For many photographers, a fast, 85mm prime lens is a dream lens. It’s perfect for a variety of portrait styles and can produce the dreamy bokeh that is the hallmark of large aperture glass. The latest 85mm prime on the market is the second generation Sony 85mm f/1.4 G-Master II. The original was introduced eight years ago, to meet (or maybe exceed) that era’s digital camera capabilities.

But eight years is a long time in a tech timeline, and naturally, digital cameras are much more advanced. To keep up, Sony has upgraded its popular f/1.4 lens. The new 85mm GM II is capable of capturing higher resolution images with extreme detail. Sony promises corner to corner sharpness as well as beautiful bokeh from its shallow depth of field.

Importantly, the lens’ autofocus and AF tracking are designed to keep up with Sony’s  latest cameras like the Alpha 1 (a1). When shooting stills, Sony claims AF is up to three times faster than the lens’ predecessor while subject tracking has improved as well (“up to seven times”)—depending on camera body used.

Sony has paid attention to its cinema capabilities as well by minimizing focus breathing and supporting in-camera focus breathing compensation. AF is quiet thanks to its XD linear motor adding to the lens’ versatility.

At 22.7 ounces, the new Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 G Master II lens is about 20% lighter than its predecessor. Its slightly smaller, too, at 3 3/8 x 4 1/4 inches. But it maintains important physical attributes, such as an aperture ring, two customizable focus hold buttons, and dust and moisture resistance.

Even better, the FE 85mm f/1.4 G Master II lens is launching at the same price as the original eight years ago: $1,800. The lens should be shipping at the end of September.

As a thank you to our readers, we’re pleased to offer you a Rangefinder exclusive discount code to get 25% off The Portrait Masters course below. Use the code RF25 at checkout to redeem. This code cannot be used in combination with other sales.

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Canon released a new standard zoom with its RF28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM lens. This lens provides a versatile focal range similar to the RF24-70mm f/2.8 L USM lens but at less than half the price: $1,099 vs. $2,499. Granted the L designation of the older lens is, at least partly, responsible for the price difference but the new 28-70mm will likely be a popular standard zoom option among many photographers.

In addition to its versatile focal range, the RF28-70mm offers a constant fast aperture at f/2.8. Optical image stabilization is rated at up to 5.5 stops. Pair an IBIS-equipped camera with the lens’ OIS for up to 7.5 stops of image stabilization.

Lightweight and compact, the RF28-70mm lens weighs in at 17.5 ounces. When retracted, its 3.0 x 3.5-inch body is highly portable. Fully extended to its telephoto end, the lens is still relatively compact at 5.5 inches.

The Canon RF28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM lens is slated to ship in September for an estimated $1,099.00

As a thank you to our readers, we’re pleased to offer you a Rangefinder exclusive discount code to get 25% off The Portrait Masters course below. Use the code RF25 at checkout to redeem. This code cannot be used in combination with other sales.

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Arriving in late May, Sigma’s second generation version of its well-regarded 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II/Art Lens features a number of improvements that will likely increase the popularity of the new model. Design and performance enhancements in the new Sigma Art lens comprise most of the upgrades to this standard zoom lens, increasing this already-versatile lens’ flexibility.

Physically, the lens is more compact and lighter than its predecessor. The lens barrel, for example, is slimmer thanks to a downsized zoom mechanism. Beyond that, buttons and switches have been integrated into the lens barrel itself.

As expected, the Sigma Art lens is splash- and dust-resistant. Keeping the front element clean and smudge-free is easy thanks to its water- and oil-resistant coating. The lens has also been designed to prevent or correct aberrations such as sagittal coma flare.

Other new features include a click/de-click and lockable aperture ring. Sigma has also added another AF-L button for convenient vertical shooting.

Autofocus is much faster than the 24-70mm original model. The performance improvement is due, in part, to the speed of Sigma’s HLA (high response linear actuator motor, which drives the AF directly).

The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II/Art lens will score points with wedding and portrait photographers for its overall versatility. But when close-up shots, like wedding details, are warranted, the new lens can focus as close as 6.7 inches (at the wide end).

Scheduled to ship at the end of May for $1,199, the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II/Art lens is available in L- and Sony E-mounts.

As a thank you to our readers, we’re pleased to offer you a Rangefinder exclusive discount code to get 25% off The Portrait Masters course below. Use the code RF25 at check out to redeem. This code cannot be used in combination with other sales.

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Breaking new ground in their lens line-ups, Sigma and Tamron announced the development of Canon RF Mount lenses under a licensing agreement with Canon. This is great news for users looking for third-party RF Mount APS-C lenses.

