photo:sonynex_fe
Table of Contents
Sony FE E-mount full frame lenses
see also:
introduction
- all Sony FE lenses to date are weather-sealed
- Sony G lenses are the less expensive versions
- Sony G master series (“GM”) of lenses are premium pro quality lenses with resolution to a 50 lines per mm standard instead of 30mm or less and optimised bokeh, in addition, have dust and moisture resistance, and also dedicated control buttons like AF/MF and Focus Hold
AF lenses
wide angle AF lenses
- see also: 35mm full frame lenses for Sony E-mount
- Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM
- announced July 2020
- 17 elements in 14 groups; 9 blades; new Nano AR Coating II; focus-by-wire; Lens Fn button;
- close focus 28cm;
- Rear mounted filter (template included)
- 137mm long; 847g;
- $US3000
- Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G
- announced May 2017
- 'Direct Drive Supersonic Wave Motor' AF motor; no filter thread;
- internal focus; fluorine coating on the front element of the large extreme aspherical element; 7 blades;
- 565g
- $US1700
-
- announced April 2021
- close focus 25cm
- 14 Elements in 11 Groups
- 9 rounded blades
- Rear gel filters
- Nano AR Coating II
- 460g; 83mm x 99.8mm
- $US1598
- Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN
- coming late 2019
- close focus 0.28m giving 0.14x magnification; 11 rounded blades; 18 Elements in 13 Groups;
- twin-motor silent stepper motor
- rear gel filter;
- 3.35 x 5.16″ / 85.0 x 131.0 mm;28.04 oz / 795 g
- $US1399
-
- smallest and sharpest 14-28mm f/2.8 lens available
- great for astroscapes - sharper with lower coma/astigmatism in the corners than the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 stopped down to f/2.8 which has much worse corner sharpness at f/1.8
- almost matches the Sony 24mm f/1.4GM at f/2.8 although has more vignetting
- nice sunstars at f/8, minimal flare
- Sigma 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN C
- announced 2023; great travel lens;
- 9 rounded blades; close focus 25cm; 72mm filter; weather sealed;sharp but some distortion and vignetting; nice sunstars at f/11; minimal flare;
- 450g; 77.2 x 102.6mm; $US899
- Sony Vario-Tessar 16-35mm f/4 Carl Zeiss ZA OSS
- 72mm filter; close focus 0.28m
- $AU1600
-
- Sharpness is good across the field even at maximum aperture but there’s some field curvature/astigmatism that’s more noticeable at the long focal lengths causing some image degradation, similar sharpness to the Canon equivalent but not as sharp as the Nikon f/4
- Distortion is little higher than expected, not so much at the shorter focal lengths but at the longer-end, where the lens has noticeable pincushion distortion from around 24mm onwards
- CA is most noticeable at 16mm, not only in the corners but as a donut-shaped ring in the center of the field, much more than the Canon and Nikon equivalent lenses
- Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM
- announced May 2017
- fluorine coating on the front element of the large extreme aspherical element
- 11 blades; 82mm filter
- two DDSSMs (Direct Drive SSM) AF motors
- partial weathersealing “Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof”
- 680g
- $US2200
- the highest DxO Mark score for any wide angle zoom lens as of 2017
- smaller with much less vignetting, coma and star distortion than the Canon EF 16-35 f/2.8L III but lack's the Canon's mechanical MF ring with its infinity marking, making it a nice option for astrophotographic landscapes of the Milky Way 1)
- when used with a slide in filter holder, there will be vignetting at 16mm but should settle by 17mm; while sharp at f/2.8 edge to edge, optically is best at f/8-11, while sunstars are best at f/16 - perhaps one of the best lenses for sunstars, helped by the excellent flare control 2)
- Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM Mark II
- introduced Aug 2023
- lighter, adds a aperture ring which is also de-clickable, plus iris lock switch, faster AF,
- close focus to about 10cm working distance; 4 XD Linear AF motors;
- 547g extends a small amount on zooming; some purple ghosting across the frame into the sun at f/8 getting worse as stop down but nice sunstars at f/16
- minimal LoCa, bokeh wide open, almost no cat's eye effect and is quite nice.
- very sharp across the frame wide open and throughout zoom range although corners get more contrast at f/5.6 - similar to version I
- $US2300
- Sony FE 16-35mm f/4 PZ
- announced Mar 2022
- compact, lightweight power zoom lens
- Tamron 17-28mm Di III RXD f/2.8
- close focus 0.19m; 9 rounded blades, 67mm filter, 420g, 73 x 99 mm
- $US899
- Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8:
- announced April 2016
- 11 elements in 10 groups, and four of those elements are aspheric on both sides
- close focus 0.25m
- 330g, 77mm filter
- $US1499
- Samyang 18mm f/2.8
- 145g; 60.5mm long; 7 blades; close focus 25cm; 58mm filter; near silent linear STM motor;
- no weathersealing;
- $US329
-
- some complex moustache distortion and moderate vignetting (this clears by f/4 where image also sharpens further and best at f/5.6-8)
- lat CA well controlled, minimal flare shooting into the sun, usable sun stars stopped down
- mild wedge shaped stars towards the edges so it is reasonable for astro work
- good travel lens and vlogging lens (but C-AF in video is apparently not great!)
