Photokina The Big Camera Show Kicks Off Next Week Here Are Some Of The Highlights
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Photkina is the world’s biggest photographic shows, it’s where the big brands release their latest models.
Next week the event kicks off in Cologne, Germany and a lot of Australians will be at the show.
Here’s a preview of what we’re expecting from this year’s show.
PANASONIC
GH5
Panasonic has a history of releasing exciting things at Photokina, and we hope this year will be the same.
The GH4 seems due for an upgrade, seeing as there have been several updates to the rest of the line in the last year or so. The camera is often used by videographers, so spec improvements could very good centre around moving-image use. And it’s been suggested we could see “6K” video recording. We already know Panasonic is working towards 8K, and is a big exponent of 4K technology – could the GH5 bridge the gap for now?
There are also a few technologies that could be brought over from other models, including 4K Photo and Post Focus.
NIKON
Nikon’s biggest launch of the year was the D5, but there’s still plenty of room in the line-up for another headline camera to be announced. Enter the D820.
Now that Canon has released the 5D Mark IV it’d be unusual for Nikon not to have something to directly compete with it. It’ll likely come with many of the same features as the D5, including a staggeringly high ISO capability, but with a friendlier body shape for enthusiasts.
The D810 was announced two years ago, so it’s ripe for an upgrade.
FUJI X200 / X100
F
Fuji’s dapper APS-C fixed-length compact camera has a lot of fans. It’s been a little while since the X100T, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see a fourth version of this little wonder appearing at Photokina. It will likely inherit some technology from other cameras in Fuji’s line-up – perhaps the fantastic X-T2 which was announced this summer. It could also steal a couple of features from its “baby” brother, the X70.
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Fuji xt2
We’d be particularly keen to see in-camera charging, for example. As for the name, X100F is a good shout, as all of the other cameras have followed this convention – X100S (second), X100T (third). However, calling it the X200 would perhaps symbolise a more significant overhaul of features.
GOPRO HERO
5
GoPro is the go-to name in action cameras, and we’re expecting a new Hero camera before the end of the year. It would make sense for it to be launched at Photokina, especially as the Hero 4 is a couple of years old now.
It’s likely to be the flagship model for the company, which would mean it doesn’t sit on the budget end of the spectrum, but rather is the best of the best for those who are serious about their surfing selfies.
One rumoured spec could be voice control – perfect for those times when it’s not practical to press a button or screen to start and stop recording. There could also be sensors which detect certain conditions, such as a sudden surge in speed.
CANON
EOS 6D MARK II
Just like Nikon, Canon has already released its biggest camera of the year – both in physical size and importance – in the 1DX Mark II. It also dropped the 5D Mark IV just a couple of weeks ago.
This might leave you thinking there’s not much else to upgrade. However, the “entry-level” full-frame 6D is looking decidedly ancient now. It made its debut at Photokina all the way back in the heady days of 2012.
5D Mark IV
Just like the 6D did at the time, a Mark II could inherit some interesting features from other cameras in the line-up, perhaps even the exciting “Dual Pixel RAW” technology from the 5D Mark IV, which allows you to make slight changes in focus after you’ve taken the shot. We’d also expect better autofocus performance, a touch-sensitive screen, and a higher-resolution sensor.
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 II
Another company which has previously shown a lot of love for Photokina, Olympus is rumoured to be launching something new at this year’s show. The OM-D E-M1 is an excellent camera, but it’s starting to show its age now as the clock rolls around to three years since launch date.
photography
Image credit
The OM-D E-M1 took the range into semi-pro territory, and that’s where it’s likely to stay. The new version will likely be a big competitor to Panasonic’s GH5, which also uses the Micro Four Thirds format. At the very least, we’d expect 4K video recording to appear in this model, and we’d like to see some fast focusing for sports and wildlife photographers.
We might also see an improved viewfinder, a high-resolution sensor and other smaller, but still interesting, upgrades, such as dual card slots.