Pentax Ricoh has launched the smc Pentax-DA645 25mm F4AL [IF] SDM AW ultra-wideangle lens for the Pentax 645D medium-format DSLR camera. First announced over a year ago and originally intended for an April 2011 launch, the lens features a 35mm equivalent focal length of 19.5mm, maximum aperture of f/4, a supersonic direct-drive auto focus motor, two high performance aspherical elements, exclusive lens coatings applied to all optical elements, and a dustproof, weather-resistant construction. Additionally, the lens comes with a built-in, pull-out-type filter holder in its barrel. By placing the 40.5mm circular polariser included as an exclusive accessory on this holder, the user can easily rotate the filter to obtain the desired polarising effect. The smc DA645 25mm f/4 AW lens will be available from mid-April 2012, at a recommended retail price of £3999.99.

Sony Europe has leaked a picture of a new zoom lens. The Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 SAM lens has been designed for digital SLR and SLT cameras with APS-C sized sensors, and features a metal-looking Sony Alpha bayonet mount, a Smooth Auto-focus Motor and a zoom lock switch. The other specifications, recommended retail price and release date have yet to be communicated.

Via Digicame-Info via PR

Zeiss has announced a brand new ultra-wideangle lens for Canon and Nikon SLR cameras. The Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2,8/15 boasts an optical formula comprising 15 lens elements in 12 groups, a 0.25m close-focus point, an integrated hood and a huge 95mm filter thread. The company claims the lens features “extraordinary chromatic aberration correction” and nearly complete insensitivity to reflections and stray light. Zeiss also emphasises the “extremely well controlled” distortion that enables the lens to capture “naturally proportioned photographs which are not typical of many other super wide angle lenses”. When attached to a camera with an FX sized sensor, the Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2,8/15 offers a diagonal angle of view of 110°. The lens will begin shipping in May 2012 at a recommended retail price of €2,148 or US$2,948 (excluding VAT).

Rioch have released a major firmware update for the GXR system. Version 1.50 includes the firmware for the following GXR modules:

- GXR body
- GR LENS A12 28mm F2.5
- GR LENS A12 50mm F2.5 MACRO
- GXR MOUNT A12
- RICOH LENS S10 24-72 mm F2.5-4.4 VC
- RICOH LENS P10 28-300 mm F3.5-5.6 VC

New features include 1 EV or 1/3 EV ISO settings, ISO bracketing, interval shooting, RAW only mode, and Bulb / Time shutter speed settings.

Download the Ricoh GXR 1.50 Firmware

On its official blog, Carl Zeiss has posted a teaser about the upcoming launch of a brand new ultra-wideangle (UWA) lens for SLR cameras. The detailed specifications have not been revealed yet, but Zeiss says the new lens will have an integrated hood and still be able to accept normal screw-in filters via a giant 95mm thread. The new Carl Zeiss ultra-wideangle lens will be available from May for a variety of mounts.

Website: The Official Carl Zeiss Blog

Sigma UK has announced the suggested retail price of the new Sigma 19mm F2.8 EX DN lens. Available from the end of this month in both Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-mount fittings, the Sigma 19mm F2.8 EX DN boasts a newly developed linear AF motor which moves the lens elements directly without the need for gears or the drive of other mechanical parts, and comes with a non-rotating 46mm filter thread. The suggested retail price is £169.99.

Via their Facebook fan page, Samyang have confirmed that they are working on a 24mm tilt/shift lens. According to the company, their first perspective control lens is expected to launch in the middle of the year. Specifications, pricing and the exact launch date have yet to be communicated. (For a demonstration of what a tilt/shift or perspective control lens can do, check out our review of the Nikon PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED, a highly regarded product in this category.)

