In today's episode, the new OM-3 camera as well as Panasonic's S1R II and Sigma's BF camera and Manfrotto celebrates 50 years with 5 new tripods. A photographer captures 2,500 outdoor basketball courts in HongKong and more.
You can find the show notes here.
You can find the show notes here.
Show Notes
Welcome back to the Liam Photography Podcast! I’m your host, Liam Douglas, and this is Episode 443. In today’s episode, we’ll dive into the latest and greatest from OM Systems, Sigma, Manfrotto, Panasonic, TTArtisan, DxO, and Sirui, along with a fascinating photography project capturing Hong Kong’s basketball courts. Let’s get started!
OM System has announced a new Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera called the OM-3 with a design inspired by the Olympus OM-1 film camera that first debuted in 1972. Despite its vintage appearance, the OM-3 offers features similar to last year’s OM System OM-1 Mark II in a more compact and affordable body. These include a 20.37-megapixel stacked back-illuminated sensor and 10-bit 4K 60p video capabilities, with the addition of dedicated dials and buttons for color modes and computational photography features.
The OM-3 also features the same computational photography modes as the OM-1 Mark II but makes them easily accessible through a dedicated button and control dial. A single press of the button activates the mode you last used, according to DPReview, while a long press brings up a list that can be customized with only the effects and filters you use most frequently.
These modes include the ability to capture higher-res images in 14-bit RAW (up to 50MP handheld or 80MP when using a tripod), neutral density and graduated filters, composite imagery using focus stacking and exposure bracketing, and AI-powered autofocus that can automatically detect specific subjects. It also shares its predecessor’s ability to capture up to 120fps with focus locked on a subject, or up to 50fps with continuous autofocus using the same 1,053-point cross-phase-detect autofocus system.
Another dedicated control that references the film cameras that inspired its design is the Creative Dial (carried over from the Olympus Pen-F) right next to its lens that gives photographers quick access to simulated film profiles, as well as color and black-and-white profiles with extensive customization options that are made instantly accessible on screen.
The OM System OM-3 is now available for preorder for $1,999.99 for the camera body alone or as part of a $2,299.99 kit that includes OM System’s M.Zuiko ED 12-45mm F4.0 Pro lens. For a limited time, OM System is offering a $200 discount in the US when the OM-3 is purchased with either the $499.99 M.Zuiko Digital 25mm F1.8 II lens or the $549.99 M.Zuiko Digital 17mm F1.8 II lens. Shipping is expected to start on February 27th, 2025.
Other features of the OM-3 include a 240 fps slow-mo video mode with the resolution dropped to 1080p, a leatherette texture for added grip, IP53 weather resistance (it can withstand a light water spray and has limited dust ingress), and a rechargeable battery good for around 590 shots with the camera in its Standard shooting mode.
The OM-3 also offers up to 70 frames of pre-capture shooting to help ensure a photographer isn’t late to a shot, but its five-axis in-body stabilization is slightly less capable than the OM-1 Mark II’s. It also only uses a single UHS-II SD card slot, so there’s less redundancy, and while it has the same three-inch LCD display as the OM-1 Mark II, it has a lower resolution electronic viewfinder — 2.36 million dots instead of 5.76 million.
The Sigma BF is milled from a single block of aluminum on state-of-the-art five axis CNC machine, which is a process that takes seven hours to complete. It should be no surprise, then, that the production capacity is extremely low: just nine per day.
During a tour of Sigma’s headquarters in Aizu, Japan, the company explained to PetaPixel that it needed to acquire six brand-new machines that are capable of milling the BF camera body from a single aluminum block. These machines work in teams of two over the course of seven hours in order to produce the camera. Therefore, Sigma can only make nine per day — an extremely low level of production.
It has been actively producing BF cameras for what was casually described as the last five months in anticipation of the launch this week. That said, even with that much time dedicated to production, that would mean that Sigma has only been able to produce around 1,500 units. It has another month and a half of production ahead of it before the camera’s availability in April but even so, photographers shouldn’t expect Sigma to have even 2,000 total cameras for the global market.
