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Huawei partners with Leica to improve its smartphone cameras
There's already a big announcement at the CP+ camera show in Japan, but it's actually for smartphones. Huawei has announced a strategic partnership with Leica, the German company known for making some of the best, and most expensive, cameras and lenses in the world. In a fabulously over-the-top press release, Huawei promised "both technology and photography brands combining their shared ethos in a long-term commitment to the art of craftsmanship ... to create a powerhouse in the reinvention of smartphone photography. " The companies say the tie-up will "span research and development, design, co-engineering, user experience, marketing and retail distribution," but gave no other details.
Snapchat lenses help you celebrate your birthday (or a pal's)
Social networks have made it way easier to remember friends' birthdays, and now they're trying to help us create less boring greetings. Facebook, for instance, just launched 15-second birthday videos, and now Snapchat has introduced a pair of "birthday party" lenses in its latest update. The first one works on your own special day, and let's you post confetti-laced greetings to friends or your own timeline (above). The other one works on a pal's birthday, and lets you double-tap to add a cake emoji to any greeting you send their way. The update should arrive today, but if you still find those too impersonal, you could always splurge on another new Snapchat feature: Custom geofilters.
Snapchat's 'lens store' is full of 99-cent selfie filters
Snapchat debuted in-app purchases back in September with the arrival of replays, and now it's offering more ways for you to spice up your selfies. The ephemeral messaging app introduced what it's calling a "lens store" today, a collection of photo flair priced at 99 cents each. Lenses aren't new to Snapchat. In fact, they've been around for a while now. However, in addition to the seven or so free lenses that are available each day, there will be an addition 30 paid options. Once you hand over $1 to secure one, it's yours forever, showing up in the app between the free and paid add-ons.
Zeiss's latest full-frame Sony lenses have OLED screens
Sony's full-frame Alpha cameras have serious game, and their only weakness -- a lack of lenses -- is quickly becoming a non-issue. Zeiss has just added a couple more full-frame "Batis" AF lenses that have a singular feature: an OLED display. That lets the 25mm f/2 wide angle and 85mm f/1.8 portrait lenses show the lens' focal plane and depth of field, two pieces of info your camera normally can't. That'll be of dubious utility for casual photographers, but could help pros who like to fine-tune shots. The price to be on the bleeding edge of lens tech? $1,199 and $1,299 for the 85mm and 25mm models, respectively, according to Adorama.
Sony unveils four much-needed lenses for the full-frame A7-II camera
We like Sony's full frame Alpha mirrorless A7-II and light-vacuuming A7s cameras, but the downside is a narrow range of full-frame lenses. It's now resolved the problem significantly with four new models, including a walk-around zoom and fast prime from Zeiss. The latter, a Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA auto-focus model, creates "gorgeous" images according to Steve Huff, though at $1,698, it's not for the faint of wallet. The Sony 24-240 f/3.5-6.3 AF zoom, on the other hand, is aimed at tourists with its optical stabilization, weather-sealed design and $1,000 price tag.
Fuji's premium telephoto zoom packs some serious punch
Fujifilm may still be a relatively niche player in the mirrorless camera field, but that's not stopping the company from putting out some serious lenses to go along with its well-regarded X-series cameras. With the $1,600 XF50-140mm zoom, Fuji's hoping to provide a professional-level, weather-sealed telephoto zoom that can compete with the legendary 70-200mm lenses from companies like Nikon and Canon. I spent a month with the lens to see how close the company came.
Moment announces 18mm wide-angle and 60mm 2X telephoto lens for iPhone 6
The iPhone 6 already has an incredibly powerful camera but, as we learned with previous generations, that doesn't mean it can't be made better with a little help. Moment has announced two brand new add-on lenses for the iPhone 6 to enhance your shooting experience; a 18mm wide-angle lens and a 60mm 2X telephoto lens. Each retails for $99.99 and comes with a phone mount for easy installation. The phone mount is designed to work with or without a case. If you're worried about the mount adding extra thickness to your iPhone, rest easy knowing it only adds an extra millimeter to the top of the device. You can find both lenses for sale right now in Moment's online store.
Scientists make an invisibility cloak using off-the-shelf optical lenses
Most invisibility cloaks require fairly exotic technology to work, such as fiber optics or light-altering metamaterials. That's not very practical, especially since the illusion still tends to break when you move. The University of Rochester may have a far more realistic solution, however -- it has developed a cloak that only needs run of the mill optical lenses to hide objects from view. The system really boils down to clever math. By positioning two pairs of lenses in the right order, researchers can bend light in a way that hides almost everything you put in the middle of this arrangement. The approach scales up with the size of the glass, and it works at angles of 15 degrees or more; you don't need to look head-on to see the effect.
