Sigma’s 60mm f2.8 DN Lens for Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras

Sigma announce the 60mm F2.8 lens on May 2, 2013. Here is the Press Release:

Sigma Corporation of America, a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world’s most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, today announced that its new 60mm F2.8 DN Art lens for mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (MILCs) will hit shelves in the United States mid-May for the street price of $239.

First revealed at the CP+ Camera and Photo Imaging Show in Japan earlier this year, the 60mm F2.8 is a new focal length in the Sigma lineup for both Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-Mount camera systems. It joins Sigma’s other DN lenses for MILCs: the 19mm F2.8 DN and the 30mm F2.8 DN.

“We’re constantly working to add new focal lengths to our lineup so photographers can have as many options as possible,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “This mid-range telephoto lens and its shallow depth of field will produce some very pleasing bokeh effects.”

As part of the company’s Global Vision category restructuring, the new 60mm F2.8 DN Art category lens has an angle of view equivalent to 120mm on the Micro Four Thirds system and 90mm on the E-mount system (35mm equivalent focal length). The minimum focusing distance is 19.7 inches; the maximum magnification is 1:7.2. This lens also contains Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass, which helps minimize axial and transverse chromatic aberration.

This lens incorporates telecentric optical designs and a linear, auto focusing motor that ensures accurate and quiet focusing for video recording. Featuring a metal exterior and a simply-shaped focus ring, it has varying textures to distinguish each part of the lens. Under its new manufacturing process, Sigma’s DN users can also choose between a black or silver finish to match their favorite equipment.
For information about Sigma Corporation of America, visit www.sigmaphoto.com.

Sigma 35mm f1.4 review HSM Lens

Sigma announced the 35mm F1.4 DG HSM lens in Photokina 2012. This lens has 35mm focal length with maximum aperture F1.4, minimum F16. Hypersonic Motor (HSM) drive the focusing with full-time manual override. The closest focus is 0.3m. It is available for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sigma and Sony mounts.

 

Sigma 35mm F1.4 HSM Lens

Preview/Hands On

 

 

The features of the lens are summarized as follows:

• Aperture Range: f/1.4-16
• Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM)
• Floating Internal Focus System
• Minimum Focusing Distance: 11.8"
• Anti-Flare Super Multi-Layer Coating
• Special & "F" Low Dispersion Elements
• Front Filter Thread Diameter: 67mm
• 9x Circular Aperture Blades
• Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

Rating

DxOmark rates this lens mount on a Canon 5D Mark III as "Excellent" with the following conclusion extracted from DxOmark website:
" It is clear that Sigma has done something very special with the 35mm f1.4 DG HSM A, they have produced a lens that performs better than Canon’s own 35mm lenses and better than a Carl Zeiss 35mm f1.4. When an independent manufacturer’s lenses can do this, it must make the customers think carefully about their buying decisions. It is also good to see a manufacturer recognise the demand for optics that provide pleasing bokeh and to address this specifically.
There are really only two contenders where 35mm lenses for Canon are concerned. If you want the best then Sigma is the choice for you and if you want a bargain, then Canon’s EF 35mm f2, launched in 1990 could be a good alternative."

Tamron 14-150mm F/3.5-5.8 VC for Micro Four Thirds Compact System Camera

In January this year, Tamron announces the development of the company's first Micro Four Thirds high-power zoom lens, equivalent to 28-300mm in the 35mm full-frame format.  The lens has built in image stabilization and auto focus with features of:

Focal Length	14 - 150 mm Comparable 35mm Focal Length: 28 - 300 mm
Aperture	Maximum: f/3.5 - 5.8 Minimum: f/22
Camera Mount Type	Micro Four Thirds
Format Compatibility	Micro Four Thirds
Angle of View	75.4° - 8.2°
Minimum Focus Distance	1.64' (50 cm)
Maximum Reproduction Ratio	1:3.8
Groups/Elements	13/17
Diaphragm Blades	7

The filter diameter is 52mm.

Tamron 14-150mm F/3.5-5.8 Lens

 

 

Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Lens is the First Constant Aperture Zoom Lens

Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM was announced recently.  The f1.8 aperture can be kept for the zoom range from 18 to 35mm. It is the first constanct aperture zoom lens. The lens uses an ultrasonic auto focus motor for fast and silent focusing. It is initially available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sigma SA mounts. The new 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art lens gives users a 27-52.5mm (35mm equivalent) on a 1.5x crop APS-C dSLR. The Super Multi-Layer Coating on the lens is used to reduce lens flare and ghost.

Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Lens

Preview

Lens in a Cap - Loreo

The LOREO Lens in a Cap  is a new body cap for SLR cameras with detachable lenses. It protects standard and digital SLR cameras from dust and dirt while keeping them ready for snapshots. It incorporates a fixed focus lens, which turns any SLR into a point-and-shoot camera, slim enough to pocket. It is a self-contained unit that mounts directly onto the camera body and does not need any supporting lens. This means that it does not work with SLRs which do not have detachable lenses, such as the Olympus E series digital cameras. Focal length is 35mm, and aperture is adjustable from f/5.6 - f/64. The aperture acts as a built-in lens shade. The Lens in a Cap ships in 8 common mount types - Canon EOS, FD, Nikon, Olympus (now discontinued), Pentax K, Minolta MD and AF, M42.

