Exotic exposures
We might just call it 'the phone', but an iPhone 16 Pro, Google Pixel 9 Pro or Samsung S25, has a seriously smart camera, and a series of lenses.
We have the luxury of being able to point and shoot, and our smartphone camera will pull out just about all the tricks in the book to make us look like a brilliant photographer.
We travellers then have the luxury of a wide range of light, high quality mirrorless cameras — the Sony range, Canon's R7, Nikon's Z8, and the Panasonic Lumix and Olympus OM ranges, for example.
And then there is the seriously 'luxury' end of digital photography.
I've just spotted a Hasselblad H6D-100c medium format DSLR camera in a sale. This camera has a recommended retail price of $58,309 — but in this online sale, this price has a line through it and it is replaced by a price of $58,299. Ten dollars off! (Sign me up now!)
(By the way, would you like a lens with that camera body? The Hasselblad XCD 28mm f/4 P lens is a mere $3020.
But for sheer 'isn't that beautiful' luxury, you'd have to track down a Leica R3 Electronic Gold 'Oskar Barnack 100th Anniversary'. It's like jewellery-and-camera rolled into one. Just 1000 cameras were made in 1979 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Oskar Barnack, the inventor of the LEICA camera.
Plated in 24 carat gold and with a lizard skin covering, the front of the prism housing is engraved with Barnack's signature and the dates '1879-1979'. Match it with a Leitz Wetzlar Summilux-R 50mm F1.4 lens. And what might you pay for it? Somewhere between $16,000 for a reasonably well-used one, to $23,000 for a cracker in a box.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
13-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
The anti-doomscroll phone that wants to mix it up with Apple
'When you talk about spec wars, we're not there fighting to win that. We're making holistic products that for the majority of users are really wonderful, well-balanced experiences,' said Nothing global marketing director Hollie Bishop. 'We truly believe that NothingOS is the best operating system for consumers, and for us as users as well. People might do comparisons, but how can you compare the Glyph Matrix experience? It doesn't exist anywhere else in the industry.' 'It's very functional, it still sits within our mission of making tech fun, but also making tech work for your life, instead fuelling the addiction of 'I need to pick up my phone every five seconds',' Bishop said. The current version of NothingOS is built on top of Android 15, though a version built on Android 16 is due later this year. Its key differentiator from other flavours of Android is its range of features designed to manage your screen time. App icons can be automatically made monochrome or hidden in themed folders, while Nothing's widgets and sound effects all evoke the LCD displays and low-fi bloops of pre-internet tech. The company has shied away from integrating AI as a creative tool, in contrast to basically every other phone maker, but it does allow you to make use of Gemini or ChatGPT if you choose. It also launched its own AI suite this year called Essential Space, where you can store screenshots, photos or voice notes about things you want to remember, and have them automatically categorised, turned into reminders or suggested as calendar entries. With Phone 3, Nothing is introducing Essential Search, which can surface information from your files and apps but can also answer questions using the web, with reference links provided. Bishop said the phone had benefited from expansions in Nothing's hardware and camera teams and was competitive as a flagship experience, but that its more joyful elements and software offerings would continue to evolve as it would receive major updates for at least five years. 'We're a four-year-old company – the strides we've made in such a short time we're super proud of,' she said. 'And the only way we're able to do that is because we're still agile – we're not trapped within multiple layers of process or held down through bureaucracy, which shows in our AI road map, from Essential Space opening in March, to Essential Search already being available.' Meanwhile, the new Headphone 1 is a set of $550 noise-cancelling cans designed to hold up against the more expensive offerings from Apple and Sony. They have enthusiast-favourite features that are often left out of expensive commuter headphones, such as support for wired high-res sound over USB-C or 3.5mm cable, and have custom drivers tuned by iconic British audio firm KEF. When paired with a Nothing phone, they can integrate with Essential Space, but they also fully support AI voice assistants and a full array of settings and equaliser customisation on iPhones and other Androids. The headphones feature a transparency mode to hear the world around you, and can intelligently adapt the level of noise-cancelling to save battery; with NC off, Nothing said they should last 80 hours on a charge. Both devices carry Nothing's trademark approach to industrial design, with transparent panels exposing textured, overlapping elements, some of which represent the tech underneath and others of which are pure whimsy. The controls also strike a balance between function and play; this is, after all, the same company that puts spinning fidget dials on the cases of its wireless earbuds. The Headphone 1 forgoes the touch controls and multifunction buttons of most rival over-ears, instead going for tactile controls that feel like something off a '90s disc player or compact synth. There's a roller for volume, a paddle for skipping tracks, a switch for power and a button that can summon an AI assistant or be set to any other function. On Phone 3, aside from the expected smartphone controls, there's a glossy pill-shaped button to interact with Essential Space and a hidden pressure-sensitive zone on the back of the phone for activating the Glyph Matrix. Nothing began in earbuds and moved to phones, and most recently waded into the burgeoning category of open-ear audio before tackling over-ear. Bishop said that the company's design team was full of ideas to put the Nothing spin on various products, but that it planned to be strategic. 