Sigma have issued a product advisory stating that some of their Canon-mount lenses cannot be used with live view on the Canon EOS 750D and 760D digtial SLR cameras. Specifically, when the Live View Mode button on the camera body is pressed, the operation stops without displaying images on the rear LCD monitor, the company says. This issue affects 7 current and 6 discontinued Sigma zoom lenses. The company will provide users with a firmware update free of charge. Click through / read on for a detailed list of affected lenses.

Sony have unveiled two new A-mount lenses at a press event in London - the Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM II and the Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM II.

Both the SAL1635Z2 and the SAL2470Z2 are updated versions of current lenses, offering significant improvements in image quality, ghost reduction and AF performance, together with a new dust and moisture- resistant design.

Pricing and availability are still to be announced.

Zeiss has announced their first full-frame autofocus lenses for Sony's E-mount cameras. "The Batis family of lenses is the first time we have launched autofocus lenses for Sony's full-frame E-mount cameras which are Zeiss through and through – in other words exclusively developed and distributed by us," says Dr. Michael Pollmann, Product Manager at Zeiss Camera Lenses. The lenses feature an OLED display that shows the distance between the camera system and the plane of focus, as well as the depth of field. The Zeiss Batis 2/25 and 1.8/85 lenses will be available for purchase in April and start shipping in July 2015. The 25mm lens comprises 10 elements in 8 groups, and offers a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:5.2. The Zeiss Batis 1.8/85 is an 85mm telephoto prime comprising 11 elements in 8 groups. The recommended retail prices are $1,299/€1092 for the Zeiss Batis 2/25 and $1,199/€1008 for the Zeiss Batis 1.8/85.

Yongnuo has announced a new full-frame 35mm prime with auto focus. The Canon-mount Yongnuo YN35mm F2 lens has a minimum focus distance of 25cm, and a maximum magnification of 0.23x. The optical construction features 7 elements in 5 groups and an iris diaphragm witrh 7 rounded blades. The lens takes 52mm filters, and will be available from Yongnuo's Amazon and eBay stores.

Zhongyi Optics have announced the full-frame Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2, an ultra-bright short telephoto lens ideal for portraiture. Available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Sony FE mounts (with the Sony A and Pentax K editions coming later this year), the Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 has a circular aperture with 11 diaphragm blades, and incorporates 9 elements in 6 groups, including 2 extra-low-dispersion elements and 4 high-refractive-index elements. "Manual focus design and a click-less, silent aperture ring promote smooth handling and are especially well-suited to video applications," the company says. The lens weighs 921 grams, takes 77mm filters, and focuses down to 1m. The Zhongyi Mitakon Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 is available for $799.

Nikon has posted a service advisory concerning the Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF ED VR telephoto lens. The company has confirmed that when the lens is used with the D800, D800E or D810 cameras, images captured at shutter speeds of around 1/125 s with the VR (NORMAL or SPORT) function enabled sometimes exhibit noticeable blur. To reduce the occurrence of this, Nikon will offer a service for updating the lens firmware. D800, D800E and D810 users who are concerned about this issue may take or send their lens to an Nikon Service Centre, where their lens firmware will be updated free of charge. Note that firmware for lenses with a serial number of 205101 or later have already been updated.

Fujifilm officially announced the availability of the Fujinon XF16mm f/1.4 R WR (Weather Resistant) lens, which first appeared on the X-mount lens roadmap in July 2014. Equivalent to a 24mm lens in a 35mm system, the Fujinon XF16mm f/1.4 R WR features 13 lens elements in 11 groups, including two ED and two aspherical elements, and an iris diaphragm with nine rounded blades. The lens itself will be available from mid-May, priced at £729.99. A premium-quality metal lens hood (LH-X16, optional) will be released in September.

Canon USA has reduced the MSRPs of over 30 EF lenses and teleconverters. "It’s a great time to expand your creative reach, because we’ve just made 33 of our high-performance EF lenses more affordable," the company says. "With an exciting selection of our best lenses to choose from, the right lens at the right new price awaits!" Click through / scroll down to see the updated price list.

Zhongyi Optics have launched a teaser campaign for a new SLR lens. The soon-to-be-released lens will be available in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony A and Pentax K mounts and will be officially announced in the coming days. Via its Facebook fan page, the company said that the new product has similar specifications to a Canon lens that is currently available from B&H for $2,099. This description fits the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM and 14mm f/2.8L II USM lenses, so we expect that the new Zhongyi Mitakon will be eaither a bright, short telephoto lens or an ultra-wide prime.

Lensbaby has announced the UK RRPs of the Velvet 56, a new 56mm lens with a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:2 and maximum aperture of f/1.6. Boasting an all-metal construction, the Lensbaby Velvet 56 is available in two colours, black and silver. The black version sells for £419 and the silver edition (pictured) retails for £499.

