Photo News: Wrong target groups and the Lidar analogs

Contents

Two very exciting cameras, the Pentax 17 and the Nikon Z 6III, were presented last week - but only one was discussed in the forum for the last edition of our column. Not the Nikon with the at first glance high price of 3000 euros, but the Pentax for a mere 550 euros. Not only in our forum, but also in many other comment columns, this was considered far too expensive for a camera without proper autofocus that can only shoot in half-frame format. And a used analog camera, even an SLR, was often said to be much cheaper.

Please do not confuse this with an insult to the public, but anyone who argues in this way is simply not the target group for this camera. It is, and Pentax has said so from the beginning, intended for young people who are interested in analog technology. There are actually people today who have learned that photos can only be taken with a smartphone and with one hand. Keyword selfie. It's a step forward, and every old hand at photography should be pleased, if this target group is interested in holding a camera in front of their face with both hands, looking through a viewfinder – image composition – and attaching importance to a sensible image selection due to the higher costs.

These three points will get you into photography much faster than the best device. And because young people are accustomed to taking pictures through their cell phones, this socialization must also be considered – as much as we may complain about it. It starts with the form factor: The cell phone fits in your pocket, so the first "real" camera has to do the same. Hardly anyone wants the heavy lump of an oh-so-great old SLR. It needs its own bag or hangs awkwardly on a strap, and can also initially inspire respect among the subjects. Being photographed with a small device, not just taking pictures yourself, is also something that millennials take for granted.

A small camera is better for beginners

The Pentax 17 is made for them, according to the manufacturer's market research - and even beyond that, the fun of a quick picture at your fingertips can be proven, namely by the continuing popularity of small instant cameras such as the Instaxes. Yes, you could make the cameras much cheaper with a mirror like in old Polaroids, but then hardly anyone would buy them because they would be too bulky. And ultimately, any comparison between a new and a used device is pointless apart from the price: the Pentax comes with a guarantee or warranty and hopefully also spare parts.

It is not only Pentax that is expecting new sales from the trend towards analog photography, but also the Hong Kong-based company Mint Camera. The company has been developing a camera for 35 mm film for years and has now announced a timetable for this "Rollei35AF". The German owners of the Rollei brand had already decided to cooperate with Mint at the beginning of 2024; the new camera had previously been shown repeatedly with small image sections as teasers.

Rollei 35AF with lidar autofocus

And indeed, the 35AF looks very similar to the legendary Rollei 35 from 1966. Characteristic features include the large control dials on the front. And like many cameras of the time, it is finished in black and silver, which today is called the retro look - but in this case, the model actually looks like this. Remarkable, and to our knowledge, never before attempted on a 35 mm camera: The Rollei 35AF works with an autofocus system that uses Lidar to measure distance. Apple, among others, has been using these small laser scanners in some models since the iPhone 12, and other smartphones now also rely on them. How precisely this works with the incomparably larger mechanism for moving the lenses in the Rollei remains to be seen. The lens has a focal length of 35 millimeters at f/2.8, a comparatively large amount of glass.

The OLED display is also unusual for an analog camera, but useful for checking the manual setting options. What this looks like when looking through the viewfinder is not yet known. With some automatic settings, but also manual exposure, the approach of the Rollei 35AF is quite different from that of the new Pentax. And of course, the price is higher as a result: the Lidar Rollei costs 849 euros. It will be available to pre-order from September 2024 and will be delivered in October - Mint Camera is already warning of delivery problems. To ensure that these are guaranteed, the hype is being fanned by the fact that the exact date for pre-ordering can only be obtained by registering for the newsletter and then via it. Other start-ups have also been working in this way for some time.

BGH rules on photos of photo wallpapers

And the dispute over photos of photo wallpaper has been going on almost forever. We have already shed light on the background to this legally complex farce. On Thursday of this week, a hearing was finally scheduled before the Federal Court of Justice. As the BGH confirmed to heise online, it was only scheduled for one day. However, the decision has not yet been announced by the court. But the lawyer Stephan Dirks has at least one trend to report in his blog.

According to Dirks, in two of the three cases heard, the court is inclined to assume so-called "simple consent", as it also applies to search engine thumbnails, for example. In layman's terms because this is a photo column and not a law column: if a photo of a room that is supposed to show this room - one of the cases before the BGH involved advertising for vacation apartments – shows a photo wallpaper, then it is possible that this wallpaper has not been reproduced, but simply happens to be there. Next week, the BGH should finally clarify the situation.

(nie)