If you blinked this week, you missed a lot. Seven days, three major lens lines closing gaps, one Kickstarter pivot, and a 6,000-unit compact camera that sold out before I finished typing this sentence. Here's everything that actually mattered from October 4 through October 9, 2026, sorted by what I think will still matter in three months.
Monday, October 5 — Sigma's 85mm F1.2 DG Art and 20-60mm F2.8-4 Land in the US
Sigma's long-awaited US availability for the 85mm F1.2 DG DN Art and the 20-60mm F2.8-4 DG DN Contemporary arrived on Monday. The 85mm Art is Sigma's first 85mm f/1.2 since the brand began — the spec sheet alone is a milestone, and it's now sitting at $1,599 at most US dealers. The 20-60mm Contemporary is the company's answer to the popular 24-70-ish standard zoom at $649. Sigma 85mm F1.2 DG Art and 20-60mm F2.8-4 Contemporary Reach US Dealers Tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 6 — Maven Goes Beyond Filters with the Folding Talon LED Series
Maven Filters — yes, the filter company — opened pre-orders for the Talon Series, a folding LED light line launching on Kickstarter on October 13. The headline product is a pocketable folding panel designed for photo-and-video creators who don't want to lug a full studio kit. Already Kickstarter "Projects We Love"-tagged before launch. Maven Expands Beyond Filters with Folding Talon Series LED Lights — Kickstarter October 13.
Tuesday also brought Shoten's debut Tribute lens, the LTM 50mm f/1.1, a love letter to the 1953 Zunow 50mm f/1.1. Brass and aluminum barrel, a "ping-pong ball" protruding rear element, $730. If you shoot portrait and you've been waiting for an excuse to dust off an M-Mount body, this is your excuse. Shoten's Tribute 01 LTM 50mm f/1.1 Brings the World's First f/1.1 Lens Look Back for $730.
Wednesday, October 7 — Ricoh's GR IV 30th Anniversary Kit Is Real and Tiny
Ricoh Imaging confirmed what collectors had been hoping for: a GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition Kit, limited to 6,000 units worldwide, ships October 21. The kit includes the camera body plus an exclusive GS-4 leather finger strap, GK-2 metal hot shoe cover, GN-3 ring cap, and a set of 16 pin badges. Ricoh's EU store lists it at €1,699.99 — about $250 over a standard GR IV. Ricoh's GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition Kit Ships October 21 With 6,000 Units Worldwide.
Thursday, October 8 — Sigma Closes the APS-C F2.8 Trinity
This was the headline of the week for me. Sigma announced the 50-120mm F2.8 DC OS Contemporary, the telephoto zoom that completes the company's compact f/2.8 trio alongside the existing 10-18mm and 18-50mm. $799 across Sony E, Fujifilm X, and Canon RF mounts. Ships October 22. All three lenses together weigh about 935 grams — under a kilo for a constant F2.8 set that covers roughly 15mm to 180mm equivalent. Sigma 50-120mm F2.8 DG OS Contemporary.
If you're an APS-C shooter who has been stuck between "carry a heavy full-frame 70-200" or "settle for variable aperture," that calculation just changed. The 50-120mm is 99mm long, 390g on Sony E and Fuji X (410g on Canon RF), and rated at 6.5 stops of optical stabilization. PetaPixel's coverage called it the lens APS-C shooters have been waiting for, and I think they're right based on the spec sheet.
Sigma also dropped a second APS-C product this week: the 16-300mm F3.5-6.7 DC OS Contemporary, the company's first lens for Nikon Z mount. 18.8x zoom ratio — Sigma says it's the world's highest for an AF mirrorless lens as of September 2026. $769. Ships November 5. Sigma 16-300mm F3.5-6.7 DC OS Contemporary for Nikon Z.
Friday, October 9 — Tamron Crashes the Nikon Z Zoom Party
Tamron announced the 20-40mm F2.8 Di III VXD (Model A062) for Nikon Z mount — the 13th Tamron lens for the system. $729 US, ships October 22. 380g, 12 elements in 11 groups, VXD linear motor, 67mm filter thread. The pitch is straightforward: a compact fast-aperture standard zoom that starts at 20mm instead of the more common 24mm, lighter than most of the f/2.8 competition. Tamron's 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lands on Nikon Z at $729.
That Friday slot matters. Tamron now has three f/2.8 zooms for Nikon Z that span the 17-40mm range (the 17-28mm, the 28-75mm G2, and now the 20-40mm), and they're all priced under $800. Nikon Z's third-party zoom lineup just stopped being a debate.
The Week in Three Numbers
- $729 — the price Tamron set for the 20-40mm f/2.8 Z, undercutting most native Nikon Z fast zooms in that range.
- 6,000 — units of the Ricoh GR IV 30th Anniversary kit. Worldwide. One shipment, October 21.
- 18.8x — Sigma's claimed zoom-ratio record on the 16-300mm DC OS Contemporary for Nikon Z.
What I'm Watching Next
Three threads worth keeping on your radar:
- Maven Talon Kickstarter closes October 13. If it funds fast — and the "Projects We Love" tag suggests it will — expect general availability before Christmas.
- Sigma's 85mm 1.2 Art first-look reviews are about to start appearing. The lens has been in reviewers' hands for a couple of weeks; the first DPReview-style labs data should land in the next 7-10 days.
- Nikon Z third-party zoom pricing pressure. Tamron's $729 list price is a signal. Expect Sigma's and Viltrox's next Z-mount announcements to sit in the same range.
The throughline of the week, if I had to pick one: APS-C is no longer the compromise format it was five years ago. Sigma closed a real f/2.8 trinity for $799, Tamron brought a $729 fast zoom to Nikon Z, and Ricoh is selling a 30th-anniversary compact at €1,699 with a leather strap and pin badges. The "serious photographer" tier is increasingly APS-C, not full-frame.
That said — I'm the guy who shoots street on a Micro Four Thirds body, so my bias is showing. If you want a full-frame equivalent roundup, I'd point you at PetaPixel's coverage of any of these launches for the deeper technical context.
See you next week.
— Leo