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Posts Tagged ‘Lenses’

Enlaps Tikee time-lapse camera packs two lenses and a solar panel

08 Jan

Tikee by French company Enlaps aims to simplify time-lapse photography by combining a 4.5W solar panel, wireless connectivity and a pair of lenses into a single capture device. The device itself is described as completely self-sufficient, weatherproof and accessible via a Web application.

The idea behind Enlaps is that long duration time-lapse photography can be difficult depending on location due to potential power source and weather issues. Tikee and its more sophisticated counterpart, Tikee Pro, solve this by providing everything necessary for time-lapse photography in a single wireless and weatherproof product.

The small solar panel powers Tikee, assuming it is placed somewhere with sufficient sunlight, while a pair of lenses capture 220-degree panoramic images. A related Web application is available from a computer or mobile device; it automatically stitches the images into a time-lapse, and includes features for ‘advanced users’ like Pan & Zoom and Time Period. Content is stored on a microSD card.

The Enlaps Tikee features Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi, and saves content in JPEG format, while the Tikee Pro includes those features as well as GPS, GSM support, and both JPEG and Raw file format options. Both products were launched on Indiegogo, where the campaign has successfully resolved with €238,687 in funding. The company is demonstrating the devices at CES 2017.

According to TechCrunch, the Tikee will be priced at $ 750 and the Tikee Pro at $ 900 and will be available in April.

Via: TechCrunch

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Rokinon 20mm F1.8 and Cine DS 20mm T1.9 Full Frame Super Wide Angle lenses now available

30 Dec

Rokinon has announced the launch of its new Rokinon Digital Photo 20mm F1.8 and Cine DS 20mm T1.9 Full Frame Super Wide Angle lenses. Both lenses are made from high-strength aluminum alloy and feature a super-wide 94.8-degree view, a non-rotating 77mm filter mount, Rokinon’s Ultra Multi-Coating, and a quiet, smooth focusing control.

These prime lenses, say Rokinon, offer both fast aperture and ‘the full frame perspective of 20mm,’ offering a solution that falls between the maker’s similar 14mm and 24mm models. These 20mm lenses have a 7.9in / 0.20m minimum focusing distance, 13 elements in 12 groups, three extra-low dispersion elements, and a pair of aspherical elements.

In addition to the ‘common’ features shared between the lenses, the Cine DS lens features geared aperture and controls, a de-clicked aperture control ring, and dual right/left side distance and t-stop scales. 

The Digital Photo lens is available for Canon, Nikon AE, Sony E, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax K, and Fuji X mounts (MSRP $ 599), while the Cine DS lens ($ 799 on B&H Photo) is available for Canon, Nikon, Sony E, and Micro Four Thirds mounts.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon advisory warns of counterfeit EF 50mm F1.8 II lenses

17 Dec

Canon has issued a service notice advising users of counterfeit Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II DSLR lenses that ‘fraudulently display the Canon logo’ and company trademarks. Canon became aware of these counterfeit lenses after customers began bringing them into company service centers seeking repairs.

According to the service notice, Canon was not involved in the design or manufacturing of these fraudulent lenses, which can be identified based on the ‘Canon Inc’ company name molded into the mount. Genuine Canon lenses feature a space between the words ‘Canon’ and ‘Inc’ while the counterfeit lenses do not feature this space.

The counterfeit EF 50mm lenses are made using electric circuits and parts on the interior, Canon warns, which fail to meet safety standards in multiple countries. Canon further advises that it isn’t liable for any issues that could result from using these fake lenses.

Via: Canon USA

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Firmware update adds support for K-AF4 lenses to Pentax K-3 and K-50

02 Dec

Ricoh has released firmware updates for its K-3 and K-50 DSLRs which add support for the company’s K-AF4 lenses. K-AF4 lenses electromagnetically control aperture rather than using a mechanical linkage to the camera body. At time of publication, only the 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE uses this system.

The firmware also improves overall camera stability.

Download K-3 firmware update 1.30

Download K-50 firmware update 1.10

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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An array of Canon 400mm F2.8L II lenses is helping astronomers discover new galaxies

27 Oct
The Dragonfly Telephoto Array. Photo by Pieter van Dokkum

When Astronomer Pieter van Dokkum was looking for ways to study galaxies, he turned to the equipment he was familiar with as an amateur photographer. Thanks in part to some advanced optical coatings, he and his research team have been able to discover previously unseen galaxies.

