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The team behind the Sphere, the incredible Las Vegas building that boasts bragging rights as the world's largest spherical building and hosts the world's largest LED display on its exterior, has revealed plans to create a second version in the United Arab Emirates.
Category: Architecture, Lifestyle
Tags: Sphere, Building and Construction, Abu Dhabi, LED, Entertainment
Yesterday, Fujifilm announced a new version of its XF 16-55 F2.8 R LM WR lens, which is substantially smaller and lighter than the original. The size is what convinced our editor, Richard Butler, to take it with him on his vacation to the UK, and he has kindly sent back sample images that he took using it.
The lens is in the same class as full-frame 24-70 lenses, though it provides slightly more reach on the long end, around 82mm equiv. with the 1.5x crop on APS-C systems.
Click here to see the sample gallery
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$1199 at B&H Photo$1199 at AdoramaA few months back, China's Robot Era demonstrated the strolling capabilities of its XBot-L humanoid by setting it loose on the Great Wall of China. Now the company has released video footage of two flagship Star1 models racing through the Gobi Desert.
Category: AI & Humanoids, Technology
One of the announcements to quietly sneak out of Adobe's annual MAX conference this week in Miami comes from Nikon, which announced that it is currently developing firmware to add a feature called Content Credentials, which is based on the standards developed by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), to the Z6III mirrorless camera.
"Nikon is committed to developing solutions, including compliance with C2PA standards, with the goal of protecting individuals and enterprises in the imaging industry, and ultimately society, from any unfavorable results caused by fake images and/or unauthorized use of images," states the company's official press release. "Our aim is to implement a mechanism that preserves original, unaltered image data recorded using the camera, making it easier to verify the authenticity of images and protect the rights of photographers."
Nikon has been working on content authenticity since at least 2022, revealing earlier this year that it's working with Agence France-Presse (AFP) to test a digital watermark function as an additional layer to the C2PA digital signature. Nikon also reiterated the importance of content authenticity when DPReview visited Nikon headquarters for an interview in February in which we discussed the challenges of generative AI.
In an interview at Nikon's headquarters in Tokyo earlier this year, Yusuke Adachi, an executive from Nikon's Imaging Business Unit, reiterated the importance of having a system to validate the authenticity of images.
Photo: Dale Baskin
"We believe that generative AI can leave a positive impact on both cameras and the industry as a whole, but at the same time, it’s been causing issues such as fake images or fraudulent use of images, which leads to the issue of credibility and confidence," Yusuke Adachi, an executive from Nikon's Imaging Business Unit, told us. "In order to grapple with these issues, we’ve been working on technology to record histories of captured images. Right now, we’re in the demonstration phase to verify and validate the efficacy of these functions we’re trying to deploy together with AFP (Agence France-Presse)."
According to Nikon, the firmware currently under development for the Z6III should reflect the results of testing the system's practicality as part of a news agency workflow and is expected to be released to some news and other agencies in mid-2025. Nikon did not indicate when these features may be available to non-agency photographers.
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$2496 at Amazon.com$2497 at B&H Photo$2497 at AdoramaYou could argue that the American Ultra II is a blasphemy against the purity of Leo Fender's first masterpiece – or you could evaluate this guitar without the baggage of its heritage. Either way, it's certainly a fascinating and inspiring instrument.
Category: Music, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Reviews, Fender, Fender Telecaster, Guitar, Instrument
DxO has announced ViewPoint 5, a new version of its geometry correction and editing software that's meant to help correct optical distortion or adjust perspective for artistic effect. Most of the changes revolve around the ReShape Fusion control introduced in the previous version, giving users more options when adjusting perspective or geometry in their images.
In ViewPoint 4, the ReShape Fusion tool let you manually drag points in a mesh to adjust a photo's geometry. The new version adds a free transform mode, which lets you move, rotate, or scale certain parts of your image. It also now has a 'propagation' slider, which is somewhat analogous to the feather tool in other editing software; it lets you control how much your edits in one area of the image affect other parts of the image.
The propagation tool lets you choose how much you want your edits to affect other parts of your image.
Image: DXO
DxO has also added a "Sticky Borders" checkbox, which 'maintains the original crop of the image' by warping your image to fill in spaces left by your other adjustments.
The horizon and perspective editing tools have also been updated to let you make adjustments locally, so they only apply to specific subjects in the image rather than the entire thing. For example, if you had an image with several skyscrapers in it and the ones at the edge of the frame were starting to lean away from the center, you could correct that distortion without affecting the other towers in the image.
That local correction is also now available for volume deformation correction, which helps fix the stretched edges of images taken with ultra-wide lenses. That means that if one edge of your image is stretched more than the other, you no longer have to apply the correction to fix it to the entire image.
Volume deformation adjustments can now be made to only certain parts of the image and can be adjusted using the same propagation slider control available on other tools.
Image: DXO
Like DxO's other software, ViewPoint 5 is being sold as a perpetual license instead of using a subscription model. Buying it standalone will cost $109, and upgrading from version 3 or 4 will cost $69. It's also available as a bundle with the company's recently announced PhotoLab 8 Raw editing software for $269. Like with the previous version, owning both will give you access to some of ViewPoint's features within PhotoLab.
Press Release:
DxO ViewPoint 5, the unique photo software for controlling geometry, shape, and perspective, adds spectacular new toolsThe innovative ReShape Fusion tool lets users warp imperfections, correct perspective, and resolve issues caused by wide-angle lenses, and more.
Paris, France: DxO Labs, the pioneering force in photo editing software for over 20 years, today announces DxO ViewPoint 5, the latest version of its unique editing software. DxO ViewPoint allows photographers to overcome imperfect geometry, fix problem perspectives, and perfect vital image details. This major update enhances the peerless ReShape tool, adding powerful local warping of perspective, scale, and horizons, while adding more ways to use DxO ViewPoint’s exclusive volume deformation corrections to combat the stretching caused by wide-angle lenses.
