The smc PENTAX-DA15mm F4 ED AL Limited is a new ultra-wide angle lens. When mounted on a Pentax DSLR, the Pentax DA 15mm F4 lens offers the equivalent to a 23mm angle of view in the 35mm format. The smc PENTAX-DA15mm F4 ED AL Limited will be available in April for £569.99 / $649.95.

The Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM is a new super-wide angle lens offering a maximum aperture of F3.5 throughout the entire zoom range. Two ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass elements and a SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass element provide excellent correction of color aberration. Four aspherical lenses provide correction for distortion and allow compact and lightweight construction. The incorporation of HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) ensures a quiet and high-speed AF as well as full-time manual focusing capability. The Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM will be available in Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony mounts.

The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM is a new standard zoom lens for DSLRs with APS-C / DX size sensors. It incorporates Sigma’s Optical Stabilisation system which works with the anti-shake function of Sony and Pentax DSLRs. The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM offers a large aperture of F2.8 at 18mm wide angle, faster than most standard kit lenses, and the HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) ensures quiet and high speed auto-focusing. The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM lens will be available in Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony mounts.

The Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM is a new high-performance telephoto zoom lens. It incorporates Sigma’s Optical Stabilisation system which allows the use of shutter speeds approximately 4 stops slower than normal. The lens is also compatible with the anti-shake function of Sony and Pentax DSLRs. The Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM will be available in Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony mounts.

The new Lensbaby 0.42x Super Wide Lens converts Lensbaby optics from a 50mm focal length to an ultra-wide 21mm focal length. Compatible with all Lensbaby lenses, the Lensbaby 0.42x Super Wide Lens simply screws onto the front of any Lensbaby lens via its standard 37mm screw thread. “Many Lensbaby users are shooting with cropped-sensor digital cameras, and are looking for a wider angle of view. With this new 0.42x Super Wide Lens, we are offering the widest angle-of-view yet for selective focus lenses in one of the lightest, most compact 0.42x conversion lenses available.” commented Lensbaby President and Co-Founder, Craig Strong. The Lensbaby 0.42x Super Wide Lens is available now for $79.95.

The LEICA SUPER-ELMAR-M 18 mm f/3.8 ASPH is a new wide-angle lens for the digital M series and film cameras. The lens offers an extreme angle of view of up to 100 degrees, and corresponds to a 24mm wide-angle lens when mounted on a LEICA M8 camera. In addition to the Super-Elmar-M 18mm lens, Leica are also introducing Bright Line Finder M 18mm. The finder has parallax compensation markings for close-up distances below 2 m, and also markings for the slightly smaller image field of the LEICA M8. Both products will be available at authorised Leica dealers from March 2009.

Canon were showing off their new TS-E 17mm f/4L lens, the world’s shortest focal length Tilt-Shift lens with full-frame 35mm coverage. Click the continue link below to see what the Canon TS-E 17mm lens looks like.

The TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II lens, which replaces the 17-year old original, was being demoed at today’s Canon Spring Launch event. Click the continue link below to see what the Canon TS-E 24mm lens looks like.

Canon has introduced two new Tilt-Shift lenses, the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II and the TS-E 17mm f/4L. Both the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II and the TS-E 17mm f/4L are specialty lenses ideal for landscape and architectural photography and are compatible with all Canon EOS SLR cameras. The TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II, a replacement for Canon’s TS-E 24mm f/3.5L introduced in 1991, has significantly improved operability with low distortion when photographing buildings. The TS-E 17mm f/4L is the world’s shortest focal length Tilt-Shift lens with full-frame 35mm coverage. Canon’s new TS Revolving System allows tilting and shifting lens movements to be adjusted in parallel or at right angles to each other, with detents at 45? intervals. Both lenses will be available in May, with the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II priced at $2,199 / £2399.99 / €2659.99 and the TS-E 17mm f/4L at $2,499 / £2749.99 / €3049.99.

The AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G is a new prime lens for Nikon DSLRs with APS-C sized sensors. When mounted on a DX-format SLR, the picture angle is the 35mm equivalent focal length of 50mm. The AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G has a fast maximum aperture of f/1.8 and also incorporates the Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for quiet and accurate focus even with cameras without built-in motors such as the Nikon D40 and D60. The new Nikon 35mm f/1.8 costs £199 / $199 / €243 and will be available from 6th March 2009.

