Lens News

“Date your cameras and marry your lenses,” a Sony staffer professed after I arrived in San Diego last week for the unveiling of two new lenses; the 50mm f/1.4 ZA prime and 70-200mm f/2.8 GM zoom. Our select group of journalists were repeatedly told, “Do not leak this launch.” Considering the leaks of cameras introductions from their competitors this summer, the firm request was understandable and we obliged.

When people asked legendary editor Herbert Keppler why he sometimes wrote about cameras costing more than the average photographer could afford, he told me it was because of the Maserati factor. “Most people,” he said, “can’t afford a Maserati but like reading about them.” And I get that. My personal dream car is a 1961 Maserati 3500 GT, which sells for north of $450,000. Fortunately, medium format cameras, while expensive, cost less than that.

We love covering stories about big lenses and judging by reader reaction, you love reading about them as well. So here’s another interesting piece of big lens news that popped up today: a massive, three-foot long Nikon 1200mm lens set-up has been listed on eBay for $5,750.

Nothing beats the versatile wide-angle lens for street shooting, travel, and landscape photography. Whether you’re capturing mountain vistas or bustling street scenes, the wide-angle lens offers an ideal combination of features for quick, candid shooting.

If a patent published by Canon last week is any indication, the company is exploring the possibility of using diffractive optics to create an EF 1000mm f/5.6 DO super telephoto lens that may be smaller and lighter than could be created otherwise. 

Ever wonder what goes into the making of a sophisticated $11,000 lens? Well, the intriguing video below offers a remarkable inside tour of Canon’s EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4X, a unique super telephoto with a built-in optically matched 1.4X teleconverter.

Flash and accessory manufacturer Meike has unveiled four new manual-focus lenses for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fujifilm, Olympus and Panasonic mirrorless cameras with APS-C or smaller sensors. The new lenses are the first foray in this category for Meike, and are available on Amazon.