Tokina 24-70mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro FX lens for Nikon and Canon now available for pre-order

Tokina-AT-X-24-70-f2.8-PRO-FX-full-frame-lens
Tokina-AT-X-24-70-f2.8-PRO-FX-full-frame-lens-specs

Available in both Canon and Nikon mounts, the Tokina 24-70mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro FX lens is now available for pre-order at B&HAdorama and Amazon. The price is $999 and shipping will start in August. Additional information on the new lens is available here.

Update: Tokina published new sample photos from their 24-70mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro FX lens.

Posted in Tokina | Tagged | 11 Comments

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

Venus-Optics-Laowa-15mm-f4-Wide-Angle-1-1-Macro-Lens
Venus-Optics-Laowa-15mm-f4-Wide-Angle-1-1-Macro-Lens-2
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:

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Posted in Laowa, Venus Optics | Tagged | 37 Comments

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

Fuji-X-T1-camera-firmware-update-ver.-4.00
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.

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

Adobe-Creative-Cloud-trial-reset
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.

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What else is new?

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

Sony-A7r-full-frame-mirrorless-camera
→ The Sony a7R camera is now $400 off.

Sigma-50mm-f1.4-DG-HSM-Art-lens-discount
The $100 off discount for the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens will expire on June 30th.

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

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

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

Canon drone patent

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

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

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

More patents after the break:

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

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

Sigma 24-35mm f:2 DG HSM Art lens
Sigma 24-35mm f:2 DG HSM Art lens 2
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.

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Posted in Sigma | Tagged | 28 Comments