Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG DN OS Sports Development Announcement

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New Sigma lens preorders:
10-18mm f/2.8 at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama. Fotoerhardt. WexUK.
70-200mm f/2.8 at BHphoto (no preorder yet).

Sigma has announced the development of the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS. It will be available in December.

Press Release

The SIGMA Corporation is pleased to announce the development of the SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports.

The SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS | Sports is a large-aperture zoom lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras. In addition to the expressive imaging capabilities owing to the latest optical design, the lens offers a high level of performance and features that meet the expectations of professionals in both still and video, including high-speed autofocus with HLA (High-response Linear Actuator), optical stabilizer with the latest algorithm “OS2”, and the superior weather resistance of SIGMA’s Sports line.
Combined with the SIGMA 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art and the SIGMA 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN | Art, SIGMA’s three zoom lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras with a bright F2.8 constant aperture cover a wide range of focal lengths.

■Launch: December, 2023
■Available mounts: L-Mount, Sony E-mount
*The appearance and specifications of the product are subject to change.
* This product is developed, manufactured and sold based on the specifications of E-mount which was disclosed by Sony Corporation under the license agreement with Sony Corporation.
* L-Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG

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Laowa 8-16mm f/3.5-5.0 C-Dreamer super wide-angle zoom lens will be announced on October 9

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The new lens was already displayed as a prototype some months ago (see image below). And the specs are known too.

LAOWA New Lens CF8-16mm F3.5-5.0 C-Dreamer Super Wide Angle Zoom Lens:

  • Full size conversion angle of view 12-24mm
  • Lens construction: 16 elements in 12 groups
  • Aperture blades: 5
  • Shortest shooting distance: 0.2m
  • Filter: 86mm
  • all metal body
  • Size: 88.3×88.54mm
  • Weight: about 463g
  • Mount: Sony E, Fuji X, Nikon Z, Canon R, Canon EF-M

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Just announced: New Excire Foto 2024 AI powered photo management tool

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Excire Foto 2024 has been released with five separate AI models and two groundbreaking new features:

  1. Prompt-search AI, so that photographers can instantly retrieve any image in their photo library simply by typing in a text description (e.g., “Grand Canyon sunset” or “person by the Eiffel Tower with a yellow umbrella”).
  2. X-tetics AI, which intelligently scores images based on their aesthetic qualities and has been trained on data from hundreds of thousands of photos and input from expert photographers.

Press text:

Step Into the Future: Excire Foto 2024 Is Redefining Image Management
PRC’s Revolutionary Photo-Organizing Software Offers Prompt Search, AI Image Evaluation, and More

Lübeck, Germany – September 27, 2023 – PRC, the AI company behind the award-winning Excire software, has today launched the latest iteration of its innovative photo-management program: Excire Foto 2024.

Powered by five state-of-the-art AI models, including a prompt-search AI that allows users to instantly retrieve images by inputting text descriptions and an X-tetics AI that intelligently rates each image based on its aesthetic qualities, Excire Foto 2024 propels photographers into a new era of image organization – one where keywording, image evaluation, culling, and retrieval are almost entirely automated, enabling photographers to spend less time behind the computer and more time on their craft.

“Our vision was to combine cutting-edge AI with intuitive design to provide an unparalleled photo-management experience,” said Erhardt Barth, CEO of PRC and a machine learning expert at the University of Lübeck. “Photos cataloged with Excire Foto 2024 aren’t just stored. They’re always at your fingertips, ready to be revisited any time you wish.”
An Image Workflow Like Never Before
Fast, effective, and essential for any photographer seeking a time-saving approach to image organization, Excire Foto 2024 boasts an array of features designed to shortcut traditional file-management bottlenecks and eliminate tedious workflow tasks for both hobbyists and professionals. With Excire, photographers can:

Instantly retrieve any image with X-prompt AI, a revolutionary new tool that puts entire photo catalogs at users’ fingertips. Thanks to X-prompt AI, photographers can find files in their Excire databases by inputting a text description, such as “fast red motorcycle on a country road at sunset.” Using the prompt tool is highly intuitive – just type a sentence into the provided search field and instantly view the results. Excire’s powerful AI engine is capable of understanding complex sentences, context, and even abstract concepts such as “happiness” and “sorrow.” Gone are the days of searching endlessly for lost files; instead, if the user can describe it, they can find it.

