ePhotozine tests the new Meike 25mm f/0.95 MFT lens

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ePhotozine (Click here) posted the full Meike 25mm f/0.95 MFT lens review:

Of course, we have to accept that this is a manual focus lens, which will not be to everyone’s taste, but if we are prepared to live with that then we end up with a very desirable lens. It is sharp, albeit not at the edges until f/2, in the centre outstandingly sharp, there is no trace of flare, CA is well under control and the price very reasonable for what we are getting. We can add to that the creative possibilities for stills and movies of that f/0.95 aperture and it makes a good case for giving the Meike 25mm f/0.95 serious consideration.

All four new Meike MFT lenses are now listed and available for preorder at Amazon US (Click here to see the pricing of each lens).

Panasonic 100-400mm review at Imaging Resource: “amazing to consider just what you’re getting for the price”

Imaging Resource posted the full Panasonic-Leica 100-400mm lens review:

“It may be expensive, but it’s amazing to consider just what you’re getting for the price: one of the lightest ways to get an image-stabilized 800mm image. If you were already thinking about this lens, then looking at these test results should be more than enough to convince you.”

Leica 100-400mm store links: [shopcountry 60373].

Olympus 300mm PRO lens review by Lenstip: “results are splendid in practically all categories”

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Image of the [shoplink 58740]300mm PRO lens[/shoplink] with the great [shoplink 60732 ebay]dot sight accessory[/shoplink]

Lenstip posted the full Olympus 300mm PRO lens review:

The results are splendid in practically all categories apart from flares and in some of them (e.g. vignetting and chromatic aberration) they are simply sensational. Add to that one of the most efficient optical stabilization units we’ve ever had the pleasure of testing, a very good autofocus and a perfect cooperation with a tele-converter and it would be difficult to ask for more. I don’t doubt that the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 300 mm f/4.0 ED IS PRO fully deserves the “Editor’s Choice” badge of LensTip.com.

Get the Olympus 300mm PRO lens at [shopcountry 58740].

Olympus Tough TG-Tracker Hands-on First Impression by Digitalrev and CameraLabs.

It’s not a MTF camera but certainly one very cool action camera from Olympus! On top you can watch the video review by Digitalrev. And on that CameraLabs article you can read the full action camera review:

On the whole the TG-Tracker tells you more about the environment you’re using it in than any other action camera I can think of. Whether you actually need it all and how useful it is is another question. The GPS worked faultlessly (even on the London underground, which was pretty impressive) and I like that you can log when you’re not taking pictures at the flick of a switch. The other sensor data – direction, altitude, temperature and vertical distance travelled is novel and very accessible from the camera. It’s fun to have, but probably not all crucial for most people.

Preorders:
Green TG-Tracker at BHphoto. Amazon. GetOlympus. Adorama.
Black TG-TRacker at BHphoto. Amazon. GetOlympus. Adorama.

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 MFT lens gets DxOmarked: “Good value for money”

DxOsigma

DxOmark tested the new Sigma 30mmf /1.4 MFT lens. And as you can see from the score below the lens is as good as the Panasonic-Leica 25mm lens:

Boasting a fast maximum aperture and short minimum focus distance, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DN is a good standard prime option for MFT shooters. Sigma’s precision engineering ensures the good transmission, distortion, vignetting, and chromatic aberration results you’d expect from a prime. Sharpness isn’t outstanding, but it’s on par for a lens of this type, with the best results achieved at f/2.8 and f/4. The own-brand Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 does offer slighter greater and more uniform resolution at mid-aperture settings, but it distorts more than the Sigma, and fringes a little more in the very far corners, too. What’s more, it costs almost twice as much as the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DN, making Sigma’s third-party alternative the better value-for-money option.

You can buy the Sigma on thos elinks at Amazon, BHphoto, Adorama, WexUK, Jessops and Calumet Germany.

Leica 12mm F/1.4 Test and Samples by Daniel Cox: “amazing details”

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Daniel Cox posted his short test with the new 12mm f/1.4 Leica lens on Naturalexposures (full size sample on Dpreview):

“I love the amazing details that are easily seen from the center of the lens all the way to the extreme corners, even when shot wide open. It’s build feels as robust as any lens I’ve ever handled. As much as I love this new wide angle option we’ve been given, it really is a specialty lens for most photographers. The Lumix Vario 12-35mm F/2.8 also covers the 24mm range. Having a zoom can be a big advantage, especially one as sharp as the 12-35mm Vario. But if you want to shoot the Milky Way or any other scenes after the sun has gone down, this is by far the best lens we have for Micro Four Thirds users.”

Preorders:
12mm f/1.4 at BHphoto. Amazon. Adorama. Panasonic US. WexUK. ParkCameras.