An unseen family photo marking the birth of four royal babies and the earliest surviving colour photographic print of a member of the royal family are among the historic highlights.

Notable royal pictures on display include works by Dorothy Wilding, Cecil Beaton, Annie Leibovitz, David Bailey, Andy Warhol and Rankin.

Also on show is fashion photographer Paolo Roversi’s portrait of the Princess of Wales, taken to mark her milestone 40th birthday.

Kate’s off the shoulder dress and sideways pose are described by the Royal Collection Trust as bearing a “striking visual resemblance” to an 1864 painting of Alexandra, Princess of Wales – later Queen Alexandra – by Franz Xaver Winterhalter.

Visitors to Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography at the King’s Gallery, which opens on Friday, will be able to compare the two images, with the historic 19th century depiction of Alexandra hanging near the black and white image of Kate.

Kate, a keen photographer who sparked a furore with the editing of the Waleses’ Mother’s Day picture, has stepped away from the public spotlight while she undergoes chemotherapy for cancer.

Warhol’s 1985 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was sprinkled with diamond dust to make it sparkle in the light, while Rankin’s 2001 photograph of the smiling Queen was superimposed against the union flag and Polly Borland’s Golden Jubilee portrait of the Queen was set on a glittering gold backdrop.

They are the among the examples of experimentation and playfulness from the 1980s onwards.

The exhibition also sheds light on behind-the-scenes processes, from contact sheets and photographers’ handwritten annotations to correspondence with members of the royal family and their staff.

The earliest surviving photographic print of a member of the royal family produced in colour shows Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester – sister-in-law to King George VI – on her wedding day.

It was taken in 1935 by Madame Yevonde, a pioneer of colour photography and champion of women photographers.

Alongside portraits marking official occasions are more intimate family moments, including a never-before-seen image of four royal mothers – Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Kent – holding their newborn babies.

The babies are Prince Edward (now the Duke of Edinburgh), Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones (now Lady Sarah Chatto), James Ogilvy and Lady Helen Windsor (now Lady Helen Taylor) – who all turned 60 this year.

The image was taken by Margaret’s photographer husband, the late Earl of Snowdon, as a personal token of thanks for Sir John Peel, the royal obstetrician who delivered all four babies within the space of two months.

On display is a handwritten letter from Margaret to her sister the late Queen, asking her “Darling Lilibet” to sign the print “as a souvenir of an extraordinary two months of delivery” and also suggesting they take a trip to the theatre to see Noel Coward’s “witty” comic play Hay Fever.

“If you enjoyed ‘Private Lives’ this is just the ticket. Would like to see it? It would be such fun to see if together,” Margaret writes.

Alessandro Nasini, curator of the exhibition, said: “The Royal Collection holds some of the most enduring photographs ever taken of the royal family, captured by the most celebrated portrait photographers of the past hundred years – from Dorothy Wilding and Cecil Beaton to Annie Leibovitz, David Bailey, and Rankin.

“Alongside these beautiful vintage prints, which cannot be on permanent display for conservation reasons, we are excited to share archival correspondence and never-before-seen proofs that will give visitors a behind-the-scenes insight into the process of creating such unforgettable royal portraits.”

Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography is at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, from May 17 to October 6.

Visitor information and tickets can be found at www.rct.uk or +44 (0)30 3123 7301.

New Hobolite Iris small continuous LED light for photographers inspires creativity through its vintage camera design, unique optical modifiers, aperture ring and playful colored gel filters.

Hobolite, a pioneer in continuous LED lighting equipment for content creators, announces the launch of its latest innovation, the Hobolite Iris. The Hobolite Iris is a small portable continuous LED light for photography and content creation that features optical modifiers and colored gel filters that spark creativity and joy in the art of visual storytelling. With its stylish retro camera design, weather-resistant aluminium body and versatile optical modifiers — including a functioning aperture ring — this new bi-color portable light elevates the artistic process through innovation and the playfulness of creativity.

