Kipon announces the world’s first EF-S to E-mount adpater with variable ND filter

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Kipon Japan announced the worlds first EF-S to E-mount electronic adapter with built-in variable ND filter. And it’s now in Stock at Amazon US (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).

Features

AF Adapter With Integrated ND Filters This unique KIPON autofocus lens adapter mounts Canon EF series lenses on Sony E-Mount Mirrorless Camera bodies with the distinct ability to control f-stop and depth of field without changing aperture settings by means of a continuous variable setting neutral density glass element insert selectable by an engraved wheel.

Covering a 4 step range , the ND glass is essential for shallow DOF and beautiful bokeh and creating fantastic long exposure images. Your favorite Canon lenses easily lock securely and perform just like they were Sony lenses, maintaining infinity focus when using the ND inset element. With Canon EF lenses you have plenty of resolution to satisfy DSLR high resolution sensor’s pixel size even at widest open aperture. A blank filter holder slide insert is included for custom application without infinity focus. With the ND filters for this adapter, you can accurately focus in advance, even at infinity. Without the insert, you cannot infinity focus.

Interchangeable Filters The adapter relays all exposure data from the lens, such as EXIF to AF, within internal electronic connections, so that the Sony E-Mount ILC can provide any auto shooting mode, as well as stop-down metering, for accurate exposure control. The module’s firmware is USB upgradable so that the adapter will always be technically ready for action.

SONY E mount mirrorless This Kipon Adapter is constructed from aluminum alloy for durability, minimizing weight, while mounting rings are made with brass to withstand heavy use.

Tripod foot with 1/4″-20 socket The Kipon AF Electronic Adapter is constructed from aluminum alloy for durability while minimizing weight. a detachable tripod foot is included that features 3/8″ threads as well as compatibility with any tripod heads.

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Sigma 30mm f/1.4 E-mount lens has one bug (likely to be fixed via firmware upgrade)

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On the German Forum Dslr-forum.de Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens owners spotted a specific issue: The lens takes unsharp pics when shooing at f/2.0 aperture with AF-S focusing via the EVF. Sigma germany acknowledge the problem and is working to fix it.

I am sure Sigma will fix that issue as this sounds a lot like a software issue. There is really no reason to not buy this lens also because it’s the best APS-C E-mount lens to date according to DxOmark.

Get the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 E-mount lens at [shopcountry 49396].

Sony interview at Lensvid: “We are working on algorithms to increase the battery life and decrease the overheating on E-mount cameras”

Lensvid posted that Sony video interview. A couple of news we got from this:

1) Sony sees a market for A-mount enthusiasts (particularly in the mid-upper level)
2) don’t expect Sony to make any entry level camera other than the A68
3) We will quickly recover from the Kumamoto damage
4) We are working on algorithms to increase the battery life and lower the overheating on E-mount cameras. These could be released
5) In Europe we have 25% of the Full Frame market share

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Zeiss Batis manager Pollmann: “Batis weather sealing can resist a sandstorm”

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Finnish Sony Alpha photographer Toni Ahvenainen interviewed Dr. Michael Pollmann from ZEISS, who is a product manager for the Batis lens family. The full interview can be read at Lenspire. There are many interesting answers and I will report only three of them:

1) Batis production shortage:

We simply underestimated the need for the lenses.  We had to increase our output several times before we were able to meet the demand. But this should now belong to the past. Recently our output had been significantly higher than the stable order income, allowing us to fulfill open orders.

2) Debunking the E-mount design flaw:

Due to the shorter distance from sensor to camera mount, the “common” design concepts used in lenses for DSLR cameras are no option. You have to start differently. And, of course, in the beginning you don’t know, whether it works out or not. Fortunately it did with the Batis 2.8/18.

3) About the weather sealing

For the water resistance tests we have our own environmental test lab on site, for the dust resistance we use an external test lab. Both tests are done in quite harsh tests. The lenses are directly exposed to water (simulating rain) and dust.  The “dust” used in the test is so extremely fine – I’d not expected, that a lens would pass this test. A grain of sand is huge in comparison to this dust. It’s more like fine powder. The lens sits in the test chamber and the powder swirls around the lens for hours. After the test is shut off, the powder settles and at the end the lens is totally covered in powder. I cannot think of any real life situation, which comes close to this test. Maybe a sand storm, but that’s probably not the typical situation, when you expose a lens to the environment… Nevertheless Batis lenses passed all the tests.

Links to all current Batis and Loxia lenses:
Batis 18mm at [shopcountry 47045].
Batis 25mm at [shopcountry 45790].
Batis 85mm at [shopcountry 45791].
Loxia 21mm at [shopcountry 46456].
Loxia 35mm at [shopcountry 47046].
Loxia 50mm at [shopcountry 47047].
Loxia 85mm at [shopcountry 51973].

Sexy and expensive: A99II with the 500mm lens

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Me like that 500mm lens on the new Sony A99II :)

And just to be 100% clear: The new A99II takes the A77II battery grip as you can see from that pic:

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All new Sony stuff on preorder:
A6500 at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama.
RX100m5 at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama.
New Underwater housing for all RX100 cameras at BHphoto, Adorama.
Sony A99II at BHphoto, Adorama. Amazon. BestBuy. Calumet Germany and WexUK.
Loxia 85mm f/2.4 at BHphoto and Adorama.
Tamron 150-600mm G2 A-mount lens at Bhphoto.Rokinon 35mm f/1.2 APS-C E-mount lens at BHphoto.
Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 autofocus FE lens at Amazon and BHphoto.
Lensbaby Trio 28mm E-mount lens at BHphoto, Adorama and WexUK.