News | Fixation

Jonny Helm News October 26, 2022October 11, 2023 0 Comments

Sony a7R V

Sony has launched a new full frame camera body in their Alpha mirrorless lineup. Sony Alpha 7RV is the next evolutionary step of the ultra high resolution R range of Sony professional full frame mirrorless cameras. This new camera is more powerful thanks to its advances image processing engine driving autofocus improvements and enhanced colour science for skin tones – ideal for event, portrait and beauty photography.

New features:

The Sony A7R V builds on the bones of the already impressive Sony A7R IV camera body. The mark IV and mark V both boast an impressive 61 megapixel back illuminated imaging sensor capable of remarkable high resolution images. The new A7R V adds a new image proccessing engine to get the most out of the 61 million pixels on offer. The BIONZ XR image proccessing offers:

1. Improved AI Autofocus: The deep learning focus algorithm can now recognise limbs and recognise a subject that has left and returned to the frame, making focus tracking even more reliable.
2. Recognition of body shapes as well as faces allows for auto exposure and auto white-balance to generate more accurate colours in difficult lighting conditions.
3. Advanced in-body image stabilisation – keeping the sensor stable involves tracking movement readings in multiple directions and at variable acceleration rates. The increased processing power should deliver a higher degree of stability, when paired with Sony lenses featuring optical stabilisation this should deliver the best stabilisation in an alpha camera to date.
4. 8K video making the A7R V a video and stills all-rounder. 8K or 4K60P video with 10-bit 4:2:2 recording requires the additional processing power of the new BIONZ XR processing engine.

Ergonomics & hardware – the A7R IV has a four-axis tilt and fold-out screen combining the flip out screen Sony A7 IV, with the tilt screen found in the Sony A1 for a robust multi-angle live view shooting from all angles. The body has a comfortable deep grip ideal for long shoots. Memory cards dial CFexpress type A media slots reduce buffering and allow for higher shooting rates.

Our view:

We can’t wait to get our hands on this camera which should be an event photographer’s dream body. While the high resolution 61 megapixel imaging sensor will apeal to portrait, fashion and beauty photographers working in controlled environments it is the new processing power to deliver results in challenging lighting conditions that will make this body stand out for event and social photogrpahy.

The Sony A7R V is available to order just contact our sales team on sales@fixationuk.com or call us on 0207 582 3294.

Jonny Helm News September 14, 2022February 7, 2024 0 Comments

Services for the press following the death of Her Majesty The Queen

Following the death of Her Magesty the Queen the UK’s and world’s press will be arriving in London.

From Thursday 15th to Saturday 17th we will be offering complementary sensor cleaning and camera check-ups for the Press, agency photographers and @thebppa members at our London Showroom and Workshop.

Fixation with Wex Rental will be opening on Saturday 10am – 5pm with repair technicians and additional rental equipment on hand.

We will be closed on Monday 19th September.

Our carpark, just outside of the congestion charge zone, is available over the weekend and on Monday to members of the press. If you require a space please contact our sales team directly for further information: sales@fixationuk.com

Our current gallery display highlights Royal images from The British Press Photographers’ Association and from customers gifted to us throughout our 34 years serving the press community.

The map image shows the Laying in State procession route in Yellow, The Queue route in Blue and the border of the congestion charge zone in Red.

Jonny Helm News July 12, 2022October 11, 2023 0 Comments

Canon RF 24mm f1.8 Macro IS STM

A compact, lightweight and versatile prime lens has just been announced by Canon; the RF 24mm f1.8 Macro IS STM is only 270g and 6.3cm long. Despite it’s small size Canon has packed in features with image stabilization, close macro focussing and a silent STM motor making this new lens a poweful addition to any EOS R series camera. Great for details as well as environmental portraits and general views this lens will be in the kit bag for photographers shooting weddings, travel, street, portraits, vlogging and more.
Canon RF 24mm f1.8 Macro IS STM Key Features

High Quality Wide Angle: The 24mm focal length is arguably the widest focal length lens available without introducing distracting distortion to images especially with people in the frame. Canon have a long history of producing spectacular wide angle lenses and we expect this lens to be perfect for environmental portraiture and travel photography, capturing people within their environments. Canon has used an asphercal element and lens coatings in the lens construction to imforve image clarity and control for chromatic aberration.

5-Stop Optical Image Stabilisation: Canon IS lenses strady your image using a floating optical element group to ounter the effects of hand-held camera shake. Shoot hand-held at slower shutter speeds with confidence and enjoy smoother video footage witht the Canon RF 24mm Macto IS STM. When paired with an EOS R system mirrorless body featuring in-body stabilisation the benefit increases to a 6.5 stop advantage as the body and lens benefit from rapid communication afforded by the RF lens mount.

