The new LEICA D SUMMILUX 25mm/F1.4 lens (35mm equivalent: 50mm) is a bright, large-diameter F1.4 standard lens. First announced at Photokina in Autumn 2006, the Leica 25mm F1.4 lens will be available in April at a suggested retail price of £749.99.

PMA 2007: The Tamron AF 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO zoom lens is the first ever lens from Tamron to feature built-in image stabilisation, dubbed Vibration Compensation. The new Tamron 28-300mm is suitable for both APS-C size or full size image sensors - when mounted on a DSLR with an APS-C sized sensor, the focal length is around 43-465mm! The proprietary Vibration Compensation mechanism developed by Tamron features a triaxial configuration using three pairs of driving coils and slide balls around the compensator group of the lens’ optical system. Since the compensator lenses are supported with rolling friction of the balls, the response performance is enhanced and the construction is simple, which results in the compactness of the lens. The Tamron 28-300mm lens also incorporates a highly accurate gyro sensor for detecting hand-shake. I’ll hopefully be trying out the new lens on my Canon EOS 5D tomorrow.

Possible news of a Canon EF 24-70mm IS USM lens is buried within a revised press release for the new EOS camera kits. It contains the following enigmatic entry:

EOS 5D Standard Zoom Kit - £2,999.99
- EF 24-70 IS U Lens

Could a new EF standard-zoom lens be on the horizon? I’m currently checking this out with Canon UK to find out if it’s a simple mistake or not.

PMA 2007: The Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED is a compact telephoto zoom lens featuring Vibration Reduction at a budget price point. This new 3.6x (82.5-300mm) zoom lens is designed specifically to work with the new Nikon D40x and existing D80 / D40 DSLR cameras. The Silent Wave Motor promises quiet autofocusing, whilst an ED glass element helps minimize chromatic aberrations. The Nikon AF-S DX VR 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens costs £249.99 and will be available from 29th March 2007.

PMA 2007: The development of four new Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses and a 2.0x teleconverter have also been announced ahead of PMA. Interestingly three of the lenses will feature newly-developed, high-speed SWD (Supersonic Wave Drive) autofocusing system, bringing Olympus inline with other competitor’s systems (Canon’s USM, for example). The 14-35mm (28-70mm) f/2.0 offers a standard zoom with extremely fast constant aperture, whilst the non-SWD 70-300mm is equivalent to 140-600mm! Olympus have also briefly stated that the introduction of the successor to the E-1, named as the P-1, is scheduled for later this year, disappointing all those Olympus users who are patiently waiting for the company’s pro camera to be launched.

Leica have extended their 6-Bit Coding Promotion until June 30, 2007. Purchase any new M lens from an authorized USA/Canadian Leica dealer between October 1st, 2006 and June 30, 2007, and you will receive 2 free vouchers - worth $125 each - entitling you to upgrade your existing Leica M lenses by adding the 6-bit code.

PMA 2007: Canon have announced several new accessories that have been optimised for the new EOS-1D Mark III DSLR. These are the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens, Canon Speedlite 580EX II flashgun, Canon WFT-E2 Wireless File Transmitter and Canon OSK-E3 Original Data Security Kit. The optics on the EF 16 35mm f/2.8L II USM have been redesigned to deliver higher contrast levels and improved resolving power. Availability TBC on all products listed below.

- EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens is priced at £1319.99 RRP inc.VAT
- Speedlite 580EX II flashgun is £399.99 RRP inc.VAT
- Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E2 is £649.99 RRP inc.VAT
- Original Data Security Kit OSK-E3 is £599.99 RRP inc.VAT.

PMA 2007: The PENTAX-DA Star 16-50mm and smc PENTAX-DA Star 50-135mm are the first models in Pentax’s new, high performance lens range. Both lenses feature a supersonic motor to deliver smoother, quieter auto focusing operation, plus tightly sealed, weather and dust-resistant construction. These lenses were first shown at the Photokina show in September 2006, and are only compatible with Pentax’s digital SLR cameras. They will be available in May 2007, price to be confirmed.