- more vignetting and less sharp at f/2.8 than the Zeiss while AF is more noisy but coma and CA in corners is fairly comparable
- Sony PZ 18-110mm f/4 G OSS
- $AU5300
- Tamron 20mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2
- 67mm filter; close focus 0.11m giving 1:2 magnification
- $US349 available Jan 2020
- Tamron 24mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2
- 67mm filter; close focus 0.12m giving 1:2 magnification; 7 blades; weathersealed
- 215g
- $US349
-
- sharp, but autofocus is noticeably sluggish and somewhat noisy - the Samyang is better for vlogging
- Sony FE 20mm f/1.8 G
- announced Feb 2020
- 9-blade aperture can be de-clicked using a built-in On/Off switch
- two extreme dynamic (XD) linear motors
- 67mm filter;
- close foccus 7.5“ 0.19m
- accurate reproduction of point light sources with “high contrast and minimum sagittal flare” and minimal coma or astigmatism in the corners for astrophotographers but more vignetting (1.7EV wide open) than the 24mm f/1.4 GM
- 373g (13.2 oz); 73.5×84.7mm;
- $US900
- Sigma 20mm f/2 DG DN
- announced Feb 2022
- close focus 22cm; 9 rounded blades; 13 elements in 11 groups
- 370g; 72mm long
- Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG DN Art
- announced Aug 2022
- primarily aimed at astrophotographers
- manual focus lock and a rear filter holder (reduced fogging at night) as well as 72mm front filter threads
- close focus 23cm; 11 rounded blades; 635g
- $US899
- Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG DN Art
- announced Aug 2022
- primarily aimed at astrophotographers
- manual focus lock and a rear filter holder (reduced fogging at night) as well as 82mm front filter threads
- close focus 25cm; 11 rounded blades; 520g
- $US799
- Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM
- 11 blades; weathersealed; 13 elements, 2 XA (extreme aspherical), 3 ED, Nano AR coating
- 67mm filter;
- 455g; 92mm long;
- $US1399
-
- minimal coma even in corners, awesome lens, great for astrophotographic landscapes of the Milky Way
- much better than the Sigma 24mm f/1.4
- perhaps the best 24mm prime ever made?
- Samyang 24mm f/2.8
- inexpensive, light
- unlike the Samyang 35mm f/2.8 it is quite soft wide open and is not weathersealed
- 49mm filter
- Samyang Rokinon 24mm f/1.8
- announced April 2021
- special astrophotography mode sets lets to infinity focus
- 11 elements in 8 groups spherical aberration and coma are highly controlled
- 58mm filter
- $US549
- Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2
- 67mm filter; 92mm long; 335g; 9 blades; close focus 20cm;
- $US1299
- Sony FE 28mm f/2
- $AU640
- Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN
- coming late 2019
- 82mm filter; 11 rounded blades; close focus to 0.3m giving 0.19x magnification; 17 Elements in 12 Groups;
- 3.46” x 5.36″ / 87.8 x 136.2mm; 38.45 oz / 1090g
- $US1499
- Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM
- announced Jan 2021 as a more compact yet higher quality lens
- 14 elements in 10 groups including two XA (extreme aspherical) elements, a single ED (extra-low dispersion)
- Nano AR Coating II
- close focus 27cm (10.6“) giving 0.23x mag.
- twin XD (extreme dynamic) linear autofocus motors; Linear Response MF
- de-clickable aperture ring
- 11 rounded blades
- 67mm filter
- 524g (1.16lb), 76 mm dia. x 96 mm
- $US1400
-
- $AU2250
- Samyang 35mm f/1.4 FE
- announced Oct 2017
- 11 elements in 9 groups, 2 aspherical lenses, 2 high-refractive lenses, and ‘Ultra Multi’ Coating
- Linear Supersonic AF motor, close focus 0.3m
- 9 circular blades, 67mm filter; 645g w/o lens cap/hood; 115mm long
- $US790
- Samyang 35mm f/1.4 FE II
- announced Mar 2022
- improved lens, faster AF, better optics
- Samyang 35mm f1.8
- announced Sept 2020
- close focus 29cm; not weathersealed; no MF/AF switch; no lens fn button;
- new Linear STM AF motor;
- custom switch to allow change of function of MF ring;
- 58mm filter;
- 210g;
- $US399
- Sony FE 35mm f/1.8
- announced July 2019
- weathersealed; 55mm filter;
- Linear Response Manual Focus for fine, responsive manual focus control; customizable Focus Hold button
- quiet linear-motor AF drive system
- 280g; 73mm long; 9 circular blades; close focus 0.22m giving 0.24x macro;
- $US750
-
- announced Oct 2020
- 9 elements in 8 groups incl. 1 ASPH; Nano-multilayer coating; 7 blades;
- close focus 35cm; 52mm filter; 67 x 72mm; 295g;
- Sony FE 35mm F2.8 Carl Zeiss
- close focus 0.35m;
- 61.5×36.5mm; 120g; 49mm filter;
- $AU750
-
- 0.7% moustache style pincushion; 1.4EV vignetting; 0.5px CA; significant long. CA wide open; slightly nervous bokeh;
- soft corners; sharpest overall at f/5.6
- Tamron 35mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2
- 67mm filter; close focus 0.15m giving 1:2 magnification
- $US349
- Samyang 35mm f/2.8
- announced June 2017
- close focus 0.35m; 49mm filter; only 86g w/o lens hood and 33mm long!
