B+W LOVES

FUJINON XF50MM F/1

Fujifilm has released what it claims is the world’s first autofocus f/1 lens for any mirrorless system. The Fujinon XF50mm f/1.0 R WR has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 76mm and features all the usual XF weather sealing to protect against dust and moisture. Weighing in at a relatively light 845g, this groundbreaking 50mm measures 103.5 x 87mm, with 12 elements in nine groups, including one aspherical element and two extra-low dispersion (ED) elements to control spherical aberration. The new lens also features nine aperture blades for large, smooth bokeh and is described as an incredible tool for visual storytellers by Fujifilm’s senior director of marketing and product management, Victor Ha. £1,499 fujifilm-x.com

POL AROID HI- PRINT 2X3

Instant film fans rejoice. Less than a year after Polaroid reclaimed its proper name (having been known as the Impossible Project and Polaroid Originals since its rebirth in 2008), the now Dutch-based originator has launched the Polaroid Hi-Print 2x3, a Bluetooth-enabled instant printer for the smartphone generation. Each cartridge contains 20 sheets that you print, peel and stick, with a free app that allows you to add filters and text to your images before printing. £89.99 (printer only) and £119.99 (starter set) uk.polaroid.com

TESTS AND PR ODUCTS BLACK+ WHITE LOVES

N EW PHOTOG R APHY G EAR IN TH E S HOP S AN D ON LIN E

L AOWA 2X MACRO LENS

Laowa has added a MFT-optimised 50mm 2x macro lens to its line-up. The 50mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO is the world’s first 2x macro lens for MFT cameras and has a minimum focusing distance of 13.5cm, and a 35mm equivalent focal length of 100mm. It has 14 elements in 10 groups, seven aperture blades and a 49mm filter thread. £399 laowalens.co.uk

LOMOGRAFLOK 4×5 INSTANT BACK

Attention large-format aficionados – Lomography has announced the LomoGraflok 4×5 Instant Back. Compatible with all Graflok-equipped 4×5 cameras, the LomoGraflok is an individual light-tightened instant film ejection unit for use with Fujifilm Instax Wide, described as the most widely available and cost-effective instant film on the market. As well as the LomoGraflok 4×5 Instant Back itself, the set also includes a focus compensation and composition mask and is intended as a more efficient way to test large-format camera set-ups before exposing expensive 4x5 sheet film. Although this analogue-tastic device won’t see the light of day until next April, preorders will save 10%. £116 shop.lomography.com

MEYER OPTIK GÖRLIT Z LENS

Back from the grave and under new ownership, the Meyer Optik Görlitz brand has already launched one new manual focus lens this year and is now ready to showcase its second: the Lydith 30mm f/3.5 II. Following the Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 II, the second-generation Lydith 30mm (the first was launched via Kickstarter back in 2017, itself a radical redesign of the original 1964 version) has been mechanically redesigned inside and out and features a minimum focusing distance of 15cm, a filter thread of 52mm and is available in the following mounts: Canon EF, Nikon F, Fujifilm X, Sony E, Pentax K, M42, Micro Four Thirds, Leica M and Leica L. €876 meyer-optik-goerlitz.com

SAMYANG 35MM F/1.8

Want to add a tiny lens to your tiny camera for super-stealthy street photos? Samyang’s latest addition to its Tiny Series is the AF 35mm f/1.8 FE, a fast and lightweight lens designed exclusively for Sony’s full-frame E-mount. Significantly cheaper than Sony’s own glass, this autofocus prime follows on from Samyang’s 45mm f/1.8 and 75mm f/1.8 and is made up of 10 elements in eight groups and features a nine-blade circular aperture for smooth bokeh. It’s also weather sealed to protect from light dust, rain and snow and weighs a minuscule 210g and measures just 63mm in length. A newly researched and developed Linear STM takes care of focusing. £359 intro2020.co.uk

PHASE ONE 90MM

More large-format goodness, this time in the form of Phase One’s latest lens for its XT camera system, the Rodenstock XT – HR Digaron-W 90mm f/5.6. Released last year to much acclaim, XT is a compact medium-format system (a snip at just £6,840 body only) that accepts Phase One’s IQ4 digital backs and special XT lenses made by German optical specialist Rodenstock and is capable of shooting at resolutions up to 150Mp. The Rodenstock XT – HR Digaron-W 90mm f/5.6 is the fifth such lens and produces a large 120mm image circle designed to take full advantage of the XT system’s ability to shift 24mm in both the X and Y axes. A sixth and final XT lens is just around the corner. £12,552 phaseone.com

SILVER PENTAX K-1 MKII

Pentax has released a limited-edition silver version of its flagship K-1 MkII camera along with three silver editions of its Star lenses. The full-frame DSLR, released in 2018 to positive reviews, features a 36Mp CMOS sensor, Shake Reduction II in-body image stabilisation and maximum ISO of 819200. The silver version is limited to only 1,000 units, each of which has been give a unique serial number from 0000001 to 0001000. The trio of lenses are the D FA 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW (£1,199), D FA 70-200mm f/2.8ED DC AW (£2,299) and D FA 85mm f/1.4ED SDM AW (£1,999). Only 600 units of each will be produced and will also feature unique serial numbers. £1,899 ricoh-imaging.eu

DUBBLEFILM SHOW

Billed as a fun, affordable 35mm reusable camera with flash, the new Show camera from analogue specialist Dubblefilm is a throwback to when compact cameras were cheap, plastic and disposable – only this time they’re neon pink! The Show features a fixed 32mm f/8 lens, has a minimum focusing distance of 1m and shutter speed of 1/125sec. Film rewind is manual and the camera also includes a cotton neck strap, custom Nähe case by Japanese design house Hightide and Riso-printed instructions illustrated by Jose A Roda ( joseantonioroda. com). If you fancy a retro antidote to digital precision and a colourful alternative to overpriced secondhand cameras, Dubblefilm will Show you the way. €55 dubblefilm.com