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Posts Tagged ‘Lens’

Fujifilm adds GF 45mm F2.8 R WR, expands medium-format lens roadmap

10 Sep

Fujifilm’s offerings for its GF medium-format system have expanded with the addition of the Fujinon GF 45mm F2.8 R WR. It will provide a 36mm equivalent view of the world when used on the company’s GFX 50S, and is dust- and weather-resistant. Lens construction includes a 9 blade aperture and 8 groups with 11 elements, including one aspherical and two ED lenses.

Fujifilm plans to launch a GF 250mm F4 R LM OIS WR telephoto prime and a GF 1.4X TC WR teleconverter next year, both of which are hinted to on an existing roadmap. The 250mm gives a 198mm equivalent view.

A firmware update is also on the way for the GFX 50S to add support for Fuji’s X Raw Studio and better functionality with third party studio flash controllers. Here’s the full list of improvements:

FUJIFILM GFX 50S: V.2.0 Key Features

  1. Supports FUJIFILM X RAW STUDIO which enables users to convert RAW files with X Processor Pro.
  2. Improves radio flash controller usability allowing users to shoot with compatible third party studio flash in high speed sync or TTL mode via their radio controllers.
  3. Supports backup and restore of camera settings from one camera to another via FUJIFILM X Acquire.
  4. Addition of “Eye Sensor + LCD Image Display” in View Mode that allows for shooting through the viewfinder and checking images on the LCD.
  5. ON/OFF for 1/3-step shutter speed adjustment.
  6. Addition of “Shoot Without Card” mode so camera will not shoot without SD card inserted.
  7. Addition of “-6” and “-7” to EVF’s brightness settings.

The Fujinon GF 45mm F2.8 R WR is scheduled for arrival in November for $ 1700.

FUJIFILM ADDS SIXTH GF LENS TO GFX MEDIUM FORMAT MIRRORLESS CAMERA SYSTEM FOR STREET

FUJINON GF45mmF2.8 R WR Lens adds versatile wide angle lens to the series; updated GF Lens Roadmap announced and new GFX firmware coming soon

Valhalla, N.Y., September 7, 2017 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced the new FUJINON GF45mmF2.8 R WR, a highly versatile wide angle lens. The GF45mmF2.8 R WR lens has a focal length equivalent to 36mm (in the 35mm format) and a maximum aperture of F2.8. With its compact and lightweight design weighing just 490g, this lens is perfect for street and documentary photography.

The new GF45mmF2.8 R WR is the sixth interchangeable GF lens to be added for the FUJIFILM GFX 50S medium format mirrorless digital camera system. Taking advantage of the mirrorless system’s structure, the G Mount has a short flange back distance of just 26.7mm that reduces the back focus distance as much as possible to prevent vignetting and achieve edge-to-edge sharpness. As with all GF Lenses, the GF45mmF2.8 R WR is a professional quality lens capable of reproducing rich tones and unique colors.

With a construction of 8 groups and 11 elements using one aspherical lens and two ED lenses, the GF45mmF2.8 R WR lens is equipped to provide the highest image quality while reducing aberrations. The lens features Nano GI coating to suppress ghosting and flare, and is weather and dust resistant capable of operating in environments as cold as 14°F/-10°C. The GF45mmF2.8 R WR lens combines reliability and high performance to be the ultimate tool for professional photographers.

FUJINON GF45mmF2.8 R WR Lens Key Features:

  • FUJIFILM G Mount is compatible with the FUJIFILM GFX 50S
  • Weather and dust resistant design capable of operating at temperatures as low as 14°F/-10°C
  • 8 groups and 11 elements construction using one aspherical lens and two ED lenses
  • 9 blade aperture creates smooth and circular bokeh
  • Nano GI coating suppresses ghosting and flare

New FUJINON GF Lens Development Roadmap
Also announced today is the latest development of the G Mount Lens Roadmap, showcasing the continued expansion of the interchangeable lens range for the FUJIFILM GFX 50S medium format mirrorless digital camera. The latest roadmap adds two new lenses: the GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR telephoto prime lens with a focal length equivalent to 198mm (in 35mm format) and maximum aperture of F4 for beautiful bokeh when shooting portrait and landscape images; and the GF1.4X TC WR, a high-performance teleconverter capable of multiplying the focal length by 1.4x. Compatible with the GF250mmF4 R LM OIS WR lens, the GF1.4X teleconverter provides a focal length of 350mm (equivalent to 277mm in the 35mm format).

With the addition of the two lenses, the GF lens lineup includes a total of eight lenses covering focal lengths from 18mm – 277mm (in the 35mm format) to correspond to an expansive range of photographer needs.

New Firmware Updates Coming Soon
Fujifilm will release a new firmware update for the FUJIFILM GFX 50S medium format mirrorless digital camera. Expected in late November 2017, this update will add new support for FUJIFILM X RAW STUDIO, improved third party studio flash controller usability and new functions to improve operability.

FUJIFILM GFX 50S: V.2.0 Key Features

  1. Supports FUJIFILM X RAW STUDIO which enables users to convert RAW files with X Processor Pro.
  2. Improves radio flash controller usability allowing users to shoot with compatible third party studio flash in high speed sync or TTL mode via their radio controllers.
  3. Supports backup and restore of camera settings from one camera to another via FUJIFILM X Acquire.
  4. Addition of “Eye Sensor + LCD Image Display” in View Mode that allows for shooting through the viewfinder and checking images on the LCD.
  5. ON/OFF for 1/3-step shutter speed adjustment.
  6. Addition of “Shoot Without Card” mode so camera will not shoot without SD card inserted.
  7. Addition of “-6” and “-7” to EVF’s brightness settings.

