Camera
Hollyland's latest wireless mic system is teeny tiny
| Image: Hollyland |
While wireless microphones have been getting smaller over the years, all thus far still have used transmitter microphones of rather noticeable size. The Hollyland Lark M2S bucks that tradition and offers a tiny solution for more discreet audio recording. Coming in at just seven grams (0.25 ounces) with a logo-free design, it promises to be a nearly invisible mic, as the Mission Invisible launch announcement suggests.
The Lark M2S marks the sixth generation of the Lark Series from Hollyland. It consists of two transmitter microphones, a wireless receiver. The mics use a titanium clip to easily and securely attach to clothing, with the bulky portion of the mic (which is still quite small) sitting on the back side. The tiny mic portion is the only bit that’s visible, making it very discreet. The mic capsule is only 1.3cm x 0.63cm (0.5in x 0.25in) and weighs just 7g (0.25oz).
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| The Hollyland logo is found on the back of the mic, which is tucked away when in use. Image: Hollyland |
The tiny size doesn’t mean limited power or functionality, though. It captures 24-bit 48 kHz audio with a 70dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). It also features Hollyland’s Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) to automatically minimize background noise, making it easier to record audio in busy locations. It uses a 2.4GHz transmission and promises a range of up to 300m (984ft), though that will of course depend on the specific environment you are recording in. However, Hollyland specifically mentions that it crafted the Lark M2S with a RF interference-resistant circuit, which should improve connectivity in signal-dense environments.
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| One receiver option is intended for cameras and features a dial for easier access to controls. Image: Hollyland |
Hollyland promises up to nine hours of battery life per charge for each transmitter. The included charging case extends that battery life to up to 30 hours total. The receiver offers both USB-C and 3.5mm outputs. It can be attached to a camera (the Combo version) or a smartphone (via USB-C or Lightning connection), with plug-and-play functionality for easy recording on any device.
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| One receiver option uses a USB-C connection to connect to smartphones. Image: Hollyland |
The Lark M2S comes in three versions. The Combo includes two transmitters, both the camera and USB-C receiver, USB-C to Lightning cable, USB-C cable and a charging case for $149. The Mini Combo includes everything in the Combo kit but without the USB-C to Lightning cable for $139. Lastly, the USB-C kit includes the two transmitters and USB-C receiver for $119.
| Photo credit: Benedek Lampert |
Toy photographer Benedek Lampert is at it again with another epic scene mimicking real life. In 2022, we shared Lampert’s Lego Eiffel Tower photograph, which looked like it could be the real thing due to the use of forced perspective and other tricks. This time, he set out to recreate the Endurance, the ship used by Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew in the 1914 expedition aimed at crossing the Antarctic continent for the first time.
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| Photo credit: Benedek Lampert |
The story of that expedition is a remarkable tale of survival. The Endurance became trapped in pack ice in the Weddell Sea in 1915, eventually getting crushed by the ice and sinking, leaving the crew without a ship. Despite that, the entire 28-man crew managed to survive after a year and a half on the ice and an 800-mile journey in an open lifeboat by some of the men in a quest to get help. The wreckage of the Endurance was finally rediscovered in 2022, 107 years after the crew abandoned ship.
When setting out to recreate this expedition using Lego, Lampert researched the journey and referenced archive photos taken by official expedition photographer Frank Hurley. Lampert’s goal was to create a historically accurate scene, which involved paying attention to details and recreating actual events. He started with the Lego Endurance kit, a 3011-piece Lego set. While he explained that the original set is beautiful, it lacked the ropes covering real-life sailing ships. So, he added ropes to create a more lifelike model. He also removed the sails since the actual photos of the trapped ship showed those were not in place.
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| A behind-the-scenes look at Lampert’s setup. Photo credit: Benedek Lampert |
Lampert got creative with materials during the shoot to create the setting for the ship. He used powdered sugar as snow and ice and painted foam board for icebergs. A fog machine came into play to create a more dramatic atmosphere. Lampert even went so far as to use real fire for a campfire and lit a Lego brick with an LED to create a lantern. In terms of photography equipment, Lampert used a Nikon D750 camera. He used both a Nikkor 24-78mm F2.8 lens and a Laowa 15mm F4 macro lens.
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| Photo credit: Benedek Lampert |
One of the biggest challenges Lampert said he encountered was lighting. He explained that with toy photography as a whole, “in the same diorama, a poorly lit scene may indeed look like just a toy, while with different lighting, it can appear completely lifelike.” As a result, he said he experimented a lot with the lights while analyzing Frank Hurley’s photographs to recreate the same Antarctic light on his tabletop setup. Finally, Lampert relied on overlays to create a more dramatic, historical look. All in all, Lampert’s attention to detail and dedication to his craft are impressive, and the resulting images clearly show his creativity.
| Images: Sandisk / Canon |
If you have a Sandisk SD card in your Canon EOS R5 II, you may want to check that it’s compatible. Canon recently put out a warning, reported by The Digital Picture, that “certain SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II 64GB, 128GB and 256GB V60 cards” may cause still images taken with the camera to be “recorded as corrupted/abnormal.”
