Today I’m excited to share news about two world’s first lenses that Sigma will announce soon:

• Sigma 135mm f/1.4 – The BOKEH King

• Sigma 20-200mm – The TRAVEL King

Let’s break it down:

Sigma 135mm f/1.4

This is a Full Frame Autofocus lens launching for Sony E and Leica L mount cameras — and nobody has ever done anything like this before. The closest we’ve seen is the manual focus Mitakon 135mm f/1.4, which was large, heavy, and optically underwhelming.

The new Sigma will be the spiritual successor to the legendary Sigma 105mm f/1.4 (still available at B&H), but with even more extreme bokeh thanks to the extra 30mm of reach. Compared to a classic 85mm f/1.4, this lens offers several advantages — and one small trade-off:

• Extreme Bokeh: At a subject distance of 3 meters, an 85mm f/1.4 gives you ~9.8cm depth of field, while the 135mm f/1.4 delivers an incredible ~2.8cm.

• More Discreet Shooting: You don’t have to be right on top of your subject to get a creamy, bokeh-rich shot.

• Easier Background Separation: Even distant subjects get a beautifully blurred background.

• Indoor & Low-Light Performance: Sports shooters may find this lens offers just enough telephoto reach to be useful, while f/1.4 allows shooting in challenging lighting like concerts or indoor sports. Switch your camera to APS-C mode, and you effectively get a 200mm f/1.4 field of view.

• Disadvantage: Bigger and heavier than a classic 85mm f/1.4 lens.

Sigma 20-200mm

Another Full Frame Autofocus lens is coming for Sony E and Leica L mount cameras — and it’s something we’ve never seen before. Most travel zooms are 28-200mm (like this Tamron) or 24-200mm, but starting at 20mm changes the game. That ultra-wide end makes it perfect not only for travel and landscape work, but also for vloggers, bloggers, and selfie shooters. In short: this could be the one lens to rule them all. I do not have the aperture info yet…my guess is that it’s going to be f/3-5-6.3.

When will they be announced?

I don’t yet have images, pricing, or an exact release date for either of these lenses. What we do know is that on August 19, Sigma will announce the 12mm f/1.4 (APS-C), the 200mm f/2.0, and possibly the new 35mm f/1.2 II. The two lenses I revealed today might arrive a little later — potentially as late as September.

I hope to get the full final info (and possibly images) soon. In the meantime let me know if you are going to buy the ultimate BOKEH lens! – SHARE RUMORS using this anonymous contact form or contact me via eMail, Signal, Telegram. Thanks! To not miss any new rumor subscribe our Newsletter:

Social Networks:

• Subscribe my youtube channel: Usually I do post the rumors there 15-30min in advance before I post them on SAR
• Follow me on Twitter: Yep, I paid for the blue check so that you will actually see me.
• Follow my page on Facebook: Be sure to select “Favorites” to be notified when there is a new article online
• Follow me on Instagram: Ok, this one is more tricky as I am currently getting lost having fun with Ai images :)

this is one of the “secret” spots I visit with my mountain bike regularly to get a refresh

As you may know, I live in the Alps and often go mountain biking. For now, I just put my Sony A7rV and Tamron 28-200mm lens in a small mountain bike backpack. But this has always been frustrating. The equipment gets stuck between other things and I can never access it easily. So I’m wondering if there are any other mountain biking enthusiasts out there who can give me some advice on which bag to buy that would be suitable for this purpose.

For reference, I asked ChatGPT 5 on what gear would suite my needs and this is his answer:

• Chest/shoulder mount (fastest access)
  • Cotton Carrier Skout G2 – Holds the A7R V securely to your chest so it doesn’t swing, even on rough trails.
  • Peak Design Capture Clip v3 + Pro Pad – Clips the camera to a backpack strap for quick draw; the Pro Pad adds comfort for heavy gear.
  Tip: The Skout distributes weight better for a full-frame camera than a clip-only system.
• Padded hip pack (best balance + good protection)
  • EVOC Hip Pack Capture 7L – MTB-specific waist bag with padded camera compartment and room for water.
  • Shimoda Action X Belt Pack – Weather-resistant belt pack that swings to the front for easy access.
• Compact camera backpack (maximum protection, slower access)
  • EVOC Stage Capture 16L – MTB-ready pack with padded camera insert and hydration compatibility.
  • Lowepro PhotoSport BP 15L AW III – Lightweight camera backpack with side access for faster stops.
  Note: With a backpack, you’ll usually have to stop and take it off to get the camera.