Availability and Pricing
The new FUJINON GF45mmF2.8 R WR lens will be available in November 2017 for USD $ 1,699.95.

Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 R WR Specifications

Principal specifications
Lens type Prime lens
Max Format size APS-C / DX
Focal length 45 mm
Image stabilization Yes
Lens mount Fujifilm G
Aperture
Maximum aperture F2.8
Minimum aperture F32
Aperture ring Yes
Number of diaphragm blades 9
Optics
Elements 11
Groups 8
Special elements / coatings One aspherical, two ED elements + Nano GI, fluorine coatings
Focus
Minimum focus 45.00 m (1771.65″)
Maximum magnification 0.14×
Autofocus Yes
Full time manual Yes
Focus method Internal
Distance scale No
DoF scale No
Physical
Weight 490 g (1.08 lb)
Diameter 84 mm (3.31″)
Length 88 mm (3.46″)
Materials Magnesium alloy
Sealing Yes
Colour Black
Filter thread 62.0 mm
Hood supplied Yes
Tripod collar No

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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ShareGrid publishes the ‘Ultimate Anamorphic Lens Test’

06 Sep

ShareGrid, a peer-to-peer gear rental service, has published the results of its Ultimate Anamorphic Lens Test, which evaluated 42 ‘vintage’ anamorphic lenses representing lens families from 13 companies. Using ShareGrid’s ‘quad player’ interface, it’s possible to compare video test results from up to four lenses simultaneously, and the results can be very interesting.

Brent Barbano, a cinematographer and ShareGrid co-founder, emphasizes that these aren’t just casual tests, but result from a full-blown three-day production shoot that took months of planning and involved producers, directors, DPs, and production managers, including many technical experts and cinematographers from the filmmaking industry.

The test is a follow-up to the company’s 2016 Ultimate Vintage Lens Test, which evaluated 40 classic circular lenses. By using an identical setup for both tests, right down to the same model in front of the camera, it’s even possible to compare results from anamorphic lenses with circular lenses. Want to compare a 50mm ARRI / Zeiss Master Anamorphic with a 50mm ARRI / Zeiss Master Prime Spherical? No problem!

Think anamorphic lenses are just for motion picture work? Not so fast. As the test’s Director Mark LaFleur points out, “Any photographer who wants to make a big splash within the photography world should start shooting anamorphic, because your work will immediately stand out from the pack.”

The producers used an identical setup, including the same model, for both anamorphic and circular lens tests, making it possible to compare results between both types of lenses.

Courtesy of ShareGrid

According to Barbano, one of most important factors contributing to the success of the project was enthusiastic support from the filmmaking community, including dozens of volunteers. “The overwhelming amount of people who wanted to be involved in some way was the coolest part about the whole thing,” he says. “We had people donating their time. We had people donating their lenses. We ended up absorbing crew members out of nowhere, which was really, really cool.”

If you want to learn more about anamorphic lenses, ShareGrid has also published a great explainer page, and Director Mark LaFleur has written a detailed overview of the testing process.

We had a chance to spend a few minutes with Barbano and LaFleur to learn more about how the tests were performed and what they discovered along the way.

What inspired you to test all these lenses?

Mark LaFleur: I’m a cinematographer. And I’m kind of obsessed with lenses. I wanted to get tests out there because I was using my equipment for my own jobs, but was also renting my equipment to other people. I knew that with a really good test video, I wouldn’t have to convince someone about the look of a lens or try to describe it to them. We live in a time when a lot of people are able upload decent video, but sometimes when you find a test, you don’t know if the data is accurate.

But when you compare lenses on a level playing field, you really see differences between them. ShareGrid’s idea for a quad player to play lenses simultaneously, combined with the way I wanted to conduct and present the tests, really created one of the better lens tests that exists.

Director of Photography Kyle Stryker and 1st Assistant Camera Seda Kisacik set up a shot with their model, Kori.

Photo by Joseph Adams

Why test vintage anamorphic lenses?

Brent Barbano: We were obsessed with vintage lenses from our last test. Mark owned a set of Lomo anamorphics at the time, so we included them in the spherical vintage test. When those went up and everyone was looking at the screen, everyone was just like, “Wow!” It just renders everything completely different.

Anamorphics are incredibly popular. It’s what everyone is yearning for. So we’re giving our audience exactly the types of tests they need. We wanted to put something out there to set the bar, the standard for real, accurate, good information. There are no winners in this test. Every brand fits its purpose. Whether it’s price, availability, or size. They’re all beautiful in their own unique way.

“There are no winners in this test. Every brand fits its purpose. Whether it’s price, availability, or size. They’re all beautiful in their own unique way.”

How did you select the lenses you tested?

Brent: There were some categories we wanted to hit. We wanted to get benchmark lenses, the best of the best, like the ARRI / Zeiss Master Anamorphics and the Cooke Anamorphics. But we also wanted to get really cheap, very affordable options, like the Iscorama Pre-36 Adapter. That’s a very popular option in the indie budget film community. We wanted to cover really old lenses, which we got with the old Panavision Auto-Panatars, which should be in a museum. We also have the Atlas Orion 65mm prototype lens, which was announced this year at NAB. It’s not even out in production yet. So we have the newest anamorphic you can get vs. one of the oldest.

Mark: Also, any set that’s included in this test is something you can either buy or rent. Even something that’s rare like the Todd AOs or the Cineovisions. You can get them from a rental house even if you’re in a smaller city in the middle of the country. They can ship them to you.