The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) member magazines recently convened for their General Assembly to vote for the best photo and imaging products launched by the industry in the last 12 months. Among the winners are the Canon EOS 7D Mark II (Best Digital SLR Expert), the Fujifilm X100T (Best Premium Camera), the Fujifilm X30 (Best Expert Compact Camera), the Leica T (Best Design), the Lytro Illum (Best Imaging Innovation), the Nikon Coolpix P610 (Best Superzoom Camera), the Nikon D5500 (Best Digital SLR Entry Level), the Nikon D810 (Best Digital SLR Professional), the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark ll (Best CSC Expert), the Panasonic LX100 (Best Photo/Video Camera Expert), the Panasonic FT6 (Best Rugged Camera), the Panasonic GM5 (Best CSC Advanced), the Pentax 645Z (Best Medium Format Camera), the Pentax K-2 (Best Digital SLR Advanced), the Ricoh WG-M1 (Best ActionCam, pictured), the Samsung NX1 (Best CSC Professional), the Sony A5100 (Best CSC Entry Level) and the Sony A7S (Best Photo/Video Camera Professional).

Lensbaby today announced the Velvet 56, a new 56mm lens with a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:2 and maximum aperture of f/1.6. According to the company this lens "delivers a velvety, glowing, ethereal look at brighter apertures, and beautifully sharp but subtly unique images as you stop down." Velvet 56 enables photographers to move seamlessly from shooting an environmental portrait to capturing details in a subject's clothing or jewelry. Nature and macro photographers will also find it highly usable thanks to its excellent close-up capabilities. Boasting an all-metal construction, the Lensbaby Velvet 56 will be available in two colours, black and silver. As seen in the photo above, the silver edition features a clear-anodised finish with engraved aperture and focus markings. Velvet 56 retails for $499.95 (black variant) and $599.95 (silver edition). The lenses will be available in Canon, Nikon, Sony A and Pentax mounts beginning13th April at lensbaby.com, B&H, Adorama, and from select specialty photo stores worldwide. Mirrorless mounts including Micro 4/3rds, Sony E, Samsung NX and Fuji X will be available in early May. Click through / scroll down for a gallery of web-resolution sample images taken by Caroline Jensen, Pauline Putt, Rachel Schomsky and Victoria Hederer Bell.

Samyang has revealed a new full-frame telemacro lens. The Samyang 100mm f:2.8 ED UMC Macro is a manual focus lens with a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:1 and a working distance of 307mm. The optical construction comprises 15 elements in 12 groups including a high refractive index (HR) lens and extra low dispersion element (ED) to minimise colour aberration and unnecessary light dispersion in order to offer high resolution throughout the frame. The company's Ultra Multi Coating (UMC) and the included petal shaped hoodminimises ghosting and flare. The Samyang 100mm f:2.8 ED UMC Macro lens has a nearly circular, nine-bladed iris diaphragm for a pleasing bokeh. The lens will be available in 10 camera mounts: Canon EOS, Nikon AE, Pentax K, Sony A, Canon M, Fujifilm X, Samsung NX, Sony E, Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds.

Samyang has posted a mysterious picture on its Facebook fan page, accompanied by the words, "With immense focus and unparalleled features, Samyang Optics will introduce the latest product. Stay tuned." Reprinted above, the image depicts what looks like a new telephoto or standard zoom lens featuring both a focus ring and a zoom ring, as well as a lens hood.

Sony are showcasing the new FE 28mm F2, FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS, Zeiss Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA at this year's Photography Show. We grabbed some hands-on shots of the three new lenses (there wasn't a 90mm sample) and the two convertor lenses for the 28mm lens that were also recently announced.

Panasonic are showing samples of the brand new Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7 and 30mm f/2.8 Macro lenses to the press at The Photography Show. The Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7 in particular has to be seen to be believed - it really is a tiny prime lens that's perfectly matched to the GM-series of cameras.

The new Zeiss Education Programme is targeted to US-based students, educators, plus accredited institutions and workshops teaching photography and film-making. Developed in response to numerous requests especially from students, the Zeiss Education Programme is a purchase incentive plan that enables pre-approved students, accredited schools and photo educators to purchase Zeiss camera lenses at a fixed, discounted price. Once your application has been approved, you will receive a certificate that entitles you for the student discount. The discount can be claimed with an authorised Zeiss dealer.

UK Optics have been nominated as the exclusive UK distributors of lenses manufactured by Venus Optics including their new brand Laowa (formerly branded Venus). This includes the recently announced Laowa 60mm f/2.8 Macro 2:1 lens. End users will be able to purchase the Laowa 60mm Macro lens direct from the UK in a range of mounts including Canon, Nikon, Sony A and Pentax. The suggested retail price is £299. The 60mm f/2.8 Macro will be available to view and try at the forthcoming Photography Show 2015, 21st-24th March on stand F134. For more information, visit the website below.

Website: UK Optics

Sony today announced the launch of the four full-frame E-mount lenses that were first shown at Photokina 2014. These include the Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS ($1100), FE 28mm F2 ($450), FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS ($1000) and Zeiss Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA ($1600). In addition, the company has unveiled the SEL057FEC Dedicated Fisheye Converter ($300) and SEL075UWC Ultra-wide Converter ($250) for full-frame cameras, plus the VCL-ECU2/VCL-ECF2 Ultra Wide & Fisheye converters ($160/$180) for E-mount cameras with APS-C sensors. Click through / read on for the details.

Sigma UK today revealed the recommended retail prices and availability of their 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art and 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C lenses. The Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A lens will have an RRP of £799.99 and be available in March in Canon and Sigma fit, with the Nikon version arriving in April. The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C lens will have an RRP of £1,199.99, becoming available in March in Sigma mount. The Canon variant will go on sale in April, with the Nikon version being launched in May.