A popular Sony blogger posted pictures of the invitation for a Sigma E-mount event on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Here is the translation – the event will take place on March 30th:
Dear Sir/Madam,
We invite you to a 2018 spring global debut and tasting sessions of Sigma products.
The event will be held in Shanghai on Mar. 30, 2018.
The final line is a pun, mentioning “E” and “Sigma”.
Sigma currently has 27 lenses for Sony E-mount.
via Photorumors
Nikonrumors spotted a price hike in Sony XQD card prices and we should all be concerned about the format. Up until this point, only a few cameras have added XQD slots as a selling point, but Sony’s lack of an XQD option for the Sony a9 should have been a warning about the viability of the format. Sony has launched a lot of formats over the years like memory stick, that were useful, but failed.
If Sony can’t find a way to drive down the price of XQD it will never become a viable format for the majority of photographers that are now used to inexpensive large storage. Of further concern is Sony canceling all of the previously unfulfilled orders at the original price, because it means Sony was losing money on the format and that is never a good sign.
via Nikonrumors
Venus Optics announces the Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D, the World’s Widest f/2.8 Lens for APS-C Mirrorless Cameras
Featuring a 113° Angle of View, Ultra-fast f/2.8 aperture, close-to-zero distortion, 49mm filter thread & less than 0.5 pounds in weight, this is a perfect ultra-wide option for still & videographers.
Anhui China, Mar 21, 2018 – Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer who had previously launched a number of unique Laowa camera lenses, is proud to announce the world’s widest rectilinear f/2.8 lens for mirrorless APS-C cameras, Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero- D.
Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D is the third member of the Laowa ‘Zero-D’ line-up and they all feature an excellent control of the optical distortion which is commonly appeared in ultra- wide angle lenses. This new lens is an ultra-wide & ultra-fast prime lens with a 35mm equivalent focal length of around 13mm. Despite the extreme specifications, Venus Optics has successfully minimized the weight of the lens to less than 0.5 pounds (215g) and 2-inch (53mm) long. This compact and light lens comprises of 15 elements in 10 groups with 2 pcs of aspherical elements and 3 pcs of Extra-low dispersion elements. This optical design successfully minimizes the distortion and chromatic aberrations to its lowest but at the same time, delivers a superb optical performance from corners to corners.
The extreme 113° angle of view and ultra-fast f/2.8 aperture allows photographers to create impressive astro-photography shots with ease. It also gives photographers a fast and wide-angle option for landscape photography and low-light shooting. For videographers, the compact size of this lens is friendly to the use of gimbals or even handheld shooting without much of shaking. The lens is designed with a 49mm filter thread which gives additional portability for screw-in filters. It comes with both Sony E, Fuji X & EOS-M mounts.
Availability
The Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D is currently available to pre-order in the official website of Venus Optics (http://www.venuslens.net/) and their authorized resellers. Recommended Retail Price in US (without tax) is USD 499/pc. Pricing may vary in different countries. The first 100 orders will get a set of Laowa 49mm filters for FREE (CPL + UV + ND1000). Shipping is expected to start from early April. Read More
There is a new Kamlan 55mm f/1.2 full frame manual focus lens for Sony E-mount that could be interesting for those looking for fast inexpensive glass. Chinese glass isn’t known for it’s optical excellence, but sometimes it has a lot of character and you really can’t beat it for the price. Check Amazon for pricing.
Kamlan 55mm f/1.2 lens specification:
The other new lens is the Sainsonic Kamlan 8mm f/3 fisheye lens for APS-C Sony E-Mount cameras. One of my favorite lenses right now is the Samyang 8mm f2.8 fisheye, but the Sainsonic Kamlan 8mm f/3 is less expensive on Amazon
Kamlan 8mm f/3 fisheye lens specifications:
via Photorumors
Opteka recently bought 5 of their manual focus lenses to E-Mount.
Opteka 6.5mm f/2 Circular Fisheye
Product Highlights
Opteka 12mm f/2.8
Product Highlights
Opteka 28mm f/2.8
Product Highlights
Opteka 35mm f/1.7
Product Highlights
Opteka 50mm f/2
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The Sony a7III performs incredibly well in DPReview’s studio scene and stays ahead of the competition ever step up the ISO range. There has been some debate about the anti-aliasing filter in the Sony a7III and DPReview has something to say now:
In the meantime, our studio scene suggests* that, if the a7 III has an anti aliasing filter, it’s extremely weak, designed to only filter excessively high frequency detail in the horizontal axis. It’ll be interesting to see what effect this has in the real world.
It wouldn’t be surprising for Sony to include a very light anti-aliasing filter in the a7III or for them to remove it all together because the trend has been to remove them, but I am sure the debate about this topic will go on for some time to come, even if most won’t notice.
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Sony a7III: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama
Sony HVL-F60RM: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama