Sony E 30mm f/3.5 Macro

The versatility of the α E-mount compact camera system grows with new style-matched accessories to expand your shooting possibilities even further.

Joining the range of E-mount interchangeable lenses, the SEL30M35 is currently the world’s lightest[1] life-size macro lens (138g) for interchangeable-lens cameras. This high-quality 30mm F3.5 macro lens features a 1:1 magnification ratio and minimum working distance of just 2.4 cm, making it ideal for capturing detail-packed close-ups of small subjects like flowers and insects. Despite its extremely compact size, the SEL30M35 employs one ED glass and three aspherical lens elements for excellent optical performance, with minimised aberration and very high edge-to-edge sharpness and contrast. It also offers smooth, quiet autofocus operation whether you’re shooting stills or HD video. The macro lens is supplied with a matching lens hood.

1 As of 8th June 2011

Sony America Press Release

New E-mount 30mm Macro Lens

The versatility of the α E-mount compact camera system grows with new style-matched accessories to expand shooting possibilities even further.

Joining the range of E-mount interchangeable lenses, the SEL30M35 is currently the world’s lightest life-size macro lens (approx 4.9 ounces) for interchangeable-lens cameras. This high-quality 30mm F3.5 macro lens features a 1:1 magnification ratio and minimum working distance of just 0.95 inches (2.4 cm), making it ideal for capturing detail-packed close-ups of small subjects like flowers and insects. Despite its extremely compact size, the SEL30M35 employs one ED glass and three aspherical lens elements for excellent optical performance, with minimized aberration and very high edge-to-edge sharpness and contrast. It also offers smooth, quiet autofocus operation whether shooting stills or HD video. The macro lens is supplied with a matching lens hood.

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Tamron 18-270mm Di II VC PZD Named Lens of the Year

Tamron’s 60th Anniversary Model Is The World’s Smallest And Lightest1 15x Zoom Lens For Digital SLR Cameras (APS-C Size)

May 19, 2011, Commack, NY — Optical equipment manufacturer Tamron Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Saitama City, Japan / President and CEO: Morio Ono) that is celebrating its 60th anniversary last year has won the first Camera GP 2011 Lens of The Year held by the Camera Journal Press Club (Japan). That award was won for Tamron’s 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD*2 (Model B008), the world’s smallest and lightest 15x zoom lens.

The following highly acclaimed aspects are the reasons for selection as Lens of the Year. The lens incorporates the new Piezo Drive (PZD) autofocus drive system2. It has a more compact and light optical system, even while achieving high image quality. It is equipped with a vibration compensation (VC) image stabilization mechanism that is even more compact than before. And it is a lens symbolizing Tamron as a pioneer in all-in-one zoom lenses that is always striving for more.

Reason for Winning The Camera GP Award (excerpts)

Achieves compactness and light weight for excellent portability at 3.5” long
and 15.9 oz., even though it is a 15x all-in-one zoom lens.

Equipped with Tamron’s first Piezo Drive (PZD) standing wave ultrasonic motor system with excellent quietness and quick focusing.

Improved optical performance by employing features such as high refractive index aspherical lenses and low dispersion glass that compensate well for various kinds of aberration

Has a 13 group 16 element construction with two fewer lenses than previous models for compactness and lightness.

Equipped with the new vibration compensation (VC) image stabilization mechanism that achieves up to approximately four-stop compensation effect converted to shutter speed.

Made to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Tamron’s founding.

About The Camera GP Award

The Camera GP, held since 1984, is an extremely prestigious award where winners are selected through an open vote by a panel made up of Camera Journal Press Club members, top editorial staff of the member publications, academic experts, camera technical writers, professional photographers, and TIPA as a special member of CJPC. Lens of The Year added this year to Camera GP2011 was given to the best lens out of those released in Japan from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011 as selected by a 57-member panel.

About Tamron

Tamron is a recognized leader in the manufacture of precision optics offering a broad selection of meticulously engineered interchangeable lenses for professional photographers and photoenthusiasts. Founded in 1950, Tamron’s passion for innovation brought forth the groundbreaking development of mass-produced hybrid Aspherical elements, giving way to enormously popular compact, wide-range zoom lenses. Dynamic research and development , committed to advanced optical engineering, has produced a stream of award-winning Tamron lenses and defined the All-in-One zoom lens category, exemplified by 2010’s 18-270mm Di II VC PZD. Astonishingly compact and lightweight, this 15X zoom features proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) technology, effectively counteracting image-degrading blur caused by camera shake along with a fast, quiet PZD (Piezo Drive) autofocus mechanism. Tamron lenses deliver a superb fusion of performance and value, enabling today’s high-resolution digital SLR cameras to perform at their peak.

