Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Now Available For the Canon EOS R

Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO
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Venus Optics has released the Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO lens for the Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts.

At a glance:

  • 2:1 Magnification at same physical size – All of the 100mm macro lenses in the market can only reproduce 1:1 magnificati on (life-size) image only. The extended 2x magnification means more details ca n be seen through the lens. Photographers can now take advantage of the wider magnification range to capture bugs at different sizes.
  • Apochromat APO design (invisible CA)- The Laowa 100mm f/2.8 has a Apochromat (APO) design where the chromatic aberration (CA) at BOTH in-focus & out-of-focus area is controlled to the minimal. CA has long been one of the most annoying aberrations for macro photography and now you can forget about this and focus more on taking a great shot.
  • Similar size as 1:1 macro lens – Despite the extended magnification range, the size of our Laowa 100mm is actually comparable to other macro lenses in the market.
  • Outstanding Sharpness
  • Smooth Bokeh rendering
  • Outstanding Portrait lens with crystal sharpness – Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2:1 Ultra Macro APO is not only a exceptionally macro lens. It can also focus to infinity and is a very decent telephoto portrait lens.

The new Laowa 100mm Macro is now available at major retailers at $449: [shopcountry 61751]

More Laowa lenses coverage is listed here.

Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO

Venus Optics press release:

Venus Optics announce the availability of Canon RF & Nikon Z
options for the awards-winning Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens

Anhui China, Apr 20, 2020 – Venus Optics, the camera lenses manufacturer
specializes in making unique camera lenses, is proud to announce that the Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens was awarded with the ‘Best DSLR Macro Lens’ TIPA World Awards 2020 by Technical Image Press Association. Venus Optics is the first Chinese lens manufacturer getting this prestigious award in TIPA history. This is also the second international award received by this macro lens. (Previously been awarded with Lucie Technical Award ‘Best Special Purpose Lens” by Lucie Foundation) Venus Optics is also pleased to announce the new Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts are now ready to ship.

Launched in June 2019, the Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO lens is the 2nd 2:1 Macro lens with infinity focus in Laowa Macro Lens lineup. It can achieve double life-sized magnification where most telephoto macro lens in the market can only focus up to 1:1. Unlike other ultra-macro lenses in the market, the Laowa 100mm can also focus to infinity, making it one of the most versatile lens in macro photography, product and portrait photography.

The Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO lens has adopted an apochromatic (APO) design. Both longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberration has been controlled to the minimal through a carefully designed optics system with 2pcs of extra-low dispersion elements in use.

Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO Lens can cover full frame sensor and is available in 5 different mounts (Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony FE, Canon RF & Nikon Z).
Pricing & Availability: The suggested retail selling price in US of the new Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO lens is USD 449/pc (ex-VAT). Pricing varies in different countries.

How To Make A Working Lens Out Of A Toilet Paper Roll

toilet paper
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Toilet paper seems to be one of the most sought after items during the Coronavirus pandemic, at least in certain regions of the world.

Maybe bored by the social isolation, Mathieu Stern decided to build a working lens out of a roll of toilet paper. Yep. He says:

There is no concrete reason why we need more toilet paper than usual during this Pandemic but maybe one good reason is that everyone want’s to make camera lenses?

The 2 minutes video below shows how it is done.

Photos are a bit crappy but I guess this fits with a toilet paper roll lens. And given how expensive toilet paper got in some places, it might even be a somewhat expensive lens.

Stay safe, stay at home, and don’t use too much toilet paper.

Canon Scores Six 2020 TIPA World Awards (EOS 90D, 1D X III, RF Lenses, G7 X III)

canon eos 90d Canon aps-c firmware dynamic range
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The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) announce the winners of the 2020 TIPA World Awards. Canon got six awards.

Press release:

TIPA Announces Winners of 2020 TIPA World Awards

Madrid, 14 April 2020

Madrid, Spain, 14 April 2020: The Technical Image Press Association has announced the winners of the 2020 TIPA World Awards. Along with exciting cameras and lenses that cover every category, from entry level to expert to professional, TIPA World Award winners in 40 categories represent the wide range of products and services that make up the imaging industry today, including inkjet papers, imaging software, storage media, accessories, lighting, monitors and more.

