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Interview: Understanding RF, DS and DO – we talk to Canon about its latest lenses

03 Apr

Left to right: Yoichi Sato, Manabu Kato and Shogo Yamaguchi

At the launch of the Canon EOS RP in February we had the chance to sit down with a selection of senior engineers and planners to discuss the R series and its lenses. They talked to us about the RP and the six lenses whose development was announced alongside it, but also gave some insight into where the R series is heading.

Manabu Kato – Head of EF + RF mount R&D
Yoichi Sato – EOS camera electronics R&D
Shogo Yamaguchi – Optical planning specialist

What’s the biggest challenge for Canon over the coming years?

One of the challenges from the lens side is that, obviously we switched mount: we added the RF mount. We’ve kept the same mount for over 30 years, that was really big, and we kept lens compatibility for a long time. But when we started the new mount had to start from scratch and prepare a lot of new lenses, so that’s been a big challenge for us. Of course, it’s very exciting that the new mount opens up whole new possibilities in lens design and expand the boundary of image capture.

How do you prioritize which lenses to develop?

So the idea for the initial four lenses was we wanted to deliver the surprise factor, so we decided to deliver the 28-70mm, as well as the 50mm F1.2, with stunning resolution. That was the concept behind these two lenses.

With 24-105mm we thought it would be the best match as a standard zoom lens to the EOS R camera, and the 35mm F1.8 was supposed to be an affordable and compact travel companion. Those were the concepts behind the four initial lenses.

With the six additional lenses that we introduced as development announcements this time, we believe we will be able to deliver more surprise factors, for some models compactness. These two concepts with the addition of these models.

How have you made the 70-200mm so small?

Canon’s RF 70-200mm F2.8 L mockup, alongside the EF version. Although it’s not clear from this mockup, we expect the RF version to extend on zooming.

We were actually surprised as we started developing this particular product. The idea is that, with the introduction of the large diameter mount with the shorter back-focus distance, we were expecting it to be more suitable for designing wider-angle lenses, but it turned out to be very effective for designing this telephoto lens.

So this is largely due to the fact we have this new mount: it has become a really big contribution to designing this really compact telephoto zoom lens. So we hope we were able to give more of a ‘wow’ factor with the introduction of this telephoto zoom lens.

I apologize that this is all we can talk about, as of now, but we hope to talk more about it as we make an official announcement of this product.

It doesn’t use a Diffractive Optics design, then?

We decided not to use Diffractive Optics with this lens, this time, but we are working on this particular technology and we are experimenting with different designs and so forth, to see how we can use this DO technology in future.

Can you give any insight into the DS technology?

With lens such as the 85mm F1.2 bokeh is a really important factor, because it’s a portrait lens. We really wanted to deliver something that was not possible with the conventional lenses, so we decided to develop this technology of defocus smoothing.

There will be two versions of the RF 85mm F1.2L USM: a ‘DS’ variant will feature ‘defocus smoothing’ technology.

The fact with our DS technology is that it’s a coating technology, so it’s relatively easy to apply this technology to a range of different lenses. This is all we can say at this moment.

There are going to be two versions, does this imply the DS technology is quite expensive?

There’s a price factor but, with the DS element it’s not the case that it’s superior in every way. There’s some differences: some challenge in maintaining the illuminance. With transmittance, we lose some light as it goes through the DS element, so that is one difference of having the DS technology. So it’s not like one version is obviously better than the other.

That sounds like an apodization effect.

Yes

Some lenses designed to match the EOS R and others designed to impress and surprise, what lenses do you imagine EOS RP users buying?

At this moment, the best match would be the 35mm F1.8 and we believe the 24-240mm lens that we announced will be a good companion to the EOS RP body.

We were able to mount the 24-240mm mockup on an EOS RP body, to give some idea of the size.

One thing that’s important about our system is that you can adapt a lot of lenses. Truly a variety of lenses: you can adapt some of the really compact EF lenses, that’s an option too.

Obviously we’re working on a lot of really compact lenses in the future, so I hope you’ll stay tuned to hearing from us.

The pro-level ‘L’ series lineup looking impressive: how far into the future are you planning?

I’m sorry, the roadmap is all we can say for now. We have a full lineup of what there should be: a full lineup of the RF lenses. And what we do among those lenses we choose which to prioritize, that’s the concept of how we decide what to work on next.

With this many professional lenses being announced in 2019, does that mean a body isn’t far behind?

All we can say is that we’re working on a lot of different types of cameras. I can’t pinpoint when a specific camera will come. We understand that expectations are really high.

What are the advantages of the faster communication between lens and body that the RF mount allows?

A good example is that we are working on a combination of optical and body stabilization, working together to give enhanced IS. That would be a good example of being high speed communication system in RF.

We are working on a combination of optical and body stabilization, working together to give enhanced IS

There are numerous things that we will be able to deliver, through the introduction of the new communication system. The combination of RF lens and body, the Dynamic Lens Optimizer (DLO) data can be transferred automatically to the body. So users will be able to use in-camera DLO for new lenses without needing to download an update from their computer.

We’ve previously talked about how we’re looking another 30 years into the future. We have to think about what might be possible with another 30 year in mind, we have to think that far into the future. So at first glance this communication system might be too much for what’s been made possible, as of now. But we have to look so far into the future that this system has to have a lot of potential.