PMA 2007: The smc PENTAX-DA Star lenses, smc PENTAX-DA 35mm macro lens, a dedicated auto flash and Pentax’s medium format 645 Digital with interchangable lens will be on show at this years PMA in Las Vegas, USA. There are four prototype lenses - smc PENTAX-DA Star 200mm, smc PENTAX-DA Star 300mm and smc PENTAX-DA Star 60-250mm and the PENTAX-DA 35mm macro. The Pentax 645 Digital was actually first shown at PMA last year, but has been bumped from 18 to 31 megapixels (tbc). All of these products are planned for release later in 2007.

CameraLabs have reviewed the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM lens.

“Perhaps most impressive of all though were its geometry results. Due to their extreme coverage, ultra-wide angle zooms often suffer from significant barrel distortion. This was not the case with the EF-S 10-22mm though, which zoomed-out to 10mm, actually exhibited significantly lower barrel distortion than the EF-S 17-85mm did at 17mm. Zoomed-into 22mm, the lens exhibited virtually no distortion at all, which again is impressive compared to the obvious barrelling of general purpose zooms at the same focal length.”

Website: CameraLabs - Canon EF-S 10-22mm Lens Review

Bob Atkins has reviewed the Tokina 12-24mm F/4 lens, which will be of particular interest to DLSR owners. The Tokina 12-24mm lens is available now in a Nikon or Canon fit.

“The Tokina 12-24mm f4.0 is a good lens. It’s sharp in the center and pretty good at the edges when stopped down a little. Corners are a somewhat soft wide open at 12mm, but sharpen up nicely by f5.6. Similarly corners at 24mm wide open are a little soft, but stopping down to f5.6 sharpens them a little and stopping down to f8 sharpens them a little more. Center sharpness is good at all apertures and focal lengths. Chromatic aberration is well controlled, flare resistance is good and distortion, though noticeable at 12mm, is low. Vignetting is slight and not likely to cause problems and is essentially eliminated by stopping down a stop.”

Website: Bob Atkins - Tokina 12-24mm F/4 Lens Review

ePHOTOzine have just reviewed the ultra-wideangle Olympus Zuiko Digital ED7-14mm F4.0 lens.

“If you own a 4/3rds system camera, this is the widest lens available and the only one that gets you into true ultra wide-angle photography. But it does so at a price! It does join the market as the widest corrected lens available for any crop camera and should be commended for that. The main problem is likely to be the inability to attach filters without a Heath-Robinson type bit of DIY.”

Website: ePHOTOzine - Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm F4.0 Lens Review

The-Digital-Picture have reviewed the new Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM prime lens, the company’s widest aperture optic.

”...the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens turns in decent but not-as-good-as-I-expected sharpness. It is reasonably (and usably) sharp at f/1.2 and continues to get sharper as it is stopped down several stops. From f/1.2 to somewhere between f/2 and f/2.8, no other Canon 50mm lens is as sharp as this one at respective apertures. At around f/2.8 through f/5.6 or f/8, there are other Canon 50mm lenses that are sharper.”

Website: The-Digital-Picture - Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

The Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II lens is announced today, which will cost £149.99 / €229.99 and be available in December 2006. This will be the kit lens for the new Nikon D40 digital SLR.

Nikon UK Press Release

Nikon UK is pleased to announce the new AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II lens which has been specially developed to provide a compact DX lens equipped with Nikon’s compact SWM (Silent Wave Motor). This new edition is an ideal companion for Nikon’s newest, smallest and most affordably-priced digital SLR, the D40. The 18-55mm Zoom-Nikkor lens will be included with D40 digital SLR kits. Incorporating cutting-edge Nikon optical technologies such as ED glass and aspherical lens elements, the lens will help customers enjoy superior image quality, when combined with the D40.

Olympus Press Release

Olympus Imaging Corporation (President: Masaharu Okubo) is pleased to announce the introduction of the “ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40–150mm F4.0–5.6” lens, a new “Designed-for-Digital” telephoto zoom lens for “Four-Thirds System” digital SLR cameras. The new lens is scheduled to go on sale in Japan on November 23, 2006. “ZUIKO DIGITAL” interchangeable lenses are specifically designed to maximize the performance potential of the image sensors in “Four-Thirds System” digital SLR cameras. The newly announced “ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm F4.0–5.6” lens is a lightweight, ultra-compact telephoto zoom lens that offers outstanding value.