In 2011, van Dokkum and fellow professor and astronomer Roberto Abraham, were discussing ways to find a way to get a better look into the very diffuse cosmic light that’s scattered by traditional telescopes like Hubble. Van Dokkum’s thoughts turned to his consumer imaging equipment, and some claims Canon was making about its then-recently-released 400mm F2.8L II. 

Introduced in August the previous year, the 400mm F2.8L II offers what Canon calls ‘a SubWavelength Structure Coating (SWC), which uses microscopic cone-shaped structures smaller than a wavelength of visible light’ to reduce internal reflections and scattered light. This kind of coating would theoretically help collect enough light to study galaxies with low ‘surface brightness’, and sure enough, it did. Says van Dokkum: ‘We compared their performance to those of the best reflecting telescopes, and found that they produce almost an order of magnitude better suppression of the wings of the point spread function – probably in part because of the SWC coatings.’ In short, the 400mm F2.8L II fit the bill.

More lenses were acquired and the Dragonfly Telephoto Array was born (clustering lenses allows researchers to increase the effective aperture of the system). Van Dokkum and Abraham started with eight lenses, and now operate two mounts with a total of 48 lenses.

Custom connectors, as well as off-the-shelf components like Intel Compute Sticks help drive Dragonfly. Photo by Pieter van Dokkum

You won’t find a Canon EOS 5DSR behind anywhere on the array, though. Each lens is attached to its own science-grade 8MP CCD camera, and has a custom astronomical filter slotted in. There’s a custom-built connector between each camera and the lens that can drive focus, and an Intel Compute Stick attached to each camera takes care of data recording and some processing. It’s all controlled by a central computer that can carry out commands like ‘auto-observe Mars’ and ‘expose 900 seconds’. 

The array has helped examine much-observed heavenly bodies like the Coma Cluster, where they’ve been able to identify what the research team has dubbed ‘ultradiffuse galaxies.’ They continue to discover more of these galaxies with the help of Dragonfly, and aim to keep learning about their variety and formation. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Entaniya 250 Micro Four Thirds fisheye lenses feature 250-degree FOV

21 Oct

Tokyo-based maker of VR lens accessories Entapano is working on the Entaniya Fisheye 250 MFT lens, a model with a 250-degree field of view that it aims to make available in three varieties: 2.3mm F2.8, 3.0mm F2.8, and 3.6mm F4.0. All three lenses feature 18 elements in 12 groups with four extra-low dispersion lenses and a 1.6kg / 3.5lb weight without front or rear caps. The company cautions these specs are ‘subject to change,’ however, as the lens is still in development.

Entaniya Fisheye 250 MFT 3.6 sample image taken with Olympus Pen F, provided by Entaniya

The company details the Entaniya Fisheye as being suitable for producing different types of VR content depending on which lens version is used. The lenses are made in Japan, where the company estimates its price at ¥388,000 / $ 3,730 / €3400. Entapano has the released date scheduled for ‘end of 2016.’

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sigma announces pricing for 18-35mm T2 and 50-100mm T2 Cine lenses

20 Oct

Sigma announced its new line of cinema lenses back in September. Today it announced that the first two lenses in that line to go on sale, the 18-35mm T2 and 50-100 T2, will both ship on December 9, 2016 for $ 4000 each. Both will be available in EF, E and PL mounts.

These weatherproof lenses are completely mechanical and designed for use with ultra high resolution cameras, including those capable of 6 and 8K capture. And another five lenses are slated to join the new cinema line over the course of 2017 including a 24-35 F2.2 and a 20mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 80mm set of T1.5 primes.

Press release:

Sigma Announces Cine High Speed Zoom Lens Pricing and Availability

Cine High Speed Zoom 18-35mm T2 and 50-100mm T2 lenses begin shipping on December 9 for a retail price of $ 3999.00 USD

New York, NY – October 20, 2016 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading DSLR lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, announced today that the Cine High Speed Zoom 18-35mm T2 and 50-100mm T2 lenses will begin shipping on December 9, 2016 for a retail price of $ 3999.00 USD. Born from the new Sigma Cine family of products, the High Speed Zoom lenses leverage the outstanding optical design of the company’s world-renowned Global Vision still photography lenses. Combined with the 100% new mechanical lens body design, the Cine lenses meet needs of advanced 6k and 8k cinema production with the core optical quality DNA that has defined the Sigma benchmark of imaging excellence.

