1. Exceptional image quality and smooth F2 Bokeh
2. Internal zoom and compact design
3. Fast and precise Autofocus performance
4. Cinematic video production

NEW DELHI: Sony India introduces the FE 50-150mm F2 GM, the world’s first telephoto zoom lens with a maximum focal length of 150 mm and F2 aperture. This lens features a standard focal length of 50mm at the wide-angle end and combines an open aperture of F2 with high resolution comparable to that of a prime lens. This allows for a wide range of scenarios with just one lens for various situations and subjects. As part of Sony’s renowned G Master series, the FE 50-150mm F2 GM offers an exceptional combination of high resolution and stunning bokeh, enhancing the imaging results for professionals using the Sony Alpha camera system.

“At Sony, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of imaging technology. With the launch of the FE 50-150mm F2 GM lens, we are proud to introduce a world-first innovation that delivers unmatched image quality, versatility, and performance. From stunning bokeh in portraits and weddings to sharp, high-speed capture in sports and events, this lens is a versatile powerhouse. It’s compact, internal zoom design and advanced autofocus make it perfect for handheld use, truly redefining creative possibilities in the field,” said Mukesh Srivastava, Head of Digital Imaging Business, Sony India.

1. Exceptional image quality and smooth F2 Bokeh

The FE 50-150mm F2 GM‘s internal optical design plays a crucial role in producing its exceptional image quality. By integrating two XA (extreme aspherical) elements, two Super ED (extra-low dispersion) glass elements, and three ED elements, the lens effectively suppresses aberrations, ensuring sharp, high-contrast imagery across the entire zoom range. Additionally, the floating focusing system enables a minimum focusing distance of 0.4m at the wide end and a maximum magnification of 0.20 for detailed shooting.

The FE 50-150mm F2 GM‘s constant F2 aperture creates beautifully smooth bokeh, making it an ideal choice for portrait, wedding, and event photographers aiming to isolate subjects with a shallow depth of field. A newly developed 11-blade circular aperture further enhances the signature G Master bokeh. When shooting videos, the lens delivers stunning cinematic results and exceptional clarity.  In addition, Sony’s proprietary “Nano AR Coating II,” applied uniformly across the entire lens surface, significantly reduces ghosting and flare even in backlit conditions, delivering clear and crisp imagery.

• Internal zoom and compact design

Measuring at approximately 200 mm (7-7/8 inches) in length and weighing approximately 1,340g (47.3 ounces), the FE 50-150mm F2 GM offers remarkable portability considering its impressive combination of wide zoom range and bright aperture. This lens is ideal for both handheld and gimbal use with its featured internal zoom design that maintains the lens length and weight balance despite focal length changes. With its practical design, this lens serves as a versatile, all-in-one solution for those seeking a standard 50mm through 150mm telephoto range.

• Fast and precise Autofocus performance

Equipped with four XD (extreme dynamic) linear motors and Sony’s advanced control algorithms, the FE 50-150mm F2 GM delivers fast, accurate, and quiet autofocus (AF). This high-performance AF system is compatible with Sony’s Alpha 9 III, supporting continuous shooting at up to 120 frames per second with full AF/AE tracking. With a fast AF system and a versatile 50-150 mm zoom range, the lens excels at capturing fast-paced indoor sports, portraits, and events.

• Cinematic video production

Designed with filmmakers in mind, the FE 50-150mm F2 GM minimises focus breathing and is compatible with Sony’s Breathing Compensation[v] feature on select Alpha cameras. Linear Response MF ensures intuitive manual focus control, while the lens’s internal zoom design maintains stability even while zooming mounted on gimbals. Additionally, the XD linear motors operate quietly to prevent unwanted noise from being captured during recording.

Built for durability, the FE 50-150mm F2 GM features a robust dust- and moisture-resistant design. A fluorine coating on the front element repels contaminants, making it easy to clean and ensuring the lens remains in top condition even in challenging environments.

Pricing and Availability

The FE 50-150mm F2 GM (SEL50150GM) lens will be available across all Sony Center stores, Alpha Flagship stores, Sony authorized dealers, major electronic stores across India & also on Amazon & Flipkart from 5^th May 2025 onwards.

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PUNE: Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) announced the launch of its industry-leading Zoom Phone in India, commencing with the availability of Zoom Phone service with native India phone numbers in the Maharashtra Telecom Circle (Pune). Zoom Phone brings multinational corporations (MNCs) with a domestic presence and homegrown companies unrivaled simplicity and modern functionality to their distributed hybrid workforce, as well as global native coverage in 50 countries and territories.

The native phone number support will be available starting with the Maharashtra Telecom Circle (Pune), followed by Karnataka (Bangalore), Tamil Nadu (Chennai), Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad), Mumbai, and Delhi telecom circles, covering all the major technology centers in India.

