Tony Northrup: Who’s Actually Innovating?
Tony writes:
2025 is officially over, and it’s time for “The Judge” to hand out the final report cards. I’m looking back at every major camera and lens manufacturer’s performance this year to determine who innovated, who stagnated, and who failed completely.
We saw huge shake-ups this year—from political bans affecting DJI to Sigma doing the unthinkable with camera design. I also reveal my controversial pick for “Camera of the Year” (Hint: It’
Aiarty Image Enhancer Update: TIFF/DNG Export, Color Restoration & AI Eraser (Holiday Deal Ending)
Aiarty Image Enhancer Update: TIFF/DNG Export, Color Restoration & AI Eraser (Holiday Deal Ending)
Aiarty has released a practical update to its Image Enhancer , adding TIFF/DNG export, a slider-based color restoration tool, and a new AI Eraser (beta), with more updates coming.
By processing images fully offline, it offers a privacy-conscious option for photographers who want to denoise, deblur, or upscale images without relying on cloud-based subscriptions.
Free Upgrade & Licensing (Holiday Offer)
Rollei will announce the 24 and 35mm FE lenses on January 28
On the 28.01. Rollei will announce 24mm and 35mm lens, similar to the 85mm 1.8. For the 35mm there is already a preorder page at FotoErhardt . Rollei usually uses 7Tartisans lens designs and does a rehousing job. You can find the “original” 7Artisans lenses here: 24mm f/1.8 and 35mm f/1.8
–
Thanks to the tipster!
Did we really need that? New ORANGE TTArtisan AF 35mm F1.8 Ⅱ announced
TTartisan announced this new ORANGE 35mm f/1.8 APS-C AF lens you can get for $140 on Amazon (Click here) . I can’t think of any Sony camera that this lens would look good on.
**This post contains affiliate links to eBay and I will be compensated if you make a
The SG-image 35mm f/2.2 FE pancake lens will be released on January 31.
SG-image announced the pricing and shipment time for the new 35mm f/2.2 Full Frame Autofocus lens:
- Black: 699 yuan (around $100)
- Silver: 749 yuan (around $110)
- Weight: 163 g
- Sony E-mount officially on sale January 31 (lenses released earlier this year all use the classic engraved exterior)
Getting such a small, fast Full Frame lens for $100 is quite impressive. Let’
New 7Artisans Full-Frame Autofocus Lens Incoming — Just 90g and Ultra Compact
7Artisans is teasing the launch of a new compact Full Frame Autofocus lens. They write:
New Product Release | ≈90g, as light as a feather. See you on January 27th!
Lighter, smaller, and more compact, perfect for full-frame cameras!
I am not sure yet but I heard this could be a40mm f/2.5 lens.
–
Source: Weibo
TCL considering buying a 51% stake into the Bravia business
This is now Alpha camera news but still interesting to notice that Sony is sort of decoupling from it’s Bravia business. Here is the press text :
Sony and TCL Sign Memorandum of Understanding for Strategic Partnership in Home Entertainment Field
Sony Corporation (“Sony”) and TCL Electronics Holdings Limited (“TCL”) today announced that the two companies have agreed to move forward with discussions and consideration for a strategic partnership in the home entertainment field.
Specifically, the two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to confirm their
100% confirmed: Sony is developing a new 180 megapixel medium format sensor
I have learned from reliable sources that Sony is about to introduce a new medium format sensor for medium format cameras. And today, I can confirm via Fujirumors that Sony is developing a new 180-megapixel sensor! There are no details yet on when it will be unveiled (but it shouldn’t be long now) and whether or not it will be a partially stacked sensor. If it is a partially stacked sensor, that would be great news! Imagine Sony A7V technology built into a GFX