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Best of CP+ 2017 in Japan

While there weren’t a lot of new announcements at CP+, the theme of the show seemed to be glass: Sigma launched four new lenses, Tamron showed off two, Pentax announced the development of two full-frame primes, Fujifilm showcased a line of affordable cinema primes for Sony E-mount users and a ton of third-party brands had their latest glass creations on display.

So take a peek through our gallery for a rundown of the best of CP+ 2017… and some other stuff we found along the way.  

Fujifilm GFX 50S

While not newly announced, CP+ 2017 was the first time we were able to shoot with a final production Fujifilm GFX 50S medium-format digital camera. As you might expect, it’s an absolute peach to use. Barney and I spent most of the time in Japan fighting over who’d get to use it, which should tell you all you need to know. Simply put, we both found its form factor to be fabulous (it’s surprisingly light), and as for image quality – well, take a look for yourself.

Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM

Sigma announced four new lenses at CP+, three of which join the growing ‘Art’ series. They include a 24-70mm F2.8, a 135mm F1.8 and the one we are most excited for: a 14mm F1.8. In addition, the company also launched a 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens which is part of the company’s more modestly-priced ‘Contemporary’ series. 

But back to the 14mm F1.8. It’s the fastest 14mm in existence, yet despite its wide angle of view, distortion appears almost non-existent. It also appears to be crazy sharp! We’re hoping to be able to post some sample images very soon to prove it. 

Nikon D5 100 Year Anniversary Strap

Nikon didn’t launch any new products at CP+, but as part of its continuing 100th year anniversary celebration, it did unveil several special edition 100 year anniversary items including this swanky leather strap (and a gunmetal grey edition D5 and D500). We have no idea if these straps will eventually be for sale, or if acquiring one also means buying a D5/D500, but we’d hang them round our necks.  

HandeVision Iberit 75mm F2.4

We stumbled on a bunch of cool mirrorless lenses from HandeVision, including this matte grey Iberit 75mm F2.4 (shipping versions will be finished in chrome or black). Build quality seems good, and at just over $ 700, it’s a semi-affordable option for mirrorless (and Leica M) manual focus shooters. On crop sensor bodies it gives a 112mm effective field of view. Check out the other lenses HandeVision had on display. 

Sigma 135mm F1.8 DG HSM

In addition to the 14mm F1.8, Sigma also dropped a 135mm F1.8 at this year’s show. It’s pretty large, and a little heavy, but it sure is pretty, especially that big front element. The lens mount also has a rubber gasket to keep dust and water out, something not offered in previously released Sigma’s ‘Art’ series lenses. And a 9-blade aperture should ensure attractive bokeh (as much as you can expect at 14mm, anyway) and hopefully nice sunstars, too. Simply put, we’re pretty jazzed to get it in the office and getting shooting. 

Exploded gear/gear cut in half

There was a lot of bisected and exploded gear at this year’s show (as always). As has become tradition, we made this gallery to highlight some of the best examples. 

Ricoh Pentax D FA* 50mm F1.4

Ricoh added two new full-frame prime lenses to its lens lineup this year, including this 50mm F1.4 as well as an 85mm F1.4. The 85mm wasn’t on display, but we were able to lay eyes (and our cameras) on a mockup of the new 50mm, tucked inside a very reflective and very secure plastic case. Details about the lens are forthcoming, but it’s certainly large. 

Canon EOS 77D

We didn’t get our hands on Canon’s new EOS 77D at the show, mainly because of the sizable crowds in the Canon booth, but we’d already seen it a few weeks ago back in the US. The EOS 77D is built around a 24MP APS-C sensor, Digic 7 processor and 45-point AF system. Take a look at our hands-on for more info. 

Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art

We’ve included all three new Sigma Art lenses in this gallery because frankly, they’re all really enticing. The 24-70mm F2.8 is impressively small and light weight (for an Art-series prime). And like the 135mm it has a rubber gasket at the base to keep dust and moisture out. Even more impressive: it’s stabilized. Check out our hands-on for more. 

Pigeon camera

Every year, in the back corner of CP+ is a small camera museum exhibit. And one of my absolute favorite cameras on display was the Michel Pigeon Camera, which is exactly what it sounds like. Though the pigeon is no longer with us (we assume – it could just be very well-trained), the camera still looks pretty functional. You can read more about the Michel Pigeon Camera here. 

Used camera fair

Another fixture of CP+ is the used camera fair, which takes place upstairs. A great place to find weird old rangefinder lenses, camera cases, obscure film compact cameras. As such, a great place to spend money. We were disappointed when we missed the end of the fair when we returned on Sunday, but to be honest, it was probably for the best. 

Voigtländer Macro APO-Lanthar 65mm F2

Voigtländer unveiled three new manual focus Sony E-mount lenses at CP+ including this 65mm F2 macro. The build quality on these lenses, as you might expect, is marvelous. And unlike older Voigtländers, these lenses have electronic contacts, so they’ll communicate with the camera body to which they are attached. the 65mm F2 offers a 1:2 max magnification. Take a look at the other two lenses Voigtländer announced in our hands-on slideshow. 

Canon EOS Rebel T7i

Canon’s flagship Rebel, the T7i is the first in the series to incorporate Canon’s Dual Pixel AF. Take a look through our previously-published hands-on to find out more.

Ricoh Pentax KP

We were able to get closer look at the insides of Pentax’s latest APS-C DSLR. How cool is it to see the pentaprism cut right down the middle? In many respects a miniature Pentax K-1, the KP is well-featured, and weather sealed (when it hasn’t been cut in half). Also in the Pentax booth was a pretty cool demo showing off the company’s image stabilization. You can find a short video of that here. And for more on the Pentax KP, check out our hands-on. 

Tamron SP 70-200mm F2.8 Di VC USD G2

There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Tamron’s 2nd generation SP 70-200mm F2.8 lens and we were pretty excited to check it out in person. Compared to its predecessor, Tamron promises faster autofocus and better stabilization. It also offers a completely overhauled optical and mechanical design. Available in Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts, this high-end telezoom will only set you back $ 1500, making it a bargain compared to it’s non-third party counterparts.

Tamron was also showing off its new 10-24mm F3.5-4.5 Di II VC HLD. You can read more about both lenses here. 

This poor man

It was freaking hot on the tradeshow floor! And this poor man had to spend all four days dressed in what seemed like fairly un-breathable getup all while posing with anyone who passed by and wanted to get a photo. Did he lose a bet? We have no idea.

Fujifilm MK cinema lens series 

Fujifilm is entering the affordable cine lens market with the launch of the MK series for Sony E-mount (and X mount, coming later). These lens are an affordable alternative to much more expensive cinema lenses and cover a Super 35 or APS-C imaging area. The lenses include an 18-55mm T2.9, and a 50-135mm T2.9. 

We recently made a short video using the MK18-55 T2.9. Take a look. 

Sony a7S rig for the International Space Station

Did you know that the International Space station has a Sony a7S mounted on it for low-light photography? Here’s a copy of the rig it sits in, in while flying around the Earth at 17,150 miles per hour. 

Mini space station

And just for reference, here’s a full-size model of the ISS. It’s smaller than you expect.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)