For every of the 12 days of Christmas, I’m revisiting a month’s price of lenses that we lined on DCW. As we speak it is September 2025… try the opposite 12 lenses of Christmas!
Virtually prefer it was a contest to see who may convey essentially the most new stuff to the get together on the IBC expo in Amsterdam, Venus Optics introduced at least six new lenses.
Making probably the largest splash was the brand new Laowa AF FF 200mm f/2 C-Dreamer, with a tilt-shift tag crew of FF II TS 35mm f/2.8 C-Dreamer Macro 0.5x and FF II TS 17mm f/4 C-Dreamer enjoying supporting roles.
There was additionally a brand new AF FF 180mm f/4.5 C-Dreamer Macro 1.5x and a pair of lenses for cinematographers within the film star likeness of the Daylight 40–80mm T4.5 2x and Daylight 70–135mm T4.5 2x.
To not be outdone, Viltrox confirmed up at IBC with a brand new AF 50mm f/1.4 Professional, a tandem of light-weight ultra-wide AF 9mm f/2.8 Air (APS-C) and AF 14mm f/4.0 Air (Full-frame) primes, the beginnings of a complete new sequence within the AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo and even a ‘mech-inspired’ Viltrox Z3 mini-flash.
And as if all that wasn’t sufficient, ten was one other milestone quantity for Viltrox because it grew to become the tenth official member of the L-Mount Alliance.
Hey, it’s nonetheless September and never too late for a summer season trip. A ground-breaking, globe-trotting new journey lens was revealed in simply considered one of three simultaneous Sigma bulletins.
That was the full-frame appropriate all-in-one Sigma 20-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DG Modern, designed to be versatile and strong for the journey. It additionally takes the title for essentially the most astonishingly broad most viewing angle for a ‘superzoom’ lens, and at a modest value of simply $999 / £799.
There have been additionally prime bulletins of the super-fast Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG II Artwork at $1,549 / £1,299 and the Sigma 135mm f/1.4 DG | Artwork at $1,899 / £1,649, the final being one other groundbreaking lens because the world’s first 135mm f/1.4 prime.
But extra (however separate) information from Sigma centered on the Sigma AF Cine Line 28-45mm T2 FF as its first autofocus cine lens for Sony and L-mount shooters.
Aiming to not be unnoticed of the all-in-one information, Tamron additionally introduced that it was creating a brand new Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 full-frame superzoom.
In the meantime, Canon rumors advised the corporate was engaged on new 1.2x wide-angle tremendous macro RF lenses. For the right here and now, there was the launch of the Canon Cine-Servo 11-55mm T2.95-3.95, additionally to be recognized by the even much less catchy title of the CN5x11 IAS T R1/P1, or as we known as it, ‘an 8K behemoth’.
Getting again to ‘super-macro’ lenses, Sony launched its first ever G Grasp lens to ship an outsized 1.4x magnification. Certainly, the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 Macro GM OSS can serve up a whopping 2.8x magnification in case you use it with a 2x teleconverter. The value of the lens was set at $1,498 / £1,400 / AU$2,599.
In the meantime, the beforehand reported LK Samyang Schneider-Kreuznach (or Rokinon) AF 24-60mm F2.8 FE for Sony cameras hit the cabinets, and the corporate additionally teased some LK Samyang L-Mount lenses within the pipeline.
Okay, right here’s some huge information of a giant lens, albeit in a extra compact construct than you may think.
I am speaking concerning the new Panasonic Lumix S 100-500mm f/5-7.1 OIS, which was unveiled as the corporate’s strongest telephoto zoom for L-mount cameras, full with ‘industry-leading’ optical stabilization price as much as 7 stops. Pricing was marketed at $2,099 / £1,799 / AU$3,699.
Delivering critically highly effective super-telephoto attain from a comparatively compact and light-weight bundle, we proclaimed, “The explanation to shoot Micro 4 Thirds isn’t the sensor – it’s the lenses. This new 100-400mm equal f/2.8 zoom is a first-rate instance!”
The lens in query was the brand new OM System 50-200mm f/2.8 IS Professional, which delivers an equal 100-400mm zoom vary in full-frame phrases, full with a continuing f/2.8 aperture. Launching at $3,699 / £2,999 / AU$4,999, the acquisition value can be rather a lot smaller than equal full-frame lenses, in case you may even discover one.
Really, I do keep in mind a Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 lens for DSLRs – nevertheless it was concerning the measurement of a home and value almost as a lot, at round $29,000 / £15,000. Perhaps that’s why the OM System lens was such an immediate hit that back-order delays promptly adopted.
Oddball lenses to land on our information desk in September had been many and assorted. There was the AstrHori 18mm f/5.6 APS-C pancake shift lens in E, L, X and Z-mount for $119, and the promise of an unfeasibly quick telephoto LLL 300mm f/1.9 Apo for medium-format cameras.
The extra mainstream 7Artisans AF 24mm f/1.8 grew to become out there for Nikon Z and L-mount cameras at simply $329, whereas the Laowa 180mm f/4.5 1.5x Extremely Macro Apo in a number of mount choices weighed in at just about the identical weight as a loaf of bread.
Then there was the ultra-light, ultra-cheap Brightin Star 10mm f/5.6 Professional APS-C format fisheye lens for simply $109, though the UK value has since gone up from £82 to £188. Fairly a hike! And at last, there was the dinky little Lailens 50mm f/1.1, reported to weigh lower than 338g and vying to be the smallest f/1.1 lens on the planet.
On the critiques entrance, September spawned a monster schedule. ‘Hectic’ doesn’t even cowl it. And there have been some immediate classics within the combine as nicely, so right here they’re blow by blow, in date order.
First up was the Nikon Z 24‑70mm f/2.8 S II, the corporate’s greatest ever commonplace zoom. Then we moved on to the mighty Zhongyi Mitakon 55mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro and the epic Panasonic Lumix S 100-500mm f/5-7.1 OIS, adopted up with the extra down-to-earth Panasonic Lumix S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Macro OIS.
Two ultra-small however ultra-wide-angle primes adopted, within the diminutive shapes of the Viltrox AF 14mm f/4 Air for full-frame cameras and the APS-C format Viltrox AF 9mm f/2.8 Air.
We went hands-on with the OM System M.Zuiko 50-200mm f/2.8 IS Professional, examined the long-awaited Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM and completed off with the APS-C format however suitably pro-grade Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Professional. Phew! And so to mattress…
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Searching for extra best-in-class glass? Check out the greatest Canon RF lenses, the greatest Nikon Z lenses, the greatest Sony lenses all for full-frame and APS-C our bodies. For crop sensor cameras, try the greatest Fujifilm lenses and the greatest Micro 4 Thirds lenses. And for medium format, these are the greatest Fujifilm GF lenses and the greatest Hasselblad lenses.