Accessories being the lifeblood of the photography business, not to mention essential tools for photographers themselves, UK distributor Intro2020 offers a many and varied selection – covering 26 brands and product lines in all. Here’s part 2 of our round up of their new products for summer 2015…

Featuring new Samyang & Tokina lenses, lens converters from Kenko, Azden audio accessories for videographers plus the wireless Cam Ranger router for events photographers…

From Lens Pen to ‘Peeps’

While everybody may know the previously released and still current Lens Pen lens-cleaning accessory, suitable for wiping grime and smears from glass using an invisible carbon-cleaning compound, there is a new product from the same team deploying the same principle in ‘Peeps’ by Lens Pen. As the name subtly suggests, ‘Peeps’ is for cleaning spectacles rather than lenses per se, though there is a degree of dual purpose here. Featuring a little retractable brush and cleaning pads capable of getting right into the corners of frames, SRP is £12, and the conveniently portable product is claimed to last for 200 cleans.

Tokina filters & lenses

Regularly shoot in the great outdoors and don’t want to let inclement weather stop play? Also new via Intro2020 is a Tokina ‘Hydrophilic’ Coating Protector filter, which is designed to help prevent the beading of water on the lens; in short it runs straight off, making the filter an ideal purchase for outdoor and landscape photographers – as well as any videographer who doesn’t want rain to stop play.

“It’s a really important product for video and filming, but also for photographers shooting in serious conditions,” Intro2020 product manager Jerry Martin tells us. Interestingly the product needs to be re-charged under a UV light for four hours (or sunlight for eight hours), creating the charge needed to repel water. This specialist bit of kit ranges in size from 77mm to 127mm and is also available as a 4x4-square. Suggested price is £299 upwards and stock is available now.

A top end ND filter for delivering really neutral results can be found in the equally new Tokina Pro IRND filter, which again is really being pushed at the movie market. The filter is available in 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 densities, in sizes from 82mm to 127mm and 4x4-square as well. The blurb suggests that using Accu-ND Technology Kenko Tokina has created a Neutral Density filter that precisely controls the amount of light entering the lens without affecting the colour: the PRO IRND stablises he transmittance of colour throughout the visible spectrum. Pricing wise, we’re looking at £129.99 upwards for the 82mm.

For high-end videographers, Intro2020 also offers Tokina Cinema lenses, available in Canon mount. New here in the range is a Cinema ATX 50-135mm T3 lens, said to be ‘4K ready’ and which retails for a suggested £4,499.99. It’s available with feet or metres focus distance scales. Sporting a durable, all metal cine-style housing with geared manual zoom, focus, and aperture rings for use in follow-focus systems the manufacturer claims there is virtually no image shift when using the zoom control during filming.

New lens duo from Samyang

As well as Tokina lenses, the distributor also offers the Korean brand Samyang to the UK market. “Our Samyang sales have grown tremendously,” enthuses Intro2020’s Marketing Manager Jane Nicholson, introducing a new lens in the Samyang 100mm f/2.8 manual focus lens, which is loosely being pitched as 4K compatible.  The lens from the third party manufacturer comes in two versions – one for video in the Samyang 100mm T3.1 VDSLR ED UMC Macro (at £429.99 SRP), another dedicated to stills in the Samyang 100mm f/2.8 ED UMC Macro (£419.99 SRP). Without needing to state the obvious this is potentially an ideal portrait lens, with August availability promised. Minimum focus distance is 30.7cm. The stills variety comes in seven fittings for Canon, Sony A, Pentax, Sony E, Fuji X, and Micro Four Thirds, whilst the dedicated video lens is available for Nikon, Canon, Sony E and Micro Four Thirds mounts.

Audio accessories from Azden

Speaking of videography, those shooting movies on their DSLR may like to check out the high-end DSLR microphone the SGM-250, which retails at a suggested £299. This has just come onto the market from Azden, a Japanese manufacturer, who also produces OEM product, according to Intro2020, for some of the biggest name manufacturers. Fittingly enough for those shooting video at a professional level, the same company has also just launched a new portable digital audio sound mixer in the Azden FMX-42u, which handily comes with a USB port for connection to a computer, smartphone or tablet. SRP for the mixer is £729.99.

Lens converters from Kenko

Also in terms of further accessories, there are two new Kenko ‘Teleplus HD DGX’ lens converters compatible with Canon EF and EF-S lenses available from UK importer Intro2020 in both 1.4x (£220 SRP) and 2x (£280 SRP) varieties, the latter transforming a 300mm lens into the equivalent of 600mm for example. The 1.4x features a construction comprising three elements in two groups, whilst the 2x involves 5 elements in three groups. The two are being pitches as high-resolution converters with an optical quality that is vastly superior – Intro2020 reminding us that Kenko lenses are from the same company as Hoya and Tokina. Indeed the multi-coated glass used in the lenses is supplied by Hoya. Circuitry is said to maintain the signal integrity between camera body and lens, though AF will only work properly if there is enough light and contrast on the subject to activate the camera’s AF sensors properly. If not there is of course recourse to manual focusing.

Cam Ranger

Readers may already be aware of this wireless camera control product, as it has been around for five years or so. It’s described as a wireless router perfect for events photographers, and the latest iteration comes with a suggested retail price of £269. According to Intro2020’s product manager Jerry Martin, its makers “keep re-evaluating what the product is,” with the ability to share images to multiple devices added this time around. Users can also control or tether multiple cameras from one computer. A Cam Ranger app allows you to upload instantly to Facebook, Instagram or Flickr, or, for professionals, to Dropbox or an FTP site. “This product consistently produces results, with a lot of sales via word of mouth,” adds Jerry. “Once photographers see it demonstrated, they buy it. New additions to the app make it a whole new product; it’s both a Firmware update and a software update.”

To see the full range of Intro2020 distributed brands and products, direct your browser to http://www.intro2020.co.uk

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