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Alice Camera, the AI-enhanced Micro Four Thirds camera, ready to ship

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Alice Camera, the AI-enhanced Micro Four Thirds camera, ready to ship


Photo: Photogram

The Alice Camera, a phone-driven Micro Four Thirds camera that creates AI-enhanced images, is about to ship to customers who placed pre-orders.

The camera, which is operated using an app on a smartphone that connects to the main camera unit, is designed to deliver social media-ready imagery without the need for manual editing.

Image: Photogram

It’s underpinned by powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon and Google Edge TPU processors. Edge refers to AI algorithms running on the end device, rather than in the cloud. These are tasked with optimizing color, white balance and image brightness to automatically give the polished end image, more like the computational output of a modern smartphone, rather than the relatively neutral photographic representation of most dedicated cameras.

However, unlike a smartphone, the Alice Camera is built around the Micro Four Thirds lens mount, allowing the use of a wide range of lenses, which significantly boost the creativity and flexibility that the camera can offer.

Photo: Photogram

Development of the Alice Camera has been delayed by Covid lockdowns and the chip shortages that followed but Photogram says cameras will ship to customers starting with UK customers next month.

Alice Camera, a novel AI-powered Micro Four Thirds camera, Prepares for Delivery

London, UK – June, 2024 – After three years of dedicated development, Photogram is thrilled to announce that the Alice Camera, a novel AI-powered Micro Four Thirds camera that attaches to iOS and Android smartphones, will begin shipping to pre-order customers from 15th July 2024 (see proposed delivery dates below). Designed to streamline high-quality social media content creation for creators, businesses and everyday users, Alice Camera aims to bridge the gap between mirrorless cameras and smartphones. Users will be able to capture content with interchangeable lenses, a smartphone-like user experience and on-camera AI-driven computational photography.

As an official Micro Four Thirds system partner, Photogram has built the Alice Camera to meet the standard’s specifications and requirements. Alice Camera utilises the Micro Four Thirds lens mount and a Sony 4/3″ HDR, dual-native ISO CMOS sensor. However, what sets Alice Camera apart from other mirrorless cameras is its use of a Qualcomm Snapdragon and Google Edge TPU chips as its primary processing units. These processors accelerate the calculations necessary for running Photogram’s proprietary AI-driven computational photography algorithms and software-based image signal processing (ISP) pipeline directly on the camera. Unlike hardware-based ISPs in traditional mirrorless cameras, Photogram’s AI-driven software-based ISP is an innovative approach as it enables additional AI features and improvements to be brought to their existing cameras over time. In 2023, Photogram joined Google Cloud’s program for AI startups in London, where they received credits and mentorship to further train and develop their pipeline, which automates essential functions like white balance, exposure and colour grading.

Alice Camera’s smartphone app offers an intuitive design for camera control, file management, and content sharing. Alice Camera OS, a Linux-based camera-specific operating system, allows for over-the-air software updates and open-access development, opening up new creative possibilities. Developers and businesses interested in building their own AI algorithms and custom apps on the Alice Camera platform are encouraged to contact the team.

“We’re incredibly excited to finally bring the Alice Camera to the world,” said Vishal Kumar, CEO at Photogram. “We set out to build the Alice Camera because we wanted to offer our customers a new type of mirrorless camera built specifically for a new era of content. We’ve developed a fundamentally new engineering paradigm for mirrorless cameras, with significantly novel implementations on hardware, software and with AI algorithms. Alice Camera represents an innovative step forward in how mirrorless cameras are designed and how our users will process, capture and share their experiences. We can’t wait to see the amazing content created with the Alice Camera.”

The journey to launch was not without its challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic and global lockdowns in 2021 and 2022 caused severe chip shortages impacting Alice Camera’s manufacturing. Further delays arose in 2023 as the product underwent rigorous consumer electronics regulatory testing. Despite these hurdles, Photogram persevered, thanks to the support of its backers and investors. “We are deeply grateful for the belief and patience our community has shown throughout this journey,” added Vishal Kumar. “As a new entrant in the camera industry, we hope to bring fresh perspectives. All the difficult development work over the last three years is now done. Now, we’re ready to deliver and start to scale manufacturing. Our journey begins from today… We’re just getting started.”

PROPOSED DELIVERY DATES

  • Cameras for the UK will begin shipping from 15th July 2024.
  • Cameras for US, Japan, EU, Australia are scheduled to start shipping from 15th August 2024.
  • Cameras for Canada, France and Rest of the World are scheduled to start shipping from Sept 2024.



