Five New EVIL lenses from Samsung

While Samsung has been working on its compact range, it hasn’t been slacking off on its interchangeable lens lineup either, with the company unveiling no less than five new lenses for its NX system.

The first camera using Samsung’s EVIL system, which uses interchangeable lenses and large sensors like dSLR’s, but forgoing a mirror and viewfinder for compact size, the NX10 originally launched with a standard zoom (18-55mm OIS / F3.5-5.6), tele zoom (50-200mm OIS / F4.0-5.6) and pancake lens (30mm / F2.0). The new lenses include an 18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6, 20mm ƒ2.8 pancake, 60mm ƒ2.7 macro, 20-50mm ƒ3.5-5.6, and an enormous 18-200mm OIS ƒ3.5-6.3.

The company also hinted that the recently announced NX10 won’t be the only EVIL product Samsung will be introducing this year.

“We know from our detailed research that what consumers want from their cameras is evolving – they’re looking for compact and stylish products of a high performance, while retaining a focus on value,” said .S J Park, CEO of Samsung Digital Imaging.  “We’ve reflected these demands throughout the development of our lens technology for the NX10 and forthcoming NX range.”

Two New Lenses in Nikon Stable

Nikon has unveiled two new additions to its lens lineup, introducing both the NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR, and the fixed-length 24mm f/1.4G ED.

The 16-35mm is the first ultra-wide angle lens of its kind with built-in vibration reduction, which suppresses camera shake to an equivalent of

up to four stops.  ‘Nano Crystal Coat’ technology and ED and aspherical lens elements have been utilised in its design. As an FX format lens, the 16-35mm zoom is intended to be used with Nikon’s D3-series and the D700 dSLRs, targeting sports, press and landscape shooters.

The new 24mm prime, also an FX format lens, has been created with photojournalists, architecture and landscape photographers in mind. It also uses Nano Crystal Coat technology on 12 elements in 10 groups, with two ED glass and two aspherical lenses for less distortion and aberration. It uses Nikon’s ‘silent wave motor’ for discreet autofocus, and boasts a fast maximum aperture of f/1.4.

Sony SAL70400G 70-400mm f/4-5.6 Zoom Lens – Review – 32

Professional sports photographer Michael Bradley tries out Sony’s new zoom lens

This new Sony zoom might suit photographers in search of a 400mm lens to add to their kits, but who don’t have the budget to shell out the big-bucks for an f2.8 prime lens. There are, however, a few catches.

On the plus side, this long zoom has the added benefit of built-in image stabilisation, which really is a great feature. It allowed me to easily take hand-held shots at 1/60 of a second at 400mm with impressive results.

During field testing I used the 70-400mm on a family trip to the zoo. I decided to only pack one lens, and the Sony’s versatility was impressive. I was very happy with some images, especially at 400mm, without having to lug around a cumbersome f2.8 prime lens.

On first impression the 70-400mm’s silver finish might look a little on the cheap side. Personally, I’m not a fan, but there’s no doubt it sets the lens apart from the more common black or white chassis.

It doesn’t seem to feel as sturdy or water tight as competing lenses from the other leading brands, either. Nor does it easily zoom from wide to full zoom in one easy motion, and there is a need to readjust your grip to finish the zooming from 70mm right through to 400mm.

The aperture of the lens is only f4-5.6, which means it is a bit slow to shoot night or indoor sports. This keeps both the price and size of the lens down, but will limit its use to keen amateurs and not the professional sports photographer.

The lens was also a little slow to lock on to its focus, while tracking fast-moving subjects was not the best. In fairness, this can be the case for a lot of zoom lenses, even some high-end, professional-level models.

I was very impressed with the sharpness of the lens when shooting wide open, with images captured at 400mm of a very high standard. The bokeh (out-of-focus blur) was less pleasing when compared to prime lenses, but then the price difference between the zoom and prime lenses is also unpleasant.

Although I’m not a big fan of zoom lenses, I was fairly impressed with this model, particularly keeping in mind its market: the serious amateur. Undoubtedly it’d be a great lens to have in a two-lens kit along with a 24-80mm. It would also be ideal for the likes of wildlife or travel photographers who need to keep the bulk of their kit to a minimum but still want a long lens at their disposal.

Personally, I’d be happy to take it on an overseas trip where space was at a premium, knowing that in the end, the results would be of a very high quality. n

Sony SAL70400G 70-400mm f/4-5.6 Zoom Lens – Specs

Manufacturer: Sony
Model: SAL70400G 70-400mm f/4-5.6 Zoom Lens
Lens Construction: 18 elements in 12 groups (2 ED glass elements)
Focal Length: 105-600mm (35mm equivalent)
Zoom Ratio: 5.7x
Maximum Aperture: f22
Minimum Aperture: f32
Minimum Focus Distance: 1.5m
Magnification: x0.27
Filter Diameter: 77mm
Supplied Accessories: Front and rear lens cap, lens hood, carrying case
Dimensions: 94.5 x 196mm
Weight: 1500g

CONTACT
www.sony.co.nz

PROS

• Versatile
• Built-in image stabilisation

CONS

• Slow to lock on to a subject
• Build quality could be improved

Design                      16
Performance             14
Features                   18
Image Quality           15
Value for money       15

TOTAL 78/100

This article is from D-Photo 32.