I think most people now understand how forward-thinking the EF mount was for 1987

Looking back after 30 years of EF lens and mount, we can’t help but thank our predecessors for being so forward-thinking: delivering a fully electronic mount at that time in history. We hope we were able to deliver the type of communication system that our future generations of designers, thirty years down the road will be thankful us for being so forward-thinking.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?

So in terms of the six lenses, once we’ve launched these we’ll have ten RF lens models. I hope we can convince our users we’re serious about this mount, serious about this system.

We hope your readers will understand each of these designs are unique, and are impressive in every way, in terms of the specifications, in terms of the size. I hope your readers understand the potential of the system.

Please don’t forget the pro-level camera that you’re expecting is on the way

We hope that with the introduction of the RP, the main purpose is we hope we’re making full frame more accessible to more people. That’s what we’re trying to do with this camera. We hope that a lot of beginners in photography will be able to enjoy what is possible with the full frame sensor and we hope to expand the market of full-frame camera, overall.

Please don’t forget the pro-level camera that you’re expecting is on the way.

Also important, we see people speculating that we’re terminating the DSLR or the M-series development. What we can say is that we’re developing, simultaneously, multiple DSLR, M-series and R-series models. Our approach is to leverage our lineup strategy but at the same time, we’d like to listen to our customers’ feedback and make decisions based on this.

Should we expect to see more lenses like the EF-M 32mm then?

The Canon EF-M 32mm F1.4 is one of the few photographically ambitious lenses available for the EOS-M system.

The reason we launched the 32mm for EF-M came from closely listening to users and what the market was asking for. So we were really happy that we were able to deliver something that a lot of users will be able to enjoy and we’re really confident about the performance of this lens.

One of the goals of the EOS RP was meant to be a good step-up for current APS-C users. We hope it’s possible for APS-C users to step up to the FF camera market.

Editor’s note: Richard Butler

We conducted this interview a few hours after Canon revealed the six RF-mount lenses it plans to launch in 2019 and, although they wouldn’t be drawn on specifics, we did uncover a few interesting details.

The confirmation that the 70-200mm F2.8 won’t use diffractive optics was interesting (a Canon patent for an extending 70-200 has subsequently come to light), as was the confirmation that the 85mm DS will use an apodization filter effect to smooth the edges of its bokeh.

Canon has only released a mid-level and entry-level R-series camera so far, but its lineup is awash with pro-focused ‘L’ lenses.

On the cameras side of things, the interview confirmed what we believed about the RP: that it’s a concerted attempt to expand the market to reach a new type of user that wouldn’t have previously considered a full-frame camera (and, as a result, a different type of user than the one Sony has already been targeting with its a7 models).

It was interesting to hear Canon confirm that there will be a pro-level camera: something that can be easily deduced from the company’s lens lineup, but still good to have confirmed. But it was the statement that Canon is working on a combined in-body and in-lens image stabilization system that most stood out.

Many of these are themes that we took up with Canon when we met them at CP+ in Yokohama. There’ll be further insights coming in that interview, tomorrow.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Canon issues advisory for new super-telephoto lenses, promises firmware fix soon

18 Mar

Canon has issued a product advisory for its new super-telephoto lenses, the EF 400mm F2.8L IS III and the EF 600mm F4L IS III.

Canon says the two lenses might experience a ‘phenomenon where the exposure may flicker slightly if recording a movie with the camera shooting mode set to M or Av in combination with select cameras.’

According to the press release, an upcoming firmware update (version 1.0.8) will fix the issue with the affected cameras. In the meantime, Canon says there are two ways to avoid this problem:

When shooting movies, set the camera’s shooting mode to P or Tv mode.
When using the lens alone or with the EXTENDER EF 2x, set the exposure setting step to 1/2 or 1/1 with the camera’s custom function, even if the camera shooting mode is M or Av.

DPReview will update this article accordingly when the new firmware is released.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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SLR Magic brings six MicroPrime lenses to Fujifilm X mount, adds a 12mm as well

15 Mar

Cinema lens manufacturer SLR Magic has announced it will offer all of its existing MicroPrime range in the Fujifilm X mount. Designed for full frame sensors, the lenses will attract a 1.5x angle of view shift when fitted on the APS-C Fujifilm X cameras, but the addition of a new 12mm T2.8 aims to provide a good wide angle so Fujifilm users don’t miss out.

While the other six lenses in the MicroPrime range have been available for some time in the Sony E mount, the 12mm is a completely new lens and is designed only for APS-C sensors. All the lenses in the range have the same external design and mostly weigh the same, so switching from one to another is relatively easy when a rig is in use. They have an 82mm filter thread and use the same 0.8 MOD gears.

The inclusion of the Fujifilm X mount is almost certainly a result of the recent attempts by Fujifilm to attract videographers with the advanced movie features of its X-H1 and X-T3 cameras.

The lens line up will consist of:

12mm T2.8
15mm T3.5
18mm T2.8
25mm T1.5
35mm T1.3
50mm T1.2
75mm T1.5

The six previously-existing models will cost $ 599, while the 12mm will cost $ 499. For more information visit the SLR Magic website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sigma updates firmware for multiple EF mount lenses, EF-E converter and one F mount lens

14 Mar

Sigma has released new firmware updates for a number of its Canon EF mount lenses as well as its Canon EF-E converter and a single Nikon F mount lens.

