Zeiss 135mm f/2.0 Apo-Sonnar ZE (Canon) Available For Pre-Order

 

Both B&H And Adorama have the Zeiss 135mm f/2.0 Apo-Sonnar ZE for Canon mount available for pre-order, price is $2,122 (click on shop name): B&H | Adorama.

Expected to ship February 2013. From Adorama’s product description:

  • Because this lens is an apochromat, chromatic aberrations (axial chromatic aberrations) are corrected with elements of special glass with anomalous partial dispersion. The chromatic aberrations are therefore significantly below the defined limits
  • Great low-light shots start with a great lens for your DSLR camera. A high-speed lens captures as much light as possible. A lens with a wide maximum aperture offers the best results in difficult lighting conditions
  • The lens design ensures consistent imaging performance throughout the entire focusing range as well as sharpness to the periphery of the image. The asphere’s more complex surface profile can reduce or eliminate spherical aberration and also reduce other optical aberrations compared to a simple lens
  • Rich, vibrant colors are vital to creating a lasting impression. Stray light in the lens, however, would lead to a brightening of the image, which is particularly visible in shadow areas. Image contrast is lowered; the image appears dull and bleached
  • Photographers want to guide the observer through the image. Minimal depth of focus is often used as a design element. This keeps the background intentionally blurred to keep the attention of the observer on the main subject
  • The nine diaphragm blades and the resulting, virtually circular aperture on Carl Zeiss SLR lenses are crucial to favorable rendition of highlights in the fore and background

[via The Digital Picture]

Canon Is The Patent Catcher – Unbeaten Among Japanese Companies For 8 Years

For the eight year Canon ranks first among Japanese companies in terms of patents filed in the USA. In 2005 Canon filed 1825 patents (2nd in the world). Ad the rate was growing until 2012, when Canon issued 3174 patents. The chart below (source: ) gives an idea about the figures.

Canon U.S. patent ranking among Japanese companies 2005 – 2012

Year Ranking* No. of patents
2012 1st (3rd) 3,174
2011 1st (3rd) 2,813
2010 1st (4th) 2,551
2009 1st (4th) 2,200
2008 1st (3rd) 2,107
2007 1st (3rd) 1,983
2006 1st (3rd) 2,367
2005 1st (2nd) 1,828

Today’s Canon press release says:

Canon prizes its corporate DNA of placing a high priority on technology. And with regard to research and development results, the company actively promotes the acquisition of patent rights in accordance with the management direction of the Canon Group and technology trends while conducting thorough pre-application searches to raise the quality of applications. Through close cooperation between Canon’s technology and intellectual property divisions, the company aims to improve its technological capabilities while further enhancing its intellectual property rights.

[via PetaPixel]

Canon Set To Follow Apple In Making Experience Stores

Canon Rumors has word that Canon will open “Experience Stores” around the Globe. They are said to start with a first store in Calgary, Canada, and to buy heritage site around Australia. Quoting CR:

– They will be similar to apple stores, all white, simplistic and will allow hands-on use of canon equipment.
– These stores will feature camera and lens trial areas, 8 to 10 iMac computers for education courses and a learning area.
– The audiovisual systems in the store will feature multiple large-format LED and LCD displays.
– The customers will walk through a “LED Tunnel” when entering the store to immerse the customer in sights and sounds.

[via CR]

Canon EF 200-400 f/4L IS 1.4x Delayed Until Q2 Of 2013

We almost believed Canon would announce (and release) the EF 200-400 f/4L IS 1.4x, at least a teaser on Facebook by Canon Singapore let us think that way. Nope. A clubsnap member who attended the convention at the Cathay Orchard Cineleisure in Singapore, where Canon Singapore’s event was hold, is reporting that he (or she):

Was at the event this afternoon and test fired the 200-400. It is a very heavy and huge lens although did not have a chance to hand held. The focussing is very fast, even with the 1.4TC in action and the zooming is smooth. From the test shots and from reviewing the pics thru the viewfinder, seems to be quite sharp. Was told by one of the Canon guys that estimated RRP is probably around S$16k [Singapore dollars, equivalent to US$13.000; but price tag will probably be around $11.000] and Canon will only start production in the 2nd quarter.

[via CR]

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Review (The Digital Picture)

The Digital Picture reviewed the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 (price & specs), a lens highly appreciated also by other reviews. About Sharpness:

The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens is an impressively sharp lens – with very sharp center and mid image circle results even at a wide open f/1.4 aperture. Full frame f/1.4 peripheral image circle results are still quite good, but softer than the center results. Results are slightly sharper at f/2, but the clearing vignetting is the biggest difference noticed by stopping down. Don’t expect center-of-the-frame image quality to noticeably improve by stopping down beyond f/2. Corners slowly improve until becoming very impressively sharp at f/5.6.

About image quality:

The impressiveness of the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens’ image quality becomes most apparent when comparing the results to the other great 35mm lenses. I have not used a lens of any focal length (Canon, Nikon, Zeiss, …) that delivered better/sharper image quality at f/1.4. This comparison of course includes the also-impressive Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon T* ZE Lens and the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L USM Lens.

About auto-focus:

While it is not perfect, I’m finding the Sigma 35 to perform close to the Canon 35 L in AF accuracy. A somewhat consistent and quite noticeable front focus problem on both of my 5D Mark III bodies required AFMA to correct. You may want to capture multiple images in situations with especially shallow DOF – which will be closer to MFD (Minimum Focus Distance). Note that the focus-and-recompose technique can begin to fail as shallower DOF is achieved.

And finally:

I think that the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens is my new favorite Sigma lens. Perhaps the “A” plate on the barrel represents this lens’ report card grade average, showing that it has brains to go along with the great looks.

There is much more in The Digital Picture‘s review, lot’s of details, so be sure not to miss it.

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA