Here are the first images of the new Samyang-Schneider 60-180mm f/2.8 FE autofocus zoom lens. There’s currently no info about when it will hit the market.

The lens appears to be a third-party alternative to Sony’s native zoom offerings, targeting photographers who want a versatile telephoto zoom without the GM premium.

Image courtesy of FukuiAsobiWeb

SonyAlphaRumors got their hands on images of what Samyang plans to show at CP+ this year, and folks, these aren’t lenses—they’re conceptual explorations in plastic. Which is marketing speak for “we 3D printed some shapes to see if anyone cares.”

The “Lenses”

Samyang 20-50mm f/2.0 FE

A wide-to-normal zoom that maintains f/2.0 throughout. This is actually interesting—most zooms in this range top out at f/2.8. The question is whether Samyang can make it sharp enough to matter, or if it’ll be another “great on paper, soft in the corners” special.

Samyang 200mm f/1.8 FE

A fast telephoto for the “I want subject separation but I also want to sell my kidney” demographic. No word on weight, but physics suggests your wrist will have opinions.

Samyang 300mm f/4.0 FE

The sensible one of the bunch. Compact, reasonably fast, probably affordable. Will likely be the only one that actually ships.

There’s also mention of a 28-85mm “fast” zoom, because apparently Samyang’s 3D printer had extra filament.

The Catch

These are mockups, not working prototypes. Samyang explicitly wants customer feedback to decide what to actually build. So really, this is less a product announcement and more a “which of these should we maybe develop if the accountants sign off” survey.

Our Take

That 20-50mm f/2.0 is the one to watch. If Samyang can deliver a reasonably sharp, reasonably priced fast zoom in that range, it could actually be compelling. The 200mm f/1.8 will probably cost more than most Sony bodies, and the 300mm f/4 will be forgotten by March.

But hey, at least we have pictures of plastic things to argue about until CP+.

Source: SonyAlphaRumors

Press Release

The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG II | ART is the successor to the acclaimed Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN | ART, featuring a more advanced optical design and dual HLA (High-responsive Linear Actuator) motors for significantly improved autofocus speed and precision. The lens also features optimized focus breathing reduction for video work.

Key Specifications

• Lens construction: 12 elements in 15 groups
• Aperture: 11-blade circular diaphragm
• Minimum focus distance: 28cm
• Filter size: 67mm
• Weight: 525g (E-mount)
• Mounts: Sony E, Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Leica L

Price & Availability

• Release date: February 26, 2026 (CP+)
• Pre-orders: To begin at Sigma Online Shop

Source

Sigma Global Press Release

The R3 Mark II: Actually Interesting?

Let us be clear: we remain skeptical of any Canon announcement that doesn’t involve at least three delayed timelines and a firmware update that “improves reliability” (translation: fixes something that shouldn’t have been broken). But the R3 Mark II rumors… they’re giving us pause.

The big news: A dual-native resolution sensor. 54 megapixels when you want to count pores on your subject’s face, or drop to 24 megapixels when you actually want to shoot something that moves. The 24MP mode apparently hits 90 frames per second. Ninety. That’s not a camera anymore — that’s a fire hose with a shutter button.

The kicker? The 24MP mode apparently boosts ISO performance by about 80% through “adjacent pixel merging.” This is genuinely clever. We’re almost impressed.

Price tag? $6,500–$7,000. Because nothing says “enthusiast-friendly” like a mortgage payment for a camera body.

The camera was reportedly tested at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, which is either a vote of confidence or a sign that Canon needed professional feedback before shipping something this complicated. Probably the latter.

Meanwhile, For The Rest Of Us…

If the R3 II is too rich for your blood, good news: the EOS R10 Mark II is supposedly coming in 2026. Canon apparently wants to dominate the “emerging markets” segment — specifically China and India. Nothing says “exciting new market” like an entry-level APS-C camera priced competitively against a smartphone.

Will it have the same 32.5MP sensor as the R7 Mark II? Rumors are… unclear. Which means Canon is probably still deciding.

The AE-1 Tribute: 2026 Marks 50 Years

Remember when we talked about Canon’s retro plans? The AE-1 50th anniversary camera is still supposedly coming. 32.5 megapixels, classic styling, and a price tag that’ll make you nostalgic for the original’s $295. Adjusted for inflation, of course.

Will any of this actually ship in 2026? We’ll believe it when we see it. But for now, at least the R3 Mark II’s dual-resolution idea is… dare we say… innovative?

We’ll wait for the firmware update to be sure.

Sources: Canon Rumors, thenewcamera, various Chinese outlets

Let’s review what the internet thinks is coming in 2026, presented with the appropriate level of skepticism.

Canon: Nostalgia Is a Product Strategy

According to Canon Rumors, Canon has big plans for 2026. Big, carefully-leaked plans.

