Reikan FoCal 2.0 released (Autofocus calibration tool for Nikon and Canon DSLR cameras)

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FoCal Version 2.0 Final has been released for both Mac and Windows platforms:

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Uncompressed 14-bit RAW firmware update fot the Sony A7R II coming in mid-October

Sony-14-bit-uncompressed-RAW-for-A7-camera
Sony Japan announced that their new uncompressed 14-bit RAW firmware update for the A7rII  camera will be officially released in mid-October. There is no information regarding the A7sII firmware update.

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Rokinon 50mm f/1.2 and 21mm f/1.4 mirrorless lenses now shipping

Rokinon 50mm f:1.2 and 21mm f:1.4 mirrorless lenses
The Rokinon 21mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.2 mirrorless lenses are now shipping and are currently in stock at Amazon:

A silver version of the lenses is also available:

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The latest patents from Canon, Panasonic and Konica Minolta

Canon 58mm f:1.4 lens patent
The latest Canon patent is for a 58mm f/1.4 lens (probably to compete with the Nikon 58mm f/1.4).

Canon EF-S 9-20mm f:4.5-5.6 IS STM lens designed for APS-C DSLR cameras
Canon also filed a patent for a EF-S 9-20mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM lens (designed for APS-C DSLR cameras). This could be the replacement for the current EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM lens. Canon also has a new patent application for a global shutter.

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This Tiny1 camera from TinyMos is designed for astrophotography

TinyMos Tiny1 camera for astrophotography
TinyMos Tiny1 camera for astrophotography 2
TinyMos Tiny1 camera for astrophotography 3
Tinymos are working on a new small Tiny1 camera that is specifically designed for astrophotography. There is not much information available on their website right now:

“The Tiny1 is a small and powerful camera that delivers excellent image quality in low-light situations.
The Tiny1 is currently in development and will be available for crowdfunding at the end of the year.”

but there are several sample photos taken with a prototype:

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Top 10 PhotoRumors posts for September 2015

Samsung NX1 mirrorless camera 8 Sony logo DxO-One-camera
Sony-a7s-mirrorless-camera Tamron-SP-35mm-and-45mm-f1.8-Di-VC-USD-lenses-for-Nikon-F-mount-2 Rank-Taylor IRTAL 200mm f:1.0 lens 4
HD PENTAX-D FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SDM WR lens Camera-Restricta-prototype Size of the Pentax full frame DSLR camera compared to the K-3
The top 10 PhotoRumors posts for September, 2015:

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New Kinoshita Kistar 55mm f/1.2 lens

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Kinoshita-Kistar-55mm-f_1.2-lens-on-Sony-a7-II
Kinoshita Kogaku Kenkyujyo, a Japanese optical laboratory that designs lenses for various purposes, announced the Kinoshita Kistar 55mm f/1.2 lens – a modern interpretation of the famous Tomioka Kogaku Auto Tominon 55mm f/1.2 from the ’70s. The new lens is meant to be used on mirrorless cameras with the appropriate adapter. Here are the lens specifications:

  • 7 elements in 6 groups
  • minimum focusing distance: 50cm
  • 8-blade iris
  • filter thread diameter: 55mm
  • single-layer coating
  • 64.5mm (max. diameter) × 56mm (length)
  • 310g
  • Contax/Yashica mount
  • price: ¥124.200 (approx. $1,049 – but is currently listed for $1,465 on eBay)

Additional information:

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Ricoh announced a new limited edition GR II camera kit

Ricoh-limited-edition-GR-II-kit
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Ricoh Japan announced a new limited edition GR II camera kit to celebrate the 10 years anniversary of the GR product line. Only 1,200 kits will be produced. The price was not announced (update: the UK price is £999.99). Shipping will start on October 23rd. The Ricoh limited edition GR II kit includes:

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Sales of Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II camera to resume in November

Olympus-OM-D-E-M10-Mark-II-mirrorless-camera-4
Olympus Japan published an update on the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II availability – sales will resume in November, 2015. The company pulled the camera out of the market few weeks ago because of a manufacturing issue. US owners of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II can use this form to send the camera for back for repair.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II camera was announced back in August in the following configurations:

 

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Fuji announced a new Instax Mini 70 camera

Fuji Instax Mini 70 camera
Today Fujifilm announced a new Instax Mini 70 camera ($139.95). Why? Because the Fuji Instax cameras are one of the best sellers on Amazon and the company reported a strong growth for that product line in their latest (2015) annual report:

Fuji-Instax-camera-best-seller Fuji-Instax-camera-best-seller-2
What’s new in the Instax Mini 70 camera:

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