Nikon launches the D6 camera body! Full specifications for the flagship DSLR are now available. Nikon has designed the new camera to suit the demands of sport and press photographers with developments in speed, autofocus and ISO performance.
The Nikon D6 is expected to ship in spring 2020 and the launch price is £6,299. The sales team have an order list, to put your name down, or for more details on any of the camera specs, call our team on 020 7582 3294 or email sales@fixationuk.com
D6 Autofocus
Nikon calls the autofocus system in the Nikon D6 their “most powerful AF system yet” with 105 selectable cross type sensors capable of achieving focus at -4 EV at all points. Focusing with teleconverters and long lenses is now easier: Fifteen of the camera’s cross-type AF sensors are able to focus at apertures as small as f/8.
Subject tracking is improved with more custom settings available to fine tune the AF behavior. When using auto area AF photographers can now define the AF starting point, and prioritise focusing on a subject’s eyes in both Auto-Area AF and 3D tracking modes.
Image Quality and Speed
The sensor in the Nikon D6 is a 20.8 megapixel CMOS for high quality stills and 4k UHD video recording. The images are processed through a Nikon Expeed 6 chip. ISO 100 – 102,400 can be extended to 50 – 3,280,000 equivalent for extreme low-light photography. Metering is provided by a 180K-pixel RGB sensor, this unit also supports AF tracking
Shooting speed is crucial for sport and action. The Nikon D6 can shoot up to 14 frames per second with full Autofocus and Auto Exposure operation. In Silent Photography mode the rate is reduced to 10.5 frames per second with Auto Exposure tracking only.
Build and Networking
Dual card slots are no surprise in a professional body. Nikon confirm that the D6 will be compatible with XQD and new CFexpress cards. The fastest card technology available today will give photographers the benefit of fast read, write and image transfer speeds. Images can be transferred direct from camera via wired LAN connection 1000BASE-T which is 15% faster than the Nikon D5. Wireless image transfer is possible with the addition of the WT-6 transmitter. When transmitting, key images can be selected to send first, jumping to the top of the queue for Wired LAN and WiFi image transfer.
Ergonomic changes: Nikon has modified the camera port layout to make it easier to connect cables and use ports while the WT-6 is attached. There are more ways to check, select and transfer images from the higher resolution rear LCD display. The simplified workflow on the D6 offers users more ways to select and transfer key images using the high resolution touch-screen monitor.
Aside from ergonomic tweaks to make the camera easier to use, the main layout remains consistent with the Nikon D5 so established Nikon users will find the layout instantly familiar. The flagship series from Nikon is incredibly robust with weather sealing to keep out dust and moisture. The vertical release grip houses one EN-EL18c Rechargeable Li-ion Battery. The camera is compatible with earlier EN-EL18 batteries.
The Nikon D6 is expected to ship in spring 2020 and the launch price is £6,299. The sales team have an order list, to put your name down, or for more details on any of the camera specs, call our team on 020 7582 3294 or email sales@fixationuk.com
Thinking of starting a YouTube channel, or sharing videos of your exploits on Facebook, Instagram or another social media platform? Then you’ll want to pick up one of the best cameras for vloggers.
Adding vlogging and quick video sharing as another string to your bow is a great idea for a visual creative – even if you don’t plan to make vlogging your primary source of income, it can be an excellent way to connect with a different audience, have some fun while out on your shoots, and potentially connect with a whole new client base.
Whether you want to make shoot diaries, explainer videos, interviews or just slice-of-life vlogs, you’re going to need one of the best cameras for vlogging, and in our new blog series we’re going to explore a few of the best options available right now.
First up, we’re taking a closer look at the Nikon D7500. First unveiled in 2017, this is a capable APS-C DSLR from the venerable manufacturer, and it’s a great choice for any vlogger.
Let’s take a closer look to find out…
Why the Nikon D7500 is perfect for vloggers
As mentioned, the D7500 joined Nikon’s DX lineup of crop-sensor cameras, but it slotted into this range in an interesting way. It actually sports a sensor with a lower megapixel count than previous models in the series – 20.9MP rather than 24MP. This provides it with other advantages such as a native ISO range of 100-51,200, expandable to a whopping 1,640,000.
For video users, the drop in sensor resolution doesn’t make much difference, but the advantages of additional sensitivity are huge, and would be a real advantage if you plan to shoot at night or anywhere that light conditions are sub-optimal.