• Peak Design Camera Cube Small – Padded insert to keep the A7R V + Tamron safe inside any regular backpack.
• Lowepro GearUp Pro Camera Organizer – Slim organizer for body and lens, fits in smaller bags.

• Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack (≈8L) – Waterproof liner for your pack or hip bag.
• LensCoat RainCoat – Rain protection for the camera while shooting.
• Think Tank Hydrophobia Rain Cover – Heavy-duty weather protection option.
• Hoya UV Protective Filter (67mm) – Protects the Tamron 28–200mm front element from dust, grit, and branches.
• MagicFiber Microfiber Cleaning Cloths – For cleaning rain, mud, and fingerprints from lens and screen.

• Carry: Cotton Carrier Skout G2 for mid-ride shots without stopping.
• Stow for technical terrain: EVOC Hip Pack Capture 7L with a Sea to Summit Dry Sack inside for waterproofing.
• Lens choice: The Tamron 28–200mm FE is perfect for MTB because it covers wide landscapes to distant subjects without swapping lenses.

• Lens hood mounted for impact protection.
• Carry system straps tightened to prevent bounce.
• Dry sack and cleaning cloths packed for sudden mud or rain.

Meike AF 55mm f/1.8 ‘Pro’ lens review

Today deals at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, Amazon DE, Amazon UK, Amazon FR, Amazon IT, FotoErhardt DE, FotoKoch DE.
Why Every Landscape Photographer Needs a Telephoto Lens (Explora)
Summer Photography Survival Guide: Stay Cool & Keep Your Gear Safe (42West)
Sigma 17-40 F/1.8 | First Impressions (Alex Barrera).
Sony 50-150mm GM review by Hannah Saba.
Need User LUTs or Display LUTs in Stills Photo Mode (Sony community).
7Artisans 120mm T2.9 macro 2x review at SonyAlphaBlog.
Turning a Cheap C-mount Lens into a Full Frame Macro Lens (Fotodiox).
Hard Drives, NASs and RAIDs | What Is the Right Storage for You? (Explora)

Follow our new Youtube channel.
Join our SonyAlphaForum.
I kindly invite you all to follow our Discord channel, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and Twitter to not miss news and rumors

We have our own Facebook camera groups you can join to discuss the upcoming new cameras in detail:
Sony Alpha group. Sony A1 group. Sony A9 series group. Sony A7r series group. Sony A7s series group. Sony A7 series group

Photography icon Eastman Kodak has issued a stark warning about its future, saying it may not be able to continue operations much longer. In its latest earnings filing, the 133-year-old company acknowledged it lacks the financing and liquidity to meet nearly $500 million in upcoming debt obligations.

To cut costs, Kodak will suspend payments to its retirement pension plan, a move that underscores the severity of its financial troubles. The market reacted sharply, with shares plunging around 25–26% after the announcement.

Despite the grim outlook, Kodak maintains cautious optimism. The company says it plans to pay off part of its debt early or seek refinancing, while continuing to diversify into pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing.

Kodak’s struggles highlight a lost opportunity in the digital era. Seeing Fujifilm’s massive success with its built-in film simulations, it’s hard not to imagine a different path for Kodak. One intriguing possibility: Sony could license Kodak’s legendary film names and styles—Portra, Ektachrome, Tri-X—and bring them as built-in Kodak film profiles to its Alpha cameras. This move could give Sony a creative edge while keeping Kodak’s heritage alive in a modern, digital form.

What do you think about that?

Popular YouTuber Michael The Maven has just launched the new MAVEN Filters – WAVE 3 on Kickstarter (click here). In this 24-minute video, Michael gives a full rundown of all the new filters:

Reminder: You have three days left to grab the Peak Design Pro Tripod on Kickstarter (Click here). It has nearly 5,000 backers and collected nearly 4 million dollars