Weekly Wash: the 5 biggest camera news stories of the week (August 04)

Weekly Wash – composite image showing a mystery Canon camera, a Canon EOS R1, an Atomos Shinobi II, the Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD, and Olympic surfer Gabriel Medina

It's seldom a dull week in the world of cameras and photography, but things are always ratcheted up a notch during the Olympics.

A stunning surfer shot went viral, being declared the "greatest sports photo of all time" by some, and camera rumors ran rampant about a new Olympic camera on the way from Canon.

Elsewhere Tamron dropped a sweet new superzoom lens, while Atomos launched the long-awaited successor to one of its most popular products.

Here are the five top stories of the past week…

The best photo of the Olympic Games? 

Brazil's Gabriel Medina reacts after getting a large wave in the 5th heat of the men's surfing round 3, during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Teahupo'o, on the French Polynesian Island of Tahiti, on July 29, 2024.

(Image credit: Jerome Brouillet/AFP/Getty Images)

French sports photographer Jerome Brouillet has taken what people are already calling the best photo of the 2024 Paris Olympics. That's a big shout, with another week of competition still to go, but then it is a stunning photo that encapsulates a moment of triumph. 

News agency France 24 asks if this is the "Greatest surf shot ever?, while Australian news network News.com.au says it "may just be the greatest sports photo of all time".

The image shows Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina rising triumphantly out of the surf having just successfully tackled one of the biggest waves rolling in Teahupo'o – the Tahitian venue for the 2024 Olympic surf competition. He went on to score a near-perfect 9.9, a record score for an Olympic competition… 

Read more: Is this the best photo of the 2024 Olympics? With 6 million likes it may be!

The Canon EOS R6 Mark III could arrive this year

Silhouette of a mystery Canon camera, against a white background on a reflective grey surface

Just weeks after the launch of the Canon EOS R1 and R5 Mark II, it's being reported that the Canon EOS R6 Mark III is "pretty much ready to go". 

If true, it would complete the refresh of Canon's headline full-frame mirrorless cameras. Crucially, the R6 Mark III would bring the company up to speed in the competitive hybrid space following the recent launch of the Nikon Z6 III

The timeline of the R6 family has been an interesting one. The original Canon EOS R6 launched in 2020, in tandem with the original EOS R5. However, it was replaced soon thereafter by the R6 Mark II in 2022 – one of the quickest product refreshes I can recall seeing…

Full story: Canon's next headline camera is "pretty much ready to go"

The Atomos Shinobi II is here

Atomos Shinobi II

(Image credit: Atomos)

Atomos has launched the much-longed-for update to its Shinobi series of on-camera monitors, the Atomos Shinobi II.

Released in 2019, the original Atomos Shinobi was the company's first monitor-only device and offered a smaller lightweight on-camera option for solo filmmakers and creators on the move. The Shinobi became a cult classic among new video makers, selling over 100,000 units worldwide, and after a 5-year wait it has leveled up.

The Shinobi II has been completely redesigned resulting in a slimmer, lighter and brighter monitor compared to its predecessor, and enables camera control via the five-inch touchscreen – music to many creatives' ears…

Full story: Atomos releases the Shinobi II – slimmer, lighter and more versatile

Tamron drops a new Sony superzoom

Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

(Image credit: Tamron)

Tamron has launched a new, longer superzoom lens for Sony full-frame mirrorless camera users. Tamron 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD offers greater range than the existing Tamron 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 Di III RXD, but even more impressively now adds built-in image stabilization.

With its 10.7x zoom ratio and measuring just 126mm (5in) in length, the 610g  (21.5oz) lens will be an attractive choice for those wanting all all-in-one zoom that can tackle wide-angle and telephoto subjects without needing to change lens - making it a great travel companion.

The lens has a minimum focus distance of 0.19m (7.5in) offering a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2.8 at the wide-angle end; the closest focusing distance is 0.99m (39in) when zoomed out to 300mm…

Full story: Tamron 28-300mm superzoom stretches range for Sony full-frame photographers

Is a Canon EOS R1X on the way?

Canon EOS R1 camera, against a black background, with the Roman numeral "X"

(Image credit: Canon)

No sooner has Canon announced its new flagship camera, the Canon EOS R1, than rumors emerge of a Canon EOS R1X – which is purported to be "the true flagship".

Where the R1 is a 24.2MP body, it is being reported that the R1X will likely be "a high resolution monster" with the words "80MP pro body" being used. 

As anyone who has followed the years-long EOS R1 saga will know, it has been the subject of more camera rumors than any product in history. And it seems that, even though the R1 has finally been revealed, the rumors just won't stop…

Full story: WTF rumor: is the Canon EOS R1X the "true flagship" or truly nonsense?

You might be interested in the best cameras for sports photography and the best hybrid cameras, along with the best telephoto lenses and the best on-camera monitors.

James Artaius
Editor

James has 22 years experience as a journalist, serving as editor of Digital Camera World for 6 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus / OM System, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and he loves instant cameras, too.