Nikon radically upgraded the video capabilities of the D7500 – it’s capable of capturing 4K UHD video at 30p for up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds. Full HD can also be recorded at up to 60p, and the D7500 also allows for an uncompressed HDMI output running at the same time as recording to a card, for an instant extra backup to ensure you never lose footage. You can record footage in MP4 and AAC formats to optimise it for viewing on mobile devices, and also take advantage of Nikon’s Vibration Reduction technology for smoother handheld shooting. This is a highly capable video machine that’s specifically optimised for quick shooting in all sorts of different conditions – in other words, it’s ideal for the vlogger.
There are plenty of other features that make the Nikon D7500 a great camera for vlogging – its 3.2-inch tilting LCD monitor is a boon for all sorts of shooting situations, allowing you to capture footage from different angles and explore different perspectives. It’s also useful that all told the camera weighs just 640g, and that the extensive weatherproofing means you can shoot outdoors without fear of damaging it.
A perfect vlogging setup with the Nikon D7500
While the Nikon D7500 is a great vlogging camera, you’ll get the most out of it if you add a few well-chosen accessories. Here are our picks for the ideal vlogging setup with the Nikon D7500:
– Get a fast, wide lens. Though zooms add versatility, primes are best for quality. A nice, wide focal length will make it easy to frame up, as well as keeping your kit light and compact. Something like the Nikon 24mm f1.8G ED AF-S Lens would be ideal.
– Get a good microphone. Sound quality is arguably the most critical aspect of making videos that feel professional. The RØDE VideoMic GO is a perfect choice, and won’t break the bank.
– A quality pair of headphones such as the Roland RH-5 for audio monitoring (the D7500 has a headphone jack).
– A fast, high-capacity memory card to record your footage – the D7500 only has one card slot, so make it count. The SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I offers cards with capacities of up to 512GB.
– A good tripod. We’d recommend a Joby Gorillapod for maximum flexibility and versatility in camera placement – this grippy tripod allows you to set up a camera in all sorts of unusual places.
– An external recorder. Take advantage of the D7500’s HDMI out functionality with a recorder such as one from the Atomos Ninja range, which can also serve as a monitor. That about wraps it up for the Nikon D7500. We’ll be discussing more of the best cameras for vloggers soon – see you next time!
For more than two decades, Louise Murray has been a freelance photojournalist at the forefront of issues around ecology, nature, environmentalism and science. She has traveled from pole to pole, the Arctic to the Antarctic, to shoot critical stories on the natural world, and Fixation has been proud to keep her gear in tip-top shape while she does it.
Louise is also a keen diver – a passion she shares with Fixation’s Mick Edwards whom she helped get his first drysuit – and she brings that love of the underwater world into her photography, where she has thoroughly explored the limits of underwater photography, not to mention her own endurance. We’ve featured some of her amazing stories on the blog before.
As Louise was resting between projects a couple of weeks ago, we managed to find time to chat with her about her career, travels and photography. Join us as we learn all about what it’s like to photograph in minus-40 temperatures, how Louise got deported from Canada, and what it is that keeps her coming back to diving…
Thanks for chatting with us, Louise! What have you been working on lately?
I had a month in the Philippines in March, and there was a whole lot of marine science stuff I was doing, including a piece for The Economist. I was also photographing thresher sharks – they are these very beautiful, quite elusive sharks, and the Philippines are one of the rare places you can reliably see them. I did some travel pieces, one just published that was about macro and macro lighting with lots of close-up photography.
I was also shooting fluorescence in marine life. You shoot it at night stimulating hidden pigments in the corals with blue light – I’ve been trying to get wide-angle shots for a couple of years now and finally succeeded. I think the Nikon D850 really made a difference, and the more powerful lights – it’s been a long time coming! I shot a funny little timelapse of the three of us trying to work together in pitch blackness with blue lights, trying to make the shot.
It’s very difficult. You start off on land, in daylight. You need expert divers with you who understand what you’re trying to do, and you have to have a full-on briefing before you even start. Often the local guide who’s with you has never experienced this and he doesn’t know what to expect, so you have to cover all this in your briefing. And then still it ends up being a bit of a nightmare as everybody works out how to work together in the dark without getting nailed by spiny, stingy urchins that come out at night.
Of course, you’ve done lots of marine work if I remember correctly?