Loreo Lens in a Cap

Hands On (In Japanese)

Review 

For review posted in Internet click here

Olympus Cap Lens

Olympus makes a small cap lens for CAD$49. Here is the features extracted from the official web site:
"Olympus also introduces an intriguing new lens for its Micro Four Thirds line. The BCL-15mm f8.0 Body Cap Lens serves as a body cap when carrying the camera around without its interchangeable lens, and transforms to become a pan-focus snapshot lens to capture images. The lens is so thin – just 9mm thick – that it can easily be mistaken for a camera-mount body cap. With three glass lens elements in three groups, it can be used as a wide-angle lens equivalent with a single focal length of 30mm (35mm camera equivalent). In addition to daily use as a “pan-focus” lens featuring a wide angle, fixed f8 aperture and deep depth of field, it is compatible with manual focusing using a lever and capable of close-up shooting as close as 30 cm. A lens-protection barrier is provided so the lens can be mounted permanently on the camera and even put in a pocket together with the camera."

BCL-15mm Olympus Body Cap Lens

Hands On

 

Sony Inexpensive 50mm F1.8 Lens

Sony DT 50mm F1.8 Lens is an inexpensive lens, which features:

• Compact, lightweight, and eminently portable
• Circular aperture for attractive defocusing
• Internal SAM (Smooth Autofocus Motor) autofocus drive
• Bright enough for handheld shooting in low light
• 35mm equivalent focal length: 75mm
• CAD$179.99

Sony DT 50mm F1.8 Lens

Rating (Source:www.photozone.de)

Optical Quality:	to
Mechanical Quality:
Price/Performance:

Click here for details of review.

Specifications

Inexpensive Canon 50mm F1.8 II Lens for DSLR

Canon 50mm F1.8 II is an inexpensive lens for DSLR digital camera.  Features include:

• Compatible with Canon DSLR's Canon DSLR's 30D/20D/10D, Rebel, Rebel XT and Rebel Xti.
• 50mm focal length
• Maximum aperture of 1:1.8
• Capture up-close shots from 1.5ft (0.45m)
• Lens construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
• Diagonal angle of view: 46º
• Focal adjustment: Overall linear extension system with Micromotor
• Filter size: 52mm

Canon 50mm F1.8 II Lens

Rating (Source:dpreview)

Conclusion - Pros

• Excellent image quality when stopped down
• Essentially no lateral chromatic aberration
• Extremely cheap

Conclusion - Cons

• Extremely cheaply built
• Harsh and distracting bokeh due to pentagonal aperture
• Vignetting at wide apertures on full frame (which only disappears at F3.5)
• Inconsistent autofocus in low light (most problematic when using large apertures)

Specification

Inexpensive Nikon 50mm F1.8 Lens for DSLR

Nikon 50mm F1.8 D lens is inexpensive and has the following features:

• D-type lens design provides distance information as part of flash and ambient light exposure processes.
• Multi-layer coating minimizes flare and ghosting.
• Lightweight and compact. Ideal for travel photography.
• Classic normal lens provides speed and compact design
• 52mm filter size.
• Stops down to f/22 fordepth-of-field control.
• US$159.95

Nikon 50mm F1.8D

Reviews (Source:photozone.de)

Click here for review of this lens.

Optical Quality:
Mechanical Quality:
Price/Performance:

Specifications

Sigma 19mm F2.8 Lens for Micro 4/3 or Sony NEX Cameras

Sigma 19mm lens F2.8 is designed for mirrorless interchangeable lens camera such as Sony, Olympus and Panasonic.  Its main features:

Sigma 19mm F2.8 EX DN main parameters:
Focal Length: 19mm
Maximum aperture: F2.8
Minimum aperture: F22
Viewing Angle: 59.3 ° (Panasonic M4 / 3), 73.5 ° (Sony E-mount)
Lens construction: 8 elements in 6 groups
Focus system: linear autofocus motor, internal focus
Focal length: 20cm
Magnification: 1: 7.4
Diaphragm Blades: 7 circular aperture leaves
Filter: 46 mm
Hood: dedicated hood
Size: Diameter 60.6mm X Length 45.7mm
Weight: 140 g
Bayonet mount: Panasonic M4 / 3, Sony E

Sigma 19mm Lens Structure

Sigma 19mm F2.8 Lens

 Hands on

 

 

 

Tamron 18-270mm Demo Video

See below a nice video demo of Tamron 18-270mm lens:



This lens may be good for photographer who wants an all-in-one lens from 18-270mm.  It is available for Sony, Canon and Nikon DSLR.

