Let’s dream: Pentax 24 Megapixel Full Frame camera coming in march 2013?

A fake Full Frame K11 designed by Ron Hendriks.

I know of quite a many readers here patiently waiting for a Full Frame mirrorless camera that doesn’t cost $8,000 like a Leica M9/MP/Monchrome camera. A real mirrorless without rangefinder system and Electronic Viewfinder. There is maybe some (crazy) hope!

According to a DChome rumor picked up and translated by RiceHigh Pentax will launch the most compact Full Frame body ever made by March 2013. It will use the 24 Megapixel Sony FF sensor we will first see in use for the upcoming Sony A99 and Nikon D600.

It may be crazy but Pentax is one of the few companies capable of launching completely “different” products. I certainly hope the rumor is true!

Schneider will make a NEX version of the 14mm f/2.0 m43 lens (and more new info)

We got some new info thanks to the German Fotomagazin and Photoscala websites. Schneider is considering to make an E-mount version of the just announced 14mm f/2.0 Micro Four Thirds lens. Meantime we have more news about that lens. Price will be less than 1.500 Euro ($1900), it has autofocus and nano coating. It will be in Stock by early 2013. Two more m43 lenses will be unveiled 2013.

For Sony NEX owners this is good news because the system desperately needs new lenses. Although a 28mm focal length (m43 has a 2x conversion rate) is (too?) close to the other stellar Zeiss 24mm lens.

Fuji 60mm macro gets tested at Photozone. 18mm at Photozone and SLRgear.


Image courtesy: Photozone

The well known lens review website Photozone reviewed two Fuji X lenses. The 60mm macro f/2.4: “The Fujinon XF 60mm f/2.4 R macro is the best of the three initial lenses for the X-mount.” And the Fuji 18mm f/2.0 (here): “It is certainly a cool little lens for the Fujifilm X-Pro mirrorless system. After all small is beautiful these days. However, performance-wise it is a bit of a mixed bag.“

And SLRgear tested the 18mm f/2.0 lens: “very good performance, even when used wide open, and excellent performance when stopped down just a little. If you’re an X-Pro 1 user, this is another lens that definitely deserves a place in your bag.“

In stock status check:
Fuji X PRO 1 body is in Stock at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Jessops UK (Click here) and Digitalrev (Click here).
Fuji X 18mm f/2.0 in Stock at Amazon (Click here) and Digitalrev (Click here).
Fuji X 35mm f/1.4 in Stock at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and Digitalrev (Click here).
Fuji X 60mm macro f/2.0 in not Stock at Amazon (3-4weeks) but is in Stock at Digitalrev (Click here).

More Pentax lens patents for the mirrorless APS-C…

There is now a second Pentax lens patent that describes another zoom lens for an APS-C mirrorless camera. The lens is the 18-70mm f/3.5-7.1 and a variation of it (19-75mm f/3.5-7.1). I guess that system could be announced at Photokina although I don’t know why Ricoh will maintain two different APS-C mirrorless system (Ricoh GXR and the Pentax).

Source: Egami.

Samyang releases the 8mm fisheye for NEX and NX systems.

Samyang just sent me the press release to announce the new 8mm for the NEX and NX system. Samyang is a highly regarded company and makes some amazing lenses and I am sure this fisheye is a great lens, but they would have probably sold tons of lenses if that would have been a f/1.4 prime lens instead of this. Is there really a bog need of fisheyes?

Here is the press release and some more images of the lens:
“Samyang 8mm 1:2.8 UMC Fish-eye is currently the smallest and the brightest Fish-eye lens compatible with compact cameras featuring APS-C sensor. It perfectly combines high optical value, impressive lens speed and exceptionally compact sizes.
Its sophisticated optical construction relies on the system of 10 lenses arranged in 8 groups. They include, among others, one aspherical (AS) lens and two lenses made of extra low dispersion glass (ED). This provides perfect sharpness for the entire field of view and maximum aperture of f/2.8. Obviously all surfaces of the lenses were covered with multi-layered UMC anti-reflective coatings adding to the high contrast and splendid light transmission.
Samyang 8mm 1:2.8 UMC Fish-eye will be marketed with Sony E (NEX) and Samsung NX mount. In both cases its maximum angle of view will amount to 180 degree, with the minimum focusing distance of 0.3 meters.
Release date and the expected price will be separately announced on a later date.“