Loads of marine stuff, loads of Arctic stuff, loads of Antarctic stuff. I’ve also been doing a lot of work with robots over the last two years, and they’re always challenging. Photographing them for stories about robotics – so whether that’s autonomous vehicles, or robots in horticulture, or robots in forensic science conducting autopsies. I went to Switzerland for that one. It’s a huge variety of different things, most of which are not on my website because I’m too lazy to update it!
I think this fluorescent stuff recently. I love diving, so I’ll take any excuse to do it. It looks like I’ve got another couple of big underwater projects coming up – for most of October I’ll be back in the Philippines, which will be great fun. Then back to Baja Mexico in November.
Sounds awesome! Are you hunting for anything in particular?
I’m doing an environmental story on the world’s biggest fish in the Philippines, then freediving with hunting Striped marlin in Mexico.
A lot of what you have covered in the past concerns ecology and climate change.
It’s been a while since I’ve written about climate change, but yes. I had a picture on the front page of the Guardian illustrating climate change. It’s a shot you can only get at a certain time of year; when the sea ice is melting, it melts during the day then refreezes at night. You get protruding blocks of ice forming where it has broken up and refrozen, and in early May those start to melt and drip during the day in earnest. If you get there at the right time and then shoot into the sun, you produce an image with a concept of sun, heat, and melting ice that encapsulates what is happening with the climate emergency in the Arctic. That’s why those particular sets of pictures do very well.
Are there other aspects of the climate emergency you would like to cover?
I would kill just to be back up in the Arctic, but I got deported from Canada. You have to try very hard to do that. I would very much like to be able to go back up to Nunavut, where I used to lead expeditions helping film crews make feature-length movies about wildlife up there. I was working illegally without a work permit. So I rocked up a year or two later thinking, “Well that’s all done and dusted, and now I’m here with several thousand pounds of commissions.” But the immigration officer didn’t see it that way, and they held me in immigration and sent me back on the next plane, which wasn’t very pleasant. Haven’t been back to Canada since.
So where else might you head instead?
I had to turn it down this year, but the Siberian Ice Marathon, where people run across the frozen surface of Lake Baikal. It clashed with the Philippines this year, but I’ll be going back next year. It’s great fun.
Once you’ve got the right clothes. It’s down to having the right gloves and the right boots. I’ve worked in minus-40 with the Danish military – that was an amazing job. In Eastern Greenland they have a unit called the Sirius Patrol – pairs of guys patrol with dog sleds over that uninhabited part of Greenland, right up to the extreme north to protect Denmark’s sovereignty over the land. That was an amazing cold shoot – quite painful, but not impossible.
I can’t even imagine how you’d take photos in those conditions.
You have to have a lot of batteries inside your coat. That’s the key thing. When we used film it used to freeze, but with digital, it’s the batteries. You can practically see the battery gauge going down.
I suppose digital has unlocked a few interesting possibilities in your line of work.
The marine stuff is much easier to do now than it ever used to be, because we used to go down with a tank of air and one roll of film, which was 36 or 37 frames if you were lucky. To change the film, you had to come back up, open up the housing, open up the camera, change it, and then go back down. And this is dangerous, because you don’t want to be popping up and down when you’re diving. You can’t do it repeatedly – it isn’t safe. So it’s marvellous to have high-capacity cards and be only limited by however long your air lasts. And the poor bastards who have to dive with me tend to find out just how long I can make a tank last!
What is it that keeps you coming back to diving and underwater shooting?
Well, it’s very calm down there. And no matter where you dive, even if you’ve dived somewhere a thousand times, it is still quite possible to go down and see something that you’ve never seen before. It still happens to me, after all these years working underwater – I can still go on a dive and see a behaviour or a creature that is entirely new to me, though not new to science. Although when we go to Indonesia in October, it’s possible that we’ll see stuff that is new to science!
We look forward to finding out!
Louise was talking to Jon Stapley. See more from Louise at her website: louisemurray.com
Sony introduces high-resolution Alpha 7R IV Camera with world’s first 61.0 MP back-illuminated full-frame image sensor
The Sony A7R IV mirrorless camera features an impressive 61MP full-frame sensor, making it the highest resolution camera in its class on release. The newly developed sensor is back-illuminated and offers up to 15-stops of dynamic range. The A7R IV also features the same pixel-shift multi-shooting mode as found in the A7 III, creating stunning 240MP images. Main Features
A brand new back-illuminated 35mm full-frame 61MP image sensor – a world’s first
15-stop of enhanced dynamic range
5-axis Optical In-Body Image Stabilisation
Superior AF performance: 567 phase-detection points, covering 74% of the frame
Real-time tracking iAF for both humans and animals
Built for video: Full sensor width capture, oversampled 6K for 4K capture, touch tracking.
