RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Prime’

Samyang teaser suggests two new astrophotography prime lenses will be released later this month

04 Apr

Samyang, also known as Rokinon or Bower depending on the retailer, has posted a teaser on its Facebook page for two upcoming lenses — a full-frame lens and an APS-C lens — which appear to have been designed specifically with astrophotography in mind.

Samyang doesn’t reveal the focal length or aperture for either lens, nor whether these are manual lenses or autofocus lenses, but both lenses are relatively compact primes based on their respective silhouettes. Samyang says the lenses will be ‘Masterpiece[s] for Astrophotography,’ with night sky photos (presumably captured with the respective lenses) as the background for the teaser.

The duo will be out by the end of the month, according to the post, so it shouldn’t be long before we know the details.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Samyang teaser suggests two new astrophotography prime lenses will be released later this month

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Sony Unveils Three Compact Prime Lenses for E-Mount Cameras

02 Apr

The post Sony Unveils Three Compact Prime Lenses for E-Mount Cameras appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Sony unveils three prime lenses for E-mount cameras

Last week, Sony announced three E-mount lenses:

The FE 24mm f/2.8 G, the FE 40mm f/2.5 G, and the FE 50mm f/2.5 G; all promise to deliver excellent optics in a compact form.

The three lenses will launch this May. Designed as a set, they offer a beautifully wide field of view on the 24mm end for scenic shots and environmental portraits, plus a standard perspective at the 40mm and 50mm focal lengths, perfect for portraits, street photography, and even detail shots.

Sony unveils three prime lenses woman with camera

Sony explains, “The lenses were designed for a wide range of photo and video uses including portraiture, landscape, street photography, and more…With these three dynamic lenses, our customers can capture a wide range of perspectives with the excellent resolution and beautiful bokeh that Sony’s G lenses are known for.”

And while we can’t currently confirm the resolution of these lenses with a hands-on review of our own, sample images look very nice, and Sony’s own tests show tack-sharp results especially when stopped down to f/8. If you’re an APS-C shooter who demands the highest optical quality, or you’re working full frame and want some compact-yet-capable prime lenses, the 24mm f/2.8, 40mm f/2.5, and 50mm f/2.5 will deliver.

Plus, all three lenses offer fast maximum apertures, which translates to lovely bokeh – especially on the 50mm f/2.5, but also on the 40mm f/2.5 and even the 24mm f/2.8 when shooting close-ups.

Of course, f/2.5 and f/2.8 maximum apertures will get you more than just creamy backgrounds. With a wide aperture, you can shoot indoors or at twilight while still maintaining a reasonable ISO, so you can photograph events and night portraits – or record low-light video – and come away with clean results.

Sony also promises “fast, precise AF with excellent tracking performance” and top-notch build quality (all three lenses are dust and moisture resistant).

But while strong build quality, image quality, and focusing do make for a powerful package, even more impressive are the lenses’ compact builds. Travel photographers, street photographers, and videographers will love the pocket-sized design, perfect for on-the-go shooting, long hours behind the camera, and international travel. In fact, all three lenses are identical in size, so you can pack them all without sacrificing weight or space. Check out the lenses next to one another:

Sony unveils three prime lenses

And the prices are surprisingly reasonable. You can grab each lens for just $ 600 USD – not bad at all, given the optics, build quality, and AF capabilities.

So if you’re a Sony shooter in need of a new lens (or two, or three) for travel photography, portrait photography, street photography, or handheld videography, I highly recommend you take a closer look at these options. You can currently preorder the 40mm f/2.5 G here, the 50mm f/2.5 G here, and the 24mm f/2.8 G here.

Sony unveils three prime lenses

Now over to you:

What do you think of Sony’s new bundle of prime lenses? Are you impressed? Are there any features that you wish Sony would’ve included? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Sony Unveils Three Compact Prime Lenses for E-Mount Cameras appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Sony Unveils Three Compact Prime Lenses for E-Mount Cameras

Posted in Photography

 

Review of Amazon Prime Photo Storage: The Good and the Bad

12 Feb

Who doesn’t love Amazon? Come on, where else can you buy live ladybugs, a ready-made shipping container home or tiny house kit, and a bacon-scented mustache all in one place? Amazon’s Prime membership is pretty sweet too. It allows you to take advantage of free delivery, as fast as same-day delivery for some products. You can also take advantage of Continue Reading
Photodoto

 
Comments Off on Review of Amazon Prime Photo Storage: The Good and the Bad

Posted in Photography

 

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)

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

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Viltrox unveils 33mm F1.4, 56mm F1.4 APS-C prime AF lenses for Sony APS-C camera systems

04 Dec

Viltrox has announced the release of its new AF 33mm F1.4 and 56mm F1.4 APS-C prime lenses for Sony E-mount camera systems.

The new 33mm F1.4 (50mm full-frame equivalent) features an all-metal construction and is comprised of 10 elements in 9 groups, including one extra-low dispersion element and one high refractive index element. It features the option to manually or automatically control the aperture, a minimum focusing distance of 40cm (15.75″), offers a built-in micro USB port for updating the firmware and is compatible with Sony’s Eye AF technology thanks to its onboard stepping motor (STM) driving the autofocus.