“If you need to adjust perspective or geometry — whether that’s across the whole image or specific areas — there’s nothing else on the market like DxO ViewPoint 5,” explains Product Manager Fabrizio Dei Tos. “For version 5, the increased level of control gives you beautifully simple solutions to otherwise complex and fiddly problems.”
ReShape Fusion: A whole new level of controlDxO ViewPoint’s exclusive ReShape tool lets photographers realign and reposition small but vital details in their photos.
Introduced in version 4, the ReShape tool allowed photographers to realign and reposition small but vital details in their photos. In version 5, this is upgraded to ReShape Fusion, giving users powerful ways to balance and harmonize images. Previously, users were limited to manually dragging points in the tool’s mesh, but DxO ViewPoint 5 introduces Move, Rotate, and Scale options to perform far more complex edits. Alongside this is the innovative Propagation slider which steadily migrates those effects to surrounding points, allowing for more natural and photographic changes than ever before. Furthermore, the new Sticky Borders checkbox maintains the original crop of the image.
ReShape Fusion: Local horizon and perspective editingThe new ReShape Fusion tool adds more functionality, with new modes for Horizon and Perspective control. These take DxO ViewPoint’s regular Horizon and Perspective tools and combine them with the power of local adjustments. Photographers simply target the specific part of the image that needs to be realigned, make the adjustment, and then refine the changes with the Propagation slider to blend the effect with the rest of the photo. Once again, the Sticky Borders option locks the edges of the frame, so no blank pixels are created after warping.
ReShape Fusion: Correct volume deformation locallyDxO Viewpoint is the only software that offers a true solution to volume deformation — the stretching that occurs at the edges of photos taken with wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses. Up until now, this distortion could only be corrected globally, but thanks to the power of the ReShape Fusion tool, photographers can now apply it to carefully controlled areas of the image to fix and refine all manner of problems. Again, the Propagation slider and Sticky Borders are on hand to fine-tune editing as required.
DxO ViewPoint 5: Vital tools for any workflowWhen activated within DxO PhotoLab 8, its features bring a new level of control to your RAW workflow, granting the power to warp, correct, and edit geometry with full quality. Alternatively, it can be used standalone or alongside other photo editing software to bring balance to all manner of subjects.
Price and availabilityDxO ViewPoint 5 (Windows and macOS) is now available for download on the DxO website (https://shop.dxo.com/) at the following prices:
DxO ViewPoint 5 is available as a bundle with DxO PhotoLab 8, the advanced, end-to-end workflow that offers RAW photo editing at its finest:
For even greater savings, DxO FilmPack7, the software that brings back the timeless magic of film, can also be added:
DxO ViewPoint 5 is software that allows photographers to achieve the perfect composition without having to re-create an image. It can warp parts of an image into the ideal position, and in one click it restores the natural shape of subjects located at the edge of an image that have been stretched by a wide-angle lens. In addition, it automatically resolves distorted perspectives and defects introduced by lenses and the position of the photographer. Alongside an array of perspective tools, it features DxO’s renowned Optics Modules which correct lens flaws such as distortion and chromatic aberrations. It also has a Miniature Effect tool that produces a super-shallow depth of field featuring smooth bokeh, similar to that produced by a tilt-shift lens.
DxO ViewPoint is designed for Mac and Windows computers as an independent application, as a palette within DxO PhotoLab, and as a plugin for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom Classic, and Adobe Photoshop Elements.
On its own, your computer keyboard just might not cut it in today's multi-tasking landscape. The Tmice X can be optioned with extra productivity modules that are added when a task demands it, then removed when no longer needed.
Category: Computers, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Kickstarter, Modular, Productivity, Keyboard
After a decade in the works, researchers at University of California, Los Angeles, have successfully devised a way to produce cement with 98% less CO2 emissions than traditional methods.
Tags: Cement, Concrete, Carbon Neutral, Carbon Dioxide, UCLA, University of California
Don't let its bright, friendly stripes fool you – the Iveco Daily Switch 4x4 was the meanest-looking camper van at the year's largest RV Show. By far. The towering RV was also among the show's most versatile, combining Iveco's highly configurable van platform, a warehouse worth of airline tie-down track, and a modular equipment set that seamlessly "switches" between hauling supplies to remote forestry and mining sites and hunting down the highest, remotest camping sites the world has to offer.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Campervan, Modular, Off-road, dusseldorf-caravan-salon-2024, Camping, Van, Outdoors and Camping, Iveco
A surprise discovery in a remote Australian desert region has given us new clues into the evolution of complex animal life, dating back more than 500 million years. The numerous fossils of the animal now known as Quaestio simpsonorum also show clear left-right asymmetry, concrete evidence of when complex lifeforms took shape on Earth.
Tags: Florida State University, Fossils, University of California, Evolution, Animal science
A new oral nanotherapy works directly on the small intestine, reducing its ability to absorb fat from the food we eat, according to a new study. While the therapy is at the early stages, if it proves effective in humans, it has huge potential as a treatment for diet-related obesity.
Category: Body & Mind
Tags: Obesity, Diet, Nanomedicine, fat-absorption
Yuji, Igarashi, Fujifilm’s Division Manager for its Professional Imaging Group, teases that the company is working on two new cameras for release in 2025.
Image: Fujifilm YouTube Channel
Earlier today, Fujifilm announced its newest camera, the X-M5, along with two new lenses, the XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR II and the XF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR, at its most recent X Summit event in Japan.
Fujifilm likes to move its events around, and this X Summit took place at CLAY Studio, Fujifilm’s own design center in Tokyo, where the company creates designs for digital cameras and lenses as well as for everything from medical devices to cosmetics.
