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Leica introduces APO-Summicron-SL 28mm F2 L-mount lens

18 Feb

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Leica has introduced the APO-Summicron-SL 28mm F2 ASPH lens for full-frame L-mount bodies. It features 13 elements, 6 of which are aspherical; several of the elements are of the anomalous partial dispersion type to reduce chromatic aberration.

The lens can focus as close as 24cm (9.5″) and the maximum magnification is 0.2X. The focus group is driven by a stepping motor that Leica calls ‘Dual Syncro Drive’. The 28mm F2 has a newly designed manual focus ring that uses magnetic fields to improve responsiveness and precision.

The 28mm F2 is weather-sealed and weighs in at 700g (1.5lbs) without its hood. It accepts 67mm filters.

The APO-Summicron-SL 28mm F2 ASPH is now available for $ 5195.

Press release:

Leica Launches the APO-Summicron-SL 28 f/2 ASPH.:

Exemplifying A Commitment to Developing High-Performing Innovative Technologies in the World of Camera Optics

February 18, 2021. With the APO-Summicron-SL 28 f/2 ASPH., Leica Camera presents yet another high-performance wide-angle lens for the Leica SL-System. The APO-Summicron-SL 28 f/2 ASPH. is the latest addition to the ever-expanding APO-Summicron-SL series that includes a lens range renowned for its top-level optical performance and extremely fast and reliable autofocus.

Following the existing focal lengths of 35, 50, 75 and 90 mm, the APO-Summicron-SL 28 f/2 ASPH. is the first true wide-angle prime lens in this series, making the APO-Summicron-SL 28 f/2 ASPH. especially suitable for reportage, interior and architectural photography. Its maximum aperture can be used without any loss of image quality and offers additional creative possibilities through the exquisite balance of sharp subjects and lovely soft background blur. Thanks to the L-Mount standard, the APO-Summicron-SL 28 f/2 ASPH. is equally compatible with cameras made by other partners of the L-Mount Alliance that have been equipped with the Leica-developed lens mount.

As is universally appreciated with all Leica lenses, the fastest aperture delivers maximum performance. As a result, reducing the aperture is only necessary for compositional and creative purposes. Leica lenses always deliver an exceptional quality of natural skin tones, soft transitions into creamy bokeh, contrast-rich details and edge-to-edge sharpness across a distortion-free image. Yet the APO-Summicron-SL 28 f/2 ASPH. is further distinguished by its apochromatic correction, which is a notable feature in a lens of this focal length, and its six aspherical lens surfaces. To ensure the optimal correction of chromatic aberrations, the majority of the grouped lens elements feature anomalous partial dispersion and are made of high-quality specialized glass. The end result is a wide-angle lens that delivers impeccable images complete with the “Leica Look” to help realize a creative vision in any avenue of photography.

The autofocus drive of all APO-Summicron-SL lenses utilizes extremely robust and high-performance stepping motors with DSD® (Dual Syncro Drive™). This enables the AF to travel the entire focusing range in around 250 milliseconds. Leica Camera also takes an innovative approach to manual focusing technology, including an entirely new manual focus ring construction in the form of an embedded ring magnet with alternating north-south polarization. When the ring is turned, the magnetic field changes its polarity. A sensor monitors the status of the magnetic field and sends the data to the main processor. The drive then shifts the lens to the corresponding focusing position based on the angle of rotation and the rotational speed, delivering even faster and more precise manual focusing to match the lens’s quick and accurate autofocus.

Both the construction and design of the cutting-edge APO-Summicron-SL series represent the next step forward in the development of lenses for the Leica SL-System. New, extremely precise manufacturing methods and measuring technologies have been developed specifically for the production of these lenses, resulting in more compact dimensions as well as truly outstanding imaging performance. In the construction of the APO-Summicron-SL lenses, particular attention has been paid to the prevention of stray light and reflections by applying a high-quality coating to the lens surfaces. Thanks to their effective sealing against dust, moisture, and water spray, as well as the Aquadura coating of the exposed lens surfaces, these extremely durable lenses can be used in nearly any weather condition without any cause for concern. The ever-expanding portfolio of Leica SL lenses are built to withstand the elements and the test of time, matching its futureproof counterparts in the SL2 and SL2-S with their rugged construction and continuing firmware development ensuring a long service life.

