News in Detail
Olympus marks 50 years of Pen Series PDF Print E-mail
Lens Review Blog
Friday, 05 June 2009

 

Olympus marks 50 years of Pen Seriespen

Olympus has published the third installment of its video series celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Pen cameras. The compact, cropped-format cameras evolved into the Pen-F, one of the smallest mass-market interchangeable lens cameras ever made. The site says there will be another installment next week but, with few milestone Pen series cameras left to cover, its layout appears to leave room for more videos. Coincidentally, Olympus has said there would be more news this summer about its Micro Four Thirds camera, a distinctly retro mockup of which has been shown at recent trade shows. Update: Olympus UK has told us there will be a public hands-on event in London on June 25th at a venue to be announced soon. We'll bring you more details as soon as we have them.

Click here to see the latest video celebrating the anniversary of the Pen Series

 
 
 

 
Panasonic expands Marine line of underwater cases PDF Print E-mail
Lens Review Blog
Friday, 05 June 2009

 

Panasonic expands Marine line of underwater casespanasonic marine

Panasonic has further expanded the Marine line of underwater cases for the Lumix compact digital cameras. With the Marine Case DMW-MCFT1 you can now take your DMC-FT1 / TS1 rugged and waterproof digital camera to new depths of 130 feet / 40 meters, rather than the camera's standard 10 feet / 3 meters. The new Marine Case DMW-MCTZ7 will be the perfect fit for your model DMC-TZ7, TZ6, ZS3 and ZS1 and the DMW-MCFX40 will allow you to take your DMC-FX40 / FX48 to depths of up to 130 feet / 40 meters..

Panasonic Marine Cases for the other Lumix digital compact cameras:
DMW-MCFS5 for the DMC-FS5 / FS3 digital cameras
DMW-MCFX01 for the DMC-FX01 / FX07 / FX3 digital cameras
DMW-MCFX07 for the FX07, FX3, FX01, FX12, FX10 digital cameras
DMW-MCFX30 for the DMC-FX30 / FX33 digital cameras
DMW-MCFX35 for the DMC-FX35 digital camera
DMW-MCTZ1 for the DMC-TZ1 digital camera
DMW-MCTZ3 for the DMC-TZ3 / TZ2 digital cameras
DMW-MCTZ5 for the DMC-TZ50 / TZ5 / TZ4 digital cameras

 
 
 

 
Pentax launches two weather resistant lenses PDF Print E-mail
Lens Review Blog
Friday, 05 June 2009

 

Pentax launches two weather resistant lenses pentax

Along with the K-7 DSLR, Pentax has launched the smc PENTAX-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6AL WR and smc PENTAX-DA 50-200mm F4-5.6ED WR weather-resistant lenses. Treated with Super-Protect (SP) Coating for dust resistance and designed with environmental sealing, both the lenses complement the latest Pentax weather-resistant DSLRs. Priced at 9.95 USD for the DA 18-55mm and 9.95 USD for the DA 50-200mm, the lenses will start shipping in July 2009.

 

 

The smc PENTAX-DA18-55mmF3.5-5.6AL WR and the smc PENTAX-DA50-200mmF4-5.6ED WR
Compact, lightweight, weather-resistant Zoom lenses designed for exclusive use with digital SLR cameras

pentax lens
pentax lens
   

May 19, 2009: HOYA CORPORATION PENTAX Imaging Systems Division is pleased to announce the launch of two compact, lightweight zoom lenses: the smc PENTAXDA18-55mmF3.5-5.6AL WR, and the smc PENTAX DA50-200mmF4-5.6ED WR. Featuring a newly designed, simplified weather-resistant construction, these zoom lenses offer excellent reliability in various outdoor applications — especially in rain, fog and mist.

Common features
Simplified weather-resistant construction
The new zoom lenses feature a simplified weather-resistant construction designed to minimize the intrusion of water and moisture into the lens barrel. With these lenses mounted on PENTAX weather resistant digital SLR camera bodies, the user is assured of improved durability and reliability during shooting in rain, fog or mist and at locations subject to a spray or splash of water.

SP coating to block dust and dirt
The front surface of these lenses is treated with PENTAX-original SP (Super Protect) coating, which applies a special fluorine compound to the lens surface through a vapor deposition process. This SP coating not only effectively repels dust, water and grease, but it also makes it easy to wipe off fingerprints and cosmetics.

Digital-SLR-exclusive optical design
PENTAX has optimized the characteristics of these lenses — including lens coating, curvature and positioning of optical elements — to reproduce the finest possible digital images. As a result, they are practically free of flare and ghost images, and bring out the best in the PENTAX digital SLR camera bodies they are coupled with.

Their Image circle is also perfectly proportioned to the size of the image sensor used in PENTAX digital SLR cameras, helping to reduce the camera’s overall size and weight and guarantee outstanding cost performance.

Quick-Shift Focus system for instant AF/MF switching
After the subject is captured in focus by the camera’s AF system, the unique Quick-Shift Focus system lets the photographer instantly switch to manual-focus operation for final pinpoint focus adjustment.

Other features

  • Durable, dependable metallic lens mount
  • Lens hood with a PL (polarizing filter) window included as a standard accessory

Overview of the smc PENTAX-DA18-55 F3.5-5.6AL WR lens
This standard zoom lens covers focal lengths from 27.5mm wide angle to 84.5mm moderate telephoto (in the 35mm format). Incorporating a high-performance aspherical (AL) optical element and a super-low Dispersion glass optical element in its optics, it assures outstanding image Resolution and remarkable Brightness, even at the edges, while effectively compensating various aberrations.

Overview of the smc PENTAX-DA50-200 F4-5.6ED WR lens
This telephoto zoom lens covers focal lengths from 76.5mm moderate telephoto to 307mm super telephoto (in the 35mm format). Incorporating an extra-low dispersion (ED) glass optical element in its optics, it assures excellent description of the subject in various telephoto applications, including portraiture, sports/action and landscape, while effectively compensating Chromatic aberration over the entire zoom range.

 

Specifications
  smc PENTAX-DA
18-55mmF3.5-5.6AL WR
smc PENTAX-DA
50-200mmF4-5.6ED WR
Lens mount PENTAX KAF mount PENTAX KAF mount
Lens Construction 11 elements in 8 groups 11 elements in 10 groups
Angle of view 76 - 29° (wiith PENTAX D-SLR camera body) 31.5 - 8.1° (wiith PENTAX D-SLR camera body)
Aperture control Automatic Automatic
Minimum Aperture F22-38 F22-32
Number of Diaphragm Blades 6 6
Minimum Focusing Distance 0.25m (0.82 ft.) 1.1m (3.6mft.)
Filter size 52mm 49mm
Maximum Magnification 0.34x 0.24x
Dimensions
(Maximum Diameter x Minimum Length)
68.5mm x 67.5mm (2.7 inch x 2.7 inch ) 69mm x 79.5mm (2.7 inch x 3.1 inch)
Weight 230g / 8.1 oz. (with hood 255g / 9.0 oz.) 285g / 10.1 oz. (with hood 325g / 11.5 oz.)
Lens Hood PH-RBC52mm PH-RBD49mm
Tripod adapter - -

 
 
 

 
Hasselblad wins third award in three months PDF Print E-mail
Lens Review Blog
Thursday, 04 June 2009

 

Hasselblad wins third award in three months

Hasselblad has won the Technical Image Press Association’s TIPA award - one of the photo industry’s most prestigious awards worldwide - for “Best Medium-Format D-System in 2009,” making it the third honor bestowed on the company this year. In January, the H3DII-50 won Professional Photographer’s coveted Hot One Award. Earlier this month, the camera was named Product of the Year at Russia’s Photoforum 2009.

As announced on TIPA’s website, www.tipa.com, on April 17, editors of 25 renowned photography magazines from 11 European countries honored the Hasselblad H3D system, when they convened this week in Budapest, Hungary, to select the industry’s top European imaging products from the past 12 months.

In making its choice, the TIPA jury said, “Hasselblad's H3DII-50 is the first camera to feature Kodak’s 50 megapixel sensor, measuring 36x48mm and twice the physical size of the largest 35mm DSLR sensors. The H3DII-50 provides full 48mm coverage and has been designed to provide an ideal solution for any photographer who demands both creative flexibility and ultimate image quality and Resolution.”

