Nikon has launched the much-rumored Nikkor 70-200mm F4G ED VR a lighter and more affordable tele-zoom with a claimed 5 stops of image stabilization. This is delivered by what the company terms ‘third-generation VR,’ which we’re told is not a successor to VRII. The lens joins Nikon’s range of constant-F4 lenses, alongside the 16-35mm F4 and 24-120mm F4 and includes both nano crystal coating and a ring-type AF-S motor to give full-time manual focus override. At $ 1400 the lens is priced relatively closely to the Canon equivalent’s list price – as is the $ 224 optional tripod ring.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Hong Kong-based SLR Magic has formally announced its HyperPrime 12mm F1.6, a manual focus lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras. This fast wideangle prime, which has been doing the rounds of testers and reviewers for the past few months, features a traditional aperture control ring and metal-bodied construction. Its optics include three Tantalum glass elements for ‘superior cinematic performance’. It will be on sale from the end of November.
JVC has announced the GC-PX10, a 12 megapixel/1080p60 hybrid stills/video camera with 10x optical zoom. The model, which combines a 1/2.3" back-illuminated CMOS sensor can shoot 1080p60 video at bitrates of up to 36Mbps, full-resolution images at 30fps or 8.3MB images at 60fps. The camera, which appears to be a US version of the previously-announced, Japan-only GC-PX1, can also capture slow-motion video at 300fps. It includes 32GB of built-in memory, as well as accepting SDXC, SDHC and SD cards.
ACD Systems has announced the launch of ACDSee Pro 5 and ACDSee version 14. Pro 5 builds on the software’s database and organization heritage by gaining image editing tools such as Dodge and Burn, split toning and sharpening tools. This is in addition to its Raw conversion capabilities. Meanwhile, ACDSee v14 adds geotagging options, improved metadata tools and the special effects and drawing tools that are also new to Pro 5. Alongside the launches, the company has announced ACDSee Online, a Raw-capable cloud-based storage and archiving service that doesn’t require ownership of the company’s software.