The APO-Summicron-SL 28 f/2 ASPH. is available now at Leica Stores, Boutiques and Dealers for $ 5,195.00.

About Leica Camera

Leica represents a union of craftsmanship, design and experience. It is a beautiful collision of art and engineering, and the future of form and functionality. Leica Camera, headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany, is an internationally operating, premium-segment manufacturer of cameras and sport optics products. The legendary status of the Leica brand is founded on a long tradition of excellence in the supreme quality and performance of cameras and lenses, and the iconic images that artists and photojournalists everywhere captured with them. For more information about Leica visit www.leicacamerausa.com, or follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Leica APO-Summicron-SL 28mm F2 ASPH specifications

Principal specifications
Lens type	Prime lens
Max Format size	35mm FF
Focal length	28 mm
Image stabilization	No
Lens mount	L-Mount
Aperture
Maximum aperture	F2
Minimum aperture	F22
Aperture ring	No
Optics
Elements	13
Groups	10
Special elements / coatings	6 aspherical elements
Focus
Minimum focus	0.24 m (9.45″)
Maximum magnification	0.2×
Autofocus	Yes
Motor type	Stepper motor
Full time manual	No
Focus method	Internal
Distance scale	No
DoF scale	No
Focus distance limiter	No
Physical
Weight	700 g (1.54 lb)
Diameter	73 mm (2.87″)
Length	102 mm (4.02″)
Materials	Magnesium alloy
Sealing	Yes
Colour	Black
Filter thread	67 mm
Hood supplied	Yes
Tripod collar	No

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Lensrentals tears down a Canon RF 100-500mm F4.7-7.1 lens to solve the mystery of a cracked element

22 Jan

Roger and Aaron are back at it again for Lensrentals, this time with a teardown of a Canon RF 100–500mm F4.7–7.1 lens with a little secret inside.

As Roger tells it, Lensrentals has come across ‘several’ copies of Canon’s RF 100–500mm F4.7–7.1 lens with a cracked element inside. He believes this crack occurs during shipping, but notes that ‘if you’ve ever rented from [Lensrentals], you know how we pack […] Nothing should break in shipping.’ As such, he did what he usually does when he can’t get an answer from the outside, he tore the lens down (with the help of Aaron, of course).

The large crack, seen through the rear elements of the lens. Click to enlarge.

Upon taking a closer look, Roger suspected the cracked element was inside the image stabilization module of the lens, due to the crack appearing to move when the lens was shifted around. He explains that while Canon was known for physically locking down IS units in its EF lenses, that practice has become less commonplace with RF lenses due to improved engineering measures. Naturally, he assumed this lack of lockdown could be the culprit for the cracked element in shipping.

As it turns out though, that wasn’t quite the case.

Roger and Aaron went through the usual routine, starting at the front of the lens. Despite easily removing the filter barrel and front optical group, they hit a roadblock with the light baffle inside. So, ‘like the cowards [they] are,’ Roger and Aaron turned the lens around and started to take it apart from the lens mount side.

A close-up view of the ribbon cables neatly tucked away inside the barrel of the lens.

Along the way, the pair ran into the usual array of screws, ribbon cables and sensors. But it wasn’t all that bad to take apart, thanks to the lens’ modular construction. Roger particularly appreciated how Canon managed to integrate almost all of the ribbon cables into the barrel of the lens, meaning there was little need to trace and mark down where every cable was supposed to be routed to:

‘I get accused every so often of being a Canon fanboy (or Sony, or Sigma, etc.). I’m not, but I’ll readily admit I’m a Canon lens construction fan; these are a pleasure to work on compared to most brands.’

A comparison of how the internals of the lens look when zoomed out versus zoomed in. Click to enlarge.

With the rear barrel off, Roger and Aaron took a look at the intricacies of the zoom section of the lens. Roger notes ‘everything moves in an impressively complex fashion’ and is almost overbuilt in some areas. Specifically, Roger points out that the front barrel moves along six heavy-duty rollers (as opposed to three in most other zoom lenses), each of which has custom-fitted nylon bearings to ensure the tightest fit possible while still offering a smooth glide. To this, Roger says ‘This is why nice things cost more; a lesser lens has three same-size small nylon bushings over screws.’

A close-up of one of the nylon bushings precisely fitted to the guide rail. Click to enlarge.