Via PR

Sony Japan has posted a notice on its website saying there is a shortage of supply of the new Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 24mm f/1.8 ZA lens due to unexpectedly high demand. Featuring Sony’s DMF (Direct Manual Focus) technology and a near-circular diaphragm with 7 blades, the Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm f/1.8 ZA offers a similar angle of view as a 36mm lens on a 35mm body. With its f/1.8 maximum aperture the Sonnar T* E 24mm f/1.8 is currently the fastest native E-mount AF lens in the entire NEX system. No wonder it has generated so much interest - but given its eye-watering price tag of $999.99, the high demand has caught even Sony by surprise.

Source: Sony Japan via PR

Canon UK has announced the official launch date and recommended retail prices of its new super-telephoto lenses, the Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM and EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM. Each lens includes the highest-quality components, and features high-specification image stabiliser technology alongside the use of optical materials such as fluorite, to correct aberrations ensuring high-resolution images rich in detail and contrast. The redesigned, comparatively lightweight construction will provide added mobility alongside enhanced protection against dust and water, the company says. Both lenses will be available from May 2012, with RRPs of £8,999/€10,799 for the 500mm and £11,299/ €13,549 for the 600mm. All of these prices include VAT.

Sigma UK have announced a new digital SLR camera kit including the Sigma SD1 Merrill body and a Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM lens. The 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM lens is a large aperture standard zoom lens designed for digital SLR cameras and incorporates Sigma’s Optical Stabiliser as well as a HyperSonic Motor for quiet focusing.  It is a compact lens with an overall length of just 91.8mm (3.6”). The new kit is available for £2149.99. (The Sigma SD1 Merrill camera body has a suggested retail price of £1839.99.)

Sigma UK has announced a reduction in the suggested retail price of the 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM lens. Previously set at £799.99, the MSRP of the lens has now been lowered to £649.99. Featuring a Super Multi-layer Coating to reduce flare and ghosting, a HyperSonic Motor (HSM) for quiet auto focus and Sigma’s own Optical Stabiliser (OS) to combat motion blur resulting from shaky hands, the Sigma Macro 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM boasts nine rounded diaphragm blades for a pleasing bokeh and a splashproof construction for problem-free outdoor use.

The Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN prime lens - which was announced at CES - now has an official MSRP of $280. Manufactured for Micro Four Thirds and Sony’s NEX system, the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN “Digital Neo” lens has an optical formula that comprises 7 elements in 5 groups and an iris diaphragm with 7 rounded blades. Also equipped with a newly developed linear AF motor, which moves the lens elements directly without the need for gears or the drive of other mechanical parts, the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN is currently listed at B&H for $199 along with the remark, “new item, not available yet”.

Via PR

Pentax Ricoh has published new and updated lens roadmaps for the Pentax K, Q and and 645 systems. The most extensive of the three - the K-mount system - will be joined by no less than 7 new lenses and a 1.4x teleconverter over the next two years. These lenses can be used with the company’s APS-C digital SLRs and the new K-01 compact system camera without the need for any adapters. For the Pentax Q system, the company plans to launch 2 new primes, a telezoom and a “body cap lens”. Finally, the Pentax 645 system will be expanded with a 90mm f/2.8 lens and three zooms. Click through / scroll down to view all three lens roadmaps.

Lensbaby today launched the 80mm Edge 80 Optic, the newest addition to its Optic Swap System. This new optic is compatible with the Lensbaby Composer Pro, Composer, Muse, Scout and Control Freak, and will transform any of these bending lens bodies into a tilt lens that delivers a selective slice of sharp focus through an image.  Like the Lensbaby Sweet 35 Optic, the Edge 80 features Lensbaby’s internal 12-blade adjustable aperture. The Edge 80 provides a flat field of focus that, pointed straight ahead, takes photos that are sharp from edge to edge. Tilting the Edge 80 allows photographers to create vertical, horizontal and diagonal slices of focus through the image. Objects in both the foreground and the background can be in focus within that slice.  Photographers can control the size of the slice of focus by changing the 12-blade aperture. The Lensbaby Edge 80 Optic is available for $300.

