CP+ is throwing quite a bit of gear news our way, and one find that caught our eye has to do with the immensely popular Fujifilm X100s and its older sibling the X100. According to Patrick over at Fuji Rumors, X100/s users will soon be able to extend their fixed lens' reach to 50mm (35mm equivalent).
Canon's 50mm lens lineup is getting crowded... at least that's what Canon seems to think. According to a fresh rumor, the company has plans to replace the current 50mm f/1.4 USM. But it won't be replaced by another f/1.4. Instead, Canon might do away with the lens altogether and release a high-end 50mm f/1.8 IS USM instead.
Photographers commonly place UV filters on the front of their camera lenses in order to protect the glass front element. Aside from preventing dust buildup, the filter also takes the brunt of any impact seen by the front of the lens. If you have to have some glass shatter, you'd rather it be a relatively cheap filter compared to an entire lens, right?
But how easy is it to damage or destroy the front element of a lens? Photographer Richard Choi had the opportunity to find out a few years ago when he found a bricked lens on his hands.
Canon broke new ground in its lens-making this year by bringing image stabilization to non-L wide-angle prime lenses (the widest IS prime was previously the 100mm f/2.8 IS L). There are now three: lenses at the stabilized-wide-angle party: a 24mm and 28mm, announced in February, and a 35mm that was announced just last month.
According to new rumors, Canon will continue to spread its IS technology to non-L and non-telephoto primes next year. One that's on the way is a replacement to the popular 50mm f/1.4.
Last week we reported on rumors of an upcoming Canon 24-70mm f/4 IS lens. The latest word is that the lens is "coming soon", and won't be announced alone. In addition to updating the popular 24-70mm focal range with image stabilization -- useful for video recording -- Canon may also be planning to announcing a second lens, reportedly an image-stabilized followup to the much-loved Canon 50mm f/1.4.
The Canon 50mm f/1.0 was the fastest SLR lens in production before it was discontinued in 2000 and replaced with the f/1.2. There aren't too many copies of this lens floating around on the used market, so photographers who want to use the ridiculous aperture it offers must pay a hefty premium in order to purchase one; the lenses commonly sell for two or three times the original retail value.
When reader Bryan Soderlind switched from film to digital a while back, he decided to splurge and go "all the way" by buying a 50mm f/1.0 for a little over $3,000 -- a relative bargain. The lens was in "impeccable shape" and was in focus even when using the razor sharp depth of field at f/1.0. Here are some of his thoughts on what it's like to use the lens, and some sample photos from his shoots.
Canon is reportedly working on a followup to its popular 50mm f/1.4 lens.
Canon's 50mm f/1.8 Mark II is a terrific lens for its price, but its build quality definitely leaves something to be desired. Do a quick search, and you'll find legions of broken-hearted Canonites who had their 'Nifty Fifty' split into two pieces after accidentally bumping or dropping it. Flickr user tastygiant is one such Canonite, but he subsequently discovered an awesome use for the broken lens:
Being a geek, I figured I could use the broken pieces in the future, so I shelved it and bought a new 50mm 1.8 Canon lens. One day, while taking shots around my apartment, I stumbled across the broken lens again and decided to reverse the "barrel assembly" onto the front of my intact 50mm. Everything was blurry of course, but I noticed if I got very close to an object the detail came into view. After adjusting the aperture to around f5.6, I had a clear image.
It's important to note that you should switch to Manual focusing and rotate the focusing ring to "infinity".
Here's something you've probably never seen before: a white "L" version of the cheap Canon 50mm f/1.8 (AKA the "nifty fifty"). No, it's not an uber-rare and expensive special edition. It's a custom paint job by Clubsnap forum member nntenzo.
Shortly after startup lens maker Noktor went out of business, a company called …
Who says you need a heavy and expensive lens to capture a beautiful shuttle launch photograph from far away? …
After being accidentally leaked on Nikon's website a couple weeks ago, Nikon's new AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G lens was officially announced today. The lens -- compatible with both DX and FX DSLRs -- features an unusual aspherical element that typically isn't found in lenses like this. It will be available starting June 16th for $220, which includes a lens hood.
Looks like Nikon has a new 50mm lens primed for announcement. Earlier today a …
Darren Chan recently attached his $6,500 Leica Noctilux 50mm f/1 lens to his Sony NEX-5 camera using an adapter in order to test out the unique combo. As you might expect, the combo is great for creamy bokeh and doing nighttime street photography in areas with low light.
Some years ago Canon offered a f/1.0 version of its 50mm L lens. They’ve since stopped manufacturing lenses faster …