What was involved in testing each lens?

Mark: We had a few tests including a real-world test, which is with a model in a room that gives us a lot of depth so we can see what out-of-focus elements look like, with bright highlights and straight lines. In that one setup, you really get a good sense of the character of a lens. We also did a couple lens flare tests and a distortion test. We also put every lens on a lens projector. In the cinematography community, every lens tech has a projection room. And that’s how they can basically diagnose a lens, by just shining pure light through it from the rear element out the front and onto a wall.

Each lens was subjected to several tests, including ‘real-world’ and technical evaluations.

Courtesy of ShareGrid

How can someone use these tests during production planning?

Mark: You can go out and take any lens in this test, bring it home, and shoot beautiful images. You can even go to a rental house and they’ll take every lens off the shelf for you and you can sit there in that rental house and test them all out. But you’re in a rental house, under fluorescent lighting with white walls and focus charts. It’s not the environment you’re going to be shooting in. We wanted to create a test that made the characteristics of a lens pop. Its bokeh, its sharpness, its breathing, its color, its vignetting, its distortion. The only way to do that is to have a side-by-side, A-B comparison. Or, with the quad player that ShareGrid’s doing, an A-B-C-D comparison.

What about people who may be using a DSLR or mirrorless camera instead of an ARRI or RED? Will the results of these tests be useful to them?

Brent: Absolutely. I think the problem is that anamorphic is intimidating. I think optics and visual cinematography can seem intimidating. And we believe that this resource will hopefully demystify everything and open the doors. And yeah, if you can’t afford some of these lenses, you can afford an Iscorama if you’re doing an indie production. But like Mark said, Cineovisions, Lomos, these lenses are up on ShareGrid. They’re pretty affordable, and they get rented all the time by music videos, commercials, indie productions, and young filmmakers.

“…at this point, the indie filmmaker with a DSLR is shooting more anamorphic right now than anybody else.”

Mark: I would say at this point, the indie filmmaker with a DSLR is shooting more anamorphic right now than anybody else. There are a lot of people getting these anamorphic adapters and doing DIY anamorphic lens building and using a Panasonic GH4 which has a four by three sensor. Anamorphic is getting to a point where it’s completely acceptable for, I would argue, almost any budget. Even the smallest budgets. If you’re a DSLR owner, you can rent anamorphic lenses for a very small amount of money and go out and shoot.

Lens tests were run as a full production shoot, including experts representing every step of the production process.

Courtesy of ShareGrid

Can you provide some guidance for people who aren’t experienced with anamorphic lenses? What should they look for in the test results?

Mark: If you’re a photographer, I mean, an image is an image, and I think any photographer could jump in and make pretty well-informed judgment calls on things that they like or don’t like. Any photographer who wants to make a big splash within the photography world should start shooting anamorphic, because your work will immediately stand out from the pack.

We conducted our test procedure exactly the same as our spherical test, so we have the same location, the same model, the lights… the same everything. Someone who doesn’t know anything about anamorphic lenses can use the quad player to pick lenses from the spherical test, so it’s possible to view a real side-by-side comparison of what a 50mm spherical vs. 50mm anamorphic looks like.

What did you learn from testing all these anamorphic lenses?

Brent: Lenses are beautiful. No matter if old or new, they’re all amazing in their own unique way. Lenses are not perfect, they’re never going to be perfect. And that’s okay. Because when you look at how they manipulate the world that we see with our eyes every day, they make it look just so beautiful. That was the really cool takeaway for me.

Mark: I couldn’t put that any better. People will tell you, “This is the best lens,” or, “Use this one,” or, “This one’s good,” or, “This one’s bad.” And what I really liked about the test was that there really was no winner. Every single lens, regardless of how expensive it is or how much clout its name brand gives it, if you took a blind test, if you took these 13 lens sets, and you asked 13 people to pick their favorite, you’d get 13 different answers. Including the cheapest lens.

A crew shot along with some of the lenses included in the test. According to cinematographer Brent Barbano, community support was one of the most important aspects of the production.

Courtesy of ShareGrid

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Review of the Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm Lens

05 Sep

In this review, I’ll discuss my experience testing out the Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 IS lens. It is compatible with mirrorless four thirds camera systems.

Downsizing

Last winter, I adopted my first new camera system since I started shooting seriously two decades ago. I’ve used Canon cameras for my entire professional career, though I’m hardly a devout follower of the brand. I’ve shot Canon for the simple reason that I own Canon gear, am content with the quality, and switching to something new was just too much trouble.

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens

However, in my work as a wilderness photographer and guide, weight and size of my equipment are a big deal. Often, I’ve found myself leaving gear at home that I’d otherwise like to have, for the simple reason that there wasn’t space or the gear weighed too much. So, I started looking for a compact system that would provide the quality and flexibility I needed.

I ended up with a Panasonic Lumix GX85 mirrorless body, as an experiment into the micro 4/3rds system. Without mincing words, I’ve been extremely impressed with this very compact, very light, and very capable little camera. In the months I’ve been using it, it has easily out-stripped my Canon DSLRs as my most-used camera.

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens

A flash of sunlight on the tundra of the Brooks Range. Panasonic-Leica 100-400, 187mm, f5.0, 1/250th.

Looking for lenses

With weight and size as a major consideration, I’ve started shopping for additional lenses, to see if there is anything available that would allow me to part with at least some of my Canon kit. Rather than spend a bunch of bucks, I’m trying things out via rental lenses. The first big telephoto I’ve tried is the Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens.