Another detail Roger noticed is that the two optical groups responsible for zoom operate independent of one another. That is, rather than both optical groups extending together with the barrel, the rear zoom optical group moves into the barrel, but isn’t doing so at the same rate as the front optical group.

From there, it was on to the inner barrel to see if the duo could get to the broken element. Before getting to the IS module though, Roger noted the use of springs to hold the rear baffle in place. He says Canon has been using more and more tensioning springs in its lenses over the years, ‘which suggests they originally thought it was a good idea, found out they were correct and increased usage.’ This particular lens has ‘over a dozen springs.’

A look at the tensioning springs used to hold the rear baffle tight. ‘It’s a complex little bit of engineering for a baffle,’ says Roger. Click to enlarge.

Eventually, Roger and Aaron hit the IS module, which Roger describes as ‘a pretty robust unit.’ He elaborates:

‘In older lenses, we sometimes saw IS units that were encased in a ‘cage’ of plastic bars, which broke sometimes. This is not that at all, it’s heavy-duty interlocking plastic shells with multiple screws and tension springs. We could (OK, we did) shake the heck out of it. It just rattled a bit, but there was nothing but solidness here.’

A close-up view of the ‘robust’ IS unit inside the RF 100-500mm F4.7-7.1 lens. Click to enlarge.

However, as you can see in the above image, there was no crack in sight. So it was on to more disassembling to get to the problematic element. After removing countless cams, spacers, screws and more, Roger and Aaron were able to find the cracked element — a thin, single element that sits right behind the aperture assembly and is also the forward focusing element.

Note the aperture assembly in front of the cracked element. Click to enlarge.

Still confused as to how the element cracked, the pair measured and tested everything around the element and determined there’s no way it could’ve impacted anything inside the lens. So, what could’ve caused it to crack? Roger doesn’t really know.

In his conclusion, Roger says:

‘My first thought, given that it’s winter, was perhaps temperature shock, moving from sub-zero trucks to warm indoors or something. But I’ve asked several people more knowledgeable than I and none think that’s a possibility. The ones that cracked are all early copies from a similar serial number range, perhaps there were some flawed elements early on. Maybe it’s just a statistical anomaly; we have a lot of copies and stuff happens. Or maybe it’s something we do or something with shipping. Nobody else has reported this. It’s worth looking into further, there are a number of things we’ve noticed before anyone else just because we have a lot of gear and a lot of repairs and inspections. But it may be an oddity that never happens again.’

Whatever the case, Lensrentals has sent all of its data and broken lenses to Canon, who already has a team assigned to more thoroughly investigating the issue. Roger says ‘Canon is always proactive about investigating these things and [is] one of the few companies willing to publicly say when they actually have a problem.’

Broken element aside, Roger says the rest of the teardown is what he’s come to expect from Canon RF L series lenses:

‘It’s filled with very robust construction, neatly and clearly laid out in a modular manner. It’s a very well-built and sturdy lens with cutting edge technology.’

To conclude, we’ll let Roger’s Rule of Broken Parts speak for itself: ‘the hardest to get to part is the one that’s broken.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sony Releases a Gorgeous (and Expensive) 35mm f/1.4 Lens

19 Jan

The post Sony Releases a Gorgeous (and Expensive) 35mm f/1.4 Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Just last week, Sony unveiled its latest high-powered creation:

A 35mm f/1.4 GM lens, designed for full-frame, E-mount cameras, and offering an impressive set of capabilities (for an eye-watering price).

As you’d expect from a G Master lens, the 35mm f/1.4 features a no-holds-barred, pro-level design. You get a beautifully-constructed barrel, a handy aperture ring (for changing the aperture on the fly without having to fiddle with camera dials), plus dust and moisture resistance. The lens is relatively light and compact (Sony highlights its 524 g/18.5 oz weight, as well as its ability to sit “comfortably in the palm of your hand”), which makes it ideal for travel and on-location photoshoots. In fact, Sony has managed to create a lens that you’ll want in your bag for pretty much any photography scenario, be it studio work, natural light portraiture, landscape photography, street photography, or event photography.

Aside from its build, what makes the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM so special?

First, there’s the optics. Sony claims that the 35mm f/1.4 offers “extraordinary resolution” and “stunning contrast,” and early reviews bear this out, commenting on the lens’s impressive sharpness, even at f/1.4. This makes the 35mm f/1.4 a worthy choice for landscape photographers after a mid-wide prime, as well as for architectural photographers.