Vtec has announced its new range of add-on lenses for the iPhone 3, 4 and 4S. These include the CAM-1209 12x telephoto conversion lens (£34.99), a new 180-degree fish-eye lens (£24.99) and a wide-angle and super-macro converter (£24.99) Each Vtec lens come with a back cover that the lens screws onto, providing extra protection for your phone. Additionally, the Telephoto Lens has a manual focus ring and also comes with its own tripod, which attaches to the lens to steady the phone when capturing shots.

Lensbaby is teasing its Facebook fans with the promise that it will announce a brand new product on Valentine’s day. Claiming that their new optic[?] “will make you fall in love with photography all over again,” the company is encouraging photographers to submit their ideas on what they think Lensbaby should develop next. And if you care to share their announcement post on 14th February, you may even win a copy of their brand new product - whatever it may be.

Source: Lensbaby | Facebook

Sony has updated its roadmap for E-mount lenses. Currently, the NEX system offers seven Sony and Zeiss branded lenses alongside a few recently announced Sigma, Tamron and Kenko/Tokina products. As this is a relatively narrow selection of optics. especially when compared to the dozens of lenses available for the system’s main rival, Micro Four Thirds, Sony has decided to introduce eight new lenses in the course of less than two years. On top of the wide zoom, high-performance standard zoom and medium telephoto lenses that were already on the roadmap, the company has now added a new standard zoom, a new superzoom, a large-aperture standard prime, a “mid-magnification zoom” and a pancake lens. This should bring the total number of E-mount Sony/Zeiss lenses to 15 by the end of 2013.

The specifications of the new lenses have not been released yet.

Source: Sony Blog

The Sony 500mm f/4 G SSM (SAL500F40G) is a professional grade super-telephoto lens for A-mount SLR and SLT cameras. Billed as the longest fixed-focal-length G lens from Sony to date, the Sony G 500mm f/4 SSM includes 11 elements in 10 groups, including three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements. It’s also the first G lens from Sony to benefit from an advanced new coating process that ensures crisper, clearer images. Exclusive to Sony, the Nano AR Coating process is claimed to cut internal reflections “drastically”. The lens’ SSM (SuperSonic-wave Motor) features a new drive circuit that ensures rapid, responsive AF with significantly faster object tracking than conventional Sony lenses. Four focus hold buttons are spaced around the lens barrel for easy operation in any position. They’re complemented by a two-way DMF (Direct Manual Focus) mode button and focus range switch. Focusing ring and front/rear joints are protected by interlocking seals that ensure a high degree of protection from the elements. Built to order, the SAL500F40G super-telephoto lens from Sony is available in the UK from April 2012.

Olympus has announced the development of two new prime lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system. The M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 is a telemacro lens with a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:1. Housed in a dust- and splashproof body, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro is designed to complement the similarly rugged Olympus OM-D camera (but can, of course, also be mounted to any other Micro Four Thirds body). The M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 (pictured) is an ultra-bright telephoto lens with a full-metal exterior, designed primarily for portraiture, indoor sports and low-light photography. Mock-ups of both lenses will be on display at the CP+ Photo and Camera Imaging Show in Yokohama, Japan from 9-12 February. The prices and precise launch dates will be announced later in the year.

The Voigtländer Nokton 17.5mm f0.95 is an ultra-bright moderate wide-angle lens for Micro Four Thirds. Like its highly regarded stablemate, the Voigtländer Nokton 25mm f0.95, this is a manual-focus lens with an all-metal exterior. The Voigtländer Nokton 17.5mm f0.95 has a 10-bladed iris diaphragm and features an aperture ring with stepless aperture control. The optical formula comprises 13 lens elements arranged in 9 groups, including aspherical and ultra-high-refractive-index glass elements. Available from March, the Voigtländer Nokton 17.5mm f0.95 has a close-focus point of 15cm, and carries an MSRP of ¥ 118,000 in Japan.

Source: Cosina Voigtländer