A portrait lens for $1699, the corrected information about zoom lenses for the Hasselblad X1D, and a rumor about Sigma Cinema lenses. This is a selection of some of the news – and rumors – published during the week 26 from 2016.
Hasselblad: lost in translation
The speed at which information and misinformation travel these days creates unique situations. The recent launch of Hasselblad’s X1D camera is an example. Ove Bengtson, product manager, indicated that the camera could not have zoom lenses. During an interview published a few days later, the CEO of Hasselblad, Perry Oosting, said “Let me correct that a little bit… there will be more lenses coming. There will be also zoom lenses coming. So that is something we have to correct.”
So, if you had already decided not to buy one Hasselblad X1D medium format mirrorless camera, which costs $8,995, because it would not use zoom lenses, you can go and buy one now. Zooms will come later.
Trimagon for portrait: $1699
Meyer-Optik Goerlitz announced its new portrait lens, the Trimagon f2.6/95, is now available in the United States and worldwide. Initially the lens was only available in Germany. Aimed at professional photographers, the Trimagon 95 uses, says the company, a unique coating and design that delivers sharp images with minimal reflections to preserve skin tone. The triplet architecture 15-blade design adds Meyer Optik’s trademark artistic bokeh to Trimagon 95 images.
The Trimagon f2.6/95 costs $1699. It is available for Canon, Nikon, Fuji X, Sony-E, MFT and Leica M, although on Leica the rangefinder is not supported.
Sigma corrects Nikon overexposure
Sigma released a firmware update for their 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens, to fix overexposure issues with Nikon D500 DSLRs. The firmware for versions Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Sports in Nikon mount and the Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary in Nikon mount can be installed using Sigma Optimization Pro. The lens firmware update corrects the phenomenon of overexposure when the lens is attached to the Sigma tele converter tc-1401 on Nikon Digital SLR camera D500.
Cinema lenses in the future of Sigma
Once upon a time photographers would buy Sigma lenses because they were… cheap. That perception has changed with their recent series of lenses, a Global Vision lineup with different segments: Art, Contemporary, Sports. It would make sense to have a segment called Cinema. And it may well be on its way, according to a rumor from PhotoRumours, suggesting next Photokina may be the launching platform for Sigma’s Cinema series of lenses. This would, after all confirm the idea left in the air, two years ago, by Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki, when interviewed by Resource Mag. He suggested then that the optics manufacturer would some day make its way into the cinema lens market. It already has, with lenses as the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 used by many videographers.