New INSTAX PAL™ Digital Camera & INSTAX MINI LINK™ 2 Smartphone Printer Bundle

By Louis Ferreira | Published: September 21, 2023


INSTAX PAL™ Digital Camera & INSTAX MINI LINK™ 2 Smartphone Printer Bundle:
B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
FUJIFILM INSTAX MINI Soft Lavender:
B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

Digital Image Creation in the Palm of Your Hand Is a Snap with Fujifilm’s New INSTAX PAL™ Digital Camera & INSTAX MINI LINK™ 2 Smartphone Printer Bundle
Company Also Introduces New Soft Lavender INSTAX MINI Instant Film 10-Pack

VALHALLA, N.Y. – FUJIFILM North America Corporation announces the launch of the INSTAX PAL™ digital camera and INSTAX MINI LINK™ 2 Smartphone Printer Bundle, for ages 13+. INSTAX PAL is a unique, palm-sized digital camera — the first all-digital camera in the INSTAX product line-up — designed to capture life’s spontaneous moments for photo printing on INSTAX instant film via an INSTAX printing device1. With the INSTAX PAL digital camera, image makers can snap photos digitally and then utilize the free, downloadable INSTAX PAL Smartphone App to add fun photo effects, including filters, text and in-App stickers.

Once created, the digitally stored images can be transferred to the INSTAX PAL App and then printed through an INSTAX LINK Series Smartphone printer (the INSTAX MINI LINK, SQUARE LINK, or LINK WIDE) or through the INSTAX MINI EVO and INSTAX MINI LIPLAY hybrid instant cameras, providing versatility to print on INSTAX instant film (sold separately) in any of the available INSTAX MINI, SQUARE, or WIDE formats. The INSTAX PAL App can also directly share your transferred and stored digital images to social media.

“The INSTAX PAL digital camera and INSTAX MINI LINK 2 Smartphone Printer Bundle is a great option for those who want to capture images digitally with the ability to print on INSTAX instant film at their convenience,” said Bing Liem, president, Imaging Division, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “INSTAX PAL’s small-form factor enables users to capture images on the go, and then decide which ones to print and enhance later with the INSTAX PAL Smartphone App. We’re excited for our INSTAX consumers to buddy up with the first all-digital INSTAX offering — the INSTAX PAL digital camera and INSTAX MINI LINK 2 Smartphone Bundle!”

Exciting INSTAX PAL camera and App features include:
Remote Shooting: The dedicated INSTAX PAL Smartphone App enables users to be part of the photo by using the Remote Shooting feature and controlling the “snap” with their Smartphone. The App also allows users to check image composition via their Smartphone before snapping the photo with the INSTAX PAL camera.

Interval Shooting: Allows the user to take 3, 6, 11 or 21 continuous images at 3-second intervals, which upon App transfer, can then be reviewed and edited in the INSTAX PAL App before printing.

INSTAX Animation: Combines multiple, App transferred INSTAX PAL images into an animation, similar to a flipbook. If the user prints the INSTAX Animation, a QR code is printed on the INSTAX photo. Users can then scan the QR code with their Smartphone to play the animation back.

L [Link] Mode: By selecting “L” Mode on the bottom panel, the INSTAX PAL will connect (via Bluetooth) directly to the INSTAX MINI LINK 2 Smartphone printer provided in the bundle, allowing your photos to be printed at the “snap.”

Wide Angle Lens and Flash: Makes INSTAX PAL perfect for group photos or freezing the perfect landscape image in time. An App controlled flash is also provided, to ensure the photo lighting will be just right.

Multi-Use Detachable Ring: Can be used with the INSTAX PAL as a finger strap, as a simple viewfinder, or as a camera stand when shooting images remotely.

The INSTAX PAL camera can hold up to 50 images in its memory (prior to required App transfer), with the capacity for additional storage via a Micro SD card (sold separately). Additionally, personal audio can be recorded and set as the camera’s pre-shutter sound/phrase, creating personalization for every user to be played at the “snap”.