The-Digital-Picture have reviewed the new Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens, which offers up to 4 stops of image stabilisation with 2 modes and a compact, lightweight body.

“Canon’s first 4-stop Image Stabilizer makes this lens just as handholdable in low light as the extremely popular 70-200 f/2.8 IS with its 3-stop stabilizer and wider aperture. You can shoot with this lens hand held at an up-to-4-stop slower shutter speed than with the non-IS Canon 70-200mm f/4 L USM Lens. For example (and theoretically), if you need a shutter speed of 1/250 at 200mm without IS to achieve sharp images, you can shoot at 1/15 with the 70-200 f/4 IS with similar results - this is a huge difference. The image stabilizer will compensate for camera movement during the shot (within limits of course).”

Website: The-Digital-Picture - Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS Lens Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

ePhotoZine have reviewed the new Sigma APO 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC HSM lens.

“We have come to expect quite good quality from Sigma’s EX range of lenses of late, and there are no real disappointments with this offering. The resolution at the wider end of the zoom range is excellent and this only deteriorates slightly as the lens is pushed out to its longest focal length, a phenomenon that is quite normal. At the widest aperture of f/2.8 it is slightly more noticeable, but only in comparison to the excellent performance it gives at the short end when used wide open.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Sigma 50-150mm Lens Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

The-Digital-Picture have just reviewed the new Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC HSM, a fast large aperture lens designed for digital SLR cameras with an APS-C sized sensor.

“Sigma’s HSM (Hypersonic Motor) internal autofocus is very nice - reasonably fast and very quiet. The quietness makes it seem even faster. The front element does not rotate and FTM (Full Time Manual) focusing is available. The manual focusing ring is smooth but somewhat stiff. The stiffness is not all bad as your hand will likely be holding the lens by/near this ring - if it turned too easily, you might product OOF (out of focus) shots. AI Servo performance including accuracy is good. “

Website: The-Digital-Picture - Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC HSM Review

Panasonic Press Release

Panasonic today introduced two new interchangeable lenses designed specifically for the digital SLR camera. Both the LEICA D VARIO-ELMARIT 14-50mm/F2.8-3.5 ASPH. and the LEICA D SUMMILUX 25mm/F1.4 ASPH. comply with the Four Thirds System.

The LEICA D VARIO-ELMARIT 14-50mm/F2.8-3.5 lens (35mm equivalent: 28-100mm) is a bright F2.8 standard zoom lens that was previously sold with the LUMIX L1 package and is now offered separately. It delivers an outstanding optical performance and incorporates Panasonic’s MEGA O.I.S. – an optical image stabilization system that can add up to three additional exposure stops when shooting. Also equipped with an aperture ring, the D VARIO-ELMARIT lens provides easy, intuitive shooting when used in-conjunction with Panasonic’s first digital SLR camera LUMIX DMC-L1. The new LEICA D SUMMILUX 25mm/F1.4 lens (35mm equivalent: 50mm) is a bright, large-diameter F1.4 standard lens. Like the D VARIO-ELMARIT lens, it incorporates an aperture ring. It boasts as many as 10 lens elements in 9 groups, including a large-diameter aspherical lens, which assure a superb optical performance and F1.4 brightness, while three ED (extra-low dispersion) lenses reduce color bleeding to an absolute minimum.

Carl Zeiss Press Release

Oberkochen, 25.09.2006. - Victor Hasselblad’s world-famous medium format camera with its distinct cube-shaped body and elegant, chrome-plated contours has become a real icon. Many experienced photographers across the globe consider the Hasselblad with its Carl Zeiss lenses to be the best camera ever – particularly when it comes to image quality. This is also why NASA opted for this camera for their photos of the moon landing. At Photokina 2006, Carl Zeiss presents its new ZV lenses which are particularly tailored to the aesthetic design of this classic camera. They provide everything demanding photographers expect of lenses of a particularly high quality.