Zhong Yi announced the new B4 to M4/3 2X extender:
UHD 4K + is a mount conversion extender adapter for mounting a 2 / 3-inch B4 mount lens developed by Zhong Yi Optics on a Micro Four Thirds standard camcorder. Equipped with a high-performance optical lens that doubles the focal length, the lens configuration is 8 elements in 5 groups, and by adopting a lens design optimized for the Micro Four Thirds image sensor, it supports up to 4K resolution (* used) If the B4 lens to be used is compatible with 4K). The lens barrel is made of aluminum alloy, and the mount on the camera side is made of highly durable stainless steel used for cinema lenses. With a tripod mount that can be attached to and detached from an Arca-Swiss compatible standard tripod or pan head. (* Some are not supported.)
Olympus staff made redundant in UK today, some already gone in France and more to come across Europe in coming weeks! Around 2/3 of workforce lost their roles in UK today. Nothing published, but heard from Olympus employee whose last day was today!
Don’t know if this is a consequence of BREXT or also of the JIP agreement…
I have been receiving quite a lot of questions lately about whether to buy an Olympus camera or not, following the announcement of Olympus being sold to JIP, and exiting the camera business. I share your frustration, but taking a look deeper I think there is very little to be concerned about. Olympus is still operating as usual until the end of the year, and as JIP takes over, the global business will continue on, with full consumer and product support, that much I know. JIP and Olympus have made several announcements, and we know that the brand Olympus will be maintained, and the recently announced updated lens roadmap will also be fulfilled. Of course, I cannot speak for you, but the reason I bought and use Olympus OM-D system extensively was because it works for me and my photography, and that is not going to change. I can’t predict the future, no one can, but more news will come to light in the beginning of October when the agreement from both parties are firmed up.
Bird Photography with the E-M1III and 300mm PRO (Olympus Imagespace).
Tamron says global market hasn’t recovered yet and it’s forced to extend the production stop (MirrorlessRumors).
Image Resolution versus Image Rendition (Explora).
100-400mm test at Capa.
It’s Not Groundbreaking, But It’s Fun: Olympus EM10 IV Review by ThePhoBlographer. Silkypix adds G100 support.
Hands-On Review: G-Technology ArmorLock External SSD (Explora).
OM-D E-M1 Mark II Tutorial | How to guide for underwater photography (Olympus Europe).
A British company created something that is really totally new in the MFT realm. A concept that Sony tried out years ago with the QX series. The Alice camera has MFT mount and a new 11 Megapixel Quad Bayer Sony sensor. It uses your smartphone as a screen and controller through the Alice own APP.
WARNING: So far they don’t have a fully functioning production camera. So be aware of the risks when backing projects from new companies.
This is the spec list:
Press text:
Alice Camera™ is an AI-accelerated computational camera being built in Britain from the ground up for content creators. An interchangeable lens camera with a dedicated AI-chip that elevates machine learning and pushes the boundaries of what a camera can do. Alice is in concept prototype stage and will be available on Indiegogo in Autumn 2020.
Alice is a compact and low-profile camera which can be mounted onto the back of almost any standard smartphone. An ergonomic handle enables better hand placement and stability whilst capturing your scenes.
Alice uses the Micro Four Thirds lens mount, the most flexible and compact interchangeable lens system around, with over 50 professional-quality lenses available. Attach an adapter to use lenses with different mounts too!
Alice’s Micro Four Thirds sensor excels in low light conditions and allows you to capture high-quality 4K video with no crop. Large pixel sizes and an innovative Quad Bayer structure enable exceptionally low noise and high dynamic range.
Artificial Intelligence is transforming photography in the 2020s like digital technology did back in the 1990s. Alice has been designed from the ground up to harness AI and computational photography for modern content creators, offering you new capabilities and techniques for autofocusing, autoexposure, colour science and more.
The Alice Camera native app will provide you with a familiar smartphone user interface and experience. It will be easy to use and navigate with touchscreen interface and customisation. The camera system and firmware will improve with future software updates through our app.
We want to give creatives as much control as possible. We will be providing open-source software access to Alice allowing you to deeply customise your creative process, encouraging collaboration and software development. Regular software updates means Alice will stay up-to-date with the latest computational photography technology and features.
Fast wireless data transfer between camera and phone gives you a seamless real-time viewfinder on your smartphone. Instantly share your content to social media and live stream directly to your favourite platform. A selfie screen will appear when you turn your phone around so that you can view yourself at all times. Alice will even work when your phone is not attached. You can set up across the room and have your phone in your hand and content will still stream. Double whammy!
