Table of contents for Issue 432 in Camera

In this age of social media, trends and demands can turn on a dime so – virtually out of nowhere – we’re seeing the return of the compact, fixed lens camera. This category was such a staple of photography at many levels for a very long time, and then along came the smartphone. A very profitable market sector was decimated in a very short time, but let’s be honest, the main attraction of having a camera in your mobile phone was purely convenience. Why carry two gadgets when you could do what’s needed with one? Even now though, there are still numerous technical limitations associated with such tiny sensors which, presumably, is why the compact camera is back on the radar… at least for still photography. Sensor size, lens focal…

ALTHOUGH THE FUJIFILM X Half (a.k.a. the X-HF1) does things a bit differently, it’s essentially a reprise in concept of the X10/20/30 line of retro-styled fixed lens compact cameras which was discontinued in 2016. The X20 and X30 models used a 2/3-inch version of the ‘X-Trans CMOS II’ sensor while the X10 and X20 had an optical viewfinder which was replaced by an EVF on the X30. The X Half goes back to an optical finder and has a vertically-orientated BSI-type CMOS sensor sized at 8.8x11.7 millimetres (versus 8.8x6.6 millimetres on the original models). However, it has a conventional Bayer-pattern filter arrangement rather than X-Trans, and the effective resolution is 17.74 megapixels. In reality, it’s actually a one-inch, 2:3 aspect sensor with 20 MP resolution that’s cropped to give the…

NOW WITH COMFORTABLY the most extensive lens system in the mirrorless camera world, Sony continues to plug the gaps in its FE mount line-up with interesting new models such as the FE 50-150mm f/2.0 G Master which is also unique in its focal range and fast maximum aperture. Not surprisingly, this is a big lens – and an expensive one – but the combination of the standard-to-mid-telephoto zooming range with the f/2.0 lens speed makes it an appealing choice for many applications, especially when shooting in low-light conditions. The maximum aperture also gives greater scope for utilising selective focus given its inherently shallow depth-of-field. The FE 50-150mm f/2.0 G Master weighs in at 1.34 kilograms and has a barrel diameter of 102.8 millimetres so the screwthread filter fitting is 95…

CONTINUING OM SYSTEM’S ‘get back to nature’ philosophy, the new Mark II version of the mid-range OM-5 mirrorless camera is being offered in a smart-looking ‘Sand Beige’ colour as an alternative to silver or black. While the basics remain the same as before – size, styling, sensor, processor, EVF, monitor screen battery and key specs – the OM-5 Mark II benefits from some important upgrades. Chief among these is the much better designed menu system from the OM-1 Mark II and OM-3 which is easier to navigate and, subsequently, a whole lot more efficient. The new camera also inherits the dedicated ‘CP’ button from the OM-3 which provides direct access to the ‘Computational Photography’ modes. These include the ‘Live ND’ virtual neutral density filters (with ND2/4/8/16 settings), multi-shot high-res capture…

NOW BASED IN the Netherlands, the re-invented Polaroid continues to gather strength and has now added another modern interpretation of a classic original. The flip-style 600 series were the most popular – and numerous – Polaroid cameras during the 1980s and ’90s, and they featured a flip-up cover which revealed the lens and also served as the power-on switch. In many models too, it also incorporated a built-in flash. The appropriately named Flip revives the iconic design and uses the i-Type colour or B&W film, but will also accept the Type 600 packs although it doesn’t need the latter’s battery as it has a built-in power supply with recharging via USB C. The new Flip incorporates a flash and employs zone focusing using a version of Polaroid’s classic ultrasonic autofocusing…

IF YOU LIKE pretty well all the features and functions that are on offer in the Lumix S1II, but really don’t need 70 fps continuous shooting or the very high video bit rates, then take a look at the S1IIE. The ‘E’ apparently stands for ‘Essentials’, but it could also stand for ‘Economy’ as you’ll save over a grand on this model versus the S1II. It has exactly the same bodyshell, rugged all-metal construction and control layout, but the sensor is a conventional BSI-type CMOS rather than a partially-stacked imager. The effective resolution is 24.2 megapixels – so high-res pixel-shifting capture still gives you a 96 MP file – but the top shooting speed is now 30 fps. That’s still plenty quick enough for a great many applications and it’s…