See the Sigma Cine Family of Products at PDN/PPE 2016 Expo
Demonstrated for the first time to the public in the United States, attendees to the 2016 PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo (PPE), held at the Javits Convention Center in New York City from October 20-22, 2016, can see first-hand the new Sigma Cine family of lenses:

Cine High Speed Zoom Line – 18-35mm T2 and 50-100mm T2
The high speed zoom line, which is compatible with the Super35 image size standard, offers the constant aperture of T2 throughout the zoom range with superior optical performance that is capable of high-resolution 6K-8K shooting. Delivering the highest image quality in its class, the High Speed Zoom is ergonomically compact and designed for E, EF and PL camera system mounts.

Cine FF Zoom Line – 24-35mm T2.2 FF
Compatible with a full-frame image sensor, the FF Zoom’s outstanding optical performance also supports 6K-8K shooting. Because so few lenses cater to the requirements of the latest digital cinema cameras’ image sensors, this line provides a rare option for cinematographers. The FF Zoom is designed for E and EF camera system mounts.

Cine FF High Speed Prime Line – 20mm T1.5 FF, 24mm T1.5 FF, 35mm T1.5 FF, 50mm T1.5 FF and 85mm T1.5 FF
The Cine High Speed Prime lineup features lenses ranging from 20mm to 85mm, with all five touting an aperture of T1.5. Highly compact and compatible with full-frame sensors, these lenses offer superior resolution. They bring a consistent level of light to the production, offering greater consistency to any film’s color, contrast and overall look before it enters post-production. The FF High Speed Prime line is designed for E, EF and PL camera system mounts.

For more information on the Sigma Cine Lenses, please visit https://www.sigmaphoto.com/cinema-lenses/?link=Sept-M-cine.

About Sigma Corporation
Craftsmanship. Precision. Dedication. Since 1961, Sigma has been devoted the pursuit of advancing photographic technology. Unique to the industry, the family-owned business produces its high-quality, award-winning camera lenses, DSLR cameras, flashes, filters and accessories from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Aizu, Japan.

In 2012, the company introduced the Sigma Global Vision with three distinct lens lines: Art, Contemporary and Sport. Designed for industry camera mount systems including Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony and Sigma, each lens is handcrafted and tested in Japan to ensure a high-performance, premium product that is purpose-built to last.

Sigma continues its tradition of imaging excellence with the mirrorless sd Quattro, sd Quattro H and the compact dp Quattro camera line. Leveraging the ultra-high resolution Foveon sensor, the Sigma Quattro cameras are designed to produce the highest quality image with every shot.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Lenses and photo trips offered for top prize in Zeiss Photography Awards

12 Oct
Tamina-Florentine Zuch won the 2016 ZEISS Photography Award with a project about the railway system in India

German lens manufacturer Zeiss has put up a top prize that includes €12,000 of its lenses and €3000 towards a photographic excursion for the winner of the 2017 Zeiss Photography Award. In its second year, the award is made in conjunction with the World Photography Organization and is presented as a part of the Sony World Photography Awards program. Entrants are required to submit a collection of five to ten related images on the theme of ‘Seeing Beyond – Meaningful Places’ for a chance to win the single prize.

The competition opens today and will close on 7th February 2017, with the winner being announced on the 14th March. The prize winner will be taken to London to the WPO awards ceremony in April and the winning series of images will form a part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition held at Somerset House in that city.

For more information visit the Zeiss website.

Press release:

ZEISS Photography Award 2017

Pushing the limits of creativity.
The ZEISS Photography Award is a highly prestigious international photo competition run jointly by ZEISS and the World Photography Organisation (WPO). “Our lenses enable photographers to achieve superior imaging quality, and the ZEISS Photography Award is an expression of our dedication to premium-quality photography,” says Dr. Winfried Scherle, Executive Vice President and Head of the Consumer Optics business group at ZEISS.

The motto “Seeing beyond – meaningful places” will also be used for the 2017 competition and accorded greater artistic significance. Photographers therefore have the chance to use their creative flair to lend unique places a special meaning and express this through their medium.

The goal is to push the limits of creativity and grow as photographers. They could be places with a particular historical or future value, or perhaps places that exude adventure, the wonders of nature or depict a journey to a faraway place.

“The lenses are mere tools – the real value of the images is down to the photographers and their flair for creativity.”
Dr. Winfried Scherle

Submissions
All those who wish to take part in the ZEISS Photography Award 2017 are invited to submit a series of 5 to 10 photos complete with descriptions. Entries can be submitted between 11 October 2016 and 7 February 2017. The jury is looking for photos that reflect different perspectives as well as free interpretations of the terms “meaning” and “place.”

Further information on the submissions for 2017 can be found here.

Jury
All entries will come under scrutiny from a jury composed of leading lights from the world of photography. The jury for the ZEISS Photography Award 2017 comprises 3 members. Their goal is to assess the photographic skill and artistic flair of the participants.

  • Claire Richardson, Lonely Planet
  • Sarah Toplis, The Space, WPO Academy Member
  • Jürgen Schadeberg Dr.(h.c.), Photographer, WPO Academy Member

Prize
At the end of the submission phase, a shortlist of photographers vying for the ZEISS Photography Award 2017 will be published and a winner will be selected. Inclusion on the shortlist is a great honor in itself. The winner will be announced on 14 March 2017.

The winner of the ZEISS Photography Award 2017 will receive ZEISS camera lenses of their own choosing to a value of €12,000, as well as €3,000 to put towards a photo trip. He/she will attend a gala dinner in London on 20 April 2017 and their photos will be showcased at the Sony World Photography Award Exhibition at Somerset House in London. All flight and hotel expenses for the gala dinner in London will be covered. The winner will also get the chance to work with ZEISS on an individual basis.
Key dates

All the important dates for the ZEISS Photography Award 2017 are listed below:

11 October 2016 : Competition open for submissions
7 February 2017: Competition closed for submissions
28 February 2017: Shortlist published
14 March 2017: Winner announced
20 April 2017: Gala dinner in London
21 April to 7 May 2017: Winner’s photos exhibited at Somerset House in London

Further information is available on the website of the World Photography Organization

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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ExoLens offers Zeiss-branded accessory lenses for iPhone 7, adds ‘Prime’ lens line

06 Oct

ExoLens has announced that it will sell its Zeiss-branded accessory lenses for iPhone 7, and has also introduced a second product line. Calling its existing lineup of lenses with Zeiss optics the ‘Pro’ line, it emphasizes their high quality construction while adding the ‘Prime’ line for ‘artistic expression and non-technical social sharing.’ ExoLens does not mention support for the iPhone 7 Plus and its dual camera modules.

Three Pro lenses are offered: the Wide, Telephoto and Macro-Zooms first introduced in January. Each will come with an ExoLens Edge machined aluminum mount, as well as a key ring loop. Launching for iPhone 7, 6/6 Plus and 6s/6s Plus in December, the wide-angle and telephoto kits will also sell for $ 199.99 and $ 249.99, respectively.

Following the launch of these two kits, ExoLens will release the Pro Macro-Zoom Lens in January for $ 199.99 bundled with the lens mount bracket. This kit will include the Zeiss Vario-Proxar 40-80 T macro-zoom lens for taking photos of items that measure between 3cm and 12cm. 

The Pro macro lens kit will be joined by Telephoto 2x, Wide-Angle 0.6x, and Super Wide-Angle/Macro combo lenses in the PRIME range, all of which launch in the first quarter of 2017; prices for the Prime kits haven’t been released yet.

Press release:

ExoLens® Introduces PRO and PRIME Ranges of Professional Accessory Lenses for the iPhone 7

The new lines offer photographers a range of exceptional mobile lenses that are made for a wide variety of usage scenarios, from professional landscape and portrait imagery to selfies used by social sharers.

Itasca, IL – October 5, 2016 – ExoLens®, accessory brand dedicated to elevating the mobile photography category, announces the launch of the ExoLens PRO and PRIME ranges. Each line is designed for a specific consumer, which allows everyone from the novice to the professional to join the mobile photography movement. Leading the collection, is the ExoLens® PRO line for the iPhone 7, which feature Optics by market leading brand, ZEISS, to offer truly professional-grade mobile lenses to photographers, artists and journalists to seriously step up your mobile photography game.

“We are very excited to launch the high-performance ranges of PRO and PRIME iPhone lenses,” says John Fellowes, Chief Executive Officer of Fellowes Brands, which acquired ExoLens in 2014. “The new product lines signify an expanded brand strategy for ExoLens, which will now reach mobile photographers of all levels.”