Real-time iAF tracking for video – a first for Sony
Digital audio interface in camera – another first for Sony
A reliable professional tool: Dual UHS-II slots, refined focus control, 2.4+5GHz WiFi,
5.76 million dot UXGA OLED viewfinder
USB-C connecton
Sony releases long-awaited FE 35mm F1.8 lens
The lightweight 35mm prime lens for full-frame cameras is a versatile choice for everything from table-top photography to the great outdoors. Fast, quiet AF operation and reliable AF tracking make it suitable for shooting videos as well as stills
Main Features
Standard prime lens with fast F1.8 aperture
Quiet, reliable AF tracking for movies as well as stills
9-blade circular aperture for smooth bokeh
An aspherical element for high corner-to-corner resolution
Dust and moisture resistant design
Sigma has launched a newly developed, high-performance lens series for full-frame mirrorless cameras
The Sigma 45mm F2.8 DG DN “Contemporary” is compact in size while maintaining high image quality and is compatible with full-frame mirrorless cameras.
Main Features
Mount with dust- and splash-proof structure
Full-time manual mode
Available Mount Conversion Service
Designed to minimize flare and ghosting
Evaluation with SIGMA’s own MTF measuring system: A1
7-blade rounded diaphragm
High-precision, rugged brass bayonet mount
The Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG DN “Art” enables a creation of artwork with astounding resolution and large bokeh effects, such as portraits that make use of a shallow depth of field.
Main Features
Full-time manual mode
Hood with lock
Available Mount Conversion Service
Designed to minimize flare and ghosting
Evaluation with SIGMA’s own MTF measuring system: A1
11-blade rounded diaphragm
High-precision, rugged brass bayonet mount
The Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN “Art” is a large-diameter, ultra-wide-angle zoom lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras. While pursuing the ultimate image quality of the Art line, the size is reduced thanks to the exclusive design for mirrorless cameras.
Main Features
Full-time manual mode
Available Mount Conversion Service
Designed to minimize flare and ghosting
Evaluation with SIGMA’s own MTF measuring system: A1
11-blade rounded diaphragm
High-precision, rugged brass bayonet mount
The new Canon RF 24-240mm f4-6.3 IS USM Lens is the perfect travel companion with its portable, versatile 10x zoom lens for the EOS R system that’s ideal for everything from wide-angle landscapes to frame-filling portraits, and even close-up sport and wildlife. This lens represents a new standard in full-frame image quality, especially at this focal range.
Near-silent Nano USM focusing: Fast for stills; smooth for video
Five-stop Image Stabilizer: Protects against blur from camera shake
Weighs just 750g: Portable lightweight design
Circular, seven-bladed aperture: For smooth, natural bokeh
Large lockable zoom ring: Turns through 100°
Clickless 1/8-stop aperture control: When shooting movies
Customisable control ring: Adaptable to the way you work
Full-time manual focusing: Take control at any time
Built for the EOS R system: Maximise the performance of your EOS R
FUJIFILM has launched their latest addition to the X Series lens lineup.
The FUJINON XF16-80mmF4 R OIS WR is a compact 5x zoom lens that covers a range of focal lengths from wide angle to mid-telephoto with a constant F4 aperture
Main Features
Advanced image quality
Compact, lightweight and stylish design for superior operability
Powerful OIS
Fast and silent autofocus
The lens barrel is sealed at 10 locations making the lens dust and weather resistant and capable of operating at temperatures as low as -10°C
FUJIFILM launchesits their smallest GF lens yet for the GFX Large Format System, the FUJINON GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR which is the tenth lens for GFX large format system
Main Features
Outstanding image quality
Compact 84x48mm and weighing only 335g.
High performance, fast and silent.
Durable, sealed in ten places, making it dust and weather resistant
Nikon today introduces the first of the f2.8 pro lenses for Nikon Z. The NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is a professional lens that boasts an exceptionally compact build, advanced optics, and extensive weather sealing. Stills or video, this workhorse lens delivers superb results.
