Good news from Sigma: Their new Full Frame Foveon sensor will be “ready” end of this year!

The Sigma CEO released an interview and said the following:

  • We are still in development and are working on a prototype of a three-layer Foveon X3 sensor.
  • This sensor should be available later this year
  • The Foveon X3 sensor is not a versatile sensor and has disadvantages such as dark performance
  • But when the amount of light is widespread, this camera can produce very beautiful and wonderful pictures.

via DClife

Don’t worry: The Sony A7rV is going to be on market by October

You remember that company named…”Sony”? Yeah that company that since autumn 2021 didn’t announce a single new camera model. I bet you forgot by now it existed :)

Well don’t worry folks, the long silence will soon be over! The A7rV is definitely going ot be on market by October. Not sure yet when the camera will be announced…likely September? There will be also a new ZV APS-C model and a new E-mount cine camera. But this isn’t something you were looking forward to get I guess…

Casio now makes those kind of weird cameras for the medical business

Casio has long withdrawn from the digital cameras business and it is currently developing and selling digital cameras for the medical field only. A brand new patent discloses the design of the “colpo camera” that was displayed as a prototype back in 2021.

This is camera made for obstetricians and gynecologists. with LED lights having different filters. Funny thing or not?

More about it at mynavi.jp

Venus Optics announced the World’s Widest Rectilinear Pancake: Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie lens for Nikon/Leica/Sony/Canon/Fuji mount

Venus Optics announced the new Laowa 10mm f/4.0 pancake lens (preorder here for $299).

Press text:

Venus Optics announces the launch of the new Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie Lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras. It is one of the world’s widest rectilinear pancake lenses for APS-C cameras. At a cookie size of 25mm(0.98”) long and weighing only 130g(0.29lbs), it literally can be put in your pocket. Most of the wide-angle pancake lenses on the market are either fisheye or pinhole. They usually have obvious barrel distortion and inferior image quality. However, this new Laowa Cookie Lens is equipped with a high-performance optical design, featuring super-low distortion and optimized image quality to ensure users take full advantage of the mirrorless system – compact and capable. Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie is a fun and mighty option for day-to-day content creators to carry around without burden, ideal for street, urban, landscape photography and everyday snapshots. The Lens has black and silver versions for multiple mounts including Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E, L mount and Fuji X to match with the camera body.

Key Features:

  • Extremely Compact and Lightweight
  • World’s Widest Rectilinear Pancake for APS-C
  • Super-low Distortion
  • High Optical Performance
  • Stunning 10-Point Sunstar
  • Close Minimum Focusing Distance
  • Built-in Filter Thread

Extremely Compact and Lightweight
Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie is a pancake-style lens specifically designed for APS-C mirrorless cameras. At just 25mm deep and weighing only 130g, you can use it with gimbals and shoot handheld easily. It’s almost like a body cap with function. With such discreet design and excellent portability, you will carry it anywhere and eventually shoot more.

World’s Widest Rectilinear Pancake
Featuring a remarkable 109.3° angle of view, Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie is by far the world’s widest rectilinear pancake lens for APS-C on the market. With the advantages of the ultra-wide perspective and pocket-sized weight, this lens brings you a burdenless experience to capture epic moments in everyday life and explore the beauty in our surroundings.

Super-low Distortion
Most pancake lenses with a wide perspective are fisheye so heavy Barrel distortion would be expected. However, the Laowa Cookie is here to break the norm. The lens has excellent control of optical distortion. The horizontal and vertical straight lines are retained from corner to corner. As an ultra-wide-angle lens, this is essential not only to reduce the post-editing time but also to expand the possibility of genres you can do with this lens, from street and outdoor photography to shape-edged architectures and spectacular landscapes.

High Optical Performance
Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie lens comes with 12 elements in 8 groups optical structure with 2 aspherical and 4 extra-low dispersion elements. Despite the light and compact design, the lens managed to deliver the impressive image quality and high contrast. The performance of chromatic aberration, flaring, and ghosting effects are optimized to support your day and night snapshots.

Stunning 10-point Sunstar
Built with 5 aperture blades, stunning 10-point Sunstar can be achieved easily when stop down.

Close Minimum Focusing Distance
The minimum focusing distance of Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie is 10cm, allowing you to get super close to the subjects and create interesting wide-angle macro-like shots with nice separation between the object and background.

Built-in Filter Thread
Equipped with a 37mm filter thread for you to use screw-in filters directly. It is very convenient and cost-saving as no additional filter holder is required.

Pricing & Availability
Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie is currently available to purchase via Venus Optics official website (http://www.venuslens.net/) and authorized resellers.
The US price for Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie is USD299 for all mounts. Pricing varies in different countries.

Third party lens makers love E-mount and will launch a total of five new autofocus lenses within in July/August

It’s summer time but third party lens manufacturers ain’t going on holiday! A total of five new autofocus lenses will be announced within August:

  • Tamron 50-400mm F / 4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD
    Release in July
  • Yongnuo 16mm f/1.8 FE lens
    Release in August
  • Tokina 11-18mm f/2.8 E
    APS-C autofocus lens
    67mm Filter thread
    micro USB port
    On market in September
  • Sigma 20mm F1.4 DG DN Art
    Lens configuration: 17 elements in 15 groups (2 SLD glasses, 3 aspherical lenses)
    Number of aperture blades: 11 (circular aperture)
    Minimum shooting distance: 0.23m
    Maximum shooting magnification: 1: 6.1
    Filter Diameter: 82mm
    Size: φ87.8 x 111.2mm (E-mount version 113.2mm)
    Weight: 635g (E-mount version 630g)
  • Sigma 24mm F1.4 DG DN Art
    Lens configuration: 17 elements in 14 groups (1 piece of SLD glass, 2 pieces of FLD glass, 4 pieces of aspherical lens)
    Number of aperture blades: 11 pieces (circular aperture)
    Minimum shooting distance: 0.25m
    Maximum shooting magnification : 1: 7.1
    Filter diameter:
    72mm Size: φ75.7 x 95.5mm (E-mount version 97.5mm)
    Weight: 520g (E-mount version 510g)