Two more new Sigma lenses: Sigma APO 50-150mm F2.8 II EX DC HSM and Sigma APO 70-200mm F2.8 II EX DG MACRO HSM
Sigma APO 70-200mm F2.8 II EX DG MACRO HSM
Sigma has updated their ever popular 70-200mm f/2.8 HSM lens. I’ve got the first-gen DG version and love it. The decreased minimum focusing distance on the macro versions makes it even better. Features include:
- Improved optical performance with a minimum focusing distance of 100cm/39.4in and maximum magnification of 1:3.5
- Two SLD and three ELD glass elements provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations
- Super multi-layer coating reduces flare and ghosting
- HSM ensures quiet, high speed autofocus with full time manual focusing
- APO Tele Converter is available
This large aperture zoom lens has improved optical performance and retains close-up ability with a minimum focusing distance of 100cm/39.4in and maximum magnification ration of 1:3.5. This lens is suitable for taking all type of subjects such as portraits, landscape, and close-up pictures. Two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) and three ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass elements provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range. The super multi-layer coating reduces flare and ghosting. This lens incorporates HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), which ensures a quiet and high-speed AF as well as full-time manual focusing capability. The lens design incorporates an inner focusing and inner zooming systems. The overall length of the lens does not change during focusing and zooming, ensuring convenient handling. A removable tripod collar (TS-21) is included as a standard component.
When this lens is used with the optional 1.4x EX DG APO or 2x EX DG APO Tele Converters, it becomes a 98-280mm F4 AF telephoto zoom lens or a 140-400mm F5.6 AF telephoto zoom lens respectively.
Sigma APO 50-150mm F2.8 II EX DC HSM
Sigma has announced a new version of the popular 50-150mm f/2.8 HSM lens. This large aperture telephoto zoom lens is designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras with APS-C size sensors and its compact, lightweight body provides freedom of movement and versatility.
- Compact, lightweight, large aperture telephoto zoom lens
- SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements and the super multi layer lens coating assured high image throughout the entire zoom range
- The new lens design ensures high image quality at the minimum focusing distance of 100cm/39.4 in.
- Equipped with HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) with full-time manual focus override
- Compatible with Sigma 1.4x EX DG and 2x EX DG APO Tele-Converters
The minimum focusing distance of 100cm/39.4in. and the high-resolution power layout have improved the strength of the lens in close-up photography. This lens offers a large aperture of F2.8 and its large depth of field offers greater freedom of creative expression. It has a maximum aperture of F2.8. Four SLD glass elements are used for maximum correction of chromatic aberrations. The super multi-layer lens coating reduce flare and ghosting and ensure sharp images throughout the entire zoom range.
The lens design incorporates an inner focusing and inner zooming system. As the overall length of the lens does not change during focusing and zooming, convenient handling is ensured. The HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) system allows quiet and high-speed auto focusing with full time manual focus override by just rotating the focusing ring.
The addition of the optional 1.4x EX DG APO or 2x EX DG APO Tele Converters produce a 70-210mm F4 AF tele-zoom lens and a 100-300mm F5.6 AF ultra-telephoto zoom lens respectively.
Two new Sigma lenses for APS-C sensors announced: 10mm F2.8 EX DC FISHEYE HSM and 4.5mm F2.8 EX DC CIRCULAR FISHEYE HSM hopefully for Canon EOS
Sigma 10mm F2.8 EX DC FISHEYE HSM
- Fisheye lens designed specifically for APS-C digital SLR cameras
- 13.5cm minimum focusing distance and 1:3.3 maximum magnification allows close up
photography - Equipped with HSM allowing full-time manual focus override
- Equisolid angle projection system is possible for art and scientific use
The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 10mm F2.8 EX DC FISHEYE HSM lens.
This autofocus fisheye lens is designed for use with digital SLR cameras equipped with APS-C size image
sensors. The Nikon version produces a diagonal angle of view of 180° (154° for Sigma, 167° for Canon).
The diagonal field of view of this fisheye lens produces striking images with exaggerated perspective and
distortion. The minimum focusing distance of 13.5cm/5.3inch, and maximum magnification 1:3.3 allows
subjects to be as close as 1.8cm/0.7inch from the lens’ front element. This close focusing capability allows
close-up photography and also it is possible to make use of large depth of field that covers wide range of
subjects. The Integral hood blocks out extraneous light and the Super Multi-Layer Coating minimizes flare
and ghosting, creating superior image quality. The HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) ensures fast and quiet
autofocusing and allows full-time manual focus override by rotation of the focus ring. This lens is supplied
with a gelatin filter holder at the rear, allowing the use of gelatin filters.
