SLRgear test: Zeiss Otus 55mm beats Sigma 50mm ART only by a hair! And new 85mm Otus confirmed

Let’s talk about the best lenses you can use on your mirrorless cameras. On the video on top (minute 18:25) Zeiss confirms they will release a new 85mm f/1.4 Otus as next. But there is also another good news. If you want a Otus quality for a fourth of the price watch these tests at SLRgear:

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 review (Click here)

Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus review (Click here)

The Zeiss beats the Sigma ART only by a very small margin! Cannot wait Sigma to make more fast ART lenses with proper design for mirrorless cameras!

Sony A7s NAB coverage. Has stainless steel mount!

Here are a couple of videos and news from the NABshow in Las Vegas. From a mirrorless point of view the most interesting news is the Sony A7s Full Frame 4K camera. Actually it’s the first Full Frame 4K camera with true pixel readout (no pixel binning and line skipping).

Sony explained the camera cannot record 4K internally because of the too much power it would use because of the large FF sensor. And there would be heating issues too.

Interesting: The new A7s has also a new stainless steal mount. Wondering if that has been introduced also to fix the light leak issue on the mount…

First impression review at Imaging Resource. Sony Alpha 7s – Hands on Review by Den Lennie on Fstopacademy. A7s sites in different languages at Sony US, DE, UK, ES, FR, IT, NL, SE, FI, PL.

Sony A7s announced! Does 4K and 409.600 ISO.

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.

 

 

Ricoh launches the Pentax Q7 Premium Kit.

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.

First real world Leica T picture!

Leicarumors posted the first real world Leica T picture! And those should be the camera specs:

– APS-C sensor (likely 16 MP)

– Without rangefinder and without built-in EVF (uses optional EVF)

– interchangeable mount for T lenses.

– touchsreen, Wifi

– $3000 for camera + kit lens

Sounds expensive!

Sony will launch the A7s 4K Full Frame E-mount camera on Sunday!

Huge surprise on the Sony front. They will announce a new A7s Full Frame E-mount camera that can record 4K video to compete against the Panasonic GH4.

The announcement will take place in Las Vegas at 7pm on Sunday. Other specs are yet not known!

One more thing: it’s a safe bet to say they will unveil new FE lenses too!
 

Something unique to be announced by Sony soon…

We got words from trusted sources that Sony has some kind of unique surprise for all of us. It should be announced within the next couple of weeks. It is something that no camera manufacturer has done before…

What it is we don’t know. But that Sony does that kind of things is not impossible. They did the RX series, the A7 series and I can certainly expect something like a medium format camera from them too :)