The INSTAX PAL user can also utilize the App to choose from 18 creative filters, add text to the image, and/or customize the INSTAX photo with in-App stickers before printing. When ready to print on INSTAX instant film through the INSTAX PAL App, users can select pairing with the downloaded App for the bundle provided INSTAX MINI LINK 2 Smartphone printer, another INSTAX LINK Series Smartphone printer, or an INSTAX MINI EVO or INSTAX MINI LIPLAY hybrid instant camera device. Printing on INSTAX instant film is required, and certain image transfer and printing limitations apply.

New INSTAX MINI Soft Lavender instant film 10-pack
Along with the introduction of the INSTAX PAL digital camera and INSTAX MINI LINK 2 Smartphone Printer Bundle, Fujifilm is also pleased to introduce its new INSTAX MINI Soft Lavender instant print film pack, featuring a simple, light purple design on a 2” x 3” size INSTAX MINI photo, which allows users to write words and memorable dates on the film frame. INSTAX MINI Soft Lavender instant film will be available in a 10-exposure pack. It can be used with the INSTAX PAL digital camera, any INSTAX MINI instant cameras and all INSTAX MINI LINK™ Smartphone printers.

Bundle Pricing and Availability:
The INSTAX PAL digital camera and INSTAX MINI LINK 2 Smartphone printer bundle will offer the INSTAX PAL camera (and coordinating multi-use, detachable ring) in Pistachio Green, with the INSTAX MINI LINK 2 Smartphone printer in Clay White. The bundle also includes a 10-pack of INSTAX MINI white border instant film, along with a helpful DIY Idea Booklet. The bundle is expected to be available in late October 2023 at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $199.95 USD. The free, downloadable INSTAX PAL Smartphone App is also expected to be available in late October 2023. For more information on the INSTAX PAL digital camera and otherwise the upcoming bundle, please visit https://www.instaxus.com/cameras/instax-pal-mini-link-2-bundle/.

Film Pricing and Availability:
The INSTAX MINI Soft Lavender instant film is expected to be available in the U.S. market in late October 2023 at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $15.75 USD per pack (10 exposures).

1 INSTAX PAL digital camera does not print; the image must be printed on INSTAX film through an INSTAX LINK Series Smartphone printer (the INSTAX MINI LINK, SQUARE LINK, or LINK WIDE) or through the INSTAX MINI EVO and INSTAX MINI LIPLAY hybrid instant cameras.

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Viltrox 20mm f/2.8 Specs

By Louis Ferreira | Published: September 21, 2023


The Viltrox 20mm f/2.8 specs were leaked on weibo.

  • minimum focusing distance of 0.19m
  • 52mm filter
  • STM focus motor
  • Weight under 200g
  • Sony E, Nikon Z and Fuji X mounts
  • Full Frame
  • About 30mm on X mount and APS-C cameras
  • compact and lightweight
  • Coming early October

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Plus our owners’ groups
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Fujifilm X-E Owners Group
Fujifilm X-A Owners Group
Fujifilm X100 Owners Group

Pro Lenses
Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.2 PRO XF: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
Viltrox AF 27mm f/1.2 PRO XF: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

Black
VILTROX 13mm f/1.4:B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
VILTROX 23mm f/1.4: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
VILTROX 33mm f/1.4: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
VILTROX 56mm f/1.4: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
VILTROX 85mm f/1.8II: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

Silver
VILTROX 23mm f/1.4: B&H Photo / Amazon
VILTROX 33mm f/1.4: B&H Photo / Amazon
VILTROX 56mm f/1.4: B&H Photo / Amazon

via SonyAddict

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Fujifilm GFX100 II Manual Released

By Louis Ferreira | Published: September 21, 2023


Fujifilm released the Fujifilm GFX100II owners manual online today and you can get the PDF here or you can use the HTML site here.

Fujifilm GFX100II:
B&H Photo / Amazon / Moment / Adorama
Fujinon GF55mm f/1.7
B&H Photo / Amazon / Moment  / Adorama
Fujinon GF110mm f/5.6 Tilt Shift
B&H Photo / Amazon / Moment / Adorama
Fujinon GF30mm f/5.6 Tilt Shift
B&H Photo / Amazon / Moment / Adorama

FUJIFILM FAN-001:
B&H Photo / Amazon / Moment /  Adorama

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Plus our owners’ groups
Fujifilm GFX Owners Group
Fujifilm X-H Owners Group
Fujifilm X-T Owners Group
Fujifilm X-S Owners Group
Fujifilm X-Pro Owners Group
Fujifilm X-E Owners Group
Fujifilm X-A Owners Group
Fujifilm X100 Owners Group