During the event, Yuji, Igarashi, Fujifilm’s Division Manager for its Professional Imaging Group, introduced Kazuhisa Horikiri, Director of the design studio, who discusses the origin of the name (some design is still done with clay) and the philosophy of an “ever-evolving” design studio. He also notes, “I am probably the designer who has designed the most film cameras in the world.” Might that hint about where some of Fujifilm’s retro designs originated?
While it’s clearly a launch event and not an in-depth behind-the-scenes tour, members of Fujifilm’s team, including at least one designer, discuss some of the design philosophy, history, and manufacturing challenges behind Fujiiflm’s products, and the video could be an interesting watch for Fujifilm aficionados.
"One more thing..."In a brief moment at the end of the video, Igarashi channels Steve Jobs and says, “But wait. There’s one more thing.”
“We’re currently developing new cameras,” he says, looking over at two hidden objects, a large one under a white cloth and a smaller one under a black cloth. “Wow!” he says, theatrically lifting one of the sheets for a look while keeping the product hidden from viewers. “Although the timing is yet to be determined, we hope to bring you exciting news next year. Please stay tuned.”
While it’s not much of a reveal for a camera company to tease that it’s developing, well, more cameras, Igarashi’s brief attempt to create an Apple-like moment seems to confirm that we can look forward to at least two new cameras form Fujifilm in 2025.
The first Isetta-inspired Microlino EV made its debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, finally rolling into production some six years later. A tourist-focused concept was also revealed in 2022, and now concept has become reality for the official launch at the 2024 Paris Motor Show.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Electric Vehicles, City, Holiday, Retro, paris-motor-show-2024
Product Photos by Mitchell Clark/Dale Baskin
The Fujifilm X-M5 is the company's latest APS-C mirrorless camera and comes in as the lowest-end entry in its current lineup. It uses the company's last-generation 26MP X-Trans sensor, the same one found in cameras like the X-T4 and X-100V, but comes equipped with its latest processor, giving it access to Fujifilm's AI-powered subject detection autofocus.
Key features:The X-M5 will be available in November at a body-only price of $799. At launch, it'll be available in the silver color seen in the product photos here, but a black version is coming in April 2025.
Fujifilm is also selling a kit with the X-M5 and its XC15-45mmF3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens for $899. Optically, it's not our favorite lens, but its size and price make it an obvious pairing with this camera.
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$799 at B&H Photo$899 w/ 15-45 at Amazon.com$799 at Adorama Index:It's been a very long time since we've seen a camera with the X-M label: the last, the X-M1, was announced in 2013 and was only the third camera to feature the then-new X-mount. It obviously wouldn't make sense to compare the X-M5 to that model, but it's also a bit tricky to find a direct predecessor in Fujifilm's modern lineup.
It has the same sensor/processor combination as the X-S20 and the same focus on vlogging. However, that's a substantially higher-end camera with a stabilized sensor and electronic viewfinder. The X-T30 II's viewfinder is also indicative of the fact that it started life as a higher-end and more photography-focused camera, though its age – exemplified by its last-gen processor – puts it at a similar price point as the X-M5. The newer camera does still bring some things to the table that you won't find in Fujifilm's prior models, though.
A tiny designThe X-M5 is very lightweight and compact – even with the power zoom kit lens attached it comes in under 500g (17.6oz) and is small enough to fit in most purses, belly bags, or jacket pockets. Anyone who buys one will be hard-pressed to come up with an excuse not to take it with them when they leave the house.
It also helps that, subjectively, it's a very good-looking camera; Fujifilm's retro aesthetic with modern functionality continues to serve it well. More on that later.
The camera also features the film simulation dial found on the X-T50, which lets users play around with Fujifilm's color profiles to get the look they want without requiring them to dive into the menu. It may seem like a small thing given that film simulations have long been one of Fujifilm's main selling points, but putting them front and center like this strongly encourages people to experiment with them, even if they're averse to spending too much time in the menus.
4K LP videoThe Fujifilm X-M5 has 4K and 1080p 'Long Play' modes that crop in on the sensor, letting you record for longer before the camera overheats. The 4K LP mode has a 1.18x crop and is available in 23.98p, 24p, 25p, and 30p. The HD LP mode, meanwhile, is only available in 50p and 60p and comes with a 1.29x crop. The company says you can record for over an hour at 4K when using the LP mode in temperatures of 25°C (77°F) and around 20 minutes at 40°C (104°F).
The X-M5 also has two new low-bitrate options, letting you capture footage at 25Mbps and 8Mbps. This lets you sacrifice image quality for small file sizes in scenarios when you want to get footage out quickly and will only be using it on social media, where it'll already be heavily compressed.
If you want to shoot with heavier codecs, the X-M5 is compatible with Fujifilm's optional cooling fan, which can help extend record times without giving up quality or cropping in.
Three-microphone systemFujifilm has added an extra microphone to the camera to help distinguish between the audio you're trying to capture and ambient noise. Its UI lets you select whether you want it to let everything in, focus on audio from in front of the camera, behind the camera, or both. The last option could be useful if you're filming someone and talking to them from behind the camera.
The company also says the camera has improved wind reduction and a new "Steady-State noise reduction" mode meant to make constant noises like air conditioners less noticable.
If you'd rather plug in an external microphone, the X-M5 has cleverly placed the 3.5mm mic jack on the back of the camera, so the plug and cable won't block the screen when you're vlogging with it. The jack's cover is connected to the camera's body, so you don't have to keep track of a tiny piece of rubber when you're on the go.
Updated vlogging UIVlog mode isn't entirely new to Fujifilm's lineup: it appeared on the X-S20 as well, but the company has updated it for the X-M5, making it even easier to control the most important settings via the touchscreen.
Vlog mode has its own UI separate from the standard video recording interface. When you've selected Vlog on the control dial, the camera puts relatively large buttons on the touchscreen that allow you to control focus, access playback mode and start and stop recording.
