Meyer-Optik Goerlitz announced today the availability of its new portrait lens, the Trimagon f2.6/95. According to the company, the Trimagon 95mm lens uses a unique coating and design that delivers sharp images with minimal reflections. “While the Trioplan 100 restored Meyer-Optik’s long lens to the artistic photography market, the Trimagon 95 provides professionals a dynamic modern lens that delivers extraordinary portraits and natural-looking photographs,” said Dr. Stefan Immes, CEO, Meyer-Optik Goerlitz.  “The remarkable nature of the lens is its rendering of secondary light, specifically providing realistic reflections of the finest structures.” Handmade in Germany, the Meyer-Optik Trimagon f2.6/95 has an optical construction comprising 3 elements in 3 groups, an angle of view of 25°, and a 52mm filter thread. The Trimagon f2.6/95 is available for Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Leica, Sony and Micro Four Thirds, priced at $1,699.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Trioplan lens, Meyer-Optik Goerlitz announced today a special series of its new Trioplan f2.8/100. “The revival of the Trioplan lenses series became even more special for us this year with the 100 year anniversary of the lens,” said Dr. Stefan Immes.  “Our new Titanium and Golden Eye edition is the ultimate collectors item with a titanium or real gold coating. The titanium edition not only commemorates the Trioplan brand, but also creates a lens that is suitable for the highest demand environments.” Only 100 titanium lenses are available to the public.  In addition, Meyer Optik has issued a second series of 10 special gold plated Golden Eye versions of the lens (pictured). The 100 Titanium editions are available at $2499, and the 10 Golden Eye lenses are available for $3499. Pre-orders are currently being taken on the Meyer-Optik website.

The Panasonic LEICA DG SUMMILUX 12mm F1.4 ASPH is a new ultra wide-angle lens with a fast maximum aperture of f/1.4. It also boasts 15 elements in 12 groups, including two aspherical lenses, two UED (Ultra Extra-Low Dispersion) lenses and an ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) lens, a rugged splash/dustproof design, an aperture ring for direct, intuitive aperture control, 9 aperture blades, and smooth, silent operation. The Panasonic LEICA DG SUMMILUX 12mm F1.4 ASPH lens is priced at £1199.99 in the UK.

ExoLens have announced three new accessory lenses for the Apple iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S and 6S Plus smartphones. Leading the collection is the new ExoLens with Optics by Zeiss Mutar 0.6x Asph T* Wide-Angle lens. The lens is virtually distortion free thanks to its aspherical design, has exceptional edge-to-edge contrast and a picture quality unmatched by any other iPhone lens in the world. The wide-angle lens (18-mm equivalent) is ideal for landscape, architecture as well as creative shots with unusual perspectives. The Telephoto Mutar 2.0x Asph T* lens has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 56mm and an optical construction featuring 5 elements in 3 groups, while the Vario Proxar is a 40-80mm equivalent zoom lens designed for close-up photography. An optionally attachable and semi-transparent diffuser serves as a spacer, allowing light to shine evenly on the object and enables convenient focusing. ExoLens with Optics by ZEISS wide-angle lens kits are available today for $199.95 at Apple retail stores. A la carte macro and telephoto lenses will be available for purchase later this summer.

The new HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3ED PLM WR RE is a compact, weather-resistant telephoto zoom lens delivering enhanced AF performance and a minimum focusing distance of 0.95 metres. When mounted to an APS-C-format digital SLR camera, the HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3ED PLM WR RE lens provides an angle-of-view coverage similar to that of an 84.5-460mm lens on a 35mm full-frame camera. Its upgraded AF performance ensures that it delivers quiet, high-speed AF operation in still-image shooting, as well as smooth AF tracking operation during movie recording to minimise noise caused by focus and aperture shifts. With the incorporation of a retractable structure, the lens measures a mere 89 millimetres in length. The HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3ED PLM WR RE lens carries a recommended retail price of £399.99. The launch date will be announced at the beginning of July.