Main feature
Exceptional close-up performance: Minimum focus distance of 0.38m
Advanced optical design: 17 elements in 15 groups with anti-reflective ARNEO and Nano Crystal coatings
Customisable control ring: Manual focusing (default), silent aperture control (great for iris transitions during video recording), or exposure compensation
L-Fn (lens function) button: Assign up to 21 different functions. From AF lock to metering, bracketing, and more. OLED information display panel: quickly confirm aperture, focus distance, exact focal length, and depth of field
Tough, compact build with extensive sealing to protect from dust and moisture
The Canon EOS RP is essentially a smaller, lighter and cheaper alternative to the imaging giant’s first full-frame mirrorless camera, the EOS R
Just like its bigger sibling, the EOS RP is powered by the DIGIC 8 image processor and boasts Canon’s coveted Dual Pixel CMOS AF. The mirrorless camera houses a full-frame 26.2MP CMOS sensor and is capable of reaching a maximum ISO of 40,000. Alongside Dual Pixel CMOS AF, the EOS RP matches its high-end counterpart’s 88% horizontal and 100% vertical coverage. And – although not quite as impressive as the EOS R’s mammoth 5,655 AF points – the EOS RP still packs a similarly jaw-dropping 4,779 AF positions. It also features Face+Tracking, Eye AF, One-shot AF and Servo AF modes, and those shooting in low light can make use of the camera’s ability to focus down to an impressive -5 EV.
Main features
Incredible quality images at any time of day
EOS handling without compromise
See everything, miss nothing with Dual Pixel CMOS AF
Shoot flexibly and connect seamlessly
Create high quality and super-steady movies
The Fujifilm X-T30, the follow-up to the X-T20, now boasts Fujifilm’s fourth generation image sensor and processor found in the X-T3.
Designed for all photographers from beginner to advanced, the X-T30 offers phase detection pixels across the entire frame, Full HD and 4K/30p video recording, a new intuitive 3.0″ touch-screen, and an improved body design for increased comfort and stability.
Main features
New Fourth generation 26.1-megapixel APS-C X Trans CMOS 4 image sensor and X Processor 4 (same as X-T3)
AF algorithm has been improved to deliver even more advanced AF-tracking performance for both stills and video
100% phase detection pixels are now across the entire frame, making it possible to quickly and accurately focus on a subject
Improved video functionality: 4K at 30fps, Full HD 1080p, including 120fps to create super slow motion effects
Filmmakers needing high colour fidelity can record 10-bit, 4:2:2 colour through the camera’s HDMI port
New Focus Lever: replaces Selector Buttons to achieve faster and more intuitive camera operation, allows for extra grip too
Improved ISO: extended 80-51200, standard ISO160-12800
Built-in WiFi for shooting from your smartphone or tablet devices
1x SD UHS-I card slot, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth V.4.2, headphone Jack via USB-C Adapter & NP-W126S battery
The Fujifilm XF16mm f2.8 R WR Lens expands the X series line-up of compact, lightweight and stylish lenses with a focal length that’s suitable for architecture, landscape and low-light photography Designed for Fujifilm’s mirrorless cameras, the lens features a focal length equivalent to 24mm (in the 35mm format), has a maximum aperture of f2.8 and adopts an inner focusing system driven by a stepping motor for faster and quieter auto-focusing.
Main feature
The lens features 10 lens elements in 8 groups including two aspherical elements. Optimal arrangement of aspherical lenses suppress spherical aberrations and field curvature while maintaining high performance from the center of the screen to every corner.
The lens weighs just 155g and is 45.4mm in length. It is the widest lens of the compact prime lens series. The aperture and focusing rings feature precise click stops and smooth damping for enhanced operation. The metal exterior uses the same design style as XF23mmF2 R WR, XF35mmF2 R WR, and XF50mmF2 WR for a robust, premium feel.
The inner focusing AF system uses a stepping motor to drive lightweight focusing elements for a fast, silent autofocus performance.
The lens is weather-sealed at nine points around the barrel making it weather and dust resistant. It is designed to operate in temperatures as low as -10°C. Used with the weather and dust-resistant FUJIFILM X-Pro2 or X-T1/T2/T3, and X-H1 bodies means users can shoot confidently in light rain or dusty environments without worrying about the conditions.
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