Archive for: macro

A New Zoom Macro Coming? [CR1]

From the land of weird
I received an email today outlining a new macro lens that Canon has in the pipeline and could be released in the next year.

It will be a 1:1 zoom macro, with an aperture of f/4 and IS. No mention of the focal length for the lens. I’m reminded of the now discontinued Nikkor 70-170mm f/4.5-5.6D as a zoom 1:1 macro we’ve seen in the past. A replacement to the 180 f/3.5L perhaps?

A huge grain of salt with this one.

cr

Patent: Supertelephoto DO Lenses With Macro Features

400mm, 600mm and 800mm DO Lenses
Patents have shown up showing new DO optical formulas with 2:1, 1:1 and 1:4 macro functions.

Adding macro functionality to super telephoto lenses would be a pretty cool feature. It’s also good to see DO patents continue to show up, it’d be nice to see new DO lenses.

Read the patent here

cr

New Tilt-Shifts in 2013? [CR1]

New Tilt-Shift lenses in 2013?
The 45mm and 90mm tilt-shifts have been on the replacement cycle for a while now, probably since the day after the 17mm and latest 24mm tilt-shifts were announced a few years ago.

Apparently we’re going to see a new 45mm and 90mm tilt-shift announced in 2013. Both of the lenses will receive the “L” treatment and the updated movement mechanisms. I would like to see the lock knobs built a bit better, I found them to be unreliable in the rental world and they are quite an expensive repair.

Also coming in 2013?  A new “specialist lens”. I’m not completely sure what would be considered a specialist lens, although a new macro would probably fit the bill.

Source: [NL]

cr

Sigma 180mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Announced

Off to Sigma
The first place I wanted to head to was Sigma and checkout the new Sigma 180 f/2.8 OS Macro lens. It’s the first 180mm f/2.8 macro lens ever produced. Sigma hasn’t yet issued an official press release on the lens. The other lenses announced by Sigma were for the mirrorless market.

The new macro lens intro | Sigma 200-500 f/2.8 & my wife.

First Impressions
It’s an impressive size for a macro lens. It’s larger than the Canon 180 f/3.5L by a fair margin. Especially in width. The front element is quite impressive and it weighs accordingly. The tripod collar seems extremely solid and the switches on the side are of decent quality. The fit and finish on the lens is about what you’d expect from Sigma. This is another lens that no longer has the spray on hair coating of Sigma lenses in the past.

The lens didn’t have a lens hood on, so I have no idea how much that would extend the size of this large macro lens. I’ve yet to use a macro lens that isn’t sharp, and by appearance alone, this will probably continue the trend. I only hope Sigma has used quality parts inside the lens and quality control is up to par at launch.

The Sigma 180mm f/2.8 OS Macro & 5D Classic

Availability & Pricing?
The official word I received from the representatives at the Sigma booth was the price was unknown and it would begin shipping in March.

I asked about more Sigma lenses in the pipeline and received the usual “no comment” and a smile.

cr

New 65 f/2.8 & 180 f/3.5 Macro Patents

65 f/2.8 Macro

Patent Publication No. 2011-191743

• 2011.9.29 Release Date
• Filing date 2010.2.16

Example 8

• Focal length f = 65.00mm
• Fno 2.90 – 3.05 – 3.96
• Half angle of 18.41 °
• Image height 21.64
• 145.08mm Length Lens
• Back Focus 38.20 – 47.63 – 37.80mm
• Positive and negative lens group of positive and negative 4
• Inner Focus + Rear Focus
• Group 2, Group 3, Group 4 to move the focus method

180 f/3.5 Macro / 150 f/2.8 Macro / 135 f/2.8 Macro

Patent Publication No. 2011-191743

• 2011.9.29 Release Date
• Filing date 2010.2.16

Example 1

• Focal length f = 180.00mm
• Fno 3.50 – 4.60 – 5.80
• 6.85 ° half angle
• Image height 21.64
• 225.02mm Length Lens
• Back Focus 64.01mm

Example 4

• Focal length f = 150.00mm
• Fno 2.80 – 4.00 – 5.00
• 8.21 ° half angle
• Image height 21.64
• 206.53mm Length Lens
• Back Focus 49.00mm

Example 5

• Focal length f = 135.00mm
• Fno 2.80 – 3.80 – 4.80
• 9.20 ° half angle
• Image height 21.64
• 205.00mm Length Lens
• Back Focus 46.50mm

Four groups of positive and negative lenses accurately

Inner Focus

The combination of convex and concave lens, low dispersion and high dispersion in the most object side lens, chromatic aberration correction

Source [EG]

cr

Canon Patents This Week

New Macros and Tilt Shifts Coming?
Recent patents have shown new Macro and Tilt-Shift lenses. Below I’ve listed them.