First to market will be the ExoLens PRO Wide-Angle and Telephoto Kits for iPhone 7. These kits will bring the aspherical lens technology previously reserved for high-end DSLR lenses, straight to your iPhone as a compact mobile accessory lens. With more than 170 years of experience engineering professional optics, ZEISS has gained unrivaled trust among professional photographers and cinematographers in the industry. The series of high-performance lenses is a new breed of mobile photography optics that will allow the massive community of iPhone photographers and videographers to tell a deeper story with gold-standard gear. All PRO Kits come with the new machined aluminum ExoLens Edge mount, which features an integrated cold shoe accessory mount (compatible with accessories such as external video light) and key ring loop.

The ExoLens PRO Wide-Angle Kit with Optics by ZEISS features a ZEISS Mutar™ 0.6x Asph T* Wide-Angle lens, which provides virtually no distortion and exceptional edge-to-edge contrast, resulting in an image quality that is unmatched by any other iPhone accessory lens. This Kit helps professionals capture expansive scenery and immerse viewers with frame filling detail, while expanding the frame of the iPhone to see the world in a beautiful new perspective. The ExoLens PRO Wide-Angle Kit with Optics by ZEISS will be available for iPhone 6/6s, iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus, and iPhone 7 in December for $ 199.99.

The ExoLens PRO Telephoto Kit with Optics by ZEISS features a ZEISS Mutar™ 2.0x Asph T* Telephoto lens. The Kit offers photographers a narrow depth of field to add a beautiful bokeh to the background while focusing attention on the subject. The focal length of the telephoto allows the contours of the face to appear more natural and closer to real life, and is ideal for street photography, portraits or capturing events. The Telephoto Kit will be available for iPhone 6/6s, iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus, and iPhone 7 in December for $ 249.99.

ExoLens PRO Macro-Zoom Kit with Optics by ZEISS features the ZEISS Vario-Proxar 40-80 T* macro-zoom lens. The ZEISS Vario-Proxar 40-80 T* macro-zoom lens has a variable focal length of 40 to 80 millimeters. “In combination with the optics of the smartphone camera, turning the ring does not result in an increase or reduction of the field of view,” Product Developer Vladan Blahnik from ZEISS explains. “Instead, the ring functions much like a manual focus with which different planes can be set. If photographers want to shoot objects that are three to five centimeters away, they turn the ring to the right as far as it will go, and to the left for objects that are five to eight centimeters away.” This allows users to capture objects measuring three to twelve centimeters filling the complete field of view and capture astonishing details beyond what is visible to the human eye to put you impossibly close to the subject. The PRO Macro-Zoom Kit will be available for iPhone 6/6s, iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus, and iPhone 7 in January for $ 199.99.

The ExoLens PRIME product line allows for artistic expression and non-technical social sharing to step up your iPhone photography and videography game. They are intended for the photographer looking to create unique, artistic and candid snapshots. The lenses offered for PRIME Kits are the Wide Angle 0.6X, the Telephoto 2X and the Super Wide-Angle/Macro Combo.. The PRIME product line will be available starting Q1 2017.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Voigtlander shows off three new lenses including 65mm F2 Macro for E-mount

06 Oct

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Lens manufacturer Voigtlander is set to introduce three unusual lenses this autumn and has posted pictures and specifications on its website, but isn’t letting on when they will arrive.

The most interesting, visually at least, is a VM 50mm F3.5 Heliar designed for M-mount bodies. It uses an almost symmetrical configuration of five elements in three groups and forms a conical shape reminiscent of the Tessar 50mm lenses of the Carl Zeiss Jena Werra cameras. The lens will have a minimum aperture of F22 and will use a 10-bladed iris that promises nice circular out-of-focus highlights. Remarkably, the aperture ring will be without click stops.

A more popular lens will be the 65mm F2 Macro Apo-Lanthar for the Sony E-mount system. This will have a closest focusing distance of 0.31m and will be able to transmit EXIF data to the camera as well as trigger manual focus assistance such as automatic magnification and peaking. It will have 10 elements in 8 groups and will offer apertures down to F22. The company has yet to decide whether the aperture ring will feature click stops, but again the iris will use 10 blades.

The third lens on display is a SL ll – S 58mm F1.4 Nokton designed for Nikon AI-S bodies. This new version of the company’s existing SL ll – N lens appears to be optically unchanged but it offers a more retro barrel design that echoes Nikon’s own manual focus lenses, and it has the addition of a meter coupling prong that will allow it to be used with much older bodies.

The company has not given any information on pricing or delivery dates, but you can read more specification on the Voigtlander website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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