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Fast and fun: Photographer captures the thrill of Formula 1 with Lego

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Fast and fun: Photographer captures the thrill of Formula 1 with Lego


Photo: Benedek Lampert

This weekend marks the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season, and one photographer is kicking things off with a series of photographs to celebrate. With a fine focus on detail and many hours of work, toy photographer Benedek Lampert has recreated F1 moments using Lego. This project is just the latest for Lampert, who has previously created life-like scenes of Lego versions of the Eiffel Tower and Shackleton’s Endurance.

In September 2024, Lego and F1 announced a partnership that included releasing numerous F1 Lego sets, some of which featured more realistic-looking models of F1 team cars. Lampert managed to get his hands on the entire starting grid and set to work on creating highly detailed, life-like photographs of the Lego F1 cars.

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Photos: Benedek Lampert

As with all of Lampert’s work, nearly everything was done in camera. “It’s extremely important to me that these are actual photos and not AI-generated graphics,” he explained. That meant lots of hands-on time to build sets and problem-solve special effects. He built the track scenery and crafted unique sets that allowed him to get motion blur, spinning wheels, smoke and water vapor without any editing work. Lampert explained that the only thing he added while editing was the cloud texture in the sky and rear lights in one image.

All said and done, Lampert says the project took 70 hours for the 10 final images. The photo shoot portion of the project took five days, with ten to twelve-hour days at times. You can see how he meticulously created each image in the behind-the-scenes video below, as well as the photos in the gallery above.



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Inspiringly simple: Sigma BF review-in-progress

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Inspiringly simple: Sigma BF review-in-progress


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Product photos: Richard Butler

The Sigma BF is a minimalist 24MP full-frame mirrorless camera that offers distinctive design and an unconventional user interface.

Key specifications

  • 24MP full-frame CMOS sensor
  • Phase detection AF with human and animal detection
  • No mechanical shutter
  • 3.2″ 2.1M dot rear touchscreen
  • Pressure-sensitive buttons with haptic feedback
  • 6K video up to 30p, 4K up to 30p
  • 1080 up to 120p
  • Leica L-Log profile
  • Zebras and False Color exposure displays
  • 230GB of internal memory
  • 10Gbps USB-C port, external mic compatible

The Sigma BF is available in Black or Silver at a cost of $2000. Sigma has also made versions of all its i-series primes to match the silver version of the camera.

Index:


What is it?

Sigma BF rear controls

The Sigma BF is explicitly not trying to be a do-everything, Swiss Army Knife of a camera. Sony’s a7C II already exists, bringing an EVF, multiple dials, a mechanical second-curtain shutter mechanism and in-body image stabilization, for a list price just 10% higher than the BF’s.

But if Sigma was trying to go head-to-head with Sony in the mass market, it probably wouldn’t be spending seven hours milling each camera out of blocks of aluminium, nor doing so in Japan: neither of which is the approach you take if you’re primarily driven to hit a specific price point.

Similarly, just looking at the specs, the BF might be mistaken for an unstabilized Panasonic S9 in a fancier body, but despite sharing a sensor, the two cameras couldn’t be more different.

Instead Sigma explicitly says the BF is designed for ‘everyday’ photography. An elegant object designed to be carried with you, rather than a utilitarian device you take when you’re taking photos. It’s absolutely not optimized for rapid operation, it’s not teeming with clever features. Instead it includes only the bare essentials for photography (or, arguably, slightly less than that, given its lack of mechanical shutter).

Sigma BF with notebook

Think of it like a Moleskine notebook: in many respects it’s not as practical for taking notes and recording ideas as the smartphone you’re already carrying, but the very process of carrying it with you acts as a prompt to look at the world and capture the thoughts you were having. The BF is trying to do the same.

It’s the difference between a camera that you’d grab when you want to go and take photos of something, vs a tool that encourages you to look for things to photograph.


Body and controls

Sigma BF top plate

User interface

The best way to understand the BF is to note the dedicated settings display towards the top right-hand corner on the back of the camera. This displays one of ten parameters:

Drive mode File format Aspect ratio Focus mode White balance
Shutter speed Aperture value Exp comp. ISO Color mode

These are also the ten parameters that appear on the main screen if you press the center button on the back of the camera, in the pattern shown in the table above.

You can navigate between them by pressing the cardinal points on the rear dial, then scroll the dial to change the current setting.