Features

The Hobolite Iris stands out with its sleek IP54-rated aluminium body, wrapped in an attractive vegan leatherette, making it an ideal companion for both indoor and outdoor use. Its unique aperture ring empowers photographers and content creators to adjust from a focused beam to a wide glow, to light stories with precision and style — anywhere and anytime.

The Iris features remarkable color accuracy, with a color range from 2700K to 6500K and high CRI and TLCI ratings of 96+, ensuring that colors are rendered true to life. With the introduction of innovative optical modifiers, a magnetic accessory system, and a built-in battery, the Iris further enhances the experience of shaping moments with light, allowing for extended creativity without the need for constant recharging.

The new Hobolite Iris light is available in two kit options to optimize creativity, right out of the box. The Iris Standard Kit contains the Iris light, Adjustable Lens, Frosted Dome, USB cable and stylish protective pouch. The adjustable lens offers versatility with a range from 20 degrees to 45 degrees, complemented by enhanced brightness capabilities that provide a 6x brightness boost for exceptional illumination.

The Iris Creator Kit comprises all the elements featured in the Standard Kit, and features an Aperture Ring, Gel Filters, Magic Lens, Fresnel Lens f/28mm, Adjustable Lens and Frosted Dome.

Price and Availablity

In addition to the Iris LED lighting kits, Hobolite has also introduced accessory kits for photographers who require additional sets of the modifiers and filters featured in the Creator Kit. Iris Optical Modifier Kit comprises the Fresnel Lens F28mm, Aperture Ring, Magic Lens and is priced at $199.00AUD, while the Colored Gel Filter Essential Pack comprises four gradient color gels inserts priced at $119.00AUD.

The Hobolite Iris Creator Kit and Standard Kit are priced at $399.00AUD and $199.00AUD respectively and are available starting May 24th at www.hobolite.com and through authorized retailers.

Leaders in the federal government have always known art conveys information. Early on, Congress commissioned John Trumbull to create four paintings about the Revolutionary War that still hang in the U.S. Capitol. When a photograph still had to be fixed on a glass plate negative with chemicals, the first federal photographer, John Wood, photographed the government as it was being built.

Although they share a lot of the same core specifications and features, there are some important differences between the mid-range XT50 that was released in 2024 and the flagship XT5 from 2023.

So we’re bringing you this in-depth Fujifilm X-T50 vs X-T5 head-to-head comparison to help you choose between these two mirrorless cameras.

You can also read our detailed Fujifilm X-T50 review and Fujifilm X-T5 review to find out exactly what we think of each camera.

Sensor

The image sensor used in the new X-T50 is exactly the same as the one found in the X-T

They both have a 40.2 megapixel X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor, with HR standing for High Resolution.

This is a BSI (back-side illuminated) sensor design that has more of a focus on detail and resolution than out-and-out speed.

It also allows both the XT50 and XT5 to record 6K video, surpassing previous generation models which could only record up to 4K video.

They also share the same X-Processor 5 image processor, so both models will therefore provide exactly the same image quality as each other.

Pixel Shift Multi-shot

The X-T5 became the first ever X-T series Fuji camera to feature the special Pixel Shift Multi-Shot mode when it was released in 2023, which delivers 160 megapixel images for the ultimate quality when detail really matters.

Previously only seen on the company’s GFX-branded medium-format cameras, in the Pixel Shift Multi-Shot mode the camera records 20 frames, shifting the sensor by 0.5 pixels between each frame.

The resulting images are automatically combined into one DNG RAW file, which can then be output to a desired file format using suitable RAW processing software.

Sadly, despite having the same image sensor and processor, the new X-T50 does not offer this feature at all.

ISO Speed

The new X-T50 and the X-T5 both have a base sensitivity of ISO 125, which can be expanded down to ISO 64 and up to ISO 51,200.

Video

The X-T50 offers the same video features and performance as the X-T5 – both are equally good choices if you have any interest in movie-making.

They offer a highest video quality rate of 6.2K/30p with a modest 1.23x crop, recorded in 4:2:2 10-bit internally.

Both cameras also support up to DCI 4K/60p recording without applying any crop, and both can shoot 1080/240p slow-motion footage.

They offer the latest F-Log 2 profile with up to 14+ stops of dynamic range.

