The new Sidekick Pro camera bag can be preordered on Kickstarter (Click here). Here are is the official product video:

BCNranking published the top 50 of the best selling cameras on the Japanese market for the month of September. And there is one bad news…still no L-mount camera mad eit into the top 50!

1. Canon R50 double lens kit (last month 2nd place)
2. White Canon R50 double lens kit (3th place)
3. Canon R10 with 18-150mm lens (1th place)
4. Sony ZV-E10II double lens kit (5th place)
5. Sony A6400 double lens kit (11th place)
6. Sony ZV-E10 with double kit kit lens (8th place)
7. Panasonic G100 with kit lens (10th place)
8. Canon Kiss X10 double lens kit (12th place)
9. Sony ZV-E01II with kit lens (9th place)
10. Sony A6400 (Silver) double lens kit (19th place)
11. Sony ZV-E10 with powerzoom kit lens (4th place)
12. Sony ZV-E10 (WHITE) with powerzoom kit lens (was out of top 50)
13. Black Canon R50 with 18-45mm lens (30th place)
14. Canon R100 double lens kit (21th place)
15. Canon R50 double lens kit (18th place)
16. Nikon Z50 double lens kit (15th place)
17. Silver Nikon ZFc with 16-50mm kit lens (14th place)
18. Canon R6II (40th place)
19. Silver FujiFilm X-T5 with kit lens (20th place)
20. Olympus E-P7 with double kit lens (6th place)
21. Canon R100 with kit lens (was out of top 50)
22. Silver Nikon ZFc with 28mm kit lens (49th place)
23. Sony A6700 with kit lens (24th place)
24. Sony ZV-E10II body only (was out of top 50)
25. Panasonic G100 (33th place)
26. Silver Fujifilm X-T50 body (25th place)
27. White Sony ZV-E10II lens kit (17th place)
28. Canon RP with 24-105mm lens (37th place)
29. White Olympus E-P7 with double kit lens (13th place)
30. Olympus E-P7 with  kit lens (32th place)
31. Black Sony A7cII (29th place)
32. Canon R10 with kit lens (43th place)
33. Nikon Z30 double lens kit (7th place)
34. Fujifilm X-T50 with kit lens (22th place)
35. Canon R5II body only (39th place)
36. Nikon ZFc with 16-50mm kit lens (was out of top 50)
37. Nikon D7500 with kit lens (was out of top 50)
38. Sony A7cII with kit lens (27th place)
39. Nikon Zf with 40mm lens (42th place)
40. Olympus E-M10IV with double zoom kit (was out of top 50)
41. Canon R6II with kit lens (was out of top 50)
42. Sony A6700 body only (48th place)
43. Canon R8 (44th place)
44. FujiFilm X-T5 with kit lens (35th place)
45. Sony ZV-E10 (WHITE) with powerzoom kit lens (26th place)
46. Silver Sony A7cII (28th place)
47. Nikon Z8 (23th place)
48. Sony A7IV (was out of top 50)
49. Panasonic G100 vlog kit (50th place)
50. Nikon ZFc with 28mm kit lens (was out of top 50)

A couple of things you learn from that ranking:

• Brands ranking: Sony (16 camera kits) Canon (14) Nikon (9) FujiFilm (4) Om Digital (4) Panasonic (3)
• Only one DSLR made it into the ranking (Nikon D7500 on position 37)
• 4 Olympus camera made it into the top 50 while none of the new OM Digital cameras made it
• Panasonic L-mount camera are not present in the top

The new Topaz Photo AI 3.3 (Click here) introduces a suite of improvements:

You can get this lens now for $329 or 300 Euro at Meike store. It should be available any time also on their Amazon page.

Topaz just announced the new GigaPixel Ai (click here to see all new features with ton of examples).

Press text:

Gigapixel 8 brings powerful new models that push the limits of image enhancement, offering unmatched control for both restoration and creative upscaling. Whether you’re recovering lost details or generating imaginative visuals, Gigapixel 8 has the tools to elevate your images like never before.

• a
  • Redefine Model (Creative Upscaler): This new model pushes the boundaries of creative upscaling while staying true to your input image. With diffusion-based generative output and text prompts available for more specific results, this tool offers a new level of freedom for producing imaginative visuals.

• Recovery Model: This model goes beyond the capabilities of our standard models, restoring missing details in images that would have been unusable otherwise. It’s especially useful for restoring old photos, scanned images, and improving faces and text, delivering results that were previously impossible.
• Gen2 Face Recovery: With two modes—Realistic and Creative—this model offers enhanced results for faces, even in low-quality or damaged images. Whether you’re refining details to stay true to the original or creating imaginative reconstructions, this feature delivers high-fidelity, creative enhancements.

New Gigapixel Cloud Service

Alongside Gigapixel 8, we’re introducing Cloud Rendering, a credit-based, server processing option. Cloud Rendering allows anyone to offload processing tasks for faster and more efficient image enhancement, making it ideal for those with lower-powered hardware or users wanting quicker results with our Recovery or Redefine models.

Key benefits include:

• Faster processing speeds for higher-quality results
• Allows simultaneous enhancements for multiple images

Phototrend interviewed Mathilde Lécuyer, Product Manager for Lumix France, and Jérémy Hoffmann, Marketing Manager for Lumix Southern Europe.

Panasonic will not exhibit at this year’s Salon de la Photo

• We are a key partner and focus on the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

About the French photography market

• It remains a leading brand in France.
• No. 3 in the French mirrorless market.
• They are particularly strengthening their presence in the full-size market.
• Over the past 12 months, the full size segment has grown by 6% and is gaining market share.

About LUMIX S9

• Very well received.
• It’s a distinctive camera and also introduces the new LUMIX Lab app.
• This camera is not just for taking great photos, but for making photography a joy.
• This was a completely new way to use a camera and it fascinated many users.

Have Panasonic added any LUTs since the release of the S9?

• At launch, there will be around 100 LUTs available.
• We are exploring the possibility of creating a community within the application so that creators can use their own LUTs in the application.

S5 II, S5 II X, and G9 II also support Lumix Lab

• LUMIX Lab’s long-term vision is to become a truly central platform for creators, enabling them to do a variety of things.

There is a shortage of compact reference lenses that fit the S9

• Research and development continues to focus on developing the most versatile optical range to meet the widest range of needs possible.
• Although we develop our own lenses, being part of the L-Mount Alliance is also important, as it allows us to accelerate the number of lenses we can offer to our users more quickly.

About the high-resolution model

• Creators are becoming more hybrid and are looking for cameras that can deliver the best of both stills and video.
• They want a complete, affordable solution that combines low light with high resolution stills. Since budget is often the limiting factor, they prefer equipment that can do it all.
• The S5II and S5II X are hybrid products that combine the best of both worlds.

Video recording on the S9 is now unlimited

• Traditionally, this was a preventative decision to protect users from unexpected camera overheating.
• The S9 is very compact and does not have an active fan, which was a precaution against unexpected interruptions to recording due to overheating.
• However, after receiving feedback from users and testers, we’ve now made the options more flexible.

Firmware Update Strategy

• They are very responsive to user feedback.
• Local teams in each subsidiary around the world play a key role in this process, providing direct feedback to engineers.
• Once you invest in the equipment, they promise to support you as a creator with regular updates to optimize the product.
• LUMIX does not charge creators for minor updates.

Why LUMIX S5D now?

• For those on a budget there is the S5D.
• The S5D comes with an 18-40mm kit lens, whereas the S5 had a 20-60mm.

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Summary via Asobinet

Panasonic issued the new Lumix S9 1.2 firmware update (info here) and writes: