The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the development of new lenses for Micro Four Thirds and E-mount camera system.

As demand for compact system cameras increase, we intend to meet the requirements of users and develop new lenses for these systems, utilizing our advanced interchangeable lens development technology.

Detailed information including specifications, product names, pricing and launch schedules will be announced in due course.

A mockup will be displayed at Sigma’s booth during CP+, a camera and photo imaging show, held in Pacifico Yokohama Japan from February 9th, 2011.

Schneider-Kreuznach has joined the “Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group” – a consortium of companies with the objective of improving the possibilities and quality of compact digital cameras. Developed by Olympus and Panasonic, “Micro Four Thirds” is a standard for lens mounts that is tailored to digital system cameras. “This standard has great potential. It simplifies and improves the options for compact digital cameras and offers an excellent opportunity for the industry as a whole, as well as for us as a lens manufacturer. We are working intensively on a corresponding series of lenses,” says Dr. Josef Staub, CEO of the Schneider Group.

The standard defines the sensor size, the lens mount together with the communication protocol, the aspect ratio and the flange back distance, as well as the optical requirements for production and construction. The industry standard has been developed deliberately without taking into account conventional lenses, cameras or sensor sizes. In this way, compatibility problems with older components are avoided as is the need to compromise when designing new components.

The forum standard policy means that any member company can make and distribute accessories for the system that meet the standard. It is therefore possible to combine components from different manufacturers.

HDW : This is good news especially for AF101 owners but the downside will be the cost, Schneider lenses are not cheap but if you want the best money can buy then look no further.

Those Hong Kong manufacturers have impeccable timing. Just as Panasonic are about deliver the AF101 out comes the best adapter for Canon lenses on the Panasonic GH2 DSLR yet seen. For the first time this one allows you to control the aperture and it costs £94 including postage to the UK.

The iris in Canon EF and EFS mount lenses is electronically controlled, like on many modern lenses. There hasn’t yet been an adapter which promises a full electronic interface between camera and body although an engineering company in the US is working on one, more info plus pictures next week.

So no auto-focus or OIS yet – but at least now we have aperture control.

Canon lenses are wide open when not connected to a Canon body, so this adapter has it’s own iris – a very nice 14 blade aperture, most lenses have half that number of blades. You will get gorgeous round bokeh with it along with the advantage of a sharper image when stopped down even just a little. Most fast F1.4 EF lenses sharpen up around F2, for example.

This will go well with the 85mm F1.8, the 50mm F1.2 and even help get an extremely deep depth of field on super wides, although it will not work with lenses that have unusual mechanics like the 10-22mm with it’s internal zoom and focus system.

IMPORTANT NOTE : This adapter is not compatible for Canon EF S lens, such as:  EF S 10-22mm; EF S 15-85mm; EF S 17-55mm; EF S 17-85mm; EF S 18-55mm; EF S 18-135mm; EF S 18-200mm and the EF S 55-250mm; EF S 60mm.