Combined with a compatible HDMI recording device from Atomos or Blackmagic Design, 12-bit RAW video output can be recorded as Apple ProRes RAW or Blackmagic RAW.

They have a digital zoom function that uses the camera’s 40.2MP sensor to deliver up to 2x of digital zoom with little to no loss in resolution when recording video in 4K.

Autofocus

The new X-T50 has exactly the same hybrid autofocus system with phase detection and and contrast detections points as the more expensive X-T5.

In the Single point AF mode there are up to 425 selectable AF points arranged in a 25×17 grid. Alternatively, the camera can be set to 117 points in a 13×9 grid, and the size of the points can also be varied.

In addition to Single point AF, there’s Zone AF which allows the AF points to be selected in 3×3, 5×5 or 7×7 groups, and Wide/Tracking AF.

Both cameras can automatically detect animals, birds, cars, bikes, planes and trains thanks to the X-Processor 5’s AI deep learning capabilities.

Thanks to the 40 megapixel sensor, they also offers a large number of PDAF points (3.3 million).

Both cameras can focus down to an incredible -7EV in low-light.

Burst Shooting

Both models can shoot at up to 20fps when using the electronic shutter, with a 1.29x crop applied.

There is one key difference though. While the X-T5 provides 15fps continuous shooting speed when using the mechanical shutter, the X-T50 is limited to just 5fps.

It does have a much larger buffer though when using the mechanical shutter – 1000+ JPEG or compressed RAW frames versus 119 on the X-T5.

Shutter Speed

Both cameras offer an impressive fastest shutter speed of 1/180000 sec for the electronic shutter.

This allows users to leave the aperture wide open in very bright conditions such as a sunny beach or a ski slope, or to capture a split-second motion.

Body and Design

The X-T5 implements all of the traditional dials and controls that Fuji users have come to know and love, including the classic Fujifilm ISO, Shutter Speed and Exposure Compensation dials on top of the camera.

The X-T50 take a similar approach with three dials on the top-plate, but one of them is the brand new dedicated Film Simulation dial which replaces the drive mode dial. This is a first for the X-T series, providing quick access to selected simulations plus three user selectable modes.

Featuring a new rounded design, the X-T50 is significantly smaller and lighter than the flagship X-T5.

The XT5 weighs 476g body only or 557g with a battery and memory card fitted.

The XT50 weighs 389g body only or 438g with a battery and memory card fitted.

IBIS

IBIS is included for the first time on an X-Txx series camera, so both the X-T50 and X-T5 feature 5-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) that delivers up to 7 stops of in-body image stabilisation.

Viewfinder

The X-T5 has a very good 3.68M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder with 0.80x magnification, 100fps refresh rate and a built-in eye sensor.

The EVF on the XT50 is slightly inferior, with 2.36M-dot resolution, 0.62x magnification, 100fps refresh rate and a built-in eye sensor.

LCD Screen

One of the biggest differences between these two cameras is the action of the LCD screen.

Fujifilm implemented a 3-way tilting LCD on the X-T5, saying that it better matched its more stills-focused nature.

The screen on the new X-T50 has an even simpler 2-way tilting design which makes it less versatile, especially for video use.

The resolution of the screen on both cameras is 1.84M-dots, making it the highest-res screen of any current Fujifilm APS-C camera.

Memory Cards

The X-T5 has dual memory card slots, utilising two UHS-II SD card slots housed in a dedicated compartment on the side of the body.

The smaller X-T50 only has a single UHS-II SD card slot that’s located on the bottom of the camera inside the battery compartment.

Battery Life

The X-T5 uses the larger-capacity NP-W235 battery, which provides up to 740 shot battery life in economy mode.

The X-T50 uses the smaller-capacity NP-W126S battery, which only provides up to 390 shot battery life in economy mode.

Both cameras can also be powered and charged via a USB-C connection, which is useful if you’re out and about and have a compatible power-bank to plug the camera into.

Battery Grip

Perhaps somewhat controversially, both the new X-T50 and the X-T5 do not support a vertical battery grip (there are no contacts on the bottom of either camera).

