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Start Gear & Galleries 2D Cameras & Lenses Roundup Of Interesting Gear Coming In 2013

Roundup Of Interesting Gear Coming In 2013


After following all those news, rumors and press releases about new products announced on the Photokina 2012, I decided to get my hands on some gear by myself. This is my personal view on the fair novelties focusing on Leica, Zeiss, Sony, Schneider Kreuznach, SLR Magic and Samyang:


Leica

Beside others, the main attraction on the Leica booth was the new Leica M. Leica seems to have listened to feature requests and critics of their customers after the appearance of the M9 in 2009. As a result, the Leica M features

  • A new 24 MP CMOS sensor allowing live view and FullHD video as well
  • Live view with focus peaking
  • A port to connect an electronic viewfinder
  • A 920k dot 3 inches TFT display with scratch resistant glass
  • A fast "Maestro" processing engine
  • An option to adapt Leica R lenses

The following picture indicates the new lens detection options. Leica said that the camera will start with profiles for about 10 Leica "R" lenses:


Using the new Leica R-to-M adapter the adapted lens can be indicated to the camera using the 6-bit coding:



The big question will be, how their new sensor, designed by CMOSIS in Belgium and manufactured in France exclusively for Leica will perform. It has a special layer and microprism design aiming on the reduction of color ghosting that you may have seen when using some ultra wide angle lenses on its predecessor, the Leica M9. Leica stated that the ISO performance will be acceptable up to ISO 6400 but the last word is not spoken. Leica will start shipping the "M" early 2013.

Carl Zeiss

Zeiss showed several interesting new lenses for mirrorless cameras as well as for DSLRs and SLTs:


(click on the image for other sizes)

The picture shows a very compact Distagon T* 12mm F2.8 wide angle lens as well as a Planar 32mm F1.8 lens for mirrorless cameras with APS-C sized sensor like the new Sony NEX-6 and Fuji X-E1. Both lenses will support autofous.

Another interesting lens will be thenew Distagon T* 55mm F1.4 covering full frame sensors:


So I hope, my dream of a bright 50mm prime supporting the 36 MP resolution of a Nikon D800/D800E with excellent sharpness from edge to edge and lovely smooth bokeh will become reality.

Sony

I am quite sure, you already heard all these announcements of the new CyberShot RX1 compact camera featuring a 24 MP full frame sensor and a 35mm/F2.0 fixed lens from Zeiss. When you saw the new E-mount HandyCam VG900 featuring a full frame sensor as well, it looks promising that we may expect the highly desired full frame NEX in 2013.

In 2013 I am expecting a big hype on mirrorless full frame cameras (more affordable than the already existing Leica M) and how current mirrorless lenses designed for E-mount or X-mount can be adapted to these cameras. The following image shows a prototype of the SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 35mm T0.95 adapted to a Sony VG900:


This image shows, how the full frame sensor is covered by that lens (designed for APS-C format) when the camera is forced to use its full frame sensor:



Schneider Kreuznach

Also Schneider Kreuznach showed some new lens prototypes for mirrorless system cameras:


(Click on the image for other sizes)

The picture shows a Makro Symmar 60mm F2.4, a bright Xenon 30mm F1.4 and a wide angle Super Angulon 14mm F2.0.

For full frame DSLRs they presented an already working sample of a 85mm F2.4 Makro Symmar as well as prototypes of a 50mm F1.4 Xenon and a 35mm F1.4 Xenon:


Those lenses will all be manually focused but the aperture can be controlled by the camera.

SLR Magic

SLR Magic introduced three new manual lenses for mirrorless cameras with mFT-mount, E-mount and X-mount covering APS-C sized sensors and a new lens design especially for mFT:

  • A HyperPrime CINE 23mm F1.7 replacing a construction that had to be discontinued in February 2012 due to difficulties sourcing particular materials for the predecessor (MSRP: US$ 399)
  • A CINE 35mm T1.4 providing that performance for a small budget (MSRP: US$ 279)
  • A prototype for a HyperPrime CINE 35mm T0.95 (MSRP: US$ 1249) with M-mount (not fitting into a Leica M or the Ricoh GXR module but adaptable to E-mount, X-mount and mFT-mount e.g. using an adapter from Novoflex or SLR Magic)
  • A 25mm T0.95 available for mFT only (MSRP: US$ 649)

Click her to see a first detailed review of the 35mm T0.95 protoype.

The following image shows three of these new lenses:


From left to right: HyperPrime CINE 35mm T0.95, CINE 35mm T1.4 and HyperPrime CINE 23mm F1.7.

The following image was taken with the prototype of the HyprePrime CINE 35mm T0.95 showing the amazing sharpness of focused areas and the lovely creamy bokeh at open aperture (T0.95 which is approximately a F0.9:


(Click for other sizes)

This is a 100% crop (actual pixels) from that (open aperture!) image:

The following image was taken with the new "budget" CINE 35mm T1.4:


(click on the image to see other sizes)

A 100% crop (actual pixels) from that lens at open aperture (T1.4):


And another image shot with the HyperPrime CINE 23mm T1.7 at open aperture illlustrating the different viewing angle:


(click on the image to see other sizes)

As SLR Magic is also addressing filmmakers, all their lenses have stepless aperture rings, no focus shift when changing aperture and no breathing when focus is turned.

Samyang

Samyang was showing a new bright ultra wide angle 10mm F2.8 ED AS UMC prime lens:


It will cover the APS-C sensor and will provide in a compact size a similar field of view like the Samyang 14mm F2.8 or the new Zeiss Distagon T* 15mm F2.8 on full frame cameras.


All images copyright by 3D-Kraft.com.