📸 The Magazine For Photographers - Bite Size
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The Latest News:
The L-Mount Alliance Is Expanding
credits: L-Mount
At CP+ 2025, Kaoru Mokunaka, Leica’s Chief Representative for Japan, confirmed that the L-Mount Alliance is bringing in new members soon. Right now, the group includes Leica, Panasonic, Sigma, DJI, Blackmagic, Samyang, and Astro, but more brands are already in talks.
The goal? A universal lens mount that makes it easy to mix and match cameras and lenses without adapters. More members mean more choices and better prices for photographers and videographers, especially in the growing hybrid photo-video market.
Viltrox might be joining, which would add more affordable lenses to the lineup. Nothing official yet, but it fits the Alliance’s push for more options at every price point. Since launching in 2018, the L-Mount Alliance has been growing steadily, and with new brands on the way, it’s becoming a serious player in the camera world.
You can see full details on L-Mount’s Website here
Xiaomi’s Photography Ambitions
credits: Xiaomi
Just ahead of MWC 2025, Xiaomi showed off its Modular Optical System—a magnetically attached lens module that snaps onto the back of a phone, turning it into a serious camera upgrade. Unlike clip-on lenses, this is a self-contained sensor and lens combo, powered by the phone’s battery and controlled through the camera app.
The prototype features a 100MP Micro Four Thirds sensor and a 35mm f/1.4 lens with a manual focus ring and variable aperture (f/1.4–f/11). The image quality is promising, with fast autofocus, near-zero lag, and a true optical crop to 50mm.
Xiaomi sees this as part of a modular system, with more lenses and accessories down the road. The challenge? Cases, tripods, and gimbals—all of which could be tricky with this setup. If Xiaomi solves those hurdles, this could be the closest we’ve seen to a smartphone-camera hybrid that actually works.
You can see full presentation on YouTube 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: Freelensing
What Is Freelensing?
Freelensing is when you hold your lens in front of your camera rather than mounting it, allowing you to:
Manually shift the focus plane for a tilt-shift effect.
Create dreamy bokeh and light leaks by letting small amounts of light spill onto the sensor.
Shoot macro without a macro lens by pulling the lens slightly away.
Get an artistic, imperfect, film-like aesthetic with soft focus and unpredictable blur.
It’s used for portraits, landscapes, macro photography, and experimental art photography.
How to Do Freelensing
1. Use a Prime Lens (50mm is Ideal)
The best lenses for freelensing are old manual focus primes (like a 50mm f/1.8 or 35mm f/2).
Avoid heavy zoom lenses—they’re harder to hold and control.
2. Set Your Camera to Manual Mode
Aperture: Open wide (f/1.8–f/2.8) for a dreamy look.
Shutter Speed: Keep it fast (1/200s or faster) to avoid blur from movement.
ISO: Adjust as needed, but keep it low for cleaner images.
3. Detach the Lens and Hold It Slightly Away from the Camera
Carefully remove the lens and hold it just in front of the mount.
Tilt it slightly to shift the focus plane in different directions.
Move the lens closer or farther to find focus.
4. Experiment with the Light Leaks & Blur
Rotate the lens slightly to introduce dreamy edge blur.
Let in small light leaks for a hazy, ethereal glow.
Pull the lens slightly forward for a macro effect—great for close-ups of textures, flowers, or eyes.
Freelensing Effects & How to Achieve Them
Tilt-Shift Look (Selective Focus) → Tilt the lens to shift focus in an unusual way (like one eye sharp, one blurry).
Fake Macro Photography → Pull the lens slightly away from the body to magnify close subjects.
Light Leaks for Vintage Aesthetics → Let a little side light hit the sensor for glowing, film-like effects.
Some Final Advice
Sensor Exposure → Since your lens isn’t attached, dust can get in. So you might want to only do this in clean, dust-free environments.
No Electronic Connection → Autofocus and aperture control won’t work, so you must manually adjust settings.
The Rest of this Issue is for Premium Subscribers