For the Canon EF mount lens included in the update, the firmware mainly addresses compatibility with Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction feature to ensure corrections match the characteristics of each lens and errors don’t appear when the feature is enabled.

The firmware updates also improve functionality with select EF lenses when used on an EOS R camera with Canon’s EF-EOS R adapters. Below is a list of EF mount lenses that have firmware updates; a detailed list of the updated functionality of each lens can be found in the press release below:

SIGMA 30mm F1.4 DC HSM | Art for CANON EF Mount
SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art for CANON EF Mount
SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports for CANON EF Mount
SIGMA 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports for CANON EF Mount
SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary for CANON EF Mount
SIGMA 85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art for CANON EF Mount

Sigma has also updated the firmware for its MC-11 EF-E adapter to improve functionality and compatibility with the aforementioned Sigma EF lenses. Specifically, it improves the image stabilization functionality when used with the Sony a9 and a7 III when the in-camera image stabilization is set to ‘AUTO.’

Lastly, Sigma has updated the firmware for its 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens for Nikon F mount, improving the stability of the image in the viewfinder for more accurate compositions.

All of lenses can be updated with Sigma’s Optimization Pro tool alongside the Sigma USB Dock.

Press release:

Firmware update for SIGMA’s interchangeable lenses for CANON EF mount

Thank you for purchasing and using our products. We would like to announce that a new firmware update for SIGMA’s interchangeable lenses for CANON EF mount listed below is now available.

This firmware allows compatibility with Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function to enable correction matching the optical characteristics of each lens. It also corrects the phenomenon that abnormal images appear or operation errors occur when the function is enabled. In addition, it improves the functionality. Furthermore, there is an improvement to the phenomena particular to some lenses when they are used in combination with the Canon “EOS R” and their “Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, or “Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”. This was previously reported in our announcement of January 16th, 2019.

For customers who own the SIGMA USB DOCK and applicable products listed below, please update the firmware via SIGMA Optimization Pro. Before updating the firmware using the SIGMA USB DOCK, please ensure to update SIGMA Optimization Pro to Ver. 1.5.0. or later..

SIGMA 30mm F1.4 DC HSM | Art for CANON EF Mount Update

It has ensured compatibility with Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function, which enables correction matching the optical characteristics of the attached lens. *
It has corrected the phenomenon that abnormal images appear or operation errors occur when Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function is enabled.
It has improved the AF accuracy when the lens is used with Live-View mode.
When the lens is used in combination with the Canon “EOS R” and their “Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, or “Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, it has become compatible with EOS R’s “1.6x (Crop)” to be set automatically as well as with “Scene Intelligent Auto Mode”.

SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art for CANON EF Mount Update

When the lens is used in combination with the Canon “EOS R” and their “Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, or “Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, it has corrected the phenomenon whereby restarting the camera does not work when the lens is taken off the camera while the lens’s OS function is in operation.
When the lens is used in combination with the Canon “EOS R” and their “Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, or “Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, it has corrected the phenomenon whereby it may stop the focus driving from infinity to closer focus distance while shooting video with AF.
When the lens is used in combination with the Canon “EOS R” and their “Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, or “Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, it has corrected the phenomenon whereby it may occasionally show overexposure when narrowing down the aperture from F8 while shooting.

SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports for CANON EF Mount Update

When the lens is used in combination with the Canon “EOS R” and their “Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, or “Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, it has corrected the phenomenon whereby restarting the camera does not work when the lens is taken off the camera while the lens’s OS function is in operation.

SIGMA 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports for CANON EF Mount Update

It has ensured compatibility with Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function, which enables correction matching the optical characteristics of the attached lens. *
It has corrected the phenomenon that abnormal images appear or operation errors occur when Canon’s in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function is enabled.
It has improved the AF accuracy when the lens is used with the SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 EF-E.

SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary for CANON EF Mount Update

It has improved the stability of the image in the viewfinder, making it easier to confirm composition, thanks to the updated control algorithm of the Optical Stabilizer.

SIGMA 85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art for CANON EF Mount Update

When the lens is used in combination with the Canon “EOS R” and their “Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, or “Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R”, it has corrected the phenomenon whereby it may occasionally show overexposure when narrowing down the aperture from F8 while shooting.

* Compatible Canon camera models:EOS R**, EOS-1DX mark II, EOS 5Ds,EOS 5DsR, EOS 5D Mark IV, EOS 6D mark II, EOS 80D, EOS 8000D(EOS Rebel T6s, EOS 760D), EOS 9000D(EOS 77D), EOS Kiss x8i(EOS Rebel T6i, EOS 750D), EOS Kiss x9i(EOS Rebel T7i, EOS 800D), EOS Kiss x9(EOS Rebel SL2, EOS 200D)

** When the Digital Lens Optimizer is switched [OFF], but “Peripheral illumination correction”, “Chromatic aberration correction” and “Distortion correction”, located within the in-camera Lens Aberration Correction function is switched [ON], the appropriate corrections can be achieved in accordance with the optical characteristics of each lens.