Then there’s the f/1.4 maximum aperture. Wide open, you can capture buckets of light; this is perfect for event photographers who frequently shoot indoors and need to keep their shutter speeds high, even at night. Plus, the f/1.4 setting combined with an 11-blade aperture is practically guaranteed to produce class-leading bokeh – for the kind of portrait backgrounds that will leave the viewer stunned.

Sony also promises speedy autofocus (specifically, “fast, smooth, and silent AF performance”), as well as effortless (“immediate and precise”) manual focus for those portrait photographers, landscape photographers, and videographers who require intense control when adjusting focus.

Of course, a big part of a lens’s appeal is its focal length, and here the Sony 35mm f/1.4 excels. On a full-frame camera, you get a medium-wide field of view for landscapes, environmental portraits, and wider street shots. Mount the Sony 35mm f/1.4 on a crop-sensor body, and you’ll have a handy 50mm lens, one that’ll work for standard portraits, tighter street photos, walkaround shooting, and more.

Unfortunately, the Sony 35mm f/1.4’s price tag sits just under $ 1400 USD. However, if you can afford the cost and require the absolute best image quality and bokeh around, the Sony 35mm f/1.4 won’t disappoint.

You can check out the Sony 35mm f/1.4 right here; shipping starts on February 15th.

Now over to you:

What do you think of the Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM? Are you interested? Is the lens too pricey? Or is it worth the cost? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Sony Releases a Gorgeous (and Expensive) 35mm f/1.4 Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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TTartisan celebrates Year of the Ox with a bright-red version of its M-mount 50mm F0.95 prime lens

18 Jan

TTartisan has announced a new special-edition version of its fully-manual 50mm F0.95 Leica M mount lens to celebrate the Year of the Ox.

The lens is optically identical to its more monochrome siblings, featuring eleven elements in eight groups including one double-sided aspherical element, one ultra-low dispersion element and five high-refractive elements. It features an aperture range of F0.95 to F16, offers a minimum focusing distance of 70cm (₂₈“), uses a 14-blade aperture diaphragm and has a 67mm front filter thread.

What sets this lens apart is its bright red paint job and a custom-engraved lens cap with a stylized silhouette of an ox. TTartisan says it’s only produced 500 units, which will be sold by retailers around the world.

The lens measures 89mm (3.5″) long, 72mm diameter and weighs 687g (1.5lbs). While it’s available at various retailers, Photo Rumors has it listed for $ 909 (international shipping included) — a roughly $ 132 premium over the black and silver version of the lens.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Tamron 70-300mm for Sony Review: A Compact, Well-Priced Telephoto Lens

02 Jan

The post Tamron 70-300mm for Sony Review: A Compact, Well-Priced Telephoto Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

The new Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 lens is the “world’s smallest telephoto zoom lens for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras.”

But does this lens live up to the hype?

Let’s find out in this Tamron 70-300mm for Sony review!

Tamron 70-300mm for Sony: Overview

The Tamron 70-300mm is made to be used on a full-frame camera, but you can also mount it on an APS-C camera; the equivalent focal length just gets cropped to 105-450mm. This can be an advantage if you prefer getting more zoom out of your lens.

Besides its compact and lightweight build (more on that below!), the biggest appeal of this lens is the price. At just $ 550 USD, the Tamron 70-300mm is more than half the price of the Sony alternative.

For comparison’s sake, the Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 has a slightly faster f-stop and also comes with image stabilization. But it is larger, heavier, and more expensive than the Tamron model. So if budget, size, and weight are a concern, the Tamron 70-300mm is the way to go!

Released: September 2020
Focal Length: 70 to 300mm
Maximum Aperture: f/4.5 to f/6.3
Minimum Aperture: f/22 to f/32
Lens Mount: Sony E (full-frame)
Minimum Focus Distance – 31.5″/0.8 m
Focusing: Autofocus
Image Stabilization: No
Filter Size: 67 mm
Dimensions: 5.8” x 3″/148 mm x 77 mm
Weight: 19.2 oz/545 g

Lens design

The Tamron lens follows on the coattails of some impressive Tamron releases, such as the 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6. And if you’ve used any recent Tamron lenses, the 70-300mm will feel very familiar in your hands. It has a similar look and feel to other Tamron lenses, and it takes a 67 mm front filter, just like many other Tamron lenses.