- 7 elements in 6 groups, contains 2 aspherical elements and one “High Refractive” element
- 7 aperture blades; UMC coating; not weathersealed; MF not great but AF is good except in low light but not silent;
- 1.5EV vignetting wide open which reduces as close down; quite sharp wide open with minimal improvement stopping down although edges are best at f/5.6-8. Minimal CA; Some barrel distortion; Similar optical performance as the Sony 35mm f/2.8.
- a handy super light, relatively inexpensive travel / street photography lens for social media use.
- $US299!
standard AF zoom lenses
- Sony 20-70mm f/4 G
- announced Jan 2023
- close focus 23cm; 9 blades; 72mm filter
- 488g; 78.7 x 99mm;
- $US1098
- Tamron 24-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD
- announced Sept 2022
- close focus 17cm; 9 rounded blades; 67mm filter;
- 366g; $US699
- Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM
- announced Feb 2016
- Direct Drive Supersonic AF motor (SSM) for incredibly fast, accurate, and silent AF
- 695g
- $US2298 or $AU3300
- Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art
- announced Nov 2019
- Super Multi-Layer Coating, Nano Porous Coating, 3 aspheric lenses, 11-blade rounded diaphragm
- dust and splash-proof body and zoom lock mechanism
- close focus 0.18m at 24mm giving 1:2.9 magnification (1:4.5 at 70mm)
- Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art
- announced May 2024
- a fraction smaller and around 10% lighter than the original lens with a new optical design using 19 element, 15 group design with 6 fluorite-like FLD elements and 2 SLD elements might sound familiar, the use of five aspheric elements, rather than three, and uses a “High-Response” linear motor to drive autofocus, rather than the stepper motor that was used before and now has a second AFL button
- thus sharper, more contrast, less coma
- close focus 17cm; lens extends on zooming; 82mm filter;
- $US1,199
- Samyang 24-70mm f/2.8 parfocal
- announced Oct 2021
- close focus 35cm; 17 Elements in 14 Groups; 9 blades; 82mm filter; 88 x 128.5mm; 1,096g;
- linear manual focus control
- optional Cine Kit, consisting of focus gearing, follow focus and tripod mount
- Sony 24-70mm F4 Carl Zeiss OSS
- close focus 0.4m; 67mm filter;
- 94.5mm x 73mm; 426g
- $US1199
-
- very soft away from centre at all focal lengths even on stopping down
- minimal CA; 1.5EV vignetting; complex distortion pattern with both pincushion and barrel distortion being present within the frame at the same time
- Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS
- announced Oct 2017
- 77mm filter; flourine coated; close focus 38cm;
- 23.4oz; 660g; lighter than Canon’s EF 24-105 f/4L II USM DSLR lens and the Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art lens
- $US1299
-
- good sharpness, among the best for this zoom range and rivals Sigma but its better sharpness at 105mm puts it ahead of the Sigma and Canon EF lenses although it is less sharp and with more astigmatism at 35-50mm (although sharper than the Canon)
- some lat. CA at wide end which remains even on stopping down, not as good as the Canon EF
- almost twice as much barrel distortion (1.5%) at the wide end compared to Sigma and Canon EF and slightly more pincushion at longer end
- less vignetting than Sigma and Canon at -1EV at 24mm
-
- edge softening was relatively minor and much less than with the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens
- sharpest at f/5.6
- distortion are well corrected in-camera
- vignetting largely resolves by f/5
- duel IS allows hand held good shots down to 1/3rd sec at wide end and 1/8th sec at 105mm
- bokeh was generally smooth and attractive, particularly at longer focal lengths
- Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.5 OSS
- $US1048
- Sony FE 28-70mm F3.5-5.6 OSS
- kit lens for the A7
- $AU329
- Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 FE
- available May 2018 $US800
- Eye AF test on Youtube - as good as a native Sony FE lens
- Sony FE PZ 28-135mm F/4 G OSS power zoom lens:
- late 2015
- $A3399
- ‘Smooth Motion Optics’ design for video work
- smooth and silent drive with Super Sonic wave Motor (SSM) for zooming and “double linear motor” for focusing
- optical image stabiliser
- weathersealed
- Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2
- announced Sept 2021
- Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD
- announced June 2020
- moisture resistant; 18 elements in 14 groups
- flourine coating; 7 rounded blades; zoom lock switch;
- minimum focusing distance of 7.5″ giving 1:3.1
- RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) autofocus motor
- 67mm filter; 1.27 lb / 575.5 g; 117mm long;
- $US729
- Samyang AF 35-150mm f/2-2.8 FE
- released 2023
- close focus 0.33m at wide, 0.85m at tele giving 0.18 macro
- 9 blades; 82mm filter;
- 158mm long extends to 198mm on zooming; 1231g;
- $US1299
- Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD
- announced Sept 2021
- 82mm filter;
- 1165g;
40-65mm prime lenses
- see also: 50mm full frame lenses for Sony E-mount
- Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2 CF close focus
- announced Sept 2018
- 67mm filter
- close focus to 9.45 inches (24cm) with a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:3.3
- focus limiter switch
- $US1299
- Samyang 45mm f/1.8 compact
- announced may 2019
- 9 blades; close focus 0.45m; 49mm filter; 56x62mm; 162g;
- not weathersealed
- $US399
-
- sharp in centre but soft edges wide open - need to stop down to f/5.6 to get sharpness across the frame
- lively bokeh and color rendition although does have cat's eye bokeh towards the edges
- mild lat. CA
- Sigma 45mm f/2.8 DG DN
- coming late 2019
- close focus 0.24m giving 0.25x magnification; 7 rounded blades;8 Elements in 7 Groups;
- 55mm filter
- 2.52 x 1.82″ / 64.0 x 46.2 mm; 7.58 oz / 215 g
- $US549
- Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art DG DN
- announced Feb 2023
- their 1st art lens to have their new High-response Linear Actuator (HLA) autofocus motor.