The vlog mode UI has a clean layout with easy-to-press buttons for the most important functions.There's also a menu button that brings up controls for other settings, letting you control eye autofocus, electronic image stabilization, 'Portrait Enhancer' mode, background defocus mode, product priority mode, and more without flipping the camera around. It also lets you put the camera into the new 9:16 short movie mode, which lets you record a vertical video without physically rotating the camera; in vlog mode, you can choose between recording 15, 30, and 60-second clips.
Pressing the Menu button gives you access to most of the options you'd need to control while vlogging. From left to right:
Top: Shooting mode, focus mode, image stabilization mode, Face/Eye Detection setting, Portrait enhancer
Bottom: Background defocus mode, Product priority mode, high-speed recording, self-timer, 9:16 short movie mode
While you'll still have to use the physical buttons on the back of the camera to change things like which codec or resolution you're recording in, vlog mode does a good job of putting most of the controls, you'll need on the touchscreen without being overwhelming to newcomers.
9:16 short video modeWe touched on the 9:16 short video mode in the previous section, but it's worth diving into a bit on its own. It achieves vertical video by taking a 1080 x 1920 crop from the middle of the frame, instead of requiring you to physically turn the camera into portrait orientation. When you're shooting in this mode, the display will show you the full 16:9 image but darkens the frame outside what's being recorded.
9:16 short video mode shows you the entire preview, which could help if you want to move the camera while recording.The resulting videos will be small and quick to transfer to your phone for posting; by default the camera records them at an 8Mbps bitrate, though you can bump this up to 25Mbps. File sizes will vary depending on what you're filming, but you can expect 60 second second clips shot at 8Mbps to usually be under 100 megabytes, or under 250MB if you shoot at 25Mbps.
The 15, 30 and 60-second record limits are upper boundaries, but you can stop recording before you hit the time limit; it's easy to imagine a worse version of this mode locking up your camera until the timer hits zero. If you want to record for longer than 60 seconds, you'll have to dig into the menus to switch to the 9:16 resolution mode, which also gives you control over codec and bitrate.
USB-to-smartphone transferFujiifilm also says you'll be able to use XApp transfer files from the X-M5 to your phone using a USB cable, which should be appreciably faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi. It's another signal about who this camera is for: people who want to be able to capture something and then post it right away.
How it comparesThe X-M5 is far from the first small interchangeable lens camera pitched as a hybrid vlogging and photography tool. This time, Fujifilm is using size, price, and convenience to make its offering more appealing to people who are used to shooting on their phones.
While it's certainly bigger than a modern smartphone, it costs about as much as buying the latest iPhone outright, even with the kit lens. Its background defocus and product priority modes make it easier to get professional-looking video, even for those who don't know what aperture or subject tracking are. It's also worth pointing out that, for those used to shooting on a smartphone, the lack of an EVF won't feel like as much of a downside as they're already used to doing everything using a screen.
Fujifilm's also leaning on design; it's a safe bet that many creators know what its cameras look like now, ever since the X100V went viral. From its film simulation dial to the mic jack that's apparently inspired by the look of tiny viewfinders on vintage cameras, the X-M5's design screams, "this is a camera you want to be seen with."
Fujifilm X-M5 Sony ZV-E10 II Sony A6100 Canon EOS R50 Fujifilm X-T30 II MSRP $799, $899 with 15-45mm $999, $1099 w/ 16-50mm OSS II $750, $850 w/ 16-50mm $679, $799 with 18-45mm $899, $999 with 15-45mm Pixel count 26 MP 26 MP 24 MP 24 MP 26 MP Mech shutter Yes No Yes Yes Yes Top plate control dials 2 1 1 1 2 Max burst rate8 fps (mechanical)
30 fps (e-shutter)
11 fps 11 fps12 fps
15 fps (elec)
8 fps (mechanical)
30 fps (e-shutter)
Rear screen 1.04M-dot fully articulated 1.04M dots fully articulated 921K dots tilting 1.62M dots fully articulated 1.04M dot fully articulated EVF No No 1.44M dots, 1.07x magnification 2.36M dots, 0.95x magnification 2.36M dots, 0.93x magnification Video capabilitiesThe Sony ZV-E10 II is the most similar competitor to the X-M5. It, too, features a three-capsule microphone (though it comes with a handy wind cover for it), has background defocus and product showcase modes, and a microphone and headphone jack. It's also just as focused on video, with 10-bit internal recording and 4K/60p recording – though that focus comes at a cost for photography, as it lacks an EVF just like the X-M5, though Fujifilm's offering does at least include a mechanical shutter. The most interesting area of comparison will be in autofocus performance; traditionally, Sony has held the crown here, and so far, Fujifilm's latest-gen cameras haven't threatened to take it away. We'll also have to see if the X-M5 can match the ZV-E10 II's commendable rolling shutter performance
Sony's a6100 can't quite match the X-M5's video specs, given its lack of a headphone port, 8-bit video, and crop in 4K/30p mode. However, its EVF will make it more enticing to people who want photography capabilities first and video second.
It's much the same story with the Fujifilm X-T30 II and the Canon EOS R50, though the latter distinguishes itself by being notably cheaper than the rest of the cameras in this lineup and by having the nicest display.
Body and handlingThe X-M5 is a very compact camera; compared to the Sony ZV-E10 II, it feels smaller than the minor differences in its dimensions would suggest. Part of that can likely be chalked up to its much shallower grip, but the grip the Fujifilm does have is confidence-inspiring, especially when using the relatively small lenses that most people will likely pair with this camera.
While the camera is almost entirely plastic, it doesn't feel especially cheap. There are no creaks or squeaks when you're using it, the buttons are satisfyingly clicky, and the dials and hinges are reassuringly stiff.
