Press release

Renewal of the Meyer Optik Görlitz portfolio on schedule

• Optimization of the first lens completed
• Further new versions of previous lenses in progress
• First completely new development finalized / more to follow
• Cooperation with Fotomuseum Görlitz & the City of Görlitz

Bad Kreuznach – 31st July 2019 – Meyer Optik is pushing the revision and optimization of its existing portfolio and has already completed its first projects. The developments are thus on schedule and the first Meyer Optik lenses developed and produced by OPC will be available in late summer 2019.
“We have analyzed the entire existing portfolio, identified optimization potential and categorized it according to effort. This approach now enables us to efficiently optimize lens by lens and to publish in a timely manner,” explains Timo Heinze, Managing Director of OPC Optics. “We are currently in the prototype phase of the first optimized lens and are confident that we will achieve an increase in the mechanical quality and imaging performance of this and all other lenses. Depending on the individual lens, the scope of these improvements and changes will of course vary. The unique image language of every individual lens will be retained of course.”

Optimization of the first new version finalized
During the analysis process it turned out that the first new edition will be the Trioplan 100. This new Trioplan 100 II is currently in the prototype phase and will be the first revised lens to be released.MirrorlessRumors.com
“The previous Trioplan 100 is a good lens and its success proves it right. We have received an unbelievable number of enquiries about the availability of the Trioplan 100 and see many posts in the social media from satisfied photographers who proudly present their Trioplan pictures. Our technical analysis also showed that the previous Trioplan 100 is simply a good lens, and yet we were able to introduce and implement improvements here and there. This applies on the one hand to the mechanics and on the other hand to the optics itself in terms of contrast behavior and resolution. We are confident that our current prototype tests will confirm this and that we will be able to start serial production immediately after completion of the test series,” explains Heinze.

Further improved, new editions in progress
Also, under development are the Trioplan 50 / 35+, Lydith 30 and Primoplan 58 / 75, which will receive a complete redesign of the mechanics and outer geometry. In addition, the optical calculations and the glass itself will of course also be put to the test and examined for optimization potential.
Of these lenses, the Trioplan 50 will now be completed next, followed by the Lydith 30 and the Primoplan 75. The optimization work will then be completed with the Primoplan 58 and the Trioplan 35+.

With the Trioplan 50, the mechanics and outer geometry as well as the optical calculation were completely revised so that a better haptic and a considerably improved imaging performance are to be achieved. These theoretical optimizations must now be verified in real use. The necessary prototypes are currently in production and will then be extensively tested.
The selling prices of the new versions are not yet fixed. However, we are working hard to optimize production and internal processes so that the new lenses can be offered at realistic and attractive prices without compromising quality and precision.

First completely new development finalized / more to follow
As already announced, Meyer Optik will also launch completely new lenses on the market. Under the venerable name “Primagon”, a completely new lens will probably be launched this year. The elaborately constructed design consists of 8 lenses in 6 assemblies and will appear as Primagon 50 f2.0. Further details such as an exact publication date, prices, available mounts, technical details, etc. will be published in due course.

Cooperation with Fotomuseum Görlitz and the city of Görlitz
Meyer Optik will work closely with the Fotomuseum Görlitz and the city of Görlitz in the future. Among other things, the 5th Photo Festival in Görlitz (30.08. – 22.09.2019), which is organized by Fotomuseum Görlitz e.V., will be supported by Meyer Optik. As a part of this event, employees of Meyer Optik / OPC Optics will be on site during the opening weekend and will be happy to talk to anyone interested.

About Meyer Optik Görlitz
Meyer Optik Görlitz has a long history as a German manufacturer of high-quality lenses. Founded in 1896, Meyer Optik Görlitz has been in almost continuous existence for around 120 years. Thanks to the creativity which makes the Meyer Optik Görlitz lenses possible, the brand enjoys huge popularity worldwide – today as much as always.

About OPC Optics
OPC Optics was founded as a company in 2016 and is based in Bad Kreuznach. In addition to providing technical advice for projects and contract measuring of optical components, OPC Optics is primarily known as a specialist in high-precision aspheric and spherical lenses, as well as double aspheric lenses, achromatic lenses and assembly units. Its customers include companies involved in photography, medical technology, automotive and laser technology. With state-of-the-art machines, OPC Optics focuses on providing the highest possible quality and precision in the manufacture of glass lenses. As a result of comprehensive documentation of the entire process, from molten glass to raw glass processing, right through to the finished lens, OPC Optics is trusted by customers all around the world.

meyer-optik-goerlitz.com

Review – Olympus Stylus 1 in 2019 – Cheap & Powerful

Sport shooting tips by Mark Thackara with Mike Inkley (Olympus Imagespace).
Towerjazz: It must not be easy for Nikon and others to solely rely on Sony sensors when Sony also has their own cameras (MirrorlessRumors)
Fotografía de acción con Fernando Marmolejo y la Olympus E-M1X (Photolari).
Five Ways to Turn your Backyard into a Wildlife Photography Studio (Explora).

Share your best pictures on our new Instagram MicroFourThirdsGallery.

Plenty of news on the facebook E-M1II group, Panasonic FF and the GH5 group.

How to use the 2x Teleconverter MC-20 for Wildlife Photography

DPReview TV: Waterproof Compact Camera Roundup 2019 (Ricoh WG-6, Olympus TG-6, Panasonic TS7 / FTZ)
There will be no Panasonic nor Canon nor Nikon nor Sony 8K mirrorless system camera this year nor in 2020 (MirrorlessRumors).
Real world images of the new Sigma FP L-mount camera (L-rumors).
Bokeh: A Term that Means More than Blurry and Fuzzy (Explora).