Starting this July, with additional releases continuing this fall, Sigma plans to release a half-dozen RF Mount compatible options from its DC DN Contemporary series of lenses. With a combination of zoom and primes, the new lenses—most of which favor a slightly wide-angle field of view—offer a nice variety of focal ranges. All the lenses have been optimized to work on the RF Mount delivering high-speed AF, Continuous AF, in-camera stabilization and, where available, camera aberration correction.

The first lens, available in July, is the Sigma. 18-50mm f/2.8 with a 35mm equivalent focal range (based on Canon’s 1.6x crop) of 27-75mm. Beginning this fall, Sigma will also release the following lenses (remember to apply a 1.6x crop for 35mm-equivalent):

• 10-18mm f/2.8
• 16mm f/1.4
• 23mm f/1.4
• 30mm f/1.4
• 56mm f/1.4

At the same time, Tamron announced the development of the first of its Canon RF Mount lenses, a fast, wide-angle 11-20mm f/28 Di III-A RXD, a lens already available for Sony E-mount. The latter acronym stands for Rapid-eXtra-silent stepping Drive, a quiet stepping motor that will appeal to videographers and anyone shooting where silence is required. Compact and lightweight, the lens’ 35mm-equivalent focal range of 17.6-32mm provides a wide-angle field of view even with Canon’s 1.6x APS-C crop factor.

The Tamron lens is slated to ship sometime this year.

Pricing was not available for Sigma or Tamron lenses.

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Two New Primes from Sigma are here: a unique Fisheye Art Lens and a lightweight Sports Lens.

Sigma 15mm F1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye Art Lens

A fisheye lens might not be on your list of “must haves,” but Sigma’s new 15mm F1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye Art Lens may pique the interest of astrophotographers as well as landscape and architectural pros. Unique among lenses, this 15mm piece of glass is the world’s first F1.4 diagonal fisheye lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras. Not only is this Sigma lens fast, but it’s exceptionally sharp across its 180-degree field of view. And, importantly, unlike circular fisheye lenses, this one covers the entire imaging sensor for the ultimate in wide-angle images.

Like the Sigma 14mm F1.4 Art Lens, this new model excels for astrophotography. Both lenses offer a number of features to enhance astrophotography capabilities including sagittal coma flare correction that allows for excellent reproduction of bright points of light like stars.

In addition to an AFL button, the 15mm F1.4 is equipped with an MFL switch that locks manual focus by disabling the MF ring. Sheet filters can be placed in the special filter holder at the rear of the lens, and when not in use, stored in the lens cap. The lens also is designed to accommodate a heat strip, preventing the strip from slipping to the edge of the lens barrel and vignetting the shot. Its aperture ring can be “de-clicked” for smooth and quiet video capture. Bundled with a removable Arca-Swiss compatible tripod collar, the lens—which weighs a hefty 48 ounces and measures 4.1 x 6.3 inches—is well balanced when mounted on a tripod.

This dust-and-splash resistant lens will be available in L-Mount and Sony E-Mount in March for $1999.

Sigma 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens

At the other end of the spectrum is Sigma’s new 500mm F5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens. Thanks to its innovative design and construction, this super telephoto lens can be handheld and measures only 4.2 x 9.2 inches and weighs 48.3 ounces (with its tripod foot).

The lens is equipped with features that provide custom options to meet any photographer’s preferences. For example, you’ll find a focus limiter switch to assist in precise autofocus and a trio of assignable AFL buttons. Its aperture ring can be “de-clicked” for silent and smoother video capture; an aperture ring lock switch is also available. Not surprisingly, the lens is splash-and-dust resistant.

Available in L-Mount and Sony E-Mount and is slated to ship mid-March for $2,999.

For more information on both lenses, go to: www.sigmaphoto.com.

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The post Sigma Lens Drop: Two New Primes: Fisheye and Sports appeared first on Rangefinder.

Canon announced three new RF lenses that cover a lot of ground. The new additions start with the consumer-level RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM, followed by the RF24-105mm F/2.8 L IS USM Z and is rounded out with the RF200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM lens.

Of the three, the RF24-105mm is the most interesting for portrait and wedding photographers, thanks, in part, to its highly usable focal range and fast, consistent f/2.8 aperture. Additionally, the 3.5 inch x 7.8 inch lens maintains the same length when zooming. Its optical image stabilization delivers up to 5.5 stops of shake correction which can be expanded to up to 8 stops of correction when paired with an R-camera with in-body image stabilization.

But the RF24-105mm lens will also be of special interest to videographers with its click-less iris ring. This feature is only possible in video mode, though. (Canon promises a firmware update in December to add the feature for video recording in some other EOS cameras.)