When mounted on a micro 4/3rds camera like the Lumix GX85, the 100-400mm lens has a full-frame equivalent of 200-800mm, which definitely appealed to my inner wildlife photographer.

I recently spent about 10 days with this lens on a wilderness trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This review is about how it functioned and the resulting image quality. I’ll leave the technical assessment of chromatic aberration, color fidelity, and variable sharpness in other, more capable, hands.

First Impressions of the Panasonic 100-400mm lens

Out of the box, the all metal construction of this lens struck me as sturdy, compact, sleek, and well-made. The rotating focus and zoom rings were smooth and precise and there was no grinding or slippage. The simple lock-out ring was easily adjusted to keep the zoom from slipping forward or back. No complaints.Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens

I promptly took it out of for a quick walk around my home here in Fairbanks, Alaska and made a few images of flowers, testing the focus and bokeh.

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens

This was the only image I made with the lens where it had a hard time auto-focusing. I suspect it was due to the relatively dark background and low-contrast subject. 400mm, f/6.3, 1/160th.

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens

The background bokeh retains some detail in this image at 400m, f/7.1, 1/2000th.

Sharpness is surprisingly good even at 400mm (800mm equivalent) though I did find the autofocus in low-contrast situations to be a bit slow and imprecise. The image of the Delphinium (purple flower, above) took multiple attempts to grab focus, presumably due to the dark background.

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens

Cottongrass. Even at 400mm, the center piece of cotton is tack sharp. 400mm, f8, 1/2500th.

The combination of the micro 4/3rds sensor (which as a 2x crop factor) and the f6.3 aperture (at 400mm) did extend the depth of field and reduced the clean bokeh I’m used to with my faster Canon 500mm f4. However, when the subject is set suitably away from the background this improves markedly.

Into the Field

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens

Looking north from the mountain front toward the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. 100mm, f4.7, 1/2500th.

The following morning, I boarded a small bush plane and flew from Fairbanks, over the arctic circle to the northern Brooks Range and coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens

I was impressed with the color and contrast detail using the lens. 137mm, f/8.0, 1/1600th.

The long and short of that trip is that the weather sucked. Usual, y the Arctic Refuge is a dry place (it’s actually an Arctic desert) but not on this trip. My clients and I spent long hours holed up drinking hot chocolate, rather than hiking across the dramatic landscape. This was a bit of a drag, but it did make us appreciate the rare moments when the weather cleared enough to allow rays of sun to fall on the tundra.

During those moments, I would scurry out, camera in hand, and make images. Usually, when photographing the landscape, I rely on wide angles, and short telephotos. However, the specks of interesting light that found their way to the ground through the low clouds were small, and I found the reach of the 100-400mm lens a near-perfect match for the conditions.

Bird photography

I also had the chance to make a few images of the Semipalmated Plovers that shared our riverside camp.

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens

Semipalmated Plover on the a gravel bar on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The feather detail is extremely good, even when viewed at 100%. 250mm, f/11, 1/500th.

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens

Semipalmated Plover. 400mm, f/9.0, 1/200th (Handheld at 800mm equivalent! That’s some solid image stabilization there.)

I’m accustomed to making wildlife photos with a monstrous 500mm f/4, which while huge, also has amazing image quality and a lovely, clean background bokeh. I expected this lens to be second-rate at best.

And yet, I was pleasantly surprised. Image sharpness was more than acceptable throughout the lens’ range. And the bokeh issue was resolved (at least somewhat) by laying down on the ground and shooting at the bird’s eye level. This provided a good separation from the bird to the background.

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens

Sun patch detail. 400mm f/6.3, 1/250th.

In situations where this kind of separation is impossible to create (say a forest, or shrubby area), then the extended depth of field of this slower, faster lens will unquestionably be an issue.

The image stabilization in the lens and camera worked seamlessly together, making handheld shooting a breeze. Even at an 800mm equivalent, and surprisingly long shutter speeds, it performed well.

Final Thoughts

I just couldn’t help comparing this lens to my Canon 500mm f/4. I know it isn’t a fair comparison. The 500mm weighs nearly 8lbs, while the 100-400mm comes in just over two. The street price of the 500mm is a college-fund draining $ 9,000 USD, while the Panasonic 100-400mm slips in at a comparatively cheap $ 1,800 USD.

Lens Review: Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm

Rotten weather meant that snow fell on the mountains just above our camp…in July! Ahhh, Alaska. 180mm, f/9.0, 1/500th.

But the very fact that I AM comparing these two wildly different sized and priced lenses says something very good about the Panasonic-Leica 100-400mm, I think. For what it is and what you get, this lens is extraordinary.

Is it as good as a 500mm f/4 prime Canon L-series lens? No way. Is it still really, really good? Yes, it is, and for the price and size, I’m not sure it can be beaten.

I’m not ready to trade in my big glass for this little, solid lens, but when it comes to light backcountry journeys, I could sure as heck see the Panasonic Lumix 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens as a great addition to my kit.

The post Review of the Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm Lens by David Shaw appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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These drink coasters look like a camera lens when stacked

02 Sep

Looking for a stylish way to keep condensation from forming unsightly rings on your desk? Are you a huge photography nerd? Fotodiox has a solution that will keep both parts of your psyche nice and happy: cup coasters that, when you stack them together, appear to form a single camera lens.

Fotodiox calls the quirky product the CraftMaster LenzCoaster, and offers them in three different varieties.

