How Aspherical Lenses Fix Aberrations and Improve Sharpness
What is an aspherical lens and what does it do? Canon has shared a video that explains the problems engineers face in lens design and how the company solved them using aspherical lenses.
Photographer Makes DIY Lenses with Cake Molds and Epoxy
In an effort to challenge herself, Italian photographer Ursula Ferrara has made her own lenses for her large-format film camera using plastic epoxy and silicone cake molds.
How Bokeh Evolved and How Digital Photography Elevated it to Art
Bokeh is one of the most subjective aspects of photo or video. As Simon's Utak says in this 20-minute discussion on its history and how it is elevating digital photography into art, we as photographers can't even agree how to properly say the word.
Xiaomi Promises Better Quality Photos Via Its Retractable Smartphone Lens
As part of a larger announcement at its Mi Developer Conference in Beijing, Xiaomi announced a retractable wide-aperture lens technology that it says will improve its cameras' light-gathering ability by 300%.
New Patents Show Canon Hasn’t Given Up on the EF Mount Just Yet
A new patent uncovered by the folks over at Canon News reveals that Canon hasn't given up on improving EF-mount lenses, especially those that appeal to high-end sports and wildlife photographers.
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 Z Lens Teardown Reveals Incredible Engineering and Brand New Design
LensRentals' Roger Cicala finally got a chance to crack open the new Nikon Z-Mount 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens, and what they found inside should make Z shooters happy. Not only is lens meticulously engineered and well-sealed, it features a "modernized" design that's unlike any LR has seen from other manufacturers.
Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 Teardown Shows Beautifully Engineered Lens that’s ‘Strong, Like Bull’
LensRentals just finished their teardown of the incredibly light and compact new Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, and what they found will make Canon users very happy. Not only is this lens a beautifully engineered marvel--a total redesign of the "typical" 70-200mm f/2.8 formula--it is also, in Roger Cicala's words: strong, like bull.
What Are Aspherical Lens Elements?
When camera lens makers announce new lenses, one of the specs they always tout is how many aspherical elements the lens designs have. If you're not sure what those elements are and what they do, here's a short and helpful 4-minute video by Michael the Maven that'll bring you up to speed.
Telecentric Lens Design: Did Nikon and Canon Follow Micro Four Thirds’ Lead?
I was excited when Canon and Nikon finally stepped into the mirrorless game seriously more seriously, releasing their full-frame mirrorless cameras in 2018. Nikon launched their Z6 and Z7 with the new Z-Mount, while Canon released the EOS-R with a new RF-Mount.
Canon Designed a Crazy 50-80mm f/1.1 Lens
Canon is apparently hard at work developing some never-before-seen lenses. A newly published patent shows that the camera company has at least toyed with the idea of a crazy 50-80mm f/1.1 lens.
Canon Said ‘Challenge Accepted,’ and This $70K 50-1000mm Lens Was Born
Back in 2010, Canon was challenged by German wildlife filmmaker Ivo Norenberg create an extreme, "impossible" lens. Canon accepted the challenge, and this 7-minute video is the fascinating story of how the $70,000 Canon CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 EF-mount cinema lens came to be.
A Forgotten Solution to the Problems of Zoom Lenses
For a few years now, I’ve had in my collection one very strange lens. I bought it primarily for its value as a collectible so, up until now, I haven’t really spent much time playing with it. Made in 1975, this manual focus Minolta MC Rokkor-X 40-80mm f/2.8 lens is one strange puppy.
Video: Fascinating ‘Lens Design 101’ Interview with a ZEISS Master
Dr. Hubert Nasse has been working in optics for almost 30 years. A ZEISS master, many of us dream of sitting down with a man of his optical know-how and just having a conversation in which he enlightens us (pun intended) on the basics of lens design.
Fortunately, photographer and photo educator Matt Granger is making that dream come true for us today with his video interview with Dr. Nasse from Photokina.
The Ancestors of Modern Camera Lenses
Rather than being built from scratch with new designs, new camera lenses are designed by taking existing lens designs …