Another nice touch is the inclusion of two top-plate control dials, which let you easily adjust your exposure settings without having to change your grip on the camera or switch to using the touchscreen. Of course, the target audience of vloggers and beginners may not be in the habit of manually adjusting exposure parameters, but it does at least offer those users some room to grow.
You need good aim to hit the Q button.The Q button is less ideal. It's recessed and on the top of the camera rather than the back, which makes it a little difficult to access, especially when you're trying to change settings quickly. Also not helping matters are its small size and the fact that it's nestled between two large dials.
Given the camera's focus on video, it's also a bit disappointing that the slower UHS-I SD card slot is in the battery compartment on the bottom, which could make it difficult if you have a tripod plate installed. It's understandable why it isn't on the sides, which are mostly taken up by the headphone jack, USB-C port and micro-HDMI connecter, but it's still a bummer.
Another potential downside is the lack of a directional pad, as Fujifilm has opted to include a joystick instead. That makes it so you're not reliant on the touchscreen to set focus, but it also means you don't have the four quick settings shortcuts d-pads usually provide. Like with many other Fujifilm cameras, you can swipe in different directions on the touchscreen to bring up menus, but doing so is decidedly less ergonomic than using buttons.
If you're willing to spend some time diving into the menus to customize the camera, you may be able to work around some of those issues via the four custom settings on the mode selector dial. For instance, switching between human subject detection and other subject detection modes on Fujifilms has historically been a bit of a pain; they're two separate items, so disengaging one will put you back into standard autofocus tracking, not whatever subject tracking you were using before.
However, you could set C1 up to use eye detection, C2 to be another subject detection mode, and C3 to be standard autofocus, letting you easily switch between them without ever touching the menu. Of course, you only have four custom settings on the mode dial, so you'll have to decide what's important to you. You can also choose whether each custom slot will be a photo or video mode.
A few other quick notes about the mode selector dial. It includes an Auto mode, which should be helpful for anyone who's new to the world of dedicated cameras, as well as a 'Filter' setting that activates the toy camera mode, which will be less useful to most people. Anyone wanting to play around with the look of their image should probably reach for the film simulation dial instead, as its adjustments are generally more subtle and pleasing.
The mode dial also lets you switch the camera into video mode and vlog mode, which are two separate beasts. We've already covered the vlog-specific UI, but it's also worth noting that vlog mode and movie mode have separate settings, letting you quickly switch between entirely different modes of shooting.
BatteryThe X-M5 uses Fujifilm's 8.7 Wh NP-W126s battery, which has been around since the days of the original X-M1 and persists in modern cameras like the X-T50 – Fujifilm's higher-end, physically larger cameras have moved on to a new, higher-capacity model. It's rated to last around 330 shots or 440 if you're using eco mode. That'll likely be good for a day or so of shooting or a weekend of sporadic photography, though it's far from one of the best batteries in its class.
The camera has a USB-C port, which it can charge with even while in use.
Initial ImpressionsBy Mitchell Clark
Let's get one thing out of the way: the X-M5 is not a new photography-focused X-E camera. While plenty about it will likely appeal to photographers, such as its inclusion of a mechanical shutter and twin control dials, Fujifilm very clearly made this camera for people who shoot just as many videos as they do photos and who are "camera curious," as Victor Ha, vice president, Electronic Imaging and Optical Devices Divisions for Fujifilm North America put it.
If you're considering this as a secondary photography camera – who could blame you, given the price tag? – it's very much worth taking a step back and considering what this camera is rather than what you probably want it to be.
That's absolutely not to say that the X-M5 isn't an exciting new option. To be candid, we had almost given up on seeing a new camera at this price point, so it's nice to see that sub-$1,000 kits aren't dead yet.
It feels like Fujifilm actually spent some time figuring out what modern-day vloggers and content creators need in a camera. Despite its small size, it still has a microphone and headphone jack, which are critical for getting good audio in-camera. Vlogging mode and the suite of tools that come with it also strike me as well-suited for people trying to film themselves, and while the short vertical clip mode is easy to scoff at, I can see it truly being a big time saver for some creators. And, of course, the film simulation dial makes it easy to choose an aesthetic without messing around with LUTs in post – though the inclusion of F-Log means you can do that if you want.
The X-M5 does come with some notable downsides, though. Like the Sony ZV-E10 II, it lacks a stabilized sensor, which will be a concern if you like to walk and talk to your camera. Fujifilm says its latest iteration of digital image stabilization should help deal with that and even correct for rolling shutter, but it comes with a hefty 1.32x crop. Shooting at 60fps in 4K also comes with an additional crop. If you stack them all together, you end up with a 1.44x crop, which may require a substantially wider lens – or longer arms – if you want to film yourself with sensible framing.
Fujifilm's autofocus tracking system, while improved from previous models, is still decidedly second-tier compared to systems from Sony, Nikon and Canon. The screen can also be difficult to see in direct sunlight, making it annoying to shoot in harsh conditions.
Still, shooting stills and videos with it has been quite enjoyable, and its price may make it worth those trade-offs for someone who's just getting into the hobby. The size and weight have made it very easy to carry around, and the ergonomics of shooting with it are about as good as they can be on a camera without an EVF.
The X-M5's stills mode is among the most competent out of all the vlogging-focused cameras I've testedI'll again reiterate that this is not a camera for professional or enthusiast photographers. Still, its stills mode is among the most competent out of all the vlogging-focused cameras I've tested, at least from a controls standpoint. While I doubt many – or any – X-M5 users will actually attach a flash to its hot shoe, the mechanical shutter makes the act of taking a picture feel and sound substantially more satisfying than doing so on a phone. The joystick also greatly helps when selecting an autofocus point or moving through menus.
We'll have to spend some time vlogging with a production unit to really put it through its paces, but so far, it seems like Fujifilm has struck a good balance with this camera. While some people will wish the company had added extra features or capabilities, those also would've come at the expense of the size and cost that make this camera so attractive in the first place.
