Fujifilm shows X-Pro1 lens roadmap with a stabilized zoom and an ultra-wide prime coming this fall

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  • June 27, 2012 at 1:08 pm

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Fujifilm X-Pro1 lens roadmap for 2012 and 2013

We are enamored with Fujifilm’s X-series of cameras, as one can attest after reading our X100 review here. When Fujifilm announced the interchangeable lens camera in the series, the X-Pro1, it could only be paired with three prime lenses with some lamenting the lack of a zoom lens and the kind of flexibility it offers.

Well, Fujifilm is certainly looking to expand the X-Pro1 lens universe with a number of new XF-mount lenses. The camera maker announced its lens roadmap for 2012 and 2013, with a 18-55mm, f/2.8-4.0 optically stabilized lens and a 14mm f/2.8 prime coming in the fall of 2012.

By 2013 we should also see the introduction of two more zoom lenses, an ultra wide-angle 10-24mm f/4.0 OIS lens and a 55-200mm, f/3.5-4.8 OIS telephoto. Fujifilm is also planning to release three more primes, including a pancake-type lens.
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Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 Micro Four Thirds lens announced, already receiving flying colors reviews

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  • May 21, 2012 at 4:35 am

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Panasonic Lumix G X VARIO 12-35mm f/2.8 lens

We first saw the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 Micro Four Thirds lens at CES this year, but back then it was still a concept. Today Panasonic has officially announced the new lens which should begin shipping in late July, though the US release date seems to fall sometime in August.

This is the first fast constant aperture zoom lens for the Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera system, so this is big news for fans of the system. The Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 lens belongs to the Panasonic’s premium X lens series and with an equivalent 24-70mm focal length on a full-frame camera it covers a nice range from wide to short telefocus.
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Fujifilm announces 28mm equivalent wide angle conversion lens and v1.30 firmware for X100

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  • May 15, 2012 at 3:34 pm

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Fujifilm WCL-X100 wide angle conversion lens - silver and black

Fujifilm has just eliminated one reason why we would want to upgrade to the X-Pro1 from the X100 — you can read our in-depth real world review of the latter right here. The camera maker has just announced a new wide angle conversion lens for the Fujifilm X100.

The WCL-X100 conversion lens attaches directly onto the X100 and effectively multiplies the camera’s focal length by a factor of 0.8, converting it from a 23mm (35mm equivalent) focal length to a 19mm wide angle (28mm equivalent).

The wide angle conversion lens is made of four glass elements in three groups and Fujifilm promises comparable image quality as the X100’s excellent fixed lens element. Fujifilm also mentions that the WCL-X100 will have no negative effect on autofocus speed, the X100’s 10cm macro capability and the hybrid viewfinder.
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Vintage 6mm f/2.8 fisheye Nikkor lens can see behind itself, sells for $163,000

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  • April 29, 2012 at 9:09 am

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Nikkor fisheye 6mm f/2.8 vintage lens

A lens that can see behind itself? That’s an interesting proposition. This 220-degree viewing angle fisheye Nikkor lens was presented by Nikon at Photokina in 1970. Despite its amazing fisheye capabilities the lens is still fast at f/2.8, a property that’s due to its massive construction, with 12 elements in 9 groups that will dwarf any camera attached to it.

We’re sure the engineers that created this mammoth lens had a great time watching people being awed by this monster lens. The 6mm f/2.8 fisheye measures 24cm in diameter and 17cm long, weighing 5.2Kg (11.5 pounds). Its production started in 1972 and was only made available as a special order for scientific, industrial and special effects applications for shooting portraits and architecture.
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Panasonic confirmed 12-35mm f/2.8 MFT constant aperture zoom lens coming in June

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  • April 10, 2012 at 4:38 am

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Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8mm and 35-100mm f/2.8 X-series Micro Four Thirds lenses

Micro Four Thirds camera users are spoiled for choice when it comes to lenses compared to other mirrorless system cameras. However, there is a big gap for bright quality zoom lenses. Panasonic had shown off a pair of large aperture ‘concept lenses’ at CES this year, the 12-35mm f/2.8mm and 35-100mm f/2.8 X-series lenses.

Unfortunately there was no indication on when the two lenses would be hitting the market or on pricing. Well it now seems that this information has slipped from the mouth of a Panasonic representative interviewed by Amateur Photographer. The information that was posted and later removed from the UK magazine’s website stated that the, new 12-35mm f/2.8 lens is expected out at the end of June, priced £1,000.
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Olympus OM-D E-M5 weather-sealed Micro Four Thirds camera announced for $999.99 (specs, pictures, video)

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  • February 8, 2012 at 5:22 pm

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Olympus OM-D E-M5 MFT digital camera - silver - front side

After weeks of speculation, the new Olympus E-M5 Micro Four Thirds (MFT) digital camera has been announced today as part of the company’s new OM-D line. If you’ve been following our coverage so far, then you’re pretty much already briefed on what you can expect from the new Olympus E-M5.

First off, Olympus considered the E-M5 too good for the existing PEN series, so it has created the new OM-D line, borrowing a bit of nostalgia from its original 35mm film OM system. The OM-D line still belongs to the Micro Four Thirds system of digital mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (MILCs), and a large part of the appeal of the E-M5 is the large selection of MFT lenses.
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Pentax K-01 first hands-on preview videos

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  • February 4, 2012 at 11:44 am

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Pentax K-01 MILC hands-on

The Pentax K-01 mirrorless camera surely has a unique design, it’s small but thick, as a brick. There’s a reason for that though, as it can accept the huge number of K-mount lenses, designers had to maintain the format’s 45.46 mm flange back distance (the distance from the lens mount to the sensor). To compare, Micro Four Thirds has a 20mm flange back, Sony’s E-mount 18mm and Fujifilm’s new X-mount just 17.7mm.