Sigma 4.5mm F2.8 EX DC CIRCULAR FISHEYE HSM
- The first 180 degree circular fisheye lens designed specifically for APS-C size digital SLR cameras
- Fast F2.8 maximum aperture making it ideal for low light photography
- Minimum focusing distance of 13.5cm and a maximum magnification of 1:6
- SLD glass minimizes color aberration
- Equipped with HSM with full-time manual focus override
- Equisolid angle projection method is possible for art and scientific use
The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 4.5mm F2.8 EX DC CIRCULAR
FISHEYE HSM lens.
This autofocus circular fisheye lens has an angle of view of 180 degrees in all directions. It is exclusively
designed for digital SLR cameras with the APS-C size image sensor. When used in conjunction with digital
SLRs with APS-C size image sensors, it produces circular image within the frame.
The F2.8 large aperture value produces a bright image in the viewfinder and allows photographers to take pictures in low light conditions, making it an ideal lens for Astrophotography and Aurora photography. Due to the quantifiable angle/area relationship it produces, this lens can be used for scientific and arts applications such as solid angle measurements of cloud distribution over the sky or vegetation distribution of the forest.
The minimum focusing distance of 13.5cm/5.3inch and maximum magnification of 1:6 make it particularly
useful for close-up photography. SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass provides effective compensation of
chromatic aberration. Sigma’s Super Multi-Layer Coating minimizes flare and ghosting. It is equipped with
an inner focusing system that creates high definition and good image quality over the whole frame. The HSM ?Hyper Sonic Motor? ensures fast and quiet autofocusing and allows full-time manual focus override by rotation of the focus ring.
Hopefully both of these will make there way onto Canon’s APS-C sized DSLRs like the EOS 40D, 30D, 20D, 400D (Digital Rebel XTi ), 350D (Digital Rebel XT), 300D (Digital Rebel). These would be a great addition to the lens selection for these bodies, and usually at a price break over a Canon alternative. What remains to be seen is the quality, so we’ll watch for those reviews to come shortly after release.
Photozone.de reviews Canon EF TS-E 90mm f/2.8
Check out the full review here.
If you don’t know what a Tilt Shift lens is:
The Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 is one of the more unusual lenses in the Canon lens lineup - it is one of three tilt-shift (TS) lenses.
Shift lenses allow you to compensate perspective distortions (converging verticals) by shifting the optical path off its horizontal axis. By doing so the projected image (rectangle) on the film/sensor plane gets distorted to a trapezoid negating the original effect. You may argue that you can also apply perspective correction via an imaging application these days. This may be true but you’re doing so at cost of image quality because a stretched image portions rely on interpolated data.
Unlike most other shift lenses Canon TS-E lenses also offer a tilt feature allowing to alter the focus plane. On normal lenses the focus plane is parallel to the film/sensor plane. By tilting the lens you can coincide the focus plane to the layout of your main subject in your scene which may not be parallel to the film/sensor plane (Scheimpflug effect). This way you can optimize your depth-of-field although you’re not increasing it. If you tilt and/or shift the lens it has quite a bizarre look.
And the verdict is a good one, these lenses are usually built very well.
The Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 is an interesting lens for those seeking the maximum of perspective and depth-of-field control - at a price of around ~1250 US$/€. Technically the lens is about as good as it gets including excellent resolution, absent CAs and zero distortions. When choosing neutral TS settings the lens shows only marginal vignetting at f/2.8 but the more you push the TS feature to the max the problem increases accordingly (1.5EV at the most extreme setting). The build quality is exceptionally high. A drawback by design is the lack of an AF motor so you’ve to rely on your manual focusing skills here.
Check it out!
Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS and 800mm f/5.6L IS in development!
A press release from Canon here talking about these two new lenses.
CANON U.S.A. TO EXHIBIT TWO NEW TELEPHOTO LENSES UNDER DEVELOPMENT AT PHOTOPLUS EXPO
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., October 15, 2007 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announced the development of two all-new telephoto lenses for use with its EOS SLR cameras: the EF200mm f/2L IS USM*/** and the EF800mm f/5.6L IS USM*/**. The Company will exhibit prototypes of the new lenses at PhotoPlus Expo (booth #318), taking place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, October 18 to 20.