The new Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM lens offers a 13.8x zoom range. The lens’s Hybrid Optical Stabilizer provides an anti-shake function for the camera body and also compensates for image-shake in the view finder. The Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm at all focal lengths and a maximum magnification of 1: 3.4 reproduction ratio. Designed for use on APS-C DSLR cameras, Sigma’s new lens will be available in March for Sigma, Nikon, Canon, Sony and Pentax cameras for £559.99.

The new Olympus 14-54mm 1:2.8-3.5 II lens adds high-speed imager AF support. In combination with the brand new Olympus E-30 D-SLR, the new lens’ High-Speed Imager AF lets photographers preview the E-30’s new Art Filter effects in real-time. It also features a circular aperture mechanism for higher imaging performance and a minimum focusing distance of just 22cm. The ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-54mm 1:2.8-3.5 II (28-108mm)* will become available in mid-January 2009 for $600.

Olympus has released a new firmware update for five of its Zuiko Digital lenses. The models are: 25mm F2.8 (pictured), 35mm F3.5 Macro, 14-42mm F3.5-5.6, 35-100mm F2.0, and 40-150mm F4.0-5.6. Version 1.2/1.3 ensures compatibility when used with the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 camera.

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Canon have unveiled their latest rebate promotion, covering a selection of lenses and flashguns. There’s up to $125 off lenses, including $50 off the brand new Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens (pictured), and $50 off flashguns. All the rebates run from 19th October 2008 to 17th January 2009.

Website: Canon USA - Current Promotions

Olympus are offering up to £100 off a selection of Four Thirds digital SLR lenses. Ten lenses and a teleconverter are included in this cash back offer, which runs from 1 October 2008 until 31 January 2009. You have to register and send a copy of the purchase receipt and original box barcode to Olympus by 28 February 2009 to receive the cash back via bank transfer.

Pentax has announced the development of a 15mm F4 lens and a 1.4x rear converter. The Pentax DA* 15mm F4 ED AL Limited is an ultra-wide lens designed for exclusive use with Pentax DSLRs. The Pentax 15mm F4 Lens will be available in Spring 2009. The Pentax-DA 1.4X RearR Converter SDM is the first rear converter equipped for autofocus operation of Pentax DSLRs. A marketing date has yet to be announced, along with pricing for both products.

Capture One 4 Pro allows photographers to enhance and develop RAW digital files with excellent color and detail reproduction. New features include lens enhancement tools, Skin Tone tool, and a redesigned Styles feature. Capture One Pro customers can upgrade to Capture One 4 Pro at no extra cost. For new customers, it is 399 USD and 299 EUR. Phase One have also unveiled a new lineup of high-quality lenses, including 28mm f4.5, 45mm f2.8, 80mm f2.8, 120mm f4.0, 150mm f2.8, and a 75-150mm f4.5 zoom. A new 80mm leafshutter lens, vertical grip, and additional accessories for the Phase One 645 camera system will be available in Spring 2009.

Lensbaby are launching an entire new system of selective focus lenses - the Composer, Muse, and Control Freak. The Lensbaby Composer is based on a ball and socket configuration that delivers smooth selective focus photography with greater precision. It retains its position after being bent and is easy to use even with one hand.  Photographers do not squeeze the lens to focus, but can simply tilt the lens to a desired angle and then focus with a barrel focusing ring. The new Muse and the new Control Freak replace the current Original, Lensbaby 2.0, and Lensbaby 3G lenses, which will be phased out immediately. In addition, each of the three lenses features the new Lensbaby Optic Swap system. The Lensbaby Composer costs $270 / £164.99, the Control Freak will cost $270 / $170, and the Lensbaby Muse $100 / £64.99 with the Plastic optic installed.

Update: We have a gallery of photos of the Lensbaby Composer - click the continue link below…

Tamron have announced the development of a 15x, 18-270mm digital SLR zoom lens, providing the world’s biggest zoom ratio. The new Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO has an equivalent focal length of 28-419mm on cameras with APS-C sized image sensors, and is equipped with a Vibration Compensation (VC) mechanism. The 18-270mm Di II VC allows close focusing down to 0.49m (20 inches) from the subject with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.5. The Tamron 18-270mm lens will be available in Canon and Nikon mounts. Availability and price are to be confirmed.

Update: We have a gallery of photos of the Tamron 18-270mm lens from Photokina - click the continue link below…

Sigma have added their HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) technology to the 24-70mm standard zoom lens. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM lens is more compact than the previous model with an overall length of 94.7cm /3.7inch. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 38cm/15in and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:5.3. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM will be available in Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony mounts, available for £799.99. This new lens will be sold alongside the current Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG lens.

Update: We have a gallery of photos of the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM lens - click the continue link below…