Said Thomas Gerwers, Chairman of TIPA, “Given the extraordinary circumstances the world and our industry face today, we felt that we should continue with our efforts in recognizing the best imaging products of 2020.

“We believe that now more than ever our support of the industry and the people who work so hard, be it in production, distribution, or marketing, deserve credit and our thanks and appreciation for their efforts to continue to develop new and exciting products and grow into the future. Of course, while the process of nomination and selection of award winners had to adapt to the circumstances, we maintained our usual rigorous standards in our considerations.”

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Canon Rebel T8i (EOS 850D) Release Postponed Due To Coronavirus Pandemic, Report

Canon Rebel T8i review
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It was to expect that he Coronavirus pandemic would disrupt supply and production chains, and the upcoming Canon Rebel T8i seems to be the company’s first product to get delayed.

DC Watch reports that Canon postponed the release of the Canon Rebel T8i (EOS 850D in Europe, Kiss X10i in Japan). The Rebel T8i was announced in February 2020 and scheduled to be released in April 2020. Well, according to the report we have to wait until June 2020. I’d like to say “at least” until June 2020. The Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6 might also get delayed in some way.

You can still preorder the Rebel T8i: [shoplist 60985]

After the break you’ll find a short description of the Canon Rebel T8i.

Key features:

  • 24.1MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 8 Image Processor
  • 3.0″ 1.04m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen
  • UHD 4K24p Video, Vertical Video Support
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March Mirrorless Sales Drop 50% Compared To Last Year Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic

Coronavirus pandemic
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Well, this if this isn’t an indicator that tells a long story, and again it’s told by the Coronavirus pandemic.

BCN Retail reports that not only, compared to 2019, mirrorless sales in Japan dropped since the beginning of 2020 but also that March 2020 figures show 49.5% less sales compared to March 2019. That’s a lot.

Brand-wise, we see Sony’s sales figures drop by 44.5%, Olympus’ by 54.9% and Canon’s by 32.3. Canon’s figures are most likely due to the enormous success the EOS M50 has in Japan (where it’s named Kiss M). On the other hand., Fujifilm‘s sales figures grow by 115.6%.

Almost 50% less sales means something. And it most likely means this industry wide down-spiral is set to last for a while. This is not the place to digress into the economical consequences of the global coronavirus pandemic. They will be serious, and not just for the imaging industry. For the time being it’s difficult to foresee what customers will do in the near future but I guess it’s safe to say that mirrorless cameras, or any other tech gadget, will probably not be a priority for a while for a lot of people. We feel close to these people and our hearts are with them.

Stay safe.

Canon EOS R5 Registered At Certification Authority, has 5GHz WiFi

Canon EOS R5 autofocus
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The Canon EOS R5 already surfaced at certification authorities.

The camera named DS126838 has now been confirmed to be the upcoming Canon EOS R5, courtesy of Nokishita. The registration showed up at a Korean certification authority.

What do we know about the Canon EOS R5?

Quite a bit. Canon announced the development months ago, and then later on released a second press communication to stop “fantasy speculations” about their upcoming game changer. We also know that Canon sees the EOS R5 as a mirrorless 5-series camera. And we know that there might be some delays because of the global pandemic. A lot of product pictures are also available.

Summing up everything, here is what we know about the EOS R5:

  • 45mp full frame CMOS sensor
  • IBIS (In Body Image Stabilisation)5 stops with IBIS alone
    • 7-8 stops of correction when used with in-lens stabilization
  • 8K video with 29.97fps (30fps)
  • No-Crop on 8K video
  • Dual Pixel AF available in 8K
  • 4K@120fps
  • 4K@60fps
  • Internal recording
  • Animal detection autofocus – tracks animal subjects (dogs, cats, birds, etc.) by detecting the body, face, or eye of the subject.
  • 12fps mechanical, 20fps electronic
  • Scroll wheel added to the back
  • No touch bar
  • Liveview/Movie toggle like previous EOS DSLRs
  • Larger capacity battery, but looks like the LP-E6
  • Built-in 5GHz WiFi
  • New battery, but the same shape and compatibility as the EOS 5D Mark IV
  • Shipping in July 2020 

All EOS R5 rumors and known facts are listed here.