1 For digital SLR all-in-one zoom lenses with a 15x zoom ratio surveyed by Tamron as of May 2011.

2 PZD (Piezo Drive) is a standing wave ultrasonic motor system developed by Tamron. The motor is faster and quieter than DC motors when the AF drive is operated. It also has an actuator that facilitates lens design and reduced size compared with ring type ultrasonic motors.

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Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC for Canon & Nikon

Delta company - the sole distributor of Samyang products for Europe announces that wide-angle Samyang 35mm 1:1.4 AS UMC with Canon EF and Nikon AE mounts, has been released for sale

Samyang 35mm 1:1.4 AS UMC is now available in two versions: with Canon EF and Nikon AE mount. The remaining models, i.e. Four-thirds, Pentax, Samsung NX and Sony Alpha are to be released at a later date.

Samyang 35mm 1:1.4 AS UMC
Samyang 35mm 1:1.4 AS UMC is an optically sophisticated bright (f/1.4) wide-angle lens with focal length of 35 mm.It was designed to work especially with full-frame sensor cameras, nevertheless it may be also used with cameras featuring APS-C/DX and Four-thirds sensors. The device’s optical construction comes with two lenses with high refractive index (HR) limiting its weight and dimensions. One aspherical lens (AS) protecting against chromatic aberration was also used. High-quality multi-layer and anti-reflexive coatings (UMC) increase the contrast and allow to generate more natural colours. Samyang 35mm 1:1.4 AS UMC lens takes advantage of the so called “gliding lenses” allowing to maintain high image quality with minimum focusing distance. AE model, intended for Nikon DSLR cameras feature a microprocessor unit allowing to have full control over the exposure parameters and freely use i-TTL flash control technology. Data on focal length and available apertures is recorded in EXIF format.

Warranty
36-months guarantee is provided for Samyang 35mm 1:1.4 AS UMC.

Price
Samyang 35mm 1:1.4 AS UMC with Canon EF mount – EUR 399 (gross)
Samyang 35mm 1:1.4 AS UMC with Nikon AE mount – EUR 419 (gross)

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Nikon confirms new 50mm f/1.8 prime lens

Slated for release on 02 June, the new 50mm standard Nikkor lens with fast f/1.8 aperture will act as the "ideal second lens for curious digital SLR enthusiasts wanting to venture beyond the kit lens and explore the creative possibilities that a fast aperture can offer, including effects such as blurred backgrounds in portraiture and low-light shooting," says Zurab Kiknadze, product manager of lenses, accessories and software at Nikon Europe.

The lens features an all-new optical design with seven elements, including one aspherical, in six groups. It sports a dedicated Silent Wave Motor to ensure discreet but accurate autofocu, and has a weather-sealed metal mount.

The lens has a retail price of £200 (€232).

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Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 OS HSM Named Best Expert Lens

SIGMA APO 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM receives TIPA Best Expert Lens Award.

The Sigma Corporation (COO: Kazuto Yamaki) is pleased to announce that the SIGMA APO 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM, a large aperture telephoto zoom lens optimized for use with the latest digital SLR camera and incorporating Sigma’s original OS function, has won the “TIPA Best Expert Lens” award. This lens was introduced to market in July 2010.

Name of Award TIPA Awards 2011 Best Expert Lens
Product SIGMA APO 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM

This bright, high quality telephoto zoom lens contains 22 elements (including 3 SLD and 2 FLD glass elements) in 17 groups. The lens is designed to cover 24x36mm ”full-frame”sensors and has an optical image stabilisation system (OS) that compensates approximately four stops. Its HSM function assures smooth and silent auto focusing. Chromatic aberration is reduced to a minimum and sharpness is at a very high level over the entire focal length range.

The Sigma Corporation is committed to continue the development of outstanding products that will
answer the wide variety of customers` needs in the future.

*Currently, 29 publication from Europe, South Africa, Canada and USA are members of the TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) organization and chief editors and technical editors of these publications constitute this organization. Since 1991, TIPA has presented many awards in several sectors, including imaging.

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Canon Unveils Two PL-Mount Digital Cine Zoom Lenses

Based Upon a New Optical Design Platform, These Precision-Matched Wide-Angle and Telephoto Cine Zoom Lenses Feature Multiple Imaging Enhancements

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., April 7, 2011 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today introduced two advanced-design PL-mount lenses that address the emerging 4K production standards. Designated as the Canon FK14.5-60 wide-angle cine zoom and the Canon FK30-300 telephoto cine zoom, these precision-matched lenses incorporate breakthrough Canon optical designs that simultaneously optimize and enhance multiple imaging attributes while minimizing optical aberrations and distortions. Both lenses are also more compact and lightweight than contemporary PL-mount lenses and both feature a totally new Canon optical design that virtually eliminates focus breathing. As digital cinematography continues to accelerate for theatrical motion pictures, TV movies, episodic dramas, commercials, and other forms of digital high-resolution production, professionals will require the very best in performance and image quality. By already performing in accordance with emerging 4K production image format standards, both of the new Canon PL-mount cine zoom lenses inherently ensure the very highest performance in contemporary 2K and HD digital motion imaging.

“Both the Canon FK14.5-60 wide-angle cine zoom lens and the FK30-300 telephoto cine zoom lens are engineered to meet the most demanding overall imaging requirements of the latest large-format single-sensor digital cinematography cameras, and the creative requirements of the most discerning cinematographers, producers, and directors. Canon’s new wide-angle FK14.5-60 and telephoto FK30-300 PL-mount lenses will be on display at the 2011 NAB Show along with many other Canon HD lenses and advanced imaging products in booth # C-4325 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 11-14.

“The 2K and HD digital production formats are firmly established in the global marketplace today, while 4K resolution is poised to further propel the imaging quality of digital cine production. Anticipating this exciting evolution in digital acquisition guided Canon’s developments of a new optical platform in recent years to meet the current and future imaging needs of high-resolution camera sensors,” explained Larry Thorpe, national marketing executive, Broadcast and Communications division, Canon U.S.A. “Canon has extrapolated a new optical platform – first seen during NAB 2009 on a working prototype 8K lens – to bring to market these two new PL-mount lenses. Advanced glass materials, exotic new optical coatings, and new computer-design techniques were all employed to achieve significant overall optical performance in these two lenses.”

Digital Cinematography for Feature Films

Canon’s new FK14.5-60 wide-angle cine zoom lens and FK30-300 telephoto cine zoom lens are both engraved with large, highly visible focus scales for convenient film-style operation. Both also have a common 136 mm front diameter for use with industry-standard optical accessories. The location, diameter, and rotation angle of the lens gears are also identical, which further facilitates convenience in exchanging lenses on-set.

The wide-angle FK14.5-60 maintains its T2.6 maximum aperture over the entire focal range, and with the virtual absence of focus breathing offers new freedom in exploring novel picture creation. The lens preserves a high MTF (modulation transfer function) at wide-open apertures, exhibits well-controlled light distribution across the image plane, and greatly curtails ghosting and veiling glare artifacts from strong light sources. These attributes combine to help ensure superb contrast under a wide range of scene-lighting conditions, help maximize the image-creation capabilities of the current top-of-the-line single-sensor digital cinematography cameras. The telephoto FK30-300 complements the wide-angle FK14.5-60 in larger studios while also servicing many outdoor shots with exceptionally vivid imagery.

TV Movies, Episodic Series, and Commercial Production

The focal ranges offered by the wide-angle FK14.5-60 and the telephoto FK30-300 cine zoom lenses are designed to flexibly address most of the needs of contemporary HDTV episodic program production. The short depth of field, high sensitivity, superb contrast ratio, and excellent picture sharpness of both lenses are designed to provide producers of TV movies, episodic (drama) series, commercials, and music videos with the creative imaging flexibility needed to fulfill a myriad of potential story-telling objectives. Both lenses are equipped with precision back-focus adjustments to expedite lens-camera set-up, which is especially useful in multi-camera TV production environments. The mechanism is concealed beneath a cover plate. In addition, both lenses provide superb control over geometric distortion to prevent visible anomalies when shooting at extreme wide angles on large studio sets that contain extended straight edges.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2010†, with global revenues of more than US $45 billion and is listed as number six in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies 2010 list. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – “all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future” – Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at http://www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting http://www.usa.canon.com/rss.

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Olympus M.ZUIKO Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 Review

The Olympus M.ZUIKO Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 is an ultra-wideangle Micro Four Thirds zoom lens featuring a collapsible barrel design. Providing a focal range of 18-36mm in 35mm terms and a 100° angle of view at the wider end, the 9-18mm lens is both compact and lightweight. With a length of only 49.5mm (collapsed) and a weight of just 155g, it’s less than half the size and 60% of the weight of the Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6, a “regular” Four Thirds lens covering an identical focal range. The Olympus M.ZUIKO Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 currently retails for £499.99 in the UK and $599.99 in the US.

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Lensbaby Introduces Sweet 35

The new Sweet 35 optic from Lensbaby is a 35mm selective-focus lens featuring a built-in 12-blade iris diaphragm. Compatible with the Lensbaby Composer, Muse, Scout and Control Freak - but not the Composer with Tilt Transformer -, the Sweet 35 is part of Lensbaby’s Optic Swap System. The new diaphragm makes it very easy to control depth of field and the size of the lens’ sweet spot of focus. Featuring close-focus capabilities, the Lensbaby Sweet 35 is available for $180, including free shipping within the continental US.

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Lens Review: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM

For decades, telephoto zoom lenses have been divided into two categories. Budget-friendly consumer models are reasonably compact and tend to have a maximum aperture of f/4-5.6 as you stretch through the zoom range. Professional lenses are bigger, heavier, have higher-grade optics and usually boast a faster maximum aperture of f/2.8 or f/4. The maximum aperture also remains fixed throughout the zoom range, earning them the ‘constant-aperture’ moniker. The new Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM breaks the mould.

Despite having a fairly modest filter diameter of 67mm, 10mm less than the fast EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM lens, the lens barrel is almost the same width. At first the 70-300mm L looks like a budget telephoto zoom packed into an oversized full metal jacket.

Look deeper, though, and you’ll find a full raft of Luxury-series finery. Build quality feels rock solid, there’s full environmental sealing to guard against moisture and dust in adverse shooting conditions, and all switches and moving parts feel of fully professional quality.

A weighty issue

The zoom ring is silky-smooth, without any hint of stiffness, but there’s no zoom creep. Even so, the lens features a zoom lock switch, to be on the safe side. The ring-type USM (UltraSonic Motor) autofocus is wonderfully fast, quiet and precise, and features full-time manual override to tweak the focus if needed. The minimum focus distance of 1.2m is fixed throughout the zoom range, giving a maximum magnification of 0.21x at 300mm.

The battleship build quality inevitably has an impact on weight. The all-plastic EF-S 55-250mm IS lens, which performs very well on APS-C cameras such as the 550D, 60D and 7D, weighs a mere 390g; the 70-300mm L is more than 2.5 times as heavy, at 1.05kg. Despite the extra bulk and weight, handling feels very natural, even on lightweight bodies like the 550D. And while the 70-300mm L is fully compatible with full-frame cameras such as the 5D Mark II, it gives really powerful telephoto reach on cameras with smaller sensors, with an effective zoom range of 112-480mm.

The main strength of a faster telephoto lens, with a larger maximum aperture, is that you can fend off camera shake and freeze the action with a faster shutter speed. Conventionally, you’d need a minimum shutter speed of 1/500 sec to avoid camera shake at an equivalent focal length of 480mm. Using an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM with a 1.4x teleconverter, you’d get a maximum equivalent telephoto length of 448mm, with a one-stop faster aperture of f/4. However, this combination would set you back over £2,000 – getting on for twice the price of the 70-300mm L.

Sharp shooter

To beat camera shake, the 4-stop image stabiliser on the 70-300mm works brilliantly well. On a 550D, we consistently got pin-sharp handheld shots at an equivalent 480mm focal length, shooting at just 1/30 sec. It’s actually a dual-mode stabiliser: Mode 2 applying stabilisation in just the vertical plane when panning in landscape-orientation, and vice versa when panning in portrait-orientation.

Naturally, no amount of stabilisation can counteract movement on the part of the subject but, then again, current Canon D-SLRs offer excellent image quality at higher ISO ratings, so it’s relatively painless to offset the lens’s smaller maximum aperture by increasing the camera’s sensitivity. The other bonus of wider apertures is that you can minimise depth of field, but 300mm at f/5.6 still enables you to go really shallow.

The bottom line is image quality, and the 70-300mm L really excels. Distortions are remarkably low for a zoom lens and chromatic aberrations are practically non-existent. The biggest factor, however, is that an expensive lens like this with a relatively modest maximum aperture really has to deliver super-sharp shots with plenty of contrast when shooting wide open. Whereas we’d expect to need to shrink the aperture to f/8 or f/11 for good image quality with most budget telephoto zooms, the 70-300mm gives premium quality at its maximum apertures.

Read more: http://www.photoradar.com/reviews/product/canon-ef-70-300mm-f4-5-6l-is-usm-review#ixzz1EhpQAaoB

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