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The Latest News:

The New Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens

Yesterday, at the 2025 Bild Expo, Viltrox dropped a new lens — the AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro for Sony E-mount. This is the latest addition to Viltrox’s expanding Pro lineup, and while versions for other mounts are on the way, Sony shooters get first dibs.

The optical design of this new lens is definitely pro-grade: 15 elements in 11 groups, including 3 ED, 9 high-refractive, and 1 ultra-anomalous glass element, all working together to minimise distortion, chromatic aberration, and fringing while delivering edge-to-edge sharpness and high contrast, even wide open at f/1.4. That wide aperture also brings rich, creamy bokeh that’s especially well-tuned for portraits.

Autofocus is handled by Viltrox’s new Dual HyperVCM system, a fast and precise setup with support for face and eye detection. The minimum focus distance is 0.79 meters with a max magnification of 0.13x. Build quality also gets the pro treatment: a full-metal barrel that’s both dust- and splash-resistant, with weather sealing throughout and a front element that repels water and smudges. At 800 grams, it’s definitely on the hefty side, but that comes with the territory when you’re packing this much glass. Filter size is a standard 77mm, and the lens is priced at 669€.

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

OM System’s New OM-5 II Camera Announced

OM System has announced the OM-5 Mark II, which it describes as a “refined” mirrorless camera built for outdoor enthusiasts. The new OM-5 II is sticking with the same ultra-compact build as the original, weighing just 366g and with IP53 weather sealing and freeze-proofing down to -10°C, so it’s clearly made to handle tough conditions.

Inside, the OM-5 II keeps the 20.4MP Live MOS sensor and TruePic IX processor, which still holds up for both stills and 4K video. For creative shooters, the in-camera Live ND filter and Handheld High Res mode return, letting you shoot 50MP images without a tripod or do dreamy long exposures with zero extra gear. The autofocus system gets a nice bump with 121 cross-type phase-detect points, plus face and eye detection. Pro Capture is back as well, buffering frames before you press the shutter (a major bonus if you’re shooting unpredictable subjects).

Stabilization looks like another strong point: the 5-axis IBIS now delivers up to 7.5 stops with supported lenses, making handheld long exposures and smooth video easier than ever. The OLED EVF stays at 2.36 million dots and offers up to 1.37x magnification depending on the finder style. The camera will be available in July in black, silver, and a new “sand beige” limited edition option. Pricing for the body-only is $1,199.99. A closer look at the new camera will follow in this week’s Sunday magazine issue ;)

You can see full details on OM System’s website here

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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: Star Trail Photography

What is Star Trail Photography?

Basically, star trails are the result of long exposure photography capturing the Earth's rotation. The stars aren’t moving, you are. Or rather, the planet is spinning under the night sky, and if your shutter stays open long enough, you’ll catch that movement as glowing arcs across the photo.

What You’ll Need

You don’t need crazy NASA-level gear, but a few things are non-negotiable:

• A camera that can shoot manual + long exposures

• A sturdy tripod (any movement = ruined trails)

• A remote shutter or intervalometer (so you don’t shake the camera when you press the button)

• Extra batteries or a battery grip

• Clear, dark skies (city light pollution kills it)

Optional but helpful: a wide-angle lens (preferably fast, like f/2.8)

How to Actually Do It

1. Find a Good Spot

Get away from city lights. Use apps like Dark Sky Finder, PhotoPills, or Stellarium to scout clear skies and check the moon phase (you want a new moon or close to it).

2. Frame Your Shot

Point your camera toward the North or South celestial pole (in the Northern Hemisphere, that’s near Polaris, the North Star). That’s how you get those circular swirl patterns. If you shoot east or west, the trails will be more horizontal.

You can include something interesting in the foreground like trees, a cabin, or a mountain to anchor the composition and give your trails some context.

3. Settings (for single long exposure)

If you’re doing one epic long exposure:

• Shutter speed: 15–60 minutes (yep, that long)

• Aperture: f/2.8 to f/4

• ISO: 100–400 (depends on how much ambient light there is)

The risk here is sensor noise or your camera overheating, especially in warm climates.

4. Better Option: Shoot a Time-lapse Stack

This is the smart way. Instead of one mega exposure, take hundreds of shorter exposures (like 30 seconds each) over the course of an hour or two. Then stack them later in editing.

Set your camera to:

• Manual mode

• Shutter speed: 20–30 seconds

• Aperture: wide open

• ISO: 800–1600 (depending on how dark your skies are)

5. Stacking the Trails

Once you’ve got your images, you can combine them using:

• StarStaX (free and easy for Mac/Windows)

• Photoshop (open all frames as layers and blend them with Lighten mode)

This stacking technique keeps noise low and gives you way more control over the final image.

Extra Tips

• Turn off long exposure noise reduction (it doubles the time between shots)

• Watch out for planes, satellites, and light leaks

• Use a lens hood to help reduce dew and side glare

• Keep an eye on weather, even a few clouds can mess up a long shoot

• Bring snacks. It’s a long night.

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