Today Fuji announced plenty of new accessories. The most important addition is the TCL-X100 Tele Conversion lens for the X100/X100s series. It can alreayd preorderd at BHphoto (Click here).

There are also plenty of enw X-T1 accessories:

MHG-XT Metal Hand Grip for X-T1 on preorder at BHphoto (Click here). TheGB-001 Grip strap, the X-T1 Extended eyecup EC-XT and the X-T1 Cover kit CVR-XT (all not on preorder yet).

TCL-X100 Press Release

Fujifilm is proud to announce the launch of the TCL-X100, a tele-conversion lens designed specifically for the FUJIFILM X100 and X100S cameras. The lens attaches directly onto the camera and increases picture taking versatility by multiplying the fixed focal length by approx. 1.4×, converting it from 23mm (35mm in 35mm equivalent) to a 33mm fixed focal length (50mm in 35mm equivalent).

Superb optical quality and maximum versatility

This is Fujifilm’s second conversion lens for the X100 and X100S cameras and follows on from the WCL-X100 wide-conversion lens. Both conversion lenses offer Fujifilm’s supreme optical quality and are created by the same experts who designed the X100/X100S’s lens. The TCL-X100 delivers high image quality even at the F2.0 wide aperture setting, retaining the original optical characteristics. This optical excellence is underlined by the fact that the TCL-X100 is manufactured in Japan, allowing Fujifilm engineers to guarantee precision and quality in every component. The optical construction uses four premium glass elements in four groups to keep aberrations to a minimum and also employs Fujinon’s unique Super EBC coating for outstanding results.

Image processing optimizes picture quality

Achieving the very best results from the TCL-X100 is simple; just select the ‘Tele- Conversion Lens’ option in the FUJIFILM X100/X100S’s shooting menu. To enable this extra functionality, the camera must update the firmware(X100:ver2.10 or later /X100S:ver1.20 or later) which also allows the option to be selected via the function (Fn) button. If you select ‘Tele’ in the “Conversion Lens” option, the FUJIFILM X100 and X100S cameras automatically apply image processing to shots taken using the TCL-X100, reducing image distortion, ensuring balanced illumination across the frame and reducing chromatic aberration commonly found in tele-conversion lenses. In practice, the TCL-X100 enhances the functionality of the FUJIFILM X100/X100S. Its 14cm of minimum focusing distance enables you powerful macro photography and it is also compatible with the FUJIFILM X100/X100S’s hybrid viewfinder. With the optical viewfinder (OVF) selected, icons showing the edge of the frame are displayed, while selecting the electronic viewfinder (EVF) gives users a 100% field of view.

The perfect match for the FUJIFILM X100/X100S

The design of the TCL-X100 has been carefully considered to ensure it blends seamlessly with the look and feel of the cameras. It is manufactured using the same materials, textures, colors and finishes as the X100 and X100S. Available in two colors: silver and black

Fujifilm wide conversion lens TCL-X100: key features

• Approx. 1.4× magnification factor to convert X100/X100S lens to 50mm normal angle (35mm equivalent)
• All glass optical construction using four elements in 4 groups
• Fujinon Super EBC coating
• “Made in Japan” for optimum quality
• Available in silver and black

The members of the Photokina company presented these forecast slides at an event in Tokyo (Source: DC.watch). As you can see the overall camera market is shrinking. The good news is that mirrorless is expected to have a small growth while DSLR sales will remain stable. The compact camera market will keep shrinking while the major surprise is the big increase of the premium compact camera market!

Also interesting is the expected growth of non pure camera devices:

The camera world is deeply changing. I am wondering how the photography market will be in 5 years from now!

This is no joke: Today Nikon announced the J4 camera and you know what? They decided to not release the camera in USA! So it will be available in Europe and Asia only. Probably the reason behind that is that the US market is still “not mirrorless friendly”. Canon took a similar decision with their newest mirrorless camera.

Anyway, the new J4 has the same V3 18 MP sensor and an amazing Af system with 171 contrast and 105 pahse detect points.

More info at: Nikon, Dpreview, Image samples, Lemoundedelaphoto (French), Quesabesde (Spanish).

Sony US just announced the new 12 Megapixel Full Frame E-mount A7s camera. In short these are the bad and good news:

Bad:

– Unlike the Gh4 it doesn’t record 4K on SD cards. You have to buy and sue an external recorder to record 4K 4:2:2 video.

– Autofocus hasn’t been improved (why not add the amazing A6000 hybrid AF?).

Good:

– Low resolution sensor allows amazing 409,600 ISO.