In a secret vote for the best photographic and imaging products introduced in Europe during the past year, TIPA editors took into account innovation, the use of leading-edge technology, the design and ergonomics of the products, and their ease of use and price/performance ratio.

Christian Poulsen, CEO of Hasselblad, commented: “Hasselblad is again proud to accept this prestigious award. This honor demonstrates Hasselblad’s vision of providing the world’s best photographers with the most advanced camera system, enabling them to create the world’s best images. With H3DII-50, new components including the HCD 35-90mm zoom lens, HTS 1.5 Tilt & Shift Adaptor, and Phocus software, Hasselblad is helping photographers break creative barriers and achieve image quality that was not possible even six months ago.”

For more information on Hasselblad’s Hot One Award, click here

 

 
 
 

 
Canon releases EOS 5D Mark II firmware version 1.1.0 PDF Print E-mail
Lens Review Blog
Thursday, 04 June 2009

 

Canon releases EOS 5D Mark II firmware version 1.1.0canon5dII

Canon releases EOS 5D Mark II firmware update version 1.1.0. This firmware update offers the manual video exposure control already announced last month and these fixes/improvements:
• Disables the depth-of-field preview button when images are played back
• Fixes a problem with image Peripheral illumination
• Fixes the algorithms of the Auto Lighting Optimizer
• Corrects indications in several language menus
• Changes battery info display for the Battery Grip
...   &   Go to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Firmware Update page.


Firmware Version 1.1.0 incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

1. Includes a function to enable the manual exposure setting when shooting movies. *For details on how to use this function, please download the PDF files from the bottom of this page.
2. Disables the function of the depth-of-field preview button when images are played back or when the menu screen is displayed on the LCD panel.
3. Fixes a phenomenon where the peripheral illumination of images cannot be properly corrected, even if the images were captured with the lens peripheral illumination correction function set to Enable. *Digital Photo Professional software version 3.6.1 or later (for Windows and Macintosh) can be used to automatically correct the peripheral illumination of RAW and JPEG images that were captured in the Peripheral illumination correction setting with cameras that have Firmware Version 1.0.7 or earlier.
4. Fixes the algorithms of the Auto Lighting Optimizer function when Custom Function C.Fn II-3 Highlight tone priority is enabled.
5. Fixes incorrect indications on the Arabic, Romanian, Spanish, and Ukrainian menu screens.
6. Changes the battery information displayed on the camera when using the optional Battery Grip BG-E6.

In case you missed or did not apply the previous Panasonic Canon EOS 5D firmware update, you will get these improvements too:

[Version 1.0.7]
• "Black dot" phenomenon (the right side of point light sources becomes black) When shooting night scenes, the right side of point light sources (such as lights from building windows) may become black. The phenomenon may become visible if the images are enlarged to 100% or greater on a monitor or if extremely large prints of the images are made. This firmware improves and mitigates this phenomenon.

• Vertical Banding noise
If the recording format is set to sRAW1, vertical banding noise may become visible depending on the camera settings, subject, and background. The firmware improves and mitigates this phenomenon  

 
 
 

 
Tamron 10-24mm for Sony and Pentax coming soon PDF Print E-mail
Lens Review Blog
Thursday, 04 June 2009

 

Tamron 10-24mm for Sony and Pentax coming soon Tamron1024mm

Tamron has announced that the availability of Sony and Pentax versions its 10-24mm wide-angle zoom APS-C cameras. This lens, which received a Recommended rating when tested in its Nikon mount guise, will be available in Japan from June 12th, the company says, with sales then expanding to other markets.

 

 

 
 
 

 
Nikon updates firmware for D40 and D40x DSLRs PDF Print E-mail
Lens Review Blog
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
 

Nikon updates firmware for D40 and D40x DSLRs

Nikon has released a firmware update for its D40 and D40x DSLRs. Version 1.12 for the D40 and Version 1.01 for the D40x improve compatibility of both cameras with Nikon's new EN-EL9a batteries. With the updated firmware, the D40 should deliver approximately 510 shots in single-frame shooting mode using the EN-EL9a, according to CIPA standard tests, rather than 470 with the original EN-EL9 pack.

