Gear
It’s mirrorless madness and so much more on the show floor. Here’s a look at just some of products you shouldn’t miss at WPPI 2019.
Nikon Z Series
The highly anticipated Z series consists of a pair of full-frame models that are built as tough as the company’s flagship DSLRs. They feature some of the best video quality yet from a Nikon camera, with full pixel readout when shooting 4K and the ability to output a 10-bit video signal via HDMI. Because the Z series cameras have internal Vibration Reduction technology, F-Mount NIKKOR lenses that lack optical VR can be stabilized along three axes when paired with the FTZ Mount Adapter. The top-of-the-line Z 7 boasts a 45-megapixel back-illuminated sensor with no optical low-pass filter and an ISO range of 64-25,600 (32-102,400 expanded). It tops off with a continuous shooting speed of 9fps. If you need higher-sensitivity and less resolution, the 24-megapixel Z 6 has a native ISO range of 100-51,200 that can be pushed to 204,800. It’s speedier, too, with a burst rate of up to 12 fps.
Price: $3,400 (Z 7), $2,000 (Z 6) | nikonusa.com
Panasonic S1/S1R
Panasonic’s entries into the full-frame mirrorless sweepstakes are a potent pair—the S1 and S1R. Both are capable of recording 4K/60p video and boast 5.7-million dot OLED viewfinders, the highest resolution viewfinder of any model in this class. The cameras are capable of 6 fps continuous shooting with autofocus tracking or 9 fps with focus fixed on the first frame. An AI-powered algorithm helps the cameras’ autofocusing system differentiate objects like people and animals, the better to quickly lock focus on them. The S1R uses a 47-megapixel image sensor while the S1 features a 24-megapixel imager. Internet rejoice: both models have dual card slots.
Price: $3,699 (S1), $2,999 (S1R) | panasonic.com
Canon EOS R
Canon’s first foray into full-frame mirrorless is the EOS R. The camera features a 30-megapixel sensor with a native ISO range of 100-40,000 (expandable to 50-102,400). It supports continuous shooting speeds up to 8 fps with focus fixed on the first frame or 5 fps with continuous autofocusing. The EOS R is notable among its competitors for the number of autofocusing points it has: 5,655 (count ‘em) manually selectable points (up to f/11). It uses Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS autofocusing system and can acquire focus in very low light–down to -6 EV. Great for those dimly-lit venues.
Price: $2,300 | usa.canon.com
Fujifilm GFX 50R
With the GFX 50R, you can achieve that medium-format look without that medium-format bulk (or expense). The rangefinder-style GFX 50R is equipped with a 0.77x, 3.69M-dot OLED viewfinder positioned to the side so that users can keep one eye on their subject and other in the viewfinder. Beyond its compact size, the 50R carries over almost all of the core features of the GFX 50S, including its 51.4-megapixel CMOS image sensor and X-Processor Pro image processing engine.
Price: $4,500 | fujifilmusa.com
Olympus OM-D E-M1X
The newest Micro Four Thirds model from Olympus is basically an E-M1 Mark II on steroids. It has a built-in grip with a dual battery holder and dual card slots in a robustly weather-sealed package. It has a 20-megapixel image sensor and 121 all cross-type AF points. Like the E-M1 Mark II, it’s capable of a brisk 18 fps in continuous shooting but now offers a whopping 7.5 stops of image stabilization when using Sync IS compatible lenses from Olympus. Even when paired with a non-Sync IS lens, the E-M1X can offer 7 stops of correction. To put this in real-world terms, Olympus says you can expect clean images, handheld, at shutter speeds as slow as four seconds. The camera can record 4K video and features a new OM-Log color profile for capturing de-saturated, high-dynamic range video. It has an anti-flicker mode that works at speeds up to 10 fps, a new benchmark.
Price: $3,000 | getolympus.com
Sony a6400
The vlogger-friendly a6400 delivers speedy autofocusing with Real-time Eye AF and Real-time Tracking AF that incorporate AI algorithms to more precisely recognize objects and track them as they dart about. The 24-megapixel a6400 has a flip-up display, a brisk 11 fps burst mode and a 24-megapixel image sensor. You can record 4K video with a full pixel readout and no pixel binning for more accurate color and details. There’s an intervalometer for time-lapse photography, a Hybrid Log Gamma profile for HDR video and eight custom keys for easy access to your favorite camera settings.
Price: $900 | sony.com
Westcott Flex Cine RGBW Mats
The unique Flex LED Mats from Westcott deliver a versatile lighting solution that can be bent, twisted and rolled up for all manner of unique lighting setups. The updated mats now deliver light across the entire color spectrum, so you can create color effects without gels. You’ll enjoy a CRI of 97 and 1800 Lux output at 3 feet. You can mount the mat using the grommets in the corner. Those edges are magnetized too if you want to pop them onto a metallic service.
Price: $849 (1 x 1-foot) | fjwestcott.com
LaCie Portable SSD Drives
These ultra-compact SSDs use speedy USB 3.1 Gen 2 to keep file transfers humming along at up to 540MB/s (read) or 500MB/s (write). They’re pre-formatted out-of-the-box to be compatible with both Windows and Mac PCs and include three year’s worth of the Seagate Rescue Data Recovery Plan. The Portable SSD Drives can endure drops from as high as 6 feet and will be sold in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities. You’ll find be both USB-C and USB-A cables in the box and a free month of Adobe Creative Cloud apps with your purchase.
Prices: Starting at $130 | lacie.com
MagnetMod MagBox
MagMod’s newest modifier consists of three parts. The MagShoe cold shoe mount, the MagRing, which attaches to hot-shoe flashes and the MagBox softbox, which uses magnets to attach to the MagRing. The MagRing can accommodate two speedlights and is compatible with existing MagMod modifiers. At the heart of the new system is the 24-inch MagBox, which MagMod says distributes light evenly without a hotspot. It pops open quickly and snaps onto the MagRing instantly. The MagBox is compatible with a new FocusDiffuser, which the company says delivers the soft light of a softbox with the control and precision of a gridded beauty dish without the loss of light you’d expect from a gridded softbox.
Price: $249 | magnetmod.com
Interfit Honey Badger Unleashed
A battery-powered variant of Interfit’s budget-friendly strobe, the Honey Badger Unleashed delivers 250 W/s of flash output and up to 430 full-powered flashes on a fully-charged battery. Power is adjustable over a nine-stop range and there’s a 15W LED modeling light that can double as a continuous light source. Like its predecessor, it uses a Bowens S mount for modifiers.
Price: $350 | interfitphotographic.com