Today Zeiss launched the new 50mm f/2.8 macro Touit lens for Sony E-mount APS-C cameras. You can already preorder the lens for $999 at BHphoto (Click here).
This is the official Press Text:
OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 30.01.2014 – More and more photographers are taking advantage of the growing possibilities afforded by compact system cameras with APS-C sensors. With the Touit 2.8/12 and Touit 1.8/32, ZEISS already offers two lenses with E- and X-mount that suffice in meeting the demands of ambitious photographers. Now, the new ZEISS Touit 2.8/50M expands the Touit family to include longer focal lengths as well as close-up coverage.
The Touit 2.8/50M offers a magnification power of 1:1. As a result, the photographed object appears on the camera sensor in its original size. Details that cannot be seen with the naked eye become impressively visible at short shooting distances. This new Touit is therefore following in very large footsteps: ZEISS macro lenses with a magnification power of 1:2, such as the Makro-Planar T* 2/100 and Makro-Planar T* 2/50, have already established themselves as top macro lenses among SLR lenses.
Thanks to its moderate telephoto focal length, the Touit 2.8/50M is also perfect as a portrait lens. When allowing for a crop factor of 1.5, the angular field corresponds to a full-frame-equivalent focal length of 75 mm. Here, too, the lens’s enormous versatility pays off. The lens covers distances from infinity to a magnification power of 1:1. The Touit 2.8/50M is a versatile lens that harmonizes very well with the flexible application of compact APS-C system cameras. Its imaging power makes it an ideal choice for close-ups and portraits.
The Touit 2.8/50M also employs the floating elements design from ZEISS. This enables the lens to achieve a consistently high imaging performance, including up to the minimum object distance (MOD). The exceptional image quality remains consistent, independent of the focus setting. Two aspheres – lens elements number three and four – deliver an important contribution to the high image quality. Two additional lens elements with low dispersion – lens elements number two and nine – help ensure that the lateral and longitudinal chromatic aberrations are kept to a minimum.
A round iris with a total of nine blades gives areas of the motif outside the focus a soft and very natural-looking character. Focused objects before a blurry background are clearly accentuated, creating a harmonious and balanced bokeh. Excellent sharpness along all f-stops rounds off the performance spectrum of the Touit 2.8/50M.
“The new Touit 2.8/50M is for photographers who already use our other two Touit lenses; it’s the ideal complement to their portfolio. Owners of APS-C system cameras with Sony E- or Fujifilm X-mounts who are looking for a new high-end lens will also want to use the Touit 2.8/50M. Whether a photographer has an eye for the smallest details or likes sharp portraits and pleasing bokeh, our new all-around Touit will definitely be at the top of their wish list,” says Dr. Michael Pollmann, Product and Program Manager from ZEISS Camera Lenses.
The Touit 2.8/50M with E and X mount will be available worldwide in March 2014. The recommended sales price will be about EUR 755 (excl. VAT.)* or US$ 999 (excl. VAT)*.
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Am I the only one who found the style of the video somehow awkward? Esp. that weird background music and the product footage with occasional slowed down movement…
Akward-level is not even compareble to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXgmwOwGh-U
Lol yea, I did watch that commercial right after this one. I’m very confused.
A prime with an aperture of f2.8. I’d want more than that!!
It is a macro not a regular prime.
“The new Touit 2.8/50M is for photographers who already use our other two Touit lenses…”
> Certainly not for others.
epic fail
A 50mm apsc macro lens for £1000… I’m sure it must have sounded like a good idea at the time.
Well, for a portrait lens 50 mm is a little too short for me. Sigma understood that and gave us a very, very nice 60 mm. Very sharp, very affordable 🙂
Are you serious?? If you don’t like the frame on the 50mm, take 1 pace forward and bingo you have the same frame as a 60mm…Come on gimme a break!!
Whew, that’s about the worst proof of non-understanding the importance of perspective in portrait photography I’ve heard in all my photographic life – 40 years… Congrats!