SIGMA Mount Converter MC-11 EF-E Update

It has optimized the peripheral illumination correction data when it is used in combination with the SIGMA 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary for Canon EF mount.
It has become compatible with the SIGMA 30mm F1.4 DC HSM | Art for CANON EF mount, that has the latest firmware Ver.2.00.
It has become compatible with the SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art for CANON EF mount, that has the latest firmware Ver.2.03.
It has become compatible with the SIGMA 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports for CANON EF mount, that has the latest firmware Ver.1.01.
It has become compatible with the SIGMA 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports for CANON EF mount, that has the latest firmware Ver.2.00.
It has become compatible with the SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary for CANON EF mount, that has the latest firmware Ver.2.01.
It has become compatible with the SIGMA 85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art for CANON EF mount, that has the latest firmware Ver.2.02.
It has improved the compensation effect when it is used in combination with the Sony a9, Sony a7III and specific lenses*, and their in-camera image stabilization adjustment is set to AUTO. It has been set to achieve the same effect as when it is adjusted manually.
It has improved the accuracy of exposure when it is used with dedicated flashes manufactured by SONY.

SIGMA 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary for NIKON F Mount Update

It has improved the stability of the image in the viewfinder, making it easier to confirm composition, thanks to the updated control algorithm of the Optical Stabilizer.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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DxO adds support for EOS R, Nikon Z6 and numerous new lenses in PhotoLab 2.2

07 Mar

The latest version of DxO’s raw conversion software PhotoLab 2.2 brings compatibility for Canon’s EOS R mirrorless camera as well as the Nikon Z6, the EOS M50 and the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom drone. The update also introduces corrections for a collection of lenses including models from the Canon R and Nikon Z systems, and three lenses for the Hasselblad X1D.

The company says the inclusion of the new lenses and cameras means almost 3500 new modules have been added to the package in this update, taking the total to 46,248. Nikon Z system users will now be able to access corrections for the Nikkor Z fixed focal length lenses (the Nikon Z7 was added in the last update) and Canon EOS R users will get to work on their raw files as well as to correct the RF 50mm F1.2 and the RF 24-105mm F4L. Sony users will get the benefit of corrections for five third-party lenses and Micro Four Thirds photographers will finally be able to work with images from the Panasonic Leica DG Vario 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH.

The update is free for users already running v2.0 of PhotoLab while new comers will need to pay £99/€125 for the Essential edition and £159/€199 for the Elite. For more information see the DxO website.

Press release:

DxO PhotoLab 2.2: Support added for the Nikon Z 6 and the Canon EOS R

PARIS — March 6, 2019 — DxO PhotoLab, DxO’s advanced photo editing software, continues to evolve with its new update to version 2.2. After introducing and improving DxO PhotoLibrary, an image and data management system that lets users search for, select, sort, and display images, DxO PhotoLab 2.2 adds support for four new devices: the Nikon Z 6, the Canon EOS R and EOS M50, and the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom drone.

More Than 46,000 Camera/Lens Combinations Available
DxO PhotoLab 2.2 adds no fewer than 3,472 new optical modules to its library, bringing the total number of available combinations to 46,248—among them the recent NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S and NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S, as well as the CANON RF 24-105mm F4L and the CANON RF 50mm F1.2. The software also includes modules from the Hasselblad X1D’s range of autofocus lenses specifically designed for high resolution: the Hasselblad XCD 21mm F4, the Hasselblad XCD 30mm F3.5, and the Hasselblad XCD 90mm F3.2. Further, the new version supports the Mavic 2 Zoom, a DJI consumer drone with 24-48mm F2.8-3.8 lenses. Finally, version 2.2 completes its offer for Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony with the following modules:

Panasonic Leica DG Vario 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH
Pentax-D FA* 50mm F1.4 SDM AW
Samyang AF 35mm F2.8 for Sony FE
Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art for Nikon F
Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN C for Sony E
Tamron SP 35mm F1.8 Di USD (F012) for Sony Alpha
Tamron SP 45mm F1.8 Di USD (F013) for Sony Alpha
Zeiss Milvus 25mm F1.4 ZE for Canon EF
Zeiss Milvus 25mm F1.4 ZF.2 for Nikon F
Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm F2 for Nikon F
Zeiss Loxia 25mm F2.4 for Sony FE

These optical modules are designed in DxO’s laboratories according to a proprietary scientific characterization process. They contain all the information about the specificities of thousands of camera/lens combinations. Further, they allow DxO solutions—DxO PhotoLab, DxO FilmPack, and DxO ViewPoint— to automatically correct such optical defects such as distortion, chromatic aberrations, and vignetting with a high level of quality. In addition, DxO PhotoLab is the only software that corrects the lack of sharpness in lenses without otherwise degrading the image. Thanks to its unique know-how, DxO now offers the best optical corrections on the market.

Go to https://www.dxo.com/dxo-photolab/supported-cameras/ to see the list of equipment that DxO PhotoLab 2.2 supports.

Price & Availability:
The ESSENTIAL and ELITE editions of DxO PhotoLab 2.2 (PC and Mac) are immediately available for downloading from DxO website (shop.dxo.com) at the following prices:

GBP:
DxO PhotoLab 2.2 ESSENTIAL Edition: £99
DxO PhotoLab 2.2 ELITE Edition: £159

This update is free of charge for owners of DxO PhotoLab 2. The DxO PhotoLab 2 license does not require a subscription and allows you to install the software on two workstations (DxO PhotoLab 2 ESSENTIAL Edition) or on three workstations (DxO PhotoLab 2 ELITE Edition). Photographers with a version of DxO OpticsPro or of DxO PhotoLab 1 can purchase an update to DxO PhotoLab 2 by logging into their customer account at www.dxo.com. A fully-functional trial version of DxO PhotoLab 2, valid for one month, is available on the DxO website: https://www.dxo.com/dxo-photolab/download/.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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CP+ 2019: Voigtländer unveils new manual focus lenses for Sony E-mount and Leica M

02 Mar

CP+ 2019: Voigtländer shows new lenses for Sony E-mount

We’re at the CP+ show in Yokohama, Japan, where Cosina is letting customers get their hands on three fast manual-focus primes for Sony E-mount and Leica M, respectively. We took a closer look.

