Sigma has announced 28mm F1.4 and 40mm F1.4 Fullframe E-mount Art lenses and a 56mm F1.4 APS-C E-mount lens

Sigma 28mm F1.4 DG HSM FE Art Lens
The new Sigma wide-angle model stands out with its thoroughly corrected magnification chromatic aberration and sagittal coma flare, as well as completely minimized distortion thanks to its optical design. It features water- and oil-repellent coating on the front lens element and its overall dust- and splash-proof structure ensures excellent performance even in the most challenging shooting conditions. The high-speed AF, thanks to the HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) with an updated algorithm, captures the perfect moment instantly. Available in Sigma, Nikon, Canon and Sony E camera mounts, this lens is a great contender for street photography, as well as shooting landscapes and night skies.

Pricing and availability will be announced later.

Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM FE Art Lens
The 40mm F1.4 DG HSM Art is Sigma’s first lens developed originally to live up to the sought-after angle of view and performance standard for a benchmark cine lens. This lens effectively arranges three FLD (“F” Low Dispersion) glass elements and three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements to correct axial chromatic aberration and magnification chromatic aberration. Designed for exceptional sharpness at maximum aperture, this lens excels at available light photography. With less than 1% distortion and near non-existent sagittal coma flare, this lens demonstrates consistent optical results featuring both 8K-compatible resolution and a beautiful bokeh. It is available for Sigma, Nikon, Canon and Sony E mount camera systems.

Pricing and availability will be announced later.

Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary APS-C Lens for Sony E
This lens completes the Sigma large aperture series of portable wide-angle, standard, and telephoto prime lenses in Micro Four Thirds and Sony E mounts. Featuring compact design, light weight and outstanding image quality offered in Sigma’s Contemporary line, this lens stuns with a beautiful bokeh effect and the amount of brightness expected from F1.4 lenses even in the mid-telephoto range for cropped sensor cameras. In addition, this lens is characterized by smooth and quiet autofocus ideal for video shooting. Compatible with the Sony E mount Fast Hybrid AF, it also achieves precise AF tracking. By using the face recognition or eye AF functions of the camera, focus will continuously be on the face or the eye even if the subject moves during the shoot.

Pricing and availability will be announced later.

At today’s Photokina press conference, Sony announced they will soon release TWELVE new E-Mount lenses bringing the total E-mount lens lineup to SIXTY.

My guess is that “soon” means “within the next year” and this may be a mix of FE and APS-C lenses. While no specific lenses were mentioned, this is certainly good news for Sony shooters. Let me know in the comments what lens you’re hoping Sony will announce next.

Sony also announced that engineers are working to extend Eye AF to animals which should come as welcome news to pet and wildlife photographers.

Ultimate Guide to Fullframe E-Mount Lenses

And then there were four… Leica, Panasonic and Sigma have announced a strategic partnership that will release a fullframe mirrorless camera designed around Leica L-Mount coming in 2019.

L-Mount Alliance: Strategic cooperation between Leica Camera, Panasonic and Sigma

One day before the official launch of photokina 2018, Leica Camera AG, Panasonic and Sigma announced a strategic partnership at the company’s press conference. The “L-Mount Alliance” is an unprecedented way of working together and will be particularly beneficial to the customers of the three companies. It allows Panasonic and Sigma to use the L-mount standard developed by Leica for their own developments and thus also offer cameras and optics with this lens mount. Through the joint efforts of the three partners, the alliance will significantly contribute to the importance of the L-Mount standard for the world of photography

Due to their numerous interchangeable components, system cameras allow a very flexible use and can be individually configured according to requirements. The bayonet is the most important interface, as the lens has a significant impact on the imaging performance and therefore on the final image quality. The strategic partnership between Leica, Panasonic and Sigma will allow customers to use a wider range of cameras and lenses in the future without compromising on so far to have to specify individual manufacturers, because they use propriety bayonets.

Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board and majority shareholder, Leica Camera AG: “Photographers are extremely important for their chosen camera system. Particularly in the increasingly growing market for mirrorless system cameras, there is an ever-increasing variety of different requirements on the part of the users. In order to be able to meet these requirements at short notice, we have decided to work together with renowned partners from the photographic industry.

With Panasonic we have many years of partnership and trusting cooperation and their expertise in electronics is undisputed. Sigma is also a respected company, which has established itself particularly in the field of optical development and with its innovative products, a perfect complement to our existing L-Mount portfolio can. We believe that together with our partners, we can achieve mutual and sustainable growth for all our products.”

