Although the basis of Christmas is the same around the world, it is far from local specifics and, let’s face it, downright oddities. For example, consider the Czech Republic, where the traditional Christmas dish is fried carp. Yes, the same fish that is often considered substandard or even trash fish in other parts of the world. Here, a father usually brings a live carp home a few days before Christmas Eve, where it takes up temporary residence – often in the family’s only bathtub. Children sometimes even name the fish and treat it like a pet, and the whole family takes turns visiting it. That is, until “Johnny” becomes the centerpiece of Christmas dinner.
How are you? Do you have any weird Christmas traditions? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below. But for now, let’s look at the last photography news of 2024.
Recent Announcements
- godox v100 flash:The most striking feature is the round design of the flash head, which is for any situation where a larger light source is beneficial, or where standard rectangular reflections on shiny surfaces would be distracting. The output power of the main flash is 100W. It also includes a sub-flash for added versatility. A removable 2980mAh lithium-ion battery provides enough energy for up to 70 full-power flashes on a single charge. The Flash Godox is fully compatible with 2.4 GHz wireless radio systems, allowing it to work as a commander or receiver unit. value is $349,
- Purgear 12mm F2 II: APS-C, fully manual lenses available in XF, E, RF, Z and M4/3 mounts, with a weight loss of 70 grams in the second generation (total weight 230 grams). The lens construction and other key parameters remain the same as the first generation, i.e. 12 elements in 9 groups, 0.2 meter minimum focusing distance and 10 blade diaphragm. Price is $169.
- darktable 5.0.0: Some things cannot be bought with money. For example, the free, open-source photo editing software Darktable – which is now available with a major update called 5.0.0. The new version includes a long list of user interface, performance and stability improvements, as well as many other changes. You can see what’s new in interest in photography Youtube channel or directly darktable website,
rumor factory
Fujifilm GFX100RF: The list of rumored features is growing
The GFX100RF medium format “compact” camera is scheduled to be released in March 2025, and the list of leaked specs and features is slowly growing. It includes a 100MP sensor, 35mm f/4 lens, no IBIS and X-Pro3 size factor. Recently released information shows a lever below the shutter button that works as a crop zoom lever. The second leaked feature of a similar nature, is a dedicated aspect ratio dial. Of course, nothing is 100% certain, but the sizable 43.8×32.9 mm 100 MP sensor could easily trim a bit of its glory here and there without affecting the quality of its output.
through fuji rumors
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 for the masses?
Fast zoom lenses from big brands usually serve as a showcase for the best that manufacturers have to offer. But in recent years, some lenses have bucked this trend, such as Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM (About half the cost of the RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L). Canon is reportedly planning something similar for a follow-up lens in the 70-200mm range. This could make it not only an affordable, but perhaps even a lighter alternative to its red-ringed sibling.
through lens rumors
leica sl3 gets partner
Nikon has the Z6 and Z7 series. Canon has the R6 and R5 series. And now Leica’s SL3 may be getting a lower-resolution partner, with the SL3-S expected to be released on January 16. Higher sensor resolution (about 24 MP) and perhaps even more powerful image stabilization (up to 6.5 stops) should be the main technical differentiators for the current successor. A significant non-technical difference should be the price, which is expected to be significantly lower for the SL3-S.
through leica rumors
Good deals and new sales
B&H Photo’s end-of-year sale has some cameras and lenses at their lowest prices ever. This is especially true for previous generation cameras, which didn’t break down just because a new version came out! Here are some camera deals that stand out:
- leica sl2-s Was $5,195, now $2,995
- sony a1 Was $6,498, now $4,998
- NIKON Z8 Was $3,997, now $3,497
- NIKON Z7 II Was $2,997, now $1,997
- NIKON Z6 II Was $1,997, now $1,497
- Canon EOS R5 Was $3,399, now $2,799
- Canon EOS R6 Mark II Was $2,499, now $1,999
- OM Systems OM-1 Mark II Was $2,400, now $1,900
What about the lens? some sales from last week’s news Still going, and good deals remain. But below, I’ve selected lens deals that weren’t included in my previous selection or are new this week.
- Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS Sports Was $2,999, now $2,549
- Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Was $3,597, now $3,297
- Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art Was $1,599, now $1,099
- Nikon AF-S 58mm f/1.4G Was $1,597, now $1,157
- Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S Was $2,697, now $2,197
- Nikon Z 70-180mm f/2.8 Was $1,247, now $1,047
- Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 Was $1,197, now $897
- Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S Was $2,097, now $1,797
- OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS PRO Was $1,500, now $1,200
- Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f/4 IS Pro Was $3,000, now $2,700
- Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD Was $2,000, now $1,800
Finally, if you’re on a limited budget after buying too many Christmas gifts, the used market is the best way to save money. even more so with this KEH’s big sale right now 20% off most of their inventory with code EYC24.
Other pages of interest
As the year comes to an end, you can now explore 2024 collection NASA’s best images of the year. Furthermore, all images are available for download in high resolution. If you wish, you can decorate your home with Ottawa’s Fall Rhapsody or the image of Hurricane Milton taken from a safe altitude of 257 miles on SpaceX Dragon Freedom.
Nikon USA recently published an article about photographing a truly beautiful owl – the Great Gray Owl. And, of course, it was done with Nikon gear. In this case, the best bird photography combo: the Nikon Z9 paired with the Nikon Z 600mm f/4 lens. How did the article’s author and photographer Tom Boll set up his camera? How did the actual shooting go? You can find all the details in the article photographing the great gray ghost,
We often believe that science is important and interesting, but we rarely engage with this idea science is beautifulThe competition, organized by the Faculty of Science at Charles University, aims to highlight and promote the aesthetic side of science. In photos and illustrations, you can admire creatures ranging from single-celled protists to a lactating sperm whale calf.
Photo Theme Challenge, Week #82
last week’s topic was 2024and you can see the results in this threadThanks everyone for your presentations! This week’s topic is Fruitand you can submit your results in this thread Until Saturday, January 4, 2024!
Week #81 Results
This time, I will do something different and share with all those who have sent us their defining picture of 2024.
This is from Darin Marcus:
Next, we have Mauro70’s photo:
Vidmarco’s photo:
One from PRG Lagarde:
From Gary Fields:
From Frederick Dantzer:
From Bhoward:
From Robert:
From Bourdette:
From RJBPhoto:
From Allan369:
And from mauro70:
Thank you to everyone for submitting your photos in the challenge and throughout 2024! We hope to see more in the next week Fruit Theme in 2025.