Canon lens production – part 3

Lens assembly

Canon lens production – part 2

Lens machining for optical lenses

Canon lens production – part 1

Material processing for optical lenses. Over 100 individual elements a re used

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24mm f3.5-4.5G ED Lens – Review – 31

Nikon has brought a serious wide-angle lens to its amateur dSLR range, framing NEW opportunities for DX-FORMAT owners, says Harley Ogier

Wide Angle

The NIKKOR 10-24mm lens is equivalent to 15-36mm in 35mm film terms. This is real-estate wide; not a distorted fish-eye perspective, but sufficiently wide to make the smallest of rooms appear spacious. With a focusing distance of down to 0.24cm across the zoom range, the lens can also be used for close-ups of large subjects. This is great for product photography — home theatre or stereo setups, trade show booths and so forth. I wish I’d had the NIKKOR 10-24mm lens the last time I photographed a craft fair setup, where the aisles are narrow and you have to be halfway inside of one booth to photograph another in its entirety.

Together with an 18-200mm zoom lens and any Nikon DX-format dSLR back, the amateur photographer could have an impressive three-piece kit that would cover almost any situation.

Construction

The lens comprises 14 elements in nine groups, including two ED (extra-low dispersion) glass elements and three aspherical lenses. This results in a relatively compact lens with extremely low distortion. I found no colour or perspective aberrations in any of my test shots, even right out in the periphery of images taken at the widest angle.

The lens looks and feels well constructed and is ergonomically designed. The zoom ring is large and rubberised, providing good grip. The focus ring is simply ridged plastic, which is still easy to turn.

There’s also a standard distance display in both feet and metres, which is omitted from some of the smaller and cheaper lenses out there. Like all of Nikon’s G series lenses, the NIKKOR 10-24mm has no aperture ring.

One thing notably missing is Nikon’s powerful vibration reduction feature, although given the focal length of the lens this is unlikely to be a major problem. I only had to toss away a few shots (out of several hundred) because of camera shake, and perhaps I was moving too fast for VR to have saved those images anyway.

Manual/Auto Focus

Instead of the usual choice of automatic or manual focus, the lens features either M/A (manual/automatic) or regular manual focus. The M/A mode allows a seamless transition from automatic to manual just by turning the focus ring. Doing so immediately overrides autofocus, even while focusing is in progress. This can be particularly helpful if you’ve just lined up a shot and have your eye to the viewfinder, only to find that the camera won’t focus. The M/A switch requires quite a bit of force to move, and could easily disrupt your careful framing. Being able to manually focus without the switch is surprisingly convenient.

Conclusion

The NIKKOR 10-24mm lens is an essential accessory if you’re looking to shoot wide, whether it’s real estate, scenery, products or portraits. While relatively pricey for the cash-strapped amateur, it’s a worthwhile investment that will add major functionality to a DX-format Nikon dSLR.

NIKON
 AF-S DX Zoom-
NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED – Specs

Manufacturer: Nikon
Model: AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 10-24mm f3.5-4.5G ED
RRP: TBA
Lens Construction: 14 elements in 9 groups (2 ED glass, 3 aspherical lenses)
Focal Length Range: 10-24mm
Compatible Formats: Nikon DX, Nikon FX (in DX Crop Mode)
Zoom Ratio: 2.4x
Maximum Aperture: 3.5
Minimum Aperture: 22
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.24mm (across entire zoom range)
Maximum Reproduction Ratio: 0.2x
Filter Attachment Size: 77mm
Supplied Accessories: Front lens cap, rear lens cap, bayonet hood, flexible lens pouch
Dimensions: 82.5 x 87mm
Weight: 460g

Contact

www.nikon.co.nz

PROS

• Wide angle
• Low distortion
• Manual/automatic focus mode

CONS

• No vibration reduction

Design                      18
Performance             20
Features                   17
Image Quality           18
Value for money       15

TOTAL     87/100

This article if from D-Photo issue 31.

The Imaging Resource at Photokina 2006: Tamron 18-250mm zoom

Tamron’s Peter Rosenthal introduces the company’s new 18-250mm SLR lens.

How to change a SLR lens

Tips and guide on how to change the lens on a SLR camera

New Nikon 300mm f/2.8

Lens releases don’t happen that often, so Nikon users will be pleased to hear that the company has been refining its optics, releasing the new (and fast) AF-S 300mm f/2.8 lens and the AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E III.

The Nikkor 300mm, often utilised in sports and wildlife photography, includes updated vibration reduction technology and optimised autofocus modes, which Nikon says will allow photographers to shoot four stops slower. It uses three Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements, Silent Wave Motor (SWM) technology for high-speed autofocus performance and quiet operation, and a ‘Nano Crystal Coat’ that prevents instances of ghosting and flare for even greater image clarity.

As an accompaniment to the long lens, the AF-S TC 20E III teleconverter, which effectively doubles the focal length of select lenses. It’s also the world’s first teleconverter to feature an aspherical element to virtually eliminate coma and other aberrations even at wide apertures.

Local pricing and availability are yet to be announced – stay tuned to D-Photo for details.