Photography News: Canon 16-28mm f/2.8 Announced, Two Sony Lens Rumors

I don’t usually photograph cities. Although I live in a really nice one, I get out of it whenever I can! Still, I was delighted this Thursday when Spencer texted me asking if I had taken any photos with the Tamron 50-400mm with the sun in the frame. I hadn’t, so I went out into the streets of Prague to take one. At first, the sun was shyly hiding behind a wall of clouds, but eventually it showed up. Thanks to this, you now know that the Tamron handles the sun in the frame with ease, and I enjoyed a beautiful morning watching Prague awaken.

Recent Announcements

• Canon RF 16-28mm f/2.8 IS STM: One millimeter longer at the wide end, seven millimeters shorter at the long end, and $1,050 more pocket-friendly than Canon’s “L-class” alternative. Compared to the 15-35mm f/2.8 L, the new ultra-wide zoom is also 386g lighter and significantly more compact (including a filter thread diameter of just 67mm). Canon claims that the new lens offers L-series-level build and image quality, including robust weather-resistant construction. The lens will be available in February for $1,149.
• Artizlab Classic 35mm f/1.4: This $489 lens is designed to evoke the $4,095 Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4. Artizlab was “founded by a dedicated group of Leica collectors and photography enthusiasts,” and the product photos clearly show it. This new lens, made of aluminum and brass, definitely looks like a Leica at first glance. If it performs as well as it looks, it will represent a very good value indeed.
• Pelican PX18 and PX25 Aegis Travel Pack: Pelican’s new modular camera backpacks can swallow up to 18 or 25 liters of gear. These travel packs have a hybrid construction with a durable EVA Molded Front Shell. To safely nest your photo gear inside the pack, you can add one of three PCL ModPak Packing Cubes (S, M, L) to the Aegis packs. The price is $200 for the PX18 and $230 for the PX25. ModPak inserts are $15 (S), $20 (M), and $25 (L).

The Rumor Mill

OM System OM-3 is coming soon

The official announcement of OM System’s vintage-style camera is expected to take place on February 6. Although its name has not yet been officially announced, it will most likely be called the OM-3. In terms of design, it should follow the iconic 35mm film camera from the 1980s – leaked images show a lot of similarities. As for the specs, they’re expected to be basically the same as the current OM-1 Mark II. A minor difference might be the new coatings on the sensor, which should help reduce dust adhesion. The official OM system teaser also shows the Creative Control Dial on the front of the camera. The price of the camera is not yet known, but it should be over $2000.

Via 43 Rumors

Two new Sony lenses coming in February

Sony is expected to announce two interesting lenses next month. While their focal lengths couldn’t be more different from one another, both are likely to find their primary use in nature photography.

The 16mm f/1.8 G will undoubtedly appeal to astro and landscape photographers. Its specifications on paper are similar to those of the Viltrox 16mm f/1.8 we reviewed earlier, although at a higher price (expected to be around $1,000).

The second lens is a supertelephoto zoom: a 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G. It’s rumored to have build quality and pricing similar to Sony’s existing 200-600mm lens.

Via Sony Alpha Rumors

Good Deals and New Sales

B&H Photo is currently running its Winter Trade-In event for Canon and Sony gear. The idea is that B&H Photo will buy back your old, working camera or lens (for the trade-in value), plus a trade-in bonus, all combined with a sale on new equipment. The trade-in bonus is up to $400 for Canon and up to $800 for Sony, before the additional sales begin. Here’s a look at the highlights on offer:

Canon cameras

• Canon EOS R5 Mark II was $4,300, now $3,900
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II Mirrorless Camera with 24-105mm f/4 was $5,400, now $5,000

Canon lenses

• Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 L USM was $2,900, now $2,500
• Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 L USM was $2,200, now $1,900
• Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM was $2,200, now $1,800
• Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM was $2,700, now $2,400
• Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM was $2,200, now $1,800
• Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM was $2,700, now $2,300
• Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM was $2,600, now $2,200

Sony cameras

• Sony a6700 was $1,400, now $1,200
• Sony a7CR was $3,000, now $2,700
• Sony a7S III was $3,200, now $2,600
• Sony a7 IV was $2,200, now $1,600
• Sony a7R V was $3,500, now $2,800
• Sony a9 III was $6,000, now $5,500
• Sony a1 was $5,000, now $4,300
• Sony a7C II was $2,200, now $1,950
• Sony ZV-E1 was $1,900, now $1,450

Sony lenses

• Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS was $2,400, now $2,100
• Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II was $2,800, now $2,500
• Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II was $2,300, now $2,000
• Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS was $1,100, now $700
• Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G was $1,000, now $800
• Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II was $2,300, now $2,000
• Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS was $1,900, now $1,600
• Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 Macro G OSS II was $1,700, now $1,500

And many others…

Other Pages of Interest

Not so long ago, a 24MP full-frame sensor was near the peak of high resolution. Fast forward to 2025, and Canon has announced the development of a full-frame sensor with a resolution more than 15x higher. The newly announced backside-illuminated CMOS sensor boasts a record-breaking 410MP (24,592 x 16,704 pixels). This resolution is so massive that even with a stacked formation and an ultra-high readout speed of 3,280 megapixels per second, the sensor can only manage video recording at 8 FPS. Canon has introduced two versions of this sensor with the same resolution – one color and one monochrome. But for now, Canon says that such a sensor is primarily designed for surveillance, medicine, and industrial imaging, so we probably won’t see it in a consumer mirrorless camera any time soon. You can read more details in Canon’s official press release.

The Sony World Photography Awards 2025 has announced the shortlisted series for the Student and Youth Competition. In the Student category, entrants were asked to create a series that responded to the theme In the Beginning by showing the first part or earliest stage of something. Meanwhile, the Youth category (open to photographers under the age of 19) followed this year’s theme of Open Call. Seeing the world through young eyes is always inspiring, and this year’s selections are no exception.

Changing lenses, especially large exotic ones, can be quite challenging in the field. But if you venture into space, in zero gravity, everything becomes incredibly smooth. See for yourself in this interesting video! Now we just need to invent an anti-gravity device to make changing lenses seamless on Earth, too…

Photo Theme Challenge, Week #86

Last week’s theme was macro, and you can see the results in this thread. Thank you to everyone for your submissions! This week’s theme is portrait, and you can submit your results in this thread by Saturday, February 1, 2024!

Week #85 Results

Let’s check out some of the shots we received for the “macro” theme, starting with Mauro70’s photo:

In this shot we have a classic macro of a very cool insect. That’s some amazing detail on the face!

Next we have Allan369’s shot:

Allan managed to make an interesting variation on the dandelion shot that emphasizes the contrasting colors on a studio-like background.

Finally, we have AndrewGusew’s photo:

The blue and yellow hues are pretty and the geometric background gives an excellent environmental complement to the intricate nature of the seeds.

Thanks everyone for submitting their photos in the challenge, and we hope to see more next week in the portrait theme.