The Best New Photography Gear from Photokina

You might not have even heard of it, but Photokina is probably the biggest photography show on the planet, and it is happening this week in Cologne. Every major camera manufacturer turned up to show off their latest jaw-dropping gear — but if you missed the announcements as they happened, here’s a round-up of the best new photographic tech coming your way…

Professional DSLRs

For camera manufacturers, flagship DSLRs are like supercars — only a few people will actually buy one, but everyone drools at the sight of them. At this year’s expo, Canon served up Mark II of the 7D, complete with 20.2MP sensor, dual Digic 6 image processors, and the company’s very first 65-point autofocus system. Inevitably, Nikon had an answer, in the form of the D750 — a 24.3MP full-frame beast with impressive video specs (1080p/60fps and stereo microphones) and built-in Wi-Fi.

But in terms of specs, it was Samsung that stole the show with the NX1 (pictured above), which is equipped with a brand new, backside-illuminated 28MP sensor, a 15fps burst mode, 4K video capabilities, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. That’s truly new ground in the DSLR market.

New Lenses

There was plenty of new glass on display, too, with a particular bias toward shorter focal lengths.  The new wide-angle NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8G is likely to get landscape and architecture photographers salivating, as will Tamron’s new 15-30mm f/2.8 for full-frame cameras, and Tokina’s 11-28mm f/2.8.

Likewise, Canon’s new EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM (pictured above) will make sports and wildlife enthusiasts happy with its lightweight design — 4.6lbs is a feather in the world of telephoto lenses. At the other end of the focal length scale, Canon also showed off the EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens, which is their slimmest ever.

Phoneography Tech

The other major theme at this year’s event was smartphone photography. Out of the blue, Panasonic released details of the CM1, which will be their first smartphone in two years. Its remarkable construction includes a protruding f/2.8 Leica lens, focusing light onto a 1” sensor — three times bigger than the iPhone’s — which packs 20 megapixels.

But Apple devotees needn’t be envious. Accessories startup, Relonch, brought along a prototype iPhone case that adds a APS-C sensor (i.e. DSLR sized) and a f/2 lens to the back of your mighty handset, along with 4 hours of extra battery. You’ll just need to wait to the back end of next year to get your hands on one…

https://vimeo.com/106190985

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