Nokton 50mm F1.2 Aspherical

First up is the Nokton 50mm F1.2 Aspherical for E-mount. Although this is a metal-bodies, classically-styles manual focus prime, optical construction is thoroughly modern, comprising eight elements in six groups, including two aspheres.

Nokton 50mm F1.2 Aspherical

Considering the fast maximum aperture of F1.2, the Nokton is very compact, and fairly light at 434 g. Voigtländer claims that this is thanks to the use of aspherics, which allow for high-resolution imaging wide-open without the need for more, or larger elements.

Nokton 50mm F1.2 Aspherical

The Nokton 50mm F1.2 features a 12-bladed manual aperture, and a 58mm filter ring. Electrical contacts on the mount allow for focal length and aperture information to be transmitted to compatible E-mount cameras. Minimum focus distance is 0.45m (about 18 inches).

Nokton 21mm F1.4 Aspherical

The Nokton 21mm F1.4 for Sony E-mount handles like a slightly larger version of the 50mm, and operates in exactly the same way. Manual focus and aperture rings allow for direct manual control, and the overall quality of build and finish is as high as we would expect from a premium Voigtländer lens. All three of these new lenses, in fact, are lovely to hold and use.

Nokton 21mm F1.4 Aspherical

Optical construction comprises 13 elements in 11 groups, with at least one aspherical element (Cosina is being a little vague, for now, on the exact optical formulation). Like the Nokton 50mm, there are 12 aperture blades, and electrical contacts communicate focal length and aperture to the camera.

Nokton 21mm F1.4 Aspherical

The Nokton 21mm F1.4 is a fairly large lens, with a 62mm filter thread. For video use, the aperture dial can be ‘de-clicked’ for smooth stepless control. Minimum focus is 0.25m (about 10 inches).

Nokton ‘Vintage’ 75mm F1.5 Aspherical

The Nokton 75mm F1.5 Aspherical is a fast short telephoto prime lens for Leica M-mount. Preferred by some rangefinder photographers over 80mm+ lenses for portraiture, 75mm is meaningfully longer than 50mm, while not quite long enough that the framelines in an optical viewfinder end up too small for accurate composition.

Nokton ‘Vintage’ 75mm F1.5 Aspherical

Intended to recall the classic rangefinder lenses of the mid 20th Century, the Nokton 75mm might look like an antique, but its optical makeup is entirely modern. Optical construction comprises seven elements in six groups, including one aspherical element. According to Voigtländer, this should ensure good sharpness and resolution even at the lens’ widest aperture of F1.5.

Again, there are 12 aperture blades, which ensures near-circular apertures across the range of F1.5-16. At wide and medium apertures, this should result in the all-important pleasant circular highlight bokeh beloved of portrait photographers. As we’d expect for a lens designed for rangefinder cameras, minimum focus is a fairly unremarkable 0.7m, which represents the minimum focus coupling distance for a Leica M-series camera.

Pricing and availability for all three new lenses has yet to be confirmed, but we’ll bring you more details as they become available.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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CP+ 2019: Hands-on with Tamron’s trio of full-frame lenses

02 Mar

Introduction

Tamron has its three newly-announced full frame lenses on show at CP+ in Yokohama. It’s a slight odd setup, though. You can look at the lenses in a glass cabinet or you can handle rather more rudimentary samples, with no marking on their switches and their names stick on with labelling tape. Thankfully we were able to convince Tamron to let us photograph the more complete versions.

Tamron SP 35mm F1.4 Di USD

The SP 35mm F1.4 Di USD [Model F045] is the company’s latest fast prime for Canon and Nikon DSLRs. It’s designed for full frame and arrives as a higher-end alternative to its stabilized 35mm F1.8 VC. It uses a conventional ring-type USD (ultrasonic drive) focus motor.

Tamron SP 35mm F1.4 Di USD

The SP 35mm F1.4 is fairly long lens but isn’t excessively wide. The company promises you get the image quality to justify the size. Tamron suggests it’s suitable for ‘nearly every photographic genre, including photojournalism, landscape, sports, street life, wedding groups and family snapshots,’ which is a pretty wide range.

Among the best 35s

Despite its fairly modest proportions (by modern standards, at least), Tamron seems bullish about the SP 35mm’s performance, saying it should by the best of its type. We were certainly impressed by how smooth and solid everything felt, when we handled it. Not a bad way to mark the 40th anniversary of the SP series.

Tamron 35-150mm F2.8-4 Di VC OSD

The Tamron 35-150mm F2.8-4 Di VC OSD [Model A043] is an interesting and somewhat unfamiliar concept: a full-frame lens extending from slightly wide-angle to moderate telepoto focal lengths, while retaining a semi-fast maximum aperture. Tamron describes it as a ‘Portrait Zoom.’

