After the leading CP+ trade fair and numerous innovations afterwards, calm has returned to the photography market before the professional festival weeks of the Olympic Games in Paris. And as if journalists had wished for this, a kind of self-leak comes from the otherwise very discreet company Leica.
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The small French YouTube channel Lovelight recently visited Leica's headquarters in Wetzlar, and while strolling through the camera exhibition, a representative of the company apparently spilled the beans. Gaëlle Gouinguené, head of PR at Leica France, casually mentioned that the S3 medium format camera should receive a successor “within two years”. And not just a new model, but a completely new system, with a new bayonet and matching lenses.
Leica's S system gets a successor
For those interested in photography, such an early announcement may be a nice topic to discuss, but for a company it is a faux pas – why should you now buy an S3 for around 18,000 euros and lenses for it? Announcements like these, also known as discontinuations, are usually made by company bosses in a keynote address, or at least in a sober press release in text form. And that's when the successor system is still a few weeks away at most. The used market also suffers from premature discontinuations, which in turn annoys the owners of the devices.
The only professional measure left is to confirm the matter. Leica has now done this to Petapixel and also tried to smooth things over a bit. The previous lenses should remain compatible with the new system via an adapter. This should at least calm the market for optics somewhat, and is also smart: Nikon and Canon also took away the pain of changing systems from the F to Z or from EF to R bayonet for customers with adapters. There is no further technical data, dates or even prices for the new medium format system from Leica.
Logitech Mevo Core with MFT not just for streaming
Logitech is also being economical in its push for at least semi-professional streaming cameras with interchangeable lenses. Both in terms of availability and technology – people are apparently quite cautious in this regard, because in recent years the company has been known primarily for its gaming accessories and before that for pretty average webcams. The new device “Mevo Core” is intended primarily for demanding streamers and YouTubers, a market that is becoming increasingly professional.
The Mevo, like the really big tool from Red, aka Nikon, or Blackmagic, is just a body with many ports such as HDMI and USB-C as well as a Micro Four Thirds bayonet. And the cube costs $1,000 plus tax. So with a lens you end up in the price range of small system cameras that many streamers and web video producers already use today.
Multicam-Setups ohne Kabel
The special feature of the Mevo, however, seems to be that it can not only do that, but also stream wirelessly via WiFi-6E and record internally – according to the manufacturer, with a replaceable battery for up to six hours. There will also be software called the “Mevo Multicam App” that can be used to control several of the cameras. Setups for live streams, for example of smaller sporting events, should be possible without cables – provided that radio discipline can be maintained on site, even a single cell phone hotspot can ruin such projects. And Logitech's software must work, including integration with tools like OBS.
If these admittedly optimistic assumptions actually come to pass, the Mevo Core could really be the all-purpose tool for many smaller producers: stream and record at home wired with an additional device, then with a handle from the tripod into the camera bag and off to the event without cables. The material from there is then enough for better video platforms, because 4K at 30 fps can be recorded internally; the Mevo Core can only stream in Full HD at 30 fps.
Logitech does not mention other frame rates in its technical data, nor does it mention the resolution of the sensor. According to other sources, there should be around eight megapixels, but there is no further information, especially about autofocus or image quality. Hello Logitech, are f-stops known? The possible release date outside of North America is also still missing.
How to – not – photograph a solar eclipse
The next total solar eclipse can also be admired this year, on April 8, 2024. Consequently, DPreview has updated its older guide to photographing solar eclipses; it is our recommendation for a long read for the weekend. Like this edition of our column, it is a little shorter than usual, but what it says is something every photographer should take to heart for the health of their eyes and equipment. The core principle: “Enjoy your first solar eclipse and only take photos of the second one.”
(NO)