- faster, more silent AF, slimmer and more compact than the old DG HSM version for DSLRs
- de-clickable aperture ring
- close focus 45cm; 11 rounded blades; 72mm filter; 670g;
- $US849
- Sony Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA Carl Zeiss
- easily the best image quality non-GM 50mm lens for the Sony a7IV but AF is slowish
- $AU2300
- Samyang AF 50mm f/1.4 FE
- 9 blades; 67mm filter; close focus 0.45m; 98mm long; 585g; $AU860;
- Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM
- announced Feb 2023;
- 14 elements in 11 groups, including two 'extreme aspherical' elements and one extra-low dispersion (ED) element.
- 11 rounded-blade diaphragm; close focus 0.38m (15”) in manual focus mode; 67mm filter;
- 516g (18.2oz); $US1299
- Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM
- announced March 2021 should be available May 2021
- 11 circular blades
- 14 elements in 10 groups incl. 3 extreme aspherical XA elements
- Nano AR Coating II plus fluorine front element coating
- four XD (extreme dynamic) Linear Motors
- floating focus mechanism to provide high resolution across focus range
- close focus 15.7 “ (40 cm) giving 0.17x, closer than the Canon and Nikon versions!
- 27.4 oz (778 g) (lighter than the Canon and Nikon mirrorless versions)
- ~$US2000
-
- “Wide-open at the f/1.2 aperture, the cat-eye effect near the edges of the frame are at their most prominent, but hardly a distraction or enough to qualify as “adding character” to an image. By f/2.8, we see nice, even circular bokeh across the frame. The entire aperture range is free of onion ring effects inside the bokeh balls or any kind of pronounced impurities.”
-
- sharpest at f/4 but still very good central sharpness at f/1.2 although drops away significantly towards APS-C edge but by f/4 even the corners are shaper than the centres of many lenses
- wing-like aberrations on stars in the corners wide open (although better than the Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f1.2) but OK at APS-C crop
- moderate astigmatism;
- FF vignetting 2.9EV at f/1.2, 2.35EV at f/1.4; 1.3EV at f/2.0; 1EV at f/2.8-4;
- APS-C vignetting 1EV at f/1.2, 0.56EV at f/1.4; 0.3EV at f/2.0;
- 55mm F1.8 Carl Zeiss
- 9 rounded blades; close focus 0.5m; 49mm filter;
- 70.5mm x 64.4mm; 281g;
- $AU1150
-
- extremely sharp across the full frame wide open with minimal CA or distortion
- impressively sharp, outperforming the 50mm F1.8s and 1.4s for Canon and Nikon SLRs by a substantial margin but much more expensive
- 1.6EV vignetting in corners; ~1% barrel distortion
-
- a little soft wide open away from the centre, much better at f/2.8 and best at f/5.6-8
- 65mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary
- announced Dec 2020
- 62mm filter
- 405g
- $US699
AF macro lenses
portrait prime lenses 75-105mm
- Samyang/Rokinon AF 75mm f/1.8 FE
- announced Apr 2020
- 10 elements in 9 groups, close focus 0.69m (2.26ft), 58mm filter; 9 blades; 65mm x 69mm long; 230g;
- not weathersealed;
- can use the Rokinon/Samyang USB dock ($US59) as with the 35mm f/1.8 AF/FE lens
- $US399
- a new mode switch on the lens barrel allows you swap the functionality of the focusing ring so that it controls the aperture
-
- lovely bokeh, reasonably sharp wide open with minimal CA, lovely little lens
-
- some corner coma, astigmatism which improves by f/2.5
- Image quality in image corners significantly behind its competitors
- If you jump from 24 megapixels to 61 megapixels, then you’ll start to see a faint amount of image quality issues at f/1.8, but they’re a fair trade-off for such a portable, affordable lens.
- Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 G
- announced Feb 2016
- 11 aperture blades
- ring drive AF
- $A2799
- Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art
- announced Aug 2020
- completely new optical formula 15 elements in 11 groups incl. 5 special low dispersion elements + 1 aspherical
- smaller focusing lens is paired with the stepping motor optimized for both PDAF and CDAF
- 11 rounded blades
- 77mm filter
- close focus 85cm / 33.5in giving 1:8.4 magnification
- compact, dust-and splash-proof design smaller and lighter than the dSLR HSM version
- de-clickable aperture ring with new Iris Ring Lock Switch that prevents unintended movement of the aperture ring during image capture;
- Lens Fn button;
- 630g/ 22.2oz. 94.1mm/ 3.7in in length;
- $US1199
- Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 FE
- announced Mar 2019
- DLSM (Dual Linear Sonic Motor)
- weathersealed; 9 rounded blades
- close focus 0.9m
- 77mm filter
- 99.5mm long
- 568g; $US799
- Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8
- close focus 0.8m; 67mm filter; 475g;
- OLED distance and depth of field read out when in MF;
- $US1199
-
- lacks micro contrast?
-
- close focus could be better as 80cm is a touch far
- Sony FE 85mm f/1.8
- close focus 0.8m; 67mm filter; 9 rounded blades; 371g;
- Double linear autofocus motor; Customizable focus hold button on lens barrel
- $US598
- Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 STM
- close focus 0.8m; 72mm filter; 636g; $US379;
- Tokina atx-m 85mm F1.8 FE
- announced Jan 2020
- 9 blades; close focus 0.8m; 72mm filter;645g; 93mm long;
- $US500
- Sony FE 100mm F2.8 STF
- special portrait lens with unique circular peripheral ND filter built in which acts as an apodization element which smooths out blur of out of focus highlights to improve bokeh, but which also reduced light transmission by 2 stops so at f/2.8 it is really f/5.6.
- 11 rounded blades
- Sigma 105mm f/1.4
- announced July 2018, designed for dSLRs
- 17 elements in 12 groups incl. 1 ASPH
- closest focus distance = 1.0m (giving 1:8.3)
- HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor)
- 105mm filter; weathersealed;
- 116 x 129mm (lens hood adds 43mm)
- 1496g plus 104g for the carbon fiber lens hood and 123g for the detachable tripod collar (Arca-Swiss style interface) = 1.7kg!
- compatible with Sigma’s USB-dock
- can pay to have the mount swapped for a different system (Canon EF, Nikon F)
- $US1400
short telephoto prime lenses 135mm
- Samyang 135mm f/1.8
- announced Jan 2022
- 13 elements in 11 groups, 3ED, 2HR,1 ASPH
- 11 blades
- 82mm filter
- close focus 0.69m (1.3’)
- focus hold button, a customizable button and a focus range limiter (0.69-2m and 1.5m to infinity)
- weather-sealed
- 130mm (5.1”) long, 94mm (3.7“) in diameter
- 772g (1.7lbs)
- $US999
- Sigma FE 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM ART
- 13 elements in 10 groups designed for dSLRs hence is longer on the Sony FE mount
- 9 blades
- close focus 0.875m giving 1:5 close up (0.2x)
- focus limiter 0.875-1.5m and 1.5m to infinity
- one of the very few E-mount autofocus lenses that have a true mechanically coupled focus mechanism
- 82mm filter
- 1230g
- Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM
- announced Feb 2019
- when used on the 61mp a7RIV it is sharp enough to give excellent 24mp 220mm and 20mp 240mm making it in effect an awesome digital zoom 135-240mm f/1.8 lens
- 13 elements in 10 groups; 11 blades
- close focus 0.7m (cw Canon EF 135mm F2 at 0.9m)
- focus range limiter 0.7-2m and 1.5m to infinity, gives 0.25x macro
- two customizable focus hold buttons
- 4 XD linear AF motors and dual-autofocus groups in a floating focus arrangement
- 82mm filter, fluorine coating on the front element
- 952g
- excellent optics but some ghosting shooting into the sun
- great for astro work at f/2 to f/2.2 with minimal coma, and only slight field curvature at infinity distance
- $US1900
- Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 APO Sonnar
- announced April 2017;
- OIS, CDAF optimised linear autofocus motor, dust- and weather-sealed
- close focus 0.87m
- 67mm filter; 81x120mm; 614g;
- $US2000
telephoto zoom lenses
- Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2
- Oct 2023; updated version with the addition of Tamron’s proprietary Vibration Compensation (VC) mechanism and new optics - 20 elements in 15 groups for better control over chromatic aberration and will deliver higher resolution performance, and improved AF tracking performance and shorter close focus giving magnification 1:2.6 with AF
- 855g; 156.5mm long; weather-resistant construction, includes a fluorine coating on the front element; 67mm filter;
- $US1300
- Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD
- announced 2019, available 2020
- less than half the price, almost half the weight of the Sony 70-200mm less focus breathing but less reach, slightly slower AF, no OIS, no AF/MF switch, no Fn button, lesser build quality, less weather sealing and extends on zooming but seems to have similar image quality
- 19 elements in 14 groups; 9 circular blades;
- VXD (Voice coil eXtreme torque Drive) linear motor focus mechanism;
- zoom lock switch prevents unwanted barrel extension during transportation
- close focus: AF 0.85m /33.5 in giving 1:4.6; MF 0.27m /10.6 in at 70mm only and edges become very soft, giving 1:2;
- 67mm filter; 149mm (5.9 in) long; 810g (28.6 oz);
- no TC available and cannot use the Sony TCs
- $US1199
- a firmware update in May 2020 fixes issues when used with the a7II and also with flashes being delayed with older 1st and 2nd generation Sony cameras
-
- corners seem soft at 180mm even stopped down and center sharpness is very good wide open but best at f/5.6-8
- nice smooth bokeh; some coma and astigmatism in the corners
- Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 G OSS
- announced Feb 2016
- 11 aperture blades; 77mm filter; bayonet lens hood;
- close focus 0.96m giving 0.25x macro; 3m to infinity focus range limiter; 3 mode OIS;
- dual AF system: two focus groups at either end of the lens are driven by different actuators. A ring drive SSM drives the front AF group while dual linear motors drive a floating rear group. The result is fast continuous autofocus and silent AF for video, as well as in impressive minimum focus distance of <1m
- 1480g 200mm long;
- $AU3599 $US2599
-
- sharpest at f/4 but excellent wide open
- the sharpest full frame zoom lens DxO have tested to date3)
- Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 G OSS II
- announced Oct 2021
- 11 aperture blades; iris lock switch and clickable; 77mm filter; 17 Elements in 14 Groups incl. 0.01-micron precision XA lens to remove onion rings in bokeh, 2 ASPH, 2 ED, 2 extra low dispersion lenses; 1st Alpha lens to have a extra-low dispersion aspherical element - this suppresses CA and spherical aberration; flourine plus Nano AR Coating II to front lens;
- close focus 0.4m at 70mm to 0.82m at 200mm giving 0.3x macro; 3m to infinity focus range limiter;
- four extreme dynamic linear motors
- sharper (very sharp wide open in centre, corners sharper at f/5.6), closer focusing, better AF speed and tracking (30% faster), focus breathing (still has some), zoom shifting, and axis shifting have been improved compared to its predecessor as well as being much lighter!
- some cat's eye bokeh and bokeh can be a little frenetic at times.
- compatible with Sony FE teleconverters;
- 1045g 200mm long; centre of gravity now moved to the lens tripod mount so not as front heavy
- $US2798
- Sony 70-200mm F4 G OSS
- close focus: 1-1.5m (AF), 1-1.35m (MF)
- 72mm filter;
- 80mm x 175mm; 840g;
- $US1500
-
- reasonably sharp centre wide open but softer at 200mm; sharpest at f/8
- soft corners even stopped down
- 0.8% pincushion at 200mm
super-telephoto lenses
- Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS
- announced May 2016
- 16 elements in 13 groups incl. 2 ED and 4 ASPH
- extends on zooming
- 9 rounded blades
- close focus 0.9m giving 0.31x macro; focus limiter 3m to infinity;
- 72mm filter
- 856g; 143.5mm long; (similar weight, size and cost of the Sony 70-200mm F/4G but not as good optically)
- $US1149
- Tamron 70-300 f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD
- announced Sept 2020
- full weather sealing; RXD autofocus motor
- 67mm filter;
- 5.8 inches (148mm) long
- 19.2 oz (545g)
- $US550
- even lighter, shorter and cheaper than the Olympus mZD 40-150mm f/2.8 pro lens for MFT which covers a similar telephoto range and DOF but the Olympus lens doesn't extend on zooming, has better weathersealing and build quality, is f/2.8 at all focal lengths and thus gives shallower DOF at the longer focal lengths (f/5.6 eq)
- Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD
- announced July 2022, available Sept 2022
- same size as a conventional 100-400mm zoom lens, but offers a wider angle view
- 183.4mm (extends to 258mm at 400mm) and weighs 1,155 grams
- close focus distance of 0.24 meters at 50mm giving 1:2 macro
- zoom ring rotation arc of 75 degrees
- Connector Port for the dedicated Tamron Lens Utility
- optional Arca-Swiss compatible accessory tripod mount
- 67mm filter
- $US1299
- Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OIS
- coming late 2020
- 22 elements in 16 groups; close focus 1.6m giving 1:4.1;
- widest aperture becomes f/5.6 at 120mm and f/6.3 at 220mm;
- 67mm filter; 197mm long but extends on zooming; zoom lock switch; focus limiter; AFL button;