Fujifilm's got a pair of retro cameras in the works for next week
Less than a week after the tech industry swallows up Berlin, the photography industry does the same thing to Cologne. Photokina kicks off in just under six days, and already Fujifilm's big surprise for the show has been ruined by those tricksy leakers over at Digital Camera Info. According to the report, Fuji's about to launch the X100T, a retro-styled shooter with a 16-megapixel APS-C censor, 3-inch LCD screen and built-in WiFi for smartphone shutter control. Boasting a 23mm f/2.0 lens and shooting up to 51,200 ISO, the X100T will arrive in a wide variety of colors: black, and black with a silver trim.
IRL: Olloclip's 4-in-1 photo lens for Galaxy S4 and S5
We first met Olloclip's tiny pop-on camera lens more than three years ago. The iPhone accessory got its start on Kickstarter, in the crowdfunding site's infancy, and became our very first featured Insert Coin project. Today, it's a staple at the Apple Store and a slew of other retailers -- you can even pick one up at those Best Buy vending machines in the airport. Several more iPhone versions have since debuted, but we've never seen an Olloclip for Android smartphones, until today. The first Android versions are compatible with two recent Samsung flagships, the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5. Because photo effects are created using a physical lens rather than an app, Olloclips are designed for specific devices. If you don't own a Galaxy S4 or S5 (or an iPhone), don't lose hope -- we may see models for other handsets in the near future.
Sony's first 'curved sensor' photo may herald better images, cheaper lenses
We've seen plenty of curved screens, but Sony has just revealed the first picture taken with a curved image sensor that may one day bring cheaper, smaller lenses and higher photo quality. Regular, flat camera sensors have a rather large problem called "Petzval field curvature." That occurs when light rays passing through the edge of a lens fall in front of the sensor's focal plane, rather than on it. As a result, optical designers must add costly elements to lenses, which also makes them heavier and more complex. The shot above flaunted by Sony is just a test and there are no high-resolution samples available yet; in fact Sony has indicated that high-megapixel sensors may be a ways off. However, it does mark the first image shown from Sony's curved CMOS sensor and a possible new direction for its digital camera division.
Olloclip debuts Macro 3-in-1 lens for iPhone and iPod touch (hands-on)
It's been a tremendous two years for Olloclip. The company's premier product, a three-in-one lens that packages macro, wide-angle and fisheye lenses in one nifty iPhone attachment, was our very first Insert Coin project in May of 2011. One successful Kickstarter campaign later, and the lens trio was on its way to production. Now, you can find Olloclips in every Apple Store in the world, along with big-box retailers like Best Buy and Target. Today, there's a very cool addition joining the iPhone and iPod touch-friendly lineup: a three-in-one macro lens that enables 7x, 14x and 21x magnification. We spent a few minutes with the new optic paired with an iPhone 5s (pictured above) -- dare we say, this is the best option for macro photography on a smartphone that we've ever seen. The results were sharp and bright, and the bundled Instafocus diffuser hoods pull double duty as "training wheels," letting you calculate the appropriate focus distance with ease. You can also use the lenses without the hoods, but we definitely preferred the results with the lightweight plastic cones attached. When shooting text on the screen of a Moto X, the iPhone picked up quite a bit of pincushion distortion. Fortunately, the bundled app has an easy fix, and after a few seconds of tapping, each shot was Instagram-ready. The new Olloclip is compatible with iPhone 5/5s and the 5th-generation iPod touch. It's available today for $70 at the source link, along with Apple Stores and other retailers. Check it out in our hands-on shots and sample images in the galleries below.
IRL: Fujifilm's XF55-200m zoom lens
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. It was nearly nine months ago that our copy editor Philip Palermo wrote about Fujifilm's X-E1 $799 interchangeable lens camera here in "IRL." Three seasons later, you can bet he's saved up money for at least one new lens. Here's how it's working out.
Lomography's Experimental Lens Kit spices up snapshots with your current Micro Four Thirds camera (video)
If you're after a little more creativity in your Micro Four Thirds shooting sessions, Lomography is looking to oblige with a trio of lenses aimed at just that. The outfit's Experimental Lens Kit offers three options for image capture: 160-degree fisheye, 12mm wide-angle and standard 24mm glass. Touting a "world's first," the units boast the ability to take multiple optical exposures with a digital camera. They also allow for the use of color inserts for added effect. Sound too good to pass up? Well, the package is available now via the second source link below for $89. A closer look and a smattering of sample shots can be found in the promo video after the break, too.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX10/DSC-QX100 smartphone lenses to ship later this month
Rumors have been flying about a pair of camera lens accessories from Sony that will work with the iPhone and Android phones. Now AppleInsider is reporting that details have been leaked on the Cyber-shot DSC-QX10 (about US$250) and DSC-QX100 (about $500), both of which are set to be announced tomorrow and launched later in September. The news was initially published by SonyAlpha Rumors earlier today, complete with an advertisement showing how the lenses work. They can be used totally detached from a phone and controlled by the Sony PlayMemories Mobile app (free), which allows the iPhone to be used as a real-time viewfinder. The lenses use WiFi to connect to the iPhone or an Android device, but can also store images on a microSD card of up to 64 GB capacity. The entry-level DSC-QX10 has a 1/2.3-inch Exmor CMOS sensor and a Sony G 9 lens. That combination gives the lens 18.9-megapixel images and a 10 times optical zoom. The DSC-QX100 has a 1-inch Exmor sensor capable of grabbing 20.9-megapixel photos, and has a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens with a fast F1.8 aperture, although not as much of an optical zoom range. Should you decide that you'd like to have the lens attached to your iPhone "DSLR-style," there's a camera attachment case that the lens snaps onto. These lenses are a fascinating photography accessory for the iPhone that will bring iPhoneography to a higher level. Check out the video demonstrating the DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100 below.
