The 0.42x wide-angle adapter decreases the focal length of Lensbaby's selective-focus lenses.
(Credit: Lensbaby)Lensbaby is bringing a wider look to its line of selective-focus lenses, announcing the 0.42x Super Wide lens that expands its products' 50mm field of view to 21mm.
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Sony showed concept models of six new SLR lenses at the PMA show.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET News)LAS VEGAS--Sony showed off models of a forthcoming supertelephoto and five other lenses Monday at the Photo Marketing Association trade show, a new sign the electronics giant is holding tight to its ambition to be a major player in the digital SLR market
"Sony is passionate in proving better lens development," said Shigeki Ishizuka, president of Sony's digital imaging business group, at a news conference held here in conjunction with PMA. He said Sony now ranks third in the SLR market.
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The Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET News)LAS VEGAS--Offering some higher-end alternatives and expanding image stabilization more broadly, Sigma announced a trio of lenses for digital SLRs Monday at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show.
The three new models, which will work on Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, and Sigma cameras, are a higher-end 10-20mm ultrawide-angle zoom, and 18-50mm and 50-200mm zooms that unlike earlier models come with optical stabilization. The lenses are due to ship this spring, but pricing isn't yet announced, said Christine Moossmann of the company's marketing department.
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Nikon's PC-E Micro-Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks)LAS VEGAS--Nikon just introduced a 24mm "perspective correction" lens, but the camera maker also showed off two new prototypes of the same ilk.
As promised last week, Nikon showed off a new PC-E Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED at the Photo Marketing Association trade show here. Also under a glass booth was the PC-E Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D.
Note that the latter model lacks the "ED" suffix that indicates extra-low dispersion glass used to maximize sharpness and minimize chromatic aberration. Nikon last week employed the ED suffix in describing the lens, but there was a conspicuous rectangle carved out of the name badge right where those two letters would have appeared.
Regardless of what the 85mm lens composition and name, it definitely looks different from Nikon's existing PC Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D.
Nikon's PC-E Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D lens
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks)The perspective-correction lenses, also called tilt-shift models by rival Canon and others, let a photographer optically alter the perspective of a view, for example changing the vertical lines of a building so they are parallel rather than convergent.
Architects are a particular market for the specialty lenses, which aren't cheap: Nikon's PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED will cost $1,930 when it goes on sale this fall.
The two new perspective-correction lenses "are scheduled to become available through Nikon authorized dealers during the summer of 2008," Nikon said last week.
Speaking of coveted lenses, Nikon also showed a D3 SLR with the newer 14-24mm zoom lens mounted--both sawn in half down the middle. All I can say is I hope it was a factory reject.
Nikon's newer D3 SLR and 14-24mm zoom lens, shown here sawn in half.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks)
The 18-125mm F3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM has Sigma's optical stabilization technology built in to counteract camera shake. It's for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, and Sigma SLRs. The stabilization feature doesn't work on Pentax and Sony cameras, which have that built in.
(Credit: Sigma)LAS VEGAS--Sigma, a third-party maker of lenses for SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras, has expanded the range of Optical Stabilization (OS) lenses, those with a moving lens element that can compensate for camera shake.
Of eight mainstream lenses the Japanese company announced at the Photo Marketing Association trade show here, three new telephoto lenses include OS. (I'm not counting Sigma's 200-500mm f/2.8 super-telephoto behemoth as mainsream.)
The three stabilized lenses are the 18-125mm F3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM, the APO 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM, and the APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM.
However, several new 70-200mm telephoto zooms, each with a wide f/2.8 aperture, lack the stabilization feature.
Sigma also announced two lenses for Four Thirds System SLRs, which are sold by Olympus, Panasonic, and Leica. Those are a wide-angle zoom, the 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM, and the telephoto zoom, the APO 70-200mm F2.8 II EX DG MACRO HSM.
Update 1:20 p.m. PST: There's no price or availability information yet on the stabilized lenses, said Sigma spokeswoman Desiree Gaige, but they'll likely arrive sometime this summer. The 50-150mm will cost about $1,350, the 70-200mm models $1,420, and the 10-20mm $730, and those probably will be available in the next couple months, she said.
Here are some photos and details on the other lenses:
The APO 70-200mm F2.8 II EX DG MACRO HSM is for Pentax and Sony SLRs.