While the build is mostly plastic, the lens is weather-sealed with a dust- and moisture-resistant construction. This makes the 70-300mm ideal for shooting in a variety of outdoor conditions. I wouldn’t take the lens out in pouring rain, but a light drizzle is totally fine.

Aside from its low price point, the biggest advantage of the Tamron 70-300mm is its compact size. With a weight of just 545 g (1.2 lb) and a length of 5.8 in, it’s easy to forget that you’re hauling a rather long-range telephoto lens. The small size also makes it easier to hold the lens for long periods of time, especially compared to bigger lenses like the Sony 100-400mm.

Ease of use and performance

The Tamron 70-300mm is a very straightforward lens. There’s a zoom ring and a manual focus ring with no additional buttons or switches on the lens.

It would be nice to have a lock switch to prevent the zoom barrel from sliding out when you use the lens – and while it’s not a dealbreaker, the lack of a lock is something to be aware of.

All Sony autofocus modes (including Eye AF) are as snappy as they’d be if using a native Sony lens. If you have any concerns about using a third-party lens, rest assured that all modern Tamron lenses work flawlessly with Sony E-mount cameras.

Image quality

Snowy owl — 300mm | 1/1600s | f/6.3 | ISO 400

Photos on the 70-300mm Tamron are razor sharp. Color rendition is also accurate, with absolutely no chromatic aberration or distortion.

While this lens doesn’t have a fast f/2.8 or f/1.8 aperture, beautiful bokeh can still be achieved with sufficient distance between the subject and the background. The bokeh is pleasing and smooth. The lens’s sweet spot seemed to be between f/4.5 and f/11.

The lens also has a nice minimum focusing distance of 31.5 in (0.8 meters) when shooting at 70mm. This allows you to get pretty close to your subject and still get crisp shots.

autumn leaves — 186mm | 1/800s | f/5.6 | ISO 1600

Best uses

Given its focal range and features, the 70-300mm is best used as a complementary lens to a wide-angle or mid-range zoom, such as the 24-70mm.

Shooting purely at 70-300mm may suit some photography styles, but most photographers will want to occasionally get a shot wider than 70mm, which is when a wider second lens will come in handy.

snowy landscape — 70mm | 1/320s | f/6.3 | ISO 640

However, you can use the Tamron 70-300mm as your sole lens and get some great wildlife, landscape, and portrait shots. Just make sure you have enough light or a camera that can shoot at high ISOs because of the narrower maximum lens aperture. If you plan to shoot indoors or in low light, the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 will better suit your needs.

The Tamron 70-300mm can also work as a great video lens. Just note that it lacks image stabilization (IS), so it is best used on a tripod or a gimbal stabilizer if shooting video.

Tamron 70-300mm for Sony review: Conclusion

For the budget-conscious photographer, or for those wishing to have the smallest and lightest camera kit, the Tamron 70-300mm is a bargain of a lens.

One of the only reasons why you may not opt for this lens is if you prefer the all-in-one Tamron 28-200mm lens. The 28-200mm is smaller and slightly more expensive, and it gives you a much wider focal range at the expense of not being able to zoom as far as 300mm.

If you are interested in purchasing the Tamron 70-300mm for Sony, you can grab it here.

So what do you think? Would you buy the Tamron 70-300mm, or would you opt for a different lens? Let me know in the comments below!

The post Tamron 70-300mm for Sony Review: A Compact, Well-Priced Telephoto Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

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Can Camera Lens Get Wet: How to Dry a Camera Lens

17 Dec

If you take pictures outside your home, it is bound to happen at one point or another. The moment when you feel everything is lost and doom is near — you drop your lens in water. Thankfully, the sky is not falling, and you can protect and save your precious equipment if you take the right and necessary steps quickly. Continue Reading

The post Can Camera Lens Get Wet: How to Dry a Camera Lens appeared first on Photodoto.

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Viltrox announces $399 85mm F1.8 lens for Nikon Z-mount mirrorless cameras

10 Dec

Viltrox has released its new 85mm F1.8 STM autofocus prime lens for Nikon Z-mount mirrorless camera systems.