Sigma unveils three new MFT and Sony E-Mount lenses
Despite the raves that recent micro four-thirds and Sony E-Mount cameras have received of late, there's still a dearth of lenses for the fledgeling systems compared to their more entrenched counterparts. Luckily, Sigma's just added to the pool of autofocus-equipped models for each system: updated 19mm F2.8 DN and 30mm F2.8 DN models along with an all-new 60mm F2.8 DN telephoto lens. Each Japan-made model has a "telecentric" optical design to minimize CMOS color issues, a metal exterior with silver or black color options, and a linear autofocus motor that Sigma claims is quiet enough to use for video. Meanwhile, the imaging outfit also announced an updated 30mm, F1.4 DC HSM model for Canon APS-C, Nikon DX and its own Sigma mount. All that's great news, though we're still waiting for an AF/electronic F1.4 or faster lens for E-Mount (there's only one on MFT as well) -- though this might tide us over, in the meantime. See the PR after the break for more info.
Sony grows E-mount lens collection with 20mm pancake, 18-200mm power zoom
One of the most common criticisms circling Sony's NEX lineup and mirrorless cameras as a whole is limited lens selection, so we're always happy to see new high-end optics make their debut. Today, Sony's doing its part to make its products more appealing by adding two new lenses (for a total of 13): a 20mm f/2.8 pancake and a 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS powered-zoom optic, which first made its debut with the VG30 camcorder, but will now be available as a standalone purchase. That first model will ship in April for $350, while the zoom lens will be available in March for $1,200. Photography buffs can catch a few more details in the PR just past the break.
Sony 16-50mm retractable zoom lens to ship in February for $349
Sony NEX-6 kit owners have been shooting with it for weeks, but the company's 16-50mm retractable zoom lens isn't quite yet available as a standalone purchase. That's set to change early next year -- reps have told us that the lens should hit stores by mid-February, while the optic's own product page now lists an estimated ship date of February 3rd. The lens, which ships with the NEX-6 for a $150 premium (compared to the $850 body-only price), delivers a focal range similar to that of Sony's larger 18-55mm optic, matching that version's f/3.5-5.6 aperture as well. It's compatible with E-mount cameras, including select Handycam camcorders and discontinued models like the NEX-C3. It was also slated to ship as part of an NEX-5R kit for $800, but the company has scrapped plans for that particular package. For now, you can hit up Sony's site at the source link below to hop on the pre-order list.
Slickdeals' best in tech October 29th: Digital camera bundles and a 65-inch Panasonic VIERA 3D HDTV
Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this round-up, we'll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You'll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won't stick around long. Suffering from an awful case of the Mondays? Don't fret. We're sure a handful of gadget deals will put a little more pep in your step. Two more Canon bundles top the list this time out while a 65-inch Panasonic VIERA 3D Plasma HDTV gets a sizable discount as well. Jump down past the break to peek at the goods. As always, keep a close watch on those coupon codes and the requisite rebate forms.
Lensbaby Spark delivers selective focus for 80 bucks, we go hands-on (sample images)
What do you see when you look through a Lensbaby? Well, take a gander for yourself -- that image just above was shot with the company's new Spark. The $80 selective-focus optic is available for Canon and Nikon mounts, and brings f/5.6 shooting with a 50mm focal length, and, of course, that trademark Lensbaby bokeh. We caught up with the new lens at Photokina, and unlike many of the cameras we've seen so far, we were permitted to shoot some sample images. Snapping with any Lensbaby takes a fair amount of practice and patience, but the Spark is designed to simplify the process somewhat, with an interior barrel that prevents you from venturing too far past the focal plane, along with a more straightforward design -- simply frame your shot, focus and bend the lens towards your subject to blur out any other elements in the scene. Calculating exposure with the Spark can take some work, so we tweaked and cropped our sample images just a bit -- besides that, what you see is what you get, so click through our gallery below to see the Spark, shot by another Spark. So meta.