Love it or hate it, it’s got some pretty tasty internals, including the same excellent 16.28-megapixel APS-C sensor as the Pentax K-5, of course compatibility with excellent Pentax APS-C SLR glass, 1080p video capabilities and even an HDR mode directly selectable on the mode dial — you can find a full list of specs and pictures in our initial coverage here.
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Pentax K-01 APS-C mirrorless K-mount camera announced, priced at $750, beautiful on the inside

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  • February 2, 2012 at 9:43 am

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Pentax K-01 yellow with front flash open

We were the first to report that today was going to be a Pentax day. The camera maker, has just announced a the K-01 (pronounced kay- zero-one), a mirrorless APS-C camera that features a standard Pentax K-mount.

Together with the camera, Pentax has also cheered on the accomplishment of creating the world’s thinnest interchangeable lens, the 9.2mm (0.36 inch) thick DA 40mm f/2.8 XS lens. While we’ve seen a number of small pancakes in the past, particularly for MILC systems with smaller sensors, like Micro Four Thirds, this is truly tiny compared to other APS-C lenses. Pentax is no stranger to thin lenses, as it already has a 15mm thick 40mm f/2.8 Limited pancake lens.
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First leaked pictures of the Pentax K-01 camera and DA 40mm f/2.8 XS lens

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  • February 1, 2012 at 12:17 pm

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Pentax K-01 with strap

We already more or less know that the Pentax K-01 mirrorless camera, designed in collaboration with Marc Newson, will be announced tomorrow. We now have the first images of the K-01 camera and the new DA 40mm f/2.8 XS lens.

The camera has the rounded lines that we would expect from a Marc Newson design, and below you can also see the K-01 in all three colors, including a really bright yellow — we know that Pentax has a thing for bright colors if the K-r is any indication.

We can’t say we are too enamored with the design, as we are with the design of the Fujifilm X-Pro1 let’s say, but if this camera is priced competitively, as most Pentax cameras are, it will be great value for money. After all, image quality is expected to be top-notch, as this camera is rumored to have the same 16-megapixel sensor as the excellent Pentax K-5. Another big selling point of this MILC (mirrorless interchangeable lens camera) is that it will be compatible with a huge selection of current Pentax K-mount lenses; that’s a big advantage for anyone already invested in the system, as well as over other mirrorless systems with more limited lens choice.
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Panasonic GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera and 100-300mm lens getting firmware updates for improved performance

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  • January 19, 2012 at 6:32 pm

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Panasonic Lumix GX1 MFT camera black and silver side-by-side

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 will soon be getting a firmware update that is said to improve the camera’s functionality. The GX1 is Panasonic new flagship compact Micro Four Thirds (MFT) digital camera and the proud successor of the venerable GF1.

As a reminder, the Panasonic GX1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) has a 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor, similar to the one in the Panasonic G3 and a 3-inch 460k dot touchscreen LCD with touch-focus. The GX1 uses contrast autofocus, claiming to be as fast as 0.09 seconds. It’s all nicely contained in a compact aluminium body. You might want to check out our comparison of the GX1 against other flagship compact MILCs.
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Sigma introduces new fast prime lenses for Micro Four Thirds and Sony NEX cameras

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  • January 10, 2012 at 10:41 am

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Sigma Digital Neo 30mm F2.8 EX DN and 19mm F2.8 EX DN lenses

Sigma has just announced the launch of a new line of lenses titled Digital Neo (DN). The DN lenses mark Sigma’s foray into the world of compact system cameras. Sigma is getting into the game with two fast primes, for the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) and Sony’s NEX camera E-mount systems.

The two lenses are the 19mm F2.8 EX DN and the 30mm F2.8 EX DN. Both lenses have a new linear autofocus (AF) motor for quiet operation, making them suitable for both stills and video.
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Fujifilm X-Pro1 camera lenses get Amazon product pages, priced $500-600

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  • January 8, 2012 at 2:52 am

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Fujifilm X-Pro 1 MILC

Amazon has jumped the gun on the yet unannounced Fujifilm X-Pro1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC). We saw details of the X-Pro1 camera leaked two days ago together with its three lenses.

Now each of the lenses has acquired an Amazon product page and a price. Although all lenses were rumored to be priced $600 each at launch, both the 18mm (27mm equivalent) f/2.0 and 35mm (53mm equivalent) f/1.4 lens have been priced at $500, while the macro 60mm (90mm equivalent) f/2 lens is priced at $600.
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When technology becomes culture and when making a lens becomes art

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  • November 18, 2011 at 2:18 pm

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Canon lens factory

We mostly don’t think of how the things we use daily are made. You buy a new gadget, take it out of the box and concentrate on what you can do with it, rather than its origins. We have this subconscious idea that things roll out of a nameless and faceless production line which is there for the sole purpose of feeding our voracious appetite for material goods.

Canon’s virtual lens plant is a series of videos demonstrating the entire painstaking process starting from the raw powdered optical lens material up to the construction of the Canon EF 500mm f/4.0L IS USM lens. It’s a testament to man’s achievement, that we continue to evolve. It’s technology and engineering that have become part of human culture, pushing our boundaries as humanity forward. We have evolved from making basic tools for survival to precision instruments such as these. After watching the full nineteen videos, I’m again reassured of humanity’s progress and technology’s role as an agent for progress.
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