Sigma BF settings display
Pressing the center button lets you see and edit the camera’s core ten parameters, but the chosen setting is also shown in the dedicated settings display to the top right of the screen.

In this instance the aperture value is shown in dark grey because it’s being controlled from the lens.

But you don’t have to press the center button and bring them up on the main screen: once you’ve learned their relative positions (and chances are it’s the ones in the bottom row you’ll change regularly), you can navigate around them just using the settings display. And, for me, that’s the key to understanding the BF: it’s designed so that the core settings can be adjusted without looking at the main screen. You can set the camera to show all the settings on the main screen,

In keeping with this idea, the touchscreen is almost solely used for positioning the AF point or selecting a subject to track: even if you summon-up the settings on the main screen, you can’t tap to change settings, just choose what to focus on.

Exposure modes

The BF has no mode dial, so exposure mode is set by selecting which parameters you want to be controlled by the camera. This is done via the main screen. Press the center button to bring up the settings then press it again to edit them, and the ISO, aperture value and shutter speed indicators show ‘Auto’ options above them, letting you engage and disengage automated control of each parameter.

Any of the exposure parameters that can’t be changed by spinning the dial, either because they’re set to Auto or because aperture value is being set by an aperture ring, is rendered in darker grey, both in the settings display and on the main screen display.

Other settings

Sigma BF other settings display
Ten further settings, including the level gauge and options to display information such as focal length and focus distance are accessed via the three-dot button. Navigating down to the word ‘System’ takes you to the menu where fundamental settings such as date and time are edited.

Another ten settings, six of which relate to how much detail appears on the main screen (exposure parameters, guides, virtual horizon, etc), can be accessed by pressing the ‘three dots’ settings button. At the bottom of this settings menu is the word ‘System’ which gives you access to a ten-option-long list of fundamental camera settings, including firmware information, copyright information, menu language and date/time.

That’s the extent of the BF’s interface: ten top-level parameters, ten settings and ten menu options. But what this doesn’t fully convey is the degree to which it’s a camera in which Shutter speed, Aperture value, Exposure compensation and ISO can all be set using just the settings display, leaving the monitor solely for focus and composition.

Handling

Sigma BF at a diagonal

The BF is a very solid-feeling camera, as you might expect from something hewn from a solid block of metal. The body itself is relatively light but the weight adds up as soon as you mount a lens of any appreciable size on it.

Despite it’s minimalist appearance, it’s quite easy to hold. The textured front-plate and raised thumb rest at the back mean you can get a pretty solid grip on the camera, and you can cradle the weight of the lens in your left hand if you’re working with anything larger than one of the compact primes offered by Sigma or Panasonic.

However, we found that it was common for our ring finger to wrap around to the base of the camera as we held it, which quickly makes apparent how sharply angled the edge of the BF is. It’s not hard to imagine users adding a little tape to the lower edge of the camera or being tempted to chamfer the edge with a fine file, once they come to live with the camera.

I’ve primarily used it with the Sigma 35mm F2 prime and the Panasonic 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 lenses, both of which are small and light enough that it’s been comfortable to use.

Battery

Sigma BF with BP-81 battery

The BF uses a new 11.88Wh BP-81 battery. This will power the camera to a CIPA rating of 260 shots per charge. As always, the CIPA figure will tend to under-represent how many shots you’re likely to get, and we found it’s the camera’s propensity to show its charge percentage on its settings display that caused us to worry a little disproportionately.

Still, a rating of 260 is pretty low and means you may want to consider carrying a power bank if you plan to do more than occasional shots each day. Putting it on to charge overnight, just as you might do with your phone will probably be sufficient for everyday casual use, though.

A gentle press of the power button puts the camera into standby mode, but the battery will continue to drain at an appreciable rate. The BF starts up from cold quickly enough that this is usually a better approach.


Initial impressions

By Richard Butler

Sigma BF with lens cap
Even the body cap is an over-engineered delight.

The Sigma BF is one of the most unusual cameras we’ve ever encountered. On paper it looks like an under-specced rival to the Panasonic DC-S9 or even the Sony a7C II. Or, perhaps even a slightly re-purposed Sigma fp. But, even though it shares components and a small rectangular body, the BF is quite unlike any of these cameras.

Sigma’s CEO, Kazuto Yamaki talked about completely re-thinking the camera’s interface to pare it back to the fundamental things a camera needs to offer, in an attempt to make it simple to use, with the aim of making a camera for everyday use. And the more I use the BF, the more I think I understand this intent.

