Black Friday deals and rebates *UPDATED*

In the US, Black Friday is a made up shopping day where retailers provide discounts in order to generate hype (and sales). Some of the Black Friday deals are already ongoing:


  • Amazon will be adding new deals every day through November 27. You will have to check their site to see what the current offerings are – they are not published in advance:

Update: some specials from Adobe:

Posted in Adobe, Deals| 3 Comments

Canon files a patent for a 600mm f/5.6 lens

Canon’s patent JPO 2010-145832 is for a 600mm f/5.6 lens:

600mm f/5.6 lens patent details:

  • Focal distance 582.48
  • F number 5.85
  • Field angle 2.13
  • Image height 21.64
  • Whole-length-of-the-lens 346.68

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Posted in Canon| Tagged | 6 Comments

Pentax got a new 25mm f/4 wide angle lens for their medium format 645D camera

Pentax 645D with the D-FA 55mm f/2.8 lens

Pentax 645D with the D-FA 55mm f/2.8 lens

TOP interviewed Ned Bunnell (President of Pentax USA) and here are the highlights:

  • Pentax has no plans to discontinue the 31mm, 43mm and 77mm FA Limited lenses.
  • Pentax will start shipping a new wide angle D-FA 645 25mm f/4 lens in early 2011 (for the medium format 645D camera). Apparently this lens was announced at Photokina, but Pentax forgot to tell the world about it. The other lens for the 645D is the D-FA 55mm f/2.8 that should start shipping any day now in the US.
Posted in Pentax| Tagged | 2 Comments

Just few interesting links

  • Sony released a firmware that will add AF support to A-mount lenses when used with the Sony NEX-VG10E camcorder.

Posted in Apple, Contax, Panasonic, Sony| Leave a comment

Samsung got balls

In an interview with AP, Samsung’s vice president of camera business Jeong Wook Kim said that Samsung is “determined” to be #1 in the mirrorless camera market by 2012 and be “the best selling camera brand” by 2015.

“We are passionate about making a success of the NX system, and we are certain that the APS-C sensor will dominate the compact system camera market. It won’t be long before compact system camera sales exceed those of DSLRs, and then Samsung will be the best selling camera brand”

BCN ranking shows that Samsung is currently not even in the top 20 best-selling interchangeable lens digital camera (based on Japan’s market):

Maybe Samsung’s statement was about the Korean market only, because I do not see how this can happen on a global scale.

Posted in Samsung| 35 Comments

Video shot with the new Sony PMW-F3 Super 35mm digital motion picture camcorder

This video is taken with the Sony PMW-F3 Super 35mm digital motion picture camcorder that was announced few days ago. Currently, there are only three pre-production versions of this cameras in the world:

compulsion – teaser from Jason Wingrove on Vimeo.

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MIT camera can take pictures around corners

Interesting news reported by BBC – MIT created a camera that can produce an image of an object that is not directly visible by sending a laser beam and creating an image from the  bounced light of the object:

“The prototype uses an ultra-short high-intensity burst of laser light to illuminate a scene. The device constructs a basic image of its surroundings – including objects hidden around the corner – by collecting the tiny amounts of light that bounce around the scene.”

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Posted in Future of Photo Equipment| 4 Comments

Sony announces the development of NXCAM HD camcorder with E mount

Sony just annoucned the development of a new NXCAM HD camcorder with E mount (use of NEX lenses). Regular α lenses can also be used with an adapter. The camera will have 1080p (60p / 30p / 24p or 50p / 25p) recording modes and will be available in the middle of 2011. The recording format will be AVCHD.

Fulll press release after the break:

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Posted in Sony| 11 Comments

Clever patent from Olympus

Olympus filed an interesting patent in Japan that will allow you to use the camera strap as a glare shield. This will make also the LCD screen visible in bright sunlight. Clever.

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Posted in Olympus| Tagged | 8 Comments

Olympus E-PL1s announced, for now only in Japan

The rumors were true: the freshly announced Olympus E-PL1s features a new M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II kit lens and for now will be sold only in Japan.

Changes from E-PL1 version (all Google translated):

  • A zoom lens kit included with the product, the smaller and lighter, can also shoot video optimized “MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) mechanism,” equipped with “M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II”, “M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm F4.0-5.6” to change
  • ISO6400 high sensitivity for shooting
  • Body color, white / red / black deployed in three colors. The same color as the body color body side frame
  • Lithium-ion battery compatible with the new safety standards “BLS-5”, Li-Ion battery charger “BCS-5” Bundle

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Posted in Olympus| Tagged | 10 Comments