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Panasonic has announced its Lumix S 24mm F1.8 lens for L-mount. This lightweight lens features 12 elements in 11 groups, including three aspherical lenses. Three extra-low dispersion and one ultra extra-low dispersion elements help suppress chromatic aberrations. It uses a linear motor to drive the focus group for swift and silent autofocus, and Panasonic says that the lens has been designed to minimize focus breathing. The minimum focus distance of the 24mm F1.8 is 24cm (9.5") and the maximum magnification is 0.15x.

The 24mm F1.8 is designed to fit alongside the 50mm F1.8, 85mm F1.8 and upcoming 35mm F1.8. Those lens are the same size, roughly the same weight, and have controls in the same locations, so gimbals, drones and follow-focus systems will need little-to-no adjustment when swapping lenses. The lens is sealed against dust and moisture.

The Lumix S 24mm F1.8 will be available in mid-October for $899.

View our Panasonic Lumix S
24mm F1.8 sample gallery

Press release:

Panasonic Releases the Compact, Lightweight LUMIX S 24mm F1.8 (S-S24) for the LUMIX S Series

24mm Wide-Angle Fixed Focal Length Lens with F1.8 Large Aperture

Newark, NJ (August 31, 2021) - Panasonic is pleased to introduce a new large-aperture wide fixed focal length lens, the LUMIX S 24mm F1.8 (S-S24), as the third addition to the series of four F1.8 large-aperture lenses based on the L-Mount system standard. A total of four F1.8 fixed focal length lenses from the LUMIX S Series including 85mm(S-S85), 50mm(S-S50) and the new 24mm(S-S24) lens feature a common size and position of control parts to provide practical advantages in use. The lenses’ center of gravity is similar, which makes it easy to exchange lenses quickly with minimum balance adjustment when the camera is on a gimbal. In addition, their descriptive performance is consistent, and a uniform diameter enables the use of common filters.

The LUMIX S 24mm F1.8 is comprised of twelve lens elements in eleven groups including three aspherical lenses, three ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) lenses and one UED (Ultra Extra-Low Dispersion) lens. The use of three aspherical lenses realizes both high descriptive performance and beautiful bokeh, which are common advantages to the series of all F1.8 lenses. It is suitable for versatile situations ranging from landscapes to snapshots, taking advantage of the wide angle of view. The ED lenses and the UED lens effectively suppress chromatic aberration.

The LUMIX S 24mm F1.8 is capable of smooth, silent operation to work with the camera’s high-speed, high-precision contrast AF system with the sensor drive at max.240 fps. For the non-linear setting, focus is shifted with a variable amount according to the rotation speed of the focus ring while focus is shifted with a designated amount according to the rotational quantum of the focus ring for the linear setting. Sensitivity (the amount of focus shift per rotational quantum) can be selected from 90 to 360 degrees by 30 degrees to enable intended focus operation.

The LUMIX S 24mm F1.8 also excels in video recording performance with a mechanism that suppresses focus breathing, which was a fatal problem of all interchangeable lenses designed for still image photography. Further, with a micro-step aperture control for smooth exposure change, professional quality video can be recorded.

With its approximately 310g compact size and light weight, the LUMIX S 24mm F1.8 features stunning mobility to fit the S5, LUMIX’s smallest full-frame model. The rugged dust/splash-resistant* design withstands use under harsh conditions even at 10 degrees below zero for high mobility. The filter diameter is 67 mm, with a 9-blade circular aperture diaphragm.

With the addition of the upcoming standard 35 mm fixed focal length lens and the four F1.8 large-aperture lenses of the LUMIX S series, the Panasonic and L-Mount system alliance is committed to the development of L-Mount lenses for the further expansion of its lineup to fulfill the needs of customers.

The LUMIX S 24mm F1.8 (S-S24) will be available at valued channel partners for $899.99 in mid-October.

* Dust and Splash Resistant does not guarantee that damage will not occur if this lens is subjected to direct contact with dust and water.
• L-Mount is a trademark or registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.
• Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.

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We've been using Panasonic's new Lumix S 24mm F1.8 L-mount lens for the last few days, and generally we like what we've seen so far. The only negative we've found in our initial shooting is occasional flare - check out the results for yourself, in our sample gallery.