'For us, it's a considered growth. We are very confident in our audio offering. A lot of the team internally have pleasure projects in the audio space; we've got a lot of DJs at the Nothing team. So we've made these products that we want to use, and that we don't think exist in the way that we see them in the industry,' she said. 'We could make anything. We have fan renders of laptops, tablets, all of these things. And we do have a road map of where we want to go. We've got a few other things coming up in the future that are more experimental and more playing into potentially new categories, or a new take on a current category.' Loading But on the subject of fans, some of the online Nothing community have had a viscerally negative reaction to Phone 3, variously blasting it as underpowered, criticising the price relative to previous Nothing products, complaining about the loss of the glyph lights, and rejecting the visual design as ugly. Bishop said that the team enjoyed seeing any discussion of the aesthetics ('design should make you feel something, if it doesn't, then we're doing something wrong'), but that some of the reaction was an understandable response to the device targeting a different market. 'It's a stake in the ground. If [we're going to be] a tech company that really is different, we need to have a product offering for all consumer types. The choices we've made with Phone 3 is a flagship experience. If it's [not for you] we have the 3a, and the 3a Pro,' she said. 'We've recognised that we have different markets with different needs, and there are certain more price-sensitive markets that have been very vocal about Phone 3. But we're a global company, so we're open to hear the feedback, and we're always learning.' Specifically regarding the Glyph Matrix, Bishop said she expected reactions to adjust once the phone was in the wild. The original Glyph Lights had been ridiculed before launch but had since seen significant use. She said the system would continue to evolve, and future products could potentially return to the lights or feature something new. 'We're not in a box – we can be dynamic and evolve. Depending on the product offering or the price point offering, or what the consumer's need is, we can offer different options which still have the same foundation: making tech that is more for your life.
The Age
13-07-2025
- The Age
The anti-doomscroll phone that wants to mix it up with Apple
'When you talk about spec wars, we're not there fighting to win that. We're making holistic products that for the majority of users are really wonderful, well-balanced experiences,' said Nothing global marketing director Hollie Bishop. 'We truly believe that NothingOS is the best operating system for consumers, and for us as users as well. People might do comparisons, but how can you compare the Glyph Matrix experience? It doesn't exist anywhere else in the industry.' 'It's very functional, it still sits within our mission of making tech fun, but also making tech work for your life, instead fuelling the addiction of 'I need to pick up my phone every five seconds',' Bishop said. The current version of NothingOS is built on top of Android 15, though a version built on Android 16 is due later this year. Its key differentiator from other flavours of Android is its range of features designed to manage your screen time. App icons can be automatically made monochrome or hidden in themed folders, while Nothing's widgets and sound effects all evoke the LCD displays and low-fi bloops of pre-internet tech. The company has shied away from integrating AI as a creative tool, in contrast to basically every other phone-maker, but it does allow you to make use of Gemini or ChatGPT if you choose. It also launched its own AI suite this year called Essential Space, where you can store screenshots, photos or voice notes about things you want to remember, and have them automatically categorised, turned into reminders or suggested as calendar entries. With Phone 3, Nothing is introducing Essential Search, which can surface information from your files and apps but can also answer questions using the web, with reference links provided. Bishop said the phone had benefited from expansions in Nothing's hardware and camera teams and was competitive as a flagship experience, but that its more joyful elements and software offerings would continue to evolve as it would receive major updates for at least five years. 'We're a four-year-old company – the strides we've made in such a short time we're super proud of,' she said. And the only way we're able to do that is because we're still agile – we're not trapped within multiple layers of process or held down through bureaucracy, which shows in our AI roadmap. From Essential Space opening in March, to Essential Search already being available.' Meanwhile, the new Headphone 1 is a set of $550 noise-cancelling cans designed to hold up against the more expensive offerings from Apple and Sony. They feature enthusiast-favourite features that are often left out of expensive commuter headphones, such as support for wired high-res sound over USB-C or 3.5mm cable, and have custom drivers tuned by iconic British audio firm KEF. When paired with a Nothing phone, they can integrate with Essential Space, but they also fully support AI voice assistants and a full array of settings and equaliser customisation on iPhones and other Androids. The Headphones feature a transparency mode to hear the world around you, and can intelligently adapt the level of noise-cancelling to save battery; with NC off, Nothing said they should last 80 hours on a charge. Both devices