The idea of a dedicated settings display, leaving the main screen as a means of composing your image and positioning the focus point is a refreshingly simple one, undermined only by the challenge of viewing a fixed LCD in bright light. The decision to display only one setting, rather than a full array of settings and icons makes it very quick to interpret and I did find it made me consider what changes I wanted to make, shot-to-shot, in a way I don’t on a more conventional twin-dial camera.

Sigma BF full playback info
Playback mode has three levels of information that can be displayed, this is the most detailed, but you can also opt just to see the top two rows of information, or just the first.

Touching, rather than pressing, the playback button lets you review the last image you shot, without entering the full playback mode, for as long as your finger remains on the button.

This really hit home when I realized I prefer to set aperture from the camera, rather than using an aperture ring; I think the camera works best with everything controlled from the settings display, rather than trying to increase the number of control points.

Another surprise was how good the BF’s autofocus appears to be. Its subject tracking is very simple to use and impressively tenacious, while its eye detection works well and can be left turned on without minimal risk of the camera prioritizing nearby faces ahead of a different subject you’ve selected.

There are distinct downsides, though. The lack of mechanical shutter not only means there’s a risk of rolling shutter and that the camera can’t be used with flash, it also means it’s quite prone to banding caused by the inherent flicker of artificial lights. This can be fairly subtle at longer shutter speeds but becomes increasingly apparent in short exposures, limiting its use as an indoor camera, despite a sensor that works well in low light.

BF 00250
Sigma 35mm F2.0 | F4.0 | 1/500 sec | ISO 400

Photo: Richard Butler

Sigma’s sometimes quite dramatic color modes may not be to everyone’s tastes, and I’m not wholly convinced by the ‘Light Source Priority’ auto white balance mode, that tries to maintain some of the character of the detected light source. But even when the results are unexpected, they’re often interesting.

The BF’s battery life is also quite short. An external charger is available, if you want to keep a second battery topped-up, but mainly it’s a case of remembering to put the camera on to charge regularly, just as you might for your smartphone.

Other than a slight concern about the sharp lower front edge, I’m really looking forward to spending more time with the BF. It’s not a camera that lets you respond quickly to the unexpected; instead it’s one that makes you slow down and look for the photos you might otherwise not notice.

Sigma BF sample gallery

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Hard to get: Canon delays orders of new V1 compact amid high demand

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Hard to get: Canon delays orders of new V1 compact amid high demand


Photo: Dale Baskin

Canon Announced its PowerShot V1 compact just a few weeks ago, with pre-orders only recently opening for those in Asia. Despite that, DCWatch reported that Canon has already warned that demand is high and delivery may be delayed as a result, potentially delaying its availability to the rest of the world.

canon-powershot-v1-delay-information
A screenshot of the messaging on Canon Japan’s website.

Visiting the PowerShot V1 product page reveals a message (translated from Japanese) stating, “Apologies and information regarding product supply status.” That message links to a page that briefly explains that Canon is “currently receiving more orders than expected for the following products, which is causing delays in delivery.” Notably, three compact cameras are affected, with the PowerShot V1 at the top of the list. Canon plans to ship these products sequentially but says delivery may take longer than usual.

The PowerShot V1 is the company’s first compact camera since the PowerShot G7 X III, which was released back in July 2019. Canon also launched the PowerShot V10 in June 2023, but that model is more video-focused and targets a different user base. Even though the Powershot V1 is only available in Asia, it is a welcome addition. After all, we are currently seeing an increased interest in compact cameras, which is driving up prices and causing issues with availability across the board.

Canon PowerShot V1 vlogging screen
Photo: Dale Baskin

The increased demand is reflected across the compact market. Retro compacts that used to sell for $5 at garage sales and thrift stores now go for anywhere from $40 to $250 or even higher. The PowerShot G7 X III, despite being six years old, has such high demand that Canon is suspending orders indefinitely to catch up. Meanwhile, the Fujifilm X100VI, which was announced a year ago, is still out of stock on most websites and is selling for as much as double its already steep $1,599 retail price on sites like eBay. CIPA’s January numbers also showed a rise in the popularity of compact cameras, with an increase in shipments and value compared to January 2024.

While The PowerShot V1 was released exclusively for Asia, many are eagerly waiting for broader availability. Unfortunately, a delay so early on in the release potentially complicates that, meaning those hoping to get their hands on the camera outside of Asia will likely have to wait even longer. Canon hasn’t provided specific timing or details on the extent of the delays. That means it’s a waiting game for now, with another compact camera bogged down by supply constraints.



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