Compact and Lightweight: 6.3cm in legth and only 270g this lens will fit in any camera bag, can be carried all day and is an un-obtrusive size for street photography.

Fast bright f/1.8 aperture: a 9-blade aperture mechanism delivers a circular aperture at all f-stops for smooth out of focus areas and beautiful background bokeh. The f/1.8 maximum aperture will deliver a shallow depth of field to isolate subjects from busy backgrounds.

Close focussing: a minimum focus distance of 14cm combines the benefits of macro photography (0.5x magnification or half life size projected onto the image sensor) and a wide angle lens that will let you get close while showing your subject in it’s environment. The water droplets and shallow depth of field on the rose, and marbles images below show how close you can get – perfect for capturing detail.

Customisable on-lens controls: A customisable on-lens control ring can be used to dial in settings from the lens, set the control ring for Manal focussing, ISO control, swiching between AF settings or selecting aperture without removing your hand from the lens.

Smooth Silent STM motor: The Canon STM motor or stepping motion has a smoother and quieter action ideal for recording video the STM motor delivers smooth focus pulls. If you have a microphone mounted on camera the STM motor is quieter than the USM equivalent so you will not pick up any sound from the lens while the STM focus motor is working.

The Canon RF 24mm f1.8 Macro IS STM Lens £719
The lens is available to pre-order just contact our sales team on sales@fixationuk.com or call us on 0207 582 3294 to pre-order.

Jonny Helm News June 29, 2022October 11, 2023 0 Comments

Profoto Connect Pro trigger and A2 flash head

Profoto has announced a new trigger to control their impressive lighting system and added the smallest flash unit in the range so you can always bring a a flash no matter how light you are travelling.

Profoto Connect Pro

The Profoto Connect Pro is remarkably easy to use. Forget the user manual; the large display is intuitive and straightforward with improved TTL group control matching the latest lights from profoto such as the A10, B10 and B10 plus. Simply slide it on your camera’s hot-shoe – and you’re ready to go.

The Profoto Connect Pro is available in different versions dedicated to Canon, Nikon, Fujfilm, Leica and Sony TTL systems and hot shoe configurations. Also a Non-TTL version is available compatible with all standard hot-shoes.

The trigger allows instant and complete control of each individual flash setting, viewed on the Connect Pro screen in clean, clear numbers, from your shooting position. So, you can fine-tune at will to get the exact effect you’re going for. This high degree of control is thanks to Profoto’s AirX connectivity which allows you to tailor your workflow to your shooting situation.

You can also choose where you receive the information on your phone or smart device because the group controls on the Connect Pro are mirrored in the Profoto Control app on your iPad, iPhone, or Android smartphone.

With up to 100 available channels, there will always be a free channel for your lighting setup – even in the largest commercial studios. Add to that improved battery life and the possibility to use rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries, seamless firmware updates via Profoto AirX, and you have a remote that takes connectivity to new heights.

Key Features:

Control each individual light in absolute numbers straight from the remote
Sync and manually control any Profoto light that is compatible with Air or AirX
Intuitive and easy to use user interface
Sync and remote control 0.5-300 m (1.5-1000ft) TTL: 0.5-100 m (1.5-330 ft)
Up to 100 channels
TTL group control
Switch from TTL Mode to Manual Mode with the automated TTL settings intact – a huge time saver
Wireless updates through the Profoto Control app

Profoto A2

The Profoto A2 is small, lightweight, and portable – about the size of a regular soda can, making it Profoto’s smallest ever monolight. Ideal when space is at a premium and time is short. Throw it in your bag or a jacket pocket, and you’re ready to make the most of whatever location you find yourself in.

Like all Profoto lights, the A2 has a great setup interface and connectivitiy with the AIR TTL and AirX system so you’ll go from box to first flash in record time.

With AirX connectivity built-in, you can use the A2 as a part of a more extensive Profoto lighting system, and you can shoot with any camera. In addition, enjoy the freedom of choosing where you adjust all settings. Either via the user-friendly large display on the flash or the Profoto Control app and even shoot with your smartphone with all the benefits of a profoto lighting setup.

The creative possibilities become almost endless when you combine the A2 with the Profoto Clic System – a series of light shaping tools bespoke to A-series flashes. The Clic OCF Adapter II brings entire range of OCF light shaping tools are available to use as well with this handy light.