The autofocus lens is constructed of 10 elements in 7 groups, including five ‘short wave length and high transparency’ elements and one low-dispersion element. Viltrox claims the lens, which uses a stepping motor (STM) to drive the autofocus elements, features full autofocus support, including compatibility with Nikon’s Eye-AF technology. Other features include an aperture range of F1.8–16, a nine-blade aperture diaphragm, an 80cm (31.5″) minimum focusing distance and a 72mm front-filter thread.

Viltrox has also included an onboard micro USB port for updating the lens’ firmware. The lens measures in at 92mm (3.62″) long, 80mm (3.15″) in diameter and weighs 540g (1.2lbs).

The lens is currently available to purchase on Amazon for $ 399. That’s $ 300 less than the MSRP of Nikon’s own Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S lens.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Tips For Achieving Blurry Backgrounds When You Don’t Have a Fast Lens

03 Dec

The post Tips For Achieving Blurry Backgrounds When You Don’t Have a Fast Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

Using a shallow depth of field to get blurry backgrounds in your photos is a powerful and popular tool for photographers. Blurring your background in this way makes it easy to obscure details in your scene that don’t add anything to your photographs. This helps to ensure that the focus of your images is your subject, and only your subject.

Using fast lenses with maximum apertures such as f/1.8 or f/2.8 is the easiest way to achieve this blurry background effect.

Getting blurry backgrounds with a fast lens — Using a fast aperture (f/1.8 here) is a surefire way to ensure blurry backgrounds in your images, but what do you do if you don’t have access to a fast lens?
Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 | 85mm | 1/1600s | f/1.8 | ISO 100

However, what do you do if you don’t have a fast lens? And what do you do in situations where you are unable to use your lens wide open?

Controlling aperture is only one way to alter the appearance of DOF when trying for blurry backgrounds. — Here, you can see the difference the aperture has on the background. On the left, the aperture is f/8, while on the right, it is f/1.8.

Fortunately, manipulating the aperture settings in-camera is only one way to control how depth of field appears in your images.

This article will show you two ways to help you achieve more background blur when you don’t have access to a fast lens and when you can’t shoot wide open.

1. Get closer to your subject

An easy way to obtain a shallower depth of field for blurry backgrounds is to simply get closer to your subject.

Achieve blurry backgrounds by getting closer to your subject. — Simply moving your position so that you are closer to the subject is a great way to manipulate depth of field. The closer you get, the shallower the depth of field gets.

Depth of field is determined by multiple factors. Aperture is one, but another important factor is how close the camera is to your subject.

By moving your camera closer to your subject, you will increase the amount of background blur that appears behind your subject.

(Conversely, if you want more depth of field in your image, move farther away from your subject.)

Putting it into practice

With techniques like this, it can be a good idea to do a few exercises so you can see exactly what is going on.

To see this technique in action, find yourself a subject and position them in front of a background. Choose a background that’s a little bit busy (like foliage) so you can see the full effect.

Getting blurry backgrounds without a fast lens — In the leftmost image, I was 12 feet away from the subject. You can see almost all of the details in the background. I slowly moved closer, 2 feet at a time; you should be able to see as the background gets blurrier. The last image was from 4 feet away. (Images are cropped for comparison.)

If you’ve chosen a portrait subject, start from between eight and ten feet away. If you’ve chosen something smaller, decrease that distance as much as you need to have a somewhat reasonable composition.

No matter what lens you have, you should be able to choose an aperture of f/5.6. Dial that in and adjust the other settings until you have a decent exposure. Take a shot.

Step forward a foot and take another. Then move a foot closer again and take a third shot. Do this until you have reached your minimum focusing distance or you are too close to your subject to frame a photo.

Then you can review the images in order. Watch for how the depth of field becomes shallower the closer you are to your subject.

If you use multiple lenses, I encourage you to do this with all of them.

The reverse

Of course, if what you want is more depth of field (i.e., less blurry backgrounds) in your frame, you can always move further away from your subject.

In more depth

If you are technically minded and want to learn more about why and how this works, note that depth of field is governed by the inverse square law, just like many other aspects of photography. These other aspects include light intensity (which governs your exposure) and light fall-off (which governs the shape of the light).

With an in-depth knowledge of the inverse square law and how it works, you would actually be able to calculate exactly where you need to be with a certain focal length and aperture to get an exact result. You will probably never find yourself in a situation where you would need to do this, but it is still possible!