Zoom India received the Unified License with Access — All/PAN India and Long Distance licenses from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, in April 2023. Thereafter, Zoom India focused on establishing its dedicated domestic infrastructure for Zoom Phone in India and complying with regulatory requirements. This effort enables Zoom to lead the industry with the launch of the first-of-its-kind licensed cloud private branch exchange (PBX) service bundled with local phone numbers for India.

“Zoom’s cloud PBX service meets the requirements of India’s Unified Telecom license which requires building the dedicated local interconnection infrastructure by the regulatory requirements. This demonstrates Zoom’s commitment to bringing a trusted service that our customers want,” said Velchamy Sankarlingam, president of product and engineering, at Zoom. “Globally, Zoom Phone saw continued expansion in the market, amassing five Zoom Phone customers with 100k+ seats in Q1 FY25,  demonstrating our customers’ trust in Zoom for critical employee and customer experience processes. Our latest offering reaffirms Zoom’s leadership in delivering seamless cloud services on a global scale, enhanced by local investments to help ensure compliance and service excellence in every market, including India.”

With an intuitive and familiar interface, Zoom Phone offers reliable, secure, and flexible voice communication features that seamlessly integrate with Zoom Workplace, the company’s open collaboration platform with Zoom AI Companion. Zoom Phone provides local telephony services and is available as an add-on to Zoom’s existing paid customers. With support for inbound and outbound calling through the public switched telephone network (PSTN), enterprise customers can seamlessly replace their existing PBX solution and consolidate their business communication requirements into one platform.

“We are excited to bring Zoom Phone to India, first rolling it out in the Maharashtra Telecom Circle (Pune), empowering multinational enterprises and homegrown companies of all sizes to support dynamic workstyles, improve employee engagement, and elevate the customer experience,” said Sameer Raje, general manager and head of India & SAARC region, Zoom. “The launch of Zoom Phone marks a significant milestone in Zoom’s commitment to the Indian market. This achievement represents our dedication to delivering a reliable collaboration platform that powers limitless human connection and solves real business problems for our customers.”

In addition to its comprehensive features, Zoom Phone is now boosted with AI Companion capabilities to enhance call productivity. Users can request post-call summaries and next steps, allowing them to focus on conversations instead of taking notes. Voicemail prioritization elevates urgent messages, moving them to the top of the queue, while voicemail task extraction delivers tasks from voicemails, helping users understand the next steps without listening to every message. Zoom Phone integrates with leading business applications, contact center partners, and hardware providers, offering an all-in-one collaboration platform for MNCs with a domestic presence and businesses of all sizes.

“The availability of Zoom Phone is timely, reflecting the trend of strong demand for Unified Communications as a Service solution integrated with telephony in India. By offering a single platform with enterprise-class features, Zoom Phone addresses the growing modern collaboration needs of local companies and global businesses with a presence in India as they look to unify their employee and customer communication channels with a solid foundation in voice,” said Krishna Baidya, senior industry director, Frost & Sullivan. “In addition to streamlining communications with one platform, Zoom Phone stands out with its scalability, security, and user-friendly interface.”

To learn more about Zoom Phone, please visit the Zoom Phone page.

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Simpler and more flexible 3D part inspection workflows delivered by the software-adjustable variable resolution functionality of the new SmartScan VR800 structured light scanner

HYDERABAD: Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has announced the launch of a new type of high-productivity structured light scanner. Built on a completely reengineered platform, the SmartScan VR800 is the first optical 3D scanner on the market with a motorized zoom lens that enables users to adjust data resolution and measurement volume entirely through software settings. This greatly improves the productivity of quality inspection and further improves workflows with more efficient post-scanning alignment processes, including the ability to combine scans of different resolutions within a single project.

Whereas conventional structured light scanners have a fixed optical configuration, the combination of dual stereo cameras and optical zoom-enabled projection makes the SmartScan VR800 far more flexible, allowing users to define in exactly which form they collect their data. Three new software functions – Smart Resolution, Smart Zoom, and Smart Snap – allow the user to customize inspection resolution and measurement volume with no mechanical alterations to the system. That means data-heavy high-resolution scans can be focused on the feature-rich areas that matter most, while other areas can be covered more efficiently by larger and/or lower-resolution scans.

The new system simplifies the scanning process from start to finish

• Easily adjust scan detail and size with software, no manual changes are needed
• Mix detailed and broad scans into one model for faster results
• Process scans quicker by cutting down on excess data while keeping the essential details they need

Pirmin Bitzi, General Manager for Portable Metrology Devices at Hexagon explains, “The need to change optics for different use cases has always been a key challenge when implementing structured light scanning inspection solutions. Finding a solution to that industry-wide problem was a key motivator for us – we wanted a way to meet the demands of the many applications where it’s not efficient to scan everything at high resolutions, and not acceptable to scan everything at lower resolutions. That’s what we’ve strived to achieve with the VR800.”