A careful look at each LenzCoaster ‘lens’ reveals that it is split into five sections, each section a different drink coaster with silicone padding. Magnets embedded in each coaster keep the pieces together when stacked.

The lens coasters are offered in white and black, the latter of which comes in a variety with black and red ‘caps.’ Fotodiox is offering all three versions now for $ 25.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon unveils stabilized EF 85mm F1.4L lens

29 Aug

Canon has announced the EF 85mm F1.4L IS USM stabilized portrait prime. It’s the company’s first F1.4 offering at that focal length, joining its current EF 85mm F1.8 USM and EF 85mm F1.2L II USM lenses. The EF 85mm F1.4L provides up to four stops of stabilization, uses a nine-blade aperture and offers a dust and weather-resistant build.

In terms of the competition, the new EF 85mm F1.4L doesn’t aim to beat the $ 1200 Sigma 85mm F1.4 Art on price: it will debut at $ 1600. At 950g / 33.5oz it does weigh significantly less than the Sigma, even with stabilization, but that may say more about the quite heavy 1130g / 39.9oz Art lens than it does about the Canon.

The Canon EF 85mm F1.4L IS USM is expected to ship in November.

Press release

CANON U.S.A. EXPANDS ITS LENS PORTFOLIO WITH THE NEW EF 85MM F/1.4L IS USM LENS AND THEIR FIRST-EVER MACRO TILT-SHIFT LENSES

New Canon EF Lenses Support a Variety of Photography Applications including Architecture, Portrait, Food and Landscape

MELVILLE, N.Y., August 29, 2017 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the new Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM lens as an addition to the Company’s existing 85mm focal-range lens line-up and three new Tilt-Shift macro lenses: the TS-E 50mm f/2.8L Macro lens, TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro lens and TS-E 135mm f/4L Macro lens. Canon also announced a new Macro Twin-Lite MT-26EX-RT flash. These new products will help provide both advanced amateur and professional photographers the unique photography tools for a variety of applications and solutions including architecture, landscape, food, product and portrait photography.

“Creating a powerful, timeless image requires more than just a camera. It requires high-quality, well-crafted optics and flashes to capture compelling photography,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A., “These new lenses along and the Macro Twin-Lite flash will continue to push the boundaries and expand the possibilities of what advanced amateur and professional photographers capture and share with the world.”

Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM Lens
Canon EF 85mm focal-length lenses are traditionally very sought-after options for portrait photographers. With that in mind, Canon is expanding its EF 85mm line up with the introduction of the new Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM; the first Canon EF 85mm lens to feature image stabilization, providing up to four stops* of shake correction for smooth and crisp imagery.

The EF 85mm utilizes one large diameter, high-precision molded glass aspherical lens and features an ASC coating. The large f/1.4 aperture produces shallow depth-of-field, fast shutter speeds and a bright image inside the viewfinder, allowing photographers to focus and compose their image reliably. In addition, a circular aperture with 9-blade iris allows for beautiful bokeh.

The New Canon EF 85mm f/1.4 L IS USM is scheduled to be available November 2017 for an estimated retail price of $ 1599.00††.

New Tilt-Shift Lenses
Tilt-Shift lenses have several applications for suitable photographers because of their ability to provide enhanced creative control over perspective through the tilt function and depth-of-field through the shift function in their images. This ability can be optimal when photographing landscapes, portraits, and architecture.

The image quality derived from Canon Tilt-Shift lenses has evolved considerably since their first inception several years ago. Enhanced optical elements like molded aspherical glass and UD lenses are at the core of the new Canon TS-E 50mm f/2.8L Macro lens, TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro lens and TS-E 135mm f/4L Macro lens. These features provide users with edge-to-edge resolution, improved image quality over previous Canon TS-E lenses and minimum distortion. Canon also included two anti-reflective coatings, SubWaveLength Structure Coating (SWC) in the TS-E 50mm f/2.8L and TS-E 135mm f/4L Macro lenses and Air-Sphere Coating (ASC), into the TS-E 50mm f/2.8L and TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro lenses. SWC helps to reduce flare and ghosting, while ASC is a new technology that provides amazingly high, anti-reflective performance, particularly when alleviating incidental light that can enter a lens.

The new Canon Tilt-Shift lenses also offer improved operability over previous models, including larger tilt, shift-and-lock knobs, lock-release button and a new tilt-locking mechanism that firmly locks the lens in the zero-tilt position to help prevent unintended tilting to increase more precise shooting capabilities. The rotation of the tilt-shift lenses also allows users to freely change the axis of tilt movement and shift from right angles to parallel to better adapt to various shooting conditions and situations.

The new Canon TS-E 50mm f/2.8L Macro lens, TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro lens and TS-E 135mm f/4L Macro lenses are scheduled to be available November 2017 for an estimated retail price of $ 2199.00††.

Canon Macro Twin-Lite MT-26EX-RT Flash
To further enhance a photographer’s ability to shoot macro photography, the new Canon Macro Twin-Lite MT-26EX-RT Flash can be the ideal tool. The use of a macro twin-lite allows for a more ideal lighting situation for photographers, and can be adjusted and shifted depending on the direction the photographer would like to control. Detachable macro twin lites can be rotated up to 60 degrees, and features a maximum guide number of 85.3 ft (26 m)**.

The new Canon Macro Twin-Lite MT-26EX-RT Flash inherits the ease of use and operability of Canon’s latest Speedlite EX series flashes and increased brightness of the focusing lamp compared to previous Canon Macro-Twin Lites. There is also less noise produced from the charging of the lights.