Okay so lets use baby steps I guess.
Please see the following link you numpty…….5mm perspective difference… What a joke
http://tjphototips.com/understanding-focal-length/
I agree. While the difference between 75mm (50mm APS-C) and 90mm (60mm APS-C) is not world shattering for portraits, it is definitely noticable and makes for nicer portraits. No, they’re not bad at 75mm, just more pleasing at 90mm. It made me switch as well to the nifty Sigma.
I will buy it for sure – it’s extremely versatile and knowing other Zeiss Makro-Planar lenses as well as the full size samples of this lens on Flickr, the quality seems stunning.
Any reason why you chose this one over the other existing Makro-Planars? If the other Touits are an indication, the AF won’t be that useful and most of the other Makro Planars can be used on many systems (like the ZF or the C/Y one).
Not saying that it’s a bad decision, I’m just curious.
It’s cheaper, smaller and lighter than the Makro Planar 50 f/2 ZE/ZF.2, and it goes to 1:1 magnification on top of that. As for the AF – the one in my Touit 2.8/12 is certainly okay for casual shooting, and I’ll do the serious stuff with MF anyway.
Must be a great lens resolution-wise. Its data sheet file is called “Sharp Max – touit_2850.pdf” so even Zeiss thinks it’s good.
Too dark , at least f1.8 , oss , magnification just 1:2 or 1:4 should be enough . Zeiss are you there ? Are you listen me ?
There’s the Sony Zeiss 55mm 1.8 if you want a faster prime at that focal length. This one is a Makro Planar, with all the advantages that come with it (practically no field curvature and overall extremely well corrected) – and the disadvantage of the smaller aperture, of course. Choice is a good thing.
My thoughts exactly.
Sony already makes a 50/1.8 with OSS. If you want more magnification, add a close-up filter and you should easily get 1:4.
Macro lenses are really specialty optics. As Poki points out, macro lenses need to be as flat field as possible with minimal distortion. Other characteristics like focus breathing (which can ruin focus bracketing) are *very* difficult to control, which is why macro lenses are often “slow” – f2.8-f4.0.
In short, there are photographers who want a general purpose prime with close focus capabilities, and there are photographers who want a macro lens. This lens is for the latter. For the former, the (Sony-made) Zeiss 24/1.8 has great close focus capabilities and is faster and more useful as a general purpose lens.
I agree that macros don’t need to be fast.
I’d rather prefer having built-in light and/or flash in the f/4 or f/5 macro lens rather than large f/2.8
But, does Sony have focus stacking??
Skip…..
Gorgeous lens and 52mm filter size, same as the 32 Planar. I own the 50 1.8, it’s a really nice lens but usually shoot it at 2.8-4 anyway. I also own the 24 Sonnar, 32 Planar and silver 18-200, all terrific lenses. I want to buy it but honestly I am conflicted about investing any more money into this Sony format until I see the Nex 7 replacement.
I have 24 f1.8 it is great lens , and what I like it , it has magnification 1:4 amazing how useful it is . Of course it is far away from true macro , but that is enough for me
I have already preordered this with BH yesterday. Was told availability date wouldn’t be until April 27 so is it really March?
For underwater photography this is a very welcome addition we have waited long enough. This will give us a lot of flexibility underwater where we cant just simply swap over glass. Would love a 60 or 100mm macro
Yep) As an underwater photographer i totally agree that AF is a must) The only thing that complains me – focusing distance. Zeiss state that minimum focus distance is 15cm, 15cm-10cm(lens lenght) give us 5 cm only. That is too close to an object,and close to minimum focal fistance of Sony 30mm… What we do really need is longer focusing distance + AF… Lets look on first tests, hope i am wrong!)
For those complaining this is too short for portraits, don’t forget that the 85mm f1.8 is coming…sometime.
http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr4-first-picture-of-the-85mm-f1-8-e-mount-lens/
Well count me in! I’m definitely interested in this lens but frankly, I’ll have to think long and hard between the A7r in the XT-1 when that time comes.