EOS R7 Mark II is reportedly coming in the first half of the year with a 39-megapixel BSI sensor (stacked or not — sources can’t agree), 8.5 stops of IBIS, and 40fps electronic shutter. Because nothing says “we heard your feedback” like making the buffer cry at 40 frames per second.

Then there’s the retro full-frame mirrorless — a camera inspired by the classic AE-1, which turned 50 this year. Canon apparently decided the best way to celebrate 50 years of innovation is to make something that looks like it stopped innovating in 1976. It’s expected to carry a 32.5MP sensor and, presumably, a price tag that will make your wallet feel very vintage.

Also on the list: the EOS R10 Mark II, aimed squarely at “emerging markets” like China and India. Translation: Canon looked at their spreadsheets, found a gap, and dispatched a camera to fill it.

Nikon: The Z9 II Will Shoot Faster Than You Can Blink (Or Pay)

Nikon Rumors says the Z9 Mark II is coming — eventually — with a 46MP stacked sensor boasting a readout speed 3.5x faster than the current Z9. It will allegedly shoot 60fps RAW in full-frame, 120fps in crop mode, and sync flash at 1/720s.

It will also include film simulation LUTs, because Nikon has decided that if people want film, they should get film. Simulated. Digitally. On a $7,000 camera.

Oh, and Content Credentials — a feature that embeds metadata to prove your photo is real. Perfect for an era where everyone suspects everything is AI-generated, including the camera rumors themselves.

Sony: Removing Things You Liked Since 2019

Sony Alpha Rumors has a tidy probability chart for 2026:

• FX3 II — 90% likely. New sensor, possibly global shutter, definitely not cheap.
• A7R VI — 80% likely. 61 megapixels. More megapixels than you’ll ever need, fewer than you’ll eventually want.
• RX100 VIII — 70% likely, and here’s the twist: it may drop the pop-up EVF. The RX100 VII has had a pop-up EVF since 2019, which users love, so naturally Sony is considering removing it. Tradition.
• A6900 — 50% likely, meaning Sony’s APS-C users will spend another year refreshing the rumor sites.

The Meta-Rumor

Every single one of these cameras will feature:

• A stacked sensor (because rolling shutter is so 2023)
• AI-powered autofocus (it tracks subjects you didn’t know you wanted to track)
• A price increase of approximately 15% over its predecessor (inflation, supply chains, vibes)

Whether any of these cameras will actually ship in 2026 is, of course, just another rumor.

Sources: Canon Rumors, Sony Alpha Rumors, Nikon Rumors, IT之家, smzdm.com

Canon: Nostalgia as a Product Strategy

According to Canon Rumors, Canon is planning a retro full-frame mirrorless camera for 2026 — a deliberate nod to the AE-1, which debuted in April 1976 and turned into one of the best-selling film cameras of all time. The new camera will reportedly use the same 32.5 MP full-frame sensor as the EOS R6 Mark III and the Cinema EOS C50, which is a very efficient way of saying: it’s an R6 Mark III in a vintage costume.

The rumored price? Around $1,999 — described by Canon Rumors as “surprisingly affordable,” which tells you everything you need to know about what Canon considers a bargain. For context, the R6 Mark III retails at $2,799. So you’re saving $800 in exchange for getting a camera that looks like your dad’s gear.

Canon is also reportedly planning at least two retro-styled lenses to match. Because if you’re going to cosplay as a 1970s photographer, you might as well commit.

To be fair, this isn’t entirely cynical. The AE-1 genuinely deserves celebrating. It was the first camera to use a central processing unit, it normalized consumer SLR photography, and it sold 5.7 million units. If Canon can channel even a fraction of that cultural weight into something people actually enjoy shooting, there’s something real here. The question is whether you’re paying for a great camera or paying for a brand to remind you it has history.

The answer, almost certainly, is both.

Nikon: The Case of the Missing Viewfinder

Not to be outdone in the “interesting decisions” department, Nikon is rumored to be working on a full-frame mirrorless camera with no electronic viewfinder.

Let that sink in.

According to Nikon Rumors, this unnamed camera will be roughly 22–25mm thin, spiritually descended from the Nikon ZR video camera, but reoriented toward still photography. The concept is ultra-portability: a full-frame sensor in a body barely thicker than a credit card (by camera standards), pitched at people who want full-frame quality without hauling a camera that announces itself.

It’s not an insane idea. Sony proved with the a7C series that there’s a market for flattened full-frames. Leica has built an entire brand identity around the “no frills, just shoot” philosophy. And plenty of street photographers would cheerfully trade an EVF for pocketability.