35-150mm F2.8-4: a ‘portrait zoom’

It’s about half the size of a 70-200mm F2.8, and still shorter even when extended, which should make it easy both to carry and to handle. Interestingly, the company says all its functions will remain available when adapted to a mirrorless camera. The sample we saw is fairly early, so we haven’t been able to get a sense for the speed or sound of the ‘Optimized Silent Drive’ micromotor.

35-150mm F2.8-4: handy for APS-C?

Although Tamron doesn’t mention its use on APS-C cameras, we reckon the 52.5-225mm equivalent range it would offer on a Nikon APS-C DSLR, long with the F4.2-6 equiv maximum aperture could be fairly interesting for a range of shooting situations. It wouldn’t offer especially shallow depth-of-field, but might make a temptingly portable midway point between a variable-aperture 55-200mm and the significantly higher cost of a 70-200mm lens, depending on how Tamron prices it.

Tamron 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD

The final lens we got to see what Tamron’s wide-angle F2.8 zoom for Sony’s E-mount cameras. The 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD is a full-frame zoom that makes a lot of sense alongside the relatively small 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD that’s one of our favorite lenses for FE-mount Sonys.

Tamron 17-28mm F2.8 – a compact wide-angle

The Model A046 is based around the same ‘Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive’ focus motor used in the 28-75mm, so should be both quick and quiet. The lens itself is a touch shorter than its normal zoom counterpart but otherwise resembles it pretty closely. The biggest difference is that, unlike the 28-75mm, the 17-28mm F2.8 doesn’t extend when you zoom.

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Sigma to release eleven Art lenses for L-mount along with SA/EF-mount adapter

26 Feb

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Sigma has announced that eleven of its Art lenses will be making their way to the L-mount system this year. Soon, owners of the Leica SL and Panasonic S1 and S1R will be able to get their hands on these:

14mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art
20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
24mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art

50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
70mm F2.8 DG Macro | Art
85mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art
135mm F1.8 DG HSM | Art

Pricing and availability for all of those lenses will be announced at a later date.

In addition, the company is releasing the MC-21 mount converter, which allows owners of select Sigma SA and EF-mount lenses to attach them to L-mount bodies. An LED on the adapter illuminates when a compatible lens is attached, and also notifies users when a firmware update is available. Data for the first set of lenses is built into the MC-21 and will be updated automatically when future lenses are released.

Note that the adapter does not support continuous autofocus.

Compatible full-frame lenses include:

12-24mm F4 DG HSM | Art
14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM | Art
24-35mm F2 DG HSM | Art
24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Art
24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM | Art
60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports

70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports
100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary
120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sports
150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports
150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary

APS-C lenses can also be used via the auto-crop functions in L-mount bodies. Those lenses include:

17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary
18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art
18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary
18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM | Contemporary
50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art
30mm F1.4 DC HSM | Art

Sigma hasn’t indicated when the MC-21 will be available for purchase.

Press Releases

{PressRelease}

Sigma Announces Art Prime Lenses in L-Mount & Mount Converter MC-21

The new products include 11 Art prime lenses for full-frame cameras in L-Mount and a converter for Sigma’s SA mount and Canon EF mount lenses on L-Mount camera bodies.

Ronkonkoma, NY – February 26, 2019 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading still photo and cinema lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, today announced 11 of its Art prime lenses will soon be available in L-Mount. Sigma also announced the launch of the Sigma Mount Converter MC-21, which will allow Sigma’s SA mount and Canon EF mount lenses to be used on the L-Mount camera bodies. The expansion of the beloved Sigma prime lens line along with the MC-21 converter will increase the extensibility of the L-Mount system and further Sigma’s role in the strategic L-Mount Alliance alongside Leica and Panasonic.

Sigma Art Prime Lenses in L-Mount

Features:
The L-Mount lineup consists of 11 Art prime lenses for full-frame cameras ranging from 14mm to 135mm, allowing Sigma’s award-winning high-performance lenses to be enjoyed by even more shooters on L-Mount cameras. The lineup features high-speed AF and is fully compatible with AF-C mode, in-camera stabilization and in-camera aberration correction. The native L-mount allows for a much more stable feel than using an adaptor. Additionally, the lenses are equipped with a surface treatment to enhance strength, a brass bayonet mount offering exceptional durability, and rubber sealing at the mount connection for dust- and splash-proof construction.

Product Lineup:

Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM Art ($ 1,599.00) – World’s First and Only Full-Frame F1.8 Ultra-Wide-Angle
Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($ 899.00) – Bright & Sharp Wide-Angle
Sigma 24mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($ 849.00) – Front Filter Compatible, Fast-Aperture Wide-Angle
Sigma 28mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($ 1,399.00) – Best in Class Performance
Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($ 899.00) – Groundbreaking Flagship Wide-Angle
Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($ 1,399.00) – Beyond Art Series Performance
Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($ 949.00) – Redesigned for High Megapixel DSLRs
Sigma 70mm F2.8 DG Macro Art ($ 569.00) – First Macro to Join the Art Line
Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($ 1,199.00) – Award-Winning Ultimate Portrait Lens
Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art ($ 1,599.00) – The “Bokeh Master”
Sigma 135mm F1.5 DG HSM Art ($ 1,399.00) – Award-Winning Prime with Reach

Pricing and availability will be announced later.

Sigma Mount Converter MC-21

Features:
The Sigma Mount Converter MC-21 allows Sigma’s SA mount and Canon EF mount lenses to be used on L-Mount camera bodies, allowing more freedom of choice for L-Mount cameras from Sigma, Leica and Panasonic. The MC-21 increases the number of interchangeable lenses manufactured by Sigma to be used with the L-Mount system by 29 lenses.

