Redrock announced the new Retro Flex 5 for the Sony A5xxx camera series:

The retroFlex-S is a great way to shoot handheld, street, or event footage with your Sony alpha mirrorless camera. The retroFlex-S includes a form-fitting camera cage, a professional handgrip with integrated start/stop button, and a huge bright viewfinder for comfortable shooting even in mid-day sun. It’s more than just one rig: the viewfinder and handgrip are easily removed, and the cage can be used standalone for more sophisticated rigs.The retroFlex-S is compatible with Sony NEX-3, A5000, and A5100.

You can preorder it at Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).

Here is an introduction video that shows how it looks and works:

The Chinese company Zhong Yi Optics released the new Mitakon 35mm f/0.95 Mark II APS-C E-mount lens. It’s available for preorder at Adorama (Click here). As you can see from the image above the lens is way more compact and at the same time it’s said to have a higher optical performance.

Press text:

Shenyang China, Feb 14, 2016 – Zhongyi Optics (ZY Optics) has released an improved version of their first f/0.95 lens, Zhongyi Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II. The mark II verison features a drastic improvement of sharpness, better control of chromatic abberations and much compact size. The new version comes with a Fuji X / Sony E / EOS-M mount and is able to cover the image circle of APS-C sized sensors.

Zhongyi Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II is a ultra-fast prime lens which provides a 35mm-equivalent focal length of around 53mm in APS-C cameras. A maximum aperture of f/0.95 makes it extremely convenient to shoot at a low light conditions without flash. The new optical design incorporates a 11 elements in 8 groups structure, including 1pc of Extra- low disperson elements, 2 pcs of Extra-high Refractive Index elements and 3pcs of High Refractive Index elements. This structure effectively improved the image resolution by 30% compared to the previous version from corners to corners. This also controls the chromatic abberations very well and deliver excellent image sharpness even at f/0.95.

The new Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 is light and compact. The total weight is reduced from 680g to 460g, making it an ideal companion for the compact mirrorless cameras. Manual focus design and a click-less, silent aperture ring promote smooth handling and are especially well-suited to video applications. The lens is built in metallic enclosure with additional protective process and finest finishing, which gives extra durability and aesthetic.

Pricing & Availability

Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 is now available to purchase at ZY Optics authorized resellers and at our official website (http://www.zyoptics.net/). The Recommended Retail price is USD 599.

Image samples can be download here: https://www.sendspace.com/file/f05v17

Hong Kong, China (Feb 9th, 2016) – SLR Magic is proud to announce the SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE 1.33x PL lens set for filmmakers which could be adapted to EF/F/mFT/E-mount via adapter. Press text:

“As a commitment to the film industry, SLR Magic developed the SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE lenses to deliver the classic contrast, distortion, chromatic, color aberration, and flare characteristics of vintage anamorphic lenses, but with the convenience of a matched lens set without the hassle of aligning and matching lenses to the already popular SLR Magic Rangefinder with Anamorphot adapter combination.

To achieve the much loved scope aspect ratio, which gives a very pleasant, epic effect, filmmakers must crop off the top and bottom of standard 16:9 footage when using spherical lenses with modern digital cameras. As a result, 25% or more sensor/negative information is
discarded.

This 1.33x anamorphic lens help filmmakers to maximize their image quality by preventing this loss of vertical resolution. The unique 1.33x squeeze factor uses the entire 16:9 sensor/negative area to achieve the desired 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE 1.33x does this by compressing a 33% wider field of view to fit the width of the 16:9 sensor/negative without compressing image height.

The SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE 1.33x create a unique “artifact” such as horizontal lens flare, commonly referred to as anamorphic streaks, and may create slightly elongated bokeh. Over the history of cinema, these same stylish effects have contributed to the cinematic “look” of epic motion picture photography. Characteristics that shape this anamorphic “look” come from “front-mounted” anamorphic designs such as the SLR Magic Anamorphot while “rear-mounted” anamorphic designs have more suppressed anamorphic characteristics.

Lenses would be on demo at the BVE Expo in London, UK from October 23-25 in the Atomos booth K30″

Technical Data:
SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE 35mm T2.4
SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE 50mm T2.8
SLR Magic ANAMORPHOT-CINE 70mm T4
Lens Type: Anamorphic lens
Squeeze factor: 1.33x
Objective front filter thread: Φ82
Mount: Titanium PL compatible with optional SLR Magic EF/F/mFT/E-mount
Titanium adapter.
Lens Coating: Multi Coated
Close Focus: 3’6
Weight (oz./g): 38.8/1,100
Length (cm): 13.5
Diameter (cm): 10
Image Circle: S35 for 35mm T2.4, FF for 50mm T2.8 and 70mm T4

‎Frankie Withers‎
Digital Self
Sony A99V and Carl Zeiss 135 F1.8 ZA – 1/60, F/1.8, ISO1600
Effect is created with pin spots shot through a mesh grill

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Dave Jones (EEVblog) “opened” his faulty 16-50mm OSS E-mount lens and shows us what’s inside.

found via PetaPixel and readers messages (Thanks!).

There are two free seminars from Sony Artisan Tony Gale you can attend in NYC:
2/15 at B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/eventDetails.jsp/id/2243
2/16 at Adorama (focusing on the Sony Flash system) http://www.adorama.com/alc/browse/pages/seminar-travel-light-tony-gale

And Zeiss Artisan Greg Watermann made a new tour video for The Struts “Kiss This”. Shot with an a7S2 and he used the Batis 25 and 85 most of the time. See the video on Vevo.

German Sony partner store Cyberport (Click here) is now accepting preorders on the new 70-200mm f/2.8 GM lens. The price they show is 9.999 Euro! But I know from the history of that retailer that price is not real and they only put it there as a “placeholder” until they are allowed to publish the real price. The shipment date is more likely to be true: May 19!

A6300 and Sony GM lens preorder links:
A6300 body at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, BestBuy. Calumetphoto.de. Amazon.de. WexUK. Jessops.
A6300 with kit lens at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, BestBuy. Calumetphoto.de. Amazon.de. WexUK. Jessops.
24-70mm f/2.8 GM FE at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, BestBuy. Calumetphoto.de. WexUK. Jessops.
85mm f/1.4 GM FE at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, BestBuy. Calumetphoto.de. WexUK. Jessops.
70-200mm f/2.8 GM FE at BHphoto.
Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter at BHphoto.
Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter BHphoto.