2. Bring your subject farther from the background

The other main way to achieve a shallower depth of field is to put more distance between your subject and the background.

This works the same way as the previous technique, but in this case, you will be moving your subject rather than the camera. If your subject is close to the background, more background detail will be present. To get more blur, simply move your subject forward.

Practice

To see this concept in use, position your subject almost touching a background of your choice; this can be a studio background, some trees, or a wall.

moving your subject away from the background is essential — To practice this, have your subject move away from the background in set increments. Make sure you move the same distance back, as well. Here (from top-left to bottom-right), the subject started 2 feet away from the background and ended 12 feet away from the background.

Start at an aperture of f/5.6 and get a decent exposure with your other settings. Take a shot. Now move your subject a foot away from the background. Note that it’s important that you move the same distance backward. If you don’t, then you will have two factors affecting the depth of field in the frame, and it will be impossible to accurately see what is blurring the background.

Take another shot. Move yourself and your subject another foot back and shoot again. Repeat as many times as you want. In practice, how far away you move your subject is dependent on how much blur you want to achieve.

Do you want to retain some detail so that your viewers can recognize the background? Or would you rather obliterate any background details altogether, ensuring that your subject is the only thing for your viewers to focus on?

Real-world use

Now that you have put all of this into practice and you have your sequences of images, you should have a good idea of how the depth of field changes with your distance from the subject and the subject’s distance from the background.

Getting blurry backgrounds is still possible at small apertures. — At the end of the day, you do not need a fast lens to achieve blurry backgrounds in your portraits. You are still able to achieve a shallow depth of field with smaller apertures.
Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L | 1/200s | f/8 | ISO 800

Not only will you be able to use this knowledge to help you get a shallower depth of field when you can’t shoot wide open, but it will also help you design any desired photos long before you pick up the camera.

For example, you might want an image where your subject is in focus from front to back, but you want the background to be as obscured as possible. Having gone through these exercises, you should be able to approximate what aperture you need to use, how close to the subject you need to be, and how far away the background needs to be. And you should be able to do it in a fairly short amount of time, too!

Achieving blurry backgrounds: final words

Manipulating depth of field to get blurry backgrounds may be a basic technique, but understanding fundamentals like these helps give you a well-rounded set of camera skills that will serve you well in your photography.

The post Tips For Achieving Blurry Backgrounds When You Don’t Have a Fast Lens appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire.

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Meyer Optik Görlitz releases redesigned Primoplan 75mm F1.9 II lens for a handful of mounts

01 Dec

Meyer Optik Görlitz, under its new parent company OPC Optics, is bringing yet another lens back to life — the Primoplan 75mm F1.9 II.

This fully-manual ‘legendary portrait lens’ is a revitalized version based on the original 1936 design by Meyer Optik designer, Paul Schäfter. Meyer Optik Görlitz says this redesigned version has been ‘carefully adapted it to the high standards of digital photography after an intensive development period,’ which included the support of Meyer Optik Görlitz engineer Dr. Wolf-Dieter Prenzel.

Meyer Optik Görlitz says the ‘Primoplan 75 f1.9 II is an enhancement of the Cooke triplet, in which a central dispersion lens is flanked by two groups of lenses, each acting as a converging lens.’ It adds, ‘the rear group consists of a single biconvex converging lens.’

A low-res sample photo, provided by Meyer Optik Görlitz.

The lens features an all-metal construction, is hand-assembled and each unit is calibrated and tested. Other features include an aperture range of F1.9 through F16, has 14-blade aperture diaphragm, has a minimum focusing distance of 75cm (2.45ft) and uses a 52mm front filter thread.

A low-res sample photo, provided by Meyer Optik Görlitz.

The lens is available today for Canon EF, Fuji X, Leica M, M42, MFT, Nikon F, Pentax K and Sony E mounts for €973.82 (approximately $ 1,155) on the Meyer Optik Görlitz online store.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Vazen announces the 65mm T2 1.8x anamorphic lens for MFT camera systems, rounding out the 3 lens lineup

01 Dec

Anamorphic lens specialist Vazen has announced its new 65mm T2 1.8x anamorphic lens for the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system will cost $ 3,250 and is ready to ship immediately. The new lens completes the 1.8x MFT lens lineup, according to the company, alongside its 28mm T2.2 and 40mm T2 counterparts.