This is a very Leica-esque approach to manufacturing, but not pricing — $2,000 for this “beautiful foolishness” of a camera of this limited availability is unusual. On that note, Sigma’s factory in Aizu is responsible for all of its manufacturing — both cameras and lenses. Sigma is capable of producing 75,000 lenses a month and 1,000 total cameras at peak capacity, all in this one location. Despite the fact that many of the steps are not automated and do require human hands, Sigma describes its factory as vertically integrated which allows it to hit the high level of quality it strives for while also keeping prices low.
Looping back to those new machines, it’s important to recognize that they are extremely expensive. While Sigma did not confirm or deny, it is unlikely that the company would only keep them for making BF cameras forever, so it’s not out of the question to think the company would make more products in the future that use a similar unibody design or milled processing.
The limited production capacity of the Sigma BF indicates that even if it is in high demand, it will be a niche, specialized product.
Manfrotto announced five new tripod kits to celebrate 50 years as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of photography and video equipment.
In an homage to its iconic 055 and 190 tripod ranges, Manfrotto’s new expanded tripod kits include three new models for photographers and two for videographers. All of the kits feature Arca-Swiss compatibility, bringing seamless accessory integration to the line. They are all being released in a special all-black edition to celebrate Manfrotto’s 50 years of excellence and Italian craftsmanship.
The new Manfrotto photo kits come in three different options: an aluminum three-section 190 tripod with no center column and a 496 ball head, an aluminum three-section 055 tripod with a center column and XPRO ball head, or a carbon fiber four-section tripod with Q90 column and XPRO ball head.
Photographers looking for an affordable, lightweight option may be most interested in the new aluminum Manfrotto 190. The budget-friendly aluminum version is targeted towards urban and travel photographers. The tripod is full size, offering professional-grade features in a lightweight and portable kit.
The new black editions of the legendary 055 range honor the legacy of the original 055 with the upgraded modern look. They will be available as either a photo or video kit, with material choices of aluminum or carbon fiber.
As a photo kit, the 055 will feature the XPRO ball head with Arca-Swiss compatibility.
Conversely, the video kits pair the 055 tripod with a leveling column and 502 video head for a portable but stable combination. The video kit combination is best suited for mirrorless cameras or compact camcorders.
The new 055 and 190 models are available now from authorized Manfrotto retailers. The photo-oriented tripods start at $299.95, while the two video models are $499.95 and $699.95, depending on whether customers opt for aluminum or carbon fiber.
B&H has two configurations available for preorder, including the Manfrotto 055XPRO 4-section Photo AS Carbon Fiber Tripod Kit for $699.95 and the Manfrotto 190X3 3-Section Photo AS Aluminum Tripod Kit for $299.95.
Panasonic Introduces Lumix S1R II
Panasonic has unveiled its most powerful full-frame mirrorless camera yet, the Lumix S1R II. It upgrades the 47MP Lumix S1R in just about every regard, even if a few megapixels have been shaved off with its new stabilized 44MP sensor.
Key upgrades include beefy video features such as 8K open gate video recording (coming via a firmware update soon), plus 32-bit float audio recording through an XLR adaptor that debuted in the Lumix GH7.
10-bit 8K video recording up to 30fps delivers 14EV dynamic range, while it's also possible to record 5.8K Apple Pro Res raw internally – that's a first for Lumix. We've also got the usual array of color profiles, including V-log to maximize detail for those that like to grade footage, plus a Cinelike profile that emulates the popular Rec.709 look.
Naturally, 8K video recording is memory-hungry. As such, the option for proxy recording is welcome, as is Frame.io support – a tool that can ease workflow for collaborative projects.
The Lumix S1R II is also equipped with refined hybrid phase-detection autofocus, which Panasonic says is twice as effective as in the Lumix S5 II for its best-ever autofocus performance.
In-body image stabilization is rated up to 8EV, and includes a new crop-less mode which we're keen to test properly – you can check out our early impressions in our Lumix S1R II hands-on review.
