It’s official! Hasselblad announced the first digital medium format system camera with autofocus lenses! The presentation page is now online at hasselblad.com/x1d. The camera will ship in late August for 7,900 EUR / 8,995 USD / 5,990 GBP (exclusive of VAT). Here are the first preorder options:

Preorders:
The Hasselblad X1D-50c at BHphoto, Adorama and Calumet.de.
Hasselblad 90mm F/3.2 XCD Lens for XD1 at BHphoto, Adorama and Calumet.de.
Hasselblad 45mm F/3.5 XCD Lens for XD1 at BHphoto, Adorama and Calumet.de.

Key Specs
50MP CMOS medium format (43.8 x 32.9mm) sensor (8272 x 6200 pixels). Pixel well of 5.3 x 5.3 ?m
16-bit colour with up to 14 stops of dynamic range
ISO 100-25,600
3-inch 920K-dot touchscreen display
2.36MP XGA EVF
Dual SD slots, USB 3.0 Type-C, mini-HDMI, Audio In/Out
Wi-Fi and GPS
3200mAh battery
Hasselblad X1D body weight is 725g (including battery)

Great camera don’t you think? Now we have to see how Fuji’s answer will look like!

Geoff sent us this new press release about two special edition Trioplan lenses:

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Meyer-Optik Offers Hyper Limited Editions of the Trioplan f2.8/100 to Commemorate 100 Year Anniversary

Only 100 Titanium Lenses Available, Collectors Can Also Purchase One of 10 Golden Eye Editions

Atlanta, GA – May 21, 2016 — To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Trioplan lens, Meyer-Optik Goerlitz announced today a special series of its new Trioplan f2.8/100 lens, the Titanium edition. Only 100 titanium lenses are available to the public.  In addition, Meyer Optik has issued a second series of 10 special gold plated Golden Eye versions of the lens.

The special commemorative series celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the first Meyer Optik Trioplan. It was in 1916 that Hugo Meyer and Company announced the Trioplan, which soon became a legendary lens that helped establish the golden age of photography. Trioplan lenses became known for their trademark soap bubble bokeh, a look that many lenses and Photoshop enthusiasts still imitate.

“The revival of the Trioplan lenses series became even more special for us this year with the 100 year anniversary of the lens,” said Dr. Stefan Immes.  “Our new Titanium and Golden Eye edition is the ultimate collectors item with a titanium or real gold coating. The titanium edition not only commemorates the Trioplan brand, but also creates a lens that is suitable for the highest demand environments.”
Titanium anodizing gives the surface of the Trioplan f2.8/100 an even, all-over uniform look that is aesthetically unique and physically harder than a standard aluminum f2.8/100 lens.  This sanitary, additive-free finish allows the lens to retain its high corrosion resistance and ability to withstand high-temperature environments, providing hardening and unique coloring of lens components surface without its properties.
The resulting anodize titanium color is achieved without any dies or coatings, therefore the surface properties remain unchanged. Titanium anodization is increasingly used in the aerospace and high-tech markets.  Trioplan f2.8/100 Titanium buyers will get a superior lens that is much less likely to show signs of age and wear.
“As an macro and artistic flower photographer, I was searching for a new inspiration for my pictures with an even more sharp center and blurring surrounding the subject,” said professional photographer Susanne Nagle. “Through research I came across the Trioplan sense concept for making soap bubble bokeh. At first I wanted to buy an old lens, but decided to order the new Trioplan f2.8/100 lens on Kickstarter. I am delighted to use the lens, especially for flower pictures or in the shade of a tree that is blossoming.”

The special 100 commemorative editions will be strictly limited.  The 100 Titanium editions are available at $2499, and the 10 Golden Eye lenses are available for $3499 Pre-orders are currently being taken on the Meyer-Optik website.

The technical specifications of the Meyer-Optik Trioplan f2.8/100 include:
Optic construction as classic triplet (3 lenses/3 groups)
Focal distance: 100 mm
Maximum aperture: 1:2.8 continuous dimming to 1:22
Iris diaphragm with 15 aperture blades specifically constructed of steel segment belt and with special coating
View format: 24 mm x 36 mm (image circle diameter 44 mm)
View angle: 24°
Filter: M 52 x 0.75
Clip-on diameter: 54 mm
Mounts: M42, Canon, Nikon, Fuji X, Sony-E, MFT

About Meyer-Optik-Görlitz
A brand with a proud tradition and reputation for exceptional products, Meyer-Optik-Görlitz started manufacturing innovative, high-quality lenses in Germany in 1896.  In 2014, net SE revived the traditional spirit of the lenses once known throughout the world and started developing new lenses under the Meyer-Optik-Görlitz brand in Germany. Manufacturing handmade lenses started in 2015 with first generation prototypes.  Serial production began in early 2016.
In May 2015, net SE (http://www.netag.de) created a new subsidiary, Meyer-Optik USA Inc. headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Meyer-Optik USA is online at http://www.meyer-optik-goerlitz.com and on Facebook and Twitter.

Panasonic just announced the new Leica 12mm f/1.4 Summilux lens. And it comes for quite a price. You can preorder it now for $1299 at BHphoto. Amazon. Adorama. Yeah it’s expensive but it’s also a very high quality lens. Check out the reviews at CameraLabs, ePhotozine and Photographyblog.

Fuji could soon unveil a new XF 16mm f/1.8 lens for their APS-C mirrorless system. The lens design just got the patent approval in Japan.

via Egami

Bad news for the MFT folks. Both companies Olympus and Panasonic confirmed that their digital camera business will be affected by the Kumamoto earthquake damages. Olympus writes:

“Olympus Corporation continues to extend its deepest sympathies to those affected by the earthquakes that occurred on April 14, 2016 in the Kumamoto region of southern Japan.

Olympus Corporation itself has not suffered any direct damages due to the earthquakes, but several suppliers of parts for Olympus imaging products including interchangeable lens digital cameras, interchangeable lenses, and compact digital cameras have been affected. It is likely that this will negatively impact production and sales of some Olympus imaging products. The exact scale of the impact is currently under investigation.

We sincerely apologize to our customers and business partners for the inconveniences that this may cause.

We will continue to investigate the situation and provide updates as new information becomes available.”