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Richard Wong TTArtisan Interview: TTArtisan AF 35mm f/1.8, TTArtisan AF 55mm f/1.8, and Maybe A New Camera

By Louis Ferreira | Published: September 20, 2023

Richard Wong had the opportunity to interview Mr. Li the founder of TTArtisan. During the interview he talks about two new AF lenses the TTArtisan AF 35mm f/1.8 and TTArtisan AF 55mm f/1.8 in addition to teasing a future TTArtisan camera. There is a summary of the interview below or you can watch the subtitled interview above:

  • TTArtisan is still very small with only 50 employees at this time
  • 1/3rd of the company does R&D so about 15 people
  • They have experts in optics, assembly, electronics, software, etc…
  • Photography is art so TTArtisan tries to establish its own character to set itself apart from others
  •  TTArtisan differentiates itself from others with image rendering and aesthetic design
  • Something TTArtisan should have a consistent design for all its lenses, but they believe it is better to consider the pros and cons of different designs for different series of lenses
  • Each series of lenses has its own character.
  • Mr. Li would like to improve and update some of TTArtisan’s older products
  • TTArtisan wants to release unique lenses like the 100mm f/2.8 bubble bokeh lens
  • TTArtisan is doing research into making a camera and we will get more info next year
  • It takes about 15 months on average to make a new lens
  • If a lens design goes smoothly it could be as quickly as 12 months, but if there is trouble it could take 2 years
  • Traditional double gauss or sonar lens designs are pretty quick to design
  • If you use more than one aspherical lens element then design and prototyping takes a lot longer
  • If it is an AF lens then they need to spend a lot of time testing the compatibility
  • TTArtisan tries to make lenses that users request, but a 50mm f/0.95 AF lens isn’t feasible based on their studies
  • Mr. Li likes landscapes and street shooting
  • Can’t pick a product he is most proud of but will likely have one next year and it is not a lens
  • Mr. Li is excited about 360 cameras and VR because he likes VR but it isn’t easy to create content for it
  • They will make AF m43 lenses
  • TTArtisan already released the TTArtisan AF 27mm f/2.8 for X-mount and in the future, they will release a TTArtisan AF 35mm f/1.8 standard prime and TTArtisan AF 55mm f/1.8 for portraiture.
  • TTArtisan will consider a 135mm f/2 equivalent lens
  • TTArtisan already has an APS-C 27mm f/2.8 and Full Frame 32mm f/2.8 AF lenses for Z mount and there are more to come
  • They will consider joining the L-mount alliance
  • Mr Li thinks there aren’t AF fish eye lenses because it is hard to make a good one and manual focus is faster than auto with a fish eye since 1m out is in focus

TTartisan 27mm f/2.8: B&H Photo / Amazon

Please don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

Plus our owners’ groups
Fujifilm GFX Owners Group
Fujifilm X-H Owners Group
Fujifilm X-T Owners Group
Fujifilm X-S Owners Group
Fujifilm X-Pro Owners Group
Fujifilm X-E Owners Group
Fujifilm X-A Owners Group
Fujifilm X100 Owners Group

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Voigtlander 35mm f/0.9 Nokton Aspherical Disassembled

By Louis Ferreira | Published: September 20, 2023

Yukosteel posted a Voigtlander 35mm F0.9 Nokton Aspherical disassembly guide on their site which you can read here. Yukosteel didn’t completely disassemble the lens to avoid messing up the alignment of glass, but they were able to come to some interesting conclusions:

I’m not surprised to see that Voigtlander 35mm F0.9 Nokton Aspherical lens has very advanced build with extremely high machining quality of all parts. It is quite complex lens optically and mechanically and its proper maintenance and even basic cleaning requires highly skilled actions. I would not recommend to perform any DIY cleaning and repair even if you have good experience working with lenses – it’s one of that more rare cases when I’d personally ship the lens to service center instead of attempting to repair it myself.

The build is very robust and solid, lots of large durable bolts are used to hold precisely machined parts together, and inner frame is all crafted from thick metal. Lots of brass is used for helicoid guiders including FLE mechanics, and aperture transmission is beautifully crafted too.