The new Canon EF200mm f/2L IS USM and EF800mm f/5.6L IS USM, both of which are L (luxury)-series lenses incorporating a high-performance Image Stabilizer, feature optical systems utilizing special optical materials such as fluorite to correct chromatic aberrations, making possible high-resolution, high-contrast shooting performance.
The Canon EF200mm f/2L IS USM, targeting users who seek a brighter lens for portraiture and indoor sports photography, realizes a large aperture of f/2. The EF800mm f/5.6L IS USM, expected to deliver telephoto performance surpassing the current top-of-the-line EF600mm f/4L IS USM super telephoto lens, is being developed in response to requests from users working in the fields of sports and news photography who are looking for a high-performance lens that offers a longer focal length.
“These new lenses demonstrate that Canon is continuing to respond actively and flexibly to the wide-ranging needs of professional and advanced amateur users, with the aim of contributing to the expansion of photographic possibilities for SLR cameras,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. “Canon’s EOS System is the premier brand of Digital SLR cameras, and we take great pride in offering the world’s largest selection of interchangeable autofocus lenses.” ***
As these new lenses are currently under development, pricing and availability information is not yet available.
I can’t wait to see the pricing, and the (hopefully) downward pressure on some existing glass.
Here’s the direct links to the large size images of the lenses:
200/2L IS : here
800/5.6L IS: here
A couple new EF and EF-S mount lens reviews
Here are a few new interesting review of 3rd party EF and EF-S mount lenses, from Photozone
- Sigma AF 70mm f/2.8 EX DG macro (Canon) review
- Tamron AF 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II LD AL [IF] macro review
- Tokina AF 100mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro D macro (Canon) review
The Tamron 18-250 looks like a great new version of the older hyperzoom. It looks actually useable! The two macro lenses from Sigma and Tokina add some good choices to the macro range.
Canon PMA 2007 Photos
Dpreview.com has some pictures from this year’s PMA show from the Canon booth and all their new products, including the 1D mk3, the 16-35mm f/2.8 L II and the 580EX II Speedlite.
Here’s a quick list of the new products:
- Canon EOS-1D Mark III (Feb 22)
- Canon EF 16-35 mm F2.8L II (Feb 22)
- Canon Speedlite 580EX II (Feb 22)
- Canon Original Data Security Kit OSK-E3 (Feb 22)
- Canon Wireless Transmitter WFT-E2 (Feb 22)
- Canon PowerShot TX1 (Feb 22)
- Canon Digital ELPH SD1000 (Feb 22)
- Canon Digital ELPH SD750 (Feb 22)
- Canon PowerShot A570 IS (Feb 22)
- Canon PowerShot A560 (Feb 22)
- Canon PowerShot A550 (Jan 18)
- Canon PowerShot A460 (Jan 18)
- Canon PowerShot A450 (Jan 18)
I think that’s it for this year, so no replacements for the 30D and 5D, or the 1Ds mk2 as some people predicted.
Canon’s FOV Crop quick table
Here is a quick list of all the Canon EOS Digital SLRs and their Field Of View Crop. 1.0x is Full Frame, and equal to Film.
1.0x:
- Canon 1Ds
- Canon 1Ds Mark II
- Canon 5D
1.3x
- Canon 1D
- Canon 1D Mark II
- Canon 1D Mark II N
- Canon 1D Mark III
1.6x
- Canon D30
- Canon D60
- Canon 10D
- Canon Digital Rebel / 300D
- Canon 20D
- Canon Digital Rebel XT / 350D
- Canon 30D
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi / 400D
That is the full listing I think for Canon branded bodies.
New Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Review
Photozone has updated their review of Canon’s EF 100 mm 2.8 Macro lens. Here’s their conclusion:
“The old EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens had a superb reputation but Canon managed to keep up the performance of the USM successor despite of the introduction of a true IF design allowing to keep a constant lens length throughout the focus range. Mechanically this is a drastic improvement due to the absence of any moving outer parts that could suck in dust or wear out more easily. On top of that the USM implementation in this lens is excellent - compared to conventional macro lenses in this range it is a speed daemon here and a near silent one. Optically the lens resides on a very high level with little to nothing to be desired. HIGHLY recommended!”
This is a great lens either for Portrait or Macro use and with a USM motor will AF quickly. Be sure to check out the review if you are thinking of picking up this lens.