Design-wise, there are further Panasonic firsts too: a new multi-angle screen, much like the one in the Sony A1 II, for easy viewing from any angle in vertical and horizontal format.
There are front and rear tally lamps so users know when the camera is rolling, direct recording from USB-C to SSD portable drives, and grilles under the 5.76m-dot EVF to dissipate heat for impressive video record times.
Photographers can enjoy blackout-free 10fps burst shooting with the mechanical shutter, a rate that's upped to 40fps when using the electronic shutter, with the option for pre-burst capture up to 1.5 seconds with the shutter half pressed, before fully pressing the shutter button. That 44MP resolution can also be upped to 177MP when using the High Res shot mode.
All this is squeezed into a dust-, splash- and freeze-resistant body that's 20 percent smaller than the Lumix S1R and which is almost the same size as the Lumix S5 II.
Panasonic also announced a new app alongside the Lumix S1R II: Lumix Flow. A key feature of the new app is the ability to use an iOS or Android phone as a monitor, over a direct USB-C to USB-C connection. It's currently compatible with the Lumix S5 II, GH7 and S1R II, and users can also rate each take as they go to streamline workflow. Another element to the app, which is open to any user with any camera, is a script, shoot and edit project management tool.
The Lumix S1R II costs $3,299 / £2,999 / AU$5,499 body-only, and is also available in the UK only with the Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm F4 Macro OIS lens, for £3,799. That's a particularly competitive price versus Sony, Canon and Nikon rivals. So how do the flagship models stack up?
TTartisan retro-style Instant camera
The last week of February is shaping up to be one of the biggest weeks for new gear launches in 2025 so far – but with CP+ beginning tomorrow, February 27, the new gear that has already launched this week is just the start. Case in point – I know from the teasers that TTArtisan, a China-based company known for affordable optics will be showcasing a new product at the show. But a leaked image from Asobinet suggests the product isn’t a lens but a retro-style Instant film camera. As a fan of retro gear and instant film both, I sure hope the leak is the real thing.
Absoinet says that an exclusive source has told them that TTArtisan will be releasing a retro camera. Details in the leak were slim, but the image appears to show a red camera with old school folding bellows with an instant picture sticking out of the side.
Rumors should never be treated as absolute truths. But, in the case of TTArtisan, the company has already shared a few teasers. The first teaser simply revealed that TTArtisan would be launching a new product at CP+ 2025, but did not reveal details on even what category that product would fall under.
A later teaser, however, revealed additional details, including a February 27 launch date with a video offering “A hint of new product we’ve NEVER done before.” The video shows a rectangular object that opens and appears to spit out a photo. From that, we know not only that something is launching tomorrow, but something that TTArtisan hasn’t done before.
While the teasers don’t say for sure what product is coming, none of the details seem to discredit the leak either. A software translation of the leaked image says "Mechanical charm” offering more hints towards potential features.
My collection of vintage film cameras includes a few bellows cameras, but they take the old Type 40 instant roll film that isn’t around anymore. I would love to experience taking film photos with a bellows camera. Naturally, I don’t necessarily have to wait around for such an experience. I could use something like the Mamiya 6 with 120 roll film, or the Mint InstantKon RF70 instant film camera with bellows. Both those options are pricey, however, so I hope that, if the rumored TTArtisan camera exists, it follows the same affordability of the brand’s lenses.
DxO, a company known for its photo editing software and lens correction profiles, has announced a new Photo Storm Cape designed for photographers who need to protect their gear during bad weather conditions.
The new protective product arrives alongside the launch of DxO’s new community, the DxO Photographers Club. The company says it created the new community because it wanted to take its passion for photography a step further by creating a community-driven initiative dedicated to crafting innovative solutions for passionate creatives.
“As passionate photographers ourselves, we sometimes want to go further—to create products beyond software, unique items that don’t yet exist but that we wish we had,” DxO says.
According to DxO, the Photo Storm Cape is designed to help photographers who shoot in bad weather conditions and face the challenge of getting the shot or protecting their gear from the elements. The Photo Storm Cape aims to help photographers do both, offering uncompromising protection through premium high-tech material construction and exceptional comfort and design.