Fujifilm say this is based on market data for the previous models which showed that the majority of owners did not buy one.

Instead you can buy the optional MHG-XT5 metal hand grip if you feel than the body on its own is too small, but this only applies to the X-T5, as no hand grip has been released for the X-T50.

Price

The Fujifilm X-T5 is priced at £1699 / $1799 body-only in the UK and USA respectively.

The newer Fujifilm X-T50 is priced at £1299 / $1399 body only.

Conclusion

The new Fujifilm X-T50 uses exactly the same 5th generation 40-megapixel sensor and image processor as the X-T5, so it essentially provides the same stills, video and auto-focus performance – you’d really be hard-pressed to tell the differences, if any, between them.

Offering a similar classic retro styling and control layout to the X-T5, the X-T50 is also both smaller and lighter and has the handy new Film Simulation dial, whilst costing some £400 / $400 less than its big brother.

On the flip-side, the X-T50’s LCD screen has more limited 2-axis movement, the electronic viewfinder is lower in both resolution and magnification, there’s no 160mp Pixel Shift Multi-Shot mode, continuous shooting is much slower when using the mechanical shutter, the battery life is much smaller, there’s only one memory card slot housed more inconveniently in the battery compartment, and no optional hand-grip at all.

So what do you think? Would you choose the new X-T50 or the flagship X-T5? Leave a comment below!

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Another case of wildlife fever in the confines of Yellowstone National Park with this recent video of a photographer who got way too close to a mother bear and her cubs despite being warning that he was in violation of park policies. No need to get that close for pictures dude…look at the size of you lens!

“As much as visitors enjoy seeing grizzly bears in Yellowstone, this is a prime of example on what not to do. This bear with her cubs has been feeding for the last 10 days on a drowned bison and the location is no secret, hence all the people. You need to keep at least 100 yards, otherwise stay in your car. The photographer in the street refused to leave the area even after letting him know multiple times in advance that she was going to cross the road. Ethical photography needs to be practiced at all times.” -Yellowstone Tour Guide Andrea Baratte

Fujifilm has announced the new Fujifilm GFX100S II (buy here). As the successor to the Fuji GFX100S (buy here), it brings upgrades to pretty much every aspect of the camera. It sports a new 102MP sensor, AI autofocus, and even adds ProRes and Blackmagic RAW video.

The new 102MP sensor is accompanied by the new X-Processor 5 image engine. The electronic viewfinder has been upgraded to 5.76 million pixels, with a 3.2″ three-way tilting touchscreen LCD on the back.

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Fujifilm GFX100S II – Medium format upgraded

The Fuji GFX100S was a big hit when it launched in 2021. It took a while to come to market after its initial 2018 development announcement, but they got there in the end. Now, we have the GFX100S II, which upgrades pretty much everything.

While it still features the same 102-megapixel resolution, it is an entirely new sensor. The new sensor and X-Processor 5 increase the ISO range to 80-12,800 (40-25,600 extended), with video’s lowest ISO dropping from 200 to 100 for working in brighter conditions.

It also brings up the maximum continuous shooting speed. The electronic shutter bumps up from 2.9fps to 4.1fps, and the mechanical shutter has increased from 5fps to 7fps. It’s also now capable of shooting ProRes and Blackmagic RAW video internally.

Fujifilm GFX100S II Specs

FUJINON GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens

Along with the new camera, Fujifilm has also announced a new lens, the FUJINON GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens (buy here). This is the longest lens in the Fujifilm X lineup, offering a field of view similar to 400mm on a full-frame camera.

Designed for sports and wildlife, it features six stops of built-in stabilisation, which gets bumped up to 8 when used with the GFX100S II. It has an f/5.6 aperture, which isn’t terribly bright, but given that you’ll mostly be using a lens like this in bright conditions, that’s not going to be too much of an issue. It also keeps the price relatively low.

FUJINON GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens Specs

Price and Availability

The Fujifilm GFX100S II is available to pre-order now for $4,999. The FUJINON GF 500mm f/5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens is available to pre-order now for $3,499. Shipping for both items is slated for June 17th.