View our Panasonic Lumix S 24mm F1.8 gallery

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Late last night, Jarred Land, the CEO and Co-Owner of RED Digital Cinema, has shared a teaser on Instagram that appears to show off a new camera capable of recording 8K video at up to 120 frames per second (fps). Alongside Land’s teaser, the RED Digital Cinema YouTube channel also listed premiere, embedded above, for an event that will take place tomorrow, September 1, 2021, at 1pm EDT.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jarred Land (@instajarred)

Land’s Instagram post doesn’t divulge any details in the text, which only reads ‘2 more sleeps.’ However, the image he shared shows the menu screen of an unreleased camera that reveals a number of specifications and parameters. Most notable of those is the resolution and framerate the pictured camera appears to be recording at: 8K at 120fps in 17:9 format.

Although unconfirmed, other specifications hinted at in the image include dual 12G SDI out connections, CFx media, four-channel audio with +48V phantom power and an icon that suggests there will be at least some kind of wireless connectivity.

While the rest of the specifications aren’t yet confirmed, the 8K capability has been all but settled with Land’s Instagram post from today, which shows off the corner of a cinema camera that reads ‘8K-VV.’

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jarred Land (@instajarred)

Whatever the camera is, you can expect it to cost a good bit of cash when it’s presumably revealed in 20 hours, as of publishing this article. You can follow the video at the top of the article to set a notification for when the event goes live.

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Polaroid has announced the Polaroid Now+, a new i-Type instant camera that offers a unique feature set via Bluetooth connectivity.

The Polaroid Now+ looks similar to nearly all of its One Step-style predecessors. But inside, it packs a slew of new shooting modes that are controlled with Polaroid’s free mobile application (Android, iOS). Specifically, the Now+ features special modes: Aperture Priority, Double Exposure, Light Painting, Manual Mode and Tripod Mode.

Aperture Priority mode lets users manually control the aperture, from F11 to F32. This isn’t going to give you the usual full-frame bokeh look you might be used to getting with your DSLR or mirrorless camera, but it’s better than being fully stopped down to F32. Double Exposure mode isn’t allows users to capture multiple exposures on a single shot to create unique, overlaid images.

Light Painting mode might sound interesting, but it’s effectively just a bulb mode that lets you draw or paint with light by keeping the shutter open for an extended period of time. The new Tripod Mode is similar to Light Painting, but gives you the ability to capture photographs with exposures as long as 60 minutes. Manual Mode, as its name suggests, gives you complete control over effectively every parameter the camera offers so you can combine any of the aforementioned details to create whatever shots you want in-camera.

Below is a gallery of sample images captured with the Now+ and provided by Polaroid:

In addition to new internal features, the Now+ also comes with a lens filter kit that includes five filters for mounting to the front of the camera: starburst, red vignette, orange, blue, and yellow. The filters come in a zipped pouch for keeping safe while traveling.

The Polaroid Now+ is available now in black and white colorways, as well as a Blue Gray version that’s exclusive to Polaroid’s online shop. All versions retail for $149.99/€149.99/£139.99.

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Nowadays, it's easy to take autofocusing lenses for granted. However, in the grand scheme of photography's history, autofocus is a relatively recent innovation. In Canon's rich photographic history, the EF mount introduced in 1987 likely stands out as the beginning of autofocus for the company. However, Canon's previous FD mount had a special lens among its manual focus optics, the Canon FD 35-70mm F4 AF, which was originally released back in 1981.

In a new video from Kai W, he goes hands-on with the Canon FD 35-70mm F4 AF adapted to a Sony A1 mirrorless camera. It's quite the combination of old and new. What's perhaps most interesting about the video is how unusual the Canon FD autofocus lens is. It doesn't look like any other lens I've seen.

The lens includes a 'Solid State Triangulation' autofocus mechanism. This was added to the existing FD 35-70mm F4 lens that came out in 1979. As Canon writes, 'The incorporation of this function into the best-selling FD35-70mm F4 (June 1979) interchangeable lens brought about automation of focusing for SLR cameras.'

