Four new lenses from Sigma and Tamron to be announced next week

Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art

Sigma 50-100mm f:1.8 DC HSM Art lens

  • Lens construction: 21 elements in 15 groups
  • Three FLD, one SLD elements, one high-refractive-index high-dispersion glass, three high refractive index SLD glass
  • Filter size: 82mm
  • Shortest focusing distance: 95cm
  • Maximum magnification: 1: 6.7
  • Total length: 170.7mm
  • Maximum diameter: 93.5mm
  • Weight: 1490g
  • Aperture blades: 9 (circular aperture)
  • New thinned ultrasonic motor
  • Inner focus, inner zoom
  • Suggested retail price in Japan: 167,400 yen (tax included) or around $1,400
  • Available in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts
  • Release Date April 22

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens

Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary lens

  • Lens design: 9 elements in 7 groups (double-sided aspherical lens high refractive index and high dispersion glass)
  • Aperture blades: 9 (circular aperture)
  • Filter Size: 52mm
  • AF motor: stepping motor
  • Shortest focusing distance: 30cm
  • Inner focus
  • Total length: 73.3mm
  • Maximum diameter: 64.8mm
  • Weight: 265g
  • Available in Sony E and Micro Four Thirds mounts
  • Release Date: March 18, 2016
  • Suggested retail price in Japan: 51,840 yen (tax included) or around $400

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Laowa Zero-D 12mm f/2.8 distortion-free lens coming soon

Laowa Zero-D 12mm f:2.8 lens
The small Chinese company Anhui Changgeng Optical Technology Company Limited, better known as Venus Optics has already announced several niche, highly specialized lenses:

Their lenses are sold in a variety of mounts, including Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sony A and Sony E. They are currently working on a rectilinear, almost distortion-free ultra-wide angle lens for 24x36 cameras: the Laowa Zero-D 12mm f/2.8 (Zero-D symbolizing the absence of distortion). The main specifications of the prototype are the following:

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Posted in Laowa, Venus Optics | Tagged | 44 Comments

Tamron to announce a new SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD lens

Tamron lens teaser 2016 CP show
One of the lenses on the Tamron teaser I posted about few days ago will be a new SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD and will be available in Nikon, Canon and Sony mounts (via Digicame-info). There is already a patent for a Tamron SP 85mm f/1.4 Di VC USD lens. The second lens that will be announced on February 22nd will probably be wide angle, since Tamron already has 35mm and 45mm SP lenses.

Update: the second Tamron lens will be a SP 90mm f/2.8 Di MACRO 1: 1 VC USD (Model F017) for Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts (no VC for Sony).

Posted in Tamron | 47 Comments

Canon announcement: EOS 80D, G7 X Mark II, SX720 HS, PZ-E1, DM-E1 and 18-135mm lens

Canon EOS 80D DSLR Camera

Canon EOS 80D DSLR Camera

Price : $1,199 (available for pre-order)

New AF System and Dual Pixel CMOS AF
The 45-point all cross-type viewfinder AF system in the new Canon EOS 80D DSLR camera, compared to 19-points in the Canon EOS 70D DSLR camera, is now wider both horizontally and vertically for easier compositions with off-center subjects. Low light AF performance has been improved all the way down to EV-3 at the center point to achieve sharp results even in extreme low-light situations. The camera’s AI (Artificial Intelligence) Servo AF II autofocusing system utilizes color tracking with a 7,560-pixel RGB+IR metering sensor that automatically detects skin tone and colors to enhance tracking sensitivity, even with moving subjects that are rapidly changing pace or direction. Enhancing the ease-of-use of the new AF system is the Canon EOS 80D’s new Intelligent Viewfinder which features approximately 100% viewfinder coverage. The full coverage helps prevent photographers from missing objects that are in the corners of the scene, which can reduce the need to crop images later on.

Dual Pixel CMOS AF employs a new Canon CMOS sensor with which all of the effective pixels are able to perform both still imaging and phase-detection AF simultaneously to achieve dramatically improved AF performance during Live View and video shooting. The Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology in the Canon EOS 80D camera features enhanced tracking sensitivity and is compatible with the full line of Canon EF Series lenses, including the new Canon EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM standard zoom lens.

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Pentax K-1 full frame DSLR camera officially announced


The Pentax K-1 full frame DSLR camera is now officially announced. Head over to PentaxRumors for a detailed coverage.

Posted in Pentax, Ricoh | Tagged | 69 Comments

DxO ONE camera already $220 off

DxO-One-camera-for-iPhone-2
Just few months after the DxO ONE camera started shipping, the price dropped by $220 to $379.99 at Amazon:

DxO ONE camera price drop

Posted in Deals, DxO | Tagged | 7 Comments

Pentax K-1 announcement in few hours

Pentax K-1 full frame DSLR camera 6
Pentax K-1 full frame DSLR camera 5Pentax K-1 full frame DSLR camera 4Pentax K-1 full frame DSLR camera 7
In few hours Ricoh will officially announce the long awaited Pentax K-1 full frame DSLR camera (around 11pm EST). You can follow the detailed coverage over at PentaxRumors.com. In the mean time check out the latest leaked K-1 press photosdetailed technical specifications and the rumored US pricing.

Posted in Pentax, Ricoh | Tagged | 23 Comments

Canon EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens specifications and pictures

Canon EF-S18-135mm f:3.5-5.6 IS USM lens
Canon EF-S18-135mm f:3.5-5.6 IS USM lens 2
The latest Canon EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens specifications and pictures:

  • Lens construction: 16 elements in 12 group (one UD lens and one aspherical lens)
  • 7 aperture blades (circular aperture)
  • Shortest photographing distance: 0.39 m
  • Maximum magnification: 0.28 times
  • AF motor: Nano USM
  • Full-time manual focus is possible
  • 4 stops image stabilization with modes: mode 1 / mode 2 / dynamic iS (auto)
  • Filter diameter: 67mm
  • Total length: 96 mm
  • Maximum diameter: 77.4mm
  • Weight: 515g
  • New Nano USM development: fast & quiet & smooth servo AF in video
  • Power zoom adapter PZ-E1 for smooth zooming during video

Additional pictures:

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