Pricing and availability will be announced later.

{/PressRelease}

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Canon developing six new RF lenses, including ultra-compact 70-200 F2.8

17 Feb

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Canon has announced the development of six RF lenses which are expected to be released at various points in 2019.

The most captivating has to be the RF 70-200 F2.8L IS USM. The lens is almost impossibly small, yet manages to be as fast as Canon’s EF model. The 70-200 will be stabilized, though we won’t find out how many stops of shake reduction it provides for some time, as Canon has not yet published specs for any of the upcoming lenses.

Canon will be offering two versions of its RF 85mm F1.2L USM: a ‘regular’ model and a ‘DS’ variant. DS stands for Defocus Smoothing, which Canon says ‘offers a combination of beautifully smooth defocused bokeh.’ While we don’t know exactly what that means yet, it seems likely that the DS model includes an Apodization element, of the kind we’ve seen before in ‘APD’ and ‘STF’ lenses from other manufacturers.

The dual model approach echoes Fujifilm’s decision to market two versions of its XF 56mm F1.2 – a standard model and an ‘APD’ variant optimized for bokeh.

Meanwhile, there are two fast zooms on the way: the RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM and the RF 24-70 F2.8L IS USM.

Lastly, there’s a versatile (but slower) travel zoom lens in the works too – the RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM.

Press Release:

CANON ENSURES THE SUCCESSFUL FUTURE OF ITS RF MOUNT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SIX NEW LENSES

New Lenses Under Development Cover a Range of Core Focal Lengths

MELVILLE, N.Y., February 13, 2019 – Continuing with the message of “optics at its core,” Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that its parent company, Canon Inc, is developing six new RF-series lenses, further displaying the company’s commitment to the EOS R full-frame mirrorless camera system. Canon’s new RF mount allows for fast, light, and high-performing optics with a large opening diameter and short back focus distance. Each new lens in development will help fulfill the needs of amateur and advanced amateurs to professional photographers and videographers, covering critical focal lengths. In 2019, Canon’s already well-established optical lens heritage will celebrate a production milestone of 140 million EF and RF lenses and the celebration starts with the development announcement of these six lenses[i].

The six new RF lenses under development include:

RF 85mm F1.2 L USM
RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS
RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM
RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM
RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM
RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM

“Optics are the critical piece of the visual puzzle that bend light and capture an image as the artist envisioned,” said Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “That is why it is so important for us to strengthen our family of RF lenses for the EOS R camera system. With this collection of new lenses, customers will have more of the tools they need, for the images they desire to create.”

All six RF lenses under development are built around Canon’s new RF mount, which features a large 54mm diameter and shorter back focus distance than on current EOS DSLR cameras. In addition, the RF mount enhances communication and power transmission between the lens and camera body, which has helped Canon to achieve the world’s fastest autofocus speed for a full-frame mirrorless camera system[ii].

The details of the new Canon RF lenses under development are as follows:

The RF 85mm F1.2 L USM is a large aperture mid-telephoto prime lens. It offers excellent performance for advanced and professional portrait photographers and is a widely popular focal length and aperture speed combination for users.

The RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS, with Defocus Smoothing lens technology, is a uniquely designed lens that offers a combination of beautifully smooth defocused bokeh. Featuring a super-fast F1.2 aperture, the lens will help produce breathtaking portraits that will surely stand out from the crowd.

The RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM is a high-performance, standard zoom lens for professionals and photo enthusiasts alike – ideal for shooting portraits, landscapes, documentaries or weddings.

The RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM, offering a wide angle and fast aperture in a single package, is ideal for a variety of shooting applications including architecture, interiors or landscapes.

The RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM is a must-have for any professional photographer, especially for those shooting weddings, sports or wildlife. This lens is a great all-around, high-speed, medium telephoto zoom lens and does well to round out any camera bag.

The RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM is the ideal lens for amateurs and advanced amateurs who love to travel, no matter the destination. The versatile, all-purpose lens offers a range of focal lengths for capturing extraordinary shots in a form factor that is both compact and lightweight.

Availability

All six of the new Canon RF lenses under development are expected to be available later in 2019*. To learn more about the lenses under development and to follow along for the official announcement, please visit usa.canon.com

[i] 140 million milestone figure is the accumulated production as at 19th December 2018. Figure includes RF lenses and Cinema lenses

[ii] As of 13 February 2019, among interchangeable lens digital mirrorless cameras incorporating a 35mm full frame equivalent image sensor with contrast detection AF and phase detection AF on the image plane. Calculated from the results of measured AF speed, based on CIPA guidelines (differs depending on shooting conditions and lens used). Measured using internal methods. Measurement conditions: EV12 (ambient temperature/ISO 100), Manual Mode, using the RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM (at a focal length of 24mm) with the following settings: shutter released using the shutter button, 1-point AF (Center AF), One-Shot AF)

*Specifications, availability and prices are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.

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Canon shows forthcoming RF lenses including radical 70-200mm F2.8 IS

15 Feb

Introduction

Alongside the EOS RP, Canon has announced the next six lenses it plans to introduce for its RF mount. Don’t be fooled by the timing: although they are being announced with the RP most of these lenses are not being targeted at entry-level or even mass-market customers.