In the spring, Canon will release two power zoom adapters for the RF24-105mm lens. Again, this is target to videographers for smooth zooming. One adapter connects via USB while the other will use a 20-pin port connection.

You won’t find another 24-105mm lens with a constant f/2.8 aperture, according to Canon’s press material. And that’s a real selling point for photographers who need a constant, fast aperture to capture low light images.

For more information on all three RF lenses, which will be available in December, visit usa.canon.com

Price:

RF24-105mm: $2999

Power Zoom Adapters: $999 (USB); $1299 (20 pin)

RF-S10-18mm: $330

RF200-800mm: $1899

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Sony’s latest announcement has certainly caused a stir among photographers. The Sony a9 III’s global shutter may be at the top of the list for many, but there’s a lot more going on in this incredibly fast third generation full-frame camera. 

Built around a 24-megapixel full-frame Exmor RS CMOS sensor, the a9 III’s global shutter—which reads all pixels at the same time—promises to eliminate rolling shutter and any distortion when photographing movement. Banding should be a thing of the past as well. 

More than just the elimination of anomalies, the global shutter also allows for continuous shooting speeds of up to 120 frames per second, with AF/AE and no camera blackout. And the a9 III’s shutter can capture images up to 1/80,000 sec (1/16,000 sec during burst shooting). Flash sync isn’t limited to the typical 1/200^th or 1/250^th sec either and when paired with a compatible Sony flash (HVL-F60RM2 or HVL-F46RM), users can sync with the maximum shutter speed. 

With its 24-megapixel sensor, the a9 III can’t capture 8K video but 4K 60p videos with 6K oversampling are possible. Also, the a9 III is the first in the series capable of recording 4K at 120p (without cropping). 

Those are just the basics of what appears to be another groundbreaking camera from Sony. But the company didn’t stop there. 

Announced at the same time, the 300mm G Master f/2.8 lens is the perfect companion for the a9 III with its ability to track subjects at up to 120fps. Better yet, the lens is incredibly lightweight for its class weighing only about 3.24 pounds (without the tripod foot). 

Both the camera and lens are available for pre-order now and are slated to start shipping in February 2024. 

Price: 

Sony a9 III: $6,000 

Sony 300mm G Master f/2.8 lens: $6,000 

The post Sony Announces First Full-Frame Camera with a Global Shutter appeared first on Rangefinder.

Two new lenses — a 10-20mm Canon lens and a 600mm Nikon lens — go to the extreme with the features they deliver.

Canon RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM Full-Frame Mirrorless Lens

On the one side, we have the ultra-wide Canon RF10-20mm F4 L IS STM full-frame mirrorless. This lens and its extreme focal length have drama written all over it for fashion, portraits and weddings. Of course, it’s great for landscapes and cityscapes as well as architecture, real estate and any shoot where you need this extreme field of view.

Its “L” designation commands respect among photographers for its excellent optical quality. The lens features new image stabilization technology that not only delivers 5 stops of IS (6 stops when mounted on a camera with built-in stabilization) but also helps eliminate visual effects of camera shake at the edges of the frame. 

As you’d expect from an L-series, the rectilinear RF10-20mm is dust- and water-resistant and is built with multiple, high-quality glass elements to deliver excellent image quality and minimize aberrations such as ghosting. And, for the first time in an L-series lens, Canon has used an STM focus drive motor for quiet AF—a feature especially appealing to videographers. 

Thanks to its customizable lens function button, photographers have quick and easy access to features of their choice including AF setting, Zebras and Pre-Recording, to name just a few. It comes with a built-in lens hood and a case, has a built-in rear slot for gel filters, focuses down to just under 10 inches and weighs only 1.25 pounds (about half the weight of the EF 11-24MM F4 L lens). Slated to ship in November, it will set you back about $2,299. 

Price: $2,299 

www.usa.canon.com 

Nikon Nikkor Z 600mm F6.3 VR S

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the new Nikon Nikkor Z 600mm F6.3 VR S. What’s notable about this lens isn’t so much its focal length but the fact that it can be handheld. (We’re aware that some people can handhold 600mm lenses but, as far as we know, they’re not the norm.) Thanks to the use of a Phase Fresnel (PF) lens element, this super-telephoto lens weighs only 3 pounds and measures about 11 inches in length so you can ditch your tripod and monopod. Better yet, if you’re shooting the Indianapolis 500 or trying to capture that rare bird in flight, you have the freedom to pan quite easily given the its size and weight. 