(Credit: Sigma)
The APO 70-200mm F2.8 II EX DG MACRO HSM is designed for Four-Thirds system cameras.
(Credit: Sigma)
The APO 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM is an optically stabilized model for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax, and Sigma SLRs. Its close-focus distance is 59 inches.
(Credit: Sigma)
The APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM is for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax, and Sigma SLRs. It's got optical stabilization built in.
(Credit: Sigma)
The APO 50-150mm F2.8 II EX DC HSM is for Pentax and Sony SLRs.
(Credit: Sigma)
The 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM is for Four-Thirds cameras from Olympus, Panasonic, or Leica.
(Credit: Sigma)
Sigma's 200-500mm f/2.8 (or 400-1,000mm f/5.6) behemoth.
(Credit: Sigma)
LAS VEGAS--Riddle me this: What's green, is 28.6 inches long, weighs 34.6 pounds, and wears a custom-fitted hood?
The answer: a mammoth supertelephoto zoom that Sigma announced this week at the Photo Marketing Association trade show here. The product is geared for photographing wildlife, sports, and astronomical objects.
The lens, called the APO 200-500mm F2.8/400-1,000mm F5.6 EX DG, has a 200-500mm zoom range and an f/2.8 aperture that's very wide for this class of lens. It also comes with an extender that pushes the range to 400-1,000mm but reduces the aperture to f/5.6, Sigma said. To reduce chromatic aberration, it uses three special low-dispersion glass elements and three extraordinary low-dispersion glass elements.
Update 1:20 p.m. PST: A Sigma representative, Desiree Gaige, told me how much this lens will cost, though there's still no pricing information.
Brace yourself.
$34,000.
The lens has a dedicated lithium-ion battery to power the autofocus, zoom, and an LCD display that shows the zoom setting. And a slot near the camera end can be used to insert filters.
Sigma, one of the better-known manufacturers of third-party lenses for SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras, said the lens will be available for Canon, Nikon, and its own SLRs.
And don't get too attached to its green color. Sigma cautioned that the camera's appearance is "subject to change without notice."
LAS VEGAS--Lenses are as important as camera bodies in the SLR market, and Pentax is trying to keep its customers' appetites whetted by showing off three new lenses still under development at the Photo Marketing Association trade show here.
First up is the smc Pentax-DA*55mm F1.4 SDM, a model with a 55mm fixed focal length and wide f/1.4 aperture for low-light shooting or pictures with soft, undistracting backgrounds. Availability is undetermined so far.
Next is the smc Pentax-DA*60-250mm F4ED SDM, a wide-range telephoto zoom that should be available in the summer.
Third is the smc Pentax-DA17-70 F4 AL SDM. This moderate zoom also should be available in the summer, Pentax said.
These three models aren't yet available and shouldn't be confused with the five lenses for which Pentax last week announced prices and availability dates.
The names are all tentative, the company cautioned. If you want to decode them, here's a handy Pentax lens terminology cheat sheet I cribbed from my colleague Lori Grunin:
• AL = Aspherical Lens
• DA = designed for digital (not full frame) cameras
• DA* = DA with dust- and weather-sealing
• ED = Extra low Dispersion
• IF = Internal Focus
• SDM = Supersonic Drive Motor
Sunex's 185-degree Superfisheye lens costs $799 for Canon and Nikon SLRs.
(Credit: Sunex)
Update 10:07 p.m. PST: I added some further comment from Sunex.
LAS VEGAS--A California company called Sunex wants to make it even easier to photograph your toes inadvertently.
At the Photo Marketing Association trade show here, Sunex plans to show off its new Superfisheye lens whose 5.6mm focal length provide a view encompassing a 185-degree span.
The Superfisheye lens costs $799 for Nikon and Canon SLRs with smaller sensors. It's got a constant f/5.6 aperture. The price includes software to "dewarp" the peculiar fisheye perspective into the rectilinear view humans are more comfortable with.
Sunex builds lenses for applications such as security and automotive cameras, but now it's trying to appeal to photographers, too, the company said.
"This is our first product offered for professional, amateur, and commercial photographers," said Francois Pelletier, Sunex's director of sales and marketing. The company started shipping early models two weeks ago, but the official launch is at PMA, he said.
Its earlier products give it wide-angle expertise, he added: "Sunex has extensive experience in wide angle lenses for automotive rear-view, visual-communication (360 room views), security and machine-vision applications."
