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| AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G |
| Our judges have consistently awarded Nikon for innovation and craftsmanship in the Lenses category, and this year’s no different. When used with an FX-format DSLR, the newly engineered AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G prime lens virtually replicates the visual perspective of the human eye. This compact lens comes with Nikon Silent Wave Motor technology and the ability to focus as close as 1.5 feet. The lens’s innovative optical formula works with Nikon Super Integrated Coatings to help correct sagittal coma flare and coma aberration. The rounded diaphragm opening and nine-blade aperture make out-of-focus background elements appear significantly more natural. |
| Price: $439.95.
www.nikonusa.com |
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| The Lensbaby Composer lens and Optics Swap System |
| It’s hard to remember a Hot One competition when a Lensbaby product didn’t win an award. Since bursting onto the scene, Lensbaby has consistently impressed our judges and readers alike, and so does the new Lensbaby Composer. This manual-focus lens is built on a ball-and-socket configuration for smooth selective focus, ease of use and precision. As with all Lensbabies, the Composer allows you to sharply focus on a focal sweet spot with graduated blurring to the edge of the frame. With the Lensbaby Optic Swap System, photographers can change out lenses quickly and easily for a variety of creative effects. |
| Price: $270. www.lensbaby.com |
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| Phase One 80mm f/2.8 |
| Phase One has launched a new series of lenses for its high-quality, medium-format digital cameras. Of the series, which includes 28mm, 80mm, 45mm, 120mm, 150mm and 75-150mm, it’s the 80mm f/2.8 that captured this year’s Hot One Award. Included in the standard Phase One 645 camera package, the 80mm f/2.8 has an auto/manual focus ring for one-touch selection of auto or manual focus mode. This precision lens affords sharp edge-to-edge image focus with a 2.3-foot minimum focus distance. It can also be used with the 60.5-megapixel Phase One P65+ for extremely sharp, high-res image capture.
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| Price: $1,250 for lens only. www.phaseone.com |
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| Tamron AF18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 VC Di-II |
| Tamron easily captured the Standard Zoom Lens category with the first 15X zoom lens, the AF18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 VC, which delivers wide-angle to ultra-telephoto coverage in one package. When converted to 35mm format, the lens’s angle of view is equivalent to 28-419mm (it’s not designed for use with sensors larger than 24x16mm). The AF18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 VC comes with Tamron’s proprietary tri-axial Vibration Compensation (VC) anti-shake mechanism, which substantially reduces the effects of camera shake. At 3.8 inches long, the lens weighs 19.4 ounces, light enough to use in a variety of applications. |
| Price: $599. www.tamron.com |
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| Zeiss Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZM |
| Built for on-the-go portrait and landscape photographers, the compact Tele-Tessar T* 4/85 ZM brings superlative Zeiss glass to a portable package for rangefinder cameras. Almost entirely free of distortion and adjusted for field of curvature, this lens delivers imaging quality equal to the other models in the ZM line. With a minimum camera-to-subject distance of only 0.9 meters (just under 3 feet), it’s versatile, and the all-metal mount and sturdy construction make it suitable for adverse conditions. |
| Price: $877. www.zeiss.com |
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| Sigma APO 200-500mm
f/2.8 EX DG lens
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| Sigma is billing the APO 200-500mm f/2.8 as the world’s fastest 500mm lens. Our judges certainly picked this one in record time, citing features such as motorized zoom and autofocus, and the lens’s status as the only 500mm zoom with a constant f/2.8 maximum aperture. Compatible with 35mm, full-frame DSLRs and APS-C type digital cameras, the APO 200-500mm f/2.8 has an apochromatic design with extremely low dispersion glass elements. An LCD panel provides easy viewing of distance and zoom setting information. The lens even comes with a dedicated 2X teleconverter, which amps it up to 400-1000mm f/5.6. Available with Canon, Nikon and Sigma camera mounts, the APO 200-500mm f/2.8 comes with a battery, charger, hood and case. |
| Price: $34,000.
www.sigma-photo.com |
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| Zeiss Distagon T* 2.8/21
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| Zeiss captured a second award with the Distagon T* 2.8/21, a wide-angle lens with excellent color control for shooting high-contrast images without color fringing. Equipped with Carl Zeiss T * anti-reflection coating, the Distagon T * 2.8/21 provides exceptional results in nearly any lighting condition. It offers close focusing to 0.22 meters (0.72 feet). Available with a variety of bayonets, it works with both analog and full-frame DSLR cameras. |
| Price: $1,750.
www.zeiss.com |
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| Tamron SP AF10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 Di-II
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| Featuring an unprecedented zoom ratio of 2.4X, the new Tamron SP AF10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 lens impressed our judges with its advanced optical system, which compensates for the effects of light variance caused by zooming. Designed exclusively for Canon and Nikon DSLRs with APS-C size image sensors, the SP AF10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 provides a 35mm-equivalent focal length range of 16-37mm. It has a 9.4-inch minimum focus distance across the entire zoom range. It’s maximum magnification ratio of 1:5 at the 24mm semi-wide-angle setting is the best in this class. |
| Price: $499.
www.tamron.com
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| Tiffen Digital HT Hi-Trans Titanium Multi-Coated Filters
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| Sporting a Hi-Trans double-sided titanium multi-coating, Tiffen Digital HT filters are extremely hard, durable and scratch-resistant. They come in Digital Ultra Clear, Haze 86 (with 86 percent UV absorption), Circular Polarizer, 812 Warming, ND 0.6, ND 1.2, Soft/FX 3, Star 4 Point 2 and Color-Grad ND 0.6. Sizes range from 52- to 82mm. Each filter comes with its own distinctive soft pouch for storage. The filters’ titanium coating reflects less than 1 percent of the light hitting the surface of the filter. |
| Price: $49.95-$219.95.
www.tiffen.com |