How does SST work? Canon writes:

'The SST method is a system in which information on the photographed object that enters the sensor through two fixed mirrors is converted into an electric signal and distance is measured by a microcomputer, with focusing performed by moving a distance ring with a motor. The latest fixed imaging device CCD (charge-coupled device) technology is adopted to provide high resolution and a broad dynamic range able to detect low to high luminance, making it less susceptible to the contrast and pattern size of the photographed object and enabling highly precise autofocusing. Also, as the SST method does not have a movable section in the distance measuring mechanism, no vibration or electric noise is caused, which provides high reliability fitting of a high-end SLR camera.'

Yes, you've read that excerpt correctly, a CCD. The lens has digital imaging technology to drive autofocus. Given the constraints of the FD mount, the lens required its own power source, which is a pair of AA batteries.

Using the lens has some quirks. The FD system was not designed for autofocus, so you must use a button on the lens itself to trigger autofocus. The autofocus system covers where the zoom ring is located on the non-AF version of the FD 35-70mm F4 lens, so there's a small lever on the bottom of the AF system component that allows you to adjust zoom. Aperture is manually controlled via a standard aperture ring near the base of the lens.

As you can see in Kai's video, the AF performance is surprisingly good. It's not the fastest lens, of course, but it's neat to see a blast from the past perform well enough on a modern camera. To see more videos from Kai W, visit YouTube.

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As part of the process of our review of the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 II, we've just shot and processed the studio scene images, to see how it compares with its predecessor.

At base ISO there's no appreciable difference between the GH5 II and the original version. There's a slight improvement in apparent sharpness, but this is likely to be due to the use of a more expensive lens on the newer model. As with the original GH5 there are hints of moiré, which makes sense, given the absence of an anti-aliasing low-pass filter.

At very high ISOs there appears to be a slight ISO advantage to the newer camera, but it's not sufficient to make a visible difference at lower ISOs . The JPEG engine appears to be tweaked a little to hold onto a little more detail in low light , though.

There's not enough of a difference in color response for us to conclude whether this has been adjusted, though there's a hint of the more muted caucasian skin tones shown by the GH5S. Overall, then, not much difference you're likely to notice in day-to-day shooting.

Delving a little further in dynamic range, in our exposure latitude test, the deep shadows of the GH5 II's files look a touch noisier than those of the existing camera, which contradicts the numerical assessments made by DxOMark and PhotonstoPhotos. This could be the result of mis-calibration of the black point in Adobe Camera Raw, which doesn't expect you to use the extreme deep shadows of images (ie the last few stops of dynamic range), but we're not seeing the improvements reported when we look at the images.

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LEGO Ideas user Pandis Pandus has submitted an idea to LEGO that is sure to excite photographers and Leica fans, in particular, a LEGO Ur-Leica camera from 1914. If the idea garners enough support, it may become a real LEGO product that you could buy in stores one day.

If you're unfamiliar with the LEGO Ideas program, it's an online place for creative LEGO enthusiasts to submit concept LEGO set ideas, like those you can purchase in stores. It takes a while for an idea to become a fully-fledged consumer product, of course, but it's still a viable way for fresh ideas to make it from the minds of fans into the hands of everyone.

The LEGO Idea for the Ur-Leica camera is quite a realistic representation. The camera was also a critically important one for Leica and photography in general. According to Apotelyt, the Ur-Leica was the first line of cameras to use 24 x 36mm format film, which became the 35mm standard. As an aside, 35mm is named as such because the film is 35mm wide, including its perforations. By utilizing the 24 x 36mm format, cameras like the Ur-Leica were made smaller and more portable, making photography more accessible.

The back of Pandis Pandus's LEGO Ur-Leica camera

Per Apotelyt, Oskar Barnack 'had the groundbreaking idea of doubling the width of common 18x24mm cinema film and have it run horizontally in the Ur-Leica, rather than vertically as in cinema cameras of the time.' He had this idea while working as a master technician at Ernst Leitz Optische Werke in Germany. Using common cinema film, the Ur-Leica was much more affordable to shoot than large-format plate cameras while producing enlarged prints with less grain.

A real Ur-Leica camera from 1914. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DE. Source.