Nikon D40 firmware updates:

Click here to download firmware v1.12 (Windows)

Click here to download firmware v1.12 (Mac)

Nikon D40X firmware updates:

Click here to download firmware v1.01 (Windows)

Click here to download firmware v1.01 (Mac)

 
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Canon unveils New EOS 500D / Rebel T1i DSLR PDF Print E-mail
Lens Review Blog
Wednesday, 01 April 2009
 

Canon today have unveiled there new EOS 500D (Digital Rebel T1i), the latest addition to its compact DSLR series. The upper-entry-level camera features a 15.1 MP APS-C CMOS sensor with 1080p HD video recording at 20fps. It also offers a 3.0 inch LCD with 920,000 dot Resolution and an ISO sensitivity range expandable up to 12800 equivalent. It includes a faster Digic 4 processor offering better noise reduction at higher ISO's and continuous shooting speeds of up to 3.4 fps delivering 170 large JPEG images in a single burst. 

  hiRest1ifrontsmall.jpg
 
 
hiRest1ifront.jpg

hiRest1iback.jpg

 
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Olympus introduces the compact E-450 digital SLR PDF Print E-mail
Lens Review Blog
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
 

Olympus today introduced the E-450 which, as you might've E450Frontsmall.jpg guessed, is the follow-upto the E-420. I can"t describe the changes in a few words: it's the E-420 witha couple of Art Filters, plus a nicer LCD. And that's about it. Here'sa rundown of all the specs on this compact, entry-level digital SLR:

Olympus E-450

  • 10 Megapixel Live MOS sensor
  • Supports all FourThirds lenses with 2X Focal length conversion ratio
  • Compact body (by D-SLR standards)
  • 2.7" HyperCrystal II LCD display (230k pixels) has improved Contrast and viewing angle
  • Live view with contrast detect AF (with select lenses) and face detection; Perfect Shot Preview feature lets you compare the effects of different exposure compensation or white balance settings in real time
  • Optical viewfinder has 95% coverage and 0.92X magnification
  • Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system
  • Full manual controls; ISO range of 100 - 1600; white balance can be set by color temperature and fine-tuned
  • Plenty of scene modes, plus three Art Filters (pop art, soft focus, and pin hole)
  • Continuous shooting at 3.5 frames/second
  • Built-in wireless flash support
  • CompactFlash + xD Picture Card slots
  • Uses BLS-1 lithium-ion battery; 500 shots per charge
  • Includes the F3.5-5.6, 14 - 42 mm and F4.0-5.6, 40 - 150 mm lenses
 
E450Front.jpg E450back.jpgE450Top.jpg
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Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM Wins awards PDF Print E-mail
Lens Review Blog
Friday, 16 January 2009
 

 

Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM wins "VISUAL GRAND-PRIX 2009" awardssigma50mm.jpg

The Sigma Corporation (COO:Kazuto Yamaki) is pleased to announce that the 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM, introduced to market in June 2008, has won the “Digital camera Grand Prix Gold Prize” and "Digital camera Grand Prix Extra Award from Judges" of the "VISUAL GRAND-PRIX 2009".

Name of Award: VISUAL GRAND-PRIX 2009 Digital camera Grand Prix Gold Prize and Extra Award from Judges.

Product: 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM

The SIGMA 50mm F1.4 has a standard Focal length. It can be used as a standard lens on a digital camera with a full size image sensor and effectively becomes a medium telephoto lens on digital cameras with an APS-C size image sensor. This lens creates an attractive Blur with a maximum aperture. It is ideal for several types of photography such as portrait and night scenes.
特別賞310

The superior construction of the lens provides convenient handling. 

The Digital Camera Grand Prix has been launched to recognize products that promote the development of markets relating to digital still cameras and digital camcorders. It follows the Visual Grand Prix launched to promote the visual home entertainment industry.
As with the Visual Grand Prix, products will be selected that embody superior performance, technologies, and concepts that function as guidelines for users in helping them to select superior products.

 
 
 
 
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