The Sony DT 16-50mm f/2.8 SSM is a high-performance standard zoom lens for Sony’s A-mount digital SLT and SLR cameras with APS-C sized sensors. Featuring a dust- and moisture-resistant design, the lens boasts two aspherical elements and three ED glass elements to minimise aberration at all focal lengths. An internal SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) drive assures fast, quiet auto focus and enables full-time manual override. Priced at £550/$700 and available from October, the Sony DT 16-50mm f/2.8 SSM has a circular diaphragm with 7 rounded blades for a pleasing rendition of the out-of-focus areas.

The Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm f/1.8 ZA is a new, ultra-bright moderate wide-angle lens for the Sony NEX system. Featuring a very fast maximum aperture and a near-circular diaphragm with 7 blades, the Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm f/1.8 ZA is capable of producing wide-angle images with good subject isolation and pleasing bokeh. Sony’s DMF technology allows for direct manual focusing after autofocus lock-on without having to switch modes. The suggested retail price is $999.99.

The new Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS is the world’s fastest interchangeable lens with integrated image stabilisation. Designed as a short telephoto prime for the Sony NEX system the Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS has an angle of view of 32 degrees and a 7-bladed circular aperture diagram for a pleasing rendition of out-of-focus backgrounds. Priced at $299.99, the lens will be available to Sony NEX users in December.

The Sony E 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS is a telephoto zoom lens for the Sony NEX system. Designed to complement the existing 18-55mm kit zoom, the Sony E 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS features Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation, quiet and responsive auto focus and a 7-blade circular aperture diaphragm for a pleasing bokeh. Available from October, the lens has an SRP of $349.99.

The Samyang 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC is a new wide-angle lens. Available for the Canon, Four Thirds, Nikon AE, Pentax, Samsung NX and Sony Alpha mounts, the Samyang 24mm lens is constructed of 13 lenses arranged in 12 groups, with multi-layered and anti-reflexive UMC coatings. The Samyang 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC will be available for sale by the end of the year or at the beginning of 2012, priced at 599 EUR for Canon, Four-thirds, Pentax, Samsung NX, Sony, and 625 EUR for Nikon.

Lensbaby has announced two new portrait kits and a Senior Style Portrait Photo Contest. The standard Lensbaby Portrait Kit ($470, pictured) includes a Lensbaby Composer with a Double Glass Optic and a Soft Focus Optic, wide-angle and telephoto conversion lenses, Creative Aperture Kit 2 and a Lensbaby System Bag. The Ultimate Portrait Kit ($590) includes everything listed above, plus a Lensbaby Scout. The Lensbaby Senior Style Portrait Photo Contest, which opens for submissions on 1st September, challenges US photographers to enter their best high-school senior portraits shot with one of the seven creative optics in the Lensbaby Optic Swap System. The submissions gallery will be hosted by SmugMug.

Kenko-Tokina has announced that the release of the Tokina AT-X 17-35mm f/4 Pro FX wide zoom lens has been postponed. Blaming defects found in mass-produced component parts, the company says it has suspended production of the lens, and pushed back its market launch to the end of August for the EF-mount version and September for the F-mount variant (pictured).

Source: Kenko-Tokina

Intro 2020, the UK distributor of Tamron photographic equipment, is launching a new promotion on the Tamron 18-270mm PZD travelzoom (pictured). Those purchasing the lens from an authorised Tamron stockist in the UK or Ireland between tomorrow and 15th September can claim a pair of Steiner Safari 8x22 binoculars worth £99. Additionally, the company is launching an online game called Tamron Island, which allows you to put your photography skills to the test – there is a selection of prizes to win every month from now through to the end of December. For details on the promotion and the game, visit the websites below.

The Nikon AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G is a new, affordable 1:1 macro lens for use on Nikon DX digital SLR cameras. Weighing in at approximately nine ounces, the extremely compact and lightweight lens has a minimum focusing distance of just 0.53 feet (6.4 inches). For fast and quiet autofocus operation, the new Nikon 40mm Micro lens also features Nikon’s exclusive Silent Wave Motor technology that allows full-time access to manual focus. The Nikon AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G employs Nikon’s Close-Range Correction System in which the lens elements are configured in a “floating” design wherein each lens group moves independently to help achieve critical focus. Additionally, Nikon’s Super Integrated Coatings are applied to help reduce instances of lens flare and ghosting. The Nikon AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G will be available in August for an estimated selling price of $279.95 / £249.99 / €290.

Want to see what the new Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2 and M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8 lenses look like in the flesh? Here are 13 hands-on images for you to check out.

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8 is a fast portrait lens for the Micro Four Thirds system. Offering a similar angle of view as a 90mm optic on a 35mm camera body, the new M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8 is a large-aperture telephoto lens featuring the company’s MSC (Movie & Stills Compatible) focusing technology for tracking fast-moving subjects quietly and effectively. The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8 lens costs under £300 and will be available in September.

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2 is a high-grade, fast wide-angle lens for the Micro Four Thirds system. Courtesy of built-in depth of field and distance indicators, the lens is ideal for zone focusing - but it also offers quiet and fast Movie & Stills Compatible auto focus for those that prefer to use AF over manual focus. With a close-focus point of 0.2m and a maximum aperture of f/2, this lens allows users to play with perspective and depth of field in rather unusual ways. The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2 lens features a metal barrel and an enhanced multi-layer lens coating which, according to Olympus, halves the effects of ghosting and flaring compared to conventional comparable coatings. The lens will be available for around £700 from early July, 2011.

