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February Camera News Roundup

February was an exciting month for photographers and content creators, with new cameras, lenses and accessory releases, which are featured in our February Camera News Roundup.

February 2023 camera related news stories

• Starting at the tail end of February 2023 and a very welcome pat on the back as Park Cameras Wins An Amateur Photographer Good Service Award in recognition of a retailer who goes the extra mile according to Amateur Photographer magazine readers. This followed earlier news heralding Park Cameras Voted ‘Best Retailer’ from the Photography News Awards 2022.
• Another exciting news story was the release of the Leica D-Lux 7 007 Edition Camera, which arrives in extremely limited numbers in celebration of James Bond 60th anniversary, perfect for fans and collectors.

CP+ photography show Japan

CP+ is the world's largest camera video equipment show hosted by the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA), which was live between 23^rd to 26^th February. During this year’s event we saw the announcement of many industry products, including the Samyang and Sigma lenses highlighted below.

February 2023 camera releases

February saw the release of two new Canon mirrorless cameras, which are featured in our Canon EOS R8 Review and Canon EOS R50 Review. Both models are aimed at beginner to enthusiast photographers and content creators, with a full-frame 24.2 megapixel sensor in the R8, whilst the R50 sports a 24.2 megapixel APS-C sensor.

February 2023 lens announcements

Several new lenses were released this month which are explored below, however the news of three new Sigma lenses for DX format Nikon mirrorless cameras is sure to garner plenty of attention. The new Contemporary models are the:

1. Sigma 16mm F/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens For Nikon Z Mount
2. Sigma 30mm F/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens For Nikon Z Mount
3. Sigma 56mm F/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens For Nikon Z Mount

All three promise a similar combination of excellent image quality, fast focusing and the portability of previous models already available for other camera mounts.

Together with these lenses, Tamron has announced the development of a new ultra wide angle zoom lens, with the 11-20mm F/2.8 Di III-A RXD Lens for Fujifilm X Mount drawing closer to release. This is anticipated to be a fast, bright and highly portable option for Fuji creators who enjoy the versatility, which a bright ultra-wide zoom offers.

You can register on the product pages above to be amongst the first in the UK to be notified of these new lens releases.

February 2023 lens releases

There were several new lenses to get excited about in February. For micro four thirds macro photographers the M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm F/3.5 Macro Lens Review highlights beautiful examples of close-up nature photography, as well as comparing the lens with two previous macro options.

Samyang launched the AF 75mm F/1.8 Lens for Fujifilm X Mount at the tail end of this short month, which arrives as the smallest and lightest telephoto prime for Fuji mirrorless cameras. The compact lens renders excellent detail across the whole frame and brings new features for hybrid creators shooting with the Fujifilm mirrorless X system.

Meanwhile, Sony content creators can skim through a brand new Sony 50mm F/1.4 GM Lens Review, which provides unique image samples, video review and a comparison with the faster 50mm f/1.2 prime lens plus the previous generation ZEISS f/1.4.

This followed the early February announcement of the Sigma 50mm F/1.4 DG DN Art Lens for Sony E and L mount 50mm F/1.4 DG DN Art Lens. The Sony version has been updated for mirrorless cameras with better optical performance than the original, faster AF and gorgeous bokeh from an 11-blade aperture design, which gives anyone choosing a new standard focal lens plenty to consider.

Leica L mount creators also gained two new L mount prime lenses, which are available in kit forms with both of the powerful SL2 and SL2-S cameras, as well as standalone options:

• The Leica Summicron-SL 50mm F/2 ASPH Lens is an all-metal, excellent quality prime, which is dust and splash resistant
• The Leica Summicron-SL 35mm F/2 ASPH Lens offers similar properties, in a slightly wider prime format

Canon released a pair of mirrorless RF lenses alongside their two new camera bodies in early February, arriving as the compact and affordable Canon RF-S 55-210mm F/5-7.1 IS STM Zoom Lens and RF 24-50mm F/4.5-6.3 IS STM Zoom Lens. Both of these offer versatile zoom ranges, optical stabilisation and feature Canon’s quiet stepping motor (STM) technology, which is ideal for content creators who shoot both stills and video.

February 2023 camera accessory releases

Both Sony and Sandisk released high capacity SD cards in February, with the Sandisk Ultra SDXC 512GB 150MB/S Class 10 UHS-I and ultra high speed, rugged Sony 512GB SF-M Series Tough UHS-II SDXC Card. These provide creators with a large 512GB capacity in order to keep up with stills and video data demands for longer between card swaps.

Cameras, Lenses and Awards Video | Photo News February 2023

Inspiration from the photography blog

In the blog this month we have a piece which explores Using ND Filters For Long Exposure Photography and covering lots of tips on landscape photography with ND filters from Hoya.

You can also discover How To Get The Best Camera Trade In Price, when upgrading or selling your camera equipment. This ties in with the question posed as to whether you should still buy the Fuji X-T3 Or X-T4 in 2023, which provides a handy comparison between all three of the latest photo-centric hybrid cameras from Fujifilm.

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By Park Cameras on 02/03/2023