- about the same sharpness as the Sony version but less contrast, doesn't focus as close, 1/3rd stop slower, slower AF, MF not as nice, OIS not as good and the tripod mount is an optional extra
- 1160g
- $US949
- Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports
- announced Aug 2021
- 4EV OIS
- 25 elements in 15 groups;
- stepping motor; focus limiter;
- close focus 58cm at wide end to 2.8m at tele end
- 9 rounded blades; 95mm filter;
- Dual Action Zoom - can extend the zoom either by pulling forward the front of the lens, or by turning the zoom ring and ease is adjusted via Zoom Torque switch
- can be used with Sigma’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters
- 2,100g / 74.1oz
- 109.4mm×263.6mm
- $US1499
- Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens
- SEL70300G announced April 2017
- close focus 0.98m giving 0.35x macro
- Two Floating AF groups for Fast AF - both a Direct Drive SSM and a double-linear motor
- 5EV OSS with panning mode switch
- 3 Focus Hold Buttons
- focus limiter 3m - infinity
- 77mm filter
- zoom ring smooth/tight adjustment BUT zoom creeps and there’s no way to lock it down;
- removable tripod foot;
- compact, 1395g (3.08 lb), 205mm (8.07”) in length (not extended)
- compatible with Sony FE 1.4x and 2.0x Teleconverters
- $US2498
-
- edges become much softer at 400mm (need f/11 for sharpest edges), and CA at edges also becomes highest at 400mm
- pincushion distortion: +0.34% at 100mm, +1.43% at 200mm, +1.47% at 300mm and +1.51% at 400mm
-
- sharper than any of its current full frame 400mm zoom peers including the Canon EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS II
- Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD
- announced April 2021
- 82mm filter
- 25 elements in 16 groups, including one extra low dispersion element, five low dispersion elements, and two hybrid aspherical elements
- fluorine coating front lens
- moisture-resistant
- 7 rounded blades
- close focus 60cm at 150mm ranging to 1.8m at 500mm
- 21.1cm to 28.2cm long at 500mm
- 1.9kg
- $US1400
- Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
- announced June 2019
- 24 elements in 17 groups including 1 aspherical element and 5 ED elements
- 11 aperture blades; close focus 2.4m
- DDSSM AF system;
- fully compatible with Sony's two teleconverters
- 111.5mm x 318mm (4.38”x 12.51“);
- 2,115g (4.6 pounds)
- $US1999
- not as reliable as the 100-400mm for AF of fast moving subjects or when panning when used on a a7RIV - may need a firmware upgrade
- Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS
- announced Nov 2023
- close focus 2m; 40.5mm drop in filter; 11 rounded blades;
- 264x124mm; 1.47kg (almost half the weight of the Nikon dSLR equivalent)
- $US5999
- Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 OSS GM
- mid 2018
- 11 circular diaphragm blades
- 23 elements in 17 groups, including 1 ED and 3 Fluorite elements; Fluorine coating
- close focus 2.7m / 8.9ft
- 40.5mm drop in filters
- Dimensions: 359 x 158.1mm (14.13 x 6.22″)
- Weight: 2895g (6.38 lbs) (almost 1kg lighter than the Canon and Nikon versions)
- $US12,000
- Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS
- announced June 2019
- 24 elements in 18 groups, including 1 XA elements, 2 ED elements, and 3 fluorite elements
- 11 aperture blades; close focus 4.5m
- XD AF motors plus Linear Response MF; 40.5mm drop-in filter slot;
- Compatible with the Sony FE 1.4x and 2x teleconverters
- 3,040g (6.71 pounds) - the lightest full frame 600mm f/4 lens available
- 163.6mm x 449mm (6.44” x 17.67“)
- $US12,999
manual focus E-mount full frame lenses
- consider purchasing MF lenses in Canon EF mount so they can be used on many camera systems - however, the ones below are available in Sony FE mount if this is what you prefer
Carl Zeiss Loxia lenses
- these premium lenses are designed primarily for Cine shooters
- they are COMPACT, weathersealed, all have same filter thread size and position of aperture and focus rings
- focus rings have a long throw for more precision work
- aperture ring can easily be de-clicked by turning a screw on the mount using their de-click key set
- can be a bit hard to remove from camera as sealing gasket makes it tight and there are few places to grab on the lens which doesn't turn
- they can be bought as a kit for $US6000
- Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8
- Zeiss Loxia 25mm f/2.4
- Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2
- Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2
- Zeiss Loxia 85mm f/2.4
Samyang Xeen Cine lenses
- Xeen CF 16mm T2.6
- Xeen CF 24mm T1.5 $US2495
- Xeen CF 35mm T1.5
- Xeen CF 50mm T1.5
- Xeen CF 85mm T1.5
Other MF lenses
- Laowa 9mm f/5.6 FF RL rectilinear
- widest rectilinear lens for full frame
- announced June 2020 to be available in Leica M, Sony FE, Nikon Z and L mount.