Canon has already said it’s working on a full frame mirrorless camera aimed at professionals, and most of today’s development announcements make clear it intends to have appropriate lenses ready to suit it. All six lenses will be formally launched by the end of 2019, the company says.

Details are pretty scant right now (technically Canon is only announcing its intention to develop these lenses), but mockups of all six were on show at the pre-launch RP event.

RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM

To us the most exciting lens to be revealed is the RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS. Part of our excitement is that a 70-200mm F2.8 is one of the workhorses of any system. Pros and enthusiasts use these lenses for a whole range of shooting situations, from portraiture to sports, so it’s an essential ingredient for a system trying to appeal to high-end shooters.

Another piece of good news is that the lens uses Canon’s Nano USM lens motors. The company is a little cagey about exactly how these work, other than that they provide linear, rather than the rotational motion of the ring-type USM motors used in DSLR lenses. What we do know is that the fastest and smoothest focusing lens in the RF system so far (the 24-105mm F4L IS) is powered by Nano USM, which bodes well for the 70-200mm.

RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS compared to the EF 70-200mm

Oh, and the other interesting thing about the RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS? It’s TINY. Here we’ve shot it alongside the most recent EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS and you can see just how much smaller it’s going to be. Unless the ‘pro’ RF model ends up being huge, this is going to make an impressively compact combination.

Canon’s engineers wouldn’t be drawn on exactly how they’ve managed to make it so small, beyond pointing us back to the claimed benefits of the short and wide lens mount. There may well be something more complex going on: we’ll find out when it’s formally released but we were given the distinct impression that it’s not a diffractive optics (Fresnel) design.

RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM

Another great pro workhorse is the 24-70mm F2.8 and Canon’s going to launch one of those, too. We’ve had no details about specifics but it’s a sensibly-sized lens, even if it isn’t as impressively small at its tele counterpart.

Canon has confirmed that it’s working on an in-body stabilization system

Like the 70-200mm the 24-70mm has built-in image stabilization and Canon has confirmed that it’s working on an in-body stabilization system for future camera models that will work in conjunction with this. So you’ll get stabilization on all RF bodies and even greater stabilization on others.

Like the 70-200mm, the 24-70mm will be driven by a Nano USM focus motor.

RF 15-35mm F2.8 L USM

The last in the cover-the-bases pro lineup is the 15-35mm F2.8. Canon says the RF lens mount allowed them to make it a 15-35mm, rather than starting at 16mm.

Again the lens is small and stabilized and, like the other two F2.8 zooms, will be driven by a fast, silent Nano USM motor.

We only wonder whether it needs more prominent markings to make it easier to distinguish from the 24-70, when they’re placed next to one another in a camera bag.

RF 85mm F1.2 L USM

While the trio of F2.8 lenses are all pretty compact, the same can’t be said of the 85mm F1.2. We thought the RF 50mm F1.2 was big (in part because we’ve only had the mid-range EOS R to mount it on, so far), but perhaps not unreasonably, the 85mm F1.2 is even bigger.

We’ve been impressed by the optical performance of the 50mm F1.2 so far. And, while we can’t be sure how much of that can be ascribed to the short, wide lens mount, Canon is clearly doing something right. A super-fast 85mm prime that can be confidently shot using off-center AF points is likely to be an exciting prospect as a portrait lens, even if you don’t always opt for for the hairbreadth depth-of-field that F1.2 can give you.

On the subject of focus, like the RF 50, the 85mm’s focus elements are too big and heavy for the use of a Nano USM motor, so it’s based around slightly less snappy ring-type USM drive.

RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS

The ‘DS’ designation is new for Canon. Sadly it doesn’t mean we should expect avant garde engineering and styling. Instead, it stands for ‘Defocus Smoothing’ and promises improved bokeh, compared with the standard version.

If that makes you think of apodization elements (essentially an element that’s progressively darker towards the edge to prevent bright-edged bokeh), then the things we were told in our interview with senior engineers will only confirm that assumption.

The DS was the only lens not shown in mockup form as we’ve been told that not all the design decisions have been made yet. Despite this, a computer rendering of the lens has been issued: it says ‘Defocus Smoothing’ on the front, whereas the non-DS version does not.

RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM

The only lens not clearly aimed at a high-end audience is the RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM. It’s designed as a do-everything travel zoom, giving a 10x zoom capability.

We’ve mounted it here on the EOS RP and you can see it’s well matched (many of the other RF lenses have a wider diameter, and as a result lift the RP body off the ground if you haven’t attached the optional grip extension).

The two most obvious features are its comparatively small size and comparatively slow aperture range. We stress ‘comparatively’ when it comes to aperture, since you’d need a 15-150mm F2.5-4.0 on Canon APS-C to be equivalent, and few keen photographers would turn their noses up at such a lens. The other thing to notice is that it has only two rings, so we wonder whether the ‘focus’ ring will double as a custom ring when in AF mode.

Summary

The addition of these six lenses will extend the RF system to ten lenses by the end of 2019. With the three F2.8 zooms, 50 and 85mm F1.2s and the monstrous/rather cool 28-70mm F2, it means seven of the options have a distinctly high-end feel to them (and, we suspect, will have price tags to match).

This may leave EOS RP and many EOS R users a little short of choice (or push them towards adapting EF DSLR lenses), but makes very clear that Canon is gearing up for a pro-level RF camera sooner, rather than later.

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