– Sony says this si the FF sensor with the highest dynamic range and color fidelity

– Costs just like the Panasonic GH4 ($1699)

Full specs and details and image/video samples at SonyAlphaRumors.

Hardcore Pentax Q system fans can now buy that limited edition Q7 premium kit. This is the full press release:

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DENVER, CO, April 2, 2014 – Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation  (Ricoh Imaging) is pleased to announce the PENTAX Q7 Premium Kit, featuring the world smallest and lightest interchangeable lens camera system, four high-performance lenses and a host of accessories all wrapped up in an exclusive package.

Available in a limited quantity of 1,000 units world-wide, the PENTAX Q7 premium kit includes the following items:

PENTAX Q7 camera body (Color: black x black)
PENTAX-01 STANDARD PRIME (Color: black)
PENTAX-02 STANDARD ZOOM (Color: black)
PENTAX-06 TELEPHOTO ZOOM
PENTAX-08 WIDE ZOOM
MH-RB40.5 Metal Hood for 01 (Color: black)*
PH-RBB40.5 Plastic Hood for 02
PH-RBA40.5 Plastic Hood for 06
PH-RBF49 Plastic Hood for 08
PENTAX -100 PL Polarizing filter**
O-CB133 Camera Bag
Special kit box

Accessories: rechargeable lithium-ion battery, battery charger, AC power cord, USB cable, CD-ROM software, strap

* This hood is exclusively designed for the kit, and is treated with a special black coating.
** Usable on the 01, 02 and 06 lenses. The 02 lens may be affected by some vignetting at its wide-angle end when mounted on the Q7 camera body.

Note: The specifications of the camera body, lenses and accessories are identical with those of standard products.

Weighing in a just 7 ounces, the Q7’s compact body enables easy pocketable portability while the in-camera filters and assorted lens variety inspire the casual photographer to elevate their creativity.  Featuring a 1/1.7 inch, back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, high sensitivity shooting up to ISO 12800 and enhanced Q ENGINE with fast response time during start-up and shooting, the Q7 produces sharp and beautiful images with a creative flare.

Main Features

The PENTAX-01 Standard Prime and PENTAX-02 Standard Zoom lenses have been treated with a black coating identical to that used on the camera body, to enhance visual harmony.

The Metal Hood for 01 is treated with a special back coating that matches the color of the 01 lens.

The O-CB133 is a shoulder-bag-type camera case, which holds a Q7 camera body with the 02 lens mounted, and as many as five interchangeable Q-mount lenses.

The kit is packaged in a specially designed kit box.

Pricing and Availability

The limited edition PENTAX Q7 Premium Kit will be available at www.us.ricoh-imaging.com  in late April 2014 for a suggested retail price of $1,199.95.

If you look at the stats posted by Cipa you will see that compared to February 2013 this year Japanese companies shipped 33,7% more mirrorless cameras and 12,3% less DSLR cameras! After many months of negative trend the mirrorless shares are increasing again.

The data include DSLR and mirrorless camera shipped by Japanese companies. So these do not include Leica and Samsung for example. Doesn’t make a lot of difference as the big producers are all Japanese anyway.

Personal View analyzed the data in detail and you see how mirrorless sales are incredibly problematic on US market. Americans still love DSLR many times more than Mirrorless cameras :(

Imagine a sensor that has no light loss on corners, no aberrations. A sensor designed to allow faster apertures without to sacrifice image quality. Such a sensor would have to be curved to allow all this. Well, this is no more science fiction. Sony officially unveiled their curved sensor tech! And suddenly the hopes are high Sony uses this kind of tech on future RX or Full Frame E-mount cameras. This is the Sony presentation published right before the start of the Technology Symposium (pdf file here):

We realized an ultimately advanced imaging system that comprises a curved, back-illuminated CMOS image sensor (BIS) and integrated lens which doubles the sensitivity at the edge of the image circle and increases the sensitivity at the center of the image circle by a factor of 1.4 with one-fifth lower dark current than that of a planar BIS. Because the lens field curvature aberration was overcome in principle by the curved sensor itself, the curved BIS enables higher system sensitivity through design of a brighter lens with a smaller F number than is possible with a planar BIS. At the same time, we controlled the tensile stress of the BIS chip to produce a curved shape that widens the energy band-gap to obtain a lower dark current. The curved CIS can be applied to an ultimately advanced imaging system that is validated by the evolution of the animal eye in Nature.

If Sony is going to put this into a mass production camera…it will really put under pressure Canon and Nikon ;)