Category: News

News (industry, events)

News: RIP GoPro

GoPro is being sold for $285M to a company from the militaro-industrial-complex.

I GoPro camera seens from the back, facing the outside of an airport terminal. Visible in the background, out of focus, is the wing of a jetliner and various service vehicles.

DPReview: GoPro says its future is “defense, government, robotics and aerospace” after $285 million merger

GoPro created the action camera segment with their waterproof and shockproof video cameras. It did IPO in 2014 for $4B, in 2016 it did try to compete with DJI in the drone market it withdrew from in 2018, after which it tried to sell itself, unsuccessfully. Back in June, the writing was on the wall, now GoPro is being acquired for a fraction of this.

As for the RIP, it is the pessimism of being acquired by a company whose market isn’t what GoPro has been been doing. The question is how long it will take…

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Harman Phoenix is back

Harman Phoenix is back as an 125 ISO film. Currently only in 35mm, it is just the original Harman Phoenix (not Phoenix II) in a new packaging, DX coded to 125 ISO. The new ISO is based on feedback from photographer that it looked better exposed +2/3 stop. Will also be available in 120.

Another change is that officially it can be processed in E-6 or ECN-2.

I have just gotten my only exposed roll of Phoenix back from the lab. More later.

News: Sony wants to buy Tamron

Apparently Sony wants to buy Tamron (Imaging Resource). Tamron confirmed a JP¥200 Billions offer from Sony to buy them. That’s about CA$1.76 Billions. Their statement say they are looking at it. Sony already owns about 15% of Tamron.

The question is whether this would mean the end of third-pary lenses for other than Sony. The claim is that Sony wants to protect Tamron, with whom they have a partnership, against some other investors, that have recently become a larger shareholder than Sony.

DPReview has a longer analysis, mentioning other business from Tamron that Sony competes in, and the fact that while Tamron is the OEM for some Nikon lenses, and how some lenses are only available in Sony E-mount or with better pricing. And given that Canon and Nikon have been a bit restrictive on third-party lenses (R and Z mount respectively), it wouldn’t be a surprising move post-acquisition, if it ever happened, to stop making lenses for these.

In comparison, in 2011, Hoya sold the Pentax camera business to Ricoh Imaging for about JP¥10 Billions.

Panasonic Lumix L10

Today Panasonic announced a new advanced compact camera, the Lumix L10. Back in March, somewhat unexpectingly, Panasonic refreshed the ZS/TZ lineup with a viewfinder-less model. Now to celebrate 25 years of Lumix, the L10 represent the top of the line Lumix compact camera. With the insides of a GH7 (the same m4/3 sensor), and the form factor of a LX100, with a 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 equivalent zoom, it positions itself as a compact all-in-one suited for photo and video, with all the recent developments found in the S series, including the LUTs, and a microphone port.

At US$1,499 (CA$2,099) in silver or black, it is not that budget friendly. A titanium gold special edition for the 25 year anniversary will cost US$1,599 and be available in limited quantities.

A bunch of influencers got flown to Osaka, Japan for the announcement. Here I just have the Press Release.

RIP Portra and T-Max

In the continuation of Eastman Kodak bringing back the films from Kodak Alaris into their own umbrella, the latest “victims” are Portra and T-Max. While the brand will not be continued, both line will be renamed.

Long live to Ektacolor Pro and Ektapan (via Petapixel, as I’m not on the Eastman Kodak mailing list).

Ektacolor Pro will be in 160, 400 and 800 ISO, much like Portra. The 800 ISO film will cost more. Ektapan will be in 100, 400 and 3200 ISO, like T-Max. Both will be available in 135 and 120. Not sure yet about sheet film.

Now the only thing that is missing is that 800 ISO colour film that is found in the disposable cameras.

Previously: Ektachrome, Ektar, Tri-X, Kodacolor, Gold 200 and Ultramax 400.

Ektachrome 100

Kosmofoto tells us Kodak Ektachrome E100 added to Eastman Kodak’s in-house distribution.

The legendary slide film, discontinued and then revived, is now being folded back to Eastman Kodak. This comes after Ektar 100 and Tri-X 400. It’s looking like the whole range of Kodak product is being repatriated from Kodak Alaris. It feel reassuring after learning that Kodak Alaris was being bought by private equity. The were just the exclusive distributor of Eastman Kodak in a deal with the Kodak UK pension, but now it seems that the deal changed and Eastman Kodak is getting it back.

News: instax mini Evo Cinema

The tl;dr: Fujifilm announced the instax mini Evo Cinema: a movie camera shaped Instax mini Evo camera.

That means it is a digital camera that directly print on Instax mini. But the rest feels very gimmicky:

– record short videos (up to 15sec) and then print a thumbnail with QR code to share it with other.
– the “Eras Dial”: it’s like a film simulation dial but for time period specific effects, including with the audio.

Most of it requires the use of the associated mobile app.

The ergonomics look interesting, with a grip allegedly inspired by Fujifilm own FUJICA Single-8 movie camera (an 8mm film movie camera from 1965) and a viewfinder attachment to turn the small rear LCD into an EVF. Seriously Fujifilm, make this a proper movie camera that can do 4K and you get my money.

It feels like we are being punked by Fujifilm. The fact that there are very few articles (no review) and very few videos on YouTube about it is either that Fujifilm didn’t send the camera to influencers. Even the Fujifilm corporate channels are light on content with only a video in Japanese. Reading closer what Peta Pixel knows, it seems that the instax mini Evo Cinema is set to be released in Japan, with an unknown prices and international availability.