Lens News

For Canon lens fans, the wait finally ended when the company took the wraps off the new EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, a relatively compact super-telephoto zoom that has been hotly anticipated and frequently rumored about for years.

Our favorite weird lens guru Mathieu Stern has been testing out some unusual Soviet-era Russian lens and the results have been surprisingly impressive. In fact, in the below video, Stern pairs the Jupiter-9 85mm F/2 portrait lens on a Sony A7 II mirrorless camera and some of his still photos and video are actually quite amazing.

German optical company Meyer-Optik Gorlitz is celebrating the 100^th anniversary of their acclaimed Trioplan line by relaunching the legendary 50mm Trioplan “Soap Bubble” lens, so named for its unique bokeh characteristics. The new 50mm f/2.9 Trioplan features premium build quality, modern coatings, and a 1:4 reproduction ratio for macro photography.

The decisive moment had decisively passed and I missed another great shot: While framing and reframing my zoom lens the scene changed, the sun slid behind a cloud, and people in the shot moved. I finally realized I was missing shots because I had too much gear. 

Samyang Optics has introduced the first-ever autofocus lenses in their 40-year history, both for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras: A 14mm f/2.8 and the 50mm f/1.4. Both lenses feature solid metal build quality, internal focusing, and a sleek minimal design.

For many photographers the Zeiss moniker conjures visions of optical magic, and the new Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 super-wide for Sony E-Mount full-frame cameras promises not to disappoint. With its diagonal angular field of 99 degrees, this is currently the widest full-frame fixed focal length lens with autofocus capability.

Like many photographers, when Nikon introduced their 20-35mm f/2.8 lens I just had to have one. Being a commercial photographer, the ability to carry a zoom that would cover this field of view was very handy, especially for assignments that involved shooting in buildings or offices for public relations clients. While the lens was exciting, the best images were captured at around f/5.6 to f/8 when the corners started to match the sharpness of dead center. Following that was the Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8, which was more commonly known as the “beast” in photographic circles because it gave us more breathing room at the long end, complete with AF-S focusing. Although it weighed in at two pounds, it was a sharp lens!