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‘lens’ Stories

Pentax postponed the launch of DA Star 55mm F1.4 SDM to February

Daniel Lim, Jan 22nd 2009 Discuss [0]

Pentax prime junkies will have to stick with consumer FA 50 just a little longer, Pentax Japan has postponed the long overdue professional build quality SMC PENTAX DA Star 55mm F1.4 SDM to next month (February 20, 2009), parts procurement delays were to blame. Read The Full Story

Sigma unveils ultra zoom lens, 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

Daniel Lim, Jan 15th 2009 Discuss [0]

Sigma dished out a total of three HSM OS zoom lens last year at PMA, covering as wide as 18mm to 500mm of focus distance for a variety of shoot subjects. The 09 PMA is still one and a half month away; the manufacturer is already prepping another piece of ultra zoom lens with similar features- a digital APS-C crop sensor version of 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC with optical stabilizer (OS) and HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), extending 50mm more on the tele end to its popular line of 18-200mm. Read The Full Story

Magnetic zoom & fish-eye lenses for iPhone 3G

Chris Davies, Dec 29th 2008 Discuss [1]

Up until now, adding specialists lenses to your iPhone required a case with the new lens embedded into it. Problem is, that adds bulk and limits you to a specific case. Now, USB Fever are offering three magnetic lenses suitable for the iPhone - in wide-angle, telephoto and fish-eye - that simply clip onto a supplied self-adhesive ring. Read The Full Story

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM gets official, but costly

Daniel Lim, Dec 18th 2008 Discuss [5]

Sigma has made public of its HSM version of the much popular 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG lens back in September, but fewer details were revealed in pricing and availability department. An official announcement from Sigma Japan today could shatter the hope of Canon or Nikon Digital SLR owners seek for an alternate walk-around zoom lens with much competitive pricing. Read The Full Story

Digital Window D7 Camera gives you 180° of surveillance in HD

Staff Editor, Dec 15th 2008 Discuss [0]

Scallop Imaging’s Digital Window D7 camera is an oddly packaged spy camera made up of 5 cell phone camera lenses. In the form of an Ethernet powered box, this spy camera gives you a 180° panoramic shot of anything from security of your home to seeing what your kids are up to when your away. Read The Full Story

Sigma Sigzilla APO 200-500mm F2.8 gets Nikon release

Daniel Lim, Dec 9th 2008 Discuss [0]

Remember the Sigzilla? An earth-green Sigma APO DG line-up with unprecedented World’s first Ultra-Telephoto zoom lens at 200-500mm F2.8? The behemoth of 35mm lens ever built is now made available for Nikon-mount. Read The Full Story

Olympus, Panasonic & Sigma DSLR lenses get joint update system

Chris Davies, Oct 15th 2008 Discuss [0]

Olympus, Panasonic and Sigma have collaborated to launch an online firmware update service for Four Thirds compliant DSLR lenses. The system will allow owners of Four Thirds lenses to update their optics even when using cameras made by another manufacturer; in the past, a DSLR camera body and Four Thirds lens had to be from the same company in order for firmware updates to work. Read The Full Story

Nikon releases AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G lens

Daniel Lim, Sep 21st 2008 Discuss [1]

Nikon rolls out an AF-S prime lens F1.4G 50 mm in celebrating the company’s 75th anniversary of Nikkor Optics. You would think they came out with at least one stop faster Nikkor at its third quarter century milestone. Perhaps there are more to come later. It does feature a silent Wave Motor for faster and quite focusing; the built-in focus motor will support its entry-level Digital SLR D60/D40x/D40 that built without an in-body AF motor. $435.95 will secure you the new Nikkor when it hits the shops in December. Read The Full Story

Canon EF 24mm f1.4L Mark II : Wide angle lens for prime shooter

Daniel Lim, Sep 17th 2008 Discuss [0]

The latest L glass to get Mark-II update is the 1997 wide angle 24mm 1.4L USM. Canon has announced a new mark II version for professional or enthusiastic looking for finest image quality. Like most mark II L lenses, it features better built quality with aspherical and UD lens elements to correct chromatic aberration. The new version also gets redesigned optics with a 13-element, 10-group lens and anti-reflection lens coating treatment to minimize glare and ghosting. It will be selling for $1699; serious photojournalists or landscape photographers can get their hands on this puppy in December.

Say Hello to Carl Zeiss ZE lineup, EF bayonet for Canon cameras

Daniel Lim, Sep 15th 2008 Discuss [1]

The Canon Professional and enthusiast photographers got their wishes; Carl Zeiss has officially revealed the mystery ZE teaser today as promised – ZE lenses with EF bayonet for film and digital EOS cameras. The lenses will cover full-frame digital models, and are fully compatible via its electronics contacts to support features such as programmed auto exposure, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual setting, AF confirmation, EXIF information, and even E-TTL flash metering. Read The Full Story

Pre-PhotoKina leak : Leica 50mm F0.95 Noctilux ASPH

Daniel Lim, Sep 11th 2008 Discuss [0]

Take about fast lenses and paper thin Depth Of Field! An ad leak from a French photography magazine-Chasseur d'images has revealed three ultra fast lenses from Leica. The German finest glass maker is more likely to update the legendary Leica 50mm F1.0 M Noctilux at the upcoming Photokina with a new 50mm F0.95 Noctilux ASPH. An F-stop on a par with the Canon 60s’s vintage 50mm F0.95. If the DOF gets any narrower, you will not be able to pin down the focusing point. Read The Full Story

Pre-PhotoKina teaser : Zeiss new ZE mount SLR lens for Canon?

Daniel Lim, Sep 8th 2008 Discuss [0]

Canon kicked off the pre-Photokina’s teaser with an indication of 5D replacement last week. Zeiss starts the week off with a hint of new ZE mount SLR lenses to be revealed on the 15th, next week. If the new ZE mount stands for EOS or EF mount for Canon lens, then this is the first and fully EF complaint mount in Zeiss lenses. Make no mistake, it wouldn't be the consumer-grade Zeiss lens as featured in Sony's Mount(ZA-mount) lenses or your P&S digital cameras. The Pro, enthusiast or pixel-peeper looks for exception corner to corner sharpness ultra wide angle lens could finally say goodbye to EF adapter.