Gear News of the Week: Kia Shows off the EV2, and Fujifilm Debuts New Instax Cameras Leave a comment

It may appear unusual to purchase a digicam that may solely shoot black-and-white when you’ll be able to take the output of a coloration sensor and convert it to black and white afterward. However having shot with each the Ok-3 monochrome and the Leica M10 Monochrome, I can vouch that there’s undoubtedly a greater tonal vary from a monochrome sensor in comparison with changing in submit. Should you’re a devoted black-and-white shooter, it is value contemplating. I actually like the thought of a pocketable monochrome digicam that does not have a Leica value hooked up to it.

The GR IV monochrome is basically the identical digicam because the GR IV—similar lens, similar internals apart from the sensor. Contained in the GR IV is a 26-megapixel sensor with no coloration filter array. Based mostly on my expertise with different monochrome sensors, you’ll be able to count on marginally much less shadow noise and barely higher excessive ISO efficiency in comparison with the colour model. I particularly like that there will likely be an elective built-in crimson filter for upping distinction.

The massive draw back is that the monochrome GR IV prices $2,200, a full $700 greater than the colour model. You possibly can preorder one right now, and the digicam ought to ship across the center of February. —Scott Gilbertson

Fender Rebrands PreSonus App

Large information for guitarists and followers of house recording: After having bought PreSonus in 2021, Fender has determined to rebrand the music manufacturing software program beforehand often called PreSonus Studio One as Fender Studio Professional.

The transfer comes along with a number of native amplifier and results pedal fashions that are actually included within the re-skinned app, in addition to a number of different options that ought to hold longtime Studio One customers (like yours actually) joyful. I’m very excited in regards to the new timeline view on the prime of the display screen, for instance, which makes it simpler to trace the place I’m within the context of the general observe when recording overdubs.

The identify makes every little thing simpler to grasp for Fender customers, who can use the Fender Studio app (akin to GarageBand) on their tablets and cellular units, then simply export it to Fender Studio Professional for extra in-depth recording. It additionally makes Fender the one main instrument producer that owns its personal top-tier recording software program.

I’ve been testing a preview model of the software program for a number of weeks and have been impressed with the replace’s streamlined seems and added performance, although admittedly, I’m not the most important energy person on the market. —Parker Corridor

Omega’s New Speedmasters

Courtesy of Omega

After the much-admired white-dial Speedmaster Skilled in 2024, Omega clearly feels that now’s the time to present its most iconic wristwatch a brand new “reverse-panda” makeover. As an alternative of a traditional “panda” design of white dial and black sub-dials, the aesthetic is switched (therefore the identify), and it’s simply the type of model tweak that makes collectors come operating.