📸 The Magazine For Photographers - Bite Size
Read the Latest Photography News and Updates in the Creative Industry in 2 minutes or less ;)
In partnership with
Important note: All photography articles are NOT sponsored
The Latest News:
Sigma’s Upcoming 85mm f/1.2 DG Art Lens
credits: Sigma
Sigma is updating its premium Art lineup with a new 85mm f/1.2 DG Art lens, which recently appeared as a prototype at the China P&E Imaging Show. The lens will complete Sigma’s growing lineup of full-frame f/1.2 primes alongside the existing 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art II and 50mm f/1.2 DG Art for Sony E-mount and L-mount cameras. While Sigma still has not revealed the full technical specs, the company has confirmed the lens will use its HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) autofocus system, which is designed for faster and quieter focusing performance. Based on Sigma’s recent Art lenses, expectations are already pretty high for both sharpness and AF reliability.
What makes the timing particularly interesting is that Viltrox has also been developing its own LAB 85mm f/1.2 for Sony E and Nikon Z mount. Viltrox actually teased its lens months before Sigma officially showed its prototype, and it is becoming increasingly clear that competition in the premium third-party lens market is heating up. Over the last couple of years, Viltrox has improved its build quality and optical performance quite a bit, especially with the LAB series. The company’s existing 35mm f/1.2 LAB already uses a fairly advanced optical design with multiple ED, high-refractive-index, and aspherical elements packed into a full-metal body.
A lot of this battle will probably come down to pricing. Viltrox has been consistently pricing its LAB lenses significantly lower than Sigma’s Art series while still targeting the same group of photographers looking for fast primes. Sigma still has the stronger reputation overall, especially when it comes to autofocus refinement and long-term reliability, but Viltrox is definitely starting to put pressure on the established third-party brands. Sigma says the new 85mm f/1.2 DG Art is scheduled to launch in September (no word on pricing though), while Viltrox still has not confirmed a release date for its competing LAB lens.
Asus’ New ProArt 4K Displays
credits: Asus
Asus has announced two new ProArt 4K HDR monitors, the PA27USD and PA32USD, meant for photographers, hybrid creators, and video editors who need strong colour accuracy and proper HDR support. The smaller PA27USD uses a 26.5-inch panel, while the PA32USD increases that to 31.5 inches, but both displays share most of the same core specs.
Both support 99% DCI-P3 coverage, along with full sRGB and Rec.709 colour gamut support. Asus also claims Delta E<1 colour accuracy and true 10-bit colour depth. HDR support includes Dolby Vision, HDR10, and Hybrid Log-Gamma, with peak brightness reaching 1,000 nits in smaller HDR highlight areas. Sustained full-screen brightness sits around 250 nits, which is still more than enough for SDR photo editing and standard video work. Asus also includes preset colour modes for workflows like Adobe RGB, which will matter more for photographers working with print-focused colour spaces.
One of the more unusual features is the built-in motorised colorimeter integrated directly into the monitors for automatic self-calibration. In terms of connectivity, both come with support for 12G SDI, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1, Thunderbolt 4, USB hub functionality, and additional upstream ports. Both monitors also support 240Hz refresh rates, although that obviously matters more for motion work than photography. Asus says the PA27USD will launch this month, including a special Panaro MAX Rugged Case Edition bundled with a hard transport case for $2,599. The standard PA32USD is expected to arrive by the end of June for $2,699.
Download My IG Hashtag Guide For Photographers
Download My Instagram Hashtag Guide For Photographers - learn everything there is to know about hashtags on Instagram and how to use them to grow your photography account! Inside the guide, you will also find 20+ pre-optimised hashtag packs for different photography categories.
Something You Have To Check Out
Free email without sacrificing your privacy
Gmail is free, but you pay with your data. Proton Mail is different.
We don’t scan your messages. We don’t sell your behavior. We don’t follow you across the internet.
Proton Mail gives you full-featured, private email without surveillance or creepy profiling. It’s email that respects your time, your attention, and your boundaries.
Email doesn’t have to cost your privacy.
Photographer Spotlight
Discover amazing photographers
This time in the Spotlight: Jonathan Varjabedian
You can find him on Instagram as: @framethestreetsdotcom
A few photos of his:
*advertisement (please check it out to support the magazine, it only takes a second and truly helps a lot)
How Jennifer Aniston’s LolaVie brand grew sales 40% with CTV ads
The DTC beauty category is crowded. To break through, Jennifer Aniston’s brand LolaVie, worked with Roku Ads Manager to easily set up, test, and optimize CTV ad creatives. The campaign helped drive a big lift in sales and customer growth, helping LolaVie break through in the crowded beauty category.
The Rest of this Issue is for Premium Subscribers