The Ur-Leica includes numerous knobs and dials, all of which are lovingly recreated in the LEGO Ideas submission. The set, which requires 205 total parts, includes an exposure counter, Mikro-Summar 42mm F4.5 fixed lens, focus scale ring, lens cover, metallic knobs, an external viewfinder with a frame, E. Leitz Wetzlar branding and more. As Apotelyt puts it, 'the Ur-Leica represents a mechanical masterpiece that is relatively light and small,' and the concept LEGO set does a great job of representing it.

The LEGO Ur-Leica set uses 205 total parts

Pandis Pandus writes, ''UR-Leica,' also known as the 'Original Leica' is a prototype that came to revolutionize the landscape of cameras. Because I am interested in photography and amazed by advanced historical engineering, I set out on a mission to frame this timeless camera in LEGO.' They continue, 'This product proposal captures the general aesthetic and feeling of the camera. Even the weight has been modified, with a 2x6x2 weight brick integrated into the body…The golden frame of the viewfinder is almost exactly in the 2:3 aspect ratio, which this camera gave birth to.'

Click to enlarge

They continue, 'I think this would make a great set for any camera or gadget enthusiast, and fan of Leica or LEGO. Both companies have - with the attitude that good is not good enough - managed to change entire markets and inspire countless minds across generations.'

Click to enlarge

If you'd like to check out the LEGO Ideas proposal and voice your support, visit LEGO. To see some other LEGO Leica projects, visit Leica Rumors.

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The fully extended Leofoto LM-364C with a compact (non-Leofoto) gimbal, full-frame camera, and 500mm prime lens.

Leofoto LM-364C
Leofoto.com | $580

Leofoto is a brand of Laitu Photographic, a manufacturer that has been making tripods, heads and accessories since 2014, both under their own name and for other brands. The early products from the Leofoto brand were clearly 'inspired' by the designs and appearances of successful products from other companies. However, they have recently developed some of their own innovative gear, as well as a broad catalog of photographic accessories; from plates and clamps to straps and camera cages. The quality of this new gear is intended to compete at the same level as some of the best in the market, as well, and that is what we're here to evaluate.

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Jump to:

Compared to others | First impressions | Use in the field | Test results | Conclusion

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Specs and what's included

• Maximum height of 145 cm (57.1")
• Minimum height of 9 cm (3.5")
• Folds to 53 cm (20.8") with 14 cm (5.5") diameter
• Weighs 1.92 kg (4.23 lbs) with flat platform
• 30kg (66 lbs) load limit
• Three leg angles (23° / 56° / 87°)
• Four leg sections (36mm top leg diameter 32.5 / 28 / 25mm)
• 70mm platform side-clamped with release button
• Large weight hook under platform
• Bubble level included on apex
• Removable 42mm mushroom feet on standard 3/8" thread
• Includes padded bag, tools, instructions, 26mm spikes, 75mm video bowl

The Leofoto LM 'Summit' series are all modular apex, systematic tripods, like the older and larger 'Mountain' series, and come in 32, 36, and 40mm top tube sizes. Within the Summit series, there are three, four, and five-section leg options, as well as regular and long versions. Recently, Leofoto even added an entirely olive green version of the LM-364CL.

In addition to the LM range, Leofoto also makes the LS 'Ranger' series, which share the same leg options, but top them with a compact apex for a slimmer, lighter package. This series includes the CEX models, with a built-in leveling half ball on the slim apex. (Ranger shown on top, Summit below.)

The top platform on the LM-364C can be replaced with the generously included 75mm bowl insert to accept large video heads or appropriately-sized leveling half-balls. Leofoto also offers carbon-fiber quick columns, geared columns, and horizontal columns to fit this 70mm central opening. Whether these accessories are readily available in your part of the world can still be uncertain, though Leofoto is gaining distributors in many regions.

To get really low, and still be level, the Leofoto LB-75S leveler fits into the LM-series apex.

Compared to others

This tripod was tested and compared with its modular apex peers. Left to right; ProMediaGear TR344, Really Right Stuff TVC-34, Sirui SR-3204, FLM CP34-L4 II, Leofoto LM-364C, Gitzo GT3543LS.

