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The Latest News:
Brightin Star’s New 10mm f/5.6 II Ultra-Wide
credits: Brightin Star
Brightin Star’s new MF 10mm f/5.6 II is here. It is an updated version of the company’s ultra-wide manual-focus APS-C lens. The second-generation model keeps the same compact and lightweight approach as the original but adds a few technical changes, including a slightly wider field of view, closer focusing distance, and some refinements to the physical design.
The lens now delivers a 173-degree field of view, up slightly from the previous version’s 172 degrees. That may not sound like much, but lenses this wide are already operating at the high end of ultra-wide coverage, so even small changes can noticeably affect framing and perspective. Brightin Star has also reduced the minimum focusing distance from 20cm down to 12cm, allowing you to get even closer to subjects and exaggerate foreground perspective. The lens remains fully manual focus and now includes updated hyperfocal distance markings along with a redesigned aperture ring, which should make zone focusing and quick manual adjustments a bit easier.
On the optical side, Brightin Star says the 10mm f/5.6 II gets updated IMC coatings meant to improve flare and ghosting control, something that tends to matter a lot on ultra-wide lenses since strong light sources often end up inside the frame. According to the company, the revised coatings are intended to help maintain better contrast and cleaner image quality in more difficult lighting conditions. The lens comes in silver and black, is available for Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Canon EF-M, and Micro Four Thirds mounts and is priced at $75.
PolarPro’s New Split 50 Filter
credits: PolarPro
PolarPro has introduced a new filter called the Split 50, and visually it looks a little strange at first. Half of the filter contains optical glass while the other half is left completely clear, creating a hard split across the frame. That design is intentional, though, since the filter is built around the classic split diopter effect.
The filter uses a +2 diopter element on one side while leaving the opposite side optically unchanged. The magnified section changes the focal distance for only part of the frame, allowing a foreground subject and a more distant background subject to both appear sharp, even when shooting at fairly wide apertures. According to PolarPro, the effect works best somewhere between f/1.2 and f/4, where the transition between the two focal planes stays softer and more natural-looking. Since the filter is also rotatable, you can move the split line around the frame depending on composition and subject placement.
Split diopters have traditionally been used more in cinema, where cinematographers used the effect to create layered compositions and visual tension without relying on deep focus. PolarPro’s version brings that same idea into a standard circular filter format for both photographers and video shooters. The filter uses the company’s Cinema Series optical glass with anti-reflective, scratch-resistant, and low-dispersion coatings, housed inside a CNC-machined aluminium frame. The Split 50 will be available in 49mm, 67mm, 77mm, and 82mm threaded sizes, along with a version compatible with PolarPro’s Helix MagLock system. Pricing starts at (a pretty expensive) $80 for the 49mm version, while larger sizes cost $100, and the Helix version is priced at $150.
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Photographer Spotlight
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This time in the Spotlight: Kamiko
You can find him on Instagram as: @monono_chrome
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Missed The Sunday Issue?
In case you missed yesterday’s Sunday Issue (Snapshot Issue 116) including the amazing interview with photographer Konta Nomuro and many more incredible articles, you can read it here.
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