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Sigma rumoured to be working on RF lens roadmap with announcement expected in early 2020

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Canon Rumors is reporting that distributors have received some early information about Sigma’s plans for RF mount lenses for the Canon EOS R system. Beyond that, there isn’t really any more information, except that CR expects there might be an announcement ahead of CP+ in February. They don’t name their source, but they have ranked it as “CR2”, which sits somewhere around the “Ok, you have my attention, but let’s see how it pans out” level.

But it makes sense for Sigma to be pursuing the RF mount. It’s become quite popular, especially in Japan, where both Canon and Sigma are based and it’s also the mount that’s coming on the RED Komodo cinema camera.

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What are parfocal lenses? Are they important? And why do filmmakers want them?

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The term “parfocal lens” has only really come into common usage amongst the general population over the last decade or so as our DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have allowed us to start shifting more towards shooting video content. But what exactly are they? And what’s the big deal?

As this video from Michael the Maven explains, parfocal lenses are zoom lenses, but they are zoom lenses which keep their focus distance through the entirety of their focal length range. What this means is that as you recompose for a tighter or wider shot of your subject, you don’t have to refocus the lens. It stays exactly where it was.

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This is why some people think a lens is awesome and others say it sucks

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No matter what the lens, when I see people asking for opinions on one online, I see a pretty wide mix of “It’s awesome, it never leaves my camera!” and “It sucks, I sold it within a week” type responses. If you’ve ever wondered why there are such polarising opinions on any given lens, then wonder no more.

In this video, Michael the Maven discusses one of the things that’s rarely spoken about when it comes to lenses, and that’s manufacturing tolerances. These are the limits on either side of “perfect” in which a company will allow components to fall. But they can make for big differences in image quality.

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When is it a bad idea to use lens adapters?

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Lens adapters sure are super-handy and they allow you to combine lenses with one mount to a camera with another. This sure has a lot of perks, but are there times when you shouldn’t adapt your lenses? In this video, Michael the Maven discusses this matter and helps you answer the question: when using lens adapters isn’t a good idea?

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German camera lenses could soon become 25% more expensive

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After a 15-year-long dispute, The World Trade Organization approved that the United States can impose trade sanctions on some products from the EU. The US is about to apply $7.5 billion in punitive tariffs on the EU products. Among other things, it will affect German camera lenses, making them 25% more expensive.

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Say goodbye to camera bumps with new 1,000 times thinner flat lenses

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Smartphone cameras are getting better and better, offering a range of features we could only dream of ten years ago. But despite high functionality and advanced features, one “problem” still persists: the aesthetics. The lenses are still relatively thick, creating s-called “camera bumps.” But scientists from the University of Utah have developed a new type of optical lens to solve this problem.

This new type of lens is a thousand times thinner than a regular lens, and a hundred times lighter. It could help smartphone camera manufacturers finally get rid of camera bumps, but it will find its application on drones and night vision cameras, too.

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Sigma dumps Pentax to focus on mirrorless – will no longer make K-mount DSLR lenses

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Well, this is bad news for Pentax shooters. Sigma had already stopped creating Pentax versions of their newer Art, Sports and Contemporary series lenses, but was continuing to make the ones that had already been developed. Now, though, it seems they’ve finally ditched production of K-mount lenses completely, including the older ones.

According to a statement posted on the Czech Sigma Facebook page, the reason is to be able to focus on mirrorless systems, which is where Sigma sees the future of photography heading.

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