Evaluate photos with X-tetics AI, a newly designed feature designed to accurately judge image aesthetics. Trained using hundreds of thousands of photos as well as extensive input from expert photographers, the X-tetics AI feature independently evaluates each image uploaded to a user’s catalog, then outputs a unique Aesthetics Score for each file. Aesthetics ratings can then be used to swiftly identify the most shareable – and most deletable – images from photoshoots, as well as to uncover hidden gems from deep within an image database.

Automatically categorize files with X-tags AI, the innovative tool that analyzes each photo upon import and applies relevant keywords to aid in search and categorization. Thanks to X-tags AI’s unique capabilities, users can skip the tedium of manual keywording and can instead let Excire do the heavy lifting, making it easier than ever to categorize and retrieve images based on their content. While X-tags AI has appeared in previous versions of Excire software, the latest version boasts a revamped engine with enhanced content-detection capabilities for outstanding accuracy.

Manage photos with X-face AI and X-alike AI, two more powerful features for finding, organizing, and culling images. X-face AI’s advanced facial-recognition technology allows photographers to categorize and retrieve files containing specific individuals as well as certain facial characteristics, such as age, sex, and the presence of a smile. And X-alike AI’s image analysis enables users to search for similar files – based on an initial image prompt – or even identify near-duplicate images for deletion. Like X-tags AI, these features first appeared in previous iterations of Excire Foto, but the latest version boasts upgraded AI technology for improved results.

Additional new features include:

Excire Analytics, a tool designed to assess photo collections and offer valuable insights into the user’s photography behavior, such as their essential equipment and top photo subjects. Analytics was previously available only as a paid Excire Foto 2022 extension, but Excire Foto 2024 offers automatic integration with the program.
A slideshow function, so that photographers can display image collections to friends, family, and clients
A custom-status label, so that photographers can mark image collections as “In progress” or “Done” as they move through their organizational workflow
GPS-based search, which enables users to search for and quickly retrieve images based on location data; the tool also lets users manually edit and add GPS coordinates as needed.

 

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LEAKED: First Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 images

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Here are the first leaked images and specs of the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 lens that will be announced on October 5:

Specifications:

Lens construction: 13 elements in 10 groups (3 FLD, 1 SLD and 4 aspherical elements)
Angle of view: 109.7°-76.5° (APS-C)
Number of diaphragm blades: 7 (rounded diaphragm)
Minimum aperture: F22
Minimum focus distance: 11.6 (W) -19.1 (T) cm
Maximum magnification ratio: 1:4 (W) – 1:6.9 (T)
Filter size: φ67mm
Dimensions (maximum diameter x length): φ72.2 mm × 62.0 mm.
Weight: 260 g / 9.2 oz.

Additional features:

Lens construction: 13 elements in 10 groups (3 FLD, 1 SLD and 4 aspherical elements).
Internal focusing system
High-speed autofocus compatible
Stepping motor
Compatible with in-camera lens aberration correction

*Function only available for supported cameras. Available corrections or auto correction functionality may vary depending on camera model.

*On cameras where lens aberration correction is controlled with “ON” or “OFF” in the camera menu, please set all aberration correction functions to “ON” (AUTO).

DMF and AF+MF support
AF Assist compatible (Sony E-mount only)
Super multi-layer coverage
Support for switching between linear and non-linear focus ring settings on L-Mount cameras

* Function only available for supported cameras.

Dust- and splash-proof frame construction
Push-type petal lens hood LH706-02
Compatible with SIGMA USB DOCK UD-11 (sold separately)
Designed to minimise flare and ghosting
Each lens is subject to SIGMA’s MTF metering system
7-blade rounded diaphragm
Durable precision-made brass mount.

Handcrafted with craftsmanship “Made in Aizu, Japan”.

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