Articles tagged "micro-four-thirds"

Panasonic is introducing a new prime lens to the Micro Four Thirds family: the dustproof and splashproof Lumix G Leica DG Summilux 12mm F1.4 ASPH. Read more

With the start of CP+ 2016 just one day away, Panasonic is introducing the Lumix G Vario 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH Power O.I.S. to its family of Micro Four Thirds lenses. Featuring a splash and dustproof design, the lens is compatible with Panasonic's Dual IS feature, currently available on the Lumix DMC-GX8. Read more

Sigma has added two new fast-aperture lenses to its Art and Contemporary lineups. For owners of Canon, Nikon and Sigma APS-C bodies there's the 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM Art, which is equivalent to 75-150mm. This lens has a redesigned Hyper Sonic Motor, nine-blade rounded aperture and internal zoom. The other lens is for Sony E-mount and Micro Four Thirds bodies, and it's a fast 30mm F1.4 prime, equivalent to 45mm and 60mm, respectively. Read more

Olympus has launched the M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm F4 IS Pro, which it claims it the sharpest lens in its lineup. The 600mm equivalent prime lens features built-in IS that also works in conjunction with the OM-D E-M1 and E-M5 II bodies to offer 6 stops of stabilization, measured to CIPA standards - the best we've yet encountered. Olympus says it expects the lens to be used for bird photography, landscape and sports. Read more

Panasonic is adding a high-end super telephoto zoom lens to the Micro Four Thirds lineup: the Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm F4-6.3 ASPH. This lens is equivalent to a whopping 200-800mm when attached to a MFT body and features much-needed 'Power' optical image stabilization to keep things steady. The lens has several aspherical and extra low dispersion elements, a nine-blade aperture, and a minimum focus distance of 1.3m. The lens also features a compact tripod collar that rotates with the camera and it's weather-sealed, too. More details

Chinese optics company Shenyang Zhongyi Optical and Electronic has announced that it is adding a super-fast standard lens to its range designed for the Micro Four Thirds system. The new 25mm lens features a maximum aperture of F0.95 but has a very small and lightweight body. Read more

Japanese optical manufacturer Kowa has released pricing for the three Micro Four Thirds lenses it first announced a year ago. The trio, Kowa Prominar MFT 12mm f/1.8, Prominar MFT 8.5mm f/2.8 and Prominar MFT 25mm f/1.8 are available now and will come in a choice of black, silver or green finishes. The lenses are all manual focus, and do not feature electrical contacts for communicating aperture or focus distance data to the camera. The company had them on show at the Broadcast Video Expo in London. Read more

Panasonic has announced it is developing a 30mm f/2.8 Macro lens for the Micro Four Thirds system. The lens will be compatible with the latest generation 240 frame-per-second autofocus and will include image stabilization. No further details of specification, price or time-scale have yet been provided.

Japanese optical company Kowa - best known for its spotting scopes and binoculars - has revealed that it plans to make three lenses for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The Kowa Prominar 8.5mm F2.8 MFT, 12mm F1.8 MFT and 25mm F1.8 MFT will all feature manual focus and aperture control, and use low-dispersion XD glass and aspheric elements to minimise distortion and aberrations. They're due to be released in summer 2014.

CES 2014: Panasonic has formally announced the Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 ASPH OIS fast portrait prime for Micro Four Thirds. The lens, first revealed in prototype form back at the Photokina trade show in September 2012, offers an 85mm equivalent field of view, optical image stabilisation, and the brightest aperture of any autofocus lens on the system. It's  The lens will be available during the first quarter of 2014 at suggested prices of $1,599/€1,499/£1,299.

Hong Kong-based lens maker SLR Magic has announced an addition to its family of video-oriented manual focus fast primes for Micro Four Thirds. The 17mm T1.6 offers an angle of view equivalent to 34mm on full frame, and has geared focus and aperture rings. It will be available at the end of December 2013.

Forget the Zeiss Otus 55mm F1.4, Sony Alpha 7R and RX10, Nikon 58mm F1.4 or the tiny Panasonic GM1 - last week's real news was Lomography's introduction of an 'Experimental Lens Kit' for Micro Four Thirds. Comprising a 24mm F8 standard lens, a 12mm F8 wideangle and a 160° F8 fisheye, the kit costs £79 / €89. Each of the lenses even has a built-in shutter with speeds of 1/100sec and Bulb, allowing in-camera multiple exposures, plus a T mode to hold the shutter open for normal live view. In addition all three have a slot for colour gel filters. Click through for full details.

Olympus has unveiled a high-end standard zoom to match the E-M1: the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm F2.8 PRO. It offers a 24-80mm equivalent range and is dust, splash and, freezeproof, and uses a manual focus clutch design similar to the 12mm F2 and 17mm F2.8 primes. Olympus has also announced the development of a matching 40-150mm F2.8 telezoom, which is scheduled for release next year. Click through for more details. 

It's an open secret that many compact cameras are produced by OEMs - companies that produce large numbers of products that are then sold under other brand names. There are also consumer-grade zooms from big name manufacturers that look much alike (we know for a fact that third-party makers commonly create lenses for the bigger brands). But we were still surprised to read about Sigma's latest patent for a 75mm F1.8 prime lens...

Alongside the enthusiast-oriented DMC-GX7, Panasonic has announced the Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 - the fastest autofocus lens ever created for the Micro Four Thirds system. If you're getting a sense of deja vu that's because Panasonic actually announced this lens already (sort of) at last year's Photokina tradeshow in Cologne, Germany. But what was then a dummy lens behind glass now appears to be a real product, albeit one without any firm availability date or pricing information. 

Metabones has introduced Nikon G-type versions of its Speed Booster lens adapter for Micro Four Thirds and Sony NEX cameras, which include a control ring for aperture setting with lenses that don't have aperture rings of their own. The Speed Booster itself is a lens adapter that that reduces the focal length by a factor of 0.71x, and increases the maximum aperture by 1 stop, effectively allowing lenses to give very similar angle of view and depth of field control on APS-C mirrorless cameras as they do on full frame. The Nikon G-type adapters are available to buy now for $429 from Metabones' website.