, which TTArtisan has placed on the rear lens cap rather than the barrel itself for a cleaner look. Pricing is at $199. You can see full details and sample shots on TTArtisan’s website here

credits: 7Artisans 7Artisans officially released the AF 35mm f/1.8, a compact autofocus prime made for both photographers and videographers. It is the company’s first 35mm lens with autofocus, joining the lineup alongside the older manual 35mm f/1.4. Inside, it is built with 11 elements in 8 groups, including two aspherical, two high-refractive, and one low-dispersion element to keep images sharp and clean. The f/1.8 aperture makes it a practical option for low light, while the 11-blade diaphragm helps produce soft, rounded bokeh. Focusing distance goes down to 70 centimetres, and while there is no image stabilisation, the lens brings a few nice touches for video. The STM motor handles autofocus smoothly and quietly, so it works well for continuous focusing during recording. Focus breathing is minimal and there is a switch for manual focus, a customisable function button, and a USB-C port for firmware updates. Early reviews mention that the focus ring feels smooth but a little disconnected, as you would expect from a focus-by-wire setup. The AF 35mm f/1.8 has a metal body and measures 72mm by 94mm, weighing about 426 grams. It takes 62mm filters and is available for Sony E, Nikon Z, and L mounts. Pricing is at €332/$299. You can see full details and sample shots on 7Artisans’ website here

credits: Panasonic Panasonic has a few pieces of news this week, starting with the return of its “Titanium Gold” Lumix S9, which was first shown off back in May as a Japan-only release and is now coming to the U.S. and Europe. The special edition gives the mirrorless camera a new look, with a warm gold body and a brown leatherette grip. It ships with a matching Lumix S 18–40mm f/4.5–6.3 kit lens and keeps the same internals as the standard S9, including a 24.2-megapixel full-frame sensor, 6K/30p video, and a minimalist, viewfinder-free design. The company is also launching new “Lumix Adventure Kits” for four of its full-frame cameras, the S1 II, S1R II, S5 II, and S5 IIX. Each bundle comes with the faster, more compact Lumix S 24–60mm f/2.8 zoom lens instead of the usual 24–105mm f/4, giving creatives a lighter setup that is still versatile for photo and video work. Prices range from $2,799.99 for the S5 II kit to $4,099.99 for the S1R II kit, and all four versions start shipping in mid-November. Alongside the hardware updates, Panasonic is rolling out some software upgrades. The Lumix Lab app is getting a version 2.0 update that introduces Magic LUT, an AI-powered tool that lets users create custom colour profiles from a reference photo and apply that look to other images or video clips. The Lumix Flow app is also being updated to version 1.3 with new video tools like LUT view assist, multiple frame markers, and improved autofocus display. Firmware updates for the S5 II, S5 IIX, GH7, S9, and G9 II are rolling out as well, bringing faster startup times, better focus ring customisation, and Lumix Flow support.

credits: VSCO VSCO is stepping further into AI-powered editing with something they are calling AI Lab, a new set of tools built to make photo editing faster and more intuitive inside the VSCO app. The first tool to launch is called Remove, which lets you erase unwanted objects from your shots using simple Brush, Tap, or Lasso selections. Another tool, Upscale, is on the way and will let users boost resolution and sharpen details without throwing off colours or textures. At the core of AI Lab is Black Forest Lab’s FLUX.1 Context model, which VSCO has combined with its own in-house tech tuned specifically for photographers. It supports high-resolution RAW editing and automatically creates non-destructive copies so originals stay untouched. The company says the goal is not to automate creativity, but to give photographers smarter ways to handle repetitive edits and cleanup work. AI Lab follows VSCO’s earlier experiment with VSCO Canvas, an AI mood board tool for creatives that came out earlier this year. Both are part of a larger move by the company to blend AI with traditional photography tools without losing the artistic side of image-making. AI Lab is available now in VSCO Studio for iOS, though it is limited to VSCO Pro members. You can see full details on VSCO’s website here

credits: Viltrox Viltrox has announced the AF 50mm f/1.4 Pro, a fast standard prime lens built for full-frame Sony E mirrorless cameras. The lens uses a fairly complex optical formula with 15 elements in 11 groups, including three extra-low dispersion elements, one aspherical element, and eight high-refractive index lenses. This setup helps control colour fringing and distortion while keeping images sharp across the frame. With a wide f/1.4 aperture, it is capable of handling low light well and produces a shallow depth of field. The minimum focusing distance is 0.45 meters, offering a maximum magnification of 0.145x. Viltrox says sharpness stays consistent even wide open at f/1.4, which should make it a strong performer for both stills and video. Autofocus is powered by a Hyper VCM (voice coil motor) system that operates quietly and quickly, an important detail for tracking moving subjects or recording video where noise can be an issue. The lens also uses an internal focusing design, so the barrel doesn’t extend while focusing. For video work, the AF 50mm f/1.4 Pro shows minimal focus breathing and almost no field-of-view shift when changing focus. It has an 11-blade aperture for rounder bokeh, a 77mm filter thread, and weighs about 800 grams. Physically, it measures 111mm long with a diameter of 84.5mm and offering a 46.6° field of view. You can see full details and sample shots on Viltrox’s Amazon page here

by: @the.brunosousa.view Let’s Analyse this Image: Composition & Framing What works well: The composition is pretty strong overall —> it’s clean, balanced, and intentional. Everything lines up nicely, and the perspective pulls your eye right to the center. The leading lines are great, everything from the lanterns to the railings (also very subtle those light rails in the asphalt) naturally guides your eye straight to where our subject is standing. The colour pop on the subject is really good. The orange outfit grabs attention instantly, but it doesn’t feel overdone or too saturated so it fits right in with the muted tones around it very naturally. The depth is amazing. All those repeating structures and lines disappear into the distance, creating depth. And because of how the bridge is built (so the structure of it), it gives the photo almost a tunnel-like effect, meaning it really boxes everything in and keeps your eye locked in the middle. What could be better: The foreground feels a bit too strong in my opinion. It takes up a lot of the frame, and even though it is technically almost around the middle, it just feels heavy. A slightly higher shooting angle might have helped balance that out. The vertical balance (so left/right) is interesting —> the building on the left gives the left side some weight, and that gets “sort of” balanced out by the trees + the one bird on the right. The noteworthy part is, that the bird doesn’t actually balance it out in terms of ‘‘visual weight’’ of course, but it gives us something to look at on that side, and even that helps with balance. The depth is great, but maybe just a bit more visibility in the distance could have made it even stronger. Light & Atmosphere

credits: Fujifilm Fujifilm just unveiled the Instax mini LiPlay+, the latest addition to its hybrid instant camera lineup. This new model builds on the original 2019 LiPlay and adds several updates, including a redesigned body, improved audio features, and for the first time, dual cameras. Like its predecessor, the LiPlay+ allows you to record short three-second audio clips that can be linked to prints via QR codes. Fujifilm has also expanded on that idea with a new Instax Sound Album function, which lets you combine photos, audio, and background music into short animated clips for use within the app. The most noticeable hardware change is the addition of a rear-facing wide-angle camera for selfies, alongside the main front-facing lens. This addition enables a new “layered photo” mode, where users can merge images from both cameras into a single print. The LiPlay+ pairs with Fujifilm’s updated mobile app via Bluetooth, allowing remote shooting, smartphone printing, and basic editing options. The camera also retains standard features such as automatic exposure, flash control, and two- and ten-second timers. The Instax mini LiPlay+ will be available in Sand Beige and Midnight Blue for $234.95 when it launches in late October. Fujifilm is also introducing a new Instax mini Soft Glitter film pack, with gold accents and a subtle shimmer, priced at $17.99. You can see full details on Fujifilm’s website here