Personally I think the weakest spot of this lens is its electronics which may get potentially damaged or broken over decades of intense use, but that will not affect mechanical and optical performance of Voigtlander Nokton 35mm F0.9 in any way, so in general it’s very reliable tool that can serve for generations if properly maintained.

Voigtlander 35mm f/0.9 Nokton Aspherical:
B&H Photo / Adorama

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New Atomos 7″ Shogun Ultra Monitor

By Louis Ferreira | Published: September 19, 2023


Atomos 7″ Shogun Ultra: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama

Atomos just announced the new Ninja Ultra and now Atomos has announced the Shogun Ultra which you can get from B&H Photo.

Key Features
  • AtomOS 11, 12G-SDI/HDMI Conversion
  • 7″ 1920 x 1080 Touchscreen
  • Records up to 8K Apple ProRes Raw
  • ProRes Raw + H.265 Dual Recording
  • AirGlu RF Wireless Sync, GigE, 6E Wi-Fi
  • 2000 cd/m² Brightness
  • ARRI/Canon/RED/Sony Camera SDI Support
  • AVID DNX QuickTime
  • Atomos RemoteView via Subscription
  • NDI 4K TX Pro Mode 1-Off Activation

The 7″ Shogun Ultra Monitor-Recorder, the latest in the ATOMOS line of Shogun onboard camera video monitor-recorders, brings built-in network connectivity to your mirrorless, DSLR, and cine-style capture, enabling fast and productive workflows. Efficient cloud-based workflow options include dual ProRes RAW/H.265 recording for Camera to Cloud, automated matching file names with popular cine-style cameras, and 4K H.265 capture for instant publishing from the cloud. Partnering with industry-leading camera manufacturers ensures that the Shogun Ultra will work seamlessly with an increasingly wide range of cameras.

AtomOS 11

  • The 7″ Shogun Ultra features the new AtomOS 11 operating system with EL Zone exposure-referenced colorized images, ARRI false color, and new scheduled recording and playback tools.
  • An increased number of standard codecs include up to 8K Apple ProRes Raw, DNxHD, and H.265.

Complete Connectivity

  • More Codecs: the 7″ Shogun Ultra’s additional standard codecs include 8K Apple ProRes Raw, DNxHD, and H.265.
  • Dual Recording: the ability to record full-quality Apple ProRes Raw files at rates up to UHD 4K 60p while at the same time recording 1080p 60 to H.265 makes the 7″ Shogun Ultra ideal for use with cine-style cameras.
  • Matched Files: file name matching provides easier workflows with ARRI, Canon, RED, and Sony cameras.
  • Improved Monitoring: improved monitoring functions include EL ZONE System exposure and ARRI false color.
  • RemoteView: this new feature enables you to share live views from your screen over the internet.

NDI TX Option

  • Use the optional NDI transmission function to send high-quality video over ordinary networks (including Wi-Fi and mobile) using remarkably low bandwidth requirements.
  • NDI is increasingly being used in live production, and now your Shogun can be part of an NDI environment.
  • The NDI TX option turns your Shogun into an NDI source, visible to all other authorized devices on the network.

Ultrabright Screen

  • The Shogun Ultra’s super-bright, large 7″ screen is viewable in almost every kind of light: indoors, outdoors, or anywhere you need critical, instantly viewable feedback on your images.
  • I2000 cd/m² brightness makes the Shogun Ultra ideal for checking your HDR footage while you’re still on set.
  • Play back your recently captured shots on the same pristine screen for reviewing or even uploading to the cloud.

Durable Build

  • The Shogun Ultra’s durable housing is suitable for use in all environments.
  • Use the built-in tally light to quickly see the recording status.
  • The solid Wi-Fi and AirGlu RF antennas ensure stable transmission.
  • Power the Shogun Ultra using the L-series battery plate on the back of each monitor or optional DC power input.
  • Mount this monitor-recorder using the 3/8”-16 threads on the top and bottom or use the included 1/4”-20 adapter.
  • The Shogun Ultra has a built-in slot for the included Master Caddy III, an SD card slot that supports cards up to 4TB, and  CFast II card compatibility using an SSDmini adapter to record as long as your media allows.
  • The USB-C port can be used to add options and for future AtomOS updates.

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