The new Canon Macro Twin-Lite MT-26EX-RT Flash is scheduled to be available November 2017, for an estimated retail price of $ 989.99††.

For more information on all of these products, please visit usa.canon.com

* Based on CIPA (Camera & Imaging Products Association) standards. Testing performed using the EOS-1D X Mark II SLR camera. The number of stops may vary based on the camera model used.

**Guide Number reflects the amount when both sides are fired. Flash output for quick flash (green ready light) is approximately 1/2 to 1/6 of full output (depending on the charge status).

†† Availability, prices and specifications subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set be individual dealers and may vary.

Canon EF 85mm F1.4L IS USM Specifications

Principal specifications
Lens type Prime lens
Max Format size 35mm FF
Focal length 85 mm
Image stabilization Yes (4 stops)
Lens mount Canon EF
Aperture
Maximum aperture F1.4
Aperture ring No
Number of diaphragm blades 9
Optics
Elements 14
Groups 10
Special elements / coatings One molded glass aspherical element + air sphere and fluorine coatings.
Focus
Minimum focus 0.85 m (33.46″)
Autofocus Yes
Motor type Ring-type ultrasonic
Full time manual Yes
Focus method Internal
Distance scale Yes
DoF scale No
Focus distance limiter No
Physical
Weight 950 g (2.09 lb)
Diameter 87 mm (3.43″)
Length 105 mm (4.13″)
Materials Magnesium alloy
Sealing Yes
Colour Black
Filter thread 77.0 mm
Hood supplied Yes
Tripod collar No

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Oprema Jena is also resurrecting the Biotar 58mm F2.0 lens, will cost $2,000

24 Aug

In addition to bringing back the legendary Biotar 75mm F1.5 lens via its new Kickstarter campaign, company Oprema has also announced plans to resurrect the Biotar 58mm F2.0 lens originally made by Carl Zeiss. Though the company doesn’t anticipate launching the Biotar 58 lens until late 2018, the company is offering pre-production models of the 58 in bundles with the Biotar 75mm lens via the latter’s Kickstarter campaign.

Originally reported by PhotoRumors, and later confirmed in an official announcement, the special pre-production Biotar 58 lenses will feature serial numbers ranging from 1 to 58. The two-lens bundle will require a pledge of $ 2,000 USD, which is a whopping $ 2,500 USD lower than the planned retail cost of the two lenses combined. Not bad for a Kickstarter discount.

Assuming everything goes according to plan, Oprema plans to launch the Biotar 75 lens next summer at a retail cost of $ 2,500 USD, whereas the Biotar 58 will arrive a few months later at a lower $ 2,000 USD.

The Biotar 58mm lens will be offered in Nikon, Canon, Leica M, Fuji X, Sony E, and M42 mounts, and represents Oprema’s second foray into the market of remaking classic lenses.

To find out more or put down a pledge, head over to the Biotar Kickstarter campaign. There are still 49 Biotar bundles left as of this writing.

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Don’t buy another lens, buy a flash instead

21 Aug

Introduction

A bounced, on-camera flash was a quick way for me to take some photo booth snaps in a very dark room without having to set anything up off-camera.

When people really get into photography and start saving their pennies for new gear, one of the first things they buy tends to be a lens, like a telephoto or a fast prime. However, if you’ve already got a lens or two and you’re thinking you’d want another, let me suggest that you pick up an external flash instead.

Why, you ask? What’s wrong with natural light? After all, those insert-name-brand-here flashes are just way too expensive.

With the abundance of cheap flashes pouring out of China these days, you should be able to get a TTL, or ‘through the lens’ metering flash for around $ 50 US. If it’s your first flash, a cheapie one will do just fine, and TTL metering will help you get out and get shooting with it in no time.

If you’re ‘into photography’ enough to have a couple of lenses, then it’s time to consider one of these as well.

Even a ‘natural light’ shooter can benefit immensely from a better understanding of how light works, and what better way to experiment with light than controlling your own? You may even find that, using artificial lights, you can spend less time looking for shade or big bay windows, and sometimes, you can get away with shooting at the ‘wrong’ time of day.

‘Even a ‘natural light’ shooter can benefit immensely from a better understanding of how light works, and what better way to experiment with light than controlling your own?’

Lastly, having a flash simply provides you with another tool with which to create images. It’s just another option you didn’t have before. It can open up new possibilities, and perhaps lead you in a creative direction you never expected. And as you grow, you may find there are some situations that you’d simply never get away with not using strobes.

Getting started using TTL

Even if you tend to use your camera in ‘Auto’ or ‘P’ modes, you can gain instant benefits from a small, inexpensive flash. As stated earlier, it’ll be important to get TTL capability, which is kind of like ‘Auto’ or ‘P’ for flash.

Room a bit dim? A ceiling-bounced flash is one of the easiest ways to brighten it up without looking too unnatural.

So how does TTL work? Before taking the photo, the flash fires a quick burst that reflects off your subject and travels through the lens to the imaging or metering sensor in the camera, which then takes a reading and tells the flash what power it should use. And because this is all happening at the speed of light, there is no perceptible lag in this process.

The best part is that if you’re finding your flash is looking too bright or too dim, you can dial in exposure compensation on the flash itself, just like you can on your camera. These are two separate exposure compensations; the flash exposure compensation value will only affect the flash output.

And TTL isn’t just to be pooh-pooh’d as the ‘amateur’ option either, as it can work incredibly well. Many of Joe McNally’s excellent shoots with both speedlights and bigger strobes are controlled using TTL and biasing them up or down with exposure compensation.