credits: Laowa Laowa has announced its long-awaited 200mm f/2 AF FF C-Dreamer, a fast telephoto prime built for full-frame mirrorless cameras. The lens comes in Sony E, Nikon Z, and Canon EF mounts, though not RF, since Canon still blocks third-party autofocus lenses for its mirrorless system. The EF model can still be adapted for EOS R cameras with an EF-RF adapter, so Canon shooters are not left out. The lens design includes 11 elements in nine groups, built to minimise chromatic aberration, flare, and ghosting while keeping things sharp from edge to edge. With its f/2 aperture, it is meant to deliver the classic 200mm look, meaning strong subject isolation, creamy bokeh, and good performance in low light. Laowa says autofocus is fast and accurate, which will be key for the kinds of shooting this lens is built for, sports, portraits, wildlife and even astrophotography. It can focus as close as 1.5 meters (about 4.9 feet), with a 0.15x magnification, giving you a bit of flexibility for tighter shots. Despite the large aperture, the 200mm f/2 is relatively manageable in size, weighing about 1.6 kilograms (3.7 pounds) and measuring under 180mm long. It supports 105mm front filters, or 43mm rear filters for the E and Z versions. There are five customisable function buttons on the barrel, a rotating tripod collar, and full weather sealing for outdoor shooting. The Laowa 200mm f/2 AF FF C-Dreamer is available for $1,999 in Sony E and Nikon Z mounts, and $1,799 for the Canon EF version. You can see full details on Laowa’s website here

What Is Pinhole Photography? Pinhole photography is basically the most stripped-down form of photography possible. Instead of a lens, you use a tiny hole (literally a pin-sized opening) to let light hit your camera’s sensor (or film of course). It is how cameras started. Before lenses, there were camera obscuras, where photographers would project an image through a small hole onto a wall to then trace it. Modern pinhole photography is that same idea, just in ‘‘modern’’ camera form. How It Works When light passes through a super small hole, it projects an inverted image of whatever is in front of it. The smaller the hole, the sharper the image (up to a point of course), the bigger the hole, the blurrier it gets. The cool thing is that you can make a pinhole camera out of almost anything → an old film camera body, a shoebox, a tin can, or even your digital camera with the lens removed + bit of foil taped over the mount. How to Make One If you want to DIY yourself a pinhole camera (out of your normal camera), here is a little instruction manual: Take a spare camera body cap. If you have got a DSLR or mirrorless camera, take the body cap (Make sure it is a spare/old one → see next step). Drill a small hole in the center. Does not have to be perfect, just enough to let a bit of light through (also keep in mind that you can always make the hole bigger later, making it smaller afterwards is a little more challenging). Tape foil over the hole and poke a pin through it. That pinhole becomes your new “lens.” The smaller and cleaner the hole, the better your image will look. Mount it back on your camera. And done, you just built yourself a pinhole camera. If you want to be super old-school, you can go full analog and build one out of a box and film paper, but this digital version is faster to experiment with and gives you better overall results. Shooting With a Pinhole

credits: Sirui Sirui has officially announced the Aurora 35mm f/1.4, a fast full-frame prime lens made for Sony E, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X, and L-mount cameras. It is built with 16 elements in 11 groups, designed to keep images sharp and clean while minimising distortion and flare. The bright f/1.4 aperture makes it great for low-light shooting and creating shallow depth of field, while the 13-blade diaphragm helps produce smooth, round bokeh. Autofocus runs on a quiet STM motor, but there is also full manual control if you prefer to handle focusing yourself. The lens can focus as close as 0.35 meters (about 1.15 feet), with a maximum magnification of 0.14x, not macro-level close, but enough for detail shots. On a full-frame body, it gives a 65.7° diagonal field of view, which works pretty well for portraits, street photography, or general everyday shooting. The focus ring rotates a full 360 degrees for more precision, and you also get an AF/MF switch, an aperture click on/off switch, an AFL button, and an iris button for quick control while shooting. Physically, the Aurora 35mm f/1.4 measures just over 100mm long and weighs around 500 grams depending on the mount. It uses a 62mm filter thread and has a 76mm diameter. The front element includes an anti-smudge fluorine coating to resist oil and fingerprints, and the lens body is sealed to protect against dust, dirt, and raindrops. The lens is priced at $549. You can see full details and sample shots on Sirui’s website here