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The New Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro Lens

Viltrox has officially rolled out its new AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras, available in Sony E, Fujifilm X, and Nikon Z mounts. On APS-C bodies, it works out to about an 84mm equivalent, which makes it basically a super-fast 85mm portrait prime. For Fujifilm shooters, it goes head-to-head with the XF 56mm f/1.2 R WR, while Sony and Nikon users finally get a native fast portrait option that hasn’t been in their APS-C lineups until now.

Optically, the lens is built with 13 elements in eight groups, including one ultra-large aspherical, one ED element, and three high-refractive pieces of glass. That setup is aimed at keeping chromatic and comatic aberrations under control while minimising distortion. An 11-blade aperture should deliver smooth, round bokeh, and Viltrox says sharpness holds up well across the frame even wide open at f/1.2. Autofocus is handled by the company’s “HyperVCM” motor, designed to be fast, quiet, and precise. The lens can focus as close as half a meter, giving 0.13x magnification, and focus breathing is said to be minimal.

In terms of handling, the E and Z versions include a function button, AF/MF switch, and a de-click option for the aperture ring, while the X-mount version skips those extras. All versions are weather-sealed, built from metal, and take 67mm filters. They measure just over 90mm long and weigh between 570 and 590 grams depending on mount. The Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro is available for $580.

You can see full details and sample shots on Viltrox’s website here

Novachips’ Latest CFexpress Card

Novachips, a South Korean memory manufacturer, has launched a new 400GB CFexpress Type A card for Sony users. The biggest selling point, according to the them, is the price: at $140, the card undercuts many high-end SD cards while offering faster performance and nearly double the capacity. By comparison, SanDisk’s 256GB V90 card sells for about $180, Lexar’s comes in at $175, and ProGrade’s is closer to $200.

While SD cards have long been the standard for photographers and filmmakers thanks to their low cost and reliability, they’ve been struggling to keep pace with the data demands of modern cameras. Sony cameras remain relatively flexible when it comes to storage, but some of their higher-end video modes require CFexpress Type A media. That’s where the new Novachips card could prove especially useful. It delivers sustained write speeds up to 800 MB/s and carries a VPG400 certification, meaning it won’t drop below 400 MB/s even under stress.

Novachips also points out that the card uses custom hardware and firmware designed to keep thermal performance in check during long shoots, along with advanced over-provisioning (a feature more common in enterprise SSDs) to improve endurance and stability over time. The Novachips 400GB CFexpress Type A card is available for $140.

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Weekly Photo Technique Exploration

Welcome to a new section of the magazine where every week we will explore a new photography technique from across various photography genres.

This week’s technique: High Speed Photography

What Is High-Speed Photography?

High-speed photography is about freezing moments that normally just happen too fast for us to see. Things like a water balloon exploding, a strawberry hitting a glass of water, a droplet splashing into water etc. Basically stuff that (to the naked eye) is just a blur, but with the right technique, you can catch it in crisp detail.

Two Main Ways to Do It

There are two approaches, depending on your setup/surroundings:

1. Fast shutter speeds (daylight or bright light):
   Just crank the shutter up—> 1/2000s, 1/4000s, even faster if your camera allows. Perfect for anything from sports to wildlife (especially birds) or classic water splashes outdoors.

2. Flash method (indoors, controlled shoots):
   Indoors, it is usually too dark for such fast shutters. That is where a flash or strobe comes in. At low power, a flash might only last 1/10,000s, which is more than enough to freeze a water balloon exploding or glass shattering. The shutter speed doesn’t matter as much, your flash is what does the freezing.

The Gear You Need

• Camera with full manual control

• A flash or strobe (for indoor shooting)

• A tripod (just makes it easier)

• A remote trigger, or even a sound/laser trigger if you want to get fancy

• And then props: balloons, fruit, cocktail glasses, water, simply whatever you feel like smashing, splashing, dropping etc.

Camera Settings

If you’re outdoors with lots of light:

• Shutter: at least 1/2000s

• Aperture: f/4–f/8

• ISO: as low as possible

If you’re indoors using flash:

• Shutter: ~1/200s (flash sync speed)

• Aperture: f/8–f/16

• ISO: 100–400

• Flash power: keep it low (1/16, 1/32) so the flash itself is short

How to Do It

1. Put your camera on a tripod, set focus manually on where the action will happen, and keep everything framed up.

2. Kill ambient light (indoors). You want the flash to be the only light source, otherwise you will get blur.

3. Time it right. Whether it’s popping a balloon, dropping fruit into water, or smashing something, the whole trick is firing at the exact moment. Triggers do help, but honestly, a lot of it is luck.

4. Shoot in bursts. It is simple —> The more shots you take, the higher the chances of catching the perfect frame.

5. Be patient, you might take 30 shots to get one gem.

Some Classic Subjects/Ideas

• Pop a water balloon and freeze the water hanging mid-air while the rubber peels away.

• Drop fruit or ice cubes into a glass of water.

• Smash glass (safely!) and catch the shards flying.

• Throw some coloured powder through the air for abstract shots.

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