Tamron 18-270mm Zoom Lens

Rating (Source:photographyblog)

4 star out of 5

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4
Features	4
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image Quality	4
Value for money	3.5

Specification

Olympus New Wide Angle Lens 8-20mm

Olympus will make a new wide angle lens 8-20 mm (16-40mm, 35mm equivalent).  The aperture is F2.8-4.  The lens construction is 11 elements and 4 groups.  There is no news where will this lens is available.

Olympus 8-20mm Lens Design Blueprint

Konica Minolta has a new Lens Design Patent

It is very strange that Konica Minolta files a new patent of micro 4/3 43mm F1.4 lens.  Konica Minolta has sold its camera business to Sony in 2006.  Does it mean Konica Minolta is planning to get back to photography business? This lens has focal length of 42.65mm, aperture 1.45, equivalent to 135 viewing angle focal length of approximately 85/1.4, which is very standard portrait lens. The lens design is 10group 11elements low-dispersion lenses. 





(Source:DPnet)

Olympus Micro 4/3 Camera Kit Lens for Portrait

There is an article in the web about using the Olympus micro 4/3 kit lens for portrait.  Below is an extract from the article:
"For a casual portrait, I thought the E-P3 with stock zoom performed OK. The autofocus speed was terrific, off-camera flash system was reliable, and overall exposure and color was quite good..............."

To read the full article "Model Shoot with the Olympus E-P3", click here.

Olympus is Developing a 17mm F1.8 Lens for M4/3 Camera

On September 17, Olympus Imaging Corporation (President: Haruo Ogawa) has announced that it is now developing a new interchangeable lens compliant with the Micro Four Thirds System standard, called the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm f1.8. The company is hoping to release the new lens in the first half of 2013. Optimized for snapshot shooting on the street, the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm f1.8 is a high-grade type lens that features a high-quality metallic outer finish, a focal length equivalent to 34mm on a 35mm camera, and high brightness thanks to a large f1.8 aperture. (Source: http://www.4-traders.com)

Olympus 17mm f1.8 M.Zuiko Lens Mockup

Sigma New Lens 35mm f/1.4 Announced

Sigma new lens 35mm F1.4 was announced on September 17, 2012.

Sigman 35mm F1.4

• 
• 
• 

 

Specification (Source: Sigma)

Lens Construction	13 elements in 11 groups
Minimum aperture	F16
Filter size	φ67mm
Angle of view (35mm equivalent)	63.4°
Minimum focusing distance	30cm / 11.8in
Dimensions (Diameter x Length)	φ77mm x 94.0mm / 3.0in x 3.7in
Number of diaphragm blades	9 (Rounded diaphragm)
Maximum magnification ratio	1：5.2
Weight	TBD

Panasonice New Lens 35-100mm for Micro 4/3

Panasonic announces a news weather sealed lens 35-100 mmm in recent Photokina 2012 with OIS image stabilizer.

Panasonic 35-100 mm Lens for Micro 4/3 Digital Camera

Lumix G X 35-100mm F2.8 Specifications:
Lens Construction: 13 group of 18, including 2 ED, 1 x UED
Aperture: F2.8-22
Closest focusing: 0.85m
Maximum Magnification: 0.1 x (35mm equivalent to 0.2 x)
Filter Diameter: 58mm
Lens length: 99.9mm
Weight: 360g

Olympus New Body Cap Lens 15 mm F8 for Micro 4/3 Camera

Olympus also introduces an intriguing new lens for its Micro Four Thirds line. The BCL-15mm f8.0 Body Cap Lens serves as a body cap when carrying the camera around without its interchangeable lens, and transforms to become a pan-focus snapshot lens to capture images. The lens is so thin – just 9mm thick – that it can easily be mistaken for a camera-mount body cap. With three glass lens elements in three groups, it can be used as a wide-angle lens equivalent with a single focal length of 30mm (35mm camera equivalent). In addition to daily use as a “pan-focus” lens featuring a wide angle, fixed f8 aperture and shallow depth of field, it is compatible with manual focusing using a lever and capable of close-up shooting as close as 30 cm. A lens-protection barrier is provided so the lens can be mounted permanently on the camera and even put in a pocket together with the camera. (Source: Olympus Canada)

Olympus Body Cap Lens 15mm F8 Lens

Olympus Body Cap Lens 15mm F8 Lens Attached to a Camera

List Price CAD$49.99

Related Links and Information

Olympus Ultra Thin Pancake Lens 15 mm F8.0

Olympus May Show a 17mm F1.8 Lens in Photokina

Based on information from web, a 17mm f1.8 lens will be shown in Photokina 2012 by Olympus.  It is not sure whether it is a pancake lens or not.  There is not much information about this lens from the web.

Olympus Cheap Pancake Lens F8 Rumors??

Olympus will release a pretty interesting piece of small and cheap price pancake lens with f/8.0 fixed aperture. It is very small and very light.  The unconfirmed specifications are:

Focal length: 15mm, equivalent to 30mm perspective

Aperture: fixed f8

Dimensions: diameter 56, length 9mm

Structure: 3 groups 3 elements

Focus: 0.3 m

Weight: 22 grams

(Source: xjrumo)