Structured light scanning, otherwise known as white light scanning or simply optical 3D scanning, is a camera-based measurement technology that can deliver extremely high-resolution part data in seconds. Other structured light scanners on the market are stereo-camera systems, with typically two 5-16 MP camera units. The VR800 uses four 20 MP cameras in a dual stereo setup- for a wider range of measurement volumes. This is uniquely combined with an optical-zoom digital projection unit that makes it possible to measure different volumes (three from each camera pair), as well as vary the resolution within each volume. Additionally, the system’s integrated controller unit provides fast pre-processing of scan data on the device, ensuring the data heading into the metrology software is cleaner and easier to use. A custom-built carbon fiber frame ensures thermal stability and allows for longer intervals between calibrations.

The VR800’s Smart Snap function in particular delivers significant workflow efficiency, even on parts where everything needs to be scanned at higher resolutions. This mode uses the larger-base camera pair to take an LED flash-supported alignment image at the same time as the smaller-base camera pair performs a full high-resolution 3D scan. Because each scan section is now paired with an alignment image, knitting the scan data together is both easier and more efficient – there’s no more need for overlaps of data-intensive high-resolution scans that require heavy-duty processing power to achieve an aligned mesh.

These new scanning capabilities can be applied to a broad range of measurement applications, with significant advantages for the type of parts commonly produced through additive manufacturing, tool and die, and casting and molding. Manufacturers that perform turbine blade measurements, for instance, will see significant efficiency improvements from a system that can scan leading and trailing edges at very high data resolution and deliver lower-resolution alignment data for the rest of the blade form. Similarly, molded parts often combine small details that demand high-resolution data within a larger object that doesn’t need such detailed data capture to create an accurate model. The VR800 provides the flexibility to make these measurements in a single continuous workflow, using a single structured light scanner with no need for mechanical adjustment by the user, both saving time and reducing the processing power demanded by the inspection process.

As with other structured light scanners from Hexagon’s range, the VR800 can be paired with a turntable or turn-tilt unit to enable semi-automated measurement workflows. The VR800 is also ready for integration within robot- or cobot-based fully automated inspection systems.

The SmartScan VR800 is now available to order from local Hexagon representatives, and more information is available on the Hexagon website.

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The RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM is just 44.9mm long when retracted and weighs only around 150g, making it around 40% shorter and lighter than its EF mount counterpart, the EF-S10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM. Its size makes it easy to stabilize during handheld vlogging, with its ultra-wide angle of view capturing both the vlogger and surrounding scenery in the same frame, rendering a selfie stick unnecessary.

The lens delivers sharper, steadier images even in low light conditions, thanks to its built-in Optical Image Stabilizer (Optical IS), which reduces camera shake by up to 4 shutter speed stops’ equivalent. When combined with a camera with In-Body IS such as the EOS R7, Coordinated Control IS enhances the effect to up to 6 stops’ equivalent. For video shooting, Optical IS coordinates with in-camera Movie Digital IS to achieve steady, natural footage for shooting while walking, so you can film your travelog with minimal equipment.

The RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM also offers unique wide-angle close-ups, with a closest focusing distance of 0.14m throughout the entire focal range, achieving a maximum magnification of up to 0.23x when autofocus is enabled. One can turn off the AF at the 10mm mark to shoot even closer (closest focusing distance: 0.086m) and achieve half-macro (0.5x max. magnification) shots with the unique Centre Focus Macro effect.

Despite its lightweight body, the RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM delivers image quality that surpasses its bigger EF-S counterpart. The RF mount’s short-back focus enables a lens configuration that optimizes image quality while minimizing the number of elements, keeping ghosting, chromatic aberration, and color blurring well under control. Ornate details are rendered in crisp quality to the edges.

The lens is driven by a leadscrew-type STM (stepping motor), which enables smooth, seamless focus transitions during video recording. The lens also supports Focus Breathing Correction, which digitally corrects the distracting changes in the angle of view caused by focus movement when recording video.

The RF-S10-18mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM is priced at INR 33,595/- and is available for purchase in India. With this launch, Canon has expanded its product portfolio, including Digital Production Printers, Large Format Printers, Commercial Printers, Multi-Functional Devices, Managed Document Services, Inkjet and laser Printers, Document and Cheque Scanners, Digital Cameras, DSLRs, Mirrorless cameras, Cinematic Imaging Products, Surveillance cameras, and Medical Imaging products catering to the multiple market segments of consumer, SME, B2B, Commercial, Government & PSUs.

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