The system includes two protective envelopes that shield the upper and lower body, protecting the photographer and their gear (even during lens swaps). There are two expandable pockets to allow for safe load distribution and storage for lens swaps, a zippered abdominal pocket with integrated camera screen protection, a large soft PVC window in the front of the cape to ensure visibility and complete control of the camera while changing settings or doing lens swaps, a sizeable deep hood, and an adjustable visor. The cape has weather-sealed zippers, pressure-fastening straps, and attachment points.
The Photographers Club and the Photo Storm Cape will be showcased during the CP+ Photography Trade Show in Yokohama, Japan, with a Kickstarter campaign starting shortly after to launch the product globally.
Additionally, the company says there will be more “innovative announcements” coming soon covering both products and services from DxO. As such, DxO encourages interested photographers to join the newly launched Photographers Club to stay updated.
Photographer Austin Bell photographed every outdoor basketball court in Hong Kong in an eye-catching new series titled “SHOOTING HOOPS.”
Bell has a unique eye for architectural perspectives. A self-proclaimed composition hunter and photo collector, his work comprises an astounding collection of thousands of landscape and architectural images. Frequently aerial in nature, his photographs show common subjects and places in unique ways. For such an accomplished photographer and world traveler, his subject of choice may surprise you: Austin Bell is an expert at photographing outdoor basketball courts.
With such a unique muse, one might wonder about the origin of seeing the mundane and wanting to share it in a novel way.
Growing up, both of Bell’s parents were avid photographers. He was accustomed to wielding the earliest digital cameras, a novel technology at the time. In his youth, he enjoyed the surprise of bringing a digital camera to school or camp and seeing the reaction of being able to share a picture instantly after taking it. The gimmick of a digital LCD screen is so common now with mirrorless cameras and smartphones; however, it was a fresh, eye-catching, and conversation starter back then.
That reaction, so rewarding, drove Bell’s passion not only for photography but also for creating something unique to shock and delight the viewer.
In his work today, Austin Bell seeks to use uncommon perspectives to photograph the everyday. His photographs highlight places that viewers are desensitized to and will therefore immediately identify and appreciate.
The basketball courts were perfect. By photographing a place that viewers are used to seeing from the ground, instead via the air, Austin Bell can recreate that shock and joy that he found in photography from his childhood. With so clear a concept, it might seem simple to execute. However, the scale and logistics were quite complex.
To find locations that would make beautiful aerial photographs, Austin Bell spends countless hours scouring Google Maps and tagging photos in Lightroom. Between the time online and scouting, he wants to make sure that everything is planned far in advance.
To create these compelling works, Bell’s gear of choice for aerials is, of course, a drone.
“Gear is both very important and not important depending on the type of shot,” he explains. “My aerial photography requires a drone — so it’s imperative to have that tool and something I couldn’t have dreamed of say, 15 years ago.”
When photographing from the air he prefers the DJI Mavic and continuously updates to the latest high-end compact model. On the ground, he uses a Nikon D500 with a variety of lenses including a 200-500mm depending on the desired results.
Austin Bell’s love for photographing outdoor basketball courts began in Hong Kong in 2019. He was attracted to their color, designs, ubiquity, and contrast with the city’s extreme vertical density. He noticed how drastically different and geometric the courts looked from above. Their shapes and lines reminded him of an artificial concrete crop circle.
As such a common cultural and anchor-point subject with cross-cultural appeal, he set off on a large-scale project. He decided to photograph every outdoor basketball court in Hong Kong. So he did so, all 2,549 of them. The process took him 140 days in the field. Then, as the pandemic developed, he ventured to other places with an unusual number of courts, such as New York City and Puerto Rico. In the years since, he has photographed over 4,500 outdoor basketball courts in 16 countries and 18 U.S. States.
For their part, the outdoor basketball courts exist almost outside of time. As Bell describes, “they’re immobile, easy to find, rely on no other people, and are always able to be shot via aerial perspective.”