FUJIFILM’S UPGRADING OF its X mount mirrorlesss camera line to the 40.2 megapixels ‘X-Trans CMOS 5 HR’ BSI CMOS sensor and the faster ‘X Processor 5’ engine is almost complete with the arrival of the RF-style X-E5 (will the X-Pro series be next?). Consequently, the X-E5 steps in as the RF-look alternative to the DSLR-look X-T50 and obviously also boasts a similar feature set to the X-T5 and the X100VI. There’s also a new XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR slimline prime lens (equivalent to 32mm) that’s initially only available bundled with the X-E5, creating a viable alternative – especially in terms of size – to the fixed-lens camera (especially as the latter is still hard to get). And, of course, going down the X-E5 path gives you the flexibility of…

Presented by www.ilford.com Ph: (03) 9823 1555 for more information The Picture From the series The Anthropocene Illusion, this image was one of a portfolio of five which won the Photographer Of The Year prize for UK photographer Zed Nelson in the Sony World Photography Awards 2025. These images also won the Wildlife & Nature category in the Awards’ Professional competition. The Anthropocene Illusion is a long-term documentary project, spanning six years and four continents, which explores the deeply fractured relationship between humans and the natural world. Taking the concept of the ‘Anthropocene’ – a term for the current period in Earth’s history which is characterised by humans being the dominant influence on the environment – Nelson’s series focuses on humanity’s response to its impact on the planet. The project…

A heart-warming image, titled The Elderly Having Delicious Food and taken by Chinese photographer Xiaoling Li, has been judged the overall winner of this year’s World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Broccolini®, the world’s greatest celebration of food photography. This image first won the Food For The Family category and was taken in Shuangliu Ancient Town in the Sichuan Province of China. “The elderly ladies in the picture are ‘setting up a Dragon Gate formation’,” explains Xiaoling Li. “This is an expression used in China to refer to neighbourhood friends coming together to chat, gossip and share stories. They eat the famous Sichuan snack, spring rolls. Food makes these people happy; they enjoy a beautiful and joyful life.” “What a perfect winning image for our times,” says Caroline Kenyon who…

AFTER DIGITAL CAPTURE became more accessible financially and more user-friendly, camera designers really let their hair down. Freed from having to locate a film cassette or spool in a particular position – which very much dictated the basic configuration – they started experimenting with new shapes and all sorts of weird and wonderful ideas such as swivelling lens-and-sensor modules… or even modules which could be interchanged or used separated from the main camera body and connected via a cable. The sky was the limit and, for a short while there, no idea was considered too wacky. However, it seems it was all a bit too much for us consumers because, slowly but surely, we returned to more conventional-looking compact cameras and DSLRs which looked exactly like their 35mm predecessors. Even…

SONY’S FX3 COMPACT, FE mount cinema camera has become the tool of choice for many video-makers at all levels and the FX2 offers much the same capabilities, but is more of a hybrid camera as it also offers more for stills photography. In this regard it steps up to the 33 megapixels ‘Exmor R’ BSI-type CMOS full frame sensor that’s also used in the A7 IV and it gains a built-in EVF which is adjustable for tilts of up to 90 degrees. It employs a 1.3 centimetres OLED display with 3.68 megadots resolution and 0.7x magnification, and supplements a fully-articulated monitor screen which has a resolution of 1.03 megadots and touch controls. The FX2 shares a number of other features with the A7 IV including its AI-based ‘Real Time Recognition’…

It had to happen, didn’t it? Not only because the idea of a medium format version of the perpetually popular X100 design would ultimately have been just too hard to resist, but because fixed-lens rollfilm cameras were a Fujifilm speciality for many decades from the late 1970s. Of course, it also makes sense to put the “33x44” medium format sensor with its 102 megapixels effective resolution - in the most compact and portable camera possible. It’s a combination that’s hard to resist for many applications, but particularly when you want to travel light without compromising your photographic capabilities or image quality. A fixed lens could be seen as a restriction, but as was the case with the film medium format cameras, the increased cropping potential helps provide greater flexibility which…

WINNER Insects in flight are a whole lot harder to photograph than you might think so Bruce Finkelstein has done very well to capture this hoverfly on the hover. The blurring of the beating wings shows you just how fast they were moving, but it actually gives a better impression of flight than had the motion been frozen. Bruce used a Pentax KP DSLR fitted with a Pentax DFA Macro 100mm f/2.8 WR lens. For the record, the shutter speed was 1/800 second. Tell us how you did it! When you enter the Sigma Showcase, remember to explain any tips and techniques you used to achieve the result. Also, let us know the type of camera and lens. Enter by email (see next page). Email to: camera@futurenet.com 2025 SIGMA SHOWCASE…