Of course, Nikon vibration reduction (VR) helps compensate for any shake that might occur. In its Normal VR mode, the Z 600mm delivers 5.5 stops of compensation. It also features a Sport VR mode that provides a stabilized view in the display to provide easier tracking. Combined with a compatible camera that offers in-body VR and you’ll get up to 6.0 stops of stabilization with the lens’ Synchro VR. 

In addition to its dust- and drip-resistant design, the Z 600mm lens also features a quiet stepping motor (STM) for quiet autofocus—a feature that is especially useful when filming. And if 600mm isn’t close enough for you, the lens is compatible with the Z TC-1.4x or TC-2.0x teleconverters without losing the benefits of the Z 600mm’s AF and VR. 

On the barrel, you’ll find four lens Fn2 buttons and a single lens Fn button for customization and quick access to important features—including a memory recall of a specific focus position. 

We’re happy to see Nikon expand its line of PF lenses. While the Z 600mm may be a little slow (compared to its AF-S F4E FL ED VR counterpart), but it’s a small tradeoff considering this native Z lens almost 2/3 lighter and costs a mere $4,800 vs. the AF-S’ $12,300. But, perhaps most importantly, the Z 600mm gives you the freedom to shoot handheld even with a super-telephoto lens—a feat that more than a few of us couldn’t achieve otherwise. 

Price: $4,800 

www.nikonusa.com 

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Two new lenses Sigma lenses will be coming out soon — one in October and the other in December. Read on to find out all about them.

10-18mm F2.8 DC DN

Sigma’s new wide-angle APS-C lens, the 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN is the latest member of its Contemporary line and is designed for Sony E-mount, Fujifilm X Mount and L-Mount cameras. This lens’ initial appeal revolves around its compact size and equally appealing $599 price tag. At 2.8 x 2.4 inches and weighing 9.2 ounces, Sigma notes that this is the “world’s smallest and lightest F2.8 zoom lens designed for APS-C format mirrorless systems.” A uniquely designed spring-and-level push-on petal type hood adds much to the weight or bulk of the lens when you want to shade the lens.  

But that’s not all that will appeal to APS-C photographers and videographers. The latter will appreciate Sigma’s promise of minimized focus breathing and the quiet AF performance of the 10-18mm lens’ stepping motor. 

The lens’ 15-27mm (35mm-equivalent) focal range is perfect for environmental portraits and those wide-angle shots with the bridal couple surrounded by a beautiful landscape. Group shots, whether wedding receptions or family photos, will benefit from the wide range as well. And, of course, a constant F2.8 aperture adds even more versatility to this highly portable lens. Need some close-ups? No problem, the 10-18mm lens focuses as close as 4.6 inches. 

This highly portable lens will be available at retailers on October 26 for $599. 

70 – 200mm F2.8 DG DN OS Sports Lens

Next up is Sigma’s announcement that a new full-frame 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS Sports Lens is in development for L-Mount and Sony E-mount. Slated to launch this December, we don’t have much information other than Sigma’s notes that this lens will offer a “high level” of performance and features for professionals. A high-response linear actuator (HLA) should deliver speedy autofocus and the optical image stabilizer features the latest OS2 algorithm to assist at slower shutter speeds. And, being part of Sigma’s Sports line, it’s no surprise that this lens will be weather resistant. 

Price: TBD 

www.sigmaphoto.com 

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For only the second time in its history, Nikon has given one of its lenses a unique name. The first was the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct, designed for low light shooting. Now we have the Plena, a portrait-perfect 135mm f/1.8 S lens that will be known for its ability to create extraordinary bokeh. 

According to Nikon, Plena is “derived from the Latin term plenum, which denotes the state of a space being completely full.”  

But what does that mean? First, take a look at some sample photos:

The bokeh is gorgeous—providing the perfect complement to any portrait.  

Nikon explains that, beyond the beautiful, flawlessly rounded bokeh, the new lens—with its large front element that accommodates an 82mm filter—was designed for edge-to-edge sharpness and brightness, thereby “filling” the frame with a photographer’s creativity by excelling at producing all the elements that are critical to photography. Maybe we are attributing more to the Plena name than we should, but the lens sounds intriguing, especially after viewing sample images. 

On a more practical level, its 135mm mid-telephoto length will serve portrait photographers well, as will its f/1.8 maximum aperture (its minimum aperture is f/16). The lens has a minimum focus distance of 2.69 feet, dual customizable L-Fn buttons and is “dust and drip resistant.”  

It’s has some heft to it, though, at 2 lb. 3.1 ounces and measuring 3.9 (maximum diameter) and 5.5 inches long. And the price is a bit hefty, too, at $2,500, but we’re sure that there are photographers making room for this lens in their camera bags and studios.  

Nikon has lots more specifications, images and videos on its site so head to nikonusa.com for full details. 

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