What's New @ Have Camera Will Travel
New Sony a1 II on the way; Kodak Tri-X is 70; hot take mini-reviews; photography deals; now showing, and more.
Here’s what’s caught my eye recently in the world of photography.
// Gear & Stuff
New Sony flagship mirrorless camera: the Sony a1 II
Sony has teased the new flagship camera in their mirrorless lineup, the a1 II. I’ve used the first version of the a1 and have been mighty impressed. I suspect this will be equally as impressive. Nothing in the way of details just yet, but there’s a launch event scheduled for this coming Tuesday (November 19).
Nikon announces new Z50 II
Nikon has announced a new camera aimed at the social media content creator market with an upgrade to the popular Z50. It includes a new image processor and improved autofocus, has a 20MP DX sensor, 4K60 video, pre-release capture, and shoots at up to 30 fps stills. It’s available for preorder for $956 body only or in kits with a choice of lenses.
Compact cameras are making a comeback
Maybe smartphones haven’t killed off compact cameras after all. It turns out compact cameras are booming in the large Japanese domestic market, where over 60% of camera sales (within Japan) are compact cameras. Analysts judge it might be partly due to rising prices for interchangeable lens cameras.
Ricoh GR IV in 2025?
Rumors that a Ricoh GR IV would be announced at the beginning of next year were authoritatively debunked, unfortunately. It seems that no release date has been set, and it won’t be in the first quarter.
I’m a big fan of the GR III, but as superb as it is, it has been out for a while now (released in March 2019), and there’s plenty of room for upgrades and improvement. The GR IIIx was released in 2021, but it’s basically the same camera with a different lens (40mm equivalent vs 28mm equivalent), and I don’t really count the GR III HDF, which is a very niche version that never appealed to me.
(Yet) Another highly portable tripod
Do we need yet another small and versatile travel/street tripod? Maybe not. I’ve tried a bunch of them over the years, and a handful of them are genuinely good. I tend to prefer simple and reliable solutions, and the ones I use regularly are the RRS Pocket ‘Pod (my go-to), the SmallRig tabletop tripod (much cheaper than the RRS), and the Platypod (a different approach but also useful).
The MAMBAPOD, which is launching through Kickstarter, is yet another one. The thing that makes this one different is the added clamp function. And that’s really what has piqued my interest enough to back it. Until I have it in hand, I don’t really know whether it’s secure enough for me to trust it with a full-size mirrorless. But if it works, it’ll be useful enough to be interesting. I’m looking forward to trying it out. The project’s video provides a good overview of its functionality.
// Hot Take Mini-Reviews
I thought I’d try something different with this edition. I’m lucky enough to get to try a bunch of different gear—far more than I have the time, energy, or inclination to write up in full reviews. But it might still be useful to provide some hands-on feedback.
Peak Design Outdoor Sling
I recently took delivery of my new Peak Design pouch, something I backed from Kickstarter. It’s the Outdoor Sling 2L. So far, I’m impressed. I have plenty of other slings and backs—definitely too many—but this one brings the usual Peak Design quality and thoughtfulness. And through the use of higher-quality material, it’s much less bulky than some of them.
This is very much an ultralight sling—it’s right there on the label—and it doesn’t have any real padding. But it does provide weatherproof protection.
The 2L version I got is too small for a full mirrorless camera, but it works well with my smaller cameras like the Fujifilm X100VI and Ricoh GR III for general walking around. After using this one, I’m intrigued enough to look into getting the larger version, but the other model is a 7L, which is larger than I want. Guess I’ll have to wait and see if they make a 5L model.
Likes: ultralight; polished design and manufacturing; weather-resistant material
Dislikes: Too small for even a lightly-lensed full mirrorless
Canon SX740
This isn’t a new camera, but I’ve been putting it through its paces anyway because it’s so popular. It’s a small compact camera with a mighty zoom. Quite similar in many ways to the Sony HX99, which I’ve reviewed before. So a really useful choice for someone who just wants a small, versatile camera to take on their travels.