The lens measures in at 72mm long, 65mm diameter and weighs 270g (9.5oz). Viltrox has a full list of compatible Sony cameras on the 33mm F1.4 product page, where you can also buy the lens today for $ 259.

Moving onto the 56mm F1.4 (85mm full-frame equivalent), it too features an all-metal construction and is comprised of 10 element in 9 groups, including an extra-low dispersion element and a high fraction index lens. Interestingly, unlike the 33mm F1.4 lens, the 56mm F1.4 lens appears to be identical in optical design and features to the 56mm F1.4 lens Viltrox released for Fujifilm X-mount systems back in September.

The 56mm F1.4 also supports Sony Eye AF technology, has a built-in micro USB port for updating the lens’ firmware and uses an STM motor for driving autofocus. The lens measures in at 72mm long, 65mm diameter and weighs 290g (10.2oz).

You can find a full compatibility list on Viltrox’s 56mm F1.4 product page, where you can also pre-order the lens for $ 299.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Viltrox unveils 33mm F1.4, 56mm F1.4 APS-C prime AF lenses for Sony APS-C camera systems

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Nikon teases upcoming super telephoto lenses, 50mm prime with an updated lens road map

21 Nov
Click to enlarge. The new ‘Micro 50mm’ prime is center-left in the bottom row and the two super-telephoto lenses are top-right in the back row.

Nikon has released an updated version of its visual lens roadmap for Z-mount camera systems, revealing silhouettes of three upcoming lenses, including two super-telephoto lenses and one macro prime lens.

While there are eleven total silhouettes, only three of them are new: the ‘Micro 50mm,’ the 400mm S-Line and the 600mm S-line. As you would expect, the silhouettes for the two super-telephoto lenses tower above the rest. Meanwhile, the ‘Micro 50mm’ lens falls halfway between the already-released 24–50mm F4–6.3 and 35mm F1.8 S-Line prime.

Below is another roadmap from Nikon that shows the focal length coverage of current and future lenses:

Click to enlarge.

There’s still no concrete information on expected release dates for thee lenses, so the waiting game continues. But at least we now have visual representations of all the lenses currently on Nikon’s Z-mount lens roadmap and Nikon does say all of the lenses on display ‘will be available by the end of 2022.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Nikon teases upcoming super telephoto lenses, 50mm prime with an updated lens road map

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Panasonic announces compact Lumix S 85mm F1.8 prime for L-mount

04 Nov

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_1511673939″,”galleryId”:”1511673939″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

Panasonic has announced the Lumix S 85mm F1.8 for L-mount. This compact lens has nine elements, two of which are ED glass that help control chromatic aberration, along with a nine-blade aperture for circular out-of-focus highlights. It has a minimum focus distance of 0.8m (2.6ft) and a maximum magnification of 0.13x.

The 85mm F1.8 is just 82mm (3.2″) long and weighs in at 355g (12.5oz). The lens is dust and moisture-resistant and Panasonic claims that it can function down to -10°C/+14°F. It’s designed to have the same size and control placement as Panasonic’s other upcoming L-mount primes (24/35/50mm), for easier use with things like gimbals.

The Lumix S 85mm F1.8 will be available in January for $ 599.

Press release:

A New F1.8 Large-Aperture Fixed Focal Length Lens for the LUMIX S Series

Compact, Lightweight Medium-Telephoto LUMIX S 85mm F1.8 (S-S85)

Newark, NJ (November 4, 2020) – Panasonic is pleased to introduce a new large-aperture medium-telephoto fixed focal length lens, the LUMIX S 85mm F1.8 (S-S85) that enhances portrait photography with its beautiful bokeh effect. Based on the L-Mount system for the LUMIX S Series full-frame mirrorless camera, Panasonic is going to release four F1.8 large-aperture lenses as previously announced, and this 85mm F1.8 is the first one. These four F1.8 lenses feature common size and position of control parts to provide practical advantage in use, for example, when the camera is on a gimbal, it is easy to exchange lenses quickly with minimum adjustment of connected gears. Filters can also be used in common thanks to the same diameter. Boasting high mobility realized by its compact size and light weight, the LUMIX S 85mm F1.8 is also suitable for stills.

Comprising 9 elements in 8 groups, the use of 2 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lenses effectively suppresses both axial chromatic aberration and chromatic aberration of magnification. Panasonic S series lenses even pursue the beauty of bokeh and the LUMIX S 85mm F1.8 provides smooth defocus gradation from the focus peak to the neighboring area of the image as well as smooth, round bokeh of point light source without vignetting. The LUMIX S 85mm F1.8 also excels in video recording performance with a mechanism that suppresses focus breathing, which was a critical problem of all interchangeable lenses designed for still image photography.

With its compact size and approximately 355g weight, the LUMIX S 85mm F1.8 features stunning mobility. The rugged dust/splash-resistant* design withstands use under harsh conditions even at 10 degrees below zero for high mobility. The filter diameter is 67 mm, with a 9-blade circular aperture diaphragm.

