Lens News

Canon has just unveiled a massive zoom lens for cinema cameras. Called the CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 Ultra-Telephoto Zoom lens, Canon is hailing it as the “world’s largest 4K ultra-telephoto zoom lens” for large-format, single-sensor cinema cameras. With a built-in, 1.5x extender, the focal length of the new lens translates to 75-1500mm.

Here’s a little more photo gear news we didn’t fully get to in our comprehensive photokina coverage last week. Third-party lens manufacturers Sigma and Tamron both made waves at the show by announcing intriguing new zoom lenses.

Fujifilm was showing off its new toys at photokina today and we got some hands-on time with these latest X-series cameras and lenses. Initially announced on September 10^th, the Fujifilm X100T and XT-1 Graphite Silver cameras, and Fujinon XF50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR and XF56mm F1.2 R APD lenses continue to build on Fuji’s compact and retro-style (Fuji would say “classic" style) X-Series line.

Olympus took the wraps off a new version of its OM-D E-M1 mirrorless, compact system camera at photokina this morning and this Micro Four Thirds-based model now features a new silver look and is loaded with updated firmware designed to help studio photographers. Olympus also debuted the new M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm f2.8 PRO lens at the show.

Sigma got into the photokina spirit this morning with three product announcements ahead of next week’s show in Germany.. For starters, the company unveiled not one but two new long-zooming 150-600mm lenses.

Zeiss has introduced the second lens in its coveted Otus family: an 85mm F/1.4 lens known as the Apo Planar 1.4/85. Designed for portrait photography or any imaging job that requires extreme sharpness and the ultimate in resolving power, the Otus Apo Planar 1.4/85 is comprised of 11 elements in nine groups and comes in both ZE (EF bayonet mount for Canon) and ZF.2 (F bayonet mount for Nikon) versions.

Maybe it’s just August but there seems to be a lot of weird lens news lately. Now a very rare and very large, Nikon 6mm F/2.8 Fisheye Lens has turned up on eBay with an asking price of $96,187.50.