The Chinese company Zhongyi Optics is about to release its first autofocus lens. It will be a new 35mm f/1.4 made for Sony E, Leica L and Nikon Z-mount cameras. The lens has an aperture ring, a focus ring, an AF/MF switch and an Fn button. Price and start of delivery to be announced.

On 20 May, the Chinese company SongRaw will introduce this new 85mm f/1.2 full-frame autofocus lens for the Sony E-, Nikon Z- and Leica L-mount system cameras. Above you can see the first image of the E-mount version. A pretty big lens!

Almost exactly six months after the announcement, the Sony A1II is ‘regular’ in stock at BHphoto (click here). Pre-orders are still not open at Amazon :(

Anyway, I hope this finally clear the path for the Sony A7V announcement!

Reminder: Sony savings at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama.

More deals:

• For the first time we have a $200 discount on the Sony A7cII sold by BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama.
• Up to 50% off on Lexar storage at Amazon
• Up to 50% off on Lexar SD cards at Amazon
• Up to 50% off on Lexar CF cards at Amazon

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8X Image Upscaling, Smart Face Restoration & De-noise – Aiarty Image Enhancer (Giveaway)

Whether you’re a photographer, content creator, or just someone who wants better-looking photos, Aiarty Image Enhancer makes it super easy to improve your images—no need for complicated settings or steep learning curves. Just fast, reliable results. Even with an awesome camera, not every shot turns out perfect. A little blur, high ISO noise, or tricky low-light conditions can still affect the final image. That’s where Aiarty Image Enhancer comes in—it helps revive those less-than-perfect photos.
With the latest update, Aiarty brings some seriously cool features like smarter AI Face Restoration, faster rendering, support for HEIC output, and up to 8X image upscaling—perfect for restoring old photos, fixing blurry shots, or cleaning up low-res or AI-generated images for print, sharing, or post-production.

Limited-Time Giveaway and Deal
For a limited time, click “License Giveaway” to claim a free license of Aiarty Image Enhancer—no credit card needed.
Want full access with no limits? Grab the Lifetime License at a special discount. It covers use on up to 3 computers with a one-time payment (no subscriptions), includes unlimited free updates, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
See the special offer details >

Restore Blurry Faces with AI

The AI Face Restoration feature in Aiarty is a game-changer for anyone working with older portraits, selfies, or group shots. It automatically detects and enhances faces, bringing back missing details like skin texture and facial features—even in blurry or compressed photos.

Test 1: Vintage Family Photo

Test 2: Blurry Group Shot

You can choose between two restoration modes: Gradient Overlay for a soft, natural look, and Routine Overlay for a more noticeable correction. Whether you need a subtle touch or more noticeable improvements, Aiarty has you covered.

Test 3: Intensive Enhancement with Routine Overlay Mode

Fix Grainy, Noisy Images with a Click

If you’ve ever dealt with noisy portraits, high ISO images, or night shots, you know how frustrating grainy photos can be. Aiarty Image Enhancer makes quick work of that. It eliminates luminance and color noise, leaving you with clear, detailed, and more professional-looking images.

Upscale to 4K, 8K, or Even 32K

Whether you’re printing large or cropping in deep, resolution is key. Aiarty can upscale your images up to 8X, getting you crisp, sharp details at 4K, 8K, 16K, or even 32K resolutions. You won’t get the usual softness or pixelation that comes with basic upscaling tools. And thanks to faster rendering, the process is smoother than ever—no matter the file size.

Powerful AI Models for Every Image

Aiarty Image Enhancer also comes with a range of AI models to help you get the best result depending on your image:

• More Detail GAN v3 Model: Adds amazing clarity and sharpness, especially useful for textures like skin, fur, or feathers.
• AIGC Smooth v3 Model: Perfect for improving AI-generated content, whether it’s digital art, line art, or images with smooth surfaces.
• Real Photo Model: Focuses on real photographs, enhancing details and improving image quality without overdoing it.
• Smooth Diff v2: Smoothens and brightens images for a clearer, more natural look.

Easy to Use, Big Results

Aiarty Image Enhancer isn’t about endless sliders or filters. It’s designed to do all the hard work behind the scenes, so you can focus on what matters—your photos. Whether you need sharper images or want to clean up a specific problem, Aiarty gets it done in just a few clicks.

Learn more about Aiarty Image Enhancer >

Sony announced the Xperia 1 VII.  They made a lot of marketing around this smartphone having “Alpha” alike features:

Topaz launched the new Photo AI 4 (Click here to see all new features).

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We’re excited to announce that Photo AI 4 is officially here, bringing our most powerful photo restoration and enhancement tools yet. This update introduces groundbreaking features like Dust & Scratch removal, a revolutionary solution for restoring old photos and fixing lens damage.

To celebrate, we’re offering a limited-time discount from May 12–28:

• Save $30 on New Photo AI Purchases
  Regular Price: $199 → $169
• Save $18 on Photo AI 4 Upgrades
  Regular Price: $119 → $101

Why promote Photo AI 4?

1. New Dust & Scratch Removal
   The first tool of its kind to automatically remove dust and light scratches from images.
   Perfect for:
   Restoring damaged prints and film scans
   Removing lens dust and small surface flaws
   Cleaning up archival or scanned work
2. Super Focus v2
   Refocus blurry images with our upgraded deblurring model, ideal for:
   Blurry RAW files and smartphone shots
   Vintage and archival photos
3. Active Autopilot + New Interface
   Photo AI’s intelligent autopilot now suggests smart edits and shows next steps. Plus, the right panel has been redesigned for a smoother, more intuitive workflow.

What your audience can do with Photo AI 4:

• Recover family heirlooms, film scans, or dusty prints (Dust & Scratch)
• Clean up photos with visible lens debris (Dust & Scratch)
• Refocus out of focus shots with one click (Super Focus v2)

On 9 May, Sony registered another new camera in China. We now have a total of two cameras that have been registered and should be announced soon:

• Registered on April 21: Code “WW934774” with dual band Wifi support and manufactured in China
• Registered on May 9: Code “WW697160” with dual band Wifi support and manufactured in Japan

One of the codes is for the new camera with integrated tilting EVF (just like on this GX9), which is to be announced on May 28. We don’t yet know what this second camera will be: A7V, FX3II or finally a successor of this dream camera. What do you want?

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If you happen to know more about this announcement feel free to share the info though this anonymous contact form or contact me via eMail, Signal, Telegram. Thanks!