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Posts Tagged ‘discontinues’

Fujifilm discontinues Velvia 100 in US after new EPA regulations

07 Jul

Fujifilm has announced it will no longer sell Fujichrome Velvia 100 in the United States due to regulations put in place by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The announcement, posted to Fujifilm’s website, cites a new regulation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which prohibits the processing and distribution phenol, isopropylated phosphate (3:1) (PIP (3:1)) (CASRN 68937–41–7, a chemical that is found in very trace amounts in the layers of Fujichrome Velvia 100 (Fujifilm claims less than 0.0003% is found in the emulsion).

A screenshot of Fujifilm’s announcement.

The European Chemicals Agency says PIP (3:1) is found in various consumer products, including ‘lubricants and greases, coating products, adhesives and sealants, polymers, photo-chemicals and hydraulic fluids.’

While Fujifilm refutes the harm this chemical does to the environment, saying ‘Fujifilm believes that the trace amount of PIP (3:1) in the FUJICHROME Velvia 100 Professional films pose[s] no risk to the environment,’ they are still obligated to adhere to the ban, which will go into effect on September 5, 2021. Despite not being required to stop working with PIP (3:1) until September, Fujifilm says it has discontinued Velvia 100 effective immediately.

A 3D rendering of phenol, isopropylated phosphate (3:1).

It should go without saying that U.S. retailers will likely still have some of the emulsion available until their respective stocks are completed. As such, if you’re in the U.S. and want to get your hands on some of the last legally-available Velvia 100 before the ban, you might want to act fast. Just be sure to read the Safety Data Sheet Fujifilm has provided in regards to handling the film.

This discontinuation doesn’t affect other regions, so if you’re outside of the U.S., no need for concern. Also, while you could purchase it outside of the U.S. and attempt to bring it back (or have someone ship you some), it probably isn’t worth the risk considering it could be confiscated while going through customs.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon to Unveil 3 RF Lenses, but Discontinues 9 EF Lenses

12 Apr

The post Canon to Unveil 3 RF Lenses, but Discontinues 9 EF Lenses appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Canon to unveil 3 RF lenses, but discontinues 9 EF lenses

This past week brought both good news and bad news for Canon fans. 

The good news: Later this month, Canon will unveil three new RF lenses, including two pro-level super-telephotos.

The bad news: Canon has discontinued nine EF lenses, with plans to drop at least four more lenses before 2021 is out. 

Let’s take a closer look.

Canon unveils new RF lenses

According to Canon Rumors, Canon will likely be announcing three RF-mount lenses before April is out:

  • Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro
  • Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM
  • Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM

The 400mm f/2.8L and the 600mm f/4L will go a long way toward making Canon’s full-frame mirrorless lineup appealing to professional sports and wildlife shooters, who frequently work with snappy f/2.8 and f/4 super-telephotos. While Canon currently offers a handful of long RF lenses (including the well-reviewed RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM), the narrow maximum apertures are a dealbreaker for serious action and low-light photography. 

The Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro will debut as a mirrorless successor to the popular Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro, an ultra-sharp, close-focusing lens used by macro enthusiasts and professionals alike, plus product photographers and event photographers for key detail shots. Of course, the price remains to be seen (currently, the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L goes for around $ 1300 USD, though when I bought mine – around five years ago – the price was a more tolerable $ 750 USD). But close-up photographers will undoubtedly appreciate the addition of another powerful lens to the list of macro options. 

So if you do wildlife photography, sports photography, or macro photography, keep an eye out for Canon’s announcement later this month.

Canon discontinues a long list of EF lenses

While Canon’s dedication to the new RF lineup is praised by many (myself included), it’s sad to see the flip side: the wasting away of the EF/EF-S lineup. 

Here’s the list of EF and EF-S lenses Canon has discontinued in the last month, as tracked by Canon Rumors:

  • Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM
  • Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM
  • Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
  • Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM
  • Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-f/4.5 USM
  • Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
  • Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM
  • Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
  • Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM

And according to Canon Rumors, these lenses will also be discontinued in 2021:

  • Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM
  • Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM
  • Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS II USM
  • Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM

While some of these discontinued lenses undoubtedly have RF replacements on the way, others will be forgotten, at least for the foreseeable future. So if any of the above glass interests you, I’d highly recommend you buy while products remain available. 

Now over to you:

How do you feel about Canon’s decision to discontinue these lenses? Did you expect such a fast break with the EF lineup? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Canon to Unveil 3 RF Lenses, but Discontinues 9 EF Lenses appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Polaroid Originals discontinues Spectra film due to the condition of aging cameras

04 Oct

Polaroid Originals has announced that it is discontinuing production of its wide-format Spectra film. The reason, CEO Oskar Smolokowski said in a statement on the company’s blog today, is due to the degraded nature of existing wide-format cameras.

‘Jamming and frequent breakdowns are now affecting the majority of these cameras,’ Smolokowski explained, ‘and unfortunately, this is not something we can influence with our film.’

In addition to selling its Spectra Color and B&W film products, Polaroid Originals also sold refurbished Polaroid Spectra cameras that were restored to full working order by specialists. This restoration process is no longer possible, however, and the company’s website now lists its refurbished cameras as sold out.

In his post, Smolokowski said, ‘After extensive testing, we have concluded that we cannot support these cameras any longer.’

The company will sell off its remaining batch of Specta film through its website, where the Spectra Color and B&W products are sold for $ 19.99 each; a triple-film pack is also offered for $ 55.99 USD. Smolokowski said the film will be on sale for a few months.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Pentax Ricoh discontinues K-01 K-mount mirrorless camera

26 Feb

pentax_k01.png

Pentax Ricoh has moved its K-01 K-mount mirrorless camera to the ‘discontinued’ section of its website after just 12 months on the market. The unconventional-looking K-01 used a full-depth Pentax K lens mount but relied on contrast-detection AF, rather than the phase-detection systems for which all autofocus K-mount lenses have been primarily designed. Designed by Marc Newson, the K-01 was one of the most unusual-looking cameras we’ve ever tested. Click through for more details. 

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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