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Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.Fujifilm has announced the 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR II, a significantly more compact update of its top-end fast standard zoom lens for the X mount.
The new lens is significantly smaller and lighter than the original XF 16-55mm. Whereas the original lens looked like a slightly shorter 24-70mm zoom, the new version looks like modern 24-70mm that's been reduced by around 1/3rd, which is in keeping with what you might hope for, given the smaller image circle of APS-C.
The design features 16 elements in 11 groups, including four aspheric elements, three ED lenses and one Super ED element, to help minimize chromatic aberration.
The new lens is substantially smaller than the previous model, shown on the right.
Image: Fujifilm
It's the first X-mount lens to feature 11 aperture blades and the first to let you de-click the aperture ring. This will allow more subtle control of the aperture when shooting in video and should prevent the flickering brightness effect that could happen with the old one, as its aperture jumped in 1/3rd stops.
The Mark II zoom accepts 72mm filters rather than the 77mm ones used by the previous version.
The new lens will be sold for the same $1199 recommended price as its predecessor, and will be available in December.
Buy now:
$1199 at B&H Photo$1199 at Adorama Fujinon XF16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR II pre-production sample gallery Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.Press Release:
Prime Performance, Zoom Versatility: Fujifilm Announces FUJINON XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR IILatest Iteration of Popular Lens Brings New Features for Photo and Video Creation
VALHALLA, N.Y., October 14, 2024 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announces the release of its new FUJINON XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR II lens (XF16-55mm II), the next generation of the company’s venerable XF16-55mm zoom lens that debuted in 2015.
“XF16-55mm has always been known as a workhorse; a must have everyday carry lens for professionals and enthusiasts alike,” said Victor Ha, vice president, Electronic Imaging and Optical Devices Divisions, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “XF16-55mm II takes everything our fans loved about the original lens and elevates it to the next level by combining new lens optics, smooth aperture control, and enhanced autofocus, with nods to the reliable go-anywhere form factor that made the original lens such a hit.”
Product Features
Large-Aperture Standard Zoom Lens with Superior Imaging Performance
Compact and Lightweight Design for Enhanced Mobility
Enhanced Design for Video Recording
High-Speed, High-Precision AF with Near-Silent Operation
Pricing and Availability
FUJINON XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR II lens will be available in December 2024 at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $1,199.95 USD and $1,619.99 CAD.
For more information, visit https://fujifilm-x.com/en-us/products/lenses/xf16-55mmf28-r-lm-wr-ii/.
1 The "Aperture Click Switch" functionality requires a firmware update for compatible camera bodies. Future firmware updates are planned for current models including the FUJIFILM X-H2S, FUJIFILM X-H2, FUJIFILM X-T5, FUJIFILM X-S20, and FUJIFILM X-T50.
2 Based on CIPA guidelines, measured internally using the FUJIFILM X-T4 mirrorless digital camera in phase-detection AF mode with High-Performance Mode enabled, at the wide-angle end.
Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR II Specifications: Principal specificationsLens typeZoom lensMax Format sizeAPS-C / DXFocal length16–55 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountFujifilm XApertureMaximum apertureF2.8Minimum apertureF22Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades11OpticsElements16Groups11Special elements / coatings4 Aspheric, 3 ED, 1 Super EDFocusMinimum focus0.30 m (11.81″)Maximum magnification0.2×AutofocusYesMotor typeLinear MotorFull time manualNoFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight410 g (0.90 lb)Diameter78 mm (3.07″)Length95 mm (3.74″)SealingYesZoom methodRotary (extending)Power zoomNoZoom lockNoFilter thread72 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarNoFujifilm has announced the XF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR (762mm equiv), a super telephoto APS-C lens for its X Mount system. The lens is sure to be a welcome addition to bird photographers with Fujifilm cameras, or anyone else who's been wishing for a super telephoto prime with autofocus capabilities. Prior to the 500mm, the furthest-reaching prime Fujifilm offered was the 200mm F2.
The company also has its $2,000 150-600mm F5.6-8, but that'll be slower than F5.6 by the time you get to 500mm and it seems reasonable to expect sharper images from the prime. The zoom lens also 270g (9.5oz) heavier, though at 1,335g (2.9lbs) the prime isn't exactly ultralight either.
In terms of construction, the lens is essentially identical to the company's medium format GF 500mm F5.6, apart from the mount. It's made of 21 elements in 14 groups, including 2 super ED lenses, and 5 ED lenses. Its optical image stabilization system is rated to 5.5 stops, and it has 20 seals for weather resistance, along with a flourine coating on the front element to ward off water and dirt. It's threaded for 95mm filters.
The lens also has linear focus motors, as well as a focus limiter switch to prevent it from focusing on subjects closer than 5m away. When using the lens' full range of focus, it's minimum focus distance is 2.75m (9ft).
The 500mm is compatible with Fujifilm's 1.4x teleconverter, which makes it act like an F8 lens with a 1067mm equiv. focal length, as well as the company's 2x teleconverter that gives it a 1,524mm equiv. focal length at the cost of knocking its max aperture down to the equivalent of F11.
The XF 500mm will be available starting in December, and will have a manufacturer suggested retail price of $2,999.
Buy now:
$2999 at B&H Photo$2999 at AdoramaPress Release:
Super-Telephoto Excellence: Fujifilm Announces FUJINON XF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WRThe Ultimate Tool for Outdoor Content Creators
VALHALLA, N.Y., OCTOBER 14, 2024 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announces the launch of its FUJINON XF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR lens (XF500mmF5.6). The new super- telephoto lens offers the longest prime lens coverage in the current Fujifilm X Series lens lineup, designed for quick autofocus response and incredible detail in image-making around even the most challenging outdoor subjects, and is ideal for birding, wildlife, and sports.
