Sigma launches new wide-aperture 50mm HSM lens
Digital Camera Reviews, OH
Sigma has done a one-up on the other wide-aperture 50mm primes on the market with the announcement last week of its 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM.
The company’s latest “fast 50″ sports Sigma’s ring-type Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) focus drive, promising fast, near-silent AF operation and instant manual focus override just by turning the focusing ring. The EX pro-series lens also uses multi-layer coating to control flare and ghosting, and aspherical elements for aberration correction.
The new 50mm is slated for release in Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, and Sigma mounts. No word from the maker on pricing or availability.
Sony’s new full-frame DSLR out in the open at Photo Imaging Expo
Tokyo hosted the Photo Imaging Expo 2008 late last week, and while there hasn’t been a flood of news from the show, apparently Sony’s planned full-frame pro DSLR that we reported on during PMA got a little more solid this week.
The photography blog masterchong.com posted several hands-on photos with the new camera (seen only under glass at PMA), along with shots of a new Sony external flash unit and battery grip to accompany the release. The new model, speculatively called the Alpha A900 and targeted squarely at pro bodies from Canon and Nikon, utilizes a newly developed 24.6 megapixel CMOS sensor.
Reports from PIE have confirmed that we should expect final versions of the A900 to make an appearance in time for Photokina in the fall.
Check out the images at masterchong.com.
Thanks to DCR moderator usapatriot for the tip!
New firmware for Canon EOS 30D, EOS 5D released
Canon has updated the firmware for its EOS 30D and EOS 5D DSLRs.
The latest 30D firmware adds camera-side EXIF support and automatic lens correction functionality in Canon’s Digital Photo Professional RAW conversion software for a long list of lenses. Firmware for the 5D adds the same lens support and also corrects an issue with high-capacity CF cards.
Canon’s website has download and installation instructions for both 30D firmware version 1.0.6 and 5D firmware version 1.1.1.
March 24th, 2008
Panasonic Unveils Touch-Screen LUMIX Digital Camera
HULIQ, NC
Panasonic announces the LUMIX DMC-FX500, the company’s first digital camera with a 3-inch touch-screen LCD – also featuring a 25mm ultra-wide-angle Leica DC lens, 5x optical zoom and 10.1 megapixels.
With a dual control system using both touch-screen and joystick operation, the ability to record High Definition (HD) video and advanced Intelligent Auto technologies, the FX500 packs innovative features and intuitive design, helping consumers enrich the digital photography experience and take better photos.
“With the FX500’s touch-screen operation, we are giving our consumers a new interface that we think will prove extremely intuitive during playback, photo organization and of course – helping to take high-quality photos,†said Alex Fried, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “The FX500 represents a new flagship model for Panasonic, as we add brand-new capabilities to our already popular, slim and stylish FX-Series of LUMIX digital cameras and we introduce another model that features a 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens.â€
The FX500 has a hybrid control system that combines joystick control with touch-screen operation, so users can make fine adjustments by touch, using their finger, or the LUMIX stylus-pen that comes with the FX500. In manual exposure mode, adjustments can be made using the on-screen sliders to adjust aperture and shutter speeds. In playback mode, a new Easy Organization menu allows for photos to be selected and viewed by scrolling through the thumbnails located below the main window. Then, users can edit the titles using an on-screen keyboard.
The FX500 expands Panasonic’s family of wide-angle LUMIX digital cameras and joins the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FX35 as an ultra-wide-angle lens with a 25mm wide-angle lens, which can capture almost double the photo area at the same shooting distance compared with a conventional 35mm lens*. Also new to the FX500 is Auto Focus (AF) tracking, a feature that tracks the photo subject even if it moves after the AF is set – especially helpful for catching active children or pets.
Panasonic’s iA (Intelligent Auto) mode is an advanced system of technologies that engage automatically, so the user does not have to change any settings. Maximizing the iA mode, users can go a step further and easily set auto focus and exposure by simply touching the screen. This kind of quick, easy operation is made possible with the touch-screen technology.
.Intelligent Exposure – To help correct photos from being under- or over-exposed, the FX500 instantly analyzes the framed image and adjusts the brightness in areas that are too dark because of dim lighting, backlighting or the use of the flash.
· Digital Red-eye Correction– Helps eliminate the red-eye problem that sometimes results when taking flash shots at the night. Incorporated into the built-in flash, the camera emits a small preliminary flash before the main flash, detects red-eye and digitally corrects it.
· MEGA O.I.S. – Gyrosensors detect hand-shake and the lens system shifts to compensate, helping to prevent hand-shake from creating a blurry image.
· Intelligent ISO – Determines if the photo subject is moving and changes the ISO setting and shutter speed accordingly.
· Intelligent Scene Selector – Senses the ambient conditions, recognizes the shooting environment and automatically selects the appropriate scene mode from: Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait or Night Scenery mode.
· Face Detection – Detects faces anywhere in the frame and automatically chooses the optimal focus and exposure settings so portraits come out clear and crisp. Detecting up to 15 faces, Panasonic’s Face Detection can even track a face if the subject is moving.
· Continuous AF – Maintains focus on the subject even without the user pressing a shutter button halfway, thus minimizing the AF time.
Other features include its ability to take1280 x 720p HD video content and still photos with a 16:9 aspect ratio, perfect for viewing on an HDTV. In addition, the FX500 incorporates the Venus Engine IV processor, featuring more advanced digital signal processing technology for taking even higher-quality images. The fdsa proprietary Venus Engine IV also heightens the detection accuracy and corrective features in both MEGA O.I.S. and Intelligent ISO Control.
The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FX500 will be available in black and silver models for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $399.95 in May 2008.-Panasonic
March 24th, 2008