Mr. Tetsuro Homma, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Panasonic Corporation, said: “Panasonic’s focus has always been to revolutionize the camera market and make photographers’ lives easier, more advanced, and more enjoyable. Our long-standing partnership with Leica has resulted in numerous high-performance, high-end digital cameras, combining Leica’s leading optical technology with Panasonic’s digital technologies. This partnership has enabled us to drive the development of excellent digital photography products. The L-Mount alliance with Leica and Sigma is a prime example of the power of our collaboration. This alliance of strong companies will fundamentally change the future of the photography industry. As a market challenger, we have always driven innovation with the slogan ‘Changing Photography’ to meet the high expectations of professional photographers. OurPartnering with Leica and Sigma will provide additional business opportunities for our companies, but above all, it will continue to bring great pleasure to our customers in photography.”

Mr.Kazuto Yamaki, Chief Executive Officer, SIGMACorporation: “As cameras evolve toward digital and mirrorless, user and system requirements have also changed. Currently, there is an almost overwhelming choice of different systems that, however, do not yet meet all the needs of users, especially in terms of extensibility and flexibility. SIGMA joins this alliance to develop mirrorless cameras that benefit from the flange distance. As SIGMA seeks to develop high-quality and innovative high-performance products, this alliance will greatly enhance both the implementation and expandability of our camera system, significantly increasing the value to our customers. Leica is a great company and has had a significant impact on photography for more than 100 years, and Panasonic is a leader in many different areas because of its proven track record. Combined with SIGMA’s high quality, high performance and unique products, the L-Mount will become an extremely attractive system for potential users.”

About the L-mount

The L-Mount was developed by Leica Camera to provide customers with a future-proof, flexible, robust and precise bayonet that will meet even the most demanding photographic requirements. After its initial launch in 2014 in the Leica T, the L-Mount has been continuously developed by Leica Camera and its partners, resulting in improved and quasi-new L-Mount technology.

For the widest possible variety of products, the diameter of the L-mount was dimensioned at 51.6 millimeters, making it suitable not only for full-frame cameras but also for APS-C sensors. The small footprint of only 20 millimeters allows for a small distance between optics and sensor, making lenses much more compact – particularly useful for wide angle development. To withstand even the heaviest loads and to guarantee maximum safety for customers over many years of intensive use, camera bayonets become wear resistant Stainless steel and with four flange segments, which prevents tilting and ensures a particularly firm and flat fit of the lens. The standardized L-Mount contact strip ensures smooth communication between the electronic components in the lens and the camera, including the possibility of firmware updates for lenses, in order to react to technical developments and thus ensure full performance in the future.

Currently, the Leica SL system in full format and the APS system with camera models Leica CL, TL2 and TLde use the lens mount. All the optics of the different systems can be operated without restrictions and without adapters on all cameras – here is already one of the many advantages that customers have through the unified bayonet.In the near future, both the Leica CameraAG, as well as Panasonic and Sigma announce other products using the same standard.

Sony a7 III cameras are In-Stock Now in the USA! ($1,998 at B&H Photo)

ORDER NOW

Tether Tools has announced ONsite Power Solutions which utilize the power of TSA-safe D-Tap Batteries to provide portable on-site power for laptops, monitors and LED ligthing.

Press Text

Tether Tools Introduces New Power Solutions at Photokina

Phoenix, Ariz. – (September 24, 2018) – Tether Tools, an innovative manufacturing company of photography and videography solutions, introduces ONsite Power, a suite of portable power solutions that harness the power of D-Tap batteries to charge AC and USB powered devices such as laptops, camera batteries, LED monitors & lights, tablets, phones and more — wherever power is needed.

ONsite Power is a travel-friendly, long-lasting, and versatile power solution made possible by the ONsite D-Tap to AC Power Supply. When paired with any standard D-Tap battery, the ONsite Power Supply provides two AC outlets and four fast-charging USB ports to keep photographers and videographers powered on the go.

With no TSA travel restrictions, the ONsite D-Tap to AC Power Supply is designed for easy travel and provide a versatile power source anywhere in the world.

The ONsite D-Tap to AC Power Supply and ONsite D-Tap Battery with V-Mount can also seamlessly integrate with the Tether Table Aero Laptop mounting system with the help of the new ONsite Aero V-Mount. The streamlined solution secures the ONsite system to the Tether Table Aero, powering a laptop during long shoots while keeping a safe and secure work environment.

“With the ONsite D-Tap to AC Power Supply and accessories, Tether Tools is proud to provide a robust, versatile solution for photographers, videographers, and digitechs to keep their laptop powered, charge up camera batteries and other gear on location. Running out of power on set simply isn’t an option in today’s time-sensitive and demanding world. Whether someone is on location in their hometown or traveling for an assignment, this is a product they can pack into their kit without hesitation.” said Josh Simons, Tether Tools President.

The ONsite D-Tap to AC Power Supply will be available as either a U.S. 110V or Universal 220V version. The ONsite Power Solutions will debut at the Tether Tools booth at photokina, September 26-29 in Hall 2.1 Stand B028. The complete system and accessories will be globally available through Tether Tools’ authorized resellers and at https://www.tethertools.com in November 2018.