“Making content outdoors can always present challenges, considering weather, fast moving animals, birds, and the rapid motion of athletics,” said Victor Ha, vice president, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Electronic Imaging and Optical Devices Divisions. “These are only a few of the examples that were considered when developing this latest super-telephoto lens. Optical image stabilization and linear-motor driven autofocus help the creator document all the action without missing a detail. We’re excited about the capabilities this lens brings to outdoor creatives.”
Product Features
Serious Optical Performance, Rugged Yet Stylish Design
Exceptional Mobility and Superior Resolution That Redefine Super-Telephoto Lenses
Powerful 5.5-Stop Optical Image Stabilization Performance
Comfortable Operation and High-Speed, Near-Silent, Precision Autofocus
Pricing and Availability
FUJINON XF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR lens will be available in December 2024 at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $2,999.95 USD and $4,049.99 CAD.
For more information, visit https://fujifilm-x.com/en-us/products/lenses/xf500mmf56-r-lm-ois-wr/.
1 Sold separately
2 Weight excluding the lens cap, lens hood and tripod seat.
3 Compliant with CIPA in pitch / yaw directions.
4 Using an internal measurement method compliant with the CIPA Guidelines, when mounted on the mirrorless digital camera “FUJIFILM X-T4” with Phase Detection AF activated and the High Performance Mode turned ON.
5 The Focus Limiter function is activated with the Focus Range Selector.
Fujifilm XF 500mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR Specifications: Principal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format sizeAPS-C / DXFocal length500 mmImage stabilizationYesCIPA Image stabilization rating6 stop(s)Lens mountFujifilm XApertureMaximum apertureF5.6Minimum apertureF22Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades9Aperture notesRounded bladesOpticsElements21Groups14Special elements / coatings2 Super ED, 5 ED elementsFocusMinimum focus2.75 m (108.27″)Maximum magnification0.2×AutofocusYesMotor typeLinear MotorFull time manualYesFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoFocus distance limiter5m-infinityPhysicalWeight1335 g (2.94 lb)Diameter105 mm (4.13″)Length255 mm (10.04″)SealingYesColourWhiteFilter thread95 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarYesHailed as the world's first pentakis dodecahedron (or 60-sided) tiny house, this pint-sized geodesic dome home has been expertly designed to maximize its limited space. Named the Mini Dome, it's currently available for vacation rentals and will soon be up for sale in kit form too.
Category: Tiny Houses, Lifestyle
Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home, Airbnb
Apple's Machine Learning Research wing has developed a foundational AI model "for zero-shot metric monocular depth estimation." Depth Pro enables high-speed generation of detailed 3D depth maps from a single two-dimensional image.
Category: Technology
Tags: Apple, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Images, 3D, Imaging
Adobe announced the latest updates to Photoshop, Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw during its Max conference keynote. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the products are getting a heaping helping of generative AI features, though there are other non-Ai improvements as well.
Index
LightroomThe Quick Actions are meant to help quicky spice up a picture.
Image: Adobe
The big new feature coming to Lightroom is called Quick Actions, which Adobe says will speed up "fine tune editing." Essentially, Lightroom will give you some suggested edits that it can perform with the click of a button. The company says the feature will launch in early access in Lightroom Mobile and Lightroom for the web.
The company also says the Generative Remove feature it announced in May is out of early access and is now generally available to Lightroom users in Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Lightroom mobile. The feature lets you select an object in a photograph, which the software will then try to erase, filling in the gaps with imagery generated using Adobe's Firefly AI. The company says it has also improved Generative Remove's selection tool, letting you circle the things you want to erase.
Now, everyone can erase unwanted elements in images without jumping into Photoshop.
Image: Adobe
In an FAQ, Adobe says, "Content Credentials will be automatically attached to photos edited with the feature in Lightroom," which should help people determine if an image was altered with AI as long as the platform they're viewing it supports that metadata – though at the moment, very few do.
Adobe has also continued to make performance improvements to Lightroom Classic, improving the image navigation experience in the Develop module and making the tethered capture experience for Nikon cameras substantially faster.
It's also been working on improving and expanding the HDR editing experience. The company says you can now see HDR content in more views throughout Lightroom and that it now supports embedded ISO HDR Gain Maps. That means you should be able to export one file that will render correctly on SDR and HDR displays rather than having to export separate SDR and HDR files.
Lightroom is getting big improvments if you shoot HDR images on your phoneLightroom also now supports HDR images from Google's Pixel 9 phones and will let you edit HDR video if you have an Apple silicon Mac or are using Lightroom mobile on iOS.
Adobe is also expanding the availability of its AI Denoise tool, which is available in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw. It'll now work on HDR and panorama DNGs, as well as Apple, Google, and Samsung's flavors of Raw.
Finally, there are the classic quality-of-life improvements. Lightroom Mobile is getting a performance boost on Android, and there are new options for managing how much disk space Lightroom Classic will take up for its preview cache. Additionally, Lightroom Classic will no longer require you to change the name of your catalog when you upgrade it using a newer version of Lightroom.
Frame.io
The company also says the Frame.io changes it announced earlier this year are now generally available. That includes custom metadata features and integration into Lightroom that supports loading images via Camera To Cloud. In theory, that means you could shoot pictures on your camera and have them show up in Lightroom via Frame.io, as long as your camera supports the feature. Currently, the list of stills cameras with Frame.io integration includes the Lumix S5II/X, GH7, and Fujifilm's latest-gen cameras, including the recently announced X-M5.
On that note, Adobe also says that Nikon, Canon, and Leica will join in on supporting Camera To Cloud. The Canon C400 and C80, and the Leica SL3 will be getting updates to natively support the feature, and the Nikon Z6III, Z8, and Z9 will be able to offload to Frame.io via Nikon's NX MobileAir app. The updates enabling Frame.io integration will be coming at various points throughout next year.