But Nikon. Nikon. The brand whose entire reputation is built on professional glass and serious hardware, now pitching a camera you have to hold at arm’s length to compose a shot.

The Z9 II is also coming — expected after March, rumored to pack a 46 MP stacked sensor with readout speeds 3.5x faster than the original Z9, supporting 60fps burst shooting and 8.3K video, with deeper RED technology integration. That’s the camera Nikon photographers have been waiting for. The no-EVF thing is… something else. Presumably for different photographers. Or perhaps the same photographers in a different mood.

The State of Things

2026 is shaping up to be the year camera companies decided to get creative in unexpected directions: Canon looks backward, Nikon looks inward (and removes the viewfinder), and Sony has approximately seven cameras rumored for release at various confidence percentages, like a product roadmap that moonlights as a weather forecast.

The AE-1 was revolutionary because it made photography accessible to people who hadn’t previously thought it was for them. Canon’s tribute camera could do something similar — or it could be a $1,999 fashion accessory with excellent autofocus.

We’ll find out in 2026. Which is, technically, now.

Fujifilm: Actually, They Mean It This Time

After years of “the 6th gen platform is coming… eventually,” Fujifilm is apparently ready to deliver in 2026. Multiple well-sourced leaks — including Photo Rumors as recently as February 17th — suggest the lineup is taking shape.

X-T6 (H2 2026, via FujiRumors):

• 40MP stacked APS-C sensor, X-Processor 6
• 8-stop IBIS
• 6.2K 60p internal, 8K 30p no crop
• ProRes support, dual CFexpress slots
• Full-tilt flip screen

The 8K no-crop is the kind of spec that makes video people forget they were saving for something else.

X-Pro4 (Q4 2026 or early 2027, via Photo Rumors):

• 40.2MP X-Trans CMOS 5 HR, X-Processor 6
• IBIS — yes, finally, after years of holding out on principle
• Built-in ND filter — for when the sun is inconvenient
• Flip screen — ending the X-Pro3’s infamous hidden-screen experiment
• Film simulation dial on top of the body
• Upgraded hybrid OVF/EVF at 5.76M dots
• 4K 60p / 6.2K video

The built-in ND filter is genuinely clever. Fujifilm looked at the universe, noticed the sun exists, and decided to do something about it.

One important note: FujiRumors has been loudly and repeatedly warning that most X-Pro4 and X-T6 spec sheets floating around the internet are AI-generated fake leaks, stuffed with made-up numbers for YouTube clicks. The specs above come from verified rumor sources. The rest? Probably a language model dreaming of cameras it will never own.

Panasonic S1H II: A Beautiful Dream Someone Had on Reddit

Here’s where fact-checking earns its keep.

Circulating widely on Chinese social media — and translated breathlessly across the camera web — is a leaked spec sheet for the Lumix S1H II: 4K 240p, 5.1K 120p open gate, Arri codec, ProRes 4444 XQ, 32-bit float audio, phase-detect AF, 8.5-stop IBIS, and active cooling.

Extraordinary specs. Truly remarkable. The kind of camera that would end all camera debates forever.

They are also, per multiple Chinese sources who traced the origin, a Reddit concept render made by a fan. Not a Panasonic engineer. Not a supply chain leak. A person on the internet who decided to write down everything they wished a camera could do.

To be clear: Panasonic is likely working on an S1H successor. It probably will have better AF than its predecessor (Panasonic’s AF reputation has been a long-running joke that only Panasonic users don’t laugh at). But 4K 240p internal? Let’s wait for a real source.

OM System OM-3 Astro: This One Is Actually Real

Released February 10th. Ships in March. $2,499.

The OM-3 Astro is a modified version of the OM-3 built specifically for astrophotography. The key change: the IR cut filter in front of the sensor has been redesigned to let through nearly 100% of H-α light — the red wavelength emitted by hydrogen nebulae that normal camera sensors mostly block.

In practice: you can now photograph the Rosette Nebula in glorious red without sending your camera off for a sensor modification. It also has:

• Star AF (autofocus that works on actual stars in the dark)
• Live Composite (real-time star trail preview while shooting)
• In-body stacking for cleaner long exposures
• IP53 weather sealing, because cloudy nights are still cold

It’s a niche product for a niche audience — but it’s a genuinely thoughtful one. OM System quietly continues doing interesting things while the larger brands fight over who has the most megapixels.

The Pattern

Every brand has a story this year:

• Fujifilm is finally delivering what users have wanted for three years, assuming the specs are real and not AI-generated
• Panasonic fans are so desperate for good news they’re promoting Reddit concepts as leaks
• OM System is building cameras for people who photograph galaxies

2026 is shaping up to be a good year — or at least a very entertaining one.

Sources: FujiRumors, Photo Rumors, IT之家, smzdm.com, donews.com