Mirrorless Camera News

I didn’t realize how much I could appreciate a mirrorless CSC (Compact System Camera) till, after working with the Samsung NX500 for several days, I picked up my Nikon D610 DSLR and realized I was carrying a brick in my hands. Don’t get me wrong, though. I still love my D610 and wouldn’t trade it in for anything (not just yet), but the new NX500 felt like a feather around my neck and in my hands. Even when I added the relatively heavy 50-150mm S-series lens, the combo still left me feeling as if I were working with a lyre, not a harp. Admittedly, like the lyre, it’s not as full-bodied an instrument, but the NX500 still plays a sweet tune.

Fujifilm announced today it will be offering an IR (Infrared) version of its pro-level X-T1 mirrorless camera. Called, appropriately, the Fujifilm XT-1 IR (Infrared), the camera is aimed at law enforcement, medical research and scientific communities, which use IR photography as part of their work, Fuji said. Applications include crime scene investigation, healthcare diagnostics and observation, and other scientific and technical applications.

A new start-up company called Z Camera has just unveiled the E1, a GoPro-style camera that uses a Micro Four Thirds sensor, takes interchangeable lenses, and is capable of shooting 4K video. We got some hands-on time with the E1 last week during a meeting with Z Camera’s founder, Jason Zhang. Images of the camera in this story are from that meeting.

The 16-megapixel Fujifilm X-T10 mirrorless camera reminds me of the old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup commercial (bear with me Millennials) where two strangers—one eating peanut butter and one eating chocolate—bump into each other and somehow smash their food together. After a brief bit of yelling (“you got your peanut butter on my chocolate!” “you got your chocolate in my peanut butter”) they realize that the combination is better than the individual elements.

If you’re looking for a small and portable yet powerful camera that’s a good alternative to heftier digital SLR models, Olympus’ OM-D line of mirrorless compact system cameras are some of the best options out there. These retro-styled shooters recall cameras from the film era, resembling miniaturized SLRs. In short, if you feel all warm and fuzzy at the sight of classic cameras, you just might find Olympus’ OM-D models to be absolutely adorable. But there’s more to them than simple nostalgia.<

Zeiss has just introduced the Batis 25mm F/2 and 85mm F/1.8 lenses for Sony's A7 series mirroless cameras. The lenses, which are formally known as the Zeiss Batis 2/25 and Batis 1.8/85, are equipped with OLED displays and autofocus.