In addition to the four F1.8 large-aperture lenses, A 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens is also under development to further enhance LUMIX S Series lens lineup. Panasonic and L-Mount system alliance are committed to the development of L-Mount lenses for the further expansion of its lineup to fulfill the needs of customers.

* Dust and Splash Resistant does not guarantee that damage will not occur if this lens is subjected to direct contact with dust and water.

Panasonic Lumix S 85mm F1.8 specifications

Principal specifications
Lens type Prime lens
Max Format size 35mm FF
Focal length 85 mm
Image stabilization No
Lens mount L-Mount
Aperture
Maximum aperture F1.8
Minimum aperture F22
Aperture ring No
Number of diaphragm blades 9
Optics
Elements 9
Groups 8
Special elements / coatings 2 ED elements
Focus
Minimum focus 0.80 m (31.5″)
Maximum magnification 0.13×
Autofocus Yes
Motor type Linear Motor
Full time manual Yes
Focus method Internal
Distance scale No
DoF scale No
Physical
Weight 355 g (0.78 lb)
Diameter 74 mm (2.91″)
Length 82 mm (3.23″)
Materials Magnesium alloy
Sealing Yes
Colour Black
Filter thread 67 mm
Hood supplied Yes

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Panasonic announces compact Lumix S 85mm F1.8 prime for L-mount

Posted in Uncategorized

 

7artisans releases $255 35mm F0.95 manual prime for APS-C mirrorless camera systems

20 Oct

7artisans has announced yet another affordable ultra-fast manual prime lens, the 35mm F0.95 APS-C lens for Canon M, Fuji X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon Z and Sony E mount camera systems.

The lens, which retails for just $ 255, is constructed of 11 elements in 8 groups, has an aperture range of F0.95–16, offers a minimum focusing distance of 37cm (14.5”) and has a 12-blade aperture diaphragm. It offers a 43º angle of view, has a declicked aperture dial and weighs just 369g (13oz).

Photo Rumors, who is an authorized 7artisans retailer, has shared a gallery of sample images taken with the lens attached to a Sony a7 III:

7artisans 35mm f/0.95 sample photos

The 7artisans 35mm F0.95 APS-C lens is available to purchase for $ 255 through 7artisan retailers, including Photo Rumors.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on 7artisans releases $255 35mm F0.95 manual prime for APS-C mirrorless camera systems

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Meike’s first autofocus lens is a new 85mm F1.8 prime that costs just $190

12 Aug

Budget optics manufacturer Meike has announced the release of an ultra-affordable 85mm F1.8 autofocus lens for Canon EF- and Nikon F-mount cameras that costs just $ 190.

The lens, which is the first autofocus lens Meike has produced, is constructed of nine elements in six groups, features an aperture range of F1.8-F22, has a minimum focusing distance of 85cm (33.5”) and uses a nine-blade aperture diaphragm. It also has a built-in microUSB port for updating firmware.

The lens measures in at 79mm long, 75mm diameter and weighs 420g (14.8oz). The 85mm F1.8 lens is currently listed as available on Meike’s online shop for just $ 190 (Canon EF, Nikon F). It comes with the lens, a lens hood, front/rear caps, and a microfiber pouch for transporting it in.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Meike’s first autofocus lens is a new 85mm F1.8 prime that costs just $190

Posted in Uncategorized

 

A mysterious firmware update turns the Viltrox 85mm F1.8 lens into an even faster F1.6 prime

07 Aug

The $ 400 Viltrox 85mm F1.8 lens is a popular choice for Sony E and Fujifilm X users due to its compelling blend of performance and value. Owners have remarked that the lens delivers sharp image quality even when shot wide open. It now appears that wide open can be made even wider with a firmware update allowing the lens to become an F1.6 prime.

Photographer Stefan Malloch has published a video tutorial, seen below, which shows how to use the USB port on the lens to update the lens. This update allows the lens to open its aperture wider, changing the maximum aperture from F1.8 to F1.6. With a simple firmware update, you can get an extra one-third of a stop of light gathering capability.

As PetaPixel notes, there are conflicting reports as to the origin of the firmware. Sony Addict reported that the firmware was released officially in China. FujiRumors, on the other hand, reached out to Viltrox and was told that firmware to turn the F1.8 lens into an F1.6 lens had not been released. All this is to say that installing (possibly unofficial) firmware into your lens is a risk with unknown consequences.

Supposing you still want to update your lens using Malloch’s video above, what can you expect from the Viltrox 85mm F1.6 lens? Malloch also published an overview video of the lens, including sample images.

As mentioned earlier, the Viltrox 85mm F1.8 (or F1.6) lens is available as a full-frame lens for Sony E mount or for the APS-C Fujifilm X system. The fast, autofocus-capable prime lens can focus as closely as 2.62′ (0.8m). The lens includes 10 elements across 7 groups, including 1 ED lens element and 4 ‘short-wavelength and high-transparency’ lens elements. The lens has a 72mm filter thread and weighs 636g (1.4 lbs.). You can learn more about the lens on Viltrox’s website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on A mysterious firmware update turns the Viltrox 85mm F1.8 lens into an even faster F1.6 prime

Posted in Uncategorized

 
« Older Entries