On-camera flash Bounce flash
Taken on a Nikon D3400 in full auto.

One of the best ways to get instantly better pictures as a result of your new flash is to mount it to the top of you camera, point it up at the ceiling, and photograph some friends indoors. Instead of producing portraits with very bright faces and an almost black background, which built-in flashes tend to do, you’re bouncing the light off the ceiling, where it cascades down and lights everything a little more softly.

It’s like the difference between shooting in direct sunlight versus shooting on a cloudy day. In direct sunlight (like with direct flash pointed at your subject), you get pretty harsh shadows and more contrast between those shadows and the highlights. With the flash pointed at the ceiling, it’s spread out more, similar to how clouds will diffuse sunlight, and shadows are much softer as a result.

A practical case for TTL, or ‘How I Shoot Dimly Lit Events’

One of my favorite aspects of TTL metering actually involves keeping my camera in full manual, with the flash doing all of the ‘automatic’ work for me. This is particularly useful at dimly lit events and wedding receptions, where I’m moving around quickly and almost always using bounce flash, as described just above.

Ambient lighting only.

This first shot is a good example of an approximate base exposure for the ambient lighting in the room. By that I mean that the ambient lights aren’t totally blown out, and the background is a little dark but still provides a bit of context. This is important as I mostly want the flash to bring out my main subject without the entire rest of the frame looking horribly under-or-overexposed.

In this particular case, I actually like this dark, moody look for the sax player. But these sorts of ambient, ‘moody’ shots won’t work for everyone all the time. So let’s see what difference a flash can make, and how I like to incorporate it in these situations.

Added bounce-flash with TTL.

This second image has some exposure adjustments to bring up the ambient a little more, but I’ve added a flash mounted to the top of the camera. It was bounced at the ceiling in TTL mode and the flash exposure compensation was adjusted to underexpose slightly.

Of course, these images are extremely different in terms of ‘mood,’ but I’ve found that this method of adding ‘pops’ of bounce flash to subjects at events can allow me to more effectively freeze motion without raising my shutter speed, as well as shoot my lenses a little more stopped down to give me some leeway for focus errors.

What about you?

Image taken with a single off-camera flash through an umbrella.

Are you a flash shooter, or a natural light purist? TTL or all manual, all the time? Let us know in the comments if you’ve got any strobe tips or tricks that have made a difference to the types of photography you enjoy.

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$11,000 Leica Noctilux lens shattered, or: Why you never check camera gear when flying

19 Aug
RIP Leica 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux. Photo credit: Leica Store Manchester

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, here’s your 1,000 words about why you should never check in your camera gear when flying. This $ 11,000 Leica 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux ASPH lens and the $ 7,000 Leica M10 it was attached to are both broken, possibly beyond repair, after the owner checked them into the hold on a flight instead of carrying them onto the plane.

The lens showed up like this at the Leica Store Manchester, who posted this photo to their Instagram and Facebook pages as a warning for other photographers who have considered checking their camera gear. It might be easier, but you never know what kind of treatment your bag is going to get.

Case in point: the murdered Noctilux above arrived at its destination with two front lens elements shattered… through a filter. What’s left of the poor filter is stuck in the lens’ filter threads. The owner has sent the lens and and camera to a Leica service center, but while the camera might be fixable, we doubt there’s anything to be done about the lens.

Shall we consider this lesson learned?

Photo by Leica Store Manchester and used with permission.

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Sigma updates firmware for popular 24-70mm F2.8 Art lens and MC-11 converters

19 Aug

Sigma has released firmware updates for both its 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art lens and its Mount Converter MC-11 SA-E and EF-E. Both updates address an issue in which the optical stabilization mechanism malfunctions when the lens is used with either of the aforementioned MC-11 mount converters.

The products can be updated using Sigma Optimization Pro 1.4.1 or greater for Windows or version 1.4.0 or greater for Mac, as well as with the Sigma USB Dock.

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A forgotten solution: Why this strange 1975 zoom lens is so sharp

15 Aug

For a few years now, I’ve had in my collection one very strange lens. I bought it primarily for it’s value as a collectible so, up until now, I haven’t really spent much time playing with it.

Made in 1975, this manual focus Minolta MC Rokkor-X 40-80mm F2.8 lens is one strange puppy. When it was first introduced, no other zoom lens could top its image quality and it really didn’t have much competition until more recent years. This is largely due to its very unique Gearbox design that sought to overcome the problem with zoom lenses that we still face today.

Way back in 1959, the first commercially-available 35mm still camera zoom lens, the Bessematic-mount Zoomar 36-82mm F2.8, was released by Voightlander. It’s mechanical design would not be unfamiliar to you since the focus and focal length were adjusted via a few round-turns of the lens barrel.

This simple helicoid design remains the only common method manufacturers use to make our lenses zoom in and out and focus. When you twist the zoom/focus ring(s) of a lens, the optics are carried forward or backward through a threaded barrel. This design results in a fixed movement ratio of the optical groups mounted inside that helicoid. The problem with this is every focal length requires a slightly different adjustment of the lens element/group spacing to properly correct aberrations and the fixed ratio of a helicoid cannot provide that kind of variance.

The helicoid is relatively simple, easy to make, and its shape tailors to a fitting physical design of a lens. If a lens were designed to have as few compromises as possible, it might look vastly different from what we see sitting on store shelves. For simplicity though, manufacturers have stuck with the helicoid and instead invested in overcoming its mechanical shortfalls with optical solutions.