- 350g, 6cm long; close focus 12cm; 14 elements in 10 groups;
- 100mm wide filters can be used without serious vignetting via an optional 100mm magnetic filter holder
- 5-bladed aperture where a clean and appealing 10-point sunstar
- $US799
- TTArtisan 11mm f/2.8 fisheye
- announced Jan 2020
- 10 blades
- close focus 17cm
- 485g
- $US215
- Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6
- 14 elements in 10 groups
- close focus 15cm giving 1:4
- 5 straight blades to produce well-defined 10-pointed sunstars
- Clicked/clickless aperture can be toggled by a switch on the lens barrel
- can screw in a rear 37mm filter
- can use an optional 100mm front filter holder
- 70 x 90.9 mm; 496g
-
- reviews:
- some distortion of stars
- much smaller and lighter, and cheaper than the Sigma ART 14mm f/1.8
-
- +/- 6mm shift for APS-C cameras
- 110deg FOV; manual aperture ring; 14 aperture blades; 12 elements in 9 groups; 77mm filter; 410g; $US499
- Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift lens
- announced Oct 2020
- ±11mm shift and lens barrel can be rotated through 360° and it clicks every 15°.
- angle of view is 110°
- 65mm image circle diameter
- 17 elements in 11 groups incl 2 ASPH
- 5-bladed aperture creates 10-point Sunstar rendering
- 20cm close focus
- 597g
- lens support is specially designed for perfect panorama stitching as the optic axis remains unchanged
- $US1,199
- also available in Canon EF, Nikon F, Canon RF, Nikon Z mounts
- NiSi 15mm f/4 sunstar lens
- announced Jan 2021
- 10 straight blades for optimal sun star reproduction
- “edge-to-edge sharpness”
- 12 elements in 10 groups incl 1 ASPH and 2 ED
- close focus 0.2m
- 72mm filter
- $US579
- Voigtländer Nokton 21mm f/1.4 Aspherical lens
- announced May 2019
- close focus 25cm
- 12 blades; 62mm filter; 560g
- $US1099
- Voigtländer Color-Skopar 21mm f/3.5 Asph
- announced Feb 2018
- compact
- Voigtländer 35mm f/1.2 SE
- announced April 2020; €999
- Voigtländer 40mm f/1.2 SE
- announced April 2020; €899
- Voigtländer 50mm f/1.2 SE
- announced April 2020; €999
- Mitakon 50mm f/0.95
- $799
- Meyer Optik Görlitz Lydith 30mm f/3.5 II
- coming in 2020
- close focus 0.15m; “watercolor-like bokeh”
- ZY Optics Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm T/1.0 Cine
- announced Apr 2021 Super 35 image circle not FF
- Meyer Optik Görlitz Trioplan 50mm f/2.8 II
- coming 2020;
- soapbubble bokeh and at shorter distances a light swirl is created in the bokeh of the image
- close focus 0.4m;
- Meyer Optik Görlitz Primoplan 58mm f/1.9 II
- coming 2020
- 12 aperture blades; swirling bokeh effect;
- “unusual design, in which a central dispersion lens is flanked by two groups of lenses, each acting as a converging lens. The rear group consists of a single biconvex converging lens, resulting in a subtle brilliance over the entire frame.”
- Meyer Optik Görlitz Primoplan 75mm f/1.9 II
- coming 2020; original optic designed in 1936;
- 14 aperture blades; unique, dreamy, creamy bokeh;
- “an enhancement of the Cooke triplet, in which a central dispersion lens is flanked by two groups of lenses, each acting as a converging lens. The rear group consists of a single biconvex converging lens. ”
- Meyer Optik Görlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 II
- 15 blade, close focus 0.9m; revamped traditional triplet optical design with soap bubble bokeh
- €999
- see also Sony FE macrophotography lenses
Suitability for high resolution sensor cameras
-
- most lenses do not have the resolution to give you 61mp even if you shoot at low ISO with a fast shutter speed
- lenses that could give 61mp in the right conditions include:
- Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM
- Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM
- Sony 20mm f/1.8 - but has significant vignetting
- Sony 50mm f/1.4 Zeiss
- Sigma 105mm f/1.4
- Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DN ART
- Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DN ART
- Sigma 135mm f/1.8 ART
- Sony 400mm f/2.8 GM
- Sony 600mm f/4
- Voigtländer 65mm F2 Macro
- Voigtländer 110mm F2.5 Macro Apo Lanthar
- Voigtländer 50mm f/2
- Tamron 24mm f/2.8
- Tamron 35mm f/2.8
- not quite as sharp but still “excellent” sharpness:
- Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 GM
- Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM
- Sony 24-105mm f/4 G - but significant distortion and vignetting although mostly corrected in-camera
- Sony 100-400mm GM
- Sony 200-600mm G
- Sony 100mm f/2.8 STF GM
- Sony 55mm f/1.8 Zeiss
- Sony 35mm f/1.8
- Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G
- Samyang 12mm f/2.8
- Samyang 35mm f/1.8
- Samyang 85mm f/1.4
- Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8
- Sigma 14mm f/1.8 ART - but lots of coma, astigmatism below f/4
- some Sony GM lenses will not even give 41mp resolution across the frame and are best suited to 24mp sensors:
- Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM
- Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM
photo/sonynex_fe.txt · Last modified: 2024/05/29 12:33 by gary1