Richard & Caroline's Blog

I noticed a few comments that Leica apart from a few special editions will not be releasing any new models this year.

With the release of the recent Canon’s and Sony’s Nikon users are asking where are the new cameras.

Too many photographers seem stuck in upgrade cycles forever buying the latest gear, sometimes switching systems to the latest and most modern.

But looking through my library is there really a difference between photographs I took over ten years ago to those I took in the last three years with my current cameras.

Not really. New cameras can make somethings easier, and a new camera can inspire you to go out and take pictures but essentially its you taking the shot.

The Sony A7RVI is the latest high megapixel camera to be released and now we are at 66.8 megapixels, not a huge increase from the previous 50 megapixels that most manufacturers have reached now but still another jump.

There are some in the landscape and studio field who will welcome the increase though many of these photographers will be reaching for a Fuji, Hasselblad or Phase medium format at 50mp, 100mp or higher.

More megapixels can bring benefits but sharpness and diffraction become issues on the smaller 35mm format. I doubt anyone will be going beyond f/8 if not even keeping it at f/5.6.

I would hope successors to the Nikon Z9 and Z8 stay around 50mp but a future Z7 might use a variation of this technology.

Mondays and Tuesdays will often find me in Lincoln.

Each lunch time I will likely grab my Lecia M and walk past the Braford Pool and into Lincoln.

There is usually time to take a few street photographs.

I’ll wonder the high street and a few side streets before heading to my favourite independent coffee shop.

Ricoh brought us the GR, Fuji the X100, Sony had the RX1. In fact most manufacturers have released at least one high end large censored compact.

Today Panasonic announce a MicroFourThirds sensor in a decent body paired with a quality Leica zoom lens. This has for me the all important viewfinder and looks a lot like the old classic L100.

I keep hearing rumours of Nikon high end compacts, there last bunch were pulled from release at the last moment, but the may be the start of something again.

Leica have proved with the Leica Q people will pay for a high end compact, and each Fuji X100 gets harder and harder to buy as they sell out despite higher and higher prices.

If you get the product right people will purchase.

It looks to be just a bug fix but if your a Nikon Z5 II owner download v1.11.

Leica have been very successful with their black and white sensors in the Leica Q and M series cameras. Pentax have released one, and Phase have released a black and white digital back. In general if you want to try a back and white sensor camera its an expensive option.

With the recent Ricoh Gr back and white camera its now getting cheaper to get into this dedicated BW photography niche.

Now we are starting to see rumours about a possible back and white only Olympus OM3. This would be great if true. Its a risk but MicroFourThirds needs a bit of excitement introducing into the range, and maybe under the new leadership OM may take those risks.

It’s been a couple of years since we have seen any new telephotos from Nikon. Nikon has produced some stunning new lens recently and it’s going to be interesting to see what new technology is going to be included. Nice to see a built in 1.4 teleconverter as well so this is going to be an extremely useful lens for people. At f/2.8 its going to be expensive but this looks to be very sweet and capable lens.