Sigma have announced that their 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art, 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art and 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM lenses are not fully compatible with the new Canon EOS-1D X Mark II digital SLR camera. This partial incompatibility may cause exposure inaccuracies when “Evaluative Metering” or “Centre-weighted Average Metering” metering is employed. Sigma are currently working on a firmware fix for each lens. Release dates for the firmware updates will be announced later.

PolarPro, a manufacturer of professional-grade accessories for action cameras, drones and smartphones; has announced a partnership with OtterBox to offer 7 accessory modules as part of the new OtterBox uniVERSE Case System. Designed for the latest iPhone 6 models, the protective OtterBox case offers the ability to expand the iPhone’s features with swappable modules, each of which attach seamlessly to the case using a slotted rail. One of the seven accessory modules offered by PolarPro is a multi-coated clip-on fish-eye conversion lens ($29.99) compatible with both front- and rear-facing cameras, which attaches directly to the OtterBox uniVERSE case. A snap-on lens cap safeguards the lens when not in use.

Lensbaby today announced limited early availability of the Circular 180+ lens for use with GoPro Hero cameras through Kickstarter. Attaching to the current waterproof housing on GoPro Hero cameras, the Circular 180+ captures a 185 degree field of view, wider than the human eye can see. “I wanted a lens that would give me the perspective of our Circular Fisheye lens for DSLRs in a small, rugged package so I wouldn’t have to worry about my gear when I’m in the wild,” said Craig Strong, Lensbaby Co-Founder and CCO. “A good circular fisheye, and this is a great one, makes adventures more adventurous. GoPro shooters are all about exploration, making this the perfect Go-Pro add-on.” Lensbaby’s goal is to raise at least $30,000 through this campaign to help fund lens production and to guarantee availability by this August.

Canon are offering up to £50/€70 cashback on selected items in the UK and Ireland, plus the chance to win a three-night break in Dubai for two people. Eligible products include digital SLR cameras such as the EOS 760D (pictured), EOS 750D, EOS 700D and EOS 100D, CSCs (EOS M3 & M10), digital compact cameras, camcorders, printers, lenses and the Speedlite 430EX III-RT flash. The offer runs to 31 August 2016.

The Fujinon XF2X TC WR is a new 2x teleconverter extending the telephoto reach of two X-mount lenses, the Fujinon XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR and XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR. Available next month, the Fujinon Teleconverter XF2X TC WR features an optical construction of 9 elements in 5 groups. In addition, thanks to the unified design when mounted to a compatible lens, the teleconverter is weather and dust-resistant and operates at temperatures as low as -10°C. Phase detection AF is still available when using the XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR with the teleconverter mounted. With the XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR lens, photographers can use CDAF. The camera’s optical image stabilization performance is unaffected by the addition of the teleconverter. The Fujinon XF2X TC WR will be on sale in the UK from the end of June with a suggested retail price of £349.

The Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM is the world’s first autofocus lens which is capable of focusing at both infinity and at 1.2x magnification. With a close-focus point of 13mm, the lens may cast its own shadow on the subject, but counters this with a built-in Macro Lite, which can be controlled by a switch letting you change the lighting intensity and direction on one or both sides. Giving you the flexibility to shoot handheld without camera shake, Canon’s optical Image Stabiliser also corrects angular camera shake, usually seen when shooting macro. For smooth movies, near silent focusing from the lens’s STM removes the worry of noise interruption as you shift focus. The Canon EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM is available from June with an RRP of £289.99/€389.99.

Lomography have decided to make their Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens available for Pentax K-mount cameras. Funded through a highly successful Kickstarter campaign, the Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens has been designed by Lomography’s technicians based on an 1839 design – and condensed into a bold brass lens for modern analogue and digital cameras. Originally planned for release in Canon EF and Nikon F mounts only, the lens will now also be manufactured in Pentax fit.The Daguerreotype Achromat Lens works with a Waterhouse Aperture Plate system, which allows full creativity with a variety of depth-of-field and bokeh effects. The Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens is available through Kickstarter.

