Weekly News Roundup
Instant film gets a refresh, Sony fights AI fakes, and there is plenty happening in galleries and gear this week.
This week in photography Fujifilm announces the Instax Mini 13, Sony takes its authenticity solution to video, and there is new gear and exhibition news worth knowing about this week.
Fujifilm Announces the Instax Mini 13
Fujifilm has announced the Instax Mini 13, the latest iteration of the world's best selling instant camera line. Following the Mini 12 which launched in 2023, the new model brings a redesigned body with a softer, more sculpted shape and a metallic silver logo on the front. The headline new feature is a dual self-timer offering two or ten second options, something Instax users have been asking for since the format was invented. A wedge-shaped angle adjustment accessory is included in the box to help with hands-free framing.
Beyond the timer the camera carries over the same core features as its predecessor including Close-Up Mode, a selfie mirror, auto exposure, and parallax correction when shooting in close-up mode. Launching alongside it is a new Pastel Galaxy instant film with a cosmic inspired design featuring sparkly embellishments and soft tones.
The Mini 13 will be available in five colors, Dreamy Purple, Frost Blue, Candy Pink, Lagoon Green, and Clay White, from late June 2026 at $93.95 in the US. The Pastel Galaxy film will retail at $17.99 per pack.
It is worth noting that Instax Mini film is available in black and white. If you have never shot a roll of instant black and white film it is worth trying. The tonal rendering is distinctive and the physical print in your hand is something no digital file can replicate.
Sony Expands Camera Authenticity Solution to Video
This is a story that matters more than it might appear on the surface. Sony has expanded its Camera Verify system, part of its broader Camera Authenticity Solution, to support video as well as still images. The system uses C2PA standard digital signatures embedded in the camera at the moment of capture to confirm that footage was shot by a real camera rather than generated by AI.
The clever part is how it handles a potential workaround. Without additional verification, someone could theoretically film an AI generated video playing on a screen and get a legitimate camera signature on it. Sony's system counters this by using 3D depth detection data, essentially the same technology that powers its autofocus system, to confirm that the scene captured was a real three dimensional environment and not a two dimensional screen. It is a genuinely smart solution.
Supported cameras currently include the Alpha 1 II, Alpha 1, Alpha 9 III, Alpha 7R V, Alpha 7S III, Alpha 7 IV, FX3, FX30, and the PXW-Z300. Support for the Alpha 7 V is planned for May 2026.
This matters for photojournalism and documentary photography in particular. As AI generated imagery becomes more sophisticated the ability to prove that a photograph or video was captured in the real world by a real camera is becoming increasingly important. Sony is currently leading the industry on this. It is worth watching how other manufacturers respond.
Haute Photographie Opens in Rotterdam This Week
Haute Photographie opens on March 25 in Rotterdam's 4H district, transforming a 1,250 square metre space into a pop up museum for its 11th edition. The fair presents works by 50 photographers across vintage, contemporary, and emerging photography, replacing the traditional gallery booth format with an immersive layout that encourages genuine engagement with the work rather than the commercial transactional atmosphere of most art fairs.
This year the fair shines a spotlight on emerging talent from Rotterdam itself, including Danae Looman, Kimberly Vicente, Merel and Elmar, Roos Peltenburg, and Roos van der Jagt. A curated photo book market and a restaurant complete the offering. The fair runs through March 29.
For anyone in the Netherlands or nearby, this is one of the more interesting photography events of the spring calendar. The immersive layout and the focus on Rotterdam-based emerging photographers gives it a character that distinguishes it from the larger international fairs.
Nicole Tung's Overfishing in Southeast Asia Opens at the Bronx Documentary Center
From March 20 to April 26, the Bronx Documentary Center in New York presents Overfishing in Southeast Asia, a new exhibition by photojournalist Nicole Tung. The work was produced over nine months with support from the Carmignac Photojournalism Award, one of the most significant grants in documentary photography, and offers a rare extended look at one of the world's most undercovered environmental crises.
Southeast Asia accounts for a significant share of global fish consumption and fishing employment. The industrial scale depletion of fish stocks in the region affects the livelihoods of millions of people and the ecosystems that sustain them. Tung's work brings the kind of sustained, serious visual attention to this subject that it rarely receives.
The Bronx Documentary Center is a non-profit gallery and educational space and admission is free. If you are in New York between now and late April it is worth visiting. Documentary photography at this level is a reminder of what the medium is capable of when it is given the time and resources to do serious work.
Sigma Opens New York Pop Up Through April 4
Sigma has opened a pop up event at 21 Spring Street in New York City running through April 4, open daily from 10am to 6pm. The event features photography walks led by Sigma Ambassadors, workshops with professional photographers, hands on time with the latest Sigma gear, and headshot sessions for visitors.
Sigma has been one of the most interesting lens manufacturers to watch over the past few years. Their Art series lenses in particular have established a reputation for optical quality that rivals first party glass at a significantly lower price point. The pop up is a good opportunity to handle the lenses before buying, which for glass in this price range is always worth doing.
Pre-registration is free and comes with an unspecified exclusive perk. If you are in New York in the next two weeks it is worth stopping in.
Laowa Announces Two New 17mm Tilt-Shift Lenses
Venus Optics has opened orders for two new lenses in the Laowa lineup that will be of particular interest to architectural and landscape photographers. The Laowa 17mm f/4 Zero-D Tilt-Shift offers both tilt and shift movements in a wide angle prime for full-frame and medium-format mirrorless systems. The Laowa 17mm f/4 Zero-D Shift offers shift capability only, at a more accessible price point.
Both carry the Zero-D designation which means distortion is kept as close to zero as possible. This matters enormously in architectural photography where converging verticals and bowed lines undermine the credibility of the image. At 17mm with shift capability these lenses open up compositional options that were previously only available at much higher price points or in much heavier and larger form factors.
For monochrome photographers working in architectural or urban environments a tilt-shift lens is one of those tools that changes how you see as much as how you shoot. The ability to correct perspective in camera rather than in post, and the way that a tilted plane of focus can create a selective sharpness across an entire scene, are both worth exploring. Orders are now open at B&H Photo.
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