When used with the full 4:3 MFT sensor, the lens will produce a 2.39:1 ratio aspect image once the footage is desqueezed. Shooting in the 16:9 ratio, frames will end up 3.2:1 and will probably need cropping, so cameras that can record from the whole sensor work best. On a MFT camera, the horizontal angle of view will give users the width we’d expect using a 72mm lens on a full frame system, so this is the lens to use for portraits and moderately distant subjects.

In common with the other lenses in the series the 65mm T2 uses a front anamorphic design to make the most of oval out-of-focus highlights and the characteristic flare from point light sources. Vazen, however, claims the flare isn’t too saturated or over-powering. Like the 28mm, the 65mm lens does have a thread for filters, and accepts 86mm screw-in sizes or 95mm using the Vazen adapter. As you would expect, the focus and aperture rings are equipped with 0.8mod cine gears for focus pullers, and the focus throw is 300° from the closest position of 1.09m/3.6ft to infinity. The lens weighs 1.68kg/3.7lbs and measures 105x185mm.

These lenses are a good deal less money than models from most other anamorphic producers, such as Cooke, but are also bigger, heavier and more expensive than those offered by Sirui — though the Sirui lenses have a 1.33x squeeze rather than the 1.8x of these Vazen models.

Owners of the existing 28mm or 40mm lenses will be able to get a discount of $ 400 when they buy this new 65mm lens, and those wanting the whole set of three can buy a kit for $ 8950 instead of the $ 9750 cost of buying them individually. For more information see the Vazen website.

Press release:

Vazen launches the 65mm T2 1.8x Anamorphic Lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras

Shenyang China, Nov 30, 2020 – Vazen, a new Chinese cinema lens brand, has announced the pricing and shipping availability of the Vazen 65mm T2 1.8x Anamorphic Lens for Micro Four Thirds (M43) cameras. In addition to the previously launched 28mm and 40mm, the whole Micro Four Thirds 1.8x Anamorphic lens set is now completed.

All the Vazen 1.8x anamorphic lenses feature a front anamorphic design. It delivers a buttery smooth oval bokeh, signature blue but not overly saturated, horizontal flare and the widescreen cinematic look. The lens delivered an outstanding sharpness, even at wide open, which is unmatched by other anamorphic lenses with similar squeeze ratio. Vazen chose to adopt a 1.8x squeeze design to balance the anamorphic characters as well as the resolution of the image. The 1.8x produces a stronger anamorphic character than 1.33x / 1.5x anamorphic lenses. And when it’s paired up with 16:9 sensors, much less data (vs 2X anamorphic lens) is needed to be cropped away to create the desired 2.39:1 ratio.

The Vazen 1.8x works best with 4:3 ratio sensors like Panasonic GH5, Z-CAM E2, Panasonic BGH1 to produce the cinematic 2.39:1 ratio. It also works well with Blackmagic Pocket 4k cinema cameras.

The lens is designed with a 86mm filter thread and 95mm front diameter. Both aperture and focus rings are built with 0.8 mod gears.

Pricing & Availability

The lens is currently available to order from authorized resellers and in Vazen website (http://www.vzlens.com/). It is available to ship immediately.

The retail price in US is USD 3,250/pc. USD 400 discount will be offered to any existing Vazen 40mm / 28mm owners.

Specifications

Focal Length 65mm
T-stop range T/2 – T/16
Angle of View Around 33°
Format Compatibility Micro Four Thirds
Filter Thread 86mm
Front Diameter 95mm
Min. Focusing Distance 1.09 m (3.6 feet)
Dimensions ? 105 x 185 mm
Weight 1.68 kg (3.70 lbs)
Mounts Micro Four Thirds

For more information about Vazen, please visit http://www.vzlens.com/

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Posts Tagged ‘Lens’

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Tips For Achieving Blurry Backgrounds When You Don’t Have a Fast Lens

1. Get closer to your subject

Putting it into practice

The reverse

In more depth

2. Bring your subject farther from the background

Practice

Real-world use

Achieving blurry backgrounds: final words

Meyer Optik Görlitz releases redesigned Primoplan 75mm F1.9 II lens for a handful of mounts

Vazen announces the 65mm T2 1.8x anamorphic lens for MFT camera systems, rounding out the 3 lens lineup

Vazen launches the 65mm T2 1.8x Anamorphic Lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras

Pricing & Availability

Specifications

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