Tamron's new 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto for Canon SLRs will go on sale March 7.
(Credit: Tamron)LAS VEGAS--Tamron, one of the larger third-party SLR (single-lens reflex) lens makers, on Monday detailed four new lenses and March launch plans, the week that the Photo Marketing Association trade show begins here. However, the company didn't reveal prices.
For telephoto fans, the company announced its SP AF70-200mm F/2.8 Di. Its close-focus distance of 0.95 meters provides a magnification ratio of 1:3.1 (which means a subject will appear on the image sensor nearly a third the size it does in real life), and it features a constant f/2.8 aperture across its zoom range and three low-dispersion lenses.
Tamron will ship Pentax-mount and Nikon-mount versions of this 17-50mm f/2.8 lens in March.
(Credit: Tamron)The lens will go on sale for Canon SLRs--full-frame or otherwise--on March 7. It'll be released in Pentax, Sony, and Nikon mounts at an undetermined future date, the company said.
Another pair of closely related lenses bearing the SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II name also are in the works. One will ship March 7 for Pentax SLRs and the other on March 13 for Nikon. The Nikon version has a built-in motor, and both maintain a constant f/2.8 aperture. They're geared solely for use on SLRs with smaller image sensors such as Nikon's 24x16mm DX size.
Last, Tamron announced the AF18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di II to ship for small-frame Nikon SLRs on March 7. Lenses with this wide a zoom range typically compromise with distortion, sharpness, vignetting, and chromatic aberration, but they're still popular for people who don't like changing lenses or for tourists who don't want to lug their higher-end glass around.
Tamron's 18-200mm super-zoom will ship in March for Nikon cameras.
(Credit: Tamron)Also, last week, Tamron said it will begin selling its AF70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di for Nikon SLRs on February 1.
Correction 9:45 p.m. PST: The photo caption incorrectly described the 18-200mm lens. It's for Nikon-mount SLRs.
Nikon's new 24mm perspective correction lens can help make diverging lines parallel.
(Credit: Nikon)To accompany the announcement of its new D60 SLR, Nikon has announced three new lenses: the PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED, the AF-S Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED, and the AF-S DX 16-85 f/3.5-5.6G VR. The most unusual of the three is the PC-E 24mm, which is a perspective correction lens-- a type of lens that Canon has dominated for a while now with three models, though Nikon already offers the PC Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D. Canon refers to this type of lens as tilt-shift, since it lets you adjust the angle of the lens elements in relation to the film/sensor plane by angling the lens from side to side, up or down, and slide it horizontally. By angling the lens elements, you can compensate for the trapezoidal look that very large buildings take on when looking up as you shoot them. While this is obviously a very specialized lens, it's nice to see Nikon stepping up their already-extensive selection of lenses. The PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED will be available this fall for about $1,930. Nikon will also be showing prototypes of a new PC-E Nikkor 45mm f/2.8D ED and PC-E Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D ED at the PMA show this week.
An update to Nikon's 60mm macro lens now features a Silent Wave Motor and internal focusing.
(Credit: Nikon)Next up is a new 60mm macro lens called the AF-S Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED. Compared to the existing AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D, which has been around for a few years now, this new 60mm includes a built-in Silent Wave Motor for autofocus to make it compatible with the D40 and D40x, Nikon's new Nano Crystal Coat, ED (extra low dispersion) lens elements, and fully internal focusing. The internal focusing means that the front lens element doesn't extend or retract while you focus-- something that did irk me when using the previous 60mm when shooting at magnifications close to 1:1. Nikon expects the AF-S Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED to be available in March for about $550.
With a versatile zoom range, this new DX-format 16-85mm lens makes a nice all-around lens for Nikon's sub-full-frame cameras.
(Credit: Nikon)The last new lens is a versatile DX-format lens that covers a 35mm-equivalent zoom range of about 24-128mm. The AF-S DX 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G VR includes Nikon's Vibration Reduction optical image stabilization, which the company says can provide from 2-4 stops of leeway. Meaning that if you normally would shoot at 1/100 second for a particular shot, you should be able to use this lens at 1/25 second (a 2 stop difference), or possibly even as slow as 1/6 second (about a 4 stop difference). As always with image stabilization, your mileage may vary. This 16-85mm lens also includes ED glass and Silent Wave Motor technology. Nikon expects the AF-S DX 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G VR to be available this March for about $650.
