Hasselblad announces wide angle XCD 25mm F2.5 V lens
Hasselblad has announced a new ultra-wide (20mm equivalent) lens, the Hasselblad XCD 25mm f/2.5 V for the mirrorless X system cameras. The XCD 2,5/25V features IF (internal focusing) using a linear stepping motor and adopts an optical construction of thirteen elements in ten groups, including four aspherical elements and three ED elements. Hasselblad say it has been designed to meet the requirements of 100-megapixel sensors. The filter size is 72mm. The new XCD 2,5/25V lens is priced at £3,559.00 / $3,699 USD / 4,199 EUR and is available online and at selected retail stores worldwide. More information can be found on their website. Previous lens makers for Hasselblad have included…
Review: Samsung T9 Portable SSD USB 3.2 Gen 2×2
Samsung’s flagship T9 SSD with USB-C (3.2 Gen 2×2) promises high transfer speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s, not that far off from TB3/4 SSDs, Kevin Carter takes a look. What is it? Housed in a wonderfully tactile and equally practical black silicone rubber housing, the Samsung T9 is aimed at all types of content makers. Particularly though, with its high transfer speeds from a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gb/s) connector, this bus-powered NVMe SSD looks highly attractive for photographers and occasional videographers. The Samsung T9 is a small, highly portable and robust drive that’s ideal for sharing across several devices, such as typical laptop-to-desktop (short to long-term storage)…
Megadap announces Canon EF to Nikon Z AF Adapter EFTZ21
Megadap, an innovative and independent manufacturer of AF adapters for mirrorless cameras, has recently announced a new Canon EF to Nikon Z AF Adapter, the EFTZ21. Priced at $299 and available now, the new EFTZ21 is compatible with both FF and APS-C (DX) format cameras, including the Nikon ZF, ZFC, Z30, Z50, Nikon Z5, Nikon Z6, Nikon Z6 ii, Nikon Z7, Nikon Z7 ii, Z8, and Z9 cameras. The new adapter can be purchased online directly from the manufacturer’s site. Press release: Hong Kong, 19th April 2024 – Megadap, an innovative manufacturer specializing in camera lens accessories, is proud to announce the launch of its new Canon EF Lens…
Sony announces a compact large aperture wide-angle G series zoom FE 16-25mm F2.8 G
Sony has announced a new compact, large aperture wide-angle G series zoom the Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G aimed at both stills photographers and video/filmmakers. The filter thread size is just 67mm and it looks like it’s an IF design (with no extending lens barrels) so it should be capable of taking a decent matte box or filter holder and a raft of filters. 67mm is just at the limit (minimum) of most matte box systems. This is the second lens to follow this short-zoom style, after the Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G” announced in February 2024 and uses the same size filter thread. Will a third, say a 50-100mm…
Panasonic announces major firmware update for Lumix S5II and S5IIX
Panasonic has announced a significant firmware update for its full-frame mirrorless LUMIX S5II and S5IIX cameras. The Firmware V2.0 update adds AF features and enhances sharing functionality for both stills and video capture. Key features include: Camera-to-cloud integration with Adobe’s Frame.io – now supports Adobe Camera to Cloud compatibility, enabling images and videos to be automatically uploaded, backed up, shared, and worked on jointly via the cloud. Proxy Video Recording – this innovative feature introduces the simultaneous recording of a low-bit-rate proxy file alongside the original video recording, providing quick post-production processes. Enhanced Real-time Autofocus Recognition– this newly improved system boosts the precise Phase Hybrid autofocus, efficiently recognising not only people but animal eyes, cars and motorcycles. Enhanced E.I.S.…
Eizo announces 30.5-inch ColorEdge Prominence reference monitor with built-in calibration and network features
Eizo has announced a new ‘reference’ DCI-4K (4096 x 2160) HDR (high dynamic range) monitor for post-production work. As this model has the ‘Prominence’ moniker it should not be confused with your typical ColorEdge display for stills and occasional video, even if has built-in hardware calibration. There’s no mention of availability or price as these tend to be special order only – if you have to ask the price you probably can’t afford it – expect to cut a cheque north of £40K. The new monitor will be displayed at the NAB show in Las Vegas later this month and in the UK at the MP&T show in London the month…
LEE100 Polariser Filter review
Lee100 Filter Holder – Why do you need it? Although you can use image editing software to achieve many of the same effects with specific filters, such as a polariser to cut reflections and improve saturation, it remains advantageous for some types of photography, such as interiors and landscapes As they cut down on exposure somewhat, they can also be used as a pseudo Neutral Density (ND) filter, albeit mostly in a limited fashion*. They are also pretty expensive, so if you have several lenses of different thread diameters, using a holder can save a lot of money. Please note this review has been edited and updated from the Lee100…
High-speed V90 SDXC card prices continue to fluctuate
Prices continue to fluctuate for the vaunted V90 speed SDXC cards, which are highly prized for continuous shooting with stills and high-bit 4K video. While high-speed CFexpress cards will continue to take over from SDXC cards the V90 spec, which boasts the fastest read and write speeds, is still recommended for the Leica M11, Q2/Q3, Fujifilm GFX 100 II/100s/50s and many other new camera models with an SD slot or use SD as a back-up. Little-known brand Nextorage which was recently formed by ex-Sony staff currently has a sale on Amazon for SDXC V90 cards and their super-fast B1 Pro CF-expresss Type B cards. For, example the Nextorage 128GB V90…
Leica APO Summicron-SL 50mm F2 ASPH lens review
Announced on 15 August 2019 (see our coverage here), the Leica APO Summicron-SL 50mm F2 ASPH is a relatively compact high-end lens for Leica SL cameras. Inside, the lens design is complex for a 50mm. However, it’s designed for a digital sensor, so some prerequisites must be met. It has no less than 12 elements in total, with several AD (anomalous dispersion) elements to mitigate CA and fringing, plus three with aspherical surfaces to reduce SA and distortion. The lens also adopts what some call a “digital element,” or a lens profile, to correct vignetting, distortion and CA, more as an afterthought in this case, as the lens is so…
Leica SL3 camera announced
Leica has announced the Leica SL3, the latest top-of-the-range model in the 35mm full-frame SL system. This is an exciting new camera for Leica and a hugely compelling update to the SL2, however, keen-eyed readers will see that there’s no multi-shot function, which was one of the key features of the SL2 (and SL2-S), or at least a key-differentiator between it and rivals (who haven’t yet matched Leica/Panasonic in either implementation or result). I spoke with a Leica executive and they informed me that the multi-shot feature has not been included this time but if there is strong demand for it then they will consider adding it at a later…
