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Lensvid created that great Infographic explaining what happened in 2015. Lensvid also says what to expect from 2016:

• 2016 will be a better year for the photography market. With that said, we still expect the total number of cameras sold in 2016 to be below 30 million – or around 15% decrease compared to 2015.
• On the other hand, we expect more DSLR sales in 2016 – with a one digit increase, and more or less the same increase in mirrorless cameras.
• We are predicting that compact cameras will drop below 20 million and may even get close to 15 million (compared to 22 million in 2015).
• Finally, Looking a bit ahead in the next 2 years DSLRs and mirrorless cameras will have a bigger market share than compact cameras, which we are predicting – will become a niche market before the end of this decade.

This is surely the most unexciting announcement of this year so far. Panasonic just released the new GF8 which will go on sale in a few Asian countries only. You can read more about the camera at Dpreview and Photoreview. But there is really nothing that will make you put a smile in your face. I would rather go for the cheaper GF7 instead.

ZhongYi announced a new more compact and optically improved Mitakon 35mm f/0.95 lens. You can preorder it now at Adorama (Click here).

Press release:

Shenyang China, Feb 14, 2016 – Zhongyi Optics (ZY Optics) has released an improved version of their first f/0.95 lens, Zhongyi Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II. The mark II verison features a drastic improvement of sharpness, better control of chromatic abberations and much compact size. The new version comes with a Fuji X / Sony E / EOS-M mount and is able to cover the image circle of APS-C sized sensors.

Zhongyi Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II is a ultra-fast prime lens which provides a 35mm-equivalent focal length of around 53mm in APS-C cameras. A maximum aperture of f/0.95 makes it extremely convenient to shoot at a low light conditions without flash. The new optical design incorporates a 11 elements in 8 groups structure, including 1pc of Extra- low disperson elements, 2 pcs of Extra-high Refractive Index elements and 3pcs of High Refractive Index elements. This structure effectively improved the image resolution by 30% compared to the previous version from corners to corners. This also controls the chromatic abberations very well and deliver excellent image sharpness even at f/0.95.

The new Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 is light and compact. The total weight is reduced from 680g to 460g, making it an ideal companion for the compact mirrorless cameras. Manual focus design and a click-less, silent aperture ring promote smooth handling and are especially well-suited to video applications. The lens is built in metallic enclosure with additional protective process and finest finishing, which gives extra durability and aesthetic.

Pricing & Availability

Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 is now available to purchase at ZY Optics authorized resellers and at our official website (http://www.zyoptics.net/). The Recommended Retail price is USD 599.

Image samples can be download here: https://www.sendspace.com/file/f05v17

The Russian Magazine Rns.online reports that the Russian public company Rostec wants “to make it a luxury device, analogous to the Leica.”
I am yet not sure a “historical communist camera” can get suddenly become a “luxury product”. But I am curious how they will manage to achieve such a big change!

Maybe I should buy some [shoplink 301697 ebay]Zenit stuff on eBay[/shoplink] and wait until the price rises? :)

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via Petapixel via Photorumors