The exact model number of the cards will vary by region, but Sandisk’s support site lays out which cards are and aren’t compatible with the EOS R5 II. The cards in question have a big red “Not Compatible” stamp next to them, so they should be hard to miss. Broadly, though, the affected models are:
- SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II V60 64GB
- SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II V60 128GB
- SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II V60 256GB
If you have an EOS R5 II and use one of these cards with it, your best bet is to switch to something else. Sandisk has an article titled “Steps to Resolve SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II V60 64, 128, and 256GB Still Image Problem with a Canon EOS R5 Mark II,” but the resolution section is empty.
Neither Canon nor Sandisk say what makes these specific cards incompatible with the EOS R5 II. It’s especially baffling since Sandisk’s compatibiltiy list shows other cards in the exact same Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II V60 line as being compatible – what is it that makes the 256GB incompatible with the EOS R5 II that doesn’t affect the 512GB or 1TB version? Why is a 128GB V90 card okay? We’ve reached out to Sandisk for more information, and will update the article if we hear back.
World Sports Photography Awards Winners
The World Sports Photography Awards has announced the winners of its 2025 competition, highlighting showstopping moments across a vast number of sporting events. The contest included work from more than 2,200 professional sports photographers from over 96 countries around the world. In total, more than 13,000 images were submitted this year.
Rising to the top and earning the overall Gold award was Tahiti-based French photographer Jerome Brouillet. His image of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medin, titled “Golden Moment,” was captured on the third day of the 2024 Olympic Games surfing event in Teahupo’o. Petr Slavik earned Silver with “Heaven,” while Anton Anestiev earned the Bronze overall award for “Zebra Crossing.”
Beyond the three overall winners, the contest awarded separate Gold, Bronze, Silver, and Special Merit awards in 24 sports categories. Those categories include specific sports like Rugby, Tennis, and Formula 1, along with broader groups such as Martial Arts, Athletics, Aquatic, and Winter Sports. It also highlights venues or views from sporting events in a separate category. You can see all of the category winners at the competition’s website.
World Sports Photography Awards: Gold
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Photographer Jerome Brouillet earned overall Gold for his capture of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medin after he rode the best wave of the day for a perfect ride during the 2024 Olympic surfing competition in Teahupo’o.
Photographer: Jerome Brouillet
Title: “Golden Moment”
World Sports Photography Awards: Silver
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Petr Slavik earned Silver overall with his image of biathlete Deedra Irwin racing in the clouds at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Utah.
Photographer: Petr Slavik
Title: “Heaven”
World Sports Photography Awards: Bronze
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Anton Anestiev earned overall Bronze with his image of an epic zebra crossing in from of Ian Duncan’s Datsun 280Z during the East Africa Safari Classic.
Photographer: Anton Anestiev
Title: “Zebra Crossing”
World Sports Photography Awards: Basketball Gold
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Earning Gold in the Basketball category, Andrew Hancock captured a perfect reflection during NC State’s impressive win over Duke during March Madness 2024, earning the team a spot in the Final Four.
Photographer: Andrew Hancock
Title: “Seeing Double”
World Sports Photography Awards: Cycling Gold
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Gaetan Flamme’s image of Wout van Aert cruising past a butcher shop earned Gold in the Cycling category.
Photographer: Gaetan Flamme
Title: “The Butchers”
World Sports Photography Awards: American Football Gold
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Kevin Sabitus earned Gold in the American Football category with his capture of a critical moment in a Greenbay Packers versus Chicago Bears game.
Photographer: Kevin Sabitus
Title: “To the Pylon”
World Sports Photography Awards: Venue & Views Gold
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Loic Venance’s Gold-winning image in the Venue & Views category showed off the moon rising behind the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower in Paris on July 22, 2024, just before the Olympic games began.
Photographer: Loic Venance
Title: “Olympic Moonlight”
World Sports Photography Awards: Urban & Extreme Gold
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Marton Monus captured a climber in front of the sun on the second day at the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest, earning Gold in the Urban & Extreme category.
Photographer: Marton Monus
Title: “Icarus”
World Sports Photography Awards: Football Gold
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Max Krause’s perfectly timed shot of a player for the TSG 1899 Hoffenheim earned him Gold in the Football category.
Photographer: Max Krause
Title: “Dove of Peace”
World Sports Photography Awards: Baseball Gold
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Mike Carlson captured Wesley Chapel High School’s baseball team winning the regional championship and advancing to the FHSAA Final Four, earning him Gold in the Baseball category.
Photographer: Mike Carlson
Title: “Victory and Defeat”
World Sports Photography Awards: Rugby Gold
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Romain Perrocheau earned Gold in the Rugby category with his capture of a player from Monaco’s Rugby Sevens team on their way to winning the third round of the Supersevens tournament, held in Pau.
Photographer: Romain Perrocheau
Title: “Untitled”
World Sports Photography Awards: Swimming & Diving Gold
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Shinya Tanaka’s image from the World Aquatic Championships in Doha on February 9th, 2024 earned Gold in the Swimming & Diving category.
Photographer: Shinya Tanaka
Title: “Diving at the Aspire”
World Sports Photography Awards: Formula 1
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Thomas Lam captured Lando Norris racing to victory during the Singapore Grand Prix, earning Gold in the Formula 1 category.
Photographer: Thomas Lam
Title: “Push with Lights”
World Sports Photography Awards: Racquet Sports Gold
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Tom Weller captured Timo Boll of Borussia Düsseldorf during the Men´s DTTB Pokal Semifinal at Ratiopharm Arena on January 07 in Ulm, Germany, earning Gold in the Racquet Sports category.
Photographer: Tom Weller
Title: “Forehand”
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