The Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 has made great strides over its well-known predecessor, the Noctilux-M 50mm f/1.  It was able to create 11% more light gathering capacity without lowering the peak central resolution.  Perhaps 11% doesn’t sound like much to you, but when you’re talking about an 11% improvement upon an already-amazing f/1.0 aperture it becomes quite substantial.

The Noctilux-M f/0.95 is born to shoot at absurdly large apertures of f/1.4 and brighter.  Don’t buy the Noctilux for normal use; choose it instead because it can allow you to make pictures other lenses, no matter the camera behind them, could never achieve.  Together with the M8′s excellent high-ISO abilities you can do things like capture an image of someone’s face only lit by a tiny candle or cigarette’s ember.  If you can see it, you can shoot it.

Add a neutral density filter and try shooting at f/0.95 in bright daylight; imagine beach snaps where backgrounds are completely unrecognized washes of sky/water blue and sandy white blobs.  It is almost like the feeling of a dream.  With the Noctilux’s unique capacity, you could capture a full-length picture of your friend in Times Square and perhaps not even be able to tell that they were in that immediately-recognized setting.

The Noctilux has a floating rear lens group, which aims to provide higher performance at closer focus ranges.  Leica’s also decreased vignetting with the Noctilux-even at f/0.95 with the M8 you’ll only have 1.5 stops of light loss in the image corners.  Coding on the rear lens barrel will communicate to the M8/8.2 the particulars of the lens.

• World’s brightest lens for digital SLR cameras

• Produces the most extremely diffuse, soft backgrounds

• 11% Greater light-gathering capacity than its predecessor (Noctilux-M 50mm f/1)

• Improved peak resolution over that of the Noctilux-M 50mm f/1

• “Floating” 2-element rear lens group retains consistent performance at closer shooting distances

• Just ~1% of maximum distortion (barrel type); nearly undetectable

• Dedicated collapsing hood

• Accepts E60 filters

• Lens mount’s rear has 6-bit code allowing digital M-series cameras to identify lens and its characteristics

• Classic depth-of-field scale at rear of lens barrel

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Canon adds 24 and 25fps HD Movie recording to the EOS 5D Mark II with Firmware 2.0.3

London, 2nd March 2010 – Canon today pre-announces the release of a firmware update for the multiple award-winning EOS 5D Mark II. Originally announced in late 2009, the update adds 24* and 25 frames per second (fps) recording to the camera’s EOS MOVIE video function, and will be available as a free download from the middle of March.

Developed following feedback from photographers and cinematographers, Firmware 2.0.3 further enhances the EOS 5D Mark II’s excellent video performance. The addition of new frame rates expands the camera’s video potential, providing filmmakers with the ability to shoot 1080p Full HD footage at 24fps (actual 23.976fps) – the optimum frame rate for cinematic video. 25fps support at both 1920×1080 and 640×480 resolutions will allow users to film at the frame rate required for the PAL broadcast standard, while the new firmware will also change the 30fps option to the NTSC video standard of 29.97fps.

A new histogram display for shooting movies in manual exposure, shutter-priority (Tv) and aperture-priority (Av) have been added, and exposure modes will also be available in movie mode. Improved audio functionality will allow users to set sound record levels manually using a sound-level meter displayed on the LCD screen. The audio sampling frequency has also been increased from 44.1KHz to 48KHz, providing the optimum audio signal typically required for professional or broadcast material.

With its full frame CMOS sensor and compatibility with Canon’s wide range of premium lenses, the EOS 5D Mark II is already recognised for its outstanding HD video performance. Launched in September 2008, the camera immediately created a wide range of new possibilities for photographers and videographers, and the addition of new frame rates and manual audio levels extends those possibilities even further – allowing movie makers to shoot stunning movies to suit practically any creative purpose.

Extreme sports photographer Richard Walch was one of the first to be given the chance to use the newly updated EOS 5D Mark II to shoot the snowboarding movie “I Love My Friends”. Commenting on the EOS 5D Mark II’s video performance, Richard said: “The addition of the new frame rates opens up a whole new range of possibilities. If you’re a cinematographer, independent film maker or just enthusiastic about making your own movies, get out there and give it a try”.