Photo Rumors

Venus Optics announces the Laowa 15mm f/4 – the world’s widest 1:1 macro lens

By PR admin | Published: June 23, 2015

Venus Optics announced the Laowa 15mm f/4 wide angle 1:1 macro lens – the world’s widest 1:1 macro lens (pre-order here). Here are the details:

110 degrees of view angle
1:1 macro ability with infinity focus
+/- 6mm Shift ability
12 elements in 9 groups with 3 pieces of High Refractive elements and 1 piece of Extra-low dispension lens
Multi-layer low-reflective coatings to avoid unnecessary flare
Carefully control on the sharpness both in the centre and the edge.
Limited barrel distortion
14 pieces of aperture blades form a close-to-circular aperture
Flat Front element surface for filter installation.
The enclosure of the lens is made of metal to strengthen its durability.
Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony Alpha A, Sony FE & Pentax K mounts are available.
Full Frame Sensor Supported
Price: $479

Additional information:

Fuji X-T1 firmware update version 4.0 to be released on June 29th

By PR admin | Published: June 23, 2015

The new firmware update version 4.0 for the Fuji X-T1 camera will be officially released on June 29th. Additional information on the improvements can be found here.

Posted in Fuji| Tagged firmware, Fuji X-T1| 4 Comments

Adobe resets their Creative Cloud trial so you can try it again

By PR admin | Published: June 22, 2015

Adobe reset their Creative Cloud trial versions so you can see what’s new and check all the latest updates even if you already had a trial in the past:

“We’ve reset our Creative Cloud trial versions so you can see what’s new. The 2015 release of Creative Cloud is here and we’ve reset the clock on our product trials, including Adobe Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC and InDesign CC. So take advantage of this opportunity to test-drive the latest features by taking free trials of your favorite apps.”

The Adobe Creative Cloud 2015 pricing can be found here.

Posted in Adobe| Tagged Adobe Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC| 20 Comments

What else is new?

By PR admin | Published: June 22, 2015

→ Sample photos from the Sigma dp0 Quattro camera ($999) published online (more photos available here).

→ The Sony a7R camera is now $400 off.

→ The $100 off discount for the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens will expire on June 30th.

Posted in Deals, Eye-Fi, Kowa, Sigma, Sony| Tagged Sigma dp0 Quattro, Sony A7/A7r| Leave a comment

Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 full frame lens review and sample photos

By PR admin | Published: June 20, 2015

Tom published his review of the Mitakon 85mm f/1.2 lens ($799):

Posted in Mitakon| Tagged Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 full frame lens| 7 Comments

Canon 10mm f/2.8L USM full frame lens and other patents from Canon, Sony and Olympus

By PR admin | Published: June 20, 2015

→ Is Canon getting into the drone business? A recently filed patent describes how to control the angle of the vertical and horizontal direction of the camera and how to analyze coordinates from GPS satellite.

→ Canon filed a patent for a full frame Canon 10mm f/2.8L USM lens (not a fisheye).

→ Canon filed a patent to increase the dynamic range by using a half-ND filter and DPAF.

→ Canon has a patent for a camera with translucent/pellicle mirror and EVF.

More patents after the break:

Posted in Canon, Olympus, Sony| Tagged Patents| 8 Comments

The Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art full frame lens officially announced

By PR admin | Published: June 19, 2015

The Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art lens I reported yesterday is now officially announced and will be available in Sigma, Canon and Nikon mounts. The matching lens hood is LH876-03. Check pricing at B&H.

Update: some sample images and a quick hands-on review can be found here.

Technical specifications:

Lens Construction: 18 elements in 13 groups
Minimum aperture: F16
Filter size: 82mm
Angle of view (35mm): 84.1°-63.4°
Minimum focusing distance: 28cm/11.0in.
Dimensions (Diameter x Length): 87.6mm x 122.7mm/3.4in. x 4.8in.
Number of diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded diaphragm)
Maximum magnification ratio: 1:4.4
Weight: 940g/33.2oz.

Posted in Sigma| Tagged Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art len| 28 Comments

Topaz DeNoise plugin is 25% off this month

By PR admin | Published: June 19, 2015

The Topaz DeNoise plugin is 25% off ($20 off) for the month of June with coupon code JUNEDENOISE. Topaz DeNoise is used to remove distracting High ISO image noise and preserves detail. Here are two before and after examples:

Posted in Deals, Topaz Labs| Leave a comment

Fuji X-T10, Panasonic G7 cameras, new Sony Vario-Sonnar lenses now in stock

By PR admin | Published: June 18, 2015

Now shipping in the US and currently in stock:

Posted in Fuji, Panasonic, Sony| Tagged Fuji X-T10, Panasonic G7| Leave a comment

Ricoh GR II camera additional coverage

By PR admin | Published: June 18, 2015

The new Ricoh GR II camera did not bring any significant updates (only Wi-Fi, NFC, upgraded AWB and wireless flash sync), but it still remains one of the best compact cameras available today. Here is some additional coverage on the new GR II:

→ Ricoh announced also a new limited edition GR II set that includes a leather case, hand strap and a green lens ring.