Although that simplicity sounds easy, there were still challenges: weather, people, and access. The weather and how it affects light was the most significant challenge. Bell’s specific style necessitates a diffused light that can only be achieved on a cloudy day. In particular, with the Hong Kong images, between the tall buildings and notoriously fickle cloud cover of the city, there were times that he would take the bus to his destination only to not be able to photograph at all. With a specific style and pre-visualized image, his work required persistence and patience.
Style is a key factor outside of the use of diffused light, and this is also evident in his choice of composition. Bell’s Hong Kong outdoor basketball courts have a uniformly similar top-down view. With this homogeneous set of images, Bell was able to create time-lapses and grids. This layer to the series shows both the similarities and differences of what makes each individual court special whether through design, color, or immediate surroundings.
Bell is particularly proud of his large grid showing the top down view of every court in Hong Kong. It’s the image that he used for the cover of his photo book and truly displays the scale and scope of his project as well as how dedicated he was to photographing each single one. The sheer amount of courts in one city is astounding, as well as their variety from color to design. The totality of the project makes it truly unique. Even basketball courts in the far reaches of the city, hidden gems from seaside to the foot of mountains, have amazing designs are highlighted in his project.
His favorite image, displayed above, shows the MTR Subway, which briefly goes above ground and over a set of three courts, in a breathtaking feat of engineering unique to Hong Kong. Almost like a love letter to the city, the entire project shows how one person can remind us that there is beauty all around us if we just look.
Austin Bell’s photo series and self-published book both aptly titled SHOOTING HOOPS, were just on display at the Blue Lotus Gallery from January 17 through February 23 in Hong Kong. Now that the exhibition has concluded, the works can be viewed on his website with books available direct from the gallery.
Sirui has announced its new Vision Prime 1 series of T1.4 Full Frame Cine Lenses that offers 8K production quality optics with user-changeable mounts that can adapt the lenses from Sony E-mount to Canon RF, Nikon Z, and L-mounts to save consumers money.
According to the company, the new lens kit has been built with modern filmmakers in mind, combining cutting-edge optical performance and a compact design with the option of changing the mounts to work with multiple camera systems. The trio of lenses include 24mm, 35mm, and 50mm T1.4 options, each with a lightweight and durable aluminum build with a 67mm filter thread and consistent size/build to make swapping lenses while on a stabilizer quick and painless.
The 24, 35, and 50mm lenses weigh approximately 1.3 pounds (602 grams, 590 grams, and 599 grams, respectively), with a barrel length of 4.4 inches for the 24 and 35mm lenses and 4.0 inches for the 50mm (112.4, 110.9, and 102.2 millimeters, respectively). The company says the lenses have minimal focus breathing, with an exceptionally controlled distortion, and feature a minimum focus distance of 10.2 inches (0.26 meters) for the 24mm, 11.8 inches (0.3 meters) for the 35mm, and 16.9 inches (0.43 meters) for the 50mm. The close focus distance makes the set of lenses useful for products, portraits, and even tight-space scenes.
The lenses promise exceptional 8K image quality and reduced size by incorporating Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass, four High Refractive Index (HRI) glass, and three aspherical lens elements. This combination of lenses with the T1.4 fast aperture will deliver a soft, round bokeh and a cinematic depth of field.
With this launch, Sirui is offering the lens combinations in two style options, including black and metal gray, so users can choose the option that best compliments their camera system(s).
The Sirui T1.4 Vision Prime 1 Series of Cine lenses are available now to backers for $549 per lens with “early-bird” pricing. The cost will go up to $649 once the official retail prices go into effect, so the Kickstarter campaign offers potential buyers a 15 percent discount.
The lenses are also available as part of a three-piece set priced at $1,599 for early-bird backers, and $1,899 once that deal ends.
Closing Thoughts
That wraps up this week’s episode! Which new camera or accessory are you most excited about? Let me know on social media or in the podcast comments. Don’t forget to subscribe and tune in next week for more photography news, reviews, and insights!
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