Over the years, lens designers, aided by computers, have learned how to improve the optical designs of the zoom lens to work around most of the limitations of the locked-ratio helicoid. Modern zooms still aren’t quite as good as a prime lens but, with aspherical lens elements and fancy coatings to help out, they’re getting pretty darn close.

Back in the early 1970’s, Minolta’s engineers, armed with their slide rules and cigarettes, had a go at thinking outside the box to come up with a lens design that would allow for precise positioning of the optical groups in a zoom lens. What they came up with was so clever that it required they put it inside a box—a gearbox, to be precise.

Rather than work with the limitations of a helicoid design, this clever bunch decided to abandon that whole concept and create a new one where lens groups would be blessed with the freedom to move independent of each other. They came up with this unorthodox gearbox design that drives 12 optical elements in 12 separate groups along linear, gear-operated rails. With the chains of fixed-ratio movement cast from them, the entire lens design could be “geared” for precise positioning of the optics to best correct for aberrations throughout the range of focal lengths.

What they did was figure out how to make a hand held zoom lens that is as well corrected across its range of focal lengths as a fixed focal length lens would be at its one—that’s the theory anyway. In spite of the weird and wart-like appearance of their solution, Minolta’s engineers achieved with this lens something that is truly unique and special. There is no mistaking this lens for any other, that’s for sure.

Weighing in at 19.75 ounces (560 g), it isn’t particularly big or heavy. In fact, even with all the metal machinery inside this lens, it’s almost exactly half the weight of Nikon’s current 24-70mm f/2.8 VR.

Focus is adjusted by turning the big wheel while focal length is controlled by moving the lever arm. Both controls are very smooth and easy to move across their fairly short range of motion. The focus wheel features a precise distance scale with Infrared Index.

The lens has a 55mm diameter coated front element. Here you can see the profile of the gearbox which is fixed to the left-hand side of the lens body.

Did I mention it has a macro mode? The lens has a metal stem poking out of the gearbox which, when twisted anti-clockwise and pushed in, shifts everything inside the lens out toward the front, essentially putting more space between the film/sensor plane and the rear element (same thing an extension tube does). The result of this forward-shift is a reduction in the Minimum Focal Distance from 3.3 ft (1.01 m) to 1.2 ft (.37 m) @40mm.

Here, the stem is shown in the Macro position. When pushing in this stem, the focal length lever shifts forward with the internal glass. What a cool, whacky design!

Let’s see how well all of the engineering effort translates into actually making images with this lens.

My sister told me about this row of old silos that sit alongside a two-lane road not too far from where I live. Yesterday, I had to go by it while I was on errands. On the return trip I pulled over for this shot.

I had the lens set to 40mm and the aperture was wide-open at F2.8. This was the first shot I took and I kind of hurriedly grabbed it because of the unique lighting. That isn’t vignetting in the grass. Passing over head was a thick, dark cloud that cast the strangest light over this scene. No sooner I had shot this and the sun was back out in the open.

On the same errand run, I came across this old Chevrolet police car. Focal length was 80mm @ F8.

I was very interested to see how well the lens would control chromatic aberrations when shooting this brightly lit chrome.

I’ve not used a pre-1980’s zoom lens that didn’t produce some purple-fringing in a shot like this. Kudos to Minoltas engineers because there was none. Zoomed 400% in the 42 megapixel RAW file I could see nothing but bright chrome and colorful rust. 80mm @ F4

The Jelly Palm in our front yard is full of fruit this time of year. I shot this with the lens’ Macro mode enabled. 40mm @ F2.8

Just a bowl of bananas on the dinner table. Shot somewhere around 50mm @ F5.6

The Magnolia tree in the yard is sprouting new buds. Macro mode, 40mm @ F2.8. In the shade and backlit, color and contrast is good and the out-of-focus background is pleasantly smooth and non-distracting.

My second oldest daughter was kind enough to pause a moment for this final shot. 80mm @ F2.8

What can I say? The lens is awesome. All the effort put into designing this strange Gearbox-driven lens seems to have resulted in an excellent mid-range zoom lens. When I first started shooting with it, I did find it a little fiddly using a lever and wheel to make adjusts but after awhile I grew fond of it; it’s actually really fun to handle.

You don’t hold this lens like you would a traditional zoom, with your hands wrapped around the barrel. I keep it propped with the gearbox resting on the up-turned palm of my left hand and use my thumb to move the focal length lever and index finger to turn the focus wheel. The travel distance of both is just right so that you aren’t moving your fingers outside their natural range or having to make repetitious movements.

I can highly recommend this lens to anyone wanting to own a piece of history and/or turn some heads on their next photo walk. Comparing this to my favorite zoom lens, the incredible Minolta MD 35-70mm f/3.5, I would say it at least equals it. They’re both around the same size and weight and have a similar range of focal lengths. In fact, this Minolta 40-80mm f/2.8 lens is the antecedent to the 35-70mm f/3.5 (thus, for giggles, I used it to shoot the lens photos).

Minolta likely found that the unusual design and complexity of making this Gearbox lens was cost prohibitive and went back to the drawing board to come up with a balanced compromise. They only made two versions of it before canning the whole idea. The lens I have is the 1st Gen ‘MC’ version. An ‘MD’ version was made in 1977 and after that they called it quits.

Both versions can still be found for sale online, but I’ll warn you, this lens is priced for the committed collector.

Tom Leonard is an engineer, amateur photographer, and gear collector who travels around the world for work 30 days at a time. You can read more about Leonard’s travels and see his photography on his website.

This article was originally published on Tom’s blog, and is being republished on DPReview with express permission.

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