Digital SLR Blog

SLR-Gear reviews the Pentax 15mm f/4 ED AL Limited SMC DA lens and after analyzing it recommend it. The lens produced extremely sharp images and chromatic aberration was negligible. However according to the reviewer, the wide-angle lens produced soft images at times and the macro performance was disappointing

The Spider Holster takes a unique approach when it comes to carrying photographic equipment by putting the camera' weight at the human body's center of gravity. Made of stainless steel and aluminum, the holster has a unique locking mechanism that lets one choose:

Lower Position - a quick-release lock that latches automatically when the camera is placed in the holster.

Upper Position - for free camera motion to get your DSLR from hip to hands in a flash

For more information go here.

The Tiny Hi-Def Photo Player (HD-0311) by Hi-Den Vision claims to be “the smallest photo / media player for viewing photos in large HDTVs of up to 1080p resolution”. The player has options like 16 transition effects, slide interval time, random or sequential playback and ships with a remote.

[Via Photography Blog]

Cosina will soon release a Voigtländer branded 50mm f/1.1 lens exclusively for the Leica M mount. The superfast 50mm ƒ/1.1 lens with ultra-high refractive index glass will be released to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Cosina's Bessa series of rangefinder cameras.

[Via The Online Photographer]

The new Panasonic SDHC memory cards with Class 10 speed specification will be available in Europe by the end of May. Class 10 is a new speed specification standardized by SD Card Association and the Panasonic GOLD line series will adopt this new speed class. The new series will be available in the following four models: RP-SDW04G(4GB) / RP-SDW08G(8GB) / RP-SDW16G(16GB) / RP-SDW32G(32GB).

The smc PENTAX-DA18-55mmF3.5-5.6AL WR, and the smc PENTAX-DA50-200mmF4-5.6ED WR are two new compact, lightweight zoom lenses. The lenses boast of a weather-resistant construction, are treated with PENTAX-original SP (Super Protect) coating and feature the Quick-Shift Focus system for instant AF/MF switching. The DA 18-55mm will retail for  $199.95 and the DA 50-200mm $249.95.

[Via DCI]

The newly announced Fantasea BigEye Lenses are compatible with cameras from all major brands like Canon, Olympus, Fuji, Sea & Sea, Ikelite etc. Utilizing a patent-pending lens technology, the BigEye Lens provide a wide angle solution for large zoom lens compact digital cameras like the Canon G10, Fuji F200 and more. For more information go here.

Olympus has released updates for the following lenses: Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 8mm F3.5 Fisheye, 18-180mm F3.5-6.3, 70-300mm F4.0-5.6 and the 90-250mm F2.8. The update fixes the sequential shooting when using C-AF on the E-3 and E-30. For more information go here.

Apart from updating their Alpha line up, Sony also announced the HVL-F20AM flash unit. Foldable, the HVL-F20AM pivots upwards for bounce flash shooting. The Sony HVL-F20AM Flash Unit will retail for $130.

[Via DCI]
 

Olympus Europe has added a Lensfinder page on their website which is aimed at helping Four Thirds users ascertain their lens requirements. Located in the Buying Advice section, the Lensfinder page has Four-Thirds focal lengths from 7 to 300mm (14mm to 600mm in 35mm equivalents).  You can check out the feature here.

The Clickfree Traveler by Storage Appliance claims to be the world's smallest automatic backup device. Measuring a mere 3.3" x 2.1" x 0.2", the device is as small as a credit card and on plugging it , the device automatically starts to search, backup and organize content, keeping each PC's data separated by user. The Clickfree Traveler is available in several capacities:
  o 16GB - $99.99 (CDN)
  o 32GB - $189.99 (CDN)
  o 64GB – 319.99 (CDN)

[Via DC Views]
 

To celebrate Mother’s Day, Tamron is offering a $50.00 rebate on the AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II VC LD Aspherical (IF) Macro lens. The offer is valid till May 12, 2009 and the lens purchase must be made between May 5 ~ May 12, 2009 to qualify for rebate. Also redemption requests must be post-marked by May 26, 2009 to qualify and to download the rebate form go here.

Eye-fi users can now directly upload videos from their digital camera to Picasa Web Albums, Photobucket or SmugMug, in addition to YouTube(TM) or Flickr. The 4GB Eye-Fi Share Video and Eye-Fi Explore Video cards can also can upload photos and videos directly to the computer and can also automatically geotags photos and videos. Eye-Fi’s newest wireless SD memory cards are now available at Apple Retail Stores and Best Buy locations nationwide for an MSRP of $79 (4GB Eye-Fi Share Video) and $99 (4GB Eye-Fi Explore Video).

Canon US has announced a new rebate programme onselect Canon lenses and accessories, as well as instant rebates on Canon EOS 50D and Rebel XSi Digital SLR cameras. The offer is valid from May3rd to July 11th 2009. Details are below.

LaCie recently announced three new  storage solutions for multimedia professionals. The 4big Quadra Bundle has capacities up to 32TB and fast transfer speeds up to 700MB/s. LaCie also announced a new 8TB model of the 4big Quadra, an integral part of the 32TB LaCie 4big Quadra Bundle. Prices for the LaCie 4big Quadra Bundles start at  $1999.00.

BLOBbox by TVBLOB lets one access and share multimedia content via standard or high-definition television. The device also facilitates the downloading and playout of content shared on the network with BitTorrent Peer-to-Peer file sharing technology and one can record digital TV with the in built double DTT digital tuner. For more info go to http://www.tvblobbox.com/ataglance.php.

Redrock Micro has unveiled their new DSLR 2.0 line of Redrock cinema accessories for video DSLR cameras, including the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EOS Rebel T1i, Nikon D90, and Panasonic Lumix HG1. Prices start from $195 and vary according to the configuration. DSLR 2.0 accessories are based on their proprietary baseplate which features ultra light design, unique locking pin for DSLRs to eliminate rotation, and quick release clamp for fast transformations.

Zeeion from Visible Dust is an anti-static non-contact dust removal device for DSLRs. Made from Silicon-RX - a unique compound with an anti-static property, Zeeion has an one-way valve in the nozzle and also comes with a soft cap. The new VisibleDust Zeeion is available now at RRP £39.95. from http://www.bogenimaging.co.uk/visibledust.

The new Gitzo Ocean Traveler Tripod can be purchased from the Gitzo website for £799.95. Being marketed as the “world’s first stainless steel tripod casting”, the tripod also features a Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) technology and can be used with an SLR or DSLR. The Gitzo Ocean Traveler features a Ocean-Lock, which has special inserts at both ends to minimize the amount of water and debris that may enter the tubes and mechanisms.

 

The Nexto NVS2500 backup storage device is ideal for multi-media professionals as it offers back up speeds of up to 80MB/s and supports formats like Compact Flash, SDHC and MemoryStick Pro. Available in 160GB, 250GB, 350GB and 500GB storage capacities, the NVS2500 also offers eSATA/USB and FireWire support.

[Via Dpreview]

The Camlink COMO range of camera bags have been made from Cordura weather resistant nylon and also offer a built in weather cover to offer ultimate protection in adverse weather conditions. The Camlink COMA BP1 & BP2 in the range can hold a DSLR camera system and  a notebook computer (BP1 up to 15” notebook – BP2 up to 17” notebook.). The camera bags feature a built in rucksack strap and for further information go to http://www.camlink.eu.com
 

The new Nikon AF-S DX-NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED is an ultra-wide lens that offers a focal length of 10 to 24mm. The lens features silent Wave Motor (SWM) technology and FX-format shooters can also benefit from it , since Nikon’s FX-format cameras will automatically apply the DX-Crop Mode when shooting. The AF-S DX-NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED will retail for $899.95.

The Eye-Fi Explore Video and Share Video 4GB Wi-Fi SDHC cards are now shipping. One can order them online or wait till April 19th to buy them from stores. The Explore is selling for $99.99 and the Video can be bought for $79.99.

Via Engadget

The SLIK PRO 340 BH is a new tripod that has four 4 legs sections that collapse down to just over 20 inches to make it portable and compact. The tripod as a gearless center column that unscrews into two pieces converting the top piece into a short column and it can handle up to 8.8 lbs of equipment.

The Vosonic DPA4000 is a digital photo album manufactured by Vosonic Technology Corporation. When closed the DPA4000 is reminiscent of a conventional photo album and when powered on the album duplicates a photo album layout. The digital album ships with a charger, a USB and an audio cable, headphones and a genuine leather case.

[Via Photography Blog ]

Firmware update for the Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM lens is now available for download. The  update improves the performance and compatibility of the Four Thirds system. For more information go to http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/support/soft/firm/index.htm

Kaiser Fototechnik’s ProDisk looks like a nifty little tool to manage white balance, exposure and colour check. ProDisk combines a grey card, a white balance filter and a colour checker in a slim folding plastic housing and is small enough to fit into a pocket. For more info head over to http://www.kaiser-fototechnik.de/en/

The Seattle Solo is a new DSLR camera bag from Camera Armor. The bag offers watertight transport for one camera body with lens attached and keeps dirt, dust, sand and water out. It also features an elastic shock cord for gear storage and can be purchased for £60.

The Canon Speedlite 270EX has been designed keeping in mind the needs of EOS and PowerShot users. Replacing the Speedlite 220EX, the Speedlite 270EX has a zoom head, a quick-lock mechanism and a metal mounting foot. The external flash unit is available from early May 2009 priced at £149.99 / €169.99 RRP inc. VAT.

Key Features include:

  * High power flash with a maximum guide number 27 m
  * Fast, silent recycle times
  * Manual flash output (settable via camera menus)
  * Speedlite controllable with compatible camera’s menu
  * Zoom head
  * Bounce flash head

Tamron has announced the SP AF60mm F/2.0 Di II LD (IF) MACRO 1:1 (Model G005), a life-size macro lens for digital SLR cameras with APS-C size image sensors. The lens will have a fast maximum aperture of F/2.0 and an equivalent angle of view of 93mm when converted to the 35mm format. The new life-size macro lens from Tamron is expected to be made available in mounts for Canon, Nikon (with built-in AF motor) and Sony.