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Nikon adds Linear Focus ring capability to some Z lenses with new firmware updates

If there’s one thing that pretty much all mirrorless filmmakers agree on, it’s that focus by wire lenses absolutely suck when it comes to manually focusing. And pretty much all mirrorless lenses these days are focus by wire instead of mechanical focus. It has its advantages, of course, but for filmmakers, it’s terrible.

Nikon has released new firmware updates for three of its more popular Z mount lenses, though the 50mm f/1.2 S, 24-70mm f/2.8 S and 105mm f/2.8 VR S Macro, to add a Linear Focus mode for the focus ring. It’s still essentially focused by wire because there’s no mechanical interaction, but now the amount you spin the focus ring should be directly proportional to the focus distance change, regardless of the sped at which you rotate it.

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Sony has now officially announced the new 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II lens

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It had to come eventually and now it’s finally here. Sony has announced its new Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II lens to go along with its recently released FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II announced last October. Like its predecessor, the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II is designed for full-frame Sony E mount cameras and comes with a number of new improvements that should help the shooting workflow.

Sony says it’s the “world’s lightest f/2.8 standard zoom lens”, but we usually have to take Sony’s “World’s” claims with a pinch of salt and a few caveats. In this case, though, weighing in at only 695g, they might actually have a point. It’s 20% less than the original and significantly less than its Nikon and Canon counterparts.

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Samyang parfocal AF 24-70mm f/2.8 for Sony FE has now been announced globally

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Samyang (AKA Rokinon and Bower) has launched their first zoom lens with the new Samyang AF 24-70mm f/2.8 FE, a wide-angle to short telephoto lens with a constant f/2.8 aperture for full-frame Sony E-Mount cameras. The lens had previously been announced only in Thailand, but now the announcement appears to be global.

Autofocus lenses have been part of Samyang’s lineup for a while now, although they were primarily specialising in manual focus lenses. But Samyang says that after five years of “in-depth research and communications” with its customers, they now want to target more of the mass market to better meet photographers needs.

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Samyang’s $975 AF 24-70mm f/2.8 parfocal zoom for Sony has been released, but only in Thailand

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Well, this is odd. I stumbled across a leak from over the weekend about the new Samyang AF 24-70mm f/2.8 FE parfocal zoom lens for full-frame Sony E mount cameras and then spotted over on Mirrorless Rumors that it had actually been released… Except, strangely, it seems to have only been released in Thailand, of all places.

What makes this particular lens special over other 24-70mm lenses out there is that it’s parfocal. This means that as you zoom the lens from one extreme to the other, the focus distance does not change. This is typically more in line with lenses geared towards video rather than photography and is normally quite pricey. Although this one seems to be a bit of a bargain at only $975.

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Leica launches their new 24-70mm f/2.8 L and it looks like a rehoused Sigma Art lens

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Leica has now officially unveiled the Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-70mm f/2.8 ASPH lens and, well… it looks like it’s basically the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art lens in a different housing. The specs of the two lenses are virtually identical, except the one with Leica written on it is more than two and a half times the price at $2,795.

The number of elements, groups, minimum focus distance, magnification factor, everything is basically the same. The only real difference seems to be that the Leica uses a metal housing instead of Sigma’s carbon-composite housing.  What other changes there may be internally are unknown. But it almost certainly seems to be using Sigma’s optics.

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Price and more Leica 24-70mm f/2.8 L mount lens photos leak ahead of official announcement

After yesterday’s leak of the first product photo of Leica’s new VARIO-ELMARIT-SL f2.8 / 24-70mm ASPH lens, three more have now also leaked. No surprises for guessing who leaked them. Yes, that’s right, it’s Nokishita. They’ve also confirmed a price for the two kits, including the Leica SL2 or SL2-S cameras.

As a reminder, Sigma’s old 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art lens that they adapted for L mount costs a mere $1,059. Panasonic’s Lumix S Pro 24-70mm f/2.8 L mount lens costs $2,200. Yesterday’s estimate for the new Leica lens was $2,750. According to this latest post, the Leica 24-70mm f/2.8 L kits will cost you around $8,050 bundled with the SL2-S and $10,500 with the SL2.

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Upcoming Leica 24-70mm f/2.8 L mount lens rumours and photo leak

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The first close-up product photo of Leica’s VARIO-ELMARIT-SL f2.8 / 24-70mm ASPH lens has leaked to Twitter, courtesy of Nokishita, with a claimed price tag of 352,000 yen (including tax), equating to around $3,215. It’s supposed to be part of a new “economy line” from Leica, although that name might have lost a little something in translation.

According to the latest rumours, the US price is expected to be a little closer to $2,750, which is noticeably more expensive than the Panasonic Lumix S Pro 24-70mm f/2.8 L mount lens, which sits around $2,200. It’s also said to be based on the optics of the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art lens, which is significantly lower at around $1,059.

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Sigma soon to launch two new prime and two zoom lenses for Sony FE, reports say

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Looks like July will be exciting for Sony shooters, at least in terms of third-party lenses. After Tamron’s announcement, it seems that Sigma is also about to launch something new. It’s not just one Sony FE lens, but four of them: two zooms and two primes. They include 35mm f/1.2, 45mm f/2.8, 12-24mm f/2.8, and 24-70mm f/2.8, and they are reportedly coming later this month.

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Canon is releasing six new RF mount lenses this year

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Along with the new Canon EOS RP, Canon has announced six new lenses. Sort of. They haven’t announced that the lenses are available, or when they’ll be available (other than “later in 2019”), just that they’re under development.

Five of the lenses are clearly aimed at professional users, offering the “Holy Grail” with 15-35mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms, as well as two 85mm f/1.2 lenses. But they’re not forgetting those who love their superzooms, either, with a 24-240mm f/4-6.3.

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