Printer News

44 Magnum
There’s printing big and there’s printing BIG. Most photographers know that if you want to make a serious impact in a gallery show, the bigger the better. And for that, you have large format printers like the 44-inch imagePROGRAF Pro-4000 from Canon. The Pro-4000 uses Canon’s 11-color (plus a Chroma Optimizer) Lucia Pro ink set, which is designed to provide high image quality with increased color gamut, reduced bronzing, improved scratch resistance, greater image clarity, gloss uniformity, and better shadow reproduction, as well as increased black optical density. The Pro-4000 also features a wider print head (1.28-inch wide) with anti-clogging technology, which, according to Canon, improves efficiency as well as reduces cleaning cycles and prevents wasted ink. The newly developed print head allows for a more compact printer design as only one print head is installed in each Pro Series printer. Those are some pretty big features but for a model like the Pro-4000, there really is no other way.

Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-4000
$5,995
usa.canon.com

Palm Power
Compact cameras with the imaging power of a DSLR are all the rage these days and Nikon has jumped into the ring with its premium DL-series camera line. There are three models in the lineup but we like the DL24-85, which has a built-in lens that mimics the classic 24-85mm f/1.8-2.8 focal length and aperture range of a quality Nikkor zoom. The DL24-85, like the other cameras in the series, is fitted with a large 20.8MP (CX-format) one-inch BSI CMOS sensor and is designed to capture quality images with rich detail even in low light. It features high-speed Autofocus (AF) and can shoot at 20 frames per second (60 fps with fixed AF) to record fast action sequences. It also has 4K UHD movie recording. The tilting OLED touchscreen on back will let you compose shots from creative angles while the Super Macro Mode (1:1) helps you capture even small subjects with life-size detail. The DL24-85 is a great little compact camera for travel, portraits, and general photography: just pop it in your bag or slide it in your coat pocket and off you go to shoot great photos.

Nikon DL24-85
$649
nikonusa.com

Wide Eye
The Irix premium lens line from TH Swiss has generated considerable buzz since it was launched earlier this year and it’s easy to see why. The first in what promises to be an assortment of premium glass is the ultra-wide Irix 15mm f/2.4. This new manual focus rectilinear lens is designed for use with Canon EF, Nikon F, and Pentax K full-frame DSLRs and is suited for photojournalism, interior and architectural photography. Features include focus lock, a handy hyperfocal scale, and an “infinity click” feature that provides an audible click when the lens is focused to infinity. The optical design of the lens includes 15 glass elements in 11 groups, including three elements with a high refractive index and two made from extra-low dispersion glass. There are also two aspherical elements designed to minimize aberrations and distortion while enhancing brightness at the edges. There are actually two versions of the Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens: The Blackstone model with a durable magnesium/aluminum body for use in extreme situations, and the Firefly model designed to be the lightest lens in its class.

Irix 15mm f/2.4
Price: TBD
irixlens.com
 

Super Zoomer
The Sony RX10 III is certainly not your father’s superzoom camera. The RX10 III boasts a 25x built-in lens that’s equivalent to a 24-600mm zoom in the 35mm format. The Zeiss Vario-Sonnar superzoom lens in the Sony RX10 III also features a surprisingly fast aperture range of f/2.4 to f/4. Housed inside the RX10 III’s surprisingly compact body is a 20.1MP, one-inch-type stacked CMOS sensor, which offers image quality that’s a far cry better than what superzoom cameras of the past with their puny imaging chips were able to capture. Furthermore, the RX10 III features internal 4K video recording and boasts super slow-motion capture capabilities. It’s powered by Sony’s BIONZ X image processor. But it’s the 25x built-in zoom lens with Optical SteadyShot image stabilization that helps reduce camera shake and image blur, which is the key feature of the long-zooming Sony RX10 III. The camera is aimed at photographers shooting anything from landscapes and cityscapes to distant wildlife and sports.

Sony RX10 III
$1,500
sony.com

The Goods spotlights the hottest premium photo gear out there. If you have a product you’d like considered for The Goods, e-mail images and info to editorial@shutterbug.com.