Matthew Wheeler took his first picture through an ice lens in response to a challenge by Scientific American and CBC calling on listeners to light a fire with a lens made entirely of ice. Too easy by far – Matthew took it one step farther and started photographing the natural beauty of his surroundings through the ice lenses he made.
Check out the photos (mirror site) or a video on DiscoveryChannel.ca.
Via Digg
Randy from Holgamods continues to kick ass: he’s now selling a Holga lens mounted on a body cap for use on Canon EOS cameras (Rebel XT, 20D, 30D, etc.). US $34.95, order here.
I’ve ordered cameras from Holgamods before and recommend him strongly. If you want a Holga and don’t want to modify it yourself, this is the place to go. (I have no relationship with Randy other than being a satisfied customer.)
Northlight Images have posted a comprehensive review of Canon’s 24mm tilt/shift lens, which allows a limited set of view camera-like movements for perspective and focus manipulation:
Keith recently obtained a Canon TS-E 24mm 3.5L lens primarily for interior and exterior photography of buildings. There are quite a few reviews of the TS-E 24mm on the web, but we wanted to give a bit more of a feel for what it is actually like to use a shift lens for real (on a Canon EOS 1Ds). Given the very wide angle pictures you can get with a 16mm lens and the ease of correcting perspective in Photoshop, why bother with this manual focus lens and all the extra effort involved in using it? This review/article is intended to give an overview of some of the effects, and has links to more detailed technical info at the end.
Read review at Northlight Images
Via Photography Blog
"The following is a tutorial on how to create an extension tube / reverse mount for a standard 18-55mm lens using common plumbing supplies found at your local hardware store… Reversing the lens using a ‘reversing ring’. This special adapter attaches to the filter thread on the front of a lens and makes it possible to attach the lens in reverse. Excellent quality results up to 4x lifesize magnification using fairly cheap, ‘standard’ (not specially designed for macro) lenses can be produced."
Continue reading at jyoseph.com
Via MAKE Blog
f295 member Andrew has converted his homemade anamorphic pinhole camera—where instead of light going straight through the opening and striking the film head-on, the film is formed into a circle and the light is projected into its center from above—to use a lens, and the results are stunning!
Andrew writes, "To get a lens anamorphic camera with the least possible effort I modified the pre-existing ‘black box of hell’ pincam. The p_p_p_pinhole is mounted in the ‘lid’ so I just made a new lid and mounted an 85mm lens stripped off a dead Agfa Isolette…"
Continue reading and see photos of and plans for the camera here, and photos that he took with it here at the f295 DIY Forum.
Apparently Zeiss’ Biogon T* 2.8/25 ZM lens for Leica M is ludicrous in at least one department.
From issue 24 of Zeiss Camera Lens News, released today:
"The result was a whopping 400 lp/mm on film, recorded with the Biogon 25 at f/4 in the center of the image. This value, 400 lp/mm, corresponds to the maximum resolution theoretically possible at f/4; in other words it represents the calculated ‘diffraction limited’ performance at this aperture…"
Um, seriously: holy shit.
Of course this is only one specification, and I’d personally be more interested in rectilinearity (the lack of which drives me utterly batshit when I’m after sharp photos) and chromatic aberration, but this is just insanely impressive.
(lp/mm = line pairs per millimeter)
Some updates on the new ZF Nikon F mount SLR lenses from issue 24 of Zeiss Camera Lens News, released today:
"The best we had ever achieved before with any SLR lenses was 250 lp/mm.
"The new Planar T* 1.4/85 ZF achieved that same resolution at f/5.6, and even down to f/2.
"The new Planar T* 1,4/50 ZF went even further: It reached 320 lp/mm in the aperture range from f/5.6 to f/2.8, and 250 lp/mm at f/2…"
Continue reading "The Sharpest SLR Lenses we’ve ever Tested"
Pricing was also announced for the first two models (excl. VAT):
Planar T* 1.4/50 ZF: 499.00 EUR
Planar T* 1.4/85 ZF: 999.00 EUR
The lenses will be available for ordering from Zeiss’ Web site starting 1 April, 2006.
From Nikon’s press release:
"Nikon Corporation has launched the AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED, the world’s first macro lens equipped with Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM) and Vibration Reduction (VR) systems.
"The new lens offers a host of Nikon’s advanced optical features and technologies such as Nano Crystal Coat, Extra Low Dispersion (ED) glass and Internal Focusing (IF) . The AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED is engineered for use with both Nikon DX format digital and 35mm film SLR cameras."
Focal length: 105mm (Picture angle, when used with Nikon DX format digital SLRs is equivalent to a 157.5mm on a 35mm format SLR)
Maximum aperture: f/2.8
Minimum aperture: f/32
Lens construction: 14 elements in 12 groups (with 1 ED glass element and 1 Nano Crystal Coat-deposited lens element)
Picture angle: 23 degrees 20′ [15 degrees 20′ with Nikon DX format]
Attachment size: 62mm
Dimensions: (approx.) 83 x 116mm (3.3 x 4.5 in.)
Weight: (approx.) 790g (27.9 oz.)
Included accessories: 62mm Snap-on front lens cap (LC-62), Rear lens cap (LF-1), Bayonet hood (HB-38), Flexible lens pouch (CL-1020)
More poop here at Nikon Digital (sorry, you have to select the lens with their Flash thingie).
It will be available in March 2006 for "estimated selling price of approximately
US$799.00".
About frikkin’ time somebody came out with a macro lens with a stabiliser!
From Canon’s press release:
"Canon today releases its latest professional L-series prime lens: the exceptionally fast EF 85mm f/1.2 II USM. With the widest aperture of any lens in the current EF range, the new model becomes Canon’s definitive portraiture lens, offering extremely fine control over depth of field and consummate low light performance. With vastly improved auto focus speed, the lens replaces the popular EF 85mm f/1.2L USM. As with all L-series lenses, the EF 85mm f/1.2 II USM incorporates the very finest standards of precision optics.
EF 85mm f/1.2 II USM – €2,049
(end quote)
Check out sample images and complete press release & specs on dpreview.com.
The title pretty much says it all: a review, with sample photos, of the much-coveted and fetishized Leica M 50mm f/1.0 (no, that’s not a typo) Noctilux lens.
Via PhotographyBLOG.