The Leofoto LM-364C was tested and compared alongside tripods in the same class of 'Series 3' (33-36mm top leg tube diameter) "Systematic' (modular apex with removable platform) type, in terms of size and utility, including products from Sirui, Really Right Stuff, ProMediaGear, Gitzo and FLM.

All of these tripods were used in four seasons of sand, snow, mud, rain, and salt water; set up in the bog-like Atlantic salt marshes and the wind-swept Appalachian mountains. They have been loaded with gimbal heads, ball heads, geared and pano-heads, and up to 4kg (8.8lb) lenses attached to cameras ranging from APS-C to medium-format, shooting anything from long-exposure landscapes to extreme telephoto birds-in-flight. The only test they did not go through was being rough-handled at the airport, thanks to pandemic travel restrictions.

Height comparison

Below is a relative height comparison between the Leofoto LM-364C and a 6 foot (1.83m) photographer.

High	Mid	Low

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First impressions

The Leofoto Summit LM-364C standing tall on thick legs with a leveling aid inserted into the 70mm opening of the modular apex.

The 36mm top tubes of the LM-364C are the second largest in this group, and the aluminum parts are impressively finished for the price, with a well machined apex and nice rubber grips on the leg locks. The wide range of Leofoto accessories available for these 'systematic' tripods increases their utility and appeal, and the fit and finish of these extras is equally good. In terms of materials and construction, the initial impression of Leofoto gear is quite good.

However, the proof is in the details. When fully extended but not yet locked, the leg tubes wiggle a bit more than expected, as if they aren’t a very tight fit inside each other, or the loosened locks allow too much play. Once the locks are tightened, of course, this flex disappears and the legs are rigid. This is still different from the feel of every other tripod in this group, and points to a less-precise mating of the tubes and locks.

The flat platform that comes initially installed is a thick and well-finished aluminum plug with deep sides, a large weight hook underneath, firm plastic disk on top, and a set screw to prevent a head from unscrewing off of it. This platform can be easily swapped out due to the clamping spider and repositionable locking lever, similar to the Gitzo method. However, unlike Gitzo, Leofoto put a pull-out safety button prominently on one side, so it’s possible that a loose platform could come out with an accidental knock of that button. That said, any responsible user should insure the platform is tightened down before moving or using any of these tripods.

On occasion, the flat Leofoto Summit platform was swapped for the LB-75S platform leveler, or the included 75mm video bowl and a Leofoto YB-75SP leveling half ball. Both of these extras are as well made as the tripod itself, and very smooth and easy to level. Due to their standard sizes of 75mm for the half ball, and 70mm for the insert diameter and interior ridges, these accessories can be used in the apexes of four of the other tripods in this group, and worked equally well on those legs.

The spring-loaded, ratcheting leg angle locks are easy to pull from the front or push from the back, and ratchet back in pretty well. However, when it gets really cold, the grease on the angle locks firms up and they don’t really snap back in like they do in the warmer months, or in the studio. Adjusting the angle of each leg is still easy and quick, but required a nudge sometimes.

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Use in the field

Packed up, the LM-364C is about average in weight, but stays nicely tucked into its padded, 'horn-type' bag for longer trips. While the overall packed size is on the larger end of the group, its leg tubes are also the second widest, so there is a lot of tripod being carried around. One minor annoyance is that, like the Gitzo, there is no hard stop under the apex when folding the legs inward, so without a center column, they can be pushed to extreme angles. This made repacking the legs a bit more cumbersome compared to some others.

In use with heavy loads of long lenses and gimbals, medium-format cameras and geared heads, or even complicated panoramic heads, the hefty Leofoto never felt insubstantial or not up to the task. The stabilizing effect of those wider-than-average leg tubes was apparent, and the LM-364C only exhibited a few minor hiccups of sliding leg locks or slow angle locks while supporting whatever was the gear of the day. Considering how large the heads and lenses on top usually were, it was rarely noticed that the Leofoto is the shortest, fully deployed, set of legs in the group (by 1cm).