Share your best pictures on our new Instagram MicroFourThirdsGallery.

Plenty of news on the facebook E-M1II group, Panasonic FF and the GH5 group.

The new 150-400mm is a gorgeus lens. But the disappointing news is that it will be available in early 2020 only. The image on top shows all current Olympus PRO lenses in one single pose.

E-M1X:
Olympus E-M1X in USA at Amazon, GetOlympus, Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus E-M1X in Europe at Calumet Germany, ParkCameras, Jessops, WexUK.

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro Review

This is the newly updated L Mount roadmap for Sigma lenses! (L-rumors).
Samsung and Fujifilm announce the new ISOCELL Plus sensor (MirrorlessRumors).
Olympus 12-100mm test at Getnavi.
New Slik AL-Pro 300 Series and the Sprint Pro III Series Tripods (Explora).

Share your best pictures on our new Instagram MicroFourThirdsGallery.

Plenty of news on the facebook E-M1II group, Panasonic FF and the GH5 group.

Reminder: Skylum announce the new Luminar 4 software (info here). It’s available for preorder now and it will be available this fall. Among the many new features it also will have the world’s first Sky Replacement technology.

There are two bundle offers:

1. Luminar 4 + Signature Looks bundle for US$59 instead of US$138
2. Luminar 4 + Signature Looks + Luminar 3 bundle for US$89instead of US$207

Current Luminar 3 owners pay $49 only:

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Full press text:

Sky’s the limit: Luminar 4 introduces the first automatic Sky Replacement technology

Utilizing the proprietary technology based on machine learning, Luminar 4 will be the first photo editor to have a fully automated Sky Replacement tool to save the artists hours of editing.

BELLEVUE, WA – July 23, 2019 — Today, Skylum announces the upcoming release of Luminar 4, set to ship this fall. Skylum continues to push innovations forward through machine learning tools. In addition to the new AI Sky Replacement tool, Luminar users can expect to see more machine learning present in Luminar 4. With its easy-to-use interface and sensible workflows, Luminar 4 is a great choice for creatives looking to move their photography forward.

“With Luminar 4 we continue to empower everyone who loves photography to make incredible images faster and easier,” said Alex Tsepko, CEO of Skylum. “No one needs a “simply another photo editor” these days. That’s why with every Luminar update we bring photographers something truly meaningful, something that will really level up their creative skills.

In Luminar 2018, Skylum introduced the AI Sky Enhancer filter, helping to add depth and color back into flat or blown-out skies. Earlier this year, Skylum added the Accent AI 2.0 filter to Luminar 3, a powerful content aware filter powered by machine learning to automatically enhance images. Now, with Luminar 4, AI Sky Replacement offers the first automatic tool for replacing skies. Machine learning tools like these are the foundation of the Luminar platform, helping to save photographers hours of manual labor so they can achieve their creative dreams.

Why AI Sky Replacement?
Sky replacement methods have become popular in recent years with landscape photographers, in order for them to truly showcase their creative vision. Up until now, photographers have spent minutes or even hours manually replacing skies, through tools like Smart Selection, Luminosity Masking, Overlaying, Layers, Masking, Smart Brush, Color Range and more. And even with all those tools, it was hard to get a perfect sky.

While development of AI Sky Replacement has been equally challenging, Skylum’s machine learning technology means that photographers can apply a realistic sky to their photograph in mere seconds, freeing up time to be more creative.

How does it work?
AI Sky Replacement works by automatically detecting not only the sky, but also objects in a photograph’s scene. This helps make sure the photo ends up being as realistic as possible once you insert a new sky. It removes things like halos, artifacts and edges of transitions, problems that often were present in existing sky replacement techniques. With the AI Sky Replacement you will also be able to adjust the sky to fit the rest of an image — things like depth of field, tone, exposure and color — making it great for not only landscapes, but also portraits.

When working on an image, the AI Sky Replacement technology automatically creates a mask for the sky, taking a step that would oftentimes take minutes or even hours, and boiling it down to mere seconds with just the click of a mouse. But that’s not all it does — AI Sky Replacement also correctly detects the horizon line and the orientation of the sky to replace so that it looks as realistic as possible.

Furthermore, with the scene relight technology, you’ll see the rest of your photo change in terms of light and color when you select your sky of choice. This makes sure that an image and sky match so they appear they were taken during the same conditions. Because of the toning that AI Sky Replacement does to an image, it looks as natural and smooth as possible.

The new AI Sky Replacement filter is the perfect tool for recreating that special moment that you might not otherwise be able to revisit. It’s great to bring life into vacation photos where the weather wasn’t perfect, or surprise moments where you couldn’t plan for the perfect conditions. And best of all, it’s available through a simple, easy-to-use tool in the Luminar 4 interface.

Now, with AI Sky Replacement, it’s easier and faster than ever for photographers to achieve their goals, and focus on what they enjoy most — photography.

Pricing and availability
Luminar 4 is set to be released this fall. Pre-orders are now available on skylum.com.
Pricing will be announced at a later time, and upgrade pricing will be available for current users.

About Skylum Software
Skylum is a global imaging technology company with offices in Bellevue, USA; Kyiv, Ukraine; and Tokyo, Japan. Skylum allows millions of photographers to make incredible images faster. We automate photo editing with the power of Artificial Intelligence yet leave all the creative control in the hands of the artist. The Skylum Team has won the Red Dot Award, Apple’s Best of the Year, and other top industry awards. To learn more about Skylum, visit http://skylum.com.