Some years ago Canon offered a f/1.0 version of its 50mm L lens. They’ve since stopped manufacturing lenses faster than f/1.2, and US-based company Noktor thinks there’s an opportunity for relatively affordable “hyperprime” lenses.

Today, it announced the Noktor HyperPrime 50mm f/0.95, a manual focus lens designed for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The $750 lens will begin shipping on April 15th, but the company is accepting preorders on their website. In addition to Micro Four Thirds, the company has a poll asking which mount it should design lenses for next.

Here’s a photograph shot with the lens showing its low light performance:

One of the problems with having such a large aperture is that the resulting depth-of-field is so shallow. The lens, being more than a stop faster than an f/1.4 lens, could be very difficult to focus correctly for shots were precision is needed. It was one of the complaints people had against the Canon 50mm f/1.0, though that lens was autofocus.

It’s interesting to see another lens company pop up for a specific type of lens, just like Lensbaby and its creative focus lenses.

P.S.: Various sources are saying the lens is almost identical to the Senko 50mm f/0.95 C-mount CCTV lens.

There are some pretty amazing photographs of the Olympic games coming out of Vancouver these days. If you’re wondering what photographers are shooting with, Pocket-lint has the lowdown on what Getty provides its photographers:

As for the kind of kit you’ll need for the job, well typically, Getty Images supplies its men with 2 x Nikon D3s DSLRs, a 24-70mm lens, a 400mm lens, a 500/600mm lens, a 1.4x teleconverter just to make sure, a tonne of spare batteries and a deck full of memory cards. The photographer would also be wise to add thermal underwear and boots, an extra set of clothes to put on when in position as well as lots and lots of chocolate. The aim of the game is to have everything you could possibly need and generally at least two of them. It’s a long way back down the mountain.

Sounds like it’s not just the athletes who need physical training for the Olympic games.

(via Gizmodo)

We’ve been seeing this idea floating around in concept cameras and new camera accessories, so it might be a coming trend in digital photography: detached LCD screens.

Xi Zhu Concept Camera

This isn’t an actual product, but rather a concept camera by designer Xi Zhu. The idea is that while the LCD and camera are normally held together with magnets, the LCD can also be detached and held by the subject of the photograph, allowing them to instantly view the photos, and delete those they don’t approve of. The photographer shoots through the optical viewfinder, and doesn’t actually get to see the resulting photographs, delegating chimping responsibilities to the subject.

Pixel LV-WI Wireless Live View Remote Control

Unlike the above concept, LV-W1 Wireless Live View Remote Control by Pixel Enterprise Limited is an actual product you can buy for your DSLR (for $335). Though the photographer can still see instant feedback on their camera, the remote receives the Live View wireless through the 2.4GHz band and displays it on a 3 inch screen. It works by attaching a transmitter to the camera’s hotshoe, and allows you to operate the shutter remotely.

This can also be done through your iPhone or iPod Touch using onOne Software’s DSLR Camera Remote application, though this app requires wifi and a laptop.

(via Yanko Design and Engadget)

Thanks for the tip @eugenephoto!

What do you get when you attach magnets to the Joby Gorillapod? The Gorillapod Magnetic, of course. It’s one of the two new products Joby is unveiling at PMA starting this Sunday (Jessica will be there covering it), with the other being the Ballhead X. The magnets allow the flexible tripod to be anchored to things like poles and doorways, supporting up to 11.5 ounces. However, you probably don’t want the magnets to come too close to your camera equipment, since magnets usually don’t get along with electronics very well. The Gorillapod Magnetic is available at the Joby Store and costs $25.

Here’s a “carry around” tripod for your carry around lens and camera: The ZipShot is a “compact, ultra-light tripod” by Tamrac that has aluminum-alloy legs that resemble the collapsible poles used in tents. While it’s not very useful in windy situations, or with heavy professional gear, it might suffice for most ordinary uses and lighter cameras (supposedly it can hold up to 3lb). The biggest benefits are obviously weight (11oz) and setup time. Here’s a video showing how quickly you can set the thing up:

The ZipShot costs $50, and can be found at most camera equipment retailers online (just search for “zipshot”).

When I’ve needed to take quick self portraits with my DSLR, one of the tricks I’ve discovered is to focus the camera using the reflection in the UV filter. As long as my eye is directly over the center of the lens in the reflection, then I know the center autofocus point is focused on my eye.

With smaller point-and-shoot cameras, it can be much harder to frame the shot (though focusing correctly is probably easier). Cameras are now coming out with an extra LCD screen on the front of the camera just for this kind of shot. noahw has a cheap, do-it-yourself solution – attach a small mirror to the front of your camera!

This project is dead simple: Digital Camera Sticky backed Velcro Small 1″ – 2″ mirror (convex is best, flat is ok, concave w/magnification is no good) Small mirrors are everywhere. Check out mirrors from compacts and make up. The one I liked best was from an “Inspection Mirror” made by “General Tools” bought for 2 bucks from a hardware store.

To get started you can watch the following video, or head on over to Instructables for a step-by-step tutorial.

Self-Portrait Camera Mirror (via Lifehacker)

Today’s big story is announcement of the Canon 550D, also known as the Canon Rebel T2i. This camera offers many of the same features as the Canon 7D, including an 18 megapixel sensor, an ISO range of 100–6400, full 1080p video (at 30, 24 or 25fps with manual exposure control), 1.6x crop factor, and a 3-inch LCD screen.

Differences between the 7D and 550D include a rugged magnesium alloy body vs. cheaper build, 8 frames per second vs. 3.7, 8-channel readout vs. 4, two image processors vs. 1, and 19 autofocus points vs. 9. Also, unlike the 7D, there is no word on the 550D having a 100% viewfinder or built in speedlite transmitter.

The 550D is priced at $899 as a kit or $799 for the body only. HD video recording capabilities are now extremely affordable for any photographer wishing to try their hand at filming.

Here’s a hands-on video of the camera by PhotoPlus magazine:

P.S. Turns out the rumor we heard about the 550D having an articulating screen is untrue.