The new and stabilised Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro is now available for purchase in the USA. Announced in February, the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM features a maximum magnification ratio of 1:1, a Super Multi-layer Coating to reduce flare and ghosting, a HyperSonic Motor (HSM) for quiet auto focus and Sigma’s own Optical Stabiliser to combat motion blur resulting from shaky hands. The lens carries an MSRP of $1,400.

The Tokina AT-X 17-35mm f/4 Pro FX is a new constant-aperture wide zoom lens for 35mm full-frame SLR cameras. Available in Canon and Nikon fit, from July and September respectively, the Tokina AT-X 17-35mm f/4 Pro FX has an optical formula that comprises 13 elements arranged in 12 groups, and comes with a nine-bladed iris diaphragm. Notable features include an angle-of-view range of 103.96° -64.74°, a rubber seal around the lens mount, and Tokina’s exclusive one-tocuh focus clutch mechanism that allows the photographer to switch between AF and MF simply by snapping the focus ring forward for AF and back toward the camera to focus manually. Both the Canon and the Nikon versions come with a silent, high-precision AF motor, just like the bigger and faster AT-X 16-35mm f/2.8 Pro FX (read review). The Tokina AT-X 17-35mm f/4 Pro FX lens will be available for 98,000 yen in Japan, including a hood. Currently, there is no word on international availability or pricing.

Source: Tokina via 1001 Noisy Cameras

Pentax have unveiled five interchangeable lenses designed for exclusive use with the new Pentax Q compact system camera. The High-performance series emphasizes image rendition, while the Unique series offers outstanding cost performance and ease of lens changeability. The five lenses are the “PENTAX-01 STANDARD PRIME” unifocal standard lens (47mm) and the “PENTAX-02 STANDARD ZOOM” standard zoom lens (27.5-83mm) in the High-performance series, and the “PENTAX-03 FISH EYE” unifocal ultra-wide-angle lens (160 degree view), the “PENTAX-04 TOY LENS WIDE” unifocal wide-angle lens and the “PENTAX-05 TOY LENS TELEPHOTO” unifocal telephoto lens in the Unique series. In the UK the price and availability of the Q mount interchangeable lenses is still to be announced. In the US, the PENTAX 02 Standard Zoom will cost $299.95, the PENTAX 03 Fish-Eye $129.95, The PENTAX 04 Toy Lens Wide $79.95 USD and the PENTAX 05 Toy Lens Telephoto $79.95.

The Leica Super-Elmar M 21mm f/3.4 ASPH.is a new, compact ultra-wideangle lens for the M system. The lens’ retrofocus-like construction comprises 8 elements including one element with two aspherical surfaces and four lens elements made of glass types with anomalous colour dispersion (partial dispersion). The aperture range goes from f/3.4 to f/16, and is set with a traditional aperture ring with click-stops at half-stop increments. The lens’ closest focusing distance is 0.7m. As with other recent M-mount lenses, 6-bit lens identification is provided for digital bodies. The suggested retail price of the lens is £2025.

The MAC Group has announced the collaboration of Mamiya, Leaf, Phase One and Schneider Kreuznach in the US market. New Mamiya DSLRs and digital backs range from 22 megapixels up to the exciting 80 megapixel version. Mamiya / Leaf digital backs, also available separately, are compatible with Mamiya 645, Mamiya RZ, Hasselblad V and H series, Contax 645 and most view cameras. Camera bodies and lenses are manufactured by Mamiya, digital backs are manufactured by Leaf under the Mamiya/Leaf name, Capture One software is made by Phase One, and new leaf shutter lenses are designed and certified by Schneider Kreuznach. Both customer and repair service for Mamiya and Leaf products will be provided by factory-trained technicians at MAC Group.

The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II is a compact and affordable telephoto lens. Canon’s four-stop Image Stabilizer (IS) counters image blur during low light and handheld shooting, and the inclusion of an Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) lens element and Canon’s Super Spectra Coatings also ensure beautifully crisp, high contrast and glare-free images. The EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II will be available separately and also as part of a double lens kit, bundled alongside the recently-announced EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II with EOS 550D, EOS 600D and EOS 60D bodies. The EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II will be available from July 2011, priced at £329.99/€369.99 RRP incl. VAT.

Panasonic has just announced the Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH, a fast standard lens for the Micro Four Thirds system. Comprising 9 elements arranged in 7 groups (including 2 aspherical elements and 1 ultra-high-refractive-index lens element), the Leica DG Summilux 25mm f1.4 ASPH features Nano Surface Coating to minimise ghosting and flare, and an iris diaphragm with seven rounded aperture blades for pleasing bokeh. The lens weighs in at approximately 200 grams and takes small, 46mm filters. With its maximum aperture of f/1.4, the Leica DG Summilux 25mm f1.4 ASPH is currently the fastest auto-focus lens with a native Micro Four Thirds mount.

Sony has announced a new 1:1 macro lens for the NEX system. The Sony E 30mm f/3.5 Macro is a native E-mount optic that is claimed to be the world’s lightest life-size macro lens for interchangeable-lens cameras. Despite its extremely compact size and low weight of only 138 grams, the Sony E 30mm f/3.5 Macro employs one ED glass and three aspherical lens elements and offers smooth, quiet autofocus operation during photo and video shooting. The lens is supplied with a matching hood. In the US, the Sony E 30mm f/3.5 Macro lens will be available this October for about $250. UK pricing to be confirmed.