Roger Cicala of Lensrentals has published a blog post in which he gives his first impressions of the new Carl Zeiss 32mm F1.8 ‘Touit’ lens, in Sony E-mount. Unlike Roger’s normal approach, where he exhaustively tests multiple samples of the same lens, he was only able to look at a single example of the 32mm F1.8 on the Sony NEX-7. Click through for some details of his findings, and a link to the full article at the lensrentals blog.
[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]
Put on a futuristic-looking, geometric white mask and you’ll suddenly have superhuman senses, hearing targeted sounds from long distances or applying effects to images in real-time. The ‘Eidos’ masks were developed by a group of students from the Royal College of Art in London, fitting over the mouth or ears to enhance sensory perception.
The mask that fits over the mouth and ears features a directional microphone to capture audio, which is processed by software to eliminate background noise. The sound is transmitted directly to the inner ear through bone vibrations to make it seem as if someone else’s speech is coming from inside your own head.
The second mask, which fits over the eyes, adds visual effects to the wearer’s range of vision, and can also analyze visual data. That data is sent to a computer, where software processes it and picks out patterns and movements that are invisible to the naked eye.
“Eidos has broad application in areas where live audio and video analysis is valuable. For example, sportspeople can visualise and improve technique in real time. Eidos also has healthcare benefits where it can be used to boost or refine sensory signals weakened by ageing or disability. In the arts, Eidos can augment live performance such as ballet, fashion or music concerts. It allows us to highlight previously invisible or inaudible details, opening up new and customisable experiences.”
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Sigma USA has given the price and introduction date of the 60mm F2.8 DN Art lens for mirrorless systems, originally announced at CP+. The 60mm DN will be available in the US for both Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount from mid-May at a cost of around $ 239. It will offer a 90mm equivalent field-of-view when mounted on Sony NEX bodies or 120mm equivalent on Micro Four Thirds cameras. This third lens for mirrorless cameras from Sigma (joining the affordable 19mm F2.8 DN Art and 30mm F2.8 DN Art), will also be available in a choice of black or silver finishes.
Rokinon has announced the T-S 24mm F3.5, a wideangle perspective control lens, for release in May 2013. Rokinon rebadges and distributes Samyang lenses for the US market, and this lens first appeared at Photokina 2012 as the Samyang T-S 24mm 1:3.5 ED AS UMC, but without a specific date for launch. The lens features manual focus and aperture setting, offers up to 12mm of shift and 8.5° of tilt, and is designed for full frame cameras. It’ll be available in Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts, at an RRP of $ 1299.99.
Fujifilm UK has given more details of the upcoming XF 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 R LM OIS telephoto zoom for its X system cameras. Full specifications include an inner focusing system driven by no fewer than four linear stepper motors, and a promise of class-leading OIS with four to five stops correction, to go alongside the maximum aperture that’s half a stop faster than typical SLR lenses covering the same range. The company says the lens will be available in May 2013. Meanwhile the promised XF 23mm F1.4 R and XF 27mm F2.8 R pancake are expected to appear in the middle of the year, and the XF 56mm F1.4 R and XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS at the end of 2013.
Olympus USA has announced its M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.8 for Micro Four Thirds will be available in December for around $ 500. The lens features the same premium build quality and snap-focus manual focus mode as the company’s 12mm F2.0. The snap-focus mode is engaged by pulling the focus ring on the lens back, which reveals a distance scale and engages end-stops on the focus travel, applies firmer damping and switches the camera to manual focus mode.
A major copyright reform bill came into effect today in Canada, granting photographers copyright of all of their photographs – regardless of whether they have been commissioned. Previously, copyright on photographs belonged to the commissioner of the images, not to the photographer, transferrable only by a written contract. One of the stated goals of the law is to ‘give photographers the same rights as other creators’. Click through for more details (via PetaPixel).
Tamron USA has announced pricing and availability of its SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD image-stabilized fast zoom lens. Canon and Nikon mount versions of the lens will be available from April 26th 2012, at a MSRP of $ 1299. The Sony version, without image stabilization, will follow at a later, unspecified date. The lens is compatible with both full-frame and APS-C cameras, includes a moisture-resistant body, and a rounded aperture for attractive background blur.
Panasonic has provided details of a firmware update for its recent G-system cameras to provide full compatibility with the newly-announced Lumix X power zoom lenses. The firmware, which will be available at ‘the beginning of October’ will work with the DMC-GH2, G3, GF3 and GF2, and will provide several additional options for how the powered zoom is controlled. By a process of elimination, it seems reasonable to assume these are the functions that won’t be available to older G-series users (G1, GF1, GH1, G2, G10), and possibly Olympus PEN users.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Samsung has published the second in a series of articles explaining the development of lenses for its NX mirrorless camera system. The article features video and interviews with a range of the people involved in the planning, design and development of lenses (and various aspects of the NX system). Also included in the article is an image of what appear to be design studies for the NX system – including some retro/futurist, seemingly Hasselblad-inspired mockups. If you have any interest in the NX system, the piece gives an interesting insight into the possibilities the company is considering. (from PetaPixel)
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)