The killer feature really is the massive zoom. The image quality is quite acceptable. And usability is pretty good.
Likes: Massive zoom in a tiny package; good all-around snapshooter performance
Dislikes: No RAW capture; low-light image quality is nothing to write home about
// Photography Deals
Brace for the onslaught of Black Friday/Cyber Monday/holiday deals. Some good ones have come out of the gate early.
30% OFF Backblaze backup. New customers only. Use code CYBRBLZ24. Ends 11/30.
50% OFF Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan. Applies to annual billed monthly and paid in full up front subscriptions. Ends 11/29.
20% OFF fine art prints at BayPhoto. Use code FINE20. Ends 11/19.
30% OFF prints directly on glass at Fracture. Use code FRIYAY.
// Digital Darkroom
DxO PureRAW update
DxO has released PureRAW 4.6.0. What's new: better DeepPRIME XD2s noise reduction engine for Bayer sensors (X-Trans files not yet supported); expanded batch renaming capabilities with new tokens for camera and exposure data; compare their originals against any exported version; better performance; and bug fixes. Release notes. I’ve been using it, and it’s working well for me.
// Other items of interest
Kodak Tri-X is 70!
This month, Kodak’s venerable Tri-X 400 turns 70. Before I switched to digital a couple of decades ago, Tri-X had become my staple film stock. I’d often shoot it at ISO 1600 and process in Diafine—a combination that I really liked.
Maybe I’ll include some of those photos in the next newsletter.
Photography t-shirts
Speaking of throwbacks to film days . . . There are a lot of photography-themed t-shirts out there. I’m a big fan of the ones from Shoot Film Co. and own the OM-1 shirt, a camera I have a particular fondness for (the original film version). And I like that it’s a small, independent business (aka working photographer Mike Padua). Great gift ideas for photographers (or yourself) if you’re looking for something a bit different.
El Salvador travel advisory downgraded
The US State Department has downgraded the travel advisory for El Salvador after many years of being at an elevated level (it’s still elevated, but not quite as much). Biggest change has apparently been a major reduction in gang activity. The new-ish president gets locals’ credit for it, but the policies have been very controversial. I’ve been put off going for years, but it’s now working it’s way back up higher on my to-do list.
// Now Showing
Spirit in the Dark
I stumbled upon this exhibition at the National Museum of African American History and Culture a few days ago. It shows a selection of photos from Ebony, Jet, and Negro Digest going back to the 1940s. It’s quite a small exhibition but well worth seeing if you're in the area.
Afghanistan: No Woman's Land
The exhibition by photographers Kiana Hayeri and Mélissa Cornet is showing briefly in Paris. It highlights the severe restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule, with bans on education, work, and public expression. By going into some of the limited private sanctuaries, the photographers have captured some remarkable images that underscore both oppression and the resilience of women advocating for change. I can’t make it to Paris to see it in person before it closes, but you can find some of the images online here and here, along with a brief video teaser.
// About these photos
These are some shots I took this past week at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. No particular reason—I just happened to have them open and think it’s a pretty cool museum.
I’ve visited a few times now since it opened, and I’m always impressed. The history section on slavery and civil rights is impressive and important, of course, but make sure to also build in time for the equally impressive floors on cultural and sports impact on upper levels. Entry is free, but you do need a timed-entry pass (more info on their website here).
These were all shot with a Nikon Z8, mostly with the 26mm Æ’/2.8. Except for the top stitched panorama, which I shot with the 16mm Æ’/2.8D fisheye.
// What I'm shooting with right now
Canon SX740 HS. I wanted to see what the fuss is all about and whether I can recommend it to friends and family asking for a small, compact point-and-shoot when they head out on their travels.
Sony RX0 II. These tiny cameras might look like action cams, and they definitely share some similarities, but they’re not really the same thing. Most important to me is that their image quality is a big step up. I’ve had this and its predecessor for years, but I’ve recently dug it out of the drawer again after being reminded how fun it is to shoot with, and I’ve been experimenting with it for black-and-white street shooting.