Explain a patent
You cannot patent a lens per se, but you can patent an optical formula. I think it’s safe to talk about patents, as many of them have turned into actual consumer products.

Canon 50mm 1:1 f/2.8 Macro

Canon 90mm f/2.8 Tilt Shift

Canon 35mm f/2.8 1:2 Macro

Patent Publication No. 2011-107313
Published 2011.6.2
Filled 2009.11.16

50mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro

• Focal distance f=50.20mm
• Fno=2.90
• Half angle of view 23.32 deg.
• Image height 21.64mm
• Lens length 84.64mm
• Back focus 40.01mm
• Macro -0.950x

90mm f/2.8 Tilt Shift

• Focal distance f=90.40mm
• Fno=2.90
• Half angle of view 17.90 deg.
• Image height 29.20mm
• Lens length 117.18mm
• Back focus 65.43mm
• Macro -0.480x

35mm f/2.8 1:2 Macroa

• Focal distance f=35.20mm
• Fno=2.90
• Half angle of view 31.58 deg.
• Image height 21.64mm
• Lens length 102.44mm
• Back focus 40.10mm
• Macro -0.480x

cr

Lenses [CR2]

What’s not coming
All the patents for DO lenses has sparked some questions. I’m told that no DO lenses are planned for the near future.

What is coming?
From a decent source, this is claimed to be the roadmap. Timing of this stuff is still up in the air. You just have to look at the delays of the new lenses until March to see nothing is ever written in stone.

There will be an abundance of “speciality” lenses. I can see it happening, you’re not going to sell that many tilt shift lenses, so production is less of an issue.

Tilt Shifts
Both the TS-E 45 and TS-E 90 will be updated in 2011. Availability may not be until 2012. Both lenses will be L.

Macro
A new long Macro is coming. It may not be 180mm, but it will be an L. An EF-S macro with the hybrid IS will also appear.

More L’s?
There’s nothing to add about the usual suspects for replacement. We all know what’s been talked about countless times.

A wide angle f/4L with IS is “definitely coming”.

Bodies?
Nothing on bodies at the moment.

Lots of murmurs about an entry level full frame camera. Nothing concrete and this idea pops up every so often.

Lens Rentals Used Gear Sale
LR still has a few used lenses for Canon. I’m surprised to see 70-200 f/2.8L IS version 1′s in stock. A 10-22 at $599 is still available. It’s a fantastic lens!

Visit LensRentals.com

cr

This & That

The Future of EOS Lenses
Busted!

As I mentioned in “CR’s Take”, it didn’t seem overly viable.

A CR2-3 source has been telling me another non L EF prime is on the close horizon.

1Ds Mark IV
The first words about the camera in a while came in today. It was suggesting the camera would be a post Photokina camera.

New Video Camera Format
2 folks have said a new interchangeable lens video camera would be shown at Photokina. Canon has paid close attention to Sony & Panasonic.

EVIL (Eletronic Viewfinder Interchangable Lens)
There’s something on the horizon from Nikon. However, Canon will be the last to the party.

I have a funny feeling that whenever Canon enters the segment, they’ll be the first one to do it 100% right. Or am I kidding myself?

Before you ask; Yes, I like the “EVIL” acronym.

cr

Lenses, Lenses, Lenses [CR1]

More reports of what’s coming in glass
We’ve already seen information for 2 lenses that are highly anticipated as well as expected.

The ever popular EF 24-70 f/2.8L IS  and EF 60 f/2.8 IS Macro .

There is a report today at NL of an EF 200 f/4L IS Macro coming down the immediate pipe as well.

It would make a lot of sense to have the entire macro lineup redone (outside of the 50 compact Macro). That’ll be Canon set for the next 10 years.

cr

More 60D Conflicting Information [CR1]

60D Specs
18mp
Slightly different form factor than 50D.
No articulating screen
6.5fps
New AF System

Expect an announcement during the 3rd week of August

EF 60 f/2.8 IS Macro
This lens will be released at the same time. Notice it’s not EF-S.

EF 24-70 f/2.8L IS
I’m told the testing phase of the lens is complete and manufacturing will start in the next 30 days.

Announcement in August.

cr