Authorised Profoto Service Centre

At Fixation we are proud to be an official repair centre for Profoto in the UK. As a repair partner with Profoto we can complete many warranty repairs in-house, our technicians specialise in photographic repair making us the destination for professional photographers. All our spare parts for repairs are supplied by Profoto to ensure all repairs are completed with genuine manufacturer spare parts.

With the support of our in-house workshop our customers at Fixation know they will always recieve the best technical insights when investing in new equipment.

Find out more about our Profoto repair service and warranty repair services

Jonny Helm News June 29, 2022February 7, 2024 0 Comments

Nikon Z 400mm f4.5 VR S Lens

Nikon announces a new full-frame super-telephoto prime lens for the mirrorless Z system. The NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S is a smaller lighter version of the super-fast f/2.8 aperture version launched in January. The 400mm focal length is a go-to lens for sports, wildlife, and nature photography and with a smaller maximum apperture this new announcement from Nikon is significantly more compact, lightweight and lighter on the wallet than its f/2.8 counterpart.

The Nikon Z 400mm f4.5 VR S Lens £3,299
The lens is available to pre-order just contact our sales team on sales@fixationuk.com or call us on 0207 582 3294 to pre-order.

Nikon Z 400mm Build Quality

Built to give photographers every advantage out in the field, the NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S is impressively lightweight at only 1245g and 23.5 cm long. weather sealing and a rubber gasket keep dust, dirt, and moisture out of all moving parts. Nikon’s fluorine coat makes it easy to wipe the front lens element clean. Controls on the lens are customisable with two function buttons one close to the body and one on the larger barrel towards the front of the lens for fast access to settings in any given shooting situation.

Nikon Z 400mm f2.8 TC VR S lens detail showing drop in filter, built in teleconverter and memory set button. — Nikon Z 400mm f4.5 TC VR S lens detail showing on-lens controls and tripod mount ring.

Nikon Z 400mm Key Features

Powerful VR: Powerful in-lens optical VR gives a 5.5-stop advantage. This increases to 6.0 stops if paired used with the Nikon Z 9, Synchro VR.

Teleconverter compatibility: extend the reach to 560 mm with a Nikon Z TC-1.4x, or 800 mm with a Nikon Z TC-2.0x teleconverter. Using teleconverers reduce the maximum aperture by 1 and 2 stops respectively but with superb ISO performance from Nikon this should be no issue if you need to get closer.

Compact and Lightweight: 234.5mm in legth and only 1245g this lens will fit in a standard camera bag and give you telephoto reach whenever you need it without any additional cases or carry requirements that come with larger telephoto lenses.

Exquisite detail: Nikon’s ED, Super ED, and SR glass elements counter chromatic aberrations. ED stands for Extra-low Dispersion which reduces colour fringing at high-contrast edges. Super ED glass offers and improvement on ED elements Super Extra-low Dispersion. SR glass elements combat blue fringing bringing all wavelengths into a precise point where corrections had previously focused on red-magenta wavelengths.
Nikon’s Nano Crystal Coat optical coatings significantly reduce ghosting and flare.

Weather sealed and robust: sealing around all moving parts keeps dust and moisture at bay, and Nikon’s fluorine coating protects the front element. As a repair centre we must caution that no DSLR lens is completeley waterproof – a rain cover is essential to keep your kit dry when shooting in the rain.

Balanced: the lens’ centre of gravity is towards the rear for more stable operation. The tripod foot allows optimum balance when the lens is attached to a tripod. The foot is removable for a more compact form or when travelling.

Customisable on-lens controls: two custom function buttons L-fn and L-fn2 can be set to change different parameters whether that is snapping to a particular focus point or allowing modfication of a camera setting such as ISO without moving your hand off the lens. These butons once set up can make working with the lens much smoother. In addition there is a silent control ring that can be used to dial in settings from the lens. Switches on the lens are AF / M for switching off Autofocus if you are locked onto a subject at a set distance. The focus limit switch allows you to select the full focal distance range or limit to subjects between 6m and Infinity which makes locking on to a subject much faster as the motor has to move the optics in a smaller range.

The NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S: £3,299
The lens is available to pre-order just contact our sales team on sales@fixationuk.com or call us on 0207 582 3294 to pre-order.

Authorised Nikon Service Centre

At Fixation we are proud to be an official repair centre for Nikon in the UK able to service the current DSLR and mirrorless range of camera bodies and lenses. As a repair partner with Nikon for over 30 years we can complete many warranty repairs in-house, our technicians specialise in photographic repair making us the destination for profressional photographers. All our spare parts for repairs are supplied by Nikon to ensure all repairs are completed with genuine Nikon spares.