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New Sony Lenses - 50mm ƒ1.8 for $250 & 70-300mm for $1200

ShooterSteve

New member
They look like more good options if they perform well enough on the A7R2. As usual I'm looking forward to test results before I get too excited....
 

ggibson

Well-known member
Excellent additions to the system. A $250 nifty fifty! Strap that onto a used A7 and you've got a great full frame system for under a grand. Very nice.

The 70-300 is a long time coming for extending the reach of e-mount (of course, now they have the 2x converter for the 70-200/2.8 also). I wish the price on that 70-300 was lower, but from the MTF it looks like a stellar performer wide open, especially at the long end.

Here are the product pages with MTFs and specs for each:

http://www.sony.com/electronics/camera-lenses/sel70300g

http://www.sony.com/electronics/camera-lenses/sel50f18f

Some web-sized sample images also.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Wow, indeed!I wonder why it took Sony this long to get away from kissing Zheiss' and come up with their own.Good stuff! :thumbs:If they would come up with a 35/2 quickly, it would be nice. :)
Look like great additions and the 70-300 G was one of the better A-mount lenses. The second version looked even better than the first. I'm happy that they're giving people small and light lenses as well. Seems to be a great pairing size wise with the 28/2.
 

Michiel Schierbeek

Well-known member
Yes the new 70-300 looks like a convenient travel zoom with a big reach. I can leave the C/Y Zeiss 100-300 at home or even sell it.
Curious how the new 50 will fare compared the existing Zeiss one.
 

Slingers

Active member
These look like great additions to the lens line up. The 50mm looks to be a clone of the canon 50mm right down to the recessed front element.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Just out of curiosity:
Why have they made the 70-300 100g heavier and 10 mm longer than the A-mount lens? No, it's not because they have bolted 10 mm of piping to the older lens. They are completely different formulas, so this is a new lens. However, the A-mount lens had a very good reputation, so I would have thought that they would use the latest version of the A-mount lens if they were not going to make it smaller and/or lighter, but they seem to have made it new as well as bigger...
 

Annna T

Active member
Just out of curiosity:
Why have they made the 70-300 100g heavier and 10 mm longer than the A-mount lens? No, it's not because they have bolted 10 mm of piping to the older lens. They are completely different formulas, so this is a new lens. However, the A-mount lens had a very good reputation, so I would have thought that they would use the latest version of the A-mount lens if they were not going to make it smaller and/or lighter, but they seem to have made it new as well as bigger...
One thing that comes to mind is that the focusing FE system is totally different from A-mount systems. And the other is that the high resolution sensors may be more compelling for the lens IQ. So they may have needed to rethink the whole.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
One thing that comes to mind is that the focusing FE system is totally different from A-mount systems. And the other is that the high resolution sensors may be more compelling for the lens IQ. So they may have needed to rethink the whole.
But they must have seen the need for better image quality when they designed the second version of the A-mount lens, don't you think?

It isn't only Sony doing this of course. Lenses for Nikon, m4/3 and some of the Zeiss lenses are moving in the same direction. I find it strange, and with camera bodies getting smaller, somewhat uncomfortable. Also, Leica seems to have no problems making compact high quality lenses. Leica lenses are expensive of course, but so are some of the recent monsters from Zeiss, Sony and Nikon, not to speak about the mammoth lenses for "micro" 4/3, the 42.5mm f/1.2 and 300mm f/4.

Maybe they think photographers like big lenses?
 

Annna T

Active member
But they must have seen the need for better image quality when they designed the second version of the A-mount lens, don't you think?

It isn't only Sony doing this of course. Lenses for Nikon, m4/3 and some of the Zeiss lenses are moving in the same direction. I find it strange, and with camera bodies getting smaller, somewhat uncomfortable. Also, Leica seems to have no problems making compact high quality lenses. Leica lenses are expensive of course, but so are some of the recent monsters from Zeiss, Sony and Nikon, not to speak about the mammoth lenses for "micro" 4/3, the 42.5mm f/1.2 and 300mm f/4.

Maybe they think photographers like big lenses?
I think that the high res sensor accounts for something. Then Leica lenses : most of them are only MF and without stabilization. So that takes some of the weight and volume away.

But yes, if you read the most active forums, you will see that people calling for small lenses are way less numerous than people calling for more features like : AF, stabilization, extreme fast apertures, extremely long or extreme short focals, higher MB on the sensors, etc.. All that has an influence on the final products that are offered in matters of weight and size.

If you call for smaller lenses, like me you are booed. It seems that we will either get high IQ and expensive heavy monster lenses, or cheaper, lighter, more compact, but lower IQ lenses. Apparently Sony and the other manufacturers think that they can get more money selling lenses with superlative performances and extreme features, than with lenses offering superlative performances, but less extreme features (like max apertures, longer minimum focusing distance, no stabilization etc..). There may not be a market for that.

It is an error IMO to compete with extreme features, but it seems that is what sells.

I'd say Olympus is in a different situation than Sony because unlike Sony/Zeiss their lens line up is already much more complete and coherent, so they can now think about less frequently requested and more specialized lenses. Yes, the 300mm is big, but compared to Canikon lenses offering a similar reach, it is quite lighter and may represent a real alternative for photographers that are into birding and wild life and need to remain light for hiking.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Re: New Sony Lenses - 50mm ƒ1.8 for $250 & 70-300mm for $1200

But they must have seen the need for better image quality when they designed the second version of the A-mount lens, don't you think?

It isn't only Sony doing this of course. Lenses for Nikon, m4/3 and some of the Zeiss lenses are moving in the same direction. I find it strange, and with camera bodies getting smaller, somewhat uncomfortable. Also, Leica seems to have no problems making compact high quality lenses. Leica lenses are expensive of course, but so are some of the recent monsters from Zeiss, Sony and Nikon, not to speak about the mammoth lenses for "micro" 4/3, the 42.5mm f/1.2 and 300mm f/4.

Maybe they think photographers like big lenses?
Physics and ultimate image quality for sensors with higher pixel densities I'd assume. 100g isn't that much weight to add on. Just a few additional ounces. What matters more is how it balances on the camera than the additional weight. I don't mind a little extra weight if it means that we get a better optical design compared the A-mount version and if you prefer that version one could always opt for it plus a LA-EA3.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Re: New Sony Lenses - 50mm ƒ1.8 for $250 & 70-300mm for $1200

Physics and ultimate image quality for sensors with higher pixel densities I'd assume. 100g isn't that much weight to add on. Just a few additional ounces. What matters more is how it balances on the camera than the additional weight. I don't mind a little extra weight if it means that we get a better optical design compared the A-mount version and if you prefer that version one could always opt for it plus a LA-EA3.
You are right of course, also with regards to the 100 grams. Zoom lenses are difficult compromises, and in an age where sharpness and lack of distortions have become the top priorities, the lenses will possibly have to grow. I don't agree with those priorities, but I'll open a separate thread on that when I have time.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
Re: New Sony Lenses - 50mm ƒ1.8 for $250 & 70-300mm for $1200

You are right of course, also with regards to the 100 grams. Zoom lenses are difficult compromises, and in an age where sharpness and lack of distortions have become the top priorities, the lenses will possibly have to grow. I don't agree with those priorities, but I'll open a separate thread on that when I have time.
We don't disagree here. I hold lens character above absolute sharpness personally when most things are nearly equal but a "sterile" look can give you a neutral baseline to work with.
 
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