The next two Photokina dates: 26-29 September 2018 and 8-11 May 2019

Dpreview had a chat with Photokina manager Christoph Menke. The event is going to broaden their coverage to new kind of topics like augmented reality software and so on. Digital Photography will still be the “main thing” but it certainly will no more be the “only thing” at the show.

What we also learned is that the next two event dates are:
26-29 September 2018
8-11 May 2019

The next German lens hits Kickstarter: Emil Busch Glaukar 3.1 Lens

Seems like its big business today to re-make old German lenses :)

The Emil Busch Glaukar 3.1 Lens will be available MFT, Sony E, Fuji X and Leica mounts. You can buy the lens for $749 on Kickstarter. Here is the press text:

Reinventing the Legendary Emil Busch Glaukar 3.1 Lens

More than 100 years after the Emil Busch Glaukar 3.1 was introduced as one of the most important lenses of its time, two top German photographers have reinvented this classic as a modern portrait lens that promises to be as innovative as the original. The pair has partnered with well-known optical engineer Wolfdieter Prenzel on this project in which production will mostly take place in Wetzlar, Germany, to ensure the highest quality.

Fashion photographer Benedikt Ernst and portrait photographer Firat Bagdu launched a Kickstarter campaign today to bring the Glaukar 97mm f/3.1 into the modern age.

The new Glaukar 3.1 will have the same brass appearance and silhouette as the original but will be constructed from high-end aluminum with a brass-like oxidation, which ensures the durability and mechanical precision of a modern lens. But while the new lens will look very much like the classic, the inside has been redesigned by Prenzel, completely from scratch to meet today’s high-tech demands.

But due to its specially coated lenses the new Glaukar produces a fascinating mixture of sharpness, strong colors and, along with 12 aperture blades, wonderful bokeh effects.

Ernst and Bagdu, whose clients have included Rolls Royce, Redken, Chopard, to name a few, knew what qualities they wanted in a lens. They defined the principles and joined with lens designers and manufacturers in Germany to design the first prototype.

In fact, it was the success of one of their clients, German lens maker Meyer Optik, that inspired them to start their own project. Meyer Optik has even put the pair together with key German camera contacts in Wetzlar to help support the founders.

So, while the pair are a startup, they are backed by years of industry experience.

“We have seen some campaigns in the past where old lenses were brought back for the users of today’s cameras and appreciated them, but we wanted to go further and recreate a lens that would otherwise be lost,” Bagdu said.

“But at the same time, the quality of the lens must be to the highest standards as well,” Ernst added. “Therefore, we are glad that we could ensure cooperation with some leading German firms.”

Manufacturing will be done to a large extent by Uwe Weller Feinwerktechnik in Wetzlar, which was formed from the merger of several firms, including the mechanical divisions of Leica Camera and Zeiss-Hensoldt. The partnership with Uwe Weller GmbH will ensure that the high-precision elements of the lens will be produced precisely to Prenzel’s design, which will include the use of top-of-the-line Schott and O’Hara glass.

The exclusive use of Schott and O’Hara glass ensures that the goal of creating the perfect portrait lens is put into practice exactly as intended.

Part of their inspiration came from the legendary Glaukar 3.1 that pioneer German lens maker Emil Busch introduced in 1910. The original Glaukar was a groundbreaking lens because it corrected for spherical aberration, coma and astigmatism – something that no other lens in daily use could do at the time. Not even Zeiss and its famed lens maker Paul Rudolph had been able to match the Glaukar since their designs required coatings not available at the time.

To see the media kit, including sample images, go to http://bit.ly/2u1Rh5b

The modern Glaukar will come in the following mounts:
Nikon
Canon
Sony E
Fuji
Micro Four Thirds
Leica M
Leica T

Lens Specs
Focal length: 97mm
Maximum aperture: 1:3.1
Aperture range: 1:22
Image circle: 43mm
Field of view: 25°
Electronic contacts none
Closest focusing distance: 1.5 m
Filter thread: 37mm
Max diameter: length 73mm/80mm (DSLR), approx. 85mm mirrorless
Weight: 410 g

The Light L16 camera is now shipping

The Light L16 is finally shipping. The company wrote this on their blog:

After nearly four years of designing, prototyping, building, tweaking, improving, testing, and retesting, we are thrilled to announce that we started shipping the Light L16 camera to our pre-order customers today!

Let’s see if this is going to be a success!

Another step into a less Adobe dominated world: Macphun releases Luminar beta for Windows (for free)

There is really a big need for serious Adobe competition and it looks like ti’s finally happening on Windows systems too. Macphun free public beta version of their Luminar for Windows can now be downloaded here.

Macphun makes free public beta of Luminar for Windows available for download
Macphun debuts its first-ever software for the PC, heralding a new era of cross-platform solutions for photographers

San Diego, CA – July 13, 2017 — Macphun, the California-based developer known for delivering award-winning products for Mac, today launched the free public beta of its award-winning photo editor Luminar for Windows. To download the beta, please visit macphun.com/beta.

Luminar is a powerful photo editor designed to tackle anyone’s photography needs, from correcting challenging image problems to artful stylizing. Users can choose between levels of image processing complexity based on their experience, and adapt the workspace controls to their skill level, moving up to more advanced modes as they learn. Luminar works in non-destructive fashion and aims to take “work” from photo editing “workflow” for photographers worldwide.

In April, only 5 months after its launch, Luminar for Mac won the prestigious TIPA award for Best Imaging Software 2017. This all-in-one photo editor is a cutting-edge solution for creating fascinating images without extra hassle. Luminar includes over 300 robust tools that make fixing, editing and perfecting a photo as easy as moving a slider.

“We are thrilled to release our first PC product today and give photography enthusiasts around the world the first taste of our best-selling Mac product,” said Kevin La Rue, Vice-President at Macphun. “By test-driving Luminar for Windows, beta testers can help shape our software and make the final release a perfect fit for everyone,” concluded La Rue.

The public beta is free of charge and already matches some of the most important features of Luminar, such as the newest and most advanced tool developed by Macphun’s Research and Development Lab – the Accent AI Filter, powered by artificial intelligence technology. The filter allows anyone to create stunning images with a single slider, substituting for dozens of traditional controls like shadows, highlights, contrast, tone, saturation, exposure, details and many others.

Admittedly, several features from the Mac version of Luminar remain in development for the Windows platform, among them workspaces, plug-in integration, object removal, noise reduction, and more. As these are completed, the public beta will be updated regularly leading to a full cross-platform release late in 2017.

Key features of the Luminar for Windows public beta:

Adaptive user interface – Exactly matching the Mac version, the software adapts to the skill level and preferences of the photographer.
One-click presets – Over 50 pre-defined styles for every photography style.
Photo Editing Filters – Over 40 custom filters, each with built-in visual tips and a unique set of easy-to-use controls for correcting, enhancing and stylizing images.
RAW file conversion – Support for the latest RAW file libraries.
Non-destructive workflow – Edit without fear.

Recommended System Requirements – Windows 10, Core i5 2.2 or better, 8GB RAM, 1GB GPU RAM, SSD with 20+GB free space.

Software download here.