Lens News

Sigma’s 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens ($799) is part of their Contemporary series that the company says blends “refined optical design” with “compact and lightweight construction.” The lens is available for Canon, Nikon, or Sony DSLRs. Although as a DG lens it is designed for full-frame DSLRs, it can also be used with APS-C sensor cameras, where it produces an equivalent field of view of 150-600mm.

This morning Tamron introduced the 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD lens, a powerful ultra-telephoto zoom for Canon and Nikon full-frame DSLR cameras. Also known as Model A035, the new lens is expected to deliver Vibration Compensation (VC) up to four stops, as well as fast and precise autofocus.

We’re always eager to receive the annual hot gear list from LensRentals, a top source for photographers looking to rent cameras, lenses, lighting gear and videography equipment. This year’s data arrived a bit earlier than usual, but we’re assured that what you see below is a definitive list of the most popular cameras and lenses handled by LenRentals in 2017.

Serious photography can be seriously expensive, especially for those who update their cameras often and insist on carrying a bag loaded with premium glass. But here’s a secret for photographers on a budget: For the same money (or less), you can often achieve far better results with a high-quality vintage lens, than by “saving money” on a modern mid-level or kit lens.

Today’s computer-designed lenses are a joy to use and typically deliver high resolution and great sharpness, contrast, and color rendition. But modern premium glass isn’t always needed to make beautiful images, as you can see in the quick video below.

This morning Fujifilm introduced the latest in their line of ultra-compact mirrorless cameras, the 24.3MP X-E3 with a companion XF 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR macro lens. Also unveiled was a GF 45mm f/2.8 R WR wide-angle lens for the company’s GFX mirrorless medium format camera. 

We often turn to Weird Lens Guru Mathieu Stern for interesting tips on bargain vintage lenses that that can be adapted for use with today’s modern mirrorless digital cameras. Best yet, you can often pick up some awesome glass for chump change and the adapters are very inexpensive.