carry Nothing's trademark approach to industrial design, with transparent panels exposing textured, overlapping elements, some of which represent the tech underneath and others of which are pure whimsy. The controls also strike a balance between function and play; this is after all the same company that puts spinning fidget dials on the cases of its wireless earbuds. The Headphone 1 foregoes the touch controls and multifunction buttons of most rival over-ears, instead going for tactile controls that feel like something off a 90s disc player or compact synth. There's a roller for volume, a paddle for skipping tracks, a switch for power and a button that can summon an AI assistant or be set to any other function. On Phone 3, aside from the expected smartphone controls, there's a glossy pill-shaped button to interact with Essential Space and a hidden pressure-sensitive zone on the back of the phone for activating the Glyph Matrix. Nothing began in earbuds and moved to phones, and most recently waded into the burgeoning category of open-ear audio before tackling over-ear. Bishop said that the company's design team was full of ideas to put the Nothing spin on various products, but that it planned to be strategic. 'For us, it's a considered growth. We are very confident in our audio offering. A lot of the team internally have pleasure projects in the audio space; we've got a lot of DJs at the Nothing team. So we've made these products that we want to use, and that we don't think exist in the way that we see them in the industry,' she said. 'We could make anything. We have fan renders of laptops, tablets, all of these things. And we do have a roadmap of where we want to go. We've got a few other things coming up in the future that are more experimental and more playing into potentially new categories, or a new take on a current category.' Loading But on the subject of fans, some of the online Nothing community have had a viscerally negative reaction to Phone 3, variously blasting it as underpowered, criticising the price relative to previous Nothing products, complaining about the loss of the glyph lights, and rejecting the visual design as ugly. Bishop said that the team enjoyed seeing any discussion of the aesthetics ('design should make you feel something, if it doesn't, then we're doing something wrong'), but that some of the reaction was an understandable response to the device targeting a different market. 'It's a stake in the ground. If [we're going to be] a tech company that really is different, we need to have a product offering for all consumer types. The choices we've made with Phone 3 is a flagship experience. If it's [not for you] we have the 3a, and the 3a Pro,' she said. 'We've recognised that we have different markets with different needs, and there are certain more price-sensitive markets that have been very vocal about Phone 3. But we're a global company, so we're open to hear the feedback, and we're always learning.' Specifically regarding the Glyph Matrix, Bishop said she expected reactions to adjust once the phone was in the wild. The original Glyph Lights had been ridiculed before launch but had since seen significant use. She said the system would continue to evolve, and future products could potentially return to the lights or feature something new. 'We're not in a box – we can be dynamic and evolve. Depending on the product offering or the price point offering, or what the consumer's need is, we can offer different options which still have the same foundation: making tech that is more for your life.
7NEWS
08-07-2025
- 7NEWS
Sony's best-selling noise-cancelling headphones drop to $398 for Prime Day – Olivia Rodrigo and Post Malone are fans
I've been to more launch events than I can count, but when Sony handed me a pair of their WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones earlier this year, I had no idea I was about to fall in love. These headphones haven't left my ears since. They've become my go-to for everything, flights, morning walks, Zoom calls, and even blocking out the chaos of a busy cafe while I work. And now, in truly exciting news, they're on sale for Amazon Prime Day. Normally retailing for $549, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are down to just $398 during the Prime Day sales. That's a saving of over 27 per cent and a rare chance to grab celebrity-approved gear for way less. Pop royalty Olivia Rodrigo and Post Malone have both been spotted wearing the WH-1000XM5s and now I totally get why. Sony has truly outdone itself with this model. The headphones are sleek, lightweight, and somehow manage to be both high-tech and incredibly comfortable. The soft fit leather is plush enough for all-day wear, which is lucky because I'm never taking them off. Let's talk sound. The noise cancellation is unreal. With 8 built-in microphones and dual processors, these headphones block out the world so completely that I genuinely missed my name being called at the airport. If you've never experienced true silence while still being able to hear every crisp detail of your music, it's a game-changer. And yes, the battery life is as impressive as they say. You get up to 30 hours on a full charge, and if you're in a rush, just three minutes plugged in gives you another three hours of use. The USB-C charging is fast, reliable and fuss-free. I also love the touch controls, swipe up to turn the volume up, tap to pause, or hold to activate your voice assistant. It's intuitive and smooth, and once you get used to it, you'll never go back to fiddly buttons again. Call quality is another big win. I've taken work calls while walking down a busy street and still sounded clear on the other end, thanks to the four beamforming mics and advanced audio processing tech. Whether you're taking calls, listening to podcasts or escaping into a playlist, the WH-1000XM5 delivers a premium listening experience from start to finish.