	The Leofoto leg locks are nicely wrapped in firm, grippy rubber, and are easy to grasp all at once and unlock. They require just a quarter turn to unlock, and the legs come out quite easily, but on more than a few occasions, the legs seemed locked after a quick turn, but then started a slow, sliding compression once weight or pressure was put on them.
	The included rubber mushroom-style feet worked well on many different surfaces, and while the included spikes were easy enough to install, they seemed short and a little insubstantial. They still did their job on ice and some softer surfaces. Leofoto makes a range of other feet available, including titanium rock claws, which seem both excessive and fun to try out at the seashore.

One thing to note, the apex of the LM-364C only has a single 3/8” threaded hole for accessory attachment, similar to the Gitzo ‘Easy-Link,’ rather than the typical 1/4” seen on most accessories and other tripods (while the ProMediaGear has both sizes). This just means that a reducer bushing will be needed to attach that ‘magic arm’ or clamp to hold a phone, battery pack or other small device. Naturally, Leofoto offers 3/8” threaded accessories specifically designed to use the anti-twist holes next to this attachment point.

Maintenance

Cleaning the legs of the LM-364C requires pulling off the one-piece shim with a lot more force than any other tripod, and it felt like this thin, plastic part was going to break. It did not, but it is still a little unsettling to do this for each leg section. The lack of rubber seals in the locks is also apparent. Availability of extra shims is unpredictable in different regions, and no mention of spare parts was found anywhere from Leofoto, Laitu, or their distributors.

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Test results

Vibrations can make even the sharpest lens turn out mushy, blurred photos, and can ruin long exposures. In the typical use cases for this class of tripod, reducing the effects of vibration is extremely important, since longer focal lengths and higher resolutions magnify the effects of any movement, and environmental vibrations like wind and water will have an increasing effect on larger legs and gear. Camera vibration can be mechanically minimized with mirror lockup, electronic shutters, and a remote shutter release, while adding weight to the bottom of the tripod (with the weight hook or a tripod stone bag) can help stabilize the whole setup. However, not all sources of vibration can be eliminated, so we tested whether the tripod will dampen them or transmit and reflect them to the camera.

The tripod legs were fully extended, and our vibration analyzer for heavy-duty tripods (an iPad on a 3.2 kg (7 lb) cantilevered weight) was mounted directly to the flat platform's 3/8" threaded bolt with a long lens plate. An industrial solenoid valve with a plastic hammer was used as a source of vibration (a knock to the bottom of one leg). The resulting graph of all three accelerometers shows both the resistance of the tripod to the initial shock, as well as the rate of decay for residual vibration within the tripod.

Leofoto LM-364C vibration resistance test results - click for larger graph *Note that this graph is relative only to this class of tripods. The weight and test equipment was adjusted to provide a conclusive result for this size of tripod.

In the vibration testing, the Leofoto LM-364C showed the full advantage of its 36mm top tubes and solid construction, providing a good amount of resistance to the initial shock, and then a very quick dampening of any residual vibrations. This puts the 'Summit series' Leofoto in the upper half of this competitive group for direct vibration resistance, only edged out by the Gitzo and RRS. There is nothing to complain about here.

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Conclusion

With Leofoto gear in general, you get a lot for the price paid, but in some cases, that 'value' is coming from the innovations and designs of others. When it comes to their tripods, they are generic enough that it's the performance that matters, and the LM-364C holds up quite well. This 'Summit' tripod provides a nice balance between size, weight and modularity, while remaining solidly in the middle of this demanding pack of competitors when it comes to performance.

The low price for this size and type of tripod is the real attraction, and after a thorough review and long testing period, there were only a few minor issues with the fit of all the parts. If you spend a lot of time using your tripod, this is a still a good choice and will be a satisfying companion in many instances. The wide range of options in the 'Summit' and related 'Ranger' series, with similar legs and materials, mean there is probably a good personal fit in the Leofoto tripod line for most needs.

One ongoing concern is after-sale support and availability of spare parts for a tripod of this type, which is intended to be maintained and used for a very long time to come. Admittedly, this can also be a concern for some other brands in this comparison if you are outside of North America.

What we like

• Very affordable price for stout 36mm legs
• Very good vibration resistance
• Uses standard apex and foot sizes
• Comes with video bowl, bag and spikes
• Lots of related tripod choices and accessories

What we don't like

• Leg tubes and locks don't fit precisely
• No rubber seals inside leg locks
• Hard to get replacement parts

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