PhotoshopLike with Lightroom, Adobe is making many of Photoshop's early-access generative AI features generally available. That includes tools like Generative Fill, Generative Expand, Generate Similar, Generate Background, and Generate Image, all of which use the company's Firefly 3 AI model to do more or less what the names imply. Generative Fill lets you drop AI-generated images in to whatever you're editing.
In addition, it's adding a Generative Workspace tool, which lets you generate images and will keep a record of them in one place.
Speaking of Firefly, the company says there's a new 'fast mode' available for it that will let you generate images up to four times faster, if you're just trying to get a very quick draft that you'll refine later.
Image: AdobeAdobe is also introducing an automatic distraction removal tool, which uses AI to find distracting elements in an image and remove them.
The company says that, if you want, you are able to turn off generative AI in the remove tool. By default, it will choose "from many technologies to deliver the best result," but there's a setting that lets you set generative AI on or off – you can also leave it on Auto, where it'll use whichever methods it thinks are most suited to whatever you're trying to remove.
There are some non-AI improvements to Photoshop, too. The company says it's expanding the number of tools that work with 32-bit HDR images in Photoshop, meaning you can use things like the dodge/burn tool, Magic Wand, magnetic lasso, Spot Healing Brush Tool, Remove Tool, and more without converting your image down to 16- or 8-bit.
Adobe Camera RawAdobe is adding a Firefly-powered Generative Expand mode to ACR, which will use AI to fill in past the borders of your image. The mode will be available as a technical preview.
The company is also announcing a beta for something called Adobe Adaptive Profile, which it says will use AI to make editing images with high dynamic range easier. You apply it like you do the standard 'Adobe Color' or 'Adobe Landscape' profiles, but instead of making the same adjustments for each image, an AI model will automatically adjust Exposure, Shadows, Highlights, Color Mixer, Curves, etc. The sliders will still be at their default values, but the changes the profile makes are meant to act as a base upon which you'll add your own edits.
The photo on the right uses the Adobe Color profile, while the one on the left uses the Adobe Adaptive one.
Image: Adobe
Adobe says it created the profile based on 'thousands of hand-edited photos of people, pets, food, architecture, museum exhibits, cars, ships, airplanes, landscapes, and many other subjects.' It has a blog post that goes into a deep-dive on what exactly it changes and how the company put the profile together. Generally, it's meant to make subjects pop from the background, making them subtly lighter and more colorful. Adobe says it'll automatically generate HDR and SDR looks for an image.
Adobe says the mode will currently only work on Raw images, though it hopes to expand support for other file types in the future.
We're on the ground at Adobe's conference this week, so keep an eye out for some demos of these features. Be sure to let us know if you have any questions so we can keep them in mind during our tests.
Adobe's Firefly video generation panel.
Screenshot: Adobe
Adobe has announced Firefly Video, an AI model that can generate video footage that the company says is designed "to be commercially safe" and to "not infringe on others' IP." Some of the generative AI features are being integrated into the company's editing software, Premiere Pro.
Premiere Pro is also getting several updates unrelated to the AI features; click here to jump to the section about those.
Perhaps the most useful feature Adobe showed off in its keynote address at its Max conference is Generative Extend. The feature is meant to continue video or audio clips after the end of the actual recording or cut, generating a few extra seconds of footage or room tone to help fill in gaps. The plan is to build it into Premiere Pro, so you can extend your footage straight from your timeline. Like most of Firefly's video abilities, the feature will be launched as a beta.
You can generate new footage to fix eyelines, fill in gaps, or help smooth out a J/L cut, straight from the timeline.
Image: Adobe
There will initially be a few limitations: the most notable is that the beta version can only generate 720p or 1080p 16:9 video at framerates between 8 and 30fps. It also only works with 8-bit and SDR video.
The company also showed off Firefly's ability to 'animate' still images, turning them into video, though that feature will launch on the web version of the tool, not in Premiere. The tool can also generate video assets along with actual footage. The company showed Firefly-generated light leak artifacts that were added to a conventionally-shot video, as well as AI-generated animation and text graphics.
'Filmic' light leaks generated by Firefly that could then be composited on top of existing footage. AI-Generated Image: AdobeOf course, Firefly Video can also generate footage whole-cloth based on text prompts from the user. The UI gives people several ways to control the video that's generated, letting them pick an aspect ratio and frame rate, as well as specify what kind of framing, angle, and motion they want. However, Adobe says its customers are generally more interested in how generative AI could help them edit human-created content than using the tech to create something from scratch.
Adobe stresses that it has trained the model "responsibly," using "licensed content" from Adobe Stock and the public domain. Representatives for the company said it was not trained on data scraped from the web or customer data, practices that have been controversial with other generative AI models.
The company also says that footage generated or edited with Firefly will automatically have Content Credentials attached, tagging it as being created with AI. However, similar to images created using the system, it currently falls to the user to manually check a video's veracity, as most platforms don't interpret the Content Credentials metadata.
Premiere Pro updates Image: AdobeAdobe also announced that it's adding a new 'context-aware properties panel,' which will attempt to surface the most useful tools based on what you're currently working on.
The company has also updated the Frame.io panel, saying that the new version will make it easier to track reviews and approvals. On that note, Adobe also announced that Canon, Nikon, and Leica are adding support for Frame.io's Camera-To-Cloud feature, which lets cameras automatically upload footage to the service without needing to manually offload it to a computer. There are currently no details on which camera models will support it.
Premiere is also getting a performance bump, with the company promising that it'll be able to export to ProRes up to three times faster. The app is also getting a bit of a redesign, which the company says will make it feel "modern and more consistent."
We're attending Adobe Max, so keep an eye out for demos of some of these features. If you want to follow along live, check out our Instagram page.
