Daily Archives: June 14, 2013

2 posts

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 APS-C zoom lens

Sigma Corporation of America announced that its new Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art lens will arrive in the United States early July for the street price of $799.

Sigma 18-35mm f:1.8 APS-C zoom lens
“Sigma users are really excited about this lens. They’ve been watching the new Art line very closely – and their reaction to our initial announcement of this lens has been fantastic”

As the market’s first zoom lens to achieve a maximum aperture of F1.8 throughout the entire zoom range, the 18-35mm was created for DSLR cameras with APS-C size sensors, which translates to a focal range of 27-52.5mm on a 35mm camera. This lens will be available early July in Sigma and Canon mounts, with Nikon, Sony and Pentax mounts to follow.

“Sigma users are really excited about this lens. They’ve been watching the new Art line very closely – and their reaction to our initial announcement of this lens has been fantastic,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “More than 50 years of innovating with photography equipment has helped us build new generation lenses like the 18-35mm F1.8. We’re confident that photographers who focus on landscape, portrait, still-life, studio, close-up and casual shots will love this lens.”

The 18-35mm F1.8 is the latest addition to the company’s Art line of lenses, designed under the new Global Vision. The Global Vision lenses have a sleek new design with the manufacturing year stamped on the barrel, and are categorized by use into one of three groups: Art, Contemporary and Sports. The Art category delivers high-level artistic expression through sophisticated and abundant expressive power.

The new 18-35mm F1.8 lens features Sigma’s improved AF/MF switch and the use of Thermally Stable Composite (TSC) compound material, which has a high affinity to metal parts, consistently performs well at extreme temperatures, and reduces the size and weight of the lens. The lens’ Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting and provides sharp and high contrast images, even in backlit conditions. Sigma’s Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) ensures a silent, high-speed AF function, while its nine-blade, rounded diaphragm creates an attractive, round bokeh at large-aperture settings.

The 18-35mm F1.8 lens is also compatible with Sigma’s new USB Dock, which is available for the street price of $59, enabling photographers to update lens firmware and adjust focus parameters from their computers.

For information about Sigma Corporation of America, visit www.sigmaphoto.com.

Vodafone Smart Mini announced with Android Jellybean

The Vodafone Smart Mini is the latest and most affordable addition to the Vodafone Smart line-up, bringing you a sleek, compact smartphone without any compromise on performance – for just £50 on Pay as you go.

Vodafone Smart MiniThe Vodafone Smart Mini offers a large, 3.5 inch display and 2MP camera with digital zoom so you can easily capture all those precious moments. Plus, as it runs on up-to-date Android Jellybean you can enjoy smooth navigation and seamless browsing.

Full of powerful messaging features – including push email, Facebook integration and pre-loaded Twitter – the Vodafone Smart Mini lets you share your snaps with friends and family instantly, while the easy access online app store brings a wealth of games, tools, social apps and entertainment to your fingertips.

With Vodafone Freebees on Pay as you go, when you top up your new Vodafone Smart Mini you can get free calls, text and internet. Also, if you buy your Smart Mini before the end of July, to help you find your feet, you can use as much data as you like, for whatever you like for 30 days with our Freedom Freebee, so you can get to grips with your new smartphone.

The Vodafone Smart Mini will be available to buy on Vodafone.co.uk later today in either black or white, with a pink version coming soon.

Specifications:

Dimensions (mm) 115 x 62.3 x 12.2
TouchScreen 320 x 480 HVGA Capacitive
Processor 1 GHz MT6575 single-core
Screensize (inches) 3.5
RAM & Internal memory 512 MB + 4GB / 2.4GB End user (microSD up to 32GB)
Camera 2MP
Operating system Android Jellybean