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The Latest News:
Nikon’s New 24-105mm f/4-7.1 Lens
credits: Nikon
Nikon has just announced the Nikkor Z 24–105mm f/4–7.1, a new standard zoom for its full-frame Z-mount mirrorless cameras. The lens can be purchased on its own, but it is also being introduced as a new kit option with the Nikon Z5 II, slotting between Nikon’s existing 24–50mm and 24–200mm kit bundles.
From a technical standpoint, the 24–105mm f/4–7.1 uses 12 elements in 10 groups, including one extra-low dispersion element to help manage colour fringing and two aspherical elements to keep distortion and edge softness in check across the zoom range. The variable aperture keeps the lens small, while the physical dimensions come in at roughly 73 × 107 mm and about 350 grams. Nikon has also stuck with a 67mm filter thread, which matches many other Z lenses and makes filter sharing easier. A programmable control ring is included and can be assigned to focus, aperture, exposure compensation, or ISO.
The lens focuses down to 0.2 meters at 24mm and 0.28 meters at 105mm, reaching a maximum reproduction ratio of 0.5× between 70mm and 105mm. Autofocus is driven by a stepping motor designed for smooth, quiet operation, making it suitable for both stills and video. The lens is scheduled to ship in mid-January 2026 for $549.95, or $2,199.95 as part of the Z5 II kit.
You can see full details and sample shots on Nikon’s website here
Godox’s Updated Pocket Flash
credits: Godox
Godox updated its smallest battery-powered strobe with the AD100Pro II. The new flash keeps the same 100Ws output and nine-stop power range from 1/256 to full, but the internal design has been revised to better handle sustained use. A new active cooling system with an internal fan allows the AD100Pro II to fire roughly 60 to 100 full-power flashes in sequence without thermal shutdown, depending on conditions. Recycle times are ranging from about 0.01 seconds at low power to roughly 1.5 seconds at full output.
Colour consistency is rated at 5600K with a ±200K tolerance, in line with most daylight-balanced strobes, making it easier to integrate into multi-light setups. The flash also includes a built-in 5W LED modeling light with ten brightness levels. While not meant as a primary continuous light, it is useful for checking light direction, shadow placement, and catchlights before firing the flash.
Wireless control is handled by an integrated receiver supporting both 2.4GHz and 433MHz, with 32 channels, ID settings from 01 to 99, and multiple groups for more complex setups. TTL, manual, multi, and high-speed sync up to 1/8000s are supported when paired with compatible Godox transmitters across most major camera systems. Usability has been improved with a clearer TFT display and a colour-coded group indicator ring. Power comes from a 3300mAh USB-C rechargeable battery rated for around 490 full-power flashes. Pricing is at $299.
You can see full details on Godox’s website here
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Photo Analysis
Welcome to a new addition to the magazine: the photo analysis, where I will analyse a photo and talk about the composition, lighting what’s positive, what’s negative etc. so that you can learn and better your own photography from it ;)
This week’s photo by: Reumel
You can find him on Instagram as: @rems.visuals
Composition & Framing
What works well:
Compositionally, the lamp is a bit of a double-edged sword (more on that down below), but on the positive side it absolutely works as a spotlight device. Your eye goes straight to the lamp first, and from there naturally down to the man underneath it.
Framing is solid overall. Our subject sits nicely between two posts, which subtly box him in without it feeling forced.
The man and the lamp are both off-centre, which keeps the composition from feeling static or overly symmetrical.
There is also a subtle line in the street pointing directly toward our subject, acting as a very quiet/subtle leading line that supports the composition.
The layering works really well too → street in the foreground, posts, then the man + lamp, followed by the river, and finally the skyline. This gives the photo strong depth and a nice 3D effect.
What could be better:
Because the lamp isn’t a strictly overhead light, the pole of it sits directly behind the man. This hurts subject separation quite a bit and makes him blend into the background more than ideal.
Background separation on the subject in general is the weakest part compositionally. Not only the thing mentioned above, but also the dark jacket and trousers of the man don’t help. But of course that aspect is obviously not something the photographer can control.
The lower foreground might feel a bit visually empty to some people compared to how much is happening higher up.
Light & Atmosphere
What works well:
The warm light against the cold blue sky and snowy environment works beautifully and reinforces the classic winter-(early)evening atmosphere.
The overall mood/atmosphere feels calm, quiet, and slightly melancholic, very much a ‘long day is over’ kind of feeling.
What could be better:
The shadows are a bit heavy in places, especially around the lower half of the frame, which eats into detail.
The brightness of the lamp slightly overpowers the rest of the scene, making the balance between subject and light a bit uneven.
Emotion & Story
What works well:
We do get some nice storytelling clues here. It clearly feels cold and late —> the snow, the blue hour light, and the overall quiet street all sell that instantly.
The man also carrying a work bag strongly suggests he is heading home after a long day.
His posture and the turned-up collar support the idea of cold weather as well.
What could be better:
We could have gotten an even stronger emotional connection if we could see the man’s face or expression more clearly.
Colour & Tone
What works well:
As mentioned before, the contrast between the warm lamp light (as well as the brown coat and a few warm tones here and there) and overall cool blue tones works nicely and feels natural for this time of day (and season).
Overall, the snow and sky keep their cool tones without everything being drowned in orange or yellow (though, yes the lamp’s warm tones do bleed a bit into the frame, tinting a few areas)
What could be better:
Again, our subject’s dark clothing blends into the darker (and warmer) tones behind him, reducing clarity a bit.
A bit more tonal separation between foreground and midground could help define the scene even better.
Balance
The photo is generally well balanced thanks to the strong vertical anchor of the lamp.
The skyline helps counter the lamp’s brightness, but the lamp still dominates slightly, pulling things upwards.
Better separation between the man and the lamp pole could have improved visual balance.
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