Sigma Corporation of America today announced two special Mother’s Day promotions. From now until 10 May 2016, the 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM | Contemporary lens (pictured) will include an instant rebate of $80 off its original Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $579 as well as a free USB dock, a $50 value and a Sigma macro close-up lens, a $55 value for a total saving of $185. Also offered during the same time period, the 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | Contemporary lens will include a free USB dock.

Samyang have announced the upcoming launch of two auto-focus primes for Sony E mount CSCs. Scheduled for a July 2016 release, both the 14mm F2.8 ED AS IF UMC and 50mm F1.4 AS IF UMC lenses are specifically designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras. These will be the first auto-focus lenses in Samyang's history, and both models are claimed to be fully compatible with contrast-detect as well as phase-detect AF systems. Aspherical lenses have been included in both lenses to minimise aberration and unnecessary light dispersion, promising high resolution from the centre to the corners of the image. Each lens has a 67mm filter thread. The Samyang 14mm F2.8 ED AS IF UMC and 50mm F1.4 AS IF UMC lenses will be exhibited at the Photo & Imaging 2016 Show in Seoul. Pricing to be confirmed.

Tamron has announced that its SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD (Model F012) have now won the "iF Design Award 2016" and the "Red Dot Award: Product Design 2016." Established in 1953 and conferred by Industry Forum Design (iF), the iF Design Award covers the 7 categories of "Product", "Packaging", "Communication", "Interior Architecture", "The disciplines of Architecture", "Service design", and "Professional Concept." The "Red Dot Design Award" is an international award established in 1955 and conferred by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. The award comprises 3 categories including "Product Design", "Communication Design", and "Design Concept."

The new Trioplan f2.9/50 lens that was announced last week has a new front focusing element which garnered a lot of attention. This innovative front focus lens gives users a second way to focus, and allows nature and macro photographers to take 1:4 images, reducing the minimum focusing distance to 0.28 m from 0.8m. We've interviewed Dr. Wolf-Dieter Prenzel, one of the chief engineers at the original Meyer-Optik company and the company's Chief Technology Officer, to find out more how this new focusing mechanism works and why it lets you get even closer to your subject.

Schneider-Kreuznach has added a new ultra-wide-angle lens to its range of FF-Prime lenses. The design of the Xenon 18mm FF-Prime features a specially developed internal focusing mechanism and a T2.4 maximum aperture. The minimum focus distance is 0.4m (measured from the sensor plane). The T2.4/18mm FF-Prime will be available in the 4th quarter of 2016, priced at €5,498+VAT.

The Technical Image Press Association today presented Panasonic with three TIPA awards. The Lumix DMC-FZ330 was named ‘Best Superzoom Camera,’ the the Lumix G 25mm F1.7 ASPH. normal prime (for the Micro Four Thirds system, pictured) has won the title ‘Best CSC Entry Level Lens,’ while the Panasonic HC-VXF990 has received the accolade for Best Camcorder.

Irix have released thirteen high-resolution sample photos taken with the brand new Irix 15mm f/2.4 Blackstone and Firefly lenses. Captured with high-end DSLR cameras such as the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and the Nikon D810, many of these official Irix 15mm f/2.4 samples demonstrate excellent border-to-border sharpness, a high resolving power, good flare control and relatively low levels of barrel distortion. You can download the sample images from the website below.

Website: Irix on Flickr

The Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art, 24-35mm F2 DG HSM | Art (pictured) and 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art lenses have received TIPA awards. The 50-100mm f/1.8 lens has been named "Best Telephoto Zoom," the 24-35